Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is set to host the leaders of China, Brazil and other heads of states for festivities on Friday marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Victory Day, which is celebrated in Russia on May 9, has become the country’s most important secular holiday. A massive parade through Red Square and other ceremonies underline Moscow’s efforts to project its power and cement the alliances it has forged while seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the 3-year-old war in Ukraine. “For Putin, this day is important as a demonstration how broad a coalition backing Russia is,” said political analyst Nikolai Petrov. The lineup of leaders coming to Moscow this year contrasts sharply to some past celebrations that drew top Western leaders at a time of friendlier ties between Russia and the West. The festivities have been overshadowed by reports of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow and severe disruptions at all four of the capital’s airports, with dozens of flights delayed or canceled, stranding hundreds of passengers. Tightened security around the celebrations also led to restrictions on cellphone internet service and reports of outages. Banks and taxi firms have preemptively warned customers about disruption to services over the holidays due to unstable internet access, and some shops and supermarkets have restricted deliveries due to potential network problems. The guest list reflects Moscow’s priorities Putin described Chinese President Xi Jinping as “our main guest” at the Victory Day festivities when he discussed preparations for his visit with China’s foreign minister. The Russian leader noted that he and Xi are to discuss both bilateral and global issues at their summit in Moscow. Xi is coming for a four-day visit, and Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said they would discuss trade and Russia’s supply of oil and gas to China, as well as cooperation within BRICS — the bloc of developing economies that initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa but has since expanded to more countries. Putin and Xi have met over 40 times and developed strong personal ties to bolster their “strategic partnership” as they both face soaring tensions with the West. China has offered robust diplomatic support to Moscow after the 2022 invasion and has emerged as a top market for Russian oil and gas, helping fill the Kremlin’s war coffers. Russia also has relied on China as the main source of machinery and electronics to keep its military machine running after Western sanctions curtailed high-tech supplies. While Beijing hasn’t provided weapons to use in Ukraine, it has backed the Kremlin diplomatically, blaming the West for threatening Russia’s security. China also has strongly condemned Western sanctions against Moscow. Russia, in turn, has consistently voiced support for Beijing on issues related to Taiwan. Last month, Ukraine reported capturing two Chinese soldiers who were fighting for Russia and claimed there were more than 150 others deployed alongside Moscow’s forces. Beijing disavowed any official involvement, saying it also told its citizens not to get involved in foreign conflicts. Reports suggested the men were mercenaries who had answered online ads. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, another top ally whom Putin has courted, had been expected in Moscow but he canceled his trip amid tensions with Pakistan after an attack in which gunmen opened fire on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir. India, […]
Police arrested about 30 pro-Hamas rioters who illegally occupied a University of Washington engineering building and damaged property and set fires. Students from the group Super UW, which lauded the October 7 massacre, seized the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building in Seattle on Monday evening. “We are taking this building amidst the current and renewed wave of the student Intifada, following the uprising of student action for Palestine after the heroic victory of Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7th, which shattered the illusion of zionist-imperialist domination and brought Palestine to the forefront for all justice-loving people of the world,” Super UW wrote in a manifesto published earlier in the day. The students yelled “Death to the police” as they were arrested and led away from the building. A university spokesperson, Victor Balta, said that Super UW created “a dangerous environment in and around the building.” “The University will not be intimidated by this sort of offensive and destructive behavior and will continue to oppose antisemitism in all its forms. The 30 individuals were arrested and charges of trespassing, property destruction and disorderly conduct, and conspiracy to commit all three, will be referred to the King County Prosecutor’s Office.” Super UW demanded in its manifesto that the university cut all ties with Boeing. “The University of Washington is a direct partner in the genocide of the Palestinian people through its allegiance to its partnership with Boeing,” the manifesto claimed, demanding that the university “stop receiving any and all donations from Boeing. Return any existing donations, financial investments, and eliminate all other material ties to Boeing.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
President Donald Trump is expected to declare during his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia that the United States will begin using alternative names for the Persian Gulf — either “Arabian Gulf” or “Gulf of Arabia” — according to two American officials who spoke with The Associated Press.
This decision aligns with long-standing efforts by Arab nations to have the name of the waterway, which borders southern Iran, reflect their regional identity. Iran, on the other hand, continues to insist on the traditional name that highlights its historical significance.
Although “Persian Gulf” has been in widespread use since the 1500s, many Middle Eastern countries prefer “Arabian Gulf” or “Gulf of Arabia.” Back in 2012, Iran even threatened legal action against Google for not labeling the waterway on its map service, viewing the omission as a political slight.
