Eye on Extremism: August 27, 2025
Top Stories
Wall Street Journal: U.N. Atomic Agency Chief Given Security Protection Over Iran Threat
United Nations atomic agency chief Rafael Grossi has been receiving round-the-clock protection for weeks following a specific Iranian threat, according to people familiar with the matter. The elite unit of Austria’s security services is protecting Grossi after the country’s intelligence agency received information of a threat to the International Atomic Energy Agency chief from a third party, according to a person involved in the case. The IAEA is based in Vienna. Iran accused Grossi of helping spark Israel’s 12-day war in June, saying that his reports on Iran’s nuclear work were biased and spread baseless concerns about Iran’s nuclear activities. Top Iranian officials called for him to be put on trial and ousted from his job.
Reuters: Iran link to Australian synagogue attack uncovered via funding trail, spy agency says
Australia's intelligence agency traced the funding of hooded criminals who allegedly set fire to a Melbourne synagogue, linking the antisemitic attack to Iran, officials said, even as those charged with the crime were likely unaware Tehran was their puppet master. A 20-year-old local man, Younes Ali Younes, appeared in Melbourne's Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with the December 6 arson attack on the Adass Israel synagogue and theft of a car. He did not enter a plea and did not seek bail. His lawyer declined to comment to Reuters.
CEP Mentions
The Conversation: Active Clubs are white supremacy’s new, dangerous frontier
Since 2020, Active Clubs have expanded rapidly across the United States, Canada and Europe, including the U.K.,a France, Sweden and Finland. Precise numbers are hard to verify, but the clubs appear to be spreading, according to The Counter Extremism Project, the Anti-Defamation League, the Southern Poverty Law Center and my own research.
BBC News: Interview with CEP Senior Advisor & former UK Ambassador to Yemen Edmund Fitton-Brown
He discusses Israel's response to the Houthis firing a new type of missile earlier this week.
CEP nonresident fellow Ari Heistein writes: Within the governing coalition and among right-wing commentators, continuous efforts are made to frame the relocation of Gaza’s population as both morally justified and strategically essential, as well as to devise expedited mechanisms for carrying this plan out. In our view, this approach is impractical and fraught with serious moral and strategic risks. It fosters dangerous illusions that divert attention from realistic, actionable strategies for advancing Israel’s long-term interests and strengthening its international standing.
Analysis
Foreign Affairs: The New Hamas Insurgency
To understand Hamas’s survival strategy, it is crucial to trace the way its aims have evolved. When it launched its October 7 attacks, Hamas’s Gaza leadership assumed that the operation would quickly draw in allies across the region, and cause Palestinians and even the Arab public to collectively rise up. In essence, it expected a replay of May 2021, when Israel’s confiscation of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem provoked an unprecedented collective response: Palestinians rose up across the West Bank and in Israeli cities, Hezbollah and other allied groups fired rockets from Lebanon and Syria, and Hamas itself launched an intense barrage of rockets from Gaza. October 7 was intended to replicate this joining of the fronts but on a much larger scale.
This article, which combines social network analysis and open-source intelligence, discusses the functions, structure, and evolution of al-Qaeda’s (AQ) information ecosystem on the surface web in the second half of 2023. It argues that despite preferring Rocket Chat as a primary communication channel, this terrorist organisation developed an extensive and robust propaganda distribution network detectable from the surface web.
United States
Times of Israel: Trump to hold White House meeting on ‘comprehensive plan’ for managing postwar Gaza
Tuesday’s remarks appeared to be the first time that Witkoff has revealed the existence of a US plan for the so-called day after, as Washington has largely deferred on the issue to its Arab allies in the region — following Trump’s February remarks on his vision to take over Gaza and permanently relocate its residents. While Israel welcomed the idea, it was roundly rejected by US partners in the Middle East which Trump had hoped would be willing to take in Palestinian refugees.
Victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the August 7, 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa cannot seize $3.5 billion of Afghanistan central bank assets to address the Taliban's role in the attacks, a divided federal appeals court ruled on Thursday. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) was shielded under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) from having to give up assets blocked at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, because it qualified as an agency or instrumentality of Afghanistan.
Salon: Active Clubs are white supremacy’s new, dangerous frontier
Small local organizations called Active Clubs have spread widely across the U.S. and internationally, using fitness as a cover for a much more alarming mission. These groups are a new and harder-to-detect form of white supremacist organizing that merges extremist ideology with fitness and combat sports culture.
