Latest news with #Jalal


Iraqi News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Iraqi News
Sulaymaniyah hosts second annual Miss Cats festival
Sulaymaniyah ( – The city of Sulaymaniyah hosted its unique second annual 'Miss Cats' festival on Tuesday (July 1, 2025), attracting over 200 feline contestants from across the governorate and drawing a large crowd of residents and media. Festival supervisor Othman Jalal explained the event is more than just a beauty pageant. 'The festival carries educational and awareness goals,' he said, 'aiming to promote a culture of caring for pets, especially cats, and encouraging proper adoption and care.' A variety of different cat breeds participating in the Sulaymaniyah festival All 200+ participating cats underwent thorough medical examinations to ensure a safe environment. A judging panel of veterinarians and animal behavior specialists evaluated the contestants on criteria including general health, fur cleanliness, agility, and temperament. The top three winners will receive special prizes, including six months of luxury food and free medical care cards. Jalal expressed hopes of turning the festival into a permanent annual tradition, potentially expanding it to a regional level to spread its positive message about animal welfare.


Rudaw Net
3 days ago
- General
- Rudaw Net
Erbil official says nobody signed up for stray dog collection offer
Also in Kurdistan First batch of PKK fighters to disarm soon: Sources Kurdistan Region confirms 7th case of Crimean-Congo fever Duhok potato farmer honored as first in Iraq Yazidi victim of ISIS atrocity reunited with family A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An initiative in Erbil province to promote the collection and relocation of stray dogs to shelters has been futile as nobody has signed a contract offered by authorities that pays people per captured dog, a local official said on Monday. Authorities in Erbil launched a campaign last month to pay citizens 3,000 Iraqi dinars (about $2) per stray dog collected in an effort to counter the city's stray population. 'This decision was an opportunity for employment for citizens and to speed up the process of collecting dogs, but no one has made a contract with us,' Zhyar Jalal, head of Erbil's services and environmental protection directorate, told Rudaw. However, Jalal said that the dog collection process is 'going very well' with 17,000 strays captured, adding that the directorate's teams collect about 50 dogs daily, and 7,500 have been sterilized. An estimated 31,000 stray dogs exist in Erbil, half of which are kept in shelters while the other half remain outside, according to statistics provided by Jalal. After authorities announced the contract offer, many people and environmental advocates expressed concern over the potential for abuse during the campaign. A stray dog shelter was built in Erbil in 2023 at a cost of over 480 million dinars (around $320,000). It is located on the Erbil-Gwer road. The high number of stray dogs in Kurdistan Region cities remains a long-standing concern, with population control efforts often facing criticism from animal rights organizations. Dog shelters in Erbil and Zakho have been reported to suffer from overcrowding and a lack of food, leading to poor conditions and many of the animals dying. Violence against stray dogs is rife in the Kurdistan Region, with the animals often considered a menace and a public health risk. They are commonly shooed away, beaten, hit with sticks, and killed by cars and gunshots. Solin Hamadamin contributed to this report.


Rudaw Net
3 days ago
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Duhok potato farmer honored as first in Iraq
Also in Kurdistan First batch of PKK fighters to disarm soon: Sources Kurdistan Region confirms 7th case of Crimean-Congo fever Yazidi victim of ISIS atrocity reunited with family Kurdish farmer defies skeptics with successful ostrich farm A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Bashir Jalal, a dedicated potato farmer from Zinava village in Duhok province's Sheikhan district, has been honored as the top grower of the Dutch Riviera potato across Iraq. The achievement, recognized by seed distributor Agrico, comes after more than 16 years of persistent hard work and commitment in his fields. "The first year I planted, they recognized this potato as number one in quality," Jalal recounted. "The second year, it was still the first. After more than six years of consistent top performance, they declared, 'Enough, you must be first at the level of all of Iraq!'" Jalal's journey began modestly, cultivating a small plot of land over a decade and a half ago. Today, his operation has expanded to 250 dunams (approximately 625,000 square meters). His consistent success led to repeated evaluations by Agrico representatives. He attributes his success to daily vigilance. "I visit my potato fields every day for watering, applying necessary plant nutrients and pest control, and continuous monitoring,' he said. Meanwhile, Hassan Hilmi, a representative for Agrico - a prominent Dutch seed potato company - confirmed Jalal's status to Rudaw. "We confirm that Mr. Bashir is the first, and we always reference him as a model for our farmers," Hilmi stated. Agrico works with some 300 Iraqi farmers who collectively produce around 600 tons of the Riviera variety annually. Beyond the Riviera, Jalal cultivates six other potato varieties, all of which are also recognized for their exceptional quality. Kamal Arif, head of the Sheikhan Farmers' Union, noted Jalal's unique dedication, telling Rudaw, "We have nearly 600 farmers, but there are only 11 to 12 like Mr. Bashir, yet he stands out from all of them.' The Kurdistan Region's favorable climate and fertile land contribute significantly to its thriving potato industry. Approximately 50,000 dunams of Duhok's agricultural land are dedicated to potato farming, yielding about 600,000 tons annually. This robust sector is not only a source of local produce but also plays a vital role in diversifying the Region's economy. Surplus potatoes are regularly exported to Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, and even as far as South Africa. Nayif Ramazan has contributed to this article.


