NEWS FROM THE UAE
Excerpts from UAE Dailies

They killed compatriot for Dh2,000

DUBAI — Jun 01: Failure to return Dh2,000 that he had borrowed from his three compatriots cost an Indian labourer his life. The three men allegedly killed Vijayan Z. in a premeditated murder and buried his body in a pit in a warehouse.

However, they failed to elude the law and were arrested. Dubai Police have nabbed the three accused, all labourers, 32-year-old Raj B., 25-year-old Santosh J. and 30-year-old Shrini D., who have all confessed to their crime.

The three, who worked with a contracting company, had asked the victim to join them for dinner and drinks at a house in Al Barsha.

After consuming alcohol together, they strangled Vijayan to death, stole his money and mobile phone, and later moved his body to a deserted warehouse of their company in Al Barsha, where they buried the body. Some 15 days after the incident, the victim's brother reported to the police that his brother was missing. He also told the police that his brother's mobile phone was not responding and that his employers too had no clue to his whereabouts.

The police later arrested the three suspects as they had friendly relations with the victim.

During the interrogation, the three confessed that they had killed Vijayan as he had failed to return the Dh2,000 he had borrowed from them more than a year ago.

They told the police that when their repeated pleas to return the money were ignored, they decided to kill Vijayan.

The accused told the police where they had buried the victim’s body. When the police searched the warehouse, they were able to locate the body in a pit filled with waste.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Rising costs not matched by salaries
 
 
UAE: Jun 01: Many Middle East residents feel they have not been adequately compensated for rises in the cost of living, according to a survey by a Dubai-based recruitment website.
“[Residents of] all countries did agree on one point – salaries have not been able to match the rising cost of living,” Bayt.com said.

The survey of close to 9,000 people from the Middle East and North Africa found those in Syria, Lebanon and the UAE were the least satisfied with salary increases.

“At an overall level, 58 per cent felt this way, with Syria (67 per cent), Lebanon (64 per cent) and UAE (62 per cent) relatively higher,” the survey said.

Bayt.com said in another report the cost of living had risen 28 per cent in the UAE in the past year, and employ ees in the country believed they deserved a 33 per cent increase in their salaries.

In post-war Lebanon, residents were pessimistic about the future, with 38 per cent believing their country’s economic situation would decline.

 
EMIRATES TODAY

Respect 'midday break': MoL tells firms

ABU DHABI — Jun 01: The Ministry of Labour (MoL) yesterday warned construction companies against forcing labourers to work during the midday break from12.30pm to 3.00pm.

Mohsen Ali bin Qahel told Khaleej Times that the MoL called upon the companies in the capital to abide by the labour law and the ministerial order 410. "Companies that breach the decision would be fined," he said.

"In the first violation, the company would be liable to Dh10,000 besides suspension of the company's code on the MoL's system for three months and downgrading of the company's category (B and C)," he said.

The fine and suspension period would be doubled in case of second violation, he said.

The ministerial decision 410 gave positive results in 2006 over the previous year. So, to ensure more positive results, the MoL will impose fines and punishments this year as well. "Last year nearly 50 companies violated the midday break rule in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain," bin Qahel said.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Keep track of your kids, parents told

ABU DHABI/AL AIN – Jun 01: Brigadier Abdullah Salim bin Nassra, director of Public Relations at the Ministry of Interior, has urged parents to take extra care of little children and keep track on their activities both within and outside homes.

In a statement issued yesterday, following the tragic death of four-year old girl Mirah Ali Ahmad Al Balushi in Al Waqen area of Al Ain city, reportedly due to suffocation after going unnoticed in her father's car, Brig. Nassra offered his condolences to the family.

The girl died on Friday last of heat exhaustion after she was left in the car, by mistake, for a long time in 46 degrees C temperature. "The child played in the car for a long time, while her parents searched for her inside the house. The child was unable to bear the heat and died of heart failure as a result of exhaustion and suffocation," said Brig. bin Nassra.

He added that in the last six months, the police had learnt of 27 such cases when children had failed to get out of the locked cars. According to experts, the temperatures can go up to 55 degrees C in a car parked directly under the sun in just 30 minutes.

