jerusalempost--2020-01-24--New Orleans Saints fighting release of emails with Catholic church

The New Orleans Saints want to keep emails exchanged with the local Roman Catholic archdiocese private and are going to court to try to shield the correspondence , according to an Associated Press report .
The emails could show that the team was assisting the Archdiocese of New Orleans in managing the fallout from a sexual abuse scandal through public relations strategies , according to a court filing .
The request to bring the documents to light was filed on behalf of more than 20 men who believe the emails could show the Saints helped the archdiocese to hide crimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question are from 2018 and 2019 .
In a statement issued Friday afternoon , the Saints said they were among the `` community and civic minded leaders '' contacted by the archdiocese in November 2018 as it sought advice about how to work with the media once the names of 57 clergy members who were accused of sexually abusing minors in prior years were released .
`` The advice was simple and never wavering .
Be direct , open and fully transparent , while making sure that all law enforcement agencies were alerted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the team and owner Gayle Benson `` remain offended , disappointed and repulsed by the actions of certain past clergy . ''
The statement adds : `` We remain steadfast in support of the victims who have suffered and pray for their continued healing . ''
The Saints said they are not trying to hide information from the public but rather are just asking the court to apply 'the normal rules of civil discovery . ''
`` Until the documents are admitted into evidence at a public trial or hearing in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knowledge of the documents and the events to which they pertain , the use of the documents should be limited to the parties to the case and their attorneys .
If admitted into evidence of the case , the documents and the testimony pertaining to them will become part of the public record of the trial of the case , '' the team statement said .
Arguments on the matter are expected to be heard in the next few weeks before a decision is made on whether the documents can remain private .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic institutions , the AP reported .
When her husband , Tom Benson , died in 2018 , New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond accompanied her during the funeral procession .

The New Orleans Saints want to keep emails exchanged with the local Roman Catholic archdiocese private and are going to court to try to shield the correspondence, according to an Associated Press report.
The emails could show that the team was assisting the Archdiocese of New Orleans in managing the fallout from a sexual abuse scandal through public relations strategies, according to a court filing.
The request to bring the documents to light was filed on behalf of more than 20 men who believe the emails could show the Saints helped the archdiocese to hide crimes committed by clergy. The emails in question are from 2018 and 2019.
In a statement issued Friday afternoon, the Saints said they were among the "community and civic minded leaders" contacted by the archdiocese in November 2018 as it sought advice about how to work with the media once the names of 57 clergy members who were accused of sexually abusing minors in prior years were released.
"The advice was simple and never wavering. Be direct, open and fully transparent, while making sure that all law enforcement agencies were alerted," the statement said, adding that the team and owner Gayle Benson "remain offended, disappointed and repulsed by the actions of certain past clergy." The statement adds: "We remain steadfast in support of the victims who have suffered and pray for their continued healing."
The Saints said they are not trying to hide information from the public but rather are just asking the court to apply 'the normal rules of civil discovery."
"Until the documents are admitted into evidence at a public trial or hearing in the context of relevant testimony by persons having knowledge of the documents and the events to which they pertain, the use of the documents should be limited to the parties to the case and their attorneys. If admitted into evidence of the case, the documents and the testimony pertaining to them will become part of the public record of the trial of the case," the team statement said.
Arguments on the matter are expected to be heard in the next few weeks before a decision is made on whether the documents can remain private.
Benson has donated millions of dollars to Catholic institutions, the AP reported. When her husband, Tom Benson, died in 2018, New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond accompanied her during the funeral procession.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--France declares first two confirmed cases of coronavirus

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France declared on Friday its first two confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, with one patient being hospitalized in Paris and the other in the southwestern city of Bordeaux.French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said during a press conference these were the first two cases in Europe, adding it was likely other cases would arise in the country.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--Three French nationals and one Iraqi missing in Baghdad - French NGO

Three French nationals and one Iraqi have gone missing in Baghdad, French NGO SOS Chretiens d'Orient said on Friday, adding authorities had been informed on Wednesday and no ransom had been demanded yet.A French Foreign ministry official said they had been informed of the situation by the association and were mobilised.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--Earthquake of magnitude 6.9 strikes eastern Turkey – EMSC

The quake had a depth of 10 kilometers ( 6.21 miles ) , according to EMSC .

An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck eastern Turkey on Friday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.
The quake had a depth of 10 kilometers (6.21 miles), according to EMSC.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--Russia recommends suspension of travel package sales to China over virus

It recommended that Russians refrain from visiting China until the `` epidemiological situation stabilizes . ''

Russia's tourism watchdog said on Friday it was recommending that travel operators stop sales of packages to China due to the new coronavirus.
It recommended that Russians refrain from visiting China until the "epidemiological situation stabilizes."
China is taking measures to contain the coronavirus, which has killed 26 people and infected more than 800.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--Earthquake felt in Central and Southern Israel

An earthquake was felt in the Central and Southern part of Israel Friday evening, according to various reports from citizens.This is a developing story.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--Anti-Jewish graffiti sparks anger in Italy ahead of Holocaust day

Anti-Semitic graffiti was found scrawled on the door of the son of a Holocaust survivor in the northwestern Italian town of Mondovi on Friday, triggering outrage from politicians and rights groups.The words "Juden Hier" (Jews Here) were written above a Star of David on the door, recalling the signs put on buildings in Nazi Germany to mark the homes and businesses of local Jews.The house in Mondovi used to belong to Lidia Rolfi, who joined the resistance against Nazi invaders in World War Two but was swiftly captured and deported to the Ravensbrueck concentration camp in Germany in 1944.She managed to survive and later wrote several books denouncing the horrors of the camps in an effort to raise awareness of the Nazi atrocities. She died in 1996 and her son Aldo now lives in the house.He published an article in a local newspaper earlier this week to mark the forthcoming Jan. 27 Holocaust Memorial Day."This is a very serious sign of intolerance and provocation right at the time when we remember the Shoah," said Milena Santerini, national coordinator for the fight against anti-Semitism in Italy.Politicians also expressed outrage."This is where the culture of hate leads. What else has to happen to make people understand that we must all mobilize against this madness?" said Nicola Zingaretti, head of the center-left coalition Democratic Party (PD).Another Holocaust survivor, Liliana Segre, was placed under police protection in November after she received threats from far-right fanatics, highlighting a rise in anti-Semitism in Italy.The Anti-Semitism Observatory registered 251 episodes of anti-Semitism across the country in 2019 up from 181 in 2018.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--Russia says three Syrian army servicemen killed in Aleppo

It said the Syrian army had thwarted an attack by up to 70 militants west of Aleppo .

Three Syrian army servicemen were killed and eight wounded in the last 24 hours by gunfire from militants in the Syrian city of Aleppo, RIA news agency reported on Friday, citing the Russian defense ministry.
It said the Syrian army had thwarted an attack by up to 70 militants west of Aleppo.
Eight civilians were also killed and 22 wounded by gunfire from militants in the past 24 hours, RIA reported.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--Boeing considering new 787 Dreamliner production cut

Earlier this month , U.S. airplane leasing firm Air Lease Corp Chief Executive Officer John Plueger said Boeing could be @ @ @ @ @ its 787 Dreamliners to 10 aircraft per month , amid a drought of orders from @ @ @ @ @ off nearly 1 % in mid-day trading Friday .

Boeing Co is weighing another production cut of its 787 Dreamliner, but may not have to take that step depending on the size and timing of orders from China stemming from a recent U.S. trade agreement, people briefed on the matter said Friday.
Earlier this month, U.S. airplane leasing firm Air Lease Corp Chief Executive Officer John Plueger said Boeing could be forced to cut production of its 787 Dreamliners to 10 aircraft per month, amid a drought of orders from China. Boeing shares were off nearly 1% in mid-day trading Friday.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--U.S. says 34 troops diagnosed with brain injury after Iran strike

Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told reporters that eight service members who had been previously transported to Germany had been moved @ @ @ @ @

The Pentagon said on Friday that 34 service members had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury following missile strikes by Iran on a base in Iraq earlier this month, a number higher than the military had previously announced.
President Donald Trump and other top officials initially said Iran's attack had not killed or injured any U.S. service members.
Last week the U.S. military said 11 U.S. troops had been treated and transferred out of Iraq for concussion symptoms after the attack on the Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq and this week said additional troops had been moved out of Iraq for potential injuries.
Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told reporters that 17 service members diagnosed had already returned to duty in Iraq.
Eight service members who had been previously transported to Germany had been moved to the United States and would receive treatment at either Walter Reed military hospital or their home bases.
Hoffman said the service members were being treated on an outpatient basis and were transported back to the United States in order to be closer to their pre-deployment bases.
Nine service members remain in Germany and are undergoing evaluations and treatment.
Hoffman said the military had seen symptoms like headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and nausea.
On Wednesday, Trump appeared to play down the injuries, saying he "heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things."
Pentagon officials have said there had been no effort to minimize or delay information on concussive injuries, but its handling of the injuries following Tehran's attack has renewed questions over the U.S. military's policy regarding how it deals with suspected brain injuries.
While the U.S. military has to immediately report incidents threatening life, limb or eyesight, it does not have an urgent requirement to do so with suspected traumatic brain injury, or TBI, which can take time to manifest and diagnose.
Hoffman said U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper had directed the Pentagon to review the process for tracking and reporting injuries.
"The goal is to be as transparent, accurate and to provide the American people and our service members with the best information," Hoffman said.
Various health and medical groups for years have been trying to raise awareness about the seriousness of brain injuries, including concussions.
According to Pentagon data, about 408,000 service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury since 2000.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--Two Iraqi protesters killed, 25 wounded in clashes with police -sources

