NEWS FROM THE U.A.E.
Excerpts U.A.E. Dailies
Indians receive dual citizenship
Dubai: 13 February 2006:Prasanna Seshachellam, a Canadian of Indian origin, was a happy man as he joined 17 others of Indian origin to receive the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status at the Indian consulate in Dubai.
"I looked forward to retain my Indian passport and now I am glad that my family is the holder of the OCI card," said Seshachellam, at the Indian consulate on Sunday. He received the card from Indian consul general Yash Sinha.
A multi-purpose life-long visa is stamped on an OCI holder's passport.
The OCI status, commonly known as 'Dual Citizenship', is granted to Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs). PIOs of certain categories who migrated from India and acquired citizenship of a foreign country, other than Pakistan and Bangladesh, are eligible for OCI status as long as their home countries allow dual citizenship in some form or the other under local laws.
Persons registered as OCI do not have voting rights, election to both Houses of the Parliament, the Legislative Assembly and Council, holding constitutional posts such as president, vice-president, judge of the Supreme Court and high courts among others.
The Seshachellam family migrated to Canada five years back and got Canadian citizenship two years back. The reason they left India was to provide better opportunities for Karishma, their Grade Six daughter.
"We have been following up with this scheme from the day it was announced by the Indian government. We were in Toronto then. We came to the UAE last year and I immediately applied for the OIC," said Seshachellam.
"Getting an Indian visa was quite a hassle in Canada. Life has become more convenient now."
Consul general Sinha said OCI will enable a PIO to maintain a link with his country of origin.
"The OCI was a promise made by the government of India to the Indian diaspora .... We had received 60 applications for the OCI but only 20 were cleared and processed. The rest of them are in the pipeline," he said.
GULF NEWS
Fear of ban could halt gay cowboy movie release
Dubai/Abu Dhabi: 13 Feb. 06:Gay cowboy movie Brokeback Mountain might never be shown in the Middle East because the film studio that owns it could decide it is not financially worthwhile, the local distributor has said.
If the studio thinks most countries in the Middle East will ban the film, it could choose against supplying it anywhere in the region, according to distributor Italia Film.
The Dubai-based company has insisted that no decision from UAE censors on whether to ban it has been taken yet. The film, based on a story by author Annie Proulx, has generated controversy because it depicts a homosexual affair between two cowboys.
John Chahine, General Manager of Italia Film, said his company is currently in talks with the film studio about what will happen.
"We're trying to get the OK from the studio. We're in discussions on whether it's feasible to show it in one or two countries, on whether it would be worth trying to show it in the UAE, for example, if it was banned in Kuwait and Bahrain.
"If they decide to go ahead they will send over the film but we've not yet received it," he said.
He added that if the go ahead is given, Italia Film will pass a copy to the official censors who will then decide whether to give the green light. Reports that it had already been banned were premature, he said.
"There are good possibilities for this film. It's a very special film. If the newspapers keep talking about it people will come to see it out of curiosity," he said.
An official ministry source agreed that no decision had been taken, saying: "The distributors have not sent the movie to the censors so far. Therefore, the question of banning its screening or allowing it does not arise. The movie has to come to the censors first, then it will be decided."
Another source said earlier media reports suggesting the movie had been banned were based on speculation but were likely to end up being accurate.
Many residents said they were unlikely to miss the film if it was not screened in the UAE.
GULF NEWS
Cyber laws will bring down online crimes drastically
Dubai: 13 Feb. 06:Internet specialists have welcomed rules aimed at clamping down on cyber crime in the UAE.
They have described those who use the internet and computers in dubious ways as being guilty of "degrading technology".
Also, commentators have said that adequate resources must be spent on policing cybercrimes to ensure the new rules are adhered to.
As reported in Gulf News on Sunday, the new rules on cybercrime carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail and a Dh20,000 fine.
The laws ban people from using digital technology to insult any religion and also clamp down on internet crimes such as hacking, credit card fraud, invasion of privacy, copyright violations and cyber theft.
Until now, some suspects in computer and internet-related cases have been able to escape punishment or been handed small penalties because no laws existed to penalise them.
Usman Shaikh, a developer with UAEmobiles.com, a company that sells ringtones on the internet, said he was pleased to hear of the tough rules.
"Some people are degrading technology for their own satisfaction so these rules are a very good thing," he said.
He predicted the regulations would see instances of cybercrime fall to just 30 or 40 per cent of their current levels.
Internet bloggers said they hope the new rules will not be interpreted so widely that normal freedom of expression suffers. Adnan Arif, a Pakistani who writes an internet column or blog, said the key thing about the rules was how flexible they turned out to be.
GULF NEWS
Suicide bid by girl in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI — 13 Feb. 06: A girl identified only as an Asian national, is said to have attempted suicide by jumping from the upper floor of a multi-storeyed building on Electra street in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
Colonel Khalid Abdul Latif Al Dousari, Director of Ambulance and Rescue Operations Department at the General Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police told Khaleej Times that the accident took place yesterday at noon.
