Eye on Extremism: June 6, 2025

Top Stories

Reuters: Israeli military strikes Beirut's southern suburbs

Israeli air strikes pummelled the southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital late on Thursday, sending thousands of people fleeing on the eve of a Muslim feast day and prompting accusations by top Lebanese officials that Israel was violating a ceasefire deal. t least 10 strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs - a sprawling area known as Dahiyeh - in a wave of bombing that began about 90 minutes after the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for four sites in the area. The Israeli military said on Thursday that it was planning to strike "underground UAV production infrastructure sites that were deliberately established in the heart of civilian population" in Dahiyeh. It said Hezbollah was producing thousands of drones there, "with the direction and funding of Iranian terrorists."

 

The Times: How threats and vandalism have changed the lives of Jewish Americans

The repeated persecution of Jews throughout history has meant antisemitism is often referred to as “the longest hatred”. But since October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and sparking Israel’s deadly war in Gaza, it has reached unprecedented levels in America. In New York, which is home to the largest number of Jews outside Israel, the police department reported 1,045 confirmed hate crimes that year — the highest number in decades. Fifty-six per cent of them were antisemitic, far outpacing discrimination against any other group. Since October 7, more than one third of Jewish American college students and recent graduates say they have personally experienced antisemitism at least once on campus, according to a report from the American Jewish Committee released in February.

CEP Mentions

BICOM: Episode 258 | Yemen and the Houthis

In this episode, Daniel J. Levy speaks with Edmund Fitton-Brown, former UK Ambassador to Yemen, about the evolving Houthi threat and its implications for Israel, the Gulf states, and the broader regional balance of power. They explore the role of the Houthis in Iran’s attempts to project power in the region and in ongoing talks about the Iranian nuclear programme. Edmund Fitton-Brown is a veteran British diplomat who served as the UK’s Ambassador to Yemen from 2015 to 2017 and later coordinated UN expert panels on ISIL, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban. He holds advisory or fellowship positions with the Counter Extremism Project, the Middle East Institute, The Soufan Center and New America.

 

BR24: Eid Festival in Munich: Between Celebration and Appropriation

According to Hans-Jakob Schindler of the research organization "Counter Extremism Project," Qaradawi was "generally regarded as the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood."

Analysis

Der SPIEGEL: A Look inside the Report Documenting the AfD's Right-Wing Radicalism

The BfV spent several months compiling its most recent assessment. Originally, the report was supposed to come out in November 2024, but the collapse of the Olaf Scholz-led government and the snap new elections that followed ruined those plans. The agency had to keep a low profile as the vote approached. So the BfV continued collecting evidence and finally sent the report to the Interior Ministry on April 28, where the acting minister, Nancy Faeser of the SPD, chose to release the results shortly before her successor, Alexander Dobrindt of the Christian Social Union, took office. Faeser decided against an in-depth ministry evaluation of the report, eager as she was to bring the matter to a conclusion before her government left office.

 

The Conversation: Funding terror: how west Africa’s deadly jihadists get the money they need to survive

The west Africa–Sahel region has seen a proliferation of militant Islamist groups since the 1990s. One of the most vicious groups operating in the region is Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (Support Group for Islam and Muslims). The militant group emerged in 2017 in Algeria and Mali, and has targeted civilian populations. The UN listed the group as an al-Qaeda affiliate in 2018. Al-Qaeda is an Islamist organisation founded by Osama bin Laden in the 1980s. The 2024 global terrorism index listed Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin as one of the world’s most dangerous terrorist organisations. Its influence has expanded in most parts of the Sahel. The group emerged to strengthen the jihadist insurgency under al-Qaeda. It combines violence with diplomacy to expand its influence and challenge state authorities.

 

Foreign Policy: Syria’s Islamic State Is Surging

With more than half a century of Assad family rule now a thing of the past, the advent of a new Syria presents a genuinely historic opportunity to foster a more peaceful, stable, and integrated Middle East region. But this optimistic vision of Syria’s integration and prosperity poses an existential challenge to a malign actor such as the Islamic State, which thrives in chaos and whose agenda is to fuel division and conflict through terror. That explains why, in recent weeks, the Islamic State has been determined to challenge and undermine Syria’s newfound cause for hope.

 

Le Monde: The far-right's blackmail in the Netherlands provides a lesson for Europe

By pulling his party out of the coalition on June 3, Geert Wilders managed to deflect attention from the fact that almost none of the electoral promises made by this government or his own party had been fulfilled.

United States

Reuters: Dismay and disbelief as Trump bans visitors from a dozen countries

Officials and residents in countries whose citizens will soon be banned from visiting the United States expressed dismay and disbelief on Thursday at President Donald Trump's new sweeping travel ban as his administration intensifies its immigration crackdown. rump signed a proclamation on Wednesday barring citizens of 12 countries from entering the U.S. starting on Monday, asserting that the restrictions were necessary to protect against "foreign terrorists." But the new ban is much more expansive and covers Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Citizens of seven other countries - Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela - will be partially restricted.

 

Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Trump’s new travel ban will block ‘those in need of real refuge,’ American Jewish Committee says

The American Jewish Committee has come out against President Donald Trump’s new executive order banning travel to the United States from 12 countries, which Trump says is needed because of incidents such as this week’s attack on a rally for the release of Israeli hostages in Boulder, Colorado.

 

Reuters: Retrofitting Qatari jet as Air Force One for Trump to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, Air Force says

It will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to retrofit a Qatari luxury Boeing 747 jetliner to fly as the new Air Force One, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said on Thursday. Last month, the U.S. military accepted the gift from Qatar to transport U.S. President Donald Trump. Retrofitting the 13-year-old plane, which has a luxurious interior, will require significant security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent spies from listening in and the ability to fend off incoming missiles, experts say. "It's probably less than $400 million to retrofit that aircraft," Meink told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing. Democratic lawmakers have said it could cost more than $1 billion to retrofit the plane. Meink said a lot of those costs are ones the Air Force would have experienced anyway.

 

Associated Press: Man accused of yelling ‘Free Palestine’ and firebombing demonstrators charged with attempted murder

A man accused of yelling “Free Palestine” and throwing Molotov cocktails at demonstrators calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza was charged with 118 counts including attempted murder in a Colorado court Thursday. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, who has been jailed since his arrest following Sunday’s attack, was advised of the charges during a hearing in Boulder, where he appeared in person. Investigators say Soliman, who posed as a gardener, planned it for a year.

 

Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Run for Their Lives, the Israeli hostage solidarity movement, presses on after Colorado firebombing

The firebombing in Boulder on Sunday targeted Run for Their Lives, a group that stages weekly public runs and walks around the world to raise awareness about Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. After initially calling for a pause to the events, the group is telling its local chapters to decide for themselves whether to proceed and to consider taking extra precautions if they do.

 

CBS News: Michigan man convicted of supporting ISIS, possessing destructive device

A Michigan man accused of attempting to provide material support to ISIS and having a destructive device has been found guilty by a federal jury. Aws Mohammed Naser, 37, formerly of Westland, was convicted Tuesday after a five-week trial. A jury found Naser guilty of attempting to provide material support to ISIS and being a felon in possession of a destructive device.

 

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.

 

Axios: DOE targets Columbia's accreditation over antisemitism allegations

The Department of Education initiated the process to remove Columbia University's accreditation on Wednesday over its antisemitism allegations.

 

NOLA.com: Louisiana lawmakers urge colleges to crack down on antisemitism after campus protests

Lawmakers are urging Louisiana colleges and universities to adopt new policies aimed at curbing antisemitism on their campuses under a resolution advancing through the state Legislature. The proposal, which follows complaints of antisemitism on college campuses after a wave of pro-Palestine protests last year, aligns with President Donald Trump’s promise to crack down on universities he says have done too little to protect Jewish students.

Canada

Canadian Press: Man with al-Qaida links charged with threatening attack in Montreal

A man previously convicted of supporting al-Qaida has been charged after allegedly threatening an attack in Montreal. Mohamed Abdullah Warsame, 51, allegedly told an employee at a homeless shelter in Montreal that he wanted to build bombs to detonate on public transit.

