Author: Gulf News Week
Dozens of opposition figures being targeted in nation once seen as beacon for democracy after sparking the Arab Spring.A Tunisian court has sentenced prominent opposition leader Abir Moussi to 12 years in prison amid a sweeping crackdown on critics of President Kais Saied, who has said he is cleansing the North African country of “traitors”.Lawyer Nafaa Laribi, who represented Moussi, the leader of the Free Destourian Party (Free Constitutional Party), in her third trial in the space of two years, called Friday’s ruling “unjust”, saying that it was “not a judicial decision but a politically motivated order”.Recommended Stories list of 3…
Palestinian officials warn Israel’s new settlement plan accelerates annexation and deepens violence across the occupied West Bank.Israel’s security cabinet has signed off on plans to formalise 19 illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank, in a move Palestinian officials say deepens a decades-long project of land theft and demographic engineering.Israeli media reported on Friday that the decision also revives two northern West Bank outposts dismantled during the 2005 “disengagement”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Flooding destroys few remaining possessions of Palestinians in Gazalist 2 of 3Former Iraqi President Salih slated to lead UN refugee agencylist 3 of 3Eurovision…
Desperate families already displaced by Israel’s devastating war, face deadly collapses and freezing conditions as storm hits.Storm Byron has swept across the Gaza Strip, killing at least 14 people and injuring others as harsh winds, relentless rain and collapsing structures crush families already displaced by Israel’s devastating assault on the enclave, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Interior and National Security.The ministry said five people died overnight into Friday after a house sheltering displaced civilians in Bir an-Naaja, in northern Gaza, collapsed during the storm.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Gaza storms a “terrible situation” for Palestinianslist 2 of…
Singer’s statement follows walkout by five countries after organisers cleared Israel to participate in next year’s contest.Swiss Eurovision winner Nemo said they will return their 2024 victory trophy because Israel is being allowed to compete in the pop music competition.The singer, who won the 2024 edition with operatic pop track, The Code, posted a video on Instagram showing them placing the trophy in a box to be sent back to the Geneva headquarters of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iceland joins boycott of Eurovision 2026 in protest at Israel’s involvementlist 2 of 3Eurovision…
Salih, who fled Saddam Hussein’s regime, campaigned for job on basis that he knows what it is like to be a refugee.Former Iraqi President Barham Salih is on course to become the next head of the United Nations refugee agency after Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recommended him for the job.A signed letter from Guterres, dated Thursday and addressed to Atsuyuki Oike, Japan’s top diplomat in Geneva and chair of UNHCR’s executive committee, that was seen by news agencies, confirmed the appointment pending formal approval.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Sweden’s push for an ex-IKEA CEO to lead UNHCR signals…
Rights groups say Mohammadi, who won 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, was detained at ceremony in northeastern city of Mashhad.Supporters of 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi say she has been arrested while attending a memorial ceremony in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad.The Narges Foundation said on Friday that Mohammadi, 53, was arrested during an event honouring a human rights lawyer who recently died in unclear circumstances.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Who is Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi?list 2 of 3‘Victory is near’: Jailed Iranian activist wins Nobel Peace Prizelist 3 of 3Iran committed crimes…
The footage, aired on Israeli TV, shows the captives observing Hanukkah in a Gaza tunnel months before they died.Israeli media outlets have aired footage of six Israeli captives lighting Hanukkah candles in a Hamas tunnel in Gaza, eight months before their deaths during Israel’s genocidal war in the besieged enclave.The footage, depicting captives Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino and Alex Lobanov, was released online on Thursday night after being aired on Israeli television.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Hamas returns latest captive body to Israellist 2 of 4Israel kills four Palestinians in Gaza;…
Strikes hit hills and valleys as Israeli military keeps up pressure, it says, to force Hezbollah to disarm.Israeli warplanes have carried out at least a dozen attacks across southern Lebanon, targeting what the military claims are Hezbollah training facilities in the latest flagrant near-daily violations that have further undermined a year-old ceasefire.The raids hit hills and valleys in the Jezzine and Zahrani areas, including locations near al-Aaichiyeh, between al-Zrariyeh and Ansar, and around Jabal al-Rafie and the outskirts of several towns, according to Lebanon’s state news agency.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Bulgarian court rejects Lebanon’s extradition request…
Liverpool dropped Mohamed Salah from their squad for their match in Milan, sparking interest from the Saudi Pro League.Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed that he will meet with Mohamed Salah to decide whether the Egyptian international will be involved in the Premier League champions match at Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.The 33-year-old forward, who has won both the UEFA Champions League and two Premier League titles with the Anfield-based club, caused controversy with his reaction to being named on the bench for the 3-3 draw with Leeds United last Saturday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Olympic…
Report finds paramilitary group responsible for vast majority of attacks as conflict devastates civilian population.A women’s rights organisation has documented nearly 1,300 cases of endemic sexual and gender-based violence across war-torn Sudan, with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) blamed for the overwhelming majority of attacks.The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) released findings on Thursday showing it had verified 1,294 incidents spanning 14 states since Sudan’s brutal civil war started in April 2023.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Why the battle for Kordofan could be critical for Sudan’s futurelist 2 of 3UN rights…