British tech magnate Mike Lynch and five other people were missing after their luxury superyacht sank during a freak storm off Sicily early Monday, Italy’s civil protection and authorities said. Lynch’s wife and 14 other people survived. Lynch, who was acquitted in June in a big U.S. fraud trial, was among six people who remain unaccounted for after their chartered sailboat sank off Porticello, near Palermo, sometime after 4 a.m. A tornado over the water known as a waterspout had struck the area overnight, said Salvo Cocina of Sicily’s civil protection agency. One body was recovered, and police divers spent the day trying to reach the hull of the ship, which was resting at a depth of 50 meters (163 feet) off Porticello where it had been anchored, rescue authorities said. They returned to the site after 10 p.m. to see if it would be possible to search through the night, when weather conditions were expected to worsen, said Luca Cari, spokesman of the fire rescue service. The ship had a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers, the Italian coast guard said. A sudden fierce storm had battered the area overnight, and a waterspout struck precisely where the 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged Bayesian had been moored. “They were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Cocina, noting that another big ship nearby, the Sir Robert Baden Powell, wasn’t as badly damaged and helped rescue the 15 survivors — including Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares. The Bayesian was notable for its single 75-meter (246-feet) mast — one of the world’s tallest made of aluminum and which was lit up at night, just hours before it sank. Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to 195,000 euros (about $215,000) a week. One of the survivors, identified as Charlotte Golunski, said she momentarily lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter Sofia in the water, but then managed to hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The father, identified by ANSA as James Emslie, also survived, said Cocina. Karsten Borner, the captain of the Sir Robert Baden Powell, said he had noticed the Bayesian nearby during the storm but after it calmed he saw a red flare and realized the ship had simply disappeared, ANSA and the Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported. Borner said he and a crew member boarded their tender and found a lifeboat with 15 people, some of them injured, who they then took aboard and alerted the coast guard. Eight of those rescued were hospitalized while the others were taken to a hotel. One body believed to be the cook was found near the wreck, but six others were unaccounted for and believed inside the hull, said Cari, the fire rescue spokesperson. The rescue operations, which were visible from shore, involved helicopters and rescue boats from the coast guard, fire rescue and civil protection service. Fisherman Fabio Cefalù said he had seen a flare from shore at around 4:30 a.m. and immediately set out to the site but by the time he got there, the Bayesian had already sunk, with only cushions, wood and other items from the superyacht floating in the water. “But for the rest, we didn’t find anyone,” he said […]
Fred Trump III, the nephew of former President Donald Trump, has raised concerns about his uncle’s mental health, suggesting that the 77-year-old might be showing signs of dementia. In a recent interview on The Dean Obeidallah Show, Fred Trump III spoke about the potential decline in Donald Trump’s cognitive abilities, which he believes could be linked to a family history of dementia. “I know the warning signs from both of my grandfathers,” Fred said during the interview, referencing his grandfather Fred Trump Sr., who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s before his death. He noted that dementia runs in the family, citing other relatives, including Donald Trump’s older sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, who also showed signs of cognitive decline in her later years. During the interview, host Dean Obeidallah asked Fred Trump III if he had noticed any similarities between Donald Trump’s current behavior and that of his grandfather during the onset of dementia. Fred responded: “Donald said, ‘Oh, my father was tiptop until the end.’ I can assure you that was not the case.” Fred went on to explain that he has observed concerning changes in his uncle’s behavior, pointing to his inability to stick to a consistent message and a tendency to return to past talking points, such as crowd sizes at his inauguration. “He used to be able to stick to a message. Now… he just can’t stick to a message,” Fred said. He added that these issues were becoming apparent during recent campaign events. He recalled a rally in North Carolina where Donald Trump, despite being expected to focus on economic issues, veered off course, delivering a disjointed speech. “He goes to play the old merry tunes of craziness,” Fred noted, observing that even some of Trump’s loyal base seemed to be growing weary of his rhetoric. Fred also expressed concern for his own future, given the family’s history of dementia. “I’m not happy about it because guess what? I worry about it myself,” he admitted. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