Two protesters were killed and 25 wounded on Friday in clashes with security forces in central Baghdad, police and medical sources said.The police used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse a protest that broke out in the early evening at Baghdad’s Mohammed al-Qassim highway, they said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--US arrests former Mexico police commander in El Chapo-linked cocaine probe

The office of U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue in Brooklyn , New York said the defendant Ivan Reyes Arzate was arrested at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn , where he was serving a 40-month prison term after pleading no contest in 2018 to obstruction charges in an Illinois case .
Reyes had been scheduled to be released on Jan. 27 and then deported to Mexico , before a federal grand jury indicted him on Thursday on three conspiracy charges , Donoghue 's office said .
A lawyer for the defendant could not immediately be identified .
Reyes is expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Each charge carries a 10-year mandatory minimum prison sentence , and prosecutors want Reyes subjected to permanent detention , calling him a `` significant flight risk . ''
According to Donoghue 's office , Reyes received bribes from the El Seguimiento 39 cartel in exchange for helping protect its drug trafficking activities .
Multiple cooperating witnesses said other cartels including the Beltran Leyva Organization also paid bribes to Reyes for his assistance , Donoghue 's office said .
According to prosecutors , Reyes worked from 2003 to 2016 in the Mexican federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 2008 to 2016 was its top officer , making him the main contact for sharing information with U.S. law enforcement .
Prosecutors said Reyes ' case was `` presumptively related '' to their cases in Brooklyn against Guzman and Genaro Garcia Luna , formerly Mexico 's top security official , because the facts arose from the same criminal schemes , transactions and events .
Guzman is serving life in prison without parole after being convicted in last year .

A former Mexican federal police commander was arrested on Friday for allegedly accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from Mexican drug cartels to help them send cocaine into the United States, in a case linked to imprisoned drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, U.S. prosecutors said.
The office of U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue in Brooklyn, New York said the defendant Ivan Reyes Arzate was arrested at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he was serving a 40-month prison term after pleading no contest in 2018 to obstruction charges in an Illinois case.
Reyes had been scheduled to be released on Jan. 27 and then deported to Mexico, before a federal grand jury indicted him on Thursday on three conspiracy charges, Donoghue's office said.
A lawyer for the defendant could not immediately be identified.
Reyes is expected to appear later Friday in a Brooklyn courtroom. Each charge carries a 10-year mandatory minimum prison sentence, and prosecutors want Reyes subjected to permanent detention, calling him a "significant flight risk."
According to Donoghue's office, Reyes received bribes from the El Seguimiento 39 cartel in exchange for helping protect its drug trafficking activities.
Multiple cooperating witnesses said other cartels including the Beltran Leyva Organization also paid bribes to Reyes for his assistance, Donoghue's office said.
According to prosecutors, Reyes worked from 2003 to 2016 in the Mexican federal police's Sensitive Investigative Unit, and from 2008 to 2016 was its top officer, making him the main contact for sharing information with U.S. law enforcement.
Prosecutors said Reyes' case was "presumptively related" to their cases in Brooklyn against Guzman and Genaro Garcia Luna, formerly Mexico's top security official, because the facts arose from the same criminal schemes, transactions and events.
Guzman is serving life in prison without parole after being convicted in last year.
Garcia Luna pleaded not guilty on Jan. 3 to accepting millions of dollars in bribes to let Guzman's Sinaloa drug cartel operate with impunity.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--CDC confirms second US case of Wuhan coronavirus

The infected person had traveled to Wuhan , China recently .
The woman , 60 , had not taken public @ @ @ @ @ when she traveled , Chicago health authorities said on a conference call .
Of the @ @ @ @ @ 22 states , 11 tested negative , CDC said in a conference call with reporters @ @ @ @ @ has killed 26 people and infected more than 800 , but most of the cases @ @ @ @ @ so far have been in China , where officials have imposed restrictions on travel and @ @ @ @ @ said it believes the immediate threat to U.S. residents remains low .

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday confirmed that a second case of Wuhan coronavirus in the United States had been detected in Chicago, and said as many as 63 people were being monitored as the virus spreads around the globe.
The infected person had traveled to Wuhan, China recently. The woman, 60, had not taken public transportation and was not ill when she traveled, Chicago health authorities said on a conference call.
Of the 63 people under investigation from 22 states, 11 tested negative, CDC said in a conference call with reporters.
The newly discovered virus has killed 26 people and infected more than 800, but most of the cases and all of the deaths so far have been in China, where officials have imposed restrictions on travel and public gatherings.
The CDC said it believes the immediate threat to U.S. residents remains low.
The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the virus an "emergency in China," but stopped short of declaring it a global health emergency.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--Several injured, some presumed dead in shooting in Germany

The incident occurred at 12.45 pm local time ( 1145 GMT ) close to a building in the town of @ @ @ @ @ federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg .
Police in the nearby town of Aalen said the incident @ @ @ @ @ a `` personal relationship '' , adding there was no indication that there were additional @ @

Several people were injured and some presumed dead in a shooting in southwestern Germany on Friday, police said, adding that a suspect was detained.
The incident occurred at 12.45 pm local time (1145 GMT) close to a building in the town of Rot am See in the federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
Police in the nearby town of Aalen said the incident appeared to be linked to a "personal relationship", adding there was no indication that there were additional perpetrators.
Rot am See is located some 135 km (84 miles) southeast of Frankfurt, close to the medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--Erdogan: Turkish military in Libya to train pro-Serraj forces

Turkish military personnel being sent to Libya are supporting and training forces of the internationally recognized government of Fayez al-Serraj, Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.Speaking in Istanbul after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Erdogan also said countries which attended a Libya summit in Berlin on Sunday should not favor Serraj's opponent, Khalifa Haftar, after he left the meeting without signing a ceasefire deal.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--Erdogan says 400,000 people in Syria's Idlib moving towards Turkey

Turkish aid groups have begun building more than 10,000 houses in Idlib to shelter the growing number of people displaced @ @ @ @ @ Turkey seeks to prevent a new influx of migrants across its border .

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that around 400,000 people in Syria's northwestern Idlib province were moving towards the Turkish border as a result of renewed attacks by the Syrian government.
Turkish aid groups have begun building more than 10,000 houses in Idlib to shelter the growing number of people displaced by the fighting, while Turkey seeks to prevent a new influx of migrants across its border.
Speaking at a news conference alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Erdogan said she told him that Germany could provide some support for the plans.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--Coronavirus risk to British public remains low - health minister

The risk posed to the British public by the new coronavirus remains low, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Friday, after an emergency response meeting to discuss the virus that has killed 26 people and infected more than 800 in China."The risk to the public remains low and the chief medical officer will be making a full statement later today," he said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-24--Israel Ministry of Health recommends avoiding trips to Wuhan, China

The Israel Ministry of Health released a recommendation to Israelis currently in China to avoid all unnecessary travel to the Chinese city of Wuhan, following a rising number of cases of locals being infected by the Coronavirus.Since the outbreak, 26 people have died, along with over 900 infected with the virus. China has also issued a quarantine and lockdown on the cities and areas currently suffering from the outbreak.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Beijing to halt all inter-province shuttle buses from Jan 26

BEIJING - China's capital city Beijing will stop all inter-province shuttle buses from Jan. 26 in order to curb coronavirus outbreak, local media reported on Saturday.The reports did not say when bus services will be resumed.The death toll of the new coronavirus has climbed to 41 as of Friday, while more than 1,300 infections confirmed globally.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--US to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan, China

The United States is arranging a charter flight on Sunday to bring its citizens and diplomats back from the Chinese city of Wuhan, epicenter of the outbreak of a new coronavirus, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.The plane, with around 230 people, will carry diplomats from the US consulate as well as US citizens and their families, the Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the operation.Washington was given approval for the operation from China's Foreign Ministry and other government agencies following negotiations in recent days, the newspaper said. The US also plans to temporarily shut its Wuhan consulate, it said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--China's Hubei province to ensure medium-to-long term materials reserves

BEIJING - China's central province Hubei, the center of the coronavirus outbreak, will ensure supplies of emergency materials and medium-to-long term reserves, the government-backed newspaper reported on Saturday, citing a provincial party leader.The move comes amid the outbreak of the new coronavirus which has killed 41 and infected more than 1,300 globally.The province plans to build two designated hospitals with a combined 2,300 beds, to treat coronavirus patients.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Wuhan to build second designated hospital to treat coronavirus patients

BEIJING - China's Wuhan city, the center of the outbreak of the new coronavirus, will build a second dedicated hospital to treat patients, state media the People's Daily reported on Saturday.Construction of hospital, designed to have 1,300 beds, is scheduled to be completed in half a month.Construction has started on the first dedicated hospital and is due to be finished by Feb 3.The virus outbreak has killed 41 and infected more than 1,300 globally.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Clashes in Baghdad wound 7, authorities remove barriers and open roads

BAGHDAD - Police clashed with protesters in central Baghdad on Saturday, wounding seven, after authorities began removing concrete blocks from the Iraqi capital's main protest site, security and medical sources said.In Baghdad and Basra, security forces began opening roads and some supporters of popular cleric Moqtada al-Sadr packed up tents where they had joined months-long sit-ins, security sources said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Sanya, China shuts down tourist sites to prevent spread of coronavirus

