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united arab emirates
The UAE recently postponed their participation in airstrikes in December after concerns about their pilots’ safety while flying. Leaders in the UAE were worried that the plans to rescue captured personnel, if necessary, were insufficient.
Since ISIS has been known to execute its captives, including the recent burning of Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, the UAE was taking precautions.
However, the UAE decided to reinstate its airstrike mission, and UAE F-16s station in Jordan recently took part in attacks. Due to the collaboration between the Iraqi and Syrian governments, as well as the aid provided by the UAE and some US-led missions, some territory has been regained from ISIS. However, although some success has been made against the terrorist group, ISIS continues to make their own strides.
The History of ISIS
ISIS started as ISI in 1999. In 2013, it announced its merger with al-Nusra Front, and the group has been using extreme force to take over cities in both Iraq and Syria. The ISIS extremist group took over Iraq and Syria last year. Since then, the group has murdered a good number of foreigners. Right now, ISIS has nearly 20,000 members, and thanks to continuous recruitment efforts by the group, more and more people continue to flock from different parts of the world in order to join the terrorist group, including Americans. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Syrians have fled the areas that are now controlled by ISIS in order to preserve their safety. ISIS has been known to execute natives in the cities they take over for no reason.
Recent ISIS Victories
Even with airstrikes in place and minimal success efforts, ISIS is continuing to further their endeavors. In early May, ISIS seized control of Ramadi as the government decided to pull back forces. Militants detonated multiple car bombs, and the Iraqi security forces were forced to retreat, giving ISIS access to take full control. Officials in Ramadi have reportedly warned against ISIS’s advances and have asked for more backup regarding airstrikes, yet ISIS was still able to overcome the city.
Along with Ramadi, the ISIS fighters have also recently took control of Palmyra, a desert city in central Syria. The reason this is a big win for ISIS is due to the city’s gas fields and network of roads that connect it across the country’s central dessert. This will allow ISIS to have an easier way to perform illegal trafficking, as well as easier access to other major cities in Syria. While many residents have fled the town, it’s been reported that thousands of residents have been executed, although ISIS claims to restore power and healthcare within the next few days to those residents who have stayed behind.
Both the Iraqi and Syrian governments are working toward overtaking the ISIS group, although both claim that efforts will be time-consuming. Both countries are working together, as well as with US-led teams, in order to take back their countries.
About the UAE
The United Arab Emirates is a country located in the southeast end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is made up of seven emirates, including Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. Rulers of the emirates, including Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al Qasimi of Ras al-Khaimah, demonstrate the Pro Western stance of the United States, its allies, and moderate Muslim countries around the world.
A major sandstorm across the United Arab Emirates has reduced visibility to just a few hundreds feet in some parts of Dubai.
High winds have whipped up desert sands causing residents to suffer breathing difficulties.
The storm has led to flight diversions from Dubai’s International Airport, leaving many passengers stranded.
Abu Dhabi police say the storm has caused a serious traffic accident and forecasters predict it could last days.
Although sandstorms are not unusual in the region, the extreme weather has shocked some locals.
“Last time, I have seen [a storm], it was not up to this,” said one Dubai resident.
“I felt very bad, and I hear that there were some accidents already on Dubai’s roads.”
Abu Dhabi police say a 24-year-old has been airlifted to hospital after being seriously injured in the traffic accident caused by the reduced visibility.
The United Arab Emirates’ National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology warned of reduced visibility of as little as 500 meters.
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As the world economy becomes more globalized, developed nations are starting to look at those that are less wealthy as prime places to trade with and invest in. It is because of this that global trade is now starting to peak in Africa, a region long ignored when it came to trade agreements. One of the biggest leaders in the movement has been the Middle East. The nations in this area are starting to invest heavily in Africa for many reasons, along with forming trade agreements.
There are many reasons that Africa is being favored by Middle Eastern countries. The first, and major reason is that they are close by. Trading and working with another nation is much easier when the two of them are in close proximity, and this is certainly true for Africa and the Middle East. Working with someone who is nearby, or at least in a similar time zone, makes communicating and working with one another simpler and more efficient. Another benefit of close proximity is that the cultures are similar to one another. This again, makes it easier for the two places to communicate effectively.
Besides being close to one another, the Middle East is also full aware of the challenges that Africa is facing. For a long time, countries in the Middle East struggled to build infrastructure, along with training a capable workforce. Africa is facing many of the same problems now as new businesses are looking to expand into the region. A perfect example of this is Ras Al Khaimah, an area in the United Arab Emirates. The leader there, Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi has led initiatives to increase the education levels in his country to help improve polices and the workforce. Since similar actions are needed in Africa, leaders like this will be well versed in what is needed. By being familiar with the challenges, leaders in the Middle East can help these nations out and reaching trading agreements is much easier.
