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Election a significant national experience: Panel
Election a significant national experience: Panel Staff Reporter / 23 March 2014 National Election Committee endorses the minutes of the first meeting, and reviewed the proposed budget and restructuring of the Committee. The National Election Committee discussed a number of studies related to the electoral process during its second meeting held recently in the capital. The meeting stressed the importance of organising meetings early enough to enable the committee to make the necessary preparations for the upcoming elections. Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs and Chairman of the National Election Committee, said the UAE election is a significant national experience that contributes towards enhancing political awareness among citizens and increasing their interest in the political process in the country. Dr Gargash stated that the empowerment programme of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, aims to activate the role of the Federal National Council as a key executive authority that tackles issues concerning the citizens and finds appropriate solutions. “The UAE’s leadership is constantly working to expand political participation. The wise directives of the leadership are aimed at achieving growth and development to meet the UAE’s developmental goals based on the interests of the country and the citizens,” Dr Gargash added. The Committee endorsed the minutes of the first meeting, and reviewed the proposed budget and restructuring of the Committee, besides discussing studies related to the electoral process. The meeting was attended by Hamad Abdul Rahman Al Madfa, Secretary-General for the Supreme Council of the Union in the Ministry of Presidential Affairs; Dr Hadef Jowan Al Dhaheri, Minister of Justice; Dr Ali Mohammed Al Khouri, Director-General of the Emirates Identity Authority, Lieutenant-General Saif Abdullah Al Shafar, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior; Tariq Hilal Lootah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs. haseeb@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Russian troops smash their way into Ukrainian base
Russian troops smash their way into Ukrainian base (Reuters) / 23 March 2014 The facilities at Belbek and Novofedorovka had been among the last still under Ukrainian control after Moscow’s armed takeover and subsequent annexation of Crimea. Russian troops smashed their way into a Ukrainian airbase in Crimea with armoured vehicles, automatic fire and stun grenades on Saturday, while Ukrainian forces abandoned a naval base after attacks by pro-Russian protesters. The facilities at Belbek and Novofedorovka had been among the last still under Ukrainian control after Moscow’s armed takeover and subsequent annexation of Crimea, which has a majority ethnic Russian population and harbours one of Russia’s biggest naval bases. A Reuters reporter said armoured vehicles had smashed through the walls of a compound at the Belbek airbase and that he had heard bursts of gunfire and grenades, making the takeover one of the more dramatic of Russia’s largely bloodless occupation of Crimea. Russian forces had already seized Belbek’s airstrip and warplanes at the start of the crisis. The compound seized on Saturday contained barracks, arms depots and a command building. Colonel Yuliy Mamchur, the commander of the base, said a Ukrainian serviceman had been injured and that he himself he was being taken away by the Russians for talks at an unspecified location. After the Russians entered by force, Mamchur told his troops he would inform the high command that they had stood their ground. The soldiers applauded, chanting “Long live Ukraine!”. Many stood to take pictures of each other in front of the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag, which continued to fly over the base. Asked if he thought he would return safely, Mamchur said: “That remains to be seen. For now we are placing all our weapons in the base’s storage.” Earlier, an unidentified Russian officer with no rank insignia had gone to the fence to try to negotiate a surrender, but had been rebuffed by a Ukrainian officer with the words: “We have no documents from the Ukrainian president stating that this is Russian soil. Bring me such a document and we will leave.” Ukraine’s naval base at Novofedorovka, near Sevastopol, was vacated after unarmed pro-Russian protesters attempted to force their way in, Ukrainian military spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov said in a Facebook post. He said the Ukrainians had first repelled the protesters with smoke bombs, but then left of their own volition. He quoted a sailor at the base as saying the Ukrainians had walked out singing their national anthem and waving the Ukrainian flag. Seleznyov also said Ukraine’s only submarine, the Zaporizhya, had been taken to Sevastopol’s Yuzhnaya Bay by Russian forces on Friday. “The Ukrainian commander left the submarine, refusing to raise the Russian flag. It has been seized,” he said. There have been few casualties since Russian forces started seizing control of military facilities in Crimea, though one Ukrainian serviceman was killed and two others wounded in a shooting in Simferopol earlier this week. Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said on Friday that Crimea’s bases were still formally under Ukrainian control, but most are now occupied by Russian troops and fly Russia’s tricolour flag. On Friday, extravagant firework displays were staged in Crimea and Moscow to mark the formal unification of the peninsula with Russia, which Kiev and Western leaders refuse to recognise and have answered with sanctions. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Car Museum showcases 200 vehicles, Abu Dhabi’s history
Car Museum showcases 200 vehicles, Abu Dhabi’s history Silvia Radan / 23 March 2014 Shaikh Hamad created the museum to host much of his car collection, some that he bought himself, some that he built or modified to suit his taste and some that he received as a gift. A suspended, supersized four-wheel vehicle towers over Hameem Road in Abu Dhabi’s Al Gharbia region. A series of speed bumps are meant to slow down every driver, in case the sight tempts him to take his eyes off the road for a bit too long. Those curious enough to stop and check out the suspended Land Rover, will find inside not giant seats, but a small grocery shop and, “upstairs” (yes, it’s big enough to have two floors), a cafe. Behind it, more strikingly oversized vehicles and structures lead the way to the massive pyramid building that houses the Car Museum. Never advertised, barely talked about publicly, rarely in the limelight, the Car Museum is a private one, exhibiting about 200 vehicles, all belonging to Shaikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, along with a good chunk of Abu Dhabi’s modern history. “Do you see those two water towers over there? They used to be the Tourist Club water tanks in Abu Dhabi, and because of their shape, they used to be called the Onion Towers,” said Khalfan Al Romaithi, an Emirati from Abu Dhabi, who was visiting the museum with his son Sultan for the third time. Fenced off right next to the museum, the 90s Onion Towers are now known as Aladdin’s Palace! A house in the shape of a massive Earth globe on wheels leads the way to the museum entrance. Next to it is “Al Houdaj”, another house on wheels, built to resemble the seat placed on a camel for women travellers through the desert in the days long gone, a seat known as Al Houdaj. A notice board explains this is one of Shaikh Hamad’s Guinness Book of Records entries, bestowed on him for “manufacturing the largest two-wheeled caravan.” Rainbow Mercedes at the museum. -Supplied photo Officially known as the Emirates National Auto Museum, Shaikh Hamad created the museum to host much of his car collection, some that he bought himself, some that he built or modified to suit his taste and some that he received as a gift. There are cars dating as far back as the 1880s, all the way to 2007. “Shaikh Hamad is known as the Rainbow Shaikh because in the early 80s he painted each of his seven Mercedes 500 SEL in a different rainbow colour. When he learnt that this got him the Rainbow Shaikh nickname, he painted one more Mercedes in all rainbow colours,” explained Al Romaithi. As a young boy, Al Romaithi used to play with Shaikh Hamad’s sons and now, each visit to the Car Museum is one down memory lane. Walking passed the eight wheels Nissan that was recently featured in a Top Gear UK TV show filmed in Abu Dhabi, Al Romaithi stops in front of an enormous Dodge pick up truck. “Dodge was the car used to go out in the desert to look for petrol here, in Abu Dhabi. This one, built in 1994, is about five times the size of a normal Dodge,” said Al Romaithi. “It can move at maximum five kilometres per hour, and the museum has a special door that can open to take it out, if the Shaikh ever needs to,” he added. The eight metres wide Dodge weighs nearly 50 tonnes, sporting wheels from an oil rig transporter. In a rare strike of luck, the inside of the truck was opened and we could have a quick visit. A fully equipped home, with showers, TVs, air conditioning units and furniture in the 70s style revealed itself. Army trucks, a New York taxi, a Mini collection that includes a Padmini S1 made in India in 1997, a 1928 Ford T and a 1967 Pontiac Firebird, all in great shape, are among the exhibits. “These Kenworth truck used to, and still do, transport oil rigs in the desert. They have 18 gears forward and 12 in reverse,” pointed out Al Romaithi. One of the most expensive vehicles in the collection is the “Queen’s Rolls”. The Rolls Royce RR Phantom 6 was the car used by Queen Elizabeth the II during her first visit to Abu Dhabi in the 70s. For Hamad Al Kharoosi, an Emirati visitor from Al Ain, the most exciting vehicle was a 1988 GMC Sierra. “This was my father’s first car! I used to sit in the back and fight with my sister over the single air conditioning spot. Later on, I learnt how to drive on this car,” said Hamad. Back in the outdoors, in the museum’s backyard there is yet another Guinness Record supersized 4×4 and a pretty old looking commercial aircraft that, rumour has it, still has “everything” inside, even the galleys. silvia@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
