US secretary of state confirmed US willingness to return to nuclear deal but rejected Iranian pressure for Washington to act first. The reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr [File/Majid Asgaripour/Mehr News Agency, AP] 28 Jan 2021 The United States will only …
Read More »Five investigations to follow under lockdown
Millions of people across the globe are under lockdown as governments try to contain the spread of COVID-19. If you are looking for a way to spend your time, here are five groundbreaking investigations to watch. 1. The Poachers Pipeline KEEP READING Has a ‘fifth generation war’ started between India and …
Read More »For a climate hero, an a-la-carte terror sentence
Mohamed “Oittey” Hussain has a childlike sense of mischief as he tells the story of how former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed’s 13-year terror sentence was decided. “They called me and told me to pick up a letter from [Judge] Bari,” he says. “That was near Asr [the afternoon] prayer at …
Read More »Michael Jackson’s ‘Neverland’ Relists for $31 Million—Or 70% Off
The onetime “Neverland” ranch of the late pop star Michael Jackson is returning to the market for $31 million, a dramatic discount from its original asking price of $100 million in 2015. It is the latest development in the yearslong effort to sell the property. In 2017, after nearly two …
Read More »Europol: COVID-19 Causes Spike in Cybercrime
As the coronavirus pandemic forced many to work from home, criminals seem to have adapted to the new situation and are also increasingly working remotely and causing an upward trend in cyber crime, according to Europol’s Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment, IOCTA, for 2020. Ransomware is one of the most terrifying …
Read More »How to Inherit a Villa, Kremlin Style
The family of Igor Shuvalov, who until May was Russia’s first deputy prime minister, owns a Dubai villa worth about US$ 8 million, according to a private database of the emirate’s real estate. The exclusive waterfront property, with both a private beach and a pool, is on the Palm Jumeirah, a world-famous residential …
Read More »US sanctions on Africa need an overhaul, say experts
Washington plans to lift sanctions on Sudan in return for compensation for terror victims, making the African country a pawn in the US election campaign. Experts say this approach to sanctions in Africa needs to change. President Donald Trump has said the United States will begin removing Sudan from a list …
Read More »China’s Oppressed Uighurs Made COVID-19 Protection Sold Throughout Europe
Medical masks and protective equipment made by Uighur laborers in China are being sold across Europe by at least two major distributors, and have been bought by governments and health bodies in at least five countries, an investigation by OCCRP and partners has found. The workers are ethnic Uighurs from …
Read More »Bulgaria’s Bad Date: Coronavirus Supplies from UAE Found to be Fruit
A shipment of medical supplies from the United Arab Emirates for Bulgaria’s fight against coronavirus consisted mostly of dried dates, OCCRP’s member center in Bulgaria, Bivol, has revealed. The boxes of dates received in Bulgaria. (Photo: with the authorization of Bivol)Bulgaria’s government announced on April 13 that it had shipped 32 tons of …
Read More »African Conflict Gold is Being Laundered in Dubai
The years-long rise in international gold prices has driven a new artisanal gold mining and refining rush in conflict-affected areas in East and Central Africa and has turned the United Arab Emirates into the foremost launderer of such gold, according to a new report. The group is advocating for increased …
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