ABU ZENIMA: Amid a stunning vista of desert mountains, a Bedouin woman, Umm Yasser, paused to point out a local plant, and she began to explain how it was used in medicine to the group of foreign tourists she was guiding.
Umm Yasser is breaking new ground among the deeply conservative Bedouin of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. Women among the Bedouin almost never work outside the home, and even more rarely do they interact with outsiders. But Umm Yasser is one of four women from the community who for the first time are working as tour guides.
“It is against our culture, but women need jobs,” the 47-year-old Umm Yasser said. “People will make fun of us, but I don’t care. I’m a strong woman.”
They are part of Sinai Trail, a unique project in which local Bedouin tribes came together aiming to develop their own tourism. Founded in 2015, the project has set up a 550-kilometer trail through the remote mountains of the peninsula, a 42-day trek through the lands of eight different tribes, each of which contributes guides. The project has been successful in bringing some income to the tribes, who often complain of being left out of the major tourism development of the southern Sinai, home to beach resorts and desert safaris.
Until now, all the project’s guides were men. Ben Hoffler, the British co-founder of the Sinai Trail, felt it was not enough. “How can we be credible calling this the ‘Sinai Trail’ if the women aren’t involved?“
But even after years of trying by Hoffler, almost all the tribes still reject women guides. Only one of the smallest, oldest and poorest tribes, the Hamada, accepted the idea.
There are some conditions. The tourists can only be women, and the tours can’t go overnight. Each day before the sun sets, the group returns to the Hamada’s home village in Wadi Sahu, a narrow desert valley. The organizers also urge the tourists to photograph the guides only when they are wearing a full veil over the face that covers even the eyes with mesh.
Umm Yasser was the first to join. She said she started hiking when she was a child and knows the mountains and the valley by heart. She convinced the families of three other women to allow them to work as guides.
Their tribe is a poor one, living in small concrete houses strung along the Wadi Sahu. Electricity runs no more than five hours a night and there is no running water. It is isolated deep in the mountains of south Sinai, far from the tourism centers in Sinai along the Red Sea coast or near the famed Saint Catherine’s Monastery. The men often leave the village to find work, either at resorts or in mines further south.
“We need money to help support our families for basic necessities,” Umm Yasser said. “We need blankets, clothes for the children, washing machines, fridges, books for school.”
The Sinai Trail came together in some of the hardest years for tourism. It was launched as an Daesh group-linked insurgency intensified in the northern part of Sinai and a year after a Russian passenger plane crashed, killing all 224 passengers on board in a likely militant bombing. The violence has stayed far from southern Sinai, where tourist resorts are located — but the industry has had to push hard to win tourists back.
On a recent tour joined by the Associated Press, 16 female tourists — from Korea, New Zealand, Europe, Lebanon and Egypt — were led by Umm Yasser and the other three women guides, Umm Soliman, Aicha, and Selima, through the rugged, landscape in and around Wadi Sahu.
“I think south Sinai is safe especially when you are in the care of Bedouins. ... This is where I feel at home. Every corner there is scenery and another beautiful view,” said Marion Salwegter, a 68-year-old Dutch woman who travels to southern Sinai every year alone to escape the winters in Holland.
During the two-day tour, the group hiked across an endlessly broad landscape of mountain peaks and valleys of dry riverbeds. While male Bedouin guides range far from home, the women tend to move closer, with an exceptionally rich knowledge of the surrounding mountains. The guides talked about the local plants and herbs, the history and legends of the area and pointed out the borders of the area’s tribes.
In the evening, the group returned to the Hamada tribe’s village. The women sat on the floor of Umm Yasser’s home and the tourists asked the guide about life in the village, marriage and divorce.
Umm Yasser is skeptical other Bedouin women will join her as a guide or in working in general any time soon. But, she said, “There is no shame in working. This is what I believe in, and it makes me strong.”
