President Joe Biden’s nominee to oversee and revitalise the US foreign assistance apparatus is set to face her Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
A former ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power is an unusually high-profile nominee to lead USAID, the anti-poverty agency that delivers foreign assistance to more than 100 countries around the world.
Her nomination comes as the Biden administration seeks to reinvigorate US economic and humanitarian assistance throughout the world after former president Donald Trump sought to drastically slash the USAID budget for four consecutive years.
“Samantha Power is a world-renowned voice of conscience and moral clarity — challenging and rallying the international community to stand up for the dignity and humanity of all people,” Mr Biden said in a January statement upon announcing his intent to nominate her.
“I know first hand the unparalleled knowledge and tireless commitment to principled American engagement she brings to the table, and her expertise and perspective will be essential as our country reasserts its role as a leader on the world stage.”
Ms Power, 50, an Irish-American academic and author of a Pulitzer Prize-winning book about atrocity crimes, called A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, said on Twitter she looked forward to heading the $41 billion budget agency.
“As a journalist, activist, and diplomat, I’ve seen the world-changing impact of @USAID,” Ms Power told her 247,000 Twitter followers.
“At this critical moment, I feel immensely fortunate to have the chance to serve again, working with the incredible USAID team to confront COVID-19, climate change, humanitarian crises, & more.”
As former President Barack Obama’s UN ambassador from 2013 to 2017, Ms Power worked on the fight against Ebola, the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change, tackling poverty and shutting down revenue streams for the so-called Islamic State.
Ms Power, an advocate of Western-led military interventions to stop atrocities, famously sparred with Mr Obama over the civil war in Syria, notably when her boss did not use force against the regime’s increasing use of chemical weapons in 2013.
She was instrumental in the 2014 UN Security Council decision to open four border crossings into Syria from Turkey, Iraq and Jordan to get aid into rebel-held areas, even while Damascus denounced this as a breach of Syria’s sovereignty.
Ms Power’s selection comes amid concerns over Mr Biden’s inauguration on January 20, and whether any impeachment proceedings against outgoing President Donald Trump over the US Capitol riot will upend Senate confirmation hearings for new cabinet picks.
While some of Ms Power’s critics dismiss her as an unrealistic do-gooder, much of the reaction to her selection on social media highlighted her as a guardian of human rights in the world's troublespots.
Janti Soeripto, president and CEO of aid group Save the Children, said Ms Power had a “long track record of giving voice to the vulnerable” and was an “excellent choice” at a time that “challenges for children around the world have never been greater”.
Stewart McDonald, a member of parliament for Scotland and the Scottish National Party’s spokesman on defence, praised an “excellent choice of a fine public servant” who was “always full of wisdom and insight”.
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The%20specs
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Read more about the coronavirus
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
MORE ON CORONAVIRUS & THE ECONOMY
Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m
7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m
9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The%20specs
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.0L twin-turbo V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 571hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,000-4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L/100km
Price, base: from Dh571,000
On sale: this week
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
