jerusalempost--2020-11-22--IDF investigating unauthorized fire toward Hamas outpost

The IDF is investigating soldiers positioned in one of the tanks off the Gaza Strip who allegedly opened fire at @ @ @ @ @ border , the Hebrew website Ynet reported Sunday morning .
The even took place shortly @ @ @ @ @ the Gaza Strip hit a factory in Ashkelon.According to the Ynet report , the soldiers @ @ @ @ @ usual procedures as the terrorists had already evacuated the area .
The soldiers fired without @ @ @ @ @ reported at the time that Hamas ' position had not been attacked - contrary to @ @ @

The IDF is investigating soldiers positioned in one of the tanks off the Gaza Strip who allegedly opened fire at a Hamas position across the border, the Hebrew website Ynet reported Sunday morning. The even took place shortly after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a factory in Ashkelon.According to the Ynet report, the soldiers fired at the post against usual procedures as the terrorists had already evacuated the area. The soldiers fired without permission. The IDF had reported at the time that Hamas' position had not been attacked - contrary to Palestinian reports.


jerusalempost--2020-11-22--IDF strikes Hamas targets in response to Saturday night rocket fire

The strikes , carried out by Israeli Air Force jets and attack helicopters targeted Hamas military sites including “ two rocket manufacturing sites , underground infrastructure and a training facility for the Hamas terror group ’ s naval force , ” the IDF Spokespersons Unit said in a statement .
The IDF said it holds Hamas responsible for the rocket fire and “ will bear the consequences ” for the rocket fire .
Israel , the statement added , takes “ all terror activity against Israel very seriously and is prepared and willing to act as resolutely as necessary against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sovereignty.
” Late on Saturday night , a rocket was fired towards the southern city of Ashkelon sending thousands .
No group claimed responsibility for the rocket fire .
Shortly afterward an IDF tank fired a shell towards a Hamas outpost without permission .
The incident is being investigated by the military .
The military is also investigating why the Iron Dome missile defense system did not intercept the rocket , which damaged a factory in the industrial part of the city , as well as the rockets that had been fired towards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire came as a thunderstorm battered the area , and the IDF believes that the Hamas rockets were fired after a lightning bolt hit an electrical panel that was connected to an underground launcher in a field near the neighborhood of Sajaiya .
The incident was similar to another in 2018 when a home in Beersheba was hit by a projectile and significantly damaged .
Also on Sunday , the IDF began a surprise command exercise to improve the capabilities and readiness of the Southern Command for combat scenarios in the Gaza Strip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which includes both regular and reserve troops , was planned in advance and will finish by Wednesday .
As part of the exercise , the military said that there would be a high amount of movement of security forces , vehicles , and aircraft in the Gaza Envelope .
During the exercise , the division 's readiness for a multidimensional defense in the face of a variety of scenarios will be examined .
This is the fifth such inspection by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi that has been held every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the armed forces .
Due to the chief of staff being in quarantine after being in contact with a known coronavirus patient , he will observe the drill remotely .
Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Eyal Zamir will be on the ground in his place .

The IDF struck Hamas military infrastructure on Sunday morning in response to rocket fire launched toward Ashkelon, the second time in two weeks.The strikes, carried out by Israel Air Force jets and attack helicopters, targeted Hamas military sites including “two rocket manufacturing sites, underground infrastructure and a training facility for the Hamas terror group’s naval force,” the IDF said.The army said it holds Hamas responsible for the rocket fire and it “will bear the consequences” for the rocket fire. Israel takes “all terror activity against Israel very seriously and is prepared and willing to act as resolutely as necessary against attempts to harm Israeli citizens and its sovereignty.”Late on Saturday, a rocket was fired toward Ashkelon, sending thousands into shelters. No group claimed responsibility for the rocket fire.During a video conference with the heads of the Gaza border communities along with Finance Minister Israel Katz and Interior Minister Arye Deri, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the government would continue to support the residents of the area.Netanyahu noted that despite the continued rocket fire, people continue to move to the area.“People want to come... I think that says it all,” he said. “Our aggressive security policy – as expressed only yesterday, in response to any harm directed at us – along with strengthening civil resilience in the region, are the real answer to terror organizations. They come to uproot, we come to stay.”Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned that Hamas was walking a thin line, and should rocket fire continue there are many military options.“The IDF carried out a large and powerful retaliation tonight,” he said. “There will be no coronavirus discounts in this matter. We live with a very wide range of operational plans to protect the people of the South and if these violations of sovereignty continue, Hamas and the people of Gaza will meet these plans soon and I strongly advise them not to do so.”Shortly after the rocket fire, an IDF tank fired a shell toward a Hamas outpost without permission. The incident is being investigated by the military and according to a preliminary investigation, it fired as a result of a misunderstanding between commanders on the communications network.The military is also investigating why the Iron Dome missile defense system, which damaged a factory in the industrial part of the city, did not intercept the rocket as well as the rockets fired toward central Israel last week.Last Sunday two rockets were fired around 2 a.m., activating incoming rocket sirens in Ashdod and in communities in the Shfela region of the center of the country, including Kibbutz Palmahim, some 60km. from the Gaza Strip, sending thousands to shelters.The rocket fire came as a thunderstorm battered the area, and the IDF said it believes the Hamas rockets were fired after a lightning bolt hit an electrical panel that was connected to an underground launcher in a field near the neighborhood of Shejaia.The incident was similar to another in 2018 when a home in Beersheba was hit by a projectile and was significantly damaged.Also on Sunday, the IDF began a surprise command exercise to improve the capabilities and readiness of the Southern Command for combat scenarios in the Gaza Strip.The military said the drill, which includes both regular and reserve troops, was planned in advance and will finish by Wednesday. As part of the exercise, the military said there would be a high amount of movement of security forces, vehicles and aircraft in the Gaza border area.During the exercise, the division’s readiness for a multi-dimensional defense in the face of a variety of scenarios will be examined.This is the fifth such inspection by Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi, which has been held every few months to ensure the armed forces’ preparedness.Due to having been in contact with a known coronavirus patient, the quarantined chief of staff will observe the drill remotely. Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Eyal Zamir will be on the ground in his place.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--UNICEF says to ship 2 billion COVID vaccines to poor nations in 2021

UNICEF said it was working with over 350 airlines and freight companies to deliver vaccines and 1 billion syringes to poor countries such as Burundi , Afghanistan and Yemen as part of COVAX , a global COVID-19 vaccine allocation plan with the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
`` This invaluable collaboration will go a long way to ensure that enough transport capacity is in place for this historic and mammoth operation , '' said Etleva Kadilli , director of UNICEF 's Supply Division , in a statement .
COVAX - co-led by GAVI vaccine group , the WHO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - aims to discourage governments from hoarding COVID-19 vaccines and to focus on first vaccinating the most at risk in every country .
At a G20 summit this weekend , leaders of the biggest 20 world economies pledged to ensure the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines , drugs and tests so that poorer countries are not left out .
Even before the pandemic hit , access to vaccines was unequal with around 20 million babies not receiving vaccines that could save them from serious diseases , death , disability and ill health , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need all hands on deck as we get ready to deliver COVID-19 vaccine doses , syringes and more personal protective equipment to protect frontline workers around the globe , '' said UNICEF 'S Kadilli , who is working with the Pan American Health Organization and the International Air Transport Association .
UNICEF 's role with COVAX stems from its status as the largest single vaccine buyer in the world .
It said it procures more than 2 billion doses of vaccines annually for routine immunization and outbreak response on behalf of nearly 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are racing to develop COVID-19 vaccines , with large global trials of several of the candidates involving tens of thousands of participants well underway .
Pfizer Inc and BioNTech could secure emergency U.S. and European authorisation for their COVID-19 vaccine next month after final trial results showed a 95 % success rate and no serious side effects .
Moderna Inc last week released preliminary data for its vaccine showing 94.5 % effectiveness .

Nearly 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be shipped and flown to developing countries next year in a "mammoth operation," the U.N. children's agency UNICEF said on Monday, as world leaders vowed to ensure the fair distribution of vaccines.
UNICEF said it was working with over 350 airlines and freight companies to deliver vaccines and 1 billion syringes to poor countries such as Burundi, Afghanistan and Yemen as part of COVAX, a global COVID-19 vaccine allocation plan with the World Health Organization (WHO).
"This invaluable collaboration will go a long way to ensure that enough transport capacity is in place for this historic and mammoth operation," said Etleva Kadilli, director of UNICEF's Supply Division, in a statement.
COVAX - co-led by GAVI vaccine group, the WHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations - aims to discourage governments from hoarding COVID-19 vaccines and to focus on first vaccinating the most at risk in every country.
At a G20 summit this weekend, leaders of the biggest 20 world economies pledged to ensure the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, drugs and tests so that poorer countries are not left out.
Even before the pandemic hit, access to vaccines was unequal with around 20 million babies not receiving vaccines that could save them from serious diseases, death, disability and ill health, according to the WHO.
"We need all hands on deck as we get ready to deliver COVID-19 vaccine doses, syringes and more personal protective equipment to protect frontline workers around the globe," said UNICEF'S Kadilli, who is working with the Pan American Health Organization and the International Air Transport Association.
UNICEF's role with COVAX stems from its status as the largest single vaccine buyer in the world.
It said it procures more than 2 billion doses of vaccines annually for routine immunization and outbreak response on behalf of nearly 100 countries.
Drugmakers and research centers worldwide are racing to develop COVID-19 vaccines, with large global trials of several of the candidates involving tens of thousands of participants well underway.
Pfizer Inc and BioNTech could secure emergency U.S. and European authorisation for their COVID-19 vaccine next month after final trial results showed a 95% success rate and no serious side effects.
Moderna Inc last week released preliminary data for its vaccine showing 94.5% effectiveness.
The better-than-expected results from the two vaccines, both developed with new messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, have raised hopes for an end to a pandemic that has killed more than 1.3 million people and wreaked havoc upon economies and daily life.


