Feed aggregator

Hamas is preparing to appoint a new leader later this month, according to two members of the terror organization who spoke with Reuters on Tuesday, as the group looks to fill the top post left empty since Israel eliminated Yahya Sinwar in 2024 — even as concerns persist that any successor could quickly face the same outcome.

Reuters reported that Khalil Al Hayya and Khaled Mashaal are widely regarded within the group as the leading candidates for the role.

Both men are based in Qatar and serve on the five-member leadership council that has guided Hamas since Sinwar was killed. Sinwar, who played a central role in planning the October 7, 2023 terror assault on Israel, had himself taken over the organization’s leadership after Ismail Haniyeh was eliminated by Israel during a trip to Iran in 2024.

According to the sources cited by Reuters, the internal selection process is already in motion. The new leader is expected to be chosen through a secret vote by Hamas’ 50-member Shoura Council, which includes representatives from Gaza, Judea and Samaria, and Hamas officials operating outside the territory. A Hamas spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.

In addition to selecting a new overall leader, Hamas is also expected to appoint a deputy to replace Saleh Al Arouri, who was eliminated in an Israeli strike in Lebanon in 2024. While some figures within the organization have argued for continuing with a collective leadership structure, sources familiar with Hamas’ internal deliberations said the group is intent on completing the election process.

The leadership vote is taking place against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire framework. The first phase of that plan, which took effect in October, calls for Hamas to disarm and envisions Gaza being governed by a technocratic Palestinian Arab administration under the supervision of an international body known as the Board of Peace.

Hamas has rejected the demand to give up its weapons, maintaining that the issue must be discussed among Palestinian Arab factions and asserting that it would only relinquish arms as part of a future Palestinian state. Western governments, including the United States, formally designate Hamas as a terrorist organization.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli and Arab officials have quietly warned the Trump administration in recent days that Iran’s ruling regime may not yet be vulnerable enough for U.S. military strikes to deliver a decisive outcome, according to a report published Tuesday by NBC News.

The outlet said its reporting was based on information from a current U.S. official, a former U.S. official briefed on the conversations, a source familiar with Israeli leadership assessments, and two Arab officials.

According to those sources, the officials have advised President Donald Trump — who is considering military action in response to Tehran’s violent suppression of protests — to delay large-scale strikes for the time being. Some of those consulted believe it would be wiser to wait until the regime shows clearer signs of collapse, stressing that Iran’s internal situation is fluid and could shift sharply in either direction.

The behind-the-scenes discussions, which have included senior American political and military figures, underscore the difficult choices facing Trump as he weighs how the United States should respond. The President, who had been expected to meet Tuesday with members of his national security team, has warned that Iran could face U.S. military action if the government continues killing protesters.

One Arab official told NBC News there is a “lack of enthusiasm from the neighborhood” for U.S. strikes at this stage. Another cautioned that “any attack or escalation by Israel or the US will unite Iranians,” pointing to the rally-around-the-flag effect that followed the American and Israeli strike in June.

Israeli officials, while firmly backing the goal of regime change in Iran, have reportedly expressed concern that outside military intervention now could undermine the momentum of the protest movement. They have conveyed to Washington that premature strikes might interrupt what demonstrators inside Iran have already set in motion.

Instead, Israeli officials have proposed alternative steps aimed at further weakening the regime while strengthening the protest movement before resorting to broader military action. These measures include expanding internet access so Iranians can bypass government-imposed blackouts, intensifying economic sanctions, carrying out cyber operations, or conducting narrowly focused military actions against specific Iranian leaders, according to the sources.

A spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Washington declined to comment on the report.

A White House official said in a statement that “All options are at President Trump’s disposal to address the situation in Iran. The president listens to a host of opinions on any given issue, but ultimately makes the decision he feels is best.”

The official added that Trump “means what he says,” referencing the military action he ordered against Iran in June as well as the recent operation targeting Venezuela’s leader.

Separately, two Defense Department officials told CBS News on Monday night that Trump has been briefed on a wide range of military and covert tools that could be used against Iran, extending well beyond traditional airstrikes.

