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Egyptian film Mawlana, stirs controversy

Posted by مؤسسة الوطن العربى الإعلامية - لندن ، المملكة المتحدة . WA MEDIA FOUNDATION - LONDON, UK | Monday, 30 January 2017 | Posted in

Egyptian film Mawlana, stirs controversy

 

ARAB GAZETTE - CAIRO..

An Egyptian box office hit that highlights the religious establishment’s cozy relations with the state has provoked a backlash from scholars, with some calling for the film to be banned.
Adapted from a novel by prominent journalist Ibrahim Eissa, “Mawlana” (The Preacher) tells the story of a popular television preacher who struggles to reconcile his religious principles with demands and pressures from politicians and security agencies as well as ordinary human temptations.
Through the protagonist, an imam from Al-Azhar, Cairo’s 1,000-year-old center of Islamic learning, the film lays bare the complex and troubling interplay between the state, religious establishment, mass media and extremism in Egypt.
Clerics at Al-Azhar have responded angrily to the film, which they say tarnishes the image of the establishment just as it steps up efforts to rein in violent extremism.
“The film came out at a bad time. This is a time when people are asking to renew religious discourse and improve Azhar’s image. The film coming out now is very wrong. Even its title is problematic,” said Sameh Mohamed, a preacher at Al-Azhar.
Mohamed said the film, in which the televangelist initially bends to the demands of senior officials before having a change of heart, paints clerics as unprincipled and state-controlled.
Variety, the US-based entertainment trade paper, called the film “a forthright critique of corruption and fundamentalism” that was “certain to be one of the most discussed movies” in Egypt.
“The Preacher” is showing to packed houses in regular commercial cinemas, not just a few art houses in the capital. It had raked in 7.3 million Egyptian pounds ($388,300) by its third week — a strong showing for a local film.
The film also explores the origins and effects of sectarian tensions that have flared in recent years between Muslims and Christians.
In the film’s dramatic climax, a young man blows up a church. Life imitated art the day after its premiere with the suicide bomb attack on Cairo’s Saint Mark’s Cathedral, the seat of the Coptic papacy.  

The tourism in Alexandria, Egypt .. Bride of the Mediterranean

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The tourism in Alexandria, Egypt .. Bride of the Mediterranean

 

ARAB GAZETTE - Alexandria

Alexandria has always been known as the Mermaid of the Mediterranean. It is the second metropolitan city in Egypt after Cairo and most regarded as the second capital after it had been its only capital in the past.Overlying the Mediterranean Sea, Alexandria was called after Alexander the Great, who built it in 331 B.C., to become the Hellenic Roman Capital of Egypt and a world center of culture and civilization. Today, Alexandria is a major tourist destination and a year-round seaside resort, with its historical attractions for whoever wishes to visit ancient monuments, get a glimpse at Alexandria's glorious past, or simply spend a sun-savvy vacation enjoying the golden sandy beaches, the shining sun, invigorating sea breeze, and fun-filled entertainment spots.

 The world famous Alexandria Library – a.k.a. Bibliotheca Alexandrina – is a massive cultural and scientific edifice, which attracts eager knowledge seekers within and outwith Egypt. It is another landmark of Alexandria, which plays an invaluable role in spreading cultural, civilizational and historical information along with a number of cultural centers spread around the city.

Since its foundation by Alexander the Great, Alexandria has always been the meeting point of cultures and civilizations as evidently witnessed by the numerous museums, monuments and relics from the Pharaonic, Hellenic, Roman, Coptic and Islamic times.

With its unique location overlooking the Mediterranean, its temperate weather and its attractive beaches, Alexandria has been an essential spot on the itinerary of tourists visiting Egypt. Therefore, it was pivotal to build a marina for yachts to promote yacht tourism industry, and hold local as well as international boat racing competitions, which further add to the city's appeal for tourists from around the world.

It shows Alexandria's lighthouse, and the Goddess Isis, who is the sailors' protector, standing on Alexandria Governorate the ship's front edge holding a papyrus that contains secrets of knowledge and wisdom. The ship is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea.

Alexandria lies in the north west of Delta stretching over 70 km long coast. The governorate is bordered to the north by the Mediterranean Sea, to the east by Behera and to the west by Matrouh governorate.

UNICEF presents Baby-Friendly Hospital Certificate to Dubai Hospital

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UNICEF presents Baby-Friendly Hospital Certificate to Dubai Hospital

 

ARAB GAZETTE - DUBAI, (WAM)

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) celebrated on Sunday the Baby Friendly Hospital status given to Dubai Hospital by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) at a ceremony held at the hospital.
The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), launched in 1991, is a global program sponsored by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF to encourage and implement practices that protect, promote and support breastfeeding. This global effort ensures that all maternities whether free standing or in a hospital, become centres of breastfeeding support. In order to gain recognition as a Baby-Friendly Hospital, healthcare facilities must implement 10 specific steps to support successful breastfeeding some of which include formal training, educating mothers-to-be and establishing lactation clinics to encourage more women to breastfeed their babies.
Dr Abdulrahman Al Jassmi, CEO of Dubai Hospital, highlighted the hospital’s dedicated efforts and its strategies to promote exclusive breastfeeding. He also praised the role played by UNICEF in raising awareness among mothers about the benefits of breastfeeding, which is one of the most effective means to protect babies against various diseases.
Dr Al Jassmi said: "We are honoured to receive this title as it is a globally recognised symbol of world-class maternity care. This title is a gold standard for hospitals and we are proud to have achieved this by fulfilling the rigorous process and highest standards of care demanded by BFHI. At Dubai hospital we have developed several policies for breastfeeding support in line with international standards set by WHO and UNICEF and we are proud that our efforts have been recognised."
He added the measures have led to high rates of breastfeeding among women who deliver at DHA hospitals.
According to Dubai Hospital’s statistics, in 2014, of the total number of women who delivered babies at Dubai hospital, 91.8 per opted for exclusive breastfeeding, 8.10 opted for mixed feeding due to medical reasons and less than one per cent of women opted for mixed feeding for non-medical reasons.
The statistics point out to an excellent breastfeeding promotion strategy that the hospital has in place.
The hospital initiates breastfeeding within an hour of birth unless there is a medical complication that prevents this. Mothers are encouraged to continue exclusive breastfeeding up to minimum six months as it is essential for the baby’s growth and immunity.
Breastfeeding support is provided right from the pregnancy stage; physicians and nurses conduct breastfeeding education right from preconception visits and continue doing so through prenatal care, delivery and postpartum care.
The hospital also has a breastfeeding helpline so that mothers facing breastfeeding difficulties.

 

Cairo International Book Fair, from Jan 26 to Feb 10

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Cairo International Book Fair

 

ARAB GAZETTE - Cairo

The Cairo International Book Fair is the largest and oldest book fair in the Arab world, held every year in the last week of January in Cairo, Egypt, at the Cairo International Fair Grounds in Madinat Nasr, near Al-Azhar University, it is organised by the General Egyptian Book Organisation. The Fair is considered the most important event in the Arabic publishing world.

The Cairo International Book Fair is one of the biggest book fairs in the world, drawing hundreds of book sellers from around the world and about 2 million visitors each year. It is the largest book fair in the Arab world, as well as the oldest. In 2006, it was the second largest book fair in the world after the Frankfurt Book Fair.

