Author: Gulf News Week

Misrata, Libya – After days of mourning, Libya is laying to rest its army chief, General Mohammed al-Haddad, and four other prominent military figures.Al-Haddad, his senior adviser, Mohamed al-Essawi, and his military cameraman, Mohamed al-Mahjoub, were transported to their hometown in Misrata on Saturday evening for burial.Also killed in the aircraft crash in central Turkiye on Tuesday were the commander of army land forces, General Fetouri Ghrebil, and the head of military manufacturing, Mahmoud al-Gedewi, whose remains were moved to their respective hometowns for burial.The five were returning to the North African country from Ankara after meetings with Turkish defence…

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate says Israel is using collective punishment to crush reporting of its genocidal war in Gaza.Israel has killed at least 706 family members of Palestinian journalists since the start of its genocidal war in Gaza in October 2023, according to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.The syndicate’s Freedoms Committee said in a report released late on Saturday that Israeli forces are systematically targeting the families of journalists as part of what it called a war aimed at silencing Palestinian reporting.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Palestinians suffer flooded tents and debris as cold and rain lash Gazalist…

Authorities in the enclave warn that the expected downpour could intensify into a full-blown storm.Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza, surrounded by tents and debris, are suffering through more winter rains after two years of Israeli bombardment destroyed much of the Strip.A polar low-pressure system accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds swept across the Gaza Strip on Saturday. It is the third polar low to affect the Palestinian territory this winter, with a fourth low-pressure system forecast to hit the area starting on Monday, meteorologist Laith al-Allami told the Anadolu news agency.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist…

Nigeria handed a nervy ending by Tunisia but hold on to become the second team to reach 2025 Africa Cup of Nations knockouts.Victor Osimhen starred as Nigeria became the second qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations knockout stage after Egypt by surviving a late Tunisia onslaught to win 3-2 in Fes.The Super Eagles were cruising to victory on Saturday, leading 3-0 through goals from Osimhen, captain Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Sabalenka vs Kyrgios: All to know ahead of Battle of the Sexes blockbusterlist 2 of 4England win chaotic fourth Ashes Test…

If Israel and the US were to attack Iran again, they would ‘face a more decisive response’, Pezeshkian warns.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says that the United States, Israel and Europe are waging a “full-fledged war” against his country.“In my opinion, we are in a full-fledged war with America, Israel and Europe. They do not want our country to stand on its feet,” Pezeshkian told the official site of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an interview on Saturday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trump declared a ‘new Middle East’ – but what has changed?list 2 of 3Netanyahu pushes…

Regional blocs join nations in condemning Israel’s move to formally recognise breakaway Somali region as independent.The Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the African Union (AU) have joined numerous countries decrying Israel’s formal recognition of the northern Somali breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent state.Somaliland, a region in the Horn of Africa, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has pushed for international recognition for decades, with President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi making it a top priority since taking office last year.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Somalia demands Israel withdraw Somaliland recognitionlist 2 of 4Israel…

Saudi defence minister urges Yemen’s STC to withdraw “peacefully” from seized provinces, Hadramout and al-Mahra.The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen says it will respond to any separatist military movements that undermine de-escalation efforts in the southern region, as Riyadh doubles down on calls for the group to “peacefully” withdraw from recently seized eastern provinces.Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said on X on Saturday that “it’s time” for troops from the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) to “let reason prevail by withdrawing from the two provinces and doing so peacefully”.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Houthis detain 10…

Authorities are examining a wide range of data, including flight recordings and airpot CCTV footage, officials say.Istanbul, Turkiye – Turkish authorities and Libyan officials are conducting an investigation into the crash of a private jet that killed Libya’s army chief, Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, and seven other people near Ankara.The probe, coordinated by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, is focusing on technical evidence, flight recordings, crew activity and aircraft maintenance, officials said. The French civil aviation investigations agency, BEA, has announced that it will participate in the probe.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Libyan army chief killed in…

Incursion follows Israeli defence minister’s order for military to ‘act forcefully’ against the Palestinian town.Israeli forces have carried out mass arrests and forced dozens of families from their homes in the town of Qabatiya in the occupied West Bank, on the second day of a sweeping military operation ordered by Israel’s defence minister.Israeli forces sealed off entrances to Qabatiya while rounding up and interrogating dozens of residents on Saturday, local sources told media. They converted several homes into military interrogation centres, displacing their occupants, according to the Palestinian Wafa news agency.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Israeli forces…

ISIL attacks dropped after the fall of the Assad regime. But the group will likely attempt to destabilise Syria’s new government.On December 13, a joint US-Syrian patrol was ambushed by a member of Syria’s own security forces near Palmyra, a city in central Syria once controlled by the ISIL (ISIS) group.Two US soldiers and an interpreter were shot dead, and four people were wounded, before Syrian forces killed the gunman.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3A father’s fight to find out what happened to his son who joined ISISlist 2 of 3Aleppo clashes expose hurdles in SDF’s integration…