jerusalempost--2020-11-22--Germany may start COVID-19 vaccine program in December - health minister

`` There is reason to be optimistic that there will be approval for a vaccine in Europe this year , @ @ @ @ @ interview with publishing group RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland .
`` And then we can start right away @ @ @ @ @ he had asked Germany 's federal states to have their vaccination centers ready by mid-December @ @ @ @ @ well .
`` I would rather have a vaccination center ready a few days early @ @ @ @ @ is n't being used immediately . ''

Germany could start administering shots of COVID-19 vaccines as soon as next month, Health Minister Jens Spahn reportedly said.
"There is reason to be optimistic that there will be approval for a vaccine in Europe this year," Spahn said in an interview with publishing group RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland. "And then we can start right away."
Spahn said that he had asked Germany's federal states to have their vaccination centers ready by mid-December and that this was going well. "I would rather have a vaccination center ready a few days early than an approved vaccine that isn't being used immediately."
Germany has secured more than 300 million vaccine doses via the European Commission, bilateral contracts and options, Spahn said, adding that this was more than enough and even left room to share with other countries.


jerusalempost--2020-11-22--Number of coronavirus deaths in Israel rises to 2,800

The number of Israelis losing their life to the coronavirus rose to 2,800 Sunday , following a report from the @ @

The number of Israelis losing their life to the coronavirus rose to 2,800 Sunday, following a report from the Healthy Ministry


jerusalempost--2020-11-22--Israeli Air Force: Failure to stop rocket not human or technical error

`` Various technical and operational components were found that affected the interception , '' an IAF commander said , adding @ @ @ @ @ investigate .

"Various technical and operational components were found that affected the interception," an IAF commander said, adding that they will continue to investigate.
Following an investigation by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) into why Iron Dome did not intercept a rocket from the Gaza Strip Saturday, it was found that it was neither human error or a technical malfunction, according to an N12 report Sunday.


jerusalempost--2020-11-22--IDF: Tank accidently fired at Gaza due to miscommunication

Following a preliminary investigation , the IDF determined that a tank fired Saturday toward the Gaza Strip due to a @ @ @ @

Following a preliminary investigation, the IDF determined that a tank fired Saturday toward the Gaza Strip due to a miscommunication between commanders.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.


jerusalempost--2020-11-22--UK to lift quarantine restrictions for holiday travel during Christmas

Restrictions will be slashed from 14 days to five if holidaymakers test negative five days after returning to the country @ @ @ @ @ .

The UK transport secretary will announce on Monday that blanket quarantine restrictions will end in time for Christmas so that families can travel to high-risk "red list" countries to visit relatives, The Telegraph reported.
Restrictions will be slashed from 14 days to five if holidaymakers test negative five days after returning to the country, Telegraph said on Sunday.
The regulations will be changed to enact the new five-day regime on Dec. 15 or 16, with people freed from quarantine as soon as they get their test results, according to the newspaper.


jerusalempost--2020-11-22--US Navy rear admiral makes unannounced visit to Taiwan

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A two-star Navy admiral overseeing US military intelligence in the Asia-Pacific region has made an unannounced visit to Taiwan, two sources told Reuters on Sunday, in a high-level trip that could vex China.The sources, who include a Taiwanese official familiar with the situation, said the official was Rear Admiral Michael Studeman. They were speaking on condition of anonymity. According to the Navy's website, Studeman is director of the J2, which oversees intelligence, at the U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command.The Pentagon, asked whether Studeman was visiting Taiwan, declined to comment. China claims democratically-run Taiwan as its own territory. The Trump administration has ramped up support for Taiwan, including with new arms sales and high-level visits.


jerusalempost--2020-11-22--Esther Pollard cuts husband's GPS monitor as he goes free

Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard took a step toward freedom on Sunday, as his wife Esther removed the GPS bracelet that monitored him during his five years of parole restrictions, with permission from the parole commission.Pollard sent the press a letter expressing appreciation to his wife for her support."Thirty years ago, my beloved wife Esther found her way into USP Marion, the highest security prison in the United States, where I was languishing in a dungeon cell three stories underground behind 13 locks and keys," he said. "Esther reached out and cut the shackles off of my heart and restored my soul to life. That is when the fight for my freedom began in earnest. Fast forward 35 years. Today, Esther, fearlessly cut the GPS device off of my wrist, restoring me to almost complete freedom."


jerusalempost--2020-11-22--Coronavirus in Israel: 416 cases diagnosed on Saturday, 8,232 active cases

There will be no change to plans to return more pupils to school on Tuesday despite reports by health officials that reducing restrictions could lead to a spike in seriously ill patients that would lead to a third lockdown.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the cabinet on Sunday that fifth- and sixth-graders will return to their classrooms on Tuesday and students in grades 11 and 12 will do so next week.“That is not going to change,” Netanyahu said, the day before the coronavirus cabinet is meant to convene online to discuss a plan to allow malls to reopen, as well as potential new restrictions to help offset climbing infection rates.The prime minister’s statements came as a spike in the number of serious cases of COVID-19 was recorded for the first time in about a month and a half, according to the daily report published Sunday by the Coronavirus National Information and Knowledge Center.The number of serious cases rose from 304 on Thursday to 314 on Sunday morning, but it dropped to 299 by Sunday evening. The number of patients on ventilators rose overnight from 121 on Saturday to 131 on Sunday morning, but it too dropped back to 121.The death toll rose to 2,800 by Sunday. The number of hospitalized patients, in general, also rose over the past week and currently there are 7,786 patients being treated in hospital.The increase was reported as the number of daily infections remains high, with 416 new cases of novel coronavirus reported on Saturday – 2.8% of the 15,346 people who were screened tested positive.In Jerusalem , the city with the highest level of infection, there are currently 1,134 sick people, the ministry said, including 54 new cases in the past day. Two-thirds (36) are in east Jerusalem, another 11 are in the general community and five are in the ultra-Orthodox sector. Two were unassigned.The Arab sector has seen the greatest spike in infection in recent weeks, mainly due to illegal weddings, as well as people returning from trips abroad and failing to quarantine.In contrast, the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community has seen declining infection. In an interview with N12, Eran Segal, a computational biologist with the Weizmann Institute of Science, said that among children in the community they were seeing a steady rate of infection, and in some cases even a decline. The ultra-Orthodox make up about 8% of total infections in Israel, he said, much less than their share of the population. At the same time, only 4% of new cases are from the haredi sector.Coronavirus commissioner Nachman Ash visited Jerusalem on Sunday and met with Mayor Moshe Lion. During the visit, he highlighted the rising infection rate.“We are in a period of increasing morbidity,” Ash said. “The coefficient is around one, which is unstable. On the one hand, we want to expand the opening of the economy, but on the other, we do not want to lose control.”When Israel entered its second lockdown on Rosh Hashanah, about 800 patients were in critical condition – many more than today. In addition, hospital administrators raised a red flag and were talking about a breakdown of the health system. Today, most coronavirus units are closed.The R number stood at 1.06 on Sunday morning, according to a Health Ministry report. R is the number of people a person carrying the virus will infect, on average. If R is below one, the person will infect less than one other person, meaning the outbreak is decreasing but if it is above one, then the person will infect more than one person and the outbreak will spread.The knowledge center warned that continuing to relax restrictions without protective measures will likely accelerate the rate of infection. The center also warned that although progress has been announced concerning vaccines, they probably will not significantly affect the outbreak in Israel over the winter, meaning that Israelis still need to be cautious, and follow guidelines strictly.This has not stopped Education Minister Yoav Gallant from pushing to reopen schools across the country. On Sunday night, he said he held a meeting with the chairman of the local authorities, Haim Bibas, head of the regional authorities, Shai Hajaj and 150 mayors who “expressed full and sweeping support for my demand to open the entire educational system next week.”Gallant wrote on Twitter that an analysis of morbidity data in the educational system by a team of experts that advises the coronavirus cabinet showed that there has been a decrease in morbidity among preschoolers and children in grades one through four, who have returned to school.“A proper national priority requires the return of students to school,” he wrote. “This is an issue of values and an essential national need.”The Education Ministry showed Sunday night that 244 preschoolers were infected with coronavirus, out of 512,555 children – 2.87% of total infection in Israel. At the same time, only 694 elementary school students out of more than one million were infected.In total, 405 teachers have the virus and 21 of 5,000 schools and 202 preschools have been closed.A report by N12 Saturday night indicated that Health Minister Yuli Edelstein would support a program to allow all students to go back to school in green cities, however, in an interview with KAN News on Sunday morning, the minister said he believed that enough has opened up for now.He also said that schools would have opened faster had parents pushed harder to return their children to their classrooms.The minister’s comments were met with angry responses, especially from the National Parent Leadership Association, which said they should not have to shout to get kids back to school. Children’s education should be a national priority, even before the opening of malls, gyms and street shops, they said.


jerusalempost--2020-11-22--Ethiopia PM gives Tigray forces 72-hours to surrender regional capital

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed gave Tigrayan regional forces 72 hours to surrender before the military begins an offensive on the regional capital of Mekelle."We urge you to surrender peacefully within 72 hours, recognizing that you are at the point of no return," Abiy said in a Twitter message on Sunday evening.Tigrayan forces could not immediately be reached for comment.


jerusalempost--2020-11-22--G20 group say they will ensure fair access to COVID-19 vaccine

Leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies said on Sunday they would ensure an affordable and fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, drugs and tests around the world so that poorer countries were not left out, according to a final summit communiqué.They said they supported a global project for vaccines, tests and therapeutics - called Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator - and its COVAX facility to distribute vaccines.


jerusalempost--2020-11-22--Health Ministry cautions Israelis as rains contaminate beaches

Israel 's Health Ministry said in a statement on Sunday afternoon that Israelis are to refrain from entering beaches anywhere @ @ @ @ @ that the heavy rains seen over the past weekend have contaminated them .
The ministry @ @ @ @ @ Israel are not equipped to handle such large volumes of rain , leading to runoffs @ @ @ @ @ sea , contaminating the water .
In addition , the Health Ministry also stated on @ @ @ @ @ near Netanya , as well as its surrounding beaches , have been contaminated by sewage @ @ @ @ @ beaches were closed on Saturday after the Health Ministry stated that improper drainage and runoff @ @ @ @ @ followed suit on Sunday morning , closing its beaches as well .

