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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country is preparing for what he believes could be a major Russian strike within the next 48 hours, citing intelligence shared by the United States and European allies that points to extensive military preparations by Moscow.

“Today at night, or tomorrow at night, we will have, we think that we will have big attacks from Russian side using drones, using cruise missiles and ballistic,” Zelensky said in a clip from an interview with Face the Nation scheduled to air Sunday. He added that intelligence officials “see the preparation” for it by Russia.

According to Zelensky, information provided by Western partners has helped Ukrainian authorities identify Russian military activity and preparations ahead of the anticipated attack.

The warning comes just days after Zelensky urged President Trump and members of Congress to provide Ukraine with additional Patriot missile interceptors, saying the country remains heavily dependent on its allies for protection against incoming missile strikes.

“Frankly, while we have achieved significant success in defending against all types of drones, Ukraine has not yet built its own capability to produce anti-missile defense systems. When it comes to air defense against missiles we rely on our friends and partners around the world,” Zelensky wrote in a five-page letter to Trump.

Zelensky said Russian forces continue to target Ukrainian civilians daily while also launching larger, coordinated bombardments on a regular basis.

“Two times a week, or two times per 10 days, they have big, massive attacks,” he said in the interview.

As an example, he cited a recent Russian assault involving more than 600 Iranian-made drones and approximately 90 missiles, including 30 ballistic missiles.

“It was very difficult to destroy it,” he said. “We used all our weapons, what we have, what we produce, and of course we used anti-ballistic missile. This is the biggest deficit for us.”

The interview also addressed recent incidents involving Russian drones crossing into or striking NATO territory. Earlier this week, a Russian drone hit a residential building in Romania, drawing a swift response from NATO officials.

“Russia’s reckless behaviour is a danger to us all,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte wrote on the social platform X after speaking with Romanian President Nicușor Dan about the incident. “They continue to target civilians and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine. And last night showed yet again that the implications of their illegal war of aggression don’t stop at the border.”

Zelensky argued that the incidents are part of a broader effort by Russian President Vladimir Putin to pressure countries supporting Ukraine and discourage them from continuing their assistance.

“I think it’s political pressure,” he said. “It’s messages from Russia: Don’t help Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council and the country’s former president, warned European nations to be cautious about becoming more involved in the conflict following the Romanian drone incident.

“Citizens of EU countries, You should realize your authorities have unilaterally entered into a war with Russia,” the Putin adviser wrote on X. “So be vigilant and don’t be surprised by anything. The peaceful sleep is over. But you know who to ask why.”

{Matzav.com}

The United States has confiscated or frozen approximately $1 billion in cryptocurrency tied to Iran, marking a major escalation in Washington’s effort to disrupt Tehran’s access to international financial channels, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Thursday.

Speaking at the Reagan National Economic Forum, Bessent revealed that the amount of Iranian digital assets seized by U.S. authorities has doubled since April, when officials reported nearly $500 million in frozen cryptocurrency holdings, according to BeInCrypto.com.

“Just outright grabbed the wallets,” Bessent said. “Some of them may be typing in right now and might not realize their wallet had been grabbed.”

The latest seizures are part of “Operation Economic Fury,” a campaign launched by the Treasury Department in March 2025 to dismantle networks used by Iran to evade international sanctions.

According to U.S. officials, Tehran has increasingly turned to digital currencies to move funds connected to oil exports and activities associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Much of that activity reportedly involved the stablecoin Tether (USDT) on the Tron blockchain.

Bessent said Iranian entities had been transferring between $400 million and $500 million each month through cryptocurrency networks before federal authorities intensified their enforcement efforts.

To carry out the operation, the Treasury Department has coordinated with major cryptocurrency companies, including Tether, as well as blockchain-tracking firms that help identify wallets linked to sanctioned organizations.

One of the most significant actions took place in April, when U.S. authorities froze roughly $344 million worth of USDT connected to Iranian financial networks.

Officials say the effort highlights the growing role of cryptocurrency in modern economic conflict. While digital assets were once viewed as a tool that could help sanctioned nations circumvent traditional banking systems, U.S. authorities argue that blockchain technology creates a permanent record that investigators can follow.

The crackdown comes as Iran grapples with mounting economic challenges, including a weakening currency, pressure on its banking sector, and declining revenue from oil exports.

Bessent said some of the confiscated funds are being safeguarded for the benefit of the Iranian people, while other assets could eventually be used to compensate victims of terrorism.

Treasury officials indicated that additional enforcement actions are likely in the coming months as the administration continues expanding its campaign against Iran’s financial infrastructure.

{Matzav.com}

Italian authorities have blocked a planned Kanye West concert in the city of Reggio Emilia, citing concerns about public safety and the potential for unrest.

The decision was announced Friday by Prefect Salvatore Angieri, who said that permits would not be granted for the two major concerts that had been scheduled on consecutive days in July at the northern Italian venue.

The move followed a formal request from members of the local Jewish community, who urged officials to cancel West’s appearance.

Nicoletta Uzzielli, who heads the region’s Jewish community, had pressed local leaders to replace the performance with an event that would bring “music back to the forefront as a universally unifying force.”

West, who now performs under the name Ye, has faced widespread criticism in recent years over a series of antisemitic remarks and expressions of support for Nazi ideology.

In 2022, the rapper threatened to go “death con 3 on the Jews” in an apparent antisemitic rant on X, which was then called Twitter. West followed this up by claiming that he can’t be antisemitic “because black people are actually Jew.”

His controversies continued last year when he purchased a Super Bowl advertisement promoting T-shirts bearing swastikas and later released a song titled “Heil Hitler.”

West later apologized for his conduct, saying his actions stemmed from manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder.

Most recently, authorities in both the United Kingdom and Poland barred him from entering those countries because of his past antisemitic statements.

In its explanation for denying approval, the regional prefecture cited multiple concerns. Officials pointed to the “cancellation of previous concerts by the American rapper in other countries and the real risk of counter-demonstrations.”

{Matzav.com}

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The IDF announced Sunday that Staff Sergeant Michael Tyukin, 21, of Ashkelon, was killed during combat operations in southern Lebanon after an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah struck Israeli forces in the area.

Tyukin served in the Givati Brigade’s Reconnaissance Battalion (846th). According to the military, he was killed while operating with his unit in southern Lebanon.

The fatal attack occurred at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Motzoei Shabbos, when a Hezbollah explosive UAV hit the location where soldiers from the Givati Reconnaissance Battalion were conducting operations.

The latest attack adds to a growing toll since the Lebanon ceasefire took effect. According to Israeli figures, Hezbollah has killed 13 Israelis during that period. Nine of the victims—including eight soldiers and one civilian—were killed in attacks involving explosive drones.

The IDF said that four additional soldiers were lightly wounded in the same incident that claimed Tyukin’s life. All were evacuated for medical treatment, and their families were notified of their injuries.

{Matzav.com}

Residents across parts of the northeastern United States were startled Saturday afternoon when a meteor exploded high above the region, producing a powerful shockwave that rattled homes and triggered widespread reports of loud booms.

NASA said the meteor broke apart in the atmosphere, generating an acoustic blast that was heard across several states. According to the agency, the energy released by the explosion was roughly equivalent to 300 tons of TNT.

The event occurred shortly after 2 p.m. local time in the skies above an area spanning northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire.

Jennifer Dooren, NASA’s deputy news chief, confirmed the nature of the phenomenon in comments to AFP and stressed that it was not connected to any man-made object.

“This fireball was not associated with any currently active meteor shower, but it was a natural object and not a re-entry of space debris or a satellite,” Dooren explained. “The energy released at breakup is estimated to be equivalent to about 300 tons of TNT, which accounts for the loud booms.”

Before breaking apart, the meteor was traveling through Earth’s atmosphere at approximately 75,000 miles per hour. NASA said the explosion took place at an altitude of about 40 miles above the ground.

The sudden blast left many residents confused and concerned as the sound echoed across communities throughout the region. Social media quickly filled with reports from people describing thunderous noises and vibrations strong enough to shake houses and windows.

Many initially believed the sounds were caused by an earthquake, explosion, or military activity before officials confirmed that the source was a meteor disintegrating high above the Northeast.

{Matzav.com}

What is traditionally a brief and uplifting respite for thousands of yeshiva bochurim and kollel yungeleit after Shavuos turned into a weekend marked by fear, uncertainty, and widespread anxiety. Reports of arrests, roadside detentions, and efforts to avoid encounters with authorities dominated conversations across the Torah world, leaving many families deeply unsettled.

Each year, the Shabbos following Shavuos serves as a short break after weeks of intense learning. Thousands of bochurim and avreichim typically use the opportunity to return home, spend time with family, and recharge before resuming the summer zman.

This year, however, the atmosphere was markedly different. Instead of a sense of relief and renewal, many communities reported feelings of apprehension and unease amid a wave of arrests involving yeshiva students and avreichim who were subsequently transferred to military authorities.

Safe Houses and Sleepless Nights

Sources related that fears of unexpected police actions led to an extraordinary outpouring of communal support. Families in numerous neighborhoods, including areas not generally identified with the more insular chareidi communities, reportedly opened their homes to host bochurim for Shabbos.

Residents described a situation in which some families feared that authorities could arrive at their homes during the night. As a result, some bochurim reportedly spent Shabbos sleeping at alternate locations rather than at their registered addresses.

“Parents are simply afraid that military police will knock on their door in the middle of the night and take their sons into custody,” one resident said. “Some bochurim spent the nights in nearby apartments, away from their official home addresses. Every knock on the door startled entire families.”

The concern also extended into the yeshiva world itself. At one prominent Litvishe yeshiva in Yerushalayim, unusual activity was reported shortly before Shabbos as parents arrived in large numbers to pick up their sons directly from the campus. According to reports, students were advised to avoid public transportation and hitchhiking, which many feared had become potential points of detention.

Three Bochurim Arrested While Traveling Home

Those concerns intensified following several arrests that took place shortly before Shabbos and quickly became the focus of discussion throughout the chareidi community.

One incident involved three talmidim from Yeshivas Maalos HaTorah who were attempting to obtain rides home. According to reports, traffic police stopped the students for a routine identification check and discovered that they were listed as draft evaders.

The three were reportedly taken into custody and transferred to military authorities. They spent Shabbos in detention alongside approximately 40 other yeshiva students and avreichim who are currently being held under similar circumstances. Leaders within the Peleg Yerushalmi are reportedly preparing demonstrations and protest activities in response.

Kiryat Gat Arrest Sparks Outrage

A separate incident in Kiryat Gat generated particularly strong reactions and threatened to escalate tensions between the chareidi community and law enforcement authorities.

According to reports, a well-known Belzer chossid and avreich was arrested and transferred to military authorities after being identified as a draft evader.

Witnesses said that the arrest occurred while a crowd had gathered around a local incident. The avreich allegedly approached police officers in an effort to help calm the situation. Instead, officers checked his identification and, after determining his status, placed him under arrest.

The incident prompted unusually sharp criticism within Belz, where many viewed the arrest as crossing long-standing understandings between the chareidi community and law enforcement authorities.

The response was swift. Senior figures in the chassidus reportedly instructed dozens of police volunteers affiliated with Belz, as well as avreichim involved in various enlistment-related processes, to attend an emergency gathering scheduled for Motzaei Shabbos.

Officials involved in volunteer emergency and community organizations expressed concern that the episode could damage trust and hinder cooperation between the chareidi public and police authorities.

At the same time, Deputy Minister and MK Yisroel Eichler, along with leading Belz activists, became actively involved in efforts to secure the avreich’s release. According to reports, significant political pressure was brought to bear on senior figures within the security and law enforcement establishment.

After several tense hours, those efforts proved successful, and the avreich was released shortly before the onset of Shabbos.

Despite that release, tensions remained high throughout the Torah world after Shabbos. Many bochurim and avreichim expressed concern that routine activities once taken for granted now carry a degree of uncertainty and risk.

“The status quo has changed; the game has become dangerous,” one Yerushalayim rosh yeshiva said. “This Shabbos demonstrated that we have entered a new phase, and nobody knows what tomorrow will bring.”

{Matzav.com}

Health officials have expanded Ebola screening measures to New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport after federal authorities confirmed that an American physician contracted the virus during the ongoing outbreak in Africa.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that JFK began conducting enhanced health screenings on Friday, becoming the fourth major U.S. airport to implement the program. The airport joins Washington Dulles International Airport, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport in screening travelers arriving from affected regions.

The World Health Organization designated the current outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 15.

The outbreak originated in Congo’s northeastern Ituri Province before spreading into neighboring Uganda. According to the latest WHO figures released May 30, there have been 906 suspected infections and 223 suspected deaths linked to the outbreak.

Federal officials said Peter Stafford, a 39-year-old American physician working with the missionary organization Serge, unknowingly performed surgery on a patient infected with Ebola before the outbreak was identified.

Stafford tested positive for the virus on May 24. Authorities subsequently transferred him to a hospital in Germany, where he is receiving treatment.

Over the past week, the United States has redirected travelers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan to designated airports where they undergo enhanced screening procedures aimed at identifying potential exposures.

Under newly revised federal rules, lawful permanent residents who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the previous 21 days may also be barred from entering the United States.

“Public health entry screening serves as one component of CDC’s layered public health approach,” the CDC said in the May 29 announcement.

“These actions are based on current epidemiological evidence, ongoing risk assessments, and the highly serious nature of BVD (Bundibugyo). This order will be in effect for 30 days, effective immediately.”

Travelers selected for screening will be escorted to a designated area, where they will answer questions about their recent travel and any symptoms they may be experiencing. Their temperatures will be checked using non-contact devices, and CDC personnel will observe them for signs of illness.

The CDC continues to classify the immediate risk to the general American public as low. However, officials said they are closely monitoring developments and will adjust policies as conditions change.

In the meantime, the agency is advising anyone traveling to the United States from affected countries to monitor themselves for possible Ebola symptoms for 21 days after departure.

Symptoms associated with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which carries an estimated mortality rate of between 30 and 50 percent, include fever, headaches, muscle aches, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and, in advanced cases, unexplained bleeding or bruising.

The CDC also said it is working to evacuate additional Americans from the region, including Stafford’s wife, Rebekah Stafford, 38, a physician who also treated the infected patient.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump remains in outstanding physical and mental condition and is fully capable of carrying out the responsibilities of the presidency, according to a medical report released by the White House on Friday evening.

The report summarizes the findings of Trump’s six-month physical examination, which was conducted earlier this week at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center by Dr. Sean Barbabella.

In the memo, Barbabella concluded that the president continues to enjoy strong overall health.

“President Trump remains in excellent health, demonstrating strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and overall physical function,” Barbabella wrote.

The physician also pointed to the president’s demanding workload and active routine as contributing factors to his condition.

“His demanding daily schedule, including multiple high-level meetings, public engagements, and regular physical activity, continues to support his overall well-being,” he added. “Cognitive and physical performance are excellent.

“He is fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State.”

Among the findings highlighted in the report was an assessment that Trump’s cardiovascular health is significantly younger than his actual age.

According to Barbabella, the president’s “cardiac age” was estimated to be approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age.

The report also noted progress regarding a minor medical issue identified during an earlier examination. Barbabella said there had been “improvement” in the mild swelling previously observed in Trump’s lower legs.

In addition, the physician referenced the visible scar on Trump’s right ear resulting from the gunshot wound he sustained during the July 2024 assassination attempt.

The report stated that Trump continues to take two medications to manage cholesterol levels, along with a daily aspirin regimen.

Barbabella explained that the president’s use of aspirin, combined with his frequent public interactions and handshaking, contributes to the bruising occasionally visible on his hand, describing the condition as “common and benign.”

As part of the examination, Trump also completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a widely used cognitive screening test, and achieved a perfect score, answering all 30 questions correctly.

{Matzav.com}

American drivers are seeing some relief at gas stations after prices dropped sharply over the past week, driven by falling oil prices amid renewed diplomatic efforts to extend the ceasefire with Iran and restore commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the decline, fuel costs remain significantly higher than they were before the conflict erupted.

According to AAA, the nationwide average price for regular gasoline stood at $4.356 per gallon on Friday, down nearly 17 cents from $4.529 one week earlier. California continued to have the highest average price in the nation at $6.040 per gallon, while Indiana recorded the lowest average at $3.722.

The decrease in gasoline prices has mirrored a pullback in crude oil markets as investors assess the possibility that oil shipments could soon resume through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors. Approximately 20 percent of global seaborne oil passes through the narrow waterway.

Iran has largely restricted passage through the strait since fighting with the United States and Israel intensified on February 28. The disruption sent oil prices soaring and pushed the national average price of gasoline from $2.98 per gallon before the conflict to more than $4.50 by mid-May.

On Friday, President Donald Trump met with senior national security officials at the White House to review a tentative proposal that would prolong the current ceasefire and reopen the strait to international shipping. Iranian officials, however, said no final agreement has yet been reached.

Recent declines in Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude futures have been fueled largely by optimism surrounding the diplomatic talks. Market analysts warn that any breakdown in negotiations could quickly reverse those gains.

Experts say that even if an agreement is finalized, consumers should not expect an immediate return to the lower gasoline prices seen before the conflict began.

“Reopening the Strait fully to oil shipments and nothing less” is what would meaningfully move pump prices, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told Newsweek, adding that getting back to prewar levels could take more than a year even after tankers begin moving again.

Denton Cinquegrana, chief oil analyst at Oil Price Information Service, told the same outlet a return to the prewar $2.98 average could stretch into the second half of 2027.

While oil prices have retreated from recent highs, futures markets continue to reflect concerns about supply. Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist at LPL Financial, noted that December 2026 Brent crude contracts are trading near $80 per barrel. That is down from approximately $88 a barrel a week ago but remains well above prewar levels.

Trump predicted on May 11 that gasoline prices would “drop like a rock” once the conflict ended. Energy analysts, however, have repeatedly cautioned that lower oil prices do not immediately translate into lower prices at the pump because of delays throughout the refining and distribution process.

Meanwhile, rising consumer demand is creating additional upward pressure on fuel prices as Americans prepare for summer travel. AAA, citing figures from the Energy Information Administration, reported that gasoline demand climbed from 8.76 million barrels per day to 9.25 million barrels per day over the past week.

Even after the recent decline, gasoline remains considerably more expensive than it was a year ago. As of May 30, 2026, the national average is roughly $1.20 higher than on the same date in 2025, when AAA reported an average price of $3.16 per gallon.

{Matzav.com}