Prince Mohammed bin Salman College, Saudi Press Agency sign training agreement

Special Prince Mohammed bin Salman College, Saudi Press Agency sign training agreement
The partnership was signed during the Human Capabilities Initiative conference in Riyadh. (AN Photo)
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Updated 03 March 2024
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Prince Mohammed bin Salman College, Saudi Press Agency sign training agreement

Prince Mohammed bin Salman College, Saudi Press Agency sign training agreement
  • MBSC will train journalists in ‘interpersonal effectiveness skills,’ such as negotiation and presentation

RIYADH: The Prince Mohammed bin Salman College for Management and Entrepreneurship announced on Thursday a new partnership with the Saudi Press Agency to provide specialized training and development programs for the Kingdom’s news industry.

The partnership was co-signed by Zieger DeGreef, dean of MBSC, and Fahad bin Hassan Al-Aqran, president of SPA, during the “Human Capabilities Initiative” conference held in Riyadh on Feb. 28-29.

“We are proud to partner with the Saudi Press Agency,” DeGreef said. “We are proud to partner with a number of very prominent ministries and organizations in the Kingdom to develop business acumen in Saudi Arabia.”

He told Arab News that the partnership will train journalists in a variety of “interpersonal effectiveness skills,” such as teamwork, negotiation, presentation, influencing, decision-making, and communication — all of which “are very relevant for journalists (and) for professionals in the media.”

DeGreef added that although “there is already good education in the Kingdom,” it has “a long way to go in excellence in business education.”

He added: “The college tries to fill that void.”  

In addition to joining media-focused training programs under the agreement, Saudi journalists will also be able to obtain graduate degrees in business administration and finance.

“We will welcome journalists in those degree programs in business, but we are also developing an exciting portfolio of executive education programs again for the media,” DeGreef said. “So, most of our partnerships are already in those two areas, but the third area is research.”

He highlighted that MBSC’s faculty “will work with journalists from SPA on particular research projects, mostly linked to data, data analysis, data presentations, (and) data communication.”

SPA announced on Thursday the launch of its first news training academy in partnership with several organizations, including the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, the Prince Mohammad Bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship, the Institute of Public Administration, the Human Resources Development Fund, Sky News Arabia Academy, and the Austrian International Center for Qualification and Quality.


Israeli journalist arrested in Lebanon after entering with foreign passport

Israeli journalist arrested in Lebanon after entering with foreign passport
Updated 09 October 2024
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Israeli journalist arrested in Lebanon after entering with foreign passport

Israeli journalist arrested in Lebanon after entering with foreign passport
  • Joshua Tartakovsky entered together with other reporters using a British passport

BEIRUT: An Israeli journalist has been arrested in Lebanon after entering the country using a British passport, according to reports from Israeli and Lebanese media on Wednesday.

The pro-Hezbollah Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar identified the journalist as Joshua Tartakovsky, an Israeli citizen who reportedly entered Lebanon two weeks ago. Tartakovsky, born in the US, raised suspicions due to his behavior, leading to his eventual arrest by Lebanese security forces.

When arrested on Tuesday, authorities discovered that Tartakovsky was carrying both British and Israeli passports, violating laws in both Israel and Lebanon that prohibit Israeli citizens from entering Lebanon.

A security source confirmed to Arab News that Tartakovsky had been in Beirut’s southern suburbs in recent days, reportedly covering Israeli strikes in the area.

“He entered Lebanon as part of a group of foreign journalists who arrived in Beirut to cover the ongoing events in Lebanon and who visit the southern suburb and certain areas on a daily basis under the pretext of inspecting the destruction,” said the source, who requested anonymity.

The southern suburbs, heavily targeted by Israeli airstrikes, have seen widespread displacement and severe damage. The area is monitored by Hezbollah, who not only control journalists’ access but also guard the buildings against looting.

A security source stated that Tartkovsky has been referred to the judiciary, which will decide whether he will be deported or arrested.

“This is similar to other foreign nationals accused of collaboration, who have been arrested and tried in Lebanon unless their countries request extradition. The final decision rests with the Lebanese government,” the souce explained.

A judicial source told Arab News that “there is a strong inclination to deport the detained journalist without awaiting any extradition request. In this case, he would be handed over to the British embassy, which would facilitate his deportation from Lebanon.”

Tartakovsky, according to his profile on Vision Magazine, describes himself as an independent journalist. He studied at Brown University and the London School of Economics. He entered Lebanon alongside other journalists before his arrest.

Israeli media reported that Tartakovsky, who grew up in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish family and served in the Israeli army, reaching the rank of first sergeant, has been a contributor of “Zo Haderech,” a website associated with Israel’s far-left and anti-Zionist movements.

He has also previously worked for the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin, the International Defense and Security Team at Transparency International in London, and the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs in Israel.


