Author: Gulf News Week
Afghanistan women’s refugee team played their first match in a FIFA-organised four-team friendly competition in Morocco.An Afghan women’s refugee team lost 6-1 to Chad in a FIFA-organised tournament in Morocco on Sunday, but, for the players, the match itself represented a victory after being denied the chance to play the sport they love back home.Women’s sport has been banned in Afghanistan since the Taliban government took over in 2021, prompting players to flee the country, fearing persecution.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Mbappe, Bellingham score as Real Madrid edge Barcelona in fiery El Clasicolist 2 of 4Norris dominates…
The bank built the largest mall in the world, but also racked up massive debt and gave loans to insiders.Tehran, Iran – Authorities have merged one of Iran’s largest private lenders into the country’s biggest state-run bank in a move that highlights a deeply troubled economy and will further squeeze average citizens as pressure from the West grows.The central bank on Thursday announced that Ayandeh Bank, privately owned by one of Iran’s wealthiest families, would be dissolved and merged with Bank Melli, the government-run national bank, and that Ayandeh branches across the country would be transformed into Bank Melli branches…
Palestinian citizens of Israel are navigating relief, fear and distrust as a fragile ceasefire is tested by continued violence. In this episode, we speak with Haifa-based Palestinian human rights lawyer Sawsan Zaher about the impact of the ceasefire deal in Israel and whether accountability for genocide can ever come from within Israel itself.In this episode:Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2The Take: Pakistan and the Taliban’s uneasy peacelist 2 of 2The Take: AWS outage – Are we too dependent on Big Tech?end of list Sawsan Zaher (@SawsanZaher) – Human Rights Lawyer Episode credits:This episode was produced by Melanie…
Far-right activist and Donald Trump ally Laura Loomer celebrates Hamdi’s detention as government confirms he is in ICE custody.British political commentator and journalist Sami Hamdi has been detained by federal authorities in the United States in what a US Muslim civil rights group has called an “abduction”.The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned Hamdi’s detention at San Francisco airport on Sunday as “a blatant affront to free speech”, attributing his arrest to his criticism of Israel’s war on Gaza.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Gaza Tribunal calls for ‘Israeli perpetrators and enablers’ to face justicelist 2 of 3Israeli…
Israel restricts heavy machinery but allows Red Cross and Egyptian teams to enter Gaza to search for captives’ remains.Israeli restrictions on the entry of heavy machinery are crippling Gaza City’s efforts to clear debris and rebuild critical infrastructure, the city’s mayor says, as tens of thousands of tonnes of unexploded Israeli bombs threaten lives across the Gaza Strip.In a Sunday news conference, Mayor Yahya al-Sarraj said Gaza City requires at least 250 heavy vehicles and 1,000 tonnes of cement to maintain water networks and construct wells.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Anti-Trump rally held in Malaysia over Gaza…
Israel claims attacks were on Hezbollah members, as it also struck a UNIFIL patrol with a drone and tank fire.Israeli strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon have killed three people, despite a ceasefire that began almost a year ago, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said.Lebanese authorities initially said that two people had been killed in Israeli attacks on Sunday, but revised the death toll after a further strike.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Lebanon court orders son of late Libyan leader Gaddafi freed on $11m baillist 2 of 3Israeli strikes kill four in new Lebanon ceasefire breachlist 3…
The tribunal’s message came as it released its genocide verdict following four days of public hearings in Istanbul, Turkiye.The Gaza Tribunal has issued its final findings, saying that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and that “Israeli perpetrators and their Western enablers” should not be allowed to escape justice for their crimes.The unofficial tribunal, which was established in London last November, gave its “moral judgement” on Sunday, following four days of public hearings in Istanbul, Turkiye.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Anti-Trump rally held in Malaysia over Gaza warlist 2 of 3What are the challenges in forming a…
Fighting comes as Taliban submits proposal at Pakistan-Afghanistan talks in Turkiye, while Islamabad warns of ‘open war’ if deal fails.Fresh clashes near the border with Afghanistan have killed at least five Pakistani soldiers and 25 fighters, Pakistan’s army says, even as the two countries hold peace talks in Istanbul.The Pakistani military said armed men attempted to cross from Afghanistan into Kurram and North Waziristan on Friday and Saturday, accusing the Taliban authorities of failing to act against armed groups operating from Afghan territory.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Why 25-year-old Mahnoor Omer took Pakistan to court over periodslist…
Basim Khandakji describes conditions in Israeli prisons and his journey to writing despite the challenges.The night Basim Khandakji’s novel won the 2024 “Arabic Booker Prize”, Israeli prison guards stormed his cell, assaulted him, bound his hands and feet, and threatened him.The 42-year-old was then placed in Ofer Prison’s solitary confinement for 12 days.It was retaliation, he believes, for embarrassing the Israeli prison system, managing to publish a book under the noses of guards, drawing attention to himself and the conditions he faced.Now he is out of Israeli prison after serving 21 years of three life sentences.“I still feel like I’m…
The PKK had formally renounced its 40-year armed struggle in May and then held a symbolic ceremony in July at which it destroyed a first batch of weapons.The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has said it is withdrawing all its forces from Turkiye to northern Iraq as part of a peace process with Turkiye, bringing an end to a months-long disarming process following a four-decade armed conflict that killed tens of thousands of people.“We are implementing the withdrawal of all our forces within Turkiye,” the Kurdish PKK said in a statement read out on Sunday in the Qandil area of northern…