Actress-turned-politician Nagma molested in full public view

Congress politician kissed the actress while she was campaigning.

Indian actress Nagma.

Indian actress Nagma, who is standing as a Congress candidate in the upcoming general elections in the country, was publicly molested by her own party leader.

The actress-turned-politician was in for a shock when the local Congress leader Gajraj Sharma misbehaved publicly with her during a poll campaign in Hapur in Uttar Pradesh.

Nagma was taken aback when MLA Gajraj Sharma grabbed her and kissed in front of hundreds of people gathered.

Highly annoyed by the MLA's nasty behaviour, Nagma fling his hand off her and freed herself from his grip.

She then walked away without addressing her supporters.

Nagma was fuming with anger as the MLA tried to take advantage of the crowd around them during the meeting.

The actor was so angry that she headed directly to the waiting vehicle and drove away.

The MLA's act has been caught on camera and has been condemned by some women activists who are demanding his apology now.

Nagma is a Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Meerut in the upcoming elections.

Missing Malaysia Airlines latest update: You see it? All eyes on deck after China satellite spot

Llatest possible lead came as search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 enters third week.

A still image taken from video on March 22, 2014 shows an image of an object spotted in the southern Indian Ocean by the Gaofen-1 high-resolution optical Earth observation satellite of CNSA (China National Space Administration). Chinese satellites have spotted objects floating in the southern search area for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 aircraft that could be debris and has sent ships to investigate, Malaysia said on Saturday.

Malaysia's acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein (C) speaks about the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, during a news conference at Kuala Lumpur International Airport March 22, 2014. Chinese satellites have spotted objects floating in the southern search area for the missing aircraft that could be debris and has sent ships to investigate, Malaysia said on Saturday. Standing on the left is Department of Civil Aviation's Director General Azharuddin Abdul Rahman and on the right is Malaysia Airlines Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya.

Chinese icebreaker Xuelong, literally "snow dragon", berthed in Qingdao port, east China's Shandong province. China is dispatching more ships to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, state media reported on March 21, 2014, bringing the total number to at least seven vessels.

Latest update: Scanning the choppy waters of the southern Indian Ocean for a missing Malaysia Airline's flight are expert spotters relying mostly on binoculars and the human eye to locate the jet.
Six aircraft were to fly low over Australia's search zone on Saturday with skilled observers looking out of the windows. Norwegian merchant ship, the St Petersburg, is already at the scene.

"So far, the vessel has not spotted anything unusual in the water," said Olav Sollie from the shipping company that owns the boat, Hoegh Autoliners, adding that fog hindered visibility on Friday.
"I suppose that the biggest chance is probably for an airplane to spot something in the water, when the vessel can be directed to that position and be in position to identify what it actually is."

Sollie said the vehicle-carrier did not have advanced search equipment but that "the most effective (approach) in such operations is actually using your eyes and binoculars".
"The search so far is being done from the deck of the ship itself," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"And that is natural also because the ship is 25 metres (82 feet) high, so from the top deck on the vessel, you have a very good view and a long view."

Chinese satellite:
China said on Saturday it had a new satellite image of what could be wreckage from a missing Malaysian airliner, as more planes and ships headed to join an international search operation scouring some of the remotest seas on Earth.

The latest possible lead came as the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 entered its third week, with still no confirmed trace found of the Boeing 777 or the 239 people on board.
The new potential sighting was dramatically announced by Malaysia's acting transport minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, after he was handed a note with details during a news conference in Kuala Lumpur, scooping the official announcement from China.

"Chinese ships have been dispatched to the area," Hishammuddin told reporters.
China said the object was 22 metres long (74ft) and 13 metres (43ft) wide, and spotted around 120 km (75 miles) "south by west" of potential debris reported by Australia off its west coast in the forbidding waters of the southern Indian Ocean.

The image was captured by the high-definition Earth observation satellite "Gaofen-1" early on March 18, two days after the Australian satellite picture was taken, China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) said on its website.

There was no official comment on whether the two images could show the same object.
Flight MH370 vanished from civilian radar screens early on March 8, less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur on a scheduled flight to Beijing.

Investigators believe someone on board shut off the plane's communications systems, and partial military radar tracking showed it turning west and re-crossing the Malay Peninsula, apparently under the control of a skilled pilot.
That has led them to focus on hijacking or sabotage, but they have not ruled out technical problems.

