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UK festival curator accuses UAE minister of sex assault
Caitlin McNamara alleged she was attacked in February by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, a member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, the Sunday Times reported. The account is denied,” British lawyers for Sheikh Nahyan said in a statement. “Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan made a mockery of his ministerial responsibilities and tragically undermined his government’s attempt to work with Hay Festival to promote free speech and female empowerment,” she added. The sheikh’s ministry paid for the four-day festival in Abu Dhabi, which took place in late February and featured several famous authors. Sheikh Nahyan has received international attention as the Emirates hosted Pope Francis and moves toward normalizing ties with Israel while welcoming Jews to this Muslim-ruled nation.
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UAE formally ends Israel boycott amid US-brokered deal
The UAE flag was displayed to celebrate last week's announcement that Israel and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to establish full diplomatic relations. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)DUBAI The ruler of the United Arab Emirates issued a decree Saturday formally ending the country's boycott of Israel amid a U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the two countries. Hanan Ashrawi, a senior Palestinian official, criticized the UAE's decree Saturday as undercutting the efforts of the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement targeting Israel. The decision sends a clear message that the UAE is committed to its decision to normalize relations with Israel, Fakhro said. The UAE is becoming the third Arab nation after Egypt and Jordan to currently have diplomatic relations with Israel.