Saudi Media Oasis Nominated for WSIS Prizes 2024 – Asharq Al-awsat – English

The Media Oasis project, launched by the Saudi Ministry of Media, has been nominated for the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2024 Prizes.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) selected the project to represent Saudi Arabia in the government media sector category.
The nomination comes a year after the project’s launch in 2023, joining over a thousand global projects nominated for this year’s prize.
Additionally, Media Oasis’s nomination as the sole government representative from the Kingdom in the media sector category reflects the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Media and its partners from the government and private sectors.
These efforts have been evident in the Oasis’s five local and international editions, highlighting the importance of joint work in showcasing the achievements of the Kingdom’s major national transformation projects to the world.
The Media Oasis project has gained both local and international prominence, coinciding with the Kingdom’s participation in several global events and hosting several international and regional conferences.
The first edition of the Oasis was held in conjunction with the 32nd Arab Summit in Jeddah on May 18-19, 2023. The second edition took place alongside the annual Grand Hajj Symposium on June 20-22, 2023. The third edition was held in New Delhi from September 9 to 11, 2023, coinciding with the Kingdom’s participation in the G20 Leaders’ Summit and the official visit of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to India.
The fourth edition occurred in Diriyah, Riyadh, from November 9 to 11, 2023, coinciding with the Kingdom’s hosting of the Saudi-African Summit and the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit. The fifth edition was held in conjunction with the Kingdom’s participation in the 173rd General Assembly meeting to determine the host country for Expo 2030.
Through Media Oasis, the ministry provides a dedicated and convenient space for local and international media outlets and journalists to carry out media coverage of official and significant events from the center of key national projects and cover events hosted by the Kingdom.
Media Oasis has attracted over 9,800 guests worldwide in its five editions. It has been covered by over 455 media outlets and attended by over 2,600 national and international journalists representing over 70 countries who published over 440 news articles. Additionally, over 380 presenters representing over 65 government entities participated in the event.
Japan’s royal family is now on Instagram — but don’t expect any candid selfies from its official account, which went live Monday in a cautious social media debut for the ancient monarchy.
The first 19 posts are formally staged photos and videos of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako carrying out royal duties at recent public appearances.
Nonetheless, more than 160,000 users have followed the Imperial Household Agency (IHA) account, which was announced a week ago but set to private until Monday.
The Japanese monarchy has mythological origins stretching back more than two millennia, and any public criticism of the emperor remains taboo in the country.
By joining social media, the institution hopes to spark interest among younger generations about what the imperial family does, an IHA spokesperson confirmed to AFP.
But, perhaps predictably, the posts under the Instagram handle kunaicho_jp contain no behind-the-scenes juice.
Strictly factual captions explain what the emperor did on what day, from meeting foreign dignitaries to admiring bonsai trees, with comments moderated.
The account does not follow any other users, and has so far not ventured into Instagram Stories.
“The IHA is on Instagram! I thought it was an April Fools’ prank!” one X user wrote in reaction to the launch.
“When I heard the IHA created an Instagram account, I quickly checked it out. But of course the emperor wouldn’t post ‘today’s lunch (heart emoji)’ or anything like that,” wrote another.
Some users joked it was good the royals had chosen the more “civilized” Instagram over X, formerly Twitter.
Naruhito ascended the Chrysanthemum throne in 2019 in a tradition-laden ceremony after his highly popular father became the first emperor to abdicate in over two centuries.
Other monarchies have created social media accounts, including Britain’s royals, who have recently been at the center of a storm of rumors and conspiracy theories.
The manipulation of a family photograph the palace released to the media fueled online speculation over the whereabouts of Catherine, Princess of Wales, who later revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer.
An electric-powered tricycle has burst into flames while parked outside Buckingham Palace, Britain’s The Independent reported.
Video posted on social media show firefighters tackling the blaze on Spur Road in central London at around 12.42pm on Saturday afternoon.
One person who posted footage of the incident on X reported hearing an “explosion” as the vehicle caught fire, The Independent said.
The charred remains of what appeared to be a tricycle and its frame were seen after the blaze was put out.
It’s thought the e-vehicle was being used to tow a rickshaw or a pedicab.
The Metropolitan Police said the fire was not believed to be suspicious or deliberate and the incident was over quickly.
