Tag: Records of Lebanon

LEBANON: Lebanese Fans Celebrate Mayyas Winning ‘America’s Got Talent 2022’ with tears of joy and hope

As the country battles a severe economic downturn, supporters at home and abroad say they finally have something to cheer about.

Mayyas winning America’s Got Talent was worth so much more than $1 million for Lebanese viewers.

The dance troupe’s victory, which earned them the seven-figure prize , offered a sliver of hope to the country and its population, who continue to battle a flurry of crises and bad news.

“We haven’t shed happy tears in so long in this country and Mayyas made it happen,” says Reem Nasra, 24, a recruiter in Beirut.

Mayyas first made international headlines when they received a golden buzzer from judge Sofia Vergara for their performance during the auditions, securing their spot in the semi-finals.

“There are no words to explain to you what we were feeling over here,” Vergara said at the time. “It was the most beautiful, creative dancing I have ever seen.”

Since then, the Lebanese group put on a series of breathtaking routines as they advanced to the final. And, their journey to the top connected with compatriots around the world.

“They are an example of what a synchronised group of Lebanese are able to achieve,” says Eli Lattouf, 26, a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard Medical School in the US. “Such a win delivers a global message.”

Lebanon is currently facing an economic crisis described as one of the worst in 150 years by the World Bank. According to a UN study, the financial collapse has pushed more than 80 per cent of the population into poverty while inflation and living expenses reached record highs.

The country’s plight has made global news, highlighting everything from its fuel crisis to the deadly Beirut port blast in 2020.

To see Lebanon represented in a different light, as a beacon of art and culture, was refreshing, says Lattouf.

“Most people know the Lebanon they see on the news, which might not be totally misleading, unfortunately,” he tells The National. “This time the world sees not one, but a group of Lebanese, full of art, creativity and discipline.”

Lattouf’s sentiment is echoed by many other Lebanese people, who are proud of the group’s outstanding representation on a global platform.

“This is our Lebanon, the real one,” says Rima Hijazi, 26.

Watching from her home in Choueifat, south-east of Beirut, the agricultural engineer fortunately had electricity overnight to stream the final live. Many other households across Lebanon were without power, which prompted private TV station LBCI to campaign for generator owners to keep the lights on ahead of the show.

Lebanon’s electricity crisis is merely one of the many obstacles Mayyas had to overcome while rehearsing.

Despite the many hindrances, the girls put in long hours of work, determined to grab the title.

According to the group’s founder and choreographer Nadim Cherfan, the team were in the studio on a daily basis and would “only leave when the power goes off”.

“When it’s about art, nothing stands in your way,” he previously told The National.

Their hard work and diligence made them all the more deserving of the win, according to many Lebanese. It is also testament to the country’s potential, despite the odds.

“This win means that despite everything we are going through, our will to live and be successful beats all miseries,” says Yara Youssef, 25, a marketing coordinator in Beirut.

Between pride and hope, Mayyas also evoked a solemn feeling for some.

“It’s a bit sad knowing that if you have potential here in Lebanon, you have to leave in order to reach your goals,” Hijazi tells The National. “We’re in the wrong spot to bloom.”

But despite their international achievement, Mayyas are returning to Lebanon, where they will continue to work on their art.

While Cherfan has been asked why he continues to work in Beirut, he is adamant on going back to where they started.

“I’m never leaving my country because my country has never left me,” he says.

Watch the moment Mayyas won on ‘America’s Got Talent’ here (below):

source/content: thenationalnews.com (headline edited)

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youtube.com

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LEBANON

LEBANON: Journalism Student Yasmina Zaytoun Crowned Miss Lebanon 2022

The Forum de Beyrouth played host to a glittering showcase of Lebanese talent on Sunday night as model, journalism student and show host Yasmina Zaytoun was crowned Miss Lebanon 2022, almost four years after the last edition of the pageant.

The host of the educational online platform the @WITHYASMINASHOW beat out fellow contestants Maya Abou El-Hassan, who finished as first runner-up, Jacintha Rashed, who was named second runner up, and Lara Hraoui and Dalal Hoballah who were voted in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Zaytoun is from the village of Kfarchouba in southern Lebanon and is currently studying at Notre Dame University — Louaize. She hosts an Instagram show titled the “With Yasmina Show,” where she interviews media and sports personalities, including politician Paula Yacoubian and actress Enjy Kiwan.

