NEWS FROM THE UAE
Excerpts from UAE Dailies

Mobile users complain of credit transfer misuse

DUBAI — May 23: Some Etisalat customers have alleged that the mobile service provider's new 'Credit Transfer Service' is prone to being misused. Some of the subscribers alleged they had lost money after the service was "misused by unidentified persons without their knowledge."

Some of the subscribers said they hoped Etisalat would introduce some checking mechanism to control the abuse of the new service.

Customers shocked

The subscribers claimed they were shocked to receive Etisalat bills that showed they had transferred credit to other mobile phones. However, the bills do not indicate the numbers to which the credit was transferred to, they alleged.  Abdul Haqq, a GSM post-paid subscriber, alleged his Etisalat bill showed Dh695 credit as "transferred" from his mobile to another mobile phone user. "However, I was not aware of this new service until I received the bills recently," he said. Haqq immediately went to the Etisalat office but no proper explanation was forthcoming, he alleged.

"I do not even know how to use this new service. I keep my mobile phone with me most of the time," he pointed out.

Babu, another Etisalat customer, had a similar experience. "When I received the Etisalat bill, I was surprised to see that Dh99 had been charged for credit transfer which I had not done. As I contacted Etisalat officials I was told they couldn't help me trace the number to which the credit transfer was made as they don't keep a record of such numbers. However, I was asked to furnish the mobile numbers of suspected persons who could have used the service without my knowledge," disclosed Babu.

"I think Etisalat should at least have the details of the mobile phone users to whom such credit transfers are made. Otherwise, where are the checks and balances?" Babu asked.

When contacted, Etisalat officials refused to comment. However, a counter staff at an Etisalat office said: "Somebody may have used it on behalf of the subscriber."

KHALEEJ TIMES

Taxis stay clear of Ittehad Road

DUBAI — MAY 23: Public transport, especially taxis, yesterday veered clear of the road projects on Ittehad Road, citing diversions as the reason for difficulty in ferrying passengers in the area.

Officials at the online taxi booking system said due to construction activities all over the emirate and rush-hour traffic, taxis were being dispatched according to priorities.

However, several people stranded near Dubai Police Headquarters yesterday complained of long waits for taxis, but to no avail.

Taxis drivers said their routes had been diverted due to the closure of Galadari Roundabout.  "All cars are passing under the bridge or taking the diversions, therefore, it is impossible to reach Dubai Police Headquarters directly," said a taxi driver yesterday.

A regular commuter, Fadhia A., said, "I booked a taxi over the phone and was asked to wait for half an hour. After 45 minutes, I called again and was asked to wait another 15 minutes. When I enquired the reason for the delay, an official said because of construction works and heavy traffic in the afternoon, taxis were being sent according to the priority."

Ammar bin Tamim, Director of Dubai Taxi Department, however, denied there were any priorities. "If you book first, the taxi will reach you earlier," he said, adding that he would look into the issue.

Ahmed Mohammed, an employee in the Dubai Police, said, "I have been waiting for more than two hours and I don't understand the reason for unavailability of public transport." He also said there was no shelter  for commuters.

KHALEEJ TIMES

MoL section heads to man public counters

DUBAI — MAY 23: Department and section heads in the Ministry of Labour will now be available at the reception counter on Sundays and Tuesdays from 9am to 10am to attend to public grievances.

The new measures came into effect on Sunday following a directive by Minister of Labour Dr Ali Al Kaabi to all relevant parties in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and office branches in the Northern Emirates.

Dr. Al Kaabi asserted the importance of section heads acknowledging customers' observations and concerns and forwarding them to the employer/employee in the manner customised by the ministry and notifying the undersecretaries on a weekly basis.

Humeid bin Dimas, assistant undersecretary in the ministry, stated, "The move comes as part of our efforts to attain an outstanding government model to regulate the labour market. This initiative gives customers the right to come forward with suggestions and grievances."

Bin Dimas added that section heads at the ministry must address concerns raised by the public, as they will be held accountable, not by ministry officials, but by the customers themselves.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Reuse of postage stamps may lead to imprisonment

ABU DHABI — MAY 23: An interim jail penalty of not less than three years will be slapped on anyone found to have re-used any ordinary or memorial postal stamps.

This penalty was approved yesterday by the Federal National Council (FNC) as part of a federal draft law to establish the Emirates Post Holding Group.

The approval to the federal draft law was given during the last session of the FNC. The session was held under the chairmanship of Abdulaziz Al Ghurair, and among those present in the session were Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, the Minister of State for FNC Affairs, and Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansour, the Minister of the Governmental Sector Development.

