Indigenous Women
(Kyllie Cripps, Sara E Davies – Lowy The Interpreter) Indigenous women and girls around the world are at heightened risk of murder because of their gender. Femicide is often at the hands of intimate partners or family members, but can also be committed by state agents, non-Indigenous individuals, or result from broader contexts of conflict, forced displacement and resource extraction. This makes Indigenous femicide a matter of international peace and security, and it should be a priority for the Women Peace and Security Agenda. The first UN Security Council Resolution on WPS, 1325 in 2000, “called for measures that support local women’s peace initiatives and Indigenous processes for conflict resolution”. Since 2000, there has not been enough progress and recognition in the WPS Agenda of Indigenous women’s peace and security, and their right to participation, protection, relief and recovery. Indigenous women face a heightened collective risk. Indigenous Peoples make up less than 6% of the global population, but they represent at least 15% of the extremely poor. Violence against Indigenous women and girls often occurs in contexts of extreme vulnerability and poverty rooted in racism and structural discrimination, including those shaped by armed conflict, the militarisation of Indigenous territories, forced displacement and migration, the suppression of cultural practices, and the criminalisation of Indigenous women defenders of land and the environment. Data availability is limited. The UN Women-UNODC annual report on femicide estimates that 83,000 women and girls were intentionally killed in 2024. But the report makes no mention of Indigenous women and girls’ disproportionate experience of femicide. We know, however, that Indigenous women and girls face a disproportionate and racialised burden. A recent series of online roundtables held by the Australian Research Council Centre for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW) and its partner, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), heard a call to recognise the daily insecurity of Indigenous women from the Americas, Africa and Arab states, Asia and the Pacific. – Beyond the count: the killing of Indigenous women as a security crisis | Lowy Institute
Pakistan
(Shadi Khan Saif – Lowy The Interpreter) At the age of 73, Imran Khan has been behind bars in Pakistan for three years, yet his enduring popularity, combined with widespread public discontent with the ruling elite, has made the cricket world’s iconic all-rounder an extraordinarily difficult political problem for the country’s powerful military establishment. His supporters are preparing to take their campaign back to the streets nationwide in September. This comes as Pakistan’s military leadership is acquiring greater prominence abroad in the wake of the US-Israeli war with Iran. Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 after a succession of convictions and remains entangled in a sprawling web of legal cases. His supporters regard the prosecutions as politically motivated. Pakistan’s authorities maintain that he is a convicted prisoner being held under the law. In the 2024 general election, independents backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party won more directly elected National Assembly seats than any other political grouping, although PTI itself was prevented from contesting under its electoral symbol, the cricket bat, and a coalition government subsequently took power. – Pakistan’s September showdown | Lowy Institute
Russia – Denmark
(Reuters) Russia is recruiting Danish citizens to help plan sabotage against Danish defense firms with ties to Ukraine, the Nordic country’s national security and intelligence service, PET, said on Thursday. ybrid warfare and sabotage on European soil gained renewed attention this week after Germany blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at the Leipzig/Halle Airport, prompting European Union members to call for new sanctions against Russia. “Russia is both planning and carrying out acts of sabotage against defense companies and the defense industry in Europe,” PET’s head of counterespionage, Emil Gresholm, said in a statement. – Russia recruits Danes for sabotage planning, Denmark says
Russia – Europe
(The Soufan Center) Moscow continues its campaign of sabotage, cyberattacks, and other asymmetric tactics in an attempt to extend the battlefield and make it more painful for NATO countries to continue supporting Ukraine. Russian operations in Europe have become increasingly brazen with little concern about attribution. After Ukraine’s use of UK-made missiles, a former high-level Russian official explicitly said that UK drone manufacturers could face operations. European publics appear to have grown more attuned to Russian external operations, undercutting its objectives. – Russian External Operations in Europe Become Increasingly Brazen – The Soufan Center
Russia – Germany
(The Associated Press) Russia will shutter German cultural centers across the country, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday. The move comes after Berlin blamed Moscow for an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month and announced the closure of both the Russian Consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural center in the German capital. – Russia to close German cultural centers after Berlin blames Moscow for airport drone plot
