WEST HARTFORD, Conn., U.S.A. – Young writers, photographers and artists from across the globe took home prizes in the Youth Journalism International 2015 Excellence in Journalism contest.

Annie Schubert, a stand out editor for a suburban Kansas City high school paper who’s now a freshman at Harvard University, took top honours as this year’s Student Journalist of the Year.

Competition was stiff in nearly every category, with more than 130 awards in about three dozen categories going to students in 23 U.S. states and Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Egypt, Italy, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria and the United Kingdom.

“This year the field of entries was the strongest I've seen. It was inspiring to see so many well-crafted pieces on so many diverse topics,” said judge Joe Killian, a daily newspaper reporter in Greensboro, N.C. who got his start through Youth Journalism International.

The annual contest, now in its sixth year, recognized student writing and reporting, art, photo and multi-media skills in more than two dozen news, sports and opinion categories. A panel of experienced judges chose the winners and those picked in the top categories will receive engraved crystal trophies. Prizes for finalists and winners in the other categories are custom-made certificates.

“It becomes more obvious each year that the talent level is always increasing,” said judge Frank Johnson, the outgoing leader of the Manufacturing Alliance of Connecticut. “What great writers and such interesting topics. Many of these writers are far better than those who report local news in Connecticut or elsewhere.”

Another judge, Dr. Mariechen Puchert from East London, South Africa, said, “This year brought an impressive cross-section of feature writing. It was a pleasure to see that young journalists are not shying away from addressing serious topics that have a direct impact on their peers. “

Other big winners in the contest included Journalism Educator of the Year Barbara Bateman from Mobile, Alabama; Eden Tadesse, from Ethiopia, who won the Courage in Journalism Award; Sophie Tulp, of Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, Kansas, whose news writing earned her the Frank Keegan “Take No Prisoners” Award for News; and Ahmad Zaqout, a Roanoke College freshman in Virginia, who collected the Jacinta Marie Bunnell Award for Commentary.

“It is truly an honour and a privilege to review the work of so many talented young people,” said judge Lynn Abrahamson, a public health official in Maryland. “It was especially hard to choose winners this year, since there were a number of excellent submissions.”

Shawnee Mission East High School posted the best overall record, taking home 15 awards. A Las Vegas, Nevada high school – South west Career and Technical Academy – placed second with 10.

Youth Journalism International has been educating the next generation of news professionals and talented teens since 1994. Formally incorporated in 2007, it is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit public charity. Its website can be found at www.youthjournalism.org.

The contest covered work published in English between Jan. 1, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2014. Those eligible must be 19 or under and not working professionally.

Yes, the gates of heaven are open for the Holy Month of Ramadan, but not so much for the gates of college.

For the past two days I have been slaving  on university websites trying to reach a final top ten list of colleges where I should apply.

Scale of success from 1 to 10: 7.

I have a list of 10 names but worry none of them will accept me.

Sounds a little off topic for a Ramadan journal, right? I respectfully disagree.

As a college bound junior, a few things are certain.

At some point the “average” and “typical” student population at the college of your dreams will cause frustration in epic proportions. Youwill by all means feel hopeless as your SAT scores and mere page of extra curricular activities are of no comparison next to the applicants of your dream college.

And the expenses to your dream college are also a number you’ve seen in a dream.

This is where the Ramadan spirit kicks in.

Towards making the end of my list I realized an Islamic fact: God does not put to waste the work of one who has worked for His sake. Niyya(intention), like I mentioned before, is very important in Islam.

It is said that work done without a pure intention for God’s sake is worthless.

Now let’s use a more tangible example.

If my niyya in applying and working to get accepted at U.S colleges is to have a heard voice with which I will attempt to remove the stains 9/11 and other incidents have left on Arabs and Islam, then my dreams are secure.

Doing this for His sake is a guarantee that even if I do not prevail, an alternative which may prove to be better for me and my mission will appear.

I cannot now doubt that I will have God on my side for this journey because quite frankly I need a miracle.

Heaven’s gate opens and the one to a university doesn’t?

If that’s not ironic I don’t know what is.

I would not say anything in Ramadan that I do not intend to do, so here it goes: I here vow with the readers of Youth Journalism International as my witness that no matter what UC Berkeley’s sophisticated requirements are, and no matter how many times I realize I cannot afford to go to Berkeley, I will continue to move forward.

I will take the required exams, study and do my best to look like one of those outstanding young scholars, all because I have faith enough to let me know that no one’s hard work goes to waste.

It is now 10:40p.m. in Alexandria, Egypt time and about time I hit the fridge for something sweet.

Regards until next time. Peace.

All great movements are popular movements. They are the volcanic eruptions of human passions and emotions, stirred into activity by the ruthless Goddess of Distress or by the torch of the spoken word cast into the midst of the people.

Self-driving cars

Google's self-driving car. Image: Getty.

Yes, they've been around for ages, but now we have on-the-road testing and the beginnings of a legislative framework for the cars, they could soon be an everyday reality. Google has announced it's teaming up with Ford to build self-driving vehicles, hinting at large-scale commercial production in the near future.

...and cars that make you better at driving 

Audi's Q7 SUV. Image: Audi.

While self-driving cars are grabbing the headlines, ordinary cars are also stepping up their game. Tesla's latest in-car software offers a hands-free autopilot mode, while Audi's Q7 SUV will also brake on behalf of the driver and nudge you back into the correct lane. This type of gradual automation may make fully self-driving cars an easier sell in the long run. 

The suncream pill 

Control your computer using gestures 

Earlier this year, Apple patented a motion-sensor technology that would let you control your computer by just moving your hands in the air. The technology has been around for a while - HP's Leap Motion laptop was launched in 2012 - but as we spend more and more time in front of computers, it's growing ever more appealling. RIP RSI.

A hotel in space 

Russian company Orbital Technologies reckons it'll be sending tourists into space as early as next year. Guests would zoom up to the Commercial Space Station on a rocket, then spend their time in one of the station's four cabins enjoying zero gravity and watching earth through the ship's giant portholes. And this is only the beginning: Mashable has totted up nine commercial companies planning to send normal people into space over the next decade or so.