Syria Records World’s Worst Landmine Casualty Figures: Monitor : November 2021

Syria overtook Afghanistan last year as the country with the highest number of recorded casualties from landmines and explosive remnants of war, a monitoring group said Wednesday.

The Landmine Monitor said Syria had registered the most victims for the first time since its annual reports began in 1999, with 2,729 people either killed or injured.

Colombia recorded the most casualties from 2005 to 2007, and Afghanistan has recorded the most since then until last year.

Globally in 2020, the report said at least 7,073 casualties of mines and explosive remnants of war, including 2,492 deaths, were recorded across 54 territories.

The overall number of casualties was below the peak of 9,440 reached in 2016, but up from 5,853 in 2019.

The 23rd annual report is produced by the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, the research and monitoring arm of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and the Cluster Munition Coalition NGOs

source/content : english.ahram.org.eg

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File Photo: A Syrian army soldier uses a detector to find and clear landmines in a field at a pistachio orchard in the village of Maan, north of Hama, in west-central Syria, June 24, 2020. AFP / pix: english.ahram.org.eg

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SYRIA

Emirati Dhow Captain Muhammad bin Lahej, Honoured by the British for Role in Second World War

Muhammad bin Lahej transported troops in his dhow during Operation Countenance.

Under the cover of darkness, with only the stars for guidance, Muhammad bin Lahej sailed through the inky black waters.

The young captain guided his dhow up the coast of Oman from Muscat, through the Strait of Hormuz and into the Arabian Gulf, dodging enemy submarines as he went.

It was a journey he had made countless times before. But instead of spices and goods in the cargo hold that August 24 night, were troops of the British army.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Old photo of Muhammad Matar bin Lahej today at an event to celebrate the contribution of the UAE citizen Muhammad Matar bin Lahej (95 years old and one of the last survivors of WW2) to the military efforts during the war (particularly during Operation Countenance). He helped the British/Allies take Bandar Abbas at the British Embassy, Dubai Creek. Ruel Pableo for The National for John Dennehy’s story / pix: thenationalnews.com

Eighty years on, Britain honoured Emirati Mr Lahej, 95, for his daring exploits during the Second World War.

Because Mr Lahej was too frail to attend in person, the event at the office of the British Embassy in Dubai on Monday was attended by his sons, who recounted their father’s role in secretly moving troops as part of Operation Countenance – the 1941 Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.

“Since the end of the Second World War, the story has been forgotten,” said Hamed bin Lahej. “My father is one of the last heroes alive who volunteered.”

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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Simon Penney, British Consul General to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, presents a plaque of appreciation to the sons of Muhammad bin Lahej for his role during the Second World War. Ruel Pableo for The National / pix: thenationalnews.com

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

Egypt :Nearly 100 Women Sworn in as Judges in Egypt Judicial Body : October 2021

Nearly 100 women Tuesday became the first female judges to join Egypt’s State Council, one of the country’s main judicial bodies.

The 98 women were sworn in before the council’s chief judge, Mohammed Hossam el-Din, in a celebratory event in Cairo.

The swearing-in came months after President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi asked for women to join the State Council and the Public Prosecution, the two judicial bodies that until recently were exclusively male.

Established in 1946, the State Council is an independent judicial body that mainly handles administrative disputes, disciplinary cases and appeals. It also reviews draft laws, decisions and contracts to which the government or a government-run body is a party.

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg

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Judges attend a swearing-in ceremony before Egypt s State Council s chief judge Mohammed Hossam el-Din in a celebratory event in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. AP / pix: english.ahram.org.eg

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EGYPT

Winners of Egypt’s 1st Female Entrepreneurs Hackathon by ITIDA, Intel : October 28th, 2021

The Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC), an affiliate of Egypt’s Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), announced Thursday the winning teams of the first hackathon for women in Egypt “She Hackathon”, organized in collaboration with Intel, and Digital Egypt Innovation Hubs (Creativa).

“She Hackathon” is the first hackathon for women entrepreneurs in Egypt that aims to empower women by addressing the challenges they face in establishing their companies and businesses.

The first prize was awarded to a team of three young women from Aswan governorate, for a mobile application developed to aid in combating harassment and violence against women, through features of voice distress calls and messages, sharing location, classification of places, according to the degree of safety, in addition to providing psychological support.

The second prize was awarded to “Trisomy” from Ismailia governorate, for a free mobile application to achieve effective communication between parents of children with Down syndrome and help them connect with doctors, nurses, and psychologists in their vicinity.

