Abu Dhabi / WAM Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy, visited the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi and received an update on the project as well as details of a recent construction milestone at the plant from senior Emirati engineers. He was received at the plant by ENEC’s CEO, Mohamed …

  Abu Dhabi / WAM The Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) has honoured Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs (FNC) and Chairwoman of twofour54, Abu Dhabi’s media free zone, with the MEPRA Visionary Award, recognising her valuable contribution to the communication industry in the region. Commenting on the award, Al Kaabi, said, “I …

  DUBAI / WAM The Dubai Customs has shared its Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) implementation experience at the World Customs Organisation ( WCO) 3rd Global AEO Conference, held recently in Cancun, Mexico. Dubai Customs Director, Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, was one of the panelists on the first day plenary session of the conference. He presented the UAE’s state-of-the-art AEO programme, of which …

  DUBAI / WAM With the aim of promoting healthy diets and lifestyles, Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and Nestle have partnered to launch more than 40-TV episodes where tips on eating healthy and leading a healthy lifestyle especially among children will be shared with the public. The partnership comes in light of the “Healthy Children 2021”, an initiative supported by Vice …

  Beirut / AFP US-backed Syrian fighters and Iraqi forces on Thursday pursued twin assaults against the IS group, but experts warned the battles will be drawn out. The offensives on key regions of IS-held territory are the two most significant ground efforts against the extremists since they formed a self-styled “caliphate” in 2014. In Syria, an alliance backed by …

  Paris / AFP France and Egypt will hire two private firms to help in the hunt for the black boxes from the EgyptAir plane that crashed last week on route from from Paris to Cairo, the French foreign ministry has said. ‘We are in talks with two private companies… in coordination with the Egyptian authorities,’ a ministry spokesman said, …

  BAGHDAD / AP Iraq’s prime minister appealed on Thursday to Iraqis to postpone weekly Friday protests so that security forces can focus on a key military operation aimed at retaking the city of Fallujah from the IS group. For months, anti-government protesters, mainly followers of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada Al Sadr, have been holding protests every Friday outside Baghdad’s heavily …

  Ise-Shima / AFP Turkey must uphold its side of a deal made with the European Union over stemming the flow of migrants, a top EU official said on Thursday, warning ‘threats’ against the bloc will not work. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Ankara must ease strict anti-terror laws if it wants its citizens to enjoy visa-free travel on …

  Ise-Shima / AFP The Taliban is unlikely to come to the table for peace talks with the government of Afghanistan ‘anytime soon’, despite the organisation’s new leadership, US President Barack Obama said on Thursday. Obama told reporters in Japan, where he is meeting with other leaders of the Group of Seven nations, that he expected the extremist movement to …

  Hasakeh / AFP Before extremists seized his hometown and turned his school into a prison, Syrian teenager Ahmad Mohammad never imagined he would be excited about sitting his final exams. After a long wait, the 17-year-old and around 650 other teenagers were bussed into the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh this month to finally try to obtain their school …