DUBAI // The Attorney General of Dubai has called for the death penalty against the alleged killer of eight-year-old Obaida Al Aqrabawi, who was kidnapped, strangled and then murdered last month.
Essam Eisa Al Humaidan said the 48-year-old Jordanian, who police said had admitted the crime, should be executed.
The man has been referred to Dubai Criminal Court on charges of kidnapping, child abuse and first-degree murder.
The body of Obaida, who was also Jordanian, was found on May 22 under a tree on Academic City Road in Dubai’s Al Warqa. He had been strangled and there were signs of sexual assault. He had been kidnapped two days earlier from in front of a garage in the industrial area of Sharjah where his father worked.
Mr Al Humaidan said that prosecutors had completed their investigations into the case in less than two weeks and that they called for a speedy trial.
The investigation team listened to the testimonies of the victim’s father, uncle and all the officers who were involved in gathering evidence and arresting the defendant. The team also watched a re-enactment of the crime involving the defendant, who is said to have confessed in detail.
The Attorney General added that the death penalty had been demanded by prosecutors because the defendant had pleaded guilty and there was sufficient evidence from witnesses and forensics proving that he committed the crime.
The defendant was also charged with consumption of alcohol and driving under the influence.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The specs
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- Price: Not announced yet
More on Quran memorisation:
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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.
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
