China said on Friday it is mediating between Thailand and Cambodia as deadly border clashes entered a second day, while Japan urged both sides to “exercise maximum restraint” and resolve the dispute through dialogue.
At least 16 people – 15 Thais and a Cambodian – have been killed since Thursday when cross-border airstrikes and rocket fire erupted along Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province and Thailand’s northeastern Ubon Ratchathani province. Dozens have been injured, and thousands displaced, as intermittent clashes continued.
Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, in a phone call with Cambodian counterpart Prak Sokhonn, expressed hope that tensions “will be eased peacefully through dialogue,” according to a Japanese Foreign Ministry statement.
Prak conveyed Cambodia’s “desire for a swift return to normalcy.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said after speaking to Thai and Cambodian leaders Phumtham Wechayachai and Hun Manet that both sides showed willingness to de-escalate.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called the conflict “deeply distressing and concerning,” urging “calm and careful handling.”
Speaking in Beijing after meeting Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, Wang said: “The root of this issue lies in the legacy left by Western colonial powers.”
“As a mutual neighbor and friend to both Cambodia and Thailand, China is committed to maintaining an objective and impartial stance, and stands ready to play a constructive role in helping de-escalate tensions and restore stability,” Wang said.
He praised Anwar’s “active mediation efforts” and urged “dialogue and political resolution through the ASEAN way.”
China’s top UN envoy, Fu Cong, said Beijing is “mediating between the two sides, and we do hope that the situation can stabilize as soon as possible.”
The two Southeast Asian neighbors have accused each other of launching aggression along the disputed border. Tensions have risen since 28 May, when troops exchanged fire, killing a Cambodian soldier.
Cambodia has requested “urgent” intervention from the UN Security Council, which is set to meet Friday at 3 p.m. New York time (19:00 GMT).
South Korea and the Philippines also urged both sides to resolve the dispute peacefully. Cambodia and Thailand have downgraded diplomatic ties to their lowest level in decades.
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The United States began their World Cup campaign in commanding fashion with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay, delivering an emphatic performance that underlined its ambitions in Group D.
Ambassadors from the European Union’s 27 member states have agreed to advance accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, paving the way for the first formal phase of talks to begin on Monday.
European Union countries have agreed to maintain the current three-hour threshold for flight delay compensation in the bloc’s upcoming update to air passenger rights, preserving one of the most recognisable protections for travellers.
Japan’s birth rate and fertility levels have fallen to their lowest levels on record, highlighting the country’s worsening demographic crisis as fewer people marry and have children.
Mexico and South Africa meet in Thursday’s World Cup opener in Mexico City, with both teams approaching the match from very different positions but facing their own pressures.
SpaceX has made history with the largest initial public offering ever in the United States, pricing its shares at $135 each and achieving a market valuation of $1.77 trillion.
SpaceX made a historic entrance into the Nasdaq on Friday, surging over 20% in its first day of trading and lifting its valuation to more than $2 trillion. Investors flocked to the world’s largest IPO, betting on Elon Musk’s sprawling empire spanning rockets, AI and beyond.
While France hosts next week’s Group of Seven summit, businesses in neighbouring Switzerland have already begun taking precautions, with many shops in Geneva boarded up ahead of a large anti-G7 demonstration expected on Sunday.
Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly’s Monaco Grand Prix podium has been reinstated after Alpine successfully challenged his post-race penalties through a Right of Review request with the FIA.
Every June, roughly 13 million young people in China sit down at the same time to take the same test. They have been preparing for it, in many cases, since primary school. Their families have rearranged their lives around it.
Ambassadors from the European Union’s 27 member states have agreed to advance accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, paving the way for the first formal phase of talks to begin on Monday.
European Union countries have agreed to maintain the current three-hour threshold for flight delay compensation in the bloc’s upcoming update to air passenger rights, preserving one of the most recognisable protections for travellers.
Georgia is overhauling its migration laws in one of the most significant legal reforms in years, introducing criminal penalties for fake marriages, tighter controls on foreign students and expanded investigative powers for the migration authorities.
China has expressed strong dissatisfaction over a United States decision to place several major Chinese companies on a Pentagon list of firms alleged to support the country’s military.
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