TheNational hamburger logo

Abu Dhabi, UAEMonday 4 January 2021

Prayer timing hamburger logo Prayer Times
Weather hamburger logo Weather

One year after Suleimani's killing, Iran has learnt nothing
Con Coughlin banner image Con Coughlin
African-Americans Protesting Segregation in the US in 1950. A decade later, at issue was the ongoing quest of African-Americans not to be subjected to overt or barely concealed discrimination. Corbis

America's racial reckoning is at a dangerous point
A student from the American University of Beirut holds up a placard during a protest against the adjustment of the dollar rate for new tuition fees, in Beirut last week. AP Photo

From placards to political power: these student protesters are Lebanon’s future
Sheikh Zayed with the Rulers of the GCC countries during the first summit in Abu Dhabi in 1981. National Archives

GCC Summit comes at a critical time for the Middle East and the US
A vendor decorates his toy store ahead of the New Year in Kuwait City. AFP

Here's to 2021 being a landmark recovery year
EDITOR'S PICKS
A Sudanese man repairs a laptop in front of stocks of spare parts downtown in the capital Khartoum, on December 14, 2020. The United States removed Sudan from its state sponsors of terrorism blacklist and declared a "fundamental change" in relations. AFP

The Middle East in 2021: what lies ahead?

MENA
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, chairs a Cabinet meeting. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid's message after 15 years as Prime Minister

UAE Government
Saudi Arabian actor Mubarak Al Khasi built a career as a dependable supporting actor. Twitter

Farewell to actor Mubarak Al Khasi: Saudi Arabia’s small screen man

Television
2021 reading list

2021 reading list: 20 anticipated books to look out for this year

Books
Senator David Perdue is locked in a tight race with Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff for one of two Senate seats for Georgia up for grabs on Tuesday.  AFP

Trump, Biden and Harris to head to Georgia for high-stakes run-off vote

The Americas
Shadi Ghanim's take on New Year celebrations in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic

Cartoon for January 4, 2021
Shadi Ghanim's take on Brexit

Cartoon for January 3, 2021
Shadi Ghanim's take on a hopefully happier year ahead of us all

Cartoon for January 1, 2021
Shadi Ghanim's take on 2020 – the year of the pandemic

Cartoon for December 31, 2020
Shadi Ghanim's take on the roadblocks being encountered by Joe Biden's transition team

Cartoon for December 30, 2020
Shadi Ghanim's take on the hopes the world is pinning on the Covid-19 vaccines

Cartoon for December 29, 2020
Shadi Ghanim's take on the place the year 2020 is likely to hold in history books

Cartoon for December 28, 2020
Shadi Ghanim's take on the impact of the stalemate over Lebanon's cabinet formation on the pound

Cartoon for December 27, 2020
Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping are seen on screen during the video conference. Reuters

Why a post-Brexit EU will be tougher to deal with
The Dead Sea in Jordan is part of a region that is slowly drying up and could be gone completely in 50 years if no action is taken. Reuters

A precious natural resource that Covid-19 put a lot of strain on
Al Zorah nature reserve in Ajman. In an indirect way, the pandemic gave biodiversity a chance to thrive. But we need a long-term plan to sustain it.

If 2020 gave us pause, 2021 is a time to act on climate change
A thermal scanner checks people coming in for Covid-19 screening at a testing centre in the UAE. Technology is proving decisive in the battle against coronavirus. Victor Besa / The National

A robust healthcare system is key to a nation’s resilience
Moments shortly after a strike on Aden Airport, which was thought to have targeted a plane carrying members of a new unity government. AFP

The Aden attack rocks a potential fresh start for Yemen
A Remainer unfurls the UK and EU flags outside the European Parliament in Brussels earlier this year. UK PM Boris Johnson believes the two entities can maintain excellent relations despite the split. AP Photo

A sovereign Britain will still be a global force to reckon with
Veterans Bureau employee Viola LaLonde and Census Bureau employee Elizabeth Van Tuyl pose beside a Ford automobile before making their cross-country drive from Washington, DC to San Francisco. Getty

Stop the comparisons – the decade we're entering is nothing like the 'Roaring' 1920s
Healthcare workers at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi. Photo: Reem Mohammed / The National

There are lessons to be drawn from the UAE's managing of Covid-19

Maria Carmen Cortes, 45, a nurse at the Somontano residence and several health workers celebrate moments after receiving one of the first Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines on December 27, 2020 in Barbastro, Spain. Getty

Good news about the vaccines but some way to go
The Louvre museum in Paris will be the site for a livestream New Year 2021 concert with DJ David Guetta. AFP

The year the world changed us
A man rides his bicycle in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa last week. AFP

Syrian conflict needs attention after being put on the backburner
Leaders and trade ministers of 15 Asia-Pacific nations signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in Hanoi, Vietnam, last month. Asean's great strength is that it is the convener and originator of the economic and diplomatic architecture of the Asia-Pacific, including RCEP, the world's largest trade deal. EPA

Asia's post-pandemic stress test begins in 2021
Read More