Latest news with #Arab-speaking
Broadcast Pro
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Moroccan film ‘Aicha' to world premiere at Krakow Film Festival
The film is distributed across Arab-speaking territories by MAD Distribution. Aicha, a short film by Moroccan filmmaker Sanaa El Alaoui, is set to have its world premiere in the Short Film Competition at the Krakow Film Festival, one of Europe's longest-running celebrations of cinematic art. Now in its 65th edition, the festival, which has been held annually since 1961, will run this year from May 25 to June 1. The film tells the story of a once emotionally distant mother who joins a mystical ceremony in an effort to confront her grief and reconnect with the memory of her 17-year-old daughter, whose life was cut short by tragedy. The narrative explores themes of loss, healing, and transformation through a surreal and spiritual lens. Speaking on her featurette, Alaoui stated: 'Watching AICHA breaks the illusion of time's linearity, allowing you to see life and death unfold simultaneously', further adding that, 'Trauma shatters our perception of time and space; it reshapes our identities. It offers us either the chance to let go or to be reborn, and that is the journey of the daughter and her mother.' The cast features Hind Dafer, Manal Bennani, Mohamed Amine Kihal, Sanaa El Alaoui, Kenza Fridou, Soumia Belkaria and Mustapha Rachdi. El Alaoui wrote and directed the film, which was produced by Piotr Kaczorowski. The film's cinematography is by Oskar Jan Król, editing by Michał Buczek, and animation by Tomek Popakul and Kasumi Ozeki. Aicha is distributed across Arabic-speaking regions by MAD Distribution, with international sales managed by MAD World. El Alaoui, known for her thoughtful storytelling and visual sensibility, holds degrees from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest—where her thesis on the long take in cinema received the Best Thesis of the Year Award—and the University of Oxford, where she focused her research on the evolution of Moroccan cinema from its colonial roots to the modern era.
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
HT Kick Off: The sublime and the ridiculous
On Sunday evening, Mo Salah taking a selfie with the Kop summed up everything that was right for Liverpool. Hours before, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) held a prize distribution ceremony that encapsulated all that was wrong with the beautiful game in the world's biggest democracy. The latest in that developing story is that Churchill Brothers are yet to return the I-League trophy as asked for by AIFF. But more of that later. 'We truly deserve to be champions of England,' said Virgil van Dijk and not a syllable in that sentence was out of place from the skipper who has played every minute of Liverpool's 34 matches. Salah was at the front and centre of a dominating show from Liverpool. He is so removed from the player who arrived from Roma in 2017, one who had been cast-off after 19 matches by Chelsea and had had a spell at Fiorentina. You couldn't blame Juergen Klopp for wanting Julian Brandt over him just as you could not blame Liverpool for giving him a new two-year deal now. Because by now, his position as 'The Egyptian King' at Merseyside is secure. Salah has won the Champions League and scored in the final. He has two Premier League titles and two League Cups. Just as important, he has been a voice for gender parity in the Arab-speaking world and has spoken against the pummelling of Gaza. And though Dominik Szoboszlai regularly covered 11km, as per Arne Slot, Salah has been their fittest player. His tally of 28 league goals this term includes strikes against Manchester City, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Spurs and Manchester United. 'Super grateful for the past, super, super happy about the present, extremely positive about the future!' Klopp said in an Instagram post. From Liverpool to Goa, city to state. AIFF went ahead with its prize distribution ceremony for the I-League on Sunday, hours before kick-off at Anfield, even as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) asked it not to. That happened because AIFF said by the time it had received the intimation from CAS late. Watch video here. Apparently, AIFF has an e-mail address for all official communication. And it being Sunday, the administrative office was shut, the federation said. But this being AIFF, you will hear many conspiracy theories. One of them is: it was only to embarrass AIFF that the e-mail was not forwarded by Inter Kashi to the AIFF deputy secretary-general who handed over the prize to Churchill Brothers or to anyone in the federation's legal team with whom the club had been liaising over the past few months is not known. Another goes like this; the e-mail also reached Churchill Brothers but maybe they too had missed it. A third version is: AIFF knew about it and kept quiet as its top officials wanted to keep Churchill Brothers in its corner. AIFF is on record saying it got to know of the CAS order after handing over the trophy to Churchill Brothers who were adjudged winners by the federation's appeals committee. It is puzzling why Churchill Brothers could not wait, as suggested by AIFF, to take the trophy at the federation's prize distribution night on Friday, before the Super Cup final. Exactly what anyone gains by having the trophy for a few days is not known. Nor is the deafening silence on being asked to return it (till Thursday evening that is). In the middle of all this, the Goa federation president has written to AIFF's executive