Yeshiva World News

Mass exodus from Rafah today following the evacuation orders from the IDF Earlier today.

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: President Trump “used to call Prime Minister Trudeau ‘governor, governor, governor,’ not Premier or Prime Minister. It’s really very, very insulting to Canada indeed.”

A U.S. armored vehicle that went missing in Lithuania has been retrieved from a swamp after a six-day search but there is still no information about the fate of the four American soldiers who were on board, Lithuanian officials said Monday. “The armored vehicle was pulled ashore at 4:40 a.m., the towing operation is complete, Lithuanian Military Police and US investigators continue their work,” Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said Monday morning in a post on Facebook. The soldiers were on a training exercise at the massive General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in the town of Pabradė when they and their vehicle were reported missing in the early hours of Tuesday morning, the U.S. army said. “Until the investigators have more details, we need to stay calm and focused, and keep in mind the sensitivity of the situation and the concerns of the soldiers’ families,” Šakalienė posted on Facebook. She made clear to reporters that the first information about fate of the soldiers will be delivered by the U.S. army. The soldiers, all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were conducting tactical training when they went missing. Hundreds of Lithuanian and U.S. soldiers and rescuers took part in the search through the thick forests and swampy terrain around Pabradė, which lies just 10 kilometers (6 miles) west of the border with Belarus. The M88 Hercules armored vehicle was discovered on Wedneday submerged in 4.5 meters (15 feet) of water. A large-scale recovery operation got underway but “water, thick mud and soft ground around the site have complicated recovery efforts and have required specialized equipment to drain water from the side and stabilize the ground” in order to pull the 70-ton vehicle ashore, the army said. (AP)

Rescued NASA astronauts send heartfelt messages to President Trump and Elon Musk: “I respect and trust you… earned my trust. I am grateful… It’s strengthening for our nation.”

HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau delivered a chizzuk talk on Sunday, the start of Bein HaZemanim, at the Beis Hashem shul in Bnei Brak, with hundreds attending and thousands listening via live teleconference. At the end of the sichah, the Rosh Yeshivah instructed Bnei Yeshivos how to act upon receiving draft orders. “We’re in a very difficult situation as those who oppose us are persecuting the Olam HaTorah, doing things to harm Bnei Yeshivos and avreichim in order to harm Torah,” HaRav Landau said. “The duty and hishtadlus of each and every ben yeshivah and avreich is to act according to the published guideleines – not to report to induction centers, not to answer phone calls from the IDF, not to sign any military documents – not to relate to them at all and be very careful not to become known to the authorities. Everyone should be very careful not to go to the borders [i.e., airport] without prior coordination. Many violate this; they are very clever, but sometimes it’s better not to be so clever. Many things happen because of this [arrests].” “We’re in Galus, in a difficult Galus, and Hashem should help that in the zechus of limmud Torah…I’ve already spoken about this several times, that the only logical explanation for how we exist here…the Arabs should have flooded the land…it’s all in the zechus of limmud Torah.” “Hashem should help that all the gezeiros should be revoked in the zechus of limmud Torah. Hashem promised us “לא ימוש ספר התורה הזה מפיך והגית בו יומם ולילה למען תשמר לעשות ככל הכתוב בו כי אז תצליח את דרכך ואז תשכיל”. VIDEO & PHOTOS BY SHUKI LERER FOR YWN (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

