22/05/2026

FRIDAY | MAY 22, 2026

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Philippines orders arrest of fugitive senator

MANILA: government

The

Philippine

Indonesia’s restive eastern Papua region have shot and killed eight gold miners they claimed were undercover members of the security forces, the military said yesterday. The miners were attacked while working in the far-flung district of Yahukimo, Papua Pegunungan province on Wednesday, military spokesman Wirya Arthadiguna said in a statement. The victims, he said, were Eldest Thai princess critical BANGKOK: The health condition of a Thai princess who has been hospitalised for more than three years has deteriorated, the palace said yesterday. Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, the king’s eldest daughter, fell ill during a military dog training session in December 2022 and has remained in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. She suffered from a severe blood infection and her lung and kidney functions were being supported by medical devices and medication, the palace previously said. The Bureau of the Royal Household said in a statement that the princess had developed an abdominal infection from inflammation of the large intestine and was experiencing “unstable vital signs, low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and abnormal blood coagulation”. The palace said Bajrakitiyabha was still relying on medical equipment to support her lung and kidney functions, as well as medication. “Her condition has continued to deteriorate,” the statement said, adding that the infection had become “uncontrollable and affected other organs”. Educated in Britain, the United States and Thailand, Bajrakitiyabha yesterday ordered police to arrest a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court over his role in ex-president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug crackdown. Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa served as national police chief from 2016 to 2018 during the early phase of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign and was elected to two successive six year terms in the Senate after retiring from the force Dela Rosa is on the run after fleeing the Senate building last week, hours after a shooting incident. “I would like to confirm that the Philippine law enforcement agencies ... are now tasked to effect the arrest of Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa,” Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida told reporters. The ICC last week unsealed an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa, accused along with Duterte and other “co-perpetrators” of murder. Vida insisted the warrant dated November was enforceable despite the senator challenging its legality on the basis of the Philippines’ 2019 withdrawal from the court’s founding treaty. The Philippine Supreme Court’s interim ruling on Wednesday denying dela Rosa’s bid for a temporary restraining order means

“civilians panning for gold in the area”. The West Papua National Liberation Army, however, said it had carried out a successful “cleansing operation” against “soldiers/police officers disguised as illegal gold miners”. Rebel spokesman Sebby Sambom said the operation was in retaliation for the deaths of two of its members at the hands of the military in Yahukimo last week. the ICC warrant can now be enforced, Vida said. “We’re pursuing this so that the ends of justice may be achieved,” Vida said. He did not elaborate on leads authorities had on the location of dela Rosa Dela Rosa’s lawyer said on Wednesday he will appeal the Supreme Court ruling. Former president Duterte was arrested last year and is awaiting trial by the ICC in The Hague on charges stemming from the drug crackdown. o Police state respect for constitutional rights of all parties

Wirya said the military has deployed teams to track down the shooters and evacuate the victims’ bodies by helicopter. Papua, which shares an island with Papua New Guinea, is a former Dutch colony that declared independence in 1961. Indonesia took control two years later, followed by a 1969 referendum in which 1,000 Papuans out of a population of some 800,000 voted in favour of integration. The drug war left thousands of people dead, mostly drug users and low-level traffickers from urban slums according to human rights monitors. Philippine police say more than 6,000 drug suspects were killed in legitimate police operations during the Duterte presidency in 2016-2022. National Police chief Jose Melencio Nartatez yesterday said the PNP took note of the Justice Ministry’s directive and would perform its mandate under the law, but stopped short of saying it would arrest dela Rosa. “The PNP likewise assures the public that all actions undertaken shall remain impartial, professional, and within the bounds of the law, with full respect for the constitutional rights of all parties concerned,” Nartatez said in a statement. – AFP/Reuters

Dela Rosa during a senate session on May 13. – AFPFILEPIC

Papua rebels kill eight gold miners JAYAPURA: Separatists in

Singapore Zoo celebrates orangutan birth SINGAPORE: The Singapore Zoo has welcomed the birth of a male Sumatran orangutan named Ayaan on March 18 via a caesarean section, following a high-risk pregnancy. Ayaan was born to a 29-year-old female Sumatran orangutan named Chomel and 48-year-old male Sumatran orangutan Charlie. Mandai Wildlife Group said the procedure is believed to be the first documented case of its kind in an orangutan where both mother and infant survived. “Ayaan, whose name means blessing, and his mother Chomel are doing well. “Following two months of recovery and bonding in off exhibit care, the pair has returned to the orangutan exhibit, where guests may see them,” it said. The pairing of Charlie and Chomel was recommended under the Southeast Asian Zoos and Aquariums Association Species Management Programme for the Sumatran orangutan , a regional breeding programme coordinated by Mandai Wildlife Group. Despite attempts at pairing since 2018, none have resulted in a successful conception, and the team turned to assisted reproductive methods, it said. Deputy chief executive officer of life sciences and chief life sciences officer, Dr Cheng Wen Haur, said Ayaan’s birth is the result of years of careful planning and teamwork behind the scenes. “Faced with a complex and high-risk pregnancy, our teams brought together all available expertise to give the mother and infant the best possible chance. “This reflects the value of science-led, collaborative breeding programmes in safeguarding critically endangered species,” he said. – Bernama

Papuan independence activists regularly criticise the vote and call for fresh polls, but Jakarta says its sovereignty over Papua is supported by the United Nations. Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights is investigating the killing of more than a dozen civilians, including women and children, in a military operation in the Papuan village of Kembru in April. The military claimed it had taken out rebel fighters. – AFP

Thai well-wishers bow in front of an image of Princess Bajrakitiyabha on Dec 16, 2022. – AFPFILEPIC

held several positions with the United Nations and campaigned for better treatment of women in prisons. Known in Thailand as “Princess

Bha”, the 47-year-old is the only child from King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s first marriage. She is seen as close to her father, and was appointed to a senior role in

his bodyguard command a year before her hospitalisation. The 73-year-old king, who has seven children from four marriages, has not announced his heir. –AFP