Eye on Extremism: July 16, 2025

Top Stories

The Times: Neo-Nazis and black extremists ‘forming antisemitic alliances’

Neo-Nazis are forging alliances with black extremist groups over a shared hatred of Jews, posing a growing threat to UK national security, research has warned. Antisemitism is emerging as an ideological “glue” binding white and black nationalists, according to a report that calls for a change in the way extremism is combated because ideologies no longer fit traditional far-right or Islamist profiles. Dr Ariel Koch, a fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), described the phenomenon as “bridge hate” — a tactical alliance between racial supremacists who would otherwise be ideological enemies.

 

ARD: Suspected Iran spy in custody

Ali S. is a Danish citizen with Afghan roots and was born in Kabul. He was arrested in Aarhus, Denmark, on June 26 on behalf of the Federal Public Prosecutor General after the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution had kept him under surveillance in Berlin for days. In the end, the Federal Criminal Police Office took over the investigation against the 53-year-old man, and the investigators are convinced that Ali S.'s interest in Israeli or Jewish institutions in Berlin was not of a tourist nature. Rather, according to the federal prosecutor's office, he spied on three locations, including a supermarket and the headquarters of the German-Israeli Society, and according to information from ARD-Hauptstadtstudio and SWR, he also had the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs in his sights. Minister Karin Prien has Jewish roots. He is also said to have been interested in representatives of Jewish life in Berlin.

Analysis

New York Times: Israel and Iran Usher In New Era of Psychological Warfare

Over 12 days of attacks, Israel and Iran turned social media into a digital battlefield, using deception and falsehoods to try to sway the outcome even as they traded kinetic missile strikes that killed hundreds and roiled an already turbulent Middle East. The posts, researchers said, represented a greater intensity of information warfare, by beginning before the strikes, employing artificial intelligence and spreading widely so quickly.

 

The Washington Institute: Israel’s “Tribal” Approach in Gaza: A Short-Term Response to a Long-Term Challenge

Amid military operations in Gaza and parallel ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, one critical question has yet to be sufficiently answered: Who will govern the Strip the “day after” Hamas? Israel’s military campaign has degraded the group’s conventional capabilities and turned it into an underground guerrilla force, but no clear alternative has emerged to replace its governance functions. In this vacuum, Israel has been engaging with local tribal actors as part of an improvised effort aimed primarily at undermining Hamas, with the additional objectives of stabilizing the area and enabling humanitarian aid distribution.

United States

New York Times: Columbia Expands Efforts to Fight Antisemitism as Trump Deal Seems Near

Columbia University announced on Tuesday that it will make additional reforms to combat antisemitism on campus, including by formally adopting a contentious definition of antisemitism that classifies some criticisms of the state of Israel as antisemitic. The changes, some of which have been long sought by pro-Israel Jewish organizations, come ahead of a possible deal with the Trump administration to restore more than $400 million in research funding that was frozen as a result of allegations that Columbia was not doing enough to curb antisemitism on campus.

 

Associated Press: Republicans press leaders of Georgetown, Berkeley and CUNY on antisemitism complaints

House Republicans on Tuesday grilled the leaders of Georgetown University, the City University of New York and the University of California, Berkeley in the latest hearing on antisemitism in higher education, accusing the schools of failing to respond adequately to allegations of bias or discrimination. In their appearance before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, the three university leaders said that they had taken disciplinary action where appropriate and stressed the importance of protecting free speech.

 

Reuters: Trump to meet Qatar's PM as push for Gaza ceasefire deal continues

U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on Wednesday, the White House said, as Trump presses for progress on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal. Israeli and Hamas negotiators have been taking part in the latest round of ceasefire talks in Doha since July 6, discussing a U.S.-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire that envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza, and discussions on ending the conflict.

 

Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Antisemitism envoy post remains unfilled six months into Trump’s term

Nearly six months into Donald Trump’s term as president, the United States remains without a special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, an ambassador-level role at the State Department known colloquially as the antisemitism czar. Trump announced his pick for the role, a Hasidic fixer named Yehuda Kaploun, in April and formally nominated him in May. But the Senate, which is controlled by Trump’s party, has yet to schedule a confirmation hearing for the nominee.

