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Click HERE to join the Neki Kapayim annual Maamad Hashava! Keren Neki Kapayim is an innovative halachic solution developed by Gedolei Haposkim for the return of unknown debts and misplaced assets.

Join the thousands who have come clean and your Tefillos will soar this Yom Kippur.

Click HERE to join the Neki Kapayim annual Maamad Hashava!

As upstanding, committed Shomrei Torah Umitzvos, our life is all about observing the dictates of Torah and halacha to the utmost of our abilities. Obviously, we each have our shortcomings in different areas, and for this reason the Torah gives us the opportunity of Teshuva – to come clean and make good on our failings. There is one area though, for which the ordinary process of Teshuva, do not suffice to clear us of our misdeeds – that is the real of bein odom l’chaveiro – sins between man and fellow man. When it’s simply a question of a personal offense – one has to ask for forgiveness. If it’s a monetary obligation the debt must be paid up.

Click HERE to join the Neki Kapayim annual Maamad Hashava!

But what happens when we don’t even know to whom we owe whom to pay?

This is indeed a dilemma!

Are our hands completely clean?

Is there anything in our hands or in our possession that’s not 100% our own?

Perhaps, we don’t know who the owner is, but does that make it ours?

The thought is frightening!

Click HERE to join the Neki Kapayim annual Maamad Hashava!

Can we stand before Hashem pleading for mercy; asking for brachos for ourselves and our loved ones, when our hands are sullied by money that’s not ours?
The Gemara (Beitza 29a, Bava Kamma 94b) discusses the issue of returning unknown debt. Click here for halachic overview

The solution developed by the dayanim of Keren Neki Kapayim is a new and innovative idea to achieve a complete and immediate return to the true owner of the money, whoever and wherever he might me

Click HERE to join the Neki Kapayim annual Maamad Hashava!

Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a Democrat, clashed on Wednesday with South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace after Mace remarked that “maybe Somalia can take you back” in response to Omar’s statements about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Their dispute played out online after Mace filed a resolution calling for Omar to be censured and stripped of her committee roles.

Omar came under fire from conservatives following an interview she gave to the progressive outlet Zeteo, where she criticized both Kirk’s record and Republicans’ response to his killing.

In that interview, given just days after Kirk’s assassination, Omar recalled that he had “downplayed slavery and what Black people have gone through in this country by saying Juneteenth shouldn’t exist.”

“There are a lot of people out there talking about him just wanting to have a civil debate,” the “Squad” member said. “There is nothing more effed up than to completely pretend that his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so.”

Mace answered those remarks with a post on X, saying, “If you celebrate murder, maybe Somalia can take you back.”

Omar, who immigrated from Somalia to the U.S. as a child, shot back online: “I know you aren’t well or smart, but I hope someone can explain to you that there isn’t a correlation between my committee assignments and deportation.

“Would love to see you get the help you need next. You belong in rehab, not Congress,” Omar continued on X.

Mace then escalated further, writing on X, “One-way ticket to Somalia with your name on it, Ilhan Omar.”

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Mace accused Omar of making light of Kirk’s assassination, noting that he left behind a wife and two children.

“Now she’s lashing out because we called her out. What’s not ‘well’ is celebrating political violence,” Mace said. “What’s not ‘smart’ is defending it. Omar should be ashamed of herself. Omar can throw insults all day, but it won’t save her from accountability. She crossed the line, and we’re not letting her get away with it. Go back to Somalia.”

In her own remarks, Omar described Kirk’s assassination as “mortifying,” insisting her words had been misunderstood.

“While I disagreed with Charlie Kirk vehemently about his rhetoric, my heart breaks for his wife and children. I don’t wish violence on anyone,” she wrote. “My faith teaches me the power of peace, empathy and compassion.

“Right-wing accounts trying to spin a false story when I condemned his murder multiple times is fitting for their agenda to villainize the left and hide from the fact that Donald Trump gins up hate on a daily basis.”

{Matzav.com}

BREAKING: President Trump officially designates ANTIFA as a major terrorist organization.