Multiple sources familiar with the matter said the President’s national security team is scheduled to meet at the White House today to review updated options regarding Iran. It remains uncertain whether Trump himself will take part in the session.

In a separate report, The New York Times cited a senior U.S. source who said the Pentagon has presented Trump with an extensive menu of potential strike options, including attacks on elements of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

That source emphasized, however, that more limited actions — such as cyber operations or strikes against Iran’s internal security forces — are considered more likely at this stage.

Trump reiterated his warning on Tuesday during an interview with CBS News, saying the United States is prepared to “take very strong action” if Iran begins executing anti-government protesters.

The President also acknowledged the mounting death toll from the unrest, saying he is aware that a “pretty substantial number” of demonstrators have already been killed during more than two weeks of protests. CBS News sources estimate that at least 12,000 people — and possibly as many as 20,000 — may have died.

Later, speaking to reporters after a visit to Detroit, Trump said, “I’m going back to the White House now, we’re going to look at the whole situation that’s going on in Iran… We’ll get some accurate numbers as to what’s happening with regard to the killing.”

{Matzav.com}

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned Israel that he could take the country to the International Court of Justice if it does not roll back newly enacted laws aimed at UNRWA, the United Nations agency for “Palestinian refugees,” and restore property taken from the organization, according to a Reuters report.

The warning appeared in a letter dated January 8 and addressed to Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, which was publicly released on Tuesday.

In the letter, Guterres said the United Nations cannot overlook “actions taken by Israel, which are in direct contravention of the obligations of Israel under international law. They must be reversed without delay.”

Israel’s Knesset approved legislation in October 2024 that barred UNRWA from operating within the country and forbade Israeli officials from engaging with the agency. The law was expanded last month to cut off electricity and water services to UNRWA sites, and Israeli authorities also took control of the agency’s offices in eastern Jerusalem.

UNRWA has faced longstanding criticism for its ties to the Hamas terrorist organization, criticism that intensified after Israel presented evidence in 2024 alleging that UNRWA employees took part in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.

In response to those claims, the United Nations established an independent review panel led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to examine Israel’s allegations.

The panel reported that it identified “neutrality-related issues” within UNRWA but also said Israel had not yet substantiated claims that a large number of the agency’s employees belonged to terrorist organizations.

Emily Damari, a former Hamas hostage who was released after 470 days in captivity, later stated that she had been held inside an UNRWA facility.

In April 2025, USAID disclosed that the United Nations had interfered with a U.S. government investigation into connections between UNRWA staff in Gaza and the Hamas terrorist organization.

Despite the mounting evidence cited by Israel regarding UNRWA’s links to Hamas, the International Court of Justice recently ruled that Israel must enable the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip through UN bodies, including UNRWA. Israel and the United States both criticized that decision.

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, forcefully dismissed Guterres’ threat. “The UN Secretary-General is trying to intimidate Israel,” he said. “In a letter he sent to Prime Minister Netanyahu, he threatened to file a complaint with the International Court of Justice in The Hague against the State of Israel.”

Danon added: “Instead of addressing the serious issue of UNRWA employees being involved in terrorism, he is trying to whitewash crimes committed by UNRWA, which acts as a subsidiary of Hamas. We are done with UNRWA!”

{Matzav.com}

WATCH:

LISTEN:

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bitachon4Life-Shiur-1680-Chikuy-Part-80-Goal.mp3

​​For more info, email bitachon4life@gmail.com.

 

LISTEN:

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Tefila4Life-Shiur-1039-Alone-Halelu-Min-Hashamayim.mp3

A chareidi operator of a news hotline was arrested by police on the claim that he was “sending thousands into the streets,” but a Yerushalayim judge ordered his release and sharply criticized law enforcement’s conduct.

The case, reported by Ynet police correspondent Liran Tamari, has raised serious questions about freedom of expression and police handling of the chareidi community. Tamari wrote that the incident resembled actions more typical of non-democratic regimes, arguing that “if the detainee had not been chareidi, this event would have sparked a public outcry.” He added that regardless of the protest’s subject, arresting a person solely for calling for a demonstration crosses a red line, noting that “detaining someone for calling for a protest is a different kind of event altogether.”

During the court hearing, the policing theory behind the arrest came into focus. A representative of Israel Police sought to extend the suspect’s detention, telling the court: “This is a person who serves as an executive arm that creates and organizes the call for protest. It is a communications line that the respondent operates, through which he sends thousands into the streets via a phone call.” The argument suggested that the mere capacity to mobilize a mass protest constituted grounds for arrest, even absent any explicit call to violence.

The arrest followed violent disturbances in the chareidi sector during Chanukah, when demonstrators overturned a police vehicle and injured 15 officers. Despite those events, police chose to detain the hotline operator and attribute the full slate of offenses committed on the ground to him, despite the fact that he was not physically present at the disturbances. According to the report, pressure from above played a role: the police commissioner demanded results and vowed to “settle accounts” with rioters, leading investigators to pursue what critics described as the easiest target—someone who called for a protest but did not take part in it.

Criticism of the move was swift and severe. Tamari warned of the danger inherent in such an approach, writing that “this is policing befitting dark regimes….regimes we do not want to resemble.” Turning a legitimate communications operator who encouraged people to exercise their right to protest into a scapegoat for violence he did not commit, critics say, reflects an attempt to intimidate protest organizers and exact a price “at any cost,” even if that means trampling basic rights.

Ultimately, the judiciary drew a clear line. Yerushalayim Magistrate’s Court Judge Gad Arenberg rejected the police request outright and ordered the suspect released. In his decision, the judge punctured the police’s core premise, writing: “It should be noted that in the respondent’s call to go out and protest, there was no call to carry out illegal actions.”

{Matzav.com}

Senior officials in Israel’s Chief Rabbinate of Israel are warning that allowing the import of poultry slaughtered in Brazil would create what they describe as a “massive breach in the walls of kashrus,” with severe consequences for kosher consumers across Israel.

The warning comes on the eve of a pivotal hearing at the High Court of Justice of Israel, which is set to consider a petition by commercial interests seeking approval to import Brazilian poultry despite the firm opposition of the Chief Rabbinate.

A senior official in the Rabbinate’s kashrus system said ahead of the hearing that approving such imports would “cause devastating harm to the entire kosher poultry framework in Israel, at every level of kashrus.” He cautioned that the move could ultimately lead to Jewish consumers unknowingly eating poultry that does not meet even minimal kosher standards.

The case before the court was filed by Biladi, which is seeking permission to operate a poultry slaughter facility in Brazil and export the meat to Israel. At the heart of the dispute is the Rabbinate’s categorical refusal to authorize the imports. The Rabbinate’s import division has argued that Israel’s kashrus requirements cannot be properly implemented or enforced under Brazilian production conditions.

According to the senior Rabbinate official, “Importing poultry from Brazil could lead to Jews consuming meat whose kashrus status is fundamentally questionable.” He stressed that the Rabbinate’s opposition is rooted in extensive familiarity with the realities of production, supervision, and enforcement.

Kashrus experts explain that Israel maintains one of the world’s most stringent kosher supervision systems, based on continuous oversight and tightly controlled slaughter procedures in accordance with the Chief Rabbinate’s standards. By contrast, they say, overseas production environments lack the ability to enforce and control the entire production chain to the same degree, making the level of supervision required for kosher poultry effectively impossible.

Rabbinate officials further noted that large-scale poultry slaughter — involving tens of thousands of birds daily — is fundamentally different from cattle slaughter, which typically takes place far less frequently. In their assessment, such mass production abroad would inevitably affect all consumers, from those relying on standard kashrus to those who insist on the highest levels of mehadrin supervision.

“This is a breach that would affect every household,” the senior official said. “From regular kosher consumers to, God forbid, the highest standards of kashrus, there is no way to maintain tight and continuous supervision. That is why we refused to approve these imports and why we will fight this initiative with all our strength. Business considerations cannot justify poultry that is not fully kosher entering Israeli freezers — certainly not for the chareidi public, which is meticulous about every detail.”

