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Two students die after drinking lab ethanol - Rwanda
Written By JAK on Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | 11:45 PM
By Jean Pierre Bucyensenge
Two students of College APPEC Remera Rukoma in Kamonyi District have died after they allegedly consumed the poisonous ethanol chemical compound.
The victims have been identified as Robert Ishimwe, 18, a senior five student who hails from Mukama Sector of Nyagatare District, Eastern Province and Vasly Museveni Gisa, 16, (Senior four) who originates from Gitega Sector of Nyarugenge District, City of Kigali.
They died on Mondaymorning, according to Prosper Harerimana, the school headteacher.
Their bodies were transfered to Kacyiru Police Hospital for post-mortem, according to Police sources. Results of the medical tests were yet to be released by press time.
Fourteen other students were also rushed to Remera Rukoma Hospital and a local health centre for treatment, Harerimana said. Thirteen of them were discharged on Monday evening while another one, who is still hospitalised, is said to be in a stable condition.
It is reported that the students consumed the poisonous substance after a Senior Six student smuggled a one-liter bottle from the school chemistry laboratory last Friday.
Harerimana told The New Times that the student and his classmates had been practicing in the lab as they prepared for the upcoming national exams due next month.
“Those who were treated said they were tricked in believing that it [Ethanol] was Kanyanga, a local brew,” Harerimana said.
“Anyone caught drinking alcohol is immediately expelled from the school,” he insisted.
Kanyanga is a locally distilled colorless gin that is banned from the local market but continues to be made and consumed illegally in some parts of the country despite continuous efforts to stop its manufacture and trade.
“Some allegedly consumed the raw product [ethanol] while others said they mixed it with tea,” Harerimana said.
Arrests made
Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is a flammable, volatile and colorless liquid which is used as a motor fuel and sometimes as a beverage. It is also used in thermometers as a solvent.
However, once consumed in high quantities the product can cause nausea or vomiting and can result in serious liver damage, leading to death.
The Southern Region Police Spokesperson Chief Superintendent, Hubert Gashagaza, told The New Times that a student, aged 21, who is suspected to have smuggled the product from the school lab and a chemistry teacher have been arrested in the wake of the investigations.
Investigations are still ongoing to determine whether there is any criminal motive behind the deaths or if the case was accidental, Gashagaza said.
“Medical results and on-site evidence will determine what caused the deaths and who is responsible,” Gashagaza said.
This is the first such incident in the province, according to Police.
“Teachers should increase vigilance and surveillance on students to make sure they do not take dangerous things out of labaratories,” Gashagaza said.
The faces and graces at Miss SFB 2013 (Rwanda)
Ten young ladies will on November 2, vie to become Miss School of Finance and Banking, (SFB) 2013. All the contestants are first year students in the faculty of Bachelor of Business Administration, (BBA).
Susan Babijja brings you the faces behind the contest.
Linda Akayezu
Linda Akayezu, 21, is an outgoing, driven and compassionate person who firmly believes that perseverance, hard work, determination and faith are the keys to lasting success in life.She believes that life is not for the timid; and both the good and bad in life should be appreciated because this is what shapes who we are. She cites dancing as one of her hobbies.
Peace Uwera
Peace Uwera knows that with God one can move mountains if you only trust and believe in him. Without faith nothing is possible. With it nothing is impossible.Linda Akayezu
Entering Miss SFB pageant would not only be an honour but the fulfilment of a life-long dream for Uwera. The 20-year-old enjoys singing.Amanda Melissa
Amanda Melissa believes in personal and community development and as a result, she is an active member of the university’s club.Ghislaine-Samantha-Uwase
The 19-year-old student enjoys singing and her personal motto is, “People will always talk whether you do good or bad prefer being yourself.”
Ariane Iys Dusabe
Ariane Iys Dusabe is a talented and confident young woman and this is what fuels her desire to enter the Miss SFB pageant because she strongly believes that she would be a good ambassador to her school as well as the society.Fabiola-Fernandes-Akazuba
Her personal motto is, “Why should I care what other people think of me. I am who I am and who I want to be.” Dusabe enjoys music, especially Rock.Samantha Ghislaine Uwase
This 19-year-old beauty is an enthusiastic person and carries that enthusiasm into everything she does, which includes education. Samantha Ghislaine Uwase desires to further her studies and has the ambition of becoming an entrepreneur so that she can make a contribution to the country’s development.Charite-Abingeneye
Winning the Miss SFB title would greatly assist her in achieving that goal.Uwase’s personal motto is; “Sometimes I ask myself why I am brilliant, gorgeous and talented. But the truth is who am I not to be?” In her free time she enjoys swimming.
Arlette-Irakoze
Amandine Isimbi
The 18-year-old prides herself in assisting and working within groups to ensure everyone achieves their goals. In her spare time she enjoys designing clothes for which she is self taught. Isimbi says she is social and enjoys making new friends.Her motto is, “If you were not you what would you think of you. Be the change you want to see in others.”
Ariane-Lys-Dusabe
Olga Uwase Bahizi
This is Olga Uwase Bahizi’s first attempt at pageantry and she embraces this new challenge as it is a great opportunity for personal development.Bahizi plans to pursue a career in Business Administration, with a focus on small business development, as she hopes to be instrumental in molding tomorrow’s entrepreneurs.
Amandine-Isimbi
Isimbi also enjoys cooking and believes that true pleasure is to be found in the way one uses their gifts to bring joy to friends and family.
Amanda-Melissa
Charite Abingeneye
The 19-year-old enjoys listening to music.
Peace-Uwera
Fabiola Fernandes Akazuba
She also enjoys all things related to beauty and fashion. She also likes music, swimming and making new friends.
Olga-Bahizi-Uwase
Akazuba’s motto is, “My greatest fear is not that I am inadequate but my greatest fear is that I am powerful beyond measures.”
Arlette Irakoze
Irakoze’s quote is, “The secret to get ahead is getting started.
Rwanda maintains position on ICC
President Kagame addresses the media at Village Urugwiro yesterday . The New Times/ Village Urugwiro
President Paul Kagame yesterday said that Rwanda’s stand on the International Criminal Court (ICC) will remain unchanged based on the fact that its dispensing of justice is selective and politically motivated.
The President made the remarks during one of his regular sessions of meeting with the press at Village Urugwiro in Kigali.
