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Israel on Wednesday threatened to launch a new war on Hamas that would lead to the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s plan to displace all Palestinians from Gaza if the militants do not release hostages this weekend.The remarks by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz came shortly after Palestinian group Hamas said it would not bow down to US and Israeli “threats” over the release of hostages under a fragile truce deal.Mediators Qatar and Egypt were pushing to salvage the ceasefire agreement that came into effect last month, a Palestinian source and a diplomat familiar with the talks told AFP, while Hamas said its top negotiator was in Cairo.The truce has largely halted more than 15 months of fighting and seen Israeli captives released in small groups in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli custody.But the deal, currently in its 42-day first phase, has come under increasing strain.The warring sides, which have yet to agree on the next phases of the truce, have traded accusations of violations, spurring concern that the violence could resume.Katz said Israel would resume its war if Hamas fails to free captives on Saturday, when a sixth hostage-prisoner exchange was scheduled under the terms of the agreement.Hamas has said it would postpone the release citing Israeli violations, and hours later, Trump warned that “hell” would break loose if the Palestinian militant failed to release “all” hostages by then.If fighting resumes, Katz said, “the new Gaza war will be different in intensity from the one before the ceasefire, and it will not end without the defeat of Hamas and the release of all the hostages.””It will also allow the realisation of US President Trump’s vision for Gaza,” he added.Katz on Thursday ordered the army to prepare for “voluntary” departures from Gaza.The Israeli military said it has already begun reinforcing its troops around Gaza.Trump had proposed taking over the war-ravaged Gaza Strip and moving its more than two million residents to Jordan or Egypt — a plan experts say would violate international law but which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called “revolutionary”.- ‘Anxiety’ – Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said on Wednesday that Israel was “evading the implementation of several provisions of the ceasefire agreement”, warning that hostages would not be released without Israeli compliance with the deal.”Our position is clear, and we will not accept the language of American and Israeli threats,” said Qassem, after Netanyahu threatened to “resume intense fighting” if hostages were not released by Saturday.Last week’s hostage release sparked anger in Israel and beyond after Hamas paraded three emaciated hostages before a crowd and forced them to speak.On the Palestinian side, Hamas accused Israel of failing to meet its commitments under the agreement, including on aid, and cited the deaths of three Gazans over the weekend.Hamas has insisted it remained “committed to the ceasefire”, and said that a delegation headed by chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya was in Cairo for meetings and to monitor “the implementation of the ceasefire agreement”.A diplomat and a Palestinian source familiar with the talks both told AFP on condition of anonymity that mediators were engaged with the parties to resolve the dispute.UN chief Antonio Guterres has urged Hamas to proceed with the planned release and “avoid at all costs resumption of hostilities in Gaza”.In Tel Aviv, Israeli student Mali Abramovitch, 28, said that it was “terrible to think” that the next group of hostages would not be released “because Israel allegedly violated the conditions, which is nonsense”.”We can’t let them (Hamas) play with us like this… It’s simply not acceptable.”In southern Gaza’s Khan Yunis, 48-year-old Saleh Awad told AFP he felt “anxiety and fear”, saying that “Israel is seeking any pretext to reignite the war… and displace” the territory’s inhabitants.- Rebuild ‘without displacing’ Gazans -Trump reaffirmed his Saturday deadline for the hostage release when hosting Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday.In a phone call Wednesday, Abdullah and Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said they were united in supporting the “full implementation” of the ceasefire, “the continued release of hostages and prisoners, and facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid”, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.The two leaders called for Gaza’s “immediate” reconstruction “without displacing the Palestinian people from their land”.Egypt, a US ally which borders Gaza, earlier said it planned to “present a comprehensive vision” for the reconstruction of the Palestinian territory.A UN report has said that more than $53 billion will be required to rebuild Gaza and end the “humanitarian catastrophe” there.The war was triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,211 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.Militants also took 251 hostages, of whom 73 remain in Gaza, including 35 the Israeli military says are dead.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 48,222 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to figures which the UN considers reliable from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.burs-ser/ami/ysm

