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BBC
The third week of Donald Trump’s second time period has been marked by extra main motion from the US president and his group.
From saying US targets on the way forward for Gaza and massively slashing the US company for overseas help to intervening in a golf dispute and banning transgender ladies from feminine sports activities competitions, Trump, his adviser Elon Musk and the remainder of his group have pressed on with their agenda.
There’s quite a bit to maintain up with – so here is a reminder of 15 strikes this week.
1. Proposed the US ‘take over’ Gaza
At a joint press convention with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the White House on Tuesday, Trump mentioned the US would “take over” and “own” Gaza, resettling its Palestinian inhabitants within the course of.
Trump proposed growing the territory, devastated after 15 months of battle between Israel and Hamas, into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
“The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting,” Trump repeated on social media on Thursday, reiterating the concept would imply resettling Palestinians who at the moment dwell there.
Trump instructed the displacement could be everlasting, however administration officers later instructed any relocation could be solely momentary.
Any pressured deportation of civilians could be a violation of worldwide regulation.
Can Trump actually take possession of Gaza?
2. Planned to place hundreds of USAID workers on depart
Thousands of workers on the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the federal government’s foremost overseas help company, are anticipated to be positioned on depart at midnight on Friday.
The proposed cuts will have an effect on the overwhelming majority of the company’s workforce, leaving only some hundred important workers out of a complete of about 10,000 workers globally.
The transfer comes after staff had been requested to remain out of the company’s Washington DC headquarters earlier this week.
Cutbacks on the company have upended the worldwide help system, with lots of of programmes already frozen in international locations world wide.
The Trump administration reportedly intends to merge the company, which distributes billions of {dollars} in help globally, with the state division, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed reporters he was now the appearing head of the company.
BBC Verify has debunked false video claims that Hollywood stars had been ‘paid’ by USAID to go to Ukraine
3. Imposed tariffs on China and pulled again threats on neighbours
Trump imposed a ten% tariff on Chinese imports on Tuesday, however held off on his menace of implementing 25% tariffs on items from Canada and Mexico for 30 days, after these international locations’ leaders pledged to beef up border safety.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to strengthen the US-Canada border to clamp down on migration and the circulate of the lethal drug fentanyl.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to bolster the nation’s northern border with troops, and in return the US would restrict the circulate of weapons into Mexico.
The tariffs, which some specialists counsel might exacerbate inflation, had been a part of Trump’s marketing campaign platform forward of November’s election.
Watch: ‘I’m getting offended and anti-American’ – Canadians on tariff menace
4. Pressed forward with plan to incentivise federal staff to resign
The Trump administration had supplied incentives to federal staff to voluntarily resign by a Thursday midnight deadline – a part of an effort to slash the scale of the federal government.
However, a US choose quickly halted the plan hours earlier than the deadline, pausing it till a listening to on Monday to find out the deserves of a lawsuit filed by federal worker unions, CBS News, the BBC’s US accomplice, reported.
Some of the federal authorities’s greater than two million civilian staff have voiced confusion concerning the phrases of the deal, which the administration says would enable them to obtain pay and advantages via September in alternate for resigning.
Critics have questioned the legality of the supply and a few federal worker unions have suggested members to train warning round accepting the deal.
5. Sanctioned the International Criminal Court
On Thursday, Trump signed an order to impose sanctions on some workers of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The sanctions place monetary and visa restrictions on people and their households who help in ICC investigations of American residents or allies.
The Hague-based courtroom brings world prosecutions for genocide, crimes in opposition to humanity and battle crimes. Recently, it issued arrest warrants for a Hamas commander and Israel’s Netanyahu over alleged battle crimes in Gaza, which Israel denies.
Trump’s announcement got here as Netanyahu was visiting Washington DC.
More than 120 international locations, together with the UK, are members of the ICC, although the US and Israel should not.
6. Ordered strikes in opposition to the Islamic State group in Somalia
Trump mentioned he ordered navy air strikes on a senior assault planner and others from the Islamic State (IS) group in north-east Somalia on 1 February.
He mentioned “many terrorists” had been killed “without, in any way, harming civilians”. The BBC couldn’t independently confirm stories of casualties.
The workplace of Somalia’s president on social media welcomed the “unwavering support of the United States in the fight against international terrorism”.
7. Withdrew from United Nations establishments
Trump additionally took motion to finish US involvement in a number of UN establishments.
On Tuesday, Trump signed an govt order withdrawing the US from the primary UN company for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, of which Israel has been extremely crucial.