BEIJING - China's Sanya city in the southern island province of Hainan has shut down all tourist sites in the city to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the city government said on Saturday.Sanya is one of the favorite tourist destinations during the week-long Lunar New Year holiday which lasts until Jan 30.Earlier on Saturday, Hainan capital Haikou city said it would start a 14-day centralized medical observation for tourists from the central Hubei province, center of the coronavirus outbreak.The virus, which originated in the central city of Wuhan late last year, has killed 41 people and infected more than 1,300 people globally.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Two Rohingya women killed as Myanmar army shells village

YANGON - Two women, one pregnant, were killed and seven other people injured after Myanmar troops shelled a Rohingya village on Saturday, according to a lawmaker and a villager, two days after the UN’s highest court ordered the country to protect the minority.Maung Kyaw Zan, a national member of parliament for Buthidaung township in northern Rakhine state, said shells fired from a nearby battalion hit Kin Taung village in the middle of the night. Government troops have been battling ethnic rebels in the state for more than a year."There was no fighting, they just shot artillery to a village without a battle," he told Reuters by phone, adding it was the second time this year that civilians had been killed.More than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims were forced to flee northern Rakhine state in 2017 after a military crackdown that the UN has said was executed with genocidal intent.More recently, the region was plunged into further chaos by fresh fighting between the military and the Arakan Army, a rebel group that recruits from the mostly Buddhist majority in the state. That conflict has displaced tens of thousands and killed dozens.Of the several hundred thousand Rohingya still in Rakhine, many are confined to apartheid-like conditions, unable to travel freely or access healthcare and education. They are caught in the middle of the fighting, and travel restrictions mean they are less able to flee than Buddhist neighbors.In early January, four Rohingya children died in a blast the military and rebels blamed on each other.Two military spokesmen did not answer phone calls from Reuters seeking comment on Saturday's deaths.Soe Tun Oo, a Rohingya villager living a mile from the village, told Reuters by phone two houses were destroyed in the explosion."The military always shoots heavy weapons… They shoot heavy weapons around the area they suspect. It is impossible to flee to other places, even though we are scared."The Hague-based International Court of Justice ordered Myanmar on Thursday to protect the Rohingya against further atrocities and preserve evidence of alleged crimes, after west African nation the Gambia launched a lawsuit in November accusing the country of genocide.A spokesman for the ruling party told Reuters the country was already protecting Rohingya, but the civilian government had limited power over the military.Civilian authorities govern jointly with the military in an awkward constitutional arrangement that reserves great powers for the commander-in-chief.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Starbucks shuts shops, suspends delivery in Hubei, China amid outbreak

Patients carrying the virus were also detected in Hong Kong , Taiwan , Japan , Vietnam and Thailand .
France reported its first three cases late Friday night .
An analysis by Imperial College London estimated a total of 1,723 cases in the Chinese city of Wuhan , the center of the outbreak , last week .
The only lab in China designated for researching some of the world 's most dangerous pathogens is located in the city , 20 miles away from the Huanan Seafood Market which is believed to be the outbreak 's epicenter .
According to The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 that a SARS-like virus might escape the lab , possibly infecting the area 's residents .
Starbucks closed all of its outlets in Hubei province for the week-long Lunar Chinese New Year , Reuters reported .
Australia declared on Saturday its first confirmed case of the Wuhan coronavirus in the state of Victoria , with the patient hospitalized in stable condition in a suburb of Melbourne , Victoria health officials said on Saturday .
According to Financial Review , six people in Australia were in quarantine on Friday and tested for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed three cases of coronavirus infection , according to Reuters .
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the three individuals infected were related to the 66-year-old man that was confirmed by Singaporean health authorities to have tested positive for the virus .
The newly-identified coronavirus can cause pneumonia , which has been deadly in some cases .
It is still too early to know just how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people .
Two cases of the virus have been diagnosed in the United States , with a third suspected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman in her sixties from Chicago who had recently been to Wuhan was diagnosed with coronavirus , as well as a man in his thirties from Washington State , near Seattle.According to the Times , the Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) reported that 63 patients in 22 states were under investigation for the virus , with 11 of them testing negative .
Another case of the virus was reported last week in Mexico , in the city of Reynosa that borders the United States.Israel has asked its citizens to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Health Ministry calling citizens to refrain from unnecessary trips to the area of the outbreak , in an official release published on Thursday .
The ministry also told citizens to avoid contact with living or dead animals and people who show shortness of breath.The authorities told Israelis to pay attention to hygiene and use hand sanitizers .
In its press release , the Health Ministry could not rule out a possibility of the virus reaching Israel .

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jerusalempost--2020-01-26--China's Hubei province reports 13 new coronavirus deaths - state media

SHANGHAI - China's central Hubei province, at the center of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, reported 13 new deaths caused by the new virus on Jan. 25, state media CCTV reported on Sunday.Shanghai also reported its first death from the virus.Hubei also reported 323 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections.Separately, the province of Henan reported one death from coronavirus infection.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Canada identifies first coronavirus case

Canada declared on Saturday that Toronto Public Health has received notification of first presumptive confirmed case of coronavirus in a resident who recently returned from Wuhan, the government said in a statement."The individual is stable and is hospitalized" the statement added.The individual arrived in Toronto on Jan. 22 and was hospitalized the next day after developing symptoms of respiratory illness.The victim is a man in his 50s and Ontario health officials said he took private transportation home after getting down at Toronto airport.Ontario health officials said his family members have been put into self isolation, though the government declined to give the number of people in the family.Coronavirus has infected more than 1,400 people worldwide with most of them in China.Australia confirmed its first four cases of the new coronavirus in two different cities on Saturday.Malaysia confirmed four and France reported Europe's first cases on Friday, as health authorities around the world scrambled to prevent a pandemic.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Doctor at Soroka Hospital commits suicide: 4th suicide in year and a half

The hospital is holding an urgent meeting to discuss the recent tragedies .
The head of the Plastic Surgery Department @ @ @ @ @ nuclear medicine physician , Dr. Mark Preiskol and the head of the Cardiac Intensive Care @ @ @ @ @ , committed suicide in the past year and a half .
Barzovski wrote in his @ @ @ @ @ ' Union harmed his medical standing unjustly when they forbade him from training new interns @ @ @ @ @ union also wanted to place an expert above Barzovski to supervise the training .
He @ @ @ @ @ quarreled with not to come to his funeral .
The union made a special investigative @ @ @ @ @ death .

The hospital is holding an urgent meeting to discuss the recent tragedies.
The head of the Plastic Surgery Department, Dr. Alex Barzovski, nuclear medicine physician, Dr. Mark Preiskol and the head of the Cardiac Intensive Care Department, Dr. Avi Shimoni, committed suicide in the past year and a half.
Barzovski wrote in his suicide note that the Doctors' Union harmed his medical standing unjustly when they forbade him from training new interns in the department. The union also wanted to place an expert above Barzovski to supervise the training. He asked the doctors he had quarreled with not to come to his funeral.
The union made a special investigative committee a week after his death.
A doctor at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba committed suicide on Saturday, becoming the fourth medical professional working at the hospital to commit suicide in the past year and a half, according to Walla! news.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Several countries have breached arms embargo agreed at Libya summit-UN

TRIPOLI - Several countries backing rival factions in Libya have violated an arms embargo which they had agreed to uphold a week ago at a summit in Berlin, the United Nations said on Saturday.Last Sunday, foreign powers backing opposing camps fighting over Libya's capital Tripoli agreed at a summit hosted by Germany and the United Nations to push the parties to a lasting ceasefire and respect an existing U.N. arm embargo."Over the last ten days, numerous cargo and other flights have been observed landing at Libyan airports in the western and eastern parts of the country providing the parties with advanced weapons, armored vehicles, advisers and fighters," the U.N mission to Libya (UNSMIL) said in a statement."The mission condemns these ongoing violations, which risk plunging the country into a renewed and intensified round of fighting," UNSMIL said.It blamed several countries which were present at the Berlin conference, without naming them.The United Arab Emirates and Egypt support eastern forces of Khalifa Haftar which have been trying to take Tripoli in a near-ten month campaign. The internationally recognized administration based in Tripoli trying to fend off Haftar's forces is backed by Turkey.Fighting had abated in the past two weeks but on Saturday heavy artillery could be heard in Tripoli, a Reuters reporter said.The Berlin summit had gathered top officials from the UAE, Egypt, Turkey as well as western countries such as the United States, France, Britain and European Union.Germany also invited Haftar and Tripoli Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj, who both met separately with Chancellor Angela Merkel but refused to sit down together.Libya has been engulfed in chaos since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011. Haftar is backing a rival administration based in the east.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Iranian airplane makes emergency landing at Tehran airport - Mehr news

The plane was enroute from Tehran to Istanbul but returned because of a technical problem and landed safely at Mehrabad @ @ @ @ @ passengers or crew , Mehr reported .
Iran 's Revolutionary Guards accidentally shot down a @ @ @ @ @ Jan. 8 , killing all 176 aboard .

An Iranian airplane made an emergency landing at a Tehran airport, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Saturday.
The plane was enroute from Tehran to Istanbul but returned because of a technical problem and landed safely at Mehrabad airport without any injuries to passengers or crew, Mehr reported.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner near Tehran on Jan. 8, killing all 176 aboard.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Virus anxieties cast shadow over Year of the Rat festivities

In Sydney , which welcomed in the year with golden rat statues set up at the entrance to its downtown Chinatown precinct , authorities said crowds might be smaller than usual .
`` We do n't know if quite as many people will come this year because of the coronavirus and I 'd like to especially acknowledge Wuhan city government , '' said Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore , referring to the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the virus .
Some 100 community events were planned across Sydney until Feb. 11 , including dragon boat races and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the festivities in the city , home to a large and growing Chinese population , attracted 1.5 million people .
In Manila , and in London 's brightly decorated Chinatown , some revelers wore protective face masks .
For China 's 1.4 billion people , the holiday is the most important of the year and millions of people travel thousands of miles back to their hometowns to gather with family and friends .
But China , seeking to control the spread of the illness , canceled many large-scale celebrations of the holiday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and suspended public transport in many cities , stranding millions .
Chinese state television 's traditional Lunar New Year extravaganza on Friday paid tribute to the people of Wuhan and to medical staff fighting the coronavirus crisis .
Many events , such as making offerings at temples , wandering around at outdoor festival fairs , and even family reunion dinners at restaurants , have been canceled as public gatherings were discouraged .
Young people posted on social media appeals to reduce family gatherings or to at least wear masks when greeting one another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is typically seen as disrespectful in the Chinese culture .
In Wuhan , the most affected city , the mood was nervous .
`` There 's so much news , so much data , every 10 minutes there 's an update , it 's frightening , especially for people like us in a severely hit area , '' Lily Jin , 30 , a resident of the city , told Reuters .
In Thailand , Zhao Xiaoli , a tour guide from Eastern China 's Anhui province , said that precautions have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tourists to ) avoid crowded places , take care of personal hygiene , and go to see a doctor immediately if they show symptoms of flu , fever and coughs , '' he said .
On the other side of the globe , people in Mexico City 's Chinatown celebrated on Friday evening .
One reveler , acupuncture student Froylan de Hilario , struck an optimistic note .

Chinese communities around the world greeted the Year of the Rat on Saturday with dances and parades, although celebrations were marred by worries about the coronavirus outbreak that has upended Lunar New Year festivities in China.
In Sydney, which welcomed in the year with golden rat statues set up at the entrance to its downtown Chinatown precinct, authorities said crowds might be smaller than usual.
"We don't know if quite as many people will come this year because of the coronavirus and I'd like to especially acknowledge Wuhan city government," said Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, referring to the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the virus.
Some 100 community events were planned across Sydney until Feb. 11, including dragon boat races and the annual lunar lantern display. Last year, the festivities in the city, home to a large and growing Chinese population, attracted 1.5 million people.
In Manila, and in London's brightly decorated Chinatown, some revelers wore protective face masks.
'FRIGHTENING'
For China's 1.4 billion people, the holiday is the most important of the year and millions of people travel thousands of miles back to their hometowns to gather with family and friends.
But China, seeking to control the spread of the illness, canceled many large-scale celebrations of the holiday, closed part of the Great Wall and suspended public transport in many cities, stranding millions.
Chinese state television's traditional Lunar New Year extravaganza on Friday paid tribute to the people of Wuhan and to medical staff fighting the coronavirus crisis.
Many events, such as making offerings at temples, wandering around at outdoor festival fairs, and even family reunion dinners at restaurants, have been canceled as public gatherings were discouraged.
Young people posted on social media appeals to reduce family gatherings or to at least wear masks when greeting one another with New Year's wishes, which is typically seen as disrespectful in the Chinese culture.
In Wuhan, the most affected city, the mood was nervous.
"There's so much news, so much data, every 10 minutes there's an update, it's frightening, especially for people like us in a severely hit area," Lily Jin, 30, a resident of the city, told Reuters.
In Thailand, Zhao Xiaoli, a tour guide from Eastern China's Anhui province, said that precautions have been taken.
"(We have advised tourists to) avoid crowded places, take care of personal hygiene, and go to see a doctor immediately if they show symptoms of flu, fever and coughs," he said.
On the other side of the globe, people in Mexico City's Chinatown celebrated on Friday evening. One reveler, acupuncture student Froylan de Hilario, struck an optimistic note.
"Ten years ago in Mexico we had the H1N1 flu and we weren't as advanced in medical matters," he said. "In China there is a lot of technology in medical matters."


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--French car maker Peugeot to repatriate staff from China's Wuhan area

It said that 38 people would be evacuated and that the initiative will be executed in full collaboration with the @ @ @ @ @ general consulate .

French automotive group PSA , maker of the Peugeot and Citroen brands, said in a statement it will repatriate expat staff and their families from the Wuhan area in China, which is at the centre of an outbreak of coronavirus.
It said that 38 people would be evacuated and that the initiative will be executed in full collaboration with the Chinese authorities and the French general consulate.
PSA said the evacuees will remain in quarantine in Changsha before traveling back to their home countries.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Saudi wealth fund in talks to buy Newcastle United for 340 million

British billionaire Mike Ashley , who made his fortune from sportswear retailer Sports Direct ( renamed Frasers Group last month ) has owned Newcastle United since 2007 .
Saudi 's Public Investment Fund together with a group led by British financier Amanda Staveley , are in discussions to buy the Premier League club , but the talks were at a delicate stage and could fall apart , a source familiar with the situation told Reuters .
A spokesman for Newcastle United declined to comment on Saturday .
Saudi 's Public Investment Fund was not immediately available for comment , nor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newcastle United has been up for sale for a number of years .
Three years ago , Staveley 's firm PCP Capital Partners made an offer for it for a reported 250 million pounds but the talks broke down .
In 2019 , Newcastle United was rumoured to be on the brink of being bought by Abu Dhabi billionaire Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan , but that deal did not go ahead either .
Ashley , who owns a controlling stake in the club , has not always been popular among fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from matches this season to protest at his ownership .

Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund is in talks to buy English soccer club Newcastle United for about 340 million pounds ($447 million), a source familiar with the situation told Reuters, confirming a report in the Wall Street Journal earlier on Saturday.
British billionaire Mike Ashley, who made his fortune from sportswear retailer Sports Direct (renamed Frasers Group last month) has owned Newcastle United since 2007.
Saudi's Public Investment Fund together with a group led by British financier Amanda Staveley, are in discussions to buy the Premier League club, but the talks were at a delicate stage and could fall apart, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.
A spokesman for Newcastle United declined to comment on Saturday. Saudi's Public Investment Fund was not immediately available for comment, nor were representatives for Ashley or Staveley.
Newcastle United has been up for sale for a number of years. Three years ago, Staveley's firm PCP Capital Partners made an offer for it for a reported 250 million pounds but the talks broke down.
In 2019, Newcastle United was rumoured to be on the brink of being bought by Abu Dhabi billionaire Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan, but that deal did not go ahead either.
Ashley, who owns a controlling stake in the club, has not always been popular among fans, and thousands have been staying away from matches this season to protest at his ownership.
Around a third of English soccer clubs are under foreign ownership. Premier League clubs Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are all in American hands, while Manchester City is owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Netanyahu: 'Trump deal is a once-in-history opportunity'

“ This is an opportunity that comes once in history , and we can not miss it , ” Netanyahu @ @ @ @ @ to social media .
“ We have the best friend Israel has ever had in @ @ @ @ @ therefore , we have the best opportunity we ever had .
”

“This is an opportunity that comes once in history, and we cannot miss it,” Netanyahu said in a video posted to social media. “We have the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House, and therefore, we have the best opportunity we ever had.”
Israel must not miss the opportunity in US President Donald Trump’s plan for Israel and the Palestinians, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday, the day before he plans to head to Washington D.C. to receive the plan.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Lebanese security fire water cannons at protesters breaching barricade

Some protesters managed to open a metal gate blocking the path to the area but were pushed back .
`` @ @ @ @ @ Security Forces have begun , we therefore ask peaceful protesters to leave Riad al-Solh area @ @ @ @ @ the ISF said on Twitter .

Lebanese security forces on Saturday fired water cannons and tear gas at anti-government protesters trying to breach a security barricade outside government headquarters in central Beirut.
Some protesters managed to open a metal gate blocking the path to the area but were pushed back.
"Rioting and attacks against Internal Security Forces have begun, we therefore ask peaceful protesters to leave Riad al-Solh area for their safety," the ISF said on Twitter.
A planned march on Saturday under the slogan "We won't pay the price" began peacefully but then saw a repeat of violence that has marked recent protests against a political class that demonstrators say has plunged the country into its worst crisis in decades.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Malaysia confirms fourth case of coronavirus infection

The newly identified virus can cause pneumonia , which has been deadly in some cases .
It is still unclear how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people .
Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said the latest case was a 40-year-old man from Wuhan , China , who was part of a tour group that travelled by bus to the southern state of Johor from Singapore on Wednesday .
The man had suffered from fever the next day and sought treatment at a hospital in Johor .
Tests by Malaysia 's Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Noor Hisham said .
`` He is currently experiencing fever and cough , but his condition is stable , '' Noor Hisham said in a statement .
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad had earlier announced three confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in three Chinese nationals , the first reported in Malaysia .
The three were related to a 66-year-old man confirmed by Singapore to have tested positive for the virus .
The infected individuals were a 65-year-old woman , who is the wife of the man with the virus in Singapore , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 , Dzulkefly said .
The three have been admitted to hospital in Kuala Lumpur and were in stable conditions , the minister told a news conference .

