LONDON: Terry Anderson, a US journalist who was held captive by Islamist militants for almost seven years in Lebanon and came to symbolize the plight of Western hostages during the country’s 1975-1990 civil war, died on Sunday at age 76, his daughter said in a statement.
The former chief Middle East correspondent for The Associated Press, who was the longest held hostage of the scores of Westerners abducted in Lebanon, died at his home in Greenwood Lake, New York, said his daughter Sulome Anderson, who was born three months after he was seized. No cause of death was given.
Kept in barely-lit cells by mostly Shiite Muslim groups in what was known as The Hostage Crisis, and chained by his hands and feet and blindfolded much of the time, the former Marine later recalled that he “almost went insane” and that only his Roman Catholic faith prevented him from taking his life before he was freed in December 1991.
“Though my father’s life was marked by extreme suffering during his time as a hostage in captivity, he found a quiet, comfortable peace in recent years. I know he would choose to be remembered not by his very worst experience, but through his humanitarian work with the Vietnam Children’s Fund, the Committee to Protect Journalists, homeless veterans and many other incredible causes,” Sulome Anderson said.
The family will take some time to organize a memorial, she said.
Anderson’s ordeal began in Beirut on the morning of March 16, 1985, after he played a round of tennis. A green Mercedes sedan with curtains over the rear window pulled up, three gunmen jumped out and dragged Anderson, still dressed in shorts, into the car.
The pro-Iran Islamic Jihad group claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, saying it was part of “continuing operations against Americans.” The abductors demanded freedom for Shiite Muslims jailed in Kuwait for bomb attacks against the US and French embassies there.
It was the start of a nightmare for Anderson that would last six years and nine months during which he was stuck in cells under the rubble-strewn streets of Beirut and elsewhere, often badly fed and sleeping on a thin, dirty mattress on a concrete floor.
During captivity, both his father and brother would die of cancer and he would not see his daughter Sulome until she was six years old.
“What kept me going?” he asked aloud shortly after release. “My companions. I was lucky to have people with me most of the time. My faith, stubbornness. You do what you have to. You wake up every day, summon up the energy from somewhere. You think you haven’t got it and you get through the day and you do it. Day after day after day.”
Other hostages described Anderson as tough and active in captivity, learning French and Arabic and exercising regularly.
However, they also told of him banging his head against a wall until he bled in frustration at beatings, isolation, false hopes and the feeling of being neglected by the outside world.
“There is a limit of how long we can last and some of us are approaching the limit very badly,” Anderson said in a videotape released by his captors in December 1987.
Marcel Fontaine, a French diplomat who was released in May 1988 after three years of captivity, recalled the time cell mate Anderson thought freedom was near because he was allowed to see the sun and eat a hamburger.
In April 1987 Anderson was given a suit of clothes that his captors had made for him. “He wore it every day,” Fontaine said.
A week later, however, Anderson’s captors took the suit back, leaving him in despair and certain he was forgotten, Fontaine said.
Scores of journalist groups, governments and individuals over the years called for Anderson’s release and his Oct. 27 birthday became an unofficial US memorial day for hostages.
Anderson said he considered killing himself several times but rejected it. He relied heavily on his faith, which he said he had renewed six months before being kidnapped.
“I must have read the Bible 50 times from start to finish,” he said. “It was an enormous help to me.”
His sister, Peggy Say, who died in 2015, was his fiercest advocate during captivity.
She worked tirelessly for her brother’s freedom. She visited Arab and European capitals, lobbied the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury and every US official and politician available.
Under pressure from the media and the US hostages’ families, the Reagan administration negotiated a secret and illegal deal in the mid-1980s to facilitate arms sales to Iran in return for the release of American hostages. But the deal, known as the Iran–Contra affair, failed to gain freedom for any of the hostages.
Born Oct. 27, 1947, in Lorain, Ohio, Anderson grew up in Batavia, New York. He graduated from Iowa State University and spent six years in the Marine Corps, mostly as a journalist.
He worked for the AP in Detroit, Louisville, New York, Tokyo, Johannesburg and then Beirut, where he first went to cover the Israeli invasion in 1982.
In that war-torn city, he fell in love with Lebanese woman Madeleine Bassil, who was his fiance and pregnant with their daughter Sulome when he was snatched.
He is survived by his daughters Sulome and Gabrielle, his sister Judy and brother Jack, and by Bassil, whom Sulome Anderson called “his ex-wife and best friend.”
Anderson and fellow hostages developed a system of communication by tapping on walls between their cells. Always the journalist, Anderson passed on news of the outside world he had picked up during captivity to Church of England envoy Terry Waite, being held hostage in an adjacent room in September 1990 after years of solitary confinement.
“Then the world news: the Berlin Wall’s falling, communism’s demise in eastern Europe, free elections in the Soviet Union, work toward multiracial government in South Africa. All the incredible things that have happened since he was taken nearly three years ago. He thought I was crazy,” Anderson wrote in his 1993 book “Den of Lions.”
After his release, Anderson taught journalism at Columbia University in New York, Ohio University, the University of Kentucky and the University of Florida until he retired in 2015.
Among businesses he invested in were a horse ranch in Ohio, and a restaurant. He unsuccessfully ran for the Ohio state Senate as a Democrat in 2004 and sued Iran in federal court for his abduction, winning a multimillion-dollar settlement in 2002.
Terry Anderson, US journalist held hostage nearly 7 years in Lebanon, dead at 76
https://arab.news/wjp2q
Terry Anderson, US journalist held hostage nearly 7 years in Lebanon, dead at 76

- Former AP correspondent was abuducted by pro-Iran Shiite Muslim group as part of “continuing operations against Americans”
Bristling at ‘Gulf of Mexico’ name change on maps, Mexico threatens to sue Google

- After assuming office as US president, Donald Trump declared that he was changing the name Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America
- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the name Gulf of Mexico dates back to 1607 and is recognized by the United Nations
- Google has said that it maintains a “long-standing practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources”
MEXICO CITY: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday that her government wouldn’t rule out filing a civil lawsuit against Google if it maintains its stance of calling the stretch of sea between northeastern Mexico and the southeastern United States the “Gulf of America.”
The area, long named the Gulf of Mexico across the the world, has gained a geopolitical spotlight after President Donald Trump declared he would change the Gulf’s name.
Sheinbaum, in her morning news conference, said the president’s decree is restricted to the “continental shelf of the United States” because Mexico still controls much of the Gulf. “We have sovereignty over our continental shelf,” she said.
Sheinbaum said that despite the fact that her government sent a letter to Google saying that the company was “wrong” and that “the entire Gulf of Mexico cannot be called the Gulf of America,” the company has insisted on maintaining the nomenclature.
It was not immediately clear where such a suit would be filed.
Google reported last month on its X account, formerly Twitter, that it maintains a “long-standing practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.”
As of Thursday, how the Gulf appeared on Google Maps was dependent on the user’s location and other data. If the user is in the United States, the body of water appeared as Gulf of America. If the user was physically in Mexico, it would appear as the Gulf of Mexico. In many other countries across the world it appears as “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).”
Sheinbaum has repeatedly defended the name Gulf of Mexico, saying its use dates to 1607 and is recognized by the United Nations.
She has also mentioned that, according to the constitution of Apatzingán, the antecedent to Mexico’s first constitution, the North American territory was previously identified as “Mexican America”. Sheinbaum has used the example to poke fun at Trump and underscore the international implications of changing the Gulf’s name.
In that sense, Sheinbaum said on Thursday that the Mexican government would ask Google to make “Mexican America” pop up on the map when searched.
This is not the first time Mexicans and Americans have disagreed on the names of key geographic areas, such as the border river between Texas and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. Mexico calls it Rio Bravo and for the United States it is the Rio Grande.