Under the draft law, those who practise any kind of postal service without obtaining a licence will be awarded a jail term of not less than six months and will be slapped with a fine of not less than Dh5,000.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Du-ing it free for 6 hours!

DUBAI — MAY 23: Several pre-paid customers of du, the new telecom service providers in the UAE, reportedly "enjoyed" free international calls for about six hours in the morning yesterday due to a technical error reported in du's computer system.

Confirming the error, a statement from du said: "We have identified a temporary technical error in our system yesterday which enabled "Pay as you Go" (pre-paid) customers to make international calls without debiting their pre-paid accounts instantly. However, it was not clear when the technical error occurred."

The statement added that the customers will not be charged for having made international calls during this short period.

A du customer who preferred anonymity said: "I was surprised to notice no amount being debited from my pre-paid account after making calls to India. I checked it again by calling a friend in India. And it was still free."

KHALEEJ TIMES

Nurseries to close on June 6

DUBAI — MAY 23: The last day of the academic year for students of nurseries and elementary classes in the both the government and private schools following the Ministry of Education (MoE) curriculum will be June 6, instead of June 21, this year.

The MoE yesterday issued a circular to this effect, which has been sent to all education zones. Khawla Al Mualla, Assistant Under Secretary for Education at the MoE, said this change was made as the exams for all other classes were slated to conclude on June 6.

KHALEEJ TIMES

The ivory post

DUBAI - MAY 23: A salesman has been trying to dodge international laws by putting illegal ivory up for sale on a popular UAE-based auction web site. The seller, who admitted online that his action was illegal but claimed it was the only piece he owned, posted the ivory elephant's tusk on www.souq.com.

A WWF International spokesperson said online trading of illegal ivory was one of many problems it still faced and while there may be some exceptions depending on whether the ivory was taken before it was banned, how old the tusk is and where it is from, such matters should always be reported for investigation. Threatened with extinction, the elephant is now protected from international trade by their listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since 1989. The UAE is one of 170 countries party to the CITES agreement. But the import of ivory pre-ban is still allowed from parts of Africa to CITES countries, provided the correct documentation accompanies it.

And a spokesperson for the enforcement authority of the Dubai CITES office said rules regarding the import and sale of ivory in the UAE are very strict and in accordance to the international agreement, adding: “Most ivory products here tend to be artificial. Obviously we don't have this kind of animal here in Dubai so if it has been imported into the country from Africa it should have the correct CITES documentation and we will investigate any suspicious case.”

All 170 CITES countries will meet at The Hague in two weeks time to continue the long-running debate on how best to improve the conservation of the world's largest land animal. On souk.com bids for the tusk had already reached as high as dhs60,000 - ten days before its sale deadline. However, when 7DAYS alerted the auction site's monitoring team to the sale they immediately removed the post, stating all ivory was banned from the site.

Ronaldo Mouchawar, managing partner of Souq.com, told us yesterday: “Ivory is banned form the web site and such items will always be pulled. Because of the sheer volume of products this cannot always happen immediately as our monitoring team have to evaluate each item as they are posted, but it will be removed eventually, even if the sale has closed.”

SEVEN DAYS

Rules For Driving Licences Eased

Dubai - May 23: Rules for issuing driving licences to expatriates in Dubai are being eased, a Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) official said.  One major change affects those people who have held a licence from one of the exempted countries for more than seven years but are not nationals of that country.

Previously they had to complete a minimum of 20 lessons before taking a test.

But now they can sit the examination straight away without having any driving classes, an RTA representative at a driving school said.

And if they fail, they will have to register for only four lessons and wait for no longer than 15 days before retaking the test.

The amendments were disclosed in a circular to schools from Ali Al Jassim, Director of the Licensing Department of the RTA.

Citizens of an exempt country holding a licence from that state will continue to be able to obtain a licence without taking a test.

Applicants who will be able to take a test immediately under the new rules but had booked lessons before May 1 will not get a refund, said a school representative.

But they can apply to take the examination immediately, he added.

Different rules apply to an applicant who has held a licence from an exempt country for between two and seven years but is not a citizen.

Such a driver would not be able to sit a test immediately but would have to apply to take at least 20 lessons.

Those drivers who have held a licence for less than two years would have to register for 40 lessons.

New rules have also been brought in to cover drivers from non-exempt countries.

Previously they had to take between 30 and 40 lessons, but now those having licences for more than seven years only need to register for up to 20.

Applicants who have held a licence for more than two years but less than seven will have to book 30 classes.

Those with less than two years’ experience will be treated as beginners and must register for 40 lessons.

The number of lessons actually taken varies depending on the progress made by an applicant.

