Author: Gulf News Week
Morocco progressed to the semifinals beating Cameroon 2-0 but Indominable Lions felt they had two clear penalties.Morocco coach Walid Regragui has angrily rejected suggestions his team is benefitting from favourable refereeing decisions as the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) host.“We’re the team to beat. As the team to beat, people will try to find all sorts of reasons to say Morocco has an advantage,” Regragui said after his team’s 2-0 win over Cameroon in the quarterfinals Friday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘I didn’t set out to break records’: Pakistan’s first female MMA fighterlist 2 of…
South African official says drills with Russia, Iran, China and others key to protecting ‘maritime economic activities’.South Africa has defended weeklong naval drills with Russia, Iran, China and other countries as “essential”, describing the manoeuvres off its coast as a vital response to rising maritime tensions globally.The “Will for Peace 2026” exercises that began on Saturday off the coast of Cape Town come just days after the United States seized a Venezuela-linked Russian oil tanker in the North Atlantic, saying it had violated Western sanctions.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Chinese, Russian and Iranian warships arrive for drills…
The strike marks a widening of hostilities that had been contained to Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhoods.A drone has struck a governorate building in the Syrian city of Aleppo, marking a sharp escalation in fighting between Syria’s army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).The drone, believed to be launched by Kurdish-led SDF on Saturday, hit the building as several high-ranking officials, including Aleppo’s governor and two Syrian government ministers, were holding a news conference inside.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Aleppo’s residents caught between hope and fear amid Syria fightinglist 2 of 4Syrian army ramps up Aleppo…
Two decades of economic changes have eroded the bazaar’s economic power and political sway in Tehran.In his first public remarks since mass protests broke out in Iran, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei sought to draw a sharp line between what he deemed the “legitimate” grievances of the bazaar and outright rebellion across the country. “We talk to protesters; the officials must talk to them, but there is no benefit to talking to rioters. Rioters must be put in their place,” he said.The distinction was deliberate. Khamenei went on to praise the bazaar and its merchants as “among the most loyal sectors” of the Islamic Republic, insisting…
Israel continues to block vital necessities, such as mobile homes, as the Palestinian enclave is hit by harsh weather conditions.A seven-day-old infant has died due to the extreme cold in the Gaza Strip as the Israeli blockade of vital necessities worsens the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave.Medical sources told media on Saturday that Mahmoud Al-Aqraa died in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza amid rapidly decreasing temperatures.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Gaza babies ‘suffering from severe cold’ as Israel keeps blocking aidlist 2 of 4‘We just sit and cry’: Gaza’s cancer patients die waiting for treatmentlist 3…
Kylian Mbappe’s latest injury was set to rule him out for three weeks but shock return against Barcelona is on the cards.Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said he could take a controlled risk with Kylian Mbappe’s fitness ahead of the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday against Barcelona, but would not be “kamikaze”.French superstar Mbappe missed the semifinal victory over Atletico Madrid on Thursday but flew out to Saudi Arabia on Friday to join the squad before the Clasico in Jeddah.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3‘Symbol of pride’: DR Congo superfan Mboladinga leaves AFCON as a herolist…
Iran’s elite IRGC – which operates separately to the army – also says that safeguarding the country’s security is a ‘red line’.The Iranian army says it would safeguard strategic infrastructure and public property as it urged the Iranians to thwart “the enemy’s plots”, after United States President Donald Trump issued a new warning to Iran’s leaders over the escalating antigovernment protests.In a statement published by semi-official news sites, the military on Saturday accused Israel and “hostile terrorist groups” of seeking to “undermine the country’s public security”, as Tehran stepped up efforts to quell the country’s biggest protests in years over…
media’s Resul Serdar Atas recounts scenes from Aleppo amid escalating clashes between the Syrian army and SDF forces.I arrived in Aleppo early on Wednesday morning after receiving reports of serious clashes between the Syrian army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). What I encountered was far worse than I expected.Heavy artillery shelling was constant, extreme. My team came under attack four times; one bullet hit our equipment.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Photos: Civilians flee Aleppo amid intensified fightinglist 2 of 3Syrian army declares ceasefire in Aleppo after heavy clashes with SDFlist 3 of 3Can tension in…
The US is considering military action to seize Greenland, in a move that could cause divisions within the NATO alliance.The Trump administration has once again threatened to take control of Greenland either by acquiring it or through the use of military force to “deter our adversaries in the Arctic region.”Greenland, which is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, already hosts the Pituffik Space Base, which the US operates in coordination with Danish authorities. Both the US and Denmark are founding members of NATO, the most powerful military alliance.European and Canadian leaders have jumped to support Denmark and Greenland, saying they are…
Clashes resume after Kurdish forces reject withdrawal ultimatum; over 140,000 displaced as international mediators seek to prevent wider conflict. ALEPPO, Syria – Syrian military forces are advancing into the last Kurdish-held district of Aleppo after a government ceasefire ultimatum was rejected by Kurdish groups, security officials confirmed Friday. The breakdown in talks marks a critical escalation in Syria’s protracted conflict, pitting President Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s government against Kurdish forces who have controlled several Aleppo neighborhoods since the early stages of the civil war. A temporary ceasefire announced overnight by Damascus had demanded Kurdish fighters withdraw to northeastern Syria by 9 a.m. local…