Arab

AMMAN: Jordan’s army said Wednesday it shot down 18 missiles from Iran targeting the US-allied kingdom.

“Jordan’s air defense systems engaged 20 ballistic missiles launched toward Jordanian territory, successfully intercepting and destroying 18 of them, while two missiles fell in unpopulated areas,” the army said in a statement, adding that they came from Iran.

New York: Frances Tiafoe rallied from two sets down — and 3-0 down in the fifth set — to edge 22-year-old Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10/6) and reach the US Open semi-finals on Tuesday.

American 11th seed Tiafoe had all he could handle from his 22-year-old compatriot, who hadn’t dropped a set in reaching the first Grand Slam quarter-final of his career.

But in a match of swinging momentum shifts, Tiafoe battled back from 5-3 down in the third set and recovered an early break in the fifth to reach his third US Open semi-final in five years.

Tiafoe clinched it in the 10-point match tiebreaker after four hours and 38 minutes, Michelsen weeping in the victor’s arms as they met at the net.

Tiafoe will face either defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or eighth-seeded American Ben Shelton for a place in Sunday’s championship match.

Michelsen came out swinging on Arthur Ashe Stadium against an uncharacteristically passive Tiafoe, who usually feeds on the energy of the crowd.

But when Michelsen found himself serving for the match at 5-4 in the third, his nerves betrayed him. Two double faults helped Tiafoe break back, and Tiafoe strung together seven straight games to close out the third set and seize control of the fourth.

Michelsen, who has yet to win a title on the ATP Tour, responded with an early break in the fifth set, but Tiafoe refused to fold.

“He gave me some gifts, a couple of double faults there,” Tiafoe said of his narrow escape in the third set.

“But then I slowly started to get my rhythm there, snuck out third set and slowly started playing better and better.

“But he is a hell of a player,” Tiafoe added. “He should have easily won today.”

When he had completed the comeback Tiafoe flung his arms into the air, then consoled a weeping Michelsen at the net.

“I was like, man, I know, I’ve been there,” Tiafoe told ESPN. “I know how much that hurts.”

ROME: Syria’s future constitution should guarantee the equality and inclusion of all religious minorities to stem emigration, a Syrian minister told AFP on Tuesday.

“We have to have a new constitution, which includes everybody, and (in which) everybody is equal under the law,” Syria’s Social Affairs and Labour Minister Hind Kabawat told AFP.

Kabawat is the only woman and only Christian in the Islamist transition government headed up by Ahmed Al-Sharaa set up after the 2024 fall of former president Bashar Assad.

The transition parliament set up since Al-Sharaa came to power has the task of coming up with a new constitution.

Syria, a majority Sunni Muslim country, is home to one of the world’s oldest Christian communities.

There are also sizeable Alawite, Druze, Ismaili and Kurdish minorities.

The number of Christians has plunged — going down from around a million before the start of the civil war in 2011 — to around 300,000 people, according to experts.

Kabawat said the departure of Christians started long before Assad’s fall.

“I felt the acceleration since the massacres of Hama in the 1980s. Many Christians decided to leave. We used to be 15 percent, then 9 percent, then 4 percent,” she said.

Asked whether the departures had sped up since the fall of Assad, Kabawat said Syrians from different communities were still leaving.

“They’re worried, and they don’t know what kind of government this is,” she said, adding that the government needed to do more to show it was “inclusive.”

Kabawat is in Rome to meet Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday with around 20 Muslim and Christian officials from the Arab world.

NEW YORK CITY: The UN secretary-general’s personal envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, joined fellow “Quintet” mediators in Khartoum on Tuesday for a round of talks aimed at reviving an inclusive political process that can end the conflict in Sudan, the UN said.

The Quintet group — comprising the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the League of Arab States, the EU and the UN — held what Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, described as a “good offices mission” to hear an assessment by Sudanese stakeholders of the political and security situation in the country, and to share reflections on efforts to advance peace.

The envoys met at the Sudanese Foreign Ministry before engaging with representatives of UN agencies, Dujarric told reporters in New York. Next, they will meet Sudanese political and civilian representatives, followed by further engagements, he said.

Sudan has been locked in a civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and rival paramilitary faction the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023.

Haavisto arrived in Khartoum on Friday and held a series of meetings with the chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council, the prime minister, the foreign minister and senior government officials, as well as other political leaders and representatives of civil society, Dujarric said.

Haavisto’s talks over the weekend focused on “practical measures to advance deescalation and the protection of civilians,” Dujarric added. He also raised the issue of the release and exchange of detainees, and stressed the importance of a single national examination process for all Sudanese schoolchildren.

Haavisto called for an inclusive political process alongside concrete steps to reduce violence in the country, insisting that a negotiated settlement remained “the only viable path” toward a comprehensive ceasefire agreement and a sustainable end to the conflict.

The envoy is expected to remain in Sudan until the end of this week.

NEW YORK: The UN closed the books on the 80th session of the General Assembly on Tuesday and opened the 81st in a single day of ceremony, amid warnings from its outgoing and incoming leadership that the world body must reform itself or face erosion.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who was addressing the assembly for what he noted was his final time as UN chief, painted a bleak picture of the present moment in the world: wars that carry a risk of nuclear escalation; worsening climate chaos; advances in artificial intelligence without adequate governance; and human suffering that is intensifying even as aid funding has been slashed.

“Geopolitical mistrust and suspicion continue to block the effective solutions we need — and erode people’s faith in the possibilities of global cooperation,” Guterres said.

Still, he told delegates, he has “enormous hope,” pointing in particular to the UN’s Pact for the Future and the UN80 reform initiative as “a blueprint for action, solutions and bold reforms.”

The UN80 Initiative is a reform drive launched by Guterres in March last year, the organization’s 80th anniversary. It aims to overhaul overlapping structures and outdated mandates that officials say have rendered the UN slow and bureaucratic.

The departing president of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, described the initiative as unfinished business that she and her successor, Khalilur Rahman, were carrying into the 81st session.

Baerbock described the 80th session one that had found itself at “a crossroads” over whether a handful of states could effectively impose a veto on the General Assembly’s consensus. Member states, she said, had answered by refusing “to allow compromise to become compromising,” by pushing through 317 resolutions, holding 116 plenary meetings and opening a new chapter on AI governance, despite the challenges and only a few processes concluding through consensus.

“Not a single day, not a single country would be better off without the United Nations,” Baerbock told the assembly as she rejected the argument that the body had become irrelevant.

She credited Guterres with forcing the question of reform onto the agenda through the UN80 Initiative, including cuts to mandates and a merger of the UN System Staff College, which provides personnel and partners with the knowledge, skills and tools to act collaboratively and effectively, with UN Institute for Training and Research.

“If we are not capable of freeing this organization from overlapping structures and mandates, as well as a heavy bureaucratic mentality, it will erode over time,” she warned, describing the upcoming selection of a new secretary-general, a process she formally handed over to her successor, as “the credibility test of this institution for this decade.”

Rahman was then sworn in. He is from Bangladesh and told reporters he intended to run an open, media-engaged presidency built around the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation.”

During his formal address to the assembly he lamented that the UN “has often fallen short of the expectations placed upon us,” citing in particular a “widening trust deficit” that member states must work to close through the delivery of results, not rhetoric.

“Trust cannot simply be requested, it must be earned,” he added.

