Latest news with #bombing
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How the Most Notorious Rolling Stones Tour Was Nearly Derailed by the 'World's Dumbest Bomber' 53 Years Ago Today
How the Most Notorious Rolling Stones Tour Was Nearly Derailed by the 'World's Dumbest Bomber' 53 Years Ago Today originally appeared on Parade. When the Rolling Stones set out on their infamous 1972 tour, they already knew a thing or two about how wild life on the road could get (with their notorious 1969 concert at Altamont Speedway featuring security by the Hells Angels and a fatal stabbing being the most obvious example). Still, they were hardly prepared for just how eventful the chaotic trek across North America would turn out to be — with a stop in Montreal proving to be particularly explosive (pun intended). On the morning of July 17, 1972 — with the Stones scheduled to play Montreal Forum later that evening — someone detonated dynamite under one of the band's equipment trucks. While the perpetrator was never identified, the Stones' press agent later referred to the individual as the "world's dumbest bomber," per Ultimate Classic Rock. Speaking about the incident at the time, Mick Jagger wondered, "Why didn't the cat leave a note?" Thankfully, no one was hurt in the blast (the only damage was to the equipment and some nearby windows), but the bombing prompted an investigation from authorities which delayed the show — further angering a rowdy crowd of fans who ended up rioting over the discovery that hundreds of counterfeit tickets had been sold. During the show, Jagger was hit in the leg by a 40-ounce bottle thrown from the audience. "Not good," he was quoted as saying after the performance. "It wasn't good." As People reported, both Jagger and drummer Charlie Watts opened up about the frightening experience later, with Watts admitting he was "worried" about getting "blown up." 'I was frightened for everybody that some motherf---er put a bomb in the hall in the middle of the show, and some kids were gonna get hurt," Jagger the Most Notorious Rolling Stones Tour Was Nearly Derailed by the 'World's Dumbest Bomber' 53 Years Ago Today first appeared on Parade on Jul 17, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
The National
a day ago
- Politics
- The National
US President Donald Trump 'caught off guard' by Israeli strikes on Syria and Gaza church
US President Donald Trump was "caught off guard" by Israeli bombing of Syria and a Catholic church in Gaza last week, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Monday, adding that he had discussed the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Three people were killed and 14 injured in an Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza city last week. Parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli was among those wounded. The attack sparked international condemnation, including from Mr Trump who called Mr Netanyahu to voice his displeasure. Mr Trump also appears to have been surprised by Israeli strikes on government buildings in the Syrian capital last week, at a time when his administration is working to improve ties with the new authorities there. The US President "was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of a Catholic church in Gaza," Ms Leavitt told journalists. "In both accounts, the President quickly called the Prime Minister to rectify those situations," she said. The US is Israel's main ally and Mr Netanyahu has visited the White House three times since Mr Trump returned to power in January. "The President enjoys a good working relationship with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, and stays in, you know, frequent communication with him," Ms Leavitt said. Mr Netanyahu called Pope Leo to express regret over the strike on the Catholic church in Gaza, blaming a "stray missile". US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack announced a ceasefire between Israel and Syria on Saturday after days of conflict sparked by sectarian clashes in Sweida. Israel launched a series of attacks against Syria, including striking the Ministry of Defence and the presidential palace, in what it claimed was an effort to protect the Druze community. But diplomats and analysts said its goal is to weaken the new Syrian authorities. Israel remains sceptical of the new Hayat Tahrir Al Sham leadership in Damascus. But Mr Trump has met Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara, announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria and revoked the US's foreign terrorist organisation designation of HTS, a former Al Qaeda affiliate. While Israel and the US are strong allies, the personal relationship between the two leaders has been rocky throughout the years. But Mr Trump appeared to be closer than ever to Mr Netanyahu when he decided to join Israel's bombing campaign of Iran. During his last visit to the White House earlier this month, Mr Netanyahu also presented Mr Trump with a copy of a letter he wrote to the Nobel committee, nominating the US President for the Peace Prize. But Mr Netanyahu departed without a ceasefire deal in Gaza being announced, as Mr Trump had hoped and hinted at before the visit. 'The President's message on this conflict we've seen in the Middle East taking place for far too long, that has become quite brutal, especially in recent days, you've seen reports of more people dying. I think the president never likes to see that. He wants the killing to end,' Ms Leavitt said. She highlighted the administration's efforts to enable more aid deliveries to Gaza, despite foreign ministers of 25 western nations on Monday condemning Israel for "drip feeding" aid into the war-ravaged enclave where cases of starvation are on the rise. 'The President is the reason that aid is even being distributed in Gaza at all,' Ms Leavitt said. 'He wants to see this done in a peaceful manner, where more lives are not being lost.'
