FARC guerrilla dissidents deny being behind senator's attack
FILE PHOTO: An image of Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay of the opposition Democratic Center party is displayed, after he was shot during a campaign event, in Bogota, Colombia, June 10, 2025. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo
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The Star
25 minutes ago
- The Star
Thailand and Cambodia seek to ease simmering border tensions
FILE PHOTO: A royalist activist holds a Thai flag as he protests in front of the Royal Embassy of Cambodia, following a recent clash at the Thailand-Cambodia border on May 28, 2025, in Bangkok, Thailand, June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/File Photo BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH (Reuters) -Thai and Cambodian officials met on Saturday to try to ease tensions amid fears of military clashes after a long-running territorial dispute reignited, leading both countries to mobilise troops on the border. The two neighbours share an 820-km (510-mile) land border, parts of which are undemarcated and include ancient temples that both sides have contested for decades. The latest standoff followed a brief skirmish on May 28 that left aCambodian soldier dead. "The Thai government hopes to use the platform to resolve the situation peacefully," Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra posted about the meeting on her Facebook page on Friday. The row comes at achallenging time for Thailand's government, which is losing popularity in prolonged struggle to spur economic growth. Paetongtarn's administration is under pressure to take a tougher stand on Cambodia, accompanied by initially strong rhetoric from the Thai military. Despite both countries pledging dialogue to handle the issue and to calm nationalistfervour, Bangkok has threatened to close the border and cut off electricity supplies to its neighbour. Phnom Penh announced it would cease buying Thai electric power, internet bandwidth and produce. It has also ordered local television stations not to screen Thai films. RESOLUTION UNLIKELY A resolution this weekend at the Joint Boundary Commission meeting in Phnom Penh is not expected, and it was unclear when the outcome would be announced. Cambodia is determined to file a case at the International Court of Justice to determine jurisdiction over four disputed areas, while Thailand insists on a bilateral solution. "Cambodia wants to settle the disputes at the ICJ, something that Thailand won't accept," said Dulyapak Preecharush, a Southeast Asian studies expert at Thammasat University in Bangkok. "So there's not much left to discuss at JBC apart from maintaining an atmosphere for further dialogue." Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Friday his country would not discuss the four contested areas at the boundary commission, adding the government would send an official letter to the ICJ on Sunday on its plan to file the case. Influential former strongman premier Hun Sen, Hun Manet's father, has criticised Thailand's military for restricting border crossings and has accused generals and Thai nationalists of fanning the tensions. "Only extremist groups and some military factions are behind these issues with Cambodia because, as usual, the Thai government is unable to control its military the way our country can," he said late on Thursday. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um in Bangkok and Chantha Lach in Phnom Penh; Editing by Martin Petty and William Mallard)
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Vietnam admitted as Brics ‘partner country,' Brazil says
SAO PAULO: Vietnam has been formally admitted as a "partner country" of the Brics group of major emerging economies, Brazil's government said on Friday (June 13), as the bloc presses ahead with an expansion push. Vietnam is the tenth nation to receive this status, which allows invited countries to participate in Brics summits and other discussion sessions. Vietnam had expressed earlier this year it was ready to discuss a partnership with Brics, whose original members were Brazil, Russia, India and China. "The government of Brazil welcomes the decision of the Vietnamese government," said the South American country, which holds the bloc's presidency in 2025. "Vietnam stands out as a relevant actor in Asia. Its efforts in favour of South-South cooperation and sustainable development reinforce its convergence with the interests of the group," it added. Founded in 2009 and soon expanded to add South Africa, the group has recently also included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, making it a growing diplomatic counterweight to traditional Western powers. Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan are its other partner countries. - Reuters
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Israel, Iran launch more barrages as Israel aims to wipe out Tehran's nuclear programme
TEL AVIV/DUBAI/WASHINGTON: Iran and Israel targeted each other with airstrikes early on Saturday (June 14) after Israel launched its biggest-ever offensive against its longtime foe in a bid to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the country's two largest cities before dawn, sending residents rushing into shelters. The military said its air defence systems were operating, seeking to intercept Iranian missiles. "In the last hour, dozens of missiles have been launched at the state of Israel from Iran, some of which were intercepted," the Israeli military said. It said rescue teams were operating at a number of locations across the country where fallen projectiles were reported, without commenting on casualties. Several explosions were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. The Fars news agency said two projectiles hit Tehran's Mehrabad airport, and Iranian media said flames were reported there. Close to key Iranian leadership sites, the airport hosts an air force base with fighter jets and transport aircraft. Israeli media said a suspected missile came down in Tel Aviv, and a Reuters witness heard a loud boom in Jerusalem. It was unclear whether Iranian strikes or Israeli defensive measures were behind the activity. Israeli rescue forces in a building damaged by an Iranian ballistic missile attack in Ramat Gan, Israel, on June 13. - Photo: Bloomberg Fars said Tehran launched a third wave of airstrikes on June 14 after two salvos on June 13 night. Those were in response to Israel's attacks on Iran early on June 13 against commanders, nuclear scientists, military targets and nuclear sites. In central Tel Aviv, a high-rise building was hit during a wave of the missile attacks, damaging the lower third of the structure, which stands in a densely populated urban area. An apartment block in nearby Ramat Gan was destroyed. Israel's ambulance service said 34 people were injured on June 13 night in the Tel Aviv area, most with minor injuries. Police later said one person had died. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel on June 13, two US officials said. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles on June 13 and that most were intercepted or fell short. Several buildings in and around Tel Aviv were hit. The Israeli strikes on Iran throughout the day and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iran's state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. Iran says its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes. Israeli officials said it may be some time before the extent of damage at Natanz was clear. Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium there to levels suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use. Residents take shelter during an Iranian ballistic missile attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 13. - Photo: Bloomberg The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz has been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on June 13. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war. A senior Iranian official said nowhere in Israel would be safe and revenge would be painful. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians. He accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. He called Israel's operation "an act of national preservation." First responders work at an impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Tel Aviv, on June 14. - Photo: Reuters Iran has long insisted its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear programme. Tehran had been engaged in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear programme to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. - Reuters