Rahman outlined six priorities for the coming 12-month session: peacekeeping-driven conflict prevention; acceleration of the Sustainable Development Goals, with just four years left to achieve them and only 36 percent of targets on track; climate adaptation ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference, COP31, in November, and a high-level meeting this month on rising sea levels; human rights, including the anniversaries of the Durban Declaration to combat racism and other forms of discrimination and intolerance, and the Declaration on the Right to Development, an issue he described as personal, given that Bangladesh hosts more than a million displaced Rohingya; inclusive governance of AI; and institutional solvency, as he appealed to member states to pay their assessed dues “in full, on time and without conditions.”

Rahman also inherits oversight of the selection process for the next secretary-general, under Article 97 of the UN Charter, to replace Guterres, whose term ends on Dec. 31. He pledged to run it “fairly, inclusively and transparently,” alongside the Security Council.

He said he had built his office to reflect the opening words of the Charter — “We the peoples,” not “We the states” — and noted that women make up 60 percent of his cabinet.

Guterres closed the day with a separate, more somber commemoration: a wreath-laying ceremony for Dag Hammarskjold, the second secretary-general of the UN, who was killed in the course of his duties, along with 15 others, in plane crash on Sept. 18, 1961.

Citing a new report from investigator Mohammed Chande Othman, Guterres renewed his appeal for undisclosed records relating to the crash in what is now Zambia, and said he would soon send recommendations to the General Assembly.

He also noted that UN personnel had been killed “in record numbers” over the past three years and added: “Their sacrifice reminds us of all the women and men who have lost their lives while serving the United Nations.”

RIYADH: With a FIFA Intercontinental Cup clash against Mamelodi Sundowns looming on Sept. 19, Al-Ahli fans have been plunged further into an alarming state of concern.

Just seven days after losing 3-0 to Al-Hilal in their first top-six clash of the season, on Tuesday night Marino Pusic’s side once again conceded three goals, this time to Brendan Rodgers’ Al-Qadsiah.

Al-Ahli have now lost three of their last four games, but even during the four-game winning streak (in all competitions) with which they began the season, many had started to feel the writing was on the wall; Pusic inherited the team late in the preseason and brought with him a football philosophy that often looks like a complete departure from that of outgoing manager Matthias Jaissle.

The 3-2 scoreline away to Al-Qadsiah might not look too worrying on paper but it was the nature of the defeat that will give Al-Ahli much to think about. They were simply outclassed by their opponents in the first 45 minutes, before Ivan Toney led a second-half rally that reduced the deficit but in the end was not enough to rescue a point.

Al-Ahli started the game with only one holding midfielder, Valentin Atangana, allowing Al-Qadsiah’s midfield trio of Julian Weigl, Tijjani Reijnders and Musab Al-Juwayr to overload the center of the pitch on several occasions, leaving the home side with a free player in the final third a number of times.

Such a situation was what led to Al-Qadsiah’s first goal when, in the 14th minute, Reijnders found himself in between Eduard Spertsyan and Galeno in the right half-space. The Dutch international only needed a few touches toward goal before he unleashed a belter of a shot toward the far corner, beating Edouard Mendy.

As Al-Qadsiah’s midfield trio continued to control the game, the wing-backs, Christopher Bonsu Baah and Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, became the main beneficiaries of Al-Ahli’s narrow defensive focus. As the game entered added time at the end of the first half, Al-Juwayr released Bonsu Baah down the left and he delivered a low cross into the box that found Abu Al-Shamat, who was unmarked inside the Al-Ahli box and finished cleanly to extend the lead.

A third followed two minutes later, with that Al-Juwayr-to-Bonsu Baah connection once again tormenting Al-Ahli. This time they switched the ball to the right flank, where Abu Al-Shamat received the ball and delivered a dipping cross towards Reijnders, who headed home to complete his brace. Al-Ahli mixed things up with a number of substitutions in the second half, including the introduction of Saleh Abu Al-Shamat for Galeno.

And it was Saleh, facing off against his brother Mohammed on the left flank, who injected a renewed spirit into Al-Ahli’s attack with his movement. This ultimately led to Al-Ahli’s revival of sorts in the second half, spearheaded by the league’s top scorer, Toney.

In the 63rd minute, he got on the end of a diagonal cross from Francisco Trincao to finally beat goalkeeper Koen Casteels — who had made four saves up to that point — with a header.

Toney scored again in the 82nd minute, this time latching onto a through ball from Abu Al-Shamat before cutting inside and curling his effort beyond Casteels. The humidity in Dammam clearly had an effect on Al-Qadsiah, who by now had shifted their high-pressing 3-4-1-2 formation into a compact 5-3-2.

This was ultimately enough to hold off Toney and his teammates, and claim a fifth victory from their first six games, their best-ever start to a Saudi Pro League season. In Jeddah, Al-Ittihad followed up on their 2-1 home win against Al-Nassr on Saturday with an identical result, this time against visiting Al-Fayha.

Continuing his fine run of form, George Ilenikhena opened the scoring in the 43rd minute when he headed home the rebound from a Steven Bergwijn shot after it twice struck the crossbar. It was canceled out by Jason just before the half-time whistle, who redirected an Ahmed Bamasud cross with a deft backheel.

Al-Ittihad claimed the victory after Jason handled the ball inside the area in the 68th minute, prompting the referee to award a penalty following a review by the video assistant referee. Substitute Youssef En-Nesyri slotted the ball into the right corner.

Elsewhere, Al-Ettifaq were held to a goalless home draw by Al-Faisaly in what was an underwhelming evening for Arthur Papas’ side, while visiting Al-Taawoun were beaten 1-0 by Al-Hazem, after a mistake by goalkeeper Mailson gifted Aboubacar Bah an open goal in the third minute.

On Wednesday, Al-Kholood host Al-Shabab at 6:55 p.m., then Al-Fateh face visiting Diriyah and Al-Nassr are at home to Abha, with both matches kicking off at 9 p.m.

Sanctions announced by the British government on Tuesday targeting West Bank settlements have upended the UK’s decades-long balancing act and provoked furious condemnation from the Israeli government that has all but severed relations between the two.

Coming a year on from recognizing Palestinian statehood, the Labour-led UK government confirmed it was tightening restrictions on arms exports to Israel and was placing bans on the import of all goods from settlements and on some services, including construction, financing, infrastructure, real estate, and settlement advertising.

Addressing Parliament, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who is of Jewish heritage and lost multiple members of his family during the Holocaust, labeled the settlers “terrorists” who had received tacit support for their practices by an Israeli government.

“There is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank perpetrated by settler terrorists, and all too often, the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this, and worse, members of it have made statements and taken actions to support the forced displacement of Palestinians,” Miliband added.

The move marks part of a broader international pushback on settlement activity, with Canada and France also announcing on Tuesday they would join Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the UK in enacting bans.

Against a backdrop of looming Israeli elections, questions are now being asked: Does the news out of London mark a long-term structural shift in its relationship with Israel, or is it part of a coordinated effort to put pressure on the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of elections in late October?

In Israel, early political response was definitive, with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir leaning into a global call by right-wing governments as he urged the country to “publicly recognize that the Malvinas Islands (Falklands) are Argentine territory under occupation.”

He added: “The British are not content with merely occupying the territory; they also carry out oil drilling there and steal money from the Argentine people.”

Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, meanwhile, claimed “we will not be a doormat trampled by an antisemitic government, in a country conquered by radical Islam, trying to save itself from economic and social decline.”

Addressing the media shortly after Miliband’s announcement, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated plainly that the UK was engaging in election interference as he warned that the Israeli population “emphatically” rejected Palestinian statehood.

Announcing countermeasures, Saar said Israel would close the British Consulate in Jerusalem; remove British representatives from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat in southern Israel; terminate the UK’s role in training Palestinian Authority forces in the West Bank; and deny 12 elected officials entry to Israel.

