Sir Vincent Fean, who served as British Consul General in Jerusalem, said the UK’s historic presence in Jerusalem was critical to maintaining British policy that views the city as a shared capital. It has held a mission in the city for 200 years.

He spoke to The National after Israel announced the closure of the Consulate General in Jerusalem, with UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband responding that the building would remain open as a mission.

Israel used different wording, saying the building would house a British government-operated task force. “Their scope of activity will be very limited,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said.

The downgrade in status follows a dispute over British trade sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Avoiding full closure of the consulate allows the two allies to continue talks and minimises the risk of a permanent rupture amid intense domestic debate over the relationship in both countries. In recent days, there have been suggestions Britain was prepared ⁠to consider ejecting Israeli diplomats if the mission were ‌closed.

“It will be known as the UK mission. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that the mission is in Jerusalem,” Mr Fean told The National. “If it's not there it will be very hard to get it back. One of the Israeli aims is to ensure any future embassy is in Ramallah [in the West Bank].

British officials could be seen leaving the building on Thursday, as all but seven staff members were made to move by the Israeli government to the embassy in Tel Aviv. Workers removed ​signs ​and plaques from the walls overnight.

The decision came after weeks of negotiations, which may have continued until late on Wednesday when the Israeli decision was announced.

Mr Saar acknowledged the building was UK property, which prevented the Israeli government from seizing control of it and expelling all the diplomats.

The UK first established a Consulate General in 1838, 110 years before the state of Israel was declared, and has been operating from the building in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem since 1965.

It is thought Mr Miliband could be buying time until after the Israel elections at the end of this month, before resuming talks with what could potentially be a new government, Mr Fean said.

“There is a time factor, which is October 27 and the Israeli elections. That could mean a different set of interlocutors,” he added.

Both Downing Street and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) were involved in the negotiations leading up to Thursday, with UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell visiting Jerusalem last week.

The Israeli decision was “unlawful and disproportionate”, Mr Fean said. “Israel is taking it out in essence on Palestinians and British nationals, rather than on bilateral relations between Israeli and the UK.”

Concerns have been raised about the implications for consular services for British citizens and Palestinians, but the visa service is expected to remain “intact”, with an office in Ramallah that does not have diplomatic status, Mr Fean said.

But some British charities have raised concerns over the potential impact on their ability to deliver aid in the Palestinian territories.

“The British Consulate General is a lifeline,” said Aseel Baidoun of Medical Aid for Palestinians. “It is the UK's main channel to Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.

“It is essential for enabling close co-ordination with humanitarian and health organisations working there, including Medical Aid for Palestinians. Downgrading the Consulate General will reduce the UK's ability to protect Palestinian civilians, support aid delivery and uphold international law at the very moment these are most needed,” she told The National.

“Israel's closure order was retaliation for the UK taking lawful action against illegal settlements. The UK should make clear that it will not reward attempts to entrench Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem.”

Last week, Dominic Grieve KC, who was the government’s senior legal adviser from 2010 to 2014, said the closure was “an unlawful assertion of Israeli sovereignty over occupied East Jerusalem”.

He wrote to the FCDO to argue Israel was furthering its agenda to annex East Jerusalem by closing the British consulate.

The last election for the Palestinian Legislative Council was held in 2006 and won by Hamas, leading to the rift between the group and the ruling Fatah party. Fatah leader and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who was elected in 2005, has overstayed his term by 17 years and now rules by decree.

The PA has faced mounting pressure from Palestinians, the region and the West for internal reforms and presidential elections. Mr Abbas, 90, and his administration are widely regarded as corrupt and ineffective. The election of his son, Yasser, to Fatah's central committee this year has raised concerns that he was setting him up as his successor in a presidential election expected next year.

Mr Abbas called off an attempt to hold a presidential election in 2021, which polls indicated he would probably lose, citing Israel's refusal to allow Palestinian voters in occupied East Jerusalem to participate.

The current conditions are even less conducive for elections after the devastation of Gaza by Israel in a war sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attacks, and the related increase in Israeli violence and settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank where the PA is based.

Nevertheless, Mr Abbas publicly promised that 2026 would be the year for Palestinian democracy after EU threats to cut funding if he failed to comply with their demands for reforms.

Election commission head Jamil Al Khalidi told Palestinian media this week that preparations were being made to hold elections in Gaza and the West Bank despite security, logistical and technical hurdles.

He said alternatives to traditional ballot boxes and voting ink were being sourced, as Israel continues to block their entry into Gaza.

It is unclear how Palestinians might react to a delay in the legislative elections, but many were already bracing for it, an August poll by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research showed. Out of 1,270 respondents interviewed, 44 per cent said they did not believe the elections would take place as scheduled.

The conditions of the postponement will be noteworthy, one of the sources told The National, given the EU's continued pressure for the vote to be held.

Another source, who previously worked closely with Mr Abbas, said the Palestinian President was shortsighted and unlikely to have planned beyond postponing the vote.

"He only thinks one step ahead. And he has absolutely no concept about the importance of public opinion," the source said.

GlobalFoundries, based in New York, said it would be supplying TSMC with silicon interposers, which help chips communicate on logic boards.

Interposers are increasingly important as artificial intelligence creates unprecedented demand for semiconductors.

“Advanced packaging is becoming increasingly critical to delivering the performance, power efficiency and scale required for next-generation AI systems,” said Ed Kaste, a senior vice president at GlobalFoundries.

“By providing manufacturing services using GlobalFoundries' trusted US manufacturing footprint, we are creating a secure, scalable source of essential advanced-packaging elements that will help customers accelerate innovation and strengthen the semiconductor supply chain.”

GlobalFoundries said large-scale production of silicon interposers is expected at the start of 2028. “The agreement provides a foundation to expand capacity over time as customer demand grows,” the company's press release said.

TSMC is one of the world's largest chip makers. Last year, President Donald Trump announced the Taiwan-based company would be investing at least $100 billion in the US to bolster manufacturing and research.

Semiconductor manufacturing is fast becoming a major asset, as the US and China compete to exert influence in the AI sector.

At the time of the announcement, Mr Trump said, alongside TSMC chief executive CC Wei: “This is a tremendous thing for our country and hopefully his company. The most powerful AI chips in the world will be built right here in America and it will be a big percentage of those chips made by his company.”

GlobalFoundries is owned in part by Abu Dhabi’s sovereign fund, Mubadala Investment Company.

The deal with the Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre (Adpic) was signed during the Liveability and Investment (LIVEX) conference, the emirate's media office said on Thursday.

“Abu Dhabi provides an ideal environment to explore the next generation of underground infrastructure solutions, supported by its ambitious growth vision and strong commitment to advanced technologies,” said Steve Davis, president of The Boring Company.

“Through our collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre, we look forward to assessing how advanced tunnelling solutions can create new possibilities for transport and utilities, expand urban capacity more efficiently, and enable better use of available space.”

Last month, The National reported how the Boring Company planned to to build 150km of tunnels in the Emirates after it raised $3 billion in a funding round, led by the UAE.

Construction is under way on the Dubai Loop in May, a high-speed underground transport network aimed at cutting congestion in the city.

The Dubai Loop, led by the government in partnership with The Boring Company – is expected to start operations within two years.

“Infrastructure is one of the most important drivers of future opportunity, enabling cities to grow efficiently, strengthen connectivity and create lasting value for communities,” said Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT).

“As Abu Dhabi continues to evolve, we remain focused on exploring new approaches that can optimise the use of space, strengthen connectivity across the urban landscape and support sustainable urban growth in a way that meets the needs of future generations.”

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority said in February that the first phase of the Dubai Loop would cost Dh565 million ($153.8 million) and connect DIFC with Dubai Mall using autonomous Tesla cars. The first four stations will be at Burj Khalifa, DIFC 2, Zabeel Dubai Mall Parking and ICD Brookfield Place.

The Dubai network will eventually cover 22km and comprise 19 stations. The estimated final cost is about Dh2 billion.

“Our collaboration with The Boring Company provides an opportunity to explore advanced underground transportation and utility tunnel solutions, drawing on global expertise, technical innovation and international best practices to assess their potential role in supporting Abu Dhabi's future infrastructure requirements and development priorities,” said Maysarah Mahmoud Eid, director general of Adpic.

The public-private partnership deal for the New Mooring Container Terminal (NMCT) is anticipated to improve supply chain efficiency and strengthen Bangladesh’s trade and logistics capabilities, the Dubai company said in a statement on Thursday.

Under the agreement, which also includes the operation of the overflow container yard, the NMCT will remain under the ownership of the Chittagong Port Authority. DP World did not disclose the value of its investment in the project.

The partnership will allow the NMCT to tap into DP World's global network, which includes ports, infrastructure and supply chain services, DP World executive chairman Essa Kazim said.

“Bangladesh is an increasingly important trading and manufacturing economy, and we are committed to supporting its continued development,” he added.

The collaboration builds on an initial pact signed between the Dubai government and the Public-Private Partnership Authority under the Bangladesh Prime Minister's Office, aimed at advancing strategic infrastructure development through PPP initiatives.

The development plan includes upgrades to the terminal’s civil and equipment infrastructure, use of digital solutions and operational enhancements to improve cargo handling efficiency and growing trade volumes.

Working with the Chittagong Port Authority, DP World will focus on key operational areas including berth planning, yard management, equipment utilisation, preventive maintenance, safety and sustainability, it said.

The partnership is expected to support local workforce development and the introduction of international operating practices.

“By supporting domestic industry and facilitating more efficient trade flows, the partnership [with DP World] will strengthen Bangladesh's position in regional and global supply chains while creating a stronger platform for investment and long-term economic growth,” said SM Moniruzzaman, chairman of the Chittagong Port Authority.

DP World has a global handling capacity of 110 million 20-foot-equivalent units and is responsible for the movement of 10 per cent of global daily trade, according to its website. It has invested about $10 billion in a logistics network that now spans 85 countries.

The company is aggressively expanding internationally. Its latest ventures include investing $90 million to upgrade Angola's Port of Luanda and exploring two major port and economic zone projects in Nigeria.

The former prince was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in February and searches were ⁠carried out at properties in Sandringham ⁠and Windsor.

However, Mr Mountbatten-Windsor ‌applied for the search warrants to be ​quashed and Thames Valley Police said it accepted that they had not been properly granted.

“We accept the position that the initial court's decision to issue warrants under the specific piece of legislation used was incorrect and therefore these must be legally quashed,” a Thames Valley Police spokesperson said.

“Legal proceedings are currently ongoing to decide how material seized during the searches will ​be managed and whether we ‌can lawfully retain ⁠it in support ​of our ongoing investigation.”

The force said the criminal ​investigation ‌which began after the release of millions of ⁠documents by the US Department of Justice relating ⁠to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was continuing.

Andrew, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth, has denied any ​wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and said he regretted their friendship.

Worshippers are encouraged to join in to seek divine mercy and blessings for the country. The prayer will begin half an hour before the weekly Jumuah prayers at 12.45pm.

This year, the UAE witnessed scattered rains, but most areas remained dry. Additional rainfall plays a key role in agriculture, helping farmers grow healthy crops in tough conditions.

The level of rainfall is declining in across part of the Middle East. Throughout most of 2025, cumulative rainfall in the UAE was significantly below average, about 38 per cent less than the historical baseline and nearly three times lower than in 2024.

How is Salaat Al Istisqaa performed?

Salaat Al Istisqaa involves some of the practices, teachings and traditions of the Prophet Mohammed that Muslims are encouraged to follow.

There is no adhan, or call to prayer, and no iqamah for this special prayer.

Those who arrive early may perform voluntary prayers, or nawafil, before or after Salaat Al Istisqaa.

After completing the two-rak'ah prayer with the Salam, the imam delivers a sermon while standing on the ground instead of ascending the pulpit, as an expression of humility before Allah.

At the end of the second sermon, the imam faces the qibla, the direction of the Kaaba in Makkah, and raises his hands in supplication, asking Allah to send rain to the people and the land.

A distinctive tradition of Salaat Al Istisqaa is the turning of the imam’s cloak. At the end of the second sermon, the imam turns his cloak inside out in a gesture symbolising the hope that Allah will transform hardship into ease and bring rain after drought.

The imam then raises his hands and offers supplication for rain and divine mercy.

Rain expected across the UAE

The prayer coincides with a forecast of possible rainfall in the coming days.

Dr Ahmed Habib, a meteorologist at the National Centre of Meteorology, told The National scattered rainfall could develop in parts of the country.

The likelihood of rain is expected to increase over the weekend and into early next week, with Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday highlighted for possible showers.

However, rainfall is expected to remain localised rather than widespread. Some areas may experience moderate or heavy showers, while others may remain dry.

The developing weather pattern may create further opportunities for rainfall throughout the month.

The same authority said last month that it had confiscated more than 13,000 e-scooters since the beginning of the year for dangerous riding, such as speeding. The authorities noted that accidents, incidents and injuries have risen. Abu Dhabi has this year also issued warnings about improper use of such vehicles, as well as disseminating public safety information videos.

There has not been a nationwide “census” conducted regarding the volume of e-scooters in active use in the country – nor does there need to be one – but e-bikes and e-scooters are now a ubiquitous presence on neighbourhood roads and cycle path networks, helping reduce congestion and pollution in the process. What is becoming obvious is that more scooters and more journeys means, in all likelihood, the potential for more accidents and incidents.

The National reported earlier this year that Ministry of Interior data showed significant e-scooter accidents had increased by 97 per cent last year, from 61 cases to 120. Despite the rapid rise in the headline number, the overall figure is still low. That, of course, provides no comfort to anyone or any family that has been affected by one of those serious accidents. It is in all of our interests to reduce the number of significant incidents to zero, while also recognising we are not sat in the middle of a contagion-level event.

Statistical models produced elsewhere in the world suggest every 100,000 e-scooter rides might result in between 10 and 20 accidents requiring medical support or intervention. A significant contributory factor to that global modelling is alcohol intoxication by the e-scooter user, which may be less of a determinant in this region. World Health Organisation figures also report that road traffic injuries of all forms tend to disproportionately affect young people. Globally, unintentional injury, such as that resulting from vehicle collision, is the leading cause of death for people under 30.

The rules for e-scooters say riders must be at least 16 years old and wear a helmet when using one. The maximum speed permitted by one of those vehicles is 20 kph. Riders are also required to keep a safe distance from pedestrians, are not allowed to carry passengers or use mobile phones while using them. Reflective clothing is also advised, and any vehicle is meant to be equipped with front and rear lights.

The drip-drip of persistent messaging does increase the likelihood of bringing about behavioural change

Authorities have said they would take action against riders who cross roads dangerously, weave between lanes or ride outside demarcated or approved zones. Improper use leads to confiscation and fines.

Anecdotally, if it is not controversial to say that most road users will have seen an e-scooter rider breach at least one of those rules in day-to-day life. A counter-argument would also say that most drivers break road rules on their daily drives, whether that is speeding, distracted driving, tailgating or another form of anti-social or potentially reckless behaviour.

Few drivers are the paragons of road-using virtue that we may think we are and only a small number of drivers willingly identify themselves as “bad” even if their fellow road users might absolutely attest that they are. It is down to every road user to take a higher level of personal responsibility to keep the roads safe.

So, how can we realistically reach a state of accident-free nirvana?

Education and awareness are key to beating back the rising tide rather than enforcement with last-mile vehicles.

Only the utterly rules-driven among us would advocate for round-the-clock and always-visible enforcement of regulations regarding e-scooters, which would be a drain on resources that could not be justified by the thankfully low volume of incidents and accidents.

Each time authorities share video footage of e-scooter misuse, however, it helps subtly change behaviour and attitudes towards risk.

Road safety campaigns elsewhere in the world on the dangers of driving while intoxicated or failing to use seat belts or child seats have helped change habits and save lives over a prolonged period. Campaigns by Abu Dhabi Police to highlight the dangers of rubber-necking, tailgating and speeding have garnered widespread attention and, inevitably, offer pause for individual reflection and thought. Dubai has set up a unit in relation to e-scooter use to help education and improve safety. All of these things will help.

There is also the question of performance-limiters. E-bikes are typically able to achieve limits far in excess of the permitted maximums for the path network, much in the same way as performance cars have the potential to be driven at more than double the speed permitted on the nation’s motorways. While speed limiters are also common in both performance cars and e-bikes, software has the potential to be overridden. Awareness campaigns about the dangers of speeding and the increased risk of injury to the e-scooter user or pedestrians are the best defence in such circumstances.

A single information video rarely makes a difference on its own, but the drip-drip of persistent messaging does increase the likelihood of bringing about behavioural change and keeping our path and road network safe.

The Turkish-owned Alfa Watan was hit by a drone off the Bulgarian coast on Tuesday. Russia is suspected of involvement in the latest of several such incidents during the war in Ukraine.

Bulgaria said there were “no traces” of the 10 crew members and called off the search on Wednesday. A second ship was damaged on the same day as the Alfa Watan, with all its crew rescued.

Syria on Thursday called for an investigation by Bulgaria and the International Maritime Organisation. Mazen Aloush, a director at the Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs, said it should examine why the search for the Alfa Watan crew was called off before their fate was determined.

He said “all available technical means” should be used to reach the wreck and determine what happened. “The file should not be closed before exhausting all available possibilities,” Syrian state media quoted him as saying.

Vice Admiral Rumen Nikolov of Bulgaria's Maritime Administration Executive Agency had said a boat, ​three life rafts and parts of the ship's equipment were found before the Alfa Watan search was called off.

It was not certain who carried out the attack, which took place off the coastal town of Byala in eastern Bulgaria, but there are growing concerns about attacks by Russia on European Union and Nato countries.

“If we look at the nature of the cargo and the direction in which the ships were moving, then logically speaking the result argues in favour of Russia,” Prime Minister Rumen Radev said after a meeting of Bulgaria's National Security Council on Wednesday. “But that does not mean that we can claim that the strike was carried out by Russia without having evidence.”

The Russian embassy in Sofia denied involvement, saying the merchant ship was not among targets hit by Russian drones on Tuesday. Ukrainian ⁠President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russia and said his country's forces were not operating in that area.

Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova said the country would invite its Black Sea neighbours Turkey ⁠and Romania for talks on protecting shipping. It may ⁠also ask Nato allies to deploy “additional air and maritime surveillance capabilities and counter-drone systems”, she said.

Nato member Bulgaria does not border Russia or Ukraine but lies on the Black Sea, where both countries have major ports and shipping has been caught in the conflict. The ⁠drone attack follows an incident in which Romanian authorities said on Monday two people had died in a fire on a ship in the Black Sea.

It also comes in the wake of drone incidents in Poland and Romania, raising fears that Russia is testing Nato's defence posture without waging full-scale war against its members.

Since the start of the Iran war on February 28, Europe has cast itself as a solid ally to the Gulf, despite being unable to match superior US military capabilities.

“In the current geopolitical context, there is an opportunity for deeper and more ambitious EU-GCC partnerships,” European Council President Antonio Costa said in a letter of invitation to Gulf and EU leaders dated Tuesday and seen by The National.

As the closest neighbours geographically, with long historical and cultural ties, and recognising the growing shared challenges we face, I propose that our discussions will focus on key regional issues,” Mr Costa, who will co-chair the summit with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, wrote.

He called for strengthening co-operation in priority areas such as “peace and security, connectivity, trade, economic co-operation, energy and mobility”.

European support

The Houthi-Saudi Arabia conflict escalated on Wednesday, with three people killed in attacks by the Yemeni rebels on airports in the kingdom, disrupting flights.

Following a major escalation of the Houthi offensive last month, in which the Iran-backed group seized key energy and maritime infrastructure, France and the UK – which is not an EU member – were among the first to send Riyadh military support, including fighter jet-refuelling capabilities and defence systems.

This week, Turkey and Pakistan, which signed a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, said they would send troops. The US, historically a key Saudi ally, has been notably absent from announcements of military aid.

The physical presence of the EU's 27 leaders in Riyadh for the EU-GCC Summit on October 24 is likely to represent an important signal of support to Saudi Arabia and more widely to Gulf states affected by regional instability.

Early in the war, France and Italy sent air-defence systems to the UAE to help it fend off Iranian drone and missile attacks.

“The Riyadh summit can showcase the EU as a reliable and long-term partner to the Gulf countries and unlock shared opportunities,” Mr Costa said in the letter.

Cinzia Bianco, a research fellow on Europe and the Gulf at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told The National that Europe's backing did not mean pivoting away from the US.

“Europe can offer different things,” Ms Bianco said. “It is about a strategic partnership maturing and showing concrete defensive support is only your entrance ticket, in a way.”

The previous EU-GCC Summit took place in Brussels in 2024 and was the first since the signing of the initial EU-GCC co-operation agreement in 1989.

The EU is the second-biggest trading partner of the GCC countries: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.

The European Commission said that over the past decade, EU-GCC trade has increased by about 30 per cent, with imports growing about 54 per cent and exports 20 per cent. The key traded good is fuel, accounting for more than 75 per cent of the EU’s imports from GCC countries.

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, nine Southern Mediterranean EU leaders said the summit would provide an opportunity to “strengthen engagement with Gulf partners on regional peace, security and prosperity”.

“The EU should continue to work closely with Gulf partners and other partners in the region, using its diplomatic, economic, humanitarian and security instruments to support regional co-operation and peacebuilding,” they said.

Reinforcing Aspides?

Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign affairs and security policy chief, has been pushing for months to strengthen Aspides, the bloc's defensive maritime mission.

Aspides' mandate covers a wide area including the Bab Al Mandeb strait, the Strait of Hormuz and international waters in the Red Sea. It is currently operating in the Red Sea.

“The mandate covers also Hormuz but it needs to be activated, including with more ships,” Ms Bianco said. “This is already happening, to get to the summit in Riyadh in a more credible position.”

Ms Kallas' efforts have been backed by Italy, which recently complained in a letter to her that other EU nations were not being supportive enough and suggested they contribute financially instead.

Italy and France both have one frigate deployed to the mission, which is under Greek strategic command.

Speaking last month in Brussels, Ms Kallas said the quality of vessels was as important as their number.

“For example, Aspides does not have a minehunting mandate, which means that you need frigates, you need air-defence support, you need vessels that can do the escorting of the ships,” she said.

The son of a petrol station worker from Tenerife’s capital Santa Cruz, Pedro Rodriguez Ledesma’s 23 goals from 52 games were shared between ‘Pedro’, ‘Pedrito’, ‘Rodriguez’ and ‘Ledesma’.

Those goals were often crucial and when Pedro scored in the Fifa Club World Cup in 2009, he became the first to score in six different club competitions in one season. Seven months later, he was a World Cup winner with Spain.

“I can’t believe what’s happened,” he said at the end of the 2009-10 season. He was a character – as was noted during Barca’s title celebrations. As the victors took to the microphone and shouted “Forever Barca, Forever Catalunya”, Pedro stepped up and hollered “Forever Barca, Forever Tenerife!” Even the most earnest Catalans laughed.

“In 12 months I established myself a regular for Barca,” he says. “I’d only played eight first team league games before last season – though I did come on in the 2009 Champions League final against Manchester [United]. In 2009-10, we won the league with Barca again and I was selected for Spain. Then Spain won the World Cup. Incredible – it was beyond a dream.”

Siento que es el momento.

El momento para dar un paso adelante y comenzar una nueva etapa en mi vida.

Me voy orgulloso por haber vivido mi sueño y por todas las personas que estuvieron a mi lado para hacerlo realidad.

Gracias fútbol por hacerme tan feliz. ❤️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/4sEI3GFGQU

— Pedro Rodríguez (@_Pedro17_) October 7, 2026

Pedro became a World Cup winner just six weeks after making his Spain debut. “I played against Saudi Arabia in May,” he explains, “then scored my first goal a week later. I played in five World Cup games.”

Being one of seven Barca men in the Spain squad, most of whom were regular starters in South Africa, also helped.

Sixteen years on and there’s no confusion about who Pedro is. After 776 first-team matches for Barcelona, Chelsea, Roma and then their deadly rivals Lazio, plus another 65 for Spain, he’s calling it a day. Along the way he won 25 trophies including one World Cup, one European Championship, three Uefa Champions Leagues, five La Liga titles and one Premier League.

On Thursday, he visited Camp Nou, scene of most of those triumphs. On Friday, he held a press conference to announce his retirement. It was met with lavish praise for a fine career.

You will always be part of our history.
Thank you for everything, @_Pedro17_ ! 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/VtHqJWrwBp

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 7, 2026

Early on he put much of his success down to Barça’s youth academy, which included a season under Luis Enrique for Barca B. “The club have a very clear idea of how we should play football,” he said. “Receive, pass, move. Learn to do this very quickly and you have an advantage.

“We also have role models in front of us. I could see players like Xavi and [Andres] Iniesta, they could see players like El Mister [Pep Guardiola]. Youth gets a chance here.”

Opinion was long divided on the best position for the two-footed winger. “I can play on both sides, but I play more on the left so I’d have to say that,” he said. “As for my feet, I use my right more. I tend to score twice as many goals with my right as my left.”

Pedro was fortunate in that he entered the best team in the world and played alongside its greatest player, Lionel Messi. “Messi is the best player in the world, we all know that,” he said.

“The skills he has, his pace and vision, they make it impossible for defenders. But the best thing about Barca is that we’re a team. We work for each other, not for ourselves and we have great players in every position”.

Pedro’s footballing education allowed him to thrive wherever he went. Manchester United wanted to sign him but he went instead to Chelsea in 2015 after 321 games for the Catalans.

At Stamford Bridge, he learnt English and celebrated the League title and FA Cup. He also averaged 45 games per season in his first four years in London, the mark of a player seldom injured. He played more than 50 club games in four different seasons at Barcelona.

Former Barça, Chelsea and Spain forward Pedro has announced his retirement from football, aged 39.

Don't sleep on his continental and international trophy collection 🏆 pic.twitter.com/nwuDXRqwuR

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 7, 2026

After 206 Chelsea games he moved to Rome, first for 40 games in a season at Roma, then five full seasons at Lazio where he again averaged more than 40 club games per season. As recently as 2024-25, when he was 37, he still scored 14 goals, including Lazio’s goal of the year.

Pedro is 39 but the stats don’t tell the full story since his games for Barca B aren’t counted, yet in more than 100 games for Barcelona’s junior sides he was playing against the first teams of clubs such as Real Betis and Zaragoza as a full professional.

In total, Pedro played an astonishing 902 club games and scored 215 goals, plus another 65 goals and 17 games for Spain. He played his last game for Spain almost a decade ago and courted rare controversy when he said his role as a substitute during Euro 2016 was not worth his time, a rare, outspoken comment for this always loyal and unselfish servant.

“I feel that the time has come,” he said as he retired. “The time to take a step forward and begin a new stage in my life. I leave proud of having lived my dream and of all the people who were by my side to make it come true. Thank you, football, for making me so happy”.

Kaja Kallas, who was visiting Beirut, said the mission was not a replacement for the UN's peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon (Unifil), whose mandate is set to expire at the end of the year.

“It will advise and assist the LAF and Internal Security Forces to strengthen territorial control, border security and also internal security,” she said, alongside Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi.

“It's not the Unifil replacement and it will not only focus on southern Lebanon,” Ms Kallas added, saying a continued UN presence remained under discussion.

The mission is expected to be formally established on October 12 at a meeting of EU foreign ministers, after a formal invitation from Lebanese authorities.

The EU already provides financial, humanitarian and security assistance to Lebanon through a €1 billion ($1.12 billion) support package covering 2024 to 2027.

There are fears of a security vacuum in south Lebanon – where Israel occupies about 65 towns and villages and Hezbollah continues to hold influence – as the UN mission prepares to withdraw with no successor formally announced. There have been suggestions that EU member states France and Italy could play a role.

“We remain ready to work with Lebanon and UN Security Council members on what comes next,” Ms Kallas said.

“There cannot be a security vacuum when Unifil leaves. Lebanon must have full control of its whole territory. That also means moving towards the disarmament of Hezbollah,” she added. Any international force must have a UN mandate, she said.

The LAF, which is severely underfunded and relies on international donors, has sought to expand its presence in south Lebanon but has faced intense difficulties amid the latest Israeli occupation.

Hezbollah's military arsenal and continued support in parts of Lebanon have raised fears of internal discord or even civil war should disarmament be done by force, amid pressure from the US and Israel to take a firmer stance.

Israel's latest war on Lebanon, which was renewed again March against the backdrop of hostilities against Iran, has killed more than 4,300 Lebanese people and led to the destruction of a large number of border towns and villages.

It came after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel following the killing of Iran's supreme leader.

Ms Kallas is on a two-day trip to Lebanon, where she also met with President Joseph Aoun among others.

The 76-year-old author, whose best-known works include Autobiography of Red, The Beauty of the Husband and Nox, was announced as this year's laureate on Thursday.

The academy awarded Carson the prize “for her bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue with the classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature”.

Anders Olsson, chairman of the Nobel Committee for Literature, said Carson's achievement lay in her ability to combine classical scholarship with poetry, fiction and other literary forms.

“Almost all her literary production has centred upon the intersection between the philologist's obsession with words and the poet's desire for new meaning,” he said during the announcement.

Carson has spent four decades drawing on ancient mythology, poetry and philosophy to explore love, grief, desire and identity. Her books frequently combine poetry with fiction, essays, translation and visual art, challenging conventional distinctions between literary forms.

Ingrid Carlberg, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, said she had reached Carson by telephone shortly before the announcement. The writer was in Iceland, where she had been “listening to the wind”.

“She was taken by surprise, but very happy. I can hear that in her voice,” Carlberg said.

Carson succeeds Hungarian novelist Laszlo Krasznahorkai, who won the prize in 2025, and South Korean author Han Kang, the 2024 recipient.

The award carries a prize of 12 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1.2 million) and will be presented in Stockholm on December 10.

Who is Anne Carson?

Born in Toronto in 1950, Carson developed an interest in ancient Greek literature while at secondary school, where a Latin teacher began teaching her Greek during lunch breaks.

She went on to study classics at the University of Toronto, earning a doctorate in 1981, and subsequently taught at universities across Canada and the United States, including McGill University and the University of Michigan.

Carson has also translated major ancient Greek writers, including Sappho, Sophocles and Euripides, while reimagining their stories in her own work.

Her previous honours include a MacArthur Fellowship in 2000, the TS Eliot Prize in 2001 and Spain's Princess of Asturias Award for Literature in 2020. She has also won the Griffin Poetry Prize twice, in 2001 and 2014.

Which works explain her Nobel Prize win?

Among the works highlighted by the Nobel Committee was The Glass Essay (1995), a long poem about a woman recovering from a failed relationship who visits her mother in the moorlands, bringing with her the writings of Emily Bronte.

Olsson said the work demonstrated Carson's ability to combine poetry, storytelling and literary criticism, with the narrator's experiences becoming entwined with those of her mother and Bronte.

“The poetry needs the story, and the story is in turn given energy by the leaps and scene shifts of poetry,” he said.

One of Carson's most acclaimed works is Autobiography of Red (1998), a novel written in verse that reimagines the ancient Greek myth of Geryon, a monster killed by the hero Herakles.

Carson transforms Geryon into a young man with red wings, following his journey through adolescence, heartbreak and self-discovery. The book combines a contemporary coming-of-age story with the fantastic imagery of classical mythology.

Olsson praised Carson's “extraordinary ability to give the classical literary tradition an intensely contemporary feel”, highlighting her use of modern language and experiences to reinterpret ancient stories.

He also recalled that Carson had once described boredom as her greatest enemy, saying she confronted it with “drastic humour and wit”.

She followed Autobiography of Red with The Beauty of the Husband (2001), subtitled A Fictional Essay in 29 Tangos. The book follows a woman reflecting on her marriage to an unfaithful husband, with each of its 29 sections opening with lines from the Romantic poet John Keats.

Olsson described the work as a confrontation between Keats's ideas about beauty and the painful realities of a deteriorating marriage. The book won Carson the 2001 TS Eliot Prize, making her the first woman to receive the British poetry award.

Grief became the subject of Nox (2010), created following the death of Carson's brother Michael. The book is presented as an accordion-folding collection of photographs, letters, drawings and poetry, drawing on an elegy by the ancient Roman writer Catullus, who also mourned the death of his brother.

Olsson described Nox as “a creation as sculptural as it is literary”, highlighting how Carson uses the physical form of the book to examine memory and loss.

Her engagement with Greek tragedy also produced Antigonick (2012), an illustrated reworking of Sophocles' Antigone, while Red Doc> (2013) returned to the characters of Autobiography of Red as adults.

Carson's most recent collection, Wrong Norma (2024), contains 25 pieces of poetic prose accompanied by her own artwork. It was a finalist for the 2024 National Book Award for Poetry and won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry in 2025.

Olsson said Carson's influence extended beyond literature through collaborations with visual artists, choreographers and theatre directors.

“This demonstrates the freedom with which she relates to literary expectations and rule systems,” he said, describing her work as an important influence on international art and literature since the 1990s.

The push to establish a fresh diplomatic path following the failure to achieve a breakthrough in New York during the UN General Assembly last month is unfolding against a backdrop of growing signs that both sides are bracing for a major confrontation.

Last week, a source in Tehran told The National that Iran was preparing for a “major round of fighting”. Days later, US media reports suggested the Trump administration is weighing renewed strikes on Iran before the November 3 midterm elections, and that the Pentagon had ordered preparations for possible major combat operations.

Gulf and Pakistani diplomatic sources said Qatar and Pakistan remain engaged in diplomacy with both sides, seeking to bring Washington and Tehran back to the negotiating table.

“We remain engaged,” said a Pakistani diplomatic source. “Behind the scenes, negotiations are still happening, messages are being passed and engagement is continuing.”

Qatar and Pakistan have been acting as key intermediaries in the conflict, which erupted following US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. The two countries helped facilitate a settlement and brokered a provisional truce agreement in June that quickly fell apart. The war in the Middle East has jolted global energy markets and fuelled inflation.

Iran and the US have exchanged proposals in recent weeks to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy shipping route. US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s latest offer and has warned that military operations could intensify after the midterm elections.

“After Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi returned from New York, all diplomatic channels were effectively closed,” an Iranian source said. “This was one of the reasons behind the unusually strong warnings subsequently issued by Iran’s armed forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC] regarding any further attack.”

But a source close to Iranian negotiators said message exchanges have since resumed. “China has also occasionally played a role in trying to bring the two sides’ positions closer, at Washington’s request,” the source added.

“The current exchange does not appear likely to produce meaningful results. The new US strategy is to continue exchanging messages while applying pressure intended to force Iran to submit to American demands. At the same time, Washington is mobilising for a third round of attacks against Iran.”

On Thursday, Mr Araghchi said Iran is still reviewing Washington's ​response to ⁠its proposal under which ⁠the ​Strait ⁠of Hormuz ‌could ​be reopened within seven days, and could reply within days. "The ⁠diplomatic process is still continuing," he confirmed.

'Making demands'

Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said on Wednesday that Iran’s military could carry out further pre-emptive attacks if it deemed them necessary to deter future strikes. He also said the army had built up a large stockpile of newly developed offensive and defensive weapons, including missiles and drones, and was continuing to produce them.

US officials have also refused to rule out further escalation after Washington sent a third aircraft carrier to the region. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a visit to Greece on Wednesday that Iran had missed multiple opportunities to reach a deal over its nuclear programme. Earlier, Vice President JD Vance stressed that Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its uranium enrichment capacity to meet Washington’s demands and end the war.

On Tuesday, Qatar said that its mediation efforts between the US and Iran were ongoing, confirming that the two sides were exchanging messages and that Doha was still acting as a mediator.

The comments came as Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Doha this week and met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh. “The visit was publicly presented as being focused on the fate of the missing Iranian pilots, but there has also been a broader diplomatic purpose behind it,” said one of the Iranian sources.

