Cyber Punk

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1911306/sport Pliskova will face Camilia Giorgi of Italy, winner over US qualifier Jessica Pegula in the night match MONTREAL: Fourth-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic beat top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday to reach the National Bank Open final. “I think I was super solid today,” Pliskova said. “Just did everything I was supposed to do to win this match.” Pliskova will face Camilia Giorgi of Italy, a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 winner over US qualifier Jessica Pegula in the night match. Pliskova broke early in the match, taking a 2-1 lead after Sabalenka sent a ball long following an extended rally. Sabalenka began to settle in midway through the second set, coming toward the net, then dropping shots behind her opponent. Pliskova used her strong serve to stay ahead, saving a break point with an ace and two other serves Sabalenka couldn’t control. “I’m quite calm. Of course I have some nerves and emotions but I try not to show it that much,” Pliskova said. “There is a lot of things happening on the court but I think the main thing is just to have a goal and follow that goal.” Pliskova won the last of her 16 WTA Tour titles in 2020 in Brisbane. Last month, she beat Sabalenka in the Wimbledon semifinals, then lost the final to Ash Barty. Giorgi has two career victories, the last in 2018 at Linz. Pegula, the daughter of Buffalo Bills and Sabres owners Kim and Terry Pegula, won her lone WTA Tour title in 2019, beating Giorgi in the Citi Open final in Washington.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1911101/middle-east Egypt recently received a new shipment of 1.7 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine Egypt is aiming to vaccinate 40 percent of its citizens by the end of 2021 CAIRO: Egypt has an “open budget” to fight coronavirus, the country’s finance minister said Friday, adding that the health sector’s allocation exceeded the established constitutional entitlement, totaling EGP275.6 billion ($17.5 billion). The move followed presidential directives granting priority to preserving citizens’ health, especially in the face of coronavirus, explained Finance Minister Mohamed Maait. “We are ready to meet any additional appropriations for the health sector ... in order to contribute to strengthening its capabilities to combat the coronavirus and to provide the necessary funding to complete the purchase of vaccines. There is an open budget for the health sector to combat the coronavirus, and to provide vaccines, so there is no complacency in the health of Egyptians.” He said that EGP3 billion had so far been provided to purchase vaccines to ensure the largest number of citizens were immunized against COVID-19, especially in light of a fourth wave in some countries, and that scientific studies had confirmed the effectiveness of vaccines against any mutations of the virus. A return to pre-coronavirus economic performance indicators and the expansion of the vaccination program were closely linked, he added. The minister stressed that the economy would emerge from the pandemic stronger in light of the gains made by the economic reform program, which enabled the government to flexibly handle the health crisis. Egypt recently received a new shipment of 1.7 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the global COVAX initiative. “We are pleased to take a quick step to enhance efforts to vaccinate the Egyptian people in cooperation with the global COVAX initiative,” Health and Po[CENSORED]tion Minister Hala Zayed said. “With the arrival of this new shipment we are able to ensure that the vaccines reach the growing numbers of Egyptians ... and we move forward with our efforts to recover from the effects of the pandemic.” Egypt is aiming to vaccinate 40 percent of its citizens by the end of 2021. Ministry workers have visited markets, public transport, places of worship, salons, cafes, shops, gathering spaces, and villages to educate people about the vaccine and encourage them to sign up for it.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1910966/lifestyle DUBAI: To be a muse of the late German designer Karl Lagerfeld was to be placed on one of fashion’s highest pedestals, a position occupied by the world’s most stylish women. Ines de la Fressange, Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne are just three of the beauties who inspired the Chanel designer’s creative vision. Egyptian-Italian-French model and philanthropist Elisa Sednaoui also occasionally played muse to Lagerfeld, helping him bring whatever was on his mood board to life. In a recent Zoom interview with French journalist Laure Guilbault, Sednaoui recounts her first meeting with Lagerfeld and how it changed her life. “That was another incredible experience and moment in my life,” the model said, speaking from her Italian home in a clip shared with her 145,000 Instagram followers. “I’m very grateful to Karl Lagerfeld and all of the House of Chanel because they really are like a family to me.” She said that she met the Chanel team in 2010 during the French release of her film “Bus Palladium.” “They received me in Gabrielle Chanel’s house and then they said we want you to meet Karl Lagerfeld,” the 33-year-old explained. “I was living in New York at the time. There was a ballet in Monaco and that was the occasion I was supposed to meet him.” “I’ll never forget, there was a storm that day in Paris. I landed in Paris and all the flights were being canceled. I remember being at the airport speaking with my mother, saying, ‘I just arrived, I’m about to do the meeting that will change my career forever– because that’s a meeting that changes your life forever, what should I do? Should I cancel? Should I go?’” Fortunately, Sednaoui made it in time after the Chanel team sent a helicopter to transport her to Nice and she was able to meet him that night. “The amazing thing about Karl, he was very, the word that comes to me for some reason is ‘entire’ but it’s not what I mean. He was very 100 percent,” she said of her first impression of him. “He looked at me and said, ‘I would love to photograph you.’ Two weeks later, I was shooting with him the first Numero cover. It started a long and extensive relationship. We did the eyewear campaign, we did the Pirelli calendar,” recalls Sednaoui. Indeed, she went on to become one of Lagerfeld’s favorite muses. In addition to serving as the face for Chanel’s advertising campaigns, the model was a front-row fixture at the Parisian maison’s fashion shows and starred opposite French actor Pascal Greggory in Lagerfeld’s short film “Remember Now.” “He was elegant and cultured,” she recalled of her friend, who died in Paris in February 2019 from complications with pancreatic cancer. “My god, he was so funny and so unapologetically himself.”

