Latest news with #Nasser
Daily Tribune
3 days ago
- Science
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain Launches Academic Excellence Authority to Empower Youth and Boost Innovation
His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, officially launched the Academic Excellence Authority during a ceremony attended by top officials and over 100 outstanding students and graduates. HH Shaikh Nasser emphasized that the launch reflects the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to support and empower Bahraini youth academically and professionally, helping them become active contributors to Bahrain's ongoing development and sustainable future. 'This authority is a strategic national platform aimed at embracing academically gifted youth and channeling their talents into scientific research, innovation, and entrepreneurship,' he said. 'It will enhance Bahrain's competitiveness on regional and global levels and aligns with the government's commitment—under the leadership of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister—to put youth at the heart of national development.' Highlighting the importance of investing in scientific talent, HH Shaikh Nasser stated, 'Youth are half of today and all of tomorrow. This authority will serve as a hub for brilliant Bahraini minds, providing them with the space and support to innovate and excel.' The launch event was attended by Ayman bin Tawfiq Al Moayyed, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, and Minister of Youth Affairs Rawan bint Najeeb Tawfeeqi. It also welcomed more than 100 high-achieving students and graduates who met the authority's entry standards. During the ceremony, Abdulrahman Mohamed Al Jallal, Chairman of the Academic Excellence Authority, extended his gratitude to HH Shaikh Nasser for his continuous support of youth initiatives. 'This authority was born from His Highness's vision—not just as a recognition initiative, but as a platform that inspires, empowers, and drives impact,' he said. Al Jallal added, 'Your Highness has taught us that excellence isn't something we wish for—it's something we achieve with determination and hard work. Greatness doesn't come as a gift; it's earned by those who believe in their abilities and their nation.' He also revealed that the authority now includes over 230 members, comprised of Bahrain's top academic achievers and graduates from the world's top 100 universities. These members have come together to dedicate their excellence to Bahrain's progress and contribute knowledge that reflects the nation's ambitions. The event also marked the unveiling of the authority's new visual identity, reinforcing its role as a unified academic community and a hub for excellence across disciplines. The authority aims to create a supportive environment for scientific talent, promote knowledge-sharing, and increase Bahrain's participation in the global academic landscape. In essence, the Academic Excellence Authority will serve as a home for talent and innovation—a national platform that empowers youth to shape a future grounded in excellence, creativity, and the forward-thinking leadership of Bahrain.
DW
22-07-2025
- Health
- DW
Trauma takes its toll on jounalists in the MENA region
From reporting in the field to working in the editing room, journalists can face a multitude of traumatic experiences. Yet recognizing the need for psychological support can be difficult for many. Journalists, not unlike firefighters and police officers, are first responders to crisis and disaster situations. Yet, according to the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, journalists are often the last to recognize the psychological impact of their work. For journalists who live in conflict regions and those reporting on catastrophe – from natural disasters to car accidents – trauma can affect them even after the camera stops rolling and the story is published. The Dart Center describes a journalist's relationship to traumatic events as two-fold: Journalists interview and communicate with people experiencing trauma themselves. As first responders who can find themselves in danger, journalists also suffer from trauma. So, how can they deal with it both in their jobs and when they go home? Defining trauma Trauma is a part of being human, and can be defined as any disturbing experience that has negative, long-lasting effects on the person. Not all trauma leads to conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but it can affect people's lives in a variety of ways. "Just because someone experiences something traumatic doesn't mean they will be traumatized," said mental health consultant Khaled Nasser, a trainer with the Dart Center. From Lebanon, Nasser would know. As a therapist specializing in trauma, he has worked with journalists throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), conducting trainings and sessions with DW Akademie projects and partners. Research shows that only about 20 percent of people who experience a traumatic event develop a disorder with symptoms that range from panic attacks to sleeplessness to an increased fight-or-flight response. On the other hand, most people do recover from traumatic events and continue to live their lives normally. For those who do suffer from trauma-related disorders, it is particularly challenging for journalists to have a chance to recover. The challenge grows for journalists in the MENA region, who have been witness to instability and upheaval over the past decade. "In my work, I am seeing that the war in Gaza, for example, is having an impact on journalists in Yemen," Nasser explained. "It is a form of re-traumatization, as it is similar to what they went through five, six, seven years ago. So, their brain takes them to the place and time when they heard the bombs coming down in their city." Shocking events, such as the harbor explosion that rocked Beirut in 2020, can re-traumatize those who lived through events like Lebanon's civil war Image: Marwan Naamani/dpa/picture alliance Trauma can cause a physical reaction Many journalists struggle to understand how traumatic events affect them. Sheila Mysorekar, a senior consultant with DW Akademie, has held trainings on trauma for journalists living in difficult situations, such as in South Sudan and Libya during both countries' civil wars. When conducting a training with DW Akademie in Tunisia for Libyan journalists, Mysorekar noticed that many of the young journalists, mostly in their early