The National - News
Solemn farewell for Emirati helicopter pilots at military funeral in Abu Dhabi
A military funeral was held yesterday for two members of the UAE’s Armed Forces, a day after they were martyred in a helicopter crash. The funeral for Capt Saeed Al Blooshi and First Wt Ali Al Tunaiji took place at Zayed Military Hospital in Abu...
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Oil soars and stocks tumble on fears of prolonged crisis
Oil prices soared yesterday, while markets dropped globally as investors considered the possibility of a prolonged war in the Middle East. Brent crude surged to almost $120 a barrel during intraday trading, before easing to about $102 as of 7pm ‘AE...
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Sheikh Khaled reviews emergency response system
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, reviews the emergency readiness and response system at the Unified Medical Operations Control Centre in Abu Dhabi yesterday. He also inspected the stockpiles of medical supplies available to...
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Iran sends drones into Azerbaijan as conflict widens
THOMAS HELM Jerusalem Loud explosions shook Qatar, Israeli planes struck Tehran and drones flew into Azerbaijan on Thursday as the regional war continued to widen. Qatar said 14 ballistic missiles and four drones were fired from Iran. All were shot...
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Esrael forces 250,000 out of south Lebanon as war widens
Esraeli troops ordered 250,000 people to leave southern Lebanon yesterday, as new fronts opened in the regional war. Launching what it called a “wave of strikes”, Israel attacked the south, the capital Beirut and parts of Lebanon not known for being...
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‘The UAE moves forwards with confidence and resolve’
The UAE yesterday ruled out any military action against Iran, saying its “stance remains measured” while condemning Tehran’s missile and drone attacks and urging the UN to intervene. Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Co-operation,...
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Iraqi men duped into enlisting in Russian army, says Baghdad
Young Iraqis have been tricked into joining the Russian army to fight in Ukraine after being offered visas to work or study in Russia, Iraq’s National Security Service has said. Two people have been sentenced to life in jail after 17 were arrested...
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Iran rejects missile claim ahead of US nuclear talks
The US and Iran are to resume nuclear talks in Geneva today, after President Donald Trump accused Tehran of developing long-range missiles that could reach the American mainland. The two countries are expected to present detailed proposals for an...
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Etihad Airways profits soar to Dh2.6bn in bumper year
Strong travel demand pushed Etihad Airways’ profit up 47 per cent last year to a record h2.6 billion ($707.9 million), as the airline marked its fourth consecutive year of profitability. The growth was backed by fleet expansion, an increase in...
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Board of Peace director calls for an end to the ‘two Gazas’
War could return to Gaza if it remains divided between Israeli and Hamas control, Nickolay Mladenov, director general of the Board of Peace, has told The National. “Right now, we have two Gazas,” Mr Mladenov said during a visit to Brussels, where he...
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ISIS urges supporters to wage war against Al Shara’s government
ISIS yesterday declared war on the government of Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara, describing it as illegitimate because of its links with Turkey and the US. Abu Hudhayfa Al Ansari, a spokesman for the extremist group, said in a recorded message that...
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US-Iran tension weeks from tipping point, warns senator
Plans are being drawn up for a US strike on Iran, and the decision as to whether to carry out an attack hangs in the balance, American senator Lindsey Graham has said. “The military capability is being built up as I speak. The inflection point is...
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Iran-Russia navy drills ‘may spark accidental escalation’ in region
Iran announced it will hold joint naval drills with Russia today, raising fears of an escalation in the region amid a US military build-up. The exercises, hosted in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, are intended to “enhance security and...
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‘Guiding principles’ for US-Iran agreement reached in Switzerland
Nuclear talks between Iran and the US in Geneva yielded a consensus on the “general guiding principles” of a possible agreement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said. The second round of talks concluded yesterday amid an exchange between...
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Israel sets 60-day deadline for Hamas to give up arms
Israel yesterday gave Hamas a 60-day deadline to disarm, threatening to break the dctober ceasefire and instruct its military to “complete the mission” otherwise. The clock could begin ticking as soon as Thursday, after a meeting of US President onald...
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Israel lifts 60-year freeze on West Bank land registration
Israel’s government yesterday approved a plan to allow land registration in the occupied West Bank for the first time since 1967, in a move that critics say paves the way for annexation of the Palestinian territory. Allowing land registration would...
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EU citizens among ISIS detainees relocated from Syria to Iraqi jails
Iraq is expected to receive the last group of ISIS detainees who are being moved from Syria, with dozens of EU citizens among them. The transfers involve citizens of more than 27 countries, including EU members such as France and Germany, Iraqi...
