Thailand suspends Cambodia peace deal after landmine blast

BANGKOK, Nov 10: Thailand has suspended the implementation of a United States-brokered peace agreement with neighbouring Cambodia after a landmine blast near their border injured two of its soldiers.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said after Monday’s incident that all action set to be carried out under the truce will be halted until Thailand’s demands, which remain unspecified, are met.

“The hostility towards our national security has not decreased as we thought it would,” Anutin asserted. He did not elaborate on what Thailand’s demands were.

There was no immediate response from the Cambodian government.

Thailand and Cambodia signed a ceasefire on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Malaysia last month after territorial disputes between the two Southeast Asian countries led to five days of border clashes in July.

Those hostilities killed at least 43 people and displaced more than 300,000 civilians living along the border.

The Thai army said in a statement that Monday’s mine explosion in Sisaket province injured two soldiers.

Thai Defence Minister Natthaphon Narkphanit said the army is still investigating whether the mine was newly laid.

Thailand has previously accused Cambodia of laying new mines in violation of the truce, a charge that the Cambodian government denies.

Similar landmine explosions have occurred both before and since the deal, and tension has simmered.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Thailand should release 18 Cambodian soldiers, and both sides must begin removing heavy weapons and land mines from the border.

Natthaphon said Thailand will postpone the release of the Cambodian soldiers, initially scheduled for this week.

Lavrov says US considering Putin's proposal on nuclear arms control

MOSCOW, Nov 9: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the United States has informed Russia through diplomatic channels that it was reviewing President Vladimir Putin's proposal to maintain the limitations outlined in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) beyond its scheduled expiration in February 2026.

"So far, there has been no substantive response from Washington. We were told through diplomatic channels that 'the issue is under consideration," Lavrov said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

Earlier, President Putin stated that Russia is prepared to continue adhering to the treaty's limitations for one year after its expiration, provided the US reciprocates.

Lavrov also said he was ready to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio but that Russia's interests would have to be taken into account for there to be peace in Ukraine.

The Kremlin on Friday dismissed speculation that Lavrov had fallen out of favour with Vladimir Putin after efforts to organise a summit between the Russian president and Donald Trump were put on ice last month.

"Secretary of State Marco Rubio and I understand the need for regular communication," Lavrov told state news agency RIA.

"It is important for discussing the Ukrainian issue and promoting the bilateral agenda. That is why we communicate by telephone and are ready to hold face-to-face meetings when necessary," Lavrov said.

Hamas says fighters holed up in Rafah will not surrender

GAZA, Nov 9: Hamas fighters holed up in the Israeli-held Rafah area of Gaza will not surrender to Israel, the group's armed wing said on Sunday, urging mediators to find a solution to a crisis that threatens the month-old ceasefire.

Sources close to mediation efforts said on Thursday that fighters could surrender their arms in exchange for passage to other areas of the enclave under a proposal aimed at resolving the stalemate.

Egyptian mediators have proposed that, in exchange for safe passage, fighters still in Rafah surrender their arms to Egypt and give details of tunnels there so they can be destroyed, said one of the sources, an Egyptian security official.

Sunday's statement from Al-Qassam Brigades held Israel responsible for engaging the fighters, who it said were defending themselves.

"The enemy must know that the concept of surrender and handing oneself over does not exist in the dictionary of the Al-Qassam Brigades," the group said.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Thursday that the proposed deal for about 200 fighters would be a test for a broader process to disarm Hamas forces across Gaza.

Al-Qassam Brigades did not comment directly on the continuing talks over the fighters in Rafah but implied that the crisis could affect the ceasefire.

"We place the mediators before their responsibilities, and they must find a solution to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire and prevent the enemy from using flimsy pretexts to violate it and exploit the situation to target innocent civilians in Gaza," the group said.

Since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect in Gaza on October 10, the Rafah area has been the scene of at least two attacks on Israeli forces, which Israel has blamed on Hamas. The militant group has denied responsibility.

Rafah has been the scene of the worst violence since the ceasefire took hold, with three Israeli soldiers killed, prompting Israeli retaliation that killed dozens of Palestinians.

Taliban warns as Afghanistan, Pakistan peace talks collapse

KABUL, Nov 8: As the latest rounds of peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan ended in deadlock, the Taliban government warned Islamabad that it will firmly defend against any aggression and that it will not allow anyone to use Afghan territory.

The statement, issued by the official spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, comes after the Taliban government accused elements within the Pakistani military of pursuing anti-Afghanistan policies and attempting to create tensions through "manufactured pretexts."

The Taliban government expressed gratitude to “the Republic of Turkey and the State of Qatar – the two brotherly countries – for hosting and mediating the talks” between the two countries.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan reiterates its principled position. It will not allow anyone to use Afghan territory against another country, nor will it permit any country to use its territory to take actions against or support actions that undermine Afghanistan’s national sovereignty, independence, or security,” the Taliban statement said.

"The defence of the people and land of Afghanistan is the Islamic and national duty of the Islamic Emirate", it further said, adding that Afghanistan will defend itself against any aggression.

