• The Netherlands pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will keep its carbon footprint as small as possible using reusable, recyclable and biodegradable material. V8 Architects
    The Netherlands pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will keep its carbon footprint as small as possible using reusable, recyclable and biodegradable material. V8 Architects
  • Luxembourg pavilion will hire culinary students to cater to Expo 2020 Dubai visitors. Courtesy Expo 2020 Dubai
    Luxembourg pavilion will hire culinary students to cater to Expo 2020 Dubai visitors. Courtesy Expo 2020 Dubai
  • Luxembourg's pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will feature a giant slide. Courtesy: Luxembourg Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai
    Luxembourg's pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will feature a giant slide. Courtesy: Luxembourg Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai
  • Kuwait Pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai. Courtesy Expo 2020 Dubai
    Kuwait Pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai. Courtesy Expo 2020 Dubai
  • The Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2020 will be 13,069 square metres - the second largest pavilion at next year's world fair. Courtesy Expo 2020 Dubai
    The Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2020 will be 13,069 square metres - the second largest pavilion at next year's world fair. Courtesy Expo 2020 Dubai
  • A rendering showing the UK pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Courtesy: UK Pavilion Expo 2020
    A rendering showing the UK pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Courtesy: UK Pavilion Expo 2020
  • Render of the exterior of Monaco pavilion that will be wrapped with solar panels at the Expo 2020 Dubai site. Courtesy: Monaco Expo 2020
    Render of the exterior of Monaco pavilion that will be wrapped with solar panels at the Expo 2020 Dubai site. Courtesy: Monaco Expo 2020
  • The US Pavilion at Expo 2020 site. Reem Mohammed / The National
    The US Pavilion at Expo 2020 site. Reem Mohammed / The National
  • Rendering of Italian pavilion at Expo 2020. Courtesy: Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai
    Rendering of Italian pavilion at Expo 2020. Courtesy: Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai
  • Renderings of the India pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Consulate of India, Dubai
    Renderings of the India pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Consulate of India, Dubai
  • The Swiss pavilion. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    The Swiss pavilion. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • The wooden poles of the Malaysia Pavilion will be lit up at night to represent fireflies in mangrove trees. Courtesy: Malaysia Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai
    The wooden poles of the Malaysia Pavilion will be lit up at night to represent fireflies in mangrove trees. Courtesy: Malaysia Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai
  • How the Bahrain Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will look. Courtesy: Bahrain Expo 2020 Dubai
    How the Bahrain Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will look. Courtesy: Bahrain Expo 2020 Dubai
  • A ‘rainmaker’ inside the Netherlands pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will harvest water, irrigate the plants and keep the interior cool. Courtesy: V8 Architects. Courtesy: Expomobilia MCH
    A ‘rainmaker’ inside the Netherlands pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will harvest water, irrigate the plants and keep the interior cool. Courtesy: V8 Architects. Courtesy: Expomobilia MCH
  • The French pavilion at the Dubai World Expo has been completed with a formal ceremony at the site on Thursday. Courtesy: France Pavilion
    The French pavilion at the Dubai World Expo has been completed with a formal ceremony at the site on Thursday. Courtesy: France Pavilion
  • Work on the Irish pavilion located in the Mobility District, near Jubilee Park, has been completed at the Expo 2020 Dubai site. Exhibition installation is scheduled for the first week in June with soft furnishing complete by the end of June. Courtesy: Embassy of Ireland
    Work on the Irish pavilion located in the Mobility District, near Jubilee Park, has been completed at the Expo 2020 Dubai site. Exhibition installation is scheduled for the first week in June with soft furnishing complete by the end of June. Courtesy: Embassy of Ireland
  • The Polish pavilion at the Dubai Expo site has metal birds installed across a wood panelled exterior. Antonie Robertson / The National
    The Polish pavilion at the Dubai Expo site has metal birds installed across a wood panelled exterior. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Austria Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Courtesy Austria Pavilion
    Austria Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Courtesy Austria Pavilion

Expo 2020 Dubai: 100 facts that tell the story of the world fair


Ramola Talwar Badam
  • English
  • Arabic

Expos have been held every five years, more or less, across the globe since 1851. In celebration of the 100-day countdown to Expo 2020 Dubai, The National looks back at some of the more interesting inventions, landmarks and facts about the World Fair.

1. World Expos are a global gathering of nations to find solutions to pressing challenges of our time

2. The first World Expo or Great Exhibition was in London in 1851

The facade of Crystal Palace, London, during the Great Exhibition in 1851. Hulton Archive
The facade of Crystal Palace, London, during the Great Exhibition in 1851. Hulton Archive

3. The BIE, Bureau International des Expositions, was created in 1928 to regulate the mega events

4. Expos are typically held every five years for up to six months

5. Participants are countries, international organisations, cities, companies and non-government groups

6. Dubai won the bid to stage the Expo on November 27, 2013

Members of the public congregate by Burj Al Arab to wait for possible fireworks in celebration of Dubai winning the bid to host Expo 2020. Antonie Robertson / The National
Members of the public congregate by Burj Al Arab to wait for possible fireworks in celebration of Dubai winning the bid to host Expo 2020. Antonie Robertson / The National

7. Dubai made it to final round of voting in Paris, beating competition from Russia, Turkey and Brazil

8. The World Expo takes place in Dubai from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022

9. The next World Expo is in 2025 in Japan

10. Japan's focus for their Expo is designing a future society

11. Expo 2020 Dubai's theme is Connecting Minds, Creating the Future

12. The event was postponed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic but kept the name Expo 2020 Dubai

13. Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region

14. More than 200 participants from more than 190 countries are expected

The UAE pavilion with Al Wasl Plaza in the background seen from above at the Dubai Expo 2020 site. Courtesy: Dubai Expo 2020
The UAE pavilion with Al Wasl Plaza in the background seen from above at the Dubai Expo 2020 site. Courtesy: Dubai Expo 2020

15. Expo 2020 Dubai will be held over 182 days

16. Some 25 million visits are expected for the Dubai Expo

17. The site is located in the Dubai South area, near Al Maktoum International Airport

18. It covers a total of 438 hectares

19. Three petals make up the main districts: Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity

20. The districts are linked to Al Wasl Plaza

21. Al Wasl means connection and was Dubai's historic name

22. The 360-degree dome is the world’s largest projection surface

The inauguration of Al Wasl Plaza at Expo 2020 Dubai site on January 29, 2020. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs
The inauguration of Al Wasl Plaza at Expo 2020 Dubai site on January 29, 2020. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs

23. Al Wasl is almost as wide as two Airbus A380s placed wing-to-wing

24. It is taller also than the leaning Tower of Pisa

25. The trellis dome is made from 550 tonnes of moulded steel, weighing as much as 25 blue whales

The steel structure that is Al Wasl plaza - the heart of the Expo. Courtesy: Expo 2020 Dubai
The steel structure that is Al Wasl plaza - the heart of the Expo. Courtesy: Expo 2020 Dubai

26. Expo 2020 Metro Station, with an aircraft wing design, was built to take passengers to the entrance of the World Fair

27. It is the final station on Dubai’s new Route 2020

28. The station can hold 29,000 people per hour during peak hours

The main metro station at Expo 2020 Dubai. Courtesy: Expo 2020 Dubai
The main metro station at Expo 2020 Dubai. Courtesy: Expo 2020 Dubai

29. The UAE pavilion is the biggest and shaped like a falcon in flight

30. Three massive gateways are at the entrance to the three theme districts

31. The six-storey high entry portals are made from high-grade carbon fibre and resin

32. Sustainability, Mobility pavilions, Al Wasl Plaza and Dubai Exhibition Centre will remain after the Expo ends

33. There are more than 1,000 solar panels on Terra, the Sustainability Pavilion

34. The canopy spans 130-metre wide and along with 18 energy trees captures energy from the sun

The energy trees on the Dubai Expo site. Pawan Singh / The National
The energy trees on the Dubai Expo site. Pawan Singh / The National

35. This helps generate more than 4 gigawatt hours of alternative energy per year, enough to charge more than 900,000 mobile phones

36. More than 100,000 tourists and residents have had a sneak peek of the Sustainability Pavilion

37. The Mobility Pavilion includes the world’s largest passenger lift that can carry more than 160 people at a time

38. A 330-metre track runs around this pavilion

More than 150 robots will meet and greet visitors at the Dubai Expo year. Courtesy: Expo 2020 Dubai
More than 150 robots will meet and greet visitors at the Dubai Expo year. Courtesy: Expo 2020 Dubai

39. Robots, self-driving vehicles and jetpacks will be swoop around this section

40. Dubai Exhibition Centre is a gigantic conference zone for exhibitions, dinners, concerts

41. It can be divided into nine halls that can host between 300 to 20,000 people

42. Siblings Rashid, Latifa and Salama, and the ghaf tree, are Dubai Expo's friendly mascots

43. Nine-year-old Rashid dreams of saving the environment and his younger sister Latifa is a science prodigy

The official unveiling of the Expo 2020 Mascots on September 26, 2019. Chris Whiteoak / The National
The official unveiling of the Expo 2020 Mascots on September 26, 2019. Chris Whiteoak / The National

