jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Virus infections under-reported, exaggerating Wuhan fatality rate - report

In Wuhan , the epicenter of the disease , one person has died for every 23 infections reported .
That @ @ @ @ @ 50 nationally , and outside mainland China , one death has been recorded per 114 @ @ @ @ @ the discrepancy is mainly due to under-reporting of milder virus cases in Wuhan and other @ @ @ @ @ are grappling with shortages in testing equipment and beds .
`` In an outbreak your @ @ @ @ @ rates with a very skeptical eye , because often it 's only the very severe @ @ @ @ @ people 's attention , '' said Amesh Adalja , an expert in pandemic preparedness at @ @ @ @ @ Health Security in Baltimore .
`` It 's very hard to say those numbers represent @ @ @ @ @ of infection '' said Adalja , who estimates current fatality rates are likely below 1 @ @

Fatalities from the coronavirus epidemic are overwhelmingly concentrated in central China's Wuhan city, which accounts for over 73% of deaths despite having only one-third the number of confirmed infections.
In Wuhan, the epicenter of the disease, one person has died for every 23 infections reported. That number drops to one on 50 nationally, and outside mainland China, one death has been recorded per 114 confirmed cases.
Experts say the discrepancy is mainly due to under-reporting of milder virus cases in Wuhan and other parts of Hubei province that are grappling with shortages in testing equipment and beds.
"In an outbreak your really have to interpret fatality rates with a very skeptical eye, because often it's only the very severe cases that are coming to people's attention," said Amesh Adalja, an expert in pandemic preparedness at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore.
"It's very hard to say those numbers represent anything like the true burden of infection" said Adalja, who estimates current fatality rates are likely below 1%.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--The deal of the century will die before Trump dies - Iran

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U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, dubbed the "Deal of the Century," will die before Trump dies, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday, according to a tweet from his official account."The American plot of the 'Deal of the Century' will die before Trump dies," the post said.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Two Malaysians brought home from Wuhan test positive for virus

Malaysia sent a flight to Wuhan on Monday to bring back over 100 of its citizens who were stranded there @ @ @ @ @ down in an effort to contain the spread of the virus .
The two cases @ @ @ @ @ her 9-year-old son , did not show any symptoms when subjected to health screening on @ @ @ @ @ lab tests confirmed on Wednesday they had contracted the virus , Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad @ @ @ @ @ daily news conference on the coronavirus .
`` Both are receiving treatment in an isolation @ @ @ @ @ in stable condition , '' Dzulkefly said .

Two Malaysians who were flown back from the Chinese city of Wuhan have tested positive for the coronavirus, the Southeast Asian nation's health ministry said on Wednesday, raising the tally of confirmed cases in the country to 12.
Malaysia sent a flight to Wuhan on Monday to bring back over 100 of its citizens who were stranded there since the city was locked down in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.
The two cases, a 45-year-old woman and her 9-year-old son, did not show any symptoms when subjected to health screening on arrival in Kuala Lumpur but lab tests confirmed on Wednesday they had contracted the virus, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said at the ministry's daily news conference on the coronavirus.
"Both are receiving treatment in an isolation ward... and they are in stable condition," Dzulkefly said.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Uzbekistan evacuates 84 people from China's Wuhan

Uzbekistan has evacuated 84 people from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of a coronavirus outbreak, and will place them in quarantine upon arrival in Tashkent, the Central Asian nation's state airline said on Wednesday.Uzbekistan Airways said in a statement the passengers were being accompanied by doctors and specialists with protective equipment.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Hong Kong testing over 1,800 passengers on cruise ship for coronavirus

The Chinese-ruled city 's health department said on Wednesday 90 percent of the passengers were Hong Kongers and no mainland @ @ @ @ @ Previously , three mainland Chinese that had been on the ship between Jan. 19 and @ @ @ @ @ contracted the virus .
The World Dream ship , operated by Dream Cruises , was @ @ @ @ @ Taiwan port of Kaohsiung on Tuesday .
On Monday , the ship visited Taiwan 's @ @ @ @

Hong Kong was testing over 1,800 passengers and crew on a cruise ship for a coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, after some crew members reported having fever and other symptoms. Authorities were not letting anyone leave the ship without permission.
The Chinese-ruled city's health department said on Wednesday 90 percent of the passengers were Hong Kongers and no mainland Chinese were on board. Previously, three mainland Chinese that had been on the ship between Jan. 19 and 24 were found to have contracted the virus.
The World Dream ship, operated by Dream Cruises, was denied entry in the southern Taiwan port of Kaohsiung on Tuesday. On Monday, the ship visited Taiwan's northern Keelung port.
It was not clear how long passengers and crew would be kept on the ship.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Israeli forces have begun tearing down several buildings in the West Bank

Israeli Civil Administration , along with Border Police and IDF forces have begun demolishing several structures in Shlomo Hill near @ @ @ @ @ Bank on Wednesday morning , according to TPS .

Israeli Civil Administration, along with Border Police and IDF forces have begun demolishing several structures in Shlomo Hill near Kokhav HaShahar in the West Bank on Wednesday morning, according to TPS.


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Ten more on cruise ship in Japan test positive for coronavirus

TOKYO - Ten more people on a cruise liner in the port of Yokohama, south of Tokyo, tested positive for coronavirus, NHK said on Thursday, citing the health ministry.About 3,700 people are facing at least two weeks quarantined on the cruise ship.The ship was caught up in the global coronavirus epidemic after an 80-year-old Hong Kong man tested positive for the virus after disembarking the ship late last month.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Coronavirus death toll in China rises to 563

SHANGHAI - The death toll from a new coronavirus in mainland China jumped by 73 to 563 on Thursday, its third consecutive record daily rise, as experts intensified efforts to find a vaccine for a disease that has shut down Chinese cities and forced thousands more into quarantine around the world.Hubei province, the epicenter of the epidemic, reported 70 new deaths on Wednesday and 2,987 new confirmed cases - more than 80% of the total reported by Chinese authorities. The other fatalities were in Tianjin city, the northeastern province of Heilongjiang and Guizhou province in the southwest.Hubei province in central China has been in virtual lockdown for nearly two weeks, with its train stations and airports shut and its roads sealed off. The flu-like virus was first identified in Hubei's provincial capital of Wuhan and is believed to have originated at a seafood market in the city.There have been two deaths outside mainland China - in the Philippines and Hong Kong - both involving people who had been to Wuhan where more than 400 people have died.Hundreds of foreigners have been evacuated from Wuhan and placed in quarantine centers around the world, and thousands of passengers and crew were in lockdown on two cruise ships in Asian waters.Ten more people on a cruise liner in the Japanese port of Yokohama, south of Tokyo, tested positive for the coronavirus, the Japanese health ministry said, bringing the total number of cases on board to 20.About 3,700 people are facing at least two weeks quarantined on the ship after an 80-year-old Hong Kong man who traveled on it late last month tested positive."We are hopeful that the US government will be sending transport for the Americans on board," Gay Courter, a 75-year-old American novelist aboard the ship, told Reuters."It’s better for us to travel while healthy and also if we get sick to be treated in American hospitals."In Hong Kong, 3,600 passengers and crew were confined to their ship docked in the city for tests after three people on board had tested positive earlier.In the United States, another 350 American evacuees from Wuhan were placed under quarantine at two military bases in California, bringing to nearly 400 the number of people subject to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) first public health quarantine in 50 years."We are in a critical time period in the international spread of the virus, and this action is necessary to try to prevent the spread here," said Dr. Christopher Braden, deputy director of the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.More than two dozen airlines have suspended or restricted flights to China and several countries, including the United States, have banned entry to anyone who has been in China over the previous two weeks.Hong Kong said all visitors from mainland China would be quarantined for two weeks, while Taiwan extended a ban on entry to foreigners who had been to mainland China in the past 14 days to include those from Hong Kong and Macau as well.SEARCH FOR A TREATMENTHundreds of experts will gather in Geneva next week, on Feb. 11-12, in an attempt to find a way to fight back against the outbreak by speeding research into drugs and vaccines, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. A multinational WHO-led team would go to China "very soon," it added.Asked about reports of "drug breakthroughs," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said: "There are no known effective therapeutics against this 2019-nCoV (virus)."While most people infected with the virus recover quickly with only mild symptoms, the virus can lead to pneumonia and other severe respiratory illnesses. It is still too early to know what its death rate will be, since there are likely to be many cases of milder disease going undetected.China's National Health Commission said another 3,694 coronavirus cases were reported throughout the country on Feb. 5, bringing the total to 28,018. It was the first day in over a week since testing rates stabilized that new daily cases in China have gone down.There were 258 cases reported in 31 other countries and regions outside mainland China, according to a Reuters tally based on official statements.China has bristled at some international measures to shut off borders to Chinese travelers."The Chinese people are using all their strength to fight the epidemic and we are fully confident and capable of winning the battle of epidemic prevention and control," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said, according to a ministry statement.ECONOMIC IMPACTMany analysts cut their growth outlook for the Chinese economy as the epidemic spread, but global markets have stabilized in recent days on central bank stimulus measures and media reports of "breakthrough" drugs.Asian stocks edged up on Thursday after European stocks jumped sharply, US Treasury yields rose and US stock index futures surged.Fitch Ratings said a shock to China's services sector and industrial output similar in scale to that from SARS - another coronavirus originating from China that killed almost 800 people in a pandemic in 2002-2003 - would cut its first-quarter economic growth to around 4% year-on-year, from 6% in the last quarter.Nearly $700 billion was wiped off mainland Chinese stocks on Monday with many factories shut, cities cut off and travel links constricted, fueling worries about global supply chains.China's major trading partners are also worried about the impact on their economies, particularly sectors such as tourism and education.Top US officials have said the benefits of a new Phase 1 trade deal with China could be delayed as a result of the virus, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday said the economic fallout on Australia was likely to be "significant."


