Two people were killed and seven others wounded on Friday when rockets fired by Hezbollah struck the northern Arab town of Majd al-Krum, part of a larger barrage aimed at northern Israel from Lebanon. The victims, Arjwan Manaa, 19, and Hassan Suad, 21, died from critical injuries sustained when a rocket hit near a local minimarket. Manaa was working as a cashier, while Suad was a customer shopping for produce at the time of the attack. Television footage from the scene revealed a blood-stained floor near the cash register, with bags of fruits and vegetables left on the counter. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the assault, stating that its intended target was the nearby city of Karmiel. The Israel Defense Forces reported that approximately 30 rockets were fired in this attack, contributing to a total of 65 rockets launched at northern Israel on Friday. According to the Magen David Adom ambulance service, one 21-year-old man is in critical condition, an 80-year-old man is seriously injured, while two others are in moderate condition and three sustained minor injuries.
U.S. President Joe Biden stated on Saturday that Israel appears to have targeted only military sites in its retaliatory attack against Iran the previous night. “It looks like they didn’t hit anything other than military targets,” he told reporters. This statement marked another attempt by Washington to subtly express its approval of Israel’s strikes. A senior Biden administration official had informed reporters hours earlier that the attacks were “targeted and proportional with low risk of civilian harm.” Biden added, “My hope is this is the end,” as the U.S. aims to balance its support for Israel’s right to defend itself following Iran’s October 1 ballistic missile strike, while also calling for de-escalation in the region. Pres. Biden on Saturday said it appeared Israel had only struck military targets in its attack on Iran and that he hopes it is “the end.” This sentiment was reiterated later on Saturday by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who told reporters, “We are very adamant that we must see de-escalation in the region going forward, and that will be our focus. Of course, we maintain the importance of supporting Israel’s right to defend itself,” she said, also emphasizing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to the region this week to promote ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon. In the nearly four weeks since Iran’s attack, the U.S. has sought to use its influence over Israel to shape a response that would prevent an all-out war between Israel and Iran. Biden publicly opposed targeting Iranian nuclear and oil sites, leaving military installations like those struck early Saturday as the primary viable option for Israel, which relies heavily on U.S. support. In preparation for the counter-strikes, the U.S. deployed several THAAD air defense batteries to Israel, along with troops to operate them—marking the first time U.S. personnel have been stationed on the ground to defend Israel.
Chinese hackers engaged in a broader espionage operation targeted cellphones used by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, his running mate, JD Vance, and people associated with the Democratic campaign of Kamala Harris, people familiar with the matter said Friday. It was not immediately clear what data, if any, may have been accessed. U.S. officials are continuing to investigate, according to the people, who were not authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing inquiry and spoke on the condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. An FBI statement did not confirm the identities of any of the potential targets but said it was investigating “unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China.” “Agencies across the U.S. Government are collaborating to aggressively mitigate this threat and are coordinating with our industry partners to strengthen cyber defenses across the commercial communications sector,” the FBI said. U.S. officials believe the campaigns were among numerous targets of a larger cyberespionage operation launched by China, the people said. It was not immediately clear what information China may have hoped to glean, though Beijing has for years engaged in vast hacking campaigns aimed at collecting the private data of Americans and government workers, spying on technology and corporate secrets from major American companies and targeting U.S. infrastructure. News that high-profile political candidates and their campaigns were targeted comes as U.S. officials remain on high alert for foreign interference in the final stretch of the presidential campaign. Iranian hackers have been blamed for targeting Trump campaign officials and the Justice Department has exposed vast disinformation campaigns orchestrated by Russia, which is said to favor Trump over Harris. China, by contrast, is believed by U.S. intelligence officials to be taking a neutral stance in the race and is instead focused on down-ballot races, targeting candidates from both parties based on their stance on issues of key importance to Beijing, including support for Taiwan. The New York Times first reported that Trump and Vance had been targeted and said the campaign was advised of the development this week. Three people confirmed the news to the AP, including one who said that people associated with the Harris campaign were also targeted. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington said Friday that they were not familiar with the specifics and could not comment, but contended that China is routinely victimized by cyberattacks and opposes the activity. “The presidential elections are the United States’ domestic affairs. China has no intention and will not interfere in the U.S. election. We hope that the U.S. side will not make accusations against China in the election,” the statement said. Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung did not offer any details about the Chinese operation but issued a statement accusing the Harris campaign of having emboldened foreign adversaries, including China and Iran. Trump did not respond to shouted questions about whether his phone had been hacked by China as he departed an event in Texas. The FBI has repeatedly warned over the last year about Chinese hacking operations, with Director Chris Wray telling Congress in January that investigators had disrupted a state-sponsored group known as Volt Typhoon. That operation disrupted a botnet of hundreds of U.S.-based small office and home routers owned by private citizens and companies. Their ultimate targets included […]
דברי מליצה ישרה ולימוד זכות על בני אל חי בעת אמירת הושענות היוצאים בקדושה ובטהרה ובהשתפכות הנפש מפי רבינו הגה”ק, סניגורן של ישראל מרן מצאנז קלויזענבורג זי״ע העומד ומהפך בזכותן של ישראל כמלאך מיכאל לפני כסא הכבוד קטע וידיאו נפלא מ”אמירת הושענות” בשארית כוחותיו חוה”מ סוכות תשמ”ד – 15 מינוט – צו זעהן קליקט דא
Less than two weeks before Election Day, The Washington Post said Friday it would not endorse a candidate for president in this year’s tightly contested race and would avoid doing so in the future — a decision immediately condemned by a former executive editor but one that the current publisher insisted was “consistent with the values the Post has always stood for.” In an article posted on the front of its website, the Post — reporting on its own inner workings — also quoted unidentified sources within the publication as saying that an endorsement of Kamala Harris over Donald Trump had been written but not published. Those sources told the Post reporters that the company’s owner, billionaire Jeff Bezos, made the decision. The Post’s publisher, Will Lewis, wrote in a column that the decision was actually a return to a tradition the paper had years ago of not endorsing candidates. He said it reflected the paper’s faith in “our readers’ ability to make up their own minds.” “We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility. That is inevitable,” Lewis wrote. “We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values the Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects.” There was no immediate reaction from either campaign. The Post isn’t the only one going this route Lewis cited the Post’s history in writing about the decision. According to him, the Post only started regularly endorsing candidates for president when it backed Jimmy Carter in 1976. The Post said the decision had “roiled” many on the opinion staff, which operates independently from the Post’s newsroom staff — what is known commonly in the industry as a “church-state separation” between those who report the news and those who write opinion. The Post’s move comes the same week that the Los Angeles Times announced a similar decision, which triggered the resignations of its editorial page editor and two other members of the editorial board. In that instance, the Times’ owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong, insisted he had not censored the editorial board, which had planned to endorse Harris. “As an owner, I’m on the editorial board and I shared with our editors that maybe this year we have a column, a page, two pages, if we want, of all the pros and all the cons and let the readers decide,” Soon-Shiong said in an interview Thursday with Spectrum News. He said he feared endorsing a candidate would add to the country’s division. In August, the newly rebranded Minnesota Star Tribune also announced it would no longer endorse candidates. The paper is owned by billionaire Glen Taylor, who also owns the Minnesota Timberwolves. Its publisher is Steve Grove, who was economic development commissioner in the administration of Gov. Tim Walz — Harris’ running mate. Many American newspapers have been dropping editorial endorsements in recent years. That is in large part because at a time readership has been dwindling, they don’t want to give remaining subscribers and news consumers a […]
Any agreement to release hostages will require an end to the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, an official on Israel’s negotiation team told the families of captives, according to Channel 12. The official informed the families that Mossad Director David Barnea’s trip to Doha tomorrow, aimed at restarting mediated talks, will only yield results if the government grants him a sufficiently broad mandate, which has not yet been provided. This assessment from the negotiator comes despite Israel’s expectation that Hamas’s demands for a deal might lessen following the killing of its leader, Yahya Sinwar.
