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Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at a prison in Paris on Tuesday to begin serving a 5-year sentence for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya — a historic moment that makes him the first ex-leader of modern France to be imprisoned. Sarkozy, 70, was greeted by hundreds of supporters when he walked out of his Paris home hand-in-hand with his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. He embraced her before getting into a police car. On his way to prison, Sarkozy released a statement on social media declaring that “an innocent man” was being locked up. Minutes later, the vehicle passed through the gates of the notorious La Santé prison — where Sarkozy will now serve his sentence in solitary confinement. Sarkozy was convicted last month for criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya. He contests both the conviction and a judge’s unusual decision to incarcerate him pending appeal. His lawyers said Tuesday that they filed an immediate request for his release. “It’s an ominous day for him, for France, and for our institutions, because this incarceration is a disgrace,” Sarkozy’s lawyer Jean-Michel Darrois told reporters soon after his incarceration. Solitary confinement Sarkozy’s lawyers said he will be kept away from all other prisoners for security reasons. Sarkozy told Le Figaro newspaper that he would bring three books — the maximum allowed — including Alexandre Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo,″ in which the hero escapes from an island prison before seeking revenge. His lawyers said he packed a bag with a few sweaters because the prison is cold and earplugs because it’s noisy. Christophe Ingrain, another of Sarkozy’s lawyers, denounced “a serious injustice.” “It’s a very difficult time, but the president has stood strong,” Ingrain said. “He doesn’t complain, hasn’t asked for anything, no special treatment.” Sarkozy will be allowed to go outdoors one hour per day alone in the prison yard and to get three visits per week from his family, Ingrain said, adding that he is planning to write a book about his prison experience. An outpouring of support for the ex-president Sarkozy’s journey from the presidential Elysée Palace to La Santé prison has captivated France. After leaving their home, Sarkozy and his wife walked slowly to join family members, including his children and grandchildren, outside his home. “I’m very proud to share his name, and very proud of how he’s reacting,” said his brother, Guillaume Sarkozy. “I’m truly convinced that he is innocent.” Hundreds of supporters applauded and chanted “Nicolas, Nicolas” and sang the French anthem. Two French flags were hung on a nearby fence, with the words “Courage Nicolas, return soon” and “true France with Nicolas.” Parisian resident Virginie Rochon, 44, came in support of Sarkozy, calling it “scandalous” to see ”a former president being taken away while still presumed innocent.” Another supporter, Véronique Maurey, 50, said “it’s just not possible. And on top of that, calling it a ‘criminal conspiracy’ kind of makes all of us feel like criminals too because we voted for him. It’s not right to say that.” Meeting with Macron Embattled centrist President Emmanuel Macron hosted the conservative Sarkozy at the presidential palace last week. ‘’I have always been very clear in my public statements about the […]

In a show of solidarity with the olam haTorah in Eretz Yisroel, thousands gathered Sunday afternoon outside the Israeli Consulate in Manhattan to protest the arrest of yeshiva bochurim for refusing military conscription.

The asifah was led by the Satmar Rebbes, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum and his brother, Rav Zalman Leib Teitelbaum.

The Satmar Rebbes each called for participation in the event but did not appear together.

Crowds filled Second Avenue for blocks, with throngs of chassidim arriving by bus and even by ferry from across New York and neighboring states.

Because Manhattan authorities prohibited full street closures, participants lined the sidewalks stretching over a wide area.

There was no fixed stage. Instead, speakers addressed the crowd from a raised construction lift that hoisted them above the masses before being lowered after each address.

The opening remarks were delivered by Rav Yehoshua Nachman Berger, rosh yeshiva of Ohel Torah in Boro Park.

Rav Dovid Hershler of Eretz Yisroel conveyed the anguish of the detained bochurim.

Rav Anshil Ashkenazi, av beis din of Chavas Daas, voiced a passionate protest.

Rav Yaakov Horowitz, rosh yeshiva of Beis Meir, also spoke, and closing words were delivered by Rav Shlomo Shabsi Kestenbaum, dayan of Binyan Bracha of Kiryas Yoel.

