WORLD NEWS
What Trump likes so much about Middle East authoritarians – DW – 12/09/2025
It’s hard to find US President Donald Trump saying a bad word about the “strong men” and authoritarians of the Middle East.
He’s called Saudi Arabian leader Mohammed bin Salman “fantastic” and “brilliant,” saying “what he’s done is incredible in terms of human rights and everything else.”
This year alone, Saudi Arabia executed more than 240 people, often without due process, human rights organizations report.
As for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, the US ambassador to Turkey recently described Trump’s relationship with the increasingly autocratic Turkish leader as a “bromance.”
“He’s a tough cookie — but he’s my friend,” Trump enthused during an October meeting with Erdogan, who has most recently been in international headlines for jailing opposition politicians.
“I don’t know why I like the tough people better than the soft, easy ones,” Trump mused at the same meeting.
Trump has also praised Syria’s new interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa (left), a former militia leader, saying ‘he comes from a very tough place and he’s a tough guy’Image: SANA/AFP
A new attitude toward Middle East’s authoritarians
Past US governments have tended to condition military deals and aid in the Middle East on human rights and democratic policies — or at least paid lip service to those ideals. But according to this month’s update of US’ National Security Strategy, that’s no longer the case. The document is regularly updated by different administrations and outlines changing priorities.
In the 2022 version, prepared for former President Joe Biden, it said that in the Middle East, the US would “support and strengthen partnerships with countries that subscribe to the rules-based international order” and will “demand accountability for violations of human rights.”
The Trump administration’s update, published in early December, makes no mention of human rights and only notes “the rules-based international order” once. Regarding the Middle East, it simply says America must stop “hectoring these nations — especially the Gulf monarchies — into abandoning their traditions and historic forms of government.”
In that same document, European “forms of government” are not given the same grace. The Trump administration might intend to stop “hectoring” the Middle East but in Europe, it apparently plans to wage what the European Council on Foreign Relations described last week as a “culture war” by, for example, supporting right-wing, anti-EU political parties.
Trump defends bin Salman over Khashoggi killing
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Why does Trump prefer Arab royals to EU leaders?
“Donald Trump’s personalized style of decision making and his authoritarian instincts make him far more of a natural ‘strong man’ than conventional democratically-elected leaders,” says Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a Middle East fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
“Trump’s affinity for leaders in the Middle East, and especially in the Gulf, may be rooted in an appreciation of certain similarities in their policymaking style as well as the transactional basis of the relationships they build,” he said to DW. “Gulf leaders also have the advantage of falling outside the camps of traditional US allies or adversaries, occupying a ‘safe space’ of transactional albeit close partners.”
As Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at the School of Security Studies at King’s College London, wrote shortly before Trump visited the Gulf in May this year, “Trump’s transactionalism finds a natural home in the Gulf. The premise is simple: you get what you pay for. There is no pretense of shared destiny, values, or ideals… That is exactly how the tribal monarchies of the Gulf manage their relationships.”
Qatar famously gifted Trump a $400 million airplane, while the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have made extravagant promises to invest hundreds of billions into the US economy.
In October, Trump allowed the export of advanced computer chips to the UAE and in November, agreed to let Saudi Arabia purchase F-35s, America’s most sophisticated fighter jets (pictured)Image: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images
Trump appears to like the idea of himself as king
It could also be that Trump appreciates the lack of constraints on political action that authoritarian leaders in the Middle East have, Coates Ulrichsen adds, something “Trump himself has sought to achieve, especially in his second term in office.”
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar are run by royal families who formulate their own laws, won’t brook political dissent and, because they don’t have democracies, don’t depend on citizens’ favor to stay in power.
In February 2025, Trump referred to himself as a royal. He ended a Truth Social post about how New York had ended congestion pricing, which he had pushed for, with “LONG LIVE THE KING!” The official White House instagram account shared the quote with an AI drawing of Trump wearing a crown.
‘Neo-royalty’ transforming international system
A newly published paper in the journal International Organization, written by professors Stacie Goddard at Wellesley College in Massachusetts and Abraham Newman at Georgetown University in Washington, supports that opinion. It views Trump’s affinity for Middle Eastern “strong men” as part of an emerging system of “neo-royalism.”
The academics define neo-royalism as “an international system structured by a small group of hyper-elites who use modern economic and military interdependencies to extract material and status resources for themselves.”
