With just days to go before Tuesday's vote, both contenders for United States president made stops in the critical battleground state of Michigan.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump held an outdoor rally for thousands of supporters in Michigan’s Washington Township, just north of Detroit.
The event was so popular, police blocked off several roads around the Total Sports Park venue preventing hundreds of people hoping to attend the rally from entering.
They gathered instead in adjacent farmland determined to still catch a glimpse of their political leader.
A view of the president’s circling helicopter was as close as they got.
Suzanne, 49, and her daughter Mallory, 16, rode 8 kilometres on their bikes through light snow and in frigid temperatures to watch the President speak.
“We couldn’t get in so we’re just watching across the river,” said Suzanne who already cast her vote for Mr Trump by absentee ballot.
Michigan emerged as one of the most important states for Mr Trump in the 2016 election. It was one of three states in the upper midwest that Mr Trump was able to flip Republican in order to secure his path to the White House.
But with a victory margin in Michigan of just under 11,000 votes or 0.23 per cent of the electorate, Mr Trump is working hard to keep up support.
Recent polls show Mr Trump trailing behind Democratic candidate Joe Biden in the state by several points - as he is nationwide.
Mr Biden is digging into Mr Trump’s margins with white, less-educated voters in the state, as well as suburban women who have abandoned support for Mr Trump over some of his tougher policies.
But that isn’t the case for Suzanne.
“I don’t always agree with him, but I feel he’s all we have to fight for us,” she said. “I love that he is the people’s president.
"He’s there fighting the government—both Democrats and Republicans, he’s fighting the deep state, he’s fighting the media, he’s fighting big social media—Twitter, Facebook—he’s fighting everyone. It’s like him and us against everyone.”
Covid no deterrent to Trump supporters
The crowds of supporters were not deterred by the threat of coronavirus.
A recently published study by Stanford University estimated that there have been at least 30,000 coronavirus infections and 700 deaths as a result of 18 campaign rallies President Trump held from June to September.
Rosa Scott who drove to the rally from Columbiaville, some 75 kilometres away, said she knew friends who were considering supporting Mr Biden because of Mr Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. But she was unconvinced by their argument.
“This is something that’s going to be here for a while but he’s doing the best that he can,” the war veteran said of Mr Trump’s approach to the pandemic. “People are going to die regardless.”
Biden teams up with Obama
In contrast with Mr Trump’s tightly packed crowds, Mr Biden opted to hold two socially-distanced drive-in rallies in Detroit and Flint on Saturday where attendees stayed in their cars.
The former vice president was joined on stage by his one-time boss Barack Obama. “Three days until the most important election of our lifetimes, and that includes mine which was pretty important,” joked the former president to cheers and honks.
It was the first time the two have attended a campaign rally together during this election. Mr Obama received massive support from Democrats in Detroit and throughout Michigan in both 2008 and 2012.
The Biden campaign is hoping his appearance in the final days of the campaign will boost support.
Mr Biden is banking on increased support from Black voters this election, so big turnouts in cities like Flint and Detroit would bode well for his chances in the state.
And he will be hoping that this Barack Obama basketball special is another omen of success.
The appearances are also an attempt to correct the mistakes of Hillary Clinton in 2016 who was criticized for not spending enough time campaigning in midwestern states such as Michigan.
While it appears to be Mr Biden’s last time in Michigan before Tuesday’s vote, Mr Trump will return to the state for two more appearances.
On Monday, President Trump will be in Traverse City before holding a rally in Grand Rapids—the site of his 2016 campaign finale—perhaps hoping the city will bring him victor’s luck once again.
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ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
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Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Motori Profile
Date started: March 2020
Co-founder/CEO: Ahmed Eissa
Based: UAE, Abu Dhabi
Sector: Insurance Sector
Size: 50 full-time employees (Inside and Outside UAE)
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Safe City Group
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
England Test squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.
Match info:
Real Betis v Sevilla, 10.45pm (UAE)
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Schedule:
Friday, January 12: Six fourball matches
Saturday, January 13: Six foursome (alternate shot) matches
Sunday, January 14: 12 singles
Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
