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A large-scale rescue operation unfolded in the Austrian Alps after 36 tourists from three chareidi families—including Belgian, Austrian, American, and British citizens—became stranded in dangerous mountain terrain at an elevation of approximately 2,300 meters (7,500 feet) near Sölden, Austria.

According to Austrian police, the group set out without essential hiking equipment, wearing neither proper mountain boots nor carrying basic safety gear. Instead, they brought baby strollers and young children on the trek.

The families had planned to descend along a broad forest trail but accidentally wandered off the marked path and entered an exposed, steep mountainside where there was a serious risk of falling. Local rescue commander Jakob Fiegl described the incident as “a very common mistake” made by inexperienced hikers. The terrain became increasingly hazardous for families with strollers, and at one point a young child reportedly had to cling to rocks to avoid slipping down the slope.

At approximately 5:15 p.m., two members of the group contacted emergency rescue services. Authorities dispatched two rescue helicopters along with ground crews to the scene. Fourteen people, including the youngest children, were airlifted to safety using helicopter hoists, while the remaining 22 hikers were escorted on foot down the mountain by rescue personnel.

No one was injured during the ordeal. However, the families are expected to bear the full cost of the extensive rescue operation, which is estimated to total several thousand euros.

{Matzav.com}

A 16-year-old boy in India has become the focus of widespread attention after reportedly spending nearly all of his time submerged in ponds and lakes, claiming that remaining in the water is the only way to relieve an intense burning sensation that affects his entire body whenever he comes out. While the teenager believes a supernatural force is responsible, medical experts say a rare skin disorder could potentially explain his symptoms.

According to India Today, Iqbal Sheikh, who lives in the Beldanga area of Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal, regularly moves from one pond or lake to another, sometimes remaining in the water for days at a time, including overnight.

The teenager says that as soon as he leaves the water, he experiences severe burning throughout his body. He claims the discomfort subsides quickly once he returns to the water, making it impossible for him to remain on dry land for long periods.

Iqbal believes the mysterious condition is caused by a “jinn,” a supernatural being recognized in local traditions. However, no medical diagnosis has been made to support that belief.

His prolonged stays in the water have already taken a visible toll on his health. Local residents say the skin on his hands, feet, and other parts of his body has turned pale after spending so much time submerged. Reports also indicate that he has developed cold-like symptoms, including coughing.

The teenager says he sought treatment at a nearby medical center but did not receive the help he was hoping for. According to the report, his family cannot afford treatment at a private hospital, leaving him without a comprehensive medical evaluation.

The unusual case has drawn large crowds from the surrounding community. Villagers and students reportedly gather along the banks of the ponds each day to watch him, with some bringing him food, including flattened rice, biscuits, and snacks. Despite repeated attempts by relatives and others to persuade him to return home, he has reportedly refused to leave the water.

Although Iqbal attributes his condition to supernatural causes, the report notes that one possible medical explanation is a rare disorder known as aquagenic pruritus. The condition, described in medical literature, can cause severe itching, tingling, or burning sensations after contact with water, even when no visible skin abnormalities are present.

However, the report emphasizes that Iqbal has not been diagnosed with aquagenic pruritus, and the condition is mentioned only as one possible explanation for the symptoms he says he experiences.

President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that the United States has established complete dominance over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, insisting America intends to maintain that position as tensions with Iran continue and commercial shipping remains sharply reduced.

Trump said the United States “has total control over the Strait of Hormuz,” adding, “I think we will keep it.”

In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised the effectiveness of the U.S. naval blockade, saying it has prevented Iran from regaining influence over one of the world’s most critical maritime energy corridors despite Tehran’s ongoing attempts to restrict traffic through the passage.

“Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, ‘A WALL OF STEEL,’ and there is nothing Iran can do about it,” Trump wrote.

The president also argued that months of fighting have left Iran’s military in a severely weakened state. He said the country effectively has “no Navy” and “Air Force” remaining and claimed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been “decimated.” Trump further highlighted Iran’s mounting financial troubles and soaring inflation as additional signs of the regime’s decline.

“Iran is all talk and no action, the Bully of the Middle East No Longer,” Trump wrote.

Trump’s comments came as shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz continued to operate at a fraction of its normal pace. Data from Kpler showed that just eight ships passed through the waterway on Tuesday, marking the lightest daily traffic since Aug. 5.

Before Iran moved to shut down the strait following the launch of U.S.-Israeli military operations on Feb. 28, roughly 130 to 140 vessels traveled through the channel each day. Of the eight ships recorded Tuesday, seven entered the strait using the Iranian shipping lane, while only a single vessel—a coal carrier—departed.

Separate figures compiled by LSEG showed 11 vessel transits on Tuesday, a decline from 14 recorded the previous day.

Trump’s assertion that the United States controls the waterway stands in direct contrast to repeated statements from Iranian officials, who insist Tehran alone will decide when normal maritime traffic can resume.

Mohsen Rezaei, who was recently appointed secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz would stay closed unless the United States altered its policies and agreed to Iran’s conditions for ending the conflict.

Iran has demanded that Washington bring the war to an end, release frozen Iranian assets, and halt military operations elsewhere in the region, including in Lebanon and Gaza.

The latest exchange of warnings comes as the United States intensifies its campaign against Iranian maritime activity. Washington initially imposed a naval blockade on ships traveling to and from Iranian ports in April, then reinstated it in July after a ceasefire reached in June collapsed.

According to The Wall Street Journal, U.S. forces this week fired on a Panama-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after its crew allegedly ignored repeated warnings while attempting to violate the blockade.

Although Iran continues to insist it controls the fate of the Strait of Hormuz and commercial traffic remains well below normal levels, Trump’s message left little doubt about his administration’s position: the United States believes it has seized the advantage in the struggle over one of the world’s most important waterways.

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Barack Obama took a swipe at President Donald Trump’s gold-themed White House renovations in a behind-the-scenes video released Monday to promote HBO’s comedy miniseries Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness, joking about one of the administration’s most noticeable design changes.

The promotional footage shows Obama walking through a recreation of the Oval Office as it looked during his presidency. After looking around the set, he complimented the production team for its attention to detail, even noting the bowl of apples that had sat on his coffee table during his time in office.

“Nice job on the recreation,” Obama said. “You even have the apples. It’s fantastic.”

Obama then joked that one modern feature was missing from the replica.

“Although I do want to point out there’s no gold sign on the outside that says ‘Oval Office,'” Obama said as members of the production crew laughed. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.”

His remark referenced the gold cursive “Oval Office” lettering installed outside the entrance to the office on the West Wing late last year. The permanent sign, visible from the Rose Garden, replaced a temporary paper version and matches the style of the lettering used along President Trump’s Presidential Walk of Fame on the West Colonnade.

The sign is one of several decorative changes made to the White House during Trump’s second term. The president also added gold trim around the Oval Office doors, above the fireplace mantel, and along portions of the ceiling. During a March 2025 tour of the White House with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Trump defended the redesign.

