There were two big losers in this year’s US presidential election. One was Kamala Harris. The other was trust in polling companies.
Many polling companies called the US election result so badly wrong they were about as reliable as a stopped clock. And so, with some astonishment I read in a British tabloid newspaper that: “Elon Musk is now more popular with the British public than Keir [Starmer, the UK Prime Minister], a new poll has revealed.” Shock, horror … whatever next? But the poll comparing the “popularity” – whatever that is – of an American tech billionaire with a British politician is about as useful as comparing a Real Madrid footballer with Taylor Swift, or a kangaroo with a tuna. There is no correlation.
The pointless poll was conducted by JL Partners and their website says: “We formed JLP after three years running the research programme for 10 Downing Street, in the heart of politics.” In other words, a polling organisation run by people who worked for the former Conservative government finds that their opponent, the Labour leader, is not popular.
And this is news? Not really, I would suggest, except to note that trust in polling, politics and some supposed “news” sources in the US and UK right now is very low. But behind the silly stories, the big questions are obvious and very important.
Some predict that Trump Mark Two be a maelstrom of bruised egos as happened with Trump Mark One. Who knows?
What does Mr Musk want from Donald Trump? And what does Mr Trump want from Mr Musk? What we do know is that the US president-elect wants Mr Musk to job-share in the new Department of Government Efficiency – or simply “Doge” – with another top US entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Doge, a name familiar in the crypto world, could be a very exciting challenge, although having two leaders when one might be sufficient in a department promising “efficiency” sounds a bit odd. Nevertheless, Mr Ramaswamy is an estimable figure and a hugely successful entrepreneur. He ran for the Republican nomination for the US presidency, dropped out and then supported Mr Trump. But will he really work alongside Mr Musk?
A few years ago, I spent an hour for a TV news programme with Mr Musk when he launched Tesla in London. He is charismatic, impressive and followed the rules of salesmanship – you sell yourself first, the company second and the product third. He was very likeable. He talked about himself, explained the Tesla brand and then showed me the car, and in particular the battery.
He has clearly impressed Mr Trump, too. The rebranded Twitter (now X) is full of praise for the president-elect. But how much real trust will there be between the big beasts in this new Trump top team? After all, the original Trump appointments from his first term in 2017 rotated at bewildering speed.
There were so many press secretaries, communications directors and spokespeople that I think some of the names included Sean Spicer, Mike Dubke, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Stephanie Grisham, Anthony Scaramucci (who lasted just 10 days), Hope Hicks (225 days) and Kayleigh McEnany. (Apologies if I’ve missed anyone.) As we know, many others from Mr Trump’s first-term team failed to endorse him in this year’s election. Mike Pence, the former vice president, was the most prominent of that number.
It’s hardly news that Mr Trump can be a difficult boss. Mr Musk may be equally demanding. He dismissed many of the Twitter staff when he took over. Mr Ramaswamy is charismatic and assertive. I have no crystal ball, but this political bromance may not last long nor end amicably. Will Mr Trump reprise his role in The Apprentice and say “you’re fired” to one of these big hitters? Will one of them walk out before they are pushed? From January, the world will watch a real-life drama that may rival the TV show The West Wing.
But for now – assuming Doge does begin operations – what may it achieve? Washington is a lovely capital, but up until the Second World War it remained a small city that then expanded greatly in size since the 1950s. A small-government Republican Congressman once said to me that Washington should be cut back to “defend our shores, deliver our mail and we’ll call you when we need you”.
The Trump-Musk-Ramaswamy “Doge” idea of shrinking the US federal government may be possible and even popular, leaving the 50 US states as the key providers of many of the services people need. But cutting bureaucracy in the name of efficiency is an easy slogan yet a difficult policy to implement. Republicans in Congress, cheered by the Trump win – and perhaps scared of the Trump temper – will have to get on board and adjust to the new-look White House.
Some predict that Trump Mark Two will be a maelstrom of bruised egos, as happened with Trump Mark One. Who knows? I suppose we could always ask one of the many polling companies that got the presidential election result so wrong to sample public opinion on the subject. Or maybe not bother and wait for some facts and real news.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Valencia v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Mallorca v Alaves (4pm)
Barcelona v Getafe (7pm)
Villarreal v Levante (9.30pm)
Sunday
Granada v Real Volladolid (midnight)
Sevilla v Espanyol (3pm)
Leganes v Real Betis (5pm)
Eibar v Real Sociedad (7pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Madrid v Celta Vigo (midnight)
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
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.
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets
Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs
Table
1 UAE 5 5 0 10
2 Qatar 5 4 1 8
3 Saudi 5 3 2 6
4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4
5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2
6 Maldives 5 0 5 0
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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
The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
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Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
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
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Brief scores:
Day 2
England: 277 & 19-0
West Indies: 154
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