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UAE leads Arab League talks on Israeli settlement plan
The UAE yesterday led an emergency meeting of the Arab League in Cairo to discuss a response to Israel’s decision to expand settlements in Palestine. Hamad Al Zaabi, the Emirates’ ambassador to Egypt and permanent representative at the Arab League,...
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Senior UAE diplomat visits Iran as fears of US action persist
A UAE minister yesterday held talks on “peace and security” in Iran, amid calls for calm in the region and with the Israeli and US leaders set to meet to discuss options for nuclear talks. Lana Nusseibeh, Minister of State, held consultations in...
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Focus on industry bears fruit as non-oil exports surge 25%
UAE industrial exports rose 25 per cent last year to reach a record value of h262 billion ($71.3 billion), as the country boosted its manufacturing capacity to achieve its economic diversification targets. Export figures have more than doubled since...
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Israel mishandling Rafah reopening, says Egypt
Children in Khan Younis, Gaza, watch as patients prepare to leave for treatment through the Rafah crossing with Egypt yesterday. Cairo has complained to the US about Israel’s handling of the reopening of the border point.
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Summit’s success is ‘vote of confidence’ in Emirates
The success of the World Governments Summit in Dubai is a vote of confidence from countries around the globe, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has said. More than 150 governments, 500 ministers and 60 leaders took part in...
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Inside Muslim Brotherhood’s ‘secret London headquarters’
A London office block is the home of a web of companies that can be linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and operate under control of people placed under sanctions as extremists. Crown House on the North Circular Road lies not far from the imposing arch...
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Middle East needs talks, not conflict, senior UAE official tells key summit
The Middle East cannot afford another conflict, a Dubai summit heard yesterday, as regional tension continues to escalate. Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, told the World Governments Summit that Iran and the US must engage in...
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UAE leads Arab world in diversifying its economy
The UAE’s growing non-oil economy and its scale of investments in AI have put the country in the lead in diversification efforts across the region, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund has said. “Diversification of economies in the...
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Trump issues threat to Iran: ‘Time running out for deal’
US President Donald Trump has called on Iran to return to negotiations over its nuclear programme, and threatened that the consequences for refusal would be “far worse” than the strikes in June last year. Writing on Truth Social yesterday, Mr Trump...
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Iraq fails to elect next president amid fears of US-Iran escalation
Iraq yesterday postponed its planned election of a new president, exposing division at a time when the US and Iran are trading threats of military force. Kurdish parties asked for “more time for understanding and agreement” after failing to agree on a...
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President attends military graduation ceremony
President Sheikh Mohamed attends a graduation ceremony at the Zayed II Military College in Al Ain yesterday. Also present were Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior,...
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UAE hosts US-Russia-Ukraine talks
An Iran-aligned alliance that holds the largest bloc in Iraq’s parliament has nominated former prime minister Nouri Al Maliki as its candidate to lead the next government. The Shiite-led Co-ordination Framework said its members met on Saturday and...
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Rafah crossing to reopen as Board of Peace inaugurated
US President Donald Trump yesterday unveiled the Board of Peace with a pledge to restore the Gaza Strip after two years of war. At a signing ceremony on Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Trump stood on stage alongside...
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Trump issues Hamas warning as Board of Peace set to be finalised
US President Donald Trump yesterday warned that Hamas will be “blown away” unless it agrees to disarm during the second phase of the American peace plan for Gaza. After a largely unscripted speech to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos,...
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President accepts US invitation to take seat on Board of Peace
President Sheikh Mohamed has accepted an invitation from the US to join the Board of Peace, which will oversee Washington’s 20-point peace plan for the Gaza Strip. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, said...
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President meets Modi in New Delhi as UAE and India sign several agreements
President Sheikh Mohamed yesterday paid a working visit to New Delhi aimed at furthering long-standing ties between the UAE and India. Sheikh Mohamed was welcomed at Palam Airbase by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior officials. The...
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Kurdish-led fighters cede control of Syrian provinces
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces militia has agreed to cede control of Deir Ezzor and Raqqa provinces to the Syrian government, state media reported yesterday, after the army made rapid advances into the two eastern areas. In another major...
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Gaza waits in hope as phase two of ceasefire begins to take shape
Gazans have been promised that their new Palestinian leaders will focus on their needs and “stay far away” from politics, as phase two of the US-led peace plan begins. Aed Abu Ramadan, who is expected to join a technocratic committee taking interim...
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Aleppo residents return to find homes devastated
The shattered windows and bullet-riddled walls of the Othman Hospital stand as a testament to the intense fighting that shook Ashrafieh and two adjacent Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods in Syria’s Aleppo last week. Residents began to return to the city...