Some attitudes are changing. Mohammed Salman, an elderly man from the Aligat tribe, said he thought the guides project was a great step for women. “If a woman wants to work, she should be able to have the right to,” he said. “Many men say no, a woman’s place is at home. But I’m sick of this ideology. She’s a human being.”
Younger Bedouin girls tagged along with the group and talked about wanting to be female guides in the future.
“This trip is going down in history and will be talked about,” said Julie Paterson, a facilitator for Sinai Trail who often works with Bedouin women. “It might also go into Bedouin oral history.”
In a first, Bedouin women lead tours in Egypt’s Sinai
In a first, Bedouin women lead tours in Egypt’s Sinai
- Sinai Trail is a project started by local Bedouin tribes to develop tourism
- Some tribes allowed women to be tour guides under a set of conditions
Socks and satire: Syrians mock ousted Assad dynasty
- Pictures of the Assad clan have gone from being ubiquitous symbols of repression to objects of derision and mockery
DAMASCUS: At Basel al-Sati's souvenir shop in a central Damascus market, socks bearing caricatures that ridicule ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and his once feared family now sell like hot cakes.
"I want to bring joy to people who've been deprived of happiness for so many days and years," said Sati, 31, displaying pairs of white ankle-length socks.
"Everyone who comes from abroad wants to buy the socks -- some to keep as a souvenir, others to wear mockingly and take pictures," he told AFP.
"There are even some who buy them just to stomp on them," he said.
Stamping on someone's image is considered deeply insulting in the Arab world, so the socks allow wearers to trample the Assads underfoot as they walk.
Pictures of the Assad clan have gone from being ubiquitous symbols of repression to objects of derision and mockery since his December 8 ouster by Islamist-led forces after nearly 14 years of devastating civil war.
Some socks showing Assad in sunglasses read "We will trample them", while others depict him with heavily exaggerated features.
Others bear a caricature of Hafez al-Assad who ruled Syria before his son, depicted in his underwear and chest puffed out.
They bear the phrase "This is what the Assads look like" -- a play on the family's last name, which means lion.
Assad's once feared younger brother Maher labelled "the captagon king" also features. Western governments accused Maher and his entourage of turning Syria into a narco state, flooding the Middle East with the illegal stimulant.
Sati's shop, brimming with other gift items, is decorated with images from Syria's revolution.
An image of Assad is on the ground at the entrance so people can walk on it.
"It's another kind of celebration, for all the Syrians who couldn't celebrate in Ummayad Square after the fall of the regime," Sati said.
The Damascus landmark filled with huge crowds from across the country and hosted days of celebrations after Assad's ouster, with people raising the now official three-starred flag symbolising the revolution.
Afaf Sbano, 40, who returned after fleeing to Germany a decade ago, said she had come to buy "Assad socks", which sell for around a dollar a pair, for friends.
There is "no better" gift for those "who can't come to Syria to celebrate the fall of the regime", she told AFP.
"I bought more than 10 extra pairs for my friends after I shared a photo on Instagram," she said.
"We had never dared to even imagine making fun of him" before, she added.
Manufacturer Zeyad Zaawit, 29, said the idea of socks to mock the Assads came to him after the former ruler was deposed and fled to Russia.
Zaawit started with a small number and then ramped up production when he saw they were selling fast.
"People hate him," Zaawit said of Assad.
"I took revenge on him this way after he fled," he said, adding that the socks were so popular that some customers even paid in advance.
Zaawit said he produced around 1,000 pairs in the first week and has since tripled production, making more than 200,000 pairs in three months.
Images of the socks have been shared widely on social media and they have even been used in satirical television programmes.
Assad's own words have also been turned against him -- including a refusal to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a foe who is close to Syria's new authorities.
Erdogan made repeated overtures to Assad in the period before his overthrow.
In August 2023, Assad famously said: "Why should I meet Erdogan? To drink refreshments?"
