West Bank town becomes 'big prison' as Israel fences it in
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Time of India
44 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Committed to bringing every hostage home': Trump meets freed Hamas hostage Edan Alexander
Trump meets freed Hamas hostage Edan Alexander US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump met with the last living American hostage held in Gaza on Thursday at the White House. Edan Alexander , 21, is an American-Israeli from New Jersey. He was 19 years old and serving as a soldier in the Israeli military when Hamas militants abducted him during the October 7, 2023 assault. He had been deployed in the Israeli infantry when Hamas abducted him from a military base close to the Gaza border. The meeting took place in the Oval Office, where Edan Alexander was accompanied by his mother, Adi Alexander, and father, Yael Alexander, of Tenafly, NJ. On Friday, Trump shared footage from the meeting on his Truth Social platform. 'It was my great honor to welcome Edan Alexander, held hostage by Hamas for 584 days, to the Oval Office with his loved ones. We remain committed to bringing every hostage home!' he wrote. Alexander was released from Hamas captivity on May 12, 2025, 584 days after being taken into captivity. After his release, Alexander remained in Israel for several weeks before returning home to New Jersey, where his family resides. In early March, Trump met with eight former hostages who had been freed by Hamas at the White House. The group included Iair Horn, Omer Shem Tov, Eli Sharabi, Keith Siegel, Aviva Siegel, Naama Levy, Doron Steinbrecher, and Noa Argamani.
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Melbourne synagogue fire forces evacuation amid protest disruption at restaurant
A suspicious fire at an East Melbourne synagogue has forced those inside to flee through the rear of the building, with Premier Jacinta Allan slamming the 'disgraceful behaviour'. Police also responded to a protest targeting an Israeli restaurant in the city's CBD near the same time. An unknown man entered the grounds of the Albert St synagogue at about 8pm, pouring a flammable liquid on the front door and setting it alight before fleeing on foot, police say. Firefighters attended the scene and the fire was contained to the entrance. Police have confirmed about 20 people were inside the synagogue at the time of the incident and were forced to escape through the rear entrance. No injuries were reported. An arson chemist will examine the scene and police are reviewing CCTV and other evidence. The motivation behind the incident is still being investigated. 'Police are engaging with people from the synagogue and other representatives from the Jewish community to ensure appropriate supports are in place,' Victoria Police said in a statement. 'There is absolutely no place in our society for anti-Semitic or hate-based behaviour.' East Melbourne Synagogue rabbi Dovid Gutnik said the community was 'lucky' the fire didn't escalate further. 'There were children playing … this is a family synagogue,' Rabbi Gutnik said. 'That's the really scary thing because they could have opened the door and the person clearly had bigger plans, 'It could have been a lot worse because those doors are wooden and there's carpet, so we were lucky the response was quick.' Rabbi Gutnik said they were considering enhancing security but emphasised that a place of worship shouldn't need such extreme measures. 'We actually have some really good security measures, which actually were tested and held up last night,' he said. 'If there's anything more than we can do it's more of an emotional thing than a practical thing.' In a separate incident, about 70 protesters gathered on Swanston Street about 5.30pm to demonstrate against police presence at public rallies. Police said a smaller group then split off just after 8pm and walked to a restaurant on Hardware Lane and began shouting offensive chants. The front door of popular Israeli restaurant Miznon was smashed during the chaos. Police were called to the scene and directed the group to leave. A 28-year-old from Footscray was arrested for hindering police and released on summons. Others were identified for possible follow-up. 'Victoria Police is disappointed with the actions of protesters in the Melbourne CBD on Friday night,' police said in a statement. 'Victoria Police continued to support the rights of Victorians to protest peacefully but will not tolerate the kind of anti-social and violent behaviour that was witnessed this evening.' Miznon confirmed they were still planning to open on Saturday. Ms Allan has labelled the synagogue fire as anti-Semitism, saying it had 'no place in Victoria'. 'Any attack on a place of worship is an act of hate, and any attack on a Jewish place of worship is an act of anti-Semitism,' Ms Allan said. 'This is disgraceful behaviour by a pack of cowards,' she said. 'That this happened on Shabbat makes it all the more abhorrent.' Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece said he was 'angry' and 'dismayed' about Friday's events. 'The criminal attacks on Israeli businesses in the CBD and the East Melbourne Synagogue are shocking, and should be condemned in the strongest possible terms,' Mr Reece said. 'I am angry and dismayed that once again our community is confronted with the despicable and racist actions of a few people. My thoughts are with the Jewish and Israeli communities, who are hurting deeply after these vile attacks. 'Everyone deserves the right to enjoy the most basic human acts, like practising your faith or enjoying a meal, without being attacked or vilified.' Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin called for those responsible to face the 'full force of the law'. 'These events are a severe escalation directed towards our community and clear evidence that the antisemitism crisis is not only continuing, but getting worse. We urge all sides of politics and all Australians to condemn these deplorable crimes,' he said. 'Those who chant for death are not peace activists. Those who would burn houses of prayer with families inside do not seek an end to war.' Originally published as Synagogue fire sparks evacuation, protesters target Israeli restaurant in Melbourne
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Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Brics set to condemn Trump's 'coercive' tariffs, Mideast, climate issues
Brics leaders are discussing a call for full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and voicing opposition to any forced displacement of Palestinians from their territory Bloomberg By Mirette Magdy and S'thembile Cele Brics leaders are poised to adopt a position at odds with US President Donald Trump on trade tariffs, aspects of conflict in the Middle East and the need to tackle climate change. In a draft statement prepared for their meeting in Brazil starting Sunday, leaders will voice 'serious concern' about unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures, according to two officials from participating governments familiar with the ongoing deliberations. The government chiefs will also condemn the imposition of 'unilateral coercive measures that are contrary to international law,' the officials said, asking not to be named since the discussions are private and the text of the final communique could still change. While not mentioning the Trump administration by name, the leading emerging-market nations are clearly referring to the US in the wake of the US president's unilateral tariffs imposed on countries worldwide. Facing punitive levies, nations including founding Brics member India are racing to strike deals with the US ahead of a July 9 deadline Trump has given for the tariffs to take effect. At the same time, the reluctance to directly challenge Trump reflects divisions within the bloc, with some — such as India — closer to Washington than others, amid concerns that Brics could become a vehicle for its largest member economy, China. Even so, Brics nations hosted in Rio de Janeiro by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are at cross-purposes with the Trump administration on aspects of policy. That includes in the Middle East, with multiple references proposed to Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, according to the draft text. 'Grave Concern' The leaders may express 'grave concern' about the situation in Palestinian territory, citing the resumption of Israeli attacks and the obstruction of the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, according to the officials. The language under consideration includes a condemnation of the use of starvation as a method of warfare — a reference to charges leveled at Israel, which it rejects. That kind of statement — if the language appears in the final text when leaders wrap up their two-day summit on July 7 — is likely to be an unwelcome intervention as Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to meet with Trump at the White House the same day. Brics leaders are also expected to express their backing for the Paris climate agreement — a pact which Trump unilaterally abandoned — while calling for global governance of artificial intelligence to mitigate potential risks, according to the officials. The US is leading the race to develop AI and is pushing back against attempts at regulation by the likes of the European Union. The Brics nations are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, as well as more recent full members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates. The declaration will welcome a further 10 nations as partner countries, including Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Vietnam and Thailand.