EMIRATES TODAY

There was no sound, only tears’

 
Fujairah - May 23: Six months ago Alvin Vestil spent his days exploring underwater wonders – but today he cannot talk or move after a horror road accident.  He was in a taxi that col lided with a truck of which the driver was illegally performing a U-turn. The taxi driver and another passenger died and Vestil, 47, was left with severe brain damage.

He has been in a hospital bed ever since. Now fellow divers and friends have launched the Alvin Appeal to raise cash so the father-of-two can be moved to a hospital in his native Philippines.  The money collected will also help to pay for his treatment back home.

“There is always a chance he might improve, but doctors are not giving us much hope,” said his brother, Joseph, 36. “He needs care for the rest of his life.” Vestil, who has the highest qualification available in recreational diving, worked at the Al Boom Diving Centre at Le Meridien Al Aqah Hotel in Fujairah.

He moved to the UAE in 2005 so he could provide a better life for wife Cathy and his two daughters, Kemi and Kayla who stayed behind.  “He was a Professional Association of Diving Instructors (Padi) course director – that is the most senior level,” said Kent Madsen, a part-time instructor from Denmark.

“He is one of only five peo ple in the UAE with this qualification. You have to have huge experience in diving and to have trained a very large number of students – from absolute beginners to professionals – to obtain it.” Madsen, added: “I was supposed to have done some training with him – but that will never happen now.” The crash that changed Vestil’s life happened near exit 119 on Emirates Road in December.Vestil was travelling back to the East Coast at 2am from Dubai, where he had spent his weekly day off.

A dip in the two-lane road prevented the taxi driver from seeing the truck as it made a U-turn ahead – and he smashed into it.  Vestil’s brother Joseph, 36 – who also works in the UAE – said the lorry driver fled the scene but was arrested two days later as he tried to leave the country. Police discovered he did not have a valid UAE driving licence and he was jailed for six months.

Vestil spent the next 17 days in a coma at Ras Al Khaimah’s Al Saqr Hospital. He is still bed-ridden and cannot move his major muscles.  “I think he can hear but you really have to look for the signs,” said Joseph. “He can squeeze my hand when asked to but the reaction is usually delayed.  “One time I was with him and we called his daughter. She put his two-year-old granddaughter on the phone and he started crying.

“There was no sound, only tears streaming down his face.” UAE divers are now holding a raffle with prizes worth more than Dh25,000 to raise money so he can return home.Tickets are on sale at diving offices across the Emirates. Visit www.thealvinappeal.com for more information
 
 
EMIRATES TODAY

Call to improve lifestyle 
  
  
UAE - May 23: Chocolate-spread sandwiches washed down with chocolate milk may sound like the ideal lunch if you are four years old – but experts say it is a recipe for health disaster.  And they warn the time has come to change how children eat and play.

“Obesity, diabetes and overall poor health are on the rise and lifestyle is to blame,” said Nathali Haddad, the dietician and managing director of Right Bite Catering Services.

“Here in the UAE there is little physical activity and lots of poor diet choices.” “We have seen parents sending their four year olds to school with Nutella sandwiches on white bread with chocolate milk with the explanation, ‘My child will not eat anything else’.

“Of course, they will.” Haddad was speaking yesterday at the launch of Healthy Kids Week.

It has been organised by Intercoil with the support of MedCare Hospital and Right Bite to improve children’s awareness of the importance of activity, balanced diet and good sleep. Up to 10 per cent of children in the UAE are obese while 20 per cent are overweight.Twenty per cent of adults in the UAE have diabetes – and more than half of are directly linked to weight.

Haddad said time has come to order at least three hours of physical activity a week in schools and set limits on what cafeterias can serve.

Currently there is no requirement for physical activ ity sessions and no checks on fat, sodium and sugar content of foods sold in cafeterias.

Haddad said she hoped the long-awaited cafeteria food standard being prepared by the Dubai Municipality would see curbs on the provision of highly processed, deep fried and sugar-based foods.

“For many schools, providing healthier cafeteria options is a matter of cost. It is more expensive, so if they cannot afford a new menu then they should look to ban certain items, such as chocolate, from the school cafeteria.” She said with a standard imposed in schools for diet and fitness, children could be taught the importance of making the right choices. “They could then take this knowledge home and educate their parents. Otherwise it is a Catch22 situation. We tell children to eat healthy and then send them to cafeterias that have all cream-based sauces and deep fried foods, or they get bad packed lunches.” The campaign will include talks on healthy eating and good sleep habits at the Dubai International School and Etihad Primary School.

EMIRATES TODAY