“Trump’s vision of absolute sovereignty, his reliance on a clique composed of family members, fierce loyalists, and elite hyper-capitalists guides not only US foreign policy, but his ordering of international relations itself,” they write. “Consistent with neo-royalism, Trump sees certain leaders as holding something akin to monarchical sovereignty and has prioritized relations with [them].”
In the US, millions of Americans participated in anti-Trump “No Kings” marches in 2025Image: Tom Hudson/ZUMA/dpa/picture alliance
Of course, systems based on royalty are not new, Newman and Goddard point out. They have existed for centuries and the Gulf monarchies have coexisted with democratic nation states for decades.
But what is happening now is “once-in-a-generation transformation of the international system,” Newman argues.
The paper notes that other countries have also moved towards a kind of system dominated by elites, including Turkey, India, Hungary, China and Russia. But now that the US — with its economic and military might — is heading in that direction too, the idea is spreading, as other world leaders, including Europeans, are forced to play the same game, it says.
“We were very clear in this text that this [neo-royal] order is not yet consolidated,” Newman told DW. In order for it to more fully take hold, it must undermine the current liberal rules-based order, he explains. That’s part of the reason why the EU — seen as a prime representative of that order — is under attack, he notes. It’s also part of the reason why Trump favors the Gulf monarchies, acording to Newman.
“In this [neo-royal] system you’re legitimated through exceptionalism,” the political scientist says. “That’s why you’re the absolute ruler. So whose approval do you want?” he asks. That of other “absolute rulers,” of course. “And the Middle East is fertile ground for that,” he notes.
“What’s important if you’re going to promote this [neo-royal] alternative, you have to normalize the behavior, legitimatize it,” Newman says. “These actors — Erdogan, the House of Saud, or UAE, or Qatar — can provide that legitimacy. They offer Trump a way of saying ‘this is normal, what I’m doing is normal.'”
WORLD NEWS
How sleepy New England town is being transformed into America’s next luxury ski playground with a $3bn makeover
Billions of dollars are being funneled into a quiet Vermont town amid plans to transform it into a glitzy mecca for skiiers.
Developer Great Gulf plans to build a $3billion village at the base of the main peak, Killington, the state’s second-tallest mountain, over the next 25 years, according to the New York Times.
The Killington ski resort welcomes around 800,000 guests annually to its 4,229-foot peak and 73 miles of ski trails, but the ‘village of the future’ is set to be the first of its kind on the East Coast.
The plans first emerged in 2023, when the Toronto-based developer acquired 1,100 acres at the base of the main peak for $43million, according to the outlet.
Killington’s base is currently home to Snowshed and Ramshead base lodges, which were built in the 1960s, as well as multiple large parking lots.
Great Gulf showcased renderings of the development, which transform the humble village with world-class features, including luxury homes, a fitness ‘grove’, an ice-skating path, a panoramic pool, public squares, a forest spa, over 100,000 feet of dining and retail space, and more.
‘This is a destination that celebrates discovery, enriched with one-of-a-kind memorable moments, embracing innovative design, community, and culture,’ said Great Gulf.
Behind the project is Safdie Architects, which also designed the Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore, featured in the film Crazy Rich Asians.
Great Gulf developers are investing $3billion to remodel the base village of the Killington ski resort
Currently two bases villages from 1960s are at the foot of the mountain accompanied by parking lots
Michael Sneyd, who is overseeing the Killington project for Great Gulf, told the New York Times that the focus is ‘to create a resort community that is appealing both to skiers and to those who perhaps don’t ski as much.’
He added that the goal for Killington is to compete with ‘the most impressive ski resorts in North America, like Vail or Aspen.’
The project was expected to break ground in 2025; however, it now hopes to commence construction in the spring of 2027.
Great Gulf plans to develop mountainside housing units in the first two years that will cost between $2million and $6million, according to Snyed.
But Vermont’s housing crisis has created a challenge for the developer, which they hope to address by increasing the number of housing units by 70 percent in the town of Killington.
The current population of the mountain town is around 1,400 residents.
The developer and ski resort have donated $700,000 to the town to purchase land for the construction of more than 300 affordable housing units for employees.
Killington’s, main peak, is the state’s second-tallest mountain
Sneyd told the outlet that finding workers is tough but say they’ll offer good benefits to lure staff.
He shared his optimistic view of the project with the outlet, adding that the untapped state is an opportunity to ‘take advantage of 68 million people that live within a five to six hour driving distance.’
‘This is the future of places like Vermont, to be able to utilize their natural resources, their beauty, their mountains, in the way that our forefathers used marble and trees to fund their economic engines.’
