9-yr-old Indian girl wins USD 1 million jackpot in Dubai, She won a car in 2013
Dubai, Apr 16: A nine-year-old Indian girl on Tuesday won USD 1 million jackpot in Dubai Duty Free's Millennium Millionaire - six years after winning a luxury car in the same raffle.
Eliza M, a grade school student, won the jackpot with ticket No.0333, the Khaleej Times reported.
Her father, identified as M. from Mumbai and a resident of Dubai for 19 years, said that he was a regular participant in the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire promotion since 2004.
With 9 as his lucky number, he decided to buy ticket No. 0333 online under his daughter's name, Eliza, the paper said.
The girl is no newcomer to winning Dubai Duty Free promotions as she won a luxury McLaren Coupe in January 2013, the paper said.
She is the 140th Indian national to win a million dollars in the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire promotion since its inception in 1999.
"I have been buying tickets for the USD 1 million promotion since Series 43, and in fact, I have kept that ticket all this time. I never missed buying a ticket for every series including the Double and Multi-Millionaire Promotions," the girl's father said.
Following the draw, two more winners were announced in Dubai Duty Free's Finest Surprise Promotion, each winning a luxury motorbike.
Mohammad Haneef Adam, a 23-year-old Dubai-based Indian national, won an Indian Scout Bobber.
A resident of Dubai for 20 years, Adam currently works in Sharjah.
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India describes attack on Fujairah 'unacceptable'
New Delhi (PTI): India on Tuesday described the wounding of three Indians in an attack on the United Arab Emirates' port city of Fujairah as "unacceptable" and pressed for an immediate cessation of hostilities targeting innocent civilians.
New Delhi's reaction came a day after the Indians were injured after a drone attack caused a fire at a major oil industry zone in Fujairah. The UAE had accused Iran of carrying out the strike.
"The attack on Fujairah that resulted in injury to three Indian nationals is unacceptable," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
"We call for immediate cessation of these hostilities and the targeting of civilian infrastructure and innocent civilians," the spokesperson said.
Jaiswal said India continued to stand for dialogue and diplomacy to deal with the situation so that peace and stability could be restored across West Asia.
"We also call for free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the Strait of Hormuz in keeping with international law. India stands ready to support all efforts for a peaceful resolution of issues," he said.
The attack on Fujairah city came as the ceasefire between the US and Iran came under strain in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas pass, remains a major sticking point in the talks. Shipping through the narrow Gulf waterway has been severely disrupted by the conflict, triggering a sharp increase in oil prices and energy shortages in several countries.
The UAE's defence ministry on Monday said its air defence systems engaged 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones launched from Iran.
The ministry affirmed that it "remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats and will firmly confront anything that aims to undermine the security of the country."
