UAE leader Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan dies at the age of 73

The UAE has announced a 40-day mourning period and a three-day suspension of work across the government and private sector. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following UAE leader Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan dies at the age of 73 [UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, 2nd right, walks with Saudi Arabia's Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz during the 31st GCC summit in Abu Dhabi, Dec. 6, 2010.] Credit: Emirates News Agency WAM-HO via AP/File photo UAE The UAE’s president, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, [died on Friday at the age of 73](. After suffering a stroke and undergoing emergency surgery in 2014, his half-brother Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, became the de-facto ruler, making all the major foreign policy decisions — including participation in the Saudi-led war in Yemen, spearheading an embargo on neighboring Qatar and building ties with Israel after normalizing relations in 2020. He’s expected to become the successor, though no formal announcement has been made yet. Sheikh Khalifa’s [modernization policies]( helped turn his country into a regional powerhouse. He also bailed out Dubai from a crippling debt during its financial crisis more than a decade ago. And the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, was named after him. The nation has announced a 40-day mourning period and a three-day suspension of work across the government and private sector. Lebanon Lebanon is set to hold parliamentary elections on Sunday. The vote is [seen as a last chance]( to reverse the country’s economic meltdown and hold to account the current politicians credited with the exacerbating state of affairs. It’s the first vote since October 2019, which saw widespread anti-government protests against a corrupt ruling class. And it's the first election since the August 2020 explosion at Beirut’s port that killed more than 200 people, injured thousands of others and destroyed parts of the capital. The UN says that about [80% of the Lebanese population]( now lives in poverty. Israel Israeli police on Friday [assaulted mourners at the funeral procession]( of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed two days ago while reporting in the West Bank. [Video online shows]( officers in Jerusalem beating and kicking pallbearers carrying her coffin, striking other mourners with batons and [using stun grenades]( on the crowd. Israeli police said in a statement that they “took enforcement action” after some mourners started chanting what they called “nationalist incitement.” Thousands of people led her casket through Jerusalem's Old City. Abu Akleh, who was Christian, was buried at Mount Zion Protestant Cemetery next to her parents. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Colorado law students gain ‘powerful’ lessons providing free legal services to immigrants]( [María Teresa Navas Mejía, a long-term employee at the University of Colorado Boulder, recently received her green card thanks to Carina De La Torre and students in the law school's Immigration Defense Clinic.]( Credit: Stephanie Daniel/The World Students at the University of Colorado Law School in Boulder are learning the law by providing [free legal services to immigrants]( in the community. Some of them come from immigrant families themselves. 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Christie's said that an unnamed buyer made the purchase. 🎨 [The 1964 painting Shot Sage Blue Marilyn by Andy Warhol is carried in Christie's showroom in New York City, May 8, 2022.] Credit: Ted Shaffrey/AP --------------------------------------------------------------- [In case you missed it from The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.