The fair is also notable as Cairo-based publishers produce an estimated three of five Arabic language books printed in the world, and the state owned General Egyptian Book Organisation — who coordinate the fair — is the largest book publisher in the Arab world. The fair features booths and speakers from private publishers and government agencies from around the world, as well as retailers of books, video, and other media. Lectures, readings, and other public events take place during the almost three weeks over which the book fair runs, and material is presented in Arabic, English, and other languages. The fair purposely appeals to ordinary Egyptians, with media on mainstream topics, outdoor events, and even fireworks to entertain the large crowds.

The CIBF was founded by the General Egyptian Book Organisation, a government publishers and retailers group, in 1969 to coincide with celebrations of the 1000th anniversary of the founding of the city of Cairo. Its 41st iteration was held from 21 January to 5 February 2009.

The CIBF has been marred in recent years by charges that leftist and Muslim militant authors, works critical of the government, and works featuring passages or topics deemed sexually or culturally controversial have been banned from presentation at the book fair. During the 2000 book fair, Islamist protests against books they deemed offensive erupted into violence. That year, over 2000 members of Muslim student groups protested outside Al-Azhar University, leading to rare public protests against the Egyptian government, violence, 75 arrests and a number of injuries. The students were protesting an Egyptian Ministry of Culture publisher printing and presenting for sale copies of the 1983 novel A Banquet for Seaweed by the Syrian writer Haidar Haidar. Following the protests, two members of the government printing house were also arrested for "disparaging religion" and publishing a work "offensive to public morals".

In following years a number of books presented by foreign publishers have been seized by Egyptian authorities. These have included works by Czech Milan Kundera, Moroccan Mohamed Choukri, Saudi Ibrahim Badi, Lebanese Hanan al-Sheikh, and fellow Lebanese novelist Elias Khoury In 2005, Egyptian police arrested a number of book sellers and activists at the book fair, charging two Egyptian journalists with "disseminating false propaganda against the government" and others for presenting an avowedly socialist work.

The Fair was canceled in January 2011 due to the 2011 Egyptian revolution. The Fair returned in 2012 and "Nearly all of the new books, seminars, poetry recitals, theatrical shows and performances by different troupes at the Fair, in one way or another, seem to depict and celebrate the Arab Spring and the Egyptians’ revolt."

Carthage Music Festival

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Carthage Music Festival announces new international prize

 

ARAB GAZETTE - (TAP)

A new international prize will be awarded at the fourth edition of Carthage Music Festival (April 8-15) to encourage musicological research.

Mahmoud Guettat Musicology Prize is a tribute to the university professor and the Arab-Islamic musicology and civilisation researcher whose writings helped shed light on the rich Maghreb, Arab and Andalusian musical heritage.

Mahmoud Guettat is the author of several books, including "Arab and Turkish Music" and "Maghreb Classical Music." 

Tunis hosts first conference of Arab Union for Specialised Women

Posted by مؤسسة الوطن العربى الإعلامية - لندن ، المملكة المتحدة . WA MEDIA FOUNDATION - LONDON, UK | Sunday, 29 January 2017 | Posted in ,

Tunis hosts first conference of Arab Union for Specialised Women

 

ARAB GAZETTE - Tunisia, (TAP)

The first conference of the Arab Union for Specialised Women was held Thursday in Tunis under the motto "Economic Empowerment of Specialised Arab Women and Investment Opportunities."

Over 100 women specialised in a wide array of fields and representing many Arab countries, including Tunisia, Palestine, Lebanon and Egypt, took part in this meeting that sought to help establish partnerships and energise the relationship between Arab countries.

The creation of the Arab Union for Specialised Women was officially announced in December 2015 at a meeting of the Arab Economic Unity Council that brought together 17 countries.

Keeping Malaysian Higher Education Quality At Its Best

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Keeping Malaysian Higher Education Quality At Its Best

 

ARAB GAZETTE - KUALA LUMPUR

Malaysia is increasingly seen as an education hub and the preferred choice for foreign students in seeking tertiary education from certificate up to doctorate level.

Up until January 2017, the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA) has awarded full or provisional accreditation for 11,464 academic programmes all over the country.

MQA's accreditation ensures students are not shortchanged in getting an education of quality.

Based on data obtained from Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), as at November 2016, there are 496 private colleges and universities all over Malaysia offering a number of academic programmes.

Many of those programmes offered are lawfully pre-approved to be taught here and the institutions are certified prior to running the offered programmes.

MOHE ESTABLISHED-MQA

Established on Nov 1, 2007, under MQA Act 2007, MQA was once known as National Accreditation Board or best recognised as Lembaga Akreditasi Negara, its acronym LAN in Malay.

It is the only qualification enforcement body for all higher education programmes in Malaysia. MQA keeps in check the quality of the programmes offered by both public and private higher education institutions as well as to produce excellence graduates to meet the needs for a skilled workforce.

The change of name from LAN to MQA further enforced its responsibility as the benchmark setter of education in the country.

As the agency developed, MQA introduced the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF) as a basis for quality assurance of higher education that acts as the point of reference for adhering to standards of national qualifications.

Previously before changing its name to MQA from LAN, the eight-level MQF qualifications was not implemented. The agency implemented MQF as a systematic mechanism that categorised qualifications based on learning outcomes, credit hours and student learning time.

Generically, this framework was developed to standardise all Malaysian academic qualifications and to facilitate the recognition of qualifications while help to maintain the Malaysian Qualifications Register (MQR).

MQR acts as a registrar for all accredited qualifications and programmes.

MQA & ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO EDUCATION STATUS

For Malaysia, the establishment of MQA signify a stronger growth development in the academic and professional tertiary programmes.

By adhering and implementing quality control measures in academic and professional programmes offered by higher education institutions (HEI) in Malaysia, it establishes the benchmark for Malaysian higher education quality and system.

MQA, as the only national higher education quality assurance authority, has been one of the pillars in making Malaysia as the education hub in Asia.

It pledges to stand by its mission and vision to be a credible agency and internationally recognised HEI quality assurance body that will instil stakeholders' confidence through its best practices.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MQA ACCREDITATION

With the so many programmes being offered throughout the year, there have been education providers offering programmes that has no accreditation from MQA.

In some cases, there are also programmes offered prior to getting the compulsory accreditation from the ministry.

It is important to make sure the programmes one opts for are accredited because is it the formal assurance that the programme provider has gone through a series of quality check processes.

This is to ensure at the end of the programme, students hold certificates, diplomas or degrees that meet the desired quality standards and criteria set by MQA and is in compliance with the MQF.

Another important aspect of accreditation the public should be aware of is that job application into government agencies requires an applicant to hold MQA-accredited qualifications.

