Author: Gulf News Week

‘Big, organised camp’ equipped with facial recognition at Rafah crossing suggests the ceasefire is less about peace and more about cementing Israeli control, analyst says.While diplomatic circles welcome the recovery of the last Israeli captive’s remains in Gaza and the imminent partial reopening of the enclave’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt, a quieter, darker reality is taking shape on the ground.According to comments by retired Israeli General Amir Avivi, who still advises the military, Israel has cleared land in Rafah, an area in the southern Gaza Strip that it had already flattened in more than two years of its genocidal…

Khartoum faces the world’s largest internal displacement crisis, yet a fragile trend of return is emerging, despite shattered infrastructure.Sudan has moved to the forefront of the global humanitarian landscape, now hosting the world’s largest internal displacement crisis. According to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), approximately 14 million people have been forced from their homes within the country.These staggering figures in Sudan are part of a broader global surge in forced displacement. UNHCR estimates suggest the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide exceeded 122 million by the first half of 2025.However, amid geopolitical shifts sweeping the Middle East, a countertrend…

The UK-founded charity will not adhere to Israel’s demand, saying more than 500 aid workers have been killed in the war-shattered Strip.Oxfam says it will not disclose the personal details of its Palestinian staff to Israel, citing its army’s deadly attacks in Gaza that have killed hundreds of aid workers.As part of a crackdown on NGOs providing life-saving aid to Palestinians, Israel last year demanded that some of the world’s best-known charities working in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem hand over detailed information about their Palestinian and international staff, operations and funding.Recommended Stories list of 4…

With handshakes off the table, the Belarusian world No. 1 and the Ukrainian veteran bring 10-match winning streaks and a charged political backdrop to their Melbourne showdown. MELBOURNE — The Australian Open women’s semifinal on Thursday will feature a contest layered with narrative weight as Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus meets Elina Svitolina of Ukraine — a match where the absence of a post-match handshake will speak as loudly as the tennis. Sabalenka, the top seed and defending champion, is pursuing her third Australian Open title in four years. Svitolina, returning to the top 10 after maternity leave, is playing her first…

President’s remarks signal ongoing military pressure in the Persian Gulf, come amid stalled diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that another U.S. naval “armada” is sailing toward Iranian waters, publicly framing the movement as a gesture of pressure while renewing his call for Tehran to reach a deal with the United States. “There is another beautiful armada floating beautifully toward Iran right now,” Trump said during a public address. “I hope they make a deal.” The brief but pointed declaration underscores the persistent tension between the two nations, even as the President casts the…

Ticket scarcity for sold-out K-pop megastars prompts high-level diplomatic request as President Sheinbaum advocates for fans. In a striking example of cultural diplomacy, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has personally requested that South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrange more frequent tours by global K-pop phenomenon BTS, after tickets for their upcoming Mexico concerts sold out within minutes. The unprecedented presidential intervention follows a frenzied ticket sale last weekend for BTS’s three scheduled shows in Mexico City this May. With approximately 150,000 tickets available but nearly one million young Mexicans attempting to purchase them, demand dramatically outstripped supply, leading to widespread…

Real-world exposure and ecosystem support critical for young founders balancing startups and studies, as Sharjah festival aims to bridge gap. Juggling lecture halls and boardrooms, student entrepreneurs are launching ventures earlier than ever. However, the biggest challenges they face are not academic, but personal: a crisis of confidence and the relentless clock. According to Sara Al Nuaimi, CEO of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa), mastering these soft skills is more critical than the perceived choice between education and enterprise. “Student founders are entering entrepreneurship earlier than ever, often while still navigating their academic journeys,” Al Nuaimi told Khaleej Times. “The core…

US president praises al-Sharaa, who is due in Moscow on Wednesday to meet Russian President Putin, following Syrian army’s offensive against Kurdish-led SDF.US President Donald Trump has said he is “very happy” with developments in Syria, after a Syrian army offensive against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), previously backed by Washington.Trump made the comments after a call with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, before the Syrian leader’s departure for Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Syrian army, Kurdish-led SDF accuse each other of ceasefire violationslist 2 of 4Al-Sharaa checkmates the SDF…

Al-Maliki has been nominated by the largest Shia bloc in parliament as its candidate for PM.President Donald Trump has threatened that the United States will end support for Iraq if Nouri al-Maliki, a former prime minister with ties to the US’s longstanding foe Iran, is reinstated to the post.Trump, in his latest intervention in another country’s politics, said on Tuesday that Iraq would be making a “very bad choice” with al-Maliki, who just days previously was nominated by the Coordination Framework, the largest Shia bloc in parliament, as its candidate.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iraq Shia alliance…

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasised that regional instability ‘benefits no one’ during the call.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has held a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after a United States aircraft carrier arrived in the region amid growing fears of a new conflict with Israel or the US.The US has indicated in recent weeks that it is considering an attack against Iran in response to Tehran’s crackdown on protesters, which left thousands of people dead, and US President Donald Trump has sent the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier to the region.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1…