Biden’s UN envoy pledges ‘diplomacy is back’ after Trump era


James Reinl
  • English
  • Arabic

Washington’s new ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, made her first appearance at the world body on Thursday, promising “diplomacy is back” after the four-year Trump administration.

Ms Thomas-Greenfield called the UN an “indispensable institution” and said the administration of President Joe Biden would help to advance the “collective well-being” through compassion and by “bringing people together”.

Her arrival comes amid hopes that the Biden administration can rally efforts against climate change and other UN priorities, but also doubts that the US can regain the global leadership role that was largely abandoned under former president Donald Trump.

“Multilateralism is back and diplomacy is back and America is back and we're ready to get to work,” Ms Thomas-Greenfield said outside the UN Security Council chamber in New York.

The US will on Monday assume the rotating presidency of the 15-nation Security Council for March and its agenda includes conflicts in Libya and Yemen, the errant nuclear programmes of Iran and North Korea and other threats.

“The United Nations is the world's most important forum for bringing people and countries together, and I take that seriously,” Ms Thomas-Greenfield said.

“We're clear-eyed about the difficult work that needs to be done, from elevating human rights to reforming the UN itself, and to addressing conflicts old and new around the world.”

Her talk of multilateralism goes down well at the UN after four years of Mr Trump's “America first” policies, under which the US withdrew from a climate change deal, a global health body and the UN Human Rights Council.

A UN spokesman praised the new US envoy, saying UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had worked with her in his previous job leading the UN’s refugee agency and “witnessed her effectiveness and dedication in action”.

Ms Thomas-Greenfield, a career diplomat with experience across four continents and a former assistant secretary of state for African affairs, was confirmed as US ambassador by the Senate on Tuesday.

With her confirmation, Mr Biden’s national security team is now largely in place to face challenges such as resuming nuclear negotiations with Iran, restoring trust with allies and confronting an emboldened China and Russia.

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions

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James Mustich, Workman

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Tickets for the 2019 Asian Cup are available online, via www.asiancup2019.com

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War and the virus
What should do investors do now?

What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor? 

Should I be euphoric?

No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.

So what happened?

It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.

"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."

Should I buy? Should I sell?

Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.

"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.

All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.

Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.

Will the rally last?

No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.

"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."

Brief scores:

Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first

Pakhtoons 137-6 (10 ov)

Fletcher 68 not out; Cutting 2-14

Sindhis 129-8 (10 ov)

Perera 47; Sohail 2-18

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MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Manchester United v Barcelona, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

Match on BeIN Sports

Thor: Ragnarok

Dir: Taika Waititi

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson

Four stars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:

1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition

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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Rating: 2.5/5

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Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15

Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered

UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered

Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered

Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered

Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered

Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered

The Penguin

Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz

Creator: Lauren LeFranc

Rating: 4/5