jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Schools to open for K through 4 including in red and orange cities

Kindergarten through fourth grade , special education and schools for at risk youth will learn normally including in orange and @ @ @ @ @ twelfth grade will meet in green and yellow cities .
In red and orange cities @ @ @ @ @ classes .

Kindergarten through fourth grade, special education and schools for at risk youth will learn normally including in orange and red cities. Fifth through twelfth grade will meet in green and yellow cities . In red and orange cities these grades will have online classes.
Schools in Israel will open on Wednesday according to the coronavirus classification of the city in which they are located, the Health Ministry announced Tuesday.The classifications of each city were determined by the Health Ministry and approved by the government.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Coronavirus in the IDF: 552 soldiers infected, 6,670 in quarantine

As of Monday , 6,670 IDF soldiers and civilian staff are in quarantine .
There are currently 20 active coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ are for quarantine and 3 of which are for those infected with the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ quarantine in the hotels and 826 infected are being treated in hotels .
Some 5,286 @ @ @ @ @ as of Monday , the IDF reported .

As of Monday, 6,670 IDF soldiers and civilian staff are in quarantine.
There are currently 20 active coronavirus hotels, 17 of which are for quarantine and 3 of which are for those infected with the virus. Some 3,730 people are in quarantine in the hotels and 826 infected are being treated in hotels.
Some 5,286 epidemiological investigations have been completed as of Monday, the IDF reported.
Some 552 IDF soldiers and civilian staff are currently positive for the coronavirus, the IDF announced Tuesday morning. All are in good condition.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--11 students and 2 teachers infected with coronavirus at Rehovot school

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Some 11 students and two teachers from the same class were infected with the coronavirus at a school in Rehovot, Channel 13 reported Tuesday.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Two indicted for racially motivated crime against Arabs

One of the men is a 19 year old resident of Bnei Brak and the other is a resident of @ @ @ @ @ Walla News .
The men were caught by police with equipment to damage the tires @ @ @ @ @ and gloves and masks to disguise their identities , the prosecutor reported .

One of the men is a 19 year old resident of Bnei Brak and the other is a resident of Bat Ayin, according to Walla News.
The men were caught by police with equipment to damage the tires of cars, spray-paint, and gloves and masks to disguise their identities, the prosecutor reported.
An indictment was issued against two men who are accused of planning to damage the property of Arabs due to racial motivations, the Jerusalem area prosecution announced Tuesday.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--14 Hebrew University students and faculty test positive for coronavirus

Students who had known contact with one of the patients were notified by the university .

Students who had known contact with one of the patients were notified by the university. Students who had known contact with one of the patients were notified by the university.
Some 14 students and faculty of Hebrew University tested positive for the coronavirus and 28 were sent into quarantine, the university told students in an email on Monday.The university said that this is "a very unusual and significant" number of cases and that they expect to discover more cases in the coming days.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Almost 16,000 Israelis register as unemployed in past day

Around 33 % of those who registered in the past day work in sales , and 12 % work in @ @ @ @ @ 21,717 people have registered as unemployed since Sunday , joining the 766,507 Israelis total registered @ @ @

Around 33% of those who registered in the past day work in sales, and 12% work in the beauty industry. Some 21,717 people have registered as unemployed since Sunday, joining the 766,507 Israelis total registered as unemployed.
Almost 16,000 Israelis registered as unemployed with Israel's Employment Service between Monday and Tuesday, according to Ynet News.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Landslide hits residential area in Norway, 10 hurt, 21 unaccounted for

OSLO - Ten people were hurt, one of them critically, and 21 people remained unaccounted for after a landslide in southern Norway swept away more than a dozen buildings in the early hours of Wednesday, police said.The landslide struck a residential area in the municipality of Gjerdrum, some 30 km (19 miles) north of the capital Oslo.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Gabi Ashkenazi quits Blue and White

Gabi Ashkenazi quits Blue and White

Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi announced on Wednesday afternoon that he is quitting Blue and White and will not run in the March 23 election.Ashkenazi will not be quitting his post as foreign minister or leaving the Knesset. He told Blue and White leader Benny Gantz of his decision and wished him well in the election.Although he was critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , he said he did not regret joining the government."Blue and White presented an alternative to Netanyahu and we decided to have influence from inside the government out of national responsibility," Ashkenazi said.Ashkenazi took credit for the Abraham Accords, saying that he changed the discourse away from annexation and opened up opportunities for peace accords.Gantz said he respected Ashkenazi's decision. He credited him with restoring respect to the Foreign Ministry."Gabi helped the foreign ministry recover from years of neglect and reassert itself as the leading and influential ministry it should be, while helping to block annexation and promote regional normalization," Gantz said. "I am certain he will continue to make a meaningful contribution to Israeli public life."Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn and his longtime confidante, Blue and White MK Einav Kabla, who are joining the Israelis party of Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai, will quit the Knesset on Sunday.They will be replaced by the next two candidates on the combined Blue and White-Yesh Atid list, Moshe Kinley Tur Paz and Vladimir Beliak of Yesh Atid.Tur-Paz was until recently the director-general of the Jerusalem Education Authority. He was born to British parents who had made aliyah in the 1950s, while they were emissaries in Philadelphia. He spent part of his childhood in England when they were emissaries again. His father was a senior official at the Jewish Agency in Israel.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Gas prices to rise to up to NIS 5.51 per liter on Thursday night

At midnight Thursday night , the maximum price per liter of unleaded 95-octane gasoline for a consumer at a self-service @ @ @ @ @ will not exceed NIS 5.51 per liter , an increase of 8 agorot from the @ @ @ @ @ for full service will remain the same , 21 cents per liter ( including VAT @ @ @ @ @ per liter of unleaded 95-octane gasoline for a consumer at a self-service station in Eilat @ @ @ @ @ not exceed NIS 4.71 per liter , an increase of 7 ag from the previous @ @ @ @ @ full service will be 18 cents per liter ( excluding VAT ) , without change @ @ @ @ @

At midnight Thursday night, the maximum price per liter of unleaded 95-octane gasoline for a consumer at a self-service station (including VAT) will not exceed NIS 5.51 per liter, an increase of 8 agorot from the previous month. The supplement for full service will remain the same, 21 cents per liter (including VAT).
The maximum price per liter of unleaded 95-octane gasoline for a consumer at a self-service station in Eilat (excluding VAT) will not exceed NIS 4.71 per liter, an increase of 7 ag from the previous month. The supplement for full service will be 18 cents per liter (excluding VAT), without change from the previous month.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Police chief, prison service head nominees approved

The nominees appointed by Public Security Minister Amir Ohana for the positions of chief of Israel Police and head of the Israel Prison Service were approved by the Advisory Committee for the Appointment of Senior Civil Service Officials ( the Goldberg Committee ) on Wednesday .
The committee , headed by former justice Eliezer Goldberg , determined that there were no faults in the candidates ' integrity nor in Ohana 's motives in choosing them .
Israel Police acting Insp.-Gen. Moti Cohen replaced Roni Alsheich in December 2018 but was never elevated to permanent status .
Cohen has served as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to senior positions were held up by the electoral paralysis and the coronavirus crisis .
Shabtai joined the Border Police in 1991 , including in an undercover unit in Gaza .
He was enlisted into the paratroop brigade in 1982 and served in several command roles .
Shabtai was wounded three times in altercations with Palestinians or from their explosives and has been awarded citations for continuing to fight after being wounded .
Since 1995 he has fulfilled many police roles in the West Bank , including as Border Police chief since 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spike in terror attacks during the 2015-2016 Knife Intifada .
But he has much less experience in police operations within the Green Line .
Perry had served in the IPS since 1990 in a variety of positions , including commanding prisons and as the head of the southern district and multiple intelligence division roles .
`` I am glad that the Advisory Committee for Appointments to Senior Positions also found my candidates , Superintendent Kobi Shabtai for the post of chief of the Israel Police and Katy Perry for the post of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security organizations , '' said Ohana , adding that he would request that the government approve the appointments immediately .

The Advisory Committee for the Appointment of Senior Civil Service Officials (the Goldberg Committee) on Wednesday approved the nominees for chief of the Israel Police and for head of the Prisons Service submitted by Public Security Minister Amir Ohana.The committee, headed by former justice Eliezer Goldberg, found no faults in the candidates’ integrity nor in Ohana’s motives in choosing them.“I am glad that the Advisory Committee for Appointments to Senior Positions also found my candidates, Asst.-Ch. Kobi Shabtai for the post of chief of the Israel Police, and Katy Perry for the post of prisons commissioner, worthy of heading important security organizations,” said Ohana, adding that he would ask that the government approve the appointments immediately.Ohana nominated Shabtai for the position earlier this month after the High Court of Justice ordered the government to act promptly to appoint a new permanent police chief.Moti Cohen, the acting chief, replaced Roni Alsheich in December 2018 but was never elevated to permanent status. He has served in the caretaker role since December 2018 because appointments to senior positions were held up by the electoral paralysis and the coronavirus crisis.Shabtai joined the Border Police in 1991 and served, among other roles, in an undercover unit in Gaza.Since 1995 Shabtai has fulfilled many police roles in the West Bank, including as Border Police chief since 2016, part of which has included combating terrorist attacks during the 2015-2016 wave of violence.Perry has served in the Prisons Service since 1990 in a variety of positions.Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Iran allocates $150,000 for families of victims of Ukraine plane crash

`` The cabinet approved the provision of $ 150,000 or the equivalent in euros as soon as possible to the @ @ @ @ @ of the victims of the Ukrainian plan crash , '' IRNA quoted a government statement @ @ @ @ @ Guards said they accidentally shot down the Ukraine International Airlines plane shortly after take off @ @ @ @ @ missile when tensions with the United States were high .
Five days earlier , the @ @ @ @ @ commander Qassem Soleimani with a drone strike in Iraq .
Iran 's Minister of Roads @ @ @ @ @ told state television on Wednesday that the final report on the crash had been sent @ @ @ @ @ the investigation .

