The US state of New Hampshire has car number plates which say: “Live Free Or Die.” In Idaho, where there is a big farming community, the state number plates say “Famous Potatoes.” Perhaps all human life is somewhere between New Hampshire’s bloodcurdling demand for liberty and Idaho’s need for Americans to love potatoes, but there is one motto on American number plates which has a bitter twist. The US capital, Washington DC (District of Columbia), is not a state. Number plates in Washington therefore carry a complaint rather than a motto: “Taxation Without Representation.”
It is an echo of the 18th century slogan when King George the third taxed the American colonies even though they had no representation in the British government. But now the US House of Representatives has voted to give Washington DC representation by making the US capital America’s 51st state. It is a symbolic vote only, at least for now. No US territory has become a state since Hawaii and Alaska in 1959.
The population of the US capital is around 700,000, more than the population of existing states like Wyoming and Vermont. DC is overwhelmingly Democrat, and while Democrats in Congress voted for statehood, Republicans oppose it. Since Republicans control the Senate, DC will not become a state – yet. But big changes are in the wind ahead of November’s presidential election.
Opinion polls show that Donald Trump’s support is eroding. Joe Biden is ahead of Trump 50-36 per cent in national polls and more importantly in key states that Trump won in 2016. Biden – the “Not Trump” candidate – appeals to voters disappointed or disgusted by Mr Trump’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic and his tin ear to protests about police brutality and racism.
When Americans go to the polls in November they vote for the president and also for every member of the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate. The House will probably stay Democrat. But Republicans are fearful that Mr Trump’s reign of error means they will lose senators in battleground states – Michigan, North Carolina and Arizona – and potentially lose control of the Senate itself.
That would guarantee statehood for DC, and that would then probably give Democrats two more Senate seats.
As a decade-long DC resident, I would cheer the idea of my former neighbours at last having representation in the government
Mr Trump’s former National Security Adviser John Bolton has warned that a second Trump term would also be disastrous for America’s stature in the world. It is already diminished. In travels from Latin America to the Middle East, Europe to the Far East I have met many people who love the US and quite a few who hate it. But I have rarely met anyone who pities the US as so many seem to do now. And yet American leadership, even in protests, is still a global event.
Who would have guessed that the killing by police of a black man in Minneapolis would lead to statues of slave traders and racists being destroyed in Belgium and the UK, along with Black Lives Matter protests from France to Australia?
In defence and security circles in Europe we complain about American leadership until we see under Mr Trump what lack of American leadership can look like.
Yet nothing can be taken for granted. Republicans may rally around Mr Trump, although the death toll from coronavirus continues to rise, and America domestically is far from being at peace with itself.
An old Republican friend once explained that it is possible for a president to be elected while doing nothing much about race relations but it is difficult for a president to be elected while demonstrating that he does not care at all about race relations. Mr Trump appears to have fallen into that latter category.
And that is why the future statehood of Washington DC itself is so important. We could see by the end of the year voters across the US deciding they have had enough of Mr Trump. That will give a boost to Democrats vying for Senate seats, and that in turn will mean that Washington DC could at last take its place as the 51st state.
As a decade-long DC resident, I would cheer the idea of my former neighbours at last having representation in the government of their nation in a city that I love. I would also cheer the post-Trump Republican party taking a long hard look in the mirror and examining how it ended up with such a disastrous president in such difficult times.
But to win, Joe Biden needs to be more than the Not Trump candidate. He needs to find a vice presidential candidate of stature. He has said it will be a woman, and there are many talented female Democrats to choose from.
Above all the world needs to recognise that the only thing worse than the US throwing its weight around is the last remaining superpower being led by an uninformed president who has prejudices rather than policies, creates problems rather than solves them, and has little weight when it really counts.
Gavin Esler is a journalist, author and presenter
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
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MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD
%3Cp%3E1.%20Chad%3Cbr%3E2.%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E3.%20Pakistan%3Cbr%3E4.%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E5.%20Bangladesh%3Cbr%3E6.%20Burkina%20Faso%3Cbr%3E7.%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E8.%20India%3Cbr%3E9.%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E10.%20Tajikistan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Japan
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Envision%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarthik%20Mahadevan%20and%20Karthik%20Kannan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Netherlands%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Technology%2FAssistive%20Technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204impact%2C%20ABN%20Amro%2C%20Impact%20Ventures%20and%20group%20of%20angels%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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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
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What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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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
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Inas%20Halabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENijmeh%20Hamdan%2C%20Kamal%20Kayouf%2C%20Sheikh%20Najib%20Alou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
