Abu Dhabi Police has been promoting the safety of motorcycle riders by holding workshops focused on improving traffic awareness
uae1 hour ago
A top Iranian official paid an unannounced visit on Sunday to the G-7 Summit and headed straight to the buildings where leaders of the world's major democracies have been debating how to handle the country's nuclear ambitions.
France's surprise invitation to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was a high-stakes gamble for French President Emmanuel Macron, who is the host of the Group of Seven gathering in Biarritz.
Zarif's plane left Tehran on Sunday morning and touched down a few hours later at the Biarritz airport, which has been closed since Friday to all flights unrelated to the official G-7 delegations.
A senior French official said Zarif went directly into a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said talks between the Iranian and French foreign ministers were a side event to the G-7 summit and every opportunity should be seized to resolve tensions between the United States and Iran. "We have to find a way to de-escalate - if not we have to fear that Iran reneges even further on its (nuclear deal) commitments in September," Merkel told reporters.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Zarif flew to Biarritz at the invitation of the French foreign minister. Mousavi said on Twitter that there would be no meetings or negotiations with American officials during Zarif's trip.
Asked whether the White House was aware of Zarif's visit, the French official said: "We operate on our own terms" but noted that Macron and US President Donald Trump met for two hours on Saturday and discussed Iran at length, as well as at the group dinner.
The official described it as a Franco-Iranian meeting for the moment and said that France "is working in full transparency with the US and in full transparency with European partners". The Iranian had met Macron on Friday.
Zarif, who faces US sanctions, had been scheduled to go to Asia as part of a tour to seek support for Iran amid the American campaign against it since Trump withdrew the US from Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal.
Trump was asked whether Zarif had been invited. "No comment," he replied. US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Trump had not "set preconditions" on negotiations with Iran.
Abu Dhabi Police has been promoting the safety of motorcycle riders by holding workshops focused on improving traffic awareness
uae1 hour ago
The high-profile event brought together global philanthropic and business leaders to explore the untapped potential of philanthropic capital in accelerating development and humanitarian efforts
kt network2 hours ago
Many employees were told to report to office during the unprecedented rain and storm of April 16-17
uae2 hours ago
His more than 30 books are as likely to be found in airports as on university reading lists and have been translated into more than 40 languages
americas2 hours ago
The machine is a crucial asset during health crises like Covid-19
uae3 hours ago
Through this platform, companies can access capital through diverse assets including equity and debt with plans to introduce additional asset classes
markets3 hours ago
Restoring bakeries and ensuring supply of flour, water and fuel will be crucial to stopping famine spreading across the crowded enclave nearly 7 months into the conflict
mena3 hours ago