Benin coup attempt. Government forces have foiled a coup attempt in the country, Benin’s President Patrice Talon said yesterday. Earlier in the day, a group of soldiers had made a takeover announcement on television. The Economic Community of West African States said it ordered troops to Benin to back up the government. Since 2022, military coups have occurred in Benin’s neighbors Niger and Burkina Faso.
Hong Kong’s elections. Voter turnout reached roughly 31.9 percent in Hong Kong’s legislative election yesterday, up 1.7 percentage points from four years ago. The election took place less than two weeks after a deadly fire at a Hong Kong apartment building prompted public criticism of the government, and a handful of incumbent legislators lost their seats. The election was dominated by China-friendly candidates following a Chinese crackdown on election rules in 2021 that requires vetting of candidates by national security police.
Cambodia-Thailand fighting. Thailand bombed targets in Cambodia today, claiming it was responding to a Cambodian attack that killed a Thai soldier and injured eight others earlier in the day. Cambodia’s defense minister accused Thailand of firing first, while Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said talks were unviable because of Cambodia’s actions. Thousands of people fled fighting along the Cambodian-Thai border. Today’s clashes are the latest violation of a ceasefire presided over by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this year.
Responses to the new U.S. security strategy...Following the release of Trump’s new National Security Strategy last Thursday, a Kremlin spokesperson called the changes to the document “largely consistent with our vision.” In response to the document’s criticism of Europe, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the United States was still the bloc’s “biggest ally” and seemed to agree that European countries could be more “self-confident” toward Russia.
…and a preview of the new U.S. defense strategy. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previewed the forthcoming National Defense Strategy in a speech Saturday. He identified four main areas of focus: defending the United States and Western Hemisphere, expanding burden sharing with allies, deterring China “through strength rather than force,” and growing the defense industrial base.
EU versus X. U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, criticized the EU after it fined X $140 million Friday for violating its rules around transparency and providing data to researchers. Rubio characterized the move as an “attack” that amounted to censorship, while X owner Elon Musk wrote that the EU should be abolished. Brussels said continued noncompliance by X would result in additional fines.
U.S.-India talks. Senior U.S. State Department official Allison Hooker began a five-day visit to India yesterday as New Delhi tries to negotiate a reduction in 50 percent tariffs from the United States. Hooker will discuss economic and security relations, the State Department said. The visit follows a chill in U.S.-India relations this year over the tariffs.
New battle lines in Yemen. Yemeni separatist group the Southern Transitional Council (STC) announced in a Saturday statement that it had made territorial “victories and gains” in the eastern provinces of Hadramout and al-Mahra, a dramatic shift that cements STC control in southern Yemen and could pave the way for the south to declare independence. The STC is backed by the United Arab Emirates, and has fought both the Houthi rebels and Yemen’s internationally-backed government in the country’s civil war.
