Prisoner exchange between US and Russia takes place in Abu Dhabi
Russia and the US have exchanged prisoners in a UAE-mediated swap that happened in Abu Dhabi on Thursday morning, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The exchange included one US citizen and one Russian citizen, state news agency Wam reported. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X saying that Ksenia Karelina, an American citizen, had been release after being "wrongfully detained by Russia" for more than a year. In February, the Trump administration brought home Marc Fogel, a US schoolteacher who had been held in Russia for more than three years on drug charges. His release was part of a prisoner exchange with Moscow. The UAE previous mediated an exchange on March 19 which resulted in the release of 175 Russians and 175 Ukrainians.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
27 minutes ago
- Zawya
DGHR reinforces commitment to inclusive employment for people of determination across Dubai's government entities
As of 2024, 326 employees of determination have been integrated into Dubai Government entities. There are currently 237 employees of determination who are UAE nationals, working for Dubai's government entities. Dubai Municipality, Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Police, Dubai Academic Health Corporation, and the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs take the lead in employing people of determination. Dubai – The 'Inclusive Employment 2024' report, issued by the Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR), reaffirms Dubai government entities' ongoing commitment to identifying, hiring, and integrating people of determination into the public workforce. In addition to unlocking their potential, building their capabilities, and ensuring their effective integration into government work, these efforts aspire to help them achieve their professional and personal goals, and contribute meaningfully to the nation's development, in line with Dubai's standing as an inclusive and empowering society for all. The steady increase in the number of employees of determination in government entities reflects the vision of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council. His Highness has actively promoted the importance of integrating individuals of determination across all sectors, particularly the public sector, and enabling them to realise their potential and skills to shape Dubai's future and ensure its long-term prosperity. Integrated Ecosystem His Excellency Abdullah Ali Bin Zayed Al-Falasi, Director General of DGHR's Department, emphasised the significance of this initiative, stating: ' The formation of the Higher Committee for the Protection of the Rights of People of Determination, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is a significant step towards empowering people of determination—not only through employment opportunities but also through an integrated ecosystem that begins with assessment and training, followed by professional follow-up and development. Beyond simply providing jobs, we create career paths based on competence, fairness, and passion. This strategic direction reflects our commitment to shaping an inclusive work environment where every member of society, including people of determination, has the opportunity to define Dubai's future.' Insights and Initiatives According to the report issued by DGHR, the number of people of determination employed across government entities has reached 326, including 237 UAE nationals. The report also includes an extensive breakdown by type of disability, educational qualifications, and gender distribution, making it a valuable resource for policymakers as they develop future strategies to support inclusive employment initiatives. Dubai Municipality, the Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Police, Dubai Academic Health Corporation, and the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs have topped the list of entities employing the highest number of people of determination. Through the implementation of broad strategic initiatives aimed at integrating people of determination into the public sector workforce, DGHR has remained committed to inclusive employment. These efforts have been carefully designed to provide advanced vocational training aligned with their aspirations and capabilities. In addition to statistical reporting, DGHR's responsibilities also include evaluating the professional competencies of job seekers from the people of determination community, designing tailored training programs, and hosting specialised workshops to enhance their readiness for the job market. In addition, DGHR follows up on their professional development within the respective government entities to ensure a sustainable and equitable work environment that fosters growth and excellence. In this regard, DGHR has launched a series of awareness and community-driven initiatives, including career guidance workshops, participation at job fairs, and collaborations with community organisations and the private sector to expand employment opportunities for people of determination. These strategic efforts reflect the Dubai Government's unwavering commitment to building an inclusive work environment that empowers people of determination as active partners in shaping a sustainable future for Dubai. For further information, please contact: Orient Planet Group (OPG) Email: media@ Website:
Gulf Today
an hour ago
- Gulf Today
Two Israeli ministers sanctioned by 5 Western democracies
For the first time, five Western democracies, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Norway, have sanctioned two far-right Israeli politicians, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who are also ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, for 'inciting extremist violence' against Palestinians in the West Bank. Former American President Joe Biden had also sanctioned Israeli settlers in West Bank violence, but these sanctions were lifted when President Donald Trump took office this January. In a joint statement, the five countries stated that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich 'have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. Extremist rhetoric advocated the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous.' United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary David Lammy accused Ben-Gvir and Smotrich of 'inciting violence against Palestinian people for months and months' and 'encouraging egregious abuses of human rights.' Ben-Gvir and Smotrich remain defiant in the face of sanctions imposed by the five countries. Ben-Gvir, who belongs to the extreme religious right-wing said, 'We overcame Pharoah, we'll povercome Starmer's wall,' referring to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Smotrich, the finance minister, learned of the sanctions decision while inaugurating a new West Bank settlement. He said, 'We are determined to continue building.' Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the sanctions 'outrageous'. On the other hand, Israeli human rights activist Eitay Mack describing the sanctions against Ben-Gvir and Smotrich as 'historic', elaborated, 'It means that the wall of immunity that Israeli politicians had has been broken. It's unbelievable that it took so long for Western governments to sanction Israeli politicians, and the fact that it's being done while Trump is president is quite amazing.' He said, 'It is a message to Netanyahu himself that he could be next.' The International Criminal Court (ICC) has already issued a warrant against Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant of human rights violation against the Palestinians in Gaza along with Hamas leaders. Netanyahu retorted saying that the ICC was biased. And the United States sanctioned four of the judges of the ICC for their action against Netanyahu. The four judges were ICC Second Vice President Reine Alapini-Gansou (Benin), Solomy Balungi Bossa (Uganda), Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza (Peru) and Beti Hohler (Slovenia). It had been the case that the whole countries faced sanctions as in the case of Russia after the Ukraine war, and Iran because of its alleged uranium enrichment programme. The question of course is how effective the sanctions against individuals are. In many, the countries can continue to do business with each other once the individuals have been named for sanctions. In May, Britain had suspended free trade talks with Israel. If Western democracies believe that Israeli violence in Gaza and in West Bank violated human rights of Palestinians, then the sanctions have to more than against individuals. There have to be economic sanctions against the erring country, and in this instance it happened to be Israel. Due to historical reasons where the whole of Europe had felt guilty of the Nazi genocide of European Jews, most countries have held themselves back acting against Israel. But Israel has stretched the patience of the European countries, and it had shown no restraint against the Palestinians, apart from refusing to implement the Oslo Accords which would have led the two-state solution of Palestine and Israel. Tel Aviv had been obstinate in its refusal to vacate West Bank as it did Gaza.
