jerusalempost--2020-12-02--France new COVID-19 cases up 14,064 in 24 hours

The number of people in France who have died from COVID-19 infections in hospitals rose by 313 in 24 hours @ @ @ @ @ the total death tally to 53,816 .

French health authorities on Wednesday reported 14,064 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, up from Tuesday's 8,083.
The number of people in France who have died from COVID-19 infections in hospitals rose by 313 in 24 hours to 37,002. This brought the total death tally to 53,816.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases now totals 2,244,635, the fifth highest tally in the world.


jerusalempost--2020-12-02--Violent confrontations reported between rival gangs in east Jerusalem

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Confrontations broke out between rivaling gangs in east Jerusalem on Wednesday, N12 reported.The violent confrontations developed into a firefight and N12 reported two injured individuals so far.This is a developing story.


jerusalempost--2020-12-02--Ministerial committee declares Shfaram a restricted zone for 4 days

The Ministerial Committee for Restricted Areas on Sunday approved the Health Ministry's recommendation to declare the Arab city of Shfaram in northern Israel a restricted zone for another four days, until Thursday, December 10 at 17:00.The committee also extended the classification of Kfar Manda and Yafia as restricted zones for five more days, until Friday, December 11 at 17:00.Additionally, the committee canceled the classification of Arraba as a restricted zone.


jerusalempost--2020-12-02--US CDC shortens COVID-19 quarantine period

Health authorities currently recommend a 14-day quarantine after last close contact with a person who has COVID-19 in order to @ @ @ @ @ virus .

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday said that it was adding two shorter self-quarantine periods recommended after potential exposure to the coronavirus to seven days with a negative test and 10 for without a test.
Health authorities currently recommend a 14-day quarantine after last close contact with a person who has COVID-19 in order to curb the transmission of the virus.
The CDC still recommends 14 days for quarantine, while the shorter options are alternatives, CDC officials told reporters.


jerusalempost--2020-12-02--UK reports 16,170 new COVID-19 cases, 648 deaths

The United Kingdom recorded 16,170 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday and 648 deaths within 28 days of a positive test for the virus, according to official data.Tuesday's data had shown 13,430 new coronavirus infections and 603 deaths.


jerusalempost--2020-12-02--Russia says more than 100,000 people already vaccinated against COVID-19

Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko on Wednesday said more than 100,000 people had already been vaccinated against COVID-19, as Moscow presented its Sputnik V vaccine to the United Nations over video link.President Vladimir Putin earlier ordered authorities to begin mass voluntary vaccinations next week. Russia said last month that its Sputnik V jab was 92% effective at protecting people from COVID-19 according to interim results.


jerusalempost--2020-12-02--Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine may get nod 24-72 hrs after FDA panel meet

The FDA will hold an advisory committee meet to discuss company 's request for emergency authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine @ @ @ @

Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine could get emergency use authorization within 24 to 72 hours after U.S. Food and Drug Administration's advisory committee meeting, Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Bancel said on Wednesday.
The FDA will hold an advisory committee meet to discuss company's request for emergency authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 17.
Speaking at an event conducted by Piper Sandler, Bancel said Moderna currently had millions of doses of vaccines that can be shipped as soon as its request is granted.


jerusalempost--2020-12-02--Coronavirus cabinet expected to announce lockdown in Shfaram - report

The coronavirus cabinet is expected to declare a lockdown in the Arab city of Shfaram, located in northern Israel, N12 reported.Shfaram has been considered an epicenter for infections in the Arab sector.


jerusalempost--2020-12-02--UK says first batch of 800,000 vaccine doses have been tested

Britain has tested the first batch of 800,000 doses of the newly approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, health minister Matt Hancock said on Wednesday."Batch testing has been completed this morning for the first deployment of 800,000 doses of the vaccine," Hancock told parliament.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Iran ready for further prisoner swaps; seeks US nuclear move

Iran is ready to engage in further prisoner swaps after last week exchanging a jailed British-Australian academic with three Iranians @ @ @ @ @ Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday .
`` We can always engage in that @ @ @ @ @ interests of everybody , '' Zarif told an Italian diplomatic conference speaking via video-link .
@ @ @ @ @ reciprocate .
We can do it tomorrow .
We can also do it today .
@ @ @ @ @ United States to show good will by returning to a 2015 nuclear deal that President @ @ @ @ @ .
He said that if the US honored its original commitments , Tehran would show @ @ @ @ @ .

