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President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered his assurances that U.S. troops would not be sent to help defend Ukraine against Russia after seeming to leave open the possibility the day before. Trump also said in a morning TV interview that Ukraine’s hopes of joining NATO and regaining the Crimean Peninsula from Russia are “impossible.” The Republican president, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders held hours of talks at the White House on Monday aimed at bringing an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine. While answering questions from journalists, Trump did not rule out sending U.S. troops to participate in a European-led effort to defend Ukraine as part of security guarantees sought by Zelenskyy. Trump said after his meeting in Alaska last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Putin was open to the idea of security guarantees for Ukraine. But asked Tuesday on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” what assurances he could provide going forward and beyond his term that American troops would not be part of defending Ukraine’s border, Trump said, “Well, you have my assurance, and I’m president.” Trump would have no control over the U.S. military after his terms ends in January 2029. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later on Tuesday emphasized that “U.S. boots will not be on the ground” as part of any potential peacekeeping mission. The president also said in the interview that he is optimistic that a deal can be reached to end the Russian invasion, but he underscored that Ukraine will have to set aside its hope of getting back Crimea, which was seized by Russian forces in 2014, and its long-held aspirations of joining the NATO military alliance. “Both of those things are impossible,” Trump said. Putin, as part of any potential deal to pull his forces out of Ukraine, is looking for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as recognition of Crimea as Russian territory. Trump on Monday said that he was arranging for direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy. But the Kremlin has not yet said whether Putin, who has resisted previous calls by Trump and others for direct negotiations on ending the war, is committed to a face-to-face meeting with the Ukrainian leader. Asked whether Putin has promised Trump that he’ll meet directly with the Ukrainian leader, Leavitt responded affirmatively. “He has,” Leavitt said of Putin. Trump early on Monday during talks with Zelenskyy and European leaders said that he was pressing for three-way talks among Zelenskyy, Putin and himself. But after speaking to Putin later in the day, Trump said that he was arranging first for a face-to-face between Zelenskyy and Putin and that three-way talks would follow if necessary. “It was an idea that evolved in the course of the president’s conversations with both President Putin, President Zelensky and the European leaders yesterday,” Leavitt explained. Trump said he believed Putin’s course of action would become clear in the coming weeks. “I think Putin is tired of it,” Trump said. “I think they’re all tired of it. But you never know. We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks. That I can tell you.” (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu launched an unusually harsh attack on Tuesday against Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, calling him a “weak” leader who “betrayed Israel” and “abandoned” Australia’s Jewish community. The comments come amid a growing diplomatic standoff between the two countries.

In an English-language statement posted on his official X account, Netanyahu declared: “History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews.”

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid criticized Netanyahu for the outburst, arguing that such confrontations only bolster foreign leaders politically. Lapid claimed that Albanese gained from the exchange, writing that Netanyahu had handed him a “gift.”

“The thing that most strengthens a leader in today’s democratic world is a confrontation with Netanyahu, the most politically toxic leader in the Western world,” Lapid wrote on X. “It’s unclear why Bibi is rushing to give the Australian prime minister this gift.”

Netanyahu’s statement followed Australia’s decision to block far-right Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman from entering the country. In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that Israel was revoking the residency visas of Australia’s representatives to the Palestinian Authority.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned Israel’s retaliatory move, calling it “an unjustified reaction.”

“At a time when dialogue and diplomacy are needed more than ever, the Netanyahu Government is isolating Israel and undermining international efforts towards peace and a two-state solution,” Wong said in a statement.

Tensions between the two nations have escalated in recent months, particularly after Canberra declared its intention to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.

On Monday, the Australian government cancelled Rothman’s visa just hours before his scheduled departure. Rothman, a coalition member, had been expected to speak at events organized by the Australian Jewish Association.

Shortly after the cancellation, Sa’ar announced that Australia’s representatives to the Palestinian Authority would have their visas revoked.

“I also instructed the Israeli Embassy in Canberra to carefully examine any official Australian visa application for entry to Israel,” Sa’ar said. “This follows Australia’s decisions to recognize a ‘Palestinian state’ and against the backdrop of Australia’s unjustified refusal to grant visas to a number of Israeli figures.”

In an interview with Australian journalist Erin Molan on Monday, Sa’ar sharply criticized Canberra’s decision, calling the government’s actions “shameful” and “unacceptable.”

“Instead of battling against antisemitism in Australia as they should, they are doing the opposite. They are fueling antisemitism by this mad decision to ban the entrance to Australia of Israeli politicians and other figures with no justification,” he said.