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--IDF attacks targets in Gaza following mortar launches

The IDF began attacking targets east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip , Walla reported on Thursday , citing @ @ @ @ @ shells were launched toward Israel from the strip late Wednesday .

IAF aircraft attacked Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip overnight on Thursday, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit reported. The airstrikes were targeting underground infrastructure used by the organization's military wing, the Qassam Brigades.
“In response to mortars and explosive balloons launched from #Gaza into #Israel over the last day, our Air Force just struck a number of Hamas terror targets in Gaza. We hold Hamas responsible,” the IDF tweeted.
In response to mortars and explosive balloons launched from #Gaza into #Israel over the last day, our Air Force just struck a number of Hamas terror targets in Gaza. We hold Hamas responsible. — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 6, 2020
Last Tuesday night, air raid sirens went off in the southern city of Netivot after a barrage of three rockets was launched toward the city. Over the last week, six instances of rocket launches toward the Gaza Border Communities have been reported.
On Monday, the Israeli media website Walla News reported that there were concerns among officials in the defense establishment over the possibility of pressure from Iran and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad possibly leading to an escalation of the violence.
The relative calm between the Gaza factions and the IDF was interrupted when tensions grew over US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, also known as the Deal of the Century.
In addition to the rockets dozens of incendiary balloons and other devices carrying explosives were launched from the strip toward the Gaza border communities in southern Israel.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--White House calls Trump acquittal 'full vindication and exoneration'

WASHINGTON - The White House welcomed the US Senate vote to acquit Republican President Donald Trump on Wednesday, calling the impeachment process a "witch hunt ... based on a series of lies.""Today, the sham impeachment attempt concocted by Democrats ended in the full vindication and exoneration of President Donald J. Trump. As we have said all along, he is not guilty," the White House press secretary said in a statement.Trump said on Wednesday that he will deliver a public statement at noon EST (5:00 p.m. GMT) on Thursday on his acquittal on impeachment charges in the Senate.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--US steps up warnings on Russia over Syria, military de-confliction

WASHINGTON - The United States on Wednesday stepped up warnings to Russia over its Syria policy, saying Moscow was trying to challenge the US presence in northeastern Syria by violating the terms of a de-confliction agreement and was also helping escalate the conflict in the northwestern province of Idlib.James Jeffrey, US special envoy for Syria engagement and fight against Islamic State, also said the United States was "very very worried" about the Syrian government assault, backed by Russia, on Idlib and repeated calls on Moscow to end the conflict."This is a dangerous conflict. It needs to be brought to an end. Russia needs to change its policies," Jeffrey said.US President Donald Trump softened his plans to pull out US troops from Syria after backlash from Congress and has kept kept around 600 troops in northeastern Syria to continue the fight against Islamic State.However in northwestern Syria, the United States has no troops on the ground, and thus little leverage on Russia or the Syrian government in asserting its position.The Idlib violence has accelerated in recent months despite several ceasefire efforts, including as recently as January.On Wednesday, Syrian government forces entered Saraqeb in Idlib, a war monitor and eyewitnesses said, in a renewed push by President Bashar al-Assad to recapture the last rebel stronghold."We're seeing not just the Russians but Iranians and Hezbollah actively involved in supporting the Syrian offensive. We don't know whether the offensive is just to get to the M4-M5 road, or it may continue further," Jeffrey said, in reference to the strategic highways connecting Syria's Aleppo to Hama and Latakia on the Mediterranean coast.Jeffrey said Moscow could change its policies and meet the requirements of the international community without ousting Assad. "Those requirements are not unreasonable. ... They require a change in that (Assad) government's behavior. That government would not survive a week without the Russian assistance."RUSSIA VIOLATING DE-CONFLICTIONNortheastern Syria is a complicated battleground with forces of the United States, Turkey and Russia as well the Syrian government and aligned Iranian militia operating, sometimes in close proximity.Moscow has been filling the vacuum of US withdrawal from the area and de-confliction agreements between the two sides ensure they avoid any clashes.But Jeffrey on Wednesday said there have been more incidents of Russia violating the terms of de-confliction in what he characterized as an attempt to challenge the US presence in there."We've seen a limited number of occasions where ... they've tried to come deep into the area where we and the SDF are patrolling well inside the basic lines we have sketched. Those are the ones that are worrying me," he said, referring to Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that works with Washington in northeastern Syria.He said while the numbers of such incidents were not very high, they were on the rise. "Thus is troubling," he said, and called on Moscow to adhere fully to the de-confliction agreements with the United States.US


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Trump seeks to delay rape accuser's defamation lawsuit

NEW YORK - US President Donald Trump asked a New York state trial judge to put on hold a defamation lawsuit by Elle magazine advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, who has accused him of rape, saying a successful appeal in a separate defamation case could shield him from both lawsuits.The president has been asking the New York State Court of Appeals to block Summer Zervos, a 2005 contestant on his reality television show "The Apprentice," from suing him for defamation while he is president, for calling her a liar after she accused him of kissing and groping her.Trump, who has denied Zervos and Carroll's accusations, said in a Tuesday night court filing that the judge in Carroll's case would have no jurisdiction if the appeals court decided that Zervos' lawsuit must wait until after he has left the White House.Lawyers for Trump, who is seeking reelection in November, also said that delaying Carroll's case served the public interest by removing an "unnecessary distraction" from the president's public duties, in addition to being "constitutionally required."Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer for Carroll, in a statement called Trump's request "hardly a surprise," although the president has participated in other lawsuits since entering the White House."It would be fundamentally unfair to allow him to pick and choose which cases he wants to participate in," she said.Carroll is suing Trump for denying he raped her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in midtown Manhattan, which she said occurred between the fall of 1995 and spring of 1996. In her complaint, Carroll said that Trump lied about attacking her, and "smeared her integrity, honesty, and dignity" by concocting a "swarm of related lies" to explain why she would make the incident up.Last week, she asked Trump to provide a DNA sample to see if he had come into contact with the dress she said she wore.Trump has denied knowing Carroll and denied the alleged encounter.The president has argued in a variety of litigation that he is immune from lawsuits and investigations, including criminal proceedings, while in office.In the Zervos case, Trump is appealing a ruling last March by a mid-level state appeals court in Manhattan that the US Constitution did not deprive state courts of jurisdiction, and that Trump was "not above the law."Courts have not decided the merits of either lawsuit.The case is Carroll v. Trump, New York State Supreme Court, New York County, No. 160694/2019.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--America's 12th case of coronavirus confirmed in Wisconsin

The 12th known US case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Wisconsin by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state health agency said in a statement.The patient was identified only as an adult with a history of travel to Beijing, China's capital, prior to becoming ill, and was exposed to other known cases while in China, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said.No information about the patient's condition was immediately provided.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Mortars fired from Gaza Strip at Israel, no casualties reported

Two mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Wednesday evening, IDF Spokesperson reported.Alerts were sounded in open areas.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Netanyahu: Turkish leader calls me Hitler but our trade goes up

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joked on Wednesday that he must be the only Israeli who doesn’t travel to Turkey.“Once he [Turkish President Recep Erdoğan] used to call me Hitler every three hours,” Netanyahu said, “now it’s every six hours but thank God the trade [between Israel and Turkey] is up!”Netanyahu was speaking during a Likud rally at Ra'anana.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Netanyahu: We used to give and Palestinians get, now we’re receiving

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his Likud Party was able to bring to a historical shift. “In the past we used to give and the Palestinians would get,” he said. “Now we are the ones receiving and the Palestinians are doing the giving,” he was speaking during a Likud rally held in Ra'anana.Listing the points mentioned in the "Deal of the Century" presented by US President Donald Trump, Netanyahu said the Palestinians must give up all these things to enter negotiations with Israel; the right of return, pay to slay, and disarm Hamas, among other points.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Netanyahu: What we do in one hour Gantz doesn’t do in one year

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “what we [Likud] do in one hour [Blue and White leader Benny] Gantz cannot do in one year,” Netanyahu was speaking at a rally of his supporters held at the city of Ra'anana.“We brought Naama Issachar home,” Netanyahu said, “and we’ll bring everybody home.”Issachar was recently released from Russian prison after being found guilty of bringing a small amount of cannabis into Russia, she was pardoned by Russian president Vladimir Putin.“Benny Gantz is a nice guy,” Netanyahu said, “but he ain’t a leader.”Gantz served as IDF Chief of Staff under Netanyahu and was able to gain more seats in Knesset in the past elections than Likud.Israel faces third elections in the space of one year as neither men was able to form a coalition.


jerusalempost--2020-02-05--Teachers' NGO joins appeal to court: Allow youngsters to hold office

Teachers' NGO Yetzigim joined on Wednesday the appeal of The Future Generation party to the Supreme Court to lower the minimum age required to hold public office, Maariv reported.The NGO said it is proud that these are the young people of this country and the two groups demand the Ministry of Education improves the quality of education as well as the safety of teachers in the classroom.