 

Jewish Insider: Waltz commits to combating ‘pervasive antisemitism’ at U.N. during nomination hearing

Former White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz laid out an aggressive approach to countering anti-Israel sentiment at the United Nations during his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday to be U.S. ambassador to the global body, accusing the organization in his opening statement of “pervasive antisemitism.” Waltz, a staunch supporter of Israel and an outspoken critic of Iran who was nominated for the U.N. post in May after being removed from his position as national security advisor, said he would seek to block “anti-Israel resolutions” in the General Assembly and would push for the dismantlement of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency over some of its employees’ involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.

 

NBC News: Sesame Workshop addresses 'disgusting' antisemitic posts on hacked Elmo X account

Sesame Workshop said the X account for its beloved fuzzy, red monster Elmo was compromised by an "unknown hacker" who made antisemitic and racist posts to its official account on Sunday. The posts, which a spokesperson for Sesame Workshop described as "disgusting messages," have since been removed from the account, which has over 650,000 followers. Screenshots of the posts, about six in total, have continued to recirculate across social media.

 

The Independent: Notorious far-right troll ordered to pay up to $71 million in racketeering scheme where he pretended to be a spy

Far-right blogger and Holocaust denier Charles C. Johnson was ordered to pay at least $40 million after he was found liable in a civil racketeering case for falsely portraying himself as a U.S. intelligence asset in order to extort companies to give him large sums of money and equity. Because he was found liable for RICO counts, some of the damages awarded by the jury to the plaintiff will be tripled, resulting in a total of approximately $71 million that Johnson would be required to pay.

 

Washington Examiner: Left wing terrorism is back in business

The third wave of American domestic left-wing terrorism is rising and will land with destructive force in this decade unless it’s halted without delay. Law enforcement has a part to play there, but the main task falls to Democrats who must resolutely condemn and separate themselves from anyone seeking to change politics through violence. Stopping terrorists “left of boom,” as the pros say, is imperative. The clock’s ticking.

 

Times of Israel: US envoy urges Israel to probe ‘terrorist murder’ of Palestinian-American in West Bank

In a rare statement weighing in on Israeli policy in the West Bank, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Tuesday that he had asked Jerusalem to “aggressively investigate the murder” of a Palestinian-American. Saif Musalat was allegedly beaten to death by settlers in the village of Sinjil near Ramallah last week. “There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act. Saif was just 20 yrs old,” Huckabee wrote in a post on X. It appeared to be one of the first times Huckabee has commented on rampant settler violence in the West Bank, though he avoided using the term or characterizing the killing as part of a broader phenomenon.

 

Jerusalem Post: Antisemitism envoy post remains unfilled six months into Trump’s term

Nearly six months into Donald Trump’s term as president, the United States remains without a special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, an ambassador-level role at the State Department known colloquially as the antisemitism czar. Trump announced his pick for the role, a Hasidic fixer named Yehuda Kaploun, in April and formally nominated him in May. But the Senate, which is controlled by Trump’s party, has yet to schedule a confirmation hearing for the nominee. The role, which is focused on foreign policy, remains vacant even as the Trump administration warns that antisemitism is a growing and urgent global threat — and as key senators in charge of the confirmation process argue that antisemitism is corrupting international institutions.

 

JFeed: Neo-Nazi ‘Fitness Clubs’ Surge in U.S., Recruiting Teens via TikTok and Telegram

A growing network of neo-Nazi youth groups, disguised as fitness clubs, is recruiting American teenagers as young as 15 through social media platforms like TikTok and Telegram, spreading Adolf Hitler quotes and white supremacist ideology, according to a new investigation by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. The report reveals a 59% surge in “Active Clubs” across the United States since October 2023, with the number of chapters rising from 49 to 78, now operating in 42 states.

 

Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Zohran Mamdani reportedly tells business leaders he will ‘discourage’ the phrase ‘globalize the intifada’

New York City’s Democratic mayoral candidate told business leaders that he would seek to discourage the use of the phrase “globalize the intifada” but continued not to outright denounce it, the New York Times reported late Tuesday. Zohran Mamdani made the comments during a closed-door meeting with the Partnership for New York City, an influential business consortium, the newspaper reported. Mamdani’s positions on Israel, which he has long criticized, were a central topic of the meeting, according to the report, which noted that the Jewish Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was among those challenging Mamdani on issues related to Israel.

