Thai-Cambodian fighting extends into third day, Malaysia urges ceasefire
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
Taiwan votes in major recall election closely watched by China
Voters in Taiwan were casting ballots on Saturday on whether to recall one-fifth of the island’s parliament, all from the major opposition party. The election could reshape the Taiwan legislature and present an opportunity for President Lai Ching-te’s Democratic Progressive Party to regain its majority. The recall groups say theirs is an “anti-communist” movement, accusing the KMT of selling out Taiwan by sending lawmakers to China, not supporting defence spending. The KMT rejects the accusations, denouncing Lai’s “dictatorship” and “green terror” – referring to the DPP’s party colour. The vote will decide whether to oust 24 KMT lawmakers and hold by-elections for their seats.
Taiwan’s largest-ever recall election
Supporters say opposition too close to China
Opposition says it’s keeping lines of communication open with Beijing, vote an assault on democracy
Polls close 0800 GMT, results expected in evening
TAIPEI, July 26 (Reuters) – Voters in Taiwan were casting ballots on Saturday on whether to recall one-fifth of the island’s parliament, all from the major opposition party, in a move supporters hope will send a message to China and opponents say is an assault on democracy.
Taiwan’s government said the island’s largest-ever recall vote has faced “unprecedented” election interference by China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own, over Taiwan’s rejection.
Sign up here.
The election could reshape the Taiwan legislature and present an opportunity for President Lai Ching-te’s Democratic Progressive Party to regain its majority.
While Lai won last year’s presidential election, the DPP lost its legislative majority. The opposition has flexed its muscles since then to pass laws the government has opposed and impose budget cuts, complicating efforts to boost defence spending in particular.
The political drama comes as China ramps up a military and diplomatic pressure campaign against Taiwan to assert the territorial claims that Lai and his government reject. Lai has offered talks with Beijing many times but been rebuffed. It calls him a “separatist”.
The heated recall campaign has been closely watched by China, whose Taiwan Affairs Office and state media have repeatedly commented on the vote and used some of the same talking points as the main opposition party Kuomintang to lambaste Lai, Reuters reported this week.
Taipei this week said Beijing was “clearly” trying to interfere in its democracy and it was up to Taiwan’s people to decide who should be removed from or stay in office.
Saturday’s vote, culminating a campaign begun by civic groups, will decide whether to oust 24 KMT lawmakers and hold by-elections for their seats. Recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers will occur on August 23.
The recall groups say theirs is an “anti-communist” movement, accusing the KMT of selling out Taiwan by sending lawmakers to China, not supporting defence spending and bringing chaos to parliament. The KMT rejects the accusations, denouncing Lai’s “dictatorship” and “green terror” – referring to the DPP’s party colour.
The KMT went into full campaign mode against what they called a “malicious” recall that failed to respect the result of last year’s parliamentary election, saying they have simply been keeping lines of communication open with Beijing and exercising legitimate oversight of Lai’s government.
Polls close at 4 p.m. (0800 GMT) and results should become clear later in the evening.
Reporting by Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard; Editing by William Mallard
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
Share X
Link Purchase Licensing Rights
Thailand-Cambodia border clashes – as it happened
Kylie MacLellan is the Global Live Pages Editor, leading a team providing real-time multimedia coverage of the biggest breaking stories worldwide. Farouq Suleiman is a Live Page Journalist, covering Reuters international news stories.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
Farouq Suleiman Thomson Reuters Farouq is a Live Page Journalist, covering Reuters international news stories. He previously worked as a correspondent on the UK Breaking News team, reporting on general news across the United Kingdom.
Kylie MacLellan Thomson Reuters Kylie is the Global Live Pages Editor, leading a team providing real-time multimedia coverage of the biggest breaking stories worldwide. She previously worked on the UK Breaking News team, and spent eight years in Westminster as a UK political correspondent – a period which included the Scottish independence referendum, Brexit and several general elections. She originally joined Reuters as a graduate trainee and has also covered investment banking.
