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Al Jazeera English ups Giles Trendle as acting managing director
MUMBAI: Al Jazeera Media Network has assigned the role of acting managing director at Al Jazeera English (AJE) to Giles Trendle.
The role was vacated by Al Anstey’s departure to lead Al Jazeera America. Giles will also continue in his current role as AJE’s director of programmes.
Trendle joined Al Jazeera in 2004 to work on Al Jazeera Arabic’s flagship investigative documentary show Top Secret.
He moved across to Al Jazeera English in 2006 where he commissioned and acquired films for the Witness documentary strand. He also oversaw numerous documentary series and helped develop content-sharing between the network’s channels.
Prior to joining Al Jazeera, Trendle was an independent documentary-maker and journalist specialising in the Middle East. He began his career in journalism in 1985 spending many years in Lebanon as a freelance journalist. He reported for, among others, The Economist and The Sunday Times. He covered the Lebanese civil war, the Western hostage saga, and the guerrilla war in south Lebanon.
He moved into television and over the years made numerous documentaries – including films in Iraq both during and after Saddam Hussein’s fall, as well as a film following former British hostage John McCarthy’s return to Beirut.
Trendle said, “I am honoured to be asked to step up to the role of acting managing director. I am committed to ensuring Al Jazeera English continues to be a news and current affairs channel that offers great journalism, original story telling, and uncovers human stories that need to be told. We have established ourselves as one of the most reputable and most watched news and current affairs outlets in the world. I’m determined that we do everything necessary to continue to be recognised as the very best at what we do, catering for our audiences no matter if they are using television, mobile, or social platforms.”
Al Jazeera Media Network acting director general Mostefa Souag added, “Giles is an experienced journalist and has a strong track record of managing, directing and producing documentaries. He has multicultural understanding, versatility, and in his many years at Al Jazeera, he has placed emphasis on a relationship-building approach. Al Jazeera English will continue the upward trajectory it has been on in recent years and Giles’s leadership and experience will be essential for the continuing future success of the channel.”
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
