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World Bank and IMF members discuss Gaza reconstruction challenges

World Bank and IMF members discuss Gaza reconstruction challenges

WASHINGTON : Top finance officials from around the world have underscored their willingness to help rebuild the Palestinian enclave of Gaza this week. The World Bank and United Nations are working to finalise a new cost estimate of $70 billion for the reconstruction effort. Members of the ministerial-level Development Committee that advises the World Bank and International Monetary Fund discussed the challenges involved during a Thursday meeting. World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala expressed appreciation for the ceasefire and the halt in killing. “We hope that it will just lead to the next phase and that that will happen peacefully,” she said. A United States-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas militants has halted two years of devastating war. United Nations officials report that aid convoys are struggling to reach famine-hit areas of north Gaza due to war-damaged roads and the closure of key routes. The United Nations World Food Program stated that 560 metric tons of food has entered the Gaza Strip per day on average since the ceasefire deal. This amount remains well below the scale of need according to the organisation. Okonjo-Iweala confirmed the Development Committee discussed Gaza reconstruction and what form that might take. World Bank officials expressed willingness to work with people in the region and others on the reconstruction effort. “We want to help. So we just hope that this means a way forward and normalization of life ... so that people get back to their normal lives,” she said. She acknowledged that the recovery process “will take a long time.” Haoliang Xu, acting administrator of the United Nations Development Program, told Reuters that conditions for reconstruction were not yet in place. He said plans were taking shape for a reconstruction conference, but the timing was not yet set. “The problem is where do you start?” Xu said, citing the latest United Nations estimates that over 61 million tonnes of rubble had to be removed from the area. “We are capable, we can do it, but the conditions have to be right. We need the hostages released, the bodies released,” he said. Shelter was another huge need he identified, noting that winter was coming. The World Bank, United Nations and European Union had estimated in February that it would cost more than $50 billion to rebuild Gaza. These organisations are now finalising a new interim estimate of $70 billion. Israel’s campaign in Gaza was launched in response to the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s operation has killed more than 67,000 people according to Gaza health officials and left the enclave in ruins. – Reuters

Supreme Court to hear Trump FTC firing case on December 8

Supreme Court to hear Trump FTC firing case on December 8

WASHINGTON : The US Supreme Court announced it will hear arguments on December 8 concerning the legality of President Donald Trump’s firing of a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission. This major case tests the scope of presidential power over government agencies designed by Congress to be independent. The court took up the case in September while also allowing Trump to terminate Rebecca Slaughter, who had sued to challenge his action. It lifted a judge’s order that had shielded Slaughter from being dismissed from the consumer protection and antitrust agency before her term expires in 2029. The stakes are high as the case could lead to justices overruling a 90-year-old precedent upholding job protections for heads of certain federal agencies. The court’s three liberal justices dissented from the order letting Trump remove Slaughter while the case proceeds. Federal law permits a president to remove FTC commissioners only for cause, such as inefficiency or neglect of duty, but not for policy differences. Similar protections cover officials at other independent agencies including the National Labor Relations Board and Merit Systems Protection Board. Slaughter was one of two Democratic commissioners whom Trump moved to fire in March. The firings drew sharp criticism from Democratic senators and antimonopoly groups concerned about eliminating opposition to big corporations. Washington-based US District Judge Loren AliKhan blocked Trump’s firing of Slaughter in July, rejecting arguments that tenure protections unlawfully encroach on presidential power. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit kept the judge’s ruling in place in September. Lower courts ruled that statutory protections shielding FTC members from removal without cause conform with the US Constitution. This ruling referenced the 1935 Supreme Court precedent in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States. In that case, the court ruled that a president lacks unfettered power to remove FTC commissioners, faulting Franklin Roosevelt’s firing of a commissioner for policy differences. The Supreme Court in January will hear separate arguments over Trump’s attempt to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, though justices left her in the post for now. That case involves the first-ever bid by a president to fire a Fed official as he challenges the central bank’s independence. – Reuters

IMF chief urges developing nations to accelerate AI adoption

IMF chief urges developing nations to accelerate AI adoption

WASHINGTON : Developing countries recognise they must move rapidly and expand their electricity infrastructure to leapfrog with artificial intelligence. International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva said this approach mirrors their previous success with mobile payments in the digital arena. Georgieva told reporters that AI offers great opportunities to boost growth and productivity. She warned that developing countries risk being left behind without a systematic approach. The IMF chief emphasised the urgency for these nations to harness AI’s potential effectively. – Reuters

