It was around 5:30 a.m. when my cameraman Ramil knocked on the door of my room. “We have to go now. Romeo has arrived and is waiting outside the hostel,” he said. I was already up, well prepared for the meeting with one of the leaders of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Sulu Island. Romeo was the guide and driver set to take me and my team into the island’s jungle to meet this leader.
The plan was to return within three hours to Jolo, the island’s main city. I had promised Jolo’s mayor to attend the Philippine Independence Day ceremony. This was on June 12, 2012. I was working on a documentary about Mindanao and the Muslims of the southern Philippines, which required me to travel from Manila to Sulu Island.
My Filipino coordinator said he was tied up with his work in Manila but had arranged all the interviews and made all the arrangements for my visit to Zamboanga City and Sulu Island, including the interview with the ASG leader. He kept saying: “My brother, you will be in good hands.”
The night before I was kidnapped, he sent me a text saying the same thing. Something inside me warned me of a lurking threat but I ignored the feeling. My coordinator arranged the accommodation for me and my team at Sulu Students Hostel and insisted that I refuse to stay with the governor of the island or with the mayor of Jolo. “They should not know about our plans to meet with the ASG leader,” he said.
As Romeo drove toward the jungle, I had a feeling I would not return soon. The car crashed three times during the journey; the third time, Romeo left the car on the road and told us (I and my team) to continue on foot. This added to my feeling that something was not right; you cannot just leave the car on the road and continue with your journey unless it is serious.
The journalist in me ignored every sign of threat and kept me going. “You should do this scoop, meet the ASG leader in the jungle and get a first-hand account of the conflict in Mindanao,” I thought to myself. I had interviewed all the other parties involved in the conflict of Mindanao by then.
We were deep inside the Patikol area, ASG’s stronghold. Armed men from every side of the jungle appeared with guns and munitions. Abu Rami, an ASG leader who was later ambushed and killed by the Philippine army, gave money to Romeo, who left us with our kidnappers.
I spent 18 months in captivity, in the heart of the Sulu jungle, living among ignorant people, to say the least. When Sheikh Mohammed Hussein, the grand mufti of Jerusalem, appealed to my kidnappers to release me, they had hardly heard of Jerusalem. One of them asked me about it, to which I said: “Have you heard about Al-Aqsa Mosque?” He said: “Yes, that is in Spain?” I could barely keep myself from bursting into laughter.
I was astonished by their ignorance and could hardly believe what I heard from them in the first six months of my kidnapping. But soon I realized the jungle had its own world disconnected from the outside. I appeared alien to them. During the first month of my kidnapping, all the men, women and children would gather around my hut watching me carefully, as if I was a new creature that landed in their world.
When the mufti of Sulu, Abd Al-Baqi Abu Bakr, contacted them via a local mediator and asked them to release me, denouncing their act, they said about him: “He is not an honest man, he is astray and wants to take ransom money for himself.” I told them: “But is it right for you to deprive me of my freedom and demand to have my money, which you have no right to?”
Five years since my kidnapping, the situation in the southern Philippines does not seem to be getting any better. Kidnappings and executions of hostages continue. Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall were beheaded in April and July 2016, respectively, by an ASG thug named Ben who was an illiterate and former drug addict at best.
The ASG has declared its allegiance to Daesh. In addition to groups that split from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), such as the Maute Group and a faction of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), groups from ASG joined Daesh in the Philippines and formed the State of the Philippines led by Insilon Hapilon, a former ASG leader not very different from Ben.
The Philippine government and armed forces are not innocent. They are part of the problem and their policies over the years have resulted in a sense of anger, grievance and hatred toward the state among the Muslim population in the south.
The ASG element that joined Daesh found its new umbrella very similar in its actions, as both have the same traditions and mindset. These people have been kidnapping, robbing and killing, apparently for the cause of the Moros, and allowed their ignorance to justify their ugly deeds.
People who do not respect their word, they promised to give me an interview but betrayed my team and I. They never kept a single promise they made regarding my release. Even Romeo, whom Shakespeare made a symbol of love and loyalty, turned out to be a traitor by being associated with the ASG.
• Baker Atyani can be reached on Twitter @atyanibaker.
Journalist Baker Atyani looks back on kidnap ordeal in Philippine jungle
Journalist Baker Atyani looks back on kidnap ordeal in Philippine jungle
Fearless Saudi 13-year-old launches Vision 2030 podcast
- Teenager aims to educate the public about Kingdom’s vision
- Overcame public speaking fears to become podcaster
RIYADH: Saudi Linda Al-Faisal, who is only 13, aims to make an impact through her podcast, Linda Vision 2030, with each episode featuring a guest trailblazer.
Through her podcast, she connects with thousands of local and international subscribers, engaging in conversations about the Kingdom’s vision.
In her first episode, titled “How Saudi Arabia Became a Global Hub,” she discusses the projects being driven by the Kingdom, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, claiming “Saudi Arabia is no longer the land you once knew.”
In her third episode, Al-Faisal interviewed Tamim Turki, a teenage Saudi sports presenter.
Then, in her fourth episode, Al-Faisal sat down Hassan Yusuf, program director for Saudi Arabia’s Real Madrid foundation, where the pair discussed the role of youth in achieving the goals of Vision 2030.
When she was five years old, Al-Faisal was interested in becoming a ballerina, and after being enrolled in classes she later fulfilled her childhood dream. Today, she is a ballerina as well as a podcast host.
Influenced by her friends, who have their own podcast, Al-Faisal decided to create her own platform.
“Why I chose (the topic of) Vision 2030 is because many people don’t know what it talks about or what is going to happen. So, I decided to search and learn more about Vision 2030 so I can teach the people.
“The biggest goal that I want to achieve from my podcast is that I want to make every listener feel proud with all the developments and changes happening in Saudi Arabia.”
After years of presenting at school, facing her fears, Al-Faisal became a natural public speaker, learning communication techniques through observation and practice to become an effective presenter.
“I used to be nervous while presenting during my first time in school. We all learn from our mistakes, and I learned from mine and became stronger. The speeches I used to present in school made me more powerful.”
Al-Faisal’s ballet talent earned her third place in the “Creative Journey Around the Kingdom,” a program launched by the General Entertainment Authority in collaboration with MBC Academy, which sets out to identify local talent.
Al-Faisal’s message to teenagers is to keep dreaming and always stay positive.
“Do not let negative thinking destroy you. Always focus on yourself because you are the main character of your life.”
Sky News Arabia opens new headquarters, announces fresh programming
DUBAI: Sky News Arabia, part of media group IMI, has opened its new headquarters in the same building as the IMI HQ on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
The new HQ features advanced broadcasting studios fitted with the latest AI technologies, the company said.
Sky News Arabia has also launched a new programming grid covering politics, lifestyle, sports, business and entertainment.
The announcements come 12 years after the channel’s launch.
They mark a new chapter that “embodies our forward-thinking strategy to anticipate and exceed audience expectations by embracing cutting-edge technologies and delivering diverse, engaging programming that transcends borders, setting new benchmarks for excellence,” said Rani Raad, CEO of IMI and president and operating partner of Redbird IMI.
The company has been working over the past year to elevate “the way each of the media companies within our network engage with audiences, to ensure we continue to deliver content that truly resonates,” he added.
The new programming will include shows such as “Studio One” hosted by Fadila Souissi, which will highlight political and societal issues, and the “Emad Eldin Adib” show, which will focus on politics in the Arab world.
Sky News Arabia is also expanding its lineup of non-political shows. The “Al Sabah Show” will return, featuring segments on health, fashion, law, and celebrities. It will be hosted by Maha Abdullah, Ahmed Qassem, Hani Ziadeh, Christine Dagher and Lubna Mansour.
The show will extend to digital channels and social media platforms through 12 specifically tailored mini-segments.
“In an era of rapid change and information overload, we are committed to empowering our audience with the tools to navigate and discern credible news,” said Nadim Koteich, general manager of Sky News Arabia.
He added: “By providing transparent, engaging and diverse content across politics, economics, lifestyle and technology, we ensure that Sky News Arabia remains a credible source of information that meets the dynamic needs of our viewers.”
Benefits of AI economy must be equitably distributed, says UN tech envoy in Davos
- Amandeep Singh Gill seeks ‘global’ efforts to tackle digital divide
- ‘We need to have a more collaborative and respectful approach’
DAVOS:The power of artificial intelligence and quantum computing must be harnessed to benefit nations across the world, not only developed economies, said Amandeep Singh Gill, the UN’s envoy on technology, on Thursday.
