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        <title><![CDATA[Egyptian citizen dead after debris from intercepted attack hits Abu Dhabi gas site]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/03/egyptian-citizen-dead-after-debris-from-intercepted-attack-hits-abu-dhabi-gas-site]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[One Egyptian citizen ‌was killed and four ​people ⁠suffered minor ‌injuries after ‌debris from an intercepted attack fell ‌on Abu Dhabi's ⁠Habshan gas facilities on Friday, Abu Dhabi's media office said.Abu Dhabi's media office said on X, “As part of the ongoing follow up to the previously reported incident at Habshan gas facilities, caused by falling debris following the successful interception by air defence systems, authorities confirm that two fires broke out and emergency response teams acted swiftly to bring the situation under control.“As a result of this incident, one Egyptian national tragically lost his life during the evacuation of the site. In addition, four individuals sustained minor injuries; two Pakistani nationals and two Egyptian nationals. Significant damage has occurred at the facilities and an assessment is ongoing.The public is advised to obtain information only from official sources and to avoid spreading rumours or unverified information.”]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:14:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Pakistan hikes petrol, diesel prices due to Middle East conflict]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/04/03/pakistan-hikes-petrol-diesel-prices-due-to-middle-east-conflict]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Pakistan's government on Thursday night drastically raised fuel prices in response to spiking global energy prices caused by the Iran war, the country's petroleum minister said in a press conference.The new prices mark an increase of 42.7 per cent in petrol prices and 54.9 per cent in the price of diesel."The decision made today is that as per international markets, after the increase in the petrol prices the new price will be Rs458.40 ($1.64 per litre) which will be effective from tomorrow (Friday)," said Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik.As for diesel, "which has great importance for our workers and public transport," the price was set at Rs520.35  ($1.86) per litre, he said."The government has done its best, looking at its budget, to give people blanket protection" but was "forced" to pass along the price increase "because resources are limited and we do not currently see indications of the end of this war," Pervaiz said.The US-Israel war on Iran, launched on Feb.28, has plunged the Middle East into conflict, with Iranian retaliatory strikes and virtually freezing shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.The key waterway normally sees a fifth of the world's energy supplies pass through it, much of it bound for Asia.Pakistan is heavily reliant on such oil and gas, and had earlier raised prices by 20 per cent on March 6, about a week into the war.The government has unveiled a raft of austerity measures designed to save fuel, including moving many government offices to a four-day work week, extending school holidays and moving some classes online.Pakistan is classified as a lower-middle-income country, with roughly 25 per cent of its 240 million population living in poverty, as per World Bank data.Earlier this week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that vulnerable economies, such as Pakistan, did not just face pressure from higher energy prices, but from supply chain snarls as well."Parts of the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America face the added strain of higher food and fertiliser prices and tighter financial conditions," the IMF said in a post on its website.Meanwhile, the IMF has shown reluctance to accept Pakistan's request for flexibility in petroleum levy adjustments, even as the government pushes for relief to shield consumers from the impact of rising global oil prices driven by the ongoing Iran war, said a report.Quoting informed sources, the report said that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has been briefed about the IMF's initial response, which did not favour any compromise on the levy structure. However, he directed the Finance Ministry to re-engage with the IMF and make a renewed case for easing the burden on the public.Officials said that the prime minister emphasised that passing on the full impact of the international oil price hike to consumers would be "too much" for the masses and could trigger a significant increase in inflation. He urged economic managers to explore all possible options to mitigate the fallout.The development follows the government's earlier move to get the IMF nod for adjusting petroleum levies in a way that could absorb part of the price shock. However, the IMF remains cautious, viewing petroleum levies as a key revenue stream and an important component of ongoing programme commitments.The issue had already come under discussion earlier this week. Sharif had instructed the Finance Division to engage the IMF over the levy structure on petrol and diesel, aiming to prevent any additional burden on the public amid surging global petroleum prices triggered by the Iran war.The prime minister had asked the Finance Ministry to take up the matter with the IMF so that any required adjustment in petroleum prices could be offset against existing levies. Currently, the government imposes a levy of Rs100 per litre on petrol and Rs55 per litre on diesel, both forming part of IMF conditionalities.The government has already extended substantial relief to consumers by spending around Rs129 billion in subsidies to keep fuel prices stable.Officials said this relief was managed through cuts in the development budget and savings from other expenditures, reflecting the government's intent to cushion the public from external shock]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:35:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Asian markets gain as investors eye developments in ‌Middle East]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/04/03/asian-markets-gain-as-investors-eye-developments-in-middle-east]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[South Korean equities led emerging Asian stocks higher on Friday, with muted trading volumes across major markets due to public holidays, while investors kept a close eye on ‌developments in the Middle East conflict. The MSCI gauge of EM Asia equities rose about 0.7%, though heading for ​a fifth straight ⁠week of declines.South Korea's KOSPI index jumped nearly 3% on Friday, recovering partly from ‌the more than 4% drop in the ‌previous session. Markets had a nervous week, rattled further on Wednesday when US President Donald Trump threatened more attacks on Iran and offered no hint of when the conflict might end. On Thursday, he reiterated his threats against Iran's infrastructure, although markets took ‌some relief overnight on news Iran was drafting a protocol with Oman to allow ships through the Strait of Hormuz. ⁠About a fifth of the world's oil trade normally passes through the narrow channel. "I think that provides some sparky sentiment to the market, especially for the markets that's still open today," said Poon Panichpibool, a market strategist at Krung Thai Bank. Further lifting spirits, Britain held talks with dozens of countries to explore ways to reopen the strait although the meeting ended without any firm agreement, according to one official. Back in Asia, shares in Malaysia added 0.1%, but eyed a ​second successive week in red. Meanwhile, Thailand's SET Index reversed early gains to dip 0.3% and the baht ‌appreciated 0.2%. Late on Thursday, the country's central bank chief said that no major policy shake-up was needed for now, even as rising oil prices stoke inflation fears. In February, the Bank of Thailand unexpectedly cut interest rates to 1.00%, the ⁠lowest in more than three years, to support Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. Against a steady US dollar index, the ringgit firmed to 4.032, while the South Korean won kept its four-day rally alive, poised for a 0.2% weekly rise - its first since late February. Under ​their base case ‌oil price assumption - for crude oil to rise further this month before easing in May and June - the won, ‌baht, Philippine peso and ringgit are likely to depreciate further and see higher volatility in April, MUFG analysts said in a note. The currencies could partially recover in the remainder of Q2 as oil prices decline, the note said. They added that the ringgit was ‌likely to be ‌an outperformer in Asia in the medium term, however, benefiting ⁠from strong investment momentum, resilient domestic demand, and the AI-driven tech upcycle once global risks ease. The ‌Malaysian ringgit has been the standout in Southeast Asia, quietly building a 0.6% gain this year while its regional peers have struggled. Financial markets in Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and India were closed for ⁠the Good Friday holiday. Taiwan markets were closed for Children's Day.Japan's Nikkei share average rallied on Friday, trimming its losses ‌for the week, following global efforts to restore Gulf oil shipments ​interrupted by the ⁠war in Iran.Artificial intelligence (AI)-related stocks led the ‌Nikkei higher, with the gauge ‌rising 1.26% to close at 53,123.49, ending the week down 0.47%. The broader Topix climbed 0.93% to 3,645.19.Overnight, dozens of countries sought ways ‌to restart vital energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz after US President ⁠Donald Trump vowed more aggressive attacks on Iran.Since commencing with a joint U.S.-Israeli aerial assault on Iran on February 28, the conflict has continued to spread chaos across the Middle East, driving prices for petroleum products sharply higher. Japan's economy remains exposed to spikes ​in crude oil prices due to its reliance on imported ‌energy."Growing expectations for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz have led to a drop in crude prices in Tokyo, which appears to ⁠be supporting the Japanese stock market," said Wataru Akiyama, a strategist at Nomura Securities."As uncertainty surrounding the Middle East situation has somewhat subsided, and ​against the ‌backdrop of AI advancements, expectations are growing that earnings reports, ‌which will begin in earnest around the middle of this month, will confirm strong performance," he added.There were 182 advancers on the Nikkei index against ‌41 decliners. AI ‌industry suppliers Furukawa Electric and Fujikura ⁠jumped 10.4% and 7.5%, respectively.Sakura Internet jumped 20.2%, ‌hitting its daily limit, after Microsoft said it would partner with the firm on a 1.6 trillion yen ($10.02 billion) investment ⁠in AI in Japan.The largest losers on the Nikkei ​were home furnishings retailer Nitori Holdings, which fell 5.1%, followed by Chugai Pharmaceutical, which lost 4.6%.China stocks slipped on Friday, declining for the third straight week, as uncertainties in the Middle ‌East reinforced a risk-averse mood ahead of a local holiday. ​Hong ⁠Kong market was closed for the ‌Easter holiday.For onshore shares, external ‌volatility is being transmitted largely through sentiment, while China's still-low inflation and expectations of a pick-up in nominal prices ⁠this year could support domestic demand, the analysts said.China's services activity growth slowed in March from a 33-month high in February, ​as ‌softer demand and a decline in overseas orders weighed ‌on momentum, a private-sector survey showed on Friday.Agencies]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:14:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Trump orders new pharma tariff, reshapes metal duties]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/03/trump-orders-new-pharma-tariff-reshapes-metal-duties]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[US President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered new tariffs on certain medicines, alongside an overhaul of metal duties, doubling down on his trade agenda a year after unleashing trade wars on virtually all partners. The latest pair of orders he signed pile pressure on pharmaceutical companies to manufacture more in the United States, while separately targeting firms that officials accuse of "artificially manipulating" metals prices. Finished products containing substantial amounts of steel, aluminum and copper will also face a lower 25-percent tariff on their full value instead of being targeted for the amount of metals they contain, a move to simplify an onerous system for firms, reported Agence France-Presse.It is not immediately clear how these would affect consumer prices, but a senior US official told reporters they did not expect to see any effect on affordability. The moves come on the anniversary of what Trump had dubbed "Liberation Day," when he announced varying tariff rates on goods from dozens of economies last year, roiling financial markets and snarling supply chains. Although the Supreme Court struck down these global tariffs this February, Trump has been working to reinstate duties using different authorities, observed Agence France-Presse.His aim of "Liberation Day" was the rebirth of American industry, bringing an influx of jobs, revenue and an investment boom — although critics argue that these have largely not taken place. Making good on his threat last fall, one of Trump's Thursday orders imposes a 100-per cent tariff on patented pharmaceuticals made abroad unless countries struck trade deals to secure lower rates, or companies commit to building plants in the United States. Large companies will have 120 days to commit to "reshoring plans" before the steep duty kicks in, while smaller companies have a 180-day buffer, a senior US official told reporters."We expect the lion's share of the world's patented pharmaceuticals to be building in America," the official said. Those who commit to building manufacturing plants — to be completed by the end of Trump's second presidency — will face a 20-per cent tariff instead.The European Union, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland will be excluded from this plan and face a 15-percent pharma duty, due to trade deals they earlier struck with Washington. Britain meanwhile has secured a deal allowing UK-made medicines tariff-free access to the United States for three years as part of a broader pact, the US Trade Representative's office said. Meanwhile, drug companies that reach "Most Favoured Nation" pricing deals with the Trump administration, while also building plants in the United States, can also be exempt from the sharp pharma tariff.Generic pharmaceutical products are not subject to tariffs, and this will be reassessed in a year's time, said a White House fact sheet. The second order Trump signed reshapes his 50-per cent tariffs on steel, aluminum and copper, pushing importers to pay the duty based on prices that American buyers are facing. It is set to take effect 12:01am Eastern Time on Monday, a White House official told AFP.The senior administration official charged that "foreign countries were artificially manipulating" prices of imported metals in order to pay a lower tariff.The same proclamation called for finished products made with more than 15 percent of steel, aluminum and copper will face a 25-per cent tariff on their full value, rather than being targeted based on their metal content. "It's a simplification and a fairness issue," the official said. Asked about cost of living concerns, which have flared ahead of midterm elections this year, the official maintained that this should not impact affordability for households. "These will not have impact on the price of the good on the shelf," the official insisted.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:09:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Why ‘unretired’ seniors are picking up gig work]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/03/why-unretired-seniors-are-picking-up-gig-work]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[PLAINVIEW: Before Stu Goldberg begins his night shift driving for Uber, he pulls out a notebook to read a handwritten list of reminders. "No tickets. Full stops," he'd scrawled in the book. "Careful backing up. Watch for pedestrians and bikes." With a Ph.D in neuropsychology and decades of experience running his own business, Goldberg, 74, didn't picture chauffeuring strangers around when he retired. But financially, things didn't go as planned. So he makes the best of his situation shuttling passengers through New York City at night. "I like the freedom. I like the flexibility. I like meeting people," Goldberg said. "I like that most of the time I can get, once or twice a day, a good conversation with somebody."Goldberg is one of a growing number of Americans who have "unretired" in recent years. After concluding decades-long careers at hospitals, universities and corporations, they returned to the workforce due to insufficient retirement savings, rising living costs and a desire to stay active. Some are finding gig work, or contract jobs, through apps or digital platforms. Delivering people and parcels, taking care of pets or folding other people's laundry suits them because they can set their own hours and work, or not, when they choose."We're living longer, so people are working longer because they have to fund those extra years," said Carly Roszkowski, vice president of financial resilience at the nonprofit organization AARP. "And this concept of retirement for most people as like a cliff or a day they're working towards really isn't a reality for most."Goldberg wanted to teach after winding down his software and telemarketing company. But he needed to earn more money than what the occasional adjunct professor job teaching statistics would pay. "Uber came up, and it was not a bad choice for me because I was comfortable driving people," he said. "I felt it could be a good way to make money and keep most of it." About 1 in 5 Americans over age 50 who aren't retired say they have no retirement savings, according to a survey the AARP conducted in January 2025. Retirees and employment experts say gig work has advantages and downsides, including limited job protections and wages that may be insufficient to cover on-the-job expenses. Here are some factors to consider. Barbara Baratta, 72, retired as a pediatric nurse in 2018. But she got restless after a few years and signed up with the pet care app Rover, which connected her to jobs walking dogs and using her nursing skills to administer medications to cats.The work keeps her active. "I get my steps in and do hill climbing," she said. In a leafy New Jersey suburb, Baratta set out to coax Barley, a mix of pit bull, beagle and shepherd, into the afternoon air with a wind chill pushing the temperature down into the 20s."Barley, if you turn this way, the wind will be blowing behind you," she said gently, leading the dog down a wide street. Baratta likes the physical nature of dog walking. She ran two half-marathons in the past year but notices that "being older and not having knees that are totally great" makes steep or uneven terrain a challenge even for her. She advises people in her age group to be careful about which pets they agree to walk."Some dogs are big and strong, which can be an issue, a lesson I learned very early on," Baratta said. "An 80-pound dog, ... they're going to pull, they're going to run away." Driving can be hard on the back and legs, and the challenge of finding restrooms to use on the go becomes difficult to deal with as you age, Goldberg cautioned.Days can feel long and lonely after one retires. Working part-time can provide social interaction. Baruch Schwartz, 78, was a wedding photographer for decades until the work became too physically demanding to do full-time. He started driving for Uber and Lyft and derives satisfaction from feeling needed. "I feel like I'm on a mission," he said after taking a passenger home from a kidney dialysis appointment.Driving for Uber gives Goldberg a chance to meet a variety of people. One night he spoke with a Scottish historian about the movie "Braveheart." Another night a passenger asked him how to know whether it was the right time to propose to his girlfriend. "I'm amazed at what people will tell me about their relationships," Goldberg said. One of the draws of working for gig platforms is the ability to set your own hours. Baratta's schedule allowed her to babysit her grandchildren.Goldberg appreciated the flexibility of setting his own hours when there was a recent death in his family. But between that unplanned trip and a root canal, and no vacation or sick days offered by his job, he went several days without income. "When that happens, even though you have the flexibility, which you like, and you don't have to call anybody and say 'I'm not driving today,' you still don't make the money that day. And you're still paying insurance," Goldberg said.Before investing time into gig work, research what percentage the company takes from workers' earnings."The house always wins, so the amount of money you are going to get as a driver or delivery worker is very much controlled by the platform," said Alexandrea Ravenelle, a sociologist and gig economy researcher at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "There are no workplace protections, so if you get injured on the job, if you have any types of problems, if you have a car accident, for instance, you are entirely out of luck."Uber maintains commercial auto insurance coverage on behalf of its drivers, although New York City requires drivers to hold that insurance themselves, said Uber spokesman Ryan Thornton.Goldberg hit three nasty potholes in three weeks, paying $144 each time to replace the tires. He lost money those weeks, despite working, he said. "I'd say most drivers are not happy with the money that they're making, unless they're working more hours than I'm willing to do," Goldberg said. LisaKay "LK" Foyle, 64, of Orange, Texas, found a way to maximize her earnings on Poplin, an app which connects her with clients who need help with laundry. She has seniority among workers on the app so chooses to accept express orders, which pay the highest rate, and declines lower-paying jobs.Foyle marvels at the state of some families' dirty laundry: "all the socks are inside-out, all the underwear is in the pants, and you've got to check every single pocket, or you're washing marbles or frogs or the snacks they had that day."Baratta's dog-walking income supplements several small pensions and Social Security benefits. She charges $20 for a half-hour walk, not including her driving time to and from the location. Rover keeps about 20%, she said. The $1,000 to $2,000 she makes per month helps pay the bills, she said. "The dogs and cats are delights," Baratta said. "I'm not becoming rich doing this, ... but I've met a lot of great families doing it."Associated Press]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:07:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Dubai’s newly announced economic steps set to boost resilience, growth]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/04/03/dubais-newly-announced-economic-steps-set-to-boost-resilience-growth]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The new measures for the hospitality sector and wider economy announced this week by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, are set to strengthen business resilience and help companies navigate short-term challenges and sustain growth.The measures form part of a wider Dhs1 billion economic incentive package announced earlier this week, aligned with the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. They include allowing hotels to postpone paying 100% of the sales fees on rooms and food & beverage as well as the Tourism Dirham for three months.Designed to ease financial pressures and enhance liquidity in the hospitality and tourism sectors, the measures are effective from 1 April 2026. Their scope covers all hospitality establishments, including hotels, hotel apartments, and holiday homes.Other measures aimed at supporting businesses across the wider economy, implemented for a period of three months from 1 April 2026, include the deferral of fees for premium business names; licence amendment fees; newspaper announcement fees; local service fees; accommodation fees; waste management fees; and service improvement fees. The deferrals are applicable for both new licences and renewals. Businesses will be provided with an update at the end of the three-month period.Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), said: “Dubai’s economic model has been built on agility, clarity and cooperation, and the accelerated introduction and implementation of these measures, part of a wider package for Dubai’s economy, is a clear demonstration of the decisive leadership our city and nation benefit from. Guided by a focus on close collaboration between the public and private sectors, the growth of Dubai’s tourism sector and wider economy in recent years has been built on continued engagement with industry, and a readiness to understand challenges and opportunities, and rapidly enact policies that can incentivise growth and solidify resilience.”Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), part of DET, said: “Over recent weeks, we have been closely engaging with stakeholders across the tourism sector as they navigate through unique challenges. We applaud the resilience they have demonstrated, as well as the role they have played in maintaining the high-quality service and destination offerings the city has become known for. These new incentives are in line with feedback we have received from hospitality leaders in the city and will put them on a strong footing to drive growth and momentum for the sector.”Ahmad Khalifa AlQaizi AlFalasi, CEO of Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation (DBLC), part of DET, said: “Dubai has earned its global credibility as a city for trade and commerce thanks to a relentless focus on the needs of businesses and a willingness to make changes and ecosystem developments that can drive collective benefits. By giving businesses extra flexibility over the coming months, we are allowing them to focus on key priorities and the measures they need to take to protect the long-term sustainability of their operations.”Other measures introduced as part of the broader economic package announced this week include the extension of customs data grace periods and the streamlining of the issuance and renewal of residency permits.Last month, Sheikh Hamdan attended a specially convened Dubai Majlis that brought together nearly 300 senior leaders from across Dubai’s business community to discuss strategies to reinforce Dubai’s economic resilience.Sheikh Hamdan said, “Thanks to the vision of our wise leadership and our close partnership with the business community, Dubai continues to move forward with confidence to strengthen the resilience of its economy and reinforce its position as a global hub for trade, tourism and investment. We will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure sustainable economic growth and safeguard our development gains, further enhancing Dubai’s competitiveness.”The meeting was organised by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism as part of the Government of Dubai’s commitment to deepening cooperation with the private sector and strengthening coordination across economic sectors to ensure sustainable growth and reinforce the emirate’s global stature.The Majlis was attended by Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, and Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications.The private briefing featured detailed updates from Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Major General Abdul Nasser Al Humaidi, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence, and Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline.The meeting reviewed measures and strategies to reinforce national economic resilience and sustain economic momentum, supporting Dubai’s position as a leading global hub for trade, tourism and investment, and strengthening its ability to deliver sustainable growth across key sectors.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:06:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Peter Magyar, the former Orban ally vying for power]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/03/peter-magyar-the-former-orban-ally-vying-for-power]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Like many of her fellow volunteers, Hungarian beautician Krisztina Menczel sat idle in the past elections that kept nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban in power. But opposition leader Peter Magyar's hopes of ending the longstanding premier's 16-year reign in Hungary rest in no small part on first-time campaigners like Menczel. "Canvassing has a big impact," the 41-year-old told AFP in Jaszfenyszaru, a central Hungarian town long considered a stronghold of Orban's Fidesz party. "Even those who wouldn't dare reveal their political preferences come over and chat with us."Magyar, a former government insider turned critic, is offering voters a radical break from Orban's self-described "illiberal" system, vowing to crack down on corruption and improve public services. Thanks to his party's on-the-ground network, Orban's grip on small towns like Jaszfenyszaru, population 6,000, appears to be weakening ahead of the April 12 vote.Orban, who has criticised neighbouring Ukraine and acted as a spoiler at many European Union summits, has long counted on his media dominance to promote his platform. Instead, Magyar's TISZA party has had to rely on grassroots word-of-mouth to promote its message. While the ruling party puts up billboards, TISZA has asked its supporters to hang party signs on homes and shopfronts.Menczel said she decided to help the party after Magyar visited the town last August on his nearly non-stop nationwide tour. She now spends up to three hours a day campaigning, on top of managing TISZA's local social media pages. When he shot into prominence in 2024, Magyar had no party apparatus behind him.But his rise came in the wake of a child abuse pardon scandal which shook Orban's tight grip on power.With many Hungarians already dissatisfied with the economy, the scandal proved a "tipping point", when many voters "realised they had enough of Orban's system", according to Zoltan Lakner, the editor-in-chief of the Jelen weekly newspaper. After tirelessly criss-crossing the country and a prominent social media campaign, Magyar led a previously dormant TISZA to second place behind Fidesz at the 2024 European elections.A month after the vote, he called supporters to set up loosely connected associations to handle on-the-ground organising, dubbed "TISZA islands", a nod to the party sharing its name with the country's longest river. According to the party, around 4,000 "islands" have since been established, including in rural areas which the old opposition parties had effectively abandoned.These groups organised local community events, such as charity drives, cookouts and political discussions, before switching to full-time campaigning. Key to these events' success was the involvement of small and medium-sized businesses, according to Lakner, who describes the movement as a "revolution of entrepreneurs"."This also affects the islands' attitude towards politics: They approach it pragmatically instead of ideologically, simply wanting the country to function well," the analyst explained.Dozens of "islanders" ended up being chosen as party candidates during November's primaries. Many of them are locally respected professionals, such as doctors, who are completely new to politics."This lends them credibility, given the widespread disillusionment with professional politicians," Bulcsu Zsiga, a researcher at the Centre for Fair Political Analysis, told AFP. But their political inexperience carries a "danger" which TISZA is "clearly trying to mitigate", the expert noted, pointing to the party's much criticised policy of restricting media access to candidates.Even so, drawing in local figures has helped to break the "spiral of silence" some Fidesz-dominated rural communities, where opposition supporters previously felt isolated or reluctant to express their views, Zsiga added.In the Hungarian countryside, activism often comes at a price, some dearer than others, as campaigners in Jaszfenyszaru can attest.Menczel, the beautician, said that a close relative of the local Fidesz lawmaker stopped frequenting her salon after she posted a picture with TISZA's candidate on social media. Others have suffered more serious consequences.Forty-eight-year-old retailer Eszter Somfai had her home address shared online, after an internal party database with some 200,000 supporters' personal details was leaked last November. "But we will not let them deter us, we proudly campaign for Tisza," Menczel said."I feel people here are increasingly opening up... If everything is conducted fairly, then we will be victorious."Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:06:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[As gas prices soar, Tafoya wants Americans to eat cake]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/03/as-gas-prices-soar-tafoya-wants-americans-to-eat-cake]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Let’s talk about US Senate candidate Michele Tafoya’s viral quote about Starbucks, war and patriotism. The Republican podcaster and former TV sports reporter is running to become one of two US senators from Minnesota, succeeding the retiring DFL Sen. Tina Smith. Her entry into the race has given us a front-row seat to Tafoya’s transition from polite sideline interlocutor of quarterbacks and coaches to the candidate at the center of the chat, revealing her views on consequential concerns of governance and policy. Tafoya has never run for or held elective office, but she’s an experienced and skilled talker from her years as a broadcaster and podcaster.Recently, she spoke about the attack on Iran, sounding as if she were trying to assure the masses and assuage concerns about casualties and rising gas prices caused by the war President Donald Trump began without authorization from Congress. “I know it’s frustrating and I know it’s hard for people. What I would say to them is we lost some service members over there who have put their lives on the line to protect us, to protect the region,” Tafoya said. She then recommended “keeping a stiff upper lip. Maybe you take one less trip to Starbucks so that gas goes a little further until this thing is over and these gas prices come back down again. Let’s just try to be patriots about this.”There’s an inescapable let-them-eat-cake tenor of her comment that was ridiculed online. “Respectfully, she’s Marie Antoinette with a travel mug,” Republican communications consultant Michael Brodkorb posted. Even actor Henry Winkler, aka the Fonz for my generation, got in on Tafoya’s wartime analysis, writing, “Maybe you pass up a loaf of bread or an apple or some protein ... that will do it.”First, let’s address the lattes. There are too many variables to determine whether skipping Starbucks will balance a budget, but it seems to be shaky ground to launch a conversation about required sacrifices. The value of skipping Starbucks depends on a person’s regular order. Would that be a tall black coffee or a venti white chocolate mocha with an extra shot of espresso and a drizzle of caramel? The coffee sells for about $3 before the tip while the other designer caffeinated drinks can easily surpass $8.If a Starbucks run typically also includes food, then yes, definitely there will be real savings by skipping coffee and a fistful of cake pops. The fuel efficiency of the vehicle also matters, as does distance to the store. With gas prices headed toward $4 a gallon, those in larger vehicles or SUVs will save money by not driving, especially if the nearest Starbucks is 20 miles from home.But does anyone really believe the impact of rising gas prices can be wiped out by passing up a single Starbucks run? That claim by Tafoya is going to sound increasingly absurd as fuel prices soar and spread to more consumer goods. Prominent economists are already warning that the economic damage from this war will be long-lasting and widespread, dragging the economy and markets for years. Tafoya’s done well enough that she’s probably blissfully insulated from the pocketbook pressures that most of us face.If Tafoya wants to make a real run at this seat, she’s going to have to be more thoughtful about such serious concerns. “Skip Starbucks” isn’t a workable economic policy or a campaign slogan. This country doesn’t need another politician who equates governance with online virality through sound bites and memes. What we need in this elevated position of power is a senator with compassion and curiosity, much like Smith herself.And yet the Starbucks quip wasn’t the worst of her riff on country and caffeine. That would be Tafoya’s claim that patriotism requires a stiff upper lip. As a career journalist, one would hope Tafoya would be more protective of the American right to speak truth to power. We are constitutionally protected by the First Amendment to ask questions and cause good trouble. Tafoya of all people should understand this foundational right.Minnesota already has four Republicans in Congress, political eunuchs who continue to get in line with this president, unwilling to challenge or criticize his self-dealing, authoritarian ambitions and pardons for fraudsters. Now, Tafoya is signaling that she, too, would march in line with Trump and that we should stand behind her. No, thank you.This is the time for all of us, including elected officials from both parties, to question and challenge Trump’s authority before it’s too late. Our blood, treasure and democracy are at risk. Protest is patriotic. It’s the tyrants who prefer silence. I sincerely hope that Tafoya, an Emmy Award-winning sports journalist and would-be national leader, belatedly decides she misspoke and that she actually values dissent as a fundamental right. If, however, she continues to tell Americans to suck it up and sacrifice caffeine for the greater good, her judgment reveals her to be far better suited for podcasting than a policy war room.Tribune News Service]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:05:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[South Africans challenge mine rush in biodiversity hotspot]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/03/south-africans-challenge-mine-rush-in-biodiversity-hotspot]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Kim Harrisberg, ReutersSouth Africa's western coastline is known for its wildflowers, archaeological sites and pristine beaches, but for mining companies, the real attraction is not what you can see, it's what you can dig up. Large parts of the coastline are already being actively mined or reserved for prospective mining. According to the civil society group Protect the West Coast (PTWC), South Africa's West Coast is being mined and prospected for heavy minerals, diamonds and rock ⁠phosphate, with 48 new mining applications submitted in 2026 alone.The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) said these figures did not align with its own and stated that six prospecting rights applications had been received, with three