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About a decade ago, Hezbollah launched a special secret project: they offered residents of southern Lebanon to allocate a room in their home in exchange for a regular rental fee for a very special tenant. The tenant was not a human being but a relatively long-range cruise missile equipped with a heavy warhead with hundreds of pounds of explosives. Cruise missiles are dangerous because they fly faster and lower than other Hezbollah rockets which fly at a slower pace in an arch trajectory. The missile, stored on a launcher in a room with a roof that could quickly be removed, would be ready to launch within minutes. Ynet reported that Hezbollah scouted out impoverished Shia families in villages near Tyre, Sidon, and even south of Beirut. The project expanded over time and Hezbollah even purchased land and constructed homes specifically for this purpose and then offered them free or at a nominal fee to Shia families prepared to live under the same roof with missiles with warheads. Some of these missiles are designated to reach central Israel. Hundreds are located in areas south of Beirut, ready to be fired by Hezbollah operatives from special units. Hezbollah has never fired these missiles to date, saving them for a “surprise” for Israel’s home front, including central Israel, and to target military and civilian infrastructure without warning. Until now, Hezbollah believed that Israel was unaware of the existence of these missiles or were aware but could not locate them. However, Israel was well aware of the missiles and their locations but refrained from striking them for several reasons: 1. To avoid harming “innocent” Lebanese civilians, who although agreed to host the missiles, are non-combatants. 2. From past experience in Gaza, the IDF learned that striking civilian areas causes numerous casualties and widespread destruction, providing Hezbollah with propaganda against Israel. 3. Since the missiles are equipped with heavy warheads, attacking them previously would have elicited a strong Hezbollah response, potentially leading to an all-out war. Watch IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari explain the phenomenon below:   (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has ordered all of its members to stop using any type of communication device after thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by its Hezbollah proxy in Lebanon simultaneously blew up last week, Reuters reported Monday.

An Iranian security official who spoke to the outlet said that a large-scale operation is underway by the IRGC to inspect all devices, not just communication equipment. Most of the devices were either homemade or imported from China and Russia, he said.

The official, who declined to be identified, added that Tehran was concerned about infiltration by Israeli agents, including Iranians on Israel’s payroll. A thorough investigation of personnel has already begun, targeting mid and high-ranking members of the IRGC, the official said.

“This includes scrutiny of their bank accounts both in Iran and abroad, as well as their travel history and that of their families,” he continued.

Thousands of pagers exploded on Tuesday across Hezbollah‘s strongholds in Lebanon. A day later, hundreds of Hezbollah walkie-talkies exploded. The attacks killed 39 people and injured more than 3,000.

Lebanon and Hezbollah say Israel was behind the attacks. Yerushalayim has neither denied nor confirmed involvement.

Each of the Hezbollah communication devices that exploded was individually detonated, with Israeli intelligence knowing exactly which terrorist operative was being targeted, his location and whether others were in close proximity, Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Saturday night.

The report said that Israel manufactured tens of thousands of pagers with the knowledge they would be thoroughly examined by Hezbollah, including through inspections by sniffer dogs.

The Iranian security official declined to give many details on how the IRGC force, comprising 190,000 personnel, are communicating. “For now, we are using end-to-end encryption in messaging systems,” he said.

(JNS)

