K E R A L A M O N I T O R . C O M.
Dubai The City that Cares...This Old Man has been living in a bus Station for the last Four and Half Years!
Middle East's largest themed shopping & leisure facility opened
April 13, 2005
Ibn Battuta Mall Inaugurated
DUBAI - Ibn Battuta Mall, the Middle East region's largest themed shopping experience, was opened today, forming the latest addition to Nakheel's portfolio of unique real estate developments.
Ibn Battuta Mall has been uniquely designed to accommodate the best of retail, entertainment and eateries, and is set to emerge as Dubai's leading shopping destination. The architectural inspiration behind the unique design of the mall comes from the travels of the legendary Arab explorer Ibn Battuta, through Andalusia, Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India and China. The mall
traces the route that had the most impact on the life of Ibn Battuta, with its elaborately themed sections, designed to take visitors back in time. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, Nakheel said, "Dubai is known across the world as a shopping paradise. Nakheel has designed the Ibn Battuta Mall to offer shoppers an exciting themed shopping experience that is unique in every way. Like all Nakheel's projects, the mall bears the trademark features of our quality and exclusiveness. Ibn Battuta Mall is more than a shopping mall, it is a landmark in itself, depicting the richness of Arabian culture and history.""The mall symbolises Dubai with its distinctive design that embodies a perfect blend of tradition and modernity. Ibn Battuta Mall is certain to be the new landmark in Dubai not only for shopping but also for entertainment. The mall presents a whole new concept for shoppers in the region, and we expect tourists coming into Dubai from all parts of the world, to visit the themed mall and enjoy their time shopping, while involving themselves in a host of other value added offerings," added Bin Sulayem.The mall houses a 21 screen Megaplex and the region's first IMAX experience- which will open shortly- all built to international standards with cutting edge entertainment technology, including automated cinema, wall-to-wall screens, stadium seats, full digital surround sound and an ultra stylish lobby.
"The strategic location of the mall in the new Dubai area will further contribute to the success of this venture. There is a stamp of quality in everything associated with Ibn Battuta Mall, starting from the architecture and general theme, to the tenancy mix and the entertainment options," remarked Murray Scanlan, Mall Manager, Ibn Battuta Mall. "Customers will be amazed at the variety they will find under one roof and we look forward to exceeding their expectations by high quality service." Ibn Battuta Mall, which is segmented into six distinct zones, spreads across an area of 5.4 million square feet, including a parking lot that can accommodate more than 5000 cars. The retail area at the mall covers 67,500 square meters with 275 retail outlets, while the well-planned Food Court spans 3,800 square meters.Several leading brands like Géant, the French retailing chain have already set up operations at the mall. Géant covers a floor space of 200,000 square feet, including service areas where consumers will be able to find a variety of products and services. Customers will have easy access to the mall as Nakheel has built its own interchange, situated between Interchange 5 and 6 on Sheikh Zayed Road, which will allow direct access to the mall.
Ibn Battuta Mall, A Nakheel Project, was conceived to celebrate Dubai's increasing role as one of the world's top shopping destinations. Located adjacent to Sheikh Zayed Road between Interchanges 5 and 6, the Mall combines retail, entertainment, restaurants and family activities all within a uniquely themed environment that is designed to reflect the unique combination
of various heritages and cosmopolitan lifestyle that is the very essence of Dubai. The architectural inspiration behind the unique design of the shopping mall is based on the travels of the legendary Arab explorer Ibn Battuta. The mall is segmented into six distinct architectural zones, representing key destinations visited by Ibn Battuta. Ibn Battuta Mall features a 21
screen cinema Megaplex, including the UAE's first IMAX cinema, themed garden areas and a uniquely designed food courtCBS freelance cameraman shot and wounded by US soldiers
Saudi Arabia: Men 'Behaving Like Women' Face Flogging
(Geneva, April 7, 2005)-- In sentencing more than 100 men to imprisonment and flogging after unfair trials for reputed homosexual
conduct, Saudi Arabia has advertised its contempt for the basic rights to privacy, fair trials and freedom from torture, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists said today. Security police arrested the men on March 10 at a private party held in a rented hall in Jeddah. The government-affiliated newspaper Al- Wifaq reported that the men at the party were dancing and "behaving like women.""Prosecuting and imprisoning people for homosexual conduct are flagrant human rights violations," said Scott Long, director of Human Rights Watch's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program. "Subjecting the victims to floggings is torture, pure and simple." On or about March 26, a Jeddah court, meeting in a closed session in which defense attorneys were excluded, sentenced 31 of the men to prison for six months to one year, and to 200 lashes each, for unreported offenses. Four other men received two years' imprisonment and 2,000 lashes. Police released more than 70 of the men not long after their initial arrest; reports in the Saudi press suggested that personal contacts with the government had intervened on their behalf.