“It needed a little life,” Trump said.

Other changes to the White House grounds include replacing the Rose Garden lawn with stone paving and creating the Presidential Walk of Fame, featuring gold-framed portraits and inscriptions honoring America’s presidents along the West Wing colonnade.

The administration’s most ambitious renovation plan is the construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the site formerly occupied by the East Wing, which was demolished last October. According to The Associated Press, the estimated price tag for the project has climbed to approximately $400 million.

Last Friday, a divided federal appeals court upheld a preliminary injunction preventing above-ground construction on the ballroom while a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation continues.

In a 2-1 decision, the appeals court concluded that the administration likely lacks the legal authority to proceed with the project without congressional approval. The ruling permits underground work related to security to continue and temporarily stayed the injunction for 14 days to allow the administration to seek review from the U.S. Supreme Court.

President Trump has said he intends to appeal the ruling.

Obama appears as himself in HBO’s seven-episode comedy series, which uses Larry David’s signature style of humor to parody moments from American history. After making a brief appearance in the premiere, Obama returned in the season finale for a sketch offering a fictional explanation for the tan suit he famously wore during a 2014 White House news conference.

In the comedy sketch, Larry David portrays a presidential aide who accidentally spills a smoothie on Obama’s navy suit, leaving him with no choice but to wear the tan suit instead.

According to HBO, the series was written by Larry David and Jeff Schaffer, who also served as executive producers, with Schaffer directing the project. Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, Ethan Lewis, and Vinnie Malhotra also served as executive producers through Higher Ground. All seven episodes are now available for streaming on HBO.

{Matzav.com}

The Chassidishe Agudas Yisroel faction of UTJ on Tuesday filed a detailed response challenging Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Solberg’s decision to prohibit political parties from recording which voters have already cast ballots on Election Day.

The response, submitted by attorney Avremi Yustman, outlines the historical origins of the practice, argues that the ruling is fundamentally flawed, and proposes three alternative methods that, according to the party, would preserve both election integrity and voter privacy.

At the outset of its filing, Agudas Yisroel revealed that it pioneered the voter-tracking system more than four decades ago. According to attorney Yustman, the party originally relied on what were known as “Thousand Sheets” (Dapei HaElef)—paper forms containing 1,000 numbered boxes. Polling station representatives would cross off each voter’s serial number after he or she voted, and runners would then deliver the updated sheets to regional campaign headquarters.

According to the party, the primary motivation behind the system has always been to minimize bittul Torah among bnei yeshivah.

“Many of our voters are yoshei ohalim, dedicated lomdei Torah, for whom avoiding bittul Torah is a supreme value,” the response states. The party explained that by knowing who had already voted, campaign workers could direct bochurim and other supporters to polling stations during less crowded hours, reducing time spent waiting in line and allowing them to return to learning as quickly as possible.

As technology advanced, the paper-based system evolved into computerized tracking using kosher cell phones. Representatives now enter voters’ serial numbers into a secure database, but Agudas Yisroel argued that the underlying objective has remained unchanged—to enable bnei yeshivah to vote as efficiently as possible while minimizing bittul Torah.

Attorney Yustman also challenged Justice Solberg’s characterization of voter-tracking systems as “a minor tool, one of many, and not an important one.”

According to Yustman, that assessment is fundamentally mistaken. He argued that Election Day is the culmination of months of organizational work and enormous financial investment, and that the few minutes during which a voter casts a ballot are among the most critical moments in determining whether a campaign succeeds.

To illustrate the importance of such systems, Yustman pointed to reports that the Likud Party has invested approximately two million shekels in its Elector voter-management application.

“As Chazal already said, ‘The money tells the story,’” the filing states. “No one spends such enormous sums on an insignificant tool.” For a party like Agudas Yisroel, whose voter base is organized around tightly knit communities, the filing argues that real-time voter tracking is its single most important Election Day management tool.

A substantial portion of the response focuses on what Agudas Yisroel describes as confusion between the concepts of privacy and ballot secrecy.

The filing argues that Israeli law already permits limited intrusions into voter privacy during election campaigns, such as providing political parties with voter rolls and allowing them to send campaign text messages. Ballot secrecy, however, concerns only one question—how someone voted—not whether that person voted.

To illustrate the distinction, Yustman offered a simple analogy.

“If someone is standing in line at a bank behind his upstairs neighbor, we know that he visited that particular bank. Has confidentiality been violated? Certainly not, so long as the person standing behind him does not know what occurred in his account—whether he made a withdrawal or a deposit.”

Likewise, he argued, knowing that someone arrived at a polling station and cast a ballot does not reveal how that individual voted and therefore does not compromise the secrecy of the ballot.

Toward the conclusion of its filing, Agudas Yisroel proposed three alternative solutions that it says would address concerns about digital information leaks while still allowing parties to monitor voter turnout.

The first proposal would place responsibility with the Central Elections Committee itself. Polling station secretaries would record voter participation using a secure Elections Committee application, and the committee would distribute updated turnout information equally to all political parties every few hours.

The second proposal calls for abandoning computerized systems altogether and returning to the original “Thousand Sheets” paper method. Party representatives would manually record voter turnout, and physical runners would deliver the lists to campaign headquarters, eliminating any possibility of online data breaches. Agudas Yisroel even attached a sample of one of the original “Thousand Sheets” to its filing.

The third proposal would introduce a voluntary reporting slip. Under this system, voters would receive an identification stub with their voting notice and, if they chose, could hand it to party representatives stationed outside the polling place as voluntary confirmation that they had already voted.

Justice Solberg’s ruling is expected to have its greatest impact on the field operations of the chareidi parties, which have long relied on real-time turnout information to identify supporters who have not yet voted and encourage them to exercise their right to vote.

Agudas Yisroel’s filing follows criticism from a senior political figure who described the ruling as “a severe blow to democracy.”

{Matzav.com}

The Los Angeles Lakers are changing hands once again, this time in a blockbuster transaction that values the legendary NBA franchise at an unprecedented $12.5 billion — the highest price ever paid for an American professional sports team. According to ESPN, businessman Josh Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger are purchasing the club from Mark Walter, eclipsing every previous record for a U.S. sports franchise sale.

“As lifelong NBA fans, we are deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world. We have immense respect for the leadership and vision of Jerry and Jeanie Buss,” Kushner and Iger said in a statement to The Post.

“Our long-term commitment is to build on that foundation, compete at the highest level, and serve this extraordinary team, its fans, and the city of Los Angeles.”

Walter, who also serves as the principal owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, only acquired the Lakers’ controlling stake from the Buss family last year in a transaction that valued the franchise at roughly $10 billion, which was itself a record-setting figure at the time.

The NBA’s Board of Governors officially signed off on Walter’s purchase last October, with Jeanie Buss remaining the team’s governor under an agreement that kept her in that role for five years following the sale.

According to ESPN, Walter will continue to retain ownership of the Dodgers despite selling the Lakers.