MQA invites interested public such as parents, students, or adult looking to take up further study to get accurate information and consultancy from its officers on duty on every Thursday at its office situated in Menara PKNS-PJ, Jalan Yong Shook Lin, Petaling Jaya or visit its website

Anti-Muslim hatred and other forms of bigotry on the rise, warns UN chief

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Anti-Muslim hatred and other forms of bigotry on the rise, warns UN chief

 

ARAB GAZETTE - New York (IINA) 

Anti-Muslim hate crimes and other forms of bigotry are on the rise, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned in a video message for the High-Level Forum aimed at tackling this challenge.
Hosted by the UN, the US, Canada, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the European Union, the daylong event brings together government, civil society, and private sector representatives, United Nations Radio News reported. Xenophobia, racism, and anti-Semitism are also on the rise, Guterres warned.
In times of insecurity, communities that look different become convenient scapegoats, UN Secretary-General Guterres recalled. Discrimination diminishes everyone, and it prevents people and societies from achieving their potential, he noted.
He urged people to see diversity as a richness and not as a threat. "As societies become ever more multi-ethnic and multi-religious, we need political, cultural and economic investments in cohesion, so that diversity is rightly seen as a richness, not a threat. The United Nations is launching an effort to promote respect, safety and dignity for all. We call it the together campaign. Together, let us stand up against bigotry and for human rights. Together, let us build bridges. Together, let us transform fear into hope. For our Muslim brothers and sisters – and for all humanity."
The campaign seeks to promote respect, safety, and dignity for all. 

Egypt keen on boosting economic cooperation with Lebanon

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Egypt keen on boosting economic cooperation with Lebanon

 

ARAB GAZETTE - BEIRUT

Visiting Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation, Sahar Nasr, voiced Thursday keenness on boosting the economic cooperation with Lebanon, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Nasr, accompanied by Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon, Nazih Al-Najari, met with Lebanese Trade and Economy minister, Raed Khoury, and called the meeting an occasion "to follow up on preparations underway for the impending joint economic committee's meeting, which will be chaired by the prime ministers of Lebanon and Egypt."

She stressed the "prime goal" as economic par excellence and it aims to beef up relations, enhance growth, and increase individual income.

Nasr said that she is seeking to "boosting economic cooperation between Lebanon and Egypt, not just to buoy trade exchange, but also to boost the activity of both countries' businessmen councils.
 

Russian top diplomat to meet Syrian opposition groups in Moscow

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Russian top diplomat to meet Syrian opposition groups in Moscow

 

ARAB GAZETTE - MOSCOW, TASS

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet with members of various Syrian opposition groups to inform them about the results of the talks in Astana and discuss Syrian reconciliation.

Lavrov said addressing the State Duma on Wednesday that all representatives of Syria’s political opposition have been invited to Moscow on January 27.

Read also
Putin: Astana talks results prove there is no military solution to Syrian conflict

"To make sure that no one suspects Russia, Turkey and Iran of trying to replace everything that has been done hitherto by the Astana process, we have invited all opposition members from among the political opposition (to Moscow) on Friday, those willing to come, and we will brief them on what happened in Astana and the way we see the positive development of the Astana process in the future," he said.

The leader of Syria’s Popular Front for Change and Liberation Qadri Jamil, who represents the so-called ‘Moscow Group’ of the Syrian opposition told TASS that, along with his group, the talks in Moscow will also be attended by the Cairo, Astana and Khmeimim opposition groups (named after cities where their organizational meetings took place). The Astana group emerged in 2015 and should not be confused with participants of the January 23-24 talks in the Kazakh capital.

Besides, various Kurdish groups are also expected to take part in the Moscow meeting.

Jamil said that a separate meeting of the Syrian opposition may take place after the talks with Lavroe .

 

NASA unveils spaceship hatch 50 years after fatal Apollo 1 fire

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NASA unveils spaceship hatch 50 years after fatal Apollo 1 fire

 

ARAB GAZETTE -  By Irene Klotz , CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.

NASA on Friday marked the 50th anniversary of its moon program's fatal Apollo launchpad fire with the first public display of the scorched hatch that trapped three astronauts inside their spaceship during a routine pre-launch test.

NASA astronauts Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee died when thick smoke filled the crew module of the Apollo 1 capsule on Jan. 27, 1967, in what was the first deadly accident in the space agency's early days.

The men were unable to open the capsule's three-part hatch before being overcome by smoke. Emergency rescue teams rushed to battle the fire at the launchpad, located at what is now Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, but were too late.

The hatch has now been taken out of storage and incorporated into a new display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to honor the fallen astronauts and serve as a reminder of the risks of spaceflight.

"Had that accident occurred in space, we'd have never known exactly what had happened," former Gemini and Apollo astronaut Tom Stafford said at a ceremony to mark the exhibit's opening.

The deaths of these "three great heroes ... helped save at least one other in flight, maybe two," he added.

Investigators discovered several problems with the Apollo capsule design that led to the fire, including an electrical wiring issue, a pure-oxygen environment and flammable materials throughout the crew cabin.

NASA made dozens of changes and resumed flying in October 1968, setting the stage for the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing in July 1969.

Grissom, aged 40 and one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, became the second American in space in a suborbital flight that preceded John Glenn's landmark first U.S. orbital space flight. White, who was 36, became the first American to walk in space as pilot of the Gemini 4 mission in June 1965. Chaffee, 31, was a rookie astronaut with no previous spaceflight experience.

Friday's ceremony was one of several events this week in which NASA also paid tribute to the Space Shuttle Challenger crew, killed during launch on Jan. 28, 1986, and the Shuttle Columbia astronauts, who died when that spaceship broke apart as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on Feb. 1, 2003.

 At twilight, the families of the Apollo 1 astronauts gathered at the base of the seaside launch complex where Grissom, White and Chaffee had been testing their capsule when the fire broke out.

“It's really important that we come together and we don’t forget who they were and what they sacrificed. Even more important we remember that we don’t ever want to have it happen again,” Kennedy Space Center director and former shuttle astronaut Bob Cabana told the families.

Cabana said the new exhibit was intended to highlight the importance of a work culture where people feel free to voice concerns. Management and communications problems contributed to both space shuttle accidents, investigators found.

NASA is preparing to turn over crew flights to the International Space Station to privately owned SpaceX and Boeing Co (BA.N) as early as 2018.

“The lessons learned from Apollo 1 are critical to our future success and I don’t ever want them forgotten,” Cabana said. “We got to the moon not in spite of Apollo 1, but because of Apollo 1.”

(Reporting by Irene Klotz; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Leslie Adler)

HISTORY OF EGYPT , The Nile as lifeline

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HISTORY OF EGYPT , The Nile as lifeline

 

ARAB GAZETTE - Cairo

The Nile as lifeline: from 6000 BC

From about 6000 BC various communities of hunter-gatherers make the Nile the centre of their territory, around which they roam. But the drying of the Sahara increasingly confines them to the river area. The unusual habit of this great river - flooding every year and depositing a layer of rich moist soil on the surrounding region - is ideally suited to the development of settled agriculture. The river takes upon itself two otherwise laborious tasks, irrigation and the enriching of the soil.

By about 3100 BC these communities have become sufficiently prosperous and stable to be united in a single political entity - the first Egyptian dynasty.
         
The first dynasty: from c.3100 BC

The unifying of Upper and Lower Egypt into a single kingdom is the event pointed to by the ancient Egyptians themselves as the beginning of their civilization.

