This year, in addition to the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic fallout, Canada confronted myriad challenges, including grappling with its historic mistreatment of indigenous people and battling the devastating effects of climate change.
In May, the grim discovery of more than 200 unmarked graves at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in the Canadian province of British Columbia shocked the world and forced Canada to reckon with its treatment of indigenous communities.
For more than a century, the Canadian government, often with the help of the Catholic Church, operated a large network of schools designed to forcibly assimilate the country's indigenous peoples.
Indigenous children, some as young as three, were taken from their homes without their parents’ permission and left at boarding schools across the country, where they were not allowed to use their native languages, were severely punished for disobedience and often experienced sexual abuse.
The last school was only closed in the mid-1990s.
In August, The National travelled to British Columbia to speak with survivors of the residential school system.
Sam George attended the St Paul Indian Residential School in North Vancouver and described years of abuse at the hands of the nuns there.
“There was a lot of verbal abuse, 'stupid, ugly, savage, dumb Indian', whatever they could think of, all while they were pulling our hair or punching us,” he told The National.
Mr George said one of the nuns sexually assaulted him repeatedly over a two-year period.
“Everything she did to me, or made me do to her, they told us, 'If you do this or do that, you're condemned to hell before you're married', so I was condemned to hell,” he said.
The discovery at the Kamloops Indian Residential School led to similar discoveries across the country.
“When we think of the confirmation of unmarked graves of the Kamloops Indian Residential School children, these are children who were forcefully removed from their families and communities and then never returned home,” said Rosanne Casimir, chief of Tk'emlups te Secwepemc.
“The impacts are deep and heavy for Tk’emlups te Secwepemc but the impacts go far beyond our community, as the Kamloops Indian Residential School was the largest school of the federally mandated system, opening its doors in 1890.”
Following the discovery, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau established a National Day of Truth and Reconciliation to be held every September 30. It is meant to be an opportunity for non-indigenous Canadians to learn about the country’s past and to think about how indigenous people are still treated today.
Chief Casimir said that while she is honoured by the support she has received since May, a lot of work still needs to be done.
“I have also bore witness to some distressing denialism and racism. To those who tell us to 'get over it', it is clear that they do not understand that survivors, intergenerational survivors and indigenous communities continue to feel the repercussions of the Indian residential schools today.”
Fire and floods
As the country struggled with its ugly past, it also wrestled with its climate future.
At the end of June, soaring temperatures the likes of which Canada had never seen before led to a series of devastating wildfires in British Columbia.
The tiny town of Lytton, for example was wiped off the map in the fires.
While wildfires are a yearly occurrence in Canada, the 2021 season was especially bad.
A report commissioned by Environment and Climate Change Canada in 2019 found the country is warming at twice the global average, leading to intense wildfire seasons and increased flooding.
In November, western Canada registered record rainfall that wiped out motorways and turned fields into lakes, leaving thousands without power and hundreds homeless.
Mr Trudeau formed a federal committee to help the western provinces manage their recovery from the floods, but he expressed hopes the committee will put in place measures that prepare the province for future extreme weather events caused by climate change.
Heading into the new year, Canada will face the choice of making amends for the sordid past and working together to build a safer climate future, or continuing to sweep its problems under the rug.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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”.
Poacher
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The five pillars of Islam
Scores
Bournemouth 0-4 Liverpool
Arsenal 1-0 Huddersfield Town
Burnley 1-0 Brighton
Manchester United 4-1 Fulham
West Ham 3-2 Crystal Palace
Saturday fixtures:
Chelsea v Manchester City, 9.30pm (UAE)
Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur, 11.45pm (UAE)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The biog
Favourite film: The Notebook
Favourite book: What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey
Favourite quote: “Social equality is the only basis of human happiness” Nelson Madela. Hometown: Emmen, The Netherlands
Favourite activities: Walking on the beach, eating at restaurants and spending time with friends
Job: Founder and Managing Director of Mawaheb from Beautiful Peopl
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
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
Company%20Profile
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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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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