Jewish News Syndicate: Fill key State Department roles, Jewish groups tell Senate leaders
The Jewish Federations of North America and Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish organizations led 13 other Jewish groups in a letter to Senate leaders on Tuesday, asking the upper chamber to confirm Trump administration nominees for two key U.S. State Department positions.
Jewish News Syndicate: NY state law beefing up Title VI compliance on campus ‘about concrete action’
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, signed a bill into law on Tuesday, placing Title VI coordinators on every college campus in the state. The coordinators will ensure that the schools are adhering to Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination on the basis of religion, the governor’s office stated.
USA Today: Adam Sandler says 'SNL50' antisemitism joke was inspired by 'a few' musicians
Adam Sandler is shedding some light on the real-world experiences behind an "SNL50" joke that stirred speculation. Earlier this year, Sandler made a quip during his "Saturday Night Live" anniversary monologue about major stars turning out to be antisemitic. Now the actor, who starred on the sketch comedy show in the 90s, is revealing that multiple musicians inspired his joke.
CBS News: More antisemitic graffiti found in Hyde Park neighborhood, Chicago police say
Chicago police are still looking for whoever's responsible for antisemitic graffiti in Hyde Park. The latest messages were found Monday near 53rd and Kimbark. Someone has left at least seven other hate-filled messages since June, ranging from antisemitic slurs to wishing death on Jewish people.
CBS News: Man sentenced to life in prison for killing fellow inmate because he was Jewish
A federal prison inmate has been sentenced to life behind bars, after he was convicted of murder and hate crime charges in the beating death of a fellow inmate who was Jewish. Federal prosecutors said Brandon "Whitey" Simonson, 41, of Minnesota, conspired with fellow inmate Kristopher "No Luck" Martin to kill Matthew Phillips at FCI Thomson, a low-security federal prison in western Illinois in 2020.
A recent antisemitic protest on Hudson's Green stirred outrage in the city, with officials condemning the message and noting that the small group is "known to the city police."
TribLive: Man fined nearly $50K for littering Squirrel Hill with antisemitic flyers
A Zanesville man was ordered on Tuesday to pay $48,000 in fines for throwing 160 antisemitic flyers out of a moving vehicle in Squirrel Hill in May. Jeremy Brokaw, 45, is expected to appeal the verdict following his summary traffic trial on Tuesday in Pittsburgh Municipal Court.
“The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has filed a 26-page complaint with Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell alleging that the 117,000-member Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) has created and fostered a hostile and discriminatory environment toward Jewish members in violation of their civil rights.
There has been a furious reaction to an anti-Islamic campaign ad posted by a far-right MAGA congressional candidate in which she sets fire to the Quran with a flamethrower. Valentina Gomez, who is running for Texas’ 31st District in 2026 as a Republican, shared the extreme video on X as part of her vow to “end Islam” in the Lone Star State.
Far-right activist Laura Loomer on Tuesday was condemned by veteran journalist Mehdi Hasan after she called for the firing of another Muslim State Department employee. Ms Loomer accused Wardah Khalid of holding views inconsistent with President Donald Trump's "America First" agenda. Ms Khalid is the latest in a string of State Department employees Ms Loomer has accused of being Islamic extremists.
Columbia
Reuters: At least 34 soldiers kidnapped in Colombia after clashes with FARC dissidents
At least 34 soldiers were kidnapped by armed civilians in a jungle area of southeastern Colombia after clashes that left 11 guerrillas dead, including a commander of a dissident faction of the former FARC rebel group, Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday. The clashes occurred in a rural part of the El Retorno municipality in the southeastern province of Guaviare and involved members of the Central General Staff (EMC), a group of former FARC fighters who rejected a 2016 peace deal with the government.
Europe
Times of Israel: Report finds drastic increase in antisemitism at European universities since Oct. 7
University administrators in Europe must do more to address antisemitism on campuses across the continent, including increasing security, auditing teaching materials, training instructors and pursuing legal action, two Jewish groups and a German watchdog said in a report Tuesday. The study, which looked at issues affecting Jewish students at schools in eight European countries, along with the United Kingdom, since October 7, 2023, found that antisemitic narratives and attitudes were regularly being normalized, particularly in the context of anti-Israel protest activity, and claimed nearly across-the-board hesitancy by university heads to tackle the problem head on.
