NEWS FROM THE UAE
Excerpts from UAE Dailies
Met office predicts more rain and thunderstorms
Dubai - Dec. 14: Dubai has recorded 60mm of rain in December so far, almost halfway through the highest record of 130mm total rainfall for the month.
The maximum rainfall during a 24-hour period in Dubai is 73mm, according to the met office.
It will be wet until tomorrow morning with isolated thunderstorms likely today. Residents will be able to enjoy a sunny Saturday.
According to the weather bureau, it will be cloudy most of the day today, with brief spells of rain. Small boats are advised against going out to sea as waters will be choppy.
Gutted
Two cars were gutted by fire in Ras Al Khaimah due to short circuits. Both were parked in the open in the rain. There were no casualties. Ras Al Khaimah police recorded 52 traffic accidents during Tuesday's heavy rain. In Masafi, a 29-year-old Indian was injured when a car hit him as he was crossing the street.
GULF NEWS
Policeman tried for deceiving and raping girl
Dubai - Dec. 14: A policeman is being tried for deceiving a maid and raping her.
The Dubai Public Prosecution charged the 20-year-old UAE national policeman, M.I., and his compatriot, K.O., [currently being tried by the Juvenile Court] with kidnapping the 25-year-old Ethiopian housemaid, Y.D., raping her and stealing Dh1,200 from her purse.
Police are also on the hunt for absconding suspects.
Charges denied
The 20-year-old suspect denied the charges and told the Dubai Court of First Instance that he did not rape the claimant or steal her money.
He claimed that he had consensual sex with the housemaid.
In her statement to the public prosecution, the housemaid claimed that she went along with her friends to check a house for rent in Al Barsha.
While they were looking at a house, four or more UAE nationals came knocking at the door.
One of them showed an identification card and claimed he was a policeman who had come to arrest her. Then two suspects dragged her out and forced her into a car.
Medical report
She said the 20-year-old drove towards a deserted area and raped her.
When they finished, the 20-year-old phoned someone and within five minutes another group arrived and raped her, she claimed.
The medical report proved that the DNA results matched those of M.I., K.O.
Four witnesses testified that four or more Emiratis forced the girl into the car and drove away but did not mention anything about the alleged rape.
The court will resume later this month.
GULF NEWS
Schools in villas to be closed down
Dubai - Dec. 14: The Minister of Education has said all private schools operating from villas will be shut by the end of academic year 2006-2007.
Dr Hanif Hassan told Gulf News that all schools in villas in the country will be closed down as per the decision by the cabinet in 2004, giving the educational zones the authority to shut these schools.
He said, "Schools in villas lack a proper safety and education environment and we want to protect children and won't jeopardise their safety in any way."
When asked about the number of schools operating in villas, Jamal Al Nouman, Manager of Private Schools and Institutions Licensing Department at the ministry, said about 140 schools operate in villas.
These institutions should move into proper premises, he said.
Al Nouman added, "Schools that get shut should help pupils find another institution that match their curriculum and fees."
Following visits to two schools operating in villas in Sharjah, Dr Hassan said that conditions were terrible.
GULF NEWS
Over 200 firms in Dubai blacklisted
DUBAI — Dec. 14: The Ministry of Labour (MoL) has put 223 firms in Dubai on the blacklist for failing to comply with the ministry’s wage protection resolution. The ministry has stopped dealing with these firms and will not process their labour transactions — from the new employment permits and company licence to transfer of sponsorship.
A Labour Ministry source said the wage protection resolution was being implemented in 800 firms in Dubai (those recruiting over 100 workers). These companies are dealing in contracting, maintenance and ready-made clothes.
The source disclosed that the ministry had asked these firms to submit audited payrolls. However, only 573 responded; the remaining 223 declined to respond and were blacklisted. Of the 223 blacklisted, the sources said, 100 were bankrupt or fake, mainly set up to trade in visas. The source said he expects the number of firms coming under the resolution to shoot up to around 900 by the end of the month, thanks to the spurt in recruitment of workers.
“The ministry will impose stern punishments on the firms delaying salaries of workers. Blacklisting will be the first of a range of strict measures,” the source stressed.
The MoL source claimed that the wage protection resolution had managed to reduce the number of firms failing to pay salaries of their workers in time. The ministry serves a non-compliant firm with two ultimatums. If it doesn’t respond, all its labour transactions are frozen and its licence is suspended. Some firms earlier took recourse to other group firms to finalise transactions at the ministry.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Residents asked to vacate apartments by January 2
DUBAI — Dec. 14: Tenants of the Shaikha Latifa Building in Karama, one of the oldest residential units in the city, will have to move out as the Dubai government has issued a final eviction notice insisting that they have to vacate the premises and return the keys before January 2.
According to the notice, tenants should settle electricity and water bills before December 31.
The building will be demolished soon after tenants vacate their flats.
