Tag Archives: opinion
Dubai Police warn people of cyber extortionists
Dubai Police warn people of cyber extortionists Amira Agarib / 27 September 2013 Police have urged people to exercise caution while striking friendship with strangers on the Internet or sharing private photographs with ‘friends’ they have met only on the social media sites like Facebook as smart crooks are on the prowl. The Dubai Police department handling electronic crimes has recorded several cases of extortion by such culprits who courted friendship with not just women but also men to catch them in an embarrassing situation later and blackmail them, said Salem bin Salmeen, Deputy Director of Anti-Economic Crime Department. In one such case, an Arab man struck friendship with a woman on Facebook. As they became closer, he managed to make her share her private pictures with him. The trouble started when she ended the relationship later. The suspect logged into Facebook in another name and managed to court her again as a friend. Then, he threatened to circulate her private photos among others, including her friends and relatives, if she did not pay him Dh15,000. Finally, she approached the police. The police laid a trap and arrested the suspect when he received the money from the woman. When the police confronted him with the trail of correspondences and phone call records between him and the woman, he confessed to trying to extort money from her. In another case, a man courted a Syrian woman on Facebook. They got engaged but she ended their relationship later. At this, he opened another account on Facebook and met with her father. He threatened the elderly man that he would circulate the private photos of his daughter if you did not did not pay him a big amount of money. The woman’s father lodged a complaint and was stunned when the police caught his daughter’s former fiance as the culprit. The police have also come across cases of suspects abroad luring victims in the UAE through the social media networks and some smartphone applications. Some people fell into their trap. In one such case, a man pretended to be a woman and sent a good-looking woman’s photos as his own to a man. He invited the victim to chat with “her” on Skype or Facebook. He then shared some obscene videos through Skype and videographed the victim enjoying himself and threatened to circulate the footage. Bin Salmeen said the Dubai Police’s electronic patrols worked round the clock to protect people from such criminals and inform the authorities in other countries to take action against the culprits who blackmailed residents here. – news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
World Luxury Expo set to bedazzle Abu Dhabi
World Luxury Expo set to bedazzle Abu Dhabi Staff Reporter / 27 September 2013 Italian knight Rosmundo Giarletta’s sword is gold and gems with which he creates timeless classics that conquer his viewers. Now the goldsmith, knighted by Monaco’s Prince Rainier III for his creations to mark the royal family’s anniversary celebrations, will give the world Al-Noor, a one-of-a-kind medallion necklace that is said to be an artistic representation of the Muslim paradise. UAE residents will be the first to be able to admire this showstopper as the gold wedge necklace debuts, along with other masterpieces, at World Luxury Expo, Abu Dhabi, the third edition of the World Luxury Expo series. Kicking off at the dazzling Emirates Palace today, the three-day, by-invitation-only event will have as its main attraction a Rolls-Royce centrepiece, the ultimate statement in luxury and a celebration of timeless elegance and history. Abu Dhabi Motors will present a number of new bespoke Roll-Royce models — the Femas, Ruby and soon to arrive Goodwood. Other dazzlers include royal pots by the 300-year-old jewellery house, Mozafarian. To commemorate 2,500 years of the Persian Empire, the exquisite hand-crafted crystal casks, now part of a museum collection, were fashioned painstakingly in four years, inlaid with several thousand pieces of gold, diamonds, rubies and sapphires. Abbas Mozafarian says the Mozafarian style is all about heritage, evolving through years of knowledge and experience. Besides the Mozafarian creations, World Luxury Expo will also showcase fine art, hand-crafted time pieces and designer furniture. Besides, there will be fine dining for gourmets and private aviation and luxury travel for the adventurous. The other exhibitors include haute parfumier House of Sillage, which will debut a limited edition travel perfume. The set, a delicate set on an 18K yellow gold cylinder and embellished with 665 gemstones, costs Dh433,000. The price includes 7.5ml of the perfume as well as the elegance of the container. Italian luxury brand The S&S Stefano Company comes with the backing of Alessandro Martorana, stylist and head of an Italian tailor firm, who has turned to it to promote his tailor-made clothing and accessories in the Middle East. Doettling will present bespoke German superior safes, Four Seasons Ramesh Gallery some of the largest jewelled carpets, and Doha-based Kashperia one of the world’s most expensive headscarves. After the Abu Dhabi edition winds up Sunday, World Luxury Expo will move to Doha in November and then to Saudi Arabia in 2014, creating an annual signature series of events in the Gulf Cooperation Council region. The series has steadily gained momentum in this part of the world, having already concluded two recent expos: the inaugural event at Burj Al Arab, Dubai in January and the second in Riyadh in February.— news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Eating and drinking top Metro violations
Eating and drinking top Metro violations Staff Reporter / 26 September 2013 As many as 12,948 tickets were issued for violations on Dubai Metro trains from January to July this year with a monthly average of 1,850 violations. The Red and Green Lines of Dubai Metro have been witnessing a huge throng — over 300 million passengers used the Green and Red lines since the beginning of Metro services till July this year, with a daily average of 364,779 passengers from January to July this year. However, the Red Line is used more by passengers than the Green Line. The average number of passengers using the Red Line daily reached 236,044 from January to July, against 128,735 commuters on the Green Line in the same period. Mohammed Al Mudharreb, Director of Rail Operation at the Roads and Transport Authority’s Rail Agency, ascribed the violations committed by passengers to a lack of culture of optimal use of the services though the RTA had distributed booklets and leaflets containing information and guidelines on the terms that should be followed inside the trains and stations to maintain the safety of passengers and trains. The booklets also contained a detailed explanation of the types of violations and fines applicable in this regard. Al Mudharreb pointed out that eating and drinking in prohibited areas was the most common violation, followed by moving in a carriage other than the allowed one like people travelling in the Gold carriage when they had only Silver cards and men travelling in carriages meant for women and children. The BurJuman (Khalid bin Al Waleed) Metro Station, which is one of the two transfer stations where the Red and Green lines intersect, was the most used station by passengers since it is near the popular trading shops and residential areas. The average daily number of passengers who used the BurJuman Metro Station from January to July came to 23,000 followed by Al Ittihad (Union) Metro Station which is the other transfer station. The Union station, he said, was characterised by being close to the business hub in Dubai. It saw an average of 20,000 passengers daily during that period, while the Deira City Centre Station witnessed a daily average of 18,000 passengers. The Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station was the least used station with only 618 on average daily from January to July since it is far away from residential and commercial areas, followed by the Etisalat station with 1,911 passengers using it daily during that period. The RTA operates 79 trains now — 62 on the Red Line and 17 on the Green Line. news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
