04/01/2026

WORLD 7 theSun on Sunday JAN 4, 2026 Thai troops take over border village

civilian buildings, installed barbed wire and shipping containers to create a “border fence”, and deployed to administer disputed areas. “The unilateral assertion of Thailand’s sovereignty by force was also demonstrated by raising the Thai national flag,” the minister said. A map provided to AFP by Cambodia’s Information Ministry shows Thai military presence in territory Cambodia claims as its own in the Chouk Chey area. According to the Cambodian map, Thailand now controlled an area that, at its furthest point, is around 750m from a boundary line drawn by Phnom Penh through the village. “Cambodia will not recognise any alteration of the boundary line resulting from the use of force,” Neth Pheaktra said. The Thai army disputed Phnom Penh’s narrative and rejected recent reports suggesting it had used force to seize Cambodian territory. The locations, which the army’s statement did not name, “were originally places where Cambodian forces had deployed troops and where Cambodian civilians had settled, encroaching upon Thai sovereignty”, it said. “It is in fact Cambodia that had occupied parts of Thai

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia said on Friday that Thai forces had taken control of a disputed border village, accusing Thailand of “annexing” the area after a truce halted fighting along their contested frontier a week ago. The decades-old border dispute erupted into military clashes several times last year, with fighting in December killing dozens of people and displacing more than one million on both sides. The two countries agreed to a truce on Dec 27, pledging to freeze troop movements and end the three weeks of clashes. On Friday, Cambodia’s Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said the Thai military had started its “illegal annexation of Cambodian territory into Thailand, especially at Chouk Chey village”. The Thai army, without mentioning any specific locations, said in a statement it had taken control of areas that had always belonged to Thailand but were “occupied” by Cambodia. The Cambodian minister said Thai forces had damaged Cambodia claims disputed area Military-backed party leads Myanmar polls YANGON: Myanmar’s military backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is leading after the first phase of a general election. Partial results from Myanmar’s first election since 2020, released by the Union Election Commission for 56 constituencies, showed the party winning by a wide margin. The results published on Friday show the (USDP), led by retired generals, winning 38 of 40 seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw, or lower house, whose outcomes have been tallied. The Shan Nationalities Democratic Party and the Mon Unity Party got one seat each. Among a diminished field of competitors handpicked by the military, the USDP also won 14 seats of the 15 regional or State Hluttaw seats tallied in the first-past-the-post system, while the Akha National Development Party took one. For the upper house, or Amyotha Hluttaw, only one seat has been declared, which was won by the Wa National Party. No date has been set for the final result of the election. The election panel has not revealed the total number of constituencies voting in the first phase, opting instead to release partial results. – Reuters

Damage at Chouk Chey village in Banteay Meanchey province in the aftermath of clashes. – AFPPIC/AGENCE KAMPUCHEA PRESS HANDOUT

“Thai and supervision of the area remains within Thailand’s territory, along operational boundary lines,” it said. Cambodia says around 3,000 people lived in Chouk Chey before the clashes in December. – AFP control

Thailand welcomed refugees to that area in the 1980s, with some families remaining long after fighting ceased in Cambodia’s civil war. The Thai army said Cambodians had encroached into Thai territory, “establishing communities” illegally.

territory,” the army said, arguing there was no “invasion or occupation of Cambodian land”. Chouk Chey is in a patch of frontier land between Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province and Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province.

Call for probe after intoxicated pilot removed from plane NEW DELHI: Canada’s transport regulator has asked Air India to investigate an incident of a pilot who was removed from a plane before it was due to take off and found to be under the influence of alcohol, a person familiar with the matter said. Two breathalyser tests Vancouver to Delhi on Dec 23 experienced a last-minute delay due to the incident, adding that an alternate pilot was brought in to operate the flight. The airline said Canadian authorities raised concerns about the pilot’s fitness for duty but did not provide details. regulations,” Air India said. “Pending the outcome of the investigation, any confirmed violation will attract strict disciplinary action in line with company policy.”

“serious matter” by Transport Canada in a letter to Air India and authorities are likely to pursue enforcement action, the person said. The person requested anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media. In a statement yesterday, Transport Canada said it would engage with Air India and India’s aviation regulator to ensure “appropriate follow-up actions” are taken. Air India said the flight from display “for the first time” since British excavations in 1898 unearthed them and they were subsequently scattered across the world. The gems, believed to date back to around 200 BC, were unearthed in 1898 by British colonial engineer William Claxton Peppe in Piprahwa, in Uttar Pradesh state. Indian authorities said an inscription on one of the caskets unearthed with the treasure confirmed the contents, which include bone fragments, as “relics of the Buddha”. While the majority were handed over to colonial authorities and some were housed in the Indian Museum

The letter from Transport Canada official Ajit Oommen has asked Air India to provide its findings and details of steps taken to prevent future occurrences by Jan 26, the person familiar with the matter said. – Reuters Jakarta opts for rehabilitation JAKARTA: Indonesia’s new National Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code introduce community service, mediation and rehabilitation as alternatives to imprisonment. The procedure code marks a shift in Indonesia’s criminal justice system from a retributive approach to a restorative one, reported Antara news agency, In addition to community service and mediation, the code provides for medical or social rehabilitation for narcotics users. The criminal code strengthens investigative, prosecutorial and trial procedures by enhancing transparency. – Bernama

“The pilot has been taken off flying duties during the inquiry. Air India maintains a zero tolerance policy towards any violation of applicable rules and

conducted by Canadian police at Vancouver International Airport showed the pilot was unfit for duty, the person said on Friday. The incident was labelled as a

India unveils Buddha gems NEW DELHI: Sacred ancient gems linked to the Buddha were unveiled

in Kolkata, Peppe kept a treasure trove of jewels. In May last year, Peppe’s great-grandson, Chris Peppe, put the gems up for sale. They were listed for auction by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, with a starting bid of US$1.2 million (RM4.9 million), with experts suggesting they could have made 10 times that. But the auction was cancelled after the Ministry of Culture issued a legal order. The gems were then bought by an Indian conglomerate, Godrej Industries Group, in partnership with India’s government. The sale price was not disclosed. – AFP

yesterday in India for the first time since their colonial-era removal. The Piprahwa gems, a collection of more than 300 precious stones and ornaments believed to have been buried with relics of the Buddha at a stupa site in northern India, were formally displayed at an exhibition in New Delhi. “This historic event marks the reunification of the Piprahwa gem relics of Lord Buddha, repatriated after 127 years,” the Ministry of Culture said in a statement. It said that they are on