A Syrian girl who lost an eye during the Beirut Port explosion was given a prosthetic thanks to an initiative by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, president of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and supreme chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation.
Sama, 6, and her family were at home in Beirut when, on August 4, 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored at the port exploded and tore through the Lebanese capital. The devastation killed nearly 190 people and left 30,000 homeless.
The glass panes in Sama's home shattered and a shard blinded her left eye. She was taken to hospital, but doctors were unable to save her eye.
Immediately after the explosion, countries including the UAE sent aid to Lebanon to support hospitals and people whose belongings were destroyed.
Sheikha Fatima, who is also president of the General Women's Union, directed that a plane carrying about 100 tonnes of medicines and nutritional supplies be sent. She also sponsored the medical treatment and rehabilitation of people injured in the blast. Sama was among those helped – she was given a prosthetic eye.
Sama’s family thanked the UAE and Sheikha Fatima for her support and for covering the expenses of the treatment.
"My daughter lost her eye in the explosion in Beirut. Now she has been fitted with a [glass] eye and I thank Sheikha Fatima and the UAE for that. She is really happy now ... she was happy to remove her bandages," Sama's mother said.
"I wasn't happy [before]," Sama told state news agency Wam.
"But Sheikha Fatima organised for me to get a new eye ... I love Sheikha Fatima a lot."
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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West Asia Premiership
Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
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Supermarkets across the UAE
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
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