The olam haTorah is abuzz with anticipation as multitudes of Oraysa lomdim take their final strides toward a Siyum on Seder Mo’ed. With the beginning of Maseches Chagigah, tens of thousands across the globe are embarking on the last leg of a journey that began nearly six years ago. And now, for the first time in Oraysa’s history, a global community of lomdei Torah stands on the threshold of completing an entire Seder of Shas together. Kehillos across the U.S., Eretz Yisroel, and Europe are preparing to converge for a historic maamad kavod haTorah to celebrate this milestone. This will be a once-in-a-generation asifa — not only marking an ending, but celebrating a shared journey and the start of something even greater. The Siyum will shine a light on the endurance, perseverance, and dedication of the countless individuals who show up every single day, amud by amud, carrying the vision of the Oraysa movement forward — and equally, the wives and families whose daily sacrifices and unwavering support make this achievement possible. And now, with every daf of Chagigah learned, the anticipation grows louder. This is the masechta that will carry us into history — the final step before the Siyum. For those not yet part of the movement, there could not be a more opportune moment to join. To start Maseches Chagigah today is to be part of the Siyum tomorrow. The journey of Seder Mo’ed has been extraordinary, but the accomplishment that awaits is greater still. With Gedolim, Roshei Yeshiva, and thousands united in celebration, the Siyum promises to be monumental. Each daf of Chagigah is more than learning — it is a contribution to a global accomplishment, a chance to write yourself into the history of Oraysa. Yisroel V’Oraysa V’Kudsha Brich Hu Chad Hu — and together, we are living that eternal truth. To sign up for the Chagiga, click here: https://www.oraysa.org/ To preregister for the Siyum, click here: https://www.oraysasiyum.org/

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is preparing to officially recognize a Palestinian state after President Donald Trump concludes his state visit to Britain, according to a report in The Times.

The paper, citing unnamed sources, says Starmer intends to move forward with recognition even before a coalition of countries led by France does so at the upcoming United Nations gathering in New York, a move being discussed against the backdrop of the continuing war in Gaza.

The report explains that Starmer is facing intense pressure from members of his own Labour party to act, but he is expected to delay the announcement until Trump departs. Officials want to avoid the issue overshadowing the joint press conference scheduled for Thursday during the American president’s trip.

The United States has voiced strong opposition to such recognition, arguing that it would serve as a reward to Hamas in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, when roughly 1,200 people were murdered and another 251 were taken captive.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said early Thursday that he plans to designate antifa as a “major terrorist organization.” Antifa, short for short for “anti-fascists,” is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups and is not a singular entity. They consist of groups that resist fascists and neo-Nazis, especially at demonstrations. It’s unclear how the administration would label what is effectively a decentralized movement as a terrorist organization, and the White House on Wednesday did not immediately offer more details. Trump, who is on a state visit to the United Kingdom, made the announcement in a social media post shortly before 1:30 a.m. Thursday local time. He called antifa a “SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER.” He also said he will be “strongly recommending” that funders of antifa be investigated. Trump’s previous FBI director, Christopher Wray, said in testimony in 2020 that antifa is an ideology, not an organization, lacking the hierarchical structure that would usually allow it to be designated as a terror group by the federal government. After Trump’s post, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., praised the announcement, saying: “Antifa seized upon a movement of legitimate grievances to promote violence and anarchy, working against justice for all. The President is right to recognize the destructive role of Antifa by designating them domestic terrorists.” In July 2019, Cassidy and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced a resolution in the Senate to condemn the violent acts of antifa and to designate the group a domestic terror organization. (AP)

ABC announced Wednesday night that it was taking “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air “indefinitely” following remarks by the late-night host about the killing of conservative figure Charlie Kirk. The move came just hours after the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission indicated that ABC’s broadcast license could be in jeopardy.

During his Monday monologue, Jimmy Kimmel pointed to Tyler Robinson, the suspect accused of shooting Kirk at a Utah campus last week, and suggested Robinson was connected to President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.

“The MAGA Gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.

“In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving,” he added.

An ABC representative told NBC News on Wednesday, “ ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ will be pre-empted indefinitely.”

ABC is owned by Disney.

The decision came shortly after Nexstar Media Group announced that all of its ABC-affiliated stations, both owned and partnered, would stop airing the program “for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight’s show.”

