Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Reuters
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Reuters
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Reuters
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Reuters

No sign of 'undeclared nuclear activities' in Ukraine, says IAEA


Soraya Ebrahimi
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UN nuclear inspectors found no indication of "undeclared nuclear activities" at three sites in Ukraine, during visits requested by Kyiv to address Russia's "dirty bomb" accusations, the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Thursday.

"Our technical and scientific evaluation of the results we have so far did not show any sign of undeclared nuclear activities and materials at these three locations," said Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA.

"We will report on the results of the environmental sampling as soon as possible."

Mr Grossi was referring to samples collected by IAEA inspectors.

The inspections at the Institute for Nuclear Research in Kyiv, the Eastern Mining and Processing Plant in Zhovti Vody and the Production Association Pivdennyi Machine-Building Plant in Dnipro followed a written request from Ukraine.

"Over the past few days, the inspectors were able to carry out all activities that the IAEA had planned to conduct and were given unfettered access to the locations," the UN agency said.

Putin's inner circle – in pictures

  • Head of Russia's SVR intelligence service Sergei Naryshkin has seen his status eroded by the strong resistance encountered in Ukraine, which he did not foresee. EPA
    Head of Russia's SVR intelligence service Sergei Naryshkin has seen his status eroded by the strong resistance encountered in Ukraine, which he did not foresee. EPA
  • Head of Russia's Roscosmos space agency Dmitry Rogozin has threatened to abandon a Nasa astronaut on the International Space Station. AFP
    Head of Russia's Roscosmos space agency Dmitry Rogozin has threatened to abandon a Nasa astronaut on the International Space Station. AFP
  • Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was one of the architects of Moscow's intervention in Syria. AFP
    Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was one of the architects of Moscow's intervention in Syria. AFP
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Russia's oil giant Rosneft chief Igor Sechin. He has been described as Mr Putin's right-hand man. AFP
    Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Russia's oil giant Rosneft chief Igor Sechin. He has been described as Mr Putin's right-hand man. AFP
  • Secretary of Russia's Security Council Nikolai Patrushev attends a meeting in Moscow. He is said to have known Mr Putin for 50 years. AFP
    Secretary of Russia's Security Council Nikolai Patrushev attends a meeting in Moscow. He is said to have known Mr Putin for 50 years. AFP
  • Sergei Ivanov, Russian special representative on questions of ecology and transport, is a close friend of Mr Putin. AFP
    Sergei Ivanov, Russian special representative on questions of ecology and transport, is a close friend of Mr Putin. AFP
  • Federal Security Service director Alexander Bortnikov is responsible for a huge network of agents in Russia. AFP
    Federal Security Service director Alexander Bortnikov is responsible for a huge network of agents in Russia. AFP
  • At 58, president of the Duma Lower House of Parliament Vyacheslav Volodin is one of the younger members of the inner circle. He has been touted as a possible successor to Mr Putin. AFP
    At 58, president of the Duma Lower House of Parliament Vyacheslav Volodin is one of the younger members of the inner circle. He has been touted as a possible successor to Mr Putin. AFP

The UN atomic agency's conclusion is "obvious" given "irrefutable evidence" of the absence of any dirty bomb, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday.

"The conclusion of the IAEA today is quite obvious," Mr Zelenskyy said.

"We have given them full freedom of action at the relevant facilities, and we have clear and irrefutable evidence that no one in Ukraine has created or is creating any 'dirty bombs'."

Ukraine war latest - in pictures

  • Smoke rises on the outskirts of the city during a Russian missile attack in Kyiv. Reuters
    Smoke rises on the outskirts of the city during a Russian missile attack in Kyiv. Reuters
  • Workers surround the Monument to the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred with sandbags against damage from shelling in Mykolaiv. EPA
    Workers surround the Monument to the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred with sandbags against damage from shelling in Mykolaiv. EPA
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev for talks before a meeting between the Russian president and the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, Russia. AFP
    Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev for talks before a meeting between the Russian president and the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, Russia. AFP
  • People take water from a water pump in Kyiv. EPA
    People take water from a water pump in Kyiv. EPA
  • A woman walks past a damaged building in the town of Nova Kakhovka. Reuters
    A woman walks past a damaged building in the town of Nova Kakhovka. Reuters
  • A woman outside her home, which was destroyed during battles at the start of the conflict, in Yahidne, Chernihiv. Getty Images
    A woman outside her home, which was destroyed during battles at the start of the conflict, in Yahidne, Chernihiv. Getty Images
  • People shelter inside a subway station during a Russian missile attack in Kyiv. Reuters
    People shelter inside a subway station during a Russian missile attack in Kyiv. Reuters
  • Firefighters at the site of a drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine. AP
    Firefighters at the site of a drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine. AP
  • A woman walks past the site of a Russian missile strike in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv. Reuters
    A woman walks past the site of a Russian missile strike in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv. Reuters
  • Rescuer workers at a building destroyed in an attack in Mykolaiv. Reuters
    Rescuer workers at a building destroyed in an attack in Mykolaiv. Reuters
  • Parts of a drone lie on a street in Kyiv. Reuters
    Parts of a drone lie on a street in Kyiv. Reuters
  • A drone flies over the Ukrainian capital during an attack. AFP
    A drone flies over the Ukrainian capital during an attack. AFP
  • Ukrainian servicemen tow a captured Russian armoured vehicle in Rudneve village, Kharkiv. EPA
    Ukrainian servicemen tow a captured Russian armoured vehicle in Rudneve village, Kharkiv. EPA
  • A partially destroyed residential building in Saltivka, in Kharkiv. AP
    A partially destroyed residential building in Saltivka, in Kharkiv. AP
  • Ukrainian servicemen fire a captured Russian howitzer on a front line near Kupyansk city, Kharkiv. EPA
    Ukrainian servicemen fire a captured Russian howitzer on a front line near Kupyansk city, Kharkiv. EPA
  • Ukrainian servicemen near the recently retaken town of Lyman in Donetsk region. AFP
    Ukrainian servicemen near the recently retaken town of Lyman in Donetsk region. AFP
  • An officer from a Ukrainian national police emergency demining team prepares to detonate collected anti-tank mines and explosives near Lyman, in the Donetsk region. AFP
    An officer from a Ukrainian national police emergency demining team prepares to detonate collected anti-tank mines and explosives near Lyman, in the Donetsk region. AFP
  • A boy playing on a destroyed Russian tank on display in Kyiv. AFP
    A boy playing on a destroyed Russian tank on display in Kyiv. AFP
  • A young couple hiding underground during an air alert in Zaporizhzhia. AFP
    A young couple hiding underground during an air alert in Zaporizhzhia. AFP
  • Ukrainian firefighters looking for survivors after a strike in Zaporizhzhia. AFP
    Ukrainian firefighters looking for survivors after a strike in Zaporizhzhia. AFP
  • Workers fix a banner reading 'Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson - Russia!' to the State Historical Museum near Red Square in Moscow. AFP
    Workers fix a banner reading 'Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson - Russia!' to the State Historical Museum near Red Square in Moscow. AFP
  • Residents try to cross a destroyed bridge in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. AFP
    Residents try to cross a destroyed bridge in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. AFP
  • Alyona Kishinskaya helps to clean up a shop as it prepares to reopen in Balakiya, Ukraine, after a six-month Russian occupation. Getty Images
    Alyona Kishinskaya helps to clean up a shop as it prepares to reopen in Balakiya, Ukraine, after a six-month Russian occupation. Getty Images
  • Alla, 12, has a swinging time in Balakiya, Ukraine, as life goes on despite the war. Getty Images
    Alla, 12, has a swinging time in Balakiya, Ukraine, as life goes on despite the war. Getty Images
  • Ukrainian flags in the town square in Balakiya. Getty Images
    Ukrainian flags in the town square in Balakiya. Getty Images
  • A destroyed Russian command centre in Izium, Ukraine. Getty Images
    A destroyed Russian command centre in Izium, Ukraine. Getty Images
  • In what may be a final farewell, young Russian recruits - escorted by their wives - walk to a train station in Volgograd before being sent to war in Ukraine. AP
    In what may be a final farewell, young Russian recruits - escorted by their wives - walk to a train station in Volgograd before being sent to war in Ukraine. AP
  • Russian recruits board the train to Ukraine in Volgograd. AP
    Russian recruits board the train to Ukraine in Volgograd. AP
  • Ukrainian soliders drive a tank at the recently retaken eastern side of the Oskil River in Kharkiv region, Ukraine. AFP
    Ukrainian soliders drive a tank at the recently retaken eastern side of the Oskil River in Kharkiv region, Ukraine. AFP
  • Volunteers pass boxes of food aid on a destroyed bridge over the Oskil River. AFP
    Volunteers pass boxes of food aid on a destroyed bridge over the Oskil River. AFP
  • Ukrainian soliders rest on an armoured personnel carrier. AFP
    Ukrainian soliders rest on an armoured personnel carrier. AFP
  • A sign warns of landmines in Izyum, eastern Ukraine. AFP
    A sign warns of landmines in Izyum, eastern Ukraine. AFP
  • This crater was left after a missile strike in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. AFP
    This crater was left after a missile strike in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. AFP

On Monday the UN nuclear watchdog said its inspectors had begun verification activities at two locations in Ukraine.

A request to visit a third site in Ukraine was later made by Kyiv after Russia made accusations about activities there too, an IAEA spokesman told AFP.

The Kremlin accused Ukraine of preparing to use dirty bombs against Russian troops, while Kyiv suspects Moscow might use a dirty bomb in a "false flag" attack, possibly to justify use of conventional nuclear weapons as ground troops experience setbacks.

A dirty bomb is a conventional bomb laced with radioactive, biological or chemical materials that are spread in an explosion.

What's a dirty bomb? - video

Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously called for the IAEA to inspect Ukraine's nuclear sites "as fast as possible".

After the IAEA's announcement, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said Russia had a history of making false claims to provide cover for its own actions.

But Mr Cleverly said the world could see through this attempt to use false allegations as a pretext for escalation.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Series info

Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday

ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23

T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29

Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com

Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.

Key battle - Azhar Ali v Rangana Herath Herath may not quite be as flash as Muttiah Muralitharan, his former spin-twin who ended his career by taking his 800th wicket with his final delivery in Tests. He still has a decent sense of an ending, though. He won the Abu Dhabi match for his side with 11 wickets, the last of which was his 400th in Tests. It was not the first time he has owned Pakistan, either. A quarter of all his Test victims have been Pakistani. If Pakistan are going to avoid a first ever series defeat in the UAE, Azhar, their senior batsman, needs to stand up and show the way to blunt Herath.

England's Ashes squad

Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes. 

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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.”

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Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi

From: Dara

To: Team@

Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT

Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East

Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.

Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.

I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.

This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.

It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.

Uber on,

Dara

Updated: November 04, 2022, 1:12 AM