Kuala Lumpur: A significant ceasefire agreement has been reached between Cambodia and Thailand following violent clashes that began on July 24, displacing over 130,000 people in Thailand and more than 4,000 in Cambodia. Nearly 40 individuals have lost their lives, and around 200 have sustained injuries due to the conflict, according to media reports citing Thai and Cambodian sources.
According to United Nations, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, serving as the current chair of the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN, announced the ceasefire deal, which took effect at midnight local time. The UN Secretary-General has called for both countries to adhere to the agreement and foster a peaceful resolution to long-standing issues. He also praised Malaysia, the United States, and China for their commitment to mediating the conflict. The UN has expressed readiness to support ongoing peace efforts and stability in the region.
Ukraine Faces Deadly Weekend with Rising Civilian Deaths and Injuries
Amidst continuous attacks, Ukraine has witnessed a tragic weekend, with at least 20 people killed and 120 injured since Friday, as reported by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The Sumy region has been severely affected, with a civilian bus attack resulting in the deaths of three elderly women and injuries to 19 others, alongside electricity outages.
The ongoing conflict has led to a three-year high in civilian casualties, with 6,574 killed in the first half of 2025. Russian forces launched 5,000 long-range munitions in July alone. Civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, shops, schools, and a hospital in Kharkiv, has been damaged. Aid workers are actively providing shelter materials, psychosocial support, and repairs, while coordinating with local organizations to assist the most vulnerable in the Sumy region.
WHO Calls for Intensified Global Efforts to Combat Hepatitis Deaths
On World Hepatitis Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) has made an urgent appeal for governments and partners to intensify efforts in eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat and reducing liver cancer fatalities. The WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, highlighted the death toll, with someone dying every 30 seconds from hepatitis-related diseases.
Viral hepatitis types A, B, C, D, and E are major causes of liver infections, with types B, C, and D leading to chronic diseases and significantly increasing risks of cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Despite over 300 million people being affected globally, many remain unaware of their infection. The theme for this year’s World Hepatitis Day, “Let’s Break It Down,” emphasizes the need to dismantle barriers hindering hepatitis elimination and liver cancer prevention.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a WHO branch, recently classified hepatitis D as a human carcinogen, highlighting its increased risk of liver cancer compared to hepatitis B alone. WHO advocates for improved awareness, screening, and access to new treatments, with oral therapies available to cure hepatitis C and manage hepatitis B effectively.