The Rebbe of Bobov-45 led kabbolas ol malchus Shamayim at the conclusion.

Throughout the rally, the speakers decried the arrests of bnei yeshivos, who since the founding of the State had always been granted exemption from army service. They warned that today, bnei yeshiva are being imprisoned simply for learning Torah — “snatched,” as one speaker said, “for the crime of serving Hashem.”

{Matzav.com}

Prime Minister Netanyahu met Tuesday afternoon in Jerusalem with the head of Egyptian intelligence, his office announced. The meeting, held at the Prime Minister’s Office, was attended by Netanyahu’s senior professional staff. Discussions centered on advancing US President Donald Trump’s regional framework, strengthening ties between Israel and Egypt, and other key regional matters aimed at promoting stability and peace.

A historic evening unfolded in Yerushalayim as tens of thousands of bnei yeshiva from across Eretz Yisroel filled the Pais Arena for the monumental Amudei Olam gathering, an unprecedented display of kavod haTorah and achdus, organized by Ichud Bnei HaYeshivos.

Under the leadership of gedolei Yisroel — including Rav Dov Landau, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, and Rav Don Segal — the massive crowd of bochurim heard fiery words of chizuk about their role as those who uphold the world through Torah, particularly in these challenging times.

The evening began with words of inspiration from Rav Dovid Breuer, followed by a thunderous joint rendition of “Vise’arev” and “Visein Chelkeinu Besorasecha,” accompanied by maestro Yehuda Galili, Benzi Stein, Beri Weber, and the Neshama and Malchus choirs.

A dramatic Rischa DeOraisa session then followed, with leading roshei yeshiva engaging in a spirited Torah debate, leaving the crowd inspired by the depth of ahavas haTorah.

As the gedolim — Rav Dov Landau, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, and Rav Don Segal — entered the entire arena rose to its feet, singing “Yomim al yemei melech tosif” and “Ashrei ha’am,” as the walls of the arena shook.

Rav Dov Landau addressed the growing battle against the yeshiva world, declaring, “מי שנגד עולם הישיבות השם יפר עצתם במהרה.” He urged strengthening Torah learning in the face of external pressures. “They are fighting the world of Torah,” he said, “but the strength of bnei hayeshivos is to increase Torah and yiras Shamayim. In their merit, the world stands, and Klal Yisroel will be redeemed.”

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch delivered the central address, expressing anguish over the challenges to Torah learning in Eretz Yisroel. “It is a great tragedy that we do not have the right to learn Torah freely in Eretz Yisroel,” he exclaimed, referencing the draft issue and arrests of bochurim. “They are throwing bochurim into prison — perhaps because they are not learning enough? We must strengthen ourselves, eliminate divisive groups, and stand proudly and purely against those who oppose us.”

Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman followed with an impassioned call: “כולנו חייבים למסור נפש כנגד הגזירה הנוראה של הגיוס.” He praised the self-sacrifice of the bnei yeshiva for their Torah learning, saying, “Your mesirus nefesh is not only for yourselves but for so many others who might falter. We must all stand strong.”

The mashgiach, Rav Don Segal, urged the crowd to elevate their own esteem for Torah. “Disrespect for bnei Torah begins with us,” he said. “If we honor the learners and value Torah, Heaven will help us, and the entire world will recognize its greatness.” He concluded with a heartfelt rendition of his niggun “Tatte’le,” with the entire arena joining in song.

Rav Dovid Cohen, rosh yeshivas Chevron and nosi of the Ichud Bnei HaYeshivos, also spoke, calling for renewed hasmadah and concluding with kabbalas ol Malchus Shamayim together with the multitudes.

Additional remarks were delivered by Rav Aviezer Piltz and Rav Shimon Galai.

Public officials including MK Moshe Gafni, Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Eliezer Rauchberger, and Bnei Brak Deputy Mayor Menachem Shapira also spoke.

The event featured stirring musical interludes celebrating the “pillars of the world” — the bnei yeshiva — and continued late into the night in an atmosphere of unity and kiddush Hashem.