Iran says three pilots were detained by Qatari forces after their military aircraft were downed in Qatar’s airspace in March. Doha has denied the claim, saying its search-and-rescue teams recovered the remains of one Iranian pilot and handed them over to Tehran.

The latest diplomatic activity also coincided with a visit to Pakistan by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who called on the US and Iran to end the conflict and return to diplomacy.

But the latest exchanges have yet to overcome fundamental differences over how a potential agreement should be structured.

“The US is making demands of Iran, but the Americans are not providing the Iranians with any guarantees,” said a source in Tehran. “The Iranians want firm guarantees that cannot subsequently be reversed.

“There is a strong internal struggle between the IRGC, the official diplomatic channels and Parliament. There is significant opposition to negotiations because talks with the Americans have been tried repeatedly in the past and have failed.”

Mr Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) has never won a mayoral election in Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city. It is widely seen as a bastion of secular opposition parties who reject the president’s brand of Islamist nationalism.

But mayor Cemil Tugay joined the AKP in a ceremony on Wednesday, and in a short speech described the party as “protector of the defenceless.” Mr Erdogan said he would support Mr Tugay “with all our resources in the effort to serve Izmir.”

Taking control of Izmir, a province home to 4.5 million people, is a major win for the Turkish President, whose party has long criticised the opposition’s governance of the key Aegean coast centre.

It was “a new era” and “a fresh start for Izmir,” local AKP chief Bilal Saygili said in a post on X.

The move is the most prominent of a spate of recent defections to the AKP, in what critics have described as efforts by the ruling party to maintain rule over city governance despite an overwhelming defeat in local elections in 2024.

“What does this tell us about the state of Turkish democracy? Well, it tells us that it doesn't exist,” Berk Esen, an Istanbul-based political scientist, told The National.

Following Mr Tugay’s move, more than 1,000 protesters took to the streets in Izmir chanting slogans criticising the move, but were met with security barricades and anti-riot police, AFP reported.

Local professional groups said Mr Tugay no longer had legitimacy and had disrespected the electorate’s wishes.

“At this point, what must be done is to step down from that office,” Izmir Bar Association said in a statement on social media.

He has “betrayed the duty entrusted to him,” the medics’ association said.

Nine people resigned as advisers to the municipal theatre, saying that Mr Tugay’s defection “disregards the will of Izmir’s people and our audience.”

Mr Tugay had previously denied he was considering joining the AKP. His wife had told him she would divorce him and his mother that she would disown him if he did so, he told Turkish media in January. Despite this, his wife Oznur Tugay appeared alongside her husband and Mr Erdogan at Wednesday's ceremony.

Mr Tugay had won the mayoralty in 2024 with 48.97 per cent of the vote for the Republican People’s Party (CHP). At the time, the CHP was Turkey’s main opposition party, but in May this year it was hit with a lawsuit that saw its leadership removed and replaced.

That prompted the formation of another group, the New Party, which has since taken over as the country’s largest opposition force. Mr Tugay left the CHP following the May lawsuit but did not join the New Party and continued to serve as an independent mayor. Opposition parties retain control of the municipal council.

Critics of Mr Erdogan’s AKP characterise the defection as part of a pressure campaign on Turkey’s political opposition, which has faced arrests, lawsuits and defections over the past two years.

“Elections are losing their meaning and significance because even if the ruling party loses elections, it can figure out extra-legal, extra-constitutional ways of reversing the outcome of these elections – in other words, reversing opposition victories,” Mr Esen said.

Mr Tugay is not the first provincial mayor to defect to the AKP. Last year Ozlem Cercioglu, the mayor of Aydin in western Turkey, resigned from the CHP and switched to the AKP. Tens of district-level mayors, a less senior position than a provincial mayor, have also defected, alongside two MPs.

Other opposition officials have been arrested. Seven opposition provincial mayors have been arrested since the 2024 vote, six of whom are still in prison, according to a tally published yesterday by news website Oksijen.

The most prominent case is Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who remains in prison following his arrest in March 2025. He denies wrongdoing in multiple corruption cases that are currently going through the courts. Twenty-nine district-level mayors have also been arrested, including 13 in Istanbul.

Mr Tugay’s predecessor as mayor of Izmir, Tunc Soyer, who is currently also in prison on corruption-related charges, criticised the defection in a message written from the high-security facility where he is being held. “Do not bow your head, beautiful Izmir,” he wrote.

The Turkish government denies political motives in any lawsuits and says the judicial system is independent.

Crazy Horse Paris will open a permanent production at Zabeel Theatre in Jumeirah Zabeel Saray on Palm Jumeirah on November 12, with tickets starting at Dh400.

Called The Dubai Edition, the show has been created specifically for the emirate, adapting the Parisian institution's distinctive performances to regional culture and customs.

It will also be the only permanent Crazy Horse Paris production outside the French capital, where the cabaret has been entertaining audiences for 75 years.

Featuring 18 international dancers, the Dubai show will combine choreography, visual projections, music and optical illusions in an intimate 200-seat venue.

What is Crazy Horse Paris?

Founded in 1951 by French artist and entrepreneur Alain Bernardin, Crazy Horse Paris opened at 12 Avenue George V, close to the Champs-Elysees.

Unlike traditional cabaret productions built around elaborate costumes, comedy and large ensemble performances, Crazy Horse became known for its sensual, highly stylised approach to dance.

Its signature performances use carefully positioned lighting, shadows and projections to transform the dancers' bodies into part of the visual spectacle.

The shows often feature artistic nudity, although the emphasis is on choreography, illusion and the interplay between light and movement rather than conventional striptease.

Over the decades, Crazy Horse has become a fixture of Parisian nightlife, attracting international visitors and developing a reputation for combining glamour with experimental stagecraft.

It has also collaborated with prominent figures from fashion, music and entertainment, including Beyonce, Christian Louboutin, Jean Paul Gaultier, Elie Saab, Dita Von Teese and Lisa from K-pop group Blackpink.

How will the Dubai show be different?

While the original Paris production is known for its provocative performances, organisers say The Dubai Edition has been reimagined to reflect regional culture and customs.

The production will retain Crazy Horse's signature visual techniques, including lighting effects, optical illusions and precisely choreographed routines, while introducing new elements created for its Dubai audience.

The extent of the changes, including how the original show's more revealing performances will be adapted, has not yet been detailed.

Under the artistic direction of Andree Deissenberg, chief creative and brand officer of Crazy Horse Paris, the production will feature 18 dancers selected from hundreds of international applicants.

The performers underwent six months of specialised training in Paris before joining the Dubai cast.

"With The Dubai Edition, our objective was to create a show that is immediately identifiable as Crazy Horse Paris while developing a production specifically conceived for Dubai," Deissenberg said.

"It draws on our artistic heritage, visual language and creative precision, while introducing new elements adapted to the venue and its audience."

Where will Crazy Horse Paris be performed in Dubai?

The production will take place at Zabeel Theatre inside Jumeirah Zabeel Saray on Palm Jumeirah.

The venue has been transformed into an intimate cabaret with seating for 200 guests, designed to bring audiences closer to the performers.

The Dubai production is being operated by 111 Management, a hospitality group based in the emirate.

What can audiences expect?

There will be two experiences available each evening.

The Show is a 90-minute performance featuring choreographed dance routines, visual effects, a DJ and a master of ceremonies.

For those looking for a longer evening, The Show & Dinner combines the performance with a three-course dining experience over approximately three hours. The entertainment continues after the final performance with a DJ set.

There is also a private Crazy Suite for groups of up to 14 guests, designed for celebrations and exclusive bookings.

When does Crazy Horse Paris open in Dubai and how much are tickets?

Crazy Horse Paris – The Dubai Edition opens on November 12, with performances scheduled daily. The show begins at 7pm, with doors opening at 6pm. The Show & Dinner experience begins at 9.30pm, with doors opening at 9pm.

Tickets for The Show start at Dh400 while tickets for The Show & Dinner start at Dh900, with higher-priced categories offering premium seating and additional hospitality benefits for each.

Admission is restricted to guests aged 21 and above.

Eritrean troops have crossed the border at the town of Zalambessa and headed for the road between Adigrat and Idaga Hamus, said Dr Jalale Getachew Birru, East Africa analyst at the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project (Acled).

“Ethiopian National Defence Forces drones targeted Eritrean troops at Guada as they travelled by vehicle towards Idaga Hamus,” he said.

Residents of Adigrat, about 25km south of the border, told Reuters they saw two military vehicles carrying dozens of Eritrean soldiers pass through the town on Wednesday morning.

Ethiopia demanded that the troops leave. “All foreign military forces operating within our sovereign territory must withdraw immediately,” said Enatalem Melese, Government Communication Minister.

Eritrea did not deny its troops had crossed the border. In a post on X, Information Minister Yemane Meskel on Wednesday accused Ethiopia of building “a fallacious narrative of 'self defence' to rationalise and camouflage its war of aggression”.

The crossing into Ethiopia comes days after federal forces retook Mekelle, the Tigrayan capital, from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

According to Acled data, Tigray Defence Forces, the TPLF's armed wing, have a heavy presence in Idaga Hamus and Adigrat.

Many TPLF leaders are in the rural Ahferom district of central Tigray, Dr Jalale said.

He said Eritrea is suspected of backing the Alliance for Survival, a coalition of seven armed groups, including the TPLF, that was formed last month to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Eritrea has two possible motives, he said. It was unhappy with the 2022 Pretoria agreement, which ended the war in Tigray, because it wanted the TPLF destroyed. Asmara's grievances against the TPLF date back to the 1998-2000 border war, when the party led Ethiopia.

Dr Jalale said it wants to turn Tigray into a buffer zone that is hostile to Addis Ababa. “Hence, Eritrean forces entered the war in Tigray to halt the Ethiopian government and allied forces from reaching the border and potentially fighting within Eritrea's territory,” he said.

The commander of the pro-government Tigray Peace Force, Gebreigziabher Beyene, made a similar point. Eritrea is “deliberately deploying its forces so that the fighting takes place inside Tigray rather than spilling into Eritrea”, he told AFP.

Ethiopia closed its embassy in Asmara last Thursday and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats, accusing them of threatening national security. Eritrea responded by cutting ties.

The US has warned that “the Horn of Africa cannot sustain another military conflict and humanitarian crisis”. In a statement on Saturday, it urged both countries to exercise “maximum restraint”.

Eritrea's move also puts the spotlight on Egypt, which has its own dispute with Ethiopia over its share of the Nile, in addition to the latter's Red Sea ambitions.

Cairo has spent the past few years building ties with Asmara. In October 2024, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and his Eritrean counterpart Isaias Afwerki agreed with Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on a framework for strategic co-operation that includes Red Sea security.

Ahmed Moussa, a prominent pro-government Egyptian television host, said on Saturday that Egypt and Eritrea have a joint defence agreement, though no text has ever been made public.

With Cairo and Addis Ababa trading blame over the Nile dam and also expelling each other's diplomats last week, the question now is how far Egypt would go if its ally faces a serious Ethiopian attack.

The countries began talks on the deal in 2023 and launched a joint business council the same year.

As part of the negotiations, they discussed avenues to enhance trade, investment and opportunities to expand co-operation, the ministry of Foreign Trade said in a statement on Thursday.

In the coming phase, the UAE and Thailand will finalise the legal and technical procedures required for the agreement to be signed and implemented, it said.

The Cepa is expected to accelerate trade flows, unlock new investment opportunities and strengthen private sector co-operation in priority sectors, including advanced manufacturing, logistics, food security, digital trade, renewable energy and precious metals.

“The conclusion of negotiations … embodies our shared commitment to building stronger economic bridges between South-East Asia and the Middle East,” said Minister of Foreign Trade Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi

“Thailand is one of the most dynamic and diversified economies in the region, and this agreement will open new avenues for companies, investors and entrepreneurs in both countries to expand and access high-growth markets.”

The Cepa builds on strong ties between the UAE and Thailand. Bilateral non-oil trade in the first half of 2026 jumped by more than 75 per cent year-on-year to $10.2 billion. Trade last year also grew more than 65 per cent to $12.3 billion.

The UAE's key non-oil exports to Thailand include gold, aluminium and other industrial goods.

“These figures reflect the growing integration of the two economies and the scale of opportunity the agreement can unlock,” the ministry said.

“By reducing trade barriers, enhancing market access and stimulating investment flows, the Cepa will support our long-term economic objectives and generate new opportunities across a wide range of strategic sectors,” Dr Al Zeyoudi added.

The UAE has signed 38 Cepas with trading partners as it seeks to boost investment ties, expand its non-oil economic base and broaden exports. The Cepa programme is a key pillar of the UAE's foreign trade agenda, which aims to increase non-oil foreign trade to Dh4 trillion ($1.1 trillion) by 2031.

Danya Shipilova, 28, a laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute in Shelekhov, Siberia, died on October 2 after developing pneumonia of undetermined cause.

Russia has placed more than 200 people in quarantine after the incident.

The circumstances surrounding her illness, and the nature of the research conducted at the institute, have raised international concern about the potential threat of a plague outbreak. However, Russian authorities have denied reports of a confirmed case of pneumonic plague in the region.

The World Health Organisation has asked Moscow to provide more details about the incident, including laboratory test results for Ms Shipilova and those placed in quarantine.

At a media briefing on Wednesday, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Russian authorities had held a meeting on October 2 after a resident of Irkutsk Oblast in Eastern Siberia was suspected of having contracted a dangerous infection.

“WHO has asked the Russian Federation for more information in accordance with the International Health Regulations,” Dr Tedros said.

“The Russian Federation responded, saying that no case of plague had recently been reported in the Irkutsk Oblast and that they had placed about 200 contacts in quarantine.”

The WHO has requested additional information about laboratory testing, the reasons for the public health measures and the health status of those who were quarantined. It has also asked Russia to clarify media reports about a second employee who allegedly developed pneumonia of undetermined cause.

Dr Tedros said the WHO had offered technical support on plague and laboratory biosafety and biosecurity but had not been able to conduct a full risk assessment or establish a complete picture of what had happened.

“Timely, complete and transparent information sharing under the International Health Regulations is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public health risks,” he said.

The US and the EU have also urged Russia to be transparent about the incident.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had rejected media reports about the suspected plague case.

Risk to public

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said it was monitoring developments.

“We are working across the US government to assess developments as additional information becomes available,” the CDC said.

“While the circumstances of this reported case remain unconfirmed, plague is a serious bacterial disease that is treatable with antibiotics, particularly when recognised and treated early.

“At this time, there is no indication of a broader threat to the US,” the CDC said.

The CDC added that pneumonic plague can spread through respiratory droplets during close contact. Rapid identification and treatment of infected people, together with monitoring of potentially exposed individuals, are important public-health measures.

What is pneumonic plague?

Pneumonic plague is a severe lung infection caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It is the most serious form of plague.

How does it spread?

Close contact: Pneumonic plague can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes and someone else inhales the respiratory droplets.

Infected animals: Rarely, people can be exposed to respiratory droplets from animals with pneumonic plague, including domestic cats.

Secondary infection: Bubonic or septicaemic plague can progress to pneumonic plague if the bacteria reach the lungs.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms usually appear quickly, within three days of exposure, but sometimes as long as a week after contact.

They include sudden fever, chills, headaches, weakness and shortness of breath, similar to some seasonal illnesses such as influenza.

These symptoms can be followed by rapidly worsening pneumonia and chest pain with coughing that frequently produces bloody or watery mucus.

Is there a treatment?

Yes. Plague can be treated with antibiotics, particularly when treatment begins promptly. Because pneumonic plague can progress quickly and can be fatal without treatment, suspected cases require urgent medical assessment, isolation and appropriate antibiotic dosage.

Antibiotics used to treat plague can include gentamicin, doxycycline, ciprofloxacin and moxifloxacin, depending on the clinical circumstances and medical guidance.

Recent plague cases

Arizona, US, July 2025: A man died from pneumonic plague a week after exposure to sick cats. Despite receiving antibiotics and oxygen, the man died within eight hours of his admission to hospital.

Global endemic areas: The bacterium Yersinia pestis is active in wild rodent populations in about 26 countries. Seasonal cases are reported most frequently in Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Peru. There are about seven cases a year in the US, mainly in the western part of the country.

“The brutal attacks by the terrorist Houthi militia on civilians and civilian objects in the kingdom … will not go unpunished,” coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki Al Malki said on Thursday. He said the coalition’s joint forces had destroyed dozens of military Houthi targets across Yemen.

Authorities at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh urged passengers to check with their airlines and confirm their flight status before heading to the hub as flights continued to be affected.

The Saudi Civil Defence said debris from the missile caused damage to a nursery and a medical clinic on Thursday and two Riyadh residents reported hearing explosions.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the Iran-backed group had targeted the airport in Riyadh repeatedly.

The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs “condemned in the strongest terms” the attacks, adding that they “constitute a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a threat to its security and stability”.

The ministry, in a statement, reaffirmed the UAE’s “full solidarity” with the kingdom and its support for “all measures” taken in response.

It also expressed its “solidarity and sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured”.

Drone and missile strikes on King Khalid airport and Abha International Airport in the south killed three people and injured 36 others, the kingdom's General Authority of Civil Aviation announced late on Wednesday.

The Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia come amid renewed fighting after the rebels made advances along Yemen's Red Sea coast and a Yemeni government counter-offensive supported by coalition air strikes.

“The targeting of civilian infrastructure is completely unacceptable,” the Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, expressing condolences to the families of those killed and wishing a speedy recovery to those injured. It also expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and said it stood with the kingdom’s people and government.

France also condemned the Houthis’ repeated attacks on Saudi Arabia and expressed its “full solidarity” with the kingdom's defence of its territory and infrastructure, the Foreign Ministry in Paris said.

Last month, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan called for a comprehensive political solution in Yemen and condemned Houthi missile and drone attacks against his country and commercial vessels, as well as threats to navigation in the Red Sea.

He told the UN General Assembly that a comprehensive agreement was needed to bring stability to Yemen, and called for diplomacy over the bigger conflict between the US and Iran.

Communication channels between the two countries remain open, with new messages exchanged through mediators, five diplomats and sources have told The National, as efforts to reach a lasting agreement to end the nearly seven-month-old war remain elusive.

The push to establish a fresh diplomatic path following the failure to achieve a breakthrough in New York during the UN General Assembly last month comes amid growing signs that both sides are preparing for a major confrontation.

Last week, a source in Tehran told The National that Iran was preparing for a “major round of fighting”. Days later, US media reports suggested President Donald Trump's administration was considering renewed strikes on Iran before the November 3 midterm elections, and that the Pentagon had ordered preparations for possible major combat operations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country was reviewing Washington's ​response to ⁠its proposal, under which ⁠the ​Strait ⁠of Hormuz ‌could ​be reopened within seven days, and could reply within days. “The ⁠diplomatic process is still continuing,” he said.

Tsarukyan, the No 1-ranked contender in the UFC's lightweight division boasting an 11-2 record in the world's lead MMA organisation, heads to the UAE capital with a 7-1 RAF record, including five wins by technical fall. He faces Brazilian Gracie, a three-time World BJJ bronze medallist in a contest that will test both athletes under freestyle wrestling rules.

The contest leads five new additions to the Middle East’s first RAF event. American Kyle Dake will defend his cruiserweight championship against Turkmenistan’s Alp Arslan Begenjov.

Dake is unbeaten in six RAF appearances. The two-time Olympic bronze medallist and four-time world champion is also the only wrestler to win NCAA titles in four weight classes. His challenger Begenjov is a U20 world champion, three-time Asian U23 medallist, and 2026 senior Asian bronze medallist.

Kennedy Blades puts her women’s middleweight title on the line against fellow American Bella Mir, daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir.

Blades has recorded six technical falls in RAF without surrendering a point. Her illustrious resume includes a 2024 Olympic silver medal and 2025 world bronze medal. Blades faces 2026 NCAA champion Mir, who also holds a 4-1 professional MMA record.

Russia’s Zabit Magomedsharipov takes on Giga Chikadze of Georgia in a welterweight crossover bout, while Team USA Olympic gold medallist Jordan Burroughs meets Belarusian Azamat Nurykau at Middleweight.

Magomedsharipov enters RAF with an 18-1 professional MMA record, including a perfect 6-0 UFC run and a 14-fight winning streak. His opponent, Chikadze, is an experienced MMA featherweight and accomplished kickboxer, with two world kickboxing titles and multiple world and European karate championships.

RAF Abu Dhabi will be headlined by the UAE's Khamzat Chimaev. The former UFC middleweight champion takes on Colby Covington for the Cruiserweight Crossover Championship when they meet at the Etihad Arena on November 14.

Last week, former UFC bantamweight title contender Umar Nurmagomedov was also added to the card. The Dagestani will take on Uriah Faber, who returns for his third RAF match. Faber is a former MMA champion and the founder of Team Alpha Male.

Also joining the card is reigning RAF light heavyweight champion Kyle Snyder, who will face Shamil Erdogan.

The inaugural RAF Abu Dhabi event marks the start of a five-year partnership between Real American Freestyle, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), and the UAE Wrestling Federation. It follows RAF’s international events in Tbilisi, Georgia and Moscow.

Ms Sanalkumar, a teacher and examination officer at the Westminster School in Dubai, died on Wednesday. The cause of her death has not been disclosed.

The school announced her death on social media and in a letter to the Gems community from group chief executive Dino Varkey.

He paid tribute to Ms Sanalkumar's decades of teaching and the relationships she built with colleagues.

“Her passing is a profound loss, particularly for her family, friends and the entire community at the Westminster School,” Mr Varkey wrote.

Gems Education intends to establish the Anjana Sanalkumar Memorial Scholarship at the school.

"We are currently finalising the details of the Anjana Sanalkumar Memorial Scholarship at The Westminster School, including its scope, eligibility criteria and selection process, and will share further information with our community in due course," Carl Roberts, executive principal, CEO and brand ambassador for Westminster Schools, told The National.

The Westminster School invited former and current pupils, teachers and colleagues to pay tribute to Ms Sanalkumar.

“As we come together to remember and celebrate the life of Ms Anjana, we invite everyone who knew and loved her to share a heartfelt message, memory, or a few words in her honour in the comments,” the school said in an Instagram post.

A memorial service was live-streamed at 3pm on Thursday so those unable to attend in person can take part remotely.

“Your words, memories, and presence – near or far – mean more than we can express. Thank you for helping us honour and celebrate a life that touched so many,” the school said.

Hundreds of students, teachers and alumni have posted messages of remembrance on the school’s social media.

Juliet Carolyn, a former biology teacher and department co-ordinator at school, stated that she had the privilege of knowing and working with Ms Sanalkumar for 11 years.

“She was such a beautiful soul, kind, compassionate, and deeply empathetic. Hearing of her passing is truly heartbreaking. May the Almighty God comfort and console her family and loved ones during this difficult time of grief,” she wrote.

Former student Ahmed Azab described Ms Sanalkumar as one of the teachers he was always happy to see.

“Whenever we met her regarding school issues, she always met us with grace and compassion, helping us find a solution. Never did she make me feel judged or add to the stress I was in,” he wrote.

Another former student, Faisal Mushtaq, said Ms Sanalkumar taught him computer science in the early 2000s.

“Very helpful, caring and smiling. I was fortunate enough to meet her two years ago at the school alumni event,” he wrote, sending his condolences to her family and the school community.

The latest disruption comes amid wider regional uncertainty, with several international airlines already suspending or reducing services to destinations across the Middle East.

Here's how major airlines have adjusted operations and when flights are expected to resume.

Flydubai

The airline has cancelled its scheduled Dubai to Abha services.

Air Arabia

Air Arabia cancelled flights between Sharjah and Abha on Wednesday and Thursday, with services expected to resume as normal on Friday.

British Airways

British Airways discontinued flights to Jeddah on April 24, as part of a wider reduction in its Middle East operations. The airline is scheduled to resume a reduced service to Riyadh on November 3, operating one flight daily.

Cathay Pacific

The Hong Kong-based airline has extended its suspension of flights to Riyadh until January 31.

KLM

The Dutch airline has cancelled all flights to Riyadh and Dammam until October 24. It has also said it will avoid flying through the airspace of Iran, Iraq, Israel and several surrounding Gulf areas.

Air France

Air France has suspended flights to Riyadh until October 24.

Scoot

The Singapore Airlines-owned low-cost carrier has suspended flights between Singapore and Jeddah until December 2.

Maria Virgelina Taborda Henao, 71, is accused of stealing items of jewellery from her former employer, Princess Firyal.

Princess Firyal was married to Prince Muhammad bin Talal, the younger brother of King Hussein of Jordan, from 1964 to 1978. She is a humanitarian and philanthropist and became a Unesco Goodwill Ambassador in 1992.

The princess, 81, told London's Southwark Crown Court that she had received a phone call in November 2020 from a partner at high-end jeweller JAR, who told her that two items of jewellery were being sold at an auction in Kent, south-east England.

The Jordanian royal had left London in March 2020 during the Covid pandemic, but Ms Taborda Henao remained to look after the Belgravia house, the court was told.

She had been the princess's housekeeper for 11 years before the alleged thefts and was the only person who had permission to access the princess's belongings in her absence.

The princess realised that a “unique” JAR sapphire and diamond ring, which had been made for her, was being sold by Canterbury Auction Galleries, the prosecution said.

Prosecutor Oliver Wellings said the princess thought she had lost her wedding ring and would never have given away such an important personal item.

She then obtained copies of the auction house catalogue and set about proving she was the true owner.

After seeing more of her jewellery for sale, along with items that had already been sold by the auction house, Princess Firyal phoned the police. Officers then arrested Ms Taborda Henao and searched her house.

They found a wedding ring in a coat, a jewelled metal necklace in a kitchen cupboard, and an envelope containing earrings belonging to the princess, the court heard. Ms Taborda Henao denies taking the items.

Some of the items allegedly stolen were sold at auctions by the defendant's nephew, Julian Ramirez, who acted as a “key conduit” for their sale, said Mr Wellings.

The court heard that Mr Ramirez first attended Canterbury Auction Galleries in March 2019 for a valuation day. He allegedly visited the auction house again in 2020, when items he had brought were listed for auction.

Mr Ramirez had been arrested at an address in Rochester, Kent, on the same day as his aunt and was later released on bail. The court heard he was believed to have flown to Colombia in October 2023 and had not returned. The case continues.

Fares for the inaugural route between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah were initially set at Dh55 ($15) for Comfort class and Dh109 for Premium class when services began on June 30.

Tickets for the routes between Abu Dhabi and Dubai were priced at Dh39 for Comfort Class and Dh109 for Premium class when it opened to the public on September 30.

The online timetable shows an increase in prices, typically for afternoon and evening services, and at weekends, across the network.

On Thursday, Etihad Rail's website showed Comfort class tickets for the Abu Dhabi-Dubai line priced from Dh39 to Dh59, depending on departure times, while Premium tickets for the same route were Dh109 to Dh149.

Meanwhile, tickets for train travel between the UAE capital and Fujairah are now Dh55 to Dh79 in Comfort class and Dh120 to Dh189 for Premium.

Ticket for trains from Sharjah's Al Dhaid station – which also opened on September 30 – vary from Dh19 in Comfort class to Dh79 in the Premium class.

The operator told The National fares depended on several factors including when passengers choose to travel and book their tickets.

“Prices vary based on selected service, time and date of trip, ticket class and category, and time of booking,” an Etihad Rail representative said.

“Ticket categories are designed to cater to diverse passenger needs, whether for daily commutes, business trips, visiting family, or enjoying a weekend getaway at one of the country’s destinations.”

Many journeys – between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and Abu Dhabi and Fujairah – are already sold out in advance.

Passengers can view fares, compare options and book ahead through the Etihad Rail app, website and ticket vending machines at stations.

Passenger services connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai began on September 30 as part of the expansion of the national rail network.

High demand

Etihad Rail added more than 2,000 tickets across six extra train services between Abu Dhabi and Dubai last weekend.

The additional services were made available after the new passenger rail route connecting the UAE's biggest cities attracted “exceptional early demand”.

Etihad Rail's network is set for more expansion in the coming months. New stations in Al Dhafra region are scheduled to open on November 30 and December 30, extending connectivity to areas beyond the capital. The highly anticipated University City Station in Sharjah is expected to open on March 30, broadening the network's reach across the Northern Emirates.

Ahmad Zaidan, media adviser to Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara, described reports in recent days of plans to send troops to Saudi Arabia or Yemen as “lies”. Mr Al Shara met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ​in Riyadh during ‌an ​official visit ⁠on ​Tuesday.

“The security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the security of the Gulf, is inseparable from the security of Syria,” Mr Zaidan wrote on X. Saudi Arabia has been repeatedly targeted by Houthi rebels who have stepped up escalation in Yemen.

“But what some media outlets are promoting about the kingdom's request to send Syrian forces to Saudi Arabia or Yemen is a lie and has no basis in truth,” he added.

The denial was also backed by Syrian Response, the official English-language account of Syria’s Foreign Media Department on X.

“Syria’s position is clear: we stand firmly with Saudi Arabia against threats to its security and stability. At the same time, Syria’s policy in the region is focused on stability, peace and co-operation, not opening new fronts,” Syrian Response wrote.

“Our priority is Syria: rebuilding the country, strengthening its institutions, working with our partners on reconstruction and improving the lives of Syrians. Any military co-operation with partner countries would take place only through official channels and existing bilateral frameworks,” it added.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that Syria was considering providing military assistance to Saudi Arabia, citing a US official and a Syrian military official.

It reported that options being considered included defensive aid to protect the kingdom from attacks, ​or deployment of forces in an offensive capacity to help Saudi-backed Yemeni troops fight the Houthis.

The Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have brought the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between the kingdom, Pakistan and Turkey into focus, raising questions about how the collective security alliance could be realised on the ground.

Earlier this week, Turkey and Pakistan agreed to provide “military forces and capabilities” to Saudi Arabia.

The text of the Makkah pact has not been made public but a joint statement from the three countries when it was signed in August said it was intended to strengthen collective deterrence. Similar to Nato's Article 5 on collective defence, an attack on one country would be considered an attack on all.

Syria on Thursday “strongly condemned Houthi militia attacks targeting vital facilities and civilian sites in Saudi Arabia”, including this week's attacks on Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport that killed three people and injured 36 more.

Syria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “the attacks on civilian facilities and infrastructure and the endangerment of civilian lives constitute a blatant violation of international law and relevant international rules and conventions”, warning that “such attacks pose a direct threat to Saudi Arabia’s security and the stability of the region”.

The ministry also reaffirmed “Syria’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for all legitimate measures taken by the kingdom to protect its security and stability and ensure the safety of its citizens and residents”.

The Saudi Press Agency said Mr Al Shara and the Crown Prince discussed bilateral relations on Tuesday during their meeting in Riyadh and “promising opportunities for developing these relations in various fields”. They also discussed the latest developments in the region.

Known for his distinctive voice, explosive dialogue delivery and commanding screen presence, Patekar was one of Indian cinema's most recognisable performers. Whether playing a ruthless gangster, an uncompromising police officer or a vulnerable father, he brought an intensity to his characters that few actors could match.

Born Vishwanath Patekar in Maharashtra in 1951, he began his career in theatre before making his film debut in Gaman in 1978. He went on to become a major force in both Hindi and Marathi cinema, winning three National Film Awards and receiving the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honours, in 2013.

Patekar's career also had a strong connection to the UAE, where he filmed two of his most popular comedies, Welcome and Welcome Back, with locations across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

As tributes pour in for the veteran star, here are 10 of his most memorable performances.

Salaam Bombay! (1988)

Patekar played Baba Golub, a drug dealer, in Mira Nair's acclaimed debut feature, which offered an unflinching portrayal of life among Mumbai's street children.

The film follows Krishna, a young boy struggling to survive on the city's streets, where he encounters sex workers, drug dealers and other marginalised characters. Patekar's Baba is one of the adults whose troubled lives intersect with the boy's journey.

Although the story centres on Krishna, Patekar played a significant supporting role, bringing a menacing presence to a film celebrated for its gritty realism and largely non-professional cast.

Salaam Bombay! earned international acclaim and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1989 Academy Awards, becoming only the second Indian film to receive a nomination in the category after Mother India (1957).

Parinda (1989)

Patekar's portrayal of Anna, a ruthless underworld gangster in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's crime drama, remains one of his most celebrated performances.

Starring alongside Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Madhuri Dixit, Patekar played a violent and unpredictable crime boss whose actions drive the film's tragic events.

His performance was particularly striking for the way he moved between quiet menace and sudden outbursts of violence, creating a villain as psychologically complex as he was terrifying.

The role earned Patekar the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor and helped establish him as one of Hindi cinema's most formidable character actors.

Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991)

Patekar took on both directing and acting duties in this military drama, playing Major Pratap Chauhan, a fiercely disciplined army officer who trains young recruits for combat.

The character's uncompromising sense of duty gave Patekar ample opportunity to showcase the fiery intensity that would become his trademark.

It was also an unusually personal project for the actor, who underwent military training in preparation for the film.

Krantiveer (1994)

Few films are as closely associated with Patekar as Krantiveer, in which he played Pratap Narayan Tilak, a disillusioned man who becomes a crusader against corruption, injustice and communal hatred.

Directed by Mehul Kumar, the action drama became famous for Patekar's powerful monologues, delivered with an anger and conviction that made them instantly memorable.

His character's transformation from a seemingly aimless gambler into an outspoken voice against social injustice gave the actor one of his most defining roles.

The performance earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor and cemented his reputation as an actor capable of carrying a film through sheer screen presence.

Agni Sakshi (1996)

In this psychological drama, inspired by Julia Roberts' 1991 film Sleeping with the Enemy, Patekar played Vishwanath, an abusive and obsessive husband whose wife, played by Manisha Koirala, attempts to escape his control.

The film explored domestic abuse and the devastating consequences of possessiveness, with Patekar delivering one of his most disturbing performances.

The role earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor and demonstrated his willingness to take on deeply unlikeable characters.

Khamoshi: The Musical (1996)

Patekar showed a very different side of his acting abilities in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directorial debut.

He played Joseph Braganza, a deaf father whose daughter Annie, portrayed by Manisha Koirala, dreams of pursuing a career in music. The role required a quieter, more physically expressive performance and is one of the strongest examples of Patekar's versatility, showing that Patekar could communicate powerful emotions without relying on his famously forceful voice.

Ab Tak Chhappan (2004)

Patekar returned to the crime genre with this gritty thriller, playing Sadhu Agashe, a Mumbai police officer specialising in encounters with suspected gangsters.

Inspired by the world of police encounter squads, the film follows Agashe as he navigates the blurred lines between law enforcement, organised crime and personal vengeance – his understated performance making the character's capacity for violence all the more unsettling.

The film became a cult favourite and was followed by Ab Tak Chhappan 2 in 2015, with Patekar reprising the role.

Apaharan (2005)

In Prakash Jha's crime drama, Patekar played Tabrez Alam, a powerful gangster whose influence extends into the worlds of politics and organised kidnapping.

Set against the backdrop of Bihar's criminal underworld, the film follows a young man, played by Ajay Devgn, who becomes entangled in the kidnapping business.

Patekar's Tabrez is a calculating and intimidating figure, using his political connections and criminal influence to maintain control.

The performance once again demonstrated his ability to play morally corrupt characters with a combination of charisma, menace and authority.

Welcome (2007) and Welcome Back (2015)

After years of playing intense and often intimidating characters, Patekar surprised audiences with his comic turn as Uday Shetty in Anees Bazmee's Welcome.

The film follows two gangsters, Uday and Majnu Bhai, played by Anil Kapoor, who are desperate to arrange a respectable marriage for Uday's sister.

Patekar's hilarious exchanges with Kapoor, particularly his character's increasingly unsuccessful attempts to control his temper, became some of the film's most memorable moments.

He reprised the role in Welcome Back (2015), in which the two gangsters attempted to leave their criminal lives behind, only to become entangled in another series of chaotic misunderstandings.

