International

BREAKING: Hamas releases kidnapped mom, daughter from Illinois

Published

1 year ago

October 20, 2023

BREAKING: Hamas releases kidnapped mom, daughter from Illinois

An American mom and daughter who were kidnapped and held hostage by Hamas for two weeks were released and returned to Israel on Friday night, a spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed to The Daily Beast.

Israeli authorities identified the women as Judith Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter Natalie, who were captured by Hamas during the Oct. 7 invasion. The spokesperson said Israeli officials received the mom and daughter—who live in Evanston, Illinois—at Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip.

“At this moment they are on their way to a meeting point at a military base in the center of the country, where their family members are waiting for them,” the spokesperson said in a statement around 9:30 p.m. local time.

President Joe Biden confirmed the Raanans’ release in a statement, saying they “endured a terrible ordeal these past 14 days.”

“I am overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their family, who has been wracked with fear,” the statement said. “These individuals and their family will have the full support of the United States government as they recover and heal.”

A source told the The Jerusalem Post that Judith, 59, is in “poor health.” Natalie, who graduated high school this spring, turns 18 next week, according to her brother Ben Raanan.

Inside the Risky Mission to Rescue Hostages From Hamas

The women had been staying near the Gaza border at a kibbutz, where they’d traveled to celebrate Judith’s mother’s 85th birthday. Loved ones have waited in agony ever since—raising nearly $10,000 with a GoFundMe fundraiser.

Hamas claimed in a statement that it had cut the duo loose for “humanitarian reasons” in response to “Qatari efforts.” They did not specify what role Qatar played in the hostage release.

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In a statement, Al-Qassam said the release was also to “prove to the American people and the world that the allegations of Biden and his fascist administration are false allegations that have no basis in truth.”

The Israeli newspaper Haaertz reported that the two women were handed over to the Red Cross to coordinate their return to Israel.

American Family Haunted by Mom’s Final Screams as Hamas Descended

Hamas is believed to have kidnapped at least 203 people from Israel, including women, children, and the elderly—largely from Israeli communities near the Gaza border. Recordings of some hostages have been released by Hamas, but the status of a majority of those kidnapped remains unknown.

“Jill and I have been holding close in our hearts all the families of unaccounted for Americans,” Biden said in his statement. “And, as I told those families when I spoke with them last week—we will not stop until we get their loved ones home.”

Raanan family members told the Chicago Sun-Times earlier this month that they lost all contact with Judith and Natalie around noon on Oct. 7. They’d reportedly been staying in Nahal Oz, a kibbutz about 1.5 miles from the Gaza border, where Hamas’ surprise attack quickly overran Israeli defenses.

They’d arrived in Israel in early September to celebrate the High Holidays with loved ones, family told the Sun-Times.

Uri Raanan, Natalie’s father, told The Daily Beast that he received confirmation his daughter and ex-wife were being held hostage on Oct. 13, a week before their release.

In an online fundraiser, he wrote: “My daughter and ex-wife got captured by Hamas and taken to Gaza last October 7th. I know they are alive. Please help us.”

BREAKING: Hamas releases kidnapped mom, daughter from Illinois

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International

American man arrested for beating tourist to death at Ireland hotel

Published

15 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

American man arrested for beating tourist to death at Ireland hotel

A 30 year old American man whose name was not given by security officials, has been arrested for beating up a 60 year old tourist to death at the Ballyfin Demesne hotel in Laois, Ireland.

The Irish police force commonly known as ‘Garda that the incident occurred in the late hours of Tuesday, November 12.

Ballyfin Demesne hotel, is a popular luxury five-star hotel located in Laois, Ireland and special guests such as Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, George Clooney e.t.c had made use of the hotel in times past.

The victim was discovered unconscious in the late hours of Tuesday, November 12 and was then rushed to the hospital were he died due to severe beating inflicted on him by the culprit.

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Independent local councilor James Kelly stated that nearby communities were ‘stunned’ upon learning about the incident at the renowned hotel.

He said, “There would be a lot of staff from the area and they’re totally shocked by what has happened here.

“It’s something we didn’t think we’d be waking up to this morning.”

The police also noted that a senior officer has been assigned to lead the investigation and an incident room has been set up at Portlaoise Garda Station, Ireland.

Furthermore, a family liaison officer will be designated to assist the family of the deceased.

International

FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win

Published

23 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win

The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday carried out a raid at the home of Shayne Coplan, CEO of cryptocurrency prediction outlet Polymarket.

Authorities seized Mr Coplan’s phone during the raid, according to New York Post which first reported the incident.

Mr Coplan, 26, has been running the famous platform for bets throughout the 2024 presidential election in the United States.

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It wasn’t immediately clear why the search was conducted, but Polymarket promptly said it might be due to its activities during the election. Users on the platform had correctly predicted Donald Trump was going to defeat Kamala Harris. The company paid out a substantial amount to winners following the election.

“This is obvious political retribution by the outgoing administration against Polymarket for providing a market that correctly called the 2024 presidential election,” a spokesperson for Polymarket said in a statement from its headquarters in New York. “Polymarket is a fully transparent prediction market that helps everyday people better understand the events that matter most to them, including elections.”

It was unclear whether or not the FBI would be filing charges after the raid.

FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win

International

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

Published

2 days ago

November 13, 2024

Trends Admin

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

Two employees of Givaudan sense colour, a factory known for making colourings for beverages, located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States (US) were killed in an explosion that took place at the company’s facility.

The factory reported that the incident which took place on Tuesday, November 12 in the afternoon have also destroyed buildings around the company.

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Louisville Mayor, Craig Greenberg stated that firefighters managed to rescue and evacuate numerous individuals from the site, including some who sustained life-threatening injuries.

He also confirmed that all employees present at the plant during the explosion have been accounted for.

Earlier reports indicated that at least 11 workers were hospitalized.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.