Dash camera footage captures a truck driver viciously assaulting another driver following an argument. The attacker was promptly arrested by Northern Israel police.
Zaher Jabarin, a senior Hamas official, announced: “Tomorrow, we will provide the names of the four Israeli captives to be freed in the second release on Saturday.”
Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS are facing fresh scrutiny from Britain’s competition watchdog, which announced investigations Thursday targeting the two tech giants’ mobile phone ecosystems under new powers to crack down on digital market abuses. The Competition and Markets Authority said it launched separate investigations to determine whether the mobile ecosystems controlled by Apple and Google should be given “strategic market status” that would mandate changes in the companies’ practices. The watchdog is flexing its newly acquired regulatory muscles again after the new digital market rules took effect at the start of the year. The CMA has already used the new rules, designed to protect consumers and businesses from unfair practices by Big Tech companies, to open an investigation into Google’s search ads business. The new investigations will examine whether Apple or Google’s mobile operating systems, app stores and browsers give either company a strategic position in the market. The watchdog said it’s interested in the level of competition and any barriers preventing rivals from offering competing products and services. The CMA will also look into whether Apple or Google are favoring their own apps and services, which it said “often come pre-installed and prominently placed on iOS and Android devices.” Google’s YouTube and Apple’s Safari browser are two examples of apps that come bundled with Android and iOS, respectively. And it will investigate “exploitative conduct,” such as whether Apple or Google forces app makers to agree to “unfair terms and conditions” as condition for distributing apps on their app stores. The regulator has until October to wrap up the investigation. It said it could force either company to, for example, open up access to key functions other apps need to operate on mobile devices. Or it could force them to allow users to download apps outside of their own app stores. Both Google and Apple said the work “constructively” with the U.K. regulator on the investigation. Google said “Android’s openness has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratise access to smartphones and apps. It’s the only example of a successful and viable open source mobile operating system.” The company said it favors “a way forward that avoids stifling choice and opportunities for U.K. consumers and businesses alike, and without risk to U.K. growth prospects.” Apple said it “believes in thriving and dynamic markets where innovation can flourish. We face competition in every segment and jurisdiction where we operate, and our focus is always the trust of our users.” (AP)
Our community is heartbroken over the untimely passing of Bashya Schylander, a devoted wife, mother of four, and a talented designer and architect. Bashya’s creativity and dedication were the backbone of her family’s stability, both emotionally and financially. Her remarkable talent was reflected in her role as the designer of the state-of-the-art Miami Beach mikvah, and she also assisted in the construction of mikvaos around the world—leaving behind a lasting legacy of beauty and sanctity. After a long and courageous battle with illness, which carried significant expenses, Bashya’s tragic loss leaves her husband and four young, unmarried children—ages 10, 13, 14, and 16—facing an uncertain future filled with daunting challenges. These children, now without their beloved mother’s guidance and care, need our support to secure their education, daily needs, and future life milestones, including the significant costs of weddings. The responsibility of helping them rebuild their lives is one we must share as a community. This campaign was launched to provide the family with the financial security they desperately need. All funds will be used to support the children’s well-being and future and will be overseen by an anash committee headed by Rabbi Leib Schapiro, ensuring every dollar is used responsibly. Click here to donate Let us honor Bashya’s memory by stepping forward to support the family she loved so deeply. Your generosity will provide these children with hope, stability, and the knowledge that their community stands beside them in their greatest time of need. Click here to donate Thank you for your kindness and support.
