Attacks

Australian federal police launched a special operation to investigate an increase in antisemitic threats and violence since the war between Israel and Hamas began last year. Jewish leaders say prejudice against their community has reached unprecedented levels, with most incidents reported in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's largest cities where 85 per cent of the nation's Jewish population live. Almost 1,17,000 Jewish people live in Australia, according to the last census in 2021, or 0.46 per cent of the 25.4 million residents. The government says only Israel is home to more Holocaust survivors than Australia on a per capita basis. Here's a look at some of the main cases investigated by Special Operation Avalite: Dec. 11: Antisemitic graffiti attacks in the eastern Sydney suburb of Woollahra Police are looking for two male suspects, estimated to be aged between 15 and 20, seen running from Magney St in Woollahra when a car fire was reported at 1 am. Two cars including the one th

Amid rising tensions and violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, Iskcon has advised its monks and followers to practice discretion by avoiding saffron, tilak, and other visible symbols for safety

It was noted that neither Netanyahu nor his family was present at the residence during the time of the attacks

India on Saturday said it has noted with "serious concern" the reported attack on a Durga Puja pandal and theft at a revered Kali temple in Bangladesh, as it requested Dhaka to ensure the safety and security of Hindus, all other minorities and their places of worship in the neighbouring country. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the incidents as "deplorable events" and flagged that these follow a "systematic pattern of desecration" of temples and deities in Bangladesh. "We have noted with serious concern the attack on a Puja mandap in Tantibazar, Dhaka and the theft at the revered Jeshoreshwari Kali temple at Satkhira," the MEA said. Bangladeshi daily "Prothom Alo" has reported an incident of a "crude bomb" allegedly thrown at a Durga Puja pandal in the Tantibazar area of Old Dhaka. Though the bomb caught fire, nobody was injured, the report said, adding that the incident took place on Friday night. Friday marked the ninth and last day of Navratri, th

Jurors picked for the trial of a man who severely injured author Salman Rushdie in a knife attack likely won't hear about the fatwa that authorities have said motivated him to act, a prosecutor said Friday. We're not going there, District Attorney Jason Schmidt said during a conference in preparation for the Oct. 15 start of Hadi Matar's trial in Chautauqua County Court. Schmidt said raising a motive was unnecessary, given that the attack was witnessed and recorded by a live audience who had gathered to hear Rushdie speak. Potential jurors will nevertheless face questions meant to root out implicit bias because Matar, of Fairview, New Jersey, is the son of Lebanese immigrants and practices Islam, Judge David Foley said. He said it would be foolish to assume potential jurors had not heard about the fatwa through media coverage of the case. Matar, 26, is charged with attempted murder for stabbing Rushdie, 77, more than a dozen times, blinding him in one eye, as he took the stage at a

French police apprehended and detained the suspect behind the arson attack on a synagogue in a southwestern Mediterranean town that injured a police officer, the country's acting interior minister said early Sunday. Two cars parked at the Beth Yaacov synagogue complex in the seaside resort town of La Grande Motte near Montpellier were set ablaze just after 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) Saturday, the National Antiterrorism Prosecutor's Office said in a statement Saturday. The alleged perpetrator of the arson attack on the synagogue has been arrested," Gerald Darmanin, the acting interior minister, said in a post on X. He visited the site on Saturday afternoon along with acting Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and met with local officials and the synagogue staff. Darmanin also hailed the professional conduct of police forces and its elite intervention unit despite the gunfire during the operation. He did not provide further information. Firefighters discovered additional fires at two entrances to th

An attacker with a knife killed three people and seriously wounded at least five late on Friday at a festival in the western German city of Solingen, authorities said. Witnesses alerted police shortly after 9:30 p.m. to an unknown perpetrator having wounded several people indiscriminately with a knife on a central square, the Fronhof. Police said the attacker was on the run, and that they so far had only very little information on the man. They said they believe the stabbings were carried out by a lone attacker. One of the festival organizers, Philipp Mller, appeared on stage and asked festivalgoers to go calmly; please keep your eyes open, because unfortunately the perpetrator hasn't been caught. He said many people had been wounded by a knifeman. At least one helicopter was seen in the air, while many police and emergency vehicles with flashing blue lights were on the road and several streets were closed off. Police put the number of seriously injured at five. The region's top

UK riots: While 'far-right' groups are protesting against 'uncontrolled' immigration, asylum seekers are also holding counter-protests

A suspected attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a ship in the Red Sea on Monday, as a new US aircraft carrier approached the region to provide security for the key international trade route that has been under assault since the Israel-Hamas war erupted nine months ago. The captain of the ship reported being attacked by three small vessels, two of which were crewed and another uncrewed, off the coast of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. The reported unmanned small craft collided with the vessel twice and the 2 manned small craft fired at the vessel", the UKMTO reported. The vessel conducted self-protection measures, after 15 minutes the small craft aborted the attack." The captain later reported two separate waves of missile attacks, approximately 45 minutes apart, that exploded in close proximity to the vessel. The ship, whose name and flag were not released, and all crew are reported safe, the UKMTO said in a warni

Yemen's Houthi rebels launched a boat-borne bomb attack against a commercial ship in the Red Sea on Wednesday, authorities said, the latest escalation despite a US-led campaign trying to protect the vital waterway. The use of a boat loaded with explosives raised the spectre of 2000's USS Cole attack, a suicide assault by al-Qaida on the warship when it was at port in Aden, killing 17 on board. Associated Press journalists saw the Cole in the Red Sea on Wednesday, now taking part in the US campaign while visiting one of her sister ships, the USS Laboon. Yemen's military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack, identifying the vessel targeted as the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier Tutor. He described the attack as using a drone boat, as well as drones and ballistic missiles. In a warning to shippers, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre described the vessel as being hit in its stern by a small white craft ...

Czech authorities suspect that Russia may have been behind last week's attempt to set Prague public transport buses on fire, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said Monday. A 26-year-old suspect was arrested Saturday and charged with terrorism in connection with Thursday's failed arson attack. The suspect, who is from Latin America, faces up to life in prison if convicted, said police chief officer Martin Vondrek. There's a suspicion that the attack was likely organised and financed from Russia, Fiala said. He said the failed attempt was likely part of Russia's hybrid war against his country. He said the attempt was part of Russia's repeated effort to undermine the trust of citizens in our state. Czechia is a staunch supporter of Ukraine that is fighting Russia's invasion. Unfortunately, it's not the first case, Fiala said, pointing to a huge ammunition depot explosion allegedly caused by Russian spies. Czech leaders said in 2021 that they had evidence pointing to the participation of two

A missile splashed down in the waters of the Red Sea on Thursday, but caused no damage to a passing commercial vessel in an attack likely carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels, officials said. The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack, though it can take hours or even days for them to acknowledge their assaults. The attack happened in the southern Red Sea near the crucial Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. The private security firm Ambrey similarly reported the attack. The Houthis have launched attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in recent months, demanding that Israel ends the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage. The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the

Police confirmed that the incident did not appear to be 'terror-related' and are not looking for any additional suspects

A missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels damaged a ship in the Red Sea on Monday, authorities said, the latest assault in their campaign against shipping in the crucial maritime route. The attack happened off the coast of Mokha, Yemen, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. The ship was damaged in the attack, the UKMTO said, though its crew was safe and heading to its next port of call. The agency urged vessels to exercise caution in the area. There was an explosion in close proximity to a merchant vessel, the UKMTO said. Vessel and crew are reported safe. The US military's Central Command identified the ship damaged as the Cyclades, a Malta-flagged, Greece-owned bulk carrier. The military separately shot down a drone on a flight path toward the USS Philippine Sea and USS Laboon, the military said Tuesday. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed the attack on the Cyclades and targeting the US warships in a statement early ...

Four teenagers plotted to buy guns and attack Jewish people days after a bishop was stabbed in a Sydney church, according to police documents cited in news reports on Monday. Five teens, aged 14 to 17, were charged in a Sydney court on Thursday last week with a range of offenses including conspiring to engage in or planning a terrorist act. Police alleged they all adhered to a religiously motivated, violent extremist ideology and were part of a network that included a 16-year-old boy charged with stabbing Assyrian Orthodox Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel on April 15 as a church service was being streamed online. According to a police fact sheet tendered to the Sydney Children's Court, two of the defendants charged last week discussed buying guns on April 19, the same day the bishop's alleged attacker was charged, News Corp Australia newspapers reported. Gun ownership is heavily restricted in Australia under tough national laws, but there is a black market for firearms in Sydney. Four of

Observing that there is substantial increase in attacks against Hindus and Hinduism in the United States, an Indian-American Congressman warned that this was just the beginning of a coordinated anti-Hindu attack. Today I am seeing in the United States a substantial increase of attacks on Hinduism. A lot of misinformation is being circulated whether it is online or otherwise, Congressman Shri Thanedar told reporters at a news conference held at the National Press Club here on Monday. Thanedar and four other Indian American lawmakers Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ami Bera and Pramila Jayapal had recently written to the Department of Justice seeking an investigation on the recent surge in attacks on Hindu temples and places of worship. At the press conference organised by HinduAction, a non-profit body, Thanedar complained that no action has been taken against those responsible for the attacks and no arrests have been made either. We have experienced substantially more events of t

Israel is believed to have carried out the strike, among the most significant yet on Iranian interests in Tehran's close ally Syria. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement

The Gujarat High Court on Monday said it should not be made a probe agency and every incident is not a matter of PIL, in reference to an attack on students hailing from foreign countries at a university hostel in Ahmedabad. A division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha P Mayee refused to take suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the incident and said police will look into it. The court made the remarks after a lawyer requested it to take up the issue as a suo motu PIL (public interest litigation). "Our effort is that justice be done, but don't make us an investigating agency. We are not doing that. We still want to remind ourselves that we are constitutional courts. We will definitely take into cognisance if such matter comes in, but this is not one of those," Chief Justice Agrawal said. She said every incident in the city is not a matter of PIL. "Don't substitute this court with inspectors of police. Don't make us the inspector of police. We are not ...

Yemen's Houthi rebels are suspected in an attack that damaged a Belize-flagged ship traveling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, authorities said early Monday. The attack on the ship came as the US military acknowledged conducting new airstrikes targeting the rebels, including one that targeted the first Houthi underwater drone seen since the rebels' began launching their attacks on shipping in November. The ship targeted in the Houthi attack Sunday reported sustaining damage after an explosion in close proximity to the vessel, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported. It said that the crew aboard the ship were safe. The private security firm Ambrey reported the British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo ship had been on its way to Bulgaria after leaving Khorfakkan in the United Arab Emirates. Ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic.com analysed by The Associated Press identified the vessel targeted as