London / AFP The British government on Saturday formally rejected a petition signed by more than 4.125 million people calling for a second referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU. “We the undersigned call upon HM (Her Majesty’s) government to implement a rule that if the remain or leave vote is less than 60 percent based a turnout less ...

  DUBAI / WAM Dubai Police processed 198,550 online transactions on its smartphone app since the beginning of this year. The app “Dubai Police” has been downloaded 1,372,762 times on android and iOS-powered devices, Brigadier Khalid Al Razouki, Director of Smart-Services at Dubai Police General HQ, said. He noted that the number of downloads was rising due to the launch ...

  Istanbul / AFP The first Russian flight carrying package tourists to Turkey since a diplomatic crisis erupted eight months ago landed on Saturday in the Turkish Mediterranean resort of Antalya. The Rossiya Airlines plane touched down at Antalya’s international airport at around 0730 GMT, after President Vladimir Putin last month officially lifted restrictions on tourism to Turkey. The Boeing ...

  New Delhi / AFP India’s peaceful tourist hotspot Kerala has become the first state in the country to impose a “fat tax” on junk food in a bid to counter rising obesity. The state’s finance minister Thomas Isaac announced a 14.5 percent tax on food including burgers, pizzas and sandwiches sold at restaurants and fast-food chains, as part of ...

  DUBLIN / WAM With salaries and job opportunities falling at home, dozens of Irish teachers are heading to the UAE next month to take up posts in primary and secondary schools, according to a report on Saturday in the Irish Independent newspaper. “A sense of adventure is the attraction for some, with others viewing the opportunity as a chance ...

  Emirates Business As the Gulf region adopts high standards of energy efficiency, the Mideast market is promoting innovative solutions to encourage the usage of LED technology. As per reports, the UAE lighting industry alone is pegged to be at a billion dirhams. Due to the new regulations in conventional lighting, energy efficient lighting products is estimated to grow at ...

  Sunaina Rana / Emirates Business As the UAE’s eCommerce market is riding on a high tide, Finland-based SaaS company, which provides easy-to-use software tools, LianaCommerce, has taken the initiative for a more advanced and innovative platform for eCommerce in the Middle East. Janne Kilpelainen, Managing Director of Liana Technologies in the Middle East, told Emirates Business regarding the platform, ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business Furthering its commitment to make the internet a safe and positive space for its students, Academia Management Solutions International (AMSI) – which manages Al Mawakeb Schools and International School of Arts & Sciences (ISAS) – conducted a string of informative workshops, training programs, and expert talks at its premises. For instance, the ICT classes at ...

  Sunaina Rana / Emirates Business More than a third of PR agencies are expected to cut down on their marketing budget due to the slowing economy in Gulf countries due to the fluctuating oil prices, according to a recent survey conducted by Middle East Public Relations Association (Mepra). Ray Eglington, Group managing director at Four Communications and the MEPRA ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business Designed for residents and tourists to experience the best of summer, the 19th edition of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS)— the region’s longest running summer extravaganza of its kind – kicks off on Saturday with its ‘Own The Summer’ theme encouraging everyone to make the most of the great events, family fun and unbeatable deals across ...