US President Donald Trump has agreed that the transition of power to president-elect Joe Biden can begin.
The head of the General Services Administration sent Mr Biden a letter informing him that the Trump administration is ready to begin the presidential transition process.
Emily Murphy, the head of the US agency who was appointed by Mr Trump, on Monday told Mr Biden of the decision in a letter, of which CNN obtained a copy.
“I take this role seriously and, because of recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results, am transmitting this letter today to make those resources and services available to you,” the letter read.
“I have dedicated much of my adult life to public service and I have always strived to do what is right.
"Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts.
"I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any executive branch official – including those who work at the White House or GSA – with regard to the substance or timing of my decision."
Mr Trump said on Twitter that he directed his team to co-operate on transition for Mr Biden but he vowed to keep up his legal fight against the election result. He stopped short of fully conceding the election.
"I want to thank Emily Murphy at GSA for her steadfast dedication and loyalty to our country," he said.
"She has been harassed, threatened, and abused – and I do not want to see this happen to her, her family, or employees of GSA.
"Our case strongly continues. We will keep up the good fight and I believe we will prevail.
"Nevertheless, in the best interest of our country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same."
The decision means that Mr Biden's team now has access to funds, office space and the ability to meet federal officials.
Yohannes Abraham, the Biden-Harris transition director, welcomed the decision.
Mr Abraham called it “a needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation, including getting the pandemic under control and our economy back on track”.
“This final decision is a definitive administrative action to formally begin the transition process with federal agencies," he said.
"In the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests, and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration’s efforts to hollow out government agencies."
Mr Biden was projected as the winner of the US election on November 7, after he won the key battleground state of Pennsylvania.
In the electoral college, the Democrat won 306 votes overall compared with Mr Trump's 232.
But Mr Trump has refused to concede the election result and alleged widespread voter fraud without providing any evidence to substantiate his claims.
He has taken several legal challenges to different states but has failed in all of them.
Mr Trump has also not invited Mr Biden to the White House and to military meetings since the election result was declared, breaking traditions normally followed with the handover of power.
But Mr Biden's team has been making appointments to his Cabinet and assembling a coronavirus taskforce.
The Cabinet appointments consist of a mix of Obama-era veterans, such as John Kerry as climate envoy and Antony Blinken as secretary of state.
Sources also told AP that Mr Biden will appoint former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen as treasury secretary.
On Monday, Michigan, another swing state that Mr Biden was projected to win, voted 3-1 to certify his victory, in another blow to the Trump campaign.
After the GSA announcement, more Republicans have been coming out to acknowledge Mr Biden as the next president. He will assume office on January 20.
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Meet Joe Biden's cabinet picks
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Bill Cassidy, a Republican senator for Louisiana, said on Twitter on Sunday that he voted for Mr Trump but Mr Biden won.
"The transition should begin for the sake of the country," Mr Cassidy said.
Mr Biden said that Mr Trump's refusal to co-operate with the transition process will lead to the loss of thousands more lives to the coronavirus.
Markets reacted well to the news of the transition beginning and Mr Biden's announcement of senior Cabinet appointees.
US equity futures pushed higher and Asian stocks made gains.
S&P 500 futures rose 0.5 per cent as of 8.39am in Tokyo, while the S&P 500 Index climbed 0.6 per cent.
Nikkei 225 futures rose 0.8 per cent in Singapore as the news came in.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
More on Quran memorisation:
India squad for fourth and fifth Tests
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Shaw, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur, Vihari
More on animal trafficking
More on animal trafficking
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
Saudi Cup race day
Schedule in UAE time
5pm: Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Cup (Turf), 5.35pm: 1351 Cup (T), 6.10pm: Longines Turf Handicap (T), 6.45pm: Obaiya Arabian Classic for Purebred Arabians (Dirt), 7.30pm: Jockey Club Handicap (D), 8.10pm: Samba Saudi Derby (D), 8.50pm: Saudia Sprint (D), 9.40pm: Saudi Cup (D)
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
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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
UAE rugby in numbers
5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons
700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams
Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams
Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season
Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets