7days18may2015

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

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BUSINESS

Tourist jailed for tapping policewoman on shoulder

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TEEN ON TRIAL FOR POSTING PHOTO OF FRIEND Family claim Facebook snap breached daughter’s privacy A 13-YEAR-OLD girl is on trial accused of violating her friend’s privacy by posting her picture on social media without consent.

The school pupil is being prosecuted at Abu Dhabi Misdemeanor Court after the photographed girl’s parents filed a case with prosecutors. The court heard the Arab girls were close friends and classmates at their school in Abu Dhabi.

Prosecutors said the image was not indecent and the girl was wearing a headscarf. But they said the girl’s mother became angry when she spotted the image on the Facebook page of her daughter’s friend, who

By Ismail Sebugwaawo claims the daughter asked her to post it. In court, the family were described as conservative and religious.

A prosecutor said: “The mother got angry and informed her husband about their daughter’s picture.

“When they asked their daughter, she told them that she did not know how her photo was taken and never authorised her friend to post her picture.”

Prosecutors said it was clear the girl had posed for the photo.

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Imagine if he was retiring...

Gerrard fanfare was a bit over the top >> FULL STORY PAGE 23

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7DAYS

NEWS

Drug haul hidden in car seat

Man caught with stash of pills A SUSPECTED drug smuggler was caught with two million pills worth more than Dhs100 million on the street, police said.

The 27-year-old man was caught on the Saudi-UAE border crossing at Ghuwaifat on Thursday, Abu Dhabi Police said.

Officers said the huge haul had been carefully hidden inside the seats in his 4x4 and in the car’s body panels.

Colonel Rashid Mohammed Bourshid, director of CID, said the suspect was caught in coordination with Dubai Police after the force was tipped off that the man was attempting to smuggle illegal anaesthetics.

The suspect is from a GCC country but

By Ismail Sebugwaawo his nationality was not released by police yesterday.

“The man was caught with anaesthetic drugs worth Dhs104 million. He was hiding the drugs in his vehicle,” said Bourshid.

He said several bottles of alcohol were also found.

Police said the man confessed to attempting to smuggle drugs out of the UAE. He said he was transporting the drugs for a dealer he met who offered him cash.

Abu Dhabi Police said the suspect (pictured) has been referred to prosecutors to be charged. ismail@days.ae

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

Pic ‘posed threat’ ... continued from page one But the mother stressed it posed a threat to her daughter, claiming a public picture of her could have been used for blackmail purposes.

When questioned, the accused said: “I didn’t have to seek her consent because she’s the one who asked me to take her photo and post it on my page.”

She claimed her friend was lying, which resulted in her parents taking action.

Prosecutors said the case had to be taken to court because the teen could not produce proof her friend had given her permission.

Officials said an out-of-court settlement between the parents was not possible.

Prosecutors warned that posting people’s pictures or videos without consent is an offence and could lead to court action.

The punishment for violating privacy online is determined by the judge but can include being banned from using social media.

The trial continues. ismail@7days.ae

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7DAYS

NEWS

Jailed fortap on shoulder

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

Tourist handed prison term for touching Dubai policewoman in station A VISITOR has been convicted of molestation after tapping a policewoman on the shoulder at a metro station to get her attention.

The Kazakh national, aged 49, was handed a threemonth jail sentence yesterday along with a Dhs2,000 fine for assaulting another officer by pushing him away.

Dubai Court of First Instance also ordered the man to be deported on his release from prison.

Earlier, prosecutors told the court that the man explained he had been seeking directions at Dubai Mall Metro Station on December 2 at around 4pm.

He approached the police officer, who was speaking to other people in the station, and tapped her on the shoulder.

The 21-year-old Emirati officer testified: “He asked me about the location of Dubai

By Ali Al Shouk Mall and I pointed in the direction.

“I asked him why he touched me and he answered in his own language, which I didn’t understand.”

The officer said the tourist then touched her hand and she became angry, telling him to follow her to a nearby police post, but he refused.

“Two policemen came and asked him to come to the post and he resisted, pushing them away,” she said.

“He even tried to touch me again but the policemen stopped him.”

One of the male officers, a 22-year-old Emirati, said he went over and intervened after hearing his colleague telling the tourist not to touch her.

He said: “I asked him to come with me, but he refused and pushed me.

“I restrained him with my colleague.”

The court heard that CCTV footage showed the defendant speaking with the policewoman and touching her arm. ali.shouk@7days.ae

NEWS IN BRIEF Rain project bids up for discussion ABU DHABI: Firms that have entered the UAE Rain Enhancement project are having their bids assessed at a summit today.

Some 78 companies and research centres have put forward ideas they believe could improve the amount of rainfall and benefit arid regions like the Middle East. The UAE Ministry for Presidential Affairs is offering a grant of $5 million to the top five research proposals. Panel Chair Dr Kathie L Olsen said the move was an opportunity to support an “underfunded” field.

On the road to tourist training SHARJAH: Taxi drivers are to undergo training to better equip them to deal with members of the public, the emirate’s tourism body has said.

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority said the ‘Marhabtain’ scheme, meaning ‘Most Welcome’ in English, will see drivers brush up on local knowledge including key facts, tourist locations and when and where events are taking place.

About 5,000 drivers will be trained over the next year or two, the authority said.

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

NEWS

Big screen bonanza UAE firm ploughs Dhs1 billion into VOX cinemas By 7DAYS News Team A CINEMA chain is investing Dhs1 billion as it aims to improve and expand its theatres.

Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas, which runs VOX Cinema, announced in March that it was to spend Dhs750 million on expansion.

However, yesterday, it said it had decided to up that to Dhs1 billion.

It said the money would be used to improve existing cinemas as well as to open new locations in current and new MENA markets.

The firm said it hoped the investment would help it attract a further 50 million customers over the next five years.

VOX Cinemas, which opened its first cinema at Ajman City Centre in 1999, said it has grown to be the region’s largest cinema exhibitor, holding the coveted position as the number one highest grossing cinema in each of the markets in which it operates.

In the first three months of 2015 alone, it said that cinema admissions were up 50 per cent on the same period last year.

Cameron Mitchell, chief executive officer at Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas - VOX Cinemas, said: “Over the last few years we have built the

JUST THE TICKET: An impression of a MAX screen at the new VOX Cinema at Burjuman

VOX Cinemas business from the ground up with Majid Al Futtaim, their vision and commitment to our brand have been key drivers of our success.

“This investment will further enable us to maintain our position at the forefront of the regional cinema industry whilst supporting our continuous efforts to innovate and create great moments for everyone every day.”

For its 15th anniversary, Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas said it plans to screen more than 5,000

films to 50 million customers in the Middle East.

As well as 129 screens across the UAE, Oman and Lebanon, the company opened its 10th VOX Cinema in the UAE and the 13th VOX Cinema in the region at Burjuman Mall in Dubai at the weekend.

The cinema boasts 14 screens, including four VOX GOLD screens, one VOX MAX big screen experience and one VOX Kids theatre for private parties and children’s events. news@7days.ae

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Court upholds verdict over patient’s death at hospital PROSECUTORS have lost their appeal against the acquittal of a doctor accused of failing to resuscitate a patient.

The Indian medic had been found not guilty by Dubai Court of First Instance of allowing a 64-year-old female patient to die at the hospital where he worked.

The patient, who was Indian, died on January 5, 2012.

Prosecutors said the doctor decided not to resuscitate the woman when she stopped breathing. They said this violated regulations in the UAE which state that all necessary procedures must be taken to resuscitate patients.

However, a document attached to the case file stated that the woman’s family had requested that medical staff not revive the patient as she was suffering from an advanced stage of breast cancer. They said she had suffered from the disease since 2005 and it was now causing breathing and heart problems and the woman had stopped eating.

After the acquittal, prosecutors challenged the verdict, however Dubai Court of Appeal has upheld the decision of the lower court.

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NEWS

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

Pet cat shot with bow and arrow

Mum calls police over horrific attack A DISTRAUGHT pet owner is calling for

By Duncan Hare justice after her 10-month-old cat was shot with a bow and arrow.

“Who could do this? I’ve lived here for six years Adele Bezuidenhout’s Arabian Mau cat Jack, in the same house and can’t think of anybody I who she rescued last year, required emergency know that could do this. surgery after being struck by an unknown “And, it’s a compound, what if they’d missed attacker in a “barbarian act” near her home in Jack and hit a child having a barbecue?”