U.S. intelligence officials said Monday they were confident that Iran was responsible for the hack of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, casting the cyber intrusion as part of a brazen and broader effort by Tehran to interfere in American politics and undermine faith in democratic institutions. Although the Trump campaign and private-sector cybersecurity investigators had previously said Iran was behind the hacking attempts, it was the first time the U.S. government had assigned blame for the attack. The joint statement from the FBI and other federal agencies also indicated that Iran was responsible for attempts to hack Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, saying hackers had “sought access to individuals with direct access to the Presidential campaign of both political parties.” The goal of the hacking and other activities, federal officials said, was not only to sow discord but also to shape the outcome of elections that Iran perceives to be “particularly consequential in terms of the impact they could have on its national security interests.” “We have observed increasingly aggressive Iranian activity during this election cycle, specifically involving influence operations targeting the American public and cyber operations targeting Presidential campaigns,” said the statement, which in addition to the FBI was also released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The statement largely confirms the findings of private companies like Microsoft, which earlier this month issued a report detailing foreign agents’ attempts to interfere in this year’s election, and Google, which separately said that an Iranian group linked to the country’s Revolutionary Guard has tried to infiltrate the personal email accounts of roughly a dozen people linked to President Joe Biden and Trump since May. (AP)
Protesters broke through a fence set up by police near the site of the Democratic National Convention on its opening day Monday as thousands took to the streets to voice their opposition to the war in Gaza. As the larger group marched, a few dozen who broke away tore down pieces of the security fence. Some protesters, dressed in black with their faces covered, dragged pieces of the fence back to a park near the United Center, where the convention is being held. Several protesters who had managed to get through the fence were detained and handcuffed by the police. Authorities said the inner security perimeter surrounding convention site was not breached and there was no threat to those attending the convention. Members of the crowd chanted “End the occupation now” and then “The whole world is watching!” just as anti-Vietnam War protesters did during the infamous 1968 convention in Chicago when police clashed with protesters on live television. Officers put on gas masks as some protesters tried to bring down a second fence set up in front of police. The march happened just as President Joe Biden, who has been the target of intense criticism from pro-Palestinian groups, including the marchers, was doing a walk-through of the largely empty United Center. Biden was scheduled to address the party in the evening. “Biden, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide,” the marchers chanted amid the beating of drums. They also referred to him as “Genocide Joe” and lodged similar chants at Vice President Kamala Harris. (AP)
As the 2024 presidential race heats up, some of the far-right’s most prominent voices are beginning to turn against former president Donald Trump’s campaign, signaling a potential fracturing of his base. Key influencers, once staunch supporters, are now threatening a digital “war” against Trump’s aides, warning that his campaign is veering too far from the hard-right positions that galvanized their support. Nick Fuentes, a neo-Nazi white supremacist and podcaster, has been one of the most vocal critics. Fuentes, who dined with Trump in 2022 at Mar-a-Lago, blasted the campaign on X, claiming that Trump’s strategy was “blowing it” by not embracing more extreme views on race and immigration. His post criticizing the campaign has been viewed 2.6 million times. Laura Loomer, another far-right activist, echoed the sentiment, arguing that Trump’s “weak” surrogates have derailed his momentum and warning that his strategy needs to shift quickly. Candace Owens, another antisemitic far-right commentator with millions of followers, described the growing division within the Trump movement as a “MAGA Civil War.” While Owens stressed her support for Trump, she expressed frustration with his campaign staff, accusing them of diluting his message in a bid for mainstream appeal. These attacks from far-right influencers pose a new challenge for Trump’s campaign, which has relied heavily on online support from these figures in previous elections. Their backing helped build a groundswell of digital support in 2016 and 2020, driving Trump’s appeal with key voter groups. Now, their criticism threatens to undermine efforts to unify the Republican base ahead of the election. The far-right figures’ dissatisfaction centers on what they perceive as Trump’s shift away from the hardline stances that initially propelled him to power. They’ve been particularly critical of his campaign’s leadership, calling for the ouster of co-managers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles. Despite these criticisms, many still claim to support Trump himself, with their ire aimed squarely at his staff. The discontent comes as Trump retools his campaign, including the recent rehiring of his former 2016 campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski. Fuentes called this a “first victory” but warned that he and his followers would continue pressuring the campaign to adopt more extreme positions. The far-right provocateurs have vowed to ramp up their efforts, both online and at Trump rallies. Fuentes has urged his followers to escalate their tactics, using guerrilla-style methods to push the campaign further to the right. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign has tried to distance itself from the more extreme elements of its base to avoid alienating voters. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
More than 17,000 AT&T workers in nine states across the Southeast are on strike after accusing the company of unfair labor practices during contract negotiations this summer. The Communications Workers of America — the union representing the striking employees — said workers walked off the job Friday in response to AT&T’s failure to bargain in good faith. Workers have been attempting to reach a new contract since June. The labor organization said AT&T did not send representatives to the bargaining table who had authority to make decisions and that the company has reneged on agreements made in bargaining. “Our union entered into negotiations in a good faith effort to reach a fair contract, but we have been met at the table by company representatives who were unable to explain their own bargaining proposals and did not seem to have the actual bargaining authority required by the legal obligation to bargain in good faith,” Richard Honeycutt, vice president of CWA District 3 in the Southeast, said in a statement. The strike involves AT&T technicians, customer service representatives and others who install, maintain and support AT&T’s residential and business wireline telecommunications network. It involves workers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee The union said it filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. AT&T denied the union’s accusations. “CWA’s claims of unfair labor practices are not grounded in fact. We have been engaged in substantive bargaining since Day One and are eager to reach an agreement that benefits our hard-working employees,” the company said in emailed statement. AT&T said it reached three separate agreements this year covering more than 13,000 employees. The labor union on Monday also accused AT&T of “sending undertrained managers and contractors to perform highly technical work” during the strike. AT&T said it has “various business continuity measures in place to avoid disruptions to operations and will continue to provide our customers with the great service they expect.” (AP)
Eden Dabas, 30, a resident of Ramat Gan, was formally indicted Monday on charges of allegedly collaborating with an Iranian foreign agent. According to the prosecution, Dabas had been in contact with the foreign agent for the past four months, using the encrypted messaging app Telegram to communicate. In exchange for completing a series of tasks, Dabas reportedly received $12,000 in cryptocurrency payments. Among the tasks he allegedly carried out were printing and hanging posters advocating for a military coup in Israel and promoting a Telegram group called “The People’s Army,” which seeks to recruit more Israeli citizens for similar efforts. Prosecutors further revealed that Dabas documented his activities by sending video proof to the foreign agent to secure payment. The agent allegedly instructed Dabas to purchase a separate phone and SIM card, along with wigs, gloves, and a hat for concealment. Dabas was also reportedly directed to delete all communication between them to erase evidence of the collaboration. Alongside the charges of contacting a foreign agent, Dabas is also being indicted for possession of illegal drugs, including MDMA (Ecstasy) and cocaine, which were found to be for personal use. Authorities are requesting that Dabas remain in custody until the legal proceedings are completed. The case comes amid rising concerns over Iranian espionage efforts targeting Israeli citizens. Earlier this month, Israel’s Shin Bet security agency exposed a network of fake online profiles created by Iranian operatives to lure Israelis into espionage activities. The Shin Bet reiterated that Iran’s intelligence agencies have been actively using social media to approach Israeli citizens under false identities, seeking to exploit them for espionage. In July, three Israeli citizens were arrested on suspicion of endangering national security on behalf of the Iranian regime. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
