What defines a Christmas movie? In recent years, the definition has expanded to include practically any film in which a lighted tree makes a background cameo – no matter how loosely it’s related to the holiday.
I’m a bit more of a Christmas movie traditionalist. It goes beyond a date on the calendar – there needs to be holiday cheer, comforting sentimentality, themes of togetherness and families of all shapes and sizes. A proper Christmas movie features a generosity of spirit that shines through even the most cookie-cutter plots and performances – a conscious lowering of standards and opening of hearts.
And while the true Christmas movie classics may be few and far between, with only a smattering of masterpieces being added to the pantheon in recent years, there is a seemingly never-ending supply of red and green-tinted romances, dysfunctional family comedies and reimagined mythical figures to be found – a handful of them worth your while.
Tired of revisiting the same old nostalgic standbys? With Halloween far behind us, here are a few to add to your queue this holiday season, which seems to creep earlier and earlier on the calendar every year. But who amongst us doesn’t need the warm hug of Christmas content with loved ones in difficult times such as these?
Jingle Bell Heist (2025)
Netflix’s annual Christmas line-up has mostly underwhelmed – at best, A Merry Little Ex-Mas, Champagne Problems and My Secret Santa offer watchable-but-uninspired second-screen comfort. Jingle Bell Heist isn’t a revelation, but it is a clear step above the streamer’s recent festive fare, largely because it remembers to give viewers a real sense of place.
Shot on location in London – rather than the usual Canada-doubles-as-nowhere approach – it leans on actual pubs, cafes and high streets to conjure an authenticity that most Netflix holiday films can only gesture towards.
The story pairs Sophie (Olivia Holt), juggling two jobs while caring for her mother, with Nick (Connor Swindells), an ex-convict trying to rebuild his life for his daughter. Their shared skill for petty theft becomes the backbone of a Christmas Eve heist targeting a cartoonishly wealthy department-store owner – a set-up that carries just enough class commentary to give the film a sharper edge, even if it never fully commits to it.
The dialogue can be flat and the comedy uneven, but there are a few late-act surprises and a reliably scene-lifting turn from Lucy Punch. For a Netflix Christmas movie, “not bad” often amounts to high praise – and Jingle Bell Heist earns it.
The Baltimorons (2025)
Not every Christmas film needs twinkling lights and cosy fireplaces – some of the best, including Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, Jingle All The Way (yes, I'm serious), find the holiday spirit in chaos.
The Baltimorons follows a man who has overcome substance abuse and whose simple quest for emergency dental surgery on Christmas Eve spirals into a series of increasingly absurd encounters across Baltimore.
Directed by Jay Duplass, whose films Cyrus and Jeff, Who Lives at Home are both overlooked mumblecore comedy gems, this captures the spirit of his earlier work.
As it develops, the city becomes its own character, offering a festive backdrop to a comedy of errors that is more frantic than feel-good. Still, its offbeat humour, grounded performances and unexpectedly warm final notes place it firmly among this decade’s growing crop of holiday films that push the genre into stranger, quirkier territory.
Merry Christmas Ted Cooper! (2025)
Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper! follows a buttoned-down weatherman whose carefully ordered life unravels in the week before Christmas, pushing him into a series of small disasters and unexpected connections. It's a gentle, character-driven comedy – a man forced out of his routines and into the kind of messiness that ultimately makes him more open, more present and, eventually, more himself.
While most Hallmark movies end up sounding basically the same, this one is their most beloved in years. The Reddit faithful praise the film for sharper-than-usual dialogue, genuinely funny moments and set design that feels “magical” rather than cookie-cutter. It’s still unmistakably a Hallmark holiday movie – but according to fans, it’s a warmer, wittier and more polished version of one.
Christmas Eve in Miller's Point (2024)
Christmas Eve in Miller's Point, the third film from director Tyler Thomas Taormina, is a difficult film to recommend to just anyone – and yet, I can't help myself. To be sure, if you want a more conventional Christmas tale, look to other selections on this list. There is no traditional narrative structure to be found here. There are not even any clear main characters. But if you fancy yourself a people watcher, this is as sumptuous a banquet for the eyes as you're likely to find.