twenties, competed with each other. They compared who had been closer to the fighting, taking risks that most older journalists would not dare to do. Yet it was only after the young journalists had a moment away from the intensity that the effects of trauma started to set in. "When we brought journalists to Tunisia, every single day someone was sick," she said. "Headaches, stomach aches, trips to the hospital." The journalists experienced a delayed response to the overwhelming stress they experienced during their work. "Now they were in a safe place, they could actually react," said Mysorekar. For Mysorekar, it was a reminder that recognizing the psychological toll on journalists needs to happen not only on a personal level but also at an organizational level. "Media houses think of bulletproof vests. But they also need to think of psychosocial stability for journalists," she said. Finding control When journalists and media organizations do recognize the need for psychological help, Nasser provides both individual and team-oriented support. Creating a sense of stability and a way to make an impact, he said, is important for those suffering from trauma-related disorders. "I help build two things. One, a sense of control and two, a sense of self," Nasser said. The intensity and pace of being a journalist, however, make it hard to develop a sense of control over surroundings. Instead, he works with journalists to establish a healthy relationship with their work, whether the journalists are in the field or in the editing room. His approach is to support the positive ways in which they create a sense of meaning around their journalism. Many journalists see their work as a tool to create change in society, oftentimes viewing themselves as activists. "It is not about avoiding threats, but about building their capacity to face them," Nasser explained. "Journalists don't know how strong they are." On a practical level, he encourages healthy routines, focusing on habits that are within the control of journalists, such as healthy eating, sleeping well, exercising and having a community to reach out to. Internalizing trauma Experiencing trauma, especially over a sustained period, can increase the prevalence of other issues, such as depression, anxiety or substance abuse. It can also lead to a burnout, which can make journalists feel their work is valueless. This can be especially difficult for journalists whose identity can be strongly attached to their work. "Many times, journalists in conflict areas stop writing, stop producing," said Nasser. For journalists both in and outside of conflict regions, looking to find stories of people working toward positive change can be a kind of salve against the helplessness one can feel when covering stories of people without agency, who are the victims of larger events outside of their control. "We always identify with our subject," Nasser said. "If you watch a character suffering in a movie, you feel the suffering. If the hero wins, it feels like you win, too. And this happens in reporting." Covering stories such as the massacre Darayya, Syria are difficult to tell responsibly Image: DW Trauma-informed journalism Journalists deal directly with trauma regularly, sometimes being one of the first points of contact with someone who has recently or is currently experiencing trauma. In many ways, this puts a journalist in a unique and difficult position. Simply getting the facts is not necessarily enough for journalists who have to keep their subject in mind. They must get the story but also mitigate any damage to what might be someone's fragile mental state. Thankfully, more attention is being paid to how journalists interact with the people they cover and with themselves. To understand best practices for journalists, read the article by Nasser and visit the Dart Center website for more information and helpful resources.
Business Recorder
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Israel's expansionism
In the convoluted and strife-ridden terrain of the Middle East, one fact remains constant and easily discernible. This is the Zionist entity Israel's constantly being on the lookout for opportunities to feed its unlimited appetite for expansionism since its creation in 1948. In that founding year, Israel blatantly violated the UN Partition Plan for Palestine, intended to provide two states, Israel and Palestine, to accommodate the mixed populace as a result of the British Mandate authorities conniving at illegal Jewish migration to the so-called 'Promised Land'. It perpetrated the Nakba (Catastrophe) to expel thousands of Palestinians from territories designated as Palestinian by the UN Plan. So even the unjust Partition of Palestine (a shift of culpability by the West for the Holocaust onto innocent Palestinian shoulders) was not adhered to by the Zionist settler colonialists. Then in 1956 Israel joined Britain and France (the Mandate powers in the region between WWI and WWII and arguably the authors of all the mischief perpetrated against the Arabs as a whole) in attacking Egypt to try and wrest back from Nasser's nationalisation of the Suez Canal that critical passageway for the world's trade. Unfortunately, for this evil trio, the new dominant western power, the US, vetoed their plans in the interests of its newfound desire for global hegemony in the aftermath of WWII and even in the early days of the Cold War. In 1967, Israel launched a surprise attack against its Arab neighbours, Egypt, Syria and Jordan, destroying their air forces on the ground and seizing Sinai, the Golan Heights and the West Bank (including Jerusalem, the historic site of religious wars such as the Crusades). Since then, Sinai (the Gaza Strip excepted) was returned to Egypt after Anwar Sadat made peace with Israel following the indecisive 1973 war, annexed the Golan Heights and is currently in the process of carrying out a genocide in Gaza and a creeping annexation in the West Bank through militant, armed Israeli settlers, backed by the Israeli army. As if all this were not enough, Israel has been playing a sinister, expansionist role in post-Assad Syria. Ahmed al-Sharaa's government that came to power in Syria at the culmination of the 14-year civil war in Syria, given its past al Qaeda roots and current religious fundamentalist character, carried within it the real possibility of not only not being able to weld a united country out of the ruins, but in fact becoming the main factor in impending conflict with the