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On Saturday morning, in broad daylight in Richmond, London, two masked men smashed a front display window of a jewelry store and stole jewelry worth thousands of dollars.

Iran’s supreme leader issued a sharp warning on Sunday, saying any military action by the United States would trigger a “regional war” across the Middle East, heightening tensions as President Donald Trump has openly threatened strikes against the Islamic Republic.

The remarks by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, marked his most explicit threat to date, coming as the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other American warships operate in the Arabian Sea. The deployment followed Trump’s decision to move naval forces after Tehran’s violent suppression of nationwide protests.

Whether Trump will ultimately authorize the use of force remains uncertain. He has repeatedly said Iran is interested in negotiations and has pointed to Tehran’s nuclear program as another central issue he wants addressed.

Khamenei, however, also described the ongoing demonstrations as “a coup,” signaling a tougher official stance as reports indicate tens of thousands of people have been detained since protests erupted.

In Iran, charges of sedition can carry the death penalty, renewing fears that Tehran could carry out mass executions of detainees — a development Trump has described as a red line.

At the same time, Iran had scheduled live-fire military exercises for Sunday and Monday in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passage linking the Persian Gulf to global markets and used for roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil.

The US military’s Central Command warned Tehran not to threaten American vessels or aircraft during the drills or interfere with commercial shipping.

Iranian state television first reported Khamenei’s statements online before broadcasting footage of his speech.

“The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,” Khamenei was quoted as saying.

It added that he also declared: “We are not the instigators and we do not seek to attack any country. But the Iranian nation will deliver a firm blow to anyone who attacks or harasses it.”

Khamenei further hardened his rhetoric toward the protests, after previously acknowledging that some demonstrators were driven by genuine economic grievances. The unrest began on Dec. 28, initially sparked by the collapse of Iran’s rial, before quickly evolving into a broader challenge to his rule.

“The recent sedition was similar to a coup. Of course, the coup was suppressed,” he said. “Their goal was to destroy sensitive and effective centers involved in running the country, and for this reason they attacked the police, government centers, (Revolutionary Guard) facilities, banks and mosques — and burned copies of the Quran. They targeted centers that run the country.”

Separately, Iran’s parliament speaker said the Islamic Republic now considers all European Union militaries to be terrorist organizations, responding to the bloc’s decision to designate Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terror group over its crackdown on protesters.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a former Guard commander, announced the move, which is expected to be largely symbolic.

Iran has relied on a 2019 law to reciprocally label other nations’ militaries as terrorist groups after the United States designated the Guard as a terror organization that year.

Qalibaf made the announcement as he and other lawmakers donned Guard uniforms in a show of support for the force, which controls Iran’s ballistic missile program and extensive economic interests and answers directly to Khamenei.

“By seeking to strike at the (Guard), which itself has been the greatest barrier to the spread of terrorism to Europe, Europeans have in fact shot themselves in the foot and, once again, through blind obedience to the Americans, decided against the interests of their own people,” Qalibaf said.

Lawmakers later shouted slogans of “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!” during the session.

Trump has publicly outlined two red lines that could prompt military action: the killing of peaceful protesters or the mass execution of those detained during the crackdown.

He has also increasingly focused on Iran’s nuclear program, which the US had negotiated with Tehran over multiple rounds of talks before Israel launched a 12-day war with Iran in June.

During that conflict, the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities. Activity observed at two of the sites has raised suspicions that Iran may be attempting to obscure satellite imagery as it works to preserve what remains.

Trump said Saturday night that he had not yet decided how to proceed on Iran.

Speaking with reporters aboard a flight to Florida, Donald Trump sidestepped a question about whether Tehran would feel emboldened if Washington refrained from striking, saying, “Some people think that. Some people don’t.”

He added that Iran should negotiate a “satisfactory” agreement to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons, but cautioned, “I don’t know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us.”

Late Saturday, senior Iranian security official Ali Larijani wrote on X that “structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing.” There has been no public indication of direct talks with the United States, something Khamenei has repeatedly ruled out.

{Matzav.com}

Kristi Noem reveals over 220,000 people have applied to work for ICE.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić says that as the Epstein documents surface, he expects a strike on Iran and other major developments within the next 48 hours.

UNPRECEDENTED ARREST: A yeshivah bochur from Ohel Yosef Yeshiva in Jerusalem was arrested in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem. The arrest took place near the bochur’s home, in the heart of the Chareidi neighborhood. A police vehicle stopped near the bochur’s house while he was outside after coming home for Shabbos home. Officers got out […]

WH Press Sec.: “What we want is law and order. What we want is for the brave men and women of law enforcement to be able to do their jobs… without being demonized, spit on, without their vehicles being kicked in by agitators — many of whom are paid.”

Trump on Canada: If they do a deal with China, we will do something very substantial.

Doctors Without Borders said it is withdrawing its international staff from Gaza after Israel declined to renew visas for its employees. Israel’s Ministry of Defense body COGAT said the organization refused to submit a required list of local employees for security screening, stating the measure is intended to prevent individuals affiliated with terrorist groups from […]

Trump on Cuba: “We’re starting to talk to Cuba… A lot of people that live in our country were treated very badly by Cuba… They haven’t seen their family, their country, for many, many decades. I’ll be able to work that out.”

