The BBC reports that a Polish scientist is being held in Iran after Iranian state TV reported that several Europeans had been caught spying. Poland’s foreign ministry said the man was detained in September. A Polish university named him as Maciej Walczak. Iranian news agencies said Walczak was arrested for taking soil samples in a restricted area, along with British deputy ambassador Giles Whitaker and the husband of an Austrian diplomat. The UK and Austria have denied the reports.

Reuters reports that Britain’s Royal Navy said on Thursday one of its warships had seized Iranian weapons, including surface-to-air-missiles and engines for cruise missiles, from smugglers in international waters south of Iran early this year. A helicopter from the frigate HMS Montrose spotted speedboats moving away from the Iranian coast on January 28 and February 25, and dozens of packages containing the advanced weaponry were confiscated.

The Guardian publishes an editorial arguing that whilst Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated a desperate food situation for many countries, famine is not inevitable – but action must be swift.

Reuters notes the UN Security Council appears headed toward a showdown today over whether to allow UN aid deliveries from Turkey to some 4 million people in opposition-controlled northwest Syria to continue for six months or one year. Russia is threatening to veto a new resolution that will extend the cross-border transfer of aid.

In the Israeli media, a poll published in Maariv found that for the first time, the Netanyahu-led bloc would get 61 seats if elections were held today, because two parties, Meretz and Yamina, would fail to cross the electoral threshold. In the poll, the Likud would win 36 seats, followed by Yesh Atid on 23, Religious Zionist Party 10, Blue and White 9, Shas 8, UTJ 7, Joint List 6, Labour Party 6, Yisrael Beiteinu 6, New Hope 5, and United Arab List 4. The current coalition dropped to 53 seats in this poll, compared to 55 in the last poll.

Commenting on the events in the UK this week in Yediot Ahronot, Sima Kadmon contrasts the behaviour of out-going British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ministers and party members with Netanyahu’s: “In all of Netanyahu’s years in power, when did anyone from his cabinet or his party challenge him? Publicly criticise his conduct? Demand his resignation? When did any of his ministers or faction members place the good of the country before the worship of a man who’s been indicted on three serious charges and whose every move is meant to evade justice?”

Walla reports that President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) and Prime Minister Yair Lapid spoke on Thursday and pledged to further bolster ties between the Gulf kingdom and the Jewish state. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, The UAE leader “wished the prime minister success and emphasised the importance of maintaining strong ties between their nations.” Lapid extended his best wishes to MBZ on the occasion of the Eid Al-Adha holiday which begins this Saturday.

Israel Hayom follows comments made yesterday by Prime Minister Yair Lapid at a graduation ceremony of the IDF’s newest combat officers. He said: “Israel is stronger than all of its enemies; we won’t hesitate to use our force to ensure the safety of our citizens. You are the cream of the crop of the nation of Israel.” Addressing the regional environment, Lapid noted Israel “is a country facing complicated threats: the Iranian nuclear programme, Hezbollah’s precision missiles in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, terrorist nests in Jenin, the terror axis seeking to establish a foothold in Syria.” He went on to say: “Our enemies need to know that at any given moment we are stronger, more sophisticated, and tougher than them. And our enemies need to know one more thing: that we will stand up to them, together. That Israeli society is stronger than any argument. That Israeli power is the power of togetherness.”

Haaretz reports that the UAE sentenced an Israeli to life in prison on Thursday for drug smuggling after rescinding her death sentence last week, her lawyer said. Fida Kiwan, a 43-year-old owner of a photography studio from Haifa, was arrested a year ago after authorities found half a kilogram of cocaine in her bag while she was in the Gulf state, an accusation she denies. Kiwan refuted the charges that she was trafficking drugs and claims they were planted in her bag and in the apartment.

Also in Yediot Ahronot, Nahum Barnea writes about the transactional nature of US President Biden’s trip to Israel next week. “Biden is the hope that disappointed: the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. His approval ratings are so low as to be insulting. That is only half his troubles. The other half has to do with the Democratic Party base. Activists could somehow have accepted his limp response to several American domestic crises; Biden was elected to be a national conciliator, not a warrior, but the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, a ruling that threatens the very system of government, caught the president unprepared. The country is up in arms. The White House is not functioning. Lapid needs Biden; a joint photo-op on the red carpet is essential for cementing his status as prime minister. Biden needs Lapid; he is trying to achieve the things that he can’t achieve in Washington by means of trips around the world.”