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ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಿದ ದಿನಾಂಕ : 2010-03-09  Police chief puts full blame on parents of teen's killers March 08. 2010
Blood stains can be seen on the pa ement where Ali Mohammed Hassan was stabbed to death by a gang of teenagers last week in the Rashidiya district of Dubai. Randi Sokolof f /The National DUBAI : The Deputy Police Chief attacked the parents of the teenagers who allegedly stabbed to death an Emirati boy, saying it was the adults' fault their children did not have “good values”. Ali Mohammed Hassan, 13, was stabbed to death by a group of teenagers outside his home in Al Rashidiya on Thursday, police say. Five suspects are in custody. “I put the full responsibility on the parents of the perpetrators, because they did not bring up their children with good values and morals,” said Maj Gen Khamis al Mazeina. “They did not teach them how to respect their peers and did not teach them how to deal without violence.” He said a conflict between two groups of teenagers that apparently led to the killing should have been reported to the police. “Both the victim and the perpetrators’ parents made a mistake by not reporting the initial fight.” He said some of the relatives of those detained were police officers, suggesting they should have known that carrying knives is illegal. But he denied Dubai had a gang problem. On Sunday, in response to the horrific killing, Dubai Police announced it would tighten the screws on young people who are suspected of possessing blades. Any found carrying “any sharp tool” will be arrested and second-time offenders will be referred to the court, Gen al Mazeina said. Teenagers needed to be better monitored to prevent such incidents, he added. Fights have been reported in areas such as Satwa, Al Warqa, Oud al Muteena. In most cases, teenage boys have been known to pick fights or mug people. Police released new details about Thursday night’s events yesterday. The five teenagers who have been arrested were specifically looking for Ali’s home, they said. He was stabbed with a knife that had a 30cm-long blade, they added. The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the governing body for schools in Dubai, expressed concern yesterday over a lack of support for teenagers in the emirate. Fatma al Marri, the chief executive of the Dubai Schools Agency at the KHDA, said: “We are sure the Ministry of Education shares our concern about the lack of social workers in our public schools. “We are aware that some children and their families need professional support and guidance on a day-to-day basis. We would like to see our school children surrounded by care and support for whatever situation they find themselves in.” Ms al Marri said the agency was willing to work with the police, school staff, parents, community leaders and whoever might be able to help prevent such a tragedy occurring again. “That would be the best memorial we could give to this young victim,” she said. Obaid al Taher, principal at the Mohammed Noor Boys’ School, which Ali attended, said he had never encountered such a brutal attack in his career as an educator. He also said parents needed to guide their children better. “Parents have to take time to raise their children,” he said. “We say that mother is the first school for a child. Parents have to watch their children.” Although Mr al Taher said he had never seen students carrying serious weapons at his school, he called gangs in Dubai a “problem” that could not be ignored. Dr Raymond Hamdan, a clinical and forensic psychologist at the Human Relations Institute in Dubai, said a small percentage of teens exposed to violent images in movies and on television – between two and five per cent – will emulate them. “Crime, sex and profanity are sell-able. These days, young people are exposed to television, gaming programmes and movies in which crime is heavily rewarded. “When they keep watching such visuals, it extinguishes their sense of moral understanding and development.” Places of worship and the educational system can play a role, he added. Dr Hamdan also said there should be young offender programmes to help troubled teenagers integrate back into society. “Even though psychologists have an explanation for what is happening, there is no excuse for murder,” he said. First Interchange to ease flow of traffic
The project aims at easing traffic flow from Shaikh Zayed Road to Burj Khalifa, Business Bay and the Dubai Mall areas through free flow flyover for motorists driving in the direction of Abu Dhabi, and to the district of Dubai Financial Market Dubai: Motorists will have free flow of traffic in all directions on the First Interchange at Shaikh Zayed Road once it is completed later this year. Construction on the three-tier interchange on the First Interchange commonly known as Defence Roundabout is due for completion by the end of this year at the cost of around Dh618 million. Italian company Salini Constructions was given the contract for the project in 2006 and the construction work started in the last quarter of that year. The project aims at easing traffic flow from Shaikh Zayed Road to Burj Khalifa, Business Bay and the Dubai Mall areas through free flow flyover for motorists driving in the direction of Abu Dhabi, and to the district of Dubai Financial Market. The