Eye on Extremism: July 22, 2025
Top Stories
New York Times: Iran’s Leaders Turn to a New Brand of Nationalism After Israeli and U.S. Attacks
Iran has emerged from its war with Israel — briefly joined by the United States — deeply wounded. Its military defenses are battered, its nuclear program was pummeled and its population has been devastated by a heavy civilian toll over the 12-day war. Amid that bleak outlook, the country’s leaders see an opportunity. Outrage over the attacks has sparked an outpouring of nationalist sentiment, and they hope to channel that into a patriotic moment to shore up a government facing daunting economic and political challenges. The result has been an embrace of ancient folklore and patriotic symbols that many of Iran’s secular nationalists once saw as their domain, not that of a conservative theocracy that often shunned Iran’s pre-Islamic revolutionary heritage.
Berliner Morgenpost: Large-scale raid against Islamists in Berlin: 23 arrests
The entire operation ran under the name "Nashid Action Day" or "Nashid Action Day". A nashid is a religious chant. They are often used to spread ideological messages and texts that glorify violence, as well as calls for recruitment for radical Islamic organizations. The people whose homes were searched are said to have placed such songs under posts on social media, for example. The police have been observing for some time that teenagers are increasingly discussing "very specific plans". This makes it all the more important to intensify inter-agency networking, provide opportunities for the use of AI in police work and develop the area of OSINT in a more structured way.
CEP Mentions
France 24: "The Base: These American Neo-Nazis, Agents of Chaos in the War in Ukraine
In its seven years of existence, The Base "has risen to become the leading neo-Nazi accelerationist network," says Joshua Fisher-Birch, a specialist in far-right movements who has been following The Base's evolution since its creation for the Counter Extremism Project, a US NGO fighting extremism.
ProSieben: CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler on Newstime
CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler discusses Russian hybrid warfare in Germany [Starting at 10:59].
Analysis
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, an outspoken and dedicated Christian supporter of the Jewish state, fired off a seething letter to Interior Minister Moshe Arbel last Wednesday, threatening to publicly announce that Israel no longer welcomes Christian groups to Israel. Israel “is instead engaging in harassment and negative treatment toward organizations with long-standing relationships and positive involvement toward Zionism and friendship to the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” the US envoy wrote in a missive that was leaked to Hebrew media, quite possibly by Huckabee’s office, the next day.
The Washington Institute: Making Sure Damascus Learns the Right Lessons from the Suwayda Clashes
Sparked by a Bedouin ambush against a Druze vegetable seller, major armed clashes broke out in Syria’s southern Suwayda province on July 13. Since then, chaos has ensued, with newly deployed government forces reportedly committing serious human rights violations, Israel launching fresh airstrikes—including right on the new government’s doorstep in Damascus—and U.S. officials scrambling to calm the situation amid conflicting accounts about what is actually happening on the ground. Although a tenuous ceasefire is now in place, the crisis has put a brighter spotlight on well-known concerns about Syria’s sectarian landscape post-Assad and the new government’s ability to safely handle the transition. To find a diplomatic path out of the bloodshed, Washington will need to increase the pressure for accountability in Damascus—while keeping Israeli enforcement options open in the meantime.
Jewish News Syndicate: ‘Jihadists surrounding al-Sharaa haven’t abandoned extreme vision’
The attempted massacre by the new Syrian regime of the Druze minority in the southern Sweida province, and clashes between the Druze and local government-backed Bedouin tribes, which have left over a thousand dead and displaced more than 128,000 people according to U.N. estimates, have forced a direct Israeli military intervention and revealed a deep strategic dilemma for Jerusalem.
The threat of a terrorist blockade of Mali’s Kayes and Nioro towns would be disastrous for all three countries. Western Mali, bordering Mauritania and Senegal, is increasingly a target for terrorist attacks. Given the strategic importance of this area for the three countries’ economies and security, strengthened cooperation is essential to curb the growing threat.
