Lebanese Film ‘Costa Brava, Lebanon’ starring Nadine Labaki Wins Netpac Award at Toronto Film Festival : September 2021

Lebanese film starring Nadine Labaki wins Netpac award at Toronto Film Festival.

‘Costa Brava, Lebanon’ is director Mounia Akl’s debut feature.

Lebanese director Mounia Akl has won the Netpac award at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival for her debut feature Costa Brava, Lebanon.

The film, which stars Lebanese actress and director Nadine Labaki and Palestinian actor Saleh Bakri, premiered at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year.

Costa Brava, Lebanon follows the story of the Badri family, led by Soraya (played by Labaki) and Walid (played by Bakri), who have escaped the toxic pollution of Beirut to set up a new home in the mountains, only to find the government has turned the land next to their new home into a dump site.

The Netpac award is an annual award presented by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema to the best film from Asia that has premiered at Tiff.

Last year, the award was won by Palestinian twin brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser for Gaza Mon

www.mouniaakl.com

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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pix: mouniaakl.com

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LEBANON / USA

Morocco’s Tangier Med Port – Best Container Port in Africa : September 2021

Morocco is leading the way in Africa since the creation of a major trade hub Tangier Med, according to Lloyd’s List’s ranking of the world’s best 100 ports in 2021.

Tangier Med

The Tangier Med Port is currently ranked 25th worldwide, surpassing other massive ports of the Mediterranean such as the Piraeus Port in Greece, the Port of Valencia and the Port of Algeciras in Spain.

According to Lloyd’s list, the year 2021 is the 4th consecutive year that the Tangier Med Special Agency (TMSA) is on top of the list of ports in Africa. Due to its geographical position, the Moroccan port is widely considered to be the most important link between Africa and Europe.

The international hub went from 4,80 million Twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in 2019 to a total of 5,77 million TEU in 2020, recording an exceptional growth of 20,2%. In the first quarter of 2021, it recorded an even greater growth of 35%

Top 5 Ports in Africa:

  1. Tangier Med Port – Morocco
  2. Port Said, Egypt
  3. Port of Durban, South Africa
  4. Port of Lome, Togo, West Africa
  5. Port of Alexandria, Egypt

source/contents: moroccoworldnews.com

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pix: moroccoworldnews.com

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MOROCCO

Galal Yafai Wins Britain’s First Flyweight Olympic Boxing Gold : Tokyo : August 07th, 2021

Galal Yafai. Athlete. British Boxer.

Britain’s Galal Yafai, born of Yemeni parents, defeated Carlo Paalam to win the flyweight Olympic title , denying the Philippines a first boxing gold medal in the country’s history.

The 28-year-old Yafai, a former factory worker, won on split points in an enthralling contest to earn Britain’s first boxing gold in Tokyo.

source/content: arabnews.com

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pix: twitter.com/galal_yafai

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BRITAIN / YEMEN

Exhibition Celebrates Late Calligrapher and Artist Mohammad Bajnaid

pix: arabnews.com

Mohammad Salem Bin Abdul Basit Bin Abdul Rahman Bin Junaid Bajnaid (aka) Mohammad Bajnaid – Artist. Calligrapher.

Saudi artist and calligrapher Mohammad Salem Bajnaid contributed to the design and embroidery of the Kiswah — the cloth that is draped over the Kaaba in Makkah on the day that pilgrims leave for Mount Arafat during the Hajj.

Sharbatly House Museum in Historic Jeddah is currently hosting an exhibition celebrating the work of the renowned Saudi artist and calligrapher Mohammad Salem Bajnaid.

The show is part of Saudi Arabia’s Year of Arabic Calligraphy, launched by the Ministry of Culture with the support of the Quality of Life Program

The new exhibition in Jeddah runs until December and features 21 works from throughout Bajnaid’s career, some of which are Quranic verses and prophetic hadiths.

The show is split into four main areas: The Ancient House, Family bonds, Knowledge, and Patience. 