When Mykail James was 19 and working a holiday job at a retail stoee, she took out a store credit card with a $2,000 credit line. When her school break was over, she realized she could no longer afford the payments. After missing a few, she paid off the card only to find that her credit score had decreased dramatically, affecting her ability to access other types of credit. “I didn’t get an actual bank credit card until I was 21, just because of that fear,” said James, who is now a financial expert and creator of The Boujie Budgeter. “Because of how it impacted my credit and also made it harder for me to buy a car a couple of months later.” With holiday shopping season around the corner, experts recommend caution when your favorite store offers you a credit card. “If you’re offered one at the checkout counter, most of the time it makes sense to say no,” said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate. According to the Federal Reserve, outstanding credit card balances reached $1.14 trillion as of August 2024, meaning credit card debt is increasingly a concern for millions of Americans. Bankrate found that the average store-only credit card has an average annual percentage rate of 30.45%, significantly higher than the average APR of 20.78% for all credit cards. The APR is how much interest you’ll be charged if you can’t pay your balance in full every month. Here are recommendations from experts when considering a store credit card: Don’t immediately say yes to a store credit card Store credit cards are usually offered at checkout, and they provide shoppers with a line of credit that incentivizes spending more on the store’s products. If not managed correctly, these credit cards can negatively impact your credit history. When offered a store credit card, Bruce McClary from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling recommends that you don’t say yes immediately. “Ask for something with all the details in writing that you can take with you and review for a later time,” McClary said. Oftentimes, store credit cards are tied with a promotion such as 0% interest for a year or a discount on your purchase. And while these might sound appealing, it’s best to not rush the decision while you’re at the counter. Understand the details of the agreement Before signing up for a store credit card, you must read the fine print, Rossman said, including how much interest will be charged if cards aren’t paid in full and any late or penalty fees. “A lot of times, these retail cards charge tremendously high interest rates,” Rossman said. Another thing to look out for is “deferred interest,” which is when credit cards offer a promotion such as 0% for 12 months but, if the customer doesn’t pay in full by the time the promotion expires, they are charged retroactively for all of the interest that accumulated during that time. Do your research If you’re looking to acquire a store credit card, McClary recommends that you do some research on the retailer. Looking at reviews online can help you identify if others have complaints about their store credit cards. Additionally, McClary recommends that you ask yourself these questions: — How often do you shop at the store? — Are you going to be […]

According to a report from an IRGC linked news channel, quoting an Iranian intelligence source, Israel carried out an assassination and stole documents within Iranian territory.

The allegation was made by presenter Vahid Haddab, saying: “last month, Israel assassinated a figure whose identity has not yet been identified and stole documents inside Iran.”  The alleged assassination and theft occurred sometime in August.

The report comes within the context of Iran’s alleged dismantling of an Israeli spy network. On Sunday, the IRGC announced they had dismantled a network of 12 Israeli spies, who operating in 6 Iranian areas to undermine the regime.

The IRGC claimed Israel had a ‘resounding failure’ with the dismantling of this alleged network. No details have been given regarding the identify of the alleged spies, or the timing of their arrests.

Following the assassination of Hamas terror leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran at the end of July, which many speculated was made possible by rogue IRGC agents working for Israel, Iran has been attempting to quash Israeli spying efforts in the country.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF has officially named its military offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon “Northern Arrows,” according to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi. The announcement comes after a major escalation in hostilities over the past 24 hours, with the IDF launching extensive airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions across Lebanon. According to military reports, more than 1,300 sites linked to the Iran-backed terror group have been hit in the ongoing operation. One of the airstrikes targeted senior Hezbollah commander Ali Karaki in Beirut. If his death is confirmed, it would leave Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah increasingly isolated, as Israel has systematically eliminated much of the group’s leadership over the past 11 months. However, in a statement released Monday night, Hezbollah dismissed rumors of his death, insisting that Karaki was “fine and, God willing, in full health and wellness and has moved to a safe place.” The IDF has yet to provide further details on the strike, which marks the fourth such operation in Beirut since Hezbollah-led forces began launching near-daily attacks on Israeli communities and military posts along the northern border, in solidarity with Hamas during the ongoing war in Gaza. The IDF on Monday night released images that purportedly show Hezbollah storing munitions inside civilian homes in southern Lebanon. One of the images depicts a long-range missile housed in the attic of a residential home in the village of Houmine al-Tahta. The missile, mounted on a hydraulic system, is reportedly ready to launch from an opening in the roof, with a Lebanese family living on the first floor directly beneath the weapon. “This is an immediate and real threat to Israeli civilians, and we have an obligation to remove it,” IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said during a press conference. Below is an animated infographic of the distance between Lebanese villages and Israeli communities Below is footage of a secondary explosion in which a rocket is launched from a residential building and hits a nearby house Below is footage of the damage caused by Hezbollah to communities in northern Israel  Below are the types of Hezbollah weapons struck by the IDF today

Today, the IDF released a video detailing how the Hezbollah terrorist organization hides cruise missiles inside civilian homes in Lebanon.

IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari also discussed the hidden cruise missiles while warning Lebanese civilians flee areas near Hezbollah operatives and weapons.

A Soyuz capsule carrying two Russians and one American from the International Space Station landed Monday in Kazakhstan, ending a record-breaking stay for the Russian pair. The capsule landed on the Kazakh steppe about 3 1/2 hours after undocking from the ISS in an apparently trouble-free descent. In the last stage of the landing, it descended under a red-and-white parachute at about 7.2 meters per second (16 mph), with small rockets fired in the final seconds to cushion the touchdown. The astronauts were to be extracted from the capsule and placed in nearby chairs to help them adjust to gravity, then given medical examinations in a nearby tent. Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub returned after 374 days aboard the space station; on Friday they broke the record for the longest continuous stay there. Also in the capsule was American Tracy Dyson, who was in the space station for six months. Eight astronauts remain in the space station, including Americans Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have remained long past their scheduled return to Earth. They arrived in June as the first crew of Boeing’s new Starliner capsule. But their trip was marred by thruster troubles and helium leaks, and the U.S. space agency NASA decided it was too risky to return them on Starliner. The two astronauts are to ride home with SpaceX next year. (AP)

The decision he had to make on Simchas Torah PLUS!  Deadline TONIGHT for FREE CASH!Early Simchas Torah morning, as alerts from down south began coming into United Hatzalah, Eli Beer convened an emergency meeting.  His initial instinct was to send out a call to all of the volunteers to head south immediately.  Then VP of Operations Dov Maisel banged on the table.  “Do you want to go to their homes and tell them that you sent their husbands to their deaths?” “At first I pushed back, but then I realized he was right,” Beer relates.  “We always say that our number one priority is our volunteers’ safety.”    None of them were sure what the right call was. “In the history of United Hatzalah, we had never had such a struggle.”  At last, they decided:  they would not force anyone to go, but would give all necessary backup support to those who chose to head to the affected areas.  On Simchas Torah, October 7th, over 1,700 United Hatzalah volunteers chose to rush down to the war zone.  They chose to put their own lives at risk – and, in doing so, they saved thousands of lives.  Right now, you have the opportunity to partner with United Hatzalah – and also win three incredible prizes!   A brand-new Cadillac Escalade + $20,000 vacation + $40,000 worth of jewelry!  One winner takes all! PLUS! BUY TODAY and get a free ticket for the EARLY BIRD PRIZE of $6,000.  Hurry!  Deadline is tonight!   Grab this opportunity to upgrade your life overnight – and, much more importantly, to save someone else’s.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Yerushalayim Mayor Moshe Lion on Sunday unveiled the Swords of Iron memorial monument on the capital’s Ruppin Street, opposite the National Library.

The monument is the first of its kind in the city to commemorate both the victims of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre and Israel Defense Forces soldiers who fell in the ensuing war.

“These are difficult, painful and bloody days, in which our enemies are doing everything they can to prevent Israeli citizens from living normal lives, to harm the citizens of Israel and the State of Israel,” said Herzog at the start of the event.

“We have never sought war, and we do not want war, but let it be clear: We will not rest and we will not stop until all Israeli citizens return to their homes and are safe and secure. It is Israel’s right, and duty, to defend its citizens. Israel’s defensive and offensive capabilities are proving themselves, and we will continue until full security is achieved,” he added.

The Swords of Iron memorial monument is inaugurated on Ruppin Street in Yerushalayim, opposite the National Library. Photo by Arnon Bossani.

The ceremony was attended by senior government officials, Yerushalayim City Council members, dozens of ambassadors and bereaved families.

“This monument highlights the magnitude of the loss Yerushalayim has experienced, while also conveying hope for better days, days that we all pray for and long to see. This shared commemoration sends a message of hope and unity, which are so vital for all of us,” said Lion.

“Anyone who gazes upon this monument realizes the unbearable price that Yerushalayim and the State of Israel have paid since Oct. 7—the profound pain entailed in this cost. This memorial honors the words, the tears, the stories and the pain of the families,” he continued.

A chapter of Tehillim was recited by Rabbi Shmuel Slotki, who lost both his sons, Noam and Yishai, to the war against Hamas. The prayer for the return of the hostages was delivered by Jon Polin, father of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of six captives recently executed by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza.

The memorial is made of iron, with a diameter of 14 meters and a height of approximately 5.5 meters. The names of the fallen are engraved on the monument—the soldiers, security forces, rescue personnel and civilians from Yerushalayim who lost their lives since Oct. 7.

Inside the core of the structure, a verse from the tefillah of “Nachem,” which is recited once a year on Tisha B’Av, is engraved: “Therefore Tzion will weep bitterly, and Yerushalayim will give forth its voice. My heart, my heart grieves for their fallen; my bowels, my bowels grieve for their fallen.”

In the inner section, a mini auditorium with unique lighting was created for families to privately reflect with their loved ones. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

Former CIA Director and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has described the mass detonation of Hezbollah communication devices, widely attributed to Israel, as “a form of terrorism.” “The ability to be able to place an explosive in technology that is very prevalent these days and turn it into a war of terror. This is something new,” Panetta told CBS. “When you have terror going into the supply chain, it makes people ask the question, ‘What the hell is next?’ This is a tactic that has repercussions, and we really don’t know what those repercussions are going to be,” Panetta continued. The former CIA chief suggested that the current dynamics in the region are being dominated by “the forces of war,” and warned of the unpredictability of future developments. When pressed on whether the United States should condemn Israel for the operation, Panetta avoided a direct answer. Instead, he called for a global discussion on the issue. “I think it’s going to be very important for the nations of the world to have a serious discussion about whether or not this is an area that everybody has to focus on because if they don’t try to deal with it now, mark my word, it is the battlefield of the future,” Panetta said. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Israel Defense Forces operation against Lebanese Hezbollah has so far eliminated scores of senior terrorists and their infrastructure, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu said on Monday, warning of more to come.

“I promised that we would change the security balance, the balance of power in the north—this is exactly what we are doing,” Netanyahu said.

“For those who have not yet understood, I want to clarify Israel’s policy,” the premier said in the video statement, which the Prime Minister’s Office released shortly after he held a situational assessment at IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv. “We do not wait for a threat; we anticipate it. Everywhere, in every sector, at any time.

“We are destroying thousands of missiles and rockets that are directed at Israel’s cities and citizens,” the Israeli leader said in the recording.

According to Netanyahu, the ongoing IAF aerial campaign eliminated “senior figures, terrorists and missiles, and our arm is still extended. Whoever tries to harm us, we will harm them all the more forcefully.”

The prime minister concluded, “Together we will stand strong, together we will fight, and with God’s help, together we will win.”

The remarks were released after Netanyahu led security talks with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Israeli Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar in the “pit,” the IDF’s underground command center in the Kirya military headquarters.

Earlier on Monday, IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari announced that the IAF was preparing another round of strikes, this time in eastern Lebanon’s predominantly Shi’ite Bekaa Valley.

On Monday morning, IAF fighter jets conducted airstrikes against Hezbollah targets to stop cross-border rocket attacks, targeting more than 400 Hezbollah sites mainly in the southern part of Lebanon.

“The sights that are now seen in Southern Lebanon are Hezbollah’s weapons exploding inside houses,” Hagari said of the airstrikes, adding that inside “every home we struck, there are rockets, drones, missiles, which were intended to murder Israeli civilians.”

Hezbollah has attacked Israel nearly daily since Oct. 8, 2023, firing thousands of rockets, missiles and drones. The attacks have killed more than 40 people and caused widespread damage. Tens of thousands of Israeli civilians remain internally displaced due to the violence.

Air-raid sirens were heard in the Tzfas area of the Upper Galil on Monday morning, with many blasts heard and dozens of interceptions reported. A large barrage was also reported deep into the Lower Galil.

The Magen David Adom emergency response group said two men sustained light wounds when a rocket hit in the area of the Golani Junction, located in the Lower Galil between Tiveryah and Nazareth.

Later on Monday, more rocket attacks triggered alarms in several towns south of Chaifa as well as in the Upper Galil. MDA said medics were dispatched “to search scenes where reports were received.”

(JNS)

Companies exploring the option of letting employees work four days a week hope to reduce job burnout and retain talent seeking a better work-life balance, according to the chief executive of an organization that promotes the idea. The trend is gaining traction in Australia and Europe, says Dale Whelehan, CEO of 4 Day Week Global, which coaches companies through the month-long process of shortening their employees’ work hours. Japan launched a campaign in August encouraging employers to trim work schedules to four days. American companies haven’t adopted four-day weeks as broadly, but that could change. Nearly a third of U.S. CEOs polled by accounting firm KPMG in 2024 said they are exploring alternative work schedules such as a four-day or four and a half-day workweek. The Associated Press spoke with Whelehan about the reasons why companies might want to consider the change. His comments have been edited for length and clarity. Q: Why should organizations switch to a four-day workweek? A: The bigger question is, why shouldn’t they? There’s a lot of evidence to suggest we need to do something fundamentally different in the way we work. We have issues of burnout. We have a recruitment and retention crisis in many industries. We have increased stress within our workforce. leading to health issues, issues with work-life balance, work-family conflict. We have people sitting in cars for long periods, contributing to a climate crisis. We have certain parts of the population that are able to work longer hours and therefore be rewarded for that, creating further inequity within our societies. Lastly, we look at the implications that stress actually has on long-term health. We know that it’s linked to issues like cardiovascular disease, to cancer, to diabetes. So stress is something not to be taken lightly, and it’s only rising in our world of work. Q: Why is the 40-hour workweek so common? To understand where we are now, let’s take a step back into pre-industrial times. My granddad was a farmer, worked seven days a week and was required on-site all the time. It was a lot of long hours, but also he had a lot of autonomy. By the time my dad entered the workforce, he was a technician in a mechanical role. And he was expected to produce products on a large scale. As a result he wasn’t given the rewards from farming, but was given a salary. That change from my grandfather’s time to my dad’s brought about the birth of a discipline known as management. And management, led by Frederick Taylor, was looking at the relationship between fatigue and performance. A lot of scientific studies were done to try to understand that relationship, leading to the need for a five-day week as opposed to a six-day week. By the time I entered into the workforce, we no longer had a very physical, laborious workforce. It’s highly cognitive and highly emotional. The fundamental physiological difference is that our brain as a muscle can’t withstand the same level of hours of work as our muscles in our body might be able to. So it’s that mismatch between an outdated work structure of 40 hours, rooted in very physical labor, and what is now a highly cognitive workforce. Q: How can companies increase revenue while employees work fewer hours? A: The […]

Dear Matzav Inbox, 

 

Where is the help for me?

Every year, as Yom Tov approaches, we see the incredible work of organizations like Chasdei Lev, which helps rabbeim prepare for Yom Tov with dignity and peace of mind. I have nothing against supporting rabbeim—chas v’shalom. They deserve every bit of help they get.

But what about the rest of us?

What about a regular, hard-working individual like myself who struggles to make ends meet?

Where is my Chasdei Lev?

Do people think that only rabbeim feel the financial strain of Yom Tov? As if the rest of us can magically cover the thousands of dollars in groceries, new clothing for the kids, and all the other expenses that pile up before the Yom Tov. And no, just because I earn a salary doesn’t mean I’m making it okay.

Am I expected to have a secret stash of money somewhere, untouched by the skyrocketing costs of daily life?

I work long hours, at multiple jobs, and yet, when it comes to making Yom Tov, I’m left wondering how on earth I’m going to make it through. How did we get to a point where support seems to only be for a select group? The costs of living aren’t just affecting rabbeim—they’re hitting all of us. Do my struggles not count because I’m not in chinuch?

It’s time for us to acknowledge that the financial burden of Yom Tov affects everyone. We are all struggling under the weight of these expectations, and we all deserve a helping hand.

With great frustration,

A Regular Working Stiff

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In this episode of Inside the Agudah, Rabbi Moshe Simcha Levine, Director of Development at Agudath Israel of America, sits with Rabbi Yitzchok Hisiger, Agudath Israel’s Director of Torah Initiatives, to discuss his work on behalf of the Agudah.

WATCH:

The U.S. is sending additional troops to the Middle East in response to a sharp spike in violence between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon that has raised the risk of a greater regional war, the Pentagon said Monday. Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder would provide no details on how many additional forces or what they would be tasked to do. The U.S. currently has about 40,000 troops in the region. “In light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional U.S. military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region. But for operational security reasons, I’m not going to comment on or provide specifics.” The new deployments come after significant strikes by Israeli forces against targets inside Lebanon that have killed hundreds and as Israel is preparing to conduct further operations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday warned Lebanese civilians in a videotaped message to evacuate their homes ahead of further airstrikes. He spoke as Israeli warplanes continued to strike alleged Hezbollah targets in southern and eastern Lebanon. The State Department is warning Americans to leave Lebanon as the risk of a regional war increases. “Due to the unpredictable nature of ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel and recent explosions throughout Lebanon, including Beirut, the U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to depart Lebanon while commercial options still remain available,” the State Department cautioned Saturday. Ryder would not say if those additional forces might support the evacuation of those citizens if needed. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held back-to-back calls with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the weekend as he pressed for a cease-fire and a reduction of tensions in the region, Ryder said. “Given the tensions, given the escalation, as I highlighted, there is the potential for a wider regional conflict. I don’t think we’re there yet, but it’s a dangerous, situation” Ryder said. (AP)

