Donald Trump, Melania Trump: Israeli Dancing with the Stars contestant performs as US President and First Lady
Taylor Malkov and her dancing partner Haim Pershtein appeared on the dance floor, with Malkov dressed as the First Lady on inauguration day, and Pershtein dressed as a yellow-tied Mr Trump.
Malkov, who is an actress and online personality, was born in the USA but moved to Israel when she was a baby with her Israeli father and Israeli born American mother.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW
The couple's performance started with the US national anthem playing, before the music transitioned into YMCA by Village People, a song used by Mr Trump at his rallies throughout his run to become President once more.
The bizarre tribute to Mr Trump took place around a week ago, however, video of the performance has only just started circulating online.
The video was posted online by X account Vivid Prowess.
They page said the performers 'killed it' with their high-octane moves.
Online, the reaction to performance was overwhelmingly positive, with many saying they 'loved it', while others tagged the US President and First Lady in hope of them seeing the unique tribute.
'It's astonishing what six months of sane strong leadership can do in America. This was unimaginable last year. The Golden Era indeed,' one user wrote.
'America dancing with joy again!' wrote another.
It is unclear if the US President has seen the performance yet.
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Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australia will recognise a Palestinian state. But what does that actually mean?
Statehood would be unlikely to have an immediate effect for people in Gaza or on Israel's war with Hamas, but it could help influence conversations about the future of the Middle East. Albanese said on Monday that a two-state solution was 'humanity's best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East, and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza'. What is Palestine's current status? Gaza and the West Bank form modern-day Palestine, officially referred to by the Australian government as the Occupied Palestinian Territories. It has no unified government, standing army or settled borders. Professor Ben Saul, chair of international law at the University of Sydney, said Palestine met most of the requirements to be legally considered a state, including having a permanent population and the ability to enter into international relations, but it did not have an effective, independent government. He said that because of its disputed status, other countries' recognition carried more power in supporting Palestinians' right to self-determination. Almost 150 of the 193 UN member states recognise Palestine as a state, including many developing countries. Militant group Hamas, designated a terrorist organisation by countries including Australia, has run the Gaza Strip for almost 20 years. The Palestinian Authority, through which Australia officially engages with Palestine, has limited autonomy in the West Bank. The Oslo Accords in the 1990s gave the authority direct control of about 20 per cent of the territory. There are numerous Israeli settlements across the West Bank, and these have been expanding. Israel retains control of security in much of the West Bank. According to the CIA, about 468,300 Israeli settlers lived in the West Bank in 2022. The agency estimated that as of 2021, 236,600 Israelis lived in East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed in 1980. Australia and most countries officially oppose the settlements on the basis they are illegal under international law. Israel disputes the illegality of the settlements. The Palestinian Authority, which was formed in the 1990s as a result of the Oslo Accords, is the territory's representative at the UN, where it is a non-member observer state and has no vote in the 193-member General Assembly. What will happen at the United Nations General Assembly session in September? Australia has joined France, the UK, and Canada in saying it will separately recognise a Palestinian state and use the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, which opens September 9, as the stage for that move. Professor Saul said the announcement at the UN was a political move rather than a legal one, but the choice of location was important. Loading 'Recognition is just the political act. You could do it by press release … it's just that doing it in a high-level, multilateral forum like [the UN] is absolutely designed to have a much greater impact politically,' he said. Saul said the declaration could come as a joint statement, but it was likely each leader would want to speak for their country. 'Some of these states have been issuing joint statements lately … so it could be done as a joint statement,' he said. 'I think it would more likely be that each leader, assuming they attend, would want to state their own government's position on it.' Does that mean Palestine will become a member of the United Nations? Probably not. Membership of the UN is separate from statehood and 'is open to all peace-loving states that accept the obligations contained in the United Nations charter.' The charter contains rules, including a prohibition on the use of force against other nations. To join, a prospective member must submit a letter to the secretary-general of the UN, currently António Guterres, stating it will abide by the charter. Then it requires the votes of at least nine of the 15 members of the UN Security Council. Any of the five permanent members – the US, China, Russia, France and the UK – is allowed to veto membership. Of the five permanent Security Council member countries, Russia and China recognise Palestine. If France and the UK do as they have indicated, the US will be the sole member not to recognise Palestine. The US has historically vetoed Palestinian applications. Loading If no state vetoed the application, the secretary-general would then present it to the full General Assembly of the UN, where it would require a two-thirds majority vote. The United States vetoed a push in April for Palestinian statehood. What conditions have been put on potential statehood? Speaking to reporters in Canberra on Monday, Albanese said recognition was happening in part because of commitments the government had received from the Palestinian Authority. Loading 'Our government has made it clear that there can be no role for the terrorists of Hamas in any future Palestinian state,' he said. 