Delayed by years of crises in Lebanon, the much anticipated the show featured 17 candidates from various cities and regions who wowed a judging panel consisting of music composer Michel Fadel, influencer Karen Wazen, General Manager of IP Studios Mohamad Yehya, Miss World 2022 Karolina Bielawska, General Manager of Al-Nahar and Al-Nahar Al-Arabi Nayla Tueni, Caracala dance theatre director Ivan Caracala, TV host Hilda Khalife, and Miss Lebanon 1993 Samaya Chedrawi, who was on hand to represent the Ministry of Tourism.

“Tonight, we’re celebrating Lebanon, not just Miss Lebanon,” Tueni said, explaining the importance of the event.

“Celebrating Lebanon that we miss, the beautiful country, the life in Lebanon. This is the most beautiful image of the real people, the real Lebanese that are suffering and trying to survive. This is a very important message, and I hope that Lebanon will rise again with a very positive message. We will stay strong because we love Lebanon,” she added, noting that the new beauty queen has to “be the voice of the Lebanese people.”

Hosted by Lebanese actress and TV host Aimee Sayah, the event also featured a performance by Lebanese singing icon Nancy Ajram, who started with a rendition of “Ila Beirut Al Ontha” in a tribute to the city, before surprising her fans with “Salmat Salamat” and a performance of her new song “Sah Sah,” which was produced by US DJ Marshmello.

Ajram invited her audience to support Lebanon in the “good and the bad,” adding: “I never thought about how to love Lebanon. There’s no rule as to how you can love your country. I love Lebanon till the end.”

Sayah was dressed by famed Lebanese designer Georges Hobeika, fresh off his runway presentation at Paris Haute Couture Week in July while contestants showed off a number of glamorous looks, including evening gowns and bathing suits, and also demonstrated their ability to keep a cool head under pressure by addressing a range of social issues on stage.

Those issues included divorce, fragmented families, women abuse and violence — both verbal and physical — access to healthcare and education, and women’s empowerment, among others.

The lucky few hit the stage after being prepped and primped by the best in the business, including celebrity makeup artist Bassam Fattouh and hairstylist Wassim Morkos.

Previous Miss Lebanon Maya Reaidy, who was crowned in September 2018, passed the title and the tiara on to her successor, bringing her almost four-year-reign to an end after a series of crises forced the event to be postponed.  

In the run up to the event, billboards dotted roads in Beirut and beyond with the slogan “We missed celebrating Lebanon’s beauty,” which played into the wider #WeMissLebanon campaign touted by the event organizers, The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) and The Ministry of Tourism.

Organizers also released a glamorous advert featuring a number of the contestants posing in daring outfits, with stunning aerial views of Lebanese tourist hotspots interspersed throughout the 48-second video.

The ceremony reflected the same celebration of the country through the music, which was chosen by Fadel, the setup and decoration with take home flowers.

Chairman and CEO of the Miss World organization Julia Morley, Miss World 2021 Karolina Bielawska from Poland, the first runner-up Miss USA Shree Saini, and Miss World 2019 Toni-Ann Singh from Jamaica and Miss World Events Director Stephen Douglas Morley were also in attendance.

“I have travelled quite a lot and I find that the people are the heart of every country. I can honestly say that Lebanese people are so beautiful and so warm, and even though I’m miles away from my own country Jamaica I feel at home,” Singh said.

The winner was selected from a pool of candidates chosen for their beauty and brains at auditions held between December 2021 and February 2022, with Lebanese young women aged between the ages of 18 and 27 invited to participate.

source/content: arabnews.com

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Journalism student and host of @WITHYASMINASHOW Yasmina Zaytoun with her Miss Lebanon 2022 crown. (Arab News/ Alex Spoerndli)

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LEBANON

LEBANON: Google Doodle Honours Lebanese Doctor Saniya Habboub

Medical pioneer was one of the first women from the country to study abroad.

The life of doctor Saniya Habboub is being celebrated by Google’s Doodle on Friday, commemorating her graduation from medical school on June 10, 1931.

Born in 1901 to a Lebanese leather merchant and Turkish mother, Habboub was one of the first female doctors from Lebanon to study medicine abroad, in the US.

When she returned to Beirut she opened her own practice, inspiring other Lebanese girls and women to get an education of their own, according to Google’s description.

In 1926, Habboub was one of the first three students to graduate from the American Junior College for Women in Beirut, going on to study at the American University of Beirut.

