The National

Sectarian lines should not interfere with matters of the heart

Raya Al Hassan will have a battle persuading conservatives in Lebanese society to back civil marriages

Former MI6 director says Shamima Begum should be allowed home

Richard Barrett said she should be considered as “a 15-year-old who went badly off the rails”

Spain's Socialist PM set to call snap election on Friday

The elections will take place in an increasingly fragmented political landscape in Spain

Huge Nigerian oil refinery on track for finish next year, Dangote insists

Nigerian billionaire says the plant, being built near Lagos and designed to process 650,000 barrels of crude daily, is running to deadline

UN Yemen envoy to brief Security Council on Hodeidah truce

Martin Griffiths will meet President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi in Riyadh before addressing UN

In Yemen, peace will be a process, not a moment

Building meaningful dialogue and trust is the only way to a political solution

Oman’s Duqm oil refinery secures $100m from Apicorp

The Duqm Refinery is a joint venture between Kuwait Petroleum International and Oman Oil Company

Emirati mother seeks citizenship for son left stateless in legal anomaly

Esmat Rabi and her Greek husband are unable to obtain a passport for their son because Greece does not recognise their marriage

Church of the Nativity renovation lifts Christmas spirit in Bethlehem

Officials hope it will boost tourism and a weak economy in the occupied West Bank

Portrait of a Nation: the woman behind Camp Ka Champ

Rupa Vinod came up with the idea that has transformed lives

UAE visit signals new tone on Islam for Pope Francis

As the Pope prepares to visit the UAE, Damien McElroy reflects on the Catholic leader's relationship building with Islam.

Migrant rescue ship Aquarius ends mission after obstruction

The vessel was barred from ports and faced legal action amid opposition from European states

About 50 financial firms turn to the Netherlands as Brexit looms

Companies are considering licences outside the UK to maintain access to EU customers

Qatar will withdraw from Opec on January 1

The move comes a few days before a crucial Opec meeting with its allies to decide on oil production for next year

Sicily: an Italian island erupting with history and attractions

Flydubai added a direct route to the largest of Italy's islands in the summer giving UAE residents another doable destination from the emirate

Dubai brunch brawl Briton Asa Hutchinson 'risks arrest' if she returns to the UAE

Asa Hutchinson was part of a group of three men and two women accused of assaulting a Swedish IBM executive

Why the clear blue waters of Lake Geneva are a home away from home for the leaders of the UAE

First visited by Sheikh Zayed, the spa town of Evian and nearby Geneva have proved a tonic for the country's Rulers

Choupette: the story of Karl Lagerfeld's world-famous cat

In 2017, France was home to an estimated 135,000 pet cats and Germany an impressive 137,000. The most famous cat in the world, Choupette, lived…