Sharjah, the UAE’s cultural hub, has been immortalized in a lavish coffee table book titled ‘Sharjah: The Capital of Culture,’ a collaborative masterpiece with Assouline, the globally acclaimed luxury publisher. The book, unveiled at Sharjah’s House of Wisdom, offers a profound exploration of the emirate’s cultural identity through seven thematic chapters: architecture, art, education, environment, literature, museums, and craftsmanship. This publication marks a pivotal moment in Sharjah’s global cultural narrative, showcasing its rich heritage and visionary projects. Ahmad Obaid Al Qaseer, Executive Director of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), emphasized that the book aims to capture the ‘soul of the city’ rather than merely its physical structures. The year-long project involved meticulous research, high-quality photography, and a commitment to excellence, reflecting Assouline’s reputation for producing visually stunning and collectible works. Notably, the book will not have a digital edition, as it is designed to be a physical luxury item, available globally through Assouline’s stores and online platforms. An Arabic edition is also in the works, further extending its reach. The book’s launch coincides with the Sharjah International Book Fair, where it will be prominently featured, alongside Shurooq’s outlets. Al Qaseer envisions the book becoming a cherished piece in homes across Sharjah and beyond, solidifying the emirate’s status as a global cultural capital.
标签： Africa
非洲
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Want to be future-ready? Dubai’s new ‘micro-master’ degree to train you for tomorrow
Dubai is pioneering a groundbreaking educational initiative with the launch of a ‘micro-master’ degree in planning and future foresight for municipal work. This six-month hybrid program, developed in collaboration between Dubai Municipality and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Dubai, aims to equip participants with the skills to address real-world workplace challenges and implement practical solutions immediately. The course is being hailed as a transformative step in higher education, offering a flexible and efficient pathway to professional development. Participants who complete the program will receive an accredited, internationally recognized academic certificate. Those who wish to further their education can use the credits earned toward a full master’s degree. Dr. Yousef Al Assaf, President of RIT Dubai, emphasized that this program reflects the future of education, where learners can acquire essential skills in a shorter timeframe and apply them directly to their careers. The curriculum covers qualitative and quantitative foresight methodologies, including scenario planning, strategic road mapping, and environmental scanning. Participants will engage in hands-on capstone projects, supported by global experts, to tackle pressing issues such as achieving net zero by 2050, ensuring food security, and designing sustainable urban environments. The initiative is designed to institutionalize future foresight capabilities within Dubai Municipality’s leadership, enabling participants to anticipate trends, manage uncertainty, and develop adaptive strategies that align with Dubai’s long-term urban, environmental, and economic goals. Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Director General of Dubai Municipality, highlighted the importance of anticipating change as a collective responsibility to ensure readiness for the future. This program not only strengthens municipal leadership but also fosters agility and informed decision-making grounded in emerging trends.
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Rajiv Sharma of NLP Limited receives ‘Best Leadership Training’ award from Alleem Group
Rajiv Sharma, Program Director at NLP Limited, has been awarded the ‘Best Leadership Development Program’ accolade at the 2025 Alleem Business Congress in Ajman. This prestigious recognition underscores Sharma’s groundbreaking work in crafting leadership training initiatives that blend Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) principles with evidence-based frameworks. These programs are designed to foster adaptive, emotionally intelligent leaders capable of navigating the complexities of today’s diverse and digitally driven business landscape.
NLP Limited’s training model emphasizes behavioural intelligence, enabling participants to decode client intent, manage multicultural communication effectively, and influence decision-making with empathy and precision. Over the past year, the program has been adopted by organizations across various sectors, including real estate, banking, hospitality, and professional services. Companies have reported significant improvements in negotiation outcomes, team collaboration, and client retention, attributing these successes to the program’s focus on leadership resilience and human-centred learning.
The award from the Alleem Business Congress highlights a broader trend in the GCC region, where leadership development is increasingly shifting from process-oriented training to approaches that prioritize emotional intelligence and adaptability. NLP Limited continues to expand its collaborations with both private and public sector entities, aiming to enhance workforce capabilities and drive performance excellence across the region.