Sa’ar also dismissed Australia’s claim that Rothman’s ban was based on concerns about public order and Muslim community sensitivities, saying it was “totally false and totally disconnected from anything rational. The Australian government is on a very, very wrong path.”

Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, spoke with Israel’s Kan public broadcaster on Tuesday, saying Australia’s actions were illegitimate since the visa had already been approved before its cancellation. He added that the move had sparked concern among Australian Jews and noted broader tensions in bilateral relations.

“The Jewish community is worried,” Maimon said, explaining the state of affairs between the two countries. “My predecessors told me that the relations were based on friendly foundations, but since Labour won [the last election], there’s been an erosion, and since October 7, there’s been a dramatic rise in antisemitism.”

{Matzav.com}

New York City Council Member Crystal Hudson issued a joint statement Monday with State Senator Zellnor Myrie and Assembly Member Brian Cunningham condemning today’s planned antisemitic gathering in Crown Heights. Organizers are calling for “justice” for the 1991 accidental death of a Black child struck by a vehicle in the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s motorcade. That incident triggered days of violent unrest in Crown Heights, during which Yankel Rosenbaum, hy”d, was murdered.

Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) accused the United Nations of presenting “severe reporting discrepancies” regarding the amount of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza, claiming that nearly 6,000 aid trucks that entered the area since May were excluded from UN records.

According to COGAT, the actual figures show that Israel enabled the transfer of nearly 9,200 trucks carrying supplies into Gaza — more than two and a half times the amount reflected in the UN’s official reporting.

“UN data on the volume of aid, along with repeated statements and reports by senior members of the international community, are often presented as an indisputable absolute truth,” COGAT said in a statement. “However, the UN’s documentation and monitoring mechanisms are deficient and present a misleading, partial, and at times inaccurate picture of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.”

The UN publishes its numbers through an online dashboard intended to display a complete account of humanitarian deliveries. In reality, COGAT explained, the dashboard only tracks trucks coordinated directly by UN agencies and a limited number of aid organizations affiliated with them.

COGAT further noted that the system fails to include a significant volume of assistance provided through other channels, including contributions from foreign governments, additional international relief organizations, private sector efforts, airdropped supplies, and goods distributed by the American-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

{Matzav.com}

Last Friday, Ukrainian designer Viktor Anisimov presented Volodymyr Zelensky with a new black suit featuring a subtle adjustment — a back vent — giving it a more civilian appearance compared to the strictly military-style clothing the president has worn since the start of the war.

“These are our hopes for peace,” Anisimov told Reuters about the design choice. “We think that if we add something subtle to this image, something from civilian clothing to his uniform, then it will be like a lucky charm.”

By Monday, that “lucky charm” made its debut during Zelensky’s visit to Washington, setting a warmer tone for his meeting at the White House with US President Donald Trump. Moments after Zelensky arrived, Trump complimented him on the new look.

Zelensky’s choice of clothing stood in contrast to the controversy surrounding his appearance during a tense Oval Office meeting in February, where his dark military-style outfit drew criticism from Trump and became a focal point of a highly publicized scolding.

Anisimov, 61, who lives in Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region, said he watched footage of that February encounter and felt the sting of Trump’s remarks. He believed the comments went beyond Zelensky personally and reflected on Ukrainians as a whole.

“There was a slight sense of despair because they do not understand how we breathe, how we live,” he said.

A White House reporter who had questioned Zelensky in February about not wearing a suit offered unexpected praise this time. On Monday, the same journalist told the Ukrainian leader, “You look fabulous in that suit.”

Anisimov explained that he was not focused on outside reactions this time, whether positive or negative. His priority was ensuring Zelensky projected dignity and strength.

“They praise, they scold. If we win, and we will win, then whose suit it was doesn’t matter,” he said.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Zelensky has consistently opted for military-inspired outfits, typically collarless shirts paired with rugged boots, as a visual show of unity with Ukraine’s soldiers on the front lines.

“In this moment, internally, we all changed, everything changed, life changed. It was a point of no-return,” Zelensky said in an interview with Ukrainian media a year after the invasion began.

Interestingly, the black suit Zelensky wore on Monday was originally designed — alongside an identical navy version — as an option for Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations on August 24.

Initially, the team debated details like the back vent, leading Anisimov to take the suit back for slight modifications on Friday. However, before he even had a chance to adjust the sleeves, he received an urgent call from Zelensky’s administration on Saturday: the president needed the suit immediately for his trip to the United States.

