KUALA LUMPUR: The Philippine government said yesterday a “historical” road map to end a decades-long insurgency that has left more than 150,000 people dead could be signed within days.
The government issued the upbeat forecast as the latest round of peace talks with the 12,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) began in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.
“We are on the brink of layering the written predicates that can frame the process of building trust as we usher in an era of peace, of hope and of recovery,” chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen said at the start of the talks, according to a Philippine government statement.
“We cannot postpone any longer. Now is the time,” he said.
“To state that what we hope to be able to do in the next few days is historical is definitely an understatement.”
Mohagher Iqbal, chief negotiator for the MILF, said in his opening remarks that negotiations were “now on the home stretch”, according to the statement.
However he warned a resolution must be reached soon, after previous false dawns in the peace process had led to more violence.
“If we cannot conclude it soon successfully, now that we are at the brink of the exercise, we will be in trouble,” Iqbal said, warning of “spoilers” who may want to derail the peace efforts for their own interests.
The government and the militants said ahead of the talks there was a strong spirit of cooperation following months of intense diplomacy.
But they also conceded many of the issues that derailed previous peace efforts had still not been agreed upon.
Separately, police said a minibus ferrying students to school has collided with a truck along a northern Philippine highway, killing 10 people.
Police investigator John Lay Apostol says four were killed instantly yesterday’s crash in Ilocos Norte province’s Sarrat township. Six others died in a hospital, while four high school students were being treated for injuries.
He says six of the dead were students aged 6 to 19 who were on board the minibus, known as a jeepney, a popular mode of transportation in the Philippines.
Apostol says the jeepney driver tried to overtake another vehicle and did not immediately notice the oncoming truck.
The truck driver is being detained for questioning by police. The jeepney driver is among the dead.
Mindanao is home to vast untapped reserves of gold, copper and other minerals, as well as being one of the country’s most important farming regions.
There are roughly four million Muslims in Mindanao, which they see as their ancestral homeland dating back to Islamic sultanates established before Spanish Christians arrived in the 1500s.
Philippines hope for Muslim peace plan within days
Philippines hope for Muslim peace plan within days
Few minutes to pack up a lifetime: Pakistan’s foreigner crackdown sends Afghans scrambling
- The nationwide crackdown on foreigners has led to the departures of almost 1 million Afghans already
- Pakistan set several deadlines earlier this year for Afghans to leave or face deportation
Sher Khan, a 42-year-old Afghan, had returned home from his job in a brick factory. He stared at the plainclothes policeman on the doorstep, his mind reeling. How could he pack up his whole life and leave the country of his birth in under an hour?
In the blink of an eye, the life he had built was taken away from him. He and his wife grabbed a few kitchen items and whatever clothes they could for themselves and their nine children. They left everything else behind at their home in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
Born in Pakistan to parents who fled the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the ensuing war, Khan is one of hundreds of thousands of Afghans who have now been expelled.
The nationwide crackdown, launched in October 2023, on foreigners Pakistan says are living in the country illegally has led to the departures of almost 1 million Afghans already.
Pakistan says millions more remain. It wants them gone.
Leaving with nothing to beat a deadline
“All our belongings were left behind,” Khan said as he stood in a dusty, windswept refugee camp just across the Afghan border in Torkham, the first stop for expelled refugees. “We tried so hard (over the years) to collect the things that we had with honor.”
Pakistan set several deadlines earlier this year for Afghans to leave or face deportation. Afghan Citizen Card holders had to leave the capital Islamabad and Rawalpindi city by March 31, while those with Proof of Registration could stay until June 30. No specific deadlines were set for Afghans living elsewhere in Pakistan.
Khan feared that delaying his departure beyond the deadline might have resulted in his wife and children being hauled off to a police station along with him a blow to his family’s dignity.
“We are happy that we came (to Afghanistan) with modesty and honor,” he said. As for his lost belongings, “God may provide for them here, as He did there.”
A refugee influx in a struggling country
At the Torkham camp, run by Afghanistan’s Taliban government, each family receives a SIM card and 10,000 Afghanis ($145) in aid. They can spend up to three days there before having to move on.
The camp’s director, Molvi Hashim Maiwandwal, said some 150 families were arriving daily from Pakistan – far fewer than the roughly 1,200 families who were arriving about two months ago. But he said another surge was expected after the three-day Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Adha that started June 7.
