• Sudanese women gather during a demonstration to commemorate the first anniversary of a deadly crackdown carried out by security forces on protesters during a sit-in outside the army headquarters, in Khartoum, Sudan. AP Photo
    Sudanese women gather during a demonstration to commemorate the first anniversary of a deadly crackdown carried out by security forces on protesters during a sit-in outside the army headquarters, in Khartoum, Sudan. AP Photo
  • Commuters wearing face masks travel on a public bus with an electronic sign reading "Wear a face mask", in Curitiba, Brazil. AFP
    Commuters wearing face masks travel on a public bus with an electronic sign reading "Wear a face mask", in Curitiba, Brazil. AFP
  • A medical sick bay for migrant workers is pictured at the Marina Cruise Center in Singapore. Reuters
    A medical sick bay for migrant workers is pictured at the Marina Cruise Center in Singapore. Reuters
  • Family members of an air hostess Anam Maqsood, who was killed in Friday's plane crash, mourn for her death at their home in Lahore, Pakistan. AP Photo
    Family members of an air hostess Anam Maqsood, who was killed in Friday's plane crash, mourn for her death at their home in Lahore, Pakistan. AP Photo
  • A man works in the making of coffins at La Amistad Funeral Home in Managua, Nicaragua. AFP
    A man works in the making of coffins at La Amistad Funeral Home in Managua, Nicaragua. AFP
  • A woman uses a rope as a makeshift pulley to hoist a bag full of groceries up to her second-floor balcony in Dhaka, Bangladesh. EPA
    A woman uses a rope as a makeshift pulley to hoist a bag full of groceries up to her second-floor balcony in Dhaka, Bangladesh. EPA
  • A man chops branches of a tree branch fallen on a road after Cyclone Amphan hit the region in Kolkata, India. AP Photo
    A man chops branches of a tree branch fallen on a road after Cyclone Amphan hit the region in Kolkata, India. AP Photo
  • A demonstrator carries a Spanish flag during a drive-in protest organised by Spain's far-right party Vox against the government's handling of the coronavirus disease pandemic in Madrid, Spain. Reuters
    A demonstrator carries a Spanish flag during a drive-in protest organised by Spain's far-right party Vox against the government's handling of the coronavirus disease pandemic in Madrid, Spain. Reuters
  • Residents look at a washed out street in the aftermath of the Sanford Dam failure, which flooded the Tittabawassee River and parts of Sanford, Michigan, USA. Reuters
    Residents look at a washed out street in the aftermath of the Sanford Dam failure, which flooded the Tittabawassee River and parts of Sanford, Michigan, USA. Reuters
  • Open and occupied graves are seen at Vila Formosa cemetery, Brazil's biggest cemetery, in Sao Paulo. Reuters
    Open and occupied graves are seen at Vila Formosa cemetery, Brazil's biggest cemetery, in Sao Paulo. Reuters

World in focus - best photos for May 23, 2020


  • English
  • Arabic

More galleries from The National:

Ramadan around the world in photos: May 23

The 10 most 'wishlisted' holiday homes on Airbnb – from Bali to Santorini

Dubai's World Islands developer insists outbreak will not kill off Heart of Europe project

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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'Top Gun: Maverick'

Rating: 4/5

 

Directed by: Joseph Kosinski

 

Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris

 
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:

Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE

Game is on BeIN Sports

CONCRETE COWBOY

Directed by: Ricky Staub

Starring: Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome

3.5/5 stars

Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

The biog

DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2)
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THE BIO

Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren

Favourite travel destination: Switzerland

Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers

Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum

Who has been sanctioned?

Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.

Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.

Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.

Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.