DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
President Donald Trump set foot in North Korea on Sunday, becoming the first US leader to do so, and came away with an agreement to resume talks on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Mr Trump and Mr Kim, meeting for the third time in the space of a year, greeted each other warmly after crossing the open ground of the demilitarised zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea.
“Stepping across that line was a great honour, a lot of progress has been made,” Mr Trump told the assembled press after Mr Kim accompanied him back into the South Korean side of the de-militarised zone.
Mr Trump and Mr Kim then held a closed-door meeting for nearly an hour.
"We just had a very, very good meeting," the US president said after the talks. "We'll see what can happen."
He said both sides would set up teams to push forward stalled talks aimed at getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, adding "speed is not the thing".
Mr Trump thanked Mr Kim for meeting him, saying that if the North Korean leader had not shown up the press would have made him look bad after his public invitation to talk on Twitter.
Mr Kim said he had been surprised by Mr Trump's last-minute invitation to meet at the DMZ on Sunday, but said it “can be the foundation for better things in the future”.
The leaders last met at a failed summit in Vietnamese capital Hanoi in February. Mr Trump abruptly left that meeting without a joint press conference. Since then there has apparently been little public movement in the talks for North Korea to abandon its nuclear programmes.
Mr Kim looked relaxed and smiled as he chatted with Mr Trump on Sunday amidst a throng of press photographers, aides and bodyguards. Mr Trump said the two leaders "moved mountains" to arrange the last-minute meeting.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in praised the two leaders for “being so brave” and said: “I hope President Trump will go down in history as the president who achieves peace on Korean Peninsula.”
Mr Kim said it would be a great honour if Mr Trump visited his capital of Pyongyang. The two agreed to visit each other's country "at the right time", Mr Trump said.
The meeting even drew praise from Pope Francis during his weekly address in Rome's St Peter's Square. "I salute the protagonists, with a prayer that such a significant gesture will be a further step on the road to peace, not only on that peninsula, but for the good of the entire world," he said.
The meeting came about after a tweet in which Mr Trump expressed his desire to be the first sitting US president to cross into North Korea when made his first trip to the DMZ.
“I look forward to saying hello to him if that all finally works out,” Mr Trump said. “I guess there’s always a chance that it might not, but it sounds like the teams would like to have that work out, so that’s good.”
Mr Trump made his audacious offer to meet Mr Kim at the DMZ while heading to South Korea after attending the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan.
A top North Korean diplomat, Choe Son Hui, offered a sign of encouragement when she called Mr Trump’s tweet “a very interesting suggestion” in a statement on Saturday.
But there was suspense throughout meetings on Sunday morning, as Mr Trump and Mr Moon both appeared unsure about whether Mr Kim would appear. The US president repeatedly cautioned that the logistics were complicated, and he said that any meeting would be little more than a photo op.
“Chairman Kim wants to do it,” he said before an official meeting with Mr Moon. “A handshake means a lot,” he added.
Mr Moon,who has acted as an intermediary in negotiations between Mr Trump and Mr Kim, praised Mr Trump's initiative.
“I saw that tweet and it felt like you’ve sent a flower of hope for the Korean Peninsula,” Mr Moon told Mr Trump on Sunday. “If you shake hands with Chairman Kim Jong-un at the Military Demarcation Line, it would be historic, just by the picture of it. Not only for the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, but also for a permanent peace in the region, it’ll be very meaningful.”
A brief history of Trump and Kim's rocky relations:
March 7, 2018: A special South Korean envoy returns from visiting Pyongyang and says Mr Kim is willing to discuss the future of his nuclear arsenal with Washington. Days later, Mr Trump accepts Mr Kim's invitation to meet.
April 21, 2018: North Korea says it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and is shifting its focus to improving its economy. Mr Trump tweets the move is "big progress!"
May 9, 2018: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits Pyongyang to prepare for the planned Trump-Kim meeting. North Korea frees three Americans who had been imprisoned.
June 12, 2018: Mr Trump and Mr Kim meet in Singapore for the first summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. Mr Kim vows to work towards achieving complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.
January 1, 2019: Mr Kim in his New Year's Day speech says he hopes to continue his nuclear summitry with Mr Trump, but also that he would seek a "new way" if the United States persists with sanctions and pressure against North Korea.
February 27-28, 2019: Mr Trump and Mr Kim meet in Hanoi, Vietnam, for their second summit. The meeting collapses with reaching any agreement after Mr Trump rejects Mr Kim's calls for major sanctions relief in return for dismantling his main nuclear complex in a partial denuclearisation step.
April 13, 2019: Kim says he is open to another meeting with Mr Trump, but sets the year's end as a deadline for Washington to offer mutually acceptable terms for an agreement to salvage the diplomacy.
May 9, 2019: North Korea fires two short-range missiles towards the sea in its second launch in five days, ending a pause in ballistic testing. The launches are seen as measured efforts to dial up pressure on Washington and Seoul without actually causing the negotiations to collapse.
June 29, 2019: In a tweet message, Mr Trump invites Mr Kim to shake hands during his planned visit to the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Mr Kim's vice foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, calls Mr Trump's offer "a very interesting suggestion."
June 30, 2019: Mr Trump shakes hands with Mr Kim at a jointly controlled area inside the DMZ and becomes the first US president to cross over into North Korean territory. Mr Kim then walks over the demarcation line into South Korea with Mr Trump.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
MATCH INFO
Bayern Munich 2 Borussia Monchengladbach 1
Bayern: Zirkzee (26'), Goretzka (86')
Gladbach: Pavard (37' og)
Man of the Match: Breel Embolo (Borussia Monchengladbach)
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Match info
Who: India v Afghanistan
What: One-off Test match, Bengaluru
When: June 14 to 18
TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD, 8am starts
Online: OSN Play (subscribers only)
RESULTS
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Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
