The commander of Israel’s Air Force Squadron 107, identified as Lt. Col. A, has revealed details about the intense preparation and high-stakes execution of a massive air operation over Iran. Speaking after the mission, Lt. Col. A described how, toward the end of 2024, senior military leadership decided to take the fight directly to Iranian territory with a large-scale offensive. But only hours before the green light was issued did he fully grasp what lay ahead. “We’ve been preparing for missions over Iran for the past 30 years,” he explained. “This particular operation, though, we trained for over the past month.” In the final days before the attack, pilots sensed something significant was coming but did not know the details until Thursday morning, when Air Force Chief Tomer Bar gathered squadron commanders for an advanced briefing. The final go-ahead, however, came late that night. “There was a lot of tension,” Lt. Col. A recalled. “The technical teams prepared the aircraft and the bombs, while the flight crews reviewed the operational plans and the possible scenarios.” The crews also faced the sobering prospect of being shot down and captured. “Those are some of the risks,” Lt. Col. A acknowledged. The massive air assault began at 2:55 a.m. on June 13, with most of the Israeli Air Force participating. Carefully targeted strikes on Iranian air defenses and ballistic missile infrastructure left Tehran unable to mount an effective response for several hours. “We didn’t know if we could carry out our full mission undetected,” the squadron commander said. “We were pleasantly surprised that we could — thanks to the massive attack on the enemy’s vulnerabilities.” Following the ceasefire, the squadron has returned its focus to Gaza, where Lt. Col. A said the mission remains unchanged: “Destroying Hamas, returning the hostages, and ensuring the security of border-area communities.” He noted that even during the 12 days of combat over Iran, strikes continued against Hamas targets in Gaza, and assured that there is no shortage of munitions to finish the job. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Russian forces launched 363 Shahed and decoy drones as well as eight missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said Friday, claiming that air defenses stopped all but four of the drones and downed six cruise missiles. Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said 39 Ukrainian drones were downed in several regions overnight, including 19 over the Rostov region and 13 over the Volgograd region. Both regions lie east of Ukraine. Long-range drone strikes have been a hallmark of the war, now in its fourth year. The race by both sides to develop increasingly sophisticated and deadlier drones has turned the war into a testing ground for new weaponry. The Ukrainian air force said that 359 incoming drones were either intercepted or electronically jammed. Ukraine is employing new countermeasures against Russia’s escalation of combined missile and drone attacks, officials say. Instead of relying on ground-based mobile teams to shoot down Shaheds, Ukraine is deploying interceptor drones it has developed. The Ukrainian attack forced three Russian airports to briefly suspend flights, officials said. The authorities also briefly closed the Crimean Bridge overnight as drones targeted Crimea. Neither Russia nor Ukraine reported any major damage or casualties in the attacks. Russia manufactures Shahed drones based on an original Iranian model, churning out thousands of them at a plant in the Tatarstan region. It has upgraded the Shaheds with its own innovations, including bigger warheads. They are known as suicide drones because they nosedive into targets and explode on impact, like a missile. The incessant buzzing of the propeller-driven Shahed drones is unnerving for anyone under its flight path because no one on the ground knows exactly when or where the weapon will hit. Being outgunned and outnumbered in the war against its bigger neighbor, Ukraine also has developed its own cutting-edge drone technology, including long-range sea drones, and has trained thousands of drone pilots. Smaller, short-range drones are used by both sides on the battlefield and in areas close to the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Those drones, fitted with onboard cameras that give their operators a real-time view of possible targets, have also struck civilian areas. The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said in a report published Thursday that short-range drone attacks killed at least 395 civilians and injured 2,635 between the start of the war and last April. Almost 90% of the attacks were by the Russian armed forces, it reported. The strikes not only spread fear among civilians but also severely disrupt daily life by restricting movement and limiting access to food and medical services, the report said. (AP)
