Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Russia has launched the first of its new Project 08951 class of nuclear-powered submarines, named Khabarovsk, which is intended to be armed with the Poseidon nuclear-powered, nuclear-tipped, ultra-long-endurance torpedo. At this stage, details of the new submarine remain scarce, but its completion, though long delayed, reflects the continued priority Moscow is assigning to strategic weapons systems, including novel ones without direct comparison.
The Khabarovsk was launched in Severodvinsk in Russia’s Arctic North over the weekend, in a ceremony attended by Russian Minister of Defense Andrei Belousov, as well as the commander of the Russian Navy, Adm. Alexander Moiseev, and the heads of the United Shipbuilding Corporation and the Sevmash shipyard. Imagery released from the event primarily shows the rear part of the submarine, still out of the water, in the construction hall.
Russian Navy commander Adm. Alexander Moiseev smashes the traditional bottle of champagne against the hull of the submarine. Sevmash/VKontakte
And here we have Khabarovsk first look in satellite imagery – courtesy of @vantortech and @SkyfiApp (sorry Vantor, I couldn’t find a new logo for the image) Rough measurements 135 to 140 metres in length, 13.5 width. No apologies for the watermarks. Fed up with images being… pic.twitter.com/sb0Fz1OItC
The Khabarovsk is described by the Russian Ministry of Defense as a “nuclear-powered missile cruiser,” a broad category that Russia usually applies to nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). However, there is no indication that the new boat will carry ballistic missiles, with the primary armament of Poseidon torpedoes instead likely to be supplemented by land-attack and anti-ship cruise missiles and traditional torpedoes. The Russian military also says the submarine will be equipped with unspecified robotic systems.
The submarine was designed by the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering and is reported to be based on the hull of the Borei class SSBN. This should reduce the program costs and make it stealthier than many other Russian submarines. The Khabarovsk has a similar-looking stern section to the Borei class, including the pump-jet propulsor, which was partly covered to obscure any details.
Khabarovk rear view.
The end result, however, is significantly smaller, since the ballistic missile section is removed. The Khabarovsk reportedly has a surfaced displacement of around 10,000 tons, compared to close to 15,000 tons for the Borei class. The Project 08951 is thought to have a length of around 370 feet, while the Borei class is almost 560 feet long.
The Russian Navy Borei class SSBN Alexander Nevsky at the Rybachiy submarine base in Kamchatka. Russian Ministry of Defense
Most notable, however, is the fact that the Project 08951 class has been designed around the Poseidon torpedo from the outset. It is understood to be able to carry six examples of these weapons, each of which is around 66 feet long, approximately six feet in diameter, and weighs 110 tons.
Last week, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said that the country had, for the first time, conducted the first long-range test of a Poseidon torpedo from a submarine, as you can read about here.
During his meeting with wounded Russian servicemen on Wednesday, Russian President Putin announced that on October 28, 2025, Russia conducted a successful test of the Poseidon/Status-6 nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle. pic.twitter.com/BQO61J8HGT
— Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) October 29, 2025
“For the first time, we managed not only to launch it with a launch engine from a carrier submarine, but also to launch the nuclear power unit on which this device passed a certain amount of time,” the Russian president claimed.
The Khabarovsk is the second Poseidon-capable submarine that we know of, after the Project 09852 Belgorod, which entered service with the Russian Navy in 2022. However, this boat is a conversion of an existing Oscar II class nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine (SSGN). Once heavily reworked, it added the capacity to carry six Poseidon torpedoes but is also expected to fulfill other roles.
The Belgorod undergoing sea trials. This was reportedly the first submarine to receive the Poseidon torpedo. Uncredited
Russia has described the Belgorod as a “research” vessel able to conduct “diverse scientific expeditions and rescue operations in the most remote areas of the world ocean.” In fact, it’s considered to service more as a ‘mother ship’ that can also deploy a variety of deep-sea drones, a deep-diving nuclear-powered minisub, and a submersible nuclear powerplant to power an undersea sensor network.
A look at the rear of Belgorod during its launch ceremony makes an interesting comparison to that of the Khabarovsk. TASS
Analysis of the waterline mark and measurements confirms that the new-construction submarine Khabarovsk is closely related to the Borei-A (as expected), but also that it sits much lower in the water. This likely means that it has much less reserve bouyancy. pic.twitter.com/O9uuFVEa3P
The Russian Ministry of Defense says the Khabarovsk “is capable of effectively defending Russia’s maritime borders and ensuring the security of its interests in the world’s oceans.”
It would appear, however, that carrying the Poseidon torpedo is its primary purpose.
The Poseidon is a unique weapon that we have described in the past:
“It is assumed that the primary mission of the Poseidon is to strike coastal installations with little to no warning. There have been various reports that it’s armed with an especially ‘dirty’ warhead, which would ensure not only the usual thermonuclear destruction but also spread radioactive contamination over a wide area. There have also been accounts suggesting that it could potentially be detonated further out to sea to create a kind of radioactive tsunami that could bring even more destruction and contamination to a wider coastal area, although the accuracy of these reports is debatable.”
“…with its nuclear propulsion, the weapon should have the ability to cruise around the oceans for extremely long periods before unleashing a surprise attack. This is especially concerning, since it would make it difficult to defend against. Like the Burevestnik [ground-launched nuclear-powered cruise missile], if perfected, it would provide Russia with a strategic nuclear option that avoids existing missile defense systems.”
It appears that Russia is seeking to deploy Poseidon as a new type of second-strike capability. This capability means that even if a surprise nuclear barrage were to knock out Russia’s nuclear weapons capability, it still has the ability to make the attacker pay dearly via a retaliatory nuclear attack. Second-strike is considered the pinnacle of nuclear deterrent strategies and, in a Russian context, traditionally relies heavily on SSBNs. A more versatile second-strike capability could be more important once the United States fields its planned Golden Dome missile defense system.
U.S. President Donald Trump, the prime architect of Golden Dome, has meanwhile responded to recent Russian tests of the Burevestnik and Poseidon systems. Following on from Putin’s bellicose comments on the Burevestnik test, Trump said: “I don’t think it’s an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying,” reminding the Russian leader that the priority was to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. The U.S. leader then announced that the Department of War is to start testing nuclear weapons “immediately,” though the implications of this remain unclear.
The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office. Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is…
— Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) October 30, 2025
Regardless of how Poseidon might actually be used in an operational scenario, the addition to the Russian fleet of an entirely new category of submarine provides potential adversaries with a notable headache.
Already, much of NATO’s anti-submarine warfare effort goes into tracking and potentially defeating Russian SSBNs and SSGNs, as well as the hunter-killer submarines that are tasked, among other things, with protecting them. With its strategic nuclear weapons, the Project 08951 class could potentially emerge as another leg of Russia’s seaborne nuclear deterrent, but one that is able to launch its weapons from unexpected vectors and at huge distances from potential targets.
In the past, analysts have suggested that Poseidon could have a range of 6,200 miles. Once launched, it is also likely also very difficult to defeat. There have even been some claims that it can reach a speed of up to 100 knots, although this is probably an exaggeration. Even at much reduced speeds, the Poseidon would be hard to intercept and may demand new kinds of methods and technologies to counter it.
The result, depending on how quickly the Khabarovsk enters operational service and how many other boats in this class will be completed, could have a significant disruptive effect on the way that NATO goes about anti-submarine warfare.
Reports suggest that two or three more Project 08951 class boats are planned, which would provide enough hulls to be split between the Northern and Pacific fleets.
However, the program has hardly been trouble-free.
The Khabarovsk was originally expected to be launched in mid-2020. Exactly what kinds of problems were encountered is unclear. No doubt, Russia’s war in Ukraine slowed things down, and the related sanctions have had a particular effect on Russia’s ability to produce high-technology weapons systems.
There is also the fact that, with the Russian Navy’s submarine arm currently being a focus of modernization efforts, Project 08951 will have faced competition from other high-priority shipbuilding efforts, including new-generation attack submarines, as well as the aforementioned Borei class SSBNs.
Perhaps, the plan to modify the Borei class hull to serve as the basis for the Project 08951 class was also not totally successful, with reports that the next Poseidon-carrier, likely to be named Ulyanovsk, will instead use a modified Yasen class nuclear-powered attack submarine hull.
As it stands, however, Russia is an important step closer to fielding its first submarine purpose-designed to carry the Poseidon nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed torpedo. As such, this is a program that will be very interesting to see develop over the coming years and one that the Russian Navy’s key adversaries will be watching very closely, as this weapon moves toward operational capability.
Riyadh Air operated its first flight to London Heathrow on October 26Credit: Getty
This flight was the first of the airline’s daily launch flights between Riyadh and London Heathrow, which are being used to ensure they are ready to operate for the public.
The aircraft used for the first flight, named ‘Jamila’, is a Boeing 787-9 technical spare aircraft and only employees and invited guests were on the flight.
The airline is still awaiting its first deliveries from Boeing, having ordered 39 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners in February, with options to add another 33 in the future.
Also earlier this year, the airline revealed the interior of its business class suites.
Inside its ‘Business Elite’ cabins, passengers will find speakers built into the headrest of their chair, which can also be turned into a double bed.
The cabins will be arranged in a 1-2-1 layout on board the plane, with the airline saying that they will compare to those found in Emirates’ first class.
If you are in one of the middle two cabins, and know the person next to you, you can always change it into a double bed.
As for entertainment, passengers can watch films and series on a 31-inch screen – which is set to be the biggest in business class, on any airline.
Of course there will be multiple USB ports,power outlets and wireless charging pads as well for charging devices.
Cabins will also have sliding doors for privacy.
On the other hand, premium economy will be “more like business” class, but it won’t feature lie-flat seats.
The flight takes place ahead of launching operations to the publicCredit: Getty
In economy, passengers will then have 13.3 inch screens and USB-C charging ports.
The airline is expected to be super high tech as well, with the possibility of biometric scans instead of boarding passes.
However, passengers shouldn’t expect to get any alcohol onboard, as Saudi Arabia has strict laws on booze which mean it’s been banned since 1952.
The airline also recently announced its loyalty programme called ‘Sfeer’.
Sfeer members will be able to share points within the community, which will allow family and friends to increase their membership levels, as well as their benefits.
The loyalty programme will be fully active in 2026, and will also include gamified features such as challenges and leaderboard competitions.
The points will never expire and can be used to get special culinary and entertainment experiences, as well as opportunities to win free flights and other prizes.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
South Korea has launched its biggest and most ambitious submarine yet, the Jang Yeong-sil, as the first of the second batch of its locally designed and built KSS-III program. The boat, first of three in this sub-class, is notable for its expanded vertical launch cell arrangement, but also boasts a host of other advanced features.
In a ceremony yesterday, the Republic of Korea Navy and South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) held a launching ceremony for the ROKS Jang Yeong-sil at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard, in the southern part of the country.