After reports surfaced that Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu may be considering returning to Israel from the US on Shabbos following his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, members of the United Torah Judaism party expressed disapproval of this potential decision.

A UTJ representative spoke with Arutz Sheva – Israel National News, emphasizing that violating the sanctity of Shabbos is unacceptable unless there is a life-threatening situation.

“We oppose any action which will cause a desecration of Shabbos, unless it is truly a matter of saving lives,” the representative stated. “If Netanyahu cannot avoid desecrating Shabbos, then it would be preferable that he cancel the trip.”

Netanyahu is slated to address the General Assembly on Friday. Due to heightened security concerns, his departure was postponed from Tuesday to Wednesday, and there is a possibility it could be delayed further to Thursday.

The initial plan had Netanyahu staying in the US until Shabbat concluded, with his return flight scheduled shortly after Shabbos ended in the US, around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday in Israel.

However, given the escalating situation in the conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group, discussions are now underway about potentially advancing Netanyahu’s departure, even if that means flying on Shabbos.

{Matzav.com Israel}

The U.N. General Assembly adopted a “Pact for the Future” to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Now comes the hard part: uniting the world’s divided nations to move quickly to implement its 56 actions. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres thanked the 193-member world body for approving the pact and unlocking the door for nations to join forces to tackle challenges ranging from climate change and artificial intelligence to escalating conflicts and increasing inequality and poverty — and improve the lives of the world’s more than 8 billion people. “We are here to bring multilateralism back from the brink,” he said. “Now it is our common destiny to walk through it. That demands not just agreement, but action.” The 42-page pact was adopted at Sunday’s opening of a two-day “Summit of the Future,” which continues Monday. Among leaders slated to address the summit are Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin. Russia tried to change the pact Whether the pact would be adopted was still a question when the assembly meeting began on Sunday. In fact, there was so much suspense that Guterres had three prepared speeches, one for approval, one for rejection, and one if things weren’t clear, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Russia’s Vershinin launched the opening salvo. He proposed an amendment that would have significantly watered down the pact. “No one is happy with this pact,” he said. It turned out he was wrong. Africa’s 54 nations opposed Russia’s amendments and speaking on their behalf, the Republic of Congo countered with a motion not to vote on the amendments. Mexico supported the Africans, and in a vote on their motion, the Africans got support from 143 countries,, with only six countries supporting Russia — Iran, Belarus, North Korea, Nicaragua, Sudan and Syria. 15 countries abstained. Assembly President Philémon Yang then put the pact to a vote and banged his gavel, signifying the consensus of all U.N. member nations that was required for approval — to vigorous applause. Russia has made significant inroads in Africa — in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Central African Republic — and the continent’s rejection of its amendments along with Mexico, a major Latin American power, was seen as a blow to Moscow by some diplomats and observers. The secretary-general issues a challenge Guterres, clearly relieved at the outcome, then issued a challenge to the leaders: Implement the pact. Prioritize dialogue and negotiations. End “wars tearing our world apart” from the Middle East to Ukraine and Sudan. Reform the powerful U.N. Security Council. Accelerate reforms of the international financial system. Ramp up a transition from fossil fuels. Listen to young people and include them in decision-making. The U.N.’s main bloc of developing countries — the Group of 77, which now has 134 members, including China — echoed Guterres in a speech by Ugandan Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja. “This pact should not become another futile exercise, but must garner political will and commitment across all levels of global leadership to pragmatically address current issues and lay a foundation for solutions for our future global progress and challenges,” he said. Nabbanja stressed that the future should be “free from any oppression” and close widening gaps between developed and developing countries The […]

The IDF transported several bodies of Hamas terrorists killed in combat in the Gaza Strip to Israel, with the goal of determining if one of the deceased was Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader and orchestrator of the October 7 massacre, according to a report by Channel 12 News.