Time of India
22-06-2025
- Time of India
Krishnagiri man held for forging Aadhaar cards to hide child marriages
Krishnagiri: A 33-year-old man was arrested on Saturday night for forging Aadhaar cards to hide two child marriages in the district. Police identified the arrested person as Mohammed Jalal Ullah, 33, who operates a computer centre at Denkanikottai bus stop. According to an investigation officer, families of two 16-year-old girls from Denkanikottai and Pettamughilam had approached Jalal to modify the date of birth of the girls on the Aadhaar cards after they were married off and became pregnant. "Jalal forged the Aadhaar cards for the two minor girls, who gave childbirth at govt hospitals, registered for maternity leave and received associated benefits by submitting the same," the officer said. Meanwhile, district medical officer Rajesh Kumar found out that the Aadhaar cards submitted by the girls were not original and lodged a complaint with the Denkanikottai police, who registered a case and arrested Jalal. "We have launched a search for the relatives of the girls," the officer said.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The science of sleep paralysis, a brain-body glitch making people see demons and witches
Sign up for CNN's Sleep, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide has helpful hints to achieve better sleep. Baland Jalal lay in bed terrified, experiencing his own real-life horror film. Newly awake, the 19-year-old could see his surroundings but couldn't move or speak, and he didn't know why. He thought, ''My God, what do I do?'' Jalal, now 39, said of that moment in 2005. 'I tried to call my mom (and) dad, but no words would emerge from my throat. … I had this ominous presence of a monster, and it lifted my legs up and down. 'It strangled me, trying to kill me. And I was 100% sure that I was going to die,' Jalal added. 'It literally feels like all the evil of the universe is condensed into a bubble, and it's in your bedroom.' This type of hallucination is a hallmark for many people with sleep paralysis. It occurs during transitions into or out of rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep, similar to a traffic jam at a busy intersection — your brain, awake and alert, and body, still asleep and immobilized, collide momentarily, said Dr. Matthew P. Walker, director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley, via email. Following deep sleep, REM sleep is the next critical phase of sleep cycles, characterized by more dreaming that's also extra vivid and lifelike, and by faster heart rate and breathing. It's essential for memory, concentration, mood regulation and immune function. Jalal's experiences propelled him to study this phenomenon around the world. He aimed to discover the cause of sleep paralysis, he said, and why some people with the diagnosis 'have these powerful encounters where it feels like evil of epic proportions.' He has since earned a doctorate in psychiatry and is now a researcher in Harvard University's psychology department and a leading expert on sleep paralysis. He also treats patients struggling with it. An estimated 30% of people worldwide experience at least one episode of sleep paralysis in their lifetime, according to the Cleveland Clinic. How many of those people have recurring and impairing sleep paralysis isn't clear, but the percentage is likely low, Jalal said. Here's what else you should know about sleep paralysis and how it can be managed. In REM sleep, our bodies are paralyzed so we don't act out our dreams and risk hurting ourselves or others, Jalal said. Sleep paralysis episodes are usually only a few minutes long but can last up to 20 minutes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. During sleep paralysis, however, 'we regain consciousness before the muscles regain their freedom from REM-induced paralysis,' said Walker, who is also a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley About 40% of people with sleep paralysis have visual, auditory or tactile hallucinations, such as pressure on one's chest or feeling out of body, Jalal said. For about 90% of those individuals, the illusions are terrifying. They can include ghosts or cat- or alien-like creatures, and their actions can be as innocuous as simply approaching them or as nefarious as molesting or trying to kill them. In Jalal's academic travels, he discovered the contents and interpretations of hallucinations, views on what causes sleep paralysis, and episode frequency and duration can all also have a cultural basis. People living in Egypt and Italy, for example, would often see witches and evil genies, hold them responsible and think they could die from sleep paralysis, Jalal said. People in Denmark, Poland and parts of the United States, on the other hand, have less supernatural or exotic explanations and less fear. 'Why do we see these monsters? Is it the dreaming imagery … that's spilling over into conscious awareness?' Jalal said. 