A planned kumzitz featuring Mordechai Ben David was canceled due to police restrictions.

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Sometimes, lost items have a way of finding their way home—even after years have gone by. Earlier this week, a Far Rockaway boy was chatting with his school bus driver, mentioning that he was preparing for his upcoming bar mitzvah. The conversation took an unexpected turn when the bus driver recalled that her husband had worked at JFK Airport about seven years ago—and had once found a pair of lost tefillin. Inexplicably, he took the tefillin home and safeguarded them for the past seven years. This week, she brought the tefillin to the boy, thinking it might be meaningful to him. The set is in good condition, with the initials E.H. inscribed on it. If you—or someone you know—lost tefillin at JFK Airport around seven years ago, this may be your chance to get them back. Please contact Yeshiva World News (YWN), who will connect you with the person currently safeguarding the tefillin. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Japan’s parliament elected ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female prime minister Tuesday, a day after her struggling party struck a coalition deal with a new partner expected to pull her governing bloc further to the right. Takaichi replaces Shigeru Ishiba, ending a three-month political vacuum and wrangling since the Liberal Democratic Party’s disastrous election loss in July. Ishiba, who lasted only one year as prime minister, resigned with his Cabinet earlier in the day, paving the way for his successor. Takaichi won 237 votes — four more than a majority — compared to 149 won by Yoshikoko Noda, head of the largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, in the lower house, which elects the prime minister. Even though her coalition was two seats short of a majority, Takaichi received enough votes to win in the first round. She likely received votes from lawmakers in fringe minority parties from whom she has sought cooperation. As the results were announced, Takaichi stood up and bowed deeply. Takaichi, 64, appointed former Defense Minister Minoru Kihara as chief cabinet secretary. Takaichi appointed her leadership rivals within the party to her government along with other veteran lawmakers. Toshimitsu Motegi, who previously served as both trade and foreign ministers, was named foreign minister. Former Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi was named defense minister. And former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi was named internal affairs and communication minister. She also appointed Ishiba’s chief trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, as economy and trade minister. Despite her earlier pledge to drastically increase the number of women in the Cabinet, she appointed only three, all of them supporters in the party leadership vote — former Regional Revitalization Minister Satsuki Katayama as finance minister, Kimi Onoda as economic security minister and Midori Matsushima as the prime minister’s aide. The LDP’s alliance with the Osaka-based rightwing Japan Innovation Party, or Ishin no Kai, ensured her premiership because the opposition is not united. Takaichi’s untested alliance is still short of a majority in both houses of parliament and will need to court other opposition groups to pass any legislation — a risk that could make her government unstable and short-lived. The two parties signed a coalition agreement on policies underscoring Takaichi’s hawkish and nationalistic views. Their last-minute deal came after the Liberal Democrats lost its longtime partner, the Buddhist-backed Komeito, which has a more dovish and centrist stance. The breakup threatened a change of power for the LDP, which has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades. Tackling rising prices and other economic measures is the top priority for the Takaichi government, LDP Secretary General Shunichi Suzuki told NHK public television as he apologized over the delay because of the party’s internal power struggle since the July election. He said the new coalition will cooperate with other opposition parties to quickly tackle rising prices to “live up to the expectations of the people.” JIP does not hold ministerial posts in Takaichi’s Cabinet until his party is confident about its partnership with the LDP, Yoshimura has said. Takaichi is running on deadline, as she prepares for a major policy speech later this week, talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and regional summits. She needs to quickly tackle rising prices and compile economy-boosting measures by late December to address public frustration. While she […]

U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Israel on Tuesday to shore up the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza that has teetered over the past few days following a burst of deadly violence and questions over how to move forward with the plan for cementing a long-term peace. Also Tuesday, Israel said it has identified the body of a hostage that was released by Palestinian terrorists overnight, while the chief Hamas negotiator said the group remains determined to implement the ceasefire agreement to end the two-year war. Vance, who is accompanied by his wife, Usha Vance, will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is expected to stay in the region until Thursday. His visit follows that of two top White House envoys. After arrival, Vance held a working meeting at the airport with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump ’s former White House adviser and son-in-law. Vance is to hold a news conference on Tuesday evening in Jerusalem and is also expected to meet with families of hostages whose bodies are still being held in Gaza and some of the living hostages released by the terrorists last week. Earlier on Tuesday, Witkoff and Kushner met in Tel Aviv with nine hostages who were released from captivity last week. (AP)

