DUBAI // A small fire broke out on the Metro's tracks yesterday, prompting the evacuation of at least one train and the closure of a section of the Red Line. It is the first incident to force a closure of the Metro since it opened in early September. Commuters aboard a Jebel Ali-bound train said they saw a fire on the opposite track after leaving Union Square station at 6.15pm.
"The train was about 150 metres outside the Union station when we saw all this grey smoke in the tunnel and a fire coming up from the other track," said Aman Coco, 31 an IT consultant from the UK. She said the fire was "about the size of a campfire". "When I got off at Mall of the Emirates station, the staff were telling people that the line was temporarily closed." Officials shut the line between Al Jafiliya station and Terminal 3 station and closed the four stations in between - Khalid Bin Al Waleed, Union Square, Al Rigga and Deira City Centre, which are all underground.
"There were reports of smoke in the tunnel at Union station and all the emergency procedures were taken as a precaution," said Peyman Younes Parham, the Roads and Transport Authority's director of corporate communications. He said a bus service was provided between Al Jafiliya and Terminal 3 stations and that the remaining seven stations were still operational. "We hope to have the line up and running later tonight or tomorrow morning," he said.
Hussein Abdullah, a video editor, said the train he boarded at Mall of the Emirates was halted and officials began evacuating the carriage. "We were told technical difficulties had caused a delay," he said. eharnan@thenational.ae
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The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)
Engine 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch
Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm
Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est)
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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More about Middle East geopolitics
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
COMPANY%20PROFILE
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
Mohamed bin Zayed Majlis
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The%20specs
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FLIP%204
Mina Al-Oraibi: Iraq is in a fight to show its people who is really in charge
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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Company%20profile
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
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Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
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The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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