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On today's episode, the SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi and his crew mates is due to dock with the International Space Station at 10.17am UAE time after a rocket launch that enthralled the Arab world.
The UAE passport jumps more than 30 places from last year and is ranked the most powerful in the world, according to an annual list compiled by offshore consulting firm Nomad Capitalist.
A passageway, nine metres in length and 2.1 metres wide, has been discovered inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt’s tourism minister revealed at an unveiling ceremony at the Giza plateau. The previously hidden corridor is the latest discovery of the ScanPyramids project, a mission made up of heritage experts from Cairo University and the French Heritage Innovation Preservation Institute.
The US imposes sanctions on 20 Iran-linked shipping vessels and six petroleum companies in the latest measures enacted against Tehran. Among the companies affected is Vietnam-based Golden Lotus Oil Gas and Real Estate Joint Stock Company, which operates a fleet of oil and gas tankers.


![A damaged car and a damaged building are seen at the site of a strike in Bartalla in the northern Iraqi Nineveh province on July 29, 2026. US-Saudi strikes on Iraq on July 29 killed at least 20 members of a former paramilitary alliance that includes pro-Iran groups, the alliance said. The United States and Saudi Arabia said they had struck Iran-backed militants in Iraq in response to attacks on US forces and Saudi oil facilities. (Photo by Zaid AL-OBEIDI / AFP) / Attention editors: AFP covers the war in the Middle East through its extensive regional network, including bureaus in Tehran, Jerusalem and several neighboring countries. Since the start of the conflict, journalists have been working under increasingly restrictive conditions. Authorities in several countries have limited reporters’ movements, photo and live video coverage from sensitive locations. Some governments and armed groups have banned images of missile or drone strikes and other security-related sites. / “The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Ziad OBEID has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: corrects byline [Zaid AL-OBEIDI] instead of [Ziad OBEID]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. ”](https://www.thenationalnews.com/resizer/v2/PLSC2TSQZTFNYGSCPBJVUPIB2I.jpg?smart=true&auth=b0d3bd2d2b21bfcd8f9d5a89db763ef91727ee31e46f2bd5651027a66d97a8f5&width=124&height=69)