This isn’t the first time Anisimov has been tasked with reshaping Zelensky’s image. In the early 2000s, back when Zelensky was still a comedian, he and his “Kvartal 95” team sought a more polished look as they transitioned from small comedy contests to mainstream television.

The transformation happened gradually, beginning with simple black t-shirts, then moving to white shirts and ties, eventually evolving into full suits that became a signature of the comedy troupe’s brand.

Anisimov said he hadn’t heard from Zelensky in over five years until a mutual contact from those early styling days reached out to him in January with a proposal: design a capsule wardrobe for the president.

Drawing from Zelensky’s trademark military-inspired image, Anisimov built the collection around versatile pieces while maintaining a sense of authority and formality.

“I can’t say that we sewed (a suit) specifically for the NATO summit or for an important conversation with Trump and European leaders. The suit is just a suit,” Anisimov said, noting that Zelensky now owns about five similar jackets, each with small, individualized adjustments.

Since introducing the capsule collection, Zelensky has worn Anisimov’s designs on several significant occasions, including Pope Francis’s funeral in April and the NATO Summit in June. Both appearances helped repair strained ties with the United States following the contentious February meeting, reinforcing the importance of image and symbolism in Ukraine’s ongoing diplomatic efforts.

{Matzav.com}

The seasonably adjusted unemployment rate in Washington, D.C., was the highest in the nation for the third straight month, according to new data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. D.C.’s jobless rate reached 6% in July, a reflection of the mass layoffs of federal workers, ushered in by President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, earlier this year. An overall decline in international tourism — which is a main driver of D.C.’s income — is also expected to have an impact on the climbing unemployment rate in the District. Neighboring states also saw an uptick in unemployment rates in July — with Maryland at 3.4% (up from 3.3%) and Virginia at 3.6% (up from 3.5%), according to the state-by-state jobless figures. Since the beginning of Trump’s second term, federal workers across government agencies have been either laid off or asked to voluntarily resign from their positions. Those actions have drawn litigation across the federal government by labor unions and advocacy groups. In July, the Supreme Court cleared the way for Trump administration plans to downsize the federal workforce further, despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs. The latest D.C. Office of Revenue Analysis figures show that payments made to unemployed federal workers have been climbing month-over-month. In April, unemployed workers received $2.01 million in unemployment payments. By June, that figure reached $2.57 million. The DC Fiscal Policy Institute argues that the federal worker layoffs will exacerbate D.C.’s Black-white unemployment ratio. The latest nationwide unemployment rate according to the BLS is 4.2% — South Dakota had the lowest jobless rate in July at 1.9%. In addition, international tourism, a major source of D.C., to the U.S. is declining. Angered by Trump’s tariffs and rhetoric, and alarmed by reports of tourists being arrested at the border, some citizens of other countries are staying away from the U.S. and choosing to travel elsewhere — notably British, German and South American tourists, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. A May report from the organization states that international visitor spending to the U.S. is projected to fall to just under $169 billion this year, down from $181 billion in 2024 — which is a 22.5% decline compared to the previous peak. The latest jobs numbers come after the Republican president and a group of GOP governors have deployed National Guard troops to D.C. in the hopes of reducing crime and boosting immigration enforcement. City officials say crime is already falling in the nation’s capital. (AP)

POTUS: “The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been… This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz is meeting with top IDF commanders, Shin Bet officials, and other senior defense leaders to approve attack plans in Gaza.

BREAKING: Authorities have shut down the area near Beverly & La Brea in Los Angeles after a suspicious vehicle was parked by an apparently Muslim woman on the sidewalk near multiple shuls. The bomb squad is on scene and additional units are arriving.

Deputy Attorneys General Adv. Avital Sompolinsky and Adv. Gil Limon sent a formal letter to Amir Medina, the Acting Director-General of the Ministry of Labor, addressing the updated eligibility requirements for tuition subsidies in daycare centers and family-based daycares for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year.

In the letter, they referred to a Supreme Court ruling regarding a petition that challenged the eligibility of parents who are legally obligated to enlist in the military but sought subsidies based on religious studies. The court established a transitional period before these subsidies would be phased out. Following this decision, the Minister of Labor issued revised subsidy criteria, which officially remove alternative eligibility for religious students who are required to enlist, effective March 2025.

The deputies highlighted that, due to hundreds of requests asking to amend the subsidy conditions and reports that certain groups were instructing parents on how to bypass the rules, a new policy was created. This policy sets out detailed documentation requirements for applicants requesting a change in employment status beginning in March 2025, in order to block fraudulent claims. The new procedure has already been approved and made public.

