WORLD NEWS
Donald Trump’s team in chaos over top aide’s explosive interview on Epstein, alcohol and Elon Musk
Susie Wiles posted on X for the first time in more than a year in order to push back against Vanity Fair’s profile of her – an indication the article is sparking tumult inside the White House
16:35, 16 Dec 2025
Susie Wiles with President Trump outside the White House(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Donald Trump’s White House was thrown into chaos over an explosive interview given by his chief of staff – which she claims is a “hit piece” despite giving 11 interviews for it. In the piece, Susie Wiles, Trump’s gatekeeper, said the President’s team “knows he’s in the Epstein Files”, and claims he has an “alcoholic’s personality”. Ms Wiles posted on X for the first time in more than a year in order to push back against Vanity Fair’s profile of her – an indication the article is sparking tumult inside the White House.
A source close to the administration told the Mirror it was unlikely Wiles would be ousted over the article – but that it would likely make the President “scream”.
“He’ll probably scream and throw things,” the source said. “But he doesn’t have many others he can call on right now.”
Trump is already on the back foot after badly misjudged comments about the murdered film director Rob Reiner, whom Trump claimed had been killed as a result of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Reiner, director of a string of beloved blockbusters including This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally, was killed in his home along with his wife over the weekend. Their son has been arrested and charged with their murder.
In interviews for the piece, Wiles described Trump, who is teetotal, as having an “alcoholic’s personality”, and believing “there’s nothing he can’t do. Nothing, zero, nothing.”
She made claims about Elon Musk’s drug use – claiming he was an “avowed” ketamine user, and joking that he had tweeted something while “microdosing”.
Musk has admitted to taking ketamine in the past, but has denied being a regular user. Speaking to The New York Times, Ms Wiles denied she’d made the remarks to the reporter from Vanity Fair – only for Vanity Fair to play tape of the exchange to the newspaper to prove that she had, in fact, made the comments.
She sharply criticised Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of the Epstein case and the public’s expectations in the interview with Vanity Fair magazine that was released Tuesday.
Wiles specifically mentioned earlier in the year when Bondi distributed binders to a group of political commentators that included no new information about Epstein. Wiles also raised the issue of Bondi suggesting that a list of Epstein’s clients was on her desk and awaiting her review.
“I think she completely whiffed on appreciating that that was the very targeted group that cared about this,” Wiles said of Bondi.
“First she gave them binders full of nothingness. And then she said that the witness list, or the client list, was on her desk. There is no client list, and it sure as hell wasn’t on her desk.”
She said she had read the Epstein documents, and acknowledged Trump’s name is in them. “We know he’s in the file,” she said. “And he’s not in the file doing anything awful.”
In one interview, Wiles says she recognises characteristics in Trump that she saw in her father, sports broadcaster Pat Summerall, who was an alcoholic.
“High-functioning alcoholics or alcoholics in general, their personalities are exaggerated when they drink. And so I’m a little bit of an expert in big personalities,” Wiles said, adding that Trump has “a view that there’s nothing he can’t do. Nothing, zero, nothing.”
She claims to have tried to get Trump to end his “score settling” against his political enemies – acknowledging that punishing his opponents was his focus. “When there’s an opportunity, he will go for it,” he said of Trump’s bids for retribution.
Elsewhere she describes Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr as “quirky bobby”, Vice President JD Vance as a “conspiracy theorist” and Musk as an “odd, odd duck” whose actions were not always “rational”, and who slept in a sleeping bag in a government office building during the day.
And she blasted Musk’s approach to axing the USAID agency, recalling she had told him: “You can’t just lock people out of their offices”
She added: “No rational person could think the U.S.A.I.D. process was a good one. Nobody.”
Wiles has called the profile a “hit piece” but has not denied any specifics.
She called the two-part profile “a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history.” But she did not deny any specific quotations attributed to her.
“Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out,” Wiles asserted without details.
Similarly, Karoline Leavitt leapt to her defence, but did not deny any of the quotes attributed to her.
“President Trump has no greater or more loyal advisor than Susie,” Leavitt posted Tuesday on social media. “The entire Administration is grateful for her steady leadership.”
Wiles managed Trump’s 2024 campaign and then he tapped her as the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff. She was reportedly keen to act as a gatekeeper against the “clown car” trying to gain access to the President. Before she took the role, a source told the Mirror: “Good luck with that”.
BREAKINGBREAKING,
The order comes a week after the US military seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast.
Published On 17 Dec 2025
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United States President Donald Trump has ordered “a total and complete” blockade of all US-sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
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“For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” Trump said.
“Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela,” he said.
Trump’s comments come a week after US forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela and as Washington has ordered a huge build-up of US military forces off the Venezuelan coast in an operation said to target drug smuggling.
