JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Two people w

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman An article in Nature Communications by an NY

The Biden administration is maintaining its push for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, even though Qatar, a key mediator in the talks, recently halted its involvement, according to a statement from State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel on Tuesday.
“We’re continuing to pursue a number of initiatives to secure the release of hostages. That work is ongoing. We have not given up hope,” Patel stated.
“It’s critical to us to get a deal done as soon as possible, especially so that we can bring the remaining hostages home to their families,” he added.
However, efforts to finalize a hostage release deal encountered a major obstacle over the weekend when Qatar announced it would suspend its mediation role until both parties showed greater commitment.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Islamic Jihad released a video of Sasha Trofanov, a hostage who was abducted last Oct. 7th together with his mother, grandmother and girlfriend Sapir Cohen.

President-elect Donald Trump named Steven Witkoff, a longtime close friend and Jewish businessman, whom he called a “highly-respected leader in business and philanthropy,” as his special Middle East envoy.
“Another great call. Steve is a brilliant businessman and a lover of Israel who will receive a warm welcome throughout the halls of power within the Middle East,” wrote David Friedman, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel.

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to try to halt a potential U.S. ban of TikTok next year, after he promised on the campaign trail to save the popular social media app if he won, according to people familiar with his views on the matter.
The video-sharing app faces a January deadline to find a new owner not based in China or lose access to U.S. users, under a law passed in April with bipartisan support.

Since Trump’s landslide victory last week, names of the upcoming members of Trump’s cabinet are beginning to leak out, as the President-Elect decides who his key advisors will be.
Here is a roundup of the key names:
Chief of Staff: Susie Wiles – Wiles was publicly thanked by Trump at his victory speech late on election night, and has been given a lot of credit for Trump’s successful campaign.
In a statement, Trump said: “Susie is tough, smart, innovative and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again. It is a well deserved honor to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history. I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.”

When Apple introduced its location-tracking device more than three years ago, it quickly became a traveler favorite for one major reason: the ability to keep tabs on checked luggage. Now, AirTags are about to get a major update that will help fliers get reunited with their missing bags.
Apple announced a new feature Monday called “Share Item Location,” providing users the ability to securely communicate an AirTag’s location to third parties – including airlines.
Once rolled out as part of an upcoming iOS update, it could alter how missing items are found, retrieved and returned to their owners at airports around the world.