Fact:
On April 3, 2017, the day Vladimir Putin was due to visit the city, a suicide bombing was carried out in the St. Petersburg metro, killing 15 people and injuring 64. An al-Qaeda affiliate, Imam Shamil Battalion, claimed responsibility.
Eye on Extremism: June 5, 2025
Top Stories
President Donald Trump on Wednesday resurrected a hallmark policy of his first term, announcing that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the United States and those from seven others would face restrictions. The ban takes effect Monday at 12:01 a.m., a cushion that may avoid the chaos that unfolded at airports nationwide when a similar measure took effect with virtually no notice in 2017. Trump, who signaled plans for a new ban upon taking office in January, appears to be on firmer ground this time after the Supreme Court sided with him. Some, but not all, 12 countries also appeared on the list of banned countries in Trump’s first term. The new ban includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Wall Street Journal: How the Houthis Rattled the U.S. Navy—and Transformed Maritime War
Officials are now dissecting how a scrappy adversary was able to test the world’s most capable surface fleet. The Houthis proved to be a surprisingly difficult foe, engaging the Navy in its fiercest battles since World War II despite fighting from primitive quarters and caves in one of the world’s poorest countries. The Houthis benefited from the proliferation of cheap missile and drone technology from Iran. They fired antiship ballistic missiles, the first-ever combat use of the Cold War-era weapon, and they innovated how they deployed their weaponry. The latest technologies have transformed maritime warfare, much the way they have rewritten the script for land wars in Ukraine—forcing militaries to adapt in real time. The U.S. is developing fresh ways to intercept the newest drones and missiles but still relies largely on expensive defense systems.
Analysis
Lawfare: U.S. Funding Cuts Risk Jeopardizing Counter-Islamic State Operations
Since the Islamic State crashed onto the scene in 2014, the U.S. has led efforts to combat the group’s influence, acting as one of the largest donors to the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State and leading its forces through Operation Inherent Resolve. These efforts resulted in the successful territorial defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. With the fall of the Islamic State’s so-called caliphate, however, the threat changed—demanding a new approach. Accordingly, in 2022, U.S. Central Command Commanding General Michael Kurilla divided the Islamic State threat into three parts: “[Islamic State] at large” (the leaders and operatives fighting the U.S. and its partners Irweaq and Syria); “[Islamic State] in detention” (the thousands of Islamic State-affiliated men and boys, as well as some women and girls, held in detention facilities and youth “rehabilitation” centers in Iraq and Syria); and the “potential next generation of [Islamic State]” (the tens of thousands of primarily women and minors held in northeast Syrian Al-Hol and Roj detention camps).
Washington Institute: Reducing the U.S. Presence in Syria Too Quickly Could Help the Islamic State
On June 2, U.S. officials reportedly revealed that 500 American troops have been withdrawn from Syria in recent weeks, bringing the total presence to about 1,500 personnel if true. Other reports indicate that this consolidation will continue by further reducing troop numbers and closing all but one U.S. base. Yet until the new government in Damascus or other actors prove they can take on the main U.S. mission in Syria—fighting the Islamic State (IS)—making further reductions could jeopardize U.S. policy goals in Syria and beyond.
Jerusalem Post: Hamas needs to be held accountable for its web of violence
Blame Hamas for the shift to violence in the United States. In just two weeks, the slogan “Free Palestine” – used since October 7, 2023, to whitewash calls for terror – has served as cover for extreme acts of global violence. The globalization of the intifada has become chic, paving the way for firebomber Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national, to attempt to burn Jews alive during a peaceful march in Colorado in support of hostages held in Gaza. Their only “crime” was being Jewish. Soliman had been planning the attack for more than a year, right under the noses of federal agencies. The slogan “Free Palestine” has become the banner of an effective campaign to redirect public sympathy toward Palestinians in Gaza, while obscuring the actual manifestations of terror. The world should be blaming Hamas.
Le Monde: When racism escalates to far-right terrorism
Behind Marine Le Pen's respectable façade, the spread of the Rassemblement National's ideology, which has gained traction across much of the political spectrum, has fostered hostility toward foreigners and incited tragic acts such as the murder of Hichem Miraoui on May 31.