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Truce lets displaced return to Aleppo
Thousands of civilians were waiting to return to their homes in Aleppo yesterday, with fighting between government troops and the Kurdish- led Syrian Democratic Forces having seemingly come to an end. Aleppo Governor Azzam Al Gharib said the security...
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Damascus intensifies bombing in Aleppo as US urges restraint
Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have clashed in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighbourhoods of Aleppo, marking a sharp escalation in a long-running stand-off. The Syrian army on Thursday said it had launched...
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Death toll doubles in Iran as protesters clash with police
The death toll from protests across Iran has risen to at least 29, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said yesterday, as demonstrations over economic hardship show no signs of stopping. Rights groups on Sunday said that 15 people had been...
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‘Kidnapped’ Maduro pleads not guilty at New York court
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was abducted by US forces at the weekend, appeared at a federal court in New York yesterday to face charges including “narco-terrorism” and drug trafficking. Mr Maduro’s court appearance came as the UN Security...
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President hails Sheikh Mohammed on 20th anniversary as Ruler of Dubai
President Sheikh Mohamed was present yesterday as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime Minister, met ministers past and present to mark his 20th anniversary as Ruler of Dubai. The President said that under Sheikh Mohammed’s leadership,...
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Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Mansour meet in Dubai
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, meets Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, at Al Marmoom Rest House in Dubai on Thursday. The two men...
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‘Our hopes and aspirations for a better tomorrow are renewed’
President Sheikh Mohamed yesterday shared his New Year greetings, wishing everyone a prosperous 2026. Sheikh Mohamed and other UAE leaders also sent well wishes to the leaders of countries around the world as 2025 came to an end. “Best wishes on the...
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UAE pulls counter-terrorist forces from Yemen mission
The UAE yesterday announced the withdrawal of all of its remaining counter-terrorism teams from Yemen, hours after a Saudi strike on armoured vehicles belonging to Emirati forces in the southern port of Mukalla. The Emirates ended its military...
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Pioneering drug given to patient at Abu Dhabi hospital in world first
A leading hospital in Abu Dhabi has become the first in the world to deliver a pioneering gene therapy treatment that is poised to offer a lifeline to children and adults suffering from spinal muscular atrophy. Sheikh Khalifa Medical City successfully...
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Deadly violence breaks out as Alawites protest in Syria over mosque bombing
There was violence in Syria yesterday as thousands of members of the Alawite religious minority took to the streets in protest, two days after a bombing killed eight people at a mosque. The demonstrations were called for by Ghazal Ghazal, an Alawite...
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Mass wedding in Abu Dhabi
A traditional dance is performed at a mass wedding reception at Qasr Al Hosn on Thursday, attended by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court
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‘It feels special again’: Gaza ceasefire returns Christmas spirit to Bethlehem
For the past two years, visitors could walk through the Church of the Nativity and enter the grotto with barely another soul in sight. But now, with a ceasefire in effect in Gaza, the crowds have returned, and Bethlehem is once again feeling the...
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President receives banking delegation backing debt relief plan
President Sheikh Mohamed receives Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, chairman of Mashreq Bank, at a Sea Palace barza yesterday. Mr Al Ghurair was part of a delegation representing financial institutions that contributed to an initiative to waive the debts of...
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Israel demolishes block of flats in East Jerusalem
Israeli troops yesterday used diggers to tear down a four-storey residential building in occupied East Jerusalem, displacing dozens of Palestinians in what activists called the largest demolition in the area this year. The building, in the Silwan...
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Sheikh Mohamed receives Macron for talks at new Zayed National Museum
President Sheikh Mohamed yesterday received French President Emmanuel Macron in Abu Dhabi. The two met for talks at the Zayed National Museum, and exchanged greetings before the approaching New Year, state news agency Wam reported. Sheikh Mohamed also...
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Collapse of Sudan is a ‘red line’ that can’t be crossed, says Egypt
Egypt has said it will not stand by and watch the collapse of Sudan, and that there are “red lines” it will not allow anyone to cross. Cairo issued this warning on Thursday during a visit by Sudan’s army chief, Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, who held...
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Damascus intensifies anti-ISIS crackdown after spate of attacks
Syria has seized drones, explosives and firearms during raids against suspected ISIS cells across the country in an operation officials said confirms the government’s ability to fight against extremists. The operations came days after two deadly...
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Emirates steps into sustainable future with nationwide plastic ban
The UAE will begin next year with a major push to cut plastic waste and reduce pollution, introducing a nationwide ban on various single-use plastic products. From January 1, the import, manufacture and trade of an expanded range of single-use...