Just a few hours earlier, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr told conservative commentator Benny Johnson that Kimmel’s monologue was “truly sick,” warning that there could be significant consequences for ABC and Disney.

“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

“They have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest,” Carr said.

Nexstar, which has a $6.2 billion merger deal with Tegna currently awaiting FCC approval, issued its own statement condemning Kimmel’s remarks. “Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets,” Nexstar said.

Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcast division, said, “Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located.”

“Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue,” Alford said.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration is using civil rights laws to wage a campaign against the University of California in an attempt to curtail academic freedom and undermine free speech, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by faculty, staff, student organizations and every labor union representing UC workers. The lawsuit comes weeks after the Trump administration fined the University of California, Los Angeles $1.2 billion and froze research funding after accusing the school of allowing antisemitism on campus and other civil rights violations. It was the first public university to be targeted with a widespread funding freeze. The administration has frozen or paused federal funding over similar allegations against elite private colleges, including Harvard, Brown and Columbia. According to the lawsuit, the Trump administration has made several demands in its proposed settlement offer to UCLA, including giving government access to faculty, student, and staff data, releasing admissions and hiring data, ending diversity scholarships, banning overnight demonstrations on university property and cooperating with immigration enforcement. The Department of Justice didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Stett Holbrook, a spokesman for the University of California system, said that while the university is not involved in the lawsuit, it is part of numerous legal and advocacy efforts to restore and maintain funding. “Federal cuts to research funding threaten lifesaving biomedical research, hamper U.S. economic competitiveness and jeopardize the health of Americans who depend on the University’s cutting-edge medical science and innovation,” he said in a statement. The coalition that sued is led by the American Association of University Professors union, or AAUP, and represented by Democracy Forward, a legal group that has brought other lawsuits against the Trump administration over frozen federal funds. “The blunt cudgel the Trump administration has repeatedly employed in this attack on the independence of institutions of higher education has been the abrupt, unilateral, and unlawful termination of federal research funding on which those institutions and the public interest rely,” the lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco said. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has launched dozens of federal investigations also targeting K-12 school districts. University of California President James Milliken said on Monday that the federal government has also launched investigations and other actions against all of the UC’s 10 campuses, but he offered no details in a statement. “This represents one of the gravest threats to the University of California in our 157-year history,” he said, adding that the university system receives more than $17 billion each year in federal support, including nearly $10 billion in Medicare and Medicaid funding, and funding that goes toward research and student financial aid. The Trump administration has used its control of federal funding to push for reforms at elite colleges that the president decries as overrun by liberalism and antisemitism. The administration also has launched investigations into diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, saying they discriminate against white and Asian American students. This summer, Columbia University agreed to pay $200 million as part of a settlement to resolve investigations into the government’s allegations that the school violated federal antidiscrimination laws. The agreement also restored more than $400 million in research grants. The Trump administration is using its deal with Columbia as a template for other universities, with financial penalties that are now seen as an expectation. […]

A dramatic protest took place Wednesday night outside Prison 10, where thousands gathered against the wave of arrests of more than 70 yeshiva students jailed for draft evasion. Speaking before the crowd, Rav Nechemia Alter, son of the Gerer Rebbe, delivered an unprecedented rebuke directed at the chareidi political representatives who have continued to back government votes despite earlier claims of distancing themselves from the coalition.

“Today a chareidi party supported the government,” Rav Nechemia declared in his address. “I want to say to the chareidi parties: last week you supported the government, whether by backing or abstaining; today you supported the government; and next week you will support the government again. Know this: ‘if you remain silent at this time, relief and salvation will come to the Jews from another place.’”

His voice rose as he urged a complete break with the coalition. “We must tell everyone, and especially the chareidi parties: we must fight with all our strength against this government — this government of wickedness. We have heard time and again that had they listened to the words of the tzaddikim back at the beginning of the winter, on Chanukah, and voted against the government, we would not have reached this situation. All of this could have been prevented — the arrests of innocent bochurim, whose only ‘crime’ is that they are learning Torah.”

