The IDF announced it eliminated Hezbollah operative Al-Munim Musa Sweidan in Yater, southern Lebanon, where he served as the group’s local representative and managed its financial and military ties with village residents.
Iran further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels before Israel launched its military attack on June 13, a confidential report by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog seen by The Associated Press said Wednesday. The report also said that Iran and the IAEA have not reached an agreement on resuming inspections of sites affected by Israeli and U.S. bombing in June. The director general of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, said that “technical modalities to enable the full resumption of Agency inspection should be concluded without delay,” the report stated. The report by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency said that as of June 13, Iran had 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60%, an increase of 32.3 kilograms since the IAEA’s last report in May. The report stated that this figure is “based on the information provide by Iran, agency verification activities between 17 May 2025 and 12 June 2025 (the day preceding the start of the military attacks), and estimates based on the past operation of the relevant facilities.” That material is a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. The confidential report also stated that as of June 13, Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile was 9874.9 kilograms, which represents an increase of 627.3 kilograms since the last repot in May. The U.N. nuclear watchdog said that since June 13, it has “not been able to conduct the in-field activities required to collect and verify Iran’s declarations used to estimate the changes to the previously reported stockpile.” According to the IAEA, approximately 42 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium is theoretically enough to produce one atomic bomb, if enriched further to 90%. (AP)
President Donald Trump affirmed that the United States will keep a robust military presence in Poland as he had a warm meeting Wednesday with Karol Nawrocki, the new president of the American ally in Europe. Trump had taken the unusual step of endorsing Nawrocki in the Polish elections earlier this year, and as the leaders sat side by side in the White House, Trump said the U.S.-Polish relationship has always been strong but “now it’s better than ever.” When asked by a reporter whether the U.S. planned to continue placing troops in Poland, Trump said the U.S. would and that “we’ll put more there if they want.” “We’ll be staying in Poland. We’re very much aligned with Poland,” Trump said. The visit to Washington is Nawrocki’s first overseas trip since taking office last month. The former amateur boxer and historian, who was backed by the conservative Law and Justice party, was hoping to deepen his relationship with Trump at a fraught moment for Warsaw. Nawrocki thanked Trump for his support and in a nod to the bonds between their countries, gave a particular hello to the millions of Polish Americans in the U.S. “Those relations for me, for Poland, for Poles, are very important,” Nawrocki said. He added that those bonds are based on shared values of independence and democracy. Trump said he was proud to have endorsed Nawrocki and lauded him for winning his election. “It was a pretty tough race, pretty nasty race, and he beat them all. And he beat them all very easily, and now he’s become even more popular as they got to know him and know him better,” Trump said. Trump is increasingly frustrated by his inability to get Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sit down for direct talks aimed at ending the war between Poland’s neighbors. Trump last month met with Putin in Alaska and then with Zelenskyy and several European leaders at the White House. The Republican president emerged from those engagements confident that he would be able to quickly arrange direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy and perhaps three-way talks in which he would participate. But his optimism in hatching an agreement to end the war has dimmed as Putin has yet to signal an interest in sitting down with Zelenskyy. “Maybe they have to fight a little longer,” Trump said in an interview with the conservative Daily Caller published over the weekend. “You know, just keep fighting — stupidly, keep fighting.” There is also heightened anxiety in Poland, and across Europe, about Trump’s long-term commitment to a strong U.S. force posture on the continent — an essential deterrent to Russia. Some key advisers in his administration have advocated for shifting U.S. troops and military from Europe to the Indo-Pacific with China’s lock as the United States’ most significant strategic and economic competitor. Currently, there are about 8,200 American troops stationed in Poland, but the force level regularly fluctuates, according to the Pentagon. “The stakes are very high for President Nawrocki’s visit,” said Peter Doran, an analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. “Trump will have an opportunity to size up Poland’s new president, and Nawrocki also will have the chance to do the same. Failure in this meeting would mean a pullback of […]
The U.S. has sanctioned Chinese company Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Co., Ltd. and individuals Huang Xiaoqun and Huang Zhangpeng for producing and distributing illegal opioids and chemicals fueling the U.S. fentanyl crisis.
Senate Intel Chair Tom Cotton is calling on FBI Director Kash to investigate a Palestinian Youth Movement member who, at a pro-Hamas conference, reportedly encouraged disrupting the F-35 supply chain.
POTUS: “On the boat, you had massive amounts of drugs… they were hit. Obviously, they won’t be doing it again — and I think a lot of other people won’t be doing it again when they watch that tape… We have to protect our country, and we’re going to.”
POTUS: “I have no message to President Putin. He knows where I stand, and he’ll make a decision… we’ll either be happy about it or unhappy — and if we’re unhappy about it, you’ll see things happen.”
POTUS: “I put out a Truth last night… They were hoping I was watching — and I was watching… We helped China very much, as you know… I don’t believe that America, that the United States was acknowledged for helping China to gain its freedom.”