This a fly-on-the-wall nostalgia piece that avoids ever feeling sentimental, following more than 20 extended family members who have gathered in a small suburban American home in the early 2000s for what may be their final holiday together. They're united by the ailing matriarch of the family, and while there is joy, there are also many squabbles and secrets, and years of grudges that likely will never be overcome.
The film jumps around from person to person, showing us snippets of conversations, ritual activities, and bits of action. And if you watch closely, you'll notice how considered the film is. Each shot is gorgeously framed and imbued of meaning. Each vignette carries a meaning either big or small. By the end, it's deeply emotionally affecting, as the many scattered parts coalesce into to more than their sum. Let yourself properly invest in it, and you'll find a film you'll want to revisit again and again.
The Holdovers (2023)
There’s a deep sadness at the centre of director Alexander Payne’s comeback masterpiece The Holdovers, and in each one of its misfit characters. It’s set in America in the frozen months of 1970, following a student no one likes, whose family never picked him up for Christmas break. The man tasked with looking after him is a curmudgeonly teacher who rarely leaves the campus, no family to go home to. Stuck with them is the school’s cafeteria manager, a grief-stricken woman who just lost her young son and former star student to the ravages of war.
So why is this a new Christmas classic exactly? Because for too many, there’s no lonelier time of the year. For those separated from their loved ones either temporarily or in perpetuity, the warm fires of the holiday can feel like a glimmer in the distance. And The Holdovers doesn’t try to fix that with hollow sentiment, but with earnest empathy.
In it are moments of true kindness, in which a little bit of love and understanding pulls those standing at the fringes back from the darkness. It’s a realistic salve to real-world pains, never offering cheap solutions and instead calling for us to show a bit more care to the people around us we may ignore. Merry Christmas indeed.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (2024)
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, based on the 1972 book of the same name by Barbara Robinson, is the rare thing in the modern film landscape – a genuine sleeper hit. Beloved by audiences and critics alike, the film has grossed $37 million on a $10 million budget in a time when pure Christmas movies rarely make it to cinemas and, even if they do, are rarely profitable. Red One, the big-budget action film about a kidnapped Santa Claus starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, was released in cinemas a week later, and has still only made back a fraction of its budget.
While the baffling Red One may have dominated conversation this year thanks to its omnipresent marketing campaign, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is the one to add to your list. It's a charmer, following a group of troublemaking children who find themselves starring in the town's pageant, and nearly ruin everything before discovering the true meaning of the holiday.
The Velveteen Rabbit (2023)
Long before Toy Story 3 caused every millennial to openly sob at the loss of their childhood, Margery Williams's 1921 book The Velveteen Rabbit was pulling nostalgic heartstrings for every new generation that discovered it. In it, a young boy is given a stuffed rabbit, which slowly becomes his most prized companion, to the point where the rabbit, too, believes he is real.
The boy loves the rabbit so much he clings to it, even when he comes down with a case of scarlet fever. And when he recovers, the rabbit is taken to be burned. But with a bit of magic, it may not be the last time he sees the boy he loves so much.
The Apple TV+ special, thankfully, doesn’t try to pad out the simplicity of this powerful tale to feature length. At a tight 44 minutes, it’s a magical blend of live action and animation, keeping much of the power of the children’s book.
A Biltmore Christmas (2023)
On Hallmark in the US, Christmas is big business. This year alone, the channel will release 24 new Christmas films, down only slightly from 2024's 33 new movies, most imbued with a comforting bland sameness, and many featuring fantastical romances.
The best of the more than 100 released this decade so far is A Biltmore Christmas, a time-travel story that sends a young screenwriter back to the set of a 1947 Christmas classic she's been tasked with writing a remake of. There, she'll have to set things right, and perhaps find some love along the way. Sentimental without becoming overly saccharine, this is a charmer.
Spirited (2022)
Spirited could have been a disaster. After all, the only thing more over-saturated than Charles Dickens's classic redemption tale A Christmas Carol is Ryan Reynolds. And his co-star Will Ferrell has felt lost as a comedic performer since splitting from creative partner Adam McKay.