In the back room of a brewery in southeastern Nebraska, more than three dozen people crowded together this summer to hear from Dan Osborn, a former cereal plant worker and independent running for U.S. Senate. The standing-room-only crowd in the small town of Beatrice was larger than Osborn expected, but it stood out for more than its size. Those attending ranged from supporters of former President Donald Trump wearing “Make America Great Again” hats to voters firmly backing Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats. Osborn’s message to all of them was that America’s two-party system has let them down. “There’s nobody like me in the United States Senate,” he told the crowd. “Right now, the Senate is a country club of millionaires that work for billionaires.” Osborn has cobbled together a campaign in deeply conservative Nebraska that rejects both major political parties as part of a broken system. For a guy who held his first campaign news conferences out of the garage of his suburban Omaha home, he has surprised pundits by emerging as a serious challenger to two-term Republican Sen. Deb Fischer in what had been considered a safe seat for the GOP only months ago. The contest has attracted $21 million in spending from outside groups, favoring Osborn, and even Fischer’s campaign acknowledges that the race is closer than expected. There is no Democratic candidate running, but a win for Osborn could disrupt Republican plans to reclaim a majority in the Senate. Osborn has said he won’t caucus with either party. That hasn’t stopped Democrats from openly supporting him. During the first 16 days of October, after the national spotlight on him had intensified, Osborn raised more than $3 million, almost all of it from individuals and the bulk of it through Democrats’ Act Blue fundraising site, Federal Election Commission reports show. That was almost six times the $530,000 that Fischer raised. Osborn has raised nearly $8 million total to Fischer’s $6.5 million, and with a little less than three weeks before the election, he had $1.1 million cash, twice what Fischer had. Osborn has succeeded not only by rejecting political parties but through boots-on-the-ground campaigning across the state, backed by clever ads — in one he notes “I don’t even own a suit” — that contrast his working-class roots with a system where he says politicians “are bought and sold.” Osborn is a U.S. Navy and Nebraska Army National Guard veteran and industrial mechanic who gained national recognition three years ago when he successfully led a labor strike at Kellogg’s cereal plants, winning higher wages and other benefits. That background shapes his view that working families are being steamrolled by a growing wealth gap, he says. A win by Osborn would be a giant upset in a state where Republicans hold all statewide offices and all congressional districts. Fischer is a rancher from Valentine, a town of 2,600 people in northern Nebraska about 300 miles (483 kilometers) northwest of Omaha. She was a little-known state legislator when she ran as an outsider in 2012, winning a competitive primary and then defeating Bob Kerrey, a former Democratic governor and U.S. senator. Her campaign ads that year showed her leaning up against fence posts and called her “sharp as barb wire, tougher than a cedar fence post.” “Nebraskans […]
American Airlines is testing a new technology at three airports across the country during the boarding process that aims to cut down on passengers who try to cut the line. The technology, which is being tested at Albuquerque International Sunport Airport in New Mexico, Tucson International Airport in Arizona and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Crystal City, Virginia, alerts gate agents with an audible sound if a passenger tries to scan a ticket ahead of their assigned group. “The new technology is designed to ensure customers receive the benefits of priority boarding with ease and helps improve the boarding experience by providing greater visibility into boarding progress for our team,” said American Airlines in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press. American Airlines said that a gate agent politely lets the customer know they’re unable to accept the pass and asks the customer to rejoin the line when their boarding group is called. In some instances where a customer may be able to board out of order, like when traveling with a companion of higher status, the agent has a quick way to override the alert and accept the pass, American Airlines said in the statement. Although the technology is just in a trial phase, the airline said it has been pleased with the results so far. (AP)
Israel pounded Iran with a series of airstrikes early Saturday, saying it was targeting military sites in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired upon Israel earlier in the month. Explosions could be heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran, though the Islamic Republic insisted they caused only “limited damage.” Saturday marked the first time Israel’s military has openly attacked Iran, which hasn’t faced a sustained barrage of fire from a foreign enemy since its 1980s war with Iraq. Israel’s hourslong attack ended just before sunrise in Tehran, with the Israeli military saying it targeted “missile manufacturing facilities used to produce the missiles that Iran fired at the state of Israel over the last year.” It also said it hit surface-to-air missile sites and “additional Iranian aerial capabilities.” Israel offered no initial damage assessment. Initially, nuclear facilities and oil installations all had been seen as possible targets for Israel’s response to Iran’s Oct. 1 attack, but in mid-October the Biden administration won assurances from Israel that it would not hit such targets, which would be a more severe escalation. Reports of explosions near Tehran began to emerge around 2:15 a.m. local time, with the Israel Defense Forces quickly releasing a statement confirming that it was attacking, in response to “months of continuous attacks from the Iranian regime against the State of Israel.” The strikes were carried out in several waves over the course of several hours, in various areas of Iran, with the Islamic Republic closing its airspace for the duration and seemingly showing little ability to counter the assault. Strikes were reported in the Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan and Shiraz areas. As explosions sounded, people in Tehran could see what appeared to be tracer fire light up the sky. Other footage showed what appeared to be surface-to-air missiles being launched. As the campaign was underway, Syrian state media reported that Israel struck several military sites in the south and center of the country, action possibly taken to enable the IAF to operate more freely in Iran. The next waves hit drone and ballistic missile manufacturing sites — those used in direct Iranian attacks on Israel on April 14 and October 1 — as well as sites used to launch such weapons. Ynet cited an Israeli source with knowledge of the matter as saying: “The intelligence provided here by the IDF Intelligence Directorate was science fiction-like, beyond imagination.” He said the highly precise intel enabled Israel to hit “an irreplaceable factory” behind the manufacture of surface-to-surface missiles. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Iran’s mission to the UN reports that Israeli warplanes launched attacks on Iran from Iraqi airspace, accusing the United States of “complicity” in the action. “Iraqi airspace is under the occupation, command and control of the US military. Conclusion: The US complicity in this crime is certain,” Iran’s UN mission wrote on X. 1. The Zionist regime’s warplanes attacked several Iranian military and radar sites from Iraqi airspace, approximately 70 miles from Iran’s border. 2. Iraqi airspace is under the occupation, command and control of the U.S. military. Conclusion: The U.S. complicity in this crime… — I.R.IRAN Mission to UN, NY (@Iran_UN) October 26, 2024
According to Channel 13, Israel originally intended to target Iran’s oil and natural gas facilities but revised its plan to focus solely on Iranian military sites due to ongoing pressure from the United States. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has denied the report, calling it “totally false.” “Israel chose the targets ahead of time, based on its national interests,” says the Prime Minister’s Office, “and not based on American directives.” “That’s how it was, and that’s how it will be.”