Lower Egypt is roughly the broad delta of the river, where it separates into many branches before flowing into the Mediterranean. Upper Egypt is the long main channel of the river itself, possibly as far upstream as boats can reach - to the first waterfall or cataract, at Aswan.
   
Egyptian tradition credits the uniting of Upper and Lower Egypt to a king called Menes. But that is merely a word meaning 'founder'. It is possible that the real historical figure is a ruler by the name of Narmer, who features in warlike mood in superb low-relief carving on a plaque of green siltstone (now in the Egyptian museum in Cairo).

Whatever the name, the first historical dynasty is brought into being by the king or pharaoh who in about 3100 BC establishes control over the whole navigable length of the Nile. His is the first of thirty Egyptian dynasties, spanning nearly three millennia - an example of social continuity rivalled in human history only by China.

In the early centuries, and again in the closing stages of ancient Egypt, the capital is at Memphis, near modern-day Cairo. But at the peak of Egyptian power, during the period from about 2000 to 1200 BC, the city of Thebes - several hundred kilometres up the Nile - is a place of greater importance.

The pyramids remain today to show the early greatness of Memphis, in the period known as the Old Kingdom. Similarly the temples of Karnak and Luxor are witness to the extravagant wealth of Thebes during the eras described as the Middle Kingdom and the New Empire.

 

Speaker blasts Facebook over hate speech whistleblower

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Speaker blasts Facebook over hate speech whistleblower
 
 

ARAB GAZETTE - (ANSA) , Rome

Lower House Speaker Laura Boldrini on Thursday blasted Facebook for blocking the post of a young woman who reported that a closed group was publishing stolen pictures of women accompanied by obscene comments. "It is unacceptable that a global platform with 28 million users in Italy alone, which says it wants to combat hate speech, then uses censorship against someone who reports hate via the publication of obscenities and violence, while not intervening against those who do it and boast about it," Boldrini said on her Facebook page. Boldrini was commenting about the post by a young woman, Arianna Drago, who highlighted some closed groups that allegedly insulted woman and incited rape, among other things. Drago said part of one of her posts had been blocked because it did not respect the "standards of the community".
    "What standards is this community based on?" commented Boldrini.
    "And which ones did Arianna breach by drawing attention to a squalid practice that is deeply damaging to the dignity and rights of women?".

German‎ watchdog suspected VW scam on CO2 emissions

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German‎ watchdog suspected VW scam on CO2 emissions

 

ARAB GAZETTE - Berlin

Germany's motor industry watchdog raised suspicions Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) was using prototype vehicles to lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in tests in 2015, soon after the carmaker's manipulation of diesel emissions tests was uncovered, the Berliner Zeitung newspaper reported on Saturday.

The newspaper quoted the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) as telling VW in a November 2015 email it would choose test models randomly and appoint new experts to carry out testing because of doubts about the independence of the company's CO2 testing regime.

"VW has to give a declaration that they (vehicles submitted to tests) comply with standards for serial production models and were not subject to change in any way," the newspaper quoted the KBA's email as saying.

There was no immediate comment from a VW spokesman or the German Transport Ministry, which is home to the KBA.

It was not clear in Saturday's report whether the KBA remains concerned about the transparency of the carmaker's CO2 emissions tests.

VW admitted in November 2015 that besides rigging diesel emissions tests it had understated the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of about 800,000 vehicles, only to announce a month later that follow-up tests had shown the CO2 irregularities affected less than 40,000 cars.

(Reporting by Andreas Cremer; Additional reporting by Gernot Heller; Editing by Helen Popper)

YARAT to present Maryam film

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YARAT to present Maryam film
 
 

ARAB GAZETTE - Baku

YARAT Contemporary Art Space will host demonstration of “Maryam” short film.

The film based on the activity of young Azerbaijani artist Maryam Alakbarli was shot by directors Elmeddin Aliyev and Khayyam Abdullayev.

Maryam Alakbarli, was born in Baku. She started painting and sculpting at a very early age, and took part in many children art exhibitions.

Several of her drawings have been published as charity cards.

The suppleness and sensitivity of Maryam's works is completely unique, and the expressiveness of her articulation of an emotional state is endlessly fascinating.

Her works have won the audience's hearts in many cities around the world.

Her works, including her albums, have been displayed in Baku, Paris, Istanbul, Ankara, Rome, and Moscow.

The Pharaonic history of Egypt

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The Pharaonic history of Egypt


 

..ARAB GAZETTE - CAIRO


The Pharaonic Era dates back to 3000 years B.C. till Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 323 B.C. During the Pharaonic Era, Egypt witnessed many aspects of progress and renaissance in all fields.

Historians divide the Pharaonic Era into three successive divisions: Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and Modern Kingdom. The Pharaonic Era is thus divided into three dynasties as follows:


Ancient Age (Dynasties I & II)



In 3200 B.C. Menes managed to unify north and south of Egypt and he established the first ruling dynasty. To secure the unity of Egypt, Menes established the city of Memphis near Delta.


Old Kingdom (Dynasties from III to VI)

During the Old Kingdom, Egypt enjoyed stability, security and peace, a matter that achieved its economic, cultural and artistic progress in this time. The kings of the Old Kingdom ruled till 2800 B.C. after the throne of Egypt moved to Manf by Zoser, whose pyramid is the oldest known one at Saqqara. The Egyptian civilization flourished in this period, a matter represented in the building of the Giza Pyramids: Khufu (Cheops), Khafre (Chephren) and Menkaura (Mycerinus).


The First Middle Age (Dynasties from VII to X)


This age began in 2200 B.C. when Menthotpe II (Mentuhotep) managed to reunify the country.


The Middle Kingdom (Dynasties XI& XII)


After Menthotpe II, the Prince of Thebes, managed to reunify the country and founded a strong government, Egypt flourished economically. In 2000 B.C. Amenemhet I played a great role in the renaissance of the Middle Kingdom.

The kings and queens of Dynasty XII acquired fame all over the world in the fields of policy, war, culture civilization and religion such as Ahmos, hero of liberation, Amenhotep I who laid down fair standards for wages and incentives, Tuhutmos I, the warrior who expanded the Egyptian borders north and south, and spread out education everywhere, Tuhutmos III who possessed a unique military genius, Tuhutmos IV, the diplomat who was the first to record international agreements.

This is in addition to Akhenaton who was the first to call for the oneness of the Creator and Tut Ankh Amun, who gained fame in the modern time. The most famous queens of this time were Ahmos Nefertari, wife of Ahmos I, Tee, mother of Akhenaton, Nefertiti, wife of Akhenaton and Hatchepsut who ruled Egypt for 20 years.

The Second Middle Age (Dynasties XIII, XVII)

In 1725 B.C. the Hyksos attacked Egypt and occupied the Egyptian lands. Yet, the princes of Thebes, led by Ahmos I, managed to expel them out of Egypt.


The Modern Kingdom (Dynasties XVIII, XX)



After Ahmos expelled the Hyksos, he worked on establishing a well-equipped army. Ramsis II, one of the most famous kings of the Modern Kingdom, signed the first peace treaty in history with the Hittites.


The Late Age (Dynasties XXI to XXX)


From Dynasty XXI till Dynasty XVIII, the Assyrians and the Persians occupied Egypt, till the rule of the Pharaohs ended during the reign of Dynasty XXX when Alexander the Great conqured Egypt.