The US military has killed at least 90 people since September in attacks on dozens of vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near Venezuela, in what international law experts have criticised as extrajudicial killings.
Washington claimed the vessels were involved in drug trafficking but has provided no evidence to support its allegations.
Caracas has long said the deployment of US forces to the region was aimed at allowing “external powers to rob Venezuela’s immeasurable oil and gas wealth“.
Despite holding the world’s largest proven oil reserves, Venezuela has faced severe restrictions on its exports in recent years under US sanctions first imposed during the first Trump presidency.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow shortly.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has disputed portions of a Vanity Fair article in which she paints an unflattering picture of the Trump administration and many of its top officials.
In the interview, Wiles described Donald Trump as having an “alcoholic’s personality” and Vice President JD Vance as having been a “conspiracy theorist” for a decade.
But in a post on X, Wiles said that Vanity Fair disregarded “significant context” to create “an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative” about the administration.
Wiles, 68, played a key part in Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign before becoming the first woman to be White House Chief of Staff.
In a New York Post interview, Trump defended Wiles, describing her as “fantastic” and suggested she had been “deceived” by the writer.
The president also said he thought Wiles’ comments about his personality mirrored remarks he previously made.
Over the course of nearly a dozen interviews with Vanity Fair, Wiles talked about a wide range of issues, including handling of Epstein files, Trump’s legal actions against political rivals, and also about personalities around the president.
She admitted that “there may be an element of” retribution in Trump’s efforts to pursue criminal cases against political adversaries or perceived foes.
“I don’t think he wakes up thinking about retribution,” she added. “But when there’s an opportunity, he will go for it.”
Wiles is widely considered among the most powerful members of the Trump White House in his second term.
Prior to becoming chief of staff, Wiles had a long history working with Trump, including as his campaign manager in Florida in 2016 and as the head of his fundraising apparatus, Save America.
In the interview, she credits her upbringing with an alcoholic father as what enabled her to work with the president.
“High-functioning alcoholics or alcoholics in general, their personalities are exaggerated when they drink,” she said. “So I’m a little bit of an expert in big personalities.”
While the president does not drink, she said Trump has “an alcoholic’s personality” and governs with the mindset that “there’s nothing he can’t do. Nothing, zero, nothing”.
Vance on report that Susie Wiles called him a ‘conspiracy theorist’. Wiles disputes portions of the article.
Among the other figures that Wiles commented on was JD Vance, a one-time critic of Trump who has since become a close ally and vice-president.
Wiles suggested that Vance’s shift in perceptions was “sort of political”.
Speaking to reporters at an event on Tuesday, Vance said he had not read the article, but that he only believes in conspiracy theories that are “true” – citing reports of former President Joe Biden’s ill-health as an example.
Her strongest comments were reserved for tech billionaire Elon Musk, who led cost-cutting efforts at the Department of Government Efficiency – or Doge – before leaving the government in May.
Shortly thereafter, Musk and Trump had a public spat that saw the two men trade barbs and insults over social media.
Wiles described Musk as an “avowed Ketamine [user]” who “sleeps in a sleeping bag in the EOB”, the Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House.
“He’s an odd, odd duck, as I think geniuses are,” she said. “You know, it’s not helpful, but he is his own person.”
Looking back on Musk’s cost-cutting efforts, Wiles said that she was against the gutting of the US Agency for International Development, or USAID, saying she was “initially aghast” at the idea.
“I think that anybody that pays attention to government and has ever paid attention to USAID believed, as I did, that they do very good work,” she recalled.
“Elon’s attitude is you have to get it done fast. If you’re an incrementalist, you just won’t get your rocket to the moon,” Wiles said. “With that attitude, you’re going to break some china. But no rational person could think the USAID process was a good one. Nobody.”
On Tuesday morning – hours after the Vanity Fair article was published – Wiles took to X, accusing the magazine of a “disingenuously framed hit piece” aimed at her, Trump and other cabinet members.
“Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the story. I assume, after reading it, that this was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team,” she wrote.
When contacted for comment on the story, the White House also defended Wiles.
In a statement sent to the BBC, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Wiles “has helped President Trump achieve the most successful first 11 months in office of any President in American history.”
“President Trump has no greater or more loyal advisor than Susie,” Leavitt added. “The entire administration is grateful to her steady leadership and united fully behind her.”
Speaking to reporters outside the West Wing later in the day, Leavitt accused Vanity Fair of “bias of omission” by excluding other interviews conducted with White House staff and taking Wiles’ words “wildly out of context”.
Musk have yet to comment on the Vanity Fair piece.
