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Members of Israel’s State Comptroller Oversight Committee toured the Negev and held a professional briefing near the Sdeh Brir site, as opposition mounts to plans for phosphate mining that critics warn could endanger public health across the region.

The visit, led by committee chair Alon Schuster, followed a prior committee discussion seeking an opinion from the State Comptroller on the government’s policy regarding phosphate extraction at the site. Participating in the tour were Knesset members, leaders from Bedouin communities in the area, Arad Mayor Yair Maayan, and Arad city council members Yitzchak Gordon and Chaim Tzinterboim.

Committee members toured open areas adjacent to the proposed mining zone, observing firsthand the scale of the land involved and its proximity to residential neighborhoods and educational institutions. Following the field visit, lawmakers convened a formal committee session at the Al-Fura’a School complex, which sits near the planned mining area and operates under the authority of the Arad municipality. During the meeting, officials were presented with assessments indicating that more than 100,000 residents—including students in nearby schools—could be affected if the mining project moves forward.

The tour and hearing were conducted against the backdrop of claims raised in earlier committee deliberations that the mining plan is being advanced in contradiction to a 2022 government decision. That decision conditioned any progress on phosphate extraction on a comprehensive review of health and environmental impacts.

Schuster said the committee came to the area out of deep concern for proper governance. “In a functioning state, there must be order and responsibility,” he said. “It is unacceptable for discussions and decisions to move ahead on such a sensitive issue without thoroughly examining what it means on the ground.” He warned that the Sdeh Brir project could pose serious health and environmental risks to more than 100,000 Negev residents, citing potential dispersal of hazardous dust linked to severe respiratory illness, heart disease, and cancer, as well as the possible displacement of thousands of Bedouin residents.

Mayor Maayan, who guided the tour, emphasized what he described as genuine coexistence in the area. “Here, coexistence isn’t a slogan. It’s reality,” he said, noting that Arad was the only city to take in Bedouin residents during the war. Questioning the project’s rationale, Maayan asked why, if a mine is truly planned, no evidence has been presented to the Health Ministry proving there is no danger. “Human lives are being knowingly put at risk,” he said, adding that after failures to protect communities near Gaza, exposing more than 100,000 Arad-area residents to a proven health threat is unacceptable.

Maayan also raised concerns about the unresolved status of the Al-Fura’a community, saying its location has yet to be finalized. He called for immediate advancement of planning procedures for the settlement, noting that while the Education Ministry budgeted for a permanent school within Arad’s jurisdiction, the Bedouin Authority declined. “Today there are about 15,000 people in limbo,” he said, warning that it could take two decades to establish a regulated community, during which the population could double. “So where, exactly, is there room for a mine?”

Addressing the issue, Yitzchok Goldknopf said, “All of Eretz Yisrael was shaken this week by the deaths of two infants—and rightly so. Human life comes before everything. So why here, when there is a risk of sudden loss of life and the development of a large-scale health disaster, is there silence? Why wait to talk about it only after a tragedy occurs, G-d forbid? Everyone says this place is dangerous—so how can discussions even continue?”

MK Walid Al-Huashla urged unity, warning against politicizing the struggle. “There are ministers and lawmakers who come here to inflame tensions and deepen the conflict,” he said. “The Negev belongs to all citizens—Arab and Jewish alike. The fight against phosphate mining is a shared struggle, and it must be conducted together, as we live side by side, without sowing division or hostility.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump warned Iran once again on Thursday, telling reporters during an airborne press briefing while traveling from Davos back to Washington that the United States has significantly increased its military presence in the region as tensions remain high.

“We have a lot of ships going in that direction, just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction. And we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “We have a big force going toward Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/2014459542612984310

Trump reiterated claims that his intervention last week stopped mass executions in Iran, asserting that hundreds of prisoners were spared as a result of U.S. pressure. “I stopped 837 hangings [last] Thursday. They would have been dead. Every one of them would have been hung. This is like from a thousand years ago,” he said.

Describing Iran as “an ancient culture” with “very smart people,” Trump said Iranian authorities had intended to execute “837 mostly young men,” but reversed course after receiving his warning.

“I said ‘if you hang those people, you’re going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit. It’ll make what we did to your Iran nuclear look like peanuts.’ And an hour before this horrible thing was going to take place, they canceled it. And they actually said they canceled it. They didn’t postpone it. They canceled it. So that was a good sign.”

