Customers browse Xiaomi smartphones at a retail store in Barcelona. The Chinese company produced more than 146 million smartphones last year, according to market intelligence firm TrendForce. Bloomberg
Customers browse Xiaomi smartphones at a retail store in Barcelona. The Chinese company produced more than 146 million smartphones last year, according to market intelligence firm TrendForce. Bloomberg
Customers browse Xiaomi smartphones at a retail store in Barcelona. The Chinese company produced more than 146 million smartphones last year, according to market intelligence firm TrendForce. Bloomberg
Customers browse Xiaomi smartphones at a retail store in Barcelona. The Chinese company produced more than 146 million smartphones last year, according to market intelligence firm TrendForce. Bloomber

US targets Xiaomi in Donald Trump’s late anti-China push


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The US administration blacklisted Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi for alleged military links, part of a final push to ratchet up pressure on Beijing before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

Xiaomi is one of the nine firms added to the Defence Department’s list of Chinese military companies. Others include state-owned plane maker Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, or Comac, which is central to China’s goal of creating a narrow-body plane that can compete with Boeing and Airbus.

Xiaomi surpassed Apple in smartphone sales in the third quarter of 2020, according to the International Data Corporation. It joined Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index in September after grabbing market share from Huawei as US sanctions on the Chinese company deepened.

Unless the ban on Xiaomi is reversed, the smartphone maker risks being delisted from the US exchanges and deleted from global benchmark indexes.

Xiaomi shares fell as much as 12 per cent in Hong Kong, while its suppliers also tumbled. FIH Mobile, which helps it assemble smartphones, plunged 14 per cent. Component suppliers including Largan Precision, Sunny Optical Technology and AAC Technologies also fell.

The new raft of curbs marks a late push by President Donald Trump to ensure his campaign against China stays in place long after he leaves office next week.

While Mr Biden and many Democrats say they oppose Mr Trump’s tactics against China, the restrictions will give the new president increased leverage over Beijing when his team negotiates on trade with leaders of the world’s second-largest economy.

China’s Foreign Ministry and China National Aviation did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Spokespeople for Xiaomi had no immediate comment.

Mr Biden has pledged to work with allies to develop a more coherent strategy against China, though it is not clear whether there will be any immediate shifts in policy.

Under an executive order signed by Mr Trump last year, the US investors will need to unwind stakes in designated Chinese companies by November.

The Trump administration has now listed 44 Chinese companies under a 1999 law which authorises the president to potentially impose sanctions on them.

Mr Trump signed an order in November barring American investments in Chinese firms owned or controlled by the military in a bid to put pressure on Beijing.

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

How has net migration to UK changed?

The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.

It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.

The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.

The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
RESULTS
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KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees

Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme

Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks

Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets

Emergency phone numbers in the UAE

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

UAE jiu-jitsu squad

Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)

Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)

Abu%20Dhabi%E2%80%99s%20Racecard
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Reading List

Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:

Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung

How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever

Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays

How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen

European arms

Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons.  Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.

The Florida Project

Director: Sean Baker

Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe

Four stars

Afcon 2019

SEMI-FINALS

Senegal v Tunisia, 8pm

Algeria v Nigeria, 11pm

Matches are live on BeIN Sports

AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street

The seven points are:

Shakhbout bin Sultan Street

Dhafeer Street

Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)

Salama bint Butti Street

Al Dhafra Street

Rabdan Street

Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)

Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.