Pope Francis, who has made boosting ties between Christianity and Islam a cornerstone of his papacy, will visit Abu Dhabi in February, the Vatican said Thursday, becoming the first ever pope to visit the Arabian peninsula. The pontiff, who turns…
Nigeria rises on world prosperity index — first time ever (Cable)
Nigeria recorded a leap on the 2018 Legatum Prosperity Index (LPI) of most prosperous countries in the world. At 129, the most populous black nation moved up by three points from its 132nd position in 2017. Since the inception of…
British academic pardoned by UAE (BBC)
A British academic who was jailed for spying in the United Arab Emirates has been pardoned. Matthew Hedges, 31, denied spying and said he had been researching his PhD. His wife, Daniela Tejada, who appealed for clemency, said she was…
Brit academic jailed for life for spying in UAE (CNN)
A British academic has been sentenced to life in prison for spying in the United Arab Emirates, according to a family spokeswoman. Matthew Hedges, 31, and a specialist in Middle Eastern studies at Durham University in England, was arrested on…
10 things the UAE does better than anywhere else (CNN)
The United Arab Emirates is famous for its relentless sunshine, its golden dunes that roll on for miles and some of the most ambitious, opulent building projects of modern times. But it’s not all super-tall skyscrapers and shifting sands. The…
UAE charges British student with ‘spying’ (PressTV)
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has charged a British Ph.D. student with “spying,” five months after he was detained and reportedly held in solitary confinement in the Persian Gulf Arab country. Matthew Hedges, a 31-year-old who was researching the UAE’s…
British student charged with spying in UAE (BBC)
A British student has been charged with spying in the United Arab Emirates, officials have said. The UAE government said on Monday that Matthew Hedges was accused of “spying for and on behalf of a foreign state”. Mr Hedges, a…
Matthew Hedges: Wife urges UAE to free husband held since May (BBC)
A British student has been detained for the last five months in the United Arab Emirates “without explanation” after a research trip, his wife has said. Matthew Hedges, a PhD student at Durham University, has been held in solitary confinement…
Woman detained in Dubai after one glass of wine on flight (IrishExaminer)
A mother was detained in Dubai for three days with her four-year-old daughter after drinking a complimentary glass of wine on a flight from London, it is claimed. Swedish dentist Ellie Holman, who lives in Sevenoaks in Kent with her…