UAE denies 'false' claim that Sudan destroyed Emirati plane carrying mercenaries
"These unfounded allegations... are entirely false, lack any evidentiary basis, and represent a continuation of (Sudan's) ongoing campaign of disinformation and deflection," a UAE official said to AFP regarding the incident, reported to have taken place in war-torn Sudan's Darfur region.
More to follow
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Trump to host Azerbaijan-Armenia peace summit and sign economic agreements
US President Donald Trump will meet the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington on Friday for a peace summit aimed at ending decades of conflict and reopening key transport routes in the region. The two countries in the South Caucasus region will sign an agreement that will create a major transit corridor, to be named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, the White House said. That route will connect mainland Azerbaijan and its autonomous Nakhchivan region – a demand from Baku that had held up peace talks between the two nations. 'The road map they are agreeing to will build a co-operative future that benefits both countries, their region of the South Caucasus and beyond,' White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. The transit corridor will 'allow unimpeded connectivity between the two countries while respecting Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and its people'. Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan are separated by a 32km patch of Armenian territory. In addition, both Armenia and Azerbaijan will sign deals with the US meant to bolster co-operation in energy, technology and the economy, the White House said. 'These two Nations have been at War for many years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people,' Mr Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Thursday. 'Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to 'TRUMP.'' He added that the economic agreements with the US will 'fully unlock the potential of the South Caucasus Region'. Mr Trump will meet the leaders separately, and then all three will participate in a signing ceremony. The war between Azerbaijan and Armenia was over Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory disputed since the Soviet era. The two nations battled for control of the region through violent clashes that left tens of thousands dead over nearly four decades, while international mediation efforts failed. It ended in 2023 after Baku reclaimed the territory, long recognised as belonging to Azerbaijan but which was held by Armenia for decades. The two countries have since been working to normalise relations. Armenia and Azerbaijan held peace talks in Abu Dhabi in July, during which both sides agreed to continue bilateral negotiations and 'confidence-building measures'. President Sheikh Mohamed said the decision to hold the talks in the UAE emphasised that the country is trusted as a supporter of peace and diplomatic solutions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Mr Trump has positioned himself as a peacemaker and has claimed to have ended five conflicts so far. He has expressed his desire several times to win a Nobel Peace Prize. The Armenia-Azerbaijan deal comes as a political blow to Russia, as the two countries fall within its sphere of influence and Moscow had attempted for decades to bring the conflict to a close. It also comes as the US attempts to broker a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Bloomberg reported on Friday that Washington and Moscow were aiming to reach a deal to halt the war that would lock in Russia's occupation of territory seized during its military invasion.
Zawya
2 hours ago
- Zawya
UAE to finalise ‘Eurasian Economic Union' trade, investment agreements by year-end: Al Zeyoudi
Al Zeyoudi noted that the second-of-its-kind agreement with Russia reflects the UAE's expanding economic footprint in the EAEU region and focuses on liberalising and supporting strategic sectors, including financial and fintech services, business consulting, hospitality, logistics, renewable energy, and infrastructure development. These agreements aim to enhance investment flows and support the economic diversification strategies of both the UAE and its partner nations. He noted that UAE–Russia relations are witnessing significant growth, with non-oil trade between the two countries reaching about US$11.5 billion in 2024, marking an increase of nearly 5% compared to the previous year. Data for the first half of the current year showed exceptional growth of up to 75% compared to the same period last year, driven by the overall expansion of economic relations. He noted that the agreement with Russia builds on last month's signing of the EAEU-wide CEPA, which provides for the liberalisation of 95% of total trade volume and 85% of tariff lines between the UAE and the Eurasian bloc. Dr. Al Zeyoudi highlighted the strategic importance of Eurasia as a priority trade expansion zone, noting its population of over 200 million people. He added that bilateral trade with the Eurasian bloc grew by 27% in 2024, reaching nearly US$30 billion, a testament to the UAE's forward-looking policy of economic openness and global integration.
Zawya
2 hours ago
- Zawya
OPEC oil output rises in July led by UAE and Saudi, survey finds
OPEC's oil output rose further in July after an OPEC+ agreement to raise production, a Reuters survey found on Friday, although the hike was limited by Iraq making additional cuts and by drone attacks on Kurdish oilfields. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries pumped 27.38 million barrels per day last month, up 270,000 bpd from June's revised total, the survey showed, with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia making the largest increases. OPEC+, which comprises OPEC and its allies including Russia, is accelerating its plan to unwind its most recent layer of output cuts. At the same time, some members are required to make extra cuts to compensate for earlier overproduction, in theory limiting the impact of the hikes. Under an agreement by eight OPEC+ members covering July output, the five of them that are OPEC members - Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE - were to raise output by 310,000 bpd before the effect of compensation cuts totalling 175,000 bpd for Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE. According to the survey, the actual increase by the five was 150,000 bpd. Saudi supply for June was revised up by 50,000 bpd after the country reported in OPEC's July monthly report that it supplied 9.36 million bpd in June. Iraq, which is under pressure to boost compliance with OPEC+ quotas, lowered output because of compensation cuts and due to drone attacks on oilfields in Iraqi Kurdistan. The UAE raised output by about 100,000 bpd, but still pumped below its OPEC+ quota. There is a wide range of estimates of output in Iraq and the UAE with many outside sources putting the countries' output higher than the countries themselves. While the Reuters survey and data provided by OPEC's secondary sources show they are pumping close to the quotas, other estimates, such as those of the International Energy Agency, say they are pumping significantly more. The Reuters survey aims to track supply to the market and is based on flows data from financial group LSEG, information from other companies that track flows such as Kpler, and information provided by sources at oil companies, OPEC and consultants. (Additional reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar. Editing by Mark Potter)