Malaysia reported a fourth case of coronavirus infection late Saturday, just hours after it announced its first confirmed cases.
The newly identified virus can cause pneumonia, which has been deadly in some cases. It is still unclear how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people.
Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said the latest case was a 40-year-old man from Wuhan, China, who was part of a tour group that travelled by bus to the southern state of Johor from Singapore on Wednesday.
The man had suffered from fever the next day and sought treatment at a hospital in Johor. Tests by Malaysia's Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre confirmed he was suffering from the coronavirus, Noor Hisham said.
"He is currently experiencing fever and cough, but his condition is stable," Noor Hisham said in a statement.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad had earlier announced three confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in three Chinese nationals, the first reported in Malaysia.
The three were related to a 66-year-old man confirmed by Singapore to have tested positive for the virus.
The infected individuals were a 65-year-old woman, who is the wife of the man with the virus in Singapore, and their two grandsons, aged 11 and 2, Dzulkefly said.
The three have been admitted to hospital in Kuala Lumpur and were in stable conditions, the minister told a news conference.
Malaysia Airports said it had heightened screening of passengers and crew arriving from China at gateway airports across the country to minimise the potential spread of the virus.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Coronavirus patients arrived in France without symptoms

On Friday , France confirmed the first three cases of the virus in Europe - all Chinese nationals - with two patients hospitalized in Paris and the other in Bordeaux .
In China , 41 people have died from the virus and more than 1,400 people have been infected globally , including four in Australia and three in Malaysia .
The two patients in Paris are a Chinese couple who arrived in France on Jan. 18 , but did not show symptoms until Jan. 19 and 23 respectively , officials said .
`` They showed no symptoms when they boarded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of infectious diseases at Paris hospital Bichat told reporters .
The third patient in Bordeaux , a 48-year old Chinese man who works in the French wine industry , had taken a plane from Wuhan to the Netherlands and entered France from there , SOS Medecins medical service in Bordeaux said .
Health Minister Agnes Buzyn told reporters the man had entered France on Jan. 22 , had first consulted a doctor about his symptoms on Jan 23 , with the virus confirmed Jan 24 .
The delayed appearance of symptoms and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the limits of screening passengers arriving from China in airports .
Airports in several countries are using scanners to take the temperature of passengers arriving from China but France so far is not doing this .
In Paris , there was a rush to buy face masks and several pharmacies said they were sold out .
`` It has been like this since this morning , some people are hysterical , '' said a pharmacist in Paris .

Two of the three people who have been diagnosed with the Wuhan coronavirus arrived in France without showing symptoms, doctors at a Paris hospital said on Saturday.
On Friday, France confirmed the first three cases of the virus in Europe - all Chinese nationals - with two patients hospitalized in Paris and the other in Bordeaux.
In China, 41 people have died from the virus and more than 1,400 people have been infected globally, including four in Australia and three in Malaysia.
The two patients in Paris are a Chinese couple who arrived in France on Jan. 18, but did not show symptoms until Jan. 19 and 23 respectively, officials said.
"They showed no symptoms when they boarded their plane," Yazdan Yazdanpanah, head of infectious diseases at Paris hospital Bichat told reporters.
The third patient in Bordeaux, a 48-year old Chinese man who works in the French wine industry, had taken a plane from Wuhan to the Netherlands and entered France from there, SOS Medecins medical service in Bordeaux said.
Health Minister Agnes Buzyn told reporters the man had entered France on Jan. 22, had first consulted a doctor about his symptoms on Jan 23, with the virus confirmed Jan 24.
The delayed appearance of symptoms and the entry via a third country underline the limits of screening passengers arriving from China in airports.
Airports in several countries are using scanners to take the temperature of passengers arriving from China but France so far is not doing this.
In Paris, there was a rush to buy face masks and several pharmacies said they were sold out.
"It has been like this since this morning, some people are hysterical," said a pharmacist in Paris.
The French foreign ministry said on Friday that it had informed French citizens in Wuhan that it planned to set up a bus service to help them leave.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--China's Didi says to halt inter-city services to and from Beijing, Jan 26

The virus , first identified in the central Chinese city of Wuhan , has killed 41 and infected around 1,400 @ @

China's ride-hailing service Didi Chuxing said it will halt inter-city services to and from the capital Beijing from Jan. 26, amid efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
The virus, first identified in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, has killed 41 and infected around 1,400 globally.
Beijing city has said it would stop all inter-province shuttle buses from Jan. 26.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Toddler dies after being run over by family member in Tel Sheva

The toddler , Mais Osama Haniyeh , was brought unconscious to the local clinic , where CPR was ultimately unsuccessful @ @ @ @ @ by the medical team .
Sources in the family said the toddler was run over @ @ @ @ @ while playing in the front yard of her home .
Traffic accident investigators from Israel @ @ @ @ @ into the case .

By YASSER OKBI/MAARIV,ALON HOCHMON/MAARIV

The toddler, Mais Osama Haniyeh, was brought unconscious to the local clinic, where CPR was ultimately unsuccessful and her death was determined by the medical team.
Sources in the family said the toddler was run over by a family member, while playing in the front yard of her home.
Traffic accident investigators from Israel Police have opened an investigation into the case.
A one-and-a-half-year-old toddler was killed in a traffic accident on Saturday in Tel Sheva.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--China says confirms total of 1,372 cases from coronavirus outbreak - state media

The number of dead remains the same as that reported earlier on Saturday .
Some 39 people have been discharged @ @ @ @ @

China says it has a total of 1,372 cases of the coronavirus nationally with 41 people having died, as of 6 p.m. local time (1000 GMT) on Saturday, according to state-owned CCTV.
The number of dead remains the same as that reported earlier on Saturday. Some 39 people have been discharged, according to CCTV.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Explosives found tied to balloons in Kibbutz Be'eri

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This is a developing story.
An explosive device was found tied to balloons in the fields of Kibbutz Be'eri near the Gaza border on Saturday afternoon.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--China to halt all group tours as it seeks to halt virus spread- state media

The report , citing an announcement from China 's tourism industry association , said that group tours in China had @ @ @ @ @ Friday .

China will halt all group tours, both at home and to other countries, from Jan. 27, state-owned CCTV reported on Saturday as the country seeks to halt the spread of a new coronavirus.
The report, citing an announcement from China's tourism industry association, said that group tours in China had already been halted as of Friday.
China's Lunar New Year holidays, during which millions of trips are usually made both domestically and abroad, began on Friday.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Russia in talks with China to help its citizens leave Wuhan - RIA

Russia is consulting with China about possibly evacuating Russian citizens from the Chinese city of Wuhan and Hubei province, the center of an outbreak of a new flu-like virus, the RIA news agency cited the Russian embassy as saying on Saturday.There are no Russians infected with the new coronavirus, RIA quoted the embassy's press attache in China as saying.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--Thai airport says still limiting virus scans as 7th patient reported

Thailand has seven confirmed cases in the outbreak , which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan .
Some 41 people have died in China and more than 1,300 have been infected globally , most of them in China .
Bangkok 's Survanabhumi Airport said it had begun temperature scans on passengers arriving from Guangzhou and Wuhan , but not all Chinese cities .
Flights from Wuhan have been canceled because it is under quarantine .
`` We will perform a virus scan if the Chinese government announces to watch out for other cities apart from Wuhan and Guangzhou , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Suthirawat Suwannawat , told reporters .
China is Thailand 's biggest source of tourists and had nearly 11 million visitors from there last year .
As concern grows in Thailand over the possibility of a bigger outbreak , some social media users have accused the government of caring more about the money from Chinese tourists arriving during the Lunar New Year holiday than public health .
`` Our country can control the situation well .
We ’ ve had patients who are being treated and are improving , many have also gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charnvirakul told reporters .

Thailand's busiest airport said on Saturday it was awaiting more information from Chinese authorities before deciding whether to expand screening of passengers arriving from China to try to detect the new coronavirus.
Thailand has seven confirmed cases in the outbreak, which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Some 41 people have died in China and more than 1,300 have been infected globally, most of them in China.
Bangkok's Survanabhumi Airport said it had begun temperature scans on passengers arriving from Guangzhou and Wuhan, but not all Chinese cities. Flights from Wuhan have been canceled because it is under quarantine.
"We will perform a virus scan if the Chinese government announces to watch out for other cities apart from Wuhan and Guangzhou," the General Manager of Survanabhumi Airport, Suthirawat Suwannawat, told reporters.
China is Thailand's biggest source of tourists and had nearly 11 million visitors from there last year.
As concern grows in Thailand over the possibility of a bigger outbreak, some social media users have accused the government of caring more about the money from Chinese tourists arriving during the Lunar New Year holiday than public health.
"Our country can control the situation well. We’ve had patients who are being treated and are improving, many have also gone home," Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters.
Government agencies including the health, tourism and transport ministries are due to meet on Sunday to come up with protective measures to prevent the spread of the virus.


jerusalempost--2020-01-25--France plans evacuation of French nationals from Wuhan, China - SCMP

`` The consulate general , in collaboration with local authorities , plans to set up a bus service to allow @ @ @ @ @ Chinese and foreign spouses and children to travel from Wuhan to Changsha , '' the @ @ @ @ @ the Chinese newspaper .