Germany

BILD: Suspicion of terrorism against student from Cologne (14)

Police operation in Cologne this morning: a schoolboy is suspected of terrorism. The 14-year-old Emirhan A. is said to have joined the terrorist organization "Islamic State" and possibly planned an attack in its name. Searches are currently underway to secure further evidence and the pupil is in custody. The public prosecutor's office in Cologne is investigating the minor on suspicion of spreading propaganda of unconstitutional organizations and membership of IS. What makes the state security officers nervous is that the German Emirhan A. had not previously attracted police attention. However, because he is said to have published videos with references to the terrorist organization IS on his TikTok profile, he caught the attention of the investigators. He is said to have posted a picture with an oath of allegiance to the IS caliph. The comment: "Before it's too late." State security officers immediately searched other internet profiles of the young terror suspect and discovered further Islamist content. Particularly alarming: Emirhan A. changed his Arabic user name to "Suicide bomber/martyr" and wrote "March to death"!

 

Deutsche Welle: Germany vows continued support of Israel as FM visits Berlin

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar met with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, in Berlin on Thursday. The meeting took place a day after Wadephul promised that Germany would send more arms to Israel despite growing international calls for a weapons embargo. Speaking at a press conference with his counterpart, Saar, Wadephul criticized Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip. The German minister said he had renewed his "urgent request to allow humanitarian aid to Gaza" without restrictions as required by international law. Wadephul also decried the Israeli government's announcement that it would allow 22 more settlements in the West Bank. He said that the German government "rejects" the creation of new Israeli settlements there as illegal under international law.

 

ARD: Arrest in the USA: US intelligence officer apparently wanted to defect to Germany

In the email in which Nathan L. is said to have offered his betrayal, he quickly got to the point: he was an officer of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the US military intelligence service. He had the highest level of security clearance. "I am deeply concerned by the recent actions of the current administration." He does not share the values of the US government, judicial documents quote from the man's email. He intends to "stand up for the values that the United States once stood for". The US Department of Justice made the case public a few days ago. According to the report, the 28-year-old was arrested when he was about to hand over sensitive documents to an undercover FBI agent after allegedly having been in contact with him for some time. L. apparently believed him to be the representative of the foreign "friendly government" he had originally contacted by email. However, the US judiciary did not disclose which allied country L. is said to have offered himself to.

 

Deutsche Welle: Merz: 'We have imported antisemitism with big numbers of migrants'

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has told US media that migration is a factor behind the rise in antisemitism in Germany. In an interview with Fox News, Merz was asked what he was doing to combat antisemitism in Germany and he said: "This is, especially for Germany, a terrible challenge that we are faced with such an amount of cases of antisemitism in Germany."

United Kingdom

New York Times: U.K. Faces ‘Extraordinary’ Threat from Russian and Iranian Plots, Official Warns

Jonathan Hall, a British government adviser, said in an interview that hostile states were paying local criminals to carry out acts of violence, espionage and intimidation.

 

Reuters: Three men to go on trial next year over fires linked to UK PM Starmer

Three men all linked to Ukraine will go on trial next April accused of involvement in a series of arson attacks on houses and a vehicle in London connected to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a London court heard on Friday. Over five days last month, police were called to fires at a house in north London owned by Starmer, another at a property nearby where he used to live, and to a blaze involving a car that also used to belong to the British leader.

 

The Telegraph: Wagner Group told British proxy to use KGB drama ‘as manual’

The Wagner Group told a British proxy to use a TV drama about KGB spies in the US “as a manual”, a court heard. Dylan Earl, 20, has admitted orchestrating an arson attack on an east London warehouse and plotting to burn down Mayfair businesses, kidnapping their Russian dissident owner last year, following help from the Russian-backed terrorist group.

 

The Mirror: Bargain Hunt star sentencing live: BBC's Ochuko Ojiri admits Hezbollah terror offence

Bargain Hunt expert Ochuko Ojiri is due to appear in court again today as he's set to be sentenced after pleading guilty to terror offences. Ojiri, also known by his full name of Oghenochuko Ojiri, plead guilty to eight counts under the Terrorism Act 2000 of failing to disclose during the course of business within the regulated sector, following an investigation into alleged "terrorist financing" on May 9.