Both films also have strong UAE connections. Much of Welcome was shot in Dubai, including at Grand Hyatt Dubai, while its sequel featured locations across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, including Jumeirah Zabeel Saray and Emirates Palace. Welcome Back also premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival in 2014.

The films introduced Patekar to a new generation of viewers and cemented Uday Shetty as one of his most beloved characters, proving that his famously intense screen persona could be just as effective when played for laughs.

Natsamrat (2016)

One of Patekar's most acclaimed later-career performances came in this Marathi-language drama, adapted from the celebrated play by V V Shirwadkar.

He played Ganpatrao Belwalkar, an ageing theatre actor who, after retiring from a successful career on stage, struggles with changing family relationships, loneliness and the loss of his former identity.

The role allowed Patekar to draw on his theatrical background, moving between grand Shakespearean-style monologues and deeply intimate moments of vulnerability.

The 23-year-old was one of five Emiratis to top the podium in jiu-jitsu at the Games, and was thrilled she was able to retain the -52kg gold medal she first claimed in Hangzhou three years ago.

The UAE claimed eight jiu-jitsu medals in total in Japan, the most among all participating nations, and Al Hosani assures it is no coincidence.

“Honestly, I was really moved when I held the flag after my fight because I felt like my country deserves this achievement,” Al Hosani told The National upon her return to Abu Dhabi.

“It’s important to thank God for the things we have. When we travel abroad, we thank God for the UAE for providing us with coaches and training centres and everything we need. It makes me feel like I need to give my best for the sake of the UAE. Because it deserves it.”

Like scores of Emiratis across the country, Al Hosani was introduced to jiu-jitsu at school from a young age, thanks to the sport’s inclusion in public school curricula – a process that began nearly two decades ago, championed by President Sheikh Mohamed, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at the time.

“Jiu-jitsu was something new for us. We were more used to basketball and football, but a contact sport like this, a martial art, it was a bit strange for us,” Al Hosani recalls.

“We also wear the hijab, which is something different in this sport. But when I got into it, I felt that it has something special.

“It helped me leave my comfort zone. I was a bit introverted in school; I had a specific group of friends, but in jiu-jitsu, you see people of different ages, different nationalities; it brings together people of all nationalities in one place. That’s what attracted me to this sport; it’s that it has diversity. I felt that it changed me a lot. I became more sociable. I felt like it gave me another family.”

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Al Hosani grew up in Al Dhafra and had to go back and forth to Abu Dhabi to train when she was still at school. Upon graduation, she moved to Abu Dhabi to study mechanical engineering at Khalifa University, and it was then that she felt she could really build a career in jiu-jitsu.

“When I moved to Abu Dhabi, I felt that I could be a champion in this sport and that I could give more to this sport. I felt that things changed for me and this sport became very close to my heart,” she added.

Al Hosani carved a path for herself in jiu-jitsu, and in 2024 became the first Emirati woman to reach the finals in the brown/black belt categories at the World Pro in Abu Dhabi.

At the Asian Games in Hangzhou three years ago, Al Hosani became the first Emirati woman to win a gold medal in martial arts, and she says returning to the continental stage as the reigning champion came with higher expectations.

“In the Asian Games, the first time I trained for it, I was there to help the girls who were participating in it, because I was still underage,” she reflected.

“So when I started training for it as an athlete competing in the event, it was different. I thought to myself, ‘This is the chance Asma; take all the chance, and give 100 per cent for that chance. We don't know what will happen next’. This is what I thought: I have to take advantage of every opportunity I have. The UAE did everything for us, it's just a five-minute fight, so go for it.

“I tried to give my best, everything I had, in the Asian Games to retain my title. And thank God, I was able to do it.”

Future ambitions

Al Hosani’s journey doesn't end here. The Baniyas club fighter has her eyes set on clinching gold at next month’s Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, and she has dreams she hopes to achieve both on the mat and off it. One is to see the sport added to the Olympic programme.

“Jiu-jitsu is a great sport. It's very exciting. You feel it has several martial arts rolled into one. It has judo, it has wrestling, it has grappling, it has striking, it's so interesting to see,” she explained.

“People deserve to see it. It has everything. Jiu-jitsu requires physical skills and a great deal of mental skills too. You have to be smart with the scoreboard, know when to score points, when to concede points. I hope one day it will be in the Olympics.”

No Emirati woman has ever taken gold in the black belt at the World Pro, and Al Hosani is keen on changing that.

Separately, she wants to help usher in the next generation of Emirati fighters and has already begun coaching in her spare time.

“My next ambition is to be a coach. I started with this, but I want to have my team. I want to have the feeling of being a coach, seeing my team fighting. Especially the kids, it's so nice to see them fighting. It's so nice when you teach them something and then you see them doing it,” she said.

World Pro dream driving Al Shehhi

Khaled Al Shehhi has similar ambitions. Like Al Hosani, Al Shehhi returned from Japan having successfully defended his Asian Games gold medal in the -62kg event.

The 23-year-old says the first gold “was hard, but the second one was harder”, knowing he went there with all eyes on him in his weight class.

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But conquering Asia is not Al Shehhi’s endgame. “Since I started in jiu-jitsu, I had a goal that I focused on, which is to win the world title in the black belt. That is my main goal and I haven't achieved it yet. But the championship is in a month and I hope to get it done,” said Al Shehhi, who has reached the final twice.

“The reason I am hungry to achieve more and more and more is because I haven’t achieved the one goal I set out for myself from the beginning yet.”

Al Shehhi initially trained in judo with his older brother, but when he was introduced to jiu-jitsu as a 10-year-old in school, he liked the fact that it involved more grappling, which played to his strengths.

He wasn’t too committed in his first couple of years of training but started getting serious about jiu-jitsu and won a silver at the World Pro in 2015.

“My coach at the time had full confidence in me and he told me that I would become a great player one day. I didn't believe him. I just said, insha’Allah,” Al Shehhi recalled.

“Since then, whenever I win a big tournament, I remember his words.”

Al Shehhi sees jiu-jitsu as a healthy outlet – a tool to step away from the stresses of life and a positive environment in which he can expend his energy.

He believes he has what it takes to win gold next month and, like Al Hosani, has already started dabbling in coaching, first at Al Ain Club, and now through a team called Namoos, which he created with a friend in Abu Dhabi.

He still sees himself competing for at least another decade, though. “Jiu-jitsu changed my life,” he says.

It might change even more if he gets that world title next month.

The two leaders discussed the implications of the latest developments in the Middle East and underlined the importance of serving the interests of all people in the region, state news agency Wam reported.

The discussions come amid heightened tension in the Gulf after drone and missile attacks on King Khalid International Airport and Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia killed three people and injured 36 others, the kingdom's General Authority of Civil Aviation said.

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strikes, which have also raised concerns about the impact of the conflict on air travel.

Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Al Shara also discussed bilateral relations and explored ways to further expand co-operation, with a focus on economic and development sectors.

Advancing UAE-Syria ties

The two sides have taken significant steps to strengthen ties between their nations.

In September, Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Al Shara held high-level talks in Abu Dhabi as part of the Syrian leader's working visit to the Emirates, where he took part in the in the 24th Arab Media Summit in Dubai.

Central to their discussions was a recent visit by a UAE economic delegation to Syria, which both sides highlighted as a significant step towards establishing frameworks for economic recovery.

The leaders said the visit had helped lay the groundwork for strategic partnerships and projects aligned with both countries' development goals.

Abu Dhabi-based Eagle Hills is working on two major projects in Syria including a residential and tourism development as part of a framework agreement the company has signed with the Syrian government.

Total investment in the two projects in Damascus and Latakia has not been disclosed but Syria's Arab News Agency reported they will create more 40,000 jobs.

The Central Bank of the UAE last week agreed to deepen bilateral co-operation with regulators in Syria and Morocco, focusing on key areas to boost financial stability and technology.

The preliminary agreement with the Central Bank of Syria includes a framework for building technical expertise for payment systems, monetary policy, cash management and financial technology, the CBUAE said in a statement on Friday.

On Friday, Latakia Racecourse in Syria will host the UAE President's Cup for Purebread Arabian Horses, in a further demonstration of the robust links between the countries.

The showpiece race will be held as part of the two-day UAE-Syrian Festival, which gets under way on Friday and features 15 races for purebred Arabian horses.

Against the backdrop of continuing geopolitical uncertainty across the region, here's how airlines are adapting their operations.

Wizz Air

Wizz Air has postponed the planned restart of its Abu Dhabi and Dubai routes, cancelling all flights to and from both destinations for the winter season.

“Regional airspace restrictions extended on September 30 require significantly longer routings to these destinations, increasing flight times and costs and making both A321neo and A321XLR operations commercially unviable under current conditions,” the airline told The National.

Wizz Air also said flights to and from Amman are affected by the EU Aviation Safety Agency's latest conflict zone information bulletin, which recommends that airlines do not operate within Jordanian airspace at any altitude.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines flights to Dubai were scheduled to resume on August 2, but the suspension has been extended until December 1.

“As the situation remains fluid, other flights may be affected,” the airline said on its website. “Customers affected by cancellations will be reaccommodated on alternative flights or can seek a full refund of the unused portion of their ticket.”

Scoot

The low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines has suspended its flights from Singapore to Jeddah until December 2.

Customers affected by cancellations may request a full refund if they choose not to continue with their travel or rebook on alternative Scoot flights, the airline said.

Air Canada

Air Canada has extended the suspension of its flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai until the end of March 2027. Passengers affected by the cancellations are advised to check directly with the airline for rebooking and refund options as schedules continue to be adjusted.

“If you are in either of these regions, please do not head to the airport unless you have a confirmed flight with another airline, and your flight is operating as scheduled. Your safety is our top priority,” the airline said on its website.

Air France

Air France has resumed its regular flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut. Flights to Riyadh and Dubai are however suspended until October 24.

“Affected customers are being contacted individually. Air France reiterates that the safety and security of its customers and crew are its absolute priority,” the airline said.

Cathay Pacific

The Hong Kong carrier has extended its suspension of flights to Dubai and Riyadh until January 31, 2027.

“Affected travellers will be offered the flexibility to rebook, reroute or refund their tickets. Cathay will continue to closely monitor the evolving situation in the Middle East,” the airline said.

Air Astana

Kazakhstan's national carrier had earlier suspended flights from Almaty and Astana to Dubai until September 30. But flights between the cities are now available to book for travel on October 1 onwards.

British Airways

British Airways has revised its schedule for several Middle East destinations, with flights to Dubai set to resume on November 3.

The airline will initially operate one daily flight between London and Dubai during the winter season, before increasing to twice-daily services for the summer.

Flights to Abu Dhabi will remain suspended for considerably longer, with services scheduled to resume during the winter 2027-2028 season.

Elsewhere in the region, BA's Doha service resumed on September 1 at a reduced frequency of one flight a day, down from twice daily.

Flights to Tel Aviv are scheduled to resume on October 25 with one daily service, while Riyadh flights will restart on November 3, also at one a day. Amman services are due to resume on November 4 with four flights a week.

Flights to Bahrain will remain suspended until the end of March 2027.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa Group airlines will gradually resume flights to Dubai from late October, restoring connections from several European cities.

Lufthansa will restart services between Munich and Dubai on October 25, followed by flights between Frankfurt and Dubai on October 26. The German airline will operate up to five weekly services on the routes.

Swiss will resume daily flights between Zurich and Dubai from October 27, while Austrian Airlines will restart its Vienna-Dubai service on December 12, operating up to five flights a week.

Eurowings will also restore three routes between Germany and Dubai. Daily flights from Berlin will resume on November 1, alongside four weekly services from Stuttgart. Three weekly flights from Cologne Bonn Airport will follow from November 3.

The Lufthansa Group is also restarting services to other destinations in the region, including Tel Aviv, Beirut and Amman.

The group said it “continuously monitors and evaluates the situation in the Middle East” and remains in close contact with relevant authorities.

“The safety of passengers and crew is always the top priority for the Lufthansa Group,” it said, adding that the continuing volatility in the region means short-notice changes to individual routes may still be necessary.

American Airlines

American Airlines has extended its travel alert for passengers flying to, through or from Tel Aviv, with flexible booking options now covering travel into March 2027.

Affected customers who bought tickets by March 28, 2026, can make a one-time change without a fee for journeys scheduled up to March 26, 2027. Rebooked travel can take place through April 2, 2027.

For Doha, the existing alert covers travel scheduled between February 28, 2026, and January 6, 2027, with rebooked journeys permitted through January 13, 2027. Passengers must keep the same origin and destination, and rebook in the same cabin or pay any difference in fare. Eligible travellers can also cancel their trip and request a refund.

Delta Air Lines

Delta has extended the suspension of flights between Atlanta and Tel Aviv until December 18. The launch of flights between Boston and Tel Aviv has been delayed until further notice, although services between New York-JFK and Tel Aviv resumed on September 6.

Customers affected by the Atlanta suspension can rebook their journeys or request a refund for the portion of their trip that has not been flown.

Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic flights to Dubai remain suspended until October 2027, with tickets for the resumed service to go on sale later this year, the airline said in a notice on its website.

“If you're looking to travel sooner, you can still book a Dubai holiday with Virgin Atlantic Holidays, flying with Emirates,” it added.

Finnair

Finnair has extended the suspension of its flights to both Dubai and Doha until March 27, 2027.

“Finnair continuously monitors the security situation in different regions and, when necessary, makes changes to flight routes or operations. The security situation in the Middle East has remained unstable, with no clear signs of improvement,” the airline said.

KLM

KLM has adjusted its flight schedule across the Middle East and continues to avoid the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Israel, as well as parts of the Arabian Gulf.

The airline has resumed services to Tel Aviv, with flights stopping in Larnaca, Cyprus, where the crew will rest overnight.

“We always check the situation and adjust our flights to keep you safe and give you the best options,” the airline said.

Flights to and from Riyadh, Dammam and Dubai remain suspended until October 24.

Passengers affected by cancellations can rebook their journeys for a later date or request a refund, depending on their ticket conditions.

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines has resumed flights to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Damascus, Beirut and Amman as the carrier continues to restore services across parts of the Middle East. But flights to Tehran remain suspended. The airline also warned of further disruption due to the latest escalation.

“Some of our flights to and from Iran and the surrounding region have been cancelled. The current situation in the region's airspace is being monitored in real-time, and additional flight cancellations may occur,” the airline posted on its website.

ITA Airways

The national carrier of Italy has resumed flights between Rome and Riyadh, but flights to Dubai are suspended until October 24.

“Passengers can request rebooking on an alternative flight or a refund of their ticket,” the airline said.

AirBaltic

Flights operated by the Latvian flag carrier between Riga and Dubai remain suspended until October 24.

Korean Air

Korean Air's regular service between Incheon and Dubai remains suspended, with no date set for flights to resume.

“As limited airspace capacity related to the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran continues, the suspension of the Incheon-Dubai route will be extended until further notice,” the airline said.

“A decision on when to resume flights will be made at a later date, following a comprehensive review of Dubai Airport's normalisation and market demand recovery.”

The airline had planned to operate UAE flights from October 25 to March 27. The low-cost airline said last month that it was resuming flights to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, alongside routes to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Amman in Jordan.

The airline had said this week it would delay the launch of some routes to Abu Dhabi until January, following security updates from Europe's aviation regulator.

"Regional airspace restrictions extended on September 30 require significantly longer routings to these destinations, increasing flight times and costs and making both A321neo and A321XLR operations commercially unviable under current conditions," the airline said in a statement to The National.

It also confirmed that flights to and from Amman are affected by the EU Aviation Safety Agency's latest conflict zone information bulletin, which recommends that airlines do not operate within Jordanian airspace.

"We regret the disruption to travel plans and will continue to monitor developments, reassessing operations as safety guidance and operating conditions evolve," Wizz Air said.

International airlines have been forced to adjust schedules for Middle East flights in the aftermath of the US-Iran war as airspace restrictions persist.

Wizz Air suspended its European-operated services to the Middle East in late February due to the regional conflict.

The UAE services were part of a wider restoration of 12 routes and 49 weekly flights to the Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan over the winter, providing 470,000 seats across services to nine European cities.

The airline was set to resume operations after its low-cost subsidiary, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, ceased operations in September 2025.

From the beginning, in the American mind, democracy has been seen as more than just a form of governance. Both liberals and conservatives have idealised and elevated the idea of democracy into the equivalent of religious doctrine, making exaggerated claims about the benefits that accrue to societies that are democratic. We have been told that democratically elected governments can claim to be more tolerant, more respectful of minority rights, more accountable for their actions, and less likely to start wars. Given this mindset, several past US administrations have made the spread of democracy a foreign policy priority, arguing audaciously that it was essential for world peace.

While the US and some of its allies flaunt these attributes, boasting that their democracies place them above societies with other forms of governance, in reality, their claims of purity and adherence to ideals do not hold up to scrutiny.

The glaring contradiction between the values that the US and other democracies espouse, and their actual behaviours, have been clear since America’s founding. After all, the American experiment with democracy was built on the backs of slave labour and the genocide of native Americans. And more recently, when the George W Bush administration launched its campaign to promote democracies worldwide, it did so while blundering through a devastating “war of choice” in Iraq and torturing prisoners in “black sites” they had suborned other countries to make available to US interrogators.

Much the same can be said of Israel, which Americans tout as “our closest ally” and the “only democracy in the Middle East”. Like the US, Israel claims that its democracy elevates it above its neighbours, making its actions more just and its behaviour more moral. And like true believers in any ideology, when it is pointed out that reality doesn’t agree with their claims, they deny it and criticise whoever has pointed out the disconnect.

The fact that democracies hold elections provides them with yet another reason to boast. However, as the rest of the world sees playing out in both Israel and the US, instead of providing a cleansing moment, elections are often used by contesting parties to justify bad behaviours and exacerbate social tensions.

US President Donald Trump, for example, needs a way out of his no-win war with Iran, especially because of its negative impact on the economy and consumers, and the insecurity and instability it’s fomenting in the Gulf. But he is loath to look weak by ending the war without some claim of victory, because of the negative impact that might have on his legacy and his hold over his base voters – whom he needs to turn out in November to deliver a victory for the governing Republican Party. And so, he continues his bellicose language and threats towards Iran.

In both instances, instead of implementing the values claimed to be the attributes of democracy, these elections do the opposite

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have assumed that he could manage a governing coalition of parties even more extreme than his own. But his partners have used their positions to aggravate tensions with Palestinians in both Israel and the occupied lands. And when Mr Netanyahu felt compelled to sign on to ceasefires that were supposed to stop the bombing in Gaza and Lebanon, his agreement proved hollow. In the face of criticism from his opponents and even his coalition partners that he was compromising Israel’s security by not “finishing the job”, his government has continued to violate both ceasefires with impunity, while doing nothing to rein in the widespread violence in the West Bank being fomented by his political allies. He feels he must do this because he cannot afford to lose any of his governing partners, or he’ll be out of office.

The bottom line is that in both instances, instead of implementing the values claimed to be the attributes of democracy, in practice these elections do the opposite. Political discourse becomes coarser and more divisive, social tensions are aggravated and warlike behaviours are promoted.

Especially troubling is that while reporters and commentators know that the words and actions of both Mr Netanyahu and Mr Trump are directed more at appeasing their constituents than they are at the realities in Palestine, Lebanon or Iran, too often they sin by omission and treat the political posturing as if it were real. For example, instead of being honest and treating Mr Netanyahu’s claims that villages in southern Lebanon need to be demolished to fend off his opponents’ accusations of weakness, they report it as if levelling whole Lebanese villages is needed for Israel’s security.

This is what has become of two of the world’s allied democracies, as they cultivate and then prey on the worst instincts of voters, instead of providing solutions and challenging voters to make better choices.

Mr Miliband said the building would remain independent and operational under a new name, UK Mission, Jerusalem, and continue serving Palestinians in the city and the wider occupied Palestinian territories.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel had implemented measures announced last month, but that the two sides had agreed to continue dialogue.

He said the British consulate had ended its role in the city and that 19 diplomats would leave Israel, while a task force of seven British diplomats would be allowed to continue operating from the building with a limited remit.

“Following discussions with the Israeli government, our consulate general building will not be closing,” Mr Miliband said. “It will be known as UK Mission, Jerusalem, and will be independent and operational.”

The dispute follows Britain's sanctions against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

We retain our long-standing presence in Jerusalem. My statement: pic.twitter.com/ABnaopUBwU

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) October 8, 2026

“We have been clear that we do not accept that the government of Israel has the legal right to close the British consulate general in Jerusalem, which has been there for nearly 200 years,” Mr Miliband said. “The UK government reiterates its long-standing view that East Jerusalem is occupied territory.”

His announcement came hours after workers removed signs and plaques identifying the building as the British consulate general. Signage identifying the mission was still missing on Thursday, although the British flag remained flying above the building.

Officials that remain are believed to retain the diplomatic protections that governs their work and residence in the city. It is not thought they are accredited through the embassy in Tel Aviv, a long-run aim of the Israeli government. Documentation and status remains as before the recent impasse erupted. The changes implemented on Thursday should not expose the other diplomatic missions in East Jerusalem to further repercussions.

The UK government appears determined to preserve its diplomatic presence for Palestinians while avoiding escalation with Israel.

“The mission is a fudge, not a downgrade. The UK has a mission to the UN in New York and to the UN in Geneva,” a diplomatic source told The National. Though the implications for the UK's recognition of Palestine were unclear, “a working arrangement is better than none,” they said.

UK Middle East Minister Stephen Doughty rejected suggestions that the arrangement represented a political fudge allowing Britain to say the mission remained open while Israel could claim it had closed.

“The building remains open. We continue to have staff able to do important work, engaging with the Palestinian Authority, supporting British nationals, and we are engaged in ongoing conversations with Israel on this matter,” he said.

Regardless of the name change, Mr Doughty said, Britain’s presence needed to remain.

Mr Miliband said: “We will work to build back up our presence in the coming months.” Britain has withdrawn several diplomats, staff and family members in recent weeks.

The Foreign Secretary said the withdrawal had been necessary because Britain had not received sufficient security assurances.

“Without an understanding, we would not have the necessary assurances for the security and protection of our staff and premises. Accordingly, the UK has temporarily withdrawn a number of staff and families to ensure their safety and security,” he said.

The consulate handles Britain's relations with Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza and provides consular services to Palestinians. Britain's diplomatic presence in Jerusalem dates back almost 200 years, well before the establishment of Israel in 1948.

Israel ordered the consulate to close within 30 days after Britain announced measures including a ban on imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements and sanctions against individuals and companies supporting settlement activity. The UN and most countries consider the settlements illegal under international law, while Israel disputes that position.

Any country that acts against Israel must know that there will be a price for doing so

Gideon Saar, Israeli Foreign Minister

Mr Doughty said the UK remained engaged in dialogue with the Israelis and would push on with the sanctions on illegal settlements.

He said the move, along with Britain's accusation that the Israeli government was turning a blind eye to “ethnic cleansing”, had enraged the Israeli government and led to its decision to close the consulate.

Mr Saar said all four measures he announced on September 8 had been implemented, including removing British representatives from the International Gaza Support Centre in Kiryat Gat, ending British activity to train Palestinian Authority forces in the West Bank, and barring 12 British officials and other citizens from entering Israel.

He said Israel had agreed to continue dialogue with Britain, but warned: “Any country that acts against Israel must know that there will be a price for doing so.”

Mr Miliband also sought to dampen speculation that Britain would retaliate by expelling Israeli diplomats. “We will not take reciprocal action while such discussions are under way and credible,” he said.

Britain had been considering expelling Israeli diplomats if Israel forced the consulate to close, sources told Reuters earlier this week. Such a move would have represented a highly unusual escalation between two countries that remain close security and intelligence partners.

The confrontation marks another sharp deterioration in UK-Israel relations after Britain repeatedly criticised Israel's conduct in Gaza and Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has accused Britain's Labour government of hostility towards Israel.

“This will ensure that we maintain our long-standing British presence and the UK's role in support of [a] two-state solution,” Mr Miliband said. With the UK reserving its position to hold further negotiations, political ties with the Palestinians will be maintained following the reduction of almost three quarters of the staff posted to the mission.

Pro-Palestinian marches around the world – in pictures

Just before turning 39 on October 16, he secured an early birthday gift after being named a $1 million winner on Wednesday.

The Indian engineer, an Al Ain resident for six years, bought winning ticket 3097 on September 11.

A father of one, he works as a senior estimation engineer for a construction company in Mussaffah.

“This really gives people an opportunity to make their dreams come true and helps them achieve their goals,” he said. “This is an early birthday gift to me too.”

Mr Mohammed wishes to buy a house back home in Kerala and save the rest for his daughter's education.

He is the 285th Indian national to have won $1 million in the Millennium Millionaire promotion since its inception in 1999.

The Dubai Duty Free draw is held every other Wednesday, so there are normally two draws a month. The number of Millennium Millionaire winners in each draw depends on ticket sales. There can be one, two or more.

Arya Mustafa, who lives in Iraq, won a BMW car with ticket number 1762 in the Finest Surprise Series 1963, which he purchased online on August 20.

Seeyali Shamsudheen, 65, an Indian living in Dubai, won an Aprilia Tuono motorbike with ticket number 0270 in the Finest Surprise Series 680.

The father of three works in a phone accessories shop in Karama.

Flight tracking website Flightradar24 reported that 58 departures, or 15 per cent of the day's scheduled services, were delayed at Riyadh airport as of Thursday morning, while 11 flights, or 3 per cent, were listed as cancelled.

The airport was experiencing an average departure delay of 45 minutes, with its disruption index standing at 4.2 out of five, a level classified by the platform as indicating major disruption.

Flights affected on Thursday morning included Saudia's SV311 service from Riyadh to Cairo, which was delayed by more than two hours, and Yemenia's IY533 service to Aden, which faced a delay of more than three hours.

Saudia's SV562 bound for Dubai and Turkish Airlines' TK145 bound for Istanbul were among flights cancelled.

The disruption follows drone and missile strikes on King Khalid International Airport and Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia, which killed three people and injured 36 others, according to the kingdom's General Authority of Civil Aviation.

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attacks, which also caused damage.

The latest disruptions have raised concerns about the impact of the escalating conflict on air travel, with the US embassy in Riyadh warning that the fighting could lead to flight cancellations.

“US citizens should be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions. We recommend checking your flight departure status directly with the airline and with the airport,” the embassy said.

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia: Get all the latest updates here

There were 78 attacks and incidents against mosques in the UK and Channel Islands from the year ending in July 2026, amounting to an incident every five days, according to the campaign group British Muslim Trust.

The research found a reduction in lower-level threats to mosques and buildings owned by Muslim organisations, such as the drawing of crosses, flags and hateful slogans on mosque walls, desecrating objects left outside mosques and property damage.

But more severe incidents involving arson, weapons, threats to kill and violence have increased. This includes foiled plots for mass casualties, of which there were none the previous year. The report included “sustained harassment” and online campaigns in its assessment of more severe threats.

The attacks took place across 64 mosques and buildings on their premises, with almost one fifth of those premises experiencing multiple attacks in the same year.

The BMT, which was set up last year as the government’s watchdog for anti-Muslim hatred and threats, said the fluctuations showed “unchecked” low-level incidents had paved the way for more serious crimes.

“This data tells an incredibly sombre story about the rise in anti-Muslim hostility that British Muslims are living with. Today, a mosque is vulnerable purely because it’s a mosque,” said the BMT’s chief executive Akeela Ahmed.

“Security needs are increasing as a direct response to the severity of attacks that mosques are under. British Muslims are under attack due to the polarisation that is building and many Muslims are scared to go about their everyday lives.”

The Home Office has allocated £40 million ($52.8 million) of funding to protect mosques and Muslim community organisations in the UK. The BMT had previously reported some mosques had experienced delays of up to 18 months in obtaining that official funding.

The trust campaigns for a wider effort to tackle the underlying issues behind the security threats. “If we want to bring down the costs for protecting British Muslims in the UK, then we need to reduce the need for protection and address the root causes of hate against Muslim communities,” Ms Ahmed said.

“The rise in hate that we are witnessing is showing no signs of slowing down and until it does we need to make mosques a safe place for Muslim communities.”

There was an increase of attacks on mosques during Ramadan, with a man in Ayr, Scotland, repeated using a heavy object to hit a window in a room where women and children had gathered to break their fast.

A man was charged with terrorism-related crimes after allegedly stabbing worshippers outside a mosque in Edinburgh. Last year, a mosque was set on fire in Peacehaven, East Sussex.

Twelve people were arrested for plotting an “extreme right wing terrorism-related” attack directed at an Islamic event in Ipswich in July, according to Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London.

The report's authors faced questions over the inclusion of an attack on the former buildings of the East London Central Synagogue as one of the 78 attacks. The BMT said the attack followed an online hate campaign towards the local Somali community, members of which had announced their intention to buy the building and turn it into a mosque. The cause of the attack has not been identified, while two men were arrested on suspicion of involvement.

“The community received a significant amount of online hate. When the arson attack happened, many local Muslim communities felt affected, alongside Jewish communities,” the BMT report said.

Brent, the benchmark for two thirds of the world's oil, climbed nearly 3.86 per cent to $104.1 a barrel at 1.49pm UAE time, after falling below the $100 mark earlier this week. West Texas Intermediate, the gauge that tracks US crude, rose 3.78 per cent to $91.62 a barrel.

Crude prices have been hovering above the $100 per barrel mark despite a lull in the US military campaign. US President Donald Trump, who is facing domestic backlash over the war, earlier indicated that the US would resume strikes only after the midterms.

However, rising Iranian attacks in recent weeks on oil and gas tankers in the strait may force Mr Trump’s hand.

The Atlantic on Tuesday reported that the US Defence Department was identifying targets for attacks in Iran. The size of potential strikes, if the US administration were to proceed with hostilities ahead of polls, was still being discussed, it said, quoting unnamed US officials.

The US may choose to conduct a limited military campaign and follow it with a larger operation after polls conclude next month, The Atlantic reported.

Axios quoted officials as saying potential operations could involve extensive US-Israeli strikes on Iranian energy, infrastructure and nuclear targets.

“President Trump holds all the cards and will do whatever is best for the United States,” the US news outlet quoted a White House official as saying.

Israeli officials said the chances of renewed combat before the elections remain low but could rise significantly afterward, with escalation potentially triggering a major Iranian missile response, according to the report.

"Renewed tensions — or, rather, the increasingly crowded headlines surrounding existing and persistent Middle East tensions — weighed on market sentiment," said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote. "Oil fluctuated, and Brent is extending gains above $102 per barrel."

Thin traffic

Traffic through the strait, the narrow waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas flowed before the conflict broke out, has remained thin.

The number of vessels transiting the strait fell to the lowest in more than two ⁠months, according to shipping data from analytics firm Kpler. Seven commodity ships passed through the strait on Tuesday, the ⁠lowest figure since July 23, data showed.

Strikes on tankers climbed to their highest weekly rate since the conflict began on February 28.

In the latest attack, a tanker north of Qatar was struck by multiple projectiles, causing casualties, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said on Wednesday.

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's civilian and energy infrastructure are also adding to market jitters. Saudi Arabia's maritime blockade in the Red Sea by the Houthis and consistent strikes on Saudi Airports, ports and oil pipelines as well as refining facilities are stoking fears as an all-out war that would further crimp supplies energy supplies through the Bab El Mandeb strait.

"The risks of multi-front escalation in the region and the war heading toward further fragmentation are boosting the risk premium in pricing," Samer Hasn, senior market analyst at XS.com said.

"Nothing suggests a possible return to diplomacy; rather, all signs point to the situation in the region heading toward further deterioration at existing flashpoints and expanding into new ones."

“I saw her crying for the first time, even though I was winning. I really didn’t understand if she was happy or sad. Then I asked her, ‘Mum, why are you crying?’ She told me, ‘I’m happy because you won, but I want to tell you something.’ I was like, ‘What?’ She told me, ‘I have cancer’, and I was like, ‘Mum, you’re kidding me, right?' She was like, ‘No.'"

Al Hammadi became emotional recalling that moment. The smile that had barely left her face faded momentarily. “I told her, 'Mum, I’m going to fight with you. No matter what happens, I’m going to be by your side. I’m going to be with you and believe me, with me, I’m going to see your smile, I’m going to see your smile 24/7'.”

Fighting is what Al Hammadi knows best. The 18-year-old is a two-time IMMAF youth world champion and the first Emirati woman to sign with the Professional Fighters League. She made a winning PFL Mena debut in Dubai in May in an amateur strawweight bout.

Al Hammadi is bright, animated and a jolt of electricity in conversation. She’s gloriously expressive, extremely witty and incapable of harbouring a modest ambition. She’s shooting for the moon and at the very least hoping to land in the stars.

Such was her ascent that she was invited to speak at Middlesex University Dubai’s Women in Sport Series, launched through its London Sport Institute. The opening discussion brought together Emirati athletes to speak about identity, heritage and the next generation.

She agreed to speak to The National on the sidelines. What really shines through is her love for her mother, Nada Al Nuaymi, who serves as both her inspiration and the reason for her fierce ambition. Her mother was born and raised in the UAE but possesses Iraqi roots, two identities that she’s particularly proud of. Mention Iraq and Zamzam’s eyes light up.

View this post on Instagram

When she discovered during our conversation that I was Iraqi, she immediately called for her mother:. “Mum! Come here! She’s Iraqi! Can you believe it? She’s Iraqi!” The delight spread from her face to her mother’s as they conveyed their admiration for the country, explaining their ancestry.

Iraq is a country that she has yet to visit, but Al Hammadi dreams of travelling there. “My blood is there, my blood is there. I always talk about it, and I’m really proud because I have the blood of real history makers.

"My mum always talks about Iraqi history and to be honest, every day I’m learning new stuff about it and that makes me even prouder of it.”

She indulges in her mother’s stories and the Iraqi cuisine she’s learning to cook. She’s already got quite good; she said her mother already considers her the best Iraqi cook in the house, which she considers both a blessing and a curse. “I can’t really cook it [Iraqi food] when I have to diet. When I’m on a diet, I just cry and think I’m losing my skills.”

Al Hammadi has also developed a deep interest in the history of the country and spoke excitedly of studying Hammurabi, the former ruler of the first Babylonian dynasty, famed for creating the code of Hammurabi, the oldest and most complete written legal system in history. A lecturer once asked her why she was so interested. “I told him, because I have Iraqi blood, why not?”

Despite being captivated by her maternal roots, she lives to serve her country, the UAE, the flag she carries into competition. “I’m not representing myself only. I’m not representing my family only. I’m representing my country. Before my name appears, it says Emirati,” a fact that makes her immensely proud.

Al Hammadi is a trailblazer in UAE MMA. She is the first Emirati woman to sign for the PFL and aims to turn pro soon. Grander ambitions include becoming a world champion and to fight in the UFC.

Still only 18, she is in her second year of studying for a degree in international relations, political economy and development and serves on the student council at Abu Dhabi's Zayed University.

She once considered studying media because she likes broadcasting and, by her own admission, thought it would be an easier course. Her mother instead pushed her towards a degree that would help her serve her country.

“She’d be like, 'Zamzam, what you’re doing is great, but I still think this is nothing. You need something bigger.'"

Nada says she has been likened to a lioness for her ability to breed competitive fighters. Her younger daughter, Ghala, is also a decorated mixed martial artist and already owns one advantage that Zamzam is determined to challenge. Ghala once finished a fight in five seconds; Zamzam's quickest finish is six. “And now we’re really competing on this. I was like, ‘Ghala, I’m not stepping down until I get it in four seconds. You’re going to see Ghala, I’m coming for four seconds,'” Zamzam says with a grin.

Asked whether their mother ever worries about raising so many well-trained fighters, Al Hammadi replies, “To be honest, we’re the ones scared of mum.”

