The progressive wing of the Democratic Party has officially retracted a letter it sent to US President Joe Biden on Monday urging him to engage Russia directly in an effort to end the war in Ukraine.
"The letter was drafted several months ago, but unfortunately was released by staff without vetting," wrote Pramila Jayapal, a congresswoman from Washington and chairwoman of the Progressive Caucus.
The caucus sent the letter to Mr Biden asking him “to make vigorous diplomatic efforts in support of a negotiated settlement and ceasefire” in Ukraine.
The appeal was made amid rising concerns over the threat of nuclear warfare as the more than eight-month-old conflict grinds on.
The left-leaning Democrats stated that “it is not America’s place to pressure Ukraine’s government regarding sovereign decisions” and were adamant that, because of the huge financial commitment Washington has made to Kyiv, there was a “responsibility for the United States to seriously explore all possible avenues, including direct engagement with Russia, to reduce harm and support Ukraine in achieving a peaceful settlement”.
Even before the official retraction, Ms Jayapal was forced on Monday evening to walk back some of the statements made in the letter.
“Let me be clear: we are united as Democrats in our unequivocal commitment to supporting Ukraine in their fight for their democracy and freedom in the face of the illegal and outrageous Russian invasion and nothing in the letter advocates for a change in that support,” wrote Ms Jayapal.
The swift change of course shows how little room for dissent there is on the Ukraine issue in the US.
There has been bipartisan support for military aid packages throughout the conflict, though House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has hinted that a Republican-led Congress could curtail future funding.
“I think people are going to be sitting in a recession and they’re not going to write a blank cheque to Ukraine,” he told PunchBowl News.
The world’s wealthiest person, Elon Musk, recently came under scrutiny for tweeting about a potential peace between Ukraine and Russia.
“Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision,” he tweeted. “Russia leaves if that is will of the people.”
The billionaire also suggested that annexed Crimea remain “formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until Khrushchev’s mistake)".
The conflict has been a rallying point for most Americans but as it stretches on, some are clearly questioning how long America’s immense financial and military support should continue.
“The one thing that I think is very similar between the Democratic letter and statements from Minority Leader McCarthy are that they're both signs that the political consensus around a very robust support for Ukraine is not cast in iron,” said Scott Anderson, a visiting fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington.
The Progressive Caucus's swift about-turn suggests the Biden administration is not ready to change course.
But with the midterms looming, and the real possibility of a Republican-led Congress and Senate, it may not be entirely up to them.
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PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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
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.
The Outsider
Stephen King, Penguin
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
Six tips to secure your smart home
Most smart home devices are controlled via the owner's smartphone. Therefore, if you are using public wi-fi on your phone, always use a VPN (virtual private network) that offers strong security features and anonymises your internet connection.
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Use two-factor authentication so that in addition to a password, your identity is authenticated by a second sign-in step like a code sent to your mobile number.
Set up a separate guest network for acquaintances and visitors to ensure the privacy of your IoT devices’ network.
Change the default privacy and security settings of your IoT devices to take extra steps to secure yourself and your home.
Always give your router a unique name, replacing the one generated by the manufacturer, to ensure a hacker cannot ascertain its make or model number.
What is an ETF?
An exchange traded fund is a type of investment fund that can be traded quickly and easily, just like stocks and shares. They come with no upfront costs aside from your brokerage's dealing charges and annual fees, which are far lower than on traditional mutual investment funds. Charges are as low as 0.03 per cent on one of the very cheapest (and most popular), Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, with the maximum around 0.75 per cent.
There is no fund manager deciding which stocks and other assets to invest in, instead they passively track their chosen index, country, region or commodity, regardless of whether it goes up or down.
The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five largest providers BlackRock’s iShares, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisers, Deutsche Bank X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash.