The launch ceremony for the ROKS Jang Yeong-sil at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard yesterday. ROKN
A construction contract for the submarine was signed in 2019, followed by the steel-cutting ceremony in 2021, while the keel-laying ceremony took place in 2023.
The Jang Yeong-sil, as the first of the Batch II submarines, follows on from KSS-III Batch I, also known as the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho class.
The first of the KSS-III Batch I submarines, ROKS Dosan Ahn Changho, during trials. Defense Acquisition Program Administration
There are some significant differences between the two sub-classes.
The Batch II boats have a surfaced displacement of around 3,500 tons, compared to 3,300 tons for the Batch I submarines. The Batch II is also longer, at 293 feet, compared to just under 274 feet for the Batch I.
More importantly, Batch II brings new capabilities, which the Republic of Korea Navy and DAPA summarize as “enhanced detection, strike capability, stealth, and survivability.”
In terms of detection, Batch II incorporates an updated combat system and sonar system, which are said to offer enhanced information processing and target detection capabilities.
The expanded strike potential of the new submarine is centered around its land-attack capability.
In its Batch I form, the KSS-III already had provisions for six vertical launch system (VLS) cells that are able to accommodate cruise missiles or even submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). The Batch II, meanwhile, increases the capacity to 10 VLS cells.
The KSS-III submarines put South Korea in a select group of countries that operate submarines with an SLBM capability. Unusually for a weapon of this type, the South Korean weapon has a conventional warhead.
Successful underwater ejection tests of an SLBM from the first of these submarines were reportedly first conducted around September last year.
Few details are known about the SLBM itself, which is variously named Hyunmoo-IV-4 or K-SLBM. Early reports suggested the missile has a range of 311 miles and that it could be a naval variant of the Hyunmoo 2B ballistic missile. More recently, it has been attributed to a range of 497 miles.
A land-based launch of a Republic of Korea Army Hyunmoo 2B ballistic missile:
Beyond SLBMs, the VLS cells could be used to eventually accommodate hypersonic cruise missiles, a type of weapon that Seoul is currently exploring via the Hycore demonstrator program. A submarine-launched hypersonic cruise missile would give South Korea considerable advantages when it comes to conducting short-notice standoff strikes, especially against highly defended and time-sensitive targets.
Test launch of a Hycore missile from a ground platform. via @mason_8718
Other armament on the Batch II comprises six 533mm torpedo tubes that can be loaded with Tiger Shark torpedoes or C-Star-III anti-ship cruise missiles, or alternatively, Submarine Launched Mobile Mines (SLMM).
Stealth and mission endurance are enhanced by the Batch II’s advanced new lithium-ion battery-based submerged propulsion system. This enables it to “operate underwater for longer durations and sustain high-speed maneuvers, thereby reducing the risk of exposure during operations.” While it is still a diesel-electric submarine at its core, with diesel generators and batteries that charge from those generators, the advanced battery tech can take the place of air-independent propulsion (AIP) technology while offering similar, and in some cases superior, capabilities. Even more interesting, is this new boat also has a fuel-cell-based ‘auxiliary’ AIP capability, so it can presumably charge its batteries or even provide propulsion aside from them, while submerged.
Back in early 2017, The War Zone’s Tyler Rogoway looked at the benefits of lithium-ion batteries, which not only offer advantages over traditional lead-acid cells but could challenge AIP technology for use in new-build submarines overall. This prediction now seems to be playing out.
Other stealth features introduced on the Batch II include various noise and vibration reduction technologies, among them a rubber acoustic coating, which combines to ensure the boats produce less underwater radiated noise.
Another view of the ROKS Jang Yeong-sil at its launch ceremony. ROKN
No less importantly, as a domestically designed and produced submarine, the KSS-III Batch II incorporates a greater proportion of locally developed and manufactured components. This reduces South Korea’s reliance on foreign manufacturers and, very importantly, makes it easier to export the design. The KSS-III is already in the running for Canada’s new submarine requirement, with up to 12 boats planned, and there are growing opportunities for selling advanced diesel-electric subs in the Indo-Pacific region and elsewhere.
The ROKS Jang Yeong-sil will soon embark on a series of sea trials and evaluations, and it’s scheduled to be delivered to the Republic of Korea Navy at the end of 2027. Another two Batch II boats, so far unnamed, are now under construction.
The importance of Seoul’s submarine program has increased in recent years, including the decision to abandon plans to build its first aircraft carrier and instead focus on its underwater fleet, which has received more funding.
A model of the CVX design from Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), displayed at the International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition 2021. YouTube screencap
In particular, the KSS-III program has emerged as a cornerstone of the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation program, or KMPR, also known as Overwhelming Response, an effort to develop ways to retaliate against North Korea, using conventional weapons, should Pyongyang launch a first strike. In particular, submarines are valuable here for bringing the survivable conventional strike capability that the KMPR plan calls for.
The combination of the KSS-III and SLBMs is part of Seoul’s broader focus on missile programs that are being developed and fielded in response to North Korea’s expanding missile capabilities. These also include more powerful land-based weapons, but the SLBM is a much more survivable option, which is of particular importance, bearing in mind the threat of a preemptive strike from the North.
Should the North launch a nuclear attack, the survivability of the submarines should allow a conventional response, even if land-based missiles may have been taken out already. In this way, the SLBMs could be fired against regime targets and command and control facilities, hitting them with much less notice and more kinetic power than a cruise missile barrage. The fact that this quasi-second-strike capability exists should also help dissuade North Korean aggression in the first place.
These submarines and their SLBMs also carry a political dimension, reducing South Korea’s dependence on the United States when it comes to deterrence.
Potentially, South Korea’s experience with the KSS-III program could lead to even bigger and more ambitious submarines.
In the past, there has been discussion of a potential follow-on nuclear-powered submarine design. With previous missile restrictions on South Korea having been removed, these submarines could potentially be armed with new and bigger SLBMs offering much greater range.
Until the Biden administration scrapped missile restrictions that had been in place since 1979, South Korea was limited to developing missiles with a maximum range of 500 miles. This change could open the door to South Korea developing SLBMs with a range greater than 500 miles, in excess of the Hyunmoo-IV-4.
As it now stands, the KMPR initiative is based around conventional weapons only, but there has been growing speculation that Seoul might eventually commit to developing nuclear warheads, too. SLBMs would be the obvious candidate to deliver these and having this option already integrated into existing submarines would allow for Seoul to move rapidly to fielding a second-strike strategic deterrent if the choice was ever made to do so, which still seems very unlikely at this time.
For now, the Republic of Korea Navy can look forward to starting operations with its most capable submarine so far, providing a powerful and versatile bulwark to fast-paced missile and nuclear developments in North Korea.
COPS have launched a murder inquiry after a teenager was stabbed and “dumped” in the street.
Multiple police cordons were in place last night after the victim, believed to be 19 years old, was found by officers with serious injuries in the Harehills area of Leeds around 12pm yesterday.
He was pronounced dead shortly after.
The man is thought to have been attacked in another part of the city before being left in St Wilfried’s Crescent.
As investigations continue, three crime scenes were erected.
In a statement,West Yorkshire Policesaid: “Detectives have launched a murder investigation following the death of a man in Leeds.
“At around 12pm today (8 October), a report was received that a man was found on St Wilfrid’s Crescent, Harehills, with serious injuries. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
“He has not yet been formally identified. A number of scenes are in place whilst extensive enquiries are carried out, including Parkside View, St Wilfrid’s Crescent and Amberton Crescent.
“Officers from the Homicide and Major Enquiry team are appealing to anyone who was in any of these areas around 12pm who may have witnessed anything to come forward with information.
“Local neighbourhood policing patrols have been stepped up in the area to provide reassurance.”
Anyone with information that may help the police with their enquiries can call 101 using log number 650 of October 8.
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The man was found in St Wilfried’s Crescent in Leeds on WednesdayCredit: Google Maps
Some people will no doubt go straight for old favourites like mince pies and pigs in blankets.
But this unconventional bag could be just what the doctor ordered.
The Flipz Gingerbread Flavour Coated Pretzel Share Bag offers a festive treat of a different variety.
A spokesperson said: “Bring festive flavour to your snacking with Flipz Gingerbread Flavour Coated Pretzels Share Bag.
“These special festive treats feature crunchy, sweet-and-salty pretzels coated in a smooth gingerbread flavoured layer, finished with a creamy drizzle, creating the perfect balance of sweetness and salty crunch.
“Packed in a larger 150g sharing pouch, this is the ultimate snack for winter movie nights with friends or to self-indulge.”
But it’s not the only treat to offer a Christmas-y flavour as the darker months await.
Those craving more gingerbread can enjoy the McVitie’s Gingerbread Flavour Milk Chocolate Digestives.
McVities fans slam discontinued biscuit as ‘so disappointing’ & cry ‘oh no’ after it returned to shelves with NEW recipe
Retailing for £2.25, these biscuits offer an old classic with a twist.
As spokesperson said: “Bring a festive twist to your celebrations with Gingerbread Flavour Milk Chocolate Digestives.
“Returning as a limited-edition treat for 2025, the rich, warming taste of gingerbread paired with creamy milk chocolate gives a new take on the nation’s favourite biscuit.
“If you did not manage to get your hands on this festive edition run from last year, you have been granted a second chance!”
Emma Johnson, Sweet Seasonal Brand Manager for McVitie’s, said: “The festive season is such a wonderful time, and McVitie’s is honoured to play a part in the nation’s celebrations each year.
“Whether you’re spending quality time with loved ones, looking to get-together with friends, or hunting down stocking fillers for the big day, our McVitie’s range promises something special for every moment.”
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
India has tested a rail-mobile version of its nuclear-capable Agni-Prime medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM). The development puts India in a small group of nations that have developed this kind of technology, and comes as New Delhi seeks to enhance its conventional and nuclear missile forces amid similar efforts by its two major adversaries, China and Pakistan.
Intermediate Range Agni-Prime Missile was successfully tested on 24 Sep 2025 from a Rail based Mobile launcher. This will be a force multiplier to strategic forces, with a game changer road cum rail missile system pic.twitter.com/bEmDQoHNUf
India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the country’s main military research and development agency, announced the successful test firing of an Agni-Prime from a rail-based mobile launcher system on September 24. The test, which the DRDO says involved a “full operational scenario,” was carried out at an undisclosed site in the country in collaboration with India’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC).
Launch of the Agni-Prime from the rail-based mobile launcher system. DRDO
India’s Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh posted on X today: “This successful flight test has put India in the group of select nations having capabilities that have developed a canisterized launch system from an on-the-move rail network.”
India has carried out the successful launch of Intermediate Range Agni-Prime Missile from a Rail based Mobile launcher system. This next generation missile is designed to cover a range up to 2000 km and is equipped with various advanced features.