 

The Straits Times: Three Iranians in UK court accused of assisting Tehran spy service

Three Iranian men appeared in court in London on Friday accused of assisting Iran's foreign intelligence service and plotting violence against journalists working for a British-based broadcaster critical of Tehran. The three men - Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, - have been charged with offences under Britain's National Security Act, brought in to give the authorities new powers to target threats from foreign states.

 

The Times: Abu Hamza’s son: PM should apologise for removing citizenship

The son of Abu Hamza, the terrorist serving life in prison, is calling on the government to reinstate his British citizenship and for Sir Keir Starmer to apologise for its removal. In a video of a discussion with Moazzam Begg, Sufiyan Mustafa also spoke of his admiration for Marie Colvin, the late Sunday Times war correspondent, whose murder by the Assad regime caused him to join the rebel fighters in Syria.

 

The Telegraph: Terrorism the only issue Starmer handling well, poll finds

Terrorism is the only issue that British people think Sir Keir Starmer is handling well, new polling suggests. In a damning audit of Labour’s first year in office, voters gave the Government bad marks on 14 out of 15 key policy areas, from taxation to immigration.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan International: Pro-Taliban Social Media Figure Rahim Sekandar Confirms He Is In Custody

Rahim Sekandar, a prominent pro-Taliban figure on social media, has confirmed that he is currently being held by the group. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he wrote: “I am imprisoned by the Taliban’s Reform Commission. A few days ago, I criticised the remarks of Mawlawi Saeedullah Saeed, but now I admit I was wrong and retract my statement.”

 

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’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.

 

Amu: Taliban threaten families of UN female staff in effort to block their work, employees say

Several women employed by United Nations agencies in Afghanistan say Taliban have escalated threats against their families in a bid to force them to quit their jobs, raising alarm over the safety of humanitarian workers and the future of international aid operations in the country. In interviews with Amu TV, two women — who requested anonymity due to security concerns — described systematic harassment, including repeated visits by Taliban-affiliated individuals to their homes. They said that The men issued verbal threats of arrest and even death if the women continued to work.

Gaza Strip

Reuters: Hamas chief says group did not reject US ceasefire proposal for Gaza, sought changes

The head of Hamas in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, said in a pre-recorded speech on Thursday the group had not rejected the latest U.S. proposal for a ceasefire with Israel but demanded changes that would secure the end of the war in the enclave. The group was ready to engage in a new round of ceasefire talks, and communication with mediating countries was ongoing, he added. The latest U.S. proposal was came via President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff. "The movement (Hamas) didn't reject the Witkoff proposal, but we have demanded some remarks and improvement to ensure an end to the war," Hayya, who is also chief Hamas negotiator, said in a pre-recorded video speech. Hayya reiterated demands for an end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, conditions Israel has rejected.

 

Times of Israel: A city of booby traps, tunnels: ToI in Khan Younis hours after bodies of 2 hostages retrieved

After recovering the bodies of slain hostages Gadi Haggai and Judih Weinstein in Khan Younis on Wednesday night, Israeli forces continued to push deeper into the city in the southern Gaza Strip, intensifying operations aimed at reaching its center. Now entering its 20th month, the war has left Khan Younis in ruins — a shattered landscape almost unrecognizable from what it once was. The Israel Defense Forces last operated deep in Khan Younis with ground troops in April 2024.

 

Jerusalem Post: 'They're criminals, like ISIS': IDF reveals Gaza resident's testimony to COGAT officer

The people who fired at civilians attempting to disrupt the distribution of aid were members of Hamas, a Gaza resident told a Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories officer in new recordings revealed by the IDF on Thursday. “They don’t want the people to receive aid, they want to foil the plan so that the aid will go to them, allowing them to steal it. They’ve gone completely bankrupt,” the Gazan resident said.

