You are here

  • Home
  • Gazan journalist Shrouq Al Aila to receive CPJ’s International Press Freedom Award

Gazan journalist Shrouq Al Aila to receive CPJ’s International Press Freedom Award

Gazan journalist Shrouq Al Aila to receive CPJ’s International Press Freedom Award
Al Ailan took charge of Ain Media following the death of her husband Roshdi Sarraj. (Instagram/Sourced)
Short Url

https://arab.news/pxp5j

Updated 20 September 2024
Arab News
Follow

Gazan journalist Shrouq Al Aila to receive CPJ’s International Press Freedom Award

Gazan journalist Shrouq Al Aila to receive CPJ’s International Press Freedom Award
  • Despite having been displaced repeatedly by relentless Israeli bombardment, Al Aila continues to cover the war in Gaza
Updated 20 September 2024
Arab News
Follow

LONDON: Palestinian journalist Shrouq Al Aila, who has been covering Israel’s ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip, is set to receive a 2024 International Press Freedom Award in November, the Committee to Protect Journalists announced on Thursday.

Al Aila, 29, is among four awardees who “have withstood extraordinary challenges to continue reporting on their communities while experiencing war, prison, government crackdowns, and the rising criminalization of their work,” CPJ said in a statement.

A journalist, producer and researcher, Al Aila assumed leadership of Ain Media, a Gaza-based independent production company, after Roshdi Sarraj, her husband and the firm’s co-founder, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in October.

On Oct. 7, the Israeli military launched a bombing campaign across the Gaza Strip after Hamas carried out a surprise attack in southern Israel. The hostilities have so far killed at least 41,272 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to the enclave’s health authority.

The onslaught has displaced more than 90 percent of Gaza’s population at least once, devastated the health, sanitation and water services, and annihilated entire residential neighborhoods.

Repeatedly displaced by the Israeli bombardment, Al Aila continues to cover the war and its devastating impact on Gaza’s residents.

Al Aila and her late husband Sarraj were on a business trip in Saudi Arabia when the war started in their hometown Gaza, prompting them to quickly return to report on the developments.

On Oct. 22, Sarraj was killed in an Israeli airstrike, and Al Aila swiftly assumed responsibility and headed their company, Ain Media.

Alongside Al Aila, CPJ’s International Press Freedom Awards this year will also recognize journalists Quimy de Leon from Guatemala, Alsu Kurmasheva who was detained in Russia, and Samira Sabou from Niger.

Topics: Palestinian journalist Gaza

Related

Palestinian journalist attacked by Israeli mob during Jerusalem rally video
Media
Palestinian journalist attacked by Israeli mob during Jerusalem rally
80 Palestinian journalists detained by Israel since October, human rights group says
Media
80 Palestinian journalists detained by Israel since October, human rights group says

Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris to launch digital business platform for ‘next generation of entrepreneurs’

Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris to launch digital business platform for ‘next generation of entrepreneurs’
Updated 20 November 2024
Arab News
Follow

Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris to launch digital business platform for ‘next generation of entrepreneurs’

Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris to launch digital business platform for ‘next generation of entrepreneurs’
  • MONIIFY newsroom will focus on emerging markets such as Southeast Asia, India, and the GCC
  • Platform will launch on Nov. 26, and provide daily business updates to ‘help young people become rich,’ Sawiris says
Updated 20 November 2024
Arab News

LONDON: Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris is set to unveil MONIIFY, a new digital business newsroom designed to cater to millennials and Gen Z audiences with a focus on emerging markets.

Scheduled for launch on Nov. 26, MONIIFY aims to become the “go-to space for business, tech, and finance updates” tailored to young entrepreneurs navigating the modern economic landscape.

“Young people today need more than traditional business and finance news,” said Sawiris. “MONIIFY speaks directly to the next generation of entrepreneurs, in their language, on the platforms they want”.

Based in the UAE, the platform will spotlight industries shaping the future, such as technology, artificial intelligence, private equity, cryptocurrency, and energy, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia, India, and the GCC — regions described by Sawiris as “bursting with potential.”

The platform promises daily updates, including breakdowns of investment trends and business opportunities, along with interviews featuring successful entrepreneurs.

It will also offer content formats such as short videos, explainers, deep-dive interviews, and a masterclass series featuring industry leaders sharing their success blueprints.

CEO Michael Peters, former head of Euronews, said MONIIFY represents a collective effort by top media professionals.

