President-elect Joe Biden began to outline the shape of his administration on Monday, announcing a number of key National Security appointments.
Pledging to install a more progressive cabinet, Mr Biden tapped women and minorities for key posts, and pulled on experienced names that have worked on standout policies from the Barack Obama administration, including the Iran nuclear deal and the normalisation of relations with Cuba.
Notably absent from the newly announced National Security cabinet members was the secretary of defence.
Mr Biden is reportedly not rushing to fill the post and carefully weighing the possible candidates.
Michele Flournoy is now seen as the top contender for the role, but Mr Biden seems to have reservations about nominating her, and is looking elsewhere to examine other possible nominees before making his final decision.
Ms Flournoy is unquestionably one of the most experienced candidates Democrats have to head the Pentagon. But she has clashed with Mr Biden on foreign policy matters in the past.
She was active in escalating the Obama administration’s presence in Afghanistan, which ballooned to 100,000 troops in 2010. The decision to boost troop numbers in Afghanistan was opposed by then-vice president, Mr Biden.
The issue of Afghanistan will likely be high on the foreign policy agenda of the incoming administration as Mr Trump's administration has pledged to reduce the number of US troops in Afghanistan to 2,500 by January 15, one week before Mr Biden’s inauguration.
“Michele is still at the top of the list but they still want to keep looking – and that’s a change,” a former senior national security official told Politico. The sense is: “Let’s not be rushed here,” he added.
Ms Flournoy also co-founded WestExec Advisers with Antony Blinken, who has been named secretary of state. The company works to facilitate contracts between the Pentagon and weapons manufacturers. Ms Flournoy has deep experience in the defence industry, and was seen as a likely candidate to be Hillary Clinton's defence secretary in 2016. She also worked as Mr Obama's Pentagon policy chief.
But as the Democratic Party continues to face an internal struggle between its far-left branches and its centrist majority, some are not entirely sold on Ms Flournoy’s potential nomination.
Ro Khanna, who served as co-chair of the Bernie Sanders campaign wrote on Twitter: “Flournoy supported the war in Iraq & Libya, criticised Obama on Syria, and helped craft the surge in Afghanistan. I want to support the President’s picks. But will Flournoy now commit to a full withdrawal from Afghanistan & a ban on arms sales to the Saudis to end the Yemen war?”
If appointed, Ms Flournoy would be the first female to hold the post. But Mr Biden’s progressive ambitions may steer him towards another first, with Jeh Johnson also emerging as a top contender for the role, which would make him the first Black secretary of defence.
Mr Johnson led the department of homeland security during the Obama administration.
Undoubtedly, whichever Democrat emerges as the head of the Pentagon, their first challenge will come from Republicans in the Senate, who are expected to challenge Mr Biden’s cabinet picks.
On Monday, when asked by Bloomberg if he expects Republican roadblocks to his cabinet nominations, Mr Biden answered "Are you kidding me?" and laughed.
Marking another first, Janet Yellen has been tapped to run the treasury department, which would make her the first woman to hold the cabinet post.
Mr Biden is expected to nominate the former Federal Reserve Chair to steer the country through the economic downturn brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Ms Yellen is a highly respected figure both at home and abroad, who would bring decades of economic policy experience to the role. She has already advocated for opening fiscal spending taps to revive the US economy.
Ms Yellen "will be a trusted, steady, and pragmatic hand on the helm as the US navigates the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic," said Tim Adams, a former Treasury official who is president of the Institute of International Finance, which represents more than 450 global banking firms.
As treasury secretary, she would also be charged with the difficult task of securing Republican support for Mr Biden’s economic agenda, which includes tax increases on the wealthy and investing trillions of dollars in climate change, infrastructure and education.
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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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
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
Which products are to be taxed?
To be taxed:
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Products excluded from the ‘sweetened drink’ category would contain at least 75 per cent milk in a ready-to-drink form or as a milk substitute, baby formula, follow-up formula or baby food, beverages consumed for medicinal use and special dietary needs determined as per GCC Standardisation Organisation rules
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)
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Abu Dhabi GP Saturday schedule
12.30pm GP3 race (18 laps)
2pm Formula One final practice
5pm Formula One qualifying
6.40pm Formula 2 race (31 laps)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Under 19 Cricket World Cup, Asia Qualifier
Fixtures
Friday, April 12, Malaysia v UAE
Saturday, April 13, UAE v Nepal
Monday, April 15, UAE v Kuwait
Tuesday, April 16, UAE v Singapore
Thursday, April 18, UAE v Oman
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Aaron Benjamin, Akasha Mohammed, Alishan Sharafu, Anand Kumar, Ansh Tandon, Ashwanth Valthapa, Karthik Meiyappan, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Rishab Mukherjee, Niel Lobo, Osama Hassan, Vritya Aravind, Wasi Shah
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
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
MATCH INFO
BRIGHTON 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 3
McTominay 44'
Mata 73'
Pogba 80'
Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
- Brentford v Arsenal
- Burnley v Brighton
- Chelsea v Crystal Palace
- Everton v Southampton
- Leicester City v Wolves
- Manchester United v Leeds United
- Newcastle United v West Ham United
- Norwich City v Liverpool
- Tottenham v Manchester City
- Watford v Aston Villa