Commenting on the incident, Salama Hashaad, head of the Weather Forecast Centre at National Authority of Meteorology in Abu Dhabi, told Khaleej Times that exposure to sunlight between noon and 4 pm can be very harmful.

"People should take special care in the summer because of heavy water loss during this period. Hence, we must drink extra amount of water throughout the day to avoid dehydration and sunstroke," Hashaad said.

The four-year old girl's father, Ali Al Balushi, said the little child was helping the maidservant to remove the items from the car after they returned from shopping and later remained in the car. She fell asleep in the vehicle whose engine was off and so was the air-conditioner. By the time they managed to locate her, it was too late. The girl died while on way to Tawam Hospital.

Al Balushi told Khaleej Times that Tawam Hospital is only five minutes away from their house, but the doctors there failed to resuscitate her by artificial respiration. While denying that Mirah's death was due to the housemaid's negligence, Al Balushi disclosed that it was not the first time that she had slept inside his car. In the last winter, Mirah went missing for one and half hours and was later found asleep inside the car.

Meanwhile, Khaleej Times has learnt that the Abu Dhabi Education Council has prepared an educational curricula to make the children aware of such dangers at homes, schools, streets and on the beaches.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Smokers’ spouses have greater chances of contracting cancer

ABU DHABI — Jun 01: Does smoking threaten integrity of families? The answer would probably be 'yes' if you know that the wives of smokers are at greater risk of developing cancer as compared to spouses of non-smoking husbands.

“A recent 10-year prospective study on smoking that covered 12,000 spouses of heavy smokers in Japan showed that the women are twice as much at risk of getting lung cancer than wives of non-smokers,” said Dr Ziyad Al Najar, Health Education Promotion Consultant at the Health Authority, Abu Dhabi.

In an interview with Khaleej Times on the sidelines of a forum on impact of smoking on stability of families, Dr Najar said similar studies conducted recently in some European countries also threw up astonishing findings.

"Other similar studies showed that all those surrounding smokers are exposed to serious health risks, namely cardiac diseases, strokes, asthma, acute bronchitis, allergies and miscarriages (in pregnant women)."

Explaining risks associated with second-hand smoke (SHS), the expert said SHS refers to the smoke from burning tobacco products, generated by people smoking them.

"When tobacco smoke contaminates the air, especially in enclosed spaces, it is breathed by everyone, exposing both smokers and non-smokers to its harmful effects. SHS is also referred to as involuntary smoking or passive smoking," he said.

Breathing SHS can cause heart disease and many serious respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in children and adults, which might lead to death.

"The stability of the family is critically affected by smoking because apart from the mentioned risks, smoking husbands usually ignore social, nutritional and other vital responsibilities towards their families due to the economic burden of smoking," warned Dr Najar.

Exposure to SHS also imposes economic costs on individuals, businesses and society as a whole. "These include primarily direct and indirect medical costs, but also productivity losses. In addition, workplaces where smoking is permitted incur high renovation and cleaning costs, increased risk of fire and may experience higher insurance premiums," said the expert.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Dubai enforces phase I of ban

DUBAI — Jun 01: On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, Dubai yesterday began implementing the first phase of the ban on smoking in all government departments and educational institutions.

Minister of Health Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qutami announced that the federal law in this regard would come into effect by the end of the year.

“The law will be flexible for all local governments, which means that public places such as shopping malls would be given a chance to implement a blanket ban or designate an area for smoking,” he announced.

“At present, the MoH is focusing on the urgent need to make all indoor public places and work places 100 per cent smoke-free.”

“We have already banned smoking within the ministry so as to set an example, and we are ensuring that visitors to the ministry, too, respect the ban,” he said.

Meanwhile, officials from Dubai Municipality said a complete ban on smoking within the department has already been in force since 1999. “The Dubai Municipality is a no-smoking zone since 1999. Anybody who wants to smoke has to go out of the building. But a regulation against smoking in public will be useful in the long run. The municipality plans to hold campaigns in order to make the people aware about the ill-effects of smoking,” said a municipality spokesperson.

Brigadier Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director of Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department, said smoking was already banned in the halls and sections of DNRD. “We are a very civilised society. People know that they should not smoke in a public department and there is no need for an official rule to force them to relinquish smoking while in DNRD.”

