Finance Minister Dr. Yuval Shteinitz announced that in order to encourage economic growth, he is lowering the value added tax by 0.5% to 16%.

**MDA reports an increase in the number of emergency calls for minors due to intoxication from alcoholic beverages. In 2009, 59 youths were admitted to hospitals.

**The Lelov Rebbe Shlita form the United States has arrived in Israel and will hold a tisch on Wednesday night in memory of his father zt”l, Alter Biderman of Lelov. The Rebbe and chassidim will visit the Kever on Thursday. The tisch will take place on Rabbi Akiva Street in Bnei Brak.

**The Boyaner Rebbe Shlita visited the aveilim at the home of the Admor of Zvill ZT”L who was niftar on Tuesday.

**Dozens of Breslov chassidim who spent shabbos Chanukah in Uman are stuck in the Kiev Airport due to heavy snow conditions. They told Kol Chareidi the airline is not at all concerned with their well-being, not providing food or blankets, and they are living on the airport floor, anxious to return home.

**Kol Chareidi reports in the past 24 hours, 5 criminal indictments have been prepared against chareidim for their involvement in shabbos protests during the past year.

**A 16-y/o girl with an underlying chronic medical condition became Israel’s 80th victim of swine flu. She died in Rambam Medical Center in Haifa.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)