On the brink of the New Year, world leaders, diplomats and the rest of us ordinary citizens are contemplating what 2025 might bring, often with considerable apprehension.
One area of agreement is that we are in a divided world. At the heart of it are uncertainties about the Trump presidency. We know what Donald Trump has said, but whether the US president-elect's words and comments translate into what he will actually do is a subject of constant debate, even among Trump supporters.
They say we should take him seriously, but not literally, yet that idea is unhelpful and almost meaningless. Will Mr Trump’s threats on tariffs disrupt trade? Yes, if put into practice. Will tariffs “work” – and if so, for whom? Can he end the Ukraine war as he has said, within 24 hours? My guess is no. And what of Gaza, Syria, Sudan, China and other areas of contention?
What we do know is that the new US administration involves big personalities with their own agendas, which may or may not dovetail with the priorities of Mr Trump. How (if at all) will Elon Musk work with Vivek Ramaswamy and the president-elect reinvent the US government?
There are already endless memes on social media showing Mr Musk as president in the driving seat. Many of these memes are on Mr Musk’s own platform Twitter (now X.) A commentator on American affairs suggested to me that if some leaders have an iron will, Mr Trump may have an iron whim, and the Trump-Musk bromance might not last. Ask Mr Trump’s former vice president Mike Pence how their relationship is now and you might have a sense of how suddenly things can change.
Perhaps predicting the unpredictable where Mr Trump is concerned is pointless, and but we can at least reflect on the legacy Mr Trump now inherits from Joe Biden.
Some Democrats say openly that Mr Biden should have quit much earlier as a one term president, to allow a real contest for the heart of the Democratic party. But that is merely one of the many controversies about Mr Biden’s leadership.
His decision to pull US forces abruptly out of Afghanistan caused difficulties with allies, including the UK. It led to the Taliban sweeping back to power in Kabul. What, then, was the point of the two decades of sacrifices after 9/11? Nevertheless, Mr Biden still has his fans. In a recent article for The Hill magazine, political commentator Donna Brazile argued strongly in favour of Biden’s legacy as – in her word – a “great” president.
She pointed out that a 2023 survey of 154 US political scientists put Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and George Washington as the top three greatest presidents, but Mr Biden ranked highly, at number 14.
Mr Trump came last at number 45 in the rankings. Mr Biden has been a “historically transformative president,” as Ms Brazile put it. “His landmark domestic accomplishments are comparable to Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal and Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society.” Well, possibly. But I doubt many of Mr Biden’s closest advisers would make such a claim. And given the significance of Mr Trump’s clear re-election win, it may be that those 154 political scientists, representing the political chattering classes within American academia are – as Mr Musk and Donald Trump repeatedly argue – simply out of touch with the lives of most Americans.
Even back in 2023 it seemed odd to number Mr Biden as one of the greatest presidents although his legacy is significant. As Ms Brazile points out, President Biden won congressional approval for an astonishing $4.6 trillion in investments to end the coronavirus pandemic. There were free vaccinations and treatments. There was job creation, put at 16 million new jobs leading to lower unemployment, and lower taxes on middle class and working-class Americans while the rich paid more.
But even progressives argue that Mr Biden failed on several levels. He stubbornly stayed too long in the fight for a second term until finally confronted by his age and infirmity. That meant he quit too late to enable Kamala Harris or any other Democrat to build support.
In 2020, Biden said he would abolish the death penalty. He didn’t. Then at the end he pardoned his son Hunter. Paternal love is understandable, but the pardon is obviously controversial.
Above all Mr Biden left millions of Americans so unhappy with the state of their Union that they preferred Mr Trump, despite his felony convictions, to return to the White House rather than the champion of the Democratic party.
The Biden legacy therefore will be re-examined and revalued in the months and years to come. But it is not unreasonable to think that if those 154 brains of US political science from 2023 were given another chance to think about great presidents, the astonishing resurrection of Mr Trump’s political career would take him off bottom place. And a rethink might also conclude that Mr Biden at number 14 in the presidential greatness stakes is flattering, but also simply wrong.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
Company%20Profile
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Honeymoonish
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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
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
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
BELGIUM%20SQUAD
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
Brahmastra%3A%20Part%20One%20-%20Shiva
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Manchester City transfers:
OUTS
Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Willy Caballero and Jesus Navas (all released)
INS
Ederson (Benfica) £34.7m, Bernardo Silva (Monaco) £43m
ON THEIR WAY OUT?
Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Fabian Delph, Nolito and Kelechi Iheanacho
ON THEIR WAY IN?
Dani Alves (Juventus), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20QUALIFIER%2C%20ZIMBABWE%20
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The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
