tui travel agent murdered

Monday 15 January 2018 14:36, UK

A man accused of murdering 28-year-old travel agent Cassie Hayes at a Tui branch in Southport town centre has appeared in court.

Andrew Burke, 30, of Vincent Street, St Helens appeared at Liverpool Crown court on Monday following the incident on Saturday afternoon which saw the woman, the branch's assistant manager, suffer a wound to her throat.

She later died in hospital.

Burke, who wore a grey T-shirt, spoke to confirm his name, age and address. He told the court his nationality was white British.

Members of Ms Hayes' family were also present for the hearing.

No bail application was made and judge Clement Goldstone QC remanded the man in custody until 19 February, when he will appear at another hearing to enter a plea.

The trial is expected to start on 2 July.

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The court appearance comes after post-mortem results showed the woman, originally from Alnwick, Northumberland, died of shock and haemorrhaging as a result of the wound.

In a statement, her partner Laura Williams said Ms Hayes was "the most amazing, gorgeous, selfless and strong person I know".

"She is my future wife and my forever," she added.

Her family said their " whole lives have been shattered ".

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• 15:48, 14 Jan 2018
• Updated 17:36, 14 Jan 2018

A post-mortem examination has revealed that TUI travel agent Cassie Hayes died from shock and haemorrhaging from a wound to the throat, Merseyside Police revealed.

The popular 28-year-old died after the attack at the store in Southport where she worked yesterday afternoon.

She died in hospital as a result of her injuries - and a 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Witnesses said Cassie's throat was cut in the horrifying attack, thought to have happened in front of a family she was serving.

Today present and former colleagues of Cassie were among those leaving flowers and tributes at the murder scene.

Gordon Campbell, 46, described her as a "gentle, funny cheeky girl" who was an "amazing mummy" to the little girl she had with former partner Leah Mcdonald.

Gordon, who worked with her at the TUI store where the attack happened, told Mirror Online: "She was probably the funniest person I've ever worked with, she was always smiling and being silly.

"She was so gentle and sweet, it's hard to comprehend that someone would do that."

Gordon said he heard the horrifying news about the attack from a friend, who first called him to say Cassie was in hospital after the attack.

He said: "I went from being a little bit worried to being horrified. My friend then rang me and said she had passed."

Another ex-colleague, Sammy Jayne, told Mirror Online: "She loved that video - and that was Cassie, always making everyone dance."

She added: "She was so happy, always mischievous."

"She could get away with anything because everyone loved her. She was so happy, loyal, cheeky but so loving."

Sammy Jayne described how she and Cassie had met at the travel agents in 2010. At the time, it was called Thomson.

"We became best friends and I left in 2014 and kept in touch with her ever since," said the grief-stricken young woman.

"I’m going to miss her so much, I can’t imagine my life without her. Everyone knew us as double trouble."

Last night, Cassie's heartbroken ex-partner Leah revealed her devastation at having to tell their little girl about her death.

The couple had met over a decade ago and "absolutely loved each other".

Although they eventually split, Leah described Cassie as a "rock" to her and an amazing "mammy" to their child.

She wrote on Facebook last night: "I am completely dead inside my little baby is laughing and messing around its killing me that i have to tell her that her mammy has died the one person [she] adored."

She added that Cassie "has always been the one" she has turned to over the past 11 years, helping her through her "darkest days".

"I am just heartbroken," she said.

In another post this morning, Leah revealed how her ex-partner had moved to her own hometown from Northumberland to be with her.

"There are no words to describe the pain i have woken with this morning! i just want to rip my heart out from my chest," she wrote.

Holiday giant TUI confirmed in a statement that a female staff member had died as a result of the attack at its premises.

A statement from TUI yesterday said: "We regret to confirm that a female member of staff at our Southport TUI retail store tragically died in an incident today.

"We send our deepest sympathies to the friends and family of the staff member involved.

"We’re doing everything possible to assist the local police with their investigation and support our customers and staff at this difficult time."

A fundraising appeal on website GoFundMe has already raised more than £4,000 - set up by Travel Gossip, an online community of travel professionals.

The appeal message read: "Many of us never met Cassie but we *know* that if we did, we would have thought she was great. We know, because we are travel.

"We understand that Cassie had a daughter, and so on behalf of everyone in travel I would like to propose that we come together and contribute to fund to help Cassie's family as they see fit.

"Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by this terrible incident, including all the TUI staff. £agentsunited".

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Tributes pour in for woman killed in attack while at work at Tui travel agents in Southport

Tributes have poured in to a woman killed after she was attacked at the travel agents where she worked .

Cassie Hayes was attacked at work at the Southport branch of holiday firm Tui on Saturday.

Police were called to the town centre store at 1.25pm and Ms Hayes was taken to hospital in an ambulance but died later from her injuries.

A 30-year-old man, from the St Helens area, is being questioned in custody on suspicion of murder over Ms Hayes’ death. The incident is believed to be domestic-related, said Merseyside Police.

As the investigation continued, friends and colleagues paid tribute to 28-year-old Ms Hayes, describing her as a “lovely person”.

Ms Hayes’s ex-partner Leah McDonald said on Facebook she was “heartbroken and numb”.

She wrote: “What can i say. This girl was and has been my absolute world from the first moment we met on the 4th july 2007 till this very day.”

MORE: Police hunt suspected crossbow killer after man murdered and woman attacked at their home MORE: Murder probe after man dies six months after ‘mindless’ attack in Trafalgar Square

“We had are fall outs, our ups and downs but i can tell you now despite all that we absolutely loved each other and out of all the people in the world i could not of picked a better mammy for our child.

“She’s just a gem, my best mate, Even when we split she was there for me … this girl has been my rock and the most amazing mammy. i am heart broken and numb. How anyone could do this to my cassie.”

