NEWS FROM THE UAE
SOURCE : THE NATIONAL/WAM
One dead and 21 hurt in traffic accidents
SHARJAH - FEB. 26: A man was killed and 21 men were injured in two accidents on Sharjah roads yesterday.
The man died when two vehicles collided at the Al Hudaibah Bridge, injuring nine other men.
Elsewhere, 12 workers were injured when their bus overturned and caught fire at the Cultural Roundabout in Sharjah. Police said the bus, carrying 14 workers, was speeding.
“Two workers that tried to jump off the bus sustained serious injuries,” said Ahmed bin Darwish, the head of Sharjah Patrol Unit. They were taken to Kuwait Hospital.
Ten of the workers were from Bangladesh, two from India and one each from Pakistan and Egypt.
A Indian man who was in the Cultural Roundabout accident, Mustafa Abdul Latif, 25, said: “One minute we were laughing and chatting, and the next minute the bus was upside down.
“I thought all had died except me and then it caught fire and I knew I was also to die after all. But someone pulled my hand and I was outside. This person was a police guy. He had saved me.”
Mohammed Syed, 27, another Indian in the bus, said: “I can’t believe I survived. I can’t believe the police guys came so quickly to save me.”
Among those injured in the second crash was Mohammed Dada, 30, a Pakistani who suffered leg and chest injuries.
“I hope I will recover soon as I have to look after my family,” Mr Dada said.
THE NATIONAL
Three arrested after bank heightens security levels
AJMAN - FEB. 26: Police arrested three men yesterday morning they say were attempting to rob a customer outside a bank, one day after officials began measures to boost security at branches.
Police said the three Afghan nationals told a customer that something was wrong with a tyre on her car.
“As soon as the passenger moved out to check her vehicle and another gang member at the other door picked her bag, police stopped him and arrested three of them,” a senior police official said.
He said the method was an old one but many customers still fall prey to it.
The three suspects have been referred to Public Prosecution.
On Tuesday, Ajman Police announced it was starting a campaign to boost security in banks and teach customers and employees safety measures.
At a meeting of senior police and bank managers, Col Abdullah al Nuaimi, the deputy director of Ajman Police, said there had been a number of cases of bank customers being robbed after withdrawing cash. He would not say how many.
Majed Salem, the head of the Ajman Criminal Investigation Department, said people needed to know they were safe withdrawing their money from the bank.
Mr Salem said women were thieves’ main targets.
He added that another point of danger for customers was ATMs, and he urged all bank managers to introduce the SMS system, under which customers are sent text messages on their mobiles whenever withdrawals are made.
Mohammed al Shaqoosh, the director of public relations and moral guidance at Ajman Police, said the campaign would involve giving bank customers brochures on how to safely keep their money after withdrawal, and advising them to change personal identification numbers regularly.
THE NATIONAL
Sunday March 8 declared public holiday
Dubai - Feb. 26: (WAM) - Ministries and federal departments will remain closed on Sunday 11 Rabi Al Awwal 1430 Hijri, corresponding to 8 March 2009, to mark the occasion of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) birthday anniversary, according to a circular issued by H.E. Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qattami, Minister of Health and Chairman of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources.
Al Qattami extended greetings to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and to Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates on the auspicious occasion.
WAM
Air Arabia, DIB launch electronic ticket payment service
Sharjah - Feb. 26:: Air Arabia and Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) announced today the launch of a fast and convenient ticket payment facility for Air Arabia customers via DIB's electronic banking channels. Through this service, ticket payments can now be made anywhere in the UAE through DIB's Cash Deposit Machines (CDM).
Dubai Islamic Bank is currently in the process of enabling Air Arabia payments through the bank's e-channel network, including Internet banking, mobile banking, phone banking, and Automated Teller Machines (ATM).
"We are delighted to announce our new partnership with Dubai Islamic Bank. This step further enhances the value-for-money services we offer to our customers seeking to travel to the 44 destinations we serve worldwide. Through this partnership, Air Arabia now offers its customers even more options to pay less and fly more," Ali Al Hamdany, Director of IT and Corporate Projects, Air Arabia, said.
Also commenting on the agreement, Musabbah Al Qaizi Head of Electronic Banking, DIB, said: "Dubai Islamic Bank, in partnership with Air Arabia, is pleased to offer this unique service for the benefit and convenience of the entire UAE population. The success stories of DIB and Air Arabia are founded upon a similar commitment to providing enhanced services for our customers. Through our fast-growing partnership network, we continue to explore opportunities to widen the appeal of both the bank and Air Arabia to all the communities that we serve." Nadeem Busheri, Head of IT, DIB, said: "Partnering with Air Arabia comes in line with DIB's commitment to investing in technology to offer value-added services to our customers. DIB's IT Department has implemented a range of projects and processes to provide timely, cost-effective, high-quality and secure services to its customers. As we work towards integrating Air Arabia payments across our e-channels, we are confident that DIB and Air Arabia customers will find this service extremely convenient." WAM/SA
WAM
Ministry battles tenacious ‘red tide’
Fujairah - Feb. 26: Red tide on the East Coast. Algae-infested water surround one of the UAE's most popular diving and snorkelling spots - Snoopy Island in Dibba. Jeffrey C. Catanjal for The National
The Ministry of the Environment and Water has announced plans to tackle the “red tide” of algae devastating the waters off the coast of Fujairah. Part of the strategy is to help officials predict conditions likely to lead to new outbreaks and to react swiftly. But it does not expect an instant cure.
Dr Rashid bin Fahad, the Minister of Environment and Water, said yesterday that officials would collaborate with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the US research organisation, in implementing the programme.
Caused by the rapid growth of several marine microorganisms, the bloom has affected large areas of coastline. Besides the UAE’s Indian Ocean coastline, waters off Salalah and Muscat in Oman, Iran and the Straits of Hormuz had all been affected, Dr bin Fahad said.
The bloom has killed fish and coral, causing huge environmental damage as well as financial losses. Asmak, an aquaculture company with extensive facilities on the east coast, lost 600 tonnes of fish, Dr bin Fahad said. Diving operators and hotels are suffering financially as are desalination plants because of the costs of changing water-intake filters.
THE NATIONAL
Corruption cases set for court
DUBAI - FEB. 26: The first court case connected to the ongoing investigation into alleged corruption in Dubai is due to start early next month.
Four former employees of the property developer Sama Dubai are to appear in the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance with a fifth defendant from another company.
Among the defendants is AM, 42, the former chief executive of Sama Dubai’s project The Lagoons.
He is charged with asking for bribes in the form of properties and cash from Sama Dubai clients, which led the company to incur a loss of Dh137 million (US$37.3m), prosecution officials said.
Three sales executives at The Lagoons are charged with taking bribes for property transactions. The fifth defendant, who worked for a local property developer, is charged with accepting a bribe.
The case is the first to make it to court after a long-running investigation into allegations of corruption in Dubai, mostly in the property sector.
The case has been scheduled for March 8, but last night the Government announced that ministries and departments would be closed on that date to mark the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday. Court officials were not available to comment on whether the sessions would go ahead or be rescheduled.
The Dubai attorney general, Issam al Humaidan, said this week that the investigation into another of the cases was almost complete.
Mr al Humaidan said the charges against the former chief executive of the developer Deyaar, Zack Shahin, and three co-defendants included forgery, embezzlement and fraud.
THE NATIONAL