The story of 65-year-old Jawaid Qureshi and his struggle for survival are not ordinary. Having worked at the Ministry of Health for over 30 years, he was diagnosed with a chronic kidney disorder last year wiping off the savings of a lifetime.

It's not everyday that students set records and that too at the global level. But Rohan Sampath, a student of the Dubai Modern High School, has exceeded all expectations.

A single nation-wide plan that will jointly counter four common diseases is being readied by the UAE after the United Nations called for immediate action against non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

AJMAN - Despite the Ajman Municipality's warnings over the dumping of domestic sewage in open areas in Al Jarf district and other areas in Ajman by tankers belonging to private companies, a large number of residents are still complaining about the bad odour from the sewage.

Firefighters from the RAK Civil Defence have managed to put out a big fire that broke out in a factory warehouse in the Industrial area of the Red Island region.

RAS AL KHAIMAH - Phone-based and in person consultations have proved effective in defusing thousands of family disputes in Ras Al Khaimah.

Taxi bookings by telephone increased by 16 per cent in 2011, according to the Booking and Dispatch Centre at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

ABU DHABI - Two women were arrested for allegedly conning another woman of about Dh3 million for a bogus UAE citizenship.

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, the Libyan convicted of the 1988 bombing of a PanAm flight over Lockerbie, died of cancer on Sunday aged 60, leaving many questions on the attack and its aftermath unanswered.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's deputy foreign minister said on Sunday that military action against Iran over its nuclear program was being considered in some Western countries.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - NATO will hand over the lead role in combat operations to Afghan forces across the country by mid-2013, alliance leaders said on Sunday as they charted a path out of a war that has lost public support and strained budgets in Western nations.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Getting married was a smart business move as well as a personal milestone for Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, with the timing of the wedding, the day after the company's initial public offering, potentially proving particularly advantageous, California divorce lawyers said on Sunday.

SINGAPORE/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese Internet firm Alibaba Group is in talks with existing shareholders, including Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings, to raise about $2.3 billion in equity to partly finance its deal with Yahoo Inc., two sources said.

LONDON (Reuters) - Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb, who with brothers Barry and Maurice helped define the disco era with their falsetto harmonies and funky beats on smash hits such as "Stayin' Alive" and "Jive Talkin'," has died after a long fight with cancer. He was 62.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng soaked up the sun in New York City on Sunday as his children played in a garden, a break in a day of meetings to arrange his studies at New York University.

SANT' AGOSTINO, Italy (Reuters) - A strong earthquake in northern Italy killed at least six people, injured dozens and damaged historic buildings including a famed mediaeval castle early on Sunday, waking terrified citizens and sending thousands running into the streets.

SANAA/ADEN (Reuters) - Islamist militants shot and seriously wounded a U.S. military instructor in Yemen on Sunday, while the army closed in on a town controlled by al Qaeda-linked fighters in heavy fighting that killed at least 27 people, local officials said.

TANGERANG, Indonesia (Reuters) - There are many ways to describe Indonesia's Aburizal Bakrie: multi-millionaire businessman, global mining tycoon, heavyweight contender for the presidency in 2014. One description that does not spring to mind is man of the common people.