As Belgium implements new restrictions to stem the tide of a soaring rate of coronavirus infections, the province of Antwerp has instituted even more stringent restrictions due to the particularly high rate of infections in the area, with 55% of all new infections in Belgium in the Antwerp district. Provincial officials in Antwerp, Belgium’s most populous province, are imposing a curfew on the province, barring all residents from leaving their homes from 11:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Cafés and restaurants must close their doors by 11 p.m. Customers at cafés and restaurants must register their names and contact information before eating and 1.5 meters must be maintained between customers.

Three suspects were arrested after one of them stabbed a Boro Park Shomrim volunteer on Wednesday night. Sources tell YWN that Shomrim had received a hotline call reporting an assault, and while following the suspects, the stabbing occurred. The incident happened at New Utrecht Avenue and 46th Street The Shomrim volunteer was taken to Maimonides Hospital where he was treated for a stab wound to the foot. He is Bichasdei Hashem in stable condition. The knife was recovered at the crime scene, and NYPD Detectives were investigating. NOTE FROM YWN: CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO YWN WHATSAPP STATUS TO RECEIVE ALERTS IN LIVE TIME!  PHOTOS VIA BP24: (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A “special needs” young man in Flatbush was viciously assaulted in an unprovoked attack, Wednesday afternoon. Sources tell YWN that the 20-year-old victim had just walked out of a HASC Home on Webster Avenue near East 8th Street, when an individual approached him and assaulted him. He was punched multiple times, and had a rock smashed into his head. No words were exchanged prior to the attack. EMS rushed the victim to Maimonides Hospital where he is being treated for his injuries. Flatbush Shomrim responded and assisted the NYPD in canvassing the area for the suspect, who is reportedly a white male wearing a “bandanna” mask on his face. Shomrim has been going to neighbors and looking for security camera footage. The NYPD is on the scene and Detectives are investigating the incident.

The Rabbanim of the Har Nof neighborhood, which is suffering from a high coronavirus infection rate, issued a psak on Wednesday, calling on residents to refrain from saying all the Kinos for Tisha B’Av at shul in order to minimize the amount of time spent with others in an enclosed space. “Each person should daven and read Megillas Eichah in a minyan and shorten the recitation of the Kinos at shul and continue reciting them at home,” the Rabbanim paskened.

The New York Police Department’s use of plainclothes officers and an unmarked minivan to haul away a vandalism suspect during a protest Tuesday created confusion and drew outrage from people who compared it to covert tactics used recently by federal agents in Portland, Oregon. Bystander video of 18-year-old Nikki Stone’s arrest spread quickly on social media, along with comments such as “nypd is out here KIDNAPPING protesters off of the street.” Another tweet compared the police to an African terrorist group, saying: “When Boko Haram does this there is international outrage.

In a rare and historic statement regarding politics, HaGoan HaRav Shmuel Kaminetzky, the Rosh Yeshiva of Philadelphia and member of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah of Agudas Yisroel of America, gave an endorsement to President Trump for the upcoming elections during an interview with Yisroel Besser of Mishpacha magazine. The Gadol said, “You see the matzav, the anarchy… it’s frightening. G-d has become a dirty word in much of America, religion and religious institutions are their enemy – we need Rachamei Shamayim. If Trump doesn’t win in November, it’s worrisome.” After being asked on his possible endorsement of the president, Rav Shmuel reiterated that “Yes, I think people should vote for him. He’s done a good job.

Israel’s Health Ministry stated on Wednesday that they support allowing non-Israeli citizens from “green states” into Israel without being tested for the coronavirus or being required to quarantine upon arrival. Health Ministry Deputy Director-General Prof. Itamar Grotto said at a discussion at the Knesset State Control Committee on Wednesday that the Health Ministry is on its way to approving a plan to open Israel’s skies. “We won’t demand tests and quarantine from those who arrive from ‘green states,’ Grotto said. The policy is set to go into effect on August 16, Grotto said.

Joe Biden is just days away from choosing his running mate, he said Tuesday. The presumptive Democratic nominee told reporters, “I’m going to have a choice in the first week in August. I promise I’ll let you know when I do.” Biden joked that he’ll need to outsmart reporters staking out his home hoping to get a glimpse of the potential vice presidential pick paying him a visit between now and then. “I’ve got to try to figure out how to trick you all so I can meet with them in person,” Biden said. “You’ve got crews outside my house.” Biden has committed to choosing a female candidate, and he’s expressed that he’s keen about having a woman of color — if elected, both would be firsts for the U.S. Names being tossed around as potential candidates include Sen.

The remains of 286 Jewish Holocaust victims were found recently in two basements in the town of Sataniv in southwest Ukraine, Ynet reported. Most of the victims were women and children. The report said that the remains will be buried in a mass grave in the ancient Jewish cemetery in the town. The Nazis entered the town on July 6, 1941, eventually murdering most of the town’s Jews, with only a few dozen survivors. A Jewish community had existed in Sataniv since at least the 16th century, with the community numbering about 2,500 Jews prior to World War II. Today, there are no Jews in the town and all that is left are remains: Holocaust victims, the ancient Jewish cemetery, a shul and a few Jewish houses.

Israel’s Finance Ministry came to an agreement with the Knesset Finance Committee on Tuesday, headed by MK Moshe Gafni (UTJ), to adapt the plan to grant stimulus checks to Israelis so it won’t discriminate against families with many children. According to an announcement by coalition chairman MK Miki Zohar (Likud), the plan has been adjusted for large families so that parents receive additional funds for each child. The original plan called for couples with one child to receive NIS 2,000 ($583), families with two children to receive NIS 2,500 ($729), families with three or more children to receive NIS 3,000 ($875), and families with four or more children to receive the same amount as parents of three children.