Author: Gulf News Week
A team has begun the painstaking work of identifying the remains of the disappeared, but it could take years.Damascus, Syria – In the basement of a nondescript building in Damascus is the Syrian Identification Centre’s forensic laboratory with storage units full of human bones.One cabinet is entirely dedicated to ribs. Another contains skulls.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Week in Pictures: Syria salutes year of al-Assad fall, Sudan’s sufferinglist 2 of 3The fragile fight for justice in a post-Assad Syrialist 3 of 3How many Syrians have returned home one year since the fall of al-Assad?end of listThese are…
After Yasser Abu Shabab was killed, al-Duhaini has pledged to continue the Popular Forces’ campaign against Hamas.As the chapter closes on Yasser Abu Shabab, 32, the “Popular Forces” militia leader who appeared in Rafah during the war and was widely viewed as a collaborator with Israel, Ghassan al-Duhaini has been named his successor.Soon after Abu Shabab was killed last Thursday, reportedly during a family dispute mediation, al-Duhaini, who was said to be injured in the same altercation, appeared in a video online dressed in military fatigues and walking among masked fighters under his command.But who is Ghassan al-Duhaini? Has he just appeared,…
Five pitchers combine to secure 3-2 victory for Abu Dhabi franchise, setting up championship series against Mumbai Cobras. The Mid East Falcons defeated the Arabia Wolves 3-2 on Sunday, securing a tie for first place in the inaugural Baseball United regular season. In a tightly contested final game at Baseball United Ballpark, the Falcons’ pitching staff delivered a collective standout performance. Five hurlers combined to hold the Wolves to just five hits, led by starter Shotaro Kasahara’s three scoreless innings and Yunis Halim, who earned the win with two shutout frames. Closer Haru Shoshioka recorded the final three outs to…
Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Festival plans a spectacular 62-minute fireworks display and 6,500-drone performance amid an expanded lineup of cultural shows and family activities Abu Dhabi’s Al Wathba will welcome 2026 with a monumental New Year’s Eve celebration, headlined by a 62-minute fireworks show aiming to break five Guinness World Records and a synchronized drone display featuring 6,500 aircraft. The Sheikh Zayed Festival’s program will unfold in five segments from 8:00 p.m. to midnight, with the main pyrotechnic and drone spectacle capping the evening. The drone show, described as the world’s largest single sortie, will run for 20 minutes and…
Facing global monetary divergence and tech disruption, Middle Eastern institutions are balancing growth themes with structured defensive assets to hedge volatility and enhance returns. Middle Eastern institutional investors are recalibrating their strategies for 2026, directing capital toward artificial intelligence (AI), structured private credit, and flexible bond allocations in response to shifting global monetary policies and technological transformation. The Janus Henderson Market GPS Investment Outlook 2026 identifies a converging set of opportunities in AI adoption, European equity rerating, and a resurgence in biotech. For Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) investors—including sovereign wealth funds managing trillions—this global outlook reinforces a strategic move toward active, theme-based…
One year after al-Assad’s fall, nearly 1.8 million displaced Syrians and 780,000 refugees have returned home.December 8 marks one year since the al-Assad dynasty, which lasted 54 years, was removed from power by a rebel offensive.The 14-year-long war led to one of the world’s largest migration crises, with some 6.8 million Syrians, about a third of the population, fleeing the country at the war’s peak in 2021, seeking refuge wherever they could find it.More than half of these refugees, about 3.74 million, settled in neighbouring Turkiye, while 840,000 found refuge in Lebanon and 672,000 in Jordan.The animation below shows the…
Aid cuts mean UN is asking for just half of anticipated need and is forced to prioritise only the most desperate, despite increased instability and conflict across the globe.The United Nations has launched its 2026 appeal for aid by asking for just half the amount it says it needs, despite humanitarian needs globally being at an all-time high.The international institution appealed for $23bn on Monday, while acknowledging that, due to a plunge in donor funding, the figure would shut out tens of millions of people in urgent need of help.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4UN chief says…
Historic 48-team format sets stage for group-stage clashes across U.S., Mexico, and Canada; Spain, France, England learn opening fixtures. FIFA has announced the complete match schedule for the 2026 World Cup, finalizing the group-stage roadmap for the tournament’s expanded 48-team format. The draw, held in Washington, sets up a series of high-profile opening matches and potential knockout-round blockbusters. Defending champions Argentina will launch their campaign against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City, followed by Group J encounters with Austria and Jordan in Dallas. Fresh from their European Championship triumph, Spain will begin their quest in Atlanta’s climate-controlled stadium, facing…
Israel has kept attacking Gaza during the first phase, so what will the second phase bring?Hamas is expected to hand over the body of the last Israeli captive held in Gaza in the coming days and has commented that it would be open to discussing “freezing” its weapons to facilitate entering the second phase of the ceasefire.Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the second phase would be challenging to achieve but that it could begin as soon as this month.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4UN chief says Israel’s conduct of war in Gaza…
Israeli military claims yellow line is ‘new border’ as questions remain over role of stabilisation force in Gaza.As Israel and Hamas prepare to move towards phase two of a United States-led blueprint to end Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, disagreements loom over the as-yet undefined role of an international stabilisation force in the besieged Palestinian enclave.Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said on Sunday that the US draft required “a lot of clarifications”. While the group was ready to discuss “freezing or storing” weapons during the ongoing truce, he said it would not accept that an international stabilisation force take charge…