The building, consisting of more than 300 flats, was set to be demolished last December.
But following requests from tenants, the government granted them an extension for a year.
The government is now offering tenants new flats in Sonapoor, Al Ghusais and Al Quoz, it was learnt.
“Currently, we are paying a very nominal rent. But when we move to the new buildings offered by the government, we have to pay a higher rent. Anyway, we are thankful to the government for giving us enough time to prepare for the shift,” said Mohan Kumar, a resident of the building.
“The other problem is that the construction of the new buildings by the government where we are expected to shift to is not yet complete. Now we have a deadline of January 2.
“We do not know how we can survive until the buildings are ready,” he added.
“I lived in this building for the past 20 years. All my children have grown up here and it would be difficult for us to move out as we are emotionally attached to this flat,” said Muhammad, another tenant.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Residents asked to vacate apartments by January 2
DUBAI — Dec. 14: Tenants of the Shaikha Latifa Building in Karama, one of the oldest residential units in the city, will have to move out as the Dubai government has issued a final eviction notice insisting that they have to vacate the premises and return the keys before January 2.
According to the notice, tenants should settle electricity and water bills before December 31.
The building will be demolished soon after tenants vacate their flats.
The building, consisting of more than 300 flats, was set to be demolished last December.
But following requests from tenants, the government granted them an extension for a year.
The government is now offering tenants new flats in Sonapoor, Al Ghusais and Al Quoz, it was learnt.
“Currently, we are paying a very nominal rent. But when we move to the new buildings offered by the government, we have to pay a higher rent. Anyway, we are thankful to the government for giving us enough time to prepare for the shift,” said Mohan Kumar, a resident of the building.
“The other problem is that the construction of the new buildings by the government where we are expected to shift to is not yet complete. Now we have a deadline of January 2.
“We do not know how we can survive until the buildings are ready,” he added.
“I lived in this building for the past 20 years. All my children have grown up here and it would be difficult for us to move out as we are emotionally attached to this flat,” said Muhammad, another tenant.
SEVEN DAYS
'Shocker' of a wake-up for car owners
Sharjah - Dec. 14: SHARJAH Municipality officials, in an unprecedented move to warn car parking violators, have issued mock fine notifications to vehicles parked overnight in the earmarked new paid parking areas on Tuesday.
Tuesday, Dec.12, was the first day of operation of the new 600 parking meters installed along several newly-identified areas in the city.
Vehicle owners who were given the shock of the day on Tuesday morning, had a sigh of relief when they saw the "only for warning" English and Arabic stamp of the municipality on the parking tickets issued to them.
Scores of vehicle owners received the mock fine notifications on Tuesday, apparently without mentioning the amount of fine. The nature of violation, however, was noted in the notification as "parking without paying fee" which qualifies for Dhs150 fine.
The new parking meters are installed along Lake Corniche Street from both sides at Al Majaz 1, Gamal Abdul Nasser Street including subsidiaries at Al Majaz 2, Al Wahda Street at Industrial Area 1, Arabian Gulf Street at Al Marjah, Sa'ad Bin Abu Wakkas Street along Abu Shaghara and King Abdul Aziz Street at Nad-Al Mahata-Abu Shagara and Abu Dank.
The timings of the new parking meters are 8 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 10 pm, Fridays excluded.
Parking meters installed around the premises of mosques were not functional till Tuesday evening, residents reported. A couple of parking meters installed along Buhairah Corniche were later removed, apparently after media reports.
Municipal sources have earlier clarified that residents should not be worried over slamming parking fines in the earmarked parking areas till Tuesday. The day, however, turned out to be a day of clemency for scores of parked cars in the demarcated areas.
Residents along Gamal Abdulnazer Street near Al Khan area had complained that municipal officials were seen combing this area taking notes of parked cars in the vicinity. The parking meters installed in these areas were not operational at that time, they said.
Confused residents, skeptic over parking fee and its date of implementation, said that the civic body's officials were imposing parking fines even before the start of the new meters.
Some of the meters were still displaying the old date of operation, signalling more confusion among residents who wake up everyday worried over their overnight parked cars and an impending parking fee.
The municipal sources had clarified on Monday that the civic body has not entrusted any official to inspect the newly-assigned parking lots. "If there were anybody inspecting those parked vehicles, it could be a security official or a policeman on duty. It is not a municipality official," the source confirmed.
The statement by Assistant Director General of Finance and Human Resources and Administration Buti Ahmed Bin Khadem had put an end to several months of speculation among vehicle owners who were struggling to find out a way to overcome the heavy financial burden subsequent to the introduction of the new parking fee in Sharjah.
"The programme is a step towards the development of Sharjah's parking facilities, to improve traffic in the city and to reduce the number of parking violations," he had said.
The new paid parking timings -- from 5 pm to 10 pm is making things worse, according to residents in Rolla. They end up paying double the charges for overnight parking, they alleged.
GULF TODAY