US CENTCOM tells IDF to prepare for possible resumption of Iran campaign
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has in recent days informed IDF representatives in the United States that they should prepare for the possibility of a renewed military campaign against Iran, Kan News reported on Thursday evening.
According to a U.S. official, messages being conveyed through security channels to Israel – as well as to Gulf states – indicate that they should prepare for the possibility that the war against Iran could resume soon. These messages contradict recent statements by President Donald Trump that he does not see a need to renew the military campaign against Iran.
1.1 million Europeans demand EU cut ties with Israel in major boycott push
More than 1.1 million Europeans have signed a petition demanding the suspension of trade and diplomatic ties with Israel, forcing the European Commission to formally examine the initiative targeting one of Israel’s most important economic partnerships.
Organized by an alliance of 11 left-wing parties, the campaign seeks to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which governs trade and political cooperation. France, Italy, and Spain contributed the most signatures. The EU, Israel’s largest trading partner, accounted for roughly one-third of its international goods trade in 2025.
The Commission must issue a formal response by May 2027, although the petition does not automatically trigger sanctions or changes to existing agreements.
Trump says US antisemitism at levels ‘like Germany in 1938’
US President Donald Trump said Thursday that antisemitism in the United States was at levels “like Germany in 1938,” at the beginning of the Holocaust.
The president was asked by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt about the recent rise in antisemitism in the US and what his administration was doing to combat it.
“I’m amazed to see it,” Trump said. “This is like Germany in 1938 or whatever. It’s, like, crazy what’s going on. When you look at the attacks on people, the racial attacks and the attacks, they’re, I guess, 57 percent on Jewish people, and you wouldn’t believe it.”
IAEA raises alarm over uninspected Iranian uranium enrichment plant at Isfahan
International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, is “increasingly concerned” about an underground uranium-enrichment plant at Isfahan that Iran declared last year but has not let the watchdog inspect, it said in a confidential report on Iran on Friday seen by Reuters.
“The Agency does not know IFEP’s exact location, status for safeguards purposes, or whether it contains nuclear material,” the IAEA said in the quarterly report to member states, referring to the Isfahan Fuel Enrichment Plant (IFEP).
Al-Shabab Kills 5 Christians in Mandera, Kenya because of their identity and faith
Somali-based al-Shabab militants ambushed Christian construction workers inspecting a road project. The workers, who were non-locals, were targeted because of their identity and faith. A driver and the two police reservists assigned to protect them were also killed.
Eight people in total were killed, with the attack following a pattern of al-Shabab-linked violence in Kenya’s northeastern borderlands.
“The attack was swift but intense, leaving many traumatized, but even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for Jesus is with us; His rod and staff, they comfort us,” an eyewitness said. “That’s where we draw our confidence from regardless of the present circumstances.”
Meta Expands AI Age Surveillance Worldwide
Meta is expanding its AI-powered age estimation and verification system, described in detail in May, globally on Instagram, and will then bring it to Facebook and Threads.
This is not the only place Meta is using this technology. “We’re continuing to roll this technology out on Facebook and, later this year, we’ll begin launching similar technology globally on Threads,” the announcement said.
The system, that the giant says is able to find people it suspects are teenagers “even if they use an adult birthday” and put them into Teen Account restrictions, is based on machine learning algorithms that analyze profiles and “contextual clues” to determine age.
Microsoft hit by multi-region connectivity issues amid elevated infrastructure load
Microsoft 365 users across multiple regions experienced connectivity errors Thursday as the tech giant worked to resolve a widespread hours-long outage caused by elevated system loads.
As of early Friday, the disruption remained unresolved in the United States and had extended into the workday across the Asia-Pacific region, as Microsoft continued working to restore service.
The “elevated load” wasn’t driven by an increase in traffic, according to an alert from the Microsoft Admin Center. Instead, it was the result of a “number of servers being unexpectedly unavailable, straining the remaining infrastructure.”
Burkina Faso begins nationwide biometric enrollment for unique digital ID
Burkina Faso has launched a nationwide biometric enrollment exercise to issue residents and other eligible individuals a unique personal identification number, enabling them to access public and private sector services more easily.
Highly contagious bird flu detected in Wisconsin as officials euthanize infected flock
A highly contagious strain of bird flu has struck a backyard poultry flock in Wisconsin, prompting officials to euthanize the birds amid ongoing concerns about the spread of the potentially deadly disease.
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) confirmed Thursday a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a backyard poultry flock in Rusk County.