Abu Dhabi on Friday night.

The mum, who has three sons, said she found But despite the arrow crushing a vertebrae, Jack wandering the streets in December 2014 Jack survived and, although in a lot of pain, and took him in. should make a full recovery eventually.

Daoud’s report said that Jack was brought in Bezuidenhout, who has reported the attack to the hospital at 9.30pm. to the police, believes the shooter to be an He said: “Jack was placed on intravenous adult - and a neighbour. fluids and put under a general anaesthetic The South African national told 7DAYS: “He in order to cut the long part of was definitely shot with the arrow. a bow and arrow.

“Radiographs were “ONLY AN ADULT COULD “I spoke to a man from obtained to reveal the the national archery HAVE DONE THIS” arrow crushed the federation who said the fifth spinous process – JACK’S OWNER, ADELE BEZUIDENHOUT strength of the arrow of the vertebrae.” meant it had to be a Jack, whose strong bow and only an adult could have done it.” treatment cost Dhs2,300, was placed on pain She added: “That’s the scary part - but the other relief and antibiotics. scary part is it has to be one of my neighbours.”

Bezuidenhout, who has asked security to see The Raha Gardens resident lives in a compound if there is CCTV footage of the incident, initially in the capital. She said Jack was attacked “in spoke to police after the attack but now said surroundings of Gate 18” - but doesn’t know she has more evidence - in the form of the exactly where. Jack staggered into a neighbour’s arrow and medical report - to show them. house after the attack, which she said he visits An official at Khalifa City A Police Station often, while they were having dinner. confirmed that they had received a They rushed him to the Australian Veterinary complaint about the incident and would Hospital and Bezuidenhout was contacted and investigate the matter after receiving a full “made aware of the severity of the situation”, a statement. vet’s note written by Dr Fadi Daoud said.

Bezuidenhout said: “The person who did this Bezuidenhout said: “The sad part is it must’ve might never be found. But I want the person been one of my neighbours who did this, as Jack who did this to see what they’ve done.” was not able to walk very far. duncan.hare@7days.ae

SICK: Adele Bezuidenhout, pictured with Jack, fears a neighbour may have fired the arrow at her cat

Pedal power on parade at Yas circuit YAS Marina Circuit has announced a partnership with GHQ Armed Forces that will see the Abu Dhabi venue become the official training ground for the UAE Army’s cycling fitness initiatives.

The partnership will see 200 camouflage branded bikes donated to Yas Marina Circuit

by GHQ Armed Forces to be used for training by army personnel. The army’s training

programme will be held during the circuit’s popular weekly training nights, TrainYAS and GoYAS by Daman’s Activelife.

The launch of the programme will be held at TrainYAS tomorrow.

To kickstart proceedings, spectators will be treated to a marching band and paratroopers from the Armed Forces parachuting into the circuit.

Poor visibility predicted THE UAE could be set for more inclement weather.

The National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) last night warned motorists of the effects of poor visibility, which is currently below 2,000m, due to northwesterly winds blowing sand and dust into the air, state news agency WAM said.

In a statement, the NCMS said that drivers should be cautious on roads, reduce speed and leave enough distance between themselves and other vehicles.

Cautious driving is particularly important on open roads, the NCMS said.

NEWS

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

‘Phony royal’ in con case Woman handed over gold AN UNEMPLOYED man has been accused of posing as a member of the Dubai royal family in a bid to steal jewellery in a scam.

The 35-year-old Emirati allegedly made a fake passport copy of a royal as part of his plan to make off with more than Dhs20,000 of gold from an Iranian woman.

Dubai Court of First Instance heard that, on August 6, last year, the man met the woman via BlackBerry messenger and, while chatting, told her he was a member of the ruling family.

She said in her testimony: “He sent me a picture of his passport copy and it mentioned a Sheikh’s name.”

The woman said that, after a while, the man asked her to give him some gold jewellery as he owned gold shops and wanted to check the gold to see if it was real.

“I gave him the gold as I believed he was a royal,” the woman said.

By Ali Al Shouk “He didn’t give the gold back and sold it, so I went to the police station and lodged a complaint”.

The defendant allegedly took the jewellery to a gold shop owned by an Indian man in Abu Dhabi and sold it for Dhs20,250.

“I knew him as he lived near the shop and I’d known his family for years,” the 58-yearold shop owner said.

“He came to me and gave me some gold, claiming it belonged to his wife and I bought it from him.

“After that I received a call from police asking me to return the gold, but I had already melted some of it.”

The jewellery case was adjourned yesterday.

The defendant is on trial in a separate case accused of borrowing his fiance’s car then selling it for Dhs433,000. ali.shouk@7days.ae

Box lorry rolls in accident A TRUCK flipped over on Sheikh Zayed Road as it was heading towards Abu Dhabi about 9.30am yesterday, causing traffic delays, police said.

Colonel Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, director of Dubai Traffic Police, said the driver lost control and crashed into two vehicles before toppling over. The truck was carrying a shipment of boxes that fell off, partly blocking the road.

“We rushed to the scene to control the traffic as many lanes were blocked,” Al Mazroui said.

The road was back to normal after couple of hours.

Nobody was injured.

DECEIVED: The couple had got engaged

7DAYS 7 No ring of truth to man’s proposal A JILTED lover has been sentenced to three months in prison followed by deportation for threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend unless she agreed to marry him.

Dubai Court of First Instance was told the Lebanese man sent the 27year-old Iranian a threatening text message after she dumped him.

He also allegedly tried to blackmail her using a sex tape they had recorded while together.

Prosecutors said the man, 32, had known the woman since 2011 as he was her manager.

They had been engaged for some time

- however the woman discovered her fiance had a wife and children, so she ended the relationship.

“He proposed and we got engaged,” she said. “But then I discovered that he was married and has children in Lebanon. He wasn’t honest with me so I dumped him.”

The court was told the man bombarded her with calls and, in May last year, sent her a threat via SMS, saying that he would kill her if she married anyone else.

Both the defendant and the woman face a separate case at Misdemeanour Court of having an illegal affair.

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NEWS

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

Businessman vows to challenge verdict on bounced cheque By 7DAYS News Team A BUSINESSMAN accused of bouncing cheques in an ongoing legal dispute with an investor has vowed to clear his name through the courts.

7DAYS reported last month that a British expat claimed he lost Dhs16 million in an investment deal related to a car rental firm.

However the businessman, FP, claims the investor, PM, has in fact already received a return of 60 per cent on his investment over a period of two years; before the partnership then turned sour.

FP says a number of cheques had been written under the old name of the company and needed to be transferred to the company’s new name after it was changed in October 2014.

He said that the investor knew this was the case as he was a partner in the

Diversions planned for phase two

Executive dismisses claim from investor company when the name change took place.

FP said: “When my lawyers sent him notices he refused to exchange the cheques and instead asked for the amount to be paid to him with, what we felt was, unreasonable interest and vindictively banked the cheques and lodged a case.”

The businessman also claims that the proposed Dhs16 million is a “ridiculous exaggeration” and the amount currently in

dispute is far less, in relation to the exparty judgement given against him by the court in absentia.

He added that all judgements are reversible on payment of a claim in relation to the ex-party judgement.

He added: “I am a businessman with a family and have been doing business in the UAE for over 12 years now with varied business interests overseas as well.

Those cheques should never have been deposited.”

FP also believes court documents seen by 7DAYS as part of the previous article failed to tell the whole story.

He said the accusations being made against him have been “blown out of proportion” and "hurt both him and his family” and added: “The matters are all still subjudice and I have full faith in the Dubai law. The truth and law will prevail.”

Crown prince dives in

THE Road and Transport Authority (RTA) has started the second phase of the main diversion works on Al Wasl Road near Safa Park as part of the work on the Dubai Water Canal project.

More than a third of the project has been completed, said the RTA. The diversion will affect traffic on Al Bili Road and Al Athar Road, which will be partially closed near Al Wasl Road.

“Arrangements are in hand for constructing alternative roads to Al Hadiqa Road to enable the smooth construction of bridges on Al Hadiqa Road,” said Maitha bin Udai, CEO of RTA Traffic and Roads Agency.

Film festival ready to roll THE sixth edition of the Zayed University Middle East Film Festival takes place this week at the university.

