Author: Gulf News Week
From white phosphorus to bulldozers, the destruction of South Lebanon’s woodlands shows how war was waged against the ecosystem.The border between Israel and Lebanon is a mix of military infrastructure, farmland, villages, and small towns. Among them lies a woodland that is one of the last natural refuges in the zone.Harj al-Raheb, or the Monk Forest, lies on the southern edge of Ayta ash-Shaab, a Lebanese village right on the border with Israel. Its 16 hectares (40 acres) are made up of two adjoining woodland areas, known locally as the Southern and Western Hima, that once enjoyed a degree of…
The Israeli parliament has voted to extend the bill, which allows the shutdown of foreign media outlets, until 2027.The Israeli parliament has approved an extension of a law which allows the shutdown of foreign media outlets over national security grounds for an additional two years.The bill, which replaces temporary legislation passed last April, includes several amendments aimed at eliminating judicial oversight. It can now be applied even if Israel is not under a state of emergency.In May 2024, Israel shut down media operations in the country, weeks after the law was passed by the Knesset.The law gave the prime minister…
Nearly 3,000 detainees to be released under latest prisoner swap deal reached during talks in Oman.Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Houthi group have reached an agreement to free detainees, according to the United Nations, with officials from both sides putting the number at thousands.In a statement on Tuesday, the UN envoy on Yemen Hans Grundberg said the prisoner swap deal came after nearly two weeks of talks in Muscat, the capital of Oman, a mediator in the conflict between the government and the Houthis that began in 2014.Abdulqader al-Mortada, an official with the Houthi delegation in Muscat, said in…
Tensions high as an end-of-year deadline to incorporate the Kurdish-led SDF into the Syrian armed forces approaches.Clashes between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria’s second-largest city, Aleppo, did not come in a vacuum.Tensions between the two sides have been high as an end-of-year deadline to incorporate the SDF into the Syrian armed forces approaches.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US wants to sell GM soya and corn to India, farmers warylist 2 of 3News Quiz: Can you locate the biggest stories from 2025?list 3 of 3‘We have nothing’: Endless pain for displaced…
Congolese hopes that conflict would end this year were dashed after M23 advanced on key city Uvira despite US and Qatari peace efforts.When Qatar helped secure a peace deal to end ongoing conflict between the M23 rebel group and Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) government last month, there was hope among many Congolese that a permanent ceasefire would soon emerge to end the fighting that has uprooted close to a million people in the country’s troubled east, and give war-racked communities some respite as the new year rolls in.Since late 2021, the group, which the United States and the…
I met displaced people who had experienced unimaginable horrors – horrors that the world failed to stop.I was about 13 years old when the conflict in Darfur began in 2003. As a teenager reading and listening to the news before the dawn of social media, I didn’t fully understand the historical or political context, but I understood there was a need to act. A need to put an end to a humanitarian crisis. It is one of the events that ultimately led me to become a physician and work in areas of conflict and natural disasters.In the first two weeks…
Mohamed Salah puts Liverpool controversy behind him with dramatic winner against Zimbabwe in their AFCON opener.Mohamed Salah snatched a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Egypt came from behind to beat Zimbabwe 2-1 in their first fixture at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Morocco on Monday.Egypt’s captain, starting his first game after four successive matches on the bench at Liverpool, fired home a left-footed effort in the 91st minute to earn the seven-time champions a late victory after Zimbabwe had stunned them by going ahead in the first half.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3After World Cup…
At least two people killed in clashes in northern city of Aleppo during Turkish FM Fidan’s visit to Syria.Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces agreed to stop fighting in the northern city of Aleppo, after a wave of attacks left at least two civilians dead.Syria’s state news agency SANA cited the defence ministry as saying that the army’s general command issued an order to stop targeting the SDF’s fighters after the deadly clashes erupted during a visit by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3At least two killed in Aleppo clashes…
Deadly attack comes as Gaza government media office says Israel violated ceasefire 875 times since it began in October.Israeli forces have killed at least two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as Israel continues to violate a ceasefire agreement and block desperately needed humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged coastal enclave.The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported on Monday that two people were killed after Israeli troops opened fire in the Shujayea neighbourhood of eastern Gaza City.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Turning Point USA held its AmericaFest conference. Here’s what happenedlist 2 of 3Sudan’s Darfur grapples with severe measles outbreak…
Lyle Foster’s match-winning 79th-minute strike allowed South Africa to win first opening match at AFCON since 2004.Lyle Foster scored a superb winner from outside the box as South Africa defeated Angola 2-1 in Africa Cup of Nations Group B in Marrakesh on Monday, the first time they have won their opening match at the continental finals in 21 years.South Africa also had a goal disallowed and struck the crossbar, just about deserving the nervy victory. Angola also had chances and will be disappointed not to have gotten something from the game.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2After World…