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Reuters
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Bhumjaithai Party exits Thailand's coalition government
BANGKOK, June 18 (Reuters) - Thailand's Bhumjaithai Party on Wednesday announced its withdrawal from the coalition government, in a major setback for Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's ruling coalition. The party, the second largest party in the alliance and holder of 69 seats in parliament, said its departure was due to the impact on the country of a leak of a phone call on Wednesday between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen, the influential former premier of Cambodia, with which Thailand is involved in a border dispute. "Bhumjaithai will work with all Thai people to support the army and officials who safeguard the sovereignty, territorial integrity and interests of Thailand in all ways," it said in a statement.
Washington Post
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Guyana's army chief says Venezuelans participating in Essequibo vote risk arrest
GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Guyana's defense chief warned on Wednesday that any residents who participate in upcoming elections organized by neighboring Venezuela over a disputed region will be charged with treason and other felony crimes. 'If anyone participates or takes any similar action, it will amount to support for a passive coup,' Brig. Gen. Omar Khan told The Associated Press. 'Anything along those lines will speak to a violation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity.' The May 25 election organized by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is the latest step in a push to annex the Essequibo region , which Venezuela has long claimed as its own. Venezuelans living in Guyana who become involved in Sunday's elections could also face arrest and deportation, Khan added. Nearly 100,000 people of direct or indirect Venezuelan ancestry currently live in Guyana, according to Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud. 'Shouldn't this reality give all Guyanese a cause to be alert? People's vigilance is equivalent to people's power and defense,' Persaud said in a recent social media post. The Essequibo region represents two-thirds of Guyana and is rich in gold, diamonds, timber and other natural resources. It also is located close to massive offshore oil deposits , with current production averaging some 650,000 barrels daily. On Sunday, Venezuelans will head to the polls to elect governors and lawmakers, as well as officials who would supposedly administer the Essequibo region. In 2023, Maduro threatened to annex the region by force after holding a referendum asking voters if Essequibo should be turned into a Venezuelan state. The dispute over the region began more than a century ago, when an international tribunal in 1899 drew the border between the South American neighbors. In 2018, Guyana went to the International Court of Justice and asked judges to uphold the 1899 ruling. Meanwhile, Venezuela has dismissed the border drawn more than a century ago, noting Guyana was still a British colony. It has argued that a 1966 agreement to resolve the dispute effectively nullified the original arbitration. The case is still pending in court while tensions between the two countries keep rising despite an emergency summit held in late 2023 to diffuse the situation. Last week, Guyana's government reported three separate attacks from the Venezuelan side on Guyanese soldiers patrolling a border river. Earlier this year, six Guyanese soldiers were injured in a separate attack, some of them seriously. U.S. Ambassador Nicole Theriot has dismissed Maduro's threats as 'just bluster aimed at shoring up domestic support.' 'Everyone should see the sham for what it is. It's saber-rattling from the Maduro regime, nothing more,' she said at a public forum Tuesday, stressing that the U.S. stands with Guyana.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Guyana's army chief says Venezuelans participating in Essequibo vote risk arrest
Guyana's defense chief warned on Wednesday that any residents who participate in upcoming elections organized by neighboring Venezuela over a disputed region will be charged with treason and other felony crimes. 'If anyone participates or takes any similar action, it will amount to support for a passive coup,' Brig. Gen. Omar Khan told The Associated Press. 'Anything along those lines will speak to a violation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity.' The May 25 election organized by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is the latest step in a push to annex the Essequibo region, which Venezuela has long claimed as its own. Venezuelans living in Guyana who become involved in Sunday's elections could also face arrest and deportation, Khan added. Nearly 100,000 people of direct or indirect Venezuelan ancestry currently live in Guyana, according to Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud. 'Shouldn't this reality give all Guyanese a cause to be alert? People's vigilance is equivalent to people's power and defense,' Persaud said in a recent social media post. The Essequibo region represents two-thirds of Guyana and is rich in gold, diamonds, timber and other natural resources. It also is located close to massive offshore oil deposits, with current production averaging some 650,000 barrels daily. On Sunday, Venezuelans will head to the polls to elect governors and lawmakers, as well as officials who would supposedly administer the Essequibo region. In 2023, Maduro threatened to annex the region by force after holding a referendum asking voters if Essequibo should be turned into a Venezuelan state. The dispute over the region began more than a century ago, when an international tribunal in 1899 drew the border between the South American neighbors. In 2018, Guyana went to the International Court of Justice and asked judges to uphold the 1899 ruling. Meanwhile, Venezuela has dismissed the border drawn more than a century ago, noting Guyana was still a British colony. It has argued that a 1966 agreement to resolve the dispute effectively nullified the original arbitration. The case is still pending in court while tensions between the two countries keep rising despite an emergency summit held in late 2023 to diffuse the situation. Last week, Guyana's government reported three separate attacks from the Venezuelan side on Guyanese soldiers patrolling a border river. Earlier this year, six Guyanese soldiers were injured in a separate attack, some of them seriously. U.S. Ambassador Nicole Theriot has dismissed Maduro's threats as 'just bluster aimed at shoring up domestic support.' 'Everyone should see the sham for what it is. It's saber-rattling from the Maduro regime, nothing more,' she said at a public forum Tuesday, stressing that the U.S. stands with Guyana.
Reuters
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Greenland should make own decisions free of interference, EU's Kallas says
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas attends a press conference with Moldova's President Maia Sandu following their meeting in Chisinau, Moldova April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Vladislav Culiomza/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab BRUSSELS, May 6 (Reuters) - EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday the people of Greenland should be able to make their own choices free from external pressure, following repeated Trump administration calls for the Arctic territory to become part of the United States. Speaking in a debate on Greenland in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Kallas did not criticise President Donald Trump or the United States by name but she stressed that "borders are inviolable and territorial integrity must be respected". The Reuters Tariff Watch newsletter is your daily guide to the latest global trade and tariff news. Sign up here. Advertisement · Scroll to continue "The future and the destiny of Greenland can only be decided by the Greenland people. They should be able to make their choices free from outside pressure or external interference," Kallas said. During the debate, multiple lawmakers condemned Trump explicitly for repeatedly declaring that he wants Greenland - a semi-autonomous territory of European Union member Denmark - to become part of the United States. Reporting by Andrew Gray; Editing by GV De Clercq Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab Share X Facebook Linkedin Email Link Purchase Licensing Rights
