Australian leader blames antisemitism for arson that extensively damaged a Melbourne synagogue

Update Australian leader blames antisemitism for arson that extensively damaged a Melbourne synagogue
Firefighters gather at the scene of a fire at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on Dec. 6, 2024. The synagogue had increased security over the past 12 months amid safety concerns. (AFP)
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Updated 06 December 2024
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Australian leader blames antisemitism for arson that extensively damaged a Melbourne synagogue

Australian leader blames antisemitism for arson that extensively damaged a Melbourne synagogue
  • Fire broke out at 4:10 a.m. in the Adass Israel Synagogue when some congregants were already inside
  • Members of the congregation form human chain to remove religious items from the damaged synagogue

MELBOURNE: Arsonists extensively damaged a Melbourne synagogue on Friday in what Australia’s prime minister condemned as an antisemitic attack on Australian values.

The blaze in the Adass Israel Synagogue is an escalation in targeted attacks in Australia since the war began between Israel and Hamas last year. Cars and buildings have been vandalized and torched around Australia in protests inspired by the war.

A witness who had come to the synagogue to pray saw two masked men spreading a liquid accelerant with brooms inside the building at 4:10 a.m., officials said.

About 60 firefighters with 17 fire trucks responded to the blaze, which police said caused extensive damage.

Investigators have yet to identify a motive, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blamed antisemitism.

“This was a shocking incident to be unequivocally condemned. There is no place in Australia for an outrage such as this,” Albanese told reporters.

“To attack a place of worship is an attack on Australian values. To attack a synagogue is an act of antisemitism, is attacking the right that all Australians should have to practice their faith in peace and security,” he added.

Israel’s Ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon noted that dozens of pro-Palestinian activists staged a three-hour protest outside The Great Synagogue in downtown Sydney on Wednesday, demanding sanctions against Israel. Worshippers were prevented from leaving the synagogue during the demonstration.

“We are talking about the values you expect Australians to follow, not my own values. And for me it’s clear that everyone should have the right to worship his own religion, own beliefs, as long as they also respect others,” Maimon said.

A religious leader at the torched mosque, Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann, described the arsonists as “thugs.”

“Tonight is the Sabbath. We must all go and find a sense of calmness, comradery and community by gathering for the Sabbath tonight and praying together as one community,” Klatmann told reporters outside the synagogue.

Federal law in January banned the Nazi salute and the public display of Nazi symbols in response to growing antisemitism.

The government appointed special envoys this year to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia in the community.

The Jewish envoy, Jillian Segal, a Sydney lawyer and business executive, said the Jewish community in Australia was “feeling ever more rattled by what is going on.”

“I’m very concerned. Here is one major escalation in terms of burning synagogues which has resonance as to what happened during the Holocaust,” Segal said.

Victoria state Premier Jacinta Allan noted in a statement that the synagogue was “built by Holocaust survivors.”

Many of the synagogue’s original worshippers were post-World War II immigrants from Hungary.

Allan offered 100,000 Australian dollars ($64,300) to help repair the synagogue and said there would be an increased police presence in the area.

“Every available resource will be deployed to find these criminals who tried to tear a community apart,” Allan said.

“We stand against antisemitism now and forever,” she added.

Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the broader Australian community needed to condemn the arson attack.

“I’ve been getting phone calls this morning from the Hindu community, from other people, from good people who are prepared to stand up and that’s my message for this morning to Australia, to the good people of Australia,” Aghion told reporters.

“Don’t leave the Jewish people behind. Don’t isolate us. Don’t leave us exposed to the risk of attacks upon our religious institutions, our communal institutions. Stand with us. Stand against this hate. And stand against this kind of horrendous attack which should not occur on Australian soil,” he added.


Hulk Hogan, icon in professional wrestling, dies at age 71

Hulk Hogan, icon in professional wrestling, dies at age 71
Updated 5 sec ago
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Hulk Hogan, icon in professional wrestling, dies at age 71

Hulk Hogan, icon in professional wrestling, dies at age 71
  • Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, passed away at Florida hospital after suffering cardiac arrest
  • His public persona transcended the ring, making him a household name and WWE Hall of Famer 2005

CLEARWATER: Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing icon in the world of professional wrestling, has died at the age of 71, Florida police and WWE said Thursday.

