MANILA: A militant plot to bomb a Manila shopping mall as US President Donald Trump and other world leaders arrived in the city for a summit has been foiled, Philippine police said on Friday.
Three alleged members of the Abu Sayyaf militant group were arrested on Nov. 10, authorities said, a day before leaders began descending on the capital for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and other meetings.
“A terror attack could have happened if not for that interdiction,” the police said in a statement, adding that pistols and grenades were seized from the suspects.
The high-profile gatherings ended on Tuesday without any security incidents and there was no suggestion world leaders were ever in danger.
The summit meetings were held in sealed off venues to which access was strictly limited.
Police said they monitored one suspect’s Facebook posts, in which he hinted at a plan to launch terror attacks in Manila. Police did not say when the suspects were planning to carry out the attacks.
The posts included photos of powerful firearms and improvised explosive devices. He also posted pictures of targets, including a mall and a park in the capital, police said.
However, police added they had asked prosecutors to file charges against the three for having unlicensed handguns, not in relation to a bomb plot.
Philippine police chief Ronald Dela Rosa told reporters officers were checking whether the suspects were linked to previous attacks.
The alleged militants — two 19-year-olds and a 24-year-old — were living in a northern Manila slum, largely populated by migrants. Police said the men came from the remote island of Basilan, an Abu Sayyaf stronghold around 900 km south of the capital.
Abu Sayyaf originated as a loose network of militants formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network. It later splintered into factions, with some involved in crimes like kidnapping for ransom.
A faction in Basilan recently pledged allegiance to Daesh. It besieged the southern city of Marawi in May, sparking a five-month battle with government forces that left over a thousand dead.
Philippine troops meanwhile shelled positions held by a small group of pro-Daesh militants in southern marshland on Friday, as the military pushed on with a new offensive after the country’s biggest urban battle in decades.
The army estimated 2,000 villagers had been displaced by several days of operations in a region straddling two provinces on the island of Mindanao, as the army went after the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a small and splintered rebel group inspired by Islamic State.
The latest operation follows the end last month of what was the Philippines’ biggest battle since World War Two, in which troops took five months to crush an alliance of Islamic State loyalists inclding BIFF fighters in Marawi City.
The occupation of the city by the militants and their dogged resistance spread alarm in the region about the rise of extremism.
Captain Nap Alcarioto, spokesman for the 6th Infantry Division, said troops were shelling BIFF gunmen in support of ground attacks in an area of marshland between the provinces of Maguindanao and Cotobato, about 170 km from Marawi.
‘Bomb plot foiled’ ahead of ASEAN Summit in Philippines
‘Bomb plot foiled’ ahead of ASEAN Summit in Philippines
Trump backs new GOP plan to fund government and raise debt limit as shutdown nears
Trump’s social media post landed as Republicans said they had narrowed in on a tentative accord after grueling closed-door talks. The new plan would keep government running for three more months, add $100.4 billion in disaster assistance including for hurricane-hit states, and allow more borrowing through Jan. 30, 2027, Republicans said.
“SUCCESS in Washington! Speaker Mike Johnson and the House have come to a very good Deal,” Trump posted.
Next steps were highly uncertain, and it was particularly unclear if enough Democrats, who votes would certainly be needed on any package in the face of hard-line Republican opposition, were on board — or even brought into any negotiations.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats were sticking with the original deal they struck with Johnson and called the new one “laughable.”
“It’s not a serious proposal,” Jeffries said as he walked to Democrats’ own closed-door caucus meeting. Inside, Democrats were chanting, “Hell, no!”
A government shutdown at risk, Johnson has been fighting to figure out how to meet Trump’s sudden demands — and keep his own job — while federal offices are being told to prepare to shutter operations ahead of Friday’s midnight deadline.
The new proposal whittles the 1,500-page bill to 116 pages and drops a number of add-ons — notably the first payraise for lawmakers in more than a decade, which could have allowed as much as a 3.8 percent bump. That drew particular scorn as Trump ally Elon Musk turned his social media army against the bill.
The slimmed-down package does include federal funds to rebuild Baltimore’s collapsed Key Bridge, but dropped a separate land transfer that could have paved the way for a new Washington Commanders football stadium. It drops a long list of other bipartisan bills that had support as lawmakers in both parties try to wrap work for the year. It extends government funds through March 14.