These include former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Zarah Sultana, Fahad Ansari, director of Riverway to the Sea, Naz Shah, Diane Abbott MP, Hannah Spencer, Carla Denyer, Sian Berry, Ellie Chowns, John McDonnell, Richard Burgon, and Adrian Ramsay.

Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, said that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich’s history of offensive comments would likely mean these remarks were not “seen as serious” in and of themselves, but warned that they could not be wholly ignored.

“They (Gvir and Smotrich) are viewed with the sort of contempt that is necessary. It’s one of the many reasons that they are sanctioned,” Doyle told Arab News.

“But clearly, the concern will remain that somehow whatever they say could become official Israeli government policy, not least in an election cycle.”

Burcu Ozcelik, senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told Arab News the real threat from Israel surrounded the potential that it could downgrade aspects of intelligence-sharing and defense cooperation with the UK.

Doing so, Ozcelik said, would prove “significant” and was “exactly why” she expected to see the UK go to great pains in the days and weeks ahead to “telegraph that the settlement trade ban is legally and diplomatically defensible because it is consistent with its recognition policy, but that the UK seeks to preserve substantial security and economic ties with Israel.”

However, according to observers who spoke to Arab News, the UK appears to have reached a point at which it is willing to take that gamble, with Doyle noting that after meeting with Miliband on Monday, he was convinced the ban was indicative of a broader structural shift.

“I’m quite convinced that Ed Miliband is genuine when he says that this will be a reset in relations with Israel,” said Doyle.

“It’s a phrase he’s used in public and repeated. So I think that imposing a ban on trade with settlements is certainly part of that. But I think that there needs to be other measures, and I expect that there will be.”

Concurring, Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, described the decision as “long overdue,” writing on X that the sanctions marked a “turning point in UK-Palestine relations,” with Britain moving “from condemnation to consequences, from words to action.”

Stressing that the development marked neither a “wholesale rupture with Israel” nor a “blanket trade ban” with Israel, Ozcelik said the Labour government was adding consistency to last September’s recognition of Palestine and the country’s “continued commitment to a two-state solution.”

“It is distinguishing between Israel’s legitimate security concerns, which the UK fully recognizes, and the settlement expansion in the West Bank, which the UK considers illegal under international law,” Ozcelik said.

“The UK government’s calculation is that if it recognizes a Palestinian state while taking no action against settlements that undermine the territorial viability of a future state, there is an obvious credibility gap. These measures need to be read as an attempt to give practical meaning to the UK’s support for a two-state solution.”

Public support for a ban has been steadily climbing since a recommendation for one last July from the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, with an August YouGov poll pointing to 50 percent support, with just 16 percent opposed, while Caabu research noted 246 MPs were in favor.

Trustee of the Britain Palestine Project, which seeks equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians, and former UK Consul-General to Jerusalem Sir Vincent Fean said that with “no peace process” and a “genocide in Gaza and apartheid, state-controlled settler violence and ethnic cleansing in East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank,” action was necessary.

“This is a necessary reset of UK government policy, wholly consistent with UK recognition of the State of Palestine on Sept. 21, 2025, and respect for international law, which the Labour government came into office committed to uphold,” Fean told Arab News.

“It exerts UK leverage over Israeli illegal settlements for the first time. The UK has joined the international virtual consensus in condemning settlements as illegal, undermining prospects for peace. But nothing was done to stop them.

“With this policy step change, the UK is giving a lead to like-minded partners. The UK is not powerless in this regard.”

Noting that the UK move was “inevitable” amid a “deterioration of the security situation in the West Bank,” which followed the Israeli government overturning a 20-year settlement ban in Jenin, Yossi Mekelberg said he wanted to see words matched with action.

“Taking measures against the trade with the settlements is one thing, but we also need to see a drive toward a two-state solution,” Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow on the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, told Arab News.

“Do you support the two-state solution on both sides? Do you support the process? If so, you need to fill it with content, with substance.”

Asked to provide a metric for measuring the ban’s success, Ozcelik said this would ultimately be measured in whether it deters implementation of the contentious E1 plan, which critics say will sever Palestinian territory in such a way that a contiguous state is no longer possible.

LONDON: Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has voiced support for the UK’s new ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements.

He told The Guardian that the decision, announced by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, “became unavoidable as a result of a continuous effort of ethnic cleansing perpetrated by a large group of Jewish terrorists in the West Bank.”

Olmert added: “The crimes of these terrorists are actively assisted by police and military units over a long period of time.

“The highest levels of government led by Minister of Defence (Israel) Katz and Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu are actively supporting these terrorists and avoid taking the necessary measures to stop it.”

Olmert’s comments come as Israelis prepare to go to the polls late next month. “Millions of Israelis are appalled by this terror and are actively resisting the terrorists,” he said.

“Sanctions are directed against the terrorists not against Israel, and as such they are unavoidable.”

In announcing the new UK policy, Miliband referenced earlier comments by Olmert, saying: “Ehud Olmert, the former Israeli prime minister, has described what is happening as, I quote, ‘a violent and criminal effort to ethnically cleanse territories in the West Bank.’”

PARIS: Last year’s winner Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé are among the top contenders for the men’s Ballon d’Or.

The 30 men’s and 30 women’s nominees were revealed by France Football magazine on Tuesday, with the winners to be announced at a ceremony in London on Oct. 26.

In the women’s field, two-time winner Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor and Melchie Dumornay are among the favorites. Aitana Bonmatí, the winner of the past three awards, did not make the cut after missing most of the season through injury. She returned at the end of Barcelona’s quadruple-winning season that included another Champions League title.

Dembélé and Mbappé both played for France at the World Cup, where their team lost to eventual champion Spain in the semifinals. Although it’s difficult to win the accolade without a major trophy, Mbappé made history when he overtook Lionel Messi for the most all-time World Cup goals (22), in fewer games.

After claiming a second straight Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain, Dembélé has a chance to retain the Ballon d’Or.

Kane had one of his best seasons, scoring 73 goals for club and country and winning the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich. Kane also led England to a third-place finish at the World Cup.

Spain captain Rodri, who claimed the award in 2024 and played an instrumental role in midfield to help Spain secure their second World Cup title, was also included.

The 39-year-old Messi, who has a record eight Ballon d’Or awards, was on the shortlist after guiding Argentina to a runner-up finish at the World Cup and winning Major League Soccer with Inter Miami. The other three Ballon d’Or winners still active, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Luka Modric, were not in the list.

PSG dominate

Dembélé was one of nine PSG players — 10 including newly acquired Ferran Torres — nominated for the men’s award, alongside Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha. Torres scored Spain’s winner in the World Cup final.

In an interview with France Football, Dembélé said he expects the award to remain at PSG. Asked to name his top three in no particular order, he cited PSG teammate Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappé. He also mentioned Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal, Ruiz and Pacho, but did not include himself.

“I don’t think the trophy is undecided. I think it will remain in the hands of a Paris Saint-Germain player,” he said.

The other men’s nominees include Real Madrid stars Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, as well as Manchester City striker.

Italy, which did not qualify for the World Cup, and the Netherlands and Germany had no representatives. Only one player from Serie A, Lautaro Martínez of Inter Milan, was selected.

There was no goalkeeper nominated, ensuring Lev Yashin remains the only keeper to win the coveted trophy (1963) for another year.

The Ballon d’Or ceremony is moving from its traditional Paris home to London this year to mark the 70th anniversary of the first award won by England great Stanley Matthews.

The voting system

The Ballon d’Or was created by France Football and has been awarded since 1956 for men, and since 2018 for women. It is voted for by journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings for the men’s award and the top 50 FIFA-ranked countries for the women’s award.