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump ‘caught off guard' by Israeli strikes on Syria last week
Donald Trump was 'caught off guard' by Israeli strikes on Syria last week, the White House has said, adding that the US president called Benjamin Netanyahu to 'rectify' the situation. Israel launched strikes on the capital Damascus and the southern Druze-majority city of Sweida last week, saying it aimed to put pressure on the Syrian government to withdraw its troops from the region amid ongoing clashes there. Trump 'was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of a Catholic church in Gaza,' spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing on Monday. 'In both accounts, the president quickly called the prime minister to rectify those situations,' she continued. An Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church last week, killed three people and injured 10 others including the parish priest, who used to receive daily calls from the late Pope Francis. The Israeli prime minister called Pope Leo to express regret over the strike on the Gaza church, blaming a 'stray missile.' Netanyahu visited the White House earlier this month, his third trip since Trump returned to power in January, and Leavitt praised his relationship with the president, adding they were in 'frequent communication.' Israel and Syria on Friday began a US-brokered ceasefire and on Monday, Syrian authorities evacuated Bedouin families from Sweida. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the ceasefire was largely holding despite isolated gunfire in areas north of Sweida city, with no new reports of casualties. Last week's clashes in the southern province killed more than 1,260 people, according to the war monitor, and have shaken the rule of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has pledged to protect minorities in a country devastated by 14 years of war. In May, Trump met with Sharaa in Saudi Arabia and announced the lifting of many longstanding US sanctions against Damascus. Trump later praised the leader, who led a major armed group that was once aligned with al-Qaida and toppled the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad in December. The United States removed a bounty on Sharaa after he came to power. With Agence France-Presse
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Trump ‘Caught off Guard' by Israel's Syria Strike, Aide Says
President Donald Trump was 'caught off guard' by Israel's bombing of Syria, the White House said Monday, amid reports that the US president was increasingly concerned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's aggressive military efforts. Trump 'enjoys a good working relationship with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and stays in frequent communication with him,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday. 'He was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of the Catholic Church in Gaza.'
Arab News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
US officials express anger over Israel's Syria strikes
LONDON: White House officials have expressed frustration over Israel's bombing of Syria, The Times reported. Israel carried out a series of attacks on government targets in the Syrian Arab Republic last week, including a strike on a tank convoy and the shelling of the Defense Ministry in Damascus. US diplomats warned Israel to cease its intervention, which it claimed to be conducting in support of Syria's Druze minority. Clashes between local Bedouin and Druze forces had broken out in Syria's southern province of Sweida, with the country's government sending troops to quell the violence. One White House official told Axios that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 'acted like a madman. He bombs everything all the time. This could undermine what (US President Donald) Trump is trying to do.' Trump lifted sanctions on Syria earlier this year after meeting President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, who has pledged to unite his country and bring an end to more than a decade of violence. The US brokered a ceasefire last week that appeared to stop the clashes in Sweida, where more than 1,000 people were killed over seven days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The violence was reportedly sparked by a series of kidnappings targeting members of various faiths, clans and tribal groups in the province. Before launching strikes, Israel claimed that Syrian government forces were involved in targeting the Druze. Israel has its own community of Druze, numbering about 130,000, and some Syrian members of the faith traveled to meet family members there to escape the violence in Sweida. After the overthrow of Bashar Assad's regime last year, Israel sent forces into Sweida to establish a buffer zone. The province borders Syria's Golan Heights, which Israel has occupied since 1967. Another US official told Axios: 'Netanyahu is sometimes like a child who just won't behave.' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday urged Al-Sharaa to halt the violence in his country, which he described as 'horrifying and dangerous.' The 'rape and slaughter of innocent people, which has and is still occurring, must end,' Rubio said on X, adding that Syrian authorities 'must hold accountable and bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities including those in their own ranks.' White House officials also described growing consternation over Israel's war on Gaza, especially after the shelling of the Palestinian enclave's only Catholic church last week. The attack killed three Palestinians. A senior American official told Axios after the church strike: 'The feeling is that every day there is something new … what the f***?' Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel, also delivered surprise public criticism in the wake of an arson attack on a Byzantine-era church in the occupied West Bank over the weekend. 'To commit an act of sacrilege by desecrating a place that is supposed to be a place of worship, it is an act of terror, and it is a crime,' he said. 'There should be consequences.' He also demanded 'accountability' from Israel after a Palestinian American was killed in the West Bank last week.