Aid organizations inside the camp help with basic needs, including health care. Local charity Aseel provides hygiene kits and helps with food. It has also set up a food package delivery system for families once they arrive at their final destination elsewhere in Afghanistan.
Aseel’s Najibullah Ghiasi said they expected a surge in arrivals “by a significant number” after Eid. “We cannot handle all of them, because the number is so huge,” he said, adding the organization was trying to boost fundraising so it could support more people.
Pakistan blames Afghanistan for militancy
Pakistan accuses Afghans of staging militant attacks inside the country, saying assaults are planned from across the border – a charge Kabul’s Taliban government denies.
Pakistan denies targeting Afghans, and maintains that everyone leaving the country is treated humanely and with dignity. But for many, there is little that is humane about being forced to pack up and leave in minutes or hours.
Iran, too, has been expelling Afghans, with the UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, saying on June 5 that 500,000 Afghans had been forced to leave Iran and Pakistan in the two months since April 1.
Rights groups and aid agencies say authorities are pressuring Afghans into going sooner.
In April, Human Rights Watch said police had raided houses, beaten and arbitrarily detained people, and confiscated refugee documents, including residence permits. Officers demanded bribes to allow Afghans to remain in Pakistan, the group added.
Searching for hope while starting again
Fifty-year-old Yar Mohammad lived in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir for nearly 45 years. The father of 12 built a successful business polishing floors, hiring several workers. Plainclothes policemen knocked on his door too. They gave him six hours to leave.
“No way a person can wrap up so much business in six hours, especially if they spent 45 years in one place,” he said. Friends rushed to his aid to help pack up anything they could: the company’s floor-polishing machines, some tables, bed-frames and mattresses, and clothes.
Now all his household belongings are crammed into orange tents in the Torkham refugee camp, his hard-earned floor-polishing machines outside and exposed to the elements. After three days of searching, he managed to find a place to rent in Kabul.
“I have no idea what we will do,” he said, adding that he would try to recreate his floor-polishing business in Afghanistan. “If this works here, it is the best thing to do.”
UN: 122 million forcibly displaced worldwide ‘untenably high’
- UNHCR: A record 123.2 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homes at the end of 2024
- Sudan is now the world’s largest forced displacement situation with 14.3 million refugees and IDPs
GENEVA: The number of people forcibly displaced from their homes worldwide has dropped slightly from a record high but remains “untenably high,” the United Nations said Thursday.
A record 123.2 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homes at the end of 2024, said UNHCR, the UN refugee agency.
But that figure dropped to 122.1 million by the end of April this year, as Syrians began returning home after years of turmoil.
Nearly two million Syrians have been able to return home from abroad or from displacement within the war-ravaged country.
But the UNHCR warned that how major conflicts worldwide played out would determine whether the figure would rise once again.
The agency said the number of people displaced by war, violence and persecution worldwide was “untenably high,” particularly in a period when humanitarian funding is evaporating.
“We are living in a time of intense volatility in international relations, with modern warfare creating a fragile, harrowing landscape marked by acute human suffering,” said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
“We must redouble our efforts to search for peace and find long-lasting solutions for refugees and others forced to flee their homes.”
The main drivers of displacement remain sprawling conflicts like those in Sudan, Myanmar and Ukraine, UNHCR said in its flagship annual Global Trends Report.
Syria’s brutal civil war erupted in 2011 but president Bashar Assad was finally overthrown in December 2024.
The report said the first months of this year saw rising numbers of Syrians returning home.
As of mid-May, more than 500,000 Syrians are estimated to have crossed back into the country since the fall of Assad, while an estimated 1.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs) have returned to their areas of origin since the end of November.
UNHCR estimates that up to 1.5 million Syrians from abroad and two million IDPs may return by the end of 2025.
Sudan is now the world’s largest forced displacement situation with 14.3 million refugees and IDPs, overtaking Syria (13.5 million), which is followed by Afghanistan (10.3 million) and Ukraine (8.8 million).
“During the remainder of 2025, much will depend on the dynamics in key situations,” the annual report said.
“This includes whether peace, or at least a cessation in fighting, is possible to achieve, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Ukraine.”
It also depends on whether conditions for returns improve in Afghanistan and Syria.