Iran's Cabinet on Wednesday allocated $150,000 for the families of each of the 176 victims of a Ukrainian plane shot down in Iranian airspace in January, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Describing Iran 's handling of the situation as "unacceptable," Ukraine said the amount of compensation should be negotiated and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.
According to the IRNA report, an Iranian government statement said: "The cabinet approved the provision of $150,000 or the equivalent in euros as soon as possible to the families and survivors of each of the victims of the Ukrainian plane crash."
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have said they accidentally shot down the Ukraine International Airlines plane shortly after takeoff, mistaking it for a missile when tensions with the United States were high.
Ukraine's foreign ministry said the compensation should be set through talks, taking into account international practice, after establishing the causes of the tragedy and bringing those responsible to justice.
"The Ukrainian side expects from Iran a draft technical report on the circumstances of the aircraft shooting down," ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said, adding that Iran had yet to implement earlier agreements, without giving details.
"This situation is especially unacceptable, since we are talking about the fate of innocent people," Nikolenko said.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne added in an emailed statement that "negotiations on reparations" are the best avenue available "to hold Iran accountable for its actions."
Canada has played a role as the home of many of the victims on the downed plane.
Iran's transport minister Mohammad Eslami told state television that the final report on the crash had been sent to the countries participating in the investigation.
Iranian Foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said an indictment will be issued in less than a month against "those whose negligence caused the accident," the semi-official news agency Fars reported. Iranian officials have said the case was being handled by a military court.
In a preliminary report in July, Iran's Civil Aviation Organization blamed a misaligned radar system and lack of communication between the air defense operator and his commanders for the downing of the plane.
Under United Nations rules, Iran retains overall control of the air investigation while the United States and Ukraine are accredited as the countries where the jet was respectively built and operated.
A spokesman for the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed by email that it has received the draft report from Iran.
Kathy Fox, chair of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said her agency will not have access to the report until it is finalized.
Habib Haghjoo, an Iranian-born Canadian who lost his daughter and granddaughter in the crash, said he did not trust the news from Tehran and stressed that his priority is the report.
"They want to wrap it up," he said of Iran. "We want the truth."


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Former IDF chief Eisenkot not entering politics

Former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot announced to party leaders on Wednesday that he will not be running in the March 23 election.Eisenkot told Gideon Sa'ar, Yair Lapid and Avigdor Liberman that he will not be entering "at this time," due in part to it being too close to the end of his army service and a cooling off period that would prevent him from becoming a minister.The many new parties and candidates also persuaded him not to run, he told them.Eisenkot was considered the only game-changer outside of politics who could make a difference for a party. He was being wooed by several parties, including MK Moshe Ya'alon's Telem Party, Yesh Atid, Blue and White and possibly the Likud.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--15 coronavirus patients found on flight from Dubai to Ben-Gurion

Some 15 people confirmed as infected with the novel coronavirus were found on a flight from Dubai to Ben-Gurion Airport on Wednesday.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Turkey could normalize ties with France, improve ties with

Turkey cannot remain silent to words and actions against it from France, Foreign Minister Mevlu Cavusoglu said on Wednesday, but added that ambassadors of the two countries were working to normalize ties.Speaking at a news conference, Cavusoglu also said Turkey was ready to take steps to improve ties with the United States and hoped the Biden administration would do the same.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Turkey, US in talks to form joint working group on S-400s

Ankara and Washington have started talks to form a joint working group regarding Turkey's purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems and the U.S. sanctions stemming from it, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday.Speaking at a news conference, Cavusoglu said the working group had not been formed yet but talks among experts had begun.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Coronavirus in Israel: 5,584 new cases, 5.7% tests positive

Of those infected , 628 were in serious condition and 162 were on ventilators .
Some 37 deaths were reported @ @ @ @ @ the death toll since the beginning of the outbreak to 3,293 .

Of those infected, 628 were in serious condition and 162 were on ventilators. Some 37 deaths were reported since Tuesday morning, bringing the death toll since the beginning of the outbreak to 3,293.
The number of daily cases of the novel coronavirus in Israel rose yet again on Tuesday, as 5,583 new cases were reported and 5.7% of tests returned positive, according to a Wednesday morning update by the Health Ministry. The number is the highest number of cases in a day since October.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Coronavirus in IDF: 599 infected, 7,201 in quarantine

Some 7,201 soldiers were in home quarantine .
Some 149 soldiers were at the recovery village in Ashdod .

Some 7,201 soldiers were in home quarantine. Some 149 soldiers were at the recovery village in Ashdod.
Some 599 IDF soldiers and workers were infected with the novel coronavirus as of Wednesday morning, according to the IDF Spokespersons Unit. All are in light condition.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--193 yeshiva students confirmed as infected with coronavirus

Some 193 yeshiva students at yeshivas under the supervision of the Shield of Israel project were confirmed coronavirus patients as of Wednesday morning, with a third of the students studying at just one yeshiva, Kol Yaakov in Jerusalem, according to journalist Tzvi Tessler.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Israel surpasses COVID vaccine goal with 152,000 vaccination in one day

Overall , almost 650,000 Israelis have been vaccinated .

Israel surpassed the coronavirus vaccine goal set by Health Minister Yuli Edelstein on Tuesday after nearly 152,000 people were vaccinated in one day, Edelstein announced on Wednesday.
בדרך למיליון מתחסנים! 152,000 מתחסנים נכון לאתמול, קרוב ל 650,000 בסך הכל. ככה מנצחים מגפה! pic.twitter.com/bKAWf07NIp — Yuli Edelstein יולי אדלשטיין (@YuliEdelstein) December 30, 2020
Overall, almost 650,000 Israelis have been vaccinated.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Kinneret rises by 0.5 cm, 1.105 meters below upper red line

The lake is now 1.105 meters below the upper red line threshold , which marks 208.8 meters below sea level @

The lake is now 1.105 meters below the upper red line threshold, which marks 208.8 meters below sea level.
The Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee) rose by a half centimeter on Wednesday, rising to 209.905 meters below sea level.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--IDF combat soldiers will be allowed to return home as usual

IDF combat soldiers will be allowed to return home as they would during standard situations, the IDF announced on Wednesday, after a situation evaluation was conducted amid a spike in coronavirus infection rates across Israel.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Abu Dhabi approves remote learning for first two weeks of school

Abu Dhabi has approved remote learning for schools in the emirate for the first two weeks of the new term starting on Jan. 3 to protect the health of students and staff, the Abu Dhabi media office said on Twitter on Wednesday.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--US warships transit Taiwan Strait, China denounces 'provocation'

Two US warships sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Thursday drawing protest from Beijing , the second such mission this month and coming almost two weeks after a Chinese aircraft carrier group used the same waterway .
`` The ships ' transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific .
The United States military will continue to fly , sail and operate wherever international law allows . ''
This is the 13th sailing through the strait by the US Navy this year .
China 's Defence Ministry denounced the trip as `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force , '' adding Chinese ships and aircraft trailed the US ships .
The passage of the ships sent the wrong message to supporters of Taiwan independence and are a serious threat to peace and stability , it added .
`` The Chinese People 's Liberation Army maintains a high level of alert at all times , responds to all threats and provocations at all times , and resolutely defends national sovereignty and territorial integrity , '' the ministry said .
Taiwan 's Defence Ministry said the ships had sailed in a northerly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ termed an `` ordinary mission . ''
Taiwan 's armed forces monitored the sailing and the situation is `` as normal , '' it added .
China 's military said it had tailed the last US warship to pass through the Taiwan Strait on Dec. 19 , and denounced the mission .
The day after that trip , Taiwan 's navy and air force deployed as a Chinese aircraft carrier group led by the country 's newest carrier , the Shandong , sailed through the Taiwan Strait .
China said the group was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disputed South China Sea .

Two US warships sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Thursday drawing protest from Beijing, the second such mission this month and coming almost two weeks after a Chinese aircraft carrier group used the same waterway.
China, which claims to democratically run Taiwan as its own territory, has been angered by stepped-up US support for the island, including arms sales and sailing warships through the Taiwan Strait, further souring Beijing-Washington relations.
The US Navy said the guided missile destroyers USS John S. McCain and USS Curtis Wilbur had "conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit Dec. 31 in accordance with international law."
"The ships' transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States military will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows."
This is the 13th sailing through the strait by the US Navy this year.
China's Defence Ministry denounced the trip as "provocation" and "a show of force," adding Chinese ships and aircraft trailed the US ships.
The passage of the ships sent the wrong message to supporters of Taiwan independence and are a serious threat to peace and stability, it added.
"The Chinese People's Liberation Army maintains a high level of alert at all times, responds to all threats and provocations at all times, and resolutely defends national sovereignty and territorial integrity," the ministry said.
Taiwan's Defence Ministry said the ships had sailed in a northerly direction through the strait on what it termed an "ordinary mission." Taiwan's armed forces monitored the sailing and the situation is "as normal," it added.
China's military said it had tailed the last US warship to pass through the Taiwan Strait on Dec. 19, and denounced the mission.
The day after that trip, Taiwan's navy and air force deployed as a Chinese aircraft carrier group led by the country's newest carrier, the Shandong, sailed through the Taiwan Strait.
China said the group was on its way to routine drills in the disputed South China Sea.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Cyber attack on US gov't may have started earlier than initially thought

US investigators originally thought that the attack on government agencies and private industry targets began in March or April , @ @ @ @ @ State , Commerce and Energy Departments .
State-backed Russian hackers were identified as the suspects @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The initial burrowing in may have started earlier , '' Democratic Senator Mark @ @ @ @ @ serves as Vice-Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee told Reuters in an interview .
Warner @ @ @ @ @ hack were active but that so far the US government does not have hard evidence @ @ @ @ @ compromised by the hackers .

