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SRMG Develops Digital Platforms of its Newspapers, Announces New Editorial Appointments

Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG)
Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG)
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SRMG Develops Digital Platforms of its Newspapers, Announces New Editorial Appointments

Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG)
Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG)

Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), the largest integrated media group in the Middle East and North Africa, announced the development of several digital platforms for some of its newspapers.

Additionally, SRMG appointed several new editors-in-chief and deputy editors-in-chief.

The announcement aligns with SRMG’s digital transformation, growth, and expansion strategy, demonstrating the Group’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of journalists and media professionals to meet the demands of audiences worldwide.

The new developments included Arriyadiyah, al-Eqtisadiah, and Malayalam News, effective Jan. 19, 2024.

The decision also reflects the significant shift in regional media consumption habits, particularly with the rising popularity of digital, social, and audio-visual media platforms.

The developments will optimize SRMG’s operational efficiency and support the production of innovative digital products across audio, video, and written formats, creating new and diverse content offerings and marketing opportunities for advertisers across its digital platforms.

Additionally, SRMG announced several appointments at the editor-in-chief level, empowering the next generation of media professionals and journalists.

The individuals have demonstrated the skills and knowledge to meet the evolving demands of SRMG’s diverse audience across different generations, backgrounds, and interests.

Ibrahim Hamidi has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of al-Majalla, the Arab world’s leading current and political affairs magazine.

With more than 22 years of experience, he has held various editorial positions at al-Hayat Newspaper, including Director of the publication’s office in Damascus.

Since 2017, he has served as a Senior Diplomatic Editor and Writer, covering Syrian affairs at Asharq Al-Awsat.

Additionally, he oversaw the digital transformation of al-Majalla, leading to an impressive annual increase of 1704 percent in views.

Mohammed al-Bishi has been appointed as the Acting Editor-in-Chief of AlEqtisadiah, in addition to maintaining his current role as Managing Editor of Asharq Business with Bloomberg in Saudi Arabia.

Bishi has held many editorial positions at Asharq Al-Awsat, al-Eqtisadiah, and Asharq Business with Bloomberg, ranked number one for digital economy news.

Bishi’s extensive economic and editorial expertise has played a pivotal role in the growth of Asharq Business with Bloomberg since its inception.

It comes following the latest strategic decision from SRMG to restructure al-Eqtisadiah under Asharq Business with Bloomberg, allowing it to focus on the most critical global business and economic news and its impact on the region through in-depth, high-quality analysis and coverage.

SRMG has appointed several new assistant editors-in-chief and deputy editors-in-chief to sustain high-quality editorial processes, transfer knowledge and skills, and create innovative media content.

Mohamed Hani has been appointed Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, the leading international Pan-Arab newspaper.

Hani brings a wealth of experience, having served in various editorial positions at al-Hayat and Asharq Al-Awsat.

He played a pivotal role in the recent revamp of Asharq Al-Awsat, overseeing the media title’s digital transformation and growth strategy by drawing on his extensive experience in modern content management systems.

Zaid bin Kami has been named deputy editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat. He previously served as Assistant Editor-in-Chief of al-Eqtisadiah and Director of Economic News at Asharq Al-Awsat.

Additionally, he worked as managing editor of Asharq Al-Awsat in Saudi Arabia from 2009 to 2014.

He brings extensive experience in both print and video journalism, specializing in economics. He has actively participated in several international conferences, showcasing his broad and diverse expertise.

Noor Nugali has been appointed Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, having progressed through various editorial assignments.

Notably, Nugali played a significant role in the launch of the digital version of Arab News in French in 2020. She has also conducted prominent interviews with leading political figures, including US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Nugali has been instrumental in covering high-level conferences and has been part of the media delegation for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s international tours.

May al-Sharif has been appointed as the Assistant Editor-in-Chief of Independent Arabia, having held several editorial positions within the publication, including her most recent role as Supervising Manager of the Riyadh office.

