A well-orchestrated scam attempt took an unexpected turn Monday afternoon in Kiryas Joel, ending with the arrest of two fraudsters thanks to the vigilance of a local resident and the swift response of law enforcement. At approximately 3:00 PM, Kiryas Joel Public Safety received a call from a local yungerman who reported receiving threatening phone calls from individuals claiming he had an outstanding federal arrest warrant. The scammers offered to “settle” the matter if he paid them $13,500 in cash. To appear cooperative, the yungerman played along—taking photos of himself at the bank and sending proof that he had withdrawn the requested funds. The scammers then arranged to meet him in a hotel lobby near Kiryas Joel. What they didn’t know was that law enforcement was already closing in. Working together with the New York State Police, Kiryas Joel Public Safety Director Moses Witriol told YWN he helped coordinate a takedown operation. At around 6:00 PM, the suspects arrived and took the cash—only to be pulled over moments later by troopers and arrested on the spot. Witriol told YWN that the suspects are likely part of a larger fraud ring, similar to the one involved in a recent case in Williamsburg, where a woman was scammed out of thousands of dollars. That suspect was arrested with the help of Williamsburg Shomrim and the NYPD (YWN report). He also noted that this successful takedown was a direct result of public awareness efforts launched by KJ Public Safety, following a separate incident last month in which a Kiryas Joel woman was duped into handing over $12,000 in an elaborate phone scam (YWN report). The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities are urging anyone with information or who may have been targeted by similar scams to contact the New York State Police at the Monroe Barracks at 845-782-8311. For assistance in Yiddish or general help, community members can also reach out to Kiryas Joel Public Safety at 845-782-5577. Tips to protect yourself from scams: Never trust callers who demand secrecy or create urgency. No legitimate government agency or bank will request payment via cash or gift cards. Always verify suspicious claims by calling official numbers, not those given by the caller. Speak to a trusted family member or community organization before taking action. Hang up and report the call immediately if something feels wrong. On behalf of the Kiryas Joel community, Witriol expressed his appreciation to the New York State Police for their professionalism and commitment to public safety. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
As Iran battles one of the worst droughts in its modern history, a senior Iranian water resources expert has accused the United States and Israel of deliberately manipulating regional weather patterns to deprive the Islamic Republic of rainfall. Speaking in an interview with the Iranian YouTube channel Khateh Energy, Mohsen Arbabian alleged that Tehran’s two chief adversaries have been engaged in a covert, decades-long effort to divert rainclouds away from Iran, contributing to its intensifying water crisis. “I say this with confidence,” Arbabian declared. “You can see in satellite images how the clouds shift from their course. I don’t care how many people say that this is normal. I say it is not.” The remarks, reported by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), are the latest in a series of weather-related conspiracy theories promoted by Iranian figures amid growing public frustration over the country’s dire environmental conditions. Arbabian pointed to the contrast in water levels between Lake Van in Turkey, which he described as “full,” and Iran’s Lake Urmia, a once-vast saltwater lake that has now almost completely dried up. According to Arbabian, clouds originating in the Mediterranean Sea that would historically bring life-sustaining rain to Iran are now being “diverted” toward countries such as Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. He did not offer scientific evidence to support the claim. Iran is currently suffering its most severe drought in decades, with five years of below-average rainfall reducing precipitation by more than 40% in several regions. Water levels in key reservoirs have plummeted: Tehran’s main dam is down to roughly 1% capacity, while others across the country range between 30% and 60%. Without drastic water use cuts, officials warn, some dams could run completely dry by early fall. President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for an urgent national response, warning that water shortages could soon spiral out of control. Amid back-to-back heatwaves—some parts of the country have exceeded 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius)—Tehran and 10 surrounding provinces were recently placed under a state-mandated public holiday to conserve water and electricity. The crisis has already sparked unrest in several regions. In the northern city of Khomam, residents have staged protests over water access and rationing. Authorities have called on the public to immediately reduce water consumption by at least 20%. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
An Islamic training camp blending religious indoctrination with combat-style fitness drills concluded Sunday in the quiet English countryside, despite warnings from Jewish watchdogs and alarm over its leader’s documented support for terrorist groups. The “Spiritual Warrior” camp, held July 30 to August 3 at Darwin Lake in Derbyshire, advertised itself as a program focused on “God-centric masculinity and brotherhood.” Attendees were offered wrestling sessions, striking lessons, business coaching, and Islamic theological lectures. But critics say the serene setting masked a dangerous agenda. At the center of the firestorm is Sayed Hussain Makke, a Shia cleric and head of the Spiritual Warrior Project, who has openly praised Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, referred to Israel’s enemies as “freedom fighters,” and maintained a record of inflammatory, antisemitic rhetoric. Makke’s known affiliations and rhetoric have triggered national concern. The Community Security Trust (CST) and the Derbyshire Jewish Community flagged the event well before it began, warning that it offered a platform to a figure who supports proscribed terrorist groups. Makke attended Nasrallah’s funeral in Beirut and previously called him “one of the world’s greatest freedom fighters,” celebrating what he called the “resistance” movement. Hezbollah is classified as a terrorist organization by the United Kingdom, United States, Israel, and Australia. Earlier this year, Makke was barred from entering Australia when authorities discovered his connection to Nasrallah’s funeral just ten days before his planned visit. Australia’s Home Affairs Ministry revoked his visa, citing national security concerns. Despite these associations, lawyers representing Makke maintain that he is not affiliated with any banned group and has not offered material support to any such organization. Makke, however, has taken an openly hostile stance against his critics. In public posts and responses to The Telegraph and Jewish Chronicle, Makke lashed out at Jewish institutions and media outlets, accusing them of waging a Zionist-led smear campaign. “This attempt to stir up hatred against our camp attendees originates from the infamous Zionist lobby group, United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI), which until recently had two Mossad terror chiefs on its advisory board,” he wrote. He further accused The Telegraph of serving as a “laundering service for the State of Israel,” and called the Jewish Chronicle a “propaganda outlet” used by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to radicalize British Jewry and promote “genocide in the Levant.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A driver trying to set a land speed record during a racing event at Utah’s famed Bonneville Salt Flats died Sunday after he lost control of his rocket-like vehicle called the Speed Demon, organizers said. Driver Chris Raschke lost control about two and a half miles into a run and was treated by medical professionals at the scene, but died from his injuries, according to the Southern California Timing Association, which organizes the popular land-speed racing event known as “Speed Week.” For decades, the flat, glasslike white surface has drawn drivers from all over seeking to set new land speed world records and motorcycle and car fans to watch. A remnant of a prehistoric lakebed, the salt flats that are about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Salt Lake City have also been a backdrop for movies like “Independence Day” and “The World’s Fastest Indian.” “Moto rsports is inherently a dangerous sport,” said Dennis Sullivan, a car builder and racer who set a land speed record in his 1927 Model T street roadster and serves as president of the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association. “People get hurt. People get killed. That’s just the nature of the sport. It doesn’t happen a lot.” Sullivan said motor sports also have stringent safety requirements — such as stronger roll bars, special tires and more fire extinguishers — that help protect drivers. The last racing death Sullivan recalled at the flats came in 2016 when Sam Wheeler, a renowned land speed motorcycle racer, crashed at 200 mph (321 kilometers) when the high-performance bike he was testing fish-tailed and went airborne. The Bonneville Salt Flats, which had its first race in 1914, have about 7 miles for racing and an aquifer underneath that cools the tires of the cars. It’s unlike other race venues in that it doesn’t have stands. Spectators must stand two-tenths of a mile away from the cars. Raschke lost control of the vehicle about two and a half miles into a run. It’s unknown how fast Raschke was driving when he lost control of the vehicle and what speed he was aiming to reach. The association and the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the death, said Sgt. Dane Lerdahl, a spokesman for the law enforcement agency. “We know it was an accident of some sort,” Lerdahl said. For decades, people have used the flat, glasslike surface at Bonneville Salt Flats, 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Salt Lake City, to set speed records, sometimes topping 400 mph (644 kph). Speed Week has long been a draw for motorcycle and car fans. Raschke, 60, was the driver of a streamliner — a long, narrow, aerodynamic car made to run at high speeds — known as the Speed Demon. He had worked in motor sports for more than four decades. According to the Speed Demon racing team’s site, Raschke worked at the Ventura Raceway in the early 1980s, raced 3-wheelers and cars in the mini stock division, learned to fabricate and maintain race cars when working with an acclaimed engine builder and later became a driver for the Speed Demon team. “The racing bug had bitten him and Chris was active on both sides of the fence,” the association said in its biography of Raschke. The Race Week event began on Saturday […]
