Latest updates: Follow our full coverage on the US election
Donald Trump, the 45th and soon to be 47th US president, will be returning to the White House with almost unchecked power after his landslide victory.
Not only did he win, Mr Trump's Republican Party retook the Senate after flipping three seats, while the House of Representatives appears destined to stay in its control, though votes were still being tallied in many races.
And the Supreme Court, which Mr Trump packed with conservative justices during his first term in office, will remain firmly on his side for years to come.
It is expected that, until the 2026 midterm elections at the earliest, the only check on Mr Trump will be if the Democrats use the filibuster on legislation requiring a majority of 60 senators to pass. He will assemble a cabinet of devoted loyalists, whereas when he was elected in 2016 he picked several establishment figures who pushed back against some of his proposals.
With all three branches of government on his side, Mr Trump would have sweeping powers that will impact not only the US but the rest of the world on many fronts.
One of his priorities will be trying to fulfil a promise to bring lasting peace to the Middle East. Mr Trump is a close political supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has said President Joe Biden should let Israel “finish the job” in Gaza.
“As someone who does have strongman or authoritarian tendencies, his conduct of foreign policy in Israel seems to be in line with what the Netanyahu government is espousing,” said Thomas Balcerski, presidential historian at Eastern Connecticut State University.
He said US aid to Israel might increase under a new Trump presidency, possibly leading to a worsening plight for the Palestinians.
“For some who are very concerned about the fate of Palestinian people around the region, but specifically in Gaza, I think there's great concern today that the humanitarian [situation] will continue and actually worsen.”
Beni Sabti, a researcher in the Iran programme at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel, said Mr Trump's return to power could force Iran to rethink plans to attack Israel, which itself last month hit a number of targets in Iran, including in Tehran.
He said the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps may hold off on attacking Israel again over fears the US could join forces with Israel in subsequent military operations.
“So you can see how [Trump] just being elected caused the Iranians to think and to be deterred,” Mr Sabti said.
Mr Trump, who Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to win the US election, has also vowed to end the war in Ukraine. Kyiv is concerned he will try to force negotiations that result in Ukraine giving up territory in its east.
Any such move will place Mr Trump at loggerheads with Nato, which has been backing Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022. The president-elect has repeatedly upbraided Nato members for not paying more for defence and many observers worry he will try to pull out of the military alliance.
Another area where Mr Trump could play a major role is climate change, as it is widely thought he will again pull the US out of the Paris climate accords.
“Trump’s return to office could represent significant setbacks for global climate progress,” said David Nicholson, Mercy Corps chief climate officer. “We are dangerously off track in limiting warming to 1.5°C and a delay or rollback in US climate action could be catastrophic.”
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Mountain%20Boy
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Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