Each journalist, one per country, selects players in ranked order with points attributed to each position. The winner is the player who receives the most points.

Organizers say the trophy is awarded based on three criteria, in order of importance: 1, individual performances, decisive and impressive character; 2, collective performances and titles won; 3, class and fair play. The performance period is Aug. 3, 2025 to July 19 — the day of this year’s World Cup final.

Political analysts believe that the latest Houthi attacks open a new phase in Saudi Arabia’s approach to the Iran-backed group, marked by a shift from managing and containing escalation to firmly deterring it. They said that Riyadh will not accept the targeting of its citizens and residents on its territory, or attacks on its vital facilities.

The analysts told Asharq Al-Awsat that this phase is witnessing an advanced level of political, military, and security coordination between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s legitimate government, strengthening the latter’s ability to confront sources of threat and reshape the balance of power on the ground.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Tuesday that his country would not hesitate to defend itself against attacks by the terrorist Houthi militia and would use all available means to protect its interests.

Speaking at a press conference with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow, the Saudi foreign minister said the Kingdom is putting forward diplomatic solutions to avoid further suffering for Yemen and its people, and will not hesitate to support what serves the interests of Yemen and the region. He highlighted that the path of diplomacy for dealing with the Houthis remains open.

Prince Faisal added that the Houthis prefer to put their narrow personal interests ahead of Yemen’s interests, while the country’s legitimate government has provided an opportunity to negotiate with them responsibly. He described their latest escalation as part of their pattern of provocation.

The limits of Saudi Arabia’s patience

Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Jeddah-based Gulf Research Center, said Yemen’s legitimate government is fulfilling its responsibilities in confronting Houthi attacks targeting civilians and vital infrastructure across the country. He added that the government has worked to mobilize its capabilities and resources, and consolidate its ranks, particularly at the military level.

“The Kingdom will not tolerate any attacks against citizens, residents or vital facilities on its territory, and that its patience has limits,” Sager said. He expects Riyadh to respond “firmly and decisively against the sources of fire, in a manner proportionate to the scale and intensity of the attacks,” citing recent developments in Iraq.

He added that the Houthis had misread Saudi patience, saying that “they do not adhere to reason or logic and continue to receive instructions.” He said that the group had been given several opportunities over the past years but failed to make use of them.

A more decisive phase

Yemeni writer Saleh Al-Baidani said the latest developments point to “a shift from managing and containing escalation toward a more decisive approach focused on deterrence.”

He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The Kingdom has provided ample opportunities for de-escalation and a political settlement, but the Houthis misread this restraint, treating it as a permanent limitation on Saudi action rather than a calculated political choice that could be reassessed as circumstances evolve.”

He added that the recent attacks on Saudi territory and vital facilities have elevated the threat to a level that makes the previous approach increasingly difficult to sustain. Al-Baidani said: “When the Houthis evolve from a party to the Yemeni crisis into a regional pressure tool more directly linked to Iran’s calculations and its wider confrontation in the region, the approach to dealing with them inevitably changes.”

According to Al-Baidani, the escalation is no longer linked solely to the Yemeni file, but has come to affect Saudi national security, the security of the Red Sea, energy supplies and the safety of international maritime corridors.

Saudi-Yemeni coordination

The Yemeni writer highlighted that coordination between Saudi Arabia and the legitimate government has entered a different phase compared to previous years, whether at the political, military or security levels.

He added: “The Kingdom appears more aware of the importance of having a Yemeni partner capable of managing the confrontation on the ground, while the Yemeni government realizes that any serious move against the Houthis requires a regional umbrella and political, military and economic support.”

Al-Baidani concluded that the success of the next phase remains contingent on the ability of the Yemeni side to unify military and political decision-making, and to transform multiple forces and fronts from a point of weakness into a source of pressure on the Houthis.

He added: “If that is achieved, we may not be facing a fleeting military round, but rather an attempt to reshape the balance of power that has settled over the past years.”

On Tuesday, Yemeni government forces expanded the scope of their field advance on a number of fronts, managing to liberate the Al-Yatama area in the Khabb wa ash-Sha’af district of Al-Jawf Governorate, northeast of Sanaa, a day after recapturing the Al-Labanat area in the same governorate. This came in parallel with the launch of a large-scale military operation in Al-Bayda Governorate, southeast of Sanaa, and the continuation of clashes on the western coast and west of Taiz, on the sixth day since the start of the Houthi escalation.

The advance comes at a time when government forces have begun, over the past few days, to shift from containing Houthi ground attacks to regaining the initiative on several axes, capitalizing on the group’s retreat from some positions, while army units, resistance forces and the Giants Brigades continue their operations on more than one front.

EW YORK: Aryna Sabalenka kept alive her hopes for a third straight US Open championship by fighting off Linda Noskova 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) on Tuesday in a thrilling quarterfinal matchup of major champions.

Sabalenka finished off the match with a second-serve ace to turn back the Wimbledon champion and reach the semifinals in Flushing Meadows for the sixth straight year.

Sabalenka — who needed to win to maintain the No. 1 ranking — will face either No. 3 Jessica Pegula or No. 26 Emma Navarro on Thursday in the semifinals.

Noskova, the No. 6 seed, won her first major title at the All England Club and narrowly missed becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to follow a title on the grass by reaching the final four on the hardcourts of New York.

CAIRO: An Egyptian-Spanish archaeological mission has uncovered a 4,300-year-old tomb near Cairo belonging to an ancient judge who heard the grievances of ordinary people, local authorities said.

The tomb was found at Saqqara, a sprawling necropolis south of the capital, and dates back to the reign of Pharaoh Djedkare Isesi, one of the most influential rulers of Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty who oversaw a period of administrative reform in the 24th century BC, the Egyptian tourism and antiquities ministry said.

It was built for Yunmen, a high-ranking official whose duties included listening to the appeals of the kingdom’s subjects and weighing their complaints before the state.

Amr Al-Tayeb, director of the Saqqara archaeological site, told AFP that Yunmen’s duties “align with the ancient Egyptian concept of Maat”, the goddess and principle of truth, justice and social order.

The find was discovered during this summer’s excavation season in the Mariette Cemetery area of northern Saqqara, as part of a long-running joint project by the Autonomous University of Barcelona and Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.

The newly discovered mastaba, a flat-roofed tomb typically built for elite officials, contains two funerary chapels: one for Yunmen and another for his father, Ity, a senior scribe responsible for overseeing agricultural lands and offerings.

Yunmen’s chapel is adorned with finely carved reliefs depicting farmers at work, servants carrying offerings and scenes associated with funerary rites. Many of the paintings have retained their original colors despite spending more than 40 centuries buried beneath the desert sands, the ministry said.

Archaeologists also uncovered an ornate facade covered with funerary inscriptions, alongside formal depictions of the tomb owner.

In the neighboring chapel, dedicated to Ity, traces of painted offering scenes survive, alongside a false door, a symbolic gateway through which the dead were believed to receive sustenance from the living.

The discovery comes as Egypt seeks to promote new archaeological finds to support tourism, a key source of foreign currency for the country.

LONDON: Israeli forces demolished a home on Tuesday that belonged to a Palestinian family in the nomadic hamlet of Khirbet Khalla Al-Dabaa, located in Masafer Yatta, south of the occupied West Bank.

Fourteen members of the Mohammad Ali Dabbaba family lost their home when Israeli authorities demolished their 200-sq.-meter residence, constructed from tin and stone, according to the Palestine News Agency.

Forces also filled a crucial water well for the Bedouin community, destroyed electricity networks, damaged several water tanks, and uprooted 15 trees. Additionally, Israeli forces demolished a residential cave belonging to Abdullah Dabbaba, which housed six people.