Russia – Ukraine
(Al Arabiya) Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that there is a chance of peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine, while reiterating his accusation that Ukrainian warnings about risks to planes in Russian airspace amount to “state terrorism”. Putin said a number of countries including the US and China were ready to support a peace settlement. – Putin says there is a chance of peace deal on Ukraine, denies new mobilization measures
(Reuters) Russian air attacks wounded 17 people and damaged a 21-storey residential building in Ukraine’s Black Sea port city of Odesa early on Thursday, Serhiy Lysak, the head of the city’s military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app. – Russian attacks wound 17, damage building in Ukraine’s Odesa, official says
Sudan
(UN News) Two truckloads of food aid destined for hungry families in South Kordofan state, Sudan, were destroyed in an aerial attack over the weekend, the World Food Progamme (WFP) said on Wednesday. The UN agency strongly condemned the attack which occurred on 30 August outside the city of Dilling. The trucks carried 50 metric tonnes of WFP food including cereals, yellow split peas, vegetable oil and salt—enough to provide lifesaving assistance to 5,800 people for one month. They were heading to Kadugli, where WFP is supporting nearly 58,000 people facing emergency levels of food insecurity or worse, and were clearly marked with its banners and flags. – Sudan: Air attack destroys food aid for families in South Kordofan | UN News
Syria
(UN News) Yasmin Al-Mashaan lost five brothers during more than a decade of conflict in Syria. Two were forcibly disappeared. Three were killed during peaceful demonstrations or by snipers loyal to the Bashar Al-Assad regime. She found a picture of her brother, Uqba, among the “Caesar photos”, a cache of images smuggled out of Syria in 2013 documenting the deaths of thousands in government custody. That discovery, she said, is what pushed her to act. “I took it upon myself to seek the truth for all the victims who do not know the fate of their loved ones,” said Ms. Al-Mashaan, who serves with Syria’s National Commission for Transitional Justice. That drive has made her one of the country’s leading voices in the search for truth on Syria’s missing persons file. She was among those at UN Headquarters on Monday when the General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 19 December the International Day of Recognition for Women Searchers of Missing Persons. – ‘Don’t give up’: Syrian women’s ongoing search for the missing | UN News
Tech World, Cybersecurity, Surveillance
(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) Astra is now officially OpenAI’s highest-risk cybersecurity model. In August, OpenAI said it “couldn’t rule out” that its upcoming model had reached the highest cybersecurity risk level in its Preparedness Framework. In a new post, the company confirmed it: Astra meets the Critical cybersecurity capability threshold, making it the first OpenAI model ever classified at that level. “We now believe Astra meets the Critical cybersecurity capability threshold under our Preparedness Framework, meaning that with the right tools and access, it can find previously unknown security flaws and develop ways to exploit them across many well-protected systems without a person guiding each step.” reads the announcement. “It is the first model we are designating at this level, and requires stronger safeguards during development and before release.” – OpenAI Astra Brings Autonomous Zero-Day Exploitation to AI
(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) Iran-linked Mirage Kitten hackers just found a genuinely clever way to make their own malware harder to detect: telling job candidates not to use AI tools while reviewing the trojanized code they were sent. Kaspersky’s research documented two previously undocumented malware families from the APT group, delivered through fake coding challenges sent to job seekers on LinkedIn. The setup is almost embarrassingly simple once you see it laid out. A fake recruiter contacts a software engineer, offers a role, and sends a coding assessment hosted on a completely legitimate-looking Amazon S3 link, the kind of hosting nobody would think twice about. “During recent threat research, we detected suspicious activity on a system in Afghanistan. We traced it to an archive containing a software development project that the user may have received during a job application process.” reads the report published by Kaspersky. “The archive purported to contain a coding challenge for candidates applying for an engineering role.” – Iran-linked APT Mirage Kitten Uses Fake Job Tests to Spread Malware
