Russia Capture Ukrainian Supply Hub, Cripples Defence Routes
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The Hindu
a few seconds ago
- The Hindu
Thailand returns two wounded soldiers to Cambodia but continues to hold 18 of their comrades
Cambodia on Friday (July 31, 2025) welcomed the return of two wounded soldiers who had been captured by the Thai Army after the two sides had already implemented a ceasefire to end five days of combat over competing territorial claims. Their repatriation comes amid accusations and bickering over whether either side had targeted civilians and breached the laws of war, and sharp nationalist feuding on social media. The rest of a 20-member group of Cambodian soldiers captured on Tuesday (July 29, 2025) in one of the disputed pockets of land over which the two sides were fighting remain in Thai hands and Cambodian officials are demanding their release. Nationalist agendas fuelled the border fight between Thailand and Cambodia The two countries have given differing accounts of the circumstances of the capture. Cambodian officials say their soldiers approached the Thai position with friendly intentions to offer post-fighting greetings, while Thai officials said the Cambodians appeared to have hostile intent and entered what Thailand considers its territory, so they were taken prisoner. Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata confirmed that the two wounded soldiers had been handed over at a border checkpoint between Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province and urged the Thai side to promptly repatriate the remaining personnel in accordance with 'international humanitarian law.' Thailand launches airstrikes on Cambodia as border clashes leave at least 15 dead Thailand says it has been following international legal procedures and was holding the remaining 18 soldiers until it could investigate their actions. A statement issued on Friday (July 31, 2025) by Thailand's 2nd Army Region identified the two repatriated Cambodian soldiers as a sergeant with a broken arm and a gash on his hip and a second lieutenant who appeared to be suffering from battle fatigue and needed care from his family. It said both men had taken an oath not to engage in further hostilities against Thailand. Neither man nor the others in Thai custody have been made available for interviews by neutral third parties. The Cambodian Human Rights Committee, which is a government agency, released a letter addressed to the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights claiming that the two soldiers had been tortured and denied medical care. The letter, which offered no evidence to back up its claims, demanded, among other measures, an 'impartial investigation by the United Nations or relevant international bodies' into its allegations. There were other peaceful activities on Friday (July 31, 2025) on both sides of the border as both countries staged tours of the former battle areas for foreign diplomats and other observers, highlighting damage allegedly caused by the other side. The two countries continue to accuse each other of having violated the laws of war with attacks on civilians and the illegal use of weapons. More than three dozen people, civilians and soldiers, were killed in the fighting, which, in addition to infantry battles, included artillery duels and the firing of truck-mounted rockets by Cambodia, to which Thailand responded with airstrikes. More than 2,60,000 people in total were displaced from their homes. Under the terms of the ceasefire, military representatives of both sides are supposed to meet next week to iron out details to avoid further clashes. However, the talks are not supposed to cover the competing territorial claims that are at the heart of decades-long tension between the two countries. Partisans of both sides are also waging a war of words online, with Thailand accusing Cambodia of also carrying out malicious hacking. Both countries' professional journalism societies have accused each other of spreading false information and other propaganda.
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First Post
a few seconds ago
- First Post
'No corruption, yes to Europe': On cardboard, a Gen-Z revolution that forced Zelenskyy step back
A Gen-Z-led protest took over Ukraine to raise voice against a bill that would have seen the country's top independent anti-corruption bodies be brought under political control. The story of the Cardboard Revolution that compelled Zelenskyy to change his stance. read more A protest against a law that removed the independent status from two key Ukrainian anti-corruption bodies, in Kyiv, on July 23, 2025. AFP A Gen Z-led protest that has taken over Ukraine has forced the country's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make a U-turn on a controversial bill. In Ukraine, cardboard signs are being used in the anti-corruption campaign that has taken over the war-torn nation. The bill in question would have seen the country's top independent anti-corruption bodies brought under political control, which would have made these institutions vulnerable to political sway. The cardboards marked creative and provocative placards in cities around Ukraine, in a bid to protest against the bill. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What made these demonstrations significant was the fact that more than 69 per cent of Ukrainians supported the protests, according to the latest findings by the Gradus Research Company. These signs raised by dissenters quoted songs, pop culture references and literature, and occasionally featured explicit language. The Gen-Z protest What made these demonstrations interesting was the fact that it was led by groups of people aged mainly between 15 and 23. 