The National - News
Houthi attacks on Red Sea oil tankers fuel global outrage
A Houthi rebel attack on Saudi tankers in the Red Sea has been condemned by leaders around the world, as the latest regional escalation caused the price of oil to exceed $100 a barrel. The attack on the Saudi-owned Encelia caused a fire to break out...
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Lebanese PM hails ‘beginning of Israeli withdrawal’ from south
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam yesterday visited one of three US-designated pilot zones in southern Lebanon and declared the “beginning of the Israeli withdrawal from our land”. He travelled to Zawtar Al Gharbiyeh a day after Lebanese troops...
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Israeli army bars media from southern Lebanon area
Israeli troops have barred journalists and charity workers from entering an occupied area of southern Lebanon. “Go back,” a soldier yelled through a megaphone to a convoy of cars. He stood on the balcony of a house overlooking a gate that marks the...
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Returning heroes
Just as Argentina’s dream began to crumble, even Lionel Messi’s halo briefly slipped. Enzo Fernandez had just reverted to type and been sent-off for acting the schoolyard bully, upending Spain’s latest teen prodigy, Pau Cubarsi. It was a clear...
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Iran turns its aggression on Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan
Iranian attacks damaged a power generation and water desalination complex in Kuwait, and set off air defences in Jordan and Bahrain yesterday, hours after the US carried out an eighth consecutive night of military strikes on Iran. The escalation came...
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Syria and Lebanon ‘in daily contact’ to tackle terrorism
Syrian and Lebanese forces are liaising daily on counterterrorism and other security matters, Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ahmad Al Hajjar has told The National. Relations between Lebanon and Syria are “currently very good”, he said. He recently held...
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Sheikh Mohamed offers condolences after death of former Emir of Qatar
President Sheikh Mohamed yesterday offered his condolences to Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim after the death of his father, former ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa. During a visit to Lusail Palace in Doha, Sheikh Mohamed also extended his condolences to...
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Iraqi state will bring all arms under its control, vows Al Zaidi at White House
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi has pledged to ensure that all Iran-backed militias in his country are disarmed by a September 30 deadline. During a meeting at the Oval Office with US President Donald Trump last night, Mr Al Zaidi reaffirmed his...
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Houthis announce end to truce in Yemeni civil war
Yemen’s Houthi rebels yesterday announced an end to the “de-escalation phase” in the country’s civil war, after strikes hit the airport in the group’s stronghold of Sanaa. The Iran-backed Houthis took over the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2014, prompting...
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Four days’ mourning declared after death of former Qatari Emir
Qatar’s former ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who oversaw the country’s transformation, has died at the age of 74. The Amiri Diwan, Qatar’s top government body, announced his death yesterday. The royal court declared a four-day period of...
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UAE calls for unity in Gulf as Tehran resumes aggression
Strengthening unity among GCC member states is “an utmost necessity” in the face of threats to regional security and stability, Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, has said. His remarks came after Tehran carried out drone...
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US ready to strike Iran again, says Trump as ceasefire crumbles
US President Donald Trump yesterday threatened to launch further attacks on Iran after declaring that a framework agreement to end the regional conflict was “over”. “We are probably going to hit them hard again,” he said at the Nato summit in Ankara....
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Pharaohs bow out of World Cup
Egypt’s Mohamed Salah applauds fans after the Pharaohs’ 3-2 defeat to Argentina in yesterday’s Fifa World Cup last-16 clash. In a social media post after the match, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi hailed the ‘heroes of the national football...
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UK-French naval force to arrive in Strait of Hormuz imminently
A multinational fleet of warships is expected to arrive in the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days to protect commercial shipping from Iranian threats. Western defence officials yesterday told The National that the naval force would be led by Britain...
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Settler violence in West Bank
A Palestinian restaurant owner inspects the damage to his business yesterday, after it was burnt down by Israeli settlers during an attack on the occupied West Bank village of Luban Al Sharqiya, near Nablus
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Rare bombing attack rocks Damascus, leaving six dead
At least six people have been killed and more than 20 injured after a bomb was detonated in the Syrian capital amascus. The Interior Ministry said the explosive device went off inside a cafe in Al Aijaz area of the city on Thursday. A witness told The...