44. Other mascots are guardians of the theme pavilions, Alif, a shape-shifting robot, Opti on wheels who moves through space and time and Terra who protects nature

45. There are two parks: Al Forsan and Jubilee

46. A nursery on site helped nurture shrubs and trees from date palms, ghaf and thorny acacia trees

47. It was home to 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 mature trees in the lead up to Expo

48. More than 30,000 volunteers, Emiratis and residents, will assist visitors

49. During peak construction activity, about 40,000 workers were on site

50. Expo 2020’s construction workforce and staff are from 71 nationalities

51. There will be up to 60 live events each day with more than 50 cuisines and 200 food and beverage outlets

52. Al Wasl Opera is being produced in collaboration with Welsh National Opera

53. It will have more than 100 musicians and 70 professionals, including Emirati talent

54. There will be two-hour performances sung in English

55. The opera tells the story of survival and how young and old people learn to listen to each other

56. The Welsh National Opera has designed workshops for primary schoolchildren

57. School choirs will perform 30-minute extracts from Al Wasl Opera at the Expo’s Jubilee Park

Bollywood music composer and singer AR Rahman. Jewel Samad / AFP
Bollywood music composer and singer AR Rahman. Jewel Samad / AFP

58. Oscar and Grammy-winning composer AR Rahman will mentor musicians in the Firdaus Women’s Orchestra

59. Firdaus means paradise in Arabic and is a unique musical project

60. Fifty female musicians from the Arab world will be selected to perform classical and fusion compositions

61. The performance will include traditional string instruments such as the oud

62. Expo Live provides grants of $100,000 to people anywhere in the world working on solutions that improve lives

63. Funding and guidance has been given to more than 140 initiatives from over 70 countries

64. The schemes empower women entrepreneurs and support teaching workers new skills

65. One initiative involves refugee mothers in Malaysia cooking healthy meals to earn an income

PichaEats is a Malaysia-based catering and meal-box service powered by refugees who create authentic delicacies and cuisines from their homelands. Courtesy: Expo 2020 Dubai
PichaEats is a Malaysia-based catering and meal-box service powered by refugees who create authentic delicacies and cuisines from their homelands. Courtesy: Expo 2020 Dubai

66. Another trains farming families in Africa to boost harvests

67. The Expo school programme engages schoolchildren with initiatives, including recycling drives

68. One million visits from schoolchildren have been committed throughout the Expo

69. University and high school pupils in the UAE and overseas can connect with experts on educational tours

70. They can register for three-day Expo tours to explore careers from art to engineering

71. Through its 170-year history, Expos have debuted life-changing ideas and ground breaking inventions

Richard Lansdale took the opportunity to showcase his creation – the Compound Rotary Washing Machine – at World Expo 1862 in London. Courtesy: Bureau International des Expositions
Richard Lansdale took the opportunity to showcase his creation – the Compound Rotary Washing Machine – at World Expo 1862 in London. Courtesy: Bureau International des Expositions

72. The washing machine was displayed at the 1862 London World Expo to save time in household chores

73. The first typewriter to be a commercial success, the Remington No 1, was displaced at the 1876 Philadelphia World Expo

74. Heinz presented ketchup to the world at the same expo in the United States

75. Visitors to World Expo 1878 Paris were amazed at Thomas Edison’s phonograph in the American pavilion that recorded and played back sound

Thomas Edison’s phonograph is displayed in the Paris expo in 1878. Courtesy: Bureau International des Expositions
Thomas Edison’s phonograph is displayed in the Paris expo in 1878. Courtesy: Bureau International des Expositions

76. The X-ray machine was introduced at the1904 St Louis World Expo

77. The first live television broadcast was at the opening ceremony of the 1939 New York World Expo

78. Nylon stockings were also displayed at the NY Expo advertising a ‘world of tomorrow’ in accessible fashion and comfort

79. More than 50 years ago, visitors to the 1970 Osaka World Expo discovered the mobile phone

The mobile is presented at the Osaka World Expo in 1970. Courtesy: Bureau International des Expositions
The mobile is presented at the Osaka World Expo in 1970. Courtesy: Bureau International des Expositions

80. The worldwide debut of IMAX cinemas was also at the Japanese Expo

81. One of the world's most recognisable structures, the Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 Paris World Expo

82. The first Expo in 1851, at London’s Crystal Palace, was such a success that organisers used the proceeds from 6 million visitors to build the Victoria and Albert Museum

83. The BIE, an intergovernmental organisation, oversees World Fairs and non-commercial international exhibitions that last more than three weeks

