Latest news with #Sinan
Libya Review
4 days ago
- Libya Review
Libyan Woman Gives Birth During Hajj in Saudi Arabia
A Libyan pilgrim has given birth to a baby girl in the holy city of Makkah during the Hajj season of 1446 AH (2025), marking a joyful moment for the Libyan delegation. The newborn, whose family hails from the southern Libyan town of Qatrun, was named Makkah in honor of the sacred city where she was born. The news was shared by Ahmed Sinan, Deputy Head of the Field Monitoring Committee at Libya's Office for Pilgrims' Affairs, in a video posted by the Libyan Hajj and Umrah Authority. Sinan confirmed that the mother, Mabrouka, delivered her baby safely and is in good health, as is the newborn. 'This is the first Libyan birth recorded during this year's pilgrimage. The mother and baby are doing well, and the event has brought joy to the entire Libyan delegation,' said Sinan. He offered his congratulations to the father, Barakai, and praised the efforts of the medical and logistical teams supporting pilgrims on their spiritual journey. According to officials, the baby girl received a warm welcome from Libyan pilgrims and the Hajj mission team, many of whom viewed her birth as a spiritual blessing. The story quickly spread among the pilgrims, who expressed their happiness and shared their blessings with the new parents. The birth is particularly symbolic, coming during one of the most sacred times and places in the Islamic calendar. For many Libyans, it serves as a reminder of the personal and spiritual milestones that can occur during the pilgrimage—a journey not only of faith but of life itself. Earlier the same day, the Libyan Hajj Authority also announced that the families of martyrs and wounded veterans, included in this year's pilgrimage, had arrived safely and settled into their accommodations in Makkah. Tags: HajjlibyaMakkahPilgrimageSaudi Arabia
New York Post
21-05-2025
- New York Post
Woman, 44, badly beaten on Randall's Island still unresponsive days later as NYPD seeks answers
A 44-year-old woman was badly beaten on Randall's Island late Friday night and is still unresponsive four days later, authorities said Tuesday. The woman was walking along the bike path at 600 East 125th Street on the island around 11:30 p.m. when she was hit in the head and face numerous times by a suspect or suspects still on the lam, the NYPD said. 3 Cops released a photo of the victim in hopes of catching the person or people who beat her. Advertisement 3 The attack on Randall's Island has yet to lead to an arrest. Tierney – The victim was found with serious injuries and taken to Elmhurst Hospital, where she remains in critical condition and unresponsive as of Tuesday, police said. With cops unable to speak to the woman, her attack largely remains a mystery. More information about the brutal beatdown, including if the assault was random, was not immediately known, police said. Advertisement 3 The assault happened around 11:30 p.m. Friday. Sinan – Authorities released an image of the woman in hopes witnesses saw her – and possibly her attacker or attackers. Anyone with information can call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477 or for Spanish speakers 1-888-577-4782.
Khaleej Times
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Cart puller to UAE content creator: How a viral video changed this 24-year-old's life
Mohammed Sinan, a 24-year-old from Thalassery in Kerala, never thought he would become a content creator in Dubai, especially not one working with someone as popular as the famous Emirati influencer Khalid Al Ameri. 'I couldn't complete my studies. We had financial problems,' said Sinan. 'But I loved making videos. My friend was a videographer and editor, and I used to watch him work. Slowly, I started learning by watching YouTube tutorials.' Back home in his village, Sinan would film random videos, capturing the simple life around him. He didn't have a plan, just a passion. After working for a month at a textile shop in his hometown, Sinan decided to take on a challenge that would shape his outlook on life. 'In May 2022, I managed to conquer Hampta Pass (14,100 ft), one of the most famous trekking routes in India. That was the moment I gained the courage to face any challenge in life,' he said. The six-day trek through biting cold, sudden snowfall, and rain became a test of his physical and emotional strength. 