Overnight Sunday, 18 of the 20 hostages who returned to Israel on Hoshanah Rabba were treated to a three-hour private outing at the Ayalon Mall in Ramat Gan, which was closed especially for them, Mako reported. At 10:00 p.m., selected store owners were notified that they would need to remain open while all regular customers were cleared from the premises. Employees were asked to hand over their cell phones, and the 18 freed hostages and their family members entered for a private, camera-free visit. “They came out of captivity thin and frail,” a source said. “They don’t have clothes or shoes that fit them.” The mall closed to the public around 9:30 or 10, and then they were brought in privately. The mall’s management gave them vouchers to shop for essentials at Fox, H&M, Foot Locker, and Renuar. H&M, Story, Opticana, and Foot Locker also opened for the hostages. Let’s just say all those chains will need to restock now,” he joked. “All the workers and others who were there were required to keep everything confidential,” he added. “The whole visit was kept under the radar to respect their privacy and avoid any commotion. They really need their peace right now—to start doing normal things again, spend time with family, go shopping, and return to life.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Roughly half of the hostages freed and returned to Israel last week met Tuesday morning in Tel Aviv with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner. Among those who took part in the meeting were Omri Miran, Gal Berman, Ziv Berman, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Matan Angrest, Bar Kuperstein, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, and Eitan Horn — all recently discharged from the hospital after their return from Gaza. Each of the released hostages speaks privately with Witkoff, some handing him gifts to show their appreciation for helping bring about their release, others hugging him tight.

Newly uncovered documents from Gaza show that Hamas has been directly influencing the Qatari state-run network Al Jazeera’s coverage of events in Gaza, according to findings by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. The research center says Hamas’s media operatives coordinated with Al Jazeera editors to ensure coverage aligned with the terror group’s narrative and avoided any language that could “harm the image of the resistance.” One 2022 document revealed that Hamas ordered Al Jazeera to avoid calling a deadly Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket explosion in Jabalya a “massacre,” since the blast was not caused by “the occupation.” The center reports that Al Jazeera’s newsroom management “positively responded” to the directive. Another document reportedly detailed Hamas’s effort to set up a secure communication channel between its headquarters and Al Jazeera’s offices in Doha, enabling direct coordination during “emergency situations.” This system would allow Hamas’s military wing to issue real-time instructions on what stories to promote or suppress. The intelligence center described the findings as rare and concrete proof of “systemic coordination” between a global media outlet and a designated terrorist organization. Al Jazeera’s coverage has long echoed Hamas’s terminology — regularly referring to Hamas fighters as mujahideen (resistance fighters), and calling them shaheeds (martyrs) after their deaths. According to the report, Al Jazeera journalists were also given exclusive access to Hamas’s vast underground tunnel system, further underscoring the close relationship between the network and the terror group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Officials in Washington are reportedly concerned that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu may end the Gaza ceasefire and resume military operations against Hamas, according to a New York Times report. The report, citing several unnamed U.S. officials, says there is growing anxiety within the Biden administration that Netanyahu could move to undermine the truce agreement. Top American figures — including Vice President JD Vance, along with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — are expected to press Israeli leaders not to jeopardize the accord during upcoming meetings in Israel, the report adds. In addition, discussions are reportedly underway with Turkey about dispatching a specialized team trained in body recovery to assist in locating the remains of hostages still missing in Gaza. Hamas has claimed it is struggling to find the bodies of the 15 hostages believed to remain in the Strip. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A court in Slovakia on Tuesday convicted the man in last year’s attempted assassination of the country’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico of a terror attack and sentenced him to 21 years in prison. The shooting and the trial have shaken this small, European Union and NATO-member country where Fico has long been a divisive figure, criticized for straying from Slovakia’s pro-Western path and aligning it closer to Russia. Juraj Cintula opened fire on Fico on May 15, 2024, as the prime minister greeted supporters following a government meeting in the town of Handlová, about 140 kilometers (85 miles) northeast of the capital of Bratislava. Cintula, 72, was arrested immediately after the attack and ordered to remain behind bars. When questioned by investigators, he rejected the accusation of being a “terrorist.” Fico was shot in the abdomen and was taken from Handlová to a hospital in nearby city of Banská Bystrica. He underwent a five-hour surgery, followed by another two-hour surgery two days later. He has since recovered. Cintula has claimed his motive for the shooting was that he disagreed with government policies. He refused to testify before the Specialized Criminal Court in Banská Bystrica. but confirmed that what he had told investigators about his motive remains true. “The defendant did not attack a citizen, but specifically the prime minister,” Igor Králik, the head of the three-judge panel, said in delivering the verdict. “He was against the government, he was inciting people to overthrow the government.” The verdict of the panel was unanimous. The court said that Cintula’s age and the fact that he had no criminal record contributed to why he did not receive life imprisonment. “It is unjust,” Cintula kept saying in Slovak as he was leaving the courtroom. In his testimony read by a prosecutor at the trial, Cintula said he disagreed with Fico’s policies, including the cancellation of a special prosecution office dealing with corruption, the end of military help for Ukraine and the government’s approach to culture. “I decided to harm the health of the prime minister but I had no intention to kill anyone,” he said in the testimony. He also said he was relieved when he learned the premier survived. Cintula’s attorney Namir Alyasry told reporters his client would very likely appeal the verdict. He was originally charged with attempted murder but prosecutors later dropped that charge and said they were instead pursuing the more serious charge of engaging in a terror attack. They said it was based on evidence the investigators obtained but gave no further details. Government officials initially said they believed it was a politically motivated attack committed by a “lone wolf,” but announced later that a third party might have been involved in “acting for the benefit of the perpetrator.” Fico previously said he “had no reason to believe” it was an attack by a lone deranged person and repeatedly blamed the liberal opposition and media for the assassination attempt. There is no evidence for that. The prime minister was not present at the trial and did not immediately comment on the verdict. Fico had previously said he felt “no hatred” towards his attacker, forgave him and planned no legal action against him. Fico returned to power for the fourth time after his leftist Smer, or Direction, party won […]

Thousands of mispallelim entered Kever Yosef in Shechem overnight, ahead of Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, in a large and organized visit coordinated with IDF forces. Among those present were the Kaliver Rebbe, MK Michal Woldiger, MK Tzvi Sukkot, and Shomron Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, who urged the government to “learn from the strength of Yosef HaTzaddik – and apply full sovereignty over Yehuda and Shomron.” The visit took place under heavy IDF protection, with assistance from volunteers with the Kever Yosef and Holy Sites Administration. The mispallelim spent several hours at the site davening and reciting Tehillim. Those attending included the Kaliver Rebbe, Rabbi Noam Waldman (Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Nir in Kiryat Arba), IDF Shomron Brigade Commander Col. Ariel Gonen, and others. The crowd sang “Acheinu Kol Beis Yisroel,” recited tefillos for the safety of IDF soldiers, and joined the Kaliver Rebbe in saying “Shema Yisrael.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin lashed out at Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday evening after Netanyahu publicly referred to Supreme Court Justice Yitzchak Amit as the president of the Supreme Court.

Following Netanyahu’s remarks from the Knesset podium, Levin reportedly confronted him, saying, “Amit is not the president of the Supreme Court. It’s not right that you recognized him,” according to Channel 12’s Amit Segal.

Sources close to Levin told Kan News that the minister’s office shared similar criticism, stating, “We haven’t heard that he was chosen as president.”

A senior Likud official said that Netanyahu had thus far refrained from recognizing Amit as the Supreme Court president but decided to do so tonight because of the uproar in the Knesset plenum after Speaker Amir Ochana refused to acknowledge him. The move was made despite the opposition of Levin and several other ministers.