Ambulance and paramedics rushed to the site and rescued the unidentified girl. The girl was admitted to the Central Hospital for treatment, the official said. Police did not ascertain the age and nationality of the girl. Eyewitnesses said the reason for attempted suicide was not known.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Processing time for US visa decreased
DUBAI — 13 Feb. 06: The processing time for US visas, specially F-1 type visa (student visa) has been reduced by more than half in the last 18 months, said Valerie J. Chittenden, Consul of Visa section, at the Consulate General of the United States.
Speaking to Khaleej Times after addressing students on 'Guidelines of obtaining a Student Visa' at the 5th exhibition of American universities at the Knowledge Village yesterday, Chittenden said, “In good cases, the average processing time for student visa is about two weeks or less, and in the worst case between four to six weeks.”
“The number of applications for F-1 visa from UAE students seeking higher education in the US institutions has increased remarkably in the last couple of years. In the past year, the US Consulate in Dubai issued around 672 F-1 visa,” Chittenden disclosed, pointing out that for all kinds of query on the visa status, students can post their queries on the dedicated email box set up recently on their website for the purpose, or phone the Consulate between 3 pm to 4pm daily from Saturday through Wednesday.
She also explained that the students who fail to hear on the visa status, can send an email mentioning their name and service number and the US Consulate officials will grant an appointment the very next day to meet up personally and answer all queries.
The one-day, US Universities exhibition which attracted over 21 top American universities was supported by the US Department of Commerce and the US embassy.
Patrick Wall, Commercial Attache, US Commercial Service who formally opened the expo also presented the President's 'E 'Award for Excellence in Exports to five US institutions for facilitating student growth from the region .
Wall said that the award was being presented for the first time to US universities for their service in increasing exports in the education field. The President's E award for Excellence in exporting is one of the most prestigious forms of recognition offered by the US government to US businesses, he said, disclosing that the institutions to receive the honour include Wayland Baptist University, University of Central Oklahoma, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, University of Buffalo, and Community College of Southern Nevada.
The American Education Expo, said Babish Soni, the coordinator of the event, has also for the first time designated $10 million in scholarships and financial aid for qualified students.
We want to encourage students from the region to enrol at US institutions, explained representatives of institutions participating at the fair. They disclosed that the number of students is increasing gradually and that US embassy is working hard to gain the market share lost after 9/11. Most US institutions are offering financial aid to students based on merit, while many are offering attractive co-opt programmes allowing students to learn in a corporate environment while still studying .
Alan Huesing, Director of International Education at East Texas Baptist University participating for the first time in Dubai is hopeful of enrolling at least 15 to 20 students from the region. ''Currently, we have no students from the Gulf on our campus in the US, but we have announced a budget of $9 million scholarship and financial aid for students joining the institution. Different types of scholarships are available covering from 10 per cent of the overall tuition costs up to full scholarships on merit and SAT scores,'' disclosed Huesing, adding, for international students from the region, in addition to other scholarships, a $1,500 per year scholarship will be offered.
The event, the only one in the area supported by the US Department of Commerce and the US embassy will travel to Bahrain, Kuwait and Doha and includes informative seminars for students and parents. On the opening day, officials from the embassy will also give a free talk on the guidelines to obtain a US Student visa.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Sweeping machines to keep city clean
DUBAI — 13 Feb.06:Civic workers who clean Dubai's streets everyday now have six new sweeping machines to keep the city clean. The new machines have been added to Dubai Municipality's existing fleet as part of an ongoing upgrading programme. The procurement forms part of the civic body's efforts to significantly upgrade cleaning services to cope with the rapid pace of development and growth in urban areas in the emirate.
According to Hassan Makki, Assistant Director of Environment Department and Head of Waste Services Section, the move comes after discussions held by the department with suppliers in the United States last year. "The objective of these discussions was to put forth to suppliers the unique nature of sweeping conditions in the emirate," he said.
He added that the Department has also refined the specifications for sweepers so that machines which can better address these conditions are procured. The six 'Tennant' machines will replace sweepers who are scheduled to retire from the fleet this year and will help the municipality to extend automated sweeping services to newly developed areas in the emirate. The new 'Sentinel' model sweepers are a significant improvement over their predecessor models and feature advanced dust control and other enhancements to improve operability and safety.
The municipality currently operates a fleet of 26 sweepers with at least one sweeper being permanently assigned to each area in Dubai, he said. "While pedestrian-heavy streets and parking lots are manually swept, automated sweeping is an efficient method for ensuring cleanliness in larger, relatively obstruction-free zones," Makki explained.
Sweepers are also necessary to ensure that major roads remain clear of sand. Of the 26 sweepers that the municipality operates, nine are heavy duty machines exclusively used for cleaning of roads and highways prone to sand accumulation.
KHALEEJ TIMES