President Joe Biden on Monday took his first flight aboard the modern VH-92A helicopter that serves as Marine One after years of delays to the program to replace the aging aircraft that carry the president and vice president. Biden boarded the Sikorsky-made helicopter after arriving on Air Force One in Chicago where he is speak Monday evening at the Democratic National Convention. The maiden presidential voyage carried him from O’Hare International Airport to the parking lot of Chicago’s Soldier Field, often used as a landing zone for presidential travel. It marked a crucial milestone in a two-decade-long process to replace the Vietnam-era helicopters that have been in use carrying presidents, in some cases, since the 1970s. An initial effort to purchase new helicopters was kicked off by the Bush administration in an effort to improve communications and mission capabilities in the post-September 11, 2001 environment, but it was scrapped by President Barack Obama after rampant cost overruns. The new program was started by the Obama administration, and the helicopter, branded the “Patriot” by its manufacturer, made its public debut during the Trump administration. But issues with the secure communications system on board — required so that the president can carry out classified conversations and make military decisions in an emergency — as well as a tendency to scorch the White House South Lawn led to years of delays to the program. The Marine Corps reported last year that the communications issues had been resolved, but it was not clear whether modifications to the exhaust system have eliminated the threat to the White House grass. Marine Helicopter Squadron One, which operates the aircraft, has been using the VH-92 helicopters for several years in regular service, including test flights around Washington, D.C. and to carry White House staff and security personnel. The final VH-92A helicopter was delivered earlier this month, giving the USMC 21 operational aircraft and two for testing. The total program cost for the 23 aircraft was about $5 billion. The new helicopters are based on the commercially-available Sikorsky S-92 and are larger and have longer range than the older VH-3D and VH-60N models. (AP)
A District of Columbia councilmember known for promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories accepted over $150,000 in bribes in exchange for pressuring D.C. employees to extend city contracts for violence intervention services, authorities alleged in court records unsealed Monday. Trayon White Sr., a Democrat who ran an unsuccessful mayoral campaign in 2022, was arrested Sunday on a federal bribery charge and ordered released from custody after a brief court appearance Monday. His attorney declined to comment on the allegations against him. White agreed in June to accept roughly $156,000 in kickbacks and cash payments in exchange for pressuring government agency employees to extend two companies’ contracts worth over $5 million, authorities alleged in an FBI affidavit. White, 40, also accepted a $20,000 bribe payment to help resolve a contract dispute for one of the companies by pressuring high-level district officials, the affidavit alleges. An FBI informant who agreed to plead guilty to fraud and bribery charges reported giving White gifts including travel to the Dominican Republic and Las Vegas along with paying him bribes, the FBI said. White put his hand to his heart as he entered the courtroom and acknowledged his supporters who attended the hearing. One supporter held her hand to her mouth and sobbed from the gallery. White answered routine questions from the judge but did not comment on the allegations. The magistrate judge warned White he could be jailed before trial if he violates any conditions of his release. White, who has served on the D.C. council since 2017, represents a predominantly Black ward where the poverty rate is nearly twice as high as the overall district. He is running for re-election in November against a Republican challenger. White was one of two D.C. council members whom Mayor Muriel Bower defeated two years ago in the Democratic primary. White, a former grassroots community activist, was a protégé of former Mayor Marion Barry, who also represented the same ward as White on the council. In March 2018, White posted a video on his Facebook page claiming that an unexpected snowfall was because of “the Rothschilds controlling the climate to create natural disasters.” The Rothschilds, a Jewish family that was prominent in the banking industry, are a frequent subject of conspiracy theories. At the time, White said he was unaware that the weather-related conspiracy theory is antisemitic. A video later surfaced of White pushing a similar conspiracy theory during a meeting of top city officials. He posed a question based on the stereotypical premise that the Rothschilds controlled the World Bank and the federal government. (AP)
Two security sources informed Reuters that no one was killed in the recent Israeli airstrikes targeting a Hezbollah weapons depot in northern Lebanon. However, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported that eight people were injured in the incident, including six Lebanese citizens and two Syrian children.