Despite portraying the halt in executions as a positive development, Trump stressed that U.S. military readiness remains unchanged. “But we have an armada, we have a massive fleet heading in that direction. And maybe we won’t have to use it. We’ll see.”

The president also announced that new economic penalties aimed at Iran’s trading partners would soon be implemented. “If you do business with Iran, you will have a tariff of 25 percent,” he said.

A day earlier, Trump discussed rising tensions with Iran in an interview with CNBC, saying, “We hope there’s not going to be further action. They were shooting people indiscriminately on the streets and they were going to hang 837, mostly young people” after he warned Tehran of consequences for harming protesters.

Trump has also continued to address Iran’s nuclear ambitions, saying the country must abandon any pursuit of nuclear weapons. “They gotta stop with the nuclear.”

Earlier in the week, he warned that the United States would respond decisively if Iran carries out executions of protesters or follows through on threats to assassinate him.

During an interview with NewsNation host Katie Pavlich, Trump was asked about reports that Iranian authorities were still burning protesters alive and about recent assassination threats against him.

“Well, they shouldn’t be doing it, but I’ve left notification: Anything ever happens, the whole country is going to get blown up,” Trump said. “But I have very firm instructions: Anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth.”

{Matzav.com}

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President Trump on Thursday announced that a finalized agreement will keep TikTok operating nationwide, ending months of uncertainty over the app’s status in the United States.

Under the terms of the arrangement, TikTok will be reorganized as a new joint venture based in the U.S., backed by American investors, removing the immediate risk of a nationwide shutdown of the popular video platform.

“I am so happy to have helped in saving TikTok!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“It will now be owned by a group of Great American Patriots and Investors, the Biggest in the World, and will be an important Voice,” the president continued. “Along with other factors, it was responsible for my doing so well with the Youth Vote in the 2024 Presidential Election.

“I only hope that long into the future I will be remembered by those who use and love TikTok.”

As part of the restructuring, TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, will keep a minority 19.9% ownership stake in the platform.

The investor group participating in the new venture includes Silver Lake, Oracle, and MGX.

Adam Presser, who previously served as TikTok’s head of operations and trust and safety, has been named chief executive officer of the newly formed U.S. entity.

“The majority American owned Joint Venture will operate under defined safeguards that protect national security through comprehensive data protections, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurances for US users,” the company said in a statement released Thursday.

TikTok’s approximately 170 million American users will continue using the same app without interruption.

The deal follows legislation passed by Congress in 2024 and signed by former President Joe Biden, which required ByteDance to divest from TikTok or face a nationwide ban.

Lawmakers from both parties had raised alarms over TikTok’s recommendation algorithm and the potential for the Chinese Communist Party to access sensitive user information.

Those concerns escalated in January 2025, when TikTok temporarily went offline for several hours after ByteDance failed to meet the law’s deadline to secure a new American owner.

On the first day of his second term, Trump signed an executive order allowing TikTok to continue operating while his administration negotiated a sale and broader restructuring of the company.

As outlined in the agreement, Oracle will house U.S. user data on domestic servers, while TikTok’s algorithm will be licensed to the American entity and retrained under U.S. oversight.

Trump described the outcome as a positive ending for both the platform and its users.

“Thank you to Vice President JD Vance, and all of the others within my Administration, who helped bring this Deal to a very dramatic, final, and beautiful conclusion,” the president said.

“I would also like to thank President Xi, of China, for working with us and, ultimately, approving the Deal,” Trump added. “He could have gone the other way, but didn’t, and is appreciated for his decision.”

{Matzav.com}

The Rav of the Old City of Yerushalayim, Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl, sent a personal letter of chizuk to a yeshiva bochur currently being held in military prison for not reporting to the IDF draft office.

The letter was addressed to Tzvi Perkovitz, one of the talmidim of Ponevezh Yeshiva, who was arrested in recent weeks after refusing to present himself for enlistment. The move by Rav Nebenzahl reflected the depth of his pain over what he views as the ongoing persecution of lomdei Torah.

The bochur, the son of a respected dayan and marbitz Torah, is widely regarded in his yeshiva as a masmid and ben aliyah. News of his arrest caused profound anguish for Rav Nebenzahl, prompting him to deviate from his customary reserve and send a handwritten letter of encouragement, delivered by special courier directly into the military prison.

Rav Nebenzahl opens his letter with words of admiration and honor: “Lechvod habachur hachashuv v’hanisaleh, muflag b’Torah v’yiras Shamayim… I heard with great pain that you were cast into prison by willful hands because you fulfilled your obligation to immerse yourself in our holy Torah and did not, chalilah, enlist in the army.”

He continues by strengthening the bochur’s resolve and framing his ordeal as a badge of eternal merit: “Therefore I have come to strengthen your spirit and fortify your heart. Ashrecha shenitpasta al divrei Torah. Do not fear and do not be broken, for the Torah that you now uphold amid poverty and distress you will ultimately uphold in wealth, joy, and expanded serenity of mind.”

At this point, Rav Nebenzahl turns his pen sharply against those seeking to coerce bnei yeshivos into military service, employing unusually forceful language: “And those who rise up against the learners of Torah, all of them, a wind will carry them off, they will vanish like mist.”

The letter concludes with a heartfelt brachah: “Those who take refuge in Hashem will inherit the land and possess His holy mountain, speedily in our days, amen. And may it be fulfilled in you: ‘Min hameitzar karasi Kah, anani bamerchav Kah.’”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump announced that Canada will no longer be invited to join the “Board of Peace” he introduced this week in Davos, delivering the message directly to Prime Minister Mark Carney in a social media post that appeared to be sent from Air Force One.

In the post, Trump addressed the Canadian leader personally, writing: “Dear Prime Minister Carney,” before continuing, “Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time.”

Although several leaders from Western democracies chose not to participate in Trump’s newly announced international body, Carney had previously indicated a tentative willingness to consider joining. Speaking before the Davos gathering, he stressed that Canada had not yet reviewed “all the details of the structure, how it’s going to work, what the financing is for, etcetera.”

At the same time, Carney underscored Canada’s fiscal priorities, telling reporters, “Canada wants money to have maximum impact.”

That caution was echoed days later by Canada’s finance minister, François-Philippe Champagne, who said Tuesday that Ottawa had no intention of paying the $1 billion fee reportedly required for a permanent seat on the board, which was initially presented as a temporary mechanism to oversee governance and reconstruction efforts in Gaza.

Tensions between the two leaders escalated further during the Davos conference, where Carney warned of what he described as “a rupture” in the longstanding “rules-based” international order, blaming Trump’s confrontational approach for undermining it.

Trump, for his part, made clear upon arriving in Davos that he was aware of Carney’s remarks. Addressing the forum on Wednesday, he declared, “Canada lives because of the United States,” adding pointedly, “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

Carney fired back the following day, rejecting Trump’s assertion outright. “Canada doesn’t live because of the United States,” he said. “Canada thrives because we are Canadian.”

{Matzav.com}

The White House on Thursday addressed questions surrounding a noticeable bruise on President Donald Trump’s left hand, which became visible during a Board of Peace signing ceremony in Davos.

Speaking to Fox News, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president injured his hand after striking it against the corner of the signing table at the event.

A White House official further explained that Trump bruises more easily because he takes a daily aspirin, a practice that has been previously disclosed by his doctors. The official also noted that photographs taken the day before showed no sign of bruising, according to Fox News.

Images of the bruise circulating online quickly sparked speculation across social media platforms.

Trump has previously spoken publicly about his aspirin use. “They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” Trump told The Wall Street Journal earlier this year. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”

He acknowledged that he takes a high daily dose and is reluctant to reduce it. “I’m a little superstitious,” he told the Journal.

At various public appearances, Trump has at times concealed his hand with bandages or what appears to be makeup.

Questions about the president’s health had surfaced previously after he revealed in October that he underwent an MRI.

On Dec. 1, the White House released a medical memo from Sean Barbabella, stating that Trump received advanced imaging at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as a precautionary step.

“The purpose of this imaging is preventive: to identify issues early, confirm overall health, and ensure he maintains long-term vitality and function,” Barbabella said.

He added that the results showed no cause for concern. “President Trump’s cardiovascular imaging is perfectly normal. There is no evidence of arterial narrowing impairing blood flow or abnormalities in the heart or major vessels,” Barbabella said. “The heart chambers are normal in size, the vessel walls appear smooth and healthy, and there are no signs of inflammation, or clotting. Overall, his cardiovascular system shows excellent health.”

{Matzav.com}

Footage circulating on social media from the signing ceremony to reestablish the Joint List has ignited a political storm, after it showed Arab members of Knesset celebrating while chanting “Allahu Akbar.”

