Radio Shoma

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has declared January 7 as the new annual national occasion, Zayed the Founder Day, dedicated to celebrating the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's "enduring legacy" and carrying his values forward.

His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met several Emirati students studying in Canada, on the sidelines of his official visit to the country.

UAE candidate Lana Nusseibeh has emphasised her goal of bringing the "stubborn optimism and relentless practicality of a bridge-building diplomat" to the role of UN Secretary-General.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and rival Gadi Eisenkot offered competing claims to lead Israel after Tuesday's election, with Netanyahu calling for a right-wing government and Eisenkot saying voters had rejected the longtime Israeli leader, even as early counting showed no clear winner.

At least 10 people were killed when two high-speed trains collided in Spain on Wednesday, the second deadly accident in less than a year on the line connecting Madrid to the southern Andalusia region, regional authorities said.

Syria will restore normal passenger and commercial traffic through the Nassib border crossing with Jordan from Wednesday morning, the state news agency SANA reported, after the crossing was briefly closed following Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria.