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Cancer Run™ 2026 presented by Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and organised by Plan b Group has achieved a historic milestone by setting a new Guinness World Records™ title for Most Nationalities in a Run at its Abu Dhabi edition on Sunday at Hudayriyat Island.
Supported by Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the event witnessed the participation of 71 nationalities, uniting cancer warriors, runners, families, communities, cultures, and health advocates from across the country in solidarity to combat cancer.
The event has etched itself as a one-of-a-kind annual campaign to promote regular cancer screening, general awareness, and active lifestyles across the UAE, aligning itself with the nation’s goal to create a healthier, happier society. It also aligns with Abu Dhabi’s recent announcements on cancer awareness, research, and treatment, the latest being the opening of a high-potency facility to manufacture oncology drugs.
The event featured 1km, 3km, 5km, and 10km categories, ensuring that families, beginners, fitness enthusiasts, and professional athletes could all take part. Hydration stations and medical support were available along the routes to ensure participant safety and comfort.
Dr. Harmeek Singh, Founder and Chairman of Plan b Group, said, “The Guinness World Records™ title aptly reflects what collective action can achieve. At Hudayriyat Island, Abu Dhabi, we witnessed people from all walks of life come together to support a noble cause and express solidarity against an illness that not only affects patients, but also people around them.”
The Dubai edition of Cancer Run™ 2026 is set to take place on 7th February at Dubai Festival City, supported by the Dubai Sports Council. The event is expected to witness a larger crowd and greater enthusiasm, promoting collective awareness and solidarity against the disease.
Awarded the inaugural BRICS Literature Award, Egyptian novelist and critic Salwa Bakr reflects on writing from the margins, the hidden forms of violence embedded in social life, and literature’s enduring role in confronting injustice.
This year, Egyptian novelist and critic Salwa Bakr received the inaugural BRICS Literature Award in recognition of her literary contribution.
Established in 2024, the prize honours the literary achievements of authors from BRICS member states: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran. While BRICS primarily functions as a political and diplomatic coordination forum, the award introduces a cultural dimension to the grouping.
Born in Cairo in 1949, Bakr has published seven collections of short stories—a genre with which she is closely associated—as well as seven novels. Her 1998 novel Al-Bashmouri (The Man from Bashmour) was listed by the Arab Writers Union as one of the top 100 Arabic literary works. Translated into several languages, including English by the American University in Cairo Press, the novel revisits the ninth-century revolt of largely Coptic peasants in Egypt’s Delta against the excessive land taxes imposed by Arab governors. Beyond its historical setting, however, the work reflects on the deep commonalities shared by Egyptians, both Copts and Muslims.
Bakr regards the BRICS Literature Award not merely as a personal achievement but as a reflection of what she described as “the strength of Egypt’s soft power.” She also views it as recognition of literary works that engage deeply with life’s struggles, particularly those of marginalized communities.
“Addressing questions of justice among people is something literature is uniquely equipped to do,” Bakr said. “When marginalized groups become the focus of a literary work, they also become the focus of serious questions about justice.”
Such reflection, she argued, extends to what she calls “soft violence”—a form of harm that is often overlooked precisely because it does not present itself as overt brutality. “Soft violence is inflicted through practices of arrogance that may not appear violent but are deeply painful,” she said, adding that its failure to be widely recognized makes it harder to confront or remedy.
Bakr stressed that reflecting on historical injustice is not an exercise detached from contemporary reality. Rather, she sees it as an attempt to adopt a broader perspective that enables deeper engagement with enduring questions of relevance. “This is the point of literature,” she said: to cultivate a more enlightened understanding of history and reality, without lapsing into moralizing or patronizing tones.
For this reason, she resists reading Al-Bashmouri narrowly as a novel about Coptic suffering. “It is a novel about Egyptian peasants—the Bashmourians—who revolted against inflated land taxes imposed by the governors of Egypt,” she said.
Similarly, Bakr rejects rigid labels such as “feminist literature.” “I do not write under a specific banner,” she said. “I reflect on women’s perceptions of themselves and of the world they inhabit.” She emphasized that her work does not promote a confrontation between men and women, but rather examines the social norms that shape women’s status and constrain their lives.
