League eyes Arabic web address



The Arab League hopes to operate a major Arabic online hub after structural changes to the internet, including the introduction of Arabic-language web addresses, are implemented in the coming year. The league plans to compete with domains such as ".com" and ".net" with its own ".arab" domain, registered in Arabic and Latin characters. The system that manages web addresses is undergoing its most significant change in decades, allowing the use of international scripts such as Arabic, Chinese and Hindi, and liberalising the registration process for top-level domains, such as ".org".

A side-effect of the update will be web addresses written entirely in the languages spoken by the more than one billion internet users who must now type in Latin characters to access local sites. While the internet's early adopters typically spoke a European language, demand for services in languages such as Arabic has increased significantly as the internet use becomes mainstream in the developing world.

"The next 10 million or 20 million Arab internet users will be those who do not speak English," said Baher Esmat, the Middle East relations manager of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the international body that manages the addressing system. "They will want to do everything in Arabic, including the addresses." A number of regional internet portals have succeeded in attracting tens of millions of Arab users, and registering a web address in Arabic will be a logical move. But while the current web addressing system revolved around global domains such as ".com", and country-level domains such as ".ae", there will be no such central standard for websites in new languages.

Governments will have the first chance to register their national country domains in Arabic, and the UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority spoke yesterday of plans to promote its ".Emirates" Arabic-language domain to sites in the region. By early next year, ICANN expects private businesses and organisations to be able to lodge applications for their own top-level domain. For addresses referring to a region or community, preference will be given to applicants with backing from official bodies, meaning the Arab League's ".arab" is likely to win out.

"An endorsement letter from the Arab League for the '.arab' domain would be valued as a good supporting statement," Mr Esmat said. ICANN has wanted to internationalise the web-address system for almost a decade, but has run into technical and procedural hurdles. One onlooker described the challenge of introducing the system as akin to replacing the foundations of a skycraper without disturbing its upper floors.

The process has also been slowed by the democratic nature of ICANN, a not-for-profit group that must include extensive community consultation and input into its decision making. Conflicting interest groups have often battled over reforms. @Email:tgara@thenational.ae

MATCH RESULT

Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2
Jazira:
Mabkhout (52'), Romarinho (77'), Al Hammadi (90' 6)
Persepolis: Alipour (42'), Mensha (84')

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The%20specs
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$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal

Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.

School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.

“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.  

“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”

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David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

The%20specs%20
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Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20Profile
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'Morbius'

Director: Daniel Espinosa 

Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona

Rating: 2/5

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20and%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20power%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20700hp%20at%207%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20torque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20720Nm%20at%202%2C250rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E330kph%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1.14%20million%20(%24311%2C000)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile

Started: 2016

Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel 

Based: Ramallah, Palestine

Sector: Technology, Security

# of staff: 13

Investment: $745,000

Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors

While you're here
ABU DHABI T10: DAY TWO

Bangla Tigers v Deccan Gladiators (3.30pm)

Delhi Bulls v Karnataka Tuskers (5.45pm)

Northern Warriors v Qalandars (8.00pm)

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.