logo
Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo near significant breakthrough: Reuters - Foreign Affairs

Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo near significant breakthrough: Reuters - Foreign Affairs

Al-Ahram Weekly29-04-2025
'Negotiations held in Cairo to reach a ceasefire in Gaza were on the verge of a significant breakthrough," two Egyptian security sources told Reuters on Monday.
According to Reuters, the sources said there was a consensus on a long-term ceasefire in the Gaza, yet some sticking points remain, including Hamas arms.
On Monday, Hassan Rashad, the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service (GIS), was set to meet in Cairo with an Israeli negotiation team, led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, according to Al-Qahera News.
The meeting follows a recent visit by a Hamas delegation to Egypt to discuss efforts toward a ceasefire and de-escalation in Gaza.
Citing high-level security sources, the news channel said Egypt's intelligence chief had also participated earlier in the Doha discussions with Qatari, American, and Israeli officials aimed at maintaining the Gaza truce.
The sources revealed that Rashad's visit to Qatar coincided with the presence of the heads of the Israeli Mossad and US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), who were also in the country for related negotiations.
These talks come as part of the ongoing intensive mediation efforts led by Egypt and Qatar to restore the ceasefire deal in Gaza, which Israel unilaterally ended on 18 March.
Follow us on:
Facebook
Instagram
Whatsapp
Short link:
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Chilean researchers explore second life for lithium-Ion batteries
Chilean researchers explore second life for lithium-Ion batteries

See - Sada Elbalad

time36 minutes ago

  • See - Sada Elbalad

Chilean researchers explore second life for lithium-Ion batteries

H-Tayea A multidisciplinary team at the University of Chile is investigating how lithium-ion batteries degrade over time and how they could be repurposed to extend their usefulness and prevent large-scale waste accumulation. This is reported by TV BRICS. The research, led by the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, aims to anticipate a growing challenge in countries adopting electric mobility. In Santiago, 75 per cent of public transport relies on electric buses, and the number of private electric vehicles is rising. Batteries in these vehicles are typically replaced once they lose about 30 per cent of their capacity – even though they still retain the remaining 70 per cent. 'Large-scale implementation of electromobility brings new challenges and uncertainties that require practical solutions,' said Francisco Jaramillo, a member of the research team. One pressing question, he noted, is what to do with these batteries once they are retired from vehicles but remain functional. To address this, the team is analysing how different factors – such as temperature, operating time, environmental conditions, and geography – influence battery degradation. The goal is to create a 'usage profile' that predicts battery lifespan under specific conditions and determines their potential for a second life. Potential reuses include serving as backup power sources for critical infrastructure like telecom antennas, or storing energy from wind turbines and solar panels. Text copied from read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid Videos & Features Story behind Trending Jessica Radcliffe Death Video News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture Lebanese Media: Fayrouz Collapses after Death of Ziad Rahbani

Trump's major China gamble has paid off so far. But Xi still holds trump cards
Trump's major China gamble has paid off so far. But Xi still holds trump cards