These concerns are powerfully explored in her 1997 novel Al-A’raba Al-Zahabiya La Tazhab Ila Al-Sama’ (The Golden Chariot Does Not Ascend to Heaven). Set largely within a prison cell, the novel centres on Aziza, a young woman who gazes at the sky through her cell window and dreams of building a chariot that could carry her beyond the bars—both literal and social—that confine her. Through this stark setting, Bakr probes the obstacles that hinder women’s lives, as well as the broader realities of poverty, inequality, and the often-unfulfilled yearning for a better existence.
For Bakr, it is among marginalized and grassroots communities that life’s most fundamental questions surface. “This is where the core of life lies,” she said, “and where the essence of a nation’s culture can be sensed.” It is within this milieu, she argued, that one can perceive the accumulated layers of Egyptian history, with all its complexity and contradictions, and grasp an identity shaped over centuries.
Bakr’s sensitivity to these themes is rooted in personal experience. She grew up in a modest neighbourhood in East Cairo and witnessed her mother endure severe financial hardship following her husband’s death. These early experiences, she has said, familiarized her with the challenges faced by Egyptians of limited economic means.
Bakr made her literary debut in 1986 with the short-story collection Zeinat fi Ganazat Al-Ra’is (Zeinat at the President’s Funeral). Her first novel, Wasf Al-Bolbol (The Description of the Nightingale), followed in 1993. Both works examine the social injustices confronting women across different contexts and offer an unflinching critique of repression, particularly that imposed by social convention.
Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said on Thursday that the giant container ship CMA CGM SEINE, one of the world’s largest container vessels, transited the canal for the first time as part of the northbound convoy, carrying a gross tonnage of about 250,000 tons.
The vessel, operated by the French shipping line CMA CGM, crossed the canal during its maiden voyage, sailing from Morocco to Malaysia, according to an SCA statement.
SCA Chairman Ossama Rabiee said the return of the world’s largest and most modern container ships to the canal reflects confidence in its readiness and global standing as a key artery for East–West trade.
Delivered in 2025, CMA CGM SEINE operates on the FAL3 service linking Europe with the Far East. The ship is 399 metres long, 61.3 metres wide, has a draught of 40 feet, and can carry up to 23,876 containers.
Rabiee said the authority took all necessary measures to ensure the vessel’s safe passage , including assigning senior SCA pilots, deploying escort tugboats, and maintaining real-time monitoring from the main traffic control centre and pilotage stations along the canal.
In line with SCA protocol for first-time transits, senior pilots boarded the ship to welcome its crew and present a commemorative gift to the vessel’s master.
Rabiee added that the authority has recently upgraded its maritime and navigational services and introduced new offerings to meet customer needs, while maintaining the highest safety standards for ultra-large vessels and special-dimension marine units.
He noted that CMA CGM has increased the number of its container ships with a net tonnage exceeding 130,000 tons transiting the canal, reaching 15 vessels since December, out of a total of 38 ships that have crossed since May, benefiting from the authority’s flexible pricing policies.
Navigation through the Suez Canal has gradually resumed in recent months as several major shipping lines reassessed their routes following prolonged disruptions to global trade lanes, particularly in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab.
The SCA responded by maintaining uninterrupted canal operations, enhancing navigational safety measures, and expanding pilotage and escort services for ultra-large container ships.
It also introduced flexible pricing and incentive policies to encourage shipping lines to restore regular transits through the canal.
Earlier this month, the SCA reported a marked recovery in canal activity, with revenues rising by 18.5 percent in the first half of fiscal year (FY) 2025/2026, reflecting a gradual return of shipping traffic as security conditions in the Red Sea improved.
SCA Chairman Ossama Rabiee said the gains were accompanied by a 5.8 percent increase in the number of transiting vessels and a 16 percent rise in net tonnage year on year, citing greater stability in the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait and surrounding waters.
Global shipping had been heavily disrupted since October 2023, when many major carriers diverted vessels away from the canal amid attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea linked to the war in Gaza, a shift that resulted in sharp revenue losses for the authority estimated at $7 billion.
French president gives assurance of his determination to continue strengthening historic partnership.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, also known as the FIA, has been congratulated on his reelection to the post by French President Emmanuel Macron, who also gave an assurance of his determination to continue strengthening the historic partnership between France and the FIA.
