19/06/2025

THURSDAY | JUNE 19, 2025

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Cambodia musters support

Bali murder suspects face death penalty DENPASAR: Australians arrested over the murder of a male compatriot in Bali face the death penalty. Authorities had been searching for suspects over the shooting of Zivan Radmanovic, a 32-year-old Australian national, on Saturday. He was killed when two men burst into his villa in Badung and opened fire. A second man, 34-year old Sanar Ghanim, was seriously wounded in the attack. Bali police chief Daniel Adityajaya said the three suspects were charged with premeditated murder, which carries a maximum penalty of death, as well as murder and torture resulting in death. Murder carries the maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, while torture resulting in death carries a potential seven-year jail term. One of the suspects was detained at the international airport in Jakarta and flown back to Bali, he said. Adityajaya said the other two men, who had already fled, were brought back with the help of interpol members in the region. He did not disclose the alleged role of the third suspect, despite the search initially focusing on two suspects. Bali police also showed yesterday several pieces of evidence to the media including a hammer, several pieces of clothing and bullet casings. Witnesses said the perpetrators, who fled the scene after the attack, spoke English with a thick Australian accent. – AFP Three ASH TOWER DISRUPTS FLIGHT SCHEDULES SIKKA: Dozens of flights to and from Bali were cancelled yesterday after a volcano in Flores island erupted, shooting an ash tower 10km into the sky. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,584m volcano erupted on Tuesday. The flights cancelled included Jetstar and Virgin Australia services to cities across Australia, with Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore’s Tigerair and China’s Juneyao Airlines also cancelling flights. Several AirAsia flights leaving for tourist hotspot Labuan Bajo on Flores were also cancelled. The geology agency said residents and tourists should avoid carrying out activities within at least 7km of the volcano’s crater. – AFP TAIWAN SUBMARINE PASSES SEA TESTS TAIPEI: Taiwan has started sea trials of its first domestically built submarine. The vessel is part of a submarine programme launched in 2016 that aims to deliver a fleet of eight vessels. Shipbuilder CSBC Corp said sea trials began in the southern port of Kaohsiung on Saturday, nearly two years after the vessel was unveiled. The submarine successfully wrapped up the trial, the first of three stages, on Tuesday with a“floating navigation test”. The submarine measures 80m in length, has a displacement of 2,500-3,000 tonnes and boasts combat systems and torpedoes sourced from Lockheed Martin. – AFP

negotiated solution and has urged Cambodia to stop “unofficial” communication – an apparent reference to fiery interventions by Hun Sen, who stepped down in 2023 but still wields great influence. The border row dates back to the drawing of the countries’ 800km frontier in the early 20th century during the French occupation of Indochina. Cambodia has previously sought help from the ICJ in a territorial dispute over a border temple. In 1962, the court ruled that the disputed Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia, and in 2013, the ICJ awarded an area next to the temple to Cambodia as well. Thailand said it did not accept the court’s jurisdiction. Violence sparked by the dispute has led to at least 28 deaths in the region since 2008. – AFP

resolve the dispute peacefully is our best option to keep friendship and good cooperation with Thailand,” he said. The two sides held talks in Phnom Penh at the weekend, which Thailand said had made progress, but the row shows little sign of dying down. Cambodia on Tuesday banned imports of Thai fruit and vegetables after Bangkok refused to lift border crossing restrictions imposed in recent days. Cambodia last week banned Thai dramas from TV and cinemas, closed a popular border checkpoint and cut internet bandwidth from Thailand. Hun Manet said on Tuesday that a return to normality depended on the Thai authorities. “The ball is in the hands of (the) Thai side, Thai military,” he said. Thailand says it wants a

supporters the Independence Monument in the heart of the capital. Hun Many told the crowd that the march was “an encouragement and additional energy for the government and our forces”. “When the country faces a threat or any insult, the Cambodian people will not stay still, we will stand up in united spirit,” he said. Cambodia has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to help resolve the border dispute in four areas – the site of last month’s clash and three ancient temples. Cambodian leaders have repeatedly said the move was to prevent further military clashes. Hun Manet said on Tuesday evening he wanted to maintain “peace and good cooperation” with Thailand. “Filing a complaint at the ICJ to marched to

PHNOM of thousands of Cambodians took to the streets of Phnom Penh yesterday for an official rally to support the government’s actions in its recent border dispute with Thailand. A massive crowd led by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many, Prime Minister Hun Manet’s youngest brother, joined a “Solidarity March” to support Cambodia’s government and troops stationed on the border with Thailand. Singing patriotic songs and flourishing Cambodian flags and portraits of Hun Manet and his father, former leader Hun Sen, o Deputy PM joins ‘Solidarity March’ PENH: Tens

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Cambodians taking part in a march in Phnom Penh yesterday to show support for the government’s actions. – AFPPIC

Modi denies US mediation in India-Pakistan ceasefire NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi told President Donald Trump late on Tuesday that a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after a four-day conflict in May was achieved through talks between the two militaries and not US mediation, India’s senior-most diplomat said. Canada, which Modi attended as a guest, is their first direct exchange since the May 7-10 conflict. “Modi told Trump clearly that during this period, there was no talk at any stage on subjects like India-US trade deal or US mediation between India and Pakistan,” Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a press statement. summit but Trump left a day early. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the Modi-Trump call. Pakistan has previously said that the ceasefire happened after its military returned a call the Indian military had initiated on May 7. triggering tit-for-tat strikes spread over four days in which both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery. Misri said that Trump expressed his support for India’s fight against terrorism and that Modi told him India’s Operation Sindoor under which it launched the cross border strikes was still on.

The heaviest fighting in decades between India and Pakistan was sparked by an April 22 attack in Indian Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident on “terrorists” backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. On May 7, Indian jets bombed what New Delhi called “terrorist infrastructure” sites across the border,

Trump had said last month that the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours agreed to a ceasefire after talks mediated by the US, and that the hostilities ended after he urged the countries to focus on trade instead of war. India has previously denied any third-party mediation and Tuesday’s phone call between Modi and Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in

Trump also asked Modi if he could stop by the US on his return from Canada, Misri said, but the Indian leader expressed his inability to do so due to a pre-decided schedule. He invited Trump to visit India later this year for the summit of the leaders of the Quad grouping, which Trump accepted, Misri said. – Reuters

“Talks for ceasing military action happened directly between India and Pakistan through existing military channels, and on the insistence of Pakistan. Modi emphasised that India has not accepted mediation in the past and will never do,” he said. Misri said the two leaders were due to meet on the sidelines of G7