Israel's Health Ministry said in a statement on Sunday afternoon that Israelis are to refrain from entering beaches anywhere in the country, warning that the heavy rains seen over the past weekend have contaminated them.
The ministry warns that drainage systems in Israel are not equipped to handle such large volumes of rain, leading to runoffs of polluted water entering the sea, contaminating the water.
In addition, the Health Ministry also stated on Sunday that Poleg Stream, near Netanya, as well as its surrounding beaches, have been contaminated by sewage runoff.


jerusalempost--2020-11-22--Syria appoints diplomat Faisal Mekdad as foreign minister -state media

Mekdad had been deputy foreign minister since 2006 .

Syria named veteran diplomat Faisal Mekdad as foreign minister on Sunday, replacing Walid Moalem who died last week, state media reported.
Mekdad had been deputy foreign minister since 2006.


jerusalempost--2020-11-22--Biden's first Cabinet picks coming Tuesday -chief of staff Klain

President-elect Joe Biden will announce the first of his Cabinet picks on Tuesday, incoming White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said on Sunday."You're going to see the first Cabinet picks this Tuesday. But if you want to know what Cabinet agencies they are, who's going to be in those Cabinet agencies, you'll have to wait for the president-elect to say that himself on Tuesday," Klain said in an interview with ABC's "This Week."


jerusalempost--2020-11-22--US vaccine program head says Americans could be vaccinated Dec. 11

US COVID-19 vaccine program head Moncef Slaoui said the first Americans to receive a coronavirus vaccine could get it as soon as Dec. 11, CNN reported on Sunday."Our plan is to be able to ship vaccines to the immunization sites within 24 hours from the approval, so I expect maybe on day two after approval on the 11th or the 12th of December,"


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Saudi foreign minister denies Israeli meeting with crown prince

I have seen press reports about a purported meeting between HRH the Crown Prince and Israeli officials during the recent @ @ @ @ @ No such meeting occurred .
The only officials present were American and Saudi .

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Neom, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, Israeli sources have confirmed.Netanyahu, along with Mossad chief Yossi Cohen , National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and Netanyahu’s Military Secretary Avi Bluth, used a private plane belonging to businessman Udi Angel, which the prime minister has used for past diplomatic trips. The plane left Israel at 5 p.m. on Sunday and returned after midnight.
ABSOLUTELY rare Israeli flight direct to new Saudi mega-city Neom on Red Sea shoreIt was Bibi's ex-fav bizjet t7-cpx. Back to Tel Aviv after 5 hours on ground pic.twitter.com/Ty9aedYbsK — avi scharf (@avischarf) November 23, 2020
The Israeli and Saudi sides discussed Iran and normalization, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a senior Saudi adviser.Netanyahu said in a Likud faction meeting that “for years, [he] never commented on these matters and will not start now. For years, I have spared no effort in strengthening Israel and expanding the circle of peace.”Still, Education Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed that the meeting in Saudi Arabia took place, calling it an “amazing achievement” and “a matter of great importance” in an interview with Army Radio.Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan denied that the crown prince met with Israeli officials during the meeting with Pompeo, saying, “the only officials present were American and Saudi.” However, he did not deny that any meeting between MBS and Netanyahu took place.Farhan’s denial is likely a reflection of Saudi King Salman’s continued reticence to make his country’s warming ties with Israel official.US President Donald Trump mentioned the possibility that Saudi Arabia would join the Abraham Accords Israel signed with other Gulf states in recent months, but reports came out immediately afterward of a generational divide, with the 84-year-old king remaining loyal to the traditional Saudi position – that peace with a Palestinian state must come before normalization with Israel – while the 35-year-old crown prince supports open ties with the Jewish state.The trip was kept tightly under wraps in Israel as it was being planned for more than a month, and neither Defense Minister Benny Gantz nor Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi were informed before it took place. IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi was also uninformed, though Netanyahu’s military secretary did participate in the meeting.Pompeo has encouraged Saudi Arabia and other Arab states to follow the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. Thus far, Saudi Arabia has only allowed Israel to fly over its airspace.On Sunday, however, Prince Faisal told Reuters that normalization with Israel would only come after “a permanent and comprehensive peace agreement between the Palestinians and the Israelis including the establishment of a Palestinian state on 1967 borders.”The minister said his country has “supported normalization with Israel for a long time,” pointing out that they authored the Saudi Peace Initiative that would have the Arab world establish ties with Israel in exchange for their vision of a two-state solution.The meeting took place in Neom, a new city in northern Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea meant to show off the kingdom’s technological advancement.Meetings between Netanyahu and senior Saudi officials had been discussed several times in the past, going back nearly 10 years. A former official close to the prime minister said that early in the previous decade, there were attempts to have Netanyahu meet top Saudi officials on an American ship in the Red Sea, which did not come to fruition.The meeting would have taken place around the same time as a coronavirus cabinet meeting was scheduled to take place. The Prime Minister’s Office released a statement on Sunday that the cabinet meeting would be pushed off because ministers Izhar Shay and Ze’ev Elkin needed more time to work on their digital surveillance program, which turned out to be a cover story that had not been coordinated with Shay.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Lapid ultimatum to Gantz: Back dispersing Knesset next week

Leader of the Opposition, Yair Lapid, announced that next week the opposition will propose dispersing the Knesset.On December 2nd, next Wednesday, we will propose a bill to disperse the Knesset. We won't withdraw it at the last moment, we won't negotiate over it, the bill will come to a vote. It is time for electionsNetanyahu wants elections in June, so he's playing for time. There is no reason to let him go to elections at the time that's convenient for him. The national interest is to go to elections quickly, to create a new government that will deal with COVID-19 and the economyOn the 2nd December, next Wednesday, we will propose a bill to disperse the Knesset. We won't withdraw it at the last moment, we won't negotiate over it, the bill will come to a vote. It is time for elections. Nothing good will come of this government. It is a group of politicians focused only on themselves, on their own jobs, on their petty arguments. They're not working for the people of Israel, they're only working for themselves.We have reached an all-time high of bankruptcy cases. We have an all-time high of businesses closing, over 80,000 this year. We have a cumulative deficit of 137 billion shekels and over half a million unemployed.The Prime Minister keeps saying the situation is excellent. What planet is he on? There are streets with nothing but shuttered shops. Some of our children haven't been to school since March. There's no budget. There's no vision.Israeli society is more divided than ever. At the peak of a health and economic crisis, we have a government that isn't functioning. It is corrupt, it is broken and it can't govern. They spend all day fighting, insulting one another, arranging jobs for their associates. It is the most embarrassing type of politics and it is exactly what we've come to change.We need a new government, 18 ministers, good honest people who have come to work. We need a government the public can believe in, that the public can trust. A government that will restore faith in our national leadership, a government that will drag us out of the mud.Netanyahu wants elections in June, so he's playing for time. There is no reason to let him go to elections at the time that's convenient for him. The national interest is to go to elections quickly, to create a new government that will deal with the coronavirus and with the economy.To all the parties in the Knesset - this is your moment of truth. December 2nd, next Wednesday. If Israel is important to you, we’ll put an end to the worst government in the history of this country, we’ll put an end to Netanyahu's time in office.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Netanyahu, MBS discussed Iran, normalization without agreement - report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed Iran and normalization during a visit by Netanyahu to Saudi Arabia on Sunday night, but no agreements were reached, a Saudi official told the Wall Street Journal.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Four out of seven positive Sofia COVID-19 tests were false positives

Sofia Israel responded to the report , saying that this was `` excellent data that meet the Health Ministry 's @ @ @ @ @ tests , it turns out that only three were infected . ''

Sofia Israel responded to the report, saying that this was "excellent data that meet the Health Ministry's definitions. From over 2,300 tests, it turns out that only three were infected."
Seven people were diagnosed as positive for the novel coronavirus with the Sofia rapid test in Eilat, but only three were found to be actually positive by a PCR test as well, while the other four were found to be negative, according to KAN news.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Gulf Cooperation Council countries surpass 1 million COVID-19 cases

The six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have recorded more than 1 million cases of infection with COVID-19 so far, according to a Reuters tally of data published by each government.The tally in the energy producing region on Monday stood at 1,000,845 infections, with 9,160 deaths.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Russia reports record high of 25,173 new coronavirus cases