In a letter to Ben Sulayem, Macron said: “I would like to extend my warmest congratulations on your reelection as president of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), following the vote held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Dec. 12.
“In this regard, and further to our recent meeting at the Elysee Palace alongside other representatives of the automotive world, please be assured of my determination to continue strengthening the historic partnership between France and the FIA.
“Wishing you every success in this new term of office, please accept … the assurance of my highest regards.”
The meeting at the Elysee Palace in November highlighted shared priorities of the FIA and France across motorsport, road safety, mobility, and the protection of young people online.
France holds a unique place in the federation’s history with the FIA’s headquarters situated in Paris, and this was further highlighted during the meeting as the FIA confirmed the renewal of its commitment to France as one of its key centres of excellence.
Speaking at length, the leaders celebrated France’s pivotal role in global motorsport, from historic events such as the Paris–Rouen Trial in 1894 to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which continues to attract thousands of spectators and generates significant impact, supporting over 1,000 full-time jobs and contributing about $190 million to the French economy.
Macron and Ben Sulayem also discussed France’s representation in the FIA Formula One Championship, the French talent competing across the FIA World Championships, the contributions of French manufacturers and promoters in shaping international motorsport, and support for the facilitation of visas for global FIA delegates attending meetings in Paris.
Macron and Ben Sulayem were joined by Yann de Pontbriand — president of the Automobile Club de France, one of the FIA’s original members and the world’s first automobile club, which was founded in 1895 — and Pierre Gosselin, president of the Federation Francaise du Sport Automobile.
The parties discussed the central role clubs play alongside the FIA in promoting safe and responsible mobility and motorsport, alongside France’s historic contribution to the sectors.
Macron and Ben Sulayem exchanged views on initiatives to make mobility safer, more affordable, and more sustainable, such as the newly launched FIA Driver Safety Index, a first-of-its-kind global benchmark developed to measure and compare driver risk using cutting-edge AI technology.
Protecting young drivers and promoting respect online was another key topic. The leaders discussed the FIA’s United Against Online Abuse campaign, which aligns closely with France’s policies on social media safety for children.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Mohammed Ben Sulayem and French President Emmanuel Macron. (Supplied)
A new book documents the humanitarian and scientific career of world-renowned heart surgeon Magdi Yacoub, highlighting previously untold aspects of his life, philosophy, and medical legacy.
Titled Al-Hakim Magdi Yacoub: A Heart of Gold, the book is written by Aziza Fouad, managing editor of Nisf El-Dunia and El-Beit magazine. It traces the life and work of Yacoub, one of the world’s leading pioneers of heart surgery, focusing on both his professional achievements and his deeply rooted human values.
The book reveals key milestones in the life of the “King of Hearts,” many of which are published for the first time. It explores his philosophy of medicine and life, shedding light on the humane dimensions that shaped his thinking, culture, and career. It also highlights his sense of humour behind the seriousness of his scientific and medical journey, a side of Yacoub that remains largely unknown to many.
Spanning 260 pages, the book covers Yacoub’s upbringing in Egypt and his later move to Britain. It includes testimonies from colleagues and writers who accompanied his career, as well as behind-the-scenes accounts and exclusive interviews conducted with him for Al-Ahram newspaper and Nisf El-Dunia magazine. These materials document his research, surgeries, and scientific innovations, many of which continue to have a lasting impact on modern medicine.
The book also highlights Yacoub’s pioneering achievements in heart and lung transplantation and paediatric heart surgery. It documents his leading role in establishing Chain of Hope and the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation in Aswan, which has become a global medical centre providing free treatment while contributing to the training of new generations of doctors.
The book is being showcased at the Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF) and marks Fouad’s first book.
In her introduction, Fouad writes: “Magdi Yacoub was a real source of inspiration to generations of doctors in Egypt and around the world. I never saw him as merely a world-class surgeon, but as a rare human model who taught me that sincere giving is the essence of medicine, and that when science blends with compassion, miracles happen. This book is a message of gratitude to a man who left his mark on hearts before leaving his imprint on the history of medicine — a role model that time rarely offers.”
A landmark research project on the development of a 3D-bioprinted wound dressing in the health sector has secured first place in the 2025 National Award for Scientific Research, presented during the Annual Researchers Forum under the theme “Research Published… Visions Realized.”
