The Shas party on Wednesday announced its intention to support a bill to dissolve the Knesset in the wake of the severe crisis regarding the Chareidi draft law. Since the UTJ party has already announced its intention to take measures to dissolve the Knesset, the Shas party’s decision is a significant threat that could leave the coalition without a majority and lead to the collapse of the government and early elections. During the party meeting, it was revealed that Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, is seeking to add new and stricter sanctions to the law – measures that were not coordinated in advance with the Chareidi representatives and even include reversals of clauses that had already been agreed upon in the past. According to sources who were present at the meeting, the atmosphere was particularly tense. “There was a feeling of betrayal,” one of the participants said. “It seems that Edelstein chose to harden his positions precisely now – and we cannot remain silent about it.” Edelstein’s move came after weeks of frantic discussions in an attempt to reach an agreed-upon version of the draft law. However, in recent days, according to Shas and sources in UTJ, Edelstein has retreated from the agreements and presented a series of new demands – including personal sanctions against bnei yeshivos. In light of the crisis, it was unanimously decided at the party meeting: If there is no breakthrough by next Wednesday, when a bill will be brought by opposition parties to dissolve the Knesset, Shas will vote in favor of the measure. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
South Korea’s new President Lee Jae-myung vowed Wednesday to restart dormant talks with North Korea and bolster a trilateral partnership with the U.S. and Japan, as he laid out key policy goals for his single, five-year term. Lee, who rose from childhood poverty to become South Korea’s leading liberal politician vowing to fight inequality and corruption, began his term earlier Wednesday, hours after winning a snap election that was triggered in April by the removal of then-President Yoon Suk Yeol over his ill-fated imposition of martial law late last year. In his inaugural address at the National Assembly, Lee said that his government will deal with North Korean nuclear threats and its potential military aggressions with “strong deterrence” based on the South Korea-U.S. military alliance. But he said he would “open a communication channel with North Korea and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula through talks and cooperation.” He said he’ll pursue pragmatic diplomacy with neighboring countries and boost trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo cooperation. “Through pragmatic diplomacy based on national interests, we will turn the crisis posed by the major shift in global economic and security landscapes into an opportunity to maximize our national interests,” Lee said. Security and economic challenges lie ahead It was unclear whether Lee’s election would cause any major, immediate shift in South Korea’s foreign policy. Lee, previously accused by critics of tilting toward China and North Korea and away from the U.S. and Japan, has recently repeatedly stressed South Korea’s alliance with the U.S. as the foundation of its foreign policy and avoided any contentious remarks that would raise questions on his views on the U.S. and Japan. “We’ll have to now see if the pressures of office will cause Lee Jae-myung to govern from the center — at least when it comes to matters of national security and the alliance with the United States,” said Ankit Panda, an expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “It’s hard to predict with absolute certainty how he will deal with the U.S., North Korea, Japan and China because he’s changed his position so much,” said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Washington-based Center for a New American Security. “We can expect tensions if his government doesn’t align with Washington’s approach to China and Japan.” The toughest external challenges awaiting Lee are U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policy and North Korea’s expanding military partnerships with Russia. But experts earlier said whoever becomes president can’t do much to secure major progress in South Korea’s favor on those issues. US, Japan and China react The U.S. and Japan said they congratulated Lee’s election and expressed their commitments to developing three-way cooperation. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he wants to hold summit talks with Lee “as early as possible,” saying he hopes to further promote bilateral ties, both public and commercial. The U.S. State Department said that Seoul and Washington share “an ironclad commitment” to the alliance. Chinese President Xi Jinping also sent a congratulatory message to Lee, saying that Beijing is willing to work with Seoul to advance their cooperative partnership for the benefit of the countries’ peoples, according to state broadcaster CCTV. It’s unclear how North Korea would react to Lee’s speech, as it has shunned any talks with South Korea and the U.S. since 2019. North Korea in recent years has supplied weapons and troops to […]
More than 20,000 residents were being evacuated from part of Cologne’s city center on Wednesday as specialists prepared to defuse three unexploded U.S. bombs from World War II that were unearthed earlier this week. Even 80 years after the end of the war, unexploded bombs dropped during wartime air raids are frequently found in Germany. Disposing of them sometimes entails large-scale precautionary evacuations such as the one on Wednesday, though the location this time was unusually prominent and this is Cologne’s biggest evacuation since 1945. There have been bigger evacuations in other cities. Authorities on Wednesday morning started evacuating about 20,500 residents from an area within a 1,000-meter (3,280-foot) radius of the bombs, which were discovered on Monday during preparatory work for road construction. They were found in the Deutz district, just across the Rhine River from Cologne’s historic center. As well as homes, the area includes 58 hotels, nine schools, several museums and office buildings and the Messe/Deutz train station. It also includes three bridges across the Rhine — among them the heavily used Hohenzollern railway bridge, which leads into Cologne’s central station and is being shut during the defusal work itself. Shipping on the Rhine will also be suspended. The plan is for the bombs to be defused during the course of the day. When exactly that happens depends on how long it takes for authorities to be sure that everyone is out of the evacuation zone. (AP)
BREAKING: Fed Chair Jerome Powell announces interest rates will remain unchanged. “In support of our goals, today the Federal Open Market Committee decided to leave our policy interest rate unchanged.”