While pointing out that there was no place allocated for smokers in the department, he said: “Smokers can take a break outside if they feel like smoking.” An official from the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said the no-smoking policy has already been in force for the past four years.

“Smoking has been prohibited in the DTCM building for almost four years now and we also regularly conduct seminars for our employees, who are smokers, to help them quit the habit,” said the official. He said the building the DTCM occupies in Creek Road, Deira does not have a designated 'smoking area'. The restrooms are equipped with smoke detectors to discourage people from smoking. “Should guests prefer to smoke, they would have to step outside the building because smoking is not permitted within the DTCM premises,” he added.

With the smoking ban to be strictly implemented in September this year, he said the DTCM currently has not advised travel and tour operators on the need to caution tourists about the policy. He hinted, however, that an awareness campaign may be launched in the near future.

“As per the Dubai Municipality's regulations, hotels are already required to allot a certain percentage of their guest rooms as smoke-free and I believe this is clearly being followed by all establishments in the emirate,” he said.

Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director-General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), said the schools were not affected by the ban. “Smoking does not exist in schools. But then the teachers and the principals should come together and teach the students about the ill-effects so that they don't try it,” he said.

However, the ban is drawing mixed reactions from the public. Akram Shaikh, who works as a web designer at the Dubai Media City, said: “The decision is a good one. But then implementation  would be important. Most of the people smoke in Dubai and a complete ban is going to be a difficult deal altogether.”

Ankit Raj, an employee in the National Bank of Fujairah, feels it is very difficult for people to go by the rules. “They (the authorities) have done the same in the past too. But then it was not successful. Moreover, it is going to be a costly affair for the malls, shopping centres and restaurants. I am not very sure whether the new regulations would be of any use,” he added.

Zuhoor Al Sabbagh, head of Clinics and Medical Services Section in the Public Health Department of Dubai Municipality, said: “In the second phase starting September 15, smoking will be regulated in shopping malls and amusement centres. From November 15, all food establishments and other establishments related to public health such as beauty saloons, hotels, cinemas will have to regulate smoking inside their premises. “From 2008 onwards, fines will be imposed on violators according to the Local Order No.11 of 2003 pertaining to public health and environment.”

Health insurance

"The upcoming federal law on smoking ban will also cover health insurance, which means smokers may have to pay more," said Dr Mariam Mattar, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health and Primary Health Care at the Ministry of Health (MoH) without giving more details.

She said a lot of policies were being drafted and details were still being discussed with the Dubai Economic Department (DED) and Dubai Municipality. "As part of the law, we are focusing on youth health, regulation of cigarette advertisements, alternative medicine for smokers, awareness drives and inclusion of the private sector in the process," she pointed out. "Strict implementation of the ban will save the MoH billions of dirhams which it is spending on diseases caused as a result of smoking," she explained.

Contest

Several events were held all over the country yesterday to mark World No Tobacco Day yesterday.

The Ministry of Health held an event at the Bustan Rotana Hotel to announce winners of the letter writing and poster competition announced earlier. Twenty people out of the 100 entrants were given certificates of appreciation and 10 people were honoured for quitting smoking through the MoH clinics.

The Department of Health and Medical Services (Dohms) took part in activities organised by the Islamic Affairs and Charity Department for new Muslims.

Dr Mansour Anwar Habib, Specialist Family Medicine, delivered a lecture at Rashid Hospital Library on the dangers of smoking.

The Sharjah and Ajman municipalities distributed pamphlets in shopping centres to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking. The Dubai Municipality also organised a ceremony at Dubai Festival City's WaterFront.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Dh500 fine for selling cigarettes to under-20

DUBAI — Jun 01: Shopkeepers who sell cigarettes to youngsters below the age of 20 will be fined Dh500, Zuhoor Al Sabbagh, head of Clinics and Medical Services Section in the municipality, said yesterday.

She also said that Dh500 fine would also be imposed on people found smoking in public places.

However, these penalties will be imposed from the year 2009, she clarified.

Municipality officials, she added, would keep an eye on grocery stores and other outlets where cigarettes are sold.  Meanwhile, Hussain Nasser Lootah, the acting director-general of Dubai Municipality, said shopping malls will have to implement the no-smoking regulations from September 15.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Smoking pencils attract teens
  
 
 
Dubai - Jun 01: A pencil-shaped pipe for smoking tobacco is freely available to children and teenagers at shops in Dubai, Emirates Today can reveal.  The paper approached several shops in the city who admitted they sell the pipes and tobacco to underage customers. “It’s really popular among teenagers.

