Author: Gulf News Week
For a moment you could have mistaken Beijing for Moscow.As Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping walked the red carpet towards the Great Hall of the People, a Chinese military band played the romantic Russian classic Moscow Nights.”If only you knew how these Moscow Nights are dear to me,” goes the refrain.Hidden in the notes, was there a hint of political romance?”My dear friend,” said Putin to Xi.”My old friend,” said Xi to Putin.It was the language of two leaders who like to show they’ve built a special relationship. They have had plenty of time to do so: they have met…
There has been international condemnation of Israel’s treatment of pro-Palestinian activists who were on board a Gaza-bound aid flotilla intercepted by Israeli naval forces.The US, the UK, France, Italy and Canada were among the countries which expressed outrage after far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video showing himself taunting activists kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs.His actions also drew rare criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said they were “not in line with Israel’s values”.A rights group representing the 430 people from more than 40 countries who took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla…
LIVEEuropa League final: Martinez starts despite injury scare as Villa face FreiburgFollow live text updates and listen to BBC Radio commentary as Aston Villa face Freiburg in the UEFA Europa League final.
Two Russian warplanes “repeatedly and dangerously” intercepted an unarmed RAF spy plane over the Black Sea last month, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.A Russian Su-35 fighter approached the Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft, getting close enough to trigger its emergency systems, disabling its autopilot.And a Su-27 jet also carried out six passes in front of the RAF plane, getting as close as six metres (19ft) from its nose.Defence Secretary John Healey praised the “outstanding professionalism” of the RAF crew during “unacceptable” Russian flybys, which the MoD says is the most dangerous Russian action since 2022, when a “rogue” pilot…
LIVEUS expected to announce charges against Cuba’s former leader Raúl CastroIt’s the latest move in a US pressure campaign against Cuba’s communist government and relates to Havana attacking two civilian planes in 1996.
Lithuania’s president and prime minister were forced to take shelter on Tuesday, when a drone alert caused the capital Vilnius to come to a standstill.President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene were taken to emergency shelters following the air alert, which ordered the city’s population to take cover.Flights were suspended and road and rail travel briefly ground to a halt. The alert has since been lifted. It is not yet clear who was behind the incursion. It came a day after Estonia said Nato shot down a drone over its territory, which it suspected was a Ukrainian projectile knocked…
A Dubai Arsenal fan recalls his 2013 Emirates Stadium visit as the club’s long partnership with Emirates Airlines comes full circle after historic triumph When Emirates Airlines signed its historic partnership deal with Arsenal in 2006, the world was a very different place. The Burj Khalifa was still under construction, Barack Obama had yet to prove to the world that an African-American could become the president of the United States, and Novak Djokovic was still a teenage prodigy hoping to earn his first Grand Slam breakthrough. Emirates, which signed the deal with Arsenal when the team was still under legendary…
Former US congressman Barney Frank who famously took on Wall Street and was one of the first known openly gay representatives died on Tuesday night, US media reports. He was 86. Frank, a Democrat who represented southern Massachusetts in the House of Representatives for over three decades, had been in hospice care at his home in Maine since April. He will be remembered as a trailblaser for LGBT rights, as the first member of Congress in a same-sex marriage, and for helping to overhaul financial regulations after the 2008 financial crisis.”He was, above all else, a wonderful brother. I was…
Watch: Did Trump and Putin get the same treatment in China?Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Russia’s Vladimir Putin with a near-identical ceremony to Trump’s last week. 1 hr agoWorld
Investigations in the case have confirmed that the man used rhetoric capable of stirring sedition, hatred and societal discriminationA court in Abu Dhabi has sentenced an Emirati man to three years in prison and fined him Dh5 million, for inciting underage marriage in Morocco in a video posted on social media.The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal –State Security Chamber–also ordered the offensive video to be removed and all social media accounts owned by the convict, Saif Salem Saif Ali Al Muqbali (50 years old) to be closed. In addition to this, the phone he used to commit the offence…