United States
Newsweek: Army Warns of Terror Threat in Florida
U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) sent out a letter warning about a "potential terrorist threat" in Florida. The letter was sent to retired senior officials living in Florida who had worked previously for the Defense Department (DOD) in Syria or Iraq.
Jerusalem Post: US tries to claw back influence in Middle East after crisis in Syria
Another issue facing the US is the integration of the SDF into the new Syrian army. The SDF was trained and backed by the US. Some US officials have seen this relationship as tactical, temporary and transactional. Generally, the Pentagon, via US Central Command, has been more bullish on the SDF, while the US State Department has preferred only to engage with Damascus. This has led to complexity. arrack had suggested that the SDF should move faster to integrate with the Syrian security forces before the Suwayda clashes. Now there is less clarity. His meeting with Abdi came in this context. “The Ambassador also thanked General Mazloum for his leadership and the SDF’s continued partnership in combatting ISIS in Syria,” the US Embassy said.
A U.S. envoy doubled down on Washington’s support for Syria’s new government, saying Monday there is “no Plan B” to working with it to unite the country still reeling from years of civil war and wracked by new sectarian violence. In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Tom Barrack also criticized Israel’s recent intervention in Syria, calling it poorly timed and saying it complicated efforts to stabilize the region. Barrack is ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, with a short-term mandate in Lebanon. He spoke in Beirut following more than a week of clashes in Syria’s southern province of Sweida between militias of the Druze religious minority and Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes.
Times of Israel: Trump didn’t like seeing reports of Gazans killed while seeking aid — White House
US President Donald Trump has not liked seeing reports from recent days of Palestinians killed while trying to obtain humanitarian aid in Gaza and was “caught off guard” by recent Israeli strikes targeting Syrian government sites as well as deadly IDF shelling that struck a church in Gaza, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday. Leavitt’s willingness to highlight Trump’s displeasure pointed to continued US discomfort with Israeli policy in Syria and the Gaza Strip, even as the two countries have remained broadly aligned strategically.
An official commemoration of the AMIA Jewish community center bombing in Buenos Aires took place in Congress this week for the first time, amid increased tensions with Iran, the country understood to have been behind the attack. The July 18, 1994, car bomb attack killed 85 people, injured over 300, and completely destroyed the AMIA building.
A federal judge in Boston heard arguments Monday in a closely watched case between Harvard University and the Trump administration over more than $2 billion in frozen research funding, a dispute rooted in claims the university failed to adequately respond to antisemitism on campus. The hearing marked a key moment in the legal fight, which comes amid broader tensions between the federal government and elite universities over their handling of antisemitism and pro-Palestinian activism following the Hamas attacks on Israel last October.
He’s a Hitler-loving podcaster on a mission to convince young Christian men to hate – all in the name of God. Corey Mahler, 39, of Maryville, Tennessee, is unapologetically a racist, an antisemite, a fascist and a Christian nationalist who thinks Hitler is in Paradise and the Jews he killed are in Hell. He wants a right-wing Christian government that will deport Jews, immigrants and people of color. He does not rule out the possible need for genocide.
Raw Story: Nazi whines about being fired for calling Holocaust 'a little bit of persecution' on TV Adam Nichols
A self-proclaimed fascist who proudly declared his admiration for Nazi ideologies during a viral debate with MSNBC's Mehdi Hasan is now playing the victim, launching a crowdfunding campaign after allegedly losing his job for his views. During the Jubilee debate aired this week, in which Hasan spoke to 20 far-right voters, the man identified as "Connor" brazenly admitted to being a fascist. When pressed by Hasan about Nazi persecution, he downplayed the atrocities, claiming there was "a little bit of persecution" while insisting he doesn't support assaulting human dignity.
Berkely Scanner: Amid rising antisemitism, Jews in Berkeley hold forum on safety
Members of Berkeley's Jewish community came together at a local synagogue last week to discuss rising antisemitism and how to respond to it. The event, at Netivot Shalom, was organized by the Jewish Coalition of Berkeley and American Jewish Committee with support from the Jewish Community Federation and several other local groups.