They then addressed two main concerns. The first involves challenges in verifying eligibility when a parent works for their spouse’s business or within a religious institution. As they explained, “There is a conceptual difficulty in granting subsidies based on a criterion whose fulfillment cannot be verified, and consequently, enforcing it is impossible.”

The second issue raised relates to military service. According to the deputies, “granting direct subsidies on a significant scale to encourage employment or studies of a person whose legal obligation is military enlistment is incompatible with the duty to enlist and with the principle of the rule of law.”

To resolve this, they suggested considering the inclusion of a requirement in the subsidy criteria that would make the regularization of one’s status with the military authorities a condition for receiving financial support, regardless of any other qualifying factors.

In closing, the deputies called for developing a clear, well-reasoned policy regarding the subsidy framework, taking into account the various legal and practical challenges involved.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF is considering an unprecedented move: reaching out to Jewish communities abroad to enlist young people into its ranks as it confronts a severe manpower crisis. According to Army Radio, the IDF is drafting plans to actively recruit from major diaspora hubs, particularly the United States and France, with hopes of bringing in as many as 700 foreign recruits each year. The initiative comes amid an estimated shortfall of 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers, a gap that has left units stretched thin after months of combat in Gaza. The IDF has blamed the manpower crunch on chareidim, who refuse to serve in the secular army. Although they comprise roughly 13 percent of Israel’s population, chareidim have long resisted conscription, arguing that limud torah is their national service and warning that immersion in the military’s secular culture would erode their way of life and put Israel’s security at risk. The government has struggled to address the impasse. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s attempt to push forward blanket exemptions for chareidim has drawn fierce criticism from both opposition lawmakers and members of his own coalition, who denounce the policy as discriminatory at a time when other Israelis are expected to shoulder unprecedented burdens. The personnel shortage comes on top of broader problems plaguing the military. Commanders have complained of equipment deficits and a reserve system that has been pushed to its breaking point by nearly a year of fighting. Reports from reservists describe exhaustion, psychological trauma, and a sense of collapse across multiple units. In July, far-left newspaper Maariv reported that senior officers had, for the first time, openly acknowledged the scale of depletion, citing a gap of about 7,500 soldiers. Battalion leaders spoke of crushing workloads and some signaled intentions to retire early, underscoring the growing cracks within the ranks. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

New York City has ordered a Queens community garden to vacate after its leaders imposed an anti-Zionist litmus test for membership, escalating a months-long battle that has become a flashpoint in the city’s broader fight over free speech, antisemitism, and the war in Gaza. The Sunset Community Garden in Ridgewood required prospective members to sign a “statement of values” disavowing Zionism alongside antisemitism and other “nationalist or racist beliefs.” City officials said the requirement violated clear rules prohibiting public spaces from imposing political or ideological conditions on participation. “This is a city-owned space, and there is no place for hate in New York City,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “It is reprehensible that the current operators at Sunset Community Garden barred their fellow New Yorkers because of their beliefs — and specifically tried to bar those who support the State of Israel, which the overwhelming majority of Jews do.” The Parks Department first warned the garden in April that it was in breach of its license agreement. Officials said they offered multiple alternatives to keep the garden open, but the operators refused. In May, the city formally terminated the license and issued a vacate notice. Garden leaders sued, winning a temporary restraining order in June. But that protection was lifted last week, and the Parks Department reissued the vacate order, giving the group until September 3 to clear out. City Hall said the garden will not be shuttered entirely; instead, it will be placed under new leadership and continue operating for neighborhood residents without the political restrictions. The garden’s organizers have accused the city of waging a “targeted, discriminatory, and retaliatory campaign” to suppress protected political speech, and their lawsuit against the city is ongoing in federal court. The Ridgewood dispute underscores how the Gaza war and debates over Zionism have spilled into local civic spaces. Last year, Jewish residents accused the garden of promoting anti-Israel activism, including dedicating a plot as “poppies for Palestine.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit announced Tuesday evening that the IDF, together with the ISA and under the guidance of the Southern Command, carried out a targeted operation on August 10th, 2025, that resulted in the elimination of Jihad Kamal Salem Najjar, a member of Hamas’ military wing.

Najjar was one of the terrorists who infiltrated Kibbutz Nir Oz during the horrific October 7th attack and participated in the kidnapping of Yarden Bibas.

“The IDF and ISA will continue to operate against the terrorists who took part in the brutal October 7th massacre,” the military stated following the strike.