{Matzav.com}

Russia moved to amplify online conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk’s killing just hours after it happened, seeding social media with the frightening claim that America is slipping into civil war. Chinese and pro-Iranian groups also spread disinformation about the shooting, with those loyal to Iran’s interests backing antisemitic conspiracy theories while bots linked to Beijing claimed that Kirk’s death shows that the United States is violent, polarized and dysfunctional. America’s adversaries have long used fake social media accounts, online bots and disinformation to depict the U.S. as a dangerous country beset with extremism and gun violence. Kirk’s killing has provided another opportunity for those overseas eager to shape public understanding while inflaming political polarization. “Charlie Kirk’s Death and the Coming Civil War,” tweeted Russian ultranationalist Alexander Dugin, whose influence earned him the moniker “Putin’s brain,” referring to Russia’s president. Pro-Russian bots blamed Democrats and predicted more violence. Russian state media published English-language articles with headlines claiming a conspiracy orchestrated by shadowy forces: “Was Charlie Kirk’s Killer a Pro?” Foreign disinformation makes up a tiny fraction of the overall online discussion about Kirk’s death, but it could undermine any efforts to heal political divisions or even spur further violence. “We’ve seen multiple Russian campaigns attempting to exploit” Kirk’s killing, said Joseph Bodnar, senior research manager at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. In many cases, the campaigns aren’t adding new claims but are recycling ones that emerged from American users. “They’re picking up domestic actors and amplifying them.” Adversaries tailor disinformation In each case, those spreading the disinformation have tailored it for their own ends. Chinese propaganda has focused on the violent nature of Kirk’s death, painting the U.S. as a nation of violent gun owners and political extremists. Russian voices have tried to tie Kirk’s death to U.S. support for Ukraine, even spreading a conspiracy theory that the Ukrainian government killed Kirk because of his criticism of that aid. Pro-Iranian groups took a different tack, claiming Israel was behind Kirk’s death and that the suspect was set up to take the fall. This conspiracy theory caught on with white supremacist groups in the U.S., showing how corrosive claims can easily spread online despite oceans and linguistic and cultural barriers. The influence campaigns come as the U.S. has rolled back government efforts to expose foreign disinformation. On Wednesday the State Department announced it was ending its remaining efforts to counter foreign disinformation, following a decision earlier this year to shutter the Global Engagement Center, an office that had called out Russian, Chinese and Iranian disinformation in the past. Republicans had targeted the center and its mission because of what they said was its censorship of conservative ideas. False and misleading claims can spread quickly following big news events as people go online to look for information. Artificial intelligence programs that can create lifelike video and audio can make it even harder to find the truth, as can AI chatbots that routinely offer up false information. It happened again following Kirk’s killing, when misinformation about the shooting and the suspect quickly spread online. In recent years, groups looking to spread confusion or distrust have seized on hurricanes, wars, the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the COVID-19 pandemic and other disasters, as well as the attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump. The details vary, but the conspiracy theories pushed by foreign adversaries all suggest American institutions — the government, the media, law enforcement, health care — are failing and can […]

The National Security Committee held a stormy discussion on Tuesday on the issue of preventing visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to Palestinian terrorists in Israeli prisons. Israel has prevented the Red Cross from visiting Nukhba terrorists and Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli prisons since the October 7 massacre. Last year, the Supreme Court demanded that the state provide an explanation why it prevents Red Cross representatives from visiting the terrorists. Committee chairman MK Tzvika Fogel began the discussion by slamming the one-sided mandate the Red Cross received to visit terrorists in Israel. “I don’t see it making any effort with Hamas regarding our hostages like it pressures us,” he asserted. “I will do everything possible to ensure that the Red Cross visits the hostages in Gaza, and until that happens, I’ll stand at the prison gates to prevent them from visiting prisons in Israel. The cabinet must make a decision that no Red Cross visits will be allowed until we receive information about our hostages.” A legal advisor for the intelligence department of Israel’s Prison Service (IPS) explained that the IPS is opposed to the entry of Red Cross representatives, and this position is based on intelligence information that such visits could harm state security. The head of the IPS’s counterterrorism department added that “we have information that the entry of the Red Cross could harm prison security and possibly also state security.” He noted that such a visit could lead to the transmission of negative messages and an increase in friction between prisoners. Likud MK Ariel Kallner said that there have been cases in the past in which the Red Cross harmed state security. He called the organization’s request to visit “murderers” a “delusional, unfair and unjustified request.” Adv. David Babli, advisor to the Minister of National Security, emphasized that Israeli law does not require such visits and noted that a lawsuit has been filed against the Red Cross for transferring aid to Gaza without conditioning it on visiting the hostages. MK Limor Son Har Melech called the Red Cross an “antisemitic organization,” saying that it calls the terrorists who raped and murdered “prisoners”—biased terminology that covers up the world’s antisemitism and hypocrisy. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

ABC has suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely after comments that he made about Charlie Kirk’s killing led a group of ABC-affiliated stations to say it would not air the show. Kimmel, a veteran late-night comic, made several comments about the reaction to Kirk’s assassination on his show Monday and Tuesday nights. He said that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.” In his monologue on Monday, Kimmel said that “we hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” Kimmel said that Trump’s response to Kirk’s death “is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish, OK?” He also said that FBI chief Kash Patel has handled the investigation into the murder “like a kid who didn’t read the book, [guessing] his way through an oral report.” He returned to the topic on Tuesday night, mocking Vice President JD Vance’s performance as guest host for Kirk’s podcast. He said Trump was “fanning the flames” by attacking people on the left. “Which is it, are they a bunch of sissy pickleball players because they’re too scared to be hit by tennis balls, or a well-organized deadly team of commandos, because they can’t be both of those things.” ABC, which has aired Kimmel’s late-night show since 2003, moved swiftly after Nexstar Communications Group said it would pull the show starting Wednesday. Kimmel’s comments about Kirk’s death “are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse,” said Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division. Nexstar operates 23 ABC affiliates. There was no immediate comment from Kimmel. President Donald Trump celebrated ABC’s move on the social media site Truth Social, writing: “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.” He also targeted two other late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, and said they should be canceled too, calling them “two total losers.” Kimmel’s contract is up at the end of next season, which ends in May 2026. On Twitter Wednesday night, White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich posted: “Welcome to Consequence Culture. Normal, common sense Americans are no longer taking the [expletive] and companies like ABC are finally willing to do the right and reasonable thing.” Authorities say Tyler Robinson, 22, who is charged with killing Kirk, grew up in a conservative household in southern Utah but was enmeshed in “leftist ideology.” His parents told investigators he had turned politically left and pro-LGBTQ rights in the last year. Utah records show he was registered as a voter, but not affiliated with either political party. His voter status is inactive, meaning he did not vote in two regular general elections. He told his transgender partner that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.” Kimmel, like CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert, has consistently been critical of President Donald Trump and many of his policies on his ABC show. CBS said this past summer that it was canceling Colbert’s show at the end of this season for […]

President Trump calls on NBC to cancel Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers after Jimmy Kimmel got canceled.

Several airplanes had to abort landings amid strong winds at London’s Heathrow Airport on Monday. The highest wind gust of 78 mph was recorded on the Isle of Wight off England’s south coast, according to the UK Met Office.

Tensions boiled over Wednesday evening at the entrance to Prison 10, where a van transporting about 20 chareidi draft evaders was intercepted by demonstrators from major chassidic groups.

Witnesses reported that the protesters swarmed the vehicle as it approached the prison gates, demanding the release of the detainees and shouting at police and soldiers guarding the convoy. According to Galei Tzahal’s Daniel Grobais, the disturbance was not organized by the Peleg Yerushalmi but rather spearheaded by activists from the Ger community.

As the situation escalated into a full-scale confrontation, the van eventually turned around and departed the area, leaving behind a scene of chaos.

The clashes followed a wave of protests earlier in the week. On Tuesday, hundreds of demonstrators rushed to the Rechasim Junction after an alert was issued on the Peleg Yerushalmi “Black Color” hotline about the arrest of a yeshiva student who had been declared a deserter. Police ultimately backed down, and the detainee was released.

Meanwhile, military police made sweeping arrests Wednesday at Ben Gurion Airport, taking into custody about 25 more chareidi draft evaders. In total, roughly 70 deserters have now been jailed in military prisons across the country.

