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SEC. RUBIO: “If people want to stop seeing drug boats blown up, stop sending drugs to the United States.”

PHOTOS: Chesed Shel Emes welcomed its fifth emergency services and recovery truck, generously donated by the Saada family in memory of their loved ones who tragically lost their lives in the horrific March accident on Ocean Parkway in Flatbush; the new truck will be stationed in Boro Park to assist with emergency and recovery operations.

New Hampshire Republican John E. Sununu announced a campaign for U.S. Senate on Wednesday, hoping to reclaim a seat he lost nearly two decades ago and boosting the GOP’s chances of regaining a foothold in a region overwhelmingly represented by Democrats. Sununu, 61, is seeking the Republican nomination for the seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat who ousted him in 2008. His decision sets up a primary featuring two former senators: Republican Scott Brown, who represented Massachusetts before moving to New Hampshire and losing to Shaheen in 2014, has been running since June. “Maybe you’re surprised to hear that I’m running for the Senate again. I’m a bit surprised myself,” Sununu said in a video announcement. “Why would anyone subject themselves to everything going on there right now? Well, somebody has to step up and lower the temperature. Somebody has to get things done.” National Republicans consider Sununu a strong candidate and one who allows them to go on the offensive as they look to hold their majority in the chamber next year. In statements, the Republican National Committee said Sununu’s entrance creates “a formidable Republican field poised to make this seat competitive in 2026.” The Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC linked to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, said they were “excited” about Sununu’s bid and that it “expands the Senate map and puts the Granite State in play for Republicans.” Senate Republicans, who hold a 53-47 advantage, are defending seats in Ohio, Maine and North Carolina against a slate of high-profile Democratic candidates. But Republicans are also on the offensive in places like Michigan, Georgia and now, increasingly, New Hampshire — and if they flip one of those seats it will likely put the chamber out of reach for Democrats until at least 2028. Sununu must first win the primary though, and his past opposition to President Donald Trump could be problematic. While Brown has aligned himself closely with Trump and served as his U.S. ambassador to New Zealand, Sununu backed Nikki Haley in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, writing an op-ed calling Trump a “loser.” Trump went on to win New Hampshire’s leadoff primary, but the state’s voters rejected him for a third time in the general election. And while Republicans control the Statehouse and governor’s office, Democrats have held all four of New Hampshire’s congressional seats since 2017. Sununu has been in contact with the White House about the Senate campaign, according to a senior White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity and was not authorized to discuss private conversations. His primary opponent, Brown, posted on X that he looks forward to highlighting “clear distinctions” between himself and Sununu “and letting the people of New Hampshire — not Washington, D.C. — decide” who will win the nomination. Sununu served three terms in the U.S. House before being elected to the Senate at age 38. He was the chamber’s youngest member throughout his term, a fact he emphasized in a 2008 campaign ad that showed him sprinting up a steep mountain path. “He’s younger, faster, quicker,” a deep-voiced (and somewhat redundant) narrator intones. “Inexhaustible. Tireless. Energetic.” He is now the same age Shaheen was when she defeated him and is 16 years older than U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, the front-runner for […]

In a razor-thin vote that exposed deep divisions within the coalition, the Knesset on Wednesday approved a bill in its preliminary reading to extend Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. The legislation, introduced by Noam Party Chairman MK Avi Maoz, passed 25 to 24, with a single-vote margin determining the outcome.

The Likud Party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was largely absent from the chamber during the vote, and most of its members either abstained or stayed away. MK Yuli Edelstein broke ranks and voted in favor despite clear instructions from Netanyahu to oppose the measure. The Likud leadership later confirmed that disciplinary action will be taken against Edelstein for defying party directives.

Supporting votes also came from United Torah Judaism members Yitzchak Goldknopf, Yisrael Eichler, and Yaakov Tesler, while lawmakers from Shas and the Blue and White Party chose not to participate in the session. Their absence further underscored the uneasy balance within the coalition over the contentious issue of sovereignty in the territories.

Maoz, in his remarks before the vote, framed the bill as a moral and national imperative. “Settlement in the Land of Israel is our connection to ourselves as a people,” he declared. “We call for the immediate application of Israeli sovereignty and law over Judea and Samaria. Since the government has hesitated, it is our duty as Knesset members to act – I call on all of you to vote for my bill.”

