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Europe
Russia
8 May 2025 Russia has commenced its three-day ceasefire, announced in honour of WW2 Victory Day, today - May 8. Ahead of the May 8 ceasefire, Russia reportedly shot down 12 Ukrainian drones in Moscow. The Zhukovsky airport in the Moscow region and the main airport in Kaluga have been temporarily shut down. Apart from Xi, 28 leaders are expected to visit Moscow for the parade. Furthermore, representatives from North Korea and Russian-controlled Abkhazia and South Ossetia will also be present. (Source: Outlook - India)
Vatican
(May 8, 2025) 7:13 PM CEST The doors have opened ... a new pope emerges. 7:14 PM CEST Prevost is elected the first American pope in history. 7:17 PM CEST Cardinal Prevost, an American missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and leads the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, was elected the first American pope. Prevost, 69, took the name Leo XIV. (Source: Associated Press – U.S.)
See also: AP News
by Winfield, Chief correspondent, Italy and Vatican
Europe
May 8, 2025 In London later today, a service will be held in Westminster Abbey and a concert, for 10,000 members of the public, at Horse Guards Parade. In Paris, French President Macron is expected to oversee a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe. In Berlin, Chancellor Friedrich Merz will highlight how "Germany has remodeled itself into a beacon of European democracy' by laying a wreath at the central memorial for the victims of war and tyranny. Russia and President Putin will be celebrating its Victory Day one day later with a huge military parade on Red Square in central Moscow to mark the massive Soviet contribution to defeat Nazi Germany. (Source: ABC News - U.S.)
May 07, 2025 Any peace talks that did take place without the US, would lack a means of feasible enforcement. The European proposal to commit 25,000 troops to a Ukrainian peacekeeping force is unlikely to come to fruition, or have the required deterrent effect. In fact, a greater risk of commitments like this is that they overpromise a level of European capability to the Ukrainians that we would not be able to deliver on. This is becoming increasingly clear to military and political leaders in the West and, just as significantly, is evident to Putin too. (Source: The i Paper - United Kingdom)
(Wednesday), 07/05/2025 Ukrainian drones caused massive disruptions at Moscow airports days before Russia’s Victory Day parade on Friday, with around 350 flights reportedly affected. Serbian President Vučić’s flight to Moscow to attend the parade was disrupted, his plane was reportedly forced to divert to the Azerbaijani capital of Baku. ’Brussels issued a stark warning to the Serbian leader a few days ago’, indicating that Vučić's visit would violate EU membership criteria and potentially hurt Serbia's accession process to the 27-member bloc. Earlier, Lithuania and Latvia have denied a flight with Vučić on board from crossing their airspace en route to Moscow for the Victory Day parade on Friday. Poland and Lithuania had denied flyover rights to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. His attendance remains uncertain at this point. Estonia also said it would not allow the aircraft carrying leaders heading to the Victory Day parade in Moscow to pass through its airspace. (Source: Euronews - based in Lyon, France)
Asia
China
May 08, 2025 Chinese President Xi yesterday called for concerted efforts to defend the legacy of World War II (WWII) victory. Xi made the call as he arrived in Moscow for a state visit to Russia and celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War. A massive military parade will take place in Moscow's Red Square tomorrow. Flags with the word Victory fluttered in the wind along the streets of Moscow, and the roads were lined with billboards and decorative windows depicting the history of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union. Xi's visit comes at the invitation of Russian President Putin. This marks his 11th visit to Russia since he became the president of China. It will be Xi's second time attending Russia's May 9 Victory Day commemorations as Chinese president. In a signed article published in the Russian Gazette newspaper ahead of his arrival, Xi urged the international community to uphold a correct historical perspective on WWII. 'China and the Soviet Union were the principal theaters of that war in Asia and Europe respectively', Xi wrote. The two countries served as the mainstay of resistance against Japanese militarism and German Nazism, making pivotal contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, he wrote. As the world is facing stiff headwinds from unilateralism, hegemonism, bullying and coercive practices, Xi emphasized the importance of multilateralism. (Source: Xinhua - China)
India
(8 May 2025 10:34 CEST) All districts of Punjab put on high alert, public events cancelled. The state shares a 532-km border with Pakistan. At least 26 persons were killed in Pakistan in India’s strikes, reported AFP. Islamabad claimed that the strikes killed and injured several civilians and called the operation a violation of its sovereignty. The terror attack at the Baisaran area near Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam town on April 22 left 26 dead and 17 injured. The terrorists targeted tourists after asking their names to ascertain their religion, the police said. All but three of those killed were Hindu. (Source: Scroll - India )