However, the examination results confirmed that none of the bodies belonged to Sinwar.

On Sunday night, Kan News reported that Israel is exploring the possibility that Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, may have been killed in an IDF airstrike on the region.

Despite this, the report indicated that there is no solid intelligence to back up the claim, and there remains a split among defense officials as to whether the mastermind behind the October 7 attack has simply lost communication again or if he has been eliminated.

Earlier on Monday, IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari addressed a question about the circulating rumors regarding Sinwar’s death.

“I cannot confirm, and cannot deny,” Hagari emphasized. “I do not have information that he is dead.”

{Matzav.com}

The man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course had written a disturbing letter months before, declaring his intent to kill Trump, the Justice Department revealed on Monday.

According to federal prosecutors, Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, is alleged to have left a note, addressed “To the World,” at an unidentified person’s residence in the months leading up to the thwarted assassination attempt, which occurred on September 15 at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course.

“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you,” the letter stated.

“I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.”

The note further read, “Everyone across the globe from the youngest to the oldest know that Trump is unfit to be anything, much less a US president. US presidents must at bare minimum embody the moral fabric that is America and be kind, caring and selfless and always stand for humanity.”

The contents of the letter made it clear that the writer believed Trump was unworthy of the presidency.

“Everyone across the globe from the youngest to the oldest know that Trump is unfit to be anything, much less a US president,” the letter continued.

“U.S. presidents must at bare minimum embody the moral fabric that is America and be kind, caring and selfless and always stand for humanity.”

Prosecutors said that the note was only discovered after the recipient of the box opened it and contacted authorities following Routh’s arrest. Inside the box, investigators also found “ammunition, a metal pipe, miscellaneous building materials, tools, four phones” and several other letters.

It is unclear whether Routh wrote the letter anticipating that the assassination would fail or if it was part of a different scheme altogether.

In another section of the note, Routh criticized Trump’s foreign policy, particularly in relation to Iran, stating, “He [the former President] ended relations with Iran like a child and now the Middle East has unraveled.”

These details emerged in a detention memo filed on Monday as the Justice Department argued that Routh should remain in custody while awaiting trial.

Routh was arrested after a Secret Service agent noticed the barrel of an AK-style rifle poking out from behind bushes near the golf course and fired at him before he could shoot at Trump.

The would-be assassin abandoned his rifle and fled in an SUV, leaving behind the firearm, two backpacks, and a GoPro camera, as outlined in court documents.

Routh was apprehended about 40 minutes later on Interstate 95 in Martin County, Florida.

Upon searching Routh’s vehicle, authorities discovered six cell phones, one of which contained a Google search for routes from Palm Beach County to Mexico, according to the court papers.

Two of the phones also suggested that Routh had traveled from Greensboro, North Carolina, to West Palm Beach on August 14, approximately one month before the attempted assassination.

Further FBI investigation revealed that the phones were near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course multiple times between August 18 and September 15.

Prosecutors also disclosed that a list was found containing dates in August, September, and October, as well as locations where Trump had appeared or was scheduled to appear.

A notebook recovered from Routh’s car allegedly contained scathing critiques of both the Russian and Chinese governments, as well as notes about joining the war in support of Ukraine.

The FBI’s investigation into the incident is still ongoing.

Additionally, the DOJ report mentioned that FBI agents had examined Routh’s 2023 book, titled Ukraine’s Unwinnable War: The Fatal Flaw of Democracy, World Abandonment, and the Global Citizen-Taiwan, Afghanistan, North Korea, WWIII and the End of Humanity.

In one passage of the book, Routh wrote, “I must take part of the blame for the [person] that we elected for our next president that ended up being brainless, but I am man enough to say that I misjudged and made a terrible mistake and Iran I apologize.”

He went on to state, “You are free to assassinate Trump as well as me for that error in judgment for the dismantling of the deal. No one here in the US seems to have the balls to put natural selection to work or even unnatural selection.”

{Matzav.com}

Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi: “This morning, the IDF launched a proactive offensive operation. Essentially, we are targeting combat infrastructure that Hezbollah has been building for the past 20 years. This is very significant. We are striking targets and preparing for the next phases, which I will elaborate on shortly. Ultimately, everything is focused on creating the conditions to return the residents of the north to their homes”.