Author: Gulf News Week
Hamas official Ghazi Hamad was at the location Israel attacked in Qatar last week, describing it as ‘intense’.A senior Hamas official has spoken for the first time since last week’s Israeli attack on the group’s leadership in the Qatari capital Doha, describing the moment of the attack and how the officials managed to barely escape.“We were in a meeting, the negotiating delegation and some advisers. Less than an hour after we began reviewing the American proposal that we received from the Qatari mediators, we heard loud explosions,” Ghazi Hamad told media Arabic on Wednesday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1…
President al-Sharaa says talks between Syria and Israel may lead to a security agreement soon.Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said that security talks with Israel are a “necessity” and could lead to results in the “coming days”.Al-Sharaa, who led the force that overthrew former President Bashar al-Assad in December, ending the country’s 13-year war, made the comments to reporters on Wednesday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Lebanon’s terrible year: From exploding pagers to Israeli occupationlist 2 of 3As Israel struck Qatar, South Africans saw echo of last decade of apartheidlist 3 of 3Qatar’s emir visits Jordan to discuss…
After a delayed start, Pakistan bagged a 41-run win in Dubai to qualify for the next round of Asia Cup 2025.Pakistan overcame a brief batting collapse on the field and a tumultuous period off it to beat the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 41 runs and qualify for the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup cricket tournament in Dubai.In a match that was once uncertain, then delayed by an hour, Pakistan posted 146-9 in their 20 overs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Indian cricket’s Pakistan problem: Can you monetise…
Pact declares any attack on Saudi Arabia or Pakistan an attack on both, deepening shared security alliance.Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan have signed a formal mutual defence pact, state media from both countries said, in a move that significantly strengthens a decades-long security partnership.“This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an…
Key progressive lawmaker becomes the first US senator to describe Israel’s assault on Gaza as a genocide.Washington, DC – Prominent United States Senator Bernie Sanders has described Israel’s assault on Gaza as a genocide, renewing his call for ending Washington’s “complicity in the slaughter of the Palestinian people”.Sanders’s statement on Wednesday came a day after a United Nations Commission of Inquiry released an extensive report that concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Will a boycott over Israel divide the Eurovision Song Contest?list 2 of 3Why Ben & Jerry’s co-founder quit over…
UN agency says dozens killed after a boat carrying mostly Sudanese refugees capsized near the Libyan town of Tobruk.The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Libya said that only 13 people survived after a vessel carrying 74 people, mostly Sudanese refugees, capsized on Tuesday off the coast of the eastern Libyan town of Tobruk.Dozens remain missing, it said in a post on social media on Wednesday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3At least 26 refugees and migrants die in shipwreck off Italy’s Lampedusalist 2 of 3At least 68 refugees and migrants die in boat sinking off Yemeni…
Pakistan agrees to have Andy Pycroft as a cricket match referee after he apologises for his role in a handshake row against India.Pakistan’s cricket match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Asia Cup was delayed by an hour amid uncertainty about the fixture as Pakistani officials deliberated pulling out of the tournament as a mark of protest.The match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium began at 7:30pm local time (15:30 GMT) on Wednesday, as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) reached an agreement on Andy Pycroft’s assignment as match referee following his role…
US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE, proposed the initiative, which has been criticised by Sudan’s government.A joint peace initiative proposed for Sudan by the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates was only published on Friday, but it’s success is already looking uncertain.The United Nations estimates that approximately 40,000 people have been killed in the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), but the number of dead could be far higher. A research group last November estimated that 60,000 had died as a result of the war – directly…
On September 17, 2024, a series of small explosions echoed along many of Lebanon’s streets. The incident, which sparked confusion and terror throughout the country, came to be known as the pager attack – and was a definitive day in Israel’s war on Lebanon.The attack wounded many operatives with connections to Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria but also hurt and killed civilians, including two children.What followed in the days, weeks and months after was a whirlwind of intensifying violence, political assassinations and mass displacement in Lebanon as Israel expanded a relatively controlled war with the Iran-backed, armed political group Hezbollah…
Netherlands, Iceland, Ireland, Spain and Slovania have said they will not participate in the competition if Israel does.Several European countries have announced that they will not participate in the next Eurovision Song Contest if Israel, which has taken part in the annual competition for half a century, is allowed to continue.On Tuesday, Spain joined the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia in denouncing Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 65,000 people since October 2023, with many thousands more lost under the rubble and presumed dead, and announced that they will not take part if Israel continues to do so.What is…