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is reportedly preparing to seek full cabinet approval for a sweeping plan to completely occupy the Gaza Strip. According to multiple Hebrew media outlets, Netanyahu told ministers this week that “the die is cast” and vowed to push ahead with a total military takeover of Gaza — even in areas where hostages are believed to be held. The move would override the objections of top defense officials, including IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who reportedly warned that such a campaign could take years and jeopardize the lives of hostages still held by Hamas. A senior source close to the prime minister was quoted saying, “If the chief of staff doesn’t agree, he should resign.” The IDF currently controls about 75% of Gaza. Full occupation would mean reentering densely populated areas and establishing a long-term military presence — a step the army views as untenable without endangering both Israeli soldiers and civilians. The proposed plan has sparked a bitter divide within Israel’s war cabinet. Hardline ministers and officials, including Itamar Ben Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, and Ron Dermer, support the move, while security chiefs — including Mossad head David Barnea, Shin Bet officials, and Zamir himself — have urged continued negotiations and hostage talks. Netanyahu’s reported stance marks a notable shift, aligning more closely with far-right coalition demands and risking further alienation from military leadership. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar have reportedly not committed to either side. Zamir canceled a planned U.S. trip this week amid the deepening rift. An IDF source cited the ongoing hostage crisis and lack of ceasefire as reasons for the decision, signaling the intensity of internal disagreement. Meanwhile, both Israel and the U.S. are said to be pivoting away from interim hostage deals toward a broader ceasefire framework that includes total Hamas disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff told hostage families Saturday there would be “no more partial deals,” saying that any future negotiations would seek the release of all hostages and an end to the war. Still, the likelihood of Hamas agreeing to such terms appears slim. A senior Israeli source told Haaretz last week that there is “little chance” the group will accept Israel’s ultimatum. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The IDF announced that it had defeated Hamas’s Beit Hanoun Battalion in northern Gaza. The declaration followed the surrender of three Hamas terrorists who emerged from a tunnel and gave themselves up to Givati Brigade troops operating in the area. According to the IDF, the terrorists surrendered after one of their comrades was killed during a prior exchange of fire. The trio then led Israeli forces to a concealed weapons cache near the tunnel, where soldiers discovered an array of firearms, ammunition, and other military equipment. Additional supplies, including food and water, were also found inside the tunnel, indicating it may have been prepared for extended underground habitation. Combat engineers have begun mapping the tunnel system for demolition, while the surrendered terrorists were taken into custody for further interrogation. “The Beit Hanoun Battalion, which posed a threat to Nir Am and Sderot, has surrendered and been defeated by Givati Brigade troops,” the IDF said in a statement. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz shared footage of the surrender on social media platform X, writing, “Hamas terrorists are surrendering in Beit Hanoun. They are emerging from the burrows into the destroyed city. The IDF is destroying both the above and the underground [infrastructure] to defend the city of Sderot.” The defeat of the Beit Hanoun Battalion comes after multiple IDF operations in the town since the beginning of the war. Prior to the October 7th attacks, the battalion was believed to comprise over 1,000 operatives. Most were either killed in combat or fled, including the battalion commander, Hussein Fayyad. The declaration of victory came just days after Givati Brigade commanders estimated that only a handful of Hamas gunmen remained in the area. Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has reportedly urged cabinet ministers to present a coherent strategy for how the military should proceed in Gaza, amid ongoing stalemates in hostage negotiations and growing international criticism over the humanitarian crisis in the Strip. According to a Channel 12 report, Zamir warned that the lack of a clear government plan is undermining Israel’s diplomatic position. On Friday, during a visit with troops inside Gaza, Zamir said a decision point was near. “In the coming days we will know whether we will be able to reach a partial deal to release our hostages,” he said. “Otherwise, the fighting will continue unabated.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
DuPont and two other companies will pay New Jersey up to $2 billion to settle environmental claims stemming from PFAS, commonly referred to as “forever chemicals,” the companies announced Monday. State Environmental Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said the deal with DuPont, Chemours and Corteva is the largest such settlement in the state’s history. It calls for the companies to pay $875 million over 25 years and create a remediation fund of up $1.2 billion. The companies will split the costs under the deal, which must still be approved by the courts. PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of chemicals that have been around for decades and have now spread into the nation’s air, water and soil. They are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals.” DuPont said the settlement will resolve “all pending environmental and other claims” for ”legacy” contamination claims at four sites where the companies operated in the state. It comes just months after the state said chemical manufacturer 3M has agreed to pay up $450 million to resolve lawsuits over natural resource contamination stemming from PFAS. “Polluters who place profit above public well-being by releasing poisonous PFAS and other contamination in our State can expect to be held responsible to clean up their mess and fully compensate the State and its citizens for the precious natural resources they’ve damaged or destroyed,” LaTourette said. PFAS were manufactured by companies such as 3M, Chemours and others because they were incredibly useful. They helped eggs slide across non-stick frying pans, ensured that firefighting foam suffocates flames and helped clothes withstand rain and keep people dry. The chemicals resist breaking down, though, meaning they linger in the environment. Environmental activists say PFAS makers knew about the health harms of PFAS long before they were made public. The same attributes that make the chemicals so valuable – resistance to breakdown – make them hazardous to people. PFAS accumulate in the body, which is why the Environmental Protection Agency set their limits for drinking water at 4 parts per trillion for two common types — PFOA and PFOS — that are phased out of manufacturing but still are present in the environment. (AP)