Israeli authorities have issued demolition notices for 14 inhabited caves and several homes in Khirbet Khalla Al-Dabaa, the report added.

Masafer Yatta consists of nearly 15 Palestinian hamlets located in the southern West Bank; Khirbet Khalla Al-Dabaa is one of them. Israeli forces and settlers regularly invade the area in an effort to evict its total population of 1,150 residents, half of whom are children. Since the 1980s, the area has been designated a military zone by Israel.

In late August, armed Israeli settlers detained a 22-year-old British activist in the village of Umm Al-Kheir in Masafer Yatta, who was part of a “protective presence” initiative intended to support Palestinian residents. He was deported from Israel last week.

When Andrea Pallaoro’s The Echo Chamber premiered at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on Sunday evening, it earned an eight-minute standing ovation. For its stars— Luca Marinelli, Alicia Vikander, and Susan Sarandon— it was a warm reception to one of the festival’s most anticipated world premieres.

Based on Bernardo Bertolucci’s final screenplay and reworked with his original co-writers, Ilaria Bernardini and Ludovica Rampoldi, the film is both intimate and unsettling, telling a story in which physical pain, emotional dependence, desire, and love gradually become impossible to separate.

At its center is Leo, played by Marinelli, a troubled music producer whose life has been pushed to the edge by addiction and chronic pain. He meets Anne, a physiotherapist played by Vikander, who comes into his life initially to treat his body but ends up reaching something much deeper. Both carry the scars of painful pasts.

Their relationship is vivid, sensual, and sometimes overwhelming: two damaged souls who must learn not simply to love one another, but to let love pass through them and inhabit them without turning it into dependence, possession, or control. Anne becomes Leo’s lifeline. But the rescue is mutual. In trying to save him, she is also brought back to life herself.

Running through their story is another presence: Ava, the aging singer played by Sarandon. Once celebrated for her voice, Ava now confronts the changes age has brought as she works on what may become her final album. Leo becomes her producer. He is emerging from an overdose; she is emerging from the loss of a long relationship and grappling with the uncomfortable question of who she is when the person who shared so much of her life is gone.

The three characters are therefore connected by different forms of damage — and by the possibility that another person can become both a mirror and a way back to oneself.

The danger of being comfortable

For Sarandon, who admits she rarely arrives on a film set feeling safe, that emotional instability made the role frightening. But fear is part of the process, she says. “I would always rather surrender to a director that has a vision than somebody who is already got it marketed and, you know, the studios figured it out.”

Pallaoro had approached her about the role after taking on the daunting task of adapting Bertolucci’s screenplay. Sarandon initially had questions about the character and even imagined a somewhat different musical direction, suggesting artists such as Joni Mitchell. But the director persisted. He traveled to London to meet her and eventually won her trust.

She had trepidation about singing, even though she had once heard Marianne Faithfull perform a duet with David Bowie that, she believed, sounded awful — so why not? “I am always frightened,” she admits. “It takes me weeks to settle down.

And if I am on stage, it takes many performances before I feel like I know what I am doing. I think the fear is part of the responsibility. I don’t have a plan, but I know what I don’t want. To be comfortable for me is always dangerous.”

It is an unexpectedly revealing sentiment from an actress whose career has often been associated with confidence, sensuality, and political fearlessness. But what Sarandon describes is something very different from fearlessness: a willingness to remain exposed. She speaks of waiting for the other actors, staying open to the unexpected, and letting a scene change her. That surrender— to uncertainty, to other people, and to forces beyond her control — runs through The Echo Chamber, a film about what happens when people stop controlling every part of themselves.

Two broken souls learning how to love

Leo and Anne’s relationship is at the heart of the film. He is a man whose body and mind are both in crisis; she is a woman whose own emotional history has left her vulnerable. Their attraction is immediate and intense, but so is the danger it contains.

The film repeatedly asks where care ends, and dependence begins. Pallaoro himself describes the story — the first he has ever directed that was written by someone else — as one in which physical and emotional pain distort the search for intimacy, while tenderness can gradually become control and possession.

Their love becomes a kind of mutual resurrection. Neither arrives whole. Neither can simply ‘fix’ the other. Instead, they have to learn to let themselves be changed by the encounter. This is one reason Sarandon sees her own character’s relationship with Leo as so important. Ava, too, is at a threshold. She has lost the person who defined much of her adult life and is suddenly forced to confront an unfamiliar version of herself.

Sarandon understands that loss as something more complicated than simply losing another person. “When you form any kind of a partnership, that becomes an identity too,” she says. “The partnership identity. And I remember going off on location and being kind of scared. Because I’d be in some terrible motel or hotel in the middle of Texas somewhere. But I was like, okay, I remember, this is who I am. Opening your bag by yourself and you’re scared. But at the same time, it’s good to kind of review that. Before someone dies, it’s good to remember who you are.”

Ava’s aging voice

Ava is a singer, and her voice is no longer what it once was. That becomes part of the character’s vulnerability. She records a new album with Leo, whose own artistic ambitions and personal demons collide. The songs become more than music: they are fragments of Ava’s former self, echoes of a woman she once was.

The Echo Chamber offers no clean transformation. The past does not disappear simply because the future arrives. Instead, Ava has to find a way to carry the woman she used to be into the person she is becoming. Sarandon compares it to a butterfly: transformation is not an erasure of what came before, but a continuation of it. That idea is particularly poignant because the character’s voice— her most obvious instrument of power — is precisely what has changed with age.

Asked about the power of using one’s voice — and why people so often fail to use it — Sarandon does not immediately talk about speaking. She talks about listening.

“People speak out; they do. But do you know what people don’t do? They don’t listen. When my boys were starting to date, I would say, look, learn to cook two meals, and learn to listen. You don’t have to be entertaining, trust me. Just really listen, and you’re going to be fine with everybody. Because I think listening is a lost art. On screen, my superpower… I am a good listener,” she adds with a laugh. “Being present and really listening.”

That quality is perhaps one of the keys to understanding her performance. Sarandon does not approach acting as a demonstration of emotion. She describes it instead as an act of openness— allowing another actor, a piece of music, or an unexpected moment to reach her. “I’m against that theory that you have to be really messed up to be talented,” she says. “I think it’s harder to be both a human being and an artist, but it is possible.”

Social activism and Palestine

That philosophy extends well beyond the set. Sarandon has spent years speaking publicly about AIDS activism, Haiti, social justice, and, more recently, Palestine. Her outspoken support for Palestinians has had professional consequences: she continues to lose film roles, and agencies have discouraged producers from hiring her. The United Talent Agency dropped her in 2023 because of her political statements and pro-Palestinian activism.

Yet when asked about courage, Sarandon rejects the word. “I don’t feel like I have courage at all,” she says. Instead, she describes what she calls an “overdeveloped need for justice,” tracing it back to her childhood. She remembers being disturbed by unfairness even as a child, swapping her dolls’ dresses to make sure they would all take turns wearing the best outfit, and later becoming involved with ACT UP when the mainstream media was failing to adequately cover the AIDS crisis.

“I just see myself as a little flashlight to put on information that maybe…” She pauses before returning to the same principle that seems to guide her acting: she does not claim to know what effect she will have. “It’s not that it’s necessarily successful or that I think I can make a huge difference or change them, but … I don’t want to change myself.”

There is also a lighter side to Sarandon’s relationship with her public image. For audiences across the Arab world, where her outspoken positions have made her a beloved figure, the word ‘queen’ has become part of the vocabulary surrounding her. During our conversation, I tell her that someone in the newsroom had essentially instructed me: ‘You have to speak to Susan. She’s our queen’.