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Shooting terror attacked in West Bank, Israeli reportedly injured

The Israeli army has reinforced troops after three attacks against IDF troops in less than 15 hours as violence continued in the West Bank in response to the release of US Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century” last week.The military on Thursday afternoon announced that an extra battalion will be sent to the West Bank following a “situational assessment.”IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi visited the city of Bethlehem and held a situational assessment with the Head of the Central Command Maj.-Gen. Nadav Padan, the Commander of the Judea and Samaria Division Brig.-Gen. Yaniv Alaluf, and the Commander of the Etzion Division Brig.-Gen. David Shapiro and other senior commanders."We have no intention of allowing terrorism to succeed,” Kochavi said. “Our directive is very clear to all troops on the ground- to thwart and prevent all terror activity. When I say terror, I also mean the throwing of rocks, Molotov cocktails, explosive balloons... All of these are terror. The message is clear, not this attack, not the bombings, not the firing of the rockets, all these acts- will not succeed. The IDF is being targeted by the Palestinian arena in recent weeks, and we will respond sharply and clearly to all these attacks. "After landing from his trip to Washington, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett held a situational assessment at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv and announced that the IDF would boost its forces in the West Bank and implement a “more stringent equation” in response to the incendiary balloons being launched from the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.Hours earlier a border police officer was lightly wounded in an attack on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. According to police, the man from northern Israel opened fire with a 9mm pistol towards officers from outside the Temple Mount area, and lightly injured the officer in the shooting. The terrorist was shot dead by other officers at the scene. The 38 year-old officer was evacuated to Shaare Zadek hospital with bullet wounds to his hand.French MP Meyer Habib, who represents French expats in the eastern Mediterranean, including Israel, pointed out that the terrorist attack took place meters away from the Church of St. Anne, where French President Emmanuel Macron shouted at Israeli police officers guarding him, because they were entering French diplomatic territory."When you see how Israeli security forces responded quickly and neutralized the terrorist that shot at short range, we understand their determination two weeks ago when President Macron visited the site," Habib said. "Jerusalem is not Disneyland or the capital of the Care Bears. It is the capital of the State of Israel."Early on Thursday morning a group of Golani soldiers were at the First Station, a popular entertainment spot on the city’s David Remez Street, during a heritage tour ahead of their swearing in ceremony at the Western Wall when they were struck by a car at high speed.The terrorist, 24 year-old Khaled al-Tourman from East Jerusalem’s A-Tur neighborhood was later caught by security forces in the evening after a large manhunt near Beit Jala where the car was found.Meanwhile, in Jenin , two Palestinians, including a policeman, were killed in early morning riots which broke out as IDF troops demolished the home of a Palestinian terrorist responsible for the death of Rabbi Raziel Shevach in September 2018.According to Palestinian news agency WAFA, 19 year-old Yazan Abu Tabikh was killed after IDF troops opened fire at rioters who had been clashing with troops. The policeman was identified as Sergeant Tarek Badwan.Zilberman said that Palestinian snipers had opened fire on the troops who had been safeguarding the unit carrying out the demolition and that IDF troops returned fire towards the snipers.According to him, a Palestinian sniper cell has been recently shooting at IDF troops in Jenin and the military had anticipated that troops may come under sniper fire during the demolition and had therefore brought a team of Israeli snipers to the operation.Seven others were also seriously wounded in the riots which broke out during the military operation to demolish the home had been previously destroyed but had been rebuilt by the family.Footage shared by Palestinians on social media showed the moment that Badwan was hit by IDF fire while standing in uniform inside a police station in Jenin. The footage did not show Badwan appearing to be a threat to Israeli soldiers or the operation when he was shot.The Israeli military said it is investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu relayed a warning for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas following Wednesday and Thursday’s terrorist attacks: “It won’t help – not stabbings, not rammings, not the lashing out and not the incitement.“We will do all that we need in order to protect our security, establish our borders and ensure our future. We will do it with you or without you,” he stated. Netanyahu spoke while on a security briefing on the Tunnel Road from Jerusalem to Gush Etzion in the West Bank.“This is where the ramming terrorist drove by, and it is only a matter of time – not a lot of time – until we get our hands on him,” he said.Earlier, Netanyahu visited the soldiers injured in the car-ramming attack at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital and wished them a speedy recovery.“I am praying with you for your sons’ recovery and all of Israel embraces you,” Netanyahu said on the phone to the parents of the soldier severely injured in the ramming attack.In response to the attack, Blue and White head Benny Gantz tweeted that he is "praying for the healing of the Golani soldiers" and "trusts the security forces to capture the lowly terrorist and hold him accountable for his actions."Terror should not be allowed to raise its head, neither in Gaza nor in Judea and Samaria," Gantz concluded.President Reuven Rivlin expressed similar sentiments, adding that, "we will fight [terrorism] without compromise."The Knesset plenum will hold a special session on Monday on the recent wave of terror attacks. The meeting was requested by the required 25 MKs.There have been daily clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinians in the West Bank since the release of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan last week. While the IDF has been on heightened alert in the West Bank since the release and deployed additional troops to the area.“We are experiencing a relatively violent week, and we recognize that there have been deaths,” Zilberman said about the West Bank. “There is a lot of friction and both sides are acting to restrain the violence.”On Wednesday 17 year-old Mohammed al-Haddad was shot dead by Israeli troops as he threw a Molotov cocktail towards troops during clashes in Hebron. Riots also broke out in al-Bireh near Ramallah where Palestinians hurled stones and firebombs towards a convoy of IDF vehicles as it left the town following an arrest. On Tuesday a Israeli border police officer was lightly injured after he was hit by a firebomb which exploded into flames on him during riots in Hebron. The day before another IDF soldier in Hebron was hit by a Molotov cocktail.Meanwhile in Gaza the IDF struck Hamas targets including a tunnel and underground logistics infrastructure shortly after midnight in retaliation for an earlier mortar attack and the launching of aerial improvised explosive devices towards southern Israel throughout the day.There have been near-daily rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza over the past week. Dozens of explosive-laden balloons and condoms have also been launched from the blockaded coastal enclave towards southern Israel.“We understand that Hamas is letting these things happen in the past few weeks, especially with the balloons, as well as looking the other way while others fire rockets and mortar shells,” Zilberman said, adding that “We won’t allow this situation with the balloons to continue.”


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Turkey expects Russia to stop Syrian government's attacks in Idlib

ANKARA - Turkey expects Russia to stop the Syrian government's attacks in the northwestern region of Idlib immediately, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday, adding that Ankara needs to work with Moscow to resolve problems in the region.Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to drive back Syrian government forces in Idlib unless they withdraw from the region by the end of month, after an attack by Syrian forces killed eight Turkish military personnel in Idlib on Monday.Speaking to reporters in Baku, Cavusoglu also said in televised comments that a Russian delegation would come to Turkey to discuss Idlib and that Erdogan may hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after those talks if necessary.


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Suspicious object attached to balloons found in Ashkelon

A bundle of balloon containing a suspicious was found in the southern city of Ashkelon Thursday morning. Police bomb disposal experts came to the scene to neutralize the suspicious device attached to the balloons, preventing any danger to the public.Incendiary and explosive balloons have continued to come from Gaza, often causing extensive damage to property and agricultural areas, in addition to posing a threat to communities located near the border.


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Russia says Russian 'military specialists' killed in attacks in Idlib

MOSCOW - Russia's foreign ministry said on Thursday that Russian and Turkish "military specialists" were killed by militants who staged more than 1,000 attacks in the last two weeks of January in the de-escalation zone in Syria's Idlib province."There has recently been a dangerous increase in tension and a surge of violence in Idlib," the foreign ministry said in a statement on its website.Russia continues to closely coordinate with Turkey and Iran on the ground in Syria, it added.


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Saudi Arabia suspends travel of citizens and residents to China

RIYADH - Saudi Arabia has suspended travel to China for both citizens and non-Saudi residents of the kingdom, state news agency SPA said on Thursday.Citizens who break the suspension would be held accountable, SPA said, while foreign residents would not be allowed back into the country if they traveled to China.


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Coronavirus: Singapore prepares second evacuation flight from Wuhan

SINGAPORE - Singapore is preparing a second evacuation flight in the coming days from Wuhan, the locked down Chinese city at the center of the coronavirus epidemic, officials familiar with the plans said.The city-state evacuated 92 Singaporeans from Wuhan last Thursday, some of whom have since been confirmed as infected. Authorities said they had to leave some passengers behind who were showing symptoms.The officials, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the evacuation could happen as soon as Friday. The foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--IDF: Rocket alert heard in Eshkol region was false alarm

Reports from the IDF indicate that a rocket alert heard on Thursday morning in Yated, in the Eshkol region in southern Israel, was in fact a false alarm.


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Palestinian policeman killed in confrontation with IDF forces

Two Palestinians, including a policeman, were killed in riots which broke out in the West Bank city of Jenin after IDF troops demolished the home of a Palestinian terrorist responsible for the death of Rabbi Raziel Shevach in September 2018.According to Palestinian news agency WAFA, 19 year-old Yazan Abu Tabikh was killed after IDF troops opened fire at rioters who had been clashing with troops. The policeman was identified as Sergeant Tarek Badwan.Seven others were also seriously wounded in the riots which broke out during the military operation to demolish the home had been previously destroyed but had been rebuilt by the family.The Israeli military said it is investigating the incident.
هتافات غاضبة عقب استشهاد الشاب يزن أبو طبيخ " 19 عامًا " الذي ارتقى برصاص قوات الاحتلال في #جنين فجر اليوم. pic.twitter.com/UzAPNHpvfJ — المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) February 6, 2020
“We are after a busy night in several arenas,” IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Hildai Zilberman said, adding that Palestinian snipers had opened fire on the troops who had been safeguarding the unit carrying out the demolition and that troops returned fire towards the snipers.According to him, a Palestinian sniper cell has been recently shooting at IDF troops in Jenin. The military had anticipated that troops may come under sniper fire during the demolition of Ahmed Qonba'a, and had therefore brought a team of Israeli snipers to the operation.Abu Tabikh is the second Palestinian teen killed by IDF troops in 24 hours.Earlier on Wednesday, 17-year-old Mohammed al-Haddad was shot dead by Israeli troops as he threw a Molotov cocktail towards troops during clashes in Hebron. Riots also broke out in al-Bireh near Ramallah where Palestinians hurled stones and firebombs towards a convoy of IDF vehicles as it left the town following an arrest.On Tuesday an Israeli border police officer was lightly injured after he was hit by a firebomb, which exploded into flames on him during riots in Hebron. The day before, another soldier in Hebron was hit by a Molotov cocktail.There have been daily clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinians in the West Bank since the release of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan last week. The IDF has been on heightened alert in the West Bank since the release, deploying additional troops to the area.“We are experiencing a fairly violent week,” Zilberman said. “There is a lot of friction and unavoidable losses. Both sides are working towards containing and calming the situation.”
פלסטינים השליכו הלילה בקבוקי תבערה לעבר כוחות צה"ל בביתוניא שליד רמאללה @OrHeller pic.twitter.com/L2B5oZZX29 — חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) February 6, 2020
Meanwhile in Gaza, the IDF struck Hamas targets including a tunnel and underground logistics infrastructure shortly after midnight in retaliation for an earlier mortar attack and the launching of aerial improvised explosive devices toward southern Israel throughout the day.There have been near-daily rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza over the past week. Dozens of explosive-laden balloons and condoms have also been launched from the blockaded coastal enclave towards southern Israel.“We understand that Hamas has been letting these things happen in the past few weeks, especially with the balloons, as well as looking the other way while others fire rockets and mortar shells,” Zilberman said, adding that “we won’t allow this situation with the balloons to continue.”


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--IDF forces demolish house of terrorist who murdered Raziel Shabach


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Incendiary balloons spotted in Beit Shemesh

Incendiary balloons , with an explosive device attached , were found in a Beit Shemesh street on Thursday evening .
@ @ @ @ @ scene and defused the device .
The public is warned not to approach such objects @ @ @ @ @ as they might be dangerous .

Incendiary balloons, with an explosive device attached, were found in a Beit Shemesh street on Thursday evening.
Police were called on the scene and defused the device. The public is warned not to approach such objects, balloons and kites, as they might be dangerous.


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--MK Golan: Right-wing lead to this wave of terror

Former IDF General and Democratic Union MK Yair Golan said on Thursday that the right-wing camp is responsible for the Thursday round of Palestinian terror attacks .
Golan was responding to a question posed to him by a reporter who wanted to know if the Right is responsible to the terror increase and said : “ I am sorry to say that the answer is yes.
” Yamina slammed Golan , calling him a “ radical Left wing supporter who “ sees chances [ for peace ] while those injured in terror attacks still struggle over their lives.
” Golan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration “ blabbed ” about a “ dangerous annexation ” [ of the Jordan Valley and the West Bank ] and “ set fire to the region.
” “ Now there are wounded [ IDF ] soldiers in hospitals , ” he said , “ when those who speak the truth are labeled ‘ mentally ill ' no wonder everybody is keeping quiet.
” “ I will continue to tell the truth , ” he said .
The Likud slammed the former general and said that his words are “ shame ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ Blue and White leader Benny ] Gantz will bury the 'Deal of the Century . '
” Yamina slammed Golan , calling him a “ radical Left wing supporter who “ sees chances [ for peace ] while those injured in terror attacks still struggle over their lives .
”

Former IDF General and Democratic Union MK Yair Golan said on Thursday that the right-wing camp is responsible for the Thursday round of Palestinian terror attacks.
Golan was responding to a question posed to him by a reporter who wanted to know if the Right is responsible to the terror increase and said: “I am sorry to say that the answer is yes.”
Golan responded by saying that Netanyahu’s administration “blabbed” about a “dangerous annexation” [of the Jordan Valley and the West Bank] and “set fire to the region.”
“Now there are wounded [IDF] soldiers in hospitals,” he said, “when those who speak the truth are labeled ‘mentally ill' no wonder everybody is keeping quiet.”
“I will continue to tell the truth,” he said.
The Likud slammed the former general and said that his words are “shame” and that “everyone understands that Golan and [Blue and White leader Benny] Gantz will bury the 'Deal of the Century.'”Yamina slammed Golan, calling him a “radical Left wing supporter who “sees chances [for peace] while those injured in terror attacks still struggle over their lives.”


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Netanyahu: We opened the skies, we brought in a mountain of money

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at a Likud rally in Hadera on Thursday and said that “ we opened the @ @ @ @ @ cheap flights to compete in the Israeli market .
A man in the crowd at @ @ @ @ @ $ !
” Netanyahu asked him to stand up and repeat it .
He then @ @ @ @ @ Culture Minister Miri Regev would say , those who fly and reach the heavens must @ @ @ @ @ point the audience erupted in wild clapping .
Netanyahu claimed he was warned by so-called @ @ @ @ @ to keep foreign currency because “ a mountain of money would vanish ” from Israel @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said , “ but it moved here !
”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at a Likud rally in Hadera on Thursday and said that “we opened the skies” meaning, allowing cheap flights to compete in the Israeli market.
A man in the crowd at this point shouted “50$!” Netanyahu asked him to stand up and repeat it.
He then said that “as our Culture Minister Miri Regev would say, those who fly and reach the heavens must clap,” at this point the audience erupted in wild clapping.
Netanyahu claimed he was warned by so-called experts not to allow Israelis to keep foreign currency because “a mountain of money would vanish” from Israel.
“The mountain moved,” he said, “but it moved here!”


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Netanyahu: Ethiopians, Russians, returning to the Likud

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at a Likud rally in Hadera on Thursday and said that he comes to the @ @ @ @ @ years with his wife Sara .
She stood up to receive standing ovations from the @ @ @ @ @ speech by saying MK Gadi Yevarkan is evidence that the Ethiopian-Israeli voters are returning to @ @ @ @ @ the Russian-Israeli voters , “ everybody is coming back to Liked , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ on fire !
”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at a Likud rally in Hadera on Thursday and said that he comes to the city of Hadera for many years with his wife Sara.
She stood up to receive standing ovations from the crows.
He began his speech by saying MK Gadi Yevarkan is evidence that the Ethiopian-Israeli voters are returning to the Likud and so are the Russian-Israeli voters, “everybody is coming back to Liked,” he said, “the Likud is on fire!”


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Chinese doctor who warned of coronavirus dies of virus

Chinese medical doctor Li Wenliang died after being infected with coronavirus , Chinese state media reported on Thursday .
He @ @ @ @ @ among the first to inform authorities about the spread of the virus .
His original @ @ @ @ @ of social media posts he wrote during the last month of 2019 .
He mentioned @ @ @ @ @ and warned other medical care givers to wear protective clothing .
He was warned by @ @ @ @ @ was “ making false comments ” and “ sharing false information .
”

Chinese medical doctor Li Wenliang died after being infected with coronavirus, Chinese state media reported on Thursday. He was 34 years old and among the first to inform authorities about the spread of the virus.
His original warning was in the form of social media posts he wrote during the last month of 2019.
He mentioned a previous outbreak of Sars and warned other medical care givers to wear protective clothing.
He was warned by the Chinese authorities that he was “making false comments” and “sharing false information.”


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Netanyahu: Do you have friends who vote Blue and White? Can they count?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu poked fun at Blue and White voters on Thursday when he spoke in Ramla and said @ @ @ @ @ Benny Gantz will never be able to form a government because he lacks the support @ @ @ @ @ of voters for the Likud sat at home in Ramla during the last elections , @ @ @ @ @ the audience .
Netanyahu added : “ If any one of you would bring two @ @ @ @ @ , we will win the [ March ] elections.
” “ This is not high-level @ @ @ @ @ , “ do you have friends who vote for Blue and White ?
Surely you @ @ @ @ @ teach them how to count .
It ’ s simple math.
” “ Thousands of @ @ @ @ @ at home in Ramla during the last elections , ” a Likud member told the @ @ @ @ @ “ If any one of you would bring two friends to vote for Likud , @ @ @ @ @ March ] elections .
”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu poked fun at Blue and White voters on Thursday when he spoke in Ramla and said that Blue and White leader Benny Gantz will never be able to form a government because he lacks the support of MKs.
“This is not high-level math,” he joked, “do you have friends who vote for Blue and White? Surely you have a few…ask them, teach them how to count. It’s simple math.”“Thousands of voters for the Likud sat at home in Ramla during the last elections,” a Likud member told the audience. Netanyahu added: “If any one of you would bring two friends to vote for Likud, we will win the [March] elections.”


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Netanyahu: We unlocked all the creative genius of this nation

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in Ramla on Thursday and began his speech by mentioning an ice-cream store called Reviya @ @ @ @ @ he was a small boy .
“ And now I see Ramla and the change @ @ @ @ @ said , “ towers and highways…we made all these changes , we unlocked all the @ @ @ @ @ , ” he claimed as the audience clapped .
“ Everyone shares this success , @ @ @ @ @ Arabs and Jews…no longer is there the First Israel and the Second Israel .
”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in Ramla on Thursday and began his speech by mentioning an ice-cream store called Reviya which used to exist when he was a small boy.
“And now I see Ramla and the change is great,” he said, “towers and highways…we made all these changes, we unlocked all the creative genius of this nation,” he claimed as the audience clapped.
“Everyone shares this success,” he said, “Arabs and Jews…no longer is there the First Israel and the Second Israel.”


