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The conservative network Newsmax will pay $67 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of defaming a voting equipment company by spreading lies about President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss, according to documents filed Monday. The settlement comes after Fox News Channel paid $787.5 million to settle a similar lawsuit in 2023 and Newsmax paid what court papers describe as $40 million to settle a libel lawsuit from a different voting machine manufacturer, Smartmatic, which also was a target of pro-Trump conspiracy theories on the network. Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis ruled earlier that Newsmax did indeed defame Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems by airing false information about the company and its equipment. But Davis left it to a jury to eventually decide whether that was done with malice, and, if so, how much Dominion deserved from Newsmax in damages. Newsmax and Dominion reached the settlement before the trial could take place. The settlement was disclosed by Newsmax on Monday in a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It said the deal was reached Friday. The disclosure came as Trump vowed in a social media post Monday to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines such as those supplied by Dominion and other companies. It was unclear how the Republican president could achieve that. Trump lost his 2020 reelection bid to Democrat Joe Biden. (AP)

POTUS: “We’re going to end mail-in voting — it’s a FRAUD.”

POTUS: “I just spoke to President Putin indirectly, and we’re going to have a phone call right after these meetings today — and we may or may not have a trilat.”

POTUS: “I don’t think you need a ceasefire. If you look at the six deals that I settled this year, they were all at war. I didn’t do any ceasefires … I like the concept of a ceasefire for one reason: because you’d stop killing people immediately.”

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump expressed hope that Monday’s critical talks with Ukrainian and European leaders at the White House could lead to trilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine. Monday’s hastily assembled meeting comes after Trump met on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has said that the onus is now on Zelenskyy to agree to concessions that he said could end the war. POTUS: “It’s an honor to have the President of Ukraine with us… I think progress is being made… We had a good meeting, as you know, just a short while ago with the President of Russia — and I think there’s a possibility that something could come out of it.” “If everything works out today, we’ll have a trilat,” Trump said, referring to possible trilateral talks among Zelenskyy, Putin and Trump. “We’re going to work with Russia, we’re going to work with Ukraine.” Zelenskyy also expressed openness to trilateral talks. “We are ready for trilateral as president said,” Zelenskyy said. “It’s a good signal about trilateral. I think this is very good.” POTUS: “People are being killed and we want to stop that… I know the President, I know myself, and I believe Vladimir Putin wants to see it ended.” POTUS: “We’re going to work with Ukraine, we’re going to work with everybody, and we’re going to make sure that if there’s peace, that peace is going to stay long-term… We’re not talking about a 2-year peace and then we end up in this mess again.” Trump on deploying US troops to Ukraine: “We’ll let you know that maybe later today… We’ll be involved.” POTUS: “I don’t think you need a ceasefire. If you look at the six deals that I settled this year, they were all at war. I didn’t do any ceasefires … I like the concept of a ceasefire for one reason: because you’d stop killing people immediately.” Trump is first holding one-on-one talks with Zelenskyy. The two are then scheduled to gather with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. The European leaders were left out of Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday, and they want to safeguard Ukraine and the continent from any widening aggression from Moscow. Many arrived at the White House with the explicit goal of protecting Ukraine’s interests — a rare show of diplomatic force. By coming as a group, they hope to avoid debacles like Zelenskyy’s February meeting in the Oval Office, where Trump chastised him for not showing enough gratitude for U.S. military aid. Trump and Zelenskyy were due to meet in the Oval Office before European leaders join them in the East Room for talks. The meetings are also a test of America’s relationship with its closest allies after the European Union and United Kingdom accepted Trump’s tariff hikes partly because they wanted his support on Ukraine. “We understand that we shouldn’t expect Putin to voluntarily abandon aggression and new attempts at conquest,” Zelenskyy said in an X posting before arriving at the White House. “That is why pressure must work, and it must be joint pressure – from the United States […]

Pakistani textbooks are full of antisemitic content and recurring hostility towards both Jews and Israel, according to a study released on Monday.

The analysis of more than 80 government-approved textbooks on an array of subjects by the London-based research institute IMPACT-se found repeated instances of hostility toward Jews, with antisemitic tropes embedded in Islamic Education content and Judaism entirely absent from comparative religion sections.

Rehashing centuries-old antisemitic tropes, “the Jews” as they are often collectively described in the textbooks, are consistently accused of treachery and disloyalty as “usual” traits, the study found.

Judaism is entirely absent from comparative religion sections, which cover Hinduism, Christianity, Confucianism and Taoism.

Where Jews are mentioned in the Pakistani school curriculum, it is typically in a hostile context. A Grade 6 textbook for example claims Jewish tribes in Medina repeatedly conspired against the Prophet Mohammed, while a Grade 5 textbook uses the trope that Jews “caused Prophet Isa and his mother to suffer,” accusing them of plotting against Jesus out of fear of losing authority.

