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Al Etihad
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Etihad
UAE President performs Eid Al-Adha prayer at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi
6 June 2025 08:55 ABU DHABI (WAM)UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan performed the Eid Al-Adha prayer this morning at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu His Highness were His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court; His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; His Highness Sheikh Suroor bin Mohammed Al Nahyan; His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation; His Highness Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior; His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs ; His Highness Sheikh Omar bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation; His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination (ZHO); His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Adviser to the UAE President; His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Affairs; His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Adviser to the UAE President; along a number of sheikhs, officials and Eid sermon, titled 'Our Eid is Devotion', was delivered by Dr. Khalifa Al Dhaheri, Chancellor of Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities. In his sermon, Dr. Al Dhaheri highlighted the profound value of devotion, exploring its meaning, forms and significance. He described it as both a spiritual and national principle that holds deep relevance during Eid and in the atmosphere of Hajj, a journey defined by sincerity of purpose and profound explained that true devotion is marked by purity of intention and integrity of action. Its highest form, he said, is devotion to God, a deeply rooted inner quality that lies at the heart of worship, strengthens spiritual closeness and opens the path to divine Al Dhaheri also stressed that one of the noblest expressions of devotion is to one's country. Those who are truly devoted to their homeland serve it faithfully, protect its reputation, uphold its laws, preserve its heritage and values, take pride in its legacy, and strive to advance its prosperity while safeguarding its went on to say that devotion should also be reflected in our relationships with family and community. When each person is committed to their family, that care and responsibility extend outward, helping to build a cohesive and compassionate concluded by encouraging worshippers to make Eid a celebration of devotion to faith, to the nation, and to one another. Devotion, he said, brings acceptance in worship, loyalty and service to the country, compassion within families, and excellence in the prayer, UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan exchanged Eid greetings with fellow worshippers. He then joined accompanying sheikhs in reciting Al-Fatihah for the soul of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, praying that God grants him mercy and a place in Paradise.
Herald Malaysia
2 days ago
- General
- Herald Malaysia
The Russian catechism of Metropolitan Tikhon
From the 2026/2027 school year, the 'Fundamentals of Russia's moral and spiritual culture' will be introduced as a new subject in Russian schools. The drafting of the textbook has been entrusted to the Metropolitan of Crimea, known as Putin's 'spiritual father'. Jun 04, 2025 MOSCOW: From 1 September 2026, a new subject will be taught in Russian schools, 'Fundamentals of the Moral and Spiritual Culture of Russia' (abbreviated as Odnknr ), with the aim of teaching the traditional 'universal human' values that underpin all religions. The specific textbook for this subject, a veritable 'Russian catechism,' will be prepared by the Metropolitan of Crimea, Tikhon (Ševkunov), known as Vladimir Putin's 'spiritual father.' The text will be drafted by the Moscow State Pedagogical University, which has asked the Moscow Patriarchate for guidelines, entrusted to the metropolitan-publicist, filmmaker and writer, as officially announced by the press service of the Ministry of Education. The manual will not only be an exposition of abstract principles, but will be illustrated and explained with 'examples from the lives of great men of Russia'. In recent years, the new subject had been included in topics concerning the 'Culture of the Peoples of Russia' and 'History of Our Region' depending on the location of the school, but these variations had been criticised directly by Patriarch Kirill (Gundjaev) of Moscow, who urged that 'specific teaching of values should not be excluded from middle school classrooms'. During the 'Christmas Readings' in February, the patriarch announced with great satisfaction that his request had been accepted, involving all history teachers in the teaching of 'moral and spiritual' subjects, precisely to highlight the most meritorious aspects and figures of Russian history. Metropolitan Tikhon will not only be the main advisor and inspiration for the new textbook, but will also act on the basis of his recent appointment, decided directly by President Vladimir Putin, who has included him in the new working group on children's