Hours after they were safely evacuated out of their homes by the Dubai Civil Defence, several residents of the Al Shamsi building, which was gutted in a massive fire last evening, are anxiously waiting outside their building to get access to their homes and belongings.

The blaze in a residential building near Muraqqabat Police Station was brought “under control” around 10pm last night, but residents haven’t been allowed in yet as an assessment of the structural damage will have to be done prior to that.

“We have nothing on us. No money. No clothes. We want to know if our things are ok,” said Amy Oliveros, a Filipina who lives in the building. “We stayed at our friend's house in Sharjah,” she said.

“We were here till 10pm and watched helplessly. When we started hearing explosions. We went away.

“We are back this morning. We haven’t gone to work. And want to get inside.”

Her apartment is on the back side of the building, which appears to be untouched by the fire.

Apartments on the front, however, appear charred. “I can see my apartment and it looks ok. I just hope nothing is gone,” said Muhammed Farooq, who hails from Bangladesh.

Residents of buildings nearby were seen distributing food packs and water to the waiting residents.

"I have just finished my work here and was packing to go home. All my money is inside my cupboard," said Lingam Kamaray, an Indian national. "I had bought some gifts for my family and it is all in there."

Many said they spent the night with family and friends in the neighbourhood or Sharjah. But some said they weren’t so lucky. "I have been just walking around here. I have not slept. How could I?" Farooq said.

Many are worried about their passports. "The fire alarm went off for 30 minutes and I ran out without taking my passport. I just hope it is undamaged," said Michael, who is from the Philippines.
 

Gold and silver languished near their lowest level in six years on Tuesday, while platinum dipped to a seven-year low on a strong dollar and growing expectations that the Federal Reserve would increase US interest rates next month.    

Outflows from exchange-traded funds backed by the metals, all non-interest-paying assets, as investors position for a rate hike are also hurting prices.   

Spot gold ticked up 0.1 per cent to $1,070.30 an ounce by 0330 GMT (7.30am UAE time), but not too far from last week's low of $1,064.95, the weakest since February 2010.     

 Gold rates for November 24, 2015

Silver eased 0.4 per cent, after slumping to $13.86 on Monday, the lowest since August 2009. Platinum on Tuesday hit $835.55, its lowest since December 2008.         

The dollar hit an eight-month high on Monday on hopes of a rate hike. A firm greenback makes dollar-denominated commodities more expensive for holders of other currencies.     

Premiums on the Shanghai Gold Exchange, a proxy for physical demand in China, were at $5 an ounce on Tuesday, versus $3-$4 in the beginning of the month.    

Investment demand, however, was lacklustre.     

Assets in SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund (ETF), tumbled to 655.69 tonnes on Monday, the lowest since September 2008.    

Holdings of platinum ETFs are at a two-year low, while assets in palladium funds are close to their lowest since April 2014.     
 

DD/TT RATES AT 03.45 PM - 24 Nov 2015

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Orlando Bloom and Salma Hayek attend the British Fashion Awards in partnership with Swarovski at the London Coliseum. (Getty Images)

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Georgia May Jagger, Alessandro Michele, winner of the International Designer Award, and Salma Hayek. (Getty Images)

Just a night before, her eye-popping cleavage was the talk of the Evening.  (Getty Images)

The 49-year-old actress went for a pretty red gown, which nipped in at her waist . (Getty Images)

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Sizzling at 49: Sultry Salma Hayek drapes the style

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Construction company Saudi Binladin Group plans to cut about 15,000 staff, people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, in a sign of the pressure on the industry as the Saudi government trims spending in response to low oil prices.

The possible layoffs at Binladin, one of Saudi Arabia's biggest firms and among the Middle East's largest builders, would represent a small fraction of the group's total workforce, which is around 200,000, according to its LinkedIn page.

But the planned cut-backs are an example of the choices which companies are having to make as Saudi Arabia's economic boom loses steam.

Binladin did not reply to repeated calls and emails seeking comment to its offices in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dubai.

"The Saudi construction sector is definitely soft. There's general uncertainty and it's very difficult to plan where to focus on" because companies are not sure which projects will go ahead, said one source who works in the industry, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Some of the 15,000 workers will be laid off immediately, while others will be transferred temporarily to work on a multi-billion dollar airport project in Jeddah, another source said.

Labour market reforms, designed to push more Saudi citizens into private sector jobs, have since 2011 made it more difficult and expensive for construction firms to hire foreign workers, pressuring the industry.

In September, the Saudi royal court said Binladin had for now been suspended from taking new contracts after a crane toppled into Makkah’s Grand Mosque during a dust storm, killing 107 people. An initial government probe found Binladin had not properly secured the crane. Binladin did not issue a public statement in response to the suspension.

The biggest long-term challenge for the business of Binladin and other Saudi construction firms, however, may be government spending curbs in an era of cheap oil.

The world's top oil exporter is running an annual state budget deficit estimated by the International Monetary Fund at over $100 billion, and the finance minister said in September the government was delaying some projects to save money.

He did not elaborate, but industry sources said that among other things, a plan to build soccer stadiums across the country had been cut back, a $201 million contract to buy high-speed trains was cancelled, and expansion of an oilfield was slowed.

Government bodies have also demanded cost cuts from some contractors. More information on austerity measures is likely to come next month, when the government is expected to announce its budget plan for next year.

 

The US military backed up Turkey's claim Tuesday that Turkish pilots warned a Russian jet 10 times - but failed to get a response - before shooting it down after it briefly entered Turkish airspace. 

"We were able to hear everything that was going on, these (communications) were on open channels," Baghdad-based military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said in a video call with reporters.