The United Nations envoy for Syria on Wednesday called on its new authorities to prevent a “cycle of retribution and revenge” after the overthrow of the brutal rule of Bashar al-Assad.At a Security Council meeting, Geir Pedersen spoke of worrying reports of “men killed in the exchange of fire and reported serious ill-treatment in detention” taking place under the country’s transitional authorities.He lamented reports of “kidnapping, looting, expropriation of property, and forced evictions of families from public housing.”Assad was overthrown in December by rebel forces led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, whose leader Ahmed al-Sharaa is now the country’s interim president. Pedersen said he was assured by authorities “that there is no policy of revenge or retribution” and noted that hundreds of detainees have been released from prison.He warned, however, “there is still lack of clarity on the due process of those detained.”Pedersen said it was “the responsibility of the caretaker authorities” to ensure rights violations ceased and “to work on a comprehensive transitional justice framework.” Despite reassurances from Syria’s new rulers, members of Assad’s Alawite community — a branch of Shiite Islam — fear reprisals because of the minority’s link to the former ruler’s family. Assad’s family ruled the country for more than five decades.Since his ouster, violence against Alawites has soared, with a leading watchdog recording more than 160 killings.Pedersen, who was recently in Syria, also noted the concern of many residents regarding “discriminatory practices against women and of increasing social pressure towards certain norms.”The UN officials welcomed recent “decisions and signals” from the United States and the European Union regarding the easing of sanctions against Syria, adding that “a credible transition will be essential to continuing and expanding positive and bold sanctions moves.””Let us remember that the challenges Syria faces are myriad and immense, including an ongoing conflict, a fragmented security landscape, a battered economy, and a population emerging from fourteen years of war in a situation of great hope but also division too,” Pedersen concluded.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II was visibly uncomfortable as he sat across from US President Donald Trump and discussed the fate of over two million Palestinians in Gaza.Trump’s proposed plan to take over Gaza and “clean out” the territory of its Palestinian residents, sending them to Jordan or Egypt, had already sent the region into a tailspin.But in Tuesday’s meeting in Washington, the tension between Trump’s vision and the reality that King Abdullah — whose wife is of Palestinian descent — has long negotiated was palpable in the exchange between the two leaders.”The king may be in the most complicated situation of his reign” of more than 25 years, said analyst Labib Kamhawi.He nonetheless “sought to deal with Trump calmly and not to enter into a direct confrontation with a country that is meant to be an ally”, Kamhawi added.Instead, the king “confirmed the unified Arab stance rejecting the displacement (of Palestinians) and said he would work for the benefit of Jordan and its people”, Kamhawi said.During the meeting, Trump doubled down on his plan, saying Gaza would be placed under “US authority”.In response, King Abdullah released a statement after the meeting in which he “reiterated Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank”.- ‘Difficult situation’ -“The king was diplomatic and skilled in dealing with Trump’s bullishness… without providing any concessions,” said Hassan Barari, a professor of international relations at Qatar University.The British-educated Jordanian monarch appeared to offer a sweetener to Trump, who the day before the visit floated the possibility of halting crucial US aid to both Jordan and Egypt if they did not take in refugees.”One of the things that we can do right away is take 2,000 children, cancer children who are in a very ill state. That is possible,” the king said as Trump welcomed him and Crown Prince Hussein in the Oval Office.The image of the king on Tuesday was a far cry from his visit to Washington a year ago when, alongside Queen Rania and Prince Hussein, he was received warmly by former president Joe Biden.King Abdullah “is in a difficult situation, without a doubt”, said Barari, adding that “it is difficult to clash with your first strategic ally in the world and to say no”.But Barari noted that the king had faced little consequence when he expressed his objection to Trump’s so-called “Deal of the Century” — a proposal to solve the Middle East conflict presented during his first term in office and subsequently shelved.That plan would have effectively paved the way for Israel’s annexation of the West Bank, which it already occupies.- ‘Unified Arab position’ -Jordanian newspapers on Wednesday sought to highlight King Abdullah’s rejection of Trump’s latest proposal, with one headline reading “The king to Trump: no to displacement”.In parallel with public statements, both Amman and Cairo have sought to rally Arab support in a bid to show a unified front to counteract pressure from the Trump administration.”Jordan is a small country that cannot withstand this storm alone, nor can the king,” said Kamhawi.The analyst added that “for this reason, his words were clear in Washington,” where the king relied on his Arab allies, namely Egypt and Saudi Arabia, both of which have strongly rejected any displacement of Palestinians outside of their land.In his statement rejecting Trump’s plan on Tuesday, King Abdullah noted: “This is the unified Arab position.”And on Wednesday, Jordan’s royal court issued a statement saying that the king and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stressed their “shared position” rejecting the forced displacement of Palestinians.About half of Jordan’s population of 11 million people is of Palestinian origin, the majority of whom were displaced during the 1948 war that coincided with the creation of Israel and the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.At a market in central Amman, vendor Khaled al-Qaisi said of Trump: “This man is saying nonsense… Jordan is our country and we have received enough refugees.””Trump wants to create an alternative homeland for the Palestinians here… neither the Jordanian people nor the Palestinians can accept that,” said the man in his 80s.