In the days following the end of Operation Rising Lion, reports are surfacing worldwide about a wave of arrests in Jewish kehillos in Iran on suspicion of collaborating with Israel. The information comes from an opposition organization reporting that Rabbanim, community leaders, and other Jews have been arrested in Tehran and Shiraz. In several reported cases, Jews who have resided in Iran for many years—sometimes multiple members of the same family—have been taken into custody and their cell phones and laptops were confiscated on suspicion of cooperating with or supporting Israeli elements. Relatives of a number of families inside Iran have lost contact with their loved ones. One source said that the women have been released, but the men, including Rabbanim, remain in custody. The number of Jews in detention is unclear, but the names of dozens, including entire families, have been published. It should be noted that on Thursday, the Jewish kehilla in Tehran held a special ceremony praising the regime. Among others, the Chief Rabbi of Tehran, Rav Yehuda Gerami, spoke in support of the regime. The event was also attended by Jewish-Iranian soldiers. Photos of the event were published in Iranian media outlets. Ynet reported that Naz, an Iranian activist living in the US, raised the alarm, saying that she was informed by a friend in Iran that security forces were raiding Jews’ homes and taking them away to an unknown location. Naz said that when the regime is under threat, it takes it out on minorities, and asked to spread the word that the Jews in Iran need help. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
The U.S. and China have signed an agreement on trade, President Donald Trump said, adding he expects to soon have a deal with India. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Bloomberg TV that the deal was signed earlier this week. Neither Lutnick nor Trump provided any details about the agreement. “We just signed with China the other day,” Trump said late Thursday. Lutnick said the deal was “signed and sealed” two days earlier. It was unclear if the latest agreement was different from the one Trump announced two weeks earlier that he said would make it easier for American industries to obtain much-needed needed magnets and rare earth minerals. That pact cleared the way for the trade talks to continue, while the U.S. agreed to stop trying to revoke visas of Chinese nationals on U.S. college campuses. China’s Commerce Ministry said Friday that the two sides had “further confirmed the details of the framework.” But its statement did not explicitly mention U.S. access to rare earths, minerals used in high-tech applications that have been at the center of the negotiations. “China will approve the export applications of controlled items that meet the conditions in accordance with the law. The United States will cancel a series of restrictive measures taken against China accordingly. It is hoped that the United States and China will meet each other halfway,” it said. The agreement follows initial talks in Geneva in early May that led both sides to postpone massive tariff hikes that were threatening to freeze much trade between the two countries. Later talks in London set a framework for negotiations and the deal mentioned by Trump appeared to formalize that agreement. “The president likes to close these deals himself. He’s the dealmaker. We’re going to have deal after deal,” Lutnick said. China has not announced any new agreements, but it announced earlier this week that it was speeding up approvals of exports of rare earths, materials used in high-tech products such as electric vehicles. Beijing’s limits on exports of rare earths have been a key point of contention. The Chinese Commerce Ministry said Thursday that Beijing was accelerating review of export license applications for rare earths and had approved “a certain number of compliant applications.” Export controls of the minerals apparently eclipsed tariffs in the latest round of trade negotiations between Beijing and Washington after China imposed permitting requirements on seven rare earth elements in April, threatening to disrupt production of cars, robots, wind turbines and other high-tech products in the U.S. and around the world. China also has taken steps recently on the fentanyl issue, announcing last week that it would designate two more substances as precursor chemicals for fentanyl, making them subject to production, transport and export regulations. Trump has demanded that Beijing do more to stop the flow of such precursor ingredients to Mexican drug cartels, which use them to make fentanyl for sale in the U.S. He imposed 20% tariffs on Chinese imports over the fentanyl issue, the biggest part of current 30% across-the-board taxes on Chinese goods. The agreement struck in May in Geneva called for both sides to scale back punitive tariff hikes imposed as Trump escalated his trade war and sharply raised import duties. Some higher tariffs, such as those imposed by Washington related to the trade […]
Nearly every Windows user has had a run in with the infamous “Blue Screen of Death” at some point in their computing life. Now, after more than 40-years of being set against a very recognizable blue, the updated error message will soon be displayed across a black background. The changes to the notorious error screen come as part of broader efforts by Microsoft to improve the resiliency of the Windows operating system in the wake of last year’s CrowdStrike incident, which crashed millions of Windows machines worldwide. “Now it’s easier than ever to navigate unexpected restarts and recover faster,” Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft wrote in a Wednesday announcement. As part of that effort, Microsoft says it’s “streamlining” what users experience when encountering “unexpected restarts” that cause disruptions. And that means a makeover to the infamous error screen. Beyond the now-black background, Windows’ new “screen of death” has a slightly shorter message. It’s also no longer accompanied by a frowning face — and instead shows a percentage completed for the restart process. Microsoft says this “simplified” user interface for unexpected restarts will be available later this summer on all of its Windows 11 (version 24H2) devices. And for PCs that may not restart successfully, Microsoft on Wednesday also said it’s adding a “quick machine recovery” mechanism. The will be particularly useful for during a widespread outage, the tech giant noted, as Microsoft “can broadly deploy targeted remediations” and automate fixes with this new mechanism “without requiring complex manual intervention from IT.” Microsoft said this quick machine recovery will also be “generally available” later this summer on Window 11 — with additional capabilities set to launch later in the year. (AP)
The Trump administration is quietly floating a sweeping new proposal to Tehran that could unlock up to $30 billion in funding for a civilian nuclear energy program, according to CNN — a dramatic shift in strategy aimed at luring Iran back to the negotiating table just days after a military confrontation threatened to spiral into all-out war. The plan, which has not been previously disclosed, is part of an intensifying diplomatic push led by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and backed by Gulf allies, according to four sources familiar with the discussions. At the heart of the evolving proposal: a non-enrichment nuclear energy program for Iran, modeled after the UAE’s, that would include foreign investment, partial sanctions relief, and access to billions of dollars in previously frozen Iranian assets. Behind closed doors, senior Trump officials have discussed allowing Tehran to use the $6 billion currently locked in foreign bank accounts, lifting select sanctions, and replacing the recently bombed Fordow enrichment site with a civilian facility — all while maintaining Washington’s red line: zero domestic uranium enrichment. The Trump administration’s diplomatic offensive comes on the heels of bunker-buster bombings that targeted Iran’s Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz nuclear facilities. But rather than close the door on diplomacy, officials have used the show of force as leverage — pushing Tehran to accept terms for a deal that would roll back its nuclear ambitions while offering the regime a new path forward. In a secret White House meeting last Friday, the day before U.S. strikes, Witkoff and Gulf partners hashed out the outlines of the offer, two sources said. That meeting laid the groundwork for a term sheet that could be presented to Iran as soon as next week — though no date has been finalized, and Iranian officials have publicly denied plans for immediate talks. Multiple proposals are still in flux, officials said, but all revolve around the same core principle: Iran may have nuclear power — but not the ability to enrich uranium itself. The proposal marks a sharp pivot for the Trump administration, which until now had taken a hardline “maximum pressure” stance on Iran. President Trump has publicly downplayed the urgency of a deal — telling reporters in The Hague this week, “I don’t care if I have an agreement or not” — even as his top advisers quietly accelerate efforts to lock in a comprehensive framework. But that calculus may now be complicated by shifting currents inside Iran. Just days ago, the Iranian parliament approved legislation to sever cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog — a move seen by analysts as Tehran preparing to harden its nuclear posture. “There is a real risk here that Tehran, after seeing Fordow bombed and trust eroded, will decide its only insurance policy is a nuclear weapon,” said a former senior intelligence official briefed on the discussions. Still, U.S. officials are betting that the cost of escalation — and the promise of economic relief — could bring Iran to the table. Talks have continued in recent days through regional intermediaries, primarily Qatar, which played a central role in brokering the fragile Israel-Iran ceasefire. According to multiple sources, Doha is now working closely with Witkoff to maintain diplomatic momentum and prevent backsliding into armed conflict. “There are a lot of ideas being thrown around […]
Georgia has become the latest state where a federal judge has blocked a law requiring age verification for social media accounts. Like in seven other states where such laws have been blocked, a federal judge ruled Thursday that the Georgia law infringes on free speech rights. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg means that the Georgia measure, which passed in 2024, won’t take effect next week as scheduled. Instead, Totenberg granted a preliminary injunction blocking the law until there’s a full ruling on the issue. Georgia’s law would require some social media providers to take “commercially reasonable” steps to verify a user’s age and require children younger than 16 to get parental permission for accounts. It was challenged by NetChoice, a trade group representing online businesses. “The state seeks to erect barriers to speech that cannot withstand the rigorous scrutiny that the Constitution requires,” Totenberg wrote, finding the law restricts the rights of minors, chills the right to anonymous speech online and restricts the ability of people to receive speech from social media platforms. Georgia will appeal, a spokesperson for Attorney General Chris Carr said Thursday. “We will continue to defend commonsense measures that empower parents and protect our children online,” spokesperson Kara Murray said in a statement. Parents — and even some teens themselves — are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of