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Netanyahu: We operate in Syria to ensure Iran won’t take root there

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in Ramla on Thursday and said he went to Russia to meet “ my friend @ @ @ @ @ and ensure “ Iran will not be able to take root ” in Syria .
@ @ @ @ @ to bring Naama Issachar home , ” he said , “ and we brought her @ @ @ @ @ said so the audience erupted in cheers and said “ Bravo !
” Speaking about @ @ @ @ @ of Sudan he said , “ we bring a real peace .
”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in Ramla on Thursday and said he went to Russia to meet “my friend Russian President Vladimir Putin” and ensure “Iran will not be able to take root” in Syria.
“I also went there to bring Naama Issachar home,” he said, “and we brought her home!”
As he said so the audience erupted in cheers and said “Bravo!”
Speaking about his meeting with the President of Sudan he said, “we bring a real peace.”


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--New UK coronavirus case was not contracted in China

The third person in the United Kingdom to test positive for coronavirus was a British citizen who had traveled from @ @ @ @ @ not China , British Prime Minister Boris Johnson 's spokesman said on Thursday .
Citing @ @ @ @ @ the spokesman said when asked whether the person was British : `` I believe they @ @ @ @ @ the virus from an Asian country ... not China . ''

The third person in the United Kingdom to test positive for coronavirus was a British citizen who had traveled from an Asian country, but not China, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said on Thursday.
Citing the Chief Medical Officer, the spokesman said when asked whether the person was British: "I believe they are yes ... they contracted the virus from an Asian country ... not China."


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Netanyahu to Abbas: We will do what is needed to ensure our safety

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday saying that “ nothing will help you , @ @ @ @ @ will do what is needed to ensure our safety…with you or without you.
” Three @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , a drive by shooting near Dolev , an attack on the Temple Mountain @ @ @ @ @ in central Jerusalem .

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday saying that “nothing will help you, neither stabbing nor ramming attacks…we will do what is needed to ensure our safety…with you or without you.”
Three Palestinian terror attacks occurred during Thursday, a drive by shooting near Dolev, an attack on the Temple Mountain, and a ramming attack in central Jerusalem.


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Likud: We call on Gantz to inform Olmert now is no time to meet PA leader

The Likud called on Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to “ make it clear to his friend and close @ @ @ @ @ Ehud Olmert that now is not the time to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud @ @ @ @ @ the Deal of the Century.
’ “ At a time like this , ” the @ @ @ @ @ need to stand next to [ US ] President [ Donald ] Trump and the @ @ @ @ @ of Israel – not on the side of those who incite and promote terror against @ @ @ @

The Likud called on Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to “make it clear to his friend and close advisor” former prime minister Ehud Olmert that now is not the time to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “to work against the Deal of the Century.’
“At a time like this,” the Likud said, “we need to stand next to [US] President [Donald] Trump and the national interest of the state of Israel – not on the side of those who incite and promote terror against our troops.”


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Arab Joint List leader:  We denounce Temple Mount shooting

Arab Joint List leader Ayman Odeh denounced the shooting attack which took place on Temple Mount on Thursday during which @ @ @ @ @ opened fire on a border police officer .
“ We denounce this shooting , ” @ @ @ @ @ is no reason for an Israeli citizen to use firearms .
“ “ The Arab @ @ @ @ @ a civic democratic just struggle to achieve the ending of the [ Israeli ] occupation @ @ @ @ @ ” he said , “ we will accept no other way .
”

Arab Joint List leader Ayman Odeh denounced the shooting attack which took place on Temple Mount on Thursday during which an Arab-Israeli resident of Haifa opened fire on a border police officer.
“We denounce this shooting,” he said, “there is no reason for an Israeli citizen to use firearms. “
“The Arab citizens of this country chose a civic democratic just struggle to achieve the ending of the [Israeli] occupation, peace and equality,” he said, “we will accept no other way.”


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Tourist visiting Israel via China suspected of carrying coronavirus

A man who recently returned to Israel from China was hospitalized at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center on Thursday as @ @ @ @ @ have coronavirus , Ynet reported .
The man was placed under quarantine and the medical @ @ @ @ @ results to confirm or deny the suspicion .

A man who recently returned to Israel from China was hospitalized at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center on Thursday as it was suspected he might have coronavirus, Ynet reported.
The man was placed under quarantine and the medical staff is waiting for lab results to confirm or deny the suspicion.


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Governor of Jenin: Israel dragging us to a place we don't want

Jenin Governor Akram Al-Rajoub said on Thursday in reaction to IDF soldiers shooting a Palestinian police officer that the Israeli @ @ @ @ @ and that Israel “ wants to drag us to a place we have no desire @ @ @ @ @ warned that Israeli actions against Palestinian security forces and people “ will have dangerous ramifications.
@ @ @ @ @ was killed when riots broke out in Jenin on Thursday when the home of a @ @ @ @ @ Rabbi Raziel Shevach in 2018 , was demolished .
The incident is under investigation on @ @ @ @ @

Jenin Governor Akram Al-Rajoub said on Thursday in reaction to IDF soldiers shooting a Palestinian police officer that the Israeli action was “intentional” and that Israel “wants to drag us to a place we have no desire to be at.”
He warned that Israeli actions against Palestinian security forces and people “will have dangerous ramifications.”
Sgt. Tarek Badwan was killed when riots broke out in Jenin on Thursday when the home of a Palestinian terrorist, who murdered Rabbi Raziel Shevach in 2018, was demolished.
The incident is under investigation on behalf of the IDF.


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Third coronavirus case confirmed in UK

Third coronavirus case confirmed in UK

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"A further patient has tested positive for coronavirus bringing the total number of cases in the UK to three," Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said. "The individual did not acquire this in the UK."


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Knesset to hold extraordinary meeting following wave of terror attacks

The Knesset plenum will hold a special session on Monday on the recent wave of terror attacks. The meeting was requested by the required 25 MKs.The plenum will not deal with Likud MK Haim Katz's immunity request because Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein will be out of the country. The formation of a special Knesset committee to deal with Corona Virus will also wait.


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Shooting terror attack in West Bank, IDF soldier lightly injured

The Israeli army has reinforced troops after three attacks against IDF troops in less than 15 hours as violence continued in the West Bank in response to the release of US Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century” last week.The military on Thursday afternoon announced that an extra battalion will be sent to the West Bank following a “situational assessment.”IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi visited the city of Bethlehem and held a situational assessment with the Head of the Central Command Maj.-Gen. Nadav Padan, the Commander of the Judea and Samaria Division Brig.-Gen. Yaniv Alaluf, and the Commander of the Etzion Division Brig.-Gen. David Shapiro and other senior commanders."We have no intention of allowing terrorism to succeed,” Kochavi said. “Our directive is very clear to all troops on the ground- to thwart and prevent all terror activity. When I say terror, I also mean the throwing of rocks, Molotov cocktails, explosive balloons... All of these are terror. The message is clear, not this attack, not the bombings, not the firing of the rockets, all these acts- will not succeed. The IDF is being targeted by the Palestinian arena in recent weeks, and we will respond sharply and clearly to all these attacks. "After landing from his trip to Washington, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett held a situational assessment at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv and announced that the IDF would boost its forces in the West Bank and implement a “more stringent equation” in response to the incendiary balloons being launched from the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.Hours earlier a border police officer was lightly wounded in an attack on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. According to police, the man from northern Israel opened fire with a 9mm pistol towards officers from outside the Temple Mount area, and lightly injured the officer in the shooting. The terrorist was shot dead by other officers at the scene. The 38 year-old officer was evacuated to Shaare Zadek hospital with bullet wounds to his hand.French MP Meyer Habib, who represents French expats in the eastern Mediterranean, including Israel, pointed out that the terrorist attack took place meters away from the Church of St. Anne, where French President Emmanuel Macron shouted at Israeli police officers guarding him, because they were entering French diplomatic territory."When you see how Israeli security forces responded quickly and neutralized the terrorist that shot at short range, we understand their determination two weeks ago when President Macron visited the site," Habib said. "Jerusalem is not Disneyland or the capital of the Care Bears. It is the capital of the State of Israel."Early on Thursday morning a group of Golani soldiers were at the First Station, a popular entertainment spot on the city’s David Remez Street, during a heritage tour ahead of their swearing in ceremony at the Western Wall when they were struck by a car at high speed.The terrorist, 24 year-old Khaled al-Tourman from East Jerusalem’s A-Tur neighborhood was later caught by security forces in the evening after a large manhunt near Beit Jala where the car was found.Meanwhile, in Jenin , two Palestinians, including a policeman, were killed in early morning riots which broke out as IDF troops demolished the home of a Palestinian terrorist responsible for the death of Rabbi Raziel Shevach in September 2018.According to Palestinian news agency WAFA, 19 year-old Yazan Abu Tabikh was killed after IDF troops opened fire at rioters who had been clashing with troops. The policeman was identified as Sergeant Tarek Badwan.Zilberman said that Palestinian snipers had opened fire on the troops who had been safeguarding the unit carrying out the demolition and that IDF troops returned fire towards the snipers.According to him, a Palestinian sniper cell has been recently shooting at IDF troops in Jenin and the military had anticipated that troops may come under sniper fire during the demolition and had therefore brought a team of Israeli snipers to the operation.Seven others were also seriously wounded in the riots which broke out during the military operation to demolish the home had been previously destroyed but had been rebuilt by the family.Footage shared by Palestinians on social media showed the moment that Badwan was hit by IDF fire while standing in uniform inside a police station in Jenin. The footage did not show Badwan appearing to be a threat to Israeli soldiers or the operation when he was shot.The Israeli military said it is investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu relayed a warning for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas following Wednesday and Thursday’s terrorist attacks: “It won’t help – not stabbings, not rammings, not the lashing out and not the incitement.“We will do all that we need in order to protect our security, establish our borders and ensure our future. We will do it with you or without you,” he stated. Netanyahu spoke while on a security briefing on the Tunnel Road from Jerusalem to Gush Etzion in the West Bank.“This is where the ramming terrorist drove by, and it is only a matter of time – not a lot of time – until we get our hands on him,” he said.Earlier, Netanyahu visited the soldiers injured in the car-ramming attack at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital and wished them a speedy recovery.“I am praying with you for your sons’ recovery and all of Israel embraces you,” Netanyahu said on the phone to the parents of the soldier severely injured in the ramming attack.In response to the attack, Blue and White head Benny Gantz tweeted that he is "praying for the healing of the Golani soldiers" and "trusts the security forces to capture the lowly terrorist and hold him accountable for his actions."Terror should not be allowed to raise its head, neither in Gaza nor in Judea and Samaria," Gantz concluded.President Reuven Rivlin expressed similar sentiments, adding that, "we will fight [terrorism] without compromise."The Knesset plenum will hold a special session on Monday on the recent wave of terror attacks. The meeting was requested by the required 25 MKs.There have been daily clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinians in the West Bank since the release of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan last week. While the IDF has been on heightened alert in the West Bank since the release and deployed additional troops to the area.“We are experiencing a relatively violent week, and we recognize that there have been deaths,” Zilberman said about the West Bank. “There is a lot of friction and both sides are acting to restrain the violence.”On Wednesday 17 year-old Mohammed al-Haddad was shot dead by Israeli troops as he threw a Molotov cocktail towards troops during clashes in Hebron. Riots also broke out in al-Bireh near Ramallah where Palestinians hurled stones and firebombs towards a convoy of IDF vehicles as it left the town following an arrest. On Tuesday a Israeli border police officer was lightly injured after he was hit by a firebomb which exploded into flames on him during riots in Hebron. The day before another IDF soldier in Hebron was hit by a Molotov cocktail.Meanwhile in Gaza the IDF struck Hamas targets including a tunnel and underground logistics infrastructure shortly after midnight in retaliation for an earlier mortar attack and the launching of aerial improvised explosive devices towards southern Israel throughout the day.There have been near-daily rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza over the past week. Dozens of explosive-laden balloons and condoms have also been launched from the blockaded coastal enclave towards southern Israel.“We understand that Hamas is letting these things happen in the past few weeks, especially with the balloons, as well as looking the other way while others fire rockets and mortar shells,” Zilberman said, adding that “We won’t allow this situation with the balloons to continue.”


