jerusalempost--2020-01-28--Syria government forces enter town south of Idlib - war monitor

Syrian government forces entered a town south of Idlib city on Tuesday, in a significant advance for President Bashar al-Assad as he seeks to recapture rebel-held territory in the country's northwest, a war monitor and pro-government media said.Government forces entered Maarat al-Numan and were combing its districts, the pro-Damascus al-Watan newspaper in a post on Telegram. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said via WhatsApp that there were clashes between rebels and the government forces who entered backed by air strikes.


jerusalempost--2020-01-28--IDF forces arrest a man who crossed into Israel from Lebanon

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IDF forces were called to the western Galilee Bedouin village of Arab al-Aramshe on Tuesday when a man who allegedly crossed the border from Lebanon illegally was seen near that location, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit reported.The man has been arrested and is currently being held under investigation by the security forces.


jerusalempost--2020-01-28--Ryanair warns of job losses as 737 MAX delivery date slips

In a memo dated Jan. 27 seen by Reuters , the low-cost airline said Boeing would not deliver the first @ @ @ @ @ at the earliest , as Ryanair does not take deliveries during its peak summer months @ @ @ @ @ August .

Ryanair has warned pilots of possible base closures and job cuts as the date for delivery of its first 10 of Boeing's grounded 737 MAX aircraft slipped into the autumn.
In a memo dated Jan. 27 seen by Reuters, the low-cost airline said Boeing would not deliver the first aircraft until September or October at the earliest, as Ryanair does not take deliveries during its peak summer months of June, July and August.


jerusalempost--2020-01-28--Give Lebanon's cabinet a chance, say Christian religious leaders

Many demonstrators have rejected the government formed last week by the Iran-backed Shi'ite group Hezbollah and its allies without participation of major political parties including the second-largest Christian party , Lebanese Forces ( LF ) .
Demonstrations that began last October against a political elite blamed for steering Lebanon into its worst crisis in decades have turned violent as some protesters clashed with security forces at barricades around parliament and government headquarters in central Beirut to demand an independent cabinet .
`` The Fathers stress the right for peaceful demonstrations to demand reform , but strongly reject the mobs on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beirut , lest the mobilization veers away from its noble goals , '' the Christian religious leaders said in a statement after a summit .
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai had called the summit which gathered patriarchs of Lebanon 's many Christian sects , according to state news agency NNA .
The meeting 's communique was read out in live broadcasts on local media .
The Christian faith leaders said the government should be given `` room to take on its responsibilities , '' and called on Arab states and the international community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a sectarian political system that parcels out state positions according to religious sect .
The presidency is reserved for a Maronite Christian .
The largest Christian party , President Michel Aoun 's Free Patriotic Movement , is close to Hezbollah and has backed the new government , which has yet to issue a policy statement .
The heavily indebted country 's crisis is rooted in decades of state corruption and waste .
Foreign donors say any support to Lebanon will depend on it enacting long-delayed reforms .

Lebanon's Christian religious authorities on Tuesday urged anti-government protesters to give a new government breathing room to tackle a dire financial crisis, condemning what they described as mob assaults on security forces in recent marches.
Many demonstrators have rejected the government formed last week by the Iran-backed Shi'ite group Hezbollah and its allies without participation of major political parties including the second-largest Christian party, Lebanese Forces (LF).
Demonstrations that began last October against a political elite blamed for steering Lebanon into its worst crisis in decades have turned violent as some protesters clashed with security forces at barricades around parliament and government headquarters in central Beirut to demand an independent cabinet.
"The Fathers stress the right for peaceful demonstrations to demand reform, but strongly reject the mobs on the streets and squares, especially in Beirut, lest the mobilization veers away from its noble goals," the Christian religious leaders said in a statement after a summit.
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai had called the summit which gathered patriarchs of Lebanon's many Christian sects, according to state news agency NNA. The meeting's communique was read out in live broadcasts on local media.
The Christian faith leaders said the government should be given "room to take on its responsibilities," and called on Arab states and the international community to support Lebanon.
Lebanon is governed according to a sectarian political system that parcels out state positions according to religious sect. The presidency is reserved for a Maronite Christian.
The largest Christian party, President Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement, is close to Hezbollah and has backed the new government, which has yet to issue a policy statement.
The heavily indebted country's crisis is rooted in decades of state corruption and waste. Foreign donors say any support to Lebanon will depend on it enacting long-delayed reforms.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab said on Tuesday he would not obstruct a state budget drafted by the previous cabinet and approved on Tuesday by parliament in a session boycotted by some parties including the staunchly anti-Hezbollah LF.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Sudan suspects two infections with the new coronavirus - minister

Sudan suspects that two of its citizens who returned to the country from China are infected with the new coronavirus, the information minister told Reuters.One of the pair, a man and a woman, had been in the region of the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus, Said Faisal Saleh. Both are under medical checks.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--EASA approves partial return to Iran, Iraq airspace for EU airlines

European airlines can return to parts of Iranian and Iraqi airspace, the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said on Wednesday, three weeks after Iran accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet amid an exchange of hostilities with U.S. forces in Iraq.Following an EU aviation security risk group meeting, EASA said it was lifting temporary recommendations against overflying the two countries altogether. However it reiterated earlier advice that airlines avoid Iranian airspace below 25,000 feet and stick to two air corridors over Iraq.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--UK : Trump's peace plan has merit of being two-state solution

LONDON - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday no Middle East peace plan was perfect, but the one put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump had the merit of being a two-state solution and should be considered by Palestinian leaders."No peace plan is perfect but this has the merit of a two-state solution, it is a two-state solution, it would ensure that Jerusalem is both the capital of Israel and of the Palestinian people," Johnson said in parliament.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--German minister: Expect to agree coronavirus evacuation soon

Spahn said Germany wanted to fly citizens in Wuhan - the Chinese city where the coronavirus outbreak began - and @ @ @ @ @ quickly as possible but wanted to ensure the evacuation was well prepared before evacuees are @ @ @ @ @ capital of Hesse .

German Health Minister Jens Spahn said he expected the federal government to reach an agreement with authorities in the state of Hesse in the next few hours to get an evacuation of German citizens from China underway due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Spahn said Germany wanted to fly citizens in Wuhan - the Chinese city where the coronavirus outbreak began - and the province of Hubei as quickly as possible but wanted to ensure the evacuation was well prepared before evacuees are transported to Frankfurt, the capital of Hesse.
"We are therefore in close contact with the Hessian authorities to come to a solution between the federal government and authorities there and I assume that we will succeed in that in the next few hours so that the plane can take off quickly," he told reporters.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--US says approximately 210 citizens being relocated from Wuhan

Those on the aircraft from Wuhan will be screened several times and evaluated upon arrival in California , it added @

Approximately 210 U.S. citizens are being relocated from China's Wuhan city, the center of an outbreak of a new coronavirus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement released via the U.S. embassy in Beijing on Wednesday.
Those on the aircraft from Wuhan will be screened several times and evaluated upon arrival in California, it added.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Elections Committee votes to disqualify Yigal Amir party

The central elections committee voted unanimously 13 to 0 to disqualify the Free Trial party of Larissa Trembovler Amir, the wife of Yitzhak Rabin’s assassin, Yigal Amir, from running in the March 2 election.Labor faction chairamn Itzik Shmuli told the committee that the only purpose of this party is to bring about the release of Yigal Amir from prison. He said Trembovler Amri tricked the party registrar and her husband is running the party from Knesset."Allowing this party to run would stain the Knesset," Shmuli said. "He is a terrorist. He does not accept democracy, which he proved by firing three bullets in the back of the prime minister."But a representative of Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit told the committee that there was not enough evidence to disqualify the party. The Supreme Court will issue a final ruling next week.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Joint List MK Yazbak disqualified from running in the elections

The Central Elections Committee has officially disqualified Joint List MK Heba Yazbak (Balad) from running in the elections.The vote was 27 for the disqualification and 7 against.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Possible incendiary balloon spotted in Israel's South near Masada Junction

A balloon cluster with a suspicious device attached landed near the main highway in Israel's South by Masada Junction, police said in a statement.The area has been closed off, and police bomb disposal experts have been dispatched to the scene.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--European Union: Trump peace plan is a chance to re-launch talks

BRUSSELS - US President Donald Trump's proposals to create a Palestinian state for Middle East peace are a chance to re-launch talks towards "a viable solution" for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the European Union said in a statement.The initiative "provides an occasion to re-launch the urgently needed efforts towards a negotiated and viable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said on behalf of the bloc, adding that the EU would need to study and assess Trump's proposals.However, the EU cautioned that Israel and the Palestinians needed to show "a genuine commitment to the two-state solution as the only realistic way to end the conflict." Trump's plan agrees to let Israel maintain control of long-contested West Bank settlements.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Dutch court: No legal grounds to hear war crime case against Benny Gantz

A Dutch district court on Wednesday ruled that it does not have jurisdiction to hear a case against former Israeli Armed Forces chief Benny Gantz brought by a Dutch Palestinian who lost six relatives during a 2014 bombing of Gaza."A Dutch judge is not competent to rule on the case of the claimant," presiding Judge Larisa Alwin said.Gantz was Chief of Staff of the IDF from 2011 to 2015, and was in charge during the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict known as Operation Protective Edge.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Coronavirus: Russia and China working together on a vaccine