Russian authorities have said they will not impose nationwide lockdowns as they did earlier in the pandemic , stressing the importance of hygiene and targeted measures in certain regions instead .
Asked why only the Siberian region of Buryatia had imposed major COVID-19 restrictions , Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said regional governors were the ones who decided what measures were required in their respective regions .
`` Everything depends on the number of hospital beds , on ( material ) reserves , on the number of medical staff , doctors , hospital occupancy rates and the rate at which patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a conference call .
`` This is why each governor makes decisions based on the situation in their territory . ''
Last week authorities in Buryatia , which borders Mongolia , closed restaurants , shopping malls , bars and public facilities for two weeks in a bid to stem the spread of virus , making it the first and only Russian region to impose harsh restrictions in response to the pandemic 's second wave .
The country 's coronavirus taskforce on Monday reported 361 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Russia reported a record 25,173 new coronavirus infections on Monday as the Kremlin said it was up to regional authorities to decide what measures needed to be imposed in their regions to curb its spread.
Russian authorities have said they will not impose nationwide lockdowns as they did earlier in the pandemic, stressing the importance of hygiene and targeted measures in certain regions instead.
Asked why only the Siberian region of Buryatia had imposed major COVID-19 restrictions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said regional governors were the ones who decided what measures were required in their respective regions.
"Everything depends on the number of hospital beds, on (material) reserves, on the number of medical staff, doctors, hospital occupancy rates and the rate at which patients are recovering," he told reporters on a conference call. "This is why each governor makes decisions based on the situation in their territory."
Last week authorities in Buryatia, which borders Mongolia, closed restaurants, shopping malls, bars and public facilities for two weeks in a bid to stem the spread of virus, making it the first and only Russian region to impose harsh restrictions in response to the pandemic's second wave. The country's coronavirus taskforce on Monday reported 361 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the official death toll to 36,540.
With more than 2.1 million infections, Russia has the world's fifth largest number of cases after the United States, India, Brazil and France.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Hamas calls Netanyahu's Saudi trip 'dangerous,' demands explanation

Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for Hamas, responded to a reported meeting on Sunday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, calling it "dangerous" and calling on Saudi Arabia to "clarify what happened because this represents an insult to the nation and the squandering of Palestinian rights."


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Two dead, several injured in late night stabbing at San Jose church

The incident took place at the Grace Baptist Church where `` unhoused individuals '' were brought in to get away @ @ @ @ @ Jose Police said on Twitter .
The police did not confirm an arrest or provide @ @ @ @ @ for the stabbing .

Two people were killed and several injured in stabbing at a church in San Jose, California late on Sunday, local authorities said.
The incident took place at the Grace Baptist Church where "unhoused individuals" were brought in to get away from the cold, San Jose Police said on Twitter.
The police did not confirm an arrest or provide further information on a motive for the stabbing.
San Jose police department did not immediately respond to a request for further information on the incident.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Man seriously injured in accident possibly caused by stone-throwing

A man was seriously injured in a car accident that may have been caused by stone-throwing near Yitzhar, according to Channel 13 news.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Coronavirus in Gaza: 689 new cases, 4 deaths

Overall , 15,457 people have been infected with the virus in Gaza since the beginning of the outbreak and 69 @ @ @ @ @ 92 of those infected are in serious condition .
The Gaza Strip has 100 ICU @ @ @ @ @ patients in critical condition , according to Palestinian reports .

Overall, 15,457 people have been infected with the virus in Gaza since the beginning of the outbreak and 69 people have died. Some 92 of those infected are in serious condition. The Gaza Strip has 100 ICU beds available in total for patients in critical condition, according to Palestinian reports.
Some 689 new cases of the novel coronavirus and four deaths were reported in the Gaza Strip on Monday, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Coronavirus in the IDF: 129 infected, 1,842 in quarantine

Some 129 soldiers and workers in the IDF were infected with the novel coronavirus and 1,842 soldiers were in quarantine as of Monday morning, according to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Energy minister to Lebanese president: Meet with me face-to-face

`` Unfortunately , however , you do not seem to know all the facts regarding Lebanon 's many changes in @ @ @ @ @ border in the last 15 years , '' tweeted Steinitz in both Hebrew and Arabic @ @ @ @ @ that if we could meet face to face in one of the European countries for @ @ @ @ @ we would have a good chance of resolving the dispute over the maritime border once @ @ @ @ @ contributing to the economic future and well-being of both peoples . ''
Steinitz also referenced @ @ @ @ @ Aoun on Twitter in recent days , as Aoun 's office responded on Twitter to @ @ @ @ @ the energy minister had claimed that Lebanon changed its position on the maritime border `` @ @ @ @ @ 's office stated that this claim was `` unfounded . ''

"Unfortunately, however, you do not seem to know all the facts regarding Lebanon's many changes in its position on the maritime border in the last 15 years," tweeted Steinitz in both Hebrew and Arabic. "I am convinced that if we could meet face to face in one of the European countries for open or secret negotiations, we would have a good chance of resolving the dispute over the maritime border once and for all, thus contributing to the economic future and well-being of both peoples."
Steinitz also referenced a dialogue between himself and Aoun on Twitter in recent days, as Aoun's office responded on Twitter to a tweet by Steinitz where the energy minister had claimed that Lebanon changed its position on the maritime border "seven times." Aoun's office stated that this claim was "unfounded."
Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz called on Lebanese President Michel Aoun to meet with him face-to-face in Europe to discuss the ongoing maritime border negotiations between Lebanon and Israel on Twitter on Monday.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Tokyo reports 314 new coronavirus cases, down for second day

Tokyo recorded 314 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the metropolitan government said, down for a second day after hitting a record 539 on Saturday.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Coronavirus in Israel: 745 new cases, 2.3% tests positive

Of those infected , 298 were in serious condition and 130 were on ventilators .
The death toll rose overnight @ @ @

Of those infected, 298 were in serious condition and 130 were on ventilators. The death toll rose overnight to 2,806.
Some 745 new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in Israel on Sunday, with 2.3% of tests returning positive, according to a Monday morning update by the Health Ministry.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Blue and White minister: Gov. has one or two weeks to avoid elections

Minister for Civic Issues within the Defense Ministry Michael Biton (Blue and White) told Army Radio on Monday that the "hourglass of the government has one or two weeks," warning that "if [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu does not come to his senses and pass a budget, we are on the way to elections."


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Germany may start COVID-19 vaccine program in December - health minister

Germany could start administering shots of COVID-19 vaccines as soon as next month, Health Minister Jens Spahn reportedly said.
"There is reason to be optimistic that there will be approval for a vaccine in Europe this year," Spahn said in an interview with publishing group RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland. "And then we can start right away."
Spahn said that he had asked Germany's federal states to have their vaccination centers ready by mid-December and that this was going well. "I would rather have a vaccination center ready a few days early than an approved vaccine that isn't being used immediately."
Germany has secured more than 300 million vaccine doses via the European Commission, bilateral contracts and options, Spahn said, adding that this was more than enough and even left room to share with other countries.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Number of coronavirus deaths in Israel rises to 2,800

The number of Israelis losing their life to the coronavirus rose to 2,800 Sunday, following a report from the Healthy Ministry


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Israeli Air Force: Failure to stop rocket not human or technical error

"Various technical and operational components were found that affected the interception," an IAF commander said, adding that they will continue to investigate.
Following an investigation by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) into why Iron Dome did not intercept a rocket from the Gaza Strip Saturday, it was found that it was neither human error or a technical malfunction, according to an N12 report Sunday.


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--Mexico's confirmed coronavirus death toll rises above 101,900

Mexico 's health ministry on Monday reported 7,483 additional cases of the novel coronavirus and 250 more deaths in the @ @ @ @ @ number of cases to 1,049,358 and the death toll to 101,926 .
Health officials have @ @ @ @ @ infections is likely significantly higher .

Mexico's health ministry on Monday reported 7,483 additional cases of the novel coronavirus and 250 more deaths in the country, bringing the official number of cases to 1,049,358 and the death toll to 101,926.
Health officials have said the real number of infections is likely significantly higher.


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--Coronavirus cabinet approves return to school in green and yellow cities

