Last week’s US presidential debate clearly demonstrated that Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump see the world differently – and, therefore, their policy proposals couldn’t be more different from one another. This is especially the case when it comes to foreign policy.
Mr Trump said his objective is to end wars – not manage them. He accused Ms Harris – and by extension, President Joe Biden – of an inherent weakness that, according to him, enabled the Ukraine and Gaza wars to erupt in the first place.
Ms Harris confirmed her alignment with Mr Biden’s policy of bolstering Nato’s unity by sustaining military and financial support to Ukraine until Russia is defeated, no matter the cost to the US. Her approach, in short, is to support the Ukraine war’s continuation until victory is achieved.
Mr Trump rejected the victory-defeat equation, claiming that it doesn’t serve US interests. Instead, he advocated for ending the war through a deal. He said he doesn’t want the US to pay for others’ problems, spending billions that could be better used to address domestic issues such as inflation. This will, undoubtedly, resonate with voters.
The difference in their positions on the Palestine-Israel conflict is equally striking.
The Biden-Harris administration advocates for working towards a “ceasefire” as a crucial step in addressing the Gaza war, while Mr Trump believes that supporting Israel in its bid to “finish the job” by destroying Hamas is the necessary approach. This distinction is key: a ceasefire aligns with a containment and gradualism policy, while ending the war suggests securing an immediate resolution, whether through military means or a deal imposed without piecemeal concessions. Mr Trump, however, provided few details.
If there is one thing Mr Trump and the Biden-Harris administration support, it is a grand deal between Israel and Arab world.
The difference lies in Mr Trump’s belief that he has the tools to achieve this deal by strengthening the Abraham Accords, while sidelining the Gaza war and its consequences. In contrast, the Biden-Harris team sees a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza as the key to such a grand deal, while paving the way for the two-state solution, which key Arab powers consider essential to their approval of any grand bargain.
Both campaigns have pledged unwavering support for Israel under the banner of “the right to self-defence” and consider Hamas a terrorist organisation. Mr Trump refuses to engage with the group under any circumstances, while the Biden administration has delegated Arab partners to negotiate with it. Mr Trump seeks to eradicate Hamas and will not pressure Israel to accept any alternative. The Biden team, on the other hand, believes that eliminating Hamas is impossible.
When it comes to Iran, however, the divide between the candidates is starker. Mr Trump refuses to deal with Tehran unless it meets his conditions, relying on the principle of bankrupting it in order to weaken its ability to support Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and the Popular Mobilisation Forces.
However, the Biden administration – whose policies Ms Harris is likely to continue, were she to win in November – approaches Iran through appeasement and seeks to engage in deals similar to those struck by former president Barack Obama. This strategy, according to the Biden camp, allows for containing Iran and its proxies through diplomacy rather than bankruptcy through sanctions.
During the debate, right from the moment she shook hands with Mr Trump, Ms Harris made it a point to distinguish herself from both Mr Biden and the former president. She emphasised to the voters that she is an independent woman, not merely Mr Biden’s subordinate, despite being the Vice President. She also sought to banish any notion that she was going to simply continue her boss’s policies.
And yet the challenge for the Biden-Harris administration is to ensure that it can secure a win on the global stage, particularly in the Middle East, given how close the election is likely to be. This is where Ms Harris has an advantage: after all, it is Mr Biden – and not Mr Trump – who can effect change by virtue of occupying the White House.
For example, the current administration is attempting to de-hyphenate Lebanon from Gaza, while working to convince Israel not to activate its northern front as this could lead to a wider regional war. It is also trying to persuade Israel to not turn the West Bank into another Gaza, as this is not in Israel’s or the US’s interests, knowing that such a policy would undermine the broader peace deals being pursued with key Arab powers. Those deals, in the administration’s view, are what would guarantee Israel’s security, not the opposite.
The question, then, is whether these are just hopes and reassurances, or there are actually elements of deals being quietly negotiated with the various stakeholders.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
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The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
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
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
RESULT
Bayern Munich 0 AC Milan 4
Milan: Kessie (14'), Cutrone (25', 43'), Calhanoglu (85')
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
