Feed aggregator

Police have arrested an Israeli-Arab suspect in the killing of Olga and Ruslan Prikhodko, the Rishon Letzion couple who were found shot to death inside their vehicle over the weekend in an open area between Moshav Mishmar Ayalon and Karmei Yosef in Shefelah. Following a partial lifting of the gag order surrounding the investigation, authorities revealed Thursday that the suspect is being investigated for carrying out a double murder believed to have been motivated by nationalist motives.

The development marks a dramatic turn in the case, which initially moved in an entirely different direction. In the early hours of the investigation, authorities examined the possibility that the incident may have involved a murder-suicide, partly because Ruslan legally owned a handgun.

As investigators dug deeper into the case, however, evidence began to undermine that theory. One major issue was that Ruslan’s personal firearm was not found at the scene.

According to reports, investigators later searched the couple’s home and discovered the licensed handgun locked inside a safe. In addition, no gunshot residue was found on Ruslan’s hands. Those findings strengthened suspicions that the couple had been murdered by another individual who then fled the area.

The Shin Bet became involved in the investigation during its early stages, and responsibility for the case was later transferred to the Central District Major Crimes Unit.

Several individuals were initially detained for questioning, but were later released after investigators determined they had no connection to the killings. Following additional breakthroughs in the investigation, police arrested the main suspect now believed to be tied to the murders.

Olga, 44, and Ruslan, 46, are survived by their 14-year-old only son. The couple was laid to rest yesterday at the cemetery in Rishon Letzion, accompanied by relatives, friends, and acquaintances.

Family members had insisted from the outset that the couple had not taken their own lives and were not involved in any domestic incident, maintaining instead that they had been murdered.

Relatives described Olga and Ruslan as a devoted couple whose son was the center of their world. According to family members, the three had recently been planning a trip to Austria to celebrate Olga’s birthday.

The investigation remains ongoing under partial gag-order restrictions as police continue examining all aspects of the case and attempting to determine the precise motive behind the killings.

Demonstrations erupted Thursday evening in Yerushalayim and at the entrance to Bnei Brak following the arrest of yeshiva bochurim accused of draft evasion, with major roads blocked, violent confrontations reported, and police moving in to disperse protesters.

The most significant protest began near the Geha Junction, where demonstrators blocked Route 4 in both directions, shutting down traffic from the Aluf Sadeh Interchange to Em HaMoshavos. Rechov Bar-Ilan in Yerushalayim was also closed as protesters flooded the area.

Police declared the demonstrations illegal and said rioters were obstructing traffic and disrupting public order. Senior officers at both protest sites announced that force would be used to disperse the crowds.

Authorities closed Route 4 in both directions between the Aluf Sadeh and Em HaMoshavos interchanges. In addition, Jabotinsky Street and Hashomer Street in Bnei Brak, extending toward Yetzirah Street in Petach Tikvah, were shut down to traffic.

At the Yerushalayim protest, demonstrators blocked vehicles and reportedly acted violently toward chareidi drivers, shouting harsh insults and damaging cars.

Police said Border Police forces and Yerushalayim District officers were preparing to disperse protesters at the Bar-Ilan intersection in an effort to restore traffic flow and public order.

Videos from the scene in Bnei Brak showed protesters surrounding buses while chanting, “Prisoners of the Torah world, the great ones of the nation.”

Following the unrest, Netivei Yisroel announced additional road closures, including Route 4 northbound from the Mesubim Interchange to Em HaMoshavos, as well as localized closures near the Yavneh Interchange. Southbound traffic on Route 4 was blocked from Em HaMoshavos to the Bar-Ilan Interchange.

Protesters at the Geha and Bar-Ilan junctions carried signs bearing slogans including “We will die and not enlist,” “Better to die as a chareidi than enlist,” and “We will not abandon a single bochur.”

Police began making arrests as clashes intensified between demonstrators and security forces.

{Matzav.com}

A rare albino buffalo nicknamed “Donald Trump” was dramatically spared from ritual slaughter in Bangladesh after the country’s interior minister personally intervened and ordered the animal transferred to the national zoo.