As seen in publicly released video imagery, the missile launcher is integrated inside a modified boxcar, with clamshell-type doors on the top. Doors on the sides of the boxcar open up to allow the blast from the missile’s rocket motor to vent out the sides. Interestingly, the boxcar appears to be fitted with an extendable arm that serves to move overhead electrical wires. This is an important consideration since almost all of India’s broad-gauge rail network is electrified.
For once I thought nearly 100% of Indian Railways is electrified – so how do you fire a missile from a rail launcher with OHE wires overhead?
The Agni-Prime (or Agni-P) is designed to have a range of between 1,000 and 2,000 kilometers (621 and 1,243 miles). In its road-mobile form, the missile has already been introduced to service, according to the DRDO.
Ultimately, the missile is expected to complement or replace India’s previous Agni-I, with a range of 700 kilometers (435 miles), and Agni-II, which also has a range of 2,000 kilometers. According to the U.K.-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) think tank, India currently has 12 Agni-I and eight Agni-II launchers in service.
The flight test of an Agni P from an island off the coast of Odisha, Balasore, India, on June 28, 2021. DRDO
The rail-based version of the launch system includes the containerized Agni-P missile, as well as an independent launch capability, communication systems, and undisclosed protection features.
There have been suggestions that the rail-based missile test attracted particular interest from China, with the Chinese missile and satellite-tracking vessel Yuan Wang 5 having been noted in the Indian Ocean ahead of the launch.
At the same time, India declared a no-fly zone over the Bay of Bengal consistent with a missile test for September 24–25.
India’s continued efforts to enhance its nuclear-capable missile force come amid China’s rapid military buildup. India also has long-running border disputes with Beijing. Meanwhile, there are continued tensions between India and its neighbor Pakistan, the two countries briefly going to war in May of this year. China and Pakistan maintain close relationships, also at a military level.
According to recent assessments, China has around 600 nuclear warheads, far more than either India (roughly 180 warheads) or Pakistan (around 170).
Pakistani military helicopters fly past a transporter-erector-launcher carrying a Shaheen III ballistic missile, in a military parade in Islamabad on March 25, 2021. Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images AAMIR QURESHI
With its maximum range of 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles), the Agni-P is able to cover all of Pakistan but could also be used to strike targets in the southwest of China. By making the missile rail-mobile, the number of targets within China that can be held at risk is significantly increased.
A map showing the 2,000-kilometer (1,243-mile) range of the Agni-P and its reach into China, based on a launch location in New Delhi. Google Earth
The possibility has also been raised that India might field its Agni-P missiles with conventional warheads, which would follow the practice established for earlier members of the Agni missile family and provide for additional flexibility.
But it’s as a part of India’s nuclear forces that the rail-mobile Agni-P is most significant.
After all, a railcar-based missile launcher offers New Delhi a relatively cheap way of fielding additional ballistic missiles in a way that would make them much less vulnerable to preemptive or counterattacks.
In an operational context, the rail-based launcher would exploit India’s very extensive railway network — around 40,000 miles in all — allowing missiles to be rapidly dispersed in a way that would be challenging for any opponent to detect and monitor. With rail tunnels available throughout India, these would provide ready-made hardened bunkers for the rail-mobile missile launchers to be concealed in. Not only would this make them harder to destroy, but it would also be a major challenge for an adversary to track their movements.
The rail-mobile Agni-P deployed prior to launch. DRDO screencap
In this way, the rail-based Agni-P could be rolled out of a tunnel, fired, and then rolled back into the tunnel or moved to another one very rapidly, making them extremely hard to destroy. They could also be moved around in disguised cars, among other normal rail cars, making them almost impossible to spot for daily operations. At the same time, decoy cars could be produced very easily, further complicating detection and targeting by any adversary.
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union fielded a rail-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), known as the RT-23 Molodets, and the Kremlin had also previously planned to reintroduce this capability, with a system called Barguzin, before canceling that project to focus on the Avangard hypersonic missile.
More recently, however, there has been a resurgence of interest in this method of missile fielding. Notably, North Korea has also begun to test-fire ballistic missiles from a railway-based system, as you can read about here. China, too, is developing a rail-based version of its DF-41 ICBM.
A montage of photographs that North Korean state media released from its railway-based missile tests in 2021. North Korean state media
Although a timeline for its possible operational fielding is unclear at this point, the testing of a rail-mobile version of the Agni-Prime is a significant development for India. It’s also one that could have far-reaching implications both for its own strategic forces and for the balance of power in the region.
OFCOM has launched an investigation into at least 22 porn websites over concerns about the age checks they have in place.
Adult platforms have been forced to adopt stricter age verification rules in the UK since the end of July, which require users to share their ID or a selfie to access them.
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New age checks started on July 25Credit: Getty
Sites that fail to comply with the Online Safety Act risk being slapped with hefty fines and could even be blocked from the UK.
The communications regulator is responsible for checking companies abide by the law, which is designed to protect children from easily stumbling across inappropriate content online.
Today Ofcom bosses announced an investigation into five companies that are known to collectively run at least 22 porn sites.
It’s estimated that the group receive some eight million visitors from the UK every month.
The watchdog said the sites face a “prioritised” probe because of the risk of harm they pose and their user huge numbers.
“We are now gathering and analysing evidence to determine whether any contraventions have occurred,” Ofcom said.
“If our assessment indicates compliance failures, we will issue provisional notices of contravention to providers, who can then make representations on our findings, before we make our final decisions.”
The companies include Cyberitic, LLC, Web Prime Inc, Youngtek Solutions Ltd and ZD Media s.r.o.
Bosses have also revealed that they’re expanding their probe into two companies, 8579 LLC and Itai Tech, over whether they have failed to respond adequately to Ofcom’s requests for information.
Porn site traffic plummets after age verification rules as VPN use soars
The new law triggered a surge in VPN downloads as some try to get around the block.
VPNs – which are used as legal privacy tools to disguise a person’s location – are still in the top download charts.
The regulator has admitted that there’s no way to stop people from using VPNs.
THE SHOCKING STATS
Latest figures show the scale of adult content consumption online…
Ofcom stats:
Around 8% children aged 8-14 in the UK visited an online porn site or app in a month.
15% of 13–14-year-olds accessed online porn in a month.
Boys aged 13-14 are the most likely to visit a porn service, significantly more than girls the same age (19% vs 11%).
Our research tells us that around three in ten (29%) or 13.8m UK adults use porn online.
Pornhub is the most used site in the UK – Ofcom research says 18% (8.4m) visited it in one month.
Children’s Commissioner stats:
Of the 64% who said that they had ever seen online pornography:
The average age at which children first see pornography is 13. By age nine, 10% had seen pornography, 27% had seen it by age 11 and half of children who had seen pornography had seen it by age 13.
We also find that young people are frequently exposed to violent pornography, depicting coercive, degrading or pain-inducing sex acts; 79% had encountered violent pornography before the age of 18.
Pornography is not confined to dedicated adult sites. We found that Twitter was the online platform where young people were most likely to have seen pornography.
Israeli media report two people are hospitalised after a drone strikes Ramon Airport in the south of the country.
Published On 7 Sep 20257 Sep 2025
The Israeli military says it is investigating the crash of a drone launched from Yemen that has struck the arrivals hall at Ramon Airport near the Red Sea city of Eilat.
Airspace above the airport was closed, the Israel Airports Authority had said earlier on Sunday, without providing an immediate reason for the closure.
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The Israeli military said the incident was under review, without providing details on the impact. It did not specify whether the drone had fallen after being intercepted or if it had been a direct hit.
Earlier, the Israeli military said the air force had intercepted three drones launched from Yemen. It said two were “intercepted prior to crossing into Israeli territory” but did not elaborate on the status of the third.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing the Israeli rescue services, reported that two people were lightly wounded in the drone strike. A 63-year-old man was injured by shrapnel, and a 52-year-old woman was injured after she fell. It said emergency workers evacuated them to a hospital in Eilat while others who suffered panic attacks received medical care at the scene.
Israeli Army Radio reported that a preliminary investigation into the damage at the airport indicated the drone had not been spotted by the air force’s detection systems at all.
A warship in Eilat, Israel [File: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP]
The airport, located near the resort city of Eilat on the border with Jordan and Egypt, mostly handles domestic flights.
The Houthis in Yemen have been launching missiles and drones thousands of kilometres north towards Israel in what the group says are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians under relentless Israeli fire. It has also been attacking vessels in the Red Sea since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023.
There has been no immediate comment from the Houthis on the drone strike on Ramon Airport.
Israel has bombed Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including the vital Hodeidah port. Its latest barrage killed senior Houthi officials a week and a half ago, including its prime minister and other cabinet officials. Large numbers of civilians have also been killed in Israeli strikes.
In May, a Houthi missile hit near Israel’s main airport, Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv, injuring four people lightly and causing many airlines to cancel their flights to Israel for months. Israel later struck and destroyed the main airport in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
China officially unveiled a nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) called the JL-1 at its sprawling military parade in Beijing yesterday. With the JL-1 displayed alongside submarine-launched and intercontinental ballistic missiles (SLBM/ICBM), the event also marked the first time that elements of all three legs of the current Chinese strategic nuclear triad had been shown together publicly.
The JL-1 was one of many notable reveals at yesterday’s parade, as TWZhad already been reporting on as preparations had gotten underway earlier in the summer. It is important to note up front that the JL-1 (Jinglei-1) ALBM should not be confused in any way with the now-retired JL-1 (Julang-1) SLBM. Jinglei translates into English variously as sudden thunder, thunderbolt, or thunderclap, while Julang is typically translated as huge wave.
JL-1s, or mockups thereof, on parade in Beijing on September 3, 2025. Central Military Commission of China
The JL-1 ALBM is very likely to be the same missile that has been referred to in the past in the West as the CH-AS-X-13, and which is understood to have been in development since at least the mid-2010s. Grainy images of an extremely similar, if not identical missile have been seen loaded underneath the fuselages of specialized H-6N missile carrier aircraft on several occasions in the past, but Chinese authorities have not previously acknowledged its existence. The H-6N, which is also capable of being refueled in flight to extend its range, was officially shown to the public for the first time at another major parade in Beijing back in 2019.
One of the past images showing an H-6N carrying a missile that looks very similar to the JL-1. Chinese internet
The CH-AS-X-13 has also been referred to as the KF-21 in the past, based on past reports that it is derived, at least in part, from the DF-21 series of two-stage ground-launched ballistic missiles. Though this connection has yet to be officially confirmed, the JL-1s, or mockups thereof, shown at the parade yesterday are broadly in line with the design of the DF-21D, which consists of a main stage and a maneuverable re-entry vehicle (MARV) on top that detaches in the latter stage of flight. The JL-1 also has a three-fin tail configuration indicative of an air-launched missile. The DF-21D is conventionally armed and optimized for anti-ship strikes. China’s longer-range DF-26 also has a two-stage configuration with a MARV, but is notably larger than the DF-21. Depending on their exact design, MARVs can allow for additional terminal phase course corrections for improved accuracy, as well as maneuvering to make any attempt at an intercept more difficult.
