Thailand 'unexpectedly' shuts border to tourists, leaves thousands stranded
Thailand has closed two border crossings to tourists amid tensions with Cambodia following a deadly clash on May 28 in the disputed Emerald Triangle region. Both countries agreed to reposition troops to reduce conflict and plan further talks on June 14. Cambodia will file a complaint with the International Court of Justice over the border dispute, which Thailand does not fully recognise.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Thailand has shut two of its border crossings to tourists as a "safety measure" amid ongoing tensions with its neighbour, Cambodia. The 'unexpected' move left thousands of people stranded, as per a report by the Bangkok Post.The decision comes after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a short military skirmish on May 28 in the Emerald Triangle, the region where the borders of the two neighbouring countries and Laos converge.Both countries on Sunday reached an agreement to reposition their troops in the disputed border area. There has been sporadic violence on the Thai-Cambodian frontier since 2008, resulting in at least 28 deaths.Following disputes in recent days over border controls and troops, the two sides met Sunday and agreed to reposition their soldiers. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said she had spoken to the Cambodian government and talks had reached a "positive conclusion"."Both parties have agreed to jointly adjust military forces at points of conflict to reduce the atmosphere of confrontation," she wrote on X.Further discussions were due on June 14, the prime minister added. Cambodia's defence ministry said the two militaries met and "decided to adjust forces of both sides, to return to appropriate positions to reduce confrontations".Influential former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen said adjusting forces through "mutual understanding" was "essential to avoid large-scale violent clashes".Thailand and Cambodia have long been at odds over their more than 800-kilometre-long (500-mile) border, which was largely drawn during the French occupation of Indochina. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said Monday the kingdom would file a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the border dispute.The ICJ ruled in 2013 that the disputed area belonged to Cambodia, but Thailand says it does not accept the ICJ's jurisdiction.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
3rd Ocean Conference: UN calls for global action to protect oceans and marine biodiversity in high seas
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (Image credit: AP) New Delhi: Calling for an end to ocean plunder, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday said the ocean is the ultimate shared resource, but the world is failing it. "The deep sea cannot become the wild west. We live in an age of turmoil, but the resolve I see here gives me hope... we can move from plunder to protection," said Guterres, as he opened the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, where over 150 countries, including India, are participating to find ways to protect the oceans from over-exploitation, pollution, and biodiversity loss. India is represented there by a team of scientists led by Union minister of earth sciences Jitendra Singh. One of the summit's core objectives is to help bring into force the landmark High Seas Treaty adopted in 2023 to safeguard life in international waters through long-term protection of marine biodiversity in the high seas. Sixty ratifications are required for the treaty to become a legally binding international law. The conference is expected to bring enough countries on board as 50 countries have, so far, already submitted their ratifications and 15 more have formally committed to joining them. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Samsun: Yeni İşitme Cihazları Emeklileri Hayrete Düşürdü Best Hearing Aids Undo 'This means that the political agreement has been reached, which allows us to say that this [Treaty] will be properly implemented,' said French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is co-hosting the summit alongside Costa Rica. Macron, while addressing the opening session of the conference, made an urgent call for multilateral mobilisation to save the oceans. Insisting that the fate of the seas cannot be left to markets or opinion, he said, "The first response is therefore multilateralism... If the earth is warming, the ocean is boiling. The climate, like biodiversity, is not a matter of opinion; it is a matter of scientifically established facts.' Singh, while speaking on the sidelines, said that the challenges of the ocean concerns need to be addressed collectively because nearly 70% of the earth's surface is occupied by oceans and the oceans know no political or geographical boundaries. The good and bad effects emanating from the oceans affect humanity, regardless of nationality or the country, he added.
