Author: Gulf News Week
NetBlocks says the apparent blackout follows ‘a series of escalating digital censorship measures targeting protests’.Iran is experiencing a nationwide internet blackout, online monitoring group NetBlocks has said, amid escalating protests over a worsening economic crisis.In a post on social media on Thursday, NetBlocks noted that the apparent blackout follows “a series of escalating digital censorship measures targeting protests across the country and hinders the public’s right to communicate at a critical moment”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Timeline of protests in Iran after the 1979 Islamic revolutionlist 2 of 3Why Trump’s regime-change playbook won’t work in Iranlist 3…
Pressure piles on hosts Morocco as they take on five-time champions Cameroon in AFCON’s heavyweight quarterfinal.Who: Cameroon vs Morocco What: CAF Africa Cup of Nations Where: Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco When: Friday, January 9 at 8pm (19:00 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on media Sport from 16:00 GMT in advance of our live score and text commentary stream.Few gave Cameroon much of a chance in the Africa Cup of Nations after off-the-field issues marred their build-up to the tournament but the Indomitable Lions stood firm in the face of adversity to reach the quarterfinals in Morocco.The…
Deepening instability, minority distrust and foreign meddling test Damascus’s grip on a fractured state.In recent days, leaked recordings and documents have provided the rough outline of a conspiracy to launch an insurgency in the Alawite-dominated coastal region of Syria. Behind the plan are a number of high-level officials of the former regime of Bashar al-Assad living in exile. The leaks reveal the recruitment of fighters within the Alawite community, the movement and storage of weapons, and the transfer of payments to their families.The revelations come months after an insurrection staged in the coastal region in March led to the deaths…
Statement says army established state monopoly on arms in an ‘effective and tangible way’, without mentioning Hezbollah.The Lebanese army has announced the completion of the first phase of its plan to bring all non-state weaponry in the south of the country under its control, covering the area between the Litani river and the Israeli border.In a statement on Thursday, the army said it had established a state monopoly on arms in the south in an “effective and tangible way”, without specifically mentioning Hezbollah.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Lebanon’s mission to complete disarmament plan of Hezbollahlist 2 of…
Protests in Iran are predominantly driven by mounting economic pressure and desperation amid the economic crisis.The protests in Iran started on a cold December day after several merchants at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, along Jomhouri [Republic] Avenue, closed their shops in protest.They grew weary of watching the Iranian national currency, the rial, continue to plummet. It had already lost nearly half of its value over the past year, which means the merchants were losing daily, and their financial loss was only increasing by the day.The protests in the capital soon spread sporadically across Iran and were predominantly driven by mounting economic…
Army commander to brief government on the progress of the mission to disarm Hezbollah amid complex tensions.Beirut, Lebanon – At the end of last year, Lebanon’s army first took journalists and then international diplomats on tours that were meant to show what had been achieved in terms of dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure along the country’s southern border with Israel.At the time, Israel was increasing threats to expand its attacks if Lebanon failed to disarm Hezbollah.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Israel-Lebanon talks: Everything you need to knowlist 2 of 4Israel, Lebanon officials meet as pressure mounts to disarm Hezbollahlist…
Fermin Lopez and Raphinha star for Barca as Yamal comes on as a late sub in the Super Coppa semifinal in Jeddah.Fermin Lopez scored one goal and laid on two more as Barcelona tore through Athletic Bilbao to record a 5-0 victory in their Spanish Super Cup semifinal played in Jeddah.Raphinha scored twice while Ferran Torres and Roony Bardghji were also on target in a dominant display, extending their team’s winning run to nine matches on Wednesday.Hansi Flick’s team overpowered their Basque rivals by scoring four times in the first half while star forward Lamine Yamal watched from the bench.Barcelona…
Secessionist STC had de facto control over most of southern Yemen, but then squandered it by going too far.Landing at Aden International Airport on a trip in late 2017, the plane had two flags visible as it moved along the tarmac. One was the flag of the former South Yemen, resurrected as a symbol of Yemen’s secessionist southern movement. The other was of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the movement’s primary backer.Passing one checkpoint after another on the road out of Aden, the flag of the actual Republic of Yemen wasn’t visible, and only made an appearance towards the city…
Secessionist leader took a boat to Berbera and then boarded a pane that flew to Abu Dhabi via Mogadishu, coalition says.The Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen has announced that the leader of the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) has fled to the United Arab Emirates via Somaliland after skipping planned peace talks in Riyadh.In a statement on Thursday, the coalition said Aidarous al-Zubaidi “escaped in the dead of night” on Wednesday aboard a vessel that departed Aden in Yemen for the port of Berbera in Somaliland.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Saudi-led coalition targets Yemen separatists after leader skips…
Volker Turk’s description of the occupied West Bank’s situation as ‘apartheid’ marks first time a United Nations human rights chief has used term.The United Nations human rights office has called on Israel to “dismantle all settlements” in the occupied West Bank, saying its “oppression and domination” of Palestinians resembles “apartheid”.In a new report on Wednesday, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights slammed Israel’s “systemic discrimination” against Palestinians, citing restrictions on movement through checkpoints, and “limited access to roads, natural resources, land and basic social facilities”.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Press association condemns Israel’s continued…