A side-by-side comparison (not to scale) of the JL-1 design as seen at the parade yesterday, at left, and the DF-21D, at right. Chinese internet/CCTV capture
Imagery had also emerged in the past, as seen below, which has contributed to discussions about the possibility of a second variation on the CH-AS-X-13, or another different missile for the H-6N, with what may be a wedge-shaped unpowered hypersonic boost-glide vehicle (HBGV) on top. Conical HBGV designs that can look similar externally to a MARV also exist.
Chinese internet
However they are designed, HBGVs are fundamentally different from MARVs, the latter of which still follow a roughly ballistic path to their impact point. In contrast, after release, HBGVs are designed to proceed along relatively shallow, atmospheric flight paths to their targets while also being able to maneuver erratically along the way. Coupled with hypersonic speed, defined as anything about Mach 5, presents additional challenges for defenders. It is worth noting here that larger ballistic missiles also reach hypersonic speeds in the terminal phase of flight.
A graphic showing, in a very rudimentary way, the difference in trajectories between a traditional ballistic missile, a hypersonic boost-glide vehicle, a quasi or aeroballistic missile (which includes air-launched types), and an air-breathing hypersonic cruise missile. GAO
The Pentagon has also posited in the past that the CH-AS-X-13 may be capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads, as is the case with the DF-21 series and the DF-26. The connection to the DF-21, and the DF-21D most specifically, has also prompted previous discussions about the H-6N having an anti-ship role, particularly against U.S. carrier strike groups. Few hard details were offered during the parade about the JL-1, but it was explicitly described as a nuclear weapon, though this would not preclude the existence of a conventionally-armed version for use against targets at sea or on land.
During the event, state media narrators also reportedly said the JL-1 has a range of approximately 4,970 miles (8,000 kilometers). If true, this is substantially longer than the assessed maximum range of current-generation DF-21 variants, as well as the DF-26. The Pentagon’s most recent unclassified annual report to Congress on Chinese military developments, released in 2024, said the DF-21D “has a range exceeding 1,500 km [932 miles].” That same report pegged the DF-26’s range at approximately 2,485 miles (4,000 kilometers).
As a general rule, missiles fired from aircraft benefit from the speed and altitude of the launch platform, particularly when it comes to range. As such, an air-launched ballistic missile can reasonably be expected to have greater reach than a comparable design launched from the ground or a vessel at sea. As an example, Russia’s air-launched Kinzhal is understood to have an appreciably longer range than the ground-launched Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile it is based on.
Whatever its exact capabilities might be, the JL-1’s appearance at the parade yesterday had the additional and perhaps greater significance of being the first official display of the aerial component of China’s present nuclear triad to the public. Of the currently accepted nine nuclear powers globally (which includes Israel and its unacknowledged stockpile), only the United States, Russia, China, and India field triads in any form. The core arguments for having a nuclear triad are the operational flexibility it offers, as well as its resilience to attack. Even if one or two legs were to be neutralized, capacity would remain to launch retaliatory strikes.
The Pentagon had publicly assessed back in 2019 that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) was moving to resume a strategic nuclear deterrence role with the appearance of the H-6N. Before then, the exact status of China’s stockpile of air-dropped nuclear bombs had become unclear. With the operational fielding of the H-6N in 2020, the Pentagon further assessed that the PLA had established a “nascent nuclear triad.”
“The PLAAF has operationally fielded the H-6N bomber, providing a platform for the air component of the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China] nuclear triad. The H-6N, compared to other H-6 bombers, adds an air-to-air refueling probe as well as its recessed fuselage modifications that enable external carriage of a nuclear-capable ALBM,” the Pentagon wrote in its unclassified 2024 report to Congress on Chinese military developments. “The ALBM carried by the H-6N appears to be armed with a maneuvering reentry vehicle, indicating the ALBM – along with the DF-26 IRBM [intermediate-range ballistic missile] – likely can conduct nuclear precision strikes against targets in the Indo-Pacific theater.”
China’s triad, which we now know officially includes the JL-1, is part of a larger nuclear build-up underway in the country that also includes expanding the land and sea-based legs. The construction of vast new fields of silos for ICBMs in recent years has been a particularly visible component of this broader effort. Those silos may not all be intended to hold missiles as part of a ‘shell game’ to create targeting complications for opponents.
Satellite imagery the Pentagon has previously released showing what appeared to be the completion of work, at least externally, on a new ICBM silo in a field in northwestern China. DOD Satellite imagery included in the Pentagon’s last annual China report showing what appears to be the completion of work, at least externally, on a new ICBM silo in a field in northwestern China. DOD
“Over the next decade, the PRC [People’s Republic of China] probably will continue to modernize, diversify, and expand its nuclear forces rapidly. The PLA seeks a larger and more diverse nuclear force, comprised of systems ranging from low-yield precision strike missiles to ICBMs with multi-megaton yields to provide it multiple options on the escalation ladder,” according to the Pentagon’s 2024 report on China to Congress. “In 2023, Beijing continued its rapid nuclear expansion. DoD estimates the PRC has surpassed 600 operational nuclear warheads in its stockpile as of mid-2024 and will have over 1,000 operational nuclear warheads by 2030, much of which will be deployed at higher readiness levels. The PRC will continue growing its force through at least 2035.”
“The PRC has not publicly or formally acknowledged or explained its nuclear expansion and modernization. The buildup almost certainly is due to the PRC’s broader and longer-term perceptions of progressively increased U.S.-PRC strategic competition. The PLA’s nuclear expansion and modernization very likely are tied to its overall military strategy – seeking to close capability gaps and become a competitive global power,” the report added. “As a result, the PRC probably perceives that a stronger nuclear force is needed to deter U.S. intervention, check potential nuclear escalation or first strike, and will allow for increased control of the scope and scale of escalation during a conflict in a way its previously smaller and less diverse nuclear force could not.”
All of this is in line with the establishment of a nuclear triad, as well as the Pentagon’s past assessment that China has been moving to adopt a launch-on-warning (LOW) deterrent posture. LOW entails a plan to execute a massive counterstrike upon detecting incoming nuclear threats, primarily to help ensure a retaliatory strike can be successfully initiated before the hostile weapons reach their targets.
There have also been separate discussions about how the growing size of China’s nuclear stockpile points to plans for so-called countervalue targeting, in which weapons would also be aimed at an enemy’s population centers. Strikes directed at military targets are referred to as counterforce.
Altogether, the public debut of China’s JL-1 ALBM is a very important development with ramifications well beyond the missile itself.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Newly published footage shows an ADM-160 Miniature Air Launched Decoy (MALD) fitted to a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 Flanker fighter. The video confirms that the store is used by both the Su-27 and Ukraine’s MiG-29 Fulcrum jets, and also that it is carried on the same specially adapted underwing pylon that is used for various Western-supplied guided munitions.
While the MALD — a small cruise missile-like weapon designed to stimulate, confuse, and distract enemy air defenses, not attack them kinetically — has been seen on several occasions before this, including mounted on a MiG-29, it has never been seen in such detail in Ukrainian hands.
The new evidence appears in an official video released by the Ukrainian Air Force in which aircrews discuss Su-27 operations in the current conflict against the backdrop of the jets being prepared for combat and in flight. A Su-27 is seen on a flight line, with a single MALD carried on each of its inboard underwing hardpoints.
A Ukrainian Air Force carrying MALD on its inboard underwing hardpoints. Ukrainian Air Force screencap
As we observed in the past, the fact that MALD can be loaded with the target data before launch means that it shouldn’t have been a huge challenge to integrate it on Ukrainian platforms — first the MiG-29, now the Su-27. At the same time, we can see that it’s mounted on the same specialized pylon that has been seen in the past loaded with the French-made Hammer rocket-boosted precision-guided bomb and U.S.-supplied JDAM-ER glide bombs, for example. As TWZ has explained in the past, this pylon is understood to help cue GPS-assisted guidance systems. The pylon transfers the precise location to the weapon at launch, since the Soviet-era jet lacks the databus or embedded GPS to provide that information, which is critical to the weapon’s navigation system. The same kind of pylon can be assumed to have a direct utility in support of the MALD as well.
A side-by-side comparison of the protrusions extending from the front of the pylons seen in Ukrainian use in combination with Hammer (at left) and JDAM-ER (at right) weapons. via X
In addition to specialized pylons, new cockpit displays have also helped expand the operational flexibility of Western-supplied weapons. They likely also help support MALD missions, too.
Underside view of a MALD on a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27. Ukrainian Air Force screencap
The Flanker in the new video is also seen in the air. Interestingly, it doesn’t carry any other disposable weapons aside from the two MALDs. This is in accordance with the MiG-29 that we have seen in the past with a pair of MALDs. Whether this is because a training mission is being shown is unclear. Certainly, with a weight of around 300 pounds each, a Su-27 would be able to carry several air-to-air missiles or air-to-ground weapons alongside the decoys, if required.
The first evidence of MiG-29s carrying MALD was this low-level pass by a Fulcrum in May 2024. via X
The first evidence of the MALD being in Ukrainian service came in May 2023, when wreckage from one of the decoys was found after an apparent airstrike in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, as you can read about here.
The wreckage of the body of an ADM-160B MALD, one of the first examples to be seen used in combat in Ukraine. via X
By the end of 2023, more wreckage had appeared, on this occasion when one of the decoys was discovered, reportedly somewhere in the Kherson region, in southern Ukraine.
The wreckage of a MALD that reportedly came down in the Kherson region in December 2023. via X
Since its introduction, MALD has played an important role for the Ukrainian Air Force, providing a new way of distracting and confusing Russian air defenses, which means that Ukrainian missiles and strike packages have a better chance of getting to their targets.
Each MALD is powered by a small turbojet, which can be seen covered with a cap in the new video. This falls away once the decoy is launched, after which it flies along a pre-programmed route. The store is also able to loiter over target areas, maximizing its effect on air defenses in the area.
For long, we have known that MALD is of particular value during Ukrainian air-launched cruise missile strikes, which primarily involve the Storm Shadow (supplied by the United Kingdom and Italy) as well as its French equivalent, the SCALP EG. The MALD is well-suited to this mission, offering a range of around 500 miles, which also gives it significant loiter time.
