Author: Gulf News Week

The longest river in the world is a shared natural resource and should be used under a cooperative framework.In a couple of weeks, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the biggest hydroelectric dam on the African continent, will be inaugurated. The construction of this dam has taken more than a decade and has cost nearly $5bn. The government and people of Ethiopia mobilised the funds for this national project from their meagre internal resources. No international financing was made available for this project.While the construction of the dam has received some international media attention, the media coverage has not made…

As more than 100 Palestinians starve to death in Gaza, many question the goals of the US- and Israel-backed GHF. A choice between starvation or being shot at. That’s the decision many Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to make. More than 900 people have been killed at the GHF’s aid distribution sites. Why is this happening, and what is being done to make it stop? In this episode: Diana Buttu (@dianabuttu) – Human Rights Lawyer and Analyst Episode credits: This episode was produced by Tracie Hunte, Sarí el-Khalili, and Diana Ferrero with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Tamara…

Israel attacks ‘safe zones’ in Gaza as six more Palestinians, including two children, die from malnutrition.Israeli forces have killed at least 63 people across Gaza, hours after the military announced it would begin “pausing” attacks for 10 hours daily in some areas to allow humanitarian aid to pass through. On Sunday, the Israeli army said it would temporarily halt military activity each day from 10am to 8pm (07:00-17:00 GMT) in parts of central and northern Gaza, including al-Mawasi, Deir el-Balah and Gaza City. It also pledged to open designated aid corridors for food and medical convoys between 6am and 11pm.…

Vote will take place September 15-20 in the first election since President al-Sharaa took power.Syria will hold parliamentary elections in September, said the head of a body tasked with organising the election process. Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad, chairman of the Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections, told state news agency SANA on Sunday that elections will take place between September 15 and 20. They will be the first to take place under the country’s new authorities after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December. One-third of the 210 seats will be appointed by interim…

Iraqi police clashed with Popular Mobilisation Forces in Baghdad after they stormed an Agriculture Ministry building.At least one police officer was killed and 14 fighters detained after a gun battle erupted in Iraq’s capital with members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a state-sanctioned paramilitary umbrella that includes groups loyal to Iran. The violence on Sunday broke out in Baghdad’s Karkh district when PMF fighters stormed a Ministry of Agriculture building during the appointment of a new director, the Interior Ministry said. The gunmen disrupted an official meeting, stirring panic among staff and an emergency police response team. Police responding…

Twenty-eight countries sign a statement calling for end to Israel’s war on Gaza but won’t take steps to stop bilateral trade.As Israel’s killing of Palestinians continues fast and slow, through air strikes and starvation, the foreign ministers of 28 countries have signed a statement calling for an end to Israel’s war on Gaza. As these countries deploy words months after the United Nations and other groups warned of an oncoming famine, there has been little action on other fronts. Some of these countries have recognised the Palestinian state while France last week angered Israeli officials by announcing it would do…

Twenty-eight countries sign a statement calling for end to Israel’s war on Gaza but won’t take steps to stop bilateral trade.As Israel’s killing of Palestinians continues fast and slow, through air strikes and starvation, the foreign ministers of 28 countries have signed a statement calling for an end to Israel’s war on Gaza. As these countries deploy words months after the United Nations and other groups warned of an oncoming famine, there has been little action on other fronts. Some of these countries have recognised the Palestinian state while France last week angered Israeli officials by announcing it would do…

It is yet another sign of a looming ‘tech cold war’.For the past few years, governments across the world have paid close attention to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. There, it is said, we see the first glimpses of what warfare of the future will look like, not just in terms of weaponry, but also in terms of new technologies and tactics. Most recently, the United States-Israeli attacks on Iran demonstrated not just new strategies of drone deployment and infiltration but also new vulnerabilities. During the 12-day conflict, Iran and vessels in the waters of the Gulf experienced…

Bursa governor’s office says 1,765 people have been evacuated as more than 1,900 firefighters battle the flames.Wildfires that have engulfed Turkiye for weeks have surrounded the country’s fourth-largest city, causing more than 1,700 people to flee their homes and leaving one firefighter dead. Fires in the forested mountains surrounding Bursa in northwest Turkiye spread rapidly overnight on Sunday, causing a red glow over the city. Dozens of severe wildfires have hit the country since late June, with the government declaring two western provinces, Izmir and Bilecik, disaster areas on Friday. Bursa governor’s office said in a statement on Sunday that…

The story of two friends, taken in RSF dragnets, and what they saw inside the detention centres.In Shambat al-Aradi, a tight-knit neighbourhood in Khartoum North once known for its vibrant community gatherings and spirited music festivals, two childhood friends have suffered through confinement and injustice at the hands of one of Sudan’s warring sides. Khalid al-Sadiq, a 43-year-old family doctor, and one of his best friends, a 40-year-old musician who once lit up the stage of the nearby Khedr Bashir Theatre, were inseparable before the war. But when the civil war broke out in April 2023 and fighting tore through…