Eilat to host another international swim competitionAfter hosting the European Open Water Swimming Championships earlier this year, Eilat will once again host a prestigious international open water swimming competition. The World Tour Open Water Swimming Competition will take place off the city’s coast in April, preceding the Olympic Games by four months.The decision to host the event was made after the success of the European championships in September. The upcoming event will also visit Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, Hong Kong and China.Arab countries attempted to scuttle the competition’s arrival in Israel, but after receiving assurances from the Interior Ministry that any participating athlete would be granted a visa to enter the country, the Swimming Association gave its approval.Interior Minister Eli Yishai is the only authority able to approve granting a visa to citizens of enemy countries, which some of the participating swimmers are.Israel Swimming Association chairman Noam Zvi said of the news, “[Hosting] the World Tour Competition in Eilat will be a breakthrough for the Swimming Association.” In the future, he added, he also plans to try and bring pool swimming events and artistic competitions to Israel.Ashkelon schools hold recycling contestOrt High School and Neveh Zion Elementary School in Ashkelon were this year’s winners of the city’s annual paper recycling competition, in their respective categories.The competition, organized by the city’s Department of Sanitation, aims to help encourage recycling, particularly of paper waste.Collection facilities were placed in schools, although pupils were encouraged to bring paper waste from home as well. Some 40 tons of paper were collected throughout the city during the competition.The winning schools received cash prizes to purchase school supplies. The top prize is NIS 1,000, second prize is NIS 750 and third prize NIS 500. In addition, the Ashkelon Municipality augmented the prize money, giving NIS 2,000 to the first-place winners and NIS 1,500 and NIS 1,000 to the secondand third-place winners respectively.Sanitation company director-general Uzi Carmi told the winners: “The city of Ashkelon is among the leading cities in the country in recycling, and you can be proud of your city. There’s no doubt that educating the youth to collect paper waste is very important in order to improve the environment in the country.”
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Baby falls from moving car; light plane makes emergency landing; Eilat to host swim competition.
Eilat to host another international swim competitionAfter hosting the European Open Water Swimming Championships earlier this year, Eilat will once again host a prestigious international open water swimming competition. The World Tour Open Water Swimming Competition will take place off the city’s coast in April, preceding the Olympic Games by four months.The decision to host the event was made after the success of the European championships in September. The upcoming event will also visit Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, Hong Kong and China.Arab countries attempted to scuttle the competition’s arrival in Israel, but after receiving assurances from the Interior Ministry that any participating athlete would be granted a visa to enter the country, the Swimming Association gave its approval.Interior Minister Eli Yishai is the only authority able to approve granting a visa to citizens of enemy countries, which some of the participating swimmers are.Israel Swimming Association chairman Noam Zvi said of the news, “[Hosting] the World Tour Competition in Eilat will be a breakthrough for the Swimming Association.” In the future, he added, he also plans to try and bring pool swimming events and artistic competitions to Israel.Ashkelon schools hold recycling contestOrt High School and Neveh Zion Elementary School in Ashkelon were this year’s winners of the city’s annual paper recycling competition, in their respective categories.The competition, organized by the city’s Department of Sanitation, aims to help encourage recycling, particularly of paper waste.Collection facilities were placed in schools, although pupils were encouraged to bring paper waste from home as well. Some 40 tons of paper were collected throughout the city during the competition.The winning schools received cash prizes to purchase school supplies. The top prize is NIS 1,000, second prize is NIS 750 and third prize NIS 500. In addition, the Ashkelon Municipality augmented the prize money, giving NIS 2,000 to the first-place winners and NIS 1,500 and NIS 1,000 to the secondand third-place winners respectively.Sanitation company director-general Uzi Carmi told the winners: “The city of Ashkelon is among the leading cities in the country in recycling, and you can be proud of your city. There’s no doubt that educating the youth to collect paper waste is very important in order to improve the environment in the country.”