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Shortly after resigning from his National Security Advisor role, Mike Waltz was nominated to be UN ambassador by President Donald Trump.

“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump posted to Truth Social Thursday.

“From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role. In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department. Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

From Fox News:

The announcement comes after news broke on Thursday morning that Waltz was no longer serving as the administration’s national security advisor.

A handful of names had been floated for the role after [Elise] Stefanik withdrew her nomination in March, including former U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman, former deputy special envoy to monitor and combat anti-semitism at the State Department under the first Trump administration, Ellie Cohanim and special presidential envoy Richard Grenell. Grenell said he was a “hard no” on serving in the U.N. ambassador role ahead of Trump’s announcement.

Trump announced Stefanik as his original choice for the role back in November 2024, just days after his successful election against former Vice President Kamala Harris. The New York congresswoman, however, pulled her nomination last month as concerns mounted in Trump’s orbit that the GOP’s slim majority in the House would grow smaller in her absence.

Waltz responded to the nomination for the new role on X, saying “I’m deeply honored to continue my service to President Trump and our great nation.”

{Matzav.com}

Video shows the Druze community protesting in middle of the Amiad Junction in Northern Israel.

RFK JR.: “The farmers of this country are our partners. We have to make sure that their lives are sustainable, that they can have these farms and hand them to their families, that we can continue to feed our country… high quality food to Make America Healthy Again.”

REPORTER: Why not arrest leaders of sanctuary cities who are harboring illegal aliens? TOM HOMAN: “Wait ‘til you see what’s coming.”

Trump says any country that buys oil from Iran will not be allowed to do business with U.S.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz: “If the attacks on the Druze in Syria do not stop, we will respond very severely.”

Inah Canabarro, a Brazilian nun and teacher who was the world’s oldest person, died on Wednesday just weeks short of turning 117. Canabarro died at home of natural causes. She was confirmed in January as the world’s oldest person by LongeviQuest, an organization that tracks supercentenarians around the globe. She would have turned 117 on May 27. According to LongeviQuest, the world’s oldest person is now Ethel Caterham, a 115-year-old British woman. As a child, Inah Canabarro was so skinny that many people didn’t think she would survive into adulthood, Cleber Canabarro, her 84-year-old nephew, told The Associated Press in January, Her great-grandfather was a famed Brazilian general who took up arms during the turbulent period following Brazil’s independence from Portugal in the 19th century. She spent two years as a teenager in Montevideo, Uruguay, before moving to Rio de Janeiro and eventually settling in her home state of Rio Grande do Sul. A lifelong teacher, among her former students was Gen. Joao Figueiredo, the last of the military dictators who governed Brazil between 1964 and 1985. She was also the beloved creator of two marching bands at schools in sister cities straddling the border between Uruguay and Brazil. Canabarro took the title of the oldest living person following the death of Japan’s Tomiko Itooka in December, according to LongeviQuest. She ranked as the 20th oldest documented person to have ever lived, a list topped by Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 at the age of 122, according to LongeviQuest. (AP)

Hundreds seen packed into the tziyon of Reb Shayale in Kerestir, beseeching him to be po’el yeshuos and be a meilitz yosher for klal yisroel.

At a White House gathering held in honor of the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, President Donald Trump spoke about the hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, indicating that fewer than two dozen remain alive.

While addressing those in attendance, Trump turned his attention to the parents of Edan Alexander, a dual American-Israeli citizen who is currently being held hostage. “I can not imagine your pain, but we’re all alongside you, we stand by you, and we’re going to do everything possible in the very short period of time. As you know, things are heating up. I’ve gotten a lot of hostages out. But they (Hamas) want to do it as slowly as possible because they use them as pawns.”

He reassured them of the government’s efforts, saying, “We’re working very hard to save your son. We’ve got news coming out both good and bad, but we’re working very hard.”

Trump recounted that he had personally met with relatives of the hostages, as well as with individuals who had already been freed.

He described one meeting in which a freed hostage was wearing a shirt with the number 59 to represent the total still held at the time. “I asked if they’re all living, they said, ‘No, 24 are living.’ I said ‘24?’ So 24 of the 59 are living, and they knew because they had just gotten out, and the others are all dead.”

Reflecting on conversations with families whose loved ones had already been confirmed dead, Trump remarked, “and as much as you want your beautiful boy out, they want their beautiful boys out so badly. Almost as much as if he were alive. It was amazing to see the level of love for the children.”

He concluded with a grim update on the current reality. “Think of that, out of 59, you had 24 that were living, and now I understand that it’s not even that number.”