 

Jewish Telegraphic Agency: NYC mayor accuses Jewish comptroller of politically motivated Israel bonds divestment

A fight over New York City’s pension investments has turned into a high-profile clash over Israel, with Mayor Eric Adams accusing Comptroller Brad Lander of quietly divesting from Israel bonds in a move he says echoes the goals of the BDS movement. In a letter sent by a deputy on Sunday, Adams alleged that Lander had effectively withdrawn city pension funds from Israeli bonds and questioned whether the decision was influenced by political considerations. He demanded that Lander turn over all documents and communications related to the matter within a week.

Canada

World Israel News: Ontario teacher called six-year-old student ‘half-human’ for having a Jewish parent

An Ontario teacher referred to a six-year-old student as “half-human” for having a Jewish parent. This is only one incident among many that are happening in Ontario, home to 30,000 Jewish children.

 

Times of Israel: Antisemitism in Ontario schools ‘dire’ and underreported, Canadian study finds

Antisemitism in Ontario schools is worse than previously believed, according to a report this week by the Canadian government. Since the Hamas terror group launched its war against Israel on October 7, 2023, at least 781 antisemitic incidents were reported in K-12 schools in the Ontario province through April 2025, according to the report, commissioned by the Office of the Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism, Deborah Lyons.

France

Reuters: EU Court upholds EU parliament’s decision to recover funds from Jean-Marie Le Pen

The EU's General Court upheld on Wednesday a European Parliament (EP) decision requiring the estate of late French far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen to repay 303,200 euros ($352,380) for wrongly claimed expenses during his time as a member of the parliament. After Le Pen died in January 2025 aged 96, his daughters Yann, Marie-Caroline and Marine continued the legal challenge he had begun in January 2024.

 

Jerusalem Post: 'Dirty Jew': French rabbi attacked with glass bottle by fifth time antisemitic offender

A French rabbi was attacked with a glass bottle and called a 'dirty Jew' while walking in Levallois-Perret on Sunday. The attacker has been arrested, and it was revealed that this was his fifth time targeting a rabbi since last September.

Germany

Jüdische Allgemeine: Deutsche Welle and Israel: Employees accuse their broadcaster of journalistic failure

Employees of Deutsche Welle (DW) accuse their broadcaster of continuously violating journalistic standards of plurality, neutrality and independence when reporting on the war in the Middle East. One-sided reporting on the war between the terrorist organization Hamas and the state of Israel following the murderous attack on Jews on 7 October 2023. Critical reports about Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah on Deutsche Welle TV and its online portal as well as on the broadcaster's social networks are "very rare or almost non-existent", it says. Instead, Israel is often portrayed as the main aggressor. There is a perpetrator-victim reversal. Behind this is a Deutsche Welle recruitment policy that gives preference to left-wing and anti-Israeli employees when awarding jobs, it is said. Overall, there is the accusation that Deutsche Welle is not consistently pursuing the fight against anti-Semitism.

 

Israel Hayom: 'Hitler' gets arrested in Germany; to serve 3 years

A scandalous incident has rocked Germany during MotoGP, the popular motorcycle racing event at the Sachsenring circuit in Hohenstein-Ernstthal. The controversy centers on a German neo-Nazi who drew support from fellow spectators while simultaneously enraging local officials and the nation's Jewish community. The 40-year-old defendant, who faces significant legal penalties for his actions, attended the race wearing a brown shirt emblazoned with "ADOLF" in English letters and the numeral 8 beneath it. This name-number combination clearly referenced Adolf Hitler – symbols strictly forbidden under German law.

Poland

TVP World: Polish PM slams President Duda for pardoning far-right activist

Poland’s prime minister has harshly criticized the country’s president after he partially pardoned a far-right activist convicted of assault. On July 11, President Andrzej Duda, whose term of office ends next month, used his powers to lift part of a penalty imposed on Robert Bąkiewicz for a 2023 assault conviction.

Spain

Reuters: Moroccan community calls for calm after anti-migrant clashes in Spanish town

Moroccan community leaders in the Spanish town of Torre Pacheco called for calm following four nights of clashes between North African migrants and the far-right, in some of the worst such unrest in the country in recent times. Police have detained at least 14 people so far over the clashes that flared up on Friday after an attack last week on a local man in his 60s.

 

New York Times: Police Arrest Far-Right Leader After Anti-Immigrant Riots in Spanish Town

The police in Spain have arrested the leader of an anti-immigrant group on charges that he helped to incite days of violent clashes between far-right demonstrators and police officers in the southeastern town of Torre Pacheco, the interior ministry said on Tuesday. The man, who was identified only by his initials C.L.F., is a local leader of Deport Them Now, a group that has spread hateful messages about immigrants on the Telegram app, driving days of riots in the town, in the Murcia region. He was arrested on Monday and accused of inciting violence. Police also seized the man’s computers and tried to limit access to the group’s Telegram channels.

Ukraine

The Guardian: Ukraine wing of US-founded terrorist group says it was involved in killing of intelligence officer in Kyiv

The Ukrainian wing of an internationally proscribed far-right terrorist organization with suspected links to Russia is claiming involvement in the brazen assassination of an intelligence officer in Kyiv. Late last week, a masked assailant shot and killed Col Ivan Voronych of the Ukraine security service (SBU) as he walked through a Kyiv parking lot in broad daylight. Shocking footage of the assassination circulated in Ukrainian media and caused a stir among residents in the capital.

United Kingdom

Reuters: UK counter-radicalisation scheme Prevent must 'up its game', review concludes

Britain's counter-radicalisation scheme Prevent needs to rapidly adapt to avoid mistakes which saw two men who had been referred to the programme go on to commit deadly knife attacks, a review concluded on Wednesday. Prevent has been a key strand of Britain’s security apparatus since the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001, with the aim of stopping radicalisation and preventing people from going on to commit acts of violence.

Afghanistan

Amu: Lavrov calls for Afghanistan free of terrorism and narcotics

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the elimination of terrorism and drug trafficking remains essential to rebuilding Afghanistan as a stable, independent and peaceful state, in remarks following a high-level regional summit. Speaking at a press conference after the meeting of foreign ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Lavrov emphasized that regional security — with a special focus on Afghanistan — had been a central theme of the discussions.

Gaza Strip

Reuters: Crush at Gaza aid site kills at least 20, GHF blames armed agitators

At least 20 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday at an aid distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in what the U.S.-backed group said was a crowd surge instigated by armed agitators. The GHF, which is supported by Israel, said 19 people were trampled and one fatally stabbed during the crush at one of its centres in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Iran

Reuters: Iran parliament rules out resumption of US talks until preconditions are met

Iran's parliament said the country should not resume nuclear negotiations with the United States until preconditions are met, in a statement reported on Wednesday by Iranian state media. "When the U.S. use negotiations as a tool to deceive Iran and cover up a sudden military attack by the Zionist regime (Israel), talks cannot be conducted as before. Preconditions must be set and no new negotiations can take place until they are fully met," the statement said.

 

Jerusalem Post: US, European allies agree on August deadline for Iran nuclear deal

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the UK agreed in a phone call on Monday to set the end of August as the de facto deadline for reaching a nuclear deal with Iran, Axios reported, citing three sources. If no deal is reached by that deadline, the three European powers plan to trigger the "snapback" mechanism, which automatically reimposes all UN Security Council sanctions lifted under the 2015 Iran deal, according to the Axios report. The four nations are reportedly considering the potential implementation of snapback measures before Russia, a critical Iranian ally, assumes the presidency of the UNSC.

 

Reuters: Iran ready to respond to any new attack, supreme leader says

Iran is ready to respond to any renewed military attack, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday, adding that Tehran was capable of delivering a bigger blow to adversaries than the one it gave during the 12-day Iran-Israel war. "The fact that our nation is ready to face the power of the United States and its dog on a leash, the Zionist regime (Israel), is very praiseworthy," Khamenei said in comments carried by state TV.

Iraq

Reuters: Drone strikes shut oilfields in Iraq's Kurdistan, cut output by up to 150,000 bpd

Drone attacks for a third day on oilfields in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region have slashed crude output by 140,000 to 150,000 barrels per day, two energy officials said on Wednesday, as infrastructure damage forced multiple shutdowns. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attacks, and no group has claimed responsibility.

Israel

Jerusalem Post: Will Israel’s airstrikes help the Druze in Syria?

Violence continued in southern Syria on Tuesday. Syrian government forces and local tribes clashed with Druze fighters in the city of Sweida. Israel’s intervention also appeared to escalate, with more airstrikes and comments from officials. This leads to the question of what might come next and whether Israel’s limited intervention will help the Druze. The Druze region in Syria is complex, and the people there are divided. Some appear to back Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, a Druze spiritual leader who has opposed the new government in Damascus. Others back other factions and may prefer more accommodation with Damascus. None of them want to see their area overrun by extremists and enemies.