Beyond kashrus concerns, officials are also raising alarms about public health. While Israel enforces strict veterinary and food safety regulations, oversight in Brazil is described as far more limited. As a result, Brazilian poultry is primarily exported to parts of Asia, Africa, and Albania. The United States, meanwhile, completely bans poultry imports from Brazil, citing both health concerns and protection of domestic agriculture.

Rabbinate sources pointed to a recent incident in Albania, where salmonella-contaminated poultry originating in Brazil was sold to the public, causing health damage and prompting the country to halt imports.

At the same time, the proposed imports are seen as a serious threat to Israel’s domestic poultry industry, which supports more than 6,000 families in peripheral regions — from communities near Gaza to the northern border, the Golan Heights, the Beit She’an Valley, and the Jordan Valley. Local growers argue that the imports are not intended to lower prices, but rather to create unfair competition based on Brazil’s significantly lower production costs, potentially destroying Israeli poultry farming and undermining the country’s food independence.

Motti Elkabatz, secretary of the Organization of Poultry Growers in Israel, said that “the State of Israel cannot afford to depend on Brazil to feed its citizens. Food independence requires strong Israeli agriculture operating under kosher conditions. Cheap imports must not be allowed to collapse local production and harm the weakest sectors of Israeli society.”

The senior Rabbinate official concluded by reaffirming the institution’s resolve: “The attempt to introduce poultry from countries where halachic supervision is weak is a breach we cannot accept. We will stand like a fortified wall against commercial and legal pressure to ensure that every bird entering Israel is fully kosher, without compromise.”

{Matzav.com}

During a special shmuess delivered this week to talmidim of Yeshiva Derech Chaim, Rav Shaul Alter offered pointed guidance on the purpose of life, the proper approach to limud haTorah, and the true meaning of spiritual growth during the days of Shovavim.

The talmidim were received in the rosh yeshiva’s beis medrash in Yerushalayim, where Rav Alter delivered a brief but incisive talk. Reflecting on the name Derech Chaim, he drew a sharp distinction between Torah learning and other pursuits. While people often treat a “way of life” as an end in itself, Rav Alter emphasized that the Torah teaches otherwise.

“Today there are those who adopt a ‘derech chaim’ or an ‘orach chaim,’ and the path itself becomes the goal,” he said. “But the Torah reveals to us that life itself is only a path, a marathon toward the World to Come. We are running toward that destination, and we must constantly remember our mission.”

Following the address, the yeshiva’s ramim posed questions regarding the proper balance in learning. Rav Alter explained that talmidim must engage in both in-depth study that fully challenges the mind and broad-based learning that expands knowledge and horizons.

He also addressed the question of how halacha should be studied, advising that talmidim begin with concise halachic works. “First and foremost, one should learn from sifrei kitzur,” he said, explaining that these works provide the essential “road signs” needed to navigate practical halacha.

In response to a question about whether yeshiva bochurim should undertake fasts during the days of Shovavim, Rav Alter answered unequivocally in the negative. “During Shovavim, we are required to do what we do all year, but with greater seriousness,” he said. “Instead of fasting, it is preferable to simply refrain from saying a hurtful word to a fellow. That is more important than any fast.”

{Matzav.com}

Mrs. Sarah Zlata Segal a”h, the only daughter of Rav Simcha Zissel Broide zt”l, has passed away in Yerushalayim at the age of 80.

Mrs. Segal, a revered figure known for her dignity and yiras Shamayim, was the daughter of Rav Simcha Mordechai Ziskind (Simcha Zissel) Broide zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Chevron Yeshiva. Her mother was Mrs. Golda Miriam Broida a”h, daughter of Rav Moshe Finkel, son of the Alter of Slabodka and son-in-law of Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein.

Born on the 10th of Kislev 5706, Mrs. Segal was raised in an illustrious home steeped in Torah and mesorah. Upon reaching marriageable age, she married Rav Shmuel Yitzchak Segal, rosh kollel of Beis Reuven and a great-grandson of the Alter of Novardok.

Throughout her life, she exemplified nobility, faith, and inner strength. A woman of exceptional stature, she merited establishing a faithful Torah home and raising generations of bnei Torah and yirei Shamayim. For many years, she endured profound suffering with quiet fortitude and unwavering emunah.