The similar order mentioned the US would not take part within the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), and the US would conduct a assessment of its membership within the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inside 90 days.
8. Sent first aircraft of deportees to Guantanamo
The US despatched the primary group of migrants to Guantanamo Bay on Tuesday, after Trump introduced plans to develop migrant detention on the US Navy base in Cuba.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) mentioned the detainees had been a part of the Tren de Aragua – a gang that originated in Venezuela’s prisons. Ten detainees had been despatched, CBS reported, citing a number of US officers.
The transfer got here after Trump ordered that an present migrant detention facility on the base be expanded to carry some 30,000 folks.
The Naval base has been used to deal with a small quantity migrants – just a few dozen at a time, in recent times – for many years.
Separately, almost 800 folks – most held on suspicions of terrorism – have been jailed on the base’s detention centre because it opened in 2002. About 15 persons are nonetheless held there now, in line with US media.
Deportation flights additionally carried migrants again to India this week.
9. Demanded Ukraine present uncommon earth sources
On Monday, Trump mentioned he wished Ukraine to ensure the provision of extra uncommon earth metals in alternate for $300bn (£240bn) to assist its struggle in opposition to Russia.
“We want what we put up to go in terms of a guarantee… we’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where we’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earth (minerals) and other things,” Trump mentioned.
Ukraine has massive deposits of uranium, lithium and titanium, which can be utilized for defence and electronics manufacturing, CBS reported.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned his nation was open to funding by American corporations.
10. Banned transgender rivals from ladies’s sports activities
Trump signed an govt order on Wednesday that forestalls transgender ladies from competing in feminine classes of sports activities.
The order outlines steering, laws and authorized interpretations largely round highschool, college and grassroots sports activities.
However, Trump mentioned the order would come with the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, including he would deny visas for transgender Olympic athletes attempting to go to the US to compete.
11. Released water from dams in California
Trump on Monday ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to launch billions of gallons of water from two reservoirs in California’s Central Valley after lethal wildfires in Los Angeles in January.
Trump had claimed California withheld water provides that would have made a distinction in preventing the fires, which the state’s Governor Gavin Newsom and different officers disputed, CBS reported.
The water was launched right into a dry lakebed greater than 100 miles (160km) away from the fires. Experts and officers instructed CBS the water couldn’t circulate to Los Angeles and would doubtless go to waste.
US Congressman Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California, mentioned that earlier than the water within the dams was launched, it was being “saved for the farmers for the summer season when they needed the water” within the state’s agricultural area.
12. Announced taskforce to deal with ‘anti-Christian bias’
Trump on Thursday signed an govt order that aimed “to protect the religious freedoms of Americans and end the anti-Christian weaponization of government”.
He appointed newly confirmed Attorney General Pam Bond to guide a job power to eradicate what he referred to as “anti-Christian bias” within the federal authorities.
Trump signed the order after giving remarks on the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC.
13. Intervened in a dispute within the golf world
Trump, an avid golf participant who owns programs world wide, reportedly intervened in a dispute between championship organiser PGA Tour and its rival sequence LIV Golf.
After the launch of LIV Golf led to a rift, the rivals entered negotiations and introduced a “framework agreement” for a merger, however a deadline to finish that deal handed.
This week, PGA Tour mentioned it was “closer to a deal” with LIV Golf after calling on Trump to step in.
“We asked the president to get involved for the good of the game, the good of the country, and for all the countries involved,” mentioned the assertion. “We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for reunification of men’s professional golf.”
14. Removed local weather change mentions from authorities web sites
Starting final week, the Trump administration reportedly ordered some US authorities company web sites to take away references to local weather change.
It has affected the web sites of the departments of transportation, defence, state and agriculture, which manages the forest service, the Guardian reported.
Some local weather content material remained on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Nasa and vitality division’s websites.
This week, some workers on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had been additionally ordered to quickly cease speaking with overseas nationals, US media reported.
The change got here after stories that workers from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) – which isn’t an official authorities division – entered the places of work of NOAA and took over the company’s inside web sites, eradicating pages dedicated to diversity-focused worker affinity teams.
15. Increased entry for Musk’s Doge
The Trump administration additionally gave members of Doge, an initiative to shrink the federal authorities led by tech billionaire Musk, entry to the federal funds system that controls the circulate of trillions of {dollars} in funds yearly, US media reported.
Reports instructed members of Doge, which isn’t an official authorities division, had been granted entry to a US treasury division system containing the delicate data of tens of millions of Americans.
Musk’s new initiative has been closely concerned in authorities upheaval.
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