To all who knew our AMAZING Cassie. I was lucky enough to of been her manager at Thomson Southport. She made me laugh, cry and enjoy going to work every day and be in her company. She is one of life’s good ones. A fund raising page has been set up https://t.co/k7ntsb51uI — Michael (@m_richards1982) January 13, 2018

Ms Hayes’s former boss Michael Richards wrote on Twitter: “To all who knew our AMAZING Cassie. I was lucky enough to of been her manager at Thomson (Tui) Southport. She made me laugh, cry and enjoy going to work every day and be in her company. She is one of life’s good ones.”

One former colleague wrote on Facebook: “Such sad news about Cassie, worked with her a few times when I was working for Tui and she was such a lovely person. Thoughts are with all my friends at Tui, Tui Southport and her family and friends. RIP Cassie xxx”

Another said: “So shocked to here the sad news about Cassie. Iv not worked for Tui for a while but the time I did and worked with Cassie she was such a lovely girl. RIP Cassie. Thinking of all the Southport girls and Cassie’s family”

Travel Gossip, an online community of travel professionals, has set up a GoFundMe page for Ms Hayes.

The appeal message read: “Everyone who works in travel has been deeply upset about what has happened to a fellow travel colleague, Cassie Hayes, in Southport on Saturday 13th January.

“Cassie was the assistant manager at the TUI store and was well-known to many in travel.

“Many of us never met Cassie but we *know* that if we did, we would have thought she was great. We know, because we are travel.

“We understand that Cassie had a daughter, and so on behalf of everyone in travel I would like to propose that we come together and contribute to fund to help Cassie’s family as they see fit.

“Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by this terrible incident, including all the TUI staff. #agentsunited”

A Tui spokeswoman said: “We regret to confirm that a female member of staff at our Southport Tui retail store tragically died in an incident today. We send our deepest sympathies to the friends and family of the staff member involved.

“We’re doing everything possible to assist the local police with their investigation and support our customers and staff at this difficult time.”

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Idaho Murders: What We Know

A man who was studying for a Ph.D. at a nearby university has been charged in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho undergraduates.

By Mike Baker and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

Though a suspect has been arrested and charged in the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students in the middle of the night last fall, a series of mysteries remain about why the victims were targeted and what evidence prosecutors have against the suspect.

The suspect, Bryan Kohberger, 28, who was a Ph.D. student in criminology at a nearby university at the time, has offered an explanation for what he was doing on the night of the killings. In a court filing, his lawyers suggested that he was out “driving alone” around the time that the attack occurred, in the pre-dawn hours of Nov. 13.

“Mr. Kohberger has long had a habit of going for drives alone,” they wrote.

Investigators have said that they used cellphone tower data to track Mr. Kohberger’s phone on the night of the killings, and obtained surveillance video that showed a white vehicle like Mr. Kohberger’s repeatedly circling around the victims’ house that night.

The defense said in its filing that Mr. Kohberger’s explanation of where he traveled that night might eventually be corroborated by witnesses and experts.

The authorities have not detailed any motive for the attacks.

The judge overseeing the case has imposed a gag order that has prevented the police, prosecutors, defense lawyers and lawyers for the victims’ families from discussing the case.

The police have said the killings took place sometime around 4 a.m., after the victims — Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20 — had spent a typical Saturday night out near campus. They returned to the house in the early hours of Sunday.

In court documents, the police said that a combination of evidence had led them to arrest Mr. Kohberger at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania, after the case had remained unsolved for more than six weeks. Chief among that evidence is a leather knife sheath that was left on a bed in one of the two bedrooms where the murders took place. A Moscow police corporal said in an affidavit that DNA was found on the sheath. Prosecutors later said that Mr. Kohberger’s DNA, which was tested after his arrest, proved to be a statistical match.

One key item that did not appear in the documents was a weapon. Investigators have been searching for a long knife that they believe was used in the attack.

Here’s what else is known so far.

A white car and an intruder wearing black.

The victims returned home by about 2 a.m., the authorities said. More than an hour later, a white car appeared in surveillance video in the neighborhood. The victims’ house was on a dead-end street, but the white car — identified by investigators as a Hyundai Elantra — could be seen passing by the house several times, including at 4:04 a.m., when the car returned and did a three-point turn in the road near the house.

One of the victims, Ms. Kernodle, appears to have been awake at the time, having just received a DoorDash order. Her phone also indicated that she had been using the TikTok app, investigators said.

One of the surviving housemates reported being awake around that time as well; she told the police that she had heard sounds upstairs that she thought were from Ms. Goncalves playing with her dog. She told investigators she also heard what sounded like crying coming from Ms. Kernodle’s room, down the hall from her own on the second floor, along with a male voice saying something to the effect of, “It’s OK, I’m going to help you.”

At 4:17 a.m., according to investigators, a security camera in the area captured distorted audio of what sounded like a whimper and a loud thud. A dog was heard barking.

The surviving housemate said that she looked out her bedroom door to check on the noises, and was stunned to see a man in black clothing and a mask walk past her, toward a sliding-glass door at the back of the house. The housemate told the police she went back into her room and locked the door; what she did next was unclear. No one called the police for more than seven hours.

At about 4:20 a.m., the white Elantra could be seen in video footage driving away from the neighborhood, investigators said.

Later that day, the four victims were found stabbed to death in two bedrooms.

A car, phone records, and a family tree.

Investigators who arrived at the crime scene found the knife sheath with a U.S. Marine Corps logo lying on the bed next to Ms. Mogen, who was found dead in the same bedroom as her longtime friend, Ms. Goncalves.

Later, as they began searching for the car seen in the video footage, the police at nearby Washington State University found a white Elantra registered there, identifying the owner as Mr. Kohberger.

