An Iraqi archbishop who saved under-fire civilians and ancient manuscripts from ISIS fighters been nominated for the prestigious Sakharov Prize for his work in defending human rights.
Najeeb Michaeel Moussa, the archbishop of Mosul, helped Iraqi Christians to flee in 2014 after ISIS took control of the city amid a week of fierce fighting.
He was living in Qaraqosh, about 30 kilometres south-east of Mosul, when he heard of the impending arrival of ISIS. He loaded up two cars with documents that dated back to the 12th century covering topics including theology, medicine and philosophy, he told US radio programme The World.
When they found out people were without cars and were desperate to flee, they piled men, women and children on top of the cardboard boxes carrying the delicate papers, he said.
"We said we will live together or we will die together," he told The World. "At 5.30am a young girl started saying, 'Father, Father, look at your right' and I see many cars with the black and white ISIS flags. They were ready to attack us."
He said Kurdish security forces were able to pin down the ISIS convoy with covering fire until the civilians could escape to areas they controlled. The manuscripts were saved, digitised and later exhibited in France and Italy.
“This is a real opportunity to give this prize to a courageous person, an undying defender of the Christians in that land, to recognise and underscore the effort of this priest who stood up to barbarism and saved those manuscripts from Iraq,” said Nicolas Bay, the leader of a group of right-wing European MPs who nominated the archbishop.
The five nominees were chosen by groups from the European parliament and include the opposition in Belarus, represented by opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who took on the country’s dictatorial leader Alexander Lukashenko in allegedly rigged elections in August. Activists in Poland and Honduras have also been nominated. Three will make a shortlist before a winner is announced on October 22.
Previous winners of the Sakharov Prize include Nasrin Sotoudeh, the jailed lawyer in Iran, who last week ended a hunger strike in protest at the continued detention of political prisoners in Iran during the Covid-19 crisis.
Among other previous winners are the Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, and Ilham Tohti, a defender of the rights of Uighur Muslims, who won the award last year while serving a life sentence on charges of separatism.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
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- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Cologne v Hoffenheim (11.30pm)
Saturday
Hertha Berlin v RB Leipzig (6.30pm)
Schalke v Fortuna Dusseldof (6.30pm)
Mainz v Union Berlin (6.30pm)
Paderborn v Augsburg (6.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund (9.30pm)
Sunday
Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen (4.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)
SC Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt (9on)
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