Courrier-Journal: UK professor under investigation for allegedly promoting antisemitic petition
A University of Kentucky law professor is under investigation for allegedly circulating an online petition calling for the destruction of Israel. In a July 18 statement, UK President Eli Capilouto said the petition "can be interpreted as antisemitic in accordance with state and federal guidance" and "appears to be authored by a university employee." The professor has been relieved of teaching and classroom responsibilities pending the outcome of an independent investigation.
Canada
CBC: Montreal woman who joined ISIS as a teen convicted of aiding a terrorist group
Oumaima Chouay, who fled her home in Montreal nearly a decade ago to join ISIS in Syria, is the first person in Canada convicted for providing family support to a terrorist entity as a spouse. Chouay was sentenced Monday to one day of custody, in addition to the 110 days she served in pretrial detention, according to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC). The 29-year-old also received a three-year probation order.
It seems hate has no fixed address in Hamilton — it recently surfaced on Main Street East, where Sagewood Dental Care, a family-focused practice led by Dr. Brian Yim, was defaced with white supremacist graffiti. "When we returned from the long weekend, the Canada Day long weekend, we saw the graffiti on the building, on the signage and on our glass railing," Yim recounted recently to CBC Hamilton.
Austria
The European Conservative: Islamist Terror Plot Thwarted in Austria
An 18-year-old man with Macedonian roots has been arrested in Austria on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks against “Western institutions.” The radicalized youth, reportedly born and raised in the Bruck-Mürzzuschlag district of Upper Styria, was apprehended on Sunday, July 20th, upon entering Austria, following a tip from a foreign intelligence agency.
Belgium
Jewish News Syndicate: Belgian Jews criticize King Philippe’s Gaza speech
Jewish organizations in Belgium have expressed regret that King Philippe of Belgium did not mention the Israeli hostages, did not recall Hamas’s responsibility and did not address the “Manichean” position of the United Nations secretary-general in his Sunday speech on the occasion of the country’s national holiday.
Germany
SPIEGEL: Right-wing extremism in Brandenburg: Mayor sounds the alarm
Swastikas and stickers on house facades, banned slogans and pupils in fear: right-wing extremist ideas are becoming increasingly noticeable in the Lusatian town of Spremberg. That is why it is no longer acceptable to keep quiet about it - even if it damages the town's reputation, says the non-party mayor Christine Herntier. She therefore wrote to the citizens. Right-wing extremist activities have increased dramatically in Spremberg over the course of the year, Herntier told the news agency dpa. "Today they're putting up stickers, what will they do tomorrow?" said the mayor. In southern Brandenburg in particular, constitutional watchdogs repeatedly point to a strong right-wing extremist scene. Recently, attacks on youth clubs, for example, have caused uncertainty in several places.
POLITICO: Putin is stepping up ‘aggressive’ hybrid attacks on Germany, spy chief warns
Russia’s attempts to disrupt German society have grown significantly this year, according to Germany’s military counterintelligence chief. “We are talking about a sharp increase in cases of espionage and hybrid measures,” Martina Rosenberg told German press agency DPA. “The approach is more massive and also more aggressive.” The number of cases where Russian involvement is suspected has doubled over the first half of this year, DPA reported in their interview with Rosenberg, who is the president of the Militärische Abschirmdienst or Military Counterintelligence Service.
B.Z.: Experts warn of parallel societies: Islamic Sharia law creeps into our universities
More and more German universities are coming across dubious student Islam groups that use university rooms and resources to praise Allah according to Sharia law, sometimes inviting Salafists to give lectures - with strict gender segregation. The most prominent case is the world-famous Charité University Hospital in Berlin. It has now banned the Islamic student group MedIslam Collective from all activities on campus. The trigger: lectures by the Islamic activists, which took place in the Charité lecture hall under gender segregation (men on the left, women on the right). Ex-Charité student and celebrity virologist Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit warns in view of the Sharia rules at his former university: "The university is not a place for religious parallel societies." Gender segregation is becoming a "political problem", says the doctor.