The levayah took place tonight, departing from the Shamgar Funeral Home in Yerushalayim and proceeding to Har HaMenuchos for kevurah.

The family will be sitting shivah at her home, 6 Rechov Panim Me’iros, third floor, in Yerushalayim.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

A missing hiker was located and safely rescued tonight following a coordinated search-and-rescue operation led by the Matzil Search and Rescue.

The incident began at approximately 5:30 p.m., when Matzil’s communications center received an emergency call reporting that a female hiker had become lost in the area of the Storm Mountain trailhead. The caller indicated that the hiker had lost her bearings and was unable to find her way back.

Within minutes of receiving the report, Matzil, together with Chaveirim of Rockland, activated a specialized search-and-rescue task force composed of trained personnel equipped for rapid response in rugged and off-trail terrain. Teams were dispatched immediately to the scene.

Upon arrival at the trailhead, search-and-rescue managers established a unified command structure in coordination with local park police. Command staff initiated a structured search plan, including terrain analysis, communications coordination, and the development of a search grid to methodically cover the area.

Rescue teams conducted an extensive search through challenging terrain beyond marked trails.

After several hours, responders located the missing hiker. She was found alert and in good condition, bechasdei Hashem.

Matzil’s medical and extraction specialists assessed the hiker on scene and safely escorted her back to the trailhead. She was subsequently reunited with her family, who expressed deep hakoras hatov to the responders for their swift and professional efforts.

{Matzav.com}

The Breslover community is mourning the passing of Rav Moshe Tzanaani zt”l, a unique figure of uncompromising truth and ascetic devotion who famously did not sleep on a bed for five decades.

Rav Tzanaani passed away after years of severe suffering at the age of 72.

Rav Tzanaani, described by his followers as an ish emes—a man of absolute integrity—was known for a life of extreme simplicity, self-denial, and total immersion in Torah and avodas Hashem. For decades, he would study late into the night and fall asleep over his seforim, refusing the physical comfort of a bed. His eating was minimal to the point of self-affliction, and his vigilance in personal sanctity was legendary. Acquaintances said he rarely lifted his eyes beyond his immediate surroundings.

Born approximately 72 years ago in Tel Aviv’s Hatikva neighborhood, Rav  Tzanaani’s early life followed a very different path. As a young man, he studied at a university and distinguished himself as an exceptional talent in nuclear physics. After completing his studies, he worked in Israel’s military industry, where he was regarded as a brilliant scientist. About fifty years ago, he experienced a profound spiritual awakening, after which he abandoned material pursuits entirely and dedicated his life to serving Hashem through radical separation from worldly concerns.

Those who knew him often compared him to holy figures of earlier generations. His fiery shiurim, delivered with visible inner burning and deep love of Hashem, inspired many to teshuvah and sincere inner growth. Despite his personal austerity and living with virtually nothing, Rav Tzanaani was renowned for extraordinary chesed and kindness, quietly distributing thousands of shekels each week to families in need.

In recent years, his body weakened significantly as a result of the fasts and self-imposed afflictions he had accepted upon himself. Even so, while connected to an oxygen machine, he continued with remarkable self-sacrifice to attend Shacharis at neitz and to deliver words of chizuk to his listeners.

On Rosh Chodesh Teves, while standing in tefillah, Rav Tzanaani suddenly collapsed. Family members urged him to seek immediate medical care, but he insisted on completing the Rosh Chodesh tefillah despite intense pain. Only afterward did he agree to be taken to the hospital. Following two weeks in intensive care at Hadassah Ein Kerem, his condition appeared to improve. However, this week his systems failed and he was niftar.

The levayah was held at the Shamgar Funeral Home in Yerushalayim. Large crowds accompanied the bier as it passed his home on HaChomah HaShlishit. Breslover mashpi’im and rabbanim delivered tearful hespeidim. From there, the procession continued to Har HaZeisim for kevurah.

Rav Tzanaani is survived by six sons and many grandchildren.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s police are preparing to move away from the use of the malodorous crowd-dispersal agent known as “Skunk,” amid sustained criticism and legal challenges over its effect on civilians, Hamevaser reported.