What you need to know:
- Nationals from Syria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and South Sudan will be prohibited from coming to the US
- People on Palestinian Authority issued-travel documents are also subject to a total ban
- Sierra Leone and Laos moved from partial to full restrictions
- Measures come after an Afghan immigrant was charged in November in the shooting of two National Guards
- New restrictions to go into effect on January 1
US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Tuesday further restricting the entry of foreign nationals to the United States.
Here’s what we know so far:
Which countries are affected by Trump’s lastest travel bans to the US?
Total travel bans
Syria, as well as the African nations of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and South Sudan, are now subject to total travel bans.
The Trump administration also fully restricted entry for people with travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
The administration had previously made it nearly impossible for anyone holding a Palestinian Authority passport from receiving travel documents to visit the US for business, work, pleasure or educational purposes.
Nationals from Sierra Leone and Laos, who were previously subject to partial travel restrictions, are now fully restricted from entering the US.
Citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen were already subjected to a full travel ban imposed in June, 2025.
This brings to 19 the total number of countries under a full travel ban, plus the Palestinian Authority.
Partial travel bans
An additional 15 countries are being added to the list of countries facing partial restrictions, primarily from sub-Saharan Africa.
African nations are Angola, Benin, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Tonga have also attracted partial bans.
The countries of Burundi, Cuba, Togo and Venezuela continue to be under a partial travel ban imposed in June, 2025.
This means 19 countries are now under a partial travel ban after the US on Tuesday lifted its partial suspension on travel from citizens of Turkmenistan.
What does the US travel bans mean?
The restrictions apply to both people seeking to visit the US, such as tourists, students and business travelers, as well as people wanting to emigrate there.
People who already have visas, are lawful permanent residents of the United States or have certain visa categories such as diplomats or athletes are exempt from the restrictions.
People whose entry into the country is believed to serve US interest are also exempt from the restrictions.
The government said these latest restrictions would take effect from January 1, 2026.
Videos of US immigration arrests swamp social media
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Why is Trump further restricting travel to the US?
While Trump has made a crackdown on immigration a cornerstone of his presidency, the latest travel bans look to be influenced by several recent events.
The Trump administration first suggested it would expand travel restrictions after the arrest of an Afghan national suspect in the shooting of two National Guard troops in November.
Since the shooting, the US has halted all asylum claim decisions and suspended the processing of immigration applications from the initial 19 countriessubject to travel restrictions.
Trump also threatened military action against Nigeria in early November. The US president claims Christians are being persecuted in the country, which is disputed by Nigeria.
Donald Trump threatens military action in Nigeria
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More recently, on Saturday Trump vowed “very serious retaliation” against Syria after two US soldiers and an interpreter were killed there by a suspected “Islamic State” attacker.
In its statement, the White House said that it was difficult to vet citizens of many of the countries hit by the new restrictions because of “widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records.”
It also said some countries had high rates of people overstaying their visas or refused to take back their citizens.
Edited by: Kieran Burke
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The U.S. Capitol has unveiled a statue of teenage civil rights activist Barbara Rose Johns, who is known for protesting poor conditions at her segregated Virginia high school.
The statue serves as a pointed replacement for the previously removed figure of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
An unveiling ceremony in Emancipation Hall featured Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger and the state’s congressional delegation.
Over 200 members of Johns’ family attended, with the Eastern Senior High School choir performing renditions of “How Great Thou Art,” “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ’Roundf” and “Total Praise.”
Speaker Johnson praised Johns as “one of America’s true trailblazers, a woman who embodied the essence of the American spirit in her fight for liberty and justice and equal treatment under the law, the indomitable Barbara Rose Johns.”
The new statue replaces that of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee which was removed several years ago. (Jack Mayer/Office of Governor of Virginia, File)
Johns was 16 years old in 1951 when she led a student strike for equal education at R.R. Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia. The students’ cause gained the support of NAACP lawyers, who filed a lawsuit that would become one of the five cases that the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed in Brown v. Board of Education. The high court’s landmark 1954 decision declared “separate but equal” public schools unconstitutional.
Johns later married the Rev. William Powell and became Barbara Rose Johns Powell, raised five children and was a librarian in the Philadelphia Public Schools. She died at 56 in 1991.
“She put God first in her life. She was brave, bold, determined, strong, wise, unselfish, warm and loving,” said Terry Harrison, one of her daughters.
The statue shows the young Johns standing to the side of a lectern, holding a tattered book over her head. Its pedestal is engraved with the words, “Are we going to just accept these conditions, or are we going to do something about it?” It also features a quote from the Book of Isaiah, “And a little child shall lead them.”
The statue replaces one of Lee that was removed in December 2020 from the Capitol, where it had represented Virginia for 111 years. The removal occurred during a time of renewed national attention over Confederate monuments after the death of George Floyd and was relocated to the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.
