For post Brexit UK, building strong, global trading relations has a renewed importance. So the timing of a visit by a group of highly enterprising businesswomen from Sharjah, UAE, seemed a perfect symbol of that energized dynamic.
The trade delegation was led by Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al-Qasimi, wife of the ruler of Sharjah, chairperson of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment and honorary chairperson of the Sharjah Business Women Council (SBWC).
During the week-long visit the delegation met with leading British companies including Asprey, Smythson, Fortnum & Mason, Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant and Pret-A-Manger, as well as participated in exchanges with business organizations and universities.
One of the key events which attracted over 200 British businesswomen from a wide range of sectors was a seminar held by the Arab International Women’s Forum (AIWF) in partnership with global partner SBWC.
Held in the opulent surrounding of the Royal Automobile Club on Pall Mall under the theme of ‘Partnership for Innovation in Entrepreneurship’ it presented a great opportunity for networking and exchanging of experience and ideas. In attendance were Aalya Al-Mazroui, wife of the United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Noura Al-Noman, Chairperson of the Executive Office of Sheikha Jawaher Al-Qasimi, and Dr. Afnan Al-Shuaiby, secretary general and CEO of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce.
In her press statement Sheikha Jawaher invited British businesswomen and entrepreneurs to visit Sharjah and learn more about the Emirate’s pioneering experience and efforts advancing women in the economic sector. She said: “Sharjah offers ideal investment and business opportunities and its business market is characterized by having large and stimulating investment facilities. We emphasize that British businesswomen have a great opportunity to forge strategic partnerships with Sharjah businesswomen and to launch joint development projects which are beneficial for both of them.”
In her opening address, Haifa Fahoum Al-Kaylani, founder and chairperson, Arab International Women’s Forum, said: “We are proud to collaborate with Sharjah Business Women Council on this seminar to exchange knowledge and ideas on how best to support women as business leaders, mentors, and importantly, role models, for the next generation.”
Ameera Abdelrahim BinKaram, vice-chairperson NAMA Women Advancement Establishment and Chairperson, Sharjah Business Women Council, in her address, noted that of the 593 British businesses licensed to operate in Sharjah, currently just five are owned by British women. “This is something SBWC aims to improve after this trade mission,” she said.
Two panels, chaired by Rania Rizk, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, PepsiCo, featured UAE businesswomen who shared their experience of building their companies.
Sheikha Hind Majid Al-Qasimi, founder of ‘Designed by Hind’, explained how with the encouragement of Sheikha Jawaher she developed the confidence to develop her porcelain business. “I didn’t believe in my designs when I first started. My first encouragement came from Her Highness,” she said.
Noor Saab, a Lebanese designer based in London, whose beautiful scarves inspired by Arabic calligraphy and arabesque, saw her being commissioned by Cartier to design and produce a collection for the 10th Anniversary of the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards, said: “There is huge potential for innovation across cultures; creating more dialogue across cultures is something which I think we are badly in need of. These are the things that will open up the world as opposed to closing it down.”
Alia Abdulla Al-Mazrouei, co-founder ‘Just Falafel’, said her experience of working in the public sector gave her valuable understanding of structures and procedures which proved very useful when it came to setting up her own business.
Sara Al-Madani, who has a wide range of business interests, said she was about to open a restaurant in Dubai to be named ‘Shepherds Bush’ which takes its inspiration from London. “All the Arabs go there! I wanted to bring a piece of London to Dubai because I know how much the UAE loves London,” she said.
She paid tribute to Sheikha Jawaher, who, she revealed, inspired her to start her first business venture in Sharjah. “Thanks to Her Highness my dream came true. Her Highness doesn’t just tell you what to do — she shows you what to do,” she said.
She added that in her view, Sharjah with its excellent facilities and logistics, has the potential to be the start-up hub of the Middle East.
Dr. Amal Ibrahim Al-Ali, assistant professor at Sharjah University and Founder and CEO, Cardiff Management Consultants, led the visiting delegation to participate in a special workshop held at Cardiff University’s Center for Innovation. Dr. Al-Ali studied at Cardiff University and is a former Sharjah Government Director of communications.
Heba Khairallah Al-Emara, UK head of relations, EMEA Orangefield Group, London, said investing personal effort into each project and taking ownership of the work would always result in a much higher level of quality and production.
Dr. Zanubia Daud Shams, co-chairperson, Zulekha Healthcare Group, said having self-belief was critical for success. She quoted a comment made by Hillary Clinton: “Before you get there you have to get going.”