Soon after, the Knesset also passed a separate motion by Yisrael Beytenu Chairman MK Avigdor Lieberman, which seeks to apply Israeli sovereignty over Maale Adumim. That proposal was approved by a far more comfortable 32-9 vote, suggesting broader support for annexation of the Jerusalem-area city even among skeptics of wider territorial application.

Explaining his decision to support the Maoz bill, Edelstein wrote, “I just voted in the Knesset plenum in favor of applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. Especially at this time, Israeli sovereignty over all parts of our homeland is the order of the day. As someone who has fought for the Land of Israel throughout my years in this building, with a clear belief in the justice of our path, I call on all Zionist factions to vote in favor.”

The heated session also featured sharp criticism from Arab lawmakers. MK Ahmad Tibi (Ta’al) scoffed at the idea of annexation, reminding supporters of global opposition to such moves. “Even your admired leader, Trump, suddenly opposes annexation,” Tibi said. “There is no Riviera, no bonanza – there is a reality in which more than 150 countries recognize Palestine.”

The bill must now pass additional readings before becoming law, but the preliminary vote already marks a symbolic victory for right-wing lawmakers pushing for full Israeli jurisdiction over Judea and Samaria — and a new challenge for Netanyahu as he tries to keep his coalition intact.

{Matzav.com}

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion sang at the chuppah at his daughter’s chasunah on Tuesday at the David Citadel hotel in Jerusalem. His daughter Shirel married Noam Moskowitz, the son of the head of the Tzur Hadassah Council. The medader kiddushin was the chassan’s Rav, Rabbi Re’em Cohen, the Rav of Otniel and the Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivat Otniel. Arutz Sheva captured the moving moments: (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Dear Matzav Inbox,

Over Chol HaMoed, what should have been a peaceful Yom Tov afternoon turned into a scene of chaos and fear for residents living in one of the communities “within the mile.”

A group of individuals, reportedly renting a room in a home owned by staunch “New Square Mile fanatics,” were seen joyriding recklessly through the local streets—speeding, swerving, and zigzagging across the full width of the road. Several residents said they feared for their lives while standing in their own driveways and front lawns, watching in horror as the car lost control, barreled across a front yard, and smashed into two parked vehicles.

Instead of stopping, the group fled, only to crash again nearby and abandon the car. Police later found them next to a house owned by members of the New Square community. “Thank God no one was seriously hurt,” one resident said. “But it could easily have ended in tragedy.”

The terror didn’t end there. Just yesterday, Tuesday, October 21, a woman in the community texted in panic after witnessing a violent altercation next door. “I just watched our neighbors in a huge fight with tires slashed,” she wrote. “I was planning to sit outside with the kids, but I’m scared.”

According to her account, a woman chased a man down the street, pulled out a knife, and slashed his tires as he begged her to calm down. The witness fled inside with her toddler daughter. Residents are struggling to comprehend how such incidents are happening in the heart of Monsey — and worse, that they appear to be caused and even condoned by New Square’s leadership.

This is not an isolated occurrence. The house in question reportedly has around 20 people living there, with frequent turnover and dangerous behavior spilling into the street — as is the case with many homes purchased by representatives of New Square. One neighbor reported, “One of them drove across my yard and into the woods.” Others described a property crowded with abandoned cars and a massive pitbull-husky mix that regularly chases passersby. “People run to our door for safety,” said another.

When a family member who witnessed the chaos reached out to a well-known contact within New Square’s leadership, the response was chilling: “They should do whatever they need to do. We will do ours, and they should do theirs.”

We are now pleading for help — from community leaders and from the public at large. Chassidei Skver must be held accountable, and this disgusting, despicable practice must end immediately, accompanied by a full-throated apology.

To the people of New Square, is this what Hashem wants from you? To illegally overcrowd homes in otherwise peaceful neighborhoods with individuals who stab, threaten, and endanger others? To place lives at risk through callousness, selfishness, irresponsibility, and the thirst for control?

Are you waiting for someone from our community to, chas v’shalom, become the victim of a serious crime before realizing this is wrong? Are you so blind that you cannot see where this leads — or so indifferent that you simply don’t care?

To the decent residents and supporters of New Square who are sickened by what’s happening: please, speak out. Tell your leaders to stop this practice and repair the damage before it’s too late.