In 1931, she received her degree in gynaecology and obstetrics from the Women’s Medical College in Pennsylvania and, in gratitude, left future students with a scholarship in her name.

She started her own practice two years later, in Bab Idriss, and went on to co-found the Lebanese Red Cross Association, as well as served as a board member for the Muslim Orphan’s Home, the Young Women’s Muslim Association and Maqassed Hospital.

In 1982, in honour of her devotion to medical services, the Lebanese government awarded her with a Health Medal of Merit, and there’s even a street in Beirut named after her.

Habboub died aged 82 in September 1983.

“Dr Saniya was an inspiring figure who paved the way for future generations of women to come,” Google says.

Dr William Stoltzfus, former president of Beirut University College, described her life as a “get-started signal” for the professional lives of many Arab women, according to Al–Raida, the bi-annual journal published by the Arab Institute for Women.

The Doodle can be seen on devices across the Middle East and North Africa.

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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Dr Saniya Habboub died in 1983 aged 82. Photo: Public Domain

Google Doodle of Dr Saniya Habboub. Photo: Google

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LEBANON

Lebanese Designer Alexandra Hakim using Natural Resources to make Jewelry

Lebanese designer Alexandra Hakim has revealed her natural approach to her sustainable jewelry brand.

The mastermind behind the label Alexandra Hakim, told Arab News that she started the brand as a student, finding inspiration from materials in her studio such as sandpaper and matchsticks in ashtrays.

The jewelry maker tried to recreate the elements and turn them into wearable sparkly jewels to give each item a “different and completely unique touch.

She said: “I made my first collection at school based on matchsticks and I found beauty in the way that they are consumed every time in different ways. I took those fragile wooden pieces and I tried to transform them into earrings and create unique pieces of playful earrings and necklaces.”

Hakim also speaks to local workers in Lebanon to support different crafts.

“I have talked to fishermen, farmers, and different craftsmen about their work, and I try to integrate it into mine. So, for example, I would take any rubbish that a fisherman I met called Bob would find in his nets – because there is barely any fish left in the sea today. So, I made a collection based on that.

“I also used pearls to make the connection between the rubbish from the sea and the jewels,” she added.

Describing her brand as a mix of luxury and contemporary jewelry, Hakim said: “I feel like my brand is about inclusivity, sustainability. It’s about making jewelry that is good for the planet. It’s about limiting waste and making women and men feel empowered.”

One of her most recent collections, the “Good Karma Capsule,” was based on horoscopes.

“I asked people around me from different backgrounds and places if they wanted their portraits taken depending on their horoscopes. So, I found a Scorpio, a Gemini, and it all kind of came together.

“People felt so empowered wearing their horoscope and felt like the earrings were a lucky charm and a token of positivity,” she added.

www.alexandrahakim.co

source/content: arabnews.com

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BRITISH / SPAIN / LEBANESE

Lebanese Grand Master Fadi Al-Andari Wins ‘Arab Innovation, Excellence Cup Award’

World Champion Grand Master Fadi Al-Andari, receives the Cup of Arab Innovation and Excellence for the year 2022 in Cairo – an atmosphere filled with patriotism and international cooperation between Arab brothers, in order to consolidate human values. Under the supervision of the Afro-Asian Federation of Modern Cinema and the participation of the Arab Federation for Lebanese Physical Culture and the Royal Crown Club, in cooperation with the Middle East Institute for Development, Consultation and Development and the International University for Creativity and Human Sciences in accordance with the standards of the international program.

A group of distinguished and influential personalities in the Arab world were honored, within the framework of the great conference that was held at the Civic Education Center building at the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Cairo, in the presence of the best distinguished personalities in the Arab world: Professor Fawzi Al-Khodari, President of the Arab Federation for Physical Culture, Ibrahim Khalil Sharara, the Lebanese Consul, representing the Lebanese Embassy in Cairo.

They honored the Lebanese World professional Champion Grand Master Fadi Al- Andari, the legend in Muay , who was called “The Miracle of Sports, and who won the Innovation Cup and the Golden Medal of Excellence for 2022.”

Fadi Al-Andari won the title of “The Legend” in “Muay Thai” after his victory in the second round by “knockout” over the Thai player “Piset” who was half his age, also andari was suffering from a broken leg in the first round.

He was called the “miracle” in sports in the year 2019 after winning in a short time various awards of sports titles in natural bodybuilding that held in South Korea (WBPSF) after 24 hours of Muay Thai, WFF, martial arts and martial arts (WPKA, WML , WMO and WMF) championships. Major General Staff Harb Ahmed Zaghloul Mahran along with a group of public, artistic, sports and media personalities also attended.