The IDF reported that a total of 13 soldiers were killed during combat operations in Gaza and southern Lebanon over the second days of Sukkos. The soldiers, serving in various brigades, lost their lives during confrontations with terror operatives, while numerous others were wounded. Below is the list of the fallen soldiers: Southern Lebanon: – Sgt. First Class Gai Ben-Haroosh, 23, from Pardes Hanna-Karkur, commander in the Oketz canine unit. – Warrant Officer (res.) Mordechai Haim Amoyal, 42, from Lod, Carmeli Brigade’s 222nd Battalion. – Sgt. Maj. (res.) Shmuel Harari, 35, from Safed, Carmeli Brigade’s 222nd Battalion. – Master Sgt. (res.) Shlomo Aviad Nayman, 31, from Mitzpe Yeriho, Carmeli Brigade’s 222nd Battalion. – Sgt. First Class (res.) Shuvael Ben-Natan, 22, from Rehalim, Carmeli Brigade’s 222nd Battalion. – Maj. (res.) Dan Maori, 43, from Beit Yitzhak-Sha’ar Hefer, deputy commander of the 8th Armored Brigade’s 89th Battalion. – Cpt. (res.) Alon Safrai, 28, from Jerusalem, 8th Armored Brigade’s 89th Battalion. – Warrant Officer (res.) Omri Lotan, 47, from Bat Hefer, 8th Armored Brigade’s 89th Battalion. – Warrant Officer (res.) Guy Idan, 51, from Shomrat, 8th Armored Brigade’s 89th Battalion. – Master Sgt. (res.) Tom Segal, 28, from Ein HaBesor, 8th Armored Brigade’s 89th Battalion. Northern Gaza: – Cpt. Barak Israel Sagan, 22, from Petah Tikva, 460th Armored Brigade’s 196th Battalion. – Sgt. Ido Ben Zvi, 21, from Shomrat, 460th Armored Brigade’s 196th Battalion. – Sgt. Hillel Ovadia, 22, from Jerusalem, 460th Armored Brigade’s 196th Battalion. In addition to the fatalities, at least 10 soldiers were wounded and are in serious condition. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
President Isaac Herzog commends everyone involved in last night’s strikes on Iran, including members of the security establishment and the political leadership. “Our capabilities that were demonstrated and the goals that were achieved were very important for establishing the security of the State of Israel and the defense of its citizens,” Herzog states. He also expresses gratitude to the United States for its “overt and covert” cooperation.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has reaffirmed Washington’s call for de-escalation following Israel’s recent retaliatory strike against Iran. “We are also very adamant that we must see de-escalation in the region going forward, and that will be our focus,” she told reporters, noting she had just discussed the matter with President Joe Biden and their national security aides. “Of course, we maintain the importance of supporting Israel’s right to defend itself.” The Democratic presidential nominee cited U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to the region this week as part of Washington’s ongoing efforts to end the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon. “We must get the hostages out and work toward a two-state solution, and we do believe strongly that as it relates to Lebanon and the region, that part of the strength of our work is the diplomatic work we will do to reach that end,” she added. When asked about the response from Arab allies to Israel’s counter-strike, Harris noted that they, too, are calling for de-escalation.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, using his newly launched Hebrew account. The post states, “In the name of Allah, the Merciful and the Compassionate.” Th message was also shared on his main account. בשם אללה הרחמן והרחום — Khamenei.ir Hebrew (@Khamenei_Heb) October 26, 2024 The tweet came after Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes on Saturday, which resulted in the deaths of four Iranian soldiers, escalating tensions between the two nations in an already volatile regional situation.