“The Commonwealth of Virginia will now be properly represented by an actual patriot who embodied the principle of liberty and justice for all, and not a traitor who took up arms against the United States to preserve the brutal institution of chattel slavery,” Jeffries said at the ceremony.
Johns’ sister, Joan Johns Cobbs, read from a journal entry by Johns: “And then there were times I just prayed, ’God, please grant us a new school, please let us have a warm place to stay where we won’t have to keep our coats on all day to stay warm. God, please help us. We are your children too.’”
The Johns piece is part of the National Statuary Hall Collection at the Capitol, in which each state can contribute two statues. The other statue representing Virginia is of George Washington.
National Statuary Hall displays 35 of the statues. Others are in the Crypt, the Hall of Columns and the Capitol Visitor Center. Johnson said the Johns statue will be placed in the Crypt.
Former Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam had requested the removal of the Lee statue. In December 2020, a state commission recommended replacing Lee’s statue with a statue of Johns.
The Johns statue, sculpted by Steven Weitzman of Maryland, received final approval from the Architect of the Capitol and the Joint Committee on the Library in July.
Johns is also featured in a sculpture at the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial outside the state Capitol in Richmond. The former high school is now a National Historic Landmark and museum.
“It’s an incredibly profound moment, a moment to stand in a tar shack classroom with a hot potbelly stove as a heater, tar paper walls, shabby desks, right where 16-year-old Barbara Rose Johns courageously organized her schoolmates and stood up to the lie — the lie was separate but equal,” Youngkin said of the museum.
“What do I buy for the man who (seemingly) has everything?” This is the age-old predicament that rattles around my brain during the holidays. No matter how much prep work I enact and shopping guides I read: Dads, brothers, husbands, uncles, and boyfriends have proven to be the hardest people to shop for.
That’s why this year, I took it upon myself to accumulate a list of 19 products that the men in your life will actually be excited to unwrap — no offense to the socks and whiskey glasses of Christmas past. Below, you’ll find thoughtful picks that span from sporty choices like an indoor putting green to cozy finds like Lululemon sweatpants. The best part? Everything is under $50.
Best Gifts for Men Under $50
For the Homebody
For the Sportsman
For the Culiarian
For the Epicurean
For the Audiophile
Best Fashion Gifts for Men
Lululemon Soft Jersey Tapered Joggers
lululemon
One thing I know for certain? Men love Lululemon. As such, they’ll be elated to unwrap these ultra-soft and stretchy joggers. The material is ideal for lounging on the couch, but also allows for casual physical activity thanks to the lightweight and sweat-wicking material. In addition to coming in sizes from XS to XXL, the joggers are available in three lengths to accommodate varying heights and builds.
Best Sports Gifts for Men
Vevor Indoor Golf Putting Mat
Best Buy
Golf is the thing that makes my boyfriend’s soul shine (in addition to hanging out with me, of course). In the past, I’ve gifted him golf balls, golf tees, golf clothes — essentially the whole lineup of golf-related items. My latest stroke of genius was this indoor putting mat that allows him to practice, despite there being snow on the ground, courtesy of the N.Y.C. winter.
It has an automatic ball return, a sleek velvet surface that mimics an actual green, and an anti-slip bottom to prevent irritating wrinkles.
Best Kitchen Gifts for Men
Stanley Stay-Chill Beer Stein
Amazon
A mug that actually keeps his beer cold is a gift that keeps on giving. This Stanley can keep a beverage chilled for up to 20 hours. That’s more than enough time to sip on a pale ale or two while he mans the grill or shovels the driveway.
One pleased customer wrote, “This stein is not just a vessel for your favorite brew; it’s a game changer that enhances the entire beer-drinking experience.” They added that they appreciated the mug’s heavy-duty handle and durable stainless steel construction.
Best Fancy Gifts for Men
Longconn 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station
Amazon
A swanky gadget that improves the ease of everyday life is invaluable. This wireless charging station falls right into that category. Compatible with Apple products, the device is capable of charging an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at the same time. Thanks to its wireless design, it’s also an easy way to eliminate cable clutter on a bedside table or desk. Shoppers agree that the station charges devices quickly.
Best Music Gifts for Men
Udreamer Wireless Vinyl Record Player, $40 with Prime
Amazon
If I had a penny for every time a man told me “nothing sounds better than vinyl,” well, I’d have a lot of pennies. Music lovers will love this nostalgic feeling of owning a record player, plus it comes with a built-in hobby of vinyl collecting. Recipients can opt to use the two speakers on the base of the device, or there are connection capabilities for external speakers. This also doubles as a wireless speaker, so they can use it to play music off their phone or tablet.
Mourners have gathered at the Chabad of Bondi to say goodbye to Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was gunned down during the Bondi Beach massacre.