'This is one of the commitments Australia has sought and received from President [Mahmoud] Abbas and the Palestinian Authority.' Albanese said the PA had committed to demilitarise and hold general elections, and reaffirmed its recognition of Israel's right to exist – commitments he said were bolstered by the Arab League's previous 'unprecedented demand' that Hamas disband and surrender its weapons to the authority. 'This is an opportunity to deliver self-determination for the people of Palestine in a way that isolates Hamas, disarms it and drives it out of the region once and for all,' Albanese said. He and Foreign Minister Penny Wong did not say what Australia would do if the authority does not fulfil its promises. Loading The UK and Canada's recognition in September is also conditional. The UK will recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza, stops building settlements in the West Bank and commits to a two-state solution. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long rejected such terms and almost certainly won't agree by the deadline. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country's decision to recognise Palestine was predicated on the PA committing to 'much needed reform', the demilitarisation of the Palestinian state, and the release of the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas. Do Palestinians support a two-state solution? Support for a two-state solution sat at about 30 per cent for both Palestinians and Israelis in 2022, down from about 50 per cent in 2016, according to the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research. Support has dropped even further in Israel since the October 7 attacks. The Palestinian Liberation Organisation, a nationalist coalition then led by Yasser Arafat, recognised Israel's right to exist in peace at the start of the US-backed peace process in 1993 that set up the Palestinian Authority. It was hoped that it would be a step towards statehood. Hamas' establishing charter called for the destruction of Israel, but in 2007, Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said the group accepted the fact of an Israeli state but would not recognise it, according to the Wilson Centre. In 2017, the group presented a new charter accepting a Palestine with borders as they were immediately before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, signalling tacit acceptance of two states. Loading The Wilson Centre also records another Hamas leader, the late Ismail Haniyeh, saying after the October 7, 2023, massacres by the group that: 'All the normalisation and recognition processes, all the agreements that have been signed [with Israel] can never put an end to this battle.' With Reuters, AP
9 News
an hour ago
- 9 News
Funeralgoers call to protect journalists after Israel's 'targeted assassination'
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Hundreds of people, including many journalists, have gathered to mourn two Al Jazeera correspondents and other journalists killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike. The Qatari network called the deaths of Anas al-Sharif, fellow Al Jazeera correspondent Mohamed Qreiqeh and four other reporters a "targeted assassination" and accused Israeli officials of incitement, connecting al-Sharif's death to the allegations that both the network and correspondent had denied. "Anas and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices from within Gaza, providing the world with unfiltered, on-the-ground coverage of the devastating realities endured by its people," it said in a statement. Palestinians carry the body of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, who, along with other journalists, was killed in an Israeli airstrike, during his funeral outside Gaza City's Shifa hospital complex, Monday, August 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) It was the first time during the 22-month war that Israel's military swiftly claimed responsibility after a journalist was killed in a strike. Observers have called this the deadliest conflict for journalists in modern times. "I never hesitated for a single day to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification," the 28-year-old wrote. On Monday, the bodies lay wrapped in white sheets at the Shifa Hospital complex as mourners gathered. Ahed Ferwana of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said reporters were being deliberately targeted and urged the international community to act. Al-Sharif began reporting for Al Jazeera a few days after war broke out. He was known for reporting on Israel's bombardment in northern Gaza, and later for the starvation gripping much of the territory's population. In a July broadcast, al-Sharif cried on air as a woman behind him collapsed from hunger. "I am talking about slow death of those people," he said at the time. This undated recent image, taken from video broadcast by the Qatari-based television station Al Jazeera, shows the network's Arabic-language Gaza correspondent, Anas al-Sharif, reporting on camera in Gaza. (Al Jazeera via AP) Press advocates said an Israeli "smear campaign" stepped up after footage of the broadcast went viral. Both Israel and hospital officials in Gaza City confirmed the deaths of al-Sharif and colleagues, which the Committee to Protect Journalists and others described as retribution against those documenting the war in