new interchange will ensure smooth flow of traffic to and from Shaikh Zayed Road to Doha Street and Al Safa Street. The project includes the construction of a tunnel to link the service road behind Mazaya Centre with the service road behind Shangri-La Hotel on Shaikh Zayed Road. The total length of bridges and ramps, which will be part of the intersection, would be more than 3km while the tunnel would be 850 metres. Scheduled According to an RTA spokesperson, the project was originally scheduled for completion in March 2009, but it was rescheduled to meet the changing needs in the area. "It is now expected to open by the end of this year," he said, adding that the pace of the construction has slowed down due to slow developments in the area. He, however, said the project was on track and would be completed as planned but the completion time would likely to be extended. The project is viewed as one of the key projects undertaken by the RTA, considering its strategic location at Shaikh Zayed Road; which is a strategic and one of the busiest roads in Dubai. The project also includes widening Al Safa Road and its interchanges there on up to Al Wasl Road, along with necessary works such as signals, signboards, landscaping and other utility services. It is part of the RTA's strategic plan to upgrade a number of key roads in the city of Dubai to improve traffic flow in busy residential and commercial areas. The interchange will have the capacity to handle more than 16,000 vehicles an hour. Project completion: End of 2010 •Development: First Interchange on Shaikh Zayed Road Worker ‘used phone to film woman in secret’ DUBAI : A supermarket worker was charged yesterday with sexually assaulting a colleague by using his mobile phone to record secret video of her. SM, a 24-year-old Sri Lankan, was arrested on December 7 after his co-worker and alleged victim, BR, a 24-year-old Filipina clerk, spotted a flashing object in the lavatory at their workplace on Sheikh Zayed Road. BR told prosecutors that after taking a closer look, she discovered it was a mobile phone recording video. “I inspected the phone and found two recordings made inside the toilet while I was using it,” she told prosecutors, according to court documents. She then gave the telephone to her sponsor and asked that action be taken. Prosecutors presented downloaded images from the mobile phone as evidence to the court, and said the defendant had confessed. Although he was originally charged with breaching a female’s modesty, prosecutors later elevated the charge to sexual assault. The penal code does not address such acts directly, but the UAE prosecutes defendants who violate or breach privacy through the use of film. In 2007, a British man was sentenced to serve three years in jail after he recorded provocative shots of women at Spinneys supermarket in Dubai. The defendant was found to have recorded video of a number of women, including a 14-year-old girl, and was found guilty of sexual assault. If found guilty in this case, SM would face a minimum of three years in prison and a maximum of 15 years. The court adjourned the trial until March 28. Indian schools overwhelmed by demand
The Abu Dhabi Indian School, where pupils sat exams yesterday, received more than 2,300 applications for 120 places this year, and chose pupils by lottery. Andrew Henderson / The National ABU DHABI // A serious shortage of places at Indian schools in the capital is forcing parents to send their children abroad to be educated. Officials at the Indian Embassy are calling on the Government to intervene as thousands of children are without a place at schools overwhelmed with applications. More than 3,500 children are on the waiting list at Our Own English High School, Abu Dhabi, double the number last year. Even smaller schools such as the Little Flower Private School, which operates in a villa, has more than 600 children on its waiting list. “The demand for admissions has become worse this year,” said George Mathew, the principal of Our Own English High School, Abu Dhabi. “Abu Dhabi is fast expanding and there is room for quite a few Indian curriculum schools. This phenomenon is only going to grow.” Gems Education, the owner of Our Own English High School, Abu Dhabi, is in discussions with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) about moving the school, which is in two large villas. Desperate parents have resorted to sending their children back to India to continue their schooling or paying for a home tutor if their child cannot secure a place. Dr Pradeep Rajpurohit, the second secretary at the Indian Embassy, said: “We are trying to approach the authorities concerned here in Abu Dhab. This is a very serious problem because our community is growing.” The number of schools and available places has been constant as demand grew, Dr Rajpurohit said, adding that the embassy would be going through the “proper diplomatic channels” to address the situation. School operators said they had asked Adec to allow them to add more places and some would like to run evening school. Vijay Mathu, the principal of the not-for-profit Abu Dhabi Indian School, said: "If they can allow us to increase the class strength by a few more, that could help a lot more students in getting admission in school." The school this year received more than 2,300 applications for 120 open