Author: Gulf News Week

The Kurds are widely believed to be the largest stateless ethnic group in the world.As part of its plan to unify the country following 14 years of brutal civil war, Syria’s government announced it had reached a ceasefire agreement with the secular-led, Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Sunday. Under the agreement, the government will take over land held by the Kurdish armed group.Despite this, Syria’s army and the SDF both reported ongoing gun battles in the country on Monday, in particular around a prison holding ISIL (ISIS) members in the town of al-Shadadi.What was agreed on Sunday?President Ahmed al-Sharaa…

Hybrid war tactics help explain why Trump’s strategy oscillates between threats of war and false offers of peace.In the nuclear age, the United States has to refrain from all-out war since it can easily lead to nuclear escalation. Instead, it wages hybrid wars.In recent weeks, we have witnessed two such conflicts: in Venezuela and Iran. Both have been waged through a combination of crushing economic sanctions, targeted military strikes, cyberwarfare, stoking unrest and unrelenting misinformation campaigns. Both are long-term CIA projects that have recently escalated. Both will lead to further chaos.The US has long had two goals vis-a-vis Venezuela: to…

Aid cuts, conflict and economic collapse push millions of Yemenis towards severe hunger in 2026.Yemen, one of the world’s most impoverished nations, is entering a perilous new phase of food shortages with more than half the population – about 18 million people – expected to face worsening hunger in early 2026, according to the International Rescue Committee (IRC).The warning follows new projections under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification hunger-monitoring system that were released on Monday and show an additional one million people at risk of life-threatening hunger. It also comes as Yemen is experiencing its latest internal conflict with…

British football fans are regularly banned without scandal. Why is it that Israeli fans cannot be?On Friday, the retirement of Craig Guildford, the chief constable of West Midlands Police in the United Kingdom, was publicly announced. His decision to step down was prompted by what he described as the “political and media frenzy” surrounding the ban on Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv from their team’s match with Aston Villa in Birmingham.Days earlier, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood publicly stated that she had “lost confidence” in Guildford’s leadership after sustained political and media pressure; it was the first time in two…

Hundreds of soldiers backed by armoured vehicles raid the Palestinian city, imposing a lockdown and installing new iron gates.The Israeli military has launched a “large-scale” operation in Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank, deploying hundreds of soldiers and heavy machinery in a move that has paralysed the city’s southern districts.In a joint statement issued on Monday, the Israeli army and the internal security service, Shin Bet, confirmed the offensive, stating it aims to “thwart terror infrastructure” and confiscate weapons in the Jebel Johar area.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Palestinian child shot dead by Israeli troops in…

Syrian Army Crosses Euphrates River, Deploys in Deir Ezzor and Key Oil Fields Following Integration Pact with SDF; Hopes Rise for Stability in Fractured Region DEIR EZ-ZOR, SYRIA – In a pivotal strategic shift, the Syrian Arab Army has deployed forces across the Euphrates River into eastern Deir ez-Zor province, filling territory left by the withdrawal of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) under a new political and military integration deal. The move follows the announcement on Sunday by Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa of an agreement with SDF commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi. The deal, which includes a ceasefire and a roadmap to…

Diplomatic efforts intensify as Indian mission in Tehran arranges emergency food and water for crew of MT Valiant Roar, but access remains blocked weeks after detention. NEW DELHI/ TEHRAN, January 18, 2026 — The Indian government is engaged in sustained diplomatic efforts to secure consular access to 16 Indian crew members detained aboard the merchant vessel MT Valiant Roar, which has been held by Iranian authorities since mid-December 2025. In an official statement issued on Saturday, the Indian Embassy in Tehran disclosed that despite repeated high-level requests over the past month, Iranian officials have yet to grant permission for diplomats to…

Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sonmez and Russian star Ekaterina Alexandrova rush to aid ailing ball kid, shining spotlight on tournament conditions before Sonmez completes stunning upset. MELBOURNE – A first-round match at the Australian Open was abruptly suspended Sunday when a ball girl collapsed in the heat, triggering an immediate and compassionate response from both players on court. The incident occurred during the second set of the match between 11th-seeded Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova and Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sonmez. As Alexandrova prepared to serve, the ball girl, stationed near the umpire’s chair, fell backward onto the court. Without hesitation, Sonmez sprinted to the…

Nearly all of the flimsy tents in Palestinian displacement camps have been rendered unusable due to the harsh winter conditions.A new storm is forecast to hit Gaza, adding further to the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in makeshift tents in displacement camps that are already unfit to withstand the harsh winter weather.Israel’s more than two-year genocidal war has forced nearly all of Gaza’s two million people from their homes to live in these temporary shelters.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Gaza babies ‘suffering from severe cold’ as Israel keeps blocking aidlist 2 of 3Gaza children…

Iran accuses US and Israel of provoking unrest, opposition claims state forces responsible for majority of deaths.Tehran, Iran – Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has acknowledged that “several thousands” of Iranians have been killed since protests started in late December among shopkeepers in downtown Tehran, before gradually spreading to big and small cities.That confirmation is unusual because Khamenei has typically avoided commenting on death tolls during previous protests in Iran over the years.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Sudan’s people endure ‘horror and hell’ in war, says UN rights chieflist 2 of 3‘Everything is bad’: Fear and anxiety grip…