Author: Gulf News Week

Interior Minister Anas Khattab’s order includes all listed as stateless and sets February 5 as deadline for its rollout.Syria’s Ministry of Interior has ordered the immediate implementation of a new decree granting citizenship to Kurdish minorities, as government forces continue to consolidate control of the country after a rapid offensive against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the north of the country.Interior Minister Anas Khattab issued the decision on Wednesday, mandating that the decree applies to all Kurds residing in Syria and explicitly includes those listed as stateless, the Anadolu news agency reported, citing the Syrian television station Alikhbariah.Recommended…

Precious metal hits fresh record as US President Donald Trump renews threats against Iran.Gold prices have set a new record amid United States President Donald Trump’s threats of military action against Iran and the weakness of the US dollar.Bullion surged past $5,500 an ounce on Thursday, extending an extraordinary rally that has seen the precious metal gain more than 20 percent in value since the start of the year.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda with 1.4m followers reports TikTok banlist 2 of 4Elon Musk’s Tesla reports first-ever annual decline in revenuelist 3 of 4‘Even…

Trump administration considers targeting Iranian leaders and military assets to spur regime change, while Gulf allies warn of catastrophic blowback and Tehran prepares for confrontation. DUBAI – The Trump administration is actively considering military strikes against Iranian security forces and leadership figures with the explicit aim of inspiring renewed anti-government protests and creating conditions for regime change, according to multiple U.S. and regional sources. The deliberations, confirmed by two U.S. officials familiar with the discussions, come in response to Iran’s brutal crackdown on nationwide protests earlier this month that reportedly left thousands dead. Options under review range from targeted strikes against…

Arctic air mass brings historic cold and paralysis; recovery efforts hampered as freezing temperatures forecast to last into February. A catastrophic winter storm fueled by a destabilized polar vortex has killed at least 30 people and left more than half a million customers without power across the United States, as a life-threatening Arctic air mass stalls over the nation. The storm, delivering a brutal mix of heavy snow, freezing rain, and hurricane-force winds, has paralyzed regions from New Mexico to Maine. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that much of the northern U.S. will see temperatures “continuously below freezing through…

Historic deal integrating a quarter of the global economy opens India’s vast market, as both sides diversify alliances amidst global trade shifts. India and the European Union have concluded negotiations on a historic free trade agreement, a move announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday that marks the end of nearly 20 years of intermittent talks. The pact bridges two economic giants, collectively representing a quarter of the world’s GDP. The agreement is set to significantly lower barriers to India’s vast consumer market for the EU’s 27 member states, which is already India’s largest trading partner with bilateral commerce…

New partnership aims to strengthen UK-UAE trade corridors and supply chains, aligning with UAE Vision 2031’s goals for economic diversification and sustainability. Dubai-based entrepreneur Arif Patel has entered a strategic partnership with UK international trading firm Preston Trading, positioning Dubai as the operational hub for their joint activities in the Middle East and beyond. The alliance combines Patel’s regional expertise with Preston Trading’s global network to enhance trade routes, optimise supply chains, and support expansion across key sectors including energy, logistics, and commodities. In a statement, Patel emphasised that the move signals strong confidence in Dubai’s economic landscape and a long-term commitment to…

And could a sudden deployment of major US naval and air force assets indicate a strike on Iran is imminent?The United States is intensifying a military build-up off Iran that experts say could be an indicator that Washington is planning to strike the country.The USS Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is one of several military assets the US has deployed to the Arabian Sea in recent days.The US also deployed assets from around the world to the region during the 12-day Iran-Israel War in June last year, when Washington sided with its ally Israel and heavily bombed three Iranian…

Emmy-winning Owda points to changes in TikTok’s US ownership, remarks from Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu to explain ban.Award-winning Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda has said she has been permanently banned from TikTok, days after the social media platform was acquired by new investors in the United States.Owda, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and contributor to media’s AJ+ from Gaza, shared a video on her Instagram and X accounts on Wednesday, telling her followers that her TikTok account had been banned.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4UK police to use AI facial recognition tech linked to Israel’s war on Gazalist 2 of…

Court gives Israeli government until March to justify ban on foreign media from GazaIsrael’s Supreme Court has postponed a decision on whether to allow foreign journalists independent access to Gaza, in the latest delay of a legal battle that has stretched over a year.The court granted the government until March 31 to respond to the petition filed by the Foreign Press Association, despite state attorneys failing to provide detailed justifications beyond citing security risks.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Israeli plans for Rafah ‘camp’ in Gaza slammed as continuation of genocidelist 2 of 3Israel’s phase one Gaza ceasefire…

Foreign minister announces apparent reversal of France’s stance, saying Iran protest crackdown ‘cannot go unanswered’.France has said it supports the European Union’s push to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a “terrorist organisation”, reversing earlier opposition to the move.In a statement shared on social media on Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot appeared to link the planned designation to the Iranian authorities’ recent crackdown on antigovernment protests across the country.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iran’s president warns of regional instability amid US threatslist 2 of 3Iran rejects UN rights resolution condemning protest killingslist 3 of…