Trump said early Thursday that Johnson will “easily remain speaker” for the next Congress if he “acts decisively and tough” in coming up with a new plan to also raise the debt limit, a stunning request just before the Christmas holidays that has put the beleaguered speaker in a bind.
And if not, the president-elect warned of trouble ahead for Johnson and Republicans in Congress.
“Anybody that supports a bill that doesn’t take care of the Democrat quicksand known as the debt ceiling should be primaried and disposed of as quickly as possible,” Trump told Fox News Digital.
The tumultuous turn of events, coming as lawmakers were preparing to head home for the holidays, sparks a familiar reminder of what it’s like in Trump-run Washington. Trump led Republicans into the longest government shutdown in history during the 2018 Christmas season, and interrupted the holidays in 2020 by tanking a bipartisan COVID-relief bill and forcing a do-over.
For Johnson, who faces his own problems ahead of a Jan. 3 House vote to remain speaker, Trump’s demands kept him working long into the night to broker a new deal. Vice President-elect JD Vance joined the late-night meetings at the Capitol, bringing his young son in pajamas.
Trump’s allies even floated the far-fetched idea of giving billionaire Musk the speaker’s gavel, since the speaker is not required to be a member of the Congress.
But adding an increase in the debt ceiling to what had been a bipartisan package is a show-stopper for Republicans who routinely vote against more borrowing.
While Democrats have floated their own ideas in the past for lifting or even doing away with the debt limit caps that have created some of the toughest debates in Congress — Sen. Elizabeth Warren had suggested as much — they appear to be in no bargaining mood to save Johnson from Trump — even before the president-elect is sworn into office.
“Here we are once again in chaos,” said House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, who detailed the harm a government shutdown would cause Americans. “And what for? Because Elon Musk, an unelected man, said, ‘We’re not doing this deal, and Donald Trump followed along.’”
The current debt limit expires Jan. 1, 2025, and threatens to bog down the start of the new administration with months of negotiations to raise it. Trump wants the problem off the table before he joins the White House.
As senior Republicans broke from a Thursday morning meeting in the House speaker’s office there was no resolution in sight — a preview of what’s to come when Republicans control Congress and Trump is in the White House in the new year.
Rep. Steve Womack, an Arkansas Republican and senior appropriator, said the collapse of a bipartisan stopgap funding deal this week would “probably be a good trailer right now for the 119th Congress.”
Federal funding is scheduled to expire at midnight Friday as a current temporary government funding bill runs out.
The bipartisan compromise brokered between Johnson and the Democrats, whose support will be needed in the deeply split House and Senate to ensure passage, outraged conservatives for its spending and extras.
Musk, in his new foray into politics, led the charge. The wealthiest man in the world used his social media platform X to amplify the unrest, and GOP lawmakers were besieged with phone calls to their offices telling them to oppose the plan.
Trump told Johnson to start over — with the new demand on the debt limit, something that generally takes months to negotiate and that his own party generally opposes.
The White House’s Office of Management and Budget had provided initial communication to agencies about possible shutdown planning last week, according to an official at the agency.
US disagrees with HRW ‘genocide’ accusation against Israel
- US official: ‘When it comes to a determination of something like genocide, the legal standard is just incredibly high, and so the finding in this scenario we just disagree with’
WASHINGTON: The United States said Thursday it disagreed with New York-based Human Rights Watch’s accusation that Israel was carrying out “acts of genocide” in the Gaza Strip by damaging water infrastructure.
“When it comes to a determination of something like genocide, the legal standard is just incredibly high, and so the finding in this scenario we just disagree with,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
“That does not take away from the fact that there is a dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”
The report released Thursday by the Human Rights Watch follows a similar accusation by London-based Amnesty International.
In a separate report on Thursday, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” in its 14-month war in Gaza launched after a massive Hamas attack.
The medical group said it documented 41 attacks on MSF staff including air strikes on health facilities and direct fire on humanitarian convoys.
Patel distanced the United States from the finding but, in contrast to Israel, stressed the value of non-governmental organizations.
“Even within their report, they make pretty clear that they don’t have the legal authority to determine intentionality” in the strikes on MSF, Patel said.
“But we continue to appreciate the important role that’s played by civil society organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, and we’re deeply concerned about the scale of civilian harm in this conflict,” he said.
Putin ready to meet Trump to talk Ukraine deal
- Asked if he would do anything differently if he could go back to February 2022, when he launched the Ukraine offensive, Putin said he only regretted not having done it sooner
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he was ready for talks with US President-elect Donald Trump at “any time” while regretting that he did not launch Moscow’s full-scale offensive earlier.