The pioneering study was led by Dr. Sulaiman bin Ali Al Hashmi, Head of the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory at the Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa. Recognized as one of the most distinguished scientific works of the year, it has garnered widespread acclaim for its significant contributions to regenerative medicine and the treatment of chronic wounds.
In a statement to the Oman News Agency (ONA), Dr. Al Hashmi said the research concept emerged from a long-term scientific investigation into stem cells and tissue engineering, combined with close observation of clinical challenges related to chronic wounds—particularly those resulting from diabetic complications, given the rising number of cases in the Sultanate of Oman and the associated healthcare challenges.
He explained that the study addresses a key gap in traditional wound care, which often focuses on covering the injury without actively stimulating tissue regeneration. By applying 3D bioprinting within a regenerative medicine framework, the team developed an advanced bioactive dressing that provides a dynamic, healing-conducive environment for more effective and sustainable recovery.
He pointed out that the dressing—fabricated from carboxymethyl chitosan and loaded with the drug Tacrolimus—represents a paradigm shift in wound management. It goes beyond mere protection to actively modulate inflammation, promote tissue renewal, and enable controlled drug release, thereby improving therapeutic efficiency and outcomes.
Dr. Al Hashmi noted that results from both laboratory studies and animal models have shown promising indicators of accelerated wound closure and reduced inflammation. He emphasized, however, that the treatment remains experimental and has not yet entered human trials, with safety studies and clinical testing still required in the coming phases.
Among the key challenges faced during the project were the technical complexities of developing a biocompatible, 3D-printable biomaterial and limitations in the specialized infrastructure needed to transition from lab research to clinical application. These hurdles, he added, ultimately strengthened the team’s research methodology and fostered a culture of innovation and collaboration.
He stressed that specialized research laboratories are essential pillars for building a competitive national research ecosystem. Work within the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory is founded on interdisciplinary expertise, with every achievement regarded as the product of shared effort and collective vision.
He affirmed that the laboratory places high priority on nurturing young Omani talent—both men and women—as a vital human investment to ensure the sustainability of scientific inquiry. Future plans include attracting more early-career researchers and expanding local and international research partnerships.
Looking ahead, Dr. Al Hashmi said his research will focus on deepening work in regenerative medicine and stem cell science, refining current therapeutic models, and building strong national research teams capable of delivering tangible scientific impact.
In closing, he described the award as both an inspiration and a responsibility, reaffirming that the ultimate aim of scientific research is to serve humanity and enhance quality of life. This achievement, he noted, is a step forward in a broader journey to translate laboratory discoveries into practical treatments that benefit patients and serve the nation.
Building Capacity in a Time of Digital Chaos: How Arabi Facts Hub Works with Media Students and Journalists to Rebuild Trust in Info.
Al-Fanar Media and Arabi Facts Hub, a nonprofit organisation that detects false Arabic content on the internet, are uniting to combat misinformation.
The two organisations have signed a protocol agreeing to exchange expertise and conduct training courses and research on confronting misinformation and disinformation in Arabic content on the internet.
This agreement is rooted in both parties’ belief in the importance of professional journalism, fostering a culture of fact-checking, and strengthening the abilities of journalists, researchers, and students in digital media, media literacy, and investigative journalism.
The protocol involves the two organisations running joint training programmes for journalists, researchers, and students; organising fact-checking meetings, seminars, and panel discussions at Arab universities; distributing educational material about media literacy, fact-checking, and open-source information; and combining to publish investigative reports.
Combating Misinformation
Mohammad El-Hawary, Al-Fanar Media’s executive director and editor-in-chief, said, “Al-Fanar Media’s strategy is built on coordinating efforts and establishing partnerships with Arab and international institutions to help Arab youth combat misinformation and rumours. We do this by producing training and educational material and organising events to try to create responsible content creators for traditional media and social media audiences.”
Al-Fanar Media’s efforts in this area have included joining the Unesco Alliance for Media and Information Literacy, offering media literacy training workshops for Arab university students in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia, and starting a Gen Z project that trains young content creators in professional journalism standards, particularly for social media.
The organisation also organises online discussions with experts and academics through its Al-Fanar Media Talks series.