He added it was not immediately clear on which side of the Turkish-Syrian border the Russian jet had been flying, and it would take some time to analyze data before arriving at that determination.

Turkish Ambassador to the United Nations Halit Cevik said in a letter to the Security Council that two Russian planes had flown a little more than a mile into Turkish airspace for 17 seconds.

A US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the timing but said it remained unknown if Turkey had fired on one of the jets as it was in Turkish airspace, or after it had crossed back into Syria.

The Pentagon says no US forces were involved in the Turkish downing of the Russian jet.

The United States has a strong presence in Turkey and regularly flies warplanes out of the air base in Incirlik as it conducts bombing runs against Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq.

Pentagon officials have previously condemned the actions and tactics of Russian pilots after Russian jets twice violated Turkish airspace last month.

In Tuesday's incident, the Turkish army said the plane was shot down by two Turkish F-16s after violating Turkish airspace 10 times within a five-minute period.

Russia insists the jet was inside Syrian airspace and condemned the downing as "a very serious incident."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday called for urgent measures to de-escalate tensions.

Pilots alive?

The two pilots who ejected from a Russian war plane downed by Turkey on the Syrian border are believed to be alive and Turkish authorities are seeking to recover them, a government official said on Tuesday.

"Turkey has information that the two pilots are alive and right now Turkey is trying to recover them," the official told AFP, after reports that at least one of the pilots could have died after parachuting down inside Syria.

In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov just said "there is no official information" about the fate of the pilots from the downed plane.

CNN-Turk television said Syrian Turkmen forces fighting the Damascus regime had captured one of the pilots while Syrian opposition sources told AFP one had been killed by rebels and the second was missing.

In a separate incident, sources told AFP in Beirut that a Russian helicopter in the same area in Syria was destroyed by rebels on the ground after being forced to make an emergency landing following damage from rebel fire.

A Syrian military source told AFP that a unit of Syrian regime special forces saved the dozen-strong Russian commando team and brought them back to the regime stronghold of Latakia.

Turkey pilots warned Russian jet 10 times before shoot-down: US

The US military on Tuesday backed up Turkey's claim that Turkish pilots had warned a Russian jet 10 times -- but failed to get a response -- before shooting it down.

"We were able to hear everything that was going on, these (communications) were on open channels," Baghdad-based military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said in a video call with reporters.

Asked if he could confirm reports 10 warnings were issued by Turkish pilots without response, Warren said: "I can confirm that, yes."

He added it was not immediately clear on which side of the Turkish-Syrian border the Russian jet had been flying, and it would take some time to analyze data before arriving at that determination.

The Pentagon says no US forces were involved in the Turkish downing of the Russian jet.

The United States has a strong presence in Turkey and regularly flies warplanes out of the air base in Incirlik as it conducts bombing runs against Daesh targets in Syria and Iraq.

Pentagon officials have previously condemned the actions and tactics of Russian pilots after Russian jets violated Turkish airspace last month.

In Tuesday's incident, the Turkish army said the plane was shot down by two Turkish F-16s after violating Turkish airspace 10 times within a five-minute period.

Russia insists the jet was inside Syrian airspace and condemned the downing as "a very serious incident."

The Turkish presidency said in a statement that the plane was a Russian Su-24 fighter jet, while Turkish media said one pilot had been captured by rebel forces in Syria.

Moscow confirmed that one of its planes had been shot down, but said the pilots' fate remained unclear.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday recommended against Russians travelling to Turkey for any reason, citing the threat of attacks.

"The critical mass of terrorist incidents on Turkish soil, according to our estimates, is no less of a threat than in Egypt. For this reason of course we do not recommend that our citizens travel to Turkey for tourism or any other reason," Lavrov said in televised comments from Sochi after Turkey downed a Russian warplane on the Syrian border

Putin calls downing of jet 'stab in the back'

President Vladimir Putin called Turkey's downing of a Russian fighter jet a stab in the back administered by "the accomplices of terrorists," saying the incident would have serious consequences for Moscow's relations with Ankara.

Speaking in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday before a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah, Putin said the downed plane had been attacked inside Syria when it was 1 kilometre (0.62 miles) from the Turkish border and had come down 4 kilometres (2.49 miles) inside Syria.

That contradicted Turkey's assertion that the aircraft had been warned multiple times that it was straying into Turkish airspace before it was shot down.

"Today's loss is linked to a stab in the back delivered to us by accomplices of terrorists. I cannot qualify what happened today as anything else," said a visibly furious Putin.

"Our plane was shot down on Syrian territory by an air-to-air missile from an F-16. It fell on Syrian territory 4 kilometres from the Turkish border. It was flying at 6,000 metres 1 kilometre from Turkish territory when it was attacked."

Putin said Russian pilots and planes had in no way threatened Turkey, but had merely been carrying out their duty to fight Daesh militants inside Syria.

"We established a long time ago that large quantities of oil and oil products from territory captured by Daesh have been arriving on Turkish territory," he said, saying that was how militants had been funding themselves.

"And now we get stabbed in our back and our planes, which are fighting terrorism, are struck. This despite the fact that we signed an agreement with our American partners to warn each other about air-to-air incidents and Turkey ... announced it was allegedly fighting against terrorism as part of the U.S. coalition."

If Daesh militants earned hundreds of millions of dollars from trading oil and enjoyed the protection of the armed forces "of entire governments" no wonder, said Putin, they behaved so boldly.

"We will of course analyse everything that happened and today's tragic events will have serious consequences for Russo-Turkish relations," he said.

Turkey is one of the most popular holiday destinations for Russians, and the two countries enjoy active diplomatic relations.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to visit Turkey on Wednesday, in a trip arranged before the incident, while Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to visit Russia for talks with Putin in December.

Putin expressed anger at Turkey's decision to convene a meeting of NATO to discuss the incident, suggesting Ankara should instead have swiftly tried to contact Moscow.

"It's as if we shot down a Turkish plane rather than them shooting down one of ours. What do they want? To put Nato at Daesh's disposal? We will never tolerate such crimes like the one committed today."  

Plane violated airspace 10 times: Turkey

The Turkish army said that the plane had violated Turkish airspace 10 times within a five minute period and was shot down by two Turkish F-16s. However Russia insisted that the plane was inside Syrian airspace.

"A Russian Su-24 plane was downed under the rules of engagement because it violated the Turkish airspace despite the warnings," the Turkish presidency said.

Reports said two pilots had ejected from the plane and Turkish television pictures showed two white parachutes descending to the ground.

The CNN-Turk channel said Syrian Turkmen forces fighting the Russian-backed regime of President Bashar al-Assad captured one pilot.

Russia meanwhile confirmed that one of its planes had been shot down.

"Presumably as a result of firing, an Su-24 plane of the Russian forces crashed in the Syrian Arab Republic," Russian news agencies quoted the defence ministry as saying.

The Russian ministry said the fate of the pilots was not yet clear.

Turkey's Dogan news agency broadcast footage of what it said was Russian helicopters flying over Syrian territory in an apparent search for the lost pilots.

One Russian pilot dead, second missing

One Russian pilot of a plane downed by Turkey over northern Syria on Tuesday is dead and a second is missing, rebel and opposition activist sources told AFP.

The sources said the first pilot was killed by opposition forces who shot at him as he landed after ejecting from the plane.

Several videos circulating online and shared on opposition social media sites purported to show the dead pilot surrounded by rebels from different factions.

Jet exploded in the air

The fighter jet exploded in the air and the fireball fell on a mountain on the Syrian side of the border, television pictures showed.

Footage posted by the state-run Anatolia news agency showed plumes of smoke rising behind a mountain a few kilometres from the Turkish border.

Turkish reports said the incident happened in the border area between Turkey's southern Hatay province and an area in northwest Syria populated by the Turkic-speaking Turkmen minority.

The incident came as Russian and Syrian jets are carrying out a heavy bombing campaign against targets in northern Syria.

The Turkish government has expressed anger at the bombing campaign, saying it is aimed at buttressing the Syria regime and has displaced thousands of Turkmen Syrians.

Russia however insists that the air campaign is aimed against Daesh (IS) jihadists.

Amid fears of a diplomatic crisis, key Nato member Turkey said it would take the issue to the United Nations and Nato.

"Necessary initiatives will be taken at Nato, UN and at the level of countries concerned by the foreign ministry upon instructions from Mr Prime Minister," a statement from Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's office said.

Russian fighter jets entered Turkish airspace in two separate incidents in October, prompting Ankara to summon the Russian ambassador twice to protest both violations.

Turkey and Russia have long been at loggerheads over the Syrian conflict, with Ankara seeking Assad's overthrow while Moscow does everything to keep him in power.

The Turkish military in October also shot down a Russian-made drone that had entered its airspace. But Moscow denied the drone belonged to its forces.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to visit Turkey on Wednesday in a bid to smooth ties and find a joint approach to finding peace in Syria.

Along with Saudi Arabia and the United States, Turkey and Russia are taking part in talks in Vienna that aim to narrow differences on the Syria conflict and have taken on an extra importance after the Paris attacks.

A Turkish foreign ministry official told AFP Lavrov's visit would go ahead as planned. "There is no change in the programme," said the official.

Nato allies will hold an "extraordinary" meeting Tuesday at Ankara's request to discuss Turkey's shooting down of a Russian fighter jet along the Syrian border, an alliance official said.

"At the request of Turkey, the North Atlantic Council will hold an extraordinary meeting at (1600 GMT). The aim of this extraordinary NAC is for Turkey to inform Allies about the downing of a Russian airplane," the official told AFP.

The North Atlantic Council consists of ambassadors from the 28 Nato member states.

Etihad and Emirates airlines have announced their National Day sale period. The two carriers have reduced their ticket prices to mark the event.

Dubai-based Emirates is running a special National Day fare scheme, which can be bought until the 26th of this month for travel from 18th of November until the 22nd of March of next year.

Etihad, the Abu Dhabi-based carrier, is offering discounts in its economy and business class to 44 of its destinations worldwide. To avail of the offer, passengers need to book now for travel from January 15 until May 31, 2016. The sale ends on the 28th of this month.

Sharjah-based Air Arabia also has a limited time offer to fly from Ras Al Khaimah to selected destinations starting from Dh449 return all inclusive.

The sale offer is valid until November 24 to fly until March 10 of next year. Under the offer, this special price is applicable to destinations like Lar, Tehran, Mashhad, Shiraz, Abadan, Isfahan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Doha.

Many UAE residents are looking to travel during the National Day holidays in the country.

The National Day and Commemoration (Martyrs') Day holidays for employees of ministries and federal government departments will begin on Tuesday, December 1, with work resuming on Sunday, December 6, according to a circular issued by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources.

All employees working in private sector companies in the UAE will get December 2 and 3 as holidays. This makes for a four-day holiday break for the private sector, including the weekend.

Dubai schools to be closed for five days.

Latest: The National Center of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) denied information on social networking sites that the Gulf region would be exposed to a rare storm phenomenon, 'Al Bayan' reports.

The NCMS said that the air situation, which the region is facing currently, is due to the impact of the normal low pressure in the upper atmosphere will begin to disappear on Thursday morning.

The centre warned sea-goers and fishermen not to go to sea today.

