Prosecutors in the United Kingdom charged a rapper from Northern Ireland with a terrorism offence in connection with a video allegedly showing him draped in a Hezbollah flag.

Liam O’Hanna, known as Mo Chara, is to stand trial, allegedly for supporting the U.K.-designated terrorist organization during a 2024 performance in London, police said on Wednesday.

According to the Metropolitan Police, O’Hanna is accused of displaying a flag “in support of a proscribed organization” while performing with his Irish band Kneecap, which made headlines last month for projecting “F*** Israel, free Palestine” at the Coachella music festival in California.

The charge follows renewed scrutiny after two controversial videos resurfaced online on April 22. One shows a band member shouting, “The only good Tory is a dead Tory” and “Kill your local MP.” In the other, a performer—alleged to be O’Hanna—is seen apparently wearing a Hezbollah flag and shouting, “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah.”

Both videos are under investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter-Terrorism Command, The Jewish Chronicle reported.

Kneecap has denied supporting terrorist groups or advocating violence, stating it does not "support proscribed terror organizations" and does not "advocate for violence against anyone.”

O’Hanna, 27, from Belfast, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrate's Court on June 18.

Organizers of next month's Glastonbury Festival in England are under pressure from performers and celebrities to remove the Kneecap trio from its lineup due to the controversies surrounding the group. Kneecap has threatened to sue music industry figures who have allegedly called for their exclusion from the event.

Israeli security forces have arrested the mastermind behind the Jan. 6 terrorist shooting in the Samarian village of al-Funduq which left three Israeli civilians dead and several others wounded.

The suspect was apprehended overnight Tuesday in Jenin by Israel Defense Forces troops operating with Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) intelligence.

The operation, carried out in the eastern neighborhood of the city, targeted the orchestrator of the attack that killed police officer Elad Winkelstein, 35; Rachel Cohen, 70; and Aliza Reiz, 73. The assailants, affiliated with the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations, opened fire on a bus and multiple civilian vehicles on Highway 55. Eight others sustained injuries in the ambush.

Following weeks of manhunts, two of the attackers were eliminated by Israeli forces near Jenin on Jan. 22. A third assailant was neutralized in April during a separate counterterror raid.

In a concurrent overnight operation in the nearby town of Qabatiya, five suspects affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group were arrested. Security sources said the cell was involved in planning attacks in the area.

Meanwhile, IDF forces from the Etzion Brigade, operating alongside Israel Police in the town of al-Khader near Bethlehem, arrested additional suspects linked to terrorist activity along Route 60. Troops confiscated some 250,000 shekels ($70,137) in terror financing, in addition to firearms and ammunition.

In a separate operation in the Hebron sector, two military-grade rifles—an M16 and an M4—along with magazines and ammunition, were discovered and seized.

The operations form part of ongoing Israeli counterterrorism efforts across Judea and Samaria to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and safeguard civilian life.

Seventy women gathered in Sydney, Australia, recently for a yoga session and healing circle to honor Carmel Gat, an Israeli yoga instructor who was murdered while in Hamas captivity after being abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

The event, held on May 16, which would have been Gat’s 41st birthday, was organized by Lev Echad ("One Heart"), a division of WIZO NSW composed of women aged 30 to 50. The morning began with the lighting of 41 candles, each symbolizing a year of her life.

Funds raised from the event will support Makom Balev ("A Place in the Heart"), a WIZO-backed shelter and empowerment center in Beersheva for women who have no safe place to turn.

Lev Echad members first encountered Gat’s story during a solidarity mission to Israel in May 2024, where they met her family and friends at Be'eri, on her 40th birthday.

“Carmel reminded us that even in the darkest places, light can be found through the body, breath and spirit,” said one participant. “She embodied peace and resilience. Today, we honored her not just in mourning—but in movement.”

Makom Balev offers refuge, rehabilitation and a new path forward—ensuring that Gat’s spirit continues to uplift others.

Israeli air defenses intercepted a second missile from Yemen on Thursday, hours after a similar projectile was downed, as the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists ramp up their aerial assault on the Jewish state.

The latest missile was detected shortly before noon, triggering sirens in Jerusalem, the Dead Sea area and surrounding communities. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that the missile was intercepted and alerts sounded “in accordance with protocol.” No injuries or damage were reported.

Another Houthi missile was intercepted by Israeli aerial defense systems early on Thursday morning. The attack triggered air-raid sirens across central Israel, including in Tel Aviv, sending millions of civilians rushing to bomb shelters around 3 a.m. local time. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The Houthis, who have escalated their attacks on Israel in recent weeks, also launched a missile at Israel early on Sunday. That projectile was intercepted by IDF aerial defenses.

Earlier this month, the Houthis threatened a full aerial blockade of Israel after firing a missile that impacted near Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport.

In response, Israel has carried out strikes on Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen used for arms transfers. Targeted locations have included Sanaa International Airport, as well as the ports of Hodeidah and Salif, which the IDF says have been used to facilitate the movement of weapons.

Dorothy Shea, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, censured Houthi terrorists for their attacks on Israel and for threatening international maritime trade as part of her remarks to the world body on Tuesday.

“At President Trump’s direction, the United States took punishing action to defend freedom of navigation against the Houthis,” she said. “Under pressure, the Houthis have backed down from attacking American ships, but they will face further punishing strikes if they attack U.S. vessels again. We condemn their continued attacks on Israel and support Israel’s right to respond.”

On May 16, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned, “If the Houthis continue to fire missiles at the State of Israel, they will suffer painful blows—and the heads of the terrorist group will also be hit. We will defend ourselves with strength against any enemy.”

Iranian officials on Wednesday dismissed as “psychological warfare,” reports that Israel is preparing a military strike on its nuclear facilities, responding to dramatic coverage by CNN and Axios.

The reports cited fresh U.S. intelligence assessments indicating that Israel is doing just that, to be ready if negotiations between the Washington and the Islamic Republic collapse.

Tehran’s pushback came amid a rare admission from within the regime, reported by Reuters, that it lacks a viable “Plan B” should the ongoing nuclear negotiations fail.

Iranian media reacted sharply to the recent CNN report, which suggested the U.S. has gathered intelligence pointing to a significant Israeli shift toward a military option over concerns that a new nuclear deal would fail to eliminate Iran’s ability to build a bomb. Tehran labeled the reports part of a Western intimidation campaign.

“Iran expects a broader wave of propaganda and psychological operations in the coming days by Western countries aimed at intimidating or pressuring our negotiation team,” read a statement from Tehran’s Tasnim news agency.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed this sentiment, warning the Islamic Republic might walk away from the talks—though his words appeared measured, likely signaling a negotiating tactic: “Iran is currently evaluating whether or not to participate in the next round of talks,” he said.

At the same time, three Iranian sources quoted by Reuters admitted that the regime in Tehran has no concrete fallback strategy if the talks with Washington collapse—a scenario that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of just a day earlier.

The fallback plan, such as it is according to those officials, relies on leaning more heavily on ties with Russia and China. They acknowledged, however, that this path is flawed: China is preoccupied with its trade war with the U.S., and Russia remains bogged down in the Ukraine war.

‘Iran’s economy cannot recover'

The Islamic Republic’s economic troubles are already deep, with American sanctions biting hard and water and energy infrastructure faltering, sparking repeated public protests in recent years. On the regional front, Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance” has crumbled, with Bashar Assad no longer in power in Syria and Hezbollah devastated in Lebanon.

Since the return of President Donald Trump to the White House, his administration has reinitiated its maximum pressure campaign, which is marked by strong sanctions. “Without sanctions relief to unlock oil sales and unfreeze financial assets, Iran’s economy cannot recover,” one source told Reuters.

Negotiations resumed on April 12 after weeks of Trump-era threats to strike Iran’s nuclear sites. Four rounds of indirect talks have been held so far, mediated by Oman, with Araghchi and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff even meeting directly—an unusual occurrence since Trump unilaterally pulled out of the original 2015 deal during his first term.

Last week, Trump struck an optimistic tone, claiming Iran had “more or less agreed” to the terms of a new deal. But Iranian officials have since issued a series of furious statements, especially in response to Trump’s continued threats of military action and his warning that Iran must “act fast or something bad will happen.”

Khamenei rejected out of hand Washington’s demand that Iran stop enriching uranium altogether, calling it “outrageous and insulting,” and predicted the talks were likely to fail.

Although Iran’s Foreign Ministry insists it will continue to participate, the negotiations remain shaky. A major sticking point is uranium enrichment: The U.S. has made conflicting statements, sometimes demanding Iran halt enrichment entirely, and at other times saying low-level enrichment would be tolerated. Iran has offered to cap enrichment at low levels, far from weapons-grade, but refuses to halt it outright.

Trump has repeatedly said he opposes another Middle East war, despite his threats. “We’ve seen this over and over—wars spin out of control. We won’t let that happen,” he said during his May 13-16 Gulf tour. Still, he’s warned of “maximum pressure” and possible sanctions on countries that buy oil from Iran if diplomacy fails.

The bipartisan-sponsored Antisemitism Awareness Act, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, codifies the inclusion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin in programs and activities, such as colleges and universities, receiving federal financial assistance.

The Antisemitism Awareness Act says the IHRA definition is a vital tool to help individuals understand and identify the various manifestations of antisemitism. In this regard, it should be noted that the United States is a member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and that this definition of antisemitism was adopted by the U.S. State Department, as well as by more than 40 countries.