United States
The White House appointed Fugate, a former Trump campaign worker who interned at the hard-right Heritage Foundation, to a Homeland Security role that was expanded to include the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships. Known as CP3, the office has led nationwide efforts to prevent hate-fueled attacks, school shootings and other forms of targeted violence. Fugate’s appointment is the latest shock for an office that has been decimated since President Donald Trump returned to the White House and began remaking national security to give it a laser focus on immigration.
FOX News: ICE arrests Russian national accused of being member of Al Qaeda
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Philadelphia have arrested a Russian national accused of being a member of Al Qaeda. The 39-year-old man detained on May 23 was born in Tajikistan and is a fugitive who is wanted overseas, ICE announced this week. "Arresting individuals linked to terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda reaffirms our unwavering commitment to safeguard the homeland," ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia Field Office Director Brian McShane said in a statement. "Through close collaboration with our outstanding partners at the FBI, we have taken decisive action to make our communities safer and prevent potential threats to the American people," he added.
Reuters: US vetoes UN Security Council demand for Gaza ceasefire
The United States on Wednesday vetoed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that demanded an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire" between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza and unhindered aid access across the war-torn enclave. The other 14 countries on the council voted in favor of the draft as a humanitarian crisis grips the enclave of more than 2 million people, where famine looms and aid has only trickled in since Israel lifted an 11-week blockade last month. "The United States has been clear: We would not support any measure that fails to condemn Hamas and does not call for Hamas to disarm and leave Gaza," Acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea told the council before the vote, arguing that it would also undermine U.S.-led efforts to broker a ceasefire.
CBS News: Counter-terrorism expert weighs in on fungus allegedly smuggled into Michigan
Two people, Yunqing Jian, a 33-year-old postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan, and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, are accused of smuggling a dangerous pathogen called "Fusarium graminearum" through the Detroit Metro Airport last summer. The Chinese nationals are charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud. Javed Ali, a counter-terrorism expert at the University of Michigan, says that based on information from the official criminal complaint, it doesn't look like a legitimate attempt at research.
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., discusses the arrest of two Chinese nationals accused of smuggling a toxic crop-killing pathogen, the debate over Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' and more on 'Kudlow.'
Reuters: Colorado fire-bomb suspect to make court appearance
The man charged with fire-bombing a Colorado march by people who wanted to raise awareness of Israeli hostages in Gaza is scheduled to be formally charged in state court on Thursday, as those he targeted vowed to carry on their efforts. State prosecutors say Mohamed Soliman, 45, faces nearly 400 years in prison on attempted murder charges in state court. He also faces other state charges.
Hundreds of people squeezed into the Jewish Community Center in Boulder, Colorado, for a vigil that featured prayer, singing and emotional testimony from a victim and witnesses of the firebombing attack in the city’s downtown, while a federal judge has blocked the deportation of the suspect’s family.
President Donald Trump is moving to block nearly all foreign students from entering the country to attend Harvard University, his latest attempt to choke the Ivy League school from an international pipeline that accounts for a quarter of the student body. In an executive order signed Wednesday, Trump declared that it would jeopardize national security to allow Harvard to continue hosting foreign students on its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
A Democratic lawmaker in the Michigan House of Representatives introduced legislation June 4 to amend the state's civil rights law to include an updated definition of antisemitism, saying recent attacks on Jewish communities in the U.S. have created a crisis.
USA Today: Shootings in DC and firebombs in Boulder: Attacks mark dangerous surge in antisemitism
These attacks come after years of escalating rhetoric, protests and demonstrations against the war in Gaza. A report released last month found that antisemitic incidents across America hit a record high for the fourth year running last year, and the same researchers worry that trend will continue throughout 2025.
European Union
Deutsche Welle: Central Europe's right-wing populist networks up their game
Leaders and aspiring leaders from across Europe's right-wing populist political spectrum gathered in the Hungarian capital last week for CPAC Hungary 2025, the fourth Budapest edition of the US Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
France
A Frenchman accused of shooting his Tunisian neighbour to death in a small village in southern France is on Thursday set to appear before an anti-terrorism judge. Both before and after the killing, the man, who is in his 50s, posted racist videos on social media. He is also accused of shooting and wounding a Turkish neighbour.
France 24: French lawmakers back promotion of Alfred Dreyfus, 130 years after anti-Semitic scandal
The lower house of the French parliament on Monday unanimously approved the retroactive promotion of Jewish French army captain Alfred Dreyfus to the rank of brigadier general,130 years after he was wrongly convicted for treason in one of France’s most notorious cases of anti-Semitism.
