Author: Gulf News Week

Fifteen years after revolution took hold, little remains of the hopes that ignited a region.Fifteen years ago, a Tunisian fruit seller, Mohamed Bouazizi, despairing at official corruption and police violence, walked to the centre of his hometown of Sidi Bouzid, set himself on fire, and changed the region forever.Much of the hope triggered by that act lies in ruins. The revolutions that followed in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Syria have cost the lives of tens and thousands before, in some cases, giving way to chaos or the return of authoritarianism.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘Enough repression’: Thousands…

Israeli authorities are engaged in multiple major efforts, including building settlements and pursuing annexation, to ensure there will be no Palestinian state in the future.Israeli authorities are expected to advance plans to build 9,000 new housing units in an illegal settlement on the site of the abandoned Qalandiya airport in occupied East Jerusalem, in another attempt to cut off Palestinian lands from each other and block any possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state ever emerging.The so-called Atarot neighbourhood in northern East Jerusalem, reminiscent of the E1 plan to undermine Palestinian statehood, is to be discussed and have its outlines approved…

Authorities distribute aid to tens of thousands of families hit by deadly winter stormsMorocco has launched a nationwide emergency relief operation to support families affected by severe winter weather as communities across the country grapple with deadly floods and plunging temperatures.The aid program was announced on Tuesday and will reach approximately 73,000 households across 28 provinces hit by freezing conditions, torrential rains and snowstorms, authorities said.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2At least 37 dead after flash floods hit Morocco’s Safilist 2 of 2Photos: Morocco’s Safi counts the cost in aftermath of deadly flash floodsend of listAuthorities are…

Fighting intensifies as humanitarian crisis deepens with cholera outbreak and mass displacement.At least 104 civilians have been killed in drone attacks across Sudan’s Kordofan region as fighting between rival military factions reached deadly new heights in the brutal civil war deep into its third year.The attacks have battered the central region since early December, right up to Friday, following the capture of a significant army base by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Babnusa after a week of intense fighting.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3What does RSF capture of Heglig oilfield mean for Sudan’s war?list 2…

On December 17, 2010, Tunisian vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire, triggering protests across the Arab world.Fifteen years have passed since Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old Tunisian street vendor whose cart was confiscated by the police, set himself on fire to protest against police harassment and the authorities’ neglect.His act of desperation triggered nationwide protests by millions facing a crushing reality of increased unemployment, corruption, and a decades-old political system with little room for expression or change.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Interactive: The Arab Spring RetweetedExternal LinkThis article will be opened in a new browser windowlist 2…

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…