Several hundred people formed a human chain around a Munich synagogue to protect the Jewish community from a mass pro-Palestinian protest in a moving show of solidarity. The Friday pro-Palestinian rally, organized by the group Palestine Speaks, was given permission to travel right past the city’s main synagogue, posing a threat to the Jewish community. The protesters shouted “Death to the IDF” and waved Palestinian flags, according to footage from the rally.
Afghanistan International: Germany Approves Deployment Of Two Taliban Diplomats To Berlin, Bonn
The German government has approved the deployment of two Taliban-appointed consular officers to Afghanistan’s diplomatic missions in Berlin and Bonn as part of efforts to facilitate the deportation of Afghan nationals with criminal convictions. Government spokesperson Stefan Cornelius confirmed that Sayed Mustafa Hashemi and Nabrasul Haq Aziz have been designated as second secretaries to serve at the Afghan Embassy in Berlin and the consulate in Bonn. The decision comes in the wake of a recent deportation flight that returned 81 Afghans to Kabul.
Greece
Israeli passengers on a cruise ship docked on the island of Syros in Greece were unable to disembark due to large pro-Palestinian protests at the dock on Tuesday, out of concern for passenger safety. MS Crown Iris, a ship owned by Mano Maritime, an Israeli cruise line, flying under the Panamanian flag, departed from Haifa on Sunday, stopped in Rhodes, and arrived in Syros on Tuesday.
Russia
Reuters: Russia passes law punishing searches for 'extremist' content
Russians will face fines if they search online for "extremist" content under a new law that tightens censorship and could have sweeping ramifications for digital privacy and the fate of WhatsApp in the country. The legislation, approved on Tuesday by parliament's lower house, the State Duma, has drawn criticism from some pro-government figures, as well as opposition activists. Opponents say the fines it prescribes, of up to 5,000 roubles ($63.82), could open the door to tougher charges and penalties.
Switzerland
Jerusalem Post: Yeshiva students spat at, insulted by Arab man with knife in Lucerne, Switzerland
An Arab man armed with a knife approached a group of yeshiva students while shouting antisemitic insults and 'free Palestine' in Lucerne, Switzerland on Saturday, Jonathan Kreutner, Secretary General of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG) confirmed to the Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
Swiss Info: Nazi hikers questioned by Swiss police
A group of around 25 men wearing uniforms of the Wehrmacht – the army of Nazi Germany – crossed the Wildhorn massif on Saturday and were questioned by Bern cantonal police. The police had already received information on Friday, Deborah Zaugg, spokeswoman for Bern cantonal police, told Swiss public radio, SRF.
United Kingdom
Reuters: UK plans to ban public sector bodies from paying ransom to cyber criminals
Britain plans to ban public sector bodies and operators of critical national infrastructure, including the state-run health service, local councils and schools, from paying ransom demands to cyber criminals, it said on Tuesday. The country has been the victim of many high-profile ransomware attacks in recent years, from the "WannaCry" cyber attack that crippled Britain's National Health Service in 2017 to the British Library suffering disruption when it refused to pay a ransom in 2023.
Belfast Telegraph: Alleged New IRA leader found guilty of breaching counter-terrorism restrictions
A man believed to be the leader of the New IRA has been found guilty of breaching the Counter Terrorism Act 2008 by failing to notify the police of numerous banking accounts he had opened.