They were headed by the able artist actor Samira Abdel Aziz and the journalist Abdel Rahman El Sheikh, president of the Afro-Asian Federation of Modern Cinema, Ambassador Dr. Reda Al-Senussi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Middle East Institute, Ambassador Dr. Samia Al-Sadiq, Dr. Raafat Al-Khamsawy, President of the Royal Crown Club, Dr. Dalia Al- Khodari, and Ambassador Dr. Safaa Al-Shawaf, General Coordinator of the Conference. The conference was held under the auspices and supervision of the Conference President, Dr. Ahmed Al-Shawaf, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Arab Journalists and Media Persons, and the President of the Arab Innovation and Excellence Cup Award Conference.

source/content: arabtimesonline.com

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World Champion Grand Master Fadi Al-Andari, receiving the Cup of Arab Innovation and Excellence Award.

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LEBANON

Dr. Samira Daroub – UF/IFAS Scientist Shares How Love for Learning Led to Lifetime of Teaching, International Work

Dr. Samira Daroub Ph.D. Soil & Water Scientist. Director, EREC.FL, USA.

Throughout history, women have played a key role in humanity’s scientific advancements. As mentors, innovators and thought leaders, women in science have inspired and empowered countries, communities, women and young girls with their work and knowledge.

In celebration of National Women’s History Month, Samira Daroub shares how a love for learning inspired a lifetime of teaching and research that has expanded beyond United States borders. Daroub is the second woman in 100-year-old history of UF/IFAS Everglades Research & Education Center (EREC) to take the center’s helm.

Q: What was your early life like?

A: I was born in Beirut, Lebanon. My grandfather was a farmer. One of my uncles also had a farm. I always loved math and had a constant desire to learn. I also wanted to attend a university.

My career in soil and water sciences didn’t really take shape until I was an undergraduate. It is all due to the power of teachers and mentoring, and it goes back to my first semester in college when I took a soil science class. The instructor took time to teach each lesson. I learned how it had practical application, and it was through that mentorship and others that I gained a love for this applied science.

That is a life lesson that I took to heart and have paid that support forward ever since. It is my goal to  serve as a mentor for every student, rising faculty member or researcher who I encounter throughout my career.

Q: Where did you pursue your undergraduate and graduate degrees and in what fields?

A: I earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and a diploma in agricultural engineering from The American University of Beirut in Lebanon. I later obtained my master’s degree in soil sciences there. For my Ph.D. in soil chemistry, I attended Michigan State University on a full scholarship awarded by the non-profit Hariri Foundation-Lebanon.

Q: Tell us about your life at UF/IFAS?

A: I arrived at UF/IFAS in 2000 as an assistant professor of soil and water sciences where I conducted research and taught classes both at EREC and at Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center. I later became a professor and the distance education coordinator in the department of soil and water sciences.

I have been teaching classes in soil sciences, soil chemistry and environmental nutrient management as part of the undergraduate and graduate distance education programs. I also advise distance education students pursing non-thesis master’s degrees in the environmental science track at UF.

As a researcher, I focus on environmental issues related to soil and water quality. I specialize in the development and implementation of best management practices (BMPs) to reduce phosphorus leaching in soils and ultimately prevent it from entering surface waters in the Everglades in south Florida. A second research focus is on the sustainability of organic soils and agriculture in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA). A third focus is on international development aimed on building individual and institutional capacity in India and Middle East in soil health and water resources.

I established a nationally recognized research and Extension program for the development of best management practices to improve water quality as part of a comprehensive effort for Everglades’ restoration in Florida. I offer in-person and online best management practices workshops and have always been committed to providing Extension and outreach activities to local area growers

I later became interim center director of EREC, until February this year when I was appointed as center director.

Q: You have conducted extensive international educational and research work. Tell us about it.

A: My journey in international research and education started when I was a postdoctoral fellow at Michigan State University with Dr. Joe Ritchie. I visited national and international research centers in Colombia, Brazil, Syria, Kenya and Hungary for collaboration and data acquisition to be used in crop modelling.

My international education experiences include teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate international students. I have mentored interns, visiting scholars and Borlaug fellows from Brazil, Honduras, Costa Rica, India and Iraq. The scholars were trained for laboratory and research techniques and introduced to sustainable practices in South Florida agriculture and water management. I have conducted research in India, as well as educational projects and capacity building workshops in India, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. 