US investigators originally thought that the attack on government agencies and private industry targets began in March or April, including breaches of Treasury, State, Commerce and Energy Departments. State-backed Russian hackers were identified as the suspects. Russia has denied involvement.
"The initial burrowing in may have started earlier," Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, who serves as Vice-Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee told Reuters in an interview.
Warner said extensive investigations of the hack were active but that so far the US government does not have hard evidence that classified government secrets were compromised by the hackers.
The unprecedented cyber attack on US government agencies reported this month may have started earlier than last spring as previously believed, a US senator involved in cybersecurity said on Wednesday.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Trump briefed China sought to pay for attack of US troops - report

Trump discussed the information with national security adviser Robert O'Brien the day he was briefed on it , said CNN @ @ @ @ @

Trump discussed the information with national security adviser Robert O'Brien the day he was briefed on it, said CNN citing the same source.
US President Donald Trump was briefed earlier in December that China wanted to pay non-state actors to attack American troops in Afghanistan, CNN reported Thursday citing a senior administration official.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--US slaps tariffs on French, German wines, aircraft parts amid EU dispute

US trade officials on Wednesday said they were increasing tariffs on certain European Union products , including aircraft-related parts and @ @ @ @ @ , amid an ongoing civil aircraft dispute between Washington and Brussels .
In a statement @ @ @ @ @ US Trade Representative said it was adding tariffs on aircraft manufacturing parts and certain non-sparkling @ @ @ @ @ and other brandies from France and Germany .

US trade officials on Wednesday said they were increasing tariffs on certain European Union products, including aircraft-related parts and wines from France and Germany, amid an ongoing civil aircraft dispute between Washington and Brussels.
In a statement, the Office of the US Trade Representative said it was adding tariffs on aircraft manufacturing parts and certain non-sparkling wines as well as cognacs and other brandies from France and Germany.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Biden to roll back 'midnight regulations' -transition team

WILMINGTON, Del. - The Biden administration will take swift action when it assumes office on Jan. 20 to rollback harmful Trump administration policies that will not have taken effect by inauguration day, a spokeswoman for President-elect Joe Biden's transition team said on Wednesday."The Biden-Harris White House will issue a memo to take effect afternoon Eastern Time on January 20 that will halt, or delay midnight regulations," Jen Psaki told a news conference.Psaki gave as an example an expected Department of Labor ruling that would make it easier for companies to call their workers independent contractors to avoid minimum wage and overtime protections.“If it takes effect, that rule will make it easier to misclassify employees as independent contractors, costing workers more than $3.7 billion dollars annually," she said."The memo would potentially freeze this rule and not allow it to be implemented."Psaki also told the briefing that more cabinet-level nominations could be expected from the Biden camp in the next week and she repeated complaints of lack of cooperation with the transition team from the outgoing Trump administration.She said lack of cooperation could delay production of a federal budget.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Education Ministry: 10,559 students, 2,017 teachers infected with COVID-19

The Education Ministry reported 10,559 students across all grades were found to be infected with COVID-19 , a press release @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
Eight schools out of 5,000 educational institutions were shut down due to the @ @ @ @ @ of the 21,000 across the country .
The great majority ( 73.7 % ) of @ @ @ @ @ and Orange towns .

The Education Ministry reported 10,559 students across all grades were found to be infected with COVID-19, a press release by the ministry said on Wednesday.
In addition, 2,017 teachers were reported infected.
Eight schools out of 5,000 educational institutions were shut down due to the virus and 738 kindergartens out of the 21,000 across the country. The great majority (73.7%) of infected students reside in Red and Orange towns.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Syrian state media says 28 killed in a bus ambush in Deir al-Zor

AMMAN - Twenty eight people were killed in a "terrorist" attack on a bus along a main highway in Syria's Deir Zor province that borders Iraq, Syrian state media said on Wednesday.There were no more details of the incident in an area where mostly Syrian army and Iranian-backed militias are based, near the ancient city of Palmyra.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Maccabi to expand coronavirus vaccine target groups

Maccabi Health Services intends to broaden the target groups for the coronavirus vaccine as it summoned almost 70% of the current target groups.Maccabi will allow those above the age of 55 with chronic illnesses, oncology patients over the age of 16, and patients suffering from immune system suppression.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Cyprus to allow vaccinated Israelis to enter in March

Cyprus means to allow Israelis who got the COVID-19 vaccine into the country starting in March , Kan reported on @ @ @ @ @ considering the idea of a `` Green Passport '' for Israelis who get the vaccine @ @ @ @ @ meant to help vaccinated persons avoid quarantine and freely attend public events .

Cyprus means to allow Israelis who got the COVID-19 vaccine into the country starting in March, Kan reported on Wednesday.
Health officials are considering the idea of a "Green Passport" for Israelis who get the vaccine. Such a measure is meant to help vaccinated persons avoid quarantine and freely attend public events.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Former accountant-general, Yaron Zelekha, announces new party

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Former Finance Ministry accountant-general Yaron Zelekha announced on Wednesday that he will form a new socioeconomic party that will run in the March 23 election.Zelekha, who held the post when Netanyahu was finance minister, announced the New Economic Party that he will head.In a press conference symbolically held at a Tel Aviv club closed due to the coronavirus, Zelekha said his goal is to be finance minister.Zelekha blasted the economic policies not only of Netanyahu, but also Gideon Sa'ar, Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett and the corruption of former prime minister Ehud Olmert and his finance minister Avraham Hirchson.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Ash: Lockdown will likely intensify as COVID-19 infections continue

The efficiency of the COVID-19 lockdown policy is under “ a question mark , ” corona commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash @ @ @ @ @ meeting held with local council heads .
Ash explained that further restrictions seem likely and @ @ @ @ @ reduction of people traveling within the country when compared to an average of 60 % @ @ @ @ @ lockdowns .
He suggested that it would be “ realistic ” to expect public events @ @ @ @ @ in mid-April .
He claimed that “ masks could come off when we reach a @ @ @ @ @ of vaccinated people .
”

The efficiency of the COVID-19 lockdown policy is under “a question mark,” corona commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash warned on Wednesday during a meeting held with local council heads.
Ash explained that further restrictions seem likely and pointed to the 20% reduction of people traveling within the country when compared to an average of 60% reduction in the past two lockdowns.
He suggested that it would be “realistic” to expect public events in time for Independence Day in mid-April. He claimed that “masks could come off when we reach a 70%-80% rate of vaccinated people.”


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Russia to supply Bolivia with 2.6 mln doses of Sputnik V vaccine

MOSCOW - Russian sovereign RDIF fund and Bolivia have signed a deal on the supply of 2.6 million doses of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, RDIF said in a statement on Wednesday.It added the agreement will make it possible for more than 20% of Bolivia's population to access the vaccine. Supply of the vaccine will be facilitated by RDIF's international partners in India, China, South Korea and other countries.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--AstraZeneca: Working to get vaccine approved in Brazil as fast as possible

RIO DE JANEIRO - AstraZeneca said on Wednesday it is working efficiently and transparently to bring its vaccine to Brazil as fast as possible, adding that it remains committed to seeking full regulatory approval in Brazil after authorization in the UK.In a statement, AstraZeneca said it would keep up the ongoing submission of its late-stage trial results, but made no mention of seeking emergency use approval — a process that Pfizer has described as cumbersome in Brazil.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Russia buries Soviet double agent George Blake with honors

MOSCOW - Russia buried former British spy and Soviet double agent George Blake with military honors on Wednesday, the RIA news agency reported, four days after he died at the age of 98.Blake was buried at the Troyekurovskoye cemetery in western Moscow. President Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer, offered his condolences over the weekend, describing him an "outstanding professional".Britain says Blake exposed the identities of hundreds of Western agents across Eastern Europe in the 1950s, some of whom were executed as a result of his treason.He was sentenced to 42 years in prison in Britain after being unmasked as a Soviet spy in 1961, but escaped jail and was whisked across Europe to the Soviet Union.He spent the rest of his life there and in Russia.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--Russia to distribute over 1 m. Sputnik V shots at home by year-end

MOSCOW - Russia will have supplied more than 1 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V to its own national inoculation program by the end of this year, a government minister said on Wednesday.Russia, which began rolling out the vaccine in early December, has so far produced over 2 million doses in total, Industry Minister Denis Manturov told state television.The Sputnik V vaccine is administered in two doses, which use different components, 21 days apart.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Moderna vaccines to arrive in Israel next week, 3 months early - report

However, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry said in response that "In light of a request from reporters, we would like to clarify that we currently do not have information on any intention by the Moderna company to bring a million vaccines to Israel in advance. Once there is more information, of course it will be published."
Israel is expected to begin receiving shipments of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine starting next week, instead of the planned rollout which was scheduled for March, N12 reported on Thursday.According to the report, a shipment of one million doses of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine is ready to e launched to Israel, and is expected to land next week.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Sudan's armed forces now in control of all its territory

Sudan 's armed forces have taken control of all of its territory , Foreign Minister Omar Gamareldin said in a @ @ @ @ @ as border tensions with neighbour Ethiopia continue to flare .

