The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Presses Qatar On Hamas As Gaza Talks Come Down To The Wire

“The U.S. has asked the Persian Gulf state of Qatar to expel Hamas’s political leadership if the group doesn’t agree to a Gaza cease-fire deal in high-stakes talks under way in Cairo, an official from the region said. Qatar, which has hosted the group’s political wing since 2012, is ready to carry out the request when asked, the official said. The State Department declined to comment. The move is a sign of the heavy pressure the U.S. is putting on Hamas and Israel to pause a conflict that Palestinian health officials say has killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza. Concerns about the heavy toll on civilians have spilled over into U.S. domestic politics, sparking a wave of protests on college campuses that are threatening President Biden’s fragile bid for a second term.”

Associated Press: A Suspected Islamic State Group Attack On Pro-Government Force In East Syria Kills At Least 13

“Suspected members of the Islamic State group attacked three posts for Syrian government forces and pro-government gunmen early Friday killing at least 13, an opposition war monitor and pro-government media reported. The attack wounded others who were taken to hospitals in the central province of Homs, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It said 15 were killed in the attacks on three posts near the central town of Sukhna and blamed IS. The conflicting casualty counts could not immediately be reconciled. Athr Press and Sham FM, both pro-government media outlets, said 13 soldiers and pro-government gunmen were killed in the attacks and that IS gunmen were behind it. They gave no further details. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but the area was once a stronghold of the extremist group that was officially defeated in Syria in March 2019.”

United States

The Independent: NYPD Mocked For Displaying Textbook On Terrorism Studies As Proof Of Outside Agitators At Columbia

“A top New York Police Department official was mocked online after pointing to a “book on terrorism” as evidence of “outside agitators” at Columbia University’s protests against the war in Gaza. NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry told Newsmax on Friday that authorities recovered a “book on terrorism” from Columbia’s Hamilton Hall. Showing the book to the camera, he said, “There is somebody —whether they paid or not paid — but they are radicalizing our students.” Mr Daughtry was holding up a book titled, “Terrorism: A Very Short Introduction,” which is written by renowned British historian Charles Townshend. “There is somebody behind this,” Mr Daughtry said, before saying police were investigating the “mastermind behind the scenes.” This isn’t the first time he has boasted such claims, suggesting an outside force was responsible for the “radicalization” of student protesters.”

United Kingdom 

Mirror: Foreign Office Issues Urgent Warning To Anyone Travelling To Turkey

“Brits have been advised against "all but essential travel" to parts of Turkey, in an update from the Foreign Office. There are three areas that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office lists as places to avoid at all costs due to a "heightened risk of terrorism". These include the Sirnak city, Hakkari Province as well as anywhere along the border of Turkey and Syria. The FCDO provides advice about risks of travel to help British nationals make informed decisions. The government department regularly updates its advice for travel to any of 226 nations and territories in a bid to help people make informed decisions and stay safe, and the FCDO issued a new alert to anyone with plans to visit Turkey. It issued advice against "all but essential travel" to the specific areas in the country. A spokesperson added: "The FCDO advises against all travel to within 10km of the border with Syria due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism".”

Iran

Associated Press: The UN Nuclear Watchdog Chief Travels To Iran As Its Monitoring Remains Hampered

“The head of the United Nations’ atomic watchdog will travel Monday to Iran, where his agency faces increasing difficulty in monitoring the Islamic Republic’s rapidly advancing nuclear program as tensions remain high in the wider Middle East over the Israel-Hamas war. Rafael Mariano Grossi already has warned Tehran has enough uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to make “several” nuclear bombs if it chose to do so. He has acknowledged the agency can’t guarantee that none of Iran’s centrifuges may have been peeled away for clandestine enrichment. Those challenges now find themselves entangled in attacks between Israel and Iran, with the city of Isfahan apparently coming under Israeli fire in recent weeks despite it being surrounded by sensitive nuclear sites. Grossi is likely to attend an Iranian nuclear conference there while on his two-day trip to Iran.”

Afghanistan

Voice Of America: Taliban Face Rare Public Uprising Against Their Rule In Northeastern Afghanistan

“Afghanistan’s hardline Taliban leaders have threatened to militarily suppress unprecedented violent public protests in a northeastern border region against a nationwide ban on poppy cultivation. The unrest erupted last Friday when the Taliban’s anti-narcotics forces began destroying poppy fields in Badakhshan province, prompting angry farmers to resist it with the support of local residents. Multiple sources confirmed Sunday that Taliban security forces used firearms to disperse the demonstrators, killing two of them during the two days of protests. Videos circulating on social media showed residents chanting slogans against reclusive Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, who has banned poppy cultivation across Afghanistan through a religious decree. VOA could not ascertain the authenticity of the footage independently.”

