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Missile launched by Yemen’s Houthis hits Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Intl. airport

By
IFP Media Wire
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The Israeli military confirmed its defence system failed to shoot down the projectile on Sunday morning despite several attempts to intercept it, adding that an investigation was under way. Eight people were injured, according to paramedics.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have been carrying out attacks against Israel in stated opposition to its war and blockade on the Gaza Strip, claimed responsibility for the missile launched at Israel’s busiest airport.

More than 18 months of Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least 52,495 people, according to Palestinian officials.

In a televised statement, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree warned airlines that Ben Gurion airport was “no longer safe for air travel”.

The attack led to a brief suspension of flights at the airport in central Israel with some having to be redirected. All entrances to the airport were also briefly closed while train journeys towards the site were halted.

Sirens blared across central Israel, prompting many to move into shelters, according to Israeli media.

Videos of the site of the impact circulating online showed the missile hit a connecting road inside the perimeter of the airport with some debris scattered on adjacent roads.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened severe retaliation.

“Whoever attacks us, we will hit back sevenfold,” Katz said in an apparent reference in the Torah relating to severe punishment, or divine justice.

Benny Gantz, leader of the Israel Resilience party and a former war cabinet member, stated the blame for the missile attack by the Iran-aligned group should be put on Tehran.

“It is Iran that is firing ballistic missiles at the state of Israel, and it must bear responsibility,” he said in a social media post without providing evidence.

“The shooting at the state of Israel is bound to lead to a severe reaction in Tehran,” he added.

Yair Golan, a leading opposition figure, said millions of Israelis are in shelters again, Israeli captives held in Gaza are dying, the cost of living is crushing families and reservists are “collapsing under the burden” of the war, which was launched after an attack headed by the Palestinian armed group Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023, led to the killing of an estimated 1,200 people, with nearly 250 taken captive.

“This is big for [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, this is big for the government,” Golan said.

“We must return the kidnapped people home and end the war,” Golan added.

Houthi attacks are continuing despite near daily bombardment of areas across Yemen by the United States military.

Iran’s officials have stressed that Tehran does not need proxies in the region and that Yemen’s Houthis act on their own motivations.

Saudi Arabia executed its 100th prisoner in 2025: AFP

By
IFP Media Wire
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Execution in Saudi Arabia

The Ministry of Interior said the two Saudis were executed for their involvement in acts of “terrorism”, including joining a “terrorist organization” and attending training camps abroad, where they learned to make explosives.

“After being referred to the competent court, a decision was issued confirming the charges against them and ordering their execution as punishment,” it added.

Of the 100 people executed this year, 59 were convicted of drug-related offences, including 43 foreigners, according to AFP.

“While Saudi Arabia positions itself as a positive diplomatic actor, its international partners are showing they are willing to turn a blind eye to its flagrant human rights violations,” Jeed Basyouni of the rights group Reprieve US said in a statement.

“The result? 100+ executions since January, more than half of them for non-lethal drug offenses.”

After a moratorium of approximately three years, Saudi authorities resumed executions for drug-related crimes at the end of 2022.

According to a previous AFP tally, at least 338 people were executed last year, compared to 170 in 2023 – far higher than the previous record of 196 in 2022.

Saudi human rights defenders and lawyers have accused Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of overseeing a crackdown on freedom of expression since he came to power.

This includes the introduction of a counterterrorism law that Human Rights Watch has criticised for its broad definition of terrorism.

At least 1,115 executions have been carried out under the crown prince’s rule between 21 June 2017 and 9 October 2024.

Additionally, according to Reprieve, Saudi Arabia has repeatedly lied to the UN about its use of the death penalty.

Putin says he hopes there will be no need to use atomic weapons in Ukraine

By
IFP Media Wire
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Russia Nuclear Weapons

Putin ordered thousands of Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022, triggering Europe’s biggest ground conflict since World War Two and the largest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the depths of the Cold War.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers have been killed or injured and U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to end the “bloodbath” that his administration casts as a proxy war between the United States and Russia.