The Guardian: UK ban on Palestine Action is an abuse of power, high court told
An intelligence assessment before Palestine Action was banned under anti-terrorism laws found that the vast majority of its activities were lawful, a court has heard. Raza Husain KC, appearing for Huda Ammori, a co-founder of the group, said Yvette Cooper’s decision to proscribe the group on 5 July was “repugnant” and an “authoritarian and blatant abuse of power”.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: UK Envoy Meets Taliban Officials In Kabul, Calls for Inclusive Dialogue
Richard Lindsay, the United Kingdom’s special envoy for Afghanistan, met with Taliban officials and other Afghan stakeholders during his first visit to Kabul, discussing key humanitarian and political concerns. The meetings discussed issues such as healthcare, the situation of women and girls, and the return of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan.
United Nations human rights experts have called for immediate release of Peter and Barbie Reynolds, a British couple detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan, citing concerns over their deteriorating health and lack of legal and medical access. Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife, Barbie, 75, were detained by the Taliban’s Interior Ministry on February 1. Despite initial assurances by Taliban officials that the arrest was a misunderstanding and that the couple would be released soon, they remain in custody more than five months later.
Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) has claimed responsibility for an armed attack targeting the Taliban’s Directorate of the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Kunduz province, killing two Taliban members and injuring another. In a statement released Tuesday, the AFF said the operation was carried out Monday night against the office of Mullah Najib Ghafori, the local head of the Taliban’s morality police. The group stated the attack resulted in the deaths of two Taliban personnel and left one wounded. The fate of Mullah Ghafori remains unclear.
Egypt
Middle East Monitor: Egyptian court removes activist Alaa Abdel Fattah from terrorist list
An Egyptian court has removed the name of political activist Alaa Abdel Fattah from the country’s terrorist list. In its ruling, the court stated it had reviewed Decision No. 3 of 2025, related to Criminal Case No. 1781 of 2019 (State Security Prosecution), and decided to remove Alaa Ahmed Seif El-Islam Abdel Fattah from the list. The decision was based on investigations indicating he is no longer engaged in any activity linked to the banned Muslim Brotherhood group.
Gaza Strip
Times of Israel: Hamas negotiators unable to reach group’s Gaza leaders, slowing hostage talks
Hamas’s negotiators in Doha have been unable to reach the terror group’s leaders in Gaza since late last week, preventing talks on a ceasefire and hostage release deal from moving forward, a source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel on Monday. Last week, Israel submitted updated maps showing its proposed redeployment of troops during the 60-day truce under discussion. The maps had mediators bullish about the chances for an agreement as they envisioned Israel coming down from previous demands to remain in control over larger swaths of Gaza territory, Arab diplomats told The Times of Israel at the time, adding that they expected Hamas to approve the Israeli maps.
Reuters: All options on the table if Israel does not deliver on Gaza pledges, EU's Kallas says
All options are on the table if Israel does not deliver on its pledges to facilitate humanitarian aid in Gaza, the European Union's top diplomat said on Tuesday. "The killing of civilians seeking aid in Gaza is indefensible," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote in a post on X, adding that she spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar "to recall our understanding on aid flow and made clear that IDF must stop killing people at distribution points."
Associated Press: UK, Canada and 26 other countries say the war in Gaza ‘must end now’
Twenty-eight countries including Britain, Japan and a host of European nations issued a joint statement Monday saying the war in Gaza “must end now” — the latest sign of allies’ sharpening language as Israel’s isolation deepens. The foreign ministers of countries also including Australia and Canada said “the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths.” They condemned “the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.”
Iran
Reuters: Iran warns citizens of growing recruitment attempts by enemies, state media say
The intelligence unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards has warned Iranian citizens of an increase in recruitment attempts by enemy intelligence agencies, state media reported on Tuesday. Entangled in a decades-long shadow war with Israel, which was able to assassinate numerous military commanders and nuclear scientists in its 12-day air war on Iran last month, Iran is ever more concerned about infiltration by the Israeli Mossad spy agency.
Israel
Reuters: Israel intercepts missile fired from Yemen
Yemen's Houthi militant group said on Tuesday it had launched a ballistic missile at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. The Israeli military said it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen following the activation of air raid sirens in multiple regions across the country.
