Gross Pampau / DPA Amateur palaeontologist Wolfgang Hoepfner painstakingly removed all the dirt surrounding some fossilized bones, gradually revealing the skeleton of a 6-metre baleen whale, 11 million years after it had died in the North Sea. “For a palaeontologist like me, it was almost like winning the lottery,” he later explained with pride. Fossil hunting is a hobby …

  ABU DHABI / Reuters Billionaire Mohamed Alabbar, one of Dubai’s most prominent businessmen, plans a phone messaging service for the Middle East that aims to compete with services such as WhatsApp. Alabbar, who made his fortune as the chairman of Dubai’s largest listed property developer, Emaar Properties, has been moving into other areas, in particular technology. Asked on the …

  DUBAI / WAM As part of its efforts to attract foreign investments to Dubai, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) is participating as an official partner in the Dubai Week in China: Shanghai, running from October 27-29. The three-day event, being held for the second year, will put the spotlight on Dubai-China ties and celebrate a dynamic …