vote

Myanmar junta air strike on hospital kills 31, aid workers say

politics

US bringing seized tanker to port as Venezuela war fears build

BY W.G. DUNLOP

  • "The vessel will go to a US port and the United States does intend to seize the oil," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told journalists of the tanker.
  • An oil tanker seized by American forces off the Venezuelan coast will be brought to a port in the United States, the White House said Thursday, as fears mount of open conflict between the two countries.
  • "The vessel will go to a US port and the United States does intend to seize the oil," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told journalists of the tanker.
An oil tanker seized by American forces off the Venezuelan coast will be brought to a port in the United States, the White House said Thursday, as fears mount of open conflict between the two countries.
Washington took control of the tanker in a dramatic raid that saw US forces rope down from a helicopter onto the vessel in an operation that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said was aimed at leftist Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro's "regime."
President Donald Trump's administration has been piling pressure on Venezuela for months with a major naval build-up in the region that has been accompanied by strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats that have killed close to 90 people.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Thursday expressed support during a phone call with his ally Maduro, but with Moscow's forces tied down in a grinding war in Ukraine, its capacity to provide aid is limited.
"The vessel will go to a US port and the United States does intend to seize the oil," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told journalists of the tanker.
"We're not going to stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black-market oil, the proceeds of which will fuel narco-terrorism of rogue and illegitimate regimes around the world."
Earlier on Thursday, Noem told a congressional hearing that the tanker operation was "pushing back on a regime that is systematically covering and flooding our country with deadly drugs" -- a reference to US allegations of narcotics smuggling by Maduro's government.
A video released Wednesday by US Attorney General Pam Bondi showed American forces descending from a helicopter onto the tanker's deck, then entering the ship's bridge with weapons raised.
Bondi said the ship was part of an "illicit oil shipping network" that was used to carry sanctioned oil.

'Blatant theft'

Venezuela's foreign ministry said it "strongly denounces and condemns what constitutes blatant theft and an act of international piracy."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday expressed concern over the escalating tensions and urged restraint.
"We are calling on all actors to refrain from action that could further escalate bilateral tensions and destabilize Venezuela and the region," his spokesperson said.
US media reported that the tanker had been heading for Cuba -- another American rival -- and that the ship was stopped by the US Coast Guard.
Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Thursday he questioned the legality of the tanker seizure and that "any president, before he engages in an act of war, has to have the authorization of the American people through Congress."
"This president is preparing for an invasion of Venezuela, simply said. And if the American people are in favor of that, I'd be surprised," Durbin told CNN.
Washington has accused Maduro of leading the alleged "Cartel of the Suns," which it declared a "narco-terrorist" organization last month, and has offered a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture.
The US Treausury also imposed new sanctions Thursday targeting three of Maduro's relatives as well as six companies shipping the South American country's oil.
Trump told Politico on Monday that Maduro's "days are numbered" and declined to rule out a US ground invasion of Venezuela.
The Trump administration alleges that Maduro's hold on power is illegitimate and that he stole Venezuela's July 2024 election.
Maduro -- the political heir to leftist leader Hugo Chavez -- says the United States is bent on regime change and wants to seize Venezuela's oil reserves.
wd/bgs

conflict

Trump 'frustrated' with Kyiv, Moscow over talks

BY BARBARA WOJAZER

  • Zelensky said that Washington was still pushing it to cede land to Russia as part of an agreement to end the war that started with Moscow's February 2022 invasion.
  • US President Donald Trump is "extremely frustrated" with Russia and Ukraine, his spokeswoman said on Thursday, as Kyiv said Washington was still pushing it to make major territorial concessions as part of its plan to end the nearly four-year war.
  • Zelensky said that Washington was still pushing it to cede land to Russia as part of an agreement to end the war that started with Moscow's February 2022 invasion.
US President Donald Trump is "extremely frustrated" with Russia and Ukraine, his spokeswoman said on Thursday, as Kyiv said Washington was still pushing it to make major territorial concessions as part of its plan to end the nearly four-year war.
"The president is extremely frustrated with both sides of this war," Karoline Leavitt told reporters. "He doesn't want any more talk. He wants action. He wants this war to come to an end."
Earlier Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made remarks that appeared to show little had changed in Washington's core position on how the conflict should end since it sent a 28-point plan to Kyiv and Moscow last month that heavily favoured Russia.
Zelensky said that Washington was still pushing it to cede land to Russia as part of an agreement to end the war that started with Moscow's February 2022 invasion.
Washington wants only Ukraine, not Russia, to withdraw its troops from parts of the eastern Donetsk region, where a demilitarised "free economic zone" would be installed as a buffer between the two armies, Zelensky told reporters, including from AFP.
Under the latest US plan, Moscow would also stay where it is in the south of the country, but pull some of its troops out of Ukrainian regions that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not claimed to have annexed in the north.
Ukraine has been revising the original US proposal and this week sent a 20-point counter-proposal to Washington, the full details of which have not been published.
"We have two key points of disagreement: the territories of Donetsk and everything related to them, and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. These are the two topics we continue to discuss," Zelensky told reporters at a briefing.
"They see Ukrainian forces leaving the territory of Donetsk region, and the supposed compromise is that Russian forces do not enter this territory... which they already call a 'free economic zone'," Zelensky said about the US plan.
Zelensky has long said he has no "constitutional" or "moral" right to cede Ukrainian land, and on Thursday said Ukrainians should have the final say on the issue.
"Whether through elections or a referendum, there must be a position from the people of Ukraine," he said.

'Great many questions'

Zelensky also pushed back against the idea of a unilateral Ukrainian withdrawal in the Donetsk region.
"Why doesn't the other side of the war pull back the same distance in the other direction?" he said, adding there were "a great many questions" still unresolved.
Under the US plan, Russia would relinquish territory it has captured in the Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions -- three areas over which Moscow has not made a formal territorial claim.
In 2022, Russia claimed to formally annex the Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk and Zaporizhzhia regions, despite not having full control over them.
Ukraine's troops still hold around one-fifth of the Donetsk region, according to AFP's analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Much of eastern and southern Ukraine has been decimated by fighting.
Tens of thousands have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes.
Russia, which has the numerical advantage in manpower and weapons, has been grinding forward on the battlefield.
It claimed Thursday to have captured the town of Siversk in the Donetsk region, where its army is advancing at its fastest pace in a year, according to AFP's analysis. Ukraine's army's eastern command denied the claim.