(DigWatch) G20 finance ministers and central bank governors have reaffirmed their support for responsible digital financial innovation and highlighted the broader role of emerging technologies in supporting economic growth. The statement, issued following their meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, on 31 August and 1 September, identifies AI, computing, digital infrastructure and digital assets as areas with the potential to reshape economies and financial systems. AI also featured prominently, with the G20 recognising it as a general-purpose technology capable of having a significant impact on global economic growth. Members welcomed investment in AI, computing and digital infrastructure to increase productivity and support broad adoption, while stressing the importance of managing financial and sector-specific risks. They also highlighted the potential for AI-enabled innovation to strengthen cyber resilience. As AI changes economic structures, central banks will also need to distinguish changes in productive capacity from shifts in demand. – G20 backs digital innovation and responsible technology adoption | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) India’s National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology and Intel India have launched two training programmes aimed at preparing students and professionals for the growing use of agentic AI in education and the workplace. The initiative was announced during a national dialogue on workforce readiness involving government, academia, industry, and the skilling sector of India. Discussions focused on emerging AI skills, industry-aligned curricula, faculty readiness, experiential learning, and the need to prepare workers for systems capable of reasoning, planning, and carrying out complex tasks under human oversight. – India launches AI agent training for students and professionals | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) New York City has introduced a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI for pupils from 2-K through eighth grade, alongside limited AI pilots and new AI literacy classes for high school students. The policy will apply during the 2026–27 school year and affect nearly 600,000 public-school students in New York City. Companion chatbots will be prohibited across all grades, while teachers will still be allowed to use approved AI tools for lesson planning and operational tasks. Exceptions will also apply to assistive technologies, multilingual learners, and some career-readiness programmes. – New York City introduces an AI moratorium for younger students | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) A freedom of information request to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology asked for details on who was using the United Kingdom’s largest data centre sites and for what purposes. The department replied that it ‘does not hold the requested information’ and has since been dissolved. The request highlighted that hundreds of data centres are awaiting planning permission and that 315 are queueing to connect to the National Grid. In 2024, the UK designated data centres as critical national infrastructure. In January, ministers announced that qualifying data centres may opt into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project scheme, allowing approval to be secured from the government and bypassing local planning committees. Campaigners said the scheme insulates data centres from local scrutiny. – UK data centre boom exposes a government information gap | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will launch a Robot Leasing Support Scheme to help construction companies adopt proven robotics and automation technologies by lowering leasing costs. The scheme will co-fund robotics solution providers that lease proven systems to companies in Singapore’s built-environment sector. Eligible technologies include concrete-levelling and tile-grouting robots, with government support covering up to 50% of the cost of each robot. The funding will come through the Built Environment Technology and Capability grant, which already supports the adoption of robotics and automation alongside the Productivity Solutions Grant. BCA said growing demand for leasing prompted the new scheme, which is intended to allow more companies to use proven robotic systems while reducing the cost of scaling leasing services. – Singapore launches Robot Leasing Support Scheme for construction sector | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) China’s Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) cloud computing standard has taken effect, establishing national guidance for laboratories using cloud services while operating under GLP requirements. The recommended national standard, GB/T 22275.8-2026, was published on 25 May and became effective on 1 September. It forms part of China’s wider GLP standards framework and is administered by the National Technical Committee on Hazardous Chemicals Management Standardisation, with the Standardization Administration of China as the competent authority. China’s State Administration for Market Regulation said the standard fills a gap in national guidance concerning compliant cloud use by GLP laboratories. It establishes requirements and management guidance for facilities introducing cloud services while maintaining responsibility for compliance with GLP principles. – China’s GLP cloud computing standard takes effect | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently announced a prohibition on the import of new