Author: Gulf News Week
Mark Carney should not join US plan for Gaza that ‘makes mockery of Palestinian self-determination’, rights groups say.Canadian human rights groups have welcomed Donald Trump’s decision to revoke an invitation for Prime Minister Mark Carney to join the United States president’s so-called Board of Peace, saying Canada should not take part in a “colonial scheme”.The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) said on Friday that “it is a relief that Canada is no longer welcome” on the Trump-led board.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trump revokes Canada’s invitation to join Board of Peacelist 2 of 3Analyst breaks down…
Dozens of people rescued in Lampedusa after vessel crossed from Tunisia in dangerous conditions, Save the Children says.One-year-old twin girls are missing at sea after a boat carrying dozens of migrants and refugees reached the Italian island of Lampedusa this week, nonprofit group Save the Children has said.The organisation said on Friday that 61 people, including the missing twins’ mother and 22 unaccompanied minors, were rescued from the vessel a day earlier after crossing to Lampedusa in “extremely difficult conditions” made worse by Cyclone Harry.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Bodies of 17 people found in boat off…
The plan promises coastal tourism, free trade, skyscrapers and jobs. But the people of Gaza have not been consulted.Glittering towers lining the Mediterranean coastline, a “New Gaza” and “New Rafah” in the offing, with more than 100,000 housing units alongside orderly industrial parks – and even a new airport.All without consultation with the people this development is supposed to benefit.This is the skeleton of a “masterplan” for post-war Gaza, presented by Jared Kushner, United States President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a real estate developer, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week.“There is no Plan B,” said Kushner,…
Syrian government forces assume control of al-Aqtan prison, as SDF fighters withdraw from the northeastern city of Raqqa under ceasefire deal.The Syrian government says it has taken over control of al-Aqtan prison, a facility in the northeastern city of Raqqa housing a number of ISIL (ISIS) detainees, following the withdrawal of Kurdish-led SDF fighters under a ceasefire agreement.The Interior Ministry said in a statement on Telegram on Friday that officials from the Prisons and Correctional Facilities Administration had assumed control of the prison in the former SDF stronghold of Raqqa, and had begun an examination of prisoners’ conditions and their…
Major private institutions shift to 9 a.m. start times and integrate environmental education, prioritizing student focus, family well-being, and hands-on sustainability. SHARJAH, January 21, 2026 – Leading private schools across the UAE are redefining the school day by pushing back start times and embedding environmental stewardship into the curriculum—a dual strategy aimed at boosting student well-being, engagement, and long-term resilience. Institutions such as Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s Bloom World Academy have adopted 9 a.m. starts, moving away from earlier schedules to allow families calmer mornings. The shift is driven by growing recognition that sleep, emotional readiness, and…
Critics say it’s enabling violence in Sudan. And while backing Somalia’s unity, it is doing business with Somaliland. The result: The UK is increasingly seen as an amplifier of the Horn of Africa’s crises.In December, as it often has during the ongoing war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the British government urged accountability, expressing concerns about the mass-scale death and devastation that civilians have suffered.But reporting has shown that, behind the scenes, the United Kingdom rejected more ambitious plans to prevent atrocities as violence escalated.Further east, the UK has officially backed the territorial integrity of…
The film draws on real audio from the five-year-old’s call with emergency services as her family came under Israeli fire.A haunting docudrama about Israel’s killing of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab during its genocidal war on Gaza has been nominated for an Academy Award.The Voice of Hind Rajab, by French-Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, was shortlisted for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film on Thursday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Hind Rajab film given major prize at Venice film festivallist 2 of 4media documentary reveals new evidence in Hind Rajab family’s killinglist 3 of 4New Gaza festival…
South Africa’s government is facing backlash from the US and from within its own administration for hosting Iran’s navy.South Africa has launched an inquiry into Iran’s participation in joint naval drills with BRICS nations last week, apparently against the orders of President Cyril Ramaphosa.BRICS is a group of 10 countries: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. The acronym BRICS represents the initial letters of the founding members, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Chinese, Russian and Iranian warships arrive for drills in South…
Israeli strategy for Gaza caught between settlements and security zones, as it continues to kill Palestinians.Israel has spent more than two years attacking Gaza in its genocidal war on the Palestinian enclave. It has destroyed the majority of its housing and infrastructure, and killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, leaving the rest of Gaza’s population facing a harsh winter with inadequate food, medicine, and shelter.And yet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – for whom the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for war crimes committed in Gaza – this week joined US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”, established…
Sanae Takaichi dissolves parliament, delaying budget amid economic pressures, while navigating tensions with China and U.S. defense demands. TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the lower house of parliament on Friday, setting the stage for a snap election on February 8 in a high-stakes political gamble just three months after taking office. The move aims to capitalize on Takaichi’s strong personal approval ratings—around 70% since she became Japan’s first female prime minister in October—to help her ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) regain a stable majority. The LDP and its coalition partner have held only a slim majority in the…