League approval is still required before the latest sale can be finalized. The transaction is expected to take several weeks, with the NBA Board of Governors not scheduled to meet again until September.

The record-breaking sale comes as Walter’s Guggenheim Investments is facing scrutiny from federal regulators. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan and the Securities and Exchange Commission are reportedly investigating how approximately $16 billion in loans made to companies affiliated with Walter or his TWG Global organization ultimately ended up with insurance companies under his ownership after passing through a third party, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“Owning the Los Angeles Lakers has been one of the great honors of my life – an extraordinary investment, but what I will carry with me is the community, the fans, and a city that treats this team as family,” Walter said in a statement to ESPN.

“I am grateful to Jeanie Buss, the Buss family, the players, and the staff for welcoming me into this chapter. The Lakers belong to Los Angeles, and I have every confidence the best is still ahead.”

Before reaching an agreement to purchase the Lakers, Kushner and Iger had reportedly been pursuing an NBA expansion franchise in Las Vegas. Instead, they shifted their focus to acquiring one of the league’s most storied organizations in what has become the richest sale in American sports history.

Kushner, 41, is the founder and managing partner of Thrive Capital. He is the son of U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner and the brother of White House official Jared Kushner.

Iger, 75, led The Walt Disney Company during two separate stints as chief executive, serving from 2005 through 2020 before returning for a second term from 2022 until stepping down earlier this year.

In 2024, Iger and his wife, Willow Bay, became the controlling owners of Angel City Football Club of the National Women’s Soccer League.

The new ownership group inherits a Lakers franchise entering a new chapter following the end of LeBron James’ tenure. With James now playing for the Philadelphia 76ers after spending eight seasons in Los Angeles and helping deliver one NBA championship, the Lakers are building around superstar Luka Doncic while also strengthening the roster by acquiring center Walker Kessler and bringing back guard Austin Reaves.

{Matzav.com}

Thousands of travelers encountered significant delays Tuesday evening at Ben Gurion Airport as long lines, baggage processing bottlenecks, and flight delays disrupted operations throughout the terminal. The congestion comes despite the date not having been projected as one of August’s busiest travel days, just weeks before the airport is expected to handle more than 2.8 million passengers during the month.

Passengers reported that delays began almost immediately upon entering the airport, with lengthy waits at check-in counters and baggage drop-off stations. At the same time, numerous departing flights were delayed as congestion spread throughout the terminal.

According to sources familiar with airport operations, one of the primary causes of the disruption was a shortage of personnel among the ground handling companies responsible for servicing passengers, baggage, and aircraft. The staffing shortfall, they said, has made it difficult to keep pace with the heavy passenger volume.

One traveler described the scene to the Hayom newspaper, saying, “More than two hours since we arrived and we still haven’t checked our bags. Biggest chaos I’ve ever seen.” She added that, in addition to regular travelers, the terminal was crowded with large groups of young participants in the Birthright Israel program. “Flights are leaving five minutes apart, and every second someone else gets pushed ahead of us,” she said.

For many passengers, the delays continued even after completing check-in. One traveler headed to Crete said that after finally boarding, his flight remained on the ground for nearly two additional hours before takeoff.

“We boarded an hour late, and then sat on the plane for almost another hour before takeoff while they loaded the luggage. It was a complete mess,” he said. According to the passenger, travelers seated nearby were booked on a flight to Rhodes that had originally been scheduled to depart at 2:00 p.m., but they were informed during boarding that the departure had been pushed back until 7:00 p.m.

The heavy traffic seen Tuesday night comes as aviation officials continue preparing for one of the busiest travel periods of the year. August is expected to bring record passenger volumes through Israel’s main international airport.

Current forecasts indicate that more than 2.8 million passengers will pass through Ben Gurion Airport this month, averaging approximately 100,000 travelers per day. That would represent an increase of roughly 24 percent compared to August of last year.

Even so, Tuesday’s disruptions stood out because Aug. 11 had not been identified in advance as one of the month’s peak travel days. The long waits and widespread flight delays have raised concerns about how the airport system will cope on dates expected to see even heavier passenger traffic.

Much of the pressure centered on the airport’s ground handling operations. While many travelers associate these services with Ben Gurion Airport itself, passenger check-in, baggage handling, and aircraft servicing are carried out by several private ground service companies that operate on behalf of the airlines.

As a result, delays in baggage processing and aircraft turnaround times cannot automatically be attributed to Ben Gurion Airport or the Israel Airports Authority. Instead, they may stem from operational bottlenecks, staffing shortages, and the ability of the ground service providers to handle the volume of passengers.

The Israel Airports Authority has already taken steps to prepare for the busy summer travel season. During July, it advised passengers to arrive approximately three hours before departure, complete online check-in whenever possible, verify their departure terminal in advance, and use self-service baggage tagging and drop-off stations when available.

Tuesday night’s events, however, highlighted the limitations of those recommendations when the primary bottleneck occurs within the baggage handling and ground service system. Even travelers who arrived several hours before their flights found themselves waiting for extended periods before completing the departure process.

An Israeli court has approved a class-action lawsuit seeking 350 million shekels ($116 million) against Anita Gelato Ltd., which operates the Golda and Anita ice cream brands, over claims that products marketed as “sugar-free” contained substantial amounts of sugar.

The Central District Court in Lod found sufficient grounds to examine allegations that consumers could have understood the “sugar-free” labeling to mean that the products contained no sugar, rather than simply no added sugar.

Golda, one of Israel’s largest ice cream chains, has more than 100 locations across the country.

The ruling does not determine whether the company violated the law. That question will be examined in the class-action proceedings.

The case centers on Golda’s hazelnut and coffee flavors. Plaintiff Sol Yarkoni commissioned laboratory testing after purchasing about half a kilogram (1.1 pounds) of the ice cream from a Golda branch in January 2024.

According to test results submitted to the court, the products contained about 6.6 grams of lactose per 100 grams. Lactose is a naturally occurring sugar found in milk. Israeli regulations cited in the case set a maximum of 0.5 grams of sugar per 100 grams for products labeled “sugar-free.”

Yarkoni, who said she avoids sugar for health and dietary reasons, told the court that she suspected after eating the ice cream that it contained sugar. She subsequently sent samples to a Health Ministry-approved laboratory for analysis. The reported lactose content was more than 13 times the threshold cited in the case.

The lawsuit covers consumers who purchased products marketed as “sugar-free” from Golda and Anita over a seven-year period. Yarkoni is seeking refunds for affected customers as well as compensation of up to 300 shekels ($100) per class member.

The claim also alleges that the tested products contained polyol-based sugar substitutes that were not adequately disclosed to consumers.

In its defense, Anita Gelato Ltd. challenged Yarkoni’s credibility and motives, arguing that she appeared to have anticipated legal action when she purchased the ice cream. The company cited, among other things, the fact that she photographed her receipt immediately after the purchase.

The company also argued that consumers understand that milk-based ice cream naturally contains lactose and that “sugar-free” therefore means that no additional sugar has been added.