Cambodia calls for ceasefire with Thailand, AFP reports
Cambodia called for a ceasefire with Thailand, AFP reported on Friday, citing Chhea Keo, the country’s ambassador to the United Nations. Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday as border fighting intensified and spread.
July 26 (Reuters) – Cambodia called for a ceasefire with Thailand, AFP reported on Friday, citing Chhea Keo, the country’s ambassador to the United Nations.
“Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire — unconditionally — and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute,” AFP said in a post , opens new tab on X quoting Keo, who made the statement following a closed meeting of the Security Council attended by Cambodia and Thailand.
Sign up here.
Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday as border fighting intensified and spread, while Cambodia’s leader said Thailand had agreed to a Malaysian ceasefire proposal but then backed down
Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; editing by Diane Craft
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
Thai-Cambodian fighting extends into third day, Malaysia urges ceasefire
Fighting on the Thai-Cambodian border extended into a third day on Saturday as new flashpoints emerged. More than 30 people have been killed and more than 130,000 people displaced in the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in 13 years. Both sides said they had acted in self-defence in the border dispute and called on the other to cease fighting and start negotiations. Troops on both sides of the border were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand’s fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse. Thailand’s ambassador to the United Nations told a Security Council meeting on Friday that soldiers had been injured by newly planted land mines in Thai territory on two occasions since mid-July – claims Cambodia has strongly denied. Cambodia’s defence ministry said Thailand had launched “a deliberate, unprovoked, and unlawful military attack” and was mobilising troops and military equipment on the border. Cambodia has backed Anwar Ibrahim’s plan, while Thailand has said it agreed with it in principle.
Item 1 of 5 People rest inside a temporary shelter in Srisaket province, after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday as border fighting intensified and spread, while Cambodia’s leader said Thailand had agreed to a Malaysian ceasefire proposal but then backed down, Thailand, July 26, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Summary New flashpoints emerge, death over 30
ASEAN chair Anwar Ibrahim pushes for ceasefire
Dispute centres on ancient temples and undemarcated border points
SISAKET, Thailand, July 26 (Reuters) – Fighting on the Thai-Cambodian border extended into a third day and new flashpoints emerged on Saturday as both sides said they had acted in self-defence in the border dispute and called on the other to cease fighting and start negotiations.
More than 30 people have been killed and more than 130,000 people displaced in the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in 13 years.
Sign up here.
There were clashes early on Saturday, both sides said, in the neighbouring Thai coastal province of Trat and Cambodia’s Pursat Province early, a new front more than 100 km (60 miles) from other conflict points along the long-contested border.
The two countries have faced off since the killing of a Cambodian soldier late in May during a brief skirmish. Troops on both sides of the border were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand’s fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse.
As of Saturday, Thailand said seven soldiers and 13 civilians had been killed in the clashes, while in Cambodia five soldiers and eight civilians had been killed, said Defence Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata.
In the Thai border province of Sisaket, a university compound has been converted into temporary accommodation, where a volunteer said more than 5,000 people were staying.
Samrong Khamduang said she left her farm, about 10 km from the border, when fighting broke out on Thursday. The 51-year-old’s husband stayed behind to look after livestock.
“We got so scared with the sound of artillery,” she said. “But my husband stayed back and now we lost the connection. I couldn’t call him. I don’t know what is happening back there.”
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, said he would continue to push a ceasefire proposal. Cambodia has backed Anwar’s plan, while Thailand has said it agreed with it in principle.
“There is still some exchange of fire,” Anwar said, according to state news agency Bernama. He said he had asked his foreign minister “to liaise with the respective foreign ministries and, if possible, I will continue engaging with them myself – at least to halt the fighting”.
SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING
Thailand’s ambassador to the United Nations told a Security Council meeting on Friday that soldiers had been injured by newly planted land mines in Thai territory on two occasions since mid-July – claims Cambodia has strongly denied – and said Cambodia had then launched attacks on Thursday morning.