A massive earthquake that rocked Myanmar could exacerbate hunger and disease outbreaks in a country already wracked by food shortages, mass displacement and civil war, aid groups and the United Nations warned Monday. The official death toll climbed past 1,700, but the true figure is feared to be much higher. The 7.7 magnitude quake hit Friday, with an epicenter near Myanmar’s second-largest city of Mandalay, damaging the city’s airport, buckling roads and downing hundreds of buildings along a wide swath of territory down the middle of the country. Some 270 monks were taking an exam in Mandalay’s U Hla Thein monastery, which crumpled to the ground when the quake struck. Seventy were able to escape, but rescue workers at the scene Monday said 50 were found dead and that they were still searching for 150 more in the rubble. Some 700 Muslim worshippers attending Friday prayers during the holy month of Ramadan were also killed when mosques collapsed, said Tun Kyi, a member of the steering committee of the Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Network. It was not clear whether they or the monks were already included in the official count. Tun Kyi said some 60 mosques were damaged or destroyed, and videos posted on The Irrawaddy online news site showed several mosques toppling during the quake, and people fleeing from the areas. With an ongoing civil war and poor infrastructure, Myanmar was already one of the most challenging places in the world for aid organizations to operate, and relief efforts have been further hampered by severe damage to roads, bridges and hospitals, power outages, fuel shortages and spotty communications. A lack of heavy machinery has slowed search-and-rescue operations, forcing many to search for survivors by hand, with daily temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). Government spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun told state-run MRTV that more than 1,700 people had been found dead and that another 3,400 have been injured and more than 300 were missing. “This latest tragedy compounds an already dire crisis and risks further eroding the resilience of communities already battered by conflict, displacement, and past disasters,” the United Nations’ Myanmar country team said Monday, calling for unimpeded access for aid convoys, medical personnel and assessment teams. “Even before this earthquake, nearly 20 million people in Myanmar were in need of humanitarian assistance,” said Marcoluigi Corsi, the U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator for Myanmar. Full extent of the devastation is not yet clear Aid agencies in Myanmar say their teams on the ground still don’t have a true picture of the devastation. “We’re really not clear on the scale of the destruction at this stage,” Lauren Ellery, deputy director of programs in Myanmar for the International Rescue Committee, told The Associated Press. “They were talking about a town near Mandalay where 80% of the buildings were reportedly collapsed, but it wasn’t in the news because telecommunications have been slow.” And groups the IRC works with reported that some places have been physically cut off by landslides, she said. The World Health Organization said it has reports of three hospitals destroyed and 22 partially damaged in the region. “The scale of deaths and injuries is not yet fully understood and the numbers are expected to increase,” the U.N. agency said in a report. “The earthquake’s devastation has overwhelmed health care facilities in the affected areas, […]

For many older Bachurim, the path of learning becomes more challenging as the years pass. Too old for standard Yeshivas, yet not aligned with Kollel, they often feel caught between two worlds. 🎥  📖 Yeshivas Chaim Shel Torah, under the leadership of Reb Dovid Soloveitchik, has changed that reality! With over 50 Israeli bachurim ages 24+ shteiging in Reb Dovid’s Beis Midrash, a new era has begun for unmarried bachurim in Yerushalayim. No longer outsiders in younger Yeshivas or Kollelim full of married Yungeleit, these bachurim now have their own place to grow, learn, and thrive—supported by friends who understand their journey. Do you know someone still awaiting their Zivug? This Pesach, Split the Sea for a Single You Know Give a single you care about a powerful Zechus by sponsoring an older Bachur in learning. Your support will uplift them both on their journey. ➡ Show your support here ✨ Double the zechus! According to Harav Ahron Kotler zt”l, Hallel of Leil HaSeder is an auspicious time for shidduchim. Submit a name (at no extra costs) for a single you care about and have our bachurim daven for them this Leil Haseder. 🔗 Show your support and submit a name here* *names can be submitted until April 10th | י’’ב ניסן

Hamas hostage survivor Yarden Bibas on 60 Minutes: “They murdered my family in cold blood, bare hands.” He revealed his captors mocked him, saying, “You’ll get a new wife and better children.”

The IDF says it demolished a kilometer-long tunnel in the northern Gaza Strip amid ongoing operations in the area.

RYAN PAYNE: “75% of GDP, we’re going to have tax breaks, and we’re talking about deregulation. And if you look at the economy right now… realistically, GDP growth is going to pick up…”

New video released reveals the extensive destruction caused by the Myanmar earthquake, which turned the city of Mandalay to rubble.

Elon Musk will be investigating members of Congress gaining insane wealth while on salary “How’d they get $20 million if they’re earning $200,000 a year? We’re gonna try to figure it out, and stop it from happening.”

The Shin Bet recently thwarted a Hamas plot directed from Turkey to execute a shooting and bombing in the West Bank, detaining six Nablus residents in January and February who were interrogated and found to have received tens of thousands of dollars, including $40,000 in cash and an assault rifle seized on January 29, to target security forces and others, according to a joint Shin Bet and Israel Police statement.

