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.