Iran

Wall Street Journal: Iran Orders Material From China for Hundreds of Ballistic Missiles

Iran has ordered thousands of tons of ballistic-missile ingredients from China, people familiar with the transaction said, seeking to rebuild its military prowess as it discusses the future of its nuclear program with the U.S. Shipments of ammonium perchlorate are expected to reach Iran in coming months and could fuel hundreds of ballistic missiles, the people said. Some of the material would likely be sent to militias in the region aligned with Iran, including Houthis in Yemen, one of the people said.

 

Naharnet: Iran slams Israeli 'aggression' against Lebanon

Iran condemned Israeli "aggression" against Lebanon on Friday after its arch foe carried out air strikes against alleged targets of Tehran-backed Hezbollah in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Israel

Jerusalem Post: Ex-top Shin Bet official to 'Post': Palestinian groups fighting Hamas in Israel’s interest

Palestinian tribal gangs in Gaza fighting against Hamas is in Israel’s interest, former top Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) official Shalom Ben Hanan told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. He was responding to the controversy about the agency providing weapons to such groups under orders from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ben Hanan retired in 2022 after 27 years in the agency at the equivalent rank of a major-general in charge of a whole division in comparison to IDF ranks, and was on Netanyahu’s shortlist in the running for the agency’s chief this spring. “According to reports, the phenomenon of arming Palestinian tribal gangs to harm Hamas is a positive development – this is saving the lives of our soldiers,” in various cases, he said.

 

Reuters: Remains of Canadian hostage returned to Israel, Canadian PM Carney says

The remains of Judih Weinstein, a Canadian citizen who was taken hostage by Hamas during its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, have been returned to Israel, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement on Thursday. "As the family grieves the unimaginable loss of both Ms. Weinstein and her husband, Gadi Haggai, who was murdered in that same horrific attack, the return of their remains is a time to begin to heal and to rest," Carney said.

 

Times of Israel: Israeli Navy gears up to block Greta Thunberg’s high-profile protest ship headed for Gaza

The Israeli Navy is expected to block a high-profile activist mission sailing to Gaza to challenge Israel’s blockade, should the boat near Israel’s territorial waters in the coming days. Clashes aboard the Madleen, which was organized by the pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel Freedom Flotilla Coalition, would likely spark diplomatic outrage, with France and Britain reportedly monitoring the situation.

 

Jerusalem Post: Most Israelis doubt Gaza ops. will return hostages or defeat Hamas – Survey

As the IDF progresses in the Gaza Strip as part of Operation Gideon's Chariots, a survey by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), published on Friday, shows that most Israelis are skeptical the campaign will achieve its two main objectives: Bringing home the hostages and defeating Hamas.

Lebanon

Naharnet: Israel warns of more Lebanon strikes if Hezbollah not disarmed

Israel warned Friday that it will keep striking Lebanon until Hezbollah has been disarmed, hours after it hit Beirut's southern subrubs in what Lebanese leaders called a major violation of the November ceasefire. An Israeli military evacuation call issued ahead of Thursday's strikes sent huge numbers of residents of the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, long a bastion of Iran-backed Hezbollah, fleeing for their lives.

 

Naharnet: Salam says army dismantled 'more than 500' Hezbollah installations in south

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Thursday that the Lebanese army had dismantled "more than 500 military positions and arms depots" belonging to Hezbollah in the south of the country.

Syria

Middle East Eye: US to investigate army vehicle displaying word ‘kafir’ in northeast Syria

The US-led coalition in Syria has launched a formal investigation after “unapproved symbols or language” were observed on a US military vehicle in northeast Syria, the coalition said in a statement to Middle East Eye on Friday. On Thursday, MEE reported that a US military vehicle patrolling near the city of Hasakah last weekend displayed the word "kafir" - infidel in Arabic - on its front next to a Christian cross.

 

Times of Israel: BBC says its journalists detained and strip-searched by Israeli forces in Syria

Israeli soldiers detained BBC Arabic special correspondent Feras Kilani — a British citizen — and six of his colleagues in southern Syria on May 9, and allegedly subjected the group to searches, interrogation, and threats after they filmed near Israeli positions in a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone near the town of Quneitra, the network alleged Thursday.

