Maryam Al Shamsi
With the summer well and truly here and most of the major sports The National covers having stopped until the temperatures cool, my main focus has continued to be on feature stories rather than live events.
But I did get to deal with a live event again on Sunday and it brought up some real challenges
Writing stories on the spot and coming up to the story within few hours is still a struggle for me. It takes time and practice unlike profile stories.
The challenges I faced on Sunday at the Dubai Sports World opening was to first speak to Saeed Harib, secretary general of the Dubai Sports Council, which was difficult as the other media were packed around him and it was not easy to get close by him.
I finally got to ask him one question which led to him giving me some good answers proving patience does pay off.
Another challenge was balancing my work with the needs of the staff photographer Lee Hoagland, who was shooting the event with me at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
I had to tell him about what I planned to write in order for his photos to be relevant to my story
While at the same time I was juggling to also try to approach Thomas Lund, Secretary Badminton World Federation, a former badminton player, he was very humble and easy to talk with, as well as a very talkative person.
I must admit I did not know too much about Lund before Sunday but I had researched him and that made it easier to ask him questions.
So, after I was done with my interviews, it was almost time for Iftar. I went to sit in a restaurant and write my story, as quickly as I could before my deadline.
But there was no Wi-Fi to send my story. I roamed around the area asking for Wi-Fi but there was none, so I jumped from restaurant to cafe’s and back to restaurants and all of the places did not provide Wi-Fi or they were closed.
Eventually I did find a place that offered it, but the connection was very weak and it took time for me to try to send the story, though it did finally go through, and well before deadline.
So, it was a stressful last few hours but it did again remind me of the importance of leaving plenty of time to get my work done, to allow for problems like no Wi-Fi, and to be organised.
malshamsi@thenational.ae
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
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Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
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AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Netherlands v UAE, Twenty20 International series
Saturday, August 3 - First T20i, Amstelveen
Monday, August 5 – Second T20i, Amstelveen
Tuesday, August 6 – Third T20i, Voorburg
Thursday, August 8 – Fourth T20i, Vooryburg
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