Al Hammadi refers to her mother as a cancer warrior. A single mother who has devoted her life to her children, she is full of admiration for her .

Grateful for this, Al Hammadi is encouraged to keep competing and progressing as she feels it motivates her mother to continue treatment. “She’s fighting for her life, to survive. So why don’t I fight for her? So she feels that there’s someone with me who’s fighting as well?"

View this post on Instagram

Al Hammadi is also focused on helping the next generation of girls enter combat sports. She remembers a time she and her sister were the only girls from their group competing at the world championships

She says more women are seriously considering a similar career, and much of that is down to representation. Athletes like Al Hammadi have helped create a pathway that many never thought possible. The jiu-jitsu and martial arts club that Zamzam established had few members in its first year. She says it now has 51 members, with fathers now actively approaching her to ask about opportunities for their daughters.

Al Hammadi hopes that more Emirati women will come to represent the country in every sport. “At least one Emirati girl in every global organisation,” she said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Iran has lost control of the Strait of Hormuz, claiming oil exports from the Gulf have returned to near prewar levels. Iran has disputed the claim.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has sparked backlash for handing out pins depicting a hangman’s noose to high school pupils in the city of Herzliya. The move is part of his campaign to promote the use of the death penalty against Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks.

Abu Dhabi is rolling out a major training programme to teach 20,000 government employees AI skills. The initiative is part of the emirate's ambition to become the world’s first AI-powered government by 2027.

And President Sheikh Mohamed has called for special rain prayers, known as Salaat Al Istisqaa, be held at mosques across the UAE this Friday.

Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.

Seven commodity ships passed through the strait on Tuesday, for the ⁠lowest figure since July 23, data from analytics firm Kpler showed.

“Crude crossing the strait fell ​27 per cent ⁠from a wartime high the week ‌before, to at least 10.1 million barrels a day,” Kpler analysts Emmanuel Belostrino and Yui Torikata ​wrote in a note on October 6.

“That is back to its September average, but 74 per cent of its prewar level.”

Most of the fall was in ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman, where cargoes move between tankers, they added.

However, exports from the Gulf of Oman coast and the Red Sea rose to 6.7 million bpd, more than twice prewar levels, analysts said, making up for lost supply from Hormuz.

This helped keep overall exports of Middle East crude at the prewar level, they said.

The number of vessels transiting the strait edged up to 10 on Wednesday, but was well short of the daily tally of more than 20 on Sunday and Monday, the data showed.

More vessels entered the strait than exited in the past two days.

The figures exclude vessels crossing with their ​Automatic Identification System transponders turned off to avoid detection.

LSEG data of all ‌vessels crossing the strait showed eight ⁠on Tuesday, evenly divided between entries and exits, ​down from the previous day's 14.

These included five oil tankers and the liquefied ​natural gas tanker ‌Al Mafyar which loaded at Ras Laffan in Qatar and was set to head for Port Qasim ⁠in Pakistan, LSEG added.

Attacks on tankers sailing through Hormuz hit their highest last week of ⁠any week since the Iran war began, maritime security sources tracking incidents said, as Gulf producers made a bigger export push.

In the latest incident, projectiles struck a tanker 94km north of Qatar's Madinat ash Shamal, with casualties reported, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said ​on Wednesday.

Before the February 28 start of the Iran war, about 125 large commercial vessels went through the strait each per day, comprising tankers, gas carriers, bulkers and container vessels.

Their cargoes accounted for a fifth of global supplies of crude oil and liquefied natural gas.

For the time being, setting aside the disruptions associated with the near closure of the Strait of Hormuz, oil demand is buoyant and growing at a steady pace. But there are strong forces in the background that are making analysts predict a terminal decline in the demand for oil starting in the middle of this century. These include sustainability commitments, the emergence of alternative technologies such as electric cars and solar power, and the desire by oil-consuming countries to achieve higher levels of energy security.

If these forecasts are borne out, it is natural to imagine that falling demand for oil will lead to falling production. Yet this reasonable assumption may turn out to be misleading, as evidenced from recent research by University of Chicago professor Ryan Kellogg. Using simulations to predict what will happen to oil, Prof Kellogg identifies two forces that are pulling in opposite directions, making it unclear whether failing oil demand will indeed bring about a contraction in oil supply, or if it will motivate oil-rich countries to increase their production.

Starting with the more intuitive scenario, Prof Kellogg notes that the production cycle for oil is both long and requires a lot of up-front capital expenditure.

For example, when a new well is discovered, the process of mobilising the extraction equipment and initiating operations typically takes about five years with a large proportion of the spending occurring during that initial phase. In light of this, if producers forecast an impending significant contraction in oil demand, it makes sense for them to hold off on investing in new wells. After all, the market for their output might be gone (or at least severely curtailed) by the time operations start to run smoothly, while the bill for the setup will still need to be paid.

Accordingly, under these conditions, oil production will simply follow its natural lifecycle of gently tapering off as existing operational fields dry up, resulting in global oil supply mirroring the decline in oil demand. Under such a scenario – which Prof Kellogg terms the “disinvestment” case – we would expect oil prices to be relatively stable.

The more unusual scenario is what Prof Kellogg labels the “green paradox”, whereby policies that are ostensibly friendly to the environment cause a decrease in oil demand, but cause a sharp increase in oil supply that results in more oil being consumed during a transition period. This happens if oil-rich countries decide they want to avoid having their reserves turn into “stranded assets”, meaning that they try to get as much oil out into the market as possible today before the currently valuable resource becomes commercially non-viable in the future.

In practice, the world will not neatly fit into either the disinvestment or the green paradox scenario

This is somewhat analogous to stock markets: if you own stocks and you are suddenly informed that their price will fall next month, you will rush to call your broker and sell your stocks now before you suffer a capital loss. Notably, under the green paradox scenario – and unlike the disinvestment scenario – global oil prices will fall sharply as a supply glut collides with falling demand.

Prof Kellogg also noted how the behaviour of the oil-producing group Opec can reinforce the green paradox. The bloc has for decades co-ordinated oil suppliers through production quotas to prevent oversupply, thereby implying a lower total volume in the market compared to a scenario where production decisions are decentralised and not co-ordinated. If an anticipated decline in oil demand leads to lower quota adherence by the group, the green paradox will be accentuated as a laxer output configuration becomes the norm.

In practice, the world will not neatly fit into either the disinvestment or the green paradox scenario. The forces associated with each will materialise to some degree, meaning that either they cancel each other out, or whichever is stronger prevails. Given the strategic significance of oil, predicting what actually happens has important implications for carbon emissions, supply chain logistics, resource-related conflicts, and even economic planning, as in the case of the Gulf states’ visions.

With this in mind, Prog Kellogg analyses the past behaviour of oil-producing countries to build a sophisticated model of the effect of an anticipated contraction in long-term oil demand on production and prices. His simulation suggests that the most likely outcome is for the disinvestment effect to be stronger than the green paradox effect, meaning that falling oil demand is broadly mirrored by falling oil supply, and oil prices will be relatively stable.

A key reason for the model’s prediction is that – historically speaking – oil producers have demonstrated a significant preference for the present over the future, and with it an aversion to the large up-front investments needed for the green paradox effect to dominate.

Environmentalists will surely be happy if this prediction plays out as it means that they need not worry that green policies – which check oil demand – result in a temporary boost to oil consumption. For most oil producers in the Arab world, such a path would also be preferable to oil markets devolving into a Hobbesian state of nature, as prices would remain higher for a longer time. Their status as low-cost producers would afford them a “last hurrah” as the global economy permanently shifts away from oil as it once did from coal.

It is important to note that for producers, low production costs provide time, not immunity. They make the region’s oil likely to be among the last barrels produced, but they cannot guarantee either high prices or stable revenues. Economic diversification – and, more specifically, diversification of government revenue and exports – therefore remains indispensable. Its purpose is not to predict the precise date of peak oil demand, but to ensure that the region’s prosperity no longer depends on getting that prediction right. Policymakers in the region understand this well.

Rahm’s attorney, John Beck, told a US bankruptcy court hearing on Wednesday that the two-time major champion had reviewed details of LIV’s proposed next phase but had decided not to take part.

“Mr Rahm has independently reviewed the proposed terms of LIV 2.0 … and has determined that those terms are unacceptable as to him,” Beck told the court.

Rahm, a former world No 1, joined LIV in late 2023, eight months after winning the Masters to claim his second major title. He has since dominated the circuit’s season-long individual standings, winning three consecutive titles.

Rahm’s departure is a major blow to a league already facing its biggest financial upheaval since its launch in 2022.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced in April that it would end its financial backing of LIV after the 2026 season, following an investment of more than $5 billion into the circuit. The decision prompted LIV to scale back operations, lay off most of its workforce, and ultimately file for Chapter 11 protection in New Jersey in September.

PIF has agreed to provide a further $49.6 million in debtor-in-possession financing while the bankruptcy proceedings continue.

The league’s bankruptcy filing listed several high-profile players among creditors with millions of dollars in unsecured claims, with Rahm’s claim the largest at $7.5 million.

He is not the only player seeking an exit.

Attorneys for Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, An Byeong-hun, Marc Leishman, Cameron Tringale and Matthew Wolff asked the judge to allow their clients to terminate their existing LIV contracts and to clarify their ability to negotiate with other tournament organisers and sponsors.

LIV has already agreed to terminate Sergio Garcia’s contract after determining it would not honour its terms.

The requests do not necessarily rule out players joining LIV 2.0, with sources familiar with the league saying discussions over participation remain on track.

Earlier this week, LIV secured up to $300 million in financing from BC Partners to help fund its emergence from restructuring and prepare for the 2027 season.

The proposed new model would see players become equity owners in both LIV Golf and its teams, although the financing remains subject to court approval and customary conditions.

Rahm’s decision, however, leaves LIV without one of its most recognisable faces as it attempts to secure its next chapter.

Patekar, who last appeared in the Bollywood film Housefull 5, released in June, was found unresponsive at his home in Goa, hospital sources told Indian broadcaster NDTV.

Dr Shekhar Salkar, chief of the oncology department at Manipal Hospital, told news agency ANI that doctors performed CPR for 45 minutes but were unable to revive the actor. He was pronounced dead at 5.20am.

Patekar's family is yet to release a statement.

Known for his commanding screen presence and distinctive dialogue delivery, Patekar portrayed a wide range of characters, from volatile and morally complex figures to comedic roles. He enjoyed success in both Bollywood and Marathi cinema.

Patekar made his film debut in 1978 with Gaman, but his breakthrough role was with Mira Nair's Oscar-nominated film Salaam Bombay!. Patekar played Baba, a drug dealer and pimp, in the drama centred around Bombay's street kids. He went on to win a spate of awards for his roles in films such as Parinda (1989), in which he played a ruthless crime lord, and Krantiveer (1994), in which he played a gambler turned fierce anti-corruption crusader.

A monologue in Krantiveer, in which Patekar's character delivers a powerful message about Hindu-Muslim unity, is widely regarded as one of Hindi cinema's most memorable speeches. The role earned him a National Film Award for Best Actor.

His other memorable performances came in films such as Agni Sakshi, Ab Tak Chhappan and Apaharan, showcasing his versatility across villainous, comedic and dramatic roles. In Khamoshi: The Musical, he played the deaf father of Manisha Koirala's character, a role that earned him wide acclaim.

In 2013, he was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honours, for his contribution to cinema.

He is survived by his wife, Neelakanti, and son, Malhar Patekar.

Last June, after 15 years in a corporate career, the Emirati artist left his job and returned to university to fully commit himself to art. Revelation, now on view at 421 Arts Campus in Abu Dhabi, grew out of this period of reassessment.

The exhibition – which is also Al Haj’s first institutional solo show – was developed through 421’s Artistic Development Programme. Running until January 10, the show brings together painting, glass, text, light, shadow, water and installation in a meditation on seclusion, reflection and the idea that personal revelation is part of an continuing process rather than a final answer.

Al Haj says the decision to become a full-time artist came relatively late. He studied visual communication before completing a master’s degree in international relations and moving into government work, following a path familiar to his family. His father is a diplomat, while his siblings also work in government and diplomacy.

While art remained present, it was something separate from his professional life.

“I always thought of it as a practice that I do in my spare time,” he says, describing that as a familiar regional attitude towards creative work. The assumption was that art could be pursued seriously, but not necessarily as a livelihood.

That changed when he began posting his work online during the Covid-19 pandemic. The response encouraged him to take his practice more seriously. Between 2020 and 2021, he started to see art as a possible career rather than a parallel pursuit.

Revelation grew from that shift.

When Al Haj joined the Artistic Development Programme about two years ago, he initially wanted to explore seclusion and the idea of a maze, asking why people withdraw from the world when trying to understand difficult experiences.

His thinking was shaped by journals, philosophy, poetry and spiritual texts from the three Abrahamic religions. Over time, however, the exhibition became less concerned with presenting a fixed narrative and more interested in creating a space where viewers could arrive at their own understanding.

That is reflected in the way the works are installed. Glass panels carry text, but their meaning changes according to light, shadow and reflection. Al Haj says the object itself is only one part of the work. The surrounding conditions are equally important.

He compares the panels to floppy disks that contain information revealed only when activated. Light performs that function in the exhibition, bringing inscriptions into view and casting shadows that become part of the experience.

“The artwork is also the placement of the light, the placement of the panel and the reflection of the shadow,” he says.

The installation gradually leads visitors towards Hijr, a darker and more enclosed space designed for contemplation. At the centre is water, which Al Haj uses as a symbol of movement and renewed energy.

“Revelation is not an ending point; it’s just a checkpoint,” he says.

The idea is that a person gathers what they need, reaches a moment of understanding and continues. The ripples in the water reinforce that sense of movement, with each disturbance creating another moment that quickly passes.

That cyclical thinking also appears in Balaa, one of the exhibition’s early works. The title refers to the Arabic concept of trial or affliction. Al Haj uses it to think about the way people count and measure their lives, whether through time, emotions, deeds or individual moments.

The tension comes from uncertainty: the constant questioning of whether choices are right or wrong, and whether progress can ever be measured with confidence.

The exhibition is also designed to be physical rather than purely visual.

A thick carpet covers the space, requiring visitors to remove their shoes. Al Haj connects that action to the experience of entering a sacred space such as a mosque, where removing footwear can signal respect and change a person’s awareness of their surroundings.

The softness underfoot, along with subdued lighting and dark walls, is intended to slow the pace of the room. “The artwork is the atmosphere as opposed to the items within the room itself,” he adds.

Black is used deliberately. Al Haj sees it as a contemplative colour that can bring certain elements forward while allowing others to recede. The room is meant to feel enclosed, but not oppressive. “It’s supposed to hug you like a cocoon, like a blanket,” he says.

That approach extends ideas already present in his painting.

Al Haj says his canvases can contain between seven and 14 layers, most of which are invisible once a work is complete. Revelation effectively opens up those layers and spreads them across a room, allowing viewers to move through a process that would normally remain compressed on a flat surface.

“A lot of my work is about turning the intangible into something visually tangible,” he says.

Al Haj is currently thinking more seriously about where his practice sits within the wider Emirati art scene.

He describes himself as part of a third generation of Emirati artists, following an earlier period when institutions and opportunities were fewer. Today, he says, younger artists can begin earlier, experiment more freely and build careers with greater institutional support.

At the same time, he believes exposure beyond the UAE remains important. He has just moved to Paris, partly motivated by a desire to understand the international art world from within, rather than only encountering it when major institutions and artists arrive in the Emirates.

He warns younger artists against confusing international exposure with imitation. His advice is simple: “Leave the comforts of home but take home with you.”

Al Haj’s visual language partly grew from Arabic handwriting exercises he practised as a child while attending an American school. This later fed into the gestural marks that appear across his work.

The goal, he says, is not to remain bound by tradition, but to develop something recognisably personal. “Find your own language, stick to your roots, but don’t be confined by your roots.”

Revelation by Juma Alhaj is on at 421 Arts Campus in Abu Dhabi until January 10

Arsenal saw their perfect start to the season end before the break as they fell to a 3-0 loss at Brighton, leaving the Gunners three points behind leaders Manchester City. Kai Havertz is an injury doubt after picking up a hamstring problem on international duty with Germany.

Leeds go into the match unbeaten with two wins and three draws, the last of which was a stalemate at home to Crystal Palace. The Yorkshiremen are three points and three places shy of Arsenal in the table.

Prediction: Arsenal 2 Leeds 0

Aston Villa v Brentford (6pm)

Villa dragged themselves out of the bottom three when they defeated Spurs 3-2 in what was their first league win of the campaign, with Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emiliano Buendia scoring the goals.

Brentford are one of five teams yet to lose a league game this season and were convincing 3-0 winners over Chelsea last time out – which saw Igor Thiago open his league account for the season – lifting the Bees to fourth in the table.

Prediction: Villa 2 Brentford 1

Chelsea v Bournemouth (6pm)

Chelsea have dropped down to 10th place after taking one point from three matches and have the worst defensive record in the top flight, conceding 12 goals.

Marco Rose has yet to win a game as Bournemouth manager, with the Cherries having drawn three and lost two so far. They will also be without key midfielder Alex Scott for two months after he picked up a thigh injury making his England debut.

Prediction: Chelsea 3 Bournemouth 1

Ipswich Town v Fulham (6pm)

Ipswich have lost three of their past four matches, the last of which was a 1-0 defeat at Everton. The Tractor Boys still have six points on the board, though, and are in 11th place.

Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa is still waiting for his first league win, but the Spaniard's side showed signs of improvement after starting with three successive losses, as they drew with Liverpool and then Manchester United. The Cottagers are level on two points with bottom club Spurs.

Prediction: Ipswich 2 Fulham 2

Intensity levels: 💯 against Arsenal! 💪 pic.twitter.com/uM8Gsh4qJF

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@BHAFC) September 22, 2026

Sunderland v Brighton (6pm)

Sunderland are looking to avoid a third league loss on the spin after defeats by Arsenal and then Manchester City. The Black Cats are on four points, one place above the bottom three.

Brighton are flying high in third place following wins over Coventry and Arsenal that saw Fabian Hurzeler's side score eight and concede none.

Prediction: Sunderland 2 Brighton 2

Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur (8.30pm)

United needed a last-minute deflected Matheus Cunha strike to avoid defeat at Fulham last time out, and the Red Devils have won only once in five league games.

Spurs are rock bottom, without a win, and have scored just twice in five games, with those proving to be late consolations in the defeat at home to Villa.

Prediction: Man United 2 Spurs 1

Sunday: Crystal Palace Nottingham Forest (5pm)

Palace have just one win so far having drawn at Leeds before the break, leaving the Eagles one point and three places outside the bottom three.

Forest are one point and two places above Palace, also with one win from five games, but fell to a surprise home loss to Coventry last time out.

Prediction: Palace 1 Forest 1

Hull City v Everton (5pm)

Hull's fine unbeaten start was ended by a narrow loss at Newcastle, but the Tigers remain in the top half with eight points on the board.

Everton are one point above Hull, with Thierno Barry's goal earning them a home win over Ipswich, their first victory since the opening weekend of the season following three successive draws.

Prediction: Hull 1 Everton 1

Liverpool v Manchester City (7.30pm)

Liverpool are sixth in the table with three draws and two wins after Alexander Isak's goal earned manager Andoni Iraola victory at his former club Bournemouth.

Manchester City have won all seven games since losing to Arsenal in the Community Shield and top the table, but are back in action for the first time since being found guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules. Top scorer Erling Haaland is also an injury concern. Expect a bear-pit atmosphere at Anfield.

Prediction: Liverpool 3 Man City 1

Monday: Coventry City v Newcastle United (11pm)

Coventry secured their first top-flight win since April 2001 by beating Forest thanks to Jay Dasilva's second-half goal, ending a run of four successive defeats in which Frank Lampard's side had failed to score.

Newcastle recovered from their 4-1 thumping at Leeds by edging Hull at St James' Park, with Joe Willock and Lewis Hall scoring the goals. The Magpies are in ninth place but are just one point off the top four.

Prediction: Coventry 1 Newcastle 3

Lewis Hall wins it, Lewis Hall finishes it 🙌 pic.twitter.com/AGujEs83AL

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) September 19, 2026

The national team enjoyed success in the Arabian Gulf Cup, beating UAE 2-0 in Tuesday's final in Jeddah.

Other SPL players also made headlines – not all of them good.

We take a look at the main talking points ahead of the weekend's fixtures.

Ronaldo's bumpy break

Cristiano Ronaldo made headlines during the international break for all the wrong reasons.

The Al Nassr striker abruptly walked out on Portugal ahead of a Uefa Nations League match in Denmark last week.

On Tuesday, the 41-year-old released a lengthy statement, giving his version of events, saying he was not retiring, remained available for selection, while accusing manager Jorge Jesus of an “absolute breach of trust”.

The row erupted after Ronaldo was an unused substitute in Portugal's 2-1 Uefa Nations League win over Norway on September 29, the first time in 18 years he had sat on the bench for an entire match for his national team.

According to Ronaldo's account, Jesus had agreed the forward would miss the Norway and Denmark matches to manage his fitness. However, on the day of ⁠the Norway game, the coach told him he would play for 30 minutes.

“Everyone ​knows the ⁠rest. I warmed up from ‌half-time onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn't called on,” Ronaldo said.

“The manager ​had broken his word to me.”

View this post on Instagram

The statement added that in a subsequent meeting between player and coach, mediated by Al Nassr sporting director Simao Coutinho, the parties agreed that Jesus would clarify events ahead of the Denmark match.

According to the plan, Jesus would say that Ronaldo had never demanded to be played and that asking him to warm up without bringing him on had been a mistake.

Jesus did not mention any of this when he spoke to reporters but later denied he had made any such agreement. “The conference was what is known: the attitude had nothing to do with our meeting,” Ronaldo explained.

When Ronaldo learnt he would not play against the Danes, the player packed his bags and left the team's camp in Copenhagen.

Ronaldo has said the Portuguese Football Federation should punish him accordingly, and said that he would make himself available for selection after any suspension that may come his way.

Jesus, too, left the ​door open ‌for his return. Whether bridges can be rebuilt before the November internationals remains to be seen.

When approached by reporters on Wednesday, Jesus said: "I read the statement, and now, as I do every day, I go to the federation to work, to think about the team and the national team. I have nothing more to say."

When Cristiano Ronaldo lifted his first trophy for Al Nassr. 🏆🐐 pic.twitter.com/D7Zcy0ILio

— NassrXtra (@NassrXtra1) September 17, 2026

It's all a far cry from the jubilant scenes just a few months ago when Jesus and Ronaldo celebrated leading Al Nassr to the Saudi Pro League title.

Ronaldo will have been banking on the extra games with his country in his pursuit of 1,000 goals (he currently has 979). One hundred and forty-six of them have come for Portugal.

Depending on how his Portugal future pans out, Nassr could end up the main beneficiary.

Nassr resume their Saudi Pro League campaign on Friday against Diriyah. They sit in third place, two points behind leaders Al Hilal, with Al Ittihad sandwiched in between the two Riyadh clubs.

A chastening defeat at UAE champions Al Ain in their first match of the AFC Champions League Elite saw Nassr get their league phase off to the worst possible start. Nassr welcome Uzbekistan's Neftchi Fergana to Al Awwal Park on Monday.

Nassr coach Ange Postecoglou may have some sympathy for Jesus. The Australian has himself had to deal with Ronaldo taking issue with his team selections; Ronaldo felt snubbed after Postecoglou substituted him in the comeback win against Al Ettifaq on August 25.

Nassr trailed 2-0 in that game when Ronaldo was subbed off in the 46th minute. By the end of it, they had won 3-2.

Postecoglou, Jesus and Ronaldo have all said he should only be picked on merit, but it's hard to think that a player who has accomplished so much doesn't expect to be treated differently from his teammates.

Managing Ronaldo used to be every coach's dream. Now it seems to be one of football's most difficult jobs.

⚽️🔛 pic.twitter.com/wPupVTd4CA

— Al-Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en) October 6, 2026

Aouar: Al Ittihad want to achieve big things

A top-of-the-table clash sees first-placed Al Hilal take on second-placed Al Ittihad at Kingdom Arena.

Hilal suffered a first league defeat in 47 matches when they fell 2-0 to Neom on September 7, ending their 100 per cent start to the season. It was Hilal's first league defeat under Simone Inzaghi since he took the reins in the summer of 2025.

They bounced back in spectacular style, thumping Al Taawoun 6-0 to head into the break on top of the pile.

Saturday's opponents are the only unbeaten team left in the league, having won five and drawn two of their seven matches. The Jeddah club sit a point behind Hilal.

Champions in 2024/25, Ittihad look like a team transformed under Jens Wissing, with Houssem Aouar one of the team's leading lights so far.

The Algerian playmaker was part of that championship-winning side, and believes the Jeddah club are capable of pushing for honours again this season.

“This season we want to achieve big things. I always say that when you play for a club like Al Ittihad, you have to win something every season,” he told the SPL's official website.

“And it's in what we have to improve. To win things, you have to be focused, dedicate yourself to the club, to the pitch, and to make a lot of sacrifice.

“The league is going up every season. You can see that now there is a lot of competition. You never know who's going to win the league until the end, until the very end of the game.”

Fixtures

All kick-off times UAE time

Friday

Al Kholood v Al Qadsiah, 5.50pm

Al Fateh v Al Ahli, 6.55pm

Al Nassr v Diriyah, 10pm

Saturday

Al Hazem v Neom, 5.50pm

Al Ettifaq v Al Khaleej, 6.55pm

Al Hilal v Al Ittihad, 10pm

Sunday

Al Fayha v Al Riyadh, 5.40pm

Abha v Al Faisaly, 7.25pm

Al Shabab v Al Taawoun, 10pm

Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) said Gaza also had no MRI equipment for its population of more than two million. It said, in a new report, that only a marginal improvement could be reported in Gaza's overall healthcare situation. The World Health Organisation says there were 128 attacks on medical facilities during the first seven months of the ceasefire.

Intensive care capacity “has increased by one bed only – from 103 to 104”, PHRI said. Dialysis is less available than before, provided by 12 per cent of medical facilities compared to 17 per cent in October 2025.

An Israeli blockade of Gaza's borders means only a fraction of Palestinians in need of medical treatment abroad have been able to receive it. Gaza's Ministry of Health reports that at least 1,570 patients have died, including 264 children, while waiting for medical evacuation.

The ceasefire that began on October 10 last year ended the worst of Israel's two-year onslaught on the strip, which was triggered by the October 7 attacks of 2023. But more than 1,400 people have been killed in near-daily attacks by Israel, which still occupies much of the territory.

PHRI said Israel's restrictions on medicine and equipment, failure to allow patients to be treated abroad, and obstruction of efforts to repair Gaza's healthcare system were part of the pattern of alleged genocide.

The international definition of genocide includes “the deliberate infliction of conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of the Palestinian population”.

“A year of ‘ceasefire’ should have brought meaningful relief and rehabilitation to Palestinians and allowed the recovery and reconstruction of the decimated healthcare system,” said Milena Ansari, a PHRI director who wrote the new report.

“The data show that the ceasefire did not stop the genocide – it changed the way it is being carried out. Israeli policy continues to create conditions that prevent Palestinians in Gaza from recovering and surviving.”

The ceasefire was agreed last October in a peace plan backed by US President Donald Trump. It was meant to be the beginning of restoring and rebuilding life in Gaza through reconstruction, aid and reversing many of the devastating effects of Israel's two-year war on the enclave.

The war was triggered by a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which militants killed nearly 1,200 people and took about 250 as hostages.

More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military response, which left most of the territory in ruin. The majority of Gaza's residents have been displaced and now live on a narrow area near the enclave's Mediterranean coast.

With continuing attacks, and life largely distant from normality, many Gazans have wondered if the ceasefire only exists on paper, rather than reality.

For many ordinary people, AI is still something of an unknown quantity – and one that is being promoted by powerful and remote tech company owners. Despite excitement about potential AI-led breakthroughs in medicine and scientific discoveries, high-profile stories about jobs being lost to AI or autonomous digital agents hacking rival companies have raised questions about its uses. With that in mind, the launch in Abu Dhabi this week of AiNative, a new training programme, could be the first step in redefining citizens’ and residents’ relationship with AI.

Developed by the emirate’s Department of Government Enablement in collaboration with OpenAI, Microsoft and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, AiNative aims to give 20,000 government employees access to training by the end of this year. Plans to eventually make the programme freely available to citizens and residents could prove to be even more consequential.

Technology can widen inequalities as easily as it can reduce them. Those who understand new tools quickly can gain an advantage. Those who lack access to AI or confidence in using it, risk being left behind. This has been an issue with other game-changing technologies – many older people can still struggle with personal banking or medical appointments as more services migrate to online platforms.

That is what makes the public element of AiNative particularly significant. The programme is intended to show people how AI adoption can help with practical matters, from finding a job, managing personal finances, running a small business or creating content responsibly. This recognises that the arrival of increasingly capable systems will affect just about everyone, whether or not they work in technology.

Technology can widen inequalities as easily as it can reduce them

The UAE has invested heavily in the AI era, and Abu Dhabi has emerged as a major centre for computing, tech investment and research. Partnerships such as those between Abu Dhabi’s G42 and France's Mistral AI announced last year are helping to build the foundations for the next iteration of AI – but human capability is just as important as infrastructure.

Giving as many people as possible the opportunity to understand AI means giving them a better chance of recognising its strengths and weakness, and using it responsibly. The aim should not be to make everyone in society a computer scientist but to give them the chance to participate in the digital era confidently. Knowledge often dispels doubt and creates opportunities – by building an AI-enabled society, the potential for success becomes even greater.

The new rules, approved on Tuesday, place caps on levels of sodium, sugar and fat in packaged foods, whether locally manufactured or imported. The rules are to be implemented in phases, with the final limits taking effect by December 31, 2030.

They form part of a much wider effort across the UAE to tackle obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other lifestyle-related conditions by changing the types of food people encounter every day.

Dr Ahmed Al Khazraji, Executive Director of Healthy Living at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said the Cabinet resolution represented a major milestone for public health.

“By focusing on commonly consumed products and introducing these changes progressively through 2030, we can improve their nutritional profile while giving manufacturers time to reformulate responsibly and maintain the taste and quality consumers expect,” he said.

Dr Al Khazraji said the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre and the Ministry of Health and Prevention worked together to advance the food reformulation agenda.

“The logic is simple: improve the nutritional profile of products that people already buy and enjoy, rather than placing the responsibility entirely on individuals to make a different choice every time,” he said.

“This is part of our work across the food ecosystem, collaborating with government, producers, retailers and food service providers to improve what is available, how it is promoted and placed, and the information people have when making choices.”

The move builds on years of measures aimed at improving public health.

The UAE introduced excise taxes on tobacco, energy drinks and fizzy drinks in 2017, before expanding the system to e-cigarettes, vaping products and drinks containing added sugar or sweeteners.

The country also introduced a sugar-based tax system for drinks, under which products with higher sugar content per 100ml face a higher tax rate.

Abu Dhabi has introduced a parallel series of measures under its Healthy Living Strategy, including restrictions on where foods high in fat, salt and sugar can be displayed in large supermarkets, tighter controls on fast food advertising, stronger nutrition standards in schools and healthier menu requirements in hotels and restaurants.

The medical view

Doctors and dietitians say the changes could have an important cumulative effect because many people consume more salt, sugar and fat than they realise.

Dr Safa Hegazin, staff physician at the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said reducing excessive levels of those ingredients in commonly consumed foods could help support healthier dietary patterns over time.

“Making healthier choices should not be difficult, and policies like these help ensure that the healthier option becomes the easier option,” she said. “As these changes are introduced over time, even modest reductions can contribute to meaningful long-term health benefits.”

“Sustained improvements in diet can help reduce the risk of conditions associated with obesity and poor nutrition, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease,” she added.

However, clinicians stressed that products meeting the new limits should not automatically be considered healthy. Heenana Mustaheena, clinical dietitian at LLH Hospital, Mussaffah, said much of the salt and sugar consumed by people is already present in packaged foods and can easily go unnoticed.

“Most people consume far more salt, sugar, and unhealthy fat than they realise because much of it is already present in everyday packaged foods,” she said. “In the UAE, this is especially important given the high prevalence of excess salt intake.”

She said consumers should continue to check nutrition labels and compare products, particularly by looking at nutritional values per 100g.

“The limits represent maximum levels, and the actual amount consumed still depends on portion size,” she said. “Excess salt can raise blood pressure and increase the workload on the heart and kidneys, while excess sugar and fat can make blood glucose and weight more difficult to manage.”

Dr Leila Kay Karimpoor, Consultant in Internal Medicine at Burjeel Medical City, also said the significance of the policy lay in addressing population-wide exposure rather than relying solely on individual behaviour.

High sodium intake is associated with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, kidney problems and fluid retention, while excess added sugar can contribute to weight gain, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, she said.

“Consumers should read labels and consider their overall diet, as meeting a regulatory limit does not necessarily make a processed food healthy,” she said.

Industry is prepared

Food manufacturers have already begun responding to the wider health drive.

Al Ain Farms Group previously announced reductions of 10 to 20 per cent in added sugar across some juices, flavoured milk, flavoured yoghurt and laban products, saying the reformulations were aligned with Abu Dhabi’s Healthy Living Strategy.

United Foods Company, which produces edible oils and assorted food products, and distributes name brands like Oreo and Cadbury, said the new standards are something they feel prepared for.

“We are following the international standards even while supplying to 62 countries worldwide,” said Mohamad Ziad Al Najjar, United Foods senior manager B2B.

“When it comes to the healthy standards that Abu Dhabi and the UAE are implementing, it is not something that we have ever faced any challenges with. There is no risk to quality. We are caring for the customer by having all the options.”

The Danish company Arla is a major international dairy co-operative that has had a presence in the UAE for decades. Berta Zammar, head of corporate affairs, communications and sustainability for UAE, Oman and Qatar, told The National at Global Food Week that the regulations are welcome and will succeed with private and public collaboration.

“This circular is totally aligned with our position,” she said. “As our health strategy, it's aligned with our ambition. We are working a lot to move all our products to make them healthier and to be a part of national strategies. It's always a good thing to provide the consumer with healthy food.”

The global picture

Restrictions on the salt, sugar and fat content of food have been brought in around the world.

Several European nations, including Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Croatia, the Netherlands, Hungary, Greece and Portugal, already have limits on how much salt can be used in bread production, ranging from 1.3g to 2g per 100g.

Some countries in Europe extend those limits to cereals, cheese and processed meats. Elsewhere, countries require producers to add warning marks to labelling for foods that exceed strict thresholds for sugar, salt and saturated fat.

Chile pioneered black octagon labels warning consumers about high content, as well as school marketing bans which have been replicated in Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela and Uruguay.

Similar warning flags or contrast colours on labels are used in Canada, Singapore and India to help guide consumers.

The flydubai captain saved the lives of 174 passengers when he opened the cockpit door of Flight FZ1073 despite life-threatening injuries from an emergency crash axe attack by a co-pilot.

The mid-air attack began a few hours into a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight on September 30. Passengers overpowered the attacker, and reserve pilots diverted the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight to land safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Dharav Gosalia, a former colleague of Capt Machchhar, shed light on the fortitude of his friend of 14 years.

“When you’re in the cruise phase all you have to do is ensure that the flight is being monitored, but Smit always had the habit of staying at least two steps ahead of the aircraft,” Capt Gosalia, 33, told The National.

“He would prepare for what could happen to the aircraft, or what could happen to the weather, or what is the situation at the runway. This is instilled within you when you have been flying for so many years – to think a little ahead of the aircraft because it's a fast-flying machine and whatever can go wrong goes wrong in a fraction of a second. He had this habit of staying ahead, ready with a prompt reaction.”

