Latest news with #diplomaticspat
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
China rejects German claim it targeted military plane with laser
China has disputed Germany's claim that it targeted a military plane with a laser fired from a warship, as a diplomatic spat between the two countries accused China of attempting to disrupt one of its aircraft earlier this month as it was taking part in European Union-led operations aimed at protecting ships in the Red Sea from missiles launched by Yemen's Houthi rebel German foreign ministry has summoned the Chinese ambassador and described the incident as "entirely unacceptable". China's EU envoy has also been summoned by the bloc, Reuters has pushed back, saying Germany's account was "totally inconsistent with the facts known by the Chinese side". On Tuesday, Germany said a reconnaissance plane was targeted as it flew over the Red Sea, where several European countries have been contributing to surveillance and defensive efforts since early 2024 to protect ships from regular attacks launched from laser was fired from a Chinese warship, which had been spotted several times and had made no communication with the passing aircraft, Germany plane was forced to abandon its mission and return to a military base in the East African nation of Djibouti as a precaution, according to the foreign has reacted furiously to the incident, accusing China of "endangering German personnel and disrupting the operation".The Chinese government responded on Wednesday, with spokesperson Mao Ning telling a press conference that its navy had been carrying out "escort operations" in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of said Germany and China should "take a fact-based attitude and strengthen communication in a timely manner to avoid misunderstanding and misjudgement".China has been accused of using lasers to target military aircraft before, primarily by the US. China has denied doing can be used to blind pilots, and a new class of powerful lasers capable of disabling targets in the air are under development by militaries around the established a permanent military presence in the region in 2017 when it opened a base in Djibouti, which Beijing says is used for anti-piracy and freedom of maritime navigation governments have expressed concerns about China's ambitions in the region since opening the base in Djibouti, where the US, Japan, France and others also have military installations. It is located at a strategically important pinch point leading on to the Red Sea and Suez Canal - one of the world's most important shipping routes.
CNA
04-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
US, Colombia recall top diplomats as rift deepens
WASHINGTON: The United States and Colombia called home their respective envoys on Thursday (Jul 3) in an apparent acceleration of worsening ties, against the backdrop of an alleged plot against Colombia's leftist leader. Washington went first, recalling its charge d'affaires John McNamara "following baseless and reprehensible statements from the highest levels of the Government of Colombia", State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said, without giving specifics. In addition to McNamara's recall, Bruce said the United States "is pursuing other measures to make clear our deep concern over the current state of our bilateral relationship". She did not detail the actions. Within hours, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced he was calling home his top diplomat in Washington in response. Ambassador Daniel Garcia Pena "must come to inform us of the development of the bilateral agenda", Petro wrote on X, such as tapping South America's "great potential for clean energy" and the fight against "drug lords and their international finances". The diplomatic spat came on the heels of the resignation of Colombia's foreign minister earlier Thursday - the latest top-ranking official to exit Petro's government. "In recent days, decisions have been made that I do not agree with and that, out of personal integrity and institutional respect, I cannot support," Laura Sarabia, who was also Petro's former chief of staff, wrote on X. PLOT INVESTIGATION Colombia was until recently one of the United States's closest partners in Latin America. But ties have sharply deteriorated. Colombian prosecutors opened an investigation this week into an alleged plot to overthrow Petro with the help of Colombian and American politicians, following the publication by the Spanish daily El Pais of recordings implicating former foreign minister Alvaro Leyva. "This is nothing more than a conspiracy with drug traffickers and apparently, the Colombian and American extreme right," Petro said on Monday. During a speech in Bogota on Thursday, Petro said he did not think US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whom he had previously linked to the alleged overthrow attempt, was "in the midst of a coup d'etat" against his government. "I don't believe that a government that has Iran as its enemy and nuclear weapons pointed at it ... is going to start fooling around with a coup d'etat" in Colombia, he said. In late January, the United States briefly suspended consular services to retaliate for Petro's refusal to allow US military planes to return Colombian migrants to their homeland. Petro accused the United States of treating the migrants like criminals, placing them in shackles and handcuffs. The pair issued threats and counter threats of crippling trade tariffs of up to 50 per cent. A backroom diplomatic deal involving the deployment of Colombian Air Force planes to collect the migrants averted a looming trade war at the eleventh hour.
