DUBAI // A waitress wept in court yesterday as she came face to face with the man she says kidnapped and raped her.
The 23-year-old Filipina told the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance that she met the defendant, ER, at a party at a friend's house in Satwa in October last year. As she left with another friend, ER, a 31-year-old Emirati, offered to drive them home to Al Jaffiliya.
Her friend left her alone in the car with the defendant, who then drove to a parking area where he attacked her, the court heard.
The victim broke down and wept as she described her ordeal before the presiding judge, Fahmy Mounir Fahmy. She said she had tried to persuade her attacker to give her back her labour card, which he had taken earlier in the evening. She said the defendant told her to sit in the car and speak to him before he would return her card.
"When we left the party we were waiting for a taxi, and then he came and insisted on driving us home. He told us that we lived on his way and told us to get in to his car," she told the court. "He held me from my neck and ... raped me. He said he will kill my family in the Philippines and he will kill me if I reported the incident."
ER, who is on bail, is charged with kidnap, rape and threatening the woman.
Obaid Ali Obaid, for the defence, asked the woman under cross-examination to identify the defendant's car model. She said she could recall only that it was a two-door vehicle.
The victim's friend said that after the attack, the victim was bleeding and distraught.
The case was adjourned until July 11 for more witness evidence.
amustafa@thenational.ae
Honeymoonish
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
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Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
The years Ramadan fell in May
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
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Rating: 3.5/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.