The unusual buffalo, which recently went viral online because of its striking appearance, had originally been slated for slaughter during the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday before the government abruptly halted the sale.

Bangladesh Interior Minister Salahuddin Ahmed reportedly ordered officials to save the animal’s life, cancel the planned sacrifice, and immediately relocate it to permanent quarters at the national zoo in the capital city of Dhaka.

Authorities said the decision came after massive crowds began gathering around the farm where the buffalo was being kept, drawing visitors from across the country and creating growing security concerns ahead of the holiday.

“At the last moment, the decision was made to spare the buffalo from slaughter because of security concerns and the extraordinary level of public interest,” a senior Bangladeshi Interior Ministry official explained.

The buffalo weighs nearly 700 kilograms and had already been sold to a private buyer before the government intervened. Authorities later compensated the purchaser after confiscating the animal to prevent the sacrifice from taking place.

Farm owner Ziauddin Merida said the buffalo received the nickname “Donald Trump” from his younger brother because of the animal’s unusual blond tuft of hair, which stands out prominently against its pale skin.

Merida described the buffalo as exceptionally calm and gentle, adding that caring for the rare animal requires intensive maintenance, including frequent feeding throughout the day and regular washing to preserve its health.

Albino buffaloes are considered extremely rare in Bangladesh, where most cattle have dark coloring. Public fascination with the animal surged after videos showcasing its unusual appearance spread widely across social media platforms.

It remains unclear whether the United States made any direct appeal to Bangladesh regarding the animal, though the buffalo’s popularity and nickname fueled widespread speculation online after the government stepped in to save it.

{Matzav.com}

The Treasury Department office charged with producing America’s paper currency has begun preliminary planning tied to proposed legislation that would place President Donald Trump on a commemorative $250 bill.

According to a Thursday report by The Washington Post, officials inside the Trump administration have been urging the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to develop sample concepts for a new bank note bearing Trump’s image — a historic move that would make him the first living person featured on US paper money in well over a century.

The effort is connected to preparations for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration next July and is part of a broader campaign by Trump allies to cement the President’s legacy through patriotic projects and national institutions.

The Post reported that US Treasurer Brandon Beach and senior adviser Mike Brown repeatedly pressed bureau officials to proceed with draft designs despite federal statutes that currently prohibit living individuals from appearing on American currency.

One concept obtained by the newspaper reportedly features a large portrait of Trump in the center of the note alongside the signatures of both Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

British artist Iain Alexander, who said he worked on the design after discussions with Trump, told the newspaper the President personally approved several revisions, including the addition of red, white, and blue patriotic styling as well as imagery tied to America’s semiquincentennial celebration.

“He absolutely loved it,” Alexander said of Trump’s reaction.

Existing law, however, remains a major obstacle to the proposal.

The Thayer Amendment of 1866 prohibits living people from appearing on US currency after a Treasury official during the Civil War era controversially inserted his own likeness onto a bank note.

The ban also reflected America’s historic opposition to the European custom of placing reigning monarchs on national currency.

Still, Congress has the authority to change those rules through legislation.

Earlier this year, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., introduced legislation instructing the Treasury Department to issue a $250 Federal Reserve note carrying Trump’s portrait, although the bill has not yet moved forward in Congress.

Treasury officials stressed that no currency would be produced unless lawmakers formally approve the measure.

“Should this legislative mandate be signed into law, the BEP is moving proactively to produce a $250 commemorative note which will appropriately recognize the 250th Anniversary of our great nation,” a Treasury spokesperson said.

The discussion comes as the administration is also preparing for Trump’s signature to appear on American paper money for the first time.

The New York Times reported in March that US currency issued later this year would carry Trump’s signature alongside that of Bessent.

Backers of the proposal say the effort is a fitting tribute to Trump’s leadership during what supporters describe as America’s “Golden Age economic revival.” Opponents, meanwhile, argue the move would inject politics into one of the country’s most recognizable national symbols.