There are two more factors that have led to an increased trade level with Africa, along with heavier investments. First, is that since Africa is largely still developing, there is more potential for growth. By investing in an area that has more room to grow, you are increasing your chances of getting a bigger return for your investment. Secondly, the governments in Africa have been relatively stable over the past decade. In previous years there was a lot of turnover, making it hard to reach trade agreements since you didn’t know who would be in power in a year. Now, countries like the United States and ones inside Europe have been able to reach substantial trade agreements with Africa, ones that were not always possible in the past.
As time continues to go by, trading is becoming even healthier in Africa. No longer is the primary export the illegal ivory trade that has plagued the area for so long. Legal and legitimate trade is flowing from Africa to all corners of the world, thanks large in part to the leadership of the Middle East. Their heavy investments and trade agreements have been examples for the rest of the world to follow. As such, we are now starting to see global trade peaking in Africa like we never have before.
Overseers of Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque asked Rihanna to leave the compound after she posed for photographs considered to be at odds with the “sanctity” of the site.
The mosque staff later explained that Rihanna had been in an area that was typically off-limits to visitors and that her fashion-style shoot didn’t support the “status and sanctity of the mosque.”
Overseers of Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque asked Rihanna to leave the compound after she posed for photographs considered to be at odds with the “sanctity” of the site
Images of the photo shoot, which Rihanna posted to her Instagram account, depict her in a black outfit with her hair covered striking poses and lying down around the grounds of the mosque. Rihanna, who performed in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, has yet to respond publicly to the overseers’ statements.
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The new Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, which has killed half of those infected, is “unlikely” to reach the same scale as SARS, ministers in Saudi Arabia say.
Most of the 90 MERS cases reported so far have been in Saudi Arabia.
MERS is from the same group of viruses as the common cold and SARS, which killed 774 people.
However, a detailed analysis of the Saudi cases, published in Lancet Infectious Diseases, did warn of “major gaps” in understanding of the virus.
The MERS coronavirus emerged in 2012 and has infected 90 people worldwide, 45 of them have died.
MERS is from the same group of viruses as the common cold and SARS, which killed 774 people
The global concern is that cases could spread much further, echoing the SARS outbreak.
Cases have been centered on the Middle East – with patients in Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Additional cases in France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia and the UK have all been linked to travel to the Middle East.
Researchers in Saudi Arabia have published details of the 47 cases reported in the country.
They suggest a pattern of mostly older men being infected. Most cases were also in people with other medical problems, more than two-thirds of the reported cases also had diabetes.
The lead researcher and Deputy Minister for Public Health, Prof. Ziad Memish, said: “Despite sharing some clinical similarities with SARS, there are also some important differences.
“In contrast to SARS, which was much more infectious especially in healthcare settings and affected the healthier and the younger age group, MERS appears to be more deadly, with 60% of patients with co-existing chronic illnesses dying, compared with the 1% toll of SARS.
“Although this high mortality rate with MERS is probably spurious due to the fact that we are only picking up severe cases and missing a significant number of milder or asymptomatic cases.
“So far there is little to indicate that MERS will follow a similar path to SARS.”
However, the latest Saudi investigation both highlighted the need to find where the virus was coming from.
Prof. Ziad Memish’s report said: “Reducing the rate of introduction of MERS coronavirus into human beings is unpredictable because the source of the virus is not yet known.
“We are searching vigorously for the source.”
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Justin Bieber kept his fans in Dubai waiting for two hours in humid 86F (30C) heat.
When he finally took to the stage in Dubai at 10 p.m. on Saturday Justin Bieber performed only one song before disappearing for a break.
By the time he returned, many of the 15,000-strong audience, who had paid up to $275 for tickets, were leaving because Sunday is a school day in the United Arab Emirates.
Some had travelled miles to get there as the concert venue is in the middle of the desert on the outskirts of Dubai then parents and fans vented their anger on Twitter.
In his first show in the Middle East, Justin Bieber, 19, opened at 10 p.m. with All Around the World – then disappeared while a DJ took over.
Justin Bieber kept his fans in Dubai waiting for two hours in humid 86F
By the time he reappeared in a different outfit, fed-up parents were already leaving in droves.
Justin Bieber’s performance was later interrupted when a male member of the audience tackled him and tipped over a piano after climbing onto the stage.
The singer managed to finish the song as security took the man away, and returned to perform the gig finale after a three-minute break.
It is not the first time that Justin Bieber has come under fire for treating his fans badly.
In March, he was two hours late for a performance at London’s O2 arena. Many of the youngsters had to leave before he even appeared on stage and others missed their last trains home.
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