Extremist settlers reportedly set fire to and vandalized several cars belonging to Palestinians in the West Bank, spraying the word "vengeance" on nearby structures, Army Radio reported on Tuesday. Security forces reportedly broke up the incident but failed to carry out any arrests for the damage.
An IDF reservist soldier was killed during fighting in the southern Gaza Strip Monday, the military announced Tuesday, the second death within hours as the army presses ahead with a new offensive in the coastal territory. The announcement came as local media reported that 18 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza and terror group Hamas said that nearly 20 people died of starvation over the previous two days. Neither of the figures could be immediately verified.
More than four months have passed since the end of the last ceasefire in Gaza, and despite this, Israel has failed to achieve any strategic gains, neither through the fighting nor the political negotiations, Eyal Ofer, an expert on Hamas's economy and regional relations, told Maariv. In the interview, Ofer criticized Israel's approach since Operation Gideon’s Chariots, arguing that Hamas “gets everything it wants.”
Jewish News Syndicate: Israeli Bedouin indicted for terrorism incitement, ties to ISIS
Israeli authorities have indicted a 65-year-old man from the northern Bedouin town of Tuba-Zangariyye on charges of incitement to terrorism and supporting terrorist organizations, including Hamas, Al Qaeda and Islamic State, the Israel Police said on Tuesday.
Jewish News Syndicate: Israeli forces thwart terror attack in Bethlehem raid
Israeli security forces operating in the Judean city of Bethlehem had arrested a terrorist cell that was about to carry out an attack, the Israel Defense Forces announced Monday evening. In separate overnight raids in the nearby villages of Halhul, Sa’ir and Beit Sahour, seven additional wanted terrorists were arrested, it said.
Lebanon
Jewish News Syndicate: IDF eliminates Hezbollah terrorist in Southern Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces on Monday struck and killed a Hezbollah terrorist in the area of Bint Jbeil in Southern Lebanon, the military confirmed. According to the IDF, the terrorist had been involved in efforts to reestablish Hezbollah infrastructure in the sector.
Naharnet: Geagea says Lebanese response almost identical to what Hezbollah wants
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Tuesday accused President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and PM Nawaf Salam of “undermining the constitution and the Lebanese institutions” by sidelining the government and parliament in their response to U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s paper.
Naharnet: Reports: Berri proposes Israel halt attacks for 15 days for disarmament to begin
Speaker Nabih Berri will propose to U.S. envoy Tom Barrack that Israel fully halt its attacks for 15 days after which Lebanon would begin removing what’s left of Hezbollah’s arms, TV networks said ahead of the two men’s meeting on Tuesday."The meeting between Berri and Barrack was very positive and we can say that it dispelled the pessimistic atmosphere that had recently prevailed," sources told LBCI television.
Syria
Christian Post: Evangelical pastor, family massacred by terrorists in Syria; at least 20 dead
An Evangelical pastor and roughly 20 of his family members were killed over the weekend in Syria in what church officials described as a targeted massacre. The victims included his parents, siblings, their children and other close relatives. Pastor Khalid Mezher, who led the Good Shepherd Evangelical Church in Suwayda, had converted from the Druze faith to Christianity along with his family several years ago, according to Premier.
Turkey
Daily Sabah: 6 Daesh suspects caught in Istanbul operation
Six Daesh suspects were caught by security sources in a counterterrorism operation in Istanbul late Monday. The Istanbul counterterrorism branch conducted an operation to arrest suspects identified as having links to the Daesh terrorist group and connections to conflict zones.
Pakistan
Dawn: 4 terrorists killed in sanitisation operation in Balochistan’s Kalat: ISPR
Security forces have killed four more terrorists during a sanitisation operation in Balochistan’s Kalat district, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday. A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that a deliberate sanitisation operation was conducted in the district’s surrounding areas on Monday following a successful intelligence-based operation on Saturday in which four terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy, Fitna al-Hindustan, were killed.