With anti-Semitism sharply on the rise in the US and across the globe, following Hamas' sophisticated, large-scale brutal attack on Israel on October 7th, the deadliest in the Jewish State's history, FRANCE 24's Delano D'Souza welcomes Ted Deutch, Lawyer, former US Congressman and CEO of the American Jewish Committee. Mr. Deutch is calling for an end to rhetoric inciting violence against Jewish people. He highlights the "steady drumbeat of vitriolic attacks against Israel and anyone who supports Israel, the demonisation of Israel as a legitimate State:" The AJC recently organised a high-profile event for young people in Washington DC, focused on sending aid and humanitarian assistance to Gaza, "bringing together Jews, Muslims, Christians, Israelis, Arabs, Palestinians to focus on humanitarian diplomacy." Immediately after the event, a radicalised individual, shouting 'free Palestine' gunned down a young couple, working for the Israeli Embassy, right outside a Jewish museum in the nation's capital. "This can't be accepted as normal, we can't just move from one violent attack against the Jewish community to the next. We have to stand up, condemn it and say that we will not tolerate it."
Politico: French far-right lawmakers accused of joining racist content-filled Facebook group
Marine Le Pen’s National Rally is once again being forced to bat down accusations of racist behavior following allegations that nine lawmakers from the far-right party were part of a Facebook group containing hateful messages. A report by online publication Les Jours alleged that these MPs were members of a group called “France with [National Rally President] Jordan Bardella” that featured several posts with “antisemitic, homophobic, Islamophobic, and racist remarks.” Les Jours claimed that the group’s administrators were parliamentary assistants, former National Rally candidates and local party officials.
Euro News: Murder of Tunisian man sparks France's first far-right terrorism investigation
Shock over the murder of a Tunisian hairdresser in a village near the French Riviera last weekend continues to reverberate throughout the Western European country, as authorities condemn the crime as fuelled by hatred. After the 46-year-old Hichem Miraoui was shot dead near his home in Puget-sur-Argens in southern France on Saturday, one of his neighbours has claimed responsibility for the attack, in which a man of Turkish background was also injured.
Politico: French court strips Marine Le Pen of her local mandate
A French court ruled Wednesday to strip Marine Le Pen of her role as a local representative in the northern region of Pas-de-Calais as a result of being found guilty of embezzling public funds. While the court ruling in the northern city of Lille has little impact on Le Pen’s standing nationally or her role as a member of parliament, it’s another reminder of how her judicial woes are impacting her political career as doubts swirl about whether she will be able to run in the presidential election in 2027.
Germany
Deutsche Welle: German Cabinet approves stricter asylum measures
The German Cabinet on Wednesday approved several measures to tighten Germany's asylum laws, including a plan to make it easier to determine "safe countries of origin" and thus to deport rejected asylum-seekers. This comes after another policy put in place by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt — allowing police to send back asylum-seekers at the border without assessment of their cases according to the Dublin procedure — was deemed unlawful by the Administrative Court in Berlin. Dobrindt, a conservative politician from the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), would like to see the government made solely responsible in the future for deciding which countries should be categorized as "safe countries of origin." Under his plan, no approval from Germany's upper house of parliament, or Bundesrat, which represents the 16 federal states, would be required anymore to decide whether there is persecution in a country that would justify granting asylum to people from there.
ARD: Queer hostility: How right-wing extremists want to reinterpret Pride Month
Pride Month has existed since 2023 and, according to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, is a "patriotic counter-movement to Pride Month that has been taken up by various actors and has taken on a life of its own". And further: "Under the guise of 'Pride Month', the right-wing extremist scene subsequently incited hatred against the LGBTQ+ community with campaigns both in the digital and real world. 'Pride Month' also acted as a thematically unifying element of the right-wing extremist scene. "Contrary to what is propagated online, 'Pride Month' is not just a patriotic campaign. The name is a direct reference to Pride Month, says Joe Düker, Junior Researcher at the Center for Monitoring, Analysis and Strategy (CeMAS). "Since the same month was chosen and Pride is a direct translation of Pride, you can very clearly make a direct connection." The symbol of "Pride Month" is also based on the rainbow flag of the queer community.
