Thailand, Cambodia plan border visits for diplomats as violence eases
The ceasefire reached in Malaysia was supposed to take effect at midnight Monday, but it was quickly tested as Thailand and Cambodia continued to accuse each other of violating the truce agreements.
Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday it is organising a trip to the border for military attachés of foreign missions and the media on Friday to show the impact of the clashes on the ground.
Cambodia is also organising a border visit for foreign diplomats on the same day. It held a similar trip on Wednesday attended by representatives from 13 countries, including the US and China.
Thailand's government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub said Thursday that there had been no new clashes reported overnight Wednesday.
But tensions on other fronts continue to simmer. Officials in Thailand's border province of Surin, one of the critical locations of the conflict, on Thursday cautioned evacuees against returning home as they were surveying affected areas for any ammunition that might still pose a risk.
A spokesperson for Cambodia's Defence Ministry, Maly Socheata, said Thursday that Cambodia has received the body of one of its soldiers from Thailand.
'I hope that the Thai Army will return all our soldiers who are currently in the custody of the Thai Army to Cambodia as soon as possible," he said.
Thai foreign minister Maris Sagniampongsa said the Cambodian soldiers were being well taken care of and would be sent back once Thailand is confident they no longer pose a threat. He said security officials would determine when the return would be.
Hun Manet and Thailand's acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, agreed Monday to an 'unconditional" halt in the fighting, which has killed at least 41 people.
The fighting began last week after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers.
The peace talks were hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He called the ceasefire a 'vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security." The ceasefire was brokered with US pressure as President Donald Trump said he would not move forward with trade agreements if the conflict continued.
But both countries continued to blame each other, and Thailand accused Cambodia of launching new attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday after the agreement took effect.
Cambodia's Major General Chan Sopheaktra of the Preah Vihear province said Wednesday that the Cambodian military has been strictly adhering to the ceasefire agreement and that there had been two ceasefire violations by Thai forces since the agreement took effect. He did not elaborate on the violations.
Cambodia and Thailand have clashed in the past over their 800-kilometre border.
Tensions had been growing since May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand's domestic politics. (AP) SKS NPK NPK
view comments
First Published:
July 31, 2025, 19:00 IST
News agency-feeds Thailand, Cambodia plan border visits for diplomats as violence eases
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
13 minutes ago
- First Post
What will FBI's new office in New Zealand do? Kash Patel's suggestion leaves China fuming
FBI Director Kash Patel provoked diplomatic discomfort in New Zealand by suggesting the opening of a new office in the capital aims to counter China's influence, drawing polite dismissals from Wellington and ire from Beijing. read more FBI Director Kash Patel's remarks on the opening of the US agency's new office in New Zealand has drawn ire from China. (Photo: AP) FBI Director Kash Patel has provoked diplomatic discomfort in New Zealand and a sense of unease in China, which is looking to dominate waters in South Pacific, including the Tasman Sea, with the suggestion that the new mission's aim was to counter Chinese influence in the region. Patel's suggestion drew polite dismissals from New Zealand and ire from China. Patel was in Wellington on Thursday to open the FBI's first standalone office in New Zealand and to meet senior officials. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The arrangement aligns New Zealand with FBI missions in other Five Eyes intelligence-sharing nations, which also include the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. More from World India, New Zealand advance FTA talks in second round held in New Delhi, next round in September What FBI will do in New Zealand? Speaking about the new office, the FBI chief, in remarks made in a video released on Thursday by the US Embassy, said the New Zealand branch would help counter Chinese Communist Party's influence in the contested South Pacific Ocean. The Wellington office will provide a local mission for FBI staff, who have operated with oversight from Australia since 2017. Interestingly, New Zealand ministers who met Patel, the highest-ranking Trump administration official to visit New Zealand, looked quite uncomfortable with the FBI director's suggestion, and quietly dismissed his claims. What New Zealand said on FBI's new office, and China? The New Zealand government issued a statement on Thursday, emphasising joint efforts against crimes such as online child exploitation and drug smuggling. It did not mention anything about China, whose naval drills in recent times have raised security concerns in New Zealand. 'When we were talking, we never raised that issue,' Foreign Minister Winston said Thursday. Judith Collins, minister for the security services, said the focus would be on transnational crime. 'I don't respond to other people's press releases,' she said when reporters noted Patel had mentioned China, Radio New Zealand reported. Trade Minister Todd McClay rejected a reporter's suggestion on Friday that Wellington had 'celebrated' the office opening. 'Well, I don't think it was celebrated yesterday,' he said. 'I think there was an announcement and it was discussed.' A sharp response from China to Patel At a briefing Friday, China's foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun denounced Patel's remarks. 'China believes that cooperation between countries should not target any third party,' he said. 'Seeking so-called absolute security through forming small groupings under the banner of countering China does not help keep the Asia Pacific and the world at large peaceful and stable.