 

Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Mike Huckabee denounces killing of Palestinian-American in the West Bank as ‘terrorist act’

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is calling on Israel to “aggressively investigate the murder of Saif Mussallet,” a Palestinian-American beaten to death in the West Bank on Friday. Mussallet’s family and Palestinian officials say Jewish settlers beat Mussallet severely and then prevented paramedics from reaching him for hours.

 

Reuters: National advertising blitz urges Israelis not to spy for Iran

Israel launched a national advertising campaign on Wednesday urging its citizens to resist the lure of spying for Iran, warning that the consequences far outweigh any financial reward. The unusual drive comes a month after Israel fought a 12-day war with Iran over its nuclear programme and follows an apparent surge in efforts by Tehran to recruit Israelis for espionage.

 

Reuters: Amid heated debate, no real plan for Israel's 'humanitarian city' in Gaza

An Israeli scheme to move hundreds of thousands of already uprooted Palestinians to a so-called "humanitarian city" in Gaza has led politicians to spar with the defence establishment, but officials say a practical plan has yet to be crafted. Even without a clear blueprint, opposition critics have denounced the proposal, with some likening the suggested site to a "concentration camp", which could lead to ethnic cleansing in the coastal enclave devastated by 21 months of conflict.

Lebanon

Naharnet: MPs discuss Hezbollah arms, Israeli violations, and US intervention in plenary session

Lawmakers convened Wednesday for the second day in Parliament to debate the government's policies. During the session, MPs mainly discussed Hezbollah's arms and Israeli violations and renewed confidence in the Lebanese government. The no-confidence vote was proposed by Free Patriotic chief Jebran Bassil. Sixty-nine MPs gave a vote of confidence to the government, nine FPM MPs voted against it, and four MPs abstained.

 

Naharnet: US reportedly urges timetable and official Hezbollah declaration on arms

The U.S. response to the latest Lebanese paper requested some clarifications as to “timetables and the executive mechanisms” for resolving the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons, media reports said. Washington also asked for “a clear stance from Hezbollah that it agrees to this arms monopolization mechanism,” as it welcomed “a host of articles contained in the Lebanese response,” the reports said.

 

AFP: Hezbollah calls Israel east Lebanon strike a 'major escalation'

Hezbollah condemned an Israeli air strike that killed 12 people in the Bekaa Valley on Tuesday, as a "major escalation". In a statement, the group said Israel's attack "constitutes a major escalation in the context of the ongoing aggression against Lebanon and its people". It called on Lebanese authorities to "take serious, immediate, and decisive action" to uphold a November ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

 

Israel Hayom: Hundreds of Hezbollah commanders flee Lebanon for South America

Approximately 400 Hezbollah field commanders are slated to leave Lebanon for various South American countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, according to a report on Wednesday by a Latin American diplomatic source to the Saudi news outlet Al Hadath.

Syria

New York Times: What to Know About the Fighting in Southern Syria

The clashes erupted on Sunday between Bedouin groups and militias drawn from the Druse religious minority that control the southern province of Sweida. Those clashes set off days of fighting in a rugged stretch of southern Syria, throwing a spotlight on the difficulties Syria’s new government has had asserting its authority over the country. The conflict has also drawn in neighboring Israel, which launched a wave of airstrikes at Syrian government forces in Sweida. On Tuesday, government reinforcements entered the province, and the Syrian minister of defense announced a cease-fire.

 

Reuters: Israel strikes Damascus as fighting rages in southern Syria

Powerful airstrikes shook Damascus on Wednesday, targeting the defence ministry as Israel vowed to destroy Syrian government forces attacking Druze communities in southern Syria and demanded they withdraw. Reuters reporters heard warplanes swoop low over the capital and unleash a series of massive strikes on central Damascus. The cityscape was blanketed in smoke with a thick plume rising from the defence ministry.

Yemen

Associated Press: UN council authorizes continuing vigilance of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Red Sea shipping

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday authorized continued reporting on attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have defied its previous demands to immediately halt all such attacks. The vote in the 15-member council was 12-0 with Russia, China and Algeria abstaining because of attacks against Yemen in violation of its sovereignty, a clear reference to U.S. airstrikes against the Houthis who control most of northern Yemen. The Trump administration has carried out the strikes because of the group’s attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route, and on close ally Israel.

