Russia's Putin is visiting the UAE and Saudi Arabia, seeking to bolster Moscow's Mideast clout
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in a one-day lightning tour intended to raise Russiaโs profile as a Middle East power broker, even as his war Ukraine grinds on.
First planeload of wounded Palestinian children from Israel-Hamas arrives in United Arab Emirates
The first planeload of Palestinian children wounded in the Israel-Hamas war raging in the Gaza Strip has reached the United Arab Emirates, part of a pledged relief effort by the country to aid 1,000 children.
Makhachev retains lightweight belt with first-round KO of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294
Islam Makhachev (26-1-0) used a devastating kick with his left leg to Alexander Volkanovskiโs right temple, then quickly pounced and used nine hammering blows with his left hand before referee Marc Goddard stopped the fight at the 3:06 mark of the first round.
A decade after outcry, SeaWorld launches orca-free park in UAE, its first venture outside the US
U.S. theme park chain SeaWorld, which has been mired in controversy in recent years over its treatment of killer whales and other marine mammals, has opened a massive new aquatic life park in the United Arab Emirates.
The AP Interview: UN nuke chief says view of Iran blurred
The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog has warned that the restrictions faced by his inspectors in Iran threaten to give the world only a โvery blurred imageโ of Tehranโs program as it enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels.
UAE weapons show draws major deals, traders amid pandemic
(AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)ABU DHABI โ In spite of the surging coronavirus pandemic, major arms makers descended Sunday on a convention center in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, hoping to make deals with militaries across the Middle East. The UAE unveiled $1.36 billion in local and foreign arms deals to supply its forces with everything from South African drones to Serbian artillery. Significant national pavilions were absent, including the United States, the worldโs largest arms exporter. AdโThe threats are obvious lately,โ said Walid Abukhaled, CEO of Saudi Arabian Military Industries Company, a holding company owned by the countryโs sovereign wealth fund. โIf Iran goes into a major rearmament program or starts to flex its muscles, thatโs where missile defense and air defense systems come in,โ he said.
72 tennis players in lockdown after virus cases on flights
Italian tennis player Simone Bolelli, left, and Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez are escorted to their training session in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. The number of players in hard quarantine swelled to 72 ahead of the Australian Open after a fifth positive coronavirus test was returned from the charter flights bringing players, coaches, officials and media to Melbourne for the season-opening tennis major. Some players have expressed anger at being classified as close contacts merely for being on board those flights with people who later tested positive. But local government, tennis and health authorities have said all players were warned of the risks in advance. The Australian Open starts Feb. 8 following a week of warmup tournaments at Melbourne Park and the ATP Cup.
Australian Open arrivals hit by 4 COVID-19 positive tests
Health authorities confirmed there'd been three positive tests for COVID-19 returned on Saturday, and another on Sunday. The Australian Open starts on Feb. 8. Kei Nishikori, the 2014 U.S. Open runner-up, and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka were among a group of players who arrived on the flight from Los Angeles. Also, Americans Madison Keys and Tennys Sandgren returned positive tests, but Sandgren was given permission to fly after Australian health authorities determined he was no longer contagious though still shedding viral particles. South Australia health officials โconfirmed that there is no one who has an active COVID-19 infection in the entire tennis cohort based in Adelaide,โ the Australian Open said on Twitter.
Kenin beats Putintseva to reach Abu Dhabi quarterfinals
Kenin is the top-seeded woman in Abu Dhabi, where the first womens tour-level tennis event of 2021 begins main-draw play on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)ABU DHABI โ Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin of the United States came back from match point down to beat Yulia Putintseva and reach the quarterfinals of the Abu Dhabi Open on Saturday. Kenin posted 57 unforced errors to Putintseva's 43 but still prevailed 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 over the 13th-seeded Putintseva. Kenin dropped the opening set for the second consecutive match in Abu Dhabi. Also, Aryna Sabalenka recorded her 12th consecutive win in tour matches with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Ons Jabeur.
Spain's ex-king pays tax debt amid ongoing financial probes
MADRID โ The law firm representing Juan Carlos I said Wednesday that Spainโs former monarch has paid tax authorities nearly 680,000 euros ($821,000) following a voluntary declaration of previously undisclosed income. The former king now lives in Abu Dhabi, where he moved in August amid a deepening financial scandal. His lawyer in Madrid, Javier Sรกnchez-Junco, said in an e-mailed statement that Juan Carlos I filed a self-declaration of undeclared past income and had paid by Wednesday the ensuing debt of 678,393.72 euros. The former king moved to the United Arab Emirates after it emerged that he had become the target of official investigations by prosecutors in Spain and Switzerland for possible financial wrongdoing. โSpainโs parliamentary monarchy is not in danger,โ Sรกnchez said.
UAE says Chinese vaccine 86% effective, offers few details
The United Arab Emirates said Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, that a Chinese coronavirus vaccine by Sinopharm tested in the federation of sheikhdoms is 86% effective, though it released few details. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell, File)DUBAI โ The United Arab Emirates said Wednesday a Chinese coronavirus vaccine tested in the federation of sheikhdoms is 86% effective, in a statement that provided few details but marked the first public release of information on the efficacy of the shot. The UAE, home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, conducted a trial beginning in September of the vaccine by Chinese state-owned pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm involving 31,000 volunteers from 125 nations. The Sinopharm vaccine has been approved for emergency use in a few countries and the company is still conducting late-stage clinical trials in 10 countries. Morocco is gearing up for an ambitious COVID-19 vaccination program, aiming to vaccinate 80% of its adults in an operation starting this month thatโs relying initially on the Sinopharm vaccine.