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD New Zealand, the smallest Five Eyes partner, has faced ongoing pressure to align with U.S. stances on China, its largest trading partner, while carefully balancing relations with Beijing. Analysts said the FBI chief's comments could vex those efforts, although New Zealand has faced such challenges before. 'It's in New Zealand's interest to have more law enforcement activities to deal with our shared problems,' said Jason Young, associate professor of international relations at Victoria University of Wellington. 'It's perhaps not in New Zealand's interest to say we're doing this to compete with China.' US-China tussle in Trump's second presidency Patel's visit came as the Trump administration has sought to raise global alarm about Beijing's designs. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in June said China posed an imminent threat and urged Indo-Pacific countries to increase military spending to five per cent of GDP. New Zealand has traditionally avoided singling out individual countries when discussing regional tensions, Young said. 'I'm sure the US would like New Zealand to speak more forthrightly and characterize the China challenge in a similar way to the United States,' Young said. New Zealand, a country of 5 million people, was once assumed by larger powers to be of little strategic importance. But its location and influence in the contested South Pacific Ocean, where Beijing has sought to woo smaller island nations over the past decade, has increased its appeal to countries like the US. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Peters, the foreign minister, told The Associated Press in 2024 that U.S. neglect of the region until recent years had in part been responsible for China's burgeoning influence there. He urged US officials to 'please get engaged and try to turn up.' Not everyone welcomed the expanded FBI presence Online, the new office drew rancor from New Zealanders who posted thousands of overwhelmingly negative comments about the announcement on social media sites. A weekend protest against the opening was planned. Young said it was unlikely people posting in anger took issue with cross-border law enforcement efforts in general. 'I think it would be more a reflection of some of the deep unease that many people in New Zealand see with some of the political choices that are being made in America at the moment,' he said. (With agency inputs)
News18
18 minutes ago
- News18
Kyiv mourns after Russian attack that killed 31 people, including 5 children
Kyiv, Aug 1 (AP) The Ukrainian capital Kyiv observed an official day of mourning Friday, a day after a Russian drone and missile attack on the city killed 31 people, including five children, and injured more than 150, officials said. The youngest victim in Thursday's strikes was 2 years old, and 16 of the injured were children, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. It was the highest number of children killed and injured in a single attack on Kyiv since aerial attacks on the city began in October 2022, according to official casualty figures reported by The Associated Press. The death toll rose overnight as emergency crews continued to dig through rubble. The Russian barrage demolished a large part of a nine-story residential building in the city, while more than 100 other buildings were damaged, including homes, schools, kindergartens, medical facilities and universities, officials said. Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent months, ignoring calls from Western leaders including US President Donald Trump to stop striking civilian areas after more than three years of war. Russian forces are also pressing on with their grinding war of attrition along the 1,000-kilometres front line, where incremental gains over the past year have cost the lives of thousands of soldiers on both sides. He repeated his appeal for countries to impose heavier economic sanctions on Russia to deter the Kremlin, as US-led peace efforts have failed to gain traction. 'No matter how much the Kremlin denies (sanctions') effectiveness, they are working and must be stronger," Zelenskyy said. His comments Friday appeared to be a response to Trump's remarks the previous day, when the Republican president said the US plans to impose sanctions on Russia but added, 'I don't know that sanctions bother him," in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine also called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting to be convened Friday, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, in an effort to push Putin into accepting 'a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire." Russian forces bear down on a key eastern Ukrainian city Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are under heavy pressure in the strategic hilltop city of Chasiv Yar, in the eastern Donetsk region where Russia is making a concerted push to break through defences after some 18 months of fighting. Zelenskyy said that Russian claims of capturing Chasiv Yar on Thursday were 'disinformation." 'Ukrainian units are holding our positions," Zelenskyy said in his daily video address on Thursday evening. 'It is not easy, but it is the defense of Ukrainians' very right to life." Even so, the Institute for the Study of War said that Ukraine's hold on the key city is weakening. 'Russian forces will likely complete the seizure of Chasiv Yar in the coming days, which will open several possible avenues for Russian forces to attack Ukraine's fortress belt — a series of fortified cities that form the backbone of Ukraine's defencive positions" in the Donetsk region, the Washington-based think tank said. Ukraine has tried to pressure the Russian army by striking rear areas with long-range drones that target rail networks, oil depots and arsenals. Russia's Defence Ministry said Friday that air defences shot down 60 Ukrainian drones overnight. More than half were destroyed over Russia's Belgorod region on the country's border with Ukraine, it said. Belgorod Gov Vyacheslav Gladkov said that one person was injured. (AP) RD RD view comments First Published: August 01, 2025, 15:15 IST News agency-feeds Kyiv mourns after Russian attack that killed 31 people, including 5 children Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Economic Times
