US President Donald Trump has heralded a peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, capping months of efforts to end the three-decade conflict that has killed millions of people.
But continuing clashes have led to some scepticism about the “historic” breakthrough in the war, which Mr Trump claims is one of eight he has ended since his inauguration in January, when he vowed he would be remembered as a “peacemaker and unifier”.
Mr Trump and his supporters say he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts, and he has been nominated for the prestigious award by scores of people and countries, including Pakistan and Israel.
But he has been unable to broker an end to the war in Ukraine, a conflict he once boasted he would end within a day of returning to the White House.
Here is a closer look at the eight “wars” Mr Trump says he ended.
DRC and Rwanda
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo signed a peace accord in late June, but intense clashes between Rwandan-backed anti-government M23 fighters and Congolese forces continued in the eastern part of the country despite the agreement.
At a peace deal signing ceremony in Washington on December 4, Mr Trump said he expects to see an end to the fighting “very quickly”.
“I think you'll see very immediate results. I have confidence that that's what's going to happen,” he said at the ceremony with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Félix Tshisekedi.
The durability of the peace has yet to be established and clashes continued the week after the deal signing.
Amnesty International’s director for East and Southern Africa Tigere Chagutah said months of discussions and the signing of agreements in Washington and Doha “have had no tangible impact on the lives of Congolese civilians” as violence continues.
Israel-Gaza conflict
Mr Trump in October declared an end to the war in Gaza, more than two years after Hamas militants sparked the conflict by attacking Israel.
The first phase of his peace plan secured the release of all remaining living hostages, although the remains of one dead captive has yet to be returned. The truce is fragile and both Hamas and Israel are accusing each other ceasefire breaches on a near-daily basis.
A second phase is being negotiated but progress is slow. Far fewer civilians are being killed in Gaza than before the ceasefire, but there has not been a complete end to the fighting. It took him nine months but Mr Trump deserves credit for reducing the violence, something his predecessor Joe Biden largely failed to do.
Israel and Iran
In June, years of tensions between Israel and Iran exploded into a 12-day air war in which the two foes exchanged missile fire and Israel launched strikes against Iranian military targets.
On June 24, Mr Trump announced that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was in place.
There is no doubt the US played a crucial role in the conflict, especially after it bombed Iranian nuclear sites. But it is not clear how durable the truce will be and Mr Trump has left the door open for more strikes if the US assesses Tehran is trying to build a nuclear weapon.
Still, Mr Trump deserves at least partial credit for helping to end the retaliatory strikes between Iran and Israel.
India and Pakistan
Mr Trump's claim that he ended a “war” between India and Pakistan has driven New Delhi to distraction.
The South Asian neighbours exchanged artillery, plane and drone strikes in early May after gunmen killed 26 people in the Himalayan tourist spot of Pahalgam in the Kashmir Valley. India accused Pakistan of backing the attack, which Islamabad has denied.
Mr Trump infuriated New Delhi when he announced that the US had “mediated” a ceasefire. His announcement pre-empted India making a statement, and New Delhi has long maintained that any issues with Pakistan, including over the disputed Kashmir region, can only be addressed bilaterally and without the intervention of a third country.
India has insisted the recent ceasefire with Pakistan was decided through direct contacts between the two countries' armies. Pakistan, conversely, has lauded Mr Trump's role and nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize in June.
Egypt and Ethiopia
The African neighbours are not at war, so Mr Trump's claim is disingenuous. Still, tensions are high after Ethiopia inaugurated an enormous dam this month, which Cairo claims could rob it of its vital share of the river's water.
Egypt, which relies on the Nile for 97 per cent of its water, has long decried the project, with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi calling it an “existential threat” to the country's water security.
During his first term in office, Mr Trump suggested Egypt could bomb the dam, leading Ethiopia to accuse the US leader of trying to provoke a war.
Cambodia and Thailand
The neighbouring South-East Asian nations fought along their vaguely delineated border in July in the deadliest fighting between them since violence flared from 2008 to 2011 over disputed jungle territory.
Mr Trump warned Cambodia and Thailand that there would be no trade deals with either until they stopped fighting, and a ceasefire was announced soon after.
It was an abrupt end to the fighting, but critics contend that the reasons the conflict happened in the first place were not addressed.
On December 8, Thailand launched air strikes against Cambodia as fighting broke out along the disputed border. Both countries accused the other of breaching the ceasefire brokered by Mr Trump.
Armenia and Azerbaijan
Armenia and Azerbaijan have feuded for decades over their border and the status of ethnic enclaves in each other's territories, and went to war twice over the disputed Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan recaptured from Armenian forces in 2023.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have praised US efforts to settle the conflict, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said he would back Mr Trump's nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.
In August, Mr Trump hosted Mr Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House, where the two leaders signed a peace declaration.
Mr Trump also raised eyebrows last week when he made a gaffe saying he had settled the war between “Aber-baijan and Albania”. It was the second time he mistook Albania for Armenia. Calling Armenia “Albania” is offensive to many in the region given the historical context of Caucasian Albania, which has nothing to do with Albania the country.
Kosovo and Serbia
Serbia and Kosovo have not signed a final peace treaty, and Nato-led peacekeeping forces have been stationed in Kosovo since the end of the 1998-1999 war between ethnic Albanian guerrillas and Serbian forces.
Kosovo declared independence in 2008, a move that Belgrade has not recognised.
Mr Trump did not forge a peace between Kosovo and Serbia, but his administration did broker an economic normalisation agreement between them during his first term.
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
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Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
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How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
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
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
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Squads
Australia: Finch (c), Agar, Behrendorff, Carey, Coulter-Nile, Lynn, McDermott, Maxwell, Short, Stanlake, Stoinis, Tye, Zampa
India: Kohli (c), Khaleel, Bumrah, Chahal, Dhawan, Shreyas, Karthik, Kuldeep, Bhuvneshwar, Pandey, Krunal, Pant, Rahul, Sundar, Umesh
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 0
Liverpool 2 (Mane 50', 54')
Red card: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)
Man of the match: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
SPECS
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