Remote seas:

Since Australia announced the first image of what could be parts of the aircraft on Thursday, the international search for the plane has focused on an expanse of ocean more than 2,000 km (1,200 miles) southwest of Perth.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said one of its aircraft reported sighting a number of "small objects" with the naked eye, including a wooden pallet, within a radius of five km.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3 Orion aircraft took a closer look but only reported seeing clumps of seaweed. It dropped a marker buoy to track the movement.
"A merchant ship in the area has been tasked to relocate and seek to identify the material," AMSA said in a statement.

The search area experienced good weather conditions on Saturday with visibility of around 10 kilometres and moderate seas.

Australia, which is coordinating the rescue, has cautioned the objects in the satellite image might be a lost shipping container or other debris, and may have sunk since the picture was taken.
"Even though this is not a definite lead, it is probably more solid than any other lead around the world and that is why so much effort and interest is being put into this search," Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss told reporters, before latest Chinese image was reported.

China said its icebreaker "Snow Dragon" was heading for the area, but was still around 70 hours away. Japan and India were also sending more planes and Australian and Chinese navy vessels were steaming towards the southern search zone.

But the area is known for rough seas and strong currents, and Malaysia's Hishammuddin said a cyclone warning had been declared for Christmas Island, far off to the north.

"There are vessels heading in that direction. They may have to go through the cyclone," he said.
"Generally, conditions in the southern corridor are very challenging," said Hishammuddin. "The ocean varies between 1,150 metres and 7,000 metres in depth."

NO SIGN IN NORTHERN CORRIDOR:
Where the missing plane went after it flew out of range of Malaysia's military radar off the country's northwest coast has been one of the most puzzling aspects of what has quickly become perhaps the biggest mystery in modern aviation history.

Electronic "pings" detected by a commercial satellite suggested it flew for another six hours or so, but could do no better than place its final signal on one of two vast arcs: a northern corridor from Laos to the Caspian Sea, and a southern one stretching from Indonesia down to the part of the Indian Ocean that has become the focal point of the search.

Malaysia has said the search will continue in both corridors until confirmed debris is found.
Hishammuddin said that, in response to a formal diplomatic request from Malaysia, China, India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Laos, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan had all said, based on preliminary analysis, that there have been no sightings of the aircraft on their radar.

Aircraft and ships have renewed the search in the Andaman Sea between India and Thailand, going over areas in the northern corridor that have already been exhaustively swept.
The Pentagon said it was considering a request from Malaysia for sonar equipment. The P-8 and P-3 spy planes, which the United States is already deploying in the search, also carry "sonobuoys" that are dropped into the sea and use sonar signals to search the waters below.

The search itself has strained ties between China and Malaysia, with Beijing repeatedly leaning on the Southeast Asian nation to step up its hunt and do a better job at looking after the relatives of the Chinese passengers.

For families of the passengers, the process has proved to be an emotionally wrenching battle to elicit information.
In a statement on Saturday, relatives in Beijing lambasted a Malaysian delegation for "concealing the truth" and "making fools" out of the families after they said they left a meeting without answering all their questions.
"This kind of conduct neglects the lives of all the passengers, shows contempt for all their families, and even more, tramples on the dignity of Chinese people and the Chinese government," they said.

Some experts have argued that the reluctance to share sensitive radar data and capabilities in a region fraught with suspicion amid China's military rise and territorial disputes may have hampered the search.

Al Arabiyya presenters disrupt Saudi engagement

Argument over which TV channel to watch.

An engagement party in Saudi Arabia was disrupted by two female presenters from the Saudi satellite TV news channel ‘Al Arabiyya’.

Suhair Al Qaisi and Christian Besri were the subject of a heated argument between two Saudi men at a party held to mark the engagement of their son and daughter.

During the party in the southern Saudi town of Baha, the fiance’s father kept searching for TV channels before settling on ‘Al Arabiyya’.

He then suddenly turned to ‘Al Arabiyya Al Hadath’, an offshoot of the main news channel.

Angered by his continuous fiddling with the TV set, the fiancee’s father said to the fiance’s father: “Have you made up your mind… which one… Suhair or Christian.”

According to Sada Arabic language newspaper, the fiance’s father was angered by that remark and the party was disrupted.

“The engagement was about to be cancelled but it went ahead after the mediation by some guests at the party,” it said.

Student claims to have spotted missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on satellite

Satellite image appears to show a plane above a jungle.