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Damascus ready for proposals to advance alternative trade route
Syria welcomes proposals to link its ports to Gulf states, and is waiting for practical steps to develop an alternative transit route to the Strait of Hormuz, its Transport Minister told The National yesterday. Yarub Badr said Syria was in the process...
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‘A national achievement added to the UAE’s march to the future’
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, yesterday hailed Etihad Rail’s first passenger train journey as a milestone for the country. The first Abu Dhabi-bound train set off from Al Hilal...
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Arrests of 47 officials ‘only the beginning’, says Iraqi PM Al Zaidi
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi said a series of arrests of politicians and officials on corruption charges at the weekend was only the beginning of his efforts to recover misappropriated public funds. Security forces carried out arrests in...
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Bahrain and Kuwait face missile and drone attacks as US and Iran trade fire
Iran and the US exchanged fire yesterday, with missiles and drones launched towards American military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps yesterday announced that it had fired missiles and drones at eight US military...
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US ‘will be in constant contact with Gulf states’ during talks with Tehran
The US is to keep its Gulf allies up to date and “engaged as much as possible” during talks with Iran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said. “We will not be making any decisions or commitments that in any way undermine the prosperity, stability or...
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US will not undermine Gulf allies’ security, Rubio vows
President Sheikh Mohamed received US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for talks in Abu Dhabi yesterday, as Washington seeks to assure its Gulf allies that it remains aligned with their interests during peace negotiations with Iran. During their meeting,...
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Rubio lands in Abu Dhabi to start diplomatic tour of Gulf
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in the UAE last night to begin a Gulf tour, on the same day as Iranian officials were holding talks in Oman. It came as the US and Iran continued to shore up their diplomatic positions amid negotiations for a...
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US waives sanctions on Iranian oil as Vance hails first day of talks
The US yesterday issued a 60-day waiver of sanctions on Iranian oil exports, after Vice President J Vance reported “good progress” in the first round of peace talks in Switzerland. The general licence issued by the Treasury epartment authorises the...
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Talks get off to a shaky start as US and Iran trade threats
US-Iran talks got under way at the Swiss mountain resort of Burgenstock yesterday, but were quickly put into doubt as reports emerged to suggest that the delegates from Tehran had left the venue in protest. Iran’s Fars news agency reported that the...
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Traffic resumes through Strait of Hormuz
A liquefied natural gas tanker loaded in Qatar crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday amid signs of resumed shipping traffic after the US-Iran framework agreement took effect. Three tankers carrying oil had also crossed the waterway as of 2pm UAE...
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US and Iran set to sign deal after months-long process
G7 leaders yesterday hailed the US-Iran framework agreement as a “historic opportunity”, as American President Donald Trump warned that the conflict could restart if the pact falls through. The agreement is to be signed in Switzerland tomorrow after...
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Trump sets out plans for future dialogue with Iran
US President Donald Trump used his meetings with Arab leaders at the G7 summit yesterday to set out his ambitions for a postwar Middle East, as details emerged of the framework agreement with Iran. President Sheikh Mohamed, Egyptian President Abdel...
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US-Iran framework agreement lays ground for talks to end conflict
Countries in the Middle East and beyond yesterday welcomed the announcement of a framework peace agreement between the US and Iran, which is expected to be signed at a ceremony later this week. Oil prices eased after Washington and Tehran took their...
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At least three killed as Israel strikes Beirut suburbs
Israel yesterday struck Beirut in what it said was a response to cross-border rocket fire by Hezbollah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had attacked Hezbollah sites in Dahieh, a southern...
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President receives US envoy to UN
President Sheikh Mohamed receives Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, in Abu Dhabi. During their meeting, they discussed strategic ties between the UAE and US and considered ways to further strengthen co-operation in support of the countries’...
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US strikes ship off Oman as Trump vows to hit Iran hard
The US military said it struck a ship off the coast of Oman that was attempting to transport oil from Iran, prompting India to summon an American diplomat over the incident. The Palau-flagged vessel was hit close to midnight on Tuesday, the US Central...