And to rational, fair-minded people everywhere — please help apply pressure. Pause all funding to New Square’s institutions until this cruelty ends. No one should have to fear for their life while standing in their own front yard with their children — and certainly not when that danger is being fueled intentionally by people who claim to stand for holiness, honor, and respectability.

A Resident of The Mile

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{Matzav.com}

A dramatic confrontation erupted on live radio Wednesday when Republican mayoral contender Curtis Sliwa stormed out of 77 WABC, declaring his departure from the station he helped define.

“You will never see me at the studios of WABC again,” Sliwa fumed during a heated exchange with host Sid Rosenberg, accusing colleagues of betraying him and favoring independent candidate Andrew Cuomo. He erupted on-air after learning that some within the station, including its owner, were urging him to bow out of the mayoral race to give Cuomo a better shot against Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani.

“Let me just say Sid, I am directing my comments to everybody at WABC,” Sliwa said in a charged tone. “They have said I’m selfish. Selfish? Are you out of your mind? … But that’s why you will never see me at the studios of WABC again, never, no matter how this election turns out.”

The clash came after billionaire John Catsimatidis — the station’s owner and longtime Republican donor — publicly suggested Sliwa withdraw from the race. “Regardless of all the news going around, I’ve always said great things about Curtis Sliwa, about how well he knows the city. But in a places like New York City where 70% of New York City are Democrats, the real Democrat is Andrew Cuomo, not Zohran Mamdani and Democrats should vote for Cuomo,” Catsimatidis told The Post. He added, “I’ve never asked that he leave the race but recommended that a lot of other people have said he should.”

Just days before the on-air blowup, Catsimatidis released a statement calling on Sliwa to step aside “for the good of New York City,” echoing the same message on his own airwaves. Yet on Wednesday, the Gristedes supermarket mogul suggested he didn’t believe the rift was permanent. “I’ve supported Curtis for the last 30 years, his organizations and him,” Catsimatidis said. “Me and Curtis have a handshake deal and he has a 30-year contract. When he calms down, I believe Curtis has always been reasonable.”

Despite the mounting pressure, Republican leaders across New York City — including Catsimatidis’ daughter, Manhattan GOP chair Andrea Catsimatidis — reaffirmed their support for Sliwa. His show, on hiatus during his uphill campaign for City Hall, returned with fireworks Wednesday as Sliwa and Rosenberg locked horns in a live shouting match.

“I know there are people there at WABC who are personally attacking me, saying I’m running a lazy campaign…. I feel personally, personally offended by what my friends and colleagues, many of whom I trained at WABC, many of whom wouldn’t have a job at WABC without me, have done,” Sliwa vented on Sid & Friends In The Morning. He mocked the station’s call letters, saying they now stand for “Always Broadcast Cuomo.”

Rosenberg countered sharply, telling Sliwa he was targeting the wrong opponent. “This obsession with Cuomo has to stop,” Rosenberg said. “You can beat Cuomo and still lose the election.”

As the argument intensified, Sliwa claimed he and his wife, Nancy, have faced threats severe enough to require armed security — which he blamed on those publicly pressuring him to quit. “If anything happens to me or anything happens to my wife, because of this frenzy that I hear constantly coming from some of your colleagues there at WABC, it’s on you guys and you gals,” he warned. “My life is on the line here.”

Recent polling has shown Mamdani comfortably in the lead, followed by Cuomo, with Sliwa trailing far behind. Analysts say Sliwa’s exit could give Cuomo a realistic chance to overtake the Democratic frontrunner. Rosenberg bluntly told his longtime colleague, “You’re gonna lose and you’re gonna lose badly, embarrassingly.” As the exchange grew heated, he added, “You’re talking about WABC and Cuomo. That’s not gonna win you this … race.”

By the end of the morning, Sliwa had effectively severed ties with the station that launched his broadcasting career decades ago — leaving both the mayoral race and his radio legacy engulfed in controversy.

{Matzav.com}

Sec. Scott Bessent: “President Putin has not come to the table in an honest and forthright manner, as we’d hoped… we are going to be announcing a substantial increase in Russia sanctions… one of the largest sanctions that we have done against the Russian Federation.”