“We have brought together the best media talent from international markets as well as emerging markets who believe strongly in the MONIIFY movement, and who represent our brand,” said Peters.

MONIIFY creators will feature leading voices in financial content, including Eisa Al-Habib (UAE), Uptin Saiidi (US), Anushka Rathod (India), Felicia Putri Tjiasaka (Indonesia), Osamah Essam El-Din (Saudi Arabia), and Sara and Aaron Wee (Singapore).

In a teaser interview, Sawiris, chairman of Egypt-based Orascom TMT Investments with an estimated net worth of $3.8 billion, said he was inspired by his desire to help young people achieve financial success.

“I want to help young people become rich — even richer than me,” he said.

Sawiris has a history of high-profile initiatives. In 2011, he sold Orascom Telecom to Russian telecom firm VimpelCom (now Veon) in a multibillion-dollar transaction. In 2015, he offered to buy a Greek or Italian island to house Syrian refugees, a plan that was ultimately rejected by both governments.

Topics: news media Naguib Sawiris

Related

UAE’s Chimera invests $100m in Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris’ Gemini 
Business & Economy
UAE’s Chimera invests $100m in Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris’ Gemini 

Advertising network Publicis Groupe partners with Dubai Business Women Council to support female businesses

Advertising network Publicis Groupe partners with Dubai Business Women Council to support female businesses
Updated 20 November 2024
Arab News
Follow

Advertising network Publicis Groupe partners with Dubai Business Women Council to support female businesses

Advertising network Publicis Groupe partners with Dubai Business Women Council to support female businesses
  • Publicis Groupe to host workshops focusing on public relations, brand communication, digital marketing
Updated 20 November 2024
Arab News

DUBAI: Advertising network Publicis Groupe Middle East has partnered with the Dubai Business Women Council to support female-founded micro, small and medium-sized businesses.

Founded in 2022 by Dr. Raja Easa Al-Gurg, chairperson and managing director of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, the Dubai Business Women Council serves as a platform for the personal and professional development of businesswomen in Dubai.

This partnership will see Publicis Groupe host a series of workshops aimed at providing female business owners with a comprehensive knowledge of brand marketing and communications.

The first workshop, titled “The Power of Founder-Led Brands,” took place on Nov. 14 and was led by Andira Raslan, business director, and Sophia Boudjemaa, business director of strategy and insights, MSL Group Middle East.

During the session, Raslan and Boudjemaa emphasized the importance of personal branding and talked about strategies for building trust, increasing customer engagement, and instilling authenticity and personality in a brand.

Public relations, brand communication, digital marketing, social media strategies, innovation and growth are some of the topics that will be covered during future sessions.

“Effective marketing and communication can transform businesses, yet access to this knowledge and resources isn’t always within reach for small business owners,” said Bassel Kakish, CEO of Publicis Groupe Middle East and Turkiye.

The workshops aim to “democratize these insights and break down barriers for women entrepreneurs so they can elevate their brands,” he added.

Supported by the network’s in-house training and upskilling department Publicis Academy, the workshops are structured based on a survey conducted by the network to identify the challenges faced by micro, small and medium-sized businesses.

Nadine Halabi, head of business development and operations at the Dubai Business Women Council, said: “Empowering female entrepreneurs with the tools to elevate their brands is crucial for fostering innovation and growth within Dubai’s business landscape.

“Working with the experts at Publicis Groupe Middle East provides our members with access to strategic marketing and communication insights typically reserved for larger corporations.”

Topics: Publicis Groupe Female entrepreneurs

British MPs to summon Elon Musk over X’s role in summer riots

British MPs to summon Elon Musk over X’s role in summer riots
Updated 20 November 2024
Arab News
Follow

British MPs to summon Elon Musk over X’s role in summer riots

British MPs to summon Elon Musk over X’s role in summer riots
  • Inquiry will examine the impact of generative AI and social media in spreading harmful content
  • X is accused of playing an active role in spreading false claims that led to uprisings against minorities across the country
Updated 20 November 2024
Arab News

LONDON: Elon Musk, the CEO of X and a new appointee in Donald Trump’s administration, will be summoned by British MPs to testify about the role of his social media platform in spreading disinformation during the riots that shook England and Northern Ireland this summer, The Guardian reported on Wednesday.

The hearing, part of a Commons science and technology select committee inquiry into social media, is set to take place early next year.

Executives from other major platforms, including Meta and TikTok, are also expected to be called to testify.