Sarandon bursts out laughing. “Wait, does that include real estate?” Beneath the joke lies something touching: the affection she has accumulated far beyond the borders of Hollywood.

Her political positions have cost her professionally in the US, but they have also reinforced her connection with international audiences who see her as an artist unwilling to separate her work from her conscience. In Venice, she spoke openly about the price she has paid for her positions on Palestine, while also making clear that she feels welcomed by filmmakers and audiences outside the US.

The Bertolucci echo

There is, inevitably, another voice inside The Echo Chamber: that of Bertolucci. Pallaoro inherited the screenplay rather than writing it himself, taking on the challenge of making his own film from the final work of one of cinema’s great auteurs. The director has spoken about the freedom that distance gave him— allowing him to approach themes that were already close to his own cinema while making the material his own.

For Sarandon, Bertolucci’s presence was also personal. She knew him and remembers the profound effect his films had on her, particularly The Conformist. The visual world of The Echo Chamber carries traces of that legacy without attempting simply to reproduce it.

The apartment becomes both refuge and prison. Rooms, mirrors, corridors, and reflections constantly alter the distance between the characters. Music exists inside the world of the film rather than simply sitting on top of it. Pallaoro has described the apartment as a space where care and control become increasingly difficult to distinguish.

And that is where the title becomes particularly resonant. An echo is not an original voice. It returns, changed by the space through which it has traveled.

“That’s what keeps you hooked“

For Sarandon, acting seems to work in much the same way. She never studied acting formally and does not describe herself as someone who retreats into a method and stays there. She can reach an emotional state, she says, but she also wants to be surprised — by another actor, by music, by something that happens in the moment. When she goes home to her children, she leaves the character behind.

Sarandon’s outspoken positions on Palestine have made her a beloved figure in the Arab world where she is often referred to as the ‘queen’

The vulnerability comes not from living permanently inside the role, but from being willing to open the door again every time she returns to set. “That’s what keeps you hooked, I think.”

In The Echo Chamber, almost everyone is looking for a way out: from addiction, grief, an old identity, loneliness, the fear of aging, and intimacy itself. But perhaps the film proposes something more complicated than escape. Maybe we do not evolve by leaving our broken selves behind, but by allowing another person, another voice, another love to reach the places we had stopped allowing anyone to enter.

And for Sarandon, the answer seems simpler still: listen, remain open, accept the fear, and refuse to become someone else simply because the world would find it more convenient. “I don’t want to change myself,” she says.

At 79, in a film about voices, echoes, and reinvention, it is a fitting place to leave her.

Uzbek and Saudi creative communities gathered in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter to mark the 35th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence through a unique celebration of shared artistic heritage.

Titled The Art of Al-Mounamnamat: From Bukhara to Arabia — Stories Along the Routes of the Sacred, the exhibition at The Space in Al-Mashtal brought together artists, academics, and diplomats to examine how Islamic miniature art serves as a living bridge between Central Asia and the Arab world.

The event featured panel discussions on how manuscript illustration, sacred geometry, and visual storytelling have documented spiritual and cultural practices across generations. Tracing the historic journey of miniature painting from Transoxiana to the modern Middle East, participants explored how the borderless medium continues to evolve.

Nodirjon Turgunov, ambassador of Uzbekistan to Saudi Arabia, said: “Events like The Art of Al-Mounamnamat strengthen ties between Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan by bringing people together through Islamic art and our shared cultural heritage. They offer an opportunity to learn about one another’s traditions, exchange ideas and build friendships that deepen the relationship between our countries.

“Holding this event in Riyadh is particularly meaningful. Saudi Arabia has great potential in the field of Islamic art, and we see opportunities for closer cooperation between our artists and cultural institutions. We want to develop cultural diplomacy as a way to bring our peoples closer together, encouraging exhibitions, creative exchanges and joint initiatives. Through these connections, we can celebrate our shared heritage while creating new opportunities for future generations.”

Turgunov added: “As a next step, we plan to organize a similar exhibition featuring Saudi artists in Uzbekistan in the coming years, giving Uzbek audiences an opportunity to discover and appreciate Saudi artistic traditions. We also hope to expand these exchanges to other art forms that reflect the rich cultural heritage of our two nations, building a lasting dialogue between our artists and communities.”

In a session titled From Bukhara to Arabia: Contemporary Practice and Artistic Dialogue, contemporary miniature painter Firuz Kurbanov from Bukhara joined Fahad Al-Jebreen, a Saudi visual artist and assistant professor of art education at King Saud University, to discuss how traditional techniques inform modern creative education.

Highlighting the diplomatic weight of cultural programming, Mirzohid Eshonkulov, first secretary at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Riyadh, highlighted the role of creative engagement in deepening bilateral ties.

“It’s a very important part of bilateral and multilateral relations, because we also call this ‘people-to-people’ diplomacy, because when people love each other, the governments strengthen bilateral relations,” Eshonkulov said. “That’s why we are, as an embassy, ready to boost these cultural ties in Mounamnamat.”

The personal resonance of the art form was highlighted during a joint presentation by Kurbanov and Saudi artist Afnan Tash, founder of Al-Mihrab.

Tash recalled how her journey into miniature painting began following her experience during the Hajj pilgrimage in Makkah in 2018.

“Once I went to this journey and I came back, I was unable to talk; I was unable to express my feelings,” Tash said, adding that she subsequently discovered miniature art as an expressive outlet. She said that her recent works draw inspiration from historic Hajj certificates, created to honor her parents who completed the pilgrimage seven decades ago.

Responding to her narrative, Kurbanov said that while Tash’s work echoes the pattern work of his own Central Asian cultural tradition, his individual practice approaches miniatures through mathematical algorithms and a structured scientific lens.

The evening illustrated how Islamic storytelling continues to serve as an effective mechanism for soft diplomacy, uniting artists across regions through a shared aesthetic tradition.

RIYADH: Saudi-Russian cooperation has proven vital in supporting the stability of global energy markets and achieving a balance that serves the interests of both producers and consumers, the Kingdom’s foreign minister said on Tuesday.

During a visit to Moscow, Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the partnership between Riyadh and Moscow contributes to sustainable global economic growth and fosters cooperation across the economic, trade, and investment sectors.

Prince Faisal met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov who said that the minister’s visit offers a valuable opportunity to discuss Russian-Saudi relations which are witnessing year-on-year development across the trade, economic, investment, cultural, and humanitarian spheres.

Lavrov also affirmed his country’s sincere desire to contribute to efforts aimed at de-escalating the situation in the region and addressing regional issues.

The two ministers emphasized the importance of supporting the diplomatic path to resolve current regional and international challenges — including the Palestinian cause and the situation in Yemen.

They underscored the necessity of ensuring the security and freedom of navigation in international waterways, particularly the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab El-Mandab Strait.

Both sides affirmed their aspiration to advance Saudi-Russian relations which were established a hundred years ago.

MOSCOW: Russian authorities said Tuesday they have detained a suspect in last week’s shooting that wounded a senior military officer, the latest in a series of attacks on personnel and figures linked to the war in Ukraine.

The Federal Security Service said a 21-year-old Moldovan national was detained for being allegedly “involved in an assassination attempt on a senior military officer of the Russian Defense Ministry” at the behest of Ukrainian intelligence services. He faced charges of attempted murder and illegal arms trafficking, it said.

The officer was shot at least six times on Sept. 3 in the Probuzhdenie settlement on the outskirts of Engels, a city in the Saratov region, said Svetlana Petrenko, a spokeswoman for Russia’s Investigative Committee, which is also involved in the case.

