Hello from The National's newsroom in Abu Dhabi.
The people have spoken and Jordan's incoming prime minister Omar Razzaz yesterday promised to withdraw a controversial income tax law that ignited nationwide protests and general strikes. Mr Razzaz's announcement, which followed a meeting with MPs, was widely cheered by Jordanians on social media but did not address how his government would balance the demands of the street with rescuing the economy.
A United Nations peace plan for Yemen calls on the Houthi rebels to give up their ballistic missiles in return for an end to a bombing campaign against them by a Saudi-led coalition and a transitional governance agreement, according to a draft of the document and sources. The plan, which has not yet been made public and could still be modified, is the latest effort to end Yemen's three-year-old civil war, which has spawned one of the world's worst humanitarian calamities.
In an exclusive and powerful report, Florian Neuhof visits Gaza's ravaged hospitals which are being forced to prematurely release patients at risk of amputation or death to make space for the next wave of people injured by Israeli brutality.
Iraq's supreme court yesterday backed demands for a full manual ballot recount in a move that could further delay the formation of a new government.
And our report Gareth Browne visits northern England to meet 40-year-old Abdul Ahad, a speaker and imam at the Al Azhar mosque in the town of South Shields. Mr Ahad has become a powerful voice in the fight against extremist thinking - and the UK government's go-to person to de-radicalise people.
In local news, almost Dh2 billion has been spent by Dubai on alleviating poverty, boosting education and providing humanitarian aid to millions of people in 68 countries. That's the result of last year's Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global initiatives programme. A breakdown of the spending revealed that Dh194 million was pumped into relief aid, with health accounting for Dh477m, education Dh634m, while Dh396m was spent on innovation and entrepreneurship.
Our weekend essay comes from Con Coughlin who argues that, a year in to the Arab Quartet's boycott of Qatar, Doha cannot evade accountability by embracing Tehran.
In Business, we exclusively report, Brazil's Embraer, which is in talks with Boeing for a jet joint venture, is boosting efforts to woo Middle East buyers for its aircraft as the US withdrawal from a nuclear deal with Tehran slammed shut Iran's lucrative market for the plane maker.
John McAuley in Sport speak to Egypt team manager Ehab Leheta who has waited 28 years to see his country in action at a World Cup.
In our super Weekend supplement, there's something for everyone. We review the Jaguar I-Pace and ask if it a game-change for electric cars? In fashion, we look at Adler and the brand's high-end jewellery with a sense on whimsy. We spend some time in glorious Cambridge in England, which is very reachable from Emirates airlines new destination, Stanstead. Our Postcard looks at the Syrians finding a home in the land of the Moors, Selina Denman, in her weekly column, comments on the Qatar Airways CEO's chauvinism. And in Timeframe, we look back six year to when pop superstar Madonna (and her audience) challenged the UAE summer to perform in Abu Dhabi.
And, in case you missed it, Emirates planes could soon go windowless to make them lighter, faster and safer.
All this and more in The National today – look out for the print edition, visit TheNational.ae, find us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter for round-the-clock updates.
Have a great weekend,
Nic Ridley
Production editor
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Favourite Emirati dish: Fish machboos
Favourite spice: Cumin
Family: mother, three sisters, three brothers and a two-year-old daughter
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 (Gundogan 56')
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 (Solomon 69')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Previous men's records
- 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
- 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
- 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
- 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
- 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
- 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
- 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
- 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
- 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
- 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