France is planning to evacuate French nationals trapped by the Chinese government's lockdown in Wuhan following the coronavirus outbreak, the South China Morning Post reported on Saturday, citing an email sent by the French consulate.
"The consulate general, in collaboration with local authorities, plans to set up a bus service to allow French nationals ... and their Chinese and foreign spouses and children to travel from Wuhan to Changsha," the letter said, according to the Chinese newspaper.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Naama Issachar requests pardon

Naama Issachar requests pardon

Naama Issachar officially requested a pardon on Sunday in hopes it would lead to her release from a Russian jail, where she is serving a 7.5-year sentence for cannabis possession.During his trip to Israel last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally told Issachar’s mother, Yaffa , that her daughter would be freed.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week it was impossible for Issachar to be granted a presidential pardon without her first formally requesting one.On Sunday, her Russian defense team released the following statement:“Today, we discussed with Naama Issachar the statement of the press secretary of the president of the Russian Federation D. Peskov that her pardon requires her personal application to the president.“As a result of our discussion, Naama made a decision to address to the president of the Russian Federation with the motion for pardon and release, and such a motion has been already submitted by her in writing in the prescribed manner through the administration of the detention center in which she is located.”The 26-year-old yoga teacher was arrested in April during a stopover in a Moscow airport while en route to Tel Aviv from India.She was taken into custody at the gate to her flight after Russian authorities found 9.5 grams of cannabis in her stowed luggage.Israelis widely believe she is a diplomatic hostage, who is either innocent or given an unusually harsh sentence so Moscow could demand a high price from Israel for her release.Issachar has claimed she is innocent of all charges, which included smuggling. Russia has demanded she formally request a pardon from Putin before it will make good on its pledge to release her.Her mother has temporarily moved to Moscow to work on securing her release. Yaffa was back in Israel last week to meet with Putin.Yaffa reported that Putin told her, “I will return your girl home,” but he did not say when. She described the Russian leader as charming and down to earth.Netanyahu also asked Putin for a humanitarian pardon for the woman.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Oman's foreign minister to meet Iran's foreign minister Zarif

DUBAI - Oman's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah will meet Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Tehran on Sunday to discuss maritime security in the Hormuz strait, Oman's foreign ministry tweeted.Oman maintains friendly ties with both the United States and Iran and has previously been a go-between for the two countries, which severed diplomatic ties after the 1979 Iranian revolution.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Iraq populist cleric calls for anti-US demonstrations on Sunday

BAGHDAD - Iraqi populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called for demonstrations against the U.S. embassy on Sunday in Baghdad and other cities, a statement from his office said.The demonstrations are to also decry "those who have offended the symbol of the nation, Sayed Moqtada al-Sadr," the statement said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Iraqi security forces clash with hundreds of protesters in central Baghdad

BAGHDAD - Iraqi security forces fired teargas and live bullets in renewed clashes with protesters in Baghdad and other cities on Sunday, a Reuters witness and security sources said, following a push to clear a sit-in camp in the heart of the capital.The authorities' latest attempt to push back protesters and restore order came hours after populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who has millions of supporters in Baghdad and the south, said on Saturday he would end his involvement in anti-government unrest.At least 14 protesters were injured in the clashes in the capital, security and medical sources said, while unrest in the southern city of Nassiriya left at least 17 protesters wounded, four of them by live bullets.Protests also continued in Kerbala, Najaf, Basra and Diwaniya in defiance to attempts by security forces to end their months-long sit-in, police sources and Reuters witnesses said."We protest because we have a cause, I don’t think Moqtada Sadr or any other politician will change our mind," said a protester in Baghdad who declined to give his name.Sadr's supporters had bolstered the protesters and sometimes helped shield them from attacks by security forces and unidentified gunmen, but they began withdrawing from sit-in camps early on Saturday following his announcement.Security forces then removed concrete barriers near Baghdad's Tahrir Square, where demonstrators have camped out for months, and across at least one main bridge over the Tigris River."I don’t go to protests often but I came out today because of what they did yesterday, I want to express my solidarity with my brothers in Tahrir," said Hussain Ali, a student.Protesters in the capital were coughing and washing their faces and eyes to rid themselves of the effects of the gas while Iraqi Red Cross workers provided first aid, as the site was inaccessible to ambulances, a Reuters reporter said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Japan to evacuate any Japanese in Wuhan who wish to return

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Sunday the government was working with Chinese authorities to arrange a charter flight for any Japanese nationals who wish to return from Wuhan, where the coronavirus outbreak is believed to have originated late last year.The outbreak has prompted widening curbs on movements within China, with Wuhan, a city of 11 million, on virtual lockdown, with transports links all but severed except for emergency vehicles.The virus has infected more than 2,000 people globally so far and killed 56 in China.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Beijing to postpone reopening of kindergartens, schools, universities

SHANGHAI - China's capital Beijing will delay reopening the city's kindergartens, schools and universities, state-owned China National Radio (CNR) said on its official page on the microblogging website Weibo on Sunday.The measures are aimed at preventing the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus, according to CNR. Schools are currently closed for the Lunar New Year holiday.Separately, the Beijing government said it will not lock down the city, CNR reported.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--US registers third coronavirus case

US registers third coronavirus case

Patients carrying the virus were also detected in Hong Kong , Taiwan , Japan , Vietnam and Thailand .
France reported its first three cases late Friday night .
An analysis by Imperial College London estimated a total of 1,723 cases in the Chinese city of Wuhan , the center of the outbreak , last week .
The only lab in China designated for researching some of the world 's most dangerous pathogens is located in the city , 20 miles away from the Huanan Seafood Market which is believed to be the outbreak 's epicenter .
According to The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 that a SARS-like virus might escape the lab , possibly infecting the area 's residents .
Starbucks closed all of its outlets in Hubei province for the week-long Lunar Chinese New Year , Reuters reported .
Australia declared on Saturday its first confirmed case of the Wuhan coronavirus in the state of Victoria , with the patient hospitalized in stable condition in a suburb of Melbourne , Victoria health officials said on Saturday .
According to Financial Review , six people in Australia were in quarantine on Friday and tested for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed three cases of coronavirus infection , according to Reuters .
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the three individuals infected were related to the 66-year-old man that was confirmed by Singaporean health authorities to have tested positive for the virus .
The newly-identified coronavirus can cause pneumonia , which has been deadly in some cases .
It is still too early to know just how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people .
A woman in her sixties from Chicago who had recently been to Wuhan was diagnosed with coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his thirties from Washington State , near Seattle.According to the Times , the Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) reported that 63 patients in 22 states were under investigation for the virus , with 11 of them testing negative .
Another case of the virus was reported last week in Mexico , in the city of Reynosa that borders the United States.Israel has asked its citizens to be on guard against the virus , with the Health Ministry calling citizens to refrain from unnecessary trips to the area of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday .
The ministry also told citizens to avoid contact with living or dead animals and people who show shortness of breath.The authorities told Israelis to pay attention to hygiene and use hand sanitizers .
In its press release , the Health Ministry could not rule out a possibility of the virus reaching Israel .

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jerusalempost--2020-01-26--China: The transmission ability of the coronavirus is getting stronger

The ability of the coronavirus to spread is getting stronger and infections could continue to rise, China's National Health Commission said on Sunday, with more than 2,000 people globally infected and 56 in China killed by the disease.National Health Commission Minister Ma Xiaowei, speaking at a press briefing, said knowledge of the virus was limited.Ma said the incubation period for the coronavirus can range from one to 14 days, and that the virus is infectious during incubation, which was not the case with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), a coronavirus that originated in China and killed nearly 800 people globally in 2002 and 2003.Containment efforts, which have thus far included transportation and travel curbs and the cancellation of big events, will be intensified, Ma told a crowded news briefing on the second day of the Lunar New Year holiday.The virus, believed to have originated late last year in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan that was illegally selling wildlife, has spread to Chinese cities including Beijing and Shanghai, as well as the United States, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Australia, France and Canada.President Xi Jinping said during a politburo meeting on Saturday that China was facing a "grave situation," as health authorities around the world scrambled to prevent a pandemic.On Sunday, China announced a nationwide ban on the sale of wildlife in markets, restaurants, and e-commerce platforms. Wild and often poached animals packed together in Chinese markets are blamed as incubators for viruses to evolve and jump the species barrier to humans.Snakes, peacocks, crocodiles and other species can also be found for sale via Taobao, an e-commerce website run by Alibaba.The US State Department said it will relocate personnel at its Wuhan consulate to the United States and will offer a limited number of seats to private US citizens on a Jan. 28 flight to San Francisco.The World Health Organization this week stopped short of calling the outbreak a global health emergency, but some health experts question whether China can continue to contain the epidemic.On Sunday, China confirmed 1,975 cases of patients infected with the new coronavirus as of Jan. 25, while the death toll from the virus has risen to 56, state broadcaster CCTV reported.The outbreak has prompted widening curbs on movements within China, with Wuhan, a city of 11 million, on virtual lockdown, with transports links all-but severed except for emergency vehicles.Health authorities in Beijing urged people not to shake hands but instead salute using a traditional cupped-hand gesture. The advice was sent in a text message that went out to mobile phone users in the city on Sunday morning.CANCELLATIONS AND MISTRUSTChina has called for transparency in managing the crisis, after a cover-up of the spread of the deadly SARS virus eroded public trust, but officials in Wuhan have been criticized for their handling of the current outbreak."People in my hometown all suspect the real infected patients number given by authorities," said Violet Li, who lives in the Wuhan district where the seafood market is located."I go out with a mask twice a day to walk the dog - that's the only outdoor activity," she told Reuters by text message.The outbreak has overshadowed the start of the Lunar New Year, when hundreds of millions of Chinese travel at home and abroad to be with families, with public events canceled and many tourist sites shut.Many cinemas across China are also closed with major film premieres postponed, slashing revenues. Theaters in the country took in just 1.81 million yuan ($262,167) from tickets on Saturday, a tiny fraction of the 1.46 billion yuan on the Lunar New Year Day in 2019, according to data from movie-ticketing company Maoyan.Cruise operators including Royal Caribbean Cruises, Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises and Astro Ocean Cruises said that they canceled a combined 12 cruises that had been scheduled to embark from Chinese ports before February 2.The newly identified coronavirus has created alarm because there are still many unknowns surrounding it, such as how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people. It can cause pneumonia, which has been deadly in some cases.VIRUS SPREADING OUTSIDE CHINAOn Saturday, Hong Kong declared a virus emergency, scrapped celebrations and restricted links to mainland China.Hong Kong Disneyland and the city's Ocean Park theme park were closed on Sunday. Shanghai Disneyland, which expected 100,000 visitors daily through the Lunar New Year holidays, has already closed.In Hong Kong, with five confirmed cases, the city's leader Carrie Lam said on Saturday that flights and high speed rail trips between the city and Wuhan will be halted. Schools in Hong Kong that are currently on Lunar New Year holidays will remain closed until Feb. 17.On Saturday, Canada declared the first "presumptive" confirmed case of the virus in a resident who had returned from Wuhan. Australia confirmed its first four cases on Saturday, Malaysia confirmed four and France reported Europe's first cases on Friday.Airports around the world have stepped up screening of passengers from China, although some health officials and experts have questioned the effectiveness of such screenings.In an illustration of how such efforts could miss cases, doctors at a Paris hospital said two of the three Chinese nationals in France who have been diagnosed with the virus had arrived in the country without showing any symptoms.A report by infectious disease specialists at Imperial College, London on Saturday said the epidemic "represents a clear and ongoing global health threat," adding: "It is uncertain at the current time whether it is possible to contain the continuing epidemic within China."