Another factor was “how dire the impact of the current funding cuts will be” on responding to displacement and creating conditions for safe and dignified returns.
The number of people forced to flee persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and events seriously disturbing public order has almost doubled in the last decade.
The figure of 123.2 million worldwide at the end of last year was up seven million compared to the end of 2023.
“One in 67 people globally were forcibly displaced at the end of 2024,” UNHCR said.
In total, 9.8 million forcibly displaced people returned home in 2024, including 1.6 million refugees — the most for more than two decades — and 8.2 million IDPs — the second highest ever.
“We have seen some rays of hope over the last six months,” said Grandi.
But countries such as the DR Congo, Myanmar and South Sudan saw significant new forced displacements as well as returns.
Two-thirds of refugees stay in neighboring countries.
Iran (3.5 million), Turkiye (2.9 million), Colombia (2.8 million), Germany (2.7 million) and Uganda (1.8 million) host the largest refugee populations.
Australian mushroom murder suspect denies intent to kill
- Erin Patterson is charged with murdering her estranged husband’s parents and aunt in July 2023
- Patterson denies all charges in the trial, which has grabbed worldwide attention
SYDNEY: An Australian woman accused of murdering three lunch guests with a toxic mushroom-laced beef Wellington denied Thursday that she intended to kill them.
Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with murdering her estranged husband’s parents and aunt in July 2023 by spiking the beef-and-pastry dish with death cap mushrooms.
She is also accused of attempting to murder a fourth guest — her husband’s uncle — who survived the lunch after a long stay in hospital.
Patterson denies all charges in the trial, which has grabbed worldwide attention.
She says the traditional English dish, which she cooked in individually sized portions, was poisoned by accident.
Prosecutor Nanette Rogers concluded her cross-examination of Patterson on Thursday by suggesting she deliberately sought death cap mushrooms and put them in the beef Wellington.
Patterson rejected each accusation.
Rogers put it to Patterson that she intended to kill her lunch guests.
Patterson replied: “Disagree.”
The court also heard about two mobile devices used by Patterson — phone A, which was the main device she used, and phone B, which was activated days after the lunch.
Patterson said she began using phone B when her main phone was damaged.
Rogers alleged the main phone had been used to view online posts about death cap mushroom sightings near Patterson’s home in the months before the fatal lunch.
Patterson disagreed.
While police were searching Patterson’s home on August 5, 2023, her main phone lost connection to the network. Police have not located the device since.
Instead, Patterson handed over phone B to authorities.
That device underwent a factory reset three times in the days after the lunch, Rogers said.
The prosecutor alleged that the resets were done “to conceal the true contents of phone B” and that Patterson had hidden her original phone from police because “the data on that device would incriminate you.”
Patterson disagreed with both statements.
She has previously said phone B belonged to her son and she conducted the resets to remove his data so she could use the device.
The lunch host originally invited her estranged husband Simon to join the family meal at her secluded home in the Victoria state farm village of Leongatha.
But Simon turned down the invitation saying he felt uncomfortable going, the court heard earlier. The pair were long estranged but still legally married.
Simon’s parents Don and Gail, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, attended the lunch. All three were dead within days.
Heather’s husband Ian fell gravely ill but recovered.
The trial in Morwell, southeast of Melbourne, is expected to last another two weeks.
UN to vote on resolution demanding Gaza ceasefire, hostage release and aid access
- Resolution drafted by Spain ‘strongly condemns any use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare’
- Experts and human rights workers say hunger is widespread in Gaza
UNITED NATIONS: The UN General Assembly is expected to vote Thursday on a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and the opening of all Israeli border crossings for deliveries of desperately needed food and other aid.
The resolution, drafted by Spain and obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, “strongly condemns any use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.”
Experts and human rights workers say hunger is widespread in Gaza and some 2 million Palestinians are at risk of famine if Israel does not fully lift its blockade and halt its military campaign, which it renewed in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas.
Last week, the UN Security Council failed to pass a resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and calling on Israel to lift all restrictions on the delivery of aid. The United States vetoed the resolution because it was not linked to the release of the hostages, while all 14 other members of the council voted in favor.
There are no vetoes in the 193-member General Assembly, where the resolution is expected to pass overwhelmingly. But unlike in the Security Council, assembly resolutions are not legally binding, though they are seen as a barometer of world opinion.