The fire is believed to have started inside the e-vehicle’s battery.
Meters away from the concrete and steel fence separating the Gaza Strip from Egypt, 11-year-old Malak Ayad flies a paper kite high in the sky — a welcome distraction from the horrors of war.
“Every day I play with my brothers and cousins with kites next to the Egyptian border,” said the Palestinian girl, displaced from Gaza City with her family to the southern city of Rafah.
“When I do, I feel free and safe,” she added, gently maneuvering her kite, which she calls “Butterfly”, back and forth across the border with a white string.
Her cousins and friends run along the fence trying, in vain, to get their kites to take flight, but a loud explosion in the distance makes them stop in their tracks.
“Quickly, the (Israeli) bombardment is getting closer,” said Malak’s uncle Mohammed Ayad, 24, urging the children to leave the area.
Malak quickly obeys, reeling in her kite and folding it, then rushes back to a tent where her family is taking shelter in the nearby Khir area.
“Playtime is over. When air strikes begin we run back home,” Malak said, trembling with fear.
The war began with Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack that resulted in about 1,160 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign to destroy Hamas has killed at least 32,782 people, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry.
‘Trapped’
Malak Ayad and her family are among 1.5 million people, most of them displaced by the war, now living in Rafah, where Israel has vowed to carry a ground offensive as it pursues its campaign against Hamas.
Despite the war and the fear that grips her, Malak seems to be happy to fly her kite and dreams of life as it was before the war broke out on October 7.
“My kite flies to Egypt everyday while we are here trapped in Gaza,” said Malak, who wears a bracelet featuring the Palestinian flag.
“I don’t know when we will be able to return home,” she said, adding that her mother told her that her school has been hit by the Israeli army and “destroyed”.
Haitham Abu Ajwa, 34, who is also displaced from Gaza City, said kite flying “reminds me of my childhood”.
He too lives in a tent in Rafah with his wife and two boys, Mohammed, 5, and seven-months-old Adam.
Flying kites helps to “free oneself of negative thoughts”, he said, and the border area with Egypt is “the ideal place to expel… the sadness and pain that we feel”.
“In the camps, you cannot feel free or comfortable,” said Abu Ajwa as he helped Mohammed fly a kite.
Dozens of children, some with their families, come daily to the border area in the afternoons to fly kites across the frontier.
Some start up conversations with Egyptian soldiers manning surveillance towers.
When Malak’s kite flew past the watchtower, one of the soldiers called out to her: “Well done, princess.”
The little girl thanked him with a wave and said, “I love Egypt. My wish is to travel there like my kite.”
Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Dr. Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh instructed on Sunday the ministry’s branches all over the Kingdom to prepare for Eid Al-Fitr prayers at all designated prayer areas and mosques.
He emphasized the significance of early preparations for the Eid Al-Fitr prayer, which include carrying out necessary services such as maintenance and cleaning, to ensure that worshippers can perform their rituals with ease and peace of mind.
The time for Eid prayer in all regions of the Kingdom has been set for 15 minutes after sunrise according to the Umm al-Qura calendar.
Al Al-Sheikh’s directive aligns with the ministry’s commitment to maintaining, supporting, and caring for all the mosques in the Kingdom, as per the leadership’s wise guidance.
King Charles III shook hands and chatted with onlookers after attending an Easter service at Windsor Castle on Sunday in his most significant public outing since being diagnosed with cancer last month.
The king, dressed in a dark overcoat and shiny blue tie, smiled as he made his way along a rope line outside St. George’s Chapel for about five minutes, reaching into the crowd to greet supporters who waved get-well cards and snapped photos on a chilly early spring day.  
“You’re very brave to stand out here in the cold,” Charles told them.
“Keep going strong,” one member of the crowd shouted as Charles and Queen Camilla walked by.
The 75-year-old monarch’s appearance was seen as an effort to reassure the public after Charles stepped back from public duties in early February following an announcement by Buckingham Palace that he was undergoing treatment for an unspecified type of cancer.
The king has continued fulfilling his state duties, such as reviewing government papers and meeting with the prime minister. But his attendance at a traditional royal event like the Easter service is seen as a sign that he is beginning a managed return to public life. British media reported last week that Charles would slowly increase his public appearances after Easter.
The service itself was smaller than usual as Kate, the Princess of Wales, is also being treated for cancer and has paused public duties. The princess, her husband Prince William and their children did not attend.
Kate shock’s announcement that she, too, had cancer was made on March 22, after weeks of speculation about her health and whereabouts following major abdominal surgery in February.
Charles’ enforced absence from public life has been a setback for a man who is eager to put his stamp on the monarchy after waiting almost 74 years — longer than any previous heir — to become king.
When he succeeded his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Charles faced the daunting task of demonstrating that the 1,000-year-old monarchy remains relevant in a modern nation whose citizens come from all corners of the globe. After less than two years on the throne, the king is still defining himself with the public as he tries to persuade young people and members of minority communities that the royal family can represent them.
“He knows that being seen by the public and having public goodwill is really what’s at the core of a successful monarchy,” royal commentator Jennie Bond told the BBC. “He needs to have that interaction and I think he quite enjoys it, actually.”
Although the duties of a constitutional monarch are largely ceremonial, the job of being a royal can be exhausting.
Besides the occasional procession in full royal regalia, there are meetings with political leaders, dedication ceremonies and events honoring the accomplishments of British citizens. That added up to 161 days of royal engagements during Charles’s first year on the throne.
The palace has worked hard to keep the king in the public eye — even as he sought to limit contacts to reduce his risk of infection while receiving treatment. Videos of the king reading get-well cards and an audience with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were released. He also attended a session of the Privy Council, an assembly of senior advisers.
While he skipped a pre-Easter service on Thursday, Charles released a prerecorded audio message in which he expressed his regret at missing an occasion traditionally attended by the monarch.
The king also reaffirmed his coronation pledge “not to be served, but to serve.”
“That I have always tried to do and continue to do, with my whole heart,” he said.
Ontario’s Niagara Region has declared a state of emergency as it prepares to welcome up to a million visitors for the solar eclipse in early April, The Associated Press reported.
The total solar eclipse on April 8 will be the first to touch the province since 1979, and Niagara Falls was declared by National Geographic to be one of the best places to see it.
The city is in the path of totality, where the moon will entirely block the sun’s rays for a few minutes. Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said earlier in March that he expects the most visitors his city has ever seen in a single day.
The regional municipality of Niagara is proactively invoking a state of emergency to prepare for the event, AP said. The declaration announced Thursday sets in motion some additional planning tools to prepare for the day, which could involve major traffic jams, heavier demands on emergency services and cell phone network overloads.
The eclipse will reach Mexico’s Pacific coast in the morning, cut diagonally across the United States from Texas to Maine, and exit in eastern Canada by late afternoon. Most of the rest of the continent will see a partial eclipse.
Normally they’re the ones grilling Washington power players. But the tables have been turned on the White House press corps.
A news report made waves Friday in the US capital with its humorous — but detailed — investigation into rampant theft from the press section of Air Force One, the president’s official plane.
“For years, scores of journalists — and others — have quietly stuffed everything from engraved whiskey tumblers to wine glasses to pretty much anything with the Air Force One insignia on it into their bag before stepping off the plane,” Politico reported.
Last month, the White House Correspondents’ Association sent an email to its members, issuing a stern notice that missing items from the press cabin — kept by reporters as memorabilia — had not gone unnoticed.
When the US president travels, he is accompanied by 13 journalists in the back of his Boeing.
Media outlets pay for the journalists to fly on the government plane, along with the meals and drinks served in-flight, AFP reported.
The crew distributes as souvenirs small packages of M&M’s chocolates bearing the presidential seal and the US leader’s signature. Glasses and other Air Force One-branded accessories are available for purchase online.
But that is not good enough for many of those aboard the plane, Politico’s report noted, describing the sounds of plates and glassware clinking in journalists’ backpacks as they disembark.
In one instance, a former White House correspondent for a major newspaper hosted a dinner party, serving food on a set of gold-rimmed Air Force One plates that had been pilfered over time, according to the report.
But in a town of ambitious strivers, at least one journalist heeded the scolding from the correspondents’ association — culminating in the “discreet return” of an embroidered pillowcase after a meeting was arranged between the reporter and a press official in a park across from the White House, Politico said.
“The pillowcase changed hands, and that was that.”
