Powerball players in Missouri and Texas won the estimated $1.8 billion jackpot on Saturday, overcoming astronomical odds to end the lottery game’s three-month drought without a big winner. The winning numbers were 11, 23, 44, 61, and 62, with the Powerball number being 17. The winning ticket in Texas was sold at a gas station-convenience store in Fredericksburg, according to the Texas Lottery. The prize, which was the second-largest U.S. lottery jackpot in history, followed 41 consecutive drawings in which no one matched all six numbers. The last drawing with a jackpot winner happened May 31. Powerball’s terrible odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes growing as they roll over when no one wins. Lottery officials note that the odds are far better for the game’s many smaller prizes. There are three drawings each week. The estimated $1.8 billion jackpot would go to 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 Saturday night’s drawing would be an estimated $826.4 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)
Russia hit Ukraine’s capital with drone and missiles Sunday in the largest aerial attack on the country since the war began, killing at least two people and leaving smoke rising from the roof of a key government building. Russia attacked Ukraine with 810 drones and decoys, Ukraine’s Air Force said. Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Air Force, confirmed to The Associated Press that Sunday’s attack was the largest Russian drone strike since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Russia also launched 13 missiles of various types. Ukraine shot down and neutralized 747 drones and 4 missiles, according to a statement from the Air Force. Hits from nine missiles and 54 drones were recorded at 33 locations across Ukraine, and the debris of shot down targets fell at eight locations, the Air Force said. Associated Press reporters saw a plume of smoke rising from the roof of Kyiv’s cabinet of ministers building, but it was not immediately clear if the smoke was the result of a direct hit or debris, which would mark an escalation in Russia’s air campaign, which has so far spared government buildings in the city center. The building is the home of Ukraine’s Cabinet, housing the offices of its ministers. Police blocked access to the building as fire trucks and ambulances arrived. Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said two people were killed and 20 were injured in the attack. “For the first time, the government building was damaged by an enemy attack, including the roof and upper floors,” said Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. “We will restore the buildings, but lost lives cannot be returned.” “The world must respond to this destruction not only with words, but with actions. There is a need to strengthen sanctions pressure — primarily against Russian oil and gas,” she said. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed her sentiment in an online statement. “Such killings now, when real diplomacy could have started long ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war,” he said. He called for sanctions on Russia and for strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses. “Every additional (air defense) system saves civilians from these vile strikes. The world can force the Kremlin criminals to stop killing; only political will is needed,” Zelenskyy said. The two people killed were a mother and her 3-month-old child, whose bodies were dug out of the rubble by rescuers, said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s city administration. Initially Tkachenko said the child was 1 year old. At least 10 locations in Kyiv were damaged in the attack, he added. Russian drones struck a nine-story residential building in Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district and a four-story residential building in Darnytskyi district, according to Klitschko. Tkachenko said these were direct hits. The Russian military said Sunday that it used aviation, drones, missiles and artillery to strike military-industrial targets in Ukraine, including drone assembly and storage sites, military airfields, two air defense radar stations and troop positions. Sunday’s attack is the second mass Russian drone and missile attack to target Kyiv in the span of two weeks, as hopes for peace talks wane. The attack comes after European leaders pressed Russian leader Vladimir Putin to work to end the war after 26 of Ukraine’s allies pledged to deploy troops as a “reassurance force” for the war-torn country once the […]
LEAVING ABRAHAM ACCORDS? Saudi Arabia has quietly given the United Arab Emirates a green light to pull back from its normalization deal with Israel if Jerusalem moves ahead with annexation in the West Bank, according to a report by Israel’s Kan news outlet. The development, cited by a source close to the Saudi royal family, comes after a closed-door meeting last week in Riyadh between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has refused an “invite” by Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks in Moscow, instead telling Putin he should come to Kyiv.
CENTCOM Commander Adm. Charles Cooper visited Israel this week, meeting with Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to discuss ongoing U.S.-Israel military cooperation against regional threats like the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Iran.
Republican Rep. Carlos A. Giménez, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the F-35s deployed to Puerto Rico are the same aircraft that carried out U.S. Air Force strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June.
The latest National Defense Strategy draft, reportedly submitted to War Secretary Pete Hegseth, signals a shift from preparing for full-scale conflicts with China and Russia to focusing on domestic and regional missions in the Americas.
The U.S. Navy has assembled a “small armada” in the Caribbean, including three guided missile destroyers, a cruiser, an attack submarine, and three amphibious ships carrying up to 2,000 marines, to counter cartels operating from Venezuela.