'Pivotal moment'

After holding a video conference to discuss the latest proposals, Ukraine's European allies said that "this is a pivotal moment for Ukraine, its people, and for the security we all share across the Euro-Atlantic region," the British prime minister's office said in a statement.
Trump has largely sought to sideline them from the process, preferring to deal directly with Moscow and Kyiv in shuttle diplomacy led by his envoy Steve Witkoff and, lately, his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Zelensky said that although there was no strict deadline to finalise an agreement, Washington wanted to have the contours of a deal ready by Christmas.
He also said that despite the diplomatic scramble, he saw no indication Russia wanted to halt its invasion.
"In my view, they need a pause. They need it, but they're not taking it. I don't see any sign that they want to end the war," Zelensky said.
In Kyiv, a double bomb blast on Thursday killed a serviceman and wounded four others, in what city prosecutors said was a suspected terror act.
brw-bur-jc/mmp/yad/rlp

economy

Turnaround for Greece as Pierrakakis tapped to lead Eurogroup

BY FRéDéRIC POUCHOT

  • Your election today as President of the Eurogroup, dear Kyriakos @Pierrakakis, is a meaningful recognition of that progress," European Union chief Antonio Costa wrote on X. Greece's colossal debt and financial woes were the Eurogroup's main preoccupation during the euro-area crisis -- which for a while threatened Athens's membership in the currency union.
  • Greece's finance minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis was elected Eurogroup chief on Thursday in a remarkable turnaround for a country that a decade ago was on the brink of crashing out of the euro.
  • Your election today as President of the Eurogroup, dear Kyriakos @Pierrakakis, is a meaningful recognition of that progress," European Union chief Antonio Costa wrote on X. Greece's colossal debt and financial woes were the Eurogroup's main preoccupation during the euro-area crisis -- which for a while threatened Athens's membership in the currency union.
Greece's finance minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis was elected Eurogroup chief on Thursday in a remarkable turnaround for a country that a decade ago was on the brink of crashing out of the euro.
Pierrakakis's peers appointed him to lead the powerful panel of finance ministers from Europe's 20-country single currency area during a meeting in Brussels. The runner-up was Vincent Van Peteghem of Belgium.
"The old distinctions which existed in Europe... between the north and the south, the east and the west, the so-called frugals and the so-called spenders seem to have subsided," Pierrakakis told a press conference about his appointment. 
"This is because the challenges that we face are more or less common," he said, citing defence spending and tech innovation as key priorities.
Pierrakakis replaces Ireland's Paschal Donohoe -- who resigned in a surprise move last month.
The 42-year-old Pierrakakis has been in charge of Greece's finances since March, after earlier stints as minister of digital governance and education.
His success reflects his nation's spectacular about-turn from eurozone black sheep to bright star.
"Greece has come such a long way in the past 10 years. Your election today as President of the Eurogroup, dear Kyriakos @Pierrakakis, is a meaningful recognition of that progress," European Union chief Antonio Costa wrote on X.
Greece's colossal debt and financial woes were the Eurogroup's main preoccupation during the euro-area crisis -- which for a while threatened Athens's membership in the currency union.
"Greece withstood. It's a testament of the collective strength of a people. It is a testament of European solidarity, of receiving help at the most dire of times," Pierrakakis said, also crediting the government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
After years of austerity and painful reforms the Mediterranean nation now runs a budget surplus, and enjoys an economic growth that outpaces most EU nations. 

'Happy ending'

"Today is a proud day for our country," Mitsotakis said in a statement, hailing the election as a "shining recognition of our country's positive trajectory."
Pierrakakis will take office from Friday and will serve a two-and-a-half-year term. He is expected to chair his first meeting on January 19, 2026.
"It's a happy ending; a little over 10 years ago, it was the Eurogroup that devised and implemented measures to rescue Greece," said France's finance minister Roland Lescure.
"Greece made efforts, recovered and is now reducing its public debt, so this is an extremely powerful national and European story."
Van Peteghem and Pierrakakis -- who both hail from the centre-right -- were vying to replace Donohoe after the 51-year-old announced on November 20 that he was stepping down, having only been re-elected in July.
He has since taken up a senior role at the World Bank. 
The Eurogroup chief carries weight in policymaking, and Donohoe counted among the most influential voices in Brussels, alongside EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa.
Created in 1997, the body coordinates the economic and budgetary policies of the 20 countries of the eurozone, which will soon number 21, as Bulgaria prepares to adopt the single currency on January 1.
fpo-ub/ec/rl

demonstration

Nepal estimates millions in damages from September protests

  • "In terms of total physical damage, the committee estimates the loss to be equivalent to 84 arab 45 crore 77 lakh rupees ($586 million)," the statement said.
  • Nepal on Thursday estimated that the country suffered losses of about $586 million in September's deadly anti-corruption protests that ousted the government.
  • "In terms of total physical damage, the committee estimates the loss to be equivalent to 84 arab 45 crore 77 lakh rupees ($586 million)," the statement said.
Nepal on Thursday estimated that the country suffered losses of about $586 million in September's deadly anti-corruption protests that ousted the government.
The youth-led demonstrations, initially triggered by anger over a brief government ban on social media, were fuelled by deeper frustration over economic hardship and corruption.
After a police crackdown killed young protestors, the riots spread and on the second day more than 2,500 structures were torched, looted or damaged.
The committee formed to assess the damage caused during the protest submitted its report to Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Thursday, the prime minister's secretariat said in a statement.  
The report said that a total of 77 people died during the movement, 20 people on 8 September, 37 on the following day and another 20 later. 
"In terms of total physical damage, the committee estimates the loss to be equivalent to 84 arab 45 crore 77 lakh rupees ($586 million)," the statement said.
The report said that damage to government and public buildings accounted for half of the amount. 
The unrest spread nationwide on its the second day as parliament and government offices were set ablaze, resulting in the government's collapse.
Within days, 73-year-old former chief justice Sushila Karki was appointed interim prime minister to lead the Himalayan nation to elections on March 5, 2026.
Karki's cabinet formed the committee to assess the damage soon after. 
The committee also submitted a reconstruction plan, estimating a need of $252 million.  
Three months on from the September 8–9 protests, and with three months to go before elections, Nepal faces daunting challenges including rising unemployment and collapsing foreign investment.
Some of Nepal's largest companies -- major contributors to state revenue -- suffered heavy losses, including Bhat-Bhateni supermarkets, the Chaudhary Group conglomerate and the telecom provider Ncell.
In Pokhara, one of Nepal's key tourist hubs, Hotel Sarowar was set ablaze.
"The loss is immense," chairman Bharat Raj Pahari told AFP in an interview earlier this month. "It has directly affected 750 family members."
The World Bank in November revised its growth projections for Nepal, warning that due to the recent unrest and "heightened political and economic uncertainty, real GDP growth is projected to slow to 2.1 percent" in 2025, from an earlier forecast of 5.1 percent.  
It also raised its poverty estimate to 6.6 percent of the population this financial year, up from 6.2 percent. 
pm/ksb

vote

UN demands probe after attack on Myanmar hospital

  • "At least 33 people have been killed and 20 injured, including health workers, patients and family members.
  • The United Nations on Thursday demanded an investigation after a strike on a Myanmar hospital killed at least 33 people, saying the attack could constitute a war crime.
  • "At least 33 people have been killed and 20 injured, including health workers, patients and family members.
The United Nations on Thursday demanded an investigation after a strike on a Myanmar hospital killed at least 33 people, saying the attack could constitute a war crime.
The strike on Mrauk-U hospital in Myanmar's western Rakhine state took place late Wednesday.
The ruling junta has increased air strikes year-on-year since the start of the country's civil war, conflict monitors say, after seizing power in a 2021 coup ending a decade-long experiment with democracy.
"I am appalled and condemn in (the) strongest possible terms the strikes on Rakhine hospital which left dozens of civilians dead and wounded," UN rights chief Volker Turk said on X.
"Such attacks may amount to a war crime. I call for investigations and those responsible to be held to account. The fighting must stop now."
A spokesman for Turk's office said it was down to the national authorities to investigate, but "given the prevailing impunity" in Myanmar, there were other means to hold perpetrators of abuses to account, including international courts and universal jurisdiction.
World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was "appalled" by the attack on the hospital, which he said is the area's primary healthcare centre providing emergency services, obstetrics and surgery.
"At least 33 people have been killed and 20 injured, including health workers, patients and family members. Hospital infrastructure was severely damaged, with operating rooms and the main inpatient ward completely destroyed," the UN health agency chief wrote on X.
"This is the 67th attack on health verified by WHO Myanmar this year. Every attack on health care is an attack on humanity," he said.
Myanmar's military has set new elections starting December 28, pledging the vote will serve as a path to peace and democracy.
International monitors and ousted lawmakers dismiss the poll as a plot to rebrand continuing military rule, while rebels have vowed to block the vote from the vast territories they control.
On Wednesday, Turk raised concerns about the situation in Myanmar in the build-up to the polls.
"Myanmar's upcoming military-imposed 'election' is accompanied by new waves of acute insecurity and violence, continued arrests and detentions of opponents, voter coercion, the use of extensive electronic surveillance tools and systemic discrimination," he told a press conference in Geneva.
"I fear this process will only further deepen insecurity, fear and polarisation throughout the country."
apo-rjm/cc

