This roundup summarises the most important news stories around the world in the last month (July 2025).

Subscribe to the monthly socialservice.sg newsletter and check out the socialservice.sg podcast!

A day after Thailand expelled the Cambodian ambassador and following weeks of tension over a border dispute, militaries of both countries clashed and exchanged fire. Both countries have accused each other of starting the clashes. After five days of combat, the countries then agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. Relatedly, in Thailand too, the prime minister was suspended by the constitutional court, pending an investigation into her leaked call with a former Cambodian leader, during which she was likely deemed to have been too deferential about a border incident.

In Syria, the government and Druze leaders reached a new ceasefire, following Israeli airstrikes in the country. Attacks between Druze militias and Bedouin fighters, two religious minority groups, left over 300 people dead. And in Ukraine, a new prime minister was appointed, as part of the president’s biggest government reshuffle since Russia’s 2022 invasion. Separately, in response to domestic criticism and protests involving thousands, the government reversed course on its crackdown on the country’s anti-corruption agencies.

France is set to become the first of the Group of 7 (G7) industrialised countries to recognise Palestinian statehood. The United Kingdom (UK) also announced that it would recognise Palestinian statehood by September, unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire. Subsequently, Canada became the third G7 country to do the same.

Political pressures in Asia

In Japan, the ruling party lost its upper house majority, adding pressure to the prime minister’s centre-right minority government, which had lost the lower house last year. In South Korea, the impeached ex-president was arrested a second time, following accusations of more criminal offences. And in Taiwan, a campaign to unseat opposition Kuomintang lawmakers failed, as they survived recall votes and prevented the president’s party of regaining a parliamentary majority.

Deadly disasters

• Bangladesh: The crash of an air force jet into a college killed at least 20 people, in the country’s deadliest air incident in recent memory.
• Pakistan: Over two dozen people were killed in a deadly building collapse. Later, over 159 were killed following heavy monsoon rains.
• Russia: A passenger plane crashed, killing all 49 onboard.
• The United States (US): Over 120 people were killed in a historic Texan flash flood event, including children and staff who died at an all-girls summer camp.

In other news

• China: The high-profile abbot of the famed Shaolin Temple was defrocked and is under investigation for fund embezzlement and numerous affairs.
• UK: In a major overhaul, the British government plans to lower the voting age to 16, bringing its voting policy in line with parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales.
• US: Congress passed the president’s massive domestic policy bill, handing him his first major legislative achievement of his second term.

Chipmaker Nvidia became the first publicly traded company to hit US$4 trillion in market value, making it the world’s most valuable public company. Microsoft then briefly became the second company ever to reach the same milestone.