Latest news for 5 May 2025

ISRAEL

Houthi missile reaches Israel’s main airport.

Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed action after a Houthi missile reached the perimeter of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, briefly grounding flights (some US and European carriers have cancelled services for a few days). The attack came hours before the Israeli cabinet was meant to vote on expanding its ground offensive in Gaza, in what it’s described as pressure on Hamas to release the hostages. (The Guardian)

RUSSIA

Xi confirmed to attend Moscow military parade.

The Kremlin has now confirmed what the world already knew: China’s Xi Jinping will indeed be at Friday’s WWII victory parade in Moscow. (ABC News)

Comment: The other 20 or so known VIPs mostly include Russia’s neighbours, plus a few unsurprising extras like the leaders of Venezuela and Cuba. Vietnam’s president will also be there, reflecting his country’s historical ties with Russia, plus his current efforts to hedge in a wild world with multiple powers. Ditto Brazil’s Lula, who’s probably also gunning to solidify his Global South leadership.

AUSTRALIA

Ruling Labor wins re-election in a landslide.

Aussies have re-elected Anthony Albanese’s centre-left government to a second term, delivering his Labor Party its largest parliamentary majority since ~1943. (Euronews)

Comment: Interestingly, Albanese pulled this off despite lukewarm approvals and a moderate ~35% primary vote. So for many, this might’ve been a vote for continuity amid Trump 2.0, and against a polarising conservative opposition leader (who even lost his own seat), rather than necessarily a big endorsement of Albanese’s first term.

BRAZIL

Police foil suspected bomb plot at Lady Gaga concert in Rio.

US popstar Lady Gaga performed in Rio on Saturday night, with over 2 million attending the free concert. Come Sunday, Brazilian police revealed they’d foiled a bomb attack plotted by extremists, whose affiliation remains unclear. (Al Jazeera)

TURKEY

Naval commander hints at nuclear-powered subs.

Turkey’s top navy officer has told a defence publication that Ankara plans to expand its civilian nuclear program to include nuclear-powered submarines. (Türkiye Today)

Comment: There’s no prototype yet, but it’s another example of Turkey’s ambition, which the admiral lays right out: he wants nuclear subs to help extend Turkey’s naval reach out of the Mediterranean and into the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and the Pacific. And he flags hopes of cutting any foreign dependency for Turkey’s military, but doesn’t bat an eyelid when expressing hopes this dependency might one day flow the other way (he wants to export Turkey’s future subs).

SINGAPORE

Ruling party wins re-election.

No surprises, but Singapore’s dominant People’s Action Party won its 14th consecutive election over the weekend, giving PM Lawrence Wong a second term. Voters cited high living costs and housing affordability as key issues. (Strait Times)

SUDAN

Paramilitary hits Port Sudan in drone attack.

In a first since Sudan’s civil war erupted over two years ago, the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group has hit targets in the military-led government's de facto stronghold capital of Port Sudan. (BBC)

Comment: This suggests the war still has a way to run, just as the UN reiterates that 30 million folks there now need aid.