committee saying he was not informed by the federation where the I-League programme would be held. As Klopp did not say, the present and the future in India is not much to look forward to. India's group: India have been clubbed with Myanmar, Indonesia and Turkmenistan in Group D of the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup following the draw conducted in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, reports PTI. Myanmar will host the qualifiers between August 6 and 10. A total of 33 teams were divided into eight groups. Group A has five teams while the rest have four each The group winners and the three best runners-up, along with final round host country Thailand, will complete the cast of 12 teams for the 12th edition of the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup, which will take place from April 1 to 18, 2026. The top four teams in the final tournament will qualify for the 2026 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup. Thailand test for India: The Indian men's team will play a friendly against higher-ranked Thailand away from home on June 4, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced, reports PTI. To be held at Thammasat Stadium, the match will be a part of the team's preparation for its 2027 Asian Cup qualification match against Hong Kong-China on June 10. India are ranked 127th in the FIFA Rankings, while Thailand are 99th. 6th successive WSL for Chelsea: Chelsea clinched their sixth straight Women's Super League title on Wednesday to secure a second trophy of the season in its bid for another domestic treble, reports AP. After seeing second-place Arsenal lose 5-2 to Aston Villa, Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 away to move into an unassailable nine-point lead with two games remaining and stay undefeated in the league. Chelsea have already won the League Cup this season and advanced to the FA Cup final, where they will face Manchester United again at Wembley Stadium on May 18. The London club lost to Barcelona in the Women's Champions League semi-finals to end the quadruple hopes of Sonia Bompastor's squad. Vijayan promoted: The Kerala government has passed an order to create a supernumerary post of Deputy Commandant in the Malabar Special Police Battalion for I M Vijayan and appoint him to it, given his contribution to the sport, reports PTI. Vijayan is currently the Assistant Commandant in the Malabar Special Police Battalion. The government directed the State Police Chief to take further steps following the order and submit a report. The order, on Vijayan's request, comes a day before Vijayan is set to retire from the force. 13-match ban: Tranmere Rovers midfielder Sam Finley has been handed a 13-match suspension and a £2,000-fine for homophobic language towards an opponent in a game against Walsall in January, England's Football Association has said, reports Reuters. During Walsall's 5-1 win over Tranmere in January, Finley admitted to the referee that he had called Jamille Matt a homophobic term after the Walsall striker notified the match official. The FA alleged Finley's language was 'abusive and/or insulting and/or improper' and constituted an aggravated breach as it included a reference to sexual orientation. Finley later admitted the charge against him. Li Tie loses appeal: Former Premier League midfielder Li Tie has lost his appeal against a 20-year prison sentence for bribery, a Chinese court said on Wednesday, reports AFP. A lower court jailed the former China coach in December, snaring one of the country's best-known football figures in a sweeping government crackdown on corruption in sport. The Hubei Provincial Higher People's Court said in a statement on Wednesday it had rejected Li's appeal and ruled to uphold his original jail term. He was found guilty of a string of offences relating to giving and receiving bribes. The 47-year-old represented China nearly 100 times and moved to Everton in 2002. After retiring from playing, he served as national team coach from January 2020 to December 2021. FIFA study: A groundbreaking FIFA-funded study at Kingston University will investigate whether hormonal fluctuations during menstrual cycles could be contributing to an alarming rise in career-threatening knee injuries in women's soccer, says Reuters. The research comes after players including Arsenal's Beth Mead, Manchester City's Vivianne Miedema and Chelsea's Sam Kerr have all suffered serious injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which runs diagonally in the middle of the knee. Led by PhD student Blake Rivers alongside a team of sports science experts, the year-long study at Kingston near London will analyse blood samples from elite and grassroots footballers to track hormone concentrations through their menstrual cycles. Rüdiger's problems: Antonio Rüdiger underwent knee surgery on Tuesday and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Rüdiger had to be replaced in extra-time of Madrid 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday. He made headlines for shouting at the referee from the bench and for apparently throwing a small bag of ice onto the field. Rüdiger apologised for his behaviour but the incident prompted former Germany player Dietmar Hamann to call for the defender to be left out of Germany's squad for the Nations League final four in June. German national team sporting director Rudi Völler also criticised Rüdiger, saying he needed to show 'class' and respect for others. Premier League office in Mumbai: The Premier League is expanding its global footprint with the opening of