But Mr. Kohberger did not become a point of focus until weeks later . The DNA from the knife sheath had not matched with anyone in law enforcement databases, so investigators sent it for further analysis. This eventually produced a more extensive profile that enabled the use of genetic genealogy, through consumer DNA samples, to build a family tree. By Dec. 19, F.B.I. agents had begun focusing on Mr. Kohberger.

Shortly before Christmas, investigators obtained phone records showing that on the night of the killings, Mr. Kohberger’s phone had stopped connecting to the cellular network at 2:47 a.m., when he was in Pullman, where the Washington State campus is.

Investigators suggested that the phone might have been shut off to obscure Mr. Kohberger’s location. When the phone reconnected at 4:48 a.m., it was south of Moscow and followed a route back to Pullman.

Mr. Kohberger’s phone was in Moscow, in the area near the crime scene, later that morning, investigators said. The phone’s history also reflected that it had been in the area of the house 12 times in the months before the murders, according to the affidavit.

By the end of December, Mr. Kohberger had returned to his parents’ house in Pennsylvania. He had driven with his father on a cross-country road trip , during which they were pulled over twice for tailgating. Each time, they were let go with a warning. At that point, Mr. Kohberger had a new Washington State license plate on his car , something he had obtained five days after the killings, records show.

The police tested DNA from trash found at the family’s Pennsylvania home, and arrested Bryan Kohberger Dec. 30 in a predawn raid. He was later extradited to Idaho.

THE SUSPECT

Bryan Kohberger was a criminal justice student.

As a teenager, Mr. Kohberger wrote online about his struggles with dissociation, suicidal thoughts, a lack of emotion and minimal remorse. In 2018, he described to a friend a nearly lifelong struggle with depression, but said he was doing well and had stopped using the heroin that he had turned to when he felt suicidal.

Later, he developed an interest in criminals, telling one friend that he saw himself one day working with high-profile offenders. He enrolled at DeSales University, a Catholic institution in Center Valley, Pa., where he studied in part under Katherine Ramsland, a forensic psychologist whose books include “The Mind of a Murderer” and “How to Catch a Killer.” He received a bachelor’s degree from DeSales in 2020 and completed a master’s degree in June 2022.

Last year, in a post on Reddit, a user who identified himself as Bryan Kohberger asked people who had spent time in prison to take a survey about their crimes. The survey listed Mr. Kohberger as a student investigator working with two professors at DeSales, and it asked respondents to describe their “thoughts, emotions and actions from the beginning to end of the crime commission process.”

In the fall semester of 2022, Mr. Kohberger began studying at Washington State, about a 10-minute drive from the University of Idaho.

In the days before the killings, one classmate recalled, Mr. Kohberger had been highly engaged in a discussion about forensics, DNA and other evidence that prosecutors use to win convictions. In the days after the killings, records show, he was still grading papers in his job as a teaching assistant.

Jason LaBar, a public defender in Pennsylvania who initially represented Mr. Kohberger when he was arrested there, said Mr. Kohberger’s parents and sisters want justice for the victims, but are also standing behind Mr. Kohberger, who continues to communicate with them by phone from jail in Idaho.

“They believe in his innocence until proven otherwise,” Mr. LaBar said.

THE VICTIMS

Here’s what we know about the victims.

Madison Mogen , who went by Maddie, was a senior from Coeur d’Alene who was majoring in marketing. Her grandmother, Kim Cheeley, said Ms. Mogen had always been a gentle and caring person who kept many long-term friendships and close ties with an extended family.

Ms. Mogen’s boyfriend, Jake Schriger, said she had been excited for graduation next year and had talked about wanting to explore other parts of the world. Ms. Mogen always spread positivity and brought acts of kindness to others, Mr. Schriger said, adding that he hoped people would remember her for the love she had given to others.

Ms. Mogen’s father, Ben Mogen, said he did not believe that anyone who had a personal relationship with Ms. Mogen or her friends would be involved in killing them.

“If you knew them, then you loved them,” he said.

Kaylee Goncalves , who was from Rathdrum, Idaho, had been set to graduate early in December and had planned to move to Austin, Texas, with one of her close friends in June. The friend, Jordyn Quesnell, said Ms. Goncalves had secured a position with a marketing firm and was excited to explore more of the country.

“We wanted that adventure,” Ms. Quesnell said. “I would be like, ‘Let’s go do this,’ and she’d be like, ‘Down!’”

Alivea Goncalves, Ms. Goncalves’s older sister, said Kaylee and Ms. Mogen had served as bridesmaids for her wedding.

Ethan Chapin , from Conway, Wash., was one of a set of triplets and had spent much of Nov. 12, the day before the killings, with both of his siblings, who are also University of Idaho students, their mother, Stacy Chapin, said. In the evening, they all attended a dance held by his sister’s sorority, she said.

“My kids are very thankful that it was time well spent with him,” Ms. Chapin said. “He was literally the life of the party. He made everybody laugh. He was just the kindest person.”

Mr. Chapin played basketball in high school and was known by friends and family members for always having a big smile, ever since he was a baby. Ms. Chapin described her son as “just the brightest light.”

Xana Kernodle grew up in Idaho but had spent time in Arizona in recent years, according to an interview that her father, Jeffrey Kernodle, gave to an Arizona TV station .

Mr. Kernodle told the station that his daughter was strong-willed and had enjoyed having an independent life in college.

He said his daughter had apparently tried to fight her attacker, an account backed up by the coroner. Mr. Kernodle expressed shock that his daughter could have been killed while at home with friends.

“She was with her friends all the time,” Mr. Kernodle said.

Serge F. Kovaleski and Anushka Patil contributed reporting. Susan C. Beachy , Sheelagh McNeill and Kirsten Noyes contributed research.

Mike Baker is the Seattle bureau chief, reporting primarily from the Northwest and Alaska. More about Mike Baker

Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs reports on national news. He is from upstate New York and previously reported in Baltimore, Albany, and Isla Vista, Calif. More about Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

• International

April 12, 2024 - Israel-Hamas war

By Chris Lau, Sana Noor Haq, Adrienne Vogt , Matt Meyer and Tori B. Powell , CNN

Our live coverage of Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza has moved  here .