Mohamed Mansour, a businessman and former Egyptian government minister, has been given a knighthood in the United Kingdom for his business, charity and political service.
The Egyptian-born business tycoon, who has British citizenship, is the chairman of the Mansour Group and founded the London-based investment firm Man Capital.
Mansour was joined in receiving a knighthood by Demis Hassabis, founder of artificial intelligence company DeepMind, and by film-making couple Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas, who will receive a knighthood and a damehood. American businessman Ted Sarandos, the co-chief of Netflix, was given an honorary knighthood.
Backbench MP Philip Davies and Mark Spencer were also knighted, while Tracey Crouch, a former minister, was made a dame along with Treasury committee chair Harriett Baldwin.
When is a vegetable not a vegetable? When it’s a potato, according to a new US government proposal to reclassify the starchy staple that has infuriated lawmakers in rural districts.
US senators Susan Collins and Michael Bennet — a Maine Republican and a Colorado Democrat — are spearheading a bid to convince government officials to back away from plans to call the root vegetable a grain, a move they fear would hurt farming.
“Since the inception of the US Department of Agriculture, it has classified potatoes correctly as a vegetable,” Collins and Bennet said in a letter to both the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services.
The proposals for stripping the potato of its “vegetable” status appear in the forthcoming Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030, produced jointly by the two departments, AFP reported.
Americans eat more potatoes than any other vegetable — 50 pounds per person per year, according to USDA figures — although almost half of those come in frozen form, for example as fries.
Nutritionists painted a grim picture of the country’s consumption habits in a 2019 government study, estimating that just a tenth of adults eat enough vegetables.
And experts disagree on whether potatoes should count toward an individual’s vegetable intake, as they are high in carbohydrates, which can cause spikes in blood sugar levels.
The senators pointed to a 2013 National Library of Medicine study that asserted that potatoes “should be included in the vegetable group because they contribute critical nutrients.”
“There is no debate about the physical characteristics of the potato and its horticultural scientific classification. Unlike grains, white potatoes are strong contributors of potassium, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and fiber,” they argued.
The senators said a change in the classification would confuse consumers, retailers, restaurateurs and growers.
Potato farming contributes $540 million in annual sales to the economy of Collins’s state, according to online publication The Maine Wire, with 6,100 jobs linked to the industry.
South Korea is launching a high-speed train service that will reduce the travel time between central Seoul and its outskirts, a project officials hope will encourage more youth to consider homes outside the city, and start having babies, Reuters reported.
South Korea has the world’s lowest fertility rate, and its youth have often cited long commutes and cramped, expensive housing in greater Seoul, home to about half the population, as the main reasons for not getting married and starting a family.
The birth rate in Seoul is even lower than the national average, and the government has tried to boost the number of newborns through subsidies, with little success.
Officials are now pinning their hopes on the Great Train eXpress (GTX), a 134 trillion won ($99.5 billion) underground speedtrain project that, by 2035, will provide six lines linking Seoul to several outlying areas.
On Friday, President Yoon Suk Yeol inaugurated a section of the first line, which will cut the commute time from Suseo in capital to the satellite city of Dongtan to 19 minutes from 80 minutes now on a bus.
The shorter commute “will enable people to spend more time with their family in the mornings and evenings,” he added.
The line is due to go into service on Saturday, and once fully operational, the GTX will be one of the fastest underground systems in the world, with trains travelling at speeds of up to 180 km per hour (112 mph), officials said.
Owning a home in South Korea is costly, with median prices hitting a peak in June 2021 after rising 45% over five years. Seoul is particularly expensive, offering some of the worst value for money per square foot of any advanced economy, analysts say.
Land Minister Park Sang-woo told Reuters the GTX would allow young people to consider homes far away from the capital without having to spend hours commuting. The time they get back can go towards their families, he added.
“With two-hour commute on the way home, for example, how can anyone make time for babies? The idea is to give people more leisure time after work,” he said.
Some analysts, however, said the GTX could contribute to the decline of rural South Korea, by sucking more people into the already overcrowded capital.
“To revive regional towns facing extinction, the most important thing is to equip other areas with a similar kind of public infrastructure too,” said Kim Jin-yoo, professor of Urban Planning & Transportation Engineering at Kyonggi University.
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