All that the act does is include the IHRA definition of antisemitism when considering the illegal basis of discrimination, exclusion or denial of benefits. Notice, these operative words deal with prohibited conduct, not the uttering of words.

The act references Executive Order 13899, which President Donald Trump signed in 2019 during his first term. That order extended protections against discrimination under Title VI to individuals subjected to antisemitism on university campuses and confirmed the use of the IHRA definition. Trump reaffirmed this on Jan. 29, in Executive Order 14188, called  “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism.”

It also correctly finds that the use of alternative definitions of Jew-hatred impairs enforcement efforts by adding multiple standards that fail to identify many of the modern manifestations of antisemitism.

The act is with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, in a process that has been stalled by a flurry of amendments designed to frustrate the very object of the law, by interposing contrived concerns about the First Amendment that are frankly irrelevant to the act and Title VI.

Consider, for instance, while arguing for an amendment to the act that would allow criticism of the Israeli government—something not prohibited by the IHRA definition—a senator made false and defamatory statements about Israel’s conduct of the defensive war against Hamas. It should be noted that defamation is not fully protected speech under the First Amendment. Moreover, the operative provisions of Title VI are about prohibited conduct, not free speech, making the premise asserted for the amendment baseless.

Another senator made the fatuous claim that because the IHRA definition considers libelously blaming all Jews for the crucifixion of Jesus by the Romans to be antisemitic that the bill would prohibit reading the Gospel of John, Chapters 18 and 19. This assertion is not only baseless; it misses the import of Title VI. In essence, it should be prohibited to discriminate against Jews, whether because it incorrectly holds all Jews responsible for the crucifixion or for any other reason. (As an aside, Pope Paul VI solved the senator’s misreading of John in "Nostra Aetate," on Oct. 28, 1965.)

It is important to recognize that not all speech is protected under the First Amendment. For example, speech directed toward inciting or producing lawless action is not protected. Similarly, so-called "fighting words"—true threats of violence, as perceived by those who are threatened, and the reckless disregard of a substantial risk that the statements made would be viewed as threatening violence—are not protected (Counterman v. Colorado).

Defamation of a so-called “public figure” with malice (knowingly false or reckless disregard for the truth as described in New York Times v. Sullivan) and negligent defamation of everyone else is also not protected speech. While so-called “public figures” are not afforded the more fulsome standard of protection against libel or slander, that categorization can hardly be applied to ordinary students, who happen to be Jewish, as laid out in Gertz v. Welch.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in its 1952 ruling in Beauharnais v. Illinois, upheld a state libel law that made it illegal to defame a race or class of people. I mention this matter specifically because some of the facts and circumstances—like unsavory leaflets, and depraved and libelous remarks at issue in that case—are eerily similar to the propaganda efforts and devices used by Hamasniks to defame, harass, intimidate and exclude Jewish students from facilities and programs at colleges and universities.

The Antisemitism Awareness Act, in the same pristine form that was adopted by the House, should be immediately passed by the Senate and signed into law by the president.

The Israel Defense Forces overnight on Tuesday demolished the Hebron home of Abed el-Khader Kawasme, who was responsible for the terror attack that claimed the life of IDF Cpl. Avraham Fetena and wounded six civilians in the Jerusalem area on Nov. 16, 2023.

"The terrorist was part of the cell that killed Cpl. Avraham Fetena, of blessed memory, as he was carrying out operational activity, and wounded six additional civilians, at the tunnel checkpoint" that connects Jerusalem with Judea's Gush Etzion area, the IDF said.

On Nov. 16, 2023, Kawasme and two other Palestinian gunmen arrived at the crossing by car and opened fire on forces securing the checkpoint, who responded by shooting and killing the terrorists.

Kawasme—the son of Abdallah Kawasme, the head of Hamas in Hebron who was slain in 2003—was part of a major terrorist cell that had reportedly planned to perpetrate a much larger attack in the capital.

Then-Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai said that weapons seized from the vehicle indicated that they "planned to carry out a massacre." The attack came just over a month after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel, in which some 1,200 people were killed.

The IDF emphasized on Wednesday that its troops would "continue to act to thwart terrorism in Judea and Samaria and to bring to justice every terrorist who harms Israeli citizens and security forces."

In a separate announcement on Wednesday, the IDF said it was seeking to demolish the Samaria home of Samer Hussein, the terrorist whose Nov. 29 shooting attack wounded 10 Israelis, three of which seriously.

Hussein was shot and killed by security forces during the attack, in which he opened fire at a Tel Aviv-bound bus near Ariel in Samaria.

"The day before yesterday, the commander of Central Command issued a notice of intent to confiscate and demolish the home of the terrorist Samer Hussein in the town of Einabus," south of Nablus, the IDF said.

On Thursday morning, the IDF announced troops, including Yahalom Combat Engineering Corps special forces units, demolished the home of terrorist Sultan al-Ghani in the village of Baqa al-Hatab, in the Ephraim Brigade’s sector in western Samaria. Al-Ghani carried out a shooting attack on Aug. 18, 2024, in the Barkan Industrial Zone, in which Gideon Peri was murdered.

“Israeli security forces will continue to act to bring every terrorist who harms Israeli civilians and security personnel to justice,” the army said.

The demolition of Palestinian terrorists' homes has been a subject of controversy for years. Israel's security establishment believes that the policy bolsters deterrence and prevents further terrorist activity.

In 2023, demolitions all but stopped, according to an Israel Hayom investigation carried out with Zionist NGO Im Tirtzu. However, in the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, the army has picked up the pace, issuing orders for a significant number of terrorists' homes.

Official condemnation of Wednesday night's murder of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C. was swift, as politicians, organization heads and world leaders expressed their horror at the gunning down of a young couple outside the Capital Jewish Museum.

The two victims were identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim.

“Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues,” the Israeli embassy tweeted. “They were in the prime of their lives."

U.S. President Donald Trump, posting to Truth Social, said, “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen!  God Bless You ALL!”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted to X, "We condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of two staff members from the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC.

"Our prayers are with their loved ones. This was a brazen act of cowardly, antisemitic violence. Make no mistake: we will track down those responsible and bring them to justice," he said.

U.S. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) called the shooting "horrific," urging U.S. law enforcement to "use every tool" to "prosecute these evil criminals."

Kristi Noem, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, wrote on X, "Please pray for the families of the victims. We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice.”

"The U.S. must continue to stand with our most precious ally Israel and work to eradicate this vile antisemitism raging in our streets and around the world," she added.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi visited the scene. She said all levels of government “will be doing everything in our power to keep all citizens safe, especially tonight, our Jewish community.” With her was former judge Jeanine Pirro, who serves as the interim U.S. attorney in the nation's capital and would prosecute the case.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-L.A.), tweeted," We are monitoring the situation as more details become known and lifting up the victim’s families in our prayers."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, "This sickening shooting seems to be another horrific instance of antisemitism, which as we know is all too rampant in our society."

American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch, whose organization hosted the event outside which the shooting took place, said, “We are devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue."

The shooter, Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago shouted, "Free, free Palestine," as he was taken into police custody.

"Prior to the shooting, the suspect was observed pacing back and forth outside of the museum. He approached a group of four people, produced a handgun and opened fire," Washington Police Chief Pamela Smith told reporters.

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said, "We're going to stand together as a community in the coming days and weeks to send the clear message that we will not tolerate anti-Semitism."

The United Nations and the BBC on Wednesday corrected a dramatic claim that 14,000 infants in the Gaza Strip faced death within 48 hours, clarifying that the figure actually refers to children at risk of severe malnutrition over the course of a full year.

U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher made the claim on BBC Radio 4's "Today" program, saying: “There are 14,000 babies that will die in the next 48 hours unless we can reach them.” The comment was quickly picked up by national media outlets, cited in U.K. parliamentary debates and referenced in international diplomatic discussions.

After asking the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for clarification, the BBC reported that the remarks were based on a report that warned that 14,100 severe cases of acute malnutrition were expected to occur between April 2025 and March 2026 among children aged between six months and five years.

The report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said neither that all 14,000 children were infants nor that they were expected to die. Additionally, the timeframe stated was five years, not 48 hours.

BBC News published a correction later that day.

When asked for clarification, Fletcher’s agency—the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)—told the Jewish Chronicle: “We are pointing to the imperative of getting supplies in to save an estimated 14,000 babies suffering from severe acute malnutrition in Gaza. We need to get the supplies in as soon as possible, ideally within the next 48 hours.”

By the time the correction surfaced, the false claim had already been cited by at least nine Members of Parliament in the House of Commons and amplified across U.K. and international media.

The controversy unfolded as the United Kingdom escalated pressure on Israel. U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced Monday that the United Kingdom was suspending trade negotiations with Israel over what he called “morally unjustifiable” military actions in Gaza. “The Netanyahu government’s actions have made this necessary,” Lammy said, describing Israel’s conduct as “monstrous.”

U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also weighed in, saying the “horrific situation in Gaza” was “utterly intolerable" and warning, “We cannot allow the people of Gaza to starve.”

Israeli officials have denied accusations of orchestrating food shortages, maintaining that Hamas is responsible for withholding supplies from civilians. On Tuesday, Israel allowed 93 trucks carrying humanitarian aid—including baby food, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals.