World leaders send condolences after Pope's death
Since the earliest days of his papacy, Pope Francis viewed the Middle East not only as the birthplace of civilisations and faiths, but as a region bleeding from decades of war, occupation, extremism and displacement.
His visits to the Middle East since 2013 were far more than ceremonial stopovers. They were pilgrimages guided by diplomacy.
In 2014, he visited Jordan, Palestine and Israel, calling for peace and interreligious understanding at a time of deepening division. Five years later, in 2019, he became the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula, attending the Human Fraternity Conference in Abu Dhabi and signing a landmark interfaith declaration with the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb.
In 2021, he defied security concerns and made a groundbreaking visit to Iraq, walking through cities scarred by ISIS, praying among the ruins of Mosul, and embracing Shiite leader Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani in a rare meeting.
The Pope then made a historic visit to Bahrain in 2022, becoming the first pontiff to set foot in the island kingdom. The trip centred on promoting interfaith relations, particularly through the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue.
The Pope, who has died aged 88, said those visits were also acts of witness. “I come as a pilgrim of peace seeking fraternity and reconciliation after years of war and terrorism," he declared when he arrived in Baghdad.
“At his last public appearance, Pope Francis repeated what had become a slogan in his pontificate of peace,” the Vatican said on Monday.
During the Easter Urbi et Orbi blessing, the day before he died, the Pope’s words echoed the countless appeals he had made over the years, urging world leaders to lay down arms and turn to dialogue.
What he said about region
Pope Francis spoke about nearly every major Middle Eastern crisis, from the wars in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Gaza, to the political breakdown in Lebanon and the suffering of migrants and religious minorities.
On Gaza, he was direct and anguished. “This is war, this is terrorism," he said. "Even children are suffering … we pray especially for the children, who are losing their lives in Gaza.”
On Yemen, where years of war and famine have devastated the country, he said: “The cry of these children and their parents rises up to God. Let us pray for the people of Yemen, especially the children.”
On Sudan, as violence engulfed country in 2023, the pontiff said: “I am close to the Sudanese people, who are already so tried. I pray that arms may be laid down and dialogue may prevail.”
Lebanon, with its fragile political system and deepening economic crisis, was close to his heart. “Lebanon is more than a country: it is a message of freedom and an example of pluralism, both for the East and the West," he said.
And on Iraq, during one of the most ambitious trips of his papacy, he said: “The church in Iraq is a living church, courageous and full of hope. Your witness has been like a grain of wheat that dies and bears fruit.”
What he said while among them
Perhaps the most stirring words the Pope offered were spoken on Middle Eastern soil.
In Abu Dhabi, he urged a new paradigm for interfaith relations: “Religious freedom is not limited to freedom of worship, but sees in the other truly a brother or sister to be loved.”
In Ur in southern Iraq, he brought together Muslims, Christians and Yazidis to say: “We believers cannot be silent when terrorism abuses religion. We must walk together, united as brothers and sisters, to bring peace.”
And at the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi, he declared: “Fraternity is the new frontier of humanity. Either we build the future together or there will be no future.”
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
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Source: American Paediatric Association
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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
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Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
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Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
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4,872 matches
1,942 teams
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76 nations
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TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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