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Alleged ISIS Recruiter Extradited from Türkiye to Australia

FILE: Fighters from the Popular Mobilization Forces secure the Iraqi-Syrian border in al-Qaim in Anbar province in Iraq | AFP
FILE: Fighters from the Popular Mobilization Forces secure the Iraqi-Syrian border in al-Qaim in Anbar province in Iraq | AFP
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Alleged ISIS Recruiter Extradited from Türkiye to Australia

FILE: Fighters from the Popular Mobilization Forces secure the Iraqi-Syrian border in al-Qaim in Anbar province in Iraq | AFP
FILE: Fighters from the Popular Mobilization Forces secure the Iraqi-Syrian border in al-Qaim in Anbar province in Iraq | AFP

An ISIS militant who featured heavily in the terrorist group's recruiting propaganda will be charged with "serious terror offences" after being extradited to Australia from Türkiye, federal police said Friday.

Neil Christopher Prakash, 31, was arrested in Türkiye in 2016 after crossing into the country from Syria, AFP reported.

Prakash was sentenced in 2019 to seven years imprisonment by a Turkish court, which found him guilty of belonging to a terrorist organization.

Australian Federal Police said Prakash arrived in Australia by plane on Friday morning.

"An investigation started in 2016 when the man was alleged to have travelled to Syria to fight with ISIS," it said in a statement.

"The AFP will allege in court that the man committed a range of serious terrorism offences."

Authorities have estimated some 230 Australians travelled to Iraq and Syria to take up arms since 2012 -- Prakash being one of the most prominent examples.

He featured in ISIS recruiting videos in which he urged Australians to "wake up" and join the group.

Prakash was described by former conservative prime minister Malcolm Turnbull as one of the "key financiers or organizers" for ISIS in the Middle East.

Former Australian attorney-general George Brandis in 2016 said Prakash had been killed in Iraq following a targeted US air strike.

It was later confirmed that he was wounded but not killed in the blast.

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Israel Names Spy Veteran as Top Finance Ministry Civil Servant

Israeli military reservists sing together as they sign pledge to suspend voluntary military service if the government passes judicial overhaul legislation near the defense ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 19, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
Israeli military reservists sing together as they sign pledge to suspend voluntary military service if the government passes judicial overhaul legislation near the defense ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 19, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
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Israel Names Spy Veteran as Top Finance Ministry Civil Servant

Israeli military reservists sing together as they sign pledge to suspend voluntary military service if the government passes judicial overhaul legislation near the defense ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 19, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
Israeli military reservists sing together as they sign pledge to suspend voluntary military service if the government passes judicial overhaul legislation near the defense ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 19, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday named Ilan Rom, a longtime intelligence official, as the Finance Ministry's director general.

As the ministry's top civil servant, Rom will replace Shlomi Heisler, who said he was stepping down this month after two years in the post for "urgent personal reasons".

Rom served 25 years at Israel's Mossad spy agency.

For the last 2-1/2 years Rom was chief executive of Israel's largest regional council, Mateh Binyamin. The ministry noted that at the council, he spearheaded significant changes, focusing on economic development, including the accelerated planning and development of five major industrial zones, Reuters reported.

He also led a deep economic efficiency initiative, achieving budgetary balance and profitability in the council for the first time, even during wartime, the ministry said.

"The tasks before us are challenging. I intend to dedicate all my efforts to the economic development of the state during this long and difficult war to alleviate the cost of living and encourage growth engines," Rom said in a statement referring to Israel's 15-month-old war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

Smotrich said Rom will use his experience to advance the economy and financial system in Israel, promote growth and reduce bureaucratic barriers.

Rom enters the post at a time when Israel's economy has weakened due to its military conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, with spending on the wars costing some $25 billion in 2024 - leading to a wider budget deficit and debt burden and leading to credit rating reductions by all three major agencies.

Parliament has given an initial nod to an austerity 2025 state budget but it still needs to pass two more votes to become law. In the meantime, Israel is using a prorated version of the 2024 budget.