However, on April 3, police summoned the 70 men back to a local police station and informed them that they had been sentenced to one year's imprisonment.Shari'a law, as interpreted and enforced in Saudi Arabia, allows sentences ranging from imprisonment and flogging to death for
"deviant sexual behavior." Al-Wifaq claimed that the men seized at the gathering had been holding a "gay wedding." One friend of an arrested man denied this to Human Rights Watch, saying the gathering was a birthday party. The newspaper's assertion echoed claims made by Egyptian media that the 2001 "Queen Boat" raid in Cairo, in which security forces arrested and tortured dozens, was prompted by a wedding between two men.The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which reflects customary international law, prohibits interference with the right to privacy and unfair trials. The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment—to which Saudi Arabia is a party—prohibits the use of flogging as a punishment."These convictions and sentences are unacceptable—and imposing them based on the victims' real or perceived sexual orientation, or their consensual sexual conduct, is worse," said Nicholas Howen, secretary-general of the International Commission of Jurists. "Saudi Arabia is a member of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. We call on the government to stop these practices, which disregard basic principles of human rights law that all members of the Commission should uphold.""These trials violate the right to privacy, and make a mockery of the rule of law," said Long. "The brutal sentences call into question the Saudi government's recent promises of reform."
Earlier Report about Rampant Human Rights and Labour violations in Saudi Arabia
6 April 2005
IRAQCBS freelance cameraman shot and wounded by US soldiers
Reporters Without Borders today called for a
thorough and transparent investigation into an
incident yesterday near the northern city of
Mosul in which US soldiers shot and wounded a
freelance cameraman working for the US television
network CBS News."Once again the US forces have targeted a
journalist just doing his job," the press freedom
organization said. Reporters Without Borders
pointed out that this was not the first time that
US soldiers shot a cameraman after mistaking his
camera for a gun. Mazen Dana, a Palestinian
working for the British news agency Reuters, was
killed in a similar fashion on 17 August 2003 in
Baghdad. The US army claimed that the US soldiers
involved had acted according to the rules of
engagement."We again call on this same army to be more
vigilant and discerning in order to avoid these
unacceptable blunders," the organization added.The cameraman was injured in the hip in the
course of an exchange of shots between Iraqi
insurgents and members of the 1st brigade of the
US 25th infantry division. In a statement issued
by the Pentagon, the US army said soldiers fired
at a rebel who was "waving an AK-47 (assault
rifle) and inciting a crowd of civilians."During the incident, "an individual that appeared
to have a weapon who was standing near the
insurgent was shot and injured. This individual
turned out to be a reporter who was pointing a
video camera. Regretfully, the reporter was
injured during the complex and volatile
situation," the statement said, adding that the
incident was being investigated.The journalist, who CBS News said should not be
named for his own protection, was taken to a US
military hospital for treatment. The US army
described his injuries as minor.At least 52 journalists and media assistants have
been killed in Iraq since the start of the war in
March 2003, Reporters Without Borders said.Three journalists were killed by the US army in a
single day, on 8 April 2003. Al-Jazeera
cameraman Tarek Ayoub, 35, was killed during a US
air raid when a missile hit Al-Jazeera's bureau.
Reuters cameraman Taras Protsyuk, 35, a Ukrainian
normally based in Warsaw, was killed when the
Palestine Hotel in Baghdad came under fire.