The Abu Dhabi event, which starts today, has attracted submissions from student filmmakers from 40 universities in 15 countries.

The festival will be held under the patronage of HH Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of International Cooperation and Development and president of the university.

HH SHEIKH Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, posted this photo on Instagram using the #MyDubai hashtag on his @faz3 profile. By last night, more than 74,000 people had liked it.

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

NEWS

7DAYS

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Sister act draws pilgrims to Vatican

TWO nuns from what was 19th century Palestine have been canonised by Pope Francis in the hope of sending a message of encouragement to Christians in the Middle East who facing persecution from extremists.

Sisters Mariam Bawardy and Marie Alphonsine Ghattas were among four nuns who were made saints yesterday at a Mass in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and an estimated 2,000 pilgrims from the region, some waving Palestinian flags, were on hand for the canonisation of the first saints from the Holy Land since the early years of Christianity. The nuns are also the first Arabic-speaking Catholic saints.

Discussions on to end migrant crisis MALAYSIA has launched a series of highlevel talks with its neighbours in an effort to find a solution to the deepening crisis in which thousands of refugees are stranded in boats off south-east Asia’s shores, with no country in the region willing to take them in.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman met with his counterpart from Bangladesh, Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, ahead of meetings scheduled with the Indonesian and Thai foreign ministers in the coming days, said an official.

Boatloads of more than 2,000 members of Myanmar’s ethnic Rohingya Muslim community fleeing persecution and migrants from Bangladesh trying to escape poverty have landed in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in recent weeks.

But thousands more are stranded at sea after a crackdown on human traffickers

Malaysia to host talks as thousands remain stranded prompted captains and smugglers to abandon their human cargo.

Malaysia is the current chair of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has been criticised for long ignoring the plight of the Rohingya.

On Friday, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak vowed to take action amid calls from the international community.

“This is an issue of international and regional importance,” Najib said. “We are

Harry credits army

Sailor dies in hotel fall A US sailor has died after falling from a hotel balcony in Bahrain, according to navy officials.

US 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr Kevin Stephens said yesterday the sailor died the previous evening while on liberty in the capital, Manama.

He says the Navy is cooperating with Bahraini officials in the investigation. The sailor's name was not released.

The USS Farragut, on which the sailor was stationed, is part of the strike group which is conducting airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant.

in contact with all relevant parties, with whom we share the desire to find a solution to this crisis.”

ASEAN adheres to a strict policy of noninterference, which in the past has blocked public criticism of Myanmar and critics say enables member states to commit abuses without consequences.

The UN has called the Rohingya one of the world’s most persecuted groups. For decades, they have faced state-sanctioned discrimination in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar.

In the past three years, Rohingya have been targeted by violent mobs of Buddhist extremists that left hundreds dead and sparked an exodus of people fleeing on rickety, overcrowded vessels operated by human trafficking syndicates.

On Friday the UN warned of “floating coffins” and called on regional leaders to act.

CALL: Prince Harry

BRITAIN’S Prince Harry has thanked the army for keeping him out of trouble and has called for national service to be brought back.

In an interview published in the Sunday Times, the 30-year-old prince also revealed that he’s content being single and reflected on how the army gave him a chance to “escape the limelight”.

“I dread to think where I’d be without the army,” he said.

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MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

Don’t pretend you don’t love a bit of showbiz - you know you do...

Vadivelu may return to politics ACTOR Vadivelu, who will next be seen in Tamil comedy ‘Eli’, says he’s still interested in a career in politics and may return to it sooner or later.

“There’s ample time for 2016 assembly elections and anything could happen before that. I haven’t ruled out a career in politics yet,” Vadivelu said.

In 2011, the actor campaigned for the DMK party in the assembly elections in India,

however the party fared poorly in the polls.

“Whatever happened in the past was a learning experience. I should’ve been a little cautious,” he said.

And Vadivelu added he is interested in working in a political comedy.

“I’m planning to do a film in which I play a chief minister,” he said. “ It’ll be an out-and-out political satire.”

Ash on equal terms at Cannes

Michelle raising cash for quake victims Star in Nepal when disaster struck SHE was in Nepal as a tourist when the Buddhist leader Gyalwang Drukpa, the quake unleashed death and destruction spiritual head of the 1,000-year-old in the Himalayan nation. Now actress Drukpa Order based in India.

Michelle Yeoh, famous for her roles in “I came across many babies who still Oscar-winning ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden need immediate health attention. We Dragon’ and James Bond film have to nourish them and, of course, ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’, is raising rehabilitate their mothers who still money to help.. are in shock,” Yeoh said.

“It’s not a one-month or one“Providing tents is the year job but (will take) many temporary relief at this point in years to help the people in need. time. But we have to provide them And I am ready,” the Malaysianew accommodation, which can’t born Yeoh said. “Rains are going be built overnight. If we are to set in this Himalayan terrain reaching out to them now, we have soon. Then there will be harsh to be with them for years.” winter. Time is running short. We Yeoh was in Kathmandu with still have to reach out to fiance Jean Todt when a many unfortunate ones.” magnitude-7.8 quake hit The actress, who is the on April 25, killing more brand ambassador of than 8,200 people. the ‘Live to Love’ That huge tremor foundation, has visited was followed by a quake-hit villages on the magnitude-7.3 quake outskirts of Kathmandu last Tuesday that in recent days to see the killed at least 117 work undertaken by the people and injured HELPING: Michelle Yeoh foundation’s head and about 2,800.

By George, that was a good buy A GUITAR George Harrison played at a time when Beatlemania was taking flight has sold at a New York auction.

Julien’s Auctions said the 1963 Mastersound electric guitar (pictured) went for $490,000 (Dhs1.8 million) to an undisclosed bidder. It said Harrison borrowed the instrument from a British music store and played it on stage several times in England and in Channel Islands in the summer of 1963.

It was offered during a two-day rock memorabilia auction.

A ‘penguin’ suit that Elvis Presley wore on stage in Las Vegas in 1975 sold for nearly $122,000 (Dhs450,000).

A tank top Madonna wore sold for $25,000 (Dhs91,000).

No boo hoo for Matt despite jeers MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY’S comeback streak in recent years - the so-called ‘McConaissance’ - hit a bump at the Cannes Film Festival premiere of Gus Van Sant’s ‘The Sea of Trees’.

The film, about two men who find each other in a Japanese “suicide forest”, was greeted harshly by critics and was loudly booed in its initial screenings to media.

But McConaughey said: “Anyone has as much right to boo as they do to ovate.”

‘The Sea of Trees’ is about a man who wrestles with guilt over a bitter marriage and travels to Japan to kill himself.

Variety called the film “a risibly longwinded drama”.

The Hollywood Reporter slammed it as “woefully sentimental and maudlin”.

Beyonce visits Haiti BOLLYWOOD actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (pictured) along with Hollywood star Salma Hayek attended a UN women’s panel discussion on gender equality at the 68th Cannes International Film Festival. The two stars were on the panel that also included producers Elizabeth Karlsen and Christine Vachon. Aishwarya, Indian ambassador of L’Oreal Paris, wore a floral Sabyasachi Mukherjee creation.

POP queen Beyonce has paid a visit to Haiti to look at the progress made since an earthquake devastated the country five years ago.

Haiti UN mission spokeswoman Sophie Boutaud de la Combe said that Beyonce was also able to “meet some of the people who were affected by” by the 2010 disaster in the impoverished Caribbean country.

De la Combe said the American singer visited Haiti with Valerie Amos, the United Nations’ humanitarian affairs chief and emergency relief coordinator. Official estimates say the quake claimed as many as 300,000 lives.

Janet promises to go on world tour SINGER Janet Jackson has promised her fans “new music, new world tour” this year.

The singer, sister of late pop star Michael Jackson, tweeted a video at the weekend showing footage of the inside of a studio.

“I promised you’d hear it from my lips, and now you will,” Janet said in the narration.

“This year: new music, new world tour, a new movement.”

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

NEWS

Bombing at airport Foreigners among dead in ‘cowardly’ Taliban attack A TALIBAN car suicide bomber has attacked a convoy from the European Union police training mission near the Afghan capital’s international airport, killing at least three people, authorities have said.

The attack in Kabul comes amid a stepped-up Taliban campaign that saw its extremists attack a guesthouse days earlier in Kabul, killing 14 people, including nine foreigners.

