KIEV: Volodymyr Zelensky, a popular comedian before he was elected president of Ukraine this spring, promised to bring a fresh kind of politics to the ex-Soviet nation.
And on Thursday, he did what no politician had done before — a more than 12-hour press conference that Ukraine’s National Records Agency declared the longest in world history.
Around eight hours into the marathon event, Zelensky’s first major press conference since coming to power in May, a representative of the agency stood up to deliver the news.
The 41-year-old president reacted with surprise, saying he was a “modest” person and averse to celebrations.
The previous record was held by Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko, with a press conference that lasted over seven hours, Ukrainian media reported.
Zelensky’s feat has yet to be verified by an international body.
Thursday’s press conference was taking place at a trendy food court in central Kiev.
Hundreds of local and international journalists joined Zelensky around a table to pose questions in shifts.
The president held forth on subjects such as the war in eastern Ukraine, relations with Russia and his phone call with US President Donald Trump that has led to a Washington impeachment probe.
Zelensky told Ukrainian media he had injections to strengthen his vocal cords before the event.
Ukraine’s Zelensky ‘breaks record’ for world’s longest press conference
Ukraine’s Zelensky ‘breaks record’ for world’s longest press conference
- Hundreds of local and international journalists joined Zelensky around a table to pose questions in shifts
- The president held forth on subjects such as the war in eastern Ukraine, relations with Russia and his phone call with US President Donald Trump that has led to a Washington impeachment probe
Arab News wins 7 prizes at European Newspaper Awards, led by 50th anniversary coverage
- Anniversary special coverage and film won four Awards of Excellence across multiple categories
LONDON: Arab News won seven prizes at the 27th European Newspaper Awards — four for its 50th anniversary coverage and three for other projects — bringing its total to 160 awards since the 2018 relaunch.
The anniversary coverage earned an Award of Excellence in “Supplement for special occasions and anniversary editions,” plus wins in “Multimedia storytelling” for its special web section and two in “Film” and “Animated films” for its documentary.
Additional honors went to the “Spotlight — 2024 in Review” and “Opinion — 2024” print series in the “Sectional front pages nationwide newspaper” category, and a “Visualization” prize for an image from “Opinion — 2024.”
Launched in 1999 by organizer Norbert Kupper, the awards celebrate print and digital innovation. This year’s contest drew newspapers from 22 countries and more than 3,000 entries across 20 categories, despite fewer print submissions due to rising editorial collaborations.
“It’s testament to the skill, versatility and collaboration between the creative and editorial teams at Arab News that the seven awards at this year’s ENAs spanned print, digital and film categories,” commented Omar Nashashibi, head of creative design at Arab News. “These wouldn’t be possible without the world-class contributors we partner with, and the leadership, vision and support of Editor-In-Chief Faisal J. Abbas.”
Creative Director Simon Khalil called the film wins especially meaningful. “This recognition means a great deal because this film was never just about marking an anniversary, it was about capturing a defining moment in the evolution of Arab News and the region it represents.
“Telling the story, and drama of the 2018 relaunch, the digital transformation, and the courage to become ‘The Voice of a Changing Region’ was both a responsibility and a privilege.”
Past highlights include the “King Charles III Coronation” special coverage, “Kingdom vs. Captagon” investigation and FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022 special edition.
See more award-winning projects at arabnews.com/greatesthits.