Israeli hostage Segev Kalfon, who was abducted by Hamas terrorists from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, has described in harrowing detail the 738 days he spent in captivity — a period marked by brutal beatings, forced labor, and life in underground tunnels under constant threat of death. In his first public interview since being freed earlier this month, Kalfon, 27, told Ynet and Yediot Acharonot – captured as he tried to flee the Nova festival massacre –  Kalfon said he was bound, blindfolded, and beaten with rifle butts. “They hit me in the knees, the stomach, the head, from every side,” he recalled. “After a few minutes, you stop feeling the blows — only silence, a minute before life ends.” He said Hamas fighters assaulted him repeatedly after he refused to change his name, which they mocked because it resembled an Arabic word. “They didn’t believe me and started beating me,” he said. “When they began calling me ‘Steve,’ I stopped correcting them. That’s when I realized I was a prisoner.” Kalfon said that upon being dragged into Gaza, he was thrown into what he believed was a mosque. “Someone pressed a knife to my neck and asked my name. I said ‘Segev.’ He pressed harder. Every time I said it, I was beaten again.” Kalfon said he was moved between safe houses as Israeli forces bombarded Gaza before being confined for nearly a year in a tunnel alongside several other hostages — Ohad Ben Ami, Elkana Bohbot, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Maxim Harkin, and Bar Kuperstein. For long stretches, he was kept in isolation. “We dug a pit for a toilet — for us and for them — because they called us ‘worthless Jews,’” he said. “We dug tunnels. They forced us to work. When you go down into a tunnel, you become a rat. The life you had above ground no longer exists.” He said the hostages’ treatment worsened whenever their captors saw Israeli officials on television. “Whenever they saw Itamar Ben-Gvir, we knew the light at the end of the tunnel meant beatings were coming,” he said. Conditions underground, he said, were “unbearable.” Hostages slept on uneven floors and thin mattresses. “I made a pillow from scraps of mattress,” Kalfon said. “The little water we had, I filtered through gauze. A bottle of water was like gold.” Kalfon said he refused Hamas’s demands to appear in propaganda videos, despite knowing the risks. “I thought about my parents and my family,” he said. “I didn’t want to say I was suffering or starving, even though every day there was danger to your life. Every minute you survived was a miracle.” He described moments when bombings were so close that he and two other hostages said their final goodbyes. “We said to each other, ‘If something happens, know that I love you, that you’re my brothers.’ After that day they took us down into the tunnel.” “Death becomes your best friend,” he said. “You talk to death all the time. Nothing is certain. You have no food, no communication, and they do everything to make you suffer.” Kalfon said that after more than two years underground, survival itself feels miraculous. “Today, nothing is taken for granted,” he said. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy says Trump’s White House renovation is “absolutely illegal.” “That visual is powerful because you are essentially watching the destruction of the rule of law.”

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met in Abu Dhabi with Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed to discuss the Gaza ceasefire and U.S. efforts to promote regional stability, according to Emirati state media.

Under the direction of Rav Dov Landau, rosh yeshiva of Slabodka in Bnei Brak, preparations are underway for a major public tefillah rally this coming Sunday, in response to the recent arrests of several yeshiva bochurim by Israeli authorities.

Rav Landau, who is currently in Los Angeles as part of the Keren Olam HaTorah campaign, received a detailed briefing this morning on the developing situation.

Upon hearing of the detentions, he immediately placed a call to Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, rosh yeshiva of Slabodka, to discuss an appropriate communal response.

During their conversation, the two gedolim spoke at length about the deep pain felt throughout the olam haTorah and the growing concern over the government’s continued targeting of bnei yeshivos who are dedicated solely to learning Torah. They explored possible courses of action and agreed that the time has come for a united outcry and an outpouring of tefillah on behalf of the detained bochurim and the entire tzibbur haTorani.

Sources close to Rav Landau report that the rosh yeshiva expressed anguish over the current state of affairs, emphasizing that these arrests strike at the very heart of Torah life in Eretz Yisroel.

The arrests, which have taken place over the past several days, have sent shockwaves through the yeshiva community.

In yeshivos, roshei yeshiva have spoken out passionately, urging talmidim to strengthen their limud haTorah and tefillah, while expressing deep tzaar over the government’s increasing pressure on those who dedicate their lives to Torah learning.