Reuters: Europeans likely to initiate UN sanctions process on Iran on Thursday, sources say
Britain, France and Germany are likely to begin the process of reimposing U.N. sanctions on Iran on Thursday, but hope Tehran will provide commitments over its nuclear programme within 30 days that will convince them to defer concrete action, four diplomats said. The trio, known as the E3, met Iran on Tuesday to try to revive diplomacy over the nuclear programme before they lose the ability in mid-October to restore sanctions on Tehran that were lifted under a 2015 nuclear accord with world powers.
France
Politico: Macron slaps down Netanyahu’s antisemitism criticism
French President Emmanuel Macron vehemently rejected Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent criticism that France wasn’t doing enough to tackle antisemitism, in a letter to the Israeli prime minister. The fight against antisemitism should not “weaponised”, wrote Macron in a six-page letter that detailed the French government’s efforts to fight antisemitism, made public on Tuesday.
Germany
Deutsche Welle: Dresden: Man arrested after tram knife attack on US citizen
Dresden police and prosecutors said on Tuesday that they had arrested a 21-year-old Syrian in connection with a knife attack on a late-night tram in the city over the weekend. He was detained in the early hours of Tuesday, police said, and was put in investigative custody on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, among other offenses. The man in question had already been detained once before and was released soon after the incident, with no initial indication of him being directly involved in injuring a young American. But investigators said new information might implicate him more directly.
Deutsche Welle: Suspended sentence for Syrian minor in Taylor Swift Vienna bomb plot
A court in Berlin has sentenced a Syrian teenager, who was 14 at the time of the crimes, for contributing to a foiled "Islamic State"-inspired plot to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna. The boy, identified as Mohammad A., was given a suspended 18-month sentence for preparing a serious act of violence and supporting a terrorist act of violence abroad. Judges found that the defendant sent an acquaintance in Austria a video with bomb-building instructions and organized contact with an Islamic State member, among other things. The court said he had been "radicalized by IS propaganda on the internet" and supported the group's ambitions at the time.
Deutsche Welle: German trans neo-Nazi accused of abusing the law
"Trans-fascism" and "parasites of society" – these were the kinds of phrases that the right-wing extremist who now identifies as Marla-Svenja Liebich used for decades as a leader of the "Blood and Honor" neo-Nazi group. In 2023, Liebich was found guilty of incitement to racial hatred and defamation, amongst other crimes. Last year, having exhausted all legal avenues to avoid prison, she was sentenced to serve 18 months in jail. And then, just weeks after a new national gender identity law was introduced in November 2024, Liebich legally registered as a woman.
Italy
A wave of anti-Israel sentiment, often carrying antisemitic undertones, has gripped Italy, spreading across politics, academia, culture and sports, leaving the Jewish community increasingly anxious. Harsh criticisms and extreme statements against Israel have intensified, creating a tense atmosphere and heightening insecurity among Jews in the country. Recent months have seen a surge in blatant antisemitic incidents, fueling public outrage and genuine fear within Italy’s Jewish population.
United Kingdom
Reuters: England flags spark pride and concern amid anti-immigration protests
The red and white St George's Cross and the Union Jack flags have proliferated along streets across England in recent weeks in what supporters say is a campaign to show national pride, but others fear is part of growing anti-immigration sentiment. The flags have emerged during a politically charged summer in Britain that has been dominated by the subject of migration, with the YouGov monthly sentiment tracker showing that since the end of June immigration has overtaken the economy as voters' biggest concern.
Byline Times: Concierge Nationalism: How the Far-Right Is Selling Extremism as a Lifestyle Service
Far-right groups across England are transforming extremist activism into premium lifestyle services, offering everything from personal safety escorts to lifestyle mentorship through apps, QR codes and subscription models. Advertising services including walk-you-home escorts, street patrols, SOS apps, and premium mentorship, they are creating potential revenue streams that fund their broader political activities.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Taliban Flog Seven People In Ghor On Charges Of Extramarital Relations
The Taliban flogged three women and four men in public in Ghor province after convicting them of extramarital relations and fleeing from home, the group’s Supreme Court said. In a statement Wednesday, the court said a primary court in Saghar district sentenced the seven to between 30 and 39 lashes, carried out in front of local residents and Taliban officials. They were also handed prison terms ranging from six months to two years.
