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A military parade in Aleppo in February 2025 to mark the graduation of more than 300 soldiers. EPA

Special ReportThe many challenges in building Syria's new army

Exit139 is a first-of-its-kind Base jump event bringing together 30 of the world’s best Base jumpers to complete their ‘dream jump’ from the Burj Khalifa. Photo: XDubai

'Dream come true' to jump from Burj Khalifa, world's best Base jumpers say

India and Pakistan will play a Champions Trophy match in Dubai on Sunday. AFP

CommentNow is the time for an India-Pakistan ‘Deal of the Century’

From allies to enemies: Elon Musk and Sam Altman. AFP

AI supremacy: Elon Musk’s feud with OpenAI and Sam Altman hits high

Ragheb Alama is one of the instructors on the Maharat platform. Photo: Maharat

Why Maharat could be the Arab world’s answer to MasterClass

Heavy construction equipment line up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip on February 20, 2025, as Hamas handed over the bodies of four deceased Israeli hostages, to the Red Cross early in the morning within a truce deal with Israel. (Photo by AFP)

Beyond the HeadlinesCan Egypt’s reconstruction plan for Gaza succeed?

Joseph Parker, left, will now face late replacement Martin Bakole, right, in Riyadh this Saturday. Getty Images

Parker puts his Riyadh revival on the line against bogeyman Bakole

Trucks carrying construction materials line up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip on February 20, 2025, as Hamas handed over the bodies of four deceased Israeli hostages, to the Red Cross early in the morning within a truce deal with Israel. (Photo by AFP)

TrendingArab summit in Riyadh and Armenian church in Jerusalem facing tax threat

Live updates

Clockwise from top left, Israeli hostages Avera Mengistu, Hisham Al-Sayed, Omer Wenkert, Eliya Cohen, Tal Shem Tov and Tal Shoham. AFP

Hamas names six hostages to be released amid row over Shiri Bibas

Arab leaders to meet in Riyadh to review Gaza reconstruction plan
'Somehow, we adapt': Gazans desperately waiting for shelters describe living without power, water or walls

EU to lift energy, transport and financial sanctions on Syria

Snow covers a palm tree by the Sultanahmet Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque, in Istanbul. Reuters

Heavy snow causes chaos in Istanbul as Arctic storm hits Turkey

Sweden charges ‘crime boss’ accused of running Iran-linked Foxtrot gang

Emma Raducanu in visible distress during her match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday. Photo: X

Dubai authorities detain man who harassed Raducanu but tennis star drops charges

UAE to send 300 tonnes of food to Gaza in Ramadan aid drive

Dubai chef’s killer found guilty after dropping sunglasses at scene

In focus

Former Brazil striker Giovane Elber draws Liverpool. Reuters

Champions League: Real Madrid face derby against Atletico, Liverpool draw PSG

Zegna says the move is supported by the organiser of Milan Fashion Week. Photo: Zegna

Zegna chooses Dubai to unveil first collection outside Milan

A NIO Inc ET7 electric vehicle on display at the NIO House showroom in Berlin, Germany, last July. Bloomberg

CommentChina cannot be contained - just look at their products

Artists dressed as different characters from Hindu mythology perform during a religious procession for the Maha Shivratri in Allahabad, India. Getty Images

Maha Shivratri: When is the Hindu festival and why is this year’s momentous?

Jennifer Lopez performed to a sold-out crowd in Abu Dhabi. Getty

Jennifer Lopez review: Superstar delivers emotional throwback in Abu Dhabi

Renderings of the Dream of the Desert train, which will travel from Riyadh to Al Qurayyat in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Saudi Arabia Railways

Saudi Arabia unveils luxury desert train designs

Sorry Cinema, one of the films in From Ground Zero, offers a letter of apology to the art form. Photo: Rashid Masharawi

From Ground Zero curator on Oscars praise and showing the real Palestine

The seventh generation of the Nissan Patrol was first unveiled in Abu Dhabi last year. Photo: Nissan

Nissan Patrol 2025: Winning formula remains intact

Video

Middle East at a crossroads: Peace or conflict?

The National analyses the latest developments at a pivotal moment for the region.

Israeli PM Netanyahu says Hamas will pay for not returning Shiri Bibas’s body

Israeli PM Netanyahu says Hamas will pay for not returning Shiri Bibas’s body

Heavy snowfall in Turkey: Travel chaos and freezing temperatures

Heavy snowfall in Turkey: Travel chaos and freezing temperatures

Three buses destroyed in 'suspected terror attack' near Tel Aviv

Three buses destroyed in 'suspected terror attack' near Tel Aviv

Egyptian kings clash: Salah vs Marmoush - who will triumph?

Egyptian kings clash: Salah vs Marmoush - who will triumph?

Gaza ceasefire

Tents pitched amid the destruction in the city of Jabalia, Gaza. AP

Gazans without power, water or walls wait for shelters to arrive

Shattered glass is seen in front of an image of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas, who is believed to have died in captivity in Gaza. Reuters

Body returned by Hamas is not Bibas mother or any hostage, Israel says

US President Donald Trump with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in Washington. Reuters

Israeli experts see potential in the chaos of Trump's first month back

Palestinians in Gaza sit around a fire in the rubble of destroyed buildings during the Israeli offensive. Reuters

Labour MPs lobby Keir Starmer to allow Gaza families into UK

Israelis protest to demand the release of hostages held captive in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led militants. AFP

Israeli hostage Oded Lifshitz killed in captivity by Islamic Jihad, Israel says

Workers operate machinery with Egyptian flags, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Reuters

ExclusiveEgypt's five-year plan for Gaza

Destruction across the city of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip. The UN, World Bank and EU say it will cost $53 billion to rebuild Gaza. AP

Gaza not ready for rebuilding amid security and governance hurdles, UN says

Mohammed Al Amarin gets ready to hand out slices of pizza from his mobile kitchen. Mohammed Abu Amra for The National

Palestinian pizza truck gives free food to Gazan families

A record number of nurses and midwives have applied to leave the UK and relocate abroad.