Trump, who will return to the White House in January, has called for negotiations to begin, stoking fears in Kyiv that he could force Ukraine to accept peace on terms favorable to Moscow.
At his annual end-of-year news conference, the 72-year-old said his troops held the upper hand across the battlefield.
He spoke as Kyiv said Russian attacks on northeastern Ukraine had killed three people and as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with EU leaders in Brussels.
Putin spoke in a confident tone but was forced to admit he did not know when Russia would take back the parts of Russia’s Kursk region held by Kyiv since August.
The traditional annual question-and-answer sessions are largely a televised show while also being a rare setting in which Putin is put on the spot with some uncomfortable questions.
Putin spoke for just under four and a half hours.
Asked about Trump’s overtures regarding a possible peace deal, Putin said he would welcome a meeting with the incoming Republican.
“I don’t know when I’m going to see him. He isn’t saying anything about it. I haven’t talked to him in more than four years. I am ready for it, of course. Any time,” Putin said.
“If we ever have a meeting with President-elect Trump, I am sure we’ll have a lot to talk about,” he said, adding that Russia was ready for “negotiations and compromises.”
Russia’s troops have been advancing in eastern Ukraine for months, with Putin repeatedly touting their prowess on the battlefield.
But asked by a woman from the Kursk region when residents would be able to return to their homes there, after thousands were evacuated from frontline areas during the Ukrainian assault, Putin said he could not name a date.
“We will absolutely kick them out. Absolutely. It can’t be any other way. But the question of a specific date, I’m sorry, I cannot say right now,” he said.
Putin was also pressed on the economic headwinds Russia faced — the fallout from a huge ramp-up in military spending and deep labor shortages caused by the conflict.
He insisted that the situation was “stable, despite external threats,” citing low unemployment and industrial growth.
Asked about soaring inflation, Putin said that “inflation is a worrying signal.” Price rises for foods such as butter and meat were “unpleasant,” he conceded.
He acknowledged, too, that Western sanctions were a factor — while not of “key significance.” He hoped the central bank, expected to raise interest rates again Friday to cool inflation, would take a “balanced” decision, he added.
Putin appeared to repeat his threat to strike Kyiv with Russia’s new hypersonic ballistic missile, dubbed Oreshnik.
Asked by a military journalist if the weapon had any flaws, Putin suggested a “hi-tech duel” between the West and Russia to test his claims that it is impervious to air defenses.
“Let them set some target to be hit, let’s say in Kyiv,” he said.
“They will concentrate there all their air defenses. And we will launch an Oreshnik strike there and see what happens.”
Zelensky hit back by saying: “People are dying and he thinks it’s ‘interesting’.. Dumbass.”
Putin condemned as “terrorism” the killing in Moscow of a senior Russian army general, claimed by Kyiv.
The former KGB agent also made a rare criticism of the security services.
“Our special services are missing these hits,” he said, listing other recent killings.
“We must not allow such very serious blunders to happen.”
Asked if he would do anything differently if he could go back to February 2022, when he launched the Ukraine offensive, Putin said he only regretted not having done it sooner.
“Knowing what is happening now, I would think that such a decision... should have been taken earlier,” he said.
And Russia “should have started preparing for these events, including the special military operation,” he said, using Moscow’s official term for the conflict.
In his first public comments since the fall of ex-Syrian President Bashar Assad, Putin rejected claims his toppling was a “defeat” for Russia.
“You want to present what is happening in Syria as a defeat for Russia. I assure you it is not,” Putin said.
“We came to Syria 10 years ago so that a terrorist enclave would not be created there like in Afghanistan. On the whole, we have achieved our goal,” Putin said.
Putin said he had not yet met Assad, who fled to Moscow as rebels closed in on Damascus, but planned to soon.
Zelensky says Trump and EU must work together to secure peace
BRUSSELS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday he needed both Europe and the United States on board to secure a durable peace, as he huddled with EU leaders at their final summit before Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Trump returns to the White House next month having pledged to bring a swift end to a conflict that NATO says has left more than one million dead and wounded since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion.
Talk has increasingly turned to ways Europe could help guarantee any ceasefire, with embryonic discussions over a possible deployment of peacekeepers one day.
But there are few specifics and Zelensky insisted that any steps to secure peace would have to involve the might of the United States.
