Latest news for 28 July 2025

THAILAND

Peace out.

The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire" following peace talks in Malaysia today (Monday) after last week’s border clashes. We wrote about the border tensions here. (Straits Times)

ISRAEL

Pause for aid.

Israel has announced it’ll temporarily pause military operations in Gaza to allow more aid in amid international outcry at the Strip’s humanitarian situation. (BBC)

DR CONGO

Terrorists hit church.

An ISIS-linked group has attacked a church in eastern Congo, leaving at least 30 dead. It’s the second such attack this month. (AfricaNews)

UKRAINE

U-turn.

After national protests and broader Western pushback, President Zelensky now wants updates to last week’s bill stripping Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdogs of their independence. Under his new bill, two anti-corruption bodies would stay independent, though any Russia-linked employees get polygraph tested. (Politico)

Comment: Where’s the line between avoiding foreign influence, centralising control, and undermining investigative independence? Zelensky found out last week. But in the process, he might’ve highlighted two things: first, there are clearly limits to his wartime aura; but second, Ukraine (unlike its invader) still answers to the people.

BOLIVIA

Going up?

Inflation in Bolivia has hit a 30-year high ahead of its 17 August elections, as polling suggests economic concerns now outweigh political ones. No candidate is polling higher than 25%, so a runoff in October seems inevitable. (Americas Quarterly)

TAIWAN

Here to stay.

An unprecedented recall motion has failed to unseat 24 ‘pro-China’ opposition lawmakers, after voters chose to keep their elected representatives at a special ballot over the weekend. There are still another seven seats to vote, and the ruling party needs six to flip to regain control of the legislature. (Guardian)

Comment: The election night pro-unity messages from both President Lai and the KMT opposition suggest maybe a broad realisation that this campaign went too far at times, risking the kind of polarisation that ultimately benefits Beijing.

MYANMAR

Summer sale on sanctions.

The White House is insisting a letter from Myanmar’s junta leader that praised President Trump and sought sanctions relief had nothing to do with Thursday’s decision to lift US sanctions on cronies close to the ruling generals. (Irrawaddy)

Comment: The junta’s letter was responding to a message the US president first sent earlier this month — DC’s idea was to threaten Myanmar with 40% tariffs, but in doing so might’ve effectively gifted the first known US recognition to the coup leader who seized power in 2021, triggering a brutal civil war that’s still raging today.