CAIRO: 42 Egyptian women were honored by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi as part of nationwide celebrations on Wednesday marking Mother’s Day.
Speaking on the occasion, Sisi praised “the greatness of Egyptian women,” in a ceremony held at a Cairo hotel.
Public figures, ministers, and Egypt’s first lady attended the event.
Maya Morsi, Chairwoman of the National Council for Women (NCW), said Egyptian women are Egypt’s third line of defense, after the army and the police, according to Al-Masry el-Youm newspaper.
Morsi said Egypt has a clear policy and approach to empowering women across all fields, referring to legislation and unprecedented laws recently issued to protect the rights of Egyptian women.
Meanwhile, Egyptian female celebrities filled social media with heartwarming messages as they expressed their gratitude towards mothers and motherhood.
Egyptian actress Donia Samir Ghanem sent her wishes to her mother Dalal Abdel Aziz in the form of a picture she has posted on her official Twitter account.
Egyptian singer Angham chose to celebrate the occasion her own way, by sharing a video of her newly released song that celebrate mother's love. “Mother, my backbone, my support, in your shadow I live .. no matter what I do to you is never enough.” said the song's lyrics.
Meanwhile, singer Carmen Soliman, who was just blessed with a baby, posted on Instagram her latest song on how motherhood has changed her life, while asking fans to share the song with their beloved mothers.
The Arab world marks Mother’s day on March 21 of every year.
President El-Sisi honors 42 Egyptian women on Mother's Day
President El-Sisi honors 42 Egyptian women on Mother's Day
Christmas Eve winner in Arkansas lands a $1.817 billion Powerball lottery jackpot
- The winning numbers were 04, 25, 31, 52 and 59, with the Powerball number being 19
- The last time someone won a Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve was in 2011, Powerball said
ARKANSAS, USA: A Powerball ticket purchased at a gas station outside Little Rock, Arkansas, won a $1.817 billion jackpot in Wednesday’s Christmas Eve drawing, ending the lottery game’s three-month stretch without a top-prize winner.
The winning numbers were 04, 25, 31, 52 and 59, with the Powerball number being 19. The winning ticket was sold at a Murphy USA in Cabot, lottery officials in Arkansas said Thursday. No one answered the phone Thursday at the location, which was closed for Christmas. The community of roughly 27,000 people is 26 miles (42 kilometers) northeast of Little Rock.
Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot higher than previous expected, making it the second-largest in US history and the largest Powerball prize of 2025, according to www.powerball.com. The jackpot had a lump sum cash payment option of $834.9 million.
“Congratulations to the newest Powerball jackpot winner! This is truly an extraordinary, life-changing prize,” Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO, was quoted as saying by the website. “We also want to thank all the players who joined in this jackpot streak — every ticket purchased helps support public programs and services across the country.”
The prize followed 46 consecutive drawings in which no one matched all six numbers.
The last drawing with a jackpot winner was Sept. 6, when players in Missouri and Texas won $1.787 billion.
Organizers said it is the second time the Powerball jackpot has been won by a ticket sold in Arkansas. It first happened in 2010.
The last time someone won a Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve was in 2011, Powerball said. The company added that the sweepstakes also has been won on Christmas Day four times, most recently in 2013.
Powerball’s odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes growing as they roll over when no one wins. Lottery officials note that the odds are far better for the game’s many smaller prizes.
“With the prize so high, I just bought one kind of impulsively. Why not?” Indianapolis glass artist Chris Winters said Wednesday.
Tickets cost $2, and the game is offered in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
