Welcome to The National's weekly newsletter Beshara, where we share the most positive stories of the week.
Snow in Central Park in Manhattan, New York City. AFP
As we fast approach the end of the year, many of us across the newsroom are looking back on the defining moments of 2025 and also ahead for what to expect in 2026. We at The National enjoy working as your eyes and ears on the world. Journalists are also your memory – your chroniclers of history as it happens, and your analysts, studying signals from the past and the present to anticipate what could come next.
Throughout these last weeks, before we ring in the New Year, you will see and hear from many of our dedicated reporters and editors sharing stories and insights on the past 12 months – both good and bad – but all with lessons we can learn.
This week’s Beshara looks back on the brightest moments, and I’ll see you next week for the excitement ahead.
Syrians celebrate the US announcing it will lift sanctions on the country in May. Anadolu
But first, to the regional shifts in the right direction. This past week, some positive developments reminded us of the progress we’ve seen across Syria, Lebanon and Gaza this past year. While tentative and fragile, key turning points have renewed hope for their populations, millions of people who for so long have borne the brunt of conflict or corruption.
While the situation is still so far from the real, tangible resolution the world awaits and hunger levels remain critical, famine has been reversed in Gaza.
The permanent lifting by the US of its so-called Caesar sanctions on Syria will pave the way for the return of investment in the country.
Lebanon’s announcement that it is close to disarming Hezbollah indicates a chance for the country to strengthen its governance.
As Paul Salem asks in his op-ed: after the changes over the past year, might the Levant – in particular Syria and Lebanon – be on course to re-establishing sovereignty, functioning statehood and economic revival?
Quoted
'Will Syria’s leaders be able to restore Aleppo to what it once was? Can they help rebuild the shattered lives of the countless many? I hope so. Aleppo isn’t just a Syrian treasure; it is a world treasure'
One of the best photos taken by our staff photographers in the UAE this year, at the Dubai Airshow. Chris Whiteoak / The National
From the picture desk to our feature writers, we have a raft of round-ups to remind you of the highlights of 2025.
These incredible images from The National’s photographers are unsurpassed in their summing up of the diversity and joy of life in the UAE this past year.
And if you were lucky enough, though none as lucky as Saeed Saeed, you may have been at one of these top 20 live shows that graced the Emirates this year.
But if you’re reading from afar, or just prefer a show from your sofa, this collaborative effort is a reminder of the best of the small screen, and William Mullally, our resident award-winning film critic, shares his list of the best Arab films that hit the big screen.
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NBA FINALS SO FAR
(Toronto lead 3-2 in best-of-seven series)
Game 1Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
Game 5 Raptors 105 Warriors 106
Game 6 Thursday, at Oakland
Game 7 Sunday, at Toronto (if needed)
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023 More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
