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: May 8, 2025
Top Stories
The Times: Iranian terror suspects ‘targeted Israeli embassy in London’
The Israeli embassy was the target of a terror plot linked to Iran, The Times has learnt. A group of Iranian men are suspected of planning an atrocity at the embassy in Kensington, west London. Counterterrorism officers, supported by the military, swooped in to make arrests at the weekend fearing that an attack was imminent. Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, said that it was one of the biggest counterterrorism operations in recent years. Five Iranian nationals were arrested on suspicion of preparation of an act of terrorism in a series of raids. Police have refused to publicise details of the alleged plot but it is understood the embassy was the main target. Video showed armed counterterrorism police and military personnel raiding a property in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, before dragging out one of the suspects. The other men were arrested in Swindon, west London, Stockport and Manchester.
Die ZEIT: Anti-Semitism: A Jewish task force sounds the alarm
First of all, there are the new, sad figures that cast a long shadow over the celebrations and never-again vows to mark 80 years of liberation from National Socialism. This Wednesday, for the first time, the seven countries with the largest Jewish communities are publishing a joint report on the global state of anti-Semitism. The so-called Taskforce J7, representatives of the central Jewish associations from Argentina, Australia, Great Britain, Germany, France, the USA and Canada, met for several days in Berlin, with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier among others. In Germany, for example, anti-Semitic incidents grew by 75 percent between 2021 and 2023; there are no final figures for the past year yet, but preliminary police statistics already report over 5,000 incidents and the German monitoring agency RIAS reports a new high for the first half of 2024. The report shows that Germany is the country with the highest rate of anti-Semitic incidents in relation to the size of its Jewish community, giving it the sad title of the most dangerous country for Jews among the so-called J7
Analysis
New York Times: India and Pakistan May Have an Off-Ramp After Their Clash. Will They Take It?
For now, Pakistan says it is keeping all options open. But diplomats and analysts expressed some hope that the day’s events might offer the two sides an offramp that allows them to avert a spiral into all-out war. Those looking for signs that the two countries might be serious about de-escalation pointed in part to India’s statements about its strikes. In its public announcements and a flurry of diplomatic activity, India emphasized that its action was limited and targeted, and that it did not seek an escalation. The nature of the strikes, which targeted places associated with terrorist groups that are recognized names in India, could also help the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi quell the public anger that followed last month’s terrorist massacre in Kashmir.
Jerusalem Post: Is Lebanon dismantling Hezbollah? Beware of premature conclusions
Over the past few months, several developments in Lebanon have prompted observers to ask whether the Lebanese state is finally moving to confront Hezbollah’s grip over the country. There have been a number of positive government-led actions, such as arrests of Hezbollah-linked individuals, symbolic changes in public spaces, and stronger rhetoric from top officials . However, these moves still do not signify a full-scale confrontation with Hezbollah or its entrenched power. One of the more notable developments was the Lebanese government’s decision to remove pro-Hezbollah signs and symbols from public roads and highways, particularly in areas under Hezbollah influence. This was accompanied by the arrest of 30 individuals employed at Beirut’s international airport, a move reportedly linked to an effort to curb Hezbollah’s infiltration of critical infrastructure for smuggling purposes.
United States
Reuters: Dozens of students arrested in pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University
Police arrested dozens of Columbia University students who seized part of the school's main library on Wednesday in one of the biggest pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus since last year's wave of protests against Israel's war in Gaza. At least 40 to 50 students, their hands cuffed with plastic zip-ties, were seen being loaded into New York Police Department vans and buses outside Butler Library as NYPD officers swept through the six-story building to round up other protesters who refused to leave.
Times of Israel: Trump says Houthis showed ‘bravery,’ believes they will honor truce deal
US President Donald Trump says he takes the Houthis at their word that they will honor the truce struck yesterday, which is supposed to see a halt in Houthi attacks on US vessels in exchange for a halt in US strikes on the Iran-backed rebels in Yemen. “We take their word for it… We hit them very hard. They had a great capacity to withstand punishment,” he says. “You could say there’s a lot of bravery there.”
BBC: Houthis say US 'backed down' and Israel not covered by ceasefire
A senior Houthi official has rejected US President Donald Trump's claim the Yemeni armed group "capitulated" when agreeing a ceasefire deal, saying the US "backed down" instead. "What changed is the American position, but our position remains firm," chief negotiator Mohammed Abdul Salam told Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.
Middle East Monitor: Trump announces pro-Palestine protests to be allowed during 2026 World Cup
US President Donald Trump announced that pro-Palestine protests will be allowed during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico. This came during a press conference with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the White House on Wednesday. Trump explained that potential pro-Palestinian protests during the 2026 World Cup in the US will not be prohibited.
Jerusalem Post: 'Hate has no place': Oklahoma signs IHRA definition of antisemitism into state law
The state of Oklahoma has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition into its state law, with Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signing two related bills on Tuesday. The first bill - SB 942 - defines antisemitism according to the IHRA definition, including all 11 modern examples, as well as mandating the definition's incorporation into student, faculty, and employee codes of conduct.
Times of Israel: GOP lawmakers berate Haverford College chief for silence on antisemitism discipline
The president of Haverford College was berated by Republican lawmakers in a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism Wednesday, with some suggesting the Pennsylvania school should lose federal funding because of her refusal to discuss student discipline in the wake of anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protests. Wendy Raymond appeared alongside two other college presidents on Capitol Hill but was singled out as the only one who would not detail punishments for students and faculty accused of anti-Jewish bias. Asked repeatedly, Raymond said her institution does not publicize the outcomes of disciplinary processes.
The Guardian: House panel on campus antisemitism likened to cold-war ‘un-American’ committee
A congressional panel investigating antisemitism on US college campuses on Wednesday was accused of trying to chill constitutionally protected free speech and likened to a cold-war era committee notorious for wrecking the lives of people suspected of communist sympathies. The comparison was made by David Cole, a professor at Georgetown University law centre, who told the House education and workforce committee that its proceedings resembled those staged by the House un-American Activities Committee (Huac) during and after the second world war.
Reuters: US senator says US intel should not help Germany monitor far-right party
The Republican chairman of the U.S. Senate intelligence committee called on Wednesday for American spy agencies to "pause" intelligence sharing with Germany's domestic intelligence agency that could be used to target the far right Alternative for Germany party (AfD). "I understand that liberal elites on both sides of the Atlantic loathe the AfD, but AfD's platform has resonated with many Germans," Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas wrote in a letter to Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump's director of National Intelligence.
Politico: Trump admin turns to far right outlet to distribute news through Voice of America
The Trump administration plans to publish news from One America News Network – a pro-Trump, far-right outlet known for peddling conspiracy theories – on the Voice of America and other U.S.-run media. The agreement comes as Voice of America’s own future is in serious doubt. It has a skeleton crew of senior staff amid a court battle over severe cuts ordered in March by President Donald Trump, who called the agency “anti-Trump” and “radical” in an executive order ordering the overhaul. The agency’s news website has not been updated since March 15.
A federal court jury deliberated for less than an hour Wednesday before convicting a Texas neo-Nazi for posting an online threat against Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk. The jury found David Aaron Bloyed, 60, an admitted member of the antisemitic Goyim Defense League, guilty on one count of communicating a threat in interstate commerce for posting an image of Funk with the caption "getting the rope."
A twisted neo-Nazi sextortion ring that targets kids as young as 9 and blackmails them into making sick photos and videos is spreading to every corner of the United States — and the FBI has tips for parents on how to spot if their children are being groomed. The Bureau has hundreds of open cases against the group known as “764” – a cult-like network with ties to neo-Nazis and Satanism whose members “methodically target and exploit minors” after contacting them on gaming chatrooms, social media and phone apps.
Washington Post: Virginia man who bankrolled ISIS erupts in court, gets 30-year prison term
A Virginia man who was convicted of sending at least $185,000 to the Islamic State’s coffers as the terrorist organization struggled to rebuild its depleted operations in Syria was sentenced Wednesday to more than 30 years in prison after a heated exchange with a federal judge. An attorney for Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, 35, started off by describing him as a lonely and despondent man who was “longing for belonging” and took on a “blusterous” online persona.
Canada
An Alberta man serving a six-year sentence for stockpiling weapons and explosives as part of what police believe was a far-right extremist plot has been sentenced to additional time behind bars for possessing child pornography. Kelvin Maure, 30, was sentenced Monday to a year in jail, months after Court of King’s Bench Justice Steven Mandziuk found him guilty of possessing hundreds of files containing child sex abuse material on his cellphones.
Belgium
8 May used to be a public holiday in Belgium but the day off was abolished in 1974. Motivated by a family tradition of resistance to fascism, one Flemish woman is trying to bring it back. On 8 May 1945, the Nazi regime capitulated to Allied forces in Berlin, marking the official fall of fascism in Europe (although Belgium had already been liberated on 19 September 1944). The date is celebrated with a bank holiday in France.
Germany
Deutsche Welle: Germany, Europe mark 80 years since end of World War II
European countries, including Germany, are commemorating the end of World War II on the continent. Europe's deadliest war came to an end 80 years ago. DW has the latest.
Reuters: German spy agency pauses 'extremist' classification for AfD party, local court says
Germany's domestic spy agency BfV will temporarily refrain from classifying the Alternative for Germany party as an extremist organization, pending litigation by the AfD, a court in the western city of Cologne said on Thursday.
The new Minister of State for Culture, Wolfram Weimer, is taking on the fight against anti-Semitism as his first major topic. "My first guest in the Chancellery will be Josef Schuster from the Central Council at midday," Weimer told the German Press Agency. "On my very first day, I want to send out a signal that the relationship between the BKM and the Jewish community, which has got out of hand, will be restored and a conflict-ridden chapter in German cultural policy will come to an end," said Weimer. The background to this is the criticism by the Central Council of Jews in Germany of anti-Semitic depictions at the Documenta art exhibition in Kassel in 2022 and comments on the Gaza war during the Berlinale Gala last year. Central Council President Schuster had called for clear guidelines for culture. After all, experience in recent years has shown "that anti-Semitism is not only firmly anchored in art and culture, but is constantly developing in a threatening way".
Greece
Reuters: Greek police arrest far-right group accused of robberies, assaults
Greek police said on Thursday they had dismantled a far-right criminal group linked to robberies, assaults and violence with a racist motive in the northern city of Thessaloniki. After a months-long investigation, police said they arrested on Wednesday 28 members of the alleged criminal gang, operating under the name Nationalist Youth of Thessaloniki or Defend Salonika, 13 minors among them.
Russia
Jerusalem Post: Putin says Russia stands with China against 'neo-Nazism'
Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for joining celebrations to mark 80 years since the "sacred" victory over Adolf Hitler in World War Two, and said the two countries stood together now against "neo-Nazism". Xi's presence at this week's anniversary celebrations provides an important boost for the Kremlin leader, who has portrayed his war in Ukraine as a struggle against modern-day Nazis from the start.
Romania
Reuters: Romanian hard-right frontrunner Simion leads opinion poll before vote run-off
Romania's hard-right presidential frontrunner George Simion will win the May 18 run-off vote against centrist Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, an opinion survey showed on Wednesday, as the two clashed over worldviews and deficits in a debate. The eurosceptic Simion decisively swept the first round of the ballot on Sunday, with some 41% of votes, triggering the resignation of leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the collapse of the pro-Western coalition government.