MOSCOW - Russia and China are working to develop a coronavirus vaccine and Beijing has handed over the genome of the virus to Moscow, a Russian diplomatic mission in China said on Wednesday.The death toll in China from coronavirus rose to 132 on Wednesday with the number of confirmed cases now at nearly 6,000."Russian and Chinese experts have begun developing a vaccine," the Russian consulate in Guangzhou province said in a statement.It was not clear if Russian and Chinese scientists were working together or separately. The consulate in Guangzhou could not be reached for comment.Russia, which has not had any confirmed cases of the virus, on Tuesday began screening all Russian tourists returning fromm China, the national consumer health watchdog said on Wednesday."The Chinese side handed over the virus genome to Russia, which has allowed our scientists to rapidly develop express-tests that make it possible to identify the virus in the human body within two hours," the consulate said in the statement.Russia has been in talks with China about evacuating its nationals from Wuhan and Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, the consulate said.Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin ordered Russia's consumer safety watchdog to draw up and present a plan to the government later on Wednesday on ways to prevent the spread of coronavirus.Russian authorities have closed some land border crossings to China in the Russian Far East until Feb. 7.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Coronavirus: Turkey says it will evacuate 32 citizens from China

ANKARA - Turkey will evacuate 32 citizens and their families from China's Wuhan, at the epicenter of a new virus outbreak, in the coming days, the country's ambassador to China said on Wednesday as the death toll rose to 132.The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it is confident in China's ability to contain the coronavirus, but concerns are mounting as its health authorities said the number of confirmed cases had jumped by 1,459 to 5,974.The United States and Japan flew its citizens out of Wuhan on Wednesday.Speaking to broadcaster NTV, Ambassador Emin Onen said Turkey had made the necessary applications to Chinese officials to evacuate the 32 citizens, adding that none of them had been diagnosed with the virus."We are in touch with all our citizens," Onen said. "We will bring them back as soon as possible...with a medical or similarly-equipped plane. There will be certain quarantine conditions when they land in Turkey."The number of cases in China now exceeds its tally from 2002 and 2003 when 5,327 people were infected with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that killed about 800 people around the world.While some experts believe the new strain, known as "2019-nCoV," is not as deadly as SARS, it has created alarm because it is spreading quickly and key features are still unknown, including its lethality.The government has said there are no known cases of the virus in Turkey and authorities are using thermal cameras at airports and other measures. Turkish Airlines has suspended flights to Wuhan, which has a population of 11 million.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--No hot meals, blankets, magazines as airlines step up fight on virus

Seeking to contain the spread of the new virus by reducing personal contact , Taiwan 's China Airlines said it is encouraging passengers to bring their own beverage bottles and would limit re-usable items by replacing them with disposables .
The airline and its regional arm Mandarin Airlines have stopped from Monday serving hot meals and replaced tablecloths and napkins with paper towels on cross-strait and Hong Kong flights .
They also stopped providing blankets , pillows , towels , magazines and newspapers , while beverages and disposable headphones are supplied only on request .
`` The seat back pocket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sick bag , '' said Tigerair Taiwan , also a member of China Airline group , adding duty-free sales are also not available .
Thai Airways is spray-disinfecting passenger cabin and cockpit on all flights returning from China and high-risk destinations .
`` Because we have in-flight entertainment which mean the LCD screens are being touched all the time , so we deep cleanse every flight before departure , '' an executive told a news conference on Tuesday .
Its video showing staff in hazmat suits spraying down a cabin garnered praise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's effort , although some were alarmed by it .
`` Where are all the passengers on board ?
I think all the passengers are supposed to be kept and be monitored for one week , '' social media user John Honesty posted on Facebook .
`` I suggest to stop all flight from China for at list 30 to 60 days .
That will not kill the economy .
The life of the public is more important now than the so called economy . ''
Thailand , the top destination for China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visitors last year .
But with 14 coronavirus cases , it is the second-worst hit country outside of China .
Other airlines including Singapore Airlines and Hong Kong 's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd are allowing crew to wear masks on China flights , while American Airlines provides hand sanitiser wipes for flight attendants to use on all departures to China .
Some are taking even more drastic measures with flight cancellations .

Passengers on some flights to China will have to make do without hot meals or blankets and newspapers, as airlines step up measures to protect crew and travellers from a coronavirus that has killed more than 130 in the country.
Seeking to contain the spread of the new virus by reducing personal contact, Taiwan's China Airlines said it is encouraging passengers to bring their own beverage bottles and would limit re-usable items by replacing them with disposables.
The airline and its regional arm Mandarin Airlines have stopped from Monday serving hot meals and replaced tablecloths and napkins with paper towels on cross-strait and Hong Kong flights. They also stopped providing blankets, pillows, towels, magazines and newspapers, while beverages and disposable headphones are supplied only on request.
"The seat back pocket will only contain the aircraft safety card and sick bag," said Tigerair Taiwan, also a member of China Airline group, adding duty-free sales are also not available.
Thai Airways is spray-disinfecting passenger cabin and cockpit on all flights returning from China and high-risk destinations.
"Because we have in-flight entertainment which mean the LCD screens are being touched all the time, so we deep cleanse every flight before departure," an executive told a news conference on Tuesday.
Its video showing staff in hazmat suits spraying down a cabin garnered praise on social media for the flag carrier's effort, although some were alarmed by it.
"Where are all the passengers on board? I think all the passengers are supposed to be kept and be monitored for one week," social media user John Honesty posted on Facebook.
"I suggest to stop all flight from China for at list 30 to 60 days. That will not kill the economy. The life of the public is more important now than the so called economy."
Thailand, the top destination for China's holidaymakers, had 11 million Chinese visitors last year. But with 14 coronavirus cases, it is the second-worst hit country outside of China.
Other airlines including Singapore Airlines and Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd are allowing crew to wear masks on China flights, while American Airlines provides hand sanitiser wipes for flight attendants to use on all departures to China.
Some are taking even more drastic measures with flight cancellations.
South Korean budget carrier Air Seoul said on Tuesday it will halt all flights to China due to travellers' concerns about the virus, while United Airlines Holdings Inc is suspending 24 U.S. flights to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai between Feb. 1 and Feb. 8 due to a sharp drop in demand.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Arab League: Peace plan is a waste of Palestinian rights

However , the Arab League is `` studying the American vision carefully .
We are open to any serious effort @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Wednesday that the first reading of US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan indicates a great waste of legitimate rights of Palestinians.
However, the Arab League is "studying the American vision carefully. We are open to any serious effort made to achieve peace," he said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Russian PM orders watchdog to draw up plan to prevent virus spread

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin ordered Russia's consumer safety watchdog to draw up and present a national plan to the government on Wednesday on ways to prevent the spread of coronavirus.Russia has not had any confirmed cases of the new virus, but has direct daily flights to several Chinese cities and officials said last year they expected more than 2 million Chinese tourists to visit in 2019.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Australia to share lab-grown coronavirus to hasten vaccine efforts

The researchers at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne said they would share the sample , which was grown from an infected patient , with the World Health Organization and laboratories around the world .
`` This is a step , it 's a piece of the puzzle that we have contributed , '' Doherty Institute Deputy Directo Mike Catton told reporters , while noting the development alone would not turn the tide in the battle against the virus .
The flu-like virus broke out in the central Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lock down most of Hubei province , which has a population around the same as Italy , the virus has still spread to more than a dozen countries from France to the United States .
A laboratory in China had already successfully grown the virus but had released only the genome sequence , not the sample itself , the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported .
Raina MacIntyre , who runs the Kirby Institute 's Biosecurity Research Program , said the creation and sharing of the virus sample would hasten the development of potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on animals injected with the disease .
`` More people are able to culture the virus , they can use the information to develop drugs , vaccines , and better characterize the nature of the virus and the transmission , '' MacIntyre told Reuters by telephone .
As well as contributing to the creation of a vaccine , the Australia-grown sample could be used to generate an antibody test , which would allow detection of the virus in patients who had not shown symptoms , the Doherty Instite said .
`` Having the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability to actually validate and verify all test methods , '' said Julian Druce , the institute 's virus identification laboratory head .
China confirmed on Tuesday that the national death toll had risen to 132 on Tuesday , with 5,974 confirmed cases .
The virus spreads in droplets from coughs and sneezes and has an incubation period of up to 14 days .