Capt Machchhar has been praised as a hero for his quick thinking and bravery, and is recovering from deep wounds to his head and hands in an Abu Dhabi hospital.

UAE authorities are investigating the motives of the attempted terrorist attack in which the co-pilot tried to take control of the aircraft.

'Land safely with all souls on board'

The two men lived in the Ghatkopar suburb of northern Mumbai, completed flight training at the same academy in New Zealand and later flew Boeing 737s at India’s SpiceJet. Capt Machchhar was a commander with SpiceJet for 11 years and moved to Dubai with flydubai four years ago. Capt Gosalia then shifted to Air India.

“It was a miracle that he came out of this,” Capt Gosalia said. “It was because of his presence of mind. It all boils down to all the experience and intuition built over the last 15 years of flying.

Health Update: Capt Smit continues to make steady progress and is regaining his health. The Embassy remains in close touch with his family, doctors & local authorities, extending all possible assistance.

We thank everyone for their prayers & wish him a speedy recovery. pic.twitter.com/Uh9h1F3rbW

— India in UAE (@IndembAbuDhabi) October 6, 2026

“One thing is very clear for Smit or any captain – no matter what happens, the aircraft has to land safely with all the souls present on board. That would have been the only thing in his mind, that's what we have been taught.”

Both captains had undergone training with retired senior Air Force commanders in India. But Capt Gosalia said no amount of training could prepare a captain for an attack from a co-pilot.

"We have been trained for hijack protocols, incapacitation, security threats or abnormal scenarios, but an attack from a first officer sitting next to you who is your trusted wingman, it's impossible," he said. "I don't think in all years of flying anybody would have thought of this.”

Emergency protocol

Rehearsing emergency procedures, visualisation or "chair flying" and the right attitude as a commander were key.

“It all boils down to those small ‘chair flying’ or visualisation techniques, your nature before the flight that makes you the best in the cockpit,” Capt Gosalia said.

“Chair flying is about going through a sequence of actions during maybe an engine failure or depressurisation. This is useful for an abnormal situation in the cockpit.

"When your motor skills and muscle memory are good, it helps rehearse procedures and your hands automatically move to the right direction, like automatically putting in the right squawk [emergency] code.”

Working as a team

Capt Machchhar’s approach was to treat the crew as his team, his friend said.

“People want to fly with him,” Capt Gosalia said. “Whether it’s a crew member, loader or engineer he never treated anyone differently, he is that kind of person. He would carry the whole crew as a unit, as a team. Nobody felt left out. Smit is humble, warm and jovial.”

When working for the Indian carrier, the men played cricket in a Mumbai suburb during their breaks and sometimes co-ordinated off-duty time overseas during layovers.

“We used to fly a lot together. Apart from flying, we would check the roster to see where we could do our layovers and we would also meet for sports at home,” Capt Gosalia said.

Time to heal

He said his long-time friend needed time to heal.

“For other people, this is a story but not for him,” Capt Gosalia said. “For him, it’s a real thing that happened. His family needs space. What he went through inside the cockpit is just unimaginable.

"The aircraft plunging with a heavy rate of descent, it's almost vertical, he is trying to reach the door while completely wounded. Hats off to what he pulled off. He will definitely come out strong. And every one of us is proud to know him.”

This week on Culture Bites, host Enas Refaei sits down with speakers at LIVEX in Abu Dhabi to discuss how arts and culture can shape the cities in which people live.

She speaks to Adrian Lahoud, professor of architecture and urban design, about why successful cities need more than buildings. He explains why communities should have a role in shaping projects from the beginning, and how culture needs the freedom and resources to grow organically. They also discuss what the Middle East can teach other parts of the world about designing cities for rising temperatures and the role architecture can play in social change.

Enas also sits down with Bill Bragin, founding executive artistic director of The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi.

He explains why he considers culture a form of infrastructure that can bring different communities together and make a city a place where people want to build their lives. They also look at how The Arts Centre has helped artists in the UAE connect, collaborate and develop professionally, and why introducing audiences to unfamiliar work is an important part of building a thriving cultural scene.

Met Police officers chased suspects at high speed to reunite victims with their phones and searched second-hand phone shops suspected of handling stolen devices.

The force says it has arrested more than 700 people as part of Operation Reckoning and has seized hundreds of mobile phones suspected of being stolen in one month.

In recent years, London has been plagued by mobile phone thefts, harming its image at home and abroad as a safe place to visit and work.

The Met has faced criticism for its apparent inability to find stolen phones, even when tracking apps directed officers to their location.

In response, the force began dedicating resources to tackle the problem, including the use of specially adapted motorcycles and drones.

Major successes include breaking up a gang responsible for trafficking up to 40,000 stolen iPhones from the UK to China in 2024 and 2025.

Officers say the haul accounted for about 40 per cent of all phones stolen in London during that period.

New data released today by the Met shows phone theft and robbery offences have fallen to their lowest August level since 2022. In August, 3,963 offences were recorded across London compared with 3,311 offences in August 2022.

Commander Andy Featherstone, the Met’s lead for tackling phone theft, said figures were a reflection of the “Met’s relentless campaign to crack down on these criminals”.

“This was our biggest operation yet, with officers targeting every stage of the organised criminal chain, including street thieves, handlers and exporters," he said.

“Our message to these criminals is clear: London is becoming a much harder place to steal phones. The risks are increasing, the opportunities are shrinking, and we are coming after you.”

The Met has released CCTV and body-cam footage that captured the moment a suspected phone thief who had fled on an e-bike jumped into a pond, discarding several phones in an effort to avoid arrest.

Officers chased him on high-powered Sur-Ron e-bikes and waded into the park to fish out six phones wrapped in foil, a tactic used by thieves to block signals and hinder tracking. He was arrested moments later.

The operation, which took place in September, also included arrests on suspicion of robbery and handling stolen goods. Officers also seized drugs, knives, firearms, tens of thousands of pounds in cash, and more than 110 illegal e-bikes.

The Met says the arrests underline how organised criminals involved in phone theft are often linked to wider offending, including drug supply.

Officers also visited 220 second-hand phone shops across London to gather intelligence and build positive relationships with legitimate businesses.

Shared intelligence

The results come as the Met and Apple continue to share intelligence on stolen devices, helping officers to track phones in the UK and abroad.

Early data also indicates that as security on phones has improved, criminals are increasingly using new “social engineering” tactics to hack into devices.

By posing as trusted organisations, they contact victims on other devices, trying to obtain passwords and account details that can be used to unlock devices. In some cases, criminals use threats to pressure victims into handing over information.

The report, Crosscurrents: Navigating the AI-Water-Energy Nexus, highlights that integrated planning and governance are essential to ensuring the technology advances sustainably without contributing to water scarcity.

"The extraordinary rise of artificial intelligence has brought with it a paradigm shift in both the nature of the global water crisis and our ability to address it," Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, said in the executive summary of the report.

Sheikh Abdullah said that as water scarcity intensifies alongside the expansion of AI, governments and industry must manage water, energy and digital infrastructure as a single interconnected system.

The report maps water use across the AI value chain, including semiconductor manufacturing, electricity generation and cooling infrastructure, while also emphasising that indirect water use, particularly in power generation and chip production, often exceeds direct consumption at data centres themselves.

It added that policymakers have overlooked the implications of the effect of AI's rapid expansion on resources. Data centre water use is projected to about double by 2030, reaching 9.32 trillion litres.

In January, the UN said that parts of the world have entered water bankruptcy, meaning depletion that cannot realistically be reversed.

The report also highlights that a key constraint on future AI growth is political. Using examples from the US, Malaysia, Chile and Ireland, the report points to how community concerns about water access, electricity demands and other issues are delaying or reshaping large data centre projects.

To address these concerns, the report highlights significant opportunities for AI to improve water management. It points to projects in the UAE, such as MaiWater, that have integrated AI with renewable energy and water planning, including advanced data centre cooling and strategic water storage.

"AI is opening possibilities that could scarcely have been imagined only a few years ago," Sheikh Abdullah said. "Used wisely, it could help us solve one of humanity’s oldest and most fundamental challenges: ensuring safe and reliable access to water for all."

The report gives five recommendations for future AI development: establishing international co-operation on responsible AI water use; integrating AI infrastructure into water and energy planning; requiring transparent resource-use reporting; promoting low-water and low-energy technologies; and embedding water and climate risk into corporate strategy.

"The priority is integrated governance: planning water, energy, infrastructure, and data as mutually dependent systems," the report says.

The UAE and Senegal will host the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi in December. The report called the event a "premier opportunity to turn responsible AI development into a shared global agenda".

Rana Nofal Soluri's body was found in June by a fisherman under a bridge in Montague County, about 40km from Fort Worth, local media reported. Her remains were taken to the University of North Texas Health Centre for Human Identification, where DNA testing confirmed her identity, police told NBC News.

Ms Soluri, 47, worked for a subsidiary of American Airlines and was reported missing in March last year after she failed to return to work following time off for a medical procedure.

Her roommate, Dennis William Day, 67, was arrested and charged with murder in June after he confessed to killing her and throwing her body off a bridge.

Police said Mr Day admitted he had “snapped” during a dispute with Ms Soluri and strangled her, according to an arrest warrant quoted in media reports.

Law enforcement agents said home video from Mr Day’s property showed him dragging what appeared to be a body from the house into the backyard on March 21, 2025.

Mr Day is currently awaiting trial.

An “inadvertent call” and voice mail on another woman’s phone appeared to capture Mr Day asking for help with moving the body. The woman, Joni Thomas, was arrested on charges of tampering with evidence.

Ms Soluri's sister, Nez, told NBC the months after the disappearance were “torture”. She said her sister had been a proud Jordanian-Palestinian and a “firecracker”.

“She might've been in a small frame but she had a big personality,” she added.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Ms Soluri's daughter, Lulu, to help with burial costs and other expenses.

President Donald Trump has continued to say that data centre and AI fears are a hoax, but recent polling shows that his decision to double down on unregulated artificial intelligence might cost his party the House and Senate.

Recent surveys show that in the US, concerns about AI causing widespread labour disruption and data centres' high energy needs are growing.

In some parts of the US, data centres have popped up in once-tranquil residential neighbourhoods, causing audible and visual nuisances. Critics have alleged that data centres also have a negative impact on the environment.

These issues have led to protests, anger at town halls and, in some cases, new laws.

Democrats, seen by many voters as being more likely to regulate the private sector, have benefited from the current climate.

About 73 per cent of voters, regardless of party, oppose the building of AI data centres in their community, a recent Quinnipiac University poll indicated. Other surveys have essentially told the same story.

Though most polls have indicated the economy and the cost of living are top concerns as the midterm elections near, that, too, plays into AI and data centre fears, experts say, with the general public seeing technology companies as greedy.

In Tennessee, Democratic state legislator Justin Pearson has made his opposition to data centres a focal point of his campaign for Congress.

Mr Pearson has called out technology tycoon Elon Musk, whose company xAI operates Colossus, one of the largest data centres in Memphis.

Colossus has been the subject of countless community meetings amid allegations of pollution, a sharp rise in electricity bills and an overall disregard for the well-being of residents.

The Democratic politician has been a frequent speaker at public meetings on the issue, demanding more accountability from xAI and pushing for a moratorium on data centre construction.

“Tech oligarchs and Elon Musk are targeting our community because they believe that our community is somehow the path of least resistance,” Mr Pearson says in one of several campaign videos.

Timothy Kneeland, a political scientist and public policy historian at Nazareth University in western New York, says there is plenty of data to suggest there is electoral substance behind the AI and data centre concerns.

“A lot of Americans simply don't think President Trump is taking these concerns seriously,” he said. A backlash against technology executives and a perceived disregard for community concerns is being felt at just about every level of government, he added.

“It's causing quite a stir in the US midterm elections and even in some state legislative races across the US.”

There has been a rise in political adverts portraying a dystopian future in which technology executives call the shots.

Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed has drawn attention to his Republican opponent Mike Rogers's investments in data centre firms and ties to various technology companies.

“You can't have your privacy violated if you don't know your privacy is violated,” a quote from Mr Rogers plays throughout one of Mr El-Sayed's adverts.

The video also shows headlines covering the growing anger in the US related to Flock cameras, which have come under intense scrutiny over their use of automatic licence plate reading technology, motion and sound sensors, and a vast database aimed at tracking criminals and assisting law enforcement.

But rights groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union say Flock cameras violate privacy laws, are sometimes misused by law enforcement and build a nationwide surveillance network.

“If there are Flock cameras in your city, they are tracking, logging and sharing your movements without a warrant,” ACLU's Flock website awareness message reads.

Mr Kneeland said in some parts of the US, opposition and anger towards Flock cameras is so intense that it is actually causing some elected officials to change their views.

“These concerns are now shaping Republican candidates for the Senate, the House of Representatives and in state races,” he said.

“This is a clear break with the de facto head of the Republican Party, President Donald Trump, who has called for unregulated AI development, the expansion of data centres, and is strong on law and order which Flock cameras are often associated with.”

In Ohio, Democrat Sherrod Brown is trying to return to the US Senate following his 2024 re-election loss, focusing on holding data centre companies more accountable.

“Ohio's electric grid is being treated like a game by gobbling up energy to feed their data centres,” Mr Brown says in one advert targeting incumbent Republican Senator Jon Husted, of whom Mr Brown says has repeatedly sought more data centre construction in the state. “I'm Sherrod Brown and I'll require the data centres to pay the full cost of their electricity, not you.”

Even in Republican states like Texas, as Mr Kneeland points out, the Republican Governor Greg Abbott has shifted his stance on data centres.

“He once suggested Texas should become a hub for AI development and activity, but has since has backed away from this and sponsored a bill to tighten up regulation,” he said.

The midterm elections will take place on November 3.

Mr Araghchi fielded three hours of questions from members of Iran's parliament, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, which could in theory hear a motion on his impeachment after it was filed by a critical MP.

The case relates to claims that Mr Araghchi overstepped by holding a meeting with US officials in New York without the permission of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

MPs also informed Mr Araghchi of "public concern" about Iran's unity and cohesion, state media said. It is the latest hint of division within Iran's political circles, which have been reshaped by the war and the killing of senior figures such as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Mr Araghchi said the delegation he led at the UN General Assembly in New York had "explained Iran's positions in the most eloquent and authoritative manner possible". He said his team had followed the instructions of "competent authorities" in Iran.

"Iran showed in New York that it is tough in defending itself and serious in using diplomacy to ensure national security," state media quoted Mr Araghchi as saying.

Mr Araghchi is proposing a "seven-day plan" that would count down to reopening the Strait of Hormuz in a week if the US accepts Iran's conditions. US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran's offer.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that Iran had “lost complete control” of the strait, saying oil flows through the waterway had returned to near prewar levels.

The seven-day moving average for crude exports from the Gulf was 18.3 million barrels per day on September 30, compared to the average 18 million bpd that passed through the region in the 12 months before the Iran war began, according to ship-tracking firm Kpler. The figures include shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and by other methods.

Mr Rubio said Iran was facing “crippling sanctions” and that its economy was in “total and complete free fall”. He predicted its economy “is about to reach a point that few countries in the world have experienced in terms of how bad it is going to get”.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said the companies, as well as four agents, were disciplined for violations that “affected a number of pilgrims”.

It said the breaches “involved the accommodation of pilgrims in unlicensed facilities”. The companies have been referred to a Committee for Reviewing Pilgrims' Complaints, which could issue penalties.

The ministry warned companies providing Umrah services they are subject to “field and digital monitoring” to check they meet requirements. The so-called Pilgrim Experience Programme to improve services for religious visitors is one plank of Saudi Arabia's economic modernisation plan as it aims to become a tourism centre.

Umrah is a pilgrimage to Makkah that can be performed at any time of year, unlike Hajj, which takes place during a specific window in the Islamic calendar. Although not mandatory like Hajj, Umrah holds great spiritual significance for Muslims around the world.

The ministry this year introduced a new Umrah visa allowing pilgrims to visit Saudi Arabia several times in one year, with a maximum cumulative stay of 90 days.

Hajj packages usually include accommodation and transport as part of wider pilgrimage arrangements, while Umrah travellers have more flexibility to book hotels directly. The current Umrah season runs until April 7, about five weeks before Hajj is expected to begin in May 2027.

A UAE delegation led by Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, is participating at the GCC Industrial Co-operation Committee and the Ministerial Committee for Standardisation Affairs meeting being held in Bahrain.

The UAE’s participation focuses on “strengthening industrial integration among GCC countries, building more resilient and competitive Gulf supply chains, accelerating the deployment of advanced technology and artificial intelligence in the industrial sector, and enhancing the role of the private sector in building partnerships and joint industrial opportunities”, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology said in a statement on Wednesday.

The meetings, which began Tuesday and will continue until Thursday, highlighted the need for co-ordination in standards.

Dr Al Jaber emphasised the importance of advancing joint efforts to develop a more advanced industrial sector that supports the diversification of national economies and strengthens the GCC's position as a global hub for industry and innovation.

“Industrial integration is a cornerstone of Gulf competitiveness,” he added.

The meetings took place on the sidelines of the inaugural Made in GCC Forum and Exhibition 2026 being held in Manama. The event is aimed at boosting collaboration and partnerships across investment, manufacturing, supply chains and technology.

Key outcomes of the meetings include the launch of the Gulf Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its digital platform aimed at enhancing the digital maturity of factories and supporting industrial transformation, the GCC Council said in a statement.

The evaluation period for the amended rules on exempting industrial inputs from customs duties was extended until the end of 2027.

UAE manufacturing push

The UAE’s participation comes amid a strong push towards domestic manufacturing in the country.

The industrial sector plays a key role in the national economy, with its contribution having reached Dh200 billion ($54.45 billion) – an increase of 70 per cent.

Its industrial exports reached Dh260 billion last year, including Dh92 billion in medium-and high-technology industrial exports.

The Emirates also launched its industrial strategy, Operation 300bn, in 2021, to position itself as a global industrial hub by 2031.

The UAE’s overarching agenda is focused on priority industries including chemicals, electrical, construction, machinery and equipment, food, transport, metals, pharmaceuticals, rubber, plastic and fibreglass, and wood and paper.

The Emirates has in recent years also invested heavily in advance technology and AI, with multibillion-dollar projects being built.

In May, the UAE launched the Dh1 billion National Industrial Resilience Fund to support the industrial sector and announced a national strategy to secure supply chains and boost local food, medicine and industrial production.

Meanwhile, the country's National In-Country Value (ICV) programme has redirected more than Dh473 billion into the national economy.

The UAE is pushing for deeper industrial co-operation across the Gulf as countries seek to localise supply chains and reduce their reliance on imports following disruption exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic and other global shocks, Dr Farah Al Zarouni, assistant undersecretary for the Standardisation Affairs sector at the ministry, told The National.

“We need to benefit from all the resources available across the GCC countries,” she said.

The Made in GCC event is expected to involve the signing of a number of initial pacts between UAE entities and Gulf companies, the ministry said.

The UAE is participating with 23 Emirati companies spanning sectors including basic industries, pharmaceuticals, defence and spare parts.

“We no longer look at industry as simply traditional manufacturing. We are moving our national industry towards more advanced manufacturing,” Ms Al Zarouni said. “Technology is a very important and fundamental component of our national industrial sector.”

The experience of the six years since the pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability created when countries depend heavily on overseas suppliers for relatively small components for manufacturing.

“If I had been able to source that small component locally, the component that enabled me to produce the final product, I would not have been affected to the same extent,” she said.

The priority now should be to identify which raw materials and components can be produced within the UAE or elsewhere in the GCC, she said. “Supply chains are long, so you need to benefit from all the resources available across the GCC countries.”

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, announced the event at an awards ceremony honouring winners of the third Create Apps Championship at Emirates Towers Boulevard on Wednesday.

Sheikh Hamdan said the initiative would make Dubai “the first city to lead innovation in this field”, shaping future approaches to service delivery and placing people at the centre of technological advancement.

The new championship shifts focus from digital application development to the creation of autonomous AI-agent systems designed to address real-world challenges.

Open to all ages and backgrounds from around the world, it accepts entries ranging from innovative ideas and early-stage prototypes to minimum viable products. Fully commercialised solutions are not eligible.

Participants will compete in four categories: Best Societal AI Agent, Best Personal AI Agent, Best Business AI Agent, and Best Youth AI Agent, the latter open to those under 21.

Each category winner will receive a grant of Dh550,000 ($150,000), with one overall winner awarded the AI Agent of the Year title and Dh1 million. Total prize money exceeds Dh2.5 million.

Registration is now open, with workshops and a Digital Academy offering advanced training courses and mentorship sessions planned throughout November and December.

At the same ceremony, winners of the Create Apps Championship were announced. POP by Kwelio, a smart medication-adherence app using behavioural science and predictive analytics, claimed both the Longevity App of the Year award and the title of Dubai's App of the Year.

Since it was launched in 2023, the Create Apps Championship has attracted 15,564 apps from 153 countries and supported the launch of more than 140 apps.

About 325 million barrels of oil have been released under the March agreement to ease oil markets after the onset of the Iran war led to a surge in energy prices.

The IEA also said members had agreed to prioritise the release of diesel stocks. Member countries still hold roughly 1.1 billion barrels of emergency oil stocks, including more than 200 million barrels of diesel.

“The IEA stands ready to release more of these stocks to the market if and when required,” executive director Fatih Birol said in a statement. “Participants in the meeting expressed strong appreciation for the IEA’s response to the energy impacts of the Strait of Hormuz crisis."

Mr Birol said members also welcomed last week's statement by G7 leaders on global energy and security, and agreed to assess and review the situation at the IEA governing board meeting next week.

G7 member countries agreed to release 100 million barrels of diesel and other reserves through the IEA, following pressure from US President Donald Trump's administration. Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have triggered a global surge in fuel prices, adding to pressure on Mr Trump ahead of November's midterm elections.

On Monday, he signed an executive order waiving restrictions on cheaper red-dyed diesel, which could ease price pressures for lorry drivers, who are facing higher costs at the pump that could be passed down to consumers. Diesel prices have risen to more than $6 per gallon in recent weeks, compared to the average price of $3.60 per gallon this time last year. The White House said the federal diesel tax is 24.4 cents per gallon, or about $60 on a 250-gallon fuel.

Europe is also facing higher diesel prices, which hit a record of €2.24 per litre, compared to €1.59 before the Iran war began on February 28. The US is currently in the process of a 172-million-barrel drawdown from its strategic petroleum reserve. Once completed, the SPR is projected to fall to its lowest levels since 1982.

Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica led the fifth straw poll on October 7 with nine “encourage” votes, six “discourage” votes with no council members expressing “no opinion.”

The result, however, marked a setback from the previous round on September 29, when she received 10 “encourage” votes, three “discourage” votes and two “no opinion” votes. Her support slipped in the latest ballot, while opposition to her candidacy increased.

She remains short of a clear consensus. A candidate needs at least nine votes in the 15-member Council and must avoid a veto from any of the five permanent members.

The Council has not yet moved to a colour-coded ballot, which would reveal whether any of the five veto-wielding members had voted against a candidate.

Ben Cohen, who focuses on international organisations at the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies, said Ms Grynspan was unlikely to be Washington’s first choice. But she could emerge as a compromise candidate if the five permanent members of the Security Council reject the other leading contenders and agree that they could accept her, he said.

The selection carries particular significance this year. In its 81-year history, the UN has never been led by a woman, and several women are among the candidates seeking the post.

Should none of the publicly named contenders have a veto-proof way forward in their applications, other names have been unofficially suggested as possible candidates, including Nickolay Mladenov, head of the Board of Peace, and UAE Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh, who has not publicly commented on the race.

Diplomats have raised the possibility that new candidates or a “dark horse” could enter the contest as the permanent members seek consensus.

Esther Brimmer, former US assistant secretary of state for international organisation affairs in the administration of president Barack Obama, said she thinks it is possible a new candidate will emerge.

“That variable I think is also keeping everyone concerned about what the outcome will be,” Ms Brimmer told The National.

Some diplomats have raised the possibility that the US could push for a candidate from the business world, reflecting Washington’s concerns about the UN’s finances and bloated bureaucracy.

“I did hear about that as well,” said Mr Cohen. “They could parachute in a capable businessperson with a good record of balancing books and doing budgets.”

He said such a candidate could appeal to Washington because of its concerns that the UN is financially wasteful, duplicates functions and is burdened by an oversized bureaucracy.

But Mr Cohen questioned whether such a candidate could win the support of Russia and China, both of which hold vetoes over the selection of the next secretary general.

“Is it going to fly with the Russians and the Chinese?” he asked.

Under the UN Charter, the General Assembly appoints the Secretary General on the recommendation of the Security Council. But the Charter does not state what happens if the Council fails to agree on a candidate.

What next?

Experts say several scenarios could emerge.

Richard Gowan, the International Crisis Group's global issues and institutions programme director, said he believed Mr Guterres had little appetite to remain in office beyond the expiry of his second five-year term. He said Washington appears opposed to an extension anyway.

“I don't think Guterres wants to stay on even one more day and he is not going to volunteer to be a lame duck indefinitely,” Mr Gowan said.

The General Assembly, which usually ratifies the council's choice as a formality, might press for a bigger voice.

“Nobody is very clear what happens if the secretary general's chair is empty on January 1,” said Mr Gowan.

“Some member states are cooking up plans for the General Assembly to install a new UN chief without a recommendation from the Security Council. But that could get very messy indeed, as I think the veto powers might refuse to recognise the legitimacy of anyone who does not have Council endorsement.”

The UN has never let a secretary general's term lapse without a successor or an extension in place. It has, however, come close.

In 1981, the Council deadlocked for weeks as China backed Salim Salim of Tanzania and the US opposed him, while Austria’s Kurt Waldheim sought a third term. After 16 rounds of voting, the Council turned to Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru in mid-December, less than three weeks before the term expired.

The 1996 selection was nearly as tight. Washington vetoed a second term for Egypt’s Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and African governments resisted alternatives for weeks. Ghana’s Kofi Annan was recommended in mid-December and appointed days later.

The closest precedent for a gap came in 1950, when the Soviet Union vetoed a second term for Trygve Lie of Norway and the Council could not agree on anyone else. The General Assembly extended Mr Lie's term by three years on its own, without a Council recommendation. Moscow called the move illegal and refused to deal with him, and he resigned in 1952.

A more likely temporary solution, said Mr Gowan, would be for a group of senior UN officials to oversee the organisation, with one official serving as its senior administrative officer without formally assuming the title of acting secretary general.

Mr Gowan said he still expected the five permanent Security Council members to reach a last-minute compromise rather than allow the post to become vacant.

“I do not think the P5 actually want this car crash,” he said. “They know it would make them look very silly and raise questions about their competence to steer the UN more generally. So I think a last-minute compromise is still more likely than an empty chair.”

“But with the big powers in their current state, a car crash is possible.”

“The Strait of Hormuz is open. There’s almost as much oil flowing out now as there was before this conflict began. So they’ve lost complete control of the strait,” Mr Rubio told a press conference in Athens.

He said Iran was facing “crippling sanctions” and that its economy was in “total and complete free fall”. He predicted its economy “is about to reach a point that few countries in the world have experienced in terms of how bad it is going to get”.

The seven-day moving average for crude exports from the Gulf was 18.3 million barrels per day on September 30, compared to the average 18 million bpd that passed through the region in the 12 months before the Iran war began, according to ship-tracking firm Kpler. The figures include shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and by other methods.

Mr Rubio accused Iran’s leadership of spending state revenue on Hezbollah, Hamas, Iraqi militias and the Houthis, rather than on infrastructure or improving the lives of Iranians.

“Every dollar and every penny that regime gets, they don’t spend it on roads or bridges or helping improve the lives of the Iranian people,” he said. “They spend that money on Hezbollah and Hamas, on militias that fire rockets out of Iraq and on the Houthis. That’s who they spend their money on. They should have spent their money on their people. Instead, they spend their money on terrorism and weapons.”

Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Naqdi, a senior adviser to the IRGC commander-in-chief, maintained Iran’s stance that the strait is closed and that its armed forces have “full control” over it. He said this would continue until Iran’s “legitimate demands” are met.

He added that transit routes in the strait deemed illegal by Iran would soon be closed, apparently referring to the southern route flanking Oman’s coast.

Brig Gen Naqdi said the “few routes” had been created by blasting and damaging rocky passages in the strategic waterway and were being used by “small boats smuggling oil and transferring it to tankers”, challenging the narrative that Gulf oil exports are returning to prewar levels.

US Vice President JD Vance has said Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to meet Washington’s demands and end the seven-month war.

Mr Vance, in an interview with Reuters, said any agreement could not rely on Iranian assurances of future nuclear drawdowns, arguing that Tehran must take concrete steps to reduce its enrichment capacity.

“If you don’t want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60 per cent enriched fuel?” Mr Vance said, calling it a “very basic threshold issue”.

“I think if they want to show a commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, they would do something meaningful on their enrichment capacity,” he said.

The head of the International Monetary Fund said the energy-price shock driven by the US-Iran war has been large but contained. “Even if the war in the Gulf were to end soon, the problem of high energy prices would likely persist for some time,” managing director Kristalina Georgieva said in Singapore ahead of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings.

Oil producers in the Middle East are racing to establish alternative routes to bring their exports to market. The UAE is fast-tracking construction of its West-East Pipeline, which is expected to double export capacity through Fujairah by the time its expansion is completed in 2027. Saudi Arabia has rerouted its crude through its own East-West Pipeline.

Meanwhile, Middle East refining capacity is now recovering rapidly from disruption caused by the conflict, Tom Baker, managing director for Vitol in Bahrain, said at an industry forum in Fujairah on Wednesday. About two million barrels a day of refining capacity has been knocked out in Russia, while the Middle East suffered similar issues and capacity in China has also been down, he said. “We had similar [refinery disruption] in the Middle East but it’s recovering very rapidly now,” Mr Baker said.

Iran and the US have exchanged proposals aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz but US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s latest offer.

Mr Vance said Washington remained open to a deal but would demand concrete Iranian concessions. “We’re not going to trade words for actions,” he said.

Leaders of the MED9 group – Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain – were searching for a response to moves blocking the Strait of Hormuz and the prospect of Houthi forces restricting maritime passage in the Red Sea.

The working lunch was devoted to the crises in the Middle East. “Acting on energy prices and securing our supplies, working towards stability in the Middle East, preparing for the next European Council: these are all the stakes of the summit of Mediterranean countries of the European Union gathered in Croatia,” French President Emmanuel Macron said.

“We are building together the future of Europe and the Mediterranean, to invest in our competitiveness and strengthen our sovereignty, while protecting our natural spaces.”

Attendees included European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council president Antonio Costa and Albert II of Monaco.

“The priority, within a Mediterranean framework, is to discuss all contacts with the US President and Iranian authorities in order to foster a resolution to the crisis and contribute to stability and security in the region, as well as to [maritime] transit,” an adviser to Mr Macron said before the meeting.

High transport costs

Faced with mounting discontent in Europe over high fuel prices caused by tensions over maritime routes in the Gulf, some European heads of state, including Mr Macron and Italy's Giorgia Meloni, are expected to lobby EU institutions for extra spending.

The G7 group of nations recently announced 100 million barrels of oil and diesel would be released to ease prices. Speaking last week, Mr Macron, who currently heads the G7, said routes were opening up slowly but that transport costs remained high.

Yemen's Houthi rebels on Monday secured control of the Bab Al Mandeb strait, the Dhubab area overlooking the sea lane and the strategic port city of Mokha. They had previously said they would block passage to Saudi vessels. This comes months into Iran's separate blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

European leaders are expected to continue pushing for alternative routes to Hormuz, including working on developing oil pipelines via Syria, as well as to accelerate the implementation of the Great Sea Interconnector, a planned 1,300km subsea power cable to connect Greece, Cyprus and Israel, funded in part by the EU.

Southern Mediterranean states are also particularly concerned by the implementation of new measures adopted earlier this year by the EU to discourage the arrival of illegal migrants.

Last week, the European Commission moved to strengthen EU border controls ⁠in the ​wake of mass arrivals this summer in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa.

The plan, which requires the approval ​of member states, would strengthen the mandate of Frontex, the EU border protection agency, and give it a ​standing corps ready for immediate deployment.

The adviser to Mr Macron said the EU needed a new framework that addressed the exploitation of migration by third countries and also increased border protection and surveillance.

“The priority is to have a comprehensive plan” that can be discussed next week by the EU's 27 leaders at a meeting in Brussels, they said.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir distributed the pins to students at Handasaim Herzliya High School during a visit on Monday, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Herzliya's mayor, Yariv Fisher, said the “ugly incident […] represents the crossing of an educational, ethical and moral red line”.

"There are things that simply cannot happen within school walls, where many students are under the age of 18," he added.

School officials had told Mr Ben-Gvir’s representatives that distributing the pins would not be allowed, and instructed staff to confiscate them after they were handed out, according to the report.

The incident comes in the midst of Mr Ben-Gvir’s election campaign, during which he has boasted of his far-right agenda in videos that show him abusing Palestinian detainees and celebrating the destruction of Palestinian homes.

Israel has used the death penalty only twice in its history. Mr Ben-Gvir has pushed to use it against Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks. Mr Ben-Gvir’s party, Otzma Yehudit, defended his distribution of noose pins.

"Otzma Yehudit is proud to demonstrate to the young generation in schools the importance of deterrence against terrorism, without fear and without blinking," it said in a statement cited in The Jerusalem Post’s report. "A terrorist who comes to kill a Jew must die, period.”

In August, Mr Ben-Gvir unveiled plans to build an execution facility in a new wing for death row inmates at a prison in central Israel.

Mr Al Zaidi, a businessman who was nominated by the largest Shiite parliamentary bloc, the Co-ordination Framework, was sworn in in mid-May after parliament endorsed most of his proposed cabinet members, ending months of political deadlock.

Then, parliament voted in favour of 14 of the 16 ministerial nominees he presented, leaving Mr Al Zaidi with nine posts to fill. The ministers for defence, interior, labour and social affairs, culture, planning, youth and sport, migration and displacement, reconstruction, and higher education have yet to be appointed.

After months of deadlock, political blocs have agreed to fill and finalise the formation by creating four deputy prime ministers: two Shiites, one Sunni and one Kurd, according to three political sources involved in the negotiations.

The most significant – and controversial – name for deputy prime minister is Laith Al Khazali, brother of Qais Al Khazali, leader of the Iran-backed Asaib Ahl Al Haq (AAH) movement, one of Iraq’s most powerful paramilitary and political forces.

Laith Al Khazali’s appointment was initially rejected by Washington, which has pressed Baghdad to keep militia leaders and senior members out of top executive posts, two Iraqi and one western source said. The group is designated a terrorist organisation by Washington, as a central actor in attacks on US forces and a pillar of Iran’s influence in Iraq.

One of the sources close to the talks said Mr Al Zaidi managed to convince the Americans to drop their objection. The other two sources could not confirm it.

The agreement to create four deputy prime minister posts at a time when Iraq is struggling to pay salaries to contractors and farmers has sparked widespread condemnation in parliament. Critics say the move shows the pressure Mr Al Zaidi faces from parties and suggests he is unable to say no.

“These four posts alone will cost the state trillions of dinars per month in salaries, offices, advisers, protection and benefits, at a time we are telling people there is no cash,” an MPs' finance committee official told The National.

Austerity budget in wartime

The controversy comes as the Finance Ministry and parliament’s finance committee are locked in negotiations over the 2027 budget.

Iraq, Opec’s second-largest producer, is facing a cash crunch not seen since 2020, triggered by regional instability since the outbreak of the Iran war that has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and its spillover into energy shipping and investor confidence.

Since the war started, Iraq’s oil revenue has fluctuated, while spending on security, subsidised fuel and emergency imports has risen. The government has delayed salary payments to public employees in several provinces, deferred payments to contractors and wheat farmers, and drawn heavily on its Central Bank reserves, according to Finance Ministry officials and two advisers to the committee.