{Matzav.com}

Seattle-based aerospace startup Gravitics has secured a $60 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to develop a revolutionary satellite deployment system designed to rapidly launch satellites into orbit in times of crisis, acting as a sort of space-based aircraft carrier. The system, dubbed the Orbital Carrier, is being heralded as a potential game-changer in orbital security. Acting as a “prepositioned launch pad in space,” the Orbital Carrier will house multiple maneuverable satellites, ready to be deployed on demand in the event existing assets are disabled, threatened, or interfered with — particularly amid growing concerns about space aggression from countries like China and Russia. “The Orbital Carrier is a game-changer,” said Colin Doughan, CEO of Gravitics, in a statement. “It bypasses traditional launch constraints, enabling space vehicle operators to rapidly select a deployment orbit on demand.” The carrier is designed to operate much like an aircraft carrier — but for space. Instead of returning to Earth to reload or refuel, it remains in orbit, allowing for near-instantaneous deployment of satellites in response to emergent threats or system failures. The $60 million award was made through SpaceWERX, the innovation-focused wing of the U.S. Space Force. Funding comes from a combination of government support, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) reserves, and private investment. The contract gives Gravitics the green light to both develop and demonstrate the Orbital Carrier, with potential test launches projected as early as 2026. Analysts say the system could provide the United States with critical tactical flexibility in space, particularly in an era where satellite networks are increasingly vital for communications, surveillance, and navigation — and are more vulnerable than ever to foreign interference. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Governor Kathy Hochul revealed Thursday that the finalized state budget includes a massive boost in funding for New York’s subway network, with a central focus on bolstering rider security.

Hochul emphasized that the state will fully back the MTA’s entire $68.4 billion capital plan for 2025-2029, calling it the largest infrastructure commitment to public transit in New York’s history.

In addition to infrastructure funding, the state is allocating more than $120 million to expand the presence of uniformed law enforcement personnel, including both state police and members of the National Guard.

“The alternative is unfathomable—not to have a fully functioning, funded, efficient system to carry 6 million people a day,” Hochul said.

The sweeping capital plan features a host of projects, such as the long-discussed Interborough Express connecting Brooklyn and Queens via light rail, as well as significant repairs, upgrades, and enhanced enforcement to curb fare evasion.

The announcement came during a press conference at Grand Central station, where Hochul appeared alongside MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber to present the transportation components of the fiscal year 2026 budget.

Hochul highlighted recent progress, pointing to an 11% reduction in subway-related crime and fare-skipping compared to last year, and promised further investments to build on that momentum.

She outlined a number of transit safety upgrades, including enhanced LED lighting, new protective platform barriers at 100 subway stations, and modern fare gates at over 150 locations—measures designed to deter what she called “shameless fare evaders.”

Beyond policing and physical upgrades, the budget also dedicates funding to services targeting homelessness and mental illness within the subway system, with expanded support for Safe Options Support (SOS) outreach teams.

{Matzav.com}

A Soviet-era spacecraft meant to land on Venus in the 1970s is expected to soon plunge uncontrolled back to Earth. It’s too early to know where the half-ton mass of metal might come down or how much of it will survive reentry, according to space debris-tracking experts. Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek predicts the failed spacecraft will reenter around May 10. He estimates it will come crashing in at 150 mph (242 kph), if it remains intact. “While not without risk, we should not be too worried,” Langbroek said in an email. The object is relatively small and, even if it doesn’t break apart, “the risk is similar to that of a random meteorite fall, several of which happen each year. You run a bigger risk of getting hit by lightning in your lifetime,” he said. The chance of the spacecraft actually hitting someone or something is small, he added. “But it cannot be completely excluded.” The Soviet Union launched the spacecraft known as Kosmos 482 in 1972, one of a series of Venus missions. But it never made it out of Earth orbit because of a rocket malfunction. Most of it came tumbling down within a decade. But Langbroek and others believe the landing capsule itself — a spherical object about 3 feet (1 meter) in diameter — has been circling the world in a highly elliptical orbit for the past 53 years, gradually dropping in altitude. It’s quite possible that the 1,000-pound-plus (nearly 500-kilogram) spacecraft will survive reentry. It was built to withstand a descent through the carbon dioxide-thick atmosphere of Venus, said Langbroek of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Experts doubt the parachute system would work after so many years. The heat shield may also be compromised after so long in orbit. It would be better if the heat shield fails, which would cause the spacecraft to burn up during its dive through the atmosphere, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics’ Jonathan McDowell said in an email. But if the heat shield holds, “it’ll reenter intact and you have a half-ton metal object falling from the sky.” The spacecraft could reenter anywhere between 51.7 degrees north and south latitude, or as far north as London and Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, almost all the way down to South America’s Cape Horn. But since most of the planet is water, “chances are good it will indeed end up in some ocean,” Langbroek said. (AP)

Thousands of Yidden from across the globe gathered in Kerestir, Hungary, to participate in the central hilulah seudah marking the 100th yahrtzeit of the tzaddik Rav Yeshayale ben Rav Moshe of Kerestir zt”l. The 100th yahrtzeit is today.