Taliban further said that the Muslim people of Pakistan are brothers of Afghans, and the Islamic Emirates wishes them well and hopes for peace. The statement said that the Islamic Emirate has “good intentions”, but the “irresponsible and non-cooperative” attitude of the Pakistani delegation resulted in no outcome.

Tensions have escalated between the two countries in recent weeks following deadly border fighting that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians. The violence erupted after explosions in Kabul on Oct 9, which coincided with the Taliban government's Foreign Minister's visit to India. The clashes subsided after Qatar brokered a ceasefire on Oct 19, which remains tenuously in place.

In an earlier statement, Afghanistan accused the Pakistan military of pursuing anti-Afghanistan policies and attempting to create tension through what it called “manufactured pretexts.”

“Unfortunately, certain military elements in Pakistan appear to perceive a strong central government in Afghanistan, along with stability, security, and development, as contrary to their interests,” the Taliban statement read.

It said that these elements have taken advantage of the instability and conflict going on in Afghanistan and aim to create tensions.

Clandestine nuclear activities are in keeping with Pakistan's history: India

NEW DELHI, Nov 7: India on Friday noted U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about Pakistan testing nuclear weapons and said Islamabad’s “clandestine” nuclear activities were centred around decades of smuggling and export control violations.

Last week, Trump named Pakistan among the countries testing nuclear weapons. The U.S. president said this to justify his administration’s plans to resume testing of the U.S.’ own nuclear assets after a gap of over three decades.

“Clandestine and illegal nuclear activities are in keeping with Pakistan’s history, that is centred around decades of smuggling, export control violations, secret partnerships,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.

He was responding to a question on the issue.

“India has always drawn the attention of the international community to these aspects of Pakistan’s record,” Jaiswal said.

“In this backdrop, we have taken note of President Trump’s comment about Pakistan’s nuclear testing,” he added.

Pakistan fires into Afghanistan despite ceasefire talks underway, Taliban says

KABUL, Nov 6: The Afghan Taliban on Thursday said that Pakistani forces attacked the Spin Boldak region of the country despite the truce and ongoing peace talks in Istanbul.

The Taliban said that it has not retaliated “out of respect” for the negotiating team currently holding talks in Istanbul and to prevent civilian casualties.

“While the third round of negotiations with the Pakistani side has begun in Istanbul, unfortunately, this afternoon, Pakistani forces once again opened fire on Spin Boldak, causing concern among the local population. The Islamic Emirate’s forces, out of respect for the negotiation team and to prevent civilian casualties, have so far shown no reaction," Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on X.

Trump threatens to launch attacks in Nigeria over ‘killing of Christians’

WASHINGTON, Nov 1: US President Donald Trump has threatened to carry out attacks in Nigeria in response to purported anti-Christian violence, saying he instructed the recently renamed Department of War to “prepare for possible action”.

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said the United States would immediately cut off all assistance to the African country “if the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians”.

The US “may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities”, Trump added, without specifying which groups or alleged “atrocities” he was referring to.

“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!” he wrote.

The Nigerian government did not immediately respond to Trump’s threat.

The social media post comes a day after the US president announced that Nigeria would be added to the Department of State’s list of “Countries of Particular Concern”, which is set up to monitor religious persecution around the world.

In recent months, right-wing lawmakers and other prominent figures in the US have claimed that violent disputes in Nigeria are part of a campaign of “Christian genocide”.

While human rights groups have urged the Nigerian government to do more to address unrest in the country, which has experienced deadly attacks by Boko Haram and other armed groups, experts say that claims of a “Christian genocide” are false and simplistic.

Ebenezer Obadare, a senior fellow for Africa Studies at the Washinton, DC-based Council on Foreign Relations, said that Trump was right in identifying a lacking response from the Nigerian government towards Boko Haram.

At least 23, including children, killed in massive explosion at Mexico supermarket

SONORA, Nov 1: A festive holiday weekend turned tragic for families in northwestern Mexico on Saturday when a deadly blaze engulfed a discount store in the city center of Hermosillo, killing at least 23 people and injuring a dozen.

Mexico is celebrating the Day of the Dead this weekend with colourful festivities in which families honor and remember deceased loved ones.

"I have ordered a thorough and transparent investigation to clarify the causes of the accident," Alfonso Durazo, governor of the state of Sonora home to the city, said in a video on social media, adding that children were among the victims.

Most of the deaths appeared to have been from inhalation of toxic gases, said Gustavo Salas, the state's attorney general, citing its forensic medical service.

"My heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives," President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a post on X, adding that she had directed support teams to be sent to help victims' families and the injured.

Sonora's Red Cross said its 40 staff and 10 ambulances joined in the effort, making six trips to the hospital.

The cause of the fire, now doused, was still unclear, though some media blamed an electrical failure. City officials said the store, part of popular discount chain Waldo's, was not the target of an attack.

The chief of the city's firefighters said it was still being investigated whether there was an explosion.