PARIS: Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez has revealed that she fought at the Paris Olympics while seven months pregnant.
Hafez posted on Instagram that she was “carrying a little Olympian one” hours after she had reached the round of 16 in women’s saber Monday.
The 26-year-old fencer from Cairo upset Elizabeth Tartakovsky of the United States, a former NCAA champion, before losing to Jeon Hayoung of South Korea.
“My baby & I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical & emotional,” Hafez wrote. “The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life & sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it. I’m writing this post to say that pride fills my being for securing my place in the round of 16!”
A former gymnast with a degree in medicine, Hafez is a three-time Olympian who won gold medals in the individual and team saber events at the 2019 African Games. She finished Monday’s competition officially ranked 16th, her best result in any of her three Olympic appearances.
Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez reveals she competed at the Paris Olympics while 7 months pregnant
Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez reveals she competed at the Paris Olympics while 7 months pregnant
Bangladesh calls for faster resettlement process for Rohingya Muslims
- Around 8,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled across the border to Bangladesh as fighting intensifies between Myanmar’s ruling junta, Arakan Army
- The new arrivals add to the more than one million Rohingya refugees already living in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district
DHAKA: The head of Bangladesh’s interim government, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, on Sunday called for a fast-tracked third-country resettlement of Rohingya Muslims living in the south Asian country, as a new wave of refugees flee escalating violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
Around 8,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled across the border to Bangladesh in recent months as fighting intensifies between Myanmar’s ruling junta and the Arakan Army, a powerful ethnic militia drawn from the country’s Buddhist majority.
The new arrivals add to the more than one million Rohingya refugees already living in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district, most of whom fled a military-led crackdown in Myanmar in 2017. The Rohingya refugees have little hope of returning to their homeland, where they are largely denied citizenship and other basic rights.
The call to expedite resettlement efforts was made during a meeting with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in which Yunus, Chief Adviser to the interim government, said the “resettlement process should be easy, regular, and smooth.”
Abdusattor Esoev, head of the IOM in Bangladesh, said the resettlement of Rohingya to third countries resumed in 2022 after a gap of 12 years, but has only gathered pace this year, a statement from the Chief Adviser’s office said.
Washington has reaffirmed its commitment to resettle thousands of Rohingya in the United States, but the process has not yet been accelerated, the statement said.
The recent surge in violence is the worst the Rohingya have faced since the 2017 Myanmar military-led campaign, which the United Nations described as having genocidal intent.
Bangladesh’s de facto foreign minister, Mohammad Touhid Hossain, told Reuters last month that Bangladesh cannot accept more Rohingya refugees and called on India and other countries to take in more of those fleeing violence.
He also urged the international community to apply more pressure on the Arakan Army to cease its attacks on the Rohingya in Rakhine state.
Saudi interior minister received by Egyptian president
- Prince Abdulaziz arrived in Egypt on Saturday evening
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo on Sunday.
During the meeting, relations between the Kingdom and Egypt and security cooperation between the two countries were reviewed.
Prince Abdulaziz arrived in Egypt on Saturday evening.
Authorities declare northwestern Pakistani province mpox-free after all patients recover
- Health officials had confirmed four cases of the viral infection in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa last month, all of whom had travel history
- All of the infected individuals were screened at the Peshawar airport and test results of the last patient came negative on Sunday
PESHAWAR: Health authorities on Sunday declared Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province mpox-free, saying all four patients infected with the virus had recovered from it.
Health officials had confirmed four cases of the viral infection last month, all of whom had a travel history, according to Atta Ullah Khan, a spokesperson of the provincial health department.
All of the infected individuals were screened at the Peshawar airport. Three of them were shifted to the isolation ward of Police Services Hospital in Peshawar, while one was quarantined at his home in the Mardan district.
“PCR [polymerase chain reaction] tests of the patients were sent to the National Institute of Health in Islamabad and the results of all the individuals came negative,” Khan told Arab News, adding the result of the PCR test of the last patient quarantined at his Mardan home came negative on Sunday.
“Currently, there are no active mpox cases in the province.”
Patients who contract mpox get flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Mpox is usually mild but can kill, and children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of complications from the infection.
The World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries around the world to take precautionary measures after declaring the disease a public health emergency on August 14, as a new offshoot of the virus first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo began spreading to other neighboring states.
Khan said provincial health authorities had managed to limit the spread of mpox in a short period of time.
“But screening at entry points, including Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar and the Torkham border crossing, still continues,” he added.
Hajj 2025 planning meeting eyes new level of standards
- The meeting invited 60 organizations from the Hajj sector, along with various princes, ministers and officials
- Prince Saud announced the timeline for the 2025 Hajj season, adding that it will meet a new level of standards
RIYADH: Makkah Deputy Gov. Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz attended the first planning meeting for the 2025 Hajj season in Jeddah on Sunday.
The meeting, held under the auspices of Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, governor of Makkah and head of the Central Hajj Committee, invited 60 organizations from the Hajj sector, along with various princes, ministers and officials.
Prince Saud announced the timeline for the 2025 Hajj season, adding that it will meet a new level of standards, including updated regulations, enhanced worker training and solutions to address challenges.
He conveyed the governor’s appreciation to organizations serving pilgrims and praised their efforts and the leadership’s support in providing high-quality services.
Prince Saud highlighted the need to build on the achievements of the 2024 Hajj season and ensure early preparation for this year’s pilgrimage. He urged the importance of increased cooperation to improve services and facilities.
He said that the meeting should result in clear, high-quality plans that positively impact the pilgrimage experience.
The meeting reviewed the 2024 Hajj season’s achievements, which included 300 plans for improved readiness. Notable accomplishments were the launch of the Nusuk card, experimental Hajj trips from Taif International Airport, expansion of the Makkah Route initiative, a 51-km extension of the Jeddah-Makkah highway, increased transportation from Mina to the Grand Mosque and the application of anti-heat paint near the Al-Namirah Mosque.
The meeting also covered the 2025 planning model, focusing on readiness, service quality standards and operational performance indicators.
A workshop titled “Harmonization of key services, roles and milestones” was held to review and initiate plans for this year’s Hajj season.