The seudah took place in the massive tent known as “Reb Yeshaya’le’s House,” which has become a spiritual focal point for those seeking yeshuos and inspiration from the legacy of the revered tzaddik.

This year’s hilulah shattered all previous attendance records, with a flood of participants coming from Eretz Yisroel, Europe, and the United States to daven, connect, and commemorate the life and impact of Rav Yeshayale.

The hilulah was emceed by Rav Yisroel Stern of London. The guest speaker was the noted mashpia Rav Yitzchok Moshe Erlanger. Throughout the night, stories of miracles, kindness, and the towering spiritual stature of Rav Yeshayale were shared

PHOTOS:

President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened sanctions on anyone who buys Iranian oil, a warning that came after planned talks over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program were postponed. Trump wrote on social media, “All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW!” He said any country or person who buys those products from Iran will not be able to do business with the United States “in any way, shape, or form.” It was unclear how Trump would implement such a ban as he threatened to levy secondary sanctions on nations that import Iranian oil. But his statement risked further escalating tensions with China — Iran’s leading customer — at a time when the relationship is severely strained over the U.S. president’s tariffs. Based on tanker tracking data, the U.S. Energy Information Administration concluded in a report published last October that “China took nearly 90% of Iran’s crude oil and condensate exports in 2023.” Trump has separately placed 145% tariffs on China as a way to raise federal revenues and rebalance global trade. Trump’s social media threat came after Oman announced planned nuclear negotiations for this coming weekend had been postponed. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi made the announcement in a post on the social platform X. “For logistical reasons we are rescheduling the US Iran meeting provisionally planned for Saturday May 3rd,” he wrote. “New dates will be announced when mutually agreed.” Al-Busaidi, who has mediated the talks through three rounds so far, did not elaborate. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei issued a statement describing the talks as being “postponed at the request of Oman’s foreign minister.” He said Iran remain committed to reaching ”a fair and lasting agreement.” Meanwhile, a person familiar with the U.S. negotiators said America “had never confirmed its participation” in a fourth round of talks in Rome. However, the person said the U.S. expected the talks to occur “in the near future.” The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations. Rome will see the Vatican begin its conclave next week to pick a new pope after the death of Pope Francis. Two other rounds of U.S.-Iran talks have been held in Muscat, the capital of Oman. The talks seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic closing in on a half-century of enmity. The negotiations have been led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. The U.S. president with his threat on social media would be going after Iran’s major economic resource. It produced an average of 2.9 million barrels a day in 2023 of crude oil, according to the Energy Information Administration. Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers did limit Tehran’s program. However, Trump unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018, setting in motion years of attacks and tensions. The wider Middle East also remains on edge over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues an airstrike campaign, called “Operation Rough Rider,” that has […]

An Israeli engineering unit that had been conducting operations in the Morag Corridor—situated between Rafah and Khan Yunis—re-entered Israeli territory without realizing that one of their own had been left behind in Gaza. The mishap resulted in a soldier being stranded alone in enemy territory for close to an hour.

The soldier, a member of the elite Yahalom unit, eventually made contact with troops from the Golani Brigade who were stationed nearby. Fearing he might be mistaken for a threat, the soldier called out “IDF” repeatedly to alert them of his identity and avoid being fired upon.

The IDF Spokesperson confirmed the sequence of events in a statement: “On Tuesday, an IDF force operating in the southern Gaza Strip, near the border with Israel, left the Gaza Strip after the end of operational activity. Upon their return to Israel, an IDF soldier was left alone in Gaza for about 40 minutes.

The statement added: “The soldier arrived at an area where other IDF forces were staying and joined them. This is a serious incident that is under investigation and from which lessons will be drawn.”