Congo will receive the first vaccine doses to address its mpox outbreak next week from the United States, the country’s health minister said Monday, days after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency. Mpox cases have been confirmed among children and adults in more than a dozen African countries, and a new form of the virus is spreading. Few vaccine doses are available on the continent. Congo has the vast majority of the mpox cases and currently needs 3 million vaccine doses. The U.S. and Japan have offered to donate vaccines, Health Minister Roger Kamba told journalists. He did not say how many doses would be sent or when the ones from Japan would arrive. The WHO has reported over 17,000 mpox cases and over 500 deaths worldwide this year. More than 96% of all cases and deaths have been in Congo, whose health system has long struggled to contain disease outbreaks over the country’s vast area and poor infrastructure. Children under 15 account for more than 70% of the cases and 85% of deaths in Congo. Scientists are also concerned by a new version of mpox in Congo that might be more easily transmitted. Last week, Sweden reported its first case of the new version. Officials said the risk to the general public was considered “very low” and that they expected sporadic imported cases to continue. Unlike in previous mpox outbreaks, where lesions were mostly seen on the chest, hands and feet, the new form causes milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals. That makes it harder to detect, meaning people might sicken others without knowing they’re infected. Mpox is not airborne and typically requires close, skin-to-skin contact to spread. The WHO has said mpox was recently identified for the first time in four East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. All of those outbreaks were linked to the epidemic in Congo. (AP)
Protesters rallied outside the Democratic National Convention on its opening day Monday, saying they were determined to voice their opposition to the war in Gaza and other issues. Despite predictions of 30,000 attendees, fewer than half that number showed up at the “March on the DNC” rally held at Union Park. Protesters said their plans have not changed since President Joe Biden left the race and the party quickly rallied behind Vice President Kamala Harris, who will formally accept the Democratic nomination this week. Activists said they were ready to amplify their progressive message before the nation’s top Democratic leaders. “We have to play our part in the belly of the beast to stop the genocide, to end U.S. aid to Israel and stand with Palestine,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the DNC, which includes hundreds of organizations. Mayor Brandon Johnson said authorities were well prepared. “The city of Chicago is really good at things like this,” he told a news conference. “We are ready.” The Chicago area has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the nation, and buses were bringing activists from all over the country. Organizers said they hoped the turnout for Monday’s rally and march would be at least 20,000 people, but only a few thousand were there at the start of the march. City officials declined to give a crowd estimate. Taylor Cook, an organizer with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, traveled from Atlanta for the march. Cook said the group was pushing all Democrats to call for an end to aid to Israel, with a particular focus on Harris. “We’re saying to Kamala, she has been complicit in this. People think it’s just Joe Biden, but she is vice president,” Cook said. “So we’re saying, you need to stop if you want our vote.” Medea Benjamin, who traveled to Chicago from Washington, D.C., with a women-led group of protesters calling for peace, said she was shocked that the Biden administration recently approved an additional $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel. “There’s an incredible discrepancy in what people are calling for in this country and what the administration is doing,” she said ahead of the rally in Union Park. “We’re so disgusted by this.” Activists say they learned lessons from last month’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Pro-Palestinian supporters descended on the park, west of the Loop business district, for the rally. They planned to march a short distance to a site near the United Center, where the convention is taking place. Independent presidential candidate Cornel West addressed the crowd, which welcomed him with cheers. “This is not about some Machiavellian politics or some utilitarian calculation about an election,” he yelled into a microphone. “This is about morality. This is about spirituality.” Around 40 pro-Israel supporters walked around the park during the rally. Remaining mostly silent while waving Israeli flags, they were accompanied by about 20 police officers on bicycles. Although tensions flared at times, there were no physical altercations. Josh Weiner, co-founder of Chicago Jewish Alliance who walked with the pro-Israel group, said their intent was to “make our presence felt.” Weiner said the group applied for permits that were not approved by the city. “The pro-Palestine protesters have gotten multiple permits, including a march, which seems […]
