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PaperclipPerfector  2d ago (text post)   357 thread views

Transnational Thursday for July 17, 2025

Transnational Thursday is a thread for people to discuss international news, foreign policy or international relations history. Feel free as well to drop in with coverage of countries you’re interested in, talk about ongoing dynamics like the wars in Israel or Ukraine, or even just whatever you’re reading.

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Relatively quiet week this time:

Anthropic has a $200M contract with the US DoD , as have a few other companies

A good roundup of rumours about Xi

OpenAI agent

Israel bombs Syria

Africa records over 4,200 cholera, mpox deaths in 2025

Gunmen Kill 1,111 Nigerians, Abduct 276 in June

Syrian troops accused of executing civilians in Druze amid Israeli strikes

IDF Ordered To Strike Syrian Regime Forces Invading Druze-majority Suweida

Syria Druze reach ceasefire with central gov, though a previous one fell. Israel also fired on the central gov in Damascus

They have been negotiating with the Islamist-led authorities in Damascus since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in an attempt to achieve autonomy but have yet to reach an agreement that defines their relationship with the new Syrian state. ...reports The Guardian. Btw, the Spanish federal system, where the central government defines foreign policy, and some formerly rebellious provinces (the Basque country) don't pay federal taxes and have special priviledges (fueros) could be a good model here.

Almost 300 killed in wave of violence in Sudan's North Kordofan

Israeli-linked ringleaders and elements arrested in southwestern Iran, says Iran's news agency

Israel launches airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon's Bekaa valley

US demands to know what allies would do in event of war over Taiwan

A good roundup of rumours about Xi

Is there suppose to be a link here?

Should have been https://www.chinatalk.media/p/xi-rumors , thanks

US demands to know what allies would do in event of war over Taiwan

Express grave concern? Maybe even issue a strongly-worded letter of condemnation.

Honestly, Japan, India and Australia are pretty much the only ones whose answer matters, having a navy in the general area.

Israeli-linked ringleaders and elements arrested in southwestern Iran, says Iran's news agency

Through vigilant efforts, Iranian security and judicial authorities have identified and arrested several individuals connected to opposition groups who were operating in line with the enemies’ aims, Vahid Mousavian said.

Quite clear those have zero to do with Israel, just local dissidents rounded up. They can't even bring themselves to claim those actually are Israeli agents, just "operating in line with aims", which is pretty much any opposition to the current regime.

I think you forgot to link the Xi rumours, (unless it's a meta statement about how there are no 'good' roundup of rumours in a state as secretive and opaque as China).

Also, it's a bit cringe that the US wants assurances from allies about Taiwan when America itself maintains plausible deniability about what it's going to do. De jure, the US doesn't recognize Taiwan as an independent country nor is there a formal treaty requiring American aid. De facto the US has made clear intentions to go to war for Taiwan but the messaging is kind of schizo. America is the bloc ringleader, it's the US's job to make these hard calls not put others on the spot.

The site on Nigeria claims "farmer/herder" conflicts though I've read it's basically Muslims slaughtering Christians.

Link

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