The videos emerged shortly after leaders of the Arab parties — spanning the full political spectrum, including Ra’am on one end and Balad on the other — signed an agreement on Thursday committing to run together as a unified slate in the upcoming elections.

The images, which spread rapidly online, depict MKs at the event clapping and celebrating to repeated chants of “Allahu Akbar,” prompting sharp criticism from across the political right.

Knesset member Zvika Fogel, chairman of the National Security Committee and head of the Otzma Yehudit faction, reacted harshly, writing: “Mansour Abbas in a frenzy of ‘Allahu Akbar’ together with Balad members. If it looks like an Islamist party, sounds like an Islamist party, and acts like an Islamist party — don’t be confused. It’s not a duck, it’s much more Hamas.”

Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli also weighed in, posting: “To the sound of ‘Allahu Akbar,’ Mansour — the longtime strategic partner of Lapid and Bennett — unites with Odeh, Tibi, and Balad supporters of Hamas and Hezbollah for a joint run in the elections. Together they plan to form a coalition… This, and only this, is what these elections are about!”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir offered a brief but pointed response, summarizing the episode with two words: “An alliance of terror representatives.”

{Matzav.com}

The beis din of the Vizhnitzer chassidus in Bnei Brak issued a public appeal on Thursday calling on chassidim and the wider Torah community not to relent in reciting Tehillim on behalf of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, Rav Yisroel ben Leah Esther, who continues to undergo medical treatments that have significantly weakened him.

In a letter released by the Vizhnitzer beis din, the dayanim stress that the Rebbe has required abundant rachamei Shamayim for more than a year and that the current course of treatments has taken a physical toll. They urge chassidim to strengthen themselves in tefillah and to continue davening fervently for his complete recovery.

The letter opens with an emotional address to members of the chassidus everywhere, emphasizing the shared bond between Rebbe and chassidim. The dayanim write that for over a year, Hashem has tested the community through the Rebbe’s medical condition, and that hearts throughout Vizhnitz are filled with longing to see him restored to full health, strength, and clarity for many good and peaceful years.

The beis din notes that throughout this difficult period, the power of tefillah has been clearly evident, with developments that they describe as beyond the natural order. They add that there is not enough gratitude for the kindness and compassion Hashem has shown at every stage. In light of this, they say, there is a special obligation at this time to intensify tefillah, particularly as the ongoing treatments cause weakness.

“Our eyes are turned to him and we await a complete salvation,” the dayanim write, calling on all to cry out to Hashem with strength and resolve, asking that these painful afflictions be removed and dissipate entirely. The letter specifically urges men, women, and children to continue reciting kappitel 61 of Tehillim, as previously established, and to increase their tefillos, along with accepting kabbalos in mitzvos and maasim tovim in the Rebbe’s merit. Each individual, they add, should also say additional kappitlach of Tehillim during the day and recite the letters corresponding to the Rebbe’s name as a segulah for a refuah sheleimah.

{Matzav.com}

The United States has put forward a long-range plan that envisions a fundamentally rebuilt Gaza Strip by 2035, conditioning large-scale investment and reconstruction on the complete and permanent dismantling of all armed terror groups. The proposal reframes postwar recovery not as an open-ended humanitarian effort, but as a security-driven economic reset that would unfold over roughly a decade.

The framework, presented by Jared Kushner, calls for turning Gaza into a demilitarized civilian entity with functioning governance, modern infrastructure, and a self-sustaining economy. Under the plan, no significant capital would flow until groups such as Hamas are fully dismantled, their tunnels destroyed, and all military capabilities eliminated. The economic goals are sweeping: officials project hundreds of thousands of new jobs and an eventual annual output exceeding $10 billion, alongside the construction of major assets such as a seaport, airport, and regional transit hub.

Security is presented as the non-negotiable foundation of the entire initiative. Heavy weapons and military installations would be eradicated, while remaining small arms would be registered and gradually removed. Only one civilian governing body would be authorized to maintain an organized force, with all other armed factions barred. Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Kushner summarized the logic bluntly: “Without security, there are no investments, and without demilitarization, there is no reconstruction.”

Governance in the early stages would be handled by a technocratic civilian administration operating under international oversight, with leadership anchored in Washington. As stability takes hold and institutional reforms advance, the Palestinian Authority is expected to assume a greater role. The diplomatic track surrounding the plan has involved coordination with a regional bloc that includes Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Qatar, all of whom have taken part in discussions linked to the war’s conclusion.

Reconstruction would proceed geographically from south to north. The opening phase centers on Rafah and Khan Yunis, where planners expect two to three years of intensive work focused on logistics hubs, new border crossings, permanent housing, and the removal of an estimated 60 million tons of debris. Residential expansion and light industry are slated to take root in this southern corridor as the first tangible sign of economic revival.

Attention would then shift to the central areas, with emphasis on schools, vocational training, and public spaces designed to move the population away from dependence on foreign aid and toward steady employment. Only after security and civilian administration are firmly established in the south and center would the plan advance to its most complex stage: the overhaul of Gaza City. That final phase envisions dense urban redevelopment with high-rise buildings, employment centers, and cultural institutions, paired with a free-trade zone and preferential customs arrangements intended to reverse Gaza’s current reliance on aid for the vast majority of its economic activity.

Despite the ambitious timetable, Kushner coupled the long-term vision with a call for immediate restraint. He urged regional actors to pause public feuding and rhetorical escalation, arguing that the fighting has ended and the rebuilding process needs space to take hold. “To the Israelis, the Palestinians, and the regional players: I see many accusations and verbal escalation, Israelis against Turkey, others against Qatar. Calm down for 30 days. The war is over,” he said. According to Kushner, if the process is allowed to proceed without disruption, it could open the door to a new era of stability and dignity for all sides involved.

{Matzav.com}

The United States has officially завершed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office in 2025 declaring the United States’ intent to leave the WHO, citing what he described as the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic along with other concerns, including “onerous payments” that he said were disproportionate to contributions made by other member countries.

Nearly one year later, the Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of State confirmed that the withdrawal process has now been completed.

The United States had been a member of the WHO since the organization’s founding in 1948. The agency operates under the umbrella of the United Nations and is tasked with coordinating international public health initiatives, including monitoring disease outbreaks and responding to global health emergencies.

Administration officials say the decision to leave was driven primarily by dissatisfaction with the WHO’s response to COVID-19 and its relationship with China.

“The WHO delayed declaring a global public health emergency and a pandemic during the early stages of COVID-19, costing the world critical weeks as the virus spread,” HHS said in a statement announcing the formal withdrawal. “During that period, WHO leadership echoed and praised China’s response despite evidence of early underreporting, suppression of information and delays in confirming human-to-human transmission.”

During a media briefing Thursday, a senior HHS official emphasized that the United States intends to remain at the forefront of global public health efforts despite leaving the organization.

The official noted that while the U.S. had funded as much as 25 percent of the WHO’s budget, no American has ever served as the organization’s director, contrasting that with countries that contribute significantly less but exert influence within the agency.

The United States is “walking away” from international bodies that “fail the United States,” the official said, while maintaining that it is not stepping back from “being a global health leader.” The official pointed to the State Department’s signing of multiyear bilateral Global Health Cooperation agreements with dozens of countries in December 2025 and said additional announcements are expected.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered a prerecorded address to the World Health Assembly in May 2025 sharply criticizing the organization, saying it had become “mired in bureaucratic bloat, entrenched paradigms, conflicts of interest and international power politics.”

“While the United States has provided the lion’s share of the organization’s funding historically, other countries such as China have exerted undue influence over its operations in ways that serve their own interests and not particularly the interests of the global public,” he said.

“Not only has the WHO capitulated to political pressure from China, it’s also failed to maintain an organization characterized by transparency and fair governance,” Kennedy continued. “The WHO often acts like it has forgotten that its members must remain accountable to their own citizens and not to transnational or corporate interests.”

Trump first initiated a withdrawal from the WHO during his earlier administration in 2020, a move that drew fierce criticism from Democrats who argued that exiting the organization would weaken international disease monitoring and leave the United States more vulnerable to future pandemics.

Then–House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the decision “true senselessness” at the time, warning that “millions of lives” were at stake.

The announcement of the completed withdrawal comes as President Trump is in Davos attending the World Economic Forum, a visit marked by his continued pressure on European leaders to reach an agreement granting the United States control over Greenland.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. military forces are set to bolster their presence in the Middle East in the coming days, with an aircraft carrier strike group and additional assets heading to the region, according to two American officials, even as President Donald Trump expresses a desire to avoid fresh military confrontation with Iran.

Naval vessels now en route include the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, along with several destroyers and fighter jets, which began repositioning from the Asia-Pacific region last week. The movement comes amid heightened friction between Washington and Tehran following Iran’s harsh suppression of protests over recent months.

