Suicide drama at Sharjah apartment

(By a staff reporter)

14 June 2008

SHARJAH - A suicide attempt by an 18-year-old Indian girl was foiled yesterday after timely intervention by Sharjah Police and Civil Defence personnel who managed to pull the girl back to safety from the balcony of a 13th floor apartment near Concord Cinema. Eye-witnesses said the drama started around 5pm when the girl was noticed standing in the balcony.

'She stood on the narrow balcony and her family members were shouting and crying in an attempt to persuade her not to jump off,' said Ashraf, an eyewitness.

'A large crowd gathered on the ground and people were seen making efforts to save the girl in case she jumped.

Police and Civil Defence personnel rushed to the scene and engaged her in a conversation,' the eye-witness said. 'While police personnel on the ground were talking to the girl, some CID officers entered the apartment. They distracted the girl and suddenly pulled her to safety,' he added.

The entire drama, he said, lasted for almost an hour. The girl's differences with her family were believed to be the reason for her frustrated act. Police officials were not available for comment.

Most Beautiful Goat

Muhammad Hawas of Saudi Arabia poses with his Damascene goat, or Maaz Al Shami, named Qahr, which won the first prize for the "Most Beautiful Goat" title at the Mazayen al-Maaz competition in Riyadh on Friday, June 13.

once the world's most obese man

Manuel Uribe drinks a beer with friends and relatives outside his house in the suburb of San Nicolas de los Garza in the northern city of Monterrey on June 11. Uribe, once the world's most obese man, celebrated his 43rd birthday on Wednesday with a very short trip outside his house.

Hummer driver faces trial for mowing down woman

By Alia Al TheebStaff Reporter
Published: June 06, 2008, 00:12

Dubai: An Arab motorist, who deliberately ran over a woman and fled the scene last week, has been referred to the public prosecution on charges of murder.

A 52-year-old British woman died when the Hummer mowed her down as she got out of a taxi on Airport Road last Friday.

According to the Dubai Ambulance Services Centre, the centre had received an accident report around 12.51am and an ambulance arrived at the scene at 12.58am.

The victim had sustained serious head injuries and was taken to Rashid Hospital. However, she died on arrival. A senior police official told Gulf News the suspect, a young man, was arrested on the second day after the incident and he was detained at Al Rashidiyah police station.

The official said the suspect has been referred to the Public Prosecution on charges of premeditated murder and the Public Prosecution will carry out more investigation in the incident.

According to police sources, the victim and her husband had taken a taxi and were allegedly under the influence of alcohol on the day of the incident.

Road rage

A witness told the police the Hummer driver, who was also described as being drunk, grew angry when the taxi driver stopped in front of him several times, and that the suspect had also quarrelled with the victim.

The witness told police the driver of the Hummer allegedly ran over the victim when she got out of the taxi and fled the scene.

The suspect, a young man who fled the scene, was arrested the following day after the incident on Airport Road last Friday.

Link: http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Police_and_The_Courts/10218832.html

Face on bamboo shoot stumps cook

GEORGE TOWN: A food stall operator made a surprise find of a human face imprinted on the base of a bamboo shoot that he was about to cook.

Mohd Asri Hamid of Sungai Burung, Balik Pulau, found the “face” when he was about to make a special spicy bamboo shoot dish for his customers on Tuesday night.

The shoot was one of two he had bought from a villager in Sungai Burung on Monday evening. “I did not notice anything special about the shoot when I took it home. In fact, I cut one of the shoots that night but as I was about to do the same to the second one, something stopped me from doing it,” he said.

Mohd Asri looking at the bamboo shoot with the imprint of a human face at its base. He was about to make a dish out of it, but decided not to and keep the shoot now.

Mohd Asri said he was amazed to discover the human face. ”It has a face, two eyes - one open and the other closed - a nose and the shape of a mouth.”

Mohd Asri said he also heard “weird noises” of children playing and crying near his house on Monday night although his wife and three children were away in Yan, Kedah.

He said his aunt who lives next door also heard the same things.

Mohd Asri has now decided to keep the bamboo shoot.

Link: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/5/nation/21450633&sec=nation