Top Stories

Reuters: India pledges strong response after militant attack on Kashmir tourists kills 26

Indian security forces launched a massive hunt on Wednesday for militants suspected of killing 26 men at a tourist destination in Kashmir in the worst attack on civilians in the country in nearly two decades, with New Delhi pledging a strong response. At least 17 people were also injured in the shooting that took place on Tuesday in the Baisaran valley in the Pahalgam area of the scenic, Himalayan federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The dead included 25 Indians and one Nepalese national, police said.

 

Reuters: Palestinian president urges Hamas to lay down arms

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas on Wednesday to lay down arms and hand the running of Gaza to his Palestinian Authority, part of efforts to answer international doubts over the authority's role at a key moment for the region. Abbas was speaking at a leadership council where he is expected this week to name a successor amid pressure from Western and Arab powers concerned about the PA's ability to play a viable-long term role in peace efforts.

CEP Mentions

Daily Mail: How Islamist gangs are terrorising staff in high-security prisons

It is a move endorsed by Ian Acheson, a former prison governor whose 2016 review of Islamist extremism led to the introduction of SCs. He believes Abedi should be kept in total isolation, even if it 'turns him mad'. Speaking to the Mail last night, he said: 'We have to be blunt here. Some people cannot be redeemed and they will not stop as a threat to staff until they are physically incapable. Instead of pandering to the human rights of such offenders we must reorientate our approach to containment, isolation and control for the 'spectacular few'. 'Abedi is one of those. He made a free choice to murder dozens of innocent people. His rights must always be subordinate to those looking after him.'

 

The Sun: We must never allow prisoners the freedom to rule in our prisons

Prison officer chiefs say Muslim prisoners in one jail were exempt from searches by sniffer dogs after they complained on religious grounds. Shockingly this is at HMP Frankland, the same high security lock-up where warped Manchester Arena terrorist Hashem Abedi viciously attacked four guards last week. If the evil Abedi exploited this ruling to hide his improvised weapons safe in the knowledge he could evade security checks there will rightly be public outrage. How did it come to this? Courageous prison officers who daily have to deal with violent Islamist extremists should never be exposed to risks in this way. Too often virtue-signalling bosses in the justice system are bowing to the demands of dangerous inmates. This madness is fuelling a rise in Islamist gang rule behind bars. Many of Britain’s crumbling and overcrowded jails are already tinderboxes waiting to erupt. The safety of frontline staff should always come before the wishes of terrorists and murderers. As former prison governor Ian Acheson says, their welfare cannot be compromised because prison bosses fear accusations of racism.

United States

Associated Press: Antisemitic incidents slow worldwide from post-Oct. 7 spike, but remain higher than before Gaza war

Antisemitic attacks have increased dramatically since the war in Gaza began, though the numbers declined slightly last year from a peak reached immediately after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack against Israel, according to an annual report about global antisemitism from Tel Aviv University. “Contrary to popular belief, the report’s findings indicate that the wave of antisemitism did not steadily intensify due to the war in Gaza and the humanitarian disaster there,” said Uriya Shavit, the chief editor of the report.

 

The New Yorker: The Biden Official Who Doesn’t Oppose Trump’s Student Deportations

Deborah Lipstadt, a Jewish History professor at Emory, was until recently the State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism under former President Joe Biden. Lipstadt became famous—and was later portrayed onscreen by Rachel Weisz—for winning a judgment in a British court against the Holocaust denier David Irving, who had sued her for libel. Lately, Lipstadt offered surprising support for some of the Trump Administration’s actions, telling the Forward, “I’m not opposed to the administration rescinding the student visas of some of the people that they’re rescinding the student visas of.” She added, “To depict some of these people as martyrs and heroes is ludicrous.”

 

Associated Press: Detained Palestinian activist in Vermont prison says he’s ‘in good hands’

A Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student at Columbia University and was recently arrested during an interview about finalizing his U.S. citizenship says he’s “in good hands” at the Vermont prison where he is being held. Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident, was arrested April 14 in Colchester, Vermont. He met Monday with Democratic U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, of Vermont, who posted it on X.

 

Indiana Capital Chronicle: Jewish advocates denounce doubling of antisemitic incidents in Indiana

Reports of antisemitic incidents more than doubled in Indiana last year, according to a study released Tuesday. Hoosier Jewish community leaders gathered to denounce the results as “deeply alarming” at an afternoon news conference in Indianapolis. “These are not just statistics. It’s a wake-up call,” said Jeff Linkon, executive director of Indiana University’s chapter of Hillel International. “It tells us that antisemitism is not just rising. It is emboldened. It’s becoming more visible, more public, and yes, more dangerous.”