POTUS: “The flyover was very much in honor of your great pilot who just passed away recently — who was a legend in Poland.” Polish President: It was a horrific accident in Poland. Thank you for this gesture…
An estimated $1.4 billion lottery jackpot will be up for grabs Wednesday night thanks to dozens of drawings without a big winner. The massive Powerball prize is the sixth-largest U.S. lottery jackpot. It’s a result of 40 consecutive drawings stretching over the summer without anyone matching all of the game’s six numbers. No one has won the grand prize since May 31, and the 41st drawing on Wednesday will be just one fewer than the record set last year. All of that losing stems from Powerball’s abysmal odds of 1 in 292.2 million, though lottery officials note that the odds are far better for the game’s many smaller prizes. There are three drawings each week. The $1.4 billion jackpot is for a winner who opts to receive 30 payments over 29 years through an annuity. Winners almost always choose the game’s cash option, which for this drawing would be an estimated $634.3 million. Powerball tickets cost $2, and the game is offered in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (AP)
President Trump led a striking military flyover at the White House for Poland’s new President Karol Nawrocki, paying tribute to a Polish fighter pilot and highlighting the close U.S.-Poland relationship.
Governor Ron DeSantis has announced the formation of the FLORIDA MAHA COMMISSION, aimed at implementing the health and medical freedom policies promoted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Florida.
Scientists revealed Wednesday that Mars’ innermost core appears to be a solid hunk of metal just like Earth’s. The Chinese-led research team based their findings on seismic readings from NASA’s InSight lander on Mars, which recorded more than 1,300 marsquakes before shutting down in 2022. The spacecraft landed on a broad plain near Mars’ equator in 2018. Previous studies pointed to liquid at the heart of the red planet. The latest findings indicate the inner core, while small, is indeed solid and surrounded by molten metal — a liquid outer core. The Martian inner core extends from the planet’s center out to a radius of approximately 380 miles (613 kilometers), according to the scientists whose findings appeared in the journal Nature. It’s likely composed of iron and nickel, the same ingredients as Earth’s core, but quite possibly also enriched with lighter elements like oxygen. Mars’ liquid outer core is bigger, stretching from 380 miles (613 kilometers) to as much as 1,100 miles (1,800 kilometers) from the planet’s center. Crystallization of Mars’ inner core may have occurred in the past and still be occurring today, one of the lead investigators, Daoyuan Sun of the University of Science and Technology of China, said in an email. Mars’ core initially would have been entirely liquid. It’s unclear whether the liquid outer core contains any solid material like droplets or whether there might be “a mushy zone” near the boundary between the inner and outer cores, he added. For their study, Sun and his team relied primarily on 23 marsquakes recorded by InSight, all of them relatively weak. The epicenters were 740 miles to 1,465 miles (1,200 kilometers to 2,360 kilometers) away from the lander. “Our results suggest that Mars has a solid inner core making up about one-fifth of the planet’s radius — roughly the same proportion as Earth’s inner core. However, this similarity may be just coincidental,” Sun said. While praising the results, the University of Maryland’s Nicholas Schmerr, who was not involved in the study, said questions regarding Mars’ core are far from settled. With InSight out of action, there will be no new recordings of marsquakes to further reveal the red planet’s insides, he noted. “There are a lot of details about the exact shape of the inner core and composition of the inner and outer core of Mars that will require a network of InSight like seismometer stations to resolve,” Schmerr said in an email. More detailed modeling is necessary to develop a clearer picture of how the inner core formed and “what it reveals about the history of Mars’ magnetic field,” said Sun. At present, Mars lacks a magnetic field, possibly because of the slow crystallization of the planet’s solid core, Schmerr added. (AP)
The “Perlina–Or Avner” Jewish school in Kyiv opened its doors this week to a new class of first graders for the 26th year in a row — despite the ongoing war and even a Russian drone strike that fell near the school building during the conflict. The school, founded and directed by Rabbi Yonason and Rebbetzin Elka Ina Markovitch, has remained open throughout the Russian invasion, serving as both an educational and spiritual refuge for Jewish children in Ukraine’s capital. Since the war broke out in February 2022, classes have continued under constant missile threats, air raid sirens, and blackouts. Many of the school’s students come from families directly impacted by the fighting. Some children have parents currently serving in the Ukrainian army; others are themselves refugees from cities in eastern Ukraine now under Russian occupation. For these children, the school is not only a place of learning but also a true home, providing warmth, stability, and Yiddishkeit during times of fear and uncertainty. The impact of the school reaches well beyond its classrooms. Graduates of “Perlina–Or Avner” are today serving in both the Ukrainian military and the IDF. Despite the immense challenges, the administration has refused to allow the war to halt Jewish chinuch. When a Russian drone strike damaged parts of the area near the school, the trauma and danger were real. Yet the decision was made to push forward, to continue teaching Torah and strengthening Jewish life in Kyiv. “The continuation of educational activities at our school is an expression of the Jewish spirit, which does not surrender even under the most difficult conditions,” said Rabbi Markovitch, Chief Rabbi of Kyiv, at the opening of the new school year. “Every child sitting in a classroom is a victory over darkness and evil. We continue to educate the next generation with the values of Torah and the mesorah of Klal Yisroel, even as missiles fall around us.” Rebbetzin Elka Ina Markovitch, who serves as the school’s principal, emphasized that the mission of the school extends far beyond textbooks. “We are building neshamas,” she said. “For children whose lives have been uprooted, the Jewish classroom becomes a place of hope and strength.