CNN
–

Thai Prime Minister Paethon Than Sinawatra has pressured him to resign after appearing to be criticizing the army over a 17-minute leaked call with a powerful former Cambodian leader.

This scandal, which sparked widespread rage in the country, brings new uncertainty to a country shaking by years of political turbulence and leadership reforms. Paetongtarn, 38, served as prime minister for 10 months after replacing another prime minister who was taken from the inauguration.

It also comes when the kingdom of Southeast Asia negotiates trade contracts with the US to boost the sick economy and punish tariffs, and is caught up in a border dispute with neighbouring Cambodia, which is linked to the lowest point in the year.

Paetongtarn apologized on Thursday, with Thailand’s Foreign Ministry summoning the Cambodian ambassador to deliver a letter of protest, calling the leak of private calls a “violation of diplomatic etiquette.”

“Thailand believes these actions are unacceptable between nations. It contradicts the spirit of internationally accepted practices and good neighbors,” “threatening the trust and respect between the two leaders and the country,” a spokesperson for the ministry said in a statement.

In a post on the official Facebook page, Hun Sen said he shared a recording of the phone with around 80 Cambodian officials, suggesting that one of them may have leaked the audio. The 72-year-old political veteran later posted a 17-minute recording of the call.

In a leaked call made on June 15, Paetongtan was called former Cambodian Strongman Hunsen “Uncle” and appeared to be criticizing the actions of her own military forces after the border conflict led to the death of a Cambodian soldier last month.

Paetongtarn, a relative political newcomer in a powerful dynasty who became Thailand’s youngest prime minister last year, appeared to show discord between her government and the country’s powerful army.

In the call, the Thai Prime Minister could be heard telling Hun Sen that she was under domestic pressure, urging him not to listen to the “opposite side.”

“Now, the side wants to look cool. They’ll say things that aren’t beneficial to the nation. But what we want is to have peace before a conflict occurs at the border.”

She also added that Hun Sen “If he wants something, he can tell me and I’ll take care of it.”

Her comments on the leaked audio were confirmed as authentic by both sides and were nerve-wracking in Thailand, but the enemy accused her of compromising the country’s national interests. The Bumujaytay Party, a key partner of the Prime Minister’s government, withdrew from the coalition on Wednesday, taking a major blow to her ability to retain power in Pau Party.

“Petongang has infringed his position as prime minister and caused damage to the Thai people by raiding Han Sen,” said Chitinan Ponsudilak, a professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University. “It’s only a matter of time for her to exit and she could be held responsible for further charges.”

Handling of border disputes surprised the enthusiasm of nationalists in both countries. In Thailand, conservative forces are calling for PaetongTurn to resign in the face of charges. In Cambodia, thousands of people attended government-organized rally last week, with the government and the military in solidarity over the issue.

Thailand and Cambodia have developed complex relationships with both cooperation and competition over the last few decades. The two countries share a 508-mile (817km) land border. This is mainly mapped by the French while occupying Cambodia – it was a source of political tensions, seeing regular military conflicts.

On Wednesday, Petonggaan tried to downplay her remarks to Hun Sen, saying at a press conference she was trying to spread tensions between her two neighbors and “private” calls “should not have been made public.”

The Prime Minister said she was using “negotiation tactics” and that her comments were “not a statement of loyalty.”

“I understand now, this was never about real negotiations. It was a political theatre,” she said. “We’re releasing this call, it’s not a way to do diplomacy.”

Hun Sen, a veteran leader who ruled Cambodia for almost 40 years with iron fist, resigned in 2023 and handed the power to his son Hun Mane.

However, he is a hugely influential figure in Cambodian politics, currently serving as the Senate president and a friend and ally of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Sinawatra, Patonggaan’s father.

Last month, tensions between the two neighbors got worse. When Cambodian soldiers were killed in a brief clash between Cambodian and Cambodian troops, both sides fired in the contested border area of ​​the Emerald Triangle, where Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet.

Thai and Cambodian troops blamed others for skirmishes saying they were acting in self-defense.

Military leaders in Thailand and Cambodia said they wanted them to escalate, but both sides were engaged in troops and strengthened troops along the border.

