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France 24
a day ago
- France 24
Thai family mourns soldier son killed just before truce
His funeral rites began Wednesday as Buddhist monks blessed his body with sacred chants, his remains in a shimmering silver coffin draped with Thailand's ensign and flanked by his neatly folded uniform. "He was brave -- brave until the very last moment of his life," said his sister, 26-year-old Hormchan Krajangthong, her voice breaking with emotion. "He gave his blood and body for our king and country," she told AFP in the village of Nong Yang Pong Sadao, just 27 kilometres (17 miles) from the border with Cambodia. Five days of clashes over ancient temples on the frontier killed at least 43 people on both sides, sending more than 300,000 fleeing as the countries battled with jets, artillery and ground troops. A truce deal took effect at midnight Monday and has broadly held despite scattered skirmishes. But it was not soon enough to save 22-year-old Theerayuth. He was killed by a shrapnel blast in Sisaket province late Monday -- after the truce was agreed, but before it began -- in one of the final artillery exchanges of the conflict. Theerayuth joined the Thai military just last year and was assigned the role of ammunition bearer. "He wanted to be a soldier since he was little," said his 60-year-old father, Kimdaeng Krajangthong, his eyes red and glassy. "I'm both proud and heartbroken." 'Don't worry about me' When shelling began, his family fled their Buriram province home for an evacuation centre, but Theerayuth was called up to the front. As he boarded the military truck bound for the border, his mother Tin Krajangthong, 61, gave him a patch of her sarong to tuck in his uniform pocket -- a talisman to shield him from harm. His regular calls from the front line reassured them. Even when they stopped on Friday night amid increasing strikes, his family did not worry -- assuming his silence was a safety precaution. "The last time we spoke, my brother told me and our parents, 'Don't worry about me. I'm safe'," his sister Hormchan said. The blow of grief only came after the guns fell silent. On Tuesday morning, Hormchan received a call from an unknown number -- her brother's commanding officer. "He said my brother was gone," she told AFP. "I couldn't believe it." "Everyone at the evacuation centre was in shock." Now Theerayuth's mother stands beside his coffin -- gently knocking it in a Thai custom meant to call back a departed spirit one last time, or let a soul know loved ones are still near. Thailand and Cambodia will spend the coming days tallying losses from the fighting -- the deadliest to engulf their border in years. After two more days of funeral ceremonies, Theerayuth's body will be cremated according to Buddhist tradition, his family's own personal loss sealed. As the monks began their chants on Wednesday, his father clasped his hands. © 2025 AFP
Russia Today
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Nuclear inspectors leave Iran
A team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has departed from Iran, the agency announced on Friday. Tehran suspended cooperation with the UN-affiliated nuclear watchdog following Israeli and US attacks on its nuclear facilities last month. The inspectors will 'return to the Agency headquarters in Vienna, after staying in Tehran throughout the recent military conflict,' the IAEA said in a statement. Tehran cooperated with the international watchdog for years, maintaining that it was enriching uranium for civilian use only. Israel has claimed that Tehran was secretly developing a nuclear weapon. On June 12, the IAEA accused Iran of violating a key safeguard agreement, without presenting any evidence. The following day, Israel launched strikes targeting Iranian nuclear scientists and uranium enrichment facilities. Tehran retaliated with counterstrikes and the US joined the Israeli operation. The war lasted for 12 days and ended in a US brokered ceasefire. US President Donald Trump declared that the Iranian nuclear program had been 'obliterated' by America's military action. The Iranian leadership has rejected the claim. Iran has long accused the IAEA of colluding with its adversaries. Officials in Tehran claimed that the agency provided Israel with the identities of nuclear scientists and intelligence about key facilities. Russia has condemned the IAEA's role in the conflict. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said its data was used to plan the strikes, calling it 'a colossal blow' to the watchdog's credibility. The IAEA inspectors were housed in Tehran and were unable to visit Iran's nuclear sites following the 12-day conflict, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The agency withdrew its inspectors from Iran 'over safety concerns,' the outlet added, citing sources. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has stressed that it is crucial to negotiate with Iran to restart inspections and monitoring as soon as possible.