Syria said Wednesday a new government would take over next month from the interim cabinet formed following Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow, and announced a preparatory body for a national dialogue conference.The new authorities need to rebuild Syria’s institutions after more than 50 years of Assad family rule and revive an economy smashed by nearly 14 years of war.Weighed down by Assad-era sanctions, the government will also need to persuade Western capitals that the Islamist-led rebels who seized power have abandoned their jihadist origins, amid concerns for minorities in the multi-ethnic, multi-confessional country.”The government that will be launched March 1 will represent the Syrian people as much as possible and take its diversity into account,” Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in the United Arab Emirates.The Syrian people will be “partners in change”, he said, adding that “changes and adjustments we made over the past two months on the political roadmap were derived and inspired by consultations with the diaspora and civil society”.A caretaker government headed by Mohammad al-Bashir is steering the country until March 1.Last month Sharaa, leader of Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) which spearheaded Assad’s overthrow, was appointed interim president, and the new authorities are set to form a transitional legislature.The Assad-era parliament has been dissolved, along with the Baath party which ruled Syria for decades. Sharaa has said organising elections could take up to five years.Sharaa’s office announced Wednesday the formation of a seven-member preparatory committee for a national dialogue conference “to meet the requirements of this historic phase and guarantee the aspirations of the Syrian people”.- Former exiled opposition -The committee includes two women, according to the decree, and its work will end “once the conference’s final declaration is issued”.No date was set for the event.Sharaa said last month the national dialogue would be “a direct platform for discussions, to listen to different points of view on our future political programme”, in a country wracked by divisions.Activists have expressed concern about the rights and representation of women, while officials have insisted they will be a part of the new Syria.On Tuesday, the presidency said Syria’s main civilian opposition bodies, formerly in exile, had transferred files they had been handling to Damascus amid efforts to “dissolve” civilian and military institutions formed during the conflict.Sharaa met in Damascus with the head of the Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC) Bader Jamous and the head of the National Coalition Hadi Albahra.Responding to a question about whether the move meant the dissolution of the bodies, Jamous told AFP: “Yes, but there are legal procedures that need to be worked out and that will take some time”.Jamous said members of the commission and affiliated experts will be “part of the Syrian state and support its construction”.The Istanbul-based Coalition was established in November 2012 after opposition groups and figures met in Qatar. The Coalition is the main component of the SNC, which emerged after a meeting in Riyadh in 2015, and represented the Syrian opposition during UN-sponsored talks with the Assad government in Geneva that failed to produce any results.HTS and other armed factions have officially been dissolved, with their fighters to be integrated into a future national force.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a series of agreements Wednesday to boost trade and defence ties between the Muslim-majority nations, including the delivery of 69 Turkish combat drones to Jakarta.The Turkish leader was visiting Southeast Asia’s largest economy after travelling to Malaysia and before heading to Pakistan on a four-day tour of key allies in the Islamic world.He was greeted at a presidential palace in Bogor, a city south of the capital Jakarta, by a traditional marching band, national anthems and schoolchildren waving flags.”We are committed to increasing trade between the two countries, which is mutually beneficial,” Prabowo said after the talks.”We also agree to increase joint production and cooperation in the defence industry.”Prabowo said that would include joint training for soldiers and closer collaboration on counter-terrorism and intelligence.”We have looked at further opportunities for collaboration in the defence sector,” Erdogan said.Turkish manufacturer Baykar and Indonesian company Republikorp agreed on the delivery of 60 Turkish Bayraktar TB3 drones and nine Akinci medium-to-high altitude combat drones capable of carrying missiles, reported the Turkish national news agency Anadolu. Akinci drones can carry a 1,500-kilogram payload, according to Baykar’s website.Over time, some parts will be built in Indonesia. A dozen agreements on trade, energy, higher education and religious affairs were signed by ministers and officials, including a