Egypt Independent

time2 hours ago

  • Egypt Independent

Trump's major China gamble has paid off so far. But Xi still holds trump cards

President Donald Trump has placed a massive bet that the United States can take an historically aggressive stance against China, the world's second-largest economy, and emerge stronger because of it. Although it remains unclear if the gamble will pay off over the long term, Trump has been riding an incredible winning streak in recent months. The stock market is near record highs, the US economy rebounded in the second quarter and inflation has defied predictions of a surge after Trump put his tariffs in action. But Chinese leader Xi Jinping is on a winning streak of his own. On Monday, Trump opened the door to sending China faster AI chips after releasing previously blockaded mid-tier chips. And despite America's tariffs, China has successfully found other markets to sell to, flooding the world with its goods. That's because Xi holds a number of trump cards: China remains the world's biggest exporter of goods, wielding significant power across the world. It also maintains control of nearly the entire supply of the world's critical rare-earth minerals, necessary for manufacturing electronics and defense equipment crucial to America's national security and whose export Beijing has been slow-rolling their release, much to US consternation. And Xi has slow-walked a prize that Trump has long sought: a one-on-one meeting. Trump's wins Trump has played the role of the China bully this year, escalating the tariffs he placed on China in his first term – and continued by former President Joe Biden – to unprecedented levels. He set tariffs on Chinese goods at a minimum of 20 percent early in his second term, sending them to 145 percent in the middle of the spring and effectively blockading trade with America's second-largest trading partner. In May, negotiators between the two countries brought America's tariffs on Chinese goods imposed this year way down – to 30 percent. That felt better to US companies that rely on Chinese goods, even if it remains significantly higher than anything the United States has placed on a major trading partner in nearly a century. Over the course of the past few months, Trump's negotiators have secured several concessions from China, including purchases of US soybeans and a halt to antitrust investigations into some large American companies that threatened their ability to do business there. Those may not be major concessions, but as negotiations have continued, Trump has celebrated the tens of billions of dollars in tariff revenue that have flowed into the US Treasury each month, in large part because of the massive tariffs placed on China. Meanwhile, inflation has risen only slightly from four-year lows reached earlier this year. Last quarter's gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the US economy, showed a sharp rebound in growth, even though it was filled with warning signs. Jobs growth has slowed dramatically in recent months, but uncertainty about tariffs has largely eased, and some economists expect businesses to begin hiring again as a result in the coming months. And Trump's favorite indicator of success, the US stock market, has been booming, largely ignoring tariffs in favor of relatively strong earnings and a potential rate cut from the Federal Reserve in the next few months. So Trump has been able to come across as a strong foil to China, which he has labeled a national security threat and key economic competitor, while keeping the US economy from plunging into a recession – at least in the near term. That's no small feat. Xi's counter Despite Trump's bluster about China, America's president has treated Xi with relative leniency compared to the aggression he's shown toward US allies, including the European Union and Brazil, in recent months. That's because Xi is playing a very strong hand, too. China maintains an iron grip on rare-earth minerals used in ultra-strong magnets that are essential components in everything from cars to fighter jets. The United States deems them critical to the defense and industrial sectors, but China controls 90 percent of the global processing of rare earths. In various rounds of trade negotiations, the United States said it has won concessions that would give any US business that wants rare earths preferential treatment and access, but American companies continue to complain that China isn't issuing permits quickly enough to satisfy their needs. In exchange for doling out more rare earths, China has demanded a reduction in US export controls on critical goods – with a particular eye on advanced AI microchips. The Trump administration had drawn a line in the sand on AI chips, barring their delivery to China. But Monday, Trump reversed course, saying Nvidia's H20 chips that powered China's earth-shattering Deepseek AI model could flow somewhat freely into China. And he even said he would consider allowing Nvidia to ship a pared down version of its highest-end Blackwell chips, a concession that the White House had previously said was a nonstarter. Xi has also curried favor with Trump by agreeing to purchase US goods, including soybeans. Meanwhile, China's economy has kept pace by selling into new markets, including countries in South America and Africa, limiting disruption to its businesses. China's exports grew at 5.9 percent in the first half of 2025, the same pace as the first six months of 2024, according to ING. And China's trade surplus reached $586 billion in the first half, setting a new record for any six-month period. And Xi has power over something else that Trump truly covets: a meeting. Although Trump has claimed Xi promised to meet a date has not yet been set, and China has yet to confirm. So Xi is biding his time, leveraging his country's resources and export dominance. It's a strong hand to play against a president who has used tariffs to steamroll practically every other foreign leader in his path.

Iran says UN nuclear watchdog official will visit country for talks, but no inspections planned
Iran says UN nuclear watchdog official will visit country for talks, but no inspections planned

Egypt Independent

time3 hours ago

  • Egypt Independent

Iran says UN nuclear watchdog official will visit country for talks, but no inspections planned

Reuters — A senior official from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog will fly to Iran for talks on Monday, but no visit to A senior official from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog will fly to Iran for talks on Monday, but no visit to nuclear sites is planned, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday. Since Israel launched its first military strikes on Iran's nuclear sites during a 12-day war in June, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been unable to access Iran's facilities, despite IAEA chief Rafael Grossi stating that inspections remain his top priority. Iran has accused the agency of effectively paving the way for the bombings by issuing a damning report on May 31, which led the IAEA's 35-nation Board of Governors to declare Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations. Iran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, said it remained committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). 'Negotiations with the IAEA will be held tomorrow to determine a framework for cooperation,' Araghchi said on his Telegram account. 'A Deputy Director General of Grossi will come to Tehran tomorrow, while there are no plans to visit any nuclear sites until we reach a framework.' Last month, Iran enacted a law passed by parliament suspending cooperation with the IAEA. The law stipulates that any future inspection of Iran's nuclear sites by the IAEA needs approval by Tehran's Supreme National Security Council

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store