Vice President Kamala Harris faced mockery on social media after delivering an extended monologue on the “duality of democracy” during a campaign event in Rochester, Pennsylvania, on Sunday. The speech, which appeared to be unscripted, touched on the strength and fragility of democracy and quickly became the subject of online ridicule. Speaking alongside her running mate, Tim Walz, Harris described democracy as both “incredibly strong” and “incredibly fragile.” She told attendees, “Our election is about understanding the importance of this beautiful country of ours in terms of what we stand for around the globe as a democracy. As a democracy, we know there’s a duality to the nature of democracy. On the one hand, incredible strength when it is intact. What it does for its people, to protect and defend their rights. Incredibly strong. And incredibly fragile. It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it. And that’s what this campaign is about.” The comments, which echoed a similar speech she made in 2022, sparked a wave of criticism, with many Republicans using her remarks as further evidence of what they have termed Harris’s tendency to deliver “word salads” when off-script. “They took Kamala off the teleprompter today in Pennsylvania. It didn’t go well,” wrote Outkick.com founder Clay Travis, sharing a clip of the speech. Conservative radio host Buck Sexton weighed in, saying, “Kamala is uniquely awful. She’s not smart, charming, or talented. The more voters hear her voice, the less they’ll want to support her.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos pleaded guilty Monday to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, short-circuiting the federal fraud case that led to his expulsion from Congress just weeks before it was set to go to trial. “I betrayed the trust of my constituents and supporters. I deeply regret my conduct,” the New York Republican said as he entered the plea in a Long Island courtroom. Santos, 36, said he accepted responsibility and intends to make amends. He faces more than six years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines and owes at least $370,000 in restitution. Senior Federal Judge Joanna Seybert scheduled Santos’ sentencing for Feb. 7. Santos was indicted on felony charges that he stole from political donors, used campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses, lied to Congress about his wealth and collected unemployment benefits while actually working. Santos was expelled from the U.S. House after an ethics investigation found “overwhelming evidence” that he had broken the law and exploited his public position for his own profit. The case has been set to go to trial in early September. If that had happened, federal prosecutors said Monday that they were prepared to call some 40 witnesses, including members of Santos’ campaign, employers and family members. Santos was once touted as a rising political star after he flipped the suburban district that covers the affluent North Shore of Long Island and a slice of the New York City borough of Queens in 2022. But his life story began unraveling before he was even sworn into office. At the time, reports emerged that he had lied about having a career at top Wall Street firms and a college degree along with other questions of his biography. New questions then emerged about his campaign funds. He was first indicted on federal charges in May 2023, but refused to resign from office. Santos has previously maintained his innocence, though he said in an interview in December that a plea deal with prosecutors was “not off the table.” Asked if he was afraid of going to prison, he told CBS 2 at the time: “I think everybody should be afraid of going to jail, it’s not a pretty place and uh, I definitely want to work very hard to avoid that as best as possible.” Separately Monday, in Manhattan federal court, Judge Denise Cote tossed out a lawsuit in which Santos claimed that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, ABC and Disney committed copyright infringement and unjustly enriched themselves at his expense by using videos he made on the Cameo app for a “Jimmy Kimmel Live” segment. The judge said it was clear that Kimmel used the clips, which were also posted to YouTube, for the purposes of criticism and commentary, which is fair use. Santos had begun selling personalized videos on Cameo in December shortly after his ouster from Congress. He subsequently launched, then quickly abandoned, a longshot bid to return to Congress as an independent earlier this year. In a radio interview that aired Sunday, Santos said he has taken comfort in being a “somewhat private civilian” again. “I really don’t miss the rubber chicken dinners and the rah-rah-rah parties and fundraisers,” he said of his former life. With his criminal trial looming, he said in the WABC interview that he was “terrified.” […]
