Boko Haram militants killed 18 loggers in Nigeria's Borno State, local sources told AFP, in the latest attack to target civilians struggling to survive amid an intensifying jihadist insurgency in the northeast.
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Boko Haram militants killed 18 loggers in Nigeria's Borno State, local sources told AFP, in the latest attack to target civilians struggling to survive amid an intensifying jihadist insurgency in the northeast.
Two Israeli strikes hit the Saadiyat highway roughly 20km south of Beirut on Saturday, damaging at least two vehicles. Lebanese media and AFP correspondents on the scene described the strikes as a violation of the current ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
Hezbollah’s cheap fibre-optic drones are creating new challenges for Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, forcing the military to adapt its tactics against an increasingly lethal threat. The Israeli military — considered one of the most advanced in the world — has confirmed two soldiers and one civilian contractor killed in explosive drone attacks in under a week, with several others wounded despite a ceasefire in place since mid-April. The devices are small, cheap and readily available, like “children’s toys”, explained Orna Mizrahi, a senior researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). The military “does not have nowadays any response for that, because they didn’t prepare themselves for such low-tech explosives”, she told AFP. Israel has been fighting Hezbollah since early March, invading the neighbouring country’s south to confront the group. Since then, violence has continued, with both sides accusing each other of breaching the ceasefire. Israel has continued its airstrikes since the ceasefire came into effect. Unlike conventional drones guided by GPS or radio, which can therefore be jammed, Hezbollah is using devices linked to their launch site by a thin fibre-optic cable that can stretch for dozens of kilometres. Operators pilot the drones in first-person view (FPV) using screens or virtual reality goggles that require limited training. “Since the drone does not transmit the image via radio broadcast and does not receive guidance commands via radio receiver, it cannot be detected by electronic intelligence means or blocked through electronic warfare,” said Arie Aviram, an expert who has written on the subject for the INSS. The drones’ speed and precision mean they can cause considerable damage to Israeli targets, and their lack of electronic traces leaves troops reliant on radar or visual detection, which often comes too late. Asymmetrical warfare Hezbollah’s use of these drones is characteristic of asymmetrical warfare, explained INSS researcher Mizrahi. In recent days, Hezbollah has relied more on these drones, a notable shift from the barrages of rockets it unleashed in the weeks after the war broke out. Experts say the cost of assembling the fibre-optic drones can range from just a few hundred dollars to around $4,000, depending on the quality and type of components, which can be bought on online platforms such as AliExpress. On Friday, the group’s media chief Youssef al Zein confirmed the group was using the drones and said they were being manufactured in Lebanon. “We are aware of the enemy’s superiority, but at the same time we are exploiting its weak points,” he said. For Israel, shooting down cheap drones using sophisticated air defences and fighter jets is unsustainable and costly. Aviram said that lasers, like those used by Israel’s Iron Beam air defence system, could be a suitable solution “provided they were widely deployed”, which is not the case. Indicating the challenge posed by these devices, the Israeli defence ministry put out a public call on April 11 for “proposals to identify additional capabilities to address the threat of fibre-optic-controlled FPV drones”. Nets and barriers A video shared on social media by prominent Israeli journalist Amit Segal on Wednesday appeared to show military vehicles draped in netting to protect against drones. AFP was unable to verify the footage. A senior military official told journalists on Tuesday that “so far, we’re using force protection technologies and other protections that we learned from other places, from our own experience with nets, with barriers”. “But it’s a threat that we’re still adapting to, there’s nothing that is foolproof,” the official added, noting that the military was “learning” from the war in Ukraine , where fibre-optic drones are now common. Israeli news website Mako reported in 2024 that Ukraine — which has become a world-leading drone expert since Russia’s invasion — offered its expertise to Israel several years ago but was rebuffed. “There was no concrete response,” Ukraine’s former defence minister Oleksii Reznikov told Mako at the time. Asked by AFP about the challenges posed by fibre-optic explosive drones, the Israeli military said troops had in recent weeks “conducted an in-depth analysis of how this threat operates and how Hezbollah employs it”. “The IDF is monitoring the drone threat and developing operational methods to address it,” it said, adding that troops on the ground were “continuously working to improve and adapt their systems in order to deal with the evolving threat”.
Animal rights advocates were crowing on Saturday after Korean Air banned transporting roosters on flights from the United States to the Philippines, which has a huge cockfighting industry. Filipinos wager tens of millions of dollars daily, by some industry estimates, as they watch two roosters armed with metal spurs fight to the death in clashes that can end in less than a minute. The US is an important source of roosters for these fights, according to activists as well as local breeder Eduardo Eugenio, who told AFP shutting down US imports would have a “huge impact”.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines announced it would provide monitoring and coordination support for a civilian-led mission to Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in the West Philippine Sea. An AFP spokesperson indicated the military would help ensure safe passage for the civilian group sailing in the disputed waters.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines announced it will provide monitoring and coordination support for a civilian-led mission to Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea. Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine region, indicated the military's involvement in ensuring safe passage.
A Rússia atacou a Ucrânia com um número recorde de drones de longo alcance em abril, segundo uma análise da agência de notícias AFP dos dados divulgados pela Força Aérea ucraniana . Moscou lançou 6.583 equipamentos desse tipo no mês passado, ou seja, 2% a mais do que em março. Leia mais (05/01/2026 - 08h49)
Airplane Fuel Reserves In Iceland Good, Despite AFP Report Suggesting Otherwise As reported by RÚV, the likelihood of jet fuel diminishing increases as each day of the Hormuz Strait closure. AFP... The post Airplane Fuel Reserves In Iceland Good, Despite AFP Report Suggesting Otherwise appeared first on The Reykjavik Grapevine .
‘Bunny’ Shaw’s Man City win WSL title LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Manchester City were crowned Women's Super League champions for the first time in 10 years without playing after Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw at Brighton on Wednesday. Third-placed Arsenal were eager to bounce back from Saturday's Champions League exit to Lyon and keep the title race alive in the first of three matches in hand on City. Arsenal boss Renee Slegers knew only victory at Brighton would be enough but the visitors were unable to find a winner after Friday Maanum's 62nd-minute strike cancelled out Fuka Tsunoda's first-half opener.
La chanteuse malienne Rokia Traoré a été condamnée mercredi par le tribunal correctionnel de Bruxelles à deux ans de prison, dont une partie avec sursis, dans un litige l'opposant au père de sa fille née en 2015, à propos de la garde de l'enfant. L'information, annoncée par l'AFP, a été confirmée par les avocats des parties civiles. ...
West PH Sea: Navy monitors 62 Chinese vessels in April MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) monitored 62 Chinese naval and coast guard vessels across key features in the West Philippine Sea in April, as part of continued maritime surveillance operations within the country’s exclusive economic zone. AFP spokesperson for West Philippine Sea Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad (Res.) said the
Un comandant al unităţii de elită a Hezbollah a fost ucis într-un atac israelian care a vizat miercuri seara suburbiile sudice ale Beirutului, a declarat pentru AFP o sursă apropiată grupării şiite libaneze, relatează Agerpres.
Un judecător sud-coreean care săptămâna trecută i-a înăsprit în apel pedeapsa cu închisoarea fostei prime-doamne a ţării a fost găsit mort miercuri, a anunţat poliţia, relatează AFP.