Cambodian death toll in Thai clashes rises to 13: Defence Ministry
Spokeswoman Maly Socheata said the casualties included five soldiers and eight civilians. Fierce fighting erupted between the two neighbours on Thursday over a long-running border dispute.
AFP
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L'Orient-Le Jour
6 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
UK pensioner, student arrested for backing Palestine Action
Pensioner Marji Mansfield never imagined she would end up suspected of terrorism for protesting against the banning of a pro-Palestinian group. But the British grandmother was arrested on July 5 for joining a demonstration in support of Palestine Action just days after it was added to the U.K. government's list of proscribed organisations. "It's a terrible shock to be accused of potentially being a terrorist," said Mansfield, 68, who described herself as a "proud grandmother" of seven. She "was never politically interested," the former banking consultant from the southern town of Chichester told AFP. "I just worked hard, raised my family, lived an ordinary life." In early July, the U.K. government banned Palestine Action under the U.K.'s Terrorism Act, after activists broke into an air force base in England and damaged two aircraft. Since then, the campaign group Defend Our Juries has organised protests around the country to challenge the ban, described as "disproportionate" by the United Nations rights chief. More than 200 people have been arrested, according to Tim Crosland, a member of Defend Our Juries. They risk prison sentences of up to 14 years. British police on Thursday said they had charged two men and a woman over the July 5 protest, adding that they were sending files on the 26 other people arrested that day to prosecutors. A new demonstration in support of the group, which was founded in 2020, is planned on Saturday in London. Organisers expect at least 500 people to turn up, and police have warned that all demonstrators could face arrest. People "don't know what the nature of this group is," interior minister Yvette Cooper has said, claiming that "this is not a non-violent group." But Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori has launched a court bid to overturn the ban and a hearing is set for November. Some 52 scholars, including well-known authors Tariq Ali and Naomi Klein, backed the bid in an open letter published in Thursday's Guardian, calling the ban an attack on "fundamental freedoms of expression, association, assembly and protest." 'Not terrorists' Mansfield has long supported the Palestinian people, but the start of the current war, sparked by Hamas's attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, galvanised her into action. "When it started happening again ... it was the most horrible feeling, that children's homes were being blown up, that their schools were being destroyed," she said. Hamas' October 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's subsequent campaign to eradicate the Palestinian militant group in Gaza has killed more than 60,000 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from Gaza's health ministry, which are deemed reliable by the United Nations. For Mansfield, the Palestine Action ban was the final straw, fuelling her feelings that the government was silencing her political views. The night before attending the July demonstration, Mansfield said she was "terrified." But she did not change her mind. Images in British media showed her being moved by several police officers after she refused to get up from the pavement. An 83-year-old woman was by her side. Mansfield spent 12 hours in custody and is now banned from parts of London, meaning she cannot visit some museums with her grandchildren as she would like to do. "It was just ordinary people," said Mansfield. "We came from all backgrounds ... we're not terrorists." 'Civil liberties' Alice Clark, a 49-year-old doctor, also does not regret attending the protest where she was arrested in London on July 19. "Nobody wants to be arrested. I just feel that there's a responsibility," said Clark, who also accused the government of undermining "our civil liberties." Cooper said the ban on Palestine Action was "based on detailed security assessments and security advice." The ban says the group's "methods have become more aggressive" by encouraging members to carry out attacks which have already caused millions of pounds in damage. But Clark, a former volunteer for medical charity Doctors Without Borders, said she felt "growing disgust and horror" at the images of starving children in Gaza. The 12 hours in custody after her arrest were a shock. If convicted, she risks losing her licence to practice medicine. "There were points where I was close to tears. But I think just remembering why I was doing it kind of helped me keep calm," said Clark. History student Zahra Ali, 18, was also arrested on July 19, before being released under supervision. None of the three women has been charged. She is also appalled by the scenes from Gaza. "The starvation in Gaza is disgusting. And our government isn't doing anything about that," she told AFP. Imagining herself in prison at 18 is "a big thing," but "if people who are in their 80s can do it, then I can do it," Ali said. She also does not describe herself as an activist, but as "a normal person ... who decided that what our government is doing is wrong."
Nahar Net
10 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Foreign Ministry slams Iran FM's remarks as attack on Lebanon's sovereignty
by Naharnet Newsdesk 7 hours The Lebanese Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said overnight that the Lebanese government's plan on arms monopolization 'will fail.' Noting that Araghchi 'tackled internal Lebanese issues that in no way concern the Islamic Republic,' the Ministry said his statements were 'unacceptable and condemned.' 'They constitute an attack on Lebanon's sovereignty, unity, and stability, and constitute interference in its internal affairs and sovereign decisions,' the Ministry added. 'Relations between states can only be built on the basis of mutual respect and reciprocity, non-interference in internal affairs, and full adherence to the decisions of legitimate constitutional institutions. It is absolutely unacceptable for these relations to be exploited to encourage or support domestic parties outside the framework of the Lebanese state and its institutions, and at its expense,' the Ministry stressed. In an interview on Iran's state TV, Araghchi said 'the stance of Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem and the statement issued by Hezbollah have clearly reflected that Hezbollah will hold onto its arms.' He added that the Lebanese government's plan to disarm Hezbollah 'will fail,' adding that Hezbollah's arms have proved their 'effectiveness' on the battlefield. 'Hezbollah has managed to contain all the blows that it received during the war,' Araghchi said, adding that the group has 'reorganized its ranks, deployed its forces and appointed new leaders.' 'This organization now possesses enough force to defend itself,' Araghchi added, although he said that "any decision on this matter will ultimately rest with Hezbollah itself.' 'We support it from afar, but we do not intervene in its decisions," he said.
Nahar Net
10 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Relatives of Israeli hostages set off on Gaza flotilla
by Naharnet Newsdesk 7 hours Relatives of Israeli hostages set sail on Thursday in a flotilla to approach the besieged Gaza Strip, according to an AFP journalist aboard one vessel, with organizers saying they hoped to "get as close as possible to their loved ones". More than 20 people boarded several boats that departed from the coastal city of Ashkelon carrying yellow flags and posters bearing the images of the hostages, as they shouted their names.