{Matzav.com}

After months of tense negotiations, the U.S. and Ukraine signed a deal that is expected to give Washington access to the country’s critical minerals and other natural resources, an agreement Kyiv hopes will secure long-term support for its defense against Russia. According to Ukrainian officials, the version of the deal signed Wednesday is far more beneficial to Ukraine than previous versions, which they said reduced Kyiv to a junior partner and gave Washington unprecedented rights to the country’s resources. The agreement — which the Ukrainian parliament must ratify — would establish a reconstruction fund for Ukraine that Ukrainian officials hope will be a vehicle to ensure future American military assistance. A previous agreement was nearly signed before being derailed in a tense Oval Office meeting involving U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “We have formed a version of the agreement that provides mutually beneficial conditions for both countries. This is an agreement in which the United States notes its commitment to promoting long-term peace in Ukraine and recognizes the contribution that Ukraine has made to global security by giving up its nuclear arsenal,” Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who signed the deal for Ukraine, said in a post on Facebook. The signing comes during what U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said would be a “very critical” week for U.S.-led efforts to end the war that appear to have stalled. Ukraine sees the deal as a way to ensure that its biggest and most consequential ally stays engaged and doesn’t freeze military support, which has been key in its 3-year-old fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion. “This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who signed for the U.S., said in a statement. Here is a look at the deal. What does the deal include? The deal covers minerals, including rare earth elements, but also other valuable resources, including oil and natural gas, according to the text released by Ukraine’s government. It does not include resources that are already a source of revenue for the Ukrainian state. In other words, any profits under the deal are dependent on the success of new investments. Ukrainian officials have also noted that it does not refer to any debt obligations for Kyiv, meaning profits from the fund will likely not go toward paying the U.S. back for its previous support. Officials have also emphasized that the agreement ensures full ownership of the resources remains with Ukraine, and the state will determine what can be extracted and where. It does not mention any explicit security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression that Ukraine has long insisted on. The text of the deal lists 55 minerals but says more can be agreed to. Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in Ukraine’s rare earth elements, and some of them are included in the list, as are other critical minerals, such as titanium, lithium and uranium. What are rare earth elements? They are a group of 17 elements that are essential to many kinds of consumer technology, including cellphones, hard drives and electric and hybrid vehicles. China is the world’s largest producer of rare earth elements, and both the U.S and Europe have sought to reduce their dependence on Beijing, […]

A deadly attack on tourists in the disputed Kashmir region last week has spiked tensions between India and Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of backing the massacre, a charge Pakistan denies. The nuclear-armed neighbors have downgraded diplomatic ties, threatened to suspend key treaties and expelled each other’s nationals. It’s the biggest breakdown in relations since 2019, when a suicide car bombing killed 40 Indian soldiers in Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan, and Pakistan rejected the accusation. India has hinted at the possibility of an imminent but limited military strike. Pakistan says it would respond militarily. A look at the countries’ nuclear capabilities, and what might lie ahead: Both have nuclear weapons, but as a deterrent India and Pakistan have built up nuclear arsenals over the years. But their purpose is to stop wars, not start them. India has a “no first use” policy. That means it will only retaliate with nuclear weapons if there is a nuclear attack on Indian forces or Indian territories. Pakistan has a different policy, full spectrum deterrence, aimed at using tactical nuclear weapons to counter nuclear threats and conventional military attacks from its bigger, stronger and richer regional rival. Pakistan has not ruled out using nuclear weapons first if it feels an existential threat. But Pakistan can ill afford to initiate nuclear war with India because of its neighbor’s superior firepower. It has lost three conventional wars in the past. Instead, Pakistan uses its nuclear arsenal to deter India from invasion or massive attack. Neither has details about the other’s arsenal Neither country knows what nuclear weapons the other has or how many. India conducted its first nuclear test in 1974. Pakistan carried out its first in 1988. Thinktanks suggest Pakistan has 170 warheads while India has 172. Some analysis indicates that Pakistan could have more, around 200. Despite decades of hostility and suspicion, India and Pakistan are signatories to a pact that bars them from attacking each other’s nuclear facilities. As part of the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, the two sides exchange lists of their nuclear facilities and installations each January. They have exchanged lists for 34 consecutive years. However, neither country is a signatory to the global Non-Proliferation Treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology. Both prefer limited strikes on specific targets Flare-ups between India and Pakistan have seen targeted attacks and reprisals, escalating slowly while giving each side the option to step back and defuse. Border skirmishes are common. But there is huge domestic pressure on India to respond this time because most of the victims last week were Indian. In 2019, following the suicide car bombing, there was a predawn airstrike from India that it said targeted a terrorist training camp in Pakistan. Pakistan later said it shot down two Indian warplanes in Kashmir and captured a pilot. The pilot was eventually released and the situation began to normalize. But the episode showed that India was willing to enter Pakistani airspace and launch strikes, setting a new threshold for retaliation. In the current crisis, the two sides have yet to make a dramatic move. Pakistan has reported seeing Indian fighter jets over its airspace, and has shot down spy drones that it says belong to India. Retaliation from either country is likely to be […]

Sergeant Shimon Tubol, a member of the chareidi Chashmona’im Brigade, tragically lost his life in a car crash Wednesday night while he was on leave from military duty.