The father-of-five, age 41, died shielding his family when two men opened fire on hundreds of Jewish Australians as they celebrated the first day of Hanukkah at the iconic Sydney beach just after 6.40pm on Sunday.
He was one of the 16 people killed, including one of the gunmen.
Rabbi Schlanger’s wife, Chaya, was grazed by a bullet and released from hospital on Monday.
Their two-month-old baby remains at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick after being struck in the leg by shrapnel during the terror attack, and will not be able to attend his father’s funeral.
Ahead of the service on Wednesday morning, police officers lined Wellington Street which has been closed off for the funeral – the Chabad was packed and some had to wait outside.
Chief Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, who is also the father in law of Rabbi Schlanger, could not stop crying as the casket was removed from the hearse.
Mourners were seen embracing outside – one had an Australian flag around her shoulders, while another broke down in tears and blamed Anthony Albanese and foreign minister Penny Wong for the massacre.
‘What is needed is education, it’s not about stopping a bullet, I just feel so frustrated and so does everyone,’ he said, choking on his words as he fought back tears.
The service began with a rabbi saying: ‘We are crying in unbearable pain… in the wake of the horrific terrorist attack perpetrated in our city … We mourn the loss of every precious life.’
He pledged to continue celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach – an event has been going for 31 years, and 18 Rabbi Schlanger had been involved for 18 years.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger (pictured) was laid to rest at a service at Chabad of Bondi on Wednesday
Rabbi Eli Schlanger’s family are pictured arriving at the Chabad of Bondi for his funeral
Mourners can be seen crying over Rabbi Eli Schlanger’s casket before the funeral
Pictured: Chief Rabbi Yehoram Ulman is pictured in tears as the coffin of Rabbi Eli Schlanger arrived at the Chabad of Bondi synagogue
Rabbi Eli Schlanger is pictured being unloaded from the hearse on Wednesday morning
‘Eli was ripped away from us in the midst of doing what he did best – spreading love and joy, caring for his people with needless self-sacrifice.
‘In life and death, he towered above as one of the holiest souls. This is a massive loss for the entire Jewish nation. For us, the loss is unspeakable.’
He said every soul who knew Rabbi Schlanger touched would be ‘forever grateful’ to have known him.
He told the rabbi’s five children that their father would always be with them.
Prayers were read from the Torah by different Jewish leaders.
Rabbi Schlanger’s father-in-law Chief Rabbi Yehoram Ulman gave a heartbreaking eulogy to the packed, becoming overwhelmed with emotion at several times throughout.
He said: ‘When those animals who look like humans try to destroy is, they try to make us dormant.
‘They want us to never go to Bondi Beach again because this is what’s happened, but that’s not the answer.
‘Eli lived and breathed this idea – we can never allow them to not only not succeed, but every time they try something, we become greater and stronger.’
Rabbi Eli Schlanger was killed in the Bondi Beach massacre on Sunday. He is pictured with his wife and four of his five children
Mourners are pictured in tears as they arrive for the funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger
Mourners can be seen embracing moments before the funeral at Chabad of Bondi
Mourners are pictured arriving at the synagogue for the funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger
As rabbi Ulman struggled to choke back tears, loved ones could be heard sobbing with him, with one mourner reaching out to hand a tissue to him as he bravely continued on.
‘What I say today will be such an understatement of what you meant to everybody. You became a son to us as much as she’s our daughter, you became everything to me my hands, my feet.’
Rabbi Ulman said Rabbi Schlanger never wanted to be in the limelight.
‘Any time he went to visit chief rabbis of Israel, he refused to be in any photos, they all loved him in his own right. Everyone just fell in love with him.
‘Eli was the best husband, the best father, the best son,’ Rabbi Ulman said, again struggling to get out the words.
‘Our community suffered our own 7th of October, proportionately that’s what it is,’ he added.
Rabbi Ulman said he wished he had told Rabbi Schlanger how much he loved him, and how much he meant to him.
‘It should’ve been said more. And to all of us I’m saying: “Don’t leave things for tomorrow, you’ve got something to say to those close to you, say it today”.’
He added his wife saw his son-in-law as her best friend, and prompted a laugh from the grief-stricken crowd when he added ‘second to me of course’.
Rabbi Ulman spoke of Rabbi Schlanger’s selflessness, describing how he would drive three to four hours each way to speak with prisoners.
‘I promise every day of your life, special milestones, he will be with you, even more than all of us physically present,’ he said.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger’s two-month-old son (pictured) remains in hospital and will miss his father’s funeral
Rabbi Yossi Friedman speaks to people gathering at a flower memorial by the Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach on Tuesday
Flowers are seen at a makeshift memorial on Wednesday at the Bondi Pavillion following the massacre on Sunday
He continued: ‘It is unthinkable that we talk about you in past tense. Everything we did together. We are told it’s forbidden to bring in coffin into a synagogue and to hold funeral in a synagogue.
