Month February 2020

Ali al-Sistani, the Grand Ayatollah of Iraq and one of the most influential figures in the country’s leadership, is almost 90 years old and recently underwent surgery for a fractured… Read more » The post Iraq: Concern Over Successor to… Continue Reading →

A plan by the Tax Authority to require businesses to report on sales of NIS 5,000 and up in real time has business owners, accountants, attorneys, and politicians up in… Read more » The post Businesses Up in Arms Over… Continue Reading →

A high turnout in a parliamentary election will display unity in Iran against “enemies”, Iran‘s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tweeted on Tuesday, days before the vote seen as a… Read more » The post Khamenei Calls for High Turnout… Continue Reading →

(By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com) More and more, people are installing washing stations in their dining area.  It is a great convenience for elderly people, for those with trouble walking, and for, well, the just plain lazy. But is… Continue Reading →

IDF soldiers overnight Monday arrested four Arabs who were found to be carrying submachine guns. The arrests were made at the Tapuach Junction in Shomron. The four are residents of… Read more » The post Soldiers Arrest Four Arabs Carrying… Continue Reading →

The head of a leading hospital in China‘s central city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, died of the disease on Tuesday while South Korea announced an economic… Read more » The post Head of Hospital Dies in… Continue Reading →

A committee appointed to examine the incorrect figures of chareidim enlisted in the IDF intends to recommend lowering the exemption age for chareidim, with the understanding that keeping married chareidim… Read more » The post IDF Committee to Recommend Drastically… Continue Reading →

Shares slipped in Asia on Tuesday as the impact from the virus outbreak that began in China deepened, with Apple saying it would fail to meet its profit target and… Read more » The post Shares Fall in Asia as… Continue Reading →

After banning the entry into Israel of residents of four Southeast Asian countries Monday,the government ramped up its enforcement of rules to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country.… Read more » The post Health Ministry: Israeli Travelers Who… Continue Reading →

[Submitted] OE’s 13th Annual Purim Costume Gemach starts this Sunday! Over 1,000 great costumes and accessories from new born to adult Sunday February 23rd 10 am – 4 pm Wednesday February 26th 6:30 pm -8 pm Sunday March 1st 10… Continue Reading →

LONDON (AP) — An adviser to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned on Monday amid fierce criticism of his past comments linking intelligence to race and suggesting contraception should be made compulsory to avoid “a permanent underclass.” Andrew Sabisky said… Continue Reading →

China reported 1,886 new virus cases and 98 more deaths in its update Tuesday on a disease outbreak that has caused milder illness in most people, an assessment that promoted guarded optimism from global health authorities. The update raised the… Continue Reading →

A growing number of Democratic lawmakers, union officials, state leaders and party strategists agree that Bernie Sanders is a risky nominee to put up against President Donald Trump. There’s less agreement about whether — and how — to stop him…. Continue Reading →

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said Monday that he plans to spend $10 billion of his own fortune to help fight climate change. Bezos, the world’s richest man, said in an Instagram post that he’ll start giving… Continue Reading →

Israeli health companies Passport Card, Migdal, and Clal, have leased a plane whose objective will be to bring home the healthy Israeli passengers stuck on the Diamond Princess cruise ship that has been quarantined off the coast of Japan for… Continue Reading →

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com This article was written l’zecher Nishmas the author’s father-in-law, Rabbi Yaakov Hirsch z”l, whose 16th yahrtzeit is this evening the 23rd of Shvat. Recently, an askan passed away and in his private papers –… Continue Reading →

BEIJING (AP) — Mainland China reported 1,886 new virus cases and 98 more deaths for a total of 1,868 in its update Tuesday, following a report that 80% of cases have been mild, prompting guarded optimism from health officials. The… Continue Reading →

Recordings of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and Blue & White leader Gabi Ashkenazi discussing issues surrounding the Harpaz Affair in 2010 were aired by Channel 13 News on Sunday night. At the time Mandelblit was the IDF’s top legal officer… Continue Reading →

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com A friend of the family, when encountering gross over-pricing used to say, “a buncha Ganoovim!!” Now, one would imagine he would say, “What? Two million dollars a year – just for the medication? A… Continue Reading →

Last week, Harav Tzvi Cohen, z’tl, the Rav of the Ohel Avraham shul in Bnei Brak and author of over 50 halacha sefarim, passed away. Harav Cohen, who lived in the same building in Bnei Brak that the Gerrer Rebbe… Continue Reading →

New York retailers have begun giving up single-use plastic bags as the state prepares for the March 1 implementation of a ban aimed at reducing pollution, but many of those who support a move away from plastic are worried the… Continue Reading →