Chief of Justice Ivor Archie swore Weekes in at a ceremony at Queen’s Park Savannah in Port Spain at 10 a.m. local time, replacing Anthony Carmona. A retired judge from the Appeal Court, Paula Mae Weekes was the only presidential nominee proposed by the government. Weekes graduated from law school and has a remarkable career in both public and private spheres. She was called to the Bar in 1982 and she served the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for 11 years. In 1996 she became a judge at the Criminal Division of Trinidad’s High Court before being promoted to the Court of Appeal in 2005. She was then sworn-in as Justice of Appeal in the Turks and Caicos Islands for three years. She was also Chancellor of the Anglican Church and was responsible for their finances. Shortly after being elected, Weekes admitted she felt “completely terrified” about the…

H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, has recently donated US$1 million to the Fund for Refugee Women. The Fund, launched in 2000 in collaboration with the Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, and the UN High Commission for Refugees, seeks to provide protection and assistance for refugee women and children. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak said that the UAE’s aid programs and initiatives are in line with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and follow up of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan,…

Christina Gao from Shell and Fundnel’s Khai Lin Chua were among the winners at the Women of the Future South East Asia awards on Mar 20, 2018. Without a glass ceiling, the sky is the limit for Southeast Asia’s young women. An award ceremony held in Singapore on Tuesday (Mar 20) gave recognition to these trailblazers making changes in their various fields of work. Originating from the UK 12 years ago, the Women of the Future Awards just held its first Southeast Asian edition at the Hilton Singapore to honor some of the region’s most outstanding female leaders. Citing talent shortage in the Asia Pacific, the organization said on its website that it was recognizing top female talent in Asia because “women as a demographic group represent an extremely large untapped resource”. “We believe that the WOF programme can encourage, motivate and provide role models to inspire and strengthen the…

There is something spectacular about “Tri Ebidi”, the month of January in Eritrea. At every turn, there is a wedding or some special occasion going on. “Tri Ebidi” means the merry month or the month of chaos. It is the month after the harvest; people have plenty food in their stores and granaries a lot of time to travel, visit and host parties. The ladies wear white cotton dresses embedded with captivating embroidery at the hems, sleeves; and a few have a cross-shaped embroidery in front. The “Zuria” and “Tilfi” has been worn on special occasions for generations in Eritrea, especially amongst the Tigrigna ethnic group. It is made from pure cotton yarn, traditionally spun by women and woven on wooden looms by men; however, today the craft has transcended the gender barriers and is practiced equally by men and women. The cotton is grown in the Gash Barka Region…