Thailand has managed border checkpoints, imposed restrictions on border intersections, and threatened to cut electricity and internet on Cambodian border towns. In return, Cambodia stopped importing Thai fruits and vegetables and banned Thai films and TV dramas.

Cambodia also submitted a request to the UN International Court of Justice to seek a ruling of the border area of ​​the disputed with Thailand, including the location of the latest clashes.

However, Thailand does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICJ and claims that some areas along the border are not completely bounded, including the locations of several ancient temples.

In 2011, Thai and Cambodian forces clashed in nearby areas surrounding the 11th-century Plihaa Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, kicking out thousands of people on either side and killing at least 20 people.

CNN
–

Leave the hospital with injuries, the only survivor of last week’s Air India plane crash crash, carried his brother’s co-sole to perform his final ritual for a life lost in a fatal disaster.

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British citizen, appeared to have been overcome with grief as he led a funeral procession through the streets of the coastal town of Diu, West India on Wednesday.

Ramesh, who was discharged from the hospital a day ago, had bandages on his face from cuts and bruises after moving from the western city of Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick airport, and after taking off last Thursday, AI171 had been bandaged to London’s Gatwick airport.

It is explained that how Ramesh escaped with some wounds is nothing more than a miracle.

“I don’t know how I survived,” he told Indian state broadcaster DD News while in the hospital, explaining that he released himself from his seat at 11A, the emergency exit, shortly after the crash, and left the scene.

“For a while I thought I was going to die, but when I opened my eyes I realized I was alive,” he said.

Sitting a few rows apart, he and his brother were back in the UK after spending several weeks visiting their family in India.

Ramesh’s videos stumbled from the crash are widely seen across news channels and social media. You can see flames swirling behind him, thick smoke rising high into the sky.

Authorities tasked with identifying the victim’s bodies explain how difficult the process can be. India’s Home Minister Amit Shah said the high temperatures from the burning fuel remained “no chance” to save passengers, saying the bodies were difficult to recognize.

The Boeing 787’s Dreamliner carried 125,000 liters. It was enough to continue the 10-hour flight from Ahmedabad to London, but within a minute after takeoff it crashed, plunging into the hostel for medical students, killing several people on the ground.

As of Thursday, health officials say more than 150 bodies have been handed over to loved ones and funerals are being held in various cities across the country.

Meanwhile, investigators are looking at the wreckage to determine what could have caused one of the worst air-clashes India has seen in decades.

Indian civil aviation authorities said a mayday call from the cockpit was made for air traffic control shortly before the crash.

Both the plane’s cockpit audio recorder and the flight data recorder, the Black Box, are analyzed for valuable clues that can help you determine the cause. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the crash investigation with support from the UK and the US and with Boeing officials.

The Indian government has also established another high-level committee to investigate what led to the crash. The committee plans to submit its preliminary investigation results within three months.

Air India, the country’s flagship airline, said on Wednesday it is conducting safety inspections on all of its Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft fleet.

“Of the total of 33 aircraft, inspections have been completed to 26, and these have been cleared for service, but the remaining inspections will be completed in the next few days,” the X’s statement said.

Meanwhile, ongoing testing and conflicts in the Middle East have reduced international services for widebody aircraft by 15%.

For several days, the victim’s family gathered near Morgue, gathering the bodies of their loved ones to find answers.

When Ramesh left the brothers on Wednesday, another family member about 160 miles south of Mumbai city had burials for the four members who fell crashed.

Imtiaz Ali Syed, 42, said Javed, step-sister, ne, nie, was on an Air India flight and he received the body from authorities in Ahmedabad and took her to the family’s hometown on Wednesday.

Javed and his family, who lived in London, were in Mumbai to visit their sick mother and celebrate Eid Al Ada, also known as Bakri Aid, Said told CNN. It was the first time in 15 years that Syed and his other three brothers have all joined together, he said.

Said’s sister, who also lives in the UK, visited a direct flight from Mumbai to London, he said. However, Javed and his family were on another flight via Ahmedabad.

He explained his distrust when he learned that Javed was on an unfortunate Air India plane. “Someone woke me up and said the plane had crashed in Ahmedabad and asked me to see what Javed was doing,” recalls Syed.