a new office in Mumbai, strengthening its commitment to one of football's most passionate fan bases, says Reuters. The Mumbai hub will build on nearly two decades of Premier League engagement in India, where the league has run grassroots initiatives since 2007 through its Premier Skills programme, supporting thousands of coaches and young people in 18 states. Premier League has also collaborated with the Indian Super League since 2014, sharing expertise in governance and development. Their joint Next Gen Cup youth tournament will feature its sixth edition in Mumbai next May, featuring ISL youth teams competing against Premier League Under-19 sides. Dorival Jr at Corinthians: Former Brazil coach Dorival Jr has been appointed as the new manager of Corinthians till December 2026, the Brazilian club said on Monday, reports Reuters. The 63-year-old was sacked by Brazil following their 1-4 loss to Argentina in a World Cup qualifier last month. He replaces Ramon Diaz at Corinthians, who are 12th in the league with just seven points from six matches. 'It's an important moment in my career. I hope to leave a legacy within the work that has already been going on,' Dorival Jr said in a statement. Vardy to leave: Jamie Vardy will leave former Premier League champions Leicester at the end of the season, the relegated club announced on Thursday, describing the lightning-quick forward as their 'greatest-ever player,' reports AFP. The talismanic striker, a key member of the side that lifted the English league title against seemingly impossible odds in 2016, vowed to continue playing even at the age of 38. The former England international joined the Foxes in 2012 from non-league side Fleetwood for just £1 million and has scored 198 goals (143 in Premier League) in nearly 500 appearances. Meghalaya's Riiohlang Dhar will be the first Indian to be part of the refereeing team for the AFC Women's Champions League semi-final and final. The FIFA assistant-referee is among the eight chosen for the last two rounds in May. Dhar has officiated in under-17 women's World Cup and the AFC under-17 women's Asian Cup. How Dembele helped PSG have a good night in London. The Roman Weidenfeller interview An emotion called East Bengal Inconclusive but Inter and Barca make magic
New York Times
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
English club's Middle East PR fail, Guardiola joy, Man Utd vs Liverpool trophy count
The Athletic FC ⚽ is The Athletic's daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox. Hello! Could a team in England's fifth tier ever have been the most popular in the Arab-speaking world? Er, no. Coming up: On some level, football clubs are meant to be community assets. The smaller the club, the truer that tends to be: more local, more in touch, more connected to the streets around them. Dagenham & Redbridge, a team from east London who compete in a division four rungs beneath the Premier League, fit that description. So how did a club of their size, with average crowds of under 2,000, become the target of an investment plan to make them the darlings of the Arab world? A plan which then fell to pieces in the space of five days? Advertisement The answer to that involves an Egyptian YouTuber, friction over the conflict between Israel and Hamas, a toxic fans' forum and the fact the team play in red shirts. When you'll read all that, you'll get the whiff of a PR disaster — and you'll sympathise with the supporter who, rather sadly, told The Athletic's Adam Crafton: 'It's ridiculous how we've become embroiled in all this.' To start at the top, Dagenham & Redbridge were targeted for investment by Marwan Serry, an influencer and entrepreneur with 900,000 YouTube subscribers. Serry deliberately looked for a side who wore red shirts, matching those of his home nation Egypt and stars such as Mohamed Salah. His mission statement was to make Dagenham & Redbridge 'the most famous club for Arabs', despite him saying: 'I don't have a lot of money.' Finances aside, Serry does possess a large social reach. A post by the club announcing his investment on X attracted more than three million views. Serry hinted that his connections could secure major cash injections. But almost as soon as he stepped through the door, just over a week ago, the partnership hit the rocks. Serry arrived at Dagenham & Redbridge with Salma Mashhour, a fellow influencer who was named as the club's director of development and engagement. No sooner had she been appointed than online posts of hers came to light, concerning the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Mashhour was accused of being antisemitic and peddling conspiracy theories, allegations she denies. She was promptly removed from her position by Dagenham & Redbridge, a decision which led to counter-protests including a post from a local political figure who criticised the club for objecting to her 'anti-Zionist, pro-Palestine stance'. In the midst of this came a pre-arranged fan forum, which was bound to be fractious anyway. In English league terms, Dagenham & Redbridge are sliding so far down the pyramid that they'll soon be sleeping with Tutankhamun. Criticism of the investment and the publicity it was generating was fierce. Five days after coming on board, and angered by the treatment of Mashhour, Serry walked away. It's not clear how much money he put up or how much, if any, he has lost. Advertisement The full story is baffling, and it's yours to get your teeth into here. While English football is a magnet for investors, this is one saga which makes you think that teams with history and heritage