 

New Arab: Syrian judges who defected during Assad era reinstated in anti-crime push

A presidential decree reinstating Syrian judges who defected during the regime of the ousted ex-President Bashar al-Assad was issued on Thursday, in what appears to be a new push to crack down on crime. The Syrian Ministry of Justice has labelled the move as an important step in the path of judicial reform and provides justice for those who defected from the regime due to their support for the Syrian people.

Pakistan

Times Tribune: Two Indian-sponsored terrorists killed in Balochistan IBO: ISPR

Security forces targeted a group of terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in Kolpur, Kachhi District, Balochistan, the military's media wing reported on Friday.

 

The Statesman: Paank slams Balochistan Anti-Terror Bill, cites surge in rights abuses

Paank categorically denounces the Balochistan Assembly’s passage of the Anti-Terrorism (Balochistan Amendment) Bill 2025, which exacerbates the region’s human rights crisis. According to Paank’s post on X, this legislation runs the risk of legitimising state-sponsored abuses by giving the military, paramilitary, intelligence services, and police broad authority to detain people on suspicion for a maximum of three months, with possible extensions under Article 10 of the Constitution.

Africa

Modern Ghana: Surging jihadist violence in Sahel fuels fears unrest may spread

Jihadists have intensified their offensives in the Sahel region in recent weeks, carrying out bloody raids in Mali, incursions into major cities in Burkina Faso and inflicting heavy army losses in Niger. The three Sahel states' military juntas, who had pledged during the coups that brought them to power to make security a priority, are struggling to contain the advance of jihadists, who are threatening more than ever neighbouring countries on the west African coast.

Congo

Reuters: Qatar presents draft peace proposal to Congo and M23 rebels, source says

Qatar has presented a draft peace proposal to Congo and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels after months of mediation in Doha, and the two sides will consult their leaders before resuming talks, a source briefed on the negotiations told Reuters on Thursday. Fighting in eastern Congo escalated this year as M23 staged an advance that saw it seize the region's two largest cities, raising fears of a wider regional war. African leaders along with Doha and Washington have been trying to broker a peace deal that would put an end to a conflict with roots in the Rwandan genocide more than three decades ago. Sources from both the Congolese government and M23 camps told Reuters on Thursday that some members of the delegations had left Doha but cast doubt on whether there had been significant progress in the talks so far. 

Niger

Associated Press: Red Cross closes Niger offices and foreign staff leave after junta’s expulsion order

The International Committee of the Red Cross announced the closure of its offices in Niger and the departure of its foreign staff, four months after the ruling junta ordered the organization to leave the country. The ICRC confirmed the closure and departure in a statement on Thursday.

Somalia

Bloomberg: Turkey Said to Supply Somalia’s Military With Combat Helicopters

Turkey will supply Somalia’s navy with T129 Atak helicopters following the signing of a defense pact between the two nations earlier this year, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The craft will be used to fight the al-Qaeda-backed al-Shabaab terror group, one of the people said.

Sudan

Associated Press: Civilian casualties mount in South Sudan as fighting between army and local militias escalates

The fighting has led to U.N. warnings that South Sudan is again on the brink of civil war. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking to send to South Sudan a group of eight deportees from Cuba, Vietnam and elsewhere who have been convicted in the U.S. of serious crimes, sparking a legal fight that has reached the Supreme Court.

Australia

Daily Mail: Urgent 'terrorism' warning for Aussies heading to popular holiday hotspot

Holidaymakers in the Maldives have been told to remain on high alert following an update to the Australian Government's official travel advice. Australians are among the largest groups of visitors to the tropical paradise with over 30,000 travelling to the island nation in 2023 alone.

 

Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Homes raided by terror taskforce investigating Adass Israel synagogue fire

Police detectives investigating the firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue have raided several homes in the city's north. Police revealed officers from the Joint Counter-Terrorism Taskforce executed search warrants on Friday morning at at least three homes in relation to the fire at the Adass Israel synagogue in December last year.

Daily Dose

Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.

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. 

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