Guatemalan social services were compelled to intervene and remove children from the Lev Tahor sect after it was revealed that the group’s leaders had coerced mothers into purposely withholding food from their children.
According to insiders familiar with the situation, the goal was to exert pressure on the authorities in hopes of gaining control over the food provided to the children. “The mothers were brainwashed and ordered their children to starve to death and not eat even fruit and vegetables,” said the source. “These children’s health, including their mental health, is really bad.”

By Jonathan S. Tobin
For most supporters of Israel, Jan. 20 and the beginning of President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration couldn’t come soon enough.

On Sunday, California Governor Gavin Newsom attempted to deflect blame for the state’s water management amid the wildfires, claiming that the state’s reservoirs were “completely full” when the fires began—despite the fact that a county-operated reservoir had been drained at the time.
Newsom made this surprising statement in response to criticism from President-elect Donald Trump regarding the state’s water management during the wildfires. “The reservoirs are completely full—the state reservoirs here in Southern California. That mis- and disinformation I don’t think advantages or aids any of us,” Newsom told NBC News during a pre-recorded interview on “Meet the Press.”

For the second time in as many days, a shul in Australia’s largest city has been defaced with antisemitic graffiti including swastikas.
This time, the Newtown Synagogue in Sydney’s Inner West area was the target. This comes hours after a similar incident at Southern Sydney shul in Allawah. These acts of vandalism, described by officials and community leaders as deliberate acts of hate, have drawn widespread condemnation and calls for stronger action against antisemitism.
New South Wales Police reported they were alerted to the vandalism at the shul on Georgina Street around 7:30 a.m. on Shabbos. Officers discovered red swastikas defacing the front of the building.

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.