AL MAFRAQ, JORDAN // Hannan Al Darwish smiles with joy as she cradles her newborn daughter. Saturday was one of the happier days since she fled the violence of Homs.
Her daughter will be brought up in a far safer place and, while almost everything in her life is uncertain, she will hold her close and love her dearly.
The 28-year-old names the girl Shamma, after Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, founder of Beacon of Hope UAE, which is bringing solar-powered light to refugee camps in Jordan and was touring the UAE-funded hospital on Saturday.
Sheikha Shamma kissed Hannan and her daughter and wished them well, creating a lasting impression that will not be forgotten quickly.
Shortly afterwards, the unmistakable first cries of another newborn child are heard in the halls of the UAE Red Crescent Hospital, which provides medical treatment to Syrian refugees in Amman.
This time it’s a boy and he is named Zayed, after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa, Sheikha Shamma’s brother.
Sheikha Shamma was on a tour of the hospital in the Al Mafraq area, 20 kilometres from the Syrian border.
She and her team were looking at ways to improve the lives of the more than 250,000 patients that have been treated in the hospital.
Beacon of Hope is handing our solar lights in camps that are accustomed to power cuts, but it is also promoting education and new medical technology.
The technology it is rolling out is aimed at helping doctors identify medical problems in newborns.
In particular, it looks to tell the difference between problematic heart murmurs and benign ones.
Benign heart murmurs occur in more than half of the children born around the world and disappear over time, but misdiagnosing costs hospitals millions.
Using a digital stethoscope connected to a smartphone, the technology is able to use algorithms to discover whether a murmur is benign.
Shamma and Zayed will benefit from the checks, which is still in the testing phase but is being used on patients.
“We checked out two newborn babies with the technology, Shamma and Zayed,” said Sarah Bawazir, an advisory board member for Beacon of Hope.
“The technology can be hugely effective in areas without specialised doctors, as it can reliably determine if a murmur is dangerous.”
The device is helpful for advanced hospitals, as often a general practitioner will find difficulty determine the type of murmur, she said.
“Right now it’s in research phase, but once it passes we are looking to take it around the world with us and donate it to hospitals.”
The Red Crescent hospital is on the front line of the refugee crisis, treating families who had fled their homes with little more than the clothes on their backs.
It ensures that they receive the best health care despite the challenges of operating close to the border.
With an emergency wing, it is often the closest hospital for wounded Syrians.
The Beacon of Hope team has spent the last three days in Jordan visiting refugee camps around the country and donating thousands of solar lights and books for refugees in an attempt to promote education.
“Even if we prepare for this advance and we think we know what we’re going to see, it’s still heartbreaking,” said Mohammed Al Ghailani, another advisory board member who spoke of the sheer challenge that is the refugee crisis. “Seeing the extent, and even given all the great work the UAE has done in helping refugees, we want to add to that.”
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About Beacon of HopeUAE
Beacon of Hope UAE, a non-profit organisation, was founded by Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bint Khalifa Al Nahyan and aims to provide children in war-torn and poverty-stricken countries with lights and literacy.
Sheikha Shamma, along with co-chairwoman Larisa Miller and her team, travel around the world and provide a basic engineering lesson in how to build a simple solar powered light.
The solar light project by Beacon of Hope UAE was part of its mission towards “light, literacy and life”.
Included in the solar-light assembly box, is circuitry for the solar panel to be connected to rechargeable batteries that allows the recipients light for hours.
The project aims to improve the health of youth living in camps by providing an alternative to kerosene lamps, which can cause lung issues and even death in some cases.
The organisation also distributes books to the children straight from Sheikha Shamma’s group and Dubai Cares.
It is also working on developing medical technology that will help doctors diagnose infant illness through the use of simple and cheap digital technology.
A stethoscope attached to a smartphone app will allow medical practitioners to identify malignant heart murmurs, while face-detection technology can help them identify genetic disorders.
The project was founded in 2016 and is active in Jordan, Liberia, Morocco, and other countries around the Middle East and North Africa.
It profit is looking to launch in Iraq and Egypt in the coming months.
Their collaborators include Akon Lighting Africa, run by the American rapper of Akon, UAE Red Crescent, and various UAE governmental and non-governmental organisations.
nalwasmi@thenational.ae
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
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.
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Results
Male 51kg Round 1
Dias Karmanov (KAZ) beat Mabrook Rasea (YEM) by points 2-1.
Male 54kg Round 1
Yelaman Sayassatov (KAZ) beat Chen Huang (TPE) TKO Round 1; Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) beat Fahad Anakkayi (IND) RSC Round 2; Qais Al Jamal (JOR) beat Man Long Ng (MAC) by points 3-0; Ayad Albadr (IRQ) beat Yashar Yazdani (IRI) by points 2-1.
Male 57kg Round 1
Natthawat Suzikong (THA) beat Abdallah Ondash (LBN) by points 3-0; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Ahmed Al Jubainawi (IRQ) by points 2-1; Hamed Almatari (YEM) beat Nasser Al Rugheeb (KUW) by points 3-0; Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) beat Yu Xi Chen (TPE) by points 3-0.
Men 86kg Round 1
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) beat Mohammad Al Khatib (PAL) by points 2-1
Men 63.5kg Round 1
Noureddin Samir (UAE) beat Polash Chakma (BAN) RSC Round 1.
Female 45kg quarter finals
Narges Mohammadpour (IRI) beat Yuen Wai Chan (HKG) by points.
Female 48kg quarter finals
Szi Ki Wong (HKG) beat Dimple Vaishnav (IND) RSC round 2; Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Nastaran Soori (IRI) by points; Shabnam Hussain Zada (AFG) beat Tzu Ching Lin (TPE) by points.
Female 57kg quarter finals
Nguyen Thi Nguyet (VIE) beat Anisha Shetty (IND) by points 2-1; Areeya Sahot (THA) beat Dana Al Mayyal (KUW) RSC Round 1; Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Ching Yee Tsang (HKG) by points 3-0.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Electoral College Victory
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.
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Company%20Profile
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Cricket World Cup League 2
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
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
Pakistan squad
Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20profile
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
Joe Root's Test record
Tests: 53; Innings: 98; Not outs: 11; Runs: 4,594; Best score: 254; Average: 52.80; 100s: 11; 50s: 27
The First Monday in May
Director: Andrew Rossi
Starring: Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld, John Paul Gaultier, Rihanna
Three stars
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
