Author: Gulf News Week

President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s new government is trying to attract foreign investment as Syria’s economy lies in ruins.Jordan will host a Jordanian-Syrian-American meeting on Tuesday to discuss ways to support the rebuilding of Syria, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates says, as Damascus seeks investment deals with international companies to revive its war-ravaged economy.Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and United States envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack are expected to attend, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s fledgling government has been grappling with the fallout from sectarian violence between Bedouin and Druze fighters in the southern…

Power and water outages have combined with record-breaking heat. Three Iranians tell us how they’ve had to adjust.Tehran, Iran – Every morning at 6am, Sara reaches for her phone – not to check messages, but to see when the day’s blackout will begin.The 44-year-old digital marketer in Tehran has memorised the weekly electricity schedule yet still checks her phone each morning for last-minute changes as she plans her life around the two-hour power cuts.“Without electricity, there is no air conditioner to make the heat tolerable,” Sara says, describing how Iran’s convergent crises – water scarcity, power shortages and record-breaking temperatures…

Authorities say the incident happened overnight between the two Shia holy cities of Najaf and Karbala.More than 600 Shia pilgrims in Iraq have been briefly hospitalised with respiratory problems after inhaling chlorine as the result of a leak at a water treatment station, according to authorities.The incident took place overnight on the route between the two Shia holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, in the centre and south of Iraq, respectively.This year, several million Shia Muslim pilgrims are expected to make their way to Karbala, which houses the shrines of the revered Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas.There, they will…

Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez completes $62m move from Premier League champions Liverpool to Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal.The Saudi Arabian soccer league has secured its latest marquee signing after Darwin Nunez completed the move from Liverpool to Al Hilal on Saturday.The Uruguay international cost a reported 46.3 million pounds ($62m) and has signed a three-year contract.Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia’s most successful team, has been searching for another star signing after releasing Brazil great Neymar in January.Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes rejected a move before the Club World Cup in June, and there was also reported interest in former Napoli striker Victor…

Former Palestinian international player Suleiman Al-Obeid was killed by an Israeli attack on aid seekers in Gaza on Wednesday.Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has criticised the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)’s tribute to the late Suleiman Al-Obeid, known as the “Palestinian Pele,” after European football’s governing body failed to reference the circumstances surrounding his death this week.The Palestine Football Association said that Al-Obeid, 41, was killed by an Israeli attack on civilians waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday.In a brief post on the social media platform X, UEFA called the former national team member “a…

Iran is distancing itself from ally Russia as it rejects planned border corridor backed by US President Donald Trump.Iran has said it will block a corridor planned in the Caucasus under a United States-brokered peace accord between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which has been hailed by other countries in the region as beneficial for achieving lasting peace.Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said on Saturday that Tehran would block the initiative “with or without Russia”, with which Iran has a strategic alliance alongside Armenia.US President Donald Trump “thinks the Caucasus is a piece of real estate he…

Critics say ban on activist group stifles freedom of speech and assembly and aims to curb pro-Palestine demonstrations.Police in London have arrested hundreds of people at a protest in support of the group Palestine Action, which was classified as a “terror organisation” by the British government last month.The Metropolitan Police said 466 demonstrators had been arrested at Parliament Square by 9pm local time (20:00 GMT) on Saturday “for supporting a proscribed organisation”.“It will take time, but we will arrest anyone expressing support for Palestine Action,” the police force said in an earlier post on X.Videos shared on social media showed…

Government source says recent Kurdish-led conference ‘dealt blow’ to talks on implementing a March integration deal.Syria’s new government will not take part in planned meetings with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Paris, Syria’s state news agency has reported, as tensions mount between the two sides.SANA’s report on Saturday cast doubt over an integration deal signed this year by the armed group and Syria’s interim government, which took over after the overthrow of longtime President Bashar al-Assad in December.Quoting an unnamed government source, the news agency said the government wants future negotiations to be held in the Syrian capital,…

Gaza Ministry of Health says at least 39 people killed across Gaza in 24 hours, including 21 seeking aid and 11 from starvation.Israeli attacks have killed at least 39 people, including 21 seeking humanitarian aid and 11 who starved to death, over 24 hours in Gaza, Palestinian health authorities say.Gaza’s Ministry of Health said on Saturday that the total number of malnutrition deaths has reached 212, including 98 children, since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023.Most of the deaths have occurred in recent weeks as Israel continues to impose severe restrictions on aid supplies entering Gaza after…

Deadly explosion at weapons depot comes as army has been dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon.At least six Lebanese soldiers have been killed in an explosion as they were inspecting a weapons depot in southern Lebanon, the military has announced.In a statement on Saturday, the Lebanese army said the unit was dismantling the contents of the depot in the Wadi Zibqin area, in the Tyre region, when the explosion occurred. It said other soldiers were injured but did not specify how many.“An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident,” the statement said.The Lebanese army has been working…