While it may be a bit overlong, Spirited has enough moxie to make it a worthy holiday watch, featuring enough energy and jokes to stop you from swapping it out for the Muppets version. The ending has the same emotional power as the best Scrooge adaptations.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)
James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy films are all full of nostalgic throwbacks in story, music and characterisation. But before he closed out his trilogy and left the Marvel shop, Gunn made his most nostalgic move of all by crafting a made-for-streaming Christmas special done in the style of the notorious Star Wars one-off of the 1970s.
It features a gang of misfit aliens trying to recreate the holiday for their human friend by kidnapping his favourite actor, Kevin Bacon, and offering the deeply confused actor as an unlikely gift. Full of the same found-family charm as the rest of the franchise, this is as ridiculous as it is touching.
8-Bit Christmas (2021)
Though Arnold Schwarzenegger's Jingle All the Way was one of the biggest disasters of his career when it was released in 1996, it’s become a cult classic for those who grew up with it (myself included) and 8-Bit Christmas, set in the late 1980s, scratches the same itch.
In it, a boy goes above and beyond to obtain the most sought-after game console of the day, the Nintendo Entertainment System. But it's not a mere ode to consumerism, as it becomes more about his bond with his father towards the end.
An Unexpected Christmas (2021)
Alright, one more Hallmark original couldn't hurt. This one follows their most tried-and-tested formula, a young woman working in a creative field in the big city who returns to her small hometown for the holidays only to run into her ex-boyfriend and is then forced to pretend they're still together for the sake of their parents. What makes this one different? It's got great chemistry between its two leads, who never allow the film to feel like they're going through the motions.
A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
While this may not be the best Netflix original film to mix up the Santa Claus myth (I've saved that one for a special mention later on), A Boy Called Christmas is a warm and enjoyable reimagining. The story follows a boy named Nicholas, who travels north to the land of elves in search of his father. Featuring an all-star cast of British favourites including Jim Broadbent and the late Dame Maggie Smith, it ends up as heartening as you hope it will be.
A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)
While the world may have forgotten the eccentric and involved anecdotes that humourist Jean Shepherd entertained millions with on American radio in the mid-20th century, A Christmas Story endures. Based on Shepherd’s 1966 semi-autobiographical book, the 1983 film is still perhaps the most universally relatable holiday classic, full of keenly observed moments of small-town life.
A Christmas Story Christmas may not match its highs, but it’s a loving, worthwhile ode to the original, featuring much of its cast and excerpts from Shepherd’s other books. It’s nostalgia for nostalgia, and what better defines our current creative era?
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
Perhaps if David E Talbert's maximalist musical fantasy had first appeared on Broadway instead of Netflix, it may have made a dent in the cultural memory, but as it stands, Jingle Jangle has not received its due.
Produced by John Legend with committed performances from Forest Whitaker, Hugh Bonneville, Phylicia Rashad, Keegan-Michael Key and Ricky Martin (yep, really), this is sweet holiday indulgence, full of catchy songs and colourful costumes. It's overstuffed, sure, but who hasn't gone overboard over the holidays?
Honourable mention
Klaus (2019)
Klaus missed the cut-off by just seven weeks, hitting Netflix on November 8, 2019, so it couldn't make the top 10, but this is one of the most irresistible Christmas films of the century, full of genuinely stunning animation and a story both emotive and downright odd, a quality that helps distinguish it from the droves of Holiday films that seem to follow the same formula year after year.
Reimagining the Santa Claus story like never before, this is a singular holiday film, full of warmth and compassion. If you missed it, add it to your queue this year, in what is likely the start of a new Christmas tradition.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
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((Disclaimer))
The Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG (“Bank”) assumes no liability or guarantee for the accuracy, balance, or completeness of the information in this publication. The content may change at any time due to given circumstances, and the Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG is under no obligation to update information once it has been published. This publication is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer, a recommendation or an invitation by, or on behalf of, Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch), Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG, or any of its group affiliates to make any investments or obtain services. This publication has not been reviewed, disapproved or approved by the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) Central Bank, Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”) or any other relevant licensing authorities in the UAE. It may not be relied upon by or distributed to retail clients. Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch) is regulated by the DFSA and this advertorial is intended for Professional Clients (as defined by the DFSA) who have sufficient financial experience and understanding of financial markets, products or transactions and any associated risks.