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The IDF has acknowledged that the rising number of suicides among its soldiers and reservists is directly tied to the psychological trauma of Israel’s ongoing multi-front war, according to a bombshell report aired Sunday by Israeli public broadcaster Kan. An internal military investigation cited by Kan concluded that the recent surge in suicides stems largely from harrowing battlefield experiences, the loss of comrades, and an overwhelming inability to cope with the psychological toll of prolonged exposure to combat. The IDF has not denied the report. “Most of the suicides among soldiers resulted from the complex realities of war,” a senior military official told Kan. “War has consequences. These are extremely difficult challenges, and there are quite a few cases.” Since the start of 2025, at least 16 IDF soldiers have died by suicide, including seven reservists. Alarming figures from July alone show that four reservists took their own lives — two while on active reserve duty, and two shortly after returning home. Kan’s report reveals that the IDF has conducted thorough investigations into each case, examining farewell letters, interviewing families and friends, and reviewing the service records of the deceased. The findings were unequivocal: most of the deaths were linked to combat exposure and mental exhaustion accumulated in the field. The report underscores a growing mental health crisis within the ranks of the IDF, especially as soldiers are deployed in repeated and extended combat rotations in Gaza, along the Lebanese border, and in the West Bank. In response to the findings, the IDF says it has ramped up support services and is actively working to better detect early signs of mental distress. According to the senior official, mental health officers have been significantly reinforced, with 200 additional ones assigned to active-duty units and 600 more to reservist support. “We’re implementing systemic lessons and providing more tools to commanders,” the official said. “That includes enhanced training to spot distress, more mental health officers in the field, and thorough case reviews. Each suicide is reviewed by a colonel-level officer, and military police also conduct a parallel investigation.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed that the Justice Department move forward with a probe into the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation following the recent release of documents aimed at undermining the legitimacy of the inquiry that established that Moscow interfered on the Republican’s behalf in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Bondi has directed a prosecutor to present evidence to a grand jury after referrals from the Trump administration’s top intelligence official, a person familiar with the matter said Monday. That person was not authorized to discuss it by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. Fox News first reported the development. It was not clear which former officials might be the target of any grand jury activity, where the grand jury that might ultimately hear evidence will be located or which prosecutors — whether career employees or political appointees — might be involved in pursuing the investigation. It was also not clear what precise claims of misconduct Trump administration officials believe could form the basis of criminal charges, which a grand jury would have to sign off on for an indictment to be issued. The development is likely to heighten concerns that the Justice Department is being used to achieve political ends, given longstanding grievances over the Russia investigation voiced by President Donald Trump, who has called for the jailing of perceived political adversaries. Any criminal investigation would revisit one of the most dissected chapters of modern American political history. It is also surfacing at a time when the Trump administration is being buffeted by criticism over its handling of documents from the Jeffrey Epstein trafficking investigation. The investigation into Russian election interference resulted in the appointment of a special counsel, Robert Mueller, who secured multiple convictions against Trump aides and allies but did not establish proof of a criminal conspiracy between Moscow and the Trump campaign. The inquiry shadowed much of Trump’s first term and he has long focused his ire on senior officials from the intelligence and law enforcement community, including former FBI Director James Comey, whom he fired in May 2017, and former CIA Director John Brennan. The Justice Department appeared to confirm an investigation into both men in an unusual statement last month but offered no details. Multiple special counsels, congressional committees and the Justice Department’s own inspector general have studied and documented a multi-pronged effort by Russia to interfere in the 2016 presidential election on Trump’s behalf, including through a hack-and-leak dump of Democratic emails and a covert social media operation aimed at sowing discord and swaying public opinion. But that conclusion has been aggressively challenged in recent weeks as Trump’s director of national intelligence and other allies have released previously classified records that they hope will cast doubt on the extent of Russian interference and establish an Obama administration effort to falsely link Trump to Russia. In one batch of documents released last month, Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, disclosed emails showing that senior Obama administration officials were aware in 2016 that Russians had not hacked state election systems to manipulate the votes in Trump’s favor. But President Barack Obama’s administration never alleged that votes were tampered with and instead detailed other forms of election interference and foreign influence. A new outcry surfaced last week when Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a set of […]
