Medics were working on Monday to evacuate two people with symptoms of the deadly hantavirus after a suspected outbreak on a luxury cruise ship held off West Africa carrying mostly British, American and Spanish passengers, officials said. Around 150 people were still stuck on the vessel after three people – a Dutch couple and a German national – died, and others fell ill, including a Briton who left the vessel earlier and was being treated in South Africa, authorities added. “We’re not just headlines: we’re people with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home,” Jake Rosmarin, a…
Author: Editorial Team
Checked in for a quick reset, left feeling like I had experienced two different sides of Dubai in one stay. Set along the West Crescent of Palm Jumeirah, W Dubai – The Palm leans into a more relaxed kind of luxury. It is stylish without trying too hard, energetic without feeling chaotic, and built for guests who want both downtime and nightlife in the same weekend. The first thing that stood out was the atmosphere. My room overlooked the WET Deck pool with sweeping views stretching across Dubai’s skyline, and the balcony quickly became one of the best parts of…
Two hantavirus cases have been confirmed and five others are suspected among people on a cruise ship stuck off Cape Verde, including three who have died, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Tuesday. “As of 4 May 2026, seven cases (two laboratory confirmed cases of hantavirus and five suspected cases) have been identified, including three deaths, one critically ill patient and three individuals reporting mild symptoms,” the World Health Organization said in a statement. Three of the people are no longer on the ship and four remain on board. Passengers and crew desperately hunkered down in isolation on a ship…
Days after Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum called for wider planting of flame trees across Dubai, the city has rushed to embrace the season in its own way, from community giveaways and café drinks to nail art inspired by the vivid red bloom. What began as a citywide greening initiative has quickly evolved into a cultural moment, with businesses, residents and creatives weaving the flame tree into everyday life across the emirate. Dubai Municipality takes the lead Following Sheikh Hamdan’s directive on Sunday, 3 May, Dubai Municipality launched a campaign to intensify the planting of flame trees…
At 98 years old, a woman suffered from a severe blockage in her leg and the risks she faced could have changed her life. The elderly resident was rushed to Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Khalifa Medical City recently. She was in a critical condition after the blood circulation to her lower limb became severely restricted; a dangerous condition that is common in old age but can lead to tissue damage or even limb loss if not treated urgently. Doctors said there was little time to waste. The vascular surgery team at the hospital quickly assessed the situation and stabilised the patient before…
A giant chocolate box at Kite Beach will soon become a canvas for messages of hope, kindness, and unity as FIX Dessert Chocolatier launches a new public art installation aimed at celebrating community spirit in the UAE. Running on May 9 and 10 from 4 pm until midnight, the “Messages from the UAE” activation invites residents to submit heartfelt notes through digital tablets placed inside an interactive FIX Hero Box installation. The messages will appear in real time as part of a growing digital word cloud, later inspiring a limited-edition FIX chocolate box design. The initiative is being launched in…
When Rihanna stepped into Antilia for an intimate lunch with the Ambani family, the Internet saw a global superstar wrapped in marigolds and sunlight. In one frame, she is mid-laugh, showered in flower petals, bathed in a soft yellow glow that feels almost too ‘Bollywood’ to be real. For the man behind the lens, however, the moment was less about its “viral” potential and more about what it truly captured: a global icon slipping, effortlessly, into the heart of an Indian celebration. Himanshu Patel, founder of Epic Stories, had already documented one of the Ambani family’s most significant milestones during…
Dubai Municipality has launched a first-of-its-kind lab in the UAE to detect foodborne viruses, marking a significant step forward in the emirate’s food safety infrastructure. The ViruGenetics Lab, established at Dubai Central Laboratory, uses advanced genomic technologies to process approximately 60 samples per day under normal conditions. This capacity can be ramped up to 100 samples in emergency situations, ensuring that the city is prepared for potential outbreaks or surges in food safety incidents. The facility delivers results within record turnaround times, accelerating inspections and supporting timely, data-driven decision-making based on reliable findings. This speed is critical when dealing with…
Parenting is a job where one often second-guesses oneself. The moments of absolute ecstasy are followed by those of absolute agony. Because parenting is such a mixed bag, the responsibilities around it can feel overwhelming. Enter an app that promises to put a structure around your life as a parent. This is but the brainchild of UAE resident Nazia Jawwad. Like many parents, Nazia had been exasperated carrying what she calls was “the invisible mental load of everyday family life” that included school updates, activity schedules, birthday reminders, forms, special daysm among others. And then came that day when…
A routine blood test at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has helped experts uncover hidden inherited cancer risk across an entire family, identifying multiple relatives who had no symptoms, no diagnosis and no idea they carried potentially life-changing genetic mutations. In one of the most unusual cases seen by the hospital’s hereditary high-risk team, specialists discovered that both parents in the same family were carriers of two completely different cancer-causing gene mutations. Further testing later revealed at least three relatives who were completely healthy but had inherited the mutations, while one daughter was found to carry both genes, putting her at risk for…