Netanyahu links Flydubai attacker to Islamist radicalisation
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, said investigations suggest the Omani national accused of attacking the pilot of a Flydubai flight and attempting to take control of the aircraft had undergone Islamist radicalisation.
The plane plunged more than 17,000 feet during the incident on Wednesday before passengers and crew overpowered the co-pilot, allowing other pilots on board to land the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu said it appeared likely that the attacker intended to bring down the plane, but stressed that investigators had not reached a firm conclusion on his motive. UAE authorities have begun investigating whether the incident was linked to terrorism.
The incident has also drawn attention to aviation security, with Netanyahu saying Israel had identified a loophole that allowed a pilot from a country without diplomatic relations with Israel to operate the flight. The UAE has said it is cooperating with Israel on the investigation.
Putin warns Russia will use any weapon to defend Kaliningrad
Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow is prepared to use all weapons at its disposal if its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad comes under direct attack.
Putin said Russia was responding to Western statements that Moscow could be preparing for a wider war by 2029 or 2030. Russia has repeatedly accused NATO of considering a blockade of Kaliningrad, which borders Lithuania and Poland. NNATOhas rejected the claims and urged Moscow to stop making nuclear threats. The warnings come amid increased tensions in the Baltic region and a series of incidents that Western governments have blamed on Russia.
Putin also used a speech at the Valdai foreign policy forum to argue that global conflicts would continue as Western influence weakened, while again blaming the West for provoking Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
UK Iranian national arrested over RAF Fairford incident
British counter terrorism police have arrested aa 25-year-olddual national in connection with the incident at RAF Fairford, adding a new development to an investigation that authorities say is considering possible foreign state involvement.
TThe 25-year-oldman was arrested in Westminster on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, while two properties in the area were searched. Five other men arrested near the Gloucestershire airbase remain on police bail.
Police said the five men, all UK nationals from London, were initially arrested after three suspicious vehicles were reported near the base, which is operated by the US Air Force.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there are ‘strong indications’ Iran played a role in the incident, while Tehran has denied involvement. Counter terrorism officials said investigators were examining all possible explanations.
Christa Pike survives two lethal injections as Tennessee halts executions
Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike is in critical condition after surviving two lethal injection attempts, prompting the state to halt executions for the rest of the year while an independent investigation is conducted.
Pike, 50, was convicted of mmurdering 19-year-oldColleen Slemmer in 1996 and has spent nearly three decades on death row. Her lawyers said she remained alive after receiving two doses of pentobarbital and was taken to hospital.
Her legal team described difficulties establishing an intravenous line before the injections and said observers later saw that Pike was still breathing. They are now asking the state to commute her death sentence.
Governor Bill Lee said the investigation into the failed execution would be thorough and that there were many questions that needed answers. Pike’s lawyers said they were also considering further legal action.
Japan raises permanent residency ffee 20-fold
Japan has increased the fee for foreigners seeking permanent residency by 20 times to 200,000 yen, as the government introduces tougher requirements for long-term residence.
Applicants must now also meet new income, pension and Japanese language requirements. Long queues formed at immigration offices before the changes took effect, with wait times at Tokyo’s main bureau exceeding seven hours.
The changes are part of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s efforts to manage Japan’s growing foreign population, even as the country faces an ageing population and persistent labour shortages.
Japan’s foreign resident population reached a record 4.12 million at the end of 2025, up 9.5 percent from the previous year. The government has said its immigration policies are intended to ensure orderly residence while addressing public concerns.
AFRICA
Explosions reported in Addis Ababa after drone ban
Explosions were reported in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa hours after authorities banned drone flights over the city, amid heightened security concerns following renewed fighting in the north.
Residents and diplomatic sources reported blasts near the military headquarters and in the southern part of the capital. An opposition source claimed an armed alliance was behind drone strikes, but there was no independent confirmation.
The explosions came a week after fighting erupted between government forces and a newly formed alliance of armed groups, including forces from the Tigray region. Ethiopian authorities have not confirmed the cause of the blasts or reported casualties.
Ethiopia has also accused Eritrea of supporting the opposition alliance, an allegation Asmara has rejected. Addis Ababa later announced the closure of its embassy in Eritrea and the expulsion of 10 Eritrean diplomats.
Algeria introduces death penalty for arson after deadly wildfires
Algeria has approved legislation introducing the death penalty for people convicted of deliberately setting forests or fields on fire following a series of deadly wildfires.
The law, approved by the national assembly, also extends capital punishment to certain child abduction cases involving torture, sexual assault or mutilation. No executions have been carried out in Algeria since 1993.
The legislation follows more than 100 fires in northeastern Algeria during a period of extreme heat. The official death toll stands at 12, although local media reports suggest the number could be higher.
Justice Minister Lotfi Boudjemaa said the tougher penalties were intended to curb what he described as organised arson. The law must still pass through the Council of the Nation before being ratified by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Thousands flee Congo Ebola camp after security operation
Thousands of displaced people have fled an Ebola-affected camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after security forces entered the site in search of weapons, raising concerns over the spread of the disease.
The Kigonze camp in Ituri province housed about 19,000 displaced people before clashes prompted residents to leave. A UN official said the camp is now largely abandoned, while an Ebola treatment facility was also burned.
Health officials said about 1,000 people identified as Ebola contacts were living at the camp, but only about a fifth have since been traced. The UN warned that the displacement would make efforts to contain the outbreak significantly harder.
The UN refugee agency said 88 confirmed Ebola cases and 56 deaths had been recorded across displacement sites in Congo, although the figures were likely an underestimate. Poor sanitation and overcrowding make displacement camps particularly vulnerable to disease transmission.
Eritrea cuts diplomatic ties with Ethiopia
Eritrea has announced that it is severing diplomatic relations with Ethiopia, deepening tensions between the two neighbours as fighting continues between Ethiopian government forces and an opposition alliance.
Ethiopia has accused Eritrea and other countries of supporting the alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which has been fighting federal forces since last week. Eritrea has denied backing the group.
The latest dispute comes years after Ethiopia and Eritrea restored diplomatic relations following a peace agreement in 2018, ending decades of hostility between the two countries.
The renewed tensions threaten to further destabilise the Horn of Africa, where Ethiopia is already facing renewed conflict and political tensions involving several armed groups.
Bashir moved to Khartoum hospital as lawyer seeks treatment abroad
Ousted Sudanese President Omar al Bashir has been transferred to amilitary-runn hospital in Khartoum for medical treatment and may need to leave the country for further care, his lawyer said.
Bashir, 82, was removed from power in 2019 after months of protests and has remained under military custody. He was later moved between detention and medical facilities after Sudan’s current war erupted between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.
His lawyer, Mohamed Alhassan Alameen, said Bashir had undergone medical tests in Khartoum after developing symptoms requiring further diagnosis and treatment. His family has described treatment abroad as urgent.
Bashir’s transfer comes as Sudan’s war approaches another year of destruction, with the conflict displacing millions and severely disrupting the country’s health system.