social media use on young people. Supporters of the laws have said they are needed to help curb the explosive use of social media among young people, and what researchers say is an associated increase in depression and anxiety. Totenberg said concerns about social media harming children are legitimate, but don’t outweigh the constitutional violation. Totenberg wrote that NetChoice’s members would be irreparably harmed by the law. She rejected arguments from the state that the group shouldn’t get temporary relief because it had delayed filing its lawsuit by a year and because the state would be required to give 90 days’ notice before enforcing the law. “Free expression doesn’t end where government anxiety begins,” NetChoice Director of Litigation Chris Marchese said in a statement. “Parents— not politicians — should guide their children’s lives online and offline— and no one should have to hand over a government ID to speak in digital spaces.” It’s the ninth state where NetChoice has blocked a law over children’s use of social media. In Arkansas and Ohio, federal judges have permanently overturned the laws. Besides Georgia, measures are also on hold in California, Florida, Mississippi, Texas and Utah. Louisiana agreed to not enforce its law while litigation proceeds. Only in Tennessee did a federal judge decline to temporarily block a law, finding NetChoice hadn’t proved that people would be irreparably harmed if the law wasn’t blocked before trial. Georgia had argued the law was meant to protect children in a dangerous place, likening it to banning them from bars serving alcohol instead of restricting their speech. (AP)
Having just recently read some gender-based letters (that is, letters from women complaining about men) in a Jewish publication, I was confronted with a mailbag letter from a female high school student complaining about the dress code of the seminary she will be attending next year. Besides saying that the code would stifle her self-expression, the student alleged that parallel standards are not applied to yeshiva bochurim, in that rules against “hoodies” and guidelines about haircuts are allegedly not being enforced in men’s yeshivas. Excuse me??? Last time I checked, Yeshiva boys have the most restrictive dress code of all, being required to wear black suits/pants and white shirts. The focus of this letter is not on the merits of dress codes, although I would think that seminary is more a time for introspection and self-examination than outward expression. After all, isn’t the point of seminary to find your best self before expressing it to the world? Nevertheless, my focus is on this student’s seeming need to point fingers at how the boys are being treated and to claim that that treatment is unequal. For the record, I am a woman. That fact, rather than leading me to agree with the student, makes me ashamed of how so many frum women appear to be following secular “woke” women’s lead in blaming men for their problems, crying victimization and unfair treatment. I beseech all frum girls and women to remember that humility is a key midah for all of klal Yisroel, male and female, and that we need to take responsibility for our thoughts and behaviors. We are living in a very dangerous time with anti-semitism growing daily. What we need now is to be humble before Hashem and grateful to Him for all that he gives us. We should also be dan l’kaf zchus of other yidden and to take all setbacks or difficulties as a kappara and an opportunity to see what we need to do teshuva for or improve upon. While the current world situation is stressful, we must find a way to deal with that constructively rather than following the terrible example of the secular world and turning on each other. Signed, A concerned reader The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena Thursday to Anthony Bernal, a senior aide to former first lady Jill Biden, as part of their rapidly expanding investigation into former President Joe Biden’s mental fitness while in office. The subpoena signed by Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the Republican Oversight chairman, requires Bernal to appear for a deposition on July 16. It came after several weeks of back-and-forth with Bernal’s lawyer over the timing of a voluntary interview. “Given your close connection with both former President Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden, the Committee sought to understand if you contributed to an effort to hide former President Biden’s fitness to serve from the American people,” the subpoena reads. “To avoid any further delays, your appearance before the Committee is now compelled.” Bernal is the second former Biden staffer to be subpoenaed by the committee and unlikely to be the last. The committee this week heard voluntary testimony from Neera Tanden, a former director of Biden’s domestic policy counsel, and is intent on securing interviews with several other members of Biden’s inner circle as part of its investigation. Bernal did not respond Thursday to a message seeking comment. Comer has also subpoenaed Kevin O’Connor, who served as Biden’s physician at the White House. O’Connor will testify before the committee on July 9. It’s all part of a remarkable Republican effort, supported by President Donald Trump, to investigate the last occupant of the Oval Office six months after he left office. Trump himself has ordered White House lawyers and the Justice Department to investigate Biden, questioning the legitimacy of his use of the autopen to sign pardons