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Prince William visits synagogue after bailing on event as Kate and King Charles face health problems
London — Prince William condemned antisemitism during a visit to a London synagogue on Thursday, the first time he appeared in public after unexpectedly pulling out of a royal event earlier in the week. William’s bailing on the memorial event for his late godfather fueled speculation over the royal family’s vague assurances that both William’s father King Charles III, and his wife Kate, the Princess of Wales, continue to do well amid health problems.
The royal said he and Kate were extremely concerned about the rise in antisemitism. “I’m here today to reassure you all that people do care, people do listen and we can’t let that keep going,” he said.
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William’s absence on Tuesday from the memorial service for his godfather, the late King Constantine of Greece, drew significant media attention because it came as King Charles undergoes treatment for an unspecified cancer and Kate recovers from abdominal surgery for an also unspecified condition.
Palace officials said only that William had pulled out of the service at Windsor because of a “personal matter.” They declined to elaborate, but said his wife continued to do well as she recovers from her surgery.
The nature of the future queen’s medical procedure has not been revealed, but she returned home to continue her recovery after about a week and a half in a private London hospital at the end of January. Kensington Palace has said she’s expected to return to her public duties around the end of March.
King Charles has canceled all public engagements as he undergoes periodic treatments for cancer.
While it is understood that William’s absence from Tuesday’s memorial service was not related to his father’s illness, the palace said only that Kate was still recovering well, without providing any further information about the nature of the personal matter that kept the prince away from the family event.
Before his visit to the synagogue, William spoke out last week against the fighting in Gaza and called for the Israel-Hamas conflict to end “as soon as possible.”
While his statement stopped short of calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, he spoke of the “terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack” and urged more humanitarian support for civilians in Gaza.
William heard Thursday about how Jewish students across the U.K. have been affected by the rise of hatred against the Jewish community during his visit to the Western Marble Arch Synagogue. He also spent time with Renee Salt, a 94-year-old Holocaust survivor.
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Reports of both antisemitic and anti-Muslim abuse in Britain have soared since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which triggered Israel’s invasion of Gaza.
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
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Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.