Storms and rainbows in Palestine - in pictures

Read more: US calls for 'moderate, nationalist' government ahead of Iraqi parliament opening 
The story so far: Moqtada Al Sadr retains victory in Iraq election recount 
Editorial: Iraq's sovereignty must be protected

• Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
• Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
• Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
• Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
• Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital

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.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Shamma Sohail Al Mazrui: Celebrating the wisdom of motherhood on Mother's Day

Google Doodle celebrates Arab Mother's Day with digital card-making tool

Mums at work: How these UAE platforms are helping mothers re-enter the workforce

Dates: July 1-23
Distance: 3,540km
Stages: 21
Number of teams: 22
Number of riders: 198

Starring: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen

Directed by: Bill Condon

Three out of five stars

Mushrif is a small town with big designs

Wadi Al Helo, the 'sweet valley' of the UAE

The village community hidden among the skyscrapers of new Dubai

The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?

My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.

The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.

So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.