Arts of the Pharaonic Civilization

Architecture

Ancient Egyptians made outstanding achievements in architecture, as can be clearly seen from the everlasting monuments they have left behind. The first pyramid ever built in Egypt was Zoser's, then Midum's pyramid. However, the Giza pyramids together with the Sphinx, built during the 4th Dynasty, are the most famous of the 97 pyramids built to be tombs for Pharaohs.

During the period of the Middle Kingdom, many funerary temples were built. The 12th Dynasty kings were also interested in el-Fayyoum area where they attended to irrigation works.
The most famous of those temples was the Labyrinth Temple or the “Maze Palace” as called by the Greeks. The temple was built in Hawwara by King Amenemehet III, who also built castles, fortresses and walls along Egypt's eastern borders.

The period of the Middle Kingdom was the heyday of architectural arts, where exquisite inscriptions and fine artworks were engraved on the walls of colossal temples, the most prominent ones were Karnak, Luxor and Abu Simbel.

The era of Thutmose I was a turning point in using pyramids as tombs. On the west bank of the Nile at Luxor, there were carved-into-mountains tombs with rich and luxurious funerary furniture. This can be clearly seen in the tomb of Tutankhamun.

In order to keep wall inscriptions intact, the artists of the Modern kingdom deliberately used deep slightly embossed engravings, thus, avoiding distortion or erosion.

The most recently discovered tomb of the Valley of Kings was that of the sons of King Ramsis II; a vast tomb containing 15 mummies. Pharaonic obelisks were cut out of granite and erected in two-somes at the entrance of temples. Some of the most beautiful examples of architectural art in the ancient Egyptian empire are the temples of Amun, Cheops in Karnak and Luxor, Ramsium and Hetshep-sut at ad-Deir al-Bahari as well as the rock-embedded temples such as the major and minor temples of Abu Simbel.

New trends in the architectural, plastic and applied arts emerged as can be clearly seen in the sculptured colossal and minor statues and ornamented temple columns and mural inscriptions. This elevated style is evident in thousands of small statues made from alabaster, wood or ivory and pieces of antiquities made of glass and earthenware and jewelry inlaid with precious stones.

Literature

Ancient Egyptian monuments still bear witness to their excellent talent in writing and literature. Humanity is indebted to ancient Egyptians for inventing writing, later called by the Greeks the “hieroglyphic alphabet”; composed of 24 letters. Writings were made in black or red ink on papyrus. Egyptians excelled in religious writing which tackled their religious creeds and theories of the after life, secrets of the universe, various myths of gods, prayers and songs. The oldest examples of which were “The Pyramids Texts” and “The Book of the Dead”.

Ancient Egyptian writers were excellent story writers. They used words as a tool to convey wisdom and rules of good conduct. Ancient Egyptians were bent on narrating their heritage of wise sayings and proverbs, chanting them in their feasts and ceremonies. They pursued the tradition of documenting current events of their times. This rich cultural climate was instrumental in generating several Egyptian men of letters and philosophers who left masterpieces indicative of a high level of culture and thought in Egypt.

Music

Music and songs were a favorite object for all Egyptians. Music was used for educating young people as well as in public and private ceremonies, particularly in the army. It was equally used in prayers and the burial of the dead.

Egyptians from the Old Kingdom knew wind and stringed instruments such as the “harp” known at that time as “Tipoti”. They also invented many new types of percussion instruments which were further improved across their history.

Ornamentation

Ornaments, characterized by high artistic precision and beautiful form, were also known to ancient Egyptians. Decorative elements were derived from natural surroundings including papyrus, palm trees, lotus flowers and precious stones. Amulets, believed to protect them against evil spirits, were used. Women, in particular, paid special attention to their own make-up and toilet. They were accustomed to use Kohl (as eye-liner), bracelets, necklaces, rings and henna. Costumes in Pharaonic Egypt varied from one class to another. Clothes were made of soft linen or silk fabrics imported from ancient Syria (Phoenicia). Clothes differed according to the occasion.

Dr. Ali Moustafa Mosharafa, an Egyptian theoretical physicist

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Dr. Ali Moustafa Mosharafa, an Egyptian theoretical physicist

 

ARAB GAZETTE - CAIRO..

He was an Egyptian theoretical physicist. He was professor of applied mathematics in the Faculty of Science at Cairo University, and also served as its first dean.
He contributed to the development of the quantum theory as well as the theory of relativity and corresponded with Albert Einstein.

He was the youngest student in his class, but the most knowledgeable. He obtained his primary certificate in 1910 ranking first nationwide. At the age of 16 he obtained his Baccalaureate in 1914 to become the youngest student at that time to be awarded such a certificate. He preferred to enroll in the Teachers' College rather than the Faculties of Medicine or Engineering due to his deep interest in mathematics.

He graduated in 1917. Due to his excellence in mathematics, the Egyptian Ministry of Education sent him to England where he obtained BSc (Honors) from the University of Nottingham, 1920.


The Egyptian University consented to grant Mosharafa another scholarship to complete his doctoral thesis. During his stay in London many of his scientific researches were published in prominent science magazines. He obtained a PhD in 1923 from King's College London in the shortest possible time permissible according to the regulations there. In 1924 Mosharafa was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science, the first Egyptian and 11th scientist in the entire world to obtain such a degree.

Academic career
When he returned home he became a teacher in the Higher Teachers' college. When the University of Cairo was opened in 1925, he became an associate professor of mathematics in the Faculty of Science because he was under the age of 30, the minimum age required for fulfilling the post of a professor. In 1926 his promotion to professor was raised in the Parliament, then chaired by Saad Zaghloul. The Parliament lauded his qualifications and merits which surpassed those of the English dean of the faculty and he was promoted to professor.

He was the first Egyptian professor of applied mathematics in the Faculty of Science. He became dean of the faculty in 1936, at the age of 38. He remained in office as a dean of the Faculty of Science until he died in 1950.


Scientific achievements
Over the 1920s-1930s, he studied Maxwell's equations and the special relativity and he had correspondence with Albert Einstein.
Mosharafa published 25 original papers in distinguished scientific journals about quantum theory, the theory of relativity, and the relation between radiation and matter. He published around 12 scientific books about relativity and mathematics. His books, on the theory of relativity, were translated into English, French, German and Polish. He also translated 10 books of astronomy and mathematics into Arabic.

Musharafa was interested in the history of science, especially in studying the contributions of Arab scientists in the Middle Ages. With his student M. Morsi Ahmad, he published al-Khwārizmī's book The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing (Kitab al-Jabr wa-l-Muqabala).

He died January 15, 1950. International Scientific circles have never been so deeply moved at the death of an Egyptian scientist as they were at the death of the Egyptian genius Dr. A.M. Mosharafa.