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/1910231/middle-east There have been 2,503 deaths from coronavirus in the West Bank out of a recorded 200,838 cases On Thursday the PA transferred 100,000 doses to Gaza RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Authority (PA) said on Thursday it had taken delivery of 150,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine, amid an upsurge of COVID-19 cases in the occupied West Bank. A Health Ministry statement from the Ramallah-based PA said that of 4 million doses ordered from the pharmaceutical giant, 1 million have been received so far. The rest should be delivered in batches by the end of the year, it added. At the end of last month, Health Minister Mai Al-Kaila had warned that the Palestinian territory was facing a fourth wave of the coronavirus, and urged people to be vaccinated because of the spread of the more contagious delta variant. The government also indicated that unvaccinated officials would have to take unpaid leave until they had been jabbed. On Thursday, authorities identified 199 new infections in the West Bank, which is home to 2.8 million Palestinians. In July, only a few dozen cases a day were recorded. There have been 2,503 deaths from coronavirus in the West Bank out of a recorded 200,838 cases. In the Gaza Strip, 1,111 people have died out of 117,985 recorded cases. On Thursday the PA transferred 100,000 doses to Gaza, an enclave of 2 million people ruled by Hamas. About half of these were the Russian Sputnik vaccine, and the other half were from Pfizer. Of the 626,300 people so far vaccinated in the West Bank and Gaza, 427,000 have received both doses.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1910301/saudi-arabia RIYADH: The Arab coalition said Friday that Saudi air defenses have intercepted an explosive-laden drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia towards Khamis Mushait, AlEkhbariya reported. The militia, backed by Iran’s regime, regularly employs drones to target the Kingdom. The coalition said the group’s “aggressive attempts to target civilians have been thwarted and destroyed”, adding that operational measures were being taken to “deal with the sources of threats”. The Arab coalition is supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government whose control of the country is partial after the Houthis took over the capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and now control large swaths of territory. The Houthis have been condemned for targeting civilian sites in the Kingdom, an act which Saudi Arabia and the coalition say is tantamount to war crimes. On Monday, the coalition knocked down two other drones heading toward the city, located in the southern province of Asir. The attacks come days after the UN named veteran Swedish diplomat Hans Grundberg as new special envoy for Yemen, seeking to find new ground for peace talks between the government and the Houthis. Grundberg’s appointment was widely welcomed by the international community amid renewed hopes of an end to the seven-year war. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the Kingdom would stand by the new envoy. “We wish him success in his new role and look forward to working with him. The Kingdom will continue to support all efforts to reach a political solution that helps bring peace and prosperity to Yemen,” Prince Faisal said on Twitter. Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi welcomed Grundberg’s appointment, and called on his government to cooperate with him and facilitate his tasks to enhance peace opportunities. But chief Houthi negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam said on Sunday that the group had no plans to meet the new envoy, and such a meeting would be pointless because Grundberg had “nothing in his hands.” “There is no use in having any dialogue before airports and ports are opened as a humanitarian necessity and priority,” said Abdulsalam, who is based in Oman. Efforts to reach a peaceful settlement in Yemen, sponsored by Grundberg’s predecessor Martin Griffiths, failed as the Houthis refused to put into place a nationwide truce and stop their deadly offensive on the central city of Marib. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there was great international support for addressing the humanitarian crisis and ending the Yemen conflict. “There is unprecedented consensus on resolving the conflict and a real opportunity for peace. Only a durable agreement among Yemenis can reverse the dire humanitarian crisis,” Blinken said in a statement.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1910216/sport Blackouts and diesel shortage forced many to miss the UEFA Super Cup between Chelsea and Villarreal Football fans across the country are already coming to terms with not being able to watch this weekend’s opening English Premier League matches BEIRUT: Lebanese sports fans are preparing for the disappointment of missing much of the European football season due to sweeping electricity blackouts and diesel shortages. As the country enters the latest stage of economic collapse, even the joyful escape of watching a favorite team from England, Spain, or Italy is now being taken away. Many fans were unable to watch European football’s season opener on Wednesday, the UEFA Super Cup between Chelsea and Villarreal, that went to extra time and was decided in a dramatic penalty shootout. Due to hours of power failures, thousands of football enthusiasts living in Beirut, Tripoli, Saida, Tyre, Mount Lebanon, and other areas were left with blank TV screens when the match kicked off at 10 p.m. Beirut time. “We barely get an hour of general electricity per day and yesterday was chaotic as our building’s backup generator ran out of diesel,” Armen, who did not want to give his full name, told Arab News. “They shut it down three hours before the game. I could not watch it.” Infuriated that the European championships are just around the corner and he will not be able to enjoy “the passion of his life” due to the blackouts, Armen, who lives in Achrafieh, said he followed Wednesday’s match on a football app. “I could not watch it live,” he complained. George Maroun, a resident of Mount Lebanon, said he managed to catch up with the middle of the first half at a cafe near his neighborhood. “Our generator had not been functioning since morning because we could not get diesel. They asked us for a hilarious price of $13 in fresh cash per canister (20 liters),” Maroun said. Football enthusiast Mosbah Hassan was only able to watch the first half as his building’s generator switched off at 11 p.m. just as the second half started. At least he managed to catch Hakim Ziyech put Chelsea ahead in the 13th minute, but he missed Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno’s equalizer deep in the second half. The result remained 1-1 after extra time when Chelsea won the shootout and lifted their second European trophy for 2021 under the management of German coach Thomas Tuchel. “I could not watch the match because the electricity went off and our generator was empty,” Marwan Moustafa said. “I tried to secure a diesel supply to be able to have the lights on but it was impossible.” He is now coming to terms with not being able to watch this weekend’s opening English Premier League matches due to the power crisis. On Thursday, many outraged residents blocked roads across the country after the central bank’s decision to stop subsidizing fuel imports except at the black market rate. However, for some fans, the depth of Lebanon’s woes has put their love for the beautiful game into perspective. Businessman and football fanatic Rabih Saad told Arab News that not watching football was a minor issue compared to not being able to perform essential daily tasks due to the lack of electricity. “I watched the game using my internet data bundle that has been almost consumed for the month,” he said. Ibrahim Hassan, a former sports teacher, said the committee that oversees his building puts the generator on a break between 10 p.m. and midnight. “I am a Chelsea fan and could not watch or enjoy the win. I was so grumpy all day long for having failed to convince the committee to exceptionally keep the generator on for the night,” Ibrahim said. A Beirut sports cafe owner, who identified himself as Mohammad, told Arab News he was flooded with customers because he was able to show the match. “My cafe is always fully booked when football games are on, especially during Champion League nights, but yesterday clients flocked in by the dozens. Some agreed to watch while standing as their houses had blackouts and no generators.”

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1910391/lifestyle ‘The Secrets of Alidades’ showcases 33 works from local and international artists ‘The First Space Shuttle’ The Saudi Art Council bills “The Secrets of Alidades” — which runs until September 7 — as an exhibition that “intertwines cartography and astronomy in an allegorical perspective.” The show’s name “alludes to the pointers found on astrolabes (among other astronomical instruments) that assist us in observing distant objects and determining directions.” So the work on display focuses on travel and exploration — whether physical or mental. Al-Salem’s Styrofoam, fabric and PVC sculpture presents arguably the clearest link to the title of any work on display. Al-Salem, an artist and calligrapher who was born into a family of tent salesmen in Makkah, “establishes a direct link between the ancient world of the Bedouins and … the conquest of space” with this work, according to the exhibition’s catalogue. “Tents are associated with travel, mobility, and migration,” the artist explains. “As I see it, this idea of mobility creates a clear link between nomadic Bedouins and astronauts in their use of space, their engagement with nature, and their movement from one place to another.” Yasmeen Sudairy and Rajaa Al-Hajj ‘Vertical Composition of Stratified Narratives’ Sudairy and Al-Hajj’s collaborative sculptures are made from found vehicle parts taken from impoundment lots. They are, the catalogue explains, “pop assemblages and part of a tradition that summons both the French sculptor César and his American counterpart John Chamberlain — but in a tradition remixed with Japanese manga.” “Through this sculpture, we intend to articulate a unified vertical pillar by assembling dispersed, chaotic elements,” the artists say in their statement. “The theme of the piece reflects our psychological attraction to the continuous perceptual shift between the appearance of mechanic and organic forms, consisting of organized turbulences characterized by contrasts and rhythmic successions of colored curves and lines.” Sara Ouhaddou ‘Al-Kalima’ The French-born Moroccan artist is heavily influenced by traditional craftsmanship and culture. This installation, made from recycled stained ‘Iraqi glass,’ brass and revolving motors, consists of five circular stained-glass windows covering a range of vibrancy — the colors gradually fading from one to the next. “It is a transformation that evokes the disappearance of (Iraqi glass) while what was likely Moorish glass replaced it — that is, before industrial glass was made in either China or Saudi Arabia,” the catalogue states. “In essence, these changes are an expression of standardization due to globalized production. “At the same time, this fading material also marks the passage from complexity to nothingness. ‘Al-Kalima,’ which means ‘word’ in Arabic, is related to speech and its power … (The windows) emphasize the link between human language and the cosmos, following the calligraphic tradition,” it continues. Ouhaddou says that the piece is inspired by “the ideas and thoughts of the Arabic poets of enlightenment at the beginning of the 20th century.” Mohammed Alsanie ‘The Past That Didn’t Occur’ Much of Alsanie’s work is a paean to the Eighties — soaked in neon and nostalgia, pitched, the catalogue suggests, “somewhere between the 1982 sci-fi classic ‘Tron’ and the crime series ‘Miami Vice.’” It continues: “Alsanie’s work is related to retrofuturism, where the future is perceived through filters of the past. Thus, technology already appears obsolete, becoming a vehicle for a certain nostalgia or melancholy.” This video installation is essentially a walk through Jeddah (the local audience will likely recognize several of the city’s urban sculptures), but with several surrealist touches giving the whole thing an air of fantasy. “The abstract lines, the horizon, the setting sun, and the meteorites all transport the spectator into a mental universe where they can observe stellar elements on a street corner,” the catalogue says. Moath Alofi ‘Cyprium 2135’ Much of Alothi’s work is inspired by the deserts of Saudi Arabia. This 10-meter-by-seven-meter print is no exception. It is, according to the catalogue, a reproduction of “a petroglyph of Jabal Uhain, depicting the arms and hands drawn on Jubbah mountain in the Ha’il Region. These last ‘mustatils,’ ancient stone structures visible in northwest Arabia, were sites of rituals that are unknown to us today.” Alothi then subtly alters those symbols “into a form reminiscent of the logos of the exhibition’s sponsors” and thus “creates a bridge between ancient times and our contemporary world.” The artist describes this work as an invitation to search for the “stars that exist on Earth as well as in the sky.” Basheer Hawsawi ‘Untitled’ Hawsawi’s diorama is inspired by childhood memories of everyday objects from her family’s home, her father’s store, and in particular of the sight and scent of her mother drying lemons. The motorized lemon presses in the piece turn “without any function, calling to mind daily life and its repetitions,” the catalogue states. It continues: “The memory is linked to trauma — but trauma placed at a distance from reality.” “I engage with time as a human being and artist in various ways,” Hawsawi says. “The past, to me, is like a quick journey where I don’t spend a lot of time, as it drains my present moment and my temporal existence.” Nasser Almulhim ‘Gazing Into the Magical Universe’ Almulhim is best known for his abstract paintings, and this sculpture relies on many of the same influences. “Circles, rectangles, triangles, and other forms are visually embedded to create what Almulhim describes as a ‘spiritual icon,’” the catalogue says. The artist himself says the piece “may be regarded as a tool for communicating with our extraordinary universe and its magical beauty.” “The work is rooted to the earth, yet it flows together with the energies above and below it, as though seeking other dimensions,” he writes. “It is a gateway to the search for beauty within and around us, a pathway allowing us to gaze … into the spirit.”

