Cameroon's Biya, 92, announces bid for eighth presidential term
"I am a candidate in the presidential election of October 12, 2025. Rest assured that my determination to serve you matches the urgency of the challenges we face," the post on the official account said.
Biya, the world's oldest serving head of state, came to power more than four decades ago in 1982, when his predecessor Ahmadou Ahidjo resigned.
His health is the subject of frequent speculation, most recently last year when he disappeared from public view for 42 days.
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Reuters
12 minutes ago
- Reuters
Thailand, Cambodia exchange heavy artillery fire as fighting rages for second day
SURIN, Thailand, July 25 (Reuters) - Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire on Friday as their worst fighting in more than a decade stretched for a second day, despite calls from the region and beyond for an immediate ceasefire in an escalating border conflict that has killed at least 16 people. Thailand's military reported clashes from before dawn in the Ubon Ratchathani and Surin provinces and said Cambodia had used artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket systems. Authorities said 100,000 people had been evacuated from conflict areas on the Thai side. "Cambodian forces have conducted sustained bombardment utilising heavy weapons, field artillery and BM-21 rocket systems," the Thai military said in a statement. "Thai forces have responded with appropriate supporting fire in accordance with the tactical situation." Both sides blamed each other for starting the conflict on Thursday at a disputed border area, which quickly escalated from small arms fire to heavy shelling in at least six locations 209 km (130 miles) apart along a frontier where sovereignty has been disputed for more than a century. Reuters journalists in Surin province reported hearing intermittent bursts of explosions on Friday, amid a heavy presence of armed Thai soldiers along roads and gas stations in the largely agrarian area. A Thai military convoy, including around a dozen trucks, armoured vehicles and tanks, cut across provincial roads ringed by paddy fields and moved toward the border. The fighting erupted on Thursday just hours after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh the previous night and expelled Cambodia's envoy, in response to a second Thai soldier losing a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently by rival troops. Cambodia has dismissed that as baseless. The Thai death toll rose to 15 as of early Friday, 14 of them civilians, according to the health ministry. It said 46 people were wounded, including 15 soldiers. Cambodia's national government has not provided details of any casualties or evacuations of civilians. A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest clashes. Meth Meas Pheakdey, spokesperson for the provincial administration of Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, said one civilian had been killed and five were wounded, with 1,500 families evacuated. Thailand had positioned six F-16 fighter jets on Thursday in a rare combat deployment, one of which was mobilised to strike a Cambodian military target, among measures Cambodia called "reckless and brutal military aggression". Thailand's use of an F-16 underlines its military advantage over Cambodia, which has no fighter aircraft and significantly less defence hardware and personnel, according to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies The United States, a long-time treaty ally of Thailand, called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians and a peaceful resolution." Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Thailand and Cambodia are members, said he had spoken to leaders of both countries and urged them to find a peaceful way out. "I welcome the positive signals and willingness shown by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh to consider this path forward. Malaysia stands ready to assist and facilitate this process in the spirit of ASEAN unity and shared responsibility," he said in a social media post late on Thursday.
Reuters
12 minutes ago
- Reuters
Thailand, Cambodia exchange heavy artillery as fighting rages for a second day
SURIN, Thailand, July 25 (Reuters) - Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery on Friday as their worst fighting in more than a decade stretched for a second day, despite calls from the region and beyond for an immediate ceasefire in an escalating border conflict that has killed at least 15 people. Thailand's military reported clashes from before dawn in the Ubon Ratchathani and Surin provinces and said Cambodia had used artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket systems. Authorities said 100,000 people had been evacuated from conflict areas on the Thai side. "Cambodian forces have conducted sustained bombardment utilising heavy weapons, field artillery, and BM-21 rocket systems," the Thai military said in a statement. "Thai forces have responded with appropriate supporting fire in accordance with the tactical situation." Both sides blamed each other for starting the conflict on Thursday at a disputed border area, which quickly escalated from small arms fire to heavy shelling in at least six locations 209 km (130 miles) apart along a frontier where sovereignty has been disputed for more than a century. Reuters journalists in Surin province reported hearing intermittent bursts of explosions on Friday, amid a heavy presence of armed Thai soldiers along roads and gas stations in the largely agrarian area. A Thai military convoy, including around a dozen trucks, armoured vehicles and tanks, cut across provincial roads ringed by paddy fields and moved toward the border. The fighting erupted on Thursday just hours after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh the previous night and expelled Cambodia's envoy, in response to a second Thai soldier losing a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently by rival troops. Cambodia has dismissed that as baseless. The Thai death toll had risen to 14 as of late Thursday, 13 of them civilians, according to the health ministry. It said 46 people were wounded, including 14 soldiers. Cambodia's national government has not provided details of any casualties or evacuations of civilians. A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest clashes. Meth Meas Pheakdey, spokesperson for the provincial administration of Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, said one civilian had been killed and five were wounded, with 1,500 families evacuated. Thailand had positioned six F-16 fighter jets on Thursday in a rare combat deployment, one of which was mobilised to strike a Cambodian military target, among measures Cambodia called "reckless and brutal military aggression". The United States, a long-time treaty ally of Thailand, called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians and a peaceful resolution." Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Thailand and Cambodia are members, said he had spoken to leaders of both countries and urged them to find a peaceful way out. "I welcome the positive signals and willingness shown by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh to consider this path forward. Malaysia stands ready to assist and facilitate this process in the spirit of ASEAN unity and shared responsibility," he said in a social media post late on Thursday.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
India's Goyal hopeful of concluding US trade deal after 'fantastic' progress
LONDON, July 24 (Reuters) - India is making "fantastic" progress in trade talks with the United States, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told Reuters on Thursday, adding he was very confident that India would get special treatment from President Donald Trump. Trump threatened a 26% tariff on Indian imports in April but paused implementation to allow for talks. That pause ends on August 1, though India has yet to receive a formal tariff letter, unlike more than 20 other countries. Earlier this week two Indian government sources said the prospects of an interim trade deal before the deadline had dimmed, as talks remain deadlocked over tariff cuts on key agricultural and dairy products. In an interview during a visit to London, Goyal played down the importance of deadlines in trade talks but struck a bullish tone on how negotiations with the United States were going. "We're making fantastic progress with the United States, and I do hope we'll be able to conclude a very consequential partnership," Goyal said. Asked about possible disagreement with Washington over agriculture, Goyal said that "negotiations happen in the negotiation room", but said India wouldn't necessarily hold out for a comprehensive deal if smaller sectoral wins were possible. "All options are on the table, and we will see how it plays out, but what is important is to get preferential market access over our competitors, our peers," he said. "And I'm very confident that India, having been the first country to start negotiating, will be given a special and preferred treatment." On Wednesday Trump announced a deal with Japan which lowers auto tariffs, though medicines and semiconductors will be negotiated separately. Goyal was in London after signing a free trade deal with Britain, which has also negotiated sectoral tariff relief with the White House. But while other countries may have secured deals with Trump ahead of India, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts in February to kickstart trade talks with a White House visit, Goyal played down the significance of deadlines. "I don't think any of the negotiations ever worked with deadlines or the preconceived limitations," Goyal said, adding he wanted a win-win deal. "One has to have a broad mind and a package which is balanced and can give equity to both sides."
