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Publishers from Palestine, Lebanon and Sudan will be exempt from registration fees at next month's Sharjah International Book Fair.
Organisers have also announced that publishers from the three will receive industry support during the event at Expo Centre Sharjah, which runs from November 6 to 17.
The decision follows a directive issued by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, and Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, the Sharjah Book Authority chairperson.
Explaining the decision, Sheikha Bodour highlighted the challenges regional publishers have been facing in the wake of the Israel-Gaza war and the conflict in Sudan. She emphasised that supporting the publishing industry in affected countries is crucial to safeguarding their cultural heritage.
“Sharjah has been, and will always remain, an inclusive haven for Arab culture and intellectuals,” she said in a statement. “The emirate’s unwavering commitment to the Arab cultural project is reflected in all our policies and practices. We sincerely hope that future editions of the Sharjah International Book Fair will find our culture, intellectuals, and nations thriving in the best possible state.”
Announcing the measure, Sharjah Book Authority cited a report from the Palestinian Ministry of Culture stating that 76 cultural centres, three theatres, five museums, 15 publishing houses and bookshops and 80 public libraries in Gaza have been damaged since the war began in October 2023.
The Sharjah Book Authority is one of a growing number of cultural bodies assisting Palestine and Lebanon during the war. Conservation bodies Aliph (the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas) has held talks with the Lebanese government to safeguard heritage sites and has issued emergency funds to help protect Baalbek.
“We have already adopted an initial emergency measure of $50,000 so they can start to protect the cultural heritage,” Aliph executive director Valery Freland told The National this week.
A Unesco spokesperson said it has partnered with the United Nations Satellite Centre to provide data on the state of Baalbek using remote sensing tools and satellite imagery analysis.
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
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Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
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Match info
Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')
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The cost of Covid testing around the world
Egypt
Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists
Information can be found through VFS Global.
Jordan
Dh212
Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.
Cambodia
Dh478
Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.
Zanzibar
AED 295
Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.
Abu Dhabi
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Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.
UK
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Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.
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- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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- Duration: Can linger for days
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- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
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The biog
Age: 32
Qualifications: Diploma in engineering from TSI Technical Institute, bachelor’s degree in accounting from Dubai’s Al Ghurair University, master’s degree in human resources from Abu Dhabi University, currently third years PHD in strategy of human resources.
Favourite mountain range: The Himalayas
Favourite experience: Two months trekking in Alaska
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Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
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Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
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Rating: 3/5
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126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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Points Classification
1. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 63
2. Arnaud Demare (France / FDJ) 38
3. Andre Greipel (Germany / Lotto) 25
4. Sonny Colbrelli (Italy / Bahrain) 24
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Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
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Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
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Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
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