'My answer to that is, according to my research, no, not exactly. But it's part of it.' When you're aware yet paralyzed and confused, your natural reaction is to escape that situation. Your brain is bombarding your body with signals to move, but your body can't return any feedback. Jalal's theory, in short, is that your brain says, 'to hell with it' and concocts a story it thinks your body must be facing to be experiencing such bizarre symptoms. The reduced activity in your prefrontal cortex — responsible for reason and logic — also contributes to hallucinations becoming 'extremely realistic and emotionally charged, amplified by an overly active amygdala, the brain's emotional alarm center,' Walker said. Though scientists know that wake-sleep glitch is what's happening during a sleep paralysis episode, they're not entirely sure why. But there are several factors that can increase the risk of fragmented sleep and sleep paralysis. Those factors include stress and related conditions such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder and panic disorder, experts said. Much of Jalal's sleep paralysis occurred when he was in school. Now when he has an episode once or twice per year, it's usually during a high-stress period, he said. (Once you've experienced sleep paralysis, you can be conscious of that during an episode but still feel afraid.) Other common contributors are sleep deprivation, jet lag, an irregular sleep schedule, sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, and genetic factors, Walker and Jalal said. Obstructive sleep apnea, substance use disorder and some medications — such as those for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — can also raise risk, according to the Cleveland Clinic. As scary as sleep paralysis may sound, it's not actually dangerous, experts said. But depending on how recurring it is, sleep paralysis can be a sign of an underlying sleep disorder, Jalal said. Regular episodes can also lead to anxiety around sleep and then avoidance of sleep, Jalal said. This pattern can interfere with your daily energy and ability to function. And if you often have frightening hallucinations, that can lead to anxiety or trauma-like symptoms. Sleep paralysis can be significantly alleviated with several practices or treatments, Walker said — starting with healthy sleep habits, for one. That includes seven to nine hours of restful sleep nightly. Maintaining a sleep schedule consistent in quality and quantity 'acts like tuning your internal clock, reducing the chance of disruptive wake-sleep overlaps — much like ensuring all parts of an orchestra are synchronized for perfect harmony,' Walker said. Also prioritize stress management, by using, for example, mindfulness and relaxation exercises, Walker said. Therapies can relieve certain underlying issues triggering sleep paralysis, including cognitive behavioral therapy, especially the version for people with insomnia. In more serious situations, medications are sometimes used, Walker said. Those include SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) or tricyclic antidepressants that can help manage a smooth flow between sleep stages or even reduce the REM phase of sleep. Generally, boosting the brain's serotonin levels somehow compensates for the loss of the REM phase, Jalal said. But rarely, long-term antidepressant use has been linked with REM sleep behavior disorder. While the aforementioned treatments can help reduce the frequency or length of sleep paralysis episodes, there isn't yet a gold-standard treatment that can stop an episode once it's happening. Jalal has been trying to officially create one over the past decade, though, and it's self-inspired. Called meditation relaxation therapy, the treatment reduced sleep paralysis by 50% after eight weeks for six people with narcolepsy, compared with a control group of four participants, found a small pilot study Jalal published in 2020. He currently has another study of the same treatment with more participants underway at Harvard. And the steps of Jalal's therapy are as follows: Cognitively reappraise the meaning of the attack. Close your eyes and remind yourself that your experience is common and you won't die from it. Emotionally distance yourself from it. Tell yourself that since your brain is just playing tricks on you, there's no reason for you to be scared or risk the situation getting worse because of your own negative expectations. Focus on something positive. Whether it's praying or imagining a loved one's face, this refocusing can make thoughts more pleasant rather than monstrous. Relax your muscles and don't move. Some experts say trying to slightly move your fingers or toes one by one may help you come out of an episode sooner. But Jalal's fourth step advises against this movement since you'd still be sending signals to paralyzed muscles and maybe triggering hallucinations. Viewing your own biology in a more objective way by learning more about the scientific basis of sleep paralysis is also helpful, Jalal said.