Iran is ready to engage in further prisoner swaps after last week exchanging a jailed British-Australian academic with three Iranians detained abroad, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday.
"We can always engage in that, it is in the interests of everybody," Zarif told an Italian diplomatic conference speaking via video-link. "Iran is ready to reciprocate. We can do it tomorrow. We can also do it today."
Zarif also urged the United States to show good will by returning to a 2015 nuclear deal that President Donald Trump walked out of. He said that if the US honored its original commitments, Tehran would show full compliance with the pact.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--WHO looks at possible 'e-vaccination certificates' for travel

The World Health Organization does not recommend countries issuing `` immunity passports '' for those who have recovered from COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ prospects of using e-vaccination certificates , a WHO medical expert said on Thursday .
`` @ @ @ @ @ into the use of technology in this COVID-19 response , one of them how we @ @ @ @ @ toward an e-vaccination certificate , '' he told a virtual briefing in Copenhagen .

The World Health Organization does not recommend countries issuing "immunity passports" for those who have recovered from COVID-19, but is investigating the prospects of using e-vaccination certificates, a WHO medical expert said on Thursday.
"We are looking very closely into the use of technology in this COVID-19 response, one of them how we can work with member states toward an e-vaccination certificate," he told a virtual briefing in Copenhagen.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Blue and White propose 2 election bills for quick, clean voting

Blue and White will propose two bills intended to make the Israeli election process quick and fair, the party said on Thursday.The bills were proposed at the instruction of Alternate Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz.The first bill is to prevent the digital spread of propaganda, and the second is to limit the election budget given to each party.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Hezbollah drone crossed into Israel during IDF exercise - report

A Hezbollah unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), sent to spy in Israeli territory, crossed the northern border into Israel during a recent IDF exercise, according to Ynet News who cited media sources identified with Hezbollah.The report also stated that the IDF exercise was focused on preventing UAV's from crossing the border.The IDF held a large-scale multi-front exercise at the end of October, simulating war with Hezbollah and dubbed “Lethal Arrow.”


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Other regulators not far behind UK on Pfizer vaccine

England 's deputy chief medical officer said medicine regulators in other countries , especially those in the United States , @ @ @ @ @ decision of Britain 's regulators to authorise Pfizer Inc 's COVID-19 vaccine .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ regulators , particularly the US regulator , to be very far behind with this vaccine @ @ @ @ @ BBC television .
`` I think this will be solved in a matter of days @ @ @ @ @ think that the regulators are very close behind . ''

England's deputy chief medical officer said medicine regulators in other countries, especially those in the United States, were not far behind the decision of Britain's regulators to authorise Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine.
"I actually don't expect other regulators, particularly the US regulator, to be very far behind with this vaccine," Jonathan Van-Tam told BBC television.
"I think this will be solved in a matter of days in the sense that I think that the regulators are very close behind."


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Lapid: No room for 'imaginary' Blue and White

Lapid told Army Radio that `` there is no room in the election for imaginary parties . ''
Blue and @ @ @ @ @ never , never will be an alternative to become prime minister because he can not @ @ @ @ @ Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz 's party said Lapid `` failed as finance minister '' @ @ @ @ @ Center-Left camp again in the election .

Lapid told Army Radio that "there is no room in the election for imaginary parties."
Blue and White responded that "Lapid never, never will be an alternative to become prime minister because he cannot build a government."
Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz's party said Lapid "failed as finance minister" and Gantz will lead the Center-Left camp again in the election.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Blue and White on Thursday to run together with him in the next election.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--IDF detains man who crossed from Gaza into Israel

IDF forces detained a Palestinian man who crossed from Gaza into Israel near Be’eri on Thursday morning, according to Walla News. The man was unarmed and was detained by the IDF for questioning.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Coronavirus in Israel: 1,523 new cases on Wednesday

There were 1,523 new coronavirus cases in Israel on Wednesday the Health Ministry announced Thursday morning.The Health Ministry also announced they conducted 70,386 tests - around 2.2% of tests returned a positive result. Some 267 of current patients are in serious condition, with 99 intubated. The death toll is 2,883.


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--Yemen coalition intercepts explosive drone launched by Houthis - state TV

CAIRO - The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said early on Friday it intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden drone launched by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement towards the kingdom, Saudi state TV reported.


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--Top AI ethics researcher says Google fired her; company denies it