(8 May 2025, 09:26 CEST) In a counter-terror operation dubbed Operation Sindoor, the Indian Armed Forces struck deep into Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) early yesterday, reducing key terror facilities to rubble. Executed between 1:05 am and 1:30 am, the strikes involved a coordinated tri-services operation by the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. The operation targeted nine key terror sites, including five in PoJK, linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Among the primary targets was a major JeM stronghold in Bahawalpur, Punjab, known as Markaz Subhan Allah. Operational since 2015, Markaz Subhan Allah served as JeM’s main hub for training, indoctrination, and planning major terror attacks, including the Pulwama bombing on February 14, 2019. It housed top JeM leadership, including Chief Azhar, de facto Chief Mufti Asghar, Ammar, and other family members. Azhar frequently delivered anti-India speeches from this facility, rallying youth to join violent jihad. Regular arms and religious training sessions were conducted at the compound. High-resolution visuals confirmed the complete destruction of the Bahawalpur facility. At a press briefing in New Delhi, Foreign Secretary Misri, Colonel Qureshi, and Wing Commander Singh detailed the objectives and execution of Operation Sindoor. Colonel Qureshi named the four terror camps destroyed in mainland Pakistan as Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sarjal, and Mehmoona Joya. Markaz Subhan Allah, the operational HQ of JeM located 100 km inside Pakistan, was completely destroyed, she confirmed. The nine terror camps were chosen based on credible intelligence and with strict measures to avoid civilian casualties, Wing Commander Singh stated. She further revealed that Pakistan has maintained a network of 21 terror infrastructure sites across its territory and PoJK over the past three decades, including recruitment and launchpad centres. (Source: DD News, an Indian state-owned Hindi news television channel, founded by the Government of India)
May 8, 2025 India’s precision‐guided missile and air strikes on 9 sites in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir under Operation Sindoor lasted less than 30 minutes in the early hours of May 7 2025. Through the day of May 7, Pakistan claimed that it shot down three separate Rafale aircraft and one each of Russian origin MiG 29 and SU-30MKI. The Pakistani Defence Minister Asif claimed that the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) had shot these aircraft down during an aerial dogfight. Rafale, manufactured by the French giant Dassault Aviation is the most advanced type of combat aircraft in the inventory of the Indian Air Force (IAF). IAF operates 36 Rafale airframes. While India is yet to acknowledge any aircraft or equipment losses during or after Operation Sindoor, an image posted on X claimed to show parts of a Chinese origin PL-15 Air to Air missile which also allegedly fell in the Indian region of Punjab. While no concrete evidence has emerged connecting the alleged shooting down of an IAF Rafale to a PL-15 missile likely fired by a PAF J-10 fighter supplied to Pakistan by India’s main strategic threat China - the mere assertion is likely the manifestation of the worst case scenario in the defence policy planning circles in New Delhi. Even if judged purely from a fiscal perspective, if the types, numbers and nature of loss of the Indian aircraft as claimed by Pakistan is accurate it would amount to the loss of over $1bn in military hardware within a day for India. (Source: bne IntelliNews - Germany)
Pakistan
8 May 2025, 15:20 (BST) When India and Pakistan clash, their military backers clash. Islamabad currently gets the vast majority of its arms needs from China. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which tracks global arms trade, around 82 percent of imports between 2019 and 2023 came from its “iron brother.” Meanwhile, imports from the United States have collapsed. Beijing has been quick to supply Pakistan with armored vehicles, a jointly developed fighter jet (in the form of the JF-17 Block 3) and missile systems. At the same time, India’s main suppliers, Russia and France (which account for 36 and 33 percent of imports respectively), have been slower to fulfill their orders. Delhi has been increasing arms purchases from its Western allies and reducing its dependence on Russia. According to SIPRI, imports from Moscow have fallen from 75 percent of total imports to 36 percent. Purchases from France, Israel and the United States have surged since 2006. The Indian Air Force (IAF) operates a fleet of 36 Rafale F3Rs, the most advanced model of the aircraft, and still operates MiGs. The Rafale F3R has been described as a “4.5 generation fighter”, similar to the British Eurofighter Typhoon and almost on par with fifth