Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will remain in hospital for an eighth day on Sunday, his office said, contradicting earlier reports that he would be discharged.
The 83-year-old leader, a heavy smoker, is being treated for a lung infection at the Istishari Arab Hospital near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. He had been expected to be released from hospital on Sunday but this was postponed, Mr Abbas' office said in a text message.
Saed Sarahna, the head of the hospital, said on Saturday that Mr Abbas was in excellent health, but doctors had not yet decided the date of his release.
The Palestinian president was hospitalised on May 20 following an ear operation, while he also complained of chest pains.
During his stay at the hospital, Mr Abbas spoke to regional politicians and lawmakers to reassure them of his health.
He held talks with China's Middle East special envoy, Gong Xiaosheng, at Istishari hospital on Saturday, reported the Wafa Palestinian news agency.
Pictures of Mr Abbas walking around the hospital and reading a newspaper were released last week as his health has been the subject of much speculation.
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Read more
Palestinian leader Abbas recovering hospital, aide says
Abbas's hospital stint highlights risk of sudden departure
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His hospital treatment has raised the question of succession, but no names have been announced on who might be the next president.
Earlier this year, Mr Abbas underwent "routine medical tests" in the United States.
In 2005, Mr Abbas won a four-year term as president, but he has since remained in office without further elections.
Mr Abbas says the split between his Fatah party and the Islamist Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip, has made it impossible to hold elections.
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Kathryn Hawkes of House of Hawkes on being a good guest (because we’ve all had bad ones)
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- Leave no trace of your stay – if you’ve borrowed a book, return it to where you found it.
- Offer to strip the bed before you go.
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Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
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UAE's role in anti-extremism recognised
General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s "hugely outsized" role in the fight against Isis.
"It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism," he said.
He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Results
Ashraf Ghani 50.64 per cent
Abdullah Abdullah 39.52 per cent
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar 3.85 per cent
Rahmatullah Nabil 1.8 per cent
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More election coverage
Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.
The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.
The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.
The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.
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On Women's Day
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?
Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality
The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?
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The Vile
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Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
The Cockroach
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