United Kingdom
Times of Israel: Report details ‘terrible,’ normalized antisemitism at UK universities
Jewish university students across the United Kingdom are facing unprecedented levels of antisemitism, with many reporting being attacked, threatened and intimidated on campus, according to a new report by StandWithUs UK presented to the UK Parliament’s House of Lords on Wednesday night. The report, which included findings and testimonials from Jewish students at more than a dozen universities across the UK, found that students feel less safe on campus since Hamas launched its war against Israel on October 7, 2023.
BBC: Nine arrested over 'Hitler birthday party' in pub
Nine people have been arrested and weapons and Nazi memorabilia seized after a group "celebrated Adolf Hitler's birthday" in an Oldham pub. Members of the far-right group British Movement North West posted pictures online of themselves eating a cake with swastika icing and appeared to hold up Nazi flags at the Duke of Edinburgh in Market Street, Royton, last month.
Met Police: Art dealer charged as part of Met investigation into terrorist financing
An art dealer from London has become the first person to be charged with a specific offence under section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000. Oghenochuko Ojiri, 53 (05.05.72), of west London, has been charged following an investigation into terrorist financing by officers from the National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit (NTFIU), part of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.
Iran
US President Donald Trump indicated Wednesday that he is seeking to “blow up” Iran’s nuclear centrifuges through an agreement with Tehran, but is also prepared to blow them up in an attack if necessary. Asked during an interview on conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt’s radio show whether the US told Iran to choose either to turn over its nuclear centrifuges and uranium or to “get bombed,” US President Donald Trump responded, “It’s that simple.”
Jerusalem Post: Iran hails Houthi missile strike on Ben-Gurion Airport as major victory, expert says
Iranian media has hailed the recent Houthi missile strike on Ben-Gurion Airport as a major victory, according to Beni Sabti, a senior researcher in the Iran Program at the Institute for National Security Studies. “In the past two days since the Houthi missile struck Ben-Gurion Airport, the Iranians have been beside themselves,” Sabti said.
Israel
Jerusalem Post: US official: If Israel doesn't wake up, US will advance Saudi deal without it
A senior American official delivered unusually sharp criticism of Israel’s conduct in hostage negotiations and warned that the United States is prepared to finalize a regional agreement with Saudi Arabia, even without Israeli participation, N12 reported on Wednesday. According to the report, the remarks were made during a meeting Monday night between the official and the families of hostages held by Hamas. According to several people who attended, the US official said that Washington is growing increasingly frustrated with Israel’s approach to the stalled talks. “If until now they paid the price of not ending the war, today the price will be much heavier for Israel — and not just for the hostages,” the official reportedly told participants. “President Trump is determined to move forward with a significant deal with Saudi Arabia, even without Israeli involvement. The ceasefire agreement with the Houthis is just a prelude, and if Israel doesn’t come to its senses, even the ‘Deal of the Millennium’ will happen without it.”
Times of Israel: Official says 3 hostages whose fate is in doubt are two foreigners, one Israeli
A day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirms that Israel believes 21 hostages are alive and that there is grave doubt regarding the fate of three other captives, an official with knowledge of the details says that “no signs of life have been received from [the three hostages] since the period shortly after the outbreak of the war.”
Reuters: Israel's defence minister warns Yemen's Houthis of heavy retaliation
Israel's defence minister on Thursday warned Yemen's Houthis will suffer heavy blows if they continue to fire at Israel and that its defence forces are prepared for any mission. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday the U.S. would stop bombing the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, saying that the group had agreed to stop attacking U.S. ships.
Jewish News Syndicate: Israeli colleges adopt IHRA definition of antisemitism
Two dozen Israeli colleges and institutes of higher education have officially adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, aligning with a global movement to combat rising Jew-hatred.
Lebanon
Reuters: Israel mounts heavy airstrikes in south Lebanon
Israel launched dozens of airstrikes in south Lebanon on Thursday, in one of its heaviest bombardments of the region since a ceasefire ended last year's war with the Iran-backed Hezbollah. The Israeli military said it had hit a Hezbollah infrastructure site in the south. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, which has previously said that it withdrew all its forces from the south in line with the U.S.-brokered truce.