Civilians with small children in their arms and lugging heavy suitcases fled Monday from Ukraine’s eastern city of Pokrovsk, where the Russian army was bearing down fast despite a lightning Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. Local authorities said Russian forces were advancing so quickly that families were under orders to leave the city and other nearby towns and villages starting Tuesday. Around 53,000 people still live in Pokrovsk, officials said, and some of them decided to get out immediately. People of all ages boarded trains and buses with the belongings they could carry. Some wept as they waited to depart. Soldiers helped the elderly with their bags, and volunteers helped people with disabilities. Rail workers wore bulletproof vests. Natalya Ivaniuk said the noise of explosions from Russian bombardments filled the air while she and her daughters, age 7 and 9, fled their home in the nearby village of Myrnohrad, which is less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the front line. “It was terrifyingly scary,” she told The Associated Press. “We barely got out.” Pokrovsk is one of Ukraine’s main defensive strongholds and a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region. Its capture would compromise Ukraine’s defensive abilities and supply routes and would bring Russia closer to its stated aim of capturing the entire Donetsk region. One of Kyiv’s attempts to ease the pressure on its eastern front was the unexpected Aug. 6 incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, which among other goals aimed to unnerve the Kremlin and compel it to split its military resources. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday the daring incursion is trying to create a buffer zone that might prevent further attacks by Moscow across the border, especially with long-range artillery, missiles and glide bombs. In a social media statement, Zelenskyy said Monday evening that Ukraine currently controlled 1,250 square kilometers (about 480 square miles) and 92 settlements inside the Kursk region. “The Russian border area opposite our Sumy region has been mostly cleared of Russian military presence,” he said. “Now, our warriors’ real success speaks for itself. Our defensive actions across the border, as well as Putin’s inability to defend his territory, are telling. Our proactive defense is the most effective counter to Russian terror, causing significant difficulties for the aggressor.” Russia’s relentless six-month slog across Ukraine’s Donetsk region following the capture of Avdiivka has cost it heavily in troops and armor. However, the onslaught has gradually paid dividends as Ukrainian defenders have no choice but to pull back from positions blown to pieces by Russian artillery, missiles and bombs. “There is a lot of destruction around us, so it becomes more and more scary to stay,” said Tetiana Myronenko, 57, who came from Selydove just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the front line. She sat next to her husband in the car of a train waiting to leave Pokrovsk. It was bound for Lviv, hundreds of kilometers (miles) away in western Ukraine. Russia wants control of all parts of Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk, which together make up the Donbas industrial region. Officials warned last week that Russian forces were rapidly advancing and were just 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the outskirts of Pokrovsk. Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief, said Monday that “heavy battles” were taking place in the Pokrovsk area. The nearby town of […]
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge differences holding up a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, and he called on Hamas to do the same, without saying whether concerns cited by the terrorist group had been addressed. The high-stakes negotiations have gained urgency in recent days as diplomats hope an agreement will deter Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah from avenging the targeted killings of two top militants that were blamed on Israel. The escalating tensions have raised fears of an even more destructive regional war. Blinken spoke after holding a 2 1/2 hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day, and will travel to Egypt and Qatar for further negotiations. The three mediators have spent months trying to end the war in Gaza, with the talks repeatedly stalling. “In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel supports the bridging proposal,” Blinken told reporters, without saying what the proposal entails. “The next important step is for Hamas to say ‘yes.’” He added, however, that even if Hamas accepts the proposal, negotiators will spend the coming days working on “clear understandings on implementing the agreement.” He said there are still “complex issues” requiring “hard decisions by the leaders,” without offering specifics. Hamas has said it is losing faith in the U.S. as a mediator, accusing American negotiators of siding with Israel as it makes new demands that the terror group rejects. Blinken did not say whether the proposal addressed Israel’s demand