The third prize was awarded to “Fem Scan” from Mansoura governorate, for presenting an idea and a prototype of an application and a system that helps reduce misdiagnosis and the time it takes to perform X-rays, especially in women’s breast cancer screening cases.

source/content: egypttoday.com

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Winners of the First Prize / pix: egypttoday.com

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EGYPT

UAE Cake Shop Creates Guinness World Record at Expo 2020 Dubai : October 08th, 2021

A tasty Guinness World Record was broken at Expo 2020 Dubai , four days after the initial attempt was postponed due to a tropical storm in the region.

A warm, sweet scent filled the air inside the Swedish Pavilion at the world’s fair, as an attempt to create the world’s “longest cinnamon bun train” got under way.

Fifteen hundred sticky and delicious buns, made from about 6kg of butter, 11kg of sugar and 36kg of flour, were placed in a spiral pattern on a large circular table.

All ingredients used to make and connect the buns – which were comically referred to as the “original gangsters of Swedish bakery” by the chefs – had to be edible, so no glue, tape or sticks were used.

“To bake our way into the record books is a testament to the hard work, agility and dedication that you see every day in our 22 cake shops,” said Tushar Fotedar, a director at Mister Baker.

The world record commemorates Fika, which is a Swedish social phenomenon that brings together colleagues, family members and friends over coffee and pastries.

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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A tasty Guinness World Record was broken at Expo 2020 Dubai on Friday, four days after the initial attempt was postponed due to a tropical storm in the region. All photos by Khushnum Bhandari / The National / thenationalnews.com

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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E) / SWEDISH PAVILION @ Expo2020Dubai

Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah Wins Morocco Desert Rally and Leads Cross Country World Cup : October 2021

Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah.

Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah won the 21st edition of the Moroccan Desert Rally, the fourth round of the 2021 World Cup for Cross Country Rallies, which lasted for seven days amid the participation of the most prominent rally drivers, and topped the general ranking of the world championship.

The coronation of Al Attiyah and his navigator French Mathieu Baumel in a Toyota Hilux, came after taking first place in the general standings at the end of the five stages with a total time of 15.52.10 hours, 15.58 minutes behind of his nearest competitor, the Saudi driver Yazid Al Rajhi, accompanied by his British navigator Michael Oro in a Toyota Hilux, who came second with a total time of 16.08.08 hours, while Argentine driver Lucio Alvarez, accompanied by his Spanish navigator Armand Monleon in a Toyota Hilux, came third with a total time of 17.03.02 hours.

The title is the sixth for the Qatari rider in the Morocco Rally after 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, topping the general standings of the World Cup for Cross Country Rally Championship, before competing in the last two rounds, the Emirates Challenge Rally and the Hail Rally in Saudi Arabia during the coming months of November and December respectively.

source/content: iloveqatar.net

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pix: QNA / iloveqatar.net

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QATAR

Egypt’s 5th edition ‘CineGouna Platform announces 20 Winners : October 2021

The CineGouna projects awarded cash and other prizes this year were 13 projects in development, 6 films in post-production, in addition to one guest film in post-production.

The CineGouna SpringBoard jury included Mohamed Soueid, the Lebanese producer and film critic; Nina Lath Gupta, former CEO of the NFDC; and Ismaël Ferroukhi, the Moroccan director and screenwriter.

The jury gave a special mention to Abo Zabaal 1989 (Egypt) by Bassam Mortada for its ability to create a home for memories and surpassing the filmmaker’s own understanding of his life’s events, which were portrayed from the perspectives of his parents. 

A Quarter to Thursday in Algiers (France) by Sofia Djama won the Best Project in Development award with a cash prize of $15,000; a CineGouna Platform certificate; and US $2,000 worth of in-kind services from Clackett.

They Planted Strange Trees (Palestine) by Hind Shoufani won the Best Film in Post-Production award with a CineGouna Platform certificate; a cash prize of $15,000; and The Indie Deer’s cash grant of $10,000.

Fifty Meters (Egypt) by Yomna Khattab won multiple cash prizes: a $10,000 full film promotion package from The Cell Post Production; a $10,000 cash grant from Trend VFX; a $10,000 from Synergy Films; a US $15,000 cash grant for script development from Mariam Naoum and Sard Writing Room; a $5,000 worth of post-production services from BEE Media Productions; a $10,000 from Cult; a $1,000 for locations services from Clackett; and a $7,000 Master’s Degree US scholarship from Gemini Africa.

This project also won a chance from Arab Cinema Center to participate in Rotterdam Film Lab.

Haysh Maysh: False Drama (Morocco) by Hicham Lasri won $30,000 as a minimum guarantee on film distribution from MAD Solutions and Ergo Media Ventures as well as a $5,000 cash grant from Malmö Arab Film Festival.