"At the end of a lengthy discussion, the cabinet ministers adopted the plan formulated by the Education Ministry together with ateam of experts to open all the schools starting this coming Sunday," wrote Education Minister Yoav Gallant on his Faceboko page at around 3 a.m. Israel time. "On November 29, high school students will return to the schools and a week later, on December 6, they will be joined by middle school students." He added, "Principals and teachers are prepared to open the various educational institutions and, together with the health authorities, we will increase the scope of tests for students and teaching staff, in order to maintain their health. Thank you to the prime minister and cabinet ministers for their support. To you, to our dearest students, all that remains is to pack your schoolbag." Specifically, students in grades 10 through 12 will return to school on November 29, according to a statement by the Prime Minister's, and grades seventh through ninth the next week. The plan centers on ensuring that students and teachers will be regularly tested. Fifth-graders and sixth-grade students across the country are were returning to their classrooms on Tuesday for the first time in around eight weeks, the coronavirus cabinet confirmed that its previous decision could be implemented at the meeting as well regardless of the rate of infection. After a debate that lasted late into the night, the coronavirus cabinet ruled on Monday night that students in all grades living in green or yellow cities would return to their classrooms within the next few weeks,"At the end of a lengthy discussion, the cabinet ministers adopted the plan formulated by the Education Ministry together with ateam of experts to open all the schools starting this coming Sunday," wrote Education Minister Yoav Gallant on his Faceboko page at around 3 a.m. Israel time. "On November 29, high school students will return to the schools and a week later, on December 6, they will be joined by middle school students."He added, "Principals and teachers are prepared to open the various educational institutions and, together with the health authorities, we will increase the scope of tests for students and teaching staff, in order to maintain their health. Thank you to the prime minister and cabinet ministers for their support. To you, to our dearest students, all that remains is to pack your schoolbag."Specifically, students in grades 10 through 12 will return to school on November 29, according to a statement by the Prime Minister's, and grades seventh through ninth the next week. The plan centers on ensuring that students and teachers will be regularly tested.
At the same time, it is likely that girls in the ultra-Orthodox community will also be returning to school soon. Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, the leading non-hassidic ultra-Orthodox rabbi in Israel, said that all ultra-Orthodox girls’ schools and all grades in them should reopen, despite the ongoing closure of many school grades due to the COVID-19 crisis. At the same time, it is likely that girls in the ultra-Orthodox community will also be returning to school soon. Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, the leading non-hassidic ultra-Orthodox rabbi in Israel, said that all ultra-Orthodox girls’ schools and all grades in them should reopen, despite the ongoing closure of many school grades due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The coronavirus cabinet met late into the night on Monday, debating an outline for potentially opening more classrooms. Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said he supports allowing students in seventh through 12th grade who live in green and yellow cities to return to their classrooms as early as next week, so long as the government agrees that no more commerce could open at the same time.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz exchanged blows at the meeting, according to reports. Netanyahu warned that the infection rate would go up, saying that “there is no chance we can make it through the next four months without crashing,” likely alluding to when the country is expected to have access to vaccines readily available against the virus.
Gantz reportedly mocked Netanyahu for raising a proposal about high schools and removing it. Netanyahu responded by accusing Gantz of being uninformed about government decisions.
The infection rate in Israel has been rising moderately, according to reports by the Health Ministry. However, multiple presentations shown to ministers at the cabinet meeting stressed that the rise in coronavirus is not in the majority of schools.
The ministry was backed up by a report prepared by Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers that likewise showed that there has not been a direct connection between the rate of infection and children returning to school.
Similarly, Eran Segal, a computational biologist at the Weizmann Institute of Science, said there was a stable rate of infection among children ages six to 10 who went back to school and a decrease for children between the ages of newborn and six.
“We see a decrease and stability in morbidity in the education system,” Segal said, according to N12. “The education system reflects the morbidity in the locality. If there is a zero level of morbidity in the city, the education system will not be a trigger for an increase in morbidity.
“We are convinced that the differential opening of the education system can be done safely,” he said.
Segal’s words were proven accurate by a report presented by the Health Ministry ahead of the meeting showing that there were nine red and 22 orange localities in Israel – the majority of them in the Arab sector.
At the meeting, Education Minister Yoav Gallant said that students who become infected generally catch coronavirus outside of school.
“We see that the morbidity is due to events outside the education system, such as a birthday party in the afternoon and mixed meetings after school,” he said.
There are currently 1,530 children in preschool through 12th grade who are infected with coronavirus , the Education Ministry reported. Some 906 of them, or 60%, are from the Arab sector. Another 27% are from the general population and 13% are ultra-Orthodox.
תלמידי כיתות ז׳, ח׳, ט׳, י׳ - לא שכחנו אתכם. הערב אדרוש בקבינט הקורונה להחזיר אתכם לבתי הספר כבר בשבוע הבא - חזרתכם ללימודים עומדת בראש סדר העדיפויות שלי ושל משרד החינוך.סדר עדיפות לאומי נכון מחייב את חזרת התלמידים לבתי הספר. זהו נושא ערכי וצורך לאומי חיוני. — יואב גלנט (@yoavgallant) November 23, 2020
Before the meeting, Gallant and Interior Minister Arye Deri joined forces and said that they would push hard for the opening of schools.
“We must not lose an entire generation of children,” Deri said.
Health officials have long argued that children not being in school does not only impact their book learning, but their social and emotional growth.
The Health Ministry reported 749 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday – 2.3% of those screened – and another 536 between midnight and press time on Monday. There were 296 people in serious condition, including 115 who were intubated. The death toll stood at 2,810. The reproduction (R) rate stood at 1.07.
Kanievsky’s daughter Lea Kolodetsky wrote a letter to the principals of schools in the non-hassidic, ultra-Orthodox sector, telling them the rabbi had said that all girls’ schools and grades should reopen as soon as possible.
“The girls are sitting at home and are bored... and the situation of many girls is truly bordering on life threatening,” she asserted.
“My father Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky told me that principals and teachers must do everything to prevent a deterioration of Jewish girls and to open educational frameworks for all girls with appropriate caution,” she continued in reference to COVID-19.
Kolodetsky said that the rabbi instructed all pupils at the girls’ schools to recite several passages of psalms after morning prayers – “and he gave a blessing that whoever does this will not be harmed and will not suffer any damage from this, and will merit to increase the honor of heaven and will have much pleasure from all their offspring.”
At the cabinet meeting, Higher Education Minister Ze’ev Elkin pointed out that the morbidity among ultra-Orthodox students is lowest, even though they have opened most of the educational institutions.
Gallant agreed with this, but said that he “will not praise those who do not follow the guidelines.”
Economy Minister Amir Peretz continued to push for opening malls. He said Monday that the discussion at the cabinet should center not on what to open but how to open it.
“We need to behave differently,” he said in an interview with Reshet Bet ahead of the cabinet meeting. “There are a few good months until the vaccine arrives.”
He claimed that the more stores that open, the more people will not be crowded inside them or in lines waiting to get in.
At the meeting he added that, “for several days now, there have been lengthy discussions between the ministries of Economy, Health, Finance and Justice and the National Security Council on how to carry out the pilot [program in malls]. There is no reason to wait for the hearings to end and then set a date.”
"The coronavirus cabinet tonight approved launching the pilot program to open malls," Katz wrote around 1 a.m.. "The regulations will be approved tomorrow and the next day the pilot will be launched to open 15 malls for seven days in preparation for the opening of all the malls in Israel." Later the Prime Minister's Office explained that the pilot program would last through December 6 and subject to the pilot findings and the general morbidity situation, the opening date for the malls would be determined. He called on ministers to approve the pilot program immediately, which according to a tweet by Finance Minister Israel Katz is exactly what happened."The coronavirus cabinet tonight approved launching the pilot program to open malls," Katz wrote around 1 a.m.. "The regulations will be approved tomorrow and the next day the pilot will be launched to open 15 malls for seven days in preparation for the opening of all the malls in Israel."Later the Prime Minister's Office explained that the pilot program would last through December 6 and subject to the pilot findings and the general morbidity situation, the opening date for the malls would be determined.
At the same time, a pilot proposal will be submitted for the markets and the markets are expected to open when the malls open, the PMO said. The program is meant to see if the ability exists to control the number of shoppers entering stores and to epidemiologically track them where there is an outbreak.
The cabinet did approve an increase in bus occupancy from 50% to 75%, at the request of the Transportation Ministry.
Passengers have noticed that the occupancy on many lines is already much higher than 50%, so instead of increasing the frequency of bus service, the cabinet has chosen to permit more passengers per bus. But the Transportation Ministry also noted in a memorandum: “Density in the queue at the entrance to the means of transportation will lead to increased exposure to the virus at the station.”
The regulations will go into effect within a day and will be submitted to the Knesset’s Economics Committee for approval, according to a statement by the Transportation Ministry.
Regarding Kanievsky: Although the cabinet was discussing opening more school , when the rabbi gave his instructions to open schools for girls, they flew in the face of the government’s orders and joined his previous instructions a month ago to open all ultra-Orthodox boys’ schools and grades.Hannah Brown contributed to this report.


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--Katz: Pilot program for malls reopening approved by coronavirus cabinet


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--China calls launch a success as robotic spacecraft heads to moon

China hailed as a success its pre-dawn launch on Tuesday of a robotic spacecraft to bring back rocks from the moon in the first bid by any country to retrieve lunar surface samples since the 1970s , a mission underscoring Chinese ambitions in space .
The Long March-5 , China 's largest carrier rocket , blasted off at 4:30 a.m. Beijing time ( 2030 GMT on Monday ) in a launch from Wenchang Space Launch Center on the southern Chinese island of Hainan carrying the Chang ' e-5 spacecraft .
The China National Space Administration ( CNSA ) called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement that the rocket flew for nearly 37 minutes before sending the spacecraft on its intended trajectory .
The Chang ' e-5 mission , named after the ancient Chinese goddess of the moon , will seek to collect lunar material to help scientists understand more about the moon 's origins and formation .
The mission will test China 's ability to remotely acquire samples from space , ahead of more complex missions .
State broadcaster CCTV , which ran live coverage of the launch , showed images of CNSA staff in blue uniforms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spacecraft climbing through the atmosphere , lighting up the night sky .
If the mission is completed as planned , it would make China only the third country to have retrieved lunar samples , joining the United States and the Soviet Union .
Upon entering the moon 's orbit , the spacecraft is intended to deploy a pair of vehicles to the lunar surface : a lander and an ascender .
The landing is due to take place in about eight days , according to Pei Zhaoyu , a spokesman for the mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the lunar surface for about two days , while the entire mission is scheduled to take around 23 days .
The plan is for the lander to drill into the lunar surface , with a robotic arm scooping out soil and rocks .
This material would be transferred to the ascender vehicle , which is due to carry it from the surface and then dock with an orbiting module .
The samples then would be transferred to a return capsule for the return trip to Earth , with a landing in China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest challenges ... are the sampling work on the lunar surface , take-off from the lunar surface , rendezvous and docking in the lunar orbit , as well as high-speed re-entry to Earth , '' said Pei , also director of the space administration 's Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center .
`` We can conduct sampling through circumlunar and moon- landing exploration , but it is more intuitive to obtain samples to conduct scientific research - the method is more direct , '' Pei added .
`` Plus , there will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them on Earth . ''
China , which last year carried out the first landing on the far side of the moon and in July of this year launched a robotic probe to Mars , has other space goals in its sights .
It aims to have a permanent manned space station in service around 2022 .
`` From next year , we will carry out the launch mission of our national space station , '' said Qu Yiguang , deputy commander of the Long March-5 carrier rocket .
Asked when China was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Pei said any decision would be based on scientific needs , as well as technical and economic conditions , adding : `` I think future lunar exploration activities should be carried out by a combination of man and machine . ''
Matt Siegler , a research scientist at the Arizona-based Planetary Science Institute who is not part of Chang ' e-5 mission , said the Mons Rumker volcanic area of the moon where the spacecraft is due to land is 1-2 billion years old .
`` That is very young for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3.5 billion years old or more , '' Siegler said in an email , noting that the area and other similar ones represented `` late-stage volcanism '' when the moon had enough internal heat for such activity .
`` We want to find out what is special about these regions and why they remained warm longer than the rest of the moon , '' Siegler added .
The United States , which currently has plans to return astronauts to the moon by 2024 , landed 12 astronauts there in its Apollo program over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and brought back 382 kg ( 842 pounds ) of rocks and soil .
The Soviet Union deployed three successful robotic lunar sample-return missions in the 1970s .
The last , the Luna 24 , retrieved about 170 grams