“These narratives frame Judaism as inherently treacherous and promote intolerance,” the report states. Israel is depicted as a hostile enemy, solely responsible for the current war in Gaza, the study found, while textbooks promote support for Muslim nations in conflict with Israel.

The Holocaust is omitted entirely, while a Civics textbook praises Hitler for restoring German pride while making no mention of Nazi atrocities, the report said.

“Given Pakistan’s prominent regional role, its nuclear status, and large percentage of young people, this curriculum has far-reaching consequences,” said Marcus Sheff, IMPACT-se CEO. “What is taught in classrooms today will define Pakistan’s future global outlook, including its relationship with Israel and the Jewish people.”

Pakistan has no diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

“An educational system that presents such a narrow and one-sided view poses serious risks for young minds and future generations,” Pakistani journalist and documentary film director Sabin Agha told JNS on Monday. “It can limit critical thinking, reinforce prejudice and prevent young minds from understanding diverse perspectives and historial realities.”

Earlier this year, a delegation of 10 Pakistani journalists and educators made a rare visit to Israel, defying a travel ban imposed by the South Asian Muslim country. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Trump on deploying US troops to Ukraine: “We’ll let you know that maybe later today… We’ll be involved.”

POTUS: “People are being killed and we want to stop that… I know the President, I know myself, and I believe Vladimir Putin wants to see it ended.”

POTUS: “It’s an honor to have the President of Ukraine with us… I think progress is being made… We had a good meeting, as you know, just a short while ago with the President of Russia — and I think there’s a possibility that something could come out of it.”

BREAKING: President Trump greets President Zelenskyy at the White House.

Reports from Arab news outlets, quoting Hamas insiders, indicated that the terror group has accepted the latest plan put forward by Egypt and Qatar in ongoing negotiations.

Hamas’s answer came soon after President Donald Trump declared that the only path to resolution lies in confronting Hamas directly. He stated, “We will see the return of the remaining hostages only when Hamas is confronted and destroyed—the sooner this happens, the greater the chances of success.”

Prior to this, Al-Arabiya revealed that the majority of Palestinian Arab factions were already on board with the initiative, while Hamas initially asked for more time to deliberate internally. The plan outlines a step-by-step release of hostages and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, reflecting modifications to Hamas’s earlier stance.

According to Al-Hadath, Egyptian mediators pressed Hamas and other Palestinian Arab groups to remain in Cairo until a final arrangement is reached. The framework merges partial and full-scale solutions, with the United States providing assurances.

The details of the proposal reportedly include freeing ten Israeli hostages alive and returning the remains of eighteen others, allowing humanitarian relief into Gaza through global organizations such as the Red Crescent and the United Nations, and implementing a 60-day truce. Once the truce is underway, discussions on a broader cessation of hostilities are scheduled to take place.

At the same time, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty addressed reporters at the Rafah crossing, standing alongside Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa. He said, “Egypt will continue to support the realization of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. We send a message of solidarity to the Palestinian people from the Rafah crossing. Egypt’s position on the Palestinian issue remains firm.”

The minister further stressed that Egypt rejects talk of a so-called “Greater Israel,” and he pointed out that 70% of the humanitarian shipments reaching Gaza so far originated in Egypt. He pledged that Cairo will persist in its efforts to mediate a ceasefire.

{Matzav.com Israel}

What the skibidi is happening to the English language? “Skibidi” is one of the slang terms popularized by social media that are among more than 6,000 additions this year to the Cambridge Dictionary. “Internet culture is changing the English language and the effect is fascinating to observe and capture in the dictionary,” said Colin McIntosh, lexical program manager at Cambridge Dictionary, the world’s largest online dictionary. “Skibidi” is a gibberish term coined by the creator of an animated YouTube series and can mean “cool” or “bad” or be used with no real meaning as a joke. Other planned additions include “tradwife,” a contraction of “traditional wife” referring to a married mother who cooks, cleans and posts on social media, and “delulu,” a shortening of the word delusional that means “believing things that are not real or true, usually because you choose to.” Christian Ilbury, senior lecturer in sociolinguistics at the University of Edinburgh, said many of the new words are tied to social media platforms like TikTok because that is how most young people communicate. However, Ilbury said some of the words, including “delulu,” have longer histories than people might think and have been used by speech communities for years. “It’s really just the increase in visibility and potential uptake amongst communities who may not have engaged with those words before,” he explained. An increase in remote working since the pandemic has created the new dictionary entry “mouse jiggler,” a device or piece of software used to make it seem like you are working when you are not. Environmental concerns are behind the addition of “forever chemical,” a harmful substance that remains in the environment for a long time. Cambridge Dictionary uses the Cambridge English Corpus, a database of more than 2 billion words of written and spoken English, to monitor how new words are used by different people, how often and in what contexts they are used, the company said. “If you look at what a dictionary’s function is, it’s a public record of how people use language and so if people are now using words like ‘skibidi’ or ‘delulu,’ then the dictionary should take account of that,” Ilbury said. McIntosh added the dictionary has only added words it thinks have “staying power.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

French President Emmanuel Macron, arrives at the White House.