According to ‘Emarat Al Youm’, most areas of the UAE will be cloudy with mild-to-moderate rainfall in the northern and western regions, especially the coasts.

The NCMS forecast that the rains will be accompanied by strong winds.

The winds also moderate to brisk and powerful sometimes, especially over the sea and may be will be dusty and dirt on some exposed areas.

The NCMS added that cool air high is approaching the region and ill lead to a drop in temperatures.

The NCMS also appealed the drivers to be careful and reduce speed, leaving enough space between vehicles because of the rain.
 

(Video courtesy Inayatullah Khan)

Earlier reports: UAE residents can look forward to light showers today (Tuesday) with the weatherman predicting rain and rough seas over the next 24 hours.

The National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) reckons temperatures will drop below 10-degrees in some areas today.

According to the NCMS’ daily weather forecast, Tuesday will be “partly cloudy to cloudy weather in general. The amount of clouds will increase over the islands, some western, northern and coastal areas, with a chance of some rain.”

There will be a chill in the air in the evening, and motorists must maintain caution as wind speeds could pick up. “Moderate to fresh winds in general, strong at times over the sea, may cause blowing dust over some exposed areas,” reads the NCMS forecast.

“Waves will be rough to very rough in the Arabian Gulf and rough in Oman Sea.”

Wind speeds are expected to average 26-34kmph in coastal areas, but may reach 60kmph at times. Minimum temperatures may dip to 9 degrees Celsius in mountainous regions even as internal areas may see mercury drop to 12 degrees C.

This weather pattern will continue over the next couple of days, says NCMS. 

First Gulf Bank  (FGB), the third-largest lender by assets in the United Arab Emirates, has cut close to 100 jobs, three sources aware of the matter said, in the latest sign of Gulf banks adjusting to deteriorating market conditions.

Economic growth in the Gulf region has been stalling due to lower oil prices and subsequent cuts in state spending, which is being felt in the local banking system including through squeezed liquidity from reduced deposits and increasing default rates among small and medium-sized businesses.

"First Gulf Bank released a number of staff as a result of efficiency measures that have streamlined and reduced roles across the operation," the company said in a statement, confirming what Reuters heard from several sources.

It did not give details on the number of job cuts, but said: "This is in line with FGB's robust approach to cost and resources management which remains a key driver of FGB's successful financial performance."

FGB has over 2,500 employees. It posted a worse-than-expected 0.4 per cent drop in third-quarter net profit after loan income fell slightly.

FGB has cut jobs from departments including corporate and investment banking, the sources said on condition of anonymity as the details have not been made public.

It is not the only bank to be implementing staffing cuts to cope with economic conditions.

HSBC has cut jobs in its retail and commercial banking units in the UAE, a source told Reuters on Monday, as the bank prepares for lower growth next year and implements a global cost-cutting strategy aimed at boosting dividends.   

 

LATEST: Philippine Consulate officials on the scene, helping residents

"Over 150 nationals from the Philippines have been impacted by the fire," said a spokesperson from the Philippine Consulate.

He and his team are currently at the Barrio Fiesta restaurant in Ramada Deira hotel, helping those affected by the fire.

"We are registering their names and establishing what help they need. Some have lost their documents, while some need accommodation. We are collecting information," he said.

The officials are also there to help people find alternative accommodation for the night, as the Al Shamsi building is still unsafe for residents to go back into.

"We were here last night and helped many residents of Al Shamsi building get accommodation," he added.

"If there is any one impacted by the fire, we urge them to contact the Philippine Consulate at 056-5015766."

UPDATE: A spokesperson of the landlord of the Deira residential building near Muraqqabat Police Station has promised relief to affected residents, saying that they will “take care” of those affected and “compensate” them.

It wasn’t clear at the time of writing this article if the building was insured, but the spokesperson reiterated that affected residents will be compensated by the landlord/owner of the building.

“We will take care of the residents impacted and compensate as per Dubai land rules,” the spokesperson told Emirates 24|7.

The building spokesperson added: “Residents have been provided accommodation at City Star hotel. We will take care of them.”Some of the residents have moved to Delmont and Sun n Sky, this website has learnt.

The building houses 48 3-bedroom apartments across three blocks (A, B, and C) and the front side of all the three blocks is charred, with 24 flats seemingly impacted by the blaze.

The backside of the building looked unaffected from the outside even as Dubai Civil Defence is yet to make public the results of the assessment report regarding the building’s safety.

An investigation into the cause of fire is currently underway, officials said.

Dubai Metro Green Line back on

In a series of tweets on Tuesday morning, RTA confirmed that Metro Green Line is operating as normal today.

“RTA announced the return of service on the Dubai Metro Green Line to normal and that is after the temporary suspension of service from Abu Hail Station to Union Station due to the fire in a nearby building that resulted in the halting of service as a safety precaution. #RTA thanks the #DubaiMetro users for their cooperation and wish them a joyful journey onwards,” it said.

RTA had earlier announced disruption of service between Abu Hail and Union Station on the Green Metro Line as a precautionary measure for the safety of Metro users.

Almost 12 hours later, the Deira blaze in the Al Shamsi residential building near Muraqqabat Police Station was brought “under control”, several teams of Dubai Civil Defence officials remain on the scene.

Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours last evening before the fire in Salahuddin Street building could be put out completely.

Dubai Media Office confirmed in a tweet last evening that there were no casualties or injuries as a result of the fire.

Fire put out by 10pm

A major fire that broke out at a residential building near Muraqqabat Police Station on Monday evening is "under control" now, an official said.

At 10pm on Monday, Dubai Civil Defence spokesperson stated the fire was "under control".

