Saudi educator known for charity and prisoner work wins $1 million Global Teacher Prize
Mansour al-Mansour received the award at the end of the World Governments Summit in Dubai, an annual event that draws leaders from across the globe.
Al-Mansour is also an author and is known for work in his community, including a program that helped ensure people had access to air conditioning maintenance during Saudi Arabia's scorching summer months.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
10-07-2025
- New York Post
Archaeologist unearths mysterious Christian settlement hidden away for centuries
An archaeologist recently uncovered the likely remains of a long-forgotten Byzantine settlement, offering new insights into the history of Christianity in the Middle East. Musallam R. Al-Rawahneh, an associate professor of archaeology at Mu'tah University in Jordan, recently published his findings in the journal Gephyra in May. The archaeologist believes he's uncovered the ancient site of Tharais, guided by the enigmatic Madaba Map – a remarkable mosaic that has puzzled historians for centuries. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Al-Rawahneh said he located the site near the Jordanian village of El-ʿIrāq, in an area known as Ain Al-Qala'a. Though the site was lost to obscurity, the historian said the once-thriving settlement was located 'strategically' along trade routes to the southeastern Dead Sea region. At the site, Al-Rawahneh and his team uncovered artifacts ranging from pottery shards and stone tools to glass remnants. He also uncovered fossils during his excavation. The area was filled with architectural remains, including a Byzantine church. When asked what was the most interesting finding at the site, Al-Rawahneh pointed to several discoveries, including the Christian church and an olive oil press. The church, which the historian called 'basilica-style,' retained fragments of mosaic floors typical of Byzantine Christian sites. 3 Associate professor of archaeology at Mu'tah University, Musallam R. Al-Rawahneh uncovered the likely remains of a long-forgotten Byzantine settlement. Musallam R. Al-Rawahneh/Gephyra '[It] reflects Byzantine design, including a prominent entrance and possible remnants of decorative elements,' he said. Archaeologists also found various inscriptions, which Al-Rawahneh said were linked to ancient funerary practices. While the inscriptions require further research, the professor said they 'may include Christian imagery and references,' which will provide more insight into ancient religious practices. So what led to Tharais becoming 'lost'? Al-Rawahneh said the site was abandoned by the 7th century A.D., based on what archaeologists have learned about activity in the area. 3 The remains were discovered near the Jordanian village of El-ʿIrāq. Musallam R. Al-Rawahneh/Gephyra The expert pointed to changes in trade routes, earthquakes and environmental changes as possible reasons. Al-Rawahneh also noted that the area transitioned from Byzantine to Islamic control in the seventh century. More research is in the works, including surveys of surrounding areas and additional analysis of the artifacts that were found, he said. In the future, Al-Rawahneh said he hopes that upcoming research will 'enhance the understanding of Tharais and its significance within the broader context of Byzantine archaeology in Jordan.' 3 Al-Rawahneh and his team of archaeologists found pottery shards, stone tools, glass remnants, and architectural remains, including a Byzantine church. Musallam R. Al-Rawahneh/Gephyra The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, lasted from 330 A.D. to the 15th century. The empire began to take shape in 330 A.D., when Constantine the Great moved the Roman capital to Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople. Many fascinating finds from the Byzantine era still turn up in Asia Minor and the Middle East today. In May, Israeli officials put a 1,600-year-old Byzantine-era mosaic from a Christian monastery on public display for the first time. In Syria, a contractor recently stumbled across a Byzantine tomb complex while clearing rubble.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Child survivor of Gaza family strike heads to Italy
A 10-year-old Palestinian boy who survived an Israeli air strike in Gaza last month which killed his father and nine siblings was due to arrive in Italy Wednesday for treatment. Adam and his mother, paediatrician Alaa al-Najjar, were due to fly to Milan in northern Italy on Wednesday evening alongside his aunt and four cousins, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said. "Adam will arrive in Milan and will be admitted to the Niguarda (hospital), because he has multiple fractures and he will be treated there," Tajani told Rtl radio. A plane carrying Palestinians in need of medical care is scheduled to land at 7:30 pm (1730 GMT) at Milan's Linate airport, according to the foreign ministry. Adam had a hand amputated and suffered severe burns across his body following the strike on the family house in the city of Khan Yunis on May 23. His mother was at work when the bomb hit the house, killing nine of her children and injuring Adam and his father, doctor Hamdi al-Najjar, who died last week. Al-Najjar, who ran to the house to find her children charred beyond recognition, told Italy's Repubblica daily: "I remember everything. Every detail, every minute, every scream." "But when I remember it's too painful, so I try to keep my mind focused entirely on Adam," she said in an interview published Wednesday ahead of their arrival. Asked by his mother during