Chinese hotel worker ‘mistaken for prostitute after hugging friend’



ABU DHABI // A Chinese woman who hugged a male friend in a public park was falsely arrested for prostitution, the Appeals Court has heard.

Lawyer Faayza Moussa said the woman, who worked at the Emirates Palace hotel, held a birthday party in the park with some colleagues – a Chinese woman and three Nepalese men.

After receiving a birthday present, the woman hugged one of the men in gratitude.

“Naturally, after her colleague gave her a gift she thanked him and hugged him. When CID officers saw this they exaggerated it,” said Ms Moussa.

A police officer on the lookout for street prostitutes saw the hug and arrested both Chinese women, who were convicted of prostitution at the Criminal Court and sentenced to jail and deportation.

But at Monday’s hearing the lawyer emphasised their good character.

“They have a clean, decent record and are even virgins, which shows their conservative backgrounds,” said Ms Moussa.

“The two women were students at the most prestigious university that teaches hospitality and tourism in China. They come from well-known, prestigious families and were sent on a scholarship to Las Vegas due to their high grades and food discipline.”

Ms Moussa said the women were not given a translator at the police station. The case was adjourned.

hdajani@thenational.ae

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Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
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Investments: Grants/private funding
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Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
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Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

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Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?

It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?

Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.

The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.

The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.

Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver. 

The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.

But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.

Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.

It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.

So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.

Rory Reynolds