Headline

Palestinian Gunman Kills Seven In Jerusalem Synagogue Attack

Published

2 years ago

January 28, 2023

A Palestinian gunman killed seven people outside an east Jerusalem synagogue during the Jewish Sabbath on Friday, in one of the deadliest attacks targeting Israelis in years that risked sparking widespread violence.

The shooting came a day after a major escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including an army raid in the occupied West Bank that killed nine people, rocket fire from Gaza and retaliatory Israeli strikes.

Israel’s police chief Kobi Shabtai called the shooting in the Neve Yaakov area “one of the worst attacks we have encountered in recent years.” It also fell on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Police said that “at around 8:15 pm (1815 GMT) a terrorist arrived at a synagogue in the Neve Yaakov boulevard in Jerusalem and proceeded to shoot at a number of people in the area.”

“As a result of the terror attack, seven civilians were pronounced dead and three additional civilians were injured,” police said.
They said the gunman fled the scene in a car but was quickly tracked down and killed in an “exchange of fire” with police.

Police have identified the gunman as a Palestinian resident of east Jerusalem, which was annexed by Israel following the 1967 Six-Day War.

The surging violence comes a month after a new government, led by veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, took power.

Netanyahu and his extreme-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the scene on Friday, as crowds chanted “death to Arabs,” AFP journalists at the scene said.

Speaking on television after visiting the scene, Netanyahu said his security cabinet would soon announce “immediate measures” in response and urged Israelis not to “take the law into their own hands.”

– ‘Horrific’ –
Shalom Borohov, a barber who lives near the synagogue, told AFP that after hearing gunshots he “went down to help people”.

“I saw the terrorist arriving with his car. He stopped in the middle of the junction, and shot from his car,” continuing to shoot as people came to the scene, he said.

Matanel Almalem, an 18-year-old student who lives nearby, told AFP that he ran down to the street after hearing the shooting and saw the gunman in a white Toyota Corolla.

“I heard a lot of shooting,” he said.

US President Joe Biden spoke with Netanyahu to condemn what he called a “horrific terror attack”.

“The president made clear that this was an attack against the civilised world,” the White House said in a readout of the call, adding that Biden also “stressed the ironclad US commitment to Israel’s security”.

Just hours earlier, Washington had urged “de-escalation” over the West Bank violence and Gaza rocket fire.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the synagogue shooting as “abhorrent,” while France called it “appalling.”

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who was on a family visit to the US, has cut short his trip and is returning to Israel, his office told AFP.

“The attack against civilians this Friday evening was horrific,” Gallant said in a statement, vowing to “operate decisively and forcefully against terror” and “reach anyone involved in the attack”.

In Gaza and several locations across the West Bank, Palestinians celebrated the attack, including in Ramallah, where large crowds cheered and waved Palestinian flags.

– Jenin raid –
Nine people had been killed Thursday in what Israel described as a “counter-terrorism” operation in the Jenin refugee camp.

It was one of the deadliest Israeli army raids in the occupied West Bank since the second intifada, or Palestinian uprising, of 2000 to 2005.

Israel said Islamic Jihad operatives were the target.

Islamic Jihad and Hamas both vowed to retaliate, later firing several rockets at Israeli territory.

Most of the rockets were intercepted by Israeli air defences. The military responded with strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza.

There were no injuries reported on either side, but Gaza’s armed groups vowed further action.

After the synagogue shooting, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the attack proved “the resistance knows how to find the appropriate response” to Israeli “crimes”.

Washington had announced Thursday that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would travel next week to Israel and the Palestinian territories, where he would push for an “end to the cycle of violence”.

A State Department spokesman confirmed on Friday that the visit would go ahead and said Blinken would discuss “steps to be taken to de-escalate tensions”.

At least 26 Israelis and 200 Palestinians were killed across Israel and the Palestinian territories in 2022, the majority in the West Bank, according to an AFP tally from official sources.
AFP

Headline

Fire Guts Nigerian Pilgrims’ Hotel In Makkah

Published

17 hours ago

June 7, 2025

Editor

The Imaratus Sanan Hotel on Shari Mansur Street in Makkah, which accommodates about 484 Nigerian pilgrims, was today gutted by fire while the pilgrims and others from around the world were at Mina performing their Hajj rites.

Nigerian pilgrims, like others globally, had departed Makkah for Mina — also known as Tent City — on Wednesday for the five-day Hajj observance. At the time of the fire, the pilgrims were on the second day of the stoning ritual at Jamarat.

The fire guts hotel in Makkah incident, according to a statement made available to Sunday Tribune by the Assistant Director, Information and Publication, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Fatima Sanda Usara, occurred around 12 noon Saudi Arabian time (10 a.m. Nigerian time) on Saturday, June 7, 2025.

Usara disclosed that the affected pilgrims were from six Nigerian private tour operator companies and confirmed that no lives were lost in the fire.

“The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) regrets to inform the public of a fire incident that occurred earlier today, Saturday, 7th June 2025, around 12:00 noon (KSA time), at one of the hotels accommodating Nigerian pilgrims on Shari Mansur Street in Makkah,” she said.