jerusalempost--2020-02-06--Coronavirus: four new cases confirmed in Vietnam

Vietnam's Health Ministry said that four new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Vinh Phuc province.The new cases bring the total of people affected in Vietnam to 12.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Naftali Bennett visits soldiers injured in ramming attack

Defense Ministry Naftali Bennett visited the IDF soldiers hospitalized after the ramming attack that injured twelve Golani soldiers in the early hours of Thursday morning.“We are at the end of a few days that were not simple, some terrorists were killed on the other side, we have some injured. We will reach the terrorists and kill them,” Bennett vowed, promising the soldiers that Israel has their back.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--UK's new ambassador to US named as diplomat Karen Pierce

Britain has named career diplomat Karen Pierce as its new ambassador to the United States, the first woman to hold the U.S. post, with the task of shoring up relations with London's closest ally after Brexit.Pierce, 60, a former ambassador to Afghanistan, replaces Kim Darroch who resigned last July after U.S. President Donald Trump labeled him “stupid” and “wacky” following the release of confidential memos in which he had branded the U.S. president’s administration inept."It is a time of huge opportunity for the friendship between the UK and US and I am delighted that Karen Pierce will take forward this exciting new chapter in our relationship," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement."We’re proud to be sending to Washington such an outstanding diplomat, and I warmly congratulate her on her appointment."Pierce is currently Britain's Ambassador to the United Nations in New York and Permanent Representative at the UN Security Council.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--One of the soldiers injured in ramming attack released from hospital

One of the IDF soldiers injured in the ramming attack by the Jerusalem First Station in the early hours of Thursday was send home on Friday afternoon, a spokesperson of the Hadassah Medical Center said.He received treatment in the orthopedic ward by surgeons and specialists in orthopedic trauma, he added.Another soldier is still hospitalized at Hadassah in mild to moderate condition with a chest and a limb injury.A third soldier is in serious condition at the Shaaree Tzedek Medical Center.The attack injured twelve Golani soldiers. Most of them were released from the hospital within a few hours after receiving medical treatment.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Macron: France wants dialog with Europe partners on nuclear deterrence

President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that France wanted to open a strategic dialog with its European partners regarding the role of French nuclear deterrence policy in the field of European security.Macron also said at a speech at Paris' Ecole de Guerre that European nations who wanted to do so, could be associated with French nuclear deterrence tests.He also reaffirmed that Brexit would not change anything regarding France's nuclear co-operation with Britain.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Turkey has no plans to withdraw troops from posts in Syria's Idlib

ANKARA - Turkey has no plans to withdraw troops from observation posts in Syria's northwest Idlib region even though three of the posts are in areas now controlled by the Syrian government, a Turkish security source said on Friday.Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to drive back Syrian troops in Idlib unless they withdrew by the end of the month, after eight Turkish soldiers were killed on Monday by Syrian government shelling near the town of Saraqeb.The source said there were "no problems" with Turkish military personnel in Saraqeb and added each of the observation posts in Idlib were equipped to defend themselves.The source said joint patrols by Turkish and Russian troops in a swathe of northern Syria along Turkey's border to the east had been postponed due to weather conditions, not over the attacks in Idlib.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Iraqi cleric condemns anti-protester violence following killings

Iraq's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric on Friday condemned deadly violence that killed protesters at sit-ins this week in the southern holy city of Najaf and said a new government must have the trust and support of the people.Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani also called on security forces to protect anti-government demonstrators from any further attacks. His remarks were delivered by a representative during the Friday sermon in the holy city of Kerbala.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Naama Issachar's lawyers seek cancellation of sentence in Russian courts

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jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Brother of ramming attack suspect says it was a car accident

The brother of the man suspected of carrying out a ramming attack near the Jerusalem First station that injured twelve Golani soldiers int the early hours of Thursday morning said it was an accident, and not a deliberate attack, Walla reported on Friday.On Thursday, Israeli forces arrested 24 year-old Khaled al-Tourman from east Jerusalem’s A-Tur neighborhood.His brother said that it was an accident and that he accompanied al-Tourman to a police station to turn himself him and they had notified the authorities in advance.Among the soldiers, one was injured critically and is still hospitalized in serious condition.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Singapore raises virus alert level as new cases show infection spread

Singapore on Friday reported three more coronavirus cases that authorities have not yet linked to previous infections or travel to China, prompting the city state to raise its countrywide alert level.The new cases take Singapore's the city-state's virus tally to 33 with the alert level raised to orange, denoting the disease is severe and passes easily from person-to-person. Red -the highest alert level - indicates it is spreading widely."As there are now a few local cases without any links to previous cases or travel history to China, we have stepped up our risk assessment," the ministry said in a statement, advising businesses to cancel or defer non-essential events and to be prepared for widespread community transmission.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--British ambassador briefly arrested in Tehran last month returns to Iran

Britain’s ambassador to Iran is back in Tehran, he said late on Thursday, some three weeks after he returned to London following his brief arrest by Iranian security forces.Rob Macaire was called an "undesirable element" by Iran's judiciary after officials accused him of attending an illegal protest last month and a hardline cleric said he should be expelled, state media reported. The ambassador said he had attended a vigil for victims of the crash of a Ukrainian airliner, amid public anger over Iran’s belated admission that it accidentally shot down the plane.Britain called Macaire's detention a violation of diplomatic conventions, and he flew back to London in mid-January.In an Instagram video posted on Thursday, Macaire said in Farsi that that visit was "an important trip that was planned some time ago" and had included a meeting with foreign minister Dominic Raab. Macaire, who has been in the post since 2018, added that he had recently returned to Tehran.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Germany liaising with UK to evacuate last of its citizens from Wuhan

The German government wants to evacuate another group of Germans from the Wuhan area in central China due to the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 630 people, magazine Der Spiegel reported on Friday.Germany had already evacuated more than 100 Germans and family members from Wuhan - where the outbreak originated - last weekend but the magazine reported that there were still around 20 Germans in the region of Wuhan.It said they could be flown back on a plane that is due to evacuate British citizens at the weekend, adding that discussions about that were already underway with the British government.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Slight improvement in condition of IDF soldier injured in ramming attack

The situation of the IDF soldier who was seriously injured in the ramming attack by the First Station in Jerusalem on Wednesday night registered a slight improvement, Shaare Zedek Medical Center announced on Friday,The 20-year old remains anesthetized and in intensive care.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Iran to reveal new details about attack on US base in Iraq – report

Iran will soon reveal new details on its missile attack against a US base in Iraq in the aftermath of the US killing of former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, Al Arabyia reported on Friday.The report quoted an unnamed IRGC commander.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Armored police vehicle flips over at Ofra junction

An armored police vehicle flipped over at Ofra junction on Route 60 on Friday, according to TPS. Those involved suffered only light injuries.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Kinneret level rises of 1.5 cm, still misses another 1.35 m

Israel’s Water Authority announced Friday that the level of the Kinneret rose of another 1.5 centimeters on Thursday after the last rains and currently stands at -210.15 meters below sea level. According to the Authority another 1.35 meters are necessary in order to restore the lake to its full level.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Five killed in Alaska commuter air crash