‘One exception is a great leader among the Jewish people, and a holy martyr who gave his life.’
‘Eli, Eli, i never thought that it’s going to happen, but the second part I always knew, I knew that there’s nobody greater than you.’
On Tuesday, a close friend of Rabbi Schlanger’s wife Chaya told Sky News said the baby is ‘not out of the woods’.
‘The sheer horror and evil for somebody to shoot at babies, at women, at old people, it’s horrific,’ friend Sorella said.
‘Chaya was hiding, trying to protect herself and, more importantly, her two-month-old baby. She does not recall getting hit because of the adrenaline, but suddenly somebody next to her said, “You’ve got blood on your back”,’ Sorella said.
‘At the same time as Chaya was hit by a bullet, she was also trying to keep her husband alive and begging the local nurse and surfer to keep doing CPR.’
Rabbi Schlanger was originally from the UK, but led the Chabad mission in Bondi for nearly two decades.
He was one of the organisers for the Chanukah by the Sea event targeted by the gunmen.
His cousin, Rabbi Zalman Lewis, on Monday described the moment he received news of the massacre.
He told the British Jewish News: ‘I left shul this morning and saw messages from my wife and sister on the family WhatsApp group.
‘They recognised one of the names people were being asked to pray for. It quickly became clear what had happened.’
Rabbi Lewis said his family was only just coming to terms with the sudden loss.
‘We are just beginning to process this,’ he said. ‘It makes no sense at all. How can a joyful rabbi who went to a beach to spread happiness and light, to make the world a better place, have his life ended in this way?’
‘Eli loved helping people, encouraging people to do mitzvot (good deeds). He was so bubbly, almost eccentrically so.’
Following the attack on Sunday, the alleged gunmen were quickly identified as father and son, Naveed Akram, 24, and Sajid Akram, 50.
Sajid was shot dead by police, while Naveed is recovering from bullet wounds in hospital.
He is under police guard and is likely to face criminal charges on Wednesday.
Donald Trump, the US President, is seeking up to $10billion (£7.5billion) in damages in response to the editing of a speech he made which was featured in a Panorama episode
00:15, 17 Dec 2025
Donald Trump is seeking damages in response to the editing of a speech(Image: AP)
Donald Trump could be forced to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth if he goes ahead with his $10billion lawsuit against the BBC. Lawyers for the broadcaster are said to be considering launching an aggressive defence. And they could make the US president face questions about his actions during the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021. It is something no congressional committee, prosecutor or journalist has ever been able to do, with Mr Trump so far managing to avoid scrutiny over his supporters’ actions that day. A source close to the case told the Mirror: “The moment Trump filed this case, he opened the door. He thinks he can attack the BBC for $10bn. But he could expose himself to questioning that could finally pin down what he did, what he knew and when.”
READ MORE: Donald Trump addressing world with mystery announcement in unusual moveREAD MORE: Donald Trump’s team in chaos over top aide’s explosive interview on Epstein, alcohol and Elon Musk
Tim Davie stepped down as director general of the BBC in the wake of the scrutiny(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
Mr Trump has launched two actions worth $5bn (£3.7m) each against the BBC over its editing of a speech he made on the day of the riot in Washington, DC. One is for defamation and the other for violation of trade practices. The corporation has apologised but refused to pay damages, and Mr Trump claims it was part of a deliberate attempt to damage his 2024 election prospects. A BBC spokesperson said: “As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case.” The US legal source told the Mirror: “Trump thinks this lawsuit puts the BBC on trial – in reality, it puts him on the stand. He has finally walked into a process he cannot control with a Tweet or a rally.” The BBC will be preparing discovery demands requiring Mr Trump to turn over internal communications about the Panorama episode, as well as emails, memos, drafts and briefing notes covering January 6. Every answer, every document, every sworn statement would be legally binding, with perjury charges looming over any falsehood. Our source added: “If Trump wants billions, he’s going to have to pay for it in disclosure. He’s never faced questioning like this. The evidence demands will be relentless. No one has ever been able to pin Trump down on his movements during the riot. If the BBC’s legal team deposes him, that changes. They’ll have him answering for every minute.”
The dispute centres on Panorama’s edited version of Mr Trump’s January 6 speech, which appeared to show him urging supporters to march on the Capitol and “fight like hell”, while omitting his instruction to protest “peacefully”. BBC lawyers have told Mr Trump’s team the suit has no merit. Panorama did not air in the US and was geo-blocked online, so American viewers could not access the broadcast. The corporation has also reportedly pointed out that Mr Trump cannot demonstrate “overwhelming, reputational harm”, given that he went on to win the 2024 election.