After a 10-week blockade that barred all aid to Gaza, Israel is allowing the United Nations to deliver a trickle of food assistance and is backing a newly created US aid group, which has opened several sites in the center and south of the territory to deliver food parcels.
But the aid system rolled out last month by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been troubled by near-daily shootings as crowds make their way to aid sites, while the longstanding UN-run system has struggled to deliver food because of Israeli restrictions and a breakdown of law and order.
The draft resolution being voted on Thursday references a March 28 legally binding order by the top United Nations court for Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza for food, water, fuel and other supplies. The International Court of Justice issued the order in a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of acts of genocide in its war in Gaza, charges Israel strongly denies.
The resolution stresses that Israel, as an occupying power, has an obligation under international law to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those in need.
It reiterates the assembly’s commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the Gaza Strip as part of a Palestinian state. The assembly is holding a high-level meeting next week to push for a two-state solution, which Israel has rejected.
The resolution supports mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United States aimed at implementing a January ceasefire agreement.
When the US vetoed last week’s Gaza resolution, acting Ambassador Dorothy Shea said it would have undermined the security of Israel and diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire “that reflects the realities on the ground.”
Like the failed Security Council resolution, the resolution to be voted on Thursday also does not condemn Hamas’ deadly attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which ignited the war, or say the militant group must disarm and withdraw from Gaza. Both are US demands.
The Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostage. About 55 hostages are still being held. Israel’s military campaign has killed over 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It says women and children make up most of the dead, but doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.
LA stars speak out against Trump’s increasingly ruthless migrant crackdown
- Celebrities hit disconnect between Trump’s claims about arresting dangerous criminals and raids that appear to be targeting day laborers and factory workers
- “There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order," says singer Doechii
LOS ANGELES: As President Donald Trump’s military-backed crackdown on immigrants continues in Los Angeles and across the US, celebrities are speaking out against the tactics and what they say are the intolerant views driving them.
Some pointed to the gulf between Trump’s apocalyptic descriptions of a city in flames and the reality of a vast and diverse metropolis where largely peaceful protests are limited to a small part of downtown.
Here’s what the glitterati had to say:
Many celebrities touched on the disconnect between Trump’s claims about arresting dangerous criminals and raids that appear to be targeting day laborers and factory workers.
“When we’re told that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) exists to keep our country safe and remove violent criminals — great,” LA native and reality star Kim Kardashian wrote on social media.
“But when we witness innocent, hardworking people being ripped from their families in inhumane ways, we have to speak up.”
The billionaire behind Skims underwear added: “Growing up in LA, I’ve seen how deeply immigrants are woven into the fabric of this city. They are our neighbors, friends, classmates, coworkers and family.
“No matter where you fall politically, it’s clear that our communities thrive because of the contributions of immigrants.”
Singer Doechii echoed that sentiment in her acceptance speech for best female hip hop artist at the BET Awards on Sunday.
“There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order. Trump is using military forces to stop a protest,” the “Anxiety” singer said. “We all deserve to live in hope and not fear”
Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel gave a blistering 12-minute monologue from his studio in the heart of Hollywood, opening with footage of tourists enjoying the nearby attractions and a movie premiere.
“Not only is it not an apocalypse, they’re having a Disney/Pixar movie premiere right now for ‘Elio’, a movie about aliens — don’t tell Trump, he’ll send the Green Berets in, too,” the comedian said.
There is something wrong, he said, with innocent people “being abducted — which is the correct word to use — by agents in masks, hiding their identities, grabbing people off the streets.”
Grammy- and Oscar-winning musician and producer Finneas, famous for collaborations with sister Billie Eilish and for work on the “Barbie” movie soundtrack, reported being caught up in a heavy-handed police response at a protest.
“Tear-gassed almost immediately at the very peaceful protest downtown — they’re inciting this,” the LA native wrote on Instagram.
“Desperate Housewives” star Eva Longoria, called the raids “un-American.”
“It’s just so inhumane, hard to watch, it’s hard, it’s hard to witness from afar, I can’t imagine what it’s like to be in Los Angeles right now,” she wrote on Instagram.
Longoria added that the protests were a result of “the lack of due process for law-abiding, tax-paying immigrants who have been a part of our community for a very long time.”
