Ons Jabeur, First Arab to Win at Mubadala Tennis Championship : December 16th, 2021

Tunisian world No 10 defeated Belinda Bencic in the one-off women’s match.

Ons Jabeur said it was a dream to compete at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship after the Tunisian world No 10 became the first Arab player to win at the pre-season tournament in Abu Dhabi.

Jabeur defeated Switzerland’s Olympic champion Belinda Bencic in a third set championship tie-break 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 in an entertaining match .

“It’s amazing to be here in Abu Dhabi; to be here in an Arab country, representing Tunisia, representing the Arab world. I’m so glad I had this opportunity, so I’m really grateful for that.”

Jabeur is accustomed to creating new milestones for Arab tennis. After becoming the first Arab female player to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final at the 2020 Australian Open, Jabeur emulated her feat at Wimbledon in July – two weeks after becoming the first Arab player to win a WTA Tour title.

The world No 10, who reached a career-high No 7 last month, is the highest-ranked Arab player, female or male, in tennis history.

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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Ons Jabeur of Tunisia at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. Victor Besa/The National.- thenationalnews.com

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TUNISIA

Sanae Abdi, Morocco-born Female Politician Elected to German Parliament in Historical First

The Moroccan-German woman won a seat in the Cologne 1 region under the banner of the Social Democratic Party.

Abdi is the first Moroccan woman to successfully be elected to Germany’s legislative body. Born in Tetouan, Abdi moved to Germany to attend the Adolf Reichwein Comprehensive School in Ludenscheid.

During this time, Abdi also joined the SPD in 2008, at the age of 22. 

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com

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Sanae Abdi was elected to represent the Cologne I constituency after Sunday’s elections. Photo Credit: Sanae Abdi / pix: moroccoworldnews.com

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GERMANY / MOROCCO

Deqa Dhalac, First Black Mayor of a small coastal US city – South Portland, Maine : December 2021

Deha Dhalac. Community Activist. Community Leader.

South Portland’s other city councilors, who are all White, elected her in a unanimous vote. The 4th largest city in Maine, is the whitest state in the country and South Portland is 90% White.

In 2018, she ran against a local business owner and won, making history as the first African American and first Muslim elected to the council.

In 2020, she ran unopposed for a second term. The city council selects from among its members who will be mayor, and in November, her colleagues unanimously supported her nomination.

Education / Community Work highlights:

  • Master’s Degree in Development Policy and Practice, University of New Hampshire 
  • Master’s Degree in Social Work, University of New England
  • Past Program Manager for The Center for Grieving Children
  • Former South Portland Schools Community Builder for the Opportunity Alliance
  • Somali Community Center of Maine
  • Board president of the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition
  • Board member of the Maine Women’s Fund
  • Family Engagement and Cultural Responsiveness Specialist with the Maine Department of Education
  • South Portland City Council, District 5 Representative

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pix: Twitter / @NewAmericanLd , New American Leaders

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AMERICAN / SOMALI

Ghofrane Belkhir of Tunisia Wins Two Gold Medals, World Weightlifting Championships, Tashkent : December 09th, 2021

Ghofrane Belkhir. Weightlifter.

Tunisian weightlifter Ghofrane Belkhir (59 kg) won Thursday two gold medals in both the categories – snatch and total weight (203 kg) at the World Weightlifting Championships (December 7-17) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Belkhir is Tunisia’s only representative at this event.

On May 25; 2021 – she had already won three gold medals; weighing 59 kg during the IWF World Junior Championships competitions.

2018 Summer Youth Olympics / By Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons / en.wikipedia.org

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TUNISIA

Cairo Selected as ‘Culture Capital of Islamic World for 2022’ : December 2021

Minister of Culture Dr. Ines Abdel-Daim said Egypt being chosen as the capital of Islamic culture for 2022 attests to Egypt’s outstanding cultural role in the world.

Ines Abdel-Daim said Cairo is a city of diversity and cultural richness reflecting many of the salient features of human civilisation in general and the Islamic civilisation in particular, as it has always been a meeting-point of civilisations, old and modern, and a unique centre of art, intellect, and creativity.

Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) Salim bin Mohammad Al-Malik participated in the gathering that took place in the Cairo Opera House’s Small Hall to elaborate on the details marking the start of the festivity.

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg

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Egyptian Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Daim and Director General of the ISESCO Salim bin Mohammad Al-Malik during the press conference in Cairo on Tuesday (photo courtesy of Egyptian cabinet)

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EGYPT

Algerian Athletes Skander Djamil Athmani & Safia Djelal, make History with Two World Records in one day – Tokyo Paralympics : September 2021

Two Algerian athletes set new world records on Thursday at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. 

Skander Djamil Athmani and Safia Djelal smash world records as they take home the gold.

