“Three South Korean military personnel were injured Monday in an unidentified explosion south of the Military Demarcation Line in the western section of the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The explosion occurred during a search operation in an area overseen by the Army’s 25th Infantry Division at around 11 a.m., according to local media reports. The military did not specify the source of the explosion. Local reports said it was believed to have been caused by a landmine, although it remained unclear whether it had been planted by North Korea or South Korea.” (09/21/26)
“Germany’s far-left party Die Linke (the Left) has taken first place in a state election in Berlin, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won the most votes in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. … Following the results, the AfD’s national co-leader, Tino Chrupalla, called on the German chancellor [Friedrich Merz] to resign. … Pressure on Merz has been mounting after the far-right AfD delivered a significant defeat to his CDU party two weeks ago in the key state of Saxony-Anhalt. … After just 16 months in power, Merz’s approval ratings have plunged to about 14 percent, the latest polls suggest, as he struggles to push through promised economic and social welfare reforms with his centre-left coalition partner, the SPD, raising doubts among fellow party members about whether he can continue to lead.” (09/20/26)
“The Department of Justice announced Sept. 18 that it considers a federal ban on handgun sales to adults under 21 to be unconstitutional. The DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel opinion cited multiple Second Amendment Supreme Court cases expanding the right to carry handguns for self-defense as their primary rationale for declaring the prohibition unconstitutional. Specifically, they determined 18 to 20-year-olds are part of ‘the people’ the Second Amendment protects. The DOJ’s decision is legally binding on federal agencies but it does not bind federal courts and Congress. It also does not create any precedent and can be overturned by the Supreme Court, which has not yet weighed in on the issue.” [editor’s note: The Second Amendment is at least SUPPOSEDLY binding on Congress and the courts. The question is whether they abide by the “supreme law of the land” or not – TLK] (09/18/26)
“Ukraine launched hundreds of drones at Moscow on Sunday, killing two people on the final day of a Russian parliamentary election that President Vladimir Putin has cast as a test of support for the war in Ukraine. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram: ‘In the Moscow region tonight, our long-range responses hit very noticeably. One of the key enterprises of Russia’s oil industry and an aggressor logistics facility were struck.’ He did not specifically mention the ongoing State Duma election, but added that Moscow could ‘end its brutal war and choose peace” if there is “political will’ to do so. An oil refinery was damaged in the strike, with videos showing smoke billowing out across the city.” (09/20/26)
“An Immigration and Customs Enforcement [gang member] shot and wounded a man from Venezuela who was working as a DoorDash driver Sunday in Texas’[s] capital, city officials confirmed, with protests erupting at the scene against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Federal authorities have not said what led up to the shooting, which came as the Trump administration ramps up immigration enforcement operations across the country and just two months after ICE [gang members murdered] a Mexican man during a traffic stop in Houston. The man shot Sunday in Austin was identified as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, by Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, an immigration lawyer who said she is representing his family.” (09/20/26)
“Iran has issued a warning after reportedly learning that the US is planning to resume military action – after also insisting the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until its conditions are met. Iran’s central military command said in a statement on Sunday that Tehran had received information that the United States was planning to resume action, with the backing of some other countries in the region. According to Iranian state media, the country’s military said any US attack will trigger sustained strikes on US bases and interests in the region. Iran also warned that regional countries supporting any aggression from the United States would be considered parties to the conflict.” (09/20/26)
‘Dozens of people protested in Tunis on Saturday demanding the release of four Global Sumud Flotilla activists, as concern mounts over their deteriorating health after one of them entered his second month of a hunger strike. The protesters marched from the headquarters of the Tunisian National Journalists’ Union (SNJT) to Avenue Habib Bourguiba in central Tunis, carrying Tunisian and Palestinian flags and portraits of the four detainees and calling for their release and an end to the case against them. … The demonstration came days after a court extended the pre-trial detention of Wael Naouar, Ghassen Henchiri, Ghassen Boughdiri and Nabil Channoufi by another four months. They have been held since March in an investigation into alleged financial irregularities linked to fundraising for the flotilla, according to Tunisian state media, citing judicial sources.” (09/20/26)
“President Donald Trump said Saturday he plans to create an ‘AI Force’ and name an AI czar as the government faces growing calls to impose guardrails on the rapid development of artificial intelligence. The president, writing on Truth Social, repeated his assessment that fears over AI amount to a hoax and also seemed to acknowledge some of the risks the technology presents, saying, ‘we will also be looking for BAD, and we can do that, very easily, with our already existing Criminal and Civil Justice System.’ … CNN has reached out to the White House for more details on the AI czar’s duties, whether the president has anyone in mind for the role, and whether the ‘AI Force’ will be a branch of the military, like the Space Force.” (09/19/26)
“Yemen’s Houthis said they attacked ‘sensitive’ sites in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday with missiles and drones, hours after flames and a large plume of smoke were seen near the city’s main airport. Saudi Arabia had sent alerts overnight warning of potential danger around Riyadh, amid an escalation in attacks by the Houthis in the kingdom. Reuters video and photographs showed a huge pillar of black smoke rising in the area, with the airport highway, main terminal building and other facilities in the foreground.” (09/20/26)
“At least 21 people were killed and more than 100 injured Friday when a car carrying explosives detonated near a mosque in a police compound in Pakistan. Following the explosion, police in Kohat said, at least seven ‘terrorists’ stormed the compound and exchanged gunfire with officers, Dawn reported. … Local reporters said the attack was claimed by Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban that supports a strict version of Islamic law.” (09/18/26)
