24/06/2025

TUESDAY | JUNE 24, 2025

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Thailand heads into political turbulence

More Air India crash victims identified NEW DELHI: More than 250 people killed in an India plane crash have been identified through DNA testing, a hospital official said on Sunday as specialists near a final toll for one of the worst air disasters in decades. All but one of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were killed when the Air India plane smashed into a residential area of Ahmedabad, where at least 38 more died. Such was the level of destruction that more than two dozen believed killed remain unidentified 10 days after the jet came down. “The results of the DNA sample matches for 251 have arrived,” said Rakesh Joshi, medical superintendent at Ahmedabad’s civil hospital. The remains of 245 of them have been handed to relatives and include 176 Indians, 49 British, seven Portuguese, one Canadian, and 12 identified publicly only as non-passengers. “In my opinion, the DNA matching process will soon be completed,” Joshi said. “We are with the remaining families who will be informed by phone as soon as possible.” The remains of 26 victims were flown to their families, including 10 to the United Kingdom. Air India said on Thursday the plane was “well maintained” and that the pilots were accomplished flyers. Investigators have retrieved the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder for analysis, as they attempt to find out what caused the London-bound jet to hurtle to the ground moments after takeoff. – AFP TAIPEI: Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Sunday that Taiwan is a country as he kicked off a tour aimed at “uniting” the island. “Taiwan is clearly a country,” Lai said in a speech met with cheers at the Rotary Club in Taipei. “Conducting diplomacy, and having national defence capabilities, this is sovereignty,” he said, adding that “from any perspective ... We (Taiwan) are a country.” Lai said China has distorted the definition of the UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to claim that Taiwan is not a sovereign state. The resolution granted the People’s Republic of China representation at the UN General Assembly. Lai’s speech was the first of 10 he will make on a tour of Taiwan. – AFP S’PORE THANKS MALAYSIA, OMAN FOR HELPING EVACUEES SINGAPORE: The city state has expressed its deepest appreciation and gratitude to the governments of Malaysia and Oman for the safe return of its citizens from Iran. A Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson said a Singaporean was evacuated with a group of Malaysians and other nationals from Iran to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, with the assistance of the Malaysian government. A family of three Singaporeans was evacuated from Tehran to Muscat with the assistance of the Omani government, with a group of Omani citizens and other foreign nationals. “The Singapore Embassy in Muscat and the High Commission in Kuala Lumpur worked closely with their host governments,” the spokesperson said. – Bernama TAIWAN CLEARLY A COUNTRY, SAYS PRESIDENT LAI

BR I E F S

o Phnom Penh suspends Thai fuel imports

of senators seeking her removal petitioned the Constitutional Court and an anti-graft body to investigate her conduct over the leaked phone call. “The government cannot take anything for granted,” said Titipol Phakdeewanich, a political science professor at Ubon Ratchathani University. At the root of the crisis for Paetongtarn and Pheu Thai is a historic border dispute with Cambodia, which has previously led to violent clashes, including the death of a Cambodian soldier during a skirmish last month. Partly banking on strong ties between the Shinawatra family and Hun Sen, the government initially pushed for a diplomatic solution to the flare-up, even as Cambodia moved to petition the International Court of Justice to resolve the matter. However, the unexpected release of the audio not only brought the Thai government to the brink, it has also led to a further deterioration in relations between the neighbours. Hun Manet, Cambodia’s prime minister and Hun Sen’s son, said on Sunday that his administration would stop all fuel and gas imports from Thailand, following an earlier move to stall the entry of some Thai agricultural produce. “Fuel supply companies in Cambodia are able to import sufficiently from other sources to meet domestic fuel and gas demands,” he said in a post on Facebook. – Reuters

Paetongtarn, a 38-year-old political novice and daughter of divisive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has come under fire after a phone call between her and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen to diffuse a long festering border dispute became public last Wednesday. In the audio, which was released in full by Hun Sen after the initial leak of a clip, the Thai premier appears to grovel before the Cambodian politician and also denigrates a senior Thai military commander in charge of the disputed border area. Hours after the audio became public, the second-largest coalition member, the Bhumjaithai Party, quit the government, putting its parliamentary majority and Paetongtarn’s premiership under threat. Pheu Thai has managed to hold the remainder of its coalition together, with the Cabinet reshuffle meant to redistribute ministerial positions previously held by Bhumjaithai. The coalition’s stability will be tested in parliament, which reconvenes next week, and on the streets as anti-government groups plan a major protest to call for the prime minister’s resignation which will start on Saturday. Adding to the pressure, Paetongtarn also faces scrutiny from the judiciary after a group

BANGKOK: Thailand’s government said yesterday it would push ahead with a Cabinet

reshuffle this week, facing down a backlash against its handling of a border row with Cambodia that has left Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra (pic) hanging on to power by a thread. Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia remain elevated, with the neighbours announcing tit-for-tat measures that are stoking nationalist fervour on both sides and stymieing bilateral trade, including a

suspension by Phnom Penh of all Thai fuel and gas imports that came into effect yesterday. In Bangkok, days after the parliamentary majority of the ruling coalition led by Paetongtarn’s Pheu Thai party was threatened by the exit of a major alliance member, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai sought to project unity. “I’m 100% confident that we will move ahead strongly after the Cabinet reshuffle is completed this week,” he told reporters. “You will see a new way of working that’s different from before.”

Indonesia probes second bomb threat on haj flight JAKARTA: A second bomb threat targeting Saudia has been reported, Indonesian authorities said yesterday. The threat, made on Saturday via voice communication routed through a Virtual Private Network (VPN)-based radio system, prompted an Kualanamu International Airport in North Sumatra. All passengers and crew were evacuated and underwent security checks, police and military officials said. ground and cross-border communication,” he told MetroTV. A joint inspection involving the military, police and other agencies found no explosives or suspicious items on board, according to the Armed Forces Information Centre. SHOW OF FORCE ... A military band performs as Britain’s HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier docks at Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

the country,” Mayndra said, adding that Densus 88 is coordinating with Saudi authorities, as the aircraft is considered a state asset. On Saturday, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo said authorities are also working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to trace the email’s origin. “Preliminary findings indicate the sender’s name did not match the email address used,” he added. No motive has been established in either case. – Bernama

The incident followed a similar threat on June 17 involving Saudia flight SV 5276 carrying 422 pilgrims from Depok, West Java, on a route from Jeddah to Jakarta. SV 5276 was also forced to land at the same airport. Media reports quoted airport authorities as saying that the threat, sent in English via email to the co pilot, is believed to have originated in Mumbai and was allegedly issued by a foreign national. “We’re analysing whether the threat came from within or outside

Police counter-terrorism unit Densus 88 spokesperson Adjunct Senior Commissioner Mayndra Eka Wardhana said the message was transmitted while the aircraft was flying over Indian airspace. “The threat was sent via voice communication using a VPN-based radio system that allows ground-to

“By 7.15pm, the screening process was completed with no threats detected,” said the centre’s head, Major General Kristomei Sianturi, in a statement. The flight resumed at 3am on Sunday after the aircraft was declared safe.

emergency landing in North Sumatra. The affected flight, Saudia flight SVA 5688, operating the Jeddah Muscat-Surabaya route, was carrying 376 Hajj pilgrims from East Java and 11 crew members. The aircraft landed safely at