Author: Gulf News Week
Reopening of the link between the Palestinian enclave and Egypt is stipulated under the second phase of the US-brokered ‘ceasefire’.Gaza’s key Rafah border crossing has reopened for limited traffic after almost two years of closure, officials have said.The crossing – linking the Palestinian enclave with Egypt, Gaza’s only border passage that does not lead to Israel – reopened on Monday.A vital entry point for humanitarian supplies and passage for people awaiting medical evacuation, the crossing’s reopening is stipulated under the United States-brokered “ceasefire” that halted the war between Israel and Hamas in October.However, the reopening is limited. Israel and Egypt…
Strong non-oil performance underpins annual growth, while a late-year oil surge propels Q4 momentum as Kingdom outpaces global forecasts. RIYADH – Saudi Arabia’s economy grew by 4.5% in 2025, propelled by significant gains in both oil and non-oil sectors, according to flash estimates from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). The expansion underscores the Kingdom’s continued progress in economic diversification. While oil activities grew 5.6% for the full year, non-oil sectors rose 4.9%, contributing nearly two-thirds (2.7 percentage points) of the overall growth. Government services expanded by 0.9% over the same period. “Momentum accelerated toward year-end,” GASTAT noted, reporting a…
The 1,000-km state-funded line, built with Chinese partners, aims to fuel steel ambitions, cut $1.2bn in imports, and diversify from oil and gas. ALGIERS – Algeria on Sunday opened a strategic 1,000-kilometer railway designed to unlock one of the world’s largest iron ore deposits, marking a pivotal step in the country’s plan to become an African steel powerhouse and reduce its dependence on hydrocarbons. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune inaugurated the desert line, which connects the remote Gara Djebilet mine near Tindouf to the northern city of Béchar. From there, ore will be transported to a steel plant in Oran. Hailing it…
The calm but ruthless Kazakh star defeats the world’s top two players in Melbourne, signaling her intent to dominate women’s tennis. SHARJAH — Elena Rybakina lived up to her “quiet assassin” moniker at the Australian Open, capturing her second Grand Slam title with a composed and powerful 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s final. The Moscow-born Kazakh, seeded fifth, demonstrated why she has been the tour’s in-form player since mid-2025, overcoming a 0-3 deficit in the deciding set to clinch the Melbourne crown. The win marks her 20th victory in her last 21 matches…
Zelensky announces trilateral negotiations on February 4-5, seeking a “dignified end” to the conflict as diplomatic efforts intensify. ABU DHABI – In a significant move to revive peace efforts, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Sunday that Ukraine, the United States, and Russia will hold a new round of high-stakes talks in Abu Dhabi this week. The two-day negotiations, scheduled for February 4 and 5, will bring together envoys from the three nations in a bid to find a path toward ending the nearly two-year-long war. “The dates for the next trilateral meetings have been set,” Zelensky stated in a post…
The pilot comes before Gaza residents begin to pass through the crossing on Monday, Israeli authorities say.Israel says it has partially reopened the critical Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt in a limited capacity.Israel announced on Sunday that the crossing had reopened in a trial. Meanwhile, COGAT, the Israeli military agency that controls aid to Gaza, said in a statement that the crossing was actively being prepared for fuller operation, adding that residents of Gaza would begin to pass through it on Monday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Gaza is on its way to becoming a semi-protectorate,…
Email sent to US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2011 outlines what the sender described as financial and legal opportunities in Libya.A newly released document shows that an associate of late US financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had outlined plans to pursue access to Libya’s frozen state assets, including seeking potential support from former British and Israeli intelligence officials.The tranche of documents released by the United States Department of Justice on Friday included an email sent to Epstein that outlines what the sender described as financial and legal opportunities linked to political and economic uncertainty in Libya at the…
Israeli forces issue a 48-hour expulsion order to Bedouin families near Ramallah, while a Palestinian in Jerusalem is forced to demolish his own home.Israeli occupation authorities have intensified their campaign of forced displacement across the occupied West Bank, issuing expulsion orders to an entire Bedouin community east of Ramallah and escalating demolition policies in occupied East Jerusalem.The measures come amid a surge in settler violence targeting educational institutions in the Jordan Valley and residential homes in Qalqilya, further shrinking the living space for Palestinians under military occupation. ‘Zone of expulsion’On Sunday morning, Israeli forces raided the Abu Najeh al-Kaabneh Bedouin…
Medical charity has been barred for not providing Israeli authorities with personal details of its staff in the enclave.Israel says it will terminate the humanitarian operations in Gaza of Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, after it failed to provide a list of its Palestinian staff, further depriving Palestinians in the besieged enclave of life-saving assistance.In December, Israel announced it would prevent 37 aid organisations, including MSF, from working in Gaza from March 1 for failing to submit detailed information about their Palestinian employees, drawing widespread condemnation from NGOs and the United Nations.Recommended Stories list of 3…
Celebrations as flight carries dozens of passengers from Port Sudan to Sudanese capital.The international airport in Khartoum has received its first scheduled commercial flight in more than two years as the Sudanese government continues to assert its control over Sudan’s capital city after years of fighting.The Sudan Airways flight travelled to Khartoum from the Red Sea city of Port Sudan on Sunday, carrying dozens of passengers.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3‘Like judgement day’: Sudanese doctor recounts escape from el-Fasherlist 2 of 3Sudan’s war displaced crisis peaks as millions eye return to ruined homeslist 3 of 3Dozens killed…