foreign‑made humanoid robots, quadruped robots – often referred to as robot dogs – and power inverters, citing concerns over cybersecurity and national security risks, targeting imports from China. The agency’s statement described the regulation as a measure to protect U.S. communications infrastructure and critical systems. The FCC’s updated regulation adds these categories of robots and power inverters to the agency’s “Covered List,” thereby banning their entry into the U.S. market without prior specific approval. This prohibition arises from fears that cameras and sensors integrated into these robotic platforms could be used to collect sensitive private data, while foreign-developed software embedded in the devices could provide bad actors—such as hostile state actors or cybercriminals—with avenues to hack or remotely manipulate the machines. Beyond the robotic devices, the ban also extends to new models of connected power inverters, which are critical components in managing energy systems, including solar power installations and data center power infrastructures. Given that China manufactures a large share of the world’s robotic hardware and energy technology components, the move by the FCC has been widely interpreted as a targeted step toward curbing Chinese technological influence while protecting national interests. – U.S. Federal Communications Commission bans imports of foreign-made humanoid and quadruped robots over national security concerns | Digital Watch Observatory
(Sameera Pillai – Lowy The Interpreter) Governments are moving to regulate AI at wildly different speeds. Australia’s recent Office of AI is an example. But countries acting alone risks creating rules that don’t line up across borders. AI regulation is also becoming a geopolitical signal. The global division into two AI governance camps sees the US pursue a security-focused approach, with “trusted networks” of allies, while China promotes state-directed multilateralism through frameworks like the World AI Cooperation Organisation. This binary framing gets more complicated once you factor in a recent essay by Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei, where he rightly points to the gap between AI’s development and pace of change, and the existing policy landscape to address the risks associated with it. Amodei calls for a global coalition of democracies to lead AI development around shared values, including locking down supply chains critical to AI among allies only. It echoes the US-led Pax Silica initiative. However, while the logic behind Amodei’s democracy-aligned AI partnership is strong, it leaves open questions around scope – what “democracies” look like today, where to draw the line, and whether countries such as Türkiye and India be in or out. Regional coalitions are emerging as a more realistic path towards AI governance. Bodies like ASEAN and the Pacific Islands Forum are already building momentum towards AI rules and regulations, so they can move faster than a coalition built from scratch. Global multilateral processes including the AI Safety Summits have produced valuable but non-binding communiqués, while the EU AI Act became the world’s first comprehensive, binding AI law within a few years. This shows that fewer, more aligned members can legislate and enforce faster than global consensus allows. One area where regional coalitions have the clearest edge is trade. In the Indo-Pacific, where trade partnerships are paramount, tying AI governance to trade agreements gives regional partners a strong incentive to comply. Regulation becomes binding by being made conditional on trade access, rather than left to voluntary alignment. For example, the Singapore-Australia Digital Economy Agreement, built on the existing free trade framework between the countries, already treats AI as an area of formal cooperation alongside binding provisions on data flows. Extending that same binding structure to AI governance, rather than leaving it as voluntary, offers a template that regional coalitions could replicate in broader frameworks, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). – The quiet regionalisation of AI governance | Lowy Institute
(DigWatch) China’s top internet regulator, the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, unveiled an action plan on 24 August 2026 setting strategic objectives for the development of cyberspace enterprises over the 2026–2030 period. The plan aims to position cyberspace enterprises as a major driver of high-quality social and economic development, while strengthening China’s technological capabilities, digital industries, cybersecurity, and regulatory environment. It reflects an integrated policy approach in which technological innovation, industrial development, cybersecurity, and digital governance are treated as closely interconnected components of China’s digital transformation. – China’s Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission releases cyberspace action plan for 2026‑2030 | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), the country’s national research and development organisation, has signed a research agreement with quantum computing company Pasqal to advance quantum technologies and strengthen national capabilities. The