A university student from Taiwan claims to have found an image of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 by searching satellite images on a map service assisting in the investigation. (Pic credit: DigitalGlobe/Reddit)

A university student from Taiwan claims to have found an image of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 by searching satellite images on a map service assisting in the investigation.

The Taiwan China Times reports that the image sourced from Tomnod, a map search website being used by hundreds and thousands in the search for the missing Boeing 777-200 passenger jet, had not yet been verified by authorities.

The satellite image appears to show a plane in the skies above a jungle, which is claimed to be the missing Malaysian Airlines flight.
According to satellite firm DigitalGlobe, which owns Tomnod, more than three million people have participated in the search of an area that now covers around 24,000 square kilometres, including a new area in the Indian Ocean.

It also said that system was's computers were overloaded for some time, with over 250 million map views and nearly three millions areas "tagged" by users.
Witnesses in the Maldives said that they saw a low-flying plane on the day it disappeared in what could be the latest possible sighting of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Residents saw a jet with markings similar to a Malaysia Airlines plane flying around Kuda Huvadhoo, a remote Maldives island in Dhaal Atoll, local news site Haveeru Online reported.

This coincides with reports that several airport runways were found programmed on the flight simulator at Zaharie Ahmad Shah's home.

One of those runways was Male International Airport in the Maldives.

According to the report, several locals saw a plane at 6.15am local time on March 8.

"I've never seen a jet flying so low over our island before. We've seen seaplanes, but I'm sure that this was not one of those. I could even make out the doors on the plane clearly," a resident said.

"It's not just me either, several other residents have reported seeing the exact same thing. Some people got out of their houses to see what was causing the tremendous noise too."

Dog with lion's blood 'sold for $2 million'

Could be most expensive dog sale ever.

This picture taken on March 18, 2014 shows an unidentified man posing for a photo with two Tibetan mastiffs after they were sold at a "luxury pet" fair in Hangzhou, in eastern China's Zhejiang province. One of the Tibetan mastiff puppies (L) was sold in China for almost two million USD, a report said on March 19, in what could be the most expensive dog sale ever

A Tibetan mastiff puppy has been sold in China for almost $2 million, a report said Wednesday, in what could be the most expensive dog sale ever.

A property developer paid 12 million yuan ($1.9 million) for the one-year-old golden-haired mastiff at a "luxury pet" fair Tuesday in the eastern province of Zhejiang, the Qianjiang Evening News reported.

"They have lion's blood and are top-of-the-range mastiff studs," the dog's breeder Zhang Gengyun was quoted as telling the paper, adding that another red-haired canine had sold for 6 million yuan.

Enormous and sometimes ferocious, with round manes lending them a passing resemblance to lions, Tibetan mastiffs have become a prized status symbol among China's wealthy, sending prices skyrocketing.

The golden-haired animal was 80 centimetres (31 inches) tall, and weighed 90 kilograms (nearly 200 pounds), Zhang said, adding that he was sad to sell the animals. Neither was named in the report.

"Pure Tibetan mastiffs are very rare, just like our nationally treasured pandas, so the prices are so high," he said.

One red mastiff named 'Big Splash' reportedly sold for 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) in 2011, in the most expensive dog sale then recorded.

The buyer at the Zhejiang expo was said to be a 56-year-old property developer from Qingdao who hopes to breed dogs himself, according to the report.

The newspaper quoted the owner of a mastiff breeding website as saying that last year one animal sold for 27 million yuan at a fair in Beijing.

But an industry insider surnamed Xu told the paper that the high prices may be the result of insider agreements among breeders to boost their dogs' worth.

"A lot of the sky-high priced deals are just breeders hyping each other up, and no money actually changes hands," Xu said.

Owners say the mastiffs, descendants of dogs used for hunting by nomadic tribes in central Asia and Tibet, are fiercely loyal and protective.  

  

17-year-old Pakistan gang-rape victim Amina Bibi dies after setting self on fire

College student doused herself with petrol and then set it alight outside police station to protest accused being released.

Pakistani paramedics and policemen move the body of a rape victim from a hospital in Multan on March 14, 2014. A Pakistani teenager died on March 14 after setting herself on fire after a court dropped charges against four men accused of raping her, police said. The incident occured in Muzaffargar district of Punjab province, where the horrific gang rape of an illiterate women in 2002 made headlines around the world.

