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U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee slammed France’s recent efforts to promote unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, calling the move “revolting” and ill-timed amid Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas. In an interview with Fox News, Huckabee said the push for Palestinian statehood is out of touch with the current Israeli sentiment following the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre that triggered the war in Gaza. “It’s incredibly inappropriate in the midst of a war that Israel is dealing with to go out and present something that I think increasingly Israelis are steadfast against,” Huckabee said. He added that France should focus on its own territory rather than pressuring Israel: “If France is really so determined to see a Palestinian state, I have a suggestion for them – carve out a piece of the French Riviera and create a Palestinian state. They are welcome to do that, but they are not welcome to impose that kind of pressure on a sovereign nation.” Huckabee also confirmed that the United States will not participate in a France- and Saudi Arabia-led conference scheduled to take place later this month in New York, which is aimed at advancing recognition of a Palestinian state. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Donald Trump on Friday told Pennsylvania steelworkers he’s doubling the tariff on steel imports to 50% to protect their industry, a dramatic increase that could further push up prices for a metal used to make housing, autos and other goods. In a post later on his Truth Social platform, he added that aluminum tariffs would also be doubled to 50%. He said both tariff hikes would go into effect Wednesday. Trump spoke at U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works–Irvin Plant in suburban Pittsburgh, where he also discussed a details-to-come deal under which Japan’s Nippon Steel will invest in the iconic American steelmaker. Trump told reporters after he arrived back in Washington that he still has to approve the deal. “I have to approve the final deal with Nippon and we haven’t seen that final deal yet, but they’ve made a very big commitment and it’s a very big investment,” he said. Though Trump initially vowed to block the Japanese steelmaker’s bid to buy Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel, he reversed course and announced an agreement last week for “partial ownership” by Nippon. It’s unclear, though, if the deal his administration helped broker has been finalized or how ownership would be structured. Nippon Steel has never said it is backing off its bid to outright buy and control U.S. Steel as a wholly owned subsidiary, even as it increased the amount of money it promised to invest in U.S. Steel plants and gave guarantees that it wouldn’t lay off workers or close plants as it sought federal approval of the acquisition. “We’re here today to celebrate a blockbuster agreement that will ensure this storied American company stays an American company,” Trump said as he opened an event at one of U.S. Steel’s warehouses. “You’re going to stay an American company, you know that, right?” As for the tariffs, Trump said doubling the levies on imported steel “will even further secure the steel industry in the U.S.” But such a dramatic increase could push prices even higher. Steel prices have climbed 16% since Trump became president in mid-January, according to the government’s Producer Price Index. As of March 2025, steel cost $984 a metric ton in the United States, significantly more than the price in Europe ($690) or China ($392), according to the U.S. Commerce Department. The United States produced about three times as much steel as it imported last year, with Canada, Brazil, Mexico and South Korea being the largest sources of steel imports. Analysts have credited tariffs going back to Trump’s first term with helping strengthen the domestic steel industry, something that Nippon Steel wanted to capitalize on in its offer to buy U.S. Steel. The United Steelworkers union remained skeptical. Its president, David McCall, said in a statement that the union is most concerned “with the impact that this merger of U.S. Steel into a foreign competitor will have on national security, our members and the communities where we live and work.” Trump stressed the deal would maintain American control of the storied company, which is seen as both a political symbol and an important matter for the country’s supply chain, industries like auto manufacturing and national security. Trump, who has been eager to strike deals and announce new investments in the U.S. since retaking the White House, is also trying […]

WATCH:

A flight filled with Breslover chassidim headed to Uman for Shavuos was thrown into chaos after one passenger was caught smoking an electronic cigarette, forcing the plane to return to Tel Aviv and leading to the removal of all passengers, Matzav.com has learned.

The incident occurred on a Wizz Air flight scheduled to depart from Tel Aviv to Bucharest, Romania, on Thursday. Just moments before takeoff, smoke detectors in the cabin were triggered when a passenger began vaping. Flight attendants rushed to the scene, and although there was no immediate danger to the aircraft, security protocols required the involvement of law enforcement.

Despite the passenger explaining that he was unaware the smoking ban extended to e-cigarettes, police arrived and ordered all passengers off the plane. Among them were hundreds of Breslover chassidim en route to Uman for Yom Tov. The group had planned a journey from Bucharest to the Ukrainian border to spend Shavuos at the kever of Rav Nachman of Breslov.

