After some delay, outgoing US President Donald Trump has agreed to allow his successor, Joe Biden, to begin his transition to the White House.
Mr Biden’s incoming administration is widely expected to represent a return of Washington’s traditional policymaking elite to the Cabinet Room. It was a group that Mr Trump had shunned. Many of his supporters fear their reappearance will be a reversion to the proverbial “swamp” of political establishment and special interests in politics. Other Americans, and much of the global political elite, will be relieved.
Foreign policy appointments, pending confirmations by the Senate, include Antony Blinken as Secretary of State, who has worked with Mr Biden for 20 years. The UN ambassador is set to be Linda Thomas-Greenfield, an Africa specialist with a 35-year record at the State Department. Jake Sullivan is national security adviser; he carried out the same role for Joe Biden when the latter was vice president.
The team is diverse. A woman of colour, Ms Thomas-Greenfield graduated from a segregated Louisiana high school. Two Americans with Palestinian heritage are in prominent positions: Reema Dodin as deputy director of the Office of Legislative Affairs and Hady Amr on the transition team.
Critics will scrutinise controversy in appointees’ careers, including Mr Sullivan's involvement negotiating the divisive Iran nuclear deal and claims that Mr Blinken influenced Mr Biden's 2003 vote in favour of the invasion of Iraq.
For a nation struggling with large protest movements, an economic downturn and one of the worst outbreaks of coronavirus in the rich world, however, domestic policy will be scrutinised even more heavily.
America’s post-Covid-19 recovery plans will be paramount. Janet Yellen is in line to become the first female treasury secretary. At home, Ms Yellen faces the challenge of mass job losses and slowing economic growth. She reportedly favours an increase in public spending to tackle these issues.
Janet Yellen will be the first female treasury secretary in US history. AP
Trade wars with China, ubiquitous Trump-era sanctions, a return to multilateralism and rebuilding ties with old allies are some of the items on the agenda
Mr Biden's economic strategy is expected to revolve around a green recovery. His advisers will reconsider the Trump administration’s policies to relax environmental regulations in areas such as domestic coal mining. Abroad, Mr Biden will kick off his green policy by re-joining the Paris Climate Accords, which were initially signed by John Kerry, who returns to government as presidential envoy for climate.
The economic impact of US policy abroad will be far-reaching. Trade wars with China, ubiquitous Trump-era sanctions, a return to multilateralism and rebuilding ties with old allies are some of the items on the agenda.
In the Middle East, Mr Biden is considering a return to some form of the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal. With the old deal’s 10-year sunset clauses and its inefficacy in constraining Iranian influence in the region, a new, better deal should be sought.
This year, Mr Trump’s administration and US allies in the Middle East made ground-breaking progress with the Abraham Accords. Mr Biden should continue the spirit of this historic moment. The benefit of his more idealistic approach to foreign policy is a greater potential for detente between Palestinians and Israelis. After all, the conflict is not only about what have become the facts on the ground. It is also about decades of injustice. Mr Biden has a chance to build on the momentum created for long lasting peace.
Idealism could also re-centre the rule of international law in US foreign policy. Many in his new team, particularly Mr Sullivan, are specialists on the subject. This is an important moment to remind the world of its worth.
The benefit of reintroducing old hands to America’s reins of power is that their intentions will be predictable. But Mr Trump has fundamentally changed the political environment for the US, both at home and overseas. It will be for Mr Biden’s team to prove that its veteran expertise can still steer the world’s strongest superpower through an unfamiliar landscape.
Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies – by Kiana Danial
There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine.
Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.
Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
Begin your cryptocurrency journey here.
Available at Magrudy’s , Dh104
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Sole survivors
Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Six large-scale objects on show
Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
Torrijos Palace dome
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