"Firefighters completely put out the fire on the Salahuddin Street building. No injuries," a Dubai Media Office tweet said.

According to the official, three blocks of the four-storied Al Shamsi building as badly damaged.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) had announced the disruption of services between Abu Hail and Union Station on the Green Metro Line due to the fire. The action was taken as a precaution for the safety of Metro users.

RTA was operating a bus service between the affected stations to transport the Metro passengers, said Moaza Saeed Al Marri, Director, Marketing and Corporate Communications, RTA.

Earlier:

A major fire broke out in a residential building near Muraqqabat Police Station on Monday evening.

Grace

Dubai Police closed Salahuddin Road in both directions after the fire.

Motorists were advised to be cautious and take alternative routes.

“Salahuddin Road opposite Muraqqabat Police Station is closed in both directions due to a fire in a building. Please be extra cautious,” Dubai Police tweeted.

Syed Maqbool tweeted that the motorists coming from Sharjah should divert from Galadari Junction near Dubai Police Headquarters.

“Fire opposite Muraqqabat Police Station near Movenpick. Motorists from Sharjah, divert from Galadari Junction,” Maqbool tweeted.

Dubai Police urged public not to gather in front of the building due to safety reasons.

A Dubai Civil Defence spokesperson told this website that the fire broke out in a residential building at 5.45pm. A spokesperson from Civil Defence informed that firefighters are on the scene since 5.52pm. "They are still working on it," he said, adding, he was unable to gather the reason for the fire, or if there were any casualties.

"It is a residential building, and four floors are badly impacted."

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Dubai Metro’s Green Line closed

Dubai Metro’s Green Line has been stopped due to the fire, the Roads and Transport Authority tweeted.

“Metro commuters: green line has stopped because of fire between Salahuddin & Abu Baker station,” it tweeted.

Residents are posting pictures and videos of the firefighters working to put out the fire that went up in a building near the Muraqabbat Police Station.

A resident wrote Metro's Green Line was closed down due to the fire.

RTA was unavailable to confirm at the time of publishing this article.

"It's getting hot in here because of fire and wind," the resident added.

"It's all black because of smoke but fire still ongoing inside the building. More fire trucks coming."

"Fire controlled from the wall separating building and Emarat gas station but wind is still strong."

Latest: A Civil Defence official said: “Building fire has been put out. People can go back in.”
Firefighters received a heroes' welcome once they came out of the building.

The Civil Defence added: "All clear. Building is safe. There is some water in the elevators once that is cleared people can go back in."

One of the higher floors of the 32-storey Regal Tower in Dubai Business Bay caught fire this morning and Civil Defence firefighters are on the scene.

Image courtesy Charbel 'Zakhour

A Dubai Civil Defence spokesperson confirmed the high-rise was on fire, and there were at least five fire trucks at the site tackling the blaze.

The fire started around 9.45am on Wednesday morning, and Dubai Civil Defence officials had managed to bring it under control within an hour.

The entire building has been evacuated and people have assembled in the sand lot in front of the building.

Image courtesy Roops Mailto

“We heard the fire alarm and the smell was unbearable. We rushed out,” said a worker on the 10th floor of the tower.

A building management representative said the fire may have started in the balcony of an office on the 26th floor but Civil Defence officials refused to corroborate the statement. An official said that the cause of the fire will be known after the ongoing investigations are complete. 

Black smoke was seen from a high-rise building with residents posting images and videos on social media site.

“I got the call and I rushed upstairs… tried to put out fire. But Civil Defence arrived immediately,” a building security personnel told Emirates 24|7.

“Me and my colleague rushed to the 26th floor. I went asking everyone to evacuate. We switched off building power and elevators,” he said.

The Civil Defence team is still on the site to ensure that the building is safe for people to re-enter.

The tower, owned by Dubai-based developer Tameer, features offices, car parking, and a range of retailers, a cafeteria, and a gymnasium.

Image courtesy Irene Calaguas Torres
 

Gold hovered close to its lowest in nearly six years on Thursday, as the dollar held at multi-month highs and US economic data reinforced market expectations of an interest rate hike this year.   

Spot gold was little changed at $1,071.96 an ounce by 0245 GMT (6.45am UAE time), after dropping 0.4 per cent on Wednesday. The metal dipped to $1,064.95 last week, the lowest since February 2010.   

The dollar index, a measure of strength against a basket of major currencies, held near 100.17, an eight-month high reached in the previous session, hurting gold.   

A stronger greenback makes dollar-denominated gold expensive for holders of other currencies, while higher rates could dent the appeal of non-yielding bullion.   

Data on Wednesday showed that US manufacturing output rose well above economists' expectations in October, while business spending plans surged. New applications for unemployment benefits dropped last week.    

Other data showed only a small increase in US consumer spending in October, but did little to alter views that the economy was strong enough for the Federal Reserve to raise rates at its next policy meeting in December.   

“We are keeping an eye on the dollar as a possible catalyst (for gold)," ScotiaMocatta analysts said in a note.   

“The dollar index is within reach of the multi-year high of 100.39. A break of this level would put downside pressure on gold with a break of $1,066 yielding initial $1,045, which is the 2010 low," they said.   

The 100.39 level, last reached in March this year, would be the dollar index's highest since April 2003.   

Gold had seen some safe-haven bids earlier in the week after Turkey downed a Russian fighter jet, stoking tensions between the two countries, but have faded since as investors fretted over the US rate hike.   

Any worsening of tensions could see investors seeking safety in bullion. Russia sent an advanced missile system to Syria on Wednesday to protect its jets operating there and pledged its air force would keep flying missions near Turkish air space.     

Liquidity is likely to be thin on Thursday as the US markets are shut for the Thanksgiving holiday.   