A team of scientists in Australia said on Wednesday they have successfully developed a lab-grown version of the new coronavirus, the first to be recreated outside of China, in a breakthrough that could help quicken the creation of a vaccine.
The researchers at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne said they would share the sample, which was grown from an infected patient, with the World Health Organization and laboratories around the world.
"This is a step, it's a piece of the puzzle that we have contributed," Doherty Institute Deputy Directo Mike Catton told reporters, while noting the development alone would not turn the tide in the battle against the virus.
The flu-like virus broke out in the central Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019. While China has since moved to lock down most of Hubei province, which has a population around the same as Italy, the virus has still spread to more than a dozen countries from France to the United States.
A laboratory in China had already successfully grown the virus but had released only the genome sequence, not the sample itself, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Raina MacIntyre, who runs the Kirby Institute's Biosecurity Research Program, said the creation and sharing of the virus sample would hasten the development of potential vaccines, as drugs could be tested on animals injected with the disease.
"More people are able to culture the virus, they can use the information to develop drugs, vaccines, and better characterize the nature of the virus and the transmission," MacIntyre told Reuters by telephone.
As well as contributing to the creation of a vaccine, the Australia-grown sample could be used to generate an antibody test, which would allow detection of the virus in patients who had not shown symptoms, the Doherty Instite said.
"Having the real virus means we now have the ability to actually validate and verify all test methods," said Julian Druce, the institute's virus identification laboratory head.
China confirmed on Tuesday that the national death toll had risen to 132 on Tuesday, with 5,974 confirmed cases. The virus spreads in droplets from coughs and sneezes and has an incubation period of up to 14 days.
The Peter Doherty Institute is a joint venture of the University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital. The Kirby Institute is attached to the University of New South Wales.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Netanyahu meets with Pompeo in Washington

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
( Credit : Kobi Gideon/GPO )

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (Credit: Kobi Gideon/GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met last night with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.Also attending the meeting was Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer.The meeting comes following the unveiling of US President Donald Trump's "Deal of the Century" peace plan on Tuesday, and the announcement of potential plans by Netanyahu to annex the Jordan Valley.In a speech given in November, Pompeo announced that the US government will no longer consider Israel's settlements in the West Bank illegal, signalling a landmark shift in US policy on the subject and giving further weight to any decisions regarding annexation.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--France: The two-state solution is necessary

France said this morning that the two state solution regarding Israel and Palestine is necessary in order to obtain a just and lasting peace deal in the Middle East.France welcomed US President Trump's latest efforts regarding the Middle East and it will continue to work with Europe and partners on the matter.The French Foreign Ministry also said that it will study closely the Trump peace plan.It also added that any peace plan will have to conform with international law and international agreed parameters.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Joe Biden slams peace plan as political stunt: 'This is not the way'

A peace plan requires two sides to come together .
This is a political stunt that could spark unilateral moves @ @ @ @ @ back peace even more .
`` I 've spent a lifetime working to advance the @ @ @ @ @ Jewish and democratic Israel , '' he added .
`` This is not the way @ @

A peace plan requires two sides to come together. This is a political stunt that could spark unilateral moves to annex territory and set back peace even more.
"I've spent a lifetime working to advance the security & survival of a Jewish and democratic Israel," he added. "This is not the way."


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Malaysia in talks to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Wednesday Kuala Lumpur was in talks with China to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak of the new coronavirus.A total of 78 Malaysians are currently in Wuhan, he said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--China virus turns Macau into gambling ghost town

The local government late on Tuesday said it would curb its individual visit scheme through which visitors gain entry from mainland China , days after it suspended inbound package tours .
Since Friday , arrivals have dropped 69 % , the latest figures showed .
The steps come as deaths from the coronavirus reached 132 in China on Wednesday with 1,500 new cases .
The flu-like virus emerged late last year in the eastern city of Wuhan and cases have since been reported worldwide including seven in Macau .
The virus has added to concerns in the former Portuguese colony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy and anti-government protests in neighboring Hong Kong .
However , the outbreak also coincides with the Lunar New Year holiday during which Macau seasonally enjoys record visitation , prompting analysts to forecast a decline in gaming revenue of at least 30 % for as long as visiting restrictions are in place .
Casino operators ' share prices plunged on Wednesday , by as much as 6 % for MGM China Holdings Ltd , 5.7 % for Sands China Ltd , 4.8 % for Wynn Macau Ltd and 4.7 % for Galaxy Entertainment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is China 's only location where casino gambling is legal , and over 90 % visitors come from Greater China .
Transport links with mainland China have been curtailed , however , with dozens of flights and ferry services cancelled .
The local government has also extended the Lunar New Year break to the end of the week , keeping banks and businesses closed .
On Tuesday , one of Macau 's busiest tourist draws - the towering stone facade dubbed the Ruins of St Paul - was deserted , while renowned shopping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents also stayed at home .
Casinos were open though operators shuttered restaurants and cancelled all shows .
Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng said casinos could close if the virus continues to spread .
Also known as `` 2019-nCoV '' , the virus was first reported in Wuhan , a major transportation hub and capital of central Hubei province with a population of 11 million people .
Macau 's government has instructed all tourists from Hubei to leave the city .
Around 270 remain , officials said .

The Chinese territory of Macau has become a near-ghost town during what is typically the busiest time of year in the world's biggest casino hub, after authorities announced a raft of measures to keep visitors away and contain the new coronavirus.
The local government late on Tuesday said it would curb its individual visit scheme through which visitors gain entry from mainland China, days after it suspended inbound package tours. Since Friday, arrivals have dropped 69%, the latest figures showed.
The steps come as deaths from the coronavirus reached 132 in China on Wednesday with 1,500 new cases. The flu-like virus emerged late last year in the eastern city of Wuhan and cases have since been reported worldwide including seven in Macau.
The virus has added to concerns in the former Portuguese colony over the impact of a slowing Chinese economy and anti-government protests in neighboring Hong Kong.
However, the outbreak also coincides with the Lunar New Year holiday during which Macau seasonally enjoys record visitation, prompting analysts to forecast a decline in gaming revenue of at least 30% for as long as visiting restrictions are in place.
Casino operators' share prices plunged on Wednesday, by as much as 6% for MGM China Holdings Ltd, 5.7% for Sands China Ltd, 4.8% for Wynn Macau Ltd and 4.7% for Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd.
The special administrative region is China's only location where casino gambling is legal, and over 90% visitors come from Greater China.
Transport links with mainland China have been curtailed, however, with dozens of flights and ferry services cancelled. The local government has also extended the Lunar New Year break to the end of the week, keeping banks and businesses closed.
On Tuesday, one of Macau's busiest tourist draws - the towering stone facade dubbed the Ruins of St Paul - was deserted, while renowned shopping and dining streets were empty as local residents also stayed at home.
Casinos were open though operators shuttered restaurants and cancelled all shows. Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng said casinos could close if the virus continues to spread.
Also known as "2019-nCoV", the virus was first reported in Wuhan, a major transportation hub and capital of central Hubei province with a population of 11 million people.
Macau's government has instructed all tourists from Hubei to leave the city. Around 270 remain, officials said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Australia to help quarantine coronavirus infected on Christmas Island

`` We have taken a decision this morning to prepare a plan for an operation to provide some assisted departures @ @ @ @ @ in Wuhan and the Hubei province , '' Morrison told reporters in Canberra .

"We have taken a decision this morning to prepare a plan for an operation to provide some assisted departures for isolated and vulnerable Australians in Wuhan and the Hubei province," Morrison told reporters in Canberra.
MELBOURNE - Australia will help some citizens leave Hubei province in China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, and quarantine them on Christmas Island, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday following a briefing by the Chinese government.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Coronavirus outbreak death toll rises to 170 in China as infections rise

The commission said in a statement there were 7,711 confirmed cases as of the end of Wednesday , with an @ @ @ @ @

The commission said in a statement there were 7,711 confirmed cases as of the end of Wednesday, with an additional 12,167 suspected cases.
SHANGHAI - China's National Health Commission said on Thursday the total number of confirmed deaths from the coronavirus in the country has risen by 38 to 170 as of end-Wednesday, as the number of infected patients rose by more than 1,700.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Three Japanese returnees from Wuhan test positive for coronavirus

Two of the three had not shown any symptoms , the ministry said , according to NHK .
They had @ @ @ @

The two were the first cases in Japan of people without symptoms being confirmed to have been infected with the virus, the ministry said.
Japan on Tuesday designated illness caused by the new virus as "designated infectious disease," which would allow compulsory hospitalization and the use of public funds to treat such patients. But the designation - which takes effect on Feb. 7 after ordinances are issued - does not apply to those without symptoms.
Inaugurating the government's special task force for the coronavirus, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government would take all steps possible to prevent the spread of the virus. Among the measures, the government would confirm contact information of all entrants into Japan who have a record of staying in Wuhan and conduct health checks.
Japan now has confirmed 11 cases of the virus, including a tour bus driver who was infected after coming into contact with Chinese visitors.
The three new cases were among 206 Japanese who were evacuated to Tokyo on Wednesday from Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic.
Of those evacuees, 12 were hospitalized because they had symptoms such as fever and coughing, and two refused to be taken to the hospital for checks but were escorted home. The remaining 201 all tested negative, a ministry official told a briefing.
Asked about concerns over the possible transmission of the virus from people who have not shown symptoms, the official said it was not clear whether that had happened.
Shigeru Omi, head of the Japan Community Health Care Organization, told the same briefing that there were reports of such transmission cases in China.
Chinese National Health Commission Minister Ma Xiaowei on Sunday said the virus was infectious during incubation, which can range from one to 14 days, which was not the case with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Abe told parliament it was regrettable that two of Wednesday's returnees had declined to be tested but said there were limits to what the government could do legally.
"It is extremely unfortunate that they declined to be tested," Abe told a parliamentary panel. "There are no legal constraints (on those without symptoms). There are civil rights aspects and there are limits to what we can do."
Abe also said the government would keep an eye on the possible economic fallout on tourism and other areas and would do everything necessary to protect people's lives and health.
A second charter flight carrying 210 Japanese nationals arrived at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Thursday morning. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that 13 who returned on Thursday felt unwell.
TOKYO - Three Japanese evacuated from Wuhan on a government-chartered flight have been confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus - including two who had not shown any symptoms, the health ministry said on Thursday.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Ukraine part of Bolton manuscript should not be classified - lawyer

Bolton 's attorney , Charles Cooper , released his letter on Wednesday after an earlier letter he had received from @ @ @ @ @ .
In that letter , the White House National Security Council said Bolton 's book @ @ @ @ @ significant amounts of classified information '' and could not be published in its current form @

Bolton's attorney, Charles Cooper, released his letter on Wednesday after an earlier letter he had received from the White House became public. In that letter, the White House National Security Council said Bolton's book manuscript appeared to contain "significant amounts of classified information" and could not be published in its current form.
WASHINGTON - Former national security adviser John Bolton and his lawyer do not believe any information in a chapter on Ukraine in Bolton's book manuscript should be considered classified, the lawyer wrote last week in a letter to the White House.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--China's Hubei says coronavirus deaths rise to 162 in province

There had been a further 1,032 cases detected in Hubei , taking the total to 4,586 , it said .
@ @ @ @ @ their citizens out of the area , as the number of deaths jumped and the @ @ @ @ @ `` grave concern '' about person-to-person spread in three other countries .