He also noted that the project is being built with the expectation of shorter winters due to climate change.
However, the destination would be a place for visitors to come annually without being dependent on the weather, Snyed added.
People have been urged to get their flu vaccine in the next two days to ensure a flu-free Christmas
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WORLD NEWS
The troubling lack of data behind Australia’s social media ban on children | Science, Climate & Tech News
The trouble with the scientific evidence behind the social media ban in Australia is that there is not more of it.
This feels wrong on every level. We have all heard the stories – there are so many, you can hardly avoid them. And everyone who’s ever used social media knows it can be frustrating, to put it mildly.
Sure, it has its benefits. But it often feels empty, addictive or actively undermining. And that’s even before you get to its more dangerous side, in particular for children – sexual predators, say, or disturbing and inappropriate content.
File pic: iStock
What’s more, there’s a worrying trend around the world which common sense tells you can only be explained by social media.
Teenage mental health is in decline, especially among young girls. In Australia, one measure of good mental health has fallen by 10%. A measure of bad mental health, self-harm admissions to hospital, has risen by more than 40%.
There are similar trends around the world.
Globally, depressive symptoms have jumped in adolescents worldwide, going from 24% in 2001-2010 to 37% in 2011-2020.
A logon screen for Facebook and the new Meta policy in Australia. Pic: AP
When did the decline start? Around 2010.
What else happened in 2010? Social media went mainstream. The conclusion seems so obvious it’s hardly worth investigating.
Except that when scientists do investigate it, they cannot find the connection. The relationship between social media use and negative health outcomes is tenuous at best.
In 2024, a team of scientists from the University of Cambridge analysed 143 studies searching for a connection between social media use and psychological problems like anxiety and depression. They found one, but the correlation was very weak.
Sydney teenager, Noah Jones, 15, shows the warning on his phone that says he cannot access Instagram. Pic: AP
Correlation tells you how tightly two things move together. For example, the link between the amount of alcohol a person drinks and their blood-alcohol level is extremely strong, with a correlation around 0.90. Height and weight show a solid relationship, at about 0.75.
This large study, which in total included 1,094,890 adolescents, put the link between social media use and mental health symptoms between 0.08 and 0.12.
The effect may be real, but compared with classic examples of strong correlations, it is tiny.
Time and again, studies confirm this finding. You would think, for instance, that if social media were bad for people, then the arrival of Facebook would cause well-being to plummet.
Facebook and Instagram alerts are displayed on a child’s mobile phone in Australia. Pic: Reuters
Well, researchers studied this, looking at Facebook adoption in 72 countries from 2008 to 2019.
“We found no evidence suggesting that the global penetration of social media is associated with widespread psychological harm,” they concluded.
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There was some impact on younger people, but once again, it was mild, and the picture was mixed.
“What that tells us is it’s very hard to make decisions about how to intervene at a population level because the evidence of harm is not really clear cut and the findings aren’t clear cut,” says Victoria Goodyear of the University of Birmingham.
Australian schoolboys use their phones while sitting outside a school in Sydney. Pic: AP
This conclusion is far from decisive. Social media might generate oceans of data, but only the tech companies really get to see it, so researchers are working with extremely limited material.
One big source of information is diaries made by teenagers chronicling their social media use and symptoms – perhaps if there was a better way of measuring what’s really going on, we would get a different picture.
Of course, there are researchers who believe passionately that social media is undoubtedly harming children, most notably Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, a book which has become a bible among parents campaigning for smartphone bans.
I asked Dr Goodyear what she thought of The Anxious Generation.
“I’m not going to comment on that one,” she replied.
This is a common response among researchers in this area, who privately believe that Dr Haidt has left the evidence behind in his crusade against smartphones and social media.
Those who do put their heads above the parapet are often sharply critical. A review of Dr Haidt’s book in the scientific journal Nature called him “a gifted storyteller, but his tale is currently one searching for evidence”. For academics, this is savage.
Critics of Dr Haidt say that the problem is the other way round. It’s not that social media causes depression; it’s that adolescents with depressive symptoms interact differently on social media. Banning social media for this is like cracking a nut with a sledgehammer, as it will remove the benefits without necessarily treating the problem.
Instead, they argue, we need to rethink the way children are treated by society more generally, giving them fun and freedom so they are not pushed towards screens.
As the Nature review of The Anxious Generation concluded: “We have a generation in crisis and in desperate need of the best of what science and evidence-based solutions can offer. Unfortunately, our time is being spent telling stories that are unsupported by research.”