AI

Make your own AI Mickey Mouse - Disney embraces new tech

  • Disney shares rose as much as two percent on Thursday after the announcement.
  • Walt Disney and OpenAI announced a three-year licensing deal Thursday that will allow users to create short videos featuring beloved Disney characters through artificial intelligence.
  • Disney shares rose as much as two percent on Thursday after the announcement.
Walt Disney and OpenAI announced a three-year licensing deal Thursday that will allow users to create short videos featuring beloved Disney characters through artificial intelligence.
The deal marks the first time a major entertainment company has embraced generative AI at this scale, licensing its fiercely protected characters -- from Mickey Mouse to Marvel superheroes and Star Wars's Darth Vader -- for AI content creation.
The partnership represents a dramatic shift for an industry that has largely been battling AI companies in court.
Disney and other creative industry giants had been suing AI firms like OpenAI, Perplexity and Anthropic, accusing them of illegally using their content to train their technology.
The entertainment giant continued that legal campaign on Wednesday, separately sending a cease and desist letter to Google over the illegal use of its intellectual property to train the search engine giant's AI models.
For OpenAI, the deal comes at a sensitive time as it faces increasing questions about the sustainability of its business model, with costs skyrocketing far faster than revenue despite nearing one billion daily users worldwide.
Under the agreement, fans will be able to produce and share AI-generated content featuring more than 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars franchises on OpenAI's Sora video generation platform and ChatGPT.
The partnership includes a $1 billion equity investment by Disney in OpenAI, along with warrants to purchase additional shares in the ChatGPT maker.
Disney shares rose as much as two percent on Thursday after the announcement.
"The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry," said Disney CEO Robert Iger, adding the collaboration would "thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling."
Characters available for fan creations will include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Elsa from Frozen, and Marvel heroes like Iron Man and Captain America, as well as Star Wars icons including Darth Vader and Yoda.
The agreement excludes talent likenesses and voices from actors amid deep concern in Hollywood about the impact of AI on the creative industry.
"This does not in any way represent a threat to the creators at all -- in fact the opposite. I think it honors them and respects them, in part because there's a license fee associated with it," Iger told CNBC.

30 seconds

Iger, in a joint interview with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on CNBC, insisted that the deal only includes videos no longer than 30 seconds and that the technology wouldn't be used for longer form productions.
Beyond licensing, Disney will deploy OpenAI's technology to build new products and experiences for Disney+, the streaming platform, and will make ChatGPT available to its staff.
"Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling," said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. "This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly."
Both companies emphasized their commitment to responsible AI use, with OpenAI pledging age-appropriate policies and controls to prevent illegal or harmful content generation and protect creator rights.
In Disney's complaint against Google, OpenAI's biggest rival in the AI space, the entertainment giant accuses Google of infringing Disney's copyrights on a massive scale by copying a large corpus of content without authorization to train and develop AI models and services.
"We've been aggressive at protecting our IP, and we've gone after other companies that have...not valued it, and this is another example of us doing just that," Iger told CNBC.
arp/bgs

politics

Trump's mixed record on ending wars

BY SIMON VALMARY WITH AFP BUREAUS

  • The government of Pakistan, however, has said it would recommend Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize "in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership" during the conflict.
  • US President Donald Trump insists he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for what he describes as his role in ending eight conflicts this year.
  • The government of Pakistan, however, has said it would recommend Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize "in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership" during the conflict.
US President Donald Trump insists he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for what he describes as his role in ending eight conflicts this year.
"In 10 months, I ended eight wars," Trump said on Tuesday. "We're making peace through strength."
These include a fragile ceasefire in Gaza but an end to Russia's nearly four-year war against Ukraine still eludes him.
AFP examines the US president's mixed record.
- DR Congo and Rwanda - 
On December 4, Trump and the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed an agreement to end one of the world's longest-running conflicts that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives over several decades. 
"I think it's going to be a great miracle," Trump said. 
But the deal crumbled as Rwanda-backed M23 fighters on Tuesday entered the key eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Uvira near the border with Burundi.
The United States and European powers have urged the M23 and Kigali to "immediately" cease the offensive.

Cambodia and Thailand

Trump co-signed a truce between Cambodia and Thailand in late October during a visit to Asia. 
The dispute between the two Southeast Asian countries centres on a century-old disagreement over borders mapped during France's colonial rule in the region, with both sides claiming a smattering of boundary temples. 
The truce held for just two weeks until last month, when Thailand paused its implementation after Thai soldiers were wounded by landmines at the border. 
The latest round of fighting reignited last week, killing at least 20 people and forcing more than half a million people, mostly in Thailand, to flee border areas.
"They are going at it, but I'll do it," Trump said.
- Israel and Hamas - 
US pressure led to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, two years after a devastating war began in the Gaza strip, triggered by the Palestinian militant group's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. 
The truce, which came into effect on October 10, allowed for the return to Israel of the last surviving hostages and most of the bodies of the deceased, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The ceasefire also enabled an increased flow of aid into Gaza, although still nowhere near enough to meet the Palestinian territory's needs, according to the United Nations.
But the truce remains fragile, and Israel and Hamas accuse each other of breaches almost daily. 
More than 70,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the outbreak of the war, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
The US-brokered agreement is composed of three phases.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently indicated he expected the second phase to begin soon, but Hamas has said it cannot as long as Israeli "violations" persist.
- Israel and Iran - 
In June, Israel launched an unprecedented 12-day air campaign targeting Iranian nuclear sites, scientists and top military brass, saying it aimed to prevent its arch-foe from acquiring a nuclear weapon -- a claim Tehran has consistently denied. 
Washington's forces later joined the offensive, carrying out strikes on three nuclear sites as well.
Trump announced a "total ceasefire" between Israel and Iran.
But doubts persist over how long the truce will hold.
Iran says its nuclear programme is currently paused due to damage inflicted on its facilities yet insists it will not compromise on its right to enrich uranium. Israel and the United States have threatened new strikes if Tehran revives its nuclear programme. 

Pakistan and India

In May, India and Pakistan fought an intense four-day conflict that left more than 70 people dead on both sides before Trump announced a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
But Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in July that no world leader had pushed his country to stop fighting Pakistan, without specifically naming Trump.
The government of Pakistan, however, has said it would recommend Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize "in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership" during the conflict.

Egypt and Ethiopia

Ethiopia and its downstream neighbour Egypt are not at war, but tensions are running high over the former country's inauguration of a massive dam in September.
Egypt, dependent on the Nile for 97 percent of its water, has long decried the project, with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi calling it an "existential threat" to the country's water security.
During his first term in office, Trump publicly mused that Egypt could bomb the dam, leading Ethiopia to accuse the then US leader of trying to provoke a war.
Trump has demanded credit for "keeping peace" between Egypt and Ethiopia.
Repeated rounds of talks have failed to produce a binding agreement on how Ethiopia will fill and operate the reservoir.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said recently that negotiations with Ethiopia had reached a "complete dead end".
- Armenia and Azerbaijan - 
In August, the leaders of the two Caucasus countries -- which have fought two wars over the disputed region of Karabakh, recaptured by Baku from Armenian forces in 2023 -- signed a draft peace agreement at the White House, ending decades of conflict.
For now, the signing of the agreement remains uncertain due to a series of embarrassing preconditions set by Baku.

Serbia and Kosovo

Serbia and Kosovo have not signed a final peace treaty, and NATO-led peacekeeping forces have been stationed in Kosovo since the end of the 1998-1999 war between ethnic Albanians and Serbian forces.
Kosovo declared independence in 2008, a move that Belgrade has not recognised. 
While Trump did not forge a peace between Kosovo and Serbia, his administration did broker an economic normalisation agreement between the former foes during his first term, in 2020. 
The EU-sponsored talks on normalisation of ties between the two Balkan countries, launched in 2011, remain deadlocked.
burs-sva-as/ah/phz

conflict

Israel says Hamas 'will be disarmed' after group proposes weapons freeze

  • Top Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal told Qatari news channel Al Jazeera that the militant group is open to a weapons "freeze", but rejects the demand for total disarmament put forward in Trump's plan for the Palestinian territory.
  • Israel said Thursday that Hamas "will be disarmed" as part of the US-sponsored peace plan for Gaza, after a top leader from the Palestinian Islamist movement suggested a weapons freeze.
  • Top Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal told Qatari news channel Al Jazeera that the militant group is open to a weapons "freeze", but rejects the demand for total disarmament put forward in Trump's plan for the Palestinian territory.
Israel said Thursday that Hamas "will be disarmed" as part of the US-sponsored peace plan for Gaza, after a top leader from the Palestinian Islamist movement suggested a weapons freeze.
The ceasefire, in effect since October 10, halted the war that began after Hamas's deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. But it remains fragile as Israel and Hamas accuse each other almost daily of violations.
Top Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal told Qatari news channel Al Jazeera that the militant group is open to a weapons "freeze", but rejects the demand for total disarmament put forward in Trump's plan for the Palestinian territory.
Shosh Bedrosian, spokeswoman for the Israeli prime minister's office, said "Israel will continue to follow the 20-point plan. There will be no Hamas inside of the Gaza Strip. Hamas will be disarmed".
"The prime minister says this will happen the easy way or the hard way," Bedrosian told journalists in a briefing.
The agreement is composed of three phases. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently indicated that he expected the second phase to begin soon.
Under that phase Israeli troops would further withdraw from their positions in Gaza and be replaced by an international stabilisation force (ISF), while Hamas would lay down its weapons.
The Palestinian militant group has indicated it would not agree to giving up its arsenal.
"The idea of total disarmament is unacceptable to the resistance (Hamas)," Meshaal said in the interview aired on Wednesday.
"What is being proposed is a freeze, or storage (of weapons)... to provide guarantees against any military escalation from Gaza with the Israeli occupation," he added.
"This is the idea we're discussing with the mediators, and I believe that with pragmatic American thinking... such a vision could be agreed upon with the US administration," he said.

Mediators as 'guarantors'

Netanyahu is expected to meet US President Donald Trump in the United States on December 29 to discuss the next steps in the truce.
In the first phase of the deal, Palestinian militants committed to releasing the remaining 48 living and dead captives held in the territory. So far they have released all of the hostages except for one body.
In exchange, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in its custody and returned the bodies of hundreds of dead Palestinians.
As for the international peacekeeping force, Meshaal said the group was open to its deployment along Gaza's border with Israel, but would not agree to it operating inside the territory, calling such a plan an "occupation". 
"We have no objection to international forces or international stabilisation forces being deployed along the border, like UNIFIL," he said, referring to the UN peacekeeping force deployed in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border.
Meshaal said such forces would separate Gaza from Israel.
Mediators as well as Arab and Islamic nations, he said, could act as "guarantors" that there would be no escalation originating from inside Gaza.

Rains batter Gaza

Heavy winter rains swept across Gaza starting late on Wednesday, flooding tents and makeshift shelters, bringing yet more hardships to Gaza's residents, nearly all of whom faced displacement at least once in over two years of war.
"Last night was a terrible night for us and our children because of the heavy rain and cold. The children got all wet, the blankets got wet, the mattresses got wet," Suad Muslim, who lives in a tent with her family in al-Zawayda, said.
With most of Gaza's hard structures destroyed or damaged, thousands of tents or homemade shelters line areas cleared of rubble in the Palestinian territory.
According to a United Nations report, 761 displacement sites hosting about 850,000 people are at high risk of flooding.
"Give us a decent tent, blankets for our children, clothes to wear. I swear their feet are bare and they have no shoes. How long will we remain in this situation? This is injustice", she told AFP.
bur-raz/acc/jfx

Global Edition

Bulgarian government resigns after mass anti-graft protests

BY ROSSEN BOSSEV

  • Bulgarian Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov's resignation announcement came just ahead of a no-confidence motion in parliament against the government that the opposition had filed.
  • Bulgaria's prime minister announced Thursday that his government was resigning after less than a year in office following a series of anti-corruption protests, making fresh elections likely.
  • Bulgarian Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov's resignation announcement came just ahead of a no-confidence motion in parliament against the government that the opposition had filed.
Bulgaria's prime minister announced Thursday that his government was resigning after less than a year in office following a series of anti-corruption protests, making fresh elections likely.
The Balkan EU member, which is introducing the euro from January, has seen a spiral of elections in recent years, with parties unable to form a stable government.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Bulgaria on Wednesday to protest against the government and corruption in the latest rally since the end of last month.
The demonstrations were provoked by a 2026 draft budget, which protesters branded as an attempt to mask rampant corruption. The government withdrew the budget last week, but anger has persisted.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov's resignation announcement came just ahead of a no-confidence motion in parliament against the government that the opposition had filed.
"The government resigns today," Jeliazkov told reporters after a meeting of ruling parties' leaders.
"People of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and religions have spoken out in favour of resignation. That is why this civic energy must be supported and encouraged."
Parliament is expected to approve the government's resignation on Friday, with fresh elections likely. 

'Crisis'

The European Union's poorest country is due to join the eurozone on January 1. This is expected to go ahead despite the government's resignation.
Institutions directly involved in introducing the euro, such as the Bulgarian National Bank, are "independent and should not be affected by the government's resignation", Petar Ganev, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Market Economics (IME), told AFP.
"However, in an election context, any minor issue related to the euro introduction, such as a price increase or a malfunctioning ATM, will become a topic of political debate," Ganev added.
The Balkan country has seen seven snap elections following massive anti-graft protests in 2020 against the government of three-time premier Boyko Borissov.
Borissov's conservative GERB party topped the most recent election last year, forming the current coalition government in January.
Analysts say low trust in Bulgarian institutions and leaders has been compounded by concerns about prices as the country prepares to adopt the euro.
"Bulgarian society is in a situation of very broad unity against the country's model of governance," Dobromir Zhivkov, director of the Market Links sociological agency, told AFP.
"Levels of trust in the Bulgarian government and parliament remain close to historic lows, which is yet another indicator of the severe political and institutional crisis the country is facing," he added.