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Shin Bet and IDF thwarted a Hamas plot to assassinate National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Shin Bet revealed on Wednesday. The terror suspects, who were being directed by Hamas terrorists in Turkey, planned on carrying out the assassination via explosive drones. The operation was carried out by the Shin Bet and IDF over the past few weeks in the Chevron area. Ben-Gvir stated, “I thank the acting head of the Shin Bet and its investigators and operatives, Israel Prison Service intelligence officers, the Magen unit personnel, IDF soldiers, Israel Police officers, and everyone acting to protect my life.” “I will not be deterred, and I won’t be afraid! Hamas has already tried to assassinate me five times, and they failed every time. “The terrorists should know: instead of them harming me, we will harm them, anywhere and anytime.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
A federal appeals court panel ruled Tuesday that President Donald Trump cannot use an 18th-century wartime law to speed the deportations of people his administration accuses of membership in a Venezuelan gang, blocking a signature administration push that is destined for a final showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court. A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, one of the most conservative federal appeals courts in the country, agreed with immigrant rights lawyers and lower court judges who argued the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 was not intended to be used against gangs like Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan group Trump targeted in his March invocation. Lee Gelernt, who argued the case for the ACLU, said Tuesday: “The Trump administration’s use of a wartime statute during peacetime to regulate immigration was rightly shut down by the court. This is a critically important decision reining in the administration’s view that it can simply declare an emergency without any oversight by the courts.” The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The administration deported people designated as Tren de Aragua members to a notorious prison in El Salvador where, it argued, U.S. courts could not order them freed. In a deal announced in July, more than 250 of the deported migrants returned to Venezuela. The Alien Enemies Act was only used three times before in U.S. history, all during declared wars — in the War of 1812 and the two World Wars. The Trump administration unsuccessfully argued that courts cannot second-guess the president’s determination that Tren de Aragua was connected to Venezuela’s government and represented a danger to the United States, meriting use of the act. In a 2-1 ruling, the judges said they granted the preliminary injunction sought by the plaintiffs because they “found no invasion or predatory incursion” in this case. The decision bars deportations from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. In the majority were U.S. Circuit Judges Leslie Southwick, a George W. Bush appointee, and Irma Carrillo Ramirez, a Joe Biden appointee. Andrew Oldham, a Trump appointee, dissented. The majority opinion said Trump’s allegations about Tren de Aragua do not meet the historical levels of national conflict that Congress intended for the act. “A country’s encouraging its residents and citizens to enter this country illegally is not the modern-day equivalent of sending an armed, organized force to occupy, to disrupt, or to otherwise harm the United States,” the judges wrote. In a lengthy dissent, Oldham complained his two colleagues were second-guessing Trump’s conduct of foreign affairs and national security, realms where courts usually give the president great deference. “The majority’s approach to this case is not only unprecedented—it is contrary to more than 200 years of precedent,” Oldham wrote. The panel did grant the Trump administration one legal victory, finding the procedures it uses to advise detainees under the Alien Enemies Act of their legal rights is appropriate. The ruling can be appealed to the full 5th Circuit or directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is likely to make the ultimate decision on the issue. Indeed, the ruling and dissent both seemed to acknowledge the judges were weighing in on issues destined to be settled only by the nation’s highest court, repeatedly noting the unprecedented nature of the case and […]
Virtual Judaica is proud to present another diverse auction of rare Jewish seforim, posters, photos, and manuscripts. In our 25 years of business, we have successfully auctioned over 50,000 items to thousands of satisfied clients. Begin your collection today with as little as $10 and own a piece of Jewish history. This auction has an item of Jewish history for every budget and all denominations of Judaism. Among the items are a large number of early Zionist materials from pre-State Israel, a rare sefer with the signature of the founder of the chasidic dynasty of Gur, a talmud volume from the synagogue of the Gaon of Vilna, rare Italian community posters, Cuban Judaica, a gold pin of the wife of R. Chaim Kanievsky, all year and holiday prayer books, a Tehillim signed by 7 chasidic rebbes, Jewish works in Italian, Ladino, Spanish, Latin, German, French, Dutch, and English. Books, Manuscripts, objects, poters, periodicals etc. PLACE YOUR BIDS EARLY!!! Auction Ends September 9th – BID NOW View our rare Judaica items in our online auctions by CLICKING HEREHaggadah, Kibbutz Be’eri, 1950 הגדה של פסח – קבוץ בארי – Haggadah – Non-traditional Letter by R. Hayyim Kanievsky, Bnai Berak 1990 כתב מה”ר חיים קניבסקי – Manuscript
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Denmark to meet with the leaders of the Nordic-Baltic Eight—Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden—today.