First commercial passenger flight from UAE lands in Israel
TEL AVIV โ The first commercial passenger flight to Israel by a carrier from the United Arab Emirates landed near Tel Aviv on Monday, further cementing a normalization deal between the two countries. Etihad said it plans regular passenger flights between the countries in the future and was launching a dedicated Hebrew website. In August, a Star of David-adorned El Al plane flew from Israel to Abu Dhabi, carrying a high-ranking American and Israeli delegation in the first-ever direct commercial passenger flight between the two countries. Israel and the UAE announced in August they had agreed to normalize ties, setting off a flurry of business, banking and intergovernmental agreements, along with an end to a longstanding boycott by the UAE against Israel. The UAE and Bahrain are the third and fourth Arab states to establish ties with Israel.
UK festival curator accuses UAE minister of sex assault
Caitlin McNamara alleged she was attacked in February by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, a member of Abu Dhabiโs ruling family, the Sunday Times reported. The account is denied,โ British lawyers for Sheikh Nahyan said in a statement. โSheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan made a mockery of his ministerial responsibilities and tragically undermined his governmentโs attempt to work with Hay Festival to promote free speech and female empowerment,โ she added. The sheikhโs ministry paid for the four-day festival in Abu Dhabi, which took place in late February and featured several famous authors. Sheikh Nahyan has received international attention as the Emirates hosted Pope Francis and moves toward normalizing ties with Israel while welcoming Jews to this Muslim-ruled nation.
The Latest: NCarolina virus numbers head in wrong direction
Connecticut has seen an uptick in virus cases in communities across the state over the past few weeks. There were 3,747 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported Thursday, breaking the record of 3,279 set on Tuesday. The day of high case numbers comes just two weeks after the Republican governor repealed that same statewide mask mandate, citing declining numbers of virus cases. Mississippi has had more than 108,000 virus cases and at least 3,152 virus-related deaths. Mississippiโs state health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said Monday that six hospitals have no beds available in their intensive care units.
Abu Dhabi, UAE's conservative capital, ends alcohol licenses
DUBAI โ Abu Dhabi, the conservative capital of the United Arab Emirates, is eliminating its licensing system for alcohol purchases for drinkers after Dubai repeatedly loosened its own rules to boost sales and tourism amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. โWe would like to announce the cancellation of alcohol licenses for individuals,โ the circular said. Eliminating the licenses also would decriminalize alcohol possession, although the Emirates maintains a strict no-tolerance policy on drunk driving and public intoxication. Alcohol sales go on in six of the UAE's seven sheikhdoms, while Sharjah remains dry like the neighboring nations of Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The new alcohol rule also comes just after Abu Dhabi ordered hotels to offer Kosher food, a nod toward the UAE normalizing relations with Israel.
Israel lists first commercial passenger flight to UAE
DUBAI Israel has listed an El Al flight taking off Monday for Abu Dhabi, which would be Israel's first commercial passenger flight to the United Arab Emirates after the two countries agreed to a U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations. The confirmation of the flight comes as the latest concrete sign of a deal that saw Israel agree to halt plans to annex land sought by the Palestinians. The website of the Israel Airports Authority listed the flight on Friday. A return flight to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport on Tuesday will be numbered LY972, Israels international calling code. However, U.S. officials earlier said the anticipated first flight will include American officials led by President Donald Trumps senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
US officials: 1st Israel-UAE commercial flight next week
WASHINGTON U.S. officials announced Tuesday that the first commercial flight between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is scheduled for next week, carrying American and Israeli delegations to Abu Dhabi after the two countries agreed to normalize relations. The flight, likely on an Israeli El-Al airliner, would carry a U.S. delegation headed by President Donald Trumps senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and national security adviser Robert OBrien, the officials said. The officials were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The flight also would indicate Saudi support for the deal. Israeli and American officials have expressed hope that other Gulf Arab countries will soon follow suit, with relations based on mutual commercial and security interests, and their shared enmity toward Iran.
Palestinians in Gaza rally against Israel-UAE deal
(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)GAZA Hundreds of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday rallied against the U.S.-brokered deal to normalize ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The demonstrators in Gaza City also voiced support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for his rejection of President Donald Trump's Mideast plan, which the Palestinians say unfairly favors Israel. The protest was organized by the militant Hamas group, which rules the Gaza Strip, and other factions. "Instead, it serves and promotes the occupation in its projects that target Palestine and the region.In the West Bank town of Turmusaya, several dozen Palestinians demonstrated against the UAE's deal with Israel, the Trump administration's Mideast plan and Israel's plan to annex parts of the West Bank. Protesters burned Israeli flags and threw stones at Israeli soldiers in the distance.
UAE orders government shakeup as virus erodes economic gains
Kayakers race in front of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Friday, June 19, 2020. Competitions held Friday at the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club were among the first events to be held. As part of the shakeup, the ministries of energy and infrastructure were merged and will be led by current Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei. The UAE is home to airlines Emirates and Etihad Airways, port operator DP World, and the worlds tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa. Dubai's plans to host the EXPO, or World Fair, this year and spur economic growth were delayed until 2021 because of the coronavirus.
UFC 'Fight Island' revealed in Abu Dhabi, will host 4 shows
The UFC's mysterious Fight Island is actually Yas Island, a popular tourist destination in Abu Dhabi where the mixed martial arts promotion will hold four shows in July. The UFC revealed the location Tuesday and announced a series of fan-free shows at Fight Island, starting with a card tentatively featuring three title fights at UFC 251 on July 11. The UFC has staged past fight cards most recently in September on the leisure island in the United Arab Emirates. The UFC will hold subsequent shows on Yas Island on July 15, July 18 and July 25. White told ESPN, his promotion's broadcast partner, that Fight Island will encompass a hotel and restaurants along with an octagon.