
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah concludes visit to US to bolster bilateral cooperation
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, concluded a visit to the US aimed at strengthening cooperation in economic development, trade, AI, and regional security.
During the visit, Sheikh Abdullah held talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as senior officials from the White House, members of Congress, and other key government figures, to advance the UAE-US strategic partnership.
He also met with Steve Witkoff, US Special Envoy to the Middle East, and Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Adviser, to discuss regional developments and shared efforts toward peace and stability.
Talks with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick centred on economic and trade collaboration.
In engagements with several members of Congress, Sheikh Abdullah reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to deepening ties with the US, emphasising shared goals of peace, prosperity, and international cooperation.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Dubai Eye
32 minutes ago
- Dubai Eye
Iran, Israel launch new attacks as Tehran rules out nuclear talks
Iran and Israel exchanged fresh attacks early on Saturday, a day after Tehran said it would not negotiate over its nuclear programme while under threat and Europe tried to keep peace talks alive. Iran's Fars news agency said Israel had targeted the Isfahan nuclear facility, one of the nation's biggest, but there was no leakage of hazardous materials. Iranian media also said Israel had attacked a building in the city of Qom, with initial reports of a 16-year-old killed and two people injured. The Israeli military said it had launched a wave of attacks against missile storage and launch infrastructure sites in Iran. Shortly after 2:30 AM in Israel (2330 GMT on Friday), the Israeli military warned of an incoming missile barrage from Iran, triggering air raid sirens across parts of central Israel, including Tel Aviv, as well as in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Interceptions were visible in the sky over Tel Aviv, with explosions echoing across the metropolitan area as Israel's air defence systems responded. Sirens also sounded in southern Israel, said Magen David Adom, Israel's national emergency service. An Israeli military official said Iran had fired five ballistic missiles and that there were no immediate indications of any missile impacts. There were no initial reports of casualties in Israel. The emergency service released images showing a fire on the roof of a multi-storey residential building in central Israel. Local media reported that the fire was caused by debris from an intercepted missile. Israel began attacking Iran on June 13, saying its longtime enemy was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes, retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons. It neither confirms nor denies this. Its air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, a US-based human rights organisation that tracks Iran. The dead include the military's top echelon and nuclear scientists. In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed in Iranian missile attacks, according to authorities. US President Donald Trump said on Friday he thought Iran would be able to have a nuclear weapon "within a matter of weeks, or certainly within a matter of months". He told reporters at the airport in Morristown, New Jersey: "We can't let that happen." He said his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was wrong in suggesting there was no evidence Iran is building a nuclear weapon. Iran has repeatedly targeted Tel Aviv, a metropolitan area of around 4 million people and the country's business and economic hub, where some critical military assets are also located. Israel said it had struck dozens of military targets on Friday, including missile production sites, a research body it said was involved in nuclear weapons development in Tehran and military facilities in western and central Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said there was no room for negotiations with the US "until Israeli aggression stops". But he arrived in Geneva on Friday for talks with European foreign ministers at which Europe hopes to establish a path back to diplomacy. Trump reiterated that he would take up to two weeks to decide whether the United States should enter the conflict on Israel's side, enough time "to see whether or not people come to their senses", he said. The US President said he was unlikely to press Israel to scale back its airstrikes to allow negotiations to continue. "I think it's very hard to make that request right now. If somebody is winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing, but we're ready, willing and able, and we've been speaking to Iran, and we'll see what happens," he said. The Geneva talks produced little signs of progress, and Trump said he doubted negotiators would be able to secure a ceasefire. "Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this one," Trump said. Hundreds of US citizens have fled Iran since the air war began, according to a US State Department cable seen by Reuters. Israel's envoy to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told the Security Council on Friday his country would not stop its attacks "until Iran's nuclear threat is dismantled". Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani called for Security Council action and said Tehran was alarmed by reports that the US might join the war. Russia and China demanded immediate de-escalation.


Dubai Eye
32 minutes ago
- Dubai Eye
GCC group calls for restraint and dialogue at UN emergency session
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Group at the United Nations has reiterated its strong condemnation of the Israeli attacks on Iran and its nuclear facilities, warning of serious consequences for regional stability. Speaking on behalf of the GCC at an emergency UN Security Council session, Kuwait's Deputy Permanent Representative, Faisal Al-Enezi, called the strikes a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter. The GCC urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint and immediately halt hostilities. It emphasised the importance of diplomacy and dialogue, warning against further escalation. The group also called on the international community to take urgent action to stop the conflict and support renewed US-Iran nuclear talks, with Oman acting as mediator. The GCC reaffirmed its commitment to peace, respect for national sovereignty, and adherence to the principles of the UN Charter.


Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
Passwords hacked worldwide: UAE cybersecurity experts urge companies to boost IT security
UAE-based cybersecurity experts are urging companies to boost password security to stay ahead of emerging threats in every aspect of operations, following news over the weekend that more than 16 billion login credentials globally were found exposed. The breach contains usernames and passwords from tech giants like Apple, Google, Facebook, Telegram, GitHub, and even some government websites, according to researchers at Cybernews, who said the findings were the result of an ongoing investigation that the team started early this year. They warned: 'With more than 16 billion login records exposed, cybercriminals now have unprecedented access to personal credentials that can be used for account takeover, identity theft, and highly targeted phishing. It is especially alarming that these aren't just old breaches being recycled. This is fresh, weaponisable intelligence at scale.' Speaking to Khaleej Times, Dubai-based cybersecurity Rayad Kamal Ayub said: 'The gravity of this situation cannot be overstated. This is weaponising intelligence at scary scales for extortion. 'With such a significant number of login records compromised, the potential for abuse is immense. Cybercriminals can leverage these fresh datasets to orchestrate more sophisticated attacks, making it easier for them to impersonate individuals and gain access to sensitive information. The fact that these records are recent means that they reflect current user behaviors and trends, which can enhance the effectiveness of phishing attempts and other forms of exploitation,' added Ayub, who is also the managing director of Rayad Group. Ayub said although the UAE has achieved a top-tier classification in the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024, it is strongly advised for organisations to boost password security by using password managers, enforcing minimum length and complexity standards, and enabling multi-factor authentication. Companies should also regularly audit access controls, monitor for credential leaks, and adopt real-time detection solutions. 'It is advisable to hire professionals or cybersecurity companies to maintain databases and access control. Hospitals, banks and retailers should keep their data unencrypted and not put customers at risk,' added Ayub, who noted in the data leak 'Ana' appeared in 178.8 million instances. Joker, Batman, Thor, apple, rice used as passwords Ayub said profane language also showed up in 165 million passwords; while few of the frequently used pop culture terms in passwords included 'Mario' (9.6 million), 'Joker' (3.1 million), 'Batman' (3.9 million), and "Thor" (6.2 million). More than 10 million of the passwords featured 'apple', 4.9 million passwords have 'rice', and 3.6 million "orange," while 3.3 million opted for "pizza." Carolyn Duby, field CTO and cybersecurity GTM lead at Cloudera, noted: 'Cybercrime is expected to cost the world $10.5 trillion by 2025, having already cost $9.5 trillion in 2024 alone. 'Attacks by ransomware now happen every 11 seconds, and the average cost of a data breach has increased to $4.88 million. Companies using automation and artificial intelligence (AI) in their security operations are saving $2.22 million on average for each breach. Duby underscored 'data is both a strategic asset and a prime target. Protecting data at scale calls for intelligence, adaptability, trust, and immediate call to action to avoid massive data breaches. She recommended the first and most crucial step in protecting consumer trust is securing critical and personally identifiable information (PII). 'All data is equal in the eyes of AI, and will be used blindly, unless proper parameters are set,' she underscored. Detect, protect, defend, repeat Louise Bou Rached, director–Middle East, Turkey, and Africa at Milestone Systems, reiterated: "Today, protecting the future of innovation, reputation, and digital freedom requires more than just preventing breaches. 'Companies must implement a layered, zero-trust strategy that goes beyond reactive defense and involves constant verification of each user, device, and application. Strong access controls, multi-factor authentication, endpoint security, and frequent security audits are all part of this,' she added. Maintaining basic cyber hygiene is essential. But more importantly, according to the cybersecurity experts, protecting companies from cyberthreats is a collective thrust. 'Cybersecurity is now a fundamental component of trust, resilience, and business continuity in today's hyperconnected world, not just an internal IT function,' Rached pointed out, underscoring: 'Given that even the most sophisticated systems can be compromised with a single click, encouraging staff members through cybersecurity awareness training is equally crucial.'