Some of the visiting businesswomen from Sharjah were interviewed about their own entrepreneurial journeys.
Naeema Al-Amiri runs a heritage village in Sharjah that showcases the craftsmanship of artisans across a wide range of specialisms. She started out with a small stall twenty years ago and now has an enterprise employing 35 full time staff and up to 150 part time staff whose work is featured in major exhibitions in the UAE.
She recalled how a meeting with Sheikha Jawaher proved inspirational and set her on the path to success. “I remember telling Her Highness that it was my dream to set up a business and she responded: “Why are you dreaming? We are here to help support women to turn their dreams into reality.”
Al-Amiri said that she was considering some ideas for business collaborations in the UK.
Mariam Al-Mazro, fashion designer, Mimi Fashion Design, explained that she was with the family business for ten years which gave her good management experience. Today she specializes in customized evening wear and is looking into collaborating on projects related to fashion.
She commented on her own personal challenge in establishing her business: “For me the biggest challenge was getting over my shyness. Building my business has made my personality stronger and stronger.”
Aisha Alali, Dolce Confectionary Co., said she was looking to expand her business.
“I am looking to establish collaborations with UK businesswomen. My production is in Sharjah and we specialize in high-end chocolate,” she said.
The founder of FarahIcons spoke about her business specializing in wedding gifts which she started just a few months ago.
Ameera BinKaram emphasized the importance of face to face meetings to forge business connections.
“Entrepreneurs globally have similar challenges; we think it is very important for our members to look at what are some of the international entrepreneurs’ challenges and see how both can exchange best practices and see if they can collaborate. SBWC focuses on members understanding the power of networking; how to lobby people they meet and how to follow up and stay in contact when they go back to the UAE.
“On a government level the British Embassy in the UAE has been extremely supportive of SBWC. They have opened up a lot of doors for the Council and its members to meet with their counterparts in the UK. The embassy, and especially the Trade Mission department, offered advice on the corporates we should be engaging with. On a government level a lot has been done but there is always room for more to be done.”
Speaking of the collaboration with Asprey she said: “We worked on this for approximately nine months. Our beautiful traditional embroidery is on a limited collection of handbags. We have a collection with Asprey for London, another for New York, and an upcoming one for Moscow.”
Asked to give an insight into her own motivation in her work, she commented:
“My motivation comes from HH Sheikha Jawaher; her unwavering support is what keeps us going. She is very practical: she is mother, a professional, a strong advocate for women, and a very savvy businesswoman. She knows what it takes to get woman into the public and private sector.”
Haifa Al-Kaylani observed that there is a great bond between the UAE and the UK: “In conversations with women from the UAE about how they feel about the UK, and London in particular, everyone was saying: ‘There is no place like London.’
They travel all over Europe and they never feel more at home than when they are in London. There is a huge affinity between the Arab world and the UK.”
Sharjah businesswomen bring their spirit of enterprise to the UK
Sharjah businesswomen bring their spirit of enterprise to the UK
‘Mona Lisa’ will get its own room under a major renovation of the Louvre
- The renovation project, branded “Louvre New Renaissance,” will include a wide new entrance near the Seine River, to be opened by 2031, Macron said
- Macron said the expansion of the museum will allow the “Mona Lisa” to be moved to a new, dedicated room accessible to visitors through a special ticket
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday that the “Mona Lisa” will get its own dedicated room inside the Louvre Museum under a major renovation and expansion of the Paris landmark that will take up to a decade.
The renovation project, branded “Louvre New Renaissance,” will include a wide new entrance near the Seine River, to be opened by 2031, Macron said in a speech from the room where Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece is displayed.
Macron didn’t disclose an exact amount budgeted for the project to modernize the world’s most visited museum, which is plagued with overcrowding and outdated facilities. But it’s estimated to reach up to 800 million euros ($834 million).
The Louvre’s last overhaul dates back to the 1980s, when the iconic glass pyramid was unveiled.
Move designed to make Louvre experience easier
Macron said the expansion of the museum will allow the “Mona Lisa” to be moved to a new, dedicated room accessible to visitors through a special ticket. That will make the visit simpler for those who want to see the painting and ease the experience of other visitors in the rest of the museum, he said.
“Conditions of display, explanation and presentation will be up to what the ‘Mona Lisa’ deserves,” he said.