A Ukrainian Air Force Su-24M carrying a Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG on its inboard underwing hardpoint. Ukrainian Air Force screencap
As one Su-27 pilot explains in the new video:
“These missiles [sic] are designed to bear the brunt of the air defenses, to provide distractions. This missile is a decoy for the air defense systems. At the same time, at another airfield, our comrades are programming Storm Shadow or SCALP missiles to strike the enemy. In cooperation with the strike groups during such operations, we use HARM anti-radar missiles.”
A Ukrainian MiG-29 firing a HARM anti-radiation missile:
It’s no coincidence that MALD began to appear in the conflict around the same time that the first Storm Shadow attacks occurred, and in the same areas. In support of cruise missile strikes, the decoy offers a more obvious radar signature than the weapon, drawing the fire from enemy air defenses and protecting the missile.
MALD is just one factor that can help ensure the success of a Storm Shadow or SCALP EG strike. These missiles also have low-observable features, meaning that many air defense sensors will only detect them once it’s too late — if at all. Air force planners will also carefully prepare routes for the missiles to better avoid known enemy air defense positions.
Rear view of a Ukrainian Air Force MALD with its distinctive lattice-type fins. Ukrainian Air Force screencap
As well as providing direct support for particular air-launched cruise missile strikes, the presence of MALD helps the Ukrainian military more generally. By employing it against Russian air defenses — especially some of the newest and most capable systems — valuable intelligence can be gained. This can then be fed back to mission planners and electronic warfare specialists. Almost certainly, this information will be fed back to the United States, too.
The appearance of MALD on the Su-27 may not be a surprise, but it’s certainly interesting to see this rather secretive store in hitherto unseen detail while in Ukrainian hands. At the same time, the video underscores the huge value of this weapon as the Ukrainian Air Force continues to press home its attacks on a vastly numerically superior enemy.
Moving into midfield, Wirtz was the outstanding Liverpool player at Wembley. Slot has clearly tweaked the system to suit their record signing – and the early signs are positive.
Wirtz has been given a role freer and further forward than Liverpool had previously from an attacking midfielder – they had nobody to do that role last season.
He almost formed a strike partnership with Ekitike at times, so close together were they. Indeed by the time he was substituted, Wirtz was playing as a false nine with Ekitike already taken off.
This freedom allowed the German to float wide left after four minutes, to pick up the ball and play in Ekitike for the opener.
There were 22 passes in the build-up to Liverpool’s opener, finishing off a move that lasted 66 seconds and involved nine players.
Until being taken off in the 84th minute Wirtz looked perfectly balanced, always in control, never flustered. His influence all over the pitch for Liverpool is already clear.
At the point of his substitution, Wirtz led Liverpool for passes and entries in the final third, crosses and touches in the Palace box. He had the third most touches in total. Everything went through him.
“It has been a really impressive performance for Wirtz,” former Palace striker Glenn Murray told BBC Radio 5 Live. “Very dominant.
“He was tiring by the end of it and that is something he will need to get used to. But he is looking like a very good signing.”
This does put a question on Mohamed Salah’s role in the team. The Egyptian has now not scored in eight Wembley appearances, had only one shot on target and in the shootout blazed his penalty over. But that is a question for another article.
Strictly Come Dancing has reportedly launched an investigation into claims that two of its stars took cocaine. The BBC has hired law firm Pinsent Masons to probe the allegations
BBC Strictly Come Dancing rocked by cocaine scandal: Investigation reportedly launched into star drug use claims
The BBC has reportedly enlisted the services of a top legal firm to investigate accusations of cocaine use by two Strictly Come Dancing stars, with reports suggesting their substance abuse was an open secret on the show.
Former participants, professional dancers, and crew members are being invited to speak with the solicitors at Pinsent Masons to voice any issues they might have, it’s been reported this evening.
The long-running BBC series, which has been plagued with multiple scandals over recent years, is now embroiled in controversy following drug use claims submitted to the BBC in March by Russells Solicitors on behalf of a celebrity contestant.
BBC director-general Tim Davie vowed to put an end to Strictly scandals last year(Image: PA)
It’s believed that additional individuals have also brought forward allegations of drug consumption on Strictly Come Dancing to the BBC.
In a statement shared with the Mirror this evening, a representative for the BBC said: “We have clear protocols and policies in place for dealing with any serious complaint raised with us. We would always encourage people to speak to us if they have concerns. It would not be appropriate for us to comment further.”
The Sun reports that one of allegations involves a Strictly star who allegedly commented on another individual’s dilated pupils, hinting at drug intoxication, by saying: “Have you seen their pupils . . . they’re off their face”.
Furthermore, The Sun reports that a celebrity claimed it is common knowledge within the show’s circle that two stars were using cocaine, a topic that was reportedly rife among the cast.
A source stated: “These claims are extremely serious and should be taken as such. Given only last year that the BBC’s Director-General promised to clean up Strictly, it seems particularly shocking. The idea of the show’s stars discussing drug-taking is deeply disturbing. The BBC have known about these allegations for some time, and acknowledged receiving them.”
It’s reported that the state-funded broadcaster is “taking firm action”.
Iran’s official news agency IRNA says Iranian forces are carrying out a hybrid attack with drones accompanying the missiles targeting Israeli cities, with explosions heard in Israeli cities.
Israel’s Channel 13 cites “initial reports” late Saturday that Iranian missiles have hit the northern coastal city of Haifa and neighbouring town of Tamra. Videos posted to social media, and verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad, showed Iranian cruise missiles in the skies of northern Israel.
The Israeli military, in the meantime, says it is now attacking military targets in Iran’s capital, Tehran.
Earlier on Saturday, Iran said that Israel intensified its military campaign against it for a second consecutive day, targeting key infrastructure and dealing another blow to the country’s struggling economy, as the conflict spirals towards a potential sustained all-out war.
Iranian officials confirmed that a blaze had erupted at the South Pars gas field – one of the country’s most vital energy sources – after it was struck by Israeli forces on Saturday.
Production from part of the field has been suspended, with state-affiliated media reporting that 12 million cubic metres (423 million cubic feet) of gas from Phase 14 have been temporarily halted. Though Iranian authorities later said the fire had been extinguished, the scale of the disruption remains unclear.
An Israeli official stated the strike was intended as a direct warning to Tehran. The message appears to be part of a broader strategy to cripple Iran’s economic and military capabilities, according to Fox News. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority cited an official as saying, “We attacked another Iranian gas field after Bushehr, and national infrastructure is on the list.”
Energy expert Manouchehr Takin told Al Jazeera that targeting South Pars – crucial for domestic consumption and commercial use – would deepen Iran’s internal energy crisis. “This is an attempt to paralyse Iran’s economy,” Takin said. “The domestic gas network was already under pressure due to sanctions and mismanagement.”
Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, said the move marked a shift in strategy. “Israel has previously targeted Iran’s military infrastructure, nuclear scientists and missile facilities. Now it’s going after civilian economic assets,” she said, warning that the economic impact could be severe if damage is extensive.
Iran reels from civilian toll and pledges retaliation
Tehran reported at least 80 people killed and more than 320 injured, including women and children, following Israeli strikes on both military and residential sites across the capital.
Among the dead are reportedly nine nuclear scientists. Iran hit back with a barrage of missiles that penetrated Israel’s high-tech missile defence system, with at least four deaths and more than 200 injuries recorded in Israel since Friday.
Iranian state media also claimed the downing of an Israeli F-35 fighter jet, one of the most advanced aircraft in Israel’s arsenal. While several Iranian news outlets have cited a military statement confirming the incident, there is no official footage or visual evidence, and Israeli officials have dismissed the reports as fabricated.
Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi noted growing public anger. “Many Iranians are frustrated that non-military targets were hit,” he said. “There had been hope weeks ago with talks on the table. Now, there’s only uncertainty and fear of escalation.”
The cancelled talks were originally set to take place in Oman on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump had tied the diplomatic effort to Iran’s agreement to roll back its nuclear programme. But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations were off the table while “barbarous” Israeli attacks continued.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military claimed to have struck more than 150 Iranian targets and warned its operation could continue for weeks. Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning: “If Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn.”
Israeli search and rescue team conducts an operation amid the rubble of a destroyed building after the Iranian attacks following the launch of large-scale Israeli strikes against Iran, in Rishon LeZion, Israel, on June 14, 2025 [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency]
Global leaders alarmed as fears of wider war grow
The prospect of full-scale regional war loomed large, as global leaders issued warnings.
Iran hinted at a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz – a crucial oil shipping lane – should the conflict deepen. Tehran also warned that any foreign military bases aiding Israel could face retaliatory strikes.
Iran’s capacity for external retaliation, however, has weakened. After nearly two years of war in Gaza and last year’s conflict in Lebanon, its key regional allies – Hamas and Hezbollah – are significantly depleted, narrowing Iran’s military options.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with both Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian. In both calls, Erdogan blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for fuelling the crisis.
According to a statement from Erdogan’s office, he told bin Salman that Israel poses the greatest threat to regional stability and urged an immediate halt to its actions. “The only way to resolve the nuclear dispute is through negotiations,” Erdogan said, warning of a potential refugee crisis if the situation spirals further.
The Turkish president also accused Israel of using attacks on Iran to distract from what he labelled a genocide in Gaza. “Netanyahu is trying to set the region on fire and sabotage diplomatic efforts,” Erdogan said, according to the statement.
As international concern mounts, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a 50-minute call on Saturday.
While Trump praised Israel’s strikes and warned Iran of harsher consequences, Putin expressed grave concern and called for a halt to the military campaign. Both leaders, however, left the door open to a possible return to nuclear talks.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to his Iranian and Israeli counterparts and made clear Beijing’s support for Tehran.
Wang told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that Beijing “supports Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty, defending its legitimate rights and interests, and ensuring the safety of its people”, according to a statement by the foreign ministry.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei says Tehran’s response to Israel’s attack will not not be ‘half measured’.
Iran has launched hundreds of ballistic missiles towards Israel in retaliation for a major attack on Tehran’s nuclear sites.
Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as sirens sounded across Israel on Friday night. This follows an unprecedented attack by Israel in the early hours of Friday, which targeted Iranian nuclear sites, senior military commanders and scientists.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Israel’s strikes had “initiated a war” and it would not be allowed to do “hit and run” attacks without consequences.
“The Zionist regime [Israel] will not remain unscathed from the consequences of its crime. The Iranian nation must be guaranteed that our response will not be half-measured,” Khamenei said in a statement.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Iran “carried out its crushing and precise response against dozens of targets, military centres and airbases” in Israel at the command of Supreme Leader Khamenei.
Three separate waves of attacks were launched at Israel on Friday night, Iranian state news agency IRNA said.
At least one projectile impacted central Tel Aviv, said Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, Jordan.
A modern apartment block was hit in central Tel Aviv, and according to live footage from the scene, fires raged inside some of the apartments, with smoke billowing from the building.