should think carefully before going along with random opportunism or fanciful ideas. Dagenham & Redbridge fan Joel Page summed it up best: 'It came across like a gimmick. Does a fifth-tier football club need to connect with Arabic-speaking audiences? They say it is 'storytelling' — all these buzzwords that fundamentally mean nothing. What were the tangible benefits?' He's saying out loud what many of us must be thinking. It's a mark of how taxing a season Manchester City have endured that Pep Guardiola — as fabled a coach as any other in football — is having to prove himself all over again. City are in flux like never before in the nine-year Guardiola era. His shift to midfielder-heavy line-ups as a means of shoring up results has not impressed the outgoing champions' home crowd. And in terms of the rebuild they so badly require, he knows it will be much more complicated if his squad don't qualify for next season's Champions League. It figured, then, that Matheus Nunes' breathless winner (above) against Aston Villa last night, swept in during added time after a brilliant run from Jeremy Doku, would bring out the beast in Guardiola. Nunes is a reflection of how City's recruitment has gone wrong and why a top-five finish is all they can muster this year, but his first Premier League goal in almost two years at the club could be worth its weight in gold. Guardiola, in any case, didn't climb so high by buckling at the first sign of trouble. He's plainly ready to fight the fire. And having taken his medicine, he might just be coming through the other side of it. Newcomers to the English game would naturally assume City are a historically dominant force. Six of the past seven Premier League titles have indeed gone to the Etihad — but the real battle for supremacy involves Manchester United and Liverpool. United boast 20 top-flight titles, the most in England. Liverpool hold 19 but will claim their 20th in the days ahead. It's the country's biggest head-to-head and Oli Kay has compiled a terrific overview of the importance of the trophy count, the extent to which fans fixate on it — and why Sir Alex Ferguson knocking Liverpool 'off their f*****g perch' (his words, not mine) while United manager was only a temporary shift in power. Nothing lasts forever, except this rivalry. (Selected games, times ET/UK) Premier League: Arsenal vs Crystal Palace, 3pm/8pm — USA Network, Fubo/Sky Sports. Coppa Italia semi-final second leg: Inter (1) vs Milan (1), 3pm/8pm — Paramount+/Premier Sports. Serie A: Parma vs Juventus, 12.30pm/5.30pm — CBS, Paramount+, Amazon Prime/OneFootball. La Liga: Getafe vs Real Madrid, 3.30pm/8.30pm — ESPN, Fubo/Premier Sports, ITV4. Headline writing is an artform, until Madonna attends a Chelsea game. Then 'True Blue' writes itself. The 'Queen of Pop' was a guest at Stamford Bridge for last week's Conference League match against Legia Warsaw. Aside from Legia's semi-naked away end, it turned out to be the most interesting thing about a dour night. It's her second appearance of the season, too. Advertisement Why was she there? Well, her partner, Akeem Morris, played football in the lower leagues in the United States and she has connections in Chelsea's hierarchy. And in the stampede for a Champions League spot, Chelsea could do with an injection of something. Like a prayer.
Telegraph
16-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
BBC accused of ‘jaw-dropping propaganda' for Hamas with Israeli hostages video
The BBC has been accused of downplaying the cruel treatment of Israeli hostages by Hamas. The broadcaster has been accused of publishing 'jaw-dropping propaganda' for the terror group after producing a 'puff piece' for its hostage unit. The Telegraph can reveal that BBC Arabic has now been forced to edit a video clip featuring the 'shadow unit' of Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigade, which it described as 'guarding' kidnapped Israeli hostages. The video featured a scene of female Israeli hostages who were reported to 'thank' their captors for the treatment they received. BBC Arabic is already facing claims it has given a platform to hate and terror. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, said it was 'fomenting extremism and misleading audiences'. Her comments came after the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (Camera) published a 33-page report claiming BBC Arabic was providing a 'platform to terrorists'. Concerns over the report come just weeks after the BBC was forced to pull a controversial documentary on Gaza which featured the son of a Hamas government minister as the narrator and did not inform viewers of his parentage. In a video published at the end of January, BBC Arabic described the Al-Qassam Brigade as 'responsible for securing the hostages' and in the video militants were said to be 'guarding the Israeli hostages'. 'Its mission is to secure the hostages and hide them from view in Gaza,' the report added, according to a translation from Camera. The video from Jan 30 said that Al-Qassam had shown footage of 'soldiers as they thank the unit's personnel for the 'good treatment' while in custody'. The broadcaster later updated the report to remove the section which claimed hostages had received good treatment and added evidence of Hamas abuse of those held after a complaint from Camera. Responding to the complaint, BBC News said that 'the report was both duly accurate and contained due context for the issue it was focused on'. But Camera has now escalated the complaint to the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit. On Saturday night, Danny Cohen, the former director of BBC Television, described the latest concerns over the organisation's reporting of the conflict as propaganda for the terror group. 