During her tenure in the content creation department, Sharif effectively implemented various projects and documentaries.

Additionally, she oversaw the media title’s social media accounts, contributing significantly to the publication’s establishment and development stages.

Commenting on this important step in SRMG’s digital transformation SRMG, CEO Jomana al-Rashid said: “We are proud of SRMG’s achievements over the past three years since launching our ambitious growth and transformation strategy.”

Rashid stated that this strategy was developed to address growing audience demand for accurate, in-depth, credible, and high-quality content, and “our investments aim to further cement the Group’s rich journalistic history through modern, innovative products and services.”

Rashid stressed that the Group’s growth and expansion strategy is “focused on maintaining our leading role at the forefront of the regional media landscape and reaffirming our commitment to meet the needs of our diverse audiences, utilizing innovative digital platforms.”

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Varieties

Bernadette Chirac, France’s Dedicated and Determined Ex-First Lady

French First Lady Bernadette Chirac listens to a speech by Queen Elizabeth II at the Senate in Paris 06 April 2004, on the second day of a three-day state visit to mark the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, the colonial-era promise of cross-channel friendship between Britain and France. (AFP)
French First Lady Bernadette Chirac listens to a speech by Queen Elizabeth II at the Senate in Paris 06 April 2004, on the second day of a three-day state visit to mark the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, the colonial-era promise of cross-channel friendship between Britain and France. (AFP)
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Bernadette Chirac, France’s Dedicated and Determined Ex-First Lady

French First Lady Bernadette Chirac listens to a speech by Queen Elizabeth II at the Senate in Paris 06 April 2004, on the second day of a three-day state visit to mark the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, the colonial-era promise of cross-channel friendship between Britain and France. (AFP)
French First Lady Bernadette Chirac listens to a speech by Queen Elizabeth II at the Senate in Paris 06 April 2004, on the second day of a three-day state visit to mark the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, the colonial-era promise of cross-channel friendship between Britain and France. (AFP)

Bernadette Chirac, who has died aged 93, stood by her late husband, former French president Jacques Chirac, during 12 years as first lady, but also forged her own, more discreet, political career.

Quiet, traditionally Roman Catholic and always immaculately turned out in classic suits and styled hair, she dedicated herself to the career of the man she married when she was 22 years old.

Jacques Chirac died on September 26, 2019, aged 86, after serving as president from 1995 to 2007.

"She is the woman of my life, we have accomplished so much together," Jacques Chirac -- who also served as prime minister and mayor of Paris -- wrote in his memoirs in 2012.

Current President Emmanuel Macron said Bernadette Chirac "changed so many lives with discretion and determination" and "left her mark on our history".

"An era comes to an end with her passing. I feel, like so many French people, a deep nostalgia," added Jacques Chirac's successor and protege, Nicolas Sarkozy.

- 'Not always easy' -

The couple met at Paris's political science university Sciences Po in 1954 and married two years later -- a match considered below the rank of Bernadette, who was born on May 18, 1933 into the aristocratic Chodron de Courcel family.

The marriage, during which she had two daughters, was not always easy, with Chirac admitting publicly to having a weakness for women and rumors abounding of affairs.

In her book "Conversation" (2001), she spoke about her Catholic faith and her opposition to abortion -- but also with unusual frankness about the tests through which a family can be put by a husband's infidelity.

Describing Jacques Chirac as a "handsome man" who had "enormous success with women", she wrote: "Nowadays at the first difficulty people just give up. But as far as I was concerned, I hesitated because I had children, and also because I was the prisoner of certain family traditions.

"Convention had it that in this sort of situation you put up a front and just kept going. In any case I warned him often enough: the day Napoleon left Josephine, he lost everything."

Jacques Chirac was elected head of state in 1995 and 2002, his 12 years in the job making him France's second longest-serving president after his Socialist predecessor Francois Mitterrand.

- 'Turtle' -

Bernadette described herself as a mere "wagon" hooked onto her powerhouse "engine" spouse, while he referred to his determined and sometimes authoritarian wife as "a turtle".

But she was also seen as an electoral asset in his campaigning, with her cheerful personality and charity work for sick children boosting her image, while her conservatism reassured right-wing voters.

Her discretion and immaculate appearance also made Bernadette into something of an icon herself. In 2023 French screen legend Catherine Deneuve starred in a film about her years as first lady, titled simply "Bernadette".

Besides being patron of several charities, she carved out her own modest political career as long-time elected councilor for the couple's rural home department of Correze and a member of the municipal council of the department's small village of Sarran.

In darker times in later life, a protective Bernadette closely guarded information about Chirac's deteriorating health as a degenerative neurological disorder took hold and he was confined to a wheelchair.

She lived to see her husband become the first president to be convicted for graft when he was given a two-year suspended sentence in 2011 for syphoning off public money to pay people working for his political party while Paris mayor.

After his death Bernadette, by then said to be in frail health, attended a private funeral service but was not present at the main ceremony attended by dozens of world leaders.

In 2016 their eldest daughter, Laurence, died aged 58, after a heart attack, having suffered with anorexia since 1974.

Varieties

Millions of Chinese Students Sit for Grueling 'Gaokao'

A student enters a school on the first day of China's National College Entrance Examination, known as "gaokao". WANG Zhao / AFP
A student enters a school on the first day of China's National College Entrance Examination, known as "gaokao". WANG Zhao / AFP
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Millions of Chinese Students Sit for Grueling 'Gaokao'

A student enters a school on the first day of China's National College Entrance Examination, known as "gaokao". WANG Zhao / AFP
A student enters a school on the first day of China's National College Entrance Examination, known as "gaokao". WANG Zhao / AFP

Hundreds of young Chinese students clutching pens and their IDs shuffled into a testing center in blue-skied Beijing on Sunday, swarmed by parents, joining millions sitting for the national high-stakes university entrance exam.

Around 12.9 million students nationwide registered for this year's "gaokao", according to the Ministry of Education, which for most is the sole determining factor in admission to a Chinese university.

The multi-day exam, which began Sunday, drills test-takers on subjects including Chinese, mathematics, English, science and the humanities -- with the tallied scores to be released later this month, said AFP.

"It's my first time, so I'm a bit anxious," said student Zhang Xinnan moments before entering the exam hall.

The spectacled Beijinger admitted he was nervous for the essay portion of the Chinese test, as he said he thought the prompts had become harder to respond to.

But, wearing his school uniform, the 18-year-old told AFP that despite the jitters he thought he would do well, having spent the last year drilling practice questions.

"The things we needed to master have been mastered," said Zhang, who hopes to work with new energy vehicles.

"Just go in with self-confidence; you'll be solid."

Some mothers and fathers clustered outside the exam halls dressed in red, a symbol of good fortune in Chinese culture.

Dozens of police and security guards milled about as parents stood beside the line of students waiting to enter the exam hall, hoping to film their children walking inside.

- Shifting attitudes -

High-level education has expanded rapidly in China in recent decades as an economic boom pushed up living standards -- as well as parental expectations for their children's careers.

Yet the job market that fresh graduates enter is no longer as rosy as it once was, with high youth unemployment a significant concern.

Roughly one in six Chinese between the ages of 16 and 24, excluding students, are jobless, according to official data.

Attitudes toward the test are changing, with students and parents more and more unwilling to trade physical and mental health for high test scores.

"I'm pretty free range," said mother Deng Ju, standing across from the exam hall holding a stack of practice books for her daughter, revising last minute with her friend nearby.

"Just perform normally; that's enough," said Deng, 53. "I care more about physical health; the test is just a formality."

For Deng, whose daughter isn't aiming for a "name school" such as the elite Tsinghua or Peking University in the capital, doing away with the gaokao would be ideal.