USAID worker killed in Israel, agency says

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

A staff member with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) died Friday in the Israeli port city of Jaffa, the agency announced.

The male staffer was with USAID’s West Bank and Gaza mission, the agency said in a brief statement.

USAID did not provide details on the circumstances around his death or his identity or citizenship.

“He was a dedicated member of our team for more than two decades, and our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues,” USAID said.

USAID is working with the US Embassy to work out details about the fatal incident and its follow-up investigation, it said.

US expects Iran to carry out direct strikes against targets inside Israel, sources say

From CNN's MJ Lee and Natasha Bertrand

The United States currently expects Iran will carry out strikes against multiple targets inside Israel and that Iranian proxies could also be involved in carrying out the attacks, according to a senior administration official and a source familiar with the intelligence.  

The targets would likely be both inside Israel and around the region.

The beginning of a state-on-state conflict between Iran and Israel would mark a serious escalation in the region that the US has hoped to avoid.

US sees Iran moving military assets including drones and cruise missiles, sources say

From Natasha Bertrand and Oren Liebermann

The US observed Iran moving military assets around internally, including drones and cruise missiles, signaling that it is possibly preparing to attack Israeli targets from inside its own territory, according to two people familiar with US intelligence. 

It is not clear whether Iran is preparing to strike from its soil as part of an initial attack, or if it is posturing to try to deter Israel or the US from conducting a possible counter strike on its territory. 

One of the people said the US had observed Iran readying as many as 100 cruise missiles.

Some context: The Iranians want their retaliatory strike on Israel — a response to the Israeli strike on an Iranian consulate last week in Damascus — to be "significant," one of the people familiar with the intelligence said. But they also want to avoid getting embroiled in a direct war with Israel and the US, CNN has reported, which is why US intelligence has assessed that Iran may use its proxy forces to launch the first attack.

Israeli settlers storm village in West Bank and kill at least 1 Palestinian. Here's what you should know

From CNN staff

Hundreds of armed Israeli settlers stormed a village in the occupied West Bank on Friday, setting fire to several homes and cars — and leaving at least one Palestinian dead — in one of the largest attacks by settlers this year, according to Palestinian officials. 

The settlers attacked Al-Mughayyir village, east of Ramallah, raided homes and fired gunshots at residents, according to Amin Abu-Alia, the head of the village council. Videos obtained by CNN show parts of the village burning, with smoke billowing over several buildings and settlers lobbing rocks. Houses and cars are seen completely burnt up, with sounds of gunfire and clashes heard in the background.

Here are other headlines you should know:

• More Israeli attacks: An Israeli airstrike early Friday killed at least 29 people and injured dozens more after troops targeted a house belonging to the well-known Al-Tabatibi family in eastern Gaza City, according to a local health official. Israeli forces also surrounded and attacked the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, wounding several journalists and at least one other person. And in the occupied West Bank, troops killed two Hamas members in a raid on the city of Tubas, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials.
• Hezbollah-Israel clashes: Around 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon on Friday evening, according to the Israeli military. Some were intercepted and the rest fell in open areas, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. Israeli warplanes also carried out several airstrikes on Friday, targeting "military buildings" used by Hezbollah fighters in parts of southern Lebanon, the IDF said.
• Iranian threats: US President Joe Biden told reporters Friday he expects an attack from Iran will happen “sooner than later," with the White House adding that there is a "very credible" threat of Iranian retaliatory strikes against Israel. Additionally, the US Defense Department is moving additional assets to the Middle East region, a defense official told CNN, as the US and Israel brace for the potential attack . Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and US Central Command Commander Gen. Erik Kurilla on Friday discussed preparations for the  potential attack .
• Warnings amid Iranian threats: France , Germany, Canada and the United States are among countries that are warning their citizens not to travel to the region due to the threat of an Iranian attack against Israel.
• Humanitarian aid: The Israeli military does not understand how humanitarian operations work, a top United Nations official said Friday, maintaining there is a "degree of mistrust" that needs to be resolved between the IDF and nongovernmental organizations on the ground in Gaza.
• Sanctions: The European Council has  adopted sanctions  against three Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad entities , in light of "their responsibilities in the brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks" that occurred across Israel on October 7. The US is also sanctioning four leaders of Hamas’ cyber and drone operations based in Gaza and Lebanon, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller announced on Friday. 

US will attempt to intercept launches at Israel if feasible, US officials say

From CNN's Oren Liebermann and Natasha Bertrand

The US will attempt to intercept any weapons launched at Israel if it’s feasible to do so, two US officials told CNN, in an indication of the level of ongoing cooperation between the two militaries before an anticipated Iranian attack .

US Navy forces in the Red Sea have previously intercepted long-range missiles launched from the Houthis in Yemen toward Israel. US forces in Iraq and Syria could also potentially intercept drones and rockets targeting northern Israel, depending on the location from which they’re launched.

Gen. Erik Kurilla, the commander of US Central Command, has been in Israel meeting with the country’s security leadership. On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, met with Kurilla.

There have been a number of conversations where US officials have urged Israel not to escalate the situation in retaliating against Iran, according to one of the US officials. 

Remember: An Iranian attack is expected in response to Israel’s deadly strike of Tehran's consulate in Damascus, Syria, last week.

The Damascus attack was the latest incident to stoke fears of a wider regional conflict breaking out in the Middle East during Israel's campaign in Gaza.

Diplomatic efforts: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has held a slew of calls to foreign counterparts aimed at pressuring Iran not to attack Israel.

The top US diplomat spoke with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Friday, according to a readout from State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Blinken also spoke with the Turkish, Chinese and Saudi foreign ministers in recent days, Miller said.

