Mina Al-Oraibi

Iraqi Prime Minister Al Sudani confirms candidacy for November elections | The National Parliamentary vote will be the first to be held after electoral law amendments

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani is to run in November’s landmark elections, he tells The National’s Editor-in-Chief @aloraibi.bsky.social during the Sulaimani Forum in Sulaymaniyah

When I was w/friends in Ain Sokhna I explained Operation Aspides, Greek for “shield”, we launched Febr 2024 in response to Houthi attacks on shipping Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Suez Canal; it provides close protection commercial ships, intercepts strikes on them, monitors & assesses potential threats 👇

Trump calls detained activist Mahmoud Khalil 'radical foreign pro-Hamas student' | The National Judge temporarily blocks effort to deport Palestinian activist

www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2025... On Khalil Mahmoud's detention, @NadiaAbuElHaj1 told @TheNationalNews “This is not the rule of law. There are no substantive accusations against Mahmoud Khalil. There is no evidence against him of ever having broken the law. So why is he being abducted?”

Elon Musk has a very bad day as investors go into full-blown panic mode | The National World's richest man lost $22 billion. And that was just on Monday

Elon Musk has a very bad day as investors go into full-blown panic mode

www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/2025...

Aid cuts are a ‘punch in the gut’, says UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher | The National Official speaks to The National as he marks his first 100 days in 'the toughest job in the world'

UN humanitarian chief @tomfletcherun.bsky.social speaks to The National's @aloraibi.bsky.social, emphasising the need for "innovative thinking" and diversifying funding amid cuts from several Western donors. He also shared insights from his visit to Gaza and talks with Syria’s new leadership.

Is X down? Outage affects users globally - Ironically sharing here

Aid cuts are a ‘punch in the gut’, says UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher | The National

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher tells The National that aid cuts are a ''punch in the gut'' and describes the devastation in Gaza as “worse than anything I’ve seen”.

Exiled Syrians reclaim Palmyra but face a struggle to rebuild | The National First families to return after fall of Assad regime find trail of destruction

Read more on how Al Shehab is using any means he can to rebuild his home to allow his family to return:

In the last 5 years, there have been 23 mentions of Oasis tickets, 5899 mentions of Debt, 1634 mentions of National Debt, 1026 to British Debt, and 434 to Household debt.

UN Security Council calls on Lebanon to 'swiftly' form a government | The National Nawaf Salam, who has been nominated as prime minister, has been consulting with political parties before drawing up a list of cabinet members

www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2025...

TikTok ban deadline: ‘In no way should it go dark on Sunday,’ says Democratic senator | The National Edward Markey urges President Joe Biden to give TikTok more time

Senator Edward Markey said that Democrats in the chamber are continuing to push to extend the deadline that could lead to TikTok being banned in the US by the weekend

#Technology

8 Simmering Threats You Shouldn’t Ignore in 2025 From Moldova to Mexico, these conflicts are currently flying under the radar but could emerge as major flash points.

What 8 simmering threats could erupt in 2025? I take a stab at answering, along with @emmamashford.bsky.social @nickaspinwall.bsky.social @elisabethbraw.bsky.social Markus Garlauskas @aloraibi.bsky.social Natia Seskuria @sushantsingh.bsky.social foreignpolicy.com/2025/01/02/m...

Energy This Week in @thenationalnews.com : Opec cuts demand forecast, what next for Syrian oil after Assad?, & Gulf could use cheap renewables for data centre boom
www.linkedin.com/pulse/energy...

Kamal Adwan Hospital is experiencing intense bombing by Israel, despite it being one of the few barely operational facilities in northern Gaza, the enclave's health authorities have said. The WHO called the situation "deeply worrisome", urging an immediate ceasefire to protect patients and staff

Syria after Assad can use its rich history to build a bright future | The National But to reclaim its past glory, the country will need a confluence of critical factors to align – including luck

Sultan Al Qassemi explores why the fall of the Assad regime in Syria marks a "black swan event" and how the nation's rich history, strategic assets and cultural legacy position it for "stellar success"

A US ban on TikTok would be many things, but it is not unprecedented | The National History suggests that user loyalty, however strong, can be fleeting

✍️Some thoughts on the potential TikTok ban in the US

"...simply using the word unprecedented doesn’t make it so. TikTok has been down this road before, though you won’t find anything about it in recent court filings."

