Latest news with #Al-Sheikh
See - Sada Elbalad
11-05-2025
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
Palestinian Official: Trump's Gaza Relocation Proposal No Longer on the Table
Nada Mustafa Palestinian Deputy President Hussein Al-Sheikh confirmed on Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza is no longer part of the ongoing negotiations. He pointed out that Washington currently lacks a clear vision for the establishment of a Palestinian state. In a statement to Al Arabiya "Al Hadath" news TV channel, Al-Sheikh praised Saudi Arabia's steadfast support for the Palestinian cause, highlighting remarks made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who affirmed that the Palestinian issue is a concern for every citizen in the Kingdom. Al-Sheikh further noted that Israel refuses to negotiate with the Palestinian Authority, emphasizing that the current top priority is an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War
Arab News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union to discuss peace, security
RIYADH: Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Al-Sheikh, speaker of the Saudi Shoura Council, will head the Kingdom's delegation taking part in the meetings of the 38th Congress of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union on May 3-4. The conference will take place in Algeria, with the presence and participation of heads of councils and parliaments from Arab countries. In a press statement, Al-Sheikh affirmed that the Kingdom, with the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is keen on supporting joint Arab action, and unifying visions and positions in a way that consolidates security, stability and peace in the region and the world. Al-Sheikh affirmed that the Kingdom, with the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is keen on supporting joint Arab action, and unifying visions and positions in a way that consolidates security, stability and peace in the region and the world. He pointed out the importance of parliamentary work, noting that it is a fundamental basis in strengthening Arab cooperation and unifying joint efforts. He added that it is an effective platform that brings the brotherly countries' points of view closer together, and harmonizes policies to promote sustainable development and advance the aspirations of people for a more secure future. On the sidelines of the conference, heads of parliaments will hold a consultative meeting to discuss the conference's subjects. Meanwhile, the three permanent committees — the Palestine Committee; the Social Affairs, Women, Children, and Youth Committee; and the Political Affairs and Parliamentary Relations Committee — will hold their regular meetings. The Executive Committee of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union is holding the 38th session, alongside the 46th meeting of the Association of Secretaries General of Arab Parliaments. The Shoura Council delegation participating in the conference includes Secretary-General of the Shoura Council Mohammed bin Dakheel Al-Mutairi, member of the council and the union's executive committee Dr. Abdulaziz bin Ibrahim Al-Muhanna, council members Abdullah bin Fahd Al-Husein and Khalid bin Mohammed Abu Malha, and several other council officials.
The Guardian
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘What do you mean we can't?': Eddie Hearn on Times Square, Saudi billions and boxing's new reality
As workers tighten bolts on a steel ring platform beneath the glare of LED billboards in Times Square on a sun-splashed Thursday afternoon, Eddie Hearn is still wrapping his head around the reality of what he's helped build. 'It actually is going to happen,' he says, sounding slightly astonished. 'Up until about two weeks ago, I thought: this isn't happening. And now we're 24 hours away.' Friday night's invite-only boxing card – headlined by Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Teófimo López – will unfold in the heart of midtown Manhattan, sealed behind 10-foot-high chain-link fencing and swarming with security teams. Just steps away, hot dog vendors bark over traffic and ambulance sirens. The Naked Cowboy strums his guitar. Tourists snap selfies. Nearby, counter-terrorist units wheel away trash bins as a precaution. And inside that footprint, one of the sport's most surreal new realities is taking shape. 'Imagine the fascination,' Hearn says. 'Imagine the viewership. Closing down Times Square – it's iconic. In the normal world of promotion, you'd be leaving 10 million on the floor. But this is different.' Different is one way to describe it. The event – staged by The Ring magazine, recently acquired by Saudi Arabia's boxing magnate Turki al-Sheikh – is the latest in a series of high-concept, deep-pocketed and highly curated boxing showcases. While the visuals promise a cinematic backdrop without precedent, the live audience will be vanishingly small. 'It's got the feel of Covid,' Hearn notes, recalling the empty-arena shows of 2020. 'Some fighters underperformed in that environment. I think we'll see some upsets.' The silver-tongued promoter is effusive in his praise of Al-Sheikh, often referred to as 'His Excellency', whose fingerprints have been on nearly every major boxing event in the last 18 months. Hearn points to Al-Sheikh's 'relentlessness' and obsessive problem-solving as the reason why fights long thought impossible – Fury v Usyk, Joshua v Ngannou, Beterbiev v Bivol – have now been made reality. 'Once he has that vision, it's happening. It's not, 'We can't do it because–',' he says. 