China hailed as a success its pre-dawn launch on Tuesday of a robotic spacecraft to bring back rocks from the moon in the first bid by any country to retrieve lunar surface samples since the 1970s, a mission underscoring Chinese ambitions in space.
The Long March-5, China's largest carrier rocket, blasted off at 4:30 a.m. Beijing time (2030 GMT on Monday) in a launch from Wenchang Space Launch Center on the southern Chinese island of Hainan carrying the Chang'e-5 spacecraft.
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) called the launch a success and said in a statement that the rocket flew for nearly 37 minutes before sending the spacecraft on its intended trajectory.
The Chang'e-5 mission, named after the ancient Chinese goddess of the moon, will seek to collect lunar material to help scientists understand more about the moon's origins and formation. The mission will test China's ability to remotely acquire samples from space, ahead of more complex missions.
State broadcaster CCTV, which ran live coverage of the launch, showed images of CNSA staff in blue uniforms applauding and cheering as they watched the spacecraft climbing through the atmosphere, lighting up the night sky.
If the mission is completed as planned, it would make China only the third country to have retrieved lunar samples, joining the United States and the Soviet Union.
Upon entering the moon's orbit, the spacecraft is intended to deploy a pair of vehicles to the lunar surface: a lander and an ascender. The landing is due to take place in about eight days, according to Pei Zhaoyu, a spokesman for the mission. The probe is due to be on the lunar surface for about two days, while the entire mission is scheduled to take around 23 days.
The plan is for the lander to drill into the lunar surface, with a robotic arm scooping out soil and rocks. This material would be transferred to the ascender vehicle, which is due to carry it from the surface and then dock with an orbiting module.
The samples then would be transferred to a return capsule for the return trip to Earth, with a landing in China's Inner Mongolia region.
"The biggest challenges ... are the sampling work on the lunar surface, take-off from the lunar surface, rendezvous and docking in the lunar orbit, as well as high-speed re-entry to Earth," said Pei, also director of the space administration's Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center.
"We can conduct sampling through circumlunar and moon- landing exploration, but it is more intuitive to obtain samples to conduct scientific research - the method is more direct," Pei added. "Plus, there will be more instruments and more methods to study them on Earth."
SPACE STATION PLANS
China, which last year carried out the first landing on the far side of the moon and in July of this year launched a robotic probe to Mars, has other space goals in its sights. It aims to have a permanent manned space station in service around 2022.
"From next year, we will carry out the launch mission of our national space station," said Qu Yiguang, deputy commander of the Long March-5 carrier rocket.
Asked when China was planning to put astronauts on the moon, Pei said any decision would be based on scientific needs, as well as technical and economic conditions, adding: "I think future lunar exploration activities should be carried out by a combination of man and machine."
Matt Siegler, a research scientist at the Arizona-based Planetary Science Institute who is not part of Chang'e-5 mission, said the Mons Rumker volcanic area of the moon where the spacecraft is due to land is 1-2 billion years old.
"That is very young for the moon - most of our samples are 3.5 billion years old or more," Siegler said in an email, noting that the area and other similar ones represented "late-stage volcanism" when the moon had enough internal heat for such activity.
"We want to find out what is special about these regions and why they remained warm longer than the rest of the moon," Siegler added.
The United States, which currently has plans to return astronauts to the moon by 2024, landed 12 astronauts there in its Apollo program over six flights from 1969 to 1972, and brought back 382 kg (842 pounds) of rocks and soil.
The Soviet Union deployed three successful robotic lunar sample-return missions in the 1970s. The last, the Luna 24, retrieved about 170 grams


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--Michigan certifies results of Nov. 3 US presidential election for Joe Biden

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers on Monday voted to certify the results of the Nov. 3 US presidential election @ @ @ @ @ winning the state .
The board passed the motion in a meeting that was broadcast @ @

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers on Monday voted to certify the results of the Nov. 3 US presidential election that showed Democrat Joe Biden winning the state.
The board passed the motion in a meeting that was broadcast virtually.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--President-elect Joe Biden spoke with Jordan's king Abdullah II

President-elect Joe Biden thanked the king of Jordan, King Abdullah II, for his congratulations following the US elections results, and expressed his determination to strengthen the US-Jordanian strategic partnership, and to help support the two-states solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.The president-elect has also said he looks forward to working with the Jordanian king in regards to the two countries' other shared interests: Containing COVID-19, countering terrorism, and combating climate change.Biden also conveyed his appreciation for Jordan’s invaluable role in hosting Syrian and other regional refugees.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--China launches robot spacecraft to the moon to retrieve rocks

The Long March-5 , China 's largest carrier rocket , blasted off at 4:30 a.m. Beijing time ( 2030 GMT on Monday ) in a pre-dawn launch from Wenchang Space Launch Center on the southern Chinese island of Hainan carrying the Chang ' e-5 spacecraft .
The Chang ' e-5 mission , named after the ancient Chinese goddess of the moon , will seek to collect lunar material to help scientists understand more about the moon 's origins and formation .
The mission will test China 's ability to remotely acquire samples from space , ahead of more complex missions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make China only the third country to have retrieved lunar samples , joining the United States and the Soviet Union .
Upon entering the moon 's orbit , the spacecraft is intended to deploy a pair of vehicles to the lunar surface : a lander and an ascender .
The landing is due to take place in about eight days , according to Pei Zhaoyu , a spokesman for the mission .
The probe is due to be on the lunar surface for about two days , while the entire mission is scheduled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan is for the lander to drill into the lunar surface , with a robotic arm scooping out soil and rocks .
This material would be transferred to the ascender vehicle , which is due to carry it from the surface and then dock with an orbiting module .
The samples then would be transferred to a return capsule for the return trip to Earth , with a landing in China 's Inner Mongolia region .
`` The biggest challenges ... are the sampling work on the lunar surface , take-off from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lunar orbit , as well as high-speed re-entry to Earth , '' said Pei , also director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center at China National Space Administration .

China on Tuesday launched a robotic spacecraft to bring back rocks from the moon in the first bid by any country to retrieve samples from the lunar surface since the 1970s, a mission that underscores Chinese ambitions in space.
The Long March-5, China's largest carrier rocket, blasted off at 4:30 a.m. Beijing time (2030 GMT on Monday) in a pre-dawn launch from Wenchang Space Launch Center on the southern Chinese island of Hainan carrying the Chang'e-5 spacecraft.
The Chang'e-5 mission, named after the ancient Chinese goddess of the moon, will seek to collect lunar material to help scientists understand more about the moon's origins and formation. The mission will test China's ability to remotely acquire samples from space, ahead of more complex missions.
If successful, the mission would make China only the third country to have retrieved lunar samples, joining the United States and the Soviet Union.
Upon entering the moon's orbit, the spacecraft is intended to deploy a pair of vehicles to the lunar surface: a lander and an ascender. The landing is due to take place in about eight days, according to Pei Zhaoyu, a spokesman for the mission. The probe is due to be on the lunar surface for about two days, while the entire mission is scheduled to take around 23 days.
The plan is for the lander to drill into the lunar surface, with a robotic arm scooping out soil and rocks. This material would be transferred to the ascender vehicle, which is due to carry it from the surface and then dock with an orbiting module.
The samples then would be transferred to a return capsule for the return trip to Earth, with a landing in China's Inner Mongolia region.
"The biggest challenges ... are the sampling work on the lunar surface, take-off from the lunar surface, rendezvous and docking in the lunar orbit, as well as high-speed re-entry to Earth," said Pei, also director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center at China National Space Administration.
"We can conduct sampling through circumlunar and moon- landing exploration, but it is more intuitive to obtain samples to conduct scientific research - the method is more direct," Pei added. "Plus, there will be more instruments and more methods to study them on Earth."


