Top Stories

Reuters: Al Qaeda affiliate claims responsibility for Burkina attack, says it killed 60 soldiers

Al Qaeda affiliate JNIM has claimed responsibility for an attack targeting a military post in Burkina Faso's northern Loroum province in which the group said 60 soldiers were killed, the SITE Intelligence Group said on Tuesday. The U.S.-based non-governmental organization, which tracks online activity of Islamist militants, said JNIM had posted messages on Monday and Tuesday in which it took credit for four assaults in Burkina Faso and Mali. The attacks highlight the difficulties the three Sahel nations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, ruled by military leaders, are facing in containing the insurgents. Burkina authorities have not commented on the latest attacks. The most notable attack occurred in the Burkina town of Sole, where JNIM fighters raided the army military post and killed soldiers, SITE Intelligence said, without specifying on which day it took place.

CEP Mentions

ZDF: Secret service expert on sabotage: Russia is trying to "disrupt Germany"

Interview with CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler: "Today's events are really the latest example of a whole series of incidents, both in cyberspace and offline, in which it is clear that Russia is constantly, very purposefully and very willing to take risks in its repeated attempts to disrupt Germany and damage German interests," says Schindler. Schindler explains that there is a recruiter who is presumably already "pre-sorted in the milieu". According to Schindler, they may have basic sympathies or financial difficulties. In return for payment, these people are ultimately given a contract. Russia itself denies this approach, explains Schindler. Otherwise, it would run the risk of "actually being an act of war". There will be legal consequences for the suspects, a hearing before the criminal court, a trial. There could also be diplomatic consequences, for example the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Germany.

 

Free Press: How Qatar Bought America

CEP Advisory Board Member Dr. Magnus Ranstorp quoted: "What’s beyond dispute is that Qatar’s support of the Muslim Brotherhood projects its power across the Muslim world from Jordan to Indonesia. “The Qataris are using Islamism as a form of political leverage,” said Magnus Ranstorp, a longtime expert on Islamic movements and terrorism and a strategic adviser at the Swedish Defense University."

 

Frankfurter Rundschau: Putin's "disposable agents" attack Germany – with a criminal scam

The case brings back memories of investigations into Russian sabotage using incendiary devices in air cargo packages. "In such actions, such as the one that has now apparently been prevented, one must ask the question of when the term 'act of sabotage' no longer suffices and one must speak of an attack on Germany," said terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler, director of the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), in an interview with our editorial team. 

Analysis

New York Times: India and Pakistan Talked Big, but Satellite Imagery Shows Limited Damage

The four-day military clash between India and Pakistan was the most expansive fighting in half a century between the two nuclear-armed countries. As both sides used drones and missiles to test each other’s air defenses and hit military facilities, they claimed to inflict severe damage. But satellite imagery indicates that while the attacks were widespread, the damage was far more contained than claimed — and appeared mostly inflicted by India on Pakistani facilities. In a new age of high-tech warfare, strikes by both sides appeared to be precisely targeted.

 

Times of Israel: Israel may have killed Muhammad Sinwar, but he was likely never in the driver’s seat

Even if he was killed, though, it remains unclear how much of an impact his assassination would have on the terror group, whose senior leadership largely lives outside the Gaza Strip. Israeli officials have described Sinwar as obstinate with regard to negotiations with Hamas for the release of hostages, and an obstacle to reaching a ceasefire deal. But unlike his brother, who had wielded considerable influence over the direction of talks and the group’s strategic planning, it seems Muhammad Sinwar had only a limited role in either.

United States

Reuters: Trump says US close to a nuclear deal with Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States was getting very close to securing a nuclear deal with Iran, and Tehran had "sort of" agreed to the terms."We're in very serious negotiations with Iran for long-term peace," Trump said on a tour of the Gulf, according to a shared pool report by AFP.

 

The Guardian: Republican tax bill could slap ‘terrorism’ label on non-profits opposed to Trump

Non-profit groups are sounding the alarm over an attempt by Republican lawmakers to insert a provision allowing the government to cancel the tax-exempt status of organizations it deems “terrorist supporting” in a massive bill under negotiation in the House of Representatives. The provision’s potential inclusion in the spending and taxation legislation that Donald Trump and his allies refer to as “one big, beautiful bill” has sparked fears that the administration will wield it against groups who file lawsuits or organize voters against his policies.

 

NDTV: "Young, Attractive Guy": Trump's Big Praise For Terrorist-Turned-President

Dismantling years of US government policy of treating Syria like a pariah, President Donald Trump on Wednesday met Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa-- former leader of a rebel group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was an offshoot of al-Qaeda and designated as a terrorist organisation by the American government. The meeting was held in Riyadh at the request of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a day after President Trump lifted sweeping sanctions against Syria, which the US began imposing in 1979.

 

KWQC: Thomson inmate found guilty of murder, hate crime

An inmate at Thomson Prison has been convicted of murder and a hate crime after beating a fellow inmate to death, in what prosecutors say was an attempt to join a white supremacist gang. Brandon “Whitey” Simonson, 41, from Moorhead, Minnesota, was found guilty of second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, hate crime and assault leading to death of fellow inmate Matthew Phillips.

 

Jerusalem Post: Amid rising antisemitism, Jewish life is surging on US campuses

The biggest story on campus isn’t protest or politics. It’s a quiet Jewish comeback. A recent study from the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) found that nearly a third of American Jews have become more engaged in Jewish life since October 7. That headline has drawn attention, but it risks missing the most important detail buried within the data: young adults, the study found, are actively seeking nonpolitical, inclusive communities. That change may seem unexpected in a year highlighted by a contentious election and colleges being politically scrutinized. But if you’ve spent any time on college campuses lately, it makes perfect sense. Something subtle but significant is happening: Jewish students, and many of their peers, aren’t retreating. They’re seeking – not slogans, not ideologies, but meaning. Rootedness. Something quieter and more lasting than the next headline.

 

NBC: For first time, Sinaloa Cartel leaders charged with terrorism in federal court, in San Diego

“To the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel: You are no longer the hunters. You are the hunted.” A news conference inside the U.S. Attorney’s San Diego office on Tuesday began with that dramatic opening from U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, who was announcing the unsealing of a federal indictment charging multiple alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel with narco-terrorism and material support of terrorism. It's the first time in U.S. history that drug traffickers have been charged with terrorism. The indictment follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that designated the Sinaloa Cartel and other drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement, "The Sinaloa Cartel is a complex, dangerous terrorist organization and dismantling them demands a novel, powerful legal response. Their days of brutalizing the American people without consequence are over — we will seek life in prison for these terrorists."

 

Reuters: Turkey to discuss roadmap with U.S., Syria after U.S. lifted Syrian sanctions

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday he will discuss the U.S. decision to lift sanctions on Syria and the roadmap ahead in a meeting with his U.S. and Syrian counterparts later in the day. Fidan was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an informal NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Antalya, Turkey, where he later planned to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani.

 

Reuters: Trump says Pakistan-India dispute is settled

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that hostilities between Pakistan and India were settled, after he urged the two countries to focus on trade instead of war. He told U.S. troops at a base in Qatar during a Gulf tour that Pakistan and India were happy with that.

 

Associated Press: Trump’s sanctions on ICC prosecutor have halted tribunal’s work

The International Criminal Court ’s chief prosecutor has lost access to his email, and his bank accounts have been frozen. The Hague-based court’s American staffers have been told that if they travel to the U.S. they risk arrest. Some nongovernmental organizations have stopped working with the ICC and the leaders of one won’t even reply to emails from court officials. Those are just some of the hurdles facing court staff since U.S. President Donald Trump in February slapped sanctions on its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, according to interviews with current and former ICC officials, international lawyers and human rights advocates.

 

CBS News: Michigan man, 19, accused of planning mass shooting at military base on behalf of ISIS

A former Michigan Army National Guard member is accused of attempting to carry out a mass shooting at a U.S. military base in Warren, Michigan, on behalf of the terrorist organization ISIS. Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, 19, of Melvindale, Michigan, was arrested Wednesday after officials foiled his alleged planned attack at the U.S. Army's Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command facility at the Detroit Arsenal.

European Union

Reuters: EU's Kallas proposes further loosening of Syria sanctions – document

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has proposed a further loosening of European sanctions on Syria to allow funding for Syrian ministries in areas including reconstruction and migration, according to a document seen by Reuters. The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria.

