By Humeyra Pamuk and Nick Tattersall | ISTANBUL ISTANBUL At least one gunman shot his way into an Istanbul nightclub packed with hundreds of New Year’s revellers on Sunday, killing 35 people and wounding more than 40 in what the provincial governor described as a terrorist attack. One assailant shot a police officer and a civilian as he entered the Reina nightclub before opening fire at random […]
BEIRUT An Iranian passenger plane was forced to return to Tehran’s Mehrabad airport on Saturday after one of its two engines failed, Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday, adding that all passengers were safe. Taban Airlines’ public relations manager was quoted by ISNA news agency as saying that its McDonnell Douglas MD-80 had turned back “due to technical failure”. Iran’s airlines have been plagued by accidents, which […]
By Kim Palmer | CLEVELAND CLEVELAND Divers were set to plunge into Lake Erie on Saturday to look for the remains of six people who are presumed to have died when their small plane crashed into the frigid lake shortly after taking off from a Cleveland airport, officials said. The aircraft was carrying John Fleming, 46, president and chief executive of Ohio-based liquor distribution company Superior Beverage […]
DUBAI // Hundreds of travellers were stranded in Dubai on New Year’s Eve as dozens of flights were cancelled and others diverted because of fog. At least 26 flights from Dubai International and Dubai World Central airports were cancelled, while 23 inbound flights were diverted because of the weather, which disrupted operations on Friday night and yesterday morning, a spokesman for Dubai Airports said. The company’s website […]
One contentious subject crops up regularly on Cashmere, the debut album by Swet Shop Boys, a collaboration between rappers Riz Ahmed and Heems: airport aggravation. The opening track is T5, a reference to London Heathrow’s Terminal Five, where the transatlantic duo are often subjected to overzealous security checks. In one memorable Ahmed lyric, a guard apologises for the intrusive search, then asks if he’s “off that film”. […]
JAKARTA Indonesian authorities have issued a warning to airline PT Citilink Indonesia after videos circulated appearing to show an intoxicated pilot from the low-cost carrier going through security and then sounding incoherent on the aircraft’s public address system. Citilink, which is a unit of national carrier PT Garuda Indonesia, said that the company had fired the pilot after a Dec 28 incident at Surabaya airport ahead of […]
PRAGUE Czech police have detained a Polish man after a passenger jet flying from Spain to Warsaw made an emergency landing in Prague on Friday due to a bomb threat, Interior Minister Milan Chovanec said. The plane was parked away from the main terminals of Prague airport while police investigated the incident. Flight tracking websites showed planes were again landing at the airport. Chovanec, speaking with Czech […]
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – December 30, 2016 Dubai Parks and Resorts, the region’s largest multi-themed leisure and entertainment destination, today announced that Lapita Hotel, Dubai’s first theme park hotel, will welcome its first guests on 2nd January 2017. Located in the heart of Dubai Parks and Resorts in close proximity to all three connected theme parks, the Polynesian themed clustered resort is the latest addition to […]
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; December 30, 2017 As the 10th anniversary year of Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, draws to a close, industry watchers can reflect on 12 months that have marked a historic milestone for the company and a pivotal moment for the renewable energy sector as a whole. During the decade since Masdar was established, the UAE has cemented a global reputation for […]
Dense fog continued to affect road and air traffic in Dubai for the second day on Thursday, with Dubai Police confirming 119 traffic accidents on Wednesday due to early morning fog. The accidents were reported between 4am and 9am, with no injuries, the police said, adding that its control room received a total of 1,892 calls up until 12 noon. Major Mohamed Juma Aman, deputy director of […]
29 December 2016 Evening’s festivities to take place in Bollywood Parks™ Dubai in front of the majestic Rajmahal Theatre Celebration is open to anyone holding a daily pass or annual pass for Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, MOTIONGATE™ Dubai or LEGOLAND® Dubai Party will feature music, live performances and thrilling fireworks at midnight Advertisement Dubai, UAE: Dubai Parks and Resorts, the Middle East’s largest multi-themed leisure and entertainment destination, […]
ABU DHABI // Heavy fog engulfed the country again Thursday morning, causing traffic problems and flight diversions. Twenty-nine flights were diverted from airports in Dubai and Sharjah to Fujairah in the past 48 hours. Abu Dhabi Police warned motorists to drive carefully because of low visibility. In Sharjah, the weather conditions caused long delays on Etihad and Mohammad bin Zayed roads into Dubai. In Dubai, no accidents […]