The car bomb exploded early yesterday morning near the office of the Afghan Civil Aviation Authority, a few hundred metres from the airport’s main terminal, said Najib Danish, a deputy Interior Ministry spokesman.

The blast damaged one foreign vehicle and two civilian vehicles, he said.

Sari Haukka-Konu, a spokeswoman for the EU’s police mission, said one non-mission member travelling in a EUPOL vehicle had been killed.

The British Embassy in Kabul identified the dead Briton as a security contractor.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Phil Hammond described the attack as cowardly.

“These attacks must not stop the people of Afghanistan, with the support of the international community, working towards a more peaceful future,” he said in a statement.

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NEWS IN BRIEF Tycoon arrested and deported CAMBODIA: A fugitive Russian tycoon, who was living illegally in the country, has been deported after he was accused of embezzling $175 million (Dhs642 million) in his homeland. Accompanied by Russian authorities, Sergei Polonsky was put on a flight to Moscow via Vietnam early yesterday after being arrested on Friday in Sihanoukville.

The real estate tycoon was charged in Russia in June 2013 with embezzling more than 5.7 billion rubles ($175 million) from 80 property investors.

Six children die in fire at home BLAST: Afghan men are seen through the shattered window of a damaged car at the site of the attack

Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said the blast also killed two Afghans passing by and wounded 18 people, including three foreigners.

Haukka-Konu said some of those wounded including EUPOL mission members.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also condemned the attack.

“The killing of innocent women and children shows the terrorists have been defeated on the battlefield and are looking for alternative means of killing innocent people,” Ghani said.

A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for

the attack in a statement emailed to journalists, saying the bomber targeted “a convoy of foreign invader forces”.

Meanwhile, a magnetic bomb attached to a vehicle exploded on Saturday in Kabul’s eastern suburbs, wounding one person, Sediqqi said.

Elsewhere, an explosion inside the campus of Kabul University wounded two people, he said.

An Afghan Army helicopter also crashed yesterday while on an exercise in Kabul’s western outskirts, the Defence Ministry said.

Two pilots were injured.

PAKISTAN: A police officer said six siblings have died in a fire in a residential building in the eastern city of Lahore.

Basharat Hasan said the fire broke out at the two-storey building due to a short circuit early yesterday. He said three boys aged five to 12 were burned to death, while three girls aged seven, nine and 15 - died of suffocation. He added their mother was hospitalised in critical condition.

Their father was not home.

Rescue services reached the scene an hour after being alerted.

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MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

Now pay attention...

Kayakers stick their oar in HUNDREDS of activists took to the water in kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and other vessels to protest Royal Dutch Shell’s plan to drill in the Arctic Ocean.

The ‘Shell No’ protest was held in the shadow of the corporation’s Polar Pioneer drilling rig, which is docked in Seattle and will be used to explore for oil near Alaska this summer.

Many fear that an oil spill in such a delicate and remote region would be a disaster on many levels.

Tech is taking its toll, says study HUMANS now have shorter attention spans than goldfish because of the increase in the use of digital technology, according to a study by Microsoft.

The research claims that our attention spans have reduced from 12 seconds to eight seconds in little more than a decade.

The study sought to understand what impact technology and today’s digital lives are having on attention spans.

The researchers collected data from surveys of more than 2,000 Canadians over the age of 18.

They played games and interacted online to help scientists determine the impact of smartphones and other digital media on everyday life.

Participants’ brain activity was recorded and behaviour was filmed while they interacted with

different social media platforms across devices and in different environments.

The team measured how attention levels varied by screen, task, content type and structure.

The findings revealed that human attention span has fallen from an average of 12 seconds in the year 2000 to eight seconds today.

The study found that 77 per cent of people aged 18 to 24 responded “yes” when asked “When nothing is occupying my attention, the first thing I do is reach for my phone,” compared to only 10 per cent of those over age 65.

“Out of the 18 to 24 age group, more than half admit to checking their phone every 30 minutes or less and over three-quarters used their portable devices while watching TV,” the report said.

Funeral held for ‘right-to-die’ teen HUNDREDS of people gathered in a Chilean town at the funeral of a teenager who gained international attention by making an online plea for permission to end her life.

Valentina Maureira, 14, died on Thursday from lung problems caused by cystic fibrosis.

Earlier this year, Valentina posted a YouTube video in which she asked

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to allow her to be euthanised and end her suffering.

Bachelet visited the girl at the hospital (pictured), but the government said it could not approve her request.

Valentina later changed her mind after meeting people who responded to her video.

PAGE

14

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

7DAYS BUSINESS New addition to the stable

Price not right DUBAI has become too expensive for retail tourists, the CEO of one of the region’s largest retail firms has said.

Claiming a drop in luxury sales, Jayant Ganwani, CEO of Lals Group, told Arabian Business: “Dubai has in many ways become unaffordable to a lot of the tourists.” He added his firm had “found European merchandise is sold here at a far higher price in equivalent dirhams than sold in Europe”.

THE NUMBERS CURRENCIES: VS DIRHAM CURRENCY US $ GBP £ EURO YEN INDIAN RUPEE RUSSIAN RUBLE

COMMODITIES: OIL* NYMEX CRUDE DME

GOLD*

LONDON

RATE 3.672 5.775 4.204 0.0307 0.0578 0.0741

CURRENCY PAKISTANI RUPEE PHILIPPINE PESO S A RAND CANADIAN $ AUS $ NEW ZEALAND $

RATE 0.0360 0.0827 0.311 3.059 2.953 2.744 PRICE

CLOSED CLOSED CLOSE

CLOSED

FORD MUSTANG fans across the Middle East can now see and test drive the all-new 2015 model at their nearest Ford dealership.

The Mustang is the first car to offer four, six and eight-cylinder engines that each produce at least 304 horsepower.

“Ford Mustang inspires passion like no other car,” said Kalyana Sivagnanam, the marketing, sales and service director for Ford Middle East and North Africa. “The visceral look, sound and performance of Mustang resonates with people across the region, even if they’ve never driven one.

“Mustang is definitely more than just a car - it is the heart and soul of Ford.”

Ford says it has sold more than nine million Mustangs during the car’s 50 years of continuous production.

The model has made thousands of appearances on film and TV, as well as in music videos and games. It is also the world’s most-liked vehicle on Facebook.

New design features include a lower, wider stance with a reduction in roof height - and wider rear bumpers and track. There’s also the return of the fastback with a sleeker profile enabled by a more steeply sloped windscreen and rear glass.

And the popular, powerful Mustang GT continues with the latest edition of the throaty 5.0-litre V8 - which now features an upgraded valvetrain and cylinder heads that help boost output to 421 horsepower and 391lb-ft of torque.

How did your provider do?

Du and Etisalat tested for quality of service

THERE was little to choose between the UAE’s two mobile networks in a new survey by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA).

In the study of their performance, Etisalat scored 98.59 per cent and competitor du 98.55 per cent in the call completion success rate category.

The drop rate, which measures the number of times calls are cut off for technical reasons, put Etisalat at 0.25 per cent and du at 0.30 per cent.

In voice quality, Etisalat scored 95.33 per cent and du 97.02 per cent. And in terms of double service coverage - for both 2G and 3G - both Etisalat and du “exceeded 99 per cent”, the TRA said.

The survey covered more than 13,000km of the UAE’s roads at peak hours during working days, the TRA added.

All seven emirates, as well as the Western Region and major highways, were covered.

In addition, thousands of test calls and application trial runs were performed along with similar tests conducted indoors at 34 buildings or major facilities across different emirates.

For indoor use, the call completion success rate results put Etisalat at 98.89 per cent and du at 98.80 per cent.

For the call drop rate, Etisalat was at 0.36 per cent, while du was at 0.63 per cent. Voice quality saw Etisalat at 97.73 per cent and du at 97.48 per cent.

“The TRA has prioritised the evaluation of quality of the services offered by telecommunication network operators,” said Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri, the director general at the TRA. “As ICT sector organisers, we conduct testing and assessments that help track the status of mobile networks in each phase and the range of services provided in order to increase the standard of service and attain excellence - and promote healthy competition amongst the operators.”

However, the statistics did not ring true with all the firms’ customers. Abdulawal Chowdhury posted on the 7DAYSUAE Facebook page: “They have blocked all the applications that can make voice calls or video calls and now asking are we happy? Well, we’ve got no choice as there’s only two companies here.”

Landmark deal for developer NAKHEEL’S new Al Khail Avenue mall at Dubai’s Jumeirah Village will feature retail names such as Home Centre, Centrepoint and Emax, following a deal with Landmark Group.

Landmark Group will

operate more than 25 brands at Al Khail Avenue, which is being built alongside Dubai’s Al Khail Road, on the eastern edge of Jumeirah Village Triangle.

A Waitrose and 14-screen cinema will also be there.

PAGE 15

MetroLife Food, fashion, movies and more...

May 18

, the In 2003, Les Miserables or ct musical based on the Vi ore m r te af Hugo novel, closed 0 68 than 16 years and 6, ay performances on Broadw

Who is in charge around here?

FATHER AND SON: Busy little boys can be a blessing - and a tricky proposition - for families

Chris Fraser might still earn the respect of his own son, with a bit of expert help

P

arenting is easy, said no one. Ever. But by and large, even the least likely candidates like myself sort of ‘get by’.

This past weekend heralded my son’s fourth birthday. The proud milestone also brought with it one nagging doubt.

Why won’t my son listen to me?

In my day, and yes, it was a long time ago, my dad’s word was final - the law.

Now? Well, I’m not sure who’s the boss.

Time to call in the experts, in the form of Big On Children’s ‘Super Granny’, a popular and experienced parenting coach.

According to ‘Super Granny’, or Andalene Salvesen as she’s also known, ‘we’ need a change of attitude.

The South African, author of the book ‘Five Steps to a New Child’, pulls no punches.

“Have you ever done anything to discipline him,” asks Andalene, a mother of four grown-ups and grandmother of nine children, five minutes into a quick one-on-one as I try to brief her on our particular situation.

The one where junior seems to resent any sort of input from dear old dad.

“I’m not really the disciplinarian sort,” I splutter.

“Well that’s why he doesn’t respect you,” she replies as I choke on my coffee.

Respect me? He was only three last week.

Andalene’s not trying to insult me, she’s just telling me how a child would view the matter.

“You can’t be a pushover,” she explains. “I really believe there has to be clear boundaries. If you think about the teachers you had growing up, the ones that were assertive, not mean, were the ones you respected.

“Your child doesn’t know what to expect from you, because there’s simply no consequences. If the government says ‘stop speeding’, and keeps saying it but doesn’t do anything, well people are going to keep speeding. So what we want is a predictable consequence which is age appropriate. Age-appropriate consequences make them think about what they have done, and make them change their behaviour.”

The key, according to Andalene, is in the delivery.

Unfortunately this particular daddy isn’t exactly the pushy type. In fact, Andalene nails the issue almost immediately.

“It’s not your job to make them happy (as a parent), it is your job to build character.”

But if any other wishy-washy sorts out there aren’t sure about authority and freedom of choice, Andalene gives a great example - the car seat. It’s black and white, there is no debate in our household. Our son doesn’t even argue

any more, he accepts the situation and sits in the car seat without fail.

She says: “One of the key things is if you ‘ask’ him to do something when you mean ‘do something’. If it is an instruction, then don’t say it as a question. Say what you mean and mean what you say.”

Andalene has seen it all. From babies who just won’t sleep through to troublesome teens, she’s well known for her remedial work, the routines and rules that can make family life that little easier for all concerned.

She says: “It is never too late. The earlier you catch it the easier it is to correct and the longer you leave it, the more difficult it is. But you can correct it.

“The first step is to have an attitude - you are in charge. Think ‘wait a minute, I can do this’ and they will smell that, tell you have changed your attitude and respond to it. - just be in charge.

The good news for me and my boy, not to mention my wife and our six-month-old daughter, is that the changes don’t have to be too drastic.

“Being a good leader doesn’t mean being a dictator, but rather someone that another wants to follow and that’s what a parent needs to be, a good leader.” chris.fraser@7days.ae

UPCOMING TALKS WITH SUPER GRANNY >> May 20: ‘Sibling Rivalry’ at Blossom Nursery, Umm Suqeim 9am >> May 25: ‘Parenting with a Purpose’ at GEMS Wellington 8am >> May 25: ‘Diet, Routine and Discipline from Baby to Toddler’ at Just Kidding Wafi Mall 10am >> May 26: ‘Punishment v Discipline’ at British Orchard Nursery Media City 8.30am >> May 27: ‘Temperaments and Personality Types’ at Blossom Nursery Dubai Downtown 9am >> May 31: ‘Character Building or Discipline’ at Kids HQ Umm Suqeim Road 10am For more information on Big On Children’s Super Granny, see munchkins.me or email pernille@supergranny.me

Have you any particular parenting tips for this dad? Tweet us @7DAYSUAELife

PAGE

16

7DAYS

...your essential guide to what’s on

Diary

Atlantis in full bloom Chelsea Flower Show

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

Start getting active Get the basics of bouldering at a Rock Republic introductory session.

Happening on the first and third Monday of the month, you will learn about the climbing grading system and fit in a lot of wall practice.

Dhs150 cost includes session, entrance and shoe rental. 6-9pm.

04 882 9361

The iconic Atlantis, The Palm will be recreated in all its glory at the world-famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London, starting tomorrow.

The reproduction, using colourful flowers and plants, will stand at 1.5m tall and 1.5m wide.

To celebrate that special appearance in the UK, the Atlantis will be hosting a special Chelsea Flower Show afternoon tea and dinner with the help of local florist Al Lokrit International and luxury tea brand TWG. Dine on a floral-themed menu while appreciating the flowerdecked decor. ShiQui Spa is also offering a luxurious Rose Radiance facial. Call 04 426 2626 Learn how to ride a longboard and shred the streets with a ‘Dubai on Wheels Club’ beginner session.

Passionate skater Saeed will guide newbies on board basics, balance and safety tips tonight at 7.30pm near Cluster V in JLT. More info at meetup.com/du baionwheels

Film noir Experience the film festival thrill at The Space Abu Dhabi’s Cannes series.

‘The White Ribbon’, directed by Michael Haneke, is a black-and-white film which depicts life in a German village before WWI. 7.30pm RSVP at cinemaspacethewhiteribbon.splashthat.com

Get the massage

Ride with the girls tonight at Nad Al Sheba Cycle Park. Liv, the cycling brand dedicated to women, will be hitting the 8km track for some easy laps at 5.30pm and 7.30pm. Perfect for those looking to get back into the saddle, or beginners looking for tips. liv-cycling.com

Test mic The hilarity continues at LOL Nights every Monday at Serafina in Souk Al Bahar featuring stand-up comics like Salman Qureshi and more.

Doors open at 7pm. 04 363 8441 Grab your instruments and the microphone at Breakthrough’s ‘Wing It’ open mic night every Tuesday at Original Wings & Rings, 8pm.

050 697 3035

Nuyou beauty centre in Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa City A is offering ‘Massage Mondays’, a great way to beat the stress before the week gets on top of you. Choose from Swedish, aromatherapy, lymphatic drainage and more, and chill out! The session costs just Dhs150. Call 02 557 7225 to book

In living colour

Curated by Gulf Photo Plus, The RGB Exhibition features portrait to landscape photography in red, blue and green from regional talents. Show opens tonight at 7pm and runs until July 25 at the GPP Gallery Space in Alserkal. gulfphotoplus.com

7DAYS

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

PAGE

17

Shopping

Hide from the heat With temperatures on the rise, cover-ups, maxi dresses and kaftans will help you keep cool and conservative in sophisticated style

MAXI OUTPUT

High-street favourite H&M has just launched beauty lines, available in H&M stores. The line will include make-up, hair care, body care and beauty tools - all at reasonable prices. See hm.com/ae

Short and sweet

Bagable S*UCE-Y

Enjoy airflow in style with a lacey number like this one from S*uce.

Perfect to go from work to dinner. See shopatsauce.com

DRESS TO IMPRESS

For a bit of dazzle that’s perfect for evening celebrations with a light lining, head to Label 24.

See label24.ae JUMP INTO SUMMER: F&F has just launched its summer line, available at Dalma Mall, Oasis Centre, and around the UAE

Kiss ’n make up

It’s all about punchy colours, fruits and fun for the boys this summer.

Choose from a range of tropical prints from all the short favourites, including these from Vilebrequin, available at StyleBop. See stylebop.com for full range

BLAZER GLORY

A splash of colour in your blazer or cardi; light and lush makes any plain outfit fun and summery.

From bebe.com

A cinched waist will give you shape, while the dazzling prints give life to your sweeping maxi.

From Koton.

IN THE BAG

CARDI PARTY

Opt for a light kimono or kaftan to cover up, while still keeping cool. Get yours from Parfois. parfois.com

Good news for bag lovers, Aranaz is now available in the UAE. The tropical handbag brand is manufactured in the Philippines, and includes special techniques including woven sea grass. See aranaz.ph

‘Wow’ factor Touch up your regrowth or your fading colour with Color Wow. The hair innovation livens up your colour and helps conceal and blend unsightly regrowth.

Available at hair salons including Marquee. See colorwowhair.com

PAGE

18

7DAYS

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

Puzzles YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

WHO AM I?

YESTERDAY’S PUZZLE No.2489

CAN YOU IDENTIFY THIS FAMOUS FACE?

TODAY’S PUZZLE LEVEL: EASY

No. 2490

YESTERDAY’S PUZZLE No.2489

12,765

CROSSWORD

QUICK CLUES ACROSS 6. Secret place (4-3) 7. Drink (5)

DOWN 1. Italian city (5) 2. Response (6) 3. Pull (3) 4. Hold-all for equipment (3-3) 5. Like a lion (7) 8. Prisoner (7) 11. Soldier (7) 13. Sulphuric acid (7) 15. Community (6) 16. Fate (6)

17. Float (5) 20. Put on (3)

CLUES

1. I am an English novelist and my books have sold more than 500 million copies worldwide.

2. I have written 29 novels that have appeared on the New York Times Bestsellers List.

3. I have written novels such as ‘Hollywood Wives’ and ‘Lucky’.

Yesterday’s answer: Brandon Lee

TEST YOUR TRIVIA

YESTERDAY’S ANSWERS Across: 1 Work to rule; 7 Scrap; 8 Stays up; 10 Retainer; 11 Toss; 13 Nailed; 15 Custom; 17 Maps; 18 Felonies; 21 Risotto; 22 Range; 23 Dead letter.

Down: 1 Worst; 2 Repaired; 3 Tastes; 4 Real; 5 Lash out; 6 Astronomer; 9 Postmaster; 12 Autocrat; 14 Impasse; 16 Begone; 19 Inner; 20 Stud.

© Central Press Features

DOWN 1. The Italian man about town (5) 2. Such action will be involuntary (6) 3. It has a strong pull in the port trade (3) 4. Gear case? (3-3) 5. It’s beastly being a long time in one occupation (7) 8. He’s not free, yet may have time (7) 11. Soldier on a horse, or ship (7) 13. Acid criticism (7) 15. Stop a letter giving settlement (6) 16. Lot of Arabs (6) 17. Don’t have any main course? (5) 20. Assume a name (3)

9. Correspond (5) 10. Join together (7) 12. Ostentatious (11) 14. Something easy (5,2,4) 18. Borer (7) 19. Loaning at high interest (5) 21. Circular (5) 22. Fall from (4,3)

1. Which planet in our solar system takes the longest to orbit the sun?

2. Which country’s international vehicle registration code is CH? 3. Mr Joky Cleaners is an anagram of which controversial TV presenter?

4. Dactylography is the study of what?

5. Kenyan Dennis Kimetto holds the world record time in which sporting event?

6. Which is the third highest mountain in the world?

7. What is the correct name for a baby camel?

ANSWERS: 1. Neptune 2. Switzerland 3. Jeremy Clarkson 4. Fingerprints 5. Marathon (2hr, 2mins 57 seconds) 6. Kangchenjunga (in Himalayas) 7. Calf

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS 6. No inner sanctuary (4-3) 7. Cried out for a drink (5) 9. Match label (5) 10. Get together - for getting in the harvest (7) 12. Having no saving graces? (11) 14. Not a difficult thing to eat?

(5,2,4) 18. His money may be well-earned (7) 19. Taking an excessive interest (5) 21. Drinks and a sandwich (5) 22. Succeed in losing one’s balance? (4,3)

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

7DAYS

Send emails to: letters@7days.ae

Dear 7DAYS... ‘

19

Have your say on the country’s most opinionated page

Roadside adverts driving motorists to distraction I wasn’t surprised to read that people find roads less safe than before - ‘Report shows driving standards in UAE are slipping’ (7DAYS, May 14).

While I acknowledge the improvements in the road networks, I for one think the authorities are at fault for allowing drivers to be so easily distracted by those obscenely large advertising hoardings that seem to be taking over Dubai. No way those would be allowed in most countries as they are designed to attract the drivers attention away from the road in front.

If Dubai is serious about improving road safety then the authorities should remove these eyesores, along with those silly little ones in the central reservation and focus on limiting the distractions to drivers. We all know drivers need to improve their standards so let’s not distract them with giant pictures of shiny cars and watches.

Biff Barsha

More parking woe for workers in media city Dear Mark (‘All those empty spaces yet nowhere to park’ - 7DAYS Letters, May 17), I run a small company in DMC and the parking situation is so illogical and

frustrating that clients no longer visit our offices. Our staff have to come to the office before 8am - circling around the already full parking lots to find parking and my husband and I share the only parking card between us. This means when I’m there he cannot come and vice versa.

We are happy to pay for extra parking cards but are not allowed... The paradox is that there are empty spaces, waiting to be filled. Clearly not by us. Could the DMC authorities kindly put us out of our misery and give us parking infrastructure which can allow us to function properly?

Lisa Dubai

Reader in plea for help to find and return lost rings I wonder if 7DAYS and the Dubai people can help me? I lost three platinum and diamond rings on the mezzanine level of the IKEA car park in Festival City at approximately 5.30 pm on Wednesday. My engagement ring, wedding ring (which is engraved on the inside) and my eternity ring. These are of huge sentimental value to me and I will reward anyone who is able to return them to me. I have done everything I can think of to find them, including crawling around the floor of the car park.

Tracy Donnelly Dubai

YOUR PICTURES

This picture of Sharjah Corniche was shared by Mohammed Nawaz. Send your pictures to letters@7days.ae

Wage protection system? we haven’t been paid…

I would like to know what the Wage Protection System (WPS) actually does as my salary has been late for the past six months and all of us in Dubai and Abu Dhabi haven’t been paid for almost three months. If I complain to the MoL I will lose my job, with family to support back home I can’t lose my job. So the WPS does what?

Stop the company from applying for visas? Wow that’s harsh; a company can’t pay their staff so they are stopped from hiring more? Hardly seems logical. Now all wages go to the WPS and are distributed by the system so the WPS knows who has been paid and who hasn’t, so why is no one doing anything. If there are fewer companies acting like this as its been reported it means there is less work to be done, if there’s less work to be done why has no one from these departments held bosses accountable?

Not paid UAE

Employer hits back on issue of maid attitude What narrow-minded reactions. Why don’t you all go back and actually READ the letter again. The points made are valid... would you show up to an interview with such attitudes? I think not. I have a right to protect my home and family by expecting to interview a person suitable for the job not some person who thinks its their right to demand a visa and money from me. If you are offended then “good” you should be, maybe you will think about your attitudes before trying to demand money for a job that you have little interest in just to get a visa, this is my home not an immigration office. Maids get to live in accommodation for free, eat for free and get treated like part of the family, they do basic household chores, its not rocket science is it? The law states that maids should be paid 1500, unfortunate yes, my fault? No. All occupations come with varying salaries, if you don’t like the salary that cleaners get then don’t be a cleaner!

Also be careful what you wish for because when the day comes when cleaners are expensive no one is going to hire you.

How will you get a visa then?

Mommie UAE

’

The conversation

continues...

Police tackle tailgating by educating drivers on safe stopping distances “The problem isn’t the lack of education. The problem is with their attitude.”

BINOY JOHN

“I think the guy who, just before the Business Bay bridge, overtook me today by going over the yellow line has taken the ‘no tailgating’ rule too seriously.”

KEVIN SOUTHAM

“Driving on the hard shoulder is worse than tailgating!”

FRANK N STEIN

“You drive like that in the UK and you wouldn’t last 5 minutes. If it was not the British Transport Police sorting you out it would be other drivers who just would not put up with these selfish, dangerous, inconsiderate and many other things people and would pull them over. There would be a new series of road rage on tv that is for sure!”

DAVID WARREN

“Tailgating only happens on the left most lane. It’s where the really fast drivers are. My simple rule; if you don’t want to be tailgated then do as i do and avoid that lane! It happens when some smarty pants strays on to that lane and refuses to move. Thats called road hogging!”

FRANK N STEIN

“OK… educate slow drivers to move away from the left (fast) lane and then educate drivers not to squeeze in safe distance between cars.

People seem to be tailgating because of these two reasons. The rest are just violators with attitude problem who won’t give you enough time to move right for them.”

ALI ‘JAGOOR’ FAHS

Nepal Embassy offers airfare help for expats desperate to get to quake-hit homes “I pray their employers are also as generous and supportive when it comes to allowing them the time off to take advantage of this generous offer......”

TRACY FRENCH

“Now that’s a fantastic and generous offer to those workers who are desperate to find and support their families back home in nepal.”

WILLIAM G BROWN

Comment online at 7DAYSinDubai.com 7DAYSinAbuDhabi.com

20

ON THE OCHE IN DUBAI

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

SPORT

Watch the preview video and see who is playing in the 2015 Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters.

See 7DAYSinDubai.com/sports

‘No KP weakens England’

Clarke speaks out on the big issue AUSTRALIA Test captain Michael Clarke says he feels for Kevin Pietersen and would like to see him back in the England side - to a degree.

The controversial batsman was informed last week by England’s new director of cricket, Andrew Strauss, that he would not be returning to the England side this summer because of a “massive trust issue”.

Yet Clarke (below), who will captain Pietersen in the Melbourne Stars’ Big Bash Twenty20 side next season, feels he deserves a place in the England side.

“There’s probably two sides for me: there’s the personal side where obviously I feel for KP, because I get on well with him and I’d love to see him back playing for England,” said Clarke. “His form has been outstanding and he’s still a great player and I know he wants to play, so I feel for him on that side. The other side [is] we go there soon

to play against England, so any team without Kevin Pietersen in it I don’t think is as strong.”

The Ashes begin with the first of five Test matches in Cardiff, Wales on July 8.

HADDIN RETIRES FROM ODIs Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has announced his retirement from one-day international cricket.

Haddin’s 126-match ODI career began against Zimbabwe at Hobart in January 2001 and ended with Australia’s World Cup victory over New Zealand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 29.

The 37-year-old claimed 170 catches and 11 stumpings in his ODI career, leaving him with the thirdmost dismissals for a wicketkeeper in Australia behind Adam Gilchrist and Ian Healy.

Haddin scored 3,122 runs at an average of 31.53 with a top score of 110 but revealed that “now is the right time to walk away.”

STRAUSS: NEW COACH MUST ACCEPT KP STANCE ENGLAND’S new director of cricket Andrew Strauss has insisted that he will only hire a head coach who agrees that Kevin Pietersen should not be in the international fold this summer.

Strauss has been charged with replacing the recently sacked Peter Moores and admitted that front-runner Jason Gillespie was on his radar. However, it seems any potential candidate must agree with Strauss’ stance on Pietersen.

“Any coach who comes into the England environment will know the situation,” said Strauss.

“And he also, if his philosophy is aligned with mine, will understand the importance of trust in a team environment and why we made the call we made [on Pietersen] - because trust doesn’t exist.

“So I would have thought he’d understand the situation and be willing to work on those terms.”

Strauss hopes to appoint a new head coach in the coming weeks, but in the meantime Paul Farbrace will take the reigns in England’s opening Test match against New Zealand beginning this Thursday at Lord’s.

SPORTS DIGEST QUOTE OF THE DAY “GREAT HORSES DO GREAT THINGS, AND I THINK HE SHOWED THAT. I DON’T EVEN WANT TO THINK ABOUT THE TRIPLE CROWN RIGHT NOW.” TRAINER BOB BAFFERT REFUSES TO DISCUSS AMERICAN PHAROAH’S CHANCES OF BECOMING THE FIRST HORSE SINCE 1978 TO CLAIM THE AMERICAN TRIPLE CROWN AFTER THE COLT BREEZED TO VICTORY IN THE PREAKNESS STAKES.

12

PSG won their third

consecutive league title on Sunday and remain in with a chance of a domestic treble.

But perhaps the most amazing statistic belongs to star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic who clinched his 12th title in 14 seasons.

He has won two titles in Holland, six in Italy, one in Spain and three in France.

A GRAND VICTORY ALBANIAN striker Besart Berisha helped Melbourne Victory beat Sydney FC 3-0 to claim a historic third A-League title. Berisha struck a sweet half-volley to open the scoring before late goals from Kosta Barbarouses and Leigh Broxham gave Melbourne an empathic win in the Grand Final.

ICC DECLINE TO SEND UMPIRES TO PAKISTAN The ICC revealed they will not be sending match officials to Pakistan due to security concerns ahead of next week’s limited-overs series between Pakistan and Zimbabwe in Lahore.

The Pakistan Cricket Board will appoint local match officials to stand in for the ICC officials for the duration of the series, which has received official status.

SPORT

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

7DAYS

21

UAE SPORTS DIGEST ADOR BATTLE BACK IN NEWPORT ABU DHABI Ocean Racing (ADOR) surged back to the top of the Volvo Ocean Race In-Port Race Series (IPRS) leaderboard after battling back from last place to finish third in the American leg of the ‘sprint’ competition.

The result in Newport, Rhode Island was the team’s 12th podium result from 13 starts in this edition of the race and means they now top the IPRS table as well as top spot on the leaderboard for the main race.

See the new look Abu Dhabi DS 3 WRC at 7DAYSinDubai.com/sports

RALLY TEAM AIM TO CONTINUE RUN IN PORTUGAL

BLIND HIGH SCHOOL POLE VAULTER WINS MEDAL FOR THREE years, Charlotte Brown has been chasing a medal by trying to jump over a bar she couldn’t see.

The senior pole vaulter cleared that bar on Saturday, earning a third-place finish at the Texas state high school championships. And

proudly joining her on the podium as the bronze medal was draped around her neck - her service dog Vador (pictured, above).

Brown is blind, yet that’s not stopped her quest to become one of the best in an event that would seem next to impossible.

“I finally did it,” said 17-year-old Brown. “If I could send a message to anybody, it’s not about pole vaulting and it’s not about track. It’s about finding something that makes you happy despite whatever obstacles are in your way.”

FOLLOWING their 1-2 finish in Argentina, the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team head to Portugal this weekend to compete in the fifth round of the World Rally Championship. Driver Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi said: “I am hoping we can repeat the Rally Argentina scenario and compete for first place.”

5 AL NASR took top spot in the

Under-14s and Al Jazeera were victorious in the Under-16s at the President’s Cup water polo championship. Five teams competed in the tournament.

3 AFTER winning three consecutive legs in the Pharaons Rally Egypt, Emirati biker Mohammed Balooshi had to settle for third overall. The podium finish means he is now up to third in the world rankings.

22 7DAYS

SPORT

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

RYAN’S FIJI FLYERS WRAP UP SEVENS SERIES TITLE

ANOTHER KO FOR GGG GENNADY GOLOVKIN stopped Willie

Monroe Jr in the sixth round of their middleweight contest to register his 20th knockout in a row. The former Kazakh Olympian won his 14th consecutive title defence as he increased his record to 33-0 (30 KOs).

Sharapova’s heading to France in top form Russian wins third Italian Open and 35th career title

MARIA SHARAPOVA rallied from a set down to beat Carla Suarez Navarro 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 and win her third Italian Open title.

Suarez Navarro battled hard and came within two games of victory in the second set before Sharapova reeled off eight straight points to force a decider.

The Spaniard then wilted in the heat as Sharapova took control of the third set to win her 35th career title.

“It’s always a special victory,” the Russian said during the

trophy presentation. “It isn’t my first time but when I’m able to hold the trophy again it brings back memories of winning it the first time.

“I remember coming to Italy as a little girl and this was one of the tournaments I dreamed of playing, Now to win it for a third time is very special.”

With the temperature soaring above 30 Celsius in Rome, Sharapova struggled for long stretches to figure out Suarez Navarro's spins, slices and heavy topspin shots.

The tenth seed stormed to the first set but once

Sharapova started stepping into the court, attacking the Spaniard’s serve and finding the corners, she never looked like relinquishing control.

The victory will undoubtedly give Sharapova plenty of confidence on clay as she prepares to defend her French Open title.

The 28-year-old will be seeded second at Roland Garros when the tournament gets underway on May 24.

Meanwhile, in the women’s doubles there was a surprise as top seeds Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis were beaten 6-4, 6-3 by Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic.

The third seeds took just one hour and 13 minutes to secure the title in emphatic fashion.

FIJI WON the overall Sevens World Series title after a 19-7 quarterfinal victory over nearest challengers South Africa at the London Sevens.

The Fijians entered the series with a five-point lead over the South Africans, and victory gave them an unassailable lead in the season standings, ending New Zealand’s four-year reign.

Their second series crown in 15 years, and

first since 2006, also underlined the decision to hire former England Sevens coach Ben Ryan in 2013.

Ryan said: “I can’t really put it into words at the moment, we were just focusing on the South Africa game.

“The boys were very overly emotional in the changing room and I had to control them a bit and remind them to start smiling and that this is supposed to be fun.”

Morrison reigns in Spain over Jimenez ENGLAND’S James Morrison won the Spanish Open by four shots after shooting a 3-under 69 in yesterday’s final round.

Morrison entered the day tied for the lead with David Howell and pulled away by hitting three birdies while not dropping a shot to finish the tournament on a total of 10-under 278.

It was the 29-year-old Morrison’s second career win on the European Tour after his first came at the Madeira Islands Open in 2010.

Defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez rose into a tie for second after the Spaniard eagled the fourth hole en route to a

67. Howell (73), Francesco Molinari (71) and Edouard Espana (69) also shared second place.

“It feels amazing,” said Morrison. “It’s been five years and I’ve had a lot of chances between then and now to win and haven’t done it but I drew on all my experience and got over the line. The game plan was to stick to my process - I know it’s a cliché but it’s true.

“In years past when I haven’t done it it’s been too much looking at leaderboards, and even down to that last putt I wanted to hole that putt badly and stuck to my process and executed which feels amazing.”

SPORTS DIGEST TWEET OF THE DAY “RECEIVED THE MESSAGE ON POGBA, I SHARE YOUR OPINION, WE WILL HAVE TO CLUB TOGETHER!” FORMER FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY, A PARIS SAINT-GERMAN FAN, IN A REPLY ON TWITTER WHEN ASKED HOW THE CLUB COULD SIGN JUVENTUS MIDFIELDER PAUL POGBA.

400

MIGUEL CABRERA hit

his 400th career home run as the Detroit Tigers secured a 4-3, 10-inning victory over the St Louis Cardinals in MLB. Cabrera’s milestone shot gave him the most home runs by a Venezuelan-born player.

“That means a lot to me,” Cabrera said about the milestone. “But I just want to win and play games.”

YAMAHA 1-2 AT LE MANS JORGE LORENZO

led a Yamaha 1-2 ahead of teammate Valentino Rossi in the French MotoGP at Le Mans.

The Spaniard was in commanding form as he made it back-toback MotoGP wins.

EVEN IN RETIREMENT LIU IS STILL A HERO

Defending world champion David Oliver won the men’s 110-metre hurdles at the Shanghai Diamond League meet yesterday, but it was recently retired Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang who got the biggest ovation. Liu, who became one of China’s most celebrated athletes when he won the hurdles gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics, retired a month ago at the age of 31 due to recurring injuries.

SPORT

MONDAY MAY 18, 2015

7DAYS

Good luck in your retirement Stevie G...

LIVERMORE’S FAILED DRUGS TEST ANGERS HULL BOSS HULL CITY manager Steve Bruce said he was “shocked, saddened, disappointed and angry” after learning that midfielder Jake Livermore had failed a drugs test.

“I can’t come to terms with it, if I’m being honest,” said Bruce.

“The conversation I had with him is the hardest conversation I’ve ever had with any footballer.”

Livermore, who won his only England cap in 2012, was suspended by the English Football Association and Hull on Friday and could now face a ban of up to two years.

Late on Saturday it was revealed that Sheffield United’s Jose Baxter and Wolves goalkeeper Aaron McCarey had both also failed drugs tests.

Surely that was a testimonial match we all were watching on Saturday at Anfield?

COMMENT by Mike Starling SO IN CASE you were living under a rock for the past week and missed it, you may not know that Steven Gerrard has played his last game at Anfield for his beloved Liverpool.

In ridiculous scenes similar to the Beatles landing at New York JFK or One Direction playing a concert to 50,000 teenage girls, the Reds skipper was treated to an over-thetop reception from Liverpool fans in his “testimonial” match against Crystal Palace.

Before you question my knowledge of football, I do realise that it was not actually Mr G’s testimonial game. But it sure felt like it was.

I don’t know what the rest of you

23

were thinking, but did not you find of condolences (Twitter) for fans it a bit sickly how much coverage and ex-players to give him a sendwas given to Captain Fantastic’s off? Of course not. final match at Anfield? As someone Since when was the 85th-minute here said, “It’s some bloke from substitution and lap of honour after Liverpool who has got a job in the the game not enough?

States”. I agree, that’s all it was.

The thing that really gets me about Of course Gerrard deserves the all this is the fact that Stevie G is plaudits for somehow singlenot even retiring. If he was retiring handedly as a “one-man, keeping one-club” player Liverpool in the then OK I would top half of the understand, but Premier League he’s off to LA to The number of appearances Gerrard has made chase the dollar for so many for Liverpool - he has scored 185 goals years, but what and earn a small we saw at Anfield fortune in Major was nothing short of cringeworthy.

League Soccer. I can’t seem to Did it really need the live TV remember Tony Adams, Paul interview just before the match, the Scholes or Ryan Giggs getting this “Special Stevie Scarves”, the sort of send-off, can you? inflated ticket prices and the book I like Gerrard as a player and I

709

admire Liverpool as a club, but Saturday’s scenes were nothing short of embarrassing.

Did Brendan Rodgers and his squad actually forget they were playing for three vital points in order to secure fifth place and a spot in the Europa League?

The 3-1 loss means there is only one point between the fifth-placed Reds and Southampton in seventh.

This means that Liverpool now have to travel to Stoke next week for “Stevie G’s final ever, ever, ever game”. Do you think that Mark Hughes’ Stoke side will be that welcoming for Stevie and his pals?

The Reds may end the season in seventh place - with no spot in Europe, no Captain Fantastic, just more tears on the Kop. mike@7days.ae

BOCA KICKED OUT OF COPA LIBERTADORES Argentine club Boca Juniors have been expelled from the Copa Libertadores after some of the team’s fans sprayed River Plate players with an irritant on Thursday.

Boca have also been hit with a $200,000 fine and must play four home games behind closed doors and four away matches without support.

The last-16 match between the Argentine rivals was abandoned with the game at 0-0 because of the incident. Four River Plate players were taken to hospital following the attack at half-time.

River Plate will now advance to the quarterfinals of the competition, which is the continent’s equivalent to the Champions League.

Toure brace downs battling Swans MANCHESTER CITY remain on course for second spot in the Premier League after overcoming Swansea City 4-2 in a hugely entertaining game at the Liberty Stadium.

Yaya Toure struck twice as he went past 50 goals in the Premier League and James Milner was also on target before Wilfried Bony, on as a late substitute, scored against his former club.

City were given an almighty scare though when they allowed a two-goal lead to slip as Gylfi Sigurdsson and

Bafetimbi Gomis leveled matters at 2-2 in the second-half.

But Toure would drive home his second before Bony produced a cool finish to wrap up all three points for City.

“It was an attractive game for the fans,” said City boss Manuel Pellegrini. “We needed to win to ensure we were in Europe.

“We conceded two easy goals but I am happy with the performance against a good team.”

Asked to give his thoughts on the

performance of Toure, who has been heavily linked with a move away from City, Pellegrini added: “I didn’t have any doubts about Yaya.

“The media started with him after his birthday. After that he went to Africa Cup and we couldn’t win. Maybe an important player has more criticism.”

While City are assured of a place in next season’s Champions League, Swansea will miss out on European football as they cannot finish higher than eighth.