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Weekend edition

East Jerusalem settlement expansion shorthand gif demolitions

Special reportHow Israel is accelerating illegal settlements in Jerusalem during Gaza war

Quiz of the week

Find out how well you’ve kept up with the news of the past seven days

SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk has found a new ally in his bid to conquer space in US President Donald Trump. Reuters

Musk on Mars: Is colonising the Red Planet realistic - or an excuse to ignore Earth's existential issues?

Ramadan is set to begin around March 1 this year. Victor Besa / The National

ColumnWhy I begin my Ramadan preparations a month early

Getty / Nick Donaldson

Weekend EssaySyrian refugees deserve a safe country to return to

Leptis Magna in Virginia Water Park. Victoria Pertusa / The National

Revealed: How chunk of Libyan heritage ended up in grounds of UK's Windsor Castle

Nick Jonas at the Red Sea International Film Festival in December. Getty

How Nick Jonas is becoming a leading man on his own terms

Doctors in the US are often irritated by commercials telling patients to ask their physician about the advertised drug. Getty Images / AFP

Side-effect of new Trump administration could be end of prescription drug ads on TV

Live updates

A bus carries freed Palestinian prisoners after they were released from an Israeli jail as part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, January 25, 2025. REUTERS / Ali Sawafta

200 Palestinians freed after Hamas releases four Israeli soldier hostages

Milestone 100 UAE aid lorries have entered Gaza since ceasefire began
‘Anyone who hesitated was shot’: Gazans say Israel used them as human shields

Yemen’s Houthi rebels release 153 prisoners of war

Danail Veselinov, assistant captain of the Galaxy Leader, reunites with his family in Sofia. Reuters

Galaxy Leader sailor freed by Houthis says crew never let go of hope

Saudi Arabia working to lift sanctions on Syria, Prince Faisal says

British Council chief executive Scott McDonald is warning the organisation could 'disappear' in a decade. AFP

British Council could ‘disappear’ within a decade as debt woes mount, warns chief executive

Civil rights groups worry Trump could issue new Muslim travel ban

Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire likely to be extended

Davos 2025

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. EPA

InterviewNorway Foreign Minister says Gaza ceasefire is ‘starting point’

US President Donald Trump speaks to the World Economic Forum via live stream from Washington. AP

Trump calls for lower oil prices and huge defence spending in Davos speech

IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva predicts more regional co-operation on trade and economic activities. AFP

Collaboration not tariffs is best for global trade, says IMF chief

The medical industry is increasingly using AI to help with operations, as well as patient administration and billing. Victor Besa / The National

AI can ease pressure on global healthcare systems, Mubadala executive says

Badr Jafar, UAE special envoy for business and philanthropy, has called frontier markets 'one of the greatest opportunities of our time'. Photo: Crescent Enterprise

Frontier markets need more than traditional philanthropy, UAE official says

Analysts worry businesses will be torn between growing rivalry between the US and China. Reuters

What does the WEF buzzword ‘bi-globalisation’ mean for you?

Tom Fletcher, UN Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Markus Schreiber / AP

Top UN humanitarian official urges new US administration to remain 'engaged with the world'

Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed, chairwoman of Dubai Culture, spoke at the World Economic Forum about Dubai's ability to host large-scale events successfully. World Economic Forum / Greg Beadle

Sheikha Latifa on how the UAE is becoming a leader in hosting large-scale events

Video

Israel releases 200 Palestinian detainees in second swap under Gaza ceasefire

Hamas releases four Israeli female soldiers as part of exchange.

Why is Israel raiding Jenin after the ceasefire in Gaza?

Why is Israel raiding Jenin after the ceasefire in Gaza?

Lebanon's Ottomon-era Nabatieh market looks to rebuild after devastation of war

Lebanon's Ottomon-era Nabatieh market looks to rebuild after devastation of war

Abu Dhabi to Dubai in 30 minutes: Etihad Rail announces high-speed passenger line

Abu Dhabi to Dubai in 30 minutes: Etihad Rail announces high-speed passenger line

TikTok flags 'Free Palestine' as hate speech after reprieve from ban

TikTok flags 'Free Palestine' as hate speech after reprieve from ban

Gaza ceasefire

A Palestinian detainee is greeted by jubilant supporters after his release in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Saturday. Reuters

Hamas frees four Israeli hostages as 200 Palestinian detainees released

Five more convoys of aid from the UAE have been sent to Gaza. Wam

Milestone 100 UAE aid lorries have entered Gaza since ceasefire began

Dubai Humanitarian will scale up medical aid to Gaza with three airlifts. Photo: Dubai Media Office

Dubai Humanitarian hub to scale up crucial medical aid to Gaza

Fighters from the Ezzedine Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, arrive to collect Israeli hostages under the ceasefire agreement with Israel, in Gaza City. AP

US warns against Hamas assuming governance role in postwar Gaza

A man warms himself in front of a fire in Jabalia in northern Gaza. AFP

US and Egyptian security companies to screen returning Palestinians

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Photo: UAE Presidential Court; Reuters

Sheikh Abdullah and US Secretary of State Rubio discuss Gaza ceasefire

Israeli troops and military vehicles prepare to enter Jenin in the occupied West Bank, near Muqeible. AFP

EditorialIsrael is shifting its war machine to the West Bank

US President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. AFP

Trump's Middle East envoy says he will be 'outside overseer' in Gaza

A fallen tree in east Belfast. Around 560,000 homes and businesses were left without power across Northern Ireland. PA

