🇺🇸🇾🇪 Donald Trump praises Houthis’ “bravery"

“You know, we hit them very hard. They had a great capacity to withstand punishment. They took tremendous punishment. You can say there’s a lot of bravery there…It was amazing what they took. But we honor their commitment and their word.”

🔗 Prem Thakker

🇫🇷 This is the first loss of a French-produced Dassault Rafale in a combat related incident since the aircraft entered active service with the French Air Force in 2001.

🔗 OSINTdefender

🇮🇳🇵🇰 Of the 9 Indian airstrikes conducted in Pakistan yesterday, 8 targets were revealed in India's official press release, these locations have since been geolocated & mapped in this visual providing an insight into this cross-border operation

🔗 Damien Symon

🇩🇪 AfD no longer “certainly right-wing extremist” for the time being

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has withdrawn its classification of the AfD as a "confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor." For the time being, the office will continue to treat the AfD only as a suspected case and monitor it, the office stated in a document obtained by the Höcker law firm, which is representing the AfD in its dispute with the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

On Friday, the AfD sought legal recourse against the federal agency's announced upgrade and filed an urgent application. As part of this legal dispute, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has now declared that it will "not publicly describe the AfD as a confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor until the deciding chamber in these urgent proceedings has issued its decision" and issued a corresponding pledge of non-disclosure. The agency also assured that the corresponding press release will be removed from its website.

https://apollo-news.net/verfassungsschutz-nimmt-einstufung-zurueck-afd-vorerst-nicht-mehr-gesichert-rechtsextremistisch/

🇮🇳🇵🇰 Pro-Indian X users have been ceaselessly trying to manipulate X’s community notes to disseminate disinformation.

So far, they haven’t worked out.

Users can add context to posts to combat misinformation, but the system is vulnerable to coordinated manipulation by users with multiple accounts that influence note ranking and visibility.

Elon Musk previously acknowledged that state actors and governments have “gamed” Community Notes, prompting plans to prevent such manipulation.

https://fxtwitter.com/clashreport/status/1920243034282709491

#URGENT

🇻🇦🗳❗️ — White Smoke rises on Vatican's Saint Peter's Square

A Pope has been elected!

#BREAKING
🇻🇦 — White smoke signals a NEW POPE has been chosen!

➡️The 133 cardinals taking part have reached the required two-thirds consensus to elect a new leader of the Catholic Church after 4 rounds of voting.

🇻🇦 Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost from the U.S. has been elected as the 267th Pope

@CIG_telegram

🇻🇦🇺🇸 The new pope is Cardinal Robert Prevost and he has selected Pope Leo XIV as his papal name.

Pope Leo XIV is the first American pope and hails from Chicago.

🔗 AF Post

🇯🇵 Seiji Kihara, a member of the House of Representatives known as a close aide to former Prime Minister Kishida:

Seiji Kihara:

“I’m against immigration.”

“Trying to fill the shortages with immigrants is completely the wrong approach.”

“Rather, I think we should create systems that allow people who want to support their own communities to contribute on their own.”

🔗 Yoko

🇺🇸Bloomberg: Most of the top holders of Trump’s memecoin - who are vying for an “intimate dinner” with POTUS and a White House tour - are likely foreign.

🔗 Steven Dennis

🇮🇳🇵🇰India-Pakistan Conflict Engagement Activity — May 08 2025

Missile/drone incidents reportedly attempted by both sides after India struck terror-linked targets in Pakistan yesterday, many attempts thwarted by both, several LoC sectors report intense artillery exchanges as well

🔗 Damien Symon

🇺🇸🇨🇳🇮🇷🛢 Treasury sanctions Chinese refiner, port operators over Iranian oil

The Treasury Department on Thursday said it was imposing sanctions on a Chinese refinery and the operators of a Chinese port over shipments of Iranian crude oil.

"The United States remains resolved to intensify pressure on all elements of Iran's oil supply chain to prevent the regime from generating revenue to further its destabilizing agenda," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

The sanctions affect refiner Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group Co., Ltd., as well as three companies operating a terminal in Dongying Port in China.v

Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control said it was also targeting a half-dozen "shadow fleet" ships involved in the transport of Iranian oil, as well as two ship captains.

https://www.axios.com/2025/05/08/trump-china-iran-sanctions-oil