Author: Gulf News Week
US president signals he is not ready to back the Israel-aligned opposition figure to lead Iran in case of regime change.United States President Donald Trump has ruled out meeting with Iran’s self-proclaimed Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, suggesting that Washington is not ready to back a successor to the Iranian government, should it collapse.On Thursday, Trump called Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah who was toppled by the Islamic revolution of 1979, a “nice person”. But Trump added that, as president, it would not be appropriate to meet with him.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3The Take: Could…
The US is watching as economic hardships have driven Iranians to hold protests in cities across the nation.Iranians have taken to the streets in nationwide protests against the country’s economic crisis. During a police crackdown on protesters, dozens of people have been killed, and more have been arrested. United States President Donald Trump has warned Iran that if the brutality continues, Iran would be “hit very hard by the United States”. Why is the US threatening intervention?In this episode: Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2The Take: Is AI headed for a breaking point?list 2 of 2The Take: ‘Peace’…
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announcemed the Bulgarian diplomat as the ‘designated’ director-general for Trump’s ‘board of peace’.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that former United Nations Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov will direct a proposed United States-led “board of peace” in Gaza.Netanyahu made the announcement after meeting Mladenov in Jerusalem on Thursday, referring to the Bulgarian diplomat as the “designated” director-general for the proposed board, a key part of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end Israel’s genocidal war on the Palestinian people of Gaza.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Lebanon army says phase one of disarming…
Authorities says curfew will be in place ‘until further notice’ amid clashes between Syrian army and Kurdish-led forces.Authorities in Syria have imposed a curfew in several neighbourhoods of Aleppo city, as clashes intensified between the country’s military and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).The Aleppo Internal Security Command said in a statement on Thursday that a curfew was imposed “until further notice” in the neighbourhoods of Ashrafieh, Sheikh Maqsoud, Bani Zeid, al-Siryan, al-Hullok and al-Midan.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Thousands flee fighting in Syria’s Aleppolist 2 of 3Thousands flee Aleppo as clashes between Syria’s army and SDF escalatelist…
Real Madrid beat cross-city rivals Atletico Madrid in the Saudi-hosted Spanish Super Cup to set up Barcelona showdown.Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in a tight Spanish Super Cup semifinal in Saudi Arabia to set up a Clasico final clash against rivals Barcelona.Fede Valverde’s free-kick and a Rodrygo strike on Thursday helped Madrid claim a fifth consecutive victory across all competitions, with Alexander Sorloth pulling one back for Diego Simeone’s Atletico, who came up short in Jeddah.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘Symbol of pride’: DR Congo superfan Mboladinga leaves AFCON as a herolist 2 of…
At least 425 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since an October ceasefire came into effect, the Health Ministry says.An Israeli attack on a tent in southern Gaza has killed at least three Palestinians and wounded three others, local rescuers say, as Israel continues to bomb the coastal enclave despite an October ceasefire.The Palestinian Civil Defence in Gaza said on Thursday that its teams recovered the bodies of three slain residents after the Israeli military bombed a family’s tent in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Gaza babies ‘suffering from severe cold’…
NetBlocks says the apparent blackout follows ‘a series of escalating digital censorship measures targeting protests’.Iran is experiencing a nationwide internet blackout, online monitoring group NetBlocks has said, amid escalating protests over a worsening economic crisis.In a post on social media on Thursday, NetBlocks noted that the apparent blackout follows “a series of escalating digital censorship measures targeting protests across the country and hinders the public’s right to communicate at a critical moment”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Timeline of protests in Iran after the 1979 Islamic revolutionlist 2 of 3Why Trump’s regime-change playbook won’t work in Iranlist 3…
Pressure piles on hosts Morocco as they take on five-time champions Cameroon in AFCON’s heavyweight quarterfinal.Who: Cameroon vs Morocco What: CAF Africa Cup of Nations Where: Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco When: Friday, January 9 at 8pm (19:00 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on media Sport from 16:00 GMT in advance of our live score and text commentary stream.Few gave Cameroon much of a chance in the Africa Cup of Nations after off-the-field issues marred their build-up to the tournament but the Indomitable Lions stood firm in the face of adversity to reach the quarterfinals in Morocco.The…
Deepening instability, minority distrust and foreign meddling test Damascus’s grip on a fractured state.In recent days, leaked recordings and documents have provided the rough outline of a conspiracy to launch an insurgency in the Alawite-dominated coastal region of Syria. Behind the plan are a number of high-level officials of the former regime of Bashar al-Assad living in exile. The leaks reveal the recruitment of fighters within the Alawite community, the movement and storage of weapons, and the transfer of payments to their families.The revelations come months after an insurrection staged in the coastal region in March led to the deaths…
Statement says army established state monopoly on arms in an ‘effective and tangible way’, without mentioning Hezbollah.The Lebanese army has announced the completion of the first phase of its plan to bring all non-state weaponry in the south of the country under its control, covering the area between the Litani river and the Israeli border.In a statement on Thursday, the army said it had established a state monopoly on arms in the south in an “effective and tangible way”, without specifically mentioning Hezbollah.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Lebanon’s mission to complete disarmament plan of Hezbollahlist 2 of…