At UF/IFAS, I have always been interested in international research and educational projects to share and gain native knowledge into soil and water management and online learning. I have collaborated with Sandra Russo at the UF International Center on various educational projects in the Middle East. Effective mentoring is a big part of what I do for local and international scholars. I have always taken an approach to advising and mentoring that allows students and postdocs opportunities to strengthen their interpersonal skills and technical competence, while also developing leadership skills and confidence.

Q: What words of inspiration would you give to other women and girls as a mentor and leader in your field?

A: Education is key. Never stop learning. Lean on family, peers, educators and supporters to succeed. A support system is vital. 

The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents. ifas.ufl.edu  |  @UF_IFAS

source/content : bocaratontribune.com

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Samira Daroub

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AMERICAN / LEBANON

Sammy Clark, Acclaimed Lebanese Singer Versatile in Arabic and English

Sammy Clark (aka) Sami Clark (aka) Sammy Hobeika.
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Clark is most recognised for singing the opening credits for the children’s cartoon Grendizer which was popular in late ’70s to ’90s.

In 2018, Clark performed a rearranged version of the song with Emirati composer Ihab Darwish alongside the Beethoven Academy Orchestra.

“To celebrate 40 years since Grendizer aired in the Arab World, I dedicate this special rearranged medley to all who enjoyed this iconic animation. Together with Sammy Clark with his heroic voice and timeless performance, with his words cheering for our Space Robot Grendizer defending Earth from attacks by intergalactic invaders, I give you this masterpiece to enjoy your childhood memories,” Darwish wrote at the time of sharing the new musical arrangement of the track.

Sammy Clark passed away in Lebanon, on Sunday, February 20th, 2022.

source/content: thenationalnews.com (edited for space)

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The life of Lebanese singer Sammy Clark, who performed in Arabic and English, was celebrated by fans on social media. Photo: Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi
Photo: Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi / thenationalnews.com

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LEBANON

Natasha Karam, Lebanese Heritage, Hollywood Actress

Natasha Karam (aka) Natacha Karam. Film Actress. Hollywood Actress.

Born in Saudi Arabia to a Lebanese father and a Northern Irish mother, actress Natacha Karam is making a name for herself in Hollywood as a character on “9-1-1 Lone Star,” the latest series created by multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winning writer Ryan Murphy.

Born in Jeddah, Karam grew up between Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and Dubai, where she began acting. 

After moving to Los Angeles, her television career kicked off with small acting stints on “Homeland” and “Silent Witness,” before she was cast as Sergeant Jasmine “Jaz” Khan in the military action drama series “The Brave,” which ran for one season.

The 27-year-old acts alongside the likes of “Lord of the Rings” actress Liv Tyler and “Aladdin” star Mena Massoud, who plays her fiancé. 

source/content: arabnews.com

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The drama follows the heroics and personal lives of firefighters and other emergency responders. (AFP) / arabnews.com

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BRITISH / ARAB-EUROPEAN

Nobel Prize for Medicine Awarded to US scientists David Julius and Dr. Ardem Patapoutian : October 04th, 2021

Dr. Ardem Patapoutian. Lebanon born US Scientist.

Lebanese-Armenian scientist Ardem Patapoutian is one of the two winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries of receptors for touch, heat and bodily movement

Two scientists who made landmark discoveries about human senses, have won the Nobel Prize for Medicine, beating vaccine pioneers to the prestigious award.

Announcing the winners after balloting behind closed doors on Monday, the Nobel jury said the US duo had broken open a “fundamental unsolved question” about human biology.

Dr Patapoutian, who was born in Lebanon in 1967 and moved to the US as a young man, works at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California. He identified genes that control sensitivity to touch.

The proteins he discovered also play a role in how people sense motion and how the body deals with blood pressure, respiration and bladder control.

He said his research had shone light on fundamental human behaviour which many people rarely question. “In science, many times, it’s the things that we take for granted that are of high interest,” he said

Nobel prize winner Ardem Patapoutian was also awarded Lebanese Order of Merit.

Dr. Patapoutian, who was born to an Armenian family in Beirut, Lebanon in 1967, came to the United States in 1986. “I fell in love with doing basic research. That changed the trajectory of my career,” he said in an interview with the New York Times. “In Lebanon, I didn’t even know about scientists as a career.”

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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pix: youtube.com / Scripps Research

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USA / LEBANON

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