World News Thread

[N.E. Brigand]

In Poland, the ruling right-wing Law & Justice Party seems to have lost Sunday's parliamentary elections to a center-left coalition of three parties.

[N.E. Brigand]

Is the U.S. focusing on the wrong conflict?



That sounds worse than the situation in Gaza and Israel. Or maybe even Ukraine.

[Frelga]

Sudan has been a nightmare. IIRC, even Doctors Without Borders had to pull out.

However, I don't see we can do there without sending a lot of troops and occupying the place. That's just not going to happen, and I don't think it should.

Ukraine asks for zero soldiers, we just send them the outdated equipment, and even that generates a lot of complaints. Israel most likely won't ask for soldiers either.

[Túrin Turambar]

Argentine presidential election run-off coming up in a few weeks!

[N.E. Brigand]

Pakistan is trying to expel as many as 1.7 million Afghani refugees.

[Frelga]

Pakistan is trying to expel as many as 1.7 million Afghani refugees.

I've seen tweets reporting that many returnees were robbed of all their money by Pakistanian border guards as they crossed the border.

[N.E. Brigand]

Pakistan is trying to expel as many as 1.7 million Afghani refugees.

I've seen tweets reporting that many returnees were robbed of all their money by Pakistanian border guards as they crossed the border.

Iran has even more refugees from Afghanistan -- some 5 million -- and also wants to expel them.

[N.E. Brigand]

Sudan has been a nightmare. IIRC, even Doctors Without Borders had to pull out.

However, I don't see we can do there without sending a lot of troops and occupying the place. That's just not going to happen, and I don't think it should.

Ukraine asks for zero soldiers, we just send them the outdated equipment, and even that generates a lot of complaints. Israel most likely won't ask for soldiers either.

The U.N. today said that amidst the war in Sudan, women and children "are being abducted and held as slaves."

[narya]

Pakistan is trying to expel as many as 1.7 million Afghani refugees.

I've seen tweets reporting that many returnees were robbed of all their money by Pakistanian border guards as they crossed the border.

One would think that after the Indian Partition they'd have a little more compassion.

[N.E. Brigand]

Boris Johnson, who was Britain's Prime Minister in 2019-2022 and who has been a member of Parliament since 2015 (during which time he helped to mislead his country into voting for the disastrous Brexit plan in 2016), is leaving Parliament today after receiving an advance copy of a not yet published report -- which he says is "riddled with inaccuracies and reeks of prejudice" -- about how he misled Parliament regarding his office's evasion of lockdown rules during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last week, there was a report about Boris Johnson as Prime Minister telling his staff that Covid-19 could be a net plus for Britain because the average age at death of Covid-19 victims was higher than Britain's average life expectancy.

Today a former Johnson advisor confirmed something first reported in 2021 (but denied at that time): that Prime Minister Johnson said of Covid, "Let the bodies pile high."

[RoseMorninStar]

Wow, that's cold.

[Túrin Turambar]

Argentine presidential election run-off coming up in a few weeks!

Guess who won

[N.E. Brigand]

Is the U.S. focusing on the wrong conflict?

A Reuters Special Report: "Sudan refugees detail second wave of bloody ethnic purge by Arab forces."

"Arab-led RSF forces have pressed ahead this month with their expulsion of Sudan's ethnic-African Masalit tribe from West Darfur. Survivors described large-scale killings of Masalit captives at a soccer field and a bridge in the regional capital. As assaults mount, some fear a possible partition of the country."

"About 450,000 Sudanese have crossed into Chad since June."

[Impenitent]

Guess who won
[/quote]

It was one of the sombre topics of discussion at our recent family dinner.

[Impenitent]

Guess who won

It was one of the sombre topics of discussion at our recent family dinner.

[Frelga]

And in Netherlands.

In a shock for Europe, anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders records a massive win in Dutch elections

[N.E. Brigand]

Argentine presidential election run-off coming up in a few weeks!

"Populism Updates": "There are two candidates in Argentina's presidential run-off. One says he takes political advice from the ghost of his dog, who he claims to have met in a past life in Rom when he was a gladiator and his dog was a lion. The other is a Peronist which is kind of hard to explain"

Guess who won

It was one of the sombre topics of discussion at our recent family dinner.

An unexpected development: "Argentina's President-Elect Javier Milei [who was raised Catholic] is converting to Judaism."

[Frelga]

Generally, the hard-right has been associated with pro-Russian policies, but apparently not in Argentina.

Argentina won’t join BRICS as scheduled, says member of Milei’s transition team

[N.E. Brigand]

Guess who won

It was one of the sombre topics of discussion at our recent family dinner.

An unexpected development: "Argentina's President-Elect Javier Milei [who was raised Catholic] is converting to Judaism."

And then Milei went and appointed this neo-Nazi as Argentina's attorney general:

[Frelga]

Well, this is not good.

Today, there were four attacks against three separate commercial vessels operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea. These three vessels are connected to 14 separate nations. The Arleigh-Burke Class destroyer USS CARNEY responded to the distress calls from the ships and provided assistance.

At approximately 9:15 a.m. Sanaa time, the CARNEY detected an anti-ship ballistic missile attack fired from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen toward the M/V UNITY EXPLORER, impacting in the vicinity of the vessel. UNITY EXPLORER is a Bahamas flagged, U.K. owned and operated, bulk cargo ship crewed by sailors from two nations. The CARNEY was conducting a patrol in the Red Sea and detected the attack on the UNITY EXPLORER.

At approximately 12 p.m., and while in international waters, CARNEY engaged and shot down a UAV launched from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen. The drone was headed toward CARNEY although its specific target is not clear. We cannot assess at this time whether the Carney was a target of the UAVs. There was no damage to the U.S. vessel or injuries to personnel.

In a separate attack at approximately 12:35 p.m., UNITY EXPLORER reported they were struck by a missile fired from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen. CARNEY responded to the distress call. While assisting with the damage assessment, CARNEY detected another inbound UAV, destroying the drone with no damage or injuries on the CARNEY or UNITY EXPLORER. UNITY EXPLORER reports minor damage from the missile strike.

At approximately 3:30 p.m. the M/V NUMBER 9 was struck by a missile fired from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen while operating international shipping lanes in the Red Sea. The Panamanian flagged, Bermuda and U.K. owned and operated, bulk carrier reported damage and no casualties.

At approximately 4:30 p.m., the M/V SOPHIE II, sent a distress call stating they were struck by a missile. CARNEY again responded to the distress call and reported no significant damage. While en route to render support, CARNEY shot down a UAV headed in its direction. SOPHIE II is a Panamanian flagged bulk carrier, crewed by sailors from eight countries.

These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security. They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world. We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran. The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies and partners.