Financial and currency specialists warn that even if Congress approves the plan, implementation could take years because of anti-counterfeiting measures, Federal Reserve coordination, and the need to ensure compatibility with ATMs and other banking systems.

Despite those logistical hurdles, administration officials reportedly remain determined to advance the project ahead of next year’s major anniversary celebrations.

{Matzav.com}

A 14-year-old Toronto girl who had been missing for more than a week has been found safe, bringing an emotional end to an intensive citywide search effort.

Toronto police announced this afternoon that Esther had been located safely after days of mounting concern and widespread public attention.

Authorities said additional information would be released at a media briefing at the command post established in Earl Bales Park near Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue West.

Before she was found, investigators said Esther had last been seen shortly after midnight on May 16 near Bathurst Street and Hotspur Road, just south of Highway 401. Earlier police updates had indicated she was also seen in Earl Bales Park on May 15.

As the search escalated, police elevated the case to a Level 1 investigation, the highest level available, enabling the department to deploy specialized resources including canine teams, mounted officers, and marine units.

Police also created a dedicated hotline and distributed a QR code to collect information from the public as the search intensified. Esther’s parents made emotional appeals asking the community to assist in locating their daughter.

Throughout the investigation, police released very few details about the circumstances surrounding Esther’s disappearance and did not indicate that they believed she had been abducted.

Authorities have not yet revealed where Esther was found or how police ultimately located her.

Earlier this week, a spokesperson for Esther’s family announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to her safe return.

{Matzav.com}

Israel announced Thursday that it is suspending all contact with the office of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres after the UN placed Israeli entities on a blacklist connected to sexual violence in conflict zones.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said the Israeli Mission to the United Nations will no longer maintain relations with the Secretary-General’s office for as long as Guterres remains in charge of the organization.

The move follows Guterres’ decision to add Israeli entities to the controversial blacklist, a step Israeli officials sharply condemned as politically motivated and morally indefensible.

According to Israeli officials, the Israeli delegation and Ambassador Danon spent months engaging with UN representatives, supplying documentation, statistics, and detailed responses addressing every allegation raised against Israel over the past year.

Despite those efforts, Israeli officials said the Secretary-General chose to move ahead with the designation, placing Israel in the same category as Hamas and other terror groups.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said: “We are done with this UN Secretary-General. Guterres has put Israel on the same blacklist along with Hamas, ISIS and the most depraved terrorist organizations in the world. This is a moral disgrace that proves that Guterres has lost all credibility.”

{Matzav.com}

The United States and Iran have reached the outline of a possible agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and launch fresh negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program, the White House confirmed Thursday, signaling a possible diplomatic breakthrough even as tensions remain dangerously high in the region.

Any final arrangement would still require President Trump’s approval. The administration pushed back sharply against reports that surfaced Wednesday claiming a deal had already been finalized, dismissing those accounts as “propaganda.” The developing framework emerged even after Iran reportedly violated the cease-fire Thursday by firing toward a U.S. military installation in Kuwait, according to US Central Command.

Even after that reported attack, Washington has continued to observe the cease-fire and has not yet resumed broader military operations against Iran.

Under the proposed framework, the United States would lift its blockade on Iranian ports in return for Tehran restoring “unrestricted” maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, White House officials said. The arrangement would also trigger a 60-day diplomatic window during which American and Iranian officials would begin negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

As part of the deal, Iran would reportedly be prohibited from charging transit fees on vessels passing through the strategic waterway. Tehran would also be obligated to clear naval mines from the strait within 30 days.

The proposal further includes American commitments to discuss easing sanctions and releasing frozen Iranian assets during the negotiation process. In exchange, Iran would agree to discussions concerning the disposal of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and future limits on uranium enrichment.

An Iranian source told The Post that the framework largely mirrors details leaked Thursday to Iranian media — despite the White House Rapid Response 47 account on X dismissing those reports as a “complete fabrication.”

According to the leaked version, the United States would remove military forces positioned around Iran and end the naval blockade surrounding Iranian ports. In return, Iran would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore civilian maritime activity to levels seen before the conflict within 30 days.

