Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal released after Israeli detention
Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, has been released after nearly 24 hours in Israeli detention. Ballal was taken into custody following an attack by Israeli settlers near his home in the occupied West Bank.
His co-director, Basel Adra, confirmed that Ballal was granted bail and has been taken to a hospital for medical treatment before returning home.
Ballal, who resides in the occupied West Bank, recounted that Israeli settlers and soldiers attacked his home on Monday night, beating him and threatening him with firearms. According to him, soldiers fired three warning shots before detaining him. While in custody, he was blindfolded and placed beneath a cold air conditioner, while soldiers mocked his Oscar win.
His arrest followed a night of violence near Susya, where settlers vandalized homes, slashed car tires, and damaged water tanks. Ballal's co-director, Basel Adra, said he witnessed around 15 settlers attacking Palestinian homes and cars while throwing rocks at residents. He said Ballal, injured during the assault, locked himself inside his home to protect his family before seeking emergency medical help.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the violence began when “terrorists hurled rocks at Israeli citizens, damaging their vehicles,” leading to “mutual rock-hurling between Palestinians and Israelis.” However, activists, including American volunteer Josh Kimelman, disputed this account, stating that Palestinian shepherds were initially harassed by settlers, escalating into mob violence. Kimelman, who arrived to assist, described how settlers attacked his colleagues, hitting them with sticks and throwing rocks at their vehicle.
Ballal, a well-known journalist and activist, has faced threats from settlers before. His co-director, Adra, expressed disappointment that global recognition had not improved conditions in the region. He noted that their village alone had suffered 45 attacks this year, leaving residents in constant fear.
Ballal was released on bail but was taken to a hospital for further medical treatment before returning home.
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Andhra to be developed as knowledge, creator economy hub: CM Naidu
New Delhi/Amaravati (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the state is taking steps to transform itself into a knowledge and creator economy hub with a strong focus on artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
He noted that Andhra Pradesh has abundant tech-driven youth and the government is formulating plans to train them in futuristic technologies with support from global technology firms.
"Our goal is to transform Andhra Pradesh into a knowledge hub by focusing on AI, quantum computing, data centres, drone cities and space cities. The youth will remain our biggest asset over the next 25 years, and we seek global partnerships to scale up the creator economy," said Naidu during his interactions at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi.
Naidu, who participated in the summit in the national capital, also held meetings with several global technology leaders and industrialists to explore collaborations in artificial intelligence, clean energy and innovation ecosystems.
He met Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Autodesk AI Head Mike Haley, Aramco India Director Abdul Rehman AiThukair, LEGO Education Vice President Tom Hall, Aadhaar Founder and CTO Srikanth Nadhamuni, Khosla Ventures Managing Partner Vinod Khosla and others at the AP Pavilion.
The chief minister also held discussions with Saudi Aramco representatives on clean energy projects, including solar initiatives, and invited the company to expand operations in Andhra Pradesh, stating that the state is highly suitable for green energy production.
He sought support from NVIDIA Vice President Callista Redmond for establishing AI Living Labs and proposed partnerships through the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub to promote youth innovation, including collaborations with IIT Tirupati and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati under the Andhra Pradesh Future Innovation and Research for Science and Technology (AP FIRST) initiative.
Naidu urged Autodesk leadership to support the development of Global Capability Centres in design engineering and requested the establishment of an Innovation Academy in Amaravati aligned with quantum technology, besides proposing AI and robotics learning labs in partnership with LEGO Education.
He also discussed AI-driven smart governance solutions with Quantela Inc Chairman Sridhar Gadhi, while World Bank Group Digital AI Regional Director Mahesh Uttamchandani met Naidu on the sidelines of the summit.
Following the meetings, Naidu visited various exhibition stalls at the summit, including those of NVIDIA, Tata, Intel and Microsoft, and reviewed AI applications across agriculture, healthcare and industry.
