Shas party leader MK Aryeh Deri delivered a forceful message Wednesday evening, urging Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to take immediate and forceful action in response to what he described as deliberate acts of arson across the country over the past day.
“The arsonists in times of war are terrorists in every sense of the word,” Deri said. “I call on the Prime Minister to instruct the IDF to eliminate from the air any terrorist identified as starting fires.”

The Trump Organization is teaming up with Qatari Diar and Dar Global to bring a major Trump-branded development to Qatar, marking the debut of the brand in the country. On Wednesday, the partners announced plans for the $5.5 billion Trump International Hotel & Tower, Dubai — a towering 80-story complex.
Designed to draw inspiration from the well-known Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, this waterfront project will be located about 40 minutes from Doha. In addition to the luxury hotel and residences, the development will also include a Trump-branded 18-hole golf course, a series of high-end villas, and a Land of Legends amusement park.

During a lively phone interview on Wednesday, President Trump expressed enthusiasm at the idea of Stephen A. Smith entering the political arena — even suggesting he could see the well-known sports commentator as a future presidential candidate.
“I’ve been pretty good at picking people and picking candidates, and I will tell you I’d love to see him run,” Trump, 78, said during his appearance on NewsNation.
The segment featured an unusual trio: Smith, former CNN host Chris Cuomo, and ex-Fox News personality Bill O’Reilly. It was O’Reilly who floated the notion of Smith tossing his hat in the ring, though it wasn’t immediately clear whether he was serious.

A new survey conducted by Emerson College gauging opinions from voters in the 2024 presidential election found that the overwhelming majority would stick with their original choices if the election were held again today.
The poll, released to mark the 100th day of President Donald Trump’s second term, revealed that 94% of Trump voters would cast their ballots for him again. Among those who voted for Democrat Kamala Harris, 93% said they’d repeat their decision. Overall, Trump had a slim edge over Harris, 48% to 47%, according to the report summary.
One major issue highlighted by the poll was economic dissatisfaction. Just 37% of respondents said they approve of Trump’s economic policies, while nearly half—49%—said they disapprove.

The major wildfire that broke out early Wednesday in the Judean Foothills and has been spreading rapidly throughout the day has prompted authorities to evacuate multiple nearby communities for safety.
At present, five main areas are actively burning: Highway 3, which has been shut down, as well as Canada Park, Neve Shalom, Mesilat Zion, and Mitzpe Harel. The situation has become critical enough to demand a full-scale deployment of firefighting resources.

President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is eager to pursue a trade agreement and is planning a trip to the White House in the coming days.
Trump shared that he and Carney spoke by phone on Tuesday, during which the Canadian leader thanked him and discussed moving forward on trade following his election victory on Monday.
“He called me up yesterday — he said let’s make a deal,” Trump told the press following a nationally broadcast Cabinet session.
Trump described the conversation as warm and cordial, saying Carney “couldn’t have been nicer and I congratulated him.” He noted that the Canadian prime minister is expected to arrive at the White House within a week.

Senator Ted Cruz told Newsmax that the results of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown have been so impactful, they’ve thrown the Democratic Party into complete disarray. “They are lunatics,” Cruz said during an appearance on Carl Higbie FRONTLINE. “The Democrats have decided let’s go down to El Salvador and say if you elect Democrats, we will bring in more illegal aliens who are MS-13 gang members.”
Cruz was referencing a recent trip by several Democratic lawmakers to El Salvador, where they advocated for the return of a deported individual the Trump administration has linked to MS-13, a notoriously violent gang.

During a Cabinet gathering on Wednesday, President Donald Trump applauded Elon Musk for his dedication and efforts in his government role, offering him the opportunity to continue as long as he wishes. “You really have sacrificed a lot,” Trump told Musk, during remarks broadcast live on Newsmax. “You’ve been treated very unfairly … the vast majority of people in this country really respect and appreciate you, and this whole room can say that very strongly. You’ve really been a tremendous help.”
With a smile, Musk lightened the mood by putting on two red MAGA hats that were placed in front of the Cabinet members, quipping to Trump that many say he wears “a lot of hats.” He then joked, “That’s true. Even my hat has a hat,” before taking both hats off.

During a sit-down interview marking his 100th day in office, President Donald Trump addressed the controversy surrounding Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported to El Salvador. While acknowledging he could facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return, Trump made it clear he doesn’t believe the man deserves the sympathetic media treatment he’s received. “The person that you’re talking about, you know, you’re making this person sound — this is an MS-13 gang member, a tough cookie, been in lots of skirmishes, beat the hell out of his wife, and the wife was petrified to even talk about him, OK?” Trump told ABC News’ Terry Moran. “This is not an innocent, wonderful gentleman from Maryland.”

China on Wednesday aimed harsh criticism at the United States, accusing Washington of being the true source of the COVID-19 pandemic and of trying to deflect responsibility. The allegation followed President Trump’s remarks asserting that the virus originated from a laboratory in Wuhan.
In a strongly worded white paper, the Chinese government asserted that there was “substantial evidence” pointing to the virus emerging in the United States prior to its appearance in China. At the same time, it dismissed the theory of a lab leak in Wuhan as “extremely unlikely.”