To close the gap, Iraq has officially devalued its currency again, setting a new official exchange rate of 1,500 Iraqi dinars per US dollar, starting from Wednesday, according to a document seen by The National.

The Council of Ministers approved the move late on Tuesday, based on a recommendation from the Central Bank of Iraq, the bank said in a directive sent to all licensed lenders, electronic payment companies and exchange houses.

According to the directive, the new structure is: the Central Bank will purchase from the Ministry of Finance at the price of 1,500 dinars. The sale price to banks is set at 1,510 dinars and to the public at 1,520 dinars.

The dinar was last devalued in 2020 from 1,182 to 1,450 to the dollar. That was later adjusted to 1,320 as the official rate under the previous government, though the market rate often hovered higher.

The Ministry of Finance has also proposed adding 100,000 new public-sector jobs demanded by parties as part of power-sharing deals. Half of these will be in the defence and interior ministries, as well as the Counter-Terrorism Service.

Against that backdrop, the decision to expand the top echelon of government is seen by many Iraqis as tone deaf.

“This is irresponsible and reckless behaviour,” said Majeed Ali, a taxi driver in Baghdad. “We are at the height of the crisis today, We desperately need every single dinar today, and the Prime Minister and the political parties are appointing four deputies to him.

“They keep saying we are having problems in securing the needed cash, and eye our pockets through imposing more taxes and tariffs, while they seek to siphon off more money from the budget for their parties,” he said.

The son-in-law for interior

A second flashpoint is the Interior Minister role, one of Iraq’s most sensitive security portfolios, overseeing police, federal police, border guards and intelligence.

State of Law Coalition leader and former prime minister Nouri Al Maliki is pushing his son-in-law, Yassir Al Maliki, for the post, according to three Shiite political sources.

The move has sparked heated debate in Iraq. Yassir Al Maliki is a former MP with no background in security or policing. Critics say the nomination entrenches family rule in Iraqi politics.

Supporters of Mr Al Maliki argue the Interior Ministry has traditionally been held by the State of Law bloc and that he is a trusted figure who can manage its vast patronage network.

Not final yet

The agreements are not final, sources cautioned. Horse-trading over deputy minister and director-general posts continues, and any candidate for the Interior Ministry must still pass a parliamentary vote and vetting.

Parliament is expected to hold a session on Thursday to vote on the remaining cabinet, including the deputies and interior, if the final deal is reached.

For Mr Al Zaidi, a compromise figure who emerged after months of stalemate, the deals illustrate the tightrope of Iraqi leadership: to govern, he must appease the blocs that nominated him – even if that means expanding a government that Iraqis increasingly see as too big, too expensive and too familial.

As one finance committee member put it: “We are hiring more ministers to manage a budget that says we have no money.”

Engineering expertise also came from beyond US borders. Canadian engineers helped design the lunar module and develop the heat shield that protected the returning astronauts. Scientific knowledge and technical ability travel more widely than the familiar images of national achievement suggest.

That international contribution remains essential. When Artemis II carried astronauts around the Moon in April this year, its crew included Canadian Jeremy Hansen. Orion’s European Service Module provided propulsion, electricity, air and water. Co-operation was present in both the crew and the systems keeping them alive.

As we mark World Space Week, these achievements offer a wider lesson about how technology advances. Progress depends on people sharing knowledge and building on discoveries made across institutions and borders. Bringing that expertise together allows humans to solve increasingly difficult problems, with results that can create opportunities far beyond the original purpose of the research.

At NYU Abu Dhabi, we are preparing to lead a new collaboration with the US State Department. The 18-month project begins in November and will bring together 15 graduate students from the UAE and 15 from the US to design and build small lunar rovers.

Their work will draw on research into a challenge familiar to the Apollo astronauts: Moon dust. Fine, abrasive and prone to clinging to equipment, it makes operating machinery difficult. A rover that performs well on a laboratory floor still has much to prove before it can travel across the lunar surface.

The aim is to develop proposals for lunar missions that advance the UAE's goals in lunar exploration

Our laboratory has developed the Emirates Lunar Simulant, using rock found in the UAE to reproduce important properties of lunar soil. We matched the mineral composition and grain size of soil from the lunar highlands around the South Pole, where Artemis and the UAE’s future missions are headed. We began developing it because importing simulants was expensive, particularly in the quantities our experiments required. It is also a strategic asset: the ability to test lunar hardware at home, on our own schedule, for our own missions and for our partners. Our planetary simulation chamber also lets us test equipment under extreme temperatures and vacuum conditions.

These capabilities give international partners a reason to work here. US students will join their UAE counterparts in our laboratory, while the UAE-based students will visit the Colorado School of Mines, our partner with expertise in lunar exploration and space resources. Each team will develop a rover with a specific scientific objective, taking it through design reviews, construction and testing.

We plan to involve specialists with Artemis experience and to work closely with the UAE's national space institutions, including the engineers behind the Rashid rovers. The aim is to develop proposals for lunar missions that advance the UAE's goals in lunar exploration. The teams will have to defend their designs, revise assumptions and bring different kinds of expertise to bear on the same problem.

For the UAE, this is a practical way to deepen its contribution to exploration. Facilities developed locally can support both national missions and international research. The experience gained through those partnerships then helps us undertake more demanding work.

Lunar exploration also pushes those involved in this sector to rethink how technology is designed. The extremely high cost of transporting equipment to the Moon demands lighter designs and more efficient use of energy. Batteries that store more energy for their weight, or instruments that operate on far less power, could make more ambitious missions possible. Advances developed to meet these demands could also have substantial commercial value on Earth, with applications in electric vehicles, energy storage and consumer electronics.

There is a precedent. Nasa’s work on silver-zinc batteries during and after Apollo helped lay the foundations for rechargeable hearing aid batteries commercialised decades later. Further development by industry was essential. Scientific progress can create opportunities whose eventual applications take years to emerge.

We are beginning discussions about commercial uses for our own expertise. Future industries will need people who can turn an idea into working technology, and facilities where they can test it. Research partnerships help develop both. Students may go on to join space agencies, work in established companies or create businesses of their own.

They are already discovering the pleasure of making something work. Students in our lab have designed rover components, 3D-printed them, fitted motors and written software. When something failed, they changed the design and tried again. They now have a functioning rover. They are excited about what comes next, even as they discover how demanding this work can be.

World Space Week celebrates the contribution of space science and technology to improving human life. That purpose should guide how we judge our efforts. A mission’s legacy includes the people it trains, the discoveries others can build upon and the practical uses that follow. For the students preparing to work together in Abu Dhabi, those possibilities are still unfolding.

Giving them the expertise, facilities and international relationships to pursue them is an investment whose value can extend far beyond the Moon.

“Last year, we invested about $39 billion, which is roughly 10 per cent of our portfolio, and our aim is to continue doing that through all cycles. Every year, we want to deploy that same amount,” Carlos Obeid told the Milken Institute Asia Summit in Singapore.

Asia will be “important” as the fund continues to boost its investment around the globe, he added. China, the world’s second-largest economy, South Korea, India and Japan will be the main countries where it plans to ramp up investment in Asia.

“We’ve been trying diligently over the last few years to increase our exposure to Asia,” Mr Obeid said. “Three years ago, the share of the portfolio invested in Asia was about 10 per cent, it is now about 13 per cent, and we want to do more.”

“We’ve been present in China, South Korea, Japan and India, and want to grow those exposures because we believe there are a lot of opportunities across all the strategies and themes.”

Energy transition, “technology everywhere”, the recreation of global supply chains and the evolving consumer are four areas Mubadala wants to focus.

“Our strategy has been aligned with the objectives of the government: generating returns, but at the same time integrating the economy into the global economy,” Mr Obeid said.

“The way we do that is by partnering with the best companies through our private equity investments, both direct and indirect.”

Mubadala, which invests on behalf of the Abu Dhabi government, has been steadily expanding its global investment portfolio with a focus on sectors including renewables, mobility, advanced technology, AI and life science. The sovereign investor’s portfolio spans six continents across asset classes.

Last year, it reported a 17 per cent annual rise in assets to $385 billion, driven by growth sectors in the UAE and abroad.

Last month, it announced a significant minority investment in Chinese coffee chain Luckin Coffee alongside its controlling shareholder, Centurium Capital, in a deal worth about $1 billion.

Mubadala is betting on confidence in China’s consumer sector with demand for freshly brewed coffee continuing to grow in the country.

It has investments in India, including Reliance Industries telecom arm Reliance Jio and other companies. It is also investing in India through Investcorp, in which Mubadala has a 20 per cent stake.

“There’s huge arbitrage opportunities going on,” Tom Baker, managing director for Vitol in Bahrain, said at an industry forum in Fujairah on Wednesday.

The disruption has also pushed the global tanker fleet to full utilisation. “When you see the shipping fleet at 100 per cent utilisation”, shipping becomes “very interesting”, Mr Baker said.

Tanker rates have surged as restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab Al Mandeb strait force vessels on longer journeys and increase ship-to-ship transfers. Average spot earnings for very large crude carriers approached $642,000 a day globally in late September, according to Clarksons Research.

The upheaval has also changed where Vitol sends its barrels. “It’s been fascinating to see that barrels from our Western or European refineries have found their way around to the east under these conditions,” Mr Baker said.

Refining recovery

Refining has been another source of market dislocation, although Mr Baker said Middle East capacity is now recovering rapidly from outages caused by the conflict.

About two million barrels a day of refining capacity has been knocked out in Russia, while the Middle East suffered similar outages and capacity in China has also been down, he said.

“We had similar [refinery outages] in the Middle East, but it’s recovering very rapidly now,” Mr Baker said.

Middle East refinery runs were forecast last month to average about eight million barrels per day this year, 1.6 million bpd below 2025 levels, according to S&P Global Energy, as outages tightened supplies of petrol, diesel and jet fuel.

Infrastructure opportunities

The turmoil is also changing how Vitol assesses energy infrastructure investments, with the trader generally backing assets that can generate returns immediately over projects that take years to develop.

“Today, you can buy a ship and make an immediate return on it,” Mr Baker said. A pipeline that will not be ready for another two or three years has to be assessed against the possibility of further “black swan events”.

Some projects may also be driven by “national strategic reasons” rather than the returns sought by private investors, he said.

“We’ve gone from being more of a trader of a third-party barrel to really seeing the need to be part of the infrastructure chain,” Mr Baker said.

Africa links

Vitol views the Middle East and East Africa as an increasingly connected energy market, with the Gulf’s surplus fuel supply and short shipping distances making it a natural source for countries short of products, Mr Baker said.

During the crisis, Vitol helped landlocked Uganda diversify fuel imports beyond Kenya’s pipeline system, routing supplies through Tanzania’s port of Tanga.

Uganda is also expected to begin exporting about 230,000 bpd of crude through its heated export pipeline to Tanga “at some point next year”, Mr Baker said. Those barrels “will easily get bought” in Europe, the Middle East or Asia.

The move came as the city cracks down on overcrowding and the illegal subletting of multi-occupancy apartments.

Dubai is grappling with a major population rise; more than 200,000 people moved to the emirate this year, despite the impact of the war in Iran.

Most approved shared housing areas are located outside major tourist hubs, such as Al Souq Al Kabeer, Al Ras, Al Warqa 1, Al Barsha 1, Al Muraqqabat, and Al Rigga. Additional areas may be approved in the future.

For many residents, sharing a home is an affordable and practical way to live in Dubai. The concern is what happens when an apartment designed for a limited number of residents is turned into a much more crowded arrangement.

For example, a two-bedroom apartment may be divided into multiple rooms, with more people sleeping in living areas, on balconies, or in other spaces that were never intended to be bedrooms.

That can put pressure on kitchens, bathrooms, ventilation and electrical systems. Unauthorised partitions can also affect fire safety and escape routes.

In June last year, a fire in a residential block in Dubai Marina that was home to more than 3,800 people exposed fire traps in illegally partitioned homes.

Setting standards

The Dubai Municipality's shared housing guide sets standards for building design, occupancy, health and safety, shared facilities, and approved locations. These regulations address unregulated residential practices and protect the privacy, safety, and rights of owners and occupants.

Ahmed Elnaggar, founder of Elnaggar & Partners, a legal firm, said the law identifies six types of property that may be approved for shared accommodation: residential apartments, stand-alone houses, residential complexes, mixed-use buildings, adjoining houses and multi-storey buildings.

Mr Khan noted that unauthorised partitioning occurs throughout Dubai, not in a single area, and expects enforcement to focus on specific buildings rather than neighbourhoods, emphasising “the asset, not the location.”

Requirements for shared housing

Each building must be designated as either individual or family accommodation. Bedrooms must provide at least five square metres per person. Family units require a separate bedroom with an en suite bathroom.

The guide specifies requirements for shared facilities and services based on accommodation type and occupancy. Buildings must include kitchens, sanitary facilities, and designated areas for dining, recreation, laundry, and clothes drying, as appropriate.

The law excludes labour accommodation, which is governed by separate legislation.

One-year period

Property owners have one year from the law’s effective date, September 8, 2026, to bring shared housing buildings into compliance.

Owners, property managers, and leasing companies should use this period to assess properties and make the changes needed to meet the new standards.

Taimur Khan, head of research for the Middle East and Africa at JLL, anticipates the property market will respond before the September 2027 deadline, given the significant penalties for non-compliance. Although there is time to comply, Dubai Municipality has already begun inspections in identified problem areas.

Violations may result in fines from Dh500 to Dh500,000. Repeat offences within a year can double the penalty, up to a maximum of Dh1 million.

Permits and safety approval

Buildings and villas may be designated for shared housing only after obtaining the required permit. Permit applications and renewals are available through the Build in Dubai platform.

Maryam Al Muhairi, chief of the Building Regulation and Permits Agency at Dubai Municipality, said the guide provides a clear reference for property owners and management and leasing companies.

“It sets out planning, building, technical, health and public safety requirements, as well as the areas where buildings may be allocated for shared housing,” she said. “This will contribute to providing a safe, healthy and well-regulated residential environment for different segments of the community, while translating the provisions of the Shared Housing Law related to protecting rights and enhancing public health and safety.”

She stated that the objective is to raise awareness, strengthen oversight, and help owners standardise their buildings, while preserving Dubai’s urban and aesthetic character.

The figure forms part of Mubadala's wider Dh45 billion portfolio contribution to the emirate's GDP.

Solutions+ has been able to grow by 53 times since it was formed as Mubadala Business Management Services in 2014, Nasir Al Nabhani told The National on the sidelines of the AI Everything summit in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

“We invested in people and technology, and we have grown significantly. We have healthy cash [flow and] healthy net profit, so we have a healthy organisation,” he told The National in an interview.

The privately held company, which does not disclose its financials, has also been able to exceed its goal of becoming a billion-dollar company, which it first revealed in 2023, as it accelerated its acquisitions strategy.

The company grew by about 20 per cent in 2022, an achievement that was “beyond its targets”, Mr Al Nabhani previously said.

Solutions+ is in the midst of a five-year growth plan that was introduced during its rebranding in 2023. During that span, it welcomed seven companies into its fold, with three more to be acquired “very soon”, he said.

“All the acquisitions that we have done in the last three years, based on the [five-year] strategy, will give us also another 100 per cent of growth.”

Solutions+ provides digital business services for sectors including business process outsourcing, finance, procurement, facilities management, and environmental, social and government. Initially, its services were dedicated to companies under Mubadala, the sovereign wealth fund of Abu Dhabi.

Solutions+ has more than 50 government and enterprise clients, and its services have helped them save more than Dh300 million, according to its website. It has also developed Weave, a software-as-a-service solution designed to simplify HR and enterprise management.

The company is also increasingly improving the use of AI on its services. Mr Al Nabhani said Solutions+ and its partners are testing new large language models, the underlying algorithm of generative AI. They are expected to introduce a new one by the first quarter of 2027, he added.

At AI Everything, the company signed agreements with Tahaluf Al Emarat Technical Solutions to boost AI collaboration and Saal.ai to accelerate the adoption of enterprise data platform solutions.

These are part of a broader strategy to grow Solutions+'s business locally and abroad, Mr Al Nabhani said. The company currently has a presence in countries including Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Pakistan, Tunisia and Uganda.

“We are trying to explore what could be or what could add value to us and to our clients,” Mr Al Nabhani said.

Meanwhile, Mubadala, whose $385 billion portfolio spans six continents across asset classes, also continues to build its AI portfolio. Last week, it signed an agreement with the US company Together AI to explore investment opportunities in AI infrastructure in the UAE.

The practice, known as using shadow AI, can lead to important data being leaked and, in some cases, malware and viruses being uploaded into companies' internal systems.

Firms are urged to ensure they are aware of what AI tools are being used by employees when it comes to sensitive company information, as it could lead to problems with customer information and intellectual property.

Pasting documents into an outside AI application, or even asking it to tidy up an email, means that sensitive information is being sent to a cloud tool outside the company. If the person's personal accounts are hacked, their company's data could end up in the wrong hands.

“Staff might see the benefits of completing work faster, but employers are likely to have no record of the systems they were using or the information those systems received,” said Vladislav Tushkanov, research and development group manager at the cyber security company Kaspersky. “You cannot send personally identifiable information in the cloud.”

This means employees will need to be educated on the need to ensure that only internal AI systems are used to process information, added Mr Tushkanov, who spoke to The National at the Ai Everything summit taking place this week in Abu Dhabi.

The rapid advancements in AI mean it is crucial that companies take a fresh look at business workflows and ensure security is built in from the start, said another expert, Premchand Kurup, chief executive of the cyber security firm ParamountAssure.

“Companies should first identify unapproved AI use that could expose customer information or intellectual property through external tools, then establish approved alternatives and clear access limits,” Mr Kurup said.

The scale of the risks companies face from data breaches was laid out in IBM’s 2026 Middle East Cost of a Data Breach Report, which found 26 per cent of malicious breaches were AI-enabled. The average breach cost in the region was $8 million. The research included organisations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Monitoring the AI agents

Another challenge firms will face is keeping a closer eye on AI agents that play a more advanced role as technology improves. Agentic AI is likely to carry out more tasks with less human supervision, raising questions of who is accountable when something goes wrong.

“We can't put AI agents in jail, so ultimately it will always have to be a human [who is accountable],” said Costi Perricos, Deloitte’s global generative AI leader.

Businesses need to manage agents as a digital workforce, with performance checks and decisions about how much responsibility each system is given, said Mr Perricos.

Their behaviour could change over time as they pursue their goals, he said. Companies need to track what agents are doing, establish when they are ready for use and know when to switch them off.

An example of how quickly AI capability is increasing is provided by the UAE government, which has set a target to introduce agentic AI across 50 per cent of federal sectors and operations within two years, under a framework announced in April.

Companies should set access limits and require AI-assisted security investigations to draw on verified internal records, said Mr Kurup. He added that analysts need evidence they can check before approving sensitive actions.

“The same discipline should guide wider AI adoption, with employees trained to challenge outputs and records kept for review,” he said.

Ahmed Hafez, director of solution engineering for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa at the data company Snowflake, said businesses need trusted information and controls over what AI agents can access.

“Extensive testing in controlled environments, with governance and security built in from the ground up, becomes increasingly important as these systems take on more complex work,” he said.

He was replaced by Al Salhin Abdulnabi, who comes from the same tribe as Mr Saleh, 82, and represents the eastern city of Tobruk.

“Libya is greater than our differences and more precious than our individual interests, and the future of its sons is a shared responsibility that falls on all our shoulders,” Mr Abdulnabi said in a speech on assuming the post.

Mr Saleh was replaced a day after 98 of the chamber's 190 MPs ⁠approved limiting the speaker and deputy speakers to a single 12-month term, ending a system that had been ⁠in place since he was elected in 2014. He denounced the session as “not official” and one that “does not have any legal effect”.

“The magic backfired on the magician,” said a Benghazi-based politician, referring to the power Mr Saleh accumulated over the years, as well as his ability to remain at the forefront of Libyan politics for more than a decade.

Mr Saleh has been one of the most prominent Libyan figures since the 2011 uprising that ended with the killing of long-time ruler Muammar Qaddafi.

He grew close to and helped raise the profile of the Haftar family, which dominates eastern Libya. It is led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the military commander of the eastern region.

FM Haftar's son, Lt Gen Saddam Haftar, generally regarded as his likely successor, said after the new speaker's election that Libya's path towards a stable and unified state “begins with building effective national institutions capable of renewing and assuming their responsibilities”.

The source in Benghazi said one of the reasons for Mr Saleh's removal was a divergence with Saddam Haftar, whose ascent in recent years has been rapid even in comparison to his many brothers who hold positions of power in eastern Libya.

Lt Gen Haftar, who is the youngest of his father's children, has backed an initiative by senior US adviser Massad Boulos that would unify Libya's west and east.

Libya, a major oil and gas producer, remains deeply divided, with effectively two seats of power in the east and west – the ⁠internationally recognised Government of National ​Unity is based in the capital Tripoli.

In August, rival factions signed an agreement at the headquarters of the UN Mission to Libya calling for presidential and parliamentary elections within 24 months and seeking to settle disputes over electoral laws and restructure the country's election commission.

However, it follows a long list of failed attempts to unify the country and optimism remains muted that it will succeed.

Speaking to journalists in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad said Waze is widely used in Iraq but that alternatives are available.

Asked what was behind the move, he said: “The reason is because it is made in Israel, therefore we will ban it at the beginning of 2027. The app is widely used in Iraq but there are alternatives, like Google Maps.”

In a separate post on his Facebook page, the minister said he would bring the ban forward to the end of this year, after a wave of online mockery.

Known for providing live, crowdsourced traffic information, Waze was founded in Israel in 2008 before expanding globally. In 2013, Google acquired the app for about $1 billion, operating it as a subsidiary. It continues to maintain a presence in Tel Aviv.

It is one of the most widely used navigation apps in Baghdad and other cities in Iraq, where drivers rely on its real-time alerts.

After criticism, Mr Sanad used his Facebook account to defend the decision, linking it to the war in Gaza.

Waze is to be banned “because it is a famous Israeli app and is still managed by them” and because “such apps help [with] scanning Gaza, and the app provides the company with money and information”, he wrote.

The announcement follows a series of calls by Iran-aligned politicians and groups in Iraq to boycott Israeli-linked products and services since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.

Iraq does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and Israeli-linked companies are prohibited from operating in the country, though some digital services with Israeli origins are now owned by US companies and remain accessible in Iraq.

It was not immediately clear how the ban will be enforced. Telecoms companies could be ordered to block Waze servers, or it could be removed from app stores in Iraq.

The minister’s Facebook page was flooded with hundreds of comments within hours, many mocking the decision and pointing out that Google Maps, which he cited as an alternative, is owned by Google, which also owns Waze.

“Waze benefits us more the minister himself,” Ali Al Askari wrote.

“Since you are so concerned about Iraq and the interests of its people, create an Iraqi app that can benefit all of Iraq before you think of such a step,” another commentator, Duraid Al Saffar, said.

Sheikh Mohamed called for Salaat Al Istisqaa to be performed half an hour before Friday prayers. The President called upon everyone to pray to God for rain and mercy, in line with the traditions of the Prophet Mohammed.

Last October, worshippers gathered in mosques across the country following Sheikh Mohamed's call to perform rain prayers. The tradition is performed across the Gulf when rainfall is delayed.

Although parts of the UAE have seen scattered rains, most areas remained dry. Additional rainfall is crucial for agriculture, helping farmers grow healthy crops in tough conditions and strengthening groundwater reserves. The country usually gets around 150mm of rainfall each year.

How is Salaat Al Istisqaa performed?

During the rite, worshippers stand together, facing the qibla, for two rak'ahs led by an imam, as they seek forgiveness and make supplications for divine mercy and rainfall.

This is followed by sermons. The imam speaks about the prayer's importance, reminding the worshipers about the role of rainfall in enabling agriculture and bolstering groundwater reserves.

Craig and Lindsay Foreman last met British ambassador Hugo Shorter on 15 June, shortly before embassy staff were told to leave Tehran due to escalating hostilities between the US and Iran. British embassy officials returned to Tehran in late August.

The couple’s children in the UK said the latest visit on Monday brought “desperately needed reassurance” to the family. They were expecting a phone call from their detained parents on Wednesday, which was promised to them by Evin’s prison authorities following the visit, they said.

Mr Miliband met Mr Araghchi at the UN General Assembly in September, where he repeated the British Government’s call for the Foreman’s immediate release.

Tension between the UK and Iran is at an all-time high following a suspected terror attack at a British airbase containing US military planes last week. This followed a series of attacks on Jewish businesses and Iranian dissidents in the UK, which police suspect were ordered by Iranian officials.

The couple were travelling through Iran on a motorcycle trip around the world when they were arrested in early January 2025 and subsequently sentenced to ten years in prison for espionage.

UN experts have described the couple’s detention as a “state hostage taking for political leverage”, citing “irregularities” in their trial last year.

During the meeting with Mr Shorter, it emerged that Ms Foreman was still waiting for medication that had been prescribed to her. She had also been unable to call her lawyers in the UK, the family said.

The couple had previously been allowed to make nearly daily phone calls to their families, but their phone cards were cut off in May after Ms Foreman gave an interview to British media from prison.

Mr Foreman is said to have regained 10kg of the 17kg he lost during a hunger strike in the summer to protest the barring of phone calls.

The couple are said to be “trying to cope” with their detention by supporting fellow prisoners. Ms Foreman is giving yoga lessons while Craig is helping with cooking and distributing the few vegetables available within his prison wing.

The family said this was “entirely in keeping with who they are” but warned that this was not a sign that their situation was improving.

Ms Foreman’s son, Joe Bennett, said that he welcomed Mr Miliband’s move, but that more action was needed from the UK government following the meeting to secure their release. “I welcomed Ed Miliband raising Mum and Craig directly with his Iranian counterpart at the United Nations. That matters,” he said.

“It is important that the British Government is publicly saying they should be released. Now we need to see ‘immediately’ being put into practice,” he said.

During Mr Shorter’s visit, Lindsay showed a written document dated June 3 containing a series of conditions she understood had been agreed with the prison authorities.

This included telephone contact, consular access, access to her lawyer and basic welfare provisions. “Months later, many of those issues remain unresolved,” the family said.

Mr Bennett said the family wanted to see better treatment for their parents while in prison and feared Mr Miliband’s meeting with Mr Araghchi would be ineffective without further pressure from the UK government.

“I don’t want another assurance that a phone call should happen. I want the phone to ring,” Mr Bennett said.

“I don’t want to hear that medication can be provided. I want medication prescribed by a doctor to reach my mum.”

“And I don’t want ‘immediate release’ to become another powerful phrase that changes nothing about where they wake up tomorrow morning.”

The ring was found on Antirhodos, an island once part of the royal quarters in Alexandria’s Portus Magnus, or Great Harbour. The European Institute for Underwater Archaeology announced the discovery on Wednesday.

Carved into the ring is an image of the lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The image is similar to those found on coins from the second century AD, although the institute did not give a firm date for the ring or details on who might have owned it.

The excavations have been led by French underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio, whose work off Egypt’s Mediterranean coast has helped bring submerged cities, temples and shipwrecks back into view.

“The discovery of the signet ring is even more important as it has been excavated in the legendary palace of the Island of Antirhodos, that once was a centre of power,” Mr Goddio said. He said it suggested the palace had housed administrative offices, including functions connected to the lighthouse.

Egypt’s Tourism and Antiquities Ministry described the find as the first known depiction of the lighthouse engraved on a signet ring.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was completed around 280BC during the reign of Ptolemy II. Built on the island of Pharos to guide ships into the city’s harbour, it is thought to have stood more than 100 metres tall, making it one of the ancient world’s tallest structures.

A succession of earthquakes reduced it to ruins during the Middle Ages. In the late 15th century, the Mamluk sultan Qaitbay built a fortress on its site, incorporating stone from the fallen lighthouse.

The Antirhodos palace was described by the Greek geographer Strabo, who visited Egypt between 29 and 25BC.

The new find provides a clue to how the complex may have been used. Excavations on the island are revealing architectural remains across several thousand square metres which are yet to be completely examined.

Mr Goddio said excavations this year cover four sites in Alexandria’s Eastern Harbour: the temple of Isis, the palace and western mound on Antirhodos, remains of an obelisk, and the Timonium, a palace associated with Mark Antony.

Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy and his assistant, Ahmed Rehema, visited the team aboard its research vessel on Monday to observe the underwater excavations and inspect the ring.

The mission is taking place in collaboration with the ministry and is supported by the Hilti Foundation, which has funded Mr Goddio’s work since 1996.

After completing its current work in the Eastern Harbour, the team will begin excavations in Abu Qir Bay, the ministry said. It was there that Mr Goddio’s team located the submerged city of Thonis-Heracleion in 2000.

Excavations there have already yielded monumental statues, inscriptions and dozens of ancient vessels, offering an unusually detailed picture of a port that disappeared beneath the sea.

Among the more striking discoveries were 2,400-year-old wicker baskets that still contained doum palm fruit and grape seeds. Announced in 2021, they were found among funerary offerings, alongside imported Greek ceramics.

That year, the team also uncovered a rare Ptolemaic galley about 25 metres long. Its construction combined Greek shipbuilding techniques with features suited to navigating the Nile and its delta, including a flat bottom. Researchers said it sank when part of the nearby temple of Amun collapsed in the second century BC.

In 2023, excavations at the temple revealed silver ritual instruments, gold jewellery and fragile alabaster containers for perfumes and ointments. A Greek sanctuary dedicated to Aphrodite was also discovered nearby, containing imported bronze and ceramic objects.

In 2025, a quartz sphinx statue with the sigil of Rameses II, a granite figure and a white marble statue of a Roman nobleman were among a large haul from the area. Together, those finds have helped document the close interaction between Egyptian and Greek communities along the ancient coast.

Several teaching unions on Wednesday called for another day of action on Thursday, while Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the “voice of high school students is precious and must be heard” and would feed into “a concrete action plan”. He said dialogue would be held in every school, but must come with pupils returning to class.

After weeks of school blockades, protesters took to the streets across the country for the first time on Tuesday, with 266,000 participants, including 56,000 in Paris, the Interior Ministry said. They largely featured secondary school pupils, university students, teachers, parents and left-wing political representatives. Some protests ended in violence, with 488 arrests and 43 injured among security forces as police resorted to using tear gas.

French schools are blighted by dilapidated infrastructure, including overcrowded classrooms, inadequate heating and cooling systems and collapsing ceilings.

France has a high number of pupils per class – 29 compared to an average of 26 in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – and among the longest hours due to a condensed teaching schedule, with longer holidays. School days start at 8am and end at 6pm, often with gaps during the day.

Yet the cabinet has little leeway to respond with financial incentives, as tough parliamentary debates on the budget begin this week. State expenditure to service the national debt surpasses what is spent on education.

An online consultation platform has now been launched alongside a promise to simplify complicated university application procedures.

The government has suggested a half-day of dialogue is held in secondary schools, a proposal rejected on Wednesday by the main union for school principals, which supports the protest movement, along with a number of other workers' unions. The school principals' union called for more resources and teachers.

Some school and university blockades continued on Wednesday, including at Sciences Po University in Paris, where police dispersed people with tear gas.

However, 86 per cent of schools were operating normally, according to Education Minister Edouard Geffray.

Speaking to RTL radio, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said he has banned the use of stun grenades after a 15 year old had his hand blown off last week.

“For the moment, I am suspending its use – only for the high-school student movement – for the time it takes to understand what happened,” Mr Nunez said.

'Life stolen'

Student protests are not new to France but the level of violence in recent clashes with police has shocked the public. Former political leaders, including then-president Nicolas Sarkozy, urged police to avoid physical confrontation with teenagers during 2006 protests.

Some parents, who joined student demonstrations wearing white bands round their arms, said they were there to protect their children from the police. The mother of the teenager who had his hand blown off has rejected rumours he had tried to pick it up to throw at security forces. “His life was stolen from him, it's over – he no longer has a hand,” she told BFMTV.

Mr Lecornu has blamed hard-left political party France Unbowed for stirring the crisis. Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, he rejected the phrase “police violence,” saying it “would suggest that there are political instructions for police repression”. He said the police response had been proportionate despite some “accidents”.

'Show empathy'

Mr Nunez defended security forces, highlighting violent attacks by protesters against them, which have left hundreds injured.

“It’s not simple when you have some people telling you we’re too soft, that we aren’t being forceful enough, that it’s chaos and things are getting out of hand everywhere, while others tell you the police are intervening with extreme brutality and violence,” he said.

In a signal of the urgency of the situation, Mr Nunez was among the ministers convened on Tuesday evening at the Elysee Palace by President Emmanuel Macron, who for the first time held a meeting with a restricted number of ministers to address the student movement.

Mr Nunez said Mr Macron had asked his ministers to “do a bit more explaining” and to “show empathy”.

“Above all,” Mr Nunez said, the President asked them to “explain our doctrine regarding interventions by security and internal affairs forces – specifically, when serious violence occurs.” He added “there is no reason for police intervention” as long as “protests are peaceful”.

The rebels have cut off the city's supply routes from Aden, weeks after their takeover of the key port city of Mokha on Yemen’s west coast.

Yemeni government forces – backed by Saudi Arabia – said they had recaptured Mokha on Monday. But Taiz remains closed off, with the demining charity Halo Trust raising concerns over an estimated 30 staff members there.

Though some Halo staff fled to Aden, those who remained are now trapped until the roads reopen. “Some fled from Taiz to the south. Some decided to stay, it was an incredibly difficult decision for them,” said Mara van der Kamp, Halo's Yemen director.

Displacement shelters in the city of Lahj, on the road from Taiz to Aden, are packed with civilians. “There has been a lot of movement in the last 24 hours. People moved to Aden and other displacement camps,” she told The National.

There is uncertainty over Taiz’s water reserves, as the city imports it from the capital, Sanaa, because of its own poor networks. Conflict in 2021 severely restricted the supply of drinking water in Taiz.

The renewed fighting on the west coast has forced the charity to abandon its mine and explosive clearance projects in the area. The Halo Trust is not registered to work in Houthi-controlled areas.

Teams have been redeployed to Lahj and Ad Dhale, in southern Yemen, with uncertainty as to when they can resume their work in Taiz.

Yemen has recorded the world’s third-highest number of landmine casualties over the past decade. Ballistic missiles, rockets and mortars are common sights in and around cities.

The most severe danger from unexploded devices in Yemen was around Taiz and Mokha. The toll on children is particularly severe. In 2024, landmines and ordnance killed or injured 260 civilians, including 44 deaths of children. Youngsters frequently encounter lethal hazards during daily activities, such as farming and herding, or by mistaking explosives for toys.

The fighting around Taiz is likely to lead to a “severe” surge in casualties. “We’re hearing of weekly accidents from landmines and explosives,” Ms Van der Kamp said. “Renewed fighting risks creating new contamination on top of an already enormous problem.”

People displaced from Mokha weeks ago had sought refuge in Taiz, mainly in buildings in previously abandoned parts of the city. These areas are closer to the front line, increasing the risk of exposure to unexploded devices.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blames everyone in the security apparatus at the time, except himself. His opponents lay the blame fundamentally at his feet. Until there is a state commission of inquiry, the highest and most powerful level of investigation that Israel can conduct, the bitter debate will continue to pull at the loosening threads of an already divided society.

The absence of an investigative body is astonishing for a country that obsesses over security. After the disaster of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, in which Israeli forces were taken by surprise and suffered heavy initial losses, it took only three weeks to establish one.

An inquiry into October 7 would look into the security failures that led up to the killings, as well as the chaotic and ineffective response.

There have been small military investigations into pockets of fighting that day but nothing near the scale of a state commission of inquiry into the collective failure and the divisive period that led up to it, critics say. They believe Israel needs the broad scope and power of such a body, which is independent from political leadership and can summon anyone to give evidence.