'The tent swaying violently in the wind… the weather changing every second… it was terrifying,' he said. 'The moments at Hampta Pass were when I came face to face with death.' 'But the most interesting part? There were three of us climbing the mountain — only two of us made it to the top. Right there, we decided that the world should never know the name of the one who couldn't make it. A beautiful moment of friendship.' A week after returning home, Sinan left for Dubai. 'Soon after reaching Dubai, the first person I rushed to see was my father. But what I witnessed was something no son would ever want to see, a man drenched in sweat, standing amid fire and smoke inside a cafeteria. That day, I made a decision in my heart.' When he moved to Dubai, life was tough. 'I had no job, no connections. I saw my father working hard at a cafeteria and to support him, I started working as a cart puller. It was heavy work. One day of work felt like a whole week,' he said. He earned Dh400 in the first month of cart pulling and later earned Dh1,000 for the next 5 months. For six months, Sinan pulled carts and carried goods, but deep down he knew this wasn't where he belonged. 'I kept telling people, 'I want to work in media. I can shoot and edit videos.' But no one really took me seriously, until two of them did.' Muhammed Chulliyan and Ajmal MC — who wanted to start a media company under the wider MD group — saw something special in Sinan's Dubai city tour videos, which he used to film in his free time. 'They called me, we met, and said they were starting a media company. He asked me to join. He said, 'Let's make a good team.' That's when things changed.' Sinan got his first real break during the FIFA World Cup in 2022. A die-hard Lionel Messi fan, he was thrilled when his boss took him to a big public screening. 'I shot the crowd reactions, the cheering, the energy and my boss and obviously Messi's goals, reactions and emotions,' he said. The next day, something unexpected happened. 'Khalid Al Ameri's assistant saw my video, called me and praised it. He said he wanted to post it on Instagram. Later, the video went viral. Khalid himself saw it.' Soon after, Sinan was invited to freelance for Khalid's assistant's team and later in Khalid's team. 'My first big challenge came at a perfume event. Khalid invited me. I had to prove myself. That video was my chance, and I gave it everything,' he said. From there, the doors began to open. Sinan started working regularly, both with his first media company and with Khalid's team. One of the biggest moments in his career came when he travelled with Khalid to Assam in India for a project. 'We had just landed and were eating snacks. I didn't speak much. My communication is weak, and I was nervous. But Khalid knew that. He trusted me anyway. He asked me how we could make a creative video,' Sinan said. 'I couldn't express my ideas well in words… but I let my work do the talking. He loved it.' That trust meant the world to Sinan. 'Khalid always checks on me. He respects my work. Whenever there's a project, he calls me. Interestingly, Sinan did not know about the creator and read about Khalid once. He was visiting my hometown back in 2015. I didn't even know who he was. I learnt about him when he started following me on Instagram. He supports me like a brother.' For Sinan, the journey from pulling carts on Dubai's streets to creating videos for one of the region's most loved influencers is nothing short of a dream. 'Working with Khalid is not just work, it's full enjoyment. He's like family now. I want to continue doing this. This is just the beginning.' Sinan documented his journey, from arriving in Dubai and pulling carts to eventually working with Khalid Al Ameri, and turned it into a heartfelt video that he shared on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sinan (@cinan_._) Today, Sinan has close to 6,000 followers on Instagram. But more than numbers, he's grateful for the people who believed in him and the chances he got. 'All I needed was one opportunity. And I am making the most of it.' His next big goal? 'I want to witness the Northern Lights in Finland, and I have been working hard to make that dream a reality.' With a message to dreamers everywhere, Sinan added, 'Everything comes from Allah. Your prayers can do wonders and we can never know how they will shape your life. I tell everyone, travel the world… Start dreaming… And be a good human being.'