religious and ethnic minorities in Syria. Sure enough, the Sunni fundamentalist Hay'at Tahrir al Sham party of al-Sharaa has clashed with the Alawite minority (to which Assad's elite belonged) in March 2025 on the Syrian coast that left about 1,600 people dead. Another outbreak of violence outside Damascus in May killed more than 100 people, mostly Druze. The current round of conflict in Suweida in southern Syria began about a week ago with an exchange of attacks and kidnappings between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze militias, who practice a secretive religion rooted in Ismaili Islam. Since the new government came to power in December 2024, a collection of Druze militias had secured Suweida and refused to integrate their forces into the new national army, an objective the Syrian government has been actively pursuing to bring the fractured militias scene under control. As the unrest in Suweida worsened, the government deployed military forces in the area to quell the conflict. But Druze militia leaders, deeply distrustful of the new Islamist authorities, believed these forces were coming to attack them. They then mobilised to repel the incoming government forces, escalating the fighting and in the process, yielding a harvest of over 1,000 people killed, many thousand wounded, 80,000 displaced. The evidence for the bloodbath was the piles of dead and wounded in Suweida's hospitals, whom an overstretched medical structure could barely see to. At this point, using the plight of the Druze minority as a cover (the Druze are also a minority in Israel, integrated closely with its military and security infrastructure), Israel bombed south Syria and the Syrian military's Damascus Headquarters. Al-Sharaa withdrew his forces in the face of this Israeli assault, which threatened to blow up into a war with Israel. The US then intervened, persuading Israel to cut al-Sharaa (their 'newly found' ally) some slack, which allowed him to take advantage of Tel Aviv's 'generous offer' of redeployment in Suweida for just two days to separate the warring militias and enforce a tenuous peace. One wonders how long this peace will last if the Syrian military once more is forced to retreat by Israeli pressure. What is Israel's objective in this complicated conflict? To be noted: apart from the annexed Golan Heights, Israel has, since the fall of Assad, set up 10 bases inside Syrian territory abutting the Golan Heights. Not only that, Israel has dictated to Damascus that south Syria is to remain free of Syrian military forces. No doubt the game plan is that in the name of 'rescuing' their dearly beloved Druze minority in Syria, Israel is just waiting to pounce on southern Syria to gobble up more territory. Given this expansionist history, can one hope for anything except conflict so long as Israel continues to exist with the unfettered support and help of the US-led West? Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Daily Tribune
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Over 5,000 Training Opportunities at City of Youth 2030
His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, His Majesty the King's Representative for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, praised the 'City of Youth 2030' as a living example of Bahrain's commitment to youth empowerment and national development. During a visit to the city, he emphasized that the initiative reflects the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the national strategy led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to equip the next generation with the skills and mindset needed to lead the future. Accompanied by Aymen bin Tawfiq Almoayed, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, and Rawan bint Najeeb Tawfiqi, Minister of Youth Affairs, HH Shaikh Nasser said the youth are Bahrain's most valuable asset and investing in their talents is the surest path to a prosperous and sustainable future. "Through advanced training and access to modern knowledge, we're opening doors for young people to actively shape the country's progress," he said. "City of Youth 2030 has consistently delivered high-impact programs that have turned it into a leading regional hub for youth development." HH Shaikh Nasser added, "This city has become a model in creating meaningful opportunities for the youth. It's inspiring to see the passion and innovation coming out of this space. The enthusiasm and wide participation we've witnessed today confirms the importance of continuing this initiative with the same high standards.' During the visit, he toured the city's five main training centers: Science & Technology, Arts & Culture, Leadership & Entrepreneurship, Media & Entertainment, and Sports & Health. Together, they offer over 5,500 training opportunities across 195 specialized programs, 84 entrepreneurial projects, and 150 additional events — all managed by 248 young Bahraini volunteers. HH Shaikh Nasser commended the professionalism and energy of the youth volunteers and trainers, highlighting how their dedication is building a stronger, more confident generation ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow.
Roya News
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
'Israeli' army announces killing of three Hamas fighters in Gaza, including commander
The 'Israeli' military and the Shin Bet security agency announced that a recent airstrike in Gaza killed three alleged Hamas members involved in the October 7 events, including a senior field commander. According to 'the Times of Israel', the strike was carried out on July 10 by the IOF's 282nd Artillery Regiment and resulted in the killing of Eyad Nasser, who the army claims was the deputy commander of Hamas's Jabalia Battalion. The army alleges that Nasser participated in the October 7 cross-border attack and, despite being wounded during the ongoing war in Gaza, later resumed his operational role. According to the 'Israeli' statement, Nasser "was involved throughout the war in terrorist activity targeting Israeli forces in the area, including in recent weeks." The military also said two other Hamas members were killed in the strike: Hassan Mahmoud Muhammad Mar'i, identified as commander of the central Jabalia company, and Mohammad Zaki Shamadeh Hamad, allegedly the deputy commander of a company within Hamas's Beit Hanoun Battalion. All three were said to have taken part in the October 7 events, during which Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern 'Israel'.