Daily Mail: How Special Forces Chief 'Blew The Whistle On SAS War Crimes In Afghanistan': Top Officer 'Told Police Soldiers Under His Command Were Murdering Prisoners Of War - Despite Fears Of Threats To His Family'

“A high-ranking officer in the British special forces told police the SAS were committing war crimes by murdering prisoners in Afghanistan, it emerged today. Known only as N1466 the officer risked the safety of his family when he claimed 'cancer had infected' a particular unit of the SAS. Between 2009 and 2013 he was responsible for all SAS overseas operations- meaning he focused on British military activity in Afghanistan. According to a Sunday Times investigation the officer tipped police off about a safe which held a dossier of evidence from a SAS soldier detailing allegations of murder. The officer's actions caused a massive inquiry with 6,000 classified documents being disclosed by the Ministry of Defence. Within the files are witness accounts from serving soldiers, emails to Number 10 warning of the crisis, as well as diares of police investigators. Foreign Secretary David Cameron was the Prime Minister in the years the allegations relate to.”

Pakistan

Associated Press: Double Land Mine Blasts Kill One Person And Wound At Least 18 In Pakistan’s Southwest

“Double land mine blasts killed one person and wounded at least 18 on Thursday in Pakistan’s southwest, a police officer said. The first mine exploded when a truck was passing through a valley in coal-rich Duki district in Baluchistan province. The second detonated when counter-terrorism officials and civilians were examining the initial blast site, said district police officer Asif Haleem. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. But Baluch separatist groups have previously struck security personnel or infrastructure in the southwest. They initially wanted a greater share of provincial resources, but later initiated an insurgency for independence from the central government. Also on Thursday, an Islamabad-based think tank said that militant assaults killed 70 people nationwide in April, mostly in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies also said the country experienced 323 militant attacks in the first four months of the year, resulting in 324 deaths.”

Yemen

Reuters: Yemen's Houthis Say They Will Target Ships Heading For Israel Anywhere Within Range

“Yemen's Houthis will target ships heading to Israeli ports in any area that is within their range, military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech on Friday. "We will target any ships heading to Israeli ports in the Mediterranean Sea in any area we are able to reach," he said. The Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched repeated drone and missile strikes on ships in the crucial shipping channels of the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab strait and the Gulf of Aden since November to show their support for the Palestinians in the Gaza war. This has forced shippers to re-route cargo to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa and has stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread and destabilise the Middle East.”

Lebanon

Associated Press: Israeli Strike Kills 4 Civilians In Southern Lebanon, State Media Says

“An Israeli airstrike Sunday in the town of Mays al Jabal in south Lebanon killed four civilians and wounded several others, Lebanese state media and the town’s municipality reported. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that the strike took place “while a number of the town’s residents were inspecting their homes and shops and the damage they sustained” in previous strikes. Those attacks came over seven months of near-daily clashes between the Hezbollah militant group and Israeli forces against the backdrop of Israel’s war against Hezbollah ally Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said its jet targeted military infrastructure in the southern Lebanese town belonging to Hezbollah, which has clashed with Israeli troops since Oct. 8. Hezbollah on Sunday said it conducted at least 10 attacks targeting Israeli military positions and surveillance gear near the tense Lebanon-Israel border, while the Israeli military said it identified some 40 missiles that crossed into Israeli territory but did not cause any casualties.”

Qatar

The Washington Post: U.S. Tells Qatar To Evict Hamas If It Obstructs Israeli Hostage Deal

“The United States has told Qatar that it should expel Hamas if the group continues to reject a cease-fire with Israel, an agreement the Biden administration deems vital to easing the upheaval gripping the Middle East, a U.S. official told The Washington Post. Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered the message to Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in April, according to the official, who like others interviewed for this report spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations.”

Middle East

The New York Times: Cease-Fire Talks Between Israel And Hamas Again At An Impasse

“The latest round of negotiations between Israel and Hamas hit an impasse on Sunday as mediators struggled to bridge remaining gaps and a Hamas delegation departed the talks in Cairo, according to two senior Hamas officials and two other officials familiar with the talks. An Israeli official also confirmed the negotiations had stalled and described them as being in “crisis.” For months, the negotiations aimed at achieving a cease-fire and a release of hostages have made little progress, but signs the two sides were coming closer to an agreement appeared over the last week. Israel backed off some of its long-held demands and a top Hamas official said the group was studying the latest Israeli offer with a “positive spirit.” But the setback over the weekend meant Palestinians living in miserable conditions in Gaza would not experience an imminent reprieve and the families of hostages held by militants would have to wait longer for the freedom of their loved ones.”