OAKLAND , Calif. - A top Google scientist on ethical artificial intelligence says she was fired after criticizing the company 's diversity efforts , a claim the Alphabet Inc unit disputed on Thursday , in the latest brush-up between the internet giant and worker activists .
Timnit Gebru , who is Black , said on Twitter she was fired on Wednesday after sending an email to colleagues expressing frustration over gender diversity within Google 's AI unit and questioning whether company leaders reviewed her work more stringently than that of people from different backgrounds .
Gebru co-founded the nonprofit Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people of color in artificial intelligence and co-authored a landmark paper on bias in facial analysis technology .
Jeff Dean , head of Google 's AI unit , told staff in an email reviewed by Reuters that Gebru had threatened to resign unless she was told which colleagues deemed a draft paper she wrote was unpublishable , a demand Dean rejected .
`` We accept and respect her decision to resign from Google , '' Dean wrote in the email , adding , `` we all genuinely share Timnit 's passion to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Gebru said in a series of Twitter posts that Google cut her off from its systems without warning or conversation with her about her concerns .
Gebru 's abrupt departure adds to years of angst , including several resignations and firings , in the AI department and other organizations at Google over diversity and whether the company 's efforts to minimize the potential harms of its services are sufficient .
More than 150 employees expressed support for Gebru , demanding Google strengthen its commitment to academic freedom and explain why it chose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a petition posted online .
Sherrilyn Ifill , president of the NAACP 's Legal Defense and Educational Fund , wrote on Twitter that Gebru 's firing was `` absolutely infuriating '' and `` a disaster . ''
Just Wednesday , the National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint accusing Google of unlawfully monitoring and questioning several workers who were then fired for protesting against company policies and trying to organize a union .
Gebru 's paper contended that technology companies could do more to ensure AI systems aimed at mimicking human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gender biases and use of offensive language , according to a draft copy seen by Reuters .
In his email to staff , Dean said the paper had not been given to the company for review in a timely fashion and was submitted to a conference without Google 's permission .
He also took issue with some of its conclusions , which he said relied on outdated concerns , including about the environmental impact of large numbers of computers crunching data .
Responding to the company 's rejection of her work , Gebru @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nothing like a bunch of privileged White men trying to squash research by marginalized communities for marginalized communities by ordering them to STOP with ZERO conversation .
The amount of disrespect is incredible . ''
Google declined to comment on her departure beyond Dean 's email , which was first reported by tech news site Platformer .
Gebru previously worked at Microsoft Research , and she co-authored a widely cited 2018 paper that found higher error rates in facial analysis technology for women with darker skin tones .
Her new paper , co-authored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be presented at a computer science conference in March , according a person familiar with the matter .

OAKLAND, Calif. - A top Google scientist on ethical artificial intelligence says she was fired after criticizing the company's diversity efforts, a claim the Alphabet Inc unit disputed on Thursday, in the latest brush-up between the internet giant and worker activists.
Timnit Gebru, who is Black, said on Twitter she was fired on Wednesday after sending an email to colleagues expressing frustration over gender diversity within Google's AI unit and questioning whether company leaders reviewed her work more stringently than that of people from different backgrounds. Gebru co-founded the nonprofit Black in AI that aims to increase representation of people of color in artificial intelligence and co-authored a landmark paper on bias in facial analysis technology.
Jeff Dean, head of Google's AI unit, told staff in an email reviewed by Reuters that Gebru had threatened to resign unless she was told which colleagues deemed a draft paper she wrote was unpublishable, a demand Dean rejected.
"We accept and respect her decision to resign from Google," Dean wrote in the email, adding, "we all genuinely share Timnit's passion to make AI more equitable and inclusive."
Gebru said in a series of Twitter posts that Google cut her off from its systems without warning or conversation with her about her concerns.
Gebru's abrupt departure adds to years of angst, including several resignations and firings, in the AI department and other organizations at Google over diversity and whether the company's efforts to minimize the potential harms of its services are sufficient.
More than 150 employees expressed support for Gebru, demanding Google strengthen its commitment to academic freedom and explain why it chose to "censor" her paper, according to a petition posted online. Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP's Legal Defense and Educational Fund, wrote on Twitter that Gebru's firing was "absolutely infuriating" and "a disaster."
Just Wednesday, the National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint accusing Google of unlawfully monitoring and questioning several workers who were then fired for protesting against company policies and trying to organize a union.
Gebru's paper contended that technology companies could do more to ensure AI systems aimed at mimicking human writing and speech do not exacerbate historical gender biases and use of offensive language, according to a draft copy seen by Reuters.
In his email to staff, Dean said the paper had not been given to the company for review in a timely fashion and was submitted to a conference without Google's permission.
He also took issue with some of its conclusions, which he said relied on outdated concerns, including about the environmental impact of large numbers of computers crunching data.
Responding to the company's rejection of her work, Gebru wrote on Twitter last week: "Nothing like a bunch of privileged White men trying to squash research by marginalized communities for marginalized communities by ordering them to STOP with ZERO conversation. The amount of disrespect is incredible."
Google declined to comment on her departure beyond Dean's email, which was first reported by tech news site Platformer.
Gebru previously worked at Microsoft Research, and she co-authored a widely cited 2018 paper that found higher error rates in facial analysis technology for women with darker skin tones.
Her new paper, co-authored with non-Google staff, is still expected to be presented at a computer science conference in March, according a person familiar with the matter.


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--South Korea reports 629 new coronavirus cases, highest in nine months

SEOUL - South Korea reported 629 new coronavirus cases on Friday , the highest number in nine months .
Of @ @ @ @ @ were from capital Seoul alone , the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported .

SEOUL - South Korea reported 629 new coronavirus cases on Friday, the highest number in nine months.
Of the new cases, 295 were from capital Seoul alone, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Police investigating a shooting incident near Ginaton Junction

MDA paramedics that reached the scene found the victim without vital signs and were forced to declare his death .
@ @ @ @ @ , suspected to be a planned hit .

MDA paramedics that reached the scene found the victim without vital signs and were forced to declare his death.
Police is investigating the incident, suspected to be a planned hit.
A 40-year-old man died on Thursday evening after being involved in a shooting incident on road 40, near Ginaton Junction, Israeli media reported.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Shooting incident in northern Israel leads to death of 27-year-old

The police announced that it has opened an investigation surrounding the incident , and is scanning the area in search @ @ @ @

The police announced that it has opened an investigation surrounding the incident, and is scanning the area in search of possible suspects.
A shooting incident in the Arab city of Jatt in northern Israel on Thursday evening resulted in the death of a 27-year-old.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Gaza authorities clamp down again to stem rise in COVID-19 cases

Mosques and most schools will be closed during the day although many businesses will be allowed to remain open until @ @ @ @ @ to stay at home .
There will be a full closure at weekends .
Ministry @ @ @ @ @ they were also considering moving to a complete lockdown , if needed .
Virus cases @ @ @ @ @ the past month to hover around 900 a day .
The death toll has quadrupled @ @ @ @ @ .
Some 23,000 total infections have been reported .
Health organizations have warned the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ control and overtax the health system in the enclave , which is home to 2 @ @ @ @ @ in poverty .

A partial lockdown will begin this weekend in the Gaza Strip after COVID-19 infections spiked in the densely populated territory, Gaza's Interior Ministry declared on Thursday.
Mosques and most schools will be closed during the day although many businesses will be allowed to remain open until a nighttime curfew forces Gazans to stay at home. There will be a full closure at weekends. Ministry spokesman Eyad Al-Bozom told reporters they were also considering moving to a complete lockdown, if needed.
Virus cases have more than tripled in the past month to hover around 900 a day. The death toll has quadrupled in that time to 126. Some 23,000 total infections have been reported. Health organizations have warned the outbreak could easily spiral out of control and overtax the health system in the enclave, which is home to 2 million Palestinians, many living in poverty.
Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, imposed a lockdown in August after an initial outbreak. But those restrictions were eased, and authorities are now trying to contain a second wave.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Dr. Fauci criticizes UK over swift approval of Pfizer vaccine

Anthony Fauci, the US infectious diseases expert, criticized UK regulators on Thursday for the swift approval of the Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19, a day after that approval was announced in London."You know I love the Brits, they're great, they're good scientists, but they just took the data from the Pfizer company and instead of scrutinizing it really, really carefully, they said OK, let's approve it, that's it, and they went with it," he said in footage shown on UK news channels.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Israel warns Iran may target its facilities abroad

Israelis visiting countries neighboring Iran could be targets for terrorist attacks, the National Security Council warned in a rare public statement on Thursday.“In light of the threats heard recently from Iranian factors, and in light of past involvement in Iranians in terrorist attacks on various countries, there is a concern Iran will try to act in this way against Israeli destinations,” the NSC cautioned.The notice came almost a week after the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh , the scientist at the head of Iran's nuclear program and an officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iranian officials have blamed Israel for the killing and have threatened to retaliate.Among the countries close to Iran that the NSC said could be Iranian targets are Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Kurdistan region of Iraq, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, with which Israel recently established diplomatic relations. The NSC also listed the Middle East and Africa more broadly as possible zones in which Iran could attack Israelis.Iran and its proxies have been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks on Israelis and Jews abroad, such as the bombing of the AMIA Jewish Center in Buenos Aires in 1994, which killed 85 people, and the 2012 attacks on Israeli diplomats in Thailand, Georgia and India.Jihadist organizations outside Iran, including the Islamic State, “are showing a high motivation to commit terrorist attacks,” the NSC added, pointing to recent terrorist attacks in France and Germany,“Calls by global Jihad factors to attack Israelis and Jews have been heard,” the notice reads. “It is possible that part of the current wave of global terror will reach targets identified with Israel or Jewish communities, synagogues, kosher restaurants and Jewish museums.”The NSC pointed to the upcoming Christian holiday season as a possible time in which terrorist groups may plan attacks in Europe.As such, the NSC called on Israelis going abroad, including official delegations, to be vigilant, obey local security instructions and stay away from crowded areas or public places that are not secure.In addition, the NSC advised anyone traveling to check its website ( www.nsc.gov.il ) for travel warnings.Earlier this week, Foreign Ministry Director-General Alon Ushpiz sent a cable to all Israeli missions to increase alertness and look out for unusual activity near Israeli embassies and consulates. In addition, the ministry raised the security level in several missions abroad.On Thursday morning, when asked about the scenario of Iran attacking Israeli tourists in Bahrain, the country’s Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani told his interlocutor: “You watch too much 007.”“We have a quite good security apparatus in Bahrain,” Al Zayani reassured reporters during his visit to Israel. “If there is a threat from Iran, it is a greater threat to Bahrain than to an Israeli tourist. Our security forces do a magnificent job keeping us all safe.”Still, Al Zayani said that if Israelis seek greater security while visiting Bahrain, it could be arranged.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Health Ministry: 919 infected with COVID-19, four deaths