Rather than being appointed by politicians, members are chosen by the president of the Supreme Court. Their investigations have in the past led to recommendations for further action against certain people, opening the possibility that Mr Netanyahu himself could be held directly responsible.

Setting up a state commission is a key campaign promise of many of Mr Netanyahu’s opponents in the October 27 general election. In an interview with The Times of Israel on Wednesday to mark the third anniversary of the attacks, Mr Netanyahu’s main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, said he would establish one “immediately” if elected.

With so much time having passed since the attacks, there are fears that evidence might have been compromised or lost.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara warned in August the delay could “undermine the effectiveness of a future investigation and result in the loss of evidence”. However, she supported postponing the issue until after the election, fearing the process could undermine the vote.

The Israeli news outlet Haaretz, whose editorial board has long called for a state commission of inquiry, last week published testimony from experts that the effectiveness of one could diminish over time.

Eyal Eshel, a leading campaigner for such an investigation, told the outlet a delay “gives those under investigation time to co-ordinate their testimony [and] memories fade, evidence can be concealed and other damage can be done”.

Her daughter, a soldier, was killed at the Nahal Oz base as Hamas-led militants poured across the border and attacked communities, military outposts and a music festival early on October 7, 2023, leaving about 1,200 people dead and taking about 250 hostage.

As memorials are held across the country, less than three weeks before people head to the polls, trauma is mixed with anger. A Gaza ceasefire has been struck, even though Israel continues deadly attacks on the strip, all of the hostages taken during the attacks have been returned, and almost all of the security officials in senior positions during the October 7 attacks have resigned, apart from the Prime Minister. There are still no answers.

The new rules, approved on Tuesday, affect packaged foods sold in the Emirates, whether locally manufactured or imported. The caps on levels of sodium, sugar and fat will be introduced in phases, with the final limits taking effect by December 31, 2030.

They apply to packaged food manufacturers and businesses that handle those products, including companies operating in free zones. Companies that fail to comply face penalties including fines of up to Dh500,000 ($136,147), closure for up to six months and cancellation licences.

'Sin tax' strategy

The UAE used taxation as a public health tool in 2017, introducing excise taxes of 100 per cent on tobacco and energy drinks and 50 per cent on fizzy drinks. The government said the measures were intended to reduce consumption of harmful products, prevent chronic diseases and encourage healthier choices.

This “sin tax” was expanded in 2019 to cover e-cigarettes and vaping products, while drinks containing added sugar and sweeteners were also subject to the 50 per cent rate.

The strategy has now shifted to requiring manufacturers to modify products to increase their nutritional value and to target certain ingredients.

Cutting down on sugar

At the beginning of 2026, the UAE introduced a new sugar tax system for drinks, The higher the sugar content per 100ml, the higher the tax cost per litre, in a move away from the previous flat fee. Authorities said the system was designed to encourage manufacturers to reduce sugar levels while helping consumers to make more informed choices.

Abu Dhabi has also developed a broader Healthy Living Strategy, announced in November 2025, focused on increasing physical activity, improving diet and nutrition and strengthening health awareness. Sleep and mental well-being are also among its priorities.

Dr Ahmed AlKhazraji, executive director of Healthy Living, said: “Our mission is clear: to make healthy living the easy choice for every citizen and resident in Abu Dhabi.”

The strategy has led to measures designed to change the food environment around residents rather than relying only on individual choices.

From January 1 next year, supermarkets larger than 4,000 square feet in Abu Dhabi will no longer be allowed to place foods and drinks high in fat, salt or sugar in prominent areas such as entrances, checkouts and the ends of aisles.

The restrictions will also apply to online shopping platforms, where unhealthy products will no longer be allowed prominent placement on home pages, in search results, promotional pop-ups or checkout pages. Consumers can still buy the products, but they will not be prominently displayed.

Schools are another focus for building a healthy community and supporting well-being.

Abu Dhabi is monitoring children's school lunches for unhealthy foods such as deep-fried falafel or fries. A food “Red List” identifies products that cannot be consumed on school premises. The list includes high-fat and high-sugar foods, unhealthy drinks and some processed meals.

Cakes, doughnuts, croissants, sweet pastries, marshmallows, lollipops, ice creams, slushies, chocolates (less than 50 per cent cocoa) and other high-fat and sugary desserts are also on the restricted list.

Abu Dhabi has also introduced restrictions on fast-food advertising as part of a wider campaign against obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

The health drive ranges from new food labels through Nutri-Mark and tighter advertising rules to changes in supermarket layouts, expanded community fitness programmes, and stronger nutrition standards in schools and workplaces.

The aim is not to force people to behave differently, but to change the environment around them and at the same time raise their health awareness so they make the right choices.

Restaurants in hotels and tourist areas in Abu Dhabi must have at least one healthy item in each menu category under rules taking effect on October 1. At least half of the items on children's menus must meet approved SEHHI criteria, which include being lower in fat, sugar and salt, and higher in nutritional value.

Food manufacturers are starting to reformulate their products. Al Ain Farms Group has announced reductions of 10 to 20 per cent in added sugar across some juices, flavoured milk, flavoured yoghurt and laban. The company said the changes conformed to Abu Dhabi's Healthy Living Strategy.

The UAE's public health measures also continue to target smoking. In September, the Ministry of Finance imposed a minimum excise price of Dh1/ml for liquids used in vapes and electronic cigarettes. Products sold below that threshold will still have their excise tax calculated using the minimum value.

Jaguar has unveiled the Type 01, an all-electric four-door grand tourer and the first production model created under the British marque’s radical reinvention. Revealed in New York, it is the road-going evolution of the Type 00 concept shown in Miami in December 2024 – and, crucially, retains much of that car’s deliberately provocative design.

The car has the same enormously long bonnet, low roofline, and cab-rearward silhouette, and sits on 23-inch wheels. At the back, there is no conventional rear window; instead, a camera feeds the view behind the car to a digital rear-view display inside. The production car gains four doors, but Jaguar has resisted the temptation to significantly soften the proportions of the concept.

At 5.2 metres long and only 1.4 metres high, this is a very large car. Yet Jaguar says it is also the most aerodynamic road car it has made, with active vanes, a three-stage deployable spoiler and a drag coefficient of 0.23.

That contradiction – imposing but aerodynamic, extravagant but technically driven – is central to what Jaguar is trying to do.

Performance packed

Underneath the body is Jaguar’s new dedicated electric platform, known as Jaguar Electric Architecture, or JEA. Its tri-motor powertrain produces up to 1,030ps (1,015hp) and 1,365Nm of torque, making the Type 01 the most powerful Jaguar road car yet.

It will accelerate from zero to 100kph in 3.2 seconds, while Jaguar says the car can go from 100kph to 180kph in another four seconds. It has 50:50 weight distribution, all-wheel steering and torque vectoring, with expertise from Jaguar’s Formula E programme feeding into its development.

But Jaguar appears keen not to turn the Type 01 into another exercise in EV acceleration statistics.

The company describes it first and foremost as a grand tourer, intended to combine large reserves of power with the sort of long-distance comfort historically associated with some of its best cars.

That means range is important. Jaguar quotes up to 720km under the WLTP testing cycle. Its 850-volt architecture allows up to 200 miles of range to be added in 13 minutes when connected to a 350kW charger.

A Jaguar but not as we know it

The Type 01 matters because Jaguar has in effect spent the past two years betting the company on it.

Its transformation began publicly in November 2024 with the controversial Copy Nothing campaign and an entirely new visual identity. The Type 00 concept followed weeks later, offering the first indication that the changes went much deeper than a new logo.

Jaguar’s aim was to move further upmarket, repositioning itself as a more exclusive, design-led luxury marque rather than competing in the premium market as it had before.

The Type 01 is the first opportunity to judge that strategy as a physical product rather than a marketing exercise.

And whatever one thinks of the result, it is difficult to accuse Jaguar of playing it safe.

There are echoes of the marque’s past – particularly the extravagant bonnet-to-cabin proportions of the E-type and XJS – without attempting to remake either car. Even the name is intended to draw a line between old and new: “Type” references Jaguar’s historic models; “0” represents zero tailpipe emissions; and “1” denotes the first car of the new generation.

Jaguar looks beyond the automotive world

Jaguar chose New York for the world premiere, projecting the Type 01 across digital displays in Times Square, Dumbo and the Lower East Side before the car arrived at Storied in West Chelsea. British actress Florence Pugh was also announced as the first brand ambassador of the marque’s new era.

The choice of city feels significant. Jaguar’s ambitions are no longer simply about restoring a storied British car company. It wants to place itself within a broader world of fashion, architecture, art and contemporary culture and attract a new generation of customers in the process.

Whether those customers will follow is the considerably harder question.

Prices will start at £130,000 (Dh635,000), pushing Jaguar into a very different market from the one occupied by its previous saloons and SUVs. Orders open in early 2027, with the first customer deliveries expected during the second half of the year.

There will be time to decide how successfully the Type 01 drives, how convincing its luxury credentials are and whether Jaguar can translate the enormous attention surrounding its reinvention into sales.

For now, though, the most important thing about the Type 01 may be that Jaguar has followed through on a bold and controversial promise.

Mawasim: 20 Years of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art will be held at the Abu Dhabi Edition hotel on November 1. It marks 20 years since Christie’s held its first UAE auction in Dubai in 2006. The sale includes artists from across the Arab world, Iran and Turkey, with works drawn from collections including Beirut’s Dalloul Collection and Sharjah’s Barjeel Art Foundation.

The sale is taking place during a busy period for Abu Dhabi’s art scene, with Frieze art fair following later in November and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi opening on December 11. Christie’s Middle East and Africa chairman Ridha Moumni previously told The National that the auction house intended to become “more present and more visible in the city”.

Among the works are an early Fahrelnissa Zeid abstract piece, a royal Egyptian portrait completed months before the monarchy fell and a monumental Paul Guiragossian.

Here are five works to look out for.

Fahrelnissa Zeid's Composition, 1948-1949

Estimated at $500,000 to $700,000, Composition is among the most valuable works in the sale and comes from a decisive period in Fahrelnissa Zeid’s development.

Painted in 1948–49, the work captures her move towards the kaleidoscopic abstraction that would establish her international reputation in the following decade. Interlocking passages of blue, red, yellow and orange are divided by dark lines, creating a visual language shaped partly by Zeid’s experience of seeing cities and landscapes from the air.

The painting also has a strong personal history. After her husband, Prince Zeid Al-Hussein, became Iraq’s ambassador to Britain, Zeid established a studio at the Iraqi Embassy in London, where Composition was displayed.

The work remained with her through later stages of her life, including her years in Amman, making it both an important early abstraction and a witness to her own movement between cities and countries.

Mahmoud Said's Portrait de Princesse Fadia, 1952

Mahmoud Said’s Portrait de Princesse Fadia, estimated at $400,000 to $600,000, carries one of the most personal provenances in the auction.

The sitter is Princess Fadia, the youngest daughter of King Farouk I and Queen Farida of Egypt. Said was her great-uncle, making the painting as much a family portrait as a royal one.

Its timing gives it added historical weight. Painted in 1952, it was completed only months before Egypt’s monarchy came to an end. Saïd gave the portrait to Queen Farida before it passed to Princess Fadia and remained within the family.

According to the catalogue, it was among the possessions Fadia took with her into exile. What began as a portrait of royal childhood became a lasting connection to a life that had abruptly changed.

Said had also painted Queen Farida as a child decades earlier, giving the work a link to two generations of the same family.

Paul Guiragossian's Noces (Wedding), 1958-1959

At almost 2.4 metres wide, Noces is one of the largest works by Paul Guiragossian to come to market.

Estimated at $300,000 to $500,000, the painting predates the mature figurative style for which the Lebanese-Armenian artist became widely known. A seated bride anchors a gathering of musicians, dancers and guests, while the compressed space and elongated figures anticipate the more expressive direction his work would take.

One detail is especially personal. Among the musicians is a blind figure recalling Guiragossian’s father, who was blind and remembered as a violinist and singer.

The painting was acquired directly from Guiragossian by Lebanese architect and collector Farid Trad and was shown at the artist’s 1959 exhibition in Beirut. Moumni has described it as one of Guiragossian’s most exceptional works.

Its return to the market is also timely, with 2026 marking the centenary of the artist’s birth and Bassam Freiha Art Foundation in Abu Dhabi presenting an exhibition devoted to his work.

Ahmed Mater's Golden Hour, 2011

Ahmed Mater’s Golden Hour examines the transformation of Makkah through one of the most recognisable views in the Islamic world.

Estimated at $80,000 to $120,000, the monumental photograph belongs to Mater’s Desert of Pharan project, which looks at the changing relationship between the holy city’s sacred history and its rapidly evolving urban landscape.

The Kaaba and pilgrims performing tawaf sit at the centre of the image, surrounded by cranes, construction equipment and new infrastructure. Mater places the cyclical movement of a centuries-old ritual against the constant momentum of development.

The result is less a simple contrast than a layering of different ideas of time: religious continuity, ancient landscape and modern construction all occupying the same frame.

There are four prints of Golden Hour in total: three numbered edition copies, plus one artist’s proof. Christie’s is selling the single artist’s proof. Another example from the edition is held by Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha.

Hassan Sharif's Press Conference No 2, 2008

Hassan Sharif’s Press Conference No 2 brings satire into the sale.

Painted in 2008 and estimated at $50,000 to $70,000, the work presents a distorted public speaker whose open mouth, misaligned eyes and exaggerated appearance undermine the authority normally associated with political spectacle. The objects in front of him resemble microphones but also spoons and ladles, giving the scene an absurd edge.

The painting connects to Sharif’s early career as a cartoonist for Akhbar Dubai, where he addressed political and social subjects before becoming one of the central figures in the development of conceptual and experimental art in the UAE.

That influence continued well beyond his own practice. Moumni previously told The National that Sharif would appear in the sale alongside younger Emirati artists shaped by his legacy.

Press conference No 2 was also included in Christie’s 2023 exhibition, Emirati Art Reimagined: Hassan Sharif and the Contemporary Voices.

Dubai recorded home sales worth a total of Dh72.6 billion ($19.7 billion) in the three months to the end of September, down 47 per cent compared to the same period last year. The number of transactions dropped 38 per cent to 34,000, which reflected “the impact of reduced activity as the lag in property sales registrations begins to clear”, the report by property consultants Cavendish Maxwell said.

“The Q3 2026 data captures a mix of recent and earlier buying activity, reflecting the time between a purchase being agreed and formally registered as a sale,” Ronan Arthur, director and head of residential valuation at Cavendish Maxwell, said.

“Purchasing activity became more measured, with buyers being more cautious in the weeks and months following the start of the conflict.”

The off-plan sector continued to dominate residential sales during the quarter, accounting for 65 per cent of total sales values and 72 per cent of property purchases.

Dubai's property market has boomed in recent years, benefiting from government initiatives such as residency permits for retired and remote workers, expansion of the 10-year golden visa programme and overall growth in the UAE’s economy on diversification efforts.

However, the market started to cool during regional tensions triggered by the Iran war that began in late February. The war also affected hospitality, tourism and aviation as the US and Israel attacked Iran, and Tehran retaliated by striking energy sites and civilian infrastructure across the Gulf region and Iraq.

“While the fundamentals driving Dubai real estate demand remain, near-term activity will continue to be shaped by a number of factors, including the frequency and number of launches, regional uncertainty and a broader normalisation in buyer activity,” Mr Arthur added.

Residential sales transactions fell for the first nine months of the year, Cavendish Maxwell data showed, with total volumes down 23 per cent on annual basis to 112,580 and values declining 27 per cent to Dh292 billion.

A report by S&P Global Ratings also found a significant drop in Dubai's residential property transactions as a result of the war.

Citing Dubai Land department data, the ratings agency said total real estate sale transactions averaged 12,644 per month between March and September 2026, a drop of 26 per cent from 17,198 in January and February 2026. It also said prices declined by 5 per cent to 15 per cent between the end of 2025 and September 2026, quoting industry reports.

Price correction

S&P Global Ratings expects a “gradual” price correction in Dubai’s property market. “Over the medium term, we anticipate that the UAE and Dubai governments will remain focused on developing the emirate's attractiveness through reforms and large-scale infrastructure projects. That is why, for the residential real estate market, we expect a gradual price correction rather than a rapid price decline,” it said.

The ratings agency expects secondary-market transactions to become more prevalent as price declines prompt investors to offload their properties. The greatest impact could be on investor sentiment and demand within the luxury and ultra-luxury segments, it added.

Emaar Properties founder Mohamed Alabbar also indicated an “adjustment of 5 per cent to 10 per cent” in Dubai’s broader real estate sector because of the war.

“But then again, you know, if the situation settles, God knows what could happen in this market. It could become pretty fast [paced],” he said last month at AIM Congress in Dubai.

The Council of Ministers approved the move late on Tuesday, based on a recommendation from the Central Bank of Iraq, the banking regulator said in a directive sent to all licensed banks, electronic payment companies and exchange houses on Monday.

According to the directive, the new structure is that the central bank will purchase from the Ministry of Finance at the price of 1,500 dinars. The sale price to banks will be at 1,510 dinars, and then to the public at 1,520 dinars.

All institutions were ordered to update their systems, notify branches, stop using the previous rate, and adopt the new price from the start of business on Tuesday, the document says.

It is Iraq’s second major devaluation in six years. In December 2020, during the Covid-19 oil crash, the central bank cut the dinar rate from 1,182 to 1,450 per dollar to cover a crippling deficit. That rate was later adjusted to 1,320 as the official rate under the previous government, though the market rate often hovered higher.

This time, the decision is driven by a deepening cash crunch since the outbreak of the Iran-Israel war in June 2025 and the intermittent closure and threat to the Strait of Hormuz.

Iraq earns more than 90 per cent of its budget in dollars from oil exports, almost all of which must pass through Hormuz – the narrow waterway carrying a third of the world’s seaborne oil.

Since the Iran war broke out on February 28, shipping insurance costs have soared, tanker traffic has been disrupted, and Iraq’s oil loadings from its southern terminals at Basra have faced delays and discounts.

The result: Iraq gets fewer dollars, and when it converts those dollars into dinars to pay nearly eight million public employees, contractors, farmers and pensioners, it needs more dinars than it has.

In recent months, Baghdad has delayed salary payments in several provinces, deferred payments to wheat farmers and construction firms, and relied on short-term borrowing from state banks. The country's finance ministry warned parliament that without adjustment, it could not fund the 2026 budget, which includes 100,000 new public jobs demanded by political blocs as part of government formation talks.

Devaluation is the fastest fix. By lowering the dinar’s value from 1,320 to 1,500, the government gets about 13 per cent more dinars for every dollar of oil it sells – enough to print salaries without printing dollars it does not have.

But the cost is passed to Iraqis. A weaker dinar makes imported food, medicine, cars and construction materials – almost everything Iraq imports – more expensive. After the 2020 devaluation, inflation jumped and triggered protests in southern provinces.

The former Croatia manager saw his new charges succumb to early goals from Hammam Al Hammami and Feras Albrikan, as Saudi Arabia emerged deserving winners.

The eight-team regional tournament stirs high passions – as shown by ugly skirmishes between fans and players, plus UAE captain Khalid Essa’s reaction to jeers during the national anthem.

But Dalic has been brought in with a view to bringing success on a broader scale than a local stoush.

The next significant challenge is rapidly heading into view. The Asian Cup, which will also be staged in Saudi Arabia, starts in January. Under Dalic’s guidance, it is hoped the UAE will go deep in that competition.

Looking ahead to the first game in that, against Palestine in Riyadh on January 7, here is what he will have learnt from the Gulf Cup.

Sincere congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the Saudi people on winning the Arabian Gulf Cup. I also commend the high level of sportsmanship shown by both the Saudi and UAE teams during the…

— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) October 6, 2026

Problem of plenty

In terms of talent, there is plenty to work with. The pool of players available for Dalic has been expanded by naturalisation.

There might be even more outstanding UAE Pro League players who are becoming eligible before the Asian Cup.

That is a double-edged sword. For some while now, it has been unclear what the best XI is for the national team.

The side might look good in one international window, but then by the next there could be two or three more players eligible for selection who dilute what went before.

At the Gulf Cup, for example, Dalic handed out a number of debuts to players who now look inked into the best XI. Players like Yuri Cesar, Mamadou Coulibaly, Ousmane Camara and Guilherme Bala.

But even they might not be guaranteed starters if the likes of Matias Palacios, the Al Ain schemer, and Federico Cartabia, Shabab Al Ahli’s playmaker, are available.

Tactical flexibility

What the deeper player pool does allow for is tactical flexibility.

The two early goals in the final against Saudi Arabia meant the game had gone by the time Dalic was able to respond effectively.

But his substitutions did show how personnel changes can rectify issues. Al Hammami, the jet-heeled Saudi left-winger, was the difference between the two sides in the first half of the final.

Marcos Meloni, the right back who has been a key figure under successive UAE coaches, could not keep up.

Dalic responded by switching Ruben Canedo – the left back who, like Al Hammami, is diminutive but fast – to the right, and bringing on the powerful Richard Akonnor to play on the left.

Not that the UAE were able to overturn the deficit, but at least they were able to regain parity in terms of the run of play.

Ice on the mind

Dalic reasoned – logically – that it was the nightmare start which cost the UAE. “The first goal and second goal killed us,” he said.

“I told my players when we were preparing for the game, the first 20 minutes will be the key to the game; please be careful, be patient and focused. We cannot concede a goal.

“After conceding two, it is not easy to come back into the game.”

His team had looked spooked by the frenzied atmosphere inside the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium.

After a VAR review, referee Jalal Jibril overturns the penalty awarded to the UAE against Saudi Arabia.#AlkassEnglish #Shoof #Khaleeji27 #GulfCup27 #AGCFF #GulfF #SaudiArabiaUAEootball #ArabianGulfCuppic.twitter.com/H74YwSG0qx

— Alkass English (@alkassenglish) October 6, 2026

The official attendance was touching 63,000, and by the way all the gangways were filled, there might even have been a few more in than that. An impressive chunk of that – around 12,000 – were travelling UAE supporters.

Both sets of players were amped by the atmosphere, but it was the home side who kept their cool the best.

That is an issue because it is a recurring one for the UAE. When World Cup qualification was on the line in Doha last year, amid a similarly wild atmosphere in Doha, the players were also distracted, and lost out as a result.

It is difficult to think how the Gulf Cup could have gone any better for Saudi Arabia. They won the title – for the first time in 25 years – without conceding a goal. Even before the final, Dalic pointed out they were the best side in it.

They looked like a side transformed from that which had traipsed out of the World Cup in North America in the summer without landing a punch.

They were without their talisman, Salem Al Dawsari, and yet his replacement, Al Hammami, announced himself as a real attacking threat.

For Georgios Donis, it was validation. He had only been appointed as coach at short notice before the World Cup.

To judge him on that would have been unfair. The Gulf Cup was a greater reflection of his worth, and he is already excited about what they can do at the Asian Cup.

“There are players who played a lot of minutes over two weeks, and we delivered a great performance and deserve this achievement,” Donis said.

“I'm happy with what we've accomplished, and now we'll start focusing on the Asian Cup.”

The crowd at the sold-out event was partly secular but mainly religious. The VIP front seats hosted politicians, their aides, doyens of the city’s pro-Israel PR industry and a British-Israeli rabbi and pundit whose wife and two daughters were killed in a Palestinian attack in the occupied West Bank in 2023.

They were there to cheer and, on rarer occasions, jeer the 10 candidates from across the spectrum of Zionist politics on stage. Their reactions gave a clear indication of where this influential Israeli community stands, one that plays a disproportionately important role in how Israel is viewed abroad at a time when its international popularity is in sharp decline.

Israel’s problems are not merely external. Three years of war have pushed the economy into uncertainty and stress is palpable on the streets during a short walk to the shops, even before you see the price of milk.

Yet the panellists had little to say about the cost of living and nothing about the crisis in the country’s education system. The message for politicians by the end of the evening was clear: to grab the attention of voters by talking incessantly about security, enemies, settlements and the need for defiance in the face of Israel’s sliding popularity abroad.

The first loud cheers were for Israeli settler and social media personality Yishai Fleisher, a party colleague of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Mr Fleisher praised Mr Ben-Gvir over the deteriorating conditions for Palestinians in Israeli jails, increasing Jewish worship at Al Aqsa Mosque compound and lowering his car insurance bill, which he linked to a decrease in vehicle thefts.

Leading Israeli rights group B’Tselem has described Israel’s prison system for Palestinians as a “network of torture camps”. Displays of Israeli nationalism at Al Aqsa draw criticism from the international community, which fears changes to the decades-long status quo could cause major unrest. Other crime statistics have worsened under Mr Ben-Gvir’s tenure – the murder rate among Arab Israelis in particular.

“Is Ben-Gvir hurting our international reputation? The genocide [in Gaza] narrative is, but is that Ben-Gvir? No!” Mr Fleisher said. “They find enemies all the time and try to take us down around the world. Here comes one guy who is talking straight and strong, who the enemies are afraid of – and that’s a good thing.

“Ben-Gvir, you can like him or not like him, but you don’t have to marry your daughter to him, you don’t have to invite him over for Shabbos lunch. He’s a hammer. He gets things done.”

The most left-wing candidate in attendance, Moran Zer Katzenstein of The Democrats, received moderate applause for her work on women’s rights. She was also the candidate who received the loudest jeer, which came when she challenged audience members who appeared to support expelling the population of Gaza.

“You can clap if you think this is what Jewish morality is,” Ms Zer Katzenstein said after the jeering. The audience did exactly that – what followed was one of the longest and most passionate bursts of applause of the night, with bellows of support across the room.

Another of the panellists, Moishe Feiglin of the Zehut party, recently called for the total expulsion of Gazans by any means necessary in an interview with The Jerusalem Post.

He suggested even Gaza's infants were enemies: “The baby that will be born in Gaza tomorrow will do exactly the same, God forbid, to your baby that will be born tomorrow in Jerusalem. There’s no other way. That’s the reason they live for. That’s what they learn with their mother's milk.”

A bounce in opinion polls suggests Mr Feiglin’s party could win five to six seats in the 120-member Knesset. The faction is in a right-wing alliance with the Religious Zionist Party led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who was recently filmed boasting about Israel’s occupation of a huge part of southern Lebanon, saying “the world is not stopping us”.

Although many parties were present, the event did not paint a complete picture of Israeli politics. The two main ultra-Orthodox parties spurned their invitations. The bitter debate around enlisting ultra-Orthodox young men into the Israeli military was raised but received surprisingly little attention given dire warnings about a lack of manpower.

Israeli-Arab parties, which were recently battling disqualification in the Supreme Court, were not represented. The only Palestinian mentioned at length was Yoseph Haddad of Amcha Israel, a combative pro-Israel influencer.

Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar Party, currently the most powerful opposition party, is accused by the far right of being a backdoor for Arab parties to enter an opposition coalition. At the event, Amichai Chikli, from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, accused Mr Eisenkot of dangerously viewing Syria’s President Ahmad Al Shara as an “opportunity” for Israel.

Much of the energy of the opposition parties was taken up defending the record of their candidates, many of whom have been in the Israeli political system for years. Mati Gill of Naftali Bennett’s party was asked why voters should trust its members after its leader’s turbulent political career. That career has attracted accusations of hypocrisy and broken promises, including from the settler community, which he used to represent as head of a settlers' group called the Yesha Council.

Mr Gill said Mr Bennett’s ideals had not changed since he entered politics. The message does not appear to be cutting through. With so little time until elections, the former prime minister continues a steady decline in the polls.

Despite bitter moments, the conclusion was a festival of politeness, featuring a resounding rendition of the national anthem and far-right candidates praising even Ms Zer Katzenstein.

Those in attendance who wanted to learn more about plans for the economy, education, the environment and infrastructure would have left disappointed at the end of the two-hour session. They did not seem downcast, however, despite the challenges Israel faces in all those areas.

Once again, it seems Israeli voters will head to the polls with security on their minds and the many extreme aspects that priority has come to embody.

The Abu Dhabi government and the emirate's Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence have joined forces with global tech giants OpenAI and Microsoft to launch the AiNative training programme.

The key strategy will provide 20,000 government employees with cutting-edge support by the end of the year and is central to Abu Dhabi's mission to become the world's first AI-native government by 2027.

The initiative – announced at the Ai Everything conference in the capital by Abu Dhabi's Department of Government Enablement – will seek to encourage citizens and residents, government workers and department leaders to unlock the potential of AI to drive progress.

Under the initiative, employees will be given help to build up expertise with ChatGPT, Codex and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Specialised, function-specific certifications, including areas such as coding and data, will follow in later phases of the project.

Study tool and job search

Citizens and residents will be able to access the training programme via Tomouh, DGE's AI-driven learning app, which can be accessed through the UAE Pass government app.

The scheme will cover practical applications of AI in everyday life, including managing personal finances, running a small business, finding a job, studying and creating content responsibly online, and will be delivered through the free version of ChatGPT.

DGE owns the curriculum, which has been developed with OpenAI, Microsoft and MBZUAI.

“AI will only create lasting value when people have the knowledge and confidence to use it well,” Wesam Lootah, director general of GovDigital at DGE, said.

“AiNative puts that capability at the heart of Abu Dhabi’s AI journey, giving government employees and the wider community practical skills to use AI responsibly in their work and everyday lives.

“By bringing together government, industry and academia, we are building a common foundation for an AI-enabled society and government.”

Eric Xing, president and professor at MBZUAI, emphasised the importance of ensuring access to AI for all as it shapes the future.

“Championing a culture of lifelong learning ensures that the benefits of new technologies are understood and realised responsibly by all,” he said.

“Through AiNative, people can gain practical knowledge alongside the judgment to apply AI thoughtfully in a way that it becomes a partner for progress.

“Developing this capability at scale will be an important part of Abu Dhabi’s transition to an AI-native government and society.”

AiNative is being rolled out in phases. An initial pilot within government is already under way, before it will be made public.

The launch of AiNative follows the roll-out of Microsoft 365 Copilot to 35,000 Abu Dhabi government employees through the Frontier Employee Programme, announced in July.

Abu Dhabi's AI ambitions

Abu Dhabi unveiled its vision to be the world's first AI-powered government last year, as part of its Digital Strategy 2025-2027.

Led by the DGE, the programme will allocate Dh13 billion ($3.5 billion) to boost digital infrastructure, automate 100 per cent of government processes, and integrate sovereign cloud computing across all operations.

The strategy is expected to contribute more than Dh24 billion to Abu Dhabi’s economy by 2027 and create more than 5,000 employment opportunities supporting Emiratisation efforts.

Guyana's rapid increase in crude production, from zero in 2019 to about 900,000 barrels per day in the first half of the year, is catapulting the country to one of the world's fastest-growing economies, lifting thousands of people out of poverty with newfound wealth.

The non-Opec country's oil output is expected to reach 1 million barrels per day (bpd) imminently, with the country targeting 1.7 million bpd by 2030.

“With disruptions in the Middle East, Guyana’s oil is becoming strategically more important to global markets,” Stephanie Rivera, research analyst at S&P Global Energy told The National.

“Guyana’s light-to-medium, low-sulfur crude is not exposed to Middle Eastern shipping chokepoints, providing refiners with an attractive option for diversifying away from Middle Eastern supply. As the conflict in the Middle East continues, Guyanese crude can help enhance energy security in an increasingly tight market.”

The Middle East conflict, which broke out on February 28 after the US and Israel attacked Iran, has roiled global markets, with prices jumping to an intraday high of about $120 per barrel in April.

Tehran carried out retaliatory strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure leading to curtailment of production, with 10 million bpd of Gulf output remaining shut as of August amid heightened security risks, according to the International Energy Agency report last month.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which more than 20 per cent of global crude and liquefied natural gas supplies used to pass before the war, has been a restricted route since the war began, raising supply concerns.

Europe focus

Countries in Europe, North and South America have been the main importers of Guyana’s oil, but the Middle East crisis has also prompted some Asian countries to look towards Guyana for oil.

Europe imported up to 57 per cent of Guyanese crude between March and August this year, Kpler data shows, with the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, the UK, Italy, Poland and Spain being the main buyers.

The Americas took about a third, while Asian nations, including China, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, imported about 6 per cent of Guyanese crude during the period. Turkey bought roughly 5 per cent.

Another factor that is contributing to a rise in demand for Guyana's crude is the Ukraine war.

European nations are looking for alternative sources of supply as they seek to reduce dependence on Russian crude and squeeze off Moscow’s oil revenue as it continues to wage war against Ukraine.

Guyanese crude is also highly valued for its low sulfur content, high yields of middle distillates such as diesel and jet fuel, and competitive break-even costs of $30–$40 per barrel that "make it particularly attractive to refiners, especially in Europe", Ms Rivera said.

Investment of $60 billion

An oil boom is a recent phenomenon in Guyana, with production starting only seven years ago following the discovery of oil in 2015.

An ExxonMobil-led consortium – including Chevron, and China’s CNOOC have been dominating production, with total investment estimated at between $55 billion and $60 billion at the Stabroek Block.

The group hit a milestone last month by producing its billionth barrel of oil at Stabroek less than seven years after production began in 2019.

“With an estimated resource base of just under 11 billion oil-equivalent barrels and plans for up to eight offshore developments by 2030, the Stabroek block is helping meet demand across the Americas, Europe and Asia, contributing to global energy security and market stability,” ExxonMobil said in a statement last month.

More projects are expected to come online, with Uaru expected to start up by the end of 2026, Whiptail expected to start up in 2027, and Hammerhead expected to begin production in 2029, it added.

Last year, France’s TotalEnergies, QatarEnergy and Malaysia’s Petronas also signed an agreement with the Guyanese government to explore a shallow block off the coast of Guyana for oil production.

Economic boost

Oil revenue, spurred by a rise in production and higher prices, has transformed Guyana from a small, agriculture and services based economy into one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

From an annual growth rate of 5.4 per cent in 2019, when it first started producing oil, the country’s economy expanded by 43.5 per cent in the following year, 20.1 per cent in 2021, 63.3 per cent in 2022, 33.8 per cent in 2023, 43.8 per cent in 2024 and 19.3 per cent in 2025, International Monetary Fund data shows.

The country's GDP is projected to grow by 16.2 per cent this year, the highest rate globally, as oil revenue continues to increase due to higher production and rising crude prices.

Brent, the benchmark for two thirds of the world's oil, is currently trading at about $100 per barrel.

"The economic outlook [for Guyana] remains highly favourable," the IMF said in July. "Oil production is expected to continue expanding, and the non-oil economy is projected to grow by about 7 per cent on average over the next five years as the government continues its ambitious plans to address infrastructure and developmental needs."

The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi announced the appointment as the museum prepares to mark its 10th anniversary in 2027.

Noujaim takes over from Manuel Rabate, who led Louvre Abu Dhabi since 2016 and oversaw its opening the following year. Rabate's departure from the museum was announced in February.

An art historian and curator specialising in Islamic art history and archaeology, Noujaim most recently served as director of the Department of Islamic Arts at the Louvre Museum in Paris and chief of the French Grand Department of Islamic Art Heritage.

In Paris, she oversaw a collection of 18,000 Islamic artworks.

But her relationship with Louvre Abu Dhabi stretches back to before the museum opened on Saadiyat Island in November 2017.

Noujaim helped develop its intellectual and curatorial vision and returned in February 2018 as the museum's first scientific, curatorial and collections management director, a position she held until April 2023.

During that period, she oversaw curatorial, scientific and collections activities, helped develop the museum's collection through acquisitions and was involved in establishing initiatives, including Art Here, the annual exhibition and prize for contemporary artists.

As director, she will oversee Louvre Abu Dhabi's collection, exhibitions, research, conservation, education, public programmes and visitor experience, as well as its broader institutional strategy.

