Thailand and Cambodia’s border clashes in December 2025 represent a serious increase in their long-standing territorial dispute. This flare-up was ignited by mutual accusations of ceasefire violations and led to airstrikes, ground assaults, and severe civilian suffering. The conflict has its roots in unclear colonial maps concerning the Preah Vihear temple. The fighting resumed after a fragile U.S.-brokered truce from July fell apart amid landmine incidents and ongoing skirmishes. As of December 19, the fighting continued without resolution, displacing thousands and drawing international condemnation.
Category: Asia-Pacific
Can Asia’s Greatest Rivalry Step Back from War?
In the icy waters southeast of Okinawa, a Japanese F-15 pilot’s cockpit alarm issues a serious warning. A Chinese J-15 fighter jet has locked its fire-control radar onto the aircraft, a modern equivalent of pointing a loaded gun. In Tokyo, officials urgently summon the Chinese ambassador. In Beijing, state media threatens “severe consequences.” This incident on December 7, 2025, was not an isolated near-miss. It marked the latest and most concerning trigger in a diplomatic crisis that has pushed Asia’s two biggest powers to the brink of conflict, a situation both deny wanting but seem unable to escape.
Bondi Beach Massacre: A National Trauma and a Global Warning
A place known for sun, surf, and carefree Australian summers was forever marked this week. On the evening of December 14, 2025, families gathered at Sydney’s Bondi Beach to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. Suddenly, gunfire shattered the peaceful evening. In a brutal attack, two gunmen opened fire on a crowd of nearly a thousand people, turning a celebration into one of Australia’s darkest moments. Authorities have declared this a terrorist incident inspired by the Islamic State. The attack killed sixteen people, including a ten-year-old girl and an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, and injured over forty more. Beyond the shocking numbers lies a deep national trauma that raises urgent questions about domestic security, rising hatred, and Australia’s role in an unstable world.
Has a New Afghan War Begun?
The fragile peace along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier has once again collapsed. Destructive cross-frontier shelling in the last week has killed several dozen persons, shelled civilians’ enclaves, and closed border crossing points. What once appeared to most a smouldering controversy regarding militant safe havens has ballooned into military strikes that risk destabilising a troubled region. The controversy is over long-disputed territory: the Durand Line. Pakistan has blamed Afghanistan again under Taliban rule for hosting Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants that stage attacks inside Pakistan.
Nepal’s Political Unrest: GenZ Protests and Political Awakening
Nepal, under the shadow of the Himalayas, has witnessed its greatest political upheaval since it became a federal democratic republic in 2008. The September 2025 protests, which were organised by Generation Z activists in large majority, compelled Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to step down from office and initiated a complicated process of government reconstruction. This sudden twist of events is something more than the traditional political crisis: it marks a deep generational change in Nepalese society and politics.
Thailand’s Brewing Political Crisis Tests Institutional Tensions
Thailand’s political instability is becoming worse. The Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra for unethical behaviour in a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, which angered citizens and heightened mistrust across all political parties. The chat, which was leaked amid a border crisis, contained language that was perceived as overly respectful, which infuriated the public and led to a prompt court ruling.
How Long Will the India-China Diplomatic Rekindle Last?
When the American President Donald Trump launched his trade war, both India and China were in his sights. Trump’s officials maintained America was a victim of “unfair trade practices” and thus slapped a barrage of tariffs on steel, aluminium, and a variety of manufactured goods emanating out of India and China. Although Beijing was primary target, India lost duty-free trade privileges under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) in 2019.
Operation Mahadev: Strategic Closure to the Pahalgam Terror Strike
Operation Mahadev stands out not only as a military victory but as a new perspective on evolving national security practices. This operation aimed to neutralize the attackers of the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam massacre, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians. On July 28, 2025, Indian security forces conducted a joint operation in the Dachigam forests near Srinagar. It provided immediate retaliation and a data-driven closure, supported by continued intelligence, forensic verification, and international diplomatic efforts.
Trade Truce of Trump with China: Tactical Withdrawal or Strategic Rebalancing?
In May of 2025, President Donald Trump had a significant announcement on his administration’s long-running trade conflict with China: a temporary agreement that reverses part of the high tariffs that have been levied over the last two years and provides a 90-day period for negotiations. Described by the White House as a “strategic recalibration” and by Beijing as a “welcome but cautious step,” the agreement is the first concrete easing of a battle that has broken global supply lines, shaken financial markets, and transformed geopolitical alignments.
China’s TVET Programme Collaborations: A Critical Analysis
China launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013. Eventually, BRI faced a lot of criticism and backlash in many countries. In order to minimise the growing criticism, China in 2016 initiated Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme collaborations. On the face of it, TVET programmes provide professional training to students and faculty for a certain time period. However, the TVET sector has become another platform for Chinese soft power diplomacy. The article aims to critically analyse the TVET program collaborations of China.