Shadi's take on Iraq's water reserves falling to their lowest level in 80 years

Special report: Unwed expat mothers in legal limbo hope new visa laws will help them

A mother’s plea for her children ‘illegally’ in UAE to be sent home to India

Illegal dependents can apply for visa amnesty, say lawyers

• Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
• Premier League-standard football pitch
• 400m Olympic running track
• NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
• 600-seat auditorium
• Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
• An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
• Specialist robotics and science laboratories
• AR and VR-enabled learning centres
• Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.

The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so and both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU.

We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle for all. 

Read more:

Millennials step up campaign against plastic

Plastic associations point to recycling and consumer behaviour for pollution

Woman with genetic disorder says single use plastics are 'vital' to her life

Sand storm

• Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
• Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
• Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
• Travel distance: Limited 
• Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

• Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
• Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
• Duration: Can linger for days
• Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
• Source: Can be carried from distant regions

Mageed Yahia, director of WFP in UAE: Coronavirus knows no borders, and neither should the response

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

• Alistair Burt: Despite Brexit, Britain can remain a world power
• Sam Williams: Departure is influenced by its sense of place

Tobacco giants, under attack from governments and forced to print gruesome warnings on their products, pour millions into 'healthier' e-cigarette products

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Abu Dhabi tower demolition: calls for more clarity on tenant rights

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?

Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'

Fast facts on Neil Armstrong’s personal life:

• Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio
• He earned his private pilot’s license when he was 16 – he could fly before he could drive
• There was tragedy in his married life: Neil and Janet Armstrong’s daughter Karen died at the age of two in 1962 after suffering a brain tumour. She was the couple’s only daughter. Their two sons, Rick and Mark, consulted on the film
• After Armstrong departed Nasa, he bought a farm in the town of Lebanon, Ohio, in 1971 – its airstrip allowed him to tap back into his love of flying
• In 1994, Janet divorced Neil after 38 years of marriage. Two years earlier, Neil met Carol Knight, who became his second wife in 1994 

Read more:

'We should be ashamed of ourselves': plastic waste chokes the seas

Millennials step up campaign against plastic

Woman with genetic disorder says single use plastics are 'vital' to her life

Ed Husain: The far left is trying to hijack Muslim minds in the West

Sulaiman Hakemy: Why it is very important to lose elections

Rashmee Roshan Lall: US race relations in three words

Gavin Esler: Coronavirus offers stinging rebuke to protectionists

Kareem Shaheen: Pandemics can save us from waging wars

Sholto Byrnes: Why the climate change clash will get nastier

Directed by: Jeethu Joseph

Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy

Rating: 4 stars

UAE coins

Dh5 note

Dh10 note

Dh20 note

Away from Dubai's glitz, Hatta is where present and past collide 

A rare glimpse of Bedouin life in the humble border town of Qoa

How old Dubai moved with the times and kept its heart

Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)

Number in service: 6

Complement 191 (space for up to 285)

Top speed: over 32 knots

Range: Over 7,000 nautical miles

Length 152.4 m

Displacement: 8,700 tonnes

Beam:   21.2 m

Draught: 7.4 m

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

• Remittance charges will be tackled by blockchain

• UAE's monumental and risky Mars Mission to inspire future generations, says minister

• Could the UAE drive India's economy?

• News has a bright future and the UAE is at the heart of it

• Architecture is over - here's cybertecture

• The National announces Future of News journalism competition

• Round up: Experts share their visions of the world to come

• Flexible work arrangements
• Pension support
• Mental well-being assistance
• Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
• Financial well-being incentives 

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

Youth take centre stage for this year's Zayed Sustainability Prize

What is the Zayed Sustainability Prize?

Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm

Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km

National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate

Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead

Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble

Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks

Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence

Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground

Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile

UAE 'urgently needs crisis helplines' for teenagers struggling with mental health

Culture of acceptance needed to combat teen mental health issues, say experts

Netflix suicide drama 13 Reasons Why prompts young people in UAE to discuss mental health 

Editorial: The US-Taliban deal is only the first step to peace

Ken Hedricks: The Afghan scorpion farmer harvesting valuable venom for international buyers

Sulaiman Hakemy: Afghanistan's election results are finally released, but leadership remains overdue

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue  
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family

Managing the separation process

• Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
• Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
• Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
• If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
• The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
• Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
• Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.  

US VP candidate Kamala Harris and the complexity of racial identity

Beirut blasts: What do we do with the world's ammonium nitrate?

How the pandemic is testing the solidarity of the European Union

When it comes to peace, is the EU really a great power?

Damien McElroy: Anti-science attitudes in America are proving lethal

Editorial: What makes the UAE such a good place to test vaccines?

Editorial: The fight against Covid-19 should be guided by science

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

UAE's takeaway culture sparks environmental concern

Staff at Abu Dhabi veterinary clinic help tackle plastic waste

My son and I were lucky to access the best of US health care

US election: the roots of a dirty 2020 campaign stretch deep into American political history

This is America, a dystopian city on a hill

UAE coins

Dh5 note

Dh10 note

Dh20 note

Aya Iskandarani: Why Hezbollah’s man in Iraq is now worth $10 million to the US

Khaled Yacoub Oweis: Hezbollah bids to control Lebanon’s financial system

National Editorial: Hezbollah's murky dealings in Iraq have been unveiled

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km

Price: from Dh94,900

On sale: now

Coronavirus: scores of Indian medics arrive in UAE to join fight against Covid-19

Indian nurses tell of emotional farewells after answering 'call to serve' in UAE

Indian medics allowed to enter UAE to tackle Covid-19

Dh1,000 for a four-year-old: private schools' uniform policy leaves families out of pocket

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?

Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'

The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?

Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead

Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble

Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks

Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence

Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground

Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile

Crown Prince reveals Tomorrow 2021 plan for Abu Dhabi's economy

The UAE explained: What are the new plans for the economy and why do we need them?

Abu Dhabi's plans to liberalise the economy are progressing fast - but how are other countries planning for post-oil?

UAE-wide visa changes: Expats imagine life after work in the UAE

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate

Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead

Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble

Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks

Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence

Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile

Campaigners call for UAE supermarkets to charge for plastic bags

UAE's takeaway culture sparks environmental concern

Tim Southee (capt), Trent Boult (games 4 and 5), Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson (games 1-3), Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner

Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action

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?

Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'

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

Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'

Thursday Beat Sydney 2-0 in Sydney

Saturday v Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney

Wednesday v Bayern Munich in Shanghai

July 22 v Chelsea in Beijing

July 29 v Benfica in London

July 30 v Sevilla in London

• Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
• Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
• Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
• Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
• Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
• Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
• Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.

MORE FROM ED HUSAIN: The UAE-Israel accord is a win for every Muslim

Special report: Unwed expat mothers in legal limbo hope new visa laws will help them

A mother’s plea for her children ‘illegally’ in UAE to be sent home to India

Overstay visa families told to settle cases before seeking amnesty

UAE parents angry at rising cost of 'poor quality' school uniforms

UAE coins

Dh5 note

Dh10 note

Dh20 note

National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate

Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead

Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble

Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks

Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence

Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground

Rashmee Roshan Lall: Sound of silence in South Asia

1987

1954

1921

1888

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

Falcon demand driving region's bird smuggling trade

UAE ranks high for animal trafficking as smugglers target Dubai International Airport, report finds

Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)

Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no

Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)

Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22

Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

Fifa Club World Cup:

When: December 6-16
Where: Games to take place at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi and Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain
Defending champions: Real Madrid

Sui Dhaaga: Made in India

Director: Sharat Katariya

Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav

3.5/5

Exclusive: Trans Emiratis fight for recognition of new gender after reassignment surgery abroad

'I pretend I'm dumb so they can't hear my voice': Transgender Emirati on posing as a woman for work

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed

Rating: 1.5/5

Mumbai Indians 186-6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 183-5 (20 ovs)

Mumbai Indians won by three runs

UAE to launch new national orchestra for Emiratis and residents

New Emirati national orchestra will help tackle schools' 'apathy' towards music

National Editorial: New national orchestra will bring its harmonies to the world

Opinion: How the UAE's new national orchestra can future-proof itself 

A rare glimpse of Bedouin life in the humble border town of Qoa

The changing face of Mussaffah

Hatta, where present and past collide

How old Dubai moved with the times and kept its heart

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 two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Young Emiratis are real target of fake news, Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis hears

Majlis 2018: Young Emiratis see entrepreneurship and innovation on the horizon

'Pursue what you love - not just a high salary', universities minister tells young Emiratis

'I pretend I'm dumb so they can't hear my voice': Transgender Emirati on posing as a woman for work

'The person in the mirror was not me': Emirati tells of gender struggle from childhood to adulthood

Neighbourhood Watch: away from Dubai's glitz, Hatta is where present and past collide 

Neighbourhood Watch: A rare glimpse of Bedouin life in the humble border town of Qoa

Neighbourhood Watch: Al Ghadeer, the Abu Dhabi satellite town that could be the future of transport