Syrian President Bashar Assad's fate is currently unknown, US officials told CNN. The officials cautioned that there has been no formal assessment of Assad's status and that his death has not been ruled out.  “The emerging consensus is that is an increasingly plausible scenario,” one senior US official said to CNN.  The Syrian government has denied reports that Assad is not in Damascus, Syrian state news agency SANA  reported.  Axios reported on Saturday night that three Israeli defense officials said that Assad was still in Damascus. Conflicting reports Bloomberg reported that Assad's whereabouts were unknown, but listed multiple possibilities of where he could be.  Assad could be in Damascus, as Syrian officials have stated....
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar have issued strong warnings to Syrian factions to avoid violating existing agreements between Israel and the Syrian state in statements issued on Saturday night. This came after Syrian factions made rapid gains against Assad, seizing the entirety of the Syrian Golan and beginning encirclement of Damascus. Sa'ar took to X to warn Syrian factions to avoid continuing to violate the existing ceasefire between Israel and Syria from 1974. "During the last day, armed forces entered the buffer zone on the Syrian side of the border with Israel. Among other things, attacks were carried out on the UNDF force in the area." "Israel is troubled by the violations of the separation of for...
Syrian rebel groups have made major advances against the Syrian regime in southern Syria over the last two days. Many of these rebel groups who once operated near Dara’a in southern Syria near the Jordanian border had reconciled with the Syrian regime. This reconciliation did not always go smoothly because a low-level insurgency continued since 2018 when the groups laid down their arms. This has important ramifications for Israel because the groups operate not far from the Golan border. The rebel groups appeared to retake control of much of the area they controlled back in 2018 over a 48-hour period from December 6 to 7 in southern Syria. This is a large area that includes the Jordanian border, the city of Dara’a and the countryside around it. The groups are reporte...
The U.S. job market rebounded in November after a major slowdown, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department. The U.S. added 227,000 jobs last month and the jobless rate ticked slightly higher to 4.2 percent, marking a significant improvement from a weak October jobs report. The U.S. added just 24,000 jobs in October, according to revised figures released Friday. Economists expected the U.S. to add roughly 200,000 jobs in November and for the jobless rate to hold at 4.1 percent, according to consensus estimates. The November jobs report comes a week before the Federal Reserve is set to meet for the final time this year. Fed officials are expected to cut interest rates one more time before the end of a year in which inflation fell sharply back toward the central bank&rsquo...
Baltimore, MD - Dec. 7, 2024 - All are asked to daven for Rabbi Paysach J. Krohn, the renowned and beloved maggid, bestselling author, and noted mohel, who was taken to the hospital at the onset of Shabbos due to a stroke. Rabbi Krohn was attending the Agudah Convention at the Armon Hotel and Conference Center in Stamford, Connecticut, when the incident occurred. Hatzolah responded immediately and transported him to a local hospital in Stamford, where he is currently receiving treatment. Rabbi Krohn had delivered a session at the Agudah Convention on Friday morning and was scheduled to speak again that evening. Please daven for a refuah sheleimah for Paysach Yosef ben Hinda.
Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghany said early on Sunday that insurgent forces "fully liberated" Syria's central city of Homs. This comes after Abu Mohammed al-Golani, leader of the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former al Qaeda affiliate, said in a video message on Saturday that the rebels are "in the final moments of liberating" Homs. Golani called it a "historic moment" and called on his fighters not to harm "those who drop their arms." The rebels also claimed to have freed over 3,500 inmates from Homs military prison (Baluni prison), posting a video of it to their Telegram channel. Dozens of fighters from Hezbollah's elite Radwan forces fled Homs after a decision was taken with the Syrian army that the city could no longer be d...
The IDF on Saturday attacked Syrian rebel forces with artillery fire, after the rebels attacked a United Nations (UN) position near Hader in the lower Mount Hermon area, opposite the Israeli town of Majdal Shams. In a statement, the IDF confirmed that its forces had aided the UN in repelling the attack. "A short while ago, an attack was carried out by armed individuals at a UN post in the Hader area in Syria," the statement read. "The IDF is currently assisting the UN forces in repelling the attack." "The IDF is deployed with reinforced forces in the Golan Heights area and will continue to operate in order to protect the State of Israel and its citizens." Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar clarified: "Over the past 24 hours, armed forces have entered the buffer zone on the Syrian side ...