Delta Airlines is reportedly weighing the possibility of resuming flights to and from Israel sooner than previously announced, according to Globes. The airline had previously extended the suspension of its Israel operations until April 1, 2025. However, the recent return of major European carriers, including Lufthansa Group, Air France, British Airways, and easyJet, has increased speculation that U.S. airlines may follow suit and reinstate flights to Israel sooner. While Delta has allowed customers to book flights from Tel Aviv to New York starting in April, the absence of an official announcement specifying a resumption date has caused hesitation among travelers. Typically, airlines formally confirm the return of operations to Ben Gurion Airport to reassure consumers. Despite the lack of confirmation, the Israeli tourism industry is optimistic that Delta will resume its flights as scheduled in April—or possibly earlier. The optimism stems from both the wave of foreign carriers that have already resumed flights to Israel and political pressure in the United States. Senator Ted Cruz recently voiced confidence that U.S. airlines will restart flights to Israel within 30 days. In an interview, Cruz argued that the suspension of flights is more politically motivated than safety-driven. He attributed some of the delays to labor unions, including the flight attendants’ union, which he claimed has taken anti-Israeli stances. As the incoming chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, Cruz said he could take significant steps to expedite the restoration of flights, expressing confidence that the issue would be resolved by the end of February. Delta Airlines, prior to the outbreak of the October 7, 2023, war, operated 17 weekly flights between Tel Aviv and three U.S. cities: New York, Atlanta, and Boston. After initially resuming New York-Tel Aviv flights in May 2024 for a brief three-month period, Delta suspended operations again in August following growing tensions in northern Israel. Since then, Delta has continually extended the suspension of its flights. Delta is not alone in this disruption. United Airlines and American Airlines also suspended their Israel operations in October 2023. United briefly resumed flights in 2024 but later suspended them indefinitely, while American has not resumed its Israel flights at all. Unlike Delta, which has provided specific cancellation dates, United and American have left their suspensions open-ended. Before the war, the three U.S. airlines collectively operated 55 weekly flights between Tel Aviv and various U.S. destinations. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Trump administration’s appointment of Michael DiMino as deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East has sparked widespread concern among pro-Israel conservatives, with critics pointing to his controversial views on Iran, Israel, and U.S. involvement in the region. DiMino, a former military analyst at the CIA and a Defense Department official under Trump’s first term, recently served as a fellow at Defense Priorities, a think tank advocating for reduced U.S. engagement in the Middle East. His comments and policy stances have drawn sharp criticism for downplaying threats from Iran and its proxies and for opposing traditional U.S. military strategies in the region. In a February 2024 webinar, DiMino argued that the Middle East holds minimal strategic importance for the U.S., saying that vital threats in the region are “minimal to nonexistent.” He advocated for a significant reduction of U.S. military presence in Iraq, Syria, and the Gulf, instead promoting diplomacy and intelligence-led operations. Pro-Israel groups have expressed alarm at his remarks on Iran’s ballistic missile attacks on Israel, which he described as a “fairly moderate” response to Israeli actions. DiMino has repeatedly opposed military strikes on Iran, warning that such actions could provoke escalation. In April 2024, he praised President Biden’s efforts to restrain Israel from striking Iranian nuclear sites, a stance many conservatives view as appeasement. DiMino has also been critical of U.S. military actions against Iranian-backed militias and the Houthis in Yemen, describing such strikes as futile. He has argued for increased diplomatic efforts and humanitarian aid rather than military intervention, often urging the U.S. to pressure Israel to modify its policies in Gaza and the West Bank. His views on regional security have further fueled concerns. In a policy paper, he dismissed U.S. interests in the Red Sea as negligible, suggesting that China, rather than the U.S., should address Houthi threats to shipping lanes. He has also criticized potential U.S. security guarantees to Saudi Arabia as part of a normalization deal with Israel, calling Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman an “erratic figure.” Critics within the administration and pro-Israel circles view DiMino’s positions as inconsistent with President Trump’s more hawkish approach to the region. A Republican congressional defense staffer described DiMino’s views as “diametrically opposed” to Trump’s policies, which emphasize a maximum pressure campaign against Iran and robust support for Israel. The appointment has drawn comparisons to Elbridge Colby, another Trump administration official whose stance on Iran has been criticized by conservatives. Both DiMino and Colby are seen as proponents of a more isolationist foreign policy, a perspective many fear will undermine U.S. commitments to its allies. “This foreign policy is the same as Obama’s foreign policy in the Middle East,” said a former Trump administration official. “We are at a point of choosing whether to allow Iran to become a nuclear weapons power, and people like DiMino don’t see that as a threat.” (YWN World Headquarter – NYC)
A senior Israeli military officer, Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk, was confronted by a journalist during an official visit to London yesterday. Basiuk, who serves as the head of the IDF’s Operations Directorate, was approached outside a British security think tank near the UK Ministry of Defence headquarters. In a video shared by Declassified UK, a British investigative news outlet, journalist Alex Morris is seen attempting to question Basiuk. “General Basiuk, what did you discuss with the MoD?” Morris asked as he approached the IDF officer. Morris then escalated his questioning, asking, “Are you worried about the ICC [International Criminal Court] investigating you for war crimes?” and shouting, “Are you a war criminal, General Basiuk?” as the general entered the building without responding. The incident comes amid efforts by pro-Palestinian organizations to pursue criminal prosecution against Israeli military personnel abroad. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Trump: “My message to every business in the world is very simple: come make your product in America and we will give you among the lowest taxes of any nation on earth… but if you don’t make your product in America, then very simply, you will have to pay a tariff.