According to the report, recent internal deliberations within the police have resulted in a decision to begin examining other ways of addressing riots and public disturbances, with the long-term goal of abandoning the odor-based substance altogether.

“Skunk,” which was developed in Israel, is intended to scatter crowds through an overwhelming stench instead of tear gas or physical force. It is most commonly deployed via water cannons mounted on riot-control vehicles, though it has also been used in handheld devices and other delivery mechanisms. The product has additionally been sold to law-enforcement bodies outside Israel.

For years, the spray has drawn sharp opposition, especially in chareidi neighborhoods, where residents and communal leaders have said its use amounts to collective punishment, impacting families and passersby who have no connection to protests. Detractors have also warned that the substance can leave long-term damage to homes, streets, and the local environment.

The reported change in policy comes in the wake of a petition submitted to Israel’s Supreme Court by Yerushalayim Deputy Mayor Yitzchok Meir Brim, head of the Agudats Yisroel faction on the city council. Brim has maintained that the spray causes disproportionate harm to children, the elderly, and other vulnerable residents, and has called on police to stop deploying it in densely populated areas.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said the United States stands ready to respond forcefully if Iran moves to execute people detained during the ongoing anti-government demonstrations, warning that Washington would not tolerate mass hangings of protesters.

Trump made the remarks in an interview with CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil scheduled to air Tuesday evening, addressing reports of severe repression as unrest continues across Iran.

“We will take very strong action. If they do such a thing, we will take very strong action,” Trump said.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW:

The President said he is aware that a significant number of demonstrators have already lost their lives during more than two weeks of turmoil. According to information cited by CBS News, at least 12,000 people are believed to have been killed, with some estimates placing the figure as high as 20,000.

Trump reiterated that aid is being directed toward the Iranian public, saying “there’s a lot of help on the way” and noting that support is coming in “different forms,” including economic assistance. He also referred to U.S. airstrikes carried out last year against three Iranian nuclear sites, though he did not elaborate.

When asked what outcome he is seeking in Iran, Trump replied: “The end game is to win. I like winning.”

Pressed to explain what that means, the President pointed to major actions carried out during his first and second terms, including the recent capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, the 2019 U.S. raid in Syria that killed ISIS founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and the 2020 operation that eliminated Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Quds Force.

“We don’t want to see what’s happening in Iran happen,” Trump said. “And you know, if they want to have protests, that’s one thing, when they start killing thousands of people, and now you’re telling me about hanging – we’ll see how that works out for them. It’s not going to work out good.”

.@POTUS: "We had a wonderful speech in front of great people in Detroit… I'm going back to the White House now, we're going to look at the whole situation that's going on in Iran… We'll get some accurate numbers as to what's happening with regard to the killing." pic.twitter.com/g0WZ1lXdyr

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 13, 2026

Later, after returning from a visit to Detroit, Trump told reporters that he planned to review the situation further upon his return to Washington. “I’m going back to the White House now, we’re going to look at the whole situation that’s going on in Iran… We’ll get some accurate numbers as to what’s happening with regard to the killing,” he said.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump posted a message on social media warning Iranian authorities that they would “pay a big price” if the violence continues, while telling Iranian citizens that “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.” He also said that all contacts and meetings with Iranian officials would be suspended until the killings stop.

An Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that approximately 2,000 people have been killed during about two weeks of protests nationwide, including members of the security forces.

The official described those responsible for the unrest as “terrorists” and said fatalities included both demonstrators and security personnel, without providing a detailed accounting.

On Monday night, two Defense Department officials speaking to CBS News said Trump has received briefings on a wide range of military and covert tools available for use against Iran, options that go well beyond traditional airstrikes.

Multiple sources familiar with the discussions said the President’s national security team is scheduled to convene at the White House on Tuesday to assess updated courses of action regarding Iran. It is not yet clear whether Trump will personally attend the meeting.

{Matzav.com}

A federal judge has scheduled an April 27 trial date for the lawsuit filed by Elon Musk against OpenAI chief executive Samuel Altman and other defendants, including Microsoft, according to a court order issued Tuesday.