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Union Minister Jitendra Singh attends UN Ocean Conference, French President Macron calls for multilateral mobilisation to save oceans
Nice [France], June 9 (ANI): Union Earth Sciences Minister Dr Jitendra Singh attended the opening session of the third United Nations Ocean Conference, co-hosted by the Governments of France and Costa Rica, which started today in Nice. During the opening session of the 'UN Ocean Conference', French President Emmanuel Macron called for multilateral mobilisation to save the oceans. In a post on X, Singh stated, 'Opening session of 'UN Ocean Conference' began with an address by the President of the host country #France, Mr Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron). Before an august gathering representing over 150 countries of the world, President Macron makes an urgent call for multilateral mobilisation to save the oceans.' Macron said, 'We need to revitalize multilateralism behind the UN Secretary General,' adding that, 'the only way to meet that challenge, is to mobilize all actors, heads of state and government speaking here, but also scientists.' In his opening remarks to the conference, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, 'I urge all countries to come forward with bold pledges,' according to the UN statement. He stated, 'We live in an age of turmoil, but the resolve I see here gives me hope,' he said. 'Hope that we can turn the tide.' Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves Robles stated that 'this summit must be remembered as the time when the world understood that looking after the ocean is not simply an option. Rather, it is a moral, economic, and indeed, we need minimum protection.' The conference includes plenaries and 10 Ocean Action Panels that will bring together governments, the UN system, civil society, scientists, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and the private sector, according to the UN statement. Earlier in the day, Dr Jitendra Singh held a meeting with the Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO). 'Bilateral' with the #UNESCO emissary, Mr. Vidar Helgesen, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO). Over the recent years, India has under PM @narendramodi assumed a special significance. Focus is on strengthening global ocean observation capabilities, both through in-situ methods and satellite technology, by India,' Dr Jitendra Singh posted on X. Earlier on Sunday, Norway's Minister of International Development, Asmund Grover Aukrust, met Union Minister for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh in Monaco and expressed solidarity with India over the recent attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. The two leaders exchanged notes on deepening India-Norway cooperation in Marine Planning, Arctic research and a resilient Blue Economy. Asmund Grover Aukrust said they eagerly looked forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Norway. The Norwegian side has clearly expressed support for India in the wake of recent developments. The Norway Minister conveyed that there is a strong public sentiment in Norway in favour of India, with many citizens expressing a desire to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit their country. In a press release, Ministry of Earth Sciences stated, 'In a significant diplomatic engagement ahead of the Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) side event, Norway Minister of International Development, Asmund Grover Aukrust, called on India's Minister for Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh and conveyed his country's solidarity with India, in the light of the deplorable happenings in Jammu & Kashmir in recent weeks. Dr Jitendra Singh acknowledged Norway's support, in response to which Aukrust said that they eagerly looked forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Norway.' 'From the Norwegian side, there has been a clear expression of support for India in the wake of recent developments. The Norway Minister conveyed that there is a strong public sentiment in Norway in favour of India, with many citizens expressing a desire to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit their country,' it added. (ANI)
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
UN chief warns of ocean crisis, urges leaders to protect marine areas
Guterres, speaking at the opening of the third U.N. Ocean Conference in Nice, cautioned that illegal fishing, plastic pollution and rising sea temperatures threatened delicate ecosystems and the people who depend on them read more General view of the opening of the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France. Reuters U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged world leaders to ratify a treaty that would allow nations to establish protected marine areas in international waters, warning that human activity was destroying ocean ecosystems. Guterres, speaking at the opening of the third U.N. Ocean Conference in Nice, cautioned that illegal fishing, plastic pollution and rising sea temperatures threatened delicate ecosystems and the people who depend on them. 'The ocean is the ultimate shared resource. But we are failing it,' Guterres said, citing collapsing fish stocks, rising sea levels and ocean acidification. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Oceans also provide a vital buffer against climate change, by absorbing around 30% of planet-heating CO2 emissions. But as the oceans heat up, hotter waters are destroying marine ecosystems and threatening the oceans' ability to absorb CO2. 'These are symptoms of a system in crisis - and they are feeding off each other. Unravelling food chains. Destroying livelihoods. Deepening insecurity.' The High Seas Treaty, adopted in 2023, would permit countries to establish marine parks in international waters, which cover nearly two-thirds of the ocean and are largely unregulated. Hitherto, only an estimated 1% of international waters, known as the 'high seas', have been protected. The drive for nations to turn years of promises into meaningful protection for the oceans comes as President Donald Trump pulls the United States and its money out of climate projects and as some European governments weaken green policy commitments as they seek to support anaemic economies and fend off nationalists. The United States has not yet ratified the treaty and will not do so during the conference, Rebecca Hubbard, director of The High Seas Alliance, said. 'If they don't ratify, they are not bound by it,' she said. 'The implementation will take years but it is critical we start now and we won't let the U.S. absence stop that from happening.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD French President Emmanuel Macron, the conference's co-host, told delegates that 50 countries had now ratified the treaty and that another 15 had promised to do so. The treaty will only come into force once 60 countries ratify it. Macron's foreign minister said he expected that would happen before the end of the year. The United States has not sent a high-level delegation to the conference. 'It's not a surprise, we know the American administration's position on these issues,' Macron told reporters late on Sunday. Britain's Prince William on Sunday said protecting the planet's oceans was a challenge 'like none we have faced before'. Ocean experts have also seized on the conference as an opportunity to rally investment for the ocean economy, which has long struggled to attract sizeable funding commitments. At a two-day gathering of bankers and investors in Monaco over the weekend, philanthropists, private investors and public banks committed 8.7 billion euros over five years to support a regenerative and sustainable blue economy. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Investments in ocean health totalled just $10 billion from 2015-2019 - far below the $175 billion per year needed, the U.N. has said. To address this gap, the U.N. said on Sunday it was starting work to design a new financing facility, to be launched in 2028, which aims to unlock billions of dollars to restore ocean health by mobilising new and diverse sources of capital.