The leaked report also claimed the United States had agreed to permit Iran and Oman to jointly “manage” the strait after reopening it — a provision that appears to contradict longstanding American and international insistence that the waterway remain an international passage not controlled by any single country.

At the same time, senior Iranian officials appeared to publicly reject several principles reportedly included in the American proposal.

Ebrahim Azizi, who chairs the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, outlined what he described as Tehran’s non-negotiable demands for any future agreement.

“Iran will not be pushed back by Trump’s rhetoric from its red lines: the right to enrich uranium, possession of enriched uranium, authority over the Strait of Hormuz, and the removal of sanctions,” Azizi said on X.

“It is obvious Trump, seeking a way out of this strategic deadlock, alternates between issuing threats and appealing for an agreement,” he added.

Still, regional officials suggested the proposed American framework could create room for compromise on some of the most contentious issues dividing the two sides. One possibility under discussion, according to a regional source, would involve degrading Iran’s highly enriched uranium inside Iran itself rather than removing it entirely from the country.

“If I were in Trump’s position, I would want the enriched material degraded on Iranian soil in the presence of American/international experts with structured mechanisms and benchmarks put in place,” one person said.

“Giving it to Russians, Chinese or Pakistanis doesn’t suit US interests,” the person added, referring to previously floated options of what to do with Iran’s uranium.

{Matzav.com}

Amid the growing wave of arrests of yeshiva bochurim and their transfer to military detention facilities, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef delivered a forceful message of encouragement to yeshiva students and young kollel yungerleit, urging them not to fear Israeli law enforcement authorities acting against the Torah world.

Speaking during the Keser Shel Torah gathering organized by the Bukharian Jewish Congress before thousands of yeshiva students and avreichim, Rav Yosef invoked the pasuk “Kol kli yutzar alayich lo yitzlach” and directly addressed the ongoing crackdown.

“‘Kol kli yutzar alayich lo yitzlach,’ do not fear the attorney general and the police commissioner, all the people who drive on Shabbos and eat neveilos, do not fear them,” Rav Yosef declared.

The former chief rabbi then turned directly to the yeshiva students with additional words of encouragement.

“You are the guardians of the holy watch. Fortunate are you and fortunate is your portion.”

His remarks come as police and military authorities continue carrying out what many in the chareidi community describe as an unprecedented campaign of arrests against yeshiva bochurim, with detainees being transferred to military police custody under a new policy associated with Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy.

Rav Yosef’s comments also revived attention to controversial remarks he made last year regarding IDF draft notices sent to yeshiva students.

At the time, he instructed bochurim to tear up and discard the enlistment orders.

“I said that if a draft order arrives — tear it up. Do you have a toilet in your house? There is no house without a bathroom. Tear it up, throw it into the toilet, and flush the water. Nothing. Do not take it into consideration at all,” he said at the time.

The renewed statements come after more than a year of repeated warnings by Rav Yosef regarding the government’s handling of the draft law crisis and his skepticism that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would ultimately pass legislation protecting yeshiva students from military service despite promises made to chareidi parties.

“The draft decree is a decree that pains all of us. If we had gone with the left, it would have been much better,” Rav Yosef said roughly a year ago during one of his weekly shiurim.

“If Maran father had been alive with us, he would never have allowed this to happen. Before the government was formed, before the first budget was passed, he would have demanded that the draft law be passed.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli lawmaker Yuli Edelstein that the IDF may ultimately be satisfied if chareidim who are not seriously engaged in Torah learning enlist for military service, while reaffirming that he never intended to dismantle the Torah world through draft legislation.

Speaking in a lengthy interview with Kikar HaShabbat’s Yishai Cohen amid renewed political turmoil surrounding the draft law crisis and the expected dissolution of the Knesset, Edelstein addressed the security situation, coalition tensions, the possibility of forming a new political party, and the future of efforts to regulate the status of yeshiva students.

Edelstein, who was removed from his position as chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee over disagreements surrounding the draft law, said the debate has become increasingly polarized heading into new elections.