Journalist calls out US spokesperson’s messages during press briefing

Journalist calls out US spokesperson’s messages during press briefing
Updated 09 October 2024
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Journalist calls out US spokesperson’s messages during press briefing

Journalist calls out US spokesperson’s messages during press briefing
  • Liam Cosgrove criticized Matt Miller for US hypocrisy on its Middle East conflict stance

LONDON: Journalist Liam Cosgrove criticized US foreign policy spokesperson Matt Miller during a press briefing on Tuesday, accusing the US of hypocrisy for its stance on the Middle East conflict.

During the briefing, Cosgrove questioned the US administration’s moral authority while addressing the escalating violence in the Middle East, which he argued risked a clash between nuclear powers such as Iran and Russia.

Cosgrove pressed Miller, saying: “My question for you is, you know we often hear in response to these concerns that while Putin, Khomeini, you know they’re terrorists, as if they’re too inherently evil or immoral for us to negotiate with. But meanwhile, this administration has financed a genocide in Gaza for the last year, and every day you’re up there denying accountability for it. So, what gives you the right to lecture other countries on their morals?”

Miller avoided addressing the accusation directly, responding that he would take “policy questions” but declined to comment on Cosgrove’s assertion.

“If you want to give a speech there’re plenty of places in Washington where you can give a speech,” Miller said.

Cosgrove replied: “People are sick of the bullshit in here. It (the Gaza war) is a genocide. You are abetting it. And you are risking a nuclear war in Ukraine for this proxy war.”

The clip of the confrontation quickly gained traction online, with many users praising Cosgrove for his outspokenness.

“Finally someone had the guts to tell things we are screaming to our phones for a year now,” one user said.

Another thanked the Cosgrove for “saying what most people of conscience feel.”

The heated exchange between the correspondent for The Grayzone blog and Miller underscored the growing frustration journalists face when covering complex conflicts with competing narratives.

Since the conflict between Hamas and Israel reignited more than a year ago, media outlets have been under constant scrutiny, accused of both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian bias.

With international journalists largely blocked from entering Gaza and Israeli authorities accused of restricting media freedom, many media organizations argue that relying on official sources has only deepened the divide in narratives, further eroding public trust in news reporting and fueling the spread of misinformation.

“Israeli forces have systematically restricted coverage of Gaza and targeted journalists who take enormous risks to report the truth. This has directly impacted global access to information on the war, which is critical to the public interest. Journalists must be allowed to do their jobs, and the world has the right to know what’s happening in Gaza,” said Rebecca Vincent, director of campaigns at Reporters Without Borders.


Osama bin Laden’s son Omar banned from returning to France over ‘terror’ tweet

Osama bin Laden’s son Omar banned from returning to France over ‘terror’ tweet
Updated 09 October 2024
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Osama bin Laden’s son Omar banned from returning to France over ‘terror’ tweet

Osama bin Laden’s son Omar banned from returning to France over ‘terror’ tweet
  • France minister Bruno Retailleau said Omar bin Laden posted comments that glorified “terrorism and Al-Qaeda”
  • Friends called decision “scandalous”, saying Omar bin Laden is victim of his father’s legacy

PARIS: Omar bin Laden, a son of slain Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has been banned from returning to France where he made his home for several years before he was ordered to leave in 2023, France’s Interior Minister announced Tuesday.
Born in Saudi Arabia, bin Laden has also lived in Sudan and Afghanistan. The 43-year-old settled in the northern French region of Normandy with his British wife several years ago, taking up painting.
France’s new interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, said Omar bin Laden “posted comments on his social networks in 2023 that advocated terrorism.”
“As a result, the prefect of Orne issued an order to leave French territory,” Retailleau.
“The courts have confirmed the legality of this decision taken in the interests of national security,” he added on X. The minister also said he had signed off on a ban preventing Omar bin Laden from returning to France “for any reason whatsoever.”
Later Tuesday, the Orne prefecture in northern France said Omar bin Laden, a national of Qatar, had lived in the town of Domfront-en-Poiraie since 2018.
On the anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death in May 2023, comments that French officials say glorified “terrorism and Al-Qaeda” were published on social media in the name of Omar bin Laden, on an account that has now been suspended. A probe was launched in France.
While Omar bin Laden denied being the author of the “reprehensible comments” he did not delete or condemn them, the prefecture said. He was ordered to leave France on October 27, 2023 and did so “voluntarily.” He appealed the decision but a French court upheld the ruling last week.
He left his father at the age of 19.
Speaking to AFP in 2022, Omar bin Laden had said he felt good in France. “I feel free from the responsibility of my father’s actions,” he said at the time. “Nobody judges me, they respect me and they leave me in peace.”
US special forces killed the Al-Qaeda leader in Pakistan in 2011.
Pascal Martin, who described himself as Omar’s artistic agent, said bin Laden now lived in Qatar and suffered from psychological problems. Martin and Omar bin Laden’s wife decided not to inform him of the announcement.
“He’s too fragile, if he finds out it’s going to hurt him a lot,” Martin told AFP. “This decision is completely crazy, inconceivable,” he added. “He’s had a difficult life,” Martin said, describing him as “the victim of terrorism.” “Being a son of Osama bin Laden has been an ordeal for him.”
Martin also said his friend was not capable of advocating terrrorism or the September 11, 2001 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in the deadliest terrorist attack on US soil.
“He says that his life stopped on that day,” Martin said. “In none of his statements did I hear him advocate terrorism.”