Ireland and the UK battered with record winds

One person died in Donegal died as gusts of 183kph were recorded early in the morning near the coast

US cuts all new foreign aid, reports say

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The S&P hit a record high following President Donald Trump’s call to lower interest rates and crude prices. Getty Images

Wall Street records best first week of a presidential term in four decades

UN chief appoints new head of Libya mission

David Lammy visits the border crossing in Adre where thousands of Sudanese refugees have entered Chad, fleeing civil war. PA

UK announces funding to stop people smuggling from Sudan

UN suspends movements in Yemen after Houthis detain more personnel

High-profile UK Muslims back national body to engage with ministers

EU near agreement to ease Syria sanctions

Abu Dhabi's Modon Holding enters London's prime property market

In focus

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 25: Madison Keys of the United States is presented the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup at the Women's Singles Trophy Presentation following the Women's Singles Final against Aryna Sabalenka during day 14 of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 25, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Brunskill / Getty Images)

Madison Keys beats Aryna Sabalenka to win Australian Open

Maher Fattouh during his graduation ceremony at the University of Bristol. PA

Syrian footballer blinded during war graduates in UK

James Ferragamo, pictured in the relaunched Dubai Mall boutique, says his company can fine-tune products for each region long before they come to market. Photo: Ferragamo

The shoe design prowess keeping Ferragamo one step ahead

Microsoft's digital crimes unit says cyber crime attacks by nation-state actors are expected to increase in the coming years. Getty Images

Iran Mint Sandstorm: how hackers and cyber criminals are nicknamed

Princess Iman and husband Jameel Thermiotis married in 2023. Photo: @RHCJO / Twitter

Princess Iman of Jordan expecting her first child

Growing oranges could become a realistic prospect in the UK as warmer temperatures spread north. AFP

How climate change could bring orange groves to Britain

John Ashcroft and his wife Judi moved to the Emirates in 1998 and have chosen to retire in Dubai: Photo: John Ashcroft

Want to retire? Habibi, come to Dubai

A series of posts by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the Threads social media app, outlining his changes to content moderation. PA Wire

What happens when you say goodbye to fact-checkers on social media?

Business

Culture

New Central Bank rules will mark a shift in how property buyers in the UAE obtain mortgage finance. AP

Orders for banks to stop funding DLD and agency fees 'to increase property costs'

Investing in AI: Finding the right balance between developers and adopters

Oil prices record weekly drop as Donald Trump asks Opec to lower costs

Culture

Abu Dhabi Country Club announces redevelopment as it suspends most operations

Hans Zimmer to reimagine Saudi Arabia's national anthem

Music & On-stage

No Other Land has been nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film despite not finding a distributor in the United States. Courtesy Yabayay Media/
Antipode Films

Palestinian-Israeli film No Other Land earns Oscar nod

Beyond the Headlines

Beyond the Headlines

Delve deeper into the biggest stories from the Middle East and around the world

Culture Bites

Culture Bites

Your guide to the arts and culture scene in the UAE

Business Extra

Business Extra

The stories, companies, trends, tech, Innovation and leaders shaping your world

Trending Middle East

Trending Middle East

What’s trending today? We bring you the latest social media trends from the Middle East and around the world

Pictures of the Day

The Vande Bharat Express train arrives at Srinagar railway station during a trial run ahead of its inauguration, which will connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India. AP Photo

Kharkiv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre dancers wait backstage to perform the 'Dragon Songs' in Kharkiv, Ukraine. EPA

A spectator watches the junior girls' singles final match between Japan's Wakana Sonobe and USA'S Kristina Penickova at the Australian Open in Melbourne. AFP

Fishermen on a boat haul in their net on the Yangon river amid heavy air pollution in Yangon, Myanmar. AFP

Displaced Palestinians who left the southern Gaza Strip where they had taken refuge, run for cover from Israeli fire, northwest of Nuseirat. AFP

Folk dancers get ready to perform a dragon dance ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations in Taicang, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. AFP

A person holds a dog disguised as the Ekeko, the god of abundance, during the Alasita fair in La Paz, Bolivia. EPA

A helicopter picks up water from Lower Otay Lake to fight the Border Fire in San Diego, California. AFP

The Vande Bharat Express train arrives at Srinagar railway station during a trial run ahead of its inauguration, which will connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India. AP Photo

Kharkiv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre dancers wait backstage to perform the 'Dragon Songs' in Kharkiv, Ukraine. EPA

A spectator watches the junior girls' singles final match between Japan's Wakana Sonobe and USA'S Kristina Penickova at the Australian Open in Melbourne. AFP

Fishermen on a boat haul in their net on the Yangon river amid heavy air pollution in Yangon, Myanmar. AFP

Displaced Palestinians who left the southern Gaza Strip where they had taken refuge, run for cover from Israeli fire, northwest of Nuseirat. AFP

Folk dancers get ready to perform a dragon dance ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations in Taicang, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. AFP

A person holds a dog disguised as the Ekeko, the god of abundance, during the Alasita fair in La Paz, Bolivia. EPA

A helicopter picks up water from Lower Otay Lake to fight the Border Fire in San Diego, California. AFP

The Vande Bharat Express train arrives at Srinagar railway station during a trial run ahead of its inauguration, which will connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India. AP Photo

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Salah overtakes Henry in scoring charts as Liverpool hammer Ipswich

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Sudan’s army claims gains in capital Khartoum

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Faster than the bullet train: Etihad Rail on track to join world’s top 10

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Unboxing Samsung’s new Galaxy S25 Ultra smartphone