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned on Thursday that a Russian victory over Ukraine would undermine the dissuasive force of the world’s biggest military alliance and that its credibility could cost trillions to restore. NATO has been ramping up its forces along its eastern flank with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, deploying thousands of troops and equipment to deter Moscow from expanding its war into the territory of any of the organization’s 32 member countries. “If Ukraine loses then to restore the deterrence of the rest of NATO again, it will be a much, much higher price than what we are contemplating at this moment in terms of ramping up our spending and ramping up our industrial production,” Rutte said. “It will not be billions extra; it will be trillions extra,” he said, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Rutte insisted that Ukraine’s Western backers must “step up and not scale back the support” they are providing to the country, almost three years after Russia’s full-fledged invasion began. “We have to change the trajectory of the war,” Rutte said, adding that the West “cannot allow in the 21st century that one country invades another country and tries to colonize it.” “We are beyond those days,” he said. Anxiety in Europe is mounting that U.S. President Donald Trump might seek to quickly end the war in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on terms that are unfavorable to Ukraine, but Rutte appeared wary about trying to do things in a hurry. “If we got a bad deal, it would only mean that we will see the president of Russia high-fiving with the leaders from North Korea, Iran and China and we cannot accept that,” the former Dutch prime minister said. “That would be geopolitically a big, big mistake.” Trump’s new envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, criticized allies who talk of continuing the war but still won’t increase their defense spending to NATO guidelines. He said Americans think it is “outrageous” that the Biden administration refused to talk to Putin. NATO leaders have agreed that each member country should spend at least 2% of gross domestic product on their military budgets. The alliance estimates that 23 members will reach that level this year, although almost a third will still fall short. Poland and Estonia spend most in GDP terms. “You cannot ask the American people to expand the umbrella of NATO when the current members aren’t paying their fair share,” Grenell said. The United States spends most within NATO on its own budget, in dollar terms, and allies rely on its military might for their defense. “When we have leaders who are going to talk about more war, we need to make sure that those leaders are spending the right amount of money,” Grenell said. “We need to be able to avoid war, and that means a credible threat from NATO.” He also insisted that former President Joe Biden was wrong not to talk to Putin, who was indicted for war crimes in 2023 by the International Criminal Court for the “unlawful deportation” of children from Ukraine to Russia. “You should be able to talk to people,” Grenell said. “Talking is a tactic, and you’re not going to be able to solve problems peacefully unless you actually have […]
Four sources, including two U.S. officials, have confirmed that Donald Trump is expected to assign the responsibility for Iran diplomacy to his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
Trump admin officials are considering deploying as many as 10,000 soldiers to the U.S.-Mexico border and using DoD bases to hold migrants awaiting deportation as they plan their dramatic crackdown on illegal immigration.
Elon Musk is clashing with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman over the Stargate artificial intelligence infrastructure project touted by President Donald Trump, the latest in a feud between the two tech billionaires that started on OpenAI’s board and is now testing Musk’s influence with the new president. Trump on Tuesday had talked up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion through a new partnership formed by OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, alongside Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, is already starting to build out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of fast-evolving AI technology. Trump declared it “a resounding declaration of confidence in America’s potential” under his new administration, with an initial private investment of $100 billion that could reach five times that sum. But Musk, a close Trump adviser who helped bankroll his campaign and now leads a government cost-cutting initiative, questioned the value of the investment hours later. “They don’t actually have the money,” Musk wrote on his social platform X. “SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority.” Altman responded Wednesday to say Musk was “wrong, as you surely know” and inviting Musk to come visit the first site in Texas that is already under construction. “(T)his is great for the country. i realize what is great for the country isn’t always what’s optimal for your companies, but in your new role i hope you’ll mostly put (America) first,” Altman wrote, using a U.S. flag emoji to represent America. Behind the feud The public clash over Stargate is part of a years-long dispute between Musk and Altman that began with a boardroom rivalry over who should run OpenAI, which both men helped found. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company last year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. A hearing is set for February in a California federal court. The world’s richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI, that is building its own big data center in Memphis, Tennessee. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. When did Stargate start? Tech news outlet The Information first reported on an OpenAI data center project called Stargate in March 2024, indicating that it’s been in the works long before Trump announced it. Another company — Crusoe Energy Systems — announced in July it was building a large and “specially designed AI data center” at the northwest edge of Abilene, Texas at a site run by energy technology company Lancium. Crusoe and Lancium said in a joint statement at the time that the project was “supported by a multibillion-dollar investment” but didn’t disclose its backers. AI technology requires huge amounts of electricity to build and operate and both companies said the project would be powered with renewable sources such as nearby solar farms, in a way that Lancium CEO Michael McNamara said would “deliver the maximum amount of green energy […]
Former CIA Director John Brennan security clearance has been revoked for being one of 51 former intelligence officials who signed a letter suggesting that reports about Hunter Biden’s laptop had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”