France 24
03-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
US, Colombia recall top diplomats as rift deepens over alleged assassination plot
The United States and Colombia called home their respective envoys on Thursday in an apparent acceleration of worsening ties, against the backdrop of an alleged plot against Colombia's leftist leader. Washington went first, recalling its charge d'affaires John McNamara "following baseless and reprehensible statements from the highest levels of the Government of Colombia," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said, without giving specifics. In addition to McNamara's recall, Bruce said the United States "is pursuing other measures to make clear our deep concern over the current state of our bilateral relationship." She did not detail the actions. Within hours, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced he was calling home his top diplomat in Washington in response. Ambassador Daniel Garcia Pena "must come to inform us of the development of the bilateral agenda," Petro wrote on X, such as tapping South America's "great potential for clean energy" and the fight against "drug lords and their international finances." The diplomatic spat came on the heels of the resignation of Colombia's foreign minister earlier Thursday -- the latest top-ranking official to exit Petro's government. "In recent days, decisions have been made that I do not agree with and that, out of personal integrity and institutional respect, I cannot support," Laura Sarabia, Petro's former chief of staff, wrote on X. Plot investigation Colombia was until recently one of the United States's closest partners in Latin America. But ties have sharply deteriorated. Colombian prosecutors opened an investigation this week into an alleged plot to overthrow Petro with the help of Colombian and American politicians, following the publication by the Spanish daily El Pais of recordings implicating former foreign minister Alvaro Leyva. "This is nothing more than a conspiracy with drug traffickers and apparently, the Colombian and American extreme right," Petro said on Monday. In late January, the United States briefly suspended consular services to retaliate for Petro's refusal to allow US military planes to return Colombian migrants to their homeland. Petro accused the United States of treating the migrants like criminals, placing them in shackles and handcuffs. The pair issued threats and counter threats of crippling trade tariffs of up to 50 percent. A backroom diplomatic deal involving the deployment of Colombian Air Force planes to collect the migrants averted a looming trade war at the eleventh hour. Colombia's leftist government also recently refused a US request to extradite two prominent guerrilla leaders wanted by Washington for drug trafficking.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US, Colombia recall top diplomats as rift deepens
The United States and Colombia called home their respective envoys on Thursday in an apparent acceleration of worsening ties, against the backdrop of an alleged plot against Colombia's leftist leader. Washington went first, recalling its charge d'affaires John McNamara "following baseless and reprehensible statements from the highest levels of the Government of Colombia," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said, without giving specifics. In addition to McNamara's recall, Bruce said the United States "is pursuing other measures to make clear our deep concern over the current state of our bilateral relationship." She did not detail the actions. Within hours, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced he was calling home his top diplomat in Washington in response. Ambassador Daniel Garcia Pena "must come to inform us of the development of the bilateral agenda," Petro wrote on X, such as tapping South America's "great potential for clean energy" and the fight against "drug lords and their international finances." The diplomatic spat came on the heels of the resignation of Colombia's foreign minister earlier Thursday -- the latest top-ranking official to exit Petro's government. "In recent days, decisions have been made that I do not agree with and that, out of personal integrity and institutional respect, I cannot support," Laura Sarabia, Petro's former chief of staff, wrote on X. - Plot investigation - Colombia was until recently one of the United States's closest partners in Latin America. But ties have sharply deteriorated. Colombian prosecutors opened an investigation this week into an alleged plot to overthrow Petro with the help of Colombian and American politicians, following the publication by the Spanish daily El Pais of recordings implicating former foreign minister Alvaro Leyva. "This is nothing more than a conspiracy with drug traffickers and apparently, the Colombian and American extreme right," Petro said on Monday. In late January, the United States briefly suspended consular services to retaliate for Petro's refusal to allow US military planes to return Colombian migrants to their homeland. Petro accused the United States of treating the migrants like criminals, placing them in shackles and handcuffs. The pair issued threats and counter threats of crippling trade tariffs of up to 50 percent. A backroom diplomatic deal involving the deployment of Colombian Air Force planes to collect the migrants averted a looming trade war at the eleventh hour. Colombia's leftist government also recently refused a US request to extradite two prominent guerrilla leaders wanted by Washington for drug trafficking. als-lb/ksb/acb
LBCI
01-07-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Thailand Constitutional Court suspends PM: Statement
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended by the country's Constitutional Court on Tuesday, as it opened a probe into her conduct in a diplomatic spat with Cambodia. "The Constitutional Court with a majority of 7-2 suspends the respondent from Prime Ministerial duty from 1 July until the Constitutional Court has made its ruling," said a statement, after a group of conservative senators lodged a case accusing Paetongtarn of breaching ministerial ethics during a border row with Cambodia. AFP