The commander of the Syrian jihadist rebel organization "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham", Abu Mohammad al-Julani, announced early Sunday morning that his forces have "completely liberated" the city of Homs, the third largest city in Syria, from the Assad regime. He called on his fighters not to harm soldiers from the Syrian army who are laying down their weapons. Israel has sent a message to the Syrian rebel forces warning that the IDF will act powerfully if forces dare to cross the Israel-Syria border and the 1974 armistice line. At the same time, in light of the developments in Syria, the IDF has sent aerial and ground reinforcements to the Golan Heights, under command of Division 210, which operates on the Syrian border. Bloomberg reported that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sent a mes...
Fire Under Control, Coldspring Lane between I-83 and the Woodberry Apartments Remains Closed, Residents and Commuters Still Encouraged to Avoid the Area When Possible BALTIMORE, MD (Friday, December 6, 2024) – Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott issued the following update regarding the fire at Camp Small.  As of Friday morning, December 6, 2024 the Baltimore City Fire Department, with support from Baltimore County Fire, and city and state resources had fully contained and controlled the three-alarm fire located at Camp Small, 2101 W Old Cold Spring Lane.  While the fire is not yet out, significant progress has been made and initial damage assessments suggest minimal property damage to Camp Small. Additionally, damage to surrounding critical infrastructure, including the BGE s...
Pikesville, MD - Dec. 6, 2024  - A state-of-the-art senior center and indoor and outdoor recreation facilities are coming to the Pikesville Armory! The groundbreaking will take place in early 2026, with construction expected to take two years to complete. The county is investing $9.5 million over the next several years to support the planning, design and construction of these facilities at the armory. The redeveloped Pikesville Armory is going to serve as a regional anchor for generations to come, transforming this portion of the Reisterstown Road corridor into a vibrant public space and destination. For years, Pikesville residents and stakeholders have actively banded together to push for opportunities to create a community gathering place to benefit families and individuals of all...
Baltimore, MD – Dec. 6, 2024  - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Mr. & Mrs. Yitzi Glenner on the birth of a son. Mazel Tov to grandparents Avi and Ida Glenner and great grandmother Mrs. Miriam Marsh (Atlas). יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
Baltimore, MD – Dec. 6, 2024 - BJL regrets to inform the community of the petira of Yaakov Yisroel Goldstein, z’l, father of Elimelech (Brucha) Goldstein Shiva will be observed through Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Israel,  at 30 Agassi, Har Nof, Jerusalem. Elimelech can be reached bia WhatsApp 443.324.5117. (Israel is 7 hours ahead of Baltimore.)    Bila HaMaves LaNetzach…
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that TikTok can be banned in the U.S. over national security concerns, upholding a federal law requiring the popular social media app to shed its Chinese ownership to keep operating. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said Congress has the power to take action against TikTok to protect U.S. interests. The ruling rejected a First Amendment challenge brought by the app and several of its star users, who argued the ban was an unconstitutional infringement on free speech. The sell-or-ban law—signed by President Biden in April—passed with bipartisan support after lawmakers received classified briefings from the intelligence community about China’s ability to use TikTok to surveil Ameri...
Baltimore, MD – Dec. 5, 2024  - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Moshe Dovid & Chana Artman  on the birth of a son. Mazel Tov to grandparents  Mr. & Mrs. Elliot Sharaby and Ms. Michelle Sharaby יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
Baltimore, MD - Dec. 6, 2024  - (WBAL) A massive fire at Camp Small, a wood waste yard in Woodberry, has shut down I-83 between Northern Parkway and Druid Park Lake Drive, along with portions of Coldspring Lane and Druid Park Lake Drive. Light Rail service is also suspended to protect tracks. Fire crews, in "defense mode" since the fire began at 5:15 p.m., are battling intense flames, wind-blown embers, and collapsing wood piles using elevated water streams. Nearby areas, including the Falls Road corridor, have experienced small secondary fires. Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and Western High School will have a two-hour delay on Friday. Over a dozen fire companies are actively combating the blaze.
Coldspring Lane between I-83 and the Woodberry Apartments is Closed, Residents and Commuters are Encouraged to Avoid the Area Baltimore, MD - Dec. 5, 2024  -  Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott issued the following update regarding the fire at Camp Small.  At approximately 5:10 PM on Thursday, December 5, 2024 a Baltimore Recreation and Parks employee at Camp Small, located at 2101 W Old Cold Spring Lane, observed a small fire on the property.  The employee immediately called 911 and Baltimore City Fire Department assets quickly arrived on scene. The high wind and presence of a significant amount of wood refuse in a condensed area caused significant growth of the fire in a short amount of time.  The current priorities are protecting the surrounding area and containi...
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