Azerbaijan
Azer News: Trial of Ruben Vardanyan resumes in Baku over war crimes and terrorism charges [PHOTOS]
The high-profile trial of Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian national accused of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and terrorism, resumed today at the Baku Military Court. The hearing, held in open session under the chairmanship of Judge Zeynal Agayev and with judges Anar Rzayev and Jamal Ramazanov presiding, continued proceedings in one of Azerbaijan’s most consequential criminal cases. Vardanyan, who stands accused under dozens of articles of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code—including the financing of terrorism, illegal armed group formation, and deliberate murder—was provided a Russian-language interpreter and was represented by his chosen defense attorney, Avraam Berman.
Kenya
The Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) reported on Sunday that the human rights activist Boniface Mwangi was arrested in his residence for “facilitating terrorist activities” allegedly committed during a youth-led protest on June 26. Mwangi, before his arrest, jointly filed a lawsuit in front of the East African Court of Justice against the Tanzanian, Kenyan and Ugandan governments alleging his torture and several human rights violations.
Mozambique
Bloomberg: Mozambique’s Opposition Chief Mondlane Faces Terrorism Charges
Mozambique’s attorney-general charged prominent opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane for incitement to terrorism and disobedience following post-election violence that left hundreds of people dead. “The charge has already been formalized,” Mondlane told reporters in a press conference broadcast on state-owned TVM Tuesday. “The next steps now are to gather local and international lawyers” to discussion options, he said.
Nigeria
A Nigerian priest who previously served in Alaska has been released unharmed several weeks after being captured by Boko Haram in early June, the Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks and Alaska U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Monday. “We received word today that Fr Alphonsus Afina is unharmed and has been safely released,” the diocese said in a Facebook post.
Technology
Daily Mail: Elon Musk unveils bizarre new kids project after humiliating anti-Semitism disaster
Just a few weeks after Elon Musk's chatbot praised Hitler and denied the Holocaust, he's now looking to turn it into a playmate for kids. Musk has called this version is calling the version Baby Grok, and added it would offer 'kid-friendly content' through a new app developed by his company xAI. He made the announcement Saturday night on X, where the post quickly drew over 28 million views within 24 hours. The move left many stunned, coming just two weeks after Grok 4, the latest version of Elon Musk's AI chatbot, sparked backlash for repeating far-right hate speech and white nationalist talking points when about politics, race, and recent news events.
Syria
France 24: Syrian authorities evacuate Bedouin families from Druze-majority Sweida city
Syrian authorities on Monday evacuated Bedouin families from the Druze-majority city of Sweida, after a ceasefire in the southern province halted a week of sectarian bloodshed that a monitor said killed more than 1,260 people. An AFP correspondent outside the devastated provincial capital saw a convoy of buses and other vehicles enter Sweida and then exit again carrying civilians, including women and children.
Jewish News Syndicate: Israeli troops detain weapons dealers in southern Syria
Israel Defense Forces troops apprehended several weapons dealers during an overnight operation in southern Syria, the Israeli military stated on Tuesday. The IDF launched the operation based on intelligence, which indicated that the suspects were transferring weapons in the region. IDF personnel questioned the detained people at the scene.
Turkey
Reuters: Turkey says it will intervene against any attempt to divide Syria
Turkey will directly intervene to stop any attempt to fragment Syria and will prevent any attempts by militants to obtain autonomy after clashes in southern Syria, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Tuesday. His warning against fragmentation, in comments to reporters in Ankara, appeared aimed at Israel as Turkey considers this to be Israel's ultimate aim in Syria.
Australia
Jewish News Syndicate: Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt Australia’s parliament reopening
Australia’s Parliament reopened on Tuesday to the loud presence of hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators demanding sanctions on Israel over the war against Hamas in Gaza, according to the Associated Press. Protesters gathered outside Parliament House in Canberra, calling on the government to go beyond individual sanctions against Israeli officials and impose broader penalties on the State of Israel itself.
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