Spanish cameraman José Couso, 27, who worked for
the Spanish TV station Telecinco, was wounded in
the same shooting and died on the operating
table. The places targeted were all known to be
used by journalists but the US army investigation
brazenly cleared all those involved.COMBATING HEART PROBLEMS
Alok Khanna*
18:5 ISTIn the current scenario of ever rising affluence in the Indian Society and promotion in the economic status of all cadres of our society, there is a certain hike in consumption of a rich / fatty diet and progressively reducing physical activity. As it is health consciousness and the concept of keeping fit has never been a hall mark of Indian Society. In this back drop psychosomatic and metabolic disorders like diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and liver dysfunction are on the rise, to the extent that India very soon is going to be a diabetic capital of the world. Similarly coronary artery disease has also increased multifold in the past two decades amongst the Indian Society and there has been a reduction in the age of peak incidence of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), with more and more younger people falling prey to this dreadful disease. The rising mental stress levels are also contributory to this effect.
Rising incidence of CAD envisages a concrete and reliable investigation which could be used for a large, mass scale screening of high risk patients. This investigation should be relatively non-invasive and affordable by the patients. Myocardial perfusion imaging is one such investigation where the exact blood flow and the perfusion to the myocardial muscles can be determined on exercise and rest.
Myocardial Perfusion Imaging
Increasing prevalence of obesity, diabetics, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking world wide, especially in a developing country like India is leading to an increased risk of coronary artery disease which is caused by inadequate blood supply to the heart, usually caused by blocked arteries. Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI) is one method for identifying the risk of heart disease. The test is usually done in a Nuclear Medicine Departments or Cardiac Clinics. It involves an injection of a small amount of Radiopharmaceutical/Radioactive material, labelled cardiac tracer, which circulates in the bloodstream and shows whether the heart muscle is receiving adequate blood supply under stress and/or in rest conditions.
Diagnostic Radiopharmaceutical
It is a product which, when injected, temporarily collects in a particular organ of the body, (for example, the liver, the lungs, the heart or other organ). As the radiopharmaceutical contains a small amount of radioactivity it can be detected from outside the body using special medical equipment called a gamma camera, and a picture, known as a scan, can be taken. This scan will show exactly the distribution of the radiopharmaceutical within the organ and the body, giving the doctor valuable information about the structure and function of that organ.
Myocardial Perfusion Test
Any stress procedure has some risks and one should always consult a physician regarding the risks and benefits of the procedure. The radioactive materials, Tc99m labelled cardiac tracer for injection and Thallium, have been seen to be safe with low incidence of adverse reactions.
Under certain circumstances, a regular stress test may yield indeterminate results. To improve the diagnostic accuracy, physician may request a myocardial perfusion stress test.
The test usually consists of two parts, after exercising and under resting conditions. The entire test may take one or two days to be completed. Tc99m labelled cardiac tracer for injection are administered by injection during peak exercise and once again while one is at rest. As in a regular stress test, ECG electrodes are attached to the chest which allow the physician to monitor heart rate before, during, and after one has exercised. A blood pressure cuff is placed on the arm to monitor blood pressure before, during and after exercise.
Exercise/Stress Test
The exercise part of the examination is usually done with a treadmill, very similar to a treadmill used at a health club. Exercising begins slowly, and approximately every three minutes, the pace gradually increases. As one exercise’s, heart rate and blood pressure changes. This is normal and is monitored throughout the test. At peak exercise, Tc99m labelled cardiac tracer for injection is injected through an I.V. and the patient is asked to continue exercising for an additional one or two minutes.
Some people, due to disabilities, are unable to exercise adequately enough on a treadmill machine to achieve a diagnostic test result. In such cases, a physician usually decides a course of action for testing. Over the decade with changing life style there has been a increasing trend in heart ailments which has prompted a need for reliable diagnostic measures and access to professional health care. This new approach coronary heart disease diagnosis will add a new dimension to this field, where by one can enjoy better health and longer life.
*Freelance Writer on Nuclear Medicine
