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ASEAN steps in after border bloodshed
Cambodia & Thailand agree to ASEAN monitors, but soldiers stay armed and wary.
Nathaniel Nepomuceno
August 08, 2025
🌍 Welcome to this week’s Unwestern!
Cambodia and Thailand reach an unsteady truce. Protests spark in Columbia. A new political struggle takes shape in Poland. And Turkey holds up Syria’s electrical grid.
Nathaniel is away this week, so this special issue of the Unwestern is brought to you by me, Axel. I’ll do my best to fill his excellent shoes, feel free to drop me a line to let me know how I did!
It takes us about 5 hours each week to put this together—so if you could forward it to that one friend you spiral with over geopolitics, Nathaniel will love you forever.
Last updated on August 7th, 2025 at 23:44 UTC-5
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Asia & the Pacific
Cambodia–Thailand agree to ASEAN monitors, but the truce is still fragile
After the region’s deadliest border flare-up in years, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to let ASEAN observers monitor a ceasefire, with Malaysia coordinating interim teams posted on each side of the border. The deal follows late-July clashes that left dozens dead and hundreds of thousands displaced, and aims to prevent fresh incidents while talks continue. Notably the fate of 18 Cambodian soldiers held by Thailand and long-standing ambiguity over the undemarcated frontier remain unresolved, so neither side is letting observers cross the line itself.
South Korea’s special prosecutor sought a detention warrant for ex–first lady Kim Keon Hee. The move comes as ousted ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol remains jailed over the 2024 martial law crisis. Read more.
India airlifts stranded residents and pilgrims in Uttarakhand after flash floods swamped Dharali, with at least four dead and dozens missing as landslides cut off roads. Read more.
Africa
Worsening humanitarian crisis in Ethiopian refugee camps
In Ethiopia’s Gambella region, aid cuts have pushed refugee camps toward collapse, straining food, water, and health services for roughly 395,000 mostly South Sudanese refugees. In Kule camp, rations have reportedly fallen to about 600 calories per person per day since late 2024, less than a third of the recommended minimum, while Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) says child malnutrition admissions are up 55% this year. Malaria cases jumped about 125% from June to July as prevention programs were scaled back. Aid groups warn the situation will worsen without urgent support and better integration of refugees into local services.
Ghana Helicopter Crash: Two cabinet ministers, Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, were among eight officials killed when a Z-9 helicopter went down en route to Obuasi. An investigation is underway. Read more link.
Kenya lines up by-elections in 24 constituencies this year, setting up an early test of political strength. The IEBC says dates will be announced soon; the contests are seen as a barometer for President William Ruto’s coalition ahead of 2027. Read more link.
Eastern Europe
Poland swears in new anti-EU president, furthering political turmoil
Karol Nawrocki was sworn in on August 6 after narrowly winning June’s runoff (50.89%). In his first address, he struck a combative, nationalist tone that sets up a clash with Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-EU government. Poland’s presidency carries a veto and strong say over defense and foreign policy, so expect friction over rule-of-law reforms, EU policy, and migration. Early signals include talk of constitutional change and a harder line on Brussels.
Latvia declares a nationwide agricultural emergency through November 4 after months of frost, rain, and floods. The measure unlocks support for farmers facing damaged harvests and rising costs. Read more.
Lithuania’s ruling Social Democrats nominate Inga Ruginienė as prime minister after Gintautas Paluckas resigns. The former trade union leader and current social affairs minister must still secure a parliamentary confidence vote. Read more.
Middle East
Turkey starts sending Azerbaijani gas into Syria to blunt crippling blackouts.
On August 2nd, Ankara switched on cross-border flows aimed at firing up power plants around Aleppo and Homs. The move, rolled out at a border ceremony with Turkish, Syrian, Azeri and Qatari officials, signals a rare bit of regional energy coordination after years of war-shattered infrastructure and 20-hour daily outages. Turkish officials frame it as practical relief, while energy watchers note it could also entrench Ankara’s leverage over northern Syria’s grid.
Iran begins piping desalinated Sea of Oman water toward Isfahan’s industry, with officials touting this as the first leg of a larger plan to deliver hundreds of millions of cubic meters annually to drought-ridden central provinces. Read more.
Israel’s security cabinet approves the IDF to take full military control of the Gaza strip Read more.
Latin America & the Caribbean
Columbia’s Former President Uribe’s 12 year house arrest verdict jolts politics
A judge handed ex-president Álvaro Uribe 12 years of house arrest for witness tampering and bribery, an unprecedented conviction that his team will appeal. The ruling is to be enforced immediately, and it’s already spilling into the streets with pro-Uribe marches (especially in Medellín) and fresh talk about how this reshapes the run-up to 2026. Expect more legal battles to follow, potential all the way to the Supreme Court, as well as louder accusations of judicial weaponization from Uribe’s allies.
Columbian President Petro accused Peru of “annexing” the island of Santa Rosa after Lima upgraded the island to district status. Peru says it has administered the area for decades under old border treaties. Read more
El Salvador’s President Bukele quietly removes term limits, consolidating power in the Executive Branch and extending his term to at least 14 years. Read more
Good News Around the World
Black rhino population nudged upward. The International Rhino Foundation reports black rhino numbers rose to ~6,788 worldwide. Greater one-horned rhinos in India/Nepal also ticked up.
Ethiopia vaccinated 18.57 million under-fives against measles in a nationwide push. The 10-day campaign reached 99% of its target across 12 regions.
UNESCO added 26 new World Heritage sites, including first-ever status for Sierra Leone. New listings (also in Iran, Vietnam, Malawi, and more) bring protection, funding, and visibility to local communities.
That’s your global recap for the week!
Stay curious, stay informed, and catch you in the next issue of The Unwestern.
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