The IDF confirms carrying out a wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon a short while ago, saying it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure. The strikes carried out by fighter jets hit a facility near the Beaufort Castle, which the IDF says was used by Hezbollah to manage rocket fire and defenses.
Naharnet: Ortagus reportedly warns Lebanon that Trump's patience is not unlimited
Deputy U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus has advised Lebanese officials to speed up the implementation of what is required from Lebanon within a “reasonable timeframe,” in terms of removing Hezbollah weapons and the economic reforms, in order to “capitalize on the supportive U.S. momentum,” a media report published Wednesday said. Quoted by the al-Modon news portal, Ortagus reportedly stated bluntly: "Take advantage of Trump's time before his patience runs out and you are left to your fate with Israel."
Syria
CNN: Syrian president says his government is holding indirect talks with Israel
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has said that his government is holding indirect talks with Israel to bring an end to Israeli attacks on Syria. “There are indirect negotiations (with Israel) via mediators to calm and contain the situation so matters don’t reach a point where both sides lose control,” Al-Sharaa said at a news conference in Paris.
RFI: Macron urges Syrian leader to protect minorities after deadly clashes
French President Emmanuel Macron told Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, he must protect all communities in the country following deadly sectarian attacks in recent months. Macron made the comments on Wednesday in Paris, during Sharaa’s first official visit to a European country since his forces overthrew longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.
Pakistan
Reuters: Pakistan vows retaliation after Indian strike over tourist deaths
India hit Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir with missiles on Wednesday and Pakistan vowed to retaliate saying it shot down five Indian aircraft, in the worst clash in more than two decades between the nuclear-armed neighbours. India told more than a dozen foreign envoys in New Delhi that "if Pakistan responds, India will respond," fuelling fears of a larger military conflict in one of the world's most dangerous - and most populated - nuclear flashpoint regions. The escalation comes at a fragile moment for Pakistan's $350 billion economy, which recently emerged from an economic crisis with the government trying to shore up finances and make progress on the $7 billion International Monetary Fund loan programme of 2024.
Sudan
Reuters: More explosions rock Port Sudan, army says it intercepted drones
Sudan's army said its anti-aircraft systems intercepted drones on Wednesday targeting a naval base in the wartime capital Port Sudan. Explosions were heard in the city, though it was not immediately clear whether they were near the Flamingo base.
India
India fired attack drones into Pakistan on Thursday, wounding four soldiers, the Pakistani military said. India, meanwhile, accused its neighbor of attempting its own attack, as tensions soared between the nuclear-armed rivals. India acknowledged that it targeted Pakistan’s air defense system, and Islamabad said it shot down several of the drones. India said it “neutralized” Pakistan’s attempts to hit military targets. It was not possible to verify all of the claims.
Pakistan
Firstpost: Al-Qaeda defends Pakistan's terror campaign, parrots Asim Munir's narrative
In line with Pakistan’s inflammatory religious rhetoric, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) on Wednesday (May 7) issued a statement condemning Operation Sindoor and called for a renewed jihad across the subcontinent. The terrorist group also called on the Muslims of the subcontinent to “rise up in support of oppressed people”. It alleged that the ‘Bhagwa’ government of PM Narendra Modi was “waging a multifaceted campaign to eliminate Islam.”
BBC: Militant group chief says relatives killed in India strike
The Pakistan-based leader of a militant group has said 10 of his relatives have been killed in a missile strike by India. Masood Azhar, chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), said his older sister and her husband, his nephew and his nephew's wife, his niece and five children from his family were killed in a strike on a mosque in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
Australia
Times of Israel: Antisemitic incidents quadrupled in Australia in 2024
Australia experienced a fourfold increase in documented antisemitic incidents in 2024—the steepest rise among English-speaking countries with available data—according to the “J7 Annual Report on Antisemitism 2025,” published on Wednesday.
Daily Dose
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
Stay up to date on our latest news.
Get the latest news on extremism and counter-extremism delivered to your inbox.
×