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Five people were killed on Thursday when a commuter aircraft crashed in rural southwestern Alaska, killing all aboard, officials said.The plane, a Piper PA32, crashed "under unknown circumstances," Allen Kenitzer, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said in an email.The crash happened near the Yup'ik village of Tuntutuliak, a community about 430 miles southwest of Anchorage, the Alaska State Troopers said in a statement. The plane was operated by Yute Air, a carrier based in Bethel, Alaska, the hub community in the remote region, the troopers said.The plane, with a pilot and four passengers, was traveling from Bethel to another Yup'ik village, Kipnuk, on the Bering Sea coast. About two hours after the plane was reported overdue, a National Guard helicopter reached the crash site, and officials confirmed that all aboard the Yute Air flight had died, the troopers said.The victims' identities were not released, and attempts were under way to notify their families, the troopers said in the statement.The crash will be investigated by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, Kenitzer said.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--China anti-corruption body to probe 'issues' related to Doctor Li

BEIJING - China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, its top anti-corruption body, said on Friday it would send investigators to Wuhan to probe "issues raised by the people in connection with Dr. Li Wenliang."Li, an ophthalmologist at a hospital in Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, died on Friday after saying he had contracted the virus, sparking a wave of public mourning. He had earlier revealed he was one of eight people reprimanded by Wuhan police last month for "spreading rumours" about the virus.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--China's President Xi tells Trump no effort spared to fight coronavirus

In its battle against the coronavirus , China is gradually achieving results , Xi told his U.S. counterpart on a @ @ @ @ @ , according to state television .

The Chinese government has spared no effort in its fight to contain the coronavirus outbreak, having taken the most comprehensive and stringent prevention and containment measures, President Xi Jinping told U.S. President Donald Trump.
In its battle against the coronavirus, China is gradually achieving results, Xi told his U.S. counterpart on a phone call on Friday morning, according to state television.
China is fully confident and capable of defeating the epidemic, and the long-term trend of the country's economic development will not change, Xi said.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Six injured in chain car crash in Tel Aviv

A total of six people were injured late on Thursday night in Tel Aviv as a result of a chain car crash in the region.The initial car crashed into a man on a bicycle and immediately after crashed into a taxi cab. The people injured in the crash were evacuated to Ichilov Hospital, including four people who were moderately injured and two who were lightly injured.


jerusalempost--2020-02-08--Lockheed Martin drops out of Singapore Airshow over coronavirus concerns

`` Following the Singapore Ministry of Health 's Feb. 7 declaration of a Code Orange health alert , we consulted @ @ @ @ @ our medical teams and decided not to participate in the Singapore Airshow , '' the @ @ @ @ @ .

U.S. weapons maker Lockheed Martin Corp said on Friday it will not participate in next week's Singapore Airshow over coronavirus concerns.
"Following the Singapore Ministry of Health's Feb. 7 declaration of a Code Orange health alert, we consulted with the U.S. government and our medical teams and decided not to participate in the Singapore Airshow," the company said in a statement.
"We determined this was in the best interest of our employees and aligned with the U.S. Department of Defense's decision to reduce its presence," it said.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Trump ousts White House staffer who testified against him in impeachment

The Trump administration on Friday removed Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman from his position as the White House 's top @ @ @ @ @ damaging testimony about President Donald Trump during the impeachment process , Vindman 's lawyer said @ @ @ @ @ of the White House where he had worked on the National Security Council ( NSC @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement , adding that the move was retribution for Vindman 's testimony @

The Trump administration on Friday removed Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman from his position as the White House's top Ukraine expert after he provided damaging testimony about President Donald Trump during the impeachment process, Vindman's lawyer said.
Vindman was escorted out of the White House where he had worked on the National Security Council (NSC), lawyer David Pressman said in a statement, adding that the move was retribution for Vindman's testimony.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--China's Hubei province reports 81 new deaths from coronavirus on Feb 7

The death toll from a coronavirus outbreak in mainland China had reached 722 as of the end of Friday, up by 86 from the previous day, the country's National Health Commission said on Saturday.
The central Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak, reported 81 deaths, while in the provincial capital of Wuhan 67 people died.
Across mainland China, there were 3,399 new confirmed infections on Friday, bringing the total accumulated number so far to 31,774.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Facebook warns of hit to Oculus production from cornonavirus

Earlier in January , the world 's largest social media network started restricting its employees from traveling to China , @ @ @ @ @ death toll from the flu-like virus .
`` Due to the coronavirus we began taking @ @ @ @ @ has compounded this issue and is why we expect additional impact on production , '' @ @ @ @ @ .
Facebook unveiled Oculus Quest , which comes with touch controllers and does not need @ @ @ @ @ in September 2018 at $ 399 .
`` Oculus Quest was already in high demand @ @ @ @ @ , '' the spokesperson said .

Facebook Inc said on Friday production of its Oculus virtual reality headset would be hit by the recent cornonavirus outbreak, which has weighed on businesses dependent on Chinese supply lines.
Earlier in January, the world's largest social media network started restricting its employees from traveling to China, in the face of rising death toll from the flu-like virus.
"Due to the coronavirus we began taking additional safety precautions, which has compounded this issue and is why we expect additional impact on production," a Facebook spokesperson told Reuters.
Facebook unveiled Oculus Quest, which comes with touch controllers and does not need a PC to operate, in September 2018 at $399.
"Oculus Quest was already in high demand and back-ordered in several regions," the spokesperson said.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Two-year-old coming back from Thailand quarantined for fear of coronavirus

A two-year-old child was hospitalized in Meir hospital on Friday afternoon in Kfar Saba after returning from a family trip to Thailand for fear of having contracted the coronavirus, Ynet reports.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Danon to UN: do not let pro-Palestinian CEO arrive at security council

Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Danon sent a letter on Friday to the head of the UN, António Guterres, in which he implored him to prevent the arrival of the CEO of the "Defense for the children of Palestine" organization, Brad Parker, to a UN security council discussion, Ynet reports."In a place where peace and security are promoted, there's no place for people like Parker" Danon wrote. Parker was invited by Belgium to a discussion regarding "Children in armed conflicts"


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Man found shot dead in Wolfson park in Tel Aviv

A man was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound in Wolfson park in Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon.Police are on the scene collecting evidence and an investigation into the matter has been opened.The Jerusalem post's sister publication Maariv reports that Since no weapon was found at the scene of the crime, suicide has been ruled out as an option and that police are searching the surrounding area for potential suspects.


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Foreign Ministry: 'no travel warning to Thailand following coronavirus'

The Foreign Ministry in monitoring the information coming in from Thailand ( and other Southeast-Asian countries ) and the data @ @ @ @ @ with dealing with the issue , such as the World Health Organization ( WHO ) @ @ @ @ @ status assessments on the topic .
`` Translated by Idan Zonshine .

Translated by Idan Zonshine. The Foreign Ministry in monitoring the information coming in from Thailand (and other Southeast-Asian countries) and the data coming in from organizations tasked with dealing with the issue, such as the World Health Organization (WHO)and we are holding daily status assessments on the topic."Translated by Idan Zonshine.
Israel's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Friday afternoon, saying that "contrary to a number of media reports, a travel warning has not been issued so far in Thailand as a result of the spread of the coronavirus."


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--Gantz: 'Netanyahu replaces defense ministers like socks'

Blue and White Chairman MK Benny Gantz criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Twitter, claiming he has lost control over the security situation."The security situation over the last few days only serves to emphasize what everyone is already feeling: Netanyahu is losing control and acting irresponsibly," Gantz said."He has turned the cabinet into a circus, he replaces defense ministers like they're socks and uses our foreign policy for his political campaign," he added. "Unlike him, I will manage Israel's security policy in a responsible manner and bring back Israel's deterrence factor."


jerusalempost--2020-02-07--31 Palestinians wounded in clashes with IDF in Qalqilya - report

Thirty One Palestinians were wounded by rubber bullets and tear gas fired by Israeli forces in clashes near Qalqilya on Friday, the Palestinian Safa Press Agency reported on Twitter.
*الهلال الأحمر:* 31 إصابة خلال مواجهات مع قوات الاحتلال في قرية كفر قدوم قرب قلقيلية، منها 3 إصابات بالمطاط وباقي الإصابات بالغاز المسيل للدموع، وتم تقديم العلاج الميداني لجميع الإصابات — وكالة صفا (@SafaPs) February 7, 2020
According to the report, only three of the Palestinian protesters were shot by rubber bullets, while the rest of the injuries were the result of tear gas.Red Crescent reported that all injured parties received field medical treatment.


jerusalempost--2020-02-09--Coronavirus: 91 new deaths in China's Hubei province

BEIJING - The number of deaths in China's central Hubei province from a coronavirus outbreak had risen by 91 to 871 as of Sunday, the province's health commission said in a statement on its website on Monday.There had been a further 2,618 cases detected in Hubei, the epicenter of the outbreak, taking the total in the province to 29,631.Most of the new deaths were in Hubei's provincial capital of Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated.Wuhan reported 73 new deaths on Sunday, up from 63 on Saturday. A total of 681 people in Wuhan have now died from the virus.New confirmed cases in Wuhan increased by 1,921 on Sunday, up from 1,379 on Saturday.


jerusalempost--2020-02-09--Egyptian security delegation to visit Gaza on Monday - report

Tensions have been high between Israel and the Gaza Strip in recent weeks as dozens of explosive balloons and over @ @ @ @ @ from Gaza into Israel .