Judge Iris Rabinovitch-Brun rejected that argument at this stage of the proceedings, finding that there was reason to believe that sugar content would be a material consideration for consumers purchasing ice cream specifically labeled “sugar-free.” The judge also found grounds to conclude that the product may have been purchased and consumed under the impression that it was sugar-free.

The court further questioned why the chain could not have used wording such as “no added sugar” if that was what it intended to communicate.

The class action will examine whether Golda breached consumer-protection and labeling laws, violated applicable standards or statutory duties, or was negligent or unjustly enriched. The court will also consider whether the company was required to provide clearer information about the products’ sugar content and other ingredients.

An expert opinion submitted by Yarkoni said that consuming ice cream containing sugar could pose health concerns for people with diabetes. The opinion further stated that products containing the level of lactose identified in the testing would likely not have met criteria associated with “sugar-free” labeling by the Israel Diabetes Association.

Anita Gelato Ltd. said it had removed the products as a precaution while rejecting the allegations. JNS

As the Elul zeman approaches, Slabodka Rosh Yeshivah Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch delivered a stirring address to tens of thousands of bnei yeshivah gathered in Beit Shemesh for the siyum of the “V’Talmudo B’Yado” program organized by the Ichud Bnei Yeshivos. Calling on bnei Torah to prepare for Elul and Rosh Hashanah with renewed commitment, Rav Hirsch urged them to break free from mediocrity by accepting a concrete and demanding commitment to limud haTorah.

At the beginning of his remarks, the Rosh Yeshivah reflected on the decrees and hardships that the Olam HaTorah has endured over the past year. He said that as the Yom HaDin approaches, every individual must ask himself what genuine change he can make in order to merit a better year.

“We are just days away from Elul. We are returning to the yeshivos and approaching Rosh Hashanah,” he said. “We remember last Rosh Hashanah, and looking back we now understand what was written then. All of the decrees against us, all of the hardships, and all of the hatred directed against us—all of it was decreed by Hashem.”

The Rosh Yeshivah stressed that ordinary resolutions will not be enough given the current circumstances.

“We are approaching another Rosh Hashanah, when our fate will once again be written, and we must think about what we can do to change it. Certainly, if we want things to change, it requires something drastic. General chizuk alone is not enough. If there is not something drastic, there will be no change.”

Rav Hirsch then cited the Sforno on the posuk, “Re’eh Anochi Nosein Lifneichem Hayom Berachah U’Kelalah,” explaining that a person must avoid living an average, mediocre life and instead choose the path that leads to blessing and success.

“We must learn from this not to be mediocre,” Rav Moshe Hillel said. “We need to strive for outstanding success. That is what is demanded of us—to leave mediocrity behind and rise to higher levels.”

Continuing, he quoted the teachings of Rav Yisroel Salanter, explaining that true avodas Hashem cannot be limited to actions that come naturally through habit and routine.

“A person was created to toil, to wage the battle of serving Hashem, and is obligated to work hard in avodas Hashem. It is not enough merely to preserve what his natural tendencies already allow him to do on their own.”

The Rosh Yeshivah observed that many people—including bochurim—simply continue along the path of habit while neglecting areas that require genuine effort.

“They attended cheder, then yeshivah ketanah, then yeshivah gedolah, and later kollel, simply following their natural course. But whatever demands extra effort is often neglected. Rav Yisroel says that in such a case, a person is not serving Hashem at all—it is merely his nature carrying him along.”

Rav Hirsch emphasized that escaping mediocrity means fulfilling the will of the Creator even when it runs contrary to one’s personal inclinations.

“The foundation of serving Hashem is to observe and fulfill even those things that a person’s heart does not naturally desire. That is what it means not to be mediocre: to do what Hashem wants out of obligation and with the understanding that we simply must do it.”

The Rosh Yeshivah also quoted the teaching of his rebbi, Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l, explaining that many people hesitate to accept the ol Torah because of a mistaken assumption. A person fears the burden, when in reality accepting the ol brings with it “true wealth and genuine happiness.”

Rav Hirsch illustrated the point by referring to fasting on Yom Kippur. A person who is hungry and thirsty does not debate whether to eat because he knows with certainty that it is forbidden.

“It is difficult, but it is obvious that this is what we do. There is no argument,” he said.

He explained that the same attitude should apply to the obligation of limud haTorah.

“A person who accepts the ol Torah and realizes there is no alternative but to learn—that he cannot waste time and cannot limit himself only to what comes easily—is like someone on Yom Kippur regarding eating. Then he has no problem at all. On the contrary, he will actually feel that ‘Hashem’s Torah is perfect and restores the soul; Hashem’s commandments are upright and gladden the heart.’”

The Rosh Yeshivah then presented the assembled bnei yeshivah with a practical goal.

“Each person should accept upon himself the obligation of a fixed number of hours. Ten hours is the minimum—but it must be accepted. Some will say this is not for them, only for exceptional older bochurim. A bochur may think, ‘I’m an ordinary bochur. I’ve done all sorts of things. What does this have to do with me?’”

To answer that concern, Rav Hirsch quoted the Chofetz Chaim, who explained that the yetzer hara tries to prevent a person from taking on meaningful commitments by making him feel inadequate.

“When the yetzer hara sees that a person wants to undertake something great, it fills his heart with sadness and causes him to think that this mitzvah is not meant for him, but only for the great people of the generation and the outstanding masmidim. The Chofetz Chaim says that this is the yetzer hara.”

While urging dramatic personal growth, Rav Hirsch stressed that lasting change should be implemented gradually and in a practical manner.

“Each person should accept upon himself several hours each day during which there is absolutely no wasted time—only learning. He should establish those hours and recognize that they represent his ol. From there, he will be able to continue growing further and further.”

The Rosh Yeshivah concluded with a heartfelt tefillah that these practical commitments would arouse Heavenly mercy as the Yom HaDin approaches.

“Perhaps this practical commitment will arouse Heavenly mercy before the Yom HaDin. Then, b’siyata diShmaya, we will truly merit a Rosh Hashanah of being inscribed and sealed for a good year.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel and Venezuela agreed on Tuesday to renew consular relations and establish a coordination mechanism to provide services to citizens of both countries, the two governments jointly announced.

The agreement, reached following talks between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and his Venezuelan counterpart Félix Plasencia González, creates an official channel of coordination between Jerusalem and Caracas, which have not maintained diplomatic relations since 2009.

The two countries also agreed to continue technical cooperation tied to emergency response and reconstruction following Venezuela’s June earthquakes. An Israeli humanitarian delegation led by the Foreign Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command assisted Venezuelan authorities for several weeks after the disaster.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry, IDF Home Front Command and Israeli National Emergency Management Authority sent more than 50 professionals to assist local authorities, and Venezuelan leaders requested that the mission be extended.

At one point, 32 Israeli specialists were operating in La Guaira, near Caracas, helping authorities shift from immediate emergency response to long-term rehabilitation. Israeli personnel aided damage assessments, recovery planning and decision-making after hundreds of coastal buildings were destroyed.

The Israeli deployment was the Home Front Command’s longest humanitarian assistance mission to date.

The joint statement also highlighted Venezuela’s Jewish community as a bridge of “historic friendship” between the two countries.

A top rabbi in Venezuela on Sunday asked the country’s president, Delcy Rodríguez, to restore diplomatic relations with Israel, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said.

Rabbi Isaac Cohen, chief rabbi of the Israelite Association of Venezuela (AIV), delivered a letter addressed to Rodríguez during a meeting with Plasencia at the ministry’s headquarters in Caracas, according to a ministry statement.

The meeting was to “address the needs of the Jewish community in our country,” said Plasencia, according to the ministry.

“Venezuela has historically welcomed, with open arms, a large Jewish community whose contributions have added, and continue to add, to the well-being and development of our nation,” he added.

Plasencia also reiterated the Venezuelan government’s gratitude for assistance Israel provided following two earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.

Venezuela severed diplomatic relations with Israel in January 2009 under then-President Hugo Chávez, who cited Israel’s military campaign that year against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Relations between Venezuela and Israel deteriorated under Chávez, who died in 2013, and did not improve under his successor, Nicolás Maduro. Both developed close ties with Iran, repeatedly denounced Israel and faced accusations of encouraging antisemitism.

For years under Chávez, Venezuelan Jews experienced repeated police raids on communal institutions.

The Jewish population of Venezuela declined significantly during the eras of Chávez and Maduro, who were also vociferously anti-American.

In January, U.S. President Donald Trump launched a military operation in which Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken from Caracas to the U.S. to face charges of conspiring to bring cocaine into the United States. They have denied the charges as they await trial. The new government, though led by figures from the Maduro regime, has taken a more pragmatic approach to its relations with the United States, including restoring diplomatic and consular relations with Washington. JNS

Thousands of Vizhnitzer chassidim from across Eretz Yisroel gathered Tuesday night at the main Gerer bais medrash in Yerushalayim for a massive “Mekadshei Shemecha” maamad led by the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, who made a rare public appearance despite his recent weakness. During the gathering, the Rebbe’s directives were presented, including a firm call not to enlist in the army or any military-related framework and to strengthen emunah in the home.

The event also served as a major fundraising campaign on behalf of the Association of Vizhnitzer Institutions. Participants were deeply moved when the Rebbe arrived despite his weakened condition. The gathering had originally been scheduled to take place in Meron, but because of the Rebbe’s health, it was relocated to Yerushalayim near Moshav Ora, where the Rebbe has been staying in recent days.

The central theme of the evening focused on Kiddush Hashem and the current challenges facing the Olam HaTorah. The program opened with an emotional presentation by the children of the American “Yiddish Nachas” group, highlighting mesirus nefesh for limud haTorah. Later, chassidim presented a dramatic reenactment of “Prison 10,” depicting a chossid sitting in chains while continuing to learn Torah.

Moments before the Vizhnitzer Rebbe entered the hall, his brother-in-law, Rav Menachem Ernster, Rosh Yeshivas Vizhnitz, led the crowd in reciting Shma Koleinu using the Yamim Nora’im nusach. Rav Yaakov Mordechai Hager, Av Beis Din of Vizhnitz Elad, then recited Tehillim.

One of the evening’s most stirring moments came with the arrival of the Gerer Rebbe, who attended to express solidarity with the Olam HaTorah and reinforce the resolve to preserve Torah learning. Thousands of Vizhnitzer chassidim greeted the Gerer Rebbe with thunderous singing, while the Vizhnitzer Rebbe personally honored and accompanied him. Rav Chaim Meir Hager, Av Beis Din of Vizhnitz, welcomed the Gerer Rebbe and warmly thanked him for hosting the gathering in the Gur bais medrash.

During the assembly, the Vizhnitzer Av Beis Din read the Rebbe’s message to the assembled crowd. In his remarks, the Rebbe instructed his followers not to enlist in the army or participate in any military track, to strengthen their children with words of emunah and mesirus nefesh, and to contribute kofer nefesh in light of the current situation.

{Matzav.com}

The Powerball jackpot has climbed to an estimated $975 million after no ticket matched all six winning numbers in Monday night’s drawing, making it the largest lottery prize of 2026 to date. While the advertised jackpot is approaching the $1 billion milestone, the eventual winner would receive substantially less after taxes if opting for a lump-sum payment.

The winning numbers drawn Monday night were 6, 37, 54, 55, 64, with Red Powerball 10.

The winner of Wednesday night’s drawing will be able to choose between receiving the full $975 million jackpot in 30 annual payments or accepting a one-time cash payout of approximately $422.3 million, the option selected by most jackpot winners.

If the cash option is chosen, the federal government’s mandatory 24% withholding would immediately reduce the payment to about $320.9 million.

Depending on the winner’s total taxable income, the federal tax rate could ultimately reach 37%, lowering the after-tax payout to roughly $266 million.

Those who choose the annuity option would receive annual payments of approximately $32.5 million before taxes. After applying the top federal tax rate of 37%, each yearly payment would be reduced to about $20.5 million.

State taxes could further reduce the winnings. Some states, including New York, impose taxes on lottery prizes, with New York’s rate reaching 10.9%, while states such as Texas, Florida, and California do not tax lottery winnings.

Last month, Powerball expanded ticket sales to the United Kingdom for the first time. Officials said the move is expected to increase jackpot growth by adding more ticket sales to the prize pool.

Under the U.K. version of the game, jackpot winners are required to receive their prize through annual installments over 30 years and are not offered a lump-sum cash option. The U.K. National Lottery currently advertises the jackpot at £503 million (approximately $679.5 million), a figure officials say reflects the estimated value of the 30-year payout after accounting for exchange rates and U.K. tax requirements.

The current jackpot surpasses this year’s previous largest lottery prize—an $800 million Mega Millions jackpot won by a ticket holder in Florida last week. Among Powerball winners this year, the largest claimed jackpot had previously been a $250.8 million prize won by a player in Arkansas.

The next Powerball drawing is scheduled for Wednesday night. If no one wins, the jackpot is expected to become the first U.S. lottery prize to exceed $1 billion since December 2025.

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot remain 1 in 292.2 million, unchanged despite the addition of U.K. players. Those odds are even longer than Mega Millions, where the chance of winning the top prize is approximately 1 in 290.4 million.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, delivered a forceful defense of Jewish communities in Yehudah and Shomron during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Tuesday, declaring that Israel’s presence in the region is permanent while accusing the international body of applying a double standard in its treatment of violence.

The Security Council session was convened to discuss recent developments in Yehudah and Shomron.

Speaking before the council, Danon insisted that Jewish communities in the region are an enduring part of the Land of Israel and should not be portrayed as temporary or illegitimate.

“The Security Council must understand a simple truth: we are not going anywhere. Jewish communities will stay in Judea and Samaria. Jewish communities are not temporary outposts, nor obstacles to peace. They are permanent homes, thriving neighborhoods where families live. Judea and Samaria is where our people’s eternal connection to the Land of Israel began,” Danon declared before the council.

Danon also criticized what he described as the UN’s inconsistent approach to reporting violence in the area, arguing that attacks involving Israelis are characterized differently from those committed by Palestinian Arab terrorists.

“When Israelis are involved, this body uses a collective label, ‘settler violence.’ But when Palestinian radicals carry out attacks, you refer only to the ones responsible. That is not justice. that is prejudice,” Danon stated.

{Matzav.com}

Former New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind has sharply criticized the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Zalman Leib Teitelbaum, accusing him of endangering the Jewish community by condemning those who speak out against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Hikind said he believes the Rebbe’s remarks were driven by political considerations rather than purely l’sheim Shamayim motives.

“I wish I could believe that it was lishmah, that it was sincere, that it was all about Torah and it was all about God,” Hikind, founder of Americans Against Antisemitism, told JNS. “But I don’t believe that for one second.”

Hikind said he was stunned when he first read the Rebbe’s comments.

“I was flabbergasted, shocked and had to take a second look at the statement from Satmar, because I really couldn’t believe it,” Hikind told JNS. “They’ve done a lot of radical crazy stuff, but this goes beyond the pale.”

The controversy stems from remarks delivered Sunday by Rav Zalman Leib during his annual address marking the 47th yahrtzeit of the Satmar Rov, Rav Yoel Teitelbaum. According to Hikind, those comments place New York’s Jewish community at greater risk.

“We know that the police department has itself talked about the incitement that’s going on,” he told JNS. “We know that the Justice Department is looking into it. Everyone has been calling on the mayor to tone down his rhetoric, and what the Satmar Rebbe said this week undermines the Jewish people and endangers the Jewish people in New York.”

Rav Zalman Leib told his chassidim that publicly attacking Mamdani violates the Torah’s approach to Jewish life in golus.

“Recently, we have witnessed a terrible provocation against the nations by heimishe Yidden,” by Jews, “through the incitement against the mayor of New York City,” the Rav said.

“We must remember that we are in exile,” he reportedly said. “The novi Yirmiyahu instructed the Jewish people: ‘Seek the peace of the city to which I have exiled you, and pray to God on its behalf.’”

“An observant Jew must follow the Torah’s path and accept the decree of exile,” he added.

The Satmar Rebbe also argued that labeling Mamdani an antisemite is a mistake.

Mamdani has publicly said that Israel should not exist as a Jewish state and campaigned on arresting Israel’s prime minister should he visit New York. His spokeswoman has also stated that shuls violate international law when they host pro-Israel events.

“To denounce the mayor and brand him an antisemite constitutes a true provocation against the nations,” the Satmar Rebbe reportedly said. “As though the provocation against the nations taking place in Eretz Yisroel,” in Israel, “were not enough, they are now bringing it here to the United States as well.”

Hikind said he believes there may be political calculations behind the Satmar leadership’s position.

“I can’t tell you how many programs they have, but I guarantee you eventually we’re going to find out that they are benefiting from this rhetoric,” he told JNS.

“Instead of protecting the Jewish community, they are protecting Mamdani,” he said. “Mamdani is thrilled with these comments coming out of Satmar and patting them on the back. There are ‘good Jews and bad Jews,’ and now Satmar are the ‘good’ Jews.”

He went even further, arguing that Satmar has aligned itself with those who supported Mamdani politically.

Satmar is “in bed with the radical Jews, the 35% who voted for Mamdani” and who “undermine the Jewish people,” Hikind told JNS. “They’re in bed with those people. They’re on the same page.”

David Myers, professor of Jewish history at UCLA, told JNS that Satmar’s position reflects two longstanding ideological principles that distinguish it from much of the Orthodox community.

According to Myers, Satmar’s anti-Zionist outlook is rooted in its belief that Jews should not hasten the arrival of Moshiach through political action, while its understanding of dina d’malchusa dina requires Jews in golus to respect and obey the governing authorities.

He added that Satmar has also historically maintained a pragmatic approach toward secular government.

“We must add one other key feature of Satmar political behavior: a transactional pragmatism that has always enabled Satmar leaders to engage with and accommodate to secular political leaders in exchange for tangible benefits,” Myers told JNS.

Myers noted that the anniversary of Rav Yoel Teitelbaum’s passing is one of the movement’s most significant annual events, together with the anniversary of his liberation from Bergen-Belsen.

“It is certainly an opportunity to reaffirm Rav Yoelish’s central principles, but the swirling debates around Mayor Mamdani’s views also prompted Rav Zalman Leib to weigh in with his own, decidedly Satmar perspective,” the scholar said.

“Both as a matter of submission to the sovereign and as a reflection of pragmatic accommodation, it is important to honor the city’s leading official,” he said.

While acknowledging Satmar’s anti-Zionist views, Myers said that alone does not fully explain the Rebbe’s comments.

“The fact that they share an anti-Zionist sensibility is interesting but not, ultimately, dispositive, in my view,” Myers told JNS.

“Rav Zalman Leib’s remarks are a reminder that Orthodoxy is hardly a monolithic phenomenon and that there are very sharp differences between competing groups,” he said. “It should serve as a further admonition against those who would ascribe to Jews a single political view or sensibility.”

“Satmar has, for years and years, built up a way of approaching things in which they prefer to try to make deals and try to protect what they can with the ruling authorities,” said Moshe Krakowski, a professor at Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School.

Krakowski also argued that Satmar today is not as aggressively anti-Zionist as it once was.

He described the movement as operating more in a “non-Zionist slash anti-Zionist mode.”

That distinction, he said, makes it easier for Satmar to separate criticism of Israel from attitudes toward Jews.

“If they felt closer to Israel and to the State of Israel, then you could imagine that that stance might be a little bit more difficult,” he told JNS. “It wouldn’t make it impossible, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that they are non-Zionist.”

Hikind insisted that Jews have an obligation to defend themselves in the face of rising antisemitism.

The elder Rav Teitelbaum, he said, “never would have done this,” especially at a time when antisemitism is increasing across New York City.

“I know we’re in exile. I know. I get it,” he told JNS. “But that doesn’t mean that Jews should not defend themselves or that Jews should not protect their communities.”

“The Jewish community is under attack,” Hikind said. “There is such fear. People talk about whether there’s a future in New York and a future in America because of what’s going on, and what does the Satmar Rebbe do on this very important anniversary of the old Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Teitelbaum—who never would have done this, never—they attack those who stand up and speak out.”

“That’s what they’re doing?” Hikind told JNS. “In the name of God? Shame, shame, shame.”

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rebbetzin Esther Paler a”h, wife of Rav Binyomin Paler zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Mekor Chaim.