After the announcement, Yarden expressed his feelings, saying: “A small part of my closure happened today. Thank you to the IDF, the Shin Bet, and everyone who took part in the elimination of one of the terrorists who kidnapped me on October 7. Thanks to you, he will not be able to harm anyone else. Please take care of yourselves, heroes.”

He continued, “I am waiting for full closure with the return of my friends David and Ariel, and the remaining 48 hostages.”

Yarden’s wife, Shiri, and their two sons, four-year-old Ariel and nine-month-old Kfir — the youngest victim abducted that day — were also kidnapped and held apart from him. In November 2023, a month after their abduction, the terrorists holding them murdered Shiri and the two children in cold blood, strangling the infants with their bare hands.

Yarden himself was released on February 1 as part of a hostage deal. Later that month, the bodies of his wife and children were returned to Israel.

{Matzav.com Israel}

The United States is deploying three Aegis guided-missile destroyers to the waters off Venezuela as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels, according to a U.S. official briefed on the planning. The USS Gravely, the USS Jason Dunham and the USS Sampson are expected to arrive soon, said the official, who was not authorized to comment and spoke Tuesday on the condition of anonymity. A Defense Department official confirmed that the military assets have been assigned to the region in support of counter narcotics efforts. The official, who was not authorized to comment about military planning, said the vessels would be deployed “over the course of several months.” The deployment of U.S. destroyers and personnel comes as Trump has pushed for using the U.S. military to thwart cartels he blames for the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into American communities and for perpetuating violence in some U.S. cities. Trump has also pressed Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to cooperate more on security than her predecessor, specifically being more aggressive in pursuit of Mexico’s cartels. But she has drawn a clear line when it comes to Mexico’s sovereignty, rejecting suggestions by Trump and others of intervention by the U.S. military. Trump in February designated Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, MS-13 in El Salvador and six groups based in Mexico as foreign terrorist organizations. His Republican administration has also stepped up immigration enforcement against alleged gang members. The designation is normally reserved for groups like al-Qaida or the Islamic State group that use violence for political ends — not for money-focused crime rings such as the Latin American cartels. But the Trump administration argues the international connections and operations of the groups — including drug trafficking, migrant smuggling and violent pushes to extend their territory — warrant the designation. Venezuela’s Communication Ministry didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment. On Monday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said the U.S. had increased its threats against Venezuela and announced he was going to order the deployment of more than 4.5 million militia members around the country. The militias were created by then-President Hugo Chávez to incorporate volunteers who could assist the armed forces in the defense of external and domestic attacks. “The empire has gone mad and has renewed its threats to Venezuela’s peace and tranquility,” Maduro said at an event in Caracas, without mentioning any specific action. Earlier this month, the Trump government announced it was doubling to $50 million a reward for the arrest of Maduro, accusing him of being one of the world’s largest narco-traffickers and working with cartels to flood the U.S. with fentanyl-laced cocaine. Maduro was indicted in a New York federal court in 2020, during the first Trump presidency, along with several close allies on federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. Back then, the U.S. offered a $15 million reward for his arrest. (AP)

WH Press Secretary: President Trump wants to make it easier for Americans to vote and HARDER for people to CHEAT in our elections — and it’s quite mind-boggling that the Democrat Party could stand in opposition to common sense. He wants to ensure election integrity.

WH Press Secretary: “The President has definitively stated U.S. boots will NOT be on the ground in Ukraine, but we can certainly help in the coordination and perhaps provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies.”

WH Press Secretary: “Following the encouraging conversations yesterday, President Trump spoke with President Putin by phone, and he agreed to begin the next phase of the peace process—a meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky… followed, if necessary, by a trilateral meeting…”

On August 10, 2025, the IDF and Shin Bet, under Southern Command, carried out a targeted strike that eliminated Hamas military operative Jihad Kamal Salem Najjar, who participated in the October 7 massacre at Kibbutz Nir Oz and was directly involved in the kidnapping of Yarden Bibas. The IDF and Shin Bet stressed they will continue to act with full force against all terrorists responsible for the October 7 atrocities.

A huge explosion has occurred in Wilmington, North Carolina, after a vehicle crashed into a building and damaging a gas line, which promptly erupted. Multiple injuries have been reported, including among responding firefighters.

USPS is honoring Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel with the 18th stamp in its Distinguished Americans series. Wiesel (1928–2016), author of Night and tireless voice for Holocaust remembrance and human rights, will be featured on a stamp releasing Sept. 17. The design shows a 1999 black-and-white portrait of Wiesel, alongside the word Humanitarian. Sheets of 20 (two-ounce rate) are already available for pre-order.