MIDDLE EAST

Emirati men discouraged by long road towards becoming certified doctors
Abu Dhabi: The long road to becoming a certified doctor or specialist still turns away many Emirati men from the field of medicine, a newly-graduated doctor said in the capital Tuesday.The responsibility of taking care of lives is also a hefty burden not...

Cash deposits barred for car rentals
DubaiCar rental firms are barred from seeking cash deposits from customers, nor are they allowed to hold customer’s passports or IDs for security, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Tuesday in a new set of regulations for the car rental...

Nasa astronaut takes photo of Palm Island from space
Dubai: Every now and then, its easy to forget how busy astronauts are in space, watching over Planet Earth.Nasa astronaut Shane Kimbrough is currently part of the Expedition 49/50 mission, along with five other crew members from the US and Russia, who recently...

Afridi starts new innings to help people
Dubai: Pakistan cricket star Shahid Afridi, who announced his retirement from international cricket last week, has started his second innings in the field of helping underprivileged people.The Shahid Afridi Foundation, a charity run by Afridi, will bear the...

‘I live with my mother’s depression, too’
Women are about twice as likely as men to develop major depression, according to a study by US-based Harvard Medical School. But what kind of impact does it have on the children, who watch their mothers battle the illness every day? Gulf News spoke with mothers...

10-foot waves seen off Dubai, the highest in 10 years
Dubai: The storms that hit the UAE this month has certainly broken records, as authorities recorded the highest waves in the last 10 years. Although official at the municipality’s environment department did not reveal any further details, Gulf News...

Dubai gears up to launch driverless, smart transport in new roadmap
Dubai: Dubai's new smart transport roadmap that the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) launched on Monday will accelerate the city's efforts in adopting autonomous technologies in the transport sector.The five-year strategy ending in 2021, will see the...

Smart car rentals a success, say operators
Dubai: Dubai’s newest pay-by-minute car rental service that was launched last month, has hit the fast lane, operators have said.After just over a month into service, the operators revealed that more than 2,000 people have tried the facility so far.Operated...

Emirati student and mother make film about young autistic man
Dubai: The story of a family’s struggle to deal with a young man’s autism has been turned into a film by his mother and an Emirati student to boost awareness of the disorder in the UAE.The film "Lemonade” a collaboration between 22-year-old...

Dubai gears up to launch smart transport
Dubai: Dubai's new smart transport roadmap that the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) launched on Monday will accelerate the city's efforts in adopting autonomous technologies in the transport sector.The five-year strategy ending in 2021, will see the...

Traffic snarls, morning fog affect commuters to Dubai
Dubai: Motorists on Monday morning were faced once again with gridlocked traffic following a night of chaos on Dubai’s roads.Although rainfall was nowhere in sight, commuters driving along highways and main roads continued to face heavy traffic due to thick...

Residents enjoy extended rainy winter outdoors
Dubai: This winter, residents are enjoying the frequent drizzles and chilly weather by taking part in outdoor activities.Putting on a cosy jumper and enjoying a cup of tea while watching the rain is a rare occasion in the UAE. However, this year, the winter...

Unclear school transfer regulations perplex parents
Abu Dhabi: A lack of clarity in regulations for transferring students between schools offering different curriculums is proving to be a source of confusion and concern for parents in Abu Dhabi.Parents say that schools demand proof of children completing the...

Shaikh Hamdan spotted eating 24k gold burger
Dubai: One of the most intriguing meals at last weekend’s Eat The World DXB turned out to be the Burg-Khalifa, which also intrigued Dubai’s Crown Prince. Big thanks to @faz3 for coming down to @eattheworlddxb today and tucking into our #BURGkhalifa!...

Mohammad visits martyrs’ homes, offer condolences
Dibba Al Hisn: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Saturday offered condolences to the families of the nation’s martyrs.Shaikh Mohammad visited the residences...

315,000 cans collected by EEG
Dubai: Some 4,200kg of empty soda cans — around 315,000 in total — that would have been dumped in UAE landfills were saved on Thursday and are now on their way to be recycled. Expect them to be back on the shelves after 60 days.The aluminium cans collected...

Body of martyr arrives in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI: The body of martyr Sergeant Khalid Ali Al Beloushi arrived on Saturday at Al Bateen Airport in Abu Dhabi, on board a military plane.On arrival, a special military ceremony was held at the airport to receive the body of the martyr in the presence...

At Gold Souq, a parking slot is more precious than gold
Dubai: Gold Souq residents, traders and visitors in Dubai continue to face parking issues, with the situation worsening every passing day.Gold Souq, along with the adjoining areas of Al Ras and Baniyas are some of the busiest business districts of Dubai,...

Woman fined thrice times in an hour for driving on hard shoulder
Dubai: A woman was fined Dh200 thrice in 60 minutes for driving on the hard shoulder in order to meet a friend for dinner, said Dubai Police.Her car was also impounded for three months, which cost her Dh3,000 for each month.The woman asked the police to cancel...

Man shocked as Dh6.5m vanishes from bank account
Dubai: A businessman had the shock of his life when he discovered that Dh6.5 million deposit he had made in a bank shrunk to Dh11,000 while he was abroad. The Afghan businessman opened a bank account and deposited Dh6.5 million in it and flew back to his...

Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid approves Dh1-billion road project
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has approved the award of a contract for the improvement of Tripoli Road in a 12 km stretch to provide a link between the Shaikh Mohammed Bin...

English version of ‘Police Stories’ coming soon
Dubai: An English version of ‘Police Stories’ is set to launch in the coming months, as part of a police initiative to turn crime episodes into stories that will thrill readers.Inspired by crime novelist Agatha Christie, Dubai Police said they have issued...

An inspiring encounter that led to Abu Dhabi Festival
Abu Dhabi: A simple encounter with a student outside a concert hall over 20 years ago sparked the beginning of one of the UAE’s most celebrated arts and culture festivals, according to its founder.As final preparations are on for the 2017 Abu Dhabi Festival,...

Pet shops may be allowed to register animals and buyers via Aleef app
Dubai: Dubai Municipality is considering allowing pet shops to use the Aleef app to register details of pets and pet owners so that they can be added to the database of the app.The app handles records of pets, owners, pet adoption, registration, treatment...

Sultan issues directives to set up Khor Fakkan Park
Sharjah: His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, on Thursday visited Khor Fakkan and issued directives to set up the Khor Fakkan Park at Wadi Shi in the city.Dr Shaikh Sultan inspected the location...

Dubai City Walk stunt driver to clean streets
Dubai: The young motorist who performed dangerous stunts with his vehicle on a wet road in Dubai's City Walk during rain and damaged property will be cleaning Dubai roads for four hours per day for a month as community service.His Highness Shaikh Mohammad...