Rebbetzin Paler was a daughter of Rav Shmuel Ehrenfeld zt”l, the Mattersdorfer Rov, and was raised in a home steeped in Torah, mesorah and devotion to avodas Hashem. Those values would define her own life as she became the devoted eishes chaver of a legendary marbitz Torah, the aim hayeshiva of Mekor Chaim, and the matriarch of a distinguished family of marbitzei Torah.

For decades, Rebbetzin Paler stood faithfully at the side of her husband, enabling him to devote himself to Torah and the transmission of the Brisker mesorah to generations of talmidim. While Rav Binyomin’s extraordinary accomplishments in harbotzas haTorah became known throughout the Torah world, behind them stood a devoted rebbetzin who assumed the responsibilities of their home and family and provided the support that allowed him to give himself fully to his talmidim and his yeshiva.

Rav Binyomin was one of the closest talmidim of Rav Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rov. During World War II, he joined the Mirrer Yeshiva and escaped the horrors engulfing European Jewry together with the yeshiva, ultimately finding refuge in Shanghai.

Following the war, Rav Binyomin joined his chaver from the Mir, Rav Leib Malin, in establishing Yeshivas Bais Hatalmud in Brooklyn. The following year, he was appointed a maggid shiur at Yeshivas Chasan Sofer, headed by his father-in-law, the Mattersdorfer Rov. Rav Binyomin eventually became the rosh yeshiva there.

In 1965, Rav Binyomin established Yeshiva Mekor Chaim. Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l gave the yeshiva its name to signify that Rav Binyomin was perpetuating the mesorah of Rav Chaim Brisker. A mesivta was subsequently opened in 1976.

Throughout those years, Rebbetzin Paler was an inseparable part of the story of Mekor Chaim. She was the aim hayeshiva not merely by virtue of being the rosh yeshiva’s wife, but through the role she played in making his life of unrelenting Torah learning and teaching possible. Her home was built around Torah, and the yeshiva and its talmidim occupied a central place in that home.

Rebbetzin Paler possessed the quiet strength and dignity characteristic of the great Torah homes of the previous generation. She was kind and generous, carrying herself with simplicity and refinement, without seeking attention or recognition. Her concern for others, devotion to her family, and deep respect for Torah and its lomdim reflected the chinuch she had received in the home of the Mattersdorfer Rov and Rebbetzin.

She witnessed the rebuilding of the Torah world after the devastation of Europe and devoted her own life to that rebuilding. Through her husband’s harbotzas haTorah, through the yeshiva they built together, and through the generations of their own family, she helped ensure the continuation of the mesorah that had been entrusted to them.

Following Rav Binyomin’s petirah, he was succeeded at Mekor Chaim by his three sons, Rav Yitzchok Paler zt”l and, ybl”c, Rav Zechariah Paler and Rav Simcha Bunim Paler, who continued the yeshiva and the derech established by their father.

In 2012, after nearly 50 years in Brooklyn, Yeshiva Mekor Chaim relocated to Lakewood, establishing its home on Locust Street and continuing there the distinctive mesorah upon which Rav Binyomin had founded the yeshiva.

Rebbetzin Paler endured a profound personal loss in 2020 with the tragic petirah of her son, the rosh yeshiva, Rav Yitzchok zt”l.

She leaves behind a remarkable Torah family and generations of descendants who continue the legacy that she and her husband built over a lifetime.

Rebbetzin Paler is survived by her children, Rav Simcha Bunim Paler and Rav Zechariah Paler, roshei yeshiva of Yeshiva Mekor Chaim; Rebbetzin Olshin, wife of Rav Shmuel Abba Olshin, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedolah of Hillside; and Rebbetzin Horowitz, wife of Rav Shmuel Simcha Horowitz; as well as many grandchildren.

The levayah will take place today at Yeshiva Mekor Chaim, located at 160 Locust Street in Lakewood, NJ.

Yehi zichrah baruch.

{Matzav.com}

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday blamed what he described as a “miscommunication” after the NYPD publicly contradicted City Hall’s claim that his wife, Rama Duwaji, would be accompanied by a taxpayer-funded police security detail during her upcoming trip to Syria and Lebanon.

The dispute unfolded after City Hall reversed course on the planned security arrangements. Mamdani ultimately stated that Duwaji will travel next month without NYPD protection, despite a senior spokesperson for his administration saying just one day earlier that officers would accompany her.

Addressing the controversy, Mamdani acknowledged that the earlier announcement had been incorrect.

“There was a miscommunication. She has not yet taken that trip and when she takes that trip it will be without any NYPD detail,” Mamdani told PIX11 when asked about the New York Post’s report.

The controversy began after a source familiar with the matter said Duwaji—whom Mamdani has repeatedly described as a “private person”—had requested an NYPD security detail for the trip. City Hall had initially confirmed that request.

“Upon the strong recommendation of the NYPD, the first lady’s security detail will be joining her when she travels to visit family in Syria and Lebanon,” mayoral spokeswoman Dora Pekec said.

That statement was quickly contradicted by the NYPD, which made clear that the department does not assign officers to accompany personal overseas travel to countries under the highest US travel warning.

“The NYPD does not send officers to countries with level four travel advisories for discretionary reasons not linked to investigative work,” a department spokesperson insisted.

“This is not an investigative trip, and therefore, NYPD personnel will not be traveling there for it.”

The department’s response directly contradicted City Hall’s earlier announcement and amounted to a rare public disagreement between the mayor’s office and the NYPD.

One source familiar with the episode said the confusion resulted from a breakdown in communication.

“They never checked with the commissioner.”

When questioned about the conflicting statements, Pekec referred reporters to Mamdani’s explanation that the issue stemmed from a “miscommunication” and declined further comment.

City Hall also declined to provide additional information about Duwaji’s Sept. 20 trip or clarify whether the purpose of the visit is limited to seeing family.

A source familiar with the plans said the trip has no official government purpose.

“It’s not official business. It’s not doing anything for the city.”

Both Syria and Lebanon are currently listed by the US State Department under its highest-level “Do Not Travel” advisory because of ongoing security concerns.

Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said deploying city police officers to those countries for a personal trip would have been a poor decision.

He described such an assignment as “ill-advised,” adding that it would be costly and require extensive coordination with federal authorities.

“There would be lots of hoops you’d have to go through for that kind of assignment,” he said.

Bratton also said the public contradiction between City Hall and the Police Department should never have occurred.

“You’re going to have to clear up the confusion,” he said.

David Catalfamo, who served as communications director for former New York Gov. George Pataki, said the mayor’s office should defer to law enforcement on security matters and improve communication with the NYPD.

“I suspect communication between the mayor’s office and the police department will be better in the future,” Catalfamo said. “The political folks want to run ahead of the story. It doesn’t work that way when it comes to security.

“The NYPD wants to be there to protect the mayor and his family — but there are limits. Going to Syria and Lebanon is not like buying a ticket on Amtrak.”

Duwaji, a 29-year-old Syrian-American artist, traveled abroad last month without police protection. During that trip, she co-hosted a pro-Palestinian women’s spiritual retreat in Corsica and later served as the “artist-in-residence” at a sold-out “Plants Of The Quran” workshop in Mallorca, Spain. Both events were organized by Women Sanctuary, a travel organization focused on Muslim women.

The episode also highlighted continuing tensions between Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who has not concealed her policy disagreements with the mayor, particularly regarding Israel and public safety.

Tisch entered the administration while openly acknowledging her differences with Mamdani. Within days of his taking office, she reportedly confronted City Hall over what she viewed as the mayor’s slow response to two police shootings.

The two have also publicly diverged on other issues, including Mamdani’s characterization of an incident in which a crowd pelted police officers with snowballs, describing it as simply a “snowball fight that got out of hand.”

Despite those disagreements, Mamdani and Tisch have continued working together, with the mayor frequently highlighting reductions in crime and appearing alongside the police commissioner at public events.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday renewed his criticism of Iran’s leadership, saying he has no trust in the regime while asserting that the United States currently holds a commanding strategic position over Tehran.

Speaking with reporters after returning from an official trip to Ohio, Trump said he believes the situation involving Iran is unfolding in America’s favor.

“Iran is going fine, going just absolutely fine,” Trump remarked to reporters on the tarmac following an official trip to Ohio.

Trump stressed that he remains deeply skeptical of Iran’s intentions and argued that the United States has complete control over one of the world’s most critical waterways.

“I’m the last person to trust Iran. They’ve lied to me constantly. We have total control over the Hormuz Strait right now. They don’t have control. We have total control. We own it. And at some point, maybe they’ll do something, and then they get blown away.”

#WATCH | US President Donald Trump says, "I don't trust Iran. I'm the last person who trusts Iran. They've lied to me constantly. We have total control over the Strait of Hormuz right now. They don't have control. We have total control. We own it. And at some point, maybe they'll… pic.twitter.com/gzXOYP9dVj

— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2026

He added that Iran has lost the dominant regional influence it once exercised.

“But we right now, we’re in a very good position. We have a country that has been the bully of the Middle East for 50 years. It’s been saying 47 for four years. And they’re no longer the bully of the Middle East.”

Reporters also asked Trump about a Washington Post report published Monday describing a covert security operation during his departure from Turkey last month. According to the report, Trump secretly switched to a different military aircraft while the White House publicly maintained that he was flying aboard Air Force One because of a reported Iranian threat.

Trump said the decision was made entirely by his security team and that he simply followed their guidance.

“Well, it’s only up to Secret Service. I just follow what they’d like to do, so I go by Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go in a different flight, a different plane … but they wanted me to do it, so I do it. I do what they say,” Trump explained.

He added that while he was aware there had been a threat, he did not seek extensive details.

“I guess there was a threat out there. I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats. I have a lot of threats that you don’t know about,” he added.

Trump’s latest remarks came one day after he was questioned about his earlier warning that the current negotiations with Iran represented its last opportunity before “decapitation.” Asked what would happen if diplomacy failed, the president declined to elaborate.

“You’ll find out.”

When reporters asked whether a significant military escalation remains an option, Trump again emphasized that the United States has that capability.

“Well, we certainly have that ability if we want to do that. You’ll find out.”

Trump also repeated his rejection of Iranian demands for reparations, arguing that if compensation is owed, it is Tehran—not Washington—that should be paying.

“They ask for reparations, you might say, or they ask for money for the damage that we’ve done. And I said, that’s a good idea. Well, we’re going to ask for money for the damage they’ve done over a 50-year period, whether you go USS Cole or whether you go [to] all of the people that were so badly hurt, so badly wounded or killed – many thousands of people. And maybe damages for the 52,000 protesters over the last four months that were killed in Iran. It was at least 52,000 a month and a half ago. So now what is it? If there are damages to be paid, I think Iran should pay those damages.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said he would welcome the opportunity to seek another term in the White House in 2028, while recognizing that the U.S. Constitution presents a significant legal obstacle to any attempt at a third presidency.

Speaking to reporters, Trump was asked whether he was serious about pursuing another campaign after repeatedly referencing the 2028 election in recent months.

“Everybody asks me that question, and you know that the law is very strong on that,” Trump said, according to IANS.

“I’d love to run, but the law is very strong,” he added.

The question came after Trump was asked about a “Trump 2028” advertisement displayed during a recent dinner event, as well as repeated chants from supporters encouraging him to seek another term.

Trump said the issue is raised with him frequently.

“I get asked by everyone… Even tonight, they’re screaming at the event, ‘2028.’”

Despite his remarks, Trump stopped short of saying he intends to challenge the constitutional prohibition on serving more than two elected terms as president.

The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1951 following Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented four presidential victories, bars any individual from being elected president more than twice.

Trump has already been elected president on two occasions, first in 2016 and again in 2024, making him ineligible for another elected term under the current Constitution.

Ukrainian strikes have reportedly crippled the air defense and electronic warfare systems protecting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s lavish Black Sea estate, leaving the sprawling compound vulnerable to additional attacks, according to a new report.

The estate, widely known as “Putin’s Palace,” was recently targeted in separate attacks that damaged both its electronic jamming equipment and nearby anti-aircraft missile systems, The Times of Moscow reported.

Military analyst Yan Matveyev said satellite imagery indicates that key defensive assets have been destroyed.

“Satellite imagery shows the destruction of at least one launcher … Now Putin’s ‘palace’ is left unprotected,” military analyst Yan Matveyev told the outlet.

According to the report, the first significant strike occurred on Aug. 7, when Ukrainian weapons hit a Volna Kupol Garant electronic warfare system positioned near the Black Sea compound.

The system, which reportedly protects an area of more than seven square miles, is designed to disrupt Starlink satellite communications, which Ukrainian forces rely on to coordinate military operations.

After the jamming system was disabled, Ukrainian drones were able to strike nearby S-400 air defense batteries, according to Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces.

The Times of Moscow reported that the attack on the S-400 system took place on Aug. 9. The missile launcher reportedly burned for roughly three hours before being destroyed.

Matveyev said the damage has significantly weakened the defenses surrounding the estate and could leave it exposed to future Ukrainian strikes.

The expansive residence, reportedly spanning approximately 190,000 square feet, sits on Cape Idokopas near the Black Sea resort city of Gelendzhik, not far from the Crimean Peninsula.

Public attention was first drawn to the property in 2021 through an investigative documentary released by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in a Siberian penal colony in 2024.

According to Navalny’s investigation, the estate includes a casino, theater, hockey rink, vineyard, and even a “hookah lounge” that he alleged functioned as Putin’s private strip club.

Navalny also claimed the compound was protected by extraordinary security measures, including heavily fortified fencing, a private port, its own security force, a no-fly zone, and an independent border checkpoint, effectively making it “a state within a state.”

Putin has consistently denied owning the property. Reports indicate he has rarely visited the estate in recent years as Ukraine has expanded attacks targeting Russian-held Crimea and military assets along the Black Sea coast.

{Matzav.com}