A life-changing moment arrived for Thajudeen Kunju, a resident of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India, as he became the latest Big Ticket millionaire after winning the grand prize of Dh25 million in Series 274 of the popular Abu Dhabi-based draw.

Thajudeen purchased the lucky ticket (#306638) on April 18, and his name was announced during the live draw held in Abu Dhabi on Friday. Despite repeated attempts, Big Ticket organisers were unable to reach him by phone to share the exciting news.

The April edition of the Big Ticket draw offered a guaranteed jackpot of Dh25 million, continuing its reputation as a platform that turns dreams into reality for participants from around the world.

In addition to the grand prize, four other winners, Abdul Mannan, Aquline Verita, Meena Koshy, and Saifuddin Koonari, were selected through the Big Win Contest and invited to attend the live draw. Each of them walked away with cash prizes.

Throughout April, Big Ticket also ran weekly e-draws, awarding Dh150,000 each to five winners as part of its monthly promotions.

A Filipino nurse based in Dubai has been named one of the top 10 finalists for the prestigious Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2025, a global recognition that honours nurses making extraordinary contributions to healthcare worldwide.

Fitz Gerald Dalina Camacho, a nurse educator who has been working in the UAE for the past 11 years, was selected from more than 100,000 nominations across 199 countries. He now stands a chance to win the grand prize of $250,000 (Dh918,000), with the winner to be announced at a gala event in Dubai on May 26.

Camacho has led several healthcare initiatives aimed at improving hospital safety and medical education in the UAE. His achievements include launching the Life Support Training Centre in collaboration with the American Heart Association, developing adult and paediatric nursing upskilling programmes, and establishing a Continuous Medical Education (CME) Programme.

This is the fourth edition of the award presented by Aster DM Healthcare, one of the UAE’s leading healthcare groups.

Filipino nurses have consistently stood out in this competition. Last year, fellow Filipino Maria Victoria Juan won the top prize for developing an evacuation system that boosted survival rates in disaster and conflict zones.

This year’s winner will be selected through a final round of jury interviews and public voting. Camacho is the only finalist from the UAE.

Who are the other finalists?

The finalists for this year come from across the globe and include nurses leading programmes in areas like gender-based violence response, telehealth for the elderly, cancer research, and mental health support. They represent countries including Papua New Guinea, Kenya, India, the US, Malaysia, Ghana, Switzerland, and Hong Kong.

The Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award aims to celebrate the dedication, compassion and leadership of nurses who go above and beyond to make a difference in their communities and the world.

The UAE is lifting its travel ban to Lebanon, allowing Emirati citizens to visit the country starting Tuesday, May 7, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday.

The ministry said that the move follows recent diplomatic talks and reflects the strong ties between the two countries. However, citizens planning to travel to Lebanon must follow specific procedures to ensure their safety.

Mandatory Travel Registration

Before departure, all UAE citizens must register their travel details through the Ministry’s ‘Tawajudi’ service. This includes:

• Place of residence in Lebanon
• Reason for travel
• Emergency contact information
• Return travel plans

Failing to complete this registration could result in legal consequences, the ministry warned.

Travellers must also update the system upon returning to the UAE. The requirement applies whether citizens travel from the UAE or a third country.

Diplomatic Talks Behind the Move

The decision comes shortly after a meeting between Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Joseph Aoun and President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. Following the talks, both sides agreed to ease movement between the countries by implementing appropriate safety measures.

The UAE had imposed a travel ban on Lebanon in 2021, citing security concerns at the time.