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ICC judges sentenced former Janjaweed militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman to 20 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan’s Darfur region. The 76-year-old was convicted on 31 counts linked to killings, rape and mass displacement.
Published On 9 Dec 2025
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Australia news live: under-16s social media ban begins; bed block surges in NSW hospitals | Australia news
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Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Nick Visser with the main action.
The eyes of the world are on Australia this morning after the long-awaited social media ban for under-16s came into force overnight. More details coming up.
Bed block in New South Wales hospitals has surged by more than 50% in the last year, according to data released by the state government. The federal government is deadlocked with states about extra health funding ahead of a meeting between the parties this Friday. More to come.
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Australia’s landmark new social media age law is set to go into effect, barring anyone under 16 from holding an account as the government moves to enforce one of the world’s strictest online safety measures.
The Australian government’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, passed in November 2024, will start being enforced on Wednesday.
“From December 10, if you’re under 16, you’re no longer allowed to have a social media account,” said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a video statement that was played in classrooms ahead of the social media restrictions, according to 9 News Australia. “You’ll know better than anyone what it’s like growing up with algorithms, endless feeds and the pressure that can come with that.”
The platforms that will be banned for youth in Australia are Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube.
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during a federal cabinet meeting in Perth on June 3, 2025. (Matt Jelonek/Getty)
Australia’s eSafety commissioner, the independent national regulator for online safety, says the new minimum-age law requires platforms to take “reasonable steps” to stop anyone under 16 from holding an account, including deploying age-assurance measures, removing existing underage users and preventing them from re-registering through tools such as VPN detection.
A photo illustration shows iPhone screens displaying a range of social media apps in Bath, England, on Feb. 9, 2025. (Anna Barclay/Getty)
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The eSafety commissioner also expects social media platforms to offer clear review pathways and support resources for young users whose accounts are deactivated.
“eSafety expects providers’ initial focus to be on the detection and deactivation/removal of existing accounts held by children under 16, including via accessible pathways to report underage accounts. We expect this to be accompanied by clear and timely information to those account holders about what will happen to their account, how they can download their information, where they can get support if they are feeling distressed, and how to challenge or seek review of the platform’s determination that they are under 16,” read the regulatory guidance in part.
Companies that fail to comply face penalties of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars, or roughly $32 million.
A teenager in Sydney holds a phone displaying an Instagram age-verification message after the account was locked on Dec. 9, 2025. (AFP via Getty Images)
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“We’ve said very clearly that this won’t be perfect. But it’s the right thing to do for society to express its views, its judgment about what is appropriate,” said Albanese.
“And there is no doubt when we look at the rise in mental health issues faced by young people, when we look at the social harm which is being caused by social media, that we want kids to have the opportunity to enjoy their childhood, and we want parents to be empowered as well to have that discussion.”
Ashley Carnahan is a writer at Fox News Digital.
WORLD NEWS
Trump heads to Pennsylvania for affordability rally after attacking ‘weak’ European allies: Live updates
Trump’s approval rating finally starts to climb as Republicans back his handling of the economy
For the first time since October, President Donald Trump’s approval rating ticked up to 41 percent, according to a new polling data, largely due to a wave of support toward his handling of the economy and cost of living.
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Vance hits back at viral post claiming he got into a public fight with his wife
Vice President JD Vance hit out at a viral post by a user who claimed he got in an “argument loud enough to quiet the restaurant” with his wife, second lady Usha Vance.
The viral post was accompanied by an image that appeared to show the vice president wearing a white t-shirt and speaking to his wife over dinner.
“I always wear an undershirt when I go out in public to have a fight loudly with my wife,” Vance quipped in a post on X.
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Watch: Trump grades his economy ‘A+++++’ in interview with Politico
Watch as President Donald Trump grades his economy “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” during a wide-ranging Politico interview:
Trump grades his economy ‘A+++++’ in interview with Politico
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What’s on Trump’s schedule today?
President Donald Trump is set to host a rally in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, this evening. There, he’s expected to give remarks on the economy.
Beforehand, Trump is set to attend the Vice President’s Christmas reception. That event is expected to begin just after 3 p.m. local time.
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Democrats push to ban Trump’s plan to put himself on a new $1 coin
The bill, called the Change Corruption Act, was introduced by senators Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada Tuesday, Punchbowl News reported. Co-sponsors include lawmakers Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Ron Wyden of Oregon.
Brendan Rascius9 December 2025 18:00
Republican lawmaker defends Trump on affordability
Representative Dan Meuser, a Republican from Pennsylvania, praised President Donald Trump’s economic policies in an interview with CNN.
