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Obeid has not seen his damaged house in northern Gaza for more than a year. How bad, he wondered, is the damage? Who will rebuild a decimated Gaza? And will Hamas still run it?Weissglas worried about the conditions of the hostages set to be freed gradually over the next few weeks from dank quarters in the territory. And he grimaced about exchanging them for hundreds of Palestinian detainees, many of whom are serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis. “There is relief,” he said, “wrapped in caution, fears and concern”.It was an apt summary of the mood on both sides of the divide Sunday, as Israelis and Palestinians expressed feelings of elation tinged with doubt.AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.For Palestinians, the truce is meant to provide at least six weeks without strikes on Gaza. ...

When will Trump actually become President?Under the terms laid out in the US Constitution, the President takes office at exactly midday on January 20 (unless January 20 falls on a Sunday, which is not the case this year).This will take place at 6am on Tuesday, January 21 NZT.From that moment, Trump will become the United States of America’s 47th President.What will Inauguration Day be like?All going to plan, outgoing President Joe Biden will accompany President-elect Trump into the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony on January 20.It is part of the protocol for the outgoing president to leave a note in the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office that is addressed to his successor.AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.Then, a few minutes before midday on Inauguration Day, Trump, along with his Vice-Pr...

Trump previewed to the crowd at the 20,000-seat Capital One Arena a flurry of day-one executive actions on the border, oil drilling, and repealing policies from the outgoing Biden Administration. He also suggested he would grant some form of clemency for those charged in the attack on the US Capitol four years ago, whom he repeatedly pledged to pardon.“You’re going to see executive orders that are going to make you extremely happy. Lots of them,” Trump said. “Everybody in this very large arena will be very happy with my decision on the J6 hostages.”Trump also promised to root out “divisive diversity, equity, and inclusion mandates” across government and repeal “every radical and foolish executive order of the Biden Administration” within his first hours in office.AdvertisementAdvertise wi...

— Jack Smith, the Justice Department special counsel who oversaw two indictments of Trump, related to election interference and mishandling of classified documents. “Jack Smith should be considered mentally deranged, and he should be thrown out of the country,” Trump said in October 2024.Special counsel Jack Smith. Photo / Doug Mills, The New York Times— Letitia James, the New York state attorney general who sued Trump over the valuation of his real estate properties, costing him hundreds of millions of dollars. James “should be prosecuted”, Trump said in November 2023.AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.— Arthur Engoron, the New York Supreme Court judge who oversaw that case. Trump said at a campaign rally last January that both Engoron and James “should be arrested and punished accordingly”...

On Saturday, Gaza’s civil defence rescue agency said at least five members of one family were killed when a strike hit their tent in Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza.Explosions were heard over Jerusalem as Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a barrage of missiles at Israel in a show of support for the Palestinians ahead of the truce.A boy runs with a Palestinian flag atop a mound of rubble at a camp for people displaced by conflict in Bureij in the central Gaza Strip following the announcement of a truce amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Photo / AFPThe Houthis said they targeted the Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv and also fired two missiles at the Red Sea port city of Eilat.In Tel Aviv, an assailant Israel police described as a “terrorist” stabbed and seriously wounded a 30-year-old man ...

It also has a fan in Trump, who has credited the app with connecting him to younger voters, contributing to his election victory in November.Participants hold signs in support of TikTok outside the US Capitol Building on March 13, 2024 in Washington DC. Photo / Getty ImagesAfter discussing TikTok with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump told NBC News on Saturday he could activate a 90-day reprieve after he reclaims the Oval Office.“I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate,” he said, ahead of Monday’s inauguration.AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.“If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”The law allows a 90-day delay if the White House can show progress towards a...

Several people were treated at the medical centre of the Astun ski resort in the Pyrenees Spain after an accident on a chairlift caused multiple injuries. Photo / Getty ImagesThirty people were injured Saturday, four of them seriously, when a chairlift broke down at a Spanish ski resort near the French border, regional officials said.The accident at the Astun ski resort in the Pyrenees occurred around midday local time.Officials said 10 people had been hospitalised while another 20 were treated at the ski station by emergency services.“Apparently, there was a failure in the return pulley of one of the chairlifts and this caused the cable to lose tension, causing some chairs to fall and others to remain hanging,” said Miguel Angel Clavero, emergencies director for the Aragon region, where A...

Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush will both join their husbands on Monday (Tuesday NZT).A spokesman gave no reason for her absence, after explaining that she was unable to appear for Carter’s funeral because of a scheduling conflict. It has since emerged that Michelle Obama was on holiday in Hawaii without her husband.Her withdrawal from political life has been interpreted by some as an attempt to avoid coming face-to-face with Trump, who was pictured laughing and joking with her husband at Carter’s funeral.Some Democrats criticised Barack Obama for speaking so openly to Trump after his election win – noting that Kamala Harris ignored her political rival completely.AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.Former US President Barack Obama greets former first lady Michelle Obama as he arrives to speak ...

“There are no reports of public injury, and the FAA is working with SpaceX and appropriate authorities to confirm reports of public property damage on Turks and Caicos.”It added that during the event, it briefly activated a “debris response area” protocol to slow aircraft outside the area where the debris was falling or stop aircraft at their departure location.“Several aircraft requested to divert due to low fuel levels while holding outside impacted areas.”Under established procedures, SpaceX will now be required to carry out a “mishap investigation” – including the identification of any corrective actions, which the FAA will review before determining when the launch vehicle can return to flight.Here's a thread with all the different videos coming in of Ship 33 break-up and re-entry: pic...

The justice ministry published a list of 95 Palestinians to be freed starting Sunday, “subject to Government approval”. They include 69 women, 16 men and 10 minors.Israeli strikes have killed dozens since the ceasefire deal was announced, with the military saying Friday it had hit about 50 targets across Gaza over the previous 24 hours.The truce is to take effect on the eve of the inauguration of Donald Trump, who claimed credit for working with outgoing US President Joe Biden’s team to seal the deal.It was earlier approved by Israel’s security Cabinet, with Netanyahu’s office saying it “supports achieving the objectives of the war”.AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas said the Palestinian Authority has completed preparations “to assume full responsibility in...