The upcoming asifah—expected to draw thousands from across Eretz Yisroel—will serve as both a public demonstration of solidarity with the detained bochurim and a heartfelt cry to Shamayim that the gezeirah be annulled. Details regarding the exact time and location of the tefillah rally are expected to be finalized in the coming days.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. military launched its eighth strike against an alleged drug-carrying vessel, killing two people in the waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday, marking an expansion of the Trump administration’s campaign against drug trafficking in South America. The attack Tuesday night was a departure from the seven previous U.S. strikes that had targeted vessels in the Caribbean. Hegseth said on social media that the latest strike killed two people, bringing the death toll to at least 34 from attacks that began last month. The strike marks an expansion of the military’s targeting area in South American waters as well as a shift to Colombia, where much of the cocaine from the world’s largest producer is smuggled. Hegseth’s post also draws a direct comparison between the war on terrorism that the U.S. declared after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the Trump administration’s crackdown. “Just as Al Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people,” Hegseth said, adding “there will be no refuge or forgiveness — only justice.” Republican President Donald Trump has justified the strikes by asserting that the United States is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels and proclaiming the criminal organizations as unlawful combatants, relying on the same legal authority used by President George W. Bush’s administration when it declared a war on terrorism. In a brief video Hegseth posted Wednesday, a small boat, half-filled with brown packages, is seen moving along the water. Several seconds into the video, the boat explodes and is seen floating motionless on the water in flames. The administration has sidestepped prosecuting any of the occupants of the alleged drug-running vessels after returning two survivors of an earlier strike to their home countries of Ecuador and Colombia. Ecuadorian officials later said they released the man that was returned to their country, saying that they had no evidence he committed a crime in their country. The U.S. military has built up an unusually large force in the Caribbean Sea and the waters off the coast of Venezuela since this summer, raising speculation that Trump could try to topple raising Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He faces charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S. The bulk of American overdose deaths are from fentanyl, which is transported by land from Mexico. While Venezuela is a major drug transit zone, about 75% of the cocaine produced in Colombia is smuggled through the eastern Pacific Ocean, not the Caribbean. (AP)

President Donald Trump voiced alarm Tuesday over the state of the New York City mayoral race, saying he fears the city could soon find itself led by a “communist.” He added that, given the current lineup of candidates, he might even prefer a mainstream Democrat over a far-left radical in charge of City Hall.

When asked at the White House whether he thought Republican contender Curtis Sliwa should bow out, Trump declined to back anyone outright but said the polls painted a troubling picture. “Well, I looked at the polls and looks like we’re going to have a communist as the mayor of New York,” he said. “It’ll be very interesting. But here’s the good news. He’s got to go through the White House, everything goes through the White House. At least this White House, it does.”

Trump seemed to imply that Sliwa’s withdrawal might help Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent, but doubted it would be enough to stop Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani from winning. “If he [Sliwa] dropped out, he’s not going to win. And not looking too good for Cuomo either,” Trump said. “Maybe if he dropped out, Cuomo would have a little bit of a chance. But not much. Because it looks like the lead is—it’s not a great lead, but it’s big enough that he should be able to win.”

Asked if he would sit down with Mamdani should the left-wing assemblyman win, Trump didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, I’ll speak to him,” the president replied. “I think I have an obligation to speak to him.”

The president went on to express sadness at what he described as New York’s rapid decline since his own departure. “I love New York. I’ve always loved New York. I just can’t believe a thing like this is happening,” he said. “I left New York, and we had a mayor, [Bill] de Blasio, who was a disaster… New York was a hot city. And now it’s — it’s sad to see what’s happening, frankly.”

He also warned that far-left economic experiments have always failed. “With the communist in charge… look, you just go back a thousand years. I mean, it’s been done many times, a thousand years. It’s never worked once. So it’s not going to work now.”

Mamdani, a state assemblyman affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, has openly championed policies such as legalizing prostitution and sharply taxing the wealthy. His campaign has been embraced by figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, both prominent voices in the progressive movement.

The city’s mayoral election will take place on November 4. Representatives for Mamdani, Cuomo, and Sliwa did not respond to requests for comment.