The region is home to a large air force base that hosts Russia’s strategic bombers and has carried out attacks on Ukraine.

The victim, who has not been identified by Russian authorities, survived the shooting and remains hospitalized.

The FSB alleged that the suspect was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services in 2025 and arrived in Russia in June. He was detained in the southern Astrakhan region as he was trying to leave the country and return to Moldova, the agency said.

Petrenko said he was allegedly offered $70,000 for carrying out the attack.

There was no immediate comment from either Ukrainian or Moldovan officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alluded to the attack on the day it happened, saying: “Wherever Russian criminals hide, they will be found, and today there is further confirmation of this fact – confirmation in the Saratov region.”

Last week’s attack follows a series of bombings in Russia targeting people involved in the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has blamed Kyiv for some of the blasts.

In late August, a serviceman was killed and his wife was injured by a car bomb on the outskirts of St. Petersburg. Three weeks before that, the director of a factory supplying drones to the Russian military was badly injured and his driver was killed when their car exploded just outside Yekaterinburg, 1,400 kilometers (about 870 miles) east of Moscow.

In those cases, the authorities did not immediately say who they believed carried out the attacks.

Earlier this year, President Vladimir Putin directed the FSB and other agencies to tighten security around military and government officials.

Kyiv has claimed responsibility for some attacks inside Russia. Ukraine’s SBU security service said in 2024 that it had organized the killing of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who headed the Russian military’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces.

Kirillov was killed by a bomb hidden in a scooter outside his apartment building in Moscow, a day after Ukraine’s security service leveled criminal charges against him.

LONDON: The UK government is banning trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, where it says “settler terrorists” are carrying out ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband says the UK will ban imports of all goods from the settlements, and some services including financing, construction, infrastructure, real estate and advertising for settlements.

In a toughening of its stance against Israel’s occupation, Miliband told lawmakers in the House of Commons that the government was acting to preserve the chance of a two-state solution.

Developing…

KFAR RUMMAN, Lebanon: Hundreds of people in south Lebanon gathered on Tuesday to mourn two Hezbollah members and their family, among them a three-month-old infant, killed by an Israeli strike a day prior.

The two brothers’ coffins, draped in the Iran-backed group’s yellow flag, portraits of them in camouflage fatigues fixed to the front, led the procession through the village battered by repeated conflict over nearly three years.

Another 10 coffins were covered in Lebanese flags, indicating that the rest of the Farhat family killed when Monday’s strike levelled their home were civilians.

Israel has launched airstrikes and a ground invasion in south Lebanon during the Middle East war, which erupted with joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran and spread to Lebanon after Hezbollah targeted Israel in support of its backer.

The fighting in Lebanon had calmed since a US-Iran memorandum of understanding and a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon were both agreed in June.

But Beirut still reports recurring Israeli strikes, which it says have killed more than 4,300 people in total since March, and Israeli forces continue to occupy what it calls a “security zone” in the south.

A separate strike on Kfar Rumman on Monday killed an 18-year-old rescuer with the Risala Association, linked to the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement, the organisation said, who was mourned alongside the Farhat family on Tuesday.

“We have 13 killed including grandfather and grandmother, husbands and wives, and their children including a three-months old infant,” deputy mayor Nureddine Nureddine told AFP from the funeral.

“Someone put an end to these crimes,” Nureddine said, adding that the strike that killed the Farhat family “occurred at night, while they were sleeping”.

“There was no military activity, nothing.”

An AFP correspondent saw people marching to the cemetery, waving Hezbollah flags as women dressed in black wept, holding pictures of the dead as an Israeli drone flew overhead.

“Death to America, death to Israel,” mourners yelled.

– ‘A shred of honour’ –

The Israeli military said on Monday that it had struck Hezbollah “infrastructure sites” across southern Lebanon after the launch of two explosive drones towards its troops, as well as “several terrorists” it said were transferring weapons.

“The claim that several uninvolved individuals were harmed as a result of the strikes is being reviewed,” it said, adding that the military “will continue to operate to remove threats while remaining committed to the ceasefire agreement”.

Since Friday, at least 28 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

Standing next to a picture of his own son, a Hezbollah member killed by Israel, Ghaleb Baalbaki slammed the Lebanese government for continuing direct talks with Israel.

“If they have even a shred of honour, the first thing they should do would be to stop the negotiations,” he said.

The lull in violence that began in June had allowed hundreds of thousands of displaced people to return home.

“Kfar Rumman was coming back to life, there were more than 1,400 people” in the town before the latest escalation, Nureddine said,

“Now, they can be counted on your fingers.”

RIYADH: With cricket’s popularity rising across Saudi Arabia,, cricket academies and clubs are rapidly expanding across the Kingdom in race to nurture young talent and grow the sport at a competitive level.

The spread of one of the world’s most popular sports is part of the mission to promote a healthy and active lifestyle under the Saudi Vision 2030’s Quality of Life program.

Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation, the official governing body in the Kingdom, supported by the Ministry of Sports and Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, has been mandated to increase physical activity levels by 40 percent over the decade.

But cricket’s popularity at grass roots remains mostly organic, particularly among many expats from across Asia who have made Saudi Arabia their home on recent years and decades.

The SACF, under the auspices of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Sports, was established in 2020, with Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud as chairman of the federation.

Interestingly, Foreign Missions and International Schools especially from South Asia are also promoting the game offering training sessions at the schools and organizing inter-school tournaments.

Speaking to Arab News Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia Vipul said: ” I am very pleased to see the growing popularity of Cricket in Saudi Arabia. Cricket has become an integral part of India’s sporting and cultural tradition. The inclusion of Cricket in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games is a positive development towards its global visibility. We would like to see more and more countries embracing cricket.”

“The launch of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has further boosted its worldwide popularity of the game. A significant development in this respect was the IPL 2025 mega auction held on November 24 and 25, 2024, at the Abadi Al Johar Arena in Jeddah. There have also been several other engagements on cricket between our two countries, reflecting the growing interest in forging a long-term partnership in the development of cricket in Saudi Arabia,” added the ambassador.

He further said: “The large and vibrant Indian community in Saudi Arabia has also played an important role in promoting cricket. We are proud that some players representing the Saudi national cricket team come from the Indian community residing in the Kingdom. The Embassy of India will continue to engage with the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation and other stakeholders to promote greater cooperation and exchanges in the field of cricket. Such engagements will add yet another dimension to the already strong and multifaceted people-to-people partnership between India and Saudi Arabia.”

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador Omar Lebbe Ameer Ajwad told Arab News: “Cricket is part of the Sri Lankan community’s life in Saudi Arabia. There are more than 80 community cricket clubs across the Kingdom. Cricket is also part of Sri Lanka international school’s extracurricular activities. School organizes inter-house cricket matches during the annual sports meet.”

“To mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia, I have initiated a tradition of hosting an annual Cricket Tournament – Sri Lanka Ambassador’s Cup, among Sri Lankan community cricket clubs in the Kingdom,” said the envoy.

“Sri Lanka stands ready and would be pleased to support Saudi Arabia’s initiative to promote and develop cricket in the Kingdom,” he added.

The Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh last year held a cricket tournament to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between the south Asian nation and Saudi Arabia. Ajwad told Arab News that the plan is to make it an annual event.

“We are planning to bring some big names from Sri Lankan cricket in the final of the tournament in the future, in order to promote cricket among the Sri Lankan community in Saudi Arabia as well as promote cricket ties with the Kingdom.”

He added that since Saudi Arabia also has a cricket federation, the plan is to “explore opportunities” for cooperation in the game.

Cricket academies in different Saudi cities have taken major leaps in recent years.