A hungry wild elephant caused havoc in a grocery store in Thailand on Monday when he strolled in from a nearby national park and helped himself to food on the shelves. Videos of the incident showed the huge male elephant, known as Plai Biang Lek, briefly stopping in front of the shop, located next to a main road near the Khao Yai National Park in northeastern Thailand, before ducking his whole body inside. The elephant stopped in front of the shop’s counter, calmly snatching and chomping snacks, and did not flinch as the national park workers tried to shoo him away. The elephant later backed out of the shop still holding a bag of snacks with his trunk. He left little damage behind, except mud tracks on the floor and the ceiling of the shop. In a video posted on social media, Kamploy Kakaew, the shop owner, appeared amused as she described the moment the elephant rifled her shop. She said he ate about nine bags of sweet rice crackers, a sandwich and some dried bananas she had bought that morning. Kamploy said the elephant left without hurting anyone after getting his snacks. Danai Sookkanthachat, a volunteer park worker familiar with the elephant, said Plai Biang Lek, who is about 30 years old, is a familiar sight in the area and has been known to enter people’s houses in search of food. This was the first time he had seen him going into a grocery store. “After he left the shop, he went on to open a bedroom window of another house,” he told The Associated Press. Danai said wild elephants in the Khao Yai National Park area have been coming out of the woods to ransack people’s kitchens for many years, but this year he has started seeing them going into more random places to find food. There were an estimated 4,000 wild elephants in Thailand in 2024, according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. As farmers push into forests for agriculture, elephants have been forced to venture out of their shrinking habitats in search of food, leading to confrontations that can turn deadly. (AP)
New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Rep. Josh Gottheimer calls for boosted funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which provides security grants to Jewish shuls and other institutions.
Speaker Mike Johnson on recent antisemitic attacks: “It isn’t about Palestine, it isn’t about Gaza, it isn’t about any particular conflict. It’s because these people want a complete and total extermination of the Jewish people.”
Biden-era White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is coming out with a book in which she announces she is leaving the Democratic Party, having become “disillusioned” with their politics.
A hungry elephant caused havoc in a grocery store in Thailand, when he strolled in from a nearby park and helped himself to the produce on the shelves on Monday.
Agudah activist and Assemblyman Avi Schnall provides an update on efforts to secure a historic national tax credit program for Jewish and other private schools.
Sec. Duffy on re-opening Newark’s runway ahead of schedule: “The Port Authority worked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get it online faster than we anticipated… It’s amazing when everyone cares and engages together and business CEOs help us out how fast things can get done.”
