Author: Gulf News Week

Gideon Saar has become the first Israeli foreign minister to visit the breakaway region since Israel recognised its independence.Israel’s foreign minister has arrived in Somaliland for the first high-level diplomatic visit since the country became the first in the world to recognise the breakaway region’s independence over a week and a half ago, triggering condemnation and concerns that Palestinians may be forcibly expelled by Israel there.Gideon Saar landed in the capital Hargeisa on Tuesday and was received by government officials at the airport, according to a statement from Somaliland’s presidency.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Somaliland denies agreeing…

The forum, which comes after government forces retook two governorates, could help end the conflict with separatists.Yemeni government troops backed by Saudi Arabia have completed the handover of all military sites in Hadramout and al-Mahra governorates, which they successfully reclaimed from the United Arab Emirates-backed secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) in recent days, according to Yemeni media.A delegation led by STC leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, was meanwhile expected to travel to Saudi Arabia for a peace forum, the Reuters news agency reported – a potential sign of progress towards ending the conflict that has rocked war-torn Yemen and spiked tensions between Riyadh…

Iran’s New Year protests expose the pressures shaping the political system’s response to dissent.The New Year demonstrations in Iran came at the end of a year marked by war, economic strain, and political uncertainty.In 2025, Israel launched a 12-day attack on Iran, assassinating senior military leaders and targeting military and economic infrastructure. The assault was followed by US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz.As the year closed, protests erupted in the capital, Tehran, and in cities across central and southwestern Iran, beginning in the final week of 2025 and continuing into the first days of 2026.These…

Students in Beit Lahiya are attending makeshift classes in the dangerous ‘yellow zone’ near Israeli positions, as UNICEF warns that trauma has left 25 percent of children with speech impediments.In a small tent overshadowed by the sound of nearby gunfire, seven-year-old Tulin prepares for her first day of school in two years.For most children, this would be a moment of excitement. For Tulin and her mother, it is a chapter of terror.The relentless Israeli war has destroyed the vast majority of Gaza’s educational infrastructure, forcing families to create makeshift “tent schools” in dangerous proximity to Israeli forces — an area…

Government cites security risks and ongoing hostage recovery effort as reasons to continue barring independent journalists, despite international pressure. Israel’s government has formally requested that its Supreme Court maintain a ban on international journalists entering Gaza independently, stating in a court submission that ongoing security threats and the search for a remaining hostage necessitate the continued restrictions. The filing, submitted ahead of a January 4 deadline, argues that “entry of journalists into the Gaza Strip without escort… should not be permitted” based on the assessment of defense officials. The position was presented in response to a 2024 petition by the…

Geopolitical flare-up unlikely to disrupt global supply significantly, but risk of regional escalation looms over crude outlook. Energy analysts project that this weekend’s dramatic U.S. military action in Venezuela will have only a limited effect on global oil prices, pointing to the country’s already sanctions-hit output and a well-supplied market as key stabilizing factors. Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven crude reserves, but years of stringent international restrictions have drastically reduced its exports, leaving its current market influence muted. “Venezuela ranks only in the low twenties globally as an oil exporter due to sanctions,” noted Samer Hasn, senior market analyst…

Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks back Trump’s “run the country” remark, saying the goal is narcotics enforcement, not long-term control, as Maduro faces U.S. trial. WASHINGTON — The United States does not intend to govern Venezuela and will cooperate with its interim authorities, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday, seeking to clarify Washington’s position after a dramatic military operation captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Rubio’s comments, delivered in multiple television interviews, came a day after U.S. special forces seized Maduro in Caracas and transported him to New York, where he is set to face narcotrafficking charges. The…

From digital pioneer to global talent hub, a Deloitte analysis reveals the blueprint behind the UAE’s agile, citizen-first governance model—and its roadmap to 2071. A landmark 20-year transformation of Dubai’s government, turning it from a regional center into a global benchmark for speed, innovation, and citizen service, is being hailed as a new blueprint for modern governance. The analysis, detailed by Deloitte Middle East on the firm’s regional centennial, credits the period under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum with executing one of the most accelerated and intentional public sector overhauls of the modern era.…

Israel has, since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, extended its occupation of Syrian territory and staged numerous raids and bombardments.Twelve Israeli military vehicles have entered the village of Saida al-Golan in the Quneitra countryside, southern Syria, according to an media correspondent on the ground there.This latest Israeli incursion on Tuesday, a further violation of Syrian sovereignty, comes as a Syrian delegation is holding a new round of negotiations with Israeli counterparts in the French capital Paris, under the coordination and mediation of the United States, according to Syrian state news agency SANA.The talks were expected to continue into a second and…

Hadramout governor says ports and airports will soon be operational after Saudi-backed government forces ousted secessionists from the south.About 400 tourists are stuck on the Yemeni island of Socotra after flights were grounded because of clashes on the mainland between government troops backed by Saudi Arabia and secessionists with links to the United Arab Emirates.Over the past few days, flights in and out of Yemen have been largely restricted during heavy fighting between rival armed factions loosely grouped under the Yemen’s fractious government, which is based in the southern port city of Aden.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of…