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited Washington over the weekend, where he held meetings with senior U.S. defense officials focused on Iran and broader security issues. Israeli media reported that the talks included discussions on Iran-related military matters and ongoing security coordination between Israel and the United States.

When a drug cartel came calling at a store selling vapes in northern Mexico, the owners knew they were powerless. The cartel abducted two employees, blindfolded them and demanded to speak with their bosses. The cartel said it was seizing the store, which would only be allowed to sell online outside the state. “They don’t come […]

The Chofetz Chaim wrote in safer Bais Yisrael that we need to daven (pray) with a lot of tears for Mashiach . Daven (pray) that Hashem should help everyone daven (pray) with a lot of tears and kavanah for Mashiach. Daven (pray) that everyone should love the Bais Hamikdash a lot all the time. This will […]

  R’ Yosef Kornblit from Yerushalayim – a devoted Yid, a father of 15 children, 8 already married. This week it becomes reality.   Three more children are engaged – and the first chasunah is taking place this Wednesday.   The family is already crushed by overwhelming debt.   There is no time left. The […]

A lengthy and moving letter concerning the condition of mikvaos in Romania “after the terrible churban and the horrific pogroms, and the sufferings of fascism in our country, ” signed by the holy hand of the Admor Rabbi Eliezer Zusia Portugal of Skulen.     The Rebbe describes the dire situation and laments that in […]

A heavy pall of mourning has descended upon the Chassidic world, and the courts of Lelov in particular, following the sudden passing of Rav Yissachar Dov Biderman, the Lelover Rebbe zt”l. The Rebbe collapsed while immersing in a mikvah. He was 84 years old.

The Rebbe arrived earlier today, as was his custom, to immerse in the private mikvah located at the Lelover beis medrash on Rechov Tzefania Street in Yerushalayim. After he remained in the water longer than usual, those accompanying him raised the alarm. Emergency medical teams were summoned and carried out prolonged resuscitation efforts, but tragically, doctors were forced to declare his petirah.

Paramedic Naftali Sofer of Hatzalah, together with emergency medical technicians Yosef Herpaz and Kobi Marder, described the scene: “When we arrived, we found a man unconscious, without a pulse or respiration. Witnesses told us he had been pulled from the water in that condition. Together with additional paramedics and EMTs from MDA and Hatzalah, we immediately began advanced resuscitation efforts, including chest compressions, assisted ventilation, and life-saving medications. Sadly, despite all efforts, MDA paramedics were forced to pronounce his passing at the scene.”

Reb Bentzi Oiring, commander of the Yerushalayim district of ZAKA, stated: “The Rebbe collapsed in the mikvah of the Lelover Chassidus on Rechov Tzefania in Yerushalayim. His attendants, noticing that he was delayed for an extended period, called emergency services. MDA teams confirmed his passing. ZAKA volunteers are operating at the scene, ensuring that kavod hameis is fully preserved.”

Following his petirah, the niftar was brought into the Lelover beis medrash, where the paroches was removed and candles were lit around him.

The levayah is scheduled to take place this evening, departing from the Kedushas Mordechai Lelov beis medrash at 39 Rechov Bar Ilan in Yerushalayim, and proceeding to Har Haceisim. The levayah is expected to begin after 8:00 p.m., following the arrival of the Rebbe’s son on a flight from London.

Rav Yissachar Dov Biderman was born in Yerushalayim on the 10th of Kislev, 5702 (1941), to his father, the Lelover Rebbe, Rav Moshe Mordechai Biderman, and his mother, Rebbetzin Ettel, of the Schwartz family.

At his bris, he was named Yissachar Dov after the Belzer Rebbe. As a young child, he moved with his family to Tel Aviv, where his father relocated from the Batei Varsha neighborhood of Yerushalayim. He studied at the Belzer cheder and later in the Belzer yeshivah, eventually learning in the Lelover yeshivah in Yerushalayim’s Beis Yisrael neighborhood, where he distinguished himself as one of its outstanding talmidim.

After his marriage, he continued to immerse himself in limud haTorah and supported his family by writing Sifrei Torah. Known for his ascetic lifestyle, the Rebbe was entirely devoted to avodas hakodesh. Those close to him described him as exceptionally gentle and refined, visibly carrying forward the sacred path and spiritual bearing of his father. He was especially renowned for his profound ahavas Yisrael, in the tradition of the Lelover rebbes from the dynasty’s founder, Rav Dovid’l of Lelov, onward.

In later years, he assumed the mantle of leadership as Lelover Rebbe and headed the Kedushas Mordechai Lelov beis medrash on Rechov Bar Ilan in Yerushalayim, which was established in 2007. His chassidim reside throughout Israel and around the world, and many would travel to participate in his tishen on yahrtzeits and Yomim Tovim. On Motzaei Shabbos, following Havdalah, the Rebbe was known to distribute cigarettes to those present, a custom remembered fondly by his followers.