'It's, 'What do you mean we can't? Let's go again.'' Hearn's role in the Times Square project is a curious one. As Matchroom Boxing's frontman, he's long been known as one of boxing's most visible traditional promoters. But in this new Saudi-led chapter, his job has changed. 'We were tasked with running the event on the ground, being the lead promoter,' he says. 'The team has done an amazing job. But there's been so many hurdles – everything from permits, to indemnity, to getting fighters changed on the night.' None of it, he made clear, would have happened without Al-Sheikh. 'People sometimes criticize when we talk so positively about him,' Hearn says. 'But it's just the truth. You're solving so many short-term problems – and most of the time you don't get over them. But he just keeps going.' That persistence, Hearn admits, has taught him something. 'I've learned a lot from the vision,' he says. 'Some of the stuff I thought was the worst idea ever. Then it happens, and I go: 'That was brilliant.'' He cites the time Al-Sheikh insisted on using celebrity lookalikes as ring card carriers for last week's show at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. 'I thought: 'This is the worst idea I've ever seen.' By the end of the night, it's gone completely viral.' Hearn is aware that not everyone in boxing sees this new era as visionary. Critics have accused Saudi Arabia of sportswashing, using lavish fight cards to rebrand the kingdom's global image while distracting from its human rights record. But the questions go beyond symbolism. Al-Sheikh is a close ally of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and head of the kingdom's General Entertainment Authority, a body tied to the state's top-down soft power strategy. A recent investigation by the Athletic revealed that Al-Sheikh's growing profile in boxing stands in sharp contrast to his lesser-known domestic role –one marked by reported abuses. Interviews with dozens of sources described a man who blends celebrity flamboyance with close proximity to repression. According to former detainees and Saudi dissidents, dozens have been imprisoned for criticizing Al-Sheikh's policies, with one Riyadh jail wing informally dubbed 'the Tutu Wing, after his nickname. There are verified cases, court records show, of social media users being arrested and allegedly abused after criticizing Al-Sheikh – including one man reportedly abducted by masked security agents, blindfolded and slapped by Al-Sheikh in person before being dumped on the side of a highway. Human rights groups have long accused Saudi Arabia of using high-profile sports events to deflect attention from internal repression. In one of the more alarming anecdotes from the Athletic's reporting, a member of Al-Sheikh's entourage at a recent heavyweight title fight was identified as a man wanted by the FBI for allegedly spying on dissidents inside Twitter. Asked directly whether there are ethical red lines on who should fund or control the sport, Hearn was careful but direct: 'Every country has its issues. I think we're one of them. But I've never seen anything but positive come from sport being there.' Has he ever been asked to sign a non-disparagement clauses or NDA on a Saudi show? 'Never,' he replies, flatly. Does he feel pressure to defer to Al-Sheikh on matchmaking? 'We represent over 100 fighters,' Hearn says. 'We make decisions for them based on what's best for their careers. There've been plenty of times where His Excellency offered us a fight and we said no – wrong weight class, wrong timing. But generally, the opportunities have been very good. Life-changing.' That power – the ability to shape cards, fund events, control promotional narratives, and now media via The Ring, an American boxing publication that has been around since 1922 — has many in the sport wondering where the lines are. Or whether any remain. But he also acknowledges the value of entertainment – and of disruption. 'Boxing gets stale,' Hearn says. 'The same weigh-ins. The same press conferences. The same look and feel. You've got to keep evolving. And he's torn the script up.' For example, it's one of boxing's worst kept secrets that Al-Sheikh's next scheme involves staging a fight on Alcatraz Island. As audacious as it sounds, you'd be brave to bet against it. Hearn doesn't think Saudi's involvement means the end of boxing's traditional fanbases, either. 'We did 96,000 for Joshua v Dubois at Wembley,' he pointed out. 'We did 65,000 last week for Benn v Eubank. Boxing isn't leaving anywhere. It's growing.' He disagrees with fellow UK-based promoter Ben Shalom's recent claim that women's boxing has suffered in the Saudi era. 'There's only been one female [world title] fight there so far,' Hearn says. 'But women's boxing is cyclical, like everything. The top end is strong. The middle's struggling a bit. That's the same in men's boxing too.' As for his own future, Hearn won't deny he's been tempted to walk away. 'It's the worst business in the world,' he said. 'But it's the most addictive. I've loved it since I was eight years old. And I love seeing people change their lives through boxing.' On Friday night, under the brilliant lights of Times Square and the watchful eye of Al-Sheikh, another chapter of that transformation will play out. Whether it marks a renaissance or a reckoning depends on whom you ask – but to Hearn, the answer is already clear. 'You have to think differently now,' he said. 'You have to be brave. This isn't the normal world of promotion anymore. This is something else entirely.'
Gulf Today
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Mahmoud Abbas appoints Hussein al-Sheikh as deputy
One of the issues that was bothering the Arab and Western leaders was to find a successor to Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas is frail in terms of his age at 89 and also as a weak leader of (PA) and of Fatah, the dominant faction in the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). The PLO excludes Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, who are fighting Israel in Gaza. The Western and Arab leaders who have been looking to set up a post-truce authority in Gaza, did not find Abbas to be the credible leader who can find acceptance among the Palestinians in Gaza and in the West Bank. Abbas has been under pressure to nominate a successor. On Saturday, Abbas has named Hussein al-Sheikh as vice-president of PLO and he is now seen as a successor to Abbas. Al-Sheikh is a Fatah veteran and he has been assisting Abbas since 2007 as the head of the General Authority for Civic Affairs. He was made the secretary-general of the PLO's Executive Committee in 2022. According to reports he has been the coordinator with Israel on security matters, and he is trusted by Israelis. During his imprisonment from 1978 and 1980s in Israel, Al-Sheikh had learnt Hebrew and that gives him an advantage in dealing with the Israelis. He is 64, and father of four daughters and two sons. Expectedly, Hamas did not accept the nomination of Al-Sheikh as the vice-president of PLO, and therefore as leader of Palestinians. Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said of Al-Sheikh's appointment, 'The Palestinian people are not a herd to have imposed upon them leaders with dubious history who have tied their present and future to the occupation. Legitimacy is held by the Palestinian people. The guardianship over our people is long gone.' This would mean that despite the odds, Hamas will continue to contest for the leadership of the Palestinians. Hamas had won the majority in the 2006 elections. The Palestinian news agency, WAFA, reported that during the 32nd session of the PLO when Al-Sheikh was named the vice-president, Abbas had promised a 'comprehensive dialogue' involving all Palestinian factions 'to achieve reconciliation and reinforce national unity'. Abbas had, according to WAFA, told the committee about 'upcoming political efforts aimed at halting the ongoing Israeli aggression and war of genocide in Gaza Strip.' The 'political efforts' include Palestinian governance over Gaza and the total withdrawal of Israel as a 'step towards launching a political process to end the occupation and realise an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.' The attempts to find a successor to Abbas occur 'as there are many things the Palestinian situation requires,' according to analyst Aref Jaffal, director of the Al-Marsad Election Monitoring Centre. The question is whether the arrangement will pass muster. Jaffal says, 'The Palestinian political system is already miserable, so I believe that all these arrangements are a prelude to creating a successor to Abbas.' Egypt and Qatar, which are engaged in negotiations to find a post-truce arrangement in Gaza, want to exclude Hamas from the governance system in Gaza, and the Western powers too want the same thing. The need was to find a successor to Abbas who has the energy to deal with the responsibility of negotiations, which are going to be long-drawn and quite slow and frustrating. Al-Sheikh could be the man because he has been dealing with the Israelis for quite some time now. It is a difficult task and as Abbas has indicated the different factions of PLO have to be united. If the PLO is divided, then it becomes easier for Hamas to assert itself. The inner tussle for Palestinian leadership Is indeed the big challenge for the Palestinians. At the same time, it indicates the fierce democratic politics in the PLO and among the Palestinians.
Leaders
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Leaders
Saudi Arabia Applauds Palestinian Leadership Reforms
Saudi Arabia has enthusiastically welcomed the recent reform initiatives announced by the Palestinian leadership. The Kingdom views these actions as crucial steps that strengthen Palestinian political action. In a detailed statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saudi Arabia expressed its strong support for the establishment of new positions within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the State of Palestine. Importantly, the Kingdom highlighted the appointment of Hussein Al-Sheikh as the Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee of the PLO. Additionally, Al-Sheikh will serve as the Vice-President of the State of Palestine, roles that bear significant responsibilities. Saudi Arabia extended heartfelt congratulations to Al-Sheikh on this important appointment and wished him great success in fulfilling his new duties. Impact on Palestinian Rights Furthermore, the Kingdom firmly believes that these reforms will positively impact the Palestinian political process. These changes will contribute to broader efforts aimed at securing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. Among these rights, the right to self-determination stands out prominently, along with the establishment of an independent state that aligns with the 1967 borders. The Kingdom emphasizes that East Jerusalem must serve as the capital of this envisioned state. Such initiatives reflect Saudi Arabia's ongoing commitment to support Palestinian aspirations and enhance stability in the region. Additionally, the reforms align with broader regional initiatives to resolve conflicts through dialogue and institution-building. Saudi Arabia remains a steadfast advocate for Palestinian legitimacy on global platforms, urging international partners to endorse equitable solutions. By streamlining governance and empowering leaders, these measures aim to unify Palestinian factions and amplify their diplomatic voice. The Kingdom's endorsement underscores its unwavering commitment to justice and stability in the region. Short link : Post Views: 9 Related Stories