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1908956/middle-east No new meeting has been set between President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati Indications are that the two parties are growing farther apart and that Aoun’s demands now include the Ministry of the Interior as well as the Ministry of Justice BEIRUT: A year has passed since Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government resigned. On Aug. 10, 2020. Diab addressed the Lebanese five days after the Beirut port explosion, saying that he had decided to quit because “the corruption system is greater than the state.” Since then, Diab has been the caretaker prime minister of a government that cannot make decisions in a country that is sliding further every day into the abyss. It is the longest caretaker period for a government in Lebanon’s political history. Three PMs have in vain been assigned to form a government. No new meeting has been set between President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati. The information leaked from their previous six meetings indicates that the two parties are growing farther apart and that Aoun’s demands now include the Ministry of the Interior as well as the Ministry of Justice. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and his allies in Hezbollah had nominated a Shiite figure, who is the director of financial operations at the Central Bank, to take over the Ministry of Finance, but Aoun rejected this proposal because he is calling for a criminal investigation into the Central Bank’s accounts. Diab, who is in self-quarantine because he came in contact with a coronavirus positive person, addressed the Lebanese on Tuesday saying: “The new government, whose formation is yet to succeed, is supposed to resume negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is our only way out of this imminent collapse.” Diab warned that “any existing government will not be able to address the structural crisis without external assistance and a practical plan.” Future Bloc MP Mohammed Hajjar told Arab News: “The failure to form a government so far is caused by a team composed of President Aoun and his son-in-law, MP Gebran Bassil. They want a tailor-made country on their own terms and that serves their personal interests. Aoun wants to control the government, so if there are no parliamentary elections, he wants to stay in power and extend his term with a constitutional fatwa (edict). Aoun does not mind repeating what he did in 1989 when he took over a separatist government.” Hajjar claimed that during the consultations between Mikati and Aoun, the latter requested 12 of the 24 ministers. “I can assure you that this is true. He will keep coming up with excuses until he gets the government he wants. His criterion is the interest of his son-in-law and himself only; to hell with the country’s interests.” He said that Hezbollah is Aoun’s ally in what is happening now. “If Hezbollah wanted the government, it would have put pressure on Aoun and his political team, but what we see is the opposite, and no one can convince us that Hezbollah is looking out for Lebanon’s interests. It works for Iran’s interests and keeps the collapsing Lebanon as a card in Iran’s hands.” Regarding the militant group’s recent rocket attacks on Israel, he said: “The tension Hezbollah stirred on the southern front in response to the tension in the Arabian Sea is nothing but a service to Iran.” In September 2020, Aoun warned: “We are heading to hell if a government is not formed.” At that time, he insisted on getting the Ministry of Finance and refused to give it to the Shiite community. The Lebanese have been quoting Aoun’s “hell” comments as the noose around their necks tightens. On Tuesday, the head of the General Labor Union, Bechara Al-Asmar, said he was informed many mills have stopped operating due to lack of diesel, while the rest will eventually follow suit once they run out of fuel. Hospitals announced that they only have enough diesel to run their private generators for a few days. The International Organization for Migration warned on Tuesday that 120,000 migrant workers “are in dire need of humanitarian assistance in Lebanon due to the accelerating economic collapse that is plaguing the country.” Meanwhile, the gasoline stock in Lebanon is only sufficient for five days. Two ships obtained prior approval from the Central Bank to come to Lebanon, but the date of their arrival has not yet been fixed.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1908966/sport RIYADH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has congratulated Tarek Hamdi for winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. During the meeting, the crown prince congratulated Hamdi on winning the medal and his distinguished skills in karate, wishing him success in achieving many major titles to come. Hamdi expressed his happiness at meeting the crown prince and said his support for all athletes, and those interested in karate in particular, motivates them to perform at their highest levels in international competitions. The meeting was attended by Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, minister of sports and president of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1909036/saudi-arabia The five programs were chosen from the 26 teams in the initial refining and presentation phase DHAHRAN: The King Abdul Aziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) announced the five finalists for its new Creative Solutions program. The projects will develop their ideas, which share the theme “Digital Immersive Content Creation,” with a view to turning them into marketable products. The program was launched on Feb. 23, 2021 and is designed to build an network of innovators supporting the growth of the creative economy in the Kingdom. Creative Solutions focuses on the use of immersive technologies including artificial intelligence, haptics, virtual, augmented and mixed reality and immersive audio. The five programs were chosen from the 26 teams in the initial refining and presentation phase. These participants, many of them young Saudis who work in the creative and high-tech industries, spent several weeks at a series of master classes, technical workshops and networking events designed to help them in their creative careers, whether selected for the final five projects or not. The third phase involves an intensive international bootcamp, which will be held online and involve tailored one-to-one mentoring to develop each project and each creative. There will then be more than three months of intensive support to turn each project into a marketable product. This phase also entails financial support of up to SR75,000 ($20,000) per project, with the overall Creative Solutions winner to be announced on December 16. The first of the five selected projects is Alqatt XR, which features the traditional Al-Qatt art from southern Saudi Arabia. The project is being delivered by a team of four: Areej Alwabil, Haifa Al-Hababi, Layla Al-Babtain and Abdullah Moshantat. The project is dedicated to documenting, and preserving the Saudi cultural and natural heritage. It uses digital visualization, 3D virtualization, geospatial informatics and open access solutions to provide digital data and 3D models to regional institutions, museums, local scholars and the public. The second is Anticipation of Rain, which is a mixed reality experience based on the sensations which comes from heavy rainstorms. The solo project by the artist Naima Karim, who comes from Bangladesh and lives in Saudi Arabia, delivers a theater-based installation with thunder, lightning, orchestral immersive sound and sensors with the aim of provoking thought about the need to care for the world.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1909081/saudi-arabia University will host conference exploring experiences of women in light of recent reforms, and the ways in which they are contributing to Vision 2030 RIYADH: The growing role of women in Saudi Arabia, their successes and how they are helping to achieve the aims of Vision 2030 will be discussed during a special academic event next month. The Conference on the Empowerment of Women and their Developmental Role in the Reign of King Salman will take place at Imam Mohammed bin Saud Islamic University at the start of the new academic year, under the patronage of Princess Fahda bint Falah Al-Hithlain. The university’s president, professor Ahmed bin Salem Al-Amiri, said the event will examine the abilities of women and their scientific and practical experiences in all fields. “The conference aims to highlight the legislative reforms in the era of (King Salman) and how those reforms have helped empower women and enhance their role in achieving the goals of Vision 2030,” he added. “It also sheds light on government projects and initiatives to support the empowerment of Saudi women in various fields, and on their successes and gains in this era.” The conference will also examine the ways in which recent reforms have helped to enhance the national identity of Saudi women, Al-Amiri said. Other themes that will be explored include how the concept of citizenship has been strengthened for Saudi women and families, and the enhanced participation of women in education and training and how this is preparing them to play a more prominent and effective role in society. The conference will also consider the role of modern media in promoting the empowerment of women and raising their profile in the development of society, especially in Saudi universities. It will highlight the efforts Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University and other Saudi universities are making to help achieve this as part of the goals of Vision 2030. Al-Amiri said the event will also look at the role women play in economic development, their enhanced participation in the labor market, and review their successful experiences so far. It will consider what the future holds for the empowerment of women in Saudi Arabia, along with the challenges they might face and ways to overcome them. Professor Nouf bint Abd Al-Aly Al-Ajmi, the university’s vice president and chairwoman of the conference’s organizing committee, thanked King Salman for his support and commended the organizers of the conference for their efforts to meet the expectations of the country’s leadership and contribute to achieving the goals of Vision 2030.

The Muslim striker of Palestinian origin joins compatriot Dia Saba at Dubai club from Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona LONDON: There were plenty of headlines about politics when Dia Saba joined Al-Nasr SC last year to become the first Israeli player in the Arabian Gulf League, but the fact that the Dubai club has returned to sign a second shows that sport takes precedence. It also means that Abdullah Hlehel has a tough act to follow. Just a week or so before the start of the new season, Al-Nasr has signed Hlehel, their second Israeli player: “We are delighted to welcome the young striker,” Al-Nasr said on social media. “He will wear our colors until 2023.” The 20-year-old Arab Muslim striker of Palestinian origin arrives from Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona and is expected to add firepower as Al-Nasr look to improve on last season’s fifth place and mount a genuine challenge for a first league title since 1986. If he is as successful as Saba has been, then the likes of Al Jazira, Baniyas and Shabab Al Ahli may be worried. It will not be easy, though. Saba signed in September, a month after the UAE and Israel normalized relations in 2020. The midfielder soon showed why he was valued at around $5 million. Al-Nasr said in a statement at the time: “Attracting the player came from a purely artistic perspective and was chosen due to his talent and individual capabilities that would constitute a strong addition to the ranks of the Al-Nasr team, and also out of its keenness to attract sports talents from all over the world without any other considerations in order to enrich local competitions.” In other words, it was a football deal, and that the club have returned to Israel to sign a second player is proof of Saba’s successful transition to playing in Dubai. Last season the midfielder missed just two league games and scored seven goals in total, in what was a reasonable campaign despite ending in a 2-1 defeat to Shabab Al Ahli in the final of the President’s Cup. Since 2012, when Al-Nasr finished second, they have never finished lower than eighth or higher than fourth. The club will hope Hlehel, just 20, who has represented Israel at youth level, can make the difference. Still raw, he scored five league goals last season as Hapoel finished sixth out of 14 teams, earning praise for making life difficult for defenders and working hard for the team. Not an automatic starter in Israel, he is hoping for some more game time in the UAE, and having Saba already established and capable of making goals for teammates should help him settle. It may well be the case, though, that he needs more time than the 28-year-old Saba, who was named by the prestigious World Soccer magazine as one of its “People of the Year.” Fans may get a look at Hlehel when Al-Nasr kick off the new campaign against Ajman on Aug. 19, but it may be too soon to expect a second Dia Saba.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1907891/saudi-arabia The economical single-step, multi-use RT-PCR kit is hoped to assist in efforts to combat the spread of virus JEDDAH: Since the onset of the pandemic, Saudi Arabia’s research labs have been working nonstop to curb the spread of COVID-19, including developing reliable and sensitive testing kits. As one of the essential factors in tackling the spread of the disease, rising global demand for testing in 2020 put significant pressure on laboratories producing reverse transcriptase, an enzyme used to generate DNA from an RNA template and polymerase. The technique known as RT-PCR can detect as little as one virus particle in one swab from the mouth or nose. PCR tests are specific, sensitive and samples can be readily processed, providing results within hours to a day or two at most. But with increased demand, home-testing kit manufacturing is also on the rise to overcome the bottleneck to wider testing, especially given the rapid spread of the delta variant. Since the onset of the pandemic, the number of daily PCR tests in the Kingdom has risen from a few thousand to between 75,000-110,000 a day. Demand is growing as many now recognize the symptoms of COVID-19. Dr. Samir Hamdan, a professor of biological sciences, and his team at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology’s (KAUST) Rapid Research Response Team, have, like many researchers around the world, recognized that diagnostic bottlenecks are one of the main obstacles to fighting the virus. The high cost of the tests and scarcity due to airport closures and shipping restrictions has left public health initiatives in many countries vulnerable. To address this problem, Hamdan and his team decided to produce the main components of the RT-PCR test kits locally. A year since the project began, their in-house toolkit was publicized to expand testing capabilities in several Saudi cities. To adapt its work to the new crisis, Hamdan’s group set out to develop reagents for SARS-CoV-2 virus tests for use in biomedical and clinical laboratories. Since patents protect most of the chemicals used in the RT-PCR test kits, the researchers’ first challenge was to develop accessible and economical ways to produce custom-designed, unpatented versions of these chemicals. Once a stable and large-scale supply of nonpatent reagents was secured, the next step was to design a virus detection kit within the university’s laboratories. The RT-PCR test kit developed by KAUST was then subjected to rigorous testing in laboratory environments in cooperation with laboratories from the Ministry of Health and then in the testing facilities of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center and the Saudi Public Health Authority (Weqaya). “Our virus test kit is especially important because we provide manufacturing details that are not protected by patents,” Hamdan said. The results were promising, as the group could routinely detect at least ten copies of SARS-CoV-2 RNA structures. Most importantly, the group successfully detected COVID-19 in clinical samples of broad viral loads with similar reliability and selectivity to commercially approved groups. Within a few months, Hamdan and his team, in cooperation with the Kingdom’s Food and Drug Authority, obtained regulatory approval from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). “Now the kit is being employed for a large-scale study led by NoorDx, a KAUST-based diagnostics startup, in collaboration with US scientific instrument manufacturer Thermo Fisher, a strategic partner of the university’s core laboratories,” he said. “The economical single-step, multi-use RT-PCR test kit is hoped to democratize diagnostics, over time, and assist in efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19,” Hamdan said. SFDA CEO Prof. Hisham bin Saad Al-Jadhey said: “Our authority strongly supports the development of local biotechnology and innovative medical devices, including laboratory diagnostic devices such as the new COVID-19 test kit developed by national laboratories and research centers. Our support extends to all biotechnology applications developed locally and abroad, by evaluating their compliance with the safety and efficiency requirements approved by the authority.”

DUBAI: Emirati menswear label Qasimi is re-issuing its signature “Don’t Shoot” T-shirt in a charitable effort to raise funds for Lebanon via humanitarian organization Save the Kids International. During the months of August and September, the brand has pledged that all proceeds from online sales of the shirts will be donated to the charity organization. The “Don’t Shoot” T-shirt is a semi-replica of one originally worn by journalists in Lebanon during the 1982 war. Journalists were given a white shirt bearing the text “Don’t Shoot” in English, French and Arabic in bright red lettering to make journalists easier to identify, offering protection. It’s not the first time the T-shirt has been used to raise money for the Lebanese cause. Following the deadly port explosion in Beirut on Aug. 4, 2020, the Emirati label pledged all proceeds from the item would go to the Lebanese red cross. The cotton garment was first released in the London-based brand’s Fall 2017 collection. In 2019, Georgian designer Demna Gvasalia’s Spring 2020 collection for Vetements garnered attention in the Arab world for featuring the same T-shirt in its offering, with many critiquing the brand for seeming to appropriate the issues raised by the conflict. Qasimi was founded by the late Khalid Al-Qasimi in 2015. The brand is now spearheaded by his twin sister Hoor Al-Qasimi, who took over the reins following his death at the age of 39 in London in July 2019.

The New York Auto Show, poised for a post-pandemic comeback, has been canceled for the second year due as it becomes clear that we are still more mid- than post-Covid. The California-based Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and Monterey Car Week events, kicking off this weekend, appear to be proceeding as planned. This Week in Sheetmetal Porsche announced the super-limited-run 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25, a race car with a 690-hp twin-turbo flat-six engine, an adjustable racing suspension, carbon-fiber bits on the exterior, and a massive rear wing. Porsche is only building 30 of the cars, which commemorate the 25th anniversary of Porsche's partnership with Mathey-Racing. Only six Clubsport 25s will make their way to the U.S. They'll cost $620,000 apiece. McLaren unveiled an even more exclusive project this week in the one-off edition of its Speedtail grand tourer, already a limited-run model. The Speedtail Albert features a mesmerizing striped paint scheme that took 12 weeks to apply. The car was commissioned by the McLaren Beverly Hills dealership Acura will send the NSX off with a hotted-up Type S for 2022 model year, which will be the last model year for this generation of NSX. All 350 2022 NSXs will get the S treatment, which includes an "enhanced" version of the base car's twin-turbo V-6 hybrid system that we expect to top 600 hp. There will also be tweaks to the suspension, wheels and tires, and brakes. Toyota has no such farewell planned for the Avalon sedan, which will leave production in 2022. The Era of Big Government Is Not Over It appears that President Biden will get his infrastructure bill, after months of negotiations and a few political fumbles that threatened to doom the package. The bill the Senate is expected to vote on this weekend is the result of bipartisan negotiations and will provide $550 billion for infrastructure projects, including $15 billion for EV-related projects and $110 billion to build or upgrade roads and bridges.

