Britain and France on Friday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in ceasefire talks aimed at halting his country’s invasion of Ukraine and demanded a swift response from Moscow after weeks of U.S. efforts to secure a truce. A Russian drone attack late Thursday on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, killed five civilians and dramatized the diplomatic insistence on a ceasefire. Emergency crews carried black body bags from a burning apartment building as onlookers wept and hugged in the dark. Some of the 32 injured, bloodied and in shock, limped out into the street or were carried on stretchers as flames shot from the windows of their homes.

U.S. employers added a surprising 228,000 jobs last month, showing that the American labor market was in solid shape as President Donald Trump embarked on a risky trade war with the rest of the world. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%. The hiring numbers were up from 117,000 in February and were nearly double the 130,000 that economists had expected. Labor Department revisions shaved 48,000 jobs off January and February payrolls. Workers’ average hourly earnings rose 0.3% from February, about what economists had expected. Compared to a year earlier, hourly pay was up 3.8%, a bit lower than the 4% that had been forecast and nearing the 3.5% year-over-year gains that are seen as consistent with the Federal Reserve’s 2% annual inflation target.

In a landmark display of coordination and partnership, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office—under the leadership of Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz—hosted its first-ever Pre-Passover security briefing, bringing together more than 160 members of law enforcement, elected officials, and Jewish community leaders from across South Florida. Speaking to YWN, Rabbi Mark Rosenberg, Senior Advisor and Chief Chaplain to the Sheriff, emphasized the significance of the meeting. “We’ve held holiday briefings for many years, but this was the first time the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office itself hosted it,” Rabbi Rosenberg said.

The annual convention of the Ichud Bnei HaYeshivos was held this week at the Galey Tamar Hotel in Ashkelon, drawing community coordinators, mechanchim, shluchei derabbonon, and rabbanim from across Eretz Yisroel.
The conference began with opening remarks from the Rosh Yeshiva of Ateres Shlomo, Rav Chaim Feinstein, who delivered words of chizuk and hisorerus.

Agudath Israel of America brought a large group of delegates from across the country for a day of advocacy in Washington, D.C. this week. Dubbed “Mission to Washington,” the visit to the Capitol is being hailed as a massive success.
On Wednesday, the delegation met with elected officials on Capitol Hill to discuss issues of vital importance to the community, particularly school choice, which has been at the top of the agenda. They encouraged members of Congress to support the $10 billion federal school choice bill. The Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) (HR-9462) would create a national scholarship tax credit and make tuition and other assistance available to parents in all fifty states.

The Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court on Friday ordered two close associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—Jonathan Urich, a senior adviser, and Eli Feldstein, a former spokesperson—to be released to house arrest until April 22, rejecting a police request to extend their detention by an additional seven days. The hearing was part of the ongoing investigation into the so-called “Qatargate” affair, in which the two are suspected of acting on behalf of the Qatari government while serving in senior advisory roles to the prime minister. During the proceedings, attorney Amit Hadad accused the police of employing an unlawful interrogation tactic against the defendants.

Irit Linur, a best-selling Israeli author and former liberal feminist, surprised viewers of Channel 14 ‘The Patriots’ on Wednesday night when she revealed the moment she began drawing closer to Yiddishkeit. Linur, who also worked as a radio commentator, said that the moment came when she was in the studio and “there was some discussion about opening shopping complexes on Shabbat. And suddenly it dawned on me – is that what we chilonim have for Shabbat? That’s the meaning of Shabbat? Shopping on Shabbat – that’s what fills it?” “Is that what I have? That’s the full secular ‘wagon’ now? I have a few things on my ‘wagon’ – I’m not the most ignorant person around – but shopping is the big fight for the chilonim?” “That’s what brought me closer to Yiddishkeit,” she concluded.

President Donald Trump spoke Thursday about the ongoing conflict in Gaza, expressing his desire to secure the freedom of as many captives as possible.
While traveling aboard Air Force One, Trump responded to a question regarding the Gaza initiative he had unveiled in February, which included a plan for the United States to assume control of the area and begin reconstruction, while relocating its population elsewhere.
“Well, we’re going to try and solve the Gaza problem. It’s been a problem for many years, for many, many decades. It’s been a big problem,” said Trump, characterizing the decades-long crisis.