 

Associated Press: Rotterdam unveils a museum about migration while anti-foreigner sentiment rises in Europe

The museum opens Friday as migration is on the rise, along with anti-immigrant sentiment in many parts of the world. The number of people living outside their country of birth — over 300 million — has nearly doubled since 1990, according to the United Nations.

France

Reuters: France says it will file a court complaint against Iran over citizens' detention

France will file a legal complaint on Friday against Iran at the International Court of Justice for violating the right to consular protection, foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said on Thursday. Two French citizens, Cecile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris, have been held in Iran for three years. France is accusing Iran of keeping them in conditions akin to torture in Tehran's Evin prison and not allowing proper consular protection.

Germany

ARD: Suspicion of sabotage: Decisive tip-off is said to have come from abroad

According to information from WDR, NDR and SZ, the tip-off about the suspected sabotage preparations is said to have come from a foreign intelligence service. In Germany, these tips are said to have initially been followed up by constitutional protection officers from North Rhine-Westphalia and state security officers from the Cologne police. Vladyslav T. is then said to have been monitored. He is said to have behaved in a conspiratorial manner. That is why the investigators apparently wanted to arrest the Ukrainian. However, according to security sources, a judge initially did not see sufficient grounds for an arrest at this time. In the end, the investigators are said to have spoken directly to Vladyslav T., the coordinator in Switzerland, and as the research shows, a more comprehensive plot apparently unfolded during the conversation with him. He is said to have told them that he had received money. He had been instructed to send parcels via a service provider. In the end, the investigators apparently came up with another man who has now been arrested in Switzerland. The investigators are assuming that this suspect played a coordinating role.

 

B.Z.: Left-wing extremists attack Microsoft and Amazon in Berlin

For the second day in a row, left-wing extremists have attacked branches of US companies in the capital. On Wednesday night it was a Microsoft Center on Unter den Linden in Berlin-Mitte, the night before the Amazon Tower in Friedrichshain. A police spokeswoman confirmed to B.Z. on Wednesday that the graffiti was discovered at around 4 a.m.: "According to what we know so far, the façade was sprayed with red paint containing butyric acid." The masked attackers had sprayed the paint mixed with the foul-smelling substance on the windows and façade of the Microsoft Digital Eatery using prepared fire extinguishers. Pictures of the attacks and corresponding letters of confession were published on the left-wing media platform "Indymedia". In the letters, the suspected left-wing extremists refer to Israel's military action in Gaza and the West Bank. Both companies attacked would support Israel with software.

 

DPA: German Chancellor Merz 'very sceptical' about banning far-right AfD

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday said he was "very sceptical" about mounting calls to ban the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), after domestic intelligence classified the party as "confirmed right-wing extremist." Merz told Die Zeit weekly that it must be proven that a group was "aggressively" fighting against the country's free democratic order for it to be banned. "And the burden of proof lies solely with the state."

Hungary

Reuters: Hungarian media, activists protest against crackdown on foreign-funded groups

Dozens of news outlets, think tanks and rights groups published an open letter on Thursday protesting against planned legislation that they said is meant to silence criticism of the government. Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party submitted the bill on Tuesday that would draw up a list of organisations that get foreign funding and restrict or even shut them down if the government decides they threaten Hungary and its culture.

United Kingdom

Reuters: Britain seeking third countries to host deported migrants

The British government is in talks with unspecified third countries about deals to send them migrants who have been refused the right to stay in Britain and run out of legal options to avoid deportation. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure to show he can control migration - an emotive subject for many voters who feel it is too high, and one which has for more than a decade driven successive governments to seek to tighten Britain's borders.

Israel

Reuters: Israeli army kills five Palestinians in West Bank after pregnant settler killed

Israel's military killed five Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, hours after a pregnant settler was killed in a shooting, as hardline pro-settler leaders including a government minister called for Palestinian towns to be razed. The military said in a statement it had killed five "terrorists" and arrested a sixth who had barricaded themselves in a building in Tamoun, following an exchange of gunfire and the use of shoulder-fired missiles by Israeli soldiers.

 

The Hill: Trump suggests US ‘take’ Gaza, make it ‘freedom zone’

President Trump on Thursday suggested the U.S. would look to take control of the Gaza Strip and turn it into a “freedom zone,” highlighting one of his more controversial foreign policy proposals during a visit to Qatar. “I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good. Make it a freedom zone, let the United States get involved, and make it just a freedom zone” Trump said during a business roundtable.

