Tag Archives: internet
150 Grade 12 top scorers honoured
150 Grade 12 top scorers honoured Olivia Olarte-Ulherr (olivia@khaleejtimes.com) / 18 July 2013 Being handicapped was not an obstacle for Reem Saif Al Dhahouri, 19, for excelling in her studies. With 96 per cent as her final grade, the student of Salma bint Qais topped the literature stream in Sharjah and was among the 150 Grade 12 top achievers across the UAE who were honoured on Tuesday by Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec). “I am so happy, I cannot describe my feelings,” said Umm Reem who described her daughter as studious. The new graduate, who was afflicted with polio from birth, said she did not face any difficulty in school despite her condition. “Everything was fine,” Reem, who was the third among seven siblings, said. The Emirati student hopes to continue her studies in multimedia, majoring in web design, at Sharjah University. “I am very proud of our top performing students who stand amongst us today. They worked very hard and proved to themselves and to the UAE leaders that our youth is more than capable and ready to take part in challenging situations,” said Shaikh Mansour. Speaking on behalf of her peers during the ceremony, Alanood Mohammed Al Ameri, described their 12-year educational journey as “beautiful yet full of challenges and obstacles.” “This is our first building block … the first journey of a thousand miles. We are optimistic of the future. We promise to be the lanterns that you will see shine as you are our example,” Alannod said of Shaikh Mansour. Sarah Rashed Al Seridy, 15, from Fujairah accompanied her sister at the honouring ceremony. Ruwaya, 17, scored 99.4 per cent in the science stream and is the seventh topper in the UAE and third in Fujairah. “I feel very happy and I am proud of her. Her efforts have finally paid off. She received scholarship to study in the UAE University from Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance),” Sarah said. The Grade 12 Emirati and expatriate students who achieved a minimum score of 98 per cent from across public schools and the Institutes of Applied Technology, were offered certificates of appreciation for their successful achievement. Emirati special needs top performers, who achieved 95 per cent and above were also honoured on Tuesday. In addition, they each received Dh20,000 from the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan while 20 scholarship grants at Abu Dhabi University were offered by Shaikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region. “Thanks to the limitless support to education by our UAE leaders, our students are receiving some of the world’s top educational systems, which results in creating a generation of high achieving students,” commended Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, director general of Adec. Continue reading
Dubai Quran Award initial tests begin
Dubai Quran Award initial tests begin Ahmed Shaaban (ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com) / 18 July 2013 Eight of the 89 contestants participating in the 17th session of the Dubai International Quran Award sat for their qualifying tests in public at 10.30pm on Tuesday at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The contestants hailed from Nigeria, Qatar, Bosnia, Mali, Canada, India, Côte d’Ivoire and Thailand. Eight other contestants from Chad, Indonesia, Rwanda, Oman, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Macedonia, and the Philippines participated on Wednesday. One of the contestants, Haruna Mohammed (19) from Nigeria recited the Holy Quran in the Hafs Rewaya (a school of recitation) in a professional way, yet he was alerted for minor mistakes. Ibrahim Bu Melha, head of the Award Organising Committee, said all contestants have already arrived in the country. “All participants need to first pass the initial qualifying tests to be eligible for reaching the final stage.” Bu Melha, who is also adviser to the Ruler of Dubai for Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs, said the youngest participant at the award this year is an 11-year-old. “The award has also for the first time ever seen a contestant from Norway this year.” Meanwhile, three panels of judges have been assigned for the competition. “The first panel will look after the initial qualifying tests to check upon memorisers’ performance whereas the second, the primary one, is to supervise final tests and the third — including two Emiratis, will decide on the most melodious voices.” Shaikh Ibrahim Al Akhdhar, head of the five-member arbitration committee, on Tuesday said all memorisers are examined twice a day; in the morning and evening. “Contestants are advised to be focused when answering all questions, pay due attention to the rules of recitation, and to recite verse by verse at a reasonable speed.” He added that a quarter mark is deducted against each and every recitation and memorisation mistake. “However, one full mark is deducted if a contestant is alerted three times about something wrong. Memorisers are also instructed to stop recitation when alerted by a bell ring.” Though voice recorders are allowed, participants are warned against carrying cellphones and headsets. Also the audience is urged to switch off their mobile phones or put them on silent, and avoid side talks so as not to distract the contestants. The 11-category award, which is aimed at serving the Holy Quran and promoting the general standard of the Quranic performance, has contacted over 160 countries to participate in the competition which is held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. “Big prizes await toppers: the first winner will be awarded Dh250,000, the second will get 200,000, and the third 150,000. Winners from the fourth to the tenth are gifted Dh65,000 – Dh5,000 less each. The rest of the participants get Dh30,000 each,” he said. Continue reading
Man who uploaded assault video on YouTube arrested
Man who uploaded assault video on YouTube arrested Amira Agarib (news@khaleejtimes.com) / 18 July 2013 The Dubai Police have arrested the person who filmed a senior government official assaulting a van driver after a minor accident and uploaded the video which went viral on YouTube. Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police Major-General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina said on Wednesday that the man was arrested after the son and other family members of the government employee involved in the incident lodged a complaint at the Qusais police station. Maj-Gen Al Mazeina said that this person could have contacted the police and given them the video recording instead of publishing it. He said that the Dubai Police were committed to taking legal action against people who commited mistakes or crimes. The man who took the video confessed that he uploaded it on YouTube after he distributed the footage to a number of his friends. Maj-Gen Al Mazeina commented that this type of footage might be exploited in a wrong way by certain authorities or people. It is worthy to mention that a number of people, through various media forums, debated whether people have the right to photograph accidents or certain incidents which can bring wrongdoers to justice and used as evidence by authorities. In this regard, Maj-Gen Al Mazeina said the police were examining whether there was a possibility of allowing people to photograph traffic accidents and sending the footage to the police using the 3G network. He warned members of the public from publishing such footage on social networking sites or sharing it with friends and relatives as it would, more often than not, included the car number plates. Under the UAE’s cybercrime laws, recording videos in public without the permission of those being filmed is illegal and constitutes defamation, so people should not involve themselves in this act in order to avoid legal action against them. The assault was viewed by tens of thousands of people shortly after it was posted. It showed the official punching and hitting an Asian minivan driver with his Igal (head dress) following a minor accident in Al Muraqqabat area. Maj-Gen Al Mazeina earlier said that both parties were summoned for questioning. He stressed that whatever the reason behind the incident, no one had the right to assault others or to take the law into their own hands and he should have rather resorted to the police. Prosecution orders detention of assailant Marie Nammour dubai — The acting Attorney-General in Dubai, Youssef Hassan Al Mutaweh, ordered that the Emirati official, who was caught on a film that went viral on Youtube beating up an Asian driver, be put in provisional detention for investigation. The Deira prosecution questioned the official, who has not yet been named, as soon as they received the complaint from the police. “The physical assault accused was confronted with the video clip. The prosecution is also set to listen to the assault victim”. Al Mutaweh said that the law in the UAE applies to all, and everyone is equal before justice. “According to the UAE constitution, all foreigners enjoy all the rights and forms of freedom that are granted in the international treaties and conventions”. Asked whether the assault case against the official might be closed at the Prosecution or whether it would be referred to the court, a prosecution source told Khaleej Times that everything is possible. The source did not rule out the possibility that an amicable settlement could be worked out if the assault victim signs a waiver of his rights to pursue the case. The source pointed out that no criminal report has reached the prosecution as yet filed on the official’s part against the individual who filmed the incident and posted it on Youtube. “If there is any such criminal complaint it would still be with the police”. mary@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
