Countdown to KhalifaSat

dubai — The five-day countdown for the lift-off of the first 100 per cent made-in-UAE satellite has begun. KhalifaSat has already been placed onto the launcher and is waiting to blast into space from Japan’s Tanegashima Island on October 29.

A team of 10 engineers from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre is on the ground, monitoring the satellite’s launch progress, according to Amer Al Sayegh, project manager of KhalifaSat.

sharjah — A six-year-old Emirati girl panicked when she realised that her school bus had left without her. The first grade student ran back to her classroom and cried until a teacher found her.

It was a case of neglect on the part of the school bus supervisor, who is meant to ensure that all students are on board before driving off, parents said. The school administration confirmed that they had received complaints from the parents and took the necessary action against the supervisor.

Cameras have also been installed in all buses, according to the school, vowing to ensure the incident wouldn’t happen again to any student.

The mother of the girl told Khaleej Times that she started worrying when her daughter’s bus still hadn’t passed by their place about 40 minutes past its expected arrival,

“When my daughter finally arrived and saw me waiting for her, she started sobbing and she was so scared. After I calmed her down, she told me that the supervisor forgot about her in school and left without her,” the mother said.

According to the student, she told the supervisor that she wanted to go to the washroom first before the bus leaves. However, when she went to the bus area, she found that the school bus had already departed and the school’s gate was already locked.

She went back to her classroom and sat alone until a teacher found her and took her to the administration office.

The bus was informed to come back to take the girl home.

When asked about the incident, the school bus supervisor insisted she had done nothing wrong. She was then removed from her post.

When my daughter finally arrived and saw me waiting for her, she started sobbing and she was so scared. After I calmed her down, she told me that the supervisor forgot about her.”

Mother of the girl