Speaking during a panel titled “From High-Performance Computing to High- Performance Problem Solving,” Gill said that countries in Africa, for example, hold less than 0.5 percent of graphic processing units worldwide.
Also participating in the discussion were Georges-Olivier Reymond, co-founder and CEO of PASQAL; Ana Paula Assis, senior vice president and chair IBM EMEA and Growth Markets; and Paul Alivisatos, president of the University of Chicago.
“My challenge is to convince policymakers who have limited resources to invest in the digital divide, data and AI and quantum development as well,” explained the envoy.
“There is a backlash against the neo-colonial situation, where the tech is developed in just a few geographies, and the rest of the world is takers of this tech. You can call it the sovereignty backlash … we need to have a more collaborative and respectful approach,” he added.
When asked by panel moderator Azeem Azhar, CEO of Exponential View, about the risk of uncertainty in the field of quantum computing, Gill said he sees an opportunity more than a risk.
“We are at an early stage in terms of the science and technology of developing things so different technologies might be used. A degree of uncertainty and diversity is important,” he added.
But the envoy emphasized the need to have a unified global force that would ensure everyone can participate in this area of technology.
“When we look at the global majority, not everyone will be able to use quantum computing, the cryptographic effort has to be global, it can’t be isolated,” he said.
Gill said the world is shifting toward quantum infrastructure in order to reduce energy consumption. According to the envoy, today’s AI systems consume a great deal of energy.
The UN deemed 2025 as the “International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.” This initiative aims to celebrate quantum mechanics and educate people on its impacts on technology, culture, and understanding of the world.
Al Jazeera says the Palestinian Authority arrested one of its reporters
- The Qatar-based news network reported that its reporter Mohammed Al-Atrash was arrested from his home
The Al Jazeera news network says the Palestinian Authority arrested one of its reporters after preventing him from covering an Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank.
The Qatar-based news network reported Thursday that its reporter, Mohammed Al-Atrash, was arrested from his home.
It said Palestinian security forces had earlier prevented him from reporting on a large Israeli military operation in Jenin, an epicenter of Israeli-Palestinian violence in recent years. The Palestinian Authority launched its own crackdown on militants in the city late last year.
There was no immediate comment from the Palestinian Authority.
Both Israel and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority banned Al Jazeera last year. Israel accuses it of being a mouthpiece of Hamas over its coverage of the war in the Gaza Strip and says some of its reporters are also militants.
The pan-Arab broadcaster has rejected the allegations and accused both Israel and the Palestinian Authority of trying to silence critical coverage.
The internationally recognized Palestinian Authority administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security matters. It is unpopular among Palestinians, with critics portraying it as a corrupt and authoritarian ally of Israel.
South Sudan orders temporary ban on social media over violence in neighboring Sudan
- Many South Sudanese have been angered by footage from Sudan that purports to show killings by militia groups of South Sudanese in Gezira state
JUBA, South Sudan: South Sudanese authorities on Wednesday ordered telecoms to block access to social media for at least 30 days, citing concerns over the dissemination of graphic content relating to the ongoing violence against South Sudanese in neighboring Sudan.
The temporary ban, which could be extended to up to 90 days, will come into force at midnight Thursday, according to a directive from the National Communication Authority, NCA, to telecom companies stressing that the measure was necessary to protect the public.
“This directive may be lifted as soon as the situation is contained,” the NCA said. “The contents depicted violate our local laws and pose a significant threat to public safety and mental health.”
Many South Sudanese have been angered by footage from Sudan that purports to show killings by militia groups of South Sudanese in Gezira state. South Sudanese authorities imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Jan. 17 after a night of retaliatory violence during which shops owned by Sudanese traders were looted.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the African Union Commission, condemned “the brutal killings of South Sudanese nationals” in Sudan and urged restraint.
Civil war in Sudan has created a widening famine and the world’s largest displacement crisis. Fighting between forces loyal to rival military leaders exploded in the capital, Khartoum, in April 2023 and has since spread to other areas.
The conflict has been marked by atrocities, including ethnically motivated killing and rape, according to the UN and rights groups.