Cairo to host first round of dialogue to achieve peace in Myanmar

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Cairo to host first round of dialogue to achieve peace in Myanmar

 

ARAB GAZETTE - CAIRO  (IINA)

The Egyptian capital Cairo will host on Tuesday the first round of dialogue among representatives of different parties to the conflict in Myanmar's Rakhine State, in order to achieve peace in this Southeast Asian country.
This first round of dialogue, entitled: "Towards a Civilized and Humanitarian Dialogue to Achieve Peace in Myanmar (Burma)", will kick off under the auspices of Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Dr. Ahmed el-Tayeb," said a statement by Al-Azhar on Sunday.
The dialogue is part of a role played by the Muslim Council of Elders to promote peace and coexistence in the world, the statement noted.
Participants in the dialogue include young people from Burmese society of all faiths (Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and Hinduism), in the presence of a number of diplomats, writers, thinkers and journalists. They discuss ways to achieve coexistence and reach a radical solution to the conflict in Myanmar based on the concept of citizenship, it added.

 

Santa’s flight is relatively easy

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Santa’s flight is relatively easy

 

ARAB GAZETTE - BY: Robert Matthews

Millions of festive deliveries made in a single night? According to Albert Einstein, Santa may use more than reindeers to get around, writes Robert Matthews

For parents of small children, the festive season can be stressful. As if finding presents capable of keeping them quiet for a few minutes wasn’t enough, there is also the challenge of explaining how they are going to arrive.

It is not easy convincing a six-year-old that just one old guy in a red outfit really can get so much to so many youngsters so quickly.

Is it really possible to make the hundreds of millions of deliveries needed in barely a day? And do it unseen?

Left unanswered, such questions can lead to doubts in tiny minds about the very existence of Santa Claus.

Fortunately, help is at hand. It turns out that Santa is exploiting some of the most bizarre phenomena known to science.

Ironically, the sheer speed required of Santa is a big clue to how he does it.

Calculations made public this month by physicist Dr Katy Sheen of the University of Exeter, UK, show that Santa is benefiting from effects that kick in when travelling at close to the speed of light, or about 300,000 kilometres per second.

There’s no doubt Santa must be zooming around at something close to such speeds. Even if he exploits time-zone effects, he has barely 30 hours to cover the estimated 350 million kilometres involved in achieving his global delivery target.

So how does Santa travel so fast?

On the face of it, he’s up against the ultimate speed limit set by Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity.

This shows that achieving speeds close to that of light rapidly requires ever more energy – and becomes literally infinite at the speed of light itself.

There is, however, a loophole provided by Einstein’s more sophisticated theory of space and time, known as General Relativity.

This allows truly radical ways of travelling at – or even beyond – the speed of light.

Imagine an ant wanting to travel across a tablecloth to reach a sugar lump. The obvious method is for the ant simply to walk there.

But there’s another option, at least in principle: bring the sugar lump closer by crumpling up the tablecloth.

In 1994, theoretical physicist Miguel Alcubierre at Cardiff University suggested something similar could allow travel faster than the speed of light.

His idea exploited the fact that according to Einstein, it’s possible to warp the very fabric of space and time. Strange types of quantum matter can affect space and time in such a way as to wrinkle space-time and bring distant points closer together – thus making travelling to them much faster.

The technical hitch is that scientists don’t know how to create such bizarre forms of matter, but it can exist in theory. And judging by Santa’s success in meeting his annual deadlines, a good place to start looking for it is somewhere near the North Pole.

Travel at near light-speed resolves other notoriously tricky questions asked by children about Santa – such as why he’s never seen making his deliveries.

According to Einstein, objects moving at near-light speeds appear shrunken as they zoom across our field of view, and pitch-black as they recede.

This shrinking effect, known as relativistic length contraction, also explains why even the portly Santa can flash through small spaces such as chimney-stacks with so little difficulty.

Einstein’s theory can even explain Santa’s cheery demeanour and apparent agelessness. The reason lies in the fact that according to relativity, travelling close to the speed of light affects not only physical sizes but also the flow of time.

Put simply, time flows more slowly the faster one travels.

This bizarre effect is no mere theoretical possibility. Laboratory studies of particles called muons show that when stationary in a lab they have a lifetime of around a millionth of a second.

Zipping through the atmosphere from deep space at speeds close to that of light, however, they survive more than 10 times longer, because their internal "clock" appears to us to be running more slowly.

That same effect becomes substantial at speeds close to the speed of light. According to calculations published by physicists at Purdue University in Indiana, and Fermilab National in Chicago, both US, in 2013, if Santa travels at 99.999999 per cent of the speed of light, he can meet his deadline in what to him seems like less than 10 minutes, leaving himself the rest of the 30 hours to take things easy.

There’s one last question about the Man in Red that science can help resolve: what is he up to for the rest of the year? The most likely answer is that he’s planning for next Christmas – as it involves solving a notorious mathematical problem: finding the fastest route between destinations.

This so-called Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) seems simple enough. For example, to find the fastest route between three cities – A, B and C – you can just check out the six different possibilities: ABC, ACB, BCA and so on.

The scale of the challenge becomes clear as the number of destinations increases.

Double the number of destinations from three to half a dozen, and the number of possible routes zooms from six to 720.

For a dozen cities, you’re looking at finding the single fastest route among almost half a billion.

And Santa is trying to do that for hundreds of millions of households.

Special techniques are needed even to estimate how many permutations that involves, and the answer is vastly greater even than the number of atoms in the visible universe.

Indeed, it’s a number so vast it’s hard even to write down – very roughly 1 followed by over 10 billion zeros, which would cover a strip of paper reaching halfway around the world.

So how does Santa tackle so humungous a calculation?

A lot of people would like to know, as the TSP is a challenge faced daily by everyone from airlines and shipping companies to, well, travelling salesmen. Computer scientists have found some pretty fast algorithms, but nothing capable of what Santa does every year.

There’s only one thing for it. Go along to Santa’s grotto with the children and ask him.

Dubai’s upcoming YouTube studio is a sign of the Mena market’s

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Dubai’s upcoming YouTube studio is a sign of the Mena market’s importance to Google

 

ARAB GAZETTE - LONDON

At YouTube’s London content creators’ space, the US actor David Walsh is delivering his Christmas show to camera in a studio decorated to look like a festive mountain chalet.

In the studio next door, the singer Josh Daniel is warming up before he records an acoustic session. Upstairs, pairs of 20-something content creators sit side by side on benches, laptops on laps, comparing notes and planning collaborations.

This state-of-the-art studio beneath Google’s new London offices is designed to nurture content creator talent, with a series of studios, edit and sound suites and a communal area and cafe where creatives can network with each other, hold meetings with brands and attend workshops, all for free.

That YouTube now has its own studios shows how far the Google-owned video platform has come – from an online hub for funny cat films, to a broadcaster in its own right, with channels presenting everything from how-to videos and confessional series to high-production television shows.

Content creators need more than 10,000 subscribers to use the space. Reach more than 100,000 subscribers and they can sell their merchandise in the YouTube Creator Store next door, where fans can buy merchandise from books to toys from their favourite YouTube stars including Zoella and PewDiePie. It shows how YouTube content creators have the potential to grow from hobbyists to full-blown global superbrands, like television stars.

YouTube has chosen to open its 10th space in Dubai next year, testament to the growth of YouTube in the UAE and Mena region, where there are already more than 50 channels with more than one million subscribers.

