WORLD ROUNDUPCan Federalism Save Syria from Collapse | 80 Years After Hiroshima, Nuclear Risks Are Rising | How to Write Laws of War for a Wicked World, and more

80 Years After Hiroshima, Nuclear Risks Are Rising  (Comfort Ero, Foreign Policy)
New channels of communication and wider support for the IAEA can help prevent catastrophe.

Is China Changing Its Nuclear Launch Strategy?  (Tong Zhao,Foreign Policy)
Certain behaviors suggest it may be preparing to adopt one of the Cold War’s most dangerous policies.

Sub-Saharan Africa Remains the Epicenter of Global Jihadist Terrorism  (Colin P. Clarke and Anoushka Varma, ORF)
Jihadist groups have entrenched and expanded across sub-Saharan Africa, transforming the region into the deadliest and most dynamic theatre of global terrorism amid waning international counterterrorism efforts.

“A Shadow Militia”: Trump Is Not the Great White-Power Leader the Active Club Network Is Waiting for –but Perhaps a Useful Tool  (Marie Lytomt Norum, Filter Nyheter)
They are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They want to appear friendly and uncontroversial. This is according to Alexander Ritzmann , senior advisor at the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) –a US-based, non-profit organization established in 2014 with the goal of combating extremism, radicalization and terrorism on a global level. CEP publishes reports and data on various extremist groups, ideologies, financing networks and propaganda, and advises authorities on how to handle potential threats. Ritzmann has closely examined the Active Club environment for several years, and is convinced that this concept is not about bare-knuckle training and martial arts.

Espionage for China? Trial Against Ex-employee of AfD Politician Krah Begins  (MDR)
The trial against a former employee of the Saxon AfD politician Maximilian Krah began today at the Dresden Higher Regional Court. The federal prosecutor’s office accuses Jian G. of spying for a Chinese secret service. G. is a German citizen and has been charged with a particularly serious case of secret service agent activity. An alleged accomplice is also on trial today. “From the point of view of the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, the case exemplifies China’s comprehensive interest in spying on the political, economic and military interests of Germany and the European Union,” said Stephan Morweiser, Federal Public Prosecutor at the Federal Court of Justice, on the sidelines of the start of the trial. The case is therefore to be regarded as “particularly serious”.

Can Federalism Save Syria from Collapse?  (Mordechai Kedar, Jerusalem Post)
As militias tighten their grip and minority communities demand autonomy, federalism emerges not as a theory but as Syria’s last realistic chance to survive.

US May Offer Mali Counterterrorism Help in Exchange for Minerals  (Anton Ferreira, Pass Blue)
Two midlevel United States officials visited Bamako in July to explore cooperation in fighting Mali’s 13-year jihadist insurgency in return for access to the Sahel country’s gold and lithium.

Washington Should Prioritize Transparency and Sanctions in Congolese Critical Minerals Deal  (Sasha Lezhnev,Foreign Policy)
Peace between Rwanda and Congo is good news, but more pressure is needed to make it stick.

Six Months After DeepSeek’s Breakthrough, China Speeds on with AI  (Economist)
Real-world applications have priority over cutting-edge development.

How to Write Laws of War for a Wicked World  (Economist)
The post-1945 order is crumbling. History offers a glimpse of alternatives that might work.