39 minutes ago
- Economic Times
A year after uprising, Bangladesh's youth struggle to find jobs
Synopsis Bangladesh faces a youth unemployment crisis after political upheaval. Quota reforms sparked protests, but job creation lags. Garment factory closures worsen the situation. The interim government plans training and seeks investment. US tariffs and aid cuts pose further threats. Experts urge support for existing businesses and focus on livelihoods. Private investment is crucial for job growth. AP Students clash with police during a protest over the allocation of government jobs, in Dhaka, Bangladesh A year after an uprising forced the Sheikh Hasina regime in Bangladesh out of power, challenges persist to address the severe lack of jobs among youth who took their grievances to the streets. The uprising, in which some 1,400 people were killed, according to the United Nations, was sparked by the issue of quota reservations in civil service recruitment tests. More than half of highly sought-after government jobs were reserved for certain designated groups, including women, disabled people and descendants of veterans of the 1971 War of Independence. The country's high court has since reduced the quota reservations to 7%. Since the interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took over, a broad agenda of reform has been drawn up, but experts say a lack of opportunities for the young workforce remains a problem. "Amid jobless growth faced by the country's youth, a fair chance at civil service recruitment tests became a rallying cry," said Tuhin Khan, a leading activist in the quota reform movement and the July uprising. "But since then, we have not seen enough meaningful focus from the government on the economic pressures faced by ordinary people as politics took center stage," he added. About 30% of Bangladeshi youth are neither employed nor in school or training, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). Also, about 23% of young women are unemployed compared with 15% of young men - and last year's protests featured the wide participation of young women. Women in Bangladesh typically have limited opportunities for employment and career growth beyond a few sectors like government, non-governmental organizations and education. The protesters ranged from graduate students seeking government jobs to garment workers and balloon sellers, as segments of the urban poor demanded better, more dignified lives, said Maha Mirza, a researcher who teaches economics at Jahangirnagar University. But the creation of decent jobs depends upon jump-starting investment, which may have to wait for an elected government to be sworn in, said Rashed Al Mahmood Titumir, a professor of Development Studies at Dhaka University. "When we have a stable policy regime, there would be more investment, and that will bring in the much-needed jobs for young people, including graduates and women," he said. JOB LOSSES While the protest focused on government jobs, those can provide for only a small slice of the job market. Last year, about 18,000 government recruitments were available, yet more than 2 million young people enter the job market each year. One major employer of young people is the garment and textile sector, but a number of factories shut down due to political changeover, including more than a dozen factories owned by Beximco Group that employed 40,000 workers. Since the political shift, about 10,000 people have been arrested on various charges including corruption and even murder, and they include a number of business owners linked to the former ruling party. Jasim Uddin was a supervisor in a garment factory in the outskirts of Dhaka, but he has been jobless for months. "I had quit my earlier workplace as they were holding up the payment of wages. Since then, I went from door to door in search of a job," he said. Many factory owners affiliated with the earlier government feared arrest and went into hiding, resulting in plant closures, said Arman Hossain, a trade union activist from Gazipur. "We expected the government to appoint administrators who could temporarily operate those closed factories so that workers would not go jobless - but that did not happen," Hossain said. Additional challenges come from the global economy. The 35% tariff announced on Bangladesh's products by the United States, the largest buyer of the country's clothes, poses a threat to many of the four million workers in its garment industry. Meanwhile, the cutting of aid from the U.S. has left about 20,000 development workers in Bangladesh jobless, said aid agency Caritas. EFFORT AND RESULTS The interim government has announced training programs for young people and courted foreign investment to create jobs. Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, who heads the youth and sports ministry, has said the government had plans to create 500,000 new jobs for youth besides training 900,000 young people. At an investment summit in April, businesses from various countries shared investment proposals of about 31 billion taka ($255.35 million), the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) said. But the share of private investment in the economy has dropped from 24% last year to about 22.5% this year - although in actual numbers it saw a slight uptick from 11,985 billion Taka ($97.68 billion) to 12,484 billion Taka ($101.74 billion), said the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). Investment by the private sector depends upon how much confidence businesses have that the political regime is stable and business risks can be managed, Titumir said. Businesses that employ significant numbers of workers, especially the youth, need support, Mirza added. "You cannot create thousands of industries or millions of jobs right away, but you can make sure that businesses that provide jobs to workers keep running," she said. That could include reopening shuttered textile factories, ensuring the fair price of agricultural products for the country's 16.5 million farming families and providing targeted support to small and medium-sized industries like poultry breeding and light engineering, she said. "We just need a bit more attention to the livelihood crisis of ordinary people," she said.
