In the Zutchka-Amsana chassidus, grand preparations had been underway for a joyous Shabbos aufruf and festive forshpiel to celebrate the upcoming wedding of the Rebbe’s son. The chosson, Shalom Rosenbaum, a talmid of Yeshivas Mir, is set to marry the daughter of the Trisk-Tolna Rebbe of Monsey. The wedding is scheduled to take place in two weeks in the United States.

NEW YORK – State legislators in New York voted to preserve public access to live police radio transmissions, passing a bill aimed squarely a

NEW YORK – Mayor Eric Adams unveiled a plan

Iran has ordered large quantities of material from China used in the production of ballistic missiles, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Thursday. The revelation comes as Tehran continues indirect nuclear negotiations with the United States — and has sparked renewed concerns about Iran’s military ambitions and regional destabilization efforts. Citing sources familiar with the transaction, the Journal reports that Iran’s order includes enough ammonium perchlorate — a key ingredient in solid-fuel missiles — to manufacture as many as 800 ballistic missiles. The materials were purchased by Iranian company Pishgaman Tejarat Rafi Novin Co. from Hong Kong-based Lion Commodities Holdings Ltd., and are expected to begin arriving in Iran in the coming months.

In a dramatic midday rescue earlier this week, the Chaverim of Rockland Search and Rescue team responded to an emergency involving an unwell hiker deep within the rugged trails near the Palisades, close to the New York/New Jersey border. Over two dozen trained volunteers sprang into action, equipped with specialized gear to handle the challenging terrain. The operation was carried out with the coordination and support of multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Orangetown Police Department, the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office under the leadership of Sheriff Louis Falco, and the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police of New Jersey.

The Israeli Navy is preparing to intercept a vessel sailing under the British flag and carrying prominent international activists, should it attempt to breach the maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip in the coming days. The ship, Madleen, is part of the latest mission organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a pro-Palestinian group known for its anti-Israel stance. Among the 12 passengers are Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Brazilian campaigner Thiago Ávila, Irish actor Liam Cunningham of Game of Thrones fame, and French-Palestinian European Parliament member Rima Hassan — who was previously barred from entering Israel over her support for boycotts and armed resistance. Israeli defense officials confirmed Thursday that they are closely tracking the vessel’s route.

Israel has assured the White House that it will not carry out a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities unless President Donald Trump determines that negotiations with Tehran have failed, according to a report by Axios citing two Israeli officials familiar with the matter. The reassurance was delivered during a high-level visit to Washington last week by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Mossad Director David Barnea, and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi. The Israeli delegation met with senior U.S. officials amid growing concerns in Washington over the possibility that Israel might launch a unilateral attack on Iranian targets, potentially derailing ongoing diplomatic efforts.

[Photos below.] The previously reported trip of Rav Azriel Auerbach, rov of Kehillas Chanichei Hayeshivos of Bayit Vegan in Yerushalayim, has officially begun with his departure from Eretz Yisroel and arrival in the United States, where he is scheduled to address the fourth Adirei HaTorah gathering, to be held in Pennsylvania.
Rav Auerbach’s close talmidim escorted him to the Pateh Lounge at Ben Gurion Airport to bid him tzeischem l’shalom.
On the American side, a group of supporters waited at Newark Liberty International Airport in the early hours of the morning to greet the senior posek.

Israel has provided reassurances to the Trump administration that it will not carry out a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities without a clear signal from President Trump that diplomatic efforts with Tehran have ended, according to two Israeli officials familiar with the matter, as reported by Axios.
This message appears to have eased anxieties among U.S. officials, who were increasingly worried that Israel might act unilaterally while American diplomats continue to engage in sensitive discussions with Iran.
President Trump said last week that he had warned Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu not to launch any attack during the negotiations, though he added that his position “could change with a phone call” if he concludes the talks are going nowhere.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia bombarded six regions of Ukraine in one of

The International Criminal Court (ICC) expressed strong condemnation on Thursday following the Trump administration’s imposition of sanctions on four of its judges.
In an official statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio detailed the penalties, which affect Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia.
Among the four, two were responsible for approving arrest warrants issued last November for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The other two were involved in authorizing an investigation by the ICC into alleged misconduct by American forces in Afghanistan.

Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk is hinting at the creation of a new political party, escalating his increasingly bitter public feud with President Donald Trump, after the two former allies traded barbs on Thursday night. In a poll posted on X, Musk asked his more than 180 million followers whether it was “time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle.” As of early Friday morning, the poll had garnered over 4.7 million responses — with more than 80% voting in favor of the idea. The poll came just hours after Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, criticized Musk for opposing his administration’s latest tax and spending bill. “I’m very disappointed in him,” Trump told reporters.

With five minutes to spare in the two-hour New York City Democratic mayoral primary debate, which NBC carried on Wednesday night, the candidates were asked what their first foreign trip would be as mayor.
“Given the hostility and the antisemitism that has been shown in New York, I would go to Israel,” said Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor who is trying to make a comeback and who recently scored the Far Rockaway Jewish Alliance’s endorsement.

In a major development amid the ongoing crisis surrounding Israel’s draft law, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s office announced early Friday morning that “significant progress” had been made in negotiations, with efforts underway to finalize an agreed-upon version of the bill before the start of Shabbos.
The statement came following a high-stakes meeting Thursday night that lasted more than seven hours, attended by Prime Minister Netanyahu, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman MK Yoel (Yuli) Edelstein, former Minister Ariel Attias, and Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs.

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