I got stuck in the worst traffic jam that Abu Dhabi has ever seen 2 nights ago. What normally takes me 15 minutes turned into 1.5 hours, and literally it took me 1 hour 20 minutes to cover 2km. I really wanted to dump my car and walk home but there was no way to park. Apparently the reason was that a crane broke down in the city, causing 2 streets to close. That was the official reason. The other contributing factor that wasn't obviously reported was that they closed off 1 major exit out of the city for a VIP event. Nice one, let the whole city come to a grinding halt to let some VIPs through.
I read today that a lady nearly delivered in her car as she could not get to the hospital on time. Thankfully an ambulance got to her 1/2 hour before her delivery to bring her to the closest hospital..story here
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100603/NATIONAL/706029831&SearchID=73392676144537
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
Hidden City on Abu Dhabi rooftops
Taken from the National newspaper..
ABU DHABI // A summer campaign is being launched to dismantle a hidden city on the rooftops of the capital. But many of the people living in the cheap rooms are saying that they have nowhere else to go.
It is not good news for the people who live on the rooftops. ND Kawsar’s makeshift dwelling, which he shares with 20 other bachelors, is no penthouse.
Broken satellite dishes, sacks of rubbish and laundry lines roast under the sun outside his door. Inside, exposed wires droop from his ceiling. There are no fire-safety devices, nor is there any means of escape other than a stairwell wide enough for a single-file exit.
“No safety. The level of danger is high. We cannot take a fire,” said Mr Kawsar, 27, a typist.
“But where can we go? Abu Dhabi is expensive. The good flats are only for families.”
Mr Kawsar, who lives in Hadbat al Zafranah, blamed the shortage of affordable housing in the city as the real issue forcing residents such as himself to cheap and unlicensed rooftop flats.
“We are working in small shops, restaurants, some for construction companies,” he said. “It’s so difficult for us. If the baladiyah (municipality) close the room, where [do] I go? Sleep in the road?”
On a salary under Dh2,000 (US$545) per month, his Dh450-a-month accommodation above the weathered three-storey building overlooking Al Saada Street is all he can afford. The landlord plans to raise his rent by Dh50 next month, he added.
“If we are taking a new building, we are paying maybe more than Dh1,000. How we will pay?” he asked. “If the baladiyah want to close, first they have to increase our salary. Money is the problem.”
nfestation and fires are major concerns. Helicopters had to airlift a young girl and two adults to safety in August 2008 after a fire broke out in a rooftop shanty atop a 16-storey apartment block on Airport Road.
It's sad that this place is so rich, yet so many people are so poor....
This story is so sad..
Emirati woman, 18, retracts claim of rape by six men
(and I guess, to me what is saddest is that none of her family members turned up in court to support her)
ABU DHABI // An 18-year-old Emirati woman who was charged with having consensual sex after alleging that she had been raped by six men retracted all her statements in court yesterday.
She told the judge she wanted to withdraw her accusations against all the defendants.
The woman, LH, offered no explanation in court as to why she changed her statements, other than being “unaware” of her actions when she reported the crime.
She added that her brother beat her after accusing her of talking to other men, and after the beating she went to the police to report the rapes.
If the prosecution drops the charge of consensual sex, the woman could face a lesser charge related to deception, which is punishable by six months to two years in prison.
If found guilty of consensual sex, as a Muslim woman, she would face lashes and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Although she changed her evidence, the charges are criminal, not civil, so it is for the prosecution to decide whether to drop the consensual-sex charge. Prosecutors said yesterday that none of the charges had been dropped at this stage.
According to court records, on May 2, LH went for a drive with a male Emirati friend, HA, in Baniyas.
Prosecutors said she went with the intention of having consensual sex with HA, a charge she denies. HA parked his Nissan Altima in an area called Bahia and had sex with her, prosecutors said. He is accused of then telephoning five of his friends, who joined him and raped LH from 1.30am to 5am.
She went to the police after the incident and told them she had been raped by the men in the back seat of the car. She was tested by the Forensics Unit at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, and evidence of assault was cited by the public prosecution in charging all six men with rape.
Since last week, charges against one defendant have been dropped. One of the men has been released on bail, two are in police custody and two are being tried in their absence.
Four of the remaining male defendants are Emirati and one is Iraqi. All are 19 years old and, therefore, being tried as adults.
When LH retracted her statement, Chief Justice Sayeed Abdul Baseer, the president of the criminal court, said “Masha’Allah”, an Arabic phrase indicating an act of surprise. He asked: “So you did not have sex with any of these men?”
“No,” she replied. The judge ordered her to come closer to the panel, because she spoke quietly and had her eyes fixed on the ground. “But [YM, the defendant on bail] told the police in details that he had consensual sex with you,” the judge said. “I do not know [why he said that],” she replied.
The male defendants and the young woman were standing about 20ft apart in court. The woman, who is still being held in custody, was in handcuffs.
When the judge questioned YM, he also denied having sex or confessing to rape. The judge chastised him as the young man visibly held back laughter, reminding him that if he is found guilty, he faces the death penalty, as do all the men accused of rape.
YM, when asked by the judge, declined to request a lawyer. After the judge explained that it was mandatory to have a lawyer where the death penalty is a potential sentence, YM agreed to find one. The two defendants in custody were both represented yesterday by lawyers. The young woman also did not appear with a lawyer, and she was not asked about appointing one. No member of her family was present in court.
The judge adjourned the hearing until June 7 for defendants to bring lawyers and present their defence.
(and I guess, to me what is saddest is that none of her family members turned up in court to support her)
ABU DHABI // An 18-year-old Emirati woman who was charged with having consensual sex after alleging that she had been raped by six men retracted all her statements in court yesterday.
She told the judge she wanted to withdraw her accusations against all the defendants.
The woman, LH, offered no explanation in court as to why she changed her statements, other than being “unaware” of her actions when she reported the crime.
She added that her brother beat her after accusing her of talking to other men, and after the beating she went to the police to report the rapes.
If the prosecution drops the charge of consensual sex, the woman could face a lesser charge related to deception, which is punishable by six months to two years in prison.
If found guilty of consensual sex, as a Muslim woman, she would face lashes and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Although she changed her evidence, the charges are criminal, not civil, so it is for the prosecution to decide whether to drop the consensual-sex charge. Prosecutors said yesterday that none of the charges had been dropped at this stage.
According to court records, on May 2, LH went for a drive with a male Emirati friend, HA, in Baniyas.
Prosecutors said she went with the intention of having consensual sex with HA, a charge she denies. HA parked his Nissan Altima in an area called Bahia and had sex with her, prosecutors said. He is accused of then telephoning five of his friends, who joined him and raped LH from 1.30am to 5am.
She went to the police after the incident and told them she had been raped by the men in the back seat of the car. She was tested by the Forensics Unit at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, and evidence of assault was cited by the public prosecution in charging all six men with rape.
Since last week, charges against one defendant have been dropped. One of the men has been released on bail, two are in police custody and two are being tried in their absence.
Four of the remaining male defendants are Emirati and one is Iraqi. All are 19 years old and, therefore, being tried as adults.
When LH retracted her statement, Chief Justice Sayeed Abdul Baseer, the president of the criminal court, said “Masha’Allah”, an Arabic phrase indicating an act of surprise. He asked: “So you did not have sex with any of these men?”
“No,” she replied. The judge ordered her to come closer to the panel, because she spoke quietly and had her eyes fixed on the ground. “But [YM, the defendant on bail] told the police in details that he had consensual sex with you,” the judge said. “I do not know [why he said that],” she replied.
The male defendants and the young woman were standing about 20ft apart in court. The woman, who is still being held in custody, was in handcuffs.
When the judge questioned YM, he also denied having sex or confessing to rape. The judge chastised him as the young man visibly held back laughter, reminding him that if he is found guilty, he faces the death penalty, as do all the men accused of rape.
YM, when asked by the judge, declined to request a lawyer. After the judge explained that it was mandatory to have a lawyer where the death penalty is a potential sentence, YM agreed to find one. The two defendants in custody were both represented yesterday by lawyers. The young woman also did not appear with a lawyer, and she was not asked about appointing one. No member of her family was present in court.
The judge adjourned the hearing until June 7 for defendants to bring lawyers and present their defence.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Air India Disaster..
I felt so sad when I read about the Air India Express disaster today. Most of the people who died were Indian nationals working in Dubai or Sharjah, and all on their way home to see their families. For most of them, it would have been the first time going home after a year, or 2 or 3. One of the saddest stories was of this guy living in Dubai who lost 7 of his family members, who were all flying home for various reasons. I guess it really hits home for me as the plane took off from Dubai and really it could happen to anyone. God Bless their souls..
Crazy Drivers - watch the video
This was taken on Sheik Zayed Road, the main highway from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, which more than half of my colleagues drive on each day to get to work. These drivers are really mad. And if you check out the arguments on youtube - there are people defending these actions, saying what's the big deal, noone was hurt, and these guys were just celebrating. I think it is just shameful and selfish that someone can even think of defending such actions.
Harry Connick!
I had the privilege of watching Harry Connick Jr. last weekend. Tickets were so expensive, I paid AED495 (AUD150) for the second cheapest tickets, and the cheapest tickets that were seated. Comparatively, Michael Buble in Sydney costed me AUD130 and I had the most expensive tickets. It was money well spent however, as I had seats on the first row though on the side of the stage.
Harry Connick Jr. was amazing, he was accompanied by a 30 piece band, including his New Orleans band and an orchestra. He's a wonderfully talented artist, and a great performer. I can't wait to see him again!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
