Author: Gulf News Week

Elite Army forces join 2,500 Marines arriving over the weekend; Trump administration weighs potential ground missions including seizure of Kharg Island, uranium extraction, and securing the Strait of Hormuz. WASHINGTON — Thousands of soldiers from the US Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division have begun arriving in the Middle East, two US officials told Reuters on Monday, as President Donald Trump weighs his next moves in the ongoing war against Iran. The deployment significantly expands US military presence in the region and opens the door to potential ground operations inside Iranian territory — a option the Trump administration has been actively considering…

State actors and criminal enterprises are using deepfakes, autonomous malware, and AI-generated exploits to overwhelm corporate defenses, with average breach costs hitting $7.2 million, new study finds. DUBAI/LONDON — The rapid weaponisation of artificial intelligence amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict has triggered a 340% surge in AI-fueled cyber breaches over the past six months, overwhelming traditional corporate defenses and driving financial losses to historic extremes, according to cybersecurity analysts and a new digital forensic study. Both nation-state actors and criminal enterprises have accelerated their use of AI since the onset of the Iran war on February 28, designing cyberattacks aimed at…

Maren Wade alleges the megastar’s record-breaking 2025 album threatens to “drown out” her long-running ‘Confessions of a Showgirl’ stage show, after the USPTO already rejected Swift’s trademark application. LAS VEGAS — Taylor Swift is facing a trademark infringement lawsuit from a Las Vegas entertainer who claims the pop superstar’s latest blockbuster album, The Life of a Showgirl, illegally conflicts with a stage show she has built over twelve years. Maren Wade, a performer and writer, filed the complaint on Monday, arguing that marketing for Swift’s 12th album has threatened to “drown out” her own long-running production, Confessions of a Showgirl. Wade is asking…

Israel has created an environment of impunity for attacks on healthcare that has spread well beyond Gaza’s borders.I saw a lot of death in Gaza. Not natural death. Brutal, methodical killing. But there is something particularly horrific about digging up medics buried in their uniforms that has stayed with me.Last year, I was working as a senior United Nations official coordinating humanitarian aid in Palestine when Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and Civil Defence first responders went missing in southern Gaza.For a week after they were killed, we did not know if they were dead or alive. Every day we…

NewsFeedMarco Rubio says President Trump prefers diplomatic solution to war on IranIn an exclusive interview with media, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there are messages and indirect talks under way between figures inside Iran and the US, and that President Donald Trump still prefers a diplomatic outcome. He accused Iran’s leadership of funding armed groups like Hezbollah and Hamas instead of its own people, and said the US would welcome a future Iranian government with a “different view” for the country.Published On 30 Mar 202630 Mar 2026SaveClick here to share on social mediashare2SharefacebooktwitterwhatsappcopylinkgoogleAdd media on Googleinfo

The acclaimed stage and screen actress passed away after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, her family announced. NEW YORK — Mary Beth Hurt, the Tony-nominated actress whose elegant presence graced Broadway, film, and television for nearly five decades, has died. She was 79. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hurt passed away on Saturday following a decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, a diagnosis she received in 2015. Until recently, she had been living in a Manhattan care facility, with her husband residing in another apartment within the same building. Family Pays Tribute Hurt’s daughter, Molly Schrader, announced the news on Instagram,…

Lahore Qalandars batter denies Level 3 offense as umpires award five penalty runs to Karachi Kings in dramatic final-over finish. LAHORE — Lahore Qalandars opener Fakhar Zaman has been charged with ball tampering following a dramatic Pakistan Super League (PSL) encounter against Karachi Kings on Sunday, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirming that a final verdict will be delivered within 48 hours. The incident unfolded in the tense final over of the match, with Karachi Kings requiring 14 runs for victory. Lahore captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, bowler Haris Rauf, and Zaman were seen gathered at the bowler’s run-up, each handling…

Military says most drones were intercepted; Damascus warns of “appropriate response” as regional tensions escalate. DAMASCUS — Syria’s military announced on Monday that a large-scale drone attack targeted several of its bases near the border with Iraq, marking the latest in a series of cross-border incidents amid the widening Middle East conflict. In an official statement, the Syrian army said the attack occurred “at dawn today,” involving “a large-scale attack by a number of drones targeting several army bases near the Iraqi border.” Most of the drones were intercepted, the military reported, without specifying the number of aircraft involved or whether…

Government approves 60-day kerosene sale across 21 states amid fuel scarcity; urban households urged to switch to piped natural gas to ease demand. NEW DELHI — Facing fuel scarcity triggered by the escalating US-Israel-Iran conflict, India has temporarily revived the distribution of kerosene through select petrol pumps across 21 states and union territories, marking a significant policy shift from its earlier phase-out of the fuel. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has directed state-owned oil marketing companies to supply superior kerosene oil (SKO)—widely known in India as “the common man’s fuel”—to designated retail outlets for a limited period. The move…

Dozens of nations report fuel hikes of up to 80% as Brent crude surges 57% in one month; UAE petrol prices expected to rise when new rates are unveiled on March 31. DUBAI — Retail fuel prices have surged across Asia, Africa, Europe, and beyond, with increases ranging from under five per cent to more than 80 per cent, as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East disrupt global energy markets. The sharp upward spiral follows the ongoing US-Israel-Iran military conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz—a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments—which has sent crude prices soaring. Dozens of…