Galei Tzahal further reported that the true figure is significantly higher than the official tally. Dozens of draft evaders are said to have turned themselves in prior to the airport crackdown, believing this might allow them to secure permits to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah. These individuals are not counted among the 70 currently listed.

Officials are now anticipating an unusually large Rosh Hashanah davening inside the military prison facilities, given the unprecedented number of detainees.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Senior Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad reappeared Wednesday in a televised interview on Qatar’s Al Jazeera network, ending weeks of speculation about his fate following an Israeli airstrike in Doha that targeted top members of the terror group’s political leadership. Hamad, who had been rumored killed in the September strike, described surviving what he called a “horrifying barrage” of missiles that landed on the building where Hamas negotiators were meeting with advisers. “Less than an hour into the discussion of the American proposal, enormous explosions shook the building. We tried to flee as quickly as possible. By God’s grace we survived,” Hamad said, claiming that 12 missiles struck in under a minute. The strike—part of Israel’s Operation Summit of Fire—had thrown cease-fire talks into turmoil. Hamad accused Washington of duplicity, alleging that U.S. negotiators shifted terms and ultimately gave Israel a green light to bomb the session. “Our experience with the American mediator was bitter. There was no credibility on the American side. The Americans are partners in the ongoing genocide,” he charged. Hamad further warned Arab states that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to “change the face of the Middle East” and urged a unified Arab response. “We are not the only target; the entire nation is,” he said. His reemergence marks the second time a Hamas leader targeted in the Doha strike has appeared publicly. Tahir al-Nunu surfaced earlier in a separate Al Jazeera interview. Reports suggest the meeting included some of Hamas’s most senior figures, among them Khalil al-Hayya, Zahir Jabarin, Khaled Meshal, Mousa Abu Marzouk, and Izzat al-Rishq. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Three police officers were fatally shot and two wounded Wednesday in southern Pennsylvania, and the shooter was killed by police, authorities said. The officers were at the scene, amid rolling farmland, to follow up on a domestic-related investigation that began the previous day. “This is an absolutely tragic and devastating day,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a news conference. “We grieve the loss of life of three precious souls who served this county, who served this Commonwealth, who served this country.” “This kind of violence is not OK. We need to do better as a society,” Shapiro said. It was one of the deadliest days for Pennsylvania police this century. In 2009 three Pittsburgh officers responding to a domestic disturbance were ambushed and shot to death by a man in a bulletproof vest. Condolences began pouring in from police departments across the region on social media and people began leaving flowers at the headquarters of the Northern York Regional Police Department. “The grief will be unbearable but we will bear it,” said Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Christopher Paris, who pledged a full, fair investigation. The shooting erupted in the area of North Codorus Township, about 115 miles (185 km) west of Philadelphia, not far from the Maryland line, authorities said. Dirk Anderson, a farmer who lives across a two-lane country road from the scene, said he was in his shop “when we heard shots,” which he described as “quite a few.” He saw a helicopter arrive and a large police vehicle response. The two injured officers were in critical but stable condition at York Hospital, authorities said. Authorities did not identify the shooter, the officers or which police department they belonged to, or describe the circumstances of how they were shot, citing the ongoing investigation. Shapiro said he and other officials met with the slain officers’ families, who, while grieving, took the time to say how proud they were of their loved ones. Attorney General Pamela Bondi called the violence against police “a scourge on our society.” She said federal agents were on the scene to support local officers. The emergency response unfolded on a rural road in south-central Pennsylvania. Officers were keeping people well back from the scene, with some 30 police vehicles blocking off roads bordered by a barn, a goat farm and soybean and corn fields. Another officer in the area was killed in February, when a man armed with a pistol and zip ties entered a hospital’s intensive care unit and took staff members hostage before a shootout that left both the suspect and an officer dead. “We need to do better as a society,” Shapiro said. “We need to help the people who think that picking up a gun, picking up a weapon is the answer to resolving disputes. We need do better when it comes to mental health. “We need to do better when it comes to looking out for those who are in need so we don’t have to deal with tragedies like this,” he said. (AP)