Israel could begin receiving doses of the Pfizer vaccine within the next few weeks, Health Ministry director-general Chezy Levy said Thursday during a video meeting with the country’s hospital administrators.Some four million doses are expected to arrive, he said – enough to vaccinate two million people. However, even though the vaccines could enter Israel even before they are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, no one will be inoculated before approval.The announcement comes against the backdrop of another day of spiking infection.Health Ministry officials are eager for the coronavirus cabinet to convene and begin discussing ways to reduce infection; the cabinet had not convened for 10 days as of Thursday. However, due to tensions between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz, Netanyahu opted to hold a smaller, closed-door meeting on the subject Thursday evening.The prime minister met with Levy, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein, National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat, coronavirus commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash and other senior officials, saying that the coronavirus cabinet will only convene next week.“We have always had the right to wage political struggles,” Edelstein said Thursday at the cornerstone laying ceremony of a new emergency medicine unit at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. “Perhaps these struggles can be postponed… I ask, on my behalf, of the healthcare system: Isn’t it possible to stop the deterioration and focus on the key issues? We will go through a difficult period before the population is vaccinated.”MEANWHILE, the prime minister spent his time at the same event praising Israel’s efforts against the virus, despite what health experts are warning is the start of a third wave.“We identified the danger in time – and the determined steps we took at the beginning of the first wave, of closing the borders, helped us curb morbidity,” Netanyahu said at the cornerstone laying.“We saved a lot of lives and, of course, we wanted to balance health and the economy,” he said. “But when we opened the economy, [the number of those contracting] the disease started to climb and at the height of the second wave we decided to tighten the restrictions again – and saved a lot of lives.”Netanyahu said that, “compared to other countries, mortality in Israel is low. In Sweden, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands, countries our size in terms of population, the mortality rate per capita is between two and five times what it is here in Israel.”But his message came at around the same time that the Central Bureau of Statistics released updated mortality data, which showed that during the first and second waves (between March and October 2020) 2,586 more Israelis died than in the year before. In other words, 9% more died in Israel during these months year on year.The statistics become even more acute as the months of the crisis progress . In October 2020, some 2,537 Israelis died from the novel coronavirus - one in five Israelis, according to the data.The highest mortality rate increase was among the elderly aged 70-79 at 17.3%. During the crisis – in line with international data – slightly more men died than women: 51% versus 49%.The number of new cases is going up, too. The Health Ministry reported 1,572 people were diagnosed with the virus on Wednesday and another 919 between midnight and press time on Thursday.Some 292 patients are in serious condition. The death toll hit 2,890.The reproduction rate (R – how many people each infected person will infect) stood at 1.2 on Thursday, up from 1.8 the day before. According to Levy, the greatest increase in infection is in the general community – other than the haredim (ultra-Orthodox) and Arabs – where the R stands at 1.24. A report by the Coronavirus National Information and Knowledge Center said Thursday that there has been an increase in the number of infected people over the age of 60 in recent days.“We cannot become complacent,” the director-general stressed during an evening briefing.He said that the Health Ministry was weighing several ideas for new restrictions, including forcing people to isolate in coronavirus hotels upon their return from Turkey. Until now, the ministry said, two-thirds of those returning from red states who are supposed to enter isolation don’t.Levy also talked about enforcing a ban on Arab Israelis traveling to the Palestinian territories and vice versa and maintaining closures or tight restrictions on red cities. On Wednesday, the Health Ministry also lowered the threshold for becoming a red city. Schools for grades five and up are not open in red and orange areas.At the same time, Deputy Health Minister Yoav Kisch told Ynet on Thursday that with the increase in morbidity, he did not see the mall pilot program, which was launched last week and ends on December 6, being extended.“This is not the time to open the malls right now,” he said. He also mentioned the idea of implementing a night curfew over Hanukkah or banning intercity travel during the holiday period.“I think we should consider closing other places that have opened as well,” Kisch told Ynet.Either way, middle school students are expected to return to school on Sunday – the final stage in the plan to open up Israel’s education system.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Israel could get up to 2 m. Pfizer vaccines in first shipment - report


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Netanyahu meets with Edelstein following rise in COVID-19 morbidity rate

