Author: Gulf News Week

EBU will have a jury vote along with the public if it cannot pass rules preventing bids that sway the public, as Israel allegedly did last year amid Gaza carnage.Public broadcasters are meeting to discuss whether Israel should be excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest over alleged interference in last year’s competition and its continued genocidal war on Gaza.The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which brings together member broadcasters organising the feel-good music contest, launched two days of talks on the divisive issue on Thursday, ahead of the 70th edition in Vienna next May.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of…

Gaza has exposed the limits of US power and opened space for new centres of global diplomacy.In Gaza, the world has seen the cost of a diplomacy that claims to uphold a rules-based order but applies it selectively. The United States intervened late, and only to defend an occupation the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled illegal. Alongside other Western nations that built multilateral institutions, the US increasingly pursues nationalist agendas that undermine them. The hypocrisy is stark: one set of rules for Ukraine, another for Gaza.This erosion of credibility marks the structural collapse of unipolar authority, symbolised by…

The UN says the visit comes ‘at a crucial time for the region’, as it seeks to bolster ties with Syria.A United Nations Security Council (UNSC) delegation has arrived in Syria for its first-ever trip to the country, reported state media, just days before the war-ravaged nation marks the first anniversary of the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.The UNSC delegation arrived via the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing between Lebanon and Syria and “is scheduled to meet a number of Syrian officials” and members of civil society, state news agency SANA reported on Thursday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1…

Known as Palestine’s Nelson Mandela, he has been in prison for more than 23 years and subjected to brutal abuse.An international campaign to free popular Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, who has been jailed in Israel since 2002, is gathering pace, with more than 200 A-listers, from Margaret Atwood to Javier Bardem, lending their support.“We express our grave concern at the continuing imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, his violent mistreatment and denial of legal rights whilst imprisoned,” said an open letter published on Wednesday, calling on the United Nations and governments to take action.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Award-winning…

Yemeni troops battle with Southern Transitional Council forces in oil-rich Hadramout governorate.Local sources have reported armed clashes between the Yemeni army loyal to the internationally recognised government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces during an attempt by the separatist group to advance towards the strategically located al-Ghuraf area in the oil-rich Hadramout governorate.Videos posted by local activists showed STC forces storming the presidential palace building in the city of Seiyun in southern Yemen on Wednesday, following clashes with the army.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Yemen’s Houthis release 9 mariners held since July ship attacklist 2 of…

Guterres said Israel’s war has been waged with ‘total neglect’ with respect to civilian deaths and Gaza’s destruction.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the way Israel has waged its war on Gaza, describing it as “fundamentally wrong” and saying “there are strong reasons” to believe that Israeli forces have committed war crimes in the Palestinian territory.Guterres made the comments on Wednesday in an interview with Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni at the news agency’s NEXT conference in New York.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Israel kills seven people in Gaza, says Rafah crossing to partially reopenlist 2 of…

Apartment building belonging to the family of bombing suspect Abdul Karim Sanoubar demolished by Israel on Tuesday.Nablus, occupied West Bank – The Sanoubar family say the Israeli soldiers only gave them two minutes to leave their homes. Then, the apartment block the extended family lived in was demolished.The explosion in Nablus on Tuesday shook the area as huge clouds of dust and smoke billowed out of the building’s floors.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Israel accused of ‘manoeuvring’ as it says Gaza crossing open one way onlylist 2 of 3What if…. we abolished billionaires?list 3 of 3‘What is a…

Israel says the crucial Rafah crossing with Egypt will open in the coming days – but only for Palestinians to leave Gaza.Israel said it received the body of a captive from Gaza through the International Committee of the Red Cross and added it will begin allowing Palestinians to leave through a border crossing with Egypt – but not return.The announcements follow statements from the armed wings of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad saying they would hand over the body at 5pm (15:00 GMT) on Wednesday after it was recovered in northern Gaza.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of…

The Philippines says it expected nine Filipino mariners held by the Houthis since July attack to be released in Yemen.Yemen’s Houthi rebels released mariners held since a July attack on a cargo ship in the Red Sea, an assault that killed at least four on board and sank the vessel.The Houthis, who have targeted ships during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, said via their Al Masirah TV news channel that Oman had taken custody of the seamen, who were flying to the sultanate on Wednesday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Yemen’s Houthis launch drone attack on Israel’s Eilat,…

People have been asking ‘What if …’ forever. Over the next few months, media will explore some of the biggest challenges of our time and ask leading experts: ‘What if …’Calls to abolish billionaires, or at least curb their growth, have gained traction across many capitals in the West, where extreme wealth has risen to unprecedented levels.Elon Musk’s pay award of a potential $1 trillion in November will make the Tesla owner not just the richest person in the world, which he already is. If Musk gets the full pay package, he will become the richest person in history.Recommended Stories…