Tag Archives: horoscope
Back-to-school excitement picks up
Back-to-school excitement picks up Muaz Shabandri / 25 August 2013 Malls and shopping stores are lining up deals and offers for school essentials as students gear up to return to schools after a two-month summer break. MY FIRST SCHOOL BAG… A mother shopping for her son at Geant Supermarket in Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai on Saturday. — KT photo by Grace Guino The sale of uniforms, books, shoes, bags, lunch-boxes and stationery products peaks during this time of the year as the school season gets under way. More than 225,000 students in Dubai will be back in classrooms soon as the yellow school buses hit the roads once more. For parents, this time of the year usually involves budgeting for education expenses and going the extra mile to support their child’s learning needs. Pamela Robinson’s son, who attends Greenfield Community School, will be among the thousands of kids going back to school next week. She said she planned to go shopping and help the 10th grader prepare for an important school year. “As your child gets older, the expenses change and they also learn to make their own choices. They want new gadgets, the latest technology and the expenses keep changing. It’s good to have back-to-school promotions because they offer value for money sometimes. Over the next few days, I will definitely be buying books and other school essentials for my child to get ready for school.” Parents shopping for back-to-school essentials with their children at Geant Supermarket in IBN Battuta Mall on Saturday. — KT photo by Grace Guino Malls and department stores have special discounts on most student-related products — with some even offering discounts on popular gadgets like the iPad. Mridula Pande, an English teacher at Indian High School and a mother of two, believes in giving children time to get adjusted to their routine. “As soon as I came back from our annual vacation, I headed straight to the uniform store and finished buying new uniforms and shoes. The children always want new things and it’s something which gets them excited for school. As parents, it is our responsibility to give them enough opportunities to relax and unwind while building an atmosphere of excitement at home for going back to school.” Mridula encouraged parents to create “small exciting moments” at home which would make it easier for teachers to help keep the children engaged in learning better. “Sometimes parents do not show an interest in their child. For example, some students join school after a week of reopening and they have already missed classes. Simply put, if a parent doesn’t value school, children will also not value the opportunity to learn.” Parents shopping for back-to-school essentials with their children at Geant Supermarket in IBN Battuta Mall on Saturday. — KT photo by Grace Guino Mohammed Rehan Hameed is another busy parent preparing his two sons and one daughter to return to school next week. His daughter, the youngest of the children, will be joining a nursery. “I will be paying Dh18,000 for the nursery’s yearly tuition fee and it is almost twice what I had paid for my eldest child who is now in Grade 8. The cost of education is steadily increasing and parents usually don’t have much of a choice.” He added the prices of school essentials were also on the higher side. “Stationery products and books have become expensive. Unfortunately, most schools have a monopoly over textbook and uniform sales also. A parent has to pay whatever price has been asked by the school’s supplier, leaving little option when it comes to budgeting for school-related expenses.” For retailers and school goods suppliers, the next few weeks will mark an increase in profits as parents will dash to fulfil every little wish of their little ones. – muaz@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Obama, Cameron weigh Syria chemical weapons response
Obama, Cameron weigh Syria chemical weapons response (AFP) / 25 August 2013 US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron expressed their grave concern on Saturday about the ‘increasing signs’ of a major chemical weapons attack in Syria. A White House statement said the two leaders vowed during a telephone call to “continue to consult closely” regarding the alleged attack near Damascus on Wednesday, as well as potential international responses. But Downing Street went further, noting that Obama and Cameron “are both gravely concerned by… the increasing signs that this was a significant chemical weapons attack carried out by the Syrian regime against its own people.” “The fact that President Bashar Al Assad has failed to cooperate with the UN suggests that the regime has something to hide,” the British statement said, stressing that “significant use of chemical weapons would merit a serious response from the international community.” Cameron also spoke separately with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Another White House statement regarding Obama’s meeting with top aides in his National Security Council appeared to give credence to reports of the chemical attack on rebel-held areas near the Syrian capital. “In coordination with international partners and mindful of the dozens of contemporaneous witness accounts and record of the symptoms of those killed, the US intelligence community continues to gather facts to ascertain what occurred,” it said. “The president also received a detailed review of a range of potential options he had requested be prepared for the United States and the international community to respond to the use of chemical weapons.” The meeting came a day after US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel said the military had presented options to Obama and was moving forces into place ahead of any possible decision. Obama has so far voiced caution, warning that a hasty military response could have unforeseen consequences, including embroiling the United States in another prolonged Middle East conflict. But he is under mounting pressure to act following reports of the alleged chemical weapons attack, which Doctors Without Borders said had killed 355 people, due to “neurotoxic” symptoms. Opposition groups say the reported attack was carried out by Assad’s forces and that it killed more than 1,000 people. Continue reading
Hot and hazy weather in UAE today
Hot and hazy weather in UAE today (Wam) / 24 August 2013 The weather in the UAE is expected to be hot and hazy today during peak hours, and some clouds may appear across some eastern and mountainous areas by the afternoon, the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) has said. Two playful road workers take a short break from their daily duties at the Al Quoz Industrial area in Dubai and use a large water hose to cool off in an attempt to beat the soaring summer heat. — KT by photo Rahul Gajjar Southeasterly and northeasterly winds may blow at speeds between 16–32km/hour in the morning and at night, becoming north, northwesterly during the afternoon and the evening at a speed reaching 40km/hour over open lands, according to the national forecaster’ statement. Sea conditions will be moderate in general, with waves being between one and two feet onshore and between two and four feet offshore. Continue reading