“When issues to do with ICC were being discussed, I told people that this was just another institution that is going to be abused, and at the end of the day, the victims are the Africans or weak countries that are still struggling with development.”
The Head of State continued: “This was the view I had about 10 years ago. And today I am able to ask people: ‘was I wrong?’ Because what I see today just tells the story of what I was talking about more than ten years ago. Nothing has happened that has convinced me to change my mind.”
According to the President, Rwanda is not for or against the ICC.
“Our argument is when there is need for justice anywhere, how will it be dispensed?” he asked adding, that universal jurisdiction had lost its meaning because it did not apply equally and was used selectively which was unacceptable.
“On matters of ICC therefore, what we are talking about is this question: why this world is divided into categories. There are people who have the power to use international justice to judge others but it does not apply to them. You find in some places it is used against people who they think do not serve their interests … how can we have a world of this kind of order? Or for that matter, why should we accept it? the President wondered.
On whether affirmative action that has seen women gain even more ground had done its job and was no longer necessary, the President said their increased representation in parliament should not be the only yardstick.
“The significant representation of women in parliament is offset maybe by lower numbers in other places.
There is still work in progress, but nonetheless there is very good progress. So ,I think we need to do quite more and not just look at a single issue but rather look across the board, That is what balance means,” he said.
Media lack of professionalism
President Kagame came out strongly against some sections of the international media for their lack of professionalism when reporting on Rwanda and only depending on unverified or fabricated stories.
He was referring to a recent broadcast by BBC of an alleged person who had been forcibly enlisted by the Rwandan government to join M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“You play so much politics in reporting. There is a case of someone who was in Uganda who claimed how the government of Rwanda was trying to send them to DRC to join M23. He was on BBC making so many allegations,” Kagame revealed.
“Now this person is back here. I think they must have promised him something and they didn’t give it to him. Maybe they had told him that they would send him abroad and later on, I think there was no passport or visa, so he came back.”
The story this person is telling, according to the President, is very revealing. It shows the connivance of these human rights groups … United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNCHR) … how they take them, how they coach them. This fellow was first coached what to say on BBC, working with Human Rights Watch, UNHCR people packaging a narrative that does not exist and creating it.
“These plots that have been going on in this region and affecting Rwanda are just astonishing,” adding that the media needs “divine intervention”.
About the East African Community integration, Kagame pointed out that the fact that Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda had put into motion policies that did not involve the other two partner states (Burundi and Tanzania), was not unusual but was based on the principle of variable geometry that allows member states that were ready to implement certain protocols and not to be held back by others but to forge ahead.
“Some people are behind others on issues of implementation. The best thing is for all of us to move together at the same pace, if we can do that. But there is a danger that if we wait for everybody to get what they need to get it right, we may actually never move forward. But let us remain with the same objective of moving forward to a certain point as fast as we can.”
Beginning January 1, 2014, visitors to Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda will need a single visa to the three countries while their nationals will be able to use national or school IDs as travel documents.
Kikwete, parties set Katiba mode
Written by PIUS RUGONZIBWA
President Kikwete shakes hands with Mr Tundu Lissu (Centre) Looking on is Mr James Mbatia.President Kikwete shakes hands with Mr Tundu Lissu (Centre) Looking on is Mr James Mbatia.
A MEETING between President Jakaya Kikwete and Opposition leaders ended amicably on Tuesday with important agreements reached on how better the wrangle on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2013 could be solved once and for all.
A statement released by the Directorate of Presidential Communications as soon as the meeting ended, said that since political parties were important stakeholders in the new constitution making process, they should immediately forward their views to the government on how best the Bill can be improved for the good of the process and that of the entire country.
“The president and the parties have agreed in principle that all political parties with more views on the Bill should forward them to the government immediately so that they can be accommodated to improve it,” read the statement in part.
The meeting also saw the need for the parties to meet and forge regular communication strategies among themselves on how best the process can be mutually and amicably pushed.
Moreover, the meeting challenged the Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD) to coordinate the new move, including preparing meetings with parties and other stakeholders over the matter.
The meeting, described as a very successful one, was attended by almost all opposition parties with representation in the Parliament under the chairmanship of CUF National Chairman, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba.
According to the statement, other leaders included CHADEMA National Chairman, Mr Freeman Mbowe and NCCR-Mageuzi National Chairman, Mr James Mbatia.
Others were the CCM Vice-Chairman (Mainland), Mr Philip Mangula, UDP representative, Mr Isack Cheyo and one Mr Mrindoko who represented the Tanzania Labour Party Chairman, Mr Augustine Mrema, who together with National UDP Chairman, John Cheyo are reported to be out of the country.
Apart from Prof Lipumba, CUF were also represented by Mr Habib Mnyaa and Deputy Secretary General (Mainland), Mr Julius Mtatiro while Mr Tundu Lissu, Mr John Mnyika and Mr Martin Mng’ongowa also attended, representing CHADEMA and NCCR-Mageuzi respectively.
The parties’ leaders were scheduled to discuss with the president their viewpoints on the recently passed constitution review bill as several concerns have been raised by politicians on the implementation of the outcome.
In a televised address on October 7, President Kikwete offered to hold a meeting to discuss the controversies that arose from the passed bill, whereby Opposition legislators stormed out of the hemicycle. The president seeks to end the deadlock that once threatened to derail popular participation in the process of getting a new constitution.
Among the key items of the agenda raised was the structure of the Constituent Assembly (CA) in view of either reducing the number of MPs in the Constitutional Assembly or increase the number of civil society organisations so as to have fair representation.
This is the second time President Kikwete has met with leaders of Opposition parties with the aim of ironing out differences arising in the process of making the new constitution.
TZ firm on tanzanite export
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is unlikely to lift the ban on export of raw tanzanite despite mounting pressure from the Indian government, a senior government official has said.
The acting commissioner for Minerals, Eng Ally Samaje, has told The Citizen that lifting the ban would be counterproductive to plans by the government to increase value addition on its minerals within the country to enable a boost in the benefits it gains from its resources.
“As a ministry and country, we believe value addition would only be attained by encouraging local cutting and polishing of tanzanite,” he said in an interview recently.
Globally, tanzanite trade accounts $500 million a year, with Tanzania, which is the only country that mines the precious stone recording export revenues of $100 million because of failure to polish the mineral locally. The government however, hopes to boost earnings from tanzanite to $250 million this year, thanks to several measures, including a ban on export of raw tanzanite weighing over one gram and the introduction of a Certificate of Origin.
Mr Samaje noted that the government had held successful talks with neighbouring Kenya to help tighten the noose even more.
“Over the years, Kenya did not levy any royalty on gemstone exports and dealers from Tanzania took the advantage to smuggle tanzanite there. Now they have agreed to start charging a five per cent royalty under a new mining law to be enacted soon,” he said.
Tanzania currently charges a five per cent royalty on the gross value of tanzanite and has since 2010 banned export of the rare gemstone weighing 1gm and above of uncut and polished stone. The move was meant to spur local processing, raise government tax and create jobs for thousands of jobless youth.
In 2011, the country also introduced a demand that all tanzanite dealers must obtain a certificate of origin when selling the mineral around the world.
Senior EAC official collapses, dies in Arusha
Arusha. Shock and disbelief ruled at the East African Community (EAC) headquarters here yesterday after one of its senior officials collapsed and died at lunch time.
Dr Flora Musonda, the EAC director of Trade died at an Arusha downtown hospital shortly before 2pm, officials confirmed. “We’re all shocked,” said EAC Corporate Affairs and Public Information head, Owora Richard-Othieno, as workers tried to come to terms with the news. Circumstances that led to her sudden death could not be established immediately.
However, those who spoke to The Citizen said she died at the hospital where she had gone for a medical check-up during lunch hour.
It was relayed further that doctors noted that she had a serious health problem that needed immediate medical attention, but before any step had been taken, she collapsed and died.
Dr Musonda, an accomplished economist, joined the EAC in 2005 and was one of the senior Tanzanians working with the body.
Street in UK named after Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson led Manchester United to 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League and two UEFA Champions League titles in 26 years. AGENCIES PHOTO
London- Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has had a street near the club’s Old Trafford home renamed in his honour. Waters Reach will now be called Sir Alex Ferguson Way.
The 71-year-old was also awarded the Honorary Freedom of the Borough of Trafford. He is only the third person to receive the honour from Trafford Council.
Sir Alex retired after winning his 13th Premier League title with the football club last season.
A ceremony, held at Trafford Town Hall, was attended by Sir Alex’s family, friends and former colleagues including Sir Bobby Charlton. Sir Alex, who also won two Champions League titles and five FA Cups during his 26 years with the club, said it had been an “incredible journey”.
He said: “It’s a privilege and an honour to have a road named after me, you don’t expect these things in life and it encapsulates the 26 years. “I thank everyone for being here - my friends, family and my wife and boss. She picked all the winning teams by the way.”
Sir Alex Ferguson Way is close to another stadium approach road, Sir Matt Busby Way, named after one of his illustrious United predecessors.
The Honorary Freedom is the highest honour that the council can bestow and recognises an outstanding contribution to services in the borough. Colin Warbrick, former leader of Trafford Council, received the Freedom of the Borough in 1999. In 2011, the 207 Field Hospital received the accolade for treating injured military personnel overseas.
Zambia internationals: Arrest warrants issued for trio
Zambia has issued arrest warrants for three international players who missed the 2-0 friendly defeat by Brazil in China.
DR Congo club TP Mazembe insisted Rainford Kalaba, Stoppila Sunzu and Nathan Sinkala were injured, leading to a dispute with the Zambian FA and the involvement of the Zambian government.
After examining the players in Lusaka, the Zambian FA said they should still travel to Beijing, but Mazembe requested their return.
That led to the intervention of the Zambian government, who took away the players' passports so they could not go back to their club in Lubumbashi.
However, the players managed to cross the border between the countries and are believed to be back in DR Congo.
The Zambian FA has written to football's world governing body Fifa, complaining that Mazembe did not release their players as they are required to do for international dates.
Zambia lost the match in Beijing thanks to goals from Oscar and Dede in the countries' first ever meeting.
The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations champions were playing their first game under 35-year-old interim coach Patrice Beaumelle, who took over eight days ago after Herve Renard left the job.
Zambia failed to qualify for next year's World Cup having been eliminated from qualifying at the group stage.
US shutdown: Political divisions take US to within 24 hours of debt ceiling deadline with no deal in place
Compromise needed to be found to budget stand-off on Wednesday to avert disastrous breach of US debt ceiling after latest attempts to table a deal collapse and leading credit ratings agency puts US on 'negative watch'
The US was scrambling to avert a potentially disastrous breach of its debt ceiling on Wednesday morning, after Republican attempts to table a deal collapsed in disarray overnight, leaving the prospects for a last-minute deal on a knife-edge.
America's divided political system now has just 24 hours to find a compromise to the budget stand-off between the White House and hardline Republicans, with the deadline to extend America's borrowing limit falling due on Thursday.
In a sign of plunging confidence in Washington on Wall Street, Fitch, a leading credit ratings agency announced that the US was now on a "negative watch" and at risk of being downgraded.
Market reaction was mixed, as most traders waited to see what the outcome would be.
Jonathan Sudaria, a trader at Capital Spreads in London, said: "Today is definitely not the day to be conducting any serious business as traders across the globe will be hypnotised by their TVs/terminals and anxiously waiting for something to hit the news wires."
The latest twist in the drama came after Democrats and hardline Tea Party Republicans scotched attempts by John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, to table an alternative to a short-term bipartisan deal being brokered in the Senate.
The collapse of the Boehner proposals now throws the spotlight back onto leaders in the Senate who are now expected to table a bipartisan deal this morning that would raise the debt ceiling until February 7 and re-open the Federal government until January 15.
However even this temporary measure was expected to come under fire from Tea Party Republicans in the Senate led by the Texas Republican Ted Cruz who could employ the Senate filibuster to further delay a vote on the law by up to 40 hours.
That would push the US past the October 17 deadline, leaving the US Treasury with just $30 billion (£18.8bn) in cash and without legal authority to borrow money, raising the serious prospect of that the US government would be unable to pay all its bills within days.
But overnight hardline Republicans, backed by Conservative pressure groups, were continuing to stick to their demands that Mr Obama accept cuts to his signature healthcare reforms and to long-term US welfare spending in exchange for either raising the debt limit or re-opening the government.
Senate leaders said they were "optimistic" that Republicans and Democrats could reach a bipartisan deal in the Senate, but remained unsure if Tea Party elements led by Mr Cruz would try to hinder the process.
"In order to move this quickly tomorrow or as soon as possible thereafter we need the cooperation of members," said Dick Durbin, the Democratic chief whip in the Senate, who warned, "If they [Tea Party Republicans] want to drag their feet, use every objection they can, it's going to take a few days."
Sources with links to the Republican Senate leadership told The Telegraph on Tuesday afternoon that there were serious concerns that Mr Cruz would try to filibuster a bipartisan bill in the Senate.
Democrats also attacked Mr Boehner and the House Republican leadership for wasting an entire day of precious negotiating time promising a bill that they were unable to deliver.
"It's staggering to watch the total collapse of the Republican Party and what little remained of Speaker Boehner's leadership," a Democrat senate aide told The Telegraph.
"They're not even rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic; they're starting fires on it."
Even if a bipartisan bill to raise the debt ceiling passes unimpeded by the Senate, it will still have to be voted upon by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives where a hardcore of Conservative Republicans remain implacably opposed to any compromise deal.
On Tuesday night it was not even clear that John Boehner – who has promised not to put forward any deal which does not have majority support of his members – would even risk putting the bipartisan Senate bill to a vote for fear of a political backlash from his members that could cost him his speakership.
Until now, analysts have remained optimistic that a deal would be reached before, or very soon after, the Oct 17 deadline.
"The hope is that this is Boehner's final gambit," said a senior Republican Senate aide, "A last show of strength to the Tea Party caucus before everyone faces the reality and passes something akin to the compromise being brokered in the Senate."
However, calculations over whether Mr Boehner will face down his Tea Party caucus have been complicated by uncertainty over the real impacts of crossing the Oct 17 deadline.
Several leading Republicans, supported by some economists, have argued publicly that default or significant damage would not occur until major social security payments fell due on Nov 1.
That notion was again rejected by the Treasury and the White House, which have said that it would be the "height of irresponsibility" to leave the US government with only small amounts of cash in hand and no authority to borrow to pay its bills.
Is the royal train grinding to a halt?
Despite decades in service, the royal train has yet to reach the end of the line – at least according to those who built it .
In recent days, the Queen’s treasurer has done much to recast himself in the role of Jenny Agutter in The Railway Children, waving down the royal train with a pair of red bloomers to stop it in its tracks.
For, according to Sir Alan Reid, the Keeper of the Privy Purse, the train that has been a permanent fixture of regal life since the reign of Queen Victoria may soon be forced to come to a halt. In an admission to a committee of MPs on Monday, he warned the current rolling stock only has five to 10 years of service left.
The prospect of replacing it, he said, would be a major decision, adding that “the figures are quite staggering”.
The Queen attends to some paperwork while travelling on the royal train (PA)
Sir Alan’s comments to the Commons Public Accounts Committee – during a meeting in which he was accused of “shocking complacency” over the crumbling state of Britain’s palaces – were the first tacit admission that the royal train may be permanently retired, just like the Royal Yacht Britannia in 1997.
For the man who built the train in the 1970s, the news that its carriages are about to hit the buffers is balderdash.
Too many pay rises but too few repairs, Queen’s purse keeper is told
Leo Coleman, 91, was the project manager of the team at Wolverton Works, Buckinghamshire, that constructed the current incarnation of the royal train between 1974 and 1976. “People talk about how long ago these carriages were built, but that is ridiculous,” he says. “They don’t know anything about it. But I do. People don’t realise the skills that we had back then.”
Indeed, the workmanship on the Mark III carriages, hundreds of which are still in operation on high‑speed trains in Britain, is regarded in some quarters as the best there has ever been. Those in public use that have recently been refurbished are estimated to have another 30 years left in them.
Prince Charles in 1953 and the Queen steps of the royal train at Euston station in 1970 (Rex)
Coleman, whose father, Charlie, was the electrician on the previous royal train during the reign of George V, was selected to oversee a team of 30 to 40 tradesmen working on the new carriages, including the saloons that are still used by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. He recalls the Queen playing an active role in the construction of her train, visiting the railway works – still the train’s home today – to inspect the carriages before it was presented to her to mark her Silver Jubilee tour of 1977. Coleman was then chosen to accompany the Queen on its inaugural journey overnight from London Euston to Glasgow – as well as several other trips across the country – in case anything went wrong.
“We had to be on board if there was anything the Queen wanted to talk to us about,” he remembers. “I was in the escort vehicle at the rear of the train with another project manager. Anywhere we went, all the different dignitaries were out on the platform, it was a real privilege to be part of [it].
“There were one or two occasions when I was summoned to the Queen,” he adds. “Nothing, luckily, went wrong, but on the second night she wanted something in her saloon changing.”
And little else has changed since then, it could be argued. Inside the carriages famed for their distinctive royal livery of claret with a red strip, the décor remains as austere as it was back in the Seventies. In fact, its 12-seater dining car, despite an array of monogrammed crystalware, would not look out of place in any budget hotel.
The Queen’s personal saloon and adjoining bathroom are modest and functional, with room only for a small desk and single bed, and pillows trimmed with lace are one of the few nods towards luxury. The Duke of Edinburgh’s saloon has a similar layout, plus a kitchen. Scottish landscapes by Roy Penny and Victorian prints of earlier rail journeys hang in both carriages, but the royal train is far from a palace on wheels.
Its appeal lies more in its exclusivity, perhaps. Aside from the Queen and the Duke, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are the only members of the Royal family permitted to use the train, with their sleeping cars swapped in as required.
Yet such simple fixtures and fittings are a far cry from the grand style of the first royal train journey. On June 13, 1842, the engine Phlegethon, pulling the royal saloon and six other carriages, transported Queen Victoria from Slough to Paddington – accompanied on the footplate by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, as the foremost engineer of his day.
“We arrived here yesterday morn having come here by the rail-road from Windsor in half an hour free from dust and crowd and heat,” she wrote in a letter to her uncle King Leopold of Belgium soon afterwards. “I am quite charmed by it.”
She was likely charmed further when, in 1869, the London and North Western Railway presented her with a luxurious pair of six-wheeled saloons. The main compartment was upholstered in quilted blue and gold silk, and the toilet decorated with the finest blue silk brocade.
Victoria’s successor, Edward VII, was presented with a new royal train to celebrate his accession in 1901. Decked out with gadgets, including electric cigarette lighters as well as Moroccan leather seating and drinks decanters, his saloon resembled a mobile gentleman’s club.
With the advent of the Great War, the royal train became a more utilitarian beast. George V used it to tour the country inspecting troops, factories and field hospitals – albeit in some luxury. During the Second World War, it was fitted with new armour-plated carriages and used as a vital means of transport. Records show that in May 1942, George VI and Queen Elizabeth travelled from Paddington to Penzance, Falmouth, Liskeard, Plymouth, Totnes, Kingswear, Exeter and back to Windsor over the course of three days.
The security role of the royal train is similarly important today, says Bob Gwynne, assistant curator of rail vehicles at the National Railway Museum in York.
“People underestimate the effectiveness, in security terms, of the royal train,” he says. “Can you imagine always trying to get a motorcade up the M1? Japan still has a royal train, the Danes, too. The Dutch have a royal carriage. Heads of state have had special trains for a long time. It’s a very foundation of any state, to get them around the country.”
The royal train can also be used for on-board meetings – the Prince of Wales used it as a mobile office on a week-long tour of Britain in 2010 – while its Royal Class 67 diesel locomotives, 67005 Queen’s Messenger and 67006 Royal Sovereign, are put to work across the network when not required.
But, in the modern age, the cost of the royal train has soared. As Sir Alan’s accounts show, it now takes up to £1 million per year to run, making it twice as expensive as air travel. Last year, a one-way trip between Windsor and York made by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh cost £20,221.
Phil Marsh, who has worked on the railways for the past 40 years – and last month published a book on Wolverton to coincide with the 175th anniversary of the world’s oldest railway works – says Sir Alan’s comments are only the latest threat. Indeed, in 1997, while working as marketing manager for Railtrack, Marsh says he was appointed to prepare a business case to privatise the royal train, but “skewed” the figures to put off would-be buyers, as nobody wanted to sell it off. “People within the railways want to keep it,” he says, “the passengers want to keep it as well.”
Today, in a world where steam no longer curls over train platforms and our railway network has been hacked back and over-stuffed with commuters, the royal train can still transport us to a better era of travel. The stations it chugs past are spotless and brimming with fresh flowers, while crowds of well‑wishers form wherever it stops.
And, crucially, those who know her best say there is life in the old girl yet. So put those bloomers away, Sir Alan – we have not yet reached the end of the line.
England 2 Poland 0: match report
World Cup Group H qualifier between England and Poland at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday Oct 15 2013.
This was a raucous, draining and utterly magnificent night.
This was brilliant by Wayne Rooney, who headed the first, and also Steven Gerrard, the captain who announced England’s flight to the World Cup finals would be leaving on time with that settling second goal.
No play-offs, no summer off, England are off to Brazil.
England reached those famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema via the streets of Merseyside, via those schoolboy games where Rooney and Gerrard developed their touch and their will to win, challenging older boys for possession, standing up to be counted.
When Gerrard charged through to score it was possible to narrow the eyes, rewind the mind and it could have been a goal by Bryan Robson, the England player Gerrard most admired as a child.
He even wore a Robson shirt during some of those formative games on his Ironside street on the Bluebell Estate of Huyton.
This is what they dreamed of back then, reaching a World Cup.
Rooney and Gerrard, who strolled off the field together, smiling and chatting, have played in World Cups before, failed in them before, and England will travel with only modest expectation level when they fly out to the United States for two friendlies before landing in Brazil and the serious stuff.
Gerrard was determinedly and sensibly cooling any feverish talk of England progressing far in Brazil.
England still need to keep the ball better, to resist dropping so deep when the nerves bite and the opponents sense an opportunity.
Vastly superior opposition await in Brazil. Some of the youngsters like Andros Townsend are maturing promisingly but need to deliver week in, week out, achieving a high level of consistency. Greg Dyke’s FA Commission still has plenty of work to do.
Yet this was a time to celebrate, to breathe a sigh of relief that today is not a day of painful inquests nor fretting over play-off opposition.
It was a time to laud the contributions last night of Joe Hart, who stood tall when it mattered most, standing up to Robert Lewandowski, and acclaim the work out wide of Leighton Baines, who was exceptional, and the tireless speedster Andros Townsend.
It was also a time to enjoy Hodgson’s emotional reaction to this game, taking in his utterance of “**** me” when Robert Lewandowski almost scored, admitting he suffered a “thousand deaths every time Poland crossed the halfway line’’, to thrilling to England’s attacking with 17 corners and 23 shots, nine of which were on target.
He punched the air in delight at Rooney’s goal just before the break and then his near-abandonment of all decorum when his captain wrapped up the points.
For such a self-confessed patriot, this was pure nirvana for Hodgson, whose bold tactics and selection were again vindicated.
England’s manager, oft described as cautious, arguably kept too much of an emphasis on all-out attack in the second half, not withdrawing his strikers for additional midfield bolstering until late on.
Barely a month ago, Hodgson was being accused of encouraging football that belonged in the “dark ages” but wins over Montenegro and now Poland were achieved with relentless forward momentum. He has endured plenty of criticism but broadly kept his counsel, refusing to bite on critical comments in Harry Redknapp’s autobiography.
Rather than snap back at Gary Lineker, the eternally polite Hodgson simply went on Match Of The Day to talk to Lineker.
The former England captain made some coherent points. Even if the “dark ages” critique was excessive, England have hardly entered a new age of enlightenment and one shudders to consider the team without Rooney.
Before Rooney netted his 38th international goal, taking him within 11 goals of Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time record, and settling Wembley after 41 minutes, England suffered some nervy moments, particularly when Poland counter-attacked, roared on by their 20,000-plus fans situated in one huge block over two tiers but also scattered amongst the England fans. It felt like a game in Lodz, not London.
'’We’re Poland,’’ chanted the away fans, “we’re playing at home”.
Every time Steven Gerrard got on the ball or Townsend tried to accelerate down the right, the 20,000 or more Polish fans whistled in derision. Smoke from their flares still floated above Wojciech Szczesny’s goalmouth, the Arsenal man having been chosen ahead of Southampton’s Artur Boruc.
The atmosphere was electric, a mix of nerves, adrenalin and cordite.
Bulletins from Ukraine’s game with San Marino brought the inevitable updates of England’s Group H rivals being in control. England had to score.
Townsend unleashed one shot that Szczesny saved. England remained vulnerable to Polish counter-attacks, occasionally launched from the wreckage of the home side’s corners. The organisation was poor, the anticipation too sluggish.
Midway through the half, Szczesny threw the ball out, and Adrian Mierzejewski flew down the right before angling the ball in to the edge of Hart’s box. Blaszczykowski dummied the ball, allowing it to continue to the unmarked Robert Lewandowski, who was arriving down the inside-left channel.
He shot with his left foot, the ball just flying wide of the far-post.
England continued to probe, continued to conjure up some promising moments.
Phil Jagielka headed a Gerrard corner wide. Townsend, moving inside to good effect, almost broke the bar.
Daniel Sturridge had a shot saved by Szczesny as the cameras picked out Jan Tomaszewski in the stands.
Danny Welbeck shot wide of Szczesny’s goal. Arsenal’s keeper then thwarted Rooney. Was this going to be another of those occasions when the English national team was frustrated by one of those overseas players who make their living here?
But then came Rooney. Michael Carrick did brilliantly to turn a Polish clearance first time towards Baines on the left. Already one of England’s best performers of the half, Baines really delivered with this ball in. It was weighted perfectly, too strong for Artur Jedrzejczyk and Grzegorz Krychowiak but not overhit to fall into the domain of Kamil Glik.
Rooney rose to meet Baines’ delivery, heading it to Szczesny’s left. His head band was off, the gloves were off and England were off and running.
Rooney’s wife Coleen tweeted a picture of a love-heart.
The England fans celebrated but the undercurrent of tension remained. A huge 45 minutes awaited. England emerged from the break chasing a second. Gary Cahill went close with a header from another Gerrard corner. Gerrard laced a shot wide.
Poland kept threatening. Hart did well to spread himself, almost in a star-jump, and prevent Robert Lewandowski scoring. ’Polska, Polska” was the chant. A Polish fan ran on the pitch, celebrating in the centre-circle.
England were dropping deep, revealing their nerves, allowing space for Poland to play. Jagielka and Smalling made important interceptions. England still broke out. Szczesny saved from Rooney and Sturridge.
Hodgson tried to stiffen midfield with Frank Lampard coming on for Carrick, then Jack Wilshere for Sturridge and then James Milner for Townsend.
Then Gerrard stormed through, the final whistle blew and England were in Brazil.
Wonderful.
Search for survivors continues as Philippines earthquake death toll reaches 107
Number of dead set to rise with rescue workers still to reach some villages and towns
A unidentified man buried from the debris at a fishing port that was damaged after a earthquake struck Cebu city, central Philippines.
Loon, Philippines: Rescue workers raced Wednesday to reach isolated communities on a popular Philippine tourist island that was devastated by a huge earthquake, as aftershocks tormented survivors and the death toll climbed to 107.
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake smashed the central island of Bohol on Tuesday morning, triggering landslides that engulfed entire homes, ripping apart bridges and tearing down centuries-old churches.
The national disaster agency said the number of people confirmed killed on Bohol and neighbouring islands had climbed from 93 to 107, and more bad news was expected as rescue workers were yet to reach some villages and towns.
“Our efforts today are focused on reaching isolated areas. We suspect individuals are trapped out there and we have to conduct search and rescue,” National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokesman Reynaldo Balido said.
With destroyed bridges, ripped-open roads and power outages fragmenting the island of about one million people, Balido said authorities were struggling to reach isolated communities and had no idea how bad the damage was in some areas.
“We don’t even have an estimate... we are just assuming that since there were collapsed buildings, we must search for them,” Balido said, when asked how many people remained missing.
At Loon, a small coastal town of about 40,000 people just 20 kilometres from the epicentre of the earthquake, shocked survivors wandered around the rubble of collapsed buildings looking for relatives.
Farmer Serafin Megallen said he dug with his hands, brick-by-brick, to retrieve his mother-in-law and cousin from the rubble of their home on Tuesday.
“They were alive but they died of their injuries three hours later. There was no rescue that came, we had to rely on neighbours for help,” he said.
Megallen said a neighbour with a truck tried to drive the bodies to Loon’s funeral parlour, only to find out the bridge across a river on the way was destroyed.
The bodies were then taken across the river aboard a boat.
“But no one will give them last rites because the church was also destroyed,” he said.
Ten churches, many of them dating back centuries to Spanish colonial rule of the Philippines, were destroyed or badly damaged on Bohol and the neighbouring island of Cebu.
Loon’s limestone Our Lady of Light church was reduced to mounds of crushed rocks.
In front of the rubble an improvised altar had been erected with a lone statue of the Virgin Mary, where teary residents stopped by to make the sign of the cross.
“We’re trying our best to keep hopes up, but in this desperate situation there is nothing much we can do beyond giving comforting words,” local priest Father Tomas Balakayo said.
“I try to be strong but this is terrible, what have these people done to deserve this?”
Meanwhile, the only people involved in the search and rescue efforts on Wednesday morning at Loon were residents and local police, who themselves had lost their homes or relatives.
They struggled as aftershocks continued to rattle the area. More than 800 aftershocks had been recorded, including one on Wednesday morning with a magnitude of 5.1, according to national disaster authorities.
Most of the confirmed deaths were on Bohol, which is one of the most popular tourist islands in the Philippines because of its beautiful beaches, rolling “Chocolate Hills” and tiny “tarsier” primates.
Nine people died on neighbouring Cebu island, home to the Philippines’ second-biggest city of the same name.
No foreign tourists were reported killed.
The Philippines lies on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many of Earth’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.
The deadliest recorded natural disaster in the Philippines occurred in 1976, when a tsunami triggered by a 7.9-magnitude earthquake devastated the Moro Gulf on the southern island of Mindanao.
Between 5,000 and 8,000 people were killed, according to official estimates.
Dubai SME reports 50% increase
13,000 Emiratis have benefited from services of agency set up to help small and medium enterprises
By Zaher Bitar; Senior Reporter
Abdul Baset Al Janahi, Chief Executive Officer Dubai SME
Dubai: Dubai SME witnessed a 50 per cent increase in membership this year, according to CEO Abdul Baset Al Janahi.
Dubai SME was formed in 2002 as an agency in the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) with the goal of developing local entrepreneurship as an alternative career choice amongst the local residents.
“Over the last 11 years, we have helped more than 13,000 Emirati entrepreneurs through our various services ranging from incubation, subsidised start-up (fee waivers & reductions), funding, capability development, links to government procurement and business advisories to set up their businesses and developed them to the next level.”
Dubai government is trying to promote entrepreneurship as a means to diversify the economy into newer sectors, niche services and new business models. Enterprises classified as small or medium-sized as per the official SME definition of Dubai SMEs, short for small and medium enterprises, employ around 42 per cent of Dubai’s workforce and account for about 40 per cent of Dubai’s GDP. Al Janahi said that since inception, Dubai SME has supported around 1,500 SMEs.
“Despite to this number, there is a growing community of budding and potential entrepreneurs who benefit from Dubai SME initiatives aimed to identify, nurture and promote entrepreneurial acumen,” he said.
“We share platforms with various stakeholders such as government officials, business leaders, financial institutions, educational institutions and social development initiatives to exchange ideas to sustain and advance the entrepreneurial culture in the country.”
Most of the SMEs in Dubai belong to the services and trading sectors. Dubai’s diversified economy and status as a business hub offers a wide field for SMEs to explore a variety of sectors and drive innovations.
Over the years, local SMEs have established their presence in such sectors from manufacturing and exports to retailing and consultancy services. Jitendra Gianchandani, Chairman and Managing Partner of Jitendra Consulting Group, said that the remarkable growth in the number of SME beneficiaries is a good indication of the overall performance of SMEs sector in Dubai.
“There is stability in this business and I think that the SME sector’s performance is improving but at snail’s pace,” he said.
However, Gianchandani calls for further support to this sector. “At times the government seems very selective and slow in offering support to SMEs. Banks and governments have to jointly work out the plan to lift the SMEs sector.
“Both public and private sectors should be integrated to support the SMEs sector,” he said.
Acknowleging all the initiatives carried by Dubai SME to support this sector, Gianchandani pointed to the difficulties and challenges in the market.
Challenges
According to the latest quarterly survey done by Dubai SME, competition from local and international players is the topmost challenge facing Dubai’s small and medium businesses. Increasing rents was cited as a key challenge, while the availability of skilled labour and cost of finance are also among other key challenges.
“Financial support is the major stumbling block for SMEs,” Gianchandani said. “Yes, they need working capital support until they reach break-even point, which is the first three to five years.”
Dubai SME offers various services ranging from incubation, subsidised start-up (fee waivers and reductions), funding, capability development, links to government procurement and business advisories. These services are being offered based on the needs of the entrepreneur or start-up.
Going forward, Al Janahi said; “Our strategy is three-fold: advocating a pro-business and pro-enterprise environment; seeding and nurturing start-ups; and grooming willing and growth-oriented SMEs. We provide a complete ecosystem where entrepreneurial talent is encouraged and translated into real business projects with all necessary support from infrastructure, advisory and capability development to marketing and business expansion.”
Global hub for entrepreneurs
Dubai SME’s vision is to make Dubai the global hub for entrepreneurs and start-ups.
Al Janahi said: “We aim to grow with this sector and lay the pipeline for future large businesses that can contribute new economic value. “
“Our focus is on improving and upgrading SME capabilities, creating linkages and networks for SME growth, and on grooming entrepreneurs and SMEs. This year, with the establishment of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Fund (MBRF) at Dubai SME, we will devise schemes to encourage more locals to start their businesses with financial support.”
Key initiatives for entrepreneurs
Dubai SME100. The ranking initiative we launched in 2011 as a major reference point for SME strength and growth potential. The ranking SMEs are given upgrading opportunities in key areas like corporate governance and financial management.
BeBankable.ae, a comprehensive online knowledge platform that enables SMEs to remain bankable and investable by subscribing to principles of transparency, accountability and growth appetite.
Connection to the Government Procurement Programme (GPP). Dubai SME has also facilitated government contracts worth more than Dh1.5 billion to local SMEs.
The annual Mohammed Bin Rashid Award for Young Business Leaders (YBL), which was instituted to reward role model enterprises plays a key role in driving entrepreneurial excellence and competitiveness
US-EU agreement to change international trade patterns
Free trade pact could lead to seismic changes on economic and trade ties
By Mohammad Al Asoomi, Special to Gulf News
Despite the many difficulties the US and the EU had in ironing out a free trade pact, it is clear that a final agreement has been reached. Not only will this have an impact on either side of the Atlantic but just as well on the economic and trade ties with countries elsewhere.
The US and the EU together constitute 45 per cent of the global economy and one-third of international trade. Among the various positives, the agreement is expected to boost the kind of growth sought by both parties and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, particularly given that it will not only remove customs tariffs, as is the case in such agreements, but also include the liberalisation of trade in the services sector.
This is a major step forward given that trade liberalisation within the member states of the World Trade Organisation following the Doha Round has been at a standstill over several years.
Since a US-EU free trade agreement could lead to seismic changes in international trade patterns, it is essential that other countries strive to rearrange their economic and commercial engagements, including signing more free trade agreements, particularly with the US, the EU, China, India, Turkey, Brazil and Russia.
They also need to complete the implementation of agreements within each bloc, such as the ones signed between the GCC countries. The GCC’s free trade agreement and customs union is confined to the liberalisation of trade in goods only, while trade in services and the free flow of investment capital are still facing difficulties and complicated administrative procedures.
Certainly, agreements of this size and importance will face many difficulties and conflicts of interest. But overcoming them and reaching consensus and compromises are always possible. Yet, it is important for all parties to set specific timetables for the negotiation process and implementation.
For example, the current attempt by the US and the EU to establish the free trade agreement faced many difficulties and some of which still exist. This is because there are disparities concerning agriculture and subsidies provided to this vital sector, as well as on the issue of environmental protection and genetically-modified foods, which are rejected by the EU. Also, some Europeans think that the free trade agreement will grant US multinationals certain privileges.
In contrast, some US lobbies have come out against certain European demands, such as restrictions on service providers and on some types of US goods that do not conform to European standards.
There is divergence in views from time to time, but concessions are made by both parties to achieve strategic gains as well as to be better equipped to strengthen their positions in trade and international relations. This requires co-operation with other parties and within coalitions.
The conclusion is that the world stands at the footsteps of radical change in economic and trade matters. This in turn requires a readiness to push for strengthened regional integration within individual blocs. In other words, this calls for a full implementation of economic agreements between the GCC states and the strengthening and diversification of alliances with other rising economic powers.
— Dr Mohammad Al Asoomi is a UAE economic expert and specialist in economic and social development in the UAE and the GCC countries.
Eid in Dubai: Gulf invasion hits UAE shores
Festivities proving popular with residents and visitors from GCC countries and across the world
Lebanese Hisham Kiwan with his daughters Reem and Sara.
Dubai: With a list of festivities lined up for Eid Al Adha, a large number of residents and visitors from across the world, and especially from GCC countries, have travelled to the UAE to celebrate the special occasion.
The 10-day ‘Eid in Dubai–Eid Al Adha’ celebrations, which will run until October 19, has drawn residents as well as visitors to the emirate to enjoy indoor and outdoor activities along with the Dubai shopping experience as retail outlets are pulling out all stops to woo shoppers with promotions, discounts and deals.
With the 48-hour non-stop shopping experience taking place this year, visitors will be able to visit seven malls across Dubai at any time during the first two-days of Eid.
“I am here with my mum for the week and we’ve mainly come to shop and it’s been a success,” said 19-year-old Amal Al Saudi, a Saudi Arabian who is visiting Dubai for the first time. “We are enjoying the festivities, the shopping and the people.”
The Dubai shopping experience was also at the top of the Ali family’s to-do-list this Eid. Cem Ali from Turkey, who is visiting Dubai with his parents and sister, explained that while it is his family’s first time in Dubai, his mum and sister have already gone on shopping sprees and are overwhelmed by all the shopping malls. Describing Dubai as “a modern city with Arabic flavour,” Cem said that the mixture of nationalities in the emirate is what makes it a unique city.
“The blend is like the colourful fireworks, which we have discovered by mere coincidence and that the show is on every day during the Eid in Dubai–Eid Al Adha celebrations,” he said.
While many GCC residents consider the UAE their second homeland, Naseema Al Flaij from Kuwait is a frequent visitor to the emirate and is one of many Kuwaiti families spending the holidays in Dubai. “The special Eid programmes are fascinating to our children,” she said. “We shop, dine and leave the children at the entertainment centres with the maid without having to worry about the kids, as we know Dubai is a safe place and enjoys a high level of security,” she said.
Naseema, who is in Dubai with her sister, nieces and nephew, added that her family is looking forward to visiting the Wild Wadi water park and the Zabeel Saray hotel.
Um Mani from Saudi Arabia, another regular visitor, said that while her family first celebrated Eid in Dubai three years ago, they have come back to the emirate every year to re-live the experience. “We are very busy, my husband and I, and we hardly go out together with the kids in our hometown, Makkah,” she said. “We love to shop all day, dine at different outlets and take the kids to theme parks.”
Her husband, Mohammad Ebrahim, added that he also feels a sense of security in the country and enjoys experiencing Eid in Dubai. “Dubai is clean, well-organised and safe,” he said. “My son loves to spend his day at Kidzania, my eldest daughter loves shopping, and my youngest daughter adores the metro.”
With large crowds vacationing in Dubai between October 10-19, hotels across the emirates are expected to achieve 95 to 100 per cent occupancy during Eid, said the vice-president of a French hotel group.
Considered one of the busiest Eid holidays, hotels are also expected to post higher room rates and achieve increased revenues.
UAE residents are also celebrating the spirit of Eid by flying their families over to Dubai for the week.
Hisham Kiwan, a Lebanese who has spent more than 19 years in Dubai with his parents, was out enjoying Eid with his wife and two little girls, five-year-old Reem and three-year-old Sara.
“We love celebrating Eid Al Adha in Dubai as most of our relatives usually come over to stay and visit us to celebrate and tour Dubai,” he said. Like many other families the Kiwans are spending a lot of their time shopping and enjoying the Eid activities at the malls.
Another Dubai resident, Ahmad Othman from Oman, said his family has also come to Dubai for Eid. “It’s a good change for my family, they really enjoy dining out and watching the fireworks at night every Eid — it has become a tradition,” he said.
Eid Al Adha marked with prayers and fanfare in UAE
Two men greet each other after offering prayers at Al Noor mosque in Sharjah to celebrate Eid Al Adha.
Parks, malls and souqs crowded as region celebrates holiday
Dubai: The first day of Eid Al Adha, the festival of sacrifice, was marked with prayers, fanfare and family get-togethers across the UAE on Tuesday.
Thousands thronged Eid Musallahs and mosques for Eid prayers, kicking off the four-day celebrations.
Residents and Emiratis joined the rulers including His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who offered Eid prayers with other Shaikhs at the newly built Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Mosque in Zabeel.
In their Eid sermons, Imams shed light on the significance of Haj and sacrifice and prayed for peace and harmony in the region.
As is customary at Eid, long lanes of vehicles could be seen around abattoirs from early in the morning as people offered sacrifices of animals such as goats, sheep, cows and camels.
“I came here [to the abattoir in Al Qusais Dubai] immediately after prayers as I do it every year to offer my sacrifice of goats,” said Mohammad Ilyas from his car in the slow-moving traffic. “I have already purchased the animals and hope to have quality time with family and friends around the meal of mutton biryani.”
Apart from abattoirs, long tailbacks could be also be seen around parks, amusement centres and malls with people across the emirates making the most of the holiday.
“We offered our sacrifice in the morning and evenings are for barbecue in the park,” said Sardar Abbas. “Weather is better in the evenings now, so it’s a good time for outdoor activities with family.”
From outdoor sports to just relaxing or going on long drives, residents are finding different ways to spend their Eid holiday, with many travelling to other emirates to spend a few days away from home.
Emirati student, Aisha Al Muhairi, 24, who lives in Abu Dhabi, told Gulf News: “For today, we will have family gatherings and lots of visits. But on Wednesday I have something exciting planned. I’ll be staying in Dubai for two nights and hopefully will go to Ski Dubai and maybe even swim with the dolphins.”
Meanwhile, Syrian resident Reem Sayadi is heading to Dubai to spend the evening before going on a three-day getaway with her family to a hotel in Sharjah.
Others have decided to split their first day into two parts: family first and then friends in the evening.
“I spent my first day running errands, getting the necessary items and preparing the house for the regular family gathering,” said Yousuf Al Tall, an Egyptian mechanical engineer in the capital. “In the evening, though, I am planning on spending the night with my friends in Dubai and perhaps do something fun as a group.”
Streets, malls and souqs, which have been decked out for the festivities, were packed by revellers, while police coordinated with other authorities to ensure the smooth movement of traffic around busy locations.