The 23-year-old was leading 4-1 in the final of the Men’s Kumite +75kg competition when the contest was stopped DUBAI: Tarek Hamdi endured a heartbreaking end to the final of the Men’s Karate Kumite +75kg at Tokyo 2020 when a penalty for dangerous play denied him a gold when he was leading 4-1 opponent Sajag Ganzjadeh of Iran, who departed the mat at Nippon Budokan arena on a stretcher. While an Olympic silver is still a stunning achievement for the 23-year-old, he will be distraught at losing a gold that was agonizingly within reach. The match was awarded as a default 4-0 win for the Iranian. Within nine seconds of the start, Hamdi had scored an ippon to lead 3-0, and followed shortly with a yuko to stretch his lead to four points. Leading, the Saudi was heading to glorious gold but there would be a final, agonizing twist in the tale with penalty and disqualification. It capped a dramatic day for Hamdi after he had beaten Japan's Ryutaro Araga 2-0 in the semi-final with a stunning performance. His first match in Pool B of the Men’s Kumite +75kg class competition ended with a narrow 3-2 defeat to 2018 World Champion Ivan Kvesic of Croatia, but the Saudi showed enough to be taken seriously by his more experienced opponents. Hamdi had started the match on the front foot putting Kvesic under pressure, and within 36 seconds both fighters had scored a point each, though seconds later the Croatian had taken a 2-1 lead. Kvesic took a 3-1 lead but Hamdi halved the lead with just over 40 seconds left in the bout. Despite a brave, energetic effort, the Saudi was unable to get any more points. In his second outing, Hamdi claimed his first win of Tokyo 2020, beating Brian Irr of the USA 4-1 with a brilliant performance that took his 33-year-old opponent by surprise. With just over a minute left Hamdi posted the first point of the match to lead 1-0, and he was now within sight of a hugely encouraging win that would put him back in contention for a semifinal place. A superb ippon from Hamedi with 24 seconds left gave him 4-1 lead that he maintained to the final bell. Buoyed by that superb winning performance against the American, Tarek Hamdi carried his momentum into his third bout of the day to draw 0-0 against Sajad Ganjzadeh of Iran. Hamdi was on the front foot for the majority of the match, but could not land the blows that would win him a priceless two points. Still, the one point for the tie had given him a total of three from three matches and meant his hopes of a semifinal place were ahead of his meeting with Daniel Gaysinsky of Canada in his final Poll B match. Hamdi first got into karate in 2009 but it was not until a few years later that he decided to take it up seriously, he said, landing in Tokyo as one of the Saudi delegation’s most decorated athletes. At the age 15 he won his first medal with Saudi Arabia, grabbing a gold at the Asian Junior Championships 2013 in Uzbekistan. He followed that up by becoming the first Saudi to win gold in a Karate World Championship, in Jakarta in 2015. In 2017 everything Hamdi touched turned to gold. He claimed first place finishes at four tournaments in the 75 kg category: the Asian Championship in Indonesia, the World Cup in Croatia, the U23 Asian Championship and the Asian Senior Championships, both in Kazakhstan. His achievements earned him the title of world most promising karate athlete for the year. His podium count continued to stack up in 2018 with bronze medals at the World League in Spain, the World Premier League in the UAE and the Asian Games in Jakarta. He also won gold at the Asian Senior Championships 2019 in Uzbekistan. Hamdi secured qualification to the Olympics with a gold at the Karate Tokyo 2020 Qualifiers that were held in France earlier this year.

A smart remote-controlled cart was specially brought in from Belgium to transport the boat without dismantling it The boat will be displayed in a special area of 1,400 sq. m in the outer courtyard around the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) CAIRO: In a solemn procession, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) received King Khufu’s boat at dawn on Saturday, 48 hours after the start of its transfer from its current display. More than four centuries old, the boat was in a special museum located at the southern side of the Great Pyramid of Khufu on the Giza Plateau. Streets and bridges overlooking the GEM, as well as archaeological and engineering equipment, were prepared for the transportation of the boat. The project will preserve what experts have described as the largest, oldest and most important organic relic in human history. A smart remote-controlled cart was specially brought in from Belgium to transport the boat without dismantling it. The process took about 10 hours, covering the 8km from the boat’s location to the GEM. The boat will be displayed in a special area of 1,400 sq. m in the outer courtyard around the GEM. Atef Moftah, GEM chief supervisor, said the process of transferring the boat was “one of the most important and complex and unique archaeological engineering projects,” stressing that the task force did not leave anything to chance. “It is the result of effort, study, planning, preparation, and serious work that spanned nearly a year,” he added, noting that the process was undertaken with great accuracy. He said the special vehicle that carried the boat could overcome any obstacles on the road, maneuvering through tricky curves and absorbing any vibrations. Mostafa Waziri, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said the process was approved by the Permanent Committee of Egyptian Antiquities, following the Antiquities Protection Law. Al-Tayeb Abbas, assistant minister of tourism and antiquities, said that before the transfer, a radar survey of the rocky ground was conducted to ensure its ability to withstand the weight. He said a distinguished team of restorers from the GEM conducted a laser scan of the boat to document its most accurate details and package it for transportation. On May 26, 1954, archaeologist engineer Kamal Al-Malakh announced the discovery of two pits for the boats of King Khufu, called the sun boats, on the southern side of the Great Pyramid. Known in the media as the solar boat, it was made of cedarwood, imported from Lebanon. Many have said that the ancient Egyptians made this boat for the king to use on his daily trips with the sun god Ra, while others have claimed that the boat was used to transport the king’s body from the eastern bank of the Nile to the western bank where he was buried. The museum housing the boat was not equipped to preserve the wooden artifact, with the organic structure starting to decay. The transportation of the boat to a new venue was imperative. Many ideas to move the boat were studied. All of them involved dismantling the boat and reconstructing it at the GEM, but they were discarded due to risk. Moving the 42-meter-long and 20-ton boat in one piece was the only suitable solution, like the transportation of the Ramses II colossus from Ramses Square to the GEM. In preparation for the transfer, the work team at the GEM and the SCA conducted three simulations using the remote-controlled vehicle. The boat was then packed with special scientific foam and put inside an iron cage for protection.

