Global

Clashes continued on Saturday morning (26 July), on the border between Thailand and Cambodia, as the two ASEAN countries resort to military means to resolve a border dispute between them that has been festering for over a hundred years. Casualties are reported on both sides, involving both civilians and military personnel, and the number of civilians displaced has already reached nearly 150,000. Thailand said its navy joined the army in repelling Cambodian attacks, in a sign that the conflict is expanding. The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the conflict.

China and the European Union have issued a joint call to action on climate change during an otherwise tense bilateral summit in Beijing on Thursday 24 July but major disagreements remain over trade and the war in Ukraine.  The two sides issued a joint statement on climate change, urging more emission cuts and greater use of green technology and affirming their support for the Paris Climate Agreement as well as calling for strong action at the upcoming COP30 climate summit in Brazil. European Council President António Costa called on China to use its influence over Russia to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, a long-standing plea from European leaders that is likely to fall once again on deaf ears.