for control over two strategic corridors inside Gaza — which Hamas has said is a nonstarter — or other issues that have long bedeviled the negotiations. Netanyahu said that he had a “good and important meeting” with Blinken and appreciated the “understanding that the United States has shown to our vital security interests, along with our shared efforts to release our hostages.” He added that efforts are being made to release the maximum number of hostages in the first stage of a the cease-fire deal. Blinken’s ninth mission to the Middle East since the conflict began came days after mediators, including the United States, expressed renewed optimism that a deal was near. But Hamas has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the latest proposal, and Israel has said there were points on which it was unwilling to compromise. Earlier on Monday, Blinken said it was a “decisive moment,” and “maybe the last” opportunity to free the hostages and secure a cease-fire. “It’s also time to make sure that no one takes any steps that could derail this process,” he said in a veiled reference to Iran. “And so we’re working to make sure that there is no escalation, that there are no provocations, that there are no actions that in any way move us away from getting this deal over the line, or for that matter, escalating the conflict to other places and to greater intensity.” Mediators will meet again this week to try to cement a cease-fire. Blinken will travel Tuesday to Egypt and Qatar. Dozens of Israelis demonstrated outside of the Tel Aviv hotel where Blinken was staying, holding photos of the hostages and demanding an immediate cease-fire. “We know that only with vast help of the American administration a […]
IDF troops from the 7th Brigade have expanded their operations in the Gaza Strip, targeting areas around Khan Yunis and the outskirts of Deir al-Balah. As part of these operations, IDF soldiers are eliminating terrorists and dismantling combat compounds both above and below ground. In a significant find, the 603rd Battalion uncovered dozens of rockets, launchers, and several anti-tank missiles in one of these compounds. With intelligence assistance, the 603rd Battalion, in coordination with the Yahalom Unit, located and destroyed an underground tunnel approximately 1.5 kilometers in length. The tunnel, used by Hamas, contained weapons, explosives, and equipment for long-term habitation. The terrorists occupying the compound fled as IDF troops arrived. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Billionaire Carl Icahn and his company were charged by U.S. regulators with failing to disclose personal loans worth billions of dollars that were secured using securities of Icahn Enterprises as collateral. Icahn Enterprises and Icahn have agreed to pay $1.5 million and $500,000 in civil penalties, respectively, to settle the charges, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Monday. The agency said that from at least Dec. 31, 2018 to the present, Icahn pledged approximately 51% to 82% of Icahn Enterprises’ outstanding securities as collateral to secure personal loans with a number of lenders. The SEC said Icahn Enterprises failed to disclose Icahn’s pledges of the company’s securities as required in its annual report until Feb. 25, 2022. Icahn also failed to file amendments to a required regulatory filing describing his personal loan agreements and amendments, which dated back to at least 2005, and failed to attach required guaranty agreements. Icahn’s failure to file the required amendments to the regulatory filing persisted until at least July 9, 2023, the agency added. Icahn became widely known as a corporate raider in the 1980s when he engineered a takeover of TWA, or Trans World Airlines. Icahn bought the airline in 1985 but by 1992 it filed for bankruptcy. TWA emerged from bankruptcy a year later but continued to operate at a loss and its assets were sold to American Airlines in 2001. In February Icahn took a nearly 10% stake in JetBlue. Icahn Enterprises and Icahn, without admitting or denying the findings, have agreed to cease and desist from future violations and to pay the civil penalties. (AP)
Chabad bochurim Yisroel Andrusier from Florida and Zalmy Gurary from Montreal, students of Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch in the Brunoy village in France, were helping Jews put on Tefillin in the Jewish quarter in Paris, known as the Pletzl. Collive reported on a moving encounter they had with a special Jew, Raphael Benguigui, and his wife Lorena, residents of Paris and Lisbon, Portugal. Raphael, who doesn’t have hands, agreed to put on Tefillin. Lorena told the bochurim later that Raphael used to daven with tefillin on a regular basis but stopped when he was diagnosed with leukemia and later suffered from septic shock. “My husband needed this,” she said, explaining that “after what we call ‘the life accident,’ he didn’t do it every day anymore. He had some anger to deal with. Raphael said that from today he will do it every day.” Watch the moving video below: (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