"We see those markets as some of the leading markets worldwide for YouTube," says Matt Brittin, Google’s president for EMEA business and operations, over a breakfast of gluten-free brownies and avocado and chilli bruschetta at Google’s London staff restaurant upstairs, a stylish space with impressive views over the central city skyline. "YouTube is hugely popular with both audiences and creators, it’s an exciting market for us to work in. I expect to see lots of innovation there, just because of the size of the audience and the opportunity."

YouTube is booming in the Mena region. It comes second only to the United States in terms of total time spent watching videos – watch time in the region is growing by 60 per cent year on year, according to YouTube. Mena has one of the highest smartphone and internet penetration in the world and more and more people are watching videos on their phones. YouTube says mobile watch time grew at 90 per cent in Mena last year alone. The platform is also growing with advertisers in the region. According to YouTube, the top 20 brands in the Mena region advertise on YouTube, and the average spend per advertiser grew by 65 per cent year on year.

The platform is now capitalising on all of this success by increasing local original content. Having more local content creates new and attractive digital advertising opportunities, by offering not just new media spaces but new ways to partner with content creators.

"The Mena region has one of the world’s most vibrant YouTube communities," says Diana Baddar, the head of YouTube partnerships in Mena. "There’s a ton of excitement around YouTube because talented creators are producing content for passionate audiences. It’s a great opportunity for brands because on YouTube people choose what they want to watch and engage more, which is far more interesting for brands. More and more creators are collaborating with brands. From Dubai-based Hayla Ghazal, who is the most watched female creator on the platform, to TheSaudiReporters in Jeddah."

 

Eco-driving important for UAE until public transport serves needs

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Eco-driving important for UAE until public transport serves needs

 

ARAB GAZETTE - BY: Naser Al Wasmi

Turning a new leaf: As part of The National’s Earth Matters coverage, we look at some potential New Year’s resolutions for the UAE to help the environment, in a series examining meat consumption, water conservation, food waste and driving habits.

ABU DHABI // In a car-centric country with sweltering summers, encouraging people to switch to public transport might be inconvenient at the moment but experts say much can be done about the way we drive that can reduce our individual emissions.

Until public transportation has developed to the point of making commutes more convenient than driving, UAE residents need to look for other ways to reduce their driving carbon footprint.

According to Simon Labbett, project director at Sheida, an Omani road safety body, there are ways to lower emissions simply by driving with fuel economy in mind, rather than speed.

Mr Labbett suggests that driving techniques such as avoiding harsh acceleration, using lower revs and looking ahead to manage driving by anticipation can lower your carbon emissions.

"For example, don’t keep accelerating into a hazard when, with a little more thought and planning, you could have eased off and still arrived at the same point without any loss of journey time," he said. 

Israeli settlement on lands of Palestine will demise: Abbas

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Israeli settlement on lands of Palestine will demise: Abbas

 

ARAB GAZETTE - RAMALLAH

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday said that the Israeli settlement on the territories of the state of Palestine will demise.

Xinhua news agency quoted Abbas as saying in a speech aired on Palestine TV that the recent UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution 2,334 had clearly called on Israel to halt all its settlement activities "without making any change to the demographic composition".

"The no changes include the character and the status of the land of the State of Palestine occupied since 1967, including the occupied East Jerusalem," said Abbas, who lit the torch that marks the 52nd anniversary of his Fatah Party in Ramallah.

Last week, 14 UNSC members voted in favour of a resolution that condemned Israeli settlement activities in the Palestinian territories and called on Israel to halt all settlement activities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Abbas said the Palestinians thank very much the four countries which applied the resolution for voting in the UNSC and also to the United States and to the countries which voted in favour of the resolution.

Abbas called for 2017 to be the year for the international recognition of the state of Palestine, adding, "We hope that the new year will be the year of ending the Israeli occupation and establishing the independent Palestinian state."

The 82-year-old Palestinian leader stressed that the hands of the Palestinians "are still extended for peace", adding that the Palestinians won't accept anymore transitional solutions or accept a state with temporary borders.

He also expressed the Palestinian leadership's readiness to work closely with the new US administration, mainly with President-elect Donald Trump "in order to achieve peace in the region based on the two-state principle". 

Sudan's Bashir announces one-month ceasefire extension

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Sudan's Bashir announces one-month ceasefire extension

 

ARAB GAZETTE - Khartoum

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has announced a one-month extension of his unilateral ceasefire in fighting with rebels in the country's war zones.

The announcement, in an independence day speech on Saturday, comes after earlier short-term truces in June and October 2016, which were followed by a fall-off in fighting in the southern Blue Nile and Kordofan regions but continued clashes in Darfur.

The latest outbreak of fighting between the army and rebels in Kordofan and Blue Nile broke out in 2011, when adjacent South Sudan declared independence. Conflict in Darfur began in 2003 when mainly non-Arab tribes took up arms against Sudan's Arab-led government.

However, talks to secure a lasting ceasefire in Sudan's three warring regions under a road map for peace collapsed in August.

In his speech, Bashir said: "We announce an extension of the ceasefire for one month only, except in cases of self-defense."

Bashir's long war against various rebel groups coincides with a severe economic downturn. This year's budget foresees a growing deficit and slower growth.

Inflation approaching 20 percent and government austerity have fueled growing discontent and rare protests in recent weeks.

Sudan's economic problems have been building since the south seceded in 2011, taking with it three-quarters of oil output, the main source of foreign currency and government income.

 

Iraq: Twin Explosions in Baghdad Kill at Least 30

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Iraq: Twin Explosions in Baghdad Kill at Least 30

 

ARAB GAZETTE - Baghdad

Two bombs exploded in al-Sinek crowded market area in central Baghdad on Saturday causing the death of at least 30 people.

ISIS terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the deadliest attacks since mid-October in a statement posted by its Aamaq news agency, confirming that “Abo Nawwaf al-Iraqi” and “Abo Abdul Malek al-Iraqi” were the suicide bombers who executed the blasts.

The two bombers blew themselves in the busy market area, police said.

The attack occurred when citizens were expected to gather on Saturday evening in the streets of Baghdad to celebrate New Year despite the sensitive security situation.

Torn clothes and mangled iron were strewn across the ground in pools of blood at the site of the wreckage near Rasheed street, one of the main thoroughfares in Baghdad, AFP reported.

A police colonel said there are at least 27 people killed and 53 wounded, and a hospital official confirmed the toll from the attack.

“Many of the victims were people from the spare parts shops in the area, they were gathered near a cart selling breakfast when the explosions went off,” said Ibrahim Mohammed Ali, who owns a nearby shop.

Also, Baghdad Operation Command announced on it had foiled a suicide car-bombing targeting district of Kadhimiyah in northern Baghdad.

“Acting on intelligence information, Iraqi forces in northern Baghdad tracked down a car bomb with two suicide bombers, who planned to detonate it in Kadhimiyah,” said Baghdad Operation Command in a statement.

The statement added that the forces ambushed the car, blew it up and killed the two bombers inside.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Vice President Ayad Allawi expressed his fears on Saturday of the continuous attacks on civilians in cities and markets in vengeance following the victories in the battlefield against ISIS.

He called upon security forces asking for more vigilance and alert.

