shameen

Cairo, June 23: An analysis by a British think tank highlights profound differences between voting patterns in Iran’s recent election and hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s first victory in 2005, casting doubt on whether they could have occurred without manipulation.

The analysis by the London-based Chatham House could provide ammunition for supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi, the pro-reform candidate who claims he was the true winner in the June 12 election.

Cairo, June 23: Riot police cracked down anew on demonstrators in Iran’s capital on Monday hours after the feared Revolutionary Guard threatened to crush any further post-election protests. A witness described an ‘air of sadness’ marked by people wailing prayers into the night.

Security forces used tear gas and fired live bullets in the air to break up a group of about 200 protesters paying tribute to a young woman whose apparent shooting death was captured on video and circulated around the world, witnesses said.

Cairo, June 23: She lies in the Teheran street with her headscarf half-off, blood pooling around her jeans and white sneakers.

‘Don’t be afraid, Neda dear, don’t be afraid,’ a white-haired man says desperately in Persian. Another man presses on her chest, trying to keep her alive.

Scarlet blood gushes from her nose and mouth and courses across her pale face. Men and women scream in horror as they realize she is dead or dying.

Abu Dhabi, June 23: Around 600 top 10th and 11th grade academic achievers will be offered an opportunity by Shaikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), to travel to Canada, Australia and New Zealand for studying English language and information technology.

Dubai, June 23: A cut in service charges at Discovery Gardens by Nakheel has failed to placate apartment owners.

The master developer vowed on Monday to lower service charges by Dh5 per square feet. However, residents claim that the reduction was insufficient.

Michael Aldendorff, spokesman for the 150 apartment owners who have signed a petition to lower the fees, said that the group was considering legal action.

“There is no way that Nakheel can justify these exorbitant service charges,” he said. “We do not even have swimming pools yet, but we pay more than other areas.

Abu Dhabi, June 23: Officials from the General Directorate of Naturalisation and Residency in Al Ain held talks on Sunday with representatives of the Philippine, Sri Lankan and Indonesian embassies to discuss the welfare of domestic helpers in Al Ain City.

“Generally, we were very happy with the officials who wanted to help us in protecting the rights of the household workers in Al Ain,” Adelio Angelito S. Cruz, First Secretary and Consul at the Philippine Embassy told.

Sharjah, June 22: Dumbuk…dumbak… the beats of the darbuka, locally known as Al Raas, filled the evening air at Sharjah Museum recently as Saeed Mubarak Ali Alhaddad went full blast with his forceful performance.

“The technique in the Al Ayala chant imitates military life. It starts slowly with the key players standing in a semi-circle with the Thakmira, Al Raas and Al Tar drums. It then gradually picks up tempo, but never goes too fast,” said Alhaddad, senior researcher at the UAE Department of Culture and Information, Government of Sharjah.

Dubai, June 22: Developing property estates without involving the police — coupled with poor security by private companies — has seen a rise in house break-ins and burglaries, a top Dubai Police official said on Sunday.

Dubai Police Criminal Control Department Director Jamal Al Jalaf said 173 homes in Dubai had been burgled in the first quarter of this year. Though corresponding figures for last year were not available, he said they were up, a rise he attributed to real estate expansion in the emirate.