Yeshiva World News

BNEI BRAK: United Hatzalah volunteers are accompanying freed hostage Bar Kuperstein, the son of United Hatzalah volunteer Tal Kuperstein, as he travels through the city. וּפְדוּיֵי ה’ יְשֻׁבוּן וּבָאוּ צִיּון בְּרִנָּה

A baby is expected to make a full recovery after being pulled from under a vehicle that had flipped during a crash, authorities said Friday after releasing dramatic video that showed the rescue effort along a busy highway. Officers responded to the scene Thursday morning after getting reports that the child and mother had been ejected from the car. Body camera footage shared Friday on social media by the Fort Worth Police Department shows an officer running toward the overturned car and beginning to search for the child as a distraught woman can be heard in the background yelling for her baby. The officer rallied other motorists who had stopped at the scene to help him lift the car. “Under here, we need to move the car,” the officer tells them, saying he thinks the child is pinned underneath. “Keep moving, keep moving,” the officer urges them as the car is lifted just enough for him to grab the child’s leg and pull it to safety. The child was unresponsive, but one officer said he felt a pulse. They attempted to get the baby to take a breath, with one officer using his fingers to push on the child’s chest. The baby eventually began to make noises and then started to cry. Police said both the mother and child were expected to make a full recovery. “Although this video may be extremely difficult to watch, it is an important example of the kinds of situations that our police officers may come across while performing their duties,” the department said in its post. Police Chief Eddie Garcia in a social media post referred to the child as a “little angel” and praised the officers for their heroism. The department also thanked the citizens who stopped to help with the rescue. (AP)

At the start of Sunday’s weekly Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu firmly rejected claims that either Washington dictates Israel’s defense policy or that Israel controls the American administration. “Over the past month, we have been witnessing ridiculous claims regarding the relationship between the United States and Israel,” Netanyahu said. “When I was in Washington, it was said there that I control the American administration, that I dictate its security policy to it. Now, the opposite is being claimed – the American administration controls me and dictates Israel’s security policy.” “Neither of these is true,” he continued. “Israel is an independent country; the United States is an independent country. The relations between us are relations between partners, and this partnership, which has reached an all-time high, was also expressed in the operational cooperation in the second part of Operation Rising Lion.” Netanyahu pointed to the successful cooperation that led to “the release of all the living hostages from Gaza,” and broader efforts “to return all the fallen, and also in other areas in which we are changing the face of the Middle East together.” Reiterating Israel’s full autonomy in matters of defense, the Prime Minister declared, “Our security policy is in our own hands. We are not prepared to tolerate attacks against us. We respond according to our own judgment against attacks, as we saw in Lebanon and most recently in Gaza. We dropped 150 tons on Hamas and the terrorist elements after the attack on our two soldiers. And of course, we also thwart dangers as they are being formed, before they are carried out, as we did just yesterday in the Gaza Strip.” “We do not seek anyone’s approval for this,” he said. “We are in control of our security, and we have also made it clear regarding international forces that Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us, and this is how we operate and will continue to operate.” “This is, of course, acceptable to the United States as well, as its most senior representatives have expressed in recent days,” Netanyahu added. Concluding his remarks, the Prime Minister emphasized: “Israel is an independent state. We will defend ourselves with our own forces, and we will continue to control our destiny.”

Kamala Harris isn’t ruling out another run for the White House. In an interview with the BBC posted Saturday, Harris said she expects a woman will be president in the coming years, and it could “possibly” be her. “I am not done,” she said. The former vice president said she hasn’t decided whether to mount a 2028 presidential campaign. But she dismissed the suggestion that she’d face long odds. “I have lived my entire career a life of service and it’s in my bones. And there are many ways to serve,” she said. “I’ve never listened to polls.” She’s recently given a series of interviews following the September release of her book, “107 Days.” It looks back on her experience replacing then-President Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee after he dropped out of the race. She ultimately lost to Republican President Donald Trump. In an interview with The Associated Press last week, Harris, 60, also made clear that running again in 2028 is still on the table. She said she sees herself as a leader of the party, including in pushing back against Trump and preparing for the 2026 midterms. Asked in an Oct. 17 interview with AP whether she had plans for a 2028 bid, Harris said, “I haven’t decided. Sincerely. I have not decided. I may or I may not. I have not decided.” Asked specifically whether she still wanted to do the job itself, she used the past tense, saying, “It’s a job I wanted to do.” But she noted that the only way to do it “is to run” and win. Meanwhile, political jockeying among Democrats for the 2028 presidential contest appears to be playing out even earlier than usual. Several potential candidates are already taking steps to get to know voters in key states, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, term-limited Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and California Rep. Ro Khanna. Upwards of 30 high-profile Democrats could ultimately enter the primary. (AP)

Lebanese media report that an Israeli drone strike near Naqoura in southern Lebanon has killed one person, with Saudi al-Hadath citing reports that the individual may be Abd a-Sayed, a Hezbollah terrorist.

Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is once again at the center of controversy — and this time, critics say, his efforts to portray himself as a misunderstood progressive are collapsing under the weight of his own record. During Wednesday night’s debate against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, Mamdani indignantly denied accusations that he has ever supported “global jihad.” But a review of his public statements, musical career, and long association with radical figures tells a far more complicated story — one that is increasingly unsettling Democrats and alarming Jewish and moderate voters across the city. “I have never, not once, spoken in support of global jihad,” Mamdani declared on stage, framing the criticism as a racist attack on his faith. “This is being ascribed to me because I am Muslim.” But his record suggests otherwise. Mamdani has praised controversial Islamist figures, echoed their rhetoric, and repeatedly refused to condemn violent anti-Israel slogans, even as he insists that his critics are motivated by Islamophobia. Among those Mamdani has embraced is Imam Siraj Wahhaj, one of the most controversial clerics in the United States, who once served as a character witness for the “Blind Sheikh” Omar Abdel-Rahman — the man convicted of orchestrating the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Wahhaj has repeatedly described America as a “garbage can” and once called for raising an “army of 10,000 men” to “declare jihad.” Far from distancing himself, Mamdani spoke at Wahhaj’s Brooklyn mosque last week, calling him “one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders.” Wahhaj, in turn, told his congregation, “Allah has blessed us. We have a very, very good candidate — his name is Zohran Mamdani.” For Mamdani, who has also cultivated ties with activist Linda Sarsour, the self-proclaimed “unapologetic pro-BDS, one-state solution supporting, resistance supporter,” such alliances appear to be a feature, not a flaw. Both figures have long drawn accusations of antisemitism for their support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and incendiary comments about Israel. Since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terrorist massacre in southern Israel, Mamdani has accused Israel of “genocide” dozens of times on social media — but has repeatedly avoided condemning Hamas. The day after the attack, his statement made no mention of the terror group that murdered and kidnapped civilians, instead blaming “Netanyahu’s declaration of war.” Even his attempts at clarification have been evasive. Asked on Fox News earlier this month whether Hamas should disarm, Mamdani dodged: “I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety.” He later backtracked at a mayoral debate, claiming, “Of course I believe that they should lay down their arms.” Before entering politics, Mamdani dabbled in rap — releasing a 2017 song that sent “love” to the Holy Land Five, Hamas financiers convicted in 2008 for funneling millions of dollars to the terrorist organization. He’s also repeatedly tweeted support for the “Globalize the Intifada” slogan — a rallying cry for violence against Jews — and has defended it as a mere call for “struggle.” The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum condemned that defense as “outrageous and especially offensive to survivors,” calling on all leaders to “condemn its use and the abuse of history.” Republicans have seized on the controversy — but concern is also growing among Democrats. “Zohran Mamdani […]

Israeli military prosecutors have filed an indictment against a Palestinian man accused of orchestrating a failed bombing attack targeting public buses in central Israel earlier this year, a case that officials say could have caused mass casualties had the plan succeeded. The suspect, Abed al-Karim Snober, was detained in July following months on the run and now faces multiple charges related to the February 20 explosions that rocked parking lots in the Tel Aviv suburbs of Bat Yam and Holon. According to the indictment, Snober was part of a cell that sought to “harm a large number of civilians” by placing shrapnel-packed explosive devices in crowded urban areas. Investigators say Snober manufactured several improvised bombs filled with nails and screws before entering Israel to plant them on public buses. On the evening of February 20, three empty buses exploded in quick succession, while two additional devices were discovered and defused before detonating. The blasts, which occurred after the buses had completed their routes, caused no injuries but set off panic in the surrounding communities and triggered a large-scale security response. Military officials said Snober fled back to the West Bank immediately after the failed attack, hiding in multiple locations until his capture five months later. During his time in hiding, prosecutors allege, Snober began planning a second attack — a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv — and was in the process of assembling new explosive devices when he was arrested. The indictment, filed in a military court, also names several alleged accomplices, including an Israeli resident of Holon accused of transporting Snober to one of the bombing sites in Bat Yam. Prosecutors said additional indictments are expected as the investigation continues. The IDF said Snober will remain in custody until the conclusion of legal proceedings. “This case underscores the continued efforts by terror elements to strike inside Israel’s civilian centers,” the IDF said in a statement. Although the February incident caused no casualties, Israeli officials described it as one of the most serious attempted attacks in recent years, given the scale of planning and potential for mass fatalities. The case comes amid heightened security concerns following a series of attempted infiltrations and foiled bomb plots in central Israel this year. The indictment also reflects a shift in terrorist tactics, officials say — from lone-wolf stabbings and shootings to coordinated bomb plots reminiscent of the attacks that defined earlier decades of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Iraq’s Ministry of Oil announced that a large fire at the Zubair warehouse of a Basra oil company left one employee dead and four others injured.