“The affected hotel, Imaratus Sanan, was hosting about 484 pilgrims from six Nigerian private tour operator companies. Thankfully, no lives were lost, and all pilgrims are safely in Mina. Immediate emergency response by Saudi authorities and the hotel management helped to contain the fire swiftly and prevent it from spreading throughout the building,” she added.

NAHCON Chairman/CEO, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, led a delegation to the site of the incident to assess the extent of the damage and ensure the welfare of the pilgrims.

“Following the incident, the Chairman/CEO of NAHCON, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, alongside Commissioner for Policy, Personnel Management and Finance, Alhaji Aliu Abdulrazak, and Deputy Makkah Coordinator, Director Alidu Shutti, promptly visited the location to evaluate the situation and ensure that the welfare of the affected pilgrims is prioritized,” the statement read.

During the visit, Professor Usman expressed concern and ordered the immediate relocation of the affected pilgrims to a new hotel. He assured them that the commission would provide every possible support to cushion the impact of the incident.

“He thanked Almighty Allah that no life was lost in this unfortunate incident and promised that NAHCON would collaborate with the affected tour operators to ensure the smooth resettlement of the pilgrims,” Usara stated.

The Chairman and his team have since inspected the new accommodation, and arrangements for the pilgrims’ resettlement have been finalized.

She further noted that both Professor Usman and Commissioner Abdulrazak commended the prompt response of Saudi emergency services and the cooperation of the hotel staff in controlling the situation.

Reports reaching Sunday Tribune indicate that the fire guts hotel in Makkah caused considerable structural damage, but NAHCON has secured alternative accommodation where the pilgrims will be housed upon their return to Makkah on Sunday.

Headline

Elon Musk Deletes Post Claiming Trump Was ‘In The Epstein Files’

Published

17 hours ago

June 7, 2025

Editor

Elon Musk has deleted a controversial tweet in which he claimed—without offering evidence—that US President Donald Trump appeared in documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Tesla and SpaceX founder’s post, made on Thursday, alleged that Trump was named in the Epstein files. The accusation, unsubstantiated at the time, quickly ignited a political firestorm.

Responding to the claims in an interview with ABC News, Trump lashed out at the billionaire, saying Musk had “lost his mind.”

The clash marks a dramatic escalation in tensions between the two once-close allies.

It follows Musk’s suggestion of launching a new political faction in the United States, tentatively dubbed the “American Party.”

The idea was floated in a poll to his 220 million followers on X (formerly Twitter), where 80 per cent of respondents supported the proposal.

“This is fate,” Musk commented.

Musk’s shift comes as he fiercely criticised the president’s flagship economic proposal, which he labelled the “Big, Beautiful Bill.”

He warned the policy could explode the national debt by $2.4 trillion (£1.8 trillion), undermining his own reform work while leading the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Musk has even called for Trump’s impeachment, suggesting he be replaced by Vice President JD Vance—a bold move just days after stepping down from DOGE.

Trump dismissed the criticism, claiming Musk’s opposition stemmed from cuts to electric vehicle incentives included in the bill.

He added that a full review of Musk’s substantial federal contracts, including $22 billion (£16.2 billion) in agreements with SpaceX, may now be necessary.

In a symbolic jab, sources say the president is considering selling a Tesla vehicle he previously purchased.

The public feud has already had financial consequences.

Tesla shares tumbled 14.3 per cent on Thursday, wiping out approximately $150 billion (£111 billion) in market value.

The high-profile rift continues to develop amid rising tensions in US politics and speculation about third-party movements ahead of the next presidential election.

(THE STANDARD)

Headline

US: Over 100 Dogs Rescued From Suspected ‘Puppy Mill’ In North Carolina

Published

17 hours ago

June 7, 2025

Editor

Over 100 dogs have been rescued from what appears to be a puppy mill operating out of a home in North Carolina, according to the SPCA of Wake County.

The shelter said the dogs were kept in “egregious conditions,” and many are now receiving treatment for severe health issues.

“Many of the dogs are being treated for skin and dental issues,” the SPCA reported in a social media post on Friday. They also described dogs with “matted dirty fur” coming off in “heaps.”

“This is the biggest moment in these dogs’ lives, and we are feeling so grateful to be a part of their healing,” the shelter added.

The rescue operation took place on Thursday in coordination with Raleigh Animal Control.

“They were housed in egregious conditions, surrounded by their own waste, packed 5 or 6 to a cage and stacked floor to ceiling, or free roaming in cramped quarters and filth,” the SPCA stated.

Following their removal, the dogs were given immediate care and a much-needed break from the conditions they were trapped in.

“They’ve been getting the spa day of their lives — and their first taste of fresh air, possibly ever,” the organization said.

Among the rescued animals were numerous mother dogs nursing their puppies.

Nineteen of the dogs are not currently in the shelter’s direct care, but assessments and treatment are ongoing.

To support the massive rescue and rehabilitation effort, Care First Animal Hospital has pledged to match donations up to $150,000 in veterinary services.

Photos shared by the SPCA on Facebook show the rescued dogs and puppies beginning their journey toward recovery, marking a hopeful turn after enduring horrific neglect.

(ABC News)