Sudan's armed forces have taken control of all of its territory, Foreign Minister Omar Gamareldin said in a press conference on Thursday, as border tensions with neighbour Ethiopia continue to flare.
Clashes have occurred in recent days over agricultural land in the al-Fashqa area which lies within Sudan's international boundaries but has long been settled by Ethiopian farmers.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Blue and White to vote on quota for foreign construction workers

the construction industry suffers from a huge shortage of workers , thus many projects are stuck without the ability to @ @ @ @ @ vote passes , cuts of incoming foreign workers ' quotas will be avoided and the @ @ @ @ @ country will be extended to help reduce construction gaps across the country .

the construction industry suffers from a huge shortage of workers, thus many projects are stuck without the ability to move forward.
If the vote passes, cuts of incoming foreign workers' quotas will be avoided and the workers' time in the country will be extended to help reduce construction gaps across the country.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Intelligence minister: Israel will pay Jonathan Pollard pension

Israel will give Jonathan Pollard , who spied on the US , a pension or stipend like ex-Mossad and Shin @ @ @ @ @ Eli Cohen said Thursday .
Asked if Israel would give Pollard such a stipend , @ @ @ @ @ Yanir Cozin `` Israel needs to help Pollard , yes . ''

Israel will give Jonathan Pollard, who spied on the US, a pension or stipend like ex-Mossad and Shin Bet agents, Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen said Thursday.
Asked if Israel would give Pollard such a stipend, Cohen told Army Radio interviewer Yanir Cozin "Israel needs to help Pollard, yes."


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Pope will not lead New Year services because of flare up of leg pain

Pope Francis will not lead New Year 's Eve and New Year 's Day services because of a flare up @ @ @ @ @ which produces pain in his right leg , the Vatican said on Thursday .
It @ @ @ @ @ years that Francis , who turned 84 this month , has had to skip a @ @ @ @ @ .
A year-end vespers service that the pope was to lead on Thursday afternoon will @ @ @ @ @ Battista Re , and the Friday Mass will be said by Cardinal Pietro Parolin , @ @ @ @ @ .
The Vatican said the pope would lead his noon prayer on Friday as scheduled @ @ @ @ @ sciatica , a condition that causes pain that radiates from the lower back along the @ @ @ @ @ part of the body .
He can sometimes be seen walking with difficulty because of @ @ @ @ @ physical therapy because of the condition .

Pope Francis will not lead New Year's Eve and New Year's Day services because of a flare up of his sciatica condition, which produces pain in his right leg, the Vatican said on Thursday.
It was the first time in years that Francis, who turned 84 this month, has had to skip a papal event for health reasons.
A year-end vespers service that the pope was to lead on Thursday afternoon will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, and the Friday Mass will be said by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State.
The Vatican said the pope would lead his noon prayer on Friday as scheduled.
The pope suffers from sciatica, a condition that causes pain that radiates from the lower back along the sciatic nerve to the lower part of the body.
He can sometimes be seen walking with difficulty because of the pain and receives regular physical therapy because of the condition.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--New Zealand welcomes 2021 with fireworks in Auckland

Goodbye 2020 !
WATCH : New Zealand welcomes 2021 with fireworks in Auckland pic.twitter.com/DkHgNAOlzo

New Zealand welcomes 2021 as one of the first countries to celebrate the new year.
Goodbye 2020! WATCH: New Zealand welcomes 2021 with fireworks in Auckland pic.twitter.com/DkHgNAOlzo — Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) December 31, 2020


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Blue and White MK Ram Shefa quits party

Blue and White MK Ram Shefa quits party

Blue and White MK Ram Shefa became the latest MK to announce his departure from the party on Thursday.Shefa cast a surprise vote that initiated the election.He met with Gantz on Thursday and agreed he would not run with the party again.Gantz wished him success going forward.Out of the top 37 candidates on the Blue and White in the last election, only 10 remain with the party.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--IDF: 614 soldiers are currently diagnosed with coronavirus

Some 614 positive cases of COVID-19 were reported in the IDF on Thursday.The 614 are in moderate condition. These cases include current draftees, permanent workers, and IDF staff. There are 7,213 IDF members in quarantine, by Monday’s count.The Home Front Command reported on Thursday that it is currently operating eight corona hotels - five for isolations and three for patients with the virus.In these hotels, there are 871 patients, and 1,187 people in quarantine.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--One year old baby hospitalized, post-coronavirus symptoms

Her condition is serious .
She is under anesthesia and breathing .
According to Sheba , the baby had pre-existing @ @ @ @ @ .

Her condition is serious. She is under anesthesia and breathing.
According to Sheba, the baby had pre-existing conditions before contracting the virus.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Man shot dead in gunfire exchange with Minneapolis Police

Minneapolis Police shot and killed a man in an exchange of gunfire during a traffic stop in the southern part of the city late on Wednesday , in the first killing by a member of the department since the death of George Floyd , authorities said .
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was called in to handle the investigation .
Details about the identity , background or race of the man who was shot were not immediately known .
`` Officers were conducting a traffic stop involving a felony suspect .
Initial witness statements indicate that the subject involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police officers who then exchanged gunfire with the suspect , '' Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said in a press briefing late on Wednesday https : //bit.ly/38LhGcg .
`` Subject of the stop was pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel .
MPD ( Minneapolis Police Department ) officers were unharmed .
An adult female who was a passenger in this subject vehicle was unharmed as well , '' Arradondo said .
He also said that the officers ' body cameras were turned on and added that the video would be released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gas station near the shooting , and authorities urged them to avoid any `` destructive criminal behavior . ''
`` I know there are several ( people ) who are out at the scene , who are gathering , '' Arradondo said in the briefing .
`` We want to do everything we can to protect everyone 's First Amendment rights to freely assemble and demonstrate but I say again , we can not allow destructive criminal behavior .
Our city has gone through too much , '' he added .
Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism that gradually spread across the United States and the rest of the world following the May 25 death of Floyd , an African-American who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes .

Minneapolis Police shot and killed a man in an exchange of gunfire during a traffic stop in the southern part of the city late on Wednesday, in the first killing by a member of the department since the death of George Floyd, authorities said.
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was called in to handle the investigation. Details about the identity, background or race of the man who was shot were not immediately known.
"Officers were conducting a traffic stop involving a felony suspect. Initial witness statements indicate that the subject involved in this felony stop fired first at Minneapolis police officers who then exchanged gunfire with the suspect," Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said in a press briefing late on Wednesday https://bit.ly/38LhGcg.
"Subject of the stop was pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel. MPD (Minneapolis Police Department) officers were unharmed. An adult female who was a passenger in this subject vehicle was unharmed as well," Arradondo said.
He also said that the officers' body cameras were turned on and added that the video would be released on Thursday.
Protesters gathered outside of a gas station near the shooting, and authorities urged them to avoid any "destructive criminal behavior."
"I know there are several (people) who are out at the scene, who are gathering," Arradondo said in the briefing.
"We want to do everything we can to protect everyone's First Amendment rights to freely assemble and demonstrate but I say again, we cannot allow destructive criminal behavior. Our city has gone through too much," he added.
Minneapolis saw widespread protests against police brutality and racism that gradually spread across the United States and the rest of the world following the May 25 death of Floyd, an African-American who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--France minister defends slow start to vaccination campaign

France will not fail in its COVID-19 vaccination campaign , its European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said on Thursday , @ @ @ @ @ the slow start of its roll-out compared with its European neighbors .
Beaune told France @ @ @ @ @ vaccination campaign was just beginning in the country .
France , which is primarily targeting @ @ @ @ @ nursing homes for the first phase of the campaign , administered doses to about 140 @ @ @ @ @ was well below the 42,000 who received shots in Germany , for instance .

France will not fail in its COVID-19 vaccination campaign, its European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said on Thursday, after coming under fire for the slow start of its roll-out compared with its European neighbors.
Beaune told France's LCI television that the vaccination campaign was just beginning in the country.
France, which is primarily targeting the most vulnerable people in nursing homes for the first phase of the campaign, administered doses to about 140 people on Wednesday.
That was well below the 42,000 who received shots in Germany, for instance.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Russia reports 27,747 new COVID-19 cases, 593 deaths

Russia reported 27,747 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday , including 6,566 in Moscow , taking the national tally to 3,159,297 @ @ @ @ @ Authorities reported 593 deaths in the last 24 hours , taking the official death toll @ @ @

Russia reported 27,747 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, including 6,566 in Moscow, taking the national tally to 3,159,297 since the pandemic began.
Authorities reported 593 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the official death toll to 57,019.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--China tells US politicians to stop using Xinjiang to interfere in its affairs

China on Thursday urged US politicians to stop using issues in its Xinjiang region to interfere in its affairs , @ @ @ @ @ the release of a Uighur doctor .
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made the comments @ @ @ @ @ in Beijing .
The doctor 's family said she was sentenced to 20 years ' @ @ @ @ @ her family members ' human rights activism in the United States .