deal to manufacture drones in Indonesia, as the pair watched on.Prabowo earlier called Erdogan “my close friend, my brother” and said both sides were also trying to accelerate the signing of a free trade agreement.The leaders held their nations’ first High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting before the agreements were signed.Erdogan said the pair discussed global issues including Syria and the Palestinian cause, alongside future deals seeking to boost their trade to $10 billion a year.Trade between Indonesia and Turkey in 2024 was worth $2.4 billion, according to Indonesia’s trade ministry.The leaders last met in July for talks in the Turkish capital Ankara before then-defence minister Prabowo was officially inaugurated as Indonesia’s president.Relations between the two countries grew closer under Prabowo’s predecessor Joko Widodo, who paid a state visit to Turkey in 2017.In 2023, Indonesia purchased 12 Turkish drones worth around $300 million in a push to upgrade its ageing military.Both are members of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation where they are staunch supporters of Palestinians and vocal critics of Israel.

US stock markets tumbled on Wednesday as an inflation reading came in hotter than expected, fanning fears that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates higher for longer. Following days of attention on US President Donald Trump’s tariff moves, traders were focusing on the January consumer inflation data, which is set to play a role in …

US stocks fall as inflation unexpectedly heats up Read More »

Hamas said Wednesday it would not bow down to threats from Israel and the United States, which demanded the militant group release hostages this weekend or face a return to war in Gaza.Mediators Qatar and Egypt were pushing to salvage the ceasefire agreement, a Palestinian source and a diplomat familiar with the talks told AFP, while Hamas said its top negotiator was in Cairo.The truce has largely halted more than 15 months of fighting and seen Israeli captives released in batches in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli custody.But the deal, currently in its 42-day first phase, has come under increasing strain.The warring sides, which have yet to agree the next phases of the truce, have traded accusations of violations, spurring concern that the violence could resume.Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said on Wednesday that Israel was “evading the implementation of several provisions of the ceasefire agreement”, warning that hostages would not be released without Israeli compliance with the deal.”Our position is clear, and we will not accept the language of American and Israeli threats,” said Qassem, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to “resume intense fighting” if hostages were not released by Saturday.His threat echoed US President Donald Trump, who said on Monday that “hell” would break loose if Hamas failed to release “all” Israeli hostages by then. Netanyahu did not specify whether he was referring to all captives.Hamas has said it would postpone the next hostage, release scheduled for Saturday, citing Israeli violations, and later insisted it was “committed to the ceasefire”.Last week’s release — the fifth under the truce — sparked anger in Israel and beyond after Hamas paraded three emaciated hostages before a crowd and forced them to speak.On the Palestinian side, Hamas accused Israel of failing to meet its commitments under the agreement, including on aid, and cited the deaths of three Gazans at the weekend.- ‘Anxiety’ – Hamas said in a statement that a delegation headed by its top negotiator and Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya “arrived in Cairo and began meetings with Egyptian officials”, and was monitoring “the implementation of the ceasefire agreement”.A senior Hamas official told AFP the delegation “will discuss ways to end the current crisis”.A diplomat familiar with the talks told AFP that mediators were engaged with both Israel and Hamas to resolve the dispute and ensure the implementation of the agreement.A Palestinian source said earlier that Egypt and Qatar were “working intensively” to “resolve the crisis, compel Israel to implement the humanitarian protocol… and begin negotiations for the second phase”.UN chief Antonio Guterres has urged Hamas to proceed with the planned release and “avoid at all costs resumption of hostilities in Gaza”.The armed wing of Palestinian group Islamic Jihad, which has fought alongside Hamas in Gaza, said that the fate of the Israeli hostages it was holding was “directly tied to Netanyahu’s actions”.In Tel Aviv, Israeli student Mali Abramovitch, 28, said that it was “terrible to think” that the next group of hostages would not be released “because Israel allegedly violated the conditions, which is nonsense”.”We can’t let them (Hamas) play with us like this… It’s simply not acceptable.”In southern Gaza’s Khan Yunis, 48-year-old Saleh Awad told AFP he felt “anxiety and fear”, saying that “Israel is seeking any pretext to reignite the war… and displace” the territory’s inhabitants.