Hello and welcome to Weekender – the newsletter that guides you through all the highlights of our Weekend edition.

Inspecting villages in 1976
Inspecting villages in 1976

How Sheikh Zayed promoted the UN's sustainable development goals - long before they came into being.

The X factor
The X factor

The social media platforms that tried (and failed) to compete with Elon Musk's X.

From distrust to dealmaking: How regional turmoil and US pressure have drawn Iraq and Syria closer together.

The 'bear-hug' American investors smothering London's biggest and best companies.

A Cockroach party demo
A Cockroach party demo

Why Bollywood stayed silent when India's Gen Z spoke out.

Mo Gilligan's fried chicken documentary won't make you quit meat – but it will make you think.

How my zoologist mother taught me to face death.

Glass supplier Shabbir Mithaiwala
Glass supplier Shabbir Mithaiwala

My Dubai Salary: From Dh690 per month to Dh40,000, but I want $1 million per day.

Future Beat newsletter: The stories shaping tomorrow's world.

The train takes the strain
The train takes the strain

Shuttling above Cairo, Africa's first monorail is up and running - but will it prove to be $4.5bn well spent?

Find out how well you've kept up with the news of the past seven days in our Quiz of the Week.

Plus much, much more in our latest Weekend edition.

And in case you missed it last week: The exiled Iranian dissidents living with the threat of the regime's revenge.

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