A New York man with ties to Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades is at the center of a shocking federal indictment that paints a picture of violent antisemitism, terrorist sympathies, and repeated assaults during anti-Israel protests in Manhattan — including on the campus of Columbia University. Tarek Bazrouk, 20, currently in federal custody, is accused of unleashing a string of hate-fueled attacks on Jewish individuals while maintaining active support for Hamas and Hezbollah through encrypted chat groups and social media propaganda. He now faces three federal hate crime charges that could carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. According to federal court filings, Bazrouk was a member of a private chat group that received real-time updates from Abu Obeida, the official spokesman of Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades. Bazrouk’s cellphone was reportedly “littered” with extremist content praising terrorists and included imagery of Yahya Sinwar, mastermind of the Oct. 7 massacre, as well as Hamas and Hezbollah propaganda. Despite having no ties to Columbia University, Bazrouk was a regular presence on campus during the spring 2024 Gaza war protests. Prosecutors say he wore the green headband associated with Hamas and sent messages boasting about lighting flares and expressing a desire to set a Jewish student on fire. “Too many people around,” he wrote, “otherwise I would’ve hurted them.” Federal agents allege Bazrouk’s violent tendencies weren’t just talk. On April 15, 2024 — the same month Columbia students seized a campus building in a widely condemned protest — Bazrouk allegedly assaulted three Jewish individuals near the New York Stock Exchange. One of the victims, a college student carrying an Israeli flag, was kicked in the stomach while Bazrouk was being restrained by police. Later, in a message to a friend, Bazrouk wrote that if he “ever see(s) a Jew,” he’s going to “boom boom them.” In December, prosecutors say Bazrouk sucker-punched Jewish Columbia student Jonathan Lederer in the face after stealing his brother’s Israeli flag. In January, he allegedly assaulted another pro-Israel demonstrator near Union Square, this time with a closed-fist punch while masked in a keffiyeh. During a raid on his family’s Manhattan home following his arrest, federal agents uncovered a disturbing arsenal: a replica firearm, spent shell casings, a switchblade, brass knuckles, four knives, and $750,000 in cash stored in a safe. Authorities say the funds may be connected to a Hartford, Connecticut smoke shop where Bazrouk was previously arrested for “operating a drug factory” and drug possession with intent to sell. Federal prosecutors have urged the court to deny bail, calling Bazrouk a clear danger to the community. In their filings, they cite his support for terror organizations, history of violent threats — including against a Jewish child at a local school — and access to weapons. They also point to his September–October 2024 trip to the West Bank and Jordan, questioning the true purpose of his overseas travel. Columbia University has sought to distance itself from Bazrouk, stating he “is not affiliated with our university in any way” and reaffirming its condemnation of antisemitism. But critics say the campus environment — where masked agitators and antisemitic slogans were allowed to fester for months — became fertile ground for hate. In Gaza, Hamas itself has bragged about the influence of its sympathizers on U.S. college campuses. Hostage Shlomi Ziv, recently freed […]
Early Voting Open Now Through June 8 | Primary Election Day: Tuesday, June 10 Poll Hours: Early Voting Now –Friday, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM | Sunday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Primary Day (Tuesday, June 10): 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM Find your polling location: vote4njgov.com The Crisis Facing Our Community For thousands of families across New Jersey, the cost of yeshiva tuition is no longer just a burden. It is a full-blown crisis. With annual tuition ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 per child, and often higher, families are being pushed to their financial limits. Many are going into debt just to keep their children in school. The system is broken, and year after year, nothing changes. Jack Ciattarelli: The Only Candidate With a Real Plan Jack Ciattarelli, the leading Republican candidate for Governor, recently endorsed by President Trump, is the only one who has made tuition relief a central issue in his campaign. “For many parents, tuition isn’t just expensive. It’s crushing,” Ciattarelli said. “I’ve heard it again and again in Lakewood, Toms River, Passaic, and Teaneck. Families are doing everything right and still falling deeper into debt. We need bold action, not more delays.” Ciattarelli has committed to implementing real solutions, modeled on what’s already working in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania so that New Jersey families can finally get the relief they deserve. Find your polling location: vote4njgov.com More Than Just Tuition Ciattarelli’s plan extends well beyond education: Fixing Route 9 and Upgrading Infrastructure in growing communities Cutting Taxes and Red Tape to help small businesses thrive Fighting Antisemitism with real protections for Jewish students and neighborhoods Voting Information: How and Where The Republican Primary is open to both Republicans and Independents. Early Voting is happening now through June 8 Wednesday–Friday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PMYou can vote at any early voting site in your county. Primary Day is Tuesday, June 10 Polls are open from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PMVote at your assigned local polling location. Find your early voting site or Primary Day polling place: vote4njgov.com Your Vote Matters—Now More Than Ever “If our community shows up in full force, we will decide the outcome,” said a senior campaign advisor. “But if we stay home, we leave our future in the hands of people who do not share our values.” This election isn’t about politics. It’s about our children, our schools, and our future! Find your early voting site or Primary Day polling place:vote4njgov.com
