MANILA: Daesh has suffered a major setback in East Asia. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported to have killed two of the main leaders of Daesh who have held parts of Marawi city on Mindanao in the Philippines since May 23.
The crisis has left more than 1,000 people dead, mostly members of the Maute group, but including 162 soldiers and policemen, and 47 civilians.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday announced the deaths of Isnilon Hapilon and Omarkhayam Maute. The two men were killed during an early morning ground assault on the remaining stronghold of the Maute group in Marawi.
“I confirm the killing of Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute,” Lorenzana said. The bodies of the slain militant leaders have been recovered and will be subjected to DNA tests, he added.
AFP Chief Gen. Eduardo Año called their deaths “the straw that has broken the camel’s back” and claimed “the Marawi crisis will be over sooner than later.”
Hapilon, a former Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) leader regarded by the US as one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists, was Daesh’s designated leader for Southeast Asia. The US had placed a $5 million bounty on him, while the Philippine government had offered a 17.4 million peso bounty (approximately $348,000).
Maute was the co-founder, along with his brother Abdullah, of Daesh. Maute had a 5 million peso bounty on his head.
Lorenzana said the offensive began at 2 a.m. and lasted around four hours. It was triggered by information provided by a former female hostage on the location of Isnilon and Maute, he added.
“She was able to confirm the presence of Isnilon and Maute in that particular building.”
Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla said Hapilon was hit in the chest during an exchange of fire with government forces. Maute was shot in the head by a sniper.
Año said troops were also able to recover seven other bodies of suspected militants.
The operation also resulted in the rescue of 20 civilian hostages, including a two-month-old girl.
Steve Cutler, an international security analyst and former head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Manila, told Arab News that the death of Hapilon and Maute is a major setback for Daesh.
“It is a huge blow to Daesh... and any dreams that Daesh have of establishing a caliphate here.”
Cutler said that the longer the Marawi crisis continues, the more strength the narrative of Daesh establishing a caliphate in East Asia has. But the death of the two leaders, he said, completely changes that narrative.
“These deaths are game changers. They remove the guiding lights — the leading personalities of the movement here,” Cutler said. They will be replaced, he added, but “the replacements are not charismatic leaders of the caliber of these two.”
And while the death of Hapilon and Maute diminishes the morale of the militants, it greatly improves that of the Philippine government.
“It strengthens the general view of the competence of the Philippine forces and their ability to fight effectively,” Cutler said. “Daesh is under destruction in the Middle East and their plans for the Philippines to become a hub in Southeast Asia are severely damaged.
“(The militants) will continue to fight, and will kill more. They are still dangerous and cannot be underestimated. But they will not succeed (in their aims),” he added.
Political analyst Ramon Casiple, however, while admitting it was a major blow to Daesh, described the deaths of the two militant leaders as “a temporary setback.”
“This will not stop them,” he said. “Remember, Daesh is a religious organization.” He warned that their deaths do not mean there is no longer a Daesh “presence” in the Philippines.
“There’s still the ASG and other groups (such as the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters),” he said, noting that a new generation with Daesh-provided strategies and tactics will eventually replace them.
Año believes it will just be a matter of days before the government can finally declare that Marawi has been freed from Daesh’s control.
“I’m certain that the neutralization of Hapilon and Omar is the last straw. The terrorists will crumble. It is a dead-end. There is nowhere to go for them,” Año said. He then urged the remaining Maute fighters to free their hostages.
Lorenzana said government forces are still pursuing Mahmud Ahmad, said to be Malaysia’s most wanted terrorist. Ahmad is suspected of channeling more than P30 million (approximately $600,000) from Daesh to fund the Marawi siege.
The army believes he is currently in one of the buildings inside the main battle zone.
Around 30 militants, including eight foreign terrorists, reportedly remain in the area. The militants are also believed to still hold 22 civilian hostages.
Big blow to Daesh as Philippine army eliminates top militants
Big blow to Daesh as Philippine army eliminates top militants
Noche Buena: How Filipinos celebrate Christmas Eve with a traditional family feast
- Noche Buena is the dinner that follows the last evening mass of the Christmas season
- In Philippines’ Pampanga province, some Christmas celebrations take place from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2
MANILA: For many Filipinos, the time-honored traditions of Noche Buena, or Christmas Eve, is the most awaited part of this holiday season, when dinner tables across the country are filled with a hearty selection of traditional dishes.
Noche Buena, which is Spanish for “the good night,” is the dinner that follows the last evening mass of the season, known as misa de gallo or simbang gabi.
The multi-generational feast features staples like queso de bola, a ball-shaped Edam cheese wrapped in red wax coating, or lechon, the popular roasted pig dish that often gets the spotlight in most Filipino festivities.
But it is the classic hot chocolate that Noelle Lejano looks forward to the most, as her grandmother makes it extra special and only at this time of the year.
“Hot chocolate holds a deeper sentimental value because my lola (grandmother) makes it only once a year, every Noche Buena. It’s the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had, and it makes the celebration feel extra special and nostalgic,” the 24-year-old writer and brand strategist from Manila told Arab News.
Her family mixes it up between classic and more modern fare for the occasion, from the tried-and-tested favorite Christmas ham to a charcuterie board that she makes with her mother.
“These dishes aren’t just food — they’re traditions that bring us together and make the holiday feel like home,” Lejano said.
“Noche Buena is a highlight, especially with everyone gathering together and making the rounds to greet and hug each other as the clock strikes midnight. To pass the time before midnight, we play games, which keep the energy alive and the laughter flowing.”
Noche Buena is also celebrated in Latin America, reflecting a unique mix of Catholic traditions, indigenous folk practices, and more recent American influences, the late food historian Doreen Fernandez wrote in her 1994 book “Tikim: Essays on Filipino Food and Culture.”
For people in Pampanga province, about 80 km north of Manila, the deep-seated Catholic and Spanish influences are reflected in their culinary fare.
In Gerald Gloton’s household, Noche Buena is a time to indulge in their provincial roots, which includes serving sopas, or Filipino chicken soup, from the morning of the 24th all the way into Christmas morning.
They also serve an array of other beloved dishes, such as the ube halaya, a rich purple jam made from boiled and mashed ube and thickened with milk, rice cakes, and menudo, a stewed pork and tomato dish.
“We gather for sumptuous meals, exchange gifts, and attend Mass to celebrate the birth of Christ, reinforcing our shared faith and family values,” Gloton said.
The celebration of Noche Buena, which comes after Midnight Mass, has been “customary and required” for food anthropologist and writer Ruston Banal, who was raised in a devout Catholic household and is also from Pampanga.
“It’s significant because, in my situation, it marks the moment when the entire family gets together. Some of my siblings are already employed elsewhere, but they still make an effort to honor this custom by coming home,” he said.
In his hometown of Guagua, Christmas is an extended celebration that begins from Dec. 24 all the way to Jan. 2, where celebrations are centered on food.
“It’s all about the food; some of my relatives even spend a lot of money to prepare a lavish feast for other relatives who visit us,” he said.
Every year, the occasion turns into “a quiet competition among family members,” as they try to make the greatest dishes, ranging from bringhe, a local version of the Spanish paella made with sticky rice, chicken, sausage, vegetables and coconut milk, to kaldereta, a hearty tomato and liver stew made with leghorn chicken with carrots, potatoes, and bell peppers.
“Food is an extension of themselves,” Banal said. “(They cook like) a person in love, giving it their all.”
Russian court jails US citizen Spector for 15 years in espionage case, RIA says
- Spector in his first court case had pleaded guilty to helping bribe an assistant to an ex-Russian deputy prime minister
MOSCOW: A Russian court has sentenced US citizen Eugene Spector to 15 years in jail for espionage, Russia’s RIA state news agency reported on Tuesday.
Currently serving a 3-1/2-year sentence in Russia for bribery, Spector, who was born in Russia and then moved to the US, was charged last August with espionage.
Before his 2021 arrest, he served as chairman of the board of Medpolymerprom Group, a company specializing in cancer-curing drugs, state media has said.
Spector in his first court case had pleaded guilty to helping bribe an assistant to an ex-Russian deputy prime minister.
US, UK criticize Pakistani military court convictions of civilian supporters of Imran Khan
- The convictions had previously also been criticized by the European Union and domestic human rights activists
ISLAMABAD: The United States and the United Kingdom have expressed deep concern over the recent handing down of convictions by Pakistani military courts to 25 civilian supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan over their alleged involvement in riots last year.
The convictions had previously also been criticized by the European Union and domestic human rights activists.
“The United States is deeply concerned that Pakistani civilians have been sentenced by a military tribunal for their involvement in protests on May 9, 2023. These military courts lack judicial independence, transparency, and due process guarantees,” according to a statement released by State Department on Monday.
It asked Pakistan to respect the right to a fair trial and due process.
In London, the Foreign Office said that “while the U.K. respects Pakistan’s sovereignty over its own legal proceedings, trying civilians in military courts lacks transparency, independent scrutiny and undermines the right to a fair trial. We call on the Government of Pakistan to uphold its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”
The statements were referring to the violence that erupted after Khan’s arrest in Islamabad in May 2023. The former premier was ousted through a no-confidence vote in the parliament in 2022, and he was convicted of corruption and sentenced in August 2023. Since then, Khan has been behind bars. Khan’s popular opposition party is in talks with the government to secure his release.
The 25 supporters on Monday received prison terms ranging from two years to 10 years, which the army in a statement warned acted as a “stark reminder” for people to never take the law into their own hands.
Khan's opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, has rejected the convictions of civilians, demanding they should be tried in the normal courts if they were involved in the riots.
There was no response from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government to the criticism from the U.S. and the U.K., but state-run Pakistan Television on Tuesday showed people welcoming the convictions, saying the punishments were given to people who attacked military installations.
Earlier this month, Khan and dozens of others were indicted by a civilian court on charges of inciting people on May 9, 2023, when demonstrators attacked the military’s headquarters in Rawalpindi, stormed an air base in Mianwali in the eastern Punjab province and torched a building housing state-run Radio Pakistan in the northwest.
India’s legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal dies at age 90
- Benegal, a mentor to several veteran Bollywood actors, died due to chronic kidney disease
- Benegal came into limelight in 1970s, with a series of films that challenged mainstream Bollywood
NEW DELHI: Shyam Benegal, a renowned Indian filmmaker known for pioneering a new wave cinema movement that tackled social issues in the 1970s, has died after suffering from chronic kidney disease. He was 90.
His contribution to cinema was recognized as a director, editor and screenwriter. He was also credited with a new genre of filmmaking.
Benegal passed away on Monday at Mumbai’s Wockhardt Hospital, and his cremation will take place on Tuesday, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, citing his daughter Piya.
“Benegal had been suffering from chronic kidney disease for several years but it had gotten very bad. That’s the reason for his death,” Piya said.
Many paid tribute to the legendary filmmaker on social media platform X.
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt wrote that Benegal told stories without pretense. “They were raw and real, about the struggles of ordinary people. His films had craft and conviction.”
“Deeply saddened by the passing of Shyam Benegal, whose storytelling had a profound impact on Indian cinema. His works will continue to be admired by people from different walks of life,” India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
He was a mentor to top Indian actors, including Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, and Om Puri who made their mark in Bollywood’s popular cinema as well.
“I have lost my foster father, a man to whom I owe more than I can say,” posted Naseeruddin Shah.
“Shyam Benegal was not just a legend; he was a visionary who redefined storytelling and inspired generations,” said actor Manoj Bajpayee.
Benegal came into the limelight in the 1970s, with a series of films that challenged mainstream Bollywood. His films Ankur (1974), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976), and Bhumika (1977) represented a parallel cinema dealing with the social realities of a poor nation.
“Ankur” explored the feudal divide in India, while ”Manthan” was based on the story of the country’s cooperative dairy milk movement.
Benegal was widely known for his series “Bharat Ek Khoj,” a landmark 53-episode television series based on the book Discovery of India, written by India’s first prime minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru, and chronicled the country’s troubled passages, from ancient times to modernity.
He also directed a 2023 biopic on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led Bangladesh’s freedom struggle against Pakistan in the 1970s. Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August following a student movement, is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Benegal was born in December 1934, in Hyderabad in southern India, and had an early launch in the world of cinema. He earned an Economics degree from Hyderabad’s Osmania University and established the Hyderabad Film Society. He also ventured into advertising, where he directed over 900 sponsored documentaries and advertising films.
Benegal is survived by his wife Nira Benegal and daughter Piya.
Russian cargo ship sank in Mediterranean Sea with two crew missing, Russian Foreign Ministry says
MOSCOW: A Russian cargo ship called ‘Ursa Major’ sank in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria and two of its crew are missing, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
The ship went down after an explosion in its engine room and 14 of its 16 crew members have been rescued and brought to Spain, the ministry said in a statement.
LSEG ship tracking data shows the vessel departed from the Russian port of Saint Petersburg on Dec. 11 and was last seen sending a signal at 2204 GMT on Monday between Algeria and Spain.
On leaving Saint Petersburg it had indicated that its next port of call was the Russian port of Vladivostok, not the Syrian port of Tartous which it has called at previously.
The operator and owner is a company called SK-Yug, part of Oboronlogistics, according to LSEG data. Oboronlogistics and SK-Yug declined to comment on the ship’s sinking.
Oboronlogistics said in a statement on Dec. 20 that the ship was carrying specialized port cranes due to be installed at the port of Vladivostok as well as parts for new ice-breakers.
