Elias Rodriguez, the man accused of shooting and killing two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington, now faces two charges of murder in the first degree as well as gun crimes.
Just hours before the US federal court documents related to Mr Rodriguez's alleged crimes were unsealed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday blasted European leaders for being on “the wrong side of justice” after the killings.
He said French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian leader Mark Carney and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer were on the wrong side of humanity and history in voicing support for a Palestinian state. The suspected gunman shouted “Free, free Palestine” after killing the two embassy workers.
“Now, these leaders may think that they're advancing peace. They’re not. They’re emboldening Hamas to continue fighting forever,” he said. “And they give them hope to establish a second Palestinian state from which Hamas will again seek to destroy the Jewish state.”
The shooting drew bipartisan condemnation in Washington. US President Donald Trump said "hatred and radicalism have no place" in the US". One Republican politician later said on Fox News that Gaza should be "nuked", as "the Palestinian cause is an evil one".
The FBI's deputy director, Dan Bongino, described the suspected gunman in the shooting of two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington as “spineless” and “gutless”.
Mr Bongino said the murders, which took place outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in the US capital, were rooted in anti-Semitism.
“Last night’s act of terror has the full attention of your FBI,” he posted on X.
Israel's Foreign Ministry identified the victims of Wednesday night's attack as Yaron Lischinsky, 28, who worked in the embassy’s political department, and his partner Sara Lynn Milgrim of the public diplomacy department.
As law enforcement apprehended Mr Rodriguez, 30, he repeatedly shouted “free Palestine”.
Washington police chief Pamela Smith told reporters that before the shooting, the suspect was seen pacing back and forth outside the museum.
“He approached a group of four people, produced a handgun and opened fire,” Ms Smith said.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called the shooting an act of “terrorism” and “anti-Semitism”.
“We will not tolerate this violence or hate in our city,” Ms Bowser said during a news conference late on Wednesday night.
According to Mr Bongino, the FBI is in the process of interviewing Mr Rodriguez.
“Early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence … the Washington Field Office is reviewing the evidence to determine additional actions.”
According to NBC's Chicago affiliate, early on Thursday several FBI agents were seen entering an address in Chicago linked to Mr Rodriguez.
The murders and attack have prompted widespread denunciation from governments, civic action groups and non-government organisations around the world.
“Our hearts are with our longtime partners at the American Jewish Committee, and we stand with our friends in Jewish communities in the US, the UAE and around the world,” read a statement from Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to the US.
"This horrific murder, outside an event promoting interfaith co-operation and humanitarian diplomacy, was a heinous act of anti-Semitism that has no place in the US or anywhere in the world. It must be unequivocally condemned as such."
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres reiterated his “consistent condemnation of attacks against diplomatic officials”.
“The Secretary General calls for the perpetrator to be brought to justice and extends his sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims and to the government of Israel,” his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
The Anti-Defamation League said the attack came amid a climate of “relentless anti-Semitism”.
“When anti-Semitic rhetoric is normalised, tolerated, or even amplified in our public discourse, it creates an environment where violence against Jews becomes more likely,” the ADL's national director and chief executive Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement.
Jewish Voice for Peace also spoke out against the attack.
“We are grounded first and foremost in the belief that all human life is precious, which is precisely why we are struggling for a world in which all people can live in safety and dignity,” the group posted on X.
Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the US, said that Mr Trump spoke with Mr Netanyahu about the attack.
“Anti-Semitism isn’t new, but it has taken on a new form,” he said during a news conference near the location where the attack took place.
“The person who shot these two young people shouted 'free Palestine', and this is meant to eradicate Israel.”
Emgage, a prominent Muslim-American advocacy group, addressed the suspect's actions and alleged motives.
"Indiscriminate violence only deepens the suffering of the Palestinian people, and compounds the injustice they already endure,” the statement read.
“We condemn this act in the strongest possible terms. The suspect in custody allegedly said ‘Free Palestine’ after committing this crime. Let us be clear, this was not resistance, this person’s actions do not speak for the countless individuals – including many of us – who fight every day for Palestinian lives, freedom and dignity.
The murders are the latest in attacks on Jewish Americans and organisations.
Several weeks ago, the home of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was firebombed by a man who mentioned the plight of the Palestinian people as a motivation for the attack.
As the investigation into Mr Rodriguez's motives continues, condolences have poured in for the victims.
“Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives,” read a statement in part from the Israeli embassy.
“Our hearts are with their families, and the embassy will be by their side during this terrible time.”
According to his LinkedIn page, Mr Lischinsky was a research assistant for Middle East and North African affairs in the embassy’s political department. He was originally from Germany but moved to Israel at age 16.
“I'm an ardent believer in the vision that was outlined in the Abraham Accords and believe that expanding the circle of peace with our Arab neighbours,” his biography on the professional social media platform reads.
Mr Leiter said that the victims had planned to become engaged next week in Jerusalem.
“They were a beautiful couple who came to enjoy an evening in Washington’s cultural centre,” he said. “The young man purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend.”
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
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Favourite Emirati dish: Fish machboos
Favourite spice: Cumin
Family: mother, three sisters, three brothers and a two-year-old daughter
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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The five pillars of Islam
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
The five pillars of Islam
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HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
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Sarfira
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