Al Arabiya
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
A pause or a prelude? The fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel
On June 25, 2025, a ceasefire between Israel and Iran came into effect, bringing a sudden and dramatic halt to twelve days of direct and unprecedented military confrontation. The truce surprised many observers around the world. For weeks, tensions had escalated rapidly after Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, followed by a wave of Iranian missile and drone retaliation. The ferocity of the exchange, coupled with long-standing hostilities between the two states, led many analysts and politicians to assume that Israel would pursue the campaign until Iran's nuclear infrastructure was completely dismantled or until the Islamic Republic's central authority was irreparably shaken. Many expected Israel to press its military advantage and continue striking; There were even speculations that the broader goal might be to destabilize or collapse the Iranian government altogether. Yet the ceasefire, as unexpected as it may have seemed to some, was ultimately the product of deeper historical patterns, strategic calculations, and logistical realities. First, a look at the history of Israel's military conflicts reveals that temporary ceasefires are a consistent feature of its wartime strategy. During past wars with Hezbollah in Lebanon or in operations against Hamas in Gaza, ceasefires were accepted at key junctures. These pauses have rarely signaled the end of conflict. Instead, they have served multiple purposes – providing breathing room for the population, allowing the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to assess battlefield performance, and giving political leaders time to navigate shifting diplomatic and military conditions. In that context, the current ceasefire with Iran should not come as a shock. Though the stakes and geography are dramatically broader in this case, the strategic logic remains consistent. Ceasefires could be tactical pauses. For Israel, this ceasefire most likely offers significant, albeit temporary, advantages. First and foremost, it allows the government and military command to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of their twelve-day aerial campaign. With advanced surveillance, satellite imaging, and digital tracking systems, Israel can now measure the success of its strikes, identify which Iranian assets remain intact, and prepare for any future engagements. These kinds of reassessments are critical in an era of high-tech, multi-front warfare. Second, the truce enables Israeli civilians to return to a semblance of normalcy. Throughout the conflict, cities like Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Beersheba were subjected to repeated Iranian missile and drone attacks. For many residents, life had ground to a halt. The ceasefire now allows citizens to reemerge, regroup, and recover from the psychological strain of continuous alerts and air raid sirens. The return to normal life – no matter how temporary – is a crucial relief for the country. Third, the ceasefire grants Israel a valuable diplomatic opportunity. By agreeing to halt its military operations – even after successfully striking key targets – Israel projects to the international community that it is not pursuing escalation for its own sake. This move can help mend some of the frayed ties with Europe and parts of the Global South, where criticism of Israeli military policy has grown. At the same time, it reinforces Israel's image as a responsible actor, capable of restraint even in the face of provocation. Fourth, the IDF now has time to replenish its resources, repair any damage to bases or weapons systems, and evaluate operational weaknesses. Despite Israel's superiority in the air, the Iranian counterattacks – especially the use of longer-range drones – provided Israel with a sobering glimpse into Iran's evolving tactics. This ceasefire gives the Israeli military the space to adapt, train, and integrate new technologies into their defense apparatus. Fifth, and no less important, the ceasefire allows Israel to redirect its focus to other strategic concerns. With the Iranian front on pause, Israel can recalibrate its posture and attend to other critical theaters. From Iran's perspective, the need for a ceasefire was even more urgent. For nearly two weeks, Israeli air dominance over Iran was overwhelming. Precision strikes targeted military installations, air defense systems, radar units, and multiple nuclear-related sites in Natanz, Fordow, and Arak. In addition, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) suffered major losses, including several high-ranking commanders. The Iranian public – already under severe economic pressure from international sanctions – faced further hardship as oil refineries and power grids were damaged. More than 100,000 residents fled Tehran in a matter of days, fearful that the next wave of Israeli strikes would devastate the capital. Internally, the government faced growing frustration: How could a country with one of the region's largest militaries be so vulnerable? Why had the government not anticipated the scale of Israeli retaliation? The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reportedly faced intense pressure from within the elite circles of the IRGC and clerical establishment. In such a climate, agreeing to a ceasefire was less about diplomacy and more about necessity. Iran needed to stop the bleeding – militarily, politically, and psychologically. The pause offers Tehran a chance to evaluate the damage, regroup its forces, and attempt to fortify what remains of its nuclear infrastructure. It also gives the leadership time to address domestic unrest, recalibrate messaging, and possibly shift blame onto external enemies to consolidate control. Yet the key question remains: will the ceasefire hold? If past history is any indicator, the prospects are not encouraging. Ceasefires in this region are rarely long-lasting. They are fragile by design – stopgaps between rounds of fighting, not solutions to the underlying tensions. In this case, the balance of power has shifted dramatically, and that creates an incentive for renewed confrontation. For Israel, walking away from a conflict while the Iranian government is at its weakest point in decades might be seen as a strategic blunder. This is a rare window – one where Iran's command structure has been shaken, its nuclear plans disrupted, and its population demoralized. Some in the Israeli cabinet may argue that allowing Iran to recover from this moment would be tantamount to leaving a wounded enemy alive on the battlefield. Moreover, from a strategic standpoint, Israel now faces the risk that Iran – having experienced such a devastating attack – will accelerate its push for nuclear weapons. Even if Iran had not made the political decision to pursue a bomb before, this war may have changed that calculus. The logic of deterrence could now dominate Iran's thinking: Only by acquiring a nuclear weapon, Iranian strategists may argue, can the country prevent another catastrophic strike. Iran has already announced the suspension of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a worrying signal that transparency is no longer a priority. In this environment, trust is virtually nonexistent. Finally, the ceasefire's fragility is also reinforced by the broader geopolitical context. Proxy forces aligned with Iran – particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and various militias in Iraq – remain active. They can resume attacks on Israel or US allies at any time, either with or without Tehran's direct orders. Any incident along these fronts could easily unravel the ceasefire. Similarly, internal politics in both countries can lead to escalation. An assassination, a rogue militia strike, or even a political crisis could reignite hostilities overnight. In conclusion, while both Israel and Iran found compelling reasons to agree to this ceasefire – strategic breathing room, humanitarian concerns, and domestic stability – the truce rests on shaky foundations. It is, in many ways, a pause born of exhaustion rather than reconciliation. As history has repeatedly shown, these kinds of ceasefires in the Middle East are inherently unstable. Unless profound diplomatic engagement follows – and there is little sign of that at present – the risk of renewed war remains not only possible, but probable.