IMF chief hopes for US-China rare earths deal to avoid economic impact

IMF chief hopes for US-China rare earths deal to avoid economic impact

WASHINGTON : International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva expressed hope on Friday for a US-China agreement that prevents a disruption in rare earths flow to the global economy. She warned that such restrictions would have a material impact on global economic growth. Georgieva made these comments during a press conference at the annual IMF and World Bank meetings in Washington. She stated that a rare earths cutoff would exacerbate uncertainty and damage an already weakened global growth outlook. The IMF chief noted there remains a sense of anxiety because world economic performance falls below necessary levels. She described a very dark cloud of uncertainty that continues to weigh heavily on global prospects. Georgieva characterized this persistent uncertainty as having become the new normal for the global economy. – Reuters

Putera Andrew serah gelaran diraja susulan skandal Epstein

Putera Andrew serah gelaran diraja susulan skandal Epstein

LONDON: Putera Andrew mengumumkan keputusan untuk melepaskan semua gelaran dirajanya termasuk gelaran Duke of York, dalam satu kenyataan peribadi yang dikeluarkan semalam, selepas berbulan-bulan berdepan tekanan hebat berhubung kaitannya dengan pesalah seks, Jeffrey Epstein. Dalam kenyataan tersebut, Putera Andrew menegaskan beliau masih menafikan sekeras-kerasnya segala tuduhan yang dikaitkan dengannya, namun menjelaskan keputusan itu dibuat selepas ... Read more The post Putera Andrew serah gelaran diraja susulan skandal Epstein appeared first on Utusan Malaysia .

Aksi penentu masa depan Postecoglou

Aksi penentu masa depan Postecoglou

LONDON – Pengendali Nottingham Forest, Ange Postecoglou mengakui aksi Liga Perdana Inggeris (EPL) bertemu Chelsea malam ini dianggap sebagai detik penentu masa depannya selepas gagal meraih sebarang kemenangan sejak mula membimbing pasukan bulan lalu. Difahamkan, pengurusan Forest yang diketuai oleh pemilik, Evangelos Marinakis masih lagi memberikan talian hayat buat Postecoglou selepas dilantik bagi mengisi kekosongan ... Read more The post Aksi penentu masa depan Postecoglou appeared first on Kosmo Digital .

Dahulu ‘abang’ sekarang ‘tapau’ watak lelaki lembut

Dahulu ‘abang’ sekarang ‘tapau’ watak lelaki lembut

SENTIASA mencari kelainan dalam lakonan dan itu yang dilakukan Azhar Sulaiman untuk drama lakonannya yang bakal ditayangkan tidak lama lagi. Kalau dahulunya cukup sinonim dengan filem Abang 92, kini menerusi drama berjudul Bintang Di Langit Syawal tersebut, difahamkan Azhar melakonkan watak lelaki lembut yang umum tahu karakter sebegitu pasti meraih perhatian dan kecaman. Bukan sahaja ... Read more The post Dahulu ‘abang’ sekarang ‘tapau’ watak lelaki lembut appeared first on Kosmo Digital .