“(Musk) has very strong views on multiple aspects of this,” said Chi Onwurah, the Labour chair of the select committee. “I would certainly like the opportunity to cross-examine him to see … how he reconciles his promotion of freedom of expression with his promotion of pure disinformation.”

She added that the session could “make up for” Musk’s reported frustration at being left out of a UK government investment summit in September.

The inquiry will examine the impact of generative AI and social media in spreading harmful content, particularly during the riots.

Images and posts shared on X and Facebook falsely claimed the attacker involved in the killing of three schoolgirls in Southport in August was a Muslim asylum-seeker.

These false claims fueled Islamophobic protests and violence targeting minorities, including asylum-seekers.

One individual was arrested under the Public Order Act for inciting racial hatred on X. The platform found the same content did not violate its policies on violent threats.

Musk himself joined the online discussion, controversially claiming that “Civil war is inevitable.”

His remarks drew backlash and accusations of meddling in foreign affairs, a criticism that he has faced again for commenting on Italy’s migration policies.

The inquiry comes as X faces increased scrutiny for its inability to curb misinformation and its updated terms of service, which allow the platform to train AI models on user data. This has led to millions of users abandoning the platform.

In an effort to calm the waters, former Labour minister Peter Mandelson, tipped as a potential UK ambassador to Washington, recently called for an end to the “feud” between Musk and the UK government, arguing that it is “unwise” for Britain to alienate him.

The committee’s investigation will also examine how Silicon Valley’s business models, including algorithmic amplification, contribute to the spread of misleading or harmful content.

Onwurah emphasized the need to “get to the bottom of the links between social media algorithms, generative AI, and the spread of harmful or false content.”

Topics: Elon Musk X UK misinformation UK riots

Related

Guardian exits Elon Musk’s X platform over ‘toxic content’ and US election coverage
Media
Guardian exits Elon Musk’s X platform over ‘toxic content’ and US election coverage
What is Bluesky, the fast-growing social platform welcoming fleeing X users?
Media
What is Bluesky, the fast-growing social platform welcoming fleeing X users?

Taliban govt clearing ‘un-Islamic’ books from Afghanistan shelves

Taliban govt clearing ‘un-Islamic’ books from Afghanistan shelves
Updated 20 November 2024
AFP
Follow

Taliban govt clearing ‘un-Islamic’ books from Afghanistan shelves

Taliban govt clearing ‘un-Islamic’ books from Afghanistan shelves
  • Committee identified 400 titles “that conflicted with Islamic and Afghan values”
Updated 20 November 2024
AFP

KABUL: Checking imported books, removing texts from libraries and distributing lists of banned titles — Taliban authorities are working to remove “un-Islamic” and anti-government literature from circulation.
The efforts are led by a commission established under the Ministry of Information and Culture soon after the Taliban swept to power in 2021 and implemented their strict interpretation of Islamic law, or sharia.
In October, the ministry announced the commission had identified 400 books “that conflicted with Islamic and Afghan values, most of which have been collected from the markets.”
The department in charge of publishing has distributed copies of the Qur'an and other Islamic texts to replace seized books, the ministry statement said.
The ministry has not provided figures for the number of removed books, but two sources, a publisher in Kabul and a government employee, said texts had been collected in the first year of Taliban rule and again in recent months.
“There is a lot of censorship. It is very difficult to work, and fear has spread everywhere,” the Kabul publisher told AFP.
Books were also restricted under the previous foreign-backed government ousted by the Taliban, when there was “a lot of corruption, pressures and other issues,” he said.
But “there was no fear, one could say whatever he or she wanted to say,” he added.
“Whether or not we could make any change, we could raise our voices.”