China on Thursday urged US politicians to stop using issues in its Xinjiang region to interfere in its affairs, after the United States demanded the release of a Uighur doctor.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made the comments at a regular news conference in Beijing.
The doctor's family said she was sentenced to 20 years' jail in China because of her family members' human rights activism in the United States.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Coronavirus in Israel: More than 5,200 cases on Wednesday

Some 5,253 people in Israel were infected with coronavirus on Wednesday, the Health Ministry reported on Thursday.Of those, 639 are in serious condition, with 165 intubated.There were 153 new cases as of midnight.So far, 3,314 people in Israel have died as a result of coronavirus.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Tokyo's daily coronavirus infections top 1,000 for first time-Kyodo

New coronavirus infections in Tokyo hit more than 1,000 cases for the first time on Thursday, Kyodo news agency reported, citing the city's governor Yuriko Koike, raising worries about a possible explosion in COVID-19 cases.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Coronavirus: Almost 800,0000 Israelis have been vaccinated

`` Within 11 days of Operation Latet Katef ( Give Shoulder ) we vaccinated almost 800,000 civilians , '' said @ @ @ @ @ Thank you to the medical staff for the hard and important work , always provided @ @ @ @

"Within 11 days of Operation Latet Katef (Give Shoulder) we vaccinated almost 800,000 civilians," said Health Minister Yuli Edesltein. " Thank you to the medical staff for the hard and important work, always provided with a smile!
Israel has nearly vaccinated 800,000 people since the vaccination program began, the Health Ministry announced on Thursday."Thanks to the medical staff and the rapid deployment of no less than 257 vaccination stations, Israel has already vaccinated more than 150,000 people a day," Edelstein said.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--China gives its first COVID-19 vaccine approval to Sinopharm

China approved its first COVID-19 vaccine for general public use on Thursday , a shot developed by an affiliate of state-backed pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm , as it braces for greater transmission risks over the winter .
No detailed efficacy data of the vaccine has been publicly released but its developer , Beijing Biological Products Institute , a unit of Sinopharm subsidiary China National Biotec Group ( CNBG ) , said on Wednesday its vaccine was 79.34 % effective in preventing people from developing the disease based on interim data .
The approval , announced by the National Medical Products Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month became the first country to roll out the vaccine to the public , and as Pakistan announced a 1.2 million dose purchase deal with Sinopharm .
While China has been slower than several other countries in approving COVID-19 vaccines , it has been inoculating some citizens for months with three different shots still undergoing late-stage trials .
China launched an emergency use program in July aimed at essential workers and others at high risk of infection , had administered more than 4.5 million doses as of Dec. 15 using at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNBG and one by Sinovac Biotech .
While the efficacy of the Sinopharm shot trails the more than 90 % success rate of rival vaccines from Pfizer Inc and its partner BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc , it points to progress China has made in the global race to develop successful COVID-19 vaccines .
China has at least five vaccines , developed by Sinovac , CNBG units , CanSino Biologics and the Chinese Academy of Sciences , in late stage trials , underscoring its efforts to develop a homegrown vaccine to challenge Western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make China 's vaccines a global public good and it has won several large supply deals with countries including Indonesia and Brazil - the most populous countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America respectively .
The efficacy and safety data of China-made vaccines is being closely watched by many developing countries as they have limited early access to shots developed by Western drug makers and are looking for alternatives from China and Russia .
`` China 's approval could boost the credibility of the vaccine , '' said Dong-yan Jin , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` But if the vaccine wants to take a share in the global market , especially in developed countries , more data is necessary . ''
A Sinopharm executive told a briefing detailed data would be released later and published in scientific journals at home and abroad .
While China has kept new outbreaks of the coronavirus under control , it is ramping up the emergency program to contain the risks over the winter .
The virus emerged a year ago in a market in the central city of Wuhan .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China would vaccinate as many as 50 million people from high-priority groups before the Lunar New Year holiday in February .
`` We call on people ... to take an active part in vaccination to protect themselves , family members and others , which is also contributing to global epidemic control , '' Zeng Yixin , an official with National Health Commission , told a briefing on Thursday .
The price of the vaccine would depend on the scale of use , but the `` premise '' was that it would be free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The approval comes as Britain on Wednesday approved a second COVID-19 vaccine , a shot developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca , as it battles a major winter surge driven by a new variant of the virus .

China approved its first COVID-19 vaccine for general public use on Thursday, a shot developed by an affiliate of state-backed pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm, as it braces for greater transmission risks over the winter.
No detailed efficacy data of the vaccine has been publicly released but its developer, Beijing Biological Products Institute, a unit of Sinopharm subsidiary China National Biotec Group (CNBG), said on Wednesday its vaccine was 79.34% effective in preventing people from developing the disease based on interim data.
The approval, announced by the National Medical Products Administration, comes after the United Arab Emirates this month became the first country to roll out the vaccine to the public, and as Pakistan announced a 1.2 million dose purchase deal with Sinopharm.
While China has been slower than several other countries in approving COVID-19 vaccines, it has been inoculating some citizens for months with three different shots still undergoing late-stage trials.
China launched an emergency use program in July aimed at essential workers and others at high risk of infection, had administered more than 4.5 million doses as of Dec. 15 using at least three different products - two developed by CNBG and one by Sinovac Biotech.
While the efficacy of the Sinopharm shot trails the more than 90% success rate of rival vaccines from Pfizer Inc and its partner BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc, it points to progress China has made in the global race to develop successful COVID-19 vaccines.
China has at least five vaccines, developed by Sinovac, CNBG units, CanSino Biologics and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in late stage trials, underscoring its efforts to develop a homegrown vaccine to challenge Western rivals.
President Xi Jinping has pledged to make China's vaccines a global public good and it has won several large supply deals with countries including Indonesia and Brazil - the most populous countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America respectively.
WATCHING THE DATA
The efficacy and safety data of China-made vaccines is being closely watched by many developing countries as they have limited early access to shots developed by Western drug makers and are looking for alternatives from China and Russia.
"China's approval could boost the credibility of the vaccine," said Dong-yan Jin, a professor at the University of Hong Kong.
"But if the vaccine wants to take a share in the global market, especially in developed countries, more data is necessary."
A Sinopharm executive told a briefing detailed data would be released later and published in scientific journals at home and abroad.
While China has kept new outbreaks of the coronavirus under control, it is ramping up the emergency program to contain the risks over the winter. The virus emerged a year ago in a market in the central city of Wuhan.
The South China Morning Post newspaper reported that China would vaccinate as many as 50 million people from high-priority groups before the Lunar New Year holiday in February.
"We call on people ... to take an active part in vaccination to protect themselves, family members and others, which is also contributing to global epidemic control," Zeng Yixin, an official with National Health Commission, told a briefing on Thursday.
The price of the vaccine would depend on the scale of use, but the "premise" was that it would be free for the public in China, he said.
The approval comes as Britain on Wednesday approved a second COVID-19 vaccine, a shot developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, as it battles a major winter surge driven by a new variant of the virus.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Palestinian vehicle flips over during suspected police chase - report

This is a developing story.
A Palestinian vehicle flipped over during a suspected police chase next to Givat Asaf near Ramallah, according to Ynet.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--US CDC reports record 3,764 coronavirus deaths in a day

The agency said the number of cases had risen by 230,337 to 19,663,976 .
The CDC reported its tally of @ @ @ @ @ known as COVID-19 , caused by a new coronavirus , as of 4 p.m .
@ @ @ @ @ its previous report a day earlier .

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday reported 341,199 deaths from the new coronavirus, a record rise of 3,764 deaths from its previous count.
The agency said the number of cases had risen by 230,337 to 19,663,976.
The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on Dec. 30 versus its previous report a day earlier.
The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Coronavirus in the IDF: 8,735 have recieved the vaccine so far

Some 8,735 soldiers and IDF civilian employees have received their first doses of Pfizer 's coronavirus vaccine , the IDF @ @ @ @ @ Thursday night .

Some 8,735 soldiers and IDF civilian employees have received their first doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit reported on Thursday night.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Anti-Netanyahu protesters block major Tel Aviv junction

Around 200 protesters calling for an investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's alleged involvement in Case 3000 blocked Azrieli @ @ @ @ @ one of the city 's largest and busiest junctions , for an hour on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ the city 's streets .
Israel Police are overlooking the protest and keeping order in @ @ @

Around 200 protesters calling for an investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's alleged involvement in Case 3000 blocked Azrieli junction in Tel Aviv, one of the city's largest and busiest junctions, for an hour on Thursday before continuing their march through the city's streets.
Israel Police are overlooking the protest and keeping order in the area.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Coronavirus in Israel: 3.5% of kindergartens closed amid COVID-19

While kindergarteners seem to be infected at lower rates than their proportion to the general population , primary and secondary @ @ @ @ @ positive at rates higher than their proportion to the general population .
In addition , @ @ @ @ @ 749 kindergartens ( 3.5 % of Israel 's kindergartens ) have been closed due to @ @ @ @ @ , secondary or special education facilities ( 0.2 % of all facilities ) have closed @ @ @ @ @ % of of the 10,381 actively infected students reside in red or orange zones ( @ @ @ @ @ infection rates ) .
In addition , 1,911 teaching staff have been infected as well @

While kindergarteners seem to be infected at lower rates than their proportion to the general population, primary and secondary school students have been testing positive at rates higher than their proportion to the general population.
In addition, the data shows that while 749 kindergartens (3.5% of Israel's kindergartens) have been closed due to illness, only 10 primary, secondary or special education facilities (0.2% of all facilities) have closed due to infections.
73.6% of of the 10,381 actively infected students reside in red or orange zones (areas with higher than average infection rates). In addition, 1,911 teaching staff have been infected as well.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Bnei Brak municipality called on people who aren't at risk to vaccinate

Although 's Israel 's vaccination campaign is currently supposed to focus only on at-risk populations , the Bnei Brak municipality @ @ @ @ @ on all residents to get vaccinated , despite the fact that most of them are @ @ @ @ @ according to the Health Ministry .
In a recording published on Thursday by N12 , @ @ @ @ @ 's education department contacted the city 's residents by phone , telling them that `` @ @ @ @ @ Services will be given the opportunity to be vaccinated today from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 @ @ @ @ @ branch without age limit .
As for those insured with Leumit Health Care Services , @ @ @ @ @ the branch today , tomorrow and Saturday night . ''

Although's Israel's vaccination campaign is currently supposed to focus only on at-risk populations, the Bnei Brak municipality in recent days has called on all residents to get vaccinated, despite the fact that most of them are not required to do so according to the Health Ministry. In a recording published on Thursday by N12, the director of the municipality's education department contacted the city's residents by phone, telling them that "insured persons at Clalit Health Services will be given the opportunity to be vaccinated today from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the fund's branch without age limit. As for those insured with Leumit Health Care Services, you can get vaccinated at the branch today, tomorrow and Saturday night."
Bnei Brak Municipality said in response to the story that "We have learned that, as with other authorities in the country, the health funds still have a limited number of vaccines that may expire every day. The municipality contacted the health funds and asked that in case there were excess vaccines left in the evening, the teaching staff in the city would be given priority. "


