The United Arab Emirates’ long-ailing ruler, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, died Friday, the government’s state-run news agency announced in a brief statement. He was 73.
The UAE’s Ministry of Presidential Affairs announced a 40-day period of mourning and a three-day suspension of work in all ministries and the private sector beginning Friday, including flags to be flown at half mast, AP reported.
He had long ceased having involvement in day-to-day affairs of ruling the country, with his brother, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, seen as the de-factor ruler. There was no immediate announcement about a successor, although Mohammed bin Zayed is in line to inherit the top post.
Sheikh Khalifa, who has rarely been seen in official photos or at public events for years, succeeded his father and the UAE’s founder Sheikh Zayed in 2004. He suffered a stroke a decade later, keeping him largely out of public sight ever since.
The world’s tallest tower in the UAE’s emirate of Dubai is named the Burj Khalifa after the late ruler, whose oil-rich emirate helped bail Dubai out during a financial crisis.

The European Union on Thursday condemned Israel’s plan to construct some 4,500 settler units in the occupied West Bank, according to a statement by the union.
According to an Israeli anti-settlement organization, Israel has advanced plans for the construction of some 4,500 settler units in the occupied West Bank as the regime continues its illegal settlement expansion activities across the occupied Palestinian territories, Press TV reported.
Peace Now said on Thursday that the high planning committee of the so-called Israeli Civil Administration had given the final approval to a total of 4,427 units, including 2,791 housing units and initial endorsement for another 1,636 units, according to an Israeli anti-settlement organization.
Later on Thursday, in a statement issued by its high representative and foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, the EU condemned and deeply deplored Israel’s approval of plans for building the settler units in the occupied West Bank.
“The European Union condemns and deeply deplores today’s approval, by Israeli authorities, of plans for advancing over 4,400 housing units, further expanding illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank, as well as the retroactive approval of three illegal outposts,” the statement said.
The EU urged “Israel to reverse such decisions, which run counter to international law, directly threaten the [so-called] two-state solution, and are completely inconsistent with efforts to lower tensions.”
Meanwhile, Hagit Ofran of Peace Now said, “This is bad news for Israel and deepens the occupation, making it harder to achieve [the so-called] future peace,” referring to the prospect of a so-called two-state solution that has so far been hindered due to Israel’s expansionist policy, among other atrocities against Palestinians.
More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Al-Quds.
All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law as they are built on occupied land. The United Nations Security Council has condemned Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied territories in several resolutions.

‘Premeditated
assassination’
On Friday, some 230 international rights organizations and networks strongly condemned the killing of veteran Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, calling for the regime in Tel Aviv to be held accountable for the brutal crime.
The Palestinian Ma’an news agency said the 229 signatories affirmed in a statement that the Israeli occupation forces’ targeting of the Palestinian journalist was a “deliberate and premeditated act and a full-fledged assassination operation.”
“Martyr Shireen Abu Akleh is a direct victim of organized state terrorism, which behaves with the mentality of criminal gangs,” the signatories stressed.
Shireen Abu Akleh, a longtime TV correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic, was killed on Wednesday after being shot in the head while covering the Israeli army’s raids in the city of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank.
She was rushed to a hospital in Jenin in critical condition, where she was declared dead shortly thereafter, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
 

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said his country did not have a “positive opinion” on Finland and Sweden joining NATO and accused Scandinavian countries of harbouring outlawed Kurdish militants.
“We do not have a positive opinion. Scandinavian countries are like a guesthouse for terror organisations,” Erdogan told journalists after Friday prayers in Istanbul, AFP reported.
Erdogan said Turkey’s former rulers “made a mistake” by giving the green light for Greece’s NATO membership in 1952.
“We, as Turkey, do not want to make a second mistake on this issue,” he said.
The Turkish president accused Scandinavian countries of sheltering members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the far-left Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C).
After Russia started the “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24, Finland’s political and public opinion swung dramatically in favour of NATO membership as a deterrent against any aggression.
Finland and Sweden have long cooperated with NATO, and are expected to be able to join the alliance quickly.

Foreign energy companies subject to Moscow’s retaliatory sanctions will no longer be able to receive gas supplies from Russia, a top official said.
“Sanctions are blocking, so there could be no relations with these companies, nor can they take part in (gas) supplies,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, according to Press TV.
“Other companies will most likely be involved in the process. For details, you need to contact Gazprom,” he added.
Russia has imposed energy sanctions on 31 companies from Germany, France, and other entities in European countries including the Polish part of the Yamal pipeline, as well as Gazprom’s former German unit, which previously could meet Europe’s gas demands.
The targeted companies on the Russian list of sanctions are from the countries that have imposed sanctions on Russia in response to its military operation in Ukraine, most of them members of the European Union.
Germany confirmed the blockade of supplies on Thursday and announced that some subsidiaries of Gazprom Germania, the former Gazprom unit, are receiving no gas because of sanctions.
The country, however, claimed that the new punitive measures are designed to increase energy prices.
During a news conference on Thursday, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said the sanctions constituted an escalation, accusing Russia of using energy as a weapon.
He said that his government would not raise the emergency level anymore as an expected drop of three percent of Russian gas deliveries could be compensated on the market, albeit at higher prices.
The development came after Ukraine announced that it has decided to suspend the flow of Russian gas through a key transit point to Europe, blaming Moscow for the move.
The Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) said in a statement on Tuesday that it would stop transporting Russian gas through the eastern Sokhranivka entry point, that delivers almost one-third of the fuel that Russia exports to Europe across Ukraine, from May 11.