There had been a further 1,032 cases detected in Hubei, taking the total to 4,586, it said.
Foreign governments have been flying their citizens out of the area, as the number of deaths jumped and the World Health Organization has voiced "grave concern" about person-to-person spread in three other countries.
The health commission for Hubei, the Chinese province at the center of the new coronavirus outbreak, said on Thursday that deaths in the province from the disease had risen by 37 to 162 as of the end of Jan. 29.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--IDF strikes in the Gaza Strip

IDF strikes in the Gaza Strip

The IDF carried out airstrikes against terror targets in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday night in response to rocket fire towards southern Israel earlier in the evening and incendiary balloons that landed in Israel throughout the day, according to the IDF Spokesperson Unit.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Rocket sirens sound in Gaza border area

Rocket sirens sound in Gaza border area

Rocket sirens sounded on Wednesday evening in the Gaza border area, in Kissufim. An explosion was heard coming from an open space in the region and is currently being investigated.The IDF said that they are checking the reasons for the siren sounding.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--IDF reinforces soldiers in Judea and Samaria region

Following a situational assessment, the IDF will be deploying troops from the elite Maglan and Egoz commando units to boost force presence in the West Bank. Golani troops were already deployed yesterday ahead of expected riots in response to the release of US President Donald Trump's "Deal of the Century."


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Russian President Putin signed decree to pardon Naama Issachar

WASHINGTON – Russian President Vladimir Putin pardoned Naama Issachar hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to fly from Washington to Moscow on Wednesday.Netanyahu said: “I thank my friend President Putin for granting a pardon to Naama Issachar.”The prime minister added that he expects to discuss US President Donald Trump’s peace plan and other diplomatic developments in his meeting with Putin on Thursday.Issachar, 26, is an American-Israeli who was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison in Russia after 9.5 gr. of cannabis were found in her suitcase during a stopover in Moscow en route home to Israel from a trip to India.Issachar’s mother, Yaffa Issachar, said she had been waiting for this moment for almost a year.“It has been a long journey that I would not wish upon anyone,” she said. “Now, all I want is to hug my daughter Naama. I thank Prime Minister Netanyahu from the heart for his diplomatic determination and great efforts.... I also thank Russian President Vladimir Putin for showing mercy.”A senior Israeli source said Issachar’s release “was a gesture by President Putin to the prime minister. There was no deal with Russia.“The state acted on [Naama’s] case not only because of mutual responsibility that was true in other cases, but out of a desire to resolve a matter that could have hurt sensitive relations between Israel and Russia, and in light of an evaluation that the state’s stance on another matter hurt Naama,” the source said.The other matter is likely Israel’s extradition of hacker Alexei Burkov to the US.Issachar has been in prison in Moscow since mid-2019, and her case has garnered public attention in Israel.At the time of Issachar’s arrest, Burkov was in an Israeli prison ahead of an extradition trial. The US had requested he be extradited there to be tried for more than $20 million in computer fraud. Russia then submitted a competing extradition request. A court determined Burkov should be sent to the US.Burkov, 29, pleaded guilty to fraud in Virginia last week.Diplomatic sources have said that Russia never explicitly tied Issachar’s fate to that of Burkov, though it is widely understood that the cases were viewed as related.Israel also made gestures toward Russia “to tighten the ties in light of additional issues between the states,” the source said.One such gesture was made a month ago, when Israel ruled in favor of the pro-Putin side in a dispute between offshoots of the Orthodox Church over who controls the Alexander Courtyard in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.Netanyahu formally asked Putin for a pardon for Issachar in recent weeks, and Issachar submitted her plea for a humanitarian pardon on Sunday. Two days later, Moscow Governor Andrey Yuryevich signed her pardon request, which was then forwarded to Putin.During his visit to Jerusalem last week for the Fifth World Holocaust Forum, Putin met with Yaffa Issachar and told her “everything will be alright.”Putin said: “It’s clear that Naama comes from a very good family. I know the honorable prime minister’s stance.... All that is being taken into consideration at the time of making a decision.”According to Yaffa Issachar, Putin told her “I will return your girl home,” but he did not say when.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Israel weighs halting flights to and from China over Coronavirus

Israel may weigh halting flights to and from China in an effort to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus, Health Minister Yaakov Litzman said. Already the Health Ministry will hold a meeting on Wednesday night to discuss barring Chinese workers from entering the country, Litzman said at a conference in Eilat. He added that other dramatic steps could be taken such as preventing plans from China from landing in Israel.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Four injured in traffic accident in north of Israel

Four people were injured in a traffic accident on route 89 from Akhbara Junction in the direction of Rosh Pina.MDA teams arriving at the scene evacuated to Ziv Hospital a 3-year-old girl with a severe head injury, a 6-year-old girl with abdominal bruising and 2 lightly injured, a 5-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Police close Old City entrance following suspected stabbing attempt

Police closed off the entrance to the Old City in Jerusalem from Damascus Gate on Wednesday afternoon after two people were caught on Temple Mount with knives, attempting to carry out a terror attack.
סוכל פיגוע דקירה בהר הבית: אין נפגעים, 2 מחבלים נעצרו.קרדיט: אנשי הדממה בפיסבוק pic.twitter.com/eormmr3LZn — מעריב אונליין (@MaarivOnline) January 29, 2020
The two suspects were arrested. No one was injured.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Netanyahu to visit Uganda on Monday

Netanyahu to visit Uganda on Monday

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit Uganda on Monday after he concludes his state visit in Russia, Ynet reported. Netanyahu is expected to visit Russia on Thursday and meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In Israel, it is widely believed he will return to the country with Naama Issachar. A young Israeli woman who is currently in Russian prison for bringing a small amount of Cannabis into Russia.Netanyahu publicly vowed that he will bring her “back home.”


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Joint List vetted with 18 votes against disqualifying it in elections

Despite the Likud party and Yisrael Beytenu voting in favor of not allowing the Joint List party to take part in the March elections, the party will be allowed to participate with 4 votes in favor of disqualifying it and 18 votes against the proposal.MK Oded Forer of Yisrael Beytenu took to social media to say UTJ and Shas avoided casting a vote and suggested the move is a compensation for the ruling against MK Heba Yazbak who was disqualified on Wednesday for allegedly supporting terrorism.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--France Foreign Ministry support Trump's efforts for peace

A spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry released a statement on Wednesday in support of the peace plan that US President Donald Trump proposed on Tuesday.France welcomes President Trump's efforts and is carefully studying the peace plan he introduced. France is convinced that a two-state solution, in accordance with international law and agreed international parameters, is necessary for the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.France will continue to work in this direction in cooperation with the United States, its European partners and anyone who can contribute to this goal. France is attentive to the need to respect and consider the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians.


jerusalempost--2020-01-29--Netanyahu on Fox and Friends: Palestinians will never get a better deal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave an interview on Fox and Friends on Wednesday and said that the Deal of the Century is the best deal the Palestinians, in his view, are going to get.Speaking about US President Donald Trump, Netanyahu said he is the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Russian plane makes emergency landing after passenger bomb threat

MOSCOW - Russian airline S7 said on Thursday one of its planes had been forced to make an emergency landing at Moscow's Domodedovo airport after a passenger stood in the aisle and said she had an explosive device.S7 said the plane had landed safely, away from other aircraft, and emergency services and airport security staff had rushed to meet it. It did not immediately provide any further information.Russian police have reportedly already detained the passenger who threatened to blow herself up.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Pompeo: Denying Iran money can force them to make decisions

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that denying Iran money and wealth is the right way to force Tehran to make difficult decisions.Speaking to reporters in London, Pompeo also said that China is the central threat of our times and the United States and its allies must ensure they have the military and technological power to ensure that this century is governed by Western principles."While we still have to be enormously vigilant about terror ... the Chinese Communist Party presents the central threat of our times," he added.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--6,000 kept on board Italian cruise ship amid coronavirus scare

ROME - Some 6,000 people are being kept on board an Italian cruise ship as tests are carried out on two Chinese passengers suspected of having caught coronavirus, a spokesman for the Costa Crociere cruise company said on Thursday.The couple arrived in Italy on Jan. 25 and boarded the ship, the Costa Smeralda, in the port of Savona that same day. They subsequently came down with a fever and are suffering breathing difficulties.The liner has visited Marseilles in France, and the Spanish ports of Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca this week before docking on Thursday at Civitavecchia, north of Rome.No one was being allowed off the ship while medical checks were carried out to see if the pair had the potentially deadly coronavirus, the company spokesman said.He said it might take "a few hours" before the situation became clearer.On Thursday countries began isolating hundreds of citizens evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan to stop the spread of the coronavirus, which has killed 170 people.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Hamas militant killed in tunnel collapse in Gaza Strip