Currently, Google Maps in the U.S. displays the name as “Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf),” offering a dual reference. Apple Maps, by contrast, only uses “Persian Gulf” on its platform.
Interestingly, the U.S. military has already been using the term “Arabian Gulf” in official communications, documents, and visuals for quite some time, diverging from standard geographic naming conventions.
For Iranians, the term “Persian Gulf” is deeply intertwined with national pride and the legacy of the Persian Empire. When Trump referred to it as the “Arabian Gulf” back in 2017, tensions escalated. Then-President Hassan Rouhani responded by saying Trump ought to “study geography.”
“Everyone knew Trump’s friendship was for sale to the highest bidder. We now know that his geography is, too,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote online at the time.
While Trump can authorize the use of a new name for official U.S. government purposes, that change has no bearing on how international entities or other nations choose to label the waterway.
This development follows Trump’s earlier announcement declaring that the Gulf of Mexico would henceforth be called the “Gulf of America” for U.S. use.
{Matzav.com}
An F/A-18 fighter jet landing on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea went overboard, forcing its two pilots to eject, a defense official told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The incident Tuesday marks the latest mishap to mar the deployment of the Truman, which has been essential in the airstrike campaign by the United States against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Oman’s foreign minister both said a ceasefire had been reached with the Houthis, who would no longer target ships in the Red Sea corridor — something not immediately acknowledged by the rebels. Landing goes wrong on carrier The F/A-18 Super Hornet landed on the Truman after a flight, but “the arrestment failed,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the incident now under investigation. “Arrestment” refers to the hook system used by aircraft landing on carriers, which catches steel wire ropes on the flight deck. It remains unclear what part of the system failed. The two pilots on board were later rescued by a helicopter and suffered minor injuries in the incident, the official added. No one on the flight deck was hurt. CNN first reported on the incident. Tuesday’s incident was the latest to see the Navy lose an F/A-18, which cost about $60 million. In April, another F/A-18 fighter jet slipped off the hangar deck of the Truman and fell into the Red Sea. The crew members who were in the pilot seat of the Super Hornet and on the small towing tractor both jumped away. In December, the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly shot down an F/A-18 after ships earlier shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels. Both aviators in that incident also survived. And in February, the Truman collided with a merchant vessel near Port Said, Egypt. The Truman, based out of Norfolk, Virginia, has seen its deployment extended multiple times amid the Houthi airstrike campaign. It had been joined recently by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier operating out of the Arabian Sea. Houthi attacks on shipping The Houthis had been waging persistent missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the region in what the group’s leadership has described as an effort to end Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. From November 2023 until January 2025, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors. That has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $1 trillion of goods move through it annually. The Houthis paused attacks in a self-imposed ceasefire until the U.S. launched a broad assault against the rebels in mid-March. (AP)
Columbia University revealed on Tuesday that nearly 180 employees will lose their jobs, following the Trump administration’s move to freeze $400 million in federal funding, according to The Associated Press.
The decision to suspend the funding came in March, after the federal government raised concerns over how Columbia responded to campus protests targeting Israel.
In a statement released to the public, the university explained that the affected jobs amount to about 20% of positions previously funded through the halted federal grants.
“We have had to make deliberate, considered decisions about the allocation of our financial resources,” Columbia stated, as quoted by AP. “Those decisions also impact our greatest resource, our people. We understand this news will be hard.”
Columbia officials said they are still in discussions with federal agencies to try and secure the return of the suspended funds. Meanwhile, due to ongoing financial strain and a lack of clarity, the school said it would begin trimming costs in various divisions, especially within academic research programs.
Some research units will have to suspend their work entirely, while others will remain active but with fewer resources, depending on their ability to attract new funding.
Following the funding freeze, Columbia initiated a number of policy changes. Among them were adjustments to student disciplinary procedures and protest regulations, a reorganization of oversight for the Middle East studies department, and the adoption of a newly defined standard for antisemitism.
The university also committed to enhancing “intellectual diversity” by expanding the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies.
After these initiatives were announced, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon remarked that Columbia was “on the right track,” though she stopped short of providing a date by which the funding might be reinstated. As of Tuesday, the Department of Education had not issued any additional statements in response to media inquiries.
{Matzav.com}
The IDF on Wednesday eliminated a senior Hamas commander in the Sidon area of Lebanon via a drone strike. “The IDF carried out airstrikes in the Sideon area and eliminated the terrorist Khalid Ahmed Al-Ahmed, who served as the operations commander of Hamas’ western brigade and advanced terror attacks against Israel,” the IDF spokesperson said. “During the course of the war, Ahmed oversaw numerous terror plots against Israel, IDF soldiers, and Israeli civilians. In recent weeks, he has been involved in smuggling weapons and planning additional attacks against Israel.” “His activities posed a danger to Israel and its citizens. The IDF will continue to act against Hamas terrorists in every location where they operate.” Hamas later issued a statement confirming Ahmed was “martyred.” On Tuesday, the IDF carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon and eliminated a senior Hezbollah commander who was acting to rehabilitate the terror group’s capabilities. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrived in Paris on Wednesday for talks with President Emmanuel Macron. It’s his first trip to Europe since taking office in January, and a possible opening to broader ties with Western countries. It also comes amid renewed sectarian bloodshed in Syria, where al-Sharaa took power after his Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led an offensive that toppled former President Bashar Assad in December. Assad, a member of Syria’s Alawite minority, ruled for more than two decades. Al-Sharaa is scheduled to meet with Macron early evening, according to Syrian state media. He will discuss post-war reconstruction and economic cooperation, mainly in aviation and electricity, as well as ongoing Israeli airstrikes and Syria’s relations with Lebanon, Syria’s state news agency reported. The presidential Elysee Palace said Macron will restate France’s support for “a free, stable, sovereign Syria that respects all components of its society,” while emphasizing the importance of regional stability, particularly in Lebanon, and the fight against terrorism. The visit comes a week after clashes between forces loyal to al-Sharaa and fighters from the minority Druze sect that left nearly 100 people dead. This followed earlier violence in Syria’s coastal region between Sunni gunmen and members of the minority Alawite sect, which left more than 1,000 people dead, many of them Alawite civilians killed in revenge attacks. Religious minorities in Syria, including Alawites, Christians and Druze, fear persecution under the predominantly Sunni Muslim-led government. Al-Sharaa has repeatedly pledged that all Syrians will be treated equally regardless of religion or ethnicity. The 14-year conflict has killed nearly half a million people and displaced millions. Syria’s infrastructure lies in ruins, and international sanctions remain a major barrier to reconstruction. The visit to Paris is being closely watched as a potential test of Europe’s willingness to engage with Syria’s new leadership. The European Union has begun easing sanctions, suspending measures targeting Syria’s oil, gas and electricity sectors, as well as transport, including aviation, and banking restrictions. In late April, the British government announced it was lifting sanctions on a dozen Syrian entities, including government departments and state-run media outlets. The Trump administration has yet to formally recognize the new Syrian government led by al-Sharaa, and HTS remains a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. Sanctions imposed on Damascus under Assad remain in place. However, Washington eased some restrictions in January when the U.S. Treasury issued a general license, valid for six months, authorizing certain transactions with the Syrian government, including some energy sales and incidental transfers. (AP)
Iran was behind US President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement on Tuesday that the US military is halting its military operations against the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen after the terror group indicated it will end its attacks against US ships. According to two Iranian officials quoted by The New York Times, Iran pressured the Houthis to halt their attacks as part of the Islamic Republic’s current efforts to reach a nuclear deal with the US. Following Trump’s announcement, Oman, which is mediating the US-Iranian talks, said that it mediated the ceasefire deal between the Houthis and the US. The Houthis’ attacks on Israel were not addressed in the deal, and the terror group said that it will continue its attacks on “Israeli” ships. “The agreement does not include Israel in any way, shape or form,” Mohammed Abdulsalam, the chief Houthi negotiator, told Reuters. “As long as they announced the cessation (of U.S. strikes) and they are actually committed to that, our position was self-defense so we will stop.” A Houthi spokesperson told Al Jazeera that the terror group “will continue targeting Israeli ships until humanitarian aid enters Gaza. We will evaluate any future US support for Israel and will determine our position accordingly.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
An F/A-18 fighter jet landing on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea went overboard, forcing its two pilots to eject, a defense official told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The incident Tuesday marks the latest mishap to mar the deployment of the Truman, which has been essential in the airstrike campaign by the United States against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Oman’s foreign minister both said that a ceasefire had been reached with the Houthis, who would no longer target ships in the Red Sea corridor — something not immediately acknowledged by the rebels. Meanwhile, the Houthis continue to assess the damage after daytime Israeli airstrikes targeted Yemen’s rebel-held capital of Sanaa. Landing goes wrong on carrier The F/A-18 Super Hornet landed on the Truman after a flight, but “the arrestment failed,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the incident now under investigation. “Arrestment” refers to the hook system used by aircraft landing on carriers, which catches steel wire ropes on the flight deck. It remains unclear what part of the system failed. The two pilots on board were later rescued by a helicopter and suffered minor injuries in the incident, the official added. No one on the flight deck was hurt. CNN first reported on the incident. Tuesday’s incident was the latest to see the Navy lose an F/A-18, which cost about $60 million. In April, another F/A-18 fighter jet slipped off the hangar deck of the Truman and fell into the Red Sea. The crew members who were in the pilot seat of the Super Hornet and on the small towing tractor both jumped away. In December, the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly shot down an F/A-18 after ships earlier shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels. Both aviators in that incident also survived. And in February, the Truman collided with a merchant vessel near Port Said, Egypt. The Truman, based out of Norfolk, Virginia, has seen its deployment extended multiple times amid the Houthi airstrike campaign. It had been joined recently by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier operating out of the Arabian Sea. Rebels survey Sanaa’s devastated airport The Israeli attack on Tuesday that targeted Sanaa International Airport devastated the airfield. Khaled al-Shaif, the head of the airport, told the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel that the Israeli strike destroyed the airport’s terminal and left craters in its runway. At least six passenger planes were struck, including three belonging to Yemenia Airways, the country’s flag-carrying airline, he said. That leaves the airline with only one functional aircraft, which was spared only because it had left earlier in the day on a flight to Amman, Jordan. He put overall damage there at $500 million. With the damage, the airport was now out of service, al-Shaif said. Houthi attacks on shipping The Houthis had been waging persistent missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the region in what the group’s leadership has described as an effort to end Israel’s offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. From November 2023 until January 2025, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors. That has greatly reduced the flow of […]
The Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport in Yemen has suspended all flights until further notice, its director announced, after suffering “extensive damage” from Israel’s attack on Tuesday. According to reports, Israel’s attack destroyed the passenger hall, terminals, a warehouse, and six aircraft, including three belonging to Yemen’s national airline, which is now left with only one plane, which is currently in Oman. The director of the airport, Khaled al-Shayef, told Al-Arabiya that “as a result of the Israeli aggression on Sanaa International Airport and the resulting extensive damage, it was decided to suspend all flights to and from the airport until further notice.” He noted that the damage to the airport in Sanaa as a result of the Israeli attack with “two types of missiles” is estimated at over $500 million. “The Israeli attack destroyed three aircraft and it will take a long time to rehabilitate and resume the airport’s operations,” he said. “The enemy caused heavy losses after attacking with two types of missiles. The enemy destroyed the terminals, along with all the equipment and devices in them. The warehouse was completely destroyed.” A senior Houthi official, Hazam al-Assad, known for issuing threats against Israel in Hebrew, clarified that the launches towards Israel will continue. “Does the Zionist entity have enough shelters?” he wrote on social media. “And will those shelters really protect the settlers from the approaching firestorm? There will be difficult questions and surprises,” he threatened. US President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement on Tuesday that the US military has halted its operation against the Houthis means that Israel will now be the only actor responding to the terror group’s attacks. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
New federal statistics show a steep decrease in the number of times the FBI searched a vast foreign intelligence repository for information about Americans and others in the United States last year. The number of “U.S. person queries” plunged from 57,094 in 2023 to 5,518 in 2024, according to the report published Monday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The report details the use of a surveillance program, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, that allows the U.S. government to collect without a warrant the communications of targeted foreigners located in other countries — including when they are in contact with Americans or other people inside the U.S. National security officials have said the program is vital to protecting the country, but civil liberties advocates have condemned it as a violation of Americans’ privacy. The report concludes that the decrease is due in large part to the adoption of tighter rules governing the program, including a requirement that the FBI enter a justification for a database query about an American before conducting it. The numbers have dropped consistently in recent years. In 2022, the FBI racked up nearly 120,000 U.S. person queries. Former President Joe Biden signed legislation reauthorizing the surveillance law last year after debates over civil liberty protections nearly forced the statute to lapse. A key source of concern — uniting an unusual alliance of far-right Republican supporters of President Donald Trump with Democratic champions of civil liberties — is that FBI analysts have repeatedly run improper or unjustified database queries about people in the U.S. The surveillance tool was first authorized in 2008. The latest figures are included in an annual report, mandated by law, that provides statistical data about a broad array of the U.S. government’s surveillance powers. The FBI had no immediate comment on the report. (AP)
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