WATCH: Stunning video captures the eruption of the Taal Volcano in the Philippines.

Yesterday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with the families of American citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, whose remains are being held by Hamas.

Freed hostages Evyatar David, Eitan Mor, and Guy Gilboa-Dalal have been discharged from the hospital.

Military prosecutors have indicted Abed al-Karim Snober, a Palestinian terrorist accused of orchestrating a failed bus bombing attack in central Israel on February 20. That day, three empty buses exploded in Bat Yam and Holon, while two more bombs were found and defused, causing no casualties. According to the indictment, Snober and accomplices aimed to kill civilians using shrapnel-filled explosives placed on crowded buses. After the attack failed, Snober fled to the West Bank, where he later planned a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv before being captured in July. He will remain in custody until the end of legal proceedings, and indictments have also been filed against additional suspects.

TRUMP: “We meet, as you know, in South Korea with President Xi. I think we’re going to have a good deal with China. They want to make a deal, and we want to make a deal… I think we’re going to have a very fair meeting with China.”

President Trump joins leaders for a group photo at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, after signing a Cambodia–Thailand peace treaty, a major trade agreement with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, and a historic trade deal with the Malaysian Prime Minister.

A Qatari news outlet has released images that it says shows members of Hamas’s so-called “Shadow Unit” — the secretive wing tasked with guarding hostages — alongside a Red Cross vehicle in southern Gaza, raising new questions about the terror group’s coordination with humanitarian agencies amid the fragile post-war environment. The video, published Sunday by the Qatari network Al-Araby, depicts Hamas fighters standing near a Red Cross-marked vehicle in the al-Mawasi area west of Rafah — territory that remains outside Israeli military control. According to the report, the group and Red Cross personnel were jointly searching for the body of an Israeli hostage believed to have been buried in the area. The “Shadow Unit,” a small and secretive contingent within Hamas’s armed wing, gained notoriety during the war for overseeing the captivity and movement of Israeli hostages taken during the October 7 attacks. Neither the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) nor Israeli officials immediately commented on the footage. The Red Cross has previously said it operates in Gaza solely to deliver humanitarian aid and facilitate the transfer of released hostages under agreements brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. On Friday, there were indications that Hamas was also preparing to return remains; however, the terror group did not. Hamas could return eight more hostages to Israel; however, there are another five whose whereabouts are unknown, a senior Israeli official told Ynet. There have not been any remains of hostages returned since Tuesday night. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a major Category 4 hurricane, with the possibility of intensifying to a Category 5 storm Sunday night, unleashing torrential rain and threatening to cause catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean, including Haiti and Jamaica, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The weather agency added Melissa is likely to reach the southern coast of Jamaica as a major hurricane late Monday or Tuesday morning, and urged people on the island to seek shelter immediately. “I urge Jamaicans to take this weather threat seriously,” said Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness. “Take all measures to protect yourself.” Melissa was centered about 120 miles (195 kilometers) south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 280 miles (450 kilometers) south-southwest of Guantanamo, Cuba, Sunday morning. It had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph) and was moving west at 5 mph (8 kph), the hurricane center said. Melissa was expected to drop torrential rains of up to 30 inches (760 millimeters) on Jamaica and southern Hispaniola — Haiti and the Dominican Republic — according to the hurricane center. Some areas may see as much as 40 inches (1,010 millimeters) of rain. It also warned that extensive damage to infrastructure, power and communication outages, and the isolation of communities in Jamaica were to be expected. Melissa should be near or over Cuba by late Tuesday, where it could bring up to 12 inches (300 millimeters) of rain, before moving toward the Bahamas later Wednesday. The Cuban government on Saturday afternoon issued a hurricane watch for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo and Holguin. Storm’s slow progress The erratic and slow-moving storm has killed at least three people in Haiti and a fourth person in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing. “Unfortunately for places along the projected path of this storm, it is increasingly dire,” Jamie Rhome, the center’s deputy director, said earlier on Saturday. He said the storm will continue to move slowly for up to four days. Authorities in Jamaica said on Saturday that the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston will be closed at 8 p.m. local time. It did not say whether it will close the Sangster airport in Montego Bay, on the western side of the island. More than 650 shelters were activated in Jamaica. Officials said warehouses across the island were well-stocked and thousands of food packages prepositioned for quick distribution if needed. River levels rise Haitian authorities said three people had died as a consequence of the hurricane and another five were injured due to a collapsed wall. There were also reports of rising river levels, flooding and a bridge destroyed due to breached riverbanks in Sainte-Suzanne, in the northeast. “The storm is causing a lot of concern with the way it’s moving,” said Ronald Délice, a Haitian department director of civil protection, as local authorities organized lines to distribute food kits. Many residents are still reluctant to leave their homes. The storm has damaged nearly 200 homes in the Dominican Republic and knocked out water supply systems, affecting more than half a million customers. It also downed trees and traffic lights, unleashed a couple of small landslides and left more than two dozen communities isolated by floodwaters. The Bahamas Department of Meteorology said Melissa could bring tropical storm or hurricane conditions to islands in […]

Suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of crown jewel s from Paris’ Louvre museum, the Paris prosecutor said on Sunday, a week after the heist at the world’s most visited museum that stunned the word. The prosecutor said that investigators made the arrests on Saturday evening, adding that one of the men taken into custody was preparing to leave the country from Roissy Airport. French media BFM TV and Le Parisien newspaper earlier reported that two suspects had been arrested and taken into custody. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau did not confirm the number of arrests and did not say whether jewels had been recovered. Thieves took less than eight minutes to steal jewels valued at 88 million euros ($102 million) last Sunday morning. French officials described how the intruders used a basket lift to scale the Louvre’s façade, forced open a window, smashed display cases and fled. The museum’s director called the incident a “terrible failure.” Beccuau said investigators from a special police unit in charge of armed robberies, serious burglaries and art thefts made the arrests. She rued in her statement the premature leak of information, saying it could hinder the work of over 100 investigators “mobilized to recover the stolen jewels and apprehend all of the perpetrators.” Beccuau said further details will be unveiled after the suspects’ custody period ends. French Interior minister Laurent Nunez praised “the investigators who have worked tirelessly, just as I asked them to, and who have always had my full confidence.” The Louvre reopened earlier this week after one of the highest-profile museum thefts of the century stunned the world with its audacity and scale. The thieves slipped in and out, making off with parts of France’s Crown Jewels — a cultural wound that some compared to the burning of Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019. The thieves made away with a total of eight objects, including a sapphire diadem, necklace and single earring from a set linked to 19th-century queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense. They also took an emerald necklace and earrings tied to Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife, as well as a reliquary brooch. Empress Eugénie’s diamond diadem and her large corsage-bow brooch — an imperial ensemble of rare craftsmanship — were also part of the loot. One piece — Eugénie’s emerald-set imperial crown with more than 1,300 diamonds — was later found outside the museum, damaged but recoverable. (AP)

Gunfire erupted during outdoor festivities at Pennsylvania’s Lincoln University late Saturday, killing one person and wounding six others as students and alumni celebrated homecoming at the historically Black school, authorities said. A person who had a firearm was detained, and officials are investigating the possibility that there was more than one shooter but don’t believe there is any active threat to the campus, Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said during a brief news conference early Sunday. “We don’t have a lot of answers about exactly what happened,” he said. “What I will tell you is that today we’re operating as if this is not an incident where someone came in with the design to inflict mass damage on a college campus.” Authorities say the shooting took place at around 9:30 p.m. outside a large building called the International Cultural Center, where tents and tables were set up for tailgating and socializing after a football game earlier in the day. “It was a chaotic scene, and people fled in every direction,” the district attorney said. He urged anyone with video from the scene or other information that could help the investigation to contact the FBI. Authorities weren’t sharing details about the victims, including their conditions or where the injured were being treated. The campus is about 45 miles (70 kilometers) southwest of Philadelphia. Chester County detectives are leading the investigation, with support from state police and the FBI. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said on X that he was briefed on the shooting and offered the support of his administration and family. “Join Lori and me in praying for the Lincoln University community,” he said. Lincoln University Police Chief Marc Partee said the shooting devastated the school’s community on what was supposed to be a joyous day focused on the school’s legacy. “If there was another word to describe that, that’s more impactful, I would use it,” he said, “but ‘devastated’ is a start.” (AP)