Washington's National Zoo is honouring its three giant pandas with nine days of events ahead of their return to China but stormy weather and a looming US government shutdown have put something of a damper on the festivities.
The “Panda Palooza” to honour their legacy as animal ambassadors drew a reduced crowd on Saturday because of torrential rain from Tropical Storm Ophelia, according to local news reports.
The weather forced the zoo to cancel some outdoor events at the weekend, but it did not deter some heartier visitors from across the US from flocking to the panda enclosure for one last glimpse at the threesome.
Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji are scheduled to be returned in early December.
The coming week will feature panda-themed film screenings, concerts, lectures, yoga, arts and craft activities, and “tasty celebratory treats” provided by the Chinese embassy in Washington, according to the zoo's website.
The festivities could end a day sooner than planned, however, if Congress fails to provide funding for the fiscal year starting October 1 due to a continuing dispute between far-right Republicans and other politicians.
The zoo, operated by the Smithsonian Institution, receives federal funding, and would be forced to close to the public during a government shutdown, according to its website.
The shutdown would not disrupt animal care, but the zoo's popular live “Panda Cam” would go dark.
Mei Xiang, 25, and Tian Tian, 26, came to the zoo in 2000 under a co-operative research and breeding agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
The pandas were initially meant to stay 10 years, but the agreement has been renewed three times since 2010.
The zoo's giant panda programme began in 1972, when Zhou Enlai, the Chinese premier at the time, donated two pandas to the US soon after Richard Nixon's historic visit to China that year.
The zoo did not say whether it has any immediate plans to acquire more giant pandas, but said on its website that it “hopes to continue this work in the future”.
Results:
CSIL 2-star 145cm One Round with Jump-Off
1. Alice Debany Clero (USA) on Amareusa S 38.83 seconds
2. Anikka Sande (NOR) For Cash 2 39.09
3. Georgia Tame (GBR) Cash Up 39.42
4. Nadia Taryam (UAE) Askaria 3 39.63
5. Miriam Schneider (GER) Fidelius G 47.74
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The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
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Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
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2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux
2012 Amour, Michael Haneke
2011 The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul
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Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm kick-off UAE)
Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Cologne (5.30pm)
Mainz v Arminia Bielefeld (5.30pm)
Augsburg v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich (8.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg (10.30pm)
Sunday
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Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin (8pm)
Top Hundred overseas picks
London Spirit: Kieron Pollard, Riley Meredith
Welsh Fire: Adam Zampa, David Miller, Naseem Shah
Manchester Originals: Andre Russell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sean Abbott
Northern Superchargers: Dwayne Bravo, Wahab Riaz
Oval Invincibles: Sunil Narine, Rilee Rossouw
Trent Rockets: Colin Munro
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6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m | Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)
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