A groundbreaking Israeli study has found that GLP-1 medications — the popular class of weight-loss drugs that includes Ozempic and Wegovy — can dramatically reduce the risk of developing obesity-related cancers, surpassing even the benefits of bariatric surgery. The findings, published in The Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine, analyzed thousands of patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes who were prescribed GLP-1 drugs such as liraglutide (Saxenda), exenatide (Byetta), and dulaglutide (Trulicity). The study excluded newer drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Zepbound), but still showed striking results: patients on GLP-1s were 41% less likely to develop obesity-linked cancers than those who underwent surgical weight loss procedures.

The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, hoped that issuing arrest warrants for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant would cause the West to turn against Israel, a senior Western diplomat with firsthand knowledge of the ICC case told the Jerusalem Post. The diplomat said that in a conversation he had with Khan last year, he said:  “You just wait and see. If I apply for warrants against Netanyahu, this would give countries like Germany and Canada the excuse they need to turn against the Israeli government.” “I remember thinking to myself first: How naive can you be?” “But secondly, I thought: That’s not the job.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will ease sanctions on Syria and move to normalize relations with its new government to give the country “a chance at peace.” Trump made the announcement shortly before he was set to meet Wednesday in Saudi Arabia with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the onetime insurgent who last year led the overthrow of longtime leader Bashar Assad. Trump said the effort at rapprochement came at the urging of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi de facto ruler, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “There is a new government that will hopefully succeed,” Trump said of Syria, adding, “I say, good luck, Syria.

Imad Hirbawi, who risked his life to save dozens of students at the Ohr Chaya seminary when a fire broke out in their Jerusalem dorm in December 2024, received Israeli citizenship earlier this week at the Interior Ministry. Hirwabi, a 35-year-old Arab from East Jerusalem, had just arrived at the building that morning for his construction job on the upper floors, which were being renovated, when the fire broke out. “I heard an explosion,” Hirbawi told Yisrael Hayom. “I understood something happened. I went down to the lower floors and saw the building on fire. I ran down to help in any way I could. The fire was in the hallway and not in the rooms themselves. I opened the doors, I shouted ‘Get out, there’s a fire.'” “I think I saw about 40 girls go down,” he added.

In a significant speech delivered in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, President Donald Trump urged the kingdom’s leadership to formally recognize Israel, stating, “you’ll be greatly honoring me” by taking this step toward peace. Addressing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was seated prominently in the front row, Trump repeatedly referenced the prince by name, emphasizing his call for stronger ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel. “With the historic Abraham Accords that we’re so proud of, all the momentum was aimed at peace, aimed very successfully,” Trump declared, highlighting the groundbreaking agreements that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations.

Israel was shocked when the US suddenly announced the halt of the military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, saying that a “ceasefire” had been reached and the Houthis agreed not to attack US ships. According to a New York Times report on Monday, President Donald Trump decided to halt the offensive against the Houthis in Yemen after realizing it was an expensive campaign that was not yielding significant results. The initial military plan against the Houthis was a months-long military campaign of powerful airstrikes to destroy Houthi air defenses, followed by targeted assassinations, largely modeled on Israel’s war agaist Hezbollah.

Eden Alexander’s grandmother, Varda Ben Baruch, fought tirelessly for his release, both via diplomatic means and spiritual means, constantly davening, reciting Tehillim, and visiting the homes of Gedolim. She visited the home of HaGaon HaRav Berel Povarsky several times and the Rebbetzin spoke words of chizzuk and also told her that in one moment, Hakadosh Baruch Hu can make a neis and Eden can return. And sure enough, Eden’s release came as a shock to his parents when it was announced. On Monday, before Edan was released, she spoke to the press, during which she said: “Today is Pesach Sheini,” she said. “Edan was redeemed on Pesach Sheini.” She also opened her Sefer Tehillim and said: “This Tehillim is my weapon. I’m with my Tehillim all the time, day and night, and I daven.

In a major development for Orthodox Jewish families across the U.S., the House Ways and Means Committee has included the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) in its section of the multi-trillion federal tax reconciliation package being considered by the House of Representatives. The proposed legislation would allocate $5 billion in annual federal tax credits to support scholarships that help cover private school tuition—including for yeshivos. The bill’s inclusion marks a key milestone for advocates of school choice, particularly in the Orthodox Jewish community where the cost of chinuch has long been a source of financial strain for families.

On Monday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the emotional return of Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, who had been held in Gaza. In a heartfelt statement, Netanyahu said, “This is a very emotional moment – Edan Alexander has returned home. We embrace him and we embrace his family.” The Prime Minister attributed Alexander’s release to a combination of military and diplomatic efforts, specifically highlighting the role of U.S. President Donald Trump. “This was achieved thanks to our military pressure and the diplomatic pressure applied by President Trump. This is a winning combination,” Netanyahu stated. He revealed that he spoke with Trump earlier in the day, noting, “I spoke with President Trump today. He told me ‘I am committed to Israel.

U.S. and Chinese officials said Monday they had reached a deal to roll back most of their recent tariffs and call a 90-day truce in their trade war for more talks on resolving their trade disputes. Stock markets rose sharply as the globe’s two major economic powers took a step back from a clash that has unsettled the global economy. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the U.S. agreed to drop its 145% tariff rate on Chinese goods by 115 percentage points to 30%, while China agreed to lower its rate on U.S. goods by the same amount to 10%. Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the tariff reductions at a news conference in Geneva. The two officials struck a positive tone as they said the two sides had set up consultations to continue discussing their trade issues.