During his address marking the opening of the Knesset’s winter session, Netanyahu turned to President Yitzchak Herzog and said, “Yitzhak Amit is the president of the Supreme Court, that’s a fact. But I said and added — I am the prime minister of Israel, these are the ministers of Israel’s government. That’s a fact. These facts must be recognized from all sides, not just one.”

The dispute erupted after Knesset Speaker Amir Ochana referred to Amit merely as a “Supreme Court judge,” prompting angry reactions from opposition MKs, several of whom were removed from the chamber. President Herzog deviated from his prepared remarks to pointedly call Amit “the president of the Supreme Court,” responding to Ochana, “I will not accept a lack of basic respect.”

{Matzav.com}

All meetings in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee regarding the proposed Draft Law were abruptly called off Monday evening, as disputes and delays over the bill’s formulation intensified friction between the government and chareidi lawmakers.

In the wake of the cancellations, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called an urgent meeting with the committee’s chairman, MK Boaz Bismuth, summoning him to his office for immediate discussions.

The postponement stems from the legal department’s inability to complete the bill’s language on schedule, pushing the timeline for its presentation even further. Bismuth had anticipated that the draft would be ready by Tuesday, but legal advisors informed him that additional time was necessary to finalize the text.

Tension between Netanyahu and the chareidi parties has risen sharply since his remarks at the opening of the Knesset’s winter session, when he declared, “We will recruit 10,000 yeshiva students over two years.” The comment drew a fierce reaction from Torah representatives who viewed it as deeply insensitive and tone-deaf.

MK Moshe Gafni, head of the Degel HaTorah faction, blasted the Prime Minister’s wording, exclaiming, “How can he say ‘we’ll recruit yeshiva students’? We don’t recruit yeshiva students – we recruit chareidim.” Following the uproar, Netanyahu returned to the podium to clarify that his intention had been to refer broadly to the enlistment of “chareidim,” not yeshiva bochurim specifically.

A statement issued later by Bismuth’s office emphasized that his meeting with Netanyahu had been arranged in advance and covered several matters on the committee’s agenda — among them, the Draft Law.

Bismuth reportedly plans to bring the legislation before the committee at its next meeting, in keeping with requests from chareidi MKs, in the hope of moving the process forward more efficiently and with greater sensitivity to the Torah community’s concerns.

{Matzav.com}

British soldiers will soon be permitted to shoot down drones threatening military bases under a new measure Defense Secretary John Healey plans to introduce today in response to rising Russian threats. Until now, troops were limited to detecting and jamming drones but not engaging them. The policy will first apply to military sites and may later extend to airports and other critical locations.

A wave of major financial contributions from New York’s business elite has surged into newly created super PACs determined to derail Zohran Mamdani’s campaign for mayor. In the past several days alone, over $3 million has been funneled into these committees, according to the latest financial disclosures, as anxiety grows among the city’s power brokers over the possibility of a democratic socialist taking control of City Hall.

The massive last-minute infusion comes just as the Democratic frontrunner continues to lead decisively, with polling showing Mamdani maintaining a comfortable double-digit advantage over independent contender Andrew Cuomo. The timing of the cash dump, only days before early voting begins on November 4, highlights the growing desperation among business interests to stop Mamdani’s rise before it’s too late.

For many corporate leaders, Mamdani’s platform represents a direct threat to their financial interests. He has repeatedly pledged to raise taxes on the wealthy and on large corporations to pay for sweeping social programs — including universal free child care and expanded housing affordability measures. Those proposals have left Wall Street and real estate circles deeply uneasy.

Financial records reveal that the men behind the sudden burst of spending — Eminence Capital founder Ricky Sandler, real estate investor Richard Mack, and developer Marty Berger — transferred a total of $3.26 million into three new PACs through a shared corporate vehicle known as Put NYC First Inc.

The bulk of the money, roughly $2 million, was wired Friday to a super PAC called For Our City. Over the weekend, that PAC reportedly spent $1.5 million on a new “media buy,” which sources suggest will fund a wave of negative ads against Mamdani. Details about the ads have not yet been disclosed.