Tensions have been high between Israel and the Gaza Strip in recent weeks as dozens of explosive balloons and over 20 rockets have been launched from Gaza into Israel.
The Egyptian security delegation led by Major General Ahmed Abdel Khalek is expected to visit the Gaza Strip and meet with Palestinian officials on Monday after touring the Gaza-Egypt border, according to Al Mayadeen.


jerusalempost--2020-02-09--Jerusalem schools to start one hour late on Monday due to weather hazards

Jerusalem city schools will be starting at 9 a.m. rather than the average 8 a.m. start on Monday morning, the municipality decided on Sunday night during a situational assessment.There is rising suspicion that snow may fall in Jerusalem, causing transportation to significantly slow down.


jerusalempost--2020-02-09--Man attempts to enter White House with knife to 'assassinate Trump'

A man attempted to enter the White House on Sunday afternoon in an attempt to "assassinate" US President Donald Trump, he told security when asked about the weapon.This is a developing story.


jerusalempost--2020-02-09--Suicide bomber kills soldier in military barracks in southern Algeria

A ministry statement said the bombing took place in the Bordj Baji Mokhtar region .
It was not known who @ @ @ @ @ the first suicide bombing in Algeria for several years .
The conflict in neighboring Libya @ @ @ @ @ of Algeria 's borders , in Mali , have both fed concerns of armed militant @ @ @ @ @ the Sahara and Sahel regions of North Africa .
In 2013 , an Islamist militant @ @ @ @ @ the Tiguentourine gas processing facility in southern Algeria that killed dozens of people including foreigners @ @ @ @ @ spasm of militant violence in Algeria since a 1990s civil war between Islamist groups and @ @ @ @ @ than 200,000 people died .
Algeria is already wrestling with a major political crisis after @ @ @ @ @ that helped oust the veteran president , but which continue with demonstrators demanding the ruling @ @ @ @ @

A suicide bomber attacked a military barracks in southern Algeria on Sunday morning, killing a soldier, the defense ministry said.
A ministry statement said the bombing took place in the Bordj Baji Mokhtar region. It was not known who carried out the attack, the first suicide bombing in Algeria for several years.
The conflict in neighboring Libya and deteriorating security across another of Algeria's borders, in Mali, have both fed concerns of armed militant groups growing more active in the Sahara and Sahel regions of North Africa.
In 2013, an Islamist militant group staged an attack on the Tiguentourine gas processing facility in southern Algeria that killed dozens of people including foreigners.
That was the deadliest spasm of militant violence in Algeria since a 1990s civil war between Islamist groups and the state in which more than 200,000 people died.
Algeria is already wrestling with a major political crisis after a year of mass protests that helped oust the veteran president, but which continue with demonstrators demanding the ruling elite be fully replaced.
It also faces economic problems, with declining energy sales contributing to a fall in state revenue and planned cuts in public spending this year.


jerusalempost--2020-02-09--Rocket sirens sound in Gaza border communities

Rocket sirens sounded on Sunday evening in the Gaza border communities of Nir Am, Sderot and Ivim, the IDF confirmed.One rocket was seen landing in an open field, according to initial reports.


jerusalempost--2020-02-09--Gunman shoots NY cop inside station hours after ambushing patrol officers

The gunman was arrested at the police station .
The two officers were being treated in hospital and were expected to fully recover from their wounds , officials said at a news conference .
`` This was an attempt to assassinate two police officers ... it was a premeditated effort to kill , '' New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said .
`` An attack on a police officer is an attack on all of us . ''
The gunman , whose name has not yet been released by authorities , entered the 41st Precinct headquarters in the Bronx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GMT ) , pulled out a .9mm hand gun and started firing at the front desk where several officers stood , officials said .
He then walked into an area next to the desk and fired several rounds at point blank range at several more officers and a civilian staffer , Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said .
`` It is only by the grace of God and heroic actions of those inside the building who took him into custody that we are not talking about police officers murdered , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ only after he ran out of bullets , '' Shea said .
A lieutenant , who returned fire , was shot in the upper left arm .
On Saturday night a uniformed police officer who was sitting in his police van with his partner was shot by the same gunman , police said .
He walked up to the vehicle and began a conversation with the two officers in the vehicle before suddenly opening fire , striking one policeman in the chin and neck , police said .

A gunman opened fire inside a New York City police station on Sunday, striking a lieutenant in the arm, some 12 hours after he had ambushed a patrol van in the same neighborhood, wounding an officer, police said.
The gunman was arrested at the police station. The two officers were being treated in hospital and were expected to fully recover from their wounds, officials said at a news conference.
"This was an attempt to assassinate two police officers ... it was a premeditated effort to kill," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "An attack on a police officer is an attack on all of us."
The gunman, whose name has not yet been released by authorities, entered the 41st Precinct headquarters in the Bronx borough just before 8 a.m. (1300 GMT), pulled out a .9mm hand gun and started firing at the front desk where several officers stood, officials said.
He then walked into an area next to the desk and fired several rounds at point blank range at several more officers and a civilian staffer, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said.
"It is only by the grace of God and heroic actions of those inside the building who took him into custody that we are not talking about police officers murdered," he said.
"This coward immediately laid down but only after he ran out of bullets," Shea said.
A lieutenant, who returned fire, was shot in the upper left arm.
On Saturday night a uniformed police officer who was sitting in his police van with his partner was shot by the same gunman, police said. He walked up to the vehicle and began a conversation with the two officers in the vehicle before suddenly opening fire, striking one policeman in the chin and neck, police said.
The officers did not return fire. The wounded officer's partner got in the driver's seat and drove him to the hospital.


jerusalempost--2020-02-09--El Al cancels flights to Hong Kong in coronavirus chaos - report

El Al canceled all of its flights to Hong Kong on Sunday afternoon for the coming week due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to Yediot Aharonot.The last flight to Hong Kong run by the Israeli airline will take off later on Sunday night.El Al canceled its flights to China's capital, Beijing, last week.


jerusalempost--2020-02-09--Hamas: Israel will bear consequences of any 'foolish' action

Incoming rocket sirens were activated in southern Israel on Sunday night, hours after Defense Minister Naftali Bennett warned Hamas that “no one will be immune” from IDF action following the continued launching of explosive balloons and rockets from the Gaza Strip.The IDF said one rocket was identified as being launched from the coastal enclave. There were no reports of injury or damage after the projectile struck an open field.Earlier on Sunday evening, Hamas responded to the threats made by Netanyahu and Bennett earlier, warning Israel that it would bear the consequences of any “foolish action” in the Gaza Strip.The terrorist group stressed in a statement that the threats would only push the Palestinians to “continue their struggle” and to engage with Israel in “all forms of struggle and resistance” to defend their rights and protect their interests.“The lawless conduct of Hamas leadership is bringing us closer to fatal action against them. We will not announce when or where, but no one will be immune,” Bennett said following a situation assessment in the Gaza Division.Bennett held the assessment along with the Southern Command chief Maj.-Gen. Hertzi Halevi, Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, Gaza Division Commander, Brig.-Gen. Eliezer Toledano and representatives from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and the National Security Council.“The State of Israel does not want a war with Hamas in Gaza, but we have a commitment to the security of southern residents,” he said. “Hamas faces the choice: to choose life and economic prosperity or to choose terror and pay an unbearable price.”There has been incessant rocket fire and explosive balloons launched towards Israel’s south from the Hamas-run Strip since the release last month of US President Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century” peace plan which has been rejected by the terrorist group. There has also been a spike in violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem, leading to the deaths of four Palestinians and injured dozens of soldiers.Over a dozen rockets and mortars as well as countless explosive balloons and condoms have been launched towards Gaza periphery communities.IDF tanks struck two Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip on Saturday night after a mortar was fired from the coastal enclave.“We have no intention of allowing terrorism to succeed,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi said on Thursday following a violent day in which three Palestinians were killed and dozens of IDF troops were injured.“Our directive is very clear to all troops on the ground – to thwart and prevent all terrorist activity. When I say terrorism, I also mean the throwing of rocks, Molotov cocktails, explosive balloons... All of these are terrorism. The message is clear, not this attack, not the bombings, not the firing of the rockets, all these acts – will not succeed.”Israel will not tolerate aggression from Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday, as terrorists continued to launch projectiles into Israel."Just a few weeks ago, we assassinated the senior commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza,” Netanyahu stated, “and I suggest that Islamic Jihad and Hamas refresh their memories.”Netanyahu said Israel is “ready for decisive action against terrorist organizations in Gaza.“Our actions are very strong and they are not over, to say the least,” he added.Tzvi Joffre contributed to this article.


jerusalempost--2020-02-09--Hezbollah's Nasrallah to speak 40 days after Soleimani assassination

Nasrallah is expected to discuss recent developments in Lebanon and the region , including the `` Deal of the Century @ @ @ @ @ , the fighting in Idlib , the new Lebanese government and confrontations between the US @ @ @ @ @ February 16 is the anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah leaders Sheikh Ragheb Harb , @ @ @ @ @ Imad Mughniyeh , who were all killed in different years but during the same week @

Nasrallah is expected to discuss recent developments in Lebanon and the region, including the "Deal of the Century" Middle East peace plan, the fighting in Idlib, the new Lebanese government and confrontations between the US and Iran-backed terrorist groups.
February 16 is the anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah leaders Sheikh Ragheb Harb, Sayyed Abbas Al-Mousawi and Hajj Imad Mughniyeh, who were all killed in different years but during the same week.
Iranians traditionally observe a 40 day mourning period.
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah will speak at a ceremony on Sunday, February 16, commemorating the 40th day after the assassination of former IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, according to the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar news.