ARD: Remand in custody in Budapest: Maja T. went on hunger strike
Maja T. has been on trial in Budapest since February 2025. The non-binary person is accused of attacks on alleged and actual participants of the right-wing extremist "Day of Honor", which T. is said to have committed together with other people in February 2023. Because the Budapest court has postponed a decision on the conversion of the previous pre-trial detention into house arrest until 20 June, Maja T. has announced that she will go on hunger strike with immediate effect. MDR Investigativ and the ARD studio in Vienna/Southeast Europe have learned this from Maja T.'s family, and in a voice message sent to the editorial offices, T. explains: "Since eleven months of inhumane long-term solitary confinement have followed my illegal extradition to Hungary, I am choosing the last form of protest left to me - a hunger strike, because I can no longer bear this situation."
Italy
Anti -Semitism is not a hallucination, and the attack on Washington shows that the alarms are not unjustified. The alert is now very high, but Walker Meghnagi fears that it is too late: «The terrible American gesture could be imitated in Italy too». It is no coincidence that the president of the Jewish community of Milan points the finger at the left and the local intellectuals who recite the dangerous pro-Pal rhetoric.
Sweden
Jerusalem Post: Swedish appeals court acquits three men of being part of a terrorism group
A Swedish appeals court on Thursday acquitted three out of four men charged with being members of a terrorism organization in Sweden between September 2023 and March 2024, partly overturning a district court ruling. For one of the four men charged with the crime, the appeals court upheld a guilty verdict by the lower court.
United Kingdom
Yahoo! News: UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson pleads not guilty to harassment
British far-right activist Tommy Robinson pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of harassing two journalists, as dozens of supporters gathered outside the London court just days after he was freed from jail.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Taliban’s Use Of Public Floggings Continues With 14 More Sentenced
The Taliban Supreme Court has announced that 14 individuals, including one woman, were publicly flogged in the provinces of Kabul, Khost, Parwan and Paktika on charges including drug trafficking, running away from home and theft. In addition to lashings, the individuals were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six months to four years.
Afghanistan International: GCC Presses Taliban To Guarantee Women’s Rights In Afghanistan
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), at its 164th session held in Kuwait, issued a statement calling for the protection of women’s rights to education and employment in Afghanistan. The council also underscored the need to safeguard the rights of minorities in the country. The statement further stressed that Afghan territory must not be used by terrorist groups or for drug trafficking.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Detains Loyalist As Internal Rift Over Jihad Policy Widens
Sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban have arrested Rahim Sekandar, a prominent supporter of the group on social media. His detention reportedly followed criticism of a Taliban official’s remarks opposing the participation of Taliban fighters in clashes between militants and Pakistani security forces.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Leader Cautions Against Factionalism In Eid Address
In his message for Eid al-Adha, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada twice called on Taliban officials to refrain from interfering in one another’s affairs. He warned that such behaviour leads to “disorder, mistrust and discomfort.” Addressing the group’s leadership, Akhundzada emphasised that officials should implement Sharia in their own lives before attempting to enforce it on others, and should not meddle in one another’s responsibilities.
Iran
AFP: Iran ‘strongly’ condemns US veto on UN Security Council resolution for Gaza ceasefire
Iran “strongly” condemns the United States for vetoing a United Nations Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire and full humanitarian access in Gaza.
France 24: Iran carried out secret nuclear programme with undeclared material UN says
Iran carried out a secret nuclear programme with undeclared material and has conducted covert experiments, the United Nations nuclear watchdog has stated in a confidential report to member states. In another report, IAEA said Tehran has now increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
Iran International: Iranian pilgrims chant ‘death to America’ and ‘death to Israel’ at hajj ceremony
Iranian pilgrims chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” during the annual “Disavowal of Polytheists” ceremony held on Thursday in the plain of Arafat in Saudi Arabia, Iranian media reported. The event, organized as part of Iran’s official Hajj program, took place in tents allocated to Iranian pilgrims and was attended by senior officials, including Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia and the country’s top Hajj representative.
Iraq
Kurdistan 24: U.S. Senator: Militia Threat Must Be Squashed to Enable American Investment in Iraq
American Senator James Lankford underscored the need to eliminate the threat of armed militias in Iraq as a prerequisite for expanding U.S. investment and securing and stable environment across the country, during a brief exchange with a Kurdistan24 correspondent at the White House following Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s official visit to Washington.
In a forceful display of coordinated military resolve, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had supported six targeted anti-ISIS operations across Iraq and Syria between May 21 and 27, resulting in the elimination and capture of key ISIS figures and the disruption of extremist capabilities.
