Gilyonos for Shabbos attached

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Reform UK has won the first by-election of the new parliament in Runcorn and Helsby, beating Labour by just six votes.

The vote was triggered in Labour’s 49th safest seat after Mike Amesbury, the former Labour MP, received a suspended prison sentence for punching a constituent.

After a recount was called in the early hours of Friday, it was announced that Reform’s Sarah Pochin had won 12,645 votes, while Labour’s Karen Shore won 12,639. The Tories won just 2,341 votes.

In her acceptance speech, Ms Pochin said: “The people of Runcorn and Helsby have spoken. Enough is enough. Enough Tory failure, enough Labour lies. And I want to thank every one of you who were brave enough to put a cross against my name on the ballot paper.

“Every one of you who voted for change, every one of you who have put their faith in me as your Member of Parliament for this constituency which has such potential, and who have put your faith in Nigel Farage as the next prime minister of this great country.”

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The UK is in discussion with France and Saudi Arabia over the recognition of a Palestinian state at a June conference convened by the two countries on keeping alive the political path to a two-state solution in the Middle East, the UK foreign secretary has said.

David Lammy’s comments mark the first time the UK has acknowledged that a discussion with France about a recognition process around the conference is under way.

Recognition of Palestine by two permanent members of the UN security council would be a powerful statement but faces many diplomatic hurdles, including a need for greater clarity about what France is proposing and whether recognition could form part of a credible process towards a two-state solution, something Israel is opposing.

Lammy, speaking to the Lords international relations select committee, said the UK wanted to take the step when it would have an impact on the ground and not at a symbolic moment, adding that it was his sad conclusion that some European countries’ recognition of Palestine recently had not had any effect.

The US has signed a deal with Kyiv to share profits from the future sale of Ukraine’s mineral and energy reserves, after months of tense negotiations.

The deal aims to provide an economic incentive for the US to continue to invest in Ukraine’s defence and reconstruction – as well as to address Washington’s concerns over the amount of aid it has already contributed.

Ukraine is believed to have vast reserves of critical minerals like graphite, titanium and lithium. They are highly sought after because of their use in renewable energy, military technology and infrastructure.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said it showed both sides were committed to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine.

The deal will also see the establishment of an investment fund to spur Ukraine’s economic recovery from the war.

According to the statement from the US Treasury on Wednesday afternoon, the newly created US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund recognises the “significant financial and material support” the US has given Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.

The US treasury secretary said in a video statement that the deal would help “unlock Ukraine’s growth assets”.

Iran said Wednesday that the next round of negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program will be in Rome on Saturday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the comment on the sidelines of a Cabinet meeting, adding that Iran also anticipated having a meeting Friday with France, Germany, and the United Kingdom to discuss the talks.

The talks with the US again will be mediated by Oman. The sultanate has hosted two rounds of talks in Oman’s capital, Muscat, and one round at its embassy in Rome.

The talks seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the US has imposed on the Islamic Republic, closing in on a half-century of enmity.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.

Two diplomatic sources confirmed to Reuters that French, British, and German political directors will meet with Iran on Friday in Rome.

Iran is looking to build on the momentum of nuclear negotiations with the US that resumed in Oman on Saturday, and talks with Russia and China last week.

The moves by Iran to reach out to Britain, France, and Germany – known as the E3 – suggest Tehran is keeping its options open, but also wants to assess where the Europeans stand on the possible re-imposition of UN sanctions before October, when a resolution ratifying the 2015 accord expires.

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The Fire and Rescue Service said Thursday evening that firefighters had gained control of the conflagrations that had ravaged the Jerusalem hills for close to 30 hours.

The announcement came hours after roads and train lines were reopened and evacuees from the area were permitted to return to their homes.

The fire service said firefighters would continue their efforts over the coming hours, albeit at a lower intensity than before, to prevent new fires from cropping up, and that a probe would be opened into the cause of the fire, though to be among the largest in Israel’s history.

The Jewish National Fund said the blaze, which forced the cancellation of most Independence Day celebrations Wednesday night, destroyed around 20,000 dunams (5,000 acres) of land, out of which some 13,000 dunams (3,000 acres) were forest, including roughly 70% of the West Bank’s Canada Park. The scale of destruction was similar to that of the 2010 Carmel fire, though that fire killed 44 people, while the Jerusalem hills fire did not cause serious injuries..

Hebrew media reported that a preliminary assessment by the fire service indicated that the blazes were likely caused in the main by negligent hikers, not arson.

Channel13 reported assessment saying investigators had found that a higher-than-average number of hikers had passed through the Mesilat Zion area, where the fire began, in the hours leading up to it on Wednesday. At the same time, it said the fire service suspects additional fires that broke out later in the day may have been arson attacks.

In response to the reports, the Fire and Rescue Service said it had yet to determine what had caused the fires, as the investigation is still in the preliminary stages.

US President Donald Trump revealed Thursday that he recently learned that fewer than 24 hostages are alive in Gaza.

“Out of 59, you had 24 that were living, and now I understand that it’s not even that number,” Trump said during a National Day of Prayer event at the White House.

For months, Israel has said it believes 24 of the 59 hostages are alive, though earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife Sara interrupted him during a public event to say that the number was lower than the official figure. The prime minister had said there were “up to 24” living hostages.

During the recent US presidential campaign and into the first weeks of his administration, Trump repeatedly claimed that most of the hostages in Gaza were dead. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer said earlier this week that he worked to convince Trump that this was not the case. President Isaac Herzog reportedly worked to do the same thing late last year.

It was not clear if Trump’s comments and those made days earlier by Sara Netanyahu were based on the same recent intelligence.

Trump’s remarks came while he gave a shoutout to the parents of Edan Alexander, the last American-Israeli hostage believed to be alive, who were in attendance at the event on the White House lawn.

“We don’t know how he’s doing, really…. We think we know, and hopefully [it’s] positive,” Trump said of the 21-year-old lone soldier who was taken hostage during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, cross-border attack.

For the UK Jewish Orthodox Community
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Erev Shabbos

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