The dynamism of African literature will be celebrated in Sharjah this year.
The inaugural Sharjah Festival of African Literature, being held from January 24 to 27 at University City of Sharjah district and organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, will host two Nobel laureates – Nigeria's Wole Soyinka and Tanzanian-British novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah – for discussions about their work and those from the continent.
Joining them is Kenyan author Mara Menzies and Nigeria's Wole Talabi, the latter best known for the science fiction novel Brass Head of Obalufon. Wendy Njoroge, co-founder of Kenyan publishing house Soma Nami Books and Nigerian literary advocate Ifeoma Esiri will also be in attendance.
The festival will also honour authors including Nigerian poet and performer Deborah Johnson, whose work is focused on sociopolitical issues of her homeland. The career of Kenya's Yvonne Owuor will also be highlighted for her rich and compelling historical novels.
The festival will feature musical performances from South African soprano Ann McKayzie, as well as Nigerian musicians Ade Bantu and Maryam Bukar Hassan. All sessions are open to the public, with timings to be revealed soon.
Highlights from the programme include three panel discussions exploring African literary traditions – from writing techniques to storytelling. Guinean author Cheryl Ntumy, Nigerian writer Wole Talabi and Zimbabwean author Tendai Huchu will come together for the session Much More Than Wakanda, which examines Africa’s influence on the global literary map.
Meanwhile, Nigerian authors Fatima Bala, Chika Unigwe and Nnamdi Ehirim will join Emirati writer Salha Obaid in Creating Timeless Characters, a discussion on crafting literary characters that embody both African and Middle Eastern cultures.
Youth and children can take part in a variety of workshops, including sessions on African jewellery-making, poetry and storytelling. Food enthusiasts can also look forward to engaging culinary sessions.
A more local perspective is currently the focus of Sharjah Literature Festival, ends tomorrow at the same venue, University City of Sharjah. Organised by the Emirates Publishers Association, it brings together authors and publishers to explore the growth of the Emirati publishing industry and literature
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Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
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• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
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Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
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Company%20profile
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
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Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
F1 The Movie
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Rating: 4/5
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GP3 qualifying, 10:15am
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Formula 1, first practice, 1pm
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Kareem Shaheen on Canada
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
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Zohar Sabah
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
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Soft power was first mentioned in 1990 by former US Defence Secretary Joseph Nye.
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Soft power is, at its root, the ability to convince other states to do what you want without force.
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Men’s:
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Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
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Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
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Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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Tony Booth, professor of education
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Dr Mark Mann, scientist
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L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
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Four out of five stars
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