“Look, the tariffs, everything we’ve done, is about reducing manufacturing costs, reducing consumer costs, putting more money in Americans’ pockets. Everything that we do is about creating affordability,” he told the network.
This comes after Trump said he’d grade his economy as an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus,” despite growing concerns about the cost of living.
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NEED TO KNOW
- Over 2,000 golden retrievers gathered in a Buenos Aires park on Monday, Dec. 8, breaking the unofficial world record of the largest gathering of the dog breed in one place
- Argentinian influencer and dog lover, Fausto Duperré, organized the event
- The golden gathering has been hailed as the “Golden Wave” on social media
Hundreds of golden retrievers packed out a Buenos Aires park in an effort to set a new world record for the largest gathering of golden retrievers in the same spot.
The meet-up took place at Buenos Aires’ Bosques de Palermo park on Monday, Dec. 8. Dog owners descended on the park with their golden retrievers, resulting in what turned out to be a record-breaking crowd of canines.
A total of 2,397 golden retrievers gathered at the park — breaking the unofficial world record for the largest-ever gathering of the dog breed in one place, Reuters and the Associated Press reported.
Argentinian influencer Fausto Duperré organized the record-breaking event. He attended with his 10-year-old golden retriever named Oli.
“We made it, folks. WE ARE CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD 🇦🇷🏆,” Duperré, 28, wrote on Instagram. “We have the world record for the largest golden joint! I can’t explain my happiness, I can’t explain my emotion. We made it through. Just THANK YOU ✨🏆🇦🇷,” he added.
Photos from the gathering show a sea of golden-haired dogs hanging out together, a scene that has since been fondly dubbed the “Golden Wave” on social media. The blonde pooches were joined by their owners of all ages and backgrounds, who all share one thing in common — their unwavering love for their golden retrievers.
“Since we were children, she’s been a constant presence in our family. We’ve had vacations with her. We’ve done everything together,” Nicolás Orellana told AP of his 13-year-old dog Luna. “[The golden retriever] is a type of dog that’s known to create a special bond.”
The dogs were seen at the event sporting various costumes, including Santa hats and sports jerseys, while their dog owners mingled over drinks and snapped pictures with their pooches.
Golden retriever gathering in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec. 8.
Cristina Sille/Anadolu via Getty
“I was afraid I would lose her, I was afraid she would fight, I was afraid another dog would attack her,” 64-year-old Elena Deleo told AP of her golden retriever Angie. “But no, they’re all affectionate, all gentle. … It’s just a very lovely experience.”
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The unofficial world record follows the previous informal record set in Vancouver in 2024. During that event, 1,685 golden retrievers gathered in the same place, per AP.
WORLD NEWS
Member of UK military is killed in ‘a tragic accident while observing Ukrainian forces test new defensive capability’
A member of the UK armed forces has been killed in a ‘tragic accident’ whilst observing the testing of new defensive capability in Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence has said.
The MoD said in a statement that the accident occurred on Tuesday morning away from the front lines of Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s invasion.
The ministry said the man’s family has been notified of his death, adding: ‘Our thoughts are with them at this sad and difficult time’.
Prime minister Keir Starmer said following the announcement of the soldier’s death: ‘My deepest sympathy and condolences to the family of the member of our Armed Forces who sadly lost their life today. Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.’
‘Devastated by the death of a UK service personnel in Ukraine,’ said defence minister John Healey. ‘My thoughts are with their family, friends and colleagues as they grieve for a loved one. Our hearts go out to them.’
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge, meanwhile said he was ‘deeply saddened to hear the tragic news that a member of the UK Armed Forces died this morning in Ukraine. My sincere condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.’
It is not currently known which service the soldier was in, or whether he was a member of special forces.
The MoD has also not revealed which weapon system was being tested at the time of the soldier’s death.
Firefighters working to extinguish a fire following a Russian drone and missile attacks to industrial and energy infrastructures in the Poltava region on December 7 2025
While it is not known how many British troops are in Ukraine training troops to fight against Vladimir Putin’s invasion, but a leaked American military document suggested 50 members of the UK’s special forces were on the ground in 2023.
A small number of medics have been deployed to Ukraine, alongside personnel who provide security for the UK’s diplomatic presence in the country.
As of September this year, at least 40 Britons have died fighting for Ukraine.
The youngest of these people was 18-year-old James Sibley, who is said to have died just minutes into his first mission in Ukraine in July last year.