In a film by state television about Putin’s quarter of a century as Russia’s paramount leader entitled “Russia, Kremlin, Putin, 25 years”, Putin was asked by a reporter about the risk of nuclear escalation from the Ukraine war.

“They wanted to provoke us so that we made mistakes,” Putin said, speaking beside a portrait of Tsar Alexander III, a 19th century conservative who suppressed dissent.

“There has been no need to use those weapons … and I hope they will not be required.”

“We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires,” he added.

Trump has been signalling for weeks that he is frustrated by the failure of Moscow and Kyiv to reach terms to end the war, though the Kremlin has announced that the conflict is so complicated that the rapid progress Washington wants is difficult.

Former U.S. President Joe Biden, Western European leaders and Ukraine cast the invasion as an imperial-style land grab and repeatedly vowed to defeat Russian forces, which control about a fifth of Ukraine.

Putin portrays the war as a watershed moment in Moscow’s relations with the West, which he says humiliated Russia after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 by enlarging NATO and encroaching on what he considers Moscow’s sphere of influence.

Trump has warned that the conflict could develop into World War Three. Former CIA Director William Burns has said there was a real risk in late 2022 that Russia could use nuclear weapons against Ukraine, an assertion dismissed by Moscow.

Israel urges Qatar to ‘stop playing both sides’ in Gaza negotiations

By
IFP Media Wire
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Gaza War

Qatar refuted the statements as “inflammatory”.

Despite efforts by Egyptian and Qatari mediators to restore a ceasefire, neither Israel nor Hamas has shown willingness to back down on core demands, with each side blaming the other for the failure to reach a deal.

Israel, which wants the return of 59 hostages still held in Gaza, has insisted Hamas must disarm and be excluded from any role in the future governance of the enclave, a condition that the Palestinian group dismisses.

It has insisted on agreeing a lasting end to the fighting and withdrawal of Israeli forces as a condition for a deal that would see a release of the hostages.

“The State of Qatar firmly rejects the inflammatory statements issued by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, which fall far short of the most basic standards of political and moral responsibility,” Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari posted on X early on Sunday.

Al-Ansari criticized the portrayal of the Gaza conflict as a defense of civilization, likening it to historical regimes that used “false narratives to justify crimes against civilians.”

In his post, Al-Ansari questioned whether the release of 138 hostages was achieved through military operations or mediation efforts, which he said are being unjustly criticized and undermined.

He also cited the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza represented by what he called a suffocating blockade, systematic starvation, denial of medicine and shelter, and the use of humanitarian aid as a tool of political coercion.

On Friday, Israel’s security cabinet approved plans for an expanded operation in the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported on Friday, adding to signs that attempts to stop the fighting and return hostages held by Hamas have made no progress.
Israel’s campaign was triggered by the devastating Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and saw 251 taken hostage. It has so far killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and devastated Gaza where aid groups have warned the Israeli blockade risks a humanitarian disaster.

Iran launches first satellite data station for natural disaster forecasting

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Dust storm Iran

Located at the Mahdasht Space Base, the new facility was launched by the Iranian Space Agency in collaboration with Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO).

The station receives high-resolution geostationary satellite images every 30 minutes, totaling 48 images per day, to monitor and analyze a wide range of weather phenomena.

Iran experiences between 50 and 70 days of dust storms annually, with provinces like Khuzestan facing up to 30 days of storms during the summer.

Since 2021, these storms have intensified, particularly in southeastern regions like Bushehr and Sistan and Baluchestan, exacerbating air pollution and respiratory issues.

Climate data from the National Climatology Center also indicates severe drought expansion since 2022.

The satellite images will be used to track natural events such as tropical storms, heavy rainfall, dust storms, and fog, as well as to monitor atmospheric conditions.

The high-accuracy data will aid both short- and long-term forecasting, support climate change assessments, and help authorities manage natural resources more effectively.

Thousands of Israelis protest for captives, against PM’s Gaza war expansion

By
IFP Media Wire
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The demonstration on Saturday was held as Netanyahu’s government authorised the mobilisation of up to 60,000 reserve troops, signalling plans to intensify its assault on the besieged Palestinian enclave.