partnership will combine Pasqal’s quantum computing expertise with KACST’s research infrastructure to develop and test quantum-secure encryption solutions. The work will focus on cryptographic keys that can be used in both classical and quantum computing environments while providing resilience against potential quantum-enabled attacks. – Saudi Arabia partners with Pasqal to develop quantum-secure encryption | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) The Republic of Korea has approved plans to develop a new geostationary satellite designed to improve monitoring of atmospheric pollution, marine conditions, and environmental disasters. The Cheollian Satellite-6 project has passed its preliminary feasibility study and is expected to begin development in 2027, according to the Korea AeroSpace Administration, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The project has a budget of approximately KRW 769.4 billion and a planned launch date of 2033. – Republic of Korea approves new satellite for environmental and ocean monitoring | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) California (USA) lawmakers have passed a package of bills aimed at strengthening protections for children online and setting new rules for the use of artificial intelligence. For child online safety, AB 1709 would restrict social media platforms from offering certain addictive features, such as endless feeds, autoplay, and recommendation systems, to users under 16. It would also require age-assurance measures. A related bill, AB 2, would allow significant financial penalties where social media platforms negligently cause harm to children. – California advances child online safety and AI safeguards | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) Egypt has launched the Integrated Digital Environmental Impact Assessment (IDEIA) platform to digitise the environmental assessment and approval process. The system was launched by Egypt’s Minister of Local Development and Environment, Manal Awad, and Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Mohamed Farid Saleh, as part of the digital transformation component of the Green Sustainable Industry (GSI) programme. The platform enables project developers and consulting firms to submit environmental studies and supporting data online, track the progress of applications, communicate with environmental specialists, and receive environmental approvals electronically. The Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) is responsible for reviewing applications through the system. – Egypt launches digital environmental impact assessment system | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) President Donald Trump has urged communities across the United States to support the development of data centres, arguing that they can bring investment, jobs, and lower taxes. In a social media post, he said opposition to data centre development risked leaving communities ‘backwards and poor’ and framed the issue partly as a matter of economic competition with China, suggesting that restrictions in the United States could shift investment and business towards the world’s second-largest economy. – US President Donald Trump urges communities to embrace data centres | Digital Watch Observatory
Terrorism/Counter-Terrorism
(James Paterson – Lowy The Interpreter) While frequently innovative, violent extremists have rarely needed to invent new technologies. More often, they adapt technologies developed for entirely different purposes once they become cheap, accessible and easy enough to use. Capabilities, such as artificial intelligence, drones, and 3D printing that were once expensive, specialist or restricted to governments and large organisations are now available through consumer markets. Their accessibility has resulted in extremist adoption and exploitation. Smart glasses may represent the next previously specialist, now commercially available, technology to be manipulated by extremist actors. A decade after Google Glass failed to achieve mainstream adoption, smart glasses are finally beginning to break through. A once expensive technological novelty is becoming cheaper, more capable and increasingly ordinary. Meta currently leads the market, but it will not be alone for long. Google plans to launch Android XR-enabled, AI-powered glasses later in 2026, while Apple is reportedly preparing its own product for 2027. At the other end of the market, inexpensive camera-enabled glasses are already appearing at mainstream retailers such as Kmart and Amazon. This growth in availability has generated scrutiny. Much of it has centred on privacy, particularly the ability of wearers to film bystanders without their knowledge. Those concerns are real and have already produced cases involving voyeurism and harassment. But the implications of accessible smart glasses extend beyond privacy. One area deserving greater attention is their potential co-option by violent extremists. – The extremist risk behind smart glasses | Lowy Institute
US
