Tag Archives: technology
Norwegian woman, jailed for illicit sex, granted pardon
Norwegian woman, jailed for illicit sex, granted pardon Marie Nammour / 22 July 2013 A prosecution source has confirmed that the Norwegian woman, who was jailed for having illicit sex and giving false report to the authorities about being raped, has been granted pardon. “Her case has reached authorities beyond the Public Prosecution including the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the source told Khaleej Times. Marte Deborah Dalelv, in a statement to a Press agency said that she was given back her passport by the Attorney-General’s office and the case was dropped against her which made her free to leave the UAE. The 42-year-old woman, who works as an interior design executive, has been sentenced by the Court of Misdemeanours to 16 months in jail, followed by deportation, for falsely reporting a rape, having sex-out-of the wedlock and consuming alcohol. Her lawyer has already appealed the sentencing and a hearing was scheduled for September 5. She alleged to the police and prosecutors that her Sudanese boss raped her in his hotel room in the Safa area in Bur Dubai in March, taking advantage that she was under the influence of alcohol. The man was sentenced to 13 months in jail and deportation. She had been on a business trip with him when the incident happened. Marte’s case has created media frenzy in the west after she told her story to the Press recounting her ordeal and shock over being held in custody for reporting a rape. She claimed that during the interrogation, she changed her testimony claiming to the investigators that she had consensual sex in a desperate bid to get a reduced sentence. mary@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
65 rule violations found in markets
65 rule violations found in markets Olivia Olarte-Ulherr / 22 July 2013 The customer protection department at the Ministry of Economy brought to light over 60 violations during its Ramadan inspection. “I found at least 65 fines in all these (inspections) in the market,” Dr Hashem Al Nuaimi, director of Customer Protection at the ministry, told Khaleej Times. These include 16 violations from the Abu Dhabi Fruits and Vegetable Market, 20 in Dubai, five in Sharjah and 25 in Fujairah for “no labelling of the items and some for increasing prices without any reason.” The offenders were given a warning letter and so far no one has been penalised, Dr Al Nuaimi said. However, a repeat of the offence could carry a fine between Dh5,000 and Dh100,000. According to Dr Al Nuaimi, non-conformances this year went down compared to last year. The Ramadan initiative sees the customer protection department visiting supermarkets and fruits and vegetable markets across the emirate to ensure availability of Ramadan items and the prices are in-keeping with the ministry regulation. During his visit to the Abu Dhabi Co-operative Society in Abu Dhabi Mall on Sunday, the director was pleased to find that “everything is fine … no shortage of items” and that there were more than 250 Ramadan items available at the supermarket, including the 100 items with fixed prices. “They also have two Ramadan baskets, one is priced at Dh99 and the other Dh170,” he said. Both the regular and premium baskets have 16 items inside but differ in brands. They include a tin of pineapple slices, oil, rose water, tea bags, basmati rice, almond and raisins. Other special offers at the Co-op include 5kg Masafi basmati rice, with casserole at Dh55.50; 2,475g Nido at Dh51.75; 1.8ltr x 2 Abeer cooking oil at Dh22.90; and Australian lamb shoulder at Dh22.85 per kg. Dr Al Nuaimi’s next visit will be the markets in Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman. olivia@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Palace: Prince William’s wife Kate in labor
Palace: Prince William’s wife Kate in labor (AP) / 22 July 2013 Prince William’s wife, Kate, was admitted to the hospital in the early stages of labour on Monday, palace officials said. Kate — also known as the Duchess of Cambridge — is expected to give birth in the private Lindo Wing of the hospital, where Princess Diana gave birth to William and his younger brother, Prince Harry. She will be looked after by a top-notch medical team led by royal gynecologist Dr. Marcus Setchell. Britain’s Prince William stand next to his wife Kate.- AP Kate and William, who spent the weekend at Kensington Palace, travelled to the hospital without a police escort just before 6 a.m., their spokesman said. “Things are progressing as normal,” he added. The baby will be third in line for the British throne, and should eventually succeed grandfather Charles and father William as king or queen of Britain and 15 other countries including Canada and Australia. But little else is known about the eagerly awaited royal baby, from how it will arrive to its gender or its name. Kate — formally known as the Duchess of Cambridge — is expected to deliver in the Lindo Wing, where Princess Diana gave birth to William and his younger brother, Prince Harry. It is not clear if she will have a natural birth or deliver by a planned caesarean section. Royal watchers must wait to be told of the baby’s arrival from the palace, which is planning to reveal the news through a mixture of tradition and social media. Palace officials have said that the first hint will come when a royal aide emerges from the hospital with a signed bulletin carrying the Buckingham Palace letterhead. The bulletin will be given to an official who will be driven to Buckingham Palace, where it will be posted on an easel in public view in front of the building. At the same time the bulletin is posted, there will be an official announcement on Twitter and the media will be formally notified. The document will give the baby’s gender, weight and time of birth. It could be some time before the baby’s name is made public. When William was born, a week passed before his name was announced. Charles’s name remained a mystery for an entire month. But it is the baby’s gender that is of particular interest because the prospect of Kate’s pregnancy prompted a change to laws of succession to ensure a daughter would not be passed over for the crown by a younger brother. Boy or girl, the child will be third in line to the throne and the prospective future monarch. The birth of a new heir to the throne has been breathlessly anticipated since William and Kate wed on April 29, 2011, in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey. When news of a royal pregnancy was announced, there was rejoicing in many households in Britain and throughout the world. Despite a rough start to the pregnancy, when she was hospitalized for acute morning sickness, the 31-year-old Kate made a number of public appearances that were halted only near the end of her term. Since the duchess has cut back on her royal duties, media outlets have been clamoring for position outside of the hospital in anticipation of the birth, jockeying to secure the best vantage point for filming William and Kate emerging, babe in arms. Officials have said that William plans to take two weeks’ paternity leave and then return to his military duties as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot in Wales. His tour of duty is scheduled to wrap up around September, and he and Kate are expected to move from their isolated cottage on the island of Anglesey off the coast of Wales to Kensington Palace in central London. But major refurbishment works at the palace likely won’t be finished until at least a month or two after the infant is born — meaning that William and Kate will most likely have to make do with their current temporary home in London, a two-bedroom property at the palace. Come autumn, however, the family will be able to move into their permanent London home, Apartment 1a at Kensington Palace — a four-story house with a nursery, 20 rooms and a private garden. Continue reading
