
Toddler left behind in U.S. after parents deported arrives in Venezuela
CARACAS (Reuters) - A Venezuelan toddler who was separated from her parents when they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border a year ago and who remained in the U.S. when they were deported arrived in the South American country on a removal flight on Wednesday.
Major figures in Venezuela's socialist government, which is under extensive U.S. sanctions, had repeatedly called for Maikelys Espinoza Bernal, aged 2, to be returned to her mother, Yorely Bernal, who was deported back to Venezuela in April.
Images shown on Venezuelan state television showed the child in the arms of First Lady Cilia Flores at the airport.
(Reporting by Vivian Sequera)

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The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Exclusive-Ukraine hits out at Europe's payout from frozen Russian cash
KYIV/BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Ukraine's government has criticised a decision to take billions of euros of Russian wealth frozen in Europe and hand it to Western investors, warning that it weakened Europe's stand against Moscow. The criticism follows a move last month by Belgium's Euroclear to take 3 billion euros ($3.4 billion) of Russian investor cash held at the clearing firm to pay Westerners who lost out when Moscow seized their money held in Russia. Now Ukraine has warned that it sends a wrong signal and threatens to weaken Europe's hand when dealing with Russia, while it debates using the entire $300 billion of Russian wealth stranded in Europe to rebuild and defend the battered country. "If private investors are compensated before the victims of war, it won't be justice," said Iryna Mudra, a senior official in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office, in Kyiv's first public comments on the move. "It creates a perception of inconsistency, of Europe wavering in its resolve," Mudra, a deputy head of Ukraine's presidential administration, told Reuters. "International law requires that the aggressor is to make full reparation to the victim and not to investors who ... entered a high-risk jurisdiction," said Mudra, who is in charge of legal affairs in Zelenskiy's administration. The criticism comes at a critical time for the Western alliance backing Kyiv, with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration distancing itself from Europe and casting doubt over its commitment to Ukraine's defence and Russian sanctions. Mudra, one of a small circle of officials that set policy, also stressed the importance of maintaining control of the frozen Russian assets, which chiefly belong to its central bank with the majority held at Euroclear. The central bank assets were frozen at the outset of war in the single most powerful sanction directed at Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a penalty that is deeply resented in Moscow. Euroclear in March gained clearance from Belgium, its principal legal authority, to make the payout, people familiar with the matter have told Reuters, after the European Union changed its sanctions regime last year to make this possible. A spokesperson for the Belgian government said: "This is not a Belgian decision but the application of a European regulation decided unanimously by the member states." Euroclear has emphasised that it only implements sanctions and does not take decisions about lifting them. 'MIND BOGGLING' Three Russian sources recently told Reuters that Russian President Vladimir Putin's conditions for ending the war include the resolution of the frozen assets issue. Ukraine, meanwhile, is campaigning fiercely against any return of the money to Moscow. Euroclear alone held 195 billion euros of cash in March - mainly Russian central bank funds, with some belonging to Russian investors. "If it is returned to Russia, it will be converted into tanks, missiles, drones, training of new troops," said Ukraine's Mudra. "The world ... must demonstrate that unlawful war brings irreversible financial consequences." Some see the frozen Russian wealth as a lifeline for Kyiv. In the past, the West has engineered loans and payments to Ukraine from the interest on the stranded Russian stockpile, which Putin denounced as theft. Ukrainian officials fear the Euroclear payout, even though it does not affect the central bank money, could undermine their efforts to secure an agreement on using the wider pool of Russian assets to help their country. Mykola Yurlov, an official at Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the payout set a bad precedent, while Kira Rudik, a Ukrainian parliamentarian, was also critical. "Western companies were operating in Russia at their own risk. Why are these companies basically asking their societies to compensate for this risk?" Rudik told Reuters. "We need this money to rebuild and defend Ukraine." Last month's move also drew criticism abroad. "It is mind boggling that the priority is to reimburse corporate interests rather than spend the money defending Ukraine," said Jacob Kirkegaard, a sanctions expert with the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a Washington-based think tank. While the payout to investors left frozen Russian central bank reserves untouched, it made a dent in the stockpile of Russian wealth that gives the EU leverage over Moscow. More importantly for critics, it sets a worrying precedent. European Union leaders are expected to renew sanctions, including a freeze of Russian assets, at a summit meeting in June, although they could yet face an attempt by Hungary to derail those efforts. (Reporting by John O'Donnell and Tom BalmforthEditing by Tomasz Janowski)


The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Thailand urges talks after Cambodia threatens to take border dispute to world court
Buddhist monks visit the Preah Vihear temple, which sparked deadly clashes between Cambodia and Thailand in 2011. - Photo: Reuters BANGKOK: Thailand called on Cambodia to engage positively in efforts to settle a longstanding border dispute, stressing on Thursday (June 5) it did not recognise the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after its neighbour said it would refer the issue to the world court. The two countries have for days made statements committing to dialogue while vowing to protect their sovereignty following a May 28 border skirmish between troops in which a Cambodian soldier was killed. Deadly clashes between Cambodia and Thailand last erupted in 2011 over Preah Vihear, an ancient temple at the heart of a decades-long dispute that has stirred nationalist sentiment on both sides. 'Thailand has not recognised compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ since 1960. Thailand and Cambodia already have existing bilateral mechanisms to address these issues,' Thailand's government said in a statement. Cambodia last week accused Thai troops of opening fire on a trench that served as a Cambodian army base. Thailand's military described the incident as a misunderstanding at an undemarcated border area and said its soldiers were forced to engage after coming under fire. Although the two countries have a historic rivalry, their governments enjoy warm ties, partly due to the close relationship between their influential former leaders, Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodia's Hun Sen, whose daughter and son respectively are now prime ministers. Cambodia's government, in a statement late on June 4, said the recent clash underscored the limitations of their dispute-resolution mechanisms in addressing 'longstanding points of contention'. It said ICJ referral to settle disputes over four border areas was, therefore, necessary. It did not say when it would initiate proceedings. 'These four areas have long remained unresolved and sensitive, with the potential to escalate tensions if unaddressed,' it said, stressing it is committed to dialogue and diplomacy. 'Cambodia expresses its hope that Thailand will cooperate in jointly referring this case to the ICJ.' The two countries are due to meet for talks on June 14. A small protest took place on June 5 outside Thailand's Defence Ministry, and an activist group has planned a demonstration outside the Cambodian embassy on June 6 'to protect the land of Thailand'. Cambodia, in its statement, urged its people to show calm and restraint, underlining the importance of protecting relations with Thailand. - Reuters


The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Zambia's former president Edgar Lungu has died, his party says
LUSAKA (Reuters) -Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu has died aged 68, his political party the Patriotic Front said on Thursday. Lungu was head of state of the Southern African country between 2015 and 2021, when he lost an election to current President Hakainde Hichilema. "The former president, who has been receiving specialized treatment in South Africa, died today on Thursday, 5th June," the Patriotic Front's statement on Facebook said. The party said Lungu's daughter and a family lawyer had confirmed that Lungu had died. (Reporting by Chris Mfula and Chiwoyu Sinyangwe;Additional reporting by Siyanda Mthethwa;Writing by Sfundo Parakozov and Alessandro Parodi;Editing by Alexander Winning)