President-elect Joe Biden is putting together an A-list team, but their policy strategies are expected to be less than creative. AFP
President-elect Joe Biden is putting together an A-list team, but their policy strategies are expected to be less than creative. AFP
President-elect Joe Biden is putting together an A-list team, but their policy strategies are expected to be less than creative. AFP
President-elect Joe Biden is putting together an A-list team, but their policy strategies are expected to be less than creative. AFP

Biden reveals $1.9 trillion stimulus package to address Covid crisis


Patrick deHahn
  • English
  • Arabic

President-elect Joe Biden announced details of his relief plan to help the US tackle the pandemic and the accompanying economic downturn on Thursday night, committing to $1,400 stimulus cheques for Americans and $400 billion towards managing the virus.

The US is dealing with the world's largest coronavirus outbreak, with hundreds of thousands of infections reported each day. The country continues to manage record numbers of people in hospital, with about 4,000 Americans dying from Covid-19 every day.

More than 384,000 people in the US have died because of Covid-19.

Mr Biden hopes his sprawling economic package will financially back ambitious plans for the first 100 days of his presidency: launching a national mass vaccination campaign, boosting Covid-19 testing programmes and safely reopening most K-8 school systems.

The plan earmarks $400 billion dollars to back these goals that directly address the fallout from the virus as part of a new federal response that differs greatly from that of the Trump administration.

"There is real pain," Mr Biden said in a speech from a closed theatre in Wilmington, Delaware. "There's no time to waste. We have to act and we have to act now. We cannot afford inaction."

The pandemic has caused a deep economic downturn, affecting many jobs and businesses nationwide.

"During this pandemic, millions of Americans, through no fault of their own, have lost the dignity and respect that comes with a job and paycheck," Mr Biden said. "Millions of Americans never thought they'd be out of work, facing eviction, waiting for hours in cars to feed their families as they drive to a food bank. Millions have kept their jobs and have seen their hours and paychecks reduced, barely hanging on as well."

Another 965,000 Americans filed unemployment claims for the first time this week.

His proposal includes increasing the federal weekly unemployment benefit to $400. It will be extended through the autumn of 2021, as will the nationwide eviction and foreclosure moratoria.

The president-elect also promised to send Americans $2,000 cheques. His economic proposal includes $1,400 cheques to add to the $600 payouts approved by Congress in late December last year, with the total amount distributed adding up to $2,000.

This is substantially higher than the emergency $1,200 cheques Congress sent at the beginning of the outbreak in the spring of 2020.

Mr Biden said he will announce his Build Back Better recovery plan in his first speech to a joint session of Congress next month.

It is unclear how easily or how quickly Mr Biden's economic proposal will pass in Congress, because the Senate is likely to begin an impeachment trial against President Donald Trump shortly after Mr Biden's inauguration.

"We will get right to work to turn president-elect Biden's vision into legislation that will pass both chambers and be signed into law," said Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer on Thursday.

Mr Biden is also looking to distribute hundreds of billions of dollars to support communities. The plan includes funds to help “small businesses, especially small businesses owned by entrepreneurs of colour, and protecting the jobs of first responders, transit workers and other essential workers we depend on”. Cities and states will also gain financial support for their budget shortfalls.

The bill not only addresses the pandemic in the country, but also takes on economic issues that have been pushed to the side. This includes increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, a long-time goal of many progressive activists and Democrats.

"We can do these bold, practical things now. Now," he said, addressing concerns about the ambitious plan. "What I just described does not come cheaply. But failure to do so will cost us dearly."

Mr Biden also announced he will present a second economic bill to tackle other goals, as a form of recovery following this first rescue plan. It will include financially addressing climate change, racial equity, infrastructure and job creation in the long term, although this plan may come later in the year.

"To the millions of you just looking for a fighting chance in this economy, I promise you: we will not forget you," he promised. "We understand what you're going through. We will never, ever give up."

Anti-semitic attacks
The annual report by the Community Security Trust, which advises the Jewish community on security , warned on Thursday that anti-Semitic incidents in Britain had reached a record high.

It found there had been 2,255 anti-Semitic incidents reported in 2021, a rise of 34 per cent from the previous year.

The report detailed the convictions of a number of people for anti-Semitic crimes, including one man who was jailed for setting up a neo-Nazi group which had encouraged “the eradication of Jewish people” and another who had posted anti-Semitic homemade videos on social media. 

In numbers

1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:

  • 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
  • 150 tonnes to landfill
  • 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal

800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal

Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year

25 staff on site

 

WWE TLC results

Asuka won the SmackDown Women's title in a TLC triple threat with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair

Dean Ambrose won the Intercontinental title against Seth Rollins

Daniel Bryan retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against AJ Styles

Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women's Championship against Nia Jax

Rey Mysterio beat Randy Orton in a chairs match

Finn Balor defeated Drew McIntyre

Natalya beat Ruby Riott in a tables match

Braun Strowman beat Baron Corbin in a TLC match

Sheamus and Cesaro retained the SmackDown Tag Titles against The Usos and New Day

R-Truth and Carmella won the Mixed Match Challenge by beating Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

While you're here
The biog

Hometown: Cairo

Age: 37

Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror

Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing

Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition

India squads

T20: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shivam Dube, Shardul Thakur

Test: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant

Mina Cup winners

Under 12 – Minerva Academy

Under 14 – Unam Pumas

Under 16 – Fursan Hispania

Under 18 – Madenat

Company profile

Company name: Suraasa

Started: 2018

Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker

Based: India, UAE and the UK

Industry: EdTech

Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding

Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ENGLAND SQUAD

Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale

Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White

Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse

Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins 

EA Sports FC 25
Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

What is graphene?

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.

It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.

But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties. 

 

West Asia rugby, season 2017/18 - Roll of Honour

Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain

Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons

West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins

UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles

UAE Premiership - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins

'Moonshot'

Director: Chris Winterbauer

Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse 

Rating: 3/5

First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus 

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)