AFP received a list of five of the banned titles from an information ministry official.
It includes “Jesus the Son of Man” by renowned Lebanese-American author Khalil Gibran, for containing “blasphemous expressions,” and the “counterculture” novel “Twilight of the Eastern Gods” by Albanian author Ismail Kadare.
“Afghanistan and the Region: A West Asian Perspective” by Mirwais Balkhi, an education minister under the former government, was also banned for “negative propaganda.”
During the Taliban’s previous rule from 1996 to 2001, there were comparatively few publishing houses and booksellers in Kabul, the country having already been wracked by decades of war.
Today, thousands of books are imported each week alone from neighboring Iran — which shares the Persian language with Afghanistan — through the Islam Qala border crossing in western Herat province.
Taliban authorities rifled through boxes of a shipment at a customs warehouse in Herat city last week.
One man flipped through a thick English-language title, as another, wearing a camouflage uniform with a man’s image on the shoulder patch, searched for pictures of people and animals in the books.
“We have not banned books from any specific country or person, but we study the books and we block those that are contradictory to religion, sharia or the government, or if they have photos of living things,” said Mohammad Sediq Khademi, an official with the Herat department for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV).
“Any books that are against religion, faith, sect, sharia... we will not allow them,” the 38-year-old told AFP, adding the evaluations of imported books started some three months ago.
Images of living things — barred under some interpretations of Islam — are restricted according to a recent “vice and virtue” law that codifies rules imposed since the Taliban returned to power, but the regulations have been unevenly enforced.
Importers have been advised of which books to avoid, and when books are deemed unsuitable, they are given the option of returning them and getting their money back, Khademi said.
“But if they can’t, we don’t have any other option but to seize them,” he added.
“Once, we had 28 cartons of books that were rejected.”


Authorities have not gone from shop to shop checking for banned books, an official with the provincial information department and a Herat bookseller said, asking not to be named.
However, some books have been removed from Herat libraries and Kabul bookstores, a bookseller told AFP, also asking for anonymity, including “The History of Jihadi Groups in Afghanistan” by Afghan author Yaqub Mashauf.
Books bearing images of living things can still be found in Herat shops.
In Kabul and Takhar — a northern province where booksellers said they had received the list of 400 banned books — disallowed titles remained on some shelves.
Many non-Afghan works were banned, one seller said, “so they look at the author, whose name is there, and they are mostly banned” if they’re foreign.
His bookshop still carried translations of Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s “The Gambler” and fantasy novel “Daughter of the Moon Goddess” by Sue Lynn Tan.
But he was keen to sell them “very cheap” now, to clear them from his stock.

Topics: Taliban Afghanistan Book

Meta Oversight Board says wrong to remove Moscow attack posts

Meta Oversight Board says wrong to remove Moscow attack posts
Updated 19 November 2024
AFP
Follow

Meta Oversight Board says wrong to remove Moscow attack posts

Meta Oversight Board says wrong to remove Moscow attack posts
  • Non-binding board ruling argues news value justified exemption from platform rules
  • Daesh claims responsibility for Moscow concert hall attack that killed over 140 people
Updated 19 November 2024
AFP

SAN FRANCISCO: The Meta Oversight Board on Tuesday said the social network was wrong to remove three Facebook posts showing images from a deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall in March.
The posts did violate Meta rules against showing victims during an attack, but their news value should have made them exempt from those rules, according to the independent board.
“In a country such as Russia with a closed media environment, accessibility on social media of such content is even more important,” the board said in a written decision.
“Suppressing matters of vital public concern based on unsubstantiated fears it could promote radicalization is not consistent with Meta’s responsibilities to free expression.”
Each of the posts clearly condemned the attack, expressing solidarity with or concern for victims, according to the board.
Meta should restore the posts — adding a warning that the content could be disturbing to viewers, the board ruled.
Four gunmen stormed the Crocus City venue before the start of a rock concert, opened fire on the audience and set fire to the building, in an assault claimed by the Daesh group.
The assault claimed more than 140 lives, the deadliest attack in Russia for almost 20 years.
The board is referred to as a top court for content disputes at Meta, and the social media giant has agreed to abide by its decisions.

Topics: Meta Russia Daesh Meta Oversight Board

Related

Russia says Daesh behind deadly Moscow concert hall attack
World
Russia says Daesh behind deadly Moscow concert hall attack
Special Why Russia may be in the crosshairs of Daesh extremists photos
World
Why Russia may be in the crosshairs of Daesh extremists

Latest updates

India’s Modi offers aid to Caribbean nations while meeting leaders in Guyana
India’s Modi offers aid to Caribbean nations while meeting leaders in Guyana
US gathers allies to talk AI safety as Trump’s vow to undo Biden’s AI policy overshadows their work
US gathers allies to talk AI safety as Trump’s vow to undo Biden’s AI policy overshadows their work
US Senate blocks bid to halt some Israel military sales
US Senate blocks bid to halt some Israel military sales
LPGA Tour sets another record with $127.5m in prize money for 2025
LPGA Tour sets another record with $127.5m in prize money for 2025
New study shows voting for Native Americans is harder than ever
New study shows voting for Native Americans is harder than ever

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2024 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.