Sibley was just 17 when he left the UK to join Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
Meanwhile, the oldest is believed to be James Gerrard Richard Shortt, whose cause of death has still not been disclosed.
In October, Healey said the UK was ready to commit over £100million on sending British troops to Ukraine.
He said Putin was the UK’s ‘number one enemy’, adding that the world was entering a ‘new era of threat’.
The British soldier’s death comes amid Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirming his refusal to cede land to Russia.
‘Undoubtedly, Russia insists for us to give up territories. We, clearly, don’t want to give up anything. That’s what we are fighting for,’ Zelensky told reporters in a WhatsApp chat late Monday.
A fire in a residential area after Russian missiles and drone strikes in the Kyiv region of Ukraine on December 6 2025
‘Do we consider ceding any territories? According to the law we don’t have such right,’ he said. ‘According to Ukraine’s law, our constitution, international law, and to be frank, we don’t have a moral right either.’
In an interview with Politico released Tuesday, President Trump again pressed the Ukrainian leader to accept the US proposal that his nation cede territory to Russia, arguing that Moscow retains the ‘upper hand’ in its nearly 4-year-old invasion, and that Zelensky’s government must ‘play ball.’
More to follow.
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Member of UK military is killed in ‘a tragic accident while observing Ukrainian forces test new defensive capability’
British backpackers have been warned that a popular border crossing is off-limits after fighting between Thailand and Cambodia resumed following the failure of a Donald Trump ceasefire deal
Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas News Reporter
17:34, 09 Dec 2025
Renewed fighting between Thailand and Cambodia has closed the land border(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
British tourists heading along a popular backpacking route have been warned by the Foreign Office after deadly fighting erupted between two neighbouring countries.
Locals in parts of Thailand and Cambodia took shelter last night as the two countries fired a salvo of rockets across the border. Each side has accused the other of breaking a Trump-brokered ceasefire that ended a heated five-day conflict earlier this year.
Around one million UK nationals visit Thailand every year. And in recent times, it has become a common practice among some travellers to make short trips across the land border to Cambodia by boarding a coach in the Thai capital, Bangkok.
READ MORE: Thailand launches airstrikes along Cambodia border in latest Donald Trump humiliationREAD MORE: Brit teen lost in Thai jungle found alive after ‘eating insects’ to survive
The Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel within 31 miles of the Thailand-Cambodia border(Image: UK GOV)
But the border has been closed for much of this year amid the outbreaks of violence, with current UK Foreign Office advice as of this week stating that British nationals should avoid “all but essential travel” to within 31 miles of Thailand’s border with Cambodia. This includes Koh Chang, Koh Kood and other islands in between them.
The advice reads: “Land borders and crossings between Thailand and Cambodia continue to be suspended. Some tourist destinations in border areas such as the Khao Phra Wihan/Preah Vihear temple, the Ta Kwai/Ta Krabey temple and the Ta Muen Thom/Tamone Thom temple are closed. There are also unexploded landmines in the border area. We advise against all but essential travel to the affected border areas.”
Displaced residents along the border have been forced to take shelter(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
While going to an area designated ‘essential travel only’ by the Foreign Office is not illegal, by doing so your travel insurance is likely to be void – even if it works in other parts of the same country that are deemed safe. This means you will personally liable for costs like medical emergencies, cancellations, or repatriation, and it will be generally be much more difficult to get assistance from the British Embassy if anything goes wrong.
Why are Thailand and Cambodia fighting and what was Donald Trump’s role?
The current conflict between Thailand and Cambodia marks an escalation between the two countries over a border dispute dating back several decades, which had up until this year largely resulted in only sporadic clashes.
In May, a Cambodian soldier was killed in one of these clashes – triggering an escalation of tensions that resulted in five days of full-blown conflict in July. At least 48 people were killed and 300,000 displaced as a result.
A peace deal brokered by Donald Trump was signed by the Thai and Cambodian governments in Malaysia in October, with US President having threatened not to make trade deals with either country if they refused the agreemeent. But this week, fighting resumed after the ceasefire was broken – and each side blames the other for shooting first.
Thailand’s military said Cambodia attacked Thai positions with artillery and rocket and drone attacks on Tuesday, having accused it of previous attacks on Sunday and Monday. Cambodia meanwhile claims that Thai forces attacked first, in the Preah Vihear province.
Cambodia’s military announced today that the new round of fighting had killed seven civilians and wounded 20. A Thai military spokesperson said that three soldiers have been killed.