An Israeli drone fired on a truck in the southern Lebanese town of Maaliyeh just before midnight. Videos shared online show what appears to be a dump truck engulfed in flames in the town, which is southeast of Tyre.
The results of the 2025 World Zionist Congress elections were officially certified this week, confirming a dramatic shift in representation: for the first time, frum and right-wing slates together hold a majority in the American delegation. The certification followed months of disputes over voting irregularities, including fraudulent ballots, that were ultimately resolved by the American Zionist Movement’s election tribunal and the Zionist Supreme Court in Jerusalem. According to the American Zionist Movement, which oversees the U.S. elections, a record-breaking 224,969 valid votes were cast—nearly double the turnout of 2020 and the highest in history. Twenty-two slates competed for 155 American seats, which make up almost one-third of the body’s elected membership. Delegates from across the world will join representatives from Israel at the 39th World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem, scheduled for October 28–30. The World Zionist Congress, founded by Theodor Herzl in 1897, determines the allocation of over $1 billion annually through the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael (JNF-KKL), and Keren Hayesod. Decisions made at the congress affect Jewish education, settlement initiatives, and the character of Jewish communal life in Israel and the Diaspora. This year’s results highlight the growing presence of the Orthodox community within the WZO’s political framework. Am Yisrael Chai captured 21 seats, while Eretz HaKodesh secured 19. Combined with the Orthodox Israel Coalition–Mizrachi, which won 18 seats, the religious bloc now holds significant influence, an outcome unthinkable just a decade ago. Other religious and right-wing groups also gained ground, while some centrist and progressive factions lost strength. The Reform movement’s “Vote Reform” slate remained the largest single faction, winning 33 seats, though fewer than the 39 it held in the last congress. The Conservative movement’s Mercaz USA gained modestly to 19 seats, while progressive lists such as Hatikvah dropped sharply. The elections were not without controversy. Shas was initially disqualified over ballot issues but was later reinstated with two seats. Achdut Israel, another slate, was disqualified completely after investigators found evidence of fraudulent registrations. Smaller groups also managed to carve out a presence. Aish Ha’am, linked to Aish HaTorah, secured five seats, while newcomers like Kol Israel, Vision, and the Israeli American Council each won four. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Is pain hijacking your Yom Tov joy?You’re not alone. Many struggle with how chronic pain casts a shadow over special times, keeping them from being fully present and enjoying joyful yom tov time with family. But this time, it doesn’t have to be that way.Discover a revolutionary mind-body approach that has already helped hundreds find lasting relief. Learn how to walk into Yom Tov – and every day – feeling calm, present, and pain-free. Introducing: The Science Behind Sarno – Free Workshop!Join certified Sarno coach Miriam Brieger for an eye-opening workshop Discover the underlying theory of how and why Sarno works. Learn which symptoms the Sarno method can alleviate. Understand why perhaps Sarno has not gotten you complete & lasting results previously. Master one concrete step during the wrokshop towards a symptom free and calmer you. Workshop Details: Presenter: Miriam Brieger, Certified in Mindbody/Sarno & Somatic Healing. Dates & Times: Motzei Shabbos, September 6 – 9:45 PM EST LAST CHANCE TOMORROW – Sunday, September 7 – 12:00 PM EST Location: Online. Join via Zoom or phone. (Once you register you will get the info to join.) Spots are Limited – Register Today! Don’t let pain/itching/indigestion hijack your life any longer! This free workshop is your first step towards a Yom Tov & future filled with joy, presence, and freedom I”YH. Click here to register now! Take control. Reclaim your Yom Tov. Reclaim your life. Can’t make it live? Register and you will receive the recording to your inbox. But live attendees get an exclusive $100 coupon code for the full Women’s course, or $50 off the Men’s or Teen Girls course!
