Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

What We're Watching

What We’re Watching: Thai-Cambodian ceasefire on verge of collapse, Trump makes “Monroe Doctrine” official, Benin foils coup attempt

An injured soldier is transferred to a hospital following a clash between Thai and Cambodian troops over a disputed border area in Sisaket Province,Thailand, December 7, 2025.

An injured soldier is transferred to a hospital following a clash between Thai and Cambodian troops over a disputed border area in Sisaket Province,Thailand, December 7, 2025.

Royal Thai Army/Handout via REUTERS
Make us preferred on Google

Fighting flares on the Thai-Cambodia border

Thailand and Cambodia’s ceasefire is on the verge of collapse. Strikes were launched across their disputed border today, following clashes over the weekend that resulted in the death of a Thai soldier. Both sides accused the other of firing first. Thailand and Cambodia have been fighting along their border for decades, but declared a ceasefire after pressure from US President Donald Trump in July. The flare-up could jeopardize ongoing trade talks with the US for both countries. We will be watching to see whether that threat is enough to incentivize restraint, or if the hostilities escalate.


Trump makes ties to “Monroe Doctrine” official

US President Donald Trump has taken an alternative approach to foreign policy from some of his predecessors: He has reduced ties with Europe – he hasn’t approved any new Ukraine funding – while bombing ships coming from Venezuela and Colombia and building up a military presence in the region. Now, his approach has become official: the White House released a national security strategy paper, which states that the administration will enforce a “Trump Corollary” to the “Monroe Doctrine,” an 1823-policy that asserted that the Americas were off-limits to European interference. The document also pans Europe, and declares that the continent must “stand on its own feet.” Historians may be concerned: Europe has previously struggled to get along without US involvement…

Benin’s government says it thwarted a coup effort

Several West African countries face threats of insurgency from Islamist militants, but for Benin – a major cotton producer in the region – the problem is internal: President Patrice Talon said on Sunday it foiled a coup attempt from mutinous government soldiers. The dissenting soldiers had stormed into the national television offices and declared a government takeover live on air, arguing that Talon hasn’t managed Benin’s security very well – the army has suffered major losses in the northern region. Talon had a helping hand from Nigeria, whose fighter jets helped to quell the coup. There is now a manhunt for the perpetrators of the coup efforts.

More For You

​U.S. Army soldiers take part in a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise.

U.S. Army soldiers take part in a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise, which is a part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military training, near the demilitarized zone separating South and North Korea, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, March 14, 2026.

REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon
Trump puts another dent in US-South Korea relationsPresident Donald Trump announced Sunday that the US would scale back future joint military exercises with South Korea, just as the allies’ annual August drills kicked off today. In a Truth Social post, Trump cited his “good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and said Seoul had [...]
A person casts a vote at a polling station during Zambia's general elections, including a presidential election, in Lusaka, Zambia.

A person casts a vote at a polling station during Zambia's general elections, including a presidential election, in Lusaka, Zambia, August 13, 2026.

REUTERS/Jean Mandela
Zambians want their slice of the copper piePolls closed in Zambia’s presidential election on Thursday as voters in one of Africa’s most stable democracies weighed whether the country’s economic turnaround has actually affected their wallets. President Hakainde Hichilema, who is seeking a second term, has overseen a successful debt restructuring, [...]
Nearly 5,000 protesters took part in a march against illegal immigration in Pretoria.

June 30, 2026 , Pretoria, South Africa: Nearly 5,000 protesters took part in a march against illegal immigration in Pretoria. The demonstrations were reportedly organized by more than 20 anti-migrant organizations and civil society groups, including the March and March movement.

© Manash Das/ZUMA Press Wire
South Africa bills other nations for deportationsSouth Africa is asking other African countries to reimburse them for the costs of deporting their citizens, after spending nearly $18 million on a massive deportation campaign. In recent months, the government has deported or helped other nations repatriate more than 80,000 migrants as it responds [...]
Oil tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz, December 21, 2018.

Oil tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz, December 21, 2018.

REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
The Strait escape Iran refused again on Tuesday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz unless the US meets its demands, flexing its leverage over the world’s most important artery for oil and gas shipping. But now, that leverage is prompting a rethink of global shipping routes. Saudi Arabia, one of the top oil producers in the world, plans to increase [...]