Entertainment
Outgoing calls suspended for 3m cellphone users
Outgoing calls suspended for 3m cellphone users Haseeb Haider / 2 September 2013 Telecom providers etisalat and du have suspended the service for almost three million subscribers who were late in updating their information during the last phases of ‘My Number, My Identity’ campaign, launched by the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA). This means that a subscriber cannot make any outgoing calls, however he can receive incoming calls and text messages. Both etisalat and du have started to gradually cease their services for subscribers who were targeted during the previous stages. These subscribers were previously informed to update their information but failed to do so even after their service was suspended for three months. The total number of subscribers whose subscriptions have been cancelled is almost two million. ‘My Number, My Identity’ campaign, launched in July 2012, successfully entered its fifth phase, on schedule with the previously announced timeline, announced the TRA. The campaign was initiated in collaboration with etisalat and du to increase mobile subscriber awareness on the new registration procedures for mobile phone services. It also seeks to highlight the important role the subscribers play in protecting their SIM cards to maintain their privacy to avoid any misuse that may occur, since the registered subscriber of the number will be legally and financially accountable. The subscribers and licensees etisalat and du are participating in the process of updating information and registration in order to put into action the new policies and procedures set by the campaign which has a timeline of 18 months until the beginning of 2014 and divided into six stages in order to successfully include the whole country in the registration process. Etisalat and du have finished targeting four groups of subscribers and will now target around four million subscribers during the remaining stages of the campaign. On the launch of the fifth stage of the ‘My Number, My Identity’ campaign, Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director-General said: “The campaign focuses on the procedures that will be taken by the TRA in order to ensure the transparency in dealing with mobile subscribers and protecting their privacy if misuse occurs by users who use mobile services not registered under their names.” According to latest statistics registered during the month of August 2013, more than 12 million subscribers have registered and updated their data packages. This number continues to increase as more subscribers register. Al Ghanim called upon subscribers to register and update their data in order to avoid disconnection of their service, saying: “The licensees suspended the service for almost three million subscribers who were late in updating their information during the last phases of the campaign. He added: “The TRA encourages e-registration and encourages the licensees etisalat and du to make sure the facility is available to e-register which goes in line with the new registration procedures and to smoothly facilitate the process.” He said: “Companies can arrange with etisalat and du in order to register a large number of subscribers through one visit to the company’s office, in order to facilitate the registration process for subscribers who may find it difficult to do so individually.” The TRA confirmed that the current and targeted numbers mentioned above are approximate numbers that may increase or decrease, as the total number of subscribers in the telecommunications sector is subject to change as it is controlled by several factors such as the decrease due to cancellation of many subscriptions or the recycling of numbers by operators. haseeb@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Visitors barred from driving to Hatta wadis
Visitors barred from driving to Hatta wadis Sajila Saseendran / 2 September 2013 Visitors and tourists to Dubai’s Hatta will be barred from driving into the wadis in the areas surrounding the dams in the mountain village as part of efforts to protect its environment. The Dubai Municipality has also prohibited tourist activities like swimming, fishing, camping, bonfire and barbecuing in these areas near the border. Hunting, cutting or uprooting the bushes or trees in the areas and destructing the flora and fauna are also strictly prohibited. Tourists are also barred from walking their dogs in the wadis and littering the area. The new instructions have been issued by the Environment Department of the Dubai Municipality which intends to declare the valleys surrounding the dams as ‘protected land,’ an official told Khaleej Times . “The dam area is part of a proposed conservation area. That is why the municipality has come up with the new guidelines to protect the environment in this place,” said Nature Conservation Officer with the Environment Department Jeruel Aguhob. The Environment department, with the support of the advertisement section at the Planning Department and the Municipality Centres Department, has fixed huge boards on the way to the wadis to alert the travellers about the new instructions. The boards say that legal action will be taken against those not complying with the new environment and safety regulations. The boards are fixed for tourists and visitors mainly to educate them to follow practices that preserve the environment including air, water and soil, the municipality said. “We want to prepare the people ahead of winter. A lot of tourists are expected in the winter. They shouldn’t be shocked when they go down the valley. That is why we have kept the boards on the main road leading to the wadis,” said Aguhob. He said people wishing to drive down to the wadis will now have to take special permission from the Municipality Centre in Hatta. “We won’t allow everybody to drive their SUVs down to the valleys. Those going there for research purposes and scientific programmes will be definitely allowed. Trekking in still allowed. But littering is strictly prohibited.” Tourists wishing to take photographs in the wadis will have to walk down to the valley, he said. Thousands of tourist and residents visit Hatta every year, mainly to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Dubai’s city life and to enjoy the beauty of the nature in the mountain and the valleys. Aguhob said the municipality will be preparing more educational materials to make tourists and tour companies aware of the new regulations. A tour manager from a Dubai-based tour company said the regulations would make the weekend Hatta trips less exciting for residents and tourists “There are only two major things to see in Hatta — the heritage village and the wadis. If people are not allowed to have any tourist activities in the wadis, it will affect the flow of tourists,” he said. However, a staff at a prominent hotel in Hatta said not many tourists are into swimming or fishing in the wadis and camping in that area. “They know that they cannot swim over there. They just go for a couple of hours and take pictures,” she said.— sajila@khaleejtimes. com Continue reading
School bells chime again
School bells chime again Muaz Shabandri / 2 September 2013 The school bells were ringing once again on Sunday morning as students returned to their classrooms after the two-month summer break. A little girl waits for her bus in Sharjah on the first day of school after summer vacations. — KT photo by M. Sajjad Eight-year old Mehek was among the thousands of students returning to school early on Sunday morning. She was happily waiting to meet her friends and share stories with the class teacher. “I am very excited to go back to school after the long holiday,” said the second grader. Schools across the country reopen this week as a new academic year gets underway for some school. In Dubai, a total of 159 schools open doors for more than 225,000 students. Razan Nueiran, an English teacher at a private school in Dubai, said this time of the year tends to become the best period for learning and sharing experiences. Last minute check before their bus arrives at the Gardens, Jebel Ali, Dubai, on Sunday. — KT photo by Leslie Pableo She says: “After the summer vacation, children come back to school with a lot of stories to tell and so much to share. It’s wonderful to listen to them and see the wonder and joy as they recount their experiences. So many of them travel, and their infectious excitement as they tell their stories quickly takes over the whole class. I always remind myself of how important it is to listen to them, and learn from their experiences. For me, as a teacher, a new school year means a new opportunity to positively touch my students’ hearts and minds, and hopefully their lives.” For her, the back to school season is a time to bond with students and help them build their knowledge by helping them learn from own experiences. STUDENTS START THE TERM WITH A PRAYER … At Pakistan Education Academy, Dubai.— KT photo by Grace Guino “A new school year is always exciting for us teachers. It’s a chance to build on previous experiences and carry them forward. Each child is unique and each child I have taught has opened my eyes to new experiences and new expectations. So often, we become the learners and they the teachers,” she added. Reem Sabobeh, a student at the Al Mawakeb School in Al Garhoud. expressed happiness at being able to go back to school. “I had a nice long break, and I’m ready to go back and finish on a high note. This year is my final year at school and I hope I will have the chance to grow into an even more mature and dependable student, on my way to university. At Al Mawakeb, we learn to be responsible but we also learned that there is no limit to growth, and I plan to keep growing.” – muaz@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