Skander Djamil Athmani :

Skander Djamil Athmani, 29, defeated his opponents in the men’s 400 metres T13 event to take home the country’s second gold of the games

Athmani smashed the world record, finishing with a dazzling time of 46.70 seconds. Morocco’s Mohamed Amguoun finished one second after Athmani, securing a silver medal, while Johannes Nambala of Namibia took home bronze.

Amguoun had held the previous world record of 46.92 seconds, which he set at the 2017 World Championships in London.

Algeria’s jubilation did not end there.

Safia Djelal :

Safia Djelal also went on to secure another gold for the North African country, as well as a new world record, this time in the women’s shotput F57 event.

With a staggering distance of 11.29 metres, Djelal gained a huge advantage over her opponents to take home the gold. 

The previous record was held by Mexico’s Maria De Los Angele Ortiz Hernandez in Dubai in 2018 with a distance of 11.16 metres.

hina’s Xu Mian took silver with a throw of 10.81 metres. Meanwhile, Eucharia Iyiazi from Nigeria secured bronze. 

On 27 August, Cherine Abdellaoui won Algeria its first gold medal of the Tokyo Games in the Paralympic women’s 52kg Judo event. 

source/content: www.middleeasteye.net

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pix: algerie-expat.com

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ALGERIA

Emirati Doctor, First Arab Woman elected as President Designate of the International Hospital Federation (IHF) : November 2021

Dr. Muna Tahlak, CEO, DHA’s Latifa Hospital for Women and Children.

The United Arab Emirates achieved an important victory in the global health front as Emirati Dr. Muna Tahlak, CEO of DHA’s Latifa Hospital for Women and Children, was elected as the President of the International Hospital Federation. (IHF).

This is the first time that an Arab woman will hold this esteemed position, the highest international position in the history of the Union.

The IHF Governing Council voted to elect Dr Tahlak as the new IHF President Designate. In doing so, Dr Tahlak ends her term as Treasurer with IHF and now begins her two-year term as President Designate of the IHF.

She added that her work with the IHF over the past five years has helped her gain experience and gave her the opportunity to highlight the successful work of hospitals in the UAE on a global scale.

Awadh Al Ketbi, Director General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), congratulated Dr Muna Tahlak on this important and historic victory.

A few days ago the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (FIGO) selected Dr Muna Tahlak, CEO of Latifa Hospital for Women and Children, for the for the position of FIGO Regional Trustee Africa – Eastern Mediterranean 2021–2023.

source/content: wam.ae

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

Award Winners – 43rd Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) : December 2021

Egyptian star Mohamed Mamdouh received the Best Actor Award for his role in Abu Saddam, which premiered at the festival.

The Best Actress Award went to Swamy Rotolo for her performance in A Chiara, directed by Jonas Carpignano (Italy – France), while The Golden Pyramid Award for Best Film went to The Hole In The Fence, by director Joaquin del Paso (Mexico, Poland), and produced by Fernanda de la Peza and Joaquin del Paso. Blind Spot, by director Lotfi Achour (Tunisia, France) won the Best Short Film Award.

creening over 111 films from 63 countries, the activities of the CIFF’s 43rd edition ran from 25 November to 5 December, including 34 world premieres, workshops, seminars, as well as ceremonies to honour a number of renowned filmmakers, including Egyptian actors NellyKarim Abdel-Aziz and Indian composer A.R. Rahman.

The CIFF awards went to:

International Competition awards

Henry Barakat Award for Best Artistic Contribution: Jose Angel Alayon for the cinematography of They Carry Death (Spain – Colombia)

Best Actress Award: Swamy Rotolo for her performance in A Chiara, directed by Jonas Carpignano (Italy – France)

Best Actor Award: Mohamed Mamdouh for his performance in Abu Saddam, directed by Nadine Khan (Egypt)

Naguib Mahfouz Award for Best Screenplay: Péter Kerekes and Ivan Ostrochovský for 107 Mothers, directed by Péter Kerekes (Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Ukraine)

The Bronze Pyramid Award for Best First or Second Feature of a Director: Aloners, by director Hong Seong-Eun (South Korea)

The Silver Pyramid: Small Body, directed by Laura Samani (Italy, France)

Special Jury Award for Best Director: Laura Samani for Small Body (Italy, France, Slovenia)

The Golden Pyramid Award for Best Film: The Hole In The Fence, by director Joaquin del Paso (Mexico, Poland), produced by Fernanda de la Peza and Joaquin del Paso

International Short Film Competition awards

Youssef Chahine Award for Best Short Film: Blind Spot, by director Lotfi Achour (Tunisia, France)

The Special Jury Award: It’s Nothing Nagy, Just Hang Up!, by director Youhanna Nagy (Egypt)

 The Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition awards

Saad Eldin Wahba Award for Best Film: Awarded for directors Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige for their film Memory Box (Lebanon, France)