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Iran and Israel trade strikes as Trump says talks on track
Iran and its allies indicated that the Middle East war had entered a new phase last night, exchanging fire with Israel in response to its operations in Lebanon. A hundred days since the war began, Iran and Israel exchanged their heaviest fire in...
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UAE Games get under way in Abu Dhabi
The torch lit to open the UAE Games yesterday has sparked the promise of new paths and goals for more than 1,000 athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the country. The opening ceremony brought together swimmers and...
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Demand for US exit threatens Iraqi plan for militias
Iraq’s efforts to bring Iranbacked militias under state control could face new obstacles as some hardline and powerful factions say they will not disarm until all US troops leave the country, The National has learnt. The stand-off exposes the limits...
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One killed at Kuwait airport as Tehran escalates conflict
One person was killed and dozens were injured in an Iranian attack on Kuwait’s airport yesterday, on what was one of the Gulf’s worst days of the war in terms of casualties. Iranian drones struck the passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport,...
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Deadly violence in Lebanon despite Trump intervention
Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed at least a dozen people yesterday, as Hezbollah claimed responsibility for new attacks on Israel’s troops, dimming hopes for a de-escalation brokered by US President Donald Trump. Strikes resumed in southern Lebanon...
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UAE launches plan to cut textile waste in boost to nation’s circular economy
A sustainability project has been launched across the UAE to boost the circular economy and reduce textile waste. About 220,000 tonnes of textile waste are produced each year in the country, state news agency Wam reported. President Sheikh Mohamed...
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Israel seizes historic castle as troops push into Lebanon
The Israeli military yesterday announced that its troops had captured Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, in its deepest ground advance into the country in 26 years. “Our soldiers are writing a new chapter … by planting their flag at Beaufort...
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Israel strikes Beirut suburbs as talks set to resume in US
Israel has attacked Beirut’s suburbs and declared that its warplanes were “operating nonstop” over Lebanon, as the two countries prepared for another round of talks in the US. An Israeli strike hit a building in the southern suburbs of Beirut, in the...
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Israeli military expands attacks on southern Lebanon
Israeli air strikes killed at least nine people across Lebanon yesterday, the second day of an intensified military assault that comes as millions of Lebanese mark Eid Al Adha. Israel’s military also ordered, late last night, the forced displacement...
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Peace process tested by US strikes and Iranian threats
The peace process in the Iran war was tested yesterday, as the US carried out overnight air strikes while Tehran continued a diplomatic push to recover $24 billion in frozen funds. A spokesman for the US military’s Central Command said it had struck...
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Hajj pilgrimage begins
Muslim worshippers pray around the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah yesterday, on the first day of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
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Guardiola waves goodbye
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Liverpool’s Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah both said goodbye to their respective clubs yesterday, heralding the end of an era in the Premier League. City and Guardiola said farewell to one of the most...
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Region needs post-war deal ‘involving Israel and Iran’
The Middle East could lower tension by holding Cold Warstyle talks between rival powers, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb has said. Mr Stubb – whose country oversaw the 1975 Aelsinki Accords that helped to calm US-Soviet tension – said a similar...
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Golden season
President Sheikh Mohamed congratulates Al Ain football club players for winning the Adnoc Pro League title. Their crushing 4-0 win over Dibba in the final match of the league season set the seal on a ‘golden season’ – the term used in Gulf football to...
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Full steam ahead
People board a train at Fujairah station, the first terminal on the Etihad Rail passenger network to be completed.
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‘AE to train 80,000 government staff in Agentic AI to lead world on technology
The UAE has unveiled plans to train 80,000 workers – from ministers to junior employees – in the use of AE agents under a mission to ensure half of government services are delivered by the technology within two years. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice...
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Brave face
A Palestinian girl who suffered burns during Israel’s war on Gaza is fitted with a 3D-printed transparent face mask at a clinic run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) technicians in Gaza city yesterday
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US and China ‘find common ground’ on Iran
The US and China have found common ground on the Iran crisis, the White House said after US President onald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing. During talks on Thursday, Mr Xi said he opposed Iran building a nuclear weapon and...