The annual Shavuos pilgrimage to Uman is part of a longstanding tradition established by Rav Nachman himself, who encouraged his followers to join him during three key times of the year: Rosh Hashanah, Shabbos Chanukah, and Shavuos. Even after his passing, chassidim continue to uphold this custom, gathering at his kever for these dates.

One of the passengers related: “The flight was supposed to depart at 5:00 p.m., but without notice it was delayed until 6:00. Then one passenger, who didn’t realize how serious vaping was, used his e-cigarette, and because of that, all of us were thrown off the flight, with no explanation and no alternative travel arrangements.”

Drivers were already waiting in Bucharest to help the group cross into Ukraine, and all those plans were ruined. “No one was available to talk to us. Out of all the passengers, only eight managed to book a replacement flight late that night at a cost of $1,000.”

While incidents involving passengers smoking on planes have occurred in the past, they typically result in the removal of the individual offender, not the entire passenger list.

{Matzav.com}

A powerful new ruling has sent shockwaves through the city of Bnei Brak, as leading rabbinic authorities have declared that renting apartments in the new “Supermarket Complex” neighborhood in the northern part of the city to individuals who are not chareidi le’dvar Hashem (devoutly observant) is strictly forbidden.

In a strongly worded letter published in recent days, prominent poskim of Bnei Brak expressed concern over developments in the new neighborhood, where, due to difficulty in finding tenants, some property owners have begun renting out their apartments to individuals who do not conform to the religious character of the area.

The letter, authored by Rav Moshe Shaul Klein, rav of the Or HaChaim neighborhood in Bnei Brak and a leading posek, states unequivocally: “There is a severe prohibition against renting — all the more so selling — to those who are not chareidim le’dvar Hashem.”

The letter continues with an urgent call to action: “It is the obligation of every individual to protest those who breach the boundaries in this matter, for it is a matter of life to us.” The rabbonim further clarified, “One need not be concerned about halbanas panim (embarrassing others) or similar considerations in this context.”

Joining the ruling are additional leading rabbonim, including HRav Shmuel Eliezer Stern, rav of the western Bnei Brak neighborhood, and Rav Menachem Mendel Lubin, who added: “This must be absolutely avoided, as the matter is clear and simple, and one must stand firm on this.”

Residents of the neighborhood, including many who acquired homes through Israel’s subsidized housing initiative Mechir LeMishtaken, hope that this halachic ruling will strengthen the Torah character of the community and ensure that new residents align with the spiritual and communal standards expected in the “City of Torah and Chassidus.”

The neighborhood already hosts a thriving cheder serving the general Chassidic population, which has seen great success since its opening at the beginning of the year. Additional educational institutions are expected to open in the coming school year, serving a range of groups and communities. There are also five functioning batei knesses and daily kollelim for yungeleit.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Roughly 17,000 residents in the Canadian province of Manitoba have been evacuated because of nearly two dozen active wildfires, officials said Saturday. More than 5,000 of those are from Flin Flon, where there is no rain in the immediate forecast. There have been no structure fires in the city located nearly 645 kilometers (400 miles) northwest of the provincial capital of Winnipeg as of Saturday morning, but officials worry that a change in wind direction could bring the fire into town. Manitoba declared a state of emergency on Wednesday as the fires burning from the northwest to the southeast forced evacuations in several communities in the province directly north of the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota. Smoke from the fires is being pushed south into some parts of the U.S., worsening air quality. Thousands have also been affected by wildfires in Saskatchewan and Alberta, with 1,300 people in the community of Swan Hills northwest of Edmonton forced from their homes. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe told a news conference Saturday that ongoing hot, dry weather is allowing some fires to grow and threaten communities, and that the current figure of 8,000 fire evacuees could climb to 10,000. Resources to fight the fires and support the evacuees are stretched thin, Moe said. “The next four to seven days are absolutely critical until we can find our way to changing weather patterns, and ultimately a soaking rain throughout the north,” Moe said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service said Saturday it has deployed an air tanker to Alberta, and the U.S. is sending 150 firefighters and equipment like sprinkler kits, pumps and hoses to Canada. “We are here to help our neighbors during their time of need, and our Forest Service Wildland Firefighters are the best in the business. I am thankful for the men and women who are bravely stepping up to serve, “ U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins said in a statement. In northern Manitoba, fire knocked out power to the community of Cranberry Portage, forcing a mandatory evacuation order Saturday for about 600 residents. People living in smaller nearby communities were told to prepare to evacuate after a fire jumped a highway. “Please start getting ready and making plans to stay with family and friends as accommodations are extremely limited,” Lori Forbes, the emergency coordinator for the Rural Municipality of Kelsey, posted on social media. Evacuation centers have opened across the province for those fleeing the fires, including one as far south as Winkler, Manitoba, 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the U.S. border. Evacuations that started earlier in the week for Pimicikamak Cree Nation ramped up Saturday, when five flights were expected to take residents to Winnipeg. “The wildfire has crossed the main road, and the area remains filled with smoke and ash,” Chief David Monias wrote on social media. Winnipeg has opened up public buildings for evacuees as it deals with hotels already crammed with other fire refugees, vacationers, business people and convention-goers. The fire menacing Flin Flon began Monday near Creighton, Saskatchewan, and quickly jumped the boundary into Manitoba. Crews have struggled to contain it. Water bombers have been intermittently grounded due to heavy smoke and a drone incursion. The 1,200 or so residents of Creighton have also been ordered out, many of […]