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with Health Minister Yuli Edelstein, the head of the National Security Council and the Director-General of the Health Ministry as the coronavirus infection rate continues to climb in Israel, according to Channel 13 news Thursday.The coronavirus cabinet is also expected to meet next week to discuss the health situation.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--British troops arrive in Mali to join UN peacekeeping mission

Hundreds of British troops have arrived in Mali to join the United Nations peacekeeping mission there, which is the world's deadliest, UK officials said on Thursday.Britain already has three Chinook helicopters and 100 personnel in a logistics role in West Africa's Sahel region to support France's Barkhane operation against Islamist militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.The UK mission to the United Nations said the latest deployment, which was first announced in July 2019, would "provide a highly specialised reconnaissance capability" to the 14,000-strong mission, known by its French acronym MINUSMA.Most of the troops, who will be based in the northern city of Gao, have already arrived in Mali and the remainder will arrive by next Tuesday, it said in a statement."This deployment is a demonstration of our firm commitment to peacekeeping and the importance we place on improving security in the Sahel by protecting local communities," said Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.MINUSMA was created in 2013 after France intervened to drive back jihadist fighters who had seized Mali's desert north and were advancing southward.The mission has recorded 227 fatalities since then, making it the deadliest of the UN's more than dozen peacekeeping missions.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Four people killed in blast at English water treatment plant

Four people have been killed and another injured in a blast at a water treatment site near Bristol in England on Thursday, the Times newspaper reported."Four dead and one injured at Avonmouth explosion," Times reporter Will Humphries tweeted. "Workers were on top of a chemical tank at a Wessex Water treatment works when it exploded"


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Hundreds protest against Armenian PM, block streets over ceasefire deal

Hundreds of Armenians blocked streets in the capital Yerevan late on Thursday and called for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan over a ceasefire deal that locked in Azeri territorial gains in Nagorno-Karabakh last month.Pashinyan has rejected the calls to resign over what his opponents say was his disastrous handling of a six-week conflict between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces over the Nagorno-Karabkh enclave and surrounding areas.Protesters chanted "Nikol is a traitor" and police officers detained several people, witnesses told Reuters.Earlier on Thursday, a coalition of 17 opposition parties named former premier Vazgen Manukyan as a potential caretaker prime minister to replace Pashinyan until snap parliamentary elections are held.The move has no legal force, but illustrates public anger against Pashinyan who has accepted full responsibility for the outcome of the conflict, but said he is now responsible for ensuring national security and stabilizing Armenia.Former National Security Service Chairman Artur Vanetsyan said Manukyan could serve as a prime minister without a party affiliation and then call snap elections that he himself would not take part in.The ceasefire signed by leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on Nov. 10 halted military action in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but populated by ethnic Armenians.Some 2,000 Russian peacekeeping troops are now being deployed to the region.Large areas in Nagorno-Karabakh previously controlled by ethnic Armenians were handed over to Azerbaijan, whose forces had captured territory including areas that Baku lost in an earlier war in the 1990s.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Matriculation requirements lowered to five due to coronavirus challenges

Education Minister Yoav Gallant has lowered the number of required courses for students not taking the full bagrut (matriculation) exam from six to five, a post on his Facebook page indicated on Thursday."I've spoken with you over the last few weeks, I listened to the struggles you face in the wake of the continuing lockdown and the remote learning that comes with it," he wrote.He added that some curricula will be removed and there will be a larger degree of choice on exams, all to lighten the load for Israeli high school students."I promise that we will take full advantage of the tools at our disposal to help each of you have a real and proper chance," concluded Gallant.Elchanan Glatt, Bnei Akiva's director for Yeshivot and Ulpanot (girls high schools) commended the decision, saying "It's important that the Education Ministry be attentive to the needs of our students during this complicated time."Glatt maintained the requirements should remain lowered indefinitely, because "it will create space for research projects and individualized learning on the part of the students." This, "so they can become independent, critical thinkers."


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--US imposes fresh Iran-related sanctions -Treasury website

The United States on Thursday imposed fresh Iran-related sanctions, blacklisting an entity and individual as Washington continues to ramp up pressure on Tehran during U.S. President Donald Trump's final months in office.The sanctions targeted the Shahid Meisami Group, linking it to the Iranian Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, as well as an individual, according to the US Treasury Department's website.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Valerie Giscard d'Estaing passes due to COVID-19 complications

France's former president, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, reportedly passed away from coronavirus complications on Wednesday night. He was 94.He was hospitalized in September, and then again in November with breathing troubles.d'Estaing served as the third president of the Fifth French Republic from 1974 to 1981.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--2020-2021 budget to be discussed on Sunday

Finance Minister Israel Katz will meet with Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Sunday to discuss the 2020-2021 budget.Katz initiated the meeting request. A time for the meeting has not been set yet.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--US toughens visa rules for Chinese Communist Party members

US President Donald Trump's administration issued rules to restrict travel to the United States by Chinese Communist Party members and their families, the State Department said in a statement sent on Thursday.The policy reduces the maximum validity of B1/B2 visitor visas for Party members and their immediate family members from 10 years to 1 month, the statement said. The measure was aimed at protecting the nation from the party's "malign influence."