Amu: Taliban remove 18 university subjects, revise more than 200 others
The Taliban-led Ministry of Higher Education has removed 18 academic subjects from university curricula across Afghanistan and ordered revisions to more than 200 others, according to an official letter obtained by Amu TV. The directive, issued by Zia ur-Rahman Aryoubi, the Taliban’s deputy minister for academic affairs, states that the changes were made following a review by Islamic scholars and Sharia experts. The subjects were eliminated or modified to ensure that higher education content complies with “Islamic principles and the policies of the system,” the letter says.
Amu: Kabul beauticians say Taliban have appointed ‘women spies’ to monitor their work
Some female beauticians in Kabul say the Taliban have appointed “women spies” to monitor their work and gather information on their income, operations, and professional relationships. The women, speaking anonymously to Amu TV, said individuals posing as clients visit salons under various pretexts to collect details and report them to Taliban authorities.
Gaza Strip
The Israeli Air Force last Friday struck and killed Mahmoud al-Aswad, who served as Hamas's General Security Apparatus leader in the Gaza Strip, the military announced the following Wednesday. Aswad operated as the terrorist organization's general security leader for Western Gaza, with the military describing him as a "significant source of knowledge" for Hamas. The strike was conducted following IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) intelligence.
Associated Press: Here’s a look at why it is so hard to end the war in Gaza
Israel is on the brink of launching another major offensive, this time in famine-stricken Gaza City. The international community, along with nearly all Palestinians and many Israelis, wanted the war to end a long time ago — and a ceasefire seemed possible as recently as last month. So why is the conflict set to become even bloodier, nearly two years after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack?
Reuters: Israeli tanks close in on Gaza City, Trump to chair meeting
Israeli tanks pushed into a new area on the edge of Gaza City overnight, destroying houses and prompting residents to flee, witnesses said, ahead of an expected meeting on the war to be chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday. Tanks late on Tuesday entered into the Ebad-Alrahman neighbourhood on the northern edge of Gaza City and shelled houses, wounding several people and forcing many others, who had been taken by surprise, to move deeper into Gaza's largest city, residents said.
Reuters: Pope Leo calls for ceasefire, hostages' release in Israel-Hamas conflict
Pope Leo made a "strong appeal" to the global community on Wednesday to end the nearly two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas, calling for a permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages held in Gaza and the provision of humanitarian aid. “I once again issue a strong appeal ... so that an end may be put to the conflict in the Holy Land, which has caused so much terror, destruction, and death," the pontiff said in his weekly audience at the Vatican.
Iran
Reuters: UN nuclear watchdog back in Iran, no deal yet on inspections
UN nuclear inspectors have returned to Iran for the first time since it suspended cooperation with them in the wake of Israel's attacks on its nuclear sites, Iranian state media reported on Wednesday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told lawmakers Tehran had still not reached an agreement on how it would resume full work with the UN's IAEA watchdog, parliament news agency ICANA reported.
Iran International: IRGC says one officer, 13 militants killed in clashes in southeastern Iran
One member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) was killed and another wounded during armed clashes in Sistan-Baluchestan province on Wednesday, the IRGC’s Quds base said in a statement. According to the statement, 13 militants were killed and others arrested in three separate operations across the cities of Iranshahr, Khash, and Saravan — areas that have seen a surge in violence in recent weeks.
Iran International: Has Khamenei given a green light to crack down on reformist leaders?
A recent speech by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has energized hardliners who see it as a mandate to silence reformists advocating direct talks with Washington and nuclear concessions. Khamenei on Sunday appeared to dismiss a manifesto by reformist groups which called for direct talks with Washington and suspension of uranium enrichment.
Iraq
Christian Post: ISIS remains a global threat as it adapts, shows resilience: UN expert
Vladimir Voronkov, under-secretary-general of the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism, remarked at Wednesday's briefing that the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, ISIL or Da'esh, has shown "volatility and complexity" in its operations, particularly in Africa, Syria and Afghanistan, where it continues to rebuild its operational strength despite counter-terrorism campaigns. Islamic State affiliates remain active in several regions, including the Sahel, West Africa and Lake Chad Basin, with Africa now accounting for over half of the world's deaths from terrorist attacks.
Arab Weekly: Iraq seeks to deport hundreds of ISIS-linked detainees but process could be protracted
Iraq wants to return hundreds of ISIS-linked detainees to their respective home countries, though diplomats caution the process could be protracted. The group of detainees is mostly composed of foreign women and their children currently held in Iraqi jails.
Israel
Jerusalem Post: Was Mossad involved in getting Iran booted out of Australia?
Was Iranian involvement in antisemitic attacks in Australia – which led to the closing of the Iranian Embassy there – revealed to the Australian authorities by the Mossad and other members of Israeli intelligence? So far, Israel has been mum about its potential involvement, but there is a clear track record. In 2017, Australia thwarted two Lebanese-Australian brothers from blowing up an Etihad Airways flight traveling from Sydney to Abu Dhabi. Later, in 2018, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu credited Israel’s intelligence agencies with preventing the potential “unimaginable slaughter.” Then in 2019, Netanyahu disclosed that the Israeli intelligence that broke the case was obtained through cyber tools.
Jewish News Syndicate: IDF downs Houthi missile, triggering air-raid sirens in Jerusalem area
The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday morning intercepted a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi terrorist group in Yemen, the military stated. The attack, which took place around 5:30 a.m., triggered air-raid sirens for some 1.5 million Israelis, including in large population centers like Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh, as well as in the Judean Foothills area.
Jewish News Syndicate: Netanyahu recognizes Armenian genocide in first for Israeli PM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday for the first time publicly recognized the genocide carried out against the Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks by Ottoman Turkey in the early 20th century.
Jewish News Syndicate: Israeli forces arrest Fatah terrorist in Hebron raid after years on the run
Israeli security forces have arrested a Fatah terrorist wanted for years in connection with a shooting in the South Hebron Hills, the Israel Police announced Wednesday. Undercover officers of the police’s Gideonim unit (Unit 33), working in coordination with Israel Defense Forces troops and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), arrested the gunman inside a Hebron bank during a counter-terrorism raid in Judea, according to police.
Lebanon
Beirut press conference descended into a diplomatic row on Tuesday, after Tom Barrack, U.S. special envoy to Syria, told journalists to “act civilized” and not “animalistic.” The American diplomat, who is also the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, spoke in a packed room after his delegation met with Joseph Aoun, the Lebanese president, to discuss disarming Hezbollah. Lebanese reporters shouted over one another as they clamored for answers.
Naharnet: Hezbollah MP slams Barrack's 'blatant insult' to Lebanese journalists
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack told Lebanese journalists at a press conference at the country's presidential palace on Tuesday to "act civilized," sparking outcry and calls for an apology. As journalists shouted questions after the U.S. delegation's meeting with President Joseph Aoun, Barrack stepped up to the podium in the packed room and said: "We're going to have a different set of rules... please be quiet for a moment."
AFP: New UN draft extends UNIFIL term by a year, withdraws its troops within another year
A new U.N. draft text seen by AFP would extend the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission followed by its withdrawal by the end of 2027. The force was first deployed in south Lebanon in 1978 and was expanded after the 2006 war. The draft would decide "to terminate the mandate of UNIFIL" on December 31, 2026 "and to start an orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal... within one year."
Kurdistan24: Future of UNIFIL in Doubt: Security Council Delays Vote Amid US-Israel Opposition
A scheduled vote at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the future of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been postponed amid opposition from the United States and Israel to the draft text, diplomatic sources told AFP on Tuesday. The delay comes just days before the peacekeeping mission’s mandate is set to expire on Sunday. Washington has signaled support for extending UNIFIL’s mandate for one year but raised concerns about the force’s cost and long-term viability.
Jewish News Syndicate: Washington rejects latest proposal to renew UNIFIL mandate
ven after concessions from supporters of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, the Trump administration declined to green-light a revised U.N. Security Council resolution to extend the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon’s mandate.
Naharnet: Ortagus says Qassem and Hezbollah 'do not represent the Lebanese people'
Visiting U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus has said that the U.S. wants “the same thing that President (Joseph) Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and even (Speaker) Nabih Berri want, which is a strong and independent and sovereign Lebanon.” “We don’t want Lebanon controlled by anybody but the state and its people, and I think the people who truly care about Lebanon, the people who truly care about Lebanese people are looking to strengthen the state and its institutions, and not to give power to outside forces that continue to disrupt Lebanon,” Ortagus said in an interview with the This Is Beirut news portal.