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Clalit to offer coronavirus vaccine to patients 55 and up

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Clalit Health Services announced on Thursday night that it would begin offering patients ages 55 and up to come and take the coronavirus vaccine.This comes one day after their competitor, Maccabi Healthcare Services, announced the same thing.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Islamic state claims responsibility for Wednesday's Syria bus attack

Islamic State on Thursday claimed responsibility for a bus attack in Syria the previous day , saying it had killed @ @ @ @ @ badly wounded six others .
The statement was carried by Islamic State 's Amaq news @ @

Islamic State on Thursday claimed responsibility for a bus attack in Syria the previous day, saying it had killed 40 Syrian army soldiers and badly wounded six others.
The statement was carried by Islamic State's Amaq news agency.
Syrian state media said on Wednesday that 28 people had died in an attack on a bus along a main highway in Syria's Deir Zor province that borders Iraq.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--MK Izhar Shay won't run in 2021 election for Blue and White

Science and Technology Minister Izhar Shay met with Blue and White leader Benny Gantz on Thursday and agreed he would not run with the party again.Shay thanked Gantz for the opportunity to be a minister and advance Israeli innovation. He said he respected Gantz despite their differences of opinion. Gantz wished him well going forward.Out of the top 37 candidates on the Blue and White list in the last election in March 2020, only nine remain with the party, following the departure of Shay and Blue and White MK Ram Shefa from the party on Thursday.Shefa, who also met with Gantz on Thursday, angered the Blue and White leader when he cast a surprise vote that prevented extending the deadline for passing the state budget, effectively initiating the election.In a message he wrote on social media, Shefa praised Gantz and other MKs in Blue and White but said the gaps between his views and his party's had grown too wide. He hinted that he would join another party, apparently the Israelis Party of Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai."The journey of our entire political camp to create a liberal democratic society is more crucial now than ever," Shefa wrote on Twitter. "I will continue to take part in this journey."Gantz wished Shefa well, as he did earlier in the week to departing MKs Gabi Ashkenazi, Asaf Zamir and Miki Haimovich.Outgoing justice minister Avi Nissenkorn and MK Einav Kabla, who is close to Nissenkorn, will be on Huldai's list. The political future in unknown for MK Michal Cotler-Wunsh, who also announced that she is leaving Blue and White.Among Blue and White's top 37 candidates, the nine left in the party are Gantz, Michael Biton, Chili Tropper, Orit Farkash-Hacohen, Meirav Cohen, Omer Yankelevitch, Pnina Tamano-Shata, Alon Schuster and Eitan Ginzburg.Due to the Norwegian Law, only five of the nine are currently MKs: Cohen, Tamano-Shata, Yankelevitch, Ginzburg and Gantz himself."What matters is that the people who left were a part of the Not Bibi camp, and the people who stayed are actually in camp Benny," a source close to Gantz said. "They joined to kick out Bibi, not necessarily out of dedication to Benny's character and creed. Now, the people who are staying with him share his vision. And that means a more cohesive, more united party that is easier to manage."


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Two men arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, blackmailing victim

Two men in their 40s from central Israel were arrested on Thursday on suspicion of drugging a Tel Aviv resident @ @ @ @ @ her on tape , and then using that tape to blackmail her for tens of @ @ @ @ @ Police said in a statement .
The arrest of one of the suspects has been @ @ @ @ @ the other is expected to testify in court on Friday .

Two men in their 40s from central Israel were arrested on Thursday on suspicion of drugging a Tel Aviv resident, videoing themselves sexually assaulting her on tape, and then using that tape to blackmail her for tens of thousands of shekels, Israel Police said in a statement.
The arrest of one of the suspects has been extended until Wednesday, while the other is expected to testify in court on Friday.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Tap water in parts of Golan Heights unsafe for consumption

Tap water in the towns of Neot Golan , Givat Yoav and Mavo Hama in the southern Golan Heights is @ @ @ @ @ most likely following a contamination by foreign objects into the water supply during a pipeline @ @ @ @ @ Health Ministry reported on Thursday afternoon .
According to the statement , water in Neot @ @ @ @ @ be allowed for consumption after boiling , while water in Mevo Hama is still dangerous @ @ @ @ @ .
Water tankers have been set up in Mevo Hama to dispense drinkable water , @ @ @ @ @ currently allowed only for bathing and dishwashing .

Tap water in the towns of Neot Golan, Givat Yoav and Mavo Hama in the southern Golan Heights is currently unsafe to consume, most likely following a contamination by foreign objects into the water supply during a pipeline replacement by Mekorot, the Health Ministry reported on Thursday afternoon.
According to the statement, water in Neot Golan and Givat Yoav will be allowed for consumption after boiling, while water in Mevo Hama is still dangerous to consume even when boiled.
Water tankers have been set up in Mevo Hama to dispense drinkable water, as tap water there is currently allowed only for bathing and dishwashing.


jerusalempost--2020-12-31--Hadera mayor leaves Likud, joins Gideon Sa'ar's New Hope Party

Hadera Mayor Tzvi Gendelman announced on Thursday that he would be leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party to join his rival Gideon Sa'ar's New Hope Party, though he would not be running for a Knesset seat.In a Facebook post, Gendelman said he values his mayoral roles too much to leave office, but that he would be campaigning and supporting New Hope with all of his strength.Gendelman joined the Likud in 2018 after he was expelled from Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid Party following his arrest on suspicion of corruption. He was indicted last month for fraud, breach of trust, obstruction of justice and providing false testimony.


jerusalempost--2020-01-01--U.S. deploying 750 soldiers after protest at U.S. Embassy in Iraq

WASHINGTON - The United States is immediately deploying about 750 soldiers to the Middle East in response to the violent protests at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Tuesday.Esper said in a statement he had authorized the deployment of an infantry battalion from the Immediate Response Force (IRF) of the 82nd Airborne Division. Apart from the immediate deployment, additional forces from the IRF are prepared to deploy over the next several days, he said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-01--U.S. auto safety agency to probe fatal Tesla crash in Los Angeles

The auto safety regulator said earlier this month it had opened a probe into a 12th Tesla crash that may @ @ @ @ @ ’ s advanced Autopilot driver assistance system after a Tesla Model 3 rear-ended a parked @ @ @ @ @ NHTSA ’ s special crash investigation program will investigate the crash in Los Angeles of @ @ @ @ @ to local news reports , the vehicle was speeding and ran a red light after @ @ @ @ @ into another vehicle , killing its two occupants .
The NHTSA did not say if @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles crash .

The auto safety regulator said earlier this month it had opened a probe into a 12th Tesla crash that may be tied to the vehicle’s advanced Autopilot driver assistance system after a Tesla Model 3 rear-ended a parked police car in Connecticut.
NHTSA’s special crash investigation program will investigate the crash in Los Angeles of a 2016 Tesla. According to local news reports, the vehicle was speeding and ran a red light after exiting a freeway and crashed into another vehicle, killing its two occupants. The NHTSA did not say if autopilot was suspected in the Los Angeles crash.
WASHINGTON - The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said late on Tuesday it will investigate a fatal Dec. 29 Tesla Inc crash in Los Angeles that killed two people.


jerusalempost--2020-01-01--Police in Lakewood, NJ, take down armed man - report

An armed man was successfully subdued by police outside a car wash in Lakewood, New Jersey, the Lakewood Scoop reported.The man was carrying three handguns, and was reportedly trying to sell them to bystandars.Police have identified the man as 47-year-old Arturo Cuahutle-Flores.The investigation is still ongoing.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Coronavirus: China confident it can fight outbreak

BEIJING - China has confidence and capability to win the war against the new coronavirus , said the country 's @ @ @ @ @ to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) 's decision to declare the virus outbreak @ @ @ @ @ emergency .
Hua Chunying , the ministry spokeswoman , also said that China will continue @ @ @ @ @ and other countries to maintain global and regional public health security .
The epidemic has @ @ @ @ @ infected more than 8,000 globally as of Jan 30 .

BEIJING - China has confidence and capability to win the war against the new coronavirus, said the country's foreign ministry spokeswoman in responding to the World Health Organization (WHO)'s decision to declare the virus outbreak in China as a global emergency.
Hua Chunying, the ministry spokeswoman, also said that China will continue to work with the WHO and other countries to maintain global and regional public health security.
The epidemic has killed at least 212 and infected more than 8,000 globally as of Jan 30.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Coronavirus: China says all countries should behave in responsible manner

UNITED NATIONS - China 's UN ambassador , Zhang Jun , said on Thursday Beijing was assessing the World Health @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus outbreak was a global emergency .
`` We are still at a very critical @ @ @ @ @ .
International solidarity is extremely important and for that purpose all countries should behave in @ @ @ @ @ '' Zhang said .
`` While we understand the concerns of other countries , we @ @ @ @ @ advice of WHO director-general ...
He said he had full confidence in China 's efforts @ @ @ @ @ He said it was important to avoid `` overreactions which may result in spill over @ @ @ @

UNITED NATIONS - China's UN ambassador, Zhang Jun, said on Thursday Beijing was assessing the World Health Organization's declaration that the coronavirus outbreak was a global emergency.
"We are still at a very critical stage in fighting the coronavirus. International solidarity is extremely important and for that purpose all countries should behave in a ... responsible manner," Zhang said.
"While we understand the concerns of other countries, we should also listen to the advice of WHO director-general ... He said he had full confidence in China's efforts," Zhang said.
He said it was important to avoid "overreactions which may result in spill over negative effects."