Aisha Can’t Fly Away Anymore (Egypt) by Morad Mostafa won a $5,000 cash grant from Gemini Africa as well as EGP 50,000 from The Cell Post Production, and was selected for IEFTA’s Global Film Expression initiative. 

Women of My Life (Iraq, Switzerland) by Zahraa Ghandour won a $10,000 cash grant from Maqam Production Films and was also selected for IEFTA’s Global Film Expression initiative. 

Searching for Woody (Egypt) by Sara Shazli won a $5,000 cash grant from BEE Media Productions in addition to $2000 worth of services from Clackett. 

The $50,000 cash grant per sale from OSN prize went to A Song for Summer and Winter (Syria, Denmark, Germany, United States) by Talal Derki and Ali Wajeeh. The film also won $10,000 worth of a full DCP package from The Cell Post Production.

Hanging Gardens (Iraq, United Kingdom, Palestine) by Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji won a $30,000 worth of services and color-grading package from Mercury Visual Solutions, while Hyphen (Lebanon) by Reine Razzouk won a $10,000 cash grant from Clackett. 

Happy Lovers (France, Morocco) by Hicham Lasri won a $10,000 cash grant from Rotana, while Arab Radio and Television Network (ART) gave its $10,000 cash grant to SINK (Jordan, Sweden, Canada, France) by Zain Duraie. 

My Father’s Scent (Egypt) by Mohamed Siam won a $10,000 cash grant from New Black, while The Blind Ferryman – Al Baseer (Iraq, Switzerland) by Ali Al-Fatlawi won a $5,000 worth of post-production services by Hecat Studio.

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg

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pix: english.ahram.org.eg

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EGYPT/ IRAQ / LEBANON/ MOROCCO / PALESTINE/ SYRIA

Gender Equality ‘Champion’ Jordanian Sima Bahous appointed as Executive Director to Head ‘UN Women’ : September 13th, 2021

Dr. Sima Sami Bahous (aka) Sima Bahous. Diplomat. Leader.

Sima Bahous is one of the highest highest ranking officials from the Arab world in the UN system.

Secretary-General António Guterres described Sima Sami Bahous of Jordan, as “a champion for women and girls”, announcing on Monday her appointment to lead the UN’s gender equality and empowerment entity, UN Women.

Ms. Bahous brings to the job more than 35 years of leadership experience at the grassroots, national, regional and international level. 

Most recently, Ms. Bahous served as Jordan’s UN ambassador in New York.   

Prior to that, she was the Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States at the UN Development Programme (UNDP) from 2012 to 2016 and Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Social Development Sector at the League of Arab States, from 2008 to 2012. 

The new UN Women chief has also served in two ministerial posts in Jordan as President of the Higher Media Council from 2005 to 2008 and as Adviser to King Abdullah II from 2003 to 2005.   

She has also worked for UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, and with a number of UN and civil society organizations, as well as teaching development and communication studies at different universities in her native Jordan.  

She is fluent in Arabic and English, and proficient in French. 

source/content : www.news.un.org

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UN Photo/Manuel Elías
UN Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Sima Sami Bahous of Jordan as Executive Director of UN-Women. / news.un.org

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JORDAN

Lina Ghotmeh – Awarded the ‘Tamayouz’ Prize, for ‘Excellence of Women Architects in the Middle East and North Africa’ : January 2021

Lina Ghotmeh. Humanist Architect . Founder of Lina Ghotmeh – Architecture, France

French-Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh recently received the “Tamayouz” prize, which rewards the excellence of women architects in the Middle East and North Africa.

An additional recognition for this architect, who has won several other international awards.

www.linaghotmeh.com

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© Hannah-Assouline-ok./ pix: linaghotmeh.com

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FRENCH / LEBANESE

Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Qemzi Secures 3rd World Title ‘UIM F2 World Championship’, Grand Prix of Portugal : October 2021

Rashed Al Qemzi

It was Al Qemzi’s fourth successive Grand Prix win in Portugal

Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Qemzi secured his third UIM F2 world championship title on Sunday with an emphatic victory in the Grand Prix of Portugal.

Starting from pole position, the brilliant Emirati driver completely dominated the final round of the series at Vila Velha de Ródão, winning by the commanding margin of 8.686 seconds against Duarte Benavente, the defending world champion.

It was Al Qemzi’s fourth successive Grand Prix win in Portugal and his second taste of world title glory this season following July’s endurance championship success in Polamd.

Italian powerboat racing legend Guido Cappellini has now landed 13 world titles since taking charge as Team Abu Dhabi manager in February 2015.

source/content: khaleejtimes.com

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Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Qemzi. (Supplied photo) / khaleejtimes.com

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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)