and other documents. Boosting the GOP investigation, Trump has waived executive privilege for eight former Biden administration officials to testify to Congress, including Bernal, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and insisted on anonymity. With the privilege lifted, former staffers are free to discuss their interactions with Biden while he was president. In addition to Bernal, executive privilege has been waived for Biden White House senior advisers Mike Donilon and Anita Dunn, former White House chief of staff Ron Klain, former deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed, former counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti, former deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini and a former assistant to the president, Ashley Williams. Comer is seeking interviews with all of them. Democrats have dismissed the inquiry into Biden’s mental state as a partisan exercise that distracts from other pressing issues. Rep. Wesley Bell, a Missouri Democrat who sits on the Oversight committee, said after the interview with Tanden that it “was an extraordinary waste of time” and produced “no new evidence.” Bell said lawmakers should focus on issues like the costs of food, housing and potential changes to healthcare policy rather than “dig up some kind of post-impeachment, or whatever we’re doing here.” The unfolding investigation has significant implications for politics and policy. Republican lawmakers have argued that any executive actions or policies enacted through the autopen procedure could be found invalid if Biden were somehow incapacitated or not of a sound state of mind while in office. Trump and his allies have claimed, without evidence, that Biden was not aware of the actions his administration had taken on […]
Conagra Brands, the parent company of Duncan Hines, Slim Jim and other brands, is the latest big food company to say it’s discontinuing the use of artificial dyes. In a statement released Wednesday – the same day as a similar statement from Nestle – Chicago-based Conagra said it will remove artificial colors from its frozen foods by the end of this year. Conagra’s frozen brands include Marie Callender’s, Healthy Choice and Birds Eye. Conagra said it won’t offer products containing artificial colors to K-12 schools by the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year, and it will work to discontinue artificial dyes across its entire portfolio by the end of 2027. Kraft Heinz and General Mills made similar pledges earlier this month. The federal government has stepped up its scrutiny of artificial colors in recent months. In January, days before President Donald Trump took office, the U.S. regulators banned the dye called Red 3 from the nation’s food supply, nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk. In April, Trump’s Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency would take steps to eliminate synthetic dyes by the end of 2026, largely by relying on voluntary efforts from the food industry. Many of Conagra’s products already make a point of using natural dyes. On a jar of Vlasic kosher pickle spears, Conagra notes that they’re colored with turmeric, not the synthetic Yellow 5. For the cheesy color in its frozen vegetable sides or its Orville Redenbacher popcorn, Conagra uses annatto, a plant extract. But some of Conagra’s products still rely on synthetic colors. Duncan Hines’ Comstock County Cherry pie filling uses Red 40, for example, while its Creamy Strawberries n’ Cream Frosting uses both Red 40 and Yellow 5. Conagra’s Swiss Miss Butterscotch pudding contains Yellow 6, Red 40 and Blue 1. (AP)
Former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) delivered a combative and unfiltered monologue on CNN Wednesday night, accusing systemic racism — and the psychological toll of being “called the N-word directly or indirectly every day” — of driving chronic health disparities in the Black community. The ex-congressman, who lost his seat last year in a bruising primary challenge, took center stage during a panel discussion on CNN NewsNight, blasting Republicans, invoking slavery, and tying health outcomes to racism in a performance that quickly veered into territory more suited for a protest podium than a policy roundtable. “You can’t be calm about this!” Bowman shouted at former Trump adviser Marc Short, barely allowing him to speak. “I’m a Black man in America! The reason why heart disease and cancer and obesity and diabetes are bigger in the Black community is because of the stress we carry from having to deal with being called the N-word directly or indirectly every day.” Bowman, a former member of the far-left “Squad,” accused the GOP of enabling racism and failing to hold its members accountable. “Your colleagues in the Republican Party do not hold each other accountable when it comes to the racism that comes from the party on a consistent basis,” he said, voice rising, finger wagging. It was classic Bowman — righteous, indignant, and utterly unconcerned with sounding sane. It was also a reminder of why the former lawmaker alienated moderates in his Westchester-based district and ultimately lost his seat to centrist Democrat George Latimer in 2024. Bowman’s tenure was marked by controversy and theatricality. He infamously pulled a Capitol fire alarm during a government funding vote, later claiming he was confused about how the doors worked. He drew headlines again when he led a profanity-laced rally in the Bronx against AIPAC, shouting “We’re gonna show them who the [expletive] we are!” before slamming a stool on stage to punctuate his fury. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