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At least 37 people killed in flash flooding in Morocco
At least 37 people were killed in flash floods caused by torrential rain in Morocco’s coastal city of Safi on Sunday, the state-run 2M TV channel reported. Local authorities said 14 people were receiving medical care after the floods. Earlier reports...
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Concerns raised over security in Syria after attack in Palmyra
A deadly attack on US troops in Syria has exposed a major security gap in the new alliance between Washington and Damascus, with regional security sources predicting increased American pressure on the Syrian government to root out extremists. US...
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Pope Leo meets Zayed Award committee
Pope Leo XIV receives members of the organising committee for the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity in the Vatican on Thursday. During the meeting, the pontiff reflected on the need to be witnesses of kindness and charity in a world marked by division
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Lebanese authorities determined to seize Hezbollah weapons
Lebanon’s plans to bring all weapons under state control remain on course, government officials told The National, after it emerged that a new US defence bill would make much-needed support for the Lebanese armed forces contingent on progress in...
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President pledges $550m to UN-led humanitarian drive
President Sheikh Mohamed has directed the UAE to commit $550 million to support a UN drive to provide humanitarian aid to those in need. The world body’s Global Humanitarian Overview seeks to raise $33 billion next year to support almost 135 million...
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Dh60bn expansion for capital’s Al Maryah Island
Mubadala Investment Company and Aldar Properties have announced plans to spend Dh60 billion ($16.3 billion) to expand Abu Dhabi’s financial district on Al Maryah Island. It came as Abu Dhabi Finance Week began on the island yesterday, with Sheikh...
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Norris clinches crown in Abu Dhabi
Lando Norris is the new Formula One world champion after finishing third in the season-ending Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix yesterday. The race at Yas Marina Circuit was won by Max Verstappen but it was McLaren driver Norris who was victorious...
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Israel carries out attacks on Lebanon and Gaza as US tries to find solution
Israel air strikes have damaged homes in southern Lebanon and killed five Palestinians in southern Gaza. Despite the US-brokered talks between Israel and Lebanon at the headquarters of UN peacekeeping force Unifil, there was no immediate end in sight...
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Sheikh Mohamed receives Amazon founder
President Sheikh Mohamed receives Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive of Amazon, at Qasr Al Shati yesterday. They discussed the importance of strengthening co-operation and fostering partnerships in innovation, advanced technology and artificial...
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Eid Al Etihad shines spotlight on capital’s newest landmark
The Zayed National Museum was the star of the 54th National Day show yesterday, with the event offering a glimpse inside before today’s grand opening. The official celebration for Eid Al Etihad – which marks the anniversary of the UAE’s founding on...
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‘We look back with pride at the journey we have taken’
President Sheikh Mohamed has hailed National Day as a “defining chapter” in the UAE’s success story, and urged Emiratis to be at the heart of efforts to write the country’s future. The UAE leader said the anniversary of the nation’s founding – marked...
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UAE leaders commemorate sacrifice of nation’s heroes
President Sheikh Mohamed yesterday marked Commemoration Day by paying tribute to the soldiers who have defended the UAE. He said the dedication, loyalty and sacrifice of the armed forces would always be remembered by UAE citizens. Sheikh Mohamed...
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Senior UAE diplomat welcomes EU’s push for truce in Sudan
The UAE has urged intensified global action to end the atrocities in Sudan, with senior diplomat Lana Nusseibeh welcoming the European Parliament’s commitment to ending the country’s devastating civil war. In a joint motion, the parliament on Thursday...
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UAE to ship 10 million meals to Gaza in major aid push
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has urged the UAE public to support of a nationwide drive to send more than 10 million meals to Gaza on a humanitarian ship bearing his name. A call for volunteers has been issued to help...
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Stormy skies over Gaza
Children in Gaza are enjoying a rare moment of relief as a film festival aims to help them recover and rebuild hope after Israel’s war on the strip. The first Gaza Children’s Film Festival opened last week with a screening of Albert Lamorisse’s 1956...
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Adnoc approves $150bn in capital investments to 2030
Adnoc directors yesterday approved capital investments of Dh551 billion ($150 billion) for the period until 2030 to maintain the company’s growth and operational process, the company said after its annual board meeting. President Sheikh Mohamed led...
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Israel bombs Beirut in attack on Hezbollah’s chief of staff
The Israeli military yesterday carried out a strike on Beirut, destroying at least three floors of a building in a typically busy neighbourhood of the Lebanese capital. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the target of the attack was...
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