The problem is not a new one. Our roads are dangerous because of erratic and reckless driving. While authorities have tried to curb the problem of road safety through community awareness programmes, better driver education and stricter enforcement, the problem appears to be getting worse.
Early Friday morning, 20-year-old twin Emirati brothers and a teenager were killed after their car sped out of control in the eastern part of Sharjah. Their car hit a lamp post, killing everyone in the vehicle. These types of traffic accidents have hospital staff reporting an unprecedented number of patients with brain injuries that often result in a lifetime of disability.
Make no mistake, road safety is an not an issue beyond our control. There are plenty of countries in the world with similarly excellent road infrastructure and automobile enthusiasm that have far fewer road fatalities per capita. The solution to this issue, based on other examples, lies in ensuring that all motorists are suitably qualified to drive and informed about the rules – and in taking repeat offenders off the roads.
A driver’s licence must be considered a privilege that can be revoked if you break traffic laws. Since speeding is one of the leading contributors to accidents, those who are regularly caught speeding must lose their legal ability to drive. Other dangerous behaviours, such as tailgating or texting while driving, should also be punished. Taking away one’s car or imposing high fines is simply not a forceful enough deterrent for serial offenders. Once people realise that they can lose their right to drive, then the enforcement of traffic laws becomes easier.
Our road saftey laws are among the best in the world . This is clear by the recent provision that makes wearing a seat belt or using a safety seat compulsory in all parts of a vehicle. We have the laws in place and the infrastructure to ensure that are roads are safe for drivers and pedestrians. However, we will not be able to ensure safety until all drivers understand that violation of the rules will result in the revocation of their privilege to drive.
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Company%20Profile
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score)
Porto (0) v Liverpool (2), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