The biog
Name: Mariam Ketait
Emirate: Dubai
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language
Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown
Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures
Series information
Pakistan v Dubai
First Test, Dubai International Stadium
Sun Oct 6 to Thu Oct 11
Second Test, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tue Oct 16 to Sat Oct 20
Play starts at 10am each day
Teams
Pakistan
1 Mohammed Hafeez, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed, 8 Bilal Asif, 9 Yasir Shah, 10, Mohammed Abbas, 11 Wahab Riaz or Mir Hamza
Australia
1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Mitchell Marsh, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marnus Labuschagne, 7 Tim Paine, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jon Holland
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE Rugby finals day
Games being played at The Sevens, Dubai
2pm, UAE Conference final
Dubai Tigers v Al Ain Amblers
4pm, UAE Premiership final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons
The specs: 2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE
Price, base / as tested: Dh263,235 / Dh420,000
Engine: 3.0-litre supercharged V6
Power 375hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque: 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.4L / 100kms
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Results:
2.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
Winner: AZ Dhabyan, Adam McLean (jockey), Saleha Al Ghurair (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
3.15pm: Conditions (PA) Dh60,000 2,000m.
Winner: Hareer Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
3.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,700m.
Winner: Kenz Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh 200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Mystique Moon, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
4.45pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m.
Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
The five pillars of Islam
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
TOP%2010%20MOST%20POLLUTED%20CITIES
%3Cp%3E1.%20Bhiwadi%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Ghaziabad%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Hotan%2C%20China%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Delhi%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Jaunpur%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E6.%20Faisalabad%2C%20Pakistan%0D%3Cbr%3E7.%20Noida%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E8.%20Bahawalpur%2C%20Pakistan%0D%3Cbr%3E9.%20Peshawar%2C%20Pakistan%0D%3Cbr%3E10.%20Bagpat%2C%20India%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%20IQAir%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
SPECS
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RECORD%20BREAKER
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20debutant%20for%20Barcelona%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2015%20years%20and%20290%20days%20v%20Real%20Betis%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20La%20Liga%20starter%20in%20the%2021st%20century%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%20years%20and%2038%20days%20v%20Cadiz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20player%20to%20register%20an%20assist%20in%20La%20Liga%20in%20the%2021st%20century%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%20years%20and%2045%20days%20v%20Villarreal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20debutant%20for%20Spain%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2016%20years%20and%2057%20days%20v%20Georgia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20goalscorer%20for%20Spain%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2016%20years%20and%2057%20days%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20player%20to%20score%20in%20a%20Euro%20qualifier%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2016%20years%20and%2057%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
It
Director: Andres Muschietti
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Three stars
Naga
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMeshal%20Al%20Jaser%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EAdwa%20Bader%2C%20Yazeed%20Almajyul%2C%20Khalid%20Bin%20Shaddad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
UAE v United States, T20 International Series
Both matches at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free.
1st match: Friday, 2pm
2nd match: Saturday, 2pm
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Amjad Gul, CP Rizwan, Mohammed Boota, Abdul Shakoor, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
USA squad: Saurabh Netravalkar (captain), Jaskaran Malhotra, Elmore Hutchinson, Aaron Jones, Nosthush Kenjige, Ali Khan, Jannisar Khan, Xavier Marshall, Monank Patel, Timil Patel, Roy Silva, Jessy Singh, Steven Taylor, Hayden Walsh
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
ELECTION%20RESULTS
%3Cp%3EMacron%E2%80%99s%20Ensemble%20group%20won%20245%20seats.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20second-largest%20group%20in%20parliament%20is%20Nupes%2C%20a%20leftist%20coalition%20led%20by%20Jean-Luc%20Melenchon%2C%20which%20gets%20131%20lawmakers.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20far-right%20National%20Rally%20fared%20much%20better%20than%20expected%20with%2089%20seats.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20centre-right%20Republicans%20and%20their%20allies%20took%2061.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