A sweeping investigation has uncovered how Iran is outsourcing terror worldwide, relying on international criminal syndicates to carry out assassinations, arson attacks, and intimidation campaigns that target Jewish communities, Israeli interests, and Iranian dissidents, the Jerusalem Post reports. According to intelligence reports, recently declassified government documents, and testimony from counterterrorism experts, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Intelligence are increasingly enlisting drug cartels, biker gangs, and smuggling networks to do their dirty work. Analysts describe the strategy as “narco-terrorism”—a hybrid model that blurs the line between organized crime and state-sponsored terror, granting Tehran a shield of plausible deniability while its adversaries struggle to respond. Unlike traditional terror cells, criminal groups offer local reach, logistical sophistication, and deniability. Arrests and foiled plots from North America to Germany to Australia have revealed Iran’s fingerprints, though rarely in a way that can be prosecuted directly against the regime. “Because of its sophistication, its ability to avoid fingerprints on the ground, and support from criminal organizations, local collaborators, and the extreme left, Iran is managing to remove its name from many actions,” said Moran Alaluf, a counterterrorism researcher. In August, Australia expelled Iran’s ambassador after investigators tied the IRGC to arson attacks on Jewish institutions in Sydney and Melbourne. Across Europe, the Swedish-based Foxtrot Network—a drug cartel run by Rawa Majid, now reportedly living in Iran—has carried out assaults on Israeli embassies and Jewish targets at Tehran’s direction. The most chilling consequences are being felt in Europe, where Jewish communities have been forced to conceal religious symbols amid rising intimidation. German prosecutors recently charged an Afghan-born Dane with conducting surveillance on shuls and individuals in Berlin under orders from Iran’s Quds Force. “Awareness is rising,” said Sacha Stawski, a Frankfurt-based Jewish leader. “But for many, the choice is between hiding, leaving, or fighting back.” In Greece, authorities arrested an Iranian linked to anarchist groups who attempted to torch a shul in Athens. British intelligence says it has disrupted at least 15 Iranian plots to kidnap or kill dissidents and journalists. The United States has been a target for more than a decade. As far back as 2011, Iranian operatives attempted to hire a Mexican cartel to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s ambassador in Washington. More recently, U.S. prosecutors indicted IRGC assets for plotting mass shootings of Israeli tourists abroad and contracting American gang members for targeted killings of Jewish business leaders. Canada, too, has thwarted IRGC recruitment of local criminal gangs to carry out assassinations, including a plot against former Justice Minister Irwin Cotler. “Local criminal gangs can be recruited to act on Iranian orders, creating challenges for law enforcement,” warned Canadian analyst Joe Adam George. Western governments are scrambling to keep pace. In July, 14 nations including the U.S., U.K., and Canada issued a joint condemnation of Tehran’s strategy, warning of the growing fusion between organized crime and Iranian intelligence. The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned multiple groups and individuals, stressing that Iran “increasingly relies on organized criminal groups to maintain plausible deniability.” But experts caution that the world is still only seeing fragments of the bigger picture. “There are many dormant cells waiting for the green light,” Alaluf warned. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Britain is giving President Donald Trump a lavish welcome as he arrives for his second state visit, putting on a dazzling display of ceremony and tradition meant to highlight the bond between the two nations.

The festivities include a massive show of military strength, with more than 1,300 troops taking part and a formal 41-gun salute, capped by a formal banquet in royal style. All of it is designed to impress the American leader while the world watches amid global challenges.

Here are some of the highlights planned for the two-day visit.

When Trump and King Charles III greeted each other in the gardens of Windsor Castle, the moment was punctuated by the thunder of a 41-gun salute. The cannons, relics of World War I, fired from the castle’s east lawn. It was a distinction not afforded to Trump when he came in 2019.

The salute is reserved for the most meaningful occasions, such as the King’s official birthday or the anniversary of his accession. The booming guns were accompanied by both nations’ anthems, while additional rounds were fired near the Tower of London for symbolic effect. Reports indicate Trump was not given this honor during his earlier visit.

French President Emmanuel Macron was the last foreign head of state to be honored with such a salute from the Tower of London, during his state visit last July.

The welcome ceremony also featured 1,300 servicemen and 120 horses in a procession that officials described as the grandest for any state guest in recent memory.