 

Associated Press: Yemen fighters allied to exiled government claim seizure of tons of Iranian-supplied Houthi weapons

Fighters allied to Yemen’s exiled government claimed Wednesday they had seized 750 tons of Iranian-supplied missiles and weaponry bound for the country’s Houthi rebels, the latest interdiction of arms in the country’s decadelong war allegedly tied to Tehran. For years, the U.S. Navy and other Western naval forces have seized Iranian arms being sent to the Houthis, who have held Yemen’s capital since 2014 and have been attacking ships in the Red Sea over the Israel-Hamas war.

 

Marine Insight: Houthis Use UN-Funded Oil Tanker To Store & Sell Fuel, Defying Sanctions

A massive oil tanker bought by the United Nations for $55 million to prevent an environmental disaster is now being used by the Houthis in Yemen to store and transfer Russian oil. The vessel, VLCC Yemen, was originally purchased in 2023 to offload oil from the decaying FSO Safer, but is now reportedly under effective Houthi control.

Australia

The Guardian: ‘Tackle racism in whatever form’: Labor defers response to contentious antisemitism proposals for universities

The federal government will defer its response to Jillian Segal’s contentious plan to address antisemitism on campuses until after it has received a broader review of racism at universities and a separate report from the Islamophobia envoy, the education minister has confirmed. Jason Clare outlined the process to reporters on Wednesday, saying he wanted to “tackle racism in whatever form it comes”.

 

The Guardian: Push to end antisemitism is welcome but envoy’s plan raises concerns, Australia’s race commissioner warns

Australia’s race discrimination commissioner has warned there is limited detail in how Jillian Segal’s plan to combat antisemitism would be implemented, and said he would work with her to ensure it does not restrict fundamental rights and freedoms. Giridharan Sivaraman has responded to the antisemitism envoy’s 20-page plan, released last Thursday, which made a range of recommendations, including withholding government funding from universities that “facilitate, enable or fail to act against antisemitism” and monitoring media organisations “to avoid accepting false or distorted narratives”.

Japan

South China Morning Post: Is Japan becoming anti-immigrant? Far-right parties gain momentum in election lead-up

As Japan heads into a pivotal upper house election, populist parties on the far-right are seizing on anti-immigrant rhetoric to win over voters, echoing the strategies of US President Donald Trump’s Republicans and hard-right movements across Europe.

Ethiopia

Reuters: Ethiopia arrests dozens of suspected Islamic State terrorists, Fana broadcaster reports

Ethiopia has arrested dozens of suspected Islamic State terrorists, who it claimed have been trained and deployed to carry out operations across the country, the state-affiliated Fana broadcaster reported. The 82 suspects were part of the Islamic State's Somalia affiliate, which operates in the semi-autonomous Puntland region, according to a statement by the National Intelligence Security Services, which was shared with Fana.

Kenya

Al Arabiya English: Blast kills three Kenyan soldiers on road near Somali border

A blast has killed three Kenyan soldiers patrolling a road in the east of the country near the Somali border, the military said. The al Qaeda-linked group al Shabaab said on its website at least two Kenyan soldiers were killed and others wounded in a blast that targeted a convoy in a similar area on Tuesday, but it did not directly claim responsibility.

Technology

The Guardian: Houthi-linked dealers sell arms on X and WhatsApp, report says

Arms dealers affiliated with Houthi militants in Yemen are using X and Meta platforms to traffic weapons – some US-made – in apparent violation of the social media firms’ policies, a report has revealed. The Houthis, an Iran-backed group of rebels who have controlled swathes of Yemen since 2014, are designated as a terrorist organisation by the US, Canada and other countries.

 

NBC News: Musk's Grok 'companions' include a flirty anime character and an anti-religion panda

Days after a Grok antisemitism scandal rocked X, tech billionaire Elon Musk’s AI chatbot has introduced two animated characters that try to pressure users into sexually explicit or violent conversations. Grok, a product of Musk’s company xAI, is calling the characters “Companions.” So far, there are two companions that users can chat with: a flirty Japanese anime character named Ani who offers to make users’ lives “sexier,” and a red panda named Bad Rudi who insults users with graphic or vulgar language and asks them to join a gang with the goal of creating chaos.