Gaza. Israel's military asserted that al-Sharif had led a Hamas cell — an allegation that Al Jazeera and al-Sharif previously dismissed as baseless. The strike also killed four other journalists and two other people, Shifa Hospital administrative director Rami Mohanna told The Associated Press. The strike damaged the entrance to the hospital complex's emergency building. The airstrike came less than a year after Israeli army officials first accused al-Sharif and other Al Jazeera journalists of being members of the militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In a July 24 video, Israel's army spokesperson Avichay Adraee attacked Al Jazeera and accused al-Sharif of being part of Hamas' military wing. Palestinians inspect the destroyed tent where journalists, including Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohamed Qureiqa, were killed by an Israeli airstrike outside the Gaza City's Shifa hospital complex Monday, August 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Qreiqeh, a 33-year-old Gaza City native, is survived by two children. Both journalists were separated from their families for months earlier in the war. When they managed to reunite during the ceasefire earlier this year, their children appeared unable to recognise them, according to video footage they posted at the time. The Committee to Protect Journalists said on Sunday it was appalled by the airstrike. "Israel's pattern of labeling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom," Sara Qudah, the group's regional director, said in a statement. Al Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif in Gaza. (Al Jazeera) Apart from rare invitations to observe Israeli military operations, international media have been barred from entering Gaza for the duration of the war. Al Jazeera is among the few outlets still fielding a big team of reporters inside the besieged strip, chronicling daily life amid airstrikes, hunger and the rubble of destroyed neighborhoods. Al Jazeera is blocked in Israel and soldiers raided its offices in the occupied West Bank last year, ordering them closed. The network has suffered heavy losses during the war, including 27-year-old correspondent Ismail al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami al-Rifi, killed last summer, and freelancer Hossam Shabat, killed in an Israeli airstrike in March. Like al-Sharif, Shabat was among the six that Israel accused of being members of militant groups last October. Al-Sharif's message was published on his Instagram account after his death. (Instagram) Al-Sharif's death comes weeks after a UN expert and the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said Israel had targeted him with a smear campaign. Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, on July 31 said that the killings were "part of a deliberate strategy of Israel to suppress the truth, obstruct the documentation of international crimes and bury any possibility of future accountability". The UN human rights office on Monday condemned Sunday's airstrike targeting the journalists' tent "in grave breach of international humanitarian law". The Committee to Protect Journalists said on Sunday that at least 186 journalists had been killed in Gaza, and Brown University's Watson Institute in April said the war was "quite simply, the worst ever conflict for reporters". Israel Hamas Conflict Israel Gaza World Middle East Palestine War journalist media CONTACT US Auto news: Honda here to stay in Australia, announces growth plans.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Strikes on Gaza escalate after vow to expand offensive
Palestinians have reported the heaviest bombardments in weeks in areas east of Gaza City, just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected to complete a new expanded offensive in the enclave "fairly quickly". An airstrike also killed six journalists, including prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al Sharif, in a tent at a Gaza hospital compound. Witnesses said Israeli tanks and planes pounded Sabra, Zeitoun, and Shejaia, three eastern suburbs of Gaza City in the north of the territory, on Monday, pushing many families out of their homes westwards. Some Gaza City residents said it was one of the worst nights in weeks, raising fears of military preparations for a deeper offensive into their city. According to Palestinian militant group Hamas, the area is now sheltering about one million people after the displacement of residents from the enclave's northern edges. The Israeli military said its forces fired artillery at Hamas militants in the area. There was no sign on the ground of forces moving deeper into Gaza City as part of the newly approved Israeli offensive, which is not expected to begin in the coming weeks. "It sounded like the war was restarting," said Amr Salah, 25. "Tanks fired shells at houses, and several houses were hit, and the planes carried what we call fire rings, whereby several missiles landed on some roads in eastern Gaza," he told Reuters via a chat app. The Israeli military said its forces on Sunday dismantled a launch site east of Gaza City, which Hamas used to fire rockets towards Israeli communities across the border. Netanyahu on Sunday said he had instructed the Israeli military to speed up its plans for the new offensive. "I want to end the war as quickly as possible, and that is why I have instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to shorten the schedule for seizing control of Gaza City," he said. Netanyahu on Sunday said the new offensive will focus on Gaza City, which he described as Hamas' "capital of terrorism". He also pointed to a map and indicated that the coastal area of central Gaza may be next, saying Hamas militants have been pushed there too. The new plans have raised alarm abroad. On Friday, Germany, a key European ally, announced it would halt exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza. Britain and other European allies urged Israel to reconsider its decision to escalate the Gaza military campaign. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, told Reuters some countries appeared to be putting pressure on Israel rather than on Hamas, whose deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, ignited the war. The airstrike that killed Al Jazeera's Anas Al Sharif and four of his colleagues at Al Shifa Hospital was the deadliest for journalists in the conflict so far and was condemned by journalists and rights groups. Medics at the hospital said local freelancer Mohammad Al-Khaldi had also died in the attack, raising the number of dead journalists from the same strike to six. Al Sharif had previously been threatened by Israel, which confirmed it had targeted and killed him, alleging he had headed a Hamas cell and was involved in rocket attacks against Israel. Al Jazeera rejected the claim, and before his death, Al Sharif had also rejected Israeli allegations he had links to Hamas. Hamas, which runs Gaza, linked his killing to the new planned offensive. "The assassination of journalists and the intimidation of those who remain pave the way for a major crime that the occupation is planning to commit in Gaza City," it said. Palestinians have reported the heaviest bombardments in weeks in areas east of Gaza City, just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected to complete a new expanded offensive in the enclave "fairly quickly". An airstrike also killed six journalists, including prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al Sharif, in a tent at a Gaza hospital compound. Witnesses said Israeli tanks and planes pounded Sabra, Zeitoun, and Shejaia, three eastern suburbs of Gaza City in the north of the territory, on Monday, pushing many families out of their homes westwards. Some Gaza City residents said it was one of the worst nights in weeks, raising fears of military preparations for a deeper offensive into their city. According to Palestinian militant group Hamas, the area is now sheltering about one million people after the displacement of residents from the enclave's northern edges. The Israeli military said its forces fired artillery at Hamas militants in the area. There was no sign on the ground of forces moving deeper into Gaza City as part of the newly approved Israeli offensive, which is not expected to begin in the coming weeks. "It sounded like the war was restarting," said Amr Salah, 25. "Tanks fired shells at houses, and several houses were hit, and the planes carried what we call fire rings, whereby several missiles landed on some roads in eastern Gaza," he told Reuters via a chat app. The Israeli military said its forces on Sunday dismantled a launch site east of Gaza City, which Hamas used to fire rockets towards Israeli communities across the border. Netanyahu on Sunday said he had instructed the Israeli military to speed up its plans for the new offensive. "I want to end the war as quickly as possible, and that is why I have instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to shorten the schedule for seizing control of Gaza City," he said. Netanyahu on Sunday said the new offensive will focus on Gaza City, which he described as Hamas' "capital of terrorism". He also pointed to a map and indicated that the coastal area of central Gaza may be next, saying Hamas militants have been pushed there too. The new plans have raised alarm abroad. On Friday, Germany, a key European ally, announced it would halt exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza. Britain and other European allies urged Israel to reconsider its decision to escalate the Gaza military campaign. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, told Reuters some countries appeared to be putting pressure on Israel rather than on Hamas, whose deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, ignited the war. The airstrike that killed Al Jazeera's Anas Al Sharif and four of his colleagues at Al Shifa Hospital was the deadliest for journalists in the conflict so far and was condemned by journalists and rights groups. Medics at the hospital said local freelancer Mohammad Al-Khaldi had also died in the attack, raising the number of dead journalists from the same strike to six. Al Sharif had previously been threatened by Israel, which confirmed it had targeted and killed him, alleging he had headed a Hamas cell and was involved in rocket attacks against Israel. Al Jazeera rejected the claim, and before his death, Al Sharif had also rejected Israeli allegations he had links to Hamas. Hamas, which runs Gaza, linked his killing to the new planned offensive. "The assassination of journalists and the intimidation of those who remain pave the way for a major crime that the occupation is planning to commit in Gaza City," it said. Palestinians have reported the heaviest bombardments in weeks in areas east of Gaza City, just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected to complete a new expanded offensive in the enclave "fairly quickly". An airstrike also killed six journalists, including prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al Sharif, in a tent at a Gaza hospital compound. Witnesses said Israeli tanks and planes pounded Sabra, Zeitoun, and Shejaia, three eastern suburbs of Gaza City in the north of the territory, on Monday, pushing many families out of their homes westwards. Some Gaza City residents said it was one of the worst nights in weeks, raising fears of military preparations for a deeper offensive into their city. According to Palestinian militant group Hamas, the area is now sheltering about one million people after the displacement of residents from the enclave's northern edges. The Israeli military said its forces fired artillery at Hamas militants in the area. There was no sign on the ground of forces moving deeper into Gaza City as part of the newly approved Israeli offensive, which is not expected to begin in the coming weeks. "It sounded like the war