The pronouncement, now the subject of jokes on social media, appears on posters in food and juice stalls, sometimes accompanied by mocking images of Assad.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ says he’s ‘a little nervous’ as sex trafficking trial gets underway
NEW YORK: The federal sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, whose wildly successful career has been dotted by allegations of violence, began on Monday in New York City with jury selection that was briefly paused when the hip-hop entrepreneur said he was “a little nervous” and needed a bathroom break.
Three dozen potential jurors were questioned by Judge Arun Subramanian about their answers on a questionnaire meant to help determine if they could be fair and impartial at a trial that will feature violent and sexually explicit videos. Opening statements and the start of testimony are scheduled for next week.
The judge gave the would-be jurors a brief description of the sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges against Combs, telling them he’d pleaded not guilty and was presumed innocent.
By the end of the day, the jury pool was half its size as some were excluded for personal reasons such as inability to endure a trial projected to last two months or because their opinions or past experiences would make it difficult for them to remain objective.
A similar number of jurors was expected to be questioned on Tuesday. A jury was not expected to be chosen before Wednesday.
Throughout Monday, Combs, 55, sat with his lawyers in a sweater over a white collared shirt and gray slacks, which the judge had allowed rather than jail clothing. He’s been held in a grim federal lockup in Brooklyn since his arrest last September. His hair and goatee were almost fully gray because dye isn’t allowed in jail.
Unlike other recent high-profile celebrity trials, Combs’ court case won’t be broadcast live because federal courtrooms don’t allow electronic recordings inside — meaning courtroom sketch artists serve as the public’s eyes in the courtroom.
If convicted of all charges, he could face up to life in prison.
Several prospective jurors indicated they’d seen news reports featuring a key piece of evidence in the case: a video of the hip-hop mogul hitting and kicking one of his accusers in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. One prospective juror described a still image she saw from the video as “damning evidence.” That woman was rejected from consideration.
After another juror was dismissed, Combs asked for a bathroom break, telling the judge, “I’m sorry your honor I’m a little nervous today.”
One prospective juror said she had posted a “like” to a video put on social media by a comedian who included references to large amounts of baby oil found by law enforcement in one of Combs’ homes. She was not dismissed.
The 17-page indictment against Combs — which reads like a charging document filed against a Mafia leader or the head of a drug gang — alleges that Combs engaged in a two-decade racketeering pattern of abusive behavior against women and others, with the help of people in his entourage and employees from his network of businesses.
Combs and his lawyers say he’s innocent and any group sex was consensual. They say there was no effort to coerce people into things they didn’t want to do, and nothing that happened amounted to a criminal racket.
Prosecutors say women were manipulated into drug-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers that Combs called “Freak Offs.” To keep women in line, prosecutors say Combs used a mix of influence and violence: He offered to boost their entertainment careers if they did what he asked — or cut them off if they didn’t.
And when he wasn’t getting what he wanted, the indictment says Combs and his associates resorted to violent acts including beatings, kidnapping and arson. Once, the indictment alleges, he even dangled someone from a balcony.
Combs has acknowledged one episode of violence that is considered a key piece of the prosecution’s case. In 2016, a security camera recorded him beating up his former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel. Cassie filed a lawsuit in late 2023 saying Combs had subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape.
The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, did.
Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, has said Combs was “not a perfect person” and that there had been drug use and toxic relationships, but said all sexual activity between Combs, Cassie and other people was consensual.
The trial is the most serious in a long string of legal problems for Combs.
Flight club: Pinching pigeons on the India-Pakistan border
- The skill of “kabutar-baazi” pigeon flying stretches back centuries, straddling a border created at the violent end of British imperial rule in 1947
JAMMU: In the skies above the bunkers where Indian and Pakistani soldiers trade gunfire, masters of an ancient sport beloved on both sides seek to snatch prized pigeons from the other.
Indian breeder Pyara Singh spends his days trying to lure Pakistani birds from across the Himalayan valley, and guard against rivals wooing his flock.
“We get pigeons from Pakistan — we catch them,” said 33-year-old Singh, watching as some of his feathered favorites twisted like jets overhead. “We also often lose our pigeons to them.”
An attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that New Delhi blames on Islamabad has sparked fears of renewed conflict between the nuclear-armed arch-rivals.
Pakistan insists it was not involved in the April 22 killings of 26 mainly Hindu men but Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to respond.
Like every night since April 26, India’s army said Monday that its troops had exchanged gunfire with Pakistani soldiers overnight across the de facto frontier in contested Kashmir.
Pigeon fanciers across the divide can’t meet face-to-face, but share the same passion. Breeders say the top birds can be worth hundreds of dollars.
The skill of “kabutar-baazi” pigeon flying stretches back centuries, straddling a border created at the violent end of British imperial rule in 1947.
Singh, sitting with his 100-strong flock on the roof of his home in the village of Pangali, said it was “it is an old art.”
Keepers guide the flight of their flocks with whistles to provide a swirling spectacle.
Others race them, timing their flight home, or simply find peace in their graceful colorations and gentle coos.
But Indian keepers like Singh say their Pakistani counterparts rear “better and stronger” birds, explaining the buzz in catching their pigeons.
“They are a treasured possession,” said Aarav KHajjuria, from Sainth, another frontline Indian village.
He proudly showed his flock of 29 birds — three of which are from Pakistan.
“Our pigeons also fly there,” he said. “Two of my pigeons went.”
The teenager started breeding pigeons four years ago after watching another local fancier catch a bird.
“I was fascinated,” KHajjuria added. “I now spend time on the roof, both immediately before and after I return from school.”
But he is most proud of his Pakistani captives.
“I lured them after they’d strayed across,” he said, pointing to a nearby row of trees that mark the border.
Pakistani pigeons “are better because they’re bred better and fly longer durations in a competition,” KHajjuria said.
Keepers say capturing a pigeon is a skill, using water, grain and their own flock to lure the stray bird into the fold.
Once the bird lands, they immediately clip some feathers to stop them flying. While they grow back, the bird builds a bond with the new flock.
Fanciers fix leg rings with contact details to the animals.
“If we catch a bird that belongs to someone from the nearby villages, and we know them, we call them and hand it back,” Singh said, hand on his heart.
Birds from Pakistan are a different matter.
“Given the overall situation, and the risks involved, no one calls if the bird is from the other side,” he said.
“We don’t want any issues in the future, and allegations that as an Indian we were contacting Pakistanis.”
In fact, fanciers say that police are wary Pakistani pigeons might be carrying messages.
Indian police have in recent years “detained” several suspected of being enemy carrier pigeons, with some jailbirds accused of having Pakistani links, others Chinese.
“The Pakistani side often marks their pigeons with ink stamps, names, or rings — but beyond that, we haven’t seen anything suspicious yet,” Singh said.
“We inform the army if we come across such a pigeon, but so far, we haven’t caught any with a camera,” he joked.
Singh says he worries that the nightly gunfire will escalate.
“Ideally there shouldn’t be a war,” he said, but said the April 22 attack was “so wrong that it can’t be left unanswered.”
But he is confident nothing will stop his pigeons flying free.
“The border is not for the bird,” he said.
“No army or fence could stop them. How could you? Our pigeons go there, and theirs often cross into India.”
World’s tallest and smallest dogs meet up for a playdate
- Reginald, a 7-year-old Great Dane from Idaho, and Pearl, a chihuahua from Florida, are both certified winners in their respective height titles by Guinness World Records
A playdate between the world’s tallest and smallest living dogs went the way of most dog park encounters despite the 3-foot (0.91-meter) height difference — lots of tail wagging, sniffing and scampering.
Reginald, a 7-year-old Great Dane from Idaho, and Pearl, a chihuahua from Florida, are both certified winners in their respective height titles by Guinness World Records. The fact that Reginald is the size of a small horse and Pearl is as small as an apple didn’t stop them from getting along famously.