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--China's Shantou city to ban cars, ships, people from entering from Jan 27

SHANGHAI - China's coastal city of Shantou in Guangdong province, said on Sunday it would ban cars, ships and people from entering the city starting from Jan. 27 to help prevent the spread of a coronavirus that broke out in Wuhan at end-2019.Shantou, which is more than 800 km (500 miles) from Wuhan city in central China, also said it would suspend the operation of buses, taxis and ferries from 2 p.m. on Sunday.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Warren wins coveted Iowa endorsement for Democratic nomination

Iowa 's caucuses are the first nominating contests in presidential election cycles , giving the largely rural , Midwestern state an outsized role in choosing standard-bearers from each party .
`` I just heard about it and I 'm delighted , '' Warren told supporters after an event in Muscatine , Iowa .
`` It really means a lot to me . ''
Warren , the Register 's choice , is a progressive who backs a single-payer healthcare system and reforms throughout the nation 's economic , political and criminal justice systems .
In its endorsement , the newspaper said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the right direction . ''
But the Register 's editorial board went on to insist that Warren , viewed by some as too far left , is no radical .
`` The senior U.S. senator from Massachusetts is not the radical some perceive her to be , '' the newspaper said .
`` She was a registered Republican until 1996 .
She is a capitalist . ''
In an Iowa poll released on Saturday by the New York Times , Warren came in third among Democratic voters , behind fellow progressive Vermont @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden .
The Register 's endorsement was the second high profile nod from a major newspaper this week .
The New York Times endorsed her this week along with Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar , offering Warren for progressives and Klobuchar for those who prefer a more moderate approach .
In Muscatine , where Klobuchar was set to speak at a campaign event soon after an appearance by Warren , Dick Paul , 68 , said he is leaning toward supporting Klobuchar because she has deep experience in government and `` lots of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't pay much attention to endorsements , '' Paul said .
`` I do n't think it will make a difference . ''
About 45 minutes after the announcement , Warren 's campaign sent an email to supporters , sharing the news and asking for donations to help push turnout on caucus night .
`` As exciting as these endorsements are , they wo n't mean anything if we do n't do the work on the ground to turn out our supporters on February 3 , '' the email said .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high favorability ratings within his party , is expected to handily win the Republican nomination , the Democratic field remains wide open , with five candidates leading a pack that started with more that two dozen contenders .
Top finishers in Iowa 's nominating contests frequently go on to lead their parties in the final election match-up .

Iowa's caucuses are the first nominating contests in presidential election cycles, giving the largely rural, Midwestern state an outsized role in choosing standard-bearers from each party.
"I just heard about it and I'm delighted," Warren told supporters after an event in Muscatine, Iowa. "It really means a lot to me."
Warren, the Register's choice, is a progressive who backs a single-payer healthcare system and reforms throughout the nation's economic, political and criminal justice systems.
In its endorsement, the newspaper said Warren would "push an unequal America in the right direction."
But the Register's editorial board went on to insist that Warren, viewed by some as too far left, is no radical.
"The senior U.S. senator from Massachusetts is not the radical some perceive her to be," the newspaper said. "She was a registered Republican until 1996. She is a capitalist."
In an Iowa poll released on Saturday by the New York Times, Warren came in third among Democratic voters, behind fellow progressive Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden. The Register's endorsement was the second high profile nod from a major newspaper this week. The New York Times endorsed her this week along with Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, offering Warren for progressives and Klobuchar for those who prefer a more moderate approach.
In Muscatine, where Klobuchar was set to speak at a campaign event soon after an appearance by Warren, Dick Paul, 68, said he is leaning toward supporting Klobuchar because she has deep experience in government and "lots of good common sense."
"I don't pay much attention to endorsements," Paul said. "I don't think it will make a difference."
About 45 minutes after the announcement, Warren's campaign sent an email to supporters, sharing the news and asking for donations to help push turnout on caucus night.
"As exciting as these endorsements are, they won't mean anything if we don't do the work on the ground to turn out our supporters on February 3," the email said.
While Donald Trump, an incumbent who enjoys high favorability ratings within his party, is expected to handily win the Republican nomination, the Democratic field remains wide open, with five candidates leading a pack that started with more that two dozen contenders.
Top finishers in Iowa's nominating contests frequently go on to lead their parties in the final election match-up.
The Des Moines Register newspaper endorsed Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren in the crowded race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination late on Saturday, a coveted show of support that could boost her campaign in the state's first-in-the-nation caucus on Feb. 3.


jerusalempost--2020-01-27--Schumer says "John Bolton has the evidence," urges senate to call impeachment trial witnesses

WASHINGTON - US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday that senior administration officials must testify in President Trump's impeachment trial after a report that Trump told a former aide to hold up military aid to Ukraine pending investigations into political rivals.In a tweet, Schumer said Republicans must back efforts to call former national security adviser John Bolton, among others, to testify.Citing descriptions of Bolton's unpublished manuscript, the New York Times reported Sunday that Trump told Bolton in August he wanted to continue withholding $391 million in aid until Ukranian officials provided information about investigations into Vice President Joe Biden, among others.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Trump told Bolton he wanted to hold Ukraine aid pending help on Biden probe

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump told a then-top aide in August he wanted to freeze security aid to Ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into Democrats, including former Vice President Joe Biden, the New York Times reported on Sunday.Trump's statement was described in an unpublished manuscript by former White House national security adviser John Bolton , the Times said in a report that could raise pressure on Republicans to call Bolton as a witness in Trump's Senate impeachment trial.The report, which did not quote the manuscript but cited multiple people describing Bolton's account, may undercut a key element of Trump's defense: that there was no quid pro quo when he asked Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy to investigate Biden and his son Hunter Biden in a July phone call.Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to oppose Trump in the November 3 election. His son worked for a Ukrainian energy firm while Biden was vice president.In a statement, an attorney for Bolton suggested that the Times’ account was accurate and said he had submitted Bolton's book manuscript to the National Security Council on December 30, a standard security review for classified information."It is clear, regrettably, from The New York Times article published today that the prepublication review process has been corrupted and that information has been disclosed by persons other than those properly involved in reviewing the manuscript," the attorney, Charles Cooper, said.The report drew Democratic demands that the Republican-led Senate, which is conducting a trial on whether to remove Trump from office after his December 18 impeachment by the Democratic-led House of Representatives, call Bolton as a witness.Democrats need to win over at least four Senate Republicans to approve the calling of witnesses. Bolton said this month he was willing to testify in the trial if a Senate subpoena was issued.Lawyers for Trump are scheduled on Monday to resume their defense in the impeachment trial stemming from his dealings with Ukraine. A showdown vote on calling witnesses could loom later in the week.Trump has denied wrongdoing and calls the impeachment process a sham."I never told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens," Trump said in a Twitter post. "In fact, he never complained about this at the time of his very public termination. If John Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book."The White House, which with Senate Republican leaders has resisted calling witnesses, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the New York Times report, nor did Jay Sekulow, who is helping lead the Republican president's defense.'NO DEFENSIBLE REASON TO WAIT'"There can be no doubt now that Mr. Bolton directly contradicts the heart of the President’s defense and therefore must be called as a witness at the impeachment trial of President Trump," the seven Democratic House "managers" prosecuting the case against Trump in the Senate said in a statement."There is no defensible reason to wait until his book is published, when the information he has to offer is critical to the most important decision Senators must now make — whether to convict the President of impeachable offenses," it added.Democrats have said they are eager to hear testimony by Bolton, who was involved, as his own lawyer previously said, in "many relevant meetings and conversations" involving issues at the heart of Trump’s impeachment.Bolton left his post in September after disagreements with the president. Trump said he fired him. Bolton said he quit.“It’s clearly damaging,“ Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School, who was the only witness called by Republicans in the House impeachment proceedings, said of the Times report. “It will fuel demands to hear from Bolton and other witnesses.”But he said the timing – just before the first full day of argument by the White House team – fueled suspicion it was part of an organized effort and that the senators may not react as the leakers intended.While the Senate is highly unlikely to remove Trump from office, he is seeking to limit political damage to his re-election bid.LONG-STANDING GRIEVANCESThe House impeached Trump on charges of abusing the powers of his office by asking Ukraine to investigate Biden and of obstructing a congressional inquiry into his conduct.Trump's defense argued neither impeachment charge constituted a crime or impeachable offense, that he was within his rights as president to make decisions about foreign policy and what information to give Congress, and that the House pursued a flawed and one-sided process before impeaching him.According to the New York Times, Bolton spoke to Trump in August and raised the $391 million in congressionally approved aid to Ukraine for its war in the country’s east against Russian-backed separatists.Officials had frozen the aid, and a deadline was looming to begin sending it, Bolton noted, according to the newspaper.Trump had previously rebuffed senior US officials who had called for the aid to be restored, the newspaper said, airing his long-standing grievances about Ukraine, which mixed legitimate efforts by some Ukrainians to back his Democratic 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton, with unsupported accusations and outright conspiracy theories about the country.The newspaper reported that the president's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, had also spent months stoking the president’s paranoia about the US ambassador to Ukraine at the time, Marie Yovanovitch, alleging that she was openly anti-Trump and should be dismissed.In his August 2019 discussion with Bolton, the newspaper said Trump appeared focused on the theories Giuliani had shared with him and had replied to Bolton’s question that he preferred sending no assistance to Ukraine until officials had turned over all materials they had about the investigation that related to Biden and supporters of Clinton in Ukraine.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Gantz lands in DC, says he looks forward to meeting ‘friendliest president to Israel’