It has been curated by the artist’s grandson, Salem Fouzi Bajnaid, who told Arab News: “The credit behind all the efforts in setting up this event goes to (the artist’s) family and friends, in cooperation with the ministry of culture. We’ve witnessed such an amazing response on the first few days, with art admirers from everywhere coming to appreciate the work being displayed here.”

Bajnaid, who died in October 2019, was widely recognized as one of the most talented calligraphers in the Arab and Islamic world. He contributed to the design and embroidery of the Kiswah — the cloth that is draped over the Kaaba in Makkah on the day that pilgrims leave for Mount Arafat during the Hajj — and was also the creator of the Kingdom’s gift to the United Nations for its headquarters in New York in 1982.

website :msalembajnaid.com/

source/content: arabnews.com

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pix: msalembajnaid.com

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SAUDI ARABIA

Egypt’s Secures 3 Guinness Records Titles in One Go : September 06th, 2021

Egyptian president launches charity caravan that earned 3 Guinness Records titles.

 President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi launched Sunday Long Live Egypt Fund’s charity caravan targeted at the most one million low-income families, and that garnered three Guinness Records titles.

Those are the world’s largest food donation, largest medical equipment donation, and largest home appliance donation.

A ceremony dubbed “Charity Doors” was held in the New Administrative Capital on the occasion. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli stated that the caravan – prepared in collaboration with civil society – is worth LE650 million.

The prime minister added that the caravan is mainly intended to deliver one million food boxes for the most low-income families benefiting a total of five million citizens. A Long Live Egypt Fund official also noted that the caravan offers 6,298 medical equipment, and home appliances.

The fund has already been providing food boxes, clothes, and medical equipment, and partnered up with Orman Charity Association to build hundreds of houses at 556 rural villages and carry out thousands of cataract surgeries.

Later, President Sisi checked on the components of the world’s largest charity caravan.

Speaking of medical equipment, there are devices measuring insulin level in blood, neonatal intensive care units, laparoscopy devices, and eye survey equipment. There are also medicines and clothes.

As for the food boxes, they contain two kilos of each of sugar and pasta as well as two packs of tea among others.

Further, the president checked the furniture and home appliances used in the furnishing of residential units distributed among low-income families in return for a symbolic monthly rent.

source/content: egypttoday.com

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pix: egypttoday.com

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EGYPT

Ali Mabkhout Surpasses Messi’s Record, as Syria secures point against UAE in World Cup Qualifiers : September 2021

Syria and the UAE played out a 1-1 draw on Match day Two of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar Group A on Tuesday at the King Abdullah II Stadium here.

Ali Mabkhout opened the Whites’ account at the 12th minute, scoring his 77th international goal, surpassing Argentine legend Lionel Messi and matching Brazil’s Pele’s record as the seventh highest international scorer of all time.

Syria’s Al Baher secured the equaliser at the 64th minute while Mabkhout could have doubled his tally with just 10 minutes to go, but the UAE’s record goal scorer could not direct his header towards the goalmouth.

The result hands the UAE their second point in as many games, while Syria get off the mark. October will see the Whites face Iraq and Iran in the 3rd and 4th round respectively.

source/content: wam.ae

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منتخبنا الوطني يتعادل مع نظيره السوري في تصفيات المونديال
pix: wam.ae

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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

Saudi Artist Ajlan Gharem Wins Jameel Prize 6 for Cage-Like Mosque Installation : September 2021

Ajlan Gharem. Artist.

The sixth Jameel Prize winner is artist Ajlan Gharem from Saudi Arabia, recognised for his work Paradise Has Many Gates, an installation from 2015 of a mosque structure constructed from chain-link wire and thereby resembling a cage.

The Jameel Prize is a collaboration between Art Jameel in Riyadh and the V&A in London. It recognises contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition. This year’s prize was announced via a virtual ceremony on Wednesday, with Fady Jameel, chairman and founder of Art Jameel, presenting the award.

Gharem was among eight finalists shortlisted from more than 400 applicants.