“Most of our customers who buy midwakh are students. It is the largest moving product,” said a salesperson at Lamcy Plaza.  As the world marked No Tobacco Day yesterday, Emirates Today sent a 19-yearold UAE national to buy one of the pipes known as midwakh. The storekeeper at a shop in the Mall of the Emirates did not ask for the teenager’s age while placing different varieties of the pipe on the counter for him to select.

The sale was done with no questions asked, flouting local laws that state it is illegal for anyone under the age of 20 to smoke.  Under the new rules announced by the Dubai Municipality yesterday, any shopkeeper caught selling tobacco to youngsters under the age of 20 will be fined Dh500 from the end of 2008.

The underage buyer will not be fined.  Midwakh is a small wooden pipe with a cup at one end in which tobacco can be filled for smoking. Although it comes in various designs, the pipe made of wood and shaped like a pencil has turned out to be a hit among students and teenagers.

A Midwakh, together with a large amount of tobacco, costs anywhere between Dh15 to Dh120, and is considered cheaper than cigarettes.

The Iranian tobacco that is used in it, mixed with leaves, bark and herbs, results in a light-headed state for a period of time.

Teenagers prefer Midwakh because, unlike cigarettes, the smell of tobacco dissipates quickly after smoking and does not linger on the body or clothes.

Pupils can easily hide the pencil-shaped pipes in their pockets and walk into the classroom without being detected or questioned.

According to a senior Dubai Municipality official, even schoolboys as young as 11 have been seen smoking Midwakh.

Zuhoor Hussain Al Sabbagh, Head of Clinic and Community Health Section at the Dubai Municipality, said the practice is very common among youngsters.

“The problem is definitely there. I have seen young chil dren, who may have been 11 years old, smoking Midwakh in the school toilets. But there is very little I can do about it,” said Al Sabbagh.

According to her, health education is very important in schools and colleges to bring about an awareness against smoking.

“It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health.

“They have to take upon themselves the task of educating students,” she added.

Smoking midwakh is as harmful as smoking a cigarette, she said.

“It acts quickly on the body, though people think it is less harmful than cigarettes.

“I’d like to stress that tobacco in any form – whether in a cigarette or pipe – is equally dangerous.” The Dubai Municipality announced yesterday that imposing the ban on smoking in malls – to be introduced from September 15 – will be the responsibility of mall staff.

 
EMIRATES TODAY

Etihad launches Thiruvananthapuram flight

ABU DHABI — Jun 01: As part of its expansion on the Indian sector, Etihad Airways added Thiruvananthapuram to its network yesterday. The airline will fly three times a week from Abu Dhabi to the capital of southern Indian state of Kerala. Next week, it will begin flying to Kochi as well.

Etihad has also increased the number of flights to New Delhi. From today it will fly daily to the Indian capital.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways' chief executive, said: “The launch of the Thiruvananthapuram service is the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for Etihad Airways in India. There is a huge demand for flights to Kerala from our customers across the world, including Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, and we look forward to welcoming them on board our aircraft.”

Launch prices for Etihad's Thiruvananthapuram flights start from Dh1260 for return coral zone (economy class), Dh2460 for pearl zone (business class) and Dh3950 diamond zone (first class).

KHALEEJ TIMES

Vatican establishes diplomatic ties with UAE

VATICAN CITY - Jun 01: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) have become the 176th country to establish formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See, the Vatican said Thursday.

“The Holy See and the United Arab Emirates, being desirous of promoting bonds of mutual friendship and of strengthening international cooperation, have decided by common accord to establish diplomatic relations at the level of Apostolic Nunciature on the part of the Holy See and at the Ambassadorial level on the part of the United Arab Emirates,” the Vatican said in a statement.

Totally enclosed within the city of Rome, the Holy See is the world’s smallest nation state. It is headed by the pope and has been recognised as a sovereign entity since medieval times.

Prior to Thursday’s announcement it maintained formal diplomatic ties with a total of 175 countries, ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe.

The Holy See’s nuncio (embassy) will be located in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi.