The spectacle even outshone the pageantry arranged when Queen Elizabeth II hosted Trump during his first term, when the greeting was limited to Buckingham Palace and an afternoon tea with Prince Charles.

Following the official welcome, Trump and King Charles took part in a horse-drawn carriage ride through the Windsor grounds, heading toward the centuries-old castle as troops stood in formation.

They rode in the Irish State Coach, while Queen Camilla and First Lady Melania followed in the Scottish State Coach. Prince William and Catherine also joined the procession in a separate carriage.

This moment was intended to reflect the deep traditions of the monarchy and provide citizens the opportunity to see both the royal family and their American guest. Security concerns were said to have prevented a similar procession during Trump’s 2019 visit.

In another first, Trump was honored with a “joint flypast” of U.S. and British fighter jets. Aircraft painted the skies in red, white, and blue, as the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows team flew alongside American F-35s.

A marching band accompanied the pageantry with stirring music. The performance included the finest percussion and wind musicians of the armed forces, with appearances by the Royal Marines Band from Portsmouth, the Scots Guards band, and the Royal Air Force musicians.

The day will conclude with a glittering state banquet, where Trump and King Charles are both expected to deliver speeches.

Guests will be served a custom cocktail dubbed the Transatlantic Whisky Sour, made with Johnnie Walker, marmalade, pecan foam, and a toasted marshmallow garnish. But the famously abstinent Trump raised his glass of water for the toast.

After dinner, the wine list will be followed by vintage selections, including a 1945 port chosen in tribute to Trump as the 45th president, and a 1912 cognac recalling the birth year of his mother, who was Scottish.

The gourmet dinner menu offers courses such as Hampshire watercress panna cotta with parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad, organic Norfolk chicken ballotine wrapped in courgettes, and a vanilla ice cream bombe with raspberry sorbet and poached plums.

Tables will be dressed in immaculate settings, with five glasses per guest and floral centerpieces sourced from the royal gardens at Windsor.

Music from a string orchestra will accompany the evening, which will end with 12 pipers marching through St. George’s Hall. The historic chamber, dating back to 1353, is decorated with the coats of arms of every Knight of the Garter since its founding, according to the royal household.

{Matzav.com}

On Wednesday, the Knesset gave its approval for Tourism Minister Chaim Katz to take on the role of permanent construction and housing minister, formally succeeding United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzchak Goldknopf.

The vote ended with 41 lawmakers in support and 28 opposed. Katz, a Likud MK, will now hold the housing portfolio alongside his ongoing responsibilities as acting welfare minister and acting health minister. He has been serving as tourism minister since 2022. Prior to the appointment, Katz signed an agreement addressed to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu stating that he would relinquish the housing ministry if Goldknopf and his UTJ party return to the coalition.

Katz has already been functioning as acting construction and housing minister since July 15, following Goldknopf’s resignation along with the rest of UTJ in protest against developments with the chareidi draft legislation. Around the same time, Shas also exited the coalition over the same issue, prompting Katz to assume the interim welfare and health portfolios as well.

At that stage, only Katz and Justice Minister Yariv Levin were tapped to temporarily cover the responsibilities of the departing UTJ and Shas ministers. Levin has since been handling the interior, labor, and religious affairs ministries. The limited appointments initially suggested that Netanyahu intended to keep those ministries reserved should the chareidi factions eventually rejoin the coalition. Katz’s move into the permanent housing role was widely seen at first as a sign UTJ was not expected back.

Still, Katz’s signed commitment to vacate the role for Goldknopf if UTJ rejoins signals that the path may remain open for their return.

A similar approach was taken earlier this year when the Otzma Yehudit Party resigned from government in January over opposition to the hostage deal with Hamas. At that time, Netanyahu entrusted Katz with Otzma Yehudit’s three ministries until the party rejoined in March, once Israel renewed its Gaza offensive.

After the vote, Katz expressed gratitude for the confidence placed in him. “I thank the prime minister for his trust and the members of the government for their support,” he said. He pledged to continue advancing housing policy, adding, “I will do my utmost to continue the momentum of construction and to expand the housing supply, while removing bureaucratic barriers and improving services for the citizens of Israel.”

{Matzav.com Israel}