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A new year... How does 2025 return?

This is another year, arriving amidst the preparations of the Arab world before the West, forgetting Gaza, rejoicing in guests heading towards life while there are innocents who have found nothing but a spectacle to behold, facing death, displacement, and exile from every direction, overshadowed by aspirations for peace from the barbaric Israeli-American war machine. This scene evokes the suffering of the Syrians under Assad's tyranny, with a unique social and political reality, as extraordinary movements of chaos spread everywhere, reaching levels beyond the imagination of artificial intelligence—not of humans. From Morocco to the East, in a circular loop of this vast world, there are great expectations that hardly differ from their counterparts, as backgrounds fade, the calendar's history heals, and the traditions of celebration vary from place to place, even as this time the celebrations will differ in Gaza and in Syria that was liberated from the claws of the ousted (bin Assad) in 2024. The reverberations of destruction and death in the Middle East have compelled many countries to reconsider many of their future political, economic, and security calculations.
A new year... So how does it return? Inspired by the wars and political changes of 2024, which influenced many nations' elections, including France, Germany, Japan, and India, while Russia remains steadfast with its current bear, Vladimir Putin, who garnered 88% of the votes after his re-election, despite the war between Moscow and Kyiv yielding no territorial gains and the loss of bases in Syria in the Middle East. This has triggered global movements, and we have witnessed demonstrations worldwide in support of Palestine and in joy for Syria.
Gaza and Syria have unleashed a giant wave sweeping through all global capitals, resembling the revolutionary waves of 1848 and 2011 in the Arab world and Europe aimed at overthrowing authoritarian regimes. The conflict in Gaza has broadened with several escalation pathways leading to a regional war, pulling the U.S. and Iran directly into fighting through Israel. The great Syrian machine and its resources have been destroyed, but its people possess goodness, making the conflict pose risks to the region, extending to Yemen and the global economy, opening the door for further geopolitical and political divisions, and fueling global "extremism." The shortest path to escalation is Israel's decision or peace, which has seen the death of all international laws.
This will be another turbulent year for U.S.-China relations, particularly regarding Taiwan and technological competition. However, domestic concerns have convinced both countries that better-managed relations serve both sides. Meanwhile, Trump announces a war on BRICS nations, as populists in Europe continue to stir fear within the European political establishment. Yet the limited setbacks of major parties in the European Parliament and national and local elections will not overturn the European political system or hinder the ambitions of the European Union, which is rejuvenating itself in fear of the coming Trump years and the Ukraine war. Socialist organizations and others have failed to create real roots among workers, reducing popular support for these regimes, and with their fall, a significant political gap has arisen, quickly filled by currents of political Islam. Should we then swim against the current? In light of the absence of American leadership and its backward role after losing its global prestige in Afghanistan and Biden and Harris faltering before Trump, while focusing on the European Union as evidenced by NATO's aerial campaign in Libya and Ukraine. The ongoing war in Syria has reflected a change in the global power map; while the U.S. was about to launch a military strike on the Syrian regime in August 2013, Russia intervened dramatically reshaping the situation, indicating that the U.S. could not act alone. This fundamentally reflects a shift in American policy inward following the 2008 global financial crisis, the immigration issue on its borders in 2018, and the fires, storms, and scandals recently affecting its leaders.
As for Europe, its paths remained indecisive and perplexed in the face of the overwhelming wave of internal movements of its peoples, as it lagged in recognizing and keeping pace with events unfolding in its southern neighborhood. However, it caught up late with developments in Syria, which was struggling for freedom from Iran and the losing militias of Hezbollah, as if it were a moment that inspired the political and economic scholar Francis Fukuyama to write his great work "The End of History and the Last Man," confirming Fukuyama's prophecy's truth. What will 2025 bring us?
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Levant: Ibrahim Jalal Fadlon
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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