Author: Gulf News Week
State Dept cites Palestinian appeals to ICC and ICJ over Israeli abuses in occupied territory in justifying move.The administration of United States President Donald Trump has announced it is denying and revoking visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September.The announcement was made in a statement released by the US Department of State on Friday.“The Trump Administration has been clear: it is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects…
Russia said it ‘strongly condemns’ actions of Germany, France and UK as China says sanctions move ‘counterproductive’.Russia and China have condemned a decision by Britain, Germany and France to launch a process that could reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.The three European countries, known as the E3, launched the so-called “snapback mechanism” on Thursday over accusations that Iran has violated a 2015 deal that aimed to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapons capability in return for the lifting of international sanctions.The move opens a 30-day window during which a new UN resolution to continue sanctions…
Israeli military says city in northern Gaza is now a ‘combat zone’, suspends daily pauses in fighting there that allowed delivery of humanitarian aid.The Israeli military says it has begun the “initial stages” of its offensive on Gaza City, as it declared the largest urban centre in the besieged territory a “combat zone” and announced the suspension of daily pauses in fighting there that allowed the entry of humanitarian aid to the famine-hit city.“We are not waiting. We have begun preliminary operations and the initial stages of the attack on Gaza City,” Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee wrote in a…
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United manager only joined the Turkish football giants in June 2024.Fenerbahce have sacked Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, two days after elimination from the Champions League playoffs by Benfica, the Turkish club said in a statement.“We have parted ways with Jose Mourinho, who served as head coach of our professional A team since the 2024-2025 season. We thank him for his efforts for our team and wish him success in his future career,” Friday’s statement said.The former Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Roma coach, who arrived at the Istanbul club…
UK government says Israel’s decision to escalate war on Gaza ‘wrong’ as Israel decries ‘discrimination’.The British government has barred Israeli officials from attending a major London arms fair next month, as tensions between the two allies escalate over Israel’s war on Gaza.“We can confirm that no Israeli government delegation will be invited to attend DSEI UK 2025,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement reported by the AFP news agency on Friday.The biennial exhibition, running from September 9-12, is one of the world’s largest arms trade shows.The decision follows London’s suspension of some weapons export licences to Israel, the…
Microsoft says the terminations followed serious breaches of company policies amid claims that its software is used by Israeli army in Gaza.Microsoft has fired four employees who participated in protests on company premises over the firm’s ties to Israel, including two who took part in a sit-in this week at the office of the company’s president.Anna Hattle and Riki Fameli received voicemails informing them that they were fired, the protest group No Azure for Apartheid said in a statement on Wednesday.It added on Thursday that two more workers, Nisreen Jaradat and Julius Shan, were also sacked.They were among demonstrators who…
Europe’s move to re-impose UN sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme will make diplomacy more difficult, experts say.Washington, DC – The decision by European countries to impose “snapback” sanctions against Iran may further exacerbate international tensions, experts say, as fears of a regional war loom over the Middle East.On Thursday, Germany, France and the United Kingdom – Europe’s largest economies – triggered a 30-day process to reimpose sanctions over what they called “significant” violations of a 2015 agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear programme.“What we’re heading toward is the snapback scenario where the sanctions come back and Iran is likely…
Hamas condemns far-right Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s remarks as ‘an official call to exterminate’ Palestinians.Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for Israel to annex the Gaza Strip if Hamas refuses to disarm, the latest push by an Israeli official to forcibly displace Palestinians and take complete control of the coastal enclave.During a news conference on Thursday, Smotrich said if Hamas does not agree to surrender, disarm and release Israeli captives, Israel should annex a section of Gaza each week for four weeks.He said Palestinians would first be told to move south in Gaza, followed by Israel imposing a…
Syrians – both refugees and internally displaced – are returning home in increasing numbers since the fall of al-Assad.Tremseh, Jubb Alis and Homs, Syria – Tremseh was celebrating. The streets of the small town north of Hama were packed.Despite the blazing sun and sweltering heat, all the residents had come out of their homes to witness a historic moment, the return of hundreds of exiled sons and daughters of the town.A convoy of colourful trucks carrying entire families was driving through the streets, packed to the brim with belongings – mattresses, furniture and even motorbikes and trees.Some passers-by filmed with…
Lebanese army says two other personnel wounded after crashed Israeli drone explodes during inspection in Naqoura area.The Lebanese military says two soldiers have been killed and two wounded as they investigated an Israeli drone crash in southern Lebanon.The army said the downed Israeli drone exploded on Thursday during an inspection at the crash site in the Naqoura area, not far from Lebanon’s border with Israel.Lebanese President Joseph Aoun offered condolences to the soldiers who were killed and injured, stressing that the military “is paying, in blood, the price of preserving stability in the south” of the country.The deadly incident came…