Leonardo’s masterpiece is now being shown behind protective glass in the museum’s largest room, overcrowded with long, noisy lines of visitors eager to take a selfie with the groundbreaking portrait of the woman with the enigmatic smile. That makes some other paintings in the room by Venetian painters like Titian and Veronese go unnoticed by many.
The museum’s big renovation in the 1980s was designed to receive 4 million annual visitors.
Last year, the Louvre received 8.7 million visitors, more than 75 percent being foreigners mostly from the United States, China and neighboring countries Italy, the UK, Germany and Spain.
Costly and complex overhaul
Macron said that a new entrance for the Louvre will be created near the Seine by 2031, to be financed by ticket sales, patronage and licensing money from the museum’s Abu Dhabi branch.
A design competition will be staged in the coming months, he said. In addition, some new underground rooms will be created to expand the museum.
A French top official said that the cost of the renovation is estimated at 700 to 800 million euros ($730 to 834 million) over the next decade, including half for the creation of the new entrance. The official couldn’t be named in line with the French presidency’s customary practices.
Macron said that ticket prices would be raised for foreign visitors from outside the European Union, up from 22 euros ($23) now. He promised the museum would be safer and more comfortable for both the public and employees.
Comparing the project to Notre Dame’s recent reopening, Macron said that “the redesigned Louvre, restored and expanded, will become the epicenter of art history for our country and beyond.”
Half the Louvre’s budget is being financed by the French government, including the wages of the 2,200 employees.
The other half is provided by private funds including ticket sales, earnings from restaurants, shops and bookings for special events, as well as patrons and other partners.
Water leaks and other damage
The renovation announcement came after Louvre Director Laurence des Cars expressed her concerns in a note to Culture Minister Rachida Dati earlier this month saying that the museum is threatened by “obsolescence.”
According to the document first released by French newspaper Le Parisien, she warned about the gradual degradation of the building because of water leaks, temperature variations and other issues “endangering the preservation of artworks.”
The pyramid that serves at the museum’s entrance, unveiled in 1989 as part of late President François Mitterrand’s project, now appears outdated. The place isn’t properly insulated from the cold and the heat, and it tends to amplify noise, making the space uncomfortable for both the public and the staff, des Cars said.
In addition, the museum suffers from a lack of food options and restroom facilities, she said.
Cold snap chills New York City’s rats, and heats up the fight against them
- The United States’ most populous city has been spared the Upper Midwest’s extreme wind chills, not to mention the shock of record-breaking snow in the deep South
NEW YORK: This week’s frigid weather has many New York City residents shivering, scurrying into cozy spots and feeling sapped. Including the rats.
The United States’ most populous city has been spared the Upper Midwest’s extreme wind chills, not to mention the shock of record-breaking snow in the deep South, in this week’s Arctic blast. But temperatures peaked Monday around 26 degrees Fahrenheit (-3 Celsius) and roughly 20 degrees (-7 Celsius) Tuesday and Wednesday, well below average.
Such cold has, yes, a chilling effect on the Big Apple’s notorious rodents. But it boosts efforts to get rid of them, says city “rat czar” Kathleen Corradi.
“It’s stressing out rats. It’s putting them in their burrows,” she says. “So we kind of get to double down now while the rats are ‘feeling the heat’ from this cold snap.”
New York City’s wild rat species — Rattus norvegicus, also called the Norway rat or brown rat — doesn’t hibernate in winter but does become less active when the weather is freezing for prolonged periods. At the same time, the rodent’s food source tends to shrivel because people are out less and therefore discarding few food wrappers and other rat snacks on the streets, Corradi said.
All that makes for stressed rats and suppresses breeding, which “is really their superpower,” Corradi said. Norway rats can reproduce many times a year, essentially any time conditions are suitable, though they tend to be most prolific from spring through fall.
Jason Munshi-South, a Drexel University ecology professor who has researched New York City’s rats, said those that are already holed up in subway tunnels, sewers, crawlspaces or other nooks can weather the cold fairly well.
Rats that haven’t secured a hideaway might venture to unusual places, such as car engine blocks. Or a tempting basement? Perhaps, if building owners haven’t diligently blocked them out.
But Munshi-South said some of the animals likely will freeze to death, especially if they’re already sick, malnourished or otherwise weakened.
“Harsh winters like we are having so far will keep the rat population at a lower level if we have sustained cold, freezing periods,” he said in an email.
All of that, Corradi said, allows the city’s rat-fighters to make headway ahead of the warmer months.