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--MKs vote to freeze their salary hike

MKs vote to freeze their salary hike

The Knesset voted late Monday night to pass into law a bill that would prevent their salaries from being increased significantly on January 1.The salaries of MKs are based on the average salary in Israel, which has risen significantly due to the large number of low wage earners who were fired due to the corronavirus. The MKs were due for a monthly raise of NIS 6,500.The bill, sponsored by Yesh Atid MKs Yair Lapid and Miki Levy, passed into law by a vote of 39 to zero.Lapid lamented that MKs still determine their own salaries. He has tried to shift that responsibility to a public committee."There is a lot more to do, but this is a terrific start," Lapid said.Yesh Atid competed over credit for the bill with Blue and White, whose faction chairman Eitan Ginzburg, formally initiated it in the Knesset House Committee he heads.Likud MK Shlomo Karhi tried to amend the bill to prevent a pay raise next year as well.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Coronavirus in Israel: 749 new cases on Sunday

Fifth-graders and sixth-grade students across the country are returning to their classrooms on Tuesday for the first time in around eight weeks , after the coronavirus cabinet confirmed that its previous decision could be implemented regardless of the rate of infection .
The coronavirus cabinet met late into the night on Monday , debating an outline for potentially opening more classrooms .
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said he supports allowing students in seventh through 12th grade who live in green and yellow cities to return to their classrooms as early as next week , so long as the government agrees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time .
At press time , no decisions had been made .
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz exchanged blows at the meeting , according to reports .
Netanyahu warned that the infection rate would go up , saying that “ there is no chance we can make it through the next four months without crashing , ” likely alluding to when the country is expected to have access to vaccines readily available against the virus .
Gantz reportedly mocked Netanyahu for raising a proposal about high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by accusing Gantz of being uninformed about government decisions .
The infection rate in Israel has been rising moderately , according to reports by the Health Ministry .
However , multiple presentations shown to ministers at the cabinet meeting stressed that the rise in coronavirus is not in the majority of schools .
The ministry was backed up by a report prepared by Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers that likewise showed that there has not been a direct connection between the rate of infection and children returning to school .
Similarly , Eran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weizmann Institute of Science , said there was a stable rate of infection among children ages six to 10 who went back to school and a decrease for children between the ages of newborn and six .
“ We see a decrease and stability in morbidity in the education system , ” Segal said , according to N12 .
“ The education system reflects the morbidity in the locality .
If there is a zero level of morbidity in the city , the education system will not be a trigger for an increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the differential opening of the education system can be done safely , ” he said .
Segal ’ s words were proven accurate by a report presented by the Health Ministry ahead of the meeting showing that there were nine red and 22 orange localities in Israel – the majority of them in the Arab sector .
At the meeting , Education Minister Yoav Gallant said that students who become infected generally catch coronavirus outside of school .
“ We see that the morbidity is due to events outside the education system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the afternoon and mixed meetings after school , ” he said .
Before the meeting , Gallant and Interior Minister Arye Deri joined forces and said that they would push hard for the opening of schools .
“ We must not lose an entire generation of children , ” Deri said .
Health officials have long argued that children not being in school does not only impact their book learning , but their social and emotional growth .
The Health Ministry reported 749 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday – 2.3 % of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and press time on Monday .
There were 296 people in serious condition , including 115 who were intubated .
The death toll stood at 2,810 .
The reproduction ( R ) rate stood at 1.07 .
Kanievsky ’ s daughter Lea Kolodetsky wrote a letter to the principals of schools in the non-hassidic , ultra-Orthodox sector , telling them the rabbi had said that all girls ’ schools and grades should reopen as soon as possible .
“ The girls are sitting at home and are bored ... and the situation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatening , ” she asserted .
“ My father Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky told me that principals and teachers must do everything to prevent a deterioration of Jewish girls and to open educational frameworks for all girls with appropriate caution , ” she continued in reference to COVID-19 .
Kolodetsky said that the rabbi instructed all pupils at the girls ’ schools to recite several passages of psalms after morning prayers – “ and he gave a blessing that whoever does this will not be harmed and will not suffer any damage from this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honor of heaven and will have much pleasure from all their offspring.
” At the cabinet meeting , Higher Education Minister Ze ’ ev Elkin pointed out that the morbidity among ultra-Orthodox students is lowest , even though they have opened most of the educational institutions .
Gallant agreed with this , but said that he “ will not praise those who do not follow the guidelines.
” Economy Minister Amir Peretz continued to push for opening malls .
He said Monday that the discussion at the cabinet should center not on what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We need to behave differently , ” he said in an interview with Reshet Bet ahead of the cabinet meeting .
“ There are a few good months until the vaccine arrives.
” He claimed that the more stores that open , the more people will not be crowded inside them or in lines waiting to get in .
At the meeting he added that , “ for several days now , there have been lengthy discussions between the ministries of Economy , Health , Finance and Justice and the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pilot [ program in malls ] .
There is no reason to wait for the hearings to end and then set a date.
” He called on ministers to approve the pilot program immediately .
The program is meant to see if the ability exists to control the number of shoppers entering stores and to epidemiologically track them where there is an outbreak .
The cabinet did approve an increase in bus occupancy from 50 % to 75 % , at the request of the Transportation Ministry .
Passengers have noticed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much higher than 50 % , so instead of increasing the frequency of bus service , the cabinet has chosen to permit more passengers per bus .
But the Transportation Ministry also noted in a memorandum : “ Density in the queue at the entrance to the means of transportation will lead to increased exposure to the virus at the station.
” The regulations will go into effect within a day and will be submitted to the Knesset ’ s Economics Committee for approval , according to a statement by the Transportation Ministry @


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Biden rolls out foreign policy and national security team

WASHINGTON – US President-elect Joe Biden named his top foreign policy staff on Monday. He announced, as expected, that Antony Blinken would serve as secretary of state.“We have no time to lose when it comes to our national security and foreign policy,” the president-elect said in a press release. “I need a team ready on Day One to help me reclaim America’s seat at the head of the table, rally the world to meet the biggest challenges we face, and advance our security, prosperity, and values.” Biden also tapped former secretary of state and former senator, John Kerry, as Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. He will sit on the National Security Council as well. “This marks the first time that the NSC will include an official dedicated to climate change, reflecting the president-elect’s commitment to addressing climate change as an urgent national security issue,” the transition team said in a press release.Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a veteran member of the foreign service, would serve as ambassador to the UN. Thomas-Greenfield served in many positions during her 35-year service, including as ambassador to Liberia.She was posted in Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya, and at the US mission to the UN in Geneva. In 2013, she was appointed as assistant secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, where she led the policy on sub-Saharan Africa. Thomas-Greenfield also served as director-general of the foreign service and director of human resources and as deputy assistant secretary for the Population, Refugees and Migration Bureau.Ambassador Barbara Bodine is the director of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown, where Thomas-Greenfield was the inaugural Distinguished Resident Fellow in African Studies from 2017 to 2019.“She has a background and experience directly with multilateral institutions,” Bodine said. “[After] serving in Africa, as she has as assistant secretary and ambassador, she also has seen how multilateralism or multilateral collaboration is how we operate in the field, on the ground every day,” she added.According to Bodine, the fact that her name came out at the same time as Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan and before all the other members of the administration, “signals that diplomacy is going to be a fundamental tool, not a secondary tool, and that we want to reengage credibly, collaboratively, with our partners, our friends and the rest of the world.”She noted that Thomas-Greenfield is experienced in “conflict areas and worked on how do you craft sustainable agreements to bring about peace.”One important element for her work, Bodine noted, is that the US is going to chair the Security Council starting in March, which would require a knowledgeable person to hold the position. She added that Thomas-Greenfield doesn’t have experience with Israel or the Near East, “but she is going to represent the policy of the administration” when it comes to the region.BIDEN ALSO named Jake Sullivan as a national security adviser, according to media reports.Sullivan has gone a long way with Biden and Hillary Clinton. He advised Clinton during her 2008 primary bid and later Obama in his general-election bid. When Clinton was appointed secretary of state, Sullivan served as her deputy chief of staff and director of policy planning. When Clinton left the administration during Obama’s second term, he served as Biden’s top security aide. In 2016, he again advised Clinton during her presidential campaign.He was instrumental in shaping the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. In an op-ed for NowThis News in January, he defended the agreement.“Under the deal, Iran’s nuclear program was in a box, it was frozen,” Sullivan wrote. “Under the deal, there were no rocket attacks killing Americans in Iraq... Today, Iran is attacking shipping in the Gulf and threatening the rest of the region.”In August, he spoke at a webinar hosted by Democratic Majority of Israel, and said that Biden believes that “it is not a concession of leverage to sit down with Iran at the bargaining table.”Sullivan said that at the end of the day, “what has been proven out over the past few years is that the United States has immense capacity, through the financial sanctions tool, to very swiftly ratchet up pressure. We did that in the Obama administration; the Trump administration did it; Iran knows that.“He fundamentally believes that there’s a way to interplay the diplomacy side of this equation and the pressure side of this equation in a way that will help us secure the objectives that we’re trying to achieve,” Sullivan added.According to Sullivan, diplomacy backed by pressure that creates leverage “is the kind of formula that could work again to make progress, not just on the core nuclear issues, but on some of these other challenges as well.“One of the vice president’s commitments and all of this is to get to the table to be able to negotiate a follow-on agreement that does materially advance the security of the United States, of Israel, and our other regional partners as well, and does hold Iran to account.“And he believes that that is the best way to actually produce a durable outcome,” he added.Sullivan – together with two other former Obama officials, ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and under-secretary of state Wendy Sherman – played a role in shaping the Democratic Party’s foreign-policy platform.Following the signing of the Abraham Accords to normalize relations between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain, Sullivan praised the move, saying the deal was a “positive accomplishment” for the president’s foreign policy.“It’s good for the region, it’s good for Israel, it’s good for peace,” said Sullivan during an interview on the Yahoo News podcast Skullduggery.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--27 IDF trainees sent on march while infected with coronavirus

Some 27 IDF soldiers in basic training were sent on a march despite having symptoms for coronavirus and later testing positive for the virus, Walla News reported, citing the parents of the trainees.Soldiers who were experiencing symptoms of the virus reported the symptoms to their commanders who had them tested for the virus, but sent them on a training march before receiving test results. When the results came in, they showed that 27 of the 50 soldier company were infected with the virus.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine dosing error helped trials

AstraZeneca on Monday said the vaccine could be around 90 % effective , when administered as a half dose followed @ @ @ @ @ month later , citing data from late-stage trials in Britain and Brazil .

AstraZeneca said that a stroke of good fortune that resulted from a dosing error was behind trial data presented on Monday that will allow it and Oxford University to make their case with regulators for a COVID-19 vaccine with up to 90% efficacy.
AstraZeneca on Monday said the vaccine could be around 90% effective, when administered as a half dose followed by a full dose a month later, citing data from late-stage trials in Britain and Brazil.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Germany, France and Britain to discuss Iran nuclear deal on Monday

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is meeting his French and British counterparts in Berlin on Monday for talks focussing on the nuclear deal with Iran, a German foreign office spokeswoman said, adding Iran was violating the agreement systematically."Together with our partners, we strongly call on Iran to stop violating the deal and return to fulfilling all its nuclear obligations completely," the spokeswoman said.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--WJC head Lauder praises Biden for tapping Blinken as secretary of state

NEW YORK — World Jewish Congress president Ronald S. Lauder applauded the announcement that United States President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. will be nominating longtime diplomat Antony J. Blinken to serve as Secretary of State.Commenting on the announcement, Lauder said, “In nominating my friend Tony Blinken to serve as America’s chief diplomat, President-elect Biden has selected a man of profound integrity, unflinching moral clarity, and deep command of the complex challenges facing our nation on the global stage. He particularly understands the poison of antisemitism and will fight it with determination and focus.“On behalf of world Jewry, I congratulate Tony on his nomination and look forward to partnering with him on all issues of importance to the Jewish community.”


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Saudi Arabia to offer free coronavirus vaccines for all residents – report

The ministry said it hopes to have enough vaccines to cover 70 % of the country 's population by the @ @ @ @ @ TV channel Ekhbariya said on Twitter .

Saudi Arabia's health ministry said on Monday that COVID-19 vaccines will be free for all people living in the kingdom, state TV reported.
The ministry said it hopes to have enough vaccines to cover 70% of the country's population by the end of 2021, state TV channel Ekhbariya said on Twitter.


jerusalempost--2020-11-23--Ethiopia: Tigray forces' leader denies regional capital circled

`` There is no such encirclement so far , '' Debretsion Gebremichael told Reuters by text of the statements from @ @ @ @ @ Tigray taskforce set up by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed 's government .
Reuters could not @ @ @ @ @

The leader of Ethiopia's Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) denied on Monday that federal troops had surrounded the regional capital Mekelle at a distance of about 50 km (31) as the government had said.
"There is no such encirclement so far," Debretsion Gebremichael told Reuters by text of the statements from a spokesman for a special Tigray taskforce set up by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government.
Reuters could not independently verify either version.
Claims by all sides are hard to confirm because phone and internet communication has been down while media are largely barred from the region in north Ethiopia.


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--Yamina to support bill to dissolve Knesset - Lapid

`` If Blue and White vote in favor - we can replace this failed government with a government that will @ @ @ @ @ unemployed and collapsing businesses , '' added Lapid .

"If Blue and White vote in favor - we can replace this failed government with a government that will take care of a million unemployed and collapsing businesses," added Lapid.
The Yamina faction announced that it will support Opposition leader Yair Lapid's upcoming bill to dissolve the Knesset, Lapid claimed in a tweet on Tuesday.


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--Russian and Iranian FM discuss Syria, Karabakh, nuclear deal in phone call

The two men also discussed Moscow and Tehran 's commitment to ensuring the prompt return of all participants to fully @ @ @ @ @ the 2015 Iran nuclear deal , formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden has said he will take the United States back into the 2015 deal @

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed the situations in Syria and Nagorno-Karabakh in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, Russia's foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
The two men also discussed Moscow and Tehran's commitment to ensuring the prompt return of all participants to fully observing obligations laid out in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden has said he will take the United States back into the 2015 deal.


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--Iran reports record high 13,721 new COVID-19 cases

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Iran on Tuesday reported a record high 13,721 new COVID-19 cases and a near-record 483 deaths in the past 24 hours in the Middle East's worst-hit country.Health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV that the new cases took the cummulative total of cases to 880,542 and the total death toll to 45,738.


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--UN alarmed at military build-up around Tigray capital

The United Nations human rights office voiced alarm on Tuesday at reports of a heavy build-up of tanks and artillery around the Tigrayan regional capital of Mekelle after the Ethiopian government's ultimatum to surrender before a threatened attack. Some 40,000 Ethiopian refugees have fled to eastern Sudan the since crisis began on Nov. 4, including more than 5,000 fleeing fighting in Tigray at the weekend, the U.N. refugee agency said. There may be 'severe, massive' internal displacement in Tigray, amid a communications blackout, a U.N. aid spokesman told a Geneva briefing.


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--Bitcoin hits $19,000 for first time in 3 years

The world 's most popular cryptocurrency has gained around 160 % this year , fueled by a demand for risk-on @ @ @ @ @ monetary stimulus , hunger for assets perceived as resistant to inflation , and expectations that @ @ @ @ @ .

Bitcoin hit $19,000 on Tuesday for the first time in nearly three years and was just shy touching an all-time high of just under $20,000.
The world's most popular cryptocurrency has gained around 160% this year, fueled by a demand for risk-on assets amid unprecedented fiscal and monetary stimulus, hunger for assets perceived as resistant to inflation, and expectations that cryptocurrencies would win mainstream acceptance.
Bitcoin has gained over 37% in November alone.


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--UN chief calls for Afghan ceasefire and inclusive peace

`` An inclusive process , in which women , young people and victims of conflict are meaningfully represented , offers @ @ @ @ @ peace , '' Guterres told an Afghanistan conference in Geneva .
`` Progress toward peace @ @ @ @ @ of the entire region , and is a vital step towards the safe , orderly @ @ @ @ @ of displaced Afghans . ''

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Tuesday for an "immediate, unconditional ceasefire" in Afghanistan to create a conducive environment for Doha peace talks with the Taliban.
"An inclusive process, in which women, young people and victims of conflict are meaningfully represented, offers the best hope of sustainable peace," Guterres told an Afghanistan conference in Geneva. "Progress toward peace will contribute to the development of the entire region, and is a vital step towards the safe, orderly and dignified return of millions of displaced Afghans."


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--Majd al-Krum, Kafr Manda declared as COVID-19 restricted zones

The committee also decided to extend the restrictions on Arraba until Sunday at 5 PM and to cancel the restrictions @ @ @

The committee also decided to extend the restrictions on Arraba until Sunday at 5 PM and to cancel the restrictions on Qalansawe.
The towns of Majd al-Krum and Kafr Manda in northern Israel will be considered coronavirus red zones starting at 5 PM on Tuesday until 5 PM on Sunday, the ministerial committee on restricted areas decided on Monday.


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--Russia reports record 491 coronavirus deaths, 24,326 new infections

Authorities also reported 24,326 new coronavirus infections in the space of 24 hours , including 5,838 in the capital Moscow @ @ @ @ @ tally to 2,138,828 .

Russia reported a record 491 deaths linked to the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing the official death toll to 37,031.
Authorities also reported 24,326 new coronavirus infections in the space of 24 hours, including 5,838 in the capital Moscow, bringing the national cumulative tally to 2,138,828.


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--Russia caught US warship in its waters, chased it off - defense ministry

A Russian warship caught a U.S. Navy destroyer operating illegally in Russia's territorial waters near the Sea of Japan, but chased it off, Russia's defense ministry said on Tuesday.It said in a statement that the U.S ship had returned to neutral waters after being warned by a Russian destroyer, the Admiral Vinogradov.


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--Blue and White minister: We'll consider dissolving Knesset in coming days

Shay added that the party is `` not in a competition '' for who proposes the bill to dissolve the @ @ @ @ @ decide that the Knesset needs to dissolve , they will either support another party 's @ @ @ @ @ .

Shay added that the party is "not in a competition" for who proposes the bill to dissolve the Knesset and, if they decide that the Knesset needs to dissolve, they will either support another party's proposal or propose it themselves.
Blue and White will consider dissolving the Knesset in the coming days, Science and Technology Minister Izhar Shay told KAN news on Tuesday.


jerusalempost--2020-11-24--Coronavirus in Israel: 943 new cases, 1.8% of tests positive

Of those infected , 275 were in serious condition and 120 were on ventilators .
The death toll rose overnight @ @ @

Of those infected, 275 were in serious condition and 120 were on ventilators. The death toll rose overnight to 2,811.
Some 943 new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in Israel on Monday, with 1.8% of tests returning positive, according to a Tuesday morning update by the Health Ministry.


jerusalempost--2020-11-26--Biden considering former Obama national security adviser Donilon for CIA

Democratic President-elect Joe Biden is considering naming Tom Donilon , a veteran diplomat and national security adviser to former President Barack Obama , as director of the CIA , a person familiar with the situation said on Wednesday .
The CIA position could be one of the most challenging in Biden 's administration after four years of Republican President Donald Trump accusing the agency of being part of a `` Deep State '' conspiracy seeking to undermine his presidency .
Donilon 's consideration was first reported by Politico .
Biden , who takes office on Jan. 20 , is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was the CIA 's deputy director and acting director of the agency twice under Obama .
Biden , an integral part of Obama 's national security team during his eight years as vice president , would have worked closely with both men .
He has already picked other Obama administration veterans for major national security posts , including Antony Blinken , a former deputy secretary of state , for secretary of state , and Avril Haines , a deputy at the CIA under Obama , to be director of national intelligence .

Democratic President-elect Joe Biden is considering naming Tom Donilon, a veteran diplomat and national security advisor to former President Barack Obama, as director of the CIA, a person familiar with the situation said on Wednesday.
The CIA position could be one of the most challenging in Biden's administration after four years of Republican President Donald Trump accusing the agency of being part of a "Deep State" conspiracy seeking to undermine his presidency.
Donilon's consideration was first reported by Politico.
Biden, who takes office on Jan. 20, is also said to be considering Michael Morell, who was the CIA's deputy director and acting director of the agency twice under Obama.
Biden, an integral part of Obama's national security team during his eight years as vice president, would have worked closely with both men.
He has already picked other Obama administration veterans for major national security posts, including Antony Blinken, a former deputy secretary of state, for secretary of state, and Avril Haines, a deputy at the CIA under Obama, to be director of national intelligence.