Live updates: Follow the latest on Donald Trump’s inauguration
US President Donald Trump on Monday said he was not confident that all three phases of the ceasefire in Gaza would be implemented.
Mr Trump was speaking from the Oval Office as he signed a batch of executive orders, hours after his inauguration.
“That's not our war over there, but I'm not confident, but I think they're very weakened,” he said, referring to Hamas.
On Sunday, after months of stalemate, a ceasefire began in Gaza, halting 15 months of conflict sparked by a Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people on October 7, 2023. About 46,900 Palestinians have been killed and much of the coastal enclave has been flattened since then.
Although much of the agreement between Israel and Hamas was negotiated under Joe Biden's administration, its implementation will take place under Mr Trump. His Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff took part in the mediated talks in Doha.
The agreement comprises three phases, beginning with a six-week ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and ending with Israel's complete withdrawal from the enclave and its reconstruction.
“Gaza is like a massive demolition site,” Mr Trump said. “It's really got to be rebuilt in a different way.”
Echoing plans from Israel's extreme right-wing settler movement, Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner last year said that Gaza has “valuable” waterfront property. Mr Kushner worked on Middle East issues for Mr Trump's first administration, and in his role advanced US efforts to further integrate Israel into the Middle East.
“Gaza is interesting,” Mr Trump said. “It's a phenomenal location on the sea, best weather. It's like, some beautiful things could be done with it, but some fantastic things could be done with Gaza.”
Earlier on Monday, he rescinded Biden-era sanctions imposed on settler groups and people accused of committing violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Mr Biden's administration had accused settler groups of undermining peace, security and stability in the West Bank. The sanctions froze their US assets and barred Americans from dealing with them.
Palestinians and rights groups say violence from Israeli settlers and land grabs have been on the rise, particularly during the war on Gaza.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
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Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Ultra processed foods
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- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
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