Abdul Waheed, former captain and a star batsman of the Saudi national cricket team, who is associated with Arkan Sports Cricket Academy in Riyadh told Arab News: “Our academy aspires to be the grassroots engine of cricket development in Riyadh region. We aim for those being trained at our academy to practice and play good cricket and one day represent Saudi Arabia at the international level.”

MIND Cricket Academy, Jubail chairman Nasser Al Qashanain, told Arab News: “MIND Academy was established in 2019 in Jubail, with founder director Murali Krishnan, and co-founder R N Balasubramaniam. A home-grown academy is building a pipeline of young talent that its founders hope will one day represent the Kingdom on the world stage.”

“In December 2023, the academy decided the time had come to give cricket aspirants in the region a proper platform. Team Mind Academy launched the Mind Academy Cricket Club (MACC) — a dedicated home for young cricketers in Jubail, built on three pillars: dedication, discipline, and determination,” he said.

“From the outset, the academy prioritized coaching quality over quick wins. It brought in R. Aravind and C. Santosh, two India-based trainers certified by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to lay the technical groundwork for its young players,” he added.

The club’s growth was further accelerated by the support of its strategic partner and MIND Academy chairman Al Qashanain, whose backing helped Mind Academy Cricket Club secure a closer working relationship with the SACF.

“That partnership has since become a cornerstone of the club’s development, with SACF providing its coaches access to ICC Level 1 coaching certification and offering exceptional support throughout the journey — support that has been instrumental in establishing the club’s presence in Jubail,” said Al Qashanain.

“The SACF’s support for Mind Academy has been exceptional throughout their journey. Mind Academy and SACF signed a landmark MoU to jointly develop cricket at the grassroots level— a testament to the trust and confidence the federation places in the academy’s vision. Through SACF, the club’s coaching staff gained access to ICC Level 1 coaching courses held at the Sea Sports Center Fanateer in Jubail from 28–31 May 2025. The course was organized by the Jubail Cricket Association under the supervision of SACF and conducted by ICC/SACF-qualified tutors, with the proud support of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu,” he said.

The ICC certification has been a game-changer for the club, ensuring that every young cricketer at Mind Academy receives training that meets the highest international standards.

Mind Academy also forged a partnership with the Gary Kirsten Cricket Academy, opening the door for its coaching staff to progress through ICC coaching certification — from Level 1 all the way to Level 4 — under the mentorship of Gary Kirsten, a prominent former South African cricketer and elite coach who famously guided India to victory in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.

“That blend of local passion and international know-how has become the hallmark of Mind Academy,” said Al Qashanain.

IPL’s Delhi Capitals Academy have also expanded with a new Saudi Arabia centre. The academy has strengthened its international footprint with the launch of its first academy through a new center in Jeddah.

Jazim Haris, head of operations, JSC Sports, told Arab News: “Delhi Capitals Cricket Academy has made its landmark Middle East debut with the launch of its first centre in Jeddah in partnership with JSC Sports Centre, the city’s first international cricket academy.”

“Designed for boys and girls aged 5 to 17, the academy combines ICC certified coaching with high-performance bowling machines, advanced performance monitoring and international player exchange programmes,” he said.

“The partnership is further strengthened by JSC Sports Centre’s exclusive state-of-the-art cricket stadium near Naseem, Jeddah featuring three playing surfaces, analytical cameras and cutting-edgee batting technology to track and creating a global pathway for emerging talent and give families a premier space to connect, socialise and enjoy their children’s progress,” he added.

Haris further said: “The launch expands Delhi Capitals academy footprint to five countries seven centres in India and six overseas across the UK, Canada, the US and Saudi Arabia marking a significant step in developing Jeddah’s cricket talent pipeline and supporting the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 sporting ambitions.”

He added: “Our strong association with SACF has fostered our vision to pioneer cricket academies in Jeddah.”

Aqil Azad, who runs cricket academies with grounds facilities – Tamimi Cricket Club, and Arabian Cricket Academy – told Arab News: “We have about 40 children being trained at our academies by certified coaches, amid structured program, and a clear focus on the fundamentals of the game, delivered to children and teenagers who might otherwise have had little access to formal cricket coaching in the Eastern Province.”

“We provide structured training programs for aspiring cricketers across all age groups in Dammam and Al Khobar. From intensive net practice and field drills to competitive match-day scenarios, the academy provides a complete cricketing guideline for young players in the region. The club also actively engages with local schools, introducing cricket to young students and scouting talent at the grassroots level,” he added.

Manzar Khan, president of the cricket academy in Yanbu – Yanbu Al Sinaiyah Cricket Association – told Arab News: ” The academy was established in 1979 and is one of the oldest and prestigious cricket associations in the Kingdom. Home to one of the most beautiful and first-ever grassy cricket grounds in Saudi Arabia, setting a benchmark for cricket infrastructure in the Kingdom.”

“At the academy we provide state-of-the-art night cricket facilities equipped with 8 towering floodlight poles, enabling high-quality day and night matches. We practice in 4 cricket grounds to accommodate simultaneous matches and practice sessions,” he added.

There are about 25 registered teams competing under the YACA banner, representing diverse communities and strong cricketing talent in Yanbu, he informed.

Officially affiliated with the SACF, YACA organizes three to four major tournaments per season, ensuring continuous competitive cricket throughout the year, and is recognized as a key contributor to the development of cricket in the Kingdom.

Jerusalem: Israel’s President Isaac Herzog warned against British sanctions on settlements in the occupied West Bank, expected to be announced on Tuesday, saying the decision would “fall on the wrong side of history”.

“Later today, we expect to see headlines announcing certain British trade sanctions on Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria,” Herzog said, using the biblical term for the West Bank.

“If this happens – and other nations may join – I believe it will prove to be a grave miscalculation, a decision that will fall on the wrong side of history,” he added.

The expected UK move follows weeks of increasing settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied territory.

It also comes as the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ramps up settlement construction in the West Bank, which some western governments fear threatens a two-state solution.

British government minister Pat McFadden said Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband would make a statement to parliament laying out “measures specifically targeted at the expansion of these settlements, which are illegal under international law, in the West Bank”.

He told Sky News that the changes, on which he provided no further detail, would be motivated by “the idea of keeping alive this possibility of seeing a Palestinian state alongside Israel”.

“I think it’s also important to say that Israel is an important trading partner for the UK. This isn’t intended to be a boycott of all Israeli goods.”

UK government ministers have suggested recently that goods coming out of settlements could be subject to trade restrictions as part of the changes.

Herzog on Tuesday said: “Sanctions are not a solution. Dialogue is.”

“I say to all foreign governments: Stop! Step away from the dead-end of sanctions and boycotts. And turn toward constructive dialogue and toward cooperation,” he added.

Israel has since 1967 occupied the West Bank, where more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements among some three million Palestinians.

With Israel headed to the polls next month, Herzog said the UK move, if announced, “would be a gross interference in the democratic elections of a sovereign nation”.

“It will serve no one. It will directly harm – unfortunately – Palestinians, robbing them of business and employment,” he added.

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan, said on Tuesday the Kingdom will not hesitate to defend itself against Houthi attacks.

Speaking from Russia’s capital, the minister said the Kingdom would use all available means to protect its interests.

“Houthi militia resorts to violence whenever it finds itself in a difficult situation. The Houthis are trying to export their domestic problems inside Yemen to Saudi Arabia,” he added.

The minister said the door for diplomacy was open for the Houthis but that they resorted to violence whenever they found themselves in a difficult situation.

Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said Houthi attacks on civilian targets in Saudi Arabia were unacceptable.

“Security and freedom of navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait must be ensured,” he added.