(Michael Peck – Defense News) The U.S. Marine Corps is looking to acquire high-resolution 3D scanners to detect cracked body armor. The goal is to develop sensors that can “scan individual hard armor plates for cracks and delaminations,” according to a Marine Corps Request For Information, which is due Oct. 2. More specifically, the devices will inspect Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts and United States Marine Corps Lightweight Plates. The Enhanced Armor Inspection System will use computed tomography, or CT, scanners. CT scanning, commonly used for tasks such as medical imaging and airport bomb detection, creates 3D images that are more detailed than traditional 2D X-ray images. – US Marine Corps plans to use 3D scanners to detect cracked body armor
(Leigh Giangreco – Defense News) The U.S. Army moved its Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node (TITAN) program from prototyping to production earlier this week with a combined $192 million award to Palantir Technologies and Anduril Industries. A cornerstone of the Army’s ground system modernization effort, TITAN was designed to simplify the data-gathering process for soldiers aiming at far-off targets. The Army chose Palantir as the prime contractor to develop the next-generation targeting system in 2024. – US Army awards $192M to Palantir, Anduril for TITAN production
(AFP) The White House is pressuring American space companies, including billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX, to decline French President Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to a space summit in Paris next week, according to a Politico report. In a private call, a White House official told companies — including SpaceX, Stoke Space, K2 Space and Astra, that attending the two-day event “could look like tacit support for EU policy positions,” three anonymous sources familiar with the call told Politico. The sources also said the White House official, who works in the science and technology policy office, emphasized that the decision to attend is up to the companies, but the discouragement was noted. – White House pressures US companies to ditch Paris space summit: Report
(Reuters) US President Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday to campaign aggressively for Republican candidates ahead of November’s midterm elections, saying he has planned extensive travel to states with high-stakes races. At a White House dinner for congressional Republicans, Trump touted his success campaigning for the party and promised a busy schedule of appearances in the final month, similar to his own non-stop 2024 campaign. “I will be with you 100 percent all the way to November,” Trump told the crowd, which included Republican lawmakers such as Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Tom Barrett who represent some of the most competitive districts. – Trump vows to hit campaign trail hard for Republicans in tight midterms
US – China
(Lyle Goldstein – Defense News) The U.S. Navy has experienced some considerable setbacks in recent months, from a power failure on a destroyer in the South China Sea to morale issues aboard the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln. Still, the service has been buoyed by a nationwide recognition that shipbuilding has too long been neglected and the current administration seems to have a variety of innovative maritime strategy concepts, encompassing a new vision for the fleet. Among these ideas, none have been more controversial than the proposed Trump-class battleship. Proponents argue that this new capital ship would bring concentrated fighting power with new high-tech weapons and large magazines that could fight independently and also withstand substantial punishment in battle. With its currently planned nuclear propulsion, moreover these behemoths could patrol for extended periods without the need to refuel. Critics have taken aim at the project’s enormous expense, as well as the feasibility of the proposed design that is characterized as over-ambitious. Into this roiling debate, it is instructive to survey a rather different perspective: What do the Chinese make of this project? An Aug. 21 article in China National Defense News [中国国防报] provides some initial insights into how America’s chief global rival is assessing this potentially major change in direction for the U.S. Navy surface fleet. This article, published in an official paper of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) does note that the ship could have the advantages that “large vessels can continue to execute certain combat missions even when communications are jammed, and their hulls offer superior damage resistance compared to small or medium-sized ships.” It notes that smaller, distributed platforms could overly “rely on stable data links.” In addition, it’s worth observing that this rendering does note that the planned U.S. battleship would have nuclear propulsion, and would possibly also carry nuclear-armed missiles. Nevertheless, the Chinese analysis, mirroring many Western evaluations, is suffused with ample skepticism. – Chinese military analysts can’t wait for the US Navy’s battleship era
War in Iran – Middle East – Gulf