{Matzav.com}

Tzvika Mor, the father of released hostage Eitan Mor, told Channel 12 News that Eitan learned to speak and read Arabic during his two years in Hamas captivity, which he spent in Gaza City. “We’re absolutely amazed by his level in Arabic,” he said. “He writes Arabic like I write Hebrew. He reads books and newspapers in Arabic. He essentially dedicated those two years to learning Arabic.” “Eitan simply took a Hamasnik and asked him to teach him the Arabic alphabet. He gradually began learning letters and words—from conversations between the captors, from watching Al Jazeera that sometimes played nearby, and from other sources.” Tzvika added that Eitan said that to pass the time in captivity, he cooked and also taught the terrorists how to cook. “Eitan had worked in the culinary field and knew how to cook professionally,” he explained. Eitan also endured brutal treatment at the hands of his captors and at times, was provided with just a few spoonfuls of rice a day. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

In a powerful and emotional statement following his shiur klali at Prison 10 near Beit Lid, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch addressed the ongoing protests against yeshiva bochurim being drafted into the army. Rav Hirsch warned that if the government continues to arrest yeshiva students for avoiding army service, “if there’s no choice, the entire public will join. They must understand that they can’t just arrest bochurim who are learning Torah.”

Rav Hirsch delivered the shiur klali on Perek Chezkas HaBatim after a long and difficult trip, delayed by the widespread demonstrations that had paralyzed roads throughout central Israel.

The Rosh Yeshiva reportedly prepared the entire shiur spontaneously during the drive to the prison, where yeshiva bochurim have been staging around-the-clock learning vigils and protests outside the gates in support of Ariel Shamai, a yeshiva bochur recently detained for draft refusal.

Speaking to the assembled bochurim at the prison gates, Rav Hirsch described his encounter with the protests en route. “On my way here, I passed the demonstrations of the other groups,” he said. “I very much hope we won’t have to reach that point ourselves. They need to understand that it cannot be that bochurim who are learning Torah are arrested. I hope those in the government will come to understand that.”

Earlier in the day, Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo Rav Chaim Feinstein gave a dramatic address, expressing anguish over the arrest of his student. “Ariel, you have tasted the sweetness of Torah, and that is why the yetzer hara chases you—it finds it difficult. Ariel, if you can hear us, we are all with you,” Rav Feinstein declared passionately.

Rav Hirsch speaking at the prison:

Dancing at the prison:

Rav Moshe Hillel leaving his home to go to the prison:

Protests obstructing the car carrying Rav Hirsch:

Rav Hirsch arriving at the prison:

{Matzav.com}

Podcast host Ben Shapiro joined ‘America’s Newsroom’ to discuss his analysis of the state of the Israel-Hamas peace deal and what he’s hearing about the emotional reunions of former hostages.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday directed drills of the country’s strategic nuclear forces that featured practice missile launches, an exercise that came as his planned summit on Ukraine with U.S. President Donald Trump was put on hold. The Kremlin said that as part of the maneuvers involving all parts of Moscow’s nuclear triad, a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was test-fired from the Plesetsk launch facility in northwestern Russia, and a Sineva ICBM was launched by a submarine in the Barents Sea. The drills also involved Tu-95 strategic bombers firing long-range cruise missiles. The exercise tested the skills of military command structures, the Kremlin said in a statement. The chief of the military’s General Staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, reported to Putin via video link that the drills were intended to “practice procedures for authorizing the use of nuclear weapons.” Putin, sitting alone at a round white table, faced big screens showing Gerasimov and Defense Minister Andrei Belousov. All three men would be involved in launching nuclear weapons in case of conflict. While Putin emphasized that the maneuvers had been planned in advance, they came hours after President Donald Trump said Tuesday his plan for a swift meeting with Putin in Budapest was on hold because he didn’t want it to be a “waste of time.” The decision about the meeting in Budapest, Hungary, which Trump had announced last week, was made following a call Monday between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Lavrov made clear in comments Tuesday that Russia is opposed to an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump, meanwhile, has been shifting his stance all year on key issues in the conflict, including whether a ceasefire should come before longer-term peace talks, and whether Ukraine could win back land seized by Russia during almost four years of fighting. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday emphasized that the planned Putin-Trump summit needs to be thoroughly prepared. “No one wants to waste time: neither President Trump nor President Putin,” Peskov told reporters. “These are the two presidents who are accustomed to working efficiently with high productivity. But effectiveness always requires preparation.” (AP)