Reuters: Israel Begins Evacuating Part Of Rafah, Hamas Decries 'Dangerous Escalation'

“Israel told Palestinians to evacuate parts of Rafah on Monday in what appeared to be preparation for a long-threatened assault on Hamas holdouts in the southern Gaza city where more than a million people uprooted by the war have been sheltering. Instructed by Arabic text messages, telephone calls, and flyers to move to what the Israeli military called an "expanded humanitarian zone" 20 km (7 miles) away, some Palestinian families lumbered out under chilly spring rain. Soon after midday in Gaza, several explosions were heard in east Rafah, residents and Hamas media said, with an air strike targeting some houses where lines of smoke and dust sprung up. A senior official of Hamas, the militant Palestinian group that governs Gaza, said the evacuation order was a "dangerous escalation" that would have consequences. "The U.S. administration, alongside the occupation, bears responsibility for this terrorism," the official, Sami Abu Zuhri, told Reuters, referring to Israel's alliance with Washington.”

Africa

The Washington Post: In The Village, It’s Too Dangerous To Dance. But A Bigger Stage Awaited.

“The musicians and dancers traveled in a military convoy to reach the competition, moving in armored cars with soldiers at the ready through parts of the country where Islamist extremists have banned their violins, drums and dance moves. There was a dancer whose close friend had been killed for listening to a radio while he farmed. A violinist who no longer dared to play at the marriages and baptisms in the villages where he used to make his living. A young dancer who could no longer go to concerts with her friends in neighboring villages. The traditional dance troupe members had journeyed from Burkina Faso’s Sahel administrative region, one of the most dangerous areas in a country racked in recent years by violence committed by Islamist extremists. At this national festival, the troupe would face off against teams from across Burkina Faso. At stake was pride and money. For the Sahel team, it was also about resistance.”

Germany

DW: Germany: Thousands Protest After Attack On EU Lawmaker

“Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the streets of Dresden and Berlin on Sunday to protest right-wing extremism and political violence following Friday's attack on the Social Democrat (SPD) lawmaker Matthias Ecke, a member of the European Parliament. Ecke was assaulted in Dresden while hanging up posters ahead of June's European parliamentary elections. He was beaten so severely that he required emergency surgery and remains hospitalized. "It is very clear that this willingness to use violence did not occur in a vacuum," said SPD co-chair Saskia Esken before the Sunday demonstrations. Police said roughly 1,000 people gathered in front of Berlin's famous Brandenburg Gate to voice support for democracy and stand against right-wing extremism. In Dresden, police and organizers estimated the number of participants to be around 3,000.”

Australia

Reuters: Australian Police Shoot Boy Dead After Stabbing With 'Hallmarks' Of Terrorism

“Australian police said on Sunday they had shot dead a boy after he stabbed a man in Western Australia's capital Perth, in an attack authorities said indicated terrorism. There were signs the 16-year-old, armed with a kitchen knife, had been radicalised online, state authorities said, adding they received calls from concerned members of the local Muslim community before the attack, which occurred late on Saturday night. The attack, in the suburb of Willetton, had "hallmarks" of terrorism but was yet to be declared a terrorist act, police said. "At this stage it appears that he acted solely and alone," Western Australia Premier Roger Cook told a televised press conference in the state capital Perth, regarding the attacker. The victim, stabbed in the back, was stable in hospital, authorities said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had been briefed on the incident by police and intelligence agencies, which advised there was no ongoing threat.”

Southeast Asia

The Times Of India: Search On After Terrorist Attack kills IAF Corporal In J&K

“Combined teams of Army, paramilitary, and J&K police fanned out in a massive combing operation Sunday in the mountainous forested terrain of J&K’s Poonch district, following the terrorist attack the previous afternoon on two IAF vehicles that left Corporal Vikky Pahade dead and wounded four of his colleagues. IAF mourned the loss of Corporal Pahade, a 33-year-old resident of Nonia-Karbal village in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, who was supposed to return home to celebrate his son’s birthday on May 7. He had joined his unit on April 18 after visiting his family for his sister’s wedding. A group of terrorists led by Abu Hamza, a foreigner affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), is suspected to be behind the attack. Hamza is also accused of masterminding the killing of govt employee Mohammad Razaq on April 22 in Rajouri district. Police have announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for information about him. He is suspected to be operating in the dense jungles of Poonch and Rajouri districts.”