(AFP) Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday that US economic sanctions against Iran have proven to be effective, but the pressure might lead Tehran into extreme measures. “We see signs indicating that the heavy economic pressure they are under, and the fear of an uprising and the collapse of the regime, may push them to desperate steps,” Katz said at a ceremony for defense ministry employees. Israel launched the Middle East war alongside the United States in late February, but has stayed on the sidelines militarily since President Donald Trump sealed a ceasefire deal in April — even after that truce later fell apart. – Israel says economic pressure could push Iran into ‘desperate steps’
(Reuters) Iran has warned the United States that it would respond forcefully to an Israeli offensive on a mountainous ridge in southern Lebanon where Iranian military personnel are holed up alongside Hezbollah fighters, three officials briefed on the message told Reuters. The message, delivered last month, highlights Iran’s continued direct involvement in the ground fighting in southern Lebanon and its readiness to retaliate against Israeli attacks there as the regional war enters its seventh month. Hezbollah is believed to have built an underground command center and weapons stores within the Ali al-Taher ridge, which has a commanding view of southeastern Lebanon, according to Lebanese security sources, and has become one of the most contested pieces of ground in the Israel-Hezbollah war. – Iran warns US against Israeli attack on south Lebanon ridge held by Hezbollah, sources say
(Al Arabiya) Iran attacked neighboring Kuwait on Thursday, despite President Donald Trump threatening further strikes in a fresh flare-up six months into the war. Trump said his military was prepared to attack Iran “any time we want” after extensive US bombardment of sites across the country left at least 19 Iranians dead. Tehran retaliated by hitting US military targets across the Middle East, including in Kuwait, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region. – Iran attacks neighboring countries despite Trump threats
(Reuters) Six commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, down from 11 a day earlier and well below the 10-day average of around 13, preliminary shipping data showed on Thursday. A very large gas carrier, two long-range fuel tankers, one Supramax tanker and one Panamax tanker entered the strait from the Gulf of Oman, Kpler data showed as of 0405 GMT. A laden VLGC exited the strait into the Gulf of Oman. The number of vessels transiting the waterway could change as some ships typically switch off transponders during the voyage. – Gulf shipping traffic via Hormuz below 10-day average, data shows
(Al Arabiya) Kuwait’s army said Thursday it was intercepting a missile and drone attack from Iran, as Tehran targeted US allies in the Middle East. Iran has targeted US bases in Kuwait, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region after extensive US bombardment on Tuesday of sites across the Islamic republic. – Kuwait says intercepting Iran attack
Zambia
(UN News) Following Zambia’s contested presidential and parliamentary elections almost three weeks ago, the crackdown on political opposition has intensified, raising concerns about the future of democracy in the country, according to a UN Human Rights Council-appointed expert. Reports indicate alarming systemic violence, including widespread intimidation and the arrest of hundreds of opposition supporters, many of whom have been held beyond legally mandated timeframes without formal charges. Some also received disproportionate charges, including the senior opposition alliance leader Brian Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu, who face “concocted charges” of treason, according to Gina Romero, the Special Rapporteur on the right to peaceful assembly and association, who issued a press release on Wednesday. The offence is punishable by death under Zambian law. “Authorities must release all political detainees, respect fundamental freedoms, and restore democratic accountability,” stressed Ms. Romero. “A healthy democracy requires that all voices – including opposition members, religious leaders, civil society actors, and journalists – speak freely without fear,” she said. – Repression of political opposition surges in post-election Zambia | UN News
Yemen
(Al Arabiya) A Yemeni military source told Al Arabiya English on Thursday that no position in the Taiz military axis had fallen to the Houthis, saying government forces were engaged in heavy fighting with the militia on several fronts. The source said clashes were still ongoing on several fronts west of Taiz, noting that government forces continued to repel Houthi attacks. Meanwhile, the Yemeni government forces said the Houthis had targeted districts along Yemen’s western coast with 14 ballistic missiles in a new escalation. – Fighting continues in Yemen’s Taiz, bomb-laden boat targeting Mokha destroyed
Yemen – Saudi Arabia
(Al Arabiya) Saudi Arabia announced new support for Yemen’s central bank on Thursday as part of efforts to promote economic stability in the country. The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) said the new support would help improve living conditions and stimulate economic activity in the country. – Saudi Arabia announces new support for Yemen’s central bank
Complexity and Metamorphosis – The Global Eye is in partnership with SIOI – Società Italiana per l’Organizzazione Internazionale
