Author: Gulf News Week

Amid life under Israeli occupation and war in Gaza, a public Christmas celebration returns to Bethlehem.Christmas lights are back on in Bethlehem for the first time since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began. Yet, behind the celebrations, deep economic hardships and mounting pressure from Israeli military incursions and settler violence continue to shape daily life for Palestinian Christians across the occupied West Bank.In this episode:Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2The Take: Will the Bondi Beach shooting change Australia’s gun laws?list 2 of 2The Take: What does RSF capture of Heglig oilfield mean for Sudan’s war?end of list…

‘How is it that members of parliament are a public safety concern?’ Canadian MP Jenny Kwan tells media.A Canadian lawmaker who was denied entry to the occupied West Bank, alongside fellow politicians and civil society leaders, has dismissed Israel’s claims that the delegation posed a threat to public safety.Jenny Kwan, a Canadian MP with the left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP), questioned whether Canada’s recognition of an independent Palestinian state earlier this year contributed to Israel’s decision to block the group.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Israel denies entry to Canadian MPs trying to reach occupied West Banklist 2…

Winter cold ‘becomes lethal’ as Israel restricts entry of tents, blankets and other shelter supplies to ravaged enclave.A Palestinian infant has frozen to death in the Gaza Strip, local authorities say, as Israel continues to restrict the entry of shelter supplies and other humanitarian aid to the enclave despite the harsh winter conditions there.The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Tuesday that the two-week-old baby, Mohammed Khalil Abu al-Khair, died a day earlier after seeking treatment for severe hypothermia, brought on by the extreme cold gripping Gaza.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Photos: Winter storms plague…

Yale research lab finds evidence that Sudanese group buried, burned, and removed human remains after el-Fasher massacre.The Sudanese paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have carried out a systematic, weeks-long campaign to erase evidence of mass killings in the city of el-Fasher, according to a recent report released by the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL).“RSF’s mass killing campaign targeted civilians attempting to flee the city and those seeking refuge in the Daraja Oula neighborhood,” the report, released on Tuesday, said, referring to a neighbourhood in el-Fasher where massacres occurred. “RSF subsequently engaged in a systematic…

Advocacy group urges sanctions on Israel after Canadian delegation, including six lawmakers, turned back to Jordan.Israel has denied entry to a group of Canadian lawmakers who were seeking to reach the occupied West Bank to hold talks with Palestinian officials and human rights advocates, Canadian civil society groups say.Six members of Canada’s Parliament were trying to reach the West Bank from neighbouring Jordan when the Israeli authorities turned them back, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) said in a statement on Tuesday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Former UN rapporteur who investigated Israeli abuses interrogated in Canadalist…

Quietly, but steadily, the Israeli geopolitical clout is shrinking while the Israeli state is succumbing to dysfunction.Israel may look to many like a winner, a de facto hegemon in the Middle East. It has waged war on several fronts simultaneously, dealing deadly blows on its enemies. In parallel, it continues to enjoy much support from various Western constituencies and leaders, particularly those who face real challenges from the hard right in their countries.But under the surface, Israel is imploding. An international coalition, led by the United States with the participation of Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, is gradually removing…

Sharjah’s Hala Shahin recognized for revolutionizing classrooms with AI, play-based learning, and a focus on sustainability. SHARJAH — In a landmark achievement for the UAE’s education sector, Sharjah mathematics teacher Hala Shahin has been selected among the top 50 finalists for the $1 million Global Teacher Prize 2026. Shahin, an educator at Khawla Bint Tha’albaa School, was chosen from over 5,000 applicants across 139 countries for the prestigious award, often described as the Nobel Prize for teaching. Her pioneering integration of artificial intelligence and smart learning techniques has significantly influenced how math is taught in the UAE and the broader Arab…

A historic water crisis forces drastic cuts to farming, reverses years of progress, and threatens to displace more rural communities. NAJAF, Iraq – A relentless drought and plummeting river flows are shattering Iraq’s ambitious and costly drive to produce enough wheat for its own people, forcing a return to import dependency and pushing rural communities to the brink. Farmer Ma’an Al-Fatlawi, standing by a near-dry irrigation canal in Najaf, encapsulates the crisis. “We rely on river water,” he said, having slashed his wheat planting by 80% this season. With groundwater too saline for wells, he and countless others are at…

‘Geopolitical rivalries, shifting alliances, transactional deals’ dominate as most vulnerable are plunged into deeper crisis.Growing global disorder threatens to deepen humanitarian crises around the world, with Sudan and Palestine facing the greatest risk of all, according to a new report.The pair once again topped the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) Emergency Watchlist, the 2026 version of which was released on Tuesday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Tracking Sudan’s humanitarian crisis: By the numberslist 2 of 3EU launches aid flights to Sudan’s Darfur as humanitarian crisis escalateslist 3 of 3Gaza authorities struggle to recover bodies from rubble amid winter stormsend…

Rights groups say the demolition order, which will affect 100 Palestinian homes, is an attempt to ‘cage in’ Palestinians.The Israeli military will demolish 25 residential buildings in the occupied West Bank’s Nur Shams refugee camp this week, according to local authorities.Abdallah Kamil, the governor of the Tulkarem governorate where Nur Shams is located, told the AFP news agency on Monday that he was informed of the planned demolition by the Israeli Defence Ministry body COGAT.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Condemnation as Israel raids UNRWA HQ in East Jerusalem, removes UN flaglist 2 of 4Young Palestinian dies in…