The Guardian
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
C of E prepares spiritual response to war as UK military warns of rising threat
The Church of England is considering how it could offer spiritual comfort and leadership to a nation at war as the world faces mounting conflict. Rev Hugh Nelson, the C of E's bishop to the armed forces, said military personnel had been warning him for the past two years of their 'rising concern about the threat of very, very serious conflict, including conflict that involves the UK'. The church was taking the potential challenges seriously, he said. It did not want a repeat of its lack of preparedness for the Covid pandemic, Nelson told reporters in London. Preparations included looking back to how senior religious figures responded to earlier conflicts, such as the second world war and the Falklands conflict. A senior military figure will address the church's governing body, the General Synod, on the current global climate when it meets in York next month. Brig Jaish Mahan, who has served in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Iraq and Afghanistan, will speak about the challenges facing the UK and his own experiences in conflict. A paper published before the meeting of the synod says: 'While a conflict directly involving the UK is not an immediate risk, given the very serious impact such a conflict would have on every person in the country, we must be prepared.' Nelson referred to the government's national security strategy, published earlier this week, which warned the UK must actively prepare for a 'wartime scenario' on British soil 'for the first time in many years'. The bishop said: 'As a church, we want to take seriously those challenges, both to do everything that we can to pray for and work for and advocate for peace … [and] to begin to have conversations towards plans about how the church might need to respond if there were to be a serious conflict. 'We do not want to be in the situation that we were all in – church and wider society – pre-pandemic, when those that knew things said there will one day be a pandemic, and none of us had done anything in preparation for that. So we want to take that seriously. 'We have looked back at some of the ways in which senior church leadership – archbishops and bishops – led, the things that they said, particularly in the second world war.' Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Proposals for working with schools on issues of peace, war and conflict, and practical suggestions for making churches hospitable and welcoming to armed forces personnel and their families, are expected to be published in the coming months. There are almost 200 C of E army chaplains, serving as regulars and reservists across the Royal Navy, army and Royal Air Force. The synod will consider changes to enable army chaplains 'to do what they need to do without having to go through quite a lot of administrative and bureaucratic steps', said Nelson.
Irish Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Irish consumer confidence improves as public adapt to global instability
Irish consumer sentiment improved in June as worries around tariffs cooled and interest rates fell, but concerns over trade wars, escalating military conflicts and cost of living pressure kept the gains marginal. The latest Credit Union barometer saw its first back-to-back improvement since July last year as the consumer sentiment index rose from 60.8 to 62.5 from May to June. The report said the large gap since the most recent back-to-back gain emphasises 'how uncertain and threatening the circumstances facing Irish consumers have been of late, notwithstanding the continued solid performance of the economy through this time.' The level of consumer confidence, despite the slight increase in the past month, remains well below the reading in June 2024 of 70.5, and well below the long-term survey average of 84. READ MORE The survey, which was conducted in partnership with Core Research, was compiled before the 'heightened geopolitical uncertainty related to the escalation in military conflict in the Middle East', the report said. Within this context, the rise in Irish consumer sentiment in June was mirrored in gains in similar measures for the US and UK. In Ireland, the consumers' assessment of the current economic conditions brightened, and 12-month expectations were resurgent. Falling from a height of 90.1, consumers' evaluations of their personal financial situations in 12 months' time has recovered somewhat from a trough in the low 70s in April and May, in reaction to the announcement of US import tariffs. People's general economic outlook has brightened also, but consumers have not yet regained their pre-tariff confidence. The report indicated that Irish consumers have become used to the economic instability in the system. 'As uncertainty and a threatening geopolitical landscape are now almost permanent features of the Irish economic landscape, consumers have already adapted their behaviour to these developments in recent years,' the report said. 'So, the threat of a trade war or even the increased threat of military conflict are not altogether radical changes in the landscape.' Irish consumers are generally in a slightly stronger position in holiday spending power than a year ago, but an increased number of consumers are planning to spend more on holidays this year – 26 per cent – than it stood last year (23 per cent). At the same time, the level of consumers unable to afford a holiday was little changed at 22 per cent this year. The rate of people planning to spend less on holidays increased from 15 per cent to 17 per cent. The barometer said the results 'highlight wide variations in financial circumstances across Irish consumers' and indicated a three-tiered financial situation among consumers. The chief executive of the Irish League of Credit Unions David Malone, said: 'The improvement in consumer sentiment in June, while marginal, is encouraging in that it hints that Irish consumers are adapting to a very challenging environment.'
