Border clashes between Cambodia, Thailand enter third day
At least 13 Cambodians were killed and 71 injured in ongoing border clashes with Thai forces, Cambodian officials confirmed Saturday. The fighting, now in its third day, reportedly began when Cambodian troops opened fire near Thailand’s Trat province, according to Xinhua.
Five Cambodian soldiers and eight civilians were killed, with most casualties in Oddar Meanchey province. Thailand responded with a military operation, “Trat Strike 1,” pushing back Cambodian forces at multiple points and deploying naval support.
The conflict has since spread to Cambodia’s Pursat province, as tensions along the border continue to rise, Xinhua reported.
Trump denies Epstein ties, blames democrats for false claims
US President Donald Trump on Friday denied any connection to Jeffrey Epstein, accusing Democrats of spreading falsehoods. Speaking before departing for Scotland, he said, “I have nothing to do with the guy,” and pointed to others, including Bill Clinton and Larry Summers, as having closer ties to Epstein, CNN reported.
Trump dismissed reports of a birthday letter to Epstein bearing his signature, calling it likely fake. He criticized Democrats for promoting “fake news” and defended his promise to release Epstein-related documents if re-elected.
The Justice Department recently stated no client list exists, sparking backlash from some Trump supporters. The White House rejected new reports linking Trump to Epstein files as politically motivated, according to CNN.
China's BYD to assemble EVs in Pakistan from 2026
Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD plans to roll out its first car assembled in Pakistan by July or August 2026 to capture growing demand for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the region, a company executive said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
BYD, the world's top EV maker, has been expanding rapidly outside its home market, where it is in a strong price war. The Pakistan plant addresses rising demand from emerging markets and allows the company to take advantage of incentives offered by the Pakistani government.
The plant has been under construction since April near Karachi in a partnership between BYD and Mega Motor Company, a subsidiary of Pakistani utility Hub Power, Danish Khaliq, vice president of sales and strategy at BYD Pakistan, told Reuters.
It would initially have the capacity to produce 25,000 units a year on a double shift, he said. He did not elaborate on when the plant would achieve full capacity or say when mass production would begin there, according to Reuters.
Thailand rejects international mediation to end fighting with Cambodia
Thailand has rejected mediation efforts from third countries to end the ongoing conflict with Cambodia, insisting that Phnom Penh cease attacks and resolve the situation only through bilateral talks, its foreign ministry said on Friday, Reuters reported.
Simmering border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have flared into open hostilities at multiple locations along the frontline, with exchanges of artillery for a second straight day.
At least 16 people, most of them Thai civilians, have died so far in the heaviest fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in over a decade.
The United States, China and Malaysia, which is the current chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, have offered to facilitate dialogue but Bangkok is seeking a bilateral solution to the conflict, Thai foreign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura told Reuters.