French President Emmanuel Macron’s effort to convene a high-profile meeting with American Jewish leaders during the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York has collapsed, with groups rejecting the invitation and citing deep discontent over France’s policies toward Israel and antisemitism. The meeting, first reported by i24NEWS, was set to take place on the eve of the General Assembly—coinciding with Rosh Hashanah. Officially, the cancellation was attributed to the schedule. But sources directly involved in the discussions said the real reason was strong opposition within the Jewish community to Macron’s outreach. “I think most organizations wouldn’t have participated at all,” one source said. Major groups reportedly considered for the gathering included AIPAC, the Anti-Defamation League, and the American Jewish Committee. The source added bluntly: “The guy has 15% popularity in France. It’s not our job to save him.” According to insiders, Jewish leaders were prepared to confront Macron over multiple grievances: France’s announced plan to formally recognize a Palestinian state in September; Paris’s weak response to rising antisemitism at home; and the French president’s positioning on Israel more broadly. “A photo-op with the French President would have allowed him to say, ‘Look, I met with American Jewish leaders,’ regardless of the meeting’s content,” the source said, adding that if the session had gone forward it would have been “highly contentious.” In the end, enough groups signaled they would refuse to attend that the initiative collapsed. “Even without a formal decision, enough pressure was applied to reach a broad consensus to decline the invitation,” one source explained. “Rosh Hashanah gave us the perfect excuse. G-d saves us every time.” The setback comes as Macron faces mounting criticism from Israel over his diplomatic moves. According to i24NEWS, the French president had also explored visiting Israel ahead of the General Assembly but was told by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office that the timing was not appropriate. Israeli officials are also reportedly weighing new measures against France, including the possible closure of the French Consulate in Jerusalem, which primarily serves Palestinians in Yehuda and the Shomron. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Jewish teachers are demanding action after a full-sized Palestinian flag has hung for months in the hallway of a Brooklyn high school — with repeated complaints to city education officials going unanswered, the NY Post reported. The banner has been on display at Leaders High School in Gravesend, part of the Lafayette Educational Complex, since at least April, according to Moshe Spern, president of the 250-member United Jewish Teachers group. “It’s a blatant political statement, and it has no place in a public school,” Spern told The Post. “For five months, this flag has been a constant, political presence in this school’s hallways, and it’s impossible to ignore the message it’s sending to the school’s staff and children.” Spern said he first gave the benefit of the doubt, assuming the display might be tied to a cultural observance. But after the flag remained long after the school year ended, he formally contacted Principal Thomas Mullen, citing Department of Education rules prohibiting political displays on school property. In emails shared with The Post, Spern wrote that Jewish staff, parents, and students were “very concerned” about the display and urged school leaders to restore neutrality. “The flag is clearly a political statement, and you’re making Jewish stakeholders really uncomfortable,” Spern wrote in a follow-up message after receiving no response. To date, neither Mullen nor the Department of Education has responded to the complaints. Mullen declined to comment when reached. “This is a matter of trust,” Spern said. “When we alerted school and district leadership to a clear violation of political neutrality regulations, they chose to ignore us. That’s simply unacceptable. They had every chance to correct this before students even walked through the door for the new school year, but they left it up. How can we trust that similar violations in other schools are not going unchecked?” Spern called on both the DOE and the United Federation of Teachers to step in. “Every stakeholder has the right to attend a school without feeling intimidated or scared,” he said. The DOE has yet to issue a statement on the controversy. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Saudi Arabia has quietly given the United Arab Emirates a green light to pull back from its normalization deal with Israel if Jerusalem moves ahead with annexation in the West Bank, according to a report by Israel’s Kan news outlet. The development, cited by a source close to the Saudi royal family, comes after a closed-door meeting last week in Riyadh between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed. The official Saudi Press Agency acknowledged the meeting, saying the leaders discussed “the latest developments in Palestine,” though it made no mention of annexation. Kan quoted the source as saying both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi agreed that rolling back participation in the Abraham Accords would be a “realistic” response to Israeli annexation moves. The source added that such a step would also bring ongoing Saudi-Israeli normalization talks to a standstill. The warning underscores the fragility of the Abraham Accords, signed in 2020 when the UAE normalized ties with Israel in return for then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shelving annexation plans. That breakthrough was widely believed to have Saudi Arabia’s tacit blessing. In recent weeks, Abu Dhabi has issued a series of increasingly sharp warnings to Israel against renewed annexation efforts. These included an on-the-record interview with The Times of Israel, an official UAE government statement, and private messages relayed through backchannels. The Washington Post reported that the warnings were serious enough to push Netanyahu’s government to remove annexation from the agenda of a scheduled cabinet meeting Thursday night. The Saudi intervention comes as Riyadh has ramped up its criticism of Israel over the war in Gaza. Earlier, the kingdom accused Israel of “genocide” against Palestinians in a strongly worded statement. While that communiqué did not reference annexation, Kan’s reporting suggests the issue is very much at the center of high-level Saudi-Emirati coordination. Any Emirati withdrawal from the Abraham Accords would mark the first unraveling of the landmark U.S.-brokered agreements and could trigger a wider diplomatic crisis across the region. For Netanyahu, already under intense domestic and international pressure, the warning from Riyadh and Abu Dhabi presents yet another red line he is now forced to navigate. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
President Trump on the Department of War: “We won World War I, World War II, everything in between, and everything in front of it. It was called Department of War — and then we went WOKE.”