The State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the United States, a move that may make the process unaffordable for many. In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the department said it would start a 12-month pilot program under which people from countries deemed to have high overstay rates and deficient internal document security controls could be required to post bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 when they apply for a visa. The proposal comes as the Trump administration is tightening requirements for visa applicants. Last week, the State Department announced that many visa renewal applicants would have to submit to an additional in-person interview, something that was not required in the past. In addition, the department is proposing that applicants for the Visa Diversity Lottery program have valid passports from their country of citizenship. A preview of the bond notice, which was posted on the Federal Register website on Monday, said the pilot program would take effect within 15 days of its formal publication and is necessary to ensure that the U.S. government is not financially liable if a visitor does not comply with the terms of his or her visa. “Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure and who are nationals of countries identified by the department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering citizenship by investment, if the alien obtained citizenship with no residency requirement, may be subject to the pilot program,” the notice said. The countries affected will be listed once the program takes effect, it said. The bond would not apply to citizens of countries enrolled in the Visa Waiver Program and could be waived for others depending on an applicant’s individual circumstances. Visa bonds have been proposed in the past but have not been implemented. The State Department has traditionally discouraged the requirement because of the cumbersome process of posting and discharging a bond and because of a possible misperceptions by the public. However, the department said that previous view “is not supported by any recent examples or evidence, as visa bonds have not generally been required in any recent period.” (AP)
More than four decades after one of the deadliest antisemitic attacks in postwar France, a terrorism court has ordered six suspected Palestinian terrorists to stand trial for the brutal 1982 massacre at the Jo Goldenberg Jewish restaurant in Paris. The lunchtime attack on August 9, 1982, shocked the nation when assailants lobbed grenades into the packed eatery and then sprayed machine-gun fire, killing six and wounding 22 more. Two of those murdered were American citizens. It was the bloodiest antisemitic assault in France since the Holocaust. The suspects — believed to be operatives of the notorious Abu Nidal terrorist group — will face justice more than 43 years later. French anti-terrorism judges have formally ordered the men to trial, which could begin as early as next year. Four of the six suspects remain at large and are expected to be tried in absentia. Among them is the alleged mastermind, Mohamed Souhair al-Abassi (aka Amjad Atta), who is currently living freely in Jordan, which has refused extradition. The others believed to be hiding in Jordan or Palestinian territories include Mahmoud Khader Abed Adra (aka Hicham Harb), Nabil Hassan Mahmoud Othmane (aka Ibrahim Hamza), and Nizar Tawfiq Moussa Hamada (aka Hani). Only two of the suspects are in French custody. One, Walid Abdulrahman Abu Zayed, was extradited from Norway in 2020. The other, Hazza Taha, was arrested more recently in Paris. “This is not a case buried in the past — this trial is deeply personal and painfully present for the families,” said attorney David Père, who represents dozens of relatives and one survivor of the attack. “They intend to follow every moment in court.” The survivor, though not physically wounded, remains psychologically haunted by the carnage. “He wants answers. He wants to look the men responsible in the eye,” Père told the Associated Press. The six victims murdered that day were: Mohamed Bennemou, André Hezkia Niego, Georges Demeter, Denise Guerche Rossignol, and two Americans — Ann Van Zanten and Grace Cutler. Jo Goldenberg, the owner of the restaurant, recalled in a 2002 interview how the attack unfolded in a matter of seconds. “They fired on everyone who was eating lunch — everyone,” he said. The Marais district restaurant, a symbol of the Jewish presence in Paris, never fully recovered and has since shuttered. French investigators issued international arrest warrants in 2015 — more than three decades after the massacre — reigniting long-stalled efforts to bring the attackers to justice. The Abu Nidal Organization, an extremist Palestinian splinter group infamous for its global terror campaign during the 1970s and 1980s, is believed responsible for at least 275 deaths worldwide. In 1985, the group orchestrated coordinated attacks on El Al ticket counters at Rome and Vienna airports, leaving 18 dead. Its leader, Sabri al-Banna — known as Abu Nidal — was found dead in Baghdad in 2002 under mysterious circumstances. Iraqi authorities claimed he died by suicide. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Israel is reportedly arming local militias inside the Gaza Strip in a bid to erode Hamas’s influence, but its strategy may be propping up a figure accused of looting humanitarian aid and trafficking in weapons. Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of a militia called the “Popular Forces,” has emerged as a powerful and polarizing presence in southern Gaza. Backed by Israel, according to a senior United Nations official quoted by the Washington Post, Shabab has carved out control over eastern Rafah, claiming dominion over 2,000 displaced Palestinians while asserting his group’s role in distributing aid and confronting Hamas. “He has a full-glide militia up and running, fully backed by Israel,” the UN official said. The Guardian verified video footage showing Shabab’s fighters operating side by side with IDF forces at the Kerem Shalom crossing. His fighters have also set up armed checkpoints to screen and control aid convoys, despite receiving no recognition from any legitimate humanitarian organizations. The revelations come in the wake of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s admission that Israel is supporting influential clan leaders in Gaza to “oppose Hamas.” While Netanyahu did not name Shabab directly, the militia leader’s operations are concentrated in Israeli-controlled zones, and his forces appear to move freely in IDF territory, raising questions about the depth of Israel’s coordination with the group. Yet the man touted by some Israeli media as a potential post-Hamas leader is under fire from aid groups and rights observers. International humanitarian organizations say Shabab’s militia has looted multiple aid convoys delivering critical food and medical supplies to desperate civilians in Gaza. While he initially denied the charges, Shabab later admitted to hijacking at least six aid trucks, claiming his men acted “out of desperation,” The New York Times reported. According to the Washington Post, Shabab has a shadowy past involving the smuggling of drugs and weapons, with ties to the Islamic State branch in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula – a connection that raises red flags about the long-term implications of Israel’s alliance with such groups. Even more damning is that both Shabab and Israeli officials have blamed Hamas for the rampant looting of aid in Gaza, but the IDF admitted last week that it has no evidence linking Hamas to the thefts. The strategy bears unsettling similarities to Israel’s “Village Leagues” program in the West Bank during the 1970s and 1980s, when it empowered local clan leaders with weapons and financial incentives to weaken the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). That initiative ultimately backfired, sowing corruption, violence, and resentment. Now, critics warn, history may be repeating itself. Shabab, for his part, has rejected all claims of collusion with Israel, calling them “Hamas propaganda.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Tesla is awarding CEO Elon Musk 96 million shares of restricted stock valued at approximately $29 billion, just six months after a judge ordered the company to revoke his massive pay package. The electric vehicle maker said in a regulatory filing on Monday that Musk must first pay Tesla $23.34 per share of restricted stock that vests, which is equal to the exercise price per share of the 2018 pay package that was awarded to the company’s CEO. In December Delaware Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick reaffirmed her earlier ruling that Tesla must revoke Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package. She found that Musk engineered the landmark pay package in sham negotiations with directors who were not independent. At the time McCormick also rejected an equally unprecedented and massive fee request by plaintiff attorneys, who argued that they were entitled to legal fees in the form of Tesla stock valued at more than $5 billion. The judge said the attorneys were entitled to a fee award of $345 million. The rulings came in a lawsuit filed by a Tesla stockholder who challenged Musk’s 2018 compensation package. That pay package carried a potential maximum value of about $56 billion, but that sum has fluctuated over the years based on Tesla’s stock price. Musk appealed the order in March. A month later Tesla said in a regulatory filing that it was creating a special committee to look at Musk’s compensation as CEO. In a letter to shareholders, Tesla’s board said that Musk hasn’t received “meaningful compensation” for eight years, citing the 2012 CEO Performance Award that was last earned in 2017. The board argued that Musk deserves compensation because he’s delivered “transformative and unprecedented growth” that’s “translated into immense value generated for Tesla and all our shareholders.” Musk has been one of the richest people in the world for several years. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives feels Musk’s stock award may alleviate some Tesla shareholder concerns. “We believe this grant will now keep Musk as CEO of Tesla at least until 2030 and removes an overhang on the stock,” Ives wrote in a client note. “Musk remains Tesla’s big asset and this comp issue has been a constant concern of shareholders once the Delaware soap opera began.” Tesla shares have plunged 25% this year, largely due to blowback over Musk’s affiliation with President Donald Trump. But Tesla also faces intensifying competition from both the big Detroit automakers, and from China. In its most recent quarter, Tesla reported that quarterly profits plunged from $1.39 billion to $409 million. Revenue also fell and the company fell short of even the lowered expectations on Wall Street. Under pressure from shareholders last month, Tesla scheduled an annual shareholders meeting for November to comply with Texas state law. A group of more than 20 Tesla shareholders, which have watched Tesla shares plummet, said in a letter to the company that it needed to at least provide public notice of the annual meeting. Investors have grown increasingly worried about the trajection of the company after Musk had spent so much time in Washington this year, becoming one of the most prominent officials in the Trump administration in its bid to slash the size of the U.S. government. (AP)