While the vast majority of UAE citizens are Muslims, the Vatican said more than 1 million Christians, mostly foreign immigrants, also live there

KHALEEJ TIMES

Dubai - New World Wonder

Dubai - Jun 01: Forget the leaning tower of Pisa, the Colosseum, Stonehenge or even the pyramids - there's a new world wonder in town and it's right here in Dubai. The Burj Al Arab Hotel has been voted one of the seven new wonders of the world, alongside the Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House and San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.

Designed by architect Tom Wright, the 28-storey-high, all-suite hotel, the highest in the world, set out to be an iconic or symbolic statement for the emirate - “similar to Sydney with its opera house or Paris with the Eiffel Tower” - with its Teflon-coated sail façade. And its placement in the UK internet poll by Teletext Holidays - where British holidaymakers were asked to vote for the seven new wonders of the world - suggests Wright certainly filled the criteria.

And the hotel's staff are naturally pretty pleased about it. A spokesperson told 7DAYS: “We are delighted to have received such recognition. Burj Al Arab has long since been seen as an iconic landmark of Dubai. “The hotel was designed as a beacon to light the city's future, and we are confident that Burj Al Arab will continue to shine and inspire in the years to come."

Top of the new seven wonders was the Sydney Opera House, followed by the Eiffel Tower, Dubai's Burj Al Arab, Rio de Janeiro's Statue of Christ the Redeemer, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, New York's Empire State Building and Europe's Channel Tunnel. Asked if the Burj Al Arab is worthy of a place in the new listing, one Dubai resident, who stayed at the hotel last year, said: “Well it is pretty amazing, there's an awful lot of gold, and it does dominate the emirate's skyline. Staying there was fun - with a gold-framed television, mirrors on the ceiling, a Jacuzzi in the bathroom and your own personal butler. It was certainly unique!”

SEVEN DAYS

Dubai - Locked up for attack

Dubai - Jun 01: A man has been sentenced to life in prison followed by deportation for attempting to rape a seven-year-old boy at the school he worked at. SN, a 24-year-old from Bangladesh, who was working as a gardener at a school, started to harrass the boy by following him around the school premises and attempting to talk to him.

The child testified that at a later date he went to the bathroom and SN followed him and sexualy molested him. The child didn’t inform his parents and did not return to school for three days.

When he did go back, SN dragged the boy into the backyard close to a mosque and tried to rape him. The child eventually told his parents and has been suffering nightmares since the incidents, the court was told.

SEVEN DAYS

Dubai - Jail for bin mum

Dubai - Jun 01: A Filipina who dumped her baby in a rubbish bin inside a skip within minutes of giving birth was yesterday sentenced by the Dubai Court of First Instance to three years in jail followed by deportation. The 40-year-old maid, identified as MCT, appeared in court carrying her baby in her arms. When told of her sentence she burst into tears saying: “Why am I to be jailed for three years? My baby is fine and I did not intend to kill her. But I accept the verdict."

Defence lawyer Fareed Al Awadhi of Excel Advocates & Legal Consultants, told 7DAYS that her client received a “fair” punishment.  “The decision of the court was fair considering that the charge against her was attempted murder.  “The judge was looking out for and was concerned about the welfare of the baby. We, however, will appeal the verdict within 15 days,” he said outside court.

Legal experts earlier predicted that MCT was likely to serve ten years in jail. Al Awadhi had earlier told the court that his client did not intend to kill her baby, who she thought was already dead after giving birth inside the toilet of a driving school where she was due to sit a driving exam.  MCT had claimed that her baby's face was blue and she thought it was dead so she placed it inside a plastic bag which she then threw into a rubbish bin.

MCT, in an earlier interview with 7DAYS last February, admitted that the father of her baby girl was a Pakistani driver whom she had met in Al Ain last year before falling pregnant.  She claimed that she was unable to resist his sexual advances out of fear. Dubai Public Prosecution, which charged her with attempted murder in February this year, has referred her case to Al Ain Public Prosecution for another charge of conducting an illicit relationship.
Her defence lawyer told 7DAYS that if found guilty by Al Ain Court, she will be jailed in Al Ain only after serving her imprisonment in Dubai. The child has been allowed to stay with her mother throughout the court process and will remain with her for her prison term.

SEVEN DAYS