WORLD ROUNDUPWhy West Africa Is Now the World's Terrorism Hotspot | Making Europe Weak Again | The World Sleepwalking into Another Gas Crisis, and more

41 Years Ago Today, One Man Saved Us from World-Ending Nuclear War  (Dylan Matthews, Vox)
On September 26, 1983, Stanislav Petrov saved the world.

Making Europe Weak Again  (Joschka Fischer, Project Syndicate)
If France and Germany falter because they cannot form stable governments around the political center, the European Union is almost certain to stagnate and become paralyzed. The far right’s electoral gains threaten not just European democracy, but also its sovereignty and future prosperity.

Macron’s Trial by Fire  (Hugo Drochon, Project Syndicate)
Even if Emmanuel Macron can restore stability to France by working closely with Prime Minister Michel Barnier, the bigger question is what will become of Macronism, his famous strategy of bringing together ideas from the left and the right. Whether Jupiter will achieve political immortality very much remains to be seen.

An Israel-Hezbollah War Would Be a Disaster for Both  (Economist)
Both must find a way to step back

Is the World Sleepwalking into Another Gas Crisis?  (Economist)
Prices could once again spike this winter

Why Europe Is Losing the Tech Race  (Agathe Demarais, Foreign Policy)
And what the European Union could do to catch up.

The U.S. Has a Better Offer for Africa Than Debt  (Henry Tugendhat, Foreign Policy)
Washington can’t outcompete Beijing-backed banks.

In Historic First, Japan Sends Naval Ship Through the Taiwan Strait  (Takahashi Kosuke, The Diplomat)
With the unprecedented move this time, Japan now joined the other Western countries engaging in freedom-of-navigation exercises in the Taiwan Strait.

France Charges ISIS Bride with Crimes Including Genocide  (Elena Giordano, Politico)
Wife of a now-deceased ISIS leader is accused of enslavement, imprisonment and torture.

Defense Commissioner Nominee Floats Turning EU into War-Weapons Storehouse to Deter Putin  (Jacopo Barigazzi and Stuart Lau, Politico)
Andrius Kubilius has the job of consolidating the EU’s defense industry while ramping up production.

Why West Africa Is Now the World’s Terrorism Hotspot  (David Lewis, Jessica Donati and Kaylee Kang, Reuters)
Jihadi violence, especially the heavy toll it has taken on government troops, was a major factor in a wave of military coups since 2020 against Western-backed governments in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the countries at the heart of the Sahel.