El-Hawary added: “Our world today is extremely complex, yet highly interconnected in terms of shared destiny and risks. It requires flexibility, the exchange of expertise and best practices, and understanding specific societies when providing resources that let communities, often led by young people, tackle these common challenges in a responsible manner.
“We value our partnership with Arabi Facts Hub and are pleased that Al-Fanar Media’s platforms can be a window through which the Arab public—including young people, experts, academics, and others interested in Arab affairs—can access the professional output produced by the Arabi Facts Hub team.”
The collaboration with Arabi Facts Hub will include forming joint policies and fact-checking events. It is one of a series of new partnerships that Al-Fanar Media is planning to build on its reputation and increase its impact in the Arab world, El-Hawary said.
New Horizons in Media Literacy
Maha Salah El-Din, head of communications and partnerships at Arabi Facts Hub, also expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership with Al-Fanar Media, saying it opened new horizons for cooperation in media literacy to address the information disorder in the Arab region.
The training, academic, and editorial projects that the project plans will help journalism and fact-checking abilities in the Arab region, she said.
El-Hawary and El-Din both said they hoped that the cooperation would raise public awareness about misinformation and help curb its spread.
The formal cooperation agreement is valid for one year but will automatically renew as long as each party wishes to continue.
Al-Fanar Media is an independent news organisation that covers higher education, research, and culture in the Arab world. It seeks to provide accurate and balanced content in both Arabic and English about issues relevant to Arab higher education across the region and beyond.
Arabi Facts Hub is an independent platform that promotes a culture of fact-checking and combating misinformation in the Arab region through training, content production, support for investigative journalism, and building skills for journalists, researchers, and media students.
The Arab Media Union has been officially launched under the umbrella of the Arab Economic Unity Council (AEUC), marking a new step toward strengthening joint Arab media action, supporting development goals, and enhancing regional media integration.
Operating as a specialised body affiliated with the League of Arab States, the newly established Arab Media Union aims to advance professional standards across the Arab media sector and reinforce its role in economic, social, and cultural development.
The Arab Media Union is chaired by Youssef Abdel-Wahab Al-Omairi, with Sally Gad, Vice Dean of Education, Faculty of Language and Media, at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, appointed as Secretary-General.
It brings together a select group of Arab media professionals and academics committed to promoting institutional development and professional excellence in Arab media.
The launch comes as part of the AEUC’s broader strategy to activate specialised sectoral unions, contributing to the growth of the knowledge economy, supporting digital transformation, and fostering closer integration among Arab media institutions.
According to its founding objectives, the Arab Media Union seeks to unify Arab media efforts, enhance professional performance, encourage innovation in media content, and invest in the training and qualification of media practitioners. It also aims to keep pace with rapid technological advances in digital and new media.
Al-Omairi described the union’s establishment as an important step toward building an effective Arab media entity capable of articulating Arab issues and strengthening Arab media presence at regional and international levels.
Professor Gad said the coming phase will focus on launching professional and training initiatives, alongside establishing Arab and international partnerships, to develop the Arab media landscape in line with the highest professional standards.
The Arab Media Union is expected to begin implementing its strategic plan in the coming period, in line with its founding mission under the League of Arab States.
Saudi Arabia has recorded a major scientific milestone with its astronauts helping to produce a cartilage-repair nanomaterial in space for the first time, building on the work done during the Kingdom’s landmark SSA-HSF1 mission in 2023.
The Saudi Space Agency announced that its astronauts’ involvement in 19 experiments aboard the International Space Station would enhance quality of life on Earth.
The SSA explained that the research, led by scientists Yupeng Chen and Mari Anne Snow, in an international collaboration, focused on developing advanced biomaterials for tissue engineering, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
Saudi astronaut Rayana Barnawi helped to conduct the experiments and collect data in the microgravity environment. The material produced could assist in tissue treatment and organ transplantation.
The research findings were published in Nature in July 2025, one of the world’s leading scientific journals.
Barnawi said: “Conducting the experiment in space enabled the fabrication of an advanced nanomaterial and the production of reliable data that supports the development of scientific research contributing to improving human life and serving humanity.”
The SSA said the Kingdom wants to maximize the scientific return from human exploration missions for the benefit of the planet.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Saudi Arabia has recorded a major scientific milestone with its astronauts helping to produce a cartilage-repair nanomaterial in space for the first time. (SSA)
