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        <title><![CDATA[Pakistan&#039;s blossom season brings calm in a troubled world]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/04/02/pakistans-blossom-season-brings-calm-in-a-troubled-world]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The harsh days of winter are over in Pakistan's high north and while snow still tops the towering peaks that dominate the landscape, spring has arrived in the foothills.But this year, visitors who have come to witness the region's cherry and apricot blossoms see it as the perfect tonic to the war in the Middle East and its knock-on effects."There's war going on all over the world right now. It's petrol crisis, this and that, everything has become more expensive, everyone is in a depression," Hatib, 27, from Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi, told AFP."But to get out of depression, you need to step outside, go out somewhere for a bit, see places, explore, and relax the mind," he said.The blossoms that turn bare trees into a vibrant shade of pink carpet the thawing farmland of Gilgit-Baltistan from late March every year, marking renewal and the promise of fruit harvests to come for local people."The best part is when these flowers are falling. It literally feels like a dream," Hatib said.The region, home to about 1.7 million people, has some of the world's highest mountains, including K2, which soars to 8,611 metres (28,251 feet) — second only to Mount Everest.The jagged mountain ranges, high-altitude lakes and glaciers of Gilgit-Baltistan are a magnet for the daring and adventurous.But more sedate visitors can instead take selfies in the orchards of the flowering deep valleys, under a clear blue sky with only the chirrup of birdsong and the bleat of foraging goats to break the surrounding silence."No matter how much inflation there is in Pakistan today, no matter how much petrol prices are going up, tourists still don't want to miss the cherry blossom and apricot blossom season," said local visitor Maria Akbar, 29."Even if we have to spend extra money, it's not a problem, but we'll enjoy this view.""Things like cherry blossom and apricot blossom are what make Gilgit-Baltistan unique compared to all other regions," added Junaid Ahmed, 31."Tourists from all over the world come to enjoy this season. As you can see around me how beautiful it is, the beautiful view of these cherry and apricot blossoms is right before your eyes."Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:29:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Ministry allows medical faculty members to work at healthcare facilities in UAE]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/04/01/ministry-allows-medical-faculty-members-to-work-at-healthcare-facilities-in-uae]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), in coordination with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), has announced that faculty members at medical universities and colleges — including physicians and other health professionals — will now be enabled to practise within healthcare facilities.The move also removes the requirement for certain nursing and allied health graduates to complete six months of post-graduation experience before obtaining a professional licence, as part of efforts to improve the efficiency of the licensing system and better align it with labour market needs.The decisions are designed to modernise regulatory processes by striking a balance between enabling academic medical talent to contribute directly to the healthcare sector and accelerating the entry of nursing and allied health graduates into the workforce. Officials say the changes will help maximise the value of human capital while maintaining high standards of care. They also aim to strengthen the link between education and clinical practice, reinforce governance and compliance, and uphold unified licensing standards, supporting a more sustainable workforce and a health sector better prepared for current and future challenges.The decisions follow a series of coordination meetings between relevant authorities, alongside legal reviews of key legislation, including the laws governing the practice of human medicine and certain health professions, as well as Cabinet Resolution No.20 of 2017 on unified medical licensing standards. The review found no legal barrier to faculty members practising clinically, provided they meet qualification and clinical experience requirements and that their academic responsibilities do not conflict with professional practice.The Higher Committee overseeing the unification of health licensing procedures confirmed that faculty members can be granted professional licences once they meet the required qualifications, experience, and prior licensing conditions. Teaching hours will also count towards Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements, in line with approved medical education policies-recognising the value of academic contributions and supporting a culture of continuous learning across the sector.The exemption from the six-month experience requirement applies to specific roles, including registered nurses, assistant nurses, medical laboratory technicians and technologists, respiratory care technicians, and healthcare assistants. The decision applies to graduates from within the UAE and abroad. Authorities will also review additional allied health specialisations on a case-by-case basis to assess potential exemptions, without compromising the quality of care or patient safety.Dr. Amin Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for the Health Regulation Sector at MoHAP, said the decisions reflect an institutional approach that balances regulatory flexibility with strong governance standards. He noted that enabling academic faculty to practise will enrich the healthcare environment with advanced expertise and contribute to improving overall system efficiency, while maintaining unified licensing requirements that safeguard quality and patient safety. The changes, he added, support the sustainability, resilience, and efficiency of the healthcare sector in line with the UAE’s "We the UAE 2031” vision.Al Amiri also emphasised that updating licensing and exemption mechanisms is part of a broader effort to modernise the national licensing system and strengthen compliance with existing regulations. Unifying procedures across the country, he said, will enhance trust in the healthcare system, reinforce transparency and professional fairness, and create a more efficient regulatory environment capable of meeting current demands and anticipating future needs.Meanwhile, Ibrahim Fikri, Assistant Undersecretary for the Higher Education and Scientific Research Regulation and Governance Sector at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, said, "These decisions are a testament to the high level of integration between the higher education and healthcare sectors, helping to better align academic outcomes with the evolving needs of the labour market and strengthen the readiness of national talent. Enabling faculty members to practise professionally will enrich both the academic and applied learning environments, support knowledge transfer and allow expertise to deliver tangible, real-world impact.”Fikri added, "Facilitating the faster entry of faculty members from medical universities and colleges, as well as graduates of nursing and allied health disciplines, into the workforce supports the long-term sustainability of the healthcare sector while maintaining the highest standards of quality and governance. At the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, we are committed to advancing educational and regulatory policies that strengthen the link between academic learning and practical application, while supporting the development of a more efficient and future-ready healthcare system.”For his part, Rashid Alsaadi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Market Services at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, said, "Updating the health licensing policy demonstrates the high level of coordination and flexibility between government entities, and their shared commitment to continuously improving the labour market’s regulatory environment. It also helps streamline processes and strengthen governance through a more integrated approach that benefits all stakeholders and supports workforce needs in the healthcare sector.”Alsaadi added that the Ministry is fully ready to support the efforts of other government entities as part of its central role in regulating the labour market. He noted that the UAE’s advanced digital infrastructure helps enable seamless integration between entities, while the legislative and administrative frameworks allow faster updates and support the government’s focus on service excellence and maintaining the country’s leadership across sectors.He also highlighted the strategic importance of the healthcare sector and the collective commitment of government entities to maintaining its leadership, reaffirming that it will remain one of the key sectors directly linked to quality of life, the health of the population, and the efficient and timely delivery of healthcare services.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:31:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Doctors face probe after viral C-section ‘competition’ video in Lahore]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/28/video-of-doctors-competing-during-womens-surgeries-in-pakistan-goes-viral]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Tariq Butt, Correspondent A bizarre and disturbing incident happened in Lady Wellington Hospital (LWH) of Lahore, Pakistan, as two doctors competed to perform C-section operations faster, with patient videos recorded and shared.This video went viral showing doctors competing with each other during women’s surgeries not just breached the privacy of the female patients but also violated medical ethics.The incident sparked serious concerns over medical ethics and patient safety. The video shows that two doctors are engaged in a competition while performing C-section surgeries on female patients in the gynecology operation theatre, endangering lives of both mothers and their newborns.During the procedures, the doctors did not even respect the privacy of the female patients, and the video was recorded and later made viral.The government’s ban on the use of mobile phones in operation theatres was blatantly ignored.The LWH management expressed ignorance regarding the recording of video and going it viral from the operation theatre.However, the Punjab government has taken strict action against those responsible for the video incident at the LWH.LWH Medical Superintendent Dr Farah Inam and Head of Gynecology Department Prof Dr Uzma Hussain have been summoned to give their response within three days. Besides, the postgraduate training of four doctors including Dr Tayyaba Fatima Toor, Dr Maham Amin, Dr Zainab Tahir and Dr Ayesha Afzal have been suspended.The postgraduate residents have been directed to report to the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department. The notifications have been issued in this regard.The Punjab government has formed a special committee to investigate the incident. The usage of mobile phones is absolutely not allowed during the treatment of patients in hospitals, an official said and added that disciplinary action will be initiated in case of failure to submit a satisfactory response within the stipulated time.Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that such alleged actions represent violation of medical ethics, insult to the dignity of the patient and violation of professional skills.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 18:27:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Indonesia begins enforcing social media restrictions for children under-16s]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/28/indonesia-begins-enforcing-social-media-restrictions-for-children-under-16s]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Indonesia on Saturday began implementing a new government regulation approved earlier this month that bans children younger than 16 from access to digital platforms that could expose them to pornography, cyberbullying, online scams and addiction.With the move, Indonesia became the first country in Southeast Asia to ban children from having accounts on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox. It follows measures that Australia took last year in a world-first social media ban for children as part of a push for families to take back power from tech giants and protect their teens.Indonesia has said that the implementation of the restrictions would be carried out gradually, until all platforms comply with the measure.700 MILLION CHILDREN "The government has instructed all digital platforms operating in Indonesia to immediately bring their products, features and services into compliance with applicable regulations. There will be no compromise on compliance, and every business entity operating in Indonesia is required to comply with Indonesian law,” Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said on Friday evening.In announcing the new regulation earlier in March, she said that this regulation would apply to around 70 million children in Indonesia - a country with a population of about 280 million.Hafid said high-risk digital platforms are identified by factors such as how easy it is for children to become exposed to strangers, potential predators and harmful content in general, as well as the levels of risk of exploitation and data security scams.But she acknowledged that implementing the new regulation — even gradually as planned — will be difficult. Getting digital platforms to comply and then making them report deactivations of under-16 accounts is difficult."This is certainly a task. But we must take steps to save our children," Hafid said. "It’s not easy. Nevertheless, we must see it through.”Maura Munthe, a 13-year-old who spends roughly four hours a day on her phone on social media, including playing games on Roblox with her friends, said she feels "kind of 50-50” about the new government policy but mostly agrees with it.Her peers in school, she says, worry they will miss out on all the fun and entertainment they now have access to."There are always other games on my phone, not only the online ones," she said. "I will likely play more games alone or just hang out with my friends.”PARENTS LAUD MOVEMunthe's mother, Leni Sinuraya, 47, said she has for years trusted her daughter to use her phone wisely, both when studying and when playing online games. Still, she sees the government's move as good for all children in Indonesia.Parents, she says, have lost control — and social media platforms have taken over."Nowadays, when we see kids sitting in a restaurant, they have a phone right in front of them. It’s clear that they’re addicted," Sinuraya said. "They won’t eat unless they’re given a phone, and they throw a tantrum if they aren’t.”"Mealtime is supposed to be a time for us to chat with the people around us,” she added.Based in Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, Diena Haryana founded Semai Jiwa Amini foundation - also known as SEJIWA, a nonprofit that works on online child safety and protection.According to Haryana, studies have shown that children’s use of social media can impact their mental health and trigger anxiety and depression.But, she says, digital platforms also offer advantages and open up a whole realm of learning. Her foundation has tried to get parents and communities to work together on providing guidance and supervision for children in the online world."We also need to remember that they need to learn to use this digital technology at the right time, at the right age, and with the right guidance as well,” she said.Haryana said the effects of restricting access to social media and digital platforms to children under 16 will only be seen once the measure is in place - she predicted both complaints from children and confusion among parents.Parents and schools are expected to provide children with solutions on how to learn in the real world - not the digital one, she said."Of course, this takes time to get used to, which is why parents and schools need to encourage children to engage with the real world and make it fun for them," Haryana added. "And there’s plenty in the real world for children to explore.”So far, few platforms have reacted to Indonesia's new regulation.Elon Musk’s X on its Indonesia Online Safety Information page gives 16 as the minimum age required for users in the country. "It’s not our choice - it’s what Indonesian law requires,” the page says.Google-owned YouTube said it supports the Indonesian government's effort to create an effective, risk-based framework that addresses online harms while preserving access to information and digital opportunity."We are ready to engage under the regulation’s self-assessment approach to demonstrate our long-standing safety rigor,” it said.TikTok on its newsroom page said that it will take the necessary steps in line with regulatory expectations and continue to strengthen the safeguards, as well as keep Indonesian community in the platform informed as further guidance becomes available."We will continue to engage constructively with The Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry in the self-assessment process, and expect that the regulation will be applied fairly and consistently across all social platforms,” it said.Restrictions on social media access for children under 16 first began in December in Australia, where social media companies revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children.Some other countries - including Spain, France and the United Kingdom - are also taking or considering measures to restrict children's access to social media amid growing concern that they are being harmed by exposure to unregulated social media content.Associated Press]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 15:47:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[UAE gears up for Eid Al Fitr with vibrant events, festive mood]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/18/uae-gears-up-for-eid-al-fitr-with-vibrant-events-festive-mood]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The United Arab Emirates is gearing up to celebrate Eid Al Fitr with a vibrant programme of festivals, entertainment shows and family-oriented activities across public spaces, shopping malls and leisure destinations decorated with festive lights and greetings.Shopping centres have seen a surge in activity ahead of Eid, as residents stock up on clothing, sweets and gifts, supported by seasonal promotions that have boosted retail traffic.The Eid holiday, running from March 19 to 22, offers an opportunity to visit the country’s tourist attractions, major malls and hotels, many of which have rolled out special programmes for the occasion.In Abu Dhabi, a range of cultural and entertainment events targeting families and children will take place, led by the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba, which has been running since November and features thousands of cultural and public events with broad international participation.Umm Al Emarat Park in Abu Dhabi will host a series of events for Eid Al Fitr under a programme titled “Eid at the Park”, offering family-oriented activities and entertainment.The programme includes interactive games, arts and crafts, workshops and a gaming zone, alongside live performances such as hula hoop and bubble shows and roaming mascots.Families can also gather for reading sessions designed to inspire younger visitors through storytelling and shared moments of learning.Visitors will have the opportunity to experience the Park’s daily Falcon Interaction, a signature cultural attraction showcasing the grace and tradition of falconry.Visitors can also attend daily falconry interactions, film screenings including Emirati films, and outdoor activities in the park’s adventure zone, featuring attractions such as kite flying and water-based play.Visitors can also explore the Park’s Animal Barn, where families can enjoy close encounters with friendly animals in an interactive setting. Guests will have the opportunity to participate in feeding sessions, take pony and camel rides, capture photos, and engage with animal keepers to learn more about the animals and their care.During Friday and Saturday, visitors can also explore the Park Market, which will feature more than 60 local vendors offering a diverse selection of sweets, savoury bites, and handmade products, among others.In Al Ain, the second edition of the “Ghaitah Al Ain” festival will run from 20th to 27th March at ADNEC Al Ain, offering live performances, cultural shows and activities for all age groups.The emirate also offers a wide selection of attractions, including the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Al Maqta’a Museum, Heritage Village, Saadiyat Cultural District and Yas Island’s leisure facilities.Dubai is preparing for Eid with a series of entertainment events and experiences for families, alongside retail promotions in shopping malls and special hotel packages.Citywide events include the “Season of Wulfa”, running until 23rd March, while Expo City Dubai will host Eid celebrations from 20th to 22nd March.In Sharjah, the “Sharjah Ramadan Festival 2026” will continue through Eid, combining retail offers with cultural and heritage experiences, with participation from local and international brands, entrepreneurs and small businesses.The emirate also offers a mix of leisure, nature and cultural destinations, including Khorfakkan Amphitheatre and Waterfall, Al Suhub Rest House, Al Heera Beach, Arabia’s Wildlife Centre, Al Jada, Al Majaz Waterfront, Al Montazah Parks and Al Qasba.Ajman features a number of heritage attractions, including Ajman Museum, which dates back to the 18th century and showcases artefacts, manuscripts and traditional costumes.Umm Al Qaiwain offers leisure options such as Dreamland Aqua Park, the emirate’s aviation, shooting and marine clubs, as well as equestrian facilities.Ras Al Khaimah has completed preparations to welcome visitors during the holiday, offering a range of experiences including Jebel Jais Flight, one of the world’s longest zip lines, Al Hamra Golf Club, Dhayah Fort and its beaches.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2026 22:00:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Al-Futtaim Health offers free mental health consultations to support community wellbeing in the UAE]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/17/al-futtaim-health-offers-free-mental-health-consultations-to-support-community-wellbeing-in-the-uae]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Al-Futtaim Health, the healthcare arm of Al-Futtaim and operator of the HealthHub network of clinics across the Emirate of Dubai, is offering free mental health consultations to support the wellbeing of communities across the UAE and encourage greater access to professional mental health care.Recognising that stress, anxiety, and emotional strain can affect individuals and families at different moments in life, HealthHub has made its mental health services available to help people access professional guidance and support when they need it most.The initiative aims to provide a safe and supportive environment for individuals who may be experiencing anxiety, sleep disturbances, emotional overwhelm, or heightened stress, and are seeking practical tools to manage their mental wellbeing.“At Al-Futtaim Health, caring for the community goes beyond clinical treatment, it is about supporting people through all aspects of their wellbeing. In moments when uncertainty can weigh on individuals and families, providing access to professional mental health support is one way we can give back to the communities we serve and ensure that no one feels they have to navigate these challenges alone,” said Dr Haider Al Enzi, Managing Director of Al-Futtaim Health. The consultations will be conducted by HealthHub’s licensed Specialist Psychiatrist, Dr Yasir[LA1]  Malik with over 10 years of experience, who will provide professional guidance on managing stress, strengthening emotional resilience, and supporting long-term mental wellbeing. Through this initiative, Al-Futtaim Health aims to make professional mental health support more accessible while encouraging open conversations around mental wellbeing across the community.How to access the consultation: Appointments can be booked through HealthHub clinics across Dubai, via www.healthhubalfuttaim.com, or by calling 8002344.HealthHub remains committed to supporting the wellbeing of the communities it serves and ensuring that both physical and mental health continue to be prioritised during periods when individuals and families may need additional support.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:43:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Trump&#039;s chief of staff Wiles diagnosed with breast cancer]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/16/trumps-chief-of-staff-wiles-diagnosed-with-breast-cancer]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[US President Donald Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with breast cancer but will continue to work during treatment, Trump said on Monday.The first woman to ever work as White House chief of staff, 68-year-old Wiles has been widely credited with driving Trump's second presidency forward behind the scenes."Susie Wiles is an incredible Chief of Staff, a great person, and one of the strongest people I know but, unfortunately, she has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, and has decided to take on this challenge, IMMEDIATELY, as opposed to waiting," Trump posted on his Truth Social network."She has a fantastic medical team, and her prognosis is excellent!"Trump added that "during the treatment period, she will be spending virtually full time at the White House, which makes me, as President, very happy!"Trump is facing a host of challenges ranging from the Iran war to poor approval ratings for his Republican party ahead of crucial midterm elections in November.Trump has previously dubbed Wiles -- who started working for him in Florida during his 2016 run for the presidency -- "The Ice Maiden" and "the most powerful woman in the world."She keeps a low profile in public, but in private Wiles is a steely gatekeeper whose main mission has been to avoid any repeat of the chaos and infighting that marked Trump's first spell in the White House.Agence France-Presse ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 21:06:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Street Origins: The Gen Z fragrance movement redefining self-expression]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/16/street-origins-the-gen-z-fragrance-movement-redefining-self-expression]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Gen Z Wear Fragrance Differently. Here’s How This Brand Is Leading the ShiftStreet Origins is not just another perfume brand but a cultural movement designed for Gen Z and older Gen Alpha consumers who see fragrance as a statement of identity rather than a finishing touch. With a deep understanding of youth culture and evolving global trends, Street Origins places young consumers at the centre of everything it creates.At its core, Street Origins recognises that today’s generation uses scent as a conversation starter and a way to express individuality, challenge gender norms and explore identity. The brand’s entire portfolio is genderless, reinforcing its philosophy that fragrance belongs to everyone. Each bottle becomes an extension of personality, not a label.The range includes 40 distinct fragrances inspired by global cities, each representing the energy, culture and mood of urban life. Crafted exclusively in Eau de Parfum (EDP) and Extrait De Parfum concentrations, the formulations are long-lasting and designed for everyday wear. With at least 20% oil concentration and high-performance blends, Street Origins addresses one of Gen Z’s biggest concerns which is longevity in affordable perfumes.Accessibility is equally central to the brand. Pocket-sized bottles make fragrances easy to carry, layer and experiment with, while pocket-friendly pricing encourages discovery and collection. The brand balances value with quality, ensuring consumers do not have to compromise between performance and affordability. The full product portfolio and scent profiles can be explored at streetorigins.co.“Street Origins was created to reflect how this generation truly engages with fragrance,” said Safeer Moidu, CEO of Fragrance World and Street Origins. “Our goal is to build a brand that listens to young consumers, evolves with culture and delivers high-performance, genderless scents that feel personal, accessible and globally relevant. We are nurturing a community that connects through scent. Every collection is inspired by real conversations, real spaces and real energy from the streets that shape youth culture today. As we expand globally, we remain committed to staying authentic, inclusive and driven by the voices of the generation we represent.”Beyond products, Street Origins actively engages its community through physical activations across Dubai. Recent on-ground experiences at Middlesex University, Heriot-Watt University, Red Gym, Warehouse Gym and nightlife hotspot Lucky Duck with 2am DXB have focused on experiential sampling and creating real-time conversations with the target audience. These spaces, like universities, gyms and nightlife venues, are where authentic cultural engagement happens.The perfumes are currently available online via their website streetorigins.co (UAE & KSA), Amazon (UAE), Noon (UAE), alongside select Centerpoint stores in Dubai. Upcoming pop-ups are planned at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai and Khalidiya Mall in Abu Dhabi to further strengthen retail presence.Looking ahead, Street Origins has ambitious global expansion plans, with launches planned in the US and UK markets as part of its broader international growth strategy.By combining cultural insight, long-lasting quality, accessible pricing and community-driven activations, Street Origins is positioning fragrance not just as a product but as a movement shaped by the young, for the young. ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:57:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Valentino returned to its roots with 1980s-inspired catwalk in Rome]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/14/valentino-returned-to-its-roots-with-1980s-inspired-catwalk-in-rome]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Italian fashion house Valentino returned to its roots Thursday with a 1980s-inspired catwalk show in one of Rome’s most spectacular venues, two months after the death of founder Valentino Garavani. Around 700 people including Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow were invited to the show held in the galleries of the Palazzo Barberini, a Baroque palace now home to masterpieces by Caravaggio, Raphael and many others.Valentino, known for dressing some of the world’s most glamorous women, normally shows in Paris, despite having been established in the Italian capital in 1960. But creative director Alessandro Michele chose to return to the Eternal City for his fall/winter 2026-27 collection, the first for ready-to-wear since the founder’s death aged 93 on January 19.Under Pietro da Cortona’s spectacular ceiling fresco, “The Triumph of Divine Providence”, male and female models walked out onto fake grass in outfits heavily inspired by the 1980s. There were strong shoulders, cinched waists and mini-skirts, accessorised with glittering oversized jewellery, including giant pearls and chunky pendants. Michele, who took over in 2024, said that during the late 1980s and 1990s “Valentino was still working like crazy and making, from his hands, beauty”.It was a time of “positivity” and “empowerment”, when women in particular were becoming more in control of their bodies, he told reporters backstage. The final dress of Michele’s collection on Thursday, a longsleeved gown with a deep cut at the back, was a showstopper in the house’s signature red. “Red is very difficult to manage,” Michele admitted, but said it was crucial to the brand.The models reached the galleries via Francesco Borromini’s helical staircase, one of two in the palazzo, the other a square design by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Commissioned at the same time, they reflect the palazzo’s ability to have “divergent forces cohabit without neutralising one another”, Michele said in the show notes.Along the same vein, the collection — entitled “Interferenze” (interferences) — demonstrated contrasts between “code and deviation, lightness and gravity”, he wrote. Valentino, who dressed A-listers from Jackie Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor to Princess Diana and Julia Roberts, became synonymous with glamour and beauty. Speaking to reporters, Michele said the designer made things that were “perfect”, but “we no longer live in that perfect world”.The invite-only, black-tie show was a lavish affair, with many guests invited to a dinner afterwards, and brought to the venues in official cars. It was broadcast live on Valentino’s social media channels and on big screens around Rome, Milan and Naples — but it was those inside the room who the house wanted to wow. Of the estimated 700 guests invited, 200 were journalists and VIPs, with the rest VIC — very important clients, according to a Valentino insider.Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Sat, 14 Mar 2026 10:17:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[London’s most urban riding school transforms lives through horses]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/14/londons-most-urban-riding-school-transforms-lives-through-horses]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Sandwiched between social housing blocks and busy train tracks in south London is Britain’s most urban riding school, where children from disadvantaged backgrounds learn to ride horses as part of a project aimed at improving their wellbeing. About 160 children each week attend the Ebony Horse Club, a 30-year-old charity in the Brixton area of the capital which ranks amongst the most deprived in England and is a hotspot for knife crime.Outside the stables, opened in 2011 by Queen Camilla, nine-year-old Matthew Sanchez shovelled horse dung into a wheelbarrow before his lesson. Like many of the children who come for classes, he ⁠had never encountered a horse before. But riding teacher Rachel Scott-Hayward, 37, said the children grow in confidence over weeks, learning to ride, grooming the animals and mucking out the stables.Nylah Murray Charles, aged nine, said she was nervous before trotting on a horse for the first time. “I got scared a bit, but I was like maybe I should just give it a try... when I tried, it was actually great and I had fun,” she said.The club is an oasis of rural charm in Brixton, about three miles (5 km) from central London, where the smell of hay hangs in the air. Lessons are free — a contrast to similar stables in wealthier parts of the city, where a 30-minute class can cost around 50 pounds ($67).Scott-Hayward said while horse riding was traditionally “a white, upper-class hobby”, the charity made it accessible to local children, about 45% of whom identify as being from an ethnic minority. The stables have become a home-from-home for Shanice Reid, 29, since she first learnt to ride with the project as a schoolgirl. She now teaches at the club, and said it offers “somewhere to escape” for those with difficult home or school lives.Between 2010 and 2019, about a third of London’s youth clubs closed due to cuts to public funding, shrinking services for young people just as the pandemic hit.Scott-Hayward said that horse riding can also be an antidote to the anxiety that she increasingly sees in children who spend a lot of time on screens and social media. “When you’re on a horse, you can’t really think about too much else,” she said.Meanwhile, top Irish trainer Willie Mullins threatened on Thursday to stop bringing his best horses to the Cheltenham Festival after taking issue with the quality of the ground.The most successful trainer in the history of the event withdrew odds-on favourite and last year’s winner Fact to File shortly before the day’s Ryanair Chase feature race after finding the conditions too hard.“In jumps racing we would like soft in the description of the ground and we think good ground is not good enough for the type of individual we are buying and trying to race,” Mullins told Racing TV. “You want to have the top horses at the best Festival but if the ground is like this, we are not going to bring them.”Mullins said watering of the course had been promised but he was not sure it had been done, with forecast rain also holding off.“This isn’t good for the type of horses we are bringing over here and I know it suits some horses but for the majority of the good, big, National Hunt horses we would like it a little softer,” he added.Jon Pullin, clerk of the course, told the BBC that most of the ground was watered the day before.“After racing concluded on Wednesday, selective watering took place on the majority of the new course to maintain the going description of Good, Good to Soft in places,” he said.“Our focus is on producing safe jumping ground for all our participants and that has been provided today.” Mullins had five winners on the first two days of the festival but none on Thursday. Heart Wood, a 9-2 shot trained by Henry de Bromhead and ridden by Darragh O’Keeffe, won the Ryanair Chase ahead of 2-1 favourite Jonbon.Reuters]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Sat, 14 Mar 2026 10:14:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Social connections are much needed during uncertain times, says research]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/11/social-connections-are-much-needed-during-uncertain-times-says-research]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[In times of uncertainty, we instinctively seek stability, in our relationships, routines, and the communities around us. When the wider world feels unpredictable, human connection becomes more than a comfort; it becomes a lifeline. Yet in fast-moving cities and digital-first lifestyles, many of us maintain large networks while lacking the deeper bonds that truly sustain us.Research shows that strong social ties build resilience, lower stress, and improve overall health. As conversations around wellbeing become more open, there is growing recognition that the quality of our relationships matters just as much as professional achievement, and that in moments of collective unease, those ties matter even more.Recognising the importance of real-world connection, UAE-based platform MAXION suggests five ways that building community can help protect well-being.Prioritise depth over volumeIt is easy to confuse social activity with genuine connection. Many of us interact with dozens of contacts online every day yet still experience loneliness. What safeguards well-being is not the size of a network, but the substance of the relationships within it. Harvard's long-running Study of Adult Development, which has tracked participants for more than 80 years, found that warm, supportive bonds are among the most significant predictors of long-term happiness. Honest dialogue, shared values, and reliable encouragement foster belonging that broad but shallow circles rarely provide.Say yes to new experiences, they could become lasting bondsSome of the most important relationships begin simply with a chat at an event, or an introduction through a friend. What matters is allowing those early interactions to develop over time.To encourage more of us to take that step, particularly during a period when isolation can quietly take hold, MAXION is offering complimentary premium memberships to both existing and new members of its curated community until 17 March.The initiative reflects a broader belief: that lasting bonds are not built through endless scrolling, but through shared experiences and real conversation.Collective experiences ease stress and build groundingSmall, purposeful activities, meeting for coffee, attending a gathering, or simply spending unhurried time together, bring stability during unsettled periods. Face-to-face interaction engages cues that screens cannot replicate, helping us feel heard and understood.Research has shown that time spent with friends or partners can significantly reduce perceived anxiety. These moments help individuals process what they are feeling and gain perspective, which becomes especially valuable when the ground beneath feels less certain.Regular contact prevents loneliness from escalatingLoneliness has become a growing global concern. According to the World Health Organization, around one in six worldwide experience it, and it is linked to higher risks of depression, anxiety, elevated stress, and poorer physical health.Proactive engagement acts as an early buffer. When we make room for honest exchange and dependable contact, feelings of isolation are far less likely to take root. Even a small circle of trusted individuals can offer the reassurance needed to weather difficult stretches. Those ties also contribute to longer lives.Research across blue zones highlights that close community bonds and frequent interaction are key longevity factors, with one study noting that strong personal connections can reduce the risk of early death by up to 50%.Routine builds steadinessCommunity is strengthened through consistency. Whether it is weekly gatherings, group activities, or regular check-ins, showing up reliably anchors us during turbulent periods. Psychologists often point to the value of predictable social structures in maintaining wellbeing.Knowing that certain people and communities remain constant provides quiet comfort during times of change, a reminder that not everything is shifting at once.In fast-paced cities like Dubai, carving out room for real connection is not always easy. But it has rarely been more important. By nurturing the bonds around us with care and intention, we can build the kind of networks that carry us through uncertainty and well beyond it. ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 21:48:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Emirati Doctor’s Day reflects dedication of national medical talents]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/11/emirati-doctors-day-reflects-dedication-of-national-medical-talents]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The UAE on Wednesday marks Emirati Doctor’s Day, observed annually on 11th March, a national occasion highlighting the dedication and contributions of Emirati doctors in serving the community and advancing healthcare.The occasion reflects the continued support of the UAE leadership in building an advanced healthcare system aligned with the latest global medical practices and technologies.In statements to WAM, Emirati doctors affirmed that national medical professionals play a key role in supporting the development of the healthcare sector and improving medical services through the adoption of advanced practices and the strengthening of the country’s healthcare system in line with the UAE’s vision for a sustainable health sector.Dr Salwa Al Kaabi, Consultant Paediatrician at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, said that the role of Emirati doctors extends beyond providing treatment to contributing to medical education, scientific research, and the training of young medical professionals.She added that Emirati doctors also contribute to building a flexible and innovative healthcare system aligned with international best practices, enhancing community wellbeing and reinforcing the UAE’s position as a global healthcare destination.Dr Huda Sulaiman Aldhanhani, Consultant in Paediatrics and Infectious Diseases at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, said that infectious diseases represent a strategic medical specialty in the UAE due to their role in protecting national health security.She explained that the field supports early detection of epidemics and rapid response to public health risks, in addition to strengthening vaccination programmes, combating antimicrobial resistance, and reducing healthcare-associated infections.Dr Arwa Albreiki, Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, said that Emirati Doctor’s Day represents a national milestone reflecting continuous efforts to build national medical expertise and strengthen the country’s healthcare system.She noted that working in emergency medicine places doctors on the front lines of protecting community health and saving lives, as physicians deal daily with critical medical cases, often serving as the decisive factor between life and death, which requires the highest levels of readiness and professional and humanitarian responsibility.Dr Nadya Almatrooshi, Consultant Cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said that medicine represents a humanitarian mission focused on saving lives and improving patients’ quality of life.She noted that the UAE has witnessed notable progress in advanced cardiology, particularly in heart failure treatment programmes and heart transplantation, supported by continued investment in specialised medical expertise and advanced treatment technologies.Dr Saeed Almarzooqi, Consultant in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, said that Emirati doctors in government hospitals continue to enhance healthcare quality by adopting advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies while promoting awareness of prevention and early detection.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:56:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Margot Robbie, Oprah watch Blazy transform Chanel with colour and craft]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/11/margot-robbie-oprah-watch-blazy-transform-chanel-with-colour-and-craft]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Chanel's Matthieu Blazy is still building. Six months into his tenure at the Parisian stalwart, the designer staged his second ready-to-wear collection at Paris Fashion Week on Monday, where brightly coloured cranes rose from a holographic floor — a deliberate signal that the construction is ongoing.For Parisians who have spent years staring at the real thing above Notre-Dame cathedral, the set was perhaps less dreamy than intended. The audience inside the Grand Palais suggested the foundations are solid: Margot Robbie, Oprah, Jennie, Kylie Minogue, Lily-Rose Depp, Teyana Taylor and Olivia Dean all turned up to watch the next floor go on.Blazy took his cue from a quote from Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel: “We need dresses that crawl and dresses that fly.” The collection was structured around that tension — plain against spectacular, function against fantasy — with a discipline his sprawling debut last October sometimes lacked. The opening looks were austere by design. Black knit zip-ups, tweed blousons and boxy overshirts arrived with little more than four gold buttons to signal they belonged to Chanel.In the vast runway space, they could read as underwhelming. But Blazy’s point was architectural: the suit, he said, is “the first brick” — and everything else rises from it. That logic tracks to the founder.In her apartment on Rue Cambon, a wall is covered in gauze painted gold — something poor made precious. Chanel built a house on that idea, borrowing from everyday dress and elevating it.Blazy is doing the same with her codes, stripping the suit to a knit shirt jacket or pressed-tweed blouson before rebuilding it in silicone-woven fabric and metallic mesh. The collection’s most provocative move was its silhouette.Blazy pulled waistlines dramatically low — belts slung to mid-thigh, pleated skirts starting where blazers ended. The references were retro flapper filtered through a modern lens: drop-waisted twinsets, patchwork dresses with floral embroidery, vivid patterned knits with a twenties pulse. A furry coat in bold geometric colour could have been worn in a chic part of London’s Camden. Whether the ultra-low waistlines will land with the well-heeled clients who pack Chanel’s front rows is another question.Selling a radically new proportion to women with deep loyalty to the house is a different challenge than winning critical praise. The final stretch answered that concern with force. Sequined plaid suits arrived in dazzling color. Beaded coats glinted with star-chart embroidery. Metallic mesh was woven to mimic tweed motifs, and several models wore pastel-tinted hair to match their looks.Associated Press]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:01:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Hushed stillness and Japanese craft at Issey Miyake’s Paris show]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/10/hushed-stillness-and-japanese-craft-at-issey-miyakes-paris-show]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Sparkling dust drifted across the runway inside the Carrousel du Louvre on Friday as Issey Miyake asked a question few fashion houses dare voice: When should a designer stop designing? Satoshi Kondo’s answer was a fall-winter collection of rare stillness and force. Titled “Creating, Allowing,” it pulled at the tension between shaping a garment and letting cloth and body do the work alone. That tension sits at the core of the house Miyake founded in 1970 and that Kondo has led since 2019. Miyake, who died in 2022, always started with a single piece of cloth.He believed the space between fabric and body — what the Japanese call “ma” — mattered as much as the garment itself. Kondo has honoured that philosophy while carving a quieter, more contemplative path of his own. Pared-down vocals hung in the darkened space. Models moved slowly. The clothes spoke in hushed tones that demanded you lean in. The collection opened in muted restraint.Oversize sweaters in off-white had elongated shoulders that sloped like soft architecture, white shirt cuffs extending past the sleeves in a surreal, almost preppy touch. Dark suits featured asymmetrical front panels that folded across the body like an unfinished thought.Voluminous black trenches came belted with bands that evoked martial arts. Fabric headpieces-wrapped tight around the skull-were a defining feature, lending the models a monastic quality. Black parkas sat beneath square-shouldered suits, while puffball skirts billowed like clouds, built to hold their shape in midair. The palette stayed deliberately muted. The house notes put it this way: a stone placed in a space speaks through its silence. That was the mood. Kondo was designing the absence as much as the presence.The restraint broke in carefully chosen moments, when ancient Japanese craft collided with modern technology. A bright yellow pleated wrap cut through the monochrome like a crack of light. The pleats were hand-wrung then machine-set, giving them a lively, almost primitive energy that rippled with the body’s movement.But the most striking pieces were rigid bodices and peplums in solid red, made of lacquered washi paper - layers of hand-torn sheets set on 3D-printed molds by craftspeople in the Echizen region of Fukui Prefecture, then sent to artisans in Kyoto for multiple coats of lacquer. The result was a shell-like form that contoured the body with the quiet authority of armor.The house calls the technique Urushi Body, rooted in the concept of the obi sash and the bustier. In a season full of noise across Paris, Issey Miyake offered something rarer: the discipline to leave things unfinished, and the confidence to call that beautiful.Paris Fashion Week delivered a forceful reminder of why it remains a capital of fashion, with blockbuster celebrity front rows and collections that are tackling big ideas about power, craft and the female body. Oprah Winfrey turned heads at both Stella McCartney and Chloé.Associated Press]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:59:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Young Chinese parents tighten belts as childcare costs rise]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/09/young-chinese-parents-tighten-belts-as-childcare-costs-rise]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[New mother Zhang Xiaofei wanted to be financially secure before having a baby, wary of high childcare costs that have been softened only a little by Chinese government cash incentives to boost record-low births.The world's second-most populous country is threatened with a demographic crisis after its birth rate halved over the past decade — all while people rapidly age out of the workforce.Beijing has made "building a childbirth-friendly society" a priority over the next five years, China's Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday as lawmakers gathered in the Great Hall of the People for their annual political conclave.The government introduced a raft of financial incentives last year, including free pre-school education and annual subsidies of 3,600 yuan ($500) for each child born.However, young Chinese say the measures do little to alleviate financial stress. Zhang, 32, and her husband Zhu Yunfei, both manicurists, decided to save before having a child."We discussed it before. The two of us were aligned in wanting to (focus on) work first because our families' (financial) conditions aren't that good," she told AFP while on maternity leave in Hebei province. "If we were to have a child, we would want to give them the very best life," she said, cradling her three-week-old daughter.'DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING'The new childcare subsidies have cost the government more than 100 billion yuan ($14.5 billion), China's national health director told reporters on Saturday.They were announced shortly after Zhang and Zhu learned they would be parents. "We thought our kid was too lucky," Zhu, 36, said.However, the handout — roughly 1.5 per cent of their pooled annual income — doesn't come close to covering a year's worth of baby formula. "People joke that it's like giving you a five-yuan voucher towards a Rolls-Royce," he told AFP.Zhu scours second-hand platforms for deals on diapers, while Zhang plans to return to work after her daughter turns one month old.In Henan, soon-to-be father Li plans to take up a second job once his daughter is born.To save money, he and his wife made a five-hour round trip to neighbouring Hubei province, where he said hospitals offer free prenatal genetic screening.Li, using a pseudonym for fear of repercussions, was reluctant to have children and said he was indifferent to the incentives."This bit of cash doesn't mean anything," the 35-year-old told AFP.INCOMPATIBLE WITH CAREERSSocial demographer Yun Zhou warned that subsidies "often do not lead to any meaningful rebound in fertility."The government has also promoted the image of "the ideal Chinese family that is centred around heterosexual marriages" as it tries to boost birth rates, said Zhou, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan."For young Chinese women, especially young highly educated Chinese women, there is also this inherent concern about the pervasive gender-based discriminations in the labour market that is front and centre on their mind."In 2023, the government banned employers from withholding advancement based on marriage, pregnancy, or parental status, as well as the practice of including pregnancy tests as part of pre-employment physical exams.However, some women still "feel like childbearing and having successful careers and having a life as a whole is fundamentally incompatible", Zhou said.'NONSENSE'Lawmakers this week proposed measures such as extra cash for families with three children and lowering the legal marriage age from 22 for men and 20 for women to encourage earlier childbearing.Chinese social media users slammed such proposals as "nonsense."Being a parent in China is "very difficult", Yuan Limei, a 30-year-old mother of two, told AFP."There are all kinds of expenses. Everything requires money," she said, pushing her six-year-old on a swing in Beijing."And with kids, there's no way for you to work."Yuan's oldest child is 10 but she does not plan on having a third. "A kid is much harder to raise than a dog or cat," she laughed.New father Zhu noted that, while subsidies have little impact in big cities like Beijing, they can make a dent in smaller villages."In the city, 3,600 yuan is hardly anything and can't even buy a baby pram, but in some rural areas it's not a small sum," he said.Agence France-Presse ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:17:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Redefining men’s health: AEON Clinic introduces advanced urologic &amp; performance solutions]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/09/redefining-mens-health-aeon-clinic-introduces-advanced-urologic-performance-solutions]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The American Board of Regenerative Medicine has endorsed AEON Clinic, the first regenerative wellness facility in the Middle East, today unveiled its whole line of Advanced Urologic and Men's Sexual Health Solutions. Located in the centre of luxury at Atlantis the Royal, AEON Clinic is transforming the terrain of male vitality by combining cutting-edge urologic science with ground-breaking regenerative treatments.Using evidence-based, minimally invasive methods, AEON Clinic's new division tackles important health pillars including prostate care and fertility to regenerative sexual health as men progressively look for proactive means to control longevity and performance. Best Urologist in Dubai, Dr. Oleksandr Knigavko believes “Urologic Care should be a change rather than only a treatment. Combining biological regenerative techniques such as Stem Cell Therapy and Shockwave Treatment with precision surgery allows us to not only alleviate symptoms but also restore the body's natural function, therefore restoring men's confidence and vigor.” New Launch Treatments in Men's Health by AEON ClinicThe urologic and sexual health program at AEON Clinic provides a focused array of therapies suited for the contemporary man: 1. Minimally Invasive Urologic Surgery - Precise robotic and laparoscopic care for faster recovery and minimal scarring.2. Robotic Urologic Oncology Surgery - Advanced robotic surgery for optimal cancer control and functional preservation.3. Prostate Disease Surgery - Advanced surgical care for all prostate conditions with a focus on safety and outcomes.4. Stone Surgery - Personalized treatment to restore bladder control and function.5. Incontinence & Reconstructive Surgery - Personalized treatment to restore bladder control and function.6. Men’s Health & Andrology Therapies - Expert care for male vitality, fertility, and reproductive wellness, penis enlarge, enlarged prostate treatment, prostate cancer treatment. For additional details on AEON Clinic's Men's Sexual Health and Urologic solutions, or to arrange a personal consultation:Visit: https://theaeonclinic.com/treatment/men-sexual-health/Email: info@theaeonclinic.comPhone: +971 4518 5777Website: theaeonclinic.com  ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:39:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[At Hermès, Nadège Vanhée turns Paris twilight into a state of mind]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/09/at-hermes-nadege-vanhee-turns-paris-twilight-into-a-state-of-mind]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Guests at the Hermès fashion show in Paris on Saturday didn’t just see the fall collection. They smelled it first. The Garde Républicaine — the grand barracks of Paris’ mounted police — had been transformed into a forest floor, carpeted in thick, damp moss that filled the air with the heady scent of humus. In a Paris Fashion Week that still has Chanel and Louis Vuitton to come, Hermès made a case that luxury at its most persuasive doesn’t shout. It simply changes the air in the room.Models emerged from luminous circular openings in the walls, like figures stepping through a full moon, and walked a raised, winding catwalk above the vegetation. It was theatrical, but never gimmicky. The set did exactly what creative director Nadège Vanhée wanted: it knocked you off balance. Vanhée, who has led Hermès womenswear since 2014, titled the fall-winter collection “Entre chien et loup” — the French expression for dusk, that uneasy moment when you can’t tell a dog from a wolf.Her show notes invoked Hecate, the torch-wielding goddess of darkness, though the clothes were less mythological than muscular — precise, body-conscious, built to move. Leather dominated. Fluid overcoats with enormous Tuscan sheepskin collars. Zip-front mini dresses in inky blue that opened to reveal contrasting shirts beneath.An orange ostrich-leather jumpsuit, belted at the waist, that merged biker attitude with Hermès refinement. The house’s equestrian DNA surfaced in jodhpurs and flat-heeled riding boots, though the glossy lambskin cycling shorts paired with aviator jackets pushed the codes into harder, more urban territory. The palette avoided the obvious.Night, Vanhée seemed to argue, is not simply black. Her colours shifted from sulfur yellow to oxblood red, forest green to iridescent burgundy — surfaces that caught and changed in the light like something alive. Zips were everywhere, slicing diagonally across jackets or running the full-length of dresses — functional but also decorative, a way of suggesting that every garment could be opened up, reconfigured, made new. Double-breasted blazers and cigarette trousers gave the collection a sharp tailored spine, while quilted silks printed with cloud-strewn skies offered a rare moment of softness. The collection landed with quiet force.Tight dresses in dark leather had asymmetrical zips revealing a contrasting shirt underneath, while long brown overcoats featured huge sheepskin collars. Aviator jackets and trench coats were paired with glossy cycle shorts made out ⁠of lambskin. Ostrich leather was used throughout for jackets, jodhpurs, and an orange biker-inspired jumpsuit that was zipped up the front and belted at the waist.Tailoring featured double-breasted jackets and cigarette trousers in browns and iridescent burgundy.Agencies]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:15:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Sharjah&#039;s Al Qassimi Hospital uses &#039;enVast&#039; to treat acute heart attack]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/08/sharjahs-al-qassimi-hospital-uses-envast-to-treat-acute-heart-attack]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[In a move reflecting its ongoing commitment to adopting the latest medical innovations and enhancing the quality of specialised care, Al Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah, part of the Emirates Health Services (EHS), has successfully implemented the "enVast" system.The system is one of the latest global technologies for treating heart attacks, contributing to faster treatment intervention, saving patients' lives, and reducing serious complications associated with arterial blockages.Dr Essam Al Zarouni, Executive Director of Medical Services at EHS, affirmed that the introduction of this advanced technology embodies the corporation's vision to elevate the quality of specialised services and enhance the readiness of its medical facilities to handle critical cases according to the highest international standards.He pointed out that investing in advanced treatment technologies is a fundamental pillar of EHS strategy aimed at developing a sustainable healthcare system that keeps pace with international best practices and contributes to improving patient health outcomes.Dr Arif Al Nouriani, Executive Director and Head of the Heart Centre at Al Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah, affirmed that adopting this technology reflects EHS commitment to providing the latest internationally approved treatment solutions in its facilities. This enhances the speed of medical response in critical moments, increases the chances of recovery, and improves patient health outcomes.He added, "We are continuously committed to developing specialised care for cardiovascular diseases by adopting advanced medical technologies and attracting specialised expertise. This ensures the provision of comprehensive healthcare that meets the highest international standards and contributes to saving patients' lives and enhancing their quality of life."Dr Al-Nouriani further stated, "This technology is among the most advanced treatment methods globally for acute myocardial infarctions. It allows for the rapid and effective removal of blood clots and the safe restoration of blood flow, thus contributing to saving patients' lives and reducing serious complications. This technology has been successfully used with a number of patients within a critical timeframe of no more than 24 hours from the onset of symptoms, in accordance with the latest approved medical protocols." This intervention utilises a state-of-the-art medical device bearing the European CE mark and FDA approval, reflecting the high level of safety and efficacy of the technology and reinforcing its reliability as an advanced treatment option for managing acute myocardial infarction.The patients who underwent this intervention ranged in age from 41 to 55 years and were suffering from acute myocardial infarctions accompanied by multiple risk factors, including diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and smoking. The rapid intervention using this technology resulted in the restoration of normal blood flow in 98% of cases and the stabilisation of the patient's condition.This achievement exemplifies the ongoing advancements in the capabilities of Al Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah as a specialised centre for advanced cardiac care and its pivotal role within EHS in adopting the latest medical technologies and providing specialised services that contribute to improving quality of life and promoting the sustainability of healthcare.WAM]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 15:43:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Dior’s Anderson dazzles at Tuileries Garden during Paris Fashion Week]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/05/diors-anderson-dazzles-at-tuileries-garden-during-paris-fashion-week]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The sun was out over the glass-walled runway at the famed Tuileries Garden in the French capital on Tuesday, flooding Jonathan Anderson's fall-winter 2026 collection for Dior with a golden light that invoked Impressionist paintings.Among the celebrities at Paris Fashion Week packed into the glass walkways around the park’s octagonal basin — dotted with artificial water lilies in a nod to Monet — were Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlize Theron, Jisoo, Priyanka Chopra, Willow Smith, Emily Ratajkowski and Macaulay Culkin.It was a fitting mood for a collection steeped in flowers, water and the art of being seen. The greenhouse setting turned the surrounding Parisian strollers into an unwitting audience — an idea Anderson leaned into.He said he had been thinking about the promenade, about people who dress up to go somewhere, and about his own status as a tourist in his adopted city. What emerged on the runway was Anderson’s most coherent women’s collection for Dior to date.Deconstructed frock coats, peplum jackets and bustle skirts arrived in candied almond shades, Chantilly lace and metallic jacquards. Shrunken blazers sat above lampshade skirts in baby-soft shearling. Sculptural knits held their shape like origami.The floral theme was everywhere — but it was developed through silhouette and fabric rather than slapped on literally.Crinkled cardigans recalled the corolla of a bloom. Asymmetrically fastened skirts and dresses evoked petals. Even the crystal detailing on embroidered jeans carried a botanical echo. Anderson reprised his Donegal tweed take on the house’s legendary Bar jacket, but made it longer and looser.The spiral cage dresses that wowed at his recent couture show returned as clouds of soft pleated fabric. With their houndstooth dark and light checks, hand-pleated jackets and coats showed signs of trompe-l’oeil, a technique to make the object appear three-dimensional. Dotted Swiss ruffle skirts with long trains offered a youthful riff on Christian Dior’s iconic Junon gown.There were ivory hammered silk track pants with covered bridal buttons, jeans with ribbon embroidery and plain robe coats worn as dresses — garments rarely given the spotlight on a runway. The celebrity turnout was intense — and so were the regal echoes.Dior has held its shows at the Tuileries since 2020 as part of a partnership with the adjoining Louvre Museum to help restore one of the oldest public gardens in Paris — originally commissioned by Queen Catherine de’ Medici and later redesigned for Louis XIV as a place to see and be seen. On Tuesday, Anderson’s designs testified that he is steadily finding his version of that centuries-old tradition. Five collections in, the picture is getting clearer — even if the designer insists it will always remain a moving target.Anderson, who previously led LVMH-owned Loewe for 11 years, has already made his mark on Dior, releasing a new take on Dior’s classic cotton canvas tote bags.Agencies]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 05 Mar 2026 11:11:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Silvana Armani emphasises softness and wearability in Milan solo debut]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/03/silvana-armani-emphasises-softness-and-wearability-in-milan-solo-debut]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Giorgio Armani’s niece Silvana Armani took up her uncle’s mantle with quiet confidence, presenting the first signature collection without the input of the iconic founding designer to close Milan Fashion Week on Sunday. Actor Andie MacDowell, 67, was among the front-row guests for a show that represented a new chapter for the Giorgio Armani fashion group, following the designer’s death Sept. 4 at age 91. “One of the things that is really important to me is representing women of a certain age, and showing that we still are fashionable and powerful and strong, and we enjoy life and looking beautiful,’’ MacDowell said as she arrived for the show wearing a dark Armani suit with a three-dimensional rose detail.“I love this because I was born Rosalie Anderson MacDowell, and I thought this suit was made for me. It makes me feel really elegant,” she said. The Giorgio Armani women’s winter wardrobe for next fall and winter was fluid, essential and wholly contemporary, expressing the fashion house’s essence. To point, there was no jewellery, save pins with the zodiac sign for Cancer, for the late designer’s birth sign.Opening looks were in an urban slate grey, softened by silken blouses with foulard detailing around the neck. A burgundy belt gave color and structure, while knitwear with the slightest scoop neck maintained discipline. Long overcoats grazed the runway.As for her uncle, Silvan Armani made soft yet tailored jackets the backbone of the collection, including quilted Japanese-style jackets and colourful shearling coats. They were complemented with fluid trousers, some with side pleats for volume. Winter white trousers with silken high-neck blouses and anoraks suggested an active lifestyle, as did the cozy knitwear, cross-body bags and tinted eyewear.The colour palette shifted to burgundy and midnight blue, the new black. Velvet looks accented with beaded embroidery gave cozy elegance, while eveningwear featured iridescent corsets that sat slightly away from the body. Even the dressier looks were worn with cross-body satchels, suggesting that the Giorgio Armani woman wasn’t waiting at home for evening festivities to begin.Silvana Armani, 70, said after the show that the collection contained looks that she would wear herself. “Working with fluidity and simplicity came naturally to me, because that’s how I am,” said Armani, who like her uncle took her bows in a navy sweater and trousers. Silvana Armani also collaborated with Leo Dell’Orco, as Armani’s creative heirs, in a crisp Emporio Armani co-ed collection that previewed on Thursday. The Armani Theater floor was covered in wood to recall a music conservatory, the inspiration for a collection that drew on British formality with Italian sensibility.Associated Press]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:20:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Flights of fancy at Bottega Veneta with shimmering, tactile collection]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/03/02/flights-of-fancy-at-bottega-veneta-with-shimmering-tactile-collection]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Grey and brutalist, showy and shimmering — the stark contrasts of the Italian fashion capital of Milan fuelled the creative mind of Bottega Veneta’s Louise Trotter in her second collection for the brand.The city’s harsh aspects found expression in the armour-like coats that Trotter sent down the runway on Saturday night at Milan Fashion Week, while its theatrical side burst forth from delightfully tactile creations made from recycled fibreglass that swayed and shimmered as models made their way down the runway.The Fall/Winter collection for the brand known for its “intreccio” technique of woven leather was inspired by “what Milanese style meant to me and Bottega Veneta from my viewpoint,” Trotter told journalists backstage after the show. The brutalism of the city, whether in its architecture or its notoriously grey weather, juxtaposes with a more hidden “sensuality and seduction”, she said.That translated to the coats, long jackets and coat dresses with bold, exaggerated shoulders — “like armour”, Trotter said — some of them with an accompanying brown leather belt that dangled, sword-like, from the waist. As is fitting for Bottega Veneta, leather infused the collection for both men and women, here on shoulder patches, there on epaulets or collars.One model was virtually swaddled in supple olive leather, her oversized bomber jacket with high collar paired with an asymmetrical matching leather skirt, with nubby leather flip-flops at her feet. But the collection took a dramatic turn with the arrival of a series of over-the-top showstopping coats made from recycled fibreglass, a synthetic material introduced at Trotter’s debut last September.The costume-like poofs moved and shimmered under the lights of the former theatre where the runway show was held, just steps from the La Scala opera, many of them paired with matching hats, in colours of electric blue, black and bubble-gum pink. A sweater worn by a male model recalled a Harlequin theme with splotches of red and black against the white background of the shimmering, fur-like material.“I wanted to express that joy, that theatric,” said Trotter, saying the looks expressed the more showy side of Milan’s residents, who “really dress up.” “I think it’s quite unusual or rare today to find that. And I think it’s dressing up for oneself and also for one’s community. I think it’s a sign of pride and respect.”Trotter’s goal as a designer, she said, was to “bring joy and confidence to people” through clothing. Backstage, rapper Lauryn Hill had on one of Trotter’s glittering sweaters of fibreglass, in electric orange, accessorised with an oversized “intreccio” purse with fringe. An entourage of assistants directed hand fans in Hill’s direction to keep her cool, sending the fibres of the outrageous garment aflutter. “It’s got a life of its own,” said one of them, with a smile.Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 10:32:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Prada layers winter jackets over light dresses at Milan Fashion Week]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/28/prada-layers-winter-jackets-over-light-dresses-at-milan-fashion-week]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Does Prada want to coddle you in an unravelling world? At Milan Fashion Week on Thursday, the Prada show opened with cozy knit sweaters and multi-coloured scarves, only for garments to be ripped open, exposed and distressed as the catwalk continued.Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan were celebrity guests in the front row of the Fall/Winter 2026-2026 women’s show, but most of the shrieking by the female crowds outside was reserved for Thai actor Pond Naravit Lertratkosum and Korean K-pop sensation Wooyoung — wearing Prada, of course.The collection celebrating layering from co-designers Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons was filled with curious surprises, from faux fur embellishments running up and down the chest like tactile ties to shimmery linings peeking out from slashes in garments. In their show notes, the designers described “mutations from within, visible to the exterior” as fabrics looked as if they had been purposefully eaten away or distressed, revealing hidden mysteries beneath.“I think that we like very much the idea that there is a lot of things coming together that do not necessarily give you what you expect,” Simons said backstage after the show, as model Bella Hadid enthusiastically kissed the hand of Prada. Hadid was one of just 15 models working the show with 60 outfits, where each time the outfit was broken down to reveal new possible looks through layering.“It’s a lot about the feel, to kind of be inspired, and bring things together that feel contemporary to us, but not necessarily very narrative,” said Simons, who has co-designed with Prada since 2020. Exaggerated pink cuffs adorned shirts worn under sweaters or jackets, and a pink satin dress looked literally ripped open at the bodice to expose a shiny black corset-like top beneath.Scraps of animal-patterned fabric were incorporated into a black silk dress, while bulky sweaters were tucked into sheer skirts.The setting inside the Fondazione Prada emphasised the inside/outside theme, with pink and white walls decked out with elegant boiserie and marble fireplaces, but also exposing brick construction beneath. Like at the brand’s men’s show in January, a short yellow waterproof cape decorated a coat, while a beige jacket revealed bronze sequins beneath a turned up collar.The recipe, according to Simons, was “to work instinctively”. “From the heart, from the mind, from the feeling, from our knowledge, from our respect for history and our interest in the future. I think that’s what we have to do as designers,” he said.At Emporio Armani, designers Silvana Armani and Leo Dell’Orco looked to the past for their women’s/men’s show, featuring a healthy dose of “greige”, the beige and grey mix so beloved by founder Giorgio Armani. Newsboy caps, button-down vests and a predominance of subtle plaids recalled “Peaky Blinders”, while pocket watch chains consolidated the 1920s feel.Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Sat, 28 Feb 2026 09:22:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Despite freezing cold winter, Russia a hot ticket for tourists from UAE, other Gulf nations]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/27/despite-freezing-cold-winter-russia-a-hot-ticket-for-tourists-from-uae-other-gulf-nations]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[  In sub-zero temperatures outside Moscow, teams of husky dogs pull tourists from Oman and the United Arab Emirates across picturesque snow-covered fields in sleds, delighting their passengers who have never experienced a Russian winter before. Nearby, a couple from Qatar feed ‌a small herd of deer and other tourists from the Middle East drive a hovercraft at high speed across a ​snowy lake. "It was ⁠like drifting in the desert but here on ice," said Badreya Almarooqi, a tourist from ‌the UAE at the Nazarievo Husky Park – 45 ‌km (30 miles) west of central Moscow – where signs are written in Arabic as well as Russian. North of the city, another group of Gulf tourists crowd into a hot air balloon to drift over a vast snowy landscape. "(It was) one of the best activities ‌in my life!” said Ayoub Aziz, a tourist from Saudi Arabia drawn to the experience in the Dmitrov district 65 km (40 miles) ⁠from the city centre, one of many such activity destinations dotted around the capital. Arabic-speaking tourism boom Four years into Russia's war in Ukraine, Moscow's pivot away from the West and its quest to draw nearer to other parts of the world has produced an Arabic-speaking tourism boom. There are more direct flights between Moscow and key Gulf capitals, new visa-free regimes and closer diplomatic ties due to the roles of Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia in brokering prisoner exchanges or the handover of children to Ukraine. With more ​than 800,000 visits last year, tourists from China, long a close Russian partner, lead official figures by a long ‌way. But Saudi Arabia secured the number two slot for the first time last year with nearly 75,000 tourists, a year-on-year increase of nearly 36%, while more than 59,000 tourists came from the UAE, putting it in sixth place. "Virtually all Arab countries have at ⁠least doubled their numbers, said Alexander Musikhin, general director of the Intourist tour operator. "But there are also destinations like Saudi Arabia, which has increased its arrivals in Russia – and in Moscow in particular – by almost 15 times compared with the pre-pandemic period," he said. Visitors from the Gulf stay ​in high-end hotels ‌in the centre of the capital and are a common sight in upmarket Russia-themed restaurants and well-known shopping streets or ‌malls. They often spend at least 200,000-300,000 roubles ($6,523) on extra services, tour operators say, and would spend more if the rules did not limit them to bringing in $10,000 in cash without a declaration. Western sanctions mean Visa and Mastercard do not work in Russia, "so it has to be ‌in cash", UAE tourist ‌Rashan Godani said. Despite its war with Ukraine, Russia welcomed a ⁠total of 1.64 million tourists in 2025 according to the country's association of tour operators, 4.5% up on ‌2024, but sharply down on 2018, the year Russia held the World Cup when 4.2 million foreign tourists visited. By contrast, 2.45 million Russians visited the UAE alone last year, up by nearly a quarter year-on-year, and ⁠some Russian businessmen have opened up offices in Dubai. Musikhin, the Intourist head, said fallout from the conflict was limiting growth. ​He cited the periodic and temporary closure of Russian airports due to Ukrainian drone attacks and the longer time it takes tourists to cross the border due to heightened security checks. "Tourists are generally understanding about this," he ⁠said.Reuters]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 13:21:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Instagram to alert parents when teens search for suicide or self-harm terms]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/26/instagram-to-alert-parents-when-teens-search-for-suicide-or-self-harm-terms]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Instagram will begin notifying parents when their teenage children repeatedly search for content related to suicide or self-harm, platform owner Meta announced on Thursday, as the company faces mounting legal pressure over its handling of young users.The alerts, rolling out in coming weeks in the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada, will be triggered when a teen makes multiple searches for such terms within a short period of time.The alerts will be expanded to other regions later in 2026.Parents using Instagram's parental supervision tools will receive notifications via email, text or WhatsApp, as well as through the app itself, along with expert resources to help them navigate potentially difficult conversations with their children.Instagram already blocks searches for terms associated with suicide and self-harm, directing users instead to help lines and support organisations. The new alerts are designed to flag cases where teens persistently attempt such searches despite those restrictions.Meta said it consulted with its Suicide and Self-Harm Advisory Group in setting the threshold for alerts, adding that it had deliberately erred on the side of caution even if that meant some notifications might be sent without genuine cause for concern.The announcement came as the company faces mounting legal pressure over the use of its platforms by young people.Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified this month at a landmark trial in California over accusations that his company and others deliberately caused addiction in minors -- the first time such a case has reached a jury.Meta is also contending with a sweeping global push to restrict children's access to social media, with Australia having banned under-16s from platforms in December and countries including France, Denmark, Spain and the UK racing to introduce similar measures.Agence France-Presse ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2026 22:23:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[A Budapest pizzeria recreates ancient Roman-era pizza]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/26/a-budapest-pizzeria-recreates-ancient-roman-era-pizza]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[In Hungary’s capital, a city best known for its goulash, a pizzeria is inviting diners to travel back two millennia to a time before tomatoes, mozzarella or even the word “pizza” were known in Europe. At Neverland Pizzeria in central Budapest, founder Josep Zara and his team have created a limited-edition pie using only ingredients that would have been available in ancient Rome, long before what we know today as pizza ever existed. “Curiosity drove us to ask what pizza might have been like long ago,” Zara said. “We went all the way back to the Roman Empire and wondered whether they even ate pizza at the time.”Strictly speaking, they did not. Tomatoes arrived in Europe centuries later from the Americas, and mozzarella was as yet unknown. Some histories have it that the discovery of mozzarella led directly to the invention of pizza in Naples in the 1700s. But Romans did eat oven-baked flatbreads topped with herbs, cheeses and sauces, the direct ancestors of modern pizza, which were often sold in ancient Roman snack bars called thermopolia. In 2023, archaeologists uncovered a fresco in Pompeii depicting a focaccia-like flatbread topped with what appear to be pomegranate seeds, dates, spices and a pesto-like spread. The image made headlines around the world, and sparked Zara’s imagination.“That made me very curious about what kind of flavor this food might have had,” he said. “That’s where we got the idea to create a pizza that people might have eaten in the Roman Empire, using only ingredients that were in wide use at the time.”Zara began researching Roman culinary history, consulting a historian in Germany as well as the ancient cookbook De re coquinaria, thought to have been authored around the 5th century. Following his research, he compiled a list of historically documented ingredients to present to the pizzeria’s head chef. “We sat down to imagine what we might be able to make using these ingredients, and without using things like tomatoes and mozzarella,” Zara said. “We had to exclude all ingredients that originated from America.”Head chef Gergely Bárdossy said the constraints forced the team into months of experimentation, and a few false starts. “We had to discard a couple ideas,” Bárdossy said. “The fact that there wasn’t infrastructure like a water system at the time of the Romans made things difficult for us, since more than 80% of pizza dough is water. We had to come up with something that would have worked before running water.” The solution: helping the dough rise using fermented spinach juice. Ancient grains such as einkorn and spelt, widely cultivated in Roman times, formed the base, and the dough ended up slightly more dense than that of most modern pizzas.The finished pie is topped with ingredients associated with Roman aristocratic cuisine, including epityrum, an olive paste, garum, a fermented fish sauce ubiquitous in Roman cooking, confit duck leg, toasted pine nuts, ricotta and a grape reduction. “Our creation can be called a modern pizza from the perspective that we tried to make it comprehensible for everyone,” Bárdossy said. “Although we wouldn’t use all its ingredients for everyday dishes. There is a narrow niche that thinks this is delicious and is curious about it, while most people want more conventional pizza, so it’s not for everyday eating. It’s something special.”For Zara, the project reflects Neverland Pizzeria’s broader philosophy.“We’ve always liked coming up with new and interesting things, but tradition is also very important for us, and we thought that these two things together suit us,” he said. However, he added, there is a modern boundary the restaurant will not cross. “We do a lot of experimentation with our pizzas. But of course, we definitely do not use pineapple,” he said.Associated Press]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2026 11:09:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Met Gala’s dress code for 2026 has been revealed, it is Fashion is Art]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/25/met-galas-dress-code-for-2026-has-been-revealed-it-is-fashion-is-art]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[You certainly don’t have to tell Beyoncé this: Fashion, when deployed properly, is nothing less than art. Now, the fashion-forward superstar will have another chance to make the point. When she co-chairs the Met Gala in May, all eyeballs will be glued to the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see how one of the most watched women on the planet, in her eighth gala appearance, interprets the dress code: “Fashion is art.”The museum announced the dress code on Monday, along with some gala-related details including new guest names. Joining the top co-chairs — Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, tennis champ Venus Williams and Vogue’s Anna Wintour — is a “host committee” chaired by designer Anthony Vaccarello and filmmaker Zoë Kravitz, and featuring names from Sabrina Carpenter and Teyana Taylor to Lena Dunham and Misty Copeland. Additions include actor Angela Bassett and athlete Aimee Mullins.They, and everyone else attending, will be figuring out what to wear come May 4. The code seems to have been chosen for maximum flexibility. And, quips Andrew Bolton, curator of the Met’s Costume Institute: “Hopefully, it will put an end to the rather obsolete ‘Is Fashion Art?’ debate once and for all.”For Bolton, though, the show’s the thing, to paraphrase Hamlet. As gala-watchers know, the big party is not only a fundraiser for the institute — a self-funding department — but a launchpad for the annual spring fashion exhibit. Curated by Bolton and his team, this year’s show, “Costume Art,” seeks to present fashion as a through-line in the entire history of art.The exhibit will be the biggest, in terms of objects, that the institute’s ever done: nearly 400 in total, or 200 garments and 200 artworks from around the museum, placed in pairs. “It’s a beast,” Bolton said, looking a tad exhausted as he guided a reporter around the beginnings of the exhibit on a recent visit.The idea, he noted, is to examine “the dressed body” in all its aspects, and to make the point that not only is fashion art — something previous shows have shown — but that art is fashion. “It’s reversing what we’ve done before,” Bolton says. “Now we’re looking at art through the lens of fashion.” What that means, in practice, is that you might see an art object in a glass case — say, a vase from ancient Greece. Displayed above the case will be a garment from the museum’s vast costume collection, echoing the fashion on figures in that vase.Right now, that vase is represented by a small color snapshot, affixed with dozens of others to the walls of a small conference room in the bowels of the museum — along with countless Post-it notes. Bolton has been spending lots of time in this space, which looks rather like a teenager’s room (albeit a very cultured teenager.) Bolton walks along the walls, pointing out each of 12 sections organized to show the range of bodies — and body types — in art. Some are pervasive, like the classical body or the naked body.Others have been overlooked, like the disabled body, the ageing body, or the corpulent body. Bolton notes that in art, the corpulent body has almost entirely been used as a fertility symbol. “It’s like the notion that corpulence does not exist without fertility,” he says.Then there’s the pregnant body, also much overlooked in both art and fashion history. It’s represented here by the pairing of Edgar Degas’ “Pregnant Woman,” a naturalist sculpture that gives a rare look at 19th-century maternity, with designer Georgina Godley’s 1986 dress featuring exaggerated padded curves — defined as “a radical feminist critique” of traditional fashion.The exhibit, which seeks to emphasize diversity in body types, also aims to enable viewers to see themselves in some of the fashions. Thus, mannequins will feature heads with polished steel surfaces — as in mirrors — designed by artist Samar Hejazi.Bolton, who’s curated the Met’s biggest costume shows, nonetheless says he felt special pressure here to do “something spectacular.” That’s because “Costume Art” is inaugurating, with fanfare, a prominent new home for the museum’s fashion exhibits. The new Conde M. Nast Galleries — created from what was formerly the museum’s retail store — will occupy nearly 12,000 square feet (1,115 square meters) off the museum’s Great Hall.For one thing, that will mean gala guests now can conveniently view the exhibit and then stroll easily to the dinner portion of the evening at the Temple of Dendur - or toggle between the two. A more lasting result: it will prevent snaking lines elsewhere in the museum, once the show opens to the public May 10.For “Costume Art,” the galleries, still being completed, consist of two main rooms with different heights — one with an 18-foot ceiling, one with a 9-foot ceiling. The idea is for viewers to weave in and out of each space. “There’s a permeability,” Bolton says. He calls the new show, already, one of the highlights of his career — and a statement of intent.“We’re trying to make a statement here — that this is something WE can do at the Met,” he explains. “We have access to 16 curatorial departments across the museum.” And, of course, access to the institute’s more than 33,000 garments. “Really, nobody else has this capacity,” Bolton says.He hopes the show will inaugurate not only new galleries, but an era of collaboration with the rest of the museum - one that puts fashion, well, forward. “Costume Art” will run from May 10 through Jan. 10, 2027.Associated Press]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:47:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[&#039;I will go:&#039; Bengalis living in Pakistan optimistic for family reunions]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/23/i-will-go-bengalis-in-pakistan-optimistic-for-family-reunions]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Shah Alam travelled from his home in Bangladesh to Pakistan for a brief visit nearly three decades ago, but flaring hostility between the two countries and financial woes left him stranded in the megacity of Karachi.Now the 60-year-old, who makes a modest living selling dried seafood, is determined to return to his birthplace, having already missed the deaths of his parents and first wife in Bangladesh.Direct flights between Pakistan and Bangladesh — one nation until 1971 — finally resumed last month after a 14-year pause, reflecting a warming of once-frosty ties since a Bangladeshi student-led uprising ushered in new leadership in 2024.Shah Alam has already started planning his trip to be reunited with remaining family. "I will go," he told AFP with teary eyes."I am facing some financial issues but will certainly go with my son after Eid Al Adha." Alam, who married again in Pakistan, still owns agricultural land and his family home in Bangladesh."Everything is there. I was stuck here," he told AFP in Karachi, near the well-known Bengali market where he peddles desiccated fish and prawns to make ends meet for $7 to $9 per day."I wanted to go back, but there was no way. The relationship (between Pakistan and Bangladesh) was not good. I had no money as well to go back home." "Now, I want to see my elder brother and my married daughter who live in Bangladesh."A MILLION ETHNIC BENGALIS There are estimated to be over a million ethnic Bengalis now living in Pakistan, many of whom arrived during the war, after which East Pakistan declared independence and became Bangladesh.Bengalis have long complained that Pakistan, where they are a small minority, has never accepted them as citizens and that they lack access to education, business opportunities and the property market.Hussain Ahmed, 20, whose family lives in Machhar Colony, one of Karachi's largest slum areas where most of the population is comprised of Bengalis, does not have Pakistani nationality or an identity card."How can I go (to Bangladesh)? I want to go there," the fish factory worker told AFP. "Even my father doesn't have an identity card. How can I get it then?" "I am a Pakistani, but I don't have my identity card," another 22-year-old Bengali, Ahmed, told AFP.Ahmed says he has the required documents, but cannot prove that his family was living in what is now Pakistan before 1971. "They declare me a Bangladeshi, but I am a Pakistani," he said.REMAIN STATELESSLike many others, Ahmed's relatives live in Bangladesh, but he and his family have never had the chance to see them as they remain stateless. "We have our relatives there, but the (Pakistan) government doesn't recognise us."Last August, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Dhaka and met with Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in the first Pakistani government visit to Dhaka since 2012, with Islamabad calling it a "significant milestone."Yunus vowed to warm strained ties with Islamabad after he took the helm of Bangladesh's government in a temporary capacity following the 2024 overthrow of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina who fled to her long-time ally India.Local politician Muhammad Rafiqul Hussain, who was born in Karachi, told AFP that Bengalis like him live across Pakistan and contribute to the economy like other Pakistanis. He is one of the seven elected leaders from the Bengali community in Karachi's municipal government."This is our fourth generation in Pakistan," he said, adding there are more than 106 Bengali neighbourhoods in Karachi.For Hussain, the "cordial relationship" between Pakistan and Bangladesh has made a big difference for Pakistani Bengalis."Everyone is happy. It will boost both countries' economies. It will encourage brotherhood like we had in the past."However, community activist and lawyer Hafiz Zainulabdin Shah said Bengalis living in Pakistan have lost some of their identity by adopting local languages."Bengalis who live in Karachi mostly speak Urdu," he said, adding: "We don't have our own culture now." But despite Pakistan-based Bengalis living "with a sense of deprivation", Shah said "they feel content with the newly developed relationship between the two countries."  "It should continue forever," he said.Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 20:47:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Largest nationwide food rescue operation for Ramadan launched in UAE]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/23/largest-nationwide-food-rescue-operation-for-ramadan-launched-in-uae]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[ne’ma - the National Food Loss and Waste Initiative- has announced the expansion of its “Valuing Our Roots” campaign for Ramadan 2026, marking the most significant geographic and operational rollout of its food rescue programme since its inception.In a major step towards high-capacity national redistribution, ne’ma will operate simultaneously across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah.The 2026 programme aims to rescue more than 300,000 tonnes of food across the value chain, targeting a 50% increase in recovered surplus compared to the previous year.As in previous years, and in alignment with the UAE’s Year of Family, the campaign centers on the ne’ma Family Iftar Boxes.These boxes redistribute surplus fresh produce and non-perishable items from major suppliers and farms, including Majid Al Futtaim Group, Silal, and Agthia Group, to more than 10,000 low-income families.This year, ne’ma is transforming its packing centers into vibrant community hubs, inviting families, corporate partners, and Emirates Foundation staff to volunteer side by side.By encouraging multi-generational volunteering, ne’ma mirrors the UAE’s values of compassion and unity, allowing families to share in the reward of service.Khuloud Hassan Al Nuwais, Chief Sustainability Officer of Emirates Foundation and ne’ma’s Committee Secretary General, said: “As we welcome the holy month of Ramadan and mark the Year of Family, ne’ma’s food rescue programs remind us that food security is the foundation of a thriving society. Our Ramadan efforts reflect strong operational commitment from partners across the value chain.“By strengthening long-term partnerships and expanding our reach, we are redirecting surplus food to protect resources, honor our heritage, and ensure that safe, nutritious produce and non-perishables reach deserving families across the Emirates.”The campaign is powered by a coalition of strategic partners, including the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), the Khalifa Foundation, Majid Al Futtaim Group, and more than 20 food retailers and distributors.Strengthening the 2026 rollout, Silal continues its long-term commitment to ne’ma’s food rescue programme by contributing high-quality, imperfect fresh produce.Commenting on this collaboration, Humaid Al Rumaithi, CEO of Food Security at Silal, said: “Reducing food loss and waste is embedded in our operation from sourcing to distribution. Through our partnership with ne’ma, we are transforming commitment into impact by strengthening surplus management systems, improving redistribution channels, and advancing responsible food practices across the value chain.“This collaboration reinforces our role in building a more sustainable and resilient food ecosystem.”Over 54 scheduled activities, ne’ma and Takatof will mobilise thousands of volunteers, including corporate teams and families, to pack and distribute boxes at seven central hubs, including Expo City Dubai and Al Moatasem School in Abu Dhabi.Mohamed Al Hosani, Director of Leadership & Empowerment at Emirates Foundation and Director of Programs at Takatof, added: “The collaboration with ne’ma allows us to channel the surge in community engagement during Ramadan into a coordinated and meaningful effort.“We are seeing a notable opportunity to engage volunteers and families around this cause, encouraging both adults and children to better value our resources. We hope this momentum will strengthen volunteer retention and foster deeper, more sustained awareness of food responsibility that extends well beyond the holy month.”Through its long-standing “Valuing our Roots” campaign and in collaboration with partners across the entire value chain, ne’ma reinforces its commitment to raising public awareness and reducing food loss and waste across the UAE.These efforts advance national goals under the UAE Food Security Strategy 2051 and support the country’s pledge to halve food loss and waste by 2030 in line with SDG 12.3.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 20:46:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[&#039;No thanks:&#039; Greenland, Denmark reject Trump&#039;s hospital ship offer]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/23/no-thanks-greenland-denmark-reject-trumps-hospital-ship-offer]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Denmark and its territory Greenland rejected Donald Trump's offer to send a naval hospital ship to the Arctic island coveted by the US leader.A day earlier, Trump said he was sending "a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there." But Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who heads the autonomous territory's government, wrote on his Facebook page: "That will be 'no thanks' from us.""President Trump's idea to send a US hospital ship here to Greenland has been duly noted. But we have a public health system where care is free for citizens," he said. "This is not the case in the United States, where going to the doctor costs money."Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen likewise told Danish broadcaster DR: "The Greenlandic population receives the healthcare it needs. They receive it either in Greenland, or, if they require specialised treatment, they receive it in Denmark."He added: "It's not as if there's a need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland."On the day that Trump made his proposal, Danish forces evacuated a crew member of a US submarine off the coast of Greenland's capital Nuuk after the sailor requested urgent medical attention.Denmark's Joint Arctic Command said in a post on Facebook that the crew member was flown to a hospital in Nuuk after an unspecified medical emergency on board the vessel.AI-generated hospital shipIn Greenland, as in Denmark, access to healthcare is free for citizens. There are five regional hospitals across the vast Arctic island, with the one in the capital Nuuk serving patients from all over the territory.Without explicitly mentioning the US proposal, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was "happy to live in a country where access to healthcare is free and equal for all. Where insurance or wealth does not determine whether one receives dignified treatment."Trump, in his Truth Social message on Saturday about the hospital ship, posted an AI-generated image of a US Navy medical vessel, USNS Mercy. "It's on the way!!!" he added.It was not immediately clear if that meant he was deploying that ship to Greenland.The US president indicated the deployment was being carried out in coordination with Jeff Landry, appointed in December as the US Special Envoy to the Arctic island.Aaja Chemnitz, who represents Greenland in the Danish Parliament, wrote on Facebook that, while Greenland's health system had its share of problems, they were best resolved through cooperation with Denmark.Denmark, she noted, "is one of the wealthiest and most educated countries, for example in the field of healthcare," contrasting it with "the United States, which has its own healthcare system problems."Earlier this month, Greenland signed an agreement with Copenhagen to improve the treatment of Greenlandic patients in Danish hospitals.Denmark's central bank had warned in January that the Arctic island's public finances were under pressure from demographic trends, pointing to its ageing population and shrinking workforce.'New normal'Trump has repeatedly said he believes the United States must control Greenland to ensure US national security.Earlier threats he made to seize the territory, by force if necessary, have ebbed since he struck a "framework" deal with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to ensure greater US influence.The defence minister, Lund Poulsen, told DR he was not aware of a possible arrival of the suggested US hospital ship."Trump is constantly tweeting about Greenland. So this is undoubtedly an expression of the new normal that has taken hold in international politics," he said.Meanwhile, in Nuuk, where a third of the island's 57,000 inhabitants live, people are tired of the US president's repeated jabs."I don't care," a man said under sparse, icy snowfall when asked by AFP about Trump's recent remarks, while most people avoided journalists' questions.Agence France-Presse ]]></description>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/23/no-thanks-greenland-denmark-reject-trumps-hospital-ship-offer]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 17:29:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Heartwarming video shows baby Punch finally accepted by his troop]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/22/heartwarming-video-shows-baby-punch-finally-accepted-by-his-troop]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[In a touching display of compassion, Punch, a seven-month-old macaque monkey at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, has finally found acceptance within his troop. A viral video showing an adult monkey, Onsing, pulling the lonely infant into a gentle, reassuring embrace has captured the hearts of viewers worldwide.Punch, who was abandoned by his mother at birth, first became an internet sensation when videos showed him clinging to a large orangutan plush toy for comfort. Despite his early struggles to fit in with the other monkeys, Punch's life took a positive turn after enduring several days of rejection from his troop.A moving post by X user @dondawastaken reads, "After enduring days of rejection, Baby Punch finally experienced the comfort of love. Today, Onsing, an adult macaque, offered Punch a firm and deeply reassuring embrace."Further footage revealed Punch being groomed by another adult monkey, signaling a key moment of trust and social bonding. In primate communities, grooming is a critical behavior used to foster relationships, build trust, and establish social hierarchies within the group.Punch’s journey began when zookeepers introduced him to the macaque enclosure. His early attempts to integrate were met with indifference and even aggression from his peers. However, a thoughtful gesture from a zoo staff member — gifting Punch a plush toy — provided him with much-needed comfort and emotional support during those early difficult days.The heartwarming videos of Punch’s transformation have since become a symbol of hope and resilience, reminding the world of the importance of compassion and the bonds that unite us all.Punch's predicament sparked sympathy online, spawning a devoted Punch fanbase who began posting updates on the monkey under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch.On Friday, more than 100 visitors gathered around the monkey enclosure at the zoo, straining to take photos and shouting "hang in there!" as Punch tried to approach others in the troop."We're here since this morning. We rarely come to a zoo but we wanted to see cute Punch," said 32-year-old Sayaka Takimoto who drove two hours with her husband to see the monkey.The couple said they found social media posts of Punch carrying around the soft toy "adorable."]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/22/heartwarming-video-shows-baby-punch-finally-accepted-by-his-troop]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 16:51:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[This woodsy California ski town is like Mammoth without the crowds]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/22/this-woodsy-california-ski-town-is-like-mammoth-without-the-crowds]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[You are a beginning or intermediate skier, allergic to long lift lines, more interested in peace and quiet than après-ski action. Or you have young kids, ripe for introduction to skiing or snowboarding. Or you simply want a rustic mountain getaway, one where you can amble through a woodsy little village with zero Starbucks. These traits make you a good candidate for June Lake, the eastern Sierra town that lives most of its life in the shadow of bigger, busier Mammoth Lakes.“It’s way family-friendlier than Mammoth,” said Daniel Jones after a day of June Lake snowboarding with Lorena Alvarado and children Gabriela Gonzales, 7, and Amirah Jones, 2. They had come from Riverside, a first-time visit for the kids.Like me, they’d arrived in time to savor the sight of the Sierra under all the snow that fell in late December. That storm knocked out power for several days, but led to the opening of all the trails on June Mountain, the town’s ski resort. The main road to June Lake is the 14-mile June Lake Loop, a.k.a. State Route 158, which branches off from US 395 about 10 miles north of the exit for Mammoth, roughly 320 miles north of Los Angeles. Once you leave 395, things get rustic quickly.The two-lane loop threads its way among forests and A-frames and cabins, skirting the waters of June Lake and the lake’s village, which is only a few blocks long. Check out the three-foot icicles dripping from the eaves and keep an eye out for the big boulder by the fire station on the right.After the village, you pass Gull Lake (the tiniest of the four lakes along the loop) and the June Mountain ski area. Then, if you’re driving in summer, the road loops back to 395 by way of Silver Lake and Grant Lake. But in winter, the northern part of that loop is closed to cars, Maybe this is why the village, mountain and environs so often feel like a snowbound secret. As for the June Mountain ski area, its 1,500 accessible acres make it much smaller than Mammoth Mountain (with whom it shares a corporate parent). And it has a larger share of beginner and intermediate runs — a drag for hotshots, maybe, but a boon for families.By management’s estimate, June Mountain’s 41 named trails are 15% beginner level and 40% intermediate. (At Mammoth, 59% of 180 named trails are rated difficult, very difficult or extremely difficult.) Leaning into this difference, June Mountain offers free lift tickets to children 12 and under. (Adult lift tickets are typically $119-$179 per day.) The ski area is served by six chairlifts, and just about everyone begins by riding chair J1 up to the June Meadows Chalet (8,695 feet above sea level). That’s where the cafeteria, rental equipment, lockers and shop are found and lessons begin. That’s also where you begin to notice the view, especially the 10,908-foot Carson Peak.“Usually, me and my family go to Big Bear every year, but we wanted to try something different. Less people. And a lot of snow,” said Valeriia Ivanchenko, a 20-year-old snowboarder who was taking a breather outside the chalet.“No lines and lots of big, wide-open runs,” said Brian Roehl, who had come from Sacramento with his wife.“The lake views are nice, too,” said Roxie Roehl. June Lake is a 30-minute drive from Mammoth. Because both operations are owned by Denver-based Alterra Mountain Co., Mammoth lift tickets are generally applicable at June. So it’s easy to combine destinations. Or you could just focus on June Lake, an unincorporated community with about 600 people, one K-8 public school and one gas station (the Shell station where 158 meets 395). In summer, when it’s busiest, fishers and boaters head for the lakes and you can reach Yosemite National’s eastern entrance with a 25-mile drive via the seasonal Tioga Road.In winter and summer alike, the heart of June Lake’s village is dominated by the 94-year-old Tiger Bar & Café (which was due to be taken over by new owners in January); Ernie’s Tackle & Ski Shop (which goes back to 1932 and has lower rental prices than those at June Mountain); the June Lake General Store and June Lake Brewing. At the brewery — JLB to locals — I found Natalie and Chris Garcia of Santa Barbara and their daughter Winnie, 18 months old and eager to chase down a duck on the patio. “This is her first snow,” Natalie Garcia said, adding that June Lake “just feels more down-home ... less of a party scene.”“We built a snowman,” said Chris Garcia. It’s fun to imagine that rustic, semi-remote places like this never change, but of course they do, for better and worse. The Carson Peak Inn steakhouse, a longtime landmark, is closed indefinitely. Meanwhile, Pino Pies, which offers New Zealand-style meat pies, opened in the village last spring. (I recommend the $13 potato-top pie.) Next time I’m in town I hope to try the June Deli (which took over the former Epic Cafe space in the village last year) and the June Pie Pizza Co. (New York-style thin crusts) or the Balanced Rock Grill & Cantina. And I might make a day trip to Mono Lake (about 15 miles north). I might also repeat the two hikes I did in the snow. For one, I put crampons on my boots and headed about 3 miles south on US 395 to the Obsidian Dome Trail, a mostly flat route of just under a mile — great for snowshoes or walking dogs.For the other hike, I headed to the closed portion of June Lake Loop and parked just short of the barricade. Beyond it, a hiker or snowshoer finds several miles of carless, unplowed path, with mountains rising to your left and half-frozen Rush Creek and Silver Lake to the right. “You get up to the lake and you hear the ice cracking. It’s wonderful,” said Mike Webb, 73, whom I met on the trail with his son, Randy, 46, and Randy’s 10-year-old and 12-year-old. “This is serenity up here,” said Webb. “If you’re looking for a $102 pizza, go to Mammoth.”Getting thereIt’s a 320-mile drive from Los Angeles to June Lake, which is about 7,500 feet above sea level. Depending on weather conditions, snow tires or chains are sometimes required on US 395 or State Route 158. Before any visit, be sure to check the status of those roads.Where to stay: If you can afford its rates ($299 and up), the year-round Double Eagle Resort is the most comfortable hotel in the area. It stands along the June Lake Loop, about three miles beyond the village, 1.6 miles past the ski resort, with 32 rooms and cabins, a spa, a 60-foot indoor pool and a pair of ponds that staffers stock with fish in summer. I had breakfast and dinner, both pleasant, in the resort restaurant, Eagle’s Landing. In the Heidelberg Inn, which opened in 1927, visitors find an enormous stone fireplace and stuffed bear in the lobby. Converted to vacation condos in the 1980s, the building looked tired to me (Jacuzzi closed, discoloration in lobby ceiling, DVD/VCR player beneath my TV) but service was helpful. Rates for one-bedroom units (with kitchens) start around $239.Also in the village, with lower prices, the June Lake Villager Motel is a rambling property beneath a vintage mid-century sign. The Villager (roughly $150-$300 per night) has 24 units, of which 16 have kitchens. No two units are alike, but the several I saw were clean and comfortable.]]></description>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/22/this-woodsy-california-ski-town-is-like-mammoth-without-the-crowds]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 10:58:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Austria turns Hitler&#039;s home into police station]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/21/austria-turns-hitlers-home-into-police-station]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Turning the house where Adolf Hitler was born into a police station has raised mixed emotions in his Austrian hometown."It's a double-edged sword," said Sibylle Treiblmaier, outside the house in the town of Braunau am Inn on the border with Germany.While it might discourage far-right extremists from gathering at the site, it could have "been used better or differently," the 53-year-old office assistant told AFP.The government wants to "neutralise" the site and passed a law in 2016 to take control of the dilapidated building from its private owner.Austria — which was annexed by Hitler's Germany in 1938 — has repeatedly been criticised in the past for not fully acknowledging its responsibility in the Holocaust.The far-right Freedom Party, founded by former Nazis, is ahead in the polls after getting the most votes in a national election for the first time in 2024, though it failed to form a government.Last year, two streets in Braunau am Inn commemorating Nazis were renamed after years of complaints by activists.'PROBLEMATIC'The house where Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, and lived for a short period of his early life, is right in the centre of town on a narrow shop-lined street.A memorial stone in front reads: "For Peace, Freedom and Democracy. Never Again Fascism. Millions of Dead Warn."When AFP visited this week, workers were putting the finishing touches to the renovated facade.Officers are scheduled to move in during "the second quarter of 2026", the interior ministry said. But for author Ludwig Laher, a member of the Mauthausen Committee Austria that represents Holocaust victims, "a police station is problematic, as the police... are obliged, in every political system, to protect what the state wants."An earlier idea to turn the house into a place where people would come together to discuss peace-building had "received a lot of support," he told AFP.Jasmin Stadler, a 34-year-old shop owner and Braunau native, said it would have been interesting to put Hitler's birth in the house in a "historic context", explaining more about the house. She also slammed the 20-million-euro ($24-million) cost of the rebuild.'BIT OF CALM' But others are in favour of the redesign of the house, which many years ago was rented by the interior ministry and housed a centre for people with disabilities before it fell into disrepair.Wolfgang Leithner, a 57-year-old electrical engineer, said turning it into a police station would "hopefully bring a bit of calm", avoiding it becoming a shrine for far-right extremists. "It makes sense to use the building and give it to the police, to the public authorities," he said.The office of Braunau's conservative mayor declined an AFP request for comment.Throughout Austria, debate on how to address the country's Holocaust history has repeatedly flared.Agence France-Presse ]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/21/austria-turns-hitlers-home-into-police-station]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Sat, 21 Feb 2026 22:00:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Japan’s kimonos are being repurposed in creative and sustainable ways]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/21/japans-kimonos-are-being-repurposed-in-creative-and-sustainable-ways]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The kimono, that elaborate, delicate wrap-around garment worn by geisha and samurai from centuries back, is getting a vibrant remake, appreciated these days for a virtue that’s more relevant than ever: sustainability. A genuine silk kimono, which literally means “worn thing,” lasts a hundred years or more. In a Japanese family, it’s handed down over generations like heirloom jewellery, artworks and military medals. It never goes out of style. The design of the kimono and accompanying “obi” sash has remained basically the same since the 17th century Edo period depicted in Akira Kurosawa samurai movies.But today, some people are taking a different creative approach, refashioning the traditional kimono, and also taking apart and resewing them as jackets, dresses and pants. “I noticed that a lot of beautiful kimono is just sleeping in people’s closets. That’s such a waste,” said Mari Kubo, who heads a kimono-remake business called K’Forward, pronounced “K dash forward.”Hers is among a recent surge in such services, which also turn old kimono into tote bags and dolls. The most popular among Kubo’s products are “tomesode,” a type of formal kimono that is black with colorful, embroidered flowers, birds or foliage at the bottom.She also creates matching sets, or what she calls “set-ups.” A tomesode is turned into a jacket with its long, flowing sleeves intact, and its intricate patterns placed at the center in the back. She then takes a kimono with a matching pattern to create a skirt or pants to go with the top. Sometimes, an obi is used at the collar to add a pop of colour.Kubo said many of her customers are young people who want to enjoy a kimono without the fuss. A remade kimono at K’Forward can cost as much as 160,000 yen ($1,000) for a “furisode,” a colourful kimono with long sleeves meant for young unmarried women, while a black tomesode goes for about 25,000 yen ($160).What Tomoko Ohkata loves most about the products she designs using old kimonos is that she doesn’t have to live with a guilty conscience, and instead feels she is helping solve an ecological problem. “I feel the answer was right there, being handed down from our ancestors,” she said.Recycling venues in Japan get thousands of old kimonos a day as people find them stashed away in closets by parents and grandparents. These days, Japanese generally wear kimonos just for special occasions like weddings. Many women prefer to wear a Western-style white wedding dress rather than the kimono, or they wear both.Many of Ohkata’s clientele are people who have found a kimono at home and want to give it new life. They care about the story behind the kimono, she added.Her small store in downtown Tokyo displays various dolls, including a figure of an emperor paired with his wife, who are traditionally brought out for display in Japanese homes for the Girls’ Day festival every March 3. Her dolls, however, are exquisitely dressed in recycled kimonos, tailored in tiny sizes to fit the dolls. They sell for 245,000 yen ($1,600) a pair.The original old-style kimono is also getting rediscovered.“Unlike the dress, you can arrange it,” says Nao Shimizu, who heads a school in Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto that teaches people how to wear a kimono and how to carry oneself while wearing it.“In half a year, you can learn how to do it all by yourself,” she said, briskly demonstrating several ways to tie the obi to express different moods, from playful to understated.Besides its durability, said Shimizu, that versatility also makes the kimono sustainable. Younger Japanese are taking a more relaxed view, wearing a kimono with boots, for instance, she laughed. Traditionally, kimono is worn with sandals called “zori.” Although it requires some skill to put on a kimono in the traditional way, one can take lessons from teachers like Shimizu, like learning a musical instrument. Professional help is also available at beauty parlors, hotels and some shops.Most Japanese might wear a kimono just a few times in their lives. But wearing one is a memorable experience.Sumie Kaneko, a singer who plays the traditional Japanese instruments koto and shamisen, often performs wearing flashy dresses made of recycled kimonos. The idea of sustainability is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, she says, noting that the ivory and animal hide used in her musical instruments are now hard to obtain. She calls it “the recycling of life.” “The performer breathes new life into them,” says the New York-based Kaneko. “In the same way, a past moment — and those patterns and colours that were once loved — can come back to life.”Associated Press]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:19:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[How Ramadan&#039;s late-night chai culture can save London’s night-time economy]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/20/how-ramadans-late-night-chai-culture-can-save-londons-night-time-economy]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[On a freezing –2˚C January night in London, I walked across Piccadilly Circus. The Christmas lights and angels were gone, replaced by National Basketball Association posters to mark its return to the capital.At just after 11.30pm, the tourists had thinned out and Central London was left to the die-hards – avid nightclub-goers smoking and shivering, huddled around heat lamps and sitting on the kerbside in flocks. A few groups were loitering, scanning the streets for somewhere – anywhere – to stretch the night a little longer.Fewer choicesUnlike global cities such as Tokyo, New York City and Dubai – where there are tea houses, 24-hour diners and cafes purely for late-night socialising – London offers far fewer options. Here, on most nights of the week, there are only two choices after-hours: go to the pub and spend an exorbitant amount on drinks, or go home.Even that first possibility expires at 11pm thanks to licencing laws, as many venues are required by local councils to stop serving alcohol and close early. And if it weren’t for the Tube running a 24-hour service on Fridays and Saturdays, the night would end far earlier for Londoners. We’d be resigned to being buried under electric blankets, binge-watching trash telly.Though over the past few years, there’s one annual event that has caused a marked difference in after-hours habits: Ramadan.Each year, the month-long period of fasting observed by Muslims around the world brings a subtle shift to London. The streets become festooned with “Happy Ramadan” lights, and many halal cafes and restaurants change their hours to open just before Iftar (the fast-breaking meal at sunset) and continue to accept customers well past Suhoor (the pre-dawn meal).In predominantly Muslim pockets of the city, such as along Edgware Road and around Regent’s Park, evenings stretch out late, as long conversations are fuelled by cups of chai (tea). It’s an atmosphere that mirrors Muslim cultures across the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia.Socialising without alcoholIt has also sparked a wider conversation about socialising without alcohol. With 43 per cent of young adults (aged 18 to 24) now choosing no and low-alcohol options — according to 2026 data — the landscape is shifting, and people are increasingly seeking out third spaces that aren’t centred on drinking.Since 2020, the UK has lost 32 per cent of its nightclubs, while pubs are closing at a rate of one per day. Against that backdrop, Ramadan’s late-night culture feels like an outlier.Though this isn’t a novel concept. At midnight, I meandered through Frith Street and opened the door to Bar Italia to catch up with a friend over coffee. Opened in 1949, the Italian cafe has long survived by being one of the few places in Soho still open until 4am, welcoming both drinkers and non-drinkers alike.Outside, a blue plaque notes that the attic above the bar-cafe was the birthplace of television. Inside, a sign informed me that it was exactly 100 years to the day since television was invented. As we ordered cappuccinos, students lined the counter with open laptops, while another group settled into the sofas opposite, engrossed in a board game.Scenes like this fuel a much bigger question about how London functions after dark. Ramadan alone now generates £1.3 billion each year – a figure that is growing faster than the UK economy, with projections suggesting it could reach £2b annually by 2030. If the city can accommodate this model for 30 days each year, why does it struggle to sustain it beyond that?“London’s night-time economy supports more than a million jobs, contributes more than £139b to our economy and brings communities together, but action is needed to ensure that it can be a thriving part of life in our city for many years to come,” a spokesperson for Sir Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, informs me.The mayor recently published a report from a new London Nightlife Taskforce that was set up last year in response to growing pressures on night-time businesses and customers. Representatives from across London were invited to join the independent taskforce.The report, which outlines 23 different recommendations, is claimed to be “the most up-to-date and comprehensive evidence base on London’s nightlife ever produced.”Ramadan a great model“The [Nightlife Taskforce] report shows how nightlife has evolved to include a diverse range of cultural, social and community activity across the capital, and the activities that take place for Ramadan are a great example of the many ways our city comes to life at night,” the spokesperson added. Indeed, the city begins to stir in the weeks leading up to Ramadan.The day after my night out, I made my way to Aldgate, where pamphlets were taped to street lamps advertising the Ramadan Souk as it unfolded across London, with one of its major stops at East London Mosque. Running the month before Ramadan each year, the programme brings arts and crafts, cooking workshops, children’s activities, and free food and drinks to the chosen stops.From there, I continued on to London Night Cafe. A small, independent communal space, it’s part cafe, part reading corner, part workspace. Entry costs £7 on weekdays and Sundays, when it stays open until 3am, and £10 on Fridays, when it runs through the night.A small fridge stocked with soft drinks and milk sat beneath neatly stacked boxes of tea bags. There was a tower of Pot Noodles next to it, along with a coffee machine and microwave. The walls were lined with eclectic art, with a mattress-sofa arrangement and cushions running along one end of the room, and free video games, sunloungers and a mini ball pit in the other.“A wholesome environment that stays open late definitely comes with its own set of challenges, particularly when it comes to licensing,” explained Dr Eric Wycoff Rogers, founder of London Night Cafe.“There’s the cost of acquiring a licence, which really incentivises you to sell alcohol because if you can, then you should, as that’s where the money is. But I also think that’s where the lack of imagination is in what nightlife can be, since we don’t sell any alcohol.”The Nightlife Taskforce report signals that “new powers” relating to licensing decisions are expected to be introduced later this year.The Mayor’s spokesperson added that “[Sir Sadiq Khan] is committed to working with partners to do all he can to support life at night, and will be receiving new strategic licensing powers from the Government soon that will support the restaurant and hospitality industry, and help us to unlock the potential of our capital’s nightlife, as we build a better London for everyone.”This sentiment is echoed by Visit London, whose Tourism Vision for 2030 includes plans to foster a stronger 24-hour economy through longer opening hours and improved access across a wider range of neighbourhoods.“The experience economy is one of the key sectors in the London Growth Plan, and Ramadan fits naturally within this ambition,” said Rose Wangen-Jones, destination managing director at London & Partners (Visit London).“During Ramadan, late-night dining options give visitors and Londoners alike more opportunities to take their time with Iftar either after work or a day of exploring the city. More visitor destinations across wider parts of London, plus extended opening hours, will give space to a more even distribution of visitors, as well as benefitting businesses, Londoners and the local communities.”The next morning, I was up at 2.30am for a flight, but instead of my usual airport ritual – hash browns at Wetherspoons – I made a detour to VQ in Bloomsbury, London’s first 24-hour diner. Launched in 1995, it has a faintly American feel, with sleek communal tables, red booths and oversized coffee mugs. I ordered a classic small vegetarian full English – a fried egg on a toasted muffin with avocado, mushroom, grilled tomatoes, vegan sausage, beans, toast, butter, and a side of greasy hash browns.A different way of enjoymentWhat Ramadan makes visible is a different way of enjoying your time. In a city as large and culturally expansive as London, extending trading days from 12 hours to 18 isn’t about staying open for the sake of it, but about meeting people where they already are – before work, after work and in the hours in between. This includes those who don’t drink but still want to be out at night.For businesses, those additional hours could fuel economic growth, flexibility and resilience. For cities, they keep streets active during periods usually written off as dead time.Looking around, three distinct groups shared the space at VQ for entirely different reasons. At one table, students revised for what looked like an upcoming exam; another picked at sausages with the weary focus of people coming down from a night out; and at a third, two hijabi ladies carrying suitcases were refuelling before an early journey. All of us were there at the same hour for different reasons, drawn together by the same need: somewhere open, warm and communal in the middle of the night.]]></description>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/20/how-ramadans-late-night-chai-culture-can-save-londons-night-time-economy]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:56:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[MSK showcases breakthrough cancer innovations at World Health Expo]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/18/msk-showcases-breakthrough-cancer-innovations-at-world-health-expo]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[ Gulf Today, Staff Reporter At the recent World Health Expo (WHX) in Dubai, New York-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) showcased how breakthroughs in cancer research are being transformed into tangible benefits for patients worldwide, including across the Middle East, through earlier diagnosis, more precise treatments, and close collaboration with regional physicians. While scientific discovery remains the engine of progress, MSK’s growing focus is on translating innovation into real-world impact. Current efforts include less invasive diagnostic techniques, data-driven tools to guide personalised treatment decisions, and therapies designed to reduce side effects so patients can remain on treatment longer with better quality of life.Two internationally renowned MSK doctors shared their expertise during the event, highlighting how modern oncology is reshaping outcomes in some of the world’s most challenging cancers.Redefining colorectal cancer treatmentDr. Julio Garcia-Aguilar, Chief of Colorectal Service at MSK and a global leader in minimally invasive and robotic surgery, addressed the evolving management of colorectal cancer — one of the most common cancers and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Dr Garcia-Aguilar emphasised a paradigm shift toward non-operative treatment strategies. At MSK, more patients now receive combinations of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, with surgery avoided when the tumor completely disappears.“Our ‘Watch and Wait’ approach has allowed nearly 50 per cent of patients who traditionally required surgery to be cured without undergoing an operation,” he explained. “By reducing the need for surgery, we significantly improve quality of life while maintaining excellent cancer control.”He also highlighted the rising incidence of colorectal cancer in patients under 50, driven by a mix of hereditary and environmental factors, making innovation in early detection and treatment more critical than ever.Reflecting on his first experience at WHX, Dr Garcia-Aguilar described the event as unprecedented in scale and scientific exchange. “I have never seen a medical conference of this magnitude anywhere else in the world,” he said, noting the impressive global collaboration focused on improving patient care.Advancing care in gastric, liver, and esophageal cancersAnother key voice at the conference was Dr. Ghassan Abou-Alfa, a leading gastrointestinal medical oncologist at MSK. Dr Abou-Alfa shared updates on the evolving treatment of gastric and esophageal cancers — diseases that remain highly prevalent globally and particularly across the Gulf region and the Middle East.“While surgery is still central to treatment, chemotherapy and immunotherapy are now routinely given before and after surgery at MSK to improve long-term outcomes,” he explained. “It was especially rewarding to see physicians from different institutions discussing and building upon our research during WHX.” He also addressed the genetic dimension of cancer risk, noting that hereditary factors contribute significantly to gastric cancers in the Middle East, where consanguineous marriages are more common. MSK has pioneered comprehensive genetic testing for all tumor patients and developed specialised programmes for younger individuals with cancer. These initiatives aim to identify inherited cancer risks early, closely monitor high-risk patients, and intervene before disease progresses.“Our ultimate goal is prevention and early detection,” Dr. Abou-Alfa said. “By understanding genetic predispositions, we can act before cancer causes harm.”Global collaborationAccompanying the physicians was Alexandra Forauer, Director of Destination Services at MSK, who underscored the institution’s commitment to international collaboration and comprehensive patient care. “Cancer does not recognize borders, and neither should access to the most advanced care,” she said. “Our role is to work alongside physicians and health systems around the world to ensure patients benefit from the latest research, whether treatment is delivered locally or at MSK.” MSK supports a growing number of patients from the Middle East, particularly from United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. A dedicated international patient team assists throughout the care journey — from treatment planning and hospital admission to recovery and return home — while also supporting families with accommodation and language services, including Arabic-speaking staff and interpreters. Importantly, MSK physicians remain in close communication with doctors in patients’ home countries, ensuring continuity of care and shared clinical decision-making. For MSK, the conference reaffirmed the power of global collaboration in accelerating progress against cancer. “Collectively, as an international medical community, we can transform cancer care,” Forauer concluded. “By sharing knowledge, research, and innovation, we move closer to a future where every patient — regardless of geography — has access to the best possible outcomes.” ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 22:35:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Pakistani surgeons successfully perform country&#039;s first &#039;Robotic Whipple Surgery&#039;]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/16/pakistani-surgeons-successfully-perform-countrys-first-robotic-whipple-surgery]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Tariq Butt, Gulf Today Correspondent Pakistan has taken a significant step towards advanced cancer and liver care as surgeons at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre (PKLI&RC), Lahore have successfully performed the country's first-ever "Robotic Whipple Surgery," a highly complex procedure used to treat pancreatic and bile duct cancers, officials said.The landmark surgery, along with Pakistan's first robotic right hemi-hepatectomy, reflects the growing capacity of public-sector healthcare institutions to offer sophisticated, minimally invasive procedures that were previously available only abroad, PKLI&RC Dean Dr Faisal Saud Dar said.He said PKLI&RC Lahore has now completed around 500 robotic surgeries across multiple specialties, indicating the rapid maturation of robotic surgical services in Pakistan. "These procedures mark a turning point in the evolution of minimally invasive surgery in the country. Complex pancreatic and liver surgeries can now be safely performed locally."The Whipple procedure, medically known as pancreaticoduodenectomy, is one of the most demanding abdominal surgeries and is commonly performed for cancers of the pancreas, bile duct and surrounding areas. It involves removal of the head of the pancreas along with parts of the small intestine, bile duct and sometimes part of the stomach, followed by reconstruction of the digestive tract.Traditionally carried out through large open incisions, the surgical procedure is associated with significant risks, prolonged hospital stays and lengthy recovery periods.By contrast, the robotic approach allows surgeons to operate through small keyhole incisions using robotic arms controlled from a console, providing high-definition, three-dimensional views and greater precision in delicate surgical movements."Robotic systems give us enhanced dexterity in confined spaces, which is particularly important in pancreatic and liver surgery," Dr Dar said. "For patients, this can translate into less blood loss, fewer complications and faster recovery."The PKLI also successfully carried out a robotic right hemi-hepatectomy, a technically demanding liver operation involving removal of the right side of the liver, usually performed for liver tumours or advanced liver disease.Dr Dar acknowledged the consistent support of the Punjab government in strengthening PKLI's infrastructure, technology and service delivery, saying sustained public-sector backing had enabled the institute to invest in advanced robotic systems, specialised training and modern patient care facilities.The Punjab government, he added, is also considering adopting PKLI's governance and management model for upcoming healthcare institutions to improve transparency, efficiency and quality of care.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 16:38:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Letters reveal how World War II soldier courted sweetheart during wartime]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/16/letters-reveal-how-world-war-ii-soldier-courted-sweetheart-during-wartime]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Highlights from a trove of more than 200 love letters that tell the story of a couple’s courtship and marriage during World War II are now on display digitally through the Nashville Public Library, offering an intimate picture of love during wartime. The letters by William Raymond Whittaker and Jane Dean were found in a Nashville home that had belonged to Jane and her siblings.They were donated in 2016 to the Metro Nashville Archives. Whittaker, who went by Ray, was from New Rochelle, New York. He moved to the Tennessee capital to attend the historically Black Meharry Medical College, according to the library’s metropolitan archivist, Kelley Sirko. That’s where he met and dated Jane, another student at the college.The pair lost touch when Ray left Nashville. In the summer of 1942 he was drafted into the Army. Stationed at Fort Huachuca in Arizona, he decided to reestablish contact with Jane, who was then working as a medical lab technician at Vanderbilt University. The library doesn’t have Ray’s first letter to Jane, but it does have her reply. She greets him somewhat formally as “Dear Wm R.”“It sure was a pleasant and sad surprise to hear from you,” she writes on July 30, 1942. “Pleasant because you will always hold a place in my heart and its nice to know you think of me once in a while. Sad because you are in the armed forces — maybe I shouldn’t say that but war is so uncertain, however I’m proud to know that you are doing your bit for your country.”Jane then goes on to list — perhaps as a hint? — a string of mutual acquaintances who have gotten married recently, noting those who have had children or are rumoured to be having children. She signs off, “Write, wire or call me real soon — Lovingly Jane.”“You can’t help but smile when you read through these letters,” Sirko said. “You really can’t. And this was just such an intimate look at two regular people during a really complicated time in our history.” Sirko said Nashville archivists have not been able to locate any living relatives of Ray and Jane, so most of what they know about them is from the letters. The couple did not have any children, according to an obituary for Ray, who died in Nashville in 1989.The donation also included a few photographs and Ray’s patch from the historically Black fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha.Beyond a love story, the collection gives “this in-the-moment perspective of ... what it’s like just navigating certain racial issues, certain gender issues, their work, the life of a soldier, all of these things,” Sirko said. That’s why the archivists wanted to make it more accessible to the public.Just two months after the first letters, the romance has heated up. Ray has been assigned to Fort McClellan in Alabama, where he will help organize the reactivated — and segregated — 92nd Infantry Division, which went on to see combat in Europe. In an undated letter from September 1942, he tells Jane, “I have something very important to tell you when I do see you and you will be surprise to know as to what it is.“I might even ask you to marry me. One never knows.”He teases her by saying that if he goes to officer training school, he will be able to “draw down a fat juicey salary” — about $280 a month if he is married and $175 if single.“Really I can’t leave my excess amount of money to the government and must have someone to help me spend it,” he writes. At first Jane is skeptical. “What makes you think you still love me?” she asks on Sept. 23. “Is it that you are lonesome and a long way from home. I’m sure I want you to love me but not under those conditions.”A Sept. 24 letter from Ray is more serious. “Events are changing so rapidly these days that one can’t really plan for the future. But I am going to make a decisive decision in matters of most importances,” he writes.Ray says that he had thought he and Jane could not be together because they lived so far apart. He says he dated other women but “I didn’t find the companionship and love that I so dearly wanted to find. All I ran into was trouble and more trouble.” Soon Ray wins her over, and they are married on Nov. 7 in Birmingham.In a letter from Nov. 9, Jane addresses Ray as “my darling husband.” She is rapturous about the marriage but sad that the couple has to remain apart for now. She has already returned to her job and family in Nashville while he has returned to the Army base.“It’s a wonderful thing to have such and sweet and lovely husband. Darling you’ll never know how much I love you. The only regret is that we didn’t marry years ago... As it is now things are so uncertain and we are not together but such a few happy hours. But maybe this old war will soon be over and we can be together for always.” She concludes, “Darling be sweet and write to me soon. I want a letter from my husband. Remember I’ll always love you. Always — from Your Wife”Associated Press]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 11:18:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Collection basket goes high-tech at church, ‘people wanted to give more’]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/culture/2026/02/15/collection-basket-goes-high-tech-at-church-people-wanted-to-give-more]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Collection baskets at two Central Valley-area Catholic churches have gone high-tech, with credit card readers strapped to their sides so parishioners can tap in $20 or $40 donations as the baskets are passed down the rows of pews.So far, only Fresno’s Holy Spirit Catholic Church and Visalia’s Good Shepherd Catholic Parish, which has several churches under its umbrella, are part of the pilot program. Holy Spirit’s card readers were first in operation late summer, followed by Good Shepherd in late September.Though it did not provide total figures, the Diocese of Fresno, which covers eight counties and governs 87 Central Valley parishes, said donations have increased substantially since introduction of the card readers .Pete Márquez, deacon and business manager at Holy Spirit, said the Christmas collection was up 11% and overall, “we’re about 18% above what we were at this time last year. So, it has worked well.”Church officials say relying on people having cash is no longer an option, especially in the 17- to 44-year-old demographic that tends to be cashless and is the same group the church wants to cater to and attract. The Diocese also is hoping to broaden its donor base with the programme.“Those are the ones we’re targeting. I think it’s way overdue, because they’ve gotten lax. And, as you know, historically, and data shows, Catholics are the worst givers,” said Pastor Fr. Alex Chávez at Good Shepherd in Visalia.Pew Research shows 7-8% of a Catholic community carries the entire financial weight of a congregation when it comes to donations, Chávez said. Chávez said no matter what culture parishioners come from, the younger demographics are going cashless. “It’s cross-cultural,” he said. Fresno Diocese on cutting edge with the tech: About two and a half years ago, Fresno Diocese Bishop Joseph V. Brennan formed a partnership with the Ontario-based company Tiptap, to provide parishioners a venue to donate via card tap. With the plan, Fresno was joining a burgeoning national trend as an early adopter. In the Catholic Church, just over 100 parishes across the country are using card readers for collection, including dioceses in Raleigh, N.C., Little Rock, Ark., St Paul, Minn., Denver, and recently launched with 16 devices in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, according to Mark Jordan, managing director of sales and retention with TipTap in North America.In California, two other churches, one in San Francisco and one in Santa Monica, are using card readers for cashless collection at mass. Chávez said Holy Spirit and Good Shepherd are “the guinea pigs, so we’re ironing out all the kinks” before the dioceses roll it out to all parishes. Isabel Garcia, who attends Saint Charles Borromeo church in Visalia, told The Bee after a Sunday mass this month that she finds the credit card readers convenient because her bank lacks local branches, making it difficult for her to access cash.“It just makes it a lot easier to be able to just tap and be able to support my church,” said the 25-year-old from Visalia.Jeanette Valencia and her family used the card reader to make a contribution at Saint Charles Borromeo, one of the Good Shepherd parishes.“I love it,” said the 40-year-old mother who rarely carries cash. “It’s convenient to use.” Earlier this month, Márquez, the Holy Spirit deacon, said one of the devices wasn’t working because it wasn’t charged. He received an email from one of the parishioners, in her late twenties, saying she was concerned that the device wasn’t working and that she couldn’t contribute. “That’s how they contribute. So you can tell some people are really getting used to it,” he said.How digital collection basket programme works: At Holy Spirit, Márquez said they have 12 collection baskets with two card readers on each basket for a total of 24 devices that parishioners can use to tap either a $20 or a $40 donation. Plus, in the vestibule area of the church there are two kiosks with similar denominations, plus a $50 option. That kiosk can be relocated to other areas for church functions. “What’s kind of amazing is we don’t take collection at daily mass, but a lot of the people that go to daily mass on the way out will tap that too. So it has helped in that regard,” Márquez said. Good Shepherd is a consolidated parish and includes multiple sites — Holy Family, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Mary’s and St. Thomas The Apostle. Chávez said the program is active at St. Mary’s and Saint Charles.“At Saint Charles, we have 44 baskets, and we decided to go with one apparatus, a (card reader) per basket, and it’s been trial and error,” Chávez said. “We started with $5, $10. We realized quickly that that was too low of a denomination. People wanted to give more.”Chávez said those devices were sent back to be traded for $20 devices, one per basket, and the only option to tap for collection during mass. The one amount per device is intentional so that it doesn’t slow down the basket moving around, he said. Saint Charles also has several kiosks located in the church vestibule and at certain exit doors where people can tap in $100, $50 and $25 denominations. Márquez said the biggest struggle so far has been getting the ushers comfortable with managing the card readers. “They’ve really taken a lot of ownership in it, and they like to make sure that it’s working, and that it’s getting better,” Márquez said. “They think it’s theirs, theirs to make sure it works. So, no, we haven’t had any complaints.”Chávez said the ushers are key people in the success of the program. At his parish, Chávez said he had one of the ushers quit on him because the usher believed that the new style of collecting using the card readers during mass was offensive. “It’s just providing a venue for those that don’t carry cash. It’s that simple,” Chávez said. “Different reactions, but the majority of the reactions have been very pleasant, most of them saying, it’s about time.”Chávez said using card readers for collection was never an “opportunity to make money out of it. I saw it as a spiritual need, because our faith is tied to giving.”“Expression of our faith is to give,” he said. “And that’s the part that I think is lacking.”Tribune News Service]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 11:00:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Designer Christian Siriano brings surreal glamour to New York Fashion Week]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/14/designer-christian-siriano-brings-surreal-glamour-to-new-york-fashion-week]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Christian Siriano barely had 48 hours to design his finale gown for his New York Fashion Week show. The iridescent green liquid fabric Siriano had ordered from Italy was stuck in customs for weeks before it finally arrived shortly before Thursday’s runway show.The designer of “Project Runway” fame may have been accustomed to executing his designs on a tight deadline but with months to design his other looks, he said, that the last-minute design brought a fresh wave of excitement ahead of his show.“The best dresses come at the end because I’m really, really in it,” he said. Unlike his previous shows, where Siriano decorated his venues in sync with this theme, this time around the designer pared down the atmospheric drama allowing his clothes to speak for themselves. For his latest collection, the designer experimented with texture and a variety of colours to create his surrealist dream.“It was more of an idea of this fantasy dream, maybe like a Dali painting that can never be explained,” he said. “It really is this dreamlike world that hopefully everybody feels really beautiful in.”Siriano’s fashionable crew of celebrity friends and loyal customers sat front row, including actors Leslie Jones, Uzo Aduba, Julia Fox, Natasha Lyonne, Whoopi Goldberg and rock singer Taylor Momsen. The show opened with black and white structured looks before models emerged dipped in a sea of colors. They stopped along the runway to pose with their hair transformed into a surrealist swoop style, crisscrossed around their necks.Siriano’s collection reimagined red carpet silhouettes including eye-catching gowns with dramatic asymmetric necklines and exaggerated tulle sleeves or peplums. Even his black and white designs, featured shimmering fringe, alluring cut outs, feathers or delicate beading.Siriano’s looks are not for the wallflower. The designer fashioned several revealing sheer looks.In typical Siriano fashion, the runway was filled with models of all sizes and genders.“We need to escape and be somewhere else ... in a dream world,” he said. This will be a celebration of like, beauty, bodies, age and cultures and we need that. Siriano’s standout looks of the night featured pops of color including a chartreuse lace cropped jacket and maxi skirt, and the bright green ombre bubble gown that arrived shortly before his show. Siriano’s supermodel muse Coco Rocha closed the show in the ombre bubble gown. As Rocha theatrically posed down the runway, she locked eyes with guests. Celebrity guest Jones cheered on the model, yelling “drama” as she passed by.“He makes you feel secure in his clothes,” Jones said of Siriano. “It doesn’t matter what size you are; he’s going to make you feel beautiful and that’s the essence of Christian.” Michael Kors also launched its fall/winter collection on Thursday during New York Fashion Week as models in wool coats and monochromatic sweaters walked the runway carrying feathered bags.Agencies]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Sat, 14 Feb 2026 10:20:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Love actually: In China, virtual boyfriends steal women&#039;s hearts]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/14/love-actually-in-china-virtual-boyfriends-steal-womens-hearts]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[When Zhou, a 33-year-old Chinese civil servant, was a student, finding love and companionship was something she believed would ‌happen with time.Today, her emotional needs are fulfilled by Qi Yu, her first boyfriend and partner of six months. He's wavy-haired, handsome and ​a painter. He's ⁠also fictional – one of five romantic interests to choose from in "Love and Deepspace", the world's biggest mobile ‌dating game with some 80 million ‌users, according to research firm Sensor Tower."The process of getting to know him is incredibly fulfilling," said Zhou, who declined to give her full name.Qi Yu, known as Rafayel in the English version, is also a sea god, one of the last members of an ancient race ‌and is not fond of most humans.The virtual version of Zhou – who Qi Yu will hug, kiss and hold hands with – is ⁠created using her own face and voice but is also assigned a new identity such as a huntress.Zhou plays "Love and Deepspace" – an action fantasy as well as a romantic game – for about an hour a day and has spent more than 10,000 yuan ($1,400) on it so far, mostly on limited-edition features that unlock further storylines.Last month, she flew from her home in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou to Shanghai, donning a baby-pink sequinned gown to meet models dressing up as the characters at an event organised by the developer, Papergames.Big revenue earnerReleased in 2024, "Love and Deepspace" belongs to the "otome" genre of romance simulation games that originated in Japan in ‌the 1990s, a genre that has since become huge in China and is growing in popularity in the West.It had made about $825 million in revenue globally as of last April, China state media have reported, with some estimating that its total revenue to date now stands ⁠at nearly $1 billion.China accounts for around 60% of the game's revenue, followed by the US at 19% and Japan at 9%, estimates from App Magic show.Papergames declined to comment on its earnings figures.The popularity of otome games in China reflects a highly developed gaming industry and its desire ​to transform digital intimacy ‌into financial opportunities, as well as the growing economic power of Chinese women, said Tingting Liu, an academic specialising in China's digital ‌media at the University of Technology Sydney."Many women nowadays have the financial means and cultural confidence to invest in experiences that prioritise their emotional needs and desires," she said.Making up for real-life shortcomingsEvina Li, a 31-year-old worker from Shanghai in the tech industry, is another fan who has spent ‌some 8,000 yuan on "Love and ‌Deepspace" despite having a real-life boyfriend.She likes it because the game "places ⁠women's needs in a very important position", adding that it makes up "for certain shortcomings in real-life interactions between ‌men and women".Zhou said she was not ruling out finding a real boyfriend and getting married but she had reached a stage in her life where she was no longer anxious about doing so."If I make such ⁠a hasty decision, I'll definitely regret it," she said."But with a male lead in a game, when I need you, ​I open the game and see you; when I don't, I close the game and do my own thing. I feel like I've gotten used to this kind of lifestyle more and more."Reuters]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Sat, 14 Feb 2026 10:07:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Serbia’s ‘Iceman’ Vladimir Stevanovic embraces frozen hikes and icy swims for inner peace]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/13/serbias-iceman-vladimir-stevanovic-embraces-frozen-hikes-and-icy-swims-for-inner-peace]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Walking for hours through thick snow on a windswept Serbian peak, wearing only boots, shorts and a backpack, might sound like the start of a harrowing survival story -- but for Vladimir Stevanovic, that was just a relaxing stroll.Over the past 15 years, Stevanovic has been hiking icy slopes, meditating in deep snow and plunging into frozen lakes as part of a routine he believes offers health benefits and mental clarity."You surrender yourself to this cold because you know the cold won't hurt you," the 41-year-old told AFP at one of his local swimming spots, a frozen lake at the foot of Besna Kobila in Serbia's far south.So far, he said his most extreme effort was braving -10C for seven hours, stripped to the waist in hiking boots and running shorts.He says he can withstand floating in icy water for up to 15 minutes.- 'Inner peace' -His frigid exploits have earned him social media fame, with thousands following "Serbia's Iceman" on Instagram.But he says he doesn't do it for records or followers."My goal, when I enter the water, is to gain a state of meditation, of inner peace."In recent years, "cold exposure therapy" such as ice baths and swimming in frozen lakes has gained global popularity. Perhaps the most committed advocate is Dutchman Wim Hof, who has made a career of espousing its purported health benefits.While some evidence supports parts of the claims, there is no clear scientific consensus. Doctors also warn against more extreme practices due to the potential of triggering pre-existing health conditions.For Stevanovic, although his initial inspiration was the spiritual practices of Tibetan monks, the general appeal of icy plunges is a little less mystical -- overwhelming shock of "extreme cold"."It helps us not think of anything else.""So this is very good for handling stress."- 'A little bit strange' -But for those curious to try it, the scantily clad hiker -- who is also an archaeologist and dedicated martial artist -- warned against diving straight in."When you put cold water on you, it is very unpleasant for the first one or two seconds, and then you get very relaxed. And as you get relaxed, it doesn't bother you anymore."With a lifelong thirst for adventure, his family and friends were less than surprised by his ice-cold exercise, he said.But it still gives strangers goosebumps."This was some natural process for me; for everybody else, it was a little bit strange."Agence France-Presse]]></description>
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        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/13/serbias-iceman-vladimir-stevanovic-embraces-frozen-hikes-and-icy-swims-for-inner-peace]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 23:27:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Ralph Lauren debuts its fall collection ahead of the New York Fashion Week]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/12/ralph-lauren-debuts-its-fall-collection-ahead-of-the-new-york-fashion-week]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[With more than 50 years in fashion, Ralph Lauren is still looking for adventure. Lauren took his celebrity guests on an adventure into the English countryside Tuesday for his fall 2026 runway show. Set amid the beaux arts architecture of the Clock Tower building in Manhattan, Lauren delivered a stylish take on softness and strength, pairing luxurious earth-toned rich fabrics with metallic detailing for his latest collection.Lauren’s ethereal models with their hair flowing behind them strutted on opulent rugs as celebrity guests including actor Anne Hathaway, singer Lana Del Rey and actor Lili Reinhart looked on from antique style chairs; a romantic painted landscape canvas filled the walls surrounding them. In his show notes, Lauren described his muse as a woman whose style is not defined by time.“I love the adventure of fashion,” Ralph Lauren wrote, adding his fall collection “is inspired by that kind of renegade spirit and the confidence of the woman who will wear it in her own personal way — to tell her own story.”The 86-year-old designer has never been one to follow trends but drive them. At Tuesday’s show, accessories added a modern flair from leather gloves paired with a knit off-the-shoulder dress to shimmering silver detailing.Supermodel Gigi Hadid opened the show in a wool corseted top and maxi skirt accentuated with a silver waist chain. Other models walked the runway with silver belt chains and metallic brooches that stood in an edgy contrast to Lauren’s romantic Victorian tops and tailored jackets. Lauren pinned metallic glimmering brooches to lush wool cloaks that were elegantly draped over models’ shoulders in a show of strength.In a modern twist on Joan of Arc, Lauren designed a chain mail top that delicately peeked out from underneath one model’s tweed jacket. Lauren complemented the look with a printed scarf and leather pants. “There were several looks that had this beautiful chain mail kind of detailing,” actor Ariana DeBose said. “What a way to give a woman beautiful armor.”Even with his contemporary additions, Lauren’s collection still included his signature touches from his riding boots, exquisite tailoring and elegant high neck blouses. Lauren’s brand is an American staple that continues to prevail in an ever-changing industry.As part of his enduring legacy, Lauren was once again tapped to design the uniforms for Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games in Milan, marking his sixth time designing for the games. “From being in Italy with the greatest athletes in the world and then coming here to New York City to put on a fashion show that’s so elegant, it’s two different sides of Ralph Lauren and two different sides of what an American company can do to to reach the world,” David Lauren, the company’s chief branding and innovation officer, said.Agencies]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 11:19:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Actor behind Albania&#039;s AI &#039;minister&#039; wants her face back]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/11/actor-behind-albanias-ai-minister-wants-her-face-back]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[An actor whose face was used by Albania's government for an AI chatbot that it promoted to be a "minister" told AFP on Wednesday that she had launched a legal fight to stop the use of her image and accused the government of "exploitation."Prime Minister Edi Rama announced in September that an AI system, dubbed Diella, would oversee a new public tenders portfolio as a "minister" that he pledged would cut corruption.The move drew criticism from the opposition and experts who questioned the system's accountability and transparency.Well-known Albanian actor Anila Bisha, whose face and voice were used to create Diella's avatar, said she had not approved her identity for use in that way.Bisha said she filed a petition with the administrative court earlier this week requesting the suspension of the use of her image."It's an exploitation of my identity and my personal data," the 57-year-old actress told AFP.According to Bisha, she had originally signed a contract authorising the use of her image until the end of 2025 to represent a virtual assistant on an online government services portal. But after Rama's government announced that Diella would become a minister, a video featuring a computer-generated version of her addressed parliament.In the video, purportedly made with AI, the "minister" appeared as a woman dressed in a traditional Albanian outfit and said it was "not here to replace people."Bisha also discovered that the National Agency for Information Society, which developed the AI, filed a patent on her image and voice without informing her -- a move that she says affected her ability to work.Despite reaching out to authorities in the hope of negotiating a solution, she received no reply and decided to take legal action.Diella, which means "sun" in Albanian, is responsible for all decisions relating to public procurement tenders — in a move that Rama promised would make the process "corruption-free."Agence France-Presse ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2026 20:51:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Huawei pioneers early diabetes risk awareness through smartwatch technology]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/11/huawei-pioneers-early-diabetes-risk-awareness-through-smartwatch-technology]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Diabetes continues to rank among the most pressing global public health challenges, with its effects felt most strongly across the Middle East. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reported in 2024 that 589 million adults aged 20 to 79 are living with diabetes worldwide, nearly 43 per cent of whom remain undiagnosed. Within the MENA region alone, 85 million adults are affected, and this figure is projected to rise sharply by 92 per cent, reaching 163 million by 2050.The UAE mirrors this regional reality. According to IDF statistics, diabetes prevalence among adults aged 20–79 in the country stands at 20.7 per cent, placing the UAE among the highest globally. As lifestyle-related risk factors continue to increase and healthcare systems manage growing long-term disease pressures, early risk identification and preventive intervention have become central pillars of national healthcare strategies. Why Scalable, Non-Invasive Risk Screening MattersBeyond being a metabolic condition, diabetes is a systemic disease associated with serious macrovascular and microvascular complications, including coronary heart disease, stroke, neuropathy, and renal failure. Identifying risk at an early stage is essential to reducing these outcomes. However, conventional diagnostic methods such as HbA1c testing are not always readily accessible, particularly for individuals without visible symptoms. As a result, healthcare professionals are increasingly turning to non-invasive digital biomarkers as a complementary solution. Technologies that enhance awareness and highlight potential risk can guide individuals toward timely confirmatory testing, helping to optimise healthcare resources while improving long-term patient outcomes. This approach is particularly valuable for populations that may not routinely participate in preventive screenings.PPG Technology: Translating Vital Signals into Risk IndicatorsHuawei’s diabetes risk assessment feature is powered by Photoplethysmography (PPG), a non-invasive optical technology that detects changes in blood volume beneath the skin. By analysing light reflected from vascular tissue at the wrist, PPG generates detailed cardiovascular signals traditionally used to measure heart rate and blood oxygen saturation. Recent scientific research has expanded the scope of PPG’s clinical relevance. Diabetes influences vascular endothelial function, autonomic nervous system regulation, and microcirculatory health—factors that directly affect PPG waveforms. Research has also identified overlapping genetic mechanisms linking resting heart rate and diabetes, further strengthening the connection between cardiovascular signals and metabolic health.With continued advancements in smartwatch sensor accuracy, PPG data can now be captured continuously in real-life settings, enabling scalable and passive health monitoring on a population level. Inside Huawei’s Diabetes Risk Assessment FeatureHuawei has embedded high-precision PPG sensors and advanced algorithmic analysis into its smartwatches to support diabetes risk awareness. To activate the feature, users must wear the smartwatch consistently on the wrist for a monitoring period ranging from three to fourteen days. Once the assessment is complete, the “Diabetes Risk” app delivers a straightforward result: “low risk,” “medium risk,” or “high risk.” Users flagged as medium or high risk are encouraged to consult healthcare professionals for further evaluation and confirmatory diagnostic testing. From a clinical standpoint, the feature is positioned as a preclinical risk awareness solution rather than a diagnostic tool, a distinction that aligns with regulatory and medical standards.Defined Regulatory and Clinical ScopeHuawei clearly states that the diabetes risk feature does not constitute a medical device and is not intended to diagnose diabetes or replace professional medical testing. Instead, it is guided by four key principles:· Awareness and prevention: Promoting early engagement with healthcare providers·  Accessibility: Offered free of charge to users· Civilian use only: Not designed for clinical or hospital environments· Safety: No known side effects or contraindicationsIn markets such as China, the feature is classified as a non-medical function, focused on education and prevention rather than clinical application. All results are provided for reference purposes only and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or treatment, but rather as an indication of potential diabetes risk levels.Scientific Collaboration and Expert EndorsementSpeaking at World Health Expo Dubai 2026, Professor Jiguang Wang, Director of the Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, highlighted the growing body of evidence supporting wearable-based PPG as a reliable method for early risk assessment. Professor Wang has worked closely with Huawei on multiple wearable health innovations, including the HUAWEI WATCH D and WATCH D2, both designed for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.Huawei’s wider health research ecosystem is anchored by its Health Labs in Dongguan, China, and Helsinki, Finland. These facilities bring together multidisciplinary teams conducting research across cardiovascular health, exercise science, and long-term health monitoring.Strengthening Focus on the UAE and Global RolloutTraditionally, advanced wearable health features were first introduced in China before expanding internationally. Huawei is now evolving this approach. By prioritising synchronised global launches and strengthening collaboration with local medical institutions, the company aims to ensure markets such as the UAE gain earlier access to its latest health innovations.This direction closely supports the UAE’s emphasis on preventive care, digital health advancement, and early disease detection. Future Huawei initiatives—including developments in glucose monitoring, cardiovascular health, and women’s health—are expected to increasingly involve local clinical partnerships to ensure alignment with regional healthcare frameworks.Looking Forward: Scaling Preventive HealthCurrently available on the HUAWEI WATCH GT 6 Pro through an OTA software update, Huawei’s diabetes risk assessment feature is set to roll out to additional smartwatch models. While it does not replace clinical diagnosis, it represents a significant step toward large-scale health awareness powered by consumer technology.As diabetes rates continue to rise across the UAE and the wider region, solutions that enable early risk identification without increasing cost or complexity may become essential components of national health strategies. Huawei’s approach demonstrates how wearable technology can complement traditional healthcare systems by shifting the focus from treatment toward prevention. ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2026 11:09:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[A Ramadan welcome at Mina’s Kitchen]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/10/a-ramadan-welcome-at-minas-restaurant]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[At Mina’s Kitchen, Ramadan is more than a season — it is a story of family, tradition, and heartfelt cooking.For our team, cooking from the heart means paying attention to every detail: the quality of ingredients, the balance of flavors, and the way each dish is presented. We believe that when food is prepared with love and pride, guests can taste the difference.Ramadan holds a special meaning for us. It is a time of reflection, generosity, and togetherness. This spirit inspires our kitchen to create dishes that feel comforting yet refined — honoring tradition while embracing creativity.Our Iftar experience reflects both local culture and the diversity of our guests. Alongside classic Middle Eastern flavors, our buffet features a curated selection of Asian, Turkish, Moroccan, Indian, and Continental dishes, ensuring that everyone feels at home at our table.Each year, we enhance our Ramadan offering by introducing new live cooking stations and welcoming specialty chefs from different countries. This brings authenticity to every plate — from slow-cooked Moroccan tajines to freshly carved Turkish döner kebabs — while creating a lively, interactive dining experience.Live cooking is at the heart of our concept. It allows guests to connect with the chefs, witness the craftsmanship behind each dish, and enjoy food at its freshest. These moments often become lasting memories, captured and shared with loved ones.Quality remains our highest priority. Working to the standards of Marriott, we partner with trusted suppliers who provide fresh, carefully selected ingredients, allowing us to deliver consistency and excellence throughout the holy month and beyond.Behind every dish is a multicultural team from Tunisia, Jordan, Morocco, Turkey, Syria, and Egypt. Together, they blend their culinary traditions, ideas, and techniques to create a menu that is rich in flavor and spirit.Some dishes carry deeper meaning. Dolma, for example — grape leaves or vegetables stuffed with rice, herbs, and spices — represents comfort, heritage, and family gatherings. It is more than a recipe; it is a memory of home.Nothing is more rewarding than welcoming families who return to Mina’s Kitchen year after year. To us, this means we have become part of their Ramadan tradition — and that is our greatest honor.This Ramadan, we invite you to gather with us at Mina’s Kitchen and share in a journey of flavor, culture, and connection.Ramadan Kareem, and welcome to Mina’s Kitchen.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:47:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Craig Albernaz resets Orioles’ clubhouse culture]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/08/craig-albernaz-resets-orioles-clubhouse-culture]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Massachusetts: The term “clubhouse culture” is tossed around baseball so often that it can start to lose its meaning or feel abstract to fan bases, especially during moments of change. The phrase comes up during introductory news conferences and also is questioned when seasons end too early, like the Orioles in 2025, or when expectations begin to rise. When left undefined, poor clubhouse culture is often treated as something mystical, like a vibe you either have or don’t, rather than something built and regularly reinforced.When I asked Orioles manager Craig Albernaz at Birdland Caravan to name a nonnegotiable for his players, the Orioles’ new manager didn’t reach for anything too complicated.“Showing up,” Albernaz replied. He paused before continuing. His complete answer, provided without embellishment, offered a clear window into what Albernaz believes culture actually is, and how the Orioles intend to carry themselves entering spring training and the ensuing regular season, Albernaz’s first as a big-league manager.“I think where there’s bad culture, there’s a ton of rules,” he said. “And then when there’s a good culture, the rules simplify, right? That’s the biggest thing with us.” Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report in less than two weeks, and the Orioles finally will gather in Sarasota, Florida, and experience a breath of fresh air. Last season marked one of the most disappointing campaigns in recent history, punctuated by the club’s extremely slow and disappointing start and former manager Brandon Hyde’s midseason firing. Starting pitching proved to be an early detriment, while several key hitters underwhelmed and experienced a season of regression.With how the club has acted this winter, that feels like forever ago, doesn’t it? Following Albernaz’s hiring in late October, president of baseball operations Mike Elias has conducted the most aggressive offseason in his tenure, a credit to the ownership group’s willingness to identify top talent and spend near the top of the market in player acquisition. Slugger Pete Alonso’s arrival is one of just several highlights from Elias’ busy offseason, and there’s a possibility that the club’s top baseball chief isn’t quite done yet.Pitcher Tyler Wells, one of Baltimore’s longest-tenured players, acknowledged the hype and buzz surrounding the club. “I think this is the most intense offseason,” Wells said. “That’s also kind of directly correlated to how I’ve approached the offseason as well, knowing we have a lot of eyes on us. We’ve got to come out and we’ve got to perform, first and foremost. But it’s also very exciting for people to get the opportunity to go out there and show everyone what we can do.”The Orioles brought in Albernaz, 43, to help modernize the most important voice in the clubhouse. His reputation, with key stints across Tampa Bay, San Francisco and Cleveland, paints the picture of a leader built less on tactical flash and more on relationships and ... yep, setting the ever-important clubhouse culture.People who’ve worked with him consistently describe him as intentional, direct and deeply invested in communication, important qualities required to navigate a rigorous 162-game regular season with postseason dreams attached.“We already have great dudes in the clubhouse,” Albernaz said. “It’s [about] allowing them to be themselves and more importantly, we want our guys to be — they want to show up to the field every day. They look forward to going to the field [to the point it feels like] it’s not a job, it’s not a chore, they really enjoy being around each other, being at the yard.“That’s something with our guys, that’s not going to be an issue.” Similar to other teammates who made appearances at last weekend’s Birdland Caravan events, Wells described Albernaz as a “straight shooter,” who’s been clear and direct in conversations with players heading into spring training.Tribune News Service]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 10:38:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Fragrance ‘defines cultural values’]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/07/fragrance-defines-cultural-valuesfragrance-defines-cultural-values]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[Fragrance in Dubai is not a luxury but a vital pillar of culture as it enters into a room before one can.“I chose to begin it from Dubai — a city where heritage meets luxury and vision becomes reality,” said Mohammed Mubin Mallick, a Dubai-based serial entrepreneur, on the occasion of launching his first fragrance business in Dubai.Talking to Gulf Today, he said: “I was inspired to create a luxury brand because I believe luxury should come from within — from identity, intention, and heritage.”Mallick is from Kolkata, India, and has been in the GCC for over two decades. He is also Business Coach, CEO and Founder of Kiran Smart.Recently, the company established its headquarters in Dubai and is relocating from Kuwait. Kiran Smart now operates offices in three countries: the UAE (Dubai), Kuwait (Salmiya), and India (Bangalore).“While I was based in Kuwait, Dubai was always part of my business path. As the vision for ME – Mubin’s Empire grew, Dubai became the natural home for this legacy. In mid-2025, I made the decision to move here — to build the future of the brand in a city where ambition meets possibility.”The launch event, held at the Metropolitan Hotel, Dubai, was attended by prominent business leaders including Emiratis.Responding to a question, he said: “I chose Dubai because it’s is not just a city — it is a statement. It represents ambition, vision, heritage, and the courage to build the impossible. Dubai understands silence as power, presence as identity, and excellence as a standard. This brand belongs to that energy. Luxury needs a birthplace that understands legacy. Dubai is one of the few cities in the world where ambition is respected, excellence is expected, and vision becomes reality. That’s why ME- Mubin’s Empire was born here.“Luxury should never ask for attention. It should command respect in silence. ME was created for those who understand that power does not need noise,” he added.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 11:48:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Follow safety rules during desert trips, UAE resident, tourists urged]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/06/follow-safety-rules-during-desert-trips-uae-resident-tourists-urged]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The UAE National Search and Rescue Centre (NSRC) called on members of the society to abide by precautionary measures when planning desert trips or mountain climbing in order to maintain public safety and reduce potential risks during wilderness activities.Stressing the importance of ensuring that vehicles are ready before heading to the desert, the NSRC said the vehicle’s technical condition should be checked and a spare tyre with related accessories should be provided together with a towrope and shovel for use in case the vehicle is stuck in the sand.The NSRC pointed out that as fuel stations might be far from desert areas, extra fuel should be carried, while sufficient quantities of food, water and portable supplies should be available in case it was necessary to stay for a longer period.The NSRC underlined the importance of using GPS devices or smartphone apps that work offline, especially in areas with weak coverage, while the starting point, destination and stopping points should be specified.Going out in groups and staying in touch via walkie-talkies would also be recommended to ensure everyone’s safety, especially if a member of the group gets lost, it added.As far as mountain climbing is concerned, the NSRC stressed the need to wear shoes designed for mountain walking to maintain balance and prevent slipping and falling, to plan the trip in advance and return before sunset and to adhere to the designated route to avoid getting lost.The NSRC stressed the importance of carrying a first aid kit to treat minor injuries during the trip, wearing appropriate clothing for the weather to maintain an ideal body temperature, ensuring that the mobile phone is fully charged and carrying a portable solar charger, travelling in groups and informing the family of the trip itinerary.In emergencies, the NSRC called on people who need urgent help not to hesitate to dial 995.]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2026 17:37:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[EU accuses TikTok of &#039;addictive design&#039; and seeks changes to protect users]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/06/eu-accuses-tiktok-of-addictive-design-and-seeks-changes-to-protect-users]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[The European Union on Friday accused TikTok of breaching the bloc's digital rules with "addictive design” features including autoplay and infinite scroll, in preliminary charges that strike at the heart of the popular video sharing app's operating model.EU regulators said their investigation found that TikTok hasn't done enough to assess how its features could harm the physical and mental health of users, including children and "vulnerable adults.”The European Commission said it believes TikTok should change the "basic design” of its service. The commission is the EU’s executive arm and enforcer of the 27-nation bloc's Digital Services Act, a sweeping rulebook that requires social media companies to clean up their platforms and protect users, under threat of hefty fines.TikTok denied the accusations."The Commission’s preliminary findings present a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform, and we will take whatever steps are necessary to challenge these findings through every means available to us,” the company said in a statement.TikTok now has a chance to reply to the commission's findings, which could lead to a so-called non-compliance decision and possible fine worth up to 6% of the company's total annual revenue."Social media addiction can have detrimental effects on the developing minds of children and teens," Henna Virkkunen, the commission's executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said in a press statement. "The Digital Services Act makes platforms responsible for the effects they can have on their users. In Europe, we enforce our legislation to protect our children and our citizens online.”The preliminary findings from Brussels are the latest example of pressure that TikTok and other social media platforms are facing over youth addiction.Australia has banned social media for under-16s while governments in Spain, France, and Denmark want to introduce similar measures.In the US, TikTok last month settled a landmark social media addiction lawsuit while two other companies named in the suit - Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube - still face claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children.The commission said that TikTok fuels the urge to keep scrolling because it constantly rewards users with new content, leading to reduced self control.It said TikTok ignores signs that someone is compulsively using the app, such as the amount of time that minors spend on it at night, and how often the app is opened.The company has failed to put in place "reasonable, proportionate and effective” measures to offset the risks, it said.The commission said TikTok's existing time management controls are easy to dismiss and "introduce limited friction," while parental tools need "additional time and skills" from parents.Changes that the commission wants TikTok to make include disabling features like infinite scroll; putting in more effective breaks for screen time, including at night; and changing its "highly personalized” recommender system, which feeds users an endless stream of video shorts based on their preferences.TikTok says it has numerous tools, such as custom screen time limits and sleep reminders, that let users make "intentional decisions” about how they spend their time on the app.Associated Press ]]></description>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:12:00 +0400</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[&#039;Superhuman:&#039; Teen swims four hours to save mother, 2 siblings lost at sea off Australia]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/05/superhuman-teen-swims-four-hours-to-save-mother-2-siblings-lost-at-sea-off-australia]]></link> 
        <description><![CDATA[A 13-year-old boy recounted how he swam for four hours through choppy waters off western Australia to get help for his family in a feat hailed by rescuers as "superhuman."The boy, named in local media as Austin Appelbee, made it across four kilometres of ocean to raise the alarm after his mother and two younger siblings were swept out to sea.He had gone out kayaking and paddle-boarding on the water with his family. But the waves soon grew, flipping their boards and filling their kayak with water as they were dragged further out into the ocean."I was really scared," the young teen told reporters. "I was just thinking in my head, like thinking I was going to make it through. But I was also thinking about all my friends at school, and friends at my Christian youth," he said. "I just said: 'Alright, not today, not today, not today. I have to keep on going'."The youngster said he started heading for shore with just his life jacket but later abandoned it to swim unencumbered."I was very puffed out, but I couldn't feel how tired I was."The boy said he was trying to think of happy things, at one point singing the "Thomas the Tank Engine" theme song."At this time, you know, the waves are massive, and I have no life jacket on. So anyway, I just keep swimming. I do breaststroke. I do freestyle. Survival backstroke."'BRAVE FELLA'When he reached the beach, the teen said he called emergency services and asked them to deploy boats, helicopters and planes, telling them: "My family is out at sea."Marine rescue volunteer Paul Bresland said the teen's four-hour swim saved his family, who were eventually found clinging to a paddleboard in the open ocean off the tourist town of Quindalup."He swam, he reckons, the first two hours with a life jacket on," Bresland told national broadcaster ABC. "And the brave fella thought he's not going to make it with a life jacket on, so he ditched it, and he swam the next two hours without a life jacket."I thought, mate, that is incredible," said Bresland, describing the boy's efforts as "superhuman."Police inspector James Bradley said the boy's actions "cannot be praised highly enough.""His determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings," he told the ABC.The boy's mother, named in local media as Joanne, has also been praised for keeping her family alive during hours out at sea with her other son, 12-year-old Beau, and eight-year-old daughter Grace."It seemed nice and calm to begin with," the mother told reporters."One of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make was to say to Austin: 'Try and get to shore and get some help, this could get really serious really quickly'," the mother was quoted as saying."As the sun went down I thought: 'Something's gone terribly wrong here', and my fear was that Austin didn't make it," she said."Everything goes through your head."Agence France-Presse ]]></description>
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                <dc:creator><![CDATA[gulftoday]]></dc:creator>
        <category><![CDATA[Lifestyle ]]></category>
        <guid><![CDATA[https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2026/02/05/superhuman-teen-swims-four-hours-to-save-mother-2-siblings-lost-at-sea-off-australia]]></guid>
        <pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:51:00 +0400</pubDate>
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