'I'm fed up'

Last week, President Rumen Radev declared his support for the protesters and urged the government to resign to make way for early elections.
Assen Vassilev, leader of the opposition We Continue the Change party, welcomed the resignation, calling it "the first step towards transforming Bulgaria into a normal European state".
"The next step is to hold free and fair elections," he told reporters at parliament on Thursday.
On Wednesday, tens of thousands rallied outside the parliament building in Sofia alone, according to an AFP journalist on the scene.
Protesters chanted "Resign" and held up "I'm fed up!" signs featuring caricatures of politicians. 
Gergana Gelkova, 24, who works in retail, told AFP she had joined the protest because widespread corruption had become "intolerable". 
Most of her friends no longer lived in Bulgaria and did not plan to return, she added.
Bulgaria is one of the lowest ranking members on watchdog Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index.
rb-jza/cc

vote

Myanmar junta air strike on hospital kills 31, aid workers say

  • "They are saying that they will hold elections on December 28," the aid worker added.
  • A Myanmar military air strike killed more than 30 people at a hospital, aid workers said Thursday, as the junta wages a withering offensive ahead of elections.
  • "They are saying that they will hold elections on December 28," the aid worker added.
A Myanmar military air strike killed more than 30 people at a hospital, aid workers said Thursday, as the junta wages a withering offensive ahead of elections.
The junta has increased air strikes year-on-year since the start of Myanmar's civil war, conflict monitors say, after snatching power in a 2021 putsch ending a decade-long democratic experiment.
The military has set polls starting December 28 -- touting the vote as an off-ramp to fighting -- but rebels have pledged to block it from territory they control, which the junta is battling to claw back.
A military jet bombed on Wednesday the general hospital of Mrauk-U in western Rakhine state, bordering Bangladesh, two aid workers said.
A junta spokesman could not be reached for comment.
At least 20 bodies were visible on the ground outside the hospital overnight, while daybreak revealed rubble covering ward beds, masonry peppered by shrapnel and the nearby ground cratered.
"This is an inhuman act. It is vile and violent," said aid worker Wai Hun Aung, who arrived on the scene on Thursday morning.
He said 31 people were killed and 68 wounded. A separatist force gave a toll of 33 dead.
"They are saying that they will hold elections on December 28," the aid worker added. "Even at this time, they are brutally killing the people."
Health workers and patients were killed, and "hospital infrastructure was severely damaged, with operating rooms and the main inpatient ward completely destroyed," said World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on X.

Mass mourning

Carpenter Maung Bu Chay said the strike killed three of his wife, and his daughter-in-law and her father.
"When someone informed me they were in the completely destroyed building, I realised they hadn't survived," said the 61-year-old.
"I feel resentful about their act. I feel strong anger and defiance in my heart."
Locals hammered together plywood coffins outside a funeral hall where bodies lay inside, as mourners wept on their knees in a frenzy of grief.
Hla Maung Oo, the chair of a local committee that organises free funerals, said the death toll of 31 included a months-old infant.
"We don't want this to happen again," he said. "It should not happen like this."
Rakhine state is controlled almost in its entirety by the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic minority separatist force active long before the military toppled the civilian government of democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The separatist force said in a statement that 33 people were killed and 76 wounded in the strike.

State of decline

The Arakan Army has emerged as one of the most powerful opposition groups in the civil war ravaging Myanmar, alongside other ethnic minority fighters and pro-democracy partisans who took up arms after the coup.
Scattered rebels initially struggled to make headway before a trio of groups led a joint offensive starting in 2023, backfooting the military and prompting it to bolster its ranks with conscripted troops.
The AA was a key participant in the so-called "Three Brotherhood Alliance" but its two other factions this year agreed Chinese-brokered truces, leaving it as the last one standing.
While the military-run election has been widely criticised by monitors including the United Nations, Beijing has emerged as a key backer, saying it should "restore social stability" to its neighbour.
The AA has proven a powerful adversary for the junta and now controls all but three of Rakhine's 17 townships, according to conflict monitors.
But the group's ambitions are largely limited to their Rakhine homeland, hemmed in by the coast of the Bay of Bengal and jungle-clad mountains to the north.
The group has also been accused of atrocities including against the mostly Muslim Rohingya ethnic minority from the region.
Meanwhile the military has blockaded Rakhine, contributing to a humanitarian crisis which has seen "a dramatic rise in hunger and malnutrition", the World Food Programme said in August.
str-jts/ami

AI

OpenAI, Disney to let fans create AI videos in landmark deal

  • Disney shares rose by about two percent on Thursday after the announcement.
  • Walt Disney and OpenAI announced a three-year licensing deal Thursday that will allow users to create short videos featuring beloved Disney characters through artificial intelligence.
  • Disney shares rose by about two percent on Thursday after the announcement.
Walt Disney and OpenAI announced a three-year licensing deal Thursday that will allow users to create short videos featuring beloved Disney characters through artificial intelligence.
The deal marks the first time a major entertainment company has embraced generative AI at this scale, licensing its fiercely protected characters -- from Mickey Mouse to Marvel superheroes and Star Wars's Darth Vader -- for AI content creation.
The partnership represents a dramatic shift for an industry that has largely been battling AI companies in court. 
Disney and other creative industry giants had been suing AI firms like OpenAI, Perplexity and Anthropic, accusing them of illegally using their content to train their technology.
The deal comes at a sensitive time for OpenAI, which faces increasing questions about the sustainability of its business model, with costs skyrocketing far faster than revenue despite nearing one billion daily users worldwide.
Under the agreement, fans will be able to produce and share AI-generated content featuring more than 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars franchises on OpenAI's Sora video generation platform and ChatGPT.
The partnership includes a $1 billion equity investment by Disney in OpenAI, along with warrants to purchase additional shares in the ChatGPT maker.
Disney shares rose by about two percent on Thursday after the announcement.
"The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry," said Disney CEO Robert Iger, adding the collaboration would "thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling."
Characters available for fan creations will include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Elsa from Frozen, and Marvel heroes like Iron Man and Captain America, as well as Star Wars icons including Darth Vader and Yoda. 
The agreement excludes talent likenesses and voices from actors.
Beyond licensing, Disney will deploy OpenAI's technology to build new products and experiences for Disney+, the streaming platform, and will make ChatGPT available to its employees.
"Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling," said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. "This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly."
Both companies emphasized their commitment to responsible AI use, with OpenAI pledging age-appropriate policies and controls to prevent illegal or harmful content generation and protect creator rights.
arp/bgs

conflict

NATO chief says a joint plan to end Ukraine war would 'test' Putin

  • The NATO chief also accused China of being "Russia's lifeline" in the war.
  • NATO chief Mark Rutte said Thursday that if the United States and Europeans could agree on a plan to end the war in Ukraine, this would be a "test" of whether Russia "really wants peace".
  • The NATO chief also accused China of being "Russia's lifeline" in the war.
NATO chief Mark Rutte said Thursday that if the United States and Europeans could agree on a plan to end the war in Ukraine, this would be a "test" of whether Russia "really wants peace".
"So far, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has only played the peacemaker when it suits him, to buy time to continue his war," Rutte said in a speech in Berlin.
US President Donald Trump "wants to end the bloodshed now" and is "the only one who can get Putin to the negotiating table", Rutte said.
"So, let's put Putin to the test. Let's see if he really wants peace, or if he prefers the slaughter to continue."
Ukrainian officials on Wednesday said they had sent Washington an updated plan for ending Russia's invasion, building on a 28-point proposal made by US President Donald Trump last month.
The original plan, which involved Ukraine surrendering land that Russia has not captured, was seen by Kyiv and its European allies as caving in to too many of Russia's hardline demands.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said further talks with the Americans were planned this weekend and an international meeting on Ukraine "could take place at the beginning of next week".
Rutte said later, in a panel discussion: "Do I think that when it comes to Ukraine, the US and Europe (can) get to one page? Yes, I'm positive.
"I think we can. Am I sure that the Russians will accept? I don't know. This is the test."
The NATO chief also accused China of being "Russia's lifeline" in the war.
"China wants to prevent its ally from losing in Ukraine," he said in his speech at a security conference.
"Without China's support, Russia could not continue to wage this war."
China, one of Russia's main trading partners, says it has a neutral position in the Ukraine conflict, but has refrained from condemning Russia.
Rutte also warned of the financial consequences for NATO of a Ukraine "under the boot of Russian occupation".
"NATO would have to substantially increase its military presence along the eastern flank," he said. "And allies would have to go much further and faster on defence spending and production."
fec/fz/jj

Nobel

Nobel laureate Machado says US helped her leave Venezuela, vows return

BY PAULA BUSTAMANTE AND PIERRE-HENRY DESHAYES

  • "We did get support from the United States government to get here," Machado told a press conference when asked by AFP about whether Washington had helped.
  • Nobel Peace laureate Maria Corina Machado said on Thursday that the United States helped her get to Norway from hiding in Venezuela, expressing support for US military action against her country and vowing to return home.
  • "We did get support from the United States government to get here," Machado told a press conference when asked by AFP about whether Washington had helped.
Nobel Peace laureate Maria Corina Machado said on Thursday that the United States helped her get to Norway from hiding in Venezuela, expressing support for US military action against her country and vowing to return home.
Machado, who vanished in January after challenging the rule of President Nicolas Maduro, emerged on a hotel balcony in Oslo to cheering supporters early Thursday after several days of confusion over her whereabouts.
"We did get support from the United States government to get here," Machado told a press conference when asked by AFP about whether Washington had helped.
The Wall Street Journal reported that she wore a wig and a disguise on the high-risk journey, leaving her hide-out in a Caracas suburb on Monday for a coastal fishing village, where she took a fishing skiff across the Caribbean Sea to Curacao.
The newspaper said the US military was informed to avoid the boat being targeted by airstrikes. Once on the island, she took a private jet to Oslo early on Wednesday.
Machado thanked those who "risked their lives" to get her to Norway but it was not immediately clear how or when she will return to Venezuela, which has said it would consider her a fugitive if she left.
"Of course, the risk of going back, perhaps it's higher, but it's always worthwhile. And I'll be back in Venezuela, I have no doubt," she added.
Machado has been hailed for her fight for democracy but also criticised for aligning herself with US President Donald Trump, to whom she has dedicated her Nobel, and for inviting foreign intervention in her country.

Military build-up

The United States has launched a military build-up in the Caribbean in recent weeks and deadly strikes on what Washington says are drug-smuggling boats.
"I believe every country has the right to defend themselves," Machado told reporters Thursday.
"I believe that President Trump's actions have been decisive to reach the point where we are right now, in which the regime is weaker than ever, because the regime previously thought that they could do anything," she continued.
Late Wednesday, Trump said the United States had seized a "very large" oil tanker near Venezuela, which Caracas denounced as "blatant theft".
Maduro maintains that US operations are aimed at toppling his government and seizing Venezuela's oil reserves.
Machado first appeared on a balcony of the Grand Hotel in the middle of the night, waving and blowing kisses to supporters chanting "libertad" ("freedom") below. 
On the ground, she climbed over metal barriers to get closer to her supporters, many of whom hugged her and presented her with rosaries.
She said she has missed much of her children's lives while hiding, including graduations and weddings.

' Political risk'

Machado won the Peace Prize for "her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy".
She has accused Maduro of stealing Venezuela's July 2024 election, from which she was banned -- a claim backed by much of the international community.
She last appeared in public on January 9 in Caracas, where she protested Maduro's inauguration for his third term.
The decision to leave Venezuela and join the Nobel festivities in Oslo comes at both personal and political risk.
"She risks being arrested if she returns even if the authorities have shown more restraint with her than with many others, because arresting her would have a very strong symbolic value," said Benedicte Bull, a professor specialising in Latin America at the University of Oslo. 
While Machado is the " undisputed" leader of the opposition, "if she were to stay away in exile for a long time, I think that would change and she would gradually lose political influence," Bull said.
In her acceptance speech read by one of her daughters Wednesday, Machado denounced kidnappings and torture under Maduro's tenure, calling them "crimes against humanity" and "state terrorism, deployed to bury the will of the people".
pb-phy/po/jll/phz

Nobel

Emotional Nobel laureate Machado describes reuniting with her children

  • On Wednesday, Ana Corina, 34, accepted the Nobel Peace Prize and delivered Machado's acceptance speech.
  • Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Thursday recounted her "extraordinary" reunion with her three children in Oslo, where she emerged from months in hiding after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
  • On Wednesday, Ana Corina, 34, accepted the Nobel Peace Prize and delivered Machado's acceptance speech.
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Thursday recounted her "extraordinary" reunion with her three children in Oslo, where she emerged from months in hiding after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Machado arrived at the Grand Hotel in the Norwegian capital early Thursday after slipping out of Venezuela, where she has been in hiding since last summer as she challenges the country's leader Nicolas Maduro.
She had tried to be there on time to accept the prize Wednesday, but her daughter had to stand in her place.
Asked by reporters about her first hours in Oslo and meeting with her children, the laureate quickly became emotional.
"I couldn't sleep last night, going over and over again that first instant when I saw my children," she told a press conference alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
"For many weeks I had been thinking of that possibility and which one of them I would hug first. And ... I hugged the three at the same time and it has been one of the most extraordinary spiritual moments of my life," she continued.
Her three children -- Ana Corina, Henrique, and Ricardo -- all live abroad, and according to her former campaign manager she has not seen them for more than two years.
On Wednesday, Ana Corina, 34, accepted the Nobel Peace Prize and delivered Machado's acceptance speech.
Machado has largely been in hiding after she accused Nicolas Maduro of stealing Venezuela's July 2024 election, from which she was banned -- a claim backed by much of the international community. 
She last appeared in public on January 9 in Caracas, where she protested Maduro's inauguration for his third term.
She said the United States helped her leave Venezuela, and thanked those who she said risked their lives to help get her there.
nzg/jll/tw/st