Another residential building, next to the apartment block, also appeared to have suffered significant damage, with windows blown and pieces of twisted metal hanging from its exterior.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing emergency services, said 15 people have been wounded in central Israel, with one in moderate condition.
The Israeli public has been instructed to remain in shelters.
Israel’s attacks on Iran killed several top Iranian generals and scientists, including the armed forces chief of staff, Major-General Mohammed Bagheri, and the IRGC chief, Hossein Salami.
However, Major-General Mohammed Pakpour was swiftly promoted to replace Salami.
In a letter to Khamenei read out on state television, Pakpour promised that “the gates of hell will open to the child-killing regime”, referring to Israel.
During Israel’s surprise attack in the early hours of Friday, its military said it had struck more than 200 targets across Iran.
Before Iran’s retaliatory strikes, Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier-General Effie Defrin told journalists that Israel’s army was “continuing to strike”.
“Iran has the ability to significantly harm the Israeli home front”, Defrin told a televised news conference that was cut short due to what the army said was an incoming attack.
The army also urged citizens to stick close to “protected spaces” and avoid public gatherings amid a potential Iranian attack on Israel.
In a statement earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected “several waves of Iranian attacks”.
Popular retailer to RETURN 13 years after collapsing into administration and shutting 236 stores
It is said the shake-up will help secure the future of 99 stores and around 1,800 jobs across the arts and crafts business.
You can check out the full list of stores earmarked for closure below.
Canterbury, Kent – closed
Basildon, Essex – June 21
Borehamwood, Hertfordshire – June 21
Bristol, Imperial Retail Park – June 21
Dunstable, Bedfordshire – June 21
Epping Forest, Essex – June 21
Lakeside Shopping Centre, Essex – June 21
Cirencester, Gloucestershire -June 21
Bagshot, Surrey – June 21
OTHER STORE CLOSURES
Hobbycraft is not the only retailer facing hard times.
Up to 11 Original Factory Shops stores are to set to close this month, including sites across Worcestershire, Durham and Cumbria.
Meanwhile, another five stores across Nairn, Market Drayton, Troon, Blairgowrie and Castle Douglas have been put up for sale.
It comes as part of a major restructuring carried out by new ownerModella Capitalwith a number of loss-making stores having to close as result.
You can see the full list of store closures here:
Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire – June 26
Perth – June 28
Chester Le Street, County Durham – June 28
Arbroath, Angus – June 28
Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire – June 28
Pershore, Worcestershire – June 28
Normanton, West Yorkshire – June 28
Peterhead, Aberdeenshire – June 28
Shaftesbury, Dorset – June 28
Staveley, Cumbria – July 12
Middlewich – TBC
The following stores are also up for sale:
Nairn
Market Drayton
Troon
Blairgowrie
Castle Douglas
It comes after pivate equity firm Modella bought The Original Factory Shop back in February and has since launched a restructuring effort to renegotiate rents at 88 TOFS stores.
At the end of April, Modella drew up plans to initiate a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) for TOFS.
Companies often use CVAs to prevent insolvency, which could otherwise result in store closures or the collapse of the entire business.
They allow firms to explore different strategies such as negotiating reduced rent rates with landlords.
RETAIL PAIN IN 2025
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”
Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
“By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer’s household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.”
A murder investigation has been launched after a teenage boy died in north Manchester.
Officers were called to Nevin Road in the New Moston area at about 17:00 BST, Greater Manchester Police said.
The force has not yet said how the boy died. Three people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Supt Marcus Noden said it was “distressing and heartbreaking” that a boy had lost his life and urged witnesses to come forward.
The force said it was “still trying to establish the circumstances” around the incident and several areas had been cordoned off, including outside the Fairway Inn Pub on Nuthurst Rd.
The boy’s family is being supported by specialist officers.
Supt Noden appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
He said they wanted to hear from “anyone who was in the Nevin Road area” who saw the incident take place.
“We will bring updates as we get them as the investigation continues,” he added.
Israel launched a campaign against former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger after he blamed the Israelis for the breakdown of his mission to achieve an interim agreement with Egypt following the 1973 war, according to declassified British documents
The documents, unearthed by MEMO in the British National Archives, showed that the Israeli government lobbied US Congressmen to turn American opinion against Kissinger, accusing him of “delivering” Israel to Egypt and “humiliating” Israeli ministers.
In late March 1975, Kissinger’s shuttle diplomacy between Israel and Egypt collapsed. Although he initially avoided publicly assigning blame, he privately told his UK counterpart, James Callaghan, that Israeli leaders were primarily responsible. Kissinger argued that the Israelis had “locked themselves into an inflexible position on non-belligerency,” that “wouldn’t allow them to escape”. He also informed his British counterpart that he “warned the Israelis once the step-by-step process had broken down the situation might change rapidly to their disadvantage”.
Egypt publicly declared that Kissinger’s approach had failed due to Israeli intransigence, specifically their insistence on non-belligerency, which Egypt rejected before a comprehensive settlement involving all aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the Palestinian issue, is reached.
Following the breakdown, the administration of President Gerald Ford began a comprehensive reassessment of its Middle East policy. The US National Security Council (NSC) informed the British embassy that the review “will be far reaching and will include an examination of military and economic assistance to Israel” and focusing on “principles underlying US policy rather than on tactical considerations”.
Although the Ford Administration avoided publicly blaming either party, US media reports suggested that Kissinger viewed Israel as primarily responsible for the failure. This impression was reinforced when it was revealed that President Ford had sent a strongly worded letter to Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, criticising Israel’s inflexibility before the breakdown of the negotiations.
British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) files show that the US NSC told British Ambassador Peter Ramsbotham “in confidence” that Ford’s message to Rabin had been “very tough” and had referred critically to Israeli stubbornness during the negotiations.
Ramsbotham reported that while the Israeli embassy denied “in the strongest possible terms” any responsibility for the failed talks, support for Israel in the US “will come under increasing critical scrutiny.”
Relations between Kissinger and Israel deteriorated further. British Ambassador to Israel William B. J. Ledwidge observed increasing distrust toward Kissinger in the Israeli press, a sentiment he believed was encouraged by Israeli leaders. Ledwidge reported the relations were “in the process of becoming distinctly worse than the relations between Israel and the United States administration”. He assessed that this was “clearly inspired by briefing from Israel’s leaders”.
In a highly secret report, Ledwidge noted that the Israelis were “making no secret of the fact that Kissinger is angry with them for their stubbornness in the recent negotiations and President Ford agrees with him”.
After talking to “enough of well-informed” Israelis, Ledwidge concluded that Israel’s leaders were “worried by the strength of the disapproval which is being expressed by Washington”. “In the present situation the fact of Kissinger’s anger with Israel is perhaps more important than the justice of accusations against them”, the ambassador added.
Leon Dulzin, then treasurer of the Jewish Agency and a Likud leader, also complained to the ambassador that there as “very little negotiation” during Kissinger’s shuttle accusing the top US diplomat of aiming at “persuading the Israelis to give Sadat what he wanted”. Dulzin, a former Israeli cabinet minister and trusted by leading Zionists overseas, added that Kissinger “had never really accepted the proposition that Israel was entitled to any price in return beyond a continuation of American economic and military aid and general goodwill”.
A satirical drawing showing Israel pandering to Henry Kissinger of the United States while Egypt’s President Sadat gets away with the oil rich Sinai desert. [David Rubinger/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images]
An Israeli source close to Rabin told the ambassador that the Israeli prime minister believed that Kissinger “had tried to deliver the Israelis to Sadat” and he (Kissinger) “had become angry when he found that it would not work”. Rabin came to the conclusion that “he only wished he could talk directly to the Egyptians” without Kissinger’s go-between.
At a dinner with visiting US Congressmen, Shimon Peres, then Israel’s defense minister, accused Kissinger of “humiliating” him, complaining that he played role in delaying his important visit to the US. Peres asked the Congressmen to “say as much (about Kissinger claimed behaviour) when they returned to Washington”.
Another player was Yehoshua Rabinowitz, then Israeli minister of finance who was also informed by Washington that he must postpone his visit to discuss economic aid yet once more. Sources told the UK ambassador that Rabinowitz understood that he will not be received until the re-assessment of American Middle East policy was completed. Rabinowitz detected the “hand of Kissinger in the repeated delays of his mission”, the sources said.
The dispatches from the British embassy in Tell Aviv indicated that the Israelis were talking “as if they were convinced that Kissinger himself is the chief organiser of the present wave of American displeasure which has reached such heights”.
Senior official in Israeli Foreign Ministry Yeshayahu Anug strongly criticised Kissinger in a conversation with the UK ambassador. He said “for the first time we saw him (Kissinger) behaving like a Jew”. Anug argued that when the shuttle went wrong, Kissinger “behaved as if he had been personally betrayed by the Israelis and lost his cool completely”.
In his assessment, the ambassador concluded that many Israelis “feel that the Zionist State does indeed irritate Kissinger”.
The documents also reveal that some Israeli figures questioned Kissinger’s personal attitude toward their country. According to Ledwidge, the Israelis who knew Kissinger believed when Israel was founded in 1948, he regarded it as “an aberration that could not be last”. They acknowledged that he changed his mind later. But Kissinger had been criticised because since the 1967 war, he has always been convinced that Israel “would be obliged to evacuate all the territories she had occupied as a result of the pressure of international opinion”.
An account of a secret briefing Kissinger gave to Jewish leaders in December 1973 showed him making harsh comments about Israel’s military performance during the Yom Kippur War and emphasising the limits of US support.
According to this account, shown to the British ambassador by an Israeli diplomatic official “in strict confidence”, Kissinger “was brutally unsympathetic to Israel throughout his briefing”. He was quoted as saying “Israel had lost the Yom Kippur war strategically and that even if she had surrounded and defeated the Third Egyptian Army, she would not have reversed the verdict”.
“If there were another war, the US might not be able, even if she were willing; to mount an airlift and Israel might fare worse than she had in 1973”. He even accused Israelis of “misleading the Americans about their military plans during the latter part of the war”.
In a separate dispatch, the British embassy in Washington reported that Kissinger “has suspected for months that the Israelis were casting him for the role of “fall guy”. The British ambassador to Tel Aviv commented that “no doubt the Israelis have had for a long time past a contingency plan for doing precisely this’ and perhaps they “have now reached the point of putting it into effect”.
British diplomats in London concluded that while the Israelis had reasons to criticise Kissinger, they were mistaken to view his actions as motivated by personal animosity. Instead, they believed that Kissinger’s pressure aimed to avoid another conflict that “would ultimately damage Israel and the West more than the Arabs”. As seen by Michel S Weir, Assistant Under-Secretary and director of Middle East and North Africa, Israel considered the pursuit of this major objective and any final settlement, which would involve it giving up most of the foreign territory she is occupying, as “personal spite”. This was considered as a “measure of the chasm that separates Israeli thinking from that of the outside world”. In as much as the Israelis had accepted the idea of withdrawal, Kissinger was “surely entitled to feel betrayed, Weir concluded.
