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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   636 thread views

Transnational Thursday for September 18, 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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Some headlines from this week:

Geopolitics

United States

Ex-Sailor Sentenced to 12 Years in Terror Plot Targeting Naval Station Great Lakes

The Rest of the Americas

Gangs kill over 40 in Haiti's Arcahaïe as local authorities call for reinforcements

Europe

Denmark to buy $9B air defense systems as tensions with Russia grow

Middle East

"A year after Israel's pager attacks in Lebanon, survivors rebuild". Just a really funny headline

Iran

Israel strikes Yemen's Hodeidah Port twelve times after Houthi attack on Israeli airport, claiming it was used by the Houthis for weapons transfers from Iran.

A former U.S. Navy sailor, Xuanyu Harry Pang, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for plotting a terrorist attack at Naval Station Great Lakes and attempting to assist the Iranian government in smuggling radioactive materials into the U.S. for a dirty bomb. Pang, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to destroy national defense premises, conducted surveillance on the base and sought maximum destructive locations in Chicago. The judge highlighted the profound betrayal by a service member against his fellow sailors, noting the potential catastrophic consequences of Pang's plans.

Gaza

Gaza hit by telecoms blackout as Israeli tanks and infantry advance

Israeli finance minister describes plans to turn Gaza into a 'real estate bonanza' as bombs hammer the enclave

More than 10% of Gaza’s population has been killed or injured, former Israeli military chief says

Yemen

Asia

SoftBank openai deal delayed

18 members of the Pakistani security forces were killed this week. Pakistan suspects Afghanistan-backed terrorists.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un oversees drone test, and approved a plan to further strengthen unmanned aerial vehicle

Kim Jong Un declares AI military drone development a ‘top priority’

Chinese Coast Guard: "Philippine boat deliberately collides with Chinese coast guard vessel despite warnings, responsibility for the collision lies entirely with the Philippines."

India/Pakistan

Pakistan hard hit this moonson

India's Modi calls for peace in Manipur, launches projects worth nearly $1 billion. Though the reception wasn't uniformly good though.

Africa

Sudan is currently experiencing the world's largest displacement crisis, with over 30.4 million people requiring assistance. The crisis has resulted in alarming rates of malnutrition

Libya: More Than 100 Sudanese Refugees Dead or Missing in Shipwrecks Off Libya

Sudan: Rebel drone strike kill dozens.

Biorisks

DR Congo begins vaccinating against new Ebola outbreak

Nothing about Nepal?

Old news a this point, my observe loops are at least a weekly cadence :)

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