conflict

Fighting rages along Cambodia-Thailand border ahead of expected Trump call

BY CHAYANIT ITTHIPONGMAETEE WITH SUY SE IN ODDAR MEANCHEY, CAMBODIA AND THANAPORN PROMYAMYAI IN BANGKOK

  • The US president said he expected to speak Thursday with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia to demand a halt to the clashes.
  • Fighting raged Thursday along the border of Cambodia and Thailand, with explosions heard near centuries-old temples ahead of US President Donald Trump's planned phone call to the leaders of both nations.
  • The US president said he expected to speak Thursday with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia to demand a halt to the clashes.
Fighting raged Thursday along the border of Cambodia and Thailand, with explosions heard near centuries-old temples ahead of US President Donald Trump's planned phone call to the leaders of both nations.
At least 20 people have been killed in the latest round of border fighting that reignited last week, officials said.
Around 600,000 people, mostly in Thailand, have fled border areas near where jets, tanks and drones have waged battle.
The Southeast Asian nations dispute the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier, where both sides claim a smattering of historic temples.
This week's clashes are the deadliest since five days of fighting in July killed dozens before a shaky truce was agreed, following intervention by Trump.
The US president said he expected to speak Thursday with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia to demand a halt to the clashes.
"I found they were two great leaders, two great people, and I've settled it once," Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.
"I think I can get them to stop fighting," he added.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said there had been "no coordination" yet with Trump.
"But if there's a call from the US president, we definitely will answer the phone," Anutin said.
"This is an issue between two countries. He has good intentions to see peace but we have to explain what the problems are and why it turned out this way," the prime minister added.

Life 'paused'

Both sides blame the other for reigniting the conflict, which has expanded to five provinces of both Thailand and Cambodia, according to an AFP tally of official accounts.
In Thailand's northeast on Thursday, hundreds of evacuated families woke inside a university building in Surin city that has been transformed into a shelter.
A few women pounded chilli paste while volunteers stirred big pots of food.
Nearby, 61-year-old farmer Rat, who declined to give her last name, said she had to leave her home before she could plant a cassava crop this season, fleeing with her family of eight.
"I just want to go home and farm again," she told AFP.
"Every time the fighting starts, it feels like life gets paused all over again."
Nine Thai soldiers have been killed this week and more than 120 wounded, Thai defence ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri told reporters on Thursday, saying that "the operation is still ongoing across the border".
Cambodia's defence ministry has reported 11 civilian deaths and dozens wounded.
Under a makeshift tent on the grounds of a pagoda in northern Cambodia's Srei Snam, 88-year-old Chae Yeang said she wanted her peace of mind back.
"I don't want this war to continue," she told AFP, after having evacuated from her home closer to the border.
"I just want it to end and to have peace tomorrow."

Outgunned

AFP journalists in Cambodia's northwestern Oddar Meanchey province heard blasts of incoming artillery from the direction of disputed temples from dawn.
Cambodia's defence ministry said in a statement that Thai forces initiated an attack early Thursday in the province, "shelling into Khnar Temple area".
Cambodia is vastly outgunned and outspent by Thailand, according to available data on military hardware and expenditures.
And the Thai military has hundreds more jets, armoured fighting vehicles and other heavy armaments in its inventory, compared to the forces of its smaller neighbour, data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies showed.
Cambodia's defence ministry said more than 192,000 people have been evacuated, while in Thailand, authorities said more than 400,000 civilians have taken shelter elsewhere.
The United States, China and Malaysia, as chair of the regional bloc ASEAN, brokered a ceasefire back in July.
In October, Trump backed a follow-on joint declaration, touting trade deals with Thailand and Cambodia after they agreed to prolong their truce.
But Thailand suspended the agreement the following month, after Thai soldiers were wounded by landmines at the border.

Disputed temples

The United Nations cultural agency called Wednesday for "protection of the region's cultural heritage in all its forms".
It noted hostilities near the Temple of Preah Vihear, a UNESCO heritage site where Phnom Penh has said Thai bombardments had caused damage.
In 2008, military clashes between Thailand and Cambodia erupted over a patch of land next to the 900-year-old temple, located on the border.
In the current hostilities, Cambodia also reported damage at another contested border temple, Ta Krabey, which Thailand calls Ta Khwai.
suy-ci-tp/sco/ami

vape

Mexico approves punishing vape sales with jail time

  • Mexico's Senate approved the legislation on a 67-37 vote Wednesday, a day after it passed through the country's lower chamber of Congress.
  • Mexico's Congress gave final approval on Wednesday to a bill establishing penalties of up to eight years in prison for selling electronic cigarettes and similar products.
  • Mexico's Senate approved the legislation on a 67-37 vote Wednesday, a day after it passed through the country's lower chamber of Congress.
Mexico's Congress gave final approval on Wednesday to a bill establishing penalties of up to eight years in prison for selling electronic cigarettes and similar products.
Mexico is now poised to join a handful of countries with laws imposing criminal penalties related to vaping.
Members of President Claudia Sheinbaum's Morena party had argued the measure would protect the health of young people and close legal loopholes that have allowed the devices to be promoted as safe.
Opponents of the bill claim its ambiguity could lead to abuses by authorities. 
With this reform, "electronic cigarettes and other similar systems or devices" are prohibited, said Senate President Laura Itzel Castillo.
Mexico's Senate approved the legislation on a 67-37 vote Wednesday, a day after it passed through the country's lower chamber of Congress. It now goes to Sheinbaum's desk to be signed into law. 
The number of vape users in Mexico was estimated at 2.1 million people out of a total population of about 132 million, according to an official survey on smoking in 2023.
bur-lga/fox

Russia

US, Japan hold joint air exercise after China-Russia patrols

  • The joint exercise came as the United States criticized Beijing for the first time on Wednesday after Chinese military aircraft locked radar onto Japanese jets on Saturday.
  • Japan said Thursday it held a joint air exercise with the United States in a show of force, days after Chinese-Russian patrols in the region and following weeks of diplomatic feuding between Tokyo and Beijing.
  • The joint exercise came as the United States criticized Beijing for the first time on Wednesday after Chinese military aircraft locked radar onto Japanese jets on Saturday.
Japan said Thursday it held a joint air exercise with the United States in a show of force, days after Chinese-Russian patrols in the region and following weeks of diplomatic feuding between Tokyo and Beijing.
The Japanese joint chiefs of staff said Wednesday's exercise with the US Air Force was conducted in "an increasingly severe security environment surrounding our country".
Tokyo said Wednesday that two Russian Tu-95 nuclear-capable bombers flew a day earlier from the Sea of Japan to rendezvous with two Chinese H-6 bombers in the East China Sea, then conducted a joint flight around the country.
Japan said that it scrambled fighter jets in response.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi angered Beijing last month by suggesting that Japan would intervene with military force in any Chinese attack on Taiwan.
Thursday's announcement by Japan's chiefs of staff said: "We confirmed the strong resolve of Japan and the United States not to allow any unilateral change of the status quo by force, as well as the readiness of the Self-Defense Forces and the US military."
In a separate statement it said that the "tactical exercises" over the Japan Sea involved two US B52 bombers, three Japanese F-35 fighter jets and three Japanese F-15s.
The joint exercise came as the United States criticized Beijing for the first time on Wednesday after Chinese military aircraft locked radar onto Japanese jets on Saturday.
The J-15 jets from China's Liaoning aircraft carrier twice locked radar on Japanese aircraft in international waters near Okinawa, according to Japan, which scrambled jets in response.
"China's actions are not conducive to regional peace and stability," a US State Department spokesperson told AFP on Wednesday.
"The U.S.-Japan Alliance is stronger and more united than ever. Our commitment to our ally Japan is unwavering, and we are in close contact on this and other issues."
Fighter jets use their radar for fire control to identify targets as well as for search and rescue operations. 
Tokyo also summoned Beijing's ambassador following the radar incident, over which the two countries offer differing accounts of events.
Japan said it scrambled its F-15 jets because it was worried about possible "airspace violations".
Guo Jiakun, spokesman for the ministry of foreign affairs, accused Japan Wednesday of sending the jets "to intrude into the Chinese training area without authorisation, conduct close-range reconnaissance and harassment, create tense situations, and continue to maliciously hype up the situation".
Takaichi's comments about intervening in any Taiwan emergency enraged Beijing as China claims the self-ruled island as its own and has not ruled out seizing it by force.
Tokyo was forced to deny a Wall Street Journal report that said US President Donald Trump had advised Takaichi not to provoke China over Taiwan's sovereignty.
But Tokyo is apparently frustrated at the lack of public support from top officials in Washington and has urged the US to be more vocal, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

