Freedom of speech: How COP28 offers some people a rare luxury in Dubai

Climate activists staged a protest at the COP28 summit, accusing oil exporters of urging countries to reject any international agreement that would phase out fossil fuels.

Princess Latifa urges UK police to reopen sister's kidnap case - BBC News

 

Princess Latifa, the captive daughter of Dubai's ruler, has appealed to British police to re-investigate the kidnap of her older sister from a Cambridge street more than 20 years ago.

Princess Latifa: 'Jailed by my father' - BBC News

 

The daughter of Dubai’s ruler who tried to flee the country in 2018 later sent secret video messages to friends accusing her father of holding her “hostage” as she feared for her life.

Dubai: From Dusty Port to Desert Metropolis… and Back Again?

 

Pakistan: No Place Like Home

A Pakistani cotton farmer travels to Dubai to make his fortune but soon discovers he wants more from life than money.

In the remote Pakistan village of Hakimwala, farmers battle a deadly pest that is ruining their cotton crops. Many find it difficult to afford the pesticide and face mounting debts.

The elders of the village encourage the young men to travel abroad to earn better pay and help lift the village out of poverty.

Twenty-nine-year-old Sharif has lived in Hakimwala all his life. He is an only son and drives the only car in the village. He is responsible for driving the sick to the city hospital three hours away.

Pakistan: No Place Like Home

A Pakistani cotton farmer travels to Dubai to make his fortune but soon discovers he wants more from life than money.


In the remote Pakistan village of Hakimwala, farmers battle a deadly pest that is ruining their cotton crops. Many find it difficult to afford the pesticide and face mounting debts.

The elders of the village encourage the young men to travel abroad to earn better pay and help lift the village out of poverty.

Twenty-nine-year-old Sharif has lived in Hakimwala all his life. He is an only son and drives the only car in the village. He is responsible for driving the sick to the city hospital three hours away.

But with the infestation of his cotton crops and rising debts, Sharif decides it is time to seek his fortune elsewhere.

America's War Workers

From India to Dubai and Afghanistan, we probe the system that brings foreign labourers to US military bases abroad.

Today there are nearly 40,000 foreign contract workers on bases in the US military’s Central Command.

Hailing primarily from India and Nepal, these labourers serve American troops in facilities in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere - doing jobs including cooking, housekeeping and driving.

The US military subcontracts these manual jobs to private companies, which in turn subcontract hiring to Gulf-based contractors and local recruiters.

The promise of high salaries makes these so-called 'third country nationals' believe heading to a war zone is worth the risk.

To get the jobs, many dip into their savings and take out loans to pay thousands of dollars in local agents fees. But in Afghanistan, they find wages far lower than anticipated. Locked into an indentured workforce, they nevertheless remain to earn enough funds to repay their loans.

So, has the US military come to rely on an indentured workforce?