Author: Olive Metuge
Listen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Residents started returning to a contested neighbourhood in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo on Sunday after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. First responders entered to tend to residents, clear rubble and disarm mines.The clashes broke out on Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the main Kurdish-led force in…
The increase of two lanes to four is set to double capacity and ease traffic flow at one of the city’s key intersectionsIf you’ve lived in Dubai for more than a week, you’re likely to have sat in Hessa Street traffic. But congestion on Hessa is set to be alleviated as the first phase of the Hessa Street development project is now open. In phase one, Hessa Street has been widened from two lanes to four in the direction from Al Khail Road to Sheikh Zayed Road, doubling the capacity for those heading from Al Khail to SZR.In addition, construction…
Sudan’s military-led government has returned to the country’s capital after nearly three years of operating from its wartime base in the eastern city of Port Sudan.Sudan’s Prime Minister Kamil Idris told reporters on Sunday that the “government of hope” was officially back in Khartoum and would begin efforts to improve services for the city’s beleaguered residents.The military was forced out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) when civil war erupted between the two sides in 2023. The army recaptured it in a significant breakthrough last March.Khartoum has been recovering from years of fighting. Roughly five million fled the city…
Listen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said no more Venezuelan oil or money will go to Cuba and suggested the communist-run island should strike a deal with Washington, ramping up pressure on the longtime U.S. nemesis.Venezuela is Cuba’s biggest oil supplier, but no cargoes have departed from Venezuelan ports to the Caribbean country since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces on Jan. 3 amid a strict U.S.…
And the Dubai Burger Championship crown goes to…From international ones to local favourites, Dubai’s burger scene just got a serious upgrade. Here’s who took home the crown.The Dubai Burger Championship ran from January 8 to 11, 2026, bringing some of the world’s most creative, juicy, and drool-worthy burgers right to Dubai’s Media City Ampitheatre. This four-day festival of flavour gathered the best local and international burger makers under one roof to compete and the public’s taste buds were the real winners.Visitors had the chance to try everything from sustainable gourmet creations to over-the-top viral sensations, all in one place. With…
Protesters in Iran defied a government crackdown on Saturday night, taking to the streets despite reports suggesting hundreds of people have been killed or wounded by security forces in the past three days. Videos verified by the BBC and eyewitness accounts appeared to show the government was ramping up its response.Iran’s attorney general said anyone protesting would be considered an “enemy of God” – an offence that carries the death penalty. US President Donald Trump has threatened to hit Iran “very hard” if they “start killing people”. Iran’s parliament speaker warned that if the US attacks Iran, Israel and all…
Thirty-two years after Diana, Princess of Wales, took her young son William to a homeless shelter to learn about having empathy for those who don’t have a home, he took his own son there.But as Prince William and Prince George helped make lunch at The Passage in London the other day, William was doing more than introducing his 12-year-old son to one of his main philanthropic pursuits.He was continuing George’s cautious but deliberate introduction to the public side of his life ahead, while also offering a reminder of the influence Diana had on his own upbringing.“We’re seeing a great deal…
Good morning, and welcome to what is expected to be the first opinion day of the 2025-26 term. We don’t know what decisions are coming, but we do know we’ll be live blogging our way through it. SCOTUS Quick Hits The Supreme Court may announce opinions today at 10 a.m. EST. SCOTUSblog will be live blogging beginning at 9:30. Later today, the justices will meet to consider petitions for review. We may know as soon as this afternoon if the court has added any new cases to the oral argument docket. The court is expected to release an order list…
Set to launch in 2026, the UAE’s rail network has now revealed the location of 11 of its stationsOne of the most exciting new things coming to the UAE in 2026 is Etihad Rail’s passenger network. And as the launch of the UAE’s first passenger train gets closer, Etihad Rail has announced the locations of 7 new stations that will further improve connectivity around the emirates.Announced on Thursday, January 8, the new Etihad Rail stations are Al Sila, Al Dhannah, Al Mirfa, Madinat Zayed, Mezairaa, Al Faya, and Al Dhaid. The seven newly unveiled Etihad Rail stops add to the…
Bob Weir, the guitarist who co-founded the Grateful Dead, has died aged 78.Weir, a cornerstone of the California psychedelic rock group and many of its offshoots, passed away after a battle with cancer and lung issues, according to a post on his Instagram.”There is no final curtain here, not really. Only the sense of someone setting off again,” the post says, noting his hopes that his legacy and lengthy catalogue will live on.The post says he “transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones”.”He often spoke of a three-hundred-year legacy, determined to ensure the songbook would endure long after him,” the post…