China: Officials Raid Beijing Church, Arrest Congregants

Tensions along Israel’s northern border surged Thursday after a deadly series of drone attacks by Hezbollah left one Israeli soldier dead and at least 15 others wounded, marking a sharp escalation despite a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire.

Iran’s newly installed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a defiant warning Thursday, declaring that the Islamic republic will safeguard its nuclear and missile capabilities as a “national asset,” even as Donald Trump pushes for a broader agreement to stabilize a fragile ceasefire in the ongoing conflict.

Incoming Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said Wednesday he expects the European Union to soon unlock billions of euros (dollars) in funding frozen over corruption and rule-of-law concerns, after what he described as “highly constructive” talks in Brussels.

Hundreds of militants have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms on terrorism charges in Nigeria’s largest such trial in recent memory, as fresh reports emerge of deadly attacks impacting civilian communities, observers said Thursday.

President Donald Trump on April 30 signed legislation officially ending an 11-week partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, restoring funding to critical agencies and bringing relief to furloughed federal workers across the nation.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a renewed foreign surveillance authority, advancing a key national security measure while exposing deep divisions within Republican ranks. The legislation, known as the Foreign Intelligence Accountability Act, passed in a bipartisan 235-191 vote and now heads to the Senate, where its future remains uncertain.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has developed plans for a “short and powerful” wave of military strikes against Iran, as tensions continue to escalate and nuclear negotiations remain deadlocked, according to reports cited by Axios.