One U.S. official said the administration is also considering deploying additional air defense systems to the Middle East as part of the broader posture adjustment.

Defense analysts note that the United States frequently increases troop levels and military hardware in the region during periods of elevated tension, and such steps can be purely defensive rather than a prelude to offensive action.

Still, the latest deployment follows a precedent set last summer, when the U.S. military carried out a significant buildup ahead of its June strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, later emphasizing how effectively it concealed its plans in advance.

Trump had previously issued repeated warnings about possible intervention in response to the killing of protesters in Iran. However, demonstrations have subsided in recent weeks, and the president’s tone toward Tehran has softened. His focus has shifted to other international matters, including his efforts related to Greenland.

Speaking on Wednesday, Trump said he hoped there would be no additional U.S. military action against Iran, while stressing that Washington would respond if Tehran restarted its nuclear activities.

“They can’t do the nuclear,” Trump told CNBC during an interview in Davos, referencing the major U.S. air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June 2025. “If they do it, it’s going to happen again.”

It has now been at least seven months since the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, last confirmed Iran’s holdings of highly enriched uranium, despite the agency’s own guidance calling for monthly verification.

Iran is required to submit a report to the IAEA detailing what became of the sites struck by the United States and the nuclear material believed to have been stored there. This includes an estimated 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to as much as 60% purity, nearing the roughly 90% level considered weapons-grade. According to IAEA benchmarks, that amount could be further enriched to produce material for 10 nuclear bombs.

The possibility of renewed unrest inside Iran also remains uncertain. The protests initially erupted on December 28 as limited demonstrations in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over economic distress before rapidly spreading across the country.

The U.S.-based rights organization HRANA said it has verified 4,519 deaths linked to the unrest so far, including 4,251 protesters, 197 members of the security forces, 35 individuals under the age of 18, and 38 bystanders it says were neither protesters nor security personnel.

HRANA reported that an additional 9,049 deaths are still under review. Separately, an Iranian official told Reuters that the confirmed death toll through Sunday exceeded 5,000, including about 500 security personnel.

{Matzav.com}

Children’s YouTube star Ms. Rachel is facing intense backlash after her verified Instagram account was shown liking a comment that read “Free America from the Jews.” The influencer, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, claims the like was accidental and insisted she was trying to delete the comment when she mistakenly hit a function […]

A Minnesota woman convicted in what prosecutors have described as one of the largest fraud cases in state history is alleging that top state officials were aware of extensive wrongdoing well before federal authorities intervened.

In a jailhouse interview with Fox News, Aimee Bock, the former executive director of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, said that officials under Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison continued to approve and pay claims even after concerns were raised about possible fraud. Bock is currently being held at the Sherburne County Jail in Minnesota.

According to Bock, the state was responsible for approving program sponsors and overseeing reimbursement claims, yet she says officials failed to investigate or shut down companies she flagged as suspicious, allowing the alleged fraud to continue.

“I honestly believe Keith Ellison and Gov. Walz need to be held accountable. There needs to be an investigation done. If they weren’t aware, that’s concerning,” she told Fox News.

Bock further claimed that senior officials had knowledge of the situation but did not act. “I have to believe that the governor’s office and Keith Ellison’s office were aware of this. They’ve said they were involved in helping the FBI. They’ve said they were made aware, but apparently I’m scary, so they couldn’t do anything,” she added.

Ellison’s office strongly rejected Bock’s allegations, questioning her credibility in light of her conviction and sentence. “She is a liar, fraudster, and manipulator of the highest order who has never acknowledged or accepted her guilt. Now, she’s on a media tour to deflect her guilt onto others instead of finally taking responsibility for the fraud scheme she ran,” a spokesperson said.

The spokesperson emphasized that investigators thoroughly examined the case and rejected Bock’s claims outright. “Federal and state investigators meticulously examined the crimes Bock and her accomplices committed,” the spokesperson continued. “Bock alone is responsible for her own actions, which was proven in court beyond a shadow of a doubt, and her claim about Attorney General Ellison is a lie without a shred of evidence behind it.”

Federal prosecutors have said the scheme siphoned more than $250 million in taxpayer funds that were intended to provide meals for children during the COVID-19 pandemic, alleging that fake restaurants were created to submit fraudulent reimbursement claims.