Australia has denied entry to Israeli parliamentarian Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism) ahead of a planned solidarity visit with the country’s Jewish community, which faces escalating antisemitic attacks, the Australian Jewish Association announced on Monday.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke justified the move by claiming Rothman was coming “to spread a message of hate and division,” Australia’s ABC News reported. However, the AJA confirmed on Monday that one of the written reasons provided by the government for the ban was that Rothman’s statements calling for “the elimination of Hamas … have been received by members of the Australian community as inflammatory and concerning.”

Australia has listed Hamas in its entirety as a terrorist organization for financial sanctions since 2001.

In addition to the visa cancellation, Rothman received a three-year ban from traveling to Australia. It is reportedly the first major action taken by Canberra since last week’s announcement that Australia intends to recognize a Palestinian state at next month’s United Nations meeting.

“This decision by the Australian government is essentially caving to terror. There is no other way to see it. The messages they accused me of spreading are simply that Hamas is bad and Israel is good—positions that enjoy broad consensus in Israel and in any freedom-loving country,” Rothman told JNS on Monday.

Rothman argued that views such as condemning Hamas, urging the world to side with Israel, holding Hamas responsible for Palestinian suffering and warning that a Palestinian state threatens Israel’s survival are not just his personal positions but reflect a resolution supported by two-thirds of the Knesset. He maintained that Australia’s decision was, therefore, directed not at him individually but at the State of Israel.

“Australia is afraid of Islamic terrorists threatening its government. That is the real reason for banning my entry. And I am not alone—eventually, Australia will learn that appeasing terror never works. It always leads to more terror. Israel learned this at a heavy price on Oct. 7,” said Rothman, referring to the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Rothman said he was ready to appeal the decision if asked, but would follow the lead of Australia’s Jewish community on the matter.

Israeli Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli harshly criticized the decision in an X post, calling it “an extension of the Albanese government’s disgraceful choice to honor the rapists and murderers of Hamas.” The ban “reflects a broken moral compass, discrimination and a grave assault on free speech,” he added.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the leader of the Religious Zionism Party, in a message addressed to Rothman on X wrote: “In the face of all the antisemites in the world, the people of Israel stand behind you and support you.” He urged Rothman to continue “proudly voicing Israel’s stance,” adding: “We won’t stop until complete victory.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced retaliatory measures, including revoking the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority, and instructing Israel’s embassy in Canberra to closely scrutinize any future visa requests.

“While antisemitism is raging in Australia, including manifestations of violence against Jews and Jewish institutions, the Australian government is choosing to fuel it by false accusations, as if the visit of Israeli figures will disrupt public order and harm Australia’s Muslim population. It is shameful and unacceptable!” Sa’ar wrote on X.

AJA CEO Robert Gregory called the last-minute visa cancellation “a viciously antisemitic move from a government that is obsessed with targeting the Jewish community and Israel.”

In a statement posted to X, Gregory said that Rothman, chair of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, had been scheduled to meet with victims of antisemitism, visit Jewish institutions and address Jewish schools and synagogues.

“I have just returned from Israel and can attest that there is growing alarm there about the situation for Jews in Australia under the Albanese government,” Gregory wrote, emphasizing that Rothman’s trip was in no way connected to current events in the Middle East.

The cancellation was “spiteful and intended to cause maximum harm to the Australian Jewish community,” Gregory asserted, saying that the paperwork was filled out correctly and on time and the visa was approved, only to then be canceled on the day that Rothman was to have headed to the airport.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been highly critical of the anti-Israel policies put forth by the left-wing Labor government led by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, linking them to recent antisemitic incidents.

The Australian government in June canceled the visa of Hillel Fuld, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen and prominent pro-Israel social media personality. In November last year, Canberra declined to grant an entry visa to former Israeli justice minister Ayelet Shaked, who had planned to travel there to attend a pro-Israel event.

Australia joined four other countries in June imposing sanctions on Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for allegedly “inciting violence” against Palestinians in Judea and Samaria.

“The message from the Albanese government to Jews is clear and we urge all Jews to seriously consider whether it is safe for them to visit Australia under this government,” Gregory wrote.

