Tom Hanks is set to host a television special to celebrate the inauguration of Joe Biden as US President, with performances by Justin Timberlake, Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato and Ant Clemons.
The 90-minute special will be broadcast on Wednesday, January 20, at 8.30pm ET, and will be streamed via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, Amazon Prime Video, as well as broadcast on US television.
The show will “showcase the American people’s resilience, heroism and unified commitment to coming together as a nation to heal and rebuild", according to producers.
The stars taking part have spoken of their excitement at being involved in the broadcast. Writing on Instagram, Demi Lovato said: "I was left speechless when I was asked to perform!"
Ant Clemons wrote: “To say that this is a dream come true, would be an understatement!”
Timberlake said he and Clemons would perform their new song Better Days. "This song was our way of doing what little we could to encourage everyone to stay hopeful," Timberlake said.
The celebrations will look different from past presidential inaugurations, with tightened security because of last week's riot at the US Capitol.
The event was already going to be pared down owing to Covid-19, with Biden asking supporters to stay at home and watch from afar. In keeping with crowd size restrictions to slow the spread of the virus, traditional activities such as the parade and the inaugural balls will be virtual.
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
