• A storm cloud can be seen behind a yacht as it sails off the coast of Sydney. The Bureau of Meteorology last week forecast ‘warmer and drier than usual’ weather extending well into winter for Sydney and most of south-eastern Australia over the next three months. David Gray / Reuters
    A storm cloud can be seen behind a yacht as it sails off the coast of Sydney. The Bureau of Meteorology last week forecast ‘warmer and drier than usual’ weather extending well into winter for Sydney and most of south-eastern Australia over the next three months. David Gray / Reuters
  • Balinese men hit each other during the “Mesabatan Api” ritual a head of Nyepi Day in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia. Agung Parameswara / Getty
    Balinese men hit each other during the “Mesabatan Api” ritual a head of Nyepi Day in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia. Agung Parameswara / Getty
  • An Afghan election employee takes a picture of a resident to issue his voter card for the upcoming presidential election at a voter registration centre in the northwestern city of Herat. Behrouz Mehri / AFP
    An Afghan election employee takes a picture of a resident to issue his voter card for the upcoming presidential election at a voter registration centre in the northwestern city of Herat. Behrouz Mehri / AFP
  • Indian women dressed in traditional attire pose for photos during a procession to mark “Gudi Padwa”, or the Marathi new year, in Mumbai, India. Rafiq Maqbool / AP
    Indian women dressed in traditional attire pose for photos during a procession to mark “Gudi Padwa”, or the Marathi new year, in Mumbai, India. Rafiq Maqbool / AP
  • A shadow shows people hanging a message during an event ‘Love U MH370’ in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ahmad Yusni / EPA
    A shadow shows people hanging a message during an event ‘Love U MH370’ in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ahmad Yusni / EPA
  • Supporters of Turkey’s ruling AK party (AKP) cheer as they follow the election’s results in front of the party’s headquarters in Ankara. Adem Altan / AFP
    Supporters of Turkey’s ruling AK party (AKP) cheer as they follow the election’s results in front of the party’s headquarters in Ankara. Adem Altan / AFP
  • Afghan residents queue to receive their voter cards for the upcoming presidential election at a voter registration centre in the northwestern city of Herat. Behrouz Mehri / AFP
    Afghan residents queue to receive their voter cards for the upcoming presidential election at a voter registration centre in the northwestern city of Herat. Behrouz Mehri / AFP
  • Afghan residents queue to receive their voter cards for the upcoming presidential election at a voter registration centre in Herat. Behrouz Mehri / AFP
    Afghan residents queue to receive their voter cards for the upcoming presidential election at a voter registration centre in Herat. Behrouz Mehri / AFP
  • Pupils take mobile phone ‘selfies’ with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as she arrives for a visit at Robert-Jungk Europe high school as part of the Europe-Project Day, in Berlin. Fabrizio Bensch /Reuters
    Pupils take mobile phone ‘selfies’ with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as she arrives for a visit at Robert-Jungk Europe high school as part of the Europe-Project Day, in Berlin. Fabrizio Bensch /Reuters
  • An Afghan child plays with a tire along a street in a village on the outskirts of Jalalabad. Noorullah Shirzada / AFP
    An Afghan child plays with a tire along a street in a village on the outskirts of Jalalabad. Noorullah Shirzada / AFP

Best photography from around the world March 31

The National View’s photo editors pick the best images from around the world March 31

March 31, 2014

  • English
  • Arabic
Titanium Escrow profile

Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue  
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The stats: 2017 Jaguar XJ

Price, base / as tested Dh326,700 / Dh342,700

Engine 3.0L V6

Transmission Eight-speed automatic

Power 340hp @ 6,000pm

Torque 450Nm @ 3,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined 9.1L / 100km

Prop idols

Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.

Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)

An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.

----

Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)

Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.

----

Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)

Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.

Read more from Johann Chacko
PhotographyTurkeyIndiaMalaysia