ExclusiveUK nurses flock to Middle East as record numbers leave NHS

At least one person a day leaves Britain to go to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, or Qatar, figures reveal

Gazans without power, water or walls wait for shelters to arrive

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US special presidential envoy for Russia and Ukraine Keith Kellogg at their meeting in Kyiv. EPA

Zelenskyy and Trump’s Ukraine envoy scrap public comments as tension grows

Oil prices set for weekly gain on supply concerns and weaker dollar

A rendering of the Etlaq Space Launch Complex. Photo: Nascom

Oman set to launch five rockets from new spaceport in 2025 with fan zone to open to public

President Sheikh Mohamed to begin state visit to Italy on Monday

Swiatek calls on WTA to ‘keep us safe’ in wake of Raducanu incident

Trump calls Zelenskyy a ‘dictator’ and tells him to move fast or risk losing Ukraine

Thutmose II's tomb is biggest archaeological find in Egypt in a century

Business

Culture

A Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal in Novorossiysk, southern Russia. Shipments through the pipeline – Kazakhstan's main export route – fell 40 per cent after a drone attack. Getty Images

Oil prices set for weekly gain on supply concerns and weaker dollar

Trump's energy expansion plan faces major obstacles, including his own policies

Etihad Airways posts record 2024 profit on strong travel demand

Culture

Weekly UAE museum and gallery guide

El Seed reveals inspiration behind new public artwork in Dubai

Eugene Onegin, on show in Dubai on Friday, is Tchaikovsky's most popular opera. Photo: Dubai Opera

Review: Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece Eugene Onegin shines at Dubai Opera

Music & On-stage

Beyond the Headlines

Beyond the Headlines

Delve deeper into the biggest stories from the Middle East and around the world

Culture Bites

Culture Bites

Your guide to the arts and culture scene in the UAE

Business Extra

Business Extra

The stories, companies, trends, tech, Innovation and leaders shaping your world

Trending Middle East

Trending Middle East

The top news stories, field reports and insights from the Middle East and beyond

Pictures of the Day

Contestants vying to represent Chola and Chuta, traditional characters in the Bolivian Carnival, dance during an election ceremony, in El Alto, Bolivia. AP

Elon Musk receives what he called 'the chainsaw of democracy', symbolising cutting government spending, from Argentina's President Javier Milei at a conference in Maryland. AP

The Obelisco de Buenos Aires in the Argentine capital is illuminated with an image of Pope Francis, 88, who is in hospital in Rome with pneumonia. AFP

Japan's Riku Miura in a spin at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul, South Korea. AP

People play Pokemon Go on their smartphones on the opening day of the Pokemon Go tour in New Taipei City, Taiwan. AFP

A restorer of cultural relics at work in the Palace Museum during a media tour organised by the Chinese government in Beijing. AFP

A mass burial takes place for victims of clashes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, at a cemetery in Bukavu. The DRC army is struggling to counter the advance of M23 rebels. AFP

Customs officials display confiscated luxury cars in Taguig city, Metro Manila, the Philippines. The vehicles were suspected of being smuggled into the country without proper payment of duties. EPA

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks to reporters in Washington, after a war of words between US President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy. AP

Contestants vying to represent Chola and Chuta, traditional characters in the Bolivian Carnival, dance during an election ceremony, in El Alto, Bolivia. AP

Elon Musk receives what he called 'the chainsaw of democracy', symbolising cutting government spending, from Argentina's President Javier Milei at a conference in Maryland. AP

The Obelisco de Buenos Aires in the Argentine capital is illuminated with an image of Pope Francis, 88, who is in hospital in Rome with pneumonia. AFP

Japan's Riku Miura in a spin at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul, South Korea. AP

People play Pokemon Go on their smartphones on the opening day of the Pokemon Go tour in New Taipei City, Taiwan. AFP

A restorer of cultural relics at work in the Palace Museum during a media tour organised by the Chinese government in Beijing. AFP

A mass burial takes place for victims of clashes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, at a cemetery in Bukavu. The DRC army is struggling to counter the advance of M23 rebels. AFP

Customs officials display confiscated luxury cars in Taguig city, Metro Manila, the Philippines. The vehicles were suspected of being smuggled into the country without proper payment of duties. EPA

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks to reporters in Washington, after a war of words between US President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy. AP

Contestants vying to represent Chola and Chuta, traditional characters in the Bolivian Carnival, dance during an election ceremony, in El Alto, Bolivia. AP

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UAE Tour: Merlier claims Stage 5 as Pogacar extends overall lead

Bayut celebrates UAE real estate professionals at annual awards

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid launches Dh1 billion fund to provide health care for the poor

Animal welfare group gets government backing to boost care for strays

Armed factions in Syria demand rights amid integration

UK nurses flock to Middle East as record numbers leave NHS

Which roads are closed for Spinneys Dubai 92 cycling race this week?

Cartoon for February 21, 2025

Iga Swiatek calls on WTA to 'keep us safe' in wake of Emma Raducanu incident in Dubai

2025 Escalade plays ‘a pivotal role in Cadillac’s vision for the future'

Emma Raducanu loses at Dubai Tennis Championships after encountering man ‘exhibiting fixated behaviour’

Emma Raducanu loses at Dubai Tennis Championships after encountering man ‘exhibiting fixated behaviour’

Tennis players recall bad experiences with fans after Raducanu incident

Tennis players recall bad experiences with fans after Raducanu incident

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