“Louvre Abu Dhabi holds a special place in my professional and personal journey,” Noujaim said in a statement announcing her appointment.

“Having had the privilege of contributing to the museum's development over many years, I am honoured to return to Abu Dhabi and lead this remarkable institution into its next chapter.”

She said she planned to build on the museum's legacy, deepen its engagement with audiences and continue expanding its collection.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said Noujaim's appointment continues a long-standing relationship.

“As the first universal museum in the Arab world, Louvre Abu Dhabi is a powerful reflection of our belief in culture as a bridge between people, ideas and societies. Since 2017, it has contributed greatly to the emirate’s status as a global cultural capital.

"Dr Noujaim has been part of the museum’s journey from its earliest stages, helping shape its collection, scholarly foundations and distinctive universal narrative. We are confident that Dr Noujaim’s international expertise and deep understanding of what makes Louvre Abu Dhabi unique will contribute to the museum’s role as a leading cultural institution in the region and on the global stage.”

Louvre Abu Dhabi approaches 10 years

Noujaim takes over as Louvre Abu Dhabi prepares for a significant milestone.

Since opening in November 2017, the Jean Nouvel-designed museum has welcomed more than eight million visitors and staged 22 temporary exhibitions.

It has also held five editions of Art Here and six exhibitions at its Children's Museum, alongside educational, research, conservation and scholarship programmes.

The makeup of its permanent galleries has also changed considerably.

When Louvre Abu Dhabi opened, about 30 per cent of the works displayed were from its own collection, with about 70 per cent borrowed from French museums and regional lenders.

While the overall number of works on display has remained broadly consistent, nearly two-thirds of those now shown across the museum's four chronological sections belong to Louvre Abu Dhabi.

The change reflects the expansion of a permanent collection that spans thousands of years, from prehistoric objects and religious artefacts to paintings and contemporary art.

The museum was established under an intergovernmental agreement between the UAE and France and remains the first universal museum in the Arab world.

Noujaim will now oversee its transition into its second decade, including the continued development of its permanent collection and its role as a centre for research, conservation and cultural exchange.

The campaign aims to promote regular voluntary blood donation and increase public awareness of its importance, while helping secure sufficient supplies of blood and blood products for patients, including those with cancer, blood disorders and critical or emergency medical conditions, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

More than 900,000 people donated blood in Saudi Arabia in 2025, according to the news agency, as the kingdom seeks to increase voluntary donations and maintain a sustainable national blood supply.

Last year’s campaign, also launched by Prince Mohammed, helped quadruple the number of donors and recorded more than 65,000, the highest figure in the history of Saudi blood banks, according to authorities.

All donations recorded during the campaign were voluntary, with more than 85 per cent coming from first-time donors. The blood collected supported more than 63,000 patients, while platelet and plasma donations each benefited about 10,000 people, the SPA said.

Across the spring/summer 2027 shows, designers engaged with the codes that make their houses distinctive, whether through couture craftsmanship, archival references, eccentric styling or a renewed focus on clothes people might actually want to wear.

That meant lightness at Hermes and Dior, romanticism at Elie Saab, everyday couture at Balenciaga and a celebration of individuality at Valentino and Dries Van Noten. Elsewhere, Schiaparelli explored a more practical side, Saint Laurent doubled down on unapologetic glamour and Matieres Fecales turned the runway into a platform for social commentary. The approaches differed, but the question running through Paris was much the same: what should a fashion house stand for now?

Louis Vuitton

Nicolas Ghesquiere has spent much of his career making clothes that look ready to take flight. For spring/summer 2027 at Louis Vuitton, he pushed the idea closer to literal, expressing futurism through weightless, fluid clothes engineered to move.

Days after receiving the Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur from Emmanuel Macron, Ghesquiere stripped his architectural codes back to their lightest form. Beneath a suspended traffic jam of futuristic cars, dresses, coats and tailoring skimmed the body in scarf-weight silks, jersey, cashmere and fabrics lighter than chiffon.

Clothes floated, bounced and shifted with the wearer, while tailoring was deconstructed and silhouettes recalibrated around the moving body. It was a distinctly Vuitton proposition: less baggage, more freedom. Ghesquiere’s future was not something to wear, but something to move through.

Chanel

Being a creative director at a heritage house means, sooner or later, talking to ghosts. At Chanel, that conversation is almost unavoidable, with Gabrielle Chanel’s presence remaining unusually tangible. For this spring/summer collection, Matthieu Blazy once again made the founder an active character.

The collection unfolded like a history of the house. Sheer ivory knit slips were pinned with feather corsages; fringed cardigans softened the silhouette before raw-edged tailoring and reworked Charvet shirts introduced a more masculine note. Voluminous tutu skirts brought a touch of mischief, while cloud-printed organza, beaded plaids and delicate floral mesh added increasingly decorative flourishes.

The staple tweed jacket remained the essential building block, sometimes cropped, sometimes sharpened with piping or crystal collars, or even as sleeveless iterations with playful card-suit buttons. A new stretchy tweed, made from re-embroidered organza and silk, loosened the formality of the house signature.

Accessories followed suit: pearl drops, layered shells and beads, and quilted chain bags. The show was opened and closed by a model carrying an original 2.55 bag from the archives, as a neat reminder of where this new Chanel began.

Loewe

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At Loewe, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez combined their New England upbringing with Spanish history, mixing American pragmatism with Andalusian drama. Polos appeared backwards, checked blazers and boat shoes avoided preppy clichés, while basketball jerseys inspired chiffon slip dresses with beaded fringing.

Material and proportion made familiar pieces strange. Sunglass resin formed sculptural collars on knits and trench coats, while oversized buckles and bows transformed footwear. Shell jackets and anoraks sat alongside sheer dresses, leather minis and bright stripes and florals.

Presented inside the Château de Vincennes, the collection placed the audience unusually close to the clothes, with a mazelike runway bringing models within arm’s reach. It suited a collection concerned with intimacy: how fabric feels against skin, how familiar clothes move and how recognisable pieces can be made strange through proportion or material.

The finale brought bouclé mini dresses and hotpants fringed with floral embroidery. It captured the designers’ approach at Loewe: taking familiar clothes apart and rebuilding them through unexpected fabric, scale and colour.

Hermes

At Hermes, Nadège Vanhée embraced lightness for spring/summer. Taking her cue from the long, rectangular blades of ceiling fans, she worked swooping pleats into a black leather blazer, a chocolate-suede skirt lined in yellow silk and an orange dress cinched with a double-buckle belt. Sporty dresses made from narrow strips of leather laid over silk mesh brought further graphic lightness.

Airiness ran throughout the collection. Perforated suede jackets and open-knit dresses, some resembling fishing nets, revealed flashes of skin and were layered over statement underwear. Wide-leg trousers and jackets in featherweight denim and printed silk kept silhouettes loose and breezy.

Accessories were equally pared back: flat leather boots with delicate side stitching, barely-there strappy sandals, small bucket bags with fishnet details, cross-body styles and slim leather clutches.

Elie Saab

This season, Elie Saab looked to the languid glamour of 1930s film star Jean Harlow, mixing it with the house’s early-2000s codes. Sheer layers, intricate embroidery and soft shades of blush, powder blue, sage and sand came together in a deeply romantic collection of slip dresses, featuring appliqué flowers and delicate straps slipping from shoulders.

Familiar floating silhouettes, bustiers and floral embellishments returned with a lighter, more contemporary hand. Backstage, Saab said the team had been exploring the house archive held at the Elie Saab Foundation in Beirut. The brand will also bring its couture-inflected codes to a younger audience this month with the launch of its H&M collaboration.

Celine

Michael Rider’s Celine has a knack for making clothes feel considered yet unforced and this collection resisted fashion’s usual grandstanding.

The clothes were relaxed: creamy whites, hay tones and tomato red; collarless leather capes, off-the-shoulder tops, delicate knits and slouchy trousers cinched at the ankle. A floor-length sundial-print dress brought a flower child element, while beaded knitwear and satin shirts added artisanal polish.

Rider’s strength lies in the details. A skinny belt, oversized bangle, awkward fit or scuffed sneaker can push an otherwise polished look somewhere more interesting. His Celine moves between Parisian chic, sportswear and bohemia without settling into any one of them. The result feels spontaneous, but never accidental.

Balenciaga

At Balenciaga, Pierpaolo Piccioli applied atelier techniques to decidedly more democratic clothes: T-shirts, jeans and leather jackets.

Craftsmanship was deliberately visible. Stitching used to structure couture corsets appeared externally on ready-to-wear, shaping shoulders, narrowing waists and exaggerating hips. Jeans were cut on the bias for a slouchier fit, tailoring lost its rigidity, and handbags were draped, twisted and knotted by hand.

A pale-pink taffeta ballgown worn over jeans captured the idea best: on closer inspection, it was an enormous T-shirt. Piccioli’s proposition was clear: couture need not remain behind glass. At Balenciaga, it can be worn, altered and taken on to the street.

Schiaparelli

After spending the summer driving around the US East Coast with social media deleted, Daniel Roseberry returned to essentials for Schiaparelli’s spring collection: sharp separates, a largely monochrome palette and the house’s unmistakable appetite for drama.

A backward tuxedo dress opened the show, reshaped with hourglass boning. Elsewhere, bodysuits plunged dramatically, frills framed little black dresses and oversized tuxedo shirts were softened with moulded satin bibs. A laminated-jersey top could be paired with a skirt or dressed down with trousers.

Roseberry also broadened Schiaparelli beyond its gilded occasionwear. Broderie anglaise and spiral knits brought warmer-weather ease, while final jackets nodded to Elsa Schiaparelli through archival embroidery. The result remained unmistakably Schiaparelli, but with enough practicality to suggest clothes intended to be worn.

Valentino

Alessandro Michele turned Valentino’s spring show into a celebration of books beneath the iron arches of Paris’s Bibliotheque Sainte-Genevieve. Guests were asked to donate a book, while Michele created a fictional library of imagined titles and authors, inspired by the “antilibrary” – books that remain unread, but whose potential still matters.

Michele rarely settles for the obvious. Double-pleated jeans, plaid shirts and baseball caps offered glimpses of everyday dressing amid fuchsia satin, oversized rosettes, lace cycling shorts, jewel-toned bustiers and embroidered skirts.

His unease with technology added another layer. He has spoken about preserving the human impulse behind fashion rather than reducing it to numbers, reflected here in deliberately improbable combinations: mohair with knobbly wool, harem trousers with sequins and gold-tipped shoes. In an increasingly algorithmic world, eccentricity may be one of fashion’s last human signatures.

Tom Ford

Haider Ackermann loosened the metaphorical tie at Tom Ford. For spring/summer 2027, the designer introduced racy swimwear to the runway, setting barely-there pieces against the house’s familiar armoury of sharp tailoring, cashmere, leather and silk. The mood was about freedom, he said, with a dash of danger and decadence, and the unabashed glamour of Tom Ford’s own era.

Suits came in baby blue, black, olive and white, worn bare-chested or with plunging swimsuits, bras and open shirts. Sultry evening dresses slipped off the shoulder to reveal leather or satin bras, while silk robes and bathrobe-style trench coats nodded to Hugh Hefner.

Ackermann has clearly understood that at Tom Ford, seduction is not a historical footnote; it is the house code.

Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney took her spring/summer 2027 collection to the sea, opening with David Attenborough’s voice reminding us that the ocean, covering 70 per cent of the planet, is more than a backdrop to human life.

Her childhood fascination with marine life surfaced in dolphin graphics, wave motifs and a rock-pool palette of washed greens, coral, cream and deep brown. Clear fishing line ran through knitwear, edges curled like oyster shells and recycled denim glittered with crystals. Drawstring-waist jackets, sheer-legged trousers, pastel windbreakers and utility pieces kept things sporty.

Deadstock fabrics, recycled polyester, lab-grown wool and protein-based materials challenged others to rethink their supply chains. Fresh from launching her Climate Pledge Fashion Coalition, McCartney is in a fighting mood. Her talent lies in making that argument desirable, bringing wearability to planet-friendly dressing.

A dolphin T-shirt may be nostalgic, but it also asks what we choose to protect – and what we will do to protect it.

Balmain

A year into his role at Balmain, creative director Antonin Tron unearthed Mark Shaw’s backstage photographs from 1954, recasting their mid-century silhouette as something darker, glossier and more louche.

For his second show, animal prints, eel skin, snakeskin-effect leather, viscose and silk lamé exuded cinematic elegance. His strong-shouldered pilot jacket returned, while corsetry, garter belts, plunging necklines and cocktail dresses, barely more substantial than swimsuits, kept silhouettes close to the body.

The setting was the Left Bank mansion once occupied by Karl Lagerfeld, a Balmain apprentice in the 1950s. Sunglasses, wet-look fabrics and clinging silhouettes gave the house fresh bite, charged with sensual, unapologetic glamour.

Dries Van Noten

For Julian Klausner, glamour lies in the pleasure of dressing for yourself. His spring/summer 2027 collection for Dries Van Noten imagined an actress leaving the set and slipping back into her everyday clothes.

Taxi horns and sirens accompanied models in looks that captured the peculiar logic of a wardrobe assembled over time. A sequinned blouse sat over a casual button-down, a slinky cocktail dress over a rugby shirt, and a plunging silk dress over a graphic T-shirt. Nothing was quite where you expected it.

Mismatched jewellery, an enamel brooch, a flouncy sheer skirt and, wonderfully, a single hot-pink racing glove added to the eccentricity. Bright red lipstick seemed as plausible at noon as after dark. Personal, slightly strange and instinctive, Klausner’s glamour requires no particular occasion.

Maison Margiela

Having just given his final show for Diesel, creative director Glen Martens is now focused solely on Maison Margiela and, for this latest collection, took a more commercial turn.

While earlier shows established just how far he was willing to push the house’s theatrical codes, this time the exercise was more forensic and focused on stripping Margiela back to the contradictions on which it was founded in the 1980s.

The result was familiar yet disrupted. Contrasting hard and soft, 1960s-style brocades became column skirts tied with Margiela’s signature cotton ribbon, and tailoring arrived with concertina-like construction, with knife-edge lapels folding inward or out for a more conventional silhouette. Trenches, T-shirts and jersey dresses, meanwhile, were given rigid, balcony-like inserts.

There was an appealing return to Margiela’s secret language of quietly intelligent clothes as well: a stiff-fronted white coat, checked shirt and high-waisted tailored ski trousers. But opulence remains his instinct, seen in elaborate metal-fronted gowns, crushed silver and baroque draping.

Dior

For spring/summer 2027, Jonathan Anderson looked to something lighter at Dior – quite literally. Air became a material in its own right, worked through lace, silk mousseline and organza, while tailoring softened into fluid, almost weightless forms. Transparency drifted between sheer and opaque, giving the collection a sense of constant movement.

The Dior ateliers supplied technical virtuosity, with pleats layered upon pleats, asymmetric florals, voluminous hems and a softer evolution of last season’s Marie Antoinette-inspired tutus. Anderson’s signatures were becoming clearer, too, via flowerlike silhouettes, iridescence, cropped proportions and deliberately off-kilter details. Long scarves, cascading earrings and draped fabrics reinforced the collection’s interest in asymmetry.

Accessories supplied the wit. Flower photographs appeared on square-toe heels; the new Dior Bow Sandal and petal-soled Cigale played with familiar codes, while bags moved from updated Double and Initial Hobo shapes to a biker-inspired Cannage style. Most playful was a silver minaudiere shaped like the wenwan walnut featured on the invitation. After a year of historical references, Anderson’s Dior is beginning to speak in its own unmistakable language.

Saint Laurent

It seems the rumours swirling around Saint Laurent are, in fact, true and that after a decade leading the brand, Anthony Vaccarello is leaving.

He presented an extraordinary, gilded collection, steeped in the house’s history and charged with the atmosphere of a finale where Charlotte Gainsbourg performed, the song chorused with the words “You are so much, Yves Saint Laurent.”

If this was a farewell, it was impeccably orchestrated. Under giant golden chandeliers, most looks were gilt, a deliberate reference to Yves Saint Laurent’s 1991 Rive Gauche collection, whose finale was entirely gilded.

Metallic trenches, cocktail dresses, gilt brocades and metal-thread lace caught the light, while mousseline scarves in absinthe, amber and cognac added colour. There were enormous earrings, vertiginous stilettos and snake-shaped heels, but interestingly, not a single handbag.

The Eiffel Tower glittered as the show began and ended, reinforcing the sense of occasion. Vaccarello has always resisted fashion’s drift towards accessibility and trend-chasing. Here, he made a case for something rarer, for glamour with no interest in apology.

Matieres Fecales

Designers Hannah Rose Dalton and Steven Raj Bhaskaran staged a deeply political outing. For their biggest show to date, the Matieres Fecales founders took over Place de la Republique – a symbolic site of protest – for a show called The 99 Per Cent, and the second chapter of a story that began last season with a collection focused on the world’s wealthiest one per cent.

The Canadian duo has since moved further into the mainstream, dressing the likes of Demi Moore and Zendaya on the red carpet, and attracting Rihanna, who held up proceedings by arriving to the show over an hour late.

This season, Dalton and Bhaskaran sent out 99 looks on 99 models of colour, drawing on Bhaskaran’s journey from poverty to the upper reaches of Paris fashion. The message was explicit: if the one per cent represented the villains of the previous chapter, the 99 per cent were now its heroes.

It was activism translated into fashion spectacle – provocative, theatrical and deliberately difficult to ignore. The question is no longer whether Matieres Fecales can attract attention, but what it chooses to do with it.

Manus Cranny, The National's geo-economics editor, cuts through the noise and presents insights from the stories making headlines around the world.

Mayssa started the league match against Logrono, scoring her first senior goal. She is the youngest player to score for a Barcelona senior side, male or female, breaking a record set by Lamine Yamal. She is also the youngest player to score in Spain’s Liga F.

In the preceding weeks, the forward had been coming on as a substitute for a side that win every week. European champions in three of the past four seasons and Spain’s champions in each of the past seven, Barca won 29 of their 30 league games last season and defeated Real Madrid 7-0 on Sunday in front of 40,000 fans.

Mayssa was a substitute alongside the world’s best player, Aitana Bonmarti. She won’t be old enough to play in the Uefa Champions League until she turns 16 in January.

She was born in Malaga, Spain, in 2011, while her father, the former Morocco international Nabil Baha, was at the club. She started playing football at FUS Rabat when her father played there from 2014 to 2016. She then returned to Malaga, where she and her brother Ziyad continued to play youth football. Mayssa played in teams two or three years up from her age group.

Her brother, Ziyad, now 17, is in Olympique Marseille’s youth side and Morocco’s under-17 men’s team, where his father is head coach. Mayssa already plays for Morocco’s under-17 women's team, having made her debut aged just 12, another record. At last year’s Under-17 World Cup, she was the youngest player in the tournament. She could still choose to play for Spain when she is an adult.

The siblings’ mother is Spanish-Moroccan model Farah Farabian, who spends much of her time watching her children play football.

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“People wonder why I quit my job for my kids like I had no life left,” Farabian recently wrote. “But today, my life is also accompanying them in theirs. Every weekend I travel miles between Barcelona and Marseille to share their matches, joys and progress. It's not a sacrifice; it's my choice, my happiness.

“A career can wait, but their childhood and adolescence will never come back. So, yes, I choose them and I would do it a thousand times over. Because seeing them grow and reach their dreams is also my greatest achievement.”

Mayssa joined Barcelona at age 13, living at La Masia academy and moving quickly through the ranks with the C team last season. She started this season with the B team, but during pre-season she was invited to train with the first team at a camp in Andorra and kept her place among some of the best players in the world.

Rated the top player in the world for her age, she’s mentally and physically mature. She’s strong, confident, powerful and fast, but, at 15, she has much to learn about the game. Right now, she’s playing in the best possible place to advance her career.

The UAE's pursuit of technological sovereignty will help it establish reliable and secure cyber capabilities, Arthur Mensch told The National at the AI Everything summit in Abu Dhabi.

“The UAE is under pressure, in particular, on the defence side,” he said. “Cyber capabilities are a must-have when it comes to having capable defence systems.

“Sovereignty matters in that. It's important to be able to wield defence systems without having to ask for permission.”

Mr Mensch's comments come after UAE authorities reported an increasing number of cyber attacks. Last month, the UAE's cyber security chief, Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, said the country is continuing to contend with daily online threats, with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps behind many of the attacks.

Mr Al Kuwaiti said the country faced about 640,000 attacks on September 15 and that Iran remains “one of the main players” in the high-tech offensive, which is being exacerbated by the rise of AI.

“Having very powerful cyber models deployed here in Abu Dhabi in a way where the deployment is fully under Abu Dhabi control is going to be quite important,” Mr Mensch said.

Investing in UAE data centres

Mr Mensch said Mistral AI would consider investing in UAE data centres, a move that would further solidify its co-operation with Abu Dhabi and boost the country's AI ambitions.

“We may [invest in UAE data centres]. It's an interesting place for our AI buildout that is currently under way in this part of the world,” he said.

On Abu Dhabi's efforts at data sovereignty, Mr Mensch said authorities and the wider industry had “very early on decided” that this aspect will be crucial for the deployment of AI.

Data sovereignty is becoming vital for nations as it gives them legal control over the data within their jurisdictions. The most notable project to achieve this is the planned Stargate UAE data centre campus, a 5GW development valued at $30 billion.

Mistral AI met more local organisations and companies at the summit, trying to “get a sense of what Abu Dhabi needs to build with AI ... [and] go in depth into the technological aspect of the asks”, said Mr Mensch, adding that the company has worked “extensively” with the oil and gas industry.

Mistral AI has already forged partnerships with Abu Dhabi organisations, including AI major G42, to develop advanced platforms and infrastructure, and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence for research and development in AI foundation models, talent development and real-world AI solutions.

In June, the company teamed up with UAE AI investment firm MGX and lender Bpifrance for the planned expansion of Campus AI in France, which aims to build a capacity of 3GW across Europe's third-biggest economy.

“There is more that can be done ... on being able to have a compute capacity under full Abu Dhabi control; that's something where as a company we can help,” he added.

AI accountability

Fresh debacles have been hitting the AI industry, most notably AI models, supposedly in secure environments and built by names including OpenAI, Meta Platforms, Anthropic and Google, going rogue and infiltrating external sites. Mr Mensch was clear on where the responsibility should fall.

At the same time, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman made a plea at the recent UN General Assembly for governments to do more to rein in AI.

“Accountability for AI deployments, when they are hosted by AI companies, falls on the AI companies. This should be very, very clear. There's no way in which the accountability of what we're doing should be offset to governments,” Mr Mensch said.

Governments, though, “are accountable for the adoption of the technology, and they should be accountable for how it's being used in the government itself”, he said.

Mr Mensch also called for a tempered tone on the call for deceleration – or even acceleration – of the development of AI, as recent events have shown the potential disruption the technology can bring.

“I'm very cautious about those warnings [to slow development down] because they serve their own interests very clearly,” he said.

“The world we don't want to live in, which would be an extremely dangerous world, is the world where you have a duopoly of companies operated from the US serving the rest of the world,” he said, referring to the strength of the US AI industry, led by OpenAI and Anthropic, which is widely viewed as a counter to China's growing influence in the sector.

On Tuesday, at AI Everything, Mistral AI launched its latest Mistral Large 4 AI model, which, it says, is among the fastest in the world and rivals the best open-source models from China.

“We see no sign of slowing down when we look at how our model is being improved by the day,” Mr Mensch said.

“Even if the war in the Gulf were to end soon, the problem of high energy prices would likely persist for some time,” managing director Kristalina Georgieva said in prepared remarks in Singapore ahead of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings.

This year's gathering, held in Bangkok, comes as supply disruptions from the war in the Middle East pile on to inflationary pressures, potentially leading to higher interest rates for advanced economies. The Federal Reserve and European Central Bank have already begun to raise their key rates, with the Bank of England expected to join them next month.

Higher energy prices and rising debt levels have also driven global borrowing costs to their highest levels in decades. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury, a benchmark for global borrowing costs, traded at 5.307 per cent as recently on Monday, its highest level since 2002.

That pressure has also spread to markets in other advanced economies including in Japan, France, Germany and the UK.

Oil producers in the Middle East are racing to establish alternative routes to bring their exports to the markets. The UAE is fast-tracking construction of its West-East Pipeline, which is expected to double export capacity through Fujairah by the time its expansion is completed in 2027. Saudi Arabia has rerouted its crude through the East-West Pipeline.

The seven-day moving average for crude exports from the Gulf was 18.3 million barrels per day on September 30, compared to the average 18 million bpd that passed through the region in the 12 months before the Iran war began, according to ship tracking firm Kpler. The latest figures included transits via the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and exports from terminals and ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman.

Ms Georgieva had credited the Gulf Co-operation Council's efforts to reroute energy supplies for preventing a larger shock to the global economy during a meeting with the bloc's finance ministers and central bankers in Bahrain last week.

She also said the IMF anticipates the GCC economy will contract this year, adding that the region is expected to face a strong recovery next year, conditional on the normalisation of shipping.

A separate report from the World Bank released on Tuesday said GCC economies will contract by an average of 4.3 per cent this year, a downward revision of 5.7 percentage points from its April forecast.

Meanwhile, continued supply disruptions in liquefied natural gas will hit buyers in Europe and Asia particularly hard, Ms Georgieva said, noting price pressures could further build with winter approaching and reserves dwindling.

AI revolution is here

In her address, the IMF chief also used her address to urge governments to embark on policies to unlock the productive gains under artificial intelligence.

Ms Georgieva described the global economy as one being pulled in two directions, with the positive demand shock from AI partially offsetting the economic fallout from the US-Iran conflict.

“Love it, hate it, or fear it, AI is here, rapidly becoming a key driver of countries’ relative fortunes in the world economy,” she said.

Love it, hate it, or fear it, AI is here, rapidly becoming a key driver of countries’ relative fortunes in the world economy

IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva

In the US, the AI buildout is shaping up to become the largest investment drive in the country's history. Analysts at Brookings anticipate AI investment in data centres, infrastructure, chips and other equipment will total $10.3 trillion from 2025 to 2032, or an average of 3.63 per cent of US GDP per year.

The broad S&P 500 hit a fresh record-high of 7,800 on Tuesday driven by renewed AI enthusiasm. But with fears of an AI bubble also fomenting, Ms Georgieva said countries should adopt regulation and supervision as a “first line of defence” to prevent a far-reaching shock if AI earnings fall short.

The Trump administration has recently adopted a defensive posture of AI amid a growing domestic backlash against the data centre buildout ahead of November’s midterm elections. US President Donald Trump has taken a light regulatory touch on AI advancement and repeatedly expressed his desire to beat China in the global AI race.

Countries in the Gulf are seeking to advance large-scale acceleration of AI. The UAE targets to have AI contribute 20 per cent of its non-oil GDP by 2031.

Ms Georgieva said AI could deliver up to a half percentage point of additional world growth – or “adding an economy the size of ASEAN to the world economy” – annually.

“Yet as this drives forward today’s AI economies, it largely bypasses most others, increasing the risk of widening economic inequality across the globe,” she said.

The T10 tournament has undergone a significant transformation this year, with the Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub (ADCSH) assuming complete ownership of the league, with support from the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) and the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB).

With the new ownership structure in place and an emphasis on long-term partnerships, clear and predictable team structures, and organic growth, T10 is aiming to move away from the disjointed efforts of previous seasons.

Five new team owners were announced for the 2026 season, with UAE Bulls, who had been with the league since its inception in 2017, continuing their association with Abu Dhabi T10.

Among the new inductees are Yas Lions, owned by UAE-based venture capitalist Jeetu Kataria, and Royal Desert Champions, helmed by former banker Amit Narang. Other teams in the league are Arabian Aces, Emirates Eagles and United Tigers.

Last week, all stakeholders gathered in Abu Dhabi to complete the biggest task for any franchise tournament – player selection. A draft was held at Yas Island, where some of the most in-demand short-format players were allocated to the six teams.

The ‘icon’ players had already been selected ahead of the draft. West Indies players were the most sought-after, led by Kieron Pollard (UAE Bulls 'icon' player), Jason Holder (Yas Lions), Nicolas Pooran (Royal Desert Champions) and Rovman Powell (Emirates Eagles).

Moeen Ali (Arabian Aces) and Fakhar Zaman (United Tigers) are the only non-Caribbean 'icons' in T10 2026.

With the Abu Dhabi T10 sharing November with another UAE-based franchise tournament – the DP World ILT20 – there was some overlap of players. However, one key difference was the composition of the squads.

While the 2026 ILT20 put particular emphasis on Afghanistan players while restricting Pakistan stars largely to one team – ostensibly due to Indian ownership of other franchises - the Abu Dhabi T10 saw Pakistan names scattered across all franchises, barring one.

In all, 15 Pakistan players have found a home in T10, including superstars such as Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman, compared to just five in ILT20. Left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir is the 16th Pakistan cricketer in T10, but he now qualifies as an England cricketer.

For Matt Boucher, CEO of ADCSH and Abu Dhabi T10, the foundation has been laid for a new cricket structure.

“The changes this season are about putting the right foundations in place to build Abu Dhabi T10 into a stronger and more sustainable global cricket property,” Boucher told The National.

“We have six franchises for the 2026 season. UAE Bulls provide continuity from the previous era, while the other franchises are part of the new ownership and identity structure.

"The focus is on having owners who share our long-term vision and are committed to building strong franchise identities and genuine connections with fans.”

Boucher said the onus of growing the fan base and popularity of the league falls on both the T10 management and team owners.

The 2026 #AbuDhabiT10 Draft ✅

The squads are #Lockedin 🔐

Next stop: Abu Dhabi ✈️
🗓️ 7-20 NOV 2026#CricketsFastestFormat #InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/ymtSZwDjEC

— Abu Dhabi T10 (@T10League) October 2, 2026

“The key difference is the long-term approach. We want franchises to grow beyond the tournament window, develop their own identities and fanbases, and become sustainable sporting brands. Stronger franchises will ultimately help us build a stronger Abu Dhabi T10,” he added.

For Boucher, the presence of Pakistan players across the teams is encouraging, as is the presence of international and UAE stars.

“Having Pakistan stars such as Naseem Shah, Mohammed Amir, Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman and Iftikhar Ahmed certainly adds quality and significant fan interest. But the strength of the league is its overall international mix, alongside a strong UAE presence with players such as Muhammad Waseem, Alishan Sharafu, Aayan Afzal Khan and Vriitya Aravind.”

UAE star batter Waseem will undoubtedly have the spotlight on him when the Abu Dhabi T10 starts on November 7 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, having secured a record $210,000 contract for the ILT20, which begins two days after the T10 tournament concludes on November 20.

Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara has met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh during an official visit to the kingdom, whether the two leaders discussed bilateral ties and the latest developments in the region.

UAE businesses are raising their prices at the fastest rate in more than 15 years, pointing to higher inflation across the country.

Qatar and Turkey are among seven countries bidding to host the 2036 Summer Olympics.

And UAE food producer Al Ain Farms is taking its camel milk brand global, with plans to turn it into a superfood in China and Europe.

Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.

The Michelin Guide Dubai 2026 was unveiled at a ceremony at Atlantis The Royal on Tuesday night, with 20 restaurants receiving at least one star.

FZN by Bjorn Frantzen, which blends Scandinavian and Asian influences, and Tresind Studio, known for its modern Indian cuisine, remain at the top of Dubai's dining scene, retaining the three stars they received last year.

Orfali Bros was one of the biggest winners of the night, promoted from one to two stars. Run by Syrian brothers Mohammad, Wassim and Omar Orfali, the home-grown restaurant serves contemporary Middle Eastern cuisine, drawing on their Syrian roots as well as Turkish and Armenian influences.

Michelin noted the restaurant's evolution "from a brilliant neighbourhood bistro into a flagship of Middle Eastern gastronomy".

"Rooted in the brothers' Aleppian, Armenian and Turkish heritage, its signature dishes and Voyage menu reveal cooking of increasing refinement, depth and personality," it said.

Meanwhile, Birch and Kigo entered the guide with one star each. Birch, led by chef Arslan Berdiev, serves contemporary cuisine shaped by his travels and Turkmen heritage, while Kigo is a Japanese fine-dining restaurant offering sushi omakase and kaiseki menus.

The latest awards come after a challenging period for Dubai's restaurant industry, with several high-profile venues temporarily pausing operations amid softer demand and disruption to tourism following the Iran war.

Among the restaurants retaining Michelin stars for 2026 are Al Muntaha, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Ossiano and and Smoked Room, which are currently temporarily closed. Several other restaurants in the wider Michelin Guide Dubai 2026 selection are also temporarily closed.

Michelin has acknowledged the unusual situation after Dubai food writer Samantha Wood, founder of FooDiva, questioned why at least 10 restaurants across the guide's various lists were included despite currently being closed.

In a statement provided to The National, Michelin said it was “fully aware” that a number of restaurants were currently closed “due to the current circumstances”.

“We remain in close contact with their teams and are monitoring closely when they might reopen in the near future,” Michelin said.

“As with all restaurants in the selection, they will be revisited and re-evaluated by our inspectors once they reopen to ensure they continue to meet the standards associated with their distinctions.”

Dubai restaurants with Michelin stars in 2026

There are 20 Michelin-starred restaurants in Dubai in the 2026 guide, with two holding three stars, four holding two stars and 14 holding one.

Three Michelin stars

• FZN by Bjorn Frantzen
• Tresind Studio

Two Michelin stars

• Il Ristorante-Niko Romito
• Orfali Bros (promoted from one)
• Row on 45
• Stay by Yannick Alleno

One Michelin star

• 11 Woodfire
• Al Muntaha – currently closed
• Avatara
• Birch (new)
• Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – currently closed
• Hakkasan Dubai
• Hoseki
• Jamavar
• Kigo (new)
• Manao
• Moonrise
• Ossiano – currently closed
• Smoked Room – currently closed
• Tasca by Jose Avillez

Dubai Michelin Guide grows to 122 restaurants

Beyond the starred restaurants, the 2026 guide includes 122 establishments representing 38 types of cuisine, up from 119 restaurants last year.

There are 19 new additions across the guide, including two new one-star restaurants, four new Bib Gourmands and 13 restaurants added to the Michelin Selected category.

The Bib Gourmand list features 22 restaurants this year, while another 80 restaurants appear in the Michelin Selected category, including 13 newcomers.

“The selection has grown significantly since its inception and now features nearly twice as many establishments as it did when it was first launched,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides.

“This year's combination of home-grown talent and international arrivals reflects a city that is developing its own culinary identity while embracing traditions from around the world.”

Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand restaurants in 2026

The Bib Gourmand distinction recognises restaurants offering good-quality food at good value. There are 22 in the 2026 Dubai guide, including four new additions.

• 21 Grams
• 3Fils
• Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant
• Bait Maryam
• Berenjak
• Duo Gastrobar - Creek Harbour
• Duo Gastrobar - Dubai Hills
• Goldfish
• Harummanis
• Hawkerboi
• Khadak
• Kinoya
• Konjiki Hototogisu
• Middle Child (new)
• Reif Japanese Kushiyaki - Dar Wasl
• Reif Japanese Kushiyaki - Dubai Hills
• Revelry
• SEA Bistrot(new)
• Shabestan
• Sufret Maryam
• Three Bros (new)
• Yubi Dubai (new)

Michelin special awards

Five individual and restaurant awards were also announced during Tuesday night's ceremony.

Remy Marquignon, executive chef of Ossiano, received the Young Chef Award despite the restaurant being temporarily closed.

Ninad Jani of avatara received the Sommelier Award, while Kigo's Akinori Tanigawa and his team received the Service Award.

Zahra Erfanian Azmoodeh of Carbone Dubai received the Exceptional Cocktails Award, while Gonzalo Platero and Window were given the Opening of the Year Award.