Two dead, 160 injured in stampede at Odinga funeral in Nairobi

Two dead, 160 injured in stampede at Odinga funeral in Nairobi

NAIROBI : Two people were killed and more than 160 others were injured in a stampede during the state funeral of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga. The aid group Doctors Without Borders confirmed the death toll and injuries from the incident at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium. Heavy security was deployed at the funeral for Odinga, who commanded a passionate following across the East African nation. Kenyan broadcaster NTV reported that some crowd members surged forward to view Odinga’s body, causing a crush. A Kenya Red Cross spokesperson said their teams were providing treatment and evacuating the injured from the scene. Doctors Without Borders stated the injuries included blunt trauma and fractures from the melee. These fatalities followed three deaths on Thursday when security forces fired shots at mourners who breached a gate during a public viewing of Odinga’s body. The former political prisoner was a major figure in Kenyan politics for decades and ran unsuccessfully for president five times. Odinga died aged 80 on Wednesday in India, where he had been receiving medical treatment. Thousands of mourners at Friday’s service waved white handkerchiefs and danced under large banners with Odinga’s portrait. Others blew whistles and vuvuzelas in honour of the man they referred to as “Baba,“ meaning father in Swahili. Kenya President William Ruto attended the service which included full military honours. People have taken to the streets to pay their respects since early Thursday, with mourners storming the country’s main airport when the plane carrying his body arrived. That airport incident prompted authorities to suspend all flights for two hours. Odinga’s body will be taken for burial on Sunday in his homestead in western Kenya, where he commanded deep devotion among members of his Luo tribe. Many of his supporters believe he was cheated of the presidency by electoral fraud during his political career. Though mainly known as an opposition figure, Odinga served as prime minister in 2008 and struck political pacts with both former President Uhuru Kenyatta and current President William Ruto. – Reuters

Zelenskiy seeks Tomahawk missiles from Trump amid Putin summit plans

Zelenskiy seeks Tomahawk missiles from Trump amid Putin summit plans

WASHINGTON : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the White House on Friday to request Tomahawk missiles from US President Donald Trump. Trump’s focus on his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest raised concerns that Zelenskiy might return empty-handed. The US president nodded when asked by reporters if he could convince Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Trump told reporters before their private lunch meeting that things were progressing well with Russia. Zelenskiy highlighted the difficulty of securing a ceasefire and stated that Ukraine wants peace while Putin does not. Ukraine’s leader specifically requested Tomahawk missiles during their discussions. “We don’t have Tomahawks, that’s why we need Tomahawks,“ Zelenskiy told Trump and his administration officials. Trump responded that they would discuss the missile request but preferred that Ukraine wouldn’t need them. The US president portrayed himself as a mediator who believes both sides want a peace deal. Trump announced his summit with Putin following a more than two-hour phone conversation about Russia’s war in Ukraine. Their August summit in Alaska ended early without major breakthroughs, raising questions about this new meeting. The Kremlin indicated that much needed resolution and the summit might occur later than Trump’s suggested two-week timeframe. Trump’s conciliatory tone after speaking with Putin raised concerns about immediate assistance for Ukraine. European officials expressed fears about any potential deal that might primarily benefit Moscow. An EU spokesperson welcomed the talks if they could help achieve peace in Ukraine. Trump complimented Zelenskiy’s appearance during their meeting, noting his stylish dark suit jacket. The US president has campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize and wants to add Ukraine to his conflict resolution achievements. Russia has made some territorial gains in Ukraine this year despite Ukrainian claims that their offensive failed. Putin stated that Russian forces captured nearly 5,000 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory in 2025. Both sides have escalated attacks on each other’s energy systems in recent months. Russian drones and jets have occasionally strayed into NATO countries’ airspace. The White House had recently shown increasing frustration with Putin and considered new support for Ukraine. Zelenskiy noted that Putin was playing for time by resuming dialogue when hearing about potential Tomahawk transfers. Ukrainians expressed limited optimism about Zelenskiy’s talks with Trump given previous disappointments. Analysts viewed Putin’s outreach as a tactic to delay US weapons transfers to Ukraine. Max Bergmann from the Center for Strategic and International Studies called Putin’s move a stalling tactic. Mykola Bielieskov from Come Back Alive said Tomahawks would help pressure Russia but weren’t a complete solution. Trump has regularly threatened action against Russia since taking office but often delayed measures after Putin talks. – Reuters

Bedah siasat pelajar UM dapati tiada unsur jenayah

Bedah siasat pelajar UM dapati tiada unsur jenayah

PETALING JAYA: Bedah siasat terhadap pelajar Universiti Malaya (UM) yang maut selepas dipercayai terjatuh di kolej kediamannya semalam mendapati tiada unsur jenayah. Ketua Polis Daerah Petaling Jaya, Asisten Komisioner Shamsudin Mamat berkata, bedah siasat dijalankan di bilik bedah siasat Pusat Perubatan Universiti Malaya (PPUM) antara pukul 10 malam sehingga 3 pagi. “Hasil bedah siasat mendapati ... Read more The post Bedah siasat pelajar UM dapati tiada unsur jenayah appeared first on Utusan Malaysia .