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Saudi academy launches media training program in Switzerland

Saudi academy launches media training program in Switzerland
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The Saudi Media Academy of the Ministry of Media launched the first phase of its Media Leaders Track in Switzerland. (SPA)
Saudi academy launches media training program in Switzerland
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The Saudi Media Academy of the Ministry of Media launched the first phase of its Media Leaders Track in Switzerland. (SPA)
Saudi academy launches media training program in Switzerland
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The Saudi Media Academy of the Ministry of Media launched the first phase of its Media Leaders Track in Switzerland. (SPA)
Saudi academy launches media training program in Switzerland
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The Saudi Media Academy of the Ministry of Media launched the first phase of its Media Leaders Track in Switzerland. (SPA)
Saudi academy launches media training program in Switzerland
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The Saudi Media Academy of the Ministry of Media launched the first phase of its Media Leaders Track in Switzerland. (SPA)
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Updated 16 sec ago

Saudi academy launches media training program in Switzerland

Saudi academy launches media training program in Switzerland
  • Held in collaboration with EHL Hospitality Business School, the launch included the signing of a MOU between the academy and EHL
  • Agreement aims to foster international collaboration and cultural exchange, supporting the ministry’s goal of empowering national media talent

RIYADH: The Saudi Media Academy of the Ministry of Media launched the first phase of its Media Leaders Track in Switzerland through an intensive global event management training program.

Held in collaboration with EHL Hospitality Business School, the launch included the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the academy and EHL.

The ceremony was attended by the assistant minister of media and chairman of the academy’s board, Abdullah Al-Maghlouth, along with other officials, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The agreement aims to foster international collaboration and cultural exchange, supporting the ministry’s goal of empowering national media talent. It was signed by the academy’s CEO, Khalid Zain Al-Abdeen, and EHL associate dean, Stephane Haddad.

The five-day training camp offers hands-on workshops led by international experts and site visits to world-class event institutions. It focuses on planning, organizing, and executing major events, team leadership, and audience engagement.

This is the first practical phase of a four-stage track, followed by a digital advertising course in Riyadh, an international media camp in Singapore, and a final advanced leadership communication course.

Targeting professionals and creatives across sectors, the program aims to enhance media presence, improve management of national events, and strengthen ֱ’s global representation.


Gaza journalist Motaz Azaiza reunites with Nada Jwaifel, survivor from iconic photo

Gaza journalist Motaz Azaiza reunites with Nada Jwaifel, survivor from iconic photo
Updated 11 sec ago

Gaza journalist Motaz Azaiza reunites with Nada Jwaifel, survivor from iconic photo

Gaza journalist Motaz Azaiza reunites with Nada Jwaifel, survivor from iconic photo
  • Israel airstrike had severely injured Jwaifel, killed 7 siblings and grandmother
  • Jwaifel, 19, blasts Tel Aviv for taking ‘everything precious,’ but ‘never break my spirit’

LONDON: Almost two years after capturing the iconic image of Nada Jwaifel that became one of Time magazine’s Top 10 photos of 2023, Palestinian journalist Motaz Azaiza has reunited with the young woman who was pulled from the rubble of an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.

Azaiza met Jwaifel, 19, this week in Washington D.C., where she is receiving medical treatment.

The photo, which showed her trapped under the rubble of her destroyed home at Al-Nuseirat refugee camp, helped spark the global outpouring of support and mobilize the urgent medical intervention that saved her life.

Azaiza had been documenting the work of Gaza’s Civil Defense teams in late October 2023 when he found Jwaifel buried beneath the remains of an eight-story building flattened by an Israeli airstrike. Seven of her siblings and her grandmother were killed in the attack.

“It was the light from my camera flash that discovered her,” Azaiza said in an earlier Instagram post.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Jwaifel was critically injured, with her legs pinned under concrete. Doctors had warned that immediate amputation would be necessary unless urgent treatment was secured.

When the photo gained global attention, the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund quickly launched efforts to evacuate her for treatment abroad.

Following 75 surgeries across four countries, Jwaifel eventually underwent a complex 16-hour nerve and muscle transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the US that saved her legs from amputation.

“It’s painful to be in her place. It’s painful to see her,” Azaiza said in a previous interview with Time magazine.

“She’s so lucky she survived. What about people who, there was no hole for me to see them and they (were) still stuck under the rubble and they passed with no help.”

Now able to walk again, Jwaifel joined Azaiza at a PCRF event in Washington, where she spoke of her journey.

“Israel might have taken everything precious to me — my family, my home, my peace — but it will never never break my spirit, as long as I can breathe.”


D360 Bank signs strategic agreement with Thmanyah as banking partner for broadcasting Saudi Football League tournaments

D360 Bank signs strategic agreement with Thmanyah as banking partner for broadcasting Saudi Football League tournaments
Updated 18 August 2025

D360 Bank signs strategic agreement with Thmanyah as banking partner for broadcasting Saudi Football League tournaments

D360 Bank signs strategic agreement with Thmanyah as banking partner for broadcasting Saudi Football League tournaments

RIYADH: D360 Bank, the Saudi Shariah-compliant digital bank, has announced its exclusive partnership with Thmanyah, part of the Saudi Research & Media Group (SRMG), for the landmark broadcast rights of the Kingdom’s most prestigious football tournaments.