accepted, alongside two mining permit applications. The DMPR did not provide clarity on the exact region they were referring to. Local groups including artists, indigenous leaders and scientists have launched campaigns, petitions and legal action in recent months citing the potential risks of mining the area."The West Coast is at a tipping point. We risk losing birds, animals and ecosystems that cannot be restored," said Mike Schlebach, managing PTWC. Heavy minerals such as zircon, rutile and ilmenite can be used in renewable energy technology such as solar panels and wind turbines.Global ⁠demand for these so-called green minerals needed in the energy transition is set to nearly triple by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency. "There is this mad dash for rare earth and critical minerals, but there has to be proper oversight so that the poorest communities are not left behind," Schlebach told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.Inland, 1,800 square kilometres have been earmarked for diamond mining, with up to 2,900 square kilometres in the Western Cape reserved for prospecting, according to PTWC.Currently, the equivalent of 5,000 football fields of land — roughly 37.5 square kilometres — has not been rehabilitated to an environmentally healthy state on the West Coast following decades of mining, a PTWC report said. Open pits, craters, dust and barren slopes of sand indicate decades of unrehabilitated diamond mines in the region. The DMPR said it could not confirm this figure and that closure certificates were only issued once mining companies complete rehabilitation following an inspection.Only 10% of the region is currently protected and the region is home to more than 6,300 endemic plant and animal species, according to PTWC. The department said expert studies and recommendations helped determine whether environmental authorisation was granted and under which conditions to mining companies. "We need to be careful about what type of ⁠development occurs and how that development takes place," said University of Cape Town restoration botanist Peter Carrick."This is a uniquely beautiful landscape which is also incredibly fragile," he said.Alongside the West Coast's biodiversity, the region also holds significant value for indigenous groups with ties to archaeological and heritage sites, as well as smallscale fishers. More than 200 protesters gathered this month to challenge the surge in mining interest in the region, alongside a five metre driftwood sculpture of a gannet bird made by a local artist to symbolise the fragility of the native bird species in the region. A petition to protect the region from mining has drawn more than 60,000 signatures."Our people have lived here for thousands of years," said Gaob Martinus Fredericks, leader of the indigenous !Ama (Nama) people. "We understand the value of our natural heritage and we want to safeguard our children's livelihoods as well as our own." Fishermen groups said they had seen a decrease in the fish population over the years that mining had become more prevalent. "You can see how this has damaged our ecosystems. The snoek runs are fewer now," said Carmelita ⁠Mostert, chairperson of Coastal Links South Africa, small-scale fishers organisation, referring to a type of mackerel in the southern hemisphere.South Africa's constitution outlines that any mining company must engage in meaningful community consultation before going ahead with a project. Failure to do so can lead to a legal dispute. PTWC launched an app called Ripl in October 2024 to allow people to submit their comments, objections and appeals linked to mining projects to government and ⁠the mining companies directly.There are also ongoing plans to keep using the legal system to challenge mining companies that do not take social and environmental risks into consideration, Schlebach told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.They are calling for an urgent moratorium on all prospective mining until a comprehensive social and environmental assessment of this coast is completed. "We are not anti-mining, but it has to be done in accordance with the law and it cannot be the only industry to have a home on ⁠the West Coast," said Schlebach.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:03:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Delhi way!]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/03/delhi-way]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Delhi Capitals (DC) defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a very interesting match, held in Lucknow, on Wednedsay evening. LSG failed to get going and managed to put only 141, which looked very small target for for DC, but the LSG bowlers espcially Md. Shami, Mohsin Khan and Prince Yadav, bowlded brilliantly and managed to grab four wickets in quick time.  DC looked in deep trouble because Mohsin was very quick and accurate and did not allow any batters to hit him even for a four. But it was DC batter Sameer Rizvi with Tristan Stubbs, managed to chase the target convicingly.  Rizwi scored unbeaten 70, and came out with flying colours.  Rizwi has shown his brilliance in his maiden match only. Though he started on a very cautious note and looked little slow, but when it mattered the most he changed his gear and started hitting well. It was very good match at the end. I am sure Rizwi will do much better in forthcoming matches. Even I am excited to see how LSG bowlers go ahead from here. They look great unit led by brilliant Shami.Sarfaraz Hashmi,By email]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 19:57:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[&#039;No Kings&#039;]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/03/no-kings]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 19:55:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[RTA begins maintenance works for sidewalks covering 90,000 square metres in Dubai]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/03/rta-begins-maintenance-works-for-sidewalks-covering-90000-square-metres-in-dubai]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the commencement of sidewalk maintenance and rehabilitation works across the emirate, covering a total area of 90,000 square metres, in line with approved preventive maintenance plans for 2026.The works reflect RTA’s commitment to improving sidewalks quality and performance, preserving Dubai’s urban landscape, and supporting the sustainability of infrastructure assets while enhancing quality of life in the emirate.The total area of sidewalks maintained and rehabilitated by RTA in 2025 reached approximately 88,000 square metres.The works were implemented across residential, tourist, commercial, economic, and coastal areas throughout the emirate.Abdulla Ali Lootah, Director of Roads and Facilities Maintenance at Traffic and Roads Agency, RTA, said: “sidewalks maintenance forms an integral part of RTA’s strategy to preserve road furniture, maintain high standards of quality and safety, extend service life, and strengthen long-term sustainability, while safeguarding the emirate’s urban outlook and visual appeal.”“The works also help protect pedestrians and all sidewalk users, supporting RTA’s vision of becoming The World Leader in Seamless and Sustainable Mobility, in line with international best practices.”Lootah added: “RTA adopts the latest global technologies and advanced maintenance practices to monitor the condition of infrastructure assets and their various components through sophisticated systems and works that support the management of road and facility maintenance.”“These efforts reinforce the sustainability of Dubai’s road infrastructure and preserve structural integrity, while ensuring the highest levels of safety for road users, a priority that remains central to RTA’s work. The works also align with the emirate’s continued urban growth and development and support the strategic objective of enhancing quality of life for Dubai’s residents and visitors.”He noted that preventive sidewalk maintenance works scheduled for 2026 will cover several key areas across the emirate, most notably Al Nahda 2, Al Baraha, Nad Shamma, Nad Al Hamar, Al Muhaisnah 1, 2 and 3, Al Twar 4, Al Barsha 2 and 3, Umm Suqeim 3, Al Manara, Al Safa 2, Jumeirah 2, Za’abeel 2, and Oud Maitha.The works include the maintenance of pedestrian paving, paving at intersections and service roads for vehicles, as well as shared sidewalks used by pedestrians and cyclists.The scope also covers repairing sidewalks affected by subsidence, erosion, breakage, or tile loss resulting from misuse or environmental factors.RTA emphasised commitment to maintaining all necessary safety measures for the public during the execution of the works and ensuring the safe and smooth movement of pedestrians while sidewalk maintenance and rehabilitation activities are carried out across the emirate.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 19:16:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[EV charging stations to be installed in 600 parking lots]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/04/03/ev-charging-stations-to-be-installed-in-600-parking-lots]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Gulf Today, Staff Reporter Dubai Municipality has launched a new initiative to install ultra-fast charging stations for electric vehicles in 600 parking spaces within public parks, beaches, and recreational facilities, with an investment of Dhs150 million, in partnership with UAE Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (UAEV).The first phase of the project includes the installation of 75 ultra-fast charging stations in 150 parking spaces over the next two years.The charging infrastructure will be strategically distributed across major parks, neighbourhood parks, and public beaches, ensuring the provision of integrated and easily accessible charging facilities within Dubai’s public spaces network.Implementation will also focus on achieving wide geographical coverage which includes communities and vital high-density locations, serving both residents and visitors.The project is part of the goals of UAE Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, supporting the transformative project “Global Market for Electric Vehicles,” which aims to support the transition towards using a green transportation system and increase the number of electric vehicles in the UAE to 50% of the total by 2050.This, in turn, contributes to achieving the goals of the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative and the UAE Energy Strategy 2050.Visitors will be able to charge their vehicles while enjoying outdoor and sports activities, family events, children’s play areas, swimming, and coastal walking paths, making sustainable options more accessible and integrated into daily life.In January, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), announced that the EV Green Charger network has grown to more than 1,860 charging points across Dubai, including stations licenced by DEWA in collaboration with government and private sector entities.By mid-January 2026, the EV Green Charger initiative had enrolled 23,600 registered users, with DEWA providing more than 55,200 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity since its 2014 launch – enough to power more than 276 million kilometres of electric-vehicle travel.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 19:02:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Daniel Mangena Builds Asset-Backed Ventures Designed to Outlast Market Cycles]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/04/03/daniel-mangena-builds-asset-backed-ventures-designed-to-outlast-market-cycles]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Financial markets reward companies that demonstrate growth and deliver strong quarterly earnings. When performance falls short of expectations, leadership may cut expenses, sell assets, reorganize teams, or change direction to improve results.Ownership can also shift as institutional investors rotate capital based on risk and return. Companies that appear stable from the outside are often adjusting operations, budgets, or priorities behind the scenes.Daniel Mangena works on a longer timeline. As founder of Mangena Group, a private investment and holding company, he oversees a diversified portfolio that includes real estate, private aviation, alternative finance, energy, and citizenship by investment initiatives.These are not abstract investment categories. They are industries built around physical assets, regulatory compliance, capital allocation decisions, and active management. Each venture is structured to create lasting, asset-backed value while producing measurable social outcomes. While much of the market prioritizes near-term gains, Mangena Group focuses on industries that demand long-range planning and consistent execution.Infrastructure must be maintained and monitored over time. Aircraft are subject to strict safety and regulatory standards. Real estate involves ongoing maintenance, tenant oversight, and multi-year capital planning. Energy projects rely on systems that must meet both output expectations and environmental guidelines. Citizenship by investment programs operate within formal legal agreements that require thorough documentation and transparency.In these sectors, accountability is built into the business model. Assets require active supervision, regulations create operational guardrails, and capital decisions affect performance over years rather than quarters.Technology and GovernanceIndustries like infrastructure, aviation, and natural resources are heavily regulated, closely monitored, and held to strict performance standards."Technology is central to everything we do," Mangena said.Across its global ventures, Mangena Group uses data platforms, satellite mapping, blockchain audit trails, and automated reporting systems to monitor real-world assets with precision. These tools track natural resource activity, real estate holdings, and aviation operations across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously. AI-based systems are also being introduced to strengthen reporting accuracy and improve long-term visibility into asset performance."Technology is not just about speed," Mangena noted. "For us, it is about governance, traceability, and building long-term trust with partners, regulators, and communities."Working across jurisdictions means documentation must support every claim. Independent advisors, auditors, and legal teams review activity across markets to confirm compliance and maintain consistent standards throughout each project lifecycle.The organization monitors media coverage through professional tools, and inaccuracies are addressed through official channels when necessary, with verified facts guiding every response. All digital content is reviewed for clarity and accuracy, with a standing policy to avoid speculation or exaggerated claims."We also maintain a clear separation between personal commentary and professional communications," Mangena explained.Operations and Stakeholder CommunicationMangena Group does not rely on social media for primary deal sourcing. The partnerships that drive its work involve institutional investors and infrastructure operators, developed through direct engagement, due diligence, and documented track records.Social media serves a defined function - sharing educational content on real-asset investing, highlighting community initiatives, and announcing project milestones. Regular stakeholder updates and milestone reports provide transparency into progress, performance, and long-term objectives, helping partners understand how ventures are structured and how capital is deployed.Engagement is measured by quality rather than volume. Analytics focus on who reads complete reports, attends briefings, or requests additional documentation. Each project includes formal reporting channels and escalation procedures so that issues can be addressed quickly and on the record."Our goal is always to preserve relationships and solve problems fairly," Mangena said. "Many of our strongest partnerships today began with honest conversations about challenges."Internally, decisions are based on the right volume of information from credible sources - enough to move forward with confidence, without allowing excess data to delay execution.Community and Charitable WorkMangena Group structures leadership around clearly defined roles, with responsibilities assigned based on team strengths and core competencies. Tasks outside those areas are delegated to specialists, keeping core teams focused on execution. Daniel Mangena supports several charitable initiatives, including the development of his family foundation. He has served on multiple boards and maintains active involvement in developing regions, directing resources toward long-term community infrastructure and economic participation. https://mangenacapital.com/ ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:17:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Stunned Tiger Woods handcuffed after Florida rollover crash, bodycam shows]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2026/04/03/stunned-tiger-woods-handcuffed-after-florida-rollover-crash-bodycam-shows]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Tiger Woods expressed astonishment as he was handcuffed after crashing his SUV last week in Florida, according to body camera footage released on Thursday that also shows deputies removing two pills from Woods' pocket.Separate footage from the back of the patrol car shows the handcuffed golfer hiccuping, yawning and repeatedly appearing to nod off during the 15-minute ride.Woods told authorities he was looking at his phone and changing the radio station when his speeding Land Rover clipped the back of a truck and rolled onto its side on a residential road on Jupiter Island. No one was injured in the March 27 afternoon crash."I looked down at my phone, and all of a sudden - boom,” Woods told an officer as he knelt on a lawn, prior to his arrest.Bodycam footage shows Martin County Sheriff’s Deputy Tatiana Levenar then conducting a roadside sobriety test and telling Woods: "I do believe your normal faculties are impaired, and you’re under an unknown substance, so at this time you’re under arrest for DUI.""I’m being arrested?” Woods responded. "Yes sir,” Levenar said.After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and found two white pills."That’s a Norco,” Woods said after an officer pulled out the pills, referring to a painkiller that contains acetaminophen and the opioid hydrocodone. Authorities would later confirm that Woods was in possession of hydrocodone.In the bodycam footage, Woods told Levenar that he had not drunk any alcohol and that he had taken "a few” medications earlier in the day, though Woods’ words are muted in the released video as he describes some of the drugs.At the sheriff’s office complex, after Woods was escorted into the "DUI room” where drivers are tested for being under the influence, Woods said, "I’m not drunk. I’m on a prescription medication,” according to a supplemental sheriff’s office report released Thursday.Woods, 50, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to suspicion of driving under the influence. He posted a statement on Tuesday night saying that he was stepping away indefinitely "to seek treatment and focus on my health.”During the field sobriety test, deputies noticed Woods limping and that he had a compression sock over his right knee. Woods explained he had undergone seven back surgeries and over 20 surgeries on his right leg, and that his ankle seizes up while walking.Woods, who was hiccuping during questioning, continuously moved his head during one of the sobriety tests and deputies had to tell him several times to keep his head straight, an arrest report said."Based on my observations of Woods, how he performed the exercises and based on my training, knowledge, and experience, I believed that Woods normal faculties were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle,” Levenar wrote.Woods is the most influential figure in golf and has become as recognizable as any athlete in the world. The first person of Black heritage to win the Masters in 1997, he has captivated golf fans with records likely never to be broken.But his injuries have kept him from accomplishing more, including those suffered in a 2021 Los Angeles car crash that damaged his right leg so badly he said doctors considered amputation. He has not played an official event since the 2024 British Open. He was recovering from a seventh back surgery in October and was trying to return at the Masters, where he is a five-time champion.Following last week's crash, Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test, authorities said. He was arrested and released on bail eight hours later.Under a change to Florida law last year, refusing an officer’s request to take a breath, blood or urine test became a misdemeanor, even for a first offense.Associated Press]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:09:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Trump says US can easily open Hormuz, take oil and make a fortune]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/03/trump-says-us-can-easily-open-hormuz-take-oil-and-make-a-fortune]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[President Donald Trump on Friday said the United States could "open" the Hormuz Strait and "take the oil" if it has more time,  ⁠as pressure mounts for his ‌administration to find ‌a quick resolution to a war against Iran."With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE. IT WOULD BE A 'GUSHER' FOR THE WORLD???" Trump posted.The message, on his Truth Social platform, did not explain how the United States could end Iranian control over the Hormuz waterway or what oil Trump was referring to.Nearly  five weeks after it started with a joint US-Israeli aerial assault,  the war in Iran continues to spread chaos across ​the region and roil  financial markets, raising ‌the pressure on Trump to find a quick  resolution to the conflict.Iran has effectively ⁠shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that carries about a fifth of the world's ​total ‌oil  consumption, in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes ‌that began in late  February.Reopening it has become a priority for governments around the  world as ‌energy prices ‌soar.In the speech on  ⁠Wednesday night, Trump repeated his threats ‌against Iran's civilian  power plants and gave no clear timeline for ending hostilities, ⁠drawing  vows of retaliation from Iran ​and depressing share prices.Agencies ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 17:52:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Trump reduces tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper derivatives]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/04/03/trump-reduces-tariffs-on-steel-aluminum-copper-derivatives]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[US President Donald Trump has decided to adjust the tariffs imposed on imports of steel, aluminum, and copper to reduce duties on derivatives made from these metals, simplify compliance procedures, and prevent manipulation of import values.The White House stated in a briefing Thursday that under the proclamation signed by the President, the United States will maintain a 50% import duty on steel, aluminum, and copper imports under Section 232 of the Trade Act of 1974. This rate will apply to the prices paid by American customers.The White House explained that tariffs on certain industrial equipment and electrical grid components that use significant quantities of these metals will be reduced from 50% to 15% until 2027 to accelerate the pace of industrial expansion.A senior official noted that the changes include the elimination of the previous 50% tariff on derivative products made from steel, aluminum, and copper if the metal content of the product is less than 15% by weight.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 17:50:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Kim pets puppies, kittens at Pyongyang pet shop]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/03/kim-pets-puppies-kittens-at-pyongyang-pet-shop]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[North Korean leader Kim Jong Un petted puppies and kittens with his delighted daughter as they toured a new Pyongyang housing district, state media said on Friday.The Hwasong area, formerly mostly farmland, is a newly developed residential district with about 40,000 housing units built through a series of projects launched in 2022 under Kim's orders.It is part of a broader construction push in the capital and across the diplomatically isolated, poor country aimed at improving living standards after years of Western sanctions and state-controlled economic policies.Streets of the district were "brimming with the joy and excitement of citizens who greeted the auspicious event of moving into new houses," Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.Accordingly, "various service bases to contribute to improving the wellbeing of the inhabitants are stepping up the preparations for inauguration," it said.Kim, with his teenage daughter Ju Ae, visited a pet shop in the district, where he said: "Households rearing pets are increasing in the capital city and local areas nowadays."I saw to it that a new shop was built to sell pets and various accessories and offer the specialised service."Images released by state media showed a visibly delighted Ju Ae watching cats with her father and petting one perched on a tower while Kim sat just behind her.In another photo, Kim cradled a white puppy as officials looked on with broad smiles, while Ju Ae sat beside him watching."Referring to the production of various kinds of pet-care tools, feed and veterinary medicines, he (Kim) stressed the need to take measures to increase production in the future," KCNA said.Kim and his daughter also visited a musical instrument store, with state media images showing the duo looking at guitars and saxophones.Properly managing and operating the leisure facilities would "serve as a valuable foundation for the development of socialist civilisation", Kim said, according to KCNA.The North Korean leader and his daughter also visited a hair salon, and said welfare amenities were "essential" for "ensuring a cultured and hygienic environment and highly civilized living space in the formation of urban districts."He called for "steadily improving the quality of service on the principle of fully meeting the aesthetic tastes," and "creating a new Korean-style service culture."In February, South Korea's national intelligence service said that Pyongyang appears to have started the process of designating Ju Ae as leader Kim's successor.This perception has been stoked by a string of recent high-profile outings including watching a test of nuclear-capable rocket launchers, firing a pistol and trying out the country's new battle tank in large-scale military drills.Kim ordered the shops to open for the Day of the Sun, the April 15 birth anniversary of his grandfather and national founder Kim Il Sung, KCNA said.Agence France-Presse ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 17:48:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Bangladesh cuts office hours, turns off wedding lights to save energy]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/03/bangladesh-cuts-office-hours-turns-off-wedding-lights-to-save-energy]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Bangladesh cut office and shop hours and banned decorative lighting at weddings starting on Friday as it seeks to conserve energy stocks after global price hikes due to the Middle East war.Bangladesh imports 95 per cent of its oil and gas needs, mostly from the Middle East and said that, while there are adequate stocks of petrol and diesel, it hopes to mitigate the effects of "unsecured" supply lines.About 60 per cent of its electricity is generated using imported gas, while diesel is primarily used for farming in the region.Dhaka ordered all government, private offices and banks to shut an hour earlier each day starting on Friday until further notice."The fuel supply line is unsecured... both government and private offices will run from 9 AM to 4 PM, while banks will remain open from 9 AM to 3 PM," top government secretary Nasimul Gani told reporters at a news briefing late on Thursday.Shopping centres, which normally stay open late, will now shut by 6 pm, although stores selling food supplies are expected to keep their usual hours.Decorative lighting, which was initially banned at malls, has now been extended to include weddings.Weddings in Bangladesh are celebrations that entertain hundreds of guests at brightly decorated venues and can often co-opt large parts of a neighbourhood.The government has also asked departments to refrain from purchasing vehicles and computers and to limit money being spent on hospitality costs for work events.Foreign training missions for government officials have also been suspended, while domestic training will be cut by half.The measures will reduce at least 30 per cent of total fuel consumption, officials estimated.Schools and colleges could also see schedule changes as the government considers purchasing electric buses for student transport.Bangladesh has said it is seeking loans of around $2 billion from multilateral donors to tackle energy worries.Apart from the latest measures, the government has also set limits on fuel purchases, halted production at most fertiliser factories and deployed police to patrol filling stations that have recently been packed with motorists.The government conducted around 5,000 raids and confiscated about 400,000 litres of illegally acquired fuel between March 3 and April 1, a spokesperson for the Fuel and Energy Division said.Thai PM blames stockpilers for fuel shortage Separately, Thailand's prime minister slammed oil traders for "excessive profiteering," blaming those stockpiling fuel or smuggling it abroad for shortages that have driven prices steadily higher."Authorities have found cases of fuel stockpiling and smuggling for sale in neighbouring countries," Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said, adding the problem had cost the government 50 billion baht ($1.4 billion)."This action (smuggling and stockpiling) amounts to excessive profiteering from rising oil prices during the global energy crisis," he said, calling it "a major factor behind the nationwide fuel shortages seen in recent weeks."Evidence of hoarding and profiteering among large and medium-sized oil traders had been found on land and at sea, he said.Anutin said some seaborne shipments had been deliberately delayed so fuel would not arrive on schedule, allowing sellers to wait for retail price increases. Other shipments had been diverted for stockpiling and were thought to be destined for neighbouring countries.Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 17:22:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[NCM forecasts unstable weather across UAE from Saturday until April 10]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/03/ncm-forecasts-unstable-weather-across-uae-from-saturday-until-april-10]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) on Friday has forecast unstable weather conditions across the UAE from Saturday until April 10, accompanied by chances of rainfall and increased wind activity.The centre said in a statement today that the weather from Saturday night and Sunday will be partly cloudy to cloudy at times, with a chance of light rain over the islands and some northern areas.On Monday, Tuesday and during Wednesday daytime, the weather will be clear to partly cloudy and at times dusty due to active to strong northwesterly winds, causing blowing dust and a drop in temperatures, while the sea will be rough to very rough at times.The weather is expected to become unstable again from Wednesday night until Friday morning, with partly cloudy to cloudy conditions at times and a chance of light to moderate rainfall over scattered areas of the country at intermittent periods.NCM forecasts rise in temperatures, longer daylight in AprilThe NCM also said April is part of the first transitional season  (spring), marked by rapid changes and variability in atmospheric  pressure, leading to fast-changing weather conditions.The  NCM said in a statement that the sun continues its apparent movement  northwards towards the Tropic of Cancer, resulting in a gradual increase  in daylight hours across the Northern Hemisphere, alongside a steady  rise in temperatures across most parts of the country. Mean temperatures  are expected to increase by 3 to 5°C during April compared to March.During  this month, the influence of the Siberian high-pressure system weakens,  while the region is affected by extensions of low-pressure systems in  the upper and surface layers moving from west to east, including  extensions of the Red Sea trough or systems approaching from the east.  When these depressions deepen, cloud cover increases over some areas,  with chances of rainfall.Humidity is expected to decrease  slightly compared to March, especially during the second half of the  month. However, there remains a chance of fog and mist formation over  scattered areas, particularly during the first half of April, with a  gradual decline in frequency in the latter half.According  to climatic statistics, the average temperature during April ranges  between 25°C and 30°C, with average maximum temperatures between 32°C  and 37°C, and minimum temperatures between 20°C and 23°C. The highest  temperature recorded during the month was 46.9°C in Al Ruwais in 2012,  while the lowest was 5.0°C in Jebel Jais in 2013.The  average wind speed is around 13 km/h, with the highest recorded wind  speed reaching 121.3 km/h in Jebel Hafeet in 2013, and the highest wind  gust recorded at 137 km/h at Al Ain Airport in 2003.The  average relative humidity is around 43 percent, with maximum levels  ranging between 62 percent and 82 percent, and minimum levels between 17  percent and 28 percent. The highest frequency of fog was recorded in  2015, with 11 foggy days and four misty days.Regarding rainfall, the highest amount recorded in April was 260.3 mm in Khatam Al Shaklah in Al Ain in 2024WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 17:12:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Debris incident in Abu Dhabi injures 12 after air defence interception]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/03/debris-incident-in-abu-dhabi-injures-12-after-air-defence-interception]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Authorities in Abu Dhabi have confirmed that 12 people were injured after debris fell in the Ajban area following the successful interception of Iranian missiles, drones threats by air defence systems.In an official update, authorities said the incident resulted in minor to moderate injuries to 11 individuals — including six of Nepali nationality and five of Indian nationality — while one person of Nepali nationality sustained major injuries.Emergency services responded swiftly to the scene, providing medical assistance to those affected. The injured were transported to nearby hospitals, where they are receiving treatment. Authorities have not reported any fatalities.The incident occurred as a result of falling debris after air defence systems successfully intercepted the threat, preventing further potential damage.Officials had earlier confirmed that authorities were responding to debris reported in the Ajban area, with investigations and safety measures immediately put in place.Authorities reiterated their call for the public to rely only on official sources for information and to refrain from spreading rumours or unverified reports, particularly during sensitive situations. ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:50:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[UAE air defences engage 18 ballistic, 4 cruise missiles, 47 drones]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/03/uae-air-defences-engage-18-ballistic-4-cruise-missiles-47-drones]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[ The UAE air defences on Friday engaged 18 Ballistic missiles, 4 cruise missiles and 47 UAV's launched from Iran. Since the start of the blatant Iranian attacks, UAE air defences have engaged 475 ballistic missiles, 23 cruise missiles and 2,085 UAVs. The attacks resulted in the martyrdom of 2 members of the armed forces while performing their national duty, in addition to the martyrdom of a Moroccan civilian contracted by the Armed Forces, as well as 9 fatalities of Pakistani, Nepali, Bangladeshi, Palestinian and Indian nationalities. A total of 203 people were also injured, with injuries ranging from minor to moderate and severe. The injured included nationals of the UAE, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Comoros, Türkiye, Iraq, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Ghana, Indonesia, Sweden and Tunisia.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:37:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Iran attacks Kuwait power, water desalination plant]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/03/iran-attacks-kuwait-power-water-desalination-plant]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[ The Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy announced Friday morning that one of the power and water desalination plants was attacked by Iran.The Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) quoted the ministry’s official spokesperson Eng. Fatima Hayat as saying that the attack occurred at dawn on Friday, resulting in material damage to some of the plant’s components. She added that the technical and emergency teams immediately began their work, according to the approved emergency plans, to deal with the repercussions of the incident and maintain operational efficiency.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:14:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[China&#039;s central bank adds 12 banks as digital yuan operators]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/04/03/chinas-central-bank-adds-12-banks-as-digital-yuan-operators]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[China's central bank announced Thursday that it has added 12 banks to its list of authorized institutions for digital yuan operations, Xinhua News Agency reported.The move aims to promote the steady development of the digital currency, improve the inclusiveness of its services, and meet public demand for secure, convenient and efficient digital yuan services, according to the People's Bank of China.The newly added operators, including China CITIC Bank, China Everbright Bank and Huaxia Bank, will be linked to the central bank's digital yuan system.They will begin offering digital yuan services after completing operational and technical preparations.The central bank said it will continue to expand the number of operators in order to encourage broader market participation and support innovation.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:43:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Dubai, India to strengthen trade and investment ties]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/04/03/dubai-india-to-strengthentrade-and-investment-ties]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Dubai Chambers recently organised a meeting with the Ambassador of India to the UAE to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations and advance trade and investment ties between Dubai and India.During the meeting, Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, and Dr Deepak Mittal, Ambassador of India to the UAE, explored opportunities to deepen engagement between the business communities in both markets and expand cooperation across key sectors, with a focus on the digital economy.The discussions highlighted the growing importance of fintech in shaping more efficient and innovative financial ecosystems and enabling advanced digital payment solutions. The meeting addressed ways to strengthen business connectivity, promote private sector collaboration, and support the continued expansion of commercial ties. It also underlined the importance of close coordination and building on the strong foundations of the bilateral economic relationship amid evolving global circumstances.Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, stated: “Dubai and India have built a dynamic economic partnership that continues to evolve in line with shared ambitions and growing business engagement. In a rapidly changing global environment, close cooperation with public and private sector stakeholders is essential to bolster confidence, sustain commercial activity, and support deeper collaboration. We remain committed to deepening engagement with India and helping to unlock new opportunities for the business communities in both markets.”India remains one of Dubai’s key economic partners, with Indian companies continuing to represent the largest foreign business community in the emirate. Dubai Chambers’ presence in India further reflects the importance of the market within its international network, with Dubai International Chamber operating two representative offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru to strengthen engagement and support the expansion of trade and investment links.Dubai Chambers is a non-profit public entity that supports Dubai’s vision as a global player by empowering businesses, delivering innovative value-added services, and unlocking access to influential networks. In March 2021, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced the restructuring of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and the formation of three chambers for the emirate, namely Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Dubai International Chamber, and Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, which now operate under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers.Dubai Chambers recently organised a meeting with Li Xiangying, Chairperson of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Beijing Sub-council (CCPIT Beijing), to explore ways to enhance cooperation and strengthen the flow of bilateral trade and investments between Dubai and China. The meeting, attended by Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, focused on strengthening ties between the two business communities, particularly in sectors such as the digital economy, healthcare, science and manufacturing.]]></description>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/04/03/dubai-india-to-strengthentrade-and-investment-ties]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:38:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Abu Dhabi authorities respond to two incidents of falling shrapnel at Habshan gas facilities, Ajban area]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/03/abu-dhabi-authorities-respond-to-two-incidents-of-falling-shrapnel-at-habshan-gas-facilities-ajban-area]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[ Abu Dhabi authorities are responding to two incidents of falling shrapnel at the Habshan gas facilities and the Ajban area, following successful interception by air defence systems. According to the Abu Dhabi Media Office, operations at the Habshan gas facilities have been suspended while authorities respond to a fire. No injuries have been reported.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:07:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Five killed in Pakistan suicide bombing]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/03/five-killed-in-pakistan-suicide-bombing]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[ A suicide bomber in a vehicle laden with explosives killed at least three women and two children at a house in northwestern Pakistan late Thursday, local authorities said. The attack took place in Bannu, a district in Pakistan's turbulent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which lies adjacent to the country's formerly self-governed tribal areas."Apparently, the suicide bomber intended to target the police station, but in haste, he struck a civilian house before reaching it," Muhammad Sajjad Khan, a local police official, told AFP on Friday. At least three women and two children were killed in the incident, while four others were injured, he added.Bannu assistant commissioner Ikramullah Khan confirmed the death toll to AFP.No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.However, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group that has stepped up assaults in Pakistan since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, routinely targets security forces in the region. Islamabad has accused neighbouring Afghanistan of failing to root out militants sheltering on Afghan soil as they prepare to stage assaults on Pakistan, a charge the Taliban government denies.Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:28:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Trump fires Pam Bondi as US attorney general]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/03/trump-fires-pam-bondi-as-us-attorney-general]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[ US President Donald Trump ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday after mounting frustration with her ‌performance, especially over the release of files on late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump also felt Bondi was not moving quickly enough to prosecute critics and adversaries whom he ​wanted to face criminal charges, ⁠according to sources.Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, a former personal lawyer to Trump, will lead the Justice Department temporarily, Trump said in ‌a social media post. In the post, Trump praised ‌Bondi as a "Great American Patriot and a loyal friend" who had overseen a "massive crackdown in Crime." Bondi will soon move to a job in the private sector, Trump said.Blanche thanked Trump and praised Bondi in a social media post."We will continue backing the blue, enforcing the law, and doing everything in our power to keep America safe," he said. During her tenure as the ‌top US law enforcement official, Bondi was a combative champion of Trump’s agenda and dismantled the Justice Department’s longstanding tradition of independence from the White House in its investigations.But it ⁠was repeated criticism over the Epstein files, including from Trump allies and some Republican lawmakers, that came to dominate her tenure. Bondi was accused of covering up or mismanaging the release of records on the DOJ’s sex-trafficking investigations into Epstein, a financier who cultivated ties with wealthy and powerful figures.Trump informed Bondi at a White House meeting on Wednesday that he was looking to replace her as attorney general, according to a source familiar with the matter. Trump told Bondi multiple times over the past several months that he was unhappy with her performance, a senior White House official told Reuters.The official said Trump has contemplated replacing her with Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, but has ​also discussed other candidates.Bondi spent much of Wednesday with Trump, riding with him to the US Supreme Court in the morning, attending an Easter lunch where ‌he spoke and later watching his address to the nation on the Iran war.At the Supreme Court, Trump watched as one of Bondi's top officials, Solicitor General D. John Sauer, was grilled by justices about the administration's attempt to limit birthright citizenship.POLITICAL HEADACHE The Epstein files created political headaches for Trump and drew renewed scrutiny of his past friendship with Epstein, ⁠which he has said ended decades ago. Bondi's firing could lead to a shake-up in strategy at the Justice Department and potentially a renewed push to deploy the US legal system against Trump’s targets.Bondi is the second senior Trump official to be ousted recently. Trump removed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on March 5 following criticism of her management of the agency and Trump’s immigration agenda. Bondi, ​a former Republican state ‌attorney general in Florida, said she worked on restoring the Justice Department's focus on violent crime and rebuilding trust with Trump's supporters after federal prosecutors twice criminally charged Trump ‌during his years out of power.Bondi also faced criticism over the removal of dozens of career prosecutors who worked on investigations that Trump opposed, with critics accusing her of abandoning the DOJ’s traditional focus on even-handed justice. Bondi defended the rollout of the Epstein files, saying the Trump administration had been more transparent on the issue than previous presidents and that DOJ lawyers worked on a compressed timeline ‌to review reams of ‌material.SPARRING WITH LAWMAKERSDuring a combative hearing before a House of Representatives panel in February, Bondi ⁠responded to criticism with political attacks directed at lawmakers. She refused to apologize or look at Epstein victims and their relatives who attended the proceedings. Bondi ‌early last year played into fevered speculation about the Epstein files, saying a client list was on her desk for review. But after an initial release included material that had largely already been public, the DOJ and FBI declared in July that the case was closed and that no ⁠further disclosures were warranted.The move prompted an eruption of criticism and eventually a bipartisan law passed in November requiring the Justice Department to release nearly all of its ​files. The release of roughly 3 million pages of records still did not quell the controversy, as lawmakers criticized redactions in the files and the disclosure of the identities of some Epstein victims. The Republican-led House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena Bondi and she was set to testify on April 14. ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:54:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Defence Secretary Hegseth fires US army chief in new shake-up]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/03/hegseth-asked-us-army-chief-of-staff-to-step-down]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The Trump administration has fired army chief of staff General Randy George and two other senior figures, officials said Friday, in a surprise shake-up just as US forces are locked in a major war against Iran.Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's ouster of George, the top US Army general, meant the latest in a series of high-profile departures from the military since President Donald Trump returned to power a year ago.There was little in the way of a public explanation for sacking George, a highly decorated veteran who oversaw the army at a time when the United States is more than a month into a punishing bombing campaign against Iran that Trump says will continue several weeks more.Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell posted a statement on X late Thursday that George "will be retiring from his position... effective immediately."During a nearly four-decade military career, George deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times and also served in positions including vice chief of staff of the army and senior military assistant to then-defense secretary Lloyd Austin during Joe Biden's term as president.The army's vice chief of staff General Christopher LaNeve will take over as acting chief of staff, CBS reported.Hegseth previously said LaNeve is "a battle-tested leader with decades of operational experience."An official also confirmed that General David Hodne and Major General William Green Jr. were removed alongside George.Hodne led the Army's Transformation and Training Command while Green was in charge of the Army's Chaplain Corps.Trump has overseen a purge of top military officers, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, general Charles "CQ" Brown, whom he fired without explanation in February 2025, shortly after taking office.Other senior officers dismissed include the heads of the Navy and Coast Guard, the general who headed the National Security Agency, the vice chief of staff of the Air Force, a Navy admiral assigned to NATO, and three top military lawyers.The chief of staff of the Air Force also announced his retirement without explanation just two years into a four-year term, while the head of US Southern Command retired a year into his tenure.Hegseth has insisted the president is simply choosing the leaders he wants, but Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential politicization of the traditionally neutral US military.Last year, the Pentagon chief additionally ordered at least a 20 percent cut in the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals in the US military, as well as a 10 percent cut in the overall number of general and flag officers.Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:42:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Drones hit Kuwait&#039;s Mina Al Ahmadi refinery; no injuries reported]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/03/drones-hit-kuwaits-mina-al-ahmadi-refinery-fires-reported-no-injuries]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said that the ​Mina Al Ahmadi refinery ‌was hit ‌by drones ​early on Friday, setting off fires at operating units, ​according to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), ​but ‌no ​injuries were ​reported. The corporation said emergency and firefighting teams immediately activated response plans to contain the fires and prevent them from spreading. It added that all necessary precautionary measures have been taken to ensure the safety of personnel and protect the site. WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:32:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Arsenal fend off Chelsea to reach  eves’ CL semis, Bayern advance]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2026/04/02/arsenal-fend-off-chelsea-to-reach-eves-cl-semis-bayern-advance]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Defending champions Arsenal withstood a late Chelsea onslaught to book their place in the women’s Champions League semi-finals despite a 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to progress 3-2 on aggregate.The damage for the Blues was done in last week’s first leg as their long wait to win the competition goes on despite their domestic dominance in England over the past decade.Arsenal ended an 18-year wait for an English winner of the women’s Champions League when they shocked Barcelona in last season’s final and dug deep to remain on course to defend their crown.The Gunners kept Sonia Bompastor’s side at arm’s length until a frantic finale in which both sides should have netted multiple times.Stina Blackstenius looked to have killed the tie off when the Swede headed in 10 minutes from time but the goal was ruled out after a VAR check for a marginal offside.Buoyed by that let-off Chelsea suddenly sprang into life.Lauren James stung the palms of Daphne van Domselaar and Veerle Buurman fired the rebound off the post with the goal gaping.Moments later Van Domselaar produced an incredible stop to turn Sjoeke Nusken’s header onto the post.At the other end Beth Mead also struck the woodwork as Arsenal threatened to take advantage of Chelsea’s desperation on the counter-attack.When the opener finally arrived, four minutes into added time, it was too late for Chelsea.Nusken connected sweetly to fire in at the near post from Sam Kerr’s cross.But there was still time for more drama as Bompastor was shown a red card for two bookable offences after a hair pull on Alyssa Thompson by Katie McCabe went unpunished.Bompastor said poor officiating had cost her side a place in the semi-finals.“If the VAR again is not able to check that situation, I don’t know why we have VAR,” said the former Lyon boss on McCabe’s challenge on Thompson.“If you look at all the decisions, first leg and second leg, that’s also part of the result in the end.“That’s the difference between being qualified and not qualified. My players, they don’t deserve that level of refereeing.”Bayern late show sink United: Bayern Munich turned the match with a quick-fire late double to beat Manchester United 2-1 at home and reach the semi-finals, winning 5-3 on aggregate.Melvine Malard’s early goal had the tie on track for extra time and United on course to become the first English side to win in Munich.After peppering the United goal since Malard’s opener, Bayern broke through in emphatic fashion when Glodis Viggosdottir and Linda Dallmann both scored inside the final 10 minutes.“We needed patience today. In the first half, we couldn’t find the solutions we needed,” Dallmann told Disney Plus.“In the second half, we were so much better and patient on the ball.”The result ended United’s hopes of a first Champions League semi-final appearance and put Bayern on track.United coach Marc Skinner lamented his side’s exertions in Saturday’s 3-0 loss to derby rivals Manchester City, while Bayern cruised past lowly Nuremberg.“The one regret I have from this is that if we had our freshness and our fit players, we could have gone toe-to-toe with them and changed that second half,” Skinner said.Bayern’s 3-2 win at Old Trafford, headlined by a double for childhood United fan Pernille Harder, gave the German side the advantage before the second leg.But with 11 minutes gone, Malard made the most of a Bayern defensive mix-up to give United the lead on the night and level up the tie.Jayde Riviere launched a ball up-field and Bayern ‘keeper Ena Mahmutovic failed to clear, allowing Malard to nab the ball and roll it into an empty net.United held firm despite waves of Bayern pressure.Harder forced a last-ditch save from United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce early in the second half.Agencies]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 22:58:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Philippines’ boxing legend Pacquiao says fight with Mayweather in September not an exhibition bout]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2026/04/02/philippines-boxing-legend-pacquiao-says-fight-with-mayweather-in-september-not-an-exhibition-bout]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Manny Pacquiao’s planned September fight with Floyd Mayweather will not be an exhibition, the Philippine boxing legend said Thursday, days after his fellow hall of famer said their bout would be strictly entertainment.Netflix last month announced a long-awaited rematch of the highest-grossing clash in boxing history, with Pacquiao and Mayweather -- now both in their late forties -- set to clash at the Sphere in Las Vegas on Sept.19.But Mayweather this week stunned the boxing world by suggesting the rivals, whose 2015 bout drove 4.6 million pay-per-view buys, would only be entering the squared circle for show this time around.“It’s an exhibition, so we’re both winners,” Mayweather said in an interview with Vegas Sports Today. “We just want to go out there and entertain the people and put on a good show.”On Friday, Pacquiao begged to differ.“I want to be very clear that the contract we signed is for a professional boxing match. This is not an exhibition; it is a real fight,” he said in a statement sent to AFP.“I wish to clear up any misinformation regarding my upcoming bout against Floyd Mayweather. From the beginning, my intention has been to give the fans what they truly want to see. A high-level, competitive sanctioned fight,” he said.He added that Netflix’s February announcement of the rematch had “reflected the exact terms of our agreement” and that his team expected the “original terms of the agreement to be honored”.On Wednesday, Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, blasted Mayweather’s comments in an interview with ESPN, insisting the fight would take place.“Floyd Mayweather is officially in breach of his contract,” he told the US-based sports outlet.Meanwhile, Mike Tyson and Mayweather Jr. are set to meet in an early 2026 match-up of boxing Hall of Famers.Tyson, who will turn 60 next year, will return to the ring after his loss to Jake Paul last year in an eight-round bout. He’ll meet the unbeaten Mayweather, 48, who said the “exhibition will give the fans what they want.”Tyson barely landed a punch in that eight-round bout, which was nevertheless watched by a live crowd of around 70,000 spectators with an estimated millions more tuning in around the world.No date or site was provided in the announcement Thursday by CSI Sports, the live boxing production company which will launch a media streaming and broadcast partnership with this event.“When CSI came to me about stepping in the ring with Floyd Mayweather, I thought, ‘No way this happens,’” Tyson said in the release announcing the fight. “But, Floyd said yes.“This fight is something neither the world nor I ever thought would or could happen. However, boxing has entered a new era of the unpredictable - and this fight is as unpredictable as it gets,” Tyson added.“I still can’t believe Floyd wants to really do this. It’s going to be detrimental to his health, but he wants to do it, so it’s signed and it’s happening!”Tyson was a heavyweight champion and though Mayweather won titles in five weight classes, none was above the 154-pound limit of junior middleweight.His last official bout of his 50-win career was against MMA star Conor McGregor in 2017. That fight, along with his victories over  Pacquiao and Canelo Alvarez, were the three richest bouts in boxing history.“I’ve been doing this for 30 years and there hasn’t been a single fighter that can tarnish my legacy,” Mayweather said.“You already know that if I am going to do something, it’s going to be big and it’s going to be legendary. I’m the best in the business of boxing. This exhibition will give the fans what they want.”Earlier, Roy Jones Jr has been handed the Olympic gold medal he was controversially denied in 1988 in an extraordinary act of sportsmanship by the South Korean fighter who beat him.Hall of Fame boxer Jones shared a video on Wednesday from two years ago that showed Park Si-hun visiting the American’s ranch in Pensacola, Florida to present him with the light middleweight gold medal.Agencies]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 22:55:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[VIDEO: Trump announces destruction of Iran&#039;s tallest bridge]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/02/trump-announces-destruction-of-irans-tallest-bridge]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[US President Donald Trump said on Thursday the tallest bridge in Iran had been destroyed, hours after threatening to bomb the country "back to the Stone Ages."Trump posted footage on social media of smoke rising from the B1 bridge in Karaj, around 35 kilometres southwest of Tehran - and warned that there would be further destruction unless Iran comes to the table to end the five-week war."The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again - Much more to follow! IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY!" Trump said.Iranian state television had earlier reported two US-Israeli strikes on the bridge."A few minutes ago, the American-Zionist enemy once again targeted the B1 bridge in Karaj," state TV said, adding that an initial strike had caused two civilian casualties.It said the later attack took place as emergency teams were deployed to the site to help victims of the first strike.The B1 bridge, which was still under construction, is considered the Middle East's tallest according to Fars/Iranian media, with a 136-meter column.Trump delivered a speech Wednesday in which he argued that the war launched by the United States and Israel on Feb.28 was almost over - even as he threatened to bomb Iran "extremely hard" if it didn't bow to his demands."Over the next two to three weeks, we are going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong," he said in his first prime-time address to the nation on the war.Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 22:49:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[VIDEO: Scotsman praises Dubai for sending him gifts and valuing every resident]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/02/scotsman-praises-dubai-for-sending-him-gifts-and-valuing-every-resident]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[A popular Scottish resident Dylan Ferguson has praised Dubai for valuing every resident.Ferguson is residing in Dubai and works as a real estate agent return from a trip abroad.Upon his return to the Dubai, Ferguson said he received handful of Dubai merchandise for being vocal in support of the emirate and the UAE.Ferguson shared a video on Instagram and said, “I've just came back to my apartment and I've received a gift from the Government of Dubai.“They've sent me this note along with all of this stuff here. It's a bunch of Dubai merchandise, a hat, power bank, along with some Dubai chocolate, which I'll tuck into later.“But it's this note that I want to read out to you. On behalf of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, we would like to share this token of our appreciation for your continued advocacy for our city.“Over the past few days, we hope you've seen the way “Dubai prioritises the safety and well-being of its citizens, residents and visitors, and at the same time maintains world-class service standards. We look forward to continuing to work with you to tell the world real, powerful stories about Dubai and its people.“I'm actually speechless. This is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. To know that I'm actually appreciated by the government for showing my support online and showing the true story of “Dubai and its people here is, I can't tell you that feeling.“This is incredible. I mean, where else in the world would send you something like this for making little videos on Instagram and showing the truth, sharing the truth, you know? This is, wow. I don't know what to say.“I mean, people wonder why we love this place so much and wonder why the residents are massive natural advocates for this city, why we don't shut up about this place. It's because of little things like this.“Like knowing there's a government that appreciates you being here is amazing. And you get that feeling just living here. You feel like part of the family just when you live here. So yes, something I can't quite explain and it's hard to explain when you don't live here.“But you know what? We're going to keep supporting. That's why the support keeps coming. So Dubai, keep doing what you're doing and never change.” ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 22:40:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Swiatek hires Roig after split with Fissette  as Pegula defends Charleston Open title]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2026/04/02/swiatek-hires-roig-after-split-with-fissette-as-pegula-defends-charleston-open-title]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek has hired Francisco Roig, who was part ‌of Rafael Nadal’s team and later coached ​Emma Raducanu, after the Polish ‌world number four ‌ended her coaching partnership with Wim Fissette last month.The six-time Grand Slam ‌winner split with Fissette after a 17-month stint following a shock early exit at the Miami Open with a loss to world number 50 Magda Linette.“Welcome to the team, Francisco! Very ​excited for this new chapter,” Swiatek ‌wrote in an Instagram story on Thursday.Spaniard Roig was part of Nadal’s team for 16 Grand Slam wins, but his stint as Raducanu’s coach lasted only ​six ‌months as the Briton struggled to ‌regain her form.Swiatek has also struggled this year, facing quarter-final exits from the ‌Australian Open, Qatar ‌Open and Indian Wells before the loss ‌in Miami.The 24-year-old will be gunning for her fifth French Open title when the second Grand ​Slam of the year starts next month.Meanwhile, defending champion and top seed Jessica Pegula labored more than three hours to reach the round of 16 at the WTA Charleston Open on Wednesday with a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory over Yulia Putintseva.Pegula, the world number five from the United States, had clawed back a set but was broken to trail 0-2 in the third before mounting a final fightback.“All I just kept thinking was, like, welcome to the clay court season,” Pegula said after grinding out the win on Charleston’s green clay.Pegula, who enjoyed a first-round bye, said the breezy conditions and challenging shadows made it hard to respond aggressively to the high, looping shots from 72nd-ranked Putintseva of Kazakhstan.“She’s a really tricky opponent in general,” Pegula said.“I feel like especially on clay she can be really crafty, use high balls, low balls, slices, drop shots, and I felt like she was just honestly toying with me there for quite a while,” added the American, who was broken as she served for the match at 5-4 but broke back to give herself another opportunity to close it out.Pegula is chasing her second title of the year, after a victory in Dubai in February.Second-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova withdrew from the tournament before her second-round opener on Wednesday, saying she had “a bit of an injury” picked up in Miami.Agencies]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 22:39:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Coach Slot hoping ‘legend’ Salah can still burnish Liverpool legacy]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2026/04/02/coach-slot-hoping-legend-salah-can-still-burnish-liverpool-legacy]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Arne Slot is hoping Mohamed Salah’s farewell can inspire a strong end to Liverpool’s season as he declared the Egyptian a living ‘legend’ at the club.Salah announced last week he will depart the English champions at the end of the season after nine years and 255 goals to date for the Reds.The 33-year-old had a public spat with Slot in December, declaring he had “no relationship” with the Dutchman after being dropped for three consecutive games.But since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in January, Salah has returned to being a regular starter in a difficult campaign for Liverpool.Slot’s men sit fifth in the Premier League and are in a battle just to qualify for next season’s Champions League.But the former Feyenoord boss is hopeful of still ending the season on a high in the FA Cup and Champions League.Liverpool travel to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday and face holders Paris Saint-Germain in the last eight of Europe’s top competition. “Hopefully he can make his legacy even more special in the upcoming weeks and months where we still play for something special, but he will always leave this club as a legend,” Slot told Liverpool’s website.“To show that hunger every three days, that professionalism, that commitment to the club, to the team, wanting to score again, always wanting to play... that is what stands out for me.”Slot’s forward options have been hampered by the absence of Alexander Isak for much of his time at the club since arriving for a British transfer record £125 million ($165 million) in September.Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 22:30:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Italy overhauls its corporate and financial laws]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/02/italy-overhauls-its-corporate-and-financial-laws]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[A reform billed as making Italy’s capital markets more attractive is instead unnerving investors, with Monte dei Paschi di Siena becoming the first company to test new board-nomination rules that critics say are opaque and destabilising. The test case will come on April 15, when bailed-out lender Monte dei Paschi (MPS) becomes the first Italian company to appoint a new board and chief executive under provisions dictating how outgoing directors can propose successors. Instead of providing clarity, the criteria have heightened investor uncertainty in a vote that pits the MPS board against CEO Luigi Lovaglio, who is seeking a new term against a board-backed rival candidate, according to Reuters.The legislation, which became fully effective in October, allows outgoing boards to propose an entire slate of directors for shareholders to vote on as a group. That bundled-voting system sets Italy apart from countries like Britain and the United States, where investors vote on each board appointment individually.However, approval of the board’s slate in the first vote is not final, and each candidate must then be ratified in a second, individual ballot. “Italy already had some of the world’s most complex rules for selecting board members,” said Lukas Plattner, a partner at law firm Advant NTCM.“Now there is the added absurdity of regulating how an outgoing board presents its own slate – a mechanism investors, especially foreign ones, find almost impossible to understand.”That second vote, he said, encourages “punitive, disruptive behaviour, turning a governance tool into an instrument of institutional paralysis.”Proxy adviser Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) underlined the complexity by backing MPS’ board list while urging investors to reject individual candidates, including the chairman and appointments committee head, over “poor succession planning.”Italy’s Treasury did not respond to a request for comment. The government has said the rules aim to avoid directors being reappointed indefinitely, without shareholder oversight. The board-slate provision is part of a sweeping reform of Italy’s corporate and financial law, rolled out from 2024 and now nearing completion. The changes have drawn criticism from investor groups such as the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN), which represents investors with more than $90 trillion of assets and warns the rules risk denting market confidence.Rome moved in March to placate investors by amending a provision on enhanced voting rights, but ignored calls to change the board-slate system, which governance experts have labelled an “aberration” at academic conferences.While it is too early to gauge the broader impact of the reforms on Italy’s capital markets, the vote at MPS will offer an early indication of the distortions the system can produce. The resulting confusion was apparent among investors at a London conference last month, when a fund manager asked the MPS CEO to explain “to a non-Italian” the chain of events surrounding the bank. Governance experts warn the rules risks producing more fractured and lower-quality boards. Headhunters say a requirement to nominate one-third more candidates than available seats would deter candidates, potentially narrowing the pool of experienced professionals as they would be unwilling to risk public rejection. Simulations run by Cattolica University’s corporate governance research centre, FINGOV, show that the rules can lead to situations where a slate with fewer votes than the board’s list ends up securing more seats.“The board’s slate system is a global outlier and can produce unpredictable outcomes,” FINGOV director Massimo Belcredi said, noting that governance experts had not expected any company to make use of it. “What happens now at MPS is anyone’s guess.”]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 20:10:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Cuban exile aspires to lead Cuba from Miami]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/02/cuban-exile-aspires-to-lead-cuba-from-miami]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Armando Labrador owns and operates a plastic-surgery clinic in a Miami strip mall that advertises low-cost breast implants and liposuction. He dreams of being Cuba’s next president. Labrador, 56, fled Cuba with his family as a teenager, after his father was imprisoned for almost eight years and his grandfather was executed. When he isn’t running his plastic-surgery business — Labrador is an executive, not a doctor — he leads Cuba Primero, a group of about 100 dissidents inside Cuba who organize protests and scrawl graffiti like “Down with the Dictatorship” and “Viva Trump” along Havana’s Malecon.President Donald Trump has spoken openly of “taking Cuba.” The administration has been pressuring the island’s 67-year-old communist regime, putting in place a blockade that has choked off energy supplies and led to crippling blackouts. To exiles like Labrador, the island’s liberation has never looked more in reach. There is growing conviction in Miami’s fractured Cuban diaspora that Trump will push out President Miguel Díaz-Canel and open up the island’s ailing economy.“I think I’m going to run for president,” said Labrador. “If you asked me that six months ago, I’d have said, ‘No, that’s impossible.’”It’s far from clear whether elections would take place if Cuba’s government were to collapse or be deposed. When the US removed President Nicolás Maduro from power in Venezuela, it anointed Delcy Rodríguez, a senior figure from within the regime, as the country’s new leader, rather than someone from the large opposition led by Nobel Peace Prize Winner María Corina Machado. “It’s a moment of hope but also trepidation,” said Michael Bustamante, chair of Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at the University of Miami. “Whether we get to the phase of democratization is really an open question.”Labrador, who has written two plays and a song about resisting Cuba’s regime, has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. To promote Cuba Primero, and his clinic, he hosted a beauty pageant in March in the Donald J. Trump Ballroom at the president’s Trump National Doral Miami Golf Club.Hundreds of people watched as 60 mostly Cuban-American women, some clad in red, white and blue evening gowns evoking the Cuban flag, competed for the Miss Nova Femina crown. A dozen contestants performed a Labrador play about hunger, economic duress and repression in Cuba. A video about Cuba Primero depicted an AI-generated shark wearing a Cuban military cap menacing refugees on a raft.Some people in the crowd cried. Others chanted, “Viva Cuba!” The Cuban exile community in Miami is experiencing a generational shift. The leaders of older dissident groups that traced their roots to the years after Fidel Castro’s takeover are ageing or dead. The opposition is more divided among several smaller factions. “We have our differences about how we think about freedom in Cuba,” said Ramiro Collazo, leader of Exilio Unido Ya, or Exiles United Now. “But hopefully we have a common goal of finishing with the Castro tyranny.”For his part, Labrador had lost faith as US presidents repeatedly tried and failed to force change in Cuba with sanctions and diplomatic pressure, but saw a change with the arrival of the new administration. “Trump is different,” he said. Marco Rubio, the Miami-born, Cuban-American secretary of state, has been leading talks with Cuban officials, which people familiar with the matter say include the grandson of Raul Castro, the country’s former president and brother of the late Fidel. Labrador said he is unaware of the Trump administration including exile groups in its planning for Cuba, and doesn’t know whether elections are part of their plans.Mike Hammer, the US chargé d’affaires to Cuba, has briefed Labrador in his living room on Trump’s strategy, the businessman said. Labrador said he’s spoken with Rob Allison, the State Department’s coordinator for Cuban affairs. The State Department regularly meets with a range of people to assess global events and develop policy, an agency spokesperson said. Labrador declined to discuss details of those conversations, except to say that the officials won’t say much about their exact plans. “We in the opposition really aren’t involved,” said Labrador. “But we’ve never been so close to victory.”Cuba’s repression of dissent makes it difficult for opposition groups to operate in the open. More than 1,200 political prisoners, critics, protesters, activists and journalists are detained in the country, according to the human-rights advocacy group Prisoners Defenders.“The risks are so high, so 100 people really is a lot,” said Labrador. He says hundreds more people support him inside Cuba, where the population was almost 11 million at the end of 2024, according to the World Bank, but are scared to become activists. “I don’t think anyone else can show they have more people actively resisting inside Cuba than us.”Some exile groups say they have larger followings than Labrador. Cuba Decide, led by Inter-American Commission on Human Rights representative Rosa María Payá, says it has attracted thousands of supporters since 2015. It is described by the U.S. government as the “most prominent” opposition movement.It’s hard to gauge Cuba Primero’s true influence. Labrador posts interviews and news reports about opposition activities on his YouTube channel, which has more than 230,000 subscribers. Labrador and Cuba Primero are on Cuba’s list of terrorists and terror groups. Labrador denies that he or Cuba Primero engage in terrorism, and said 30 Cuba Primero activists are in jail in Cuba for activities such as holding illegal political meetings or staging demonstrations. Cuba is designated as a state sponsor of terrorism by the US, a charge the regime has rejected.On Feb. 28, a Cuban coast guard patrol fired on a fishing boat in the island’s territorial waters that was carrying 10 heavily armed members of two Florida-based exile groups. Five of the men were killed and the rest were detained on terrorism charges, according to the Cuban government. Labrador said he has no ties to the groups involved and doesn’t approve of violence.“Our goal is to convince people to resist through nonviolent means, and it’s worth the risk of going to jail,” said Leudys Reyes, who spent six years in prison in Cuba on charges of disseminating “enemy propaganda” and engaging in “public disorder” for his work as a Cuba Primero organizer.Reyes was released from jail in 2024 and says he was forced to leave Cuba due to death threats. Labrador helped get him to Miami via Nicaragua.“There is no one bigger than we are in Cuba,” Reyes said in an interview at Labrador’s home.Labrador arrived in Miami in 1989, at age 19. In 1997, a doctor he knew convinced him to finance a varicose vein clinic in Miami’s Little Havana.Six doctors perform 100 procedures a week, Labrador said, and he plans to open a second clinic. In 2018, inspired by the San Isidro free-expression movement in Cuba, Labrador founded Cuba Primero. He began sending money and medical supplies to help San Isidro, which was led by Cuban rapper Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo Pérez. The group later collapsed when Osorbo and other leaders were imprisoned.Tribune News Service]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 20:10:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[New Zealand and Cook Islands reset relationship]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/02/new-zealand-and-cook-islands-reset-relationship]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[New Zealand and Cook Islands signed a defense and security pact on Thursday, easing more than a year of tension between the Pacific nations over Cook Islands’ deepening ties with China. The fraught diplomatic standoff that prompted Wellington to pause millions of dollars in aid to Avarua was hardly a clash of geopolitical heavyweights: New Zealand has a population of 5 million, while Cook Islands has 15,000 people. But the lengthy freeze gripped Pacific observers because it reflected the struggle confronting tiny island nations with close ties to Western countries such as New Zealand and Australia as they seek to balance their traditional alliances with overtures from Beijing.In the new declaration, Cook Islands pledged New Zealand would be its “partner of choice regarding defence and security matters,” apparently quashing the prospect, feared by Wellington, of China occupying the role. It resolved “ambiguity” about the two countries’ existing ties, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said.When Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown inked a comprehensive strategic partnership between his country and China during a visit to Beijing in February 2025, it provoked alarm in Wellington because Brown wouldn’t divulge the content of the deal first, a refusal New Zealand officials said could have security implications. Cook Islands is a self-governing country with a 60-year free association relationship to New Zealand, which means it’s defended by New Zealand’s military and citizens can live and work freely in New Zealand.The links require Cook Islands leaders to consult with Wellington on deals with other countries that might affect New Zealand. Brown defended his decision not to disclose the contents of his pact with China, which he said was unnecessary under his country’s existing accords with Wellington. New Zealand — which is Cook Islands’ biggest benefactor — froze millions of dollars in aid over the episode, although it wasn’t a large amount of the total funding that Wellington contributes. That aid would now flow again, Peters told reporters during a visit to Cook Islands on Thursday, where he and Brown signed the new agreement.“This declaration seeks to remove previous ambiguity about the nature of the relationship between New Zealand and the Cook Islands, especially as it pertains to defense and security,” Peters said. Cook Islands, an archipelago of 15 islands in the vast South Pacific Ocean, is among many small nations in the region to be courted by Beijing, which has offered aid, loans and deals throughout the Pacific to increase its sway. The sparsely populated South Pacific is considered strategically important and many of its countries, including Cook Islands, have large and lucrative exclusive economic zones, where Brown is exploring prospects for mining of deep sea minerals.“The strategic environment we face is more complex and contested today than at any other point since New Zealand and the Cook Islands formed our free association relationship in 1965,” Peters said Thursday. Cook Islanders hold New Zealand passports, which was partly why the deals with China prompted such dismay about security in Wellington. Brown in October 2024 suggested he would consider the creation of a separate Cook Islands passport, a plan he later shelved after he said New Zealand had “bared its teeth” over the matter.“It’s no secret that our two governments have had a series of serious disagreements since late 2024,” Peters said Thursday.Both leaders, however, dismissed questions about what the declaration between New Zealand and Cook Islands meant for Avarua’s earlier deal with Beijing, which covered matters such as deep sea mining, infrastructure and educational scholarships but didn’t contain explicit security elements.Associated Press]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 20:08:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[A crackdown on Dreamers is a crackdown on American Dream]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/02/a-crackdown-on-dreamers-is-a-crackdown-on-american-dream]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Mary Ellen Klas, Tribune News ServiceAs a high-achieving college kid, Alex Vallejo wasn’t surprised by the kind of young people he met at the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers’ national conference in Salt Lake City three years ago. Like him, there were other computer-science students who were in their school robotics clubs. Like him, there were other web developers and students who worked two jobs while getting top grades. All predictably impressive. What did surprise him was how many attendees — also like him — were undocumented immigrants who had been brought to the US as children.“They were paying for their full tuition out of pocket, working towards their degree, and were leaving the conference with job offers,” Vallejo told me recently. “It was genuinely inspiring. I’m like, ‘Wow. I thought I was working hard.’” Vallejo, a student at the University of Central Florida, is shielded from deportation through the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme. He says most of the undocumented students he met then didn’t have that legal protection. Still, it didn’t seem like an insurmountable challenge in 2023. “Everyone was so hopeful,” Vallejo recalls.He stays in touch with many of them on a Discord channel, and over the last year, he said, things changed. Deportations ramped up. The Department of Homeland Security urged DACA recipients to “self-deport.” The same country these students pledged allegiance to started hunting them down like criminals. And yet, Vallejo told me, “Their vibe is still so positive. The only difference now is that they’re just more scared.”In an era of cultural tensions, disruptive technology, and an uncertain future for the group that’s been called the “anxious generation,” young people like Vallejo and his peers — known as Dreamers — are a precious resource. Through no fault of their own, millions of young people are without citizenship in the country where they grew up. As of June 2025, about 516,000 of them were enrolled in DACA, which offers two-year renewable work permits as well as protection from deportation.Yet despite Dreamers’ precarious position, they find a way to stay upbeat. Optimism about the future is precisely what once made America great, and it has always sprung from the hopes of immigrants — like Vallejo’s parents, who brought him into the US from Argentina when he was a year old. For immigrants to survive — to embrace the kind of work and sacrifice it takes to maintain a 4.0 GPA while working full-time as the manager of a pretzel shop, like Vallejo did — they need to be profoundly hopeful.That positive attitude comes as no surprise to Hyein Lee, chief operating officer of TheDream.US, a privately funded nonprofit that awards scholarships to undocumented students who have grown up in the US. “They are living proof of the idea that ‘When everyone told me no, I said yes,’” she said. “They are the hope.”But the Donald Trump administration is working very hard to extinguish that hope. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained over 260 DACA recipients and deported more than 80 in 2025 alone. Many students have gone into hiding, afraid to travel even within their own states, Lee told me. Renewal applications for DACA recipients are being slow-walked by the administration, a group of Senate Democrats recently charged, leaving people in limbo and causing some to lose work authorization.The administration is also suing several states to end in-state tuition programs for undocumented students who grew up in their state. It filed its first such lawsuit against Texas last June. Rather than defend the policy that had been on the books since 2001, Texas reversed the state’s long-held position that the law was constitutional. Soon, undocumented students who grew up in Texas and attended state schools found their tuition bills had more than doubled.The federal government has tried to do the same thing in Oklahoma, Kentucky and Virginia, although it’s been blocked in Kentucky and Virginia. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is now suing California and Illinois, which are challenging the lawsuits. A federal judge on Friday threw out a similar lawsuit against Minnesota.This isn’t just a shortsighted approach to immigration policy — it’s squandering one of the best investments the country has ever made in its next generation. The American Immigration Council estimates that undocumented young people who get a college degree increase their earnings by 57% compared with peers who do not. Earnings translate into taxes paid, spending power and job creation. Undocumented college graduates also pay back states by providing a much-needed talent pipeline in professions like education, health care and nursing, Lee said, adding: “They are driven personally by this desire to give back.”TheDream.US currently sponsors scholarships for about 4,000 students, she said, and 76% are undocumented and without DACA status. They have no protections from deportation, no pathways to adjust their legal status, and no work authorization.Vallejo told me he lives his life with both fear and hope. He knows “there is zero room for mistakes” but chose to “come out” publicly as a Dreamer this year because he wishes “more people knew our stories.”“I tell people, ‘Hey, I’m just as American as you, because if I’m not, I don’t know what I am,’” he said. “Every Dreamer feels the same way.” Americans overwhelmingly recognize that Dreamers belong in this country, and 85% support citizenship for them, according to a 2025 Gallup poll.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 20:03:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Influencers don&#039;t always follow their own advice]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/02/influencers-dont-always-follow-their-own-advice]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[A lot of the time anything we do or eat is often influenced, not by experts in their fields, but by influencers. Influencers are folk who have managed to garner a massive following because of the videos/reels they upload onto Facebook and Instagram. The bigger their following the more influential they are. Are they experts in their fields? In most cases they are not. They are people who other people seem to listen to and follow because they see images of those people supposedly following their own advice.Did you ever see the movie, ‘Legally Blond’, starring Reese Witherspoon? The young fitness influencer the lawyers are defending claimed that her physique was as a result of her following her own food and fitness regime. But we later learn that it wasn’t her food and exercise regimen at all but liposuction which she secretly underwent on a regular basis! So she was deceiving her clients to make money. Although this is just a fictional character I am now more certain than ever that this is more about fiction relating what actually happens in real life.We all know that with advances in AI and the ability to use Photoshop and other software to manipulate videos and images, anything can be made to look like anything or anyone. What many of us are seeing on social media of late is testament to that. It used to be said that seeing is believing but believing what you are seeing is a big question now and everyone should question what is being shown to them.This is especially important when it comes to your health. Unfortunately there are far too many people around the world who don’t have access to free healthcare or even have health insurance. So they rely solely on the internet to give them a diagnosis and treatment options. The number of posts I see from people on social media asking for health advice from group members is astounding.I feel very sorry for them but at the same time I feel they are very irresponsible asking for a diagnosis from random people in random groups. What makes it even more worrisome is the fact that some of the health issues for which they seek online advice could actually be life-threatening.I also find it very odd when doctors begin to give medical advice on social media. Theirs is not always about directing them to their medical practice for further evaluation. It’s almost a final diagnosis and what the patient should do to help themselves. Honestly, in my opinion, such advice is rather risky because what these doctors are effectively doing is turning themselves into online medical dictionaries and that’s not a good thing if a person is looking for a diagnosis for something they have.Did you ever have a medical dictionary at home?I remember us having one when I was in my teens. Whenever I felt something I’d go to this dictionary and I swear to you I thought I had every symptom described in there which made me feel very scared and anxious, and very weepy. I never read a medical dictionary again.In my humble opinion, those doctors who dispense advice on reels and videos have turned themselves into influencers. A lot of them are unknown but have become famous because their videos get countless views and ‘likes’ even if the advice they dispense may or may not be completely accurate.One doctor on YouTube claimed that having a heart arrhythmia later in life is not hereditary claiming that, if it was, even a baby would have it. He is, of course, wrong. He was clearly displaying poor medical knowledge and if someone can make a mistake that basic, what else can they be wrong about?This, of course, applies to all influencers who are influencers because of the ‘likes’ and views they get, not because they’re experts. They do what they do to get ‘likes’ and views which, in turn, translates to monetisation. Unfortunately, social media platforms that offer monetisation as an incentive to post have created a dangerous level of misinformation. There’s no fact checking and if it does happen, it’s often much too late.]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[Birjees Hussain]]></dc:creator>
        <category><![CDATA[Latest News ]]></category>
        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/02/influencers-dont-always-follow-their-own-advice]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 20:00:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Tireless effort]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/02/tireless-effort]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The massive rain across the UAE has been a disturbing one, transforming the familiar cityscape into scenes rarely witnessed in this region. Roads flooded, routines paused, and daily life momentarily slowed as nature asserted its presence in unexpected ways. For many of us, these rainy days evoke memories of a very exclusive time. Back in my high school years, life was simpler and far less dependent on technology especially since I am from the millennial group where there were no remote learning platforms, no tablets, and certainly no expectation of a day off due to weather.I used to wake up  early, packing my bags, and wearing those school sweaters and jackets attended school without disinclination, carrying on with my lessons and revisions as part of a disciplined routine.Today, the scenario is vastly different. With the advancement of technology, safety measures, and modern conveniences, responses to such weather events have evolved with many alerts received. Remote learning ensures continuity in education, while precautionary closures prioritise well-being. These changes reflect progress, but they also remind us of how much our regimes have shifted over the years.Amid the challenges brought by the rain, one aspect that deserves sincere appreciation is the tireless effort of municipal workers, emergency responders, and volunteers. Their swift action in clearing waterlogged roads, managing traffic, and ensuring public safety have been nothing short of commendable. Often working behind the scenes and under difficult conditions, their contribution keeps the nation moving even in the face of disruption.Mathew Litty, Dubai]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/02/tireless-effort]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:58:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Training time]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/02/training-time]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
        <category><![CDATA[Latest News ]]></category>
        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2026/04/02/training-time]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:57:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Child drowns in rainwater pool in Sharjah, police urge parents to stay cautious]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/02/child-drowns-in-rainwater-pool-in-sharjah-police-urge-parents-to-stay-cautious]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Sharjah Police have revealed that a child was drowned in a rainwater pool on Wednesday. Sharjah Police’s operations room received a report on the incident at 7:05 on Wednesday.The specialised teams rushed to the scene where they began rescue and first aid procedures for the child and transferred him later to the hospital but he passed away.Expressing their heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the child’s family, Sharjah Police underlined the importance of strengthening parental supervision, raising awareness among children about the dangers of swimming in unauthorized locations and abiding by preventive guidelines, thus contributing to protecting them from potential risks.Sharjah Police warned parents of the dangers of approaching or swimming in rainwater accumulations and overflowing valleys due to the serious risks that they might pose to their safety.Underscoring the need to monitor the whereabouts of their children, Sharjah Police explained that rainwater pools had varying depths and it was hard to assess their danger, adding that there was also the possibility of sudden slips and the presence of unstable mud formations, which would increase the risk of drowning accidents or serious injuries.Safety is a shared responsibility that requires everyone’s co-operation, they said, calling on members of the society to report any behaviours that might endanger children on 901 for general inquiries and non-emergency cases or on 999 in urgent and emergency cases.Hanadi Saleh Al Yafei, Director General of the Child Safety Organisation, said: “Child safety is a shared responsibility that begins within the family and extends across the wider community. It is not limited to specific situations, but spans everyday environments that may appear safe yet present unforeseen risks—particularly during changing weather conditions or when temporary water accumulations and unregulated play areas emerge, as recent incidents have underscored the importance of prevention and vigilance.”She added: “Children are naturally curious and inclined to explore and play, making attentive supervision essential, alongside ongoing awareness of their whereabouts. It is equally important to provide safe environments that support their development without restricting their freedom to learn, while equipping them to recognise potential risks across different settings, whether in residential neighbourhoods or open spaces.”She emphasised: “At the Child Safety Organisation, we remain a committed partner to families, working hand in hand to raise awareness, provide guidance, and foster a culture of prevention that safeguards children and ensures they grow in a safe and secure environment.”]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/02/child-drowns-in-rainwater-pool-in-sharjah-police-urge-parents-to-stay-cautious]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:18:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Deal to boost financial services growth]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/04/02/deal-to-boost-financial-services-growth]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The Ministry of Economy and Tourism and the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the independent regulator of banking, wealth & asset management, and capital markets in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation and facilitate the exchange of information relating to the regulatory oversight of auditors and Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) within their respective jurisdictions."The UAE has placed significant emphasis on developing a robust and advanced infrastructure for the financial services sector, given its importance as one of the main pillars for building a knowledge economy based on innovation and flexibility,” said Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism. “The signing of this MoU reflects our continued commitment to strengthening national regulatory frameworks in support of economic growth.”He added that closer coordination with the DFSA would improve oversight of auditors and DNFBPs, strengthen investor confidence and reinforce DIFC’s and the UAE’s position as a global financial hub.Fadel Al Ali, Chairman of the DFSA, commented, "By strengthening cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, we enhance the Dubai Financial Services Authority’s ability to uphold robust standards across the sectors that we supervise, while contributing to Dubai and the UAE’s broader efforts to combat financial crime and support the sustainable growth of its financial services sector."The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration between the two authorities, supporting their shared objective of maintaining high standards of transparency, accountability, and integrity across financial and non-financial sectors. The agreement reflects a mutual commitment to effective supervision and enforcement in line with international best practices.It aims to strengthen cooperation between the two authorities and reinforce their joint commitment and effort towards combating money laundering, the financing of terrorism, and the proliferation of illicit activities, to the extent permitted by the respective laws and regulations governing each authority.The MoU underscores the importance of information sharing and coordinated oversight in addressing evolving regulatory challenges and fostering a resilient, transparent, and growth-oriented financial services ecosystem in DIFC, Dubai, and the UAE.WAM]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/04/02/deal-to-boost-financial-services-growth]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:16:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Oil rallies, stock market drop as Trump dashes hopes fighting will soon end]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/04/02/oil-rallies-stock-market-drop-as-trump-dashes-hopes-fighting-will-soon-end]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Oil surged and stocks fell on Thursday after Donald Trump threatened more heavy strikes on Iran and offered no solution to reopening the key Strait of Hormuz.Investors found little solace in the US president's address to the nation, in which he again urged countries dependent on the waterway for energy supplies to reopen it themselves."Trump's comments injected fresh volatility into financial markets," said Patrick Munnelly, a market strategist at Tickmill Group. "Although Trump assured that the waterway would reopen 'naturally' once tensions eased, he provided no timeline or details." Signs of de-escalation had buoyed markets in recent sessions, but Trump's late Wednesday televised speech dashed those hopes.International oil benchmark, Brent North Sea crude, which had fallen below $100 a barrel ahead of Trump's speech, went on to rally around eight per cent to above $109 per barrel.The three major New York equity indexes opened more than one per cent lower.In mid-afternoon trading in Europe, Frankfurt's stock market shed more than two per cent. Paris dropped over one per cent, even as oil giant TotalEnergies was up three per cent on reports it made a one billion dollar profit in March trading petroleum products.London dipped about half a per cent, helped by gains of over three per cent for the share prices of energy heavyweights BP and Shell."Market sentiment has deteriorated overnight after Trump's much anticipated address delivered little to nothing new on potential timelines or conditions for ending hostilities against Iran," said Deutsche Bank managing director Jim Reid."There was no signal of the US seeking an imminent offramp out of the war." The dollar, seen as a safe haven investment, rose strongly against major rivals.Earlier in the day, Tokyo closed down more than two per cent and Hong Kong and Shanghai also fell.Trump's claims that Washington and Tehran were in peace talks have been denied by the Islamic republic, which insists the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed to the country's "enemies".Britain was hosting talks featuring some 40 nations Thursday to discuss how to reopen the waterway, through which a fifth of global oil normally travels.World Bank Managing Director Paschal Donohoe said he was fearful about the global economic impact of the crisis."We are extremely concerned regarding the effect that this will have on inflation, on jobs and on food security," he told AFP as the Bank partners with the International Monetary Fund and International Energy Agency to coordinate aid responses.Stocks are dropping and oil prices are soaring after President Donald Trump vowed the US will continue to attack Iran and failed to offer a clear timetable for ending the conflict in the Middle East. The S&P 500 fell 1.2% and the Dow sank 600 points and the Nasdaq dropped 1.7%. The price of US crude oil jumped more than 10% to above $110. Trump did not mention a looming deadline he set for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway for global oil and gas transport. Thursday is the last day of trading on Wall Street this week with with the stock market closed on Good Friday.Oil rose more than 10% and US futures tumbled Thursday after President Donald Trump said in his first national address since the Iran war began that the United States will escalate its campaign in the coming weeks.Futures for the S&P 500 tumbled 1.5% before the opening bell, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.4%. Nasdaq futures slid 2%.Thursday is the last day of trading this week due to the Good Friday holiday. Markets have not posted a weekly gain since the war began in late February.A spokesman for Iran’s military insisted Thursday that Tehran maintains hidden stockpiles of arms, munitions and production facilities."The centers you think you have targeted are insignificant, and our strategic military productions take place in locations of which you have no knowledge and will never reach,” Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari claimed.Just before Trump began his address - in which he said US "core strategic objectives are nearing completion” - explosions were heard in Dubai as air defenses worked to intercept an Iranian missile barrage.Trump did not mention a looming deadline he set for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway for global oil and gas transport, after he threatened Iran earlier with US attacks on its energy infrastructure if the strait was not reopened. He did not offer a clear path to end the supply disruptions that have sent energy prices soaring.Oil prices shot sharply higher following Trump’s remarks. The price US crude on Thursday actually shot higher than the type of crude that has been bottled up by the near closure of the Strait of Hormuz.Benchmark US crude rose $10.11 to $110.24 a barrel outpacing Brent, the international benchmark. Brent jumped more than 8% to $109.38."The market has shown disappointment because the speech President Trump made was far less than what the market expected,” said Takashi Hiroki, chief strategist at Monex in Tokyo. "There were no concrete details about the end of the hostilities with Iran.” "What the market wants is a clear outline for the ceasefire,” he said.In overnight equities trading, General Motors slid more than 2% after the automaker reported a nearly 10% decline in first quarter sales. That dragged most automakers lower early Thursday as several others prepare to post their latest results.At midday in Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 was down 0.6%, France's CAC 40 fell 1.3%, and Germany's DAX lost 2.4%.Asian shares closed lower. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 was down 2.4% to 52,463.27 on Thursday. South Korea’s Kospi lost 4.5% to 5,234.05, also after government data showed consumer prices in March rose 2.2% from a year earlier on soaring fuel costs.Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.7% to 25,116.53, the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.7% to 3,919.29.Agencies]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
        <category><![CDATA[Latest News ]]></category>
        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/04/02/oil-rallies-stock-market-drop-as-trump-dashes-hopes-fighting-will-soon-end]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:13:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Al Ain court orders minor&#039;s parent to pay other child&#039;s mother Dhs20,000]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/02/al-ain-court-orders-minors-parent-to-pay-other-childs-mother-dhs20000]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Al Ain Civil, Commercial and Administrative Cases Court ordered a parent to pay Dhs20,000 to the mother of a minor student who was assaulted by the father's minor son.The two were schoolmates and the incident occurred when the first student kicked the bathroom door without ensuring no one was inside, causing the door to close on the victim's finger, resulting in the amputation of the tip of the little finger of the victim's left hand.The mother filed a lawsuit requesting that the parent of the first child be ordered to pay her Dhs300,000 as comprehensive compensation for the physical, psychological, and future damages (permanent disability) incurred by her minor son, in addition to fees, expenses, and legal attorney fees.The complainant stated in her lawsuit that her son was assaulted while in the school bathroom by the other child, who violently closed the bathroom door on him, causing him severe injury.The plaintiff added that the perpetrator was convicted in a criminal case for causing injury to the victim due to his negligence in not taking necessary precautions, as he kicked the bathroom door without ensuring the victim was not inside, which led to the door closing on the latter's finger.The court clarified that it was evident from the case documents and the reliable medical report that there was an amputation of the tip of the little finger of the left hand, a dislocated nail, and a fracture at the upper end of the amputation site, which constituted a permanent disability at the amputation site, although it did not invalidate the function of the finger.Consequently, the court ordered the first child's parent to pay Dhs20,000 in compensation for the psychological and material damages incurred by the victim.]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/02/al-ain-court-orders-minors-parent-to-pay-other-childs-mother-dhs20000]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:11:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Luxury villa and apartment in Dubai mortgaged and sold for Dhs595.5 million]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/04/02/luxury-villa-and-apartment-in-dubai-mortgaged-and-sold-for-dhs5955-million]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Dubai’s real estate market saw a luxury apartment sold and a villa mortgaged for a total of Dhs595.5 million during midday trading on Thursday.According to Dubai REST app, the luxury apartment, located in Jumeirah 2, was sold for Dhs70.5 million. The apartment is part of Aman Residences project and spans 5,944 square feet with an average price of Dhs13,374 per square foot.Meanwhile, a plot of land in Al Furjan area was sold for Dhs139 million. It spans 35,350 square feet with an average price of Dhs3,928 per square foot.As far as mortgages are concerned, the market witnessed a villa in Burj Khalifa area mortgaged for Dhs525 million. The villa spans 379,000 square feet with an average price of Dhs1,386 per square foot.A plot of land in Al Furjan was also mortgaged for Dhs153 million. It spans 35,350 square feet with an average price of Dhs4,321 per square foot.]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/business/2026/04/02/luxury-villa-and-apartment-in-dubai-mortgaged-and-sold-for-dhs5955-million]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:07:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Abu Dhabi explains what residents should do after receiving alert messages]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/02/abu-dhabi-explains-what-residents-should-do-after-receiving-alert-messages]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Management Centre for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (ADCMC), in cooperation with strategic partners, as part of the second phase of the "Our Community is Prepared" campaign, emphasised the importance of following official guidelines and instructions when receiving an emergency alert message at the workplace, thereby enhancing protection and safety for all.ADCMC explained via its official social media accounts that upon receiving an emergency alert message at the workplace, one must instantly stop working, maintain calm and avoid panic, move away from windows and glass, and head to the building's basement if one exists.The ADCMC stressed using stairs only and not using elevators, and as a final step, an employee must wait for a message indicating that the situation is safe before returning to work, affirming the importance of adhering to official guidelines and instructions to enhance protection and safety for all.]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/02/abu-dhabi-explains-what-residents-should-do-after-receiving-alert-messages]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:37:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Sharjah issues guidelines for mosquito control during the rainy season]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/02/sharjah-issues-guidelines-for-mosquito-control-during-the-rainy-season]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Sharjah Municipality has released safety guidelines aimed at tackling public health pests, particularly mosquitoes, during the rainy season.The guidelines, shared on the municipality's official social media channels, advise residents to routinely inspect their surroundings to remove standing water, regularly trim trees to minimize humidity, maintain drainage systems, and properly care for gardens and swimming pools.Additionally, the municipality highlighted that it offers a complimentary pest control service for public health. Residents can access this service by visiting the municipality’s website or contacting the call center at 993.]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2026/04/02/sharjah-issues-guidelines-for-mosquito-control-during-the-rainy-season]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:33:00 +0400</pubDate>
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