places, and chose pupils by lottery. The academic year for Indian schools in the UAE begins next month and many parents are panicking. Some are sending their families back to India or considering relocating to Dubai, where school places are available. Denny John, an engineer from Kerala, has not seen his wife or eight-year-old son Ryan for a year after sending his family home when they could not find a school place. “I’ve never been separated from my family,” Mr John said. “I cannot concentrate on work because there is too much tension. This is a very bad situation. I feel isolated and lonely but there is no option. I cannot leave the job.” Aneze Binu Salim, a long-time resident of Abu Dhabi who is looking for a place for his six-year-old daughter, said: “A lot of people are waiting for admission. Today I went to the school, there were more than 10 or 15 families there waiting.” Mr Salim said he would send his family back to India if he could not find a school place. “There is no other solution,” he said. “It will be hard without my family. My daily routine, everything, will change.” One principal, who asked to remain anonymous, said parents were coming to the school and breaking down in tears. “They are pleading with you, some of them are crying, ‘Please, give us one seat for my child’,” the principal said. Yousif al Sheryani, the executive director-designate for private schools at Adec, said the council was aware of “long-standing” concerns over the number of Indian curriculum schools in the UAE. Mr al Sheryani said the council, “is actively looking into long-term solutions for the problem. It is a complex issue and we appreciate the patience and support of the community as plans are still in the stages of being finalised”. A second principal, who also requested anonymity, said: “You shouldn’t wait until March to try to solve this problem, when schools are starting in another few weeks’ time. In my estimate there are more than 3,000 children without seats right now.” The principal added that he believed the plight of children from poor families were being overlooked. But Mr al Sheryani said the council was “concerned about the education of all students in Abu Dhabi, regardless of socio-economic condition”. The problem, he said, was that “historically, there have been fewer private school operators who apply to provide low-income education, which has led to the existing capacity issue”. As part of its long-term strategy, Adec has offered one Indian businessman land and an empty building for a school. The crisis could also be eased if the Abu Dhabi Indian School were allowed to proceed with plans to build a new campus and construct new buildings on its existing site. But some school operators say the problem will grow as the Indian population expands and Adec proceeds with a plan, first announced in September 2008, to close schools in villas. Those schools educate about 45,000 students. Only five Indian schools in the capital are run in proper school buildings. Although Adec has suggested that some of those schools may be able to move to unused government school buildings, no further plans have been announced. According to some principals, new government standards for school buildings, which require various health and safety features, will deter investors from opening Indian schools because the low fees make profits unlikely. They claim the new standards may lead to even more severe shortages. Mr al Sheryani insisted the council would not cut corners. “It is Adec’s responsibility to ensure that basic health and safety and educational standards are met in schools in the emirate in order to protect our children,” he said. The shortages were worsened, several principals say, by the closure of the Merryland Kindergarten, and the fact that the Sherwood Academy will not take new Indian curriculum students. Mr John said he hoped the Government would come up with a plan to open a number of quality Indian schools. He said the shortage was so severe that parents had no choice but to send their children to low-quality schools if they wanted to stay together as a family. Ullas Vazhappillya, a finance manager and long-time Abu Dhabi resident, cannot find a place for his daughter who is going into grade 11. Mr Vazhappillya said 300 students were on waiting lists for grade 11. His situation was exacerbated by the fact that a number of Indian schools only teach up to grade 10. “It is a very sad kind of situation,” Mr Vazhappillya said of the prospect of sending his wife and three children back to Kerala. “She will be alone taking care of my three children, and she will have a very difficult time.” Action was needed quickly, he said. “We are talking about less than one month. If they do give an approval or a solution the schools can start admitting the people. They have to do it on an urgent basis.” Dubai Metro: A glimpse of life
Faster than cars, faster than fairies in pumpkin carriages, the gold shell stations whistle by. Over towers, trees and through a tunnel the Dubai Metro flies with the city's people — over 10 million to date, as per the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). It's become a way of life for some and an easy alternative for many. The blue trains took to the Red Line on September 9, 2009. Six months on, we attempt to find out how Dubai residents are using the mass transit system.
Clockwise from top-left: Naweed Lalani, Claire Elven-Dechoux, Rajesh Chaturvedi and Sana Zargham. Rajesh Chaturvedi is a man for whom the minutes and seconds count. An accountant by profession he would spend an average of four hours every day commuting to and from work. The journey from Bur Dubai to the Dubai International Financial Centre, as the crow flies should not take more than 30 minutes. "I would leave home by 7.30 and reach office by 9.30am. I had to change buses and would be tired waiting in queues," he told Gulf News. The evenings were not much different. He would leave work by 6.15pm and stagger home two hours later. "My wife was always complaining ... I was too tired to go out in the evenings." The Metro helped the 34-year-old Indian discover life. "Now I leave home at 8.40 and reach work by 9.15am!" He wakes up at 8am and uses the commute time to listen to the news and music on radio. "I am happy and my family is happy ... it is so much more relaxing," Chaturvedi said. "I see a lot of people including Emiratis take the Metro to work ... they get off at the Financial Centre station," she said. Sana leaves home in Mirdif at 7am, takes a bus to the Rashidiya station and travels to the Mall of the Emirates. From there she takes a taxi to the university. The commute time is about 90 minutes in each direction. "I use the Metro for safety and it is more cost effective. I return quite late, sometimes it is 9 or 10pm because of my studies. I take the train because there are people around rather than being alone in a taxi," she said. "Also taking a taxi for the entire distance would mean I end up paying more than my tuition!" She hopes that Nakheel station, which is closest to her university will open soon. "I am in my freshman year so the schedule is not that busy but next year there is going to be more work. I won't be able to spend so much time commuting." The train system appears to be quite popular with the younger generation. Uday Bhatia, a 14-year-old student from a school near the Dubai Marina area, said: "A lot of kids use the Metro ... many students from my school use it." He was speaking to Gulf News at the Khalid Bin Al Waleed station. Bhatia prefers the train as he "hates" sitting in a car stuck in traffic. Mums and babies Claire Elven-Dechoux, a 35-year-old British mum, uses the Metro to get around with her 18-month-old son, and avoid taxis, traffic and save money. She said: "I use the Metro a couple of times during the week to visit friends and go to malls. It is very helpful and quite easy to travel with a baby." For Naweed Lalani, who takes the Metro from the Al Rigga station in Deira to his office along Shaikh Zayed Road, it is the joy of arriving at work relaxed and free of stress. "It takes me 22 minutes from home to work each day. Earlier it used to take 45 minutes to an hour on the return journey," said the financial consultant. He takes the train to work around 7.50am and returns home at 6.20pm. "I can now take the Metro, read the paper and start work early on my Blackberry. Earlier there was also the issue of finding parking." Lalani finds the train journey to be a great opportunity to study people and social behaviour. "I am a youth motivational speaker and can observe attributes that link to an age group." However, the best aspect of the Metro, he feels, is that it is a great social equaliser. "I see people who earn well, UAE nationals and others using the system. It is nice to see the respect that nationals show the women and the elderly. The Metro keeps you down to earth." In figures •1.58m - passengers at the busiest station — Mall of the Emirates
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