 

Tallahassee Democrat: Troubled childhood, racist rhetoric: What interviews, records say about alleged FSU shooter

Before he allegedly gunned down eight people at Florida State University, leaving two employees dead in cold blood, Phoenix Ikner lived an extraordinarily troubled childhood. By the time he entered adulthood, Ikner, who enrolled at FSU for the spring semester after attending Tallahassee State College, was openly pushing neo-Nazi sentiments, according to classmates.

Belgium

VRT NWS: Presumed Nazi salute at far-right NSV demo in Ghent triggers judicial investigation

The Nationalist Student Union (NSV) demonstration in Ghent on 27 March has triggered an investigation into making of a Nazi salute reminiscent of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. 27 administrative arrests were carried out during the demo Ghent mayor Mathias De Clercq (Flemish liberal/Open VLD) told Ghent city council. Police drew up an official report after images appeared on social media showing a participant extending an arm in what looked like a Nazi salute. The Ghent public prosecutor's office is now trying to identify this person.

Germany

ARD: Incendiary devices in air freight - Russian secret service allegedly behind sabotage

It takes five days, then there is a lot of excitement behind the scenes. On July 20, 2024, a shipping parcel goes up in flames at Leipzig Airport. The following day, a similar scenario near Warsaw. And finally, a parcel burns in Birmingham, where the sooty scrap is initially thrown in the bin without any ulterior motive, but then fire investigators and security authorities recognize the connection and add the two together. As early as July 25, 2024, at least the specialists from the British Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism unit suspected that Europe might have narrowly escaped a catastrophe: shortly beforehand, a man at Vilnius Airport had brought ordinary-looking parcels to the DHL parcel station there. He was apparently supposed to open and present the freight at the sales counter. But the massage cushions, cosmetic tubes and a sex toy inside did not arouse any suspicion. The routine scan also raised no alarms. Nobody discovered the detonators and incendiary devices. And so one of the most spectacular secret service operations of recent years took its course. Investigations are still ongoing in several European countries. According to research by WDR, NDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung, European security authorities assume that the Russian military intelligence service GRU was behind the transnational operation. European security authorities assume that a network of around ten people were involved in the operation. The reporters were able to identify several suspects in the confidential investigation. These include high-ranking suspected GRU employees.

 

NZZ: Weapons caches and attacks on opponents: Hamas' long arm reaches as far as Germany

For a long time, security authorities were convinced that Hamas was not planning any terrorist attacks in Germany or Europe. But that has changed. Recently, experts have observed a creeping radicalization in the anti-Israeli scene. There are many indications that the long arm of the Islamist Hamas now reaches as far as Europe - and that the terrorist organization was probably even planning attacks in Germany.

United Kingdom

The Herald: Protesters gather as Swinney chairs special summit to tackle far right

Protesters holding “mass deportation now” signs gathered in Glasgow as John Swinney held a special cross-party summit to tackle the far right. Demonstrators wore T-shirts saying “not far-right” as they brandished banners with the words “asylum frauds out”. Reform UK protesters also gathered outside the building in the city centre, holding pictures of Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and the First Minister above the words “democracy denier”. Reform UK were not invited to the summit, although councillor Thomas Kerr, who joined the protest, said he would not have attended.

 

The Telegraph: Terror police investigate ‘pro-Hamas’ rappers handed £14k by Labour

An Irish Republican rap group handed public funding by Labour has been referred to counter-terrorism police over pro-Hamas chants. The controversial band Kneecap used its Easter weekend slot at Coachella Festival in California to project a slogan stating “f--- Israel Free Palestine”. Footage also emerged earlier this week from a 2024 gig during which one band member appears to shout “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” while draped in the terror organisation’s flag.

Jordan

Reuters: Jordan outlaws Muslim Brotherhood, confiscates assets and offices

Jordan outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's most vocal opposition group, and confiscated its assets on Wednesday after members of the group were found to be linked to a sabotage plot, Interior Minister Mazen Fraya said. There was no immediate comment from the movement, which has operated legally in Jordan for decades and has widespread grass-roots support in major urban centres and scores of offices across the country.

