It was inevitable that someone in US President Donald Trump’s administration would pay the price for the scandal surrounding leaked information about American military strikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
On Thursday, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz became the first high-profile official in the Trump administration to resign almost two months after he added Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, to a Signal chat group of senior officials discussing national security matters.
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth appears to be on borrowed time, too, having committed one blunder after another, beginning with discussing military affairs through an unsecured app, even with his wife and brother. Others in the administration are also bracing for surprise dismissals.
The US President has struggled to secure a “victory”, whether on the economic front or in the foreign policy domain, during the first 100 days of his second term. He might, therefore, feel compelled to launch the next 100 days with a dramatic announcement, once again plunging the world into suspense.
Many expected a cabinet reshuffle to eventually take place. Mr Trump, after all, had no qualms about cutting loose even close confidants during his first term. But this is no passing episode, and it will come hand-in-hand with shifts in the domestic and foreign policy trends seen during the first 100 days.
The Trump team isn’t cohesive. It includes officials, with often-conflicting agendas, engaging in internal battles. This is largely due to the President’s belief in personalising policy, convinced as he is that he has been chosen to “fix” America and the rest of the world. A televised meeting of Mr Trump’s senior officials from a few days ago was astonishing. It’s unclear if it is the norm for cabinet members to heap deifying praise on their president in closed-door meetings, nonetheless the spectacle was surreal.
Trump and the establishment agree that China is America’s primary strategic rival and that its rise must be contained. But the disagreement lies in the details
The challenge for Mr Trump in his second term is that he has armed himself with an agenda that has been shaped by ideological think tanks – and the manner in which he is implementing it has created discomfort within the governing apparatus.
There are concerns within the bureaucracy about Mr Trump’s “shock and awe” strategy, which has involved rebuking allies and jolting other governments out of their complacency, while creating new crises for his own country. Political and military elites are wary of Mr Trump’s reliance on outsiders, like Mr Hegseth and special envoy Steve Witkoff, and the expansive powers he has granted them. The spotlight is on Elon Musk, too, for the manner in which he and the controversial Department of Government Efficiency he helped create has gone about downsizing the administrative state.
Mr Trump and the establishment agree that China is America’s primary strategic rival and that its rise must be contained. But the disagreement lies in the details. Cutting off the nose to spite the face – which some view the President to have done by imposing high tariffs against China and other countries – is not a strategy. Who “blinks first” isn’t a suitable doctrine for great powers in times of great rivalry. The ensuing trade war is hurting the US economy.
Moreover, the establishment isn’t happy with the presidency encroaching on the powers of the legislative and judicial branches.
And yet, a large segment of the public supports Mr Trump because they believe in his promise to restore American greatness and stop other countries from exploiting the US. Indeed, many Americans agree that Europe should shoulder greater responsibility and costs for its defence, rather than passively benefiting from the transatlantic alliance. Many support his crackdown on illegal immigration, which they see as exploiting tax loopholes. Many back stronger border controls, even if they oppose the idea of annexing Canada. Many also dislike the leftward drift of American universities.
When it comes to foreign affairs, most Americans only care about what directly affects them. Israel, for instance, is viewed as a domestic issue, hence the majority of them continue to support it – even if many are uneasy about its brutal war in Gaza. Most Americans may not care that Iran imposes its expansionist ideology on the sovereignty of its neighbours through armed proxies. What matters to them is that it does not acquire a nuclear bomb and that the US doesn’t get dragged into a war with it. Mr Trump understands this, which explains why he has entered talks with Tehran.
The President now realises that his bid for a ceasefire in Ukraine has hit the wall. He understands that he cannot broker a deal between Kyiv and Moscow that excludes Europe. He has adjusted and revised his policies on Ukraine because he realises that his initial ideas are not viable. Now, he wants to shift focus to Iran and the Middle East, especially as he prepares for a consequential visit to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar this month.
Mr Trump’s message to Iran’s leadership contains both carrots and sticks. But the changes in key positions within the administration will affect their approach to the talks, particularly as there is already a split over the nature and foundation of those negotiations.
The postponement of the fourth round of talks suggests negotiations are faltering, even if they haven’t collapsed. Mr Hegseth’s message to Tehran this week – that Iran should stop supporting the Houthis – is a serious warning. This is a war the US is waging against the Houthis, and the Trump administration won’t accept sitting at the table with Iran while simultaneously being confronted by it in the battlefield, whether through the Houthis or other Iranian proxies.
There is a faction within the administration that opposes giving in to Iran’s agenda, namely, allowing the talks to serve as a shield protecting Tehran from accountability over its nuclear weapons programme, while dragging out the timeline, making the process elastic, and refusing to address ballistic missiles or armed proxies. Tehran wants only a broad “framework”, while the Trump administration insists on detailed agreements in writing. The talks are ongoing, nonetheless stumbling.
For Mr Trump, the priority is not only to promote the importance of “Made in America” and the restoration of American greatness. Another headline objective, perhaps just as important as promoting investment in the US, is this: trust in Mr Trump. That is the challenge.
This is no ordinary man, and never before has someone like him occupied the White House. No matter how unserious his approach to various issues might sometimes seem, he has fulfilled his dream of being taken seriously. Now, it is left to be seen as to what he does with his global status as the next 100 days get under way.
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
Blonde
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The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times
If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.
A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.
The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.
In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.
The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.
Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.
Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.
“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.
The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.
“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.
“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