Full thoughts here ⬇️

For many Gazans who survived Israel’s relentless attacks over the past 14 months, life has forever changed. Thousands, including babies and children, have undergone amputations since the war began

Our special report uncovers some of their stories: news.ae/4fsOEyo

The Assad regime were world leaders in torture. Its survivors will determine Syria's future | The National Justice for victims of serious crimes can help prevent a dark history repeating itself

“Stories of lives snuffed out in the most brutal of circumstances can only be told by the people they left behind,” she writes

Read more: news.ae/3VQ90KY

Inside the abandoned Hezbollah training base in Syria's Al Qusayr | The National The Iran-backed militia used the town to move its fighters and weapons and create a route to connect with allied groups, rebels and residents say

The National gains access to Hezbollah’s abandoned base in Syria’s Al Qusayr, uncovering Russian ammunition, training materials and the remnants of a strategic hub for the Iran-backed group

Will TikTok really be banned in the US? | The National ByteDance's options are increasingly limited, but experts say a path to survival remains

While TikTok waits to see if it can delay an upcoming ban in the US, speculation is swirling about what options ByteDance, the app's parent company, might have to survive in one of its largest markets

#Technology #SocialMedia

When will sanctions against Syria be lifted? | The National Western nations watch cautiously as Syria emerges from a quarter-century of brutal rule by president Bashar Al Assad

Calls are growing for foreign powers to lift sanctions imposed on Syria, which would help the country rebuild after the collapse of the Assad regime, but some experts are warning against easing restrictions too quickly.

Syria live news: Jordan to host US, EU, Turkish and Arab diplomats for Syria summit | The National Kingdom will host a crisis summit at the weekend to discuss recent developments in Syria

The UN said that images from Sednaya and other detention facilities in Syria since the collapse of the regime starkly underscore the unimaginable "suffering and pain" Syrians have endured and reported for years.

Hayat Tahrir Al Sham commander reveals years of planning behind Assad’s rapid overthrow | The National Abu Hassan Al Hamwi, close ally of militant group’s leader, vows to surrender arms to a newly established army

"We knew that taking Aleppo would secure our rear and open the path forward," Abu Hassan Al Hamwi, a senior commander in Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, recounts to The National about toppling Assad's regime

Satellite photos show Russian navy retreat from Syrian base after Assad's fall | The National Syrian rebels seized capital Damascus on Sunday after a lightning advance that forced president to flee to Russia

Satellite images show Russia pulling its forces from its naval base in Syria following the fall of Al Assad’s regime.

Desperate families and tortured bodies at Damascus morgue | The National Syrians are starting to get answers about the fate of missing relatives

Military hospitals in Damascus have received bodies of detainees who died from torture or brutal prison conditions

Now their families are trying to identify their loved ones

Push to change Syria flag emoji may take time | The National Unicode Consortium says details of emoji design are up to device manufacturers

🇸🇾 Is Syria about to get a new flag emoji?

Here's why it might be more difficult than many imagine ...

#Technology

Will AI safe havens undermine global stability? | The National Japan's ambassador to the US praises increased co-operation, but cautions against AI complacency

"We must acknowledge that so far we have not been able to fully engage countries with different positions, including authoritarian states,"

Will AI safe havens undermine global stability?

Saudi Arabia has been confirmed as the host nation for the 2034 World Cup

In 2023, Saudi Arabian Football Federation president Yasser Al Misehal had said host cities would be connected by “state-of-the-art facilities to guarantee an amazing fan experience”

The critical role of energy systems in accelerating economic recovery The oil and gas output in Syria could revive to an extent, with better security and waivers to international sanctions. In the longer term, more resources could be found in deeper drilling in the nort...

Energy: a key part of rebuilding Syria, & what to learn (and not to learn) from its neighbours #energysky
www.energyconnects.com/opinion/thou...

Will AI safe havens undermine global stability? | The National Japan's ambassador to the US praises increased co-operation, but cautions against AI complacency

Will regulatory gaps and “AI safe havens” disrupt global stability?

Japan's ambassador to the US warns against complacency

#Technology

www.thenationalnews.com/future/techn...