Your regional news round-up
- Pope Leo XIV has used his Christmas sermon to condemn conditions in Gaza, where Palestinians are living in flimsy tents in freezing conditions. Leo, the first US-born Pope, said the story of Jesus being born in a stable showed that God had “pitched his fragile tent” among the people of the world.
- More than 100 suspected ISIS members believed to have been planning attacks during the Christmas and New Year season have been arrested in Turkey, authorities said. Police arrested 115 of 137 suspects in a series of raids across Istanbul and seized pistols and ammunition.
- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said diplomatic efforts had helped to keep Lebanon away from war, despite Israeli attacks that killed at least three people on Thursday. The President was speaking after media reports indicated Israel was considering an escalation in Lebanon, citing what it has described as a lack of willingness to disarm Hezbollah.
- Saudi Arabia warned that recent military movements in Yemeni provinces by the Southern Transitional Council harm the interests of both the southern cause and the wider nation.
- Israeli authorities announced the arrest of an Israeli man on suspicion of committing security offences under the direction of Iranian intelligence agents, days after Tehran executed an Iranian accused of spying for Israel.
Other developments
- Authorities in Lebanon are investigating the case of a man who allegedly posed as a Saudi prince to extract money from Lebanese officials in exchange for acting as an intermediary with Riyadh, security sources told The National.
- Syria will begin releasing new banknotes on January 1 to replace currency issued under the former Assad regime, the central bank governor announced. Abdulkader Husrieh said the exchange of old notes for new ones would be "smooth and organised, and its mechanism will be explained clearly and transparently".
- Sudanese Armed Forces chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, the latest in a series of foreign visits by the de facto Sudanese leader amid mounting calls for a ceasefire in the civil war that has ravaged the country.
- Electricity supply across Kurdistan dropped by 1,000 megawatts due to a "technical issue” at Khor Mor gas field, one of the largest in the Kurdish region, the Kurdish Ministry of Electricity said.
- Israeli security forces announced the arrest of five Israeli settlers over their alleged involvement in an attack on a Palestinian home that injured a baby girl in the occupied West Bank.
More goings-on
- Algeria's parliament has unanimously approved a law declaring France's 132-year colonial occupation a crime, demanding an apology and reparations. Lawmakers wearing scarves in the colours of the national flag rose to their feet and chanted “long live Algeria” as they applauded the progress of the bill, which states that France holds “legal responsibility for its colonial past in Algeria and the tragedies it caused”.
- President Sheikh Mohamed wished everyone celebrating in the UAE and around the world a Merry Christmas. Sheikh Mohamed delivered an optimistic message on social media on Christmas Day, calling for people to find peace, joy, and harmony during the festive season.
- Iraq exported 106.5 million barrels of oil in November, down from 110.9 million barrels in October, data from the country's oil marketer SOMO showed.
- Lebanese depositors face high uncertainty and a long wait in recovering their money from banks, despite a draft law aimed at gradually repaying customers' funds frozen in the banking system since the 2019 financial meltdown, experts told The National. Full story here.
Happening today
- Gaza mediators continue talks on second phase of ceasefire agreement
Top picks from The National
This newsletter was compiled by Mohamad Ali Harisi, Foreign Editor.
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Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
AVOID SCAMMERS: TIPS FROM EMIRATES NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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RESULT
Los Angeles Galaxy 2 Manchester United 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Results
Women finals: 48kg - Urantsetseg Munkhbat (MGL) bt Distria Krasniqi (KOS); 52kg - Odette Guiffrida (ITA) bt Majlinda Kelmendi (KOS); 57kg - Nora Gjakova (KOS) bt Anastasiia Konkina (Rus)
Men’s finals: 60kg - Amiran Papinashvili (GEO) bt Francisco Garrigos (ESP); 66kg - Vazha Margvelashvili (Geo) bt Yerlan Serikzhanov (KAZ)
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Company%20Profile
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
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The five pillars of Islam
FA CUP FINAL
Manchester City 6
(D Silva 26', Sterling 38', 81', 87', De Bruyne 61', Jesus 68')
Watford 0
Man of the match: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
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Company%20profile
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Company%20Profile
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The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E640hp%20at%206%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E850Nm%20from%202%2C300-4%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E11.9L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh749%2C800%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
MATCH DETAILS
Liverpool 2
Wijnaldum (14), Oxlade-Chamberlain (52)
Genk 1
Samatta (40)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.