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal spending cuts cripple some small businesses with government ties
A Maryland-based technology consulting firm said it cut 20% of its staff when a federal funding freeze left the business unable to pay its bills. A career-development company in Colorado said it lost out on four of every five dollars in revenue when the federal government canceled all of its contracts. An Alaska-based logistics firm scrubbed mentions of diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, from hundreds of federal documents within 36 hours to salvage millions in government funds, the company said. A cost-cutting spree carried out by President Donald Trump's administration has put thousands of public employees out of work, but the slash-and-burn approach has also spilled over into the private sector, crippling some small businesses with ties to the federal government and weakening a federal agency tasked with supporting small firms, according to interviews with seven small business owners, as well as small business advocates. Companies connected to the U.S. government account for about 7.5 million jobs, the Brookings Institution found. That figure amounts to roughly 4.5% of the nation's workforce. MORE: Musk's whirlwind approach sparks rift in the White House and in Trump's orbit: Sources Many of those firms are small businesses, which received a total of roughly $180 billion in federal contracts over the year ending in September, or nearly $3 of every $10 in contracts over that period, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, a government agency. John Arensmeyer, founder and CEO of advocacy group Small Business Majority, warned earlier this month that the Trump administration's actions had left the organization "deeply worried." "Directives to halt all federal funding will make it impossible for small businesses to access critical loans and grants," Arensmeyer added. The White House did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday reaffirmed the administration's commitment to spending cuts. "There should be no secret about the fact that this administration is committed to cutting waste, fraud and abuse," Leavitt told reporters. "The president campaigned on that promise, Americans elected him on that promise and he's actually delivering on it." Trump's push to halt federal funding included an executive order last month pausing funding for USAID, a federal foreign-aid agency. Occams Group, a technology consulting firm based in Columbia, Maryland, saw its revenue nearly cut in half this month after the Trump administration paused funding for a USAID contractor that makes up one of Occams Group's largest clients, founder and CEO Ali Sinan told ABC News. Some invoices from as far back as December remain unpaid, Sinan added, saying business with the contractor accounted for $200,000 per month in revenue. Annual revenue at Occams Group stands at more than $5 million, Sinan said. "I was left scrambling," Sinan said. "We couldn't make payroll." The firm cut ties with about 10 of its 50 staff members, while the remaining employees worked longer-than-normal hours as the company sought new business, he added. "The small business is supposed to be the engine of the economy," Sinan said. "My company has been left behind." On Feb. 13, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order that lifted the pause on foreign aid. As of Friday, Sinan said Occams Group had not received payment from the client that contracts with USAID. On Monday, a federal judge found the Trump administration had violated the restraining order, calling on the White House to fulfill millions in foreign aid payments. Layoffs from private sector contractors may impact the economy faster than some federal job cuts, Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, told ABC News. Federal employees who accept a buyout offered by the Trump administration are set to receive full pay through September. By contrast, private sector employees who lose their jobs could miss out on pay and benefits almost immediately, delivering a quicker blow to the economy, Pollak said. "There's a degree of worry and concern and uncertainty that extends a lot further than the federal workforce," Pollak added, pointing to the pullback of federal funding as a factor in a recent decline of consumer attitudes about the economy. "There are many, many businesses and nonprofits that get a substantial share of their budgets from the federal government, and they're now worried they may be affected by these cuts," Pollak said. In addition to a wide-reaching push for government spending cuts, Trump issued an executive order last month cancelling federal contracts and grants for DEI initiatives. The move aimed to "terminate" all "equity-related" contracts and grants, the order said, cutting funding for businesses that helped provide the programs. Hanaa Jiminez, who runs Gold Cardinal Consulting, a management advisory firm in Aurora, Colorado, said the federal government in recent weeks canceled all of its contracts, which accounted for $14.5 million or about 80% of the company's annual revenue. "The first contracts to go were the DEI ones, but then the leadership and coaching ones that we were providing were also canceled," Jiminez said. "It was very sad to learn." The company may need to layoff some of its five employees, Jiminez said, but first she will explore ways to reduce her take-home salary. "It's really to make sure we can prevent layoffs as much as possible," Jiminez added. A federal judge in Maryland on Friday blocked the White House order cutting DEI grants and contracts. As of Tuesday, however, the company's contracts had not been reinstated, nor had the company received an indication that they would be, Jiminez said. MORE: US and Ukraine agree to terms on mineral deal The push to eradicate DEI from federal contracts has also imposed onerous compliance challenges, Christine Hopkins, who runs a pair of logistics companies in Anchorage, Alaska, told ABC News. A government official who oversees the firms' government contracts urged Hopkins to remove all mentions of DEI from hundreds of documents within a day and a half to ensure that the contracts remained in place, Hopkins said. Government contracts totaling about $7 million make up about 80% of revenue at the two companies: SCI Federal Services and Advanced Supply Chain International, she said. The DEI programs focus solely on boosting employment for military veterans and their spouses, added Hopkins, who voted for Trump. "It was frustrating to have to respond in the short term to what I would call making the documents politically correct," she said, acknowledging that she supports the Trump administration's broader goal of cutting government waste. "I'm not conceptually opposed to what is happening," Hendricks added. "I'm opposed to how fast it's happening and with how little consideration." Federal spending cuts cripple some small businesses with government ties originally appeared on
