Deluged with deadlines though I am, it is nigh impossible to ignore the news that Elham al-Qasimi has become the first Arab woman to reach the North Pole.

A former investment banker in the UAE, Elham completed the trip unsupported and unassisted.

A truly admirable woman striking a blow for womankind through a journey that is as exhilarating geographically as it is spiritually.