Ibrahim al-Shuntaf , 21 , a resident of Gaza City , was identified as the militant killed in the accident @

Ibrahim al-Shuntaf, 21, a resident of Gaza City, was identified as the militant killed in the accident.
A member of Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades was killed when a tunnel collapsed in Gaza City on Thursday, according to Palestinian reports.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Cement allowed into Gaza Strip for first time since 2014

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Trucks carrying cement were allowed into the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing for the first time since 2014 on Thursday, according to Kan news.
בפעם הראשונה מאז 2014: משאית מלט הגיעה לרצועת עזה דרך מעבר כרם שלום(צילום: חסן סליח)@coren_ido pic.twitter.com/SESLnsOpH1 — כאן חדשות (@kann_news) January 30, 2020
Shipments of rubber tires were also allowed into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday for the first time since April 2018, according to Palestinian reports.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Pompeo says Brexit Britain is at front of the line for US trade

LONDON - The United States will put post-Brexit Britain at the front of the line for a trade deal, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday."The previous administration took a view that if the United Kingdom made this decision they'd be at the back of the line - we intend to put the United Kingdom at the front of the line," Pompeo said."This is a historic relationship," he told reporters in London, adding that the relationship was in a fantastic place.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--British Airways suspends flights to mainland China for a month

LONDON - British Airways said on Thursday that all its flights to mainland China had been canceled for a month due to the outbreak of a new coronavirus there.A spokeswoman said all flights to Beijing and Shanghai had been suspended until the end of February, but flights to Hong Kong were unaffected.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Rocket siren heard in southern Israel not caused by rocket fire

Rocket sirens that were heard in the town of Yad Mordechai in southern Israel on Thursday were not caused by rocket fire, according to the IDF.Hen Greenberg, a spokesperson for the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, stated that no rockets fell in the area and that there were no injuries.Palestinian media reported that terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip fired towards Israeli aircraft at around the same time as the sirens were sounded.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Woman suspected to have coronavirus forcibly isolated in Tel Aviv

The woman will be forcibly held in isolation for 8 hours or until an alternate decision is reached .
A @ @ @ @ @ her to prevent her from leaving isolation .
`` The forcible isolation order was given @ @ @ @ @ that no other options existed to prevent a risk to public health , '' said @ @ @ @ @ of Health .

The woman will be forcibly held in isolation for 8 hours or until an alternate decision is reached. A guard will be placed by her to prevent her from leaving isolation."The forcible isolation order was given after it was made clear that no other options existed to prevent a risk to public health," said a statement by the Ministry of Health.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--King Abdullah of Jordan celebrates 58th birthday

`` God bless you , Abu Hussein , the most honorable of men , and forever our pillar of strength @ @ @ @ @ his wife Queen Rania on Instagram .
Letters from leaders of friendly states commended the @ @ @ @ @ in pursuit of further prosperity and progress in Jordan , '' and his role `` @ @ @ @ @ Islamic causes '' including `` safeguarding Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem , '' @ @ @ @ @ Agency .

"God bless you, Abu Hussein, the most honorable of men, and forever our pillar of strength and integrity," wrote his wife Queen Rania on Instagram.
Letters from leaders of friendly states commended the king for his "leadership in pursuit of further prosperity and progress in Jordan," and his role "in service of Arab and Islamic causes" including "safeguarding Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem," according to the Jordan News Agency.
King Abdullah II of Jordan celebrated his 58th birthday on Thursday.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Russia to pause electronic visas to Chinese nationals

MOSCOW - Russia will temporarily stop issuing electronic visas to Chinese nationals from Thursday in response to the outbreak of the coronavirus, the foreign ministry said.On Wednesday, Russia said it would limit its railway links with China from Jan. 31, leaving only direct trains between Moscow and Beijing.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Eight foreign nationals caught in avalanche on Japan's Hokkaido

TOKYO - Eight foreign nationals were caught up in an avalanche at a ski resort on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido on Thursday, one of whom was unconscious, police said.Akihiro Hirakawa, deputy chief of the Furano police station, could not confirm earlier media reports that the whole group was French, or that the unconscious man was in cardio-pulmonary arrest - a term commonly used in Japan before a doctor formally confirms death.Public broadcaster NHK said the unconscious man appeared to be in a critical condition while none of the other seven had serious injuries.The group of six men and two women was skiing off-piste, when the avalanche struck mid-afternoon at the Tomamu resort."One man left the group to seek help from the ski patrol after the avalanche. He was French," Hirakawa told Reuters. "Seven people remain at the scene and we've spoken with one by mobile phone. One is unconscious."The weather in that part of Hokkaido, which is popular with skiers - especially from Australia and other parts of Asia - for its deep, powdery snow, has been warmer than usual lately and that probably made the snow unstable, Hirakawa said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--China regulator approves charter flights to bring home Wuhan tourists

BEIJING - China's aviation authority has approved chartered flights to bring home from overseas trips some residents of the central city of Wuhan, the site of an epidemic caused by a new virus, state television said on Thursday.Domestic and international airlines have canceled flights between Wuhan and overseas cities since Jan. 23, in a bid to prevent the spread of the virus.The aviation authority also asked the airlines not to stop healthy Wuhan residents from boarding flights.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Indonesia preparing to evacuate citizens from Wuhan as coronavirus spreads

Retno Marsudi said the government is working with Beijing authorities on the evacuation .
He said that there were at @ @ @ @ @ declared to be in lockdowns , the majority of whom were in Wuhan .
Wuhan @ @ @ @ @ province , has become the epicenter of a virus outbreak which has killed 170 and @ @ @ @ @ .

Retno Marsudi said the government is working with Beijing authorities on the evacuation. He said that there were at least 243 Indonesians in areas declared to be in lockdowns, the majority of whom were in Wuhan.
Wuhan, in China's Hubei province, has become the epicenter of a virus outbreak which has killed 170 and infected more than 7,700 others.
Indonesia is preparing to evacuate its citizens from the virus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan and will quarantine them for at least 14 days on arrival to avoid contagion, its foreign minister said on Thursday.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--New Zealand to charter flight to help citizens leave Wuhan

The aircraft will have capacity for around 300 passengers and will fly from Wuhan to New Zealand , New Zealand 's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said in a statement .
“ We are pleased to be have been able to offer this assistance to New Zealanders in a challenging situation , ” Peters said .
“ New Zealand will be offering any additional seats to Pacific Island and Australian citizens as a matter of priority , ” he said , adding that the government was working to have the aircraft depart as soon as possible .
Consular teams will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks of transmission of the coronavirus to New Zealand are carefully managed throughout the evacuation process , the statement said .
The total number of confirmed deaths from the coronavirus in China rose on Thursday by 38 to 170 , as the number of infected patients globally rose to 7,815 .
Although most cases identified remain in China , more than a dozen other countries have so far reported cases .
Peters said officials are currently developing procedures for pre-departure health screening of passengers , infection control inflight , and isolation of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to two weeks .
Australia said on Wednesday that it will help some citizens leave Hubei province in China , the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak , and quarantine them on Christmas Island , and would also be working to help New Zealand and Pacific island citizens in Hubei .

The aircraft will have capacity for around 300 passengers and will fly from Wuhan to New Zealand, New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
“We are pleased to be have been able to offer this assistance to New Zealanders in a challenging situation,” Peters said.
“New Zealand will be offering any additional seats to Pacific Island and Australian citizens as a matter of priority,” he said, adding that the government was working to have the aircraft depart as soon as possible.
Consular teams will work with health officials to ensure the risks of transmission of the coronavirus to New Zealand are carefully managed throughout the evacuation process, the statement said.
The total number of confirmed deaths from the coronavirus in China rose on Thursday by 38 to 170, as the number of infected patients globally rose to 7,815. Although most cases identified remain in China, more than a dozen other countries have so far reported cases.
Peters said officials are currently developing procedures for pre-departure health screening of passengers, infection control inflight, and isolation of all passengers arriving in New Zealand for up to two weeks.
Australia said on Wednesday that it will help some citizens leave Hubei province in China, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, and quarantine them on Christmas Island, and would also be working to help New Zealand and Pacific island citizens in Hubei.
WELLINGTON - New Zealand said on Thursday it would charter an aircraft to assist its citizens wanting to leave Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in China.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Two of three Japanese evacuees from Wuhan with coronavirus had no symptoms

The two were the first cases in Japan of people without symptoms being confirmed to have been infected with the virus , the ministry said .
Japan on Tuesday designated illness caused by the new virus as `` designated infectious disease , '' which would allow compulsory hospitalization and the use of public funds to treat such patients .
But the designation - which takes effect on Feb. 7 after ordinances are issued - does not apply to those without symptoms .
Inaugurating the government 's special task force for the coronavirus , Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of the virus .
Among the measures , the government would confirm contact information of all entrants into Japan who have a record of staying in Wuhan and conduct health checks .
Japan now has confirmed 11 cases of the virus , including a tour bus driver who was infected after coming into contact with Chinese visitors .
The three new cases were among 206 Japanese who were evacuated to Tokyo on Wednesday from Wuhan , the epicenter of the epidemic .
Of those evacuees , 12 were hospitalized because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and two refused to be taken to the hospital for checks but were escorted home .
The remaining 201 all tested negative , a ministry official told a briefing .
Asked about concerns over the possible transmission of the virus from people who have not shown symptoms , the official said it was not clear whether that had happened .
Shigeru Omi , head of the Japan Community Health Care Organization , told the same briefing that there were reports of such transmission cases in China .
Chinese National Health Commission Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was infectious during incubation , which can range from one to 14 days , which was not the case with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS ) .
Abe told parliament it was regrettable that two of Wednesday 's returnees had declined to be tested but said there were limits to what the government could do legally .
`` It is extremely unfortunate that they declined to be tested , '' Abe told a parliamentary panel .
`` There are no legal constraints ( on those without symptoms ) .
There are civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we can do . ''
Abe also said the government would keep an eye on the possible economic fallout on tourism and other areas and would do everything necessary to protect people 's lives and health .
A second charter flight carrying 210 Japanese nationals arrived at Tokyo 's Haneda airport on Thursday morning .
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that 13 who returned on Thursday felt unwell .

