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200 cars join parade for Syrian refugees
200 cars join parade for Syrian refugees Lily B. Libo-on / 21 June 2013 More than 200 vintage and old fancy cars took part in a parade along the Buheira Corniche to drum up awareness about the plight of the 1.65 million Syrian refugees — 805,000 of whom are children needing food, health, security, education and shelter. Organised by the Union Club in support of the “Big Heart Campaign” launched by Shaikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi on Friday, the parade was expected to raise awareness and needed funds for the Syrian refugees. The parade started from the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Sharjah Expo Centre area, and after going along Buheira Corniche, it went back to where it started. Vintage and fancy vehicles take part in the awareness parade in Sharjah. — KT photo by M. Sajjad To raise funds, scarves and flags commemorating the campaign were distributed to the Car Parade drivers. By wearing the scarf, sold for Dh150, from June 20 to 27, people will be showing their support for the cause and to Syrian refugee children who need shelter, security, health and education. The flags, being sold for Dh50, are desktop and hand held. Noura Ahmed Al Noman, director-general of the Her Highness Executive Office (HHEO), said the campaign aimed to assist the child refugees, most of whom arrived in Lebanon and other neighboring countries without parents. They constitute 51 percent of the total Syrian refugees. Through this Big Heart Campaign, Al Noman said, the HHEO will be able to raise funds for the 7,000 daily refugees taken care of by the UNHCR. “Every 14 seconds, a refugee is leaving Syria, and Her Highness Big Heart Campaign is the first initiative to raise awareness in the Arab world…itself, instead of relying on aid from the international community.” Al Noman said that Her Highness, now the Eminent Advocate for Refugees, needs to do this campaign because of the enormity of the Syrian refugee problem and to keep channels open to know where they are. lily@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
‘Friends of Syria’ meeting in Doha to discuss aid for rebels
‘Friends of Syria’ meeting in Doha to discuss aid for rebels (AFP) / 21 June 2013 Foreign ministers of the “Friends of Syria” group meet in Doha on Saturday to discuss military help and other aid for rebels after an onslaught by government forces who have retaken key areas. The meeting will address in a “concerted, coordinated and complementary manner” the concerns raised by the opposition’s military chief, Salim Idriss, during a “Friends of Syria” meeting in Ankara last Friday, a French diplomat said. The rebels had notably asked for anti-tank and anti-air missiles to fight the regime forces. Western aid for them so far has been confined to non-military equipment like sophisticated communications materiel. The upcoming talks — attended by ministers of Britain, France, the United States, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Egypt — will also discuss a proposed peace meeting between President Bashar Al Assad’s regime and the opposition to end the 27-month conflict which has claimed some 93,000 lives and shows no sign of abating. “We will try in Doha to sum up the situation on the ground and to see how we can aid the opposition coalition and arrive at a political solution,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said. The Doha talks will be held against the backdrop of a string of successes by government troops into rebel territory. They have retaken Qusayr in the central Homs province near Lebanon and trying to recapture the key city of Aleppo. It also comes days after a summit of G8 leaders issued a non-committal statement for a peace conference on Syria to be held as soon as possible. The group was deeply divided on key issues, especially owing the intransigence of Russia, Assad’s ally. The G8 also agreed to push for a transitional government in Syria that could include members of Assad’s regime who switched sides. French President Francois Hollande, who will be in Qatar and Jordan over the weekend in a visit that had been planned earlier, will also discuss the Syrian unrest with Qatar’s Amir Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, officials said. Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been the two major Middle Eastern states providing aid to the rebels. United States President Barack Obama has authorised sending small arms to the rebels after confirmation that chemical weapons were being used in the conflict. But he has refused to specify what they will be. Syrian rebels have asked friendly world powers to give them heavier weapons and to impose a no-fly zone over parts under their control to avert a humanitarian disaster. “The regime could use Scud missiles with unconventional warheads to shell liberated areas. So we need a safe haven,” Free Syrian Army spokesman Louay Meqdad said. “It is necessary to establish secure areas and impose no-fly zones in the south or north,” he said. Calling for anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, he said that “if they do not provide us with arms to protect civilian areas, a humanitarian disaster will occur because regime troops are committing massacres in the areas they are recapturing”. Continue reading
Public schools to get new uniform
Public schools to get new uniform Staff Reporter / 20 June 2013 Public schools will now have a new uniform, announced the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec). The new uniform will come into effect at the beginning of the school year 2013/2014 across 12 schools during the pilot phase. The rest of the schools will continue to use their current uniform. The trial phase will be carried out in Al Hidaya Kindergarten, Al Dhabiania, Al Thuraya, Khadeeja Al Kubra, Al Mawaheb, Aisha Om Al Momeneen and Palestine Schools in Abu Dhabi. The new uniform will come into effect from the beginning of 2013-14 school year. — Supplied photo In Al Ain, they include Al Diwan Kindergarten, Al La’ale and Al Badya Schools while in the Western Region it will be Al Areej Kindergarten and Qatar Al Nada School. Mohammad Salem Al Dhaheri, Adec’s executive director of School Operations said the standardised uniforms will have the attractive colours of blue, navy blue and sky blue. According to Al Dhaheri, the new design is comfortable, carries Adec’s logo, will fit both genders and different age categories and will be available for the summer and winter. Dhabia Al Qamzi, Al Mawaheb School Principal, said the new uniform designs take into consideration the weather and added that trendy styles and designs encourage students to abide by them. “Adec is providing school uniforms at affordable prices to minimise family burdens at the beginning of each school year.” KG students will have two sets of uniforms. The first is a long-sleeved shirt, trousers, tie, winter blazer and jacket while the second is a short-sleeved shirt, shorts and winter blazer and jacket. Cycle 1 (Grades 1-5) girls can choose between a long-sleeved shirt, school dress, and a winter blazer or a long-sleeved shirt, skirt, scarf and a winter blazer. Cycle 2 (Grades 6-9) and Cycle 3 (Grades 10-12) girls will also have a long-sleeved shirt, school dress, a winter blazer and scarf as one set, and a long-sleeved shirt, skirt, a winter blazer and jacket in the other set. olivia@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