In the physical markets, buying interest picked up as gold prices stayed near multi-year lows. 
 
Premiums on the Shanghai Gold Exchange, a proxy for demand in top consumer China, were trading at a healthy $5-$6 an ounce on Thursday, versus $3-$4 in the beginning of the month. (Reuters)

   Gold rates for November 26, 2015

Silver eased 0.4 per cent, after slumping to $13.86 on Monday, the lowest since August 2009. Platinum on Tuesday hit $835.55, its lowest since December 2008.         

The dollar hit an eight-month high on Monday on hopes of a rate hike. A firm greenback makes dollar-denominated commodities more expensive for holders of other currencies.     

Premiums on the Shanghai Gold Exchange, a proxy for physical demand in China, were at $5 an ounce on Tuesday, versus $3-$4 in the beginning of the month.    

Investment demand, however, was lacklustre.     

Assets in SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund (ETF), tumbled to 655.69 tonnes on Monday, the lowest since September 2008.    

Holdings of platinum ETFs are at a two-year low, while assets in palladium funds are close to their lowest since April 2014.     
 

DD/TT RATES AT 03.45 PM - 26 Nov 2015

Weekly Gold Rates 

   
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The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is mulling the use of rental cars to cover the so-called last mile in Dubai.

The last mile is the distance a person covers at the end of a trip, after having disembarked from Metro, Tram or Bus.

It is the distance between the stop where the person got off and the final destination, such as the office or the home, explained Ahmed Bahrozyan, head of the team supervising the implementation of the integrated roadmap for transition into a Smart Government and CEO of the Licensing Agency at the RTA.

Right now the last mile is often covered on foot due to a lack of alternative options.

However, walking is not an option preferred by the population in Dubai, especially during the hot summer months.

"People in Dubai do not like to walk. Therefore, we are looking at alternatives to cover the last mile. Rental cars are one of the options we are looking at," said Bahrozyan.

At the station where the commuter has got off, rental cars would be made available.

"These cars could be rented to drive short distances, for example 200 meters, and be dropped off at another point."

Car rental for short distances has been successful in many countries in the world, such as France, the UK, the US, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia.

Not limited to coverage of the last mile the concept is also referred to as car sharing or car clubs; capturing the idea that people may need to use a car at certain moments, rather than wanting to move around on wheels.

For this purpose, innovators have experimented with a variety of options. The electric car has become a popular choice of car as it can easily be charged in between trips, while at the same time keeping in line with the limited output of carbon emissions that is promoted through the use of public transportation.

Podcars and driverless vehicles have been high on the agenda of industry leaders nowadays for the same reasons.

"In some countries the use of rental bicycles has proven to be successful for the coverage of the last mile," said Bahrozyan.

"However, in Dubai the weather plays a great role and we would benefit more from car rental," he iterated adding that driverless vehicles are also studied as an option.

The three Khans of Bollywood – Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir – will have their presence felt in Dubai’s Bollywood Parks and visitors will be able to spend a full day with them for just Dh285.

And those looking to spend time with their famous cartoon characters such as The Smurfs, Kung Fu Panda and Shrek in motiongate Dubai will have to pay Dh330 a day, while Legoland Dubai and Legoland Waterpark will be priced at Dh295 and Dh245, respectively.

Dubai Parks and Resorts, the developer of the Dh10.5 billion theme park destination, revealed the cost of single park tickets for 2017 in their latest company presentation.

It stated that the “2017 single park ticket pricing has been adjusted to be in line with regional ticket prices and reflect individual parks product offering in the context of destination and local market.”

“These prices are indicative and subject to change,” the company mentioned.

It further revealed that the Top 5 and Top 20 international theme park median prices were significantly above their projected ticket prices.

“Ticket prices based on entertainment value provided and clear lack of regional pricing benchmarks as the regional offering largely consists of waterparks,” the company presentation informed.

In an investor call held post the announcement of its third quarter 2015 result, Dubai Parks and Resorts Chief Financial and Investment Officer Sandesh Pandhare said: “We still have lots of moving parts you know. What we’ve announced is only one aspect of the overall ticket packaging. It’s still too premature we believe for us to update our forecast as a lot of moving pieces basically settle down, we should be able to come back to the market and update.”

Here are the details of various elements of the resort:

# Motiongate Dubai

A Hollywood-inspired theme park that brings together entertainment from DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Studios and Lionsgate. There are five themed zones with 27 attractions spread across four million square feet of land. Parques Reunidos Servicios Centrales will operate the park.

# Legoland Dubai

Spread across 3.2 million square feet, it will have six themed zones with 40 attractions. Merlin Entertainments Plc will operate it.

# Bollywood Parks Dubai

It will be a Bollywood-inspired entertainment destination. Spread across 2.1 million square feet, it will have five themed zones with 16 attractions, which will be operated by Parques Reunidos Servicios Centrales.

# Lapita

A Polynesian-themed family hotel with 503 keys and will include amenities such as multiple pools, spa, business centre and lazy river. Marriott Group will operate it.

# Riverland Dubai

It will be the grand entrance plaza that will interconnect the three theme parks. It will have 220,000 square feet of leasable space and four themed zones: French Village, Boardwalk, India Gate and The Peninsula. It will also have a 1km canal flowing through the development.

# Legoland Water Park

The water park will have over 20 attractions, with more than 70 unique Lego models. It is aimed at children aged 2 to 12 and will be operated by Merlin Entertainments Plc.

Thailand has introduced Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) for visitors coming from the UAE and other countries to facilitate the forth coming Asean Economic Community (AEC) integration and to boost Thailand’s tourism industry.

As published in the Royal Gazette on September 14, 2015, the Multiple Entry Tourist Visa is available from November 13, 2015, onwards and can be obtained from the Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates worldwide.

The six-month METV, costing 5,000 Baht (Dh513), will grant travellers unlimited border crossings for up to 60 days per stay within the visa validity.

Requirements for the METV applications, in addition to the required documents for a tourist visa, applicants for the METV must provide the following supporting documents:

-          Passport or travel document with a minimum six months of validity.

-          Visa application form completely filled out.

-          Two passport-sized photographs (2-inch x 2-inch).

-          Evidence of permanent residence/residence permit (if the applicant is not a national of the country where he/she is applying for the visa.)

-          Copy of bank statements or evidence of adequate finances in the last six months with a minimum balance equivalent to 200,000 Baht (every month).

-          Letter of Employment. For those who are self-employed, a business license or business registration indicating the applicant’s name.

-          For students, proof of full-time student status.

-          Copy of an air ticket, e-ticket or proof of itinerary (for the first visit to the Kingdom minimum).

For minors under 20 years of age, a copy of a birth certificate, copies of the mother’s and father’s passports/ID and copy of a marriage certificate if any; letter of consent from the mother and father for the minor to travel abroad in the case not accompanying with the child (has to be notarised); in case of sole custody, a copy of the court order must be provided.

A 42-year-old former teacher at a Mississippi has been arrested after being accused of having an inappropriate relationship with an 11-year-old student at the school.

Agents of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday charged Allison Evans Slonaker with one count of gratification of lust and one count of exploitation of a child.

Slonaker, of Hattiesburg, about 90 miles southeast of Jackson, made her initial court appearance before Rankin County Judge Kent McDaniel and was held at the Rankin County Detention Center on $100,000 bond on the gratification count and $150,000 bond on the exploitation charge.

It was unknown if Slonaker has an attorney who could comment on the case.

Multi-line insurer Zurich today announced that it will begin a phased closing to new retail and small business customers in its general insurance business in the Middle East from November 30, 2015.

Subject to an assessment of contractual obligations, existing portfolios in this business will be put into run off which means Zurich will effectively exit its general insurance businesses by the end of 2016 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The decision only affects the general insurance business in the Middle East while Zurich will continue its life insurance business.

Zurich’s global corporate business will continue to underwrite new policies under the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) reinsurance licence and will stop underwriting new policies under the onshore licence through branches in UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Lebanon.

The decision follows a comprehensive review of the general insurance business in line with the Group’s strategy to focus on its core business by prioritising investment in markets where it sees the best potential for growth, managing other markets for value, and turning around or exiting underperforming markets.

The review found that while the Middle East remains an attractive market, there was limited potential for the general insurance business of Zurich to profitably grow its business in the region and achieve an operating scale that warranted the continuing investment of capital and management resources.

Zurich will continue to service its existing policies in the general insurance business for the remainder of their duration, as well as ongoing claims management and the fulfilment of its obligations to customers.

These changes mean that a number of jobs will change or cease to exist, though it is unclear at this stage how many roles will be affected.

“This has been a difficult decision for Zurich, reflecting the challenges of building a strong and profitable franchise across multiple markets in the region in the current economic environment,” said Brian Reilly, CEO of Zurich’s general insurance business in the Middle East. “Zurich deeply regrets the impact on our employees and the inconvenience to our general insurance customers and partners across the region.”

“Retail and corporate customers and distributors of Zurich’s life business will continue to receive the same quality of service and product choice that they have received in the past,” added Jawed Barna, CEO of Zurich’s life insurance business. “The Middle East will remain one of the key markets for Zurich’s Global Life offering.”

On November 5, 2015, Zurich reported a global business operating profit of $2.5 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. Zurich preserved a strong capital position with shareholders’ equity of $31.6 billion.

A teenager who travelled to Syria to join Daesh (IS) has allegedly been beaten to death while she was trying to escape from the clutches of the terror group's capital, Raqqa.

The girl was accompanied by her friend when the duo reached Syria, reports a news website.

The girls, of Bosnian origin, were photographed soon after reaching the Daesh (IS) stronghold and became the terror outfit's poster girls overnight.

However, a Tunisian woman who had also gone to join the terror group and later managed to escape and return home, was quoted by several newspapers as saying that the teenager was soon fed up of the brutal regime and while she was fleeing Raqqa, she was caught and beaten to death. The woman claimed she had been staying with the Bosnian duo.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Thomas Schnöll told the Austria Press Agency: "We cannot comment on individual cases."

David Scharia, from the UN Security Council, said at the time: "We received information just recently about two 15-year-old girls, of Bosnian origin, who left Austria, where they had been living in recent years; and everyone, the families and the intelligence services of the two countries, is looking for them.

"Both were recruited by Islamic State.

"One was killed in the fighting in Syria, the other has disappeared."

The Fuel Price Follow-up Committee, chaired by Dr. Matar Hamed Al Neyadi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, today concluded its meeting at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi and announced fuel prices for the month of December.

Diesel fuel prices for December will be Dh1.83 per litre, and for gasoline products: Super (98 octane) Dh1.79, Special (95 octane) Dh1.68, and E Plus (91 octane) Dh1.61 per litre.

In November, diesel fuel prices are Dh1.87 per litre, and for gasoline products: Super (98 octane) Dh1.81, Special (95 octane) Dh1.70, and E Plus (91 octane) Dh1.63 per litre.

We are nothing but our stories.

And, that’s what director Imtiaz Ali explores through his staggeringly stunning canvas, where his man and woman are united in love, but divided in their worlds. Yet, their story finds meaning, when they break away from their moulds and empower themselves.