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Hamas is blocking path to peace in Gaza, says envoy
Hamas is consolidating its grip in areas of Gaza it still controls, and is hindering reconstruction efforts, Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov has said. Mr Mladenov, who met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, said disarming the...
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Emaar founder plans $18bn Syria investment push
Emaar founder Mohamed Alabbar is planning to invest up to $18 billion in Syria, as the country accelerates efforts to attract foreign capital and rebuild its economy after more than a decade of civil war. The Dubai-based businessman told The National...
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Yemen’s Houthis fill arsenal with munitions sent by Iran
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have been working to expand their arsenal, amassing new weapons that experts warn pose a direct threat to shipping and critical infrastructure in the region. An investigation by Conflict Armament Research (Car)...
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Iran resumes aggression in Gulf despite talks progress
Iran launched new drone attacks at the Gulf yesterday, despite hinting at progress in peace talks by announcing it had responded to US proposals. A fire broke out on a cargo ship heading from the UAE to Qatar after it was struck by a drone yesterday...
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Committee to gather evidence of Iranian aggression against UAE
The UAE has established a committee to document Iran’s acts of aggression and crimes against the country. The committee, which will be led by Attorney General Dr Hamad Al Shamsi, will create a comprehensive record of the attacks on the UAE, in which...
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UAE leadership hails role of industrial sector at Make it in the Emirates event
President Sheikh Mohamed met Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, at the Make it in the Emirates summit in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Sheikh Mohamed reviewed the “latest innovations, products and initiatives aimed at enhancing the...
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Fujairah to get desalination plant
The investment arm of Etihad Water and Electricity has signed an agreement to build a h1.04 billion ($284.8 million) desalination plant to ensure water security in the Northern Emirates. In co-operation with NMDC Infra and Lantania Aguas, EtihadWE...
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‘Nation’s infrastructure is resilient and unshakeable’
The growth of the UAE’s industrial sector proves that the nation’s economic model is working, and further investment is required to strengthen its capacity, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, told delegates at the Make it...
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Adnoc set to award dh200bn in project contracts up to 2029
Adnoc yesterday announced that it will award h200 billion ($55 billion) in project contracts over the next three years, accelerating a construction effort and boosting the UAE’s industrial sector. The contracts, which will cover upstream and...
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Thirteen to face trial in UAE over plot to ship weapons to Sudan
Thirteen suspects are to stand trial over a plot to buy military equipment and weapons through the UAE’s financial system and send them to the Sudanese Armed Forces for use in the country’s civil war. The UAE’s Public Prosecution on Thursday revealed...
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Authorities rework UAE supply chain to boost food reserves and medicine
The UAE has approved an initiative aimed at protecting essential supplies of food, medicine and industrial products against global challenges. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said the National Programme to Strengthen...
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UAE to withdraw from Opec for durable energy strategy
The UAE’s decision to withdraw from Opec is “purely a policy move” aimed at preparing the country for the future, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al Mazrouei told The National yesterday. The Emirates – the world’s seventh largest oil...
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Beirut seeks ‘armistice’ with Israel as Hezbollah reasserts opposition to talks
US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon are aimed at ending the state of war between the countries and securing an armistice agreement, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said yesterday. Speaking at the Presidential Palace during a visit from...
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UAE unveils Dh1bn fund to support domestic industry
The UAE has set up a Dh1 billion ($272.2 million) fund to support the industrial sector, one of the central elements of the economic diversification agenda. The launch of the National Industrial Resilience Fund is part of a broader package of...
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UAE to use AI agents to run half of government services
Half of UAE government services will be delivered using cutting-edge artificial intelligence agents within two years, it has been announced. The plan was unveiled by the Cabinet, led by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and...
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President Sheikh Mohamed holds talks with Al Shara
President Sheikh Mohamed yesterday welcomed Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara to the UAE for talks aimed at strengthening bilateral ties. The two leaders reviewed efforts to bolster co-operation between the nations, with a focus on development and the...
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