President Joe Biden on Tuesday nominated Jack Lew as the next US ambassador to Israel. If confirmed, he would replace Tom Nides, who stepped down in July 2023.
Mr Lew, who has served in several Democratic administrations, is currently a managing partner at the private equity firm Lindsay Goldberg LLC and a visiting professor in international and public affairs at Columbia University in New York. He served as secretary of the treasury from 2013 to 2017.
He also served as Barack Obama’s White House chief of staff from 2012 to 2013. Before his work with the Obama administration, Mr Lew also served in a number of roles in the Bill Clinton administration, including as director of the Office of Management and Budget from 1998 to 2001.
Mr Lew still must be confirmed by the Senate, which has been slow to vote on diplomatic postings, as some Republican senators have been holding up the process in an effort to gain leverage on unrelated issues.
Relations between the US and Israel have been strained under Mr Biden. The current far-right government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu making a series of controversial moves, including planned judicial reforms that would strip power from Israel’s supreme court.
The US has described the reforms as undemocratic.
The Biden administration has also been actively trying to broker a normalisation agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, akin to the Abraham Accords signed between Israel, Bahrain and the UAE, which Morocco and Sudan have since joined.
It would be a major foreign policy achievement for the administration as it gears up for the 2024 election.
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Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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The%20Killer
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Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
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Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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