“It’s our story. We can change ‘the end’,” voices the man.

Much like his every work, ‘Tamasha’ too is anchored at the heart, but unlike the others this one has fewer pretensions. It’s possibly one where Imtiaz bravely surrenders to his craft.

While his non-linear narrative template might appear rather indulgent, and possibly punctures the pulse of the movie, he manages to salvage it beautifully. A tighter edit would’ve gone a long way in uplifting the film, but that’s a flaw we are willing to overlook because he doesn’t adulterate his drama with quintessential Bollywood tricks, and plays it by his rules.

There’s also a slight disconnect with the corporate world Imtiaz’s designed. Turning the boss into a tie-loving monster, makes his character sketch rather skewed. The part where he watches wide-mouthed as his junior rambles away Bollywood dialogues appear unintentionally exaggerated. Or, when a boy and a girl refuse to indulge in a little hanky-panky, it appears strangely righteous.

That apart, ‘Tamasha’ works because of its two incredibly talented performers. Each feeding off each other, and challenging each other at every moment. Not a note too high, or too low. They are pitch-perfect. Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone display unparalleled talent. While the spotlight is deservedly on Ranbir, Deepika lends him the perfect backing.

Some of the movie’s most striking moments are penned on them. Their reunion in Delhi is gushingly delightful, while their conflict pitched against a massively colourful background with their voices muted out is hard-hitting. It’s the agonizing moments as Ved erupts fiercely when cornered before the track ‘Agar Tum Saath Ho’ plays out that’s the most heartbreaking.

Ranbir lends immense depth to Ved’s charm and complexities, as he innocently lives a life that’s not his. You watch in awe as he exposes his angst in front of the mirror, almost wishing his reflection would step out and set his world right. Or, when he breaks into random lines while mouthing his presentation or begs an old storyteller to help him unscramble his mess. Or, when he narrates his anguish to his controlling father. Ranbir outdoes himself, as he unhurriedly breaks down Ved. It’s during the monologues that he soars.

Deepika too wins applause for her matured take on Tara. Despite landing with a weak back story, Deepika manages to own Tara with dignity and poise. She excels when she finds a broken Ved outside her apartment in the dead of the night.

While the supporting cast are left in the dark, with not much to say or do, it’s the little Ved who manages to win us. Barring uncanny resemblance to his on-screen senior, it’s a delight to watch him feed on a massive diet of stories.

Ravi Varman’s frames are spectacular, with Japan, Corsica, Shimla and Delhi captured in such magnificent frames. AR Rahman’s tunes, while not outstanding like his earlier work, isn’t reduced to mere dance numbers, and are interestingly interwoven with the screenplay. When an autorickshaw driver renders ‘Wat Wat Wat’, while recounting how he was forced to shortchange his dreams, you grasp the power of his music.

It’s interesting how Imtiaz subtly uses “bipolar” in the vocabulary of ‘Tamasha’, possibly hinting that Ved isn’t the only one living a conflicted life. And, that’s reassuring, as well as arresting.

Dubai is fast establishing itself as a preferred destination among global travellers, and its efforts are paying off.

The emirate has been gaining popularity as the world’s favourite New Year destination. According to data released by Kayak, a travel booking website, Dubai is the number 1 trending New Year’s Eve destination users search for on the site.

Tourism is one of the most important sectors of Dubai’s economy, and the city has set a target of attracting 20 million visitors per annum by the year 2020.

The recent stats point to the fact that the emirate is taking rapid strides towards achieving that ambition.

The site Kayak ranks the cities proving most popular in airfare searches for places to ring in 2016 and Dubai takes the top slot, beating all other popular cities.

Ranking of New Year’s Eve trending destinations

#1 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

#2 Cartagena, Colombia

#3 Barcelona, Spain

#4 Reykjavik, Iceland

#5 Tokyo, Japan

#6 Atlanta, Georgia

#7 Santiago, Chile

#8 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

#9 Chicago, United States

#10 Vancouver, Canada

Dubai recently rolled out destination marketing campaign to help travellers see the city as their holiday or business destination of choice. In its first month, the campaign's brand video, titled The Spirit of Dubai, has already received over 10 million hits on YouTube.

“Dubai's range of attractions, experiences and events already holds great appeal for families from across all of our source markets, and with four major theme parks opening in Dubai next year, this is set to be significantly enhanced. Coming in the midst of our first ever global destination marketing campaign, which positions Dubai as a city of endless possibilities, we are here at WTM to show why families across the UK and Europe will recognise our emirate as the destination of choice for 2016," said Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Tourism, during World Travel Market (WTM), that took place in London recently.

That’s not all. According to a recent poll undertaken by a UK-based travel agency, Dubai is also the most favoured long-haul city break destination for UK residents.

The survey of 1,400 British flyers named Dubai, which is expected to welcome 1 million British visitors during 2016, their favourite long-haul destination, beating New York to the top spot.

The travel and holiday survey conducted by this company has revealed Dubai as the UK’s favourite long-haul city break destination, garnering a massive 25 per cent of the vote.

New York, which attracted an incredible 56 million people from around the globe last year, was named the second favourite long-haul city break destination amongst British travellers with 12 per cent of cotes, less than half the votes that Dubai attracted.

Travellers named the Thai capital of Bangkok as their third favourite long haul city break destination with 8 per cent whilst Sydney came in fourth with 6 per cent.

Singapore completes the top five favourite city break destinations for British travellers, coming in fifth place with 5 per cent of the vote.

Top five long-haul city break destinations

#1 Dubai: 25 per cent

#2 New York: 12 per cent

#3 Bangkok: 8 per cent

#4 Sydney: 6 per cent

#5 Singapore: 5 per cent