The case will focus on Musk’s contention that OpenAI and Altman strayed from the organization’s founding purpose as a nonprofit created to serve the public good, and that he was misled as the group evolved into a profit-driven operation closely tied to Microsoft.

In his complaint, Musk alleges that Altman “intentionally courted and deceived” him by presenting OpenAI as a nonprofit meant to counter Google’s DeepMind research arm and to develop artificial intelligence as open-source technology for the benefit of humanity.

The lawsuit argues that OpenAI’s leadership later reorganized the company, established for-profit entities, and entered into multibillion-dollar agreements that, according to Musk, conflicted with that original mission.

Musk, who leads Tesla and SpaceX, was among OpenAI’s original founders and its largest early backer when it launched in 2015, contributing tens of millions of dollars in initial funding before departing three years later.

After OpenAI released ChatGPT in 2022, Musk went on to start a competing artificial intelligence venture, xAI.

Microsoft, which began investing in OpenAI in 2019, has since committed billions of dollars to the company and became its largest shareholder following a restructuring completed last year.

The jury trial will take place in Oakland, California, under the supervision of US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.

{Matzav.com}

France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen denied any wrongdoing as she appeared in court on Tuesday to appeal an embezzlement conviction, with her 2027 presidential ambitions hanging on the outcome of the case. Le Pen, 57, is seeking to overturn a March ruling that found her guilty of misusing European Parliament funds in the hiring of […]

Israel’s High Court of Justice on Tuesday evening canceled a hearing that had been scheduled for Thursday on petitions seeking the dismissal of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The justices ruled that, in the absence of a substantive response from the prime minister—whose decision is at the center of the petitions—there was no practical purpose in holding the hearing at this stage.

In its decision, the court stated that “given the lack of substantive engagement with the merits by the prime minister, whose decision stands at the heart of the petitions, we see no practical value in proceeding with the hearing.”

The hearing has been postponed until March, and the judicial panel will be expanded to five justices. According to the court, the new hearing date will be set no later than the end of March 2026.

The decision also noted that the government’s response failed to provide a detailed engagement with the factual foundations presented by the other parties to the case. The justices further pointed to the absence of a direct, substantive position from the prime minister himself regarding the contested decision.

In addition, following a request by Ben Gvir and in light of what the court described as the “significant weight of the claims” raised in the petitions, the justices ordered the immediate expansion of the panel.

At the same time, the court signaled that the matter remains active and unresolved. Citing the continued lack of a substantive response, the justices indicated that the expanded panel would consider issuing a conditional order and said that a decision on that question would be issued by the end of the month.

{Matzav.com}

Iranian authorities are targeting users of Starlink in an effort to choke off the flow of protest footage leaking out of the country, according to human rights groups and media reports. The Iranian government cut off broad public internet access last week as anti-regime demonstrations intensified, leaving protesters with few options to document and share […]

A senior U.S. State Department official said Washington is prepared to consider a wide range of responses if Britain follows through on a possible ban of Elon Musk’s social media platform X, as U.K. regulators investigate the spread of AI-generated sexualized deepfakes.

Sarah B. Rogers, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy, told GB News that the United States is closely watching the actions of British authorities and is not ruling out any options tied to free speech concerns. “I would say from America’s perspective … nothing is off the table when it comes to free speech,” Rogers said during the interview, which aired early Tuesday in the U.K.

She added that the next steps hinge on decisions by Britain’s media regulator, saying, “Let’s wait and see what Ofcom does and we’ll see what America does in response.”

Rogers, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, has been a vocal critic of European governments’ approaches to regulating online speech. She played a role in the State Department’s move last month to sanction former European Commissioner Thierry Breton along with four other European nationals connected to initiatives aimed at combating disinformation.

Support for X has also come from Capitol Hill. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican aligned with Trump, said last week that she is preparing legislation that would impose sanctions on the U.K. should it decide to bar the platform.

During her GB News appearance, Rogers accused British officials of seeking “the ability to curate a public square, to suppress political viewpoints it dislikes.” She went on to argue that X carries a “political valence that the British government is antagonistic to, doesn’t like, and that’s what’s really going on.”

