The National - Latest world news, sport & opinion

International Edition

Road to Net Zero

Music & On-stage

Fashion & Beauty

International Edition

Podcasts Newsletters Follow us Alerts App Video

Arab Showcase Weekend

Road to Net Zero

Music & On-stage

Fashion & Beauty

Road to Net Zero

Music & On-stage

Fashion & Beauty

Members of Syria's new government-led security forces stand guard at a checkpoint near the border with Lebanon, in the Syrian town of Serghaya. AP

Why clashes have erupted at the Lebanon-Syria border

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres recently said a partial annexation of the West Bank by Israel 'would constitute a most serious violation of international law'. AFP

CommentCan we rely on international law during global conflicts?

Meta's decision to phase out independent fact-checking teams for its social platforms has continued to draw scrutiny. AFP

Will Meta’s reversal on content moderation pay off?

Booksellers Ahmad, left, and Mahmoud Muna appear in court after their arrest during a police raid of their Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem. AP

Backlash after Israel arrests Jerusalem bookshop owners

Palestinians heading north in Gaza after Israeli forces withdrew from the Netzarim corridor. EPA

TrendingIsrael’s withdrawal from Netzarim Corridor

Layla Al Mulla, Matthew Chronis, Hamdan Al Hosani, Devina Taimni and Mike Ji are among the first batch of graduates at the Stern School of Business at NYU Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

NYUAD's Stern School of Business to ‘drive change’ and build new leaders

Sharif Al Homsi is the founder of Styria Comedy Club in Damascus, where stand-up comedians are now thriving. Danny Makki for The National

Censored under Assad: Stand-up comedians are now having the last laugh

Omar Marmoush is yet to open his Manchester City account since moving to England last month. PA

Stage set for Marmoush to make big first impression in Champions League

'We're going to take it', Trump says of Gaza as he meets King Abdullah

US President Donald Trump and King Abdullah II of Jordan in the Oval Office at the White House on Tuesday. AFP

'We're going to take it', Trump says of Gaza as he meets King Abdullah

US President also suggests Hamas will miss Saturday's deadline to return hostages

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Washington last week. EPA

Gaza ceasefire on brink as Netanyahu masses forces

US President Donald Trump says he doesn't think Hamas will meet a Saturday deadline to release all hostages

AI hitting global labour market ‘like a tsunami’, says IMF chief

Latest updatesNetanyahu tells Hamas to return hostages by Saturday or ceasefire will be terminated

Hamas fighters in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza. The group has released 21 hostages since the Gaza ceasefire began, in exchange for 730 detained Palestinians. AFP

Hamas says ‘door remains open’ for hostage release if Israel respects truce

Palestinians in Jenin fear Israel will bring abuses of war in Gaza to West Bank

Sheikh Mohamed and Pakistan PM call for regional peace in Abu Dhabi talks

Members of Israeli security detain a Palestinian protester at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. AFP

Abbas scraps law for allowances to families of those killed or detained by Israel

World Governments Summit

Delegates arrive at the plenary hall during the World Governments Summit in Dubai on February 11, 2025. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)

WGS day one: From AI hitting jobs to Elon Musk ‘doing what Americans want’

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, at the World Governments Summit. Wam

Sheikh Khaled and Sheikh Hamdan attend World Governments Summit

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the World Governments Summit in Dubai. AP.

Lasting peace should follow Gaza's 'genocidal operation,' says Pakistani PM

Jason Miller, senior campaign adviser to Donald Trump, speaks in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Trump adviser says ‘bull in a China shop’ Musk is doing what Americans want

Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, makes the case for hope in a new industrial era at the World Goverments Summit in Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

We need commitment to humanitarian values, says Al Gergawi

Tucker Carlson talks to The National at the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai in January. Antonie Robertson / The National

Tucker Carlson to host summit at Dubai’s Museum of the Future

Video

Demonstrators block motorway in Tel Aviv as Hamas suspends further hostage releases

Hamas later said the ceasefire deal and hostage release could still be implemented if Israel respects the agreement's terms.

'Plug, baby, plug': Macron urges Europe to rise to the AI challenge

'Plug, baby, plug': Macron urges Europe to rise to the AI challenge

Four AI pioneers honoured at Time100 Impact Awards in Dubai

Four AI pioneers honoured at Time100 Impact Awards in Dubai

Trump warns 'all hell will break out' in Gaza if hostages are not freed on Saturday

Trump warns 'all hell will break out' in Gaza if hostages are not freed on Saturday

LEAP tech event in Saudi Arabia showcases multi-sensory experience to counter tech overload

LEAP tech event in Saudi Arabia showcases multi-sensory experience to counter tech overload

In focus

Harry Kane of Bayern greets supporters after winning the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and SV Werder Bremen in Munich, Germany, 07 February 2025. EPA/RONALD WITTEK CONDITIONS - ATTENTION: The DFL regulations prohibit any use of photographs as image sequences and/or quasi-video.

