One year after a violent insurrection shook America to its core, federal authorities have charged more than 700 people in connection to the riot at the Capitol building in Washington.
Prosecutors say the sprawling investigation is now the biggest probe in US history, both in terms of the number of defendants and the sheer quantity of evidence.
FBI Director Christopher Wray told a Senate judiciary committee in March that the Capitol attack amounted to “domestic terrorism".
On January 6, 2021, what started as a rally at the White House to protest Donald Trump's electoral defeat to Joe Biden devolved into a violent assault on the US Capitol and a frantic, last-minute mob attempt to overturn the election results.
At least five people died in the ensuing violence and its aftermath, including a Capitol Police officer, and more than $1.5 million in damage was inflicted on the seat of the US government.
The charges
In the year since, authorities have cast a wide net. Of the at least 725 people arrested, 225 have been charged with assault or resisting arrest.
At least 75 people have been charged with using a “dangerous or deadly weapon” against a police officer, with the Department of Justice reporting that more than 140 officers from the US Capitol Police and Washington Metropolitan Police Department were assaulted.
In addition to those charged with assaulting police officers, 10 people have been charged with assaulting members of the media.
The vast majority of those charged so far face counts of entering a restricted federal building. About 45 people have been charged with destruction of government property.
“The amount of hours used to compile the individual cases must be overwhelming,” said Javed Ali, a former senior intelligence analyst at the FBI and an associate professor of practice at the Gerald R Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.
“Investigators are having to pour through tons of social media activity, cellphone activity, interviews with either witnesses, or family members, or people around potential defendants or folks who've been charged.”
As the cases wind through the legal system, about 165 plea deals have been struck, with roughly 145 people pleading guilty to misdemeanours and 20 pleading guilty to felonies. Of those 20, six have pleaded guilty to assaulting an officer.
Seventy people have been sentenced for their role in the events at the Capitol so far.
Last month, Robert Palmer, convicted of assaulting police officers during the riot, was sentenced to five years in prison — the harshest penalty to date.
The accused
Charges have been filed against people from almost every state and include business owners, current and former law enforcement officers and military veterans.
Even a former Olympian has been convicted of participating in the event. Five-time medallist Klete Keller pleaded guilty in September to a felony charge for his actions at the Capitol.
While at least four members of the far-right group the Proud Boys have been charged in connection to the events, the vast majority of the accused appear to be people who were swept up in the moment, said Mr Ali.
“This was not what I would call a sophisticated, professional type of terrorism, plotting and planning that I saw in my days in government,” Mr Ali told The National.
For one thing, there was little attempt at subterfuge: many people bragged in tweets or posted live streams of their actions online — something that has made the Justice Department's job much easier.
Some have claimed they were only spurred to march to the Capitol following hearing Mr Trump's rhetoric at the rally, though the former president has denied his actions had any bearing on the riot.
One of the accused, Robert Bauer, came to Washington with his wife to attend Mr Trump's rally. NPR reported that Mr Bauer told the FBI that “people in the crowd were angry about paedophiles, the news cycle and losing their businesses during the lockdown” and headed to the Capitol “because President Trump said to do so".
The investigation continues
Authorities continue to file charges on a near-daily basis. The FBI is actively seeking information on more than 350 people suspected of committing violent acts on Capitol grounds and is calling on the public to identify those involved.
Perhaps no suspect is more wanted than the person who was captured on CCTV apparently placing pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters the night before the attack.
A year on, that person has not been caught.
Separately, a special commission in Congress is looking at January 6 and what role officials, including Mr Trump, had in the events of the day.
Company%20Profile
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
RESULT
Aston Villa 1
Samatta (41')
Manchester City 2
Aguero (20')
Rodri (30')
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
Winner: Miller’s House, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Kanood, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gervais, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Important Mission, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
65
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if you go
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5