generation systems such as the US-made F-35. A Rafale wreckage has been discovered in the interior of India, near the city of Bathinda? This is the first time a Rafale has been lost in combat. Neither Pakistani nor Indian aircraft crossed the border, instead engaging in a “standstill”-style conflict at times over 100 km. The PL-15 missile, carried by J-10C fighters, has never been used in combat before, and has not been field-tested against Western-made systems such as the Rafale. The PL-15E, exported to the Pakistani armed forces, can travel up to 145 km. For Pakistani air force pilots, the PL-15 missile has several advantages. After launch, it is equipped with a large booster rocket engine that briefly accelerates the projectile to speeds above Mach 5, i.e. hypersonic speeds. During flight, it is guided towards its target by an active electronically scanned array (AESA). It engages its own AESA radar as it approaches the target, locking on to the signal with deadly accuracy. The dual-pulse engine means that after the initial boost fades, a second boost can be generated within 10 kilometers of the target. The switch from the first radar system to the on-board version of the missile allows the aircraft that fired the missile to turn away from the target and escape possible counterfire. Pilot error or failure to follow battlefield rules may have contributed to the downing of the Indian Rafale. The alleged role of Chinese aircraft in the downing of a Rafale has sent shares in the aircraft’s manufacturer, Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, up by as much as 20 percent. (Source: RUSI - United Kingdom)
May 08, 2025 12:30 The nine terror camps targeted by India include Muzaffarabad's Sawai Nala Camp and Syedna Belal Camp, Gulpur Camp, Abbas Camp, Barnala Camp, Sarjal Camp, Mehmoona Joya Camp, Markaz Taiba and Markaz Subhan in Bahawalpur. After the airstrikes, Pakistan declared a 48-hour airspace closure for all air traffic. India also closed about 25 flight routes that allow planes to enter Pakistan through the Indian airspace. In a bid to ease tensions, Pakistan's Defense Minister Asif said the situation could be "wrapped up" if India de-escalates. "If India backs down, we will definitely wrap up these things. But as long as we are under fire, we have to respond," he said. Terrorist outfit Al-Qaeda has released a statement, via its media arm As-Sahab Media. It called the Indian government the saffron regime and accused it of systematically waging war against Islam and Muslims. It claimed India had specifically targeted mosques and civilian settlements, killing and injuring several Muslims. It wrote, "The Muslims of India and Kashmir have long endured some of the worst forms of oppression and tyranny in history.’ ’The Hindutva-driven Bhagwa terrorists and their Modi-led government are currently waging a military, political, cultural, idelogolical and media-based war to eliminate Islam and Muslims from the entire Indian subcontinent.’ Al-Qaeda further vowed to avenge the bloodshed. (Source: NewsBytes – India)
May 08, 2025, 03:30 PM Pakistan shot down 12 drones from India, the military said today. India sent Israeli Harop drones to multiple locations. Islamabad was saying it shot down five Indian aircraft. The Indian embassy in Beijing termed reports of fighter jets being shot down as misinformation. (Source: The Straits Times - Singapore / Reuters - United Kingdom)
08 May 2025 07:52 BST Comparative satellite images before and after the strikes released by Maxar Technologies show damage to mosques and buildings in Pakistan’s Punjab province. The pictures showed the impact on the Masjid-e- Markaz Taiba religious school in the industrial town of Muridke in northeastern Punjab, 33km north of Lahore.and in Bahawalpur in southern Punjab where the Jamia Mosque Subhal Allah complex came under attack after the precision strike. The Indian defence ministry yesterday blamed two terrorist organisations for the deadly attack on tourists in its side of Kashmir on 22 April. India said "no Pakistani military facilities have been targeted" and it only hit sites "from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed". Azhar, chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed, who was in Bahawalpur, said in a statement that his family members were killed in the strike. Pakistan said 31 civilians, including children, were killed in the strikes that hit six locations, calling it an act of war. Azhar said his older sister and her husband, his nephew and his nephew's wife, as well as his niece and five children from his family were killed in a strike on the mosque in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Azhar is listed as a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and is sanctioned by countries like the US, UK, and India. He founded the Jaish-e-Mohammed after his release from an Indian prison in a deal for the release of hostages in the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814. At least 15 civilians have been confirmed dead so far in Indian-administered Kashmir in Pakistani firing at the border. (Source: The Independent - United Kingdom)
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