Mining company Sibanye-Stillwater says all workers are safe and have been provided with food as they await rescue.
Rescue efforts were under way in South Africa on Friday as more than 200 miners were trapped at a gold mine for a second day.
Mining company Sibanye-Stillwater said on Thursday that the miners were trapped after what it referred to as a “shaft incident” at the Kloof gold mine, one of the company’s deepest.
It said that all the workers were safe and gathered at an assembly point where they had been provided with food as efforts were being made to get them out.
“It was decided that employees should remain at the sub-shaft station until it is safe to proceed to the surface,” the company said.
The total number of workers trapped was not immediately clear. News agencies reported that 260 people were trapped, while a company spokesperson said 289 miners were in the shaft.
A Sibanye-Stillwater sign for the Kloof gold mine, where miners are trapped underground in Westonaria, near Johannesburg, South Africa [Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]
The National Union of Mineworkers, representing the workers at the Kloof mine, said they had been trapped for more than 24 hours as Sibanye-Stillwater continued pushing back its estimated time to retrieve the workers.
“We are very concerned because the mine did not even make this incident public until we reported it to the media,” said NUM spokesman Livhuwani Mammburu.
The mine, located 60km (37 miles) west of Johannesburg, is among a few collecting from some of the world’s deepest gold deposits.
Stag Web describes the experience as an “ultra-high-end weekend exclusively for those with 10-digit bank balances” that is “inspired by Jeff Bezos’s upcoming nuptials”
13:56, 23 May 2025Updated 14:40, 23 May 2025
Flight attendants claimed that turning up early or very late might get you the better seat(Image: Getty Images)
A few decades ago a typical “last night of freedom” consisted of traipsing down to the local pub with your best friend from school, a cousin and a father-in-law or two for an evening of ale, crisps and perhaps a go on the fruity.
Those days are now a long way behind us, with a typical stag far more likely to jet off to Benidorm or Amsterdam.
For those who enjoy a bit of one-upmanship, one stag do company is taking things to the next level with a “bespoke service for the top 0.0001%: the Billionaire Stag Do”.
Stag Web describes the experience as an “ultra-high-end weekend exclusively for those with 10-digit bank balances” that is “inspired by Jeff Bezos’s upcoming nuptials”.
Jeff and Lauren are about to tie the knot(Image: Bruce Glikas/WireImage)
“They only quote actual billionaires, though, so unless you have the money to prove you’re a real high roller, you won’t be able to enquire,” the firm jokes. Unfortunately, they won’t let on how much the package costs.
When the Mirror asked, Stag Web’s spokesperson said: “It’ll be a bespoke, build-from-scratch service so the sky’s the limit!” Judging from the list of possible options, it is not going to be cheap.
They include:
A private jet to “fly the squad in from wherever the hell they currently live”.
Helicopter transfers “between continents, countries, courses, and clubs”.
Supercar convoy “through a sun-drenched city”.
Private mega-yacht or “Bond villain-style clifftop villa with panoramic views”.
Private chef “squad crafting midnight wagyu sliders and 4 am caviar toasties”.
The works “which means hot tubs, infinity pools, cigar lounges, saunas, secret bars”.
Stag Web urges punters to “party like the 1%”, although it is hard to imagine exactly how that is possible if you don’t have a tech company or large private income.
Nonetheless, the happy-go-lucky firm is willing to arrange a “elicopter bar crawl across three countries in a single night, luxury golf experience on a private course with Champagne caddies, private island takeover for beach parties, shark diving, etc, personal comedy roast by a stand-up who’s actually been on TV and casino hire.”
If that isn’t enough to clear out your bank account, then you can hire a butler for each guest, a Champagne cannon for dramatic entrances andstag do goodie bags filled with Rolexes, “keys to your new penthouses, and other billionaire goodies”.
“We created the million-pound stag weekend 10 years ago, but that’s chump change to the billion-pound club,” said Jon Stainer, director at StagWeb.
“We’re ready and raring to arrange a blank-cheque weekend for Bezos or one of the other billion-pound boys, just give us a shout and we’ll sort you out. From private islands to space trips, polar parties to literally anything, if you’ve got the cash, we’ll try and make it happen.”
Whether or not anyone actually buys into the package remains to be seen.
Raipur, Chhattisgarh – Indian security forces have launched an all-out war against Maoist fighters in Chhattisgarh state, as the federal government aims to “wipe out” long-running armed rebellions in the mineral-rich tribal region of the country.
The Karrigatta hills forest, which straddles across Chhattisgarh and Telangana states, has turned into a “warzone” with more than 10,000 Indian soldiers deployed in the anti-Maoist operation – dubbed “Operation Zero or Kagar”.
The right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which runs both the state as well as the central government, has drastically escalated security operations, killing at least 201 Maoist rebels, also known as Naxals, this year.
At least 27 rebels were killed on Wednesday, including the leader of the Maoists. In the past 16 months, more than 400 alleged Maoist rebels have been killed in Chhattisgarh state, home to a sizable population of Adivasis (meaning original inhabitants or Indigenous people).
But activists are alarmed: They say many of those killed are innocent Adivasis. And campaigners and opposition leaders are urging the government to cease fire and hold talks with Maoist rebels to find a solution to the decades-old issue.
More than 11,000 civilians and security forces have been killed in clashes involving Maoist fighters between 2000 and 2024, according to official figures. Security forces have killed at least 6,160 Maoist fighters during the same period, according to police and Maoist figures.
So, will the government’s hardline approach help bring peace, or will it further alienate the Adivasis, who are already one of the most marginalised groups in the country?
Who are the Maoists, and why are they fighting against the Indian state?
The armed rebellion in India originated in a 1967 rural uprising in the small town of Naxalbari, located in West Bengal state. The word Naxal comes from the town’s name.
Led by communist leaders Kanu Sanyal, Charu Majumdar, and Jungle Santal, the armed uprising called for addressing the issues of landlessness and exploitation of the rural poor by landlords.
The three leaders founded the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI(ML)) on April 22, 1969, to wage armed rebellion against the Indian state. They believed that their demands were not going to be met by the prevailing democratic set-up.
The Naxal rebels were also inspired by the revolutionary ideology of the Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Modelled on the Chinese communist party’s approach to capturing the state, they waged a violent rebellion against the Indian security forces in mineral-rich central and eastern India for decades. The West Bengal government, led by Congress leader Siddhartha Shankar Ray, launched a fierce campaign to suppress the Naxalite uprising.
I once again assure the countrymen that India is sure to be Naxal-free by 31 March 2026
by Amit Shah, home minister
Sanyal, one of the founding leaders of the movement, told this reporter in 2010 that “by 1973, at least 32,000 Naxalites or sympathisers had been jailed across India.”
“Many were killed in fake encounters. And when the Emergency was declared in June 1975, it was clear- the sun had almost set on the Naxalite movement,” he said. He died in 2010, aged 78, apparently by suicide in Siliguri.
Over the years, the CPI(ML) splintered into multiple parties, more than 20 of which still exist. The main CPI(ML) itself gave up armed struggle, expressed faith in the Indian Constitution and began participating in electoral politics. Currently, it is a legally recognised political organisation with several legislators.
Meanwhile, in 1980, one of the splinters, the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People’s War, was founded by Kondapalli Seetharamayya and Kolluri Chiranjeevi in Andhra Pradesh.
Another major breakaway faction, the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC), had a base in Bihar and West Bengal states. In September 2004, the MCC and CPI(ML) People’s War merged, resulting in the formation of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), the largest armed Maoist organisation in India today.
The organisation’s most recent general secretary, Nambala Keshava Rao, alias Basavaraj, was killed by security forces on Wednesday in Bastar, Chhattisgarh – the last stronghold of Maoists.
Kanu Sanyal looks on at his home at Hatighisha village near Siliguri, West Bengal, March 21, 2005 [Tamal Roy/AP Photo]
Has the BJP intensified the campaign against Maoists?
The BJP-run Chhattisgarh state government has adopted a more aggressive stance against Maoists compared with the previous government led by the Congress party.
At least 141 Maoists were killed between 2020 and 2023, when the Congress party was in power, but after the BJP came to power, security forces claimed to have killed 223 alleged Maoists in 2024 alone, according to government figures.
“For the past 15 months, our security personnel have been strongly fighting the Naxals,” Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai told Al Jazeera.
“This action is part of the broader efforts, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, to make India free from Naxalism. This is a decisive phase, and we are advancing rapidly in that direction,” he said.
The security forces have currently surrounded suspected Maoist hideouts in Karigatta Hills, with the army’s helicopters assisting in the operation, according to authorities.
Whether it’s the Maoists or the DRG, the one who kills is tribal and the one who dies is also tribal
by Former Member of Parliament Arvind Netam
On May 14, India’s Home Minister Amit Shah announced the killing of 31 fighters in the Karrigatta Hills.
“I once again assure the countrymen that India is sure to be Naxal-free by 31 March 2026,” Shah reiterated in his post on X.
Overall, nearly 66,000 security personnel spanning a range of paramilitary and special forces have been deployed in Chhattisgarh.
India has deployed tens of thousands of forces, including specially trained commandos, in its fight against Maoists [File: Kamal Kishore/Reuters]
The latest operation, which involves more than 10,000 soldiers, centres around the mineral-rich Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, which spans 38,932 square kilometres (15,032sq miles) – an area nearly the size of the US state of Kentucky.
The government has set up approximately 320 security camps in Bastar alone – home to three million people. The number of personnel at each security camp fluctuates depending on the requirement: It can be as low as 150 personnel and rise up to 1,200. They include security forces, as well as technical staff.
Security camps are often equipped with surveillance and communication equipment to assist in the operation against the rebels. The 20,000-strong local police force is also helping in the operations in Bastar.
The use of cutting-edge technology, such as advanced drones equipped with high-definition cameras and thermal imaging sensors, has helped security forces monitor Maoist activity in the region’s dense forests.
However, local villagers allege that security forces have carried out aerial bombings in various parts of Bastar using large drones. Maoist groups have also accused the forces of conducting air strikes.
Security forces have consistently denied these allegations.
Shah, the home minister, has made frequent visits to Chhattisgarh, even spending nights with security forces in Bastar.
But the federal government of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who preceded Modi in India’s top executive office, had also taken a tough stance against Naxals.
Singh even called Naxalism the “greatest internal security threat” to India, and his government launched a major crackdown in 2009 under what it called “Operation Green Hunt” to quash the armed rebellion. Amid allegations of human rights violations, Indian security forces managed to reduce the terrain controlled by the Maoists.