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SIBF 2025: Feeling low? Poetry ‘pharmacy’ prescribes poems to visitors
The Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2025 has introduced a unique and captivating attraction: the Poetry Pharmacy. This innovative stall, designed to resemble a traditional dispensary, offers visitors a literary remedy for their emotional needs. Rows of glass jars, neatly labeled with titles such as ‘First Aid,’ ‘Calm,’ ‘Words for Love,’ and ‘Joy,’ contain not medicine but verses printed on tiny scrolls of paper. Each scroll, rolled like a capsule, is ready to be “prescribed” to soothe the heart and mind. The concept, originating from the UK, has become one of the most photographed and talked-about features of this year’s fair. Visitors can browse shelves marked ‘Prescriptions’ and select a poetic cure tailored to their emotional state, guided by a chart that suggests categories like ‘Feeling Lost? Start Here.’ Founder Deborah Alma, known as the ‘Emergency Poet,’ explained that the idea stems from the belief that literature can function as therapy. ‘In the UK, our bookshops are divided by emotional state,’ she said. ‘Here, poems are presented in pill bottles, each containing a verse that resonates with your feelings.’ At the stall, visitors receive personalized prescription slips filled out by ‘pharmacists’ dressed in white coats. The scrolls inside the capsules feature works by renowned poets such as Tagore, Emily Dickinson, and Maya Angelou. The Poetry Pharmacy also offers bottles and matching books for purchase, each color-coded to represent different emotions. For many attendees, the stall is a perfect blend of literary charm and visual delight, making it a memorable highlight of SIBF 2025.
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Some UAE schools to count absences as double from November 10 to 19
In a significant shift, schools across the UAE have announced a new policy that will count student absences as double during the period from November 10 to 19, 2025. This measure, introduced in alignment with the Ministry of Education’s procedural guidelines, aims to ensure academic discipline and readiness as students prepare for their end-of-first-term exams. Previously, the double-absence rule was only enforced on Fridays for unexcused absences. However, this term, the policy will apply to all days leading up to the examinations, which are scheduled from November 20 to December 4, 2025. The policy stipulates that one unexcused day of absence will be recorded as two, potentially impacting a student’s eligibility to meet passing requirements. School administrations have emphasized the importance of daily attendance during this critical period, which also features several academic and enrichment initiatives designed to enhance student performance. These include the ‘Together with the Structure’ Initiative, the ‘Success Initiative,’ and the ‘Digital Empowerment Initiative,’ all aimed at fostering independent learning, creativity, and innovation. Additionally, schools have urged students and parents to ensure the readiness of electronic devices used for online assessments, with repair costs for damaged devices being the responsibility of parents. Secure browsers can be downloaded through official links to ensure a safe testing environment. The policy underscores the Ministry’s vision to build a disciplined, future-ready generation while maintaining academic excellence.
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UAE announces nationwide field exercise with military units, aircraft
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has unveiled plans for a large-scale nationwide field exercise, set to take place from November 11 to 13, 2025. Organized by the Ministry of Interior, the exercise will encompass all seven emirates, involving the coordinated movement of military units, vehicles, and aircraft across multiple regions. The ministry has issued a public advisory urging residents to refrain from photographing or sharing any media related to the exercise. Additionally, citizens are advised to avoid exercise sites and yield to police units to ensure smooth operations. This initiative follows a similar exercise conducted in October 2025 by the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority in Ras Al Khaimah, aimed at bolstering the nation’s preparedness for natural disasters and crises. Last year, the UAE executed ‘Resilience 1,’ a three-day nationwide drill conducted at police headquarters across the country. These exercises underscore the UAE’s commitment to enhancing its emergency response capabilities and ensuring national security.
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Karan Johar over the moon as Martin Scorsese hosts Neeraj Ghaywan’s ‘Homebound’
Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar expressed immense joy as legendary Hollywood director Martin Scorsese hosted a special screening of Neeraj Ghaywan’s critically acclaimed film ‘Homebound’ in New York. The event, attended by the film’s lead cast and director, marked a significant milestone for the Indian cinematic masterpiece. Johar took to Instagram to share his gratitude, posting photos from the screening and penning a heartfelt appreciation note for Scorsese. He described the experience as a surreal journey, emphasizing the importance of showcasing ‘Homebound’ to a global audience. The film, which explores themes of friendship, ambition, and societal struggles, has previously been showcased at prestigious festivals such as Cannes 2025, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). Starring Janhvi Kapoor in a pivotal role, ‘Homebound’ tells the story of two childhood friends from a North Indian village striving for dignity through a police job, only to face challenges that test their bond.
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South Africa’s apartheid-era crimes inquiry is delayed over legal objections
An investigation into claims that South Africa’s post-apartheid governments obstructed justice in prosecuting apartheid-era crimes faced an immediate setback on its opening day. The inquiry, ordered by President Cyril Ramaphosa in April following years of pressure from victims’ families, was delayed due to objections against Ishmael Semenya, the chief evidence leader. Critics argue that Semenya’s prior involvement in drafting a controversial prosecutorial policy, later deemed unconstitutional, compromises his impartiality. Judge Sisi Khampepe, overseeing the inquiry, has given the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the justice department until Wednesday to formally request Semenya’s recusal. The proceedings are now set to resume on November 26. The inquiry stems from decades of frustration over the lack of prosecutions for crimes committed during apartheid, which officially ended in 1994. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, established in 1996 by Nelson Mandela, identified around 150 cases for prosecution, but many perpetrators escaped accountability. Recent efforts by the government to address this legacy include new investigations into historical killings, such as the 1967 death of ANC leader Albert Luthuli, now confirmed as a beating rather than a train accident. Families of victims continue to seek justice, with some filing lawsuits against the government for damages and transparency.
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Four into one – how do African World Cup play-offs work?
The race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup intensifies as four African nations—Cameroon, DR Congo, Gabon, and Nigeria—compete in a high-stakes play-off tournament in Morocco. Having missed out on the continent’s nine automatic qualification spots, these teams will face off in a winner-takes-all mini-tournament to secure their chance to advance further. The victorious team will still need to navigate one or two additional matches to reach the global tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The quartet earned their place in the play-offs as the best second-placed finishers across Africa’s nine qualifying groups, with Gabon leading the pack, followed by DR Congo, Cameroon, and Nigeria. The semi-final pairings were determined by FIFA world rankings, with Nigeria (41st) set to face Gabon (77th), and Cameroon (54th) taking on DR Congo (60th) on Thursday. The winners will clash on Sunday for the opportunity to keep their World Cup dreams alive. All matches will be held in Rabat, Morocco. The African play-off winner will progress to a six-team intercontinental qualifier in March 2026, where they will compete against teams from Concacaf, Asia, Oceania, and South America for the final two World Cup spots. The draw for the intercontinental play-offs, featuring single-leg knockout matches, will take place on November 20. Nigeria, despite being the highest-ranked team, had a challenging qualifying campaign, while Cameroon, DR Congo, and Gabon aim to overcome their own struggles to secure a historic berth in the 2026 World Cup.
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Lando Norris adds to F1 Championship lead with 2nd straight win in Sao Paulo
Lando Norris of McLaren continued his impressive form in the 2025 Formula 1 season, securing his second consecutive victory at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday. Starting from pole position, Norris dominated the race, finishing over 10 seconds ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who achieved a career-best second place. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completed the podium in third, narrowly behind Antonelli. This win marks Norris’ seventh of the season, further solidifying his lead in the Drivers’ Championship standings. With three races remaining, Norris now holds a 24-point advantage over his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who finished fifth in Sao Paulo. Norris credited his success to the team’s efforts, stating, ‘McLaren are doing an amazing job, giving me a great car. We’re pushing hard every single weekend.’ The race also saw drama as Piastri received a controversial 10-second penalty for a collision with Antonelli, which forced Ferrari’s Charles LeClerc out of the race. Ferrari’s struggles continued as Lewis Hamilton retired mid-race, leaving the team with minimal points and dropping them to fourth in the Constructors’ Championship.