Pearl, a 4-year-old who stands at 3.59 inches (9.14 centimeters), comes from a long line of short dogs. Her aunt Millie, a previous record-holder in the same category, until she died in 2020, also was under 4 inches (10.16 centimeters) tall.
Both Millie and Pearl weighed 1 ounce (28.35 grams) at birth.
“I was not expecting to once again have the record,” said Vanesa Semler of Orlando, Florida, owner of both tiny dogs. “That would be like unbelievable.”
Guinness arranged the two-day meet up between Pearl and Reginald — who also goes by Reggie and measures in at a whopping 3-foot-3 (1 meter) — last month at his home in Idaho Falls.
Even though Pearl loves dogs, even big dogs, Semler said she was anxious because of Reginald’s size.
“For me, (it) was a huge, pleasant surprise from day one because Reggie is like Pearl, in bigger size,” she said. “He is so gentle, so friendly.”
Reggie, for his part, might have been more interested in the Guinness film crew that accompanied Pearl than the tiny dog herself.
“I would say he likes people a little bit more than he likes other dogs,” said Sam Johnson Reiss, his owner.
Pearl’s tiny size was also strange for the big boy.
“He was like very cautious, like a little anxious,” Reiss said. “He was very careful, like he didn’t step on her or anything or anything crazy. He was just very aware that she was there.”
Reggie’s super size was evident early on, especially on a dog park visit when he towered over other Great Danes despite being only 9 months old.
“They would be shorter than him, and they were like full-grown,” Reiss said.
There might have been a little jealousy shown over toys and beds, but Reggie and Pearl found common ground during their two days roaming the Idaho farm together.
“I think she found a good friend,” Semler said.
Semler said Pearl is her prima donna, with the chihuahua even picking out the clothes she wants to wear every day by placing her paw on the outfits laid out before her. That comes in handy when news crews are lining up for interviews.
“For us, she was always our diva,” Semler said. “Now she’s a diva for everyone.”
Pearl doesn’t have the top diva title quite yet, with Reiss saying Reggie — who has a new Instagram account — has his own diva moments.
“He’s pretty high maintenance,” Reiss said. “Reggie’s just cheeky, like he’s kind of mischievous and silly and definitely tells you when he wants something.”
Never argue: 115-year-old British woman, now the world’s oldest, gives her recipe to long life
- “Never arguing with anyone, I listen and I do what I like,” she said from her nursing home in Surrey
- She was born on Aug. 21, 1909, in the village of Shipton Bellinger in the south of England
LONDON: For Ethel Caterham, the trick to a long life — and in her case, it really has been — is not to argue.
Caterham, who is 115, became the world’s oldest living person, according to the Gerontology Research Group, after Sister Inah Canabarro , a Brazilian nun and teacher, died on Wednesday at the tender age of 116.
“Never arguing with anyone, I listen and I do what I like,” she said from her nursing home in Surrey, southwest of London, on the secret to her longevity.
She was born on Aug. 21, 1909, in the village of Shipton Bellinger in the south of England, five years before the outbreak of World War I. She was the second youngest of eight siblings.
Travel has been in her blood, it’s clear. In 1927, at the age of 18, Caterham embarked on a journey to India, working as a nanny for a British family, where she stayed for three years before returning to England, according to the GRG.
She met her husband Norman, who was a major in the British army, at a dinner party in 1931, and they were stationed in Hong Kong and Gibraltar, the GRG said. They had two daughters whom they raised in the UK Norman died in 1976.
Hallmark Lakeview Luxury Care Home in Camberley, where Caterham is a resident, posted pictures of her cutting a cake and wearing a “115” tiara in a Facebook post on Thursday.
“Huge congratulations to Lakeview resident, Ethel on becoming the oldest person in the world! What an incredible milestone and a true testament to a life well-lived,” it said in an accompanying statement. “Your strength, spirit, and wisdom are an inspiration to us all. Here’s to celebrating your remarkable journey!”
The title of the oldest person ever is held by French woman Jeanne Calment, who lived to 122 years 164 days, according to Guinness World Records.