'Regrettable'

NATO chief Mark Rutte said on Wednesday that the radar incident and the joint Chinese-Russian patrols were "regrettable", Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on X.
The statement followed a 15-minute video conference between Rutte and Koizumi, the defence ministry said in a statement.
Rutte "affirmed that security in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions is completely inseparable", Koizumi said.
South Korea said Tuesday that Russian and Chinese warplanes also entered its air defence zone, with Seoul also deploying fighter jets that same day.
Beijing confirmed later on Tuesday that it had organised drills with Russia's military according to "annual cooperation plans".
Moscow also described it as a routine exercise, saying it lasted eight hours and that some foreign fighter jets followed the Russian and Chinese aircraft.
bur-aph-stu/fox

parachute

Skydiver survives plane-tail dangling incident in Australia

  • A video released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau showed the participant's reserve parachute being activated after its handle snagged the wing flap of the plane.
  • Heart-stopping footage released Thursday by Australian authorities showed the moment a skydiver was left dangling thousands of metres in the air after their parachute caught on the plane's tail.
  • A video released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau showed the participant's reserve parachute being activated after its handle snagged the wing flap of the plane.
Heart-stopping footage released Thursday by Australian authorities showed the moment a skydiver was left dangling thousands of metres in the air after their parachute caught on the plane's tail.
The skydiver survived the incident, which occurred south of Cairns during a stunt in September but has only just been revealed following investigations by the transport safety watchdog.
Plans for a 16-way formation by parachutists at 15,000 feet (4,600 metres), filmed by a parachuting camera operator, hit chaos within seconds of the first participant reaching the plane's exit.
A video released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau showed the participant's reserve parachute being activated after its handle snagged the wing flap of the plane.
The jumper was flung backwards -- their legs striking the aircraft -- as the orange reserve parachute wrapped itself around the plane's tail.
The parachuter also knocked the camera operator, who was straddling the side of the aircraft and preparing to jump, into freefall, the bureau said in a report that did not include names, ages, or genders.
The jumper was seen placing their hands on their helmet for a few seconds, as if in shock.
While dangling over the terrifying drop, the jumper cut the strings of the reserve chute with a hook knife and freed themself, the bureau said.
The parachuter then deployed their main chute and landed safely on the ground.
"Carrying a hook knife -- although it is not a regulatory requirement -- could be lifesaving in the event of a premature reserve parachute deployment," said the bureau's chief commissioner Angus Mitchell.
The aircraft's tail was "substantially damaged" by the incident and the pilot had limited control of the plane, issuing a mayday distress call, but managed to safely land the plane.
lec/kaf

climate

Filipino typhoon survivors sue Shell over climate change

BY ALEXANDRA BACON WITH PAM CASTRO AND CECIL MORELLA IN MANILA

  • - Oil profits - The claimants are seeking financial compensation for "lives lost, injuries sustained and homes destroyed", NGOs supporting the lawsuit said.
  • Survivors of a deadly 2021 typhoon in the Philippines have filed a lawsuit against British oil giant Shell, seeking financial compensation for climate-related devastation, three NGOs supporting them said Thursday.
  • - Oil profits - The claimants are seeking financial compensation for "lives lost, injuries sustained and homes destroyed", NGOs supporting the lawsuit said.
Survivors of a deadly 2021 typhoon in the Philippines have filed a lawsuit against British oil giant Shell, seeking financial compensation for climate-related devastation, three NGOs supporting them said Thursday.
Typhoon Rai struck the southern and central regions of the Philippines in December 2021, toppling power lines and trees and unleashing deadly floods that killed over 400 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless.
The lawsuit on behalf of 103 survivors argues Shell's carbon emissions contributed to climate change, impacting Philippine communities.
Trixy Elle, a plaintiff from a fishing community whose home and four boats were swept away in the typhoon, told AFP the lawsuit was about getting justice.
"Island residents like us contribute only a small percentage of pollution. But who gets the short stick? The poor like us," said the 34-year-old, who is still paying off high-interest loans she needed to rebuild.
"I am not speaking only for my community but for all Filipinos who experience the effects of climate crises," Elle said, adding that her now 13-year-old son still suffers from trauma caused by the storm.
In a joint statement, the NGOs backing the suit said it represents "a decisive step to hold oil giant Shell accountable for the deaths, injuries and destruction left by the climate-fuelled storm".
While typhoons are a regular weather pattern in Southeast Asia, scientists have long warned that climate change is making storms more intense because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture and warmer seas can turbocharge the systems.
In Manila on Thursday, Greenpeace climate campaigner Virginia Benosa-Llorin called the lawsuit a "test case to hold the corporations accountable".
The suit will be the "first time claimants in the Global South are bringing action related to significant personal injury and property damage... caused through the alleged acts of common measures in the Global North", added UK-based lawyer Joe Snape via videolink.

Lost 'everything'

Plaintiff Rickcel Inting, a fisherman, told AFP his family had lost "everything in an instant" when Typhoon Rai slammed into Bohol province, surviving only because they lashed themselves to a thick column on their rooftop.
"Shell caused what we have suffered because of its actions, causing pollution and harming the environment... they owe poor individuals like us," said the 46-year-old, adding he had never been able to afford to replace his lost fishing boats.
The lawsuit marks the latest step in a wider international movement to assign responsibility to major companies for climate damage.
A German court in May ruled that firms could, in principle, be held responsible for harm caused by their emissions, fuelling hopes that other countries would follow suit.
Shell dismissed the lawsuit as "a baseless claim", with a spokesperson saying "it will not help tackle climate change or reduce emissions".
"The suggestion that Shell had unique knowledge about climate change is simply not true," the firm added.

Oil profits

The claimants are seeking financial compensation for "lives lost, injuries sustained and homes destroyed", NGOs supporting the lawsuit said.
Shell, along with many rival energy giants, has scaled back various climate objectives to focus more on oil and gas in order to raise profits.
The United Nations in 2022 said destruction caused by Typhoon Rai was "badly underestimated" in initial assessments, tripling the number of people "seriously affected" to nine million.
The Philippines -- ranked among the most vulnerable nations to the impact of climate change -- is hit by an average of 20 storms every year.
The UK lawsuit follows an historic climate ruling by the International Court of Justice in The Hague in July, which declared states had an obligation under international law to address the threat of climate change.
ICJ advisory opinions are not legally enforceable but are seen as highly authoritative in steering national courts, legislation and corporate behaviour around the globe.
bur-ajb/cwl/sah/kaf