"No more gaokao. Let's not gaokao anymore," she told AFP. "But that's impossible," she said, smiling.

For many Beijing students, the gaokao was still a step toward achieving their dream.

"I hope I can go to my ideal university," said student Zhang.

His friends also cared about the exam, he said.

"But if we can calm down, we should be able to get to a stable mentality," said Zhang.

"Mentality is the most important when it comes to the gaokao."

Varieties

'I Thought I Would Perish': Everest Survivor Recounts Ordeal

Medics and rescuers carry mountaineer Dawa Sherpa upon his arrival at the HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu on June 4, 2026. (Photo by PRABIN RANABHAT / AFP)
Medics and rescuers carry mountaineer Dawa Sherpa upon his arrival at the HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu on June 4, 2026. (Photo by PRABIN RANABHAT / AFP)
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'I Thought I Would Perish': Everest Survivor Recounts Ordeal

Medics and rescuers carry mountaineer Dawa Sherpa upon his arrival at the HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu on June 4, 2026. (Photo by PRABIN RANABHAT / AFP)
Medics and rescuers carry mountaineer Dawa Sherpa upon his arrival at the HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu on June 4, 2026. (Photo by PRABIN RANABHAT / AFP)

A Nepali mountaineer who survived nearly a week on Mount Everest said he "chewed ice" to stay alive, as he recovered in a hospital after a miraculous rescue that stunned the climbing community.

Dawa Sherpa, 57, disappeared in brutal conditions on the upper slopes of the world's tallest mountain on May 30 during one of the final climbs of the spring season.

With few climbers still on the peak and his oxygen exhausted, relatives had given up hope and begun ritual mourning prayers, believing he had died on the mountain.

"I didn't think I would be alive," he told BBC Nepali on Friday from his hospital bed.

"I thought I would perish this way. I didn't get lost. As the oxygen ran out, I fell behind. After the oxygen finished, I couldn't walk."

Left stranded in freezing temperatures near Everest's "death zone", where oxygen levels are critically low, Dawa Sherpa said he survived for days with almost no food or water.

"I didn't eat anything for the first two days. Then I began chewing ice. It hurt my teeth. I chewed the ice hard," AFP quoted him as saying.

He survived on a few chocolates and snacks he found in his pockets.

"I soaked them in water and had them," he said.

Dawa Sherpa, also known as "Hillary" after legendary climber Edmund Hillary, had told others after his rescue that at one point he fell into a crevasse before managing to climb out.

"Stepping on the snow, I stood up and looked above... It felt I could get out from there," he said.

"I then looked for ropes and found one. Then I held on to it and walked... eventually I came down."

He said he walked day and night towards base camp until finally encountering people almost a week later.

He was found crawling towards the base camp on the morning of June 4 by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), a Nepali team that helps set routes on Everest and clean up waste left behind.

"Boys from SPCC were going up to collect the waste. I met them. They carried me down."

He was flown to Kathmandu for treatment for frostbite, severe dehydration and a fractured thigh bone, doctors said.

"He is doing well. We had a chat," his daughter Mendo Lhamu Sherpa told AFP.

His survival has sparked celebration among fellow climbers, but also anger from family members who accused rescue teams of failing to locate him sooner.

Nepal Mountaineering Association President Fur Gelje Sherpa called the survival extraordinary but said the incident highlighted serious concerns over climber safety.

"It is irresponsible and inhumane to leave a person behind," he said. "I believe that an investigation committee must be formed to hold the responsible people accountable for this."

Everest guide Rinji Sherpa, who comes from the same village as Dawa Sherpa, said the climber was highly experienced and familiar with the dangers of high-altitude mountaineering.

"He is very lucky, he has had several close calls before but he has survived," he said.

At least five climbers -- two Indians and three Nepalis -- died during this year's Everest season.

More than 1,000 climbers reached Everest's summit this season, according to preliminary Nepali government figures, making it the busiest season on record.