ABU DHABI // Five hundred taxis at Dubai airport will soon be equipped with free WiFi. Telecoms firm du has signed an agreement with Dubai Taxi Corporation of the Roads and Transport Authority to provide passengers with free internet and smart screens in the airport cab fleet. “Our cooperation with du to provide internet and smart screens across our Dubai Airport fleet embodies the Smart Dubai strategy […]
For France, 2016 ends as it began, with the nation under a state of emergency following terrorist outrages and in anticipation of more to come. The warnings of French leaders of potential further attacks have come gloomily true. Even last month, as the French centre-right party Les Républicains was choosing the Thatcherite Francois Fillon as its candidate in the presidential elections, ISIL was attempting to inflict further […]
AVATAR can detect changes in physiology and behavior during interviews with travelers. AVATAR can detect changes in physiology and behavior during interviews with travelers. Credit: Aaron Elkins When you engage in international travel, you may one day find yourself face-to-face with border security that is polite, bilingual and responsive—and robotic. The Automated Virtual Agent for Truth Assessments in Real Time (AVATAR) is currently being tested in conjunction […]
A Kingdom of Oil From the beginning, the social contract between commoners and royals constituted a trade-off: a share of the country’s wealth in exchange for absolute rule by the Saud monarchs. A Life magazine correspondent visiting in 1943 described how, as King Abdulaziz waited on a roadside while a flat tire was fixed on his Packard, he gave a shepherd passing on camelback several gold pieces. […]
The National staff ABU DHABI // Fog, mist and and increase in humidity are expected on Tuesday. Thick fog blanketed the roads on Tuesday morning but no flight disruptions were reported at Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports. Fog and mist are likely to form over scattered areas, according to the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology. It will be fair to partly cloudy, especially during the morning, […]
Dec 27, 2016 12:54 pm IST A Mumbai-bound Jet Airways plane carrying 161 people skidded off the runway on Tuesday at Goa’s Dabolim airport in western India. The Boeing 737 aircraft with 154 passengers and 7 crew members on board veered off on the runway minutes before it was scheduled to takeoff early morning from Goa, a popular holiday destination to travel to India’s financial capital Mumbai, […]
BANGKOK Devotees of a Buddhist abbot suspected of money laundering barricaded entrances to their temple on Tuesday as more than 700 police assembled outside, preparing to raid the sprawling complex north of Bangkok. The Wat Phra Dhammakaya Temple commands a huge following and is supported by influential Thai politicians and business folk, but critics say it exploits people and religion for money. Thailand’s attorney general said in […]
Russia expanded its search on Monday for the remains of a military plane that crashed into the Black Sea, killing all 92 on board, and said pilot error or a technical fault – but not terrorism – were likely to have caused the tragedy. The plane, a Russian Defence Ministry TU-154, was carrying dozens of Red Army Choir singers and dancers to Syria to entertain Russian troops […]
Emirates airline has announced that it will operate the first ever commercial Airbus A380 flight to Morocco and North Africa, when it takes the iconic double decker aircraft to Casablanca on March 26, 2017. The airline’s flagship aircraft will replace the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft currently used on the Dubai-Casablanca route, offering increased seat capacity across all three cabin classes and an enhanced premium product experience. The switch […]
By Andrew Osborn | MOSCOW MOSCOW Russia expanded its search on Monday for the remains of a military plane that crashed into the Black Sea, killing all 92 on board, and said pilot error or a technical fault – but not terrorism – were likely to have caused the tragedy. The plane, a Russian Defence Ministry TU-154, was carrying dozens of Red Army Choir singers and dancers […]
DUBAI // Anyone who received a drone as a present this year has been reminded that they must register it with authorities. Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of the General Civil Aviation Authority, said it was important people know the regulations that govern drone ownership. “Whether it is received as a gift or bought by the person, it doesn’t matter. People need to register their drones with […]
In February, Anis Amri, a Tunisian refugee with a criminal past, was officially classified by the German authorities as a potential terrorist. For six months this year he was under near constant police surveillance. None of that helped. Amri went to ground and only resurfaced three days ago as the man investigators believe rammed a truck into a Christmas market in central Berlin, killing 12 people. The […]
