After Russia launched its attack on Ukraine last year, Iran was one of a few countries to support Moscow’s position and goals. The two countries also shared a battlefield in Syria for years, helping prop up Bashar al Assad’s regime, with air strikes and boots on the ground. But that close partnership is being tested,...
Top UK officials had undeclared meetings with UAE ambassador at private parties hosted by billionaire Tory donor Michael Hintze, according to an Insight investigation by The Sunday Times. Hintze, a British-Australian hedge fund manager worth £1.7 billion, has given over £4 million to the Conservative party and founded the Global Warming Policy Foundation, a climate...
“Detention in horrific conditions, torture, deportation [and a] criminal conviction.” These are the risks climate activists could face if they protest at COP28, the international climate conference to be hosted by the United Arab Emirates in December, says human rights lawyer Ben Keith. Keith, who qualified as a UK barrister in 2004, focuses on a...
The use of mercenaries dates back to 400 B.C., and they were used by ancient Greeks, Alexander the Great and Rome’s army. Since then, there have been several debates around their use for centuries, and some intellectuals argued that they are beneficial while others opposed the idea of using mercenaries. In his famous book “Utopia,”...
New carbon-cutting plans by this year’s UN climate talks host the United Arab Emirates were branded “insufficient” by an analysis on Thursday that slammed the oil-rich nation for undermining its own targets with plans to increase fossil fuel production. The UAE, which will host the COP28 United Nations talks in November and December, released its...
Dubai has emerged as a major hub for Russian oil trade, taking over from Geneva as the primary location for traders selling Russia’s oil to consumers globally. Since Switzerland joined the embargo on Moscow following the Ukraine invasion, a significant portion of the trade has shifted to Dubai and other cities in the United Arab...
If you see a sultry blonde environmental activist or a peace-loving NASA scientist on Twitter praising the United Arab Emirates for its climate change policy, look a little closer. A disinformation expert says a network of fake accounts are defending the United Nations’ decision to host this year’s COP28 climate talks in the oil-rich country, and to appoint UAE oil company CEO Sultan...
On Friday, the London Bullion Market Association, which regulates the United Kingdom capital’s metals market, suspended Emirates Gold DMCC’s affiliate membership after conducting a review. Two of the ultimate beneficial owners of Emirates Gold are relatives of Zimbabwean businessmen Simon Rudland and Howard Baker, according to Bloomberg sources familiar with the UAE decision. A documentary...
Gulf heavyweights view the conflict as an opportunity to cement their hegemonic status in the Middle East. Fighting in Sudan, now in its third month, shows no signs of abating. The country’s two rival generals have flouted multiple cease-fires as they vie for control. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who first gained power after the 2019 ousting...
Tehran summoned Russia’s ambassador on Wednesday over a Moscow-endorsed statement on three Gulf islands disputed by Iran and the United Arab Emirates. The three isles of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb are claimed by both Tehran and the UAE, but have been held by Iran since 1971 — during the time of the...