The 17-year-old Pakistani victim of a gang rape died on Friday after setting herself on fire in protest against a police report that led to the release of a key suspect, a doctor and her brother said.

College student Amina Bibi doused herself with petrol and then set it alight on Thursday outside a police station near the city of Muzaffargarh, in Pakistan's eastern province of Punjab.

A video shot by a bystander shows a woman in a headscarf  engulfed by flames, her face charred and distorted in agony.

"She was under our treatment but she succumbed to her wounds on Friday morning," Muhammad Usman, a local doctor, told Reuters.

The police decision to release the main suspect had been too much for Bibi to handle, her brother told Reuters.

"She was already depressed after going through the trauma, but after the release of the accused, she lost all hope of getting justice and set herself on fire," Ghulam Shabir said.

Bibi was raped by five men as she walked home from her college on Jan. 5, he added.

"I was with her on Jan 5 when five men kidnapped her at gunpoint and took her away," he said. "I couldn't do anything because they were armed."

Police said they would revisit the case following the death.

"It seems the case had not been properly investigated," said senior police office Chaudhry Asghar. "We have suspended the investigation officer, Rana Zulfiqar, and placed him in detention." 

Attack, strip, rob: Gang of 8 hitting Sharjah Industrial area reveal modus operandi

Eight Pakistanis arrested targeted labour camps and company premises.

The police arrested two of the gang red-handed.

The Criminal Investigation Department of Sharjah Police have arrested a gang of eight persons of Pakistani nationality specialising in crimes involving assault and theft.

Acting on a large number of complaints from the Sharjah Industrial Area, involving a gang attacking guards and workers, beating them up and then stealing cash and equipment, the Sharjah CID formed a team which then tracked down the gang members.

The CID then laid a trap and arrested two gang members, MMS, 40, and GMK, 21, red-handed.

The two gave up the other six gang members.

During the interrogation, the accused told the police they climbed fences of company premises and sneaked into the labour camp, after which they stripped their victims, beat them and robbed them.

Laptops, wallets, mobile phones, cameras and TVs were all robbed and loaded into a small truck they used.

They also robbed large quantities of electric cables.

All have been referred to the Public Prosecution.

Syrian Siamese twins to be separated in Saudi

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has ordered local health authorities to bring in Syrian Siamese twin girls to be separated in the Gulf Kingdom in response to pleas by their father, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Tuqa and Yaqin, attached by their heads, live in the northern Syrian town of Riqa and their father has been unable to take them to hospital for lack of medical equipment in the conflict-battered Arab country.

The father, who has 11 children, appeared in the Saudi daily ‘Sabq’ nearly four months ago to appeal for King Abdullah to treat his twins.

“The Monarch has just issued instructions for the treatment of Tuqa and Yaqin. They will be brought in shortly to undergo a separation surgery,” the paper said.

'Bleeding' tree in Egypt cures the sick

Legend has it that the tree was planted 600 years ago.

A ‘miracle’ tree in Egypt has scores of people vouching for its healing power. 

The nabk (jujube-Buckthorn) tree, in Dishna town of Upper Egypt, was reportedly planted by Sheikh Nasr El Din – a Sufi - about 600 years ago. Legend has it that the tree shed blood when El Din died and ever since has been bleeding every Friday and Monday, reported El-Watan –Ahram.

Interestingly, thousands throng to the tree on these days and take home the red secretions, which they believe is a cure for all ills. 

Children climb up the tree to collect the miracle fluid, while women use cotton to soak the red secretion from the slits above ground and collect in bottles. 

The belief among residents is any unwell individual who visits the tree on three consecutive Fridays will be cured. The visit is not complete until they rub the fluid on their body, visit the shrine of Sheikh Nasr El Din and have lunch under the tree. 

Sheikh Rashad Mahmoud Hussain, who works in the mosque and takes care of the tree, was quoted as saying that anyone who attempts to cut branches from the tree will become disabled.

Similarly, those who climb the tree without ‘purifying’ themselves will fall from the tree. 

Women and children form majority of visitors, according to Hussain, who added that most of them return even after the third visit. 

Meanwhile, Salah Abdullatif, an agricultural researcher, opines that illiteracy makes people believe the tree does miracles.

Ibrahim Abdellah, another researcher, who holds a Master’s degree in agricultural science, said the secretion is a normal process of the tree, but people believe it is mourning  the death of Sheikh Nasr El Din.

 

However, people say that the tree never produces red liquid on normal days but  only on Fridays and only at prayer time.

Malaysia Airlines plane missing: 24 hours later... Hope fades for families

Family members of those onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 walk to their car outside a hotel in Putrajaya March 9, 2014. A Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew was presumed to have crashed off the Vietnamese coast on Saturday, and European officials said two people on board were using false identities. (REUTERS)

Family members of those onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 flight walk to their hotel in Putrajaya March 9, 2014. A Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew was presumed to have crashed off the Vietnamese coast on Saturday, and European officials said two people on board were using false identities.   (REUTERS)

A relative of a passenger of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 cries as she walks past journalists at a hotel in Beijing March 9, 2014. The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER aircraft carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew was presumed to have crashed off the Vietnamese coast on Saturday, and European officials said two people on board were using false identities. (REUTERS)

Family members of those onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 cry at a hotel in Putrajaya March 9, 2014. Malaysia Airlines said on Sunday it now feared the worst for its missing plane carrying 239 people, more than a day after it went missing, and was working with a U.S. company that specializes in disaster recovery. (REUTERS)

A relative (front) of a passenger of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 cries as she walks past journalists at a hotel in Beijing March 9, 2014. The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER aircraft carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew was presumed to have crashed off the Vietnamese coast on Saturday, and European officials said two people on board were using false identities. (REUTERS)

Family members look at a wedding album of Norliakmar Hamid (R, in veil) and Razahan Zamani, passengers on a missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 plane in Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014. Malaysia and Vietnam on March 8 led a search for a Malaysia Airlines jet that has gone missing over Southeast Asia, as fears mounted over the fate of the 239 people aboard.

Sarah Nor, 55, the mother of 34-year-old Norliakmar Hamid, a passenger on a missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 plane, talks on a mobile phone at her house in Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014. Malaysia and Vietnam on March 8 led a search for a Malaysia Airlines jet that has gone missing over Southeast Asia, as fears mounted over the fate of the 239 people aboard.

Medical staff arrive at a hotel meeting room where relatives are being held after news of the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 plane in Beijing on March 8, 2014.  Malaysia and Vietnam on March 8 led a search for a Malaysia Airlines jet that has gone missing over Southeast Asia, as fears mounted over the fate of the 239 people aboard.

Medical staff (centre) arrive at a hotel meeting room where relatives are being held after news of the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 plane in Beijing on March 8, 2014.    

Malaysia and Vietnam on March 8 led a search for a Malaysia Airlines jet that has gone missing over Southeast Asia, as fears mounted over the fate of the 239 people aboard.

A man (C) thought to be a relative of a passenger of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight walks through a group of reporrters at a hotel in Beijing on March 8, 2014.  Rescuers from several nations mounted an air and sea search on March 8 for a Malaysia Airlines jet that has gone missing over Southeast Asia, with grave fears for the 239 people on board. 

 Family members of those onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 walk into the waiting area at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang March 8, 2014. The flight carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew went missing over the South China Sea on Saturday, presumed crashed, as ships from countries closest to its flight path scoured a large search area for any wreckage. Vietnamese state media, quoting a senior naval official, had reported that the Boeing 777-200ER flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing had crashed off south Vietnam, but Malaysia's transport minister later denied any crash scene had been identified.  (Reuters)

A woman breaks down while leaving the reception centre for families and friends after an airliner went missing at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8, 2014. Malaysia and Vietnam on March 8 led a search for a Malaysia Airlines jet that has gone missing over Southeast Asia, as fears mounted over the fate of the 239 people aboard.

For latest update on missing Malaysia Airlines plance click here

Pakistani actress Sana Khan dies in road crash, husband critical

Couple was married in December 2013

Pakistani actress Sana Khan died in a road accident on Friday.

She was on her way to Hyderabad from Karachi along with her actor husband – Babar Khan, who was at the wheels, reports Dawn.

The car flipped over as Babar Khan lost control of the vehicle.

Ambulances rushed the newly-wed couple to hospital, but Sana succumbed to her injuries before receiving first aid.

Babar Khan, who suffered serious injuries, is critical at Liaquat University Hospital.

The couple was married in December 2013.

Sana was known for her appearance in a serial ‘Parchaiyan’.

Pictures courtesy: Sana Khan's official Facebook page

Actress Sana Khan dies in car crash, husband critically injured

Sana Khan was traveling in a car from Karachi to Hyderabad when the accident took place.

HYDERABAD: An accident near Looni Kot on super highway some 30 kilometers off Hyderabad claimed the life of actress Sana Khan on Friday.

According to motorway police, Sana Khan along with her husband actor Babar Khan were on their way from Karachi to Hyderabad in a car.

The car driven by Babar went out of control near Looni Kot and overturned as a result of which both Sana Khan and Babar Khan received serious injuries.

On receiving information, the motorway police along with ambulance reached on the spot and shifted them to Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro where Sana Khan breathed her last before she could get any first aid.

Babar Khan was later shifted to Liaquat University Hospital City Branch.

News reports state that Babar has suffered serious injuries in the accident and is in critical condition.

Sana and Babar had tied the knot in December 2013 and had resumed shooting serials earlier this year.

Sana was known for her appearance in a serial ‘Parchaiyan’, where her strong performance earned her critical acclaim. Babar is best known for his role in drama serial Ek Tamana Lahasil Se.

The two had also expressed interest working together in more dramas.

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A photograph of the car wreck goes viral on social media

A photograph of the car wreck goes viral on social media  

Quran copy emerges intact after car fire

A copy of the Quran emerged intact when all other contents of a car were destroyed in a fire that charred the vehicle in Saudi Arabia.

Its owner was driving in the southern Saudi province of Jazan when the car suddenly caught fire, prompting him to jump out.

A Saudi man who was driving in that area rushed to the man to help him out before noticing that only a Quran  copy remained intact after all other contents were wiped out.

“The driver told me that the car belongs to his father who always kept a copy of the Quran in it.

“When I looked into the charred car, I was stunned to see that everything was destroyed except the Quran, which remained intact.

“I decided to document this miracle with pictures by my mobile phone,” he told Sabq daily.

GCC jobs: 80,000 railway staff needed in 5 years for rail project

About 36 railway projects coming up in the region; International Railway Academy to provide state-of-the-art training.

About 80,000 railway staff will be needed within five years in the GCC for 36 railway projects that are currently ongoing, under construction or in the planning stage in the region.

International Railway Academy in Saudi Arabia will provide state-of-the-art training platform to several thousand professionals and technical staff who will be joining an expanding rail network in the region, according to an official from the Academy.

Speaking to Bollyfriends, an official from the International Academy for Railway and Advanced Developments, Saudi Company for Railway Services, said it will provide specialised training for school graduates and professionals in the proposed academy, which will be first-of-its-kind in the region.

“There are 36 major railway projects and Metro railway projects including those that are progressing or under planning stage in the Middle East, with Al Etihad Railway network planned to link all the GCC nations, “ said the official, who added that the Academy is negotiating with the Etihad Railway to provide training facility for the potential Emirati staff.

Similarly, the academy will be providing special training packages to Saudi students, who pass out of schools and colleges, for potential placement in the expanding railway network in the GCC.

The official said Saudi Arabia and the UAE will share major chunk of the GCC railway network. In the UAE, Etihad railway will cover 1200km, several railway stations and offices.

 Etihad Railway is already recruiting staff through its official website.

“Dubai Metro employs nearly 300 employees and some of the GCC railway projects are going to be smaller than Dubai Metro. We expect that about 80,000 railway staff will be required in the region for the next five years,” the official said.

Technicians and experts will be needed for maintaining and supervising the signaling systems.

The Railway Academy, planned along the Riyadh-Dammam railway network, is specially designed as a landmark building with two floors and each of the 14 classrooms will accommodate 15 students each, said Maher Al Refael, Academy’s Project Manager.

In addition to learning in classrooms, trainees will have access to in-house practical training in the four workshops that the academy is developing.

These four workshops will be dedicated to real-life training on railway signaling, heavy track maintenance machines, hand held track maintenance equipment and a simulator center for train driving.

The academy will have two levels of training for high school students and specialized training for professionals.  A student who completes the course of one-and-a-half years will be able to do basic maintenance work on railway tracks. High school students who undergo a two-and-a-half years course will be able to perform fault finding on tracks.

Courses offered will range from short-term to diplomas of 2.5 years; training certification programme of 1.5 years; training courses for six months; as well as special courses designed according to the client requirements.

The Academy is also planning to deliver virtual training programmes.

House rents in Dubai continue to rise every month

Rents jump 2.12% in January, villa prices decline marginally: Reidin

Rents continue to soar in Dubai month after month since 2013.

