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Eid prayers, being John Malkovich, Rohingya crisis and more

Hello from The National's newsroom in Abu Dhabi.

UAE leaders and dignitaries have taken part in prayers across the country, marking Eid Al Adha. Our correspondent joined Eid prayers at Bani Hashim mosque in Abu Dhabi, which is a facsimile of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. We also offer a gallery on Eid prayers from around the world and the latest from Hajj.

In other local news, some recruitment consultants believe a number of employers in the UAE are actively discriminating against people from certain nations when advertising for staff.

In foreign news, Britain's National Health Service risks running out of drugs if the UK crashes out of the European Union without a deal.

Staying in the UK, an imam who preached at the same mosque the Manchester bomber attended also had links with a Muslim Brotherhood member in the Libyan government.

Our correspondent reports on the Rohingya crisis. A year on from arriving in Bangladesh having taken flight from Myanmar, their prospects appear to be in sharp decline. Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's Nobel laureate, has defended her nation's handling of the Rohingya crisis, saying the speed of the minority's repatriation is up to their host country.

Donald Trump's US administration has rejected Turkey's offer to condition the release of an American pastor on clearing a top Turkish bank of billions of dollars in fines.

In business, French oil major Total has confirmed its withdrawal from a $4.8 billion Iranian gas project, leaving the door open for co-investor China National Petroleum Company to take the lead on the asset.

In opinion, Rashmee Roshan Lall writes on the Kerala floods and the need to rapidly adapt to an unfolding crisis. Olivier Oullier discusses artificial intelligence and Faisal Al Yafai comments on Vladimir Putin's foreign policy.

In arts, actor John Malkovich reflects on his distinguished career. Now 64, the Illinois-born movie star says "I don't think personally I'm much like any character I've ever played, including John Malkovich."

Meanwhile, Michael Caine has attempted to clear up the mystery surrounding one of the most ambiguous movie endings in recent history, the closing scenes of Christopher Nolan's Inception.

In lifestyle, our fashion team decode Madonna's bizarre choice of clothes for the MTV Video Music Awards and the desk offers a brief explainer of Come Dine Dubai, a new social media show.

In sport, Italian cyclist Fabio Aru says he has "great motivation" to succeed at the Vuelta a Espana after being named leader of UAE Team Emirates for the upcoming race and we profile the Emirati teenagers looking to win jiu-jitsu gold at the Asian Games. Richard Jolly also offers his opinion on Liverpool's winning start to the EPL season and Manchester City's Vincent Kompany explains why his side are determined to mount a strong title defence this term.

All this and more in The National – look out for the print edition, visit TheNational.ae, find us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter for round-the-clock updates.

And if you're on the go, don't forget our new-and-improved app for your mobile device - available for Apple and Android – and get news alerts sent directly to you.

Nick March
Assistant Editor in Chief