As historic events indicate, we are approaching the days of Moshiach, stage by stage. The Toldos Aharon Rebbe has decided to begin preparing for the days after Moshiach’s arrival. Under the Rebbe’s initiative, the chassidus recently established a kollel exclusively for Kohanim, where Bnei Aharon will study all the halachos pertaining to Avodas HaKohanim in the Beis Hamikdash, Kikar H’Shabbat reported. The initiative of the Rebbe, who is himself a Kohen and known for his longing for the speedy rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdah, recently expressed that—’כי הנה ימים באים—we clearly see that we’re at the time of Ikvesa d’Meshicha and the third Beis Hamikdash will be built soon in our days. “What will the Moshiach think when he appears to redeem Am Yisrael and he won’t have a team of Kohanim ready for their service in the Beis Hamikdash?” the Rebbe asked Therefore, the Rebbe took action to establish a kollel for Kohanim to become conversant in the necessary halachos before Moshiach’s arrival. The avreichim will learn from 4:40 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. and receive a stipend of $500 per month until bias HaMoshiach, may it be soon in our days, Amen. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s attorney, Amit Hadad, conducted secret negotiations with retired Supreme Court President Aharon Barak to end Netanyahu’s Case 4000 trial, Channel 12 News reported on Thursday evening. A secret meeting took place at retired President Barak’s home in Tel Aviv regarding mediation between the prosecution and the defense to bring the Netanyahu trial to an end. “I offered my services again,” Barak told Channel 12, referring to his support for a plea deal in 2022, which also began with secret contacts between him and Netanyahu. This time, Aharon Barak himself was intended to be the mediator. According to the law, a retired judge who has been trained to do so can mediate between the parties in a criminal trial. But Barak had two caveats: First, why are you turning to me? he said to the attorney. Obtain Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s consent, and I would be happy to be the mediator. The Attorney General has so far refused all the judges’ entreaties to open such mediation. Hadad clarified that Netanyahu has a condition: no retirement and no moral turpitude charge This is the second round of talks on ending the trial, and even if it ends without an agreement, it is quite clear that it will not be the last. In response to the report, attorney Hadad stated, “First, contrary to the claim, the meeting with Aharon Barak did not take place before the cross-examination but about six months ago—in January.” “Second, contrary to the claim, the meeting was not at the initiative of the Prime Minister or Adv. Hadad. On the contrary, Adv. Hadad responded to an invitation to attend.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Ukrainian forces have halted Russia’s recent advance into the northern Sumy region and have stabilized the front line near the border with Russia, Ukraine’s top military commander said Thursday. Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, said that Ukrainian successes in Sumy have prevented Russia from deploying about 50,000 Russian troops, including elite airborne and marine brigades, to other areas of the front line. His claim couldn’t be independently verified, and Russian officials made no immediate comment. Russian forces have been slowly grinding forward at some points on the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, though their incremental gains have been costly in terms of troop casualties and damaged armor. The outnumbered Ukrainian army has relied heavily on drones to keep the Russians back. Months of U.S.-led international efforts to stop the more than three years of war have failed. Amid the hostilities, the two sides have continued swaps of prisoners of war agreed on during recent talks between their delegations in Istanbul. Russia’s Defense Ministry and Ukrainian authorities said another exchange took place on Thursday. Ukraine’s coordination headquarters for POWs said the swap included injured soldiers and those with health complaints. The youngest is 24 and the oldest is 62, it said, adding that more exchanges are expected soon. Sumy, the city which is the capital of the Ukrainian region of the same name, had a prewar population of around 250,000. It lies about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the front line. Russia’s push into the region earlier this year compelled Ukraine to strengthen its defenses there. A special defense group has been formed to improve security in Sumy and surrounding communities, Syrskyi said, with a focus on improving fortifications and accelerating construction of defensive barriers. In March, Ukrainian forces withdrew from much of Russia’s neighboring Kursk region, parts of which they had controlled after a surprise cross-border attack in August. That retreat enabled Russia to launch a counteroffensive that advanced between 2-12 kilometers (1-7 miles) into Ukrainian territory, according to different estimates. Ukrainian officials say fierce fighting is also taking place in the eastern Donetsk region. The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday that its forces have captured two villages, Novoserhiivka and Shevchenko, in Donetsk. Capturing Shevchenko marked an important stage in Russia’s ongoing offensive that is trying to break into Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, which borders Donetsk and is a major industrial center, according to the ministry. Meanwhile, the two sides continued to launch long-range strikes. The Russian ministry said 50 Ukrainian drones were downed over nine regions overnight, including three over the Moscow region. Ukraine’s air force said that Russia deployed 41 Shahed and decoy drones across the country overnight, wounding five people. It said that 24 drones were either intercepted or jammed. (AP)