- Egypt to present ‘vision’ -Hours after Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said it was postponing Saturday’s hostage release, Trump said that “if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday 12 o’clock… all bets are off and let hell break out.”Trump had earlier proposed taking over the Gaza Strip and moving its more than two million residents to Jordan or Egypt — a plan experts say would violate international law but which Netanyahu called “revolutionary”.The US president reaffirmed his hostage release deadline on Tuesday when hosting Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who on social media “reiterated Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians”.Egypt, a US ally which borders Gaza, said it planned to “present a comprehensive vision for the reconstruction” of the Palestinian territory which ensures residents remain on their land.The Israeli military said it had reinforced its troops around Gaza, and on Wednesday conducted an air strike targeting suspected weapons smugglers in the territory.The Gaza war was triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,211 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.Militants also took 251 hostages, of whom 73 remain in Gaza, including 35 the Israeli military says are dead.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 48,222 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to figures which the UN considers reliable from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.burs-ser/ami/dcp

Mediators Qatar and Egypt were pushing to salvage the Gaza ceasefire Wednesday, a Palestinian source told AFP, after Israel and the United States told Hamas to release hostages this weekend or face a return to war.Under the terms of the truce, which has largely halted more than 15 months of fighting, captives were to be released in batches in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli custody.So far, there have been five hostage-prisoner swaps, but the deal has come under strain, prompting diplomatic efforts to salvage it. Hamas said it was “committed to the ceasefire” after earlier saying it would postpone Saturday’s scheduled release.Last week’s release sparked anger in Israel and beyond after Hamas paraded three emaciated hostages before a crowd and forced them to speak.On the Palestinian side, Hamas accused Israel of failing to meet its commitments under the agreement, including on aid, and cited the deaths of three Gazans at the weekend.”Mediators from Qatar and Egypt are in contact with the American side,” the Palestinian source said on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak publicly on the Gaza ceasefire.”They are working intensively to resolve the crisis and compel Israel to implement the humanitarian protocol in the ceasefire agreement and begin negotiations for the second phase.”UN chief Antonio Guterres has urged Hamas to proceed with the planned release and “avoid at all costs resumption of hostilities in Gaza”.- ‘Revolutionary’ -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “if Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end, and the IDF (Israeli military) will resume intense fighting until Hamas is decisively defeated”.His threat echoed US President Donald Trump, who said on Monday that “hell” would break loose if Hamas failed to release “all” Israeli hostages by Saturday.Trump has proposed taking over Gaza and moving its more than two million residents to Jordan or Egypt — a plan Netanyahu has called “revolutionary”.”If all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday 12 o’clock… I would say cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out,” Trump said.He reaffirmed his deadline on Tuesday when hosting Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who on social media “reiterated Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians”, adding it was “the unified Arab position”.Senior Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri said Trump’s remark “further complicates matters”, while the militant group praised Egypt and Jordan for “rejecting displacement” plans.”Trump must remember that there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties,” he told AFP.Adding to the tensions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday said: “Israel can’t allow Hamas to use the ceasefire to rebuild itself and recover strength. It’s a ceasefire, but it’s not a stupid ceasefire.”Rubio is set to begin his first trip to the Middle East later this week.Egypt, a US ally which borders Gaza, said it plans to “present a comprehensive vision for the reconstruction” of the Palestinian territory which ensures residents remain on their land.