At least 27 people have been killed by storms systems that swept across part of the U.S. Midwest and South, with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announcing Saturday that 18 of the deaths came in his state and 10 others were hospitalized in critical condition. A devastating tornado in Kentucky damaged homes, tossed vehicles and left many people homeless. Seventeen of the deaths were in Laurel County, located in the state’s southeast, including Fire Department Maj. Roger Leslie Leatherman, a 39-year veteran who was fatally injured while responding to the deadly weather. The other fatality was in Pulaski County. Parts of two dozen state roads were closed, and some could take days to reopen, Beshear said. He also said most of the victims were in their 60s and 70s and the death toll could still rise. “It’s hard to see,” the governor said after touring the impacted areas. “Homes that there isn’t a single wall left standing. Some homes that have all four walls yet lost the person inside. You can not only see the destruction but feel it.” State Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson said hundreds of homes were damaged, Kayla Patterson, her husband and their five children huddled in a tub in their basement in London, the county seat, as the tornado raged. “You could literally hear just things ripping in the distance, glass shattering everywhere, just roaring like a freight train,” she recalled. “It was terrible.” The family eventually emerged to the sounds of sirens and panicked neighbors. While their home was spared, others right behind it were demolished, Patterson said Saturday, as power tools buzzed in the background. The neighborhood was dotted with piles of lumber, metal sheeting, insulation and stray belongings — a suitcase, a sofa, some six-packs of paper towels. Rescuers searched for survivors all night and into the morning, the sheriff’s office said. An emergency shelter was set up at a high school, and donations of food and other necessities were arriving. Another resident, Chris Cromer, said he got the first of two tornado alerts on his phone around 11:30 p.m. Friday, about a half-hour before the tornado struck. He and his wife grabbed their dog, jumped in their car and sought shelter in the crawlspace of a relative’s nearby home because their own crawlspace is small. “We could hear and feel the vibration of the tornado coming through,” said Cromer, 46. A piece of their roof was ripped off, and windows were broken, but other homes nearby were destroyed. “It’s one of those things that you see on the news in other areas, and you feel bad for people — then, when it happens, it’s just surreal,” he said. “It makes you be thankful to be alive, really.” The storm was the latest severe weather to cause deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky. Two months ago at least 24 people died in a round of storms that swelled creeks and submerged roads. In late 2021 another storm spawned tornadoes that killed 81 people and leveled portions of towns in western Kentucky. The following summer historic floodwaters inundated eastern parts of the state, killing dozens. Beshear said that since he became governor in 2019, he has dealt with at least 14 federally declared disasters, all but one of them weather-related. He called Friday’s tornado […]
President Trump announces he will be speaking to Putin on Monday to discuss an end to the war and a trade deal.
The IDF says it demolished a 2-kilometer-long Hamas tunnel during recent operations in the northern Gaza Strip.
The IDF reports killing a Hezbollah commander in a drone strike this morning, who led forces in the Beaufort Castle area and was restoring the group’s capabilities.
Just 11 days after the Israeli Air Force bombed Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport, a first flight has landed.
A ballistic missile fired at Israel by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen was successfully intercepted by Israeli air defenses on Motzei Shabbos. No injuries or damage have been reported.
Over Shabbos, the IDF has initiated Operation “Gideon’s Chariots,” a major offensive in the Gaza Strip, launching extensive attacks and mobilizing forces to seize strategic areas, aiming to expand the campaign to achieve war goals, including the release of hostages and the defeat of Hamas.
A ballistic missile fired at Israel by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen was successfully intercepted by Israeli air defenses on Motzei Shabbos. No injuries or damage have been reported. Sirens blared across central Israel, preceded by a five-minute early warning sent via push notifications to residents’ phones, alerting them to the incoming long-range missile. Since the IDF relaunched its campaign against Hamas in Gaza on March 18, the Houthis have fired 35 ballistic missiles and at least 10 drones at Israel, with several missiles failing to reach their targets. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Iran’s president said his country will continue talks with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program but will not withdraw from its rights because of U.S. threats. “We are negotiating, and we will negotiate , we are not after war but we do not fear any threat,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a speech to navy officials broadcast by state television Saturday. “It is not like that they think if they threaten us , we will give up our human right and definite right,” Pezeshkian said. “We will not withdraw, we will not easily loose honorable military, scientific, nuclear in all fields.” The negotiations have reached the “expert” level, meaning the sides are trying to reach agreement on the details of a possible deal. But a major sticking point remains Iran’s enrichment of uranium, which Tehran insists it must be allowed to do and the Trump administration increasingly insists the Islamic Republic must give up. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. Earlier on Friday, Trump said Iran received a proposal during the talks, though he did not elaborate. During his trip to region this week, Trump at nearly every event insisted Iran could not be allowed to obtain a nuclear bomb, something U.S. intelligence agencies assess Tehran is not actively pursuing, though its program is on the cusp of being able to weaponize nuclear material. Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran’s atomic organization, stressed the peaceful nature of the program, saying it is under “continuous” monitoring by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, state TV reported Saturday. “No country is monitored by the agency like us,” Eslami said, adding that the agency inspected the country’s nuclear facilities more than 450 time in 2024. “Something about 25% of all the agency inspections” in the year. Meanwhile, Israel routinely has threatened to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities if it feels threatened, further complicating tensions in the Mideast already spiked by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. In his first reaction to Trump’s regional visit, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Trump wasn’t truthful when he made claims about creating peace through power. “Trump said that he wanted to use power for peace, he lied. He and the U.S. administration used power for massacre in Gaza, for waging wars in any place they could,” Khamenei said Saturday during a meeting with teachers broadcast on state television. The U.S. has provided Israel with 10-ton bombs to “drop on Gaza children, hospitals, houses of people in Lebanon and anywhere else when they can,” Khamenei said. Khamenei, who has the final say on all Iranian state matters, reiterated his traditional stance against Israel. “Definitely, the Zionist regime is the spot of corruption, war, rifts. The Zionist regime that is lethal, dangerous, cancerous tumor should be certainly eradicated, and it will be,” he said, adding that the U.S. has imposed a pattern on Arab nations under which they cannot endeavor without U.S. support. “Surely this model has failed. With efforts of the regional nations, the U.S. should leave the region, and it will leave,” Khamenei said. Iran has long considered the U.S. military presence in the region […]
A rare composition is taking form In the ancient cobblestone paths of Tzfat’s Old City. TZFAT ESTATES, a masterpiece by ISA Group, isn’t just premium real estate — it’s a living relationship to Jewish history, bonding neshamos through modern elegance and timeless kedusha. A vista where ruchniusdige essence meets breathtaking views. Your front-row seat With sweeping open Galilee mountain views and facing Meron and Kever Rashbi, TZFAT ESTATES offers what’s increasingly precious today: authentic connection. “Imagine experiencing Lag Baomer not as a visitor, but as someone who calls this sacred place home,” says Meir, a representative. “Picture yourself returning from the medura to continue enjoying the matzav from your expansive balcony, watching thousands journey to Meron.” Orchestrated perfection The exceptional architectural vision comes from renowned Feigin Architects — creators of Jerusalem’s iconic Waldorf Astoria and Jerusalem Estates. Interior spaces, meticulously crafted by celebrated designer Sari Gurstein, feature smart electrical systems, comprehensive climate control, and exquisite decorative elements — complete with luxurious finishing touches for turnkey living. Residents enjoy exclusive access to a stunning swimming pool, fully-equipped gym, spa facilities, and a magnificent shul in the TZFAT ESTATES community. “This isn’t simply a collection of prestigious apartments,” explains Akiva from ISA Group. “It’s a private space where one feels uplifted in Eretz HaKodesh, experiencing Tzfat’s ethereal magic with like-minded individuals, maintaining a concrete connection to the ‘libi bamizrach-yearning’ of yidden worldwide.” The final movement Construction is progressing steadily, with 92% of units already claimed by what developers describe as “the most quality-focused clientele in the world.” The final select 3 and 4-bedroom apartments with expansive porches await those who recognize this singular opportunity. Imagine welcoming Shabbos where Lecha Dodi was composed and feeling the mystical echoes of Kabbalistic masters in the mountainous air. Now’s your chance to secure your permanent link to our nation — a place where your soul sings wrapped in world-class elegance. The final chords of this extraordinary symphony await only those who choose to listen. Are you going to sing along? >>>
Join us tomorrow, Sunday, 5/18 at the Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim Dinner מחר יהיה האות הזה! Bell Works, Holmdel, NJ 5:30 PM – Reception & קבלת פנים6:30 PM – Dinner8:00 PM – Dessert & קבלת קהל with the Roshei Yeshiva, Mashgiach, and Rabbeim
Chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan has stepped down on a “temporary basis” as an investigation into rape allegations against him take place, the court announced on Friday. Khan was also accused of harassing staff who supported his accuser, including demoting several people Women’s rights groups, who called for Khan to step down last year, after his aide accused him of severe abuse, welcome the announcement. “In any other professional setting, someone facing such serious allegations would have been expected to step down months ago,” Eimear Shine, a spokesperson for The Hague-based Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice, said. Meanwhile, Khan’s bank accounts in his home country of the UK are frozen in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s sanctions on the ICC for “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel.” The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Khan issued the arrest warrants against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant in order to deflect attention from the rape charges brought against him. Additionally, a senior Western diplomat with firsthand knowledge of the ICC case told the Jerusalem Post last week that Khan issued the warrants against the Israeli leaders in order to “give countries like Germany and Canada the excuse they need to turn against the Israeli government.” (YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)
Fifteen Israeli fighter jets carried out massive airstrikes on the Al-Salif and Hodeidah ports in Yemen on Friday afternoon, dropping over 30 bombs. The attack came after Israel last week twice issued warnings for Yemenis to evacuate the ports. Following the attack, the IDF issued a statement saying that the ports that were attacked were used to transfer weapons to the Houthis to attack Israel. It was Israel’s eighth attack on the Houthis in Yemen in less than a year. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz on Friday threatened to assassinate Houthi leaders just like the “Sinwars” in Gaza. (YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)
A terrorist stabbed a police officer at Chain Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem on Friday night. The terrorist arrived at the area shortly after 9 p.m. and charged at the police officer, stabbing him in the back with a knife Another police officer and a nearby Border Police officer quickly opened fire, neutralizing the terrorist. His death was later pronounced at the scene. The wounded police officer was evacuated to Shaare Tzedek Hospital in moderate condition. The terrorist was later identified as an Israeli-Arab from East Jerusalem. (YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)
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