The Rebbe’s sudden passing comes just two days before the yahrtzeit of his brother, the Lelover Rebbe Rav Avraham Shlomo Biderman, who passed away on the 16th of Shevat in 5760.

He is survived by his family and many descendants who continue his sacred path, as well as his brothers, the Lelover rebbes of Nikolsburg and Lelov Ezras Torah.

Yehi zichro boruch.

The East African country of Somalia is holding up permits for Israeli airline Arkia to continue flying over it to and from the Far East, the Israeli Transport Ministry says.

The delay comes amid tensions between the two countries over Israel’s recognition on Dec. 26 of the breakaway Republic of Somaliland as an independent state. Somalia views the autonomous region as an integral part of its territory.

“The reason for not granting the approval to Arkia is not clear because the authorities in Somalia did not specify the reason for their refusal,” the Transport Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. “This refusal constitutes a violation of the Convention on International Aviation to which Somalia, a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is a signatory.”

The ministry added that it is working with “all relevant parties” and using “all means at its disposal” to assist the Israeli carrier in resolving the issue.

Arkia said that it has not received a renewal of its permit to fly over Somalia airspace, which expires at the end of January, and may be forced to alter its flight route to Thailand.

“As part of international aviation procedures, airlines submit periodic requests for air transit permits on various routes,” Arkia said in a statement. “As of now, Arkia has not yet received the renewal of the periodic permit for air transit over Somalia for February.”

“If approval is not received by the beginning of February, the company will operate flights on an alternative route, without any change to flight times and without harming passengers,” the carrier said.

Arkia, which began flying to Thailand in November, added that the issue is being handled by Israeli authorities, including the Civil Aviation Authority and the Foreign Ministry.

Israeli flag carrier El Al’s s permit renewal to fly over Somalia remains valid until March 1.

Israeli travel agents said Thursday that the delay in granting the permit is seen as Somalia’s revenge over Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and was a diplomatic issue that will have little to no effect on flights to the Far East.

“The refusal of Somalia’s government to grant the approval due to Israel’s recognition of Somaliland is more of a diplomatic issue than anything else,” Mark Feldman, CEO of Jerusalem’s Ziontours, told JNS on Sunday. “The additional 20 minutes required to bypass their airspace will have zero ramifications on Arkia marketing the route.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he has instructed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem not to intervene in protests occurring in cities led by Democrats unless local authorities ask for federal help amid mounting criticism of his administration’s immigration crackdown. On his social media site, Trump posted that “under no circumstances are we going to participate in various poorly run […]

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday selected a former inmate who later became a prison reform advocate to serve as commissioner of the Department of Correction, signaling his administration’s intent to shift the jail system toward a rehabilitation-centered model.

Stanley Richards, who was incarcerated in the late 1980s on a robbery conviction, will become the first person with a prior prison record to head the city’s correctional agency. Announcing the appointment, Mamdani highlighted the historical nature of the decision. “Stanley will make history in this role as the first ever formerly incarcerated person to serve as commissioner,” Mamdani said. “I will turn to Stanley as we work to build a city where justice is at the heart of our corrections system,” the mayor added.

According to reports by Gothamist and NY1, Richards was convicted of robbery in the late 1980s, spending approximately two and a half years on Rikers Island followed by another four and a half years in state prison. He was released in 1991.

In his initial comments after being named commissioner, Richards echoed Mamdani’s reform agenda and criticized what he characterized as an overly punitive approach to incarceration. “Today we turn the page and we start a new era under Mayor Mamdani,” Richards said.

Richards also cited his professional background within the correctional system, noting his prior service as first deputy commissioner of programs and operations at the Department of Correction, as well as his role as vice chair of the Board of Correction’s Task Force to Close Rikers.

The appointment comes amid continued federal oversight of New York City’s jails. Earlier this week, a federal judge installed an external remediation manager to supervise reforms at Rikers Island following years of violence, staffing shortages, and court findings that city officials failed to adequately address unsafe conditions. Rikers had been slated for closure by August 2027 under former Mayor Bill de Blasio.

When asked whether he had already engaged with the remediation manager, Mamdani said contact had been made and stressed a collaborative approach. “My administration has, and we look forward to working with the remediation manager on improving conditions in our city’s jails, both for those in custody and for correction officers,” Mamdani said.

The move prompted a cautious response from the union representing correction officers, which warned against subordinating safety concerns to political goals. In a statement, Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association President Benny Boscio said the jails “cannot and will not operate as safely as possible if the concerns of our members are brushed aside,” adding that Richards must show a clear commitment to “putting safety and security before any political ideology.”

As Richards prepares to assume leadership of the embattled jail system, questions remain over whether his reform-driven experience will result in tangible improvements in safety and stability. Mamdani’s office confirmed to Fox News Digital that Richards is scheduled to begin his new role on Feb. 16.

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s Supreme Leader accused the United States of creating an “ISIS-like” group to stir recent unrest, claiming it carried out arson attacks and killings across Iran, and alleged that the same U.S. intelligence elements behind ISIS in Iraq and Syria are now targeting Iran.