Mr Trump could face questions about his actions during the Capitol riot(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Gregory Germain, professor at Syracuse University College of Law, claims Mr Trump’s case is doomed. “The facts were not false,” he said. “Editing video to change the order of quotes to make a point is what video editors do every day.” Still, Mr Trump’s lawsuit – officially filed in Florida on Monday – could cause a headache for the BBC. The location is significant: It is the same court district where former wrestler Hulk Hogan’s defamation case led to Gawker Media filing for bankruptcy. Media analyst Michael J Socolow compared the BBC case to two of Mr Trump’s previous court battles, against ABC and CBS. ABC paid £11.2m last year after anchor George Stephanopoulos incorrectly stated Mr Trump had been found “liable for rape”, despite claims the case had weak prospects of success.
Paramount, CBS’s parent company, settled its lawsuit for £12m amid claims the broadcaster deceptively edited an interview with Kamala Harris – a payment which insiders said was made to clear the path for a corporate takeover rather than for legal reasons. Other outlets have taken a tougher stance. The Rupert Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal is currently barred from Air Force One while it fights its own £7.4billion suit accusing it of a “deliberate smear campaign” over its coverage of Mr Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein. A White House official said BBC journalists could face similar reprisals. The Beeb must weigh the cost of litigation against the political fallout of a settlement which would be funded by licence-fee payers. “If they fight the lawsuit, that could be seen as validating the charge that it has a bias against the American president,” said Prof Socolow. “If they settle, it hands cash from the British citizenry directly to an American president.” He added: “They need a very sophisticated political persuasion campaign much more than a sophisticated legal defence.” On January 6, 2021, thousands of Trump supporters stormed the home of the US legislature in protest at their man’s defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Mr Trump claimed at the time the election was a fix but denies having inspired the rioters.
WORLD NEWS
Brown University shooting: New image and video released of ‘person of interest’ | US News
Police investigating a deadly shooting at a US university have released a new image and video clips of a “person of interest”.
It comes as the manhunt for a gunman who killed two Brown University students and injured nine more in a classroom continued for a fourth day.
The shooting on Saturday afternoon unfolded on the first floor of the engineering and physics building while exams were taking place.
A law enforcement official said the attacker fired more than 40 rounds from a 9mm handgun in Providence, Rhode Island.
The new image showed a man dressed in dark clothing, wearing a black hat and face mask, walking down a street that day.
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In all of the videos made public, the suspect’s face was either covered by a mask or turned away. He is described as stocky and about 5ft 8in (173cm) tall.
Authorities have released a video timeline showing the movements of the person of interest, including of him before the attack, in the hope that someone might recognise him.
The clips showed a man walking briskly, and at one point running, between 2pm and 3pm local time, along several different streets, about a block away from the building where the attack would later take place.
The shooting happened at 4.03pm, and another clip showed the same person from a distance walking from the building’s car park towards the street, even as police cars with flashing lights arrived at the scene.
The final clip showed the man walking along that street about three minutes after the shooting.
Authorities on Sunday released a man who had been detained in connection with the attack.
Manhunt under way for university gunman
Read more:
Video of ‘person of interest’ in Brown shooting
Police have said there was no clear video of the gunman from inside the building.
Attorney general Peter Neronha said there were cameras in the newer part but “fewer, if any, cameras” where the shooting happened “because it’s an older building”.
The attack and the gunman’s escape have sparked concerns about campus safety, including the absence of security cameras, and led to calls for improved door locks.
More details about victims emerge
The students who were killed were Ella Cook, a 19-year-old sophomore from Birmingham, Alabama, and MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, an 18-year-old freshman from Brandermill, Virginia.
Ms Cook was vice president of the College Republicans club at Brown University and Mr Umurzokov, whose family came to the US from Uzbekistan when he was a child, was an aspiring neurosurgeon.
The Reverend R Craig Smalley described Ms Cook as “an incredibly grounded, faithful, bright light” who encouraged and “lifted up those around her”.
In a GoFundMe post, Mr Umurzokov’s family described him as “incredibly kind, funny, and smart”.
“He always lent a helping hand to anyone in need without hesitation, and was the most kind-hearted person our family knew,” they said.
WORLD NEWS
Canadian MP blocked from West Bank rejects Israel’s ‘safety concern’ claims | Israel-Palestine conflict News
A Canadian lawmaker who was denied entry to the occupied West Bank, alongside fellow politicians and civil society leaders, has dismissed Israel’s claims that the delegation posed a threat to public safety.
Jenny Kwan, a Canadian MP with the left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP), questioned whether Canada’s recognition of an independent Palestinian state earlier this year contributed to Israel’s decision to block the group.