Earlier this month, the House Oversight Committee said the Department of Justice has charged 98 defendants in Minnesota-related fraud cases, noting that 85 of them are of Somali descent.

According to the committee, 64 defendants have already been convicted. Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, said federal authorities have issued more than 1,750 subpoenas, carried out over 130 search warrants, and conducted more than 1,000 interviews as part of what officials describe as an expansive investigation.

Comer said prosecutors estimate that at least $9 billion has been stolen through multiple fraud schemes in Minnesota. “The breadth and depth of this fraud is breathtaking. And I fear it is just the tip of the iceberg. Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minnesota’s Democratic leadership have either been asleep at the wheel or complicit in these crimes,” he said. “They failed Minnesotans and all Americans, handing millions of taxpayers’ money to fraudsters.”

{Matzav.com}

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended Mahmoud Khalil on Thursday, arguing that the federal push to remove the anti-Israel activist from the country amounts to a broader strike against civil liberties.

Speaking to reporters at an unrelated event in Brooklyn, Mamdani voiced support for Khalil and criticized the deportation effort in sweeping terms. “Mahmoud Khalil is a New Yorker,” he said. “He should remain in New York City. I see this attack on him as part of a larger attack on the freedom of speech that is especially pronounced when it comes to the use of that speech to stand up for policy to human rights.”

Khalil, a 31-year-old Syrian-born activist and graduate of Columbia University, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement early last year. Federal authorities are seeking his removal from the United States after the Trump administration alleged he committed fraud in his green card application.

According to the administration, Khalil supports Hamas and falls under a little-used provision of immigration law that permits deportation of noncitizens whose views are deemed a potential risk to U.S. foreign policy interests.

Federal officials have said they intend to deport Khalil either to Syria or Algeria.

Before his case reached the appellate stage, Khalil spent three months in a federal detention facility in Louisiana. In June, a three-judge panel in New Jersey ruled that he should have been permitted to continue working while his immigration case moved forward, though that decision was overturned last week by a federal appeals court.

Despite the setback, Mamdani said on Thursday that he plans to press ahead with efforts to keep Khalil in New York City. “I will make that clear to everyone and I have said time and again that he deserves to stay in the city, he deserves to be in the city just like any other New Yorker,” the mayor said.

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{Matzav.com}

The astronauts evacuated last week from the International Space Station say a portable ultrasound machine came in “super handy” during the medical crisis. During their first public appearance since returning to Earth, the four astronauts refused Wednesday to say which one of them needed medical attention and for what reason. It was NASA’s first medical […]

The United States Air Force says a luxury aircraft donated by Qatar and undergoing upgrades to serve as a temporary Air Force One could be delivered to President Donald Trump as soon as this summer, though officials have not set a firm handover date, according to a report published Thursday by the Wall Street Journal.

The plane, referred to by the Air Force as the VC-25 “bridge aircraft,” may make its public debut during July events commemorating the United States’ 250th anniversary, the report said.

In a statement to the Journal, the Air Force emphasized its focus on speeding the process. “The Air Force remains committed to expediting delivery of the VC-25 bridge aircraft in support of the Presidential airlift mission, with an anticipated delivery no later than summer 2026,” the service said.

The aircraft stems from a deal finalized in July between Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, formalizing what was described as an “unconditional donation” of a 13-year-old luxury jet previously operated by Qatar’s royal family.

Interest in the delivery schedule intensified after one of the existing Air Force One planes suffered an electrical malfunction over the weekend. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned the incident during a briefing and joked that the Qatari aircraft is sounding “much better” by comparison.

Addressing the issue, Leavitt said, “The minor mechanical issue proves President Trump is right, and the new Air Force One will be a welcome donation to the United States Air Force, not just for the President, but for the entire AF1 crew.”

According to Aviation Week, Air Force officials have indicated that the retrofit of the donated plane will involve only limited changes, a factor expected to help keep the project on schedule and improve the chances of a summer delivery.

The Qatari jet is intended as an interim solution while Boeing continues work on the long-delayed next generation of Air Force One aircraft, a program that has been plagued by years of delays and escalating costs.

{Matzav.com}

Argentine President Javier Milei capped a fiery defense of free-market capitalism at the World Economic Forum on Thursday with an unexpected turn to the Torah, invoking this week’s parshah to describe a civilizational struggle between freedom and state power. In a clip shared by his office, Milei concluded his remarks by referencing Parshas Bo, which […]