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/1906596/middle-east Hezbollah says it hit “open fields” near Israeli positions in the disputed Shebaa farms area, with “dozens” of rockets BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Hezbollah fired a volley of rockets into Israel on Friday, prompting retaliatory shelling, in a major escalation between the Iran-backed Shiite movement and the Jewish state. A flare-up along the border this week has seen Israel carry out its first air strikes on Lebanese territory in seven years and Hezbollah claim a direct rocket attack on Israeli territory for the first time since 2019. But following Friday’s exchange Israel said it did “not wish to escalate to a full war” after the United Nations peacekeeping force in the border region, UNIFIL, warned of “a very dangerous situation,” and called on parties to “cease fire and maintain calm.” Hezbollah said it fired dozens of rockets at open ground near Israeli positions in the disputed Shebaa Farms border district. It said the attack came in response to Israeli air strikes on south Lebanon Thursday which were the first since 2014. An AFP correspondent in south Lebanon said he heard several explosions and saw smoke rising from around the Shebaa Farms. Israel said 19 rockets were fired, six of which hit Israeli ground. Three fell short while the others were intercepted by air defenses, it said. The Israeli military released video of multiple vapor trails in the skies, and said it was “striking the launch sources in Lebanon” but did not elaborate. UNIFIL reported an “artillery response from Israel in the Shebaa Farms area,” following the Hezbollah rocket attack. An AFP correspondent in south Lebanon reported artillery fire by Israeli forces on the Shebaa Farms and outside the town of Kfarchouba. Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television channel also reported Israeli shelling. The Shebaa Farms district is claimed by Lebanon but the UN regards it as part of the Syrian Golan Heights, which Israel has occupied since 1967 and unilaterally annexed in 1981. Israeli army spokesman, Amnon Shefler, played down the prospects of all-out war with Hezbollah. “We believe that neither Hezbollah wants a full-out war, and we definitely do not wish to have a war,” he said after Friday’s exchange. “We do not wish to escalate to a full war, yet of course we are very prepared for that.” He said life continued as normal on the Israeli side of the border. In the south Lebanon district of Hasbaya, Druze villagers stopped a truck carrying a multiple rocket launcher used by Hezbollah during Friday’s attack, a military source told AFP. A video widely shared on social media showed angry residents blocking the truck’s passage and accusing Hezbollah of endangering civilian lives by launching rockets from close to residential areas. Hezbollah said the truck was stopped after the group conducted Friday’s attack, but said the rockets were fired far from residential areas to ensure civilian safety. The Lebanese army said it arrested the four people who had launched the rockets and seized the rocket launcher after it was intercepted by villagers. A series of rocket attacks have been launched from Lebanon toward Israel since Wednesday, but with the exception of Friday’s salvo, they have remained unclaimed. Before Thursday, Israel’s last air strikes on Lebanon dated back to 2014 when warplanes struck territory near the Syrian border. They had not targeted Hezbollah’s south Lebanon strongholds since the militants fought a devastating conflict with Israel in 2006. Lebanon condemned Thursday’s strikes by Israeli as an “escalation” that could mark a change of tactics by Israel, while UNIFIL urged restraint. The strikes on Thursday were seen by some as a violation of rules of engagement set between Hezbollah and Israel following a 2006 war between the two sides. Hezbollah has repeatedly vowed to respond to attacks Israel carries out on Lebanese territory. For its part, Israel has repeatedly warned it will not allow a power vacuum and a deepening economic crisis in Beirut to undermine security on its border. The Israeli military said it “views the state of Lebanon as responsible for all actions originating in its territory, and warns against further attempts to harm Israeli civilians and Israel’s sovereignty.” Lebanon is grappling with an economic crisis that the World Bank says is one of the world’s worst since the mid-19th century. Despite mounting international pressure, political leaders have repeatedly failed to form a government since the cabinet of outgoing premier Hassan Diab resigned in the wake of last year’s monster port explosion.

Top-two finish in Pool B means guarantee of bronze at least DUBAI: When Tarek Hamdi steps onto the mat at the Nippon Budokan arena for his karate men’s kumite +75 kg bout on Saturday morning, he will become the last of Saudi Arabia’s 33-strong Olympic delegation to take part in Tokyo 2020. Hamdi, who is 23, will compete in four Pool B matches and his position in the final group table will determine whether he progresses to the semifinals later in the day. His first match is with Ivan Kvesic of Croatia while his second is with Brian Irr of the US. These will be followed by clashes against Iran’s Sajad Ganjzadeh and, finally, Canada’s Daniel Gaysinsky. A top-two finish in Pool B will confirm qualification for the semifinals - and a guarantee of at least an Olympic bronze. The karate kumite competition does not have a bronze medal match for the losing semifinalists, unlike some other Olympic disciplines, with both competitors sharing the honor of third place on the podium. Hamdi first got into karate in 2009 but it was not until a few years later that he decided to take it up seriously, he said, landing in Tokyo as one of the Saudi delegation’s most decorated athletes. At the age 15 he won his first medal with Saudi Arabia, grabbing a gold at the Asian Junior Championships 2013 in Uzbekistan. He followed that up by becoming the first Saudi to win gold in a Karate World Championship, in Jakarta in 2015. In 2017 everything Hamdi touched turned to gold. He claimed first place finishes at four tournaments in the 75 kg category: the Asian Championship in Indonesia, the World Cup in Croatia, the U23 Asian Championship and the Asian Senior Championships, both in Kazakhstan. His achievements earned him the title of world most promising karate athlete for the year. His podium count continued to stack up in 2018 with bronze medals at the World League in Spain, the World Premier League in the UAE and the Asian Games in Jakarta. He also won gold at the Asian Senior Championships 2019 in Uzbekistan. Hamdi secured qualification to the Olympics with a gold at the Karate Tokyo 2020 Qualifiers that were held in France earlier this year.