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--King of Jordan: Our 'no' to the 'Deal of the Century' is absolute

King Abdullah II of Jordan affirmed that his rejection of US President Donald Trump's anticipated plan for peace in the Middle East, also known as the "Deal of the Century," is "absolute," mutliple reports stated.This is a developing story.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Dutch Prime Minister apologizes for country's role in Holocaust

`` With the last remaining survivors among us , I apologize on behalf of the government for the actions of @ @ @ @ @ , '' Rutte said at an event in Amsterdam to mark the 75th anniversary on @ @ @ @ @ the Auschwitz death camp .
`` I do so , realizing that no word can @ @ @ @ @ awful as the Holocaust . ''

AMSTERDAM — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologized for how his kingdom’s wartime government failed its Jews, a first by a sitting prime minister.
Rutte, on Sunday during a Holocaust commemoration, offered “apologies for the government of those days, while the last survivors are still with us.” That government, he said, “failed is in its responsibility as provider of justice and security” for Dutch Jews.
Rutte, in power since 2010, has resisted calls for issuing such an apology, including by Dutch Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs in 2015 and by the Party for Freedom in 2012.
Rutte in 2012 cited the absence of “broadly supported counsel from those involved or objective information” that would merit an apology.
Some 75 percent of the 140,000 Jews who lived in the Netherlands before the Holocaust were murdered by German Nazis and their local collaborators.
The Dutch police under Nazi occupation and the national railway company were widely complicit in hunting down Jews and transporting them to death camps and concentration camps. At the same time, the Netherlands had a strong resistance movement and has the second-largest number of Righteous Among the Nations — the designation reserved for non-Jews who were recognized by Israel for risking their lives to save Jews from the Holocaust — behind Poland.
France, Belgium and Luxembourg have officially apologized for their authorities’ roles in the systemic annihilation of Jews in statements.
“It is of great historical importance,” Emile Schrijver, director of Amsterdam’s Jewish Cultural Quarter, which includes the National Holocaust Museum, said of Rutte’s apology in an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Dutch Jews have long sought “full recognition of the unusual suffering done to Jews by the indifferent and unhelpful government appartus,” he said.
In 1995, the Queen Beatrix made the first official recognition by a Dutch head of state of Holocaust-era complicity by Dutchmen when she said during a speech at the Israeli Knesset that her countrymen who saved Jews during the Holocaust were “exceptions.” Later that year she said in Holland that thinking about the Holocaust should “fill us [with] a deep feeling of shame.”
She did not apologize.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Explosion heard in the southern Gaza Strip

Palestinian media reported a large explosion was heard in the southern part of the Gaza Strip on Sunday .
The @ @ @ @ @ was fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip and landed in an open space .
@ @ @ @ @

Palestinian media reported a large explosion was heard in the southern part of the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
The report follows a rocket that was fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip and landed in an open space. No casualties were reported.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Rocket launched from Gaza Strip into Israel

One rocket was fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip on Sunday evening, an IDF spokesperson reported. The alarm was sounded only in the open fields that the rocket was expected to land in.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Seven killed in truck blast in northern Syria's Azaz

A truck packed with explosives blew up in the city of Azaz in northern Syria on Sunday, killing seven people and wounded a number of others, civil defense forces said.There was no immediate claim of responsibility.Turkish-backed Syrian rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad control Azaz, which falls near the Turkish border.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Incendiary balloons with explosives spotted in Nahal Oz

Incendiary balloons carrying explosives were spotted in Nahal Oz, near the Gaza border, on Sunday evening, Army Radio reported.Police were alerted and a bomb disposal unit was called to the scene. Police defused the explosives and no casualties were reported.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Israeli tourist reported missing in New Zealand

A 24-year-old Israeli tourist was reported missing on Sunday in northern New Zealand.There are fears that the man was swept away by the Whanganui River in New Zealand, Maariv reported on Sunday, and emergency services are currently carrying out searches of the area to find him.The river, on the North Island, is the third largest in New Zealand.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--'Deal of Century' may include tunnel from Gaza to West Bank

Details of the US 'Deal of the Century', meant to reach a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, allegedly includes an underground tunnel to be dug between Gaza and the West Bank, Channel 12 reported on Sunday.The plan, put together by the administration of President Donald Trump, has not yet been revealed to the public, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz are currently en route to the US to meet with Trump in the White House and learn more about the plan’s details.The Palestinian Authority already announced it will not accept the plan. The report claims Trump intends to give the Palestinians four years to change their minds.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Hong Kong to ban entry of people from virus outbreak province

Hong Kong's government said on Sunday it will ban residents of China's Hubei province, where the new coronavirus outbreak was first reported, or people who have visited Hubei in the past 14 days from


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--US presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders surges in early primary states

US Senator Bernie Sanders pulled ahead in a New Hampshire poll released on Sunday , bolstering evidence that he is @ @ @ @ @ left until voting begins in the Democratic presidential contest .
Sanders led a poll of @ @ @ @ @ % support .
His closest competitor was former Vice President Joe Biden , with 16 @ @ @ @ @ poll released on Sunday by cable network CNN and the University of New Hampshire .
@ @ @ @ @ Democratic candidates vying to challenge Republican President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election have @ @ @ @ @ , which holds the first contest on Feb. 3 .
New Hampshire will vote next @

US Senator Bernie Sanders pulled ahead in a New Hampshire poll released on Sunday, bolstering evidence that he is gaining momentum with only days left until voting begins in the Democratic presidential contest.
Sanders led a poll of New Hampshire voters with 25% support. His closest competitor was former Vice President Joe Biden, with 16%, according to the poll released on Sunday by cable network CNN and the University of New Hampshire.
Most of the field of Democratic candidates vying to challenge Republican President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election have turned their attention to Iowa, which holds the first contest on Feb. 3. New Hampshire will vote next.


jerusalempost--2020-01-26--Hong Kong protesters torch planned virus quarantine building

A group of protesters set alight the lobby of a newly built residential building in Hong Kong on Sunday that @ @ @ @ @ a quarantine facility for the coronavirus outbreak .
A Reuters witness saw several masked protesters @ @ @ @ @ rush into the public housing block in the Fanling district near to the border with @ @ @ @ @ a Molotov cocktail before running out .
Black smoke could be seen pouring out of @ @ @ @ @ of fire alarms .
Windows were smashed .
The fire was later put out by @ @ @ @ @ to be confined to the lobby area .
Hundreds of riot police also moved in @ @ @ @ @ person .

A group of protesters set alight the lobby of a newly built residential building in Hong Kong on Sunday that authorities planned to use as a quarantine facility for the coronavirus outbreak.
A Reuters witness saw several masked protesters, clad in black, rush into the public housing block in the Fanling district near to the border with China, and set alight a Molotov cocktail before running out. Black smoke could be seen pouring out of the building to the sound of fire alarms. Windows were smashed.
The fire was later put out by firefighters and the damage appeared to be confined to the lobby area. Hundreds of riot police also moved in, arresting at least one person.


jerusalempost--2020-01-27--Cambodia confirms first case of coronavirus

Cambodia has confirmed the first case of coronavirus in the country, Health Minister Mam Bunheng said on Monday. The patient is a Chinese national in the coastal city of Sihanoukville, he said. The new flu-like virus that was first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan has killed 81 people, all in China, and infected more than 2,700 others. More than a dozen countries have reported cases, although most are in China. Click here to see where else cases of coronavirus have been confirmed.


jerusalempost--2020-01-27--Russia expels Japanese journalist accused of military espionage – report

The journalist , whom it did n't name , had been given 72 hours to leave Russia and had already @ @

Russia said on Monday it had expelled a Japanese journalist for trying to obtain secret information related to Russian military capabilities, the RIA news agency reported.
The journalist, whom it didn't name, had been given 72 hours to leave Russia and had already left.
Russia's Foreign Ministry had summoned a Japanese embassy official to make an official diplomatic protest over the incident, RIA reported.


jerusalempost--2020-01-27--Britain talking to international partners on coronavirus

Britain is talking to international partners to find solutions to help British and other foreign nationals leave the Chinese city of Wuhan, center of a coronavirus outbreak, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday. "The Foreign Office have said this morning that they are exploring options for British nationals leaving the province. The Foreign Office are in close contact with international partners, including the U.S. and European countries, to investigate possible solutions," the spokesman told reporters."The safety of British nationals is our top priority."