The IDF issues an evacuation warning for Palestinians in the entire Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip, saying the military is “returning to fight with great force to eliminate the capabilities of terror organizations in these areas.”

Following interviews with seven candidates, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has chosen to appoint Vice Adm. (res.) Eli Sharvit, a former Navy chief, as the upcoming director of the Shin Bet.

IRGC Air Force commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh issues a new threat to the U.S.: “If you live in a glass house, don’t throw stones. The Americans have at least 10 bases with 50,000 troops in the region, meaning they are sitting in a glass house.”

Immigration remains a strength for President Donald Trump, but his handling of tariffs is getting more negative feedback, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About half of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s approach to immigration, the survey shows, but only about 4 in 10 have a positive view of the way he’s handling the economy and trade negotiations. The poll indicates that many Americans are still on board with Trump’s efforts to ramp up deportations and restrict immigration. But it also suggests that the Republican president’s threats to impose tariffs — which have been accompanied by tumbling consumer confidence and wild stock market swings — might be erasing his advantage on another issue that he made central to his winning 2024 campaign. The economy was a drag on then-President Joe Biden, who saw the share of Americans who approved of his handling of the economy fall to a low of roughly 3 in 10 in 2023. Trump drew considerable strength in November from voters who prioritized the economy, but just before he took office in January, an AP-NORC poll found that few Americans had high confidence that he’d make progress on lowering prices in his first year. Views of Trump’s job performance overall are more negative than positive, the survey found. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president, and more than half disapprove. Negative opinions are also stronger than positive opinions — about 4 in 10 U.S. adults strongly disapprove of Trump’s job performance, while about 2 in 10 strongly approve. Trump’s job approval is highest on immigration More U.S. adults say they approve of Trump’s handling of immigration than his approach to the presidency as a whole. That trend even extends to Democrats. Relatively few, about 2 in 10, say they’re on board with how Trump is approaching immigration, but that’s higher than the roughly 1 in 10 who approve of his handling of the economy and his job as a whole. The durability of Trump’s appeal on immigration underscores that many U.S. adults support his tough approach, which he has prioritized in the first few months of his second term. In the past few weeks, Trump’s administration has been locked in a court struggle over the deportation of Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador under an 18th century wartime law, made moves to deport foreign students who took part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at colleges, and attempted to suspend the nation’s refugee admissions system. Voters who said immigration was their most important issue last November overwhelmingly favored more restrictive policies, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 120,000 voters. The issue was also a higher priority for Americans heading into 2025 than it had been the previous year. Signs of potential weakness on trade and the economy There are warning signs for Trump in the poll, too, particularly in Americans’ assessment of his work on tariffs and the economy. Trade negotiations with other countries is the issue on which he’s rated especially negatively, with about 6 in 10 U.S. adults saying they disapprove of his job performance. It’s a relative low point, even among Republicans. About 7 in 10 Republicans approve of Trump’s handling of trade — still relatively high, but lower than the roughly 9 in 10 who approve of his approach on immigration. Trump’s approach on […]

Suspected U.S. airstrikes struck around Yemen’s rebel-held capital overnight into Monday morning, attacks that the Iranian-backed Houthis said killed at least three people. The full extent of the damage wasn’t immediately clear. The attacks followed a night of airstrikes early Friday that appeared particularly intense compared to other days in the campaign that began March 15. The strikes around Sanaa, Yemen’s capital held by the Houthis since 2014, and Hajjah governorate also wounded 12 others, the rebels said. Their Al-Masirah satellite news channel aired footage of broken glass littering homes in Sanaa after the concussive blast of the bombs, but continued not to show the targets of the attacks — suggesting the sites had a military or intelligence function. Strikes there killed one person, the rebels said. Another strike targeting a pickup truck in Hajjah killed two people and wounded a child, the Houthis said. It marked the first, publicly known time the American strikes targeted a vehicle in this campaign. An Associated Press review has found the new American operation against the Houthis under President Donald Trump appears more extensive than those under former President Joe Biden, as the U.S. moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel as well as dropping bombs in cities. The new campaign of airstrikes, which the Houthis now say have killed at least 61 people, started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting “Israeli” ships again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels in the past loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning other vessels could be targeted. The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships, though none has been hit so far. The attacks greatly raised the Houthis’ profile as they faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting any dissent and aid workers at home amid Yemen’s decadelong stalemated war that has torn apart the Arab world’s poorest nation. (AP)