the interview to describe his hopes, Adam said he wanted to "live in a beautiful place". "A beautiful place is a place where there are no bombs. In a beautiful place the houses are not broken and I go to school," he said, according to La Repubblica. "Schools have desks, the kids study their lessons but then they go play in the courtyard and nobody dies. "A beautiful place is where they operate on my arm and my arm works again. In a beautiful place my mother is not sad. They told me that Italy is a beautiful place." Al-Najjar said she has packed the Koran, their documents and Adam's clothes. "I am heartbroken. I am leaving behind everything that was important to me. My husband, my children, the hospital where I worked, my job, my patients," she said. "People are dying of hunger. If not of hunger, of bombs. We would just like to live in peace," she told the daily. The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 54,981 people, the majority civilians, have been killed in the territory since the start of the war. The UN considers these figures reliable. ide/ar/giv
Chicago Tribune
11-06-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Asking Eric: She is my only sister
Dear Eric: My sister suffers from alcoholism and drug addiction from way back. I am the exact opposite of her in almost every way – rarely drink, never do drugs. She perceives me to be a 'goody-two-shoes,' and I was given a nickname of 'miss maturity' by her and other siblings. It was not a positive nickname. She is my only sister. I will do, and have done, anything I can think of to be her support. I want her in my life whatever that takes, whatever that means. She is currently in the hospital in very bad shape. I fear that she is at death's door. She will not answer my calls or texts (she does for others). I have sent texts to her apologizing for anything that upset her and remind her how much I love her, think about her and pray for her. One of my brothers says I should just let it go. Part of me agrees with that and I haven't reached out in a few weeks. The other part of me thinks I will deeply regret not reaching out to her before she passes, if she passes soon. I'm so torn up. It's very reflective of our relationship for the past 50 years. I'm always confused. I'm always torn up. I never have a good idea on what to do. Do you have any advice? – Scorned Sister Dear Sister: I'm sorry that your sister is struggling and I'm sorry that you're suffering, too. This difficult dynamic would be hard to navigate had it just popped up, but having to deal with it for 50 years must have been awful. Try to grant yourself some grace here. You've taken on a lot of the responsibility for fixing the relationship you have with your sister. This could simply be how your personalities work, but it has some of the hallmarks of a codependency that can develop in families where one or more members suffers from addiction. You're overcompensating for the things that your sister won't or can't give you. This isn't something wrong with you, but it is a dynamic that's not serving you. There is no crime in being a 'goody two-shoes' and yet her behavior has you apologizing. She likely has some old resentment against you that's not really about you. And so, unfortunately, it's also not something that you can solve for her. Putting some distance between you is a wise idea. You may be helped by Melody Beattie's book 'The Language of Letting Go' or by visiting an Al-Anon or SMART Family Recovery meeting to help process your feelings. Reach out to one of your brothers about arranging a visit with your sister, to put your mind and heart at ease. An in-person visit may not turn out to be all that you need, but it may help you to reframe your way of thinking about this relationship. You've done what you can – more than you can. You haven't failed your sister. Dear Eric: A couple of years ago I reconnected with a high school friend. We are in our 60s. We occasionally get together for coffee or dinner, but I find myself making excuses not to meet. This woman, I'll call her Sue, has never married, never had children, has no grandchildren and now has retired. She reaches out incessantly asking to go shopping, see a movie, dinner. Unfortunately, I find Sue very boring, I struggle trying to keep the conversation going but it's tough. I'm beginning to dread these get-togethers. I still work and if I have any time off, I'd rather spend it with my grandchildren. I have offered suggestions of local volunteer opportunities, but she doesn't seem interested. I'm on the verge of ghosting her but that's not my nature. Am I being too selfish? – Lousy Friend Dear Friend: I don't think you're being selfish, and I don't think you're the lousy friend you characterized yourself as. Sometimes people misalign. You're to be commended for trying to find creative ways to have meaningful interactions with Sue, i.e., the volunteering. And she's to be commended for reaching out and trying to maintain connections. That can be hard; friendship isn't always easy. Unfortunately, what you want and what she wants are diverging. You don't need to make yourself miserable. Sometimes, kind and direct is better than ghosting, however. Try telling Sue that you're not as available for social outings as you have been, because you want to spend time with your grandchildren and other parts of your life. Perhaps raise the possibility of volunteering together again, if you'd like. It's good to ask a friend for connection, and I hope Sue keeps reaching out to others and building her social network. But it's also fine to moderate how much connection you can give.