The Special Jury Award: Fiasco, by director Nicolas Khoury (Lebanon, the Netherlands)

Best Non-Fiction Film Award: From Cairo, by director Hala Galal (Egypt)

Best Acting Performance Award: Afef Ben Mahmoud for her performance in Streams, directed by Mehdi Hmili (Tunisia, Luxembourg, France)

Special Mention: A Second Life, by director Anis Lassoued (Tunisia)

International Critics’ Week Competition awards

Shadi Abdel-Salam Award for Best Film: Awarded to Ameer Fakher Eldin, director of The Stranger (Syria, Palestine, Germany)

The Special Jury Award: Wild Roots, by Hajni Kis (Hungary, Slovakia)

Special Mention: Actress Arcelia Ramírez for her performance in La Civil, by director Teodora Ana Mihai (Belgium, Romania, Mexico)

Best Arab Film Award: The Stranger, by Ameer Fakher Eldin (Syria, Palestine, Germany), produced by Tony Copti, Jiries Copti, and Dorothe Beinemeier

Special Mention: Fiasco, by Nicolas Khoury (Lebanon, Netherlands)

FIPRESCI Award: Tomorrow, directed by Dhafer L’Abidine (Tunisia)

Audience Award: Daughters of Abdel-Rahman’, directed by Zaid Abu Hamdan (Jordan)

www.ciff.org.eg

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg

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EGYPT / FRANCE / JORDAN / PALESTINE / SYRIA / TUNISIA

‘The Houses of Beirut’ — Preserving a City’s Architectural Heritage : Republished 2021

Nayla Audi. Daughters Yasmine Audi and Julie Audi.

Twenty-four years ago, Nayla Audi published her only book: “The Houses of Beirut.” It was created for children — an oversized book in the shape of a house — but at Dubai Design Week last month, adults, too, were opening the ‘doors’ of its cover to reveal the old-school watercolors (created by Audi’s friend, the painter Flavia Codsi) within. 

The book’s current revival was made possible by Audi’s two daughters, Yasmine and Julie, who published a new edition in the wake of the Beirut Port explosion last year, having found a copy of the book — a nostalgic memento of their childhood — that had survived the damage inflicted on their family home in the city’s Gemmayze neighborhood.

“It really affected us personally,” Julie, who lives in London, told Arab News. “We thought we needed to do everything we can to preserve this book — to re-edit and try our best for these houses to stay. We grew up taking all these things for granted. But now, with a bit of maturity and age, we also realize that it’s important for us to continue what our mom started.”

The original version of the book, published in both English and French, was, Julie said, popular among the Lebanese. 

The original version of the book, published in both English and French, was, Julie said, popular among the Lebanese. (Supplied) / arabnews.com

Many of those heritage houses, some of which were built over a century ago, were seriously affected by the explosion and the sisters have stipulated that all proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the Beirut Heritage Initiative, launched in 2020 to restore badly damaged historical buildings.

For the reprinting of the hand-bound book, the sisters kept the story as it was, (although they printed the English version only) and even turned to the same family-run printing press — Anis, established in the late 1950s — that published it in the first place. Like many businesses in Beirut, Anis was practically destroyed, so getting things off the ground has been a struggle. 

Both Julie and Yasmine were born in the US, but feel a strong attachment to Lebanon. They flew to Beirut after the explosion and that experience reinforced their belief in the necessity of chronicling the city’s architectural traditions. 

source/content: arabnews.com

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Nayla, Yasmine and Julie Audi. (Supplied) / arabnews.com

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AMERICAN / LEBANESE

Mona Sewilam Wins COMESA Media Award in TV category : November 2021

Mona Sewilam. Journalist.

Mona Sewilam has the COMESA media award (TV category), on the sidelines of the 21st COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit held in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital.

The winning documentary is an abridged special edition of one of the episodes of her programme titled “ON Africa” produced and aired on ON Network TV.

Titled “COMESA: Between Equal Opportunities and African Integration” the film was presented, scripted and directed by Sewilam.

It focuses on the important role of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) whose 21 member states have a population of 583 million which is about half of Africa’s population, and with a gross domestic product of $805 billion, and a global export/import trade in goods worth $324 billion. This renders COMESA the largest market for trade and investment in Africa.

The documentary which was mostly filmed in Zambia where the COMESA secretariat is based also highlights Egypt’s efforts to boost intra-African trade and achieve African integration. The documentary covered the significance of the Cairo-Cape Town Road that runs through Zambia. It filmed the successful Zambia-Egypt Joint Farm Venture located in Zambia, which will benefit from the road and COMESA’s incentives on exporting its products to COMESA member states like Egypt.

Sewilam previously won the COMESA award on the sidelines of the 20th COMESA Summit in the Zambian capital Lusaka.

source/content : english.ahram.org.eg

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Mona Sewilam wins the COMESA media award in TV category

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EGYPT