Syed considered his siblings to be “always available” for his family.

“He took care of my grandmother’s medicine. He took care of my mother. He will take care of our sister,” he said.

“In a week or 15 days or within a month, he may call,” Syed said. “Tell him somewhere.”

Mexico City
AP
–

Hurricane Eric endured a major Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday evening as he was bored on the southern coast of Mexico, threatening devastating winds, flash floods and dangerous high surges in the area in the coming hours.

Eric, who was quickly strengthened a few hours before the Category 1 hurricane, was shot and killed offshore about 55 miles (85 km) southwest of the Puerto Angel, with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (200 kph) by dusk.

Eric also moved northwest to 9 mph (15 kph) towards the expected landfall Thursday morning, about 125 miles (200 kph) southeast of Punta Maldonado. Major hurricanes are defined as Category 3 or lower and wind speeds of at least 111 mph (180 kph). Forecasters said further strengthening is expected and catastrophic wind damage is possible near the site where the eye is on land.

The projected path will be centrally located near the resort of Acapulco, which was devastated by Hurricane Otis in October 2023. Category 5 hurricanes are intensifying rapidly and many are not ready. At least 52 people have died in Otis and 32 have gone missing after the storm severely damaged almost every hotel at the resort.

In Acapulco on Wednesday, there was a strong presence of the National Guard and police on the streets, but the most prominent one was the National Electric Power Company trucks. The crew worked to clean and polish the drains.

Although some beaches were already closed, tourists continued to sunbathe others a few hours ago.

On the beach in Acapulco, a series of people waited for the help of the backhoe to pull the boat out of the water.

Adrián Acevedo Durantes, 52, takes tourists around the picturesque coastline of Acapulco on the boat. Two of his boats sank into Hurricane Otis, while the third was severely damaged.

“We didn’t expect Otis to bring one of its sizes, so we’re taking precautions because climate change will keep the water warmer and hurricanes stronger,” Acevedo says.

This time, the port administration ordered no one to board their boats and ride the storm. During Otis, many people lost their lives by staying in boats in the port. He said he knew some of the people lost in the sea.

He admitted it was sunny and the water had settled down on a Wednesday afternoon, and although it’s hard to imagine a big storm on the way, “Otis was calm all day, clear, and there was two hours of strong winds in the middle of the night and saw what happened the next day.”

Francisco Casalbio, a 46-year-old choreographer, carried a carton of eggs during his last minute shopping before the storm. He was planning to pick up rice, beans and canned food as well.

His home has been flooded in Otis and lost power, and although he is taking Eric more seriously, he says he doesn’t have time to shop until Wednesday.

Forecasters said Eric is expected to smash Mexico’s Pacific coast with heavy rain, strong winds and heavy storm surges. The center’s advisory states that up to 16 inches (40 cm) of rain fell into the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, Mexico, with fewer totals in Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco. Rainfall threatens flooding and landslides, especially in areas with steep terrain.

The hurricane warning was effective from Acapulco to Puerto Angel. A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected in the area, and preparations to protect lives and property should be rushed until completion, according to the Hurricane Centre Advisory.

Down the coast of Puerto Escondido near the southern tip of the road that could be Eric, they began pulling boats out of the water on Wednesday under drizzling skies.

The wind had not yet been greeted at Zicatera Beach, but the Red Flag was there to warn people to stay away from the water. However, some surfers ignored them as they were on the waves.

Laura Belazuquez, Mexican national civil defense coordinator, said Eric is expected to bring “heavy” rains on Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas in southern Mexico. Coastal mountainous areas are particularly prone to landslides with numerous rivers at risk of flooding.

Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado said all schools were closed on Wednesday and the state is warning all fisheries and tourism operators to prepare for boat storms. The port of Acapulco was closed Tuesday evening. Salgado said 582 shelters are set to accept people who may evacuate their homes.

During a daily briefing, President Claudia Sinbaum warned that those on hurricane paths should be aware of government instructions and wait for a storm in their homes and designated shelters.

Eric doubled in less than a day, running through the ideal environment for quick reinforcement. Last year, according to the Hurricane Center, there were 34 rapid intensification cases when the storm acquired at least 35 mph in 24 hours, when it acquired at least 35 mph.