US President Joe Biden on Sunday announced that he would no longer be running in the 2024 US presidential race, a momentous decision that further upends the Democratic campaign against Republican Donald Trump and spells an end to Mr Biden's decades-long political career.
"It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your president," Mr Biden wrote in a statement.
"And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term."
Mr Biden endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, as the Democratic Party's nominee. He added that he intends to speak later this week about his decision and what is next.
The Democrats now face the daunting task of rallying behind Ms Harris just a month before their convention in Chicago, and less than four months before the November 5 election.
The decision marks the latest historic milestone in a high-stakes election defined by existential questions, and Republicans in the US Congress quickly called on Mr Biden to resign from the presidency.
World leaders quickly issued statements of appreciation for Mr Biden as a long-serving statesman.
Israeli Prime Minister Isaac Herzog paid tribute to "the first US President to visit Israel in wartime, as a recipient of the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour, and as a true ally of the Jewish people".
"He is a symbol of the unbreakable bond between our two peoples," Mr Herzog wrote on X.
Micheal Martin, Ireland's Foreign Minister, was among the first world leaders to pay tribute to Mr Biden, who has spoken fondly of his Irish heritage.
"This has no doubt been the toughest of calls, but one done, as ever, with dignity and class. I know that the people of Ireland will wish President Biden the very best," Mr Martin shared in a heartfelt post to X.
But others were not as warm in their reactions.
Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, said leaders should “investigate the conspiracy of the American media and political circles that hid the true state of affairs about his mental state, manipulating public opinion and playing along with one political party."
Moscow has endorsed the Republican ticket with Mr Trump and his vice presidential pick JD Vance.
Democrats have asserted that the foundations of US democracy are at stake, including worries over ensuring the defeat of Mr Trump and Republicans with authoritarian hopes beyond what his first presidency signalled.
Mr Trump's comments about acting as a dictator and Mr Vance's sympathies for elements of Project 2025 – a plan by a conservative think tank to rework government structure and policy from day one – have caused alarm over the future of American democracy.
A recent poll published by Five Thirty Eight poll showed that Ms Harris is “tied” with Mr Trump, at 44-44.
The path to the end of Mr Biden's campaign began after his anaemic and at times incoherent performance in a June 27 debate against his Republican predecessor inspired panic within the Democratic Party.
The White House countered that the 81-year-old President – the oldest in American history – had a cold and was jet-lagged from a tour of Europe nearly two weeks before he took to the debate stage.
Powerful Democrats including Mr Biden's past boss and former president Barack Obama, former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, and current House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries had expressed concerns about his electability privately and publicly.
Reports in the US media, most quoting unnamed sources, had for weeks painted conflicting pictures about how Mr Biden was processing the fallout.
The New York Times reported on Thursday that several people close to Mr Biden had begun to accept the idea that he may not be able to win in November and may have to drop out of the race.
But as recently as Friday, Mr Biden's re-election campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon insisted that he is “in this race to win”.
Progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a defender of the President after his debate performance, criticised those who spoke to media on background or off the record.
Less than a day after her Instagram Live video comments, dozens of members of Congress issued public statements calling for Mr Biden to step down.
Polls had shown declining support for Mr Biden's re-election aims, compelling major campaign donors like George Clooney to hold or redirect their funds.
According to a poll by the AP/Norc Centre for Public Affairs, nearly two thirds of Democrats thought Mr Biden should withdraw from the race and have a new party candidate be nominated.
Another recent poll by FiveThirtyEight showed he was trailing his Republican opponent by four points, 42-46.
The end of his political career
Though he still has another six months in office, the end of Mr Biden's campaign essentially ends a lengthy political career.
He briefly worked as a public defender in the 1970s before he entered local Delaware politics.
Mr Biden took the leap into national politics when he was elected as a senator for the state of Delaware in 1973, which began his 36-year career in Congress.
Before his presidency, he served as Mr Obama's vice president for two terms.
Mr Biden stepped into the Oval Office shortly after a pro-Trump insurrection at the US Capitol in January 2021 and amid the Covid pandemic.
He tried to lead the country out of an economic crisis with the aid of a large infrastructure bill.
Mr Biden managed the US through foreign crises including Russia's war on Ukraine and the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
But one of the nails in his political coffin was his steadfast support of Israel despite a growing civilian death toll in Gaza.
A small but vocal movement called for Democrats to vote “uncommitted” or leave their votes blank to express support for an end to the war in Gaza. The “uncommitted” group garnered 36 delegates.
Patricia Crouse, a practitioner in residence in public administration and political science at the University of New Haven, said this year's Democratic primary crisis was reflective of a larger issue for the party and its approach to candidates, pointing to the 2016 backing of Hillary Clinton as the party's first nominee against Mr Trump.
The party has seemed to project that “candidates are somehow owed the presidency because they were vice president, or they're owed the presidency because they served in somebody's administration”.
“The problem is we've moved to these candidate-centred elections, and the parties have very little to say now really about choosing candidates,” Ms Crouse told The National before Mr Biden's announcement.
“I think the parties probably need to take back some of that power.”
She said Mr Biden's departure may have a lasting impact on the role of age in future elections.
“Age is definitely going to be something that we're going to see in future elections, the age question.”
Ms Crouse pointed to Mr Trump picking a junior senator as his running mate.
“Those are the conversations the party needs to be having … [Mr Vance] is 39 years old, and so in four years, if he decides to run for president, you have a young candidate.”
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Overview
What: The Arab Women’s Sports Tournament is a biennial multisport event exclusively for Arab women athletes.
When: From Sunday, February 2, to Wednesday, February 12.
Where: At 13 different centres across Sharjah.
Disciplines: Athletics, archery, basketball, fencing, Karate, table tennis, shooting (rifle and pistol), show jumping and volleyball.
Participating countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Qatar and UAE.
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.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Federer's 11 Wimbledon finals
2003 Beat Mark Philippoussis
2004 Beat Andy Roddick
2005 Beat Andy Roddick
2006 Beat Rafael Nadal
2007 Beat Rafael Nadal
2008 Lost to Rafael Nadal
2009 Beat Andy Roddick
2012 Beat Andy Murray
2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2017 Beat Marin Cilic
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.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