Russia views efforts to end its three-year war with Ukraine as “a drawn-out process,” a Kremlin spokesman said Monday, after U.S. President Donald Trump expressed frustration with the two countries’ leaders as he tries to bring about a truce. “We are working to implement some ideas in connection with the Ukrainian settlement. This work is ongoing,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. “There is nothing concrete yet that we could and should announce. This is a drawn-out process because of the difficulty of its substance,” he said when asked about Trump’s anger at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments dismissing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s legitimacy to negotiate a deal. Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for a full and immediate 30-day halt in the fighting. The feasibility of a partial ceasefire on the Black Sea, used by both countries to transport shipments of grain and other cargo, was cast into doubt after Kremlin negotiators imposed far-reaching conditions. Trump promised during last year’s U.S. election campaign that he would bring Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II to a swift conclusion. Peskov didn’t directly address Trump’s criticism of Putin on Sunday when he said he was “angry, pissed off” that Putin had questioned Zelenskyy’s credibility as leader. But he said that Putin “remains absolutely open to contacts” with the U.S. president and was ready to speak to Trump. Both countries are preparing for a spring-summer campaign on the battlefield, analysts and Ukrainian and Western officials say. Zelenskyy said late Sunday that there has been no let-up in Russia’s attacks as it drives on with its invasion of its neighbor that began in February 2022. He said the attacks demonstrated Russia’s unwillingness to forge a settlement. “The geography and brutality of Russian strikes, not just occasionally, but literally every day and night, show that Putin couldn’t care less about diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said in his daily address. “And almost every day, in response to this proposal, there are Russian drones, bombs, artillery shelling, and ballistic strikes,” he said. He urged further international pressure on Moscow to compel Russia to negotiate, including new sanctions. Trump said he would consider adding further sanctions on Russia, which already faces steep financial penalties, and using tariffs to undermine its oil exports. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, came under another Russian drone attack overnight, injuring three people, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said Monday. Russia also fired two ballistic missiles and 131 Shahed and decoy drones, the Ukrainian air force said. Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses shot down 66 Ukrainian drones early Monday over three Russian regions. “The continuing attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces on Russia’s energy facilities show the complete lack of respect for any obligations related to the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine by the Kyiv regime,” the ministry said in a statement. (AP)

Three family members died after a tree struck their vehicle in Michigan as powerful storms swept across the region, authorities said, and more potentially dangerous weather was forecast Monday across parts of the Southeast. Three other people were hospitalized with injuries and one was in critical condition, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office said. The accident, which was under investigation, happened Sunday in Climax Township, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) west of Detroit. Kalamazoo County had been under a National Weather Service severe thunderstorm warning at the time, one of several Sunday in southern Michigan. More than 400,000 power outages were reported across Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, according to Poweroutage.us. Crews including DTE Energy in Michigan were working to restore service. In Valparaiso, Indiana, investigators believe severe crosswinds blew over a tractor trailer on Sunday afternoon, killing the driver. The vehicle was traveling on the property of Pratt Industries when the accident happened, the Porter County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The driver, Jagbir Singh, 34, of Ontario, Canada, was found outside of the passenger compartment and had died of his injuries. A warehouse in Elkhart, Indiana, was destroyed by Sunday’s storms. No injuries were reported. WSBT-TV reported. Storm damage was reported in several counties in Tennessee, including Maury and Humphreys counties, WSMV-TV reported. Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis reported damage across the county, including a roof taken off a house. The homeowners were trapped inside, but not injured. Clusters of thunderstorms accompanied by strong to severe wind gusts and perhaps a few tornadoes could spread across much of the Southeast on Monday, according to the weather service’s Storm Prediction Center. (AP)