Qatar
Jewish Insider: Qatari government-aligned newspaper editor called on Hamas to kidnap IDF soldiers
The editor-in-chief of Qatar’s pro-government newspaper Al Sharq called on Hamas “heroes” to kidnap more IDF soldiers in a since-deleted tweet. “If success is not achieved this time in capturing Zionist soldiers at the hands of the heroes of #AlQassamBrigades, then the second, third, and fourth attempts will succeed, God willing, by adding new rats to the tally held by the heroes of the Brigades,” Qatari journalist Jabar Al-Harmi wrote in Arabic last week, adding that the “heroes” of Al-Qasam “sent a number of Zionist soldiers to hell” by storming an IDF military site in southern Gaza. Those that weren’t killed were “sent to worldly torment with permanent disabilities and impairments, and others to mental and psychological institutions.”
Syria
Associated Press: Israeli drone strikes kill 8 Syrian soldiers in Damascus suburb, officials say
Israeli drone strikes on a southern suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus killed eight soldiers and wounded others, officials and a war monitor reported Wednesday. Syria’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that drone strikes Tuesday in the southern Damascus suburb of Kiswah killed eight soldiers. It called the attack “a grave violation of international law” and “clear breach of (Syria’s) sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s interim president, has firmly denied any affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood, asserting that he has been “the most harmed” by ISIS. In an interview published Tuesday in the Kuwaiti newspaper An-Nahar, he expressed his view that both nationalist and Islamic ideologies have failed to deliver positive outcomes in the region.
Yemen
Jerusalem Post: Houthis are expanding force of Iran, and global threat
Over the years, mounting evidence has shown that Iran has transferred components of its missile and drone programs to Houthi-controlled areas in Saada, Hajjah, and the outskirts of Sanaa. This trend has intensified following accurate strikes on Iran’s missile infrastructure and growing international pressure on its nuclear and ballistic programs. The Houthis, far from possessing indigenous military-manufacturing capabilities, serve merely as a local façade and a direct extension of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Yemen Online: Senior al-Qaeda Leader Abdul Wasi al-Sanani killed in Yemen’s Marib
A prominent figure within al-Qaeda’s Yemen branch, Abdul Wasi al-Sanani—widely known as the group’s “Black Box”—was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the Al-Samdah area of Marib province, according to local security sources. Al-Sanani was reportedly traveling alone on a motorcycle when assailants opened fire, fatally wounding him before fleeing the scene. He was transferred to a hospital in Marib city but succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.
Ivory Coast
France 24: Armed men kill four in attack in Ivory Coast near Burkina Faso border
An attack by unidentified armed men has killed four villagers and left another missing in northeastern Ivory Coast near Burkina Faso, the army said Tuesday, in the West African country’s first such deadly attack since 2021.
Mali
Reuters: Report spotlights tensions in Mali military over Wagner mercenaries
Russian private mercenary operations in Mali have sowed resentment within the West African nation's army and military government, caused security lapses, and failed to yield any mining concessions, a new report has found. The Wagner group began operating in Mali after the military, which seized power in two coups in 2020 and 2021, ejected French and United Nations forces that had been involved in fighting Islamist insurgents for a decade.
Nigeria
Daily Post: Judge warns al-Barnawi, others’ counsels over absence in terrorism trial
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday cautioned lawyers representing Mohammed Usman, also known as Khalid al-Barnawi, and four other suspected members of the terrorist group Ansaru, over their failure to appear in court. The judge issued a final warning to the defendants and their counsel, directing them to be present at the next sittings scheduled for September 5 and 12, 2025.
Australia
Associated Press: Melbourne man charged over synagogue arson linked to Iran
A man charged with torching a Melbourne synagogue, in an antisemitic attack that Australia accuses Iran of directing, was remanded in custody when he appeared in court Wednesday. Younes Ali Younes, 20, last week became the second suspect to be charged for the December arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue. Police allege three masked arsonists dowsed the building’s interior with a liquid accelerant before igniting it, causing extensive damage and injuring a worshipper.
After Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday that Iran was found to be behind a pair of antisemitic arson attacks in 2024, court documents published in a report Wednesday showed how one of those attacks was bungled by local criminals and a gangster styling himself as “James Bond.”
Stay up to date on our latest news.
Get the latest news on extremism and counter-extremism delivered to your inbox.