Latest news with #Conflict
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Thai-Cambodian border clashes kill at least 33 amid UN call for 'restraint'
Border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia continued for the third day on Saturday with the death toll from the conflict rising to at least 33. More than 138,000 people have been evacuated from Thailand's border regions and 35,000 have fled their homes in Cambodia. The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on the crisis on Friday. Thailand and Cambodia clashed for a third day on Saturday, as the death toll from their bloodiest fighting in years rose to 33 and Phnom Penh called for an 'immediate ceasefire'. A long-running border dispute erupted into intense conflict involving jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops on Thursday, prompting the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis Friday. Cambodia's defence ministry said 13 people were now confirmed killed in the fighting, including eight civilians and five soldiers, with 71 people wounded. In Thailand, the army said five soldiers were killed on Friday, taking the toll there to 20 -- 14 civilians and six military. Read moreMore than 100,000 flee as Thai, Cambodian border clashes escalate The death toll across the two countries is now higher than the 28 killed in the last major round of fighting between 2008 and 2011. Both sides reported a clash around 5:00 am (2200 Friday GMT), with Cambodia accusing Thai forces of firing 'five heavy artillery shells' into locations in Pursat province, which borders Thailand's Trat province. The fighting has forced more than 138,000 people to be evacuated from Thailand's border regions, with more than 35,000 driven from their homes in Cambodia. After the closed meeting of the Security Council in New York, Cambodia's UN ambassador Chhea Keo said his country wanted a ceasefire. 'Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire—unconditionally—and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute,' he told reporters. Border row Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura said Friday, before the UN meeting was held, that Bangkok was open to talks, possibly aided by Malaysia. 'We are ready, if Cambodia would like to settle this matter via diplomatic channels, bilaterally, or even through Malaysia, we are ready to do that. But so far we have not had any response,' Nikorndej told AFP. Malaysia currently holds the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional bloc, of which Thailand and Cambodia are both members. Read moreThailand and Cambodia clash: A border dispute fuelled by nationalism Acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has warned that if the situation escalates, 'it could develop into war.' Both sides blamed each other for firing first, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station hit by at least one rocket. Cambodia has accused Thai forces of using cluster munitions. At the UN, Cambodia's envoy questioned Thailand's assertion that his country, which is smaller and less militarily developed than its neighbour, had initiated the conflict. Read more'Big Comrade': Former defence chief takes reins as Thai PM '(The Security Council) called for both parties to (show) maximum restraint and resort to a diplomatic solution. That is what we are calling for as well,' said Chhea Keo. The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbours—both popular destinations for millions of foreign tourists—over their shared 800-kilometre (500-mile) border. Dozens of kilometres in several areas are contested and fighting broke out between 2008 and 2011, leaving at least 28 people dead and tens of thousands displaced. A UN court ruling in 2013 settled the matter for over a decade, but the current crisis erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a new clash. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)

The National
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Weekly UAE museum and gallery guide: Last chance to see Maitha Abdalla's show in Abu Dhabi
Conflict, control and identity are the big topics being tackled in this week's roundup of exhibitions. A summer exhibition at Ayyam Gallery looks at Syria 's recent history through the eyes of 12 leading artists. An installation at the Green Art Gallery investigates how Tehran's buildings reflect power and privacy. And a solo exhibition at the Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi explores personal and cultural identity through myth and memory. Here are three exhibitions to see this week. Wavering Hope at Ayyam Gallery Ayyam Gallery is celebrating its 20th anniversary at a time when Syria is also undergoing major changes. Founded in Damascus in 2006, the gallery has experienced the different phases of Syria's recent history. Even as its headquarters shifted to Dubai as a consequence of the war, the gallery has still continued to engage with the developments of its home country – most notably through the work of the Syrian artists it continues to represent and support. Wavering Hope, its summer exhibition, highlights that journey. It features works by 12 acclaimed Syrian artists, including Kais Salman, Khaled Takreti, Tammam Azzam, Abdalla Al Omari, Othman Moussa, Safwan Dahoul, Thaier Helal, Elias Izoli, Abdul-Karim Majdal Al-Beik, Mohannad Orabi, Nihad Al-Turk and Yasmine Al Awa. Their works bear witness to displacement, destruction and personal grief, while also serving as acts of resilience and memory. As the gallery notes, they 'map the emotional, political, and cultural aftermath of conflict, and the fragile hope that emerges in its wake'. Monday to Friday, 10am to 7pm; Saturday, noon to 6pm; until September 5; Dubai Instruments of Viewing and Obscurity at Green Art Gallery Iranian artist Nazgol Ansarinia's installation at Green Art Gallery explores mass housing architecture in Tehran, especially the use of concrete and windows. She examines how these buildings relate to issues such as social control and privacy. The installation is designed like a maze or scaled-down city, with watchtower-like forms and translucent surfaces shaped from window frames. Large video projections show facades of buildings transitioning from daylight to night. One scene captures a woman standing at her window, reversing the viewer's gaze and challenging public-private boundaries. Her work critiques modernist architecture's legacy in the Global South, especially its environmental and social impacts. The installation invites reflection on how cities are built and how those structures affect people's lives and sense of space. Monday to Saturday, 11am to 7pm; until October; Dubai Maitha Abdalla: Between Metamorphosis and Reality at Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi Maitha Abdalla 's exhibition at the Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi is entering its final month. The Emirati artist, whose practice spans several mediums, often uses folktales and myths to explore themes such as psychology, social conditioning and gender. Her solo exhibition at Abu Dhabi's cultural foundation reflects upon these topics through a mix of painting and sculptures that toe the line between the figurative and the abstract, the real and the uncanny.

Wall Street Journal
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
‘Zionist' Contains Multitudes
Am I a Zionist? Yes and no. Either answer is true. The word, something of a war cry these days, seems to have lost a clear meaning. In truth it has multiple. Teasing out each can help us understand Jews, antisemitism and the Middle East.

Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Middle Eastern Headlines at 11:34 a.m. GMT
Israeli strikes kill at least 20 in Gaza, health officials say Solve the daily Crossword


LBCI
08-07-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Israel military claims struck Hamas militant in north Lebanon
Israel's military claimed Tuesday it had struck a Hamas militant in the Lebanese city of Tripoli in its first strike on the country's north since a November ceasefire ended hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. "A short while ago, the (Israeli military) struck a key Hamas terrorist in the area of Tripoli in Lebanon," the military claimed in a statement, without providing further details. AFP