and youth education, which brings together representatives of all relevant state bodies. The director of this commission is the deputy head of the presidential administration, former Prime Minister Sergei Kirienko, together with presidential adviser Andrei Fursenko, former Minister of Education, and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko. The group is tasked with establishing the necessary measures to 'create a single educational environment' in all organisations involved in education, reviewing and revising all school curricula from primary and secondary schools to vocational schools and higher education. In previous versions of 'Culture of the Peoples', according to the reviews, a 'harmful' interpretation of the Romanov dynasty, from the 17th to the 20th century, had been given, and in the new programme there will no longer be the expressions 'rule of law' and 'civil society', considered merely 'Western influences' on the final and 'degrading' phase of the state of the emperors, now too closely related to Western dynasties. This is one of Metropolitan Tikhon's most typical assessments, which he often repeats as 'Russia can only exist in the imperial dimension', like that of the 16th- and 17th-century monarchs starting with Ivan the Terrible. As already announced by Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov, Russian history will be rewritten according to 'moral and spiritual' principles dating back to the times of Kievan Rus', excluding the concept of 'colonisation' of the Slavic tribes 'of the plains', the so-called Poljani, who are contrasted with the Drevljani, anticipating the division between Poles-Ukrainians and Russians, according to the description in the ancient Chronicle of Nestor. This definition has become classic in Russian scholarly texts since the 19th century, and even more so in Soviet times, and will now be replaced by the term osvoenie, 'appropriation', to indicate a process whereby the Russians expanded into territories that were still empty or uncivilised, without therefore violating the rights of other populations, but bringing 'authentic values', while 'colonisation' will be attributed only to Western kingdoms and nations.--Asia News
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Harvard slammed for choosing Chinese student with family ties to CCP-affiliated NGO as speaker
Yurong "Luanna" Jiang addresses classmates during commencement ceremonies at Harvard University (Image credits: AP) Harvard University's decision to select Chinese student Yurong 'Luanna' Jiang as a commencement speaker has sparked a wave of controversy alongside praise, after critics raised concerns about her affiliations and family background. One of the most widely circulated criticisms came from X user @amuse, who posted, 'Why would Harvard select a Chinese national affiliated with a CCP-backed NGO whose father is a high-ranking official in that NGO that serves as a quasi-diplomatic agent for the CCP to give the school's commencement address this year?' The post continued: 'Yurong 'Luanna' Jiang, a representative of a CCP-funded and monitored NGO, gave the commencement speech at Harvard parroting Xi Jinping's diplomatic rhetoric about a 'shared future for mankind.' Her father, Jiang Zhiming, is a senior executive in the NGO and serves as a quasi-diplomatic agent for the CCP. The China biodiversity conservation and green development foundation (CBCGDF) has strong ties to the state and Communist Party and was established in 1985 by China's state council. ' The backlash came as Jiang took the stage at Harvard's commencement ceremony on Thursday, the same day the Trump administration announced plans to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, particularly those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or working in sensitive academic fields. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Jiang, who studied international development, titled her speech 'Our Humanity,' and focused on the need for compassion and unity in a divided world. 'Today, that promise of a connected world is giving way to division, fear, and conflict,' she said. 'We're starting to believe that people who think differently, vote differently, or pray differently... are not just wrong. We mistakenly see them as evil.' Her speech received a short standing ovation. She later told Harvard Magazine that although she did not name US President Donald Trump directly, she had him in mind while writing her remarks. 'In a very divided world, we should refuse to demonise those we disagree with,' she said. 'Humanity rises and falls together.' Harvard president Alan Garber also addressed the ceremony, defending the university's international outlook. 'Our global reach is just as it should be,' he said, receiving loud applause. Trump has criticised Harvard for having an international student population of 25 per cent and has called for it to be reduced to 15 per cent. He also warned the university that its federal funding could be at risk unless leadership and policy changes are made. Garber pushed back strongly, calling the administration's actions an 'unlawful attempt to control fundamental aspects of our university's operations.'