Israel

Reuters: Yemen's Houthis say they launched a missile towards Israel

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis said they launched a missile towards Israel on Wednesday, which Israel said it intercepted after alarms sounded in several areas. The armed group continues to launch missiles and drones at Israel in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, even after recent deadly U.S. strikes on Houthi-controlled areas aimed to reduce their capabilities.

 

Associated Press: Israeli strike in Gaza kills 23 as Arab mediators seek long-term truce

An overnight Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City killed 23 people, as Arab mediators worked on a proposal to end the war with Hamas that would include a five-to-seven-year truce and the release of all remaining hostages, officials said Wednesday. There was no immediate Israeli comment on the strike, which set several tents ablaze, burning people alive. The military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its fighters are embedded in densely populated areas. Another six people were killed in separate strikes, including 5-year-old twin girls.

 

Haaretz: Haifa Drops Ultranationalist Israeli Rapper From Independence Day Show, Citing City's Jewish-Arab Coexistence

A controversial Israeli rapper known for his far-right political views slammed the Mayor of Haifa after his scheduled Independence Day concert was canceled, igniting a fierce debate over censorship versus public accountability. "You're not silencing me – you're silencing the voice of half the nation," the rapper fired back, while suggesting he was prepared to take legal action.

Lebanon

Naharnet: Aoun-Hezbollah talks expected within 'hours' as US asks Israel for pullout 'time frame'

Representatives of President Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah will meet in the next few hours to continue the discussions over the group’s weapons, in order to “pave the way for an official and declared meeting between President Aoun and Hezbollah to discuss disarmament,” MTV has reported. Hezbollah has meanwhile made demands that it sees as “logical,” which are “Israel’s withdrawal from the five points it is occupying in Lebanese territory, the release of the Lebanese captives held by Israel, and halting the continuous Israeli attacks and violations of the ceasefire agreement,” the TV network said.

 

Naharnet: Geagea says Hezbollah must disarm first for Israel to withdraw

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea criticized Wednesday Hezbollah's officials for stating that the group will not hand over its arms as long as Israeli troops are in South Lebanon. Hezbollah's chief Sheikh Naim Qassem -- and other Hezbollah officials -- had said that Israel must completely withdraw first and stop its violations, otherwise Hezbollah "will not let anyone disarm" it.

 

Naharnet: Amani says Iran to respect 'what Lebanese agree on' regarding Hezbollah arms

Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani revealed Wednesday that the booby-trapped pager device that wounded him was present in his office and that it was there to “warn of any attack.” The device exploded as did thousands of others carried by Hezbollah members in what was seen as the opening strike in Israel’s war against the Iran-backed group in September last year. In an interview on Al-Jadeed TV, Amani also confirmed that he has been summoned by the Lebanese Foreign Ministry over his latest post on the X platform regarding Hezbollah’s disarmament.

Syria

New York Times: Syria’s Jihadist-Turned-President Seeks New Allies

When Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara sat at the helm of a small, rebel-held enclave in the country’s northwest, his alliances were simpler. Turkey was a supporter, while the Assad regime and Iran were his main enemies. Political support from other countries was welcome, but their financial aid was not essential to survive. Since his rebel coalition toppled President Bashar al-Assad in December, Mr. al-Shara, who spoke to The New York Times this month, has been navigating more complex geopolitical waters. And that foreign support is not just welcome, it is critical to his government’s survival.

 

The New Arab: US-mediated talks halt Turkish strikes on Syria's Tishrin Dam: AANES

Turkey suspended its offensive around the Tishrin Dam after entering US-facilitated negotiations with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), a senior AANES representative told The New Arab. Fethullah Husseini, AANES's envoy in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, said the United States has been overseeing discussions between Turkish authorities and Kurdish officials, resulting in a provisional cessation of shelling and drone strikes around the strategic hydroelectric facility.

United Arab Emirates

Middle East Eye: UAE urged to remove 11 political dissidents from 'terrorist list'

The United Arab Emirates has been urged to end its sweeping crackdown on dissent after 11 political dissidents and their relatives were placed on a terrorist list. In January, the UAE announced that it was adding 11 individuals and eight British-based companies to its terrorism list over their alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood. In a report released on Tuesday, Human Rights Watch said at least nine of the 11 designated individuals are political dissidents or their relatives and only two were accused or convicted for a terrorism offence.