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--US's Khalilzad to Turkey, Qatar for talks on Afghanistan -State Dept

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad is traveling to Turkey and Qatar for discussions on Afghan peace negotiations, the State Department said on Thursday.The ambassador left for Ankara on Wednesday, the department said and will meet with the Afghan parties in Qatar. "It is imperative the parties build on the current momentum and accelerate their work to reach agreement on a political roadmap and a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire," the department said in a statement.


jerusalempost--2020-12-03--Multiple casualties in massive explosion in Bristol, UK

The fire service had previously said on Twitter that it was responding to an incident after being called to a @ @ @ @ @ south west England .
It said it had been joined there by the police and @ @ @ @ @ confirm there are multiple casualties on site , '' a spokeswoman for Avon Fire and @ @ @ @ @ that injuries were serious .

A large blast in a warehouse near Bristol in England has caused multiple casualties, a spokeswoman for the fire brigade said on Thursday.
The fire service had previously said on Twitter that it was responding to an incident after being called to a large explosion in Avonmouth, south west England. It said it had been joined there by the police and ambulance.
"We can confirm there are multiple casualties on site," a spokeswoman for Avon Fire and Rescue Service said, adding that injuries were serious.
"The incident is ongoing," the service said on Twitter.


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--Coronavirus in Israel: 1,434 new cases in the last day - 2.3% positive

The Health Ministry reported Friday that 1,434 new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed the day before .
This is the eighth day in the last nine in which more than 1,000 Israelis have tested positive .
‘ It is not enough to prevent further reliefs , ” wrote the Coronavirus National Information and Knowledge Center on Friday .
It said Israel should consider backtracking on some of what it has already implemented .
Some 537 coronavirus patients are in the hospital , the Health Ministry showed , including 287 who are hospitalized - among them 101 who are intubated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ represents a significant spike .
The total of active patients as of Friday morning was 11,761 - 1,727 were from Jerusalem alone , representing almost 15 % of active cases .
The reproduction rate , also known as the “ R , ” is 1.21 and 27 areas have been named red zones .
However , the Health Ministry showed that only around 25 % of all infection emanates from these red areas .
The knowledge center ’ s report showed that the spike in infection is clear and consistent and not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might assume .
The average number of new patients is now over 1,000 .
This includes growth in sick people over the age of 60 , which by next week could result in a spike in serious patients or even deaths .
“ All of this indicates that we are on the verge of a third wave , ” according to the report .
Some four million doses are expected to arrive , he said – enough to vaccinate two million people .
However , even though the vaccines could enter Israel even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Food and Drug Administration , no one will be inoculated before approval .