- ‘Gates of hell’ -Trump’s latest threat came hours after Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said it was postponing Saturday’s hostage release.But it said “the door remains open” for the release to go ahead “once the occupation complies”.Yemen’s Huthi rebels, who are aligned with Hamas and have attacked Israel throughout the war in support of Palestinians, said they were “ready to launch a military intervention at any time in case of escalation against Gaza”.Netanyahu did not specify whether he was referring to all captives, but his Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on the premier to “open the gates of hell” if Israel doesn’t get back “all the hostages… by Saturday”.The far-right politician demanded the “full occupation of the Gaza Strip” and an end to all humanitarian aid.- ‘Humanitarian catastrophe’ -The Israeli military said it has reinforced its troops, while hostage families rallied outside Netanyahu’s office in support of the ceasefire.”There is a deal. Go for it!” said Zahiro, whose uncle Avraham Munder died in captivity.In Gaza, resident Adnan Qassem was praying “the ceasefire holds”.”The ruling faction in Israel wants war, and I believe there is also a faction within Hamas that wants war,” said the 60-year-old from Deir el-Balah.The Israeli military said it conducted an air strike on Wednesday in Gaza targeting two people attempting to retrieve a drone that had crossed into the Palestinian territory.It has previously said it thwarted similar attempts to smuggle weapons using drones.The Gaza war was triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,211 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.Militants also took 251 hostages, of whom 73 remain in Gaza, including 35 the Israeli military says are dead.The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says the war has killed at least 48,219 people in the territory, figures the UN considers reliable.A UN report issued on Tuesday said that more than $53 billion will be required to rebuild Gaza and end the “humanitarian catastrophe” in the devastated territory.burs-ser/dv

The United Arab Emirates is planning to launch new artificial intelligence models inspired by China’s DeepSeek, a senior official told AFP, calling the system’s disruptive emergence “fantastic news”.Faisal Al Bannai, the driving force behind the UAE’s Falcon large language model, said DeepSeek’s challenge to American tech giants showed the field was wide open in the race for AI dominance.The oil-rich Gulf monarchy is betting big on the transformational technology as part of its push to diversify its economy away from fossil fuels. Bannai said he was heartened by DeepSeek, a high-performing and apparently low-cost AI model that sent US tech stocks tumbling after its launch. “It’s fantastic news. Because it proves one thing: this game is at its beginning,” Bannai said at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday.The UAE launched Falcon in 2023, a large language model that compared favourably with industry leaders including OpenAI’s ChatGPT.”What happened with DeepSeek was another proof that small teams, agile teams, agile countries, can move fast and can make an impact,” said Bannai, the UAE’s presidential advisor on advanced technologies. “So we are learning, I think, from what they showed. We are taking learnings, and we will be also launching other models in this regard. “And I think (DeepSeek gives) a serious sense of encouragement that you can punch way above your weight in this game, because the game is still starting.” – Country-regulated AI ‘delusional’ -Alongside Falcon, the UAE has developed Jais, an Arabic-language AI chatbot, while digitising and automating government services to a large extent.It has also been active in physical infrastructure, pledging tens of billions of dollars in recent weeks to build data centres in France and the US. Bannai, who is also secretary general of the Abu Dhabi-based Advanced Technology Research Council, said the UAE’s wealth, ability to attract talent and its top-down decision-making could make it a serious player in AI.”When the internet phase 1.0 or 2.0 happened, we were not necessarily ready,” he said. “Today we are in an amazing situation where we have such a diversified ecosystem as a country over here, talents from all over the place.”And we are in a fantastic position to move very fast in an age where sometimes people are taking time to decide… this is a time where countries or companies that can make good decisions… can move fast.”He was speaking on the same day that US Vice President JD Vance warned world leaders meeting in Paris against “excessive regulation” of AI. The United States and Britain also refused to sign a statement calling for regulation to ensure the technology was “open” and “ethical”.”Trying to assume any country can regulate AI, I think is delusional, because if you regulate, someone else is not regulating in the same way,” Bannai said. “When it comes to AI, I think regulation needs to start focusing on a few areas that matter but doesn’t stifle the growth,” he added.”Because, frankly, whoever puts the regulation, the other guy might be more practical, and life will move on.”