This week, the White House barred Associated Press reporters from several events, including some in the Oval Office, saying it was because of the news agency’s policy on the name. AP is using “Gulf of Mexico” but also acknowledging Trump’s renaming of it as well, to ensure that names of geographical features are recognizable around the world.
124 journalists killed, most by Israel, in deadliest year for reporters

- The uptick in killings marks a 22 percent increase over 2023
- Journalists murdered across 18 different countries, including Palestine's Gaza, Sudan and Pakistan
NEW YORK: Last year was the deadliest for journalists in recent history, with at least 124 reporters killed — and Israel responsible for nearly 70 percent of that total, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported Wednesday.
The uptick in killings, which marks a 22 percent increase over 2023, reflects “surging levels of international conflict, political unrest and criminality worldwide,” the CPJ said.
It was the deadliest year for reporters and media workers since CPJ began keeping records more than three decades ago, with journalists murdered across 18 different countries, it said.
A total of 85 journalists died in the Israeli-Hamas war, “all at the hands of the Israeli military,” the CPJ said, adding that 82 of them were Palestinians.
Sudan and Pakistan recorded the second highest number of journalists and media workers killed, with six each.
In Mexico, which has a reputation as one of the most dangerous countries for reporters, five were killed, with CPJ reporting it had found “persistent flaws” in Mexico’s mechanisms for protecting journalists.
And in Haiti, where two reporters were murdered, widespread violence and political instability have sown so much chaos that “gangs now openly claim responsibility for journalist killings,” the report said.
Other deaths took place in countries such as Myanmar, Mozambique, India and Iraq.
“Today is the most dangerous time to be a journalist in CPJ’s history,” said the group’s CEO Jodie Ginsberg.
“The war in Gaza is unprecedented in its impact on journalists and demonstrates a major deterioration in global norms on protecting journalists,” she said.
CPJ, which has kept records on journalist killings since 1992, said that 24 of the reporters were deliberately killed because of their work in 2024.
Freelancers, the report said, were among the most vulnerable because of their lack of resources, and accounted for 43 of the killings in 2024.
The year 2025 is not looking more promising, with six journalists already killed in the first weeks of the year, CPJ said.
Roblox CEO announces Arabic version at World Governments Summit

DUBAI: Roblox CEO David Baszucki announced an Arabic version of the hit game platform during the World Governments Summit on Wednesday.
Baszucki said that the new feature enabled Arabic-speaking creators to reach audiences instantly all over the world.
Through the move, everything on the platform will be available in Arabic.
“Today, we launched worldwide in Arabic, everything on Roblox: Roblox Studio, the Roblox app, automatic translation. Anyone who’s building a Roblox experience in Arabic, it will automatically translate into languages around the world,” he said.
Roblox, an online game platform and game creation system, has more than 88.9 million daily active users.
Many brands use the platform to promote their products, from cosmetics to high-end luxury goods.
“Brands are using our platforms to build 3D experiences to help promote their brands — everything from e.l.f. Beauty to Lamborghini,” he added.
“We have been growing consistently for 18 years now, over 20 percent year on year.”
In the past, the gaming platform faced criticism over safety concerns regarding children on the platform. In 2018, it was banned for several years in the UAE for exposing children to swearing, violence and sexually explicit content.
Baszucki said that child safety is a major concern for the company and that Roblox is utilizing AI technology to ensure a safe gaming experience for users.
“AI is getting so good and evolving so quickly. We have over 200 AI systems on Roblox. We are clear that we are looking at everything on the platform for safety and stability. We are so into the notion of online safety — it’s a top priority,” he said.
Traditional and digital media should not be at ‘war,’ says social media star Anas Bukhash

DUBAI: Traditional and digital media should not be at war, social media star, podcast host and entrepreneur Anas Bukhash has told the World Governments Summit in Dubai.