'This is a jaw-dropping piece of propaganda – a puff piece on war criminals who have executed, starved, beaten and sexually assaulted the hostages that Hamas kidnapped on October 7,' Mr Cohen said. 'The shadow unit are not 'guards' tasked with keeping hostages safe, they are monstrous terrorists who have committed unspeakable crimes. 'Part-funded by licence fee and part funded by taxpayers, BBC Arabic pumps anti-Semitic poison and terrorist propaganda out to a global Arab-speaking audience of 38 million people. 'Camera this week published a shocking report that details how BBC Arabic has given a platform to extremists and succour to terrorists for years. 'This video shows what now cannot be in any doubt – that the rot of anti-Jewish hate that festers within BBC Arabic must be rooted out.' Hadar Sela, of Camera, said the shadow unit was complicit in kidnap and torture and should not be featured 'uncritically' on the BBC. 'In addition to the obvious war crime of kidnapping 251 people in the first place, there are numerous corroborated reports that the shadow unit has waged a horrendous campaign of torture, sexual violence and starvation against the hostages. 'To uncritically platform the Hamas claim that hostages were thankful for their care is as offensive as it is inaccurate, and to omit the horrific reality of the torture and execution of hostages shows once again why the rot of BBC Arabic needs to be rooted out.' A BBC spokesman said: 'This short video report explains to audiences the history of a little-known Hamas unit which featured in reports during the recent release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. 'Although the initial report was accurate and correctly describes the group as guarding not protecting the hostages, it has since been amended to provide additional context and clarification to audiences.'
Observer
27-01-2025
- Business
- Observer
Oman AI Summit highlights efforts to bridge AI gap in the Arab world
MUSCAT, JAN 27 Efforts to address the challenges and opportunities in bridging the gap between global AI advancements and the Arab-speaking world took centrestage at the Oman AI Summit, which began at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre here on Monday. Nour Taher, Founder and CEO of intella, highlighted the critical role of localised solutions, education, and collaboration in unlocking the region's AI potential. intella, a leading AI company based in the Middle East, specialises in Arabic natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence solutions. Founded with a vision to revolutionise Arabic language AI, the company has gained recognition for its innovative approach to addressing linguistic and cultural complexities in the region. In an interview with the Observer, Taher identified three primary obstacles limiting the Arab-speaking world's potential in AI: the scarcity of labeled Arabic datasets, the diversity of dialects, and the inherent complexity of the Arabic language. 'Although Arabic is the fifth most spoken language globally, less than 1% of online content is available in Arabic,' Taher explained. She also highlighted the unique challenges posed by Arabic's phonetics and dialectal diversity, with over 25 major dialects and 80 sub-dialects lacking adequate representation in datasets. To overcome these barriers, Taher stressed the importance of creating localized labeled datasets. "If AI is the new oil, we really believe that labeled datasets are the new oil rigs," she said, underscoring the need for natural language understanding (NLU) models tailored to Arabic. EDUCATION AND TALENT: A KEY TO THE FUTURE Taher also emphasised the critical role of education in closing the AI gap. She noted that much of the region's education is English-dominated, limiting the development of AI expertise in Arabic. 'Talent is there. We have some of the brightest minds globally. However, it's about how we utilise and what opportunities we grant those individuals,' Taher stated. She advocated for the inclusion of Arabic-based curricula to empower future generations and foster AI innovation. SECTORS AND POLICIES: DRIVING AI ADOPTION When asked about sectors best positioned to benefit from AI, Taher described AI as a disruptor across all industries. Public sectors, banking, telecom, and traditional industries are already leveraging AI to innovate and remain competitive. However, she emphasised that governments must create policies that foster innovation while ensuring ethical AI use. 'AI is a tool. It's your use of the tool that has to be governed and regulated,' she remarked, comparing AI's evolution to the adoption of calculators in education. Taher also called for stronger collaborations within the region to enhance the global integration of Arab-speaking countries into the AI ecosystem. 'If you flourish in the region, you can flourish globally,' she said, urging startups, governments, and large enterprises to work together. A REGION OF EARLY ADOPTERS Despite challenges, Taher praised the Arab-speaking world's openness to technology. 'We are a region of early adopters, keeping an open mind to trying new things,' she said. However, she noted that global technologies often overlook the region's unique needs, which hinders localised innovation. Taher's insights at the Oman AI Summit underscored the critical steps needed to bridge the AI gap and positioned Intella as a key player in advancing Arabic language AI solutions.
