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Detained by Regime.. American Journalist's Family Confirms He's Alive in Syria
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Rapid Developments in Syria May Mark Turning Point in Tice's Fate, but Could Bring New Complications to Liberation Process

Syria's hostage issue regained global attention with armed formations' rapid advance, particularly HTS, and prisoner releases, especially foreign missing persons cases among various conflicting parties.
American journalist Austin Tice's mother discussed information confirming her son's survival after 12+ years missing in Syria. Deborah Tice revealed during National Press Club interview Friday, before White House meeting, that "family has important source verified by all US government agencies that Austin Tice is alive."
She expressed deep disappointment with Biden administration, which told them during meeting to await Syria's rapid developments before taking additional steps for Tice's release. Family said source indicated "her son receives care and is well." Marc Tice, hostage's father, reported Thursday's State Department meeting yielded no tangible results.
He indicated meeting limited to exchanging blame and accusations about obstacles and responsibilities, without reaching practical solutions. Jacob Tice, Austin's brother, said he urged National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to commit to direct communication channels with Syrian regime president for Austin's release, but Sullivan declined such promise.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told media "National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Tice family," adding Sullivan regularly meets with families of illegally detained Americans, confirming continued follow-up on their return per CNN.
Source familiar with Biden administration information denied any assessment changes regarding Austin Tice's situation, indicating no new data. Bill McCarren, National Press Club's Press Freedom Center director, accused Biden administration of "lying" about hostage information.
Notably, Tice previously served in US Marine Corps, working as freelance journalist when kidnapped in 2012 while covering uprising against Syrian regime president Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, aged 31 then.
US State Department confirmed last August, marking 12 years since kidnapping: "We know Syrian government detained Austin, repeatedly offered ways to bring him home."
While Syrian regime never acknowledged Tice's detention or provided survival evidence, armed factions' recent advance and prison liberations in Aleppo and Hama revived hopes of finding American journalist.
Despite absent US-Damascus diplomatic relations, US government sought Syrian regime official contact recent years regarding Tice, including State Department hostage affairs senior official Roger Carstens' Damascus visit without results.
Levant-Agencies
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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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