According to Martin, his friend was placed into police custody but then released, “without any charge against him that I know of.” “He just has the misfortune of being a bin Laden,” Martin added.
Another friend, Harry Atterton, said the decision was “scandalous.” Atterton, a 87-year-old Briton who also lives in Domfront-en-Poiraie, said Omar bin Laden had “managed to separate himself from his father’s ideology.”
He described the man as “slightly shy” and generous, saying he did not talk much. “There are thousands of potential terrorists who should leave France, but they chose Omar,” added Atterton.
Omar bin Laden’s marriage to British woman Jane Felix-Browne, a grandmother and over two decades his senior, had caused considerable media interest when it was confirmed in 2007. After marriage she took on the Muslim name of Zaina Mohammed.
Omar bin Laden sought to live in the UK, but his bid was rejected by the British authorities. Osama bin Laden, himself the son of a wealthy Saudi construction magnate, is believed to have had some two dozen children.
Retailleau has vowed to bring “order” on immigration and crime, insisting that “the rule of law is neither intangible nor sacred.”


Italian media crew attacked in Lebanon, driver dies of heart attack

Italian media crew attacked in Lebanon, driver dies of heart attack
Updated 09 October 2024
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Italian media crew attacked in Lebanon, driver dies of heart attack

Italian media crew attacked in Lebanon, driver dies of heart attack
  • RAI TG3’s Lucia Goracci and Marco Nicois were attacked by unidentified man in Sidon, near Israeli border
  • Longtime collaborator Ahmad Akil Hamzeh was trying to explain the situation when he collapsed unexpectedly

LONDON: Italian journalist Lucia Goracci and cameraman Marco Nicois were attacked in Lebanon on Tuesday while covering the situation near the Israeli border in Sidon. Their local driver, Ahmad Akil Hamzeh, tragically died of a heart attack during the incident.

The RAI TG3 crew, from Italy’s state television, had been reporting on the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike when they were confronted by an unidentified man who attempted to seize their camera.

“We were in Jiyeh, north of Sidon, at the site of a bombing that took place two nights ago,” Goracci recounted during a live broadcast, visibly shaken by the attack.

“The fixer had reported our presence to Hezbollah. We were filming without problems, and people were talking to us,” Goracci said. “Then someone appeared and tried to snatch the camera from us. We got back in the car ready to leave quickly, but more people arrived.”

Chased and attacked by the man, who reportedly threw a stone at them, they were confronted a second time at a gas station outside town.

“He was following us, and when the driver stopped at a gas station, by then we were out of town, he came at us, snatched the keys, tried to destroy the camera while no one came to our aid,” Goracci said.

Hamzeh, the driver and longtime collaborator, tried to mediate but collapsed unexpectedly.

“He passed away, fell to the ground. We ran to the hospital, and they told us that he had died after long attempts to revive him,” the journalist continued.

Marcello Greco, deputy editor in chief of foreign affairs at TG3, expressed shock at the attack and extended condolences to Hamzeh’s family.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also voiced solidarity with the TG3 team and offered heartfelt sympathy to Hamzeh’s loved ones.

While initial reports suggested the attackers may have been Hezbollah supporters, Goracci later told Italian news agency ANSA that the incident “was an outburst without any political implications,” caused by widespread tension among the population of the areas under attack.

Goracci, mourning the loss of her friend and colleague, said, “We have no words to describe Ahmed’s human depth and great sweetness.”


Turkiye blocks instant messaging platform Discord

Turkiye blocks instant messaging platform Discord
Updated 09 October 2024
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Turkiye blocks instant messaging platform Discord

Turkiye blocks instant messaging platform Discord
  • Ankara decided to remove access due to sufficient suspicion that the crimes of ‘child sexual abuse and obscenity’ have been committed

ISTANBUL: Turkiye has blocked access to instant messaging platform Discord following a court decision, the country’s infotech regulator said on Wednesday.
Turkiye’s Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) published the access ban decision on its website.
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said a court in the capital Ankara decided to remove access from Turkiye to San Francisco-based Discord due to sufficient suspicion that the crimes of “child sexual abuse and obscenity” have been committed.
“We are determined to protect our youth and children, from the harmful publications of social media and the Internet that constitute crimes. We will never allow attempts to shake the foundations of our social structure,” Tunc also said in a post on X.
The access ban decision comes after public outrage caused by the murder of two women, perpetrated by a 19-year-old man earlier this month.
Following the incident, content on social media showed some users of Discord were praising the killing which led to public outrage against certain communities on the platform.
On Tuesday, Russia’s communications regulator blocked Discord for violating Russian law, after previously fining the company for failing to remove banned content, the TASS news agency reported.