Hady Habib dedicated his victory to the people of Lebanon after becoming the first man from the battle-scarred country to win a match at a Grand Slam main draw.
Habib advanced to the second round at the Australian Open after seeing off China's Bu Yunchaokete 7-6, 6-4, 7-6.
“It’s a huge win,” said Habib, the world No 219 who won three matches in qualifying to reach the main draw.
“Especially what we’ve been going through as a country. I think to bring something positive, especially we’ve been having a rough time with obviously the war.
“We had our other issues in the past. It’s just nice to get this win for Lebanon and for the people.”
More than a million people in Lebanon were displaced following Israel’s invasion of the country in October after simmering hostilities for a year ignited by the war in Gaza. A ceasefire was agreed in late November but the future remains uncertain.
Habib is based in the United States but has a Lebanese father and lived in the country between the ages of six and 12, beginning his tennis education in Lebanon.
“I still have a lot of friends back there,” he said. “My parents currently live there. The support I’ve been getting these last couple days has been incredible. My phone has been absolutely blowing up.”
Habib, 26, secured entry to the Australian Open qualifiers by winning the Temuco Challenger in Chile in his final tournament of 2024.
It made Habib the first Lebanese tennis player in history to triumph at that level.
Habib and compatriot Benjamin Hassan became the first tennis players to represent Lebanon at the Olympics last summer.
Habib exited in the first round to French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, but said he gained a deeper understanding of what it takes to play at that level.
Australia’s Lebanese community, including Habib’s relatives from Sydney, came to Melbourne Park to cheer him on, creating a lively atmosphere around the small Court 13.
“It’s been a special time for me to have all the Lebanese people join in the community,” he said.
“I felt the energy out there. They definitely helped me get through that win tonight. The crowd was absolutely wild. It made it even more special to win in front of them.”
Habib will take on 14th seed Ugo Humbert in the second round on Wednesday.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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7pm: Flood Zone
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
Top 5 concerns globally:
1. Unemployment
2. Spread of infectious diseases
3. Fiscal crises
4. Cyber attacks
5. Profound social instability
Top 5 concerns in the Mena region
1. Energy price shock
2. Fiscal crises
3. Spread of infectious diseases
4. Unmanageable inflation
5. Cyber attacks
Source: World Economic Foundation
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
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Mohamed Salah 250
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Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
