Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds more prisoners on Sunday, the third and last part of a major exchange that reflected a rare moment of cooperation in otherwise failed efforts to reach a ceasefire in the more than three years of war. Hours earlier, the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and other regions came under a massive Russian drone-and-missile attack that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens. Ukrainian officials described it as the largest aerial assault since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia’s Defense Ministry said each side exchanged 303 soldiers, following the release of 307 combatants and civilians each on Saturday, and 390 on Friday — the biggest total swap of the war.

In what had long been celebrated every May 30 to honor America’s fallen soldiers, Memorial Day officially became a federal holiday in 1971, observed on the last Monday in May. Businesses increasingly have chosen to stay open, leading to what is now one of the biggest retail sales and travel weekends of the year. Here’s what is open and closed this year on Memorial Day: GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS Government offices, post offices, courts and schools are closed. BANKS AND MARKETS U.S. stock markets and banks are closed Monday. Most FedEx and UPS pickup and delivery services will also not be available on Memorial Day, though some special services will be accessible.

B”hEvery parent dreams of watching their child grow up healthy and happy. For Racheli, that dream was shattered the moment her youngest daughter, Gitty, was born. Three years ago, Gitty came into the world with a rare combination of severe heart defects. From her very first breath, she was in danger. “She was so tiny,” recalls Racheli, her voice trembling. “We were told there was no option but to fly her to Boston immediately for surgery. She was just a month old.” Thanks to a complex operation overseas, Gitty survived. But survival came with a heavy price – emotionally, physically, and financially. A Life of Hospitals, Flights, and Fear Since that first surgery, the family has been living a life few could imagine.

Rav Yisroel Bunim Schreiber, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Nesiv Hadaas, is in need of great rachamei Shamayim.
Rav Schreiber, who also serves as rav of the Ashdod kehillah and is the author of the acclaimed sefer Nesiv Binah, was hospitalized last week at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Yerushalayim after suffering from a period of illness. Medical examinations conducted there revealed serious health concerns, prompting widespread concern and tefillos on his behalf.

FLATBUSH: The NYPD and Flatbush Shomrim are investigating a hit-and-run MVA that occurred on East 13th Street between Avenues M and N. Vehicles were seen piled on top of one another at the scene. Two suspects fled the vehicle wearing construction clothing, and both the NYPD and Flatbush Shomrim are actively searching for them. Sources tell Flatbush Scoop that the vehicle driven by the suspects—dressed as construction workers—was reported stolen.

BROOKLYN (Chabad.org/ Menachem Posner) – For much of the Jewish world, Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, whose first yahrtzeit (27 Iyar) is Sunday, May 25, is probably best known as the booming host of the International Conferen

Undercover Border Police officers from Yehuda and Shomron, guided by the Shin Bet, arrested a wanted terrorist affiliated with the “Lions’ Den” terror organization during an operation in Nablus. The terrorist attempted to flee, was shot in the lower body, and taken into custody.

During a visit to the Gaza Strip this morning, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says the fighting is “not a forever war… We are intensifying our activity in accordance with the orderly plan. Hamas is under tremendous pressure; it has lost most of its assets and its command and control,” Zamir says during a tour of Khan Younis with Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor.