A Tunisian singer's announcement that she would freeze her eggs in the hope of becoming a mother has led to heated debate on women's reproductive rights in the country.
Nermine Sfar, 31, appealed to her nearly one million Instagram followers to encourage other women who are studying and pursuing careers to freeze their eggs and preserve "the dream of becoming a mother".
Under Tunisian law, single women can only freeze their eggs if they are facing medical treatment, such as chemotherapy, "that could affect their ability to procreate".
The technique allows women to have eggs extracted, frozen and safely kept in liquid nitrogen, potentially using the eggs to become pregnant years later.
Under the country's legislation from 2001, the eggs are stored for five years, renewable on the patient's request.
But the Tunisian law does not allow single women to freeze eggs to delay pregnancy for social or career reasons.
According to Ms Sfar's team, the singer does not fit the legal criteria in Tunisia and therefore cannot access the procedure — along with many other single women in the country.
Ms Sfar's post reignited a discussion over amending the law, with some responses suggesting the issue is unimportant given Tunisia's deep economic and political crises since its 2011 uprising.
But others said it was time to change the law and allow more women to benefit from the technique.
"In Tunisia, sadly there are brains and laws in deep-freeze," wrote one social media user.
Social age
Nayma Chermiti, 40, a television journalist, has considered undergoing the procedure for two years, but says the law is getting in her way.
"I don't see any logic in this law," she said.
"It excludes healthy, single women who have professional responsibilities or financial constraints that mean they put off getting married or having children."
Ms Chermiti also criticises civil society for failing to push parliament to change a law that "doesn't correspond to the evolution of women and their responsibilities".
Doctor Fethi Zhiwa, head of the fertility clinic at Aziza Othmana Hospital in the capital Tunis, said young, single women enquired "practically every day" about freezing their eggs.
"This has surged in the last five years because of social evolution in Tunisia, where the average marriage age for women is now 33 years," he said
Doctor Zhiwa said this presents "a real problem".
"There is a discrepancy between biological age — which controls the age of reproduction — and social age, which controls the evolution of careers."
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Dr Zhiwa said about 80 per cent of nearly 1,000 women who had frozen their eggs at the centre since 2014 were single.
The doctor was involved in drafting the law in 2001, 15 years after the first human birth from a previously frozen egg.
Amending the law would be simple, Dr Zhiwa said.
"There needs to be political will, particularly as there are no objections from religious clerics.
"All they care about is ensuring there is no exchange or donation of gametes [eggs or sperm]."
Civil society 'distracted'
Dr Zhiwa said the law was a "victim of its early approval". He said when it was drafted, it was seen as being ahead of neighbouring countries.
Morocco waited until 2019 to adopt a law on medically assisted reproduction — and only for married couples.
The kingdom does allow single women to freeze their eggs when they are suffering from conditions such as cancer, said Jamal Fikri of the Moroccan College of Fertility.
In Algeria, only married women have access to such services, while in Libya, doctors say fertility treatment does not exist at all.
For Tunisian women's rights activist Yosra Frawes, Ms Sfar's announcement "democratised a subject that used to be rarely discussed in Tunisia, because civil society was distracted by other issues".
"Thanks to social media, women have more freedom of speech," Ms Frawes said.
"Subjects that used to be taboo are now being openly discussed."
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
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Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
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Transmission: 9-speed auto
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Astroworld
Travis Scott
Grand Hustle/Epic/Cactus Jack
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
Catchweight 63.5kg: Shakriyor Juraev (UZB) beat Bahez Khoshnaw (IRQ). Round 3 TKO (body kick)
Lightweight: Nart Abida (JOR) beat Moussa Salih (MAR). Round 1 by rear naked choke
Catchweight 79kg: Laid Zerhouni (ALG) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ). Round 1 TKO (punches)
Catchweight 58kg: Omar Al Hussaini (UAE) beat Mohamed Sahabdeen (SLA) Round 1 rear naked choke
Flyweight: Lina Fayyad (JOR) beat Sophia Haddouche (ALG) Round 2 TKO (ground and pound)
Catchweight 80kg: Badreddine Diani (MAR) beat Sofiane Aïssaoui (ALG) Round 2 TKO
Flyweight: Sabriye Sengul (TUR) beat Mona Ftouhi (TUN). Unanimous decision
Middleweight: Kher Khalifa Eshoushan (LIB) beat Essa Basem (JOR). Round 1 rear naked choke
Heavyweight: Mohamed Jumaa (SUD) beat Hassen Rahat (MAR). Round 1 TKO (ground and pound)
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammad Ali Musalim (UAE beat Omar Emad (EGY). Round 1 triangle choke
Catchweight 62kg: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR). Round 2 KO
Catchweight 88kg: Mohamad Osseili (LEB) beat Samir Zaidi (COM). Unanimous decision
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UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures: Monday, first 50-over match; Wednesday, second 50-over match; Thursday, third 50-over match
Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
4/5 stars
Friday’s fixture
6.15pm: Al Wahda v Hatta
6.15pm: Al Dhafra v Ajman
9pm: Al Wasl v Baniyas
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
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Current number of staff: More than 150
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
