Author: Gulf News Week
Mass atrocities in Kordofan, the seizure of a key oilfield, and a “crime scene” in el-Fasher mark a deadly month as international funding dries up.The brutal war in Sudan, now deep into its third year, has shifted its centre of gravity to the strategic central region of Kordofan from Darfur, threatening to split the country in two.December saw the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) expand its offensive, seizing vital oil infrastructure and laying siege to key cities, while the government-aligned Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) intensified aerial campaigns.Humanitarian conditions hit a new nadir as the United Nations warned of a “survival…
Students have joined protests prompted by plummeting currency as government pledges to listen to legitimate concerns.Iran’s government has pledged to “listen patiently” to the concerns of protesters, as demonstrations prompted by the plummeting currency and dire economic conditions have spread from Tehran to several other cities.Students took to the streets in the capital on Tuesday, while protests also broke out at universities and institutions in the cities of Isfahan, Yazd and Zanjan, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Iran president says US, Israel, Europe waging ‘full-fledged war’ on countrylist 2 of 4Protests, strikes…
Satellites show one camp spanning 500,000 square metres near the city of al-Dabba, as tens of thousands seek refuge.Several displacement camps have emerged and are quickly filling with people who fled Sudan’s devastated and largely emptied city of el-Fasher, which the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized in an atrocity-ridden campaign in October.One camp has been established in the small town of Qarni, northwest of el-Fasher, according to satellite images reviewed by media’s Sanad agency. Between December 14 and December 29, the camp expanded by 13,000 square metres (140,000sq ft), bringing its total area to about 199,000 square metres (15,550sq…
Flooding has become the world’s ‘foremost climate hazard’, according to experts. So what do we do about it?Devastating floods ravaged multiple regions of the world in 2025, from Southeast Asia to North America and the Middle East.We asked climate experts what is causing the devastation and what governments should be doing to prevent the situation from becoming even worse in the coming year.Which places were worst hit by floods in 2025?“Throughout 2025, a series of major floods occurred worldwide, making flooding the year’s foremost climate hazard,” Pawan Bhattarai, assistant professor at the civil engineering department of Nepal’s Kathmandu-based Tribhuvan University,…
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says his country believes the move is linked to Israel’s plans to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza.Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has told media that Israel’s “unexpected and strange” recognition of Somaliland may have implications for Palestinians in Gaza.“Somaliland has been claiming the secession issue for a long time, over the past three decades, and no one country in the world has recognised it,” Mohamud told media in an exclusive interview from Istanbul, Turkiye, on Tuesday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4UN Security Council members condemn Israel’s recognition of Somalilandlist 2 of 4Somalis rally against Israel’s…
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has accused Israel of violating international law and of ‘illegal aggression’.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned Israel’s decision to recognise Somaliland as a sovereign state, calling the move “illegitimate and unacceptable”.At a joint news conference with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Ankara on Tuesday, Erdogan warned that Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region of Somalia could destabilise the Horn of Africa.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4US issues Iran-Venezuela sanctions over alleged drone tradelist 2 of 4How has Trump’s second term transformed the US Justice Department in 2025?list 3 of 4Nigeria…
Aid groups facing bans include MSF and Oxfam as European countries sound the alarm over dire humanitarian situation.Israel says it will suspend more than three dozen humanitarian organisations, including Doctors Without Borders, for failing to meet its new rules for aid groups working in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.Organisations facing bans starting on Thursday didn’t meet new requirements for sharing information on their staffs, funding and operations, Israeli authorities said.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Israeli strikes on Gaza are relentless as displaced endure flooded campslist 2 of 4Judge blocks Trump effort to strip South Sudan deportation protectionslist 3…
Cars and shops were vandalised during attacks on Alawite neighbourhoods in the western city in recent days.Syrian authorities imposed an overnight curfew in the coastal city of Latakia following deadly attacks on predominantly Alawite neighbourhoods as security tensions rise in the country’s western coastal region.Authorities in Latakia arrested 21 people allegedly linked to ousted leader Bashar al-Assad’s rule, state media reported on Tuesday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4New Syrian banknotes unveiled amid push to rebuild economylist 2 of 4Trump threatens Hamas while praising Israel on Gaza ceasefirelist 3 of 4Have Russian claims of Ukraine attack on Putin…
Elsewhere in Group C, Tanzania scrape through to the knockout stages for the first time after 1-1 draw with Tunisia.Raphael Onyedika has scored twice, and Paul Onuachu has netted his first international goal in four years as already-qualified Nigeria overcame 10-man Uganda 3-1 to maintain a 100 percent record after the group stage and send the East African side home.Nigeria finished top of Group C on Tuesday with nine points, followed by Tunisia in second with four and Tanzania, who reached the round of 16 as one of the four best third-placed sides after their 1-1 draw with Tunisia, also…
Washington accuses Tehran and Caracas of ‘reckless proliferation of deadly weapons’ amid spiraling tensions.Washington, DC – The United States has issued sanctions against a Venezuelan company over accusations that it helped acquire Iranian-designed drones as Washington’s tensions with both Tehran and Caracas escalate.The penalties on Tuesday targeted Empresa Aeronautica Nacional SA (EANSA), a Venezuelan firm that the US Department of the Treasury said “maintains and oversees the assembly of” drones from Iran’s Qods Aviation Industries, which is already under sanctions by Washington.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iran warns of ‘severe’ response in wake of Trump’s new strikes…