This partnership positions D360 Bank as the exclusive financial player reshaping the sports broadcasting scene, securing a distinctive presence in the largest and most prominent regional sporting event. It delivers impactful access to a massive and highly engaged audience year-round, while strengthening the bank’s association with the finest Arabic content on the internet.

The agreement covers the Saudi Pro League (Roshn League), Saudi Super Cup, and First Division League (Yelo League), along with a broad range of sports-related Thmanyah content. 

Through this collaboration, D360 Bank is championing the future of sports entertainment by offering fans unprecedented control and insight into every match. 

Viewers will be able to simultaneously stream up to three games, access in-depth analytics and real-time insights, instantly rewind key moments, and enjoy crisp, high-definition streaming at 50 frames per second. 

Tiered viewing packages will ensure that every viewer is catered to, delivering a personalized and immersive football experience.

The partnership reflects D360 Bank’s strategy of aligning with homegrown innovators who share its commitment to community, culture, and progress. By investing in sports, the bank aims to extend its role beyond financial services to become a driver of shared experiences that bring people together.


Mother of missing journalist Austin Tice reveals newly declassified intelligence

Mother of missing journalist Austin Tice reveals newly declassified intelligence
Updated 16 August 2025

Mother of missing journalist Austin Tice reveals newly declassified intelligence

Mother of missing journalist Austin Tice reveals newly declassified intelligence
  • Press conference marks 13 years since her son vanished outside Damascus

WASHINGTON: The mother of missing American journalist and former US Marine Austin Tice has shared new details from recently declassified intelligence documents, saying the files contain information that could help locate her son.

Speaking at a press conference marking 13 years since her son vanished outside Damascus, Debra Tice said the documents suggested that US agencies had near-daily information on his condition and captivity during the years following his disappearance in the Syrian Arab Republic.

The files were shared earlier this year by US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard following long-standing requests from the family to access raw intelligence material related to the case.

“When he had something (wrong) about his teeth, they took him to a dentist. When he had some stomach issues, they took him to the doctor,” Debra Tice was quoted as saying in The Washington Post. She did not specify dates or locations.

Tice, a freelance journalist covering the Syrian conflict for The Washington Post and other US outlets, was abducted on the outskirts of Damascus in August 2012. A video released shortly after his disappearance showed him blindfolded and held by armed men. US officials have long suspected the Syrian government was behind his disappearance, but Damascus has consistently denied involvement.

Debra Tice said she was repeatedly told by officials in past administrations that no new information existed. But she said the files revealed otherwise, reinforcing her belief that her son is alive and can still be found.

She alleged that the Syrian government had attempted to return her son shortly after his disappearance by reaching out to then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“The Syrian government reached out to Hillary Clinton and wanted her to come and get Austin in ... August of 2012, and she declined,” she said, reported The Washington Post.

However, the publication quoted former US officials with knowledge of the case denying such an offer was made, saying that the Syrian regime never acknowledged holding Tice and “vigorously denied any knowledge of Austin right to the end.”

US officials have blamed the lack of progress on obstruction by the Bashar Assad regime and the highly secretive nature of Syria’s detention network.

Since the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, the CIA has reportedly adopted a “low confidence” assessment that Tice is likely dead — an evaluation the family strongly rejects. Debra Tice said she remains confident her son is alive and that the release of thousands of detainees from collapsed Syrian prisons has yet to yield any definitive information about his case.

The Tice family’s access to intelligence files was granted following lobbying efforts. Debra Tice said the newly declassified information had strengthened her resolve to keep pressure on the US authorities to resolve the case.

“We know Austin is alive. We need to find him,” she said.

Tice’s case remains one of the longest unresolved abductions of an American journalist in the Middle East. Rights groups and press freedom advocates have repeatedly urged the US government to prioritize the search for him and ensure accountability for his captors.


Israeli army unit links Gaza journalists to Hamas to justify strikes – report

Israeli army unit links Gaza journalists to Hamas to justify strikes – report
Updated 16 August 2025

Israeli army unit links Gaza journalists to Hamas to justify strikes – report

Israeli army unit links Gaza journalists to Hamas to justify strikes – report
  • ‘Legitimization cell’ created following Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, magazine claims
  • Report follows killing of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif in targeted airstrike

LONDON: Israel’s military has operated a covert intelligence unit tasked with discrediting Palestinian journalists by falsely linking them to Hamas in an effort to justify their targeting, a magazine report claims.

The revelations, published by Israeli-Palestinian outlet +972 Magazine and based on accounts from three intelligence sources, suggest the existence of a so-called “legitimization cell” that was created following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

The unit was established to deflect growing international criticism over Israel’s targeting of media workers in Gaza and to preserve global support, particularly by ensuring continued US weapons supplies that sustain its military campaign.

The report follows Israel’s recent killing of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif and three of his colleagues in a targeted airstrike on their makeshift newsroom. Israel claimed Al-Sharif was a Hamas commander, but failed to substantiate the claim with credible evidence. The killing sparked global outcry, with press freedom groups accusing Israel of deliberately targeting journalists and weaponizing unverified intelligence to manufacture legitimacy.

