STAR ACADEMY - IRAQI SINGER WINS PAN-ARABIC TALENT CONTEST

IRAQI SINGER WINS PAN-ARABIC TALENT CONTEST

Iraqi singer SHADA HASSOUN has paid tribute to her country, after winning Arabic TV talent contest STAR ACADEMY MIDDLE EAST today (01APR07). The 25-year-old - who beat finalists from Lebanon, Tunisia and Egypt - draped herself in the Iraqi flag when she was announced the winner in Lebanon, where the final stages of the competition were held. Hassoun, who was born to a Moroccan mother and an Iraqi father, has been credited with uniting rival Sunni and Shia communities in Iraq in their support of the star. Star Academy Middle East is the Arab version of the French programme STAR ACADEMY.