Israeli settlers kill at least 1 Palestinian while storming West Bank village

From CNN’s Kareem Khadder and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem and CNN’s Benjamin Brown in London

Hundreds of armed Israeli settlers stormed a village in the occupied West Bank on Friday, setting fire to several homes and cars in one of the largest attacks by settlers this year, according to Palestinian officials. 

At least one Palestinian man was killed when shots were fired by Israeli settlers in the village of Al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah, according to the head of the village council Amin Abu-Alia. He said he identified the killed Palestinian as his 26-year-old relative named Jihad Abu-Alia, who was meant to get married this summer.

At least 25 others were injured in the rampage, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, the scale of which has not been seen since hundreds of settlers stormed through the villages of  Turmusayya  and  Huwara  in two separate incidents last year. 

Between 1,000 and 1,200 settlers surrounded the village, and around 500 stormed it just after midday local time on Friday, blocking all the roads in the area, Abu-Alia told CNN.

He added that Israeli security forces informed Palestinian officials that the settlers were looking for a 14-year-old Israeli boy who had gone missing earlier in the day.

They attacked the village, raided homes and fired gunshots at residents, Abu-Alia said. Videos obtained by CNN show parts of the village burning, with smoke billowing over several buildings and settlers lobbing rocks. Houses and cars are seen completely burnt up, with sounds of gunfire and clashes heard in the background.

According to Abu-Alia, the Israeli military arrived at the scene at around 3 p.m. and didn’t stop the settlers from attacking the village. Israeli soldiers allowed them to raid homes, prevented Palestinian residents from moving around and blocked ambulances from reaching the injured, he added.  

Abu-Alia told CNN settlers stole approximately 70 sheep from the Palestinian village.

In response to a question by CNN, the IDF said “violent riots were instigated in multiple locations in the area” following the search for the boy.

Israel says airstrikes targeted Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

Israeli warplanes carried out several airstrikes on Friday, targeting "military buildings" used by Hezbollah fighters in parts of southern Lebanon, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The areas include the Aita al-Shaab and the Taybeh in southern Lebanon, said Avichay Adraee, I DF spokesperson for Arab media,  in a post on X.

"During the day, several shells were fired from Lebanon towards the Upper Galilee region, without causing any casualties. IDF forces attacked the sources of fire," Adraee added. 

The Israeli airstrikes were before the 40 rockets that were launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel Friday evening and claimed by Hezbollah.

Biden expects an attack from Iran will happen "sooner than later"

From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg

US President Joe Biden expects an attack from Iran will happen “sooner than later," he told reporters at the White House Friday.

“I don’t want to get into secure information but my expectation is sooner than later,” Biden said when asked how imminent an attack on Israel was.

Asked what his message to Tehran is right now, the president said “Don’t.”

In response to more shouted questions from reporters asking if American troops were at risk, Biden returned to the podium and said that the United States is "devoted” to the defense of Israel. 

“We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” Biden said.

Remember: The United States says it is on high alert for a significant Iranian retaliatory attack following Israel's deadly strike on Tehran's consulate in Damascus last week, raising fears of a wider regional war. There remains a “real,” “credible” and “viable” threat of Iran launching strikes, the White House said earlier Friday, following Israel’s attack on  a diplomatic compound in Syria that killed three Iranian generals.

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University of Idaho murders 1 year later: Where the case stands

Four students were killed in an off-campus house on Nov. 13, 2022.

Monday marks one year since four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death in a gruesome home invasion that garnered intrigue from people across the nation.

In the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022, roommates Kaylee Goncalves , Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle's boyfriend Ethan Chapin , were killed inside the girls' off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho. Two other roommates survived.

MORE: Idaho college murders: The complete timeline of events

After an intensive six-week search for a suspect, 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger, a criminology Ph.D. student at nearby Washington State University, was arrested on Dec. 30 at his family's Pennsylvania home.

Here's what you need to know as the case against Kohberger moves forward :

The shocking crime

One of the surviving roommates said she woke up around 4 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2022, from what sounded like Goncalves playing with her dog in one of the third-floor bedrooms, according to court documents.

"A short time" after, the roommate said "she heard who she thought was Goncalves say something to the effect of 'there's someone here,'" the documents said. But that could have been Kernodle on her phone because records showed she was on TikTok at about 4:12 a.m., the affidavit said.

MORE: Lawyer for Idaho college killings suspect Bryan Kohberger says he was driving alone night of murders

The roommate said "she looked out of her bedroom but did not see anything when she heard the comment about someone being in the house," the documents said. "She opened her door a second time when she heard what she thought was crying coming from Kernodle's room."

The roommate "then said she heard a male voice say something to the effect of 'it's ok, I'm going to help you,'" according to the documents.

The roommate said she opened her door again after she heard the crying -- and then saw a "figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered the person's mouth and nose walking towards her," who she described as "5'10" or taller, male, not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows," and who "walked past" her "towards the back sliding glass door" as the roommate stood in "frozen shock," according to a police affidavit.

Who were the victims?

Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21, were lifelong best friends and inseparable. Goncalves was set to graduate in December 2022 and move to Texas.

Goncalves' sister, Alivea Goncalves, considered Mogen a sister, too. She said she was comforted by the fact that the best friends were in the same bed together in their final moments.

"If I couldn't have been there to hold their hands and to take that pain from them, at least they had each other," she told ABC News.

The two other victims were 20-year-old Xana Kernodle, and her boyfriend, 20-year-old Ethan Chapin.

Chapin was a triplet. His brother and sister also attend the University of Idaho.

Chapin and Kernodle were the "perfect pair" who had an "unstoppable, loving relationship," a surviving roommate said in a statement in December.

"They both would look at each other with so much love," she said.

Pieces of evidence

After the victims were discovered, authorities reviewed surveillance video from the area and saw the suspect's white Hyundai Elantra go by the victims' house three times, before entering the area for a fourth time at 4:04 a.m, according to the affidavit.

Police said they traced the car's travel that night back to nearby Pullman, Washington, where the suspect lived while attending Washington State.

Kohberger's phone was tracked heading to Moscow before the attack and as the driver of the white Elantra returned to Pullman. However, the phone was off from 2:47 a.m. to 4:48 a.m., which "is consistent with Kohberger attempting to conceal his location during the quadruple homicide," the document said.

MORE: Idaho authorities probe Amazon 'click activity' for knives possibly connected to college killings

His phone was near the victims' house at least 12 times before the murders, at least as far back as August, the document said.

DNA from the suspect was also recovered on a knife sheath left on Mogen's bed, according to the documents.

Where does the case stand?

Kohberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

The former Ph.D. student declined to offer a plea at his arraignment in May, so the judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

MORE: Trial for Idaho college killings suspect Bryan Kohberger delayed indefinitely

Kohberger's lawyers have said their client wasn't in the home where the homicides occurred and was driving around alone that night.

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In August, Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial, indefinitely delaying what was supposed to be an Oct. 2 start date.

A new trial date has not been set.

What possible hurdles are ahead during trial?

The DNA discovered on the button snap of the knife sheath that was found near Mogen's body is a critical linchpin for the prosecution in what is a largely circumstantial case.

That DNA, authorities argued, undeniably links Kohberger to the crime scene, saying that DNA "showed a statistical match" with a cheek swab taken directly from Kohberger after his arrest.

Kohberger's attorneys have attempted to cast doubt on the strength of investigators' evidence and whether it pointed irrefutably to just their client, including the DNA. The defense has repeatedly asked for more information on the genealogical analyses used to zero in on Kohberger, and have pushed back on investigators' analysis that the DNA is a statistical match.

Kohberger's attorneys also highlight what they called a "total lack of DNA evidence" from the victims in Kohberger's home or car.

"There are so many layers that make this an extraordinary case -- and the defense is going to attack any aspect of it that they see as vulnerable," David Calviello, a former New Jersey prosecutor who is now a criminal defense attorney, told ABC News in August. "It makes sense for them to take shots at how certain evidence was presented to the grand jury -- whether there were missed steps, cut corners, chain of custody problems, contamination -- or not. "

The knife used in the murders has not been recovered.

A series of now-unsealed search warrant documents show investigators have sought records of Amazon purchases and click history data for an Amazon customer including "all detailed customer click activity pertaining to knives and accessories," as well as a long list of information that could flesh out the customer's full shopping movements and interests on the site, like items that were wish-listed or saved for later. If prosecutors can link Kohberger to the purchase of a knife that could have been used in the killings, experts say that could help bolster their case.

What will happen to the house?

The University of Idaho announced in February that the house where the four students were killed would be torn down, with university President Scott Green calling it "a healing step."

In June, a university spokesperson said the school planned to demolish the house before students returned to campus in the fall.

In July, the university announced a sudden halt to the demolition plans as they removed asbestos and lead from the home -- and amid objections from some of the victims' families who expressed concern that demolishing the house before Kohberger's trial could cause unanticipated problems for prosecutors as they try to secure a guilty verdict.

About two weeks after Kohberger waived his speedy right to a trial in August, university officials decided they would hold off on tearing down the home until at least the end of the fall semester, which ends in mid-December.

With no new trial date set, prosecutors asked the University of Idaho for access to the house.

The university said FBI agents would be at the house on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 "to get documentation to construct visual and audio exhibits and a physical model of the home."

"While the university still intends to demolish the home, it will not be done this semester," the university said on Oct. 31.

The families

Ethan Chapin, who was a triplet, had been planning his 21st birthday with his siblings "forever," his parents said. Last month, his brother, Hunter, and sister, Maizie, turned 21 without him.

As the Chapins face one year without Ethan, they said they plan on acknowledging Nov. 13 with a private fundraiser for their foundation, Ethan's Smile Foundation, to help provide scholarships to post-high school students so that they can follow their dreams. The Chapins said they can't think of a better way to honor their son than to support education.

"Ethan stood for love, kindness, laughter and loyalty," his mother, Stacy Chapin, told ABC News. "He was the very best."

Kaylee Goncalves' dad, Steve Goncalves, said Kaylee's younger siblings are now grappling with their own birthdays. He said "they don't want to be older than their sister."

To Steve Goncalves, Nov. 13 is not an anniversary.

"This is more like a memorial -- some type of an event that you have to look at and think about, but it's not something that you ever look forward to," he told ABC News.

"My daughter has allowed me to meet people across the world through her life and memory and her beauty. And I'll thank her one day when I see her," Steve Goncalves said. "I'll tell her how much she impacted the world and how proud of her I am."

FOLLOW THE PODCAST: " The King Road Killings: An Idaho Murder Mystery " from ABC News, available on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Amazon Music , or your preferred podcast player.

ABC News' Kayna Whitworth, Nick Cirone and Timmy Truong contributed to this report.

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Middle East crisis: Iran’s state media says vessel ‘linked to Israel’ seized by Revolutionary Guards – as it happened

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here

• 15h ago Closing summary
• 16h ago Israel's defence minister tells public not to take 'law into own hands' after settler attacks on villages in West Bank
• 17h ago Iran 'conducting a pirate operation', says Israeli foreign minister
• 19h ago Iran will bear consequences for any escalation, says Israeli military
• 19h ago 52 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours, says health ministry
• 19h ago Iran seized ship 'linked to Israel', says state news agency
• 20h ago Iran blamed after ship boarded on strait of Hormuz
• 21h ago Reports of vessel being boarded near Strait of Hormuz
• 22h ago The Netherlands to close embassy in Tehran on Sunday 'as precaution'
• 22h ago Ireland and Spain reiterate plan to form alliance to recognise state of Palestine
• 22h ago Iranian attack on Israel expected ‘sooner rather than later’, says Joe Biden
• 23h ago Opening summary

Iran seized ship 'linked to Israel', says state news agency

Iran ’s state news agency IRNA said on Saturday that its Revolutionary Guards had seized the MSC Aries vessel it said was “linked to Israel” and it was being transferred to Iran’s territorial waters, reports Reuters.