Chareidi recruitment talks have reached a deadlock, the Chareidi MKs are taking action to dissolve the Knesset, and the coalition places the blame on Yuli Edelstein, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. According to a senior source involved in the negotiations, Edelstein demanded a blanket denial of yeshiva budgets, even if only 94% of the target is achieved. “He pushed for a draconian version that does not exist against any other sector in the country,” the source said, adding that the demands “violate basic civil rights of the Chareidi public—even if they fulfill their part.” Among the sanctions Edelstein demanded were the following for yeshivah bochurim and avreichim up to the age of 29. Currently, the exemption age is 26, but Edelstein wants to raise it to age 29. “Except for denying the right to vote—he included everything,” the source said. The complete list, as reported by Kikar H’Shabbat: Denial of property tax discounts Denial of tax credit points for working women Denial of housing discounts Denial of discounts on public transportation Denial of tax exemption on purchase of first apartment Revocation of academic studies subsidies Revocation of drivers’ licenses Ban on leaving the country Denial of daycare subsidies Risk of permanent arrest A senior Chareidi source exposed to the list of sanctions told Kikar HaShabbat, “According to what Edelstein and his team want, it turns out that a Bedouin in the Negev will have far more rights than a Jew who learns Torah and sustains the world. This will not happen.” Edelstein wants the sanctions to be imposed against all lomdei Torah, even if they meet the targets. A senior source in Degel HaTorah told Kikar, “This morning he started issuing different briefings, but in a meeting last night he told us that every ben yeshivah up to the age of 29 will be subject to the sanctions, even if they meet the unrealistic targets he set.” As part of the negotiations, a mechanism was proposed in which if 90% of the quota was met, the yeshiva budgets would be reduced by 20%; if 80%, a reduction of 40%, and so on. However, Edelstein insisted: if 95% is not achieved, the entire budget should be denied. “This is an all-or-nothing approach,” the source explained. “94% means the recruitment of about 10,000 Chareidim within two years—an unprecedented achievement. And yet, Edelstein demanded full punishment. There is no incentive to meet the targets if even success is considered a failure.” The source concluded with a sense of disappointment: “The Chareidim have internalized the need for change. But extreme demands, which are disconnected from reality, push even the moderate ones into a corner. If we did not succeed in passing the law during a time of existential war, we probably never will.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Vietnam has abolished its long-standing two-child limit on Tuesday to try and reverse declining birth rates and ease the pressures of an aging population. The National Assembly passed amendments scrapping rules that limit families to having one or two children, state media Vietnam News Agency reported on Wednesday. Vietnamese families are having fewer children than ever before. The birth rate in 2021 was 2.11 children per woman, just over the replacement rate required for a population to avoid shrinking over the long term. Since then, the birth rate has steadily declined: to 2.01 in 2022, 1.96 in 2023 and 1.91 in 2024. Vietnam isn’t the only Asian country with low fertility. But, unlike Japan, South Korea or Singapore, it is still a developing economy. Nguyen Thu Linh, 37, a marketing manager in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, said that she and her husband decided to have only one child because she and her husband wanted to ensure that they could give their 6-year-old son the best education and upbringing that they could afford. “Sometimes, I think about having another child so my son can have a sibling, but there’s so much financial and time pressure if you have another child.” Vietnam introduced rules blocking families from having more than two children in 1988, with the idea that women would spend less time on childcare and more time working. Vietnam’s “golden population” period — when working age people outnumber those who depend on them — began in 2007 and is expected to last until 2039. The number of people who can work is likely to peak in 2042 and, by 2054, the population may start shrinking. All of this could make it harder to grow the economy, since there will be fewer workers while the cost of supporting the needs of the elderly grows. Birth rates in Vietnam aren’t falling evenly. In Ho Chi Minh City — the country’s biggest city and economic hub — the fertility rate in 2024 was just 1.39 children per woman, much lower than the national average. At the same time, nearly 12% of the city’s population was over 60, putting pressure on welfare services. To help, local officials started offering about $120 to women who have two children before turning 35 last December. Vietnam is also dealing with a unbalanced gender ratio, partly because due long-standing preferences for sons. Doctors aren’t allowed to tell parents the baby’s sex before birth, and sex-selective abortions are banned. On Tuesday, the health ministry proposed tripling the fine for choosing a baby’s sex before birth to $3,800, state media reported. China imposed a one-child policy in 1979 amid worries about overpopulation. But as the country faces growing concerns about the long-term economic and societal challenges of an aging population, it has been slowly easing the policy to allow a second child and then a third child in 2021, but with little success at boosting birthrates. (AP)
