Abdo Khal, who has won the 2010 International Prize for Arabic Fiction.
Abdo Khal, who has won the 2010 International Prize for Arabic Fiction.

Abdo Khal wins the 2010 Arabic Fiction prize



ABU DHABI // The Saudi Arabian author Abdo Khal has been named as the winner of the 2010 International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his novel Spewing Sparks As Big As Castles, which is also translated as She Throws Sparks. The satirical novel, set in a palace, deals with the destructive impact that power and limitless wealth have on life and the environment. The chairman of the four-man judging panel, the Kuwaiti writer Taleb Alrefai, said Spewing Sparks As Big As Castles was "a brilliant exploration of the relationship between the individual and the state". He said: "Through the eyes of its two-dimensional protagonist, the book gives the reader a taste of the horrifying reality of the excessive world of the palace. "Although only one novel can win the prize, many exciting and inspiring novels were submitted. The judging panel worked hard in order to consider all this year's submitted novels, maintaining the established tradition of independence and transparency." The announcement was made at a gala dinner that coincided with the first day of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2010. Khal, orn in 1962 in a small village in southwestern Saudi Arabia, studied in Riyadh and Jeddah, earning a bachelor's degree in political science from King Abdel Aziz University in 1987. He is the chief editor of the Saudi newspaper Okaz, for which he also writes a daily column. The prize is awarded annually with the support of the UK's Booker Prize Foundation and is funded by the Emirates Foundation, one of the leading philanthropic organisations in the UAE. * The National

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Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

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Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
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What is 'Soft Power'?

Soft power was first mentioned in 1990 by former US Defence Secretary Joseph Nye. 
He believed that there were alternative ways of cultivating support from other countries, instead of achieving goals using military strength. 
Soft power is, at its root, the ability to convince other states to do what you want without force. 
This is traditionally achieved by proving that you share morals and values.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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England 322-7 (50 ovs)
India 236 (50 ovs)

England win by 86 runs

Next match: Tuesday, July 17, Headingley 

SPECS

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If you go
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When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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UAE squad

Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind

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Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE

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Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

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Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

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Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.


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