One protester held aloft a placard castigating Netanyahu that read, “our tyrant is a liar, because of him the state is on fire”.

Government officials claim an expanded military offensive on Gaza will pressure Hamas into releasing the 59 remaining captives, but critics argue it further endangers their lives. Ending the fleeting ceasefire, which saw Palestinian prisoners exchanged for Israeli captives earlier this year, has not led to any more releases.

Families of the captives released a statement saying they spent the Sabbath gripped by “excruciating anxiety” after news of the government’s planned escalation and the effect it could have on those still held in Gaza.

The Bring Them Home Campaign, a group representing the relatives, condemned the move as reckless.

“Israel is on its way to sinking into the Gaza mud in the name of the illusion that it is possible to achieve any victory without returning our brothers and sisters from captivity,” the group wrote on X.

“Expanding the fighting will endanger the kidnapped, the living and the dead alike,” it added.

They urged Netanyahu to abandon the offensive and instead reach an agreement that would secure the captives’ return.

“Stop this mistake,” the group stressed.

Netanyahu, speaking Thursday at a public event in Jerusalem, seemed to suggest that defeating Hamas remains Israel’s top priority instead of the release of captives.

“We want to bring all our hostages home,” he stated, adding, “The war has a supreme goal, and the supreme goal is victory over our enemies, and this we will achieve.”

Captives’ families have accused Netanyahu of undermining previous attempts to reach a truce and swap deal. Some believe his refusal to compromise reflects political motives, aimed at ensuring the survival of his far-right coalition government, rather than genuine concern for the captives.

UK detains eight men including seven Iranians over suspected terrorist plot

By
IFP Media Wire
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Eight men, including seven Iranian nationals, have been arrested by police in two separate counter-terrorism operations across England.

Five of the suspects were detained in raids on Saturday as part of an alleged plot to target “a specific premises,” the Metropolitan police said.

The force did not reveal the site but announced it had been identified with the advice and support from counter-terror officers.

The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, stated the arrests were sparked by “serious events that demonstrate the ongoing requirement to adapt our response to national security threats”.

Scotland Yard said the five men, including four Iranians, were being questioned under section 5 of the Terrorism Act on suspicion of planning an attack.

Three of those arrested were held in the Manchester area, with another arrested in west London and a fifth in Swindon.

Commander Dominic Murphy, the head of the Met’s counter-terrorism command, said: “This is a fast-moving investigation and we are working closely with those at the affected site to keep them updated.

“The investigation is still in its early stages, and we are exploring various lines of inquiry to establish any potential motivation as well as to identify whether there may be any further risk to the public linked to this matter.”

“We understand the public may be concerned and, as always, I would ask them to remain vigilant and if they see or hear anything that concerns them, then to contact us,” he continued.

Murphy added: “We are working closely with local officers in the areas where we have made arrests today and I’d like to thank police colleagues around the country for their ongoing support.”

Three other Iranian men were detained in a separate counter-terrorism operation in London on Saturday.

The Metropolitan police said two of the men, aged 39 and 44, were arrested at separate addresses in north-west London and one man, aged 55, was arrested at an address in west London.

It added: “This investigation is not connected to the arrest of five people yesterday as part of a separate Met counter-terrorism operation. Enquiries remain ongoing.”

Cooper praised Britain’s police and security forces, stating, “I want to thank the police and our security services for the action they have taken to keep our country safe.

“Protecting national security is the first duty of government and our police and security services have our strong support in their vital work.”

“These are serious events that demonstrate the ongoing requirement to adapt our response to national security threats,” Cooper continued, adding, “The government continues to work with police and intelligence agencies to support all the action and security assessments that are needed to keep the country safe.”

Hamas releases video of injured Israeli captive in Gaza

By
IFP Media Wire
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Israel Hostages

In the footage, the visibly injured captive, wearing a bandage over his head, states that he is among the 59 captives still being held in Gaza. He mentions that he was wounded in an Israeli airstrike but “escaped death,” saying, “I am in a very difficult situation.”