A Guards navy special forces helicopter boarded the Portuguese flagged vessel and seized it, IRNA added.

Closing summary

It has just gone 4.45pm in Gaza , 5.45pm in Tel Aviv and Damascus , and 6.15pm in Tehran . We will be closing this blog, but you can stay up to date on the Guardian’s Middle East coverage here .

Here is a recap of the latest developments:

A vessel “linked to Israel” was seized by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guards on the strait of Hormuz , 50 nautical miles off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, on Saturday. Commandos dropped from a helicopter on to an Israeli-affiliated container ship, the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, and Iran’s state news agency said the vessel was being transferred to Iran’s territorial waters.

Geneva-based MSC later acknowledged the seizure of the ship and said 25 crew were aboard the vessel. MSC said it was working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure the wellbeing of the crew and the safe return of the vessel.

“Iran will bear the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further,” R Adm Daniel Hagari said in a statement on Saturday. “Israel is on high alert. We have increased our readiness to protect Israel from further Iranian aggression. We are also prepared to respond,” he said. Reuters report that the comments by Hagari came after the statement was made in reference to the seizure of a vessel on the strait of Hormuz.

Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz said on Saturday that Tehran is conducting piracy and should be sanctioned for it , after seizing an Israeli-affiliated container ship. “The Ayatollah regime of Khamenei is a criminal regime that supports Hamas’s crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law,” Katz said.

The body of missing Israeli teenager was found in the occupied West Bank after he was killed in a “terrorist attack”, said the Israeli army on Saturday. The disappearance of 14-year-old Binyamin Achimair sparked a large settler attack on Palestinian villages on Friday and Saturday, where numerous homes and cars were torched. Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant told the public not to “take the law into [their] own hands” , reported the Times of Israel . “I appeal to the public, let the security forces act quickly in the hunt for the terrorists,” Gallant said on X. “Acts of revenge will make it difficult for our soldiers in their mission.”

UK foreign secretary David Cameron spoke to the Israeli minister Benny Gantz on Saturday. Cameron said he had discussed “our shared concerns about Iranian threats to attack Israel” with Gantz. “Further escalation in the region is in no one’s interest and risks further loss of civilian life,” he added.

US president Joe Biden said he expects an Iranian attack on Israel “sooner rather than later” and issued a last-ditch message to Tehran: “Don’t.” “We are devoted to the defence of Israel . We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” Biden told reporters on Friday. Biden’s comments came as the White House warned that the prospect of an Iranian attack on Israel in retaliation for the bombing of an Iranian consular building in Syria was “still a viable threat”.

Australian airline Qantas said on Saturday it would redirect its long-haul flights between Perth and London to avoid Iran’s airspace amid soaring Middle East tensions. A Qantas spokesperson told AFP the airline would temporarily adjust the flight paths due to “the situation in parts of the Middle East”.

Dutch airline KLM will no longer fly over Israel and Iran, Dutch press agency ANP reported on Saturday, citing a KLM spokesperson. KLM, the Dutch arm of Air France-KLM, said the move was a precaution, but added that it would continue flying to Tel Aviv, on Israel’s Mediterranean coast.

The Netherlands will close its embassy in Tehran on Sunday as a “precaution”, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday , citing the rising tensions between Iran and Israel . The ministry added that it would decide on Sunday whether the embassy would reopen on Monday.

An overnight Israeli attack destroyed the Abu Bakr as-Siddiq mosque and also damaged nearby houses in Deir al-Balah , in central Gaza, reported Al Jazeera.

At least 33,686 Palestinians have been killed and 76,309 have been injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since 7 October , according to the latest figures from the Gaza health ministry, which is run by Hamas. This includes 52 Palestinians that were killed and 95 that were injured in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants.

An explosive device was detonated in a car in an upmarket neighbourhood of Damascus , Syrian state media said on Saturday, quoting a police source. According to the report, it was not immediately clear who was responsible for the blast or who it targeted. The incident happened in the Mazzeh area, where Iran’s embassy and other foreign missions are located.

Ireland and Spain reiterated their intention to forge an alliance of countries that will soon recognise Palestine as a nation state. The Irish taoiseach, Simon Harris , and Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, held bilateral talks in Dublin on Friday and vowed to muster international support for a two-state solution in Israel and Palestine.

UK foreign secretary David Cameron says he spoke to the Israeli minister Benny Gantz , a member of the war cabinet and main rival of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu , on Saturday.

In a social media update on X, Cameron said he had discussed “our shared concerns about Iranian threats to attack Israel” with Gantz. It is unclear whether this was before or after news broke of Iran seizing a ship “linked to Israel” (see 11:51 BST ) on the strait of Hormuz.

“Further escalation in the region is in no one’s interest and risks further loss of civilian life,” he added.

Today I spoke with @gantzbe to discuss our shared concerns about Iranian threats to attack Israel. Further escalation in the region is in no-one's interest and risks further loss of civilian life. The UK will continue to work with our partners in support of regional security. — David Cameron (@David_Cameron) April 13, 2024

Israel's defence minister tells public not to take 'law into own hands' after settler attacks on villages in West Bank

Israel ’s defence minister Yoav Gallant has told the public not to “take the law into [their] own hands” as settlers rampaged through several villages across the occupied West Bank , reports the Times of Israel .

