In 2020, excpect fewer gowns and photo calls: Last year, on September 23, 2019, British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge poses with three Emmys for 'Fleabag' during the 71st Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles. AFP
In 2020, excpect fewer gowns and photo calls: Last year, on September 23, 2019, British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge poses with three Emmys for 'Fleabag' during the 71st Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles. AFP
In 2020, excpect fewer gowns and photo calls: Last year, on September 23, 2019, British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge poses with three Emmys for 'Fleabag' during the 71st Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles. AFP
In 2020, excpect fewer gowns and photo calls: Last year, on September 23, 2019, British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge poses with three Emmys for 'Fleabag' during the 71st Emmy Awards at the Microsoft T

How will the 2020 Emmys work? Five things to watch for on the night


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Hollywood will honour the best in television at the Emmys on Sunday. However, the awards show – like most things in the pandemic-era world – will look totally different.

And maybe that's a good thing. Here are five things to watch out for on Sunday night.

How will it all work?

Late-night TV show funnyman Jimmy Kimmel will take to the stage at a nearly empty venue in Los Angeles to host the Emmys, as the stars will be elsewhere.

Producers have sent camera equipment to about 130 A-list nominees in several countries around the world, and the winners will accept their awards live.

Technical difficulties, expletives dropped on air, wardrobe malfunctions: the set-up seems tailor-made for at least a few hiccups, but experts say that could be a boost overall.

"I think it's got the potential to actually be a breakthrough for awards shows, and actually shake up the whole format, make it interesting," said Deadline awards columnist Pete Hammond.

Kimmel is the host who had to handle the notorious Best Picture Oscar bungle in 2017, so industry observers say if anyone is prepared to deal with the unknown, he's the man.

"I really think he's going to be able to roll with the punches better than maybe anyone else who could be in that position," IndieWire TV awards editor Libby Hill told AFP.

The Creative Arts Emmys has already taken place, giving us a glimpse of how it will work:

What about the fashion?

There is no red carpet, of course, so how the stars will appear on camera is anyone's guess. Organisers have encouraged participants to embrace comfort over couture.

Scroll through the gallery above to see last year's red carpet in pictures.

"Our informal theme for the night is 'Come as you are, but make an effort!" said a letter sent to nominees by organisers in July, according to Variety.

"If you want to be in formal wear, we'd love that, but equally if you're in the UK and it's 3am, perhaps you want to be in designer pyjamas and record from your bed!"

So will stars don glamorous gowns anyway, hoping for a winning fashion moment, or instead go for the tie-dye loungewear that has become the ubiquitous version of lockdown chic?

Stay tuned.

Can Netflix win a major award?

Since entering the fray with flagship original dramas such as House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, streaming giant Netflix has scooped a ton of Emmys – but never one for Best Drama, Best Comedy or Best Limited Series. Is this the year?

Dark crime series Ozark is leading the nominations in the drama categories with 18, but it is tied with HBO's family business hit show Succession.

Ruth Langmore (played by award-winning actress Julia Garner) and Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) in 'Ozark'. Courtesy Netflix
Ruth Langmore (played by award-winning actress Julia Garner) and Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) in 'Ozark'. Courtesy Netflix

And while Netflix prevailed in terms of total nominations with 160 to HBO's 107, it has yet to pull in a major prize. HBO, meanwhile, has done it many times before with The SopranosGame of Thrones, Sex and the City and Veep.

This year, beyond Succession, it also has Watchmen, the overall top Emmy nomination trawler with 26, and a major contender this year for Best Limited Series and beyond.

"What Netflix has going for it is it has just the bulk amount of nominations," Hill said. "And sometimes it's not quantity, it's quality of nominations. And I think that's where HBO is at right now."

Who are the Emmy newcomers?

The absolute glut of original content now available to television viewers is astounding.

From traditional broadcast and cable networks, to new streamers such as Disney+ and Apple TV+, to short-form video platform Quibi, there is something for everyone.

Who will break through this year? So far, in the Emmys handed out before the main ceremony in technical categories, Disney+ and Quibi are going strong.

Disney has snared five statuettes for its Star Wars original series The Mandalorian.

Could Apple TV+ be shut out despite the high-wattage cast of The Morning Show starring nominees Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell, Billy Crudup and Mark Duplass?

Apple TV+ "wanted to be this place for prestige television, but I think behind the scenes, it didn't necessarily have people knowledgeable in television making the decisions," Hill said. "It can take streamers a while to break through. But that Disney+ did it with such relative ease is really salt in the wound."

What is the category to watch?

Of course, the Emmy nominee list reads like a who's who in Hollywood, but one category stands out for its competitiveness: Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie.

Three Oscar winners – Regina King (Watchmen), Cate Blanchett (Mrs America) and Octavia Spencer (Self Made) will battle for the title.

Their competition? A major debut from Shira Haas in the critically acclaimed Unorthodox and Kerry Washington's tour de force in Little Fires Everywhere.

King is the favourite for her starring role in Watchmen – HBO's comic book adaptation that takes on US racism and police violence – but anything can happen on Emmys night.

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
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Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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The Orwell Prize for Political Writing

Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include: 

  • Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
  • Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
  • Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
  • Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
  • Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From exhibitions to the battlefield

In 2016, the Shaded Dome was awarded with the 'De Vernufteling' people's choice award, an annual prize by the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers and the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers for the most innovative project by a Dutch engineering firm.

It was assigned by the Dutch Ministry of Defence to modify the Shaded Dome to make it suitable for ballistic protection. Royal HaskoningDHV, one of the companies which designed the dome, is an independent international engineering and project management consultancy, leading the way in sustainable development and innovation.

It is driving positive change through innovation and technology, helping use resources more efficiently.

It aims to minimise the impact on the environment by leading by example in its projects in sustainable development and innovation, to become part of the solution to a more sustainable society now and into the future.

Company profile

Name:​ One Good Thing ​

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Based in:​ Dubai​​ 

Sector:​ e-commerce​

Size: 5​ employees

Stage: ​Looking for seed funding

Investors:​ ​Self-funded and seeking external investors

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Who are the Sacklers?

The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.

Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. 

It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.

Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".

The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.

Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.

'C'mon C'mon'

Director:Mike Mills

Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman

Rating: 4/5

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.

Tips for entertaining with ease

·         Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.

·         As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.

·         Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.

·         Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.

·         The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.

·         You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.

 

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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES

UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh

UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith

RESULT

RS Leipzig 3 

Marcel Sabitzer 10', 21'

Emil Forsberg 87'

Tottenham 0

 

War and the virus
While you're here
SPAIN SQUAD

Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)

Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)

Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)

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Brief scores:

Manchester United 4

Young 13', Mata 28', Lukaku 42', Rashford 82'

Fulham 1

Kamara 67' (pen),

Red card: Anguissa (68')

Man of the match: Juan Mata (Man Utd)