In Clearwater, Florida, authorities responded to a call Thursday morning about a cardiac arrest. Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said in a statement on Facebook.

Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history. He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even company chairman Vince McMahon.

He won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.

Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, “Hogan Knows Best.”

Hogan’s public persona has transcended the ring, making him a household name. He appeared in numerous movies — including the third “Rocky” film, where he took on the title character, played by Sylvester Stallone. Hogan also had a reality show about his life on VH1, called “Hogan Knows Best” in the early 2000s.

The attention on the intimate details of Hogan’s personal life has not always been welcomed by the superstar. A Florida jury sided with Hogan in 2016, awarding him $115 million in a lawsuit against Gawker Media for posting a video of him having sex with his former best friend’s wife.

Hogan contended the 2012 post violated his privacy. The lawsuit forced Gawker to shutter and was closely watched by First Amendment experts and media lawyers alike.

WWE posted a note on X saying it was saddened to learn the WWE Hall of Famer had passed away.

“One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans,” it said.


Ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn launches new UK political party

Jeremy Corbyn attends a protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in London, Britain. (File/Reuters)
Jeremy Corbyn attends a protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in London, Britain. (File/Reuters)
Updated 47 sec ago
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Ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn launches new UK political party

Jeremy Corbyn attends a protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in London, Britain. (File/Reuters)
  • In announcement, Corbyn and Sultana called for a “mass redistribution of wealth and power,” said they would “keep demanding an end to all arms sales to Israel”

LONDON: Former leftist Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn announced Thursday he was forming a new political party alongside another ex-member of Britain’s ruling party, as the UK’s political landscape continues to splinter.

Corbyn, who lost two elections as Labour leader in 2017 and 2019, and fellow independent MP Zarah Sultana referred to the new left-wing outfit as “Your Party,” but later said its name still had to be decided.

“It’s time for a new kind of political party. One that is rooted in our communities, trade unions and social movements,” they said in a joint statement.

In their announcement, they called for a “mass redistribution of wealth and power” and said they would “keep demanding an end to all arms sales to Israel.”

They also committed to a “free and independent Palestine.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has pulled Labour to the center since succeeding Corbyn as leader, faces growing calls within his party to recognize a Palestinian state.

Corbyn, 76, stepped down as Labour leader after overseeing its worst result in decades, when it was trounced in the 2019 general election by the Conservatives, then led by Boris Johnson.

Labour under Starmer suspended him in 2020 after he refused to fully accept the findings of a rights watchdog’s probe into claims that anti-Semitism had become rampant within Labour’s ranks under his leadership.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission ruled the party had broken equality law when Corbyn was in charge.

Corbyn said anti-Semitism had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons.”

Last year Corbyn announced he would stand as an independent in the July 2024 general election after Labour failed to put him forward as a candidate.

He was expelled from the party but still went on to win comfortably his Islington North seat in London, which he has represented for more than 40 years.

Sultana, an MP since 2019, was suspended by Labour last year after she and several other members of parliament voted to scrap a controversial cap on child benefits.

While it remains to be seen whether the new movement will take off, its formation appears to confirm a trend in British politics toward a multi-party system.

British politics has long been dominated by Labour and the Conservatives, but three other parties are challenging that order.

The center-left Liberal Democrats won 72 seats in the 650-seat parliament in July 2024, while Nigel Farage’s anti-immigrant Reform UK party won about 14 percent of the vote.

It picked up five seats, an unprecedented breakthrough for a hard-right party in Britain.

Farage’s Euroskeptics swept dozens of council and mayoral seats in local elections in May and are leading national opinion polls, although the next general election is not expected until 2029.

While Reform are picking up support on the right, Labour is also losing votes to the Greens on the left.

Starmer, a former chief state prosecutor who is seen as too right-wing for some left-wingers in his party, recently suspended four lawmakers who rebelled over his attempts at reforming welfare.

They currently sit as independents and Westminster watchers will be keeping a close eye on whether they are tempted to join Corbyn’s new party.

“I do think there is space for a left-wing populist party in the UK with a charismatic leader that could pose an enormous threat to Labour and the other parties, but it’s going to take a lot to convince me that Jeremy Corbyn can be it,” Chris Hopkins, political research director at polling firm Savanta, told AFP.


Filipino film opposed by Beijing draws global attention to disputed South China Sea

Filipino film opposed by Beijing draws global attention to disputed South China Sea
Updated 24 July 2025
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Filipino film opposed by Beijing draws global attention to disputed South China Sea

Filipino film opposed by Beijing draws global attention to disputed South China Sea
  • ‘Food Delivery’ was pulled from Philippine premiere in March but will debut on Sunday
  • Chinese consulate tried to block it from a New Zealand festival where it won an award

MANILA: Pulled from screens days before its premiere, a Philippine documentary about the daily struggles of Filipino fishermen and coast guards is now winning big abroad, turning the spotlight onto the disputed South China Sea and Manila’s tensions with Beijing. 

“Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea,” by Filipino filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama, was initially set for a Philippine premiere in March. However, it was dropped from the lineup of the PureGold CinePanalo Film Festival in Manila with organizers citing “external factors.”

The film’s title refers to the Philippine part of the South China Sea lying within the country’s exclusive economic zone, an area central to a long-running dispute over the strategic waterway between Manila and Beijing. 

Seeking to highlight the “human” side of tensions beyond geopolitical framing, it centers on the story of Filipino fishermen “who risk their lives every day” and the quiet efforts of Philippine coast guard personnel to keep them safe despite limited resources, Villarama told Arab News. 

“They see it as their duty, their lifeblood, and their birthright. What struck us most was not anger or fear, but a deep sense of quiet dignity. These are men who wake before sunrise, not minding what dangers await them, yet they sail because they must feed their families and uphold traditions passed down for generations,” she said. 

“They don’t use the word ‘patriotism,’ but they live it. For them, the West Philippine Sea isn’t an idea. It’s home. It’s where they survive, dream, and stand their ground. Their courage is unassuming, but it is fierce.”

The documentary went on to have its world premiere at the Doc Edge Festival in New Zealand, where it won the Tides of Change prize earlier this month.

“International recognition gave the film credibility, but it was really the solidarity of communities here and abroad that could make the screening possible on the 27th (of July),” Villarama said.  “We’re just hoping for the best.”

Before the film made its international debut in New Zealand, it faced pressure from the Chinese Consulate-General in Auckland, which lodged a formal protest to festival organizers and requested the film’s scheduled screenings were canceled. 

Despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling in favor of the Philippines’ claims China continues to assert its historical claims to the waters, through which an estimated $5.3 trillion worth of commercial goods transit annually.

In a letter to organizers later posted online, the Chinese consulate said the film was “rife with disinformation and false propaganda, serving as a political tool for Philippines to pursue illegitimate claims in the South China Sea.”

But for its creators, the film was always about the Filipino audience.

“We made ‘Food Delivery’ to hold up a mirror to the truth — not to divide, but to help us see more clearly what is happening in our own waters. Because no matter where we stand on politics or personal beliefs, one thing is certain: The West Philippine Sea is part of our story. It is part of who we are,” Chuck Gutierrez, co-founder of documentary producer Voyage Studios, told Arab News.

“The truth is, we did not make this film to antagonize anyone. Our goal was simple — to show the day-to-day reality faced by Filipinos at the West Philippine Sea. What we captured came from firsthand experiences, not secondhand narratives. These are voices that have long been unheard.” 

Winning the award in New Zealand was a “deeply affirming moment” for Gutierrez and his team. 

“It means that telling the truth, especially when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable, is still worth fighting for,” he said. “Despite the forces that tried to silence the story we were telling, the truth found its voice and resonated with an international audience.”


Australia, Britain to hold talks on boosting defense and economic ties

Australia, Britain to hold talks on boosting defense and economic ties
Updated 24 July 2025
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Australia, Britain to hold talks on boosting defense and economic ties

Australia, Britain to hold talks on boosting defense and economic ties
  • Australia sees Britain as a critical partner and the two countries are working closely
  • Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that Britain and Australia were “longstanding friends“

SYDNEY: Australia and Britain’s defense and foreign ministers will hold talks in Sydney on Friday on boosting cooperation, coinciding with Australia’s largest war games and the first visit by a British carrier strike group in three decades, Australia said.

Following the Australia-United Kingdom Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN), Britain’s Foreign Minister David Lammy and Defense Secretary John Healey are scheduled to travel to the northern garrison city of Darwin, where the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has arrived for the Talisman Sabre war games.

Australia sees Britain as a critical partner and the two countries are working closely amid “shared strategic challenges in an increasingly complex and uncertain world,” Defense Minister Richard Marles said in a statement.

As many as 40,000 troops from 19 countries are taking part in the Talisman Sabre exercises held from July 13 to August 4, which Australia’s military has said are a rehearsal of joint war fighting that contribute to stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Britain has significantly increased its participation in the exercise co-hosted by Australia and the United States, with 3,000 troops taking part.

The talks are expected to focus on progressing the AUKUS partnership for Britain and Australia to build a new class of nuclear-powered submarine, even as the United States reviews the trilateral defense technology agreement and presses Australia to increase defense spending.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that Britain and Australia were “longstanding friends” and the two countries wanted to modernize the relationship.

“From building defense capability and boosting economic resilience, to standing up for human rights, advancing gender equality, and defending the international rules and institutions that protect us all,” she said in a statement.


Spanish airline denies reports that passengers were removed from a plane because they are Jewish

Spanish airline denies reports that passengers were removed from a plane because they are Jewish
Updated 24 July 2025
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Spanish airline denies reports that passengers were removed from a plane because they are Jewish

Spanish airline denies reports that passengers were removed from a plane because they are Jewish
  • Israeli news outlets reported that the students are Jewish and their removal was religiously motivated
  • “A group of passengers engaged in highly disruptive behavior … putting at risk the safe conduct of the flight,” Vueling said

MADRID: Several dozen French passengers were removed from a flight leaving the Spanish city of Valencia for Paris for what Spanish police and the airline on Thursday described as unruly behavior.

The carrier, Vueling, denied reports that Wednesday’s incident, which involved the removal of 44 minors and eight adults from flight V8166, was related to the passengers’ religion.

Some Israeli news outlets reported that the students are Jewish and that their removal was religiously motivated, a claim that was repeated by an Israeli minister online.

Spain’s Civil Guard said the minors and adults are French nationals. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the agents involved were not aware of the group’s religious affiliation.

A Vueling spokesperson said the passengers were removed after the minors repeatedly tampered with the plane’s emergency equipment and interrupted the crew’s safety demonstration.

“A group of passengers engaged in highly disruptive behavior and adopted a very confrontational attitude, putting at risk the safe conduct of the flight,” Vueling said in a statement. “We categorically deny any suggestion that our crew’s behavior related to the religion of the passengers involved.”

A Civil Guard spokesperson said the captain of the plane ordered the removal of the minors from the plane at Valencia’s Manizes Airport after they repeatedly ignored the crew’s instructions.

On Thursday, the Federation for Jewish Communities of Spain expressed concern about the incident. The group said that Vueling needed to provide documentary evidence of what happened on the plane.

“The various accounts circulating on social media and in the media to which we have had access do not clarify the cause of the incident,” the organization said.

“We are particularly interested in clarifying whether there were any possible religiously discriminatory motives toward the minors,” the group said.

The Civil Guard said 23 minors and two adults from the group boarded a flight belonging to another airline, while the rest spent Wednesday night at a hotel.

The spokesperson said arrangements were being made for them to leave Valencia later Thursday.