There’s no official count of New York City’s rats, but no one disputes that they have long been legion. Successive city administrations have tried various approaches to eliminating or at least reducing them.
Current Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who has battled the critters at his own Brooklyn home, created Corradi’s position — officially, the director of rodent mitigation — about two years ago. Adams’ administration also has focused on requiring trash “containerization,” otherwise known as putting household and business garbage into enclosed bins instead of piling refuse-filled plastic bags on the curb.
The Oscar nominations are Thursday. Here’s what to look for
- In the wake of devastating wildfires in Los Angeles that struck at the heart of the movie industry, the twice-delayed nominations to the 97th Academy Awards are going forward Thursday morning
- But after wildfires began burning through the Pacific Palisades, Altadena and other areas around Los Angeles, the academy extended its voting window and postponed the nominations
In the wake of devastating wildfires in Los Angeles that struck at the heart of the movie industry, nominations to the 97th Academy Awards are going forward Thursday morning after a pair of delays.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences will announce the nominations Thursday at 8:30am ET via a wide array of platforms, including on Oscar.com, Oscars.org, the academy’s social network sites, ABC’s “Good Morning America,” as well as on Disney+ and Hulu. Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott will read the nominees.
The Oscar nominations had originally been planned for Jan. 17. But after wildfires on Jan. 7 began burning through the Pacific Palisades, Altadena and other areas around Los Angeles, leaving behind historic levels of destruction, the academy extended its voting window and twice postponed the nominations announcement.
With so many in the film industry reeling from the fires, some called on the academy to cancel the Oscars altogether. Academy leaders have argued the March 2 ceremony must go ahead, for their economic impact on Los Angeles and as a symbol of resilience for the industry. Organizers have vowed this year’s awards will “celebrate the work that unites us as a global film community and acknowledge those who fought so bravely against the wildfires.”
“We will reflect on the recent events while highlighting the strength, creativity, and optimism that defines Los Angeles and our industry,” Bill Kramer, academy chief executive, and Janet Yang, president, said in an email to members Wednesday.
But much of the usual frothiness Hollywood’s award season has been severely curtailed due to the fires, which continue to burn. The film academy canceled its annual nominees luncheon. Other events have been postponed or downsized. On Wednesday, Kramer and Yang said original song nominees won’t be performed this year. Conan O’Brien, whose Pacific Palisades home was spared by the fires, is hosting.
Here are some of the things to look for Thursday:
How wide open is it?
Usually by this time, one or two movies have emerged as the clear favorites for best picture. Not so this year. Four films have been nominated for the top award from the Producers Guild, the Directors Guild and the Screen Actors Guild: “Anora,” “Conclave,” “Emilia Pérez” and “A Complete Unknown.”
They are likely to be joined Thursday by Golden Globe-winner “The Brutalist,” the musical blockbuster “Wicked” and the sci-fi sequel “Dune: Part Two.” In the category’s 10 films, that leaves slots expected for “A Real Pain” and “The Substance.” The last spot could go to the prison drama “Sing Sing,” the journalism drama “September 5” or the POV-shot “Nickel Boys.”
Of them all, Netflix’s contender “Emilia Pérez” could land the most nominations of all, and, possibly, set a new high mark for non-English language films.
Who gets left out in best actress?
As is often the case, best actress is extremely competitive. Most prognosticators expect nominations for Demi Moore (“The Substance“), Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked“), Mikey Madison (“Anora“) and Karla Sofía Gascón (“Emilia Pérez”). Who gets the fifth slot could go to Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here“), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths”) or Pamela Anderson (“The Last Showgirl”). And that still leaves out Nicole Kidman (“Babygirl”) and Angelina Jolie (“Maria”).
Who could make history?
Gascón, the star of Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,” is poised to become the first openly transgender actor nominated for an Oscar. Gascón, who plays both a male drug lord in the film and the woman she becomes, has spoken both passionately and sanguinely about the possibility of making Oscar history at a time with trans rights are imperiled.
“If it does happen, I would be so grateful,” Gascón said last fall. “It would be a beautiful thing. But if it doesn’t, whatever. I’d go back to my old life. I’ll do my grocery shopping. I’ll play with cats. I’ll see my family. Maybe I’ll do other jobs and people will like those jobs.”
With Trump now in office, will ‘The Apprentice’ be nominated?
One of 2024’s most audacious films, “The Apprentice,” dramatized the formative years of President Donald Trump’ s emergence in New York real estate under the tutelage of attorney Roy Cohn. Both Sebastian Stan (who plays Trump) and Jeremy Strong (Cohn) are borderline contenders for best actor and best supporting actor, respectively. Trump has called those involved with the film “human scum.”