Before his death, Al-Sharif called for protection and warned that Israel’s accusation that linked him to Hamas, frequently repeated by Israeli officials since his reporting on famine in Gaza gained global attention, were attempts to justify his killing.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said more than 180 media workers have been killed in Israeli attacks since late 2023, describing 26 of those deaths as targeted killings and “murders.”

According to the report, the unit was not established for national security purposes, but rather to provide diplomatic and public relations cover for Israeli operations in Gaza, especially when journalists were among the casualties.

The sources said the unit’s purpose was not intelligence gathering in the conventional sense but rather to collect information that could be declassified and circulated to neutralize criticism. Whenever media scrutiny of Israel’s actions intensified, the cell would be tasked with finding a journalist who could be framed as having links to militant activity, even if such evidence was weak or misleading.

“If the global media is talking about Israel killing innocent journalists, then immediately there’s a push to find one journalist who might not be so innocent, as if that somehow makes killing the other 20 acceptable,” one of the sources told the magazine.

Foreign media have been barred from entering Gaza. As a result, Palestinian journalists remain the primary source of on-the-ground reporting. These journalists have faced increasing threats, including direct accusations from Israeli officials and smear campaigns that blur the lines between civilian press and combatant.

Human rights organizations and press freedom advocates have repeatedly accused Israel of deliberately targeting media workers in an effort to silence independent reporting and conceal alleged atrocities in Gaza.

They have called for independent investigations into attacks on journalists, many of whom have been killed while visibly reporting in press-marked gear or inside known media offices.


Russia restricts calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, the latest step to control the Internet

Russia restricts calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, the latest step to control the Internet
Updated 14 August 2025

Russia restricts calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, the latest step to control the Internet

Russia restricts calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, the latest step to control the Internet
  • Media and Internet regulator Roskomnadzor justified the measure as necessary for fighting crime
  • Russian authorities have long engaged in a deliberate and multipronged effort to rein in the Internet

Russian authorities announced Wednesday they were “partially” restricting calls in messaging apps Telegram and WhatsApp, the latest step in an effort to tighten control over the Internet.
In a statement, government media and Internet regulator Roskomnadzor justified the measure as necessary for fighting crime, saying that “according to law enforcement agencies and numerous appeals from citizens, foreign messengers Telegram and WhatsApp have become the main voice services used to deceive and extort money, and to involve Russian citizens in sabotage and terrorist activities.”
The regulator also alleged that “repeated requests to take countermeasures have been ignored by the owners of the messengers.” There was no immediate comment from either platform.
A Whatsapp spokesperson said in a statement that the encrypted messaging app “defies government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication, which is why Russia is trying to block it from over 100 million Russian people.”
Russian authorities have long engaged in a deliberate and multipronged effort to rein in the Internet. Over the years, they have adopted restrictive laws and banned websites and platforms that won’t comply. Technology has been perfected to monitor and manipulate online traffic.
While it’s still possible to circumvent restrictions by using virtual private network services, those are routinely blocked, too.
Authorities further restricted Internet access this summer with widespread shutdowns of cellphone Internet connections. Officials have insisted the measure was needed to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts argued it was another step to tighten Internet control.
Russia’s Digital Development and Communications Ministry said this month that along with Internet providers, it was working on a “white list” of essential websites and services users could access during shutdowns.
In Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, Russian-installed officials said Wednesday that shutdowns of cellphone Internet may last indefinitely.
The government adopted a law last month punishing users for searching for content they deem illicit and threatened to go after WhatsApp — one of the most popular platforms in the country — while rolling out a new “national” messaging app that’s widely expected to be heavily monitored.
Reports that calls were being disrupted in WhatsApp and Telegram appeared in Russian media earlier this week, with users complaining about calls not going through or not being able to hear each other speak.
According to Russian media monitoring service Mediascope, WhatsApp in July was the most popular platform in Russia, with over 96 million monthly users. Telegram, with more than 89 million users, came a close second.
Both platforms had their run-ins with the Russian authorities in the past. The Kremlin tried to block Telegram between 2018-20 but failed. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the government blocked major social media like Facebook and Instagram, and outlawed their parent company, Meta, that also owns WhatsApp, as extremist.
In July, lawmaker Anton Gorelkin said WhatsApp “should prepare to leave the Russian market,” and a new “national” messenger, MAX, developed by Russian social media company VK, would take its place.
MAX, promoted as a one-stop shop for messaging, online government services, making payments and more, was rolled out for beta tests but has yet to attract a wide following. Over 2 million people registered by July, the Tass news agency reported.
Its terms and conditions say it will share user data with authorities upon request, and a new law stipulates its preinstallation in all smartphones sold in Russia. State institutions, officials and businesses are actively encouraged to move communications and blogs to MAX.
The Digital Development and Communications Ministry said access to calls via WhatsApp and Telegram may be reinstated if the platforms “comply with Russian legislation.” It clarified that the partial restrictions, announced by Roskomnadzor, applied only to audio calls.