 

Times of Israel: Hostage talks kick off in Doha, but PM’s insistence on not ending war curbs optimism

Hostage negotiations kicked off in Doha on Wednesday with renewed energy and optimism from US mediators following Hamas’s release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, but an Israeli and an Arab official told The Times of Israel that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to accept proposals that commit Jerusalem to permanently ending the war in Gaza significantly limit the chances for success.

 

Times of Israel: New aid group: We’ll start Gaza operations by June; Israel to lift blockade in interim

A US-backed aid organization established to manage a new model for distributing humanitarian assistance in Gaza announced Wednesday that it would begin operating in the enclave by the end of the month and that Israel would lift its over two-month blockade in the interim. There was no Israeli confirmation of the latter announcement by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), but an Israeli official told The Times of Israel that one would be made in the coming days.

 

Reuters: Israel intensifies Gaza bombardment

Israeli military strikes killed at least 80 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, local health authorities said, in an intensification of the bombardment as U.S. President Donald Trump visits the Middle East. Medics said most of the dead, including women and children, were killed in a barrage of Israeli airstrikes on houses in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza. Later on Wednesday, the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders to people in several districts in Gaza City, forcing thousands of Palestinians to leave their shelters. The areas threatened by the evacuation warnings included several schools and the largest Shifa Hospital, according to a map published by the Israeli army. Witnesses and medics said shortly after the evacuation orders Israeli planes carried several airstrikes against targets within Gaza City.

 

New York Times: Strike on Hospital Highlights Israeli Attacks on Gaza Health System

Israel’s strikes on a major hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday, in a bid to kill a top Hamas commander, have drawn new attention to one of the war’s most contentious issues: Israeli attacks on medical facilities, and Hamas’s use of such sites for military purposes. The attack on the European Gaza Hospital complex near Khan Younis killed at least six people, according to the Gazan medical authorities, and left several deep craters in and around the hospital grounds, according to video filmed at the site and verified by The New York Times. In a separate set of attacks, Israeli strikes killed dozens of people in northern Gaza overnight, Palestinian health officials said on Wednesday. Even in a war that has decimated Gaza’s health sector, Israel has rarely launched as powerful an attack on a health complex as the one that damaged the European Gaza Hospital on Tuesday.

 

Jerusalem Post: Hamas Rafah brigade commander probably killed in IDF strike on Sinwar

The IDF's strike on Tuesday night to try to kill Hamas chief Mohammad Sinwar may have killed Hamas Rafah Brigade commander Muhammad Shabana, sources estimate. So far, there is cautious optimism that both Hamas officials were killed in the attack, though it may take time to confirm. If so, then Hamas's current leader and one of the few top until now living Hamas commanders who might have replaced him, would have been removed with one swift military stroke. Already during the war, the IDF has killed October 7 architect Yahya Sinwar, former military chief Mohammad Deif, Deif's deputy Marwan Issa, Northern Gaza Brigade commander Ahmad Ran Dur, Central Gaza Brigade Commander Ayman Nofel, and Khan Yunis Brigade Commander Rafah Salame. Also, Israel has killed Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and his deputy, Salah al-Arouri.

 

The Guardian: Western countries gave Mossad information used to track and kill Palestinian terrorists in 1970s

A secret coalition of western intelligence agencies supplied Israel with crucial information that allowed the Mossad to track and kill Palestinians suspected of involvement in terrorist attacks in western Europe in the early 1970s, newly declassified documents have revealed. The support was offered without any oversight by parliaments or elected politicians, and, if not actually illegal, would have caused a public scandal. Israel’s assassination campaign, conducted by the Mossad, Israel’s principal foreign intelligence service, followed the attack by armed Palestinian militants on the Olympic Games in Munich in September 1972, which led to the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes. At least four Palestinians linked by Israel to terrorism were killed in Paris, Rome, Athens and Nicosia, and another six elsewhere over the rest of the decade. The mission, which was dubbed Operation Wrath of God by some, inspired Steven Spielberg’s 2005 Hollywood film Munich.

Lebanon

Naharnet: Geagea urges Hezbollah to 'draw lessons' from what's happening in region

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Thursday pointed out that U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia and the political steps decided “prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is the right path leading to a Palestinian state." "After the (Axis of) Defiance advocates and those who claim to be a resistance -- through their actions, behavior and ideas -- transformed Israel into a giant in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia's policy has returned Israel to its normal size,” Geagea added.