When asked whether Rogers’ comments reflected official administration policy, a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in London responded briefly: “Her remarks speak for themselves.”

British officials pushed back strongly on the suggestion that the issue involves suppressing expression. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejected that characterization, stressing that the country has defended free expression “for many hundreds of years, and will do in future too.”

The spokesperson said the focus is instead on criminal material produced through artificial intelligence. “It’s about the generation of criminal imagery of children and women and girls that is not acceptable. We cannot stand by and let that continue. And that is why we’ve taken the action we have.”

Ofcom, the U.K.’s online safety regulator, is examining whether X breached obligations under the Online Safety Act by allowing its Grok AI chatbot to generate and share non-consensual intimate images, including material that could constitute child sexual abuse.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told Parliament on Monday that the government fully supports Ofcom using the strongest measures available if violations are confirmed. Those powers include fines of up to £18 million or 10 percent of a company’s global turnover, and in extreme circumstances, seeking a court order that would block X’s operations in Britain.

Kendall rejected claims that the enforcement effort threatens civil liberties. “This is not, as some would claim, about restricting freedom of speech, which is something that I and the whole Government hold very dear. It is about tackling violence against women and girls. It is about upholding basic British values of decency and respect, and ensuring that the standards that we expect offline are upheld online. It is about exercising our sovereign power and responsibility to uphold the laws of this land,” she said.

According to people familiar with the discussion, Starmer reinforced that message in a closed-door meeting with Labour lawmakers on Monday, warning that swift action would follow if the platform fails to rein in its AI tools. “If X cannot control Grok, we will — and we’ll do it fast because if you profit from harm and abuse, you lose the right to self regulate,” the prime minister said.

{Matzav.com}

The father of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani sharply criticized Columbia University’s antisemitism task force during a faculty senate meeting, accusing the panel of operating like a punitive authority rather than serving the campus community, according to a report published Tuesday by The Washington Free Beacon.

Mahmood Mamdani, a veteran Columbia professor, delivered the remarks at a Dec. 12 meeting of the university senate, based on transcripts reviewed by the outlet.

“It became very clear that [the task force] saw itself not as representing the community, but as a prosecutorial agency,” Mamdani said, arguing that the group’s approach was intensifying divisions on campus instead of confronting antisemitism constructively.

He went on to liken the task force’s methods to the British Empire’s colonial-era policy of “divide and rule,” contending that its work was breeding suspicion and alienation among both students and faculty. Mamdani asserted that the panel’s actions were leaving segments of the university population feeling excluded.

Addressing fellow senators, Mamdani, whose academic work focuses on decolonization, colonialism, and racial capitalism, said the task force was escalating conflict rather than fostering cohesion within the university.

Two individuals present at the December meeting confirmed that Mamdani made the statements as described, while a third attendee said the unofficial transcript accurately matched his own notes from the session.

After Mamdani finished speaking, acting Columbia President Claire Shipman, who was chairing the meeting, publicly expressed appreciation for his comments and requested his input, formally referring to him as “senator.”

The remarks come as Columbia continues to face heavy criticism over its response to antisemitism, particularly following months of pro-Palestinian protests that erupted on campus after the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.

Columbia is among several elite universities where demonstrations have featured chants widely denounced as antisemitic, rhetoric calling for Israel’s destruction, and significant disruptions to campus operations. Jewish students and advocacy organizations have accused university leadership of failing to protect them from harassment and intimidation.

The Trump administration has previously confronted Columbia and other universities over their handling of antisemitism, warning that federal funding could be jeopardized if institutions do not uphold civil rights protections for Jewish students.

As part of that effort, the administration has urged colleges to adopt clearer definitions of antisemitism and to discipline students and faculty involved in extremist or discriminatory behavior.

Columbia’s antisemitism task force was formed amid that federal pressure, alongside congressional probes examining whether universities violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by permitting a hostile environment for Jewish students.

University officials have maintained that the task force is a necessary mechanism to address antisemitism and ensure compliance with federal law, while critics within the campus community argue it has been wielded to silence political speech critical of Israel.

{Matzav.com}