Israel
Times of Israel: Israel providing guns to Gaza jihadist gang to bolster opposition to Hamas
Israel has been arming a criminal gang of jihadists in the Gaza Strip as part of an effort to strengthen opposition to Hamas in the enclave, defense sources confirmed on Thursday following remarks on the matter by former defense minister Avigdor Liberman.
JNS: Liberman says Israel arming ISIS-linked clans in Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday responded to claims made earlier in the day by Yisrael Beiteinu party head Avigdor Liberman that Jerusalem is supplying weapons to ISIS-affiliated clans in the Gaza Strip.
Israel Hayom: ISIS-linked militia was involved in misattributed Hamas incident
The militia that was supposedly armed by Israel as part of the effort to undermine Hamas exchanged fire with Hamas during the incident at the aid distribution center this week, after which Israel was falsely accused of shooting innocent civilians.
The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security agency recovered the bodies of slain hostages Gadi Haggai and Judih Weinstein from the southern Gaza Strip in an operation overnight, it was announced Thursday.
Jerusalem Post: What is the Mujahideen group that held Judith Weinstein, Gadi Haggai?
On June 5, the IDF said they had retrieved the bodies of Judith Weinstein Haggai and her husband, Gadi Haggai. They were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. Their bodies were held in Gaza for almost twenty months. Judith was seventy years old and Gadi was seventy-two when they were murdered. The IDF said that the Palestinian Mujahideen terrorist organization murdered the two. They had Israeli and US citizenship. This is the same terrorist group that is believed to have also kidnapped and killed Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel and Kfir. Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband and the father of the children was released on February 1, 2025. They were kidnapped from Nir Oz on October 7.
Jerusalem Post: Grassroots campaign in Israel targets Qatar's ties to Hamas, support of terror
Israelis from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv woke up last week to posters and placards warning against Qatar, adorning different parts of the major cities. The grassroots campaign focused on Qatar’s support for Hamas, ties to terror-endorsing figures such as Muslim Brotherhood leader Sheikh Youssef Qaradawi, and influence on US campuses, deeming the rich Gulf country a “terrorist state” and leading to social media accounts that claimed to “unmask Qatar.”
Jerusalem Post: Rising Hamas drone activity sparks concern among IDF reservists
There has been a recent uptick in drone usage by Hamas within Gaza, the military said on Thursday after an IDF soldier was moderately wounded and another lightly wounded in the northern Gaza Strip in a drone attack. A Hamas terrorist cell operated a drone over Israeli forces in the area and dropped a grenade on a unit positioned near buildings. The soldiers were evacuated to the hospital, and their families were notified. Reservist soldiers reported the rise in drone threats in recent weeks, with Hamas using drones to gather intelligence on IDF movements and to carry out attacks. “The working assumption is that they are gathering intelligence on us 24/7 using remote observation posts, binoculars, and drones,” a reservist soldier serving in the area said.
Associated Press: US- and Israeli-backed group pauses food delivery in Gaza after deadly shootings
An Israeli- and U.S.-backed group paused food delivery at its three distribution sites in the Gaza Strip after health officials said dozens of Palestinians were killed in a series of shootings near the sites this week. Israeli strikes across the territory, meanwhile, killed 26 people overnight and into Wednesday, officials said.
Reuters: Pressure mounts on Netanyahu as opposition moves to dissolve parliament
A member of Israel's right-wing coalition threatened to quit the cabinet on Wednesday and support an opposition motion to dissolve parliament tabled for next week, piling pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Latest opinion polls suggest that Netanyahu's coalition would lose power if an election was held today, with many voters unhappy over the continued war in Gaza prompted by the attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel in October 2023.
Lebanon
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Lebanon was aimed at saying that “Tehran is still present in Lebanon,” a source close to Hezbollah told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel. “What’s new in Araghchi’s visit is that he said that Iran would deal with the Lebanese state and not with political parties,” the source said.
Naharnet: Israeli general warns against any attack from Lebanon
The commander of the Israeli army’s northern front has warned against any attack from Lebanon, following the recent rocket attack from Syria that targeted the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. “After 19 years, we returned to war in Lebanon. We did not stop until the equation was reversed, and we will not allow the equation to be reversed again. These days, we continue to preserve our achievements and thwart and prevent any threat,” Northern Command chief Ori Gordin said at a ceremony marking the 19th anniversary of the 2006 war with Hezbollah.
Syria
Syria’s new government has agreed to give inspectors from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog access to suspected former nuclear sites immediately, the agency’s head told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Naharnet: Syria says seized missiles and ammo destined for Lebanon
Security forces in the Syrian border city of Qusayr have foiled an attempt to smuggle an arms shipment into Lebanon, the Syrian interior ministry said. On its Telegram channel, the ministry said the shipment contained guided anti-tank missiles and 30mm ammunition.
France 24: There is no accountability for atrocities against Syrian minorities, analyst says
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, the Alawite community which the deposed president hails from has been the target of many attacks, including sectarian massacres which killed more than 1,700 people in March. Since the start of this year, dozens of Alawite women have disappeared under suspicious circumstances, or been kidnapped from their homes by armed militants. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to Kawa Hassan, non-resident fellow at the Middle East and North Africa Programme at the Stimson Centre.
France 24: Five Alawites found dead after being detained by Syrian security forces, war monitor says
Five men belonging to Syria’s minority Alawite community have been found dead at a hospital, two days after security forces stopped the van they were travelling in and arrested them, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. According to the war monitor, the men had been “summarily executed”.
Kurdistan 24: Syria Sees Surge in Sectarian Killings as 26 Die in 12 Assassinations Over Four Days
Syria has witnessed a dramatic escalation in targeted killings over the past four days, with 26 individuals losing their lives in 12 separate assassinations across several governorates. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), most of the victims were civilians, many of whom were killed on sectarian grounds, while others included former military personnel. The spike in violence has ignited widespread alarm among civilians and rights observers alike, as lawlessness and impunity continue to prevail across many regions of the war-torn country. The killings, many of which appear to be deliberate executions or revenge attacks, have reportedly been carried out by unidentified gunmen and operatives affiliated with Syria’s so-called “General Security” apparatus.
Kurdistan 24: Syrian Interior Minister Declares All Captagon Production Facilities Dismantled
Syria’s transitional authorities have “shut down all facilities” producing the illegal amphetamine Captagon, Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced on Wednesday, marking a pivotal shift in the country’s approach to one of the Middle East’s most destabilizing drug crises.
Yemen
Reuters: Red Sea marine traffic up 60% after Houthis narrowed targets, EU commander says
Red Sea marine traffic has increased by 60% to 36-37 ships a day since August 2024, but is still short of volumes seen before Yemen's Houthis began attacking ships in the region, according to the commander of the EU's Aspides naval mission. The number of merchant ships using the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait increased after missile and drone attacks by the Houthis slowed and the U.S. and the rebel group signed a ceasefire deal, Rear Admiral Vasileios Gryparis said in an interview in Madrid.
Mali
Reuters: Mali says two more army posts attacked as jihadist violence escalates
Islamist militants hit two more military installations on Wednesday and Thursday, Mali's army said, the latest in a quick spate of attacks that the insurgents say have killed hundreds of soldiers and underscored their gains. Ground and air reinforcements were being mobilised on Thursday morning to respond to an attack on a security post in Mahou, located in eastern Mali near the border with Burkina Faso, an army statement said.
Nigeria
Reuters: Nigeria's defence chief proposes fencing borders to curb insecurity
Nigeria's defence chief on Tuesday called for the country's borders with its four neighbours to be completely fenced to curb the entrance of armed groups amid escalating insecurity. Nigeria's military has been strained by widespread security issues, particularly a 16-year insurgency in the northeast led by Islamist militant group Boko Haram and its offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province. Security forces and civilians have been attacked and killed and tens of thousands of people have been displaced.
Sudan
Defense Post: Paramilitary Attack on Sudan Displacement Camp Kills 14: Rescuers
Shelling by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed at least 14 people Wednesday in a famine-hit displacement camp in the Darfur region, volunteer rescuers said. The attack hit a market and residential areas of the Abu Shouk camp, according to the local Emergency Response Room, one of hundreds across the country delivering frontline aid since the war between the army and the rival paramilitary group began in April 2023.
Technology
Reuters: OpenAI finds more Chinese groups using ChatGPT for malicious purposes
OpenAI is seeing an increasing number of Chinese groups using its artificial intelligence technology for covert operations, which the ChatGPT maker described in a report released Thursday. While the scope and tactics employed by these groups have expanded, the operations detected were generally small in scale and targeted limited audiences, the San Francisco-based startup said.
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