Herkin describes the circumstances surrounding his captivity as a direct result of the “military pressure” exerted by the Israeli regime on Hamas to release the captives.

He added he does not have access to medication, which is extremely difficult to obtain in Gaza due to a total Israeli blockade on all humanitarian aid into the Palestinian territory. He stated that going to the hospital is also “out of the question.”

Additionally, he expresses concern for another Israeli captive who was with him during the attack, saying that he does not know what happened to him.

Herkin suggests that if Prime Minister Netanyahu’s son or the children of his ministers were held in Gaza, the war would have ended a long time ago.

In a rare acknowledgment, Netanyahu said Thursday that defeating Hamas was more important than securing the release of the remaining captives in Gaza.

Netanyahu has faced frequent protests from the families of the captives and others who call on him to implement a ceasefire with Hamas and secure their release.

The prime minister stated on Thursday that bringing the captives back was important, but added, “In war, there is a supreme objective. And that supreme objective is victory over our enemies.”

Netanyahu’s remarks mark the first time the prime minister has explicitly described returning the captives as a secondary goal of the war in Gaza.

Israeli authorities have said in recent weeks that they believe only about two dozen of the 59 remaining captives are still alive in Gaza.

Hamas has warned that relentless Israeli bombings have put the lives of the captives at risk.

Iran’s decorated wrestler Yazdani to miss 2025 World Championships

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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According to Haft-e Sobh, Yazdani is currently undergoing rehabilitation under medical supervision in France.

Though his doctors are satisfied with his progress, they have advised against an early return to competition. The decision has drawn international attention.

Yazdani, who underwent surgery after winning silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics, said, “Recovery is going well, but I’m not in a rush. My priority is to be fully fit for 2026.”

The three-time world champion and Olympic medalist also revealed that he will no longer compete in the 86kg weight class. Depending on his physical condition after resuming technical training, he may return in the 92kg or 97kg categories.

Yazdani is currently focusing on physical conditioning and may return to mat training by October.

United World Wrestling highlighted his absence as one of the key storylines ahead of the 2025 championships.

With 10 world and Olympic medals, Yazdani remains a legendary figure in global freestyle wrestling.

Russia responds to Ukraine’s Victory Day threats

By
IFP Media Wire
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Kremlin

On Saturday, Ukrainian leader reiterated his refusal to accept Moscow’s proposal for a three-day ceasefire starting May 8 and continuing through the World War II Victory Day celebrations, dismissing it as a “theatrical production.” Zelensky also appeared to threaten the world leaders expected to take part in the May 9 events in Moscow, stating that Kiev cannot guarantee their safety.

Zelensky’s remarks “once again prove the neo-Nazi nature of the Kiev regime, which has turned into a terrorist cell,” Zakharova said in a statement.

“Today [Zelensky] hit a new low: now he is threatening the physical safety of veterans who will come to parades and ceremonial events on that sacred day,” she added.

“After every terrorist attack on Russian territory, the Kiev regime, its security services, and Zelensky personally boast that it was their doing and that it will continue to be like this. Therefore, the phrase that he ‘does not guarantee security on May 9 on Russian territory,’ since this is not his area of responsibility, is, of course, a direct threat,” Zakharova stressed.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov offered a similar take on Zelensky’s remarks, stating the proposed ceasefire is a “test” for Kiev, and the apparent refusal to join it “clearly shows that neo-Nazism is the ideological basis of the contemporary Kiev regime.”

The 72-hour ceasefire was announced unilaterally by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. The president ordered the suspension of all military action against Ukraine’s forces from midnight on May 7 to midnight on May 10 and urged Kiev to join the truce. Zelensky and other top Ukrainian officials, however, dismissed the proposal as a “manipulation attempt,” demanding an immediate 30-day ceasefire instead.

The Victory Day truce follows a similar unilaterally announced pause during Easter weekend in April that ended up being only partially successful. While a certain lull in the hostilities was observed, Kiev violated the truce more than 3,900 times, according to estimates by the Russian Defense Ministry.

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