“Thailand urges Cambodia to immediately cease all hostilities and acts of aggression, and resume dialogue in good faith,” Cherdchai Chaivaivid told the council in remarks released to media.
Cambodia’s defence ministry said Thailand had launched “a deliberate, unprovoked, and unlawful military attack” and was mobilising troops and military equipment on the border.
“These deliberate military preparations reveal Thailand’s intent to expand its aggression and further violate Cambodia’s sovereignty,” the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
Cambodia called for the international community to “condemn Thailand’s aggression in the strongest terms” and to prevent an expansion of its military activities, while Bangkok reiterated it wanted to resolve the dispute bilaterally.
Thailand and Cambodia have bickered for decades over jurisdiction of various undemarcated points along their 817-km (508-mile) land border, with ownership of the ancient Hindu temples Ta Moan Thom and the 11th century Preah Vihear central to the disputes.
Preah Vihear was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962, but tension escalated in 2008 after Cambodia attempted to list it as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
That led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths.
Cambodia in June said it had asked the court to resolve its disputes with Thailand, which says it has never recognised the court’s jurisdiction and prefers a bilateral approach.
Reporting by Shoon Naing and Artorn Pookasook in Sisaket, Panarat Thepgumpanat, Panu Wongcha-um, Chayut Setboonsarng, Juarawee Kittisilpa and Devjyot Ghoshal in Bangkok and Rozzana Latiff in Kuala Lumpur; Writing by John Mair; Editing by William Mallard
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
Ukraine facing fierce fighting around eastern city of Pokrovsk, Zelenskiy says
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Ukrainian forces were facing fierce fighting around the city of Pokrovsk in the east. Russia has been announcing the capture of villages on an almost daily basis near the city. Russia’s Defence Ministry on Thursday announced the captured of two villages on either side of the city — Zvirove and Novoekonomichne. The General Staff of Ukraine’s military said in an evening report that two of them were in areas where Russian troops were trying to penetrate Ukrainian defences. The popular Ukrainian military blog DeepState said Kyiv’s forces had retaken a previously lost village of Kindrativka.
July 25 (Reuters) – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Ukrainian forces were facing fierce fighting around the city of Pokrovsk in the east, a logistics hub near which Russia has been announcing the capture of villages on an almost daily basis.
Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video address, said Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, told a meeting of senior officials that the situation around Pokrovsk was the current focal point of its attention in the war , which began when Russia invaded in February 2022.
Sign up here.
“All operational directions were covered, with particular focus on Pokrovsk. It receives the most attention,” Zelenskiy said.
Ukrainian forces, he said, were also “continuing to act” in border areas in the northern Sumy region, where Russian troops have gained a foothold in recent weeks.
Syrskyi, in a separate report on the Telegram messaging app, described Pokrovsk and five other sectors as among the most difficult theatres along the 1,000-km (620-mile) front.
“The Russian Federation is paying the maximum price for attempting a ‘summer offensive,'” Syrskyi wrote.
Russian forces have for months been trying to close in on Pokrovsk, a road and rail hub whose pre-war population of about 60,000 has been all but evacuated.
Syrskyi in May reported that Kyiv’s troops had stabilised the situation around the town, also the site of the only colliery in Ukraine producing coking coal for the country’s steel industry.
Russia’s Defence Ministry on Thursday announced the capture of two villages on either side of Pokrovsk — Zvirove to the west and Novoekonomichne to the east. A third village near the city — Novotoretske — was declared by Moscow to be “liberated” earlier in the week.
Ukrainian officials have made no acknowledgement that the villages have changed hands. The General Staff of Ukraine’s military said in an evening report that two of them — Zvirove and Novoekonomichne – were in areas where Russian troops were trying to penetrate Ukrainian defences.
In Sumy region, where Russian troops are trying to establish what Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin calls a “buffer zone”, the popular Ukrainian military blog DeepState said Kyiv’s forces had retaken a previously lost village.
DeepState, which relies on open source reports to track the presence of Russian forces, said Ukrainian troops had restored control over the village of Kindrativka. There was no official comment from either side.
Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab