NEWS FROM THE U.A.E.
Excerpts from U.A.E. Dailies
Indian stabbed to death by colleague
DUBAI — 01 June: Rajannah, a 34-year-old worker from the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, was allegedly stabbed to death by his colleague following a dispute on Tuesday afternoon in the Jebel Ali Free Zone.
Dubai police sources said the murder was committed at about 2pm at the deceased's residence.
Rajannah and Kumar, his colleague, worked in the same company in Jebel Ali Free Zone: Emirates Riber. They reportedly had a bitter dispute on Tuesday morning after Rajannah came back from the night-shift. The cause of the dispute is not known. After having lunch, Rajannah went to his room to rest. Later, while Rajannah was sleeping, Kumar is said to have entered his room and stabbed him," added the source.
"After stabbing Rajannah, Kumar allegedly self-inflicted an injury, cut his hand, and tried to run away. But as he ran he fell unconscious,” the source said. The police, after being informed of the incident, rushed to the spot and airlifted Rajannah to Rashid Hospital. But he died on board the helicopter," the source added.
"Later, we arrested Kumar and took him to Rashid Hospital in an ambulance, where he has been admitted for emergency medical treatment. The police are investigating the case.
Rajannah, who hails from Karim Nagar in Andhra Pradesh, was working in Dubai for the past four and a half years as a labourer. He is survived by his widow and two children in India. Kumar, who allegedly stabbed Rajannah, hails from Madurai in TamilNadu and also worked as a labourer in the same company.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Worries over diesel price hike
DUBAI — 01 June:Residents and traders in the emirate have voiced their concern over the diesel price hike effected in the UAE yesterday.
The diesel price is now Dh8.90 per gallon, up by 0.20 fils, an increase for the fourth time in less than two months. As a result, the sentiment across society and industry is one of apprehension about further escalation in the cost of living. “We do not know what kind of effects diesel price can have on the prices of commodities. We all are in trouble already with the skyrocketing living cost and I do not think the residents will be able to take another burden,” said Achut Mahadevan, a resident of Karama.
He said if the transportation cost increases, it will definitely affect the prices of consumer goods. “I really do not know how to handle the situation. If the cost will increase it will add more burden on the resident's domestic budget,” he said.
Sojan Antony, another resident of Dubai echoed the same view. “The residents are already in trouble with the increasing living cost. If the consecutive diesel price hike causes increases in consumer goods cost, residents will have to face another burden. I hope the officials will take necessary action to avoid another increase in living cost.”
“This rise will be a burden for the commercial transporters, who could not adjust to the previous hikes. Now we are forced to revise the transport charges which would be recovered from the consumers,” said a businessman who deals in commercial transportation.
“The prices of daily-use commodities are very sensitive to the rise in fuel prices, as wholesalers as well as retailers would not adjust to the rise in cost of transport,” he pointed out.
KHALEEJ TIMES
17 cars vandalised by miscreants overnight
DUBAI — 01 June: In a shocking example of mindless vandalism at least 17 cars in an open parking lot in Al Shaab colony, in Deira, were damaged by unknown miscreants on Tuesday night. They smashed wind screens and broke the glass window panes of the parked cars. No loss of valuables has been reported, so far, but residents of Al Shaab colony behind Dubai Cinema are in a state of shock following the incident.
One resident, whose car was also damaged, said: “The culprits smashed the side window panes of my car and also tried to break open the car door.” “They have similarly damaged the window panes and doors of some other cars and slashed and punctured their tyres.” he added. “Some documents I had left in the car were flung all over the place. But, fortunately, I did not lose anything,” he pointed out.
Another resident complained: "I had parked my car in the parking lot late at night. This morning a friend of mine informed me about the shocking incident. My car's glasses had been smashed. I really don't understand what could be the possible motive behind this vivious vandalism."
He said, “I hope the police will track down the culprits. Some boys roaming around in the area used to disturb the families residing here. They used to aimlessly just hang around here quite often,” the resident said, also disclosing, petty crimes have been on the rise.
He explained, "We have been losing things kept outside our apartments recently and had also lodged a complaint with the police in his connection earlier.
However, police sources when contacted refused to comment on the case saying their investigation was in progress.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Girl's lung test reveals horrors of passive smoking
Dubai: 01 June : A 12-year old became a poster girl for the dangers of passive smoking yesterday when a test revealed that the condition of her lungs was the same as someone who smokes 30 cigarettes a day.
Dr Ebrahim Gabir, head of the Anti-Smoking Clinic in Sharjah, run by the Ministry of Health, who administered the test told Gulf News that the girl's parents regularly smoked shisha at home.
He said the high reading the girl got scared her father into quitting smoking. "After her father [saw the results], he joined the programme to stop smoking," he said.
Dr Gabir told Gulf News that the exposure to tobacco smoke must have been continuously high for the child to register 18 on the test. Level one to six are for non-smokers, seven to 10 are light smokers, 11 to 20 are smokers, while those above 20 are heavy smokers.
"Eighteen is dangerous. Passive smokers usually don't exceed seven or eight on the test," he said.
GULF NEWS
Man stuns motorists on Shaikh Zayed Road
Dubai: 01 June: Motorists on Shaikh Zayed Road were yesterday stunned to see a nearly naked man walking in the middle of the road. Dubai Police detained the UAE national.
They said the man is mentally unstable and are trying to locate his family.
GULF NEWS
Woman’s sponsor stands trial for rape of her 16-year-old son
Dubai : 01 June: A 16-year-old boy stood in front of a judge and told him how he had been raped by a man after his mother had refused to marry the accused.
His mother – an internationally renowned Asian businesswoman – watched through the small window of the locked courtroom as her son gave his testimony.
Standing just yards from his alleged attacker at Dubai Criminal Court, the boy told Judge Mahmoud Sharshaby how Abdullah A, aged in his late thirties and a UAE national, forced himself upon him in December last year.
Abdullah A remained impassive as the boy recounted how he had gone out for a game of pool with Abdullah, who was his mother’s UAE visa sponsor, before he was taken to a flat in Al Qusais, given beer and then raped.
But the defendant shifted uncomfortably as the boy’s mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, entered the court to give her statement.
The businesswoman – who has won a string of international awards for her work – said in an interview conducted before the case came to trial, that she met the alleged rapist through her business last summer and after telling him she planned to move to Dubai he suggested acting as her sponsor.
Once in possession of her documentation he put pressure on her to marry him – something she says she did not want to do.
As a result she was unable to take the necessary bureaucratic steps, such as opening a bank account to get her business under way in the UAE.
Meanwhile her son, whose father lives in a different country, had struck up a relationship with the defendant.
When he arrived for a twoweek holiday with his mother Abdullah asked his mother if he could take him out for the night. Believing the man would be staying with his family, she agreed.
However, after an innocent game of pool, the man took her son to a flat in Al Qusais.
The following day she returned to find the boy in a distressed state. He told her what had happened to him and she rushed him to Rashid Hospital.
Doctors gave the boy’s mother a letter and told her to go to Qusais police station.
The CID there asked the woman how they could snare the man without arousing his suspicions, and she told them he was due to pick her up at her address later that day.
After the arrest, her son was examined again at Qusais police station in order to see if there was a definite DNA match, linking the man to him.
Both she and her young son were interviewed by Dubai Public Prosecution at the end of December.
Abdullah A denies rape and claims he had been having an onoff affair with the boy’s mother for several months.
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