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Najib Saab Wins Zayed International Prize For Environmental Action Leading to Positive Change

UAE Minister of Environment and Water Dr. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahd declared that Najib Saab was awarded for environmental action leading to positive change in society “because his influential and highly successful Al-Bia Wal-Tanmia magazine triggered unprecedented environmental awareness at all levels, built a new relationship between the policy-makers and people of the Arab world with the issues of environment and sustainability, and placed the environment high on national and regional agendas.”

The International Jury said: “The magazine and Saab’s vision also acted as a spring board for a wider pan-Arab initiative which catalyzed in 2006 the establishment of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED). The organization soon developed into a leading think-tank, pivotal in shaping environmental policies, mainly through its independent annual reports on the state of the Arab environment.”

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Philippine Thief 'Sorry' After Pawnshop Raid

A Philippine thief left a letter of apology at a pawnshop after cleaning out its vaults and making off with more than $16,000 worth of pawned valuables, police said Wednesday.

Detectives were hunting for a former employee of the Del Madel pawnshop, whose staff discovered the break-in when they returned to work on Monday, along with the letter, said provincial police Chief Cornelio Defensor.

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Tiger Poo Repels Australia's Pests

Tiger poo is an effective new weapon in warding off animal pests, scientists said Wednesday, after years of experimenting with big cats' feces collected from Australian zoos.

A team from the University of Queensland made the discovery as they researched non-lethal ways to keep herbivores, such as goats and kangaroos, away from certain plants, Associate Professor Peter Murray said.

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214 Arrested for Urinating in Rio's Carnival Streets

More than 200 people have been arrested during Rio's Carnival that is under way for relieving themselves in the street, underlining authorities' determination to clean up the city that will be host to the 2016 Olympic Games.

"Two hundred and fourteen people have been arrested over the weekend.... We are going to constantly fight those urinating in the street. Such a lack of respect for the city and its citizens in unacceptable," the municipal official in charge public order, Alex Costa, told the G1 news website Monday.

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Internet, Finance, Media Leaders to Speak at ArabNet

The ArabNet Shift Digital Summit, the largest gathering for the Arab web/mobile industry, is to bring together Arab web executives, entrepreneurs, developers, investors, NGOs and media, to discuss the latest trends and technologies in the sector. This year, the four-day event takes place in Beirut on March 22-25, under the Patronage of H.E. General Michel Suleiman, President of Lebanon, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Lebanon, and in partnership with Google, Aramex, Bank Audi, National Net Ventures and TwoFour54.

“ArabNet is the best place to build a deep understanding of the digital transformation that is taking place across industries -- from media to advertising, from telecommunications to commerce”, said Omar Christidis, ArabNet’s Founder.

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Limestone Cave Discovered in Southern Lebanon

Security forces are now guarding a newly discovered grotto in the southern district of Tyre pending a move by the tourism ministry to take responsibility of the cave.

The limestone cave lies in an area between the towns of al-Nfakhiyyeh and Srifa.

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Nepal Bans Sale of Marijuana at Hindu Festival

Nepalese authorities have banned the sale of marijuana during a popular Hindu festival at which holy men traditionally smoke the drug and share it with young men and women, police said Thursday.

About 500,000 devotees attended the festival Wednesday at Katmandu's Pashupati temple, considered the most revered Hindu shrine in Nepal.

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Gadhafi's Namesake in UAE to Change His Name

A namesake of embattled Libyan leader Moammer Gadhafi has rushed to change his name in "solidarity" with Libyan people, an Emirati daily reported Wednesday.

The 40-year-old Sudanese Moammer Gadhafi who lives in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates is trying to change his name "in solidarity with the Libyans whose blood was shed" during an uprising against the Libyan leader, Arabic daily Emarat Alyoum reported.

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Royal Wedding Sick Bags Making a Splash

If the British royal wedding is too much to stomach and you're fed up of Wills and Kate being rammed down your throat, then a souvenir sick bag could be just to your taste.

Graphic artist Lydia Leith has produced the special item to help those who risk being nauseated by all the pomp and ceremony when second-in-line to the throne Prince William marries Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey on April 29.

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Dance Transforms Inmates in Taiwan 'Jail of Art'

When Wang, 24, went to jail three years ago he had no idea he would end up in a bid to break a record for most inmates dancing together.

Wang is one of more than 2,000 inmates in Changhua Prison in central Taiwan who routinely take part in mass dancing sessions as part of a larger program aimed at reforming prisoners through art and creativity.

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