FEBRUARY 2007

 Shaikh Khalifa presents the Gulf Cup trophy to the UAE team in the presence of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Abu Dhabi on 30th January. The UAE team won the trophy for the first time with a 1-0 victory over Oman - after having participated in the games for 35 years.
 Shaikh Khalifa has rewarded the teamplayers with cash: ½ million Dhs for each of the players. The streets have been full of enthusiastic supporters in their cars painted in the national colours. And everywhere you see the rubbish left by the partygoers: confetti, horns etc etc.. 

 On a more depressing note - this article was in the paper on the last day of january: a Pakistani father has admitted to having sex with his four stepdaughters and has been sentenced to death by stoning. The Federal Supreme Court is now looking into the case. the family lived in Ajman (a northern Emirate) and the Indian mother had been married to an Emirati, who died and she subsequently married the Pakistani man.

The four daughters have each been sentenced to 80 lashes and their sentences have already been carried out(!) Their offence was that they had allowed their father to sleep with them, even though the girls stated that the father had held them at knifepoint. They have given birth to more than 10 children  by the man. One girl was 8 months pregnant when they were arrested in 2005.

 

THIS IS 2007 - NOT THE STONEAGES, FOR GOD'S SAKE. In any civilised society the stepfather would be sentenced and the girls receive help - but here in a socalled modern society they have been punished - and the story doesn't tell of the children and their plight. I am shocked.

 I seem to recall a sotry about a jamaican bobsleighing team - is this any better: a desert nation wins an ice-hockey match!!! The UAE team won 4-0 against Thailand in the Asian Winter Games held in china.
 The Dubai Metro is planned to start operating in 2009 - and now the manufacturing of the trains will start this month in Japan. Each train will have three classes: Golden Class with luxurious leather seating open for all at an extra charge, Women and Children Class and the Silver Class (Economy). There will be priority seating for the elderly, injured, special needs people and pregnant women. Clear signage will show the route map of the metro and other directions. Also three large carparks will be in operation for passengers using the metro.
 Fianlly the dilapidated Dubai Zoo is set to move to modern facilities. 500 acres of land will be transformed into a modern zoo with plenty of space for the 1200 animals currently cramped into the existing zoo (which is a disgrace). The first face should be ready for the animals in app 1½ years.
 
 
 The following pictures are from the Al Ain Air Show - text to follow shortly