The two were the first cases in Japan of people without symptoms being confirmed to have been infected with the virus, the ministry said.
Japan on Tuesday designated illness caused by the new virus as "designated infectious disease," which would allow compulsory hospitalization and the use of public funds to treat such patients. But the designation - which takes effect on Feb. 7 after ordinances are issued - does not apply to those without symptoms.
Inaugurating the government's special task force for the coronavirus, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government would take all steps possible to prevent the spread of the virus. Among the measures, the government would confirm contact information of all entrants into Japan who have a record of staying in Wuhan and conduct health checks.
Japan now has confirmed 11 cases of the virus, including a tour bus driver who was infected after coming into contact with Chinese visitors.
The three new cases were among 206 Japanese who were evacuated to Tokyo on Wednesday from Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic.
Of those evacuees, 12 were hospitalized because they had symptoms such as fever and coughing, and two refused to be taken to the hospital for checks but were escorted home. The remaining 201 all tested negative, a ministry official told a briefing.
Asked about concerns over the possible transmission of the virus from people who have not shown symptoms, the official said it was not clear whether that had happened.
Shigeru Omi, head of the Japan Community Health Care Organization, told the same briefing that there were reports of such transmission cases in China.
Chinese National Health Commission Minister Ma Xiaowei on Sunday said the virus was infectious during incubation, which can range from one to 14 days, which was not the case with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Abe told parliament it was regrettable that two of Wednesday's returnees had declined to be tested but said there were limits to what the government could do legally.
"It is extremely unfortunate that they declined to be tested," Abe told a parliamentary panel. "There are no legal constraints (on those without symptoms). There are civil rights aspects and there are limits to what we can do."
Abe also said the government would keep an eye on the possible economic fallout on tourism and other areas and would do everything necessary to protect people's lives and health.
A second charter flight carrying 210 Japanese nationals arrived at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Thursday morning. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that 13 who returned on Thursday felt unwell.
TOKYO - Three Japanese evacuated from Wuhan on a government-chartered flight have been confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus - including two who had not shown any symptoms, the health ministry said on Thursday.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Ikea closes all stores in China due to coronavirus outbreak

The decision to close all of its 30 stores follows an announcement from world 's biggest furniture retailer on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ half of its stores and shortening the opening hours .
The total number of confirmed @ @ @ @ @ China has risen by 38 to 170 as of Wednesday , as the number of @ @ @ @ @ than 1,700 .

The decision to close all of its 30 stores follows an announcement from world's biggest furniture retailer on Wednesday that it was closing around half of its stores and shortening the opening hours.
The total number of confirmed deaths from the coronavirus in China has risen by 38 to 170 as of Wednesday, as the number of infected patients rose by more than 1,700.
BEIJING - Sweden's IKEA said on Thursday that it has temporarily closed all its stores in China because of the outbreak of the new coronavirus.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Chinese football association to postpone 2020 games to contain coronavirus

Football games at all levels and involving all types in China will be postponed , in order to help control @ @ @ @ @ association said in a statement on its website .

Football games at all levels and involving all types in China will be postponed, in order to help control the virus spread, the association said in a statement on its website.
SHANGHAI - The Chinese Football Association said on Thursday it will postpone domestic games in 2020 due to rapidly spreading coronavirus epidemic in the country.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--South Korea president urges calm amid protests over quarantine sites

The first of up to four planned flights to Wuhan had been due to depart South Korea on Thursday morning , but were delayed for unspecified reasons , Yonhap news agency reported .
The flights were still expected to depart by later in the day .
`` The weapons that will protect us from the new coronavirus are not fear and aversion but trust and cooperation , '' Moon said in a speech on Thursday , decrying `` fake news '' as creating excessive anxiety .
Protesters used tractors to block access to facilities earmarked as quarantine centers in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 80 km ( 50 miles ) south of Seoul , on Wednesday .
The government has proposed to keep the evacuated citizens in isolation at the facilities , usually used as training centers for public servants , for at least two weeks to ensure they do not develop symptoms .
Moon tried to reassure residents , saying the initial evacuees would only be those with no symptoms , and they will be held in isolation .
`` The government will be taking air-tight steps to ensure the residents of areas where the facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
South Korea has reported four cases of the newly identified virus , all of whom arrived after visiting the central Chinese city of Wuhan where the pathogen appeared in humans late last year .
The new strain of coronavirus has an incubation of between one and 14 days and can spread before symptoms show , complicating efforts to screen people at international borders .
It has created widespread alarm because it is spreading quickly and there are still important unknowns surrounding it , but it is still too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be , because there are likely to be many cases of milder infections going undetected .
South Korea said the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong , North Korea , would be closed until the outbreak eased .
North Korea would not allow South Korean officials to enter the office when they arrived on Thursday , Yonhap reported , citing South Korea 's unification ministry .

The first of up to four planned flights to Wuhan had been due to depart South Korea on Thursday morning, but were delayed for unspecified reasons, Yonhap news agency reported. The flights were still expected to depart by later in the day.
"The weapons that will protect us from the new coronavirus are not fear and aversion but trust and cooperation," Moon said in a speech on Thursday, decrying "fake news" as creating excessive anxiety.
Protesters used tractors to block access to facilities earmarked as quarantine centers in the cities of Asan and Jincheon, about 80 km (50 miles) south of Seoul, on Wednesday.
The government has proposed to keep the evacuated citizens in isolation at the facilities, usually used as training centers for public servants, for at least two weeks to ensure they do not develop symptoms.
Moon tried to reassure residents, saying the initial evacuees would only be those with no symptoms, and they will be held in isolation.
"The government will be taking air-tight steps to ensure the residents of areas where the facilities are do not need to be concerned," he said.
South Korea has reported four cases of the newly identified virus, all of whom arrived after visiting the central Chinese city of Wuhan where the pathogen appeared in humans late last year.
The new strain of coronavirus has an incubation of between one and 14 days and can spread before symptoms show, complicating efforts to screen people at international borders.
It has created widespread alarm because it is spreading quickly and there are still important unknowns surrounding it, but it is still too early to know what its death rate will be, because there are likely to be many cases of milder infections going undetected.
South Korea said the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, North Korea, would be closed until the outbreak eased. North Korea would not allow South Korean officials to enter the office when they arrived on Thursday, Yonhap reported, citing South Korea's unification ministry.
SEOUL - South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged residents not to give in to fear as the country prepared to evacuate the first of around 700 citizens from the epicenter of the new coronavirus epidemic in China on Thursday.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Passengers on cruise liner docked in Japan test positive for coronavirus

Health screening began on Tuesday for some 3,700 passengers and crew aboard the cruise liner after a Hong Kong passenger @ @ @ @ @ last month tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus .
TV Asahi said about 10 people @ @ @ @ @ .

Ten people on a cruise liner in the port of Yokohama have tested positive for coronavirus , Japan said on Wednesday, a figure that could rise as more results come in and authorities continue to monitor thousands of passengers and crew.
The 10 infected people will be transported to a medical facility, Japan Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said, while the the remaining around 3,700 people will remain quarantined on board the Carnival Corp ship for 14 days.
"I want to take sufficient care of the health of passengers and crew and make every effort to prevent the spread of the virus," Kato said at a media briefing.
Everyone on board the Diamond Princess had received initial health screening, Kato said, a process that identified 273 people for testing. Of that smaller group, 31 results had been received so far, revealing the 10 confirmed cases.
Kato said that officials would continue to monitor the remaining passengers and crew for the potential development of symptoms, suggesting that more test samples could be taken.
None of the 10 infected people, three of whom are Japanese nationals, had severe symptoms, public broadcaster NHK reported.
The health checks began on Monday evening after an 80-year-old Hong Kong man who sailed on the vessel last month tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus.
Photographs and video posted on Twitter by a passenger with the handle @daxa_tw showed masked health workers clad in blue plastic gowns walking down empty corridors as well as views of deserted lounges and a barren deck.
Carnival Japan, the local unit of the British-American cruise operator, said on Tuesday the turnaround of the ship had been delayed by about 24 hours. It was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.
The company said on Tuesday that cruises scheduled to depart from Yokohama and the western Japanese port of Kobe this week would be canceled because of delays related to the coronavirus checks.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--China's Hubei province reports 65 new coronavirus deaths

BEIJING, - The number of deaths in China's central Hubei province from a coronavirus outbreak had risen by 65 to 479 as of Tuesday, Chinese state television reported on Wednesday.There were a further 3,156 cases detected in Hubei, the epicenter of the outbreak, taking the total in the province to 16,678


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--62% of the votes counted: Buttigieg leading Iowa caucus, Sanders second

With 62% of precincts reporting, Pete Buttigieg has been announced as the current frontrunner in the Iowa caucus, with Sen. Bernie Sanders trailing in second place, followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren in third and former US vice president Joe Biden in fourth place.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Knesset to form special committee to deal with coronavirus

The Knesset House Committee voted late Tuesday to recommend that the Knesset plenum form a temporary committee to deal with the coronavirus , should patients carrying it be found in the country.The committee would oversee all matters related to the spread and treatment of the virus.As of November, the National Emergency Authority (NEA) does not have a head, as the last person to fill that position, Bezalel Triber, resigned.“Should the plague reach Israel, we will have to deal with it without an NEA head,” Blue and White MK Zvi Hauser told the committee.Hauser called to appoint a new head and warned that unless a committee is formed “today... we will pay the price.”The committee decided to also form two other temporary committees, one dealing with special education and the other with the operation of emergency services during the recent storms. It rejected a request to form another committee on violence in the Arab sector.Ten MKs from Blue and White and Yisrael Beytenu voted in favor, with Likud and Joint List members not participating in the vote. The decisions will be rubber-stamped by the plenum when it meets to decide on the immunity request for Likud MK Haim Katz. Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein is expected to set a date for the plenum meeting on Thursday.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Burhan: Meeting with Netanyahu meant to maintain Sudanese security

Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said on Tuesday that his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was meant “to preserve and maintain Sudanese national security and achieve the supreme interests of the Sudanese people.”Sudan’s leader added that the country still holds a “principled stance on the Palestinian issue and the right of its people to establish its independent state... in accordance with the Arab consensus and Arab League decisions.”


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Nevada Democrats will not use app that led to Iowa's delayed results

WASHINGTON - The Nevada Democratic Party said on Tuesday they will not use the same app that led to delayed reporting of Iowa's Monday presidential caucus results in their own caucuses on Feb. 22.Democratic party officials in Iowa have had to delay announcing the tally of the caucus results after reporting difficulties using the mobile app, developed by tech firm Shadow Inc."We will not be employing the same app or vendor used in the Iowa caucus," Nevada State Democratic Party Chair William McCurdy said in a statement."We had already developed a series of backups and redundant reporting systems, and are currently evaluating the best path forward," he added.Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price said the mobile app was recording data accurately but only partial data. He said that the coding problem was fixed and state officials are verifying the app's data with paper documents.Shadow said in a statement posted on Twitter on Tuesday that it regretted the delays in reporting voting results and that the issue did not affect any of the underlying caucus results.Shadow's chief executive and chief technology officers are both veterans of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.The vendor was launched after digital non-profit Acronym took over the tech platform Groundbase in early 2019. Its website said it sees itself as "building a long-term, side-by-side 'Shadow' of tech infrastructure to the Democratic Party and the progressive community at large."On Monday, Acronym, which has an affiliated political action committee called Pacronym, said it was an investor in the app but distanced itself from its services in Iowa."Acronym is an investor in several for-profit companies across the progressive media and technology sectors. One of those independent, for-profit companies is Shadow Inc., which also has other private investors ... we, like everyone else, are eagerly awaiting more information from the Iowa Democratic Party with respect to what happened," it said in a statement on Twitter.Officials in Iowa said that problem on Monday night was "a reporting issue" and not a cyber-security one."The app did not go down and this is not a hack or an intrusion," said Mandy McClure, a spokeswoman for the Iowa Democratic Party.A Biden aide told Reuters that the former vice president's campaign had used Shadow's services once for a small campaign sending text messages to voters about its campaign kick-off in Philadelphia, but stopped because the company did not meet the campaign's security standards.The aide did not provide further details.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Protests as Hamas allocates hospital for possible coronavirus patients

Palestinians protested on Tuesday against the Hamas decision to evacuate the Khan Younis Algerian Hospital in case any coronavirus patients are found in the Gaza Strip, Mako reported.The hospital was built by Algeria only a few months earlier and residents claim that it should be used to treat local people and that, should any coronavirus patients be found, they should be given medical care away from large population centers.The crowds broke into the hospital and broke some machinery and threw stones at Palestinian police officers sent to restore order.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Iran to continue working with other countries on Ukraine investigation

DUBAI - Iran's civil aviation authority said on Tuesday it would keep working with other countries investigating the downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane last month and it called on all parties to avoid politicizing the issue.Iran's Revolutionary Guards shot down the airliner on Jan. 8 but, killing all 176 people onboard.They later admitted they done so by mistake while on high alert hours after they had fired at U.S. targets in retaliation for a U.S. strike that killed Iranian military commander General Qassem Soleimani.On Monday, Tehran blamed Ukrainian authorities for leaking what it described as confidential evidence and said it would no longer share material with Ukraine from the investigation.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had said on Sunday that the leaked audio recording of an Iranian pilot talking to the control tower in Tehran showed that Iran knew immediately it had shot down the plane despite denying it for days.Iran's Civil Aviation Organization said in statement on Tuesday that it was not given any warning about missile activity in the hours before the Ukrainian airliner was shot down.It said it would continue investigating the crash "and the cooperation with the countries involved in this accident will continue as before.""Of course the expectation from all parties is to avoid politicizing this accident and obstructing the technical and specialized investigation," it said.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--WHO calls for improved data-sharing on coronavirus, sending team to China

GENEVA - The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday urged all health ministers to improve data-sharing on coronavirus immediately and said he would send a team of international experts to work with Chinese counterparts.The U.N. agency was sending masks, gloves, respirators and nearly 18,000 isolation gowns from its warehouses to some two dozen countries that need support, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told its Executive Board.So far 22 nations have reported trade or travel-related measures linked to the coronavirus, which Tedros said should be "short in duration, proportionate to public health risks" and reviewed regularly."Such restrictions can have the effect of increasing fear and stigma with little public health benefit," he said.Chen Xu, China's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, told the WHO Executive Board that some restrictions went against the U.N. agency's advice. He cited prohibitions on entry of foreigners who have visited China in the past 14 days, suspension of visa issuance and cancellation of flights."Do not engage in over-reaction," Chen said. "You should follow WHO suggestions and refrain from restrictions on international travel or trade, stay clear of discriminatory actions and stigmatization."There have been 20,471 confirmed cases of coronavirus in China, with 176 cases in 24 other countries, and one death, in the Philippines, according to the WHO's latest figures."This is still and foremost an emergency for China," Tedros said, noting that 99% of cases are in China and 97% of deaths are in Hubei province, including the epicenter of Wuhan city.Hong Kong reported its first coronavirus death on Tuesday, the second outside mainland China from a fast-spreading outbreak that has killed 427 people and threatened the global economy.So far 27 cases of person-to-person spread of the virus have been documented in nine countries outside of China, WHO officials said.The overall public health cost of the response from February to April is estimated at $675 million, which does not include the social or economic consequences of the outbreak, said Scott Pendergast, WHO director of strategic planning and partnerships.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Commander of Hatzor Airbase relieved from duty after drowned F-16 case

The commander of Hatzor Airbase asked to be relieved of his command and IAF Commander Maj.-Gen. Amikam Norkin approved his request after an investigation into the damage caused to F-16 fighter jets due to heavy rain on airbase in January , the IAF announced on Tuesday.In addition, the head of the squadron to which the eight damaged planes belonged to was reprimanded, and the head of the maintenance squadron and the commander of the flight squadron were also reprimanded.The airbase commander will be given a different position in the IAF.Five of the eight F-16’s that were damaged were repaired and are now operational at the cost of 30 million NIS [roughly 10 million USD], the Israeli Air Force [IAF] said in a press release on Tuesday.
#Israel Air Force: damage to infrastructure & equipment is estimated at NIS 30 million. Five of the damaged planes have returned to the skies, another 3 are still being repaired. Hatzor base commander will leave his position, 3 other senior IAF officers will be reprimanded — Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) February 4, 2020
While the report said the airbase had drainage systems that could have been used to reduce damages in real time, those on hand were working in a complex environment and followed procedures. It also noted that the weather reports indicating the rainfall were available to all involved and more actions should have been undertaken to prevent the damage.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Sheba Medical Center opens new Coronavirus facilities

The Sheba Medical Center designated a new area within the hospital to be used to treat patients suspected of having coronavirus.So far not a single case has been reported in Israel, with a 9-year-old girl who returned to the country with her parents from China ruled as not having it.The new usage will give medical care-givers the means to treat the patients while preventing them infecting other patients.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Iowa Democratic Party writes letter to campaigns about results delay

The Iowa Democratic Party is writing a letter to campaigns about the delay in releasing results from the caucus, CNN reported on Tuesday.Results of the Iowa caucus have been reportedly delayed by an issue with a mobile app built by Shadow Inc., a for-profit company acquired by ACRONYM in July 2019.The delay prompted two leading candidates in the Iowa race, US Senator Bernie Sanders and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, to release their own tallies.It remains unclear when official results wil be released, though Iowa officials say it will be "as soon as possible today."


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Katz: I don’t deserve this, they are after my blood

MK Haim Katz responded to the allegations of misconduct and breach of trust against him on Tuesday by saying that for the past three and half years, “I am paying for something I didn’t do.”Katz spoke during a Knesset discussion about whether or not he should be offered immunity.Claiming it was an “admirer” who hunts him down and has filed over 100 complaints to the police against him in the past 22 years, Katz argued that he is not guilty of any wrongdoing and that he was already punished, for example, when his US visa was revoked.“I helped legislate 180 laws,” he said, “never once did I make a mistake or overstep my authority.”


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Vietnam reports H5N6 bird flu outbreak in northern village

PARIS - Vietnam has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N6 bird flu in a village in the northern part of the country, the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Tuesday, citing a report from the Vietnamese farm ministry.The virus was detected in a flock of 3,000 birds in the village of Duc Yen and directly killed 2,200 birds, the report said.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Iraq says monitoring impact of China's coronavirus on oil demand

BAGHDAD - Iraq, OPEC's second-biggest oil producer, is closely monitoring the impact of China's new coronavirus on global oil demand, particularly in Asia, Iraq Oil Ministry spokesman Asim Jihad told Reuters on Tuesday.Iraq supports any agreement that would stabilize the oil market and will work with OPEC and its allies, a group known as OPEC+, to bring back balance between oil supply and demand, Jihad said.He also said that any decision by OPEC+ on whether there was a need to deepen the oil supply cuts or meet earlier than agreed, which in March, would be taken by all members based on the recommendations of an OPEC+ technical panel.The Joint Technical Committee (JTC) of the OPEC+ is meeting over Feb. 4-5 in Vienna to assess the impact on oil demand from the coronavirus.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--9-year-old Israeli girl tests negative for coronavirus

A nine-year-old girl who was hospitalized at the Schneider- Children's Medical Center at Petah Tikva was reported as not suffering from coronavirus, a press release on behalf of the hospital said on Tuesday.The child and her parents returned from China a few days ago.As the suspicions was ruled out, the girl was taken out of quarantine and the hospital returned to its regular work procedures.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--White House adviser does not see US economic 'disaster' from coronavirus

WASHINGTON - The coronavirus outbreak that began in mainland China will likely have some impact on US supply chains, but the effects will probably not be catastrophic, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said in an interview with Fox Business Network.The number of cases and deaths in the fast-spreading outbreak have continued to climb, spurring the United States to evacuate some of its citizens from China, issue a travel warning, and impose quarantines and a partial travel ban. Beijing has criticized the measures.In the television interview, Kudlow played down the potential wider impact of the virus outbreak, saying: "It's not a catastrophe. It's not a disaster.""We've been through this before and I just think the impact is minimal," he said later.China is the biggest trading partner of the United States.Kudlow said he thought the virus outbreak could spur business investment and lead to increases in production in the United States.Asked if component shortages could be a result of the outbreak, Kudlow said: "Yes. To a point. It's not across the board.""Chipmakers are not going to be affected that much. Pharmaceuticals probably will be affected much more. Some things are kind of in the middle, when you get to automobiles and auto parts."


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Russia to set up quarantine area in Siberia for those evacuated from China

Russia will set up a quarantine area in Siberia's Tyumen region for Russians being evacuated from the epicenter of China's coronavirus outbreak, the Interfax news agency cited Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova as saying on Tuesday.She said that the Russians would be held in quarantine for 14 days, but that they are thought to be healthy.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Shaked, Zohar vow not to honor AG ruling, Katz: It never happened

Former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said on Tuesday that she “does not accept the opinion [of Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit] and we won’t follow it” during a Knesset debate aired live on the Knesset Channel.Likud MK Miki Zohar said that while the ruling of the A-G is “very important” it is not “sacred.”The debate is regarding whether MK Haim Katz is granted immunity for alleged charges of breach of trust and bribery. Should Katz be granted immunity, it will hold until the next Knesset is sworn in.Mandelblit claims that while he won’t “step into the duties of the MKs,” the conduct of Katz consisted of presenting false information as if it was true and “concealing [facts] with intent [of hiding them].”Katz himself said that he would like to address what the A-G said as he speaks of things “which never happened.”


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Olmert: Netanyahu close to losing his cool, fourth elections coming

Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “near to losing his cool” when dealing with the indictment charges against him for bribery and breach of trust, the Knesset Channel reported.Olmert also slammed Netanyahu’s visit to Uganda where he met Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan Abdel Fattah al-Burhan calling it “election tricks.” He further stated that, in his opinion, Israel faces a fourth round of elections after the upcoming March ones which will be the third.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--Mandelblit on MK Katz’s conduct: Breach of trust on the highest levels

Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit said on Tuesday that the Knesset committee investigating the conduct of MK Haim Katz was faced with a “veil of false pretenses.” He added that while the indictment does not include allegations of bribery it is “breach of trust on the highest level.”The Knesset is meant to decide today whether Katz will be given immunity from legal persecution, if he gains it, he will be able to enjoy it until the next Knesset is sworn in.Katz served as Labor and Social Affairs Minister before he resigned in August due to the indictment charges.


jerusalempost--2020-02-04--American Airlines suspends flights to and from Hong Kong through Feb. 20

Hong Kong reported its first coronavirus death on Tuesday , the second outside mainland China .
An American Airlines spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ of its Hong Kong flights to and from Los Angeles and Dallas would continue through @ @ @ @ @ restrictions on flights and people who have visited mainland China that took effect Sunday have @ @ @ @ @ On Friday , American Airlines suspended its flights to and from mainland China through March @ @

American Airlines Group, the largest U.S. carrier, said Tuesday it had suspended all its flights to and from Hong Kong.
Hong Kong reported its first coronavirus death on Tuesday, the second outside mainland China. An American Airlines spokeswoman said the airline's suspension of its Hong Kong flights to and from Los Angeles and Dallas would continue through Feb. 20.
U.S. government restrictions on flights and people who have visited mainland China that took effect Sunday have not impacted Hong Kong. On Friday, American Airlines suspended its flights to and from mainland China through March 27.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--EU's new foreign policy chief to meet Pompeo in Washington

Despite divisions over Iran , Pompeo has sought to re-establish friendlier ties with the incoming leaders of the European Union @ @ @ @ @ mark an end to troubled relations since President Donald Trump took office .

Josep Borrell, the new EU foreign policy chief, will hold talks in Washington on Thursday and Friday with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, the European Union said in a statement on Wednesday.
Despite divisions over Iran, Pompeo has sought to re-establish friendlier ties with the incoming leaders of the European Union, including Borrell, and mark an end to troubled relations since President Donald Trump took office.
"These meetings will provide an opportunity to advance the foreign policy dialogue between the EU and US and should focus specifically on ways to enhance transatlantic relations," the EU's foreign service said in a statement.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--WHO: 'No known effective' treatments for new coronavirus

A Chinese TV report said that a research team at Zhejiang University had found an effective drug for the virus @ @ @ @ @ News said researchers had made a `` significant breakthrough '' in developing a vaccine .

The World Health Organization played down media reports on Wednesday of "breakthrough" drugs being discovered to treat people infected with the new coronavirus which is causing an epidemic in China and has spread to at least 20 other countries.
A Chinese TV report said that a research team at Zhejiang University had found an effective drug for the virus, while Britain's Sky News said researchers had made a "significant breakthrough" in developing a vaccine.
Asked about the reports, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said: "There are no known effective therapeutics against this 2019-nCoV (virus)."


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Russia says coronavirus vaccine will take 8-10 months to develop

`` Today the process of developing a vaccine is not a short period of time .
A vaccine is being @ @ @ @ @ to 10 months , this is just the initial stage without clinical trials , '' @ @ @

Russia said on Wednesday it will take between eight and 10 months to develop a vaccine against coronavirus, the Interfax news agency cited health minister Mikhail Murashko as saying.
"Today the process of developing a vaccine is not a short period of time. A vaccine is being developed for at least eight to 10 months, this is just the initial stage without clinical trials," said Murashko.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Khamenei: Arab leaders who support 'Deal of the Century' are incompetent

Arab leaders who support U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, dubbed the "Deal of the Century," are incompetent, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday, according to a tweet from his official account."Don't look at the presence of a few, #traitorous Arab heads of state for the 'Deal of the Century'. They're incompetent and have no respect among their own nation," Khamenei said, according to the post.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Adidas closes 'considerable' number of shops in China due to coronavirus

German sportswear company Adidas on Wednesday said it was closing a "considerable" number of its shops in China, where the fast-spreading coronavirus has killed nearly 500 people and infected thousands."We can confirm that we are currently experiencing a negative impact on our business in China. However, it is too early to assess the extent of this impact at the moment," a spokeswoman said.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Mothers may pass coronavirus to unborn children, say Chinese doctors

The doctors said it was possible after an infected coronavirus patient gave birth to a baby on Feb. 2 .
@ @ @ @ @ test 30 hours later and confirmed to have the virus , the said .
Wuhan @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak that has since spread across China and overseas .

Pregnant women infected with the new coronavirus may be able to pass it to their unborn child, doctors at the Wuhan Children Hospital said on Wednesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The doctors said it was possible after an infected coronavirus patient gave birth to a baby on Feb. 2. The newborn was given a test 30 hours later and confirmed to have the virus, the said.
Wuhan city is the epicentre of the outbreak that has since spread across China and overseas.