'I've been complaining for a long time that the motivation to fight has disappeared somewhere. But I want to thank Mr. President, if it weren't for the shit that these idiots decided to arrange, I wouldn't have seen what kind of great children have grown up in Ukraine. They're worth fighting for. They've raised motivation,' Ukrainian soldier Oleksii Tsymbaliuk told Politico. While the country is at war, Ukraine was known for a rich protest culture, where people often took to the streets to hold politicians accountable. Demonstrations have been a key feature of the country's fabric since the 1990 Revolution on Granite that preceded independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the 2004 Orange Revolution, and the 2014 Maidan Revolution. The Cardboard Revolution that has taken over the country amidst a war is driven by youth who grew up in a country already on the path to EU integration, while immersed in TikTok filled with Ukrainian and Western pop-culture and literature. 'This is indeed a very creative and well-read protest. It is within the tradition of Ukrainian revolutions. For example, the Orange Revolution of 2004 was also very theatrical in itself, but the protesters there were playing with colour, not quotes,' Olesia Ostrovska-Liuta, director general of the National Cultural, Art and Museum Complex, Mystetskyi Arsenal," told Politico. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Before every rally across the country, young protesters came up with new messages to send to the government. 'From a quote of Ukrainian modern poet Serhii Zhadan, 'Why the f**k do I need a system that works against me?' to the words of Vasyl Stus, Ukrainian decedent poet from the 1960s, who once said 'Those who are against dictatorship, rise!'' Ostrovska-Liuta added. 'This protest has more self-confidence and self-expression, as well as an aspect of virality. Someone's creative cardboard sign gets recreated multiple times,' Ostrovska-Liuta averred. Another powerful message featured on T-shirts that read 'People with cardboard are the source of power'. The impact Amid the protests and backlash from political opponents, Zelenskyy rapidly signed a bill restoring the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP). While they were holding protests, memes and jokes helped these groups to cope with social media backlash. They also had to navigate through the attempts by foreign politicians, such as Republican US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, to use the protests to undermine Zelenskyy. 'In no way do we stand for overthrowing the government, we stand for anti-corruption reform and for protection of what the EuroMaidan revolution has fought for,' one of the demonstrators told Politico. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD After the Ukrainian parliament restored the independence of anti-corruption bodies, protesters now plan to continue rallying — this time demanding additional reforms needed for Ukraine's EU integration and to secure the foreign aid essential to its war effort.
Scroll.in
a few seconds ago
- Scroll.in
Trump says he has ‘heard' India may stop buying Russian oil
United States President Donald Trump on Friday said that he has heard that India 'is no longer going to be buying oil' from Russia, ANI reported. 'I don't know if that's right or not, but that's a good step,' the news agency quoted Trump as saying. 'We will see what happens.' The comment came a day after Reuters reported on Thursday that Indian state-owned refiners had halted oil purchases from Russia over the past week. However, on Saturday, ANI quoted unidentified Indian officials as saying that the state-owned refiners are continuing to source oil from Russian suppliers. #WATCH | "I understand that India is no longer going to be buying oil from Russia. That's what I heard, I don't know if that's right or not. That is a good step. We will see what happens..." says, US President Donald Trump on a question by ANI, if he had a number in mind for the… — ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2025 Trump's remarks on Friday also came just hours after India's Ministry of External Affairs responded to the Reuters report, stating that decisions on sourcing fuel are guided by market dynamics. 'We take decisions based on the price at which oil is available in the international market and depending on the global situation at that time,' ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a press briefing. 'As for the specifics of your particular question, I am not aware of it. I don't have details of these specifics.' India and Russia share a 'steady, time-tested partnership ', he added. 'Our ties with any country stand on their merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country,' Jaiswal said. India's clarification on Friday came two days after Trump threatened to impose a ' penalty ' on New Delhi for buying a large portion of its military equipment and fuel from Russia amid the war on Ukraine. The penalty would be in addition to the 25% levy Washington announced on goods imported from India, as part of the so-called reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries that have not negotiated separate trade agreements with it. While the tariffs will take effect on August 7, the executive order signed by Trump on Thursday made no mention of the 'penalty'. On Thursday, Trump said that he does not care about 'what India does with Russia' and that 'they can take their dead economies down together, for all I care'. 'We have done very little business with India, their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world,' Trump said on social media. 'Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together.' On Wednesday evening, India's commerce ministry said that New Delhi was studying the implications of the US' decision, and that it would take all steps necessary to secure national interests.
