Dubai

DUBAI, Jul 30 (NNN-WAM) – Seven people were killed yesterday, in floods in northern and eastern United Arab Emirates (UAE), triggered by two days of heavy rain.

The UAE Ministry of Interior, extended its condolences to the families of the victims who are of various Asian nationalities, Al Salem Al Tunaiji, director general of the ministry’s federal operations, said in a tweet.

Al Tunaiji said, 80 percent of those who were evacuated have returned to their homes, noting, the rescue operations are still ongoing in the affected three emirates.

DUBAI, July 31 (Reuters) - Iran has responded to top European Union diplomat Josep Borrell's proposal aimed at salvaging Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, and seeks a swift conclusion to negotiations, the top Iranian nuclear negotiator said on Sunday.

"We shared our proposed ideas, both on substance & form, to pave the way for a swift conclusion of Vienna negotiations," Ali Bagheri Kani tweeted, without giving any more details on Iran's position.

DUBAI, Jul 29 (NNN-WAM) – Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), reported yesterday, a record-breaking core operating profit of 296 million U.S. dollars, for the first half of 2022.

This result was achieved despite a year-on-year increase of almost 60 percent in fuel costs, said a company press release.

Etihad Airways carried a total of 4.02 million passengers from Jan to Jun this year, significantly up from 980,000 in the same period last year, with an average seat load factor of 75 percent, according to the press release.

DUBAI, July 25 (Reuters) - Iran will keep the U.N. nuclear watchdog's cameras turned off until a 2015 nuclear deal is restored, the head of the country's Atomic Energy Organization said on Monday, state media reported.

Nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami also said Iran would not agree to address alleged unexplained uranium traces as demanded by the IAEA, adding that the 2015 nuclear deal had cleared Iran of so-called PMD (possible military dimensions) allegations.

DUBAI, July 23 (Reuters) - Iran said on Saturday its security forces had arrested a network of agents working for Israel before they were able to carry out sabotage and "terrorist operations", state media reported.

The announcement by Iran's Intelligence Ministry came amid heightening tensions with arch-enemy Israel over Tehran's nuclear programme.

DUBAI, July 17 (Reuters) - Iran is technically capable of making a nuclear bomb but has not decided whether to build one, a senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Qatar's al Jazeera TV on Sunday.

Kamal Kharrazi spoke a day after U.S. President Joe Biden ended his four-day trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia, vowing to stop Iran from "acquiring a nuclear weapon." 

Kharrazi's comments were a rare suggestion that Iran might have an interest in nuclear weapons, which it has long denied seeking.

July 16 (Reuters) - United Arab Emirates authorities have detained Asim Ghafoor, a U.S. citizen and civil rights attorney who previously served as a lawyer for slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, said U.S.-based rights group DAWN of whose board Ghafoor is a member.

A senior U.S. administration official, when asked on Saturday by reporters about the detention, said the United States was aware, but could not say whether President Joe Biden would raise the issue in planned bilateral talks with the UAE president on the sidelines of an Arab summit in Saudi Arabia.

DUBAI, July 16 (Reuters) - Iran said on Saturday it had imposed sanctions on 61 more Americans, including former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, for backing an Iranian dissident group, as months of talks to revive a 2015 nuclear deal are at an impasse.

Others blacklisted by Iran's Foreign Ministry for voicing support for the exiled dissident group Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) included former President Donald Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani and former White House national security adviser John Bolton, Iranian state media reported.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reputation as a brazen leader who has ruthlessly silenced critics and dissent will cast a shadow over his meeting on Friday with U.S. President Joe Biden.

DUBAI, July 14 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Thursday that the Islamic Republic will have a "harsh and regrettable response" to any "mistake" committed by Washington or its allies.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a joint pledge on Thursday to deny Iran nuclear arms, a show of unity by allies long divided over diplomacy with Tehran.