“AJA is hearing from increasing numbers of Australian Jews who feel unwelcome under this government and are planning to leave. It seems the government is happy to replace them by importing thousands of Gazans,” he continued.

While Rothman was banned for three years, the Australian government, in the months leading up to January 2025, granted nearly 1,000 three-year humanitarian visas—mostly to Palestinian nationals (though some were also offered to Israelis)—fleeing the Israel-Hamas conflict. Many recipients were already in Australia on visitor visas, thereby gaining the right to work, study and access social benefits.

“Israel is fully justified in taking strong measures in response to this and we have briefed contacts in the Trump Administration, who are also concerned about events in Australia,” Gregory concluded. JNS

{Matzav.com}

it is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the tragic passing of Mrs. Miriam Gewirtzman a”h.

Mrs. Gewirtzman, née Stern, was the devoted wife of Reb Mayer Gewirtzman of Flatbush.

Together with Reb Mayer, she built a home filled with Torah, chesed, and ahas Hashem.

Her family, friends, and all who knew her will remember her as one of the sweetest and most selfless people, whose sincerity and compassion left a lasting impression on everyone she encountered. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, who was known for her warmth, kindness, and genuine care for all those around her.

She is survived by her husband, Reb Mayer, along with their wonderful family of children and grandchildren.

The levayah will take place at Shomrei Hadas Chapels in Boro Park.

Yehi zichrah boruch. 

{Matzav.com}

UK Prime Minister Starmer has arrived at the White House, joining NATO’s Rutte and EU’s von der Leyen, who have also arrived moments before.

Prime Minister Netanyahu: Like you, I hear the reports in the media, and from them you can gather one thing – Hamas is under atomic pressure.

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of Mrs. Miriam Gewirtzman, long-time Flatbush resident. She was the wife of R’ Mayer and mother of R’ Leizer, R’ Shlomie, R’ Yerachmiel, R’ Shayma, R’ Yehuda, R’ Boruch Ber, Ephraim and Mrs. Malka Leah Manis. The Levaya will take place today, Monday, August 18, at 12:30 PM at Shomrei Hadas Chapels. Kevura will be at Beth David Cemetery, Elmont, NY, approximately 3:00 PM.

President Trump announced Monday that he intends to issue an executive order aimed at what he described as restoring “HONESTY” to the 2026 midterm elections by eliminating both mail-in ballots and electronic vote-counting machines.

“I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly ‘Inaccurate,’ Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Although Trump denounced voting machines as “highly inaccurate,” he presented no proof to support that charge. In reality, most Americans submit paper ballots that are later scanned by machines, with several layers of verification to safeguard results.

“WE WILL BEGIN THIS EFFORT, WHICH WILL BE STRONGLY OPPOSED BY THE DEMOCRATS BECAUSE THEY CHEAT AT LEVELS NEVER SEEN BEFORE, by signing an EXECUTIVE ORDER to help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm Elections,” the president wrote.

Trump gave no timeline for when the order might be signed, nor did he explain what specific measures it would contain.

In the United States, election oversight primarily falls to individual states and municipalities, though federal law sets certain standards.

Statutes such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 shape how elections are conducted nationwide. Federal agencies also play roles: the FEC supervises federal campaign activity, the Election Assistance Commission provides resources to state officials, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency defends election systems from interference.

By contrast, in March 2021, President Joe Biden used his own executive order to press federal agencies to increase voter registration efforts, a decision that drew harsh criticism from Republicans.

Earlier this year, Trump attempted to restrict states from counting ballots that were mailed by Election Day but arrived afterward. That executive order was struck down by a judge in June, who ruled the president lacked the authority to impose such limits.

Still, Trump maintains that he has the power to dictate how votes are tallied across the nation.

“Remember, the States are merely an ‘agent’ for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes. They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do,” he asserted.

Observers noted that Trump’s renewed push for election changes seemed to stem from his recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

“You know, Vladimir Putin said something, one of the most interesting things,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity after the summit.

“He said, ‘Your election [in 2020] was rigged because you have mail-in voting.’ He said, ‘Mail-in voting, every election.’ He said, ‘No country has mail-in voting. It’s impossible to have mail-in voting and have honest elections.’”

According to Trump, Putin also suggested that the war in Ukraine might have been avoided had Trump secured reelection in 2020.

“ELECTIONS CAN NEVER BE HONEST WITH MAIL IN BALLOTS/VOTING, and everybody, IN PARTICULAR THE DEMOCRATS, KNOWS THIS,” Trump declared. “I, AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, WILL FIGHT LIKE HELL TO BRING HONESTY AND INTEGRITY BACK TO OUR ELECTIONS.”

{Matzav.com}

The White House shared a photo of the room where President Trump and President Zelenskyy are set to hold peace talks, with the meeting scheduled to begin at 1 PM.