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Turkey preparations for Syria offensive ‘completed’

Turkey’s preparations for an offensive in northern Syria have been “completed”, the defense ministry said Tuesday, after confusing signals from the US over whether it would allow an operation.
US President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of US troops from Turkey’s border with Syria after a phone call with his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Turkish president has repeatedly threatened to attack Kurdish militants in northern Syria due to their ties with separatists in his own country.
“All of the preparations for an operation have been completed,” the Turkish defense ministry tweeted, hours after US forces withdrew from the border area.
Erdogan had earlier said the operation could come at any moment “without warning”.
Trump’s move was seen by critics as an abandonment of Kurdish forces which had been the key ally in the fight against ISIS.
But there was confusion later on Monday when Trump tweeted that he would “obliterate” Turkey’s economy if it did anything he did not like.
The White House also said Turkey would be responsible for thousands of ISIS prisoners currently held in Kurdish detention centers.
Ankara says it wants a “safe zone” along northern Syria that will act as a buffer against Kurdish forces and also allow the return home of up to two million Syrian refugees.
It has previously launched two cross-border offensives against ISIS in 2016 and the YPG in 2018, with the support of Syrian rebels.
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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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