Neither the treasurer of For Our City nor any of the three donors immediately responded to requests for comment. The same trio’s entity, Put NYC First, also directed just over $1 million toward another new group called Stop the Socialists, though no spending by that PAC had been reported as of Monday morning.

Earlier this month, the businessmen’s consortium made a smaller contribution — nearly $255,000 — to a third PAC named Good Growth NYC. That group has already used $200,000 for on-the-ground canvassing in support of Cuomo and another $13,000 on campaign literature boosting his candidacy, according to recent filings.

Cuomo’s campaign, which by law is barred from coordinating with any of the independent PACs supporting him, declined to comment on the outside spending activity.

Mamdani’s campaign, meanwhile, dismissed the onslaught of billionaire-funded opposition as meaningless. “Another day, another ineffective billionaire-backed PAC that won’t make a dent in the movement Zohran Mamdani is building to make New York City more affordable,” said campaign spokeswoman Dora Pekec.

Unlike traditional campaign committees, super PACs face no limits on how much money they can raise or spend, giving them immense power to flood the airwaves and influence voters. This year’s mayoral race has shattered records for outside spending, with wealthy donors pouring tens of millions of dollars into efforts — most aimed squarely at derailing Mamdani’s bid.

Before this latest round of contributions, the Sandler-Mack-Berger network had already given $750,000 to other political committees, including $250,000 to New Yorkers for a Better Future Mayor 25, a group aligned with Cuomo’s campaign. That PAC, in turn, is coordinating with Fix the City — the largest pro-Cuomo, anti-Mamdani operation in the race.

Fix the City, which also supported Cuomo’s losing effort against Mamdani in the Democratic primary, has already pulled in more than $30 million in total funding. Its recent backers include Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, who added a $1 million donation just last week.

Despite the massive sums being spent, polls suggest the deluge of outside money has done little to sway voters. Surveys continue to show Mamdani maintaining a commanding lead over Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, who trails far behind. A new poll released Monday did indicate, however, that Cuomo could pose a greater challenge to Mamdani if Sliwa were to bow out of the race.

{Matzav.com}

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declared that he would enforce the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, stating that Netanyahu would be detained if he entered Canadian territory.

When pressed in an interview on Bloomberg Podcasts about whether his government would actually apprehend Netanyahu, Carney gave a clear and unhesitating answer: “yes.” He declined to provide further explanation or details about how such an arrest would be carried out.

Carney also emphasized that one of his central foreign policy goals had been to recognize a Palestinian state, but he insisted that this recognition was merely a step toward a broader objective.

“The end is a free and viable Palestinian state living side by side, peace and security, the State of Israel,” he said.

Carney noted that Canada has officially supported the two-state framework since 1947 but claimed his government chose this moment to move forward with recognition because “the actions of Netanyahu’s government were explicitly designed to end any possibility of a Palestinian state in violation of the UN Charter and going against Canadian government policy of any political stripe since 1947.”

He further explained that the decision was not symbolic or intended to create immediate results but rather a necessary response to prevent the total collapse of prospects for peace. “We did this because the prospect was receding as opposed to viewing it as any sort of panacea, game changer, fundamentally immediately leading to the outcome that we and others want,” he said.

Addressing criticism from Washington, Carney acknowledged American disapproval of similar moves by other nations but argued that all sides ultimately sought the same outcome. “Common objective is the same,” he maintained.

Responding to Carney’s remarks, Netanyahu’s political advisor Ophir Falk strongly rebuked the Canadian leader in comments to The Globe and Mail on Saturday. Falk said he “had hoped that after Canada endorsed [US] President Trump’s Middle East 20-Point Peace Plan [for Gaza], Prime Minister Carney would retract his policy of appeasing terrorism and betraying Canada’s traditional ally.”

Falk urged Carney to instead “welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu, the leader of the lone Jewish state and only democracy in the Middle East, to Canada.”

Both Netanyahu and Israel’s former defense minister Yoav Gallant are facing ICC charges accusing them of “criminal responsibility” for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the war against Hamas in Gaza.

{Matzav.com}