Reidin.com data released on Thursday revealed that rents for residential properties rose by 2.12 per cent month-on-month (m-o-m) in January 2014 with rental prices increasing 20.32 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y).

Apartment rents jumped 2.35 per cent m-o-m and 22.56 per cent y-o-y, while villa rentals went up by 1.02 per cent m-o-m and 10.82 per cent y-o-y.

Though in its Q4 2013 report, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), a global property consultancy, had predicted that 28,000 new units will be released in 2014, it said in February that realistically it expected only 20,000 new units to enter the market this year.

Property prices, especially the apartment segment, remained on the growth trajectory. Property sales index increased by 2.55 per cent m-o-m, while prices soared 26.79 per cent y-o-y.

On the apartment front, prices went up by 3.33 per cent m-o-m and 29.70 per cent y-o-y. However, villa prices registered a decrease on a m-o-m basis in January. It fell by 0.40 per cent m-o-m, but still reflected an increase of 16.38 per cent y-o-y.

In February, Craig Plumb, Head of Research, JLL Mena, said: "There has been concern that Dubai will experience another bubble, but there are many differences this time around that makes for a ‘smarter’ market.

"Some of these differences are that investors are more cautious, regulations are better, developers are less reliant on pre-sales and significant levels of new supply. Though rise in residential property prices was ‘irrational’ in 2013, the rate of increase will slow-down this year. But there won't be any correction this year," he added.

Anatomy of ET 702 hijack: Co-pilot diverts Rome flight, locks cockpit when pilot in toilet, lands in Geneva

Ethiopian born in 1983 asked to refuel at Geneva, landed , climbed down from cockpit window on rope, and gave himself up to police.

A hijacked Ethiopian plane that landed at Geneva airport early on Monday was diverted from Rome by the co-pilot, who sought asylum due to fear of persecution in Ethiopia, police spokesman Pierre Grangean told a news conference.

The unnamed co-pilot, an Ethiopian born in 1983, locked the cockpit door when the pilot went to the toilet. He then asked to refuel at Geneva, landed the plane, climbed down from the cockpit window on a rope, and gave himself up to police.

He was unarmed and there was no risk at any time to crew or passengers, Grangean said. The co-pilot is being questioned by police.

Bertrand Staempfli, the airport spokesman, told reporters: "He said he felt threatened in his country and wants to seek asylum in Switzerland."

Passengers left the plane parked near the end of the runway and were checked by police as they held their hands on their necks, before boarding a bus, a Reuters witness said.

Swiss authorities detained the hijacker of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that was forced to land at Geneva's international airport on Monday, airport police said, adding that passengers and crew were safe.

The situation was "under control", police said after flight ET 702 had been diverted from its original destination of Rome. The airline earlier said the flight from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa had been "forced to proceed" to Geneva.

An Ethiopian government spokesman, Redwan Hussein, told Reuters the flight had made a scheduled stop in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, where he said the hijacker or hijackers might have boarded the flight.


"We don't know where they are from or how many they are but it looks like the hijacker or hijackers boarded the flight in Khartoum," Redwan told Reuters shortly before police announced they had detained the assailant.

In an apparent recording of a radio communication between the aircraft and air traffic control posted on the social media site Twitter, a demand for asylum can clearly be heard.

Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the recording and it was not immediately clear whether it was a hijacker or pilot speaking from the plane.

"We need asylum or assurance we will not be transferred to the Ethiopian government," the voice in the recording said.

A flight tracking app for mobile devices showed the flight circling over the Swiss city several times before landing.

Etihad Airways flight diverted to Milan; Geneva Airport re-opened

UPDATE: A message posted on Geneva Airport’s official website at 8.15am Swiss time (11.15am UAE) confirms the Swiss hub has already reopened.
The message reads: “Following a temporary closure of the airport, we inform you that departures have resumed and arrivals will resume at 08:45am [11.45 UAE time].”

Earlier:
A spokesperson from Etihad Airways confirmed flight EY053 has been diverted to Milan in wake of Geneva International Airport's temporary closure.

The statement reads: “Due to the temporary closure of Geneva airport, Etihad Airways flight EY 053 from Abu Dhabi to Geneva has diverted to Milan Malpensa airport. 

“The aircraft will continue to Geneva once the Swiss airport reopens. Check-in at Geneva airport is operating normally.”

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