During a session called “How to build a social media empire in Dubai” he explained: “I think it (traditional and digital media) should be a marriage and a good marriage, not a miserable marriage. If you have a good marriage … and they talk to each other nicely, it’s the most powerful combination rather than having either-or.”
He added he established his social media success by being consistent.
“I think a lot of things have to align, considering your consistency, your effort, your skill. All of it has to come together for you to be successful. And we've been doing it for ... we haven’t missed a Tuesday I think in like five years or six,” he said.
With more than 2 million subscribers, Bukhash’s show, AB Talks, is one of the most popular channels in the Arab world.
“When I presented my concept to some social media platforms, when I wanted to start back in 2014, everybody told me not to do it. Every platform told me nobody would watch it. It’s too long. Because at the time no Arabic interviews were long form,” he explained.
Bukhash said he valued longevity over virality in all his projects.
“Every startup I’ve done, I just do it well and I do it consistently and then suddenly it blows up. And I think people respect that more than somebody who just got viral because of one interview or one clip,” he added.
After studying mechanical engineering, Bukhash decided he wanted to branch out into other areas. He says he enjoys wearing many different hats rather than being stuck on one path.
“I’ve always looked at things and thought, how can I make it better or solve a problem for people? It’s funny how a mechanical engineer has an interview show, a hair salon, a cafe, a social media agency. But that’s the beauty of us as people. I always say, how can you sell something if you don’t believe it? You have to believe it,” he said.
“God made you so multi-dimensional. You just made yourself one dimension, but you were never born in one dimension. I love the fact that I can be one example of someone who can do a few things although I study something irrelevant.”
Bukhash said social media could be a powerful tool to help with storytelling and show people what was happening around the world — especially in recent times.
“In the US, young people have seen the tragedy and the conflict in Gaza in a way they were never able to see several years ago … You don’t have to be from a certain country to see what happens in Gaza, what happens in Lebanon, what happens in so many countries. You just have to be human to know that something is off,” he said.
Arab News takes eight accolades at European Newspaper Awards

- One of the world’s largest newspaper design contests, ENA attracted more than 3,000 entries in 20 categories
LONDON: Arab News won eight accolades at the 2025 European Newspaper Awards, bringing the newspaper’s total to 153 awards since it was relaunched in 2018.
Marking its 50th anniversary this year, the newspaper received Awards of Excellence for page design and illustrations, including recognition for cover pages and special coverage.
Arab News secured three awards in the “Sectional Front Pages — Nationwide Newspaper” category for its “Spotlight — 2023 in Review” series, which provided in-depth analysis of key regional affairs and events from the past year.
The Riyadh-based publication was also recognized in the “Cover and Cover Story — Nationwide Newspapers” category for its 2024 Saudi National Day special edition, which highlighted the Kingdom’s bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Another win came in the “News Pages — Environmental Protection” category for a feature on the Arabian leopard and Saudi Arabia’s conservation efforts, while the special edition dedicated to the Saudi Olympic team at Paris 2024 also received an award.
In the Illustration category, the newspaper won an award of excellence for artwork depicting a raised fist in black-and-white keffiyeh motifs, designed for an opinion piece on the Palestinian struggle after the Oct. 7 attack.
Arab News also won in the “Special Pages” category for its Roshn Saudi Pro League season-opening coverage.
Launched in 1999, the European Newspaper Awards, organized by Norbert Kupper, celebrates innovation in print and digital journalism, encouraging the exchange of creative ideas in the media industry.
The 26th edition of the competition featured newspapers from 22 countries, with more than 3,000 entries in 20 categories, making it one of the world’s largest newspaper design contests.
This year’s participants included prominent publications such as Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, the UK’s Sunday Times, and Spain’s El Periodico.
Previous award-winning projects include the “Riyadh Expo 2030” campaign, the investigative series “The Kingdom vs. Captagon,” and the special edition for the FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022.
For more information about Arab News and its award-winning projects, visit arabnews.com/greatesthits.