Kane: Bayern relishing test of global opposition at Club World Cup

An armed member of a foreign security company watches from an observation point as Palestinians travel back to northern Gaza. EPA

US security firms ‘staffing’ Gaza checkpoints

Queen Rania of Jordan says the exhibition celebrates Jordan's important history of pluralism. Photo: Office of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah | Royal Hashemite Court

Jordan’s Christian heritage on display in Rome

Imad Hamad, executive director of the American Human Rights Council in Dearborn, Michigan. Arab Americans appear to be getting blamed in large part Trump’s presidential victory. AP

CommentArab Americans are bearing the brunt of the anger at Trump's victory

Netflix hit show Mo was directed by Algerian-American director Solvan Naim. Photo: Netflix

The Arab filmmakers behind popular television shows

At present, the US imports about 70 per cent of its aluminium supply. Bloomberg

Trump’s aluminium and steel tariffs to have limited impact on Gulf exports

A woman can apply for a residency permit for her husband after hers has been issued, and it is easier if the employer assists. Getty Images

‘Can a woman sponsor her husband in Saudi Arabia?’

Freshly-made pennies sit in a bin at the US Mint in Denver on August 15, 2007.

Trump’s move to kill off the US penny coin to have minimal economic impact

Google has renamed the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America on Google Maps for US users. AFP

Google Maps changes 'Gulf of Mexico' to 'Gulf of America' for US users

Company stated its intention to make change in January, saying it was policy to adjust names when they have been updated in official government sources

JD Vance warns Europe against tough approach to US tech companies

Political strategist Steve Bannon outside court in New York on Tuesday. Mr Bannon has pleaded guilty to defrauding donors in a border wall scheme. EPA

Trump ally Steve Bannon pleads guilty to fraud

Fed chairman caught in a shifting political landscape

A Swedish court said prisoners held by ISIS in its Syrian capital of Raqqa were subjected to abuse and forced religious conversion at the hands of a female captor. AFP

Sweden jails woman for keeping ‘slaves’ for ISIS in Syria

UN suspends humanitarian operations in Yemen's Saada province after staff detentions

ExclusiveNasa Gateway space station to be 'launch point from Moon to Mars'

Trump says Palestinians wouldn’t be able to return under his Gaza plan

Dubai Customs thwarts plot to smuggle 1.2 tonnes of ‘mind-altering’ drugs

Gaza ceasefire

Displaced Palestinians make their way from central Gaza to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip. AP

Arab League summit pushes for Gaza reconstruction conference in Cairo

US President Donald Trump steps into the Israel-Gaza situation again, threatening 'all hell' if Israeli hostages are not released by noon on Saturday. AP

'All hell' to break out if hostages not released from Gaza by Saturday, Trump warns

Booksellers Ahmad, left, and Mahmoud Muna appear in court after their arrest during a police raid of their Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem. AP

Backlash after Israel arrests Jerusalem bookshop owners

Donald Trump said Palestinians would not be able to return to Gaza 'because they're going to have much better housing'. Reuters

Trump says Palestinians wouldn’t be able to return under his Gaza plan

Displaced Palestinians cross the Netzarim Corridor as they make their way to the northern parts of Gaza. AFP

Israeli forces withdraw from corridor that divided Gaza in two

Naeil El Bordaine had been in prison for a year and a half. Rakan Abdel El Rahman / The National

'Blindfolded for 160 days': Freed Palestinians on treatment in Israeli jails

Displaced Palestinians cross the Netzarim corridor as they make their way to the northern parts of the Gaza Strip. AFP

Egypt to host emergency Arab summit on ‘dangerous’ developments in Palestine

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has criticised the US over sanctions imposed on Tehran. Reuters

Iran President says Trump aims to bring country ‘to its knees’

Business

Culture

Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, left, and tech billionaire Elon Musk. AFP

Altman refuses Musk-led group’s $97.4bn offer for control of OpenAI

Aldar’s 2024 profit surges 43% amid thriving property market

Du open to expanding non-core portfolio outside the UAE after record 2024

Culture

Censored under Assad: Stand-up comedians are now having the last laugh

Sotheby’s first Saudi auction results in ‘extraordinary’ sales

Queen Rania of Jordan says the exhibition celebrates Jordan's important history of pluralism. Photo: Office of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah | Royal Hashemite Court

Jordan’s Christian heritage on display in Rome

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

We bring you the top news stories, field reports and in-depth insights from the Middle East and beyond

Chart of the Week

UAE airports hit record passenger figures

Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International airport saw a 28% increase year on year

Chart of the week: UAE airports hit record passenger figures

LatestMost ReadTop Videos

Elon Musk walks back claims US intended to send $50m in condoms to Gaza

Gaza ceasefire on brink as Netanyahu masses forces

Sheikh Abdullah meets Syria's foreign minister at World Governments Summit

Trump’s shadow looms large at State of the Net conference amid mass federal layoffs

Today's cartoonShadi's take on an Elon Musk-led group's bid for OpenAI

MrBeast’s Pyramids of Giza video takeaways: From unprecedented access to hands-on Egyptologists

Man City v Real Madrid: Stage set for Omar Marmoush to make big first impression in Champions League

USAID cuts hit Jordan's economy and most vulnerable with immeasurable ripple effect

Cartoon for February 12, 2025

'We're going to take it', Trump says of Gaza as he meets King Abdullah

Donald Trump says he is committed to US ownership of Gaza

Donald Trump says he is committed to US ownership of Gaza

Dubai unveils Railbus transit system at 2025 World Governments Summit

Dubai unveils Railbus transit system at 2025 World Governments Summit