Afghanistan

Amu: Taliban confirm cuts in public offices as Education Ministry faces deep reductions

Taliban on Wednesday confirmed a reduction in staffing levels across public institutions, a day after a leaked document revealed the elimination of 90,000 positions in the Ministry of Education under orders from the Taliban’s leader. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s chief spokesman, acknowledged the cuts in a televised interview but did not directly address the Education Ministry figures. He said the reductions were part of a broader initiative to streamline government operations and improve efficiency.

 

Amu: Taliban say Russia has accepted their ambassador as envoy visits Kabul

Taliban said Wednesday that Russia has agreed to accredit a diplomat they have nominated to serve as ambassador in Moscow, following a meeting in Kabul between Russian special envoy Zamir Kabulov and the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi. Quoting the meeting, Taliban said in a statement that Russia had accepted their ambassador-designate and that the individual would soon be dispatched to Moscow.

Iran

Reuters: Iran fortifying buried nuclear sites as talks with US continue, report says

Iran is ringing two deeply buried tunnel complexes with a massive security perimeter linked to its main nuclear facility, a report said Wednesday, amid U.S. and Israeli threats of attack. The Institute for Science and International Security released its report based on recent satellite imagery as the U.S. and Iran prepare to hold a third round of talks this weekend on a possible deal to reimpose restraints on Tehran's nuclear program.

Iraq

Naharnet: Baghdad invites new Syrian president to summit, sparking political division in Iraq

An official invitation to new Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to attend the upcoming Arab League summit in Baghdad has triggered sharp political divisions within Iraq. Al-Sharaa took power after leading a lightning rebel offensive that unseated his predecessor, Bashar Assad, in December. Since then, he has positioned himself as a statesman aiming to unite and rebuild his country after nearly 14 years of civil war, but his past as a Sunni Islamist militant has left many — including Shiite groups in Iraq — wary.

 

Middle East Eye: Iraqis campaign to ban visit by Syria's Ahmad al-Sharaa over al-Qaeda past

Safaa Rashid was barely an adult in 2005 when an explosion ripped through the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killing his 21-year-old cousin, a university student who was working part-time at an electrical goods shop in the city's centre. "A suicide bomber stormed the market and detonated his explosive belt, killing my cousin and dozens of innocent people in an instant," said Rashid, now 38 and still living in Baghdad. "He was just at the beginning of his life." Safaa lost two other cousins that same year in blasts that were attributed to al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), the armed group that would evolve into ISI, the Islamic State in Iraq (later just Islamic State), and is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in Iraq and abroad. One of those who joined AQI's campaign at the time was a young Syrian named Ahmed al-Sharaa, who later would reappear in his homeland under the name Abu Mohammed al-Jolani and last year successfully overthrew President Bashar al-Assad to become Syria's new ruler.

Uzbekistan

Amu: Exclusive: Fearing IMU, Uzbekistan turns to Taliban

Uzbekistan has quietly expanded its diplomatic and economic engagement with the Taliban in recent years — a strategic shift that, according to analysts and former Afghan intelligence officials, is driven by mounting concern over the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a regional militant group with deep historical ties to Afghanistan’s insurgency. The IMU, formed in 1998 by Islamist hardliners Tahir Yuldashev and Juma Namangani, originally sought to overthrow Uzbekistan’s secular government. After a harsh crackdown by then-President Islam Karimov, the group’s fighters fled to northern Afghanistan and Pakistan’s tribal areas, where they forged alliances with the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

India

Reuters: What is The Resistance Front, the militant group linked to Pahalgam attack?

Kashmir Resistance, also known as The Resistance Front (TRF), has claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, the deadliest incident of its kind in India since the 2008 shootings in Mumbai.

 

Reuters: How militants attacked tourists in Kashmir's Pahalgam, and India's response

At least 26 people died and 17 others were injured when suspected militants opened fire at a popular tourist spot in the Pahalgam region of India's Jammu and Kashmir territory this week. As security forces hunt for the perpetrators, here is a look at what happened, and how India has reacted.

Technology

The Hacker News: Iran-Linked Hackers Target Israel with MURKYTOUR Malware via Fake Job Campaign

The Iran-nexus threat actor known as UNC2428 has been observed delivering a backdoor known as MURKYTOUR as part of a job-themed social engineering campaign aimed at Israel in October 2024. Google-owned Mandiant described UNC2428 as a threat actor aligned with Iran that engages in cyber espionage-related operations. The intrusion set is said to have distributed the malware through a "complex chain of deception techniques."