Spectator
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
The best radio at the moment is on the BBC World Service
Online viewings of Conclave increased threefold following the death of Pope Francis last month. At least some of the traffic was rumoured to have come from the Vatican itself. This raises many questions, but the most pertinent for me this week is, what did the cardinals think of the carpets? Do they really have coffee machines in their rooms like Tremblay? Minibars like Bellini? Their peace spoiled by the sounds of a lift shaft as in the case of long-suffering Lawrence? If any of these details passed you by, it's worth watching the film again. In fact, after listening to an interview with the production designer, to be broadcast on BBC World Service next week, you will feel positively compelled to do so. Suzie Davies, who also designed the sets for Mr Turner and Saltburn, clearly had fun. The idea behind giving Tremblay (John Lithgow) an espresso machine was apparently to rouse suspicions, ever so subtly, as to how he obtained such a luxury; he also has a larger room than the other cardinals. Bellini has a minibar because, well, he's played by Stanley Tucci. And Lawrence is just so forbearing. With 130 job cuts looming over the World Service – in spite of an unlikely injection of cash from the autumn budget – it's a good time to sing the praises of its documentary department. The World Service is not always the obvious channel to flip to for gripping factual content, but its current listings are actually more enticing than those for Radio 4. Forthcoming programmes that caught my eye this week include Print and Shoot: The Rise of 3D-Printed Guns, How Does Heat Affect Our Health?, The Future of the Alawites and of course Designing Conclave.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'It's a class war': Hundreds rally over Tacoma Public Schools budget, staff cuts
The Brief Tacoma Public Schools is facing a $30 million budget shortfall, leading to non-renewal of 105 provisional contracts. Critics argue budget cuts unfairly target low-paid workers, while high-paid officials remain unaffected. The district says it's working to reassign displaced employees to other positions within Tacoma Public Schools. TACOMA, Wash. - Hundreds of people came out to the "Support Our Students" rally and marched to the Tacoma Public Schools' Central Administration Building on Thursday. The backstory As Tacoma Public Schools faces a $30 million budget shortfall, the district released a statement on May 16 saying it notified 105 provisional certificated employees that their contracts were not renewed for the 2025-2026 school year. "What we're seeing from Tacoma Public Schools isn't fiscal responsibility, it's a class war," said Connor Griswold, an Education Support Professional (ESP) within the district. Critics at the rally say the district is balancing the budget on the backs of their lowest paid workers and that cuts need to be made at the top, calling out cabinet members making hundreds of thousands of dollars. "ESPs are skipping meals to buy school supplies, teachers are working second jobs instead of doing curriculum management, students are losing bilingual staff because [Tacoma Public Schools] would rather protect six-figure consultants." said Griswold. Rosalind Medina, Chief Financial Officer for Tacoma Public Schools, gave an update on the budget, saying the district is "dangerously" close to getting into binding conditions with OSPI and that these cuts were made to avoid that situation. "We have been making contractive cuts over the last several years. We have run out of the easy stuff to make reductions to," said Medina. Medina quickly apologized for describing the notifications as "easy stuff" but people who spoke out during public comment were not swayed by the update. "Know that many of your staff, like the families we serve, got to get food banks and assistance just to keep the lights on to survive," said Gwen Lewandowski, an Education Support Professional. "If I work three jobs, pay my rent, raise a kid as a single mom and I can figure out my budget, y'all get paid to figure out yours." Tacoma Public Schools says it is working with some displaced workers to fill other positions within the district. The Source Information in this story came from Tacoma Public Schools and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews. Luxury Seattle hotel sues 'nuisance' building next door Firefighters in western WA train for possibility of 'above average' wildfire season Shawn Kemp lawyers claim bias in Tacoma Mall shooting case as trial nears Federal judge blocks Trump's dismantling of the Department of Education 'Where is Teekah?': Mother speaks out after Tacoma, WA cold case Activist marks 2 weeks in tree to protest logging near Port Angeles Driver arrested after deadly crash in Kent, WA To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