The incident took place under civilian circumstances along Route 457, in the vicinity of Ma’ale Mikhmas in the Binyamin region.

Tubol’s death marks the first loss for the Chashmona’im Brigade, a newly formed unit established roughly half a year ago to bring haredi soldiers into front-line combat roles.

He had previously served in the Netzach Yehuda battalion, which also caters to haredi servicemen, before moving on to take part in the Chashmona’im Brigade as a combat soldier.

Paying tribute to him, his friend Yedidya Boskovich said: “Shimon was a special person – with a huge heart, a smile that always lit his surroundings, and a good soul that everyone loved. He served the country with love and dedication.”

The accident left four others injured, all of whom were taken to Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital. Two individuals in their twenties were reported to be in moderate condition, while the other two suffered minor injuries, including bruises.

Shilo Carmon, a medic with Magen David Adom, recounted: “We arrived at a difficult scene and the vehicles were severely damaged. A 30-year-old man was lying unconscious at the scene, and after medical examinations, we pronounced him dead.”

Carmon also noted: “Another injured man who was at the scene was trapped in his car and needed to be rescued. Afterwards, all injured persons were evacuated to hospital in mild or medium condition.”

{Matzav.com}

Sergeant Shimon Tubol Z”L, a dedicated soldier in the Chareidi Hashmonaim Brigade, tragically lost his life in a car accident on Wednesday night, while on leave from the army. The accident occurred under civilian circumstances on Route 457 near Ma’ale Mikhmas in the Binyamin region, marking the first casualty of the Hashmonaim Brigade since its establishment six months ago as part of an initiative to integrate Chareidi soldiers into significant combat roles. Sgt. Tubol previously served in the Chareidi Netzach Yehuda battalion before joining the Hashmonaim Brigade as a fighter, contributing to the brigade’s mission of bridging Chareidi values with military service. The accident also left four others injured, who were evacuated to Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital. Two individuals in their 20s were reported in moderate condition, while the other two sustained mild injuries with bruises. Boruch Dayan HaEmmes… (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Mike Waltz is expected to step down from his position as national security adviser in the near future, a White House insider told Newsmax on Thursday.

The update was first shared by veteran journalist Mark Halperin, who said that Waltz, along with his deputy Alex Wong and several others at the National Security Council, are slated to be removed due to widespread dissatisfaction with how the NSC is being managed. According to Halperin, discontent has been voiced from officials across multiple departments, including the White House, State Department, and Treasury.

Halperin revealed the information during an episode of his podcast, “The Morning Meeting,” which he co-hosts with Sean Spicer, a former White House press secretary, and Dan Turrentine, on the platform 2WAY.tv.

Since Halperin’s disclosure, the story has been picked up by several major outlets, including CBS News and Politico, both of which reported that Waltz is likely on his way out. CNN also noted that Waltz had already been told earlier this week that his time in the role was over.

According to Politico, Steve Witkoff, who currently serves as a special envoy for the White House, is the frontrunner to take over the national security adviser position. The outlet also reported that the administration has been quietly looking for Waltz’s replacement for several weeks.

Despite recent controversy surrounding a group text incident involving the Signal messaging app, Halperin made clear that this episode had no bearing on the decision. In fact, he suggested that the situation may have actually delayed Waltz’s departure. The March 11 mishap occurred when Waltz accidentally included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic, in a Signal group chat where high-ranking officials were planning a military strike on the Houthis in Yemen.

Halperin emphasized that frustrations with Waltz’s leadership existed well before the Signal incident. He stated that disorganization and ineffective management at the NSC were the real issues behind the push for change.

“There’s lots of levels of unhappiness and it’s less about Signalgate than it is about… a general belief that it’s not being run efficiently, in an organized way. It may happen as early as today; it may not happen ever, because it’s [President] Donald Trump. But the plan for it is to happen soon, maybe this weekend,” Halperin said.

When contacted by Newsmax, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to confirm the report, stating, “We are not going to respond to reporting from anonymous sources.”

{Matzav.com}