Twice in a row, America’s Democratic Party has made US history. In 2008, it became the first major party with an African-American presidential candidate. Now, with the news that on current predictions, Hillary Clinton will clinch the party’s nomination, it has become the first with a woman at the helm for a shot at the top job.
No celebrations so far in the Clinton camp. Bernie Sanders, Mrs Clinton’s arch-rival for the nomination, has not yet conceded and contested yesterday’s primary in California, the country’s biggest state. Mrs Clinton would have calculated that any celebration may have stopped her followers getting out the vote.
Still, the race for the White House is now a two-horse contest. The polished, experienced Mrs Clinton against the billionaire Washington outsider Donald Trump. This newspaper, like many of its readers, has no vote in that election – and yet, as we have seen many times over many decades, the actions of whoever sits in the White House tend to have an impact on the Middle East. And not always for the good.
We will, therefore, be watching this election closely – even though we have no preference for either candidate – for clear statements of policy towards the region.
To a large degree, Mrs Clinton is the known quantity of the two. Her knowledge of the Middle East stretches back decades and she has built relationships with many leaders here. But Mr Trump, though he has not had a political career, has had business relationships with companies in the Arab world. That may offer him a different perspective and the possibility of forging a new course for the United States.
This election has so far been the most negative US presidential campaign in recent memory. Just this week, Mrs Clinton said Mr Trump had offered “nothing but insults”. There is truth in that, but even Mrs Clinton has spent too much time defending her record and not enough setting out what she would do in office. Both candidates need to start doing that, otherwise voters will face long and bruising months with no real information at the end.
How Alia's experiment will help humans get to Mars
Alia’s winning experiment examined how genes might change under the stresses caused by being in space, such as cosmic radiation and microgravity.
Her samples were placed in a machine on board the International Space Station. called a miniPCR thermal cycler, which can copy DNA multiple times.
After the samples were examined on return to Earth, scientists were able to successfully detect changes caused by being in space in the way DNA transmits instructions through proteins and other molecules in living organisms.
Although Alia’s samples were taken from nematode worms, the results have much bigger long term applications, especially for human space flight and long term missions, such as to Mars.
It also means that the first DNA experiments using human genomes can now be carried out on the ISS.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
