• People in military costume take part in a fake coup d'etat during a traditional festival known as 'The Floured Ones' in the village of Ibi, Spain. EPA
    People in military costume take part in a fake coup d'etat during a traditional festival known as 'The Floured Ones' in the village of Ibi, Spain. EPA
  • Sara Sorribes Tormo of Team Spain plays against Beatriz Haddad Maia of Team Brazil during the 2024 United Cup in Perth, Australia. Getty Images
    Sara Sorribes Tormo of Team Spain plays against Beatriz Haddad Maia of Team Brazil during the 2024 United Cup in Perth, Australia. Getty Images
  • An ice sculpture of the Irkut MC-21 300 mid-range passenger aircraft at a festival at the All-Russian Exhibition Centre in Moscow. EPA
    An ice sculpture of the Irkut MC-21 300 mid-range passenger aircraft at a festival at the All-Russian Exhibition Centre in Moscow. EPA
  • Brandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors and R J Hampton of the Miami Heat contest a rebound at Chase Centre in San Francisco, California. Getty Images
    Brandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors and R J Hampton of the Miami Heat contest a rebound at Chase Centre in San Francisco, California. Getty Images
  • A woman carries figures of Baby Jesus during a procession for the Day of the Holy Innocents in Antiguo Cuscatlan, El Salvador. EPA
    A woman carries figures of Baby Jesus during a procession for the Day of the Holy Innocents in Antiguo Cuscatlan, El Salvador. EPA
  • Afghan horsemen from the Baghlan (in blue) and Sar-e Pol teams compete during the fifth Buzkashi League in Kabul. AFP
    Afghan horsemen from the Baghlan (in blue) and Sar-e Pol teams compete during the fifth Buzkashi League in Kabul. AFP
  • Hindu holy men during evening prayers on the bank of Sarayu river in Ayodhya, India. EPA
    Hindu holy men during evening prayers on the bank of Sarayu river in Ayodhya, India. EPA
  • The US military's secretive X-37B robot spaceplane lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on its seventh mission to orbit, the vehicle's first launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Reuters
    The US military's secretive X-37B robot spaceplane lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on its seventh mission to orbit, the vehicle's first launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Reuters

Today's best photos: From a fake Coup d'Etat to a robot spaceplane


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More from The National:

Thursday's best photos: From the Grand Mosque in Mosul to a cruise ship in Malta

Wednesday's best photos: From Art in the Eastern Mangroves to a swim in the North Sea

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Damien McElroy: What happens to Brexit?

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What drives subscription retailing?

Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.

The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.

That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.

Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

Company%20profile
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
  • 2018: Formal work begins
  • November 2021: First 17 volumes launched 
  • November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
  • October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
  • November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5

Sweet%20Tooth
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJim%20Mickle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristian%20Convery%2C%20Nonso%20Anozie%2C%20Adeel%20Akhtar%2C%20Stefania%20LaVie%20Owen%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
About Okadoc

Date started: Okadoc, 2018

Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Healthcare

Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth

Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February

Investors: Undisclosed

UAE v Ireland

1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets

2nd ODI, January 12

3rd ODI, January 14

4th ODI, January 16

BULKWHIZ PROFILE

Date started: February 2017

Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce 

Size: 50 employees

Funding: approximately $6m

Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait

Updated: December 29, 2023, 11:07 AM