84. The BIE chooses the host country for future Expos

85. Its aim is to guarantee quality and preserve values of education, innovation and co-operation

86. From 31 nations that founded the BIE, the organisation has grown to 169 member states

From his car drawn up at the entrance, US President Theodore Roosevelt, waves to the crowds at the opening of the World Fair, New York, on April 30, 1939. Getty
From his car drawn up at the entrance, US President Theodore Roosevelt, waves to the crowds at the opening of the World Fair, New York, on April 30, 1939. Getty

87. The BIE’s General Assembly is the main decision-making body and each member country is entitled to one vote

88. The General Assembly is held twice a year

89. Member nations elect the host of future Expos during a General Assembly

90. The first museum dedicated to World Expos was opened in Shanghai in 2017

91. Swirling shapes of the Dubai Expo 2020 logo are inspired by a 4,000-year-old gold ring found on a desert archaeological site

92. The ring was found by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, when flying over the Sarouq Al Hadeed site in a helicopter

93. The decision to base the Expo logo on the ancient ring was taken by Sheikh Mohammed to represent the nation's deep roots

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, reveals the logo for Expo 2020 Dubai at Burj Khalifa on March 27, 2016. Anna Nielsen for The National
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, reveals the logo for Expo 2020 Dubai at Burj Khalifa on March 27, 2016. Anna Nielsen for The National

94. Details of ticket prices for the Dubai World Expo will be announced in July

95. People with special needs are allowed free entry and a 50 per cent discount will be given to one companion

96. All visitors, including people with disabilities, must obtain a ticket online

97. Children five and under can enter the site for free and youth up to the age of 17 will get in for half-price

98. More than 80 per cent of the Expo infrastructure will remain in a neighbourhood called District 2020

99. The residential and business community will be a science hub that will use green technology to create a health environment to live and work

100. Masks will be mandatory on the Expo site with thermal cameras at arrival points

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.3-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E299hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E420Nm%20at%202%2C750rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E12.4L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh157%2C395%20(XLS)%3B%20Dh199%2C395%20(Limited)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
McLaren GT specs

Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed

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Torque: 630Nm

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THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%204.4-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20653hp%20at%205%2C400rpm%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20800Nm%20at%201%2C600-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%208-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E0-100kph%20in%204.3sec%0D%3Cbr%3ETop%20speed%20250kph%0D%3Cbr%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20NA%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Q2%202023%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh750%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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If you go...

Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.

Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50

The%20Emperor%20and%20the%20Elephant
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MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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Sri Lanka's T20I squad

Thisara Perera (captain), Dilshan Munaweera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ashan Priyanjan, Mahela Udawatte, Dasun Shanaka, Sachith Pathirana, Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Gamage, Seekkuge Prasanna, Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay and Chathuranga de Silva.

Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:

Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 

Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto 

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Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:

Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 

Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto 

Power: 1,500hp

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0-100kph in 2.3 seconds

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0-300kph in 11.8 seconds

Top speed: 350kph

Price: Dh13,600,000

Match info:

Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')

Morocco 0

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

Boulder shooting victims

• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65

LILO & STITCH

Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Rating: 4.5/5

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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What is graphene?

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.

It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.

But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties. 

 

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On sale: now

Company%20profile
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The Details

Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5 

The Birkin bag is made by Hermès. 
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.

THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EBattery%3A%2060kW%20lithium-ion%20phosphate%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20Up%20to%20201bhp%3Cbr%3E0%20to%20100kph%3A%207.3%20seconds%3Cbr%3ERange%3A%20418km%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh149%2C900%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Trump v Khan

2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US

2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022:  Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.

Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”

While you're here
Britain's travel restrictions
  • A negative test 2 days before flying
  • Complete passenger locator form
  • Book a post-arrival PCR test
  • Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
  • 11 countries on red list quarantine

     
Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

What it means to be a conservationist

Who is Enric Sala?

Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.

What is biodiversity?

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.

Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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What is a robo-adviser?

Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.

These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.

Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.

Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.

Who is Tim-Berners Lee?

Sir Tim Berners-Lee was born in London in a household of mathematicians and computer scientists. Both his mother, Mary Lee, and father, Conway, were early computer scientists who worked on the Ferranti 1 - the world's first commercially-available, general purpose digital computer. Sir Tim studied Physics at the University of Oxford and held a series of roles developing code and building software before moving to Switzerland to work for Cern, the European Particle Physics laboratory. He developed the worldwide web code as a side project in 1989 as a global information-sharing system. After releasing the first web code in 1991, Cern made it open and free for all to use. Sir Tim now campaigns for initiatives to make sure the web remains open and accessible to all.

LOVE%20AGAIN
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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

THE%C2%A0SPECS
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