Born in Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia, in 1985, Gharem lives in Riyadh and works as a mathematics teacher. He and his brother Abdulnasser, who is also an artist, founded the non-profit arts organisation Gharem Studio in 2013 to bring young artists in the kingdom together.

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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Ajlan Gharem’s monumental wire structure ‘Paradise Has Many Gates’ is now at Gharem Studio. Photo: Gharem Studio / pix: thenationalnews.com

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SAUDI ARABIA

Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi Voted Best Arab Player in Ligue 1 : August 2021

Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi continues his phenomenal career. After making headlines in Italy’s Serie A with Inter Milan, when he won the league.

The Moroccan international player has continued to impress since his arrival at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) during the last summer transfer window.

Achraf Hakimi was named the best Arab player in the French Ligue 1 Uber Eats for the month of August.

The 22-year-old received the award following his outstanding performance wearing PSG’s jersey throughout the matches of last month. The fans were particularly taken by his pace and the great chemistry he has while playing alongside Kylian Mbappe.

In a fan poll sponsored by the official account of Ligue 1 on Facebook, the Moroccan international player ranked first after getting the majority of the votes ahead of his compatriot and Angers SCO midfielder Sofiane Boufal and Algeria’s Andy Delort.

This award comes days after the Moroccan Professional Footballers Union (UMFP) awarded Achraf Hakimi the trophy for the Best Moroccan Player in Foreign Leagues for the 2020-2021 season.

As part of its plans to clinch the Champions League title, PSG paid €71 million (add-ons included) to sign the versatile right-back, making him the most expensive defender in the club’s history.

After an impressive journey with Inter Milan, the football player has his sights set on other big challenges with PSG.

source/contents: moroccoworldnews.com

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Moroccan football player Achraf Hakimi. / pix: moroccoworldnews.com

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MOROCCO

Ain Shams University- Egypt, Wins Unesco Literacy Prize : September 2021

Ain Shams University in Egypt is awarded the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy 2021 for its project ‘Ain Shams University experience in organizing online literacy classes for rural areas in Egypt’.

The Cairo university is one of six international recipients recognised for outstanding inclusive distance and digital learning projects in Covid times.

Egypt’s Ain Shams University has won the Unesco Confucius Prize for Literacy for its project that uses digital technology to teach literacy in rural areas of the country.

The annual Unesco international literacy prizes were awarded to six programmes from Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Mexico and South Africa, on International Literacy Day.

Ain Shams University president Prof Mahmoud El Meteini spoke in an online event held to recognise the award recipients on Thursday.

The Unesco Confucius Prize for Literacy was established in 2005 with the support of the Chinese government. Each of the three prizewinners will receive a medal, a diploma and a cash prize of $30,000.

The Unesco King Sejong Literacy Prize, sponsored by the Korean government and established in 1989, gives special consideration to language-based literacy development. The three winners will receive a medal, a diploma and a cash prize of $20,000.

www.asu.edu.eg/

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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pix: asu.edu.eg/

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EGYPT

International Conservation Organization (IUCN) Elects Emirati Woman Razan Al-Mubarak as President : September 2021

Razan Al-Mubarak. Founding Managing Director, Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. Head of Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD). Managing Director, Emirates Nature (NGO).

 The International Union for Conservation of Nature has named an Emirati woman as its new president at its World Conservation Congress in Marseille.

Al-Mubarak is the founding managing director of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, which under her leadership has supported more than 2,000 species conservation projects in more thsn 160 countries. 


She is also the head of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the managing director at Emirates Nature, an NGO affiliated with the World Wildlife Fund.


Members elect the chairs of IUCN’s commissions, which bring together 18,000 volunteer experts from around the world in a range of disciplines from species conservation to environmental law and protected area management.


IUCN is a union that brings together some of the world’s most influential organizations and experts to conserve nature and accelerate the transition to sustainable development.

source/content: arabnews.com

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The International Union for Conservation of Nature has named Razan Al-Mubarak as its new president. (IUCN) / pix: arabnews.com

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)