PBS sues Trump over executive order to cut funding PBS sued President Donald Trump to block his effort to cut off federal funding for the public broadcaster. The lawsuit from PBS and one of its member stations in Minnesota came three days after NPR filed a similar suit against Trump and his administration. Trump had signed an executive order accusing both PBS and NPR of failing to present “a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens.”

Trump on international students at Harvard: We want people that can love our country and take care of our country and cherish our country — and for some reason Harvard doesn’t want to give us the list.”

North Korea deploys mystery balloon-like objects to stricken warship, satellite photos show New satellite images show that North Korea has deployed what appear to be balloons alongside its damaged 5,000-ton warship that has been laying on its side and partially submerged since a botched launch last week. While the purpose of the objects is unclear, experts said they could be used to help get the ship back upright, or protect it from the prying eyes of drones. The stricken destroyer was the country’s newest warship and was meant to be a triumph of North Korea’s ambitious naval modernization effort. Instead, a malfunction in the launch mechanism on May 21 caused the stern to slide prematurely into the water, crushing parts of the hull and leaving the bow stranded on the shipway, state media KCNA reported, in a rare admission of bad news.

Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut traveled to Kyiv on Friday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and discuss their latest legislative initiative aimed at ramping up pressure on Russia through sweeping new sanctions. The two lawmakers are pushing a bipartisan bill designed to punish Moscow if it continues to evade meaningful peace negotiations.

The proposed legislation, introduced last week, threatens to enforce harsh penalties on Russia and those who facilitate its war efforts in Ukraine. One of the central components of the bill is a massive 500% tariff on imports from nations that purchase Russian energy, including oil, gas, and uranium, as well as other key commodities.

“We understand that Russia is trying to turn diplomacy into a farce,” Zelenskyy said, The New Voice of Ukraine reported. “It hides behind talks while planning fresh offensive operations on the front, striking our towns and villages daily and rejecting any ceasefire proposals. That’s why additional pressure is necessary.”

A corresponding measure in the House of Representatives was introduced by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. Like its Senate counterpart, the bill has received broad bipartisan backing. Fitzpatrick, who is part of the congressional Ukraine Caucus along with Graham and Blumenthal’s membership in the Senate version, previously met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv this past April.

“Enough of talking, it’s time to act,” Graham told reporters, according to Bloomberg. “I would expect next week that the Senate will start moving the sanctions bill. There are House members that are ready to move in the House, and you will see congressional action.”

During their visit, the senators commended Ukraine for standing firm in the face of Russian assaults. Zelenskyy, in turn, voiced his gratitude for their leadership on the sanctions initiative.

“I appreciate this initiative — a bipartisan sanctions bill now supported by 82 senators,” said Zelenskyy, who also expressed gratitude to the American people and to President Donald Trump for his efforts to end the conflict. “We discussed this and other measures to force Russia toward peace, and we will continue working on this together.”

In a press release, Zelenskyy’s office stated that Graham and Blumenthal also visited the scene of a deadly missile attack in Kyiv on April 24, which left 13 dead and over 90 injured. The strike, one of the deadliest since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, prompted President Trump to issue a strong rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling on him via Truth Social to “STOP!” and pursue peace.

“I’m determined that we will pass the Russian sanctions bill, now with 82 co-sponsors evenly bipartisan divided, and move forward to send a message to Putin: It’s crunch time,” Blumenthal said in a video from Kyiv posted Friday on his X account. “Show up and put up or you will be hit by bone-crushing sanctions, and more military aid for Ukraine, which we have an obligation to provide.”