A majority of American voters disapprove of the United States joining Israel in its recent military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, as public support for the Jewish state continues to decline, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. The survey found that 51% of registered voters opposed the U.S. role in the bombing campaign, while 42% supported it. The partisan divide was stark: 81% of Republicans backed the strikes, while 75% of Democrats opposed them. Among independents, 60% disapproved, compared to 35% who approved. “No ambivalence from Republicans on the U.S. bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites,” said Tim Malloy, polling analyst at Quinnipiac. “By a large margin, GOP voters give full-throated support to the mission.” Support for Israel’s own strikes on Iran’s nuclear and military sites was slightly higher, with 50% of respondents in favor and 40% opposed. But here too, partisan divisions were pronounced: 80% of Republicans supported the Israeli strikes, while 60% of Democrats opposed them. Independents were evenly split at 46% in favor and 45% against. The poll also showed a sharp shift in how Americans perceive U.S. policy toward Israel. A record-high 42% of voters said the U.S. is “too supportive” of Israel, the highest figure since Quinnipiac began tracking the question in 2017. Only 5% said the U.S. is not supportive enough—an all-time low—while 45% said the current level of support is appropriate. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A festive Rosh Chodesh tefillah will be held on Friday, June 26, at the Kosel, during which pirkei Tehillim of gratitude and praise will be recited to thank Hakadosh Baruch Hu for the nissim Am Yisrael experienced during the war with Iran. The Western Wall Foundation stated, “In light of the open nissim that occurred during the עם כלביא war, and out of a deep sense of gratitude and praise to Hashem Yisbarach for His abundant chassadim and great wonders, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation will hold a festive Rosh Chodesh tefillah tomorrow for Rosh Chodesh, combined with the recitation of chapters of hodaah and hallel.” The tefillah is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. The Chief Rabbanim and the Kollel Rav issued an emotional appeal to the public from all walks of Israeli society to come and gather together for a moving prayer of thanksgiving: “We are called upon to fulfill ‘ובמקהלות רבבות עמך בית ישראל… להודות ולהלל, לשבח ולפאר, להדר ולברך, לעלה ולקלס – לצור תהילתנו על כל הטובה אשר גמלנו.'” In their letter, the Rabbis mentioned that a similar tefillah was held at the Kosel after the end of the Gulf War, in 1991, at the initiative of HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef, z’tl, and with the participation of Gedolei Yisrael and a kehal of thousands. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
GE Appliances announced a nearly half-billion-dollar project Thursday that it says will create 800 new jobs and shift production of clothes washers from China to its massive manufacturing complex in Kentucky. The $490 million investment positions the Kentucky home appliances company to rank as the biggest U.S. manufacturer of washing machines, it said. “We are bringing laundry production to our global headquarters in Louisville because manufacturing in the U.S. is fundamental to our ‘zero-distance’ business strategy to make appliances as close as possible to our customers and consumers,” CEO Kevin Nolan said. “This decision is our most recent product reshoring and aligns with the current economic and policy environment.” The announcement comes as President Donald Trump attempts to lure factories back to the United States by imposing import taxes — tariffs — on foreign goods. He has slapped 10% tariffs on imports from most countries and put 30% levies on Chinese goods. GE Appliances says nearly all the steel used in its U.S. manufacturing for its appliances comes from American steelmakers. GE Appliances said the project will move production of a combo washer/dryer and a lineup of front load washers from China to the Bluegrass State. In all, production of more than 15 models of front load washers will shift to the company’s sprawling Louisville production complex — known as Appliance Park, it said. Once the added production is in place, the total area devoted to clothes care production at the Louisville complex will equal 33 football fields, it said. Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who has criticized Trump’s tariffs, hailed the company’s deepening commitment to the state. “Today’s announcement brings more appliance manufacturing back to the United States and solidifies Kentucky and Louisville as the global headquarters of GE Appliances,” the governor said. The redesigned factory will become its most advanced manufacturing plant for clothes washing production, the company said, featuring the latest in automation, robotics and material-handling technologies including automated guided vehicles and autonomous mobile robots. The new manufacturing lines will open in 2027, the company said. Next door at the complex’s Building 1, the company produces top load washers and front load dryers. GE Appliances handles product design and engineering work at its Louisville headquarters but lacks overall production capacity to make all of its products at its U.S. plants. So it contracts with other manufacturers, including in China, for some of its production. The company said its core business strategy is to base production in the United States, and the investment announced Thursday is another step toward achieving that goal. “Manufacturing in Louisville puts production closer to our designers, engineers and consumers so that together we can create our most innovative laundry platforms,” said Lee Lagomarcino, vice president of clothes care at GE Appliances. The $490 million infusion into Appliance Park is the latest round of investments in recent years as part of the company’s growth strategy. It builds on the company’s previous investments of $3.5 billion in U.S. manufacturing in the past decade, with more than one-third of the amount going to Appliance Park. Appliance Park in Louisville employs about 8,000 workers and is home to five plants that produce washers, dryers, dishwashers and refrigerators as well as parts and components. GE Appliances also has manufacturing plants in South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Connecticut. […]
Boro Park Scoop regrets to inform you of the Petira of Reb Yochonen Wosner Z”L, a beloved longtime Boro Park resident and the devoted gabbai of the Rachmistrivka Beis Medrash. He was 64 years old and was niftar following a lengthy illness that worsened earlier this week. The Levaya will take place at 7:15 PM at the Rachmistrivka Shul on 45th Street, followed by Kevurah at the Har Shulem Beis HaChaim in Airmont, in the Rachmistrivka Chelkah.
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman delivered a blistering takedown of Democratic primary winner Zohran Mamdani, warning that New York City is on the brink of economic and social disaster—and calling for an eleventh-hour write-in campaign to block what he described as the city’s “hard-left collapse.” In an unfiltered, nearly 1,800-word post on X, Ackman skewered Mamdani, a self-described socialist and leading voice of the Democratic Party’s ascendant progressive flank, as dangerously unqualified and ideologically extreme. He also sketched out what amounted to a blueprint for an emergency political intervention: a well-funded, media-savvy, charismatic centrist entering the race with just 132 days to go before the general election. “I awoke this morning gravely concerned about New York City,” Ackman wrote. “What has NYC become that an avowed socialist…wins the Democratic Primary?” Ackman’s post accused Mamdani of espousing policies that would make the city “much more dangerous and economically unviable,” citing his past support for defunding the police, city-run supermarkets, and rent freezes. “Socialism has no place in the economic capital of our country,” he declared. Ackman, founder of Pershing Square Capital Management and long known for his brash Wall Street persona, did not mince words. He argued that Mamdani’s victory was not driven by a mandate for his policies, but by a weak field, slick campaigning, and a disengaged electorate. “He is intelligent and articulate. He is young and charming… But he won because the competition was very weak,” Ackman wrote. “His best competitor sat back and did not run a real campaign.” But the firebrand financier was even more scathing about Mamdani’s platform, warning that his economic proposals would “destroy jobs,” collapse the tax base, and drive out wealthy residents whose spending supports the city’s massive public sector. “If 100 or so of the highest taxpayers in my industry chose to spend 183 days elsewhere, it could reduce NY state and city tax revenues by ~$5-10 billion or more,” he warned. “Think Ken Griffin leaving Chicago for Miami on steroids.” Ackman also targeted Mamdani’s past rhetoric about abolishing the NYPD and pro-Palestinian activism, writing: “A mayor who condones hate speech will incentivize more hate speech and violence. Words matter, and yes, they can inspire people to kill.” What made the post more than just a screed was Ackman’s pitch: that there’s still time for someone—young, charming, articulate, and more centrist—to jump into the race and win. He floated the idea of a write-in campaign, calling it not just viable but potentially catalytic. “There are hundreds of millions of dollars of capital available to back a competitor to Mamdani,” Ackman claimed. “If someone is ready to raise their hand, I will take care of the fundraising.” He even hinted that former Mayor Michael Bloomberg would likely provide institutional support to a last-minute candidate. While Ackman stopped short of naming his own preferred pick—citing his association with Donald Trump as “toxic” to Democratic voters—he claimed a candidate fitting his criteria already exists. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the right candidate,” he wrote. “More importantly, it is an opportunity to save our City and be a superhero.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Iranian authorities are pivoting from a ceasefire with Israel to intensify an internal security crackdown across the country with mass arrests, executions and military deployments, officials and activists said.
