Author: Editor

DUBAI, 11th August, 2026 (WAM) — The Ministry of Sports has organised its first Innovation Lab to discuss mechanisms to develop a roadmap for its sports services, in line with the UAE Code for Government Services and the Zero Bureaucracy Programme. The lab brought together ministry employees responsible for service development to review core, support and complementary services and identify priorities for their transformation. Participants discussed updates to regulatory frameworks, the use of agentic AI in government services, key performance indicators and policies required to support service development. Humaid Al-Muhairi, Director of the Strategy and Future Department at the Ministry…

DUBAI, 11th August, 2026 (WAM) — Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said that the 14th edition of the Dubai Award for Sustainable Transport (DAST) 2026 attracted more than 750 nominations by the 31st July deadline, exceeding its target by more than 400 percent. Submissions came from government and semi-government entities, private-sector companies, the business community, universities, schools and research centres from the UAE and across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Muna Al Osaimi, CEO of Strategy and Corporate Governance Sector at RTA and Chairwoman of the Award Organising Committee, said the response to this year’s edition…

Actor Emraan Hashmi has cleared the air surrounding reports of him portraying the legendary actor and comedian Mehmood. In an X post, Hashmi addressed the ongoing speculation and wrote, “Just to clarify, the reports about me playing Mehmood saab in a biopic are untrue. I haven’t been approached for the film, nor am I doing it.”Just to clarify, the reports about me playing Mehmood saab in a biopic are untrue. I haven’t been approached for the film, nor am I doing it.— Emraan Hashmi (@emraanhashmi) August 10, 2026 This came after multiple reports surfaced, stating that Emraan Hashmi has been…

The boy who appeared in the viral ‘Baby Shark Dance’ video is returning to the spotlight, this time as a recording artist.Park Geon-roung, now 17, is set to release his first digital single, ‘WAVE’, on August 20 under the stage name Baby Shark Boy.The track will feature Joohoney of K-pop group Monsta X, with Park also contributing to the lyrics.Park first appeared in Pinkfong’s ‘Baby Shark Dance’ video in 2016. The video went on to become the most viewed video in YouTube history and has now surpassed 17.2 billion views.A teaser for ‘WAVE’ has already been released, offering a first…

BRUSSELS, 11th August, 2026 (WAM) — The European Union will begin banning the use of PFAS chemicals in food packaging from Wednesday, 12th August, in one of the first steps towards implementing sweeping new EU packaging rules that will gradually reshape packaging and waste management across the bloc through 2040. PFAS is a group of chemical substances (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), also known as the Forever Chemicals, because they persist in the environment and do not break down easily. They have been widely used in paper and cardboard food packaging to make the materials resistant to water and grease. These…

Whitney Houston’s unforgettable I Wanna Dance with Somebody era is getting Barbie-fied. Mattel has unveiled a new Whitney Houston Barbie Signature doll, immortalising the late music icon in one of the most colourful and instantly recognisable looks of her career. The collectible takes inspiration from the vibrant music video for the 1987 pop classic, recreating Houston’s joyful aesthetic at a time when she was cementing her place as one of the defining voices of her generation. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. The release arrives amidst a milestone year for Houston’s legacy. In…

Twenty years after ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’ hit theatres, filmmaker Karan Johar has opened up about the strong reactions the film received when it was released in 2006. The film, which dealt with marriage, love and extra-marital relationships, had divided audiences and sparked a lot of debate.Looking back at the film’s release, Johar recalled watching a paid preview at a cinema a night before the film opened. He said he quietly sat among the audience and noticed a middle-aged couple reacting strongly to a scene involving Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji’s characters, Dev and Maya.Johar recalled that the couple…

[Editor’s Note: For the latest updates on the deadly earthquake in Colombia, follow the Khaleej Times live blog.]Colombian stars including Shakira, Sofía Vergara and Ryan Castro have shared messages of support for their home country after a powerful earthquake killed at least 132 people and injured more than 570, according to a non-profit group, leaving widespread destruction across several cities.The 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, August 10, near San José del Palmar in Chocó, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake occurred at a depth of 107 kilometres and was felt across major cities, with buildings damaged…

Jury selection began on Monday in the murder trial of an ex-street gang leader accused of masterminding the drive-by shooting death of hip-hop star Tupac Shakur three decades ago in Las Vegas, a long-unsolved crime that became a seminal moment in rap music history.Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, is charged in Clark County, Nevada, with a single count of murder by use of a deadly weapon. He has pleaded not guilty. Davis is accused of leading a group of men to kill Shakur, 25, one of rap’s most commercially successful and influential artists, in a 1996 drive-by shooting near the…

Whitney Houston’s unforgettable I Wanna Dance with Somebody era is getting Barbie-fied.Mattel has unveiled a new Whitney Houston Barbie Signature doll, immortalising the late music icon in one of the most colourful and instantly recognisable looks of her career. The collectible takes inspiration from the vibrant music video for the 1987 pop classic, recreating Houston’s joyful aesthetic at a time when she was cementing her place as one of the defining voices of her generation.Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.The release arrives amidst a milestone year for Houston’s legacy. In 2026, the singer…