Venezuela’s state-run oil production and refining were operating normally on Saturday and suffered no damage from a US strike to extract the country’s president, two sources with knowledge of the operations of energy company PDVSA said.

US forces captured President Nicolas Maduro, US President Donald Trump said, after months of pressuring him over accusations of drug-running and illegitimacy in power.

The port of La Guaira near Caracas, one of the country’s largest but one not used for oil exports, was reported to have suffered severe damage, one of the sources said.

Blockade

Trump in December announced a blockade of oil tankers entering or leaving the country and the US seized two cargoes of Venezuelan oil.

That lowered the OPEC country’s exports last month to about half of the 950,000 barrels per day (bpd) it shipped in November, according to monitoring data and internal documents.

The US measures prompted many vessel owners to divert away from Venezuelan waters, which has rapidly increased PDVSA’s inventories of crude and fuel.

PDVSA has been forced to slow down deliveries at ports and store oil on tankers to avoid crude output or refining cut-backs.

PDVSA’s administrative system also has not fully recovered from a cyberattack in December that forced it to isolate terminals, oilfields and refineries from its central system and to resort to written records to continue operations.

Read: India exports surge in November despite Trump’s steep tariffs

The UAE’s Ministry of Education has announced revised Friday school hours for public schools, effective from January 9, following a nationwide adjustment to Friday prayer timings, state news agency WAM reported.

The move comes after authorities set the Friday sermon and prayer time at 12:45 pm across the country, a change aimed at allowing students and school staff to observe religious obligations while maintaining instructional continuity.

Read: UAE unifies Friday prayer time at 12.45 pm nationwide

Updated timings for public schools

Under the updated schedule, kindergarten students will attend classes from 8 am to 11:30 am.

Cycle 1, or primary level schools, will follow one of two approved tracks, either from 7:10 am to 10:30 am or from 8:00 am to 11:30 am, according to the ministry.

For Cycles 2 and 3, covering intermediate and secondary education, timings will differ by gender.

Boys’ schools will operate from 7:10 am to 10:30 am, while girls’ schools will run from 8 am to 11:30 am.

Timings for private schools

The Ministry of Education also called on private schools to align their Friday schedules with the new framework, stipulating that classes should not extend beyond 11:30 am.

This, it said, is intended to give students sufficient time to prepare for Friday prayers and to support family cohesion.

The ministry emphasised that Friday will remain a full instructional day, with existing attendance and dismissal regulations still in effect.

The shortened schedule, it added, will not affect the quality of teaching or learning outcomes.

According to the report, the ministry stated that the decision reflects its broader approach to flexible learning, while recognising the religious and social significance of Fridays in the UAE.

Private schools in the Emirate of Ajman will resume classes on Monday following the end of the winter break, with nearly 95,000 male and female students returning to classrooms across the emirate.

Aisha Sultan Al Shamsi, executive director of the Ajman Private Education Affairs Office, said the winter break offered students and families time to rest and recharge.

Read more: Saudi introduces new requirements for private schools

She added that the period also enabled travel and participation in community and national events that reinforce belonging and national identity, according to a WAM report.

She noted that private schools have completed preparations to welcome students back. These include educational and organisational plans designed to balance academic achievement with students’ mental well-being as the new term begins.

Abu Dhabi Police have issued a fresh call to motorists to maintain total concentration while navigating intersections and traffic signals, warning that momentary lapses in attention remain one of the leading causes of serious road accidents across the capital.

The advisory underscores growing concerns around driver behavior at traffic lights and junctions, areas identified as high-risk due to vehicle density, pedestrian movement, and split-second decision-making.

Read more-UAE central bank revokes Omda Exchange licence, imposes Dhs10m fine

According to authorities, even brief distractions can result in severe consequences for drivers, passengers, and other road users.

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The alert specifically highlights the dangers of driver inattention when passing through traffic lights and executing left turns, a WAM report said. These scenarios, police noted, require heightened awareness due to changing signals, oncoming vehicles, and crossing pedestrians.

To reinforce the message, Abu Dhabi Police, in coordination with the Monitoring and Control Centre, released video footage documenting real-life accidents caused by a lack of focus and sudden vehicle deviations. The footage aims to demonstrate how routine distractions can escalate into life-altering incidents within seconds.

Distraction behind the wheel remains a key threat

The capital police stressed that performing multiple tasks behind the wheel, such as using mobile phones or engaging in other distracting activities, poses a significant risk to public safety. Drivers were urged to remain vigilant at all times, carefully observe pedestrian crossings and road signage, and strictly follow instructions issued by traffic patrol officers on duty.

Authorities emphasised that road safety depends on consistent compliance, particularly at intersections where errors can have a cascading impact on traffic flow and public safety.

Abu Dhabi Police also reminded motorists of the stringent legal consequences under Law No. (5) of 2020 concerning vehicle impoundment. The penalties for crossing a red light in the Emirate include a fine of Dhs1,000, 12 black points added to the driver’s file, and a 30-day vehicle impoundment.

In addition, motorists face a vehicle release fee of Dhs50,000 and a six-month driving license suspension starting from the date of withdrawal. Police further clarified that if the release fee is not paid within three months, the vehicle will be referred for sale at a public auction.

The campaign serves as a critical reminder that road safety is a shared responsibility. Authorities stressed that adherence to traffic laws is essential to safeguarding lives and protecting property across Abu Dhabi’s expanding road network.

Saudi Arabia’s National Debt Management Center said on Wednesday it had finalised the arrangement of a $13bn, seven-year syndicated loan to help finance power, water and public utilities projects.

The transaction is a part of the kingdom’s medium-term debt strategy, which aims to diversify funding sources and meet financing needs over the medium to long term.

“This transaction aims to leverage market opportunities to execute alternative government financing activities that contribute to economic growth, including the financing of development and infrastructure projects aligned with Saudi Vision 2030,” the center said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, is more than halfway through its Vision 2030 blueprint for economic transformation.

The strategy, introduced by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2016, calls for hundreds of billions of dollars in government investments to wean the kingdom’s economy off its dependence on hydrocarbon revenue.

Read: Saudi Arabia expected to cut February crude prices for Asia for third month