Author: Gulf News Week

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being staged in United States, Canada and Mexico, with Washington, DC hosting December’s draw.Iran is to boycott next week’s World Cup finals draw in Washington because the United States refused to grant visas to several members of the delegation, the Iranian football federation announced on Friday.“We have informed FIFA that the decisions taken have nothing to do with sports, and the members of the Iranian delegation will not participate in the World Cup draw,” the federation’s spokesperson told state television.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Brazil’s Copa Libertadores run goes on as…

 At Riyadh summit, international giants and local firms unveil training initiatives and strategic collaborations, signaling a long-term commitment to the Kingdom’s events industry. (RIYADH) – The strategic development of local human capital and the formation of key partnerships emerged as central themes at the International MICE Summit in Riyadh, underscoring the sector’s maturation beyond immediate event execution to long-term, sustainable growth. Industry leaders used the platform to detail concrete plans for investing in Saudi nationals and forging alliances that will support the Kingdom’s ambitious vision for its events and exhibitions landscape. Building a Sustainable Talent Pipeline A key takeaway was the…

Education leaders caution that skipping the three school days after the Eid Al Etihad holiday will result in marked absences and potential academic setbacks. (DUBAI) — A clear directive is being issued from schools across the UAE: the academic term ends on December 5, not before. As the Eid Al Etihad holiday creates a long weekend from December 1-2, school authorities are pushing back against the temptation for families to begin the winter break early, warning of strict adherence to attendance policies. The core of the issue lies in the calendar. With only three school days—December 3, 4, and 5—scheduled between…

Critics decry the verdicts as a political purge, marking a sharp escalation in President Saied’s campaign against his opponents. (TUNIS) – A Tunisian court handed down lengthy prison terms to 40 dissidents on Friday, in a case widely seen as a defining moment for the country’s political freedoms. The group, comprising opposition politicians, businesspeople, and media members, was convicted of conspiring against state security. The most prominent figure, Rached Ghannouchi—the aged leader of the Ennahda party and a former parliament speaker—received a crushing 45-year sentence. The verdicts, reported by the official TAP news agency, cap one of the largest security trials…

Sudan Doctors Network says military use of hospital is ‘a blatant violation of sanctity of medical institutions’.The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have converted a large part of Al-Nuhud Hospital in West Kordofan in wartorn Sudan’s south into a military command centre and barracks since their takeover of the city more than five months ago, according to the Sudan Doctors Network.The nongovernmental organisation said on Friday that the RSF, the government-aligned Sudanese Armed Forces’ (SAF) bitter rival in the brutal three-year civil war, has been preventing the hospital from fulfilling its essential role in providing healthcare for the population.Recommended Stories list…

Two Syrian children are among those killed by Israeli strikes following the incursion into the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside.At least 13 people, including children, have been killed and 25 were injured as Israel launched another incursion into Syrian territory in the Damascus countryside, according to state media, with several Israeli soldiers also reported wounded in clashes.Syrian state media reported on Friday that two children were among those killed in the Israeli dawn raid and strikes, which forced dozens of families to flee from the town of Beit Jinn to nearby and safer areas.Recommended Stories list of…

Aman says it will take ‘all available measures’ to stop Russian authorities from recruiting its citizens to fight in war.Jordan has demanded that Russian authorities stop illegally recruiting its citizens after two Jordanians were killed fighting in the Russian military.Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the warning on Thursday against Moscow and external “entities” working online to recruit people on Moscow’s behalf.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘Real uncertainty’: What to know about Honduras’ presidential electionlist 2 of 4Guinea-Bissau’s deposed President Embalo arrives in Senegal after couplist 3 of 4National Guard soldier Sarah Beckstrom dies after DC shooting:…

Reigning European U-17 champions Portugal beat Austria 1-0 to lift the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the first time.Portugal lifted their first FIFA U-17 World Cup with a 1-0 victory against Austria in the final of the 2025 edition at Doha’s Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar.Anisio Cabral netted the only goal of the game in the 32nd minute on Thursday, handing the Portuguese the win in a match that saw both sides competing in the final at this level for the first time.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Luka Doncic, Lakers brush aside Clippers, advance in NBA Cuplist…

Observers condemn Israeli army’s killing of two Palestinian men in northern West Bank as ‘shocking crime’.Israeli soldiers have shot and killed two Palestinian men during a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin as the pair attempted to surrender to the military, according to video footage and witness accounts from the scene.media’s Nour Odeh said journalists in Jenin reported on Thursday that the two men had “pulled their shirts up, showing that they were unarmed” before the military ordered them to go back into a building that they had been holed up in.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist…

Sonia Dahmani, arrested in 2024 after questioning government policy on African refugees and migrants, says she hopes her release will mark end of ‘nightmare’ for herself and other prisoners.Tunisia has freed prominent lawyer Sonia Dahmani, a vocal critic of President Kais Saied, after a year and a half in prison.Dahmani, who is also a media commentator, is widely seen as a leading dissenting voice in Tunisia, and her arrest prompted local protests demanding her release and international criticism.She was convicted over comments during a television appearance that questioned the government’s stance on undocumented African refugees and migrants in Tunisia. When…