NEWS FROM THE UAE
Excerpts from UAE Dailies
Air Arabia takes off to Kozhikode
SHARJAH - FEB. 27:AIR Arabia's inaugural flight to Kozhikode on Tuesday turned out to be an occasion for big celebrations for passengers at the Calicut International Airport in Karippur.
The first direct service by a foreign airline, the flight received a colourful welcome at the airport premises.
Upon its landing, the aircraft was given a water salute by fire tenders of the Kerala State Fire Department, in what turned out to be a first at the airport that underwent a massive expansion recently. Slogan shouting by passengers who chose not to hide their excitement of getting an overseas carrier added to the festive ambience.
The reception organised at the airport premises was attended by hundreds, including member of parliament Abdul Wahab, local legislator Mohammed Kunhi Haji, presidents of local chambers of commerce, and important personalities from different walks of life.
Joint General Manager of Calicut International Airport Chinson VS Panakkal, who welcomed the inaugural flight, later told The Gulf Today that the arrival of the flight was an important achievement in the history of the airport and Malabar region that comprise the northern district of the state.
"Air Arabia is the first foreign airline to operate directly to this airport. We hope their service will put an end to the problems caused by delays and cancellations of other flights, which had even resulted in people losing their jobs. We also expect the fares to come down with the arrival of this budget airline."
According to him, 90 per cent of the nearly 1.2 million passengers flying through the airport every year head to the Gulf region. With the arrival of Air Arabia, and other Gulf airlines are scheduled to operate within months, he said the airport with the longest terminal in India would boost the inflow of tourists to Kerala.
On board the flight, CEO of Air Arabia Adel Ali promised to offer prompt and punctual service to Kozhikode that experienced several delays and cancellations by other carriers.
Representatives of UAE-based Indian expatriates' organisations like All India Airport Users Forum, who have been spearheading the campaign to address the woes of expatriates from the Malabar region, celebrated the day as Karippur Victory Day. They along with member of Indian Media Forum wore badges proclaiming Karippur Victory Day for a Developed Malabar to mark the arrival of Gulf-based carriers to the airport located in Karippur.
Mid flight, they took turns to speak about their achievement, and hosted various entertainment programmes on the fully-loaded first flight of Air Arabia to Kozhikode.
To operate thrice a week, the frequency of the flight will be doubled by the end of May in time for the summer vacation when Indian expatriates travel home.
The airline currently serves 10 destinations in India, three within the state of Kerala alone.
Scheduled on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, the flight will depart Sharjah at 8:30am and arrive at Kozhikode at 1:40pm. It will then turn around from Kozhikode at 2:25pm and arrive in Sharjah at 5pm. The expanded schedule will be announced later.
The airline already serves Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, the two other international gateways in Kerala. This is besides its services to Ahmdedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Jaipur, Mumbai and Nagpur.
GULF TODAY
UAE supports international efforts to combat human trafficking-Hamdan bin Zayed
Abu Dhabi, Feb 27: HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister and chairman of the Red Crescent Authority has issued a decision to set up shelter homes across the country for women and children, who have become victims of human trafficking. These homes will provide them with safe haven to live, guarantee them healthcare, and psychological and social support within the country.
According to the decision, the shelter homes for women and children will enjoy financial and administrative freedom, and the board of directors of these entities will be under direct supervision of the chairman of Red Crescent Authority, as the care homes will function under the umbrella of RCA.
The decision delineates, in its sixteen articles, the prerogatives of the board of directors, the higher authorities and the administrative officials of the shelter homes.
Sheikh Hamdan affirmed that under the directives of President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE staunchly support all the international efforts to combat human trafficking through the enactment of laws which control this inhuman form of crime which is considered a scar on the forehead of the entire humanity.
He added that UAE is among the first countries who perceived the magnitude of the human misery brought about by this crime, and thus promulgated Federal law No 51 for Year 2006 regarding combating human trafficking. UAE also set up the national anti-human trafficking committee and formulated a comprehensive national strategy in this regard, Sheikh Hamdan noted.
He stressed that UAE was among the first few nations who called upon the international community and the various world organisations to shoulder the full responsibility of protecting the civilians, especially women and children from the danger of human trafficking operations as well as from war crimes and crimes against humanity.
'On several international occasions UAE continued to call for the world attention to the consequences of the increasing challenges women and children face, as they are the immediate and the largest section uprooted by the crimes against humanity, warfare and other forms of conflicts around the world'; Sheikh Hamdan said.
He said that UAE has shown its moral and humanitarian commitment to the protection of the victims of human trafficking through the ratification of the international conventions in this regard. UAE ratified UN convention on the rights of child in 1997, and signed the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in 2002. Thus the UAE and its prudent leadership continued to munch support for humanitarian issues to protect the victims of these crimes, noted Sheikh Hamdan.
Poverty, need, unemployment and economic and social destitution are among the factors which lead to the spread of the human trafficking phenomenon among delicate and fragile societies. So, UAE takes up fundamental roles of empowering these sections of the human society by way of making them capable of standing up to the tough situations in life. The country does this though humanitarian and relief operations and development projects to help those societies to stand up again, said Sheikh Hamdan.
All the divine scriptures has dignified the status of human being, and the Almighty Allah honoured the human being above all other creations, and made him his vicegerent on earth to live in accordance with the divine message given for mankind. But what is happening today in our world is the most evident form of the infringement of human dignity through crimes against humanity and violation of human rights. This clearly contradicts with what has been taught by the divine scriptures as well as with all the international conventions and protocols which have been promulgated to protect the human being and alleviate his sufferings, Sheikh Hamdan said.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the national anti-human trafficking committee Dr. Anwar Gargash hailed Sheikh Hamdan's decision to set up the shelter homes in the country, adding that Sheikh Hamdan's patronage of this generous initiative will enormously strengthen the country's humanitarian efforts.
Gargash added that this initiative mirrors the keenness of the country to combat the human trafficking and is a practical expression of the country's strategy and its serious efforts to counter this crime and its consequences. The decision reiterates UAE's strong commitment to the issue, and sheds light on the four pivotal factors upon which the national anti-human trafficking strategy is based. These include legislation, empowerment of the concerned authorities to implement preventive and deterrent measures, guaranteeing of protection to the victims and widening of cooperation among nations to combat this crime; said Gargash.
The shelter homes fulfill a humanitarian mission by way of providing safe havens for women and children who have been uprooted as a consequence of human trafficking and sexual abuse. These homes guarantee to uphold their human dignity and alleviate their sufferings. These centres to be set up across various emirates will ensure the inmates all the social, psychological, legal, medical, educational and career support. The centres will also implement training programmes aimed at rehabilitating the victims, enabling them to integrate with their relatives and the society. The shelter homes will also give them orientation programmes to make them aware of their rights and responsibilities.
The shelter homes will also give them legal help during investigation of their cases and will stand by them to claim their rights at the courts of law, and finally to return safely to their homelands to reunite with their kith and kin.
WAM/AB
Dubai Police nab accused in 5 hours
DUBAI - FEB. 27: CRIMINAL investigation team at Dubai police arrested the accused who put a camera inside the ladies' bathroom at the ministry of environment and water building.
The police could identify and arrest the accused within 5 hours.
Colonel Ibrahim Al Mansouri, the Deputy Chief of the Department of Criminal Investigation at Dubai police said, "The department works according to the instructions of Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan, the Commander in Chief of Dubai police. Our teams followed up the news published in the local newspapers, concerning a camera in ladies' bathroom at the ministry of environment and water building.
When we received the tip-off, a team of investigators met officials at the ministry.
After the investigations we suspected an Arab from a gulf country, having psycho problems and identified as AKH, 28. We called AKH to the general department where he was interrogated.
He confessed his crime. We have torn out all the photos taken by that camera, under the supervision of public prosecution.
GULF TODAY
Drunk Indian fined
SHARJAH - FEB. 27:AL DHAID Court of First Instance sentenced an Indian, identified as AMA, 39, to a Dhs4,000 fine and a one-month jail term to be followed by deportation on charges of driving an unregistered vehicle.
AMA, was using a plate number belonging to another car in addition to driving recklessly under the influence of alcohol and possessing alcoholic beverages for trading purposes.
Suspecting the recklessly driven vehicle, Al Dhaid Police agents ordered the accused driver to stop. A quantity of alcoholic beverages was also found in the vehicle and was later destroyed.
Following the examination of its registration papers, the vehicle was found to have a fake plate number and to be unregistered with the traffic department.
The accused was then referred to the Public Prosecution and from there to the competent court which pronounced the above sentence.
GULF TODAY
'March to be warmer'
UAE - FEB. 29: SOURCES at the National Centre for Meteorology and Earthquakes expect a rise of 4 to 6 degrees in temperature in March.
The maximum average expected will be 30 to 34 degrees in the first half of the month while it will soar to 34 to 37 in the second half. In the morning, wind will be south-eastern, at a speed of 3 to 5 knots. During day, it will turn from eastern to north-eastern. Its speed is expected to be 15 knots and sometimes it may reach 20 knots.
The sea will be light and moderate. The height of waves will be 1 to 3 feet and may jump up to 8 feet.
GULF TODAY