In the 2000s, Naxals controlled nearly one-third of India’s mineral-rich tribal areas, known euphemistically as the Red Corridor, straddling the states of Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, among others. But the number of districts where Maoists wield significant influence had declined from 126 in 2013 to just 38 by April last year.
Maoists are watched by villagers as they ready their weapons, while taking part in a training camp in a forested area of Bijapur district in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh on July 8, 2012 [Noah Seelam/AFP]
As the government claims success in its military offensive, human rights groups such as the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) accuse the security forces of carrying out fake encounters or extrajudicial killings.
“A large-scale military campaign is being carried out under the pretext of eliminating Maoists,” Junas Tirkey, the president of the PUCL in Chhattisgarh state, said.
“Since 2024, violence, human rights violations, and militarisation have increased sharply in Bastar. Innocent tribals are being killed in fake encounters,” he told Al Jazeera.
Since 2024, violence, human rights violations, and militarisation have increased sharply in Bastar. Innocent tribals are being killed in fake encounters
by Junas Tirkey, president of the PUCL in Chhattisgarh
The PUCL has identified at least 11 incidents as fake encounters over the past one and a half years.
On March 25, police claimed it had killed Maoist rebels Sudhakar alias Sudhir, Pandru Atra, and Mannu Barsa in Bordga village, Bijapur, about 160km (100 miles) east of Bastar.
But villagers allege the police’s version is false. They claim that the police surrounded the village at night, took 17 people away, released seven, shot three, and took the remaining seven with them.
The government has denied the allegations, but no independent investigation has been conducted in this case. The regular magisterial inquiry, which is carried out after so-called encounters, is not considered credible by rights groups and tribal communities as it is largely based on the police version of events.
“It’s true that Sudhakar was a Maoist and came to visit someone in the village. But the police captured Sudhakar, my brother and others alive, took them away, and later shot them, falsely declaring it an encounter,” the brother of Mannu Barsa, Manesh Barsa, told Al Jazeera.
Inspector general of police of Bastar region, Pattilingam Sundarraj, disagreed with these allegations. He claimed that Maoists often pressure locals to fabricate accusations against the police following encounters.
However, multiple so-called encounters in Bastar have been proven fake in the past, and in most cases, justice has evaded victims.
Even if they are eliminated from Bastar, Maoism is an ideology that cannot be defeated through violence alone
by Former DGP Vishwaranjan
Out of thousands of so-called encounters in Bastar in the last 25 years, only two have faced judicial inquiry. On June 28, 2012, 17 Adivasis, including six minors, were killed in Sarkeguda village in Bijapur district. On May 17, 2013, four minors were among eight Adivasis killed in Edasmeta village in the same district.
The inquiries led by High Court judges found all victims to be innocent. The reports were released in 2022 during the previous Congress rule, though no police cases have been registered against any personnel to date.
Even peaceful protests against mining projects and the militarisation of the region have been met with harsh crackdowns.
The Moolvasi Bachao Manch (MBM), led by Adivasis, was banned last year for “opposing development” and “resisting security forces”.
Dozens of Adivasi youth associated with MBM have been arrested since 2021.
Why is the recruitment of former Maoists in government forces criticised?
The recruitment of Adivasis, many of them former Maoists, in recent years by the authorities seems to have turned the tide in favour of the government.
The then-BJP state government started to incorporate Adivasis, particularly former Maoists, in the District Reserve Guard (DRG) force in 2008 with the aim of using them in anti-Maoist operations. The idea: Former Maoists are better at navigating dense jungle terrain and know about Maoist hideouts.
But past records have raised concerns. Adivasis enlisted as Special Police Officers (SPOs), as they were called, have been accused of rights violations.
In 2005, the state government ruled by the Congress government launched a campaign against Maoists called Salwa Judum (meaning “peace march” in the local Gondi language). Salwa Judum members were armed and were later designated as SPOs and paid 1,500 rupees/month ($17/month).
On one hand, the government itself had proposed dialogue with the Maoists. But now, that same government has turned Bastar into a warzone
by Soni Sori, Adivasi activist
But Salwa Judum members faced accusations of rape, arson, torture and murder. In 2011, the Supreme Court declared Salwa Judum illegal and slammed the state for arming civilians. Subsequently, many SPOs were absorbed into the DRG.
DRG personnel have also been accused of rights abuses, but such cases have rarely been investigated.
Campaigners have also questioned the policy of using surrendered Maoists in combat instead of rehabilitating them.
“The manner in which SPOs were incorporated into the DRG is disturbing. It shows how tribal youth involved in violence were again handed guns under the pretext of rehabilitation,” lawyer and human rights activist Priyanka Shukla told Al Jazeera.
Former Member of Parliament Arvind Netam believes Bastar is “in a state of civil war”. In a situation like this, he says, it’s the tribals who suffer the most.
“Whether it’s the Maoists or the DRG, the one who kills is tribal and the one who dies is also tribal,” Netam, a tribal leader, told Al Jazeera.
Campaigners have argued that Chhattisgarh’s new rehabilitation policy, which promises bounties and cash rewards, incentivises people to turn on each other for money, often with allegations that may be legally untenable.
Why has the government resisted calls for a ceasefire?
Interestingly, while the government has intensified its offensive, it has also continued to offer peace talks to Maoists.
“We still reiterate, Maoists should come forward for dialogue after laying down their arms. Our doors for talks within the framework of the Indian Constitution are always open,” Chhattisgarh’s Home Minister Vijay Sharma told local media last week.
The Maoists, however, insist on a ceasefire and withdrawal of paramilitary forces as conditions for talks. They argue that peace talks and military operations cannot run simultaneously.
In a statement, CPI (Maoist) spokesperson Abhay said, “The right to life guaranteed by the Indian Constitution is being crushed by the government itself … On one hand, our party is trying to initiate unconditional dialogue, and on the other hand, ongoing killings of Maoists and tribals render the peace process meaningless.”
Activists have raised concerns regarding the plight of Adivasi communities.
Soni Sori, an Adivasi social activist from Bastar, believes the government must take the initiative for peace talks.
“On one hand, the government itself had proposed dialogue with the Maoists. But now, that same government has turned Bastar into a warzone,” Sori told Al Jazeera.
“Given the way these operations are being conducted, the government should halt them, foster an environment conducive to dialogue, and take meaningful steps toward initiating peace talks.”
Human rights activists, academics and students have been targeted after being dubbed Naxal sympathisers. A 90 percent disabled professor from Delhi University, GN Saibaba was jailed for backing Maoists. Last October, he died months after being acquitted by the country’s top court after a decade of incarceration.
But state Chief Minister Sai says there will be no leniency in this matter. “Naxal eradication is not just a campaign but a mission to secure Bastar and Chhattisgarh’s future,” he said.
Is Maoist support declining?
In 2011, then-Director General of Police of Chhattisgarh Vishwaranjan estimated approximately 10,000 armed Maoists and 40,000 militia members in the Bastar region. Accurate numbers are hard to determine.
The rebels were able to carry out deadly attacks against the security forces. In 2010, they killed 76 paramilitary troops in a forest ambush in Chhattisgarh. Three years later, dozens of people, including the Congress leader who founded the Salwa Judum, were killed in a rebel ambush.
Current Bastar IGP Sundarraj P estimates about 1,000 armed Maoists remain, along with 15,000 affiliated individuals.
Internal Maoist reports acknowledge declining recruitment, smaller units, and ammunition shortages. Of the 40 central committee and politburo members, only 18 remain free – the rest are either dead or arrested.
Meanwhile, security forces have expanded, built new camps, and improved intelligence and training, while Maoists’ base areas are shrinking.
While our government is running an anti-Naxal campaign, we are also actively working on development projects
by Vishnu Deo Sai, chief minister of Chhattisgarh
Former DGP Vishwaranjan says Maoists are weakened in Chhattisgarh, but they have expanded into neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.
“Even if they are eliminated from Bastar, Maoism is an ideology that cannot be defeated through violence alone,” he told Al Jazeera.
“As long as we build a society on economic inequality, the ideology may resurface in a new form.”
Defending his government’s policies, Chief Minister Sai said that “security and development go hand in hand.”
“While our government is running an anti-Naxal campaign, we are also actively working on development projects,” he said.
Is the real fight over iron ore?
Naxals have invoked the exploitation of natural resources, particularly through mining leases issued to global corporations, and the displacement of local communities, as their reasons for picking up guns in mineral-rich areas of the country. Thousands of Adivasis have been displaced and their local environments severely damaged due to mining activities.
Of the 51 mineral leases in Bastar, 36 are held by private firms, including global steel major ArcelorMittal.
Former MLA and tribal leader Manish Kunjam echoes a similar sentiment, arguing, “The real issue is iron ore.”
According to the Indian government, 19 percent of the country’s iron ore reserves are in Chhattisgarh, mainly in Bastar.
Chhattisgarh accounts for 18 percent of India’s railway freight revenue, largely from mineral transport – and this is growing.
Kunjam explained that when the corporations Tata and Essar began their projects in 2005 to mine iron ore, the state launched Salwa Judum, evacuating 644 villages under the pretext of Maoist fear. At least 350,000 people were displaced. However, strong tribal resistance forced the companies to withdraw.
“Learning from that failure, the government has now set up security camps in mining zones, preparing for renewed extraction,” he said.
“Without village council approval, mining cannot proceed. If tribals protest, they will be labelled as Maoists or sympathisers and dealt with accordingly.”
A closer look at his claims reveals that most camps are indeed in areas where mining has begun or is about to. In Bastar’s mining belt, there is one soldier for every nine tribals. Many of these camps are funded by mining companies.
But Chief Minister Sai believes that the mineral resources in tribal areas should be utilised.
The idea of generating revenue at the cost of tribal lives is dangerous and unconstitutional
by Sushil Anand Shukla, opposition Congress party spokesperson
“The lives of tribals will change with the beginning of mining and industrial activities,” he said. He boasted that Chhattisgarh ranks second among mineral-producing states [after Odisha], earning approximately 14.19 billion rupees ($1.71bn) last year.
This year, the state has allocated 48 major mineral blocks to private companies in the state.
But mass poverty and lack of basic health facilities expose the government’s claims.
Netam, the tribal leader, pointed out that the state has an infant mortality rate of nearly 38 per 1,000 live births, compared to the national infant mortality rate of 28 per 1,000 live births.
In Bastar, he said, poverty is 80 percent.
The opposition Congress spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla claimed that under the guise of mining, preparations were under way to completely displace tribals from Bastar.
“Today, Bastar stands on the brink of war, and its answers cannot be found by looking to the past. The government must stop surrendering to corporate houses and mining companies at the cost of evicting tribals,” Sushil Anand Shukla says.
“The idea of generating revenue at the cost of tribal lives is dangerous and unconstitutional,” he told Al Jazeera.
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