was restarting," said Amr Salah, 25. "Tanks fired shells at houses, and several houses were hit, and the planes carried what we call fire rings, whereby several missiles landed on some roads in eastern Gaza," he told Reuters via a chat app. The Israeli military said its forces on Sunday dismantled a launch site east of Gaza City, which Hamas used to fire rockets towards Israeli communities across the border. Netanyahu on Sunday said he had instructed the Israeli military to speed up its plans for the new offensive. "I want to end the war as quickly as possible, and that is why I have instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to shorten the schedule for seizing control of Gaza City," he said. Netanyahu on Sunday said the new offensive will focus on Gaza City, which he described as Hamas' "capital of terrorism". He also pointed to a map and indicated that the coastal area of central Gaza may be next, saying Hamas militants have been pushed there too. The new plans have raised alarm abroad. On Friday, Germany, a key European ally, announced it would halt exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza. Britain and other European allies urged Israel to reconsider its decision to escalate the Gaza military campaign. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, told Reuters some countries appeared to be putting pressure on Israel rather than on Hamas, whose deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, ignited the war. The airstrike that killed Al Jazeera's Anas Al Sharif and four of his colleagues at Al Shifa Hospital was the deadliest for journalists in the conflict so far and was condemned by journalists and rights groups. Medics at the hospital said local freelancer Mohammad Al-Khaldi had also died in the attack, raising the number of dead journalists from the same strike to six. Al Sharif had previously been threatened by Israel, which confirmed it had targeted and killed him, alleging he had headed a Hamas cell and was involved in rocket attacks against Israel. Al Jazeera rejected the claim, and before his death, Al Sharif had also rejected Israeli allegations he had links to Hamas. Hamas, which runs Gaza, linked his killing to the new planned offensive. "The assassination of journalists and the intimidation of those who remain pave the way for a major crime that the occupation is planning to commit in Gaza City," it said. Palestinians have reported the heaviest bombardments in weeks in areas east of Gaza City, just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected to complete a new expanded offensive in the enclave "fairly quickly". An airstrike also killed six journalists, including prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al Sharif, in a tent at a Gaza hospital compound. Witnesses said Israeli tanks and planes pounded Sabra, Zeitoun, and Shejaia, three eastern suburbs of Gaza City in the north of the territory, on Monday, pushing many families out of their homes westwards. Some Gaza City residents said it was one of the worst nights in weeks, raising fears of military preparations for a deeper offensive into their city. According to Palestinian militant group Hamas, the area is now sheltering about one million people after the displacement of residents from the enclave's northern edges. The Israeli military said its forces fired artillery at Hamas militants in the area. There was no sign on the ground of forces moving deeper into Gaza City as part of the newly approved Israeli offensive, which is not expected to begin in the coming weeks. "It sounded like the war was restarting," said Amr Salah, 25. "Tanks fired shells at houses, and several houses were hit, and the planes carried what we call fire rings, whereby several missiles landed on some roads in eastern Gaza," he told Reuters via a chat app. The Israeli military said its forces on Sunday dismantled a launch site east of Gaza City, which Hamas used to fire rockets towards Israeli communities across the border. Netanyahu on Sunday said he had instructed the Israeli military to speed up its plans for the new offensive. "I want to end the war as quickly as possible, and that is why I have instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to shorten the schedule for seizing control of Gaza City," he said. Netanyahu on Sunday said the new offensive will focus on Gaza City, which he described as Hamas' "capital of terrorism". He also pointed to a map and indicated that the coastal area of central Gaza may be next, saying Hamas militants have been pushed there too. The new plans have raised alarm abroad. On Friday, Germany, a key European ally, announced it would halt exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza. Britain and other European allies urged Israel to reconsider its decision to escalate the Gaza military campaign. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, told Reuters some countries appeared to be putting pressure on Israel rather than on Hamas, whose deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, ignited the war. The airstrike that killed Al Jazeera's Anas Al Sharif and four of his colleagues at Al Shifa Hospital was the deadliest for journalists in the conflict so far and was condemned by journalists and rights groups. Medics at the hospital said local freelancer Mohammad Al-Khaldi had also died in the attack, raising the number of dead journalists from the same strike to six. Al Sharif had previously been threatened by Israel, which confirmed it had targeted and killed him, alleging he had headed a Hamas cell and was involved in rocket attacks against Israel. Al Jazeera rejected the claim, and before his death, Al Sharif had also rejected Israeli allegations he had links to Hamas. Hamas, which runs Gaza, linked his killing to the new planned offensive. "The assassination of journalists and the intimidation of those who remain pave the way for a major crime that the occupation is planning to commit in Gaza City," it said.