Al Etihad
an hour ago
- Al Etihad
UAE delegation participates in High-level Energy Transition Dialogue in Brussels
12 June 2025 14:11 BRUSSELS (WAM) A UAE delegation, headed by Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, participated in the High-Level Energy Transition Dialogue, hosted by the Presidency of the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in partnership with the International Energy Agency at the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels, high-level meeting came as part of global efforts to prepare for COP30, scheduled to be held in Belém, Brazil. It served as a platform for exchanging perspectives on accelerating the implementation of the outcomes of COP28 and COP29 and achieving global energy transition goals — including doubling energy efficiency and tripling renewable energy capacity by an audience of energy ministers and senior officials, Al Olama said, 'At COP28 in Dubai, the international community reached an important milestone: the UAE Consensus. This outcome marked a turning point in how the world approaches the energy transition—not merely as an environmental necessity, but as an economic, social, and development imperative."Building on this momentum, COP29 in Azerbaijan reaffirmed global commitments to scaling up clean energy investment and facilitating credible transition pathways. It emphasised the vital role of finance, technology transfer, and regional cooperation as core enablers. The Global Stocktake, launched at COP28, continues to serve as a critical benchmark for delivery, and the next step is to begin turning that assessment into meaningful action.'He added, 'For the UAE, the energy transition is not a distant goal—It is a national priority already in motion, driving real change on the ground. Our updated UAE Energy Strategy 2050 strikes a deliberate balance between energy security, affordability, and sustainability. It establishes clear targets for clean energy deployment, deep decarbonisation across sectors, and—crucially—bold and achievable improvements in energy efficiency improvements in energy efficiency."We recognise that achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, as set out in our national pathway, cannot be achieved by renewables alone. Energy efficiency is not an add-on, or good to have, but rather a core pillar of the transition. It is the lowest-cost, highest-impact lever we have—and a key enabler for all other technologies and solutions.'Moreover, the UAE delegation participated in the 10th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency, organised by the International Energy Agency in partnership with the EU the conference, Al Olama continued, "In the UAE, we see energy efficiency not only as a tool for decarbonisation but also as a powerful lever to strengthen our economy. We are supporting industries and enterprises to reduce costs, improve energy security, and enhance operational performance. These efforts help attract investment, support high-quality job creation, and foster innovation and competitiveness across key sectors. However, challenges do remain. Despite its clear economic benefits, the pace of progress is often constrained by barriers such as limited access to finance, low awareness, misaligned incentives, and high upfront costs—particularly in emerging markets."This is precisely why the UAE announced its intention to establish the Global Energy Efficiency Alliance (GEEA) during COP29 in Baku, in support of the UAE Consensus and the global goal of doubling the energy efficiency improvement rate, from the historical average of 2 per cent to over 4 per cent annually by 2030. Today, we are proud to officially launch GEEA here in Brussels, reaffirming our commitment to placing energy efficiency at the forefront of the international energy and climate agenda. This effort comes at a critical moment, as we are currently off track, the global energy efficiency improvement rate remains below 1.5 per cent annually, and at this pace, we will fall short of achieving our decarbonisation and net-zero targets.'He noted that as founding Chair and Secretariat of GEEA, the UAE is working closely with partners to move from advocacy to implementation—by scaling technical cooperation, mobilising finance, and enabling the design and delivery of national and sector-specific efficiency extended an open invitation to all governments, private sector entities, financial institutions, and civil society organisations to join the Alliance—to contribute expertise, to align efforts, and to accelerate global progress on energy the sidelines of his engagements in Brussels, Al Olama held several bilateral meetings to promote GEEA and drive the global energy transition agenda. These include meetings with Stefani Sannino, Director-General for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf at the European External Action Service; Ditte Juul Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy at the European Commission; Ben Copp, Director-General of the Office of Energy Efficiency at the National Resources of Canada; Jan Dusík, Deputy Director-General for Climate Action at the European Commission; Masanori Tsuruda, Deputy Commissioner for International Affairs at Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry; and Anders Hoffmann, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities.