France’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement denouncing the heinous attack that killed dozens and injured many others. The spokesperson reiterated France’s support to Iraq against terrorism and said that France will continue to be part of the international coalition against ISIS.

Earlier in October, a massive attack hit Baghdad when a suicide bomber killed himself in a Shiite neighborhood during a memorial service killing at least 34 civilians.

The attack on New Year’s Eve reveals the fragile security situation in Iraq, even in the areas that are now under Iraqi forces’ control.

Last week, 23 persons were killed when three cars exploded in a market area in Gogjali, east of Mosul. Iraqi forces took control over Gogjali in November.

Greek ambassador to Brazil murdered by wife’s cop lover: police

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Greek ambassador to Brazil murdered by wife’s cop lover: police

 

ARAB GAZETTE - Rio de Janeiro

Greece’s ambassador to Brazil was murdered in a plot hatched by his Brazilian wife and her police officer lover, who confessed to the crime, police said.

Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, was killed on Monday by the officer, Sergio Gomez Moreira, said Evaristo Pontes, a homicide investigator in the Rio police.

Amiridis’s charred body was found in Rio in his burnt-out rental car on Thursday, a day after his wife, Francoise de Souza Oliveira, declared him missing.

Ms Oliveira, 40, and Mr Moreira, 29, both admitted to having an affair, police said.

The pair are in custody, along with Mr Moreira’s 24-year-old cousin, Eduardo Moreira de Melo, who allegedly also took part.

According to the homicide division chief, Ms Oliveira denied participating in the murder itself, but confessed she knew of the crime.

Amiridis, who was appointed ambassador this year, had been on a family holiday with his wife since December 21, spending Christmas with her family north of Rio de Janeiro. They had been due to fly back to the capital Brasilia on January 9.

His wife had originally told police that he had left the Rio apartment they were staying in, taken the car and not returned.

But her story contained contradictions, and after Amiridis’s body was found in the burnt-out car under a bridge, police took her in for more questioning, and also detained Mr Moreira.

Traces of blood were reportedly found on a sofa in the apartment Amiridis and his wife had been staying in, leading investigators to believe he had been killed there, before his body was placed in the rental car and driven to the spot where it was discovered.

Mr Pontes said that Ms Oliveira had offered Mr Moirera’s cousin the equivalent of $25,000 (Dh91,800) to help with the murder.

Mr Moreira said that he and Amiridis had had a fight and that he strangled the ambassador in self-defence.

Amiridis met his wife when he served as Greece’s consul general in Rio from 2001 to 2004. The couple have a 10-year-old daughter.

A Greek police team was heading to Brazil to take part in the investigation, while Greece’s ambassador in Argentina was travelling to Brasilia, Athens said.

In a letter to the Greek government, Brazilian president Michel Temer sent his condolences and conveyed his government’s commitment to conducting a "rigorous" investigation.

"The Brazilian people do not accept this type of behaviour and we apologise to the entire Greek population," said the director of Rio’s homicide division, Rivaldo Barbosa.

He said the murder was "isolated" and a crime of passion that had nothing to do with Rio’s elevated levels of violence.

Rio de Janeiro, though picturesque, has a reputation as a dangerous place. The host city of the 2016 Olympics has seen crime rates soar in recent months, fuelled by drug gang violence.

Hit hard by Brazil’s worst recession in more than a century, Rio de Janeiro state is facing bankruptcy and struggling to deal with the violent crime that has long dogged the area.

New Year revellers defy terror alerts to see in 2017

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New Year revellers defy terror alerts to see in 2017




ARAB GAZETTE - SYDNEY

Sydney kicked off New Year celebrations with a spectacular fireworks display as revellers across the globe defied global terror alerts to see in 2017 in style.

Around 1.5 million people packed Australia's biggest city to watch as the midnight fireworks erupted from Sydney Harbour Bridge, sending rainbow-coloured showers soaring into the night sky.

Crowds in Hong Kong also flocked to the waterfront to watch fireworks explode over Victoria Harbour, while in Japan, thousands packed the streets of Tokyo to release balloons into the air.

Shoppers in Japan had earlier filled markets to buy tuna and crabs — seen as expensive items for special feasts — for New Year's Day family gatherings.

The celebrations draw to an end a year of bloodshed and misery that has seen the war in Syria, Europe's migrant crisis and numerous terror attacks dominate the headlines.

It has also been a year of political shocks, from Britain's vote to leave the European Union to the election of maverick leaders in the United States and Philippines.

'Business as usual'

Amid global terror jitters, some 2,000 extra officers were deployed in Sydney after a man was arrested for allegedly making online threats against the celebrations.

Less than two weeks after the Berlin lorry attack at a Christmas market that killed 12 people, there were a number of reported threats during the holiday period.

In Melbourne, police foiled a "significant" Daesh-inspired Christmas Day terror plot.

Indonesia said it thwarted plans by a Daesh-linked group for a Christmas-time suicide bombing, and 52 people were injured in the Philippines in bomb attacks blamed on extremists.

Security concerns have hit many New Year events with truck blockades a new tactic to try to prevent vehicles ploughing into crowds, with Sydney using garbage trucks.

The German capital has beefed up security after the December 19 attack there, deploying more police, some armed with machine guns.

"This year, what's new is that we will place concrete blocks and position heavy armoured vehicles at the entrances" to the zone around Brandenburg Gate, a police spokesman said.

Visitors seemed undeterred by recent events as they began to gather under a cold blue sky for a series of concerts, ahead of a large midnight fireworks display in the area.

In Paris, there will be fireworks again, after muted 2015 celebrations, following the massacre of 130 people by extremists in the French capital.

Nearly 100,000 police, gendarmes and soldiers were deployed across France against the extremist threat.

Brussels, meanwhile, has reinstated its firework show after last year’s was cancelled at the last minute due to a terrorist threat.

With more than a million people expected to turn out to watch the ball drop in Times Square, New York was scheduled to deploy 165 “blocker” trucks and some 7,000 police.

Thousands of police

Rome has stationed armoured vehicles and greater numbers of security forces around the Coliseum and St Peter’s Square, where Pope Francis was to celebrate a “Te Deum” hymn of thanksgiving.

In a Mass earlier Saturday, the pontiff urged people to reflect on the plight of the young.

“We have created a culture that idolises youth... yet at the same time paradoxically we have condemned our young people to have no place in society,” he said.

Moscow police were to deploy more than 5,000 officers backed by thousands more from the new national guard and volunteer militia to maintain order.

Thousands traditionally gather in Red Square, but for the second year in a row, the area was open solely to 6,000 invitees.

London had 3,000 officers on patrol with crowds flocking to line the banks of the Thames to watch the fireworks.

Up to two million people were expected to party at Rio’s Copacabana beach. But with Brazil mired in its worst recession in a century, the fireworks have been cut to just 12 minutes.

Normally boisterous Bangkok was seeing in the new year on a more sombre note as the nation grieves for King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in October.

Thailand’s new King Maha Vajiralongkorn urged his subjects to “unite” in a nationally televised speech on Saturday, his first major address to the politically split nation since ascending to the throne.

And, at the stroke of midnight, the celebrations were expected to last one second longer — a leap second — decreed by the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service to allow astronomical time to catch up with atomic clocks that have called the hour since 1967.

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