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Coronavirus: Two cases confirmed in Italy

ROME - Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Thursday that two cases of coronavirus had been confirmed in Italy , the first in the country since the outbreak in Wuhan , China .
Two Chinese tourists who were visiting Italy had contracted the virus , Conte said .
Checks were being made to reconstruct the path of the two people to avoid further risks .
The head of the national institute for infectious diseases said their condition was good .
`` We have two confirmed cases of coronavirus in Italy , '' the prime minister told a news conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to close air traffic to and from China .
`` As far as we know we are the first country in the EU to adopt such a measure '' Conte said .
A cabinet meeting has been called on Friday to decide further measures , Conte said .
On Thursday , the World Health Organization declared that the coronavirus outbreak that has killed 170 people in China constituted a global public health emergency .
Both Chinese tourists were in an isolation unit of Rome 's Spallanzani institute , a centre specializing in infectious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people have been under observation in the hospital since yesterday ...
The diagnosis was certified by the National Institute of Health , '' said Giuseppe Ippolito , scientific director of the Spallanzani institute .
( Reporting by Angelo Amante and Elvira Pollina ; Editing by Sandra Maler and Grant McCool )

ROME - Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Thursday that two cases of coronavirus had been confirmed in Italy, the first in the country since the outbreak in Wuhan, China.
Two Chinese tourists who were visiting Italy had contracted the virus, Conte said. Checks were being made to reconstruct the path of the two people to avoid further risks.
The head of the national institute for infectious diseases said their condition was good.
"We have two confirmed cases of coronavirus in Italy," the prime minister told a news conference, adding that the government had decided to close air traffic to and from China.
"As far as we know we are the first country in the EU to adopt such a measure" Conte said.
A cabinet meeting has been called on Friday to decide further measures, Conte said.
On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared that the coronavirus outbreak that has killed 170 people in China constituted a global public health emergency.
Both Chinese tourists were in an isolation unit of Rome's Spallanzani institute, a centre specializing in infectious diseases and viruses.
"The two people have been under observation in the hospital since yesterday ... The diagnosis was certified by the National Institute of Health," said Giuseppe Ippolito, scientific director of the Spallanzani institute. (Reporting by Angelo Amante and Elvira Pollina; Editing by Sandra Maler and Grant McCool)


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Baby and mother hospitalized due to rocket siren panic in Sderot

A 3-week-old baby and her mother were injured as a result of panic around rocket sirens that sounded in Sderot on Thursday night.The baby was moderately injured while the mother was lightly injured.Numerous rocket sirens sounded in the Gaza border communities of Nir Am, Sderot, Ivim, and the surrounding area.Three rockets were recognized as entering Israel from the Gaza Strip. Two interceptions were fired. One rocket reportedly landed in an open field near Sapir College in Sderot. The IDF is investigating.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Coronavirus: Fifth person infected in Germany

`` This concerns an employee at the company in Starnberg at which the other four known cases work , '' @ @ @ @ @ in a statement , adding further details would be made available on Friday .

"This concerns an employee at the company in Starnberg at which the other four known cases work," said Bavaria's health ministry in a statement, adding further details would be made available on Friday.
BERLIN - German health officials said on Thursday they had identified the country's fifth case of the coronavirus in an employee working at the same firm as the other four infected individuals in the southern state of Bavaria.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Tunisia: Trump peace plan is injustice

Tunisia: Trump peace plan is injustice

TUNIS - President Kais Saied of Tunisia , an ally of the United States , said on Thursday that the @ @ @ @ @ between Israel and the Palestinians is the `` injustice of the century . ''
Tunisia @ @ @ @ @ on the United Nations Security Council and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will speak in the @ @ @ @ @ weeks about the plan announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday alongside Israeli Prime @ @ @ @ @ 's plan envisages a two-state solution with Israel and a future Palestinian state but with @ @ @ @ @ balked at .
`` It is the injustice of the century ... Palestine is not @ @ @ @ @ subject of a deal , '' Saied said in an interview with Tunisian state-run television @ @ @ @ @ he described as `` a culture of defeat in the Arab world . ''

TUNIS - President Kais Saied of Tunisia, an ally of the United States, said on Thursday that the new US plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians is the "injustice of the century."
Tunisia is serving a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will speak in the Council in the next two weeks about the plan announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump's plan envisages a two-state solution with Israel and a future Palestinian state but with strict conditions that Palestinians have balked at.
"It is the injustice of the century ... Palestine is not an orchard to be a subject of a deal," Saied said in an interview with Tunisian state-run television.
Saied also criticized what he described as "a culture of defeat in the Arab world."


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Coronavirus: US is working very closely with China

President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States was working very closely with China on the coronavirus outbreak and @ @ @ @ @ control .
`` We 're working very closely with ( China ) and with a @ @ @ @ @ a lot of other countries '' on combating the outbreak , Trump said in a @ @ @ @ @ manufacturer in Warren , Michigan .
`` We think we have it very well under @ @ @ @ @ little problem in this country at this moment , '' he said .

President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States was working very closely with China on the coronavirus outbreak and he believed it was under control.
"We're working very closely with (China) and with a lot of other people and a lot of other countries" on combating the outbreak, Trump said in a speech at an auto parts manufacturer in Warren, Michigan.
"We think we have it very well under control. We have very little problem in this country at this moment," he said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Passengers aboard Italian cruise liner cleared of coronavirus

Two passengers aboard an Italian cruise liner have been cleared of suspected coronavirus, Reuters has reported.6,000 passengers were in lockdown on the vessel in an Italian port on Thursday after a 54-year-old woman came down with a fever. Both she and her husband were isolated and tested for the virus, but have been given the all clear.It is not clear when the quarantine on the ship will be lifted.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Macron: 'I believe in two sovereignties' between Israel - Palestine

French President Emmanuel Macron raised doubts on Thursday about the prospect of a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians and cast doubt on whether a peace plan unveiled by the United States this week would succeed."I believe in two sovereignties," Macron said when asked by Le Figaro newspaper whether he believed in two states. He did not clarify.Macron also said he would not present his own plan, but suggested U.S. President Donald Trump's plan could struggle to get off the ground."You need to be two to make peace. You can't get there with just one side," he said in response to a question on the Trump plan.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--U.S. reports its first case of person-to-person coronavirus spread

The first US incident of person-to-person spread of the new coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan, China, has been identified in Illinois, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.The case brings the total number of U.S. patients infected with the fast-spreading virus to six.The coronavirus was confirmed in the husband of a woman who had previously traveled to China and was confirmed as having the infection. Both patients are in their 60s, officials said on a conference call.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Iran says new U.S. sanctions shows Washington's despair

The U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran's nuclear organization and Tehran's nuclear chief shows Washington's despair, said a spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, adding that the country's civilian nuclear program will continue with full force."Imposing sanctions on Ali Akbar Salehi and Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran is a sign of America's despair and is a political game played by Washington. These sanctions have no value and are childish measures," spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi told Iran's Fars news agency."Such measures will have no impact on our nuclear program and Tehran's civilian nuclear work will continue with full force based on Iran's needs."


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--US seeking Iraqi nod to bring in air defenses after Iran attack

The United States is trying to secure permission from Iraq to bring Patriot missile defenses into the country to better defend U.S. forces after Iran's Jan. 8 missile attack, which wounded 50 American troops, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Thursday.The United States did not have Patriot air defenses deployed to al-Asad air base in Iraq, where at least 11 of Iran's ballistic missiles struck.Tehran had been expected to retaliate against the United States over the killing of a top Iranian general, but had been seen as more likely to strike U.S. positions in countries other than Iraq, where Tehran counts some influential allies. It had moved Patriots last year to Saudi Arabia, for example.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--U.S. will not completely withdraw forces from Africa

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Thursday that the United States would not be removing all its forces from Africa, as he carries out a global troop review meant to free up more resources to address challenges from China's military."We are not going to totally withdraw forces from Africa... I know that is the concern of many folks, but again I would say that no decisions have been made yet, this is a process," Esper said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Turkey says it will take extra measures against attacks in Syria's Idlib

Turkey will take additional measures against attacks targeting its forces and civilians in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, the national security council said on Thursday, after a nearly 5-hour meeting chaired by President Tayyip Erdogan.Bombardments by Russia-backed Syrian government forces on Idlib have raised concern of a new refugee wave to Turkey. On Wednesday, Erdogan said that Ankara was losing patience with the assault in Idlib and that Russia was violating agreements aimed at stemming conflict there."The commitment of our country to take additional measures against terror attacks that continue to target our security forces and the civilian population in various parts of Syria, namely Idlib, despite the agreements with countries active in Syria was reiterated," the council said in a statement.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Naama Issachar lands in Israel

Naama Issachar lands in Israel

Naama Issachar , alongside her mother Yaffa , prepares to return to Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , January @ @ @ @ @ Credit : Lahav Harkov )

Naama Issachar, alongside her mother Yaffa, prepares to return to Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, January 30, 2020 (Photo Credit: Lahav Harkov)
MOSCOW – After a 10-month ordeal in Russian prisons, Naama Issachar arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday evening.“Naama was very excited,” Netanyahu told journalists on his flight from Moscow. “It’s indescribable. It was the first time she went outside and saw trees, saw the sky.”The prime minister shared that Issachar’s mother, Yaffa, brought her the classic kids’ snack Bissli and Hashachar chocolate spread, a children’s breakfast staple, on the flight.Issachar, 27, was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison in Russia after 9.5 grams of cannabis were found in her suitcase during a stopover in Moscow en route home from a trip to India.Russian President Vladimir Putin granted Issachar, an American-Israeli, a pardon on Wednesday, hours before Netanyahu took off from Washington to meet with him.He and National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat personally took charge of Issachar’s case, together with Jerusalem Affairs Minister Ze’ev Elkin.
The prime minister explained that their major efforts were in part because Issachar’s arrest was a “land mine” that could have developed into dangerous tensions between Israel and Russia, which in turn “could have hurt Israel’s vital interests.”When there are other cases of Israelis being arrested abroad, the state provides consular services and tries to help, but those cases generally do not have a strategic impact like Issachar’s case could have had, a senior source in Netanyahu’s delegation explained.The source also said Israel felt partly responsible for Issachar’s harsher-than-normal sentence, positing that it was due to Israel’s positions on other matters in its relations with Russia.One matter that the source mentioned is the release of Russian tourists who had been detained on suspicion that they were planning to overstay their tourist visa in Israel in order to work. Another matter not mentioned on the prime minister’s plane, but thought to be related, is Israel’s extradition of a Russian hacker to the US late last year.Russia has done a lot for Israel, the source said, pointing specifically to its role in early 2019 in returning the body of Sgt.-Maj. Zachary Baumel, who had been missing in action since the 1982 Lebanon War. The operation to retrieve his remains took place at risk to Russian soldiers’ lives, the source said.Putin and Netanyahu mentioned Issachar in remarks to the press ahead of their meeting in the Kremlin.“You asked us to pardon an Israeli citizen who was arrested with drugs in her bag,” Putin said. “I emphasize the role of her mother and the [Greek Orthodox] Patriarch [Theophilos III of Jerusalem]. Please tell her I wish her and her family well.”Netanyahu thanked Putin in the name of all Israelis for releasing her.Earlier this week, a senior Israeli source said Issachar’s release “was a gesture by President Putin to the prime minister. There was no deal with Russia.”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.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Iraq says it resumes counter-Islamic State operations with U.S. coalition

Iraq's military said on Thursday it was resuming operations with the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State after a halt following the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Iranian attacks on bases hosting U.S. forces."In order to exploit the time that remains for the international coalition before the new relationship is set up... It was decided to carry out joint actions which enable our forces" to fight Islamic State, a military statement said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--IDF strikes in Beit Hanoun in response to Gaza Strip terror

IDF tanks and IAF forces struck a number of observation posts belonging to Hamas in the southern Gaza Strip , @ @ @ @ @ stated on Thursday .
The strikes follow a rocket alert due to attempts to fire @ @ @ @ @ Strip and an incendiary balloon which exploded in mid-air above the southern city of Sderot @ @ @ @ @ in that incident .

IDF tanks and IAF forces struck a number of observation posts belonging to Hamas in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit stated on Thursday.
The strikes follow a rocket alert due to attempts to fire at Israel from the Gaza Strip and an incendiary balloon which exploded in mid-air above the southern city of Sderot.
No casualties were reported in that incident.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Liberman: I don’t know what is the deal of the century

Former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said on Thursday that there were so many plans to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians that he “doesn’t know what is the Deal of the Century.”Speaking at a panel held by the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, he said that the important thing is that the principle of Israel giving lands for peace was abandoned in favor of the idea populations and territories should be exchanged.He also said he did not read the entire plan, “I guess I am just not as talented as other MK’s,” he joked.In the plan as it is now sections of East Jerusalem might be added to a future Palestinian state, yet that violates Basic Law – Jerusalem which mandates that any change in the status of Jerusalem has to be agreed to in a majority of 80 MKs.Ergo, it is unclear how could the current government adopt the annexation section of the Deal of the Century before the March elections.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--U.S. envoy: 700,000 displaced in northwest Syria

Two hundred air strikes by Syrian government and Russian warplanes have hit Syria's Idlib region in the last three days, the U.S. special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey said on Thursday.Jeffrey told a press briefing that some 700,000 displaced people in northwest Syria were "on the move towards the Turkish border, which would then create an international crisis."


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Spain to repatriate nationals from Wuhan in cooperation with UK

A group of Spanish citizens will fly back from the Chinese city of Wuhan in the coming hours as part of a joint repatriation operation with the United Kingdom amid concerns over coronavirus, Spain's foreign ministry said on Thursday.Spain's Health Minister Salvador Illa said earlier that the group of around 20 Spaniards will spend 14 days in quarantine when they return to the country.


jerusalempost--2020-01-30--Coronavirus scare in Jerusalem’s French Hill

Medical emergency services were called to Jerusalem’s French Hill on Thursday following a report concerning Chinese tourists who felt ill, Army Radio reported.The Chinese nationals decided to go to a hospital and did not need the help of the emergency team, it is unlikely they showed signs of the coronavirus.On Wednesday, a special panel held by the Health Ministry reported that the arrival of the virus to Israel is “a matter of time” as it is impossible to seal the country completely.


jerusalempost--2020-01-31--US Coast Guard officer accused of plotting attack on Democrats faces sentencing

A US Coast Guard lieutenant accused by prosecutors of plotting to attack Democratic politicians and TV personalities was due to be sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty to illegally possessing guns and opioid painkillers.Christopher Paul Hasson, 50, has been in federal custody since his arrest in February last year, when investigators found more than a dozen guns, hundreds of bullets and scores of Tramadol pills in his home in Silver Springs, Maryland.Prosecutors have labeled him a terrorist and a white supremacist, saying he made a list of people to shoot that included U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and MSNBC host Joe Scarborough. They have asked Judge George Hazel of the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, to sentence Hasson to 25 years in prison.His lawyers said Hasson was not planning any attacks but rather was in the grip of a years-long opioid addiction that created "significant mood disturbances," according to a letter they wrote this month to the judge."Like many Americans, Mr. Hasson went through a difficult time in mid-life, when he became addicted to prescription opioids," his lawyers wrote, saying he was taking three or four times the daily approved dose of Tramadol, a prescription-only medicine he ordered illegally online. "His criminal conduct arose out of this addiction."They asked that Hasson be sentenced only to the time he has already served in prison and three years of supervised release.In their sentencing memo for the judge, prosecutors quoted racist emails and draft documents they said Hasson had written on his computer in which he repeatedly advocated a violent race war."Much blood will have to be spilled to get whitey off the couch," one typo-filled draft document said, which prosecutors described as a signed manifesto Hasson wrote in June 2017. "Have to take serious look at appropriate individual targets, to bring greatest impact. Professors, DR's, Politian's, Judges, leftists in general."Hasson spent about $12,000 over three years amassing illegally obtained firearms and unregistered gun paraphernalia, prosecutors said.He pleaded guilty to three crimes in a plea agreement reached with prosecutors in October: possessing unregistered gun silencers, possessing firearms as an unlawful user of controlled substances, and illegal possession of a controlled substance.Until stopped by his arrest, prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo, Hasson "intended to exact retribution on minorities and those he considered traitors."


jerusalempost--2020-01-31--Pompeo says Zelenskiy White House visit not conditional on Biden probes

KIEV - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that a prospective visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to the White House was not conditional on Ukraine opening an investigation into the son of former Vice President Joe Biden.Speaking to reporters alongside Zelenskiy on a visit to Ukraine, Pompeo said Kiev and Washington would find the right time and opportunity to make a visit happen.Zelenskiy denied suggestions that the issue of the impeachment of President Donald Trump had spoiled relations between the two countries.


jerusalempost--2020-01-31--Coronavirus death toll rises to 213

Coronavirus death toll rises to 213

`` Altogether there are 9,809 confirmed cases .
Among them , there are 1,527 cases of critical conditions , ( @ @ @ @ @ , '' the ambassador , Wang Qun - speaking through an interpreter - told member @ @ @ @ @ added that there had been 213 deaths .

"Altogether there are 9,809 confirmed cases. Among them, there are 1,527 cases of critical conditions, (plus) 15,238 suspected cases," the ambassador, Wang Qun - speaking through an interpreter - told member states and reporters.
He added that there had been 213 deaths.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in China has risen over 9,800, the country's envoy to the United Nations in Vienna said on Friday.


jerusalempost--2020-01-31--Iraq's top cleric slams Trump's 'Deal of the Century'

Sistani , who delivered his message through a representative at Friday prayers in the holy city of Kerbala , also @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump 's Middle East peace plan .

Sistani, who delivered his message through a representative at Friday prayers in the holy city of Kerbala, also "heavily condemned" U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan.
Iraq's leading Shi'ite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, on Friday condemned the use of force to disperse protest camps across the country, and renewed calls for early elections to be held in a free and fair manner.


jerusalempost--2020-01-31--Jordan's King Abdullah II backing Palestinians on peace process

Jordan's King Abdullah II had discussed the Trump peace plan with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in a phone call, The Wafa News Agency has reported. Abdullah stressed that Jordan is standing alongside the Palestinian people on its way to establishing a self-contained Palestinian state, whose capital is East Jerusalem


jerusalempost--2020-01-31--Iranian Health Ministry urges gov't to ban entry to country from China

`` In a letter to Vice-President ( Eshagh ) Jahangiri I urged the government to ban travelers from China , @ @ @ @ @ or air .
Also Iran 's ports are on full alert and ready to confront @ @ @ @ @ tweeted .

"In a letter to Vice-President (Eshagh) Jahangiri I urged the government to ban travelers from China, whether by sea, land or air. Also Iran's ports are on full alert and ready to confront the coronavirus," Namaki tweeted.
DUBAI - Iran's health minister has urged the government to ban travelers from China from entering the country due to the coronavirus outbreak, Saeed Namaki tweeted on Friday, adding that his request includes passengers traveling by sea, land and air.


jerusalempost--2020-01-31--First two cases of Coronavirus reported in the UK

`` The patients are receiving specialist NHS care , and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to @ @ @ @ @ virus , '' England 's chief medical officer , Chris Whitty , said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts @ @ @ @ @ prevent further spread , '' he added .

"The patients are receiving specialist NHS care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus," England's chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, said.
"The NHS is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread," he added.
LONDON - Two patients from the same family in England have tested positive for coronavirus, the first such cases in Britain, England's chief medical officer said on Friday.