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“How is it that members of parliament are a public safety concern?” she said in an interview with Al Jazeera. “How is it that civil society organisations who are doing humanitarian work… [are] a security concern?”
Kwan and five other MPs were among 30 Canadian delegates denied entry to the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Tuesday after Israel deemed them a risk to public safety.
The delegation, organised by nonprofit group The Canadian-Muslim Vote, was turned back to Jordan at the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge crossing, which connects Jordan with the West Bank and is controlled by Israel on the Palestinian side, after an hours-long security check.
Kwan said another female MP in the group was “manhandled” by Israeli border agents while attempting to keep an eye on a delegate who was being taken for additional interrogation.
“She was shoved – not once, not twice, but multiple times – by border agents there,” Kwan said. “A member of parliament was handled in that way – If you were just an everyday person, what else could have happened?”
The delegates had been expected to meet with Palestinian community members to discuss daily realities in the West Bank, where residents have faced a surge in Israeli military and settler violence.
They were also planning to meet with Jewish families affected by the conflict, said Kwan, who described the three-day trip as a fact-finding mission.
“I reject the notion that that is a public safety concern,” she said of the delegation’s mission.
Lack of information
Global Affairs Canada, the country’s Foreign Ministry, did not respond to Al Jazeera’s questions about the incident.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said on Tuesday afternoon that the ministry was in contact with the delegation and had “expressed Canada’s objections regarding the mistreatment of these Canadians while attempting to cross”.
The Israeli military did not respond to Al Jazeera’s repeated requests for comment.
In a statement to Canada’s public broadcaster CBC News, the Israeli military agency that oversees affairs in the occupied Palestinian territory, COGAT, said the Canadian delegates were turned back because they arrived “without prior coordination”.
COGAT also said the group’s members were “denied for security reasons”.
But the delegates said they had applied for, and received, Israel Electronic Travel Authorization permits before they reached the crossing. Kwan also said the Canadian government informed Israel ahead of time of the delegation’s plans.
“I’m not quite sure exactly what kind of coordination is required,” Kwan told Al Jazeera.
“We followed every step that we’re supposed to follow, so I’m not quite sure exactly what they mean or what they’re referring to.”
Canada-Israel ties
Canada, a longstanding supporter of Israel, faced the ire of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after it joined several European allies in recognising an independent Palestinian state in September.
“Israel will not allow you to shove a terror state down our throats,” Netanyahu said in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
The recognition came after months of mass protests in Canada and other Western countries demanding an end to Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza, which has killed more than 70,000 people since October 2023.
Rights advocates also called for action to stem a surge in deadly Israeli violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Against that backdrop, members of the Canadian delegation questioned whether their entry refusal was part of an Israeli effort to prevent people from witnessing what is happening on the ground in the Palestinian territory.
“‘What are they trying to hide?’ is the question that comes to mind,” Fawad Kalsi, the CEO of the relief group Penny Appeal Canada and one of the delegates, told Al Jazeera on Tuesday.
Kwan, the Canadian MP, raised a similar question, saying, “If people cannot witness” what is happening on the ground in the West Bank, “then misinformation and disinformation will continue”.
She added that she also saw foreign doctors being turned back to Jordan at the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge crossing as they tried to bring medicine and baby formula into the West Bank.
“If we as members of parliament could face denial of entry,” she said, “imagine what is going on on the ground with other people, and the difficulties that they face, that we do not know about.”
Prosecutors in Los Angeles will file murder charges against Nick Reiner over the deaths of his parents, Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele.
Nick Reiner is facing two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance alleging multiple murders, District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.
He could be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty if found guilty. He will be brought to court to formally face charges after he is medically-cleared by prison officials, Mr Hochman added.
The charges came two days after the couple were found dead in their home in Brentwood, California, with multiple stab wounds.
During a news conference, Mr Hochman said no decision had been made about whether prosecutors would seek the death penalty.
The suspect, 32, was also accused of using a “dangerous and deadly weapon, that being a knife”.
He was expected to appear before a judge later on Tuesday for an arraignment hearing, where he will be formally charged.
Rob Reiner directed several iconic films in a variety of genres, including This is Spinal Tap, Misery and A Few Good Men.
Michele Singer Reiner was an actress, photographer and producer, and the founder of Reiner Light, a photography agency and production company.
LA Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell told the news conference: “This case is heartbreaking and deeply personal, not only for the Reiner family and their loved ones, but for the entire city.”
“We extend our deepest condolences to everyone affected by this tragedy.”
During the news conference, officials declined to say how the suspect was located, attributing his arrest to “good, solid police work”.
District Attorney Hochman added that it is too early to say whether any “mental illness” played a role in the crime, and speculated that it could come up at trial.
“If there is evidence of mental illness, it will appear in court, in whatever details the defence seeks to present,” he said.