DUBAI: Promotion of the values of human fraternity must extend to the empowerment of women, according to Epsy Campbell Barr, a former vice president of Costa Rica and member of the judging panel for this year’s Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.

“We need more understanding between the sexes in order to build a better world,” she told Arab News in the lead-up to this year’s award ceremony on Feb. 4. “It is impossible to do so without the inclusion of women.

AMMAN: Jordanian advocate Hadeel Abdel Aziz was awarded the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law on Sunday, the Jordan News Agency reported.

The prize honors human rights defenders around the world who work every day, often under dangerous conditions, to protect and strengthen human rights.

The ministers of foreign affairs of Germany and France have awarded one of the prizes this year to Abdel Aziz, who, as executive director of the Justice Center for Legal Aid,  provides access to justice to Jordan’s most vulnerable citizens.

WASHINGTON: American forces have captured two Daesh members during an air and ground assault in eastern Syria, the US military’s Central Command said in a statement released on Sunday.
The raid happened on Saturday, according to Col. Joe Buccino, a Central Command spokesperson, adding that one civilian received “minor injuries” during the attack and was treated at a nearby medical facility before being released back to his family.

CAIRO: Al-Azhar Al-Sharif — Sunni Islam’s oldest and foremost seat of learning — strongly condemned the burning of the Holy Qur’an by Swedish extremists.

It said on Sunday that the Qur’an will “remain in its glory” as a “guiding book for all humanity, guiding them to the values of goodness, truth and beauty.”

The repeated incident “indicates the complicity of Swedish authorities” with far-right figures in an attempt to “repeatedly and deliberately offend religious sanctities and provoke Muslims around the world,” it said.

CAIRO: Egyptian authorities have released prominent businessman Safwan Thabet and his son, held in pre-trial detention for more than two years during a probe into possible terrorism-related charges.

Thabet’s daughter Mariam announced the news about her father and brother Seif El-Din’s release from prison in a post on Facebook.

The Public Prosecution agreed to free Thabet, founder and former chief executive officer of dairy products and juices producer Juhayna Food Industries, and his son on a guarantee of their place of residence.