Will best director be all male again?
For most of Oscar history, the best director category has been all male. That’s changed somewhat in recent years, with wins by Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog“) and Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland“). But this year may see another all-male group of Audiard (“Emilia Pérez“), Sean Baker (“Anora”), Edward Berger (“Conclave“), Brady Corbet (“The Brutalist“) and James Mangold (“A Complete Unknown“).
The two most likely female contenders are Payal Kapadia (“All We Imagine as Light”) and Coralie Fargeat (“The Substance”). Also in the mix are a pair of big-budget filmmakers in Jon M. Chu (“Wicked”) and Denis Villeneuve (“Dune: Part Two”).
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For more coverage of this year’s Oscars, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/academy-awards
Microsoft’s LinkedIn sued for disclosing customer information to train AI models
Microsoft’s LinkedIn has been sued by Premium customers who said the business-focused social media platform disclosed their private messages to third parties without permission to train generative artificial intelligence models.
According to a proposed class action filed on Tuesday night on behalf of millions of LinkedIn Premium customers, LinkedIn quietly introduced a privacy setting last August that let users enable or disable the sharing of their personal data.
Customers said LinkedIn then discreetly updated its privacy policy on Sept. 18 to say data could be used to train AI models, and in a “frequently asked questions” hyperlink said opting out “does not affect training that has already taken place.”
This attempt to “cover its tracks” suggests LinkedIn was fully aware it violated customers’ privacy and its promise to use personal data only to support and improve its platform, in order to minimize public scrutiny and legal fallout, the complaint said.
The lawsuit was filed in the San Jose, California, federal court on behalf of LinkedIn Premium customers who sent or received InMail messages, and whose private information was disclosed to third parties for AI training before Sept. 18.
It seeks unspecified damages for breach of contract and violations of California’s unfair competition law, and $1,000 per person for violations of the federal Stored Communications Act.
LinkedIn said in a statement: “These are false claims with no merit.”
A lawyer for the plaintiffs had no immediate additional comment.
The lawsuit was filed several hours after US President Donald Trump announced a joint venture among Microsoft-backed OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank, with a potential $500 billion of investment, to build AI infrastructure in the United States.
The case is De La Torre v. LinkedIn Corp, US District Court, Northern District of California, No. 25-00709.
Mittens the cat becomes an accidental frequent flyer after getting mistakenly left on a plane
- A Maine coon cat named Mittens accidentally flew three times between New Zealand and Australia this month after her cage was mistakenly left in the plane’s cargo hold
WELLINGTON: A Maine coon cat named Mittens became an accidental jetsetter this month when her cage was overlooked in a plane cargo hold and she made three trips in 24 hours between New Zealand and Australia.
Mittens, 8, was booked for one-way travel with her family from Christchurch, New Zealand to their new home in Melbourne, Australia on Jan. 13. But owner Margo Neas said Wednesday that as she waited for Mittens to be unloaded from the plane’s freight area, three hours passed with no sign of the cat.
It was then that ground staff told Neas the plane had returned to New Zealand — with Mittens still on board. The return trip involves about 7.5 hours in the air.
“I said, how can this happen? How can this happen? Oh my God,” Neas said.
The Air New Zealand pilot was told of the extra passenger during the flight and turned on the heating in the cargo hold to keep Mittens comfortable, she added. Neas was told that a stowed wheelchair had obscured a baggage handler’s view of Mittens’ cage.
“It was not a great start to our new life in Melbourne because we didn’t have the family, we weren’t complete,” she said.
But the saga had a happy ending. The pet moving company that Neas used to arrange Mittens’ travel met the cat on her return to Christchurch and ensured she was back on the plane for another trip to Melbourne — this time just one way.
Mittens had lost weight but was otherwise unharmed.
“She basically just ran into my arms and just snuggled up in here and just did the biggest cuddles of all time,” Neas said. “It was just such a relief.”
Air New Zealand would reimburse all costs associated with Mittens’ travel and has apologized for the distress caused, the airline said in a statement.
“We’ll work closely with our ground handler in Melbourne to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” said spokesperson Alisha Armstrong.
Meanwhile Mittens, not usually an affectionate pet, is “the cuddliest she’s ever been,” said Neas.
“The cat gets as much attention as she wants right now because we’re just so absolutely and utterly relieved to have her back.”
