On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced optimism that the “unpredictability” of US President-elect Donald Trump could be a critical factor in bringing an end to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, as reported by AFP. Zelenskyy commented, “He’s very strong and unpredictable, and I would really like to see President Trump’s unpredictability apply to Russia. I believe he really wants to end the war,” during an interview with Ukrainian television.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday expressed cautious optimism about the possibility of securing a deal between Israel and Hamas for the release of hostages.
During an interview with Bloomberg, Blinken was asked if recent developments have given him more confidence that a resolution is achievable.
“There is, and the reality is we should logically be able to get this. And I say that with all the caution that comes with that statement because we’ve been very close before,” Blinken responded.

The Federal Trade Commission has launched a broad antitrust investigation into Microsoft’s business empire – a late-game shot at Big Tech from the Democratic-led agency in the final weeks of President Joe Biden’s administration.
The FTC sent a demand for documents to Microsoft on Wednesday that asks for detailed information on several of the company’s businesses. Those of interest include its cloud computing services, artificial intelligence tools and cybersecurity software, according to a person familiar with the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the agency’s private plans.

Israeli troops reached the Litani River on Tuesday, for the first time since the Israel Defense Forces’ withdrawal from Southern Lebanon on May 24, 2000, the IDF reported.
Soldiers from the 91st Division carried out intelligence-driven raids on Hezbollah targets, engaged in close-quarters combat with terrorists and uncovered and destroyed dozens of rocket launchers, thousands of rockets and missiles, as well as concealed weapons storage facilities, according to the military.

The Memphis Police Department is investigating the killing of Aviv Broek, 21, who was shot to death and whom officers found shortly after 1:15 a.m. on Friday morning on the 2300 block of Hernando Road.
“There has been no arrests in this case. This is an active investigation and there is no indication at this time of a hate crime,” the Tennessee department’s public information office told JNS. It added that it “is pursuing all leads.”
Israeli media had reported that local police was investigating the killing of Broek—which reports spelled “Brock”—as a suspected terror attack.

The Emirati interior ministry announced on Sunday night that it has arrested “the three perpetrators involved in the murder of Zvi Kogan, a Moldovan national according to his identification documents at the time of entry into the UAE, where he lived as a resident.”
The United Arab Emirates “strongly rejects any threat to societal security as Emirati authorities arrest perpetrators in Moldovan citizen’s murder in record time,” the ministry stated.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu confirmed for the first time on Sunday that Israel carried out the Sept. 17-18 pager attacks in Lebanon, which wounded thousands of Hezbollah terrorists.
“There were senior officials in the defense establishment and the political echelon in charge of them who opposed the pager operation, as well as [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah’s elimination,” Netanyahu told fellow ministers at the weekly Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Yerushalayim.
“When I wanted to eliminate Nasrallah, [have the IDF] enter [Gaza’s Hamas stronghold] Rafah and other things, there were those who opposed it in the Cabinet,” the prime minister added.

Watch former President Trump’s full remarks at his North Carolina rally, ahead of election day on Tuesday.

A Lebanese terrorist with Canadian citizenship, Dr. Hassan Diab, who was convicted for his role in a bombing attack on a French synagogue which killed 4, accepted a lecture position at a prestigious Canadian university.
Diab was sentenced to life in prison by a French court over his role in the terrorist attack. In the attack, a bomb exploded outside the Rue Copernic synagogue in Paris. Four people were murdered in the attack, including Israeli TV presenter Aliza Shagrir. Twenty others were injured.

Vice President Kamala Harris appeared visibly unsettled when she faced hecklers during her rally in Nevada on Thursday, leading her to once again deliver her well-known, disjointed remarks.
“You know what? Let me say something about this,” Harris declared amid the commotion at the event in Reno.
“We are here because we are fighting for a democracy,” the vice president exclaimed with frustration. “Fighting for a democracy.”
“And understand the difference here, understand the difference here, moving forward, moving forward, understand the difference here,” she continued, struggling to articulate her thoughts.
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