As the z’man ended, HaGaon HaRav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin delivered a sicha to the talmidim of his yeshivah, Ateres Shlomo in Rishon L’Tzion, during which he spoke divrei chizzuk about the threats looming over the heads of bnei yeshivos. “We are going to go through a difficult and complex period,” the Rosh Yeshivah began. “It is impossible to ignore this, but if we know how to view it correctly, we can accept it with elevation and in mockery of avoda zara. They call it ‘personal sanctions’ and ‘economic sanctions,’ as if, so to speak, we depend on them. But they can’t do anything to us. The Creator of all worlds has crowned us and determined that we are the princes of His kingdom in the world. We know the truth; Hashem chose us. We’re not afraid of it because we know the truth.” The Rosh Yeshivah emphasized that this is a special test for bnei yeshivos in our generation. “About you, Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, ‘Behold, behold my beloved children. Hashem has chosen us to be the ones who may have a little ‘bondage of clay and stones.’ One needs to know how much elevation (rommemus) we have. Hashem has chosen us from all generations for this. And He bestows upon us this special love—it is you that I bring closer as princes in mamleches Hashem.” “We need to know our loftiness and our greatness and to remember that our role now is to remember that everything depends on us; everything depends on the shtender. There is no koach apart from this, and every minute of limmud Torah transforms the world. Billions of people lack the power of a minute of limmud Torah, which we have.” The Rosh Yeshivah then spoke about a recent meeting in the US, when he was asked to speak about the issue of the recruitment of bnei yeshivos. When he got there, he realized that he had arrived at a public debate on the issue with someone who was frum but not a Ben Torah. “He started talking to me, using common phrases—’equal burden,’ ‘mutual responsibility,’ ‘accountability’—all sorts of phrases that they repeat without even understanding their meaning. I told him, ‘I’m not going to argue with you about the views of the great Torah mussar authorities of the last generation and the one before, but are you a Tzaduki? Do you believe that the Written Torah is from Shamayim? ‘Yes,’ he replied.” “‘I have a question,” the Rosh Yeshivah responded to the man. ‘Yaakov our father says about Shechem, ‘Which I took from the hand of the Amori with my sword and with my bow.’ Everyone knows that Yaakov Avinu himself did not fight at all, so how can Yaakov Avinu say that he fought? It was Shimon and Levi.’ “He tells me he doesn’t know. I told him, ‘Rashi explains, ‘בצלותי ובעותי’—’with my tefillah and Torah.’ It says here one thing: the war that happened in Shechem, Yaakov Avinu did it, even though he didn’t fight there—he took it with his tefillah and Torah. But the question is, why aren’t Shimon and Levi also mentioned? Because it is written here—no, only tefillah and Torah determine the battlefield. It is true that hishtadlus is needed, as with parnassah, but the hishtadlus is just a […]
A New Zealand woman was arrested on a child neglect charge Sunday after a bus driver found a 2-year-old girl alive in a suitcase that was stowed in the vehicle’s luggage compartment, authorities said. The bus driver noticed movement inside the bag during a planned stop at the settlement of Kaiwaka, north of Auckland, after a passenger asked for access to the luggage compartment, Detective Inspector Simon Harrison said in a statement. When the driver opened the suitcase they discovered the 2-year-old girl, who was very hot but otherwise appeared physically unharmed, Harrison said. Authorities didn’t disclose the length of time the toddler was in the baggage compartment or which cities the bus was traveling between. The child was taken to a hospital, where she remained Sunday night local time. The arrested woman was charged with ill-treatment or neglect of a child and was due to appear in court Monday. She was not named by law enforcement. The bus company InterCity confirmed to New Zealand news outlets that the episode involved one of its vehicles. The company does not charge fares for children younger than 3 years, who can travel for free on an adult’s lap. (AP)
It’s hard to believe that in only ten short years, Mesivta Yesodei Hatorah of Naugatuck, CT has developed into one of the truly premier Mesivtas in America. Under the leadership of the renowned Rosh Yeshivas Ohr Hachaim (Queens, NY), Harav Doniel Lander shlita and the dynamic Menahel, Harav Aryeh Reiss shlita, the Mesivta has become a magnet for top tier bnai Torah from across the country. They are drawn to the Mesivta’s incredible warmth, simcha, mesorah, and trademark chinuch in learning. Indeed, the Mesivta will iy”H be comprised of nearly 100 bachurim this coming Elul zeman, as well as its inaugural 1st year beis Medrash shiur. The tremendous shteiging of the talmidei hamesivta over the past year was celebrated recently at the annual siyum shenasis, which featured siyumim on Maseches Pesachim, Megillah, Succah, and many other sefarim and limudim. Words cannot do justice to the outpouring of simchas Hatorah that burst forth from the hearts of the bochurim and their proud parents at this one of a kind event. With boundless gratitude to Hashem, the voices of the bnei hamesivta united as one in a remarkable expression of hodaah on their past accomplishments and a heartfelt tefillah for siyatta dishmaya in achieving ever greater hasagos baTorah in the future. Yehi Ratzon that their tefillos should be niskabel and that this flourishing Makom Torah continue its extraordinary growth as a magnificent source of nachas ruach for Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
Hamas has declared that it will not disarm “as long as the occupation exists,” and criticized U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff for what it described as a “theatrical” visit to an aid distribution center in war-torn Gaza. The statement, released Saturday, flatly denied reported claims by Witkoff that Hamas had expressed willingness to demilitarize — remarks made following his visit to a site operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a new U.S.- and Israel-backed relief agency. Witkoff had told hostage families in Tel Aviv earlier that “Hamas said it is ready to demilitarize,” a comment Hamas denounced as false and manipulative. “The American administration is a full partner in the crime of starvation and genocide,” Hamas said, accusing Witkoff’s visit of serving as “political cover for managing starvation and continuing the systematic killing of children and unarmed civilians.” Hamas said it is commited to armed resistance (AKA terrorism), citing what it claims is a right under international law to fight until Palestinians achieve “national rights,” including “an independent Palestinian state with full sovereignty and Jerusalem as its capital.” The group also lashed out at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which began operating in mid-May as an alternative to the UN-led humanitarian system. While Israel insists it does not deliberately target civilians and accuses Hamas of hijacking aid and using civilians as human shields, it has acknowledged that Palestinian deaths have occurred during aid deliveries. The IDF says it has revised its engagement protocols following “lessons learned.” Several international humanitarian organizations have refused to coordinate with GHF. “The U.S. is complicit,” Hamas charged, calling on Washington to end its support for the aid framework and push instead for a ceasefire and complete end to Israeli military operations. The renewed Hamas declaration came just days after an unprecedented joint statement from the entire Arab League — along with dozens of countries and the EU — publicly condemned Hamas’s October 7 massacre in Israel and urged the group to disarm in the name of peace and a two-state solution. Witkoff appeared to reference that statement when he told hostage families Saturday that “some Arab countries are demanding that Hamas disarm.” Still, he tempered expectations regarding a breakthrough in the hostage-ceasefire talks, which remain deadlocked following the recent withdrawal of U.S. and Israeli negotiators from Doha. “I wish I had perfect news for you, but it’s a super-complicated situation and I don’t have perfect news,” Witkoff was heard telling families in audio published by Israel’s Channel 12. He added that while he believes a comprehensive deal is still possible, he could not share all the reasons for his optimism. The Trump administration’s point man for Gaza added that the U.S. is no longer pursuing “piecemeal deals” — an apparent reference to previous, partial releases of hostages that left many still in captivity. “No piecemeal deals… that doesn’t work,” Witkoff said. His comments mirror those of a senior Israeli official who told reporters last week that the U.S. and Israel are now aligned in pushing for a full cessation of hostilities, contingent on the return of all remaining hostages. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
South Korea’s military said Monday it had begun removing loudspeakers along its border with rival North Korea in a move aimed at reducing tensions. The speakers had previously been used to blast anti-North Korean propaganda across the border, but the South’s new liberal government halted the broadcasts in June in a conciliatory gesture as it looks to rebuild trust and revive dialogue with Pyongyang, which has largely cut off cooperation with the South in recent years. South Korea’s Defense Ministry said the physical removal of the loudspeakers from the border was another “practical measure” aimed at easing tensions between the war-divided Koreas and that it does not affect the South’s military readiness. Lee Kyung-ho, a spokesperson for the ministry, didn’t share specific details on how the removed loudspeakers will be stored or whether they could be quickly redeployed to the border if tensions flare again between the Koreas. There were no discussions between the two militaries ahead of the South’s decision to remove the speakers, Lee said during a briefing. North Korea, which is extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of its authoritarian leadership and its third-generation ruler, Kim Jong Un, didn’t immediately comment on the South Korean step. The South’s previous conservative government resumed the daily loudspeaker broadcasts in June last year following a yearslong pause in retaliation for North Korea flying trash-laden balloons toward the South in a psychological warfare campaign. The speakers blasted propaganda messages and K-pop songs, a playlist clearly designed to strike a nerve in Pyongyang, where Kim’s government has been intensifying a campaign to eliminate the influence of South Korean pop culture and language among the population in a bid to strengthen his family’s dynastic rule. The Cold War-style psychological warfare campaigns further heightened tensions already inflamed by North Korea’s advancing nuclear program and South Korean efforts to expand joint military exercises with the United States and their trilateral security cooperation with Japan. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, a liberal who took office in June after winning an early election to replace ousted conservative Yoon Suk Yeol, has vowed to improve relations with Pyongyang, which reacted furiously to Yoon’s hard-line policies and shunned dialogue. But Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of the North Korean leader, rebuffed overtures by Lee’s government last week, saying that Seoul’s “blind trust” in the country’s alliance with the U.S. and hostility toward North Korea make it no different from its conservative predecessor. Her comments implied that North Korea — now preoccupied with its expanding cooperation with Russia over the war in Ukraine – feels no urgency to resume diplomacy with Seoul and Washington anytime soon. (AP)
