Author: Gulf News Week
His supporters defend him, his opponents cannot look past him and the centre keeps trying to bargain with him.Israel hasn’t talked about the “war” in Gaza for many weeks. After all, there’s a ceasefire in place, is there not? The fact that more than 350 Palestinians, including more than 130 children, have been killed during this so-called “ceasefire” is neither here nor there, as is the fact that Israel killed them. Palestinians die because that is what Palestinians are there to do. There is nothing to discuss.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pardon request, however, is another ball of wax. It is…
Strike on Jbaa follows warnings for more attacks as Israel continues daily attacks despite year-old ceasefire.Israel’s military has launched air strikes on at least three towns in southern Lebanon, Mahrouna, Jbaa, and al-Majadel, despite the ceasefire in place since last November.According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, the attack on Jbaa on Thursday destroyed a building in a densely populated residential area and caused extensive damage to nearby structures.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Lebanon and Israel talks raise hope of more robust, expanded trucelist 2 of 3Lebanon and Israel hold first direct talks in 40 years as war…
US defense secretary was accused of putting military personnel in danger when he used messaging app to discuss strikes.United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put defence personnel and their missions at risk when he used the messaging app Signal to discuss sensitive information about military strikes on Yemen’s Houthis, a classified Pentagon watchdog report has found.In a report provided to Congress on Tuesday, the Pentagon inspector general said its investigation concluded that Hegseth violated protocol when he used his personal phone for official communications, and recommended that all Pentagon officials be better trained, according to US media reports quoting sources…
Ahmed Nejib Chebbi is among dozens of government critics facing years-long prison terms after ‘sham trial’.Tunisian police have arrested top opposition figure Ahmed Nejib Chebbi, his family says, as a crackdown on critics of President Kais Saied widens in the North African country, once a beacon of fledgling democracy in the years after the Arab Spring.Chebbi was arrested at his home on Thursday, days after he was sentenced to 12 years for plotting against the state in a trial denounced by human rights groups as politically motivated and a “sham”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3‘Enough repression’: Thousands…
EBU will have a jury vote along with the public if it cannot pass rules preventing bids that sway the public, as Israel allegedly did last year amid Gaza carnage.Public broadcasters are meeting to discuss whether Israel should be excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest over alleged interference in last year’s competition and its continued genocidal war on Gaza.The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which brings together member broadcasters organising the feel-good music contest, launched two days of talks on the divisive issue on Thursday, ahead of the 70th edition in Vienna next May.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of…
Gaza has exposed the limits of US power and opened space for new centres of global diplomacy.In Gaza, the world has seen the cost of a diplomacy that claims to uphold a rules-based order but applies it selectively. The United States intervened late, and only to defend an occupation the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled illegal. Alongside other Western nations that built multilateral institutions, the US increasingly pursues nationalist agendas that undermine them. The hypocrisy is stark: one set of rules for Ukraine, another for Gaza.This erosion of credibility marks the structural collapse of unipolar authority, symbolised by…
The UN says the visit comes ‘at a crucial time for the region’, as it seeks to bolster ties with Syria.A United Nations Security Council (UNSC) delegation has arrived in Syria for its first-ever trip to the country, reported state media, just days before the war-ravaged nation marks the first anniversary of the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.The UNSC delegation arrived via the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing between Lebanon and Syria and “is scheduled to meet a number of Syrian officials” and members of civil society, state news agency SANA reported on Thursday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1…
Known as Palestine’s Nelson Mandela, he has been in prison for more than 23 years and subjected to brutal abuse.An international campaign to free popular Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, who has been jailed in Israel since 2002, is gathering pace, with more than 200 A-listers, from Margaret Atwood to Javier Bardem, lending their support.“We express our grave concern at the continuing imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, his violent mistreatment and denial of legal rights whilst imprisoned,” said an open letter published on Wednesday, calling on the United Nations and governments to take action.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Award-winning…
Yemeni troops battle with Southern Transitional Council forces in oil-rich Hadramout governorate.Local sources have reported armed clashes between the Yemeni army loyal to the internationally recognised government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces during an attempt by the separatist group to advance towards the strategically located al-Ghuraf area in the oil-rich Hadramout governorate.Videos posted by local activists showed STC forces storming the presidential palace building in the city of Seiyun in southern Yemen on Wednesday, following clashes with the army.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Yemen’s Houthis release 9 mariners held since July ship attacklist 2 of…
Guterres said Israel’s war has been waged with ‘total neglect’ with respect to civilian deaths and Gaza’s destruction.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the way Israel has waged its war on Gaza, describing it as “fundamentally wrong” and saying “there are strong reasons” to believe that Israeli forces have committed war crimes in the Palestinian territory.Guterres made the comments on Wednesday in an interview with Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni at the news agency’s NEXT conference in New York.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Israel kills seven people in Gaza, says Rafah crossing to partially reopenlist 2 of…