Syria

CNN: Trump’s embrace of Syria and its jihadist-turned-president could shake up the Middle East

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday had tea with a former jihadist who until recently had a $10 million US bounty on his head. Interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, once known by his militant nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, met Trump in Riyadh six months after leading a swift campaign that toppled the half-a-century-old Assad regime, ejecting Iran-backed armed groups and declaring himself leader of the country.

 

Washington Post: Syrians rejoice after Trump pledge to lift crippling sanctions

President Donald Trump’s announcement from Saudi Arabia that his administration intends to lift wide-ranging sanctions on Syria sparked jubilation in the capital, Damascus, as a population long impoverished by the restrictions was finally able to hope for relief.

Turkey

Reuters: Turkey says it expects Syrian Kurdish militia to fulfil Damascus deal

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday that Turkey expects the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia to fulfil a deal the group agreed with the Syrian government, under which it is to integrate into Syria's armed forces. Turkey regards the YPG as an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, which has fought the Turkish state for four decades and which announced on Monday that it had decided to disarm and disband.

Libya

Reuters: Libya fighting eases after announcement of truce

The worst fighting in Libya's capital for years calmed on Wednesday after the government announced a ceasefire, Tripoli residents said, while there was no immediate statement from authorities on how many people had been killed. Clashes broke out late on Monday after the killing of a major militia leader. After calming on Tuesday morning, the fighting reignited overnight, with major battles rocking districts across the entire city. "Regular forces, in coordination with the relevant security authorities, have begun taking the necessary measures to ensure calm, including the deployment of neutral units," the defence ministry said. The ministry said the neutral units it was deploying around sensitive sites were from the police force, which does not carry heavy weapons. After the fighting, burned-out cars littered the streets in some areas, and nearby buildings were pocked with bullet marks.

Mali

Associated Press: Several dozen people in Mali hold a rare protest against the army after massacre allegations

Several dozen people, notably women and children, have demonstrated in the central Malian village of Diafarabé following allegations that the Malian army killed more than 20 people. The protest happened on Wednesday, two days after the alleged massacre. Although allegations of Malian army killings are frequent in this part of West Africa, demonstrations have been rare since military rule and restrictions on freedom of expression were installed in Mali.

Mozambique

Houston Chronicle: A Houston Zoo conservation partner was the target of a terrorist attack in Mozambique

A longtime conservation partner of the Houston Zoo was the target of a terrorist attack last month, the zoo announced. Niassa Carnivore Project, an organization aimed at protecting lions and other carnivores from poachers in Mozambique, was one target of a larger attack in April in Niassa Special Reserve. The attack was claimed online by ISIS Mozambique, according to a news release from the organization.

India

Times of India: India meets UN counter-terror officials, reportedly pushes for listing of LeT front TRF

Indian delegation has ramped up efforts for United Nations listing of Lashkar-e-Taiba front The Resistance Front (TRF), according to news agency PTI, which cited sources. A team from India met United Nations under-secretary-general Vladimir Voronkov of the office of counter-terrorism (UNOCT) and assistant secretary-general Natalia Gherman of the counter-terrorism committee executive directorate (CTED) to discuss strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation.

Technology

New York Times: Terrorists Continue to Pay for Check Marks on X, Report Says

More than a year after researchers first warned X that it was potentially violating U.S. sanctions by accepting payments for subscription accounts from terrorist organizations and other groups barred from doing business in the country, Elon Musk’s social media platform continues to accept such payments, according to a new report.

 

Fox 23 News: Local law enforcement, OK Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Center release new app

Law enforcement agencies and the Oklahoma Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Center introduced a new app to report suspicious activity. The Tulsa Police Department said the Protect OK app allows you to report suspicious activity directly from your smartphone. OCTIC will analyze your reports and if necessary, forward them to law enforcement for immediate action.

 

Reuters: Coinbase warns of up to $400 million hit from cyber attack

Coinbase (COIN.O), opens new tab forecast a hit of $180 million to $400 million from a cyber attack that breached account data of a "small subset" of its customers, sending the crypto exchange's shares down nearly 3% on Thursday. The company received an email from an unknown threat actor on May 11, claiming to have information about certain customer accounts as well as internal documents.