THAILAND
Ceasefire holds for 72 hours
A renewed ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia over border clashes yesterday passed the 72-hour mark, an initial goal the countries set to secure a more lasting peace, but Bangkok said it had delayed the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers held since July due to alleged breaches of the deal. The neighbors agreed on a ceasefire that took effect at noon on Saturday, which included the release of the soldiers, halting 20 days of fighting that killed at least 101 people and displaced more than 500,000 people on both sides, and included fighter-jet sorties, exchanges of rocket fire and artillery barrages. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Nikorndej Balankura said the military had detected many drones from Cambodia on Sunday night, which it saw as a breach of the deal, and so had reconsidered the timing of the handover of the soldiers.
Photo: Reuters
AUSTRALIA
Bondi shooters acted alone
An investigation that extended to the Philippines of two men accused of shooting dead 15 people at a Sydney Jewish festival has found no evidence that they were part of a “broader terrorist cell,” police said yesterday. Sydney residents Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram spent most of November in Davao City in the southern Philippines, Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said. They returned on a flight from Manila on Nov. 29. Two weeks later, they were accused of the mass shooting at Bondi Beach. Philippine National Police determined the pair rarely left their hotel during the visit, Barrett said. “There is no evidence to suggest they received training or underwent logistical preparation for their alleged attack,” Barrett told reporters. “These individuals are alleged to have acted alone. There is no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were part of a broader terrorist cell, or were directed by others to carry out an attack.”
TURKEY
Police detain 357 IS suspects
Police yesterday detained 357 suspects in a nationwide operation against Islamic State (IS), Minister of the Interior Ali Yerlikaya said, a day after three police officers and six militants were killed in a gunfight in the country’s northwest. Yerlikaya said authorities carried out raids in 21 provinces across the country. Earlier, the Istanbul prosecutor’s office said that police raided 114 addresses in Istanbul and two other provinces, and digital materials and documents were seized.
UNITED KINGDOM
Idris Elba knighted
Actor Idris Elba and members of England’s triumphant Women’s UEFA Euro soccer team on Monday were among the famous Britons recognized in the traditional New Year Honours. Ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, and players from England’s victorious Women’s Rugby World Cup-winning squad were also honored. Elba, known for his roles in hit TV series The Wire and Luther, was knighted for services to young people, having founded an international charity that helps support disadvantaged youngsters.
UNITED STATES
Beyonce now a billionaire
Singer Beyonce is a billionaire, Forbes said on Monday, becoming only the fifth musician to achieve such a milestone. The 44-year-old entertainer joins a select club that includes her husband, rapper Jay-Z, as well as Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen and Rihanna, it said. In 2023, Beyonce’s Renaissance World Tour grossed nearly US$600 million, and she this year staged the world’s highest-grossing tour.
Australians were downloading virtual private networks (VPNs) in droves, while one of the world’s largest porn distributors said it was blocking users from its platforms as the country yesterday rolled out sweeping online age restriction. Australia in December became the first country to impose a nationwide ban on teenagers using social media. A separate law now requires artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot services to keep certain content — including pornography, extreme violence and self-harm and eating disorder material — from minors or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$34.6 million). The country also joined Britain, France and dozens of US states requiring
Hungarian authorities temporarily detained seven Ukrainian citizens and seized two armored cars carrying tens of millions of euros in cash across Hungary on suspicion of money laundering, officials said on Friday. The Ukrainians were released on Friday, following their detention on Thursday, but Hungarian officials held onto the cash, prompting Ukraine to accuse Hungary’s Russia-friendly government of illegally seizing the money. “We will not tolerate this state banditism,” Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said. The seven detained Ukrainians were employees of the Ukrainian state-owned Oschadbank, who were traveling in the two armored cars that were carrying the money between Austria and
Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani on Friday after dissolving the Kosovar parliament said a snap election should be held as soon as possible to avoid another prolonged political crisis in the Balkan country at a time of global turmoil. Osmani said it is important for Kosovo to wrap up the upcoming election process and form functional institutions for political stability as the war rages in the Middle East. “Precisely because the geopolitical situation is that complex, it is important to finish this electoral process which is coming up,” she said. “It is very hard now to imagine what will happen next.” Kosovo, which declared
MORE BANS: Australia last year required sites to remove accounts held by under-16s, with a few countries pushing for similar action at an EU level and India considering its own ban Indonesia on Friday said it would ban social media access for children under 16, citing threats from online pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud and Internet addiction. “Accounts belonging to children under 16 on high-risk platforms will start to be deactivated, beginning with YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox,” Indonesian Minister of Communications and Digital Meutya Hafid said. “The government is stepping in so that parents no longer have to fight alone against the giants of the algorithm. Implementation will begin on March 28, 2026,” she said. The social media ban would be introduced in stages “until all platforms fulfill their
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