“At this point in the election campaign, things will swing between ‘there is no need for any draft law at all’ and ‘strip voting rights and grant zero exemptions,’” Edelstein said. “But precisely if there is a government without chareidi parties and it becomes possible to pass any law you want, as long as they listen to me I will oppose all this populism. It may be good for election campaigns, but not beyond that.”

Edelstein emphasized that his goal has always been to advance what he described as a realistic and enforceable draft law rather than political slogans.

“What interests me is a real draft law, and that is exactly how I behaved,” he said. “I had no doubt that parts of the opposition only wanted to bring down the government no matter what.”

He also revealed that two opposition lawmakers privately promised to support him if he succeeded in bringing forward what they considered a serious proposal.

“I’ll reveal something that was never published: there were two righteous people in the opposition who wrote to me, ‘Yuli, if you bring a real law — we’ll go with you and support you.’ At least there were good intentions from those two people. As for everyone else, I have no doubt they would have voted to bring everything down.”

Addressing the core issue of exemptions for Torah learners, Edelstein made clear that he supports a framework that would still allow at least some yeshiva students to continue learning full-time without military service.

“Of course,” he said when asked whether he supports exemptions for a number of Torah learners. “I said this every time. I say it unequivocally. Rabbonim spoke with me privately. I never came with the intention of destroying the Torah world. If all those who are not learning enlist, it could be that the IDF itself will say that this already satisfies its needs.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Edelstein described the security situation in northern Israel as “horrific” and suggested Israel may ultimately have no choice but to significantly expand military operations in Lebanon.

“It’s shocking. I was there recently — the situation is terrible,” he said. “Given the current reality, people there do not have many options. There are American interests involved. We are certainly supported by the current administration, but that does not mean everything we want happens. I think there will ultimately be no choice but to expand operations in Lebanon.”

Discussing the growing drone threat facing Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, Edelstein said Israel should have prepared more effectively.

“The issue of drone threats came up many times in discussions with us,” he said. “There were ways to prepare somewhat better. It’s not that there is some magic solution now — there isn’t. We should have been more prepared. I proposed things, but the proposals were not accepted because of a combination of unwillingness from the political echelon and a bit of arrogance from relevant systems in the IDF.”

Edelstein also expressed concern about the emerging understandings between Washington and Tehran regarding Iran.

“This is neither a complete victory nor a complete failure,” he said. “On one hand there are incredible achievements and the whole world is looking at it with admiration. But on the other hand, the political leadership has still not succeeded in translating this into any strategic achievement.”

“If things end the way they are currently being discussed — with a ballistic missile threat, continuation of the nuclear program, and support for organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas — then we are facing a major challenge. The war pushed them backward, but we too will have to return to the competition of rebuilding strength.”

Turning to Israeli politics, Edelstein acknowledged deep disappointment with fellow members of the Likud party and hinted at ongoing discussions regarding a possible new political framework.

“I still don’t know what will happen in Likud,” he said. “I won’t tell you I’m not disappointed by the behavior patterns of my colleagues in the faction — friends who, aside from one or two, did not have the courage to speak about the draft law, friends who all ran away from the sovereignty vote.”

“No decision has been made yet. There are discussions. Everyone is talking to everyone. People understand there is a need. There are tens if not hundreds of thousands of votes that are currently politically orphaned. Every pollster says so. There is a real need here, and if it proves viable, it will likely happen.”

At the same time, Edelstein insisted he has no intention of joining camps defined solely by support for or opposition to Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu.

“I am not going to join parties of ‘only Bibi’ or ‘only not Bibi.’ That is not what the country needs. The people will decide who receives the mandate.”

Looking ahead to the next coalition negotiations, Edelstein said his goal would be to prevent either political bloc from governing with a narrow majority.

“We will do everything possible to prevent a government of 61 seats for either side,” he declared. “We will make every effort to connect parties from both camps. Life is more interesting than just ‘yes Bibi’ or ‘no Bibi.’”

{Matzav.com}