“I believe that the European guarantees won’t be sufficient for Ukraine,” he said after talks with his EU counterparts.
Zelensky said he was supportive of an initiative mooted by French President Emmanuel Macron to potentially deploy Western troops — but it needed to be fleshed out.
“If we are talking about a contingent, we need to be specific — how many, what they will do if there is aggression from Russia,” he said.
“The main thing is that this is not some artificial story, we need effective mechanisms.”
Kyiv and its European allies fear that Trump’s return means the volatile Republican could cut support for Ukraine’s military and force Zelensky to make painful concessions to Moscow.
Ukraine’s EU backers — fearful of being left on the sidelines — insist they want to step up support to put Kyiv in a position of strength for any potential negotiations.
As the change of guard approaches in the US, Zelensky has appeared to soften his stance on any potential peace push.
He has said that if Ukraine is given firm security guarantees by NATO and enough weaponry it could agree to a ceasefire along current lines and look to regain the rest of its territory through diplomatic means.
But NATO members have rebuffed Kyiv’s calls for an invitation to join their alliance right away, sparking speculation that sending peacekeepers could be an alternative.
In the near term, Kyiv is desperate for more air defenses and weapons as its flagging forces lose ground across the frontline to Russia.
“We have to do everything that is in our hands to support Ukraine,” said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.
Zelensky said it would be “very difficult” for Europe alone to support Ukraine without US involvement and pleaded for both sides to work together.
“I think only together the United States and Europe can really stop Putin and save Ukraine,” he said.
European officials warned against trying to impose a deal on Ukraine — and said only Kyiv can decide when it’s time to negotiate.
“The European Union stands united in its support to Ukraine to win a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, not any peace, not capitulation,” said European Council chief Antonio Costa.
“Now is not the time to speculate about different scenarios. Now is the time to strengthen Ukraine for all scenarios.”
While the conflict in Ukraine was top of the agenda for EU leaders, the collapse of Assad’s brutal rule in Syria also presented major opportunities — and uncertainty.
European nations — along with other international players — are jostling for influence in the war-torn country after the end of the Assad family’s five-decade domination.
But they are wary of the new authorities who are spearheaded by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), which has its roots in Al-Qaeda and is listed as a “terrorist” organization by some Western governments.
Leaders discussed how quickly they are willing to embrace the nascent authorities in Damascus.
HTS is under EU sanctions, though some including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said they were willing to reconsider these measures.
The bloc has laid out a raft of conditions the new authorities must respect.
Those include protecting minorities, overseeing an inclusive transition and shunning extremism.
“Europe will do its part to support Syria at this critical juncture, because we care about Syria’s future,” said European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
“These efforts will have to be matched by real deeds by the new leadership in Damascus, so it’s a step for step approach.”
India upper house deputy chair rejects opposition move to impeach vice president
- Move expected to worsen fraught relations between opposition, PM Modi’s government
- VP, India’s second highest constitutional office, acts as chair of upper house of parliament
NEW DELHI: A move by Indian opposition parties to impeach Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar for allegedly performing his job in a partisan manner was rejected, parliament said on Thursday.
The vice president, India’s second highest constitutional office, acts as the chair of the upper house of parliament, known as the Rajya Sabha, and opposition parties have accused Dhankhar of being partisan in his role.
Sansad Television, parliament’s TV channel, said in a post on X that the opposition’s notice has been dismissed.
Harivansh Narayan Singh, deputy chairman of parliament’s upper house, said the notice to impeach Dhankhar was “severely flawed” and aimed at demeaning the constitutional office of Vice President.
India’s vice president also acts as the country’s president if there is a temporary vacancy.
The winter session of parliament has been disrupted several times with government and opposition parties accusing each other of not allowing legislative business by creating political controversies.
Bribery allegations against billionaire Gautam Adani, religious conflict in a northern town and ethnic violence in the northeastern state of Manipur are some of the issues that have jolted the proceedings of the legislature in this session, which began on Nov. 25 and was scheduled to break on Friday.
Although the opposition was unlikely to garner enough votes to remove Dhankhar, the move was expected to worsen the fraught relations between the opposition and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, as Dhankhar was elected as a candidate of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Jairam Ramesh, spokesman of the main opposition Congress party, said last week that the opposition had “no option but to formally submit a no-confidence motion” against Dhankhar for the “extremely partisan manner” in conducting the proceedings of the house.
The BJP and main opposition Congress party did not immediately issue any statement on the matter.
