Russia claimed Thursday that its troops have driven the Ukrainian army out of the biggest town in Russia’s Kursk border region, as a senior Kremlin official said that a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire in the war three years after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine would help Kyiv by giving its weary and short-handed military a break. The Russian Defense Ministry’s claim that it recaptured the town of Sudzha, hours after President Vladimir Putin visited his commanders in Kursk and wore military fatigues, could not be independently verified. Ukrainian officials made no immediate comment on the claim. The renewed Russian military push and Putin’s high-profile visit to his troops came as U.S. President Donald Trump presses for a diplomatic end to the war. The U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump threw a curve ball at China by linking the fentanyl issue to his tariffs on imports. The Chinese government is swinging back. First it issued a report detailing its efforts to control the illegal trade in fentanyl, specifically the ingredients for the opioid that are made in China. Then, the Chinese foreign minister blasted the U.S. for responding to Beijing’s goodwill with tariffs. And this week, Chinese officials expressed their indignation at a rare background briefing with journalists. “In the spirit of humanity, China assisted the U.S. in various ways,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi told journalists last week in an annual appearance before the media. “The U.S. should not meet good with evil or even impose arbitrary tariffs.

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda again called on the United States to deploy nuclear weapons to Poland as a deterrent to Russia, the latest indication that the frontline NATO nation is increasingly considering nuclear protection as fears of Russia grow. Duda made his appeal in an interview with the Financial Times published on Thursday, repeating an appeal he made to the Biden administration in 2022. Duda’s adviser for international affairs, Wojciech Kolarski, followed up on Duda’s appeal with an interview on Poland’s RMF FM radio Thursday morning in which he argued that nuclear protection would improve security for Poland, a NATO member along the alliance’s eastern flank that shares borders with Ukraine, Belarus and the Russian territory of Kaliningrad.

Israeli security forces recently uncovered one of the largest weapon caches discovered in the West Bank in recent years, according to a report from the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. The weapons were found hidden in two neighboring apartments in Al-Ram, a village near Ramallah, during a joint operation by the Home Front Command’s search-and-rescue teams and detectives from the Israel Police’s West Bank District.

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman At a recent medical visit, my doctor cited a quote from Alexander Pope, the famous British satirist, that “Mighty

The Israeli Air Force attacked an Islamic Jihad terror organization in Damascus at noon on Thursday. The target of the attack were Islamic Jihad commanders who were planning attacks against IDF forces on the northern border and in the buffer zone. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz confirmed the attack. “There will be no immunity for Islamic terror against Israel, not in Damascus and not anywhere else,” he said. “Wherever terrorist activity is organized against Israel, the leader of radical Islam, Julani, will find the Air Force planes hovering over him and attacking terrorist targets. We will not allow Syria to become a threat to the State of Israel.” The attack follows a series of IDF attacks in Syria since the overthrow of the Assad regime last December.

The True Reality

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
Face it. Life has its rough patches, days when nothing seems to go as planned and everything you do leaves you feeling frustrated.

Israel’s team negotiating the release of hostages stayed in Doha for the night, as talks continue, according to an Israeli official speaking with The Times of Israel.
There had been some speculation that the team might return home last night.
According to Kan, the public broadcaster, a Palestinian source claims that the United States is advocating for a 60-day ceasefire as part of an agreement for the release of 10 hostages.
If that fails, the US might focus on securing the release of American hostages only. One, Edan Alexander, is still alive, while four others have been confirmed dead.

A letter from US President Donald Trump to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, urging discussions on Iran’s nuclear weapons program, was handed over to Iran yesterday through a representative of the United Arab Emirates, according to a report by Axios.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry revealed that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff passed the letter to Emirati officials during his recent meeting with UAE President Mohammed Bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi. The next day, the message was conveyed to Iranian authorities.
Last Thursday, Trump spoke with Fox News, confirming that he had sent a letter to Khamenei, pressing for negotiations.

Hundreds of mispallelim, accompanied by the IDF, entered Kever Yosef in Shechem on Wednesday night, ahead of Taanis Esther and Purim, as part of the regular visits arranged by the Shomron Regional Council and approved by the IDF. Yossi Dagan, the head of the Shomron Council, called for the restoration of full Israeli control over Kever Yosef. “There is no real reason to continue this absurdity, that a site that is supposed to be under full Israeli control, even according to the cursed Oslo Accords, has remained abandoned for over 24 years – one of the most kodesh places for the Jewish nation,” he said. “I call on the government to act to restore the permanent presence at the site, to correct the disgrace and allow every Jew to daven in this kodesh place without fear.

In a special shailos and teshuvos ahead of Purim, HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Zilberstein issued guidelines on the obligation to be careful about drinking too much wine on Purim, especially this year when Purim falls out on Erev Shabbos. At the end of his lengthy remarks about the pitfalls of drinking more wine than Chazal recommended, HaRav Zilberstein issued a surprising p’sak, saying that it’s a special mitzvah this year to refrain from getting drunk.

The weather in Israel has been unusually warm this week, with temperatures rising to above seasonal averages on Wednesday. The temperatures are expected to continue to rise on Thursday, with hot and dry conditions. There will be another slight rise on Friday, Purim day, and Shabbos. The temperature will continue to climb on Sunday, Shushan Purim, with heatwave conditions in the mountains and inland areas. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

It was supposed to be a brief and relaxing getaway, a short escape to the sun-drenched shores of the Caribbean. But for two young avreichem from New York, their tropical vacation turned into a terrifying ordeal, as they vanished without a trace, setting off a frantic international rescue effort that ended in nothing short of a neis. The two men had traveled to Aruba with a third avreich, eager to enjoy a few days of rest before returning to their daily routines. While one remained at the hotel, the others ventured out for an afternoon excursion, their spirits high as they embarked on their adventure. Hours passed and the third avreich reached out to see where they were, but his calls and messages went unanswered. Concern gave way to panic.

The federal government has launched a criminal inquiry into the migrant shelters operating in New York City, demanding hotel staff to provide the names of individuals housed at these facilities, according to The NY Post.
At least two hotels in the city, including the Roosevelt Hotel, which serves as a migrant welcome center, and the Hotel Chandler in Midtown, have received subpoenas from the Southern District of New York, sources reported.
One subpoena served to the Hotel Chandler, which was reviewed by The Post, seeks testimony and evidence in relation to an unspecified “alleged violation” of immigration law.
The subpoena also requests that the hotel provide a list of the “full names of aliens” currently staying there.

Milwaukee’s Jewish community is filled with joy and gratitude as Rav Michel Twerski and Rebbetzin Twerski have returned home after undergoing successful surgeries in Chicago.
The beloved rov and rebbetzin, who have been away for the past two months, were warmly greeted today by members of the community eager to welcome them back.

As is known, Purim in Yerushalayim this year is Purim Meshulash, which means that Shushan Purim falls out on Shabbos and since all the mitzvos of the day cannot be fulfilled on Shabbos, some are fulfilled earlier and some later so the mitzvos are fulfilled on three consecutive days, Friday, Shabbos, and Sunday. The mitvzos of Megilla and Matanos L’Evyonim are fulfilled on Thursday night and Friday, along with Jews in unwalled cities throughout the world. On Shabbos, the Kriyas Hatorah of Purim is read along with a special Haftorah for Purim, and Al Hanissim is recited in davening and bentching. On Sunday, the mitzvos of Mishloach Manos and the Purim seudah are fulfilled.

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