Tag Archives: education
Army ousts, detains Mursi
Army ousts, detains Mursi (AFP) / 4 July 2013 Egypt’s army ousted and detained the president Mohamed Mursi on Wednesday after a week of deadly clashes and mass protests calling for him to go after a year in office. His defence minister, armed forces chief General Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, announced Mursi’s overthrow on state television, even as police began rounding up key Mursi aides and leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood. Warrants have been issued for the arrest of a total of 300 Brotherhood officials, state media reported. The news that Mursi had been forced out drew a rapturous reception from thousands of protesters camped out on the streets of Cairo for days, some of whom celebrated with fireworks. But at least seven of Mursi’s supporters were killed in clashes with security forces in Alexandria and the eastern city of Marsa Matrouh, security officials said. Mursi and his senior aides were placed “under house arrest” in a military facility, a senior Muslim Brotherhood member said. The ousted president was later taken to the defence ministry, Gehad El Haddad added. His father, Essam El Haddad, a senior Mursi aide, is one of those detained. Mursi issued a defiant call for his supporters to defend his elected “legitimacy” in a prerecorded speech that appeared online after Sisi’s statement. Thousands of his supporters remained camped out in northern Cairo, but Egyptian television stations stopped broadcasting live feeds of the pro-Mursi rally after the military announced his overthrow. US President Barak Obama said he was “deeply concerned” over Mursi’s ouster and called on the army to refrain to “arbitrary arrests” of Mursi and his supporters. In May, Washington approved $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt. That was now under review, said Obama, as he called for a swift return to democratic rule. Police also began arresting leaders of Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood movement, an interior ministry general told AFP. Saad Al Katatni, head of Mursi’s Freedom and Justice Party was already in custody , he added. In his speech, Sisi laid out details of the roadmap for a political transition. The armed forces, which had deployed troops and armour across the country, would “remain far away from politics,” he stressed. In the streets of Cairo, the response was immediate. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of the capital to celebrate, cheering, whistling, letting off firecrackers and honking car horns in several hours of celebrations. “It’s a new historical moment. We got rid of Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood,” said one celebrator, Omar Sherif. In an amateur video posted online, Mursi declared: “I am the elected president of Egypt” and urged people to “defend this legitimacy”. Earlier, Mursi’s national security adviser Essam Al Haddad, said on Facebook: “For the sake of Egypt and for historical accuracy, let’s call what is happening by its real name: military coup.” But the opposition Congress Party of Amr Mussa insisted “this is not a coup”. Mursi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, came under massive pressure in the run-up to Sunday’s anniversary of his maiden year in office. His opponents accused him of failing the 2011 revolution by concentrating power in the hands of his Muslim Brotherhood. His year in power was marked by a spiralling economic crisis, shortages in fuel and often deadly opposition protests. The embattled 61-year-old had proposed a “consensus government” as a way out of the crisis, the worst since the 2011 uprising that ended three decades of authoritarian rule by Hosni Mubarak. But it failed to satisfy his critics and the army stepped in. Its commander named the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly Al Mansour, as interim leader of the Arab world’s most populous country. Mansour, a previously little known judge, is expected to be sworn in on Thursday. Opposition leader Mohamed El Baradei, former head of the UN nuclear watchdog, sat beside army chief Sisi as he announced on state television that Mursi’s rule was over. So too did the heads of the Coptic Church and Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam’s highest seat of learning. The choreography was designed to show broad civilian support for the military’s move against Mursi. It was a heavy blow to Mursi’s supporters, who a year ago saw his election as president one of the key achievements of the 2011 revolution. Already, the security forces had shut down broadcasts from a Muslim Brotherhood television channel, a Mursi aide told AFP. Continue reading
Cutting down the fat
Cutting down the fat Asma Ali Zain / 3 July 2013 While an increasing number of females in the UAE are opting for bariatric surgery to look good and fight disease, males are choosing the option to appear presentably fit for a job hunt. Numbers of those seeking surgery have been increasing gradually at Al Qasimi Hospital, Sharjah, where between seven and 10 people walk in for consultation in a week. As an overweight child born in an obese family, Hind Yousef had to fight obesity and perceptions nearly all her life. But the young Egyptian did not think of bariatric surgery as an option until she developed health problems at a weight of 129 kilos nearly three years ago. “After I had a total hip replacement surgery, I became inactive which led to weight gain,” she said. “Though I followed a diet, I gained weight rapidly in three years.” “I then got married and gained more weight … it was when my gynecologist told me to lose weight since I wanted a baby badly that I decided to go for weight loss consultation.” Hind had to face objection at home. “My parents were against the surgery and my husband did not agree, and I told them that I am the one who is suffering.” On May 24, 2011, Hind underwent a one-hour sleeve gastrectomy surgery at Al Qassimi Hospital. Since then, she has lost a massive 50 kilos and now is a svelte lady weighing an appropriate 80kg. She also conceived within five weeks of the surgery. “My baby is now one year old, and am very happy I had the surgery.” Hind, who works as a nurse, said that side effects of the surgery were little or none. “I eat everything within the limits that I have set for myself … and according to the size of my stomach.” Besides, I can now wear clothes that I once dreamed of. Hind is also trying to convince her overweight brother, who is borderline diabetic, to undergo the surgery. asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com Over 900 weight loss surgeries have been conducted at the Bariatric Surgery Department since it opened in 2010 with 70 per cent of the cases being female, said Dr Abdul Wahid Al Wahedi, Consultant General Surgeon and head of the department while speaking to Khaleej Times. Besides appearing slim and trim as an end result, the main purpose of the surgery is to fend of disease associated with obesity, explained the senior doctor who advocates the procedure if all else has failed. “Obesity itself is a disease,” said Dr Al Wahedi. “And the best way to reduce weight is through diet and exercise … but in some cases surgery is the best option.” On June 29, the hospital organised the first ever Sharjah Obesity Day conference in cooperation with the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity (IFSO). “Of those we operated up on, 70 per cent (approximately 630) of the cases were women who wanted to appear beautiful,” said Dr Al Wahedi. “Majority of the men opted for the procedure only because they thought it would help improve their appearance and eventually help them secure a job.” The hospital, however, follows strict regulations on who qualifies for the surgery. “Patients are only taken if their body mass index (BMI) is between 35 and 40 and the patients have co-morbid conditions such as hypertension and cardiac issue. Surgery is only done if the programme fails. In Japan, India and China, surgeries are being done on patients even with a BMI of 25, said the doctor. “Obesity is prevalent in India though we think otherwise … a reason could be that many may eat less but mostly it is food that is rich in carbohydrates and full of calories.” “Very cheap groceries should be avoided. They contain usually higher levels of calories. The best treatment for oneself is prevention,” he added. Quoting a study by the UAE University, Dr Wahedi said 60 per cent of the UAE population is overweight while 30 per cent is obese. While surgery is free for UAE nationals, expats have to pay Dh12,000 to 13,000 for procedures such as bypass surgery, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric balloon. “The duration of an operation depends on the type and is between one to two hours. The bypass surgery takes around one and a half to two hours and the sleeve gastrectomy one hour,” he said. The largest patient who has walked into the department until now weighed 260kg. “We had to put him on a diet before we could operate … when he lost 15 kilos, only then we could operate,” said Dr Wahedi. “Until three months ago, the patient still weighed 225kgs and is losing.” According to the doctor, super obese children may also require surgery. The youngest patient operated upon at the hospital was a 16-year-old girl. “Surgery for children depends on how doctors and parents perceive the future of the child if they continue to be obese,” explained the doctor. “Surgery on children is not encouraged at the hospital until we set up a specialised department.” All surgeries, however, have side effects. “Surgery itself is not magic … patients have to follow a special diet, medication and then there are chances that there could be ‘a leak’ and other general complications in two to four per cent of those operated upon,” he added. -World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics for 2010 indicate that 1.5 billion of the world’s population is fat of which 500 million are obese. Estimates say that in 2015 around two billion people will be overweight and 700 million obese. Continue reading
Dubai records significant growth in all key sectors
Dubai records significant growth in all key sectors Staff Report (abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com) / 30 June 2013 Dubai posted significant growth in all key economic sectors in 2012 and the emirate will continue to maintain its position as a regional and global hub for business and finance, according to a latest report from the Dubai Economic Council, or DEC. The report revealed that Dubai’s real economic growth during the last quarter of 2012 increased to 5.3 per cent compared to same quarter in the previous year. This reflects the outcome of the growth in two of Dubai’s key sectors — construction and manufacturing — in addition to transport and storage, wholesale and retail trade, real estate and the financial sector, which altogether contributed to about 90 per cent of Dubai’s gross domestic product. The report stated that there was a decline in the consumer price index, known as inflation, during the fourth quarter of last year by 0.14 per cent compared to the growth in domestic liquidity that amounted to two per cent. The government’s budget deficit fell to less than $2 billion in 2012 as a result of public spending rationalisation. The real estate sector has witnessed significant growth by about 94 per cent compared to the corresponding quarter in 2011. The average price per square metre for apartments has increased to around three per cent compared to the corresponding 2011 quarter. Last year witnessed an unprecedented growth in the tourism sector, which saw tourism indicators increase notable gains. The number of guests in hotel establishments increased by seven per cent compared to the summer of 2011. Tourism activities have contributed in attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors from outside of Dubai and the state. According to the report, it also coincided with the preparation of tourist facilities and hotels and apartments buildings which aim to increase tourist numbers, the number of buildings have increased by 200 and hotel rooms by 80,000. The number of tourists has exceeded 10 million for the first time in the emirate. The average length of stay in Dubai hotels has increased by 3.77 nights, and the result of the high occupancy rate saw an 83 per cent increase compared to 79 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2011. Dubai’s foreign trade during the last quarter of 2012 also witnessed remarkable growth, as imports totalled Dh186 billion compared to Dh117 billion of exports. Total trade at the end of 2012 was about Dh1.234 trillion compared to Dh1.1 trillion at the end of 2011. Free zones continued to play a major role in the emirate’s trade, with total exports and imports of these areas during the fourth quarter of about Dh95 billion, equivalent to 32 per cent of Dubai’s total trade. As for the banking sector and financial markets, the industry has continued to increase deposits and loans in the banks of Dubai. The merger of Emirates Islamic Bank and Dubai Bank has increased the ability to attract deposits. These trends would continue in light of the high level of demand for investment and the return of economic and commercial activity in the emirate. Money markets were up significantly in local indicators. At the sector level, the real estate and construction sectors lead the engine of growth in the Dubai Financial Market, with the financial services and investment sectors following. Continue reading