The leaders also reviewed the status of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine held in Istanbul. Thus far, the only tangible result has been a prisoner exchange, The New Voice of Ukraine reported. Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine remains willing to pursue dialogue, but said that Russia has failed to submit an agenda for the upcoming round of negotiations scheduled for Monday.

Despite the upcoming talks, Russian officials reportedly indicated on Friday that President Putin would not be participating in the next meeting.

{Matzav.com}

‘There’s no reason to sugar coat it. The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent,’ Pete Hegseth said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

President Donald Trump is withdrawing the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, an associate of Elon Musk, to lead NASA, a person familiar with the decision said Saturday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the administration’s personnel decisions. The White House and NASA did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment. Trump announced last December during the presidential transition that he had chosen Isaacman to be the space agency’s next administrator. Isaacman has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since he bought his first chartered flight on Musk’s SpaceX in 2021. He is the CEO and founder of Shift4, a credit card processing company. He also bought a series of spaceflights from SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk. Isaacman testified at his Senate confirmation hearing on April 9 and a vote to send his nomination to the full Senate was expected soon. SpaceX is owned by Musk, a Trump supporter and adviser who announced this week that he is leaving the government after several months at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Trump created the agency to slash the size of government and put Musk in charge. Semafor was first to report that the White House had decided to pull Isaacman’s nomination. (AP)

A bridge collapse in the Bryansk region of Russia with a passenger train on it, killing at least 4 people and injuring 44.

HATE: Paris’s Holocaust memorial, two Shuls, and a Jewish restaurant were vandalized with green paint this morning. The anti-Israel crowd claims it’s “anti zionist”, not antisemitic.

State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce: Being here on a visa is not a right, it’s a privilege, and every visa decision is a national security decision.

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg is preparing to sail to Gaza this weekend on a humanitarian mission, drawing sharp criticism from some commentators who are suggesting she shouldn’t plan on returning.

The 22-year-old, known globally for her climate change campaigns, will be joined by several other notable figures as they board the ship “Madleen” in Catania, Sicily on Sunday. Their goal is to bring aid to Gaza and protest the Israeli blockade that has remained in place for months.

According to the World Health Organization, Gaza faces a looming famine due to the blockade, with 75% of the population experiencing severe to extreme food shortages.

“The world cannot be silent bystanders,” Thunberg said of the initiative, which is being organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

“This silence and passivity that we are seeing from most of the world is deadly. We are seeing a systematic starvation of 2 million people. Every single one of us has a moral obligation to do everything we can to fight for a free Palestine.”

This marks the second recent effort by the FFC to reach Gaza. Their earlier attempt on May 2 ended when the vessel “Conscience” was hit by drones in international waters near Malta.

The coalition accused Israel of being behind that strike, though Israeli authorities have neither confirmed nor denied involvement.

Among those joining Thunberg on the “Madleen” are actor Liam Cunningham, known for his role in “Game of Thrones,” and European Parliament member Rima Hassan. However, much of the public reaction has been focused on Thunberg herself, with critics questioning her decision to enter a region embroiled in conflict.

Danica De Giorgio, a host for Sky News Australia, labeled Thunberg her “big loser of the week.”

“She’s sailing to Gaza like it’s some sort of idyllic holiday destination,” De Giorgio said angrily. “She really is annoying at all times.”

“She’s such an urban terrorist herself, she’ll fit right in. But also I’m wondering if it’s a secret deal from the Israelis — all the Hamas terrorists will leave if she’s inflicted on them. Wouldn’t you?” remarked guest Prue MacSween of Verve Communications.

“This girl is not well, I believe, and let’s just hope she stays over there. I think that would be a good thing.”

Many online echoed those thoughts.

“I hope she stay in Gaza,” one person commented.

“Let’s hope it’s a one-way voyage,” another user posted.

Thunberg’s departure coincides with efforts by Hamas to keep talks alive regarding a possible long-term ceasefire. The discussions are centered around a U.S.-brokered 60-day truce that includes the phased release of hostages.

On Saturday, Hamas reportedly delivered its response to U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff. The group demanded that Washington take stronger measures to prevent Israel from renewing its military operations if a permanent ceasefire isn’t finalized within the designated timeline, according to a source cited by The Times of Israel. This could lead to further delays in negotiations.

{Matzav.com}

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce: The war in Gaza continues for one reason only Because Hamas will not lay down its arms, will not stop killing people, and will not release the hostages.

IDF forces conducted an arrest campaign during a raid on the town of Fahma, south of Jenin.