After the body of missing Israeli teenager Benjamin Achimeir was found on Saturday (see 13:16 BST ), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security agency said, in a joint statement, that Achimeir was murdered in a terror attack.

“I appeal to the public, let the security forces act quickly in the hunt for the terrorists,” Gallant said on X.

“Acts of revenge will make it difficult for our soldiers in their mission. The law must not be taken into one’s own hands,” he said, expressing his condolences to the family of Achimeir.

Here are some of the latest images on the newswires:

Al Jazeera are reporting that an overnight Israeli attack destroyed the Abu Bakr as-Siddiq mosque and also damaged nearby houses in Deir al-Balah , in central Gaza .

“The Israeli army asked the neighbouring houses to evacuate the area because it wants to bomb the mosque,” an elderly resident in the area said, according to Al Jazeera. “The mosque has nothing to do with [Palestinian groups] Hamas or Islamic Jihad. We are responsible for the mosque, the residents of the neighbourhood.”

Geneva -based MSC , which is the manager and commercial operator of the ship seized by Iran on the strait of Hormuz , said it is working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure the wellbeing of the 25 crew abroad and the safe return of the vessel.

According to updates by Reuters, MSC acknowledged the seizure of the MSC Aries , while Zodiac Maritime said the title to the seized vessel was held by Zodiac affliated Gortal Shipping Inc as financier and it had been leased to MSC on a long term basis.

The Guardian’s visuals team has created a graphic that shows the approximate location of the reported vessel seizure by Iran.

It is based on an earlier update from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) that said the vessel had been “reported to have been seized by regional authorities”.

Since that update, Iran ’s state news agency IRNA confirmed its Revolutionary Guards had seized the MSC Aries vessel , saying it was “linked to Israel” and was being transferred to Iran’s territorial water

Iran 'conducting a pirate operation', says Israeli foreign minister

Israel ’s foreign minister Israel Katz said on Saturday that Tehran is conducting piracy and should be sanctioned for it, after Iran ’s Revolutionary Guards seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the strait of Hormuz , reports Reuters.

“The Ayatollah regime of Khamenei is a criminal regime that supports Hamas’s crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law,” Katz said.

“I call on the EU and the free world to immediately declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guards corps as a terrorist organization and to sanction Iran now,” he added.

The Israeli army says the body of missing Israeli boy has been found in the occupied West Bank after he was killed in a “terrorist attack.”

The disappearance of 14-year-old Binyamin Achimair sparked a large settler attack on a Palestinian village on Friday and Saturday, AP reported.

The killing of the teen and the settler rampages marked the latest in an escalation of violence in the territory, at a time when Israel is waging war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip

“Security forces are continuing the pursuit after those suspected of carrying out the attack,” the army said Saturday.

Dutch airline KLM will no longer fly over Israel and Iran, Dutch press agency ANP reported on Saturday, citing a KLM spokesperson.

KLM, the Dutch arm of Air France-KLM, said the move was a precaution, referring to the rising tensions between Iran and Israel, but added that it would continue flying to Tel Aviv, on Israel’s Mediterranean coast.

Iran will bear consequences for any escalation, says Israeli military

Iran will bear consequences if it escalates violence in the region, an Israeli military spokesperson said on Saturday, according to Reuters.

“Iran will bear the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further,” R Adm Daniel Hagari said in a statement.

“Israel is on high alert. We have increased our readiness to protect Israel from further Iranian aggression. We are also prepared to respond.”

Reuters report that the comments by Hagari came after the statement was made in reference to the seizure of a vessel between the United Arab Emirates and Iran .

52 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours, says health ministry

The latest figures from the Gaza health ministry , which is run by Hamas , said 52 Palestinians were killed and 95 injured in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours.

According to the statement, at least 33,686 Palestinians have been killed and 76,309 have been injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since 7 October.

The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants.

Here are some of the latest images on the newswires of protests in recent days:

Iran blamed after ship boarded on strait of Hormuz

A video seen by the Associated Press (AP) shows commandos raiding a ship near the strait of Hormuz by helicopter on Saturday, an attack a Middle East defence official attributed to Iran amid wider tensions between Tehran and the west. According to the AP, the video showed the attack earlier reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) . Earlier updates from the UKMTO offered no details about the boarding in the Gulf of Oman off the Emirati port city of Fujairah , except that the vessel had been “reported to have been seized by regional authorities”.

Iran did not immediately acknowledge seizing any vessel, nor was there any report carried by state media about the incident. The defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity with the AP to discuss intelligence matters, shared the video with the news agency. In it, the commandos are said to have descended on to a stack of containers sitting on the deck of the vessel.

The AP say that a crew member on the ship could be heard saying: “Don’t come out.” He then tells his colleagues to go to the ship’s bridge as more commandos come down on the deck. It adds that, one commando can be seen kneeling above the others to provide them potential cover from fire. Though the AP could not immediately verify the video, it said that it corresponded to known details of the boarding, and the helicopter involved appeared to be one used by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guards , which has carried out other ship raids in the past. The AP report that the vessel involved is likely the Portuguese -flagged MSC Aries , a container ship associated with London -based Zodiac Maritime . Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer ’s Zodiac Group, it adds. Neither MSC nor Zodiac immediately responded to a request for comment by the AP. According to the news agency, MSC Aries had been last located off Dubai heading toward the strait of Hormuz on Friday and the ship had turned off its tracking data, which has been common for Israeli-affiliated ships moving through the region.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has published an update on an incident 50 nautical miles northeast of the United Arab Emirates ’ Fujairah (see 09:26 BST and 09:38 BST ).

In a post on X, the UKMTO wrote that the vessel has been “reported to have been seized by regional authorities”.

UKMTO WARNING INCIDENT 063 BOARDING UPDATE 001 https://t.co/6mNrG6W5iO #MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/BXD73sutrP — United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) April 13, 2024

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