Day: March 19, 2023

Tens of thousands of Israelis have marched again in nationwide protests against the government’s plan to curb Supreme Court powers.

This is the 11th week of mass demonstrations, as opponents of the reforms accuse right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of undermining judicial independence.

Mr Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges, says his aim is to restore a balance of power between the government and Israel’s top court.

The escalating protests have impacted on the economy and prompted a threat by some military reservists to defy call-up orders.

Source: EMM/NNA

ABU DHABI, 18th March 2023 (WAM) — Erling Haaland hit a sixth hat-trick of the season with Julian Alvarez claiming a brace and Cole Palmer also on target as a rampant City hit Burnley for six to power into the FA Cup semi-finals at the Etihad. t the end of a week which had seen the Norwegian claim a Premier League winner at Crystal Palace and then claim five against RB Leipzig in the Champions League, Haaland’s rich vein of form continued as City saw off the challenge of Vincent Kompany’s Championship leaders. Haaland struck twice inside three minutes just after the half hour mark to knock the stuffing out of the visitors. nd he then completed a second treble inside four days 14 minutes into the second half to take his tally for the season to an incredible 42 goals. Amidst a raucous Etihad atmosphere, Alvarez fresh from signing a contract extension earlier this week then bagged a brace with substitute Palmer also got on the scoresheet as Pep Guardiola’s side stormed into the last four and a guaranteed date at Wembley next month ;quillbot-extension-portal Hatem Mohamed

Source: Emirates News Agency

BU DHABI, 19 March, 2023 (WAM) — The AJP Tour Abu Dhabi International Pro Jiu-Jitsu Championship wrapped up at Mubadala Arena on Sunday, capping an excellent weekend of top-class performances across various weight and belt divisions. strong Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club emerged the big winners, forcing Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club to settle for second and Al-Ain to take third. The event, organised by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF) in association with Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro (AJP), saw heated contests among athletes in amateur and professional categories on the final day with plenty of fervor and superb skills on display. Sunday’s competition was attended by Abdel Moneim Al Hashemi, Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, President of the Asian Ju-Jitsu Union, and Senior Vice President of the International Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Following the competition, an awards ceremony for the winners was held in the presence of Mohammed Salem Al-Dhaheri, Deputy Chairman of UAEJJF, Mansour Mohammed Al Dhaheri, UAEJJF Board Member and Mubarak Al Menhali, Director of the UAEJJF’s Technical Department. lbino Malungo, Ambassador of the Republic of Angola to the UAE, Youssef Al Batran, UAEJJF Board Member and a number of officials from the UAEJJF and participating clubs and academies were also present Mubadala Arena. Mansour Al Dhaheri, member of the Board of Directors of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, stressed the AJP championships are on par with the highest international standards at the organisational and technical levels. “As anticipated, the AJP Tour Abu Dhabi International Pro Jiu-Jitsu Championship was a great success, especially in terms of attendance since it was able to attract a good number of seasoned stars. The event was also successful in giving hundreds of male and female players from about 50 nations a highly competitive environment, demonstrating that the UAE is the home of champions and their first choice of destination for achieving glory.” Al Dhaheri emphasised that the competition offers UAE athletes and their competitors a favourable environment to prepare for international and continental contests. Mohammed Alswaidi of the Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club who scooped gold in the Men’s BrownProfessional69kg division, said: “Winning a medal means the excellent training I have done has paid off. We are eager to make the most of all the resources the UAEJJF Jiu-Jitsu Federation and the clubs to which we belong have made available to us. We also believe that every competition presents an opportunity for us to repay them and make the nation proud.” Nabiev from Russia’s EaglesBjj, who grabbed gold in the Men’s BlueAmateur85kg division, said: “I came all the way from Dagestan to participate in the AJP Tour Abu Dhabi International Pro Jiu-Jitsu Championship and it was worth it as I could capture a medal. I was aware that the competitions would not be easy at all since the greatest players in the world travel to the Abu Dhabi Championships. Yet, success depends on preparation, which I did; as a result, I am standing on the podium today.” Lilit Danielyan from Legacy Jiu-Jitsu Armenia grabbed bronze in the Women’s PurpleProfessional55kg, division. She said, “I have heard a lot of good things about the Abu Dhabi championships, but today I actually got to experience them. It is the perfect destination for those hoping to fulfill their aspirations in this sport. This championship is an example of superb planning and hosting that meets the highest international standards.”

Source: Emirates News Agency

NEWYORK, 19th March, 2023 (WAM) — The 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) the UN’s largest annual gathering on gender equality, the empowerment of all women and girls and their human rights successfully closed its two-week-long session with the acknowledgment of the critical role of technology and innovation in achieving gender equality. The agreed conclusions adopted by Member States provide a blueprint for all stakeholders, including governments, the private sector, civil society and youth to promote the full and equal participation and leadership of women and girls in the design, transformation and integration of digital technologies and innovation processes that fulfil the human rights and needs of women and girls. CSW67 reaffirmed the importance of women and girls’ full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership in science, technology and innovation, and expressed concern on the limited progress in closing the gender gap in access to and use of technologies, connectivity, digital literacy and education.It also expressed grave concern about the continuity and interrelation between offline and online violence, harassment and discrimination against women and girls and condemned the increase of such acts. The Commission called for significantly increased public and private sector investments to bridge the gender digital divide, more inclusive innovation eco-systems, and the promotion of safe and gender-responsive technology and innovation. It also called for inclusive and equitable quality education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, information and communications technology and digital literacy to ensure that all women and girls can thrive in a rapidly changing world. Khoder Nashar

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABUDHABI, 19th March, 2023 (WAM) — The Emirates News Agency (WAM), in collaboration with the Arab Youth Centre, concluded a training programme for graduates of the Young Arab Media Leaders Programme at the Sheikh Zayed Festival. The training programme kicked off on 18th November, 2022 and ended on 18th March, 2023, targeting a range of young Arab media talents. The programme’s participants successfully produced nearly 50 visual reports during the festival, highlighting the momentum of the festival’s activities and its role in highlighting the rich Emirati culture and heritage. Mohammed Jalal Al Rayssi, Director-General of WAM, stressed that running the training programme at the Sheikh Zayed Festival offered its participants an inspiring platform for creative work. “In our collaboration with the Arab Youth Centre, we aimed to implement this training programme, which offered an opportunity to a range of Arab media talents to present creative media content during the festival and its rich and diverse activities,” Al Rayssi said. l Rayssi thanked the Arab Youth Centre for its ongoing media cooperation with WAM, noting that the two sides have successfully implemented a distinguished programme for Arab media cadres during Expo 2020 Dubai, and their cooperation continued during the Sheikh Zayed Festival. He also lauded the talented Arab youth who participated in the programme and their keenness to create distinguished media content that highlighted the festival’s importance. Sadiq Jarrar, Executive Director of the Arab Youth Centre, said that upon the directives of H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and President of the Arab Youth Council, the centre is keen to provide an outstanding opportunity for youth to develop their talent and skills. He highlighted the fact that the cooperation between the centre and WAM led to the participation of many graduates of the “Arab young media leaders” programme conducted by the centre in the continued media coverage of a distinguished cultural event such as the Sheikh Zayed Festival and to contribute towards underscoring the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Moreover, he underscored the importance of making influential and fruitful media content using different advanced digital media tools to present a positive image of our culture and identity and highlight the UAE model as an inspiring Arab success story.

Source: Emirates News Agency