LONDON (AP) — Nations and U.S. states have begun easing coronavirus lockdowns, each pursuing their own approach but all with a common goal: restarting their economies without triggering a new surge of infections. Restrictions are being lifted in a piecemeal fashion with no clear signs of coordination among countries. Some have restarted construction work, while […]

MONTREAL, CANADA (VINnews) — One of the more positive results of the coronavirus has been the sense of camaraderie between different segments of society facing the effects of the virus. Since prayers have moved from shuls to public places there has been an opportunity for neighbors to hear orthodox Jews praying and many of them […]

PRIOR LAKE, Minn. (AP) — A 3-year-old Minnesota girl who has been battling cancer for two-thirds of her life got to celebrate on her last day of chemotherapy — with the help of some fire trucks and dozens of decorated cars. Family and friends couldn’t hold a party for Mabel Franks on Sunday because of […]

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s prolonged public absence has led to rumors of ill health and worries about how it could influence the future of what one analyst calls Northeast Asia’s “Achilles’ heel,” a reference to the North’s belligerence and unpredictable nature. But there’s a basic, unanswered question, debated […]

BELGIUM (JTA) — Three men who placed a wreath at a Holocaust monument in Belgium were charged with violating the country’s emergency measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The men, including a City Council member from the town of Boortmeerbeek, were notified of a police investigation against them last week after laying a […]

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged his lockdown-weary nation to be patient Monday, arguing that easing social and economic restrictions too soon would create a second deadly spike of coronavirus infections. On his first day back at work in three weeks after a bout of COVID-19 that left him dangerously ill, Johnson […]

WILLIAMSBURG, NEW YORK (VINnews) — R’ Lipa Deutsch, a Tzanz-Klausenberg Chasid from Williamsburg, hovered between life and death for weeks before regaining strength and recovering. His friends prepared a special welcome home for him, complete with wine, balloons and joyous music.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A top South Korean official said his country remains confident there have been no “unusual developments” in North Korea, suggesting that rumors about the possible ill health of leader Kim Jong Un are untrue. Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul told a closed-door forum in Seoul on Sunday that South Korea has […]

LONDON (JTA) — Police shut down a backyard Jewish wedding in northern London with about 40 guests, hours after they were assured the event would include only people who live in the home. The father of the bride stepped down from his position on a local police council as a result of the incident, in […]

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Israeli Supreme Court ruled Sunday evening that the Shin Bet will not be able to continue its surveillance program to combat COVID-19 unless the matter is legislated in the Knesset by Thursday. If it is legislated the program can continue for another few weeks. “We must be especially vigilant that the […]