Coronavirus commissioner Nachman Ash visited Arab towns on Saturday, noting that in those communities infections are rising among the younger people, too. Also, middle schoolers will return to school on Sunday – the last students to go back to their classrooms since the High Holy Day lockdown in September. The Health Ministry reported Friday that 1,506 new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed the day before. This was the ninth day in the last 10 in which more than 1,000 Israelis have tested positive. “It is not enough to prevent further relief,” wrote the Coronavirus National Information and Knowledge Center on Friday, saying that Israel should consider backtracking on some of what it has already implemented. Some 552 coronavirus patients were in the hospital, the Health Ministry reported, including 314 who are in serious condition - among them 97 who are intubated. This represents around a 20% increase in the number of people hospitalized in the past week. The number of patients in serious condition has surpassed 300 since November 22. The number of patients on ventilators also represents a significant spike. The death toll stood at 2,901. The reproduction rate, also known as the “R,” was 1.21, meaning that every five infected people will infect six more. The knowledge center’s report showed that the spike in infection is clear and consistent and not a result of increased testing, as some might assume; 61,537 were tested on Friday. The average number of new daily patients is now over 1,000. This includes an increase in sick people over the age of 60, which by next week could result in a spike in serious patients or even deaths. “All of this indicates that we are on the verge of a third wave,” according to the report. The coronavirus cabinet is expected to convene Sunday afternoon after more days of rising infection and a report by the defense establishment that Israel is at the start of a third wave.Coronavirus commissioner Nachman Ash visited Arab towns on Saturday, noting that in those communities infections are rising among the younger people, too.Also, middle schoolers will return to school on Sunday – the last students to go back to their classrooms since the High Holy Day lockdown in September.The Health Ministry reported Friday that 1,506 new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed the day before. This was the ninth day in the last 10 in which more than 1,000 Israelis have tested positive.“It is not enough to prevent further relief,” wrote the Coronavirus National Information and Knowledge Center on Friday, saying that Israel should consider backtracking on some of what it has already implemented.Some 552 coronavirus patients were in the hospital, the Health Ministry reported, including 314 who are in serious condition - among them 97 who are intubated. This represents around a 20% increase in the number of people hospitalized in the past week. The number of patients in serious condition has surpassed 300 since November 22. The number of patients on ventilators also represents a significant spike.The death toll stood at 2,901.The total number of active patients as of Friday morning was 13,054 – some 1,830 from Jerusalem alone, representing 14% of active cases.The reproduction rate, also known as the “R,” was 1.21, meaning that every five infected people will infect six more.The knowledge center’s report showed that the spike in infection is clear and consistent and not a result of increased testing, as some might assume; 61,537 were tested on Friday. The average number of new daily patients is now over 1,000. This includes an increase in sick people over the age of 60, which by next week could result in a spike in serious patients or even deaths.“All of this indicates that we are on the verge of a third wave,” according to the report.
Prof. Nachman Ash in Mashhad on December 5, 2020 (Credit: Health Ministry)
However, it does not appear that health officials will recommend any new restrictions over the Hanukkah holiday, such as a night curfew or forbidding intercity travel. It is likely that Jewish families will be encouraged to celebrate the holiday with their nuclear families only, as Ash recommended to the Christians. The cabinet will also likely discuss the mall pilot program, which ends Sunday night. Given the scenes of gathering, long lines and maskless shoppers, health officials are unlikely to recommend that it continue. In contrast, Economy Minister Amir Peretz will push for more malls to open. Peretz said in a statement Saturday night that the professionals who oversaw the pilot on behalf of his ministry found that the pilot was effective and all of the malls should be allowed to open. He said he will accept the recommendation of his ministry, however, that 40 malls should open on Monday under “significant and uncompromising enforcement” of the rules. “A mall that does not meet the guidelines, will be closed – and even closed immediately, as will stores inside the mall.” Finally, it looks like vaccines will arrive and start being administered in Israel before the end of the month, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein confirmed in an interview on N12 Saturday night. He said that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed not to vaccinate anyone until the vaccine candidates receive approval by the US Food and Drug Administration. However, he said that once approved, he and the prime minister are considering being the first people inoculated to prove to the country that they believe the vaccines are safe. Health Ministry director-general Chezy Levy has also talked about enforcing a ban on Arab Israelis traveling to the Palestinian territories and vice versa, while maintaining closures or tight restrictions on red cities.However, it does not appear that health officials will recommend any new restrictions over the Hanukkah holiday, such as a night curfew or forbidding intercity travel. It is likely that Jewish families will be encouraged to celebrate the holiday with their nuclear families only, as Ash recommended to the Christians.The cabinet will also likely discuss the mall pilot program, which ends Sunday night. Given the scenes of gathering, long lines and maskless shoppers, health officials are unlikely to recommend that it continue.In contrast, Economy Minister Amir Peretz will push for more malls to open.Peretz said in a statement Saturday night that the professionals who oversaw the pilot on behalf of his ministry found that the pilot was effective and all of the malls should be allowed to open.He said he will accept the recommendation of his ministry, however, that 40 malls should open on Monday under “significant and uncompromising enforcement” of the rules. “A mall that does not meet the guidelines, will be closed – and even closed immediately, as will stores inside the mall.”Finally, it looks like vaccines will arrive and start being administered in Israel before the end of the month, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein confirmed in an interview on N12 Saturday night. He said that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed not to vaccinate anyone until the vaccine candidates receive approval by the US Food and Drug Administration.However, he said that once approved, he and the prime minister are considering being the first people inoculated to prove to the country that they believe the vaccines are safe.
“For every two more days in which the existing infection rate is maintained, a full day of lockdown will be required,” the report cautioned.ASH VISITED the Arab towns of Mashhad and Shfaram on Saturday, the latter which has been labeled a red zone, and addressed the growing infection specifically among the Arab sector.In contrast to the knowledge center’s report, Ash said that in that sector there is a rise in morbidity among teens and young adults.“When I entered the settlement, I saw a massive group of young people without masks, not social distancing,” Ash said, during his trip to Mashhad. “This is a problem and it is reflected in the data.“Take care of yourselves,” he urged. “It is important, because otherwise, you will infect older people.”Ash also spoke about the upcoming holidays during his visit to Shfaram, saying that this year, Christmas would have to be celebrated “differently.”“Unlike in previous years, gatherings should be reduced to nuclear families; there should not be big celebrations, no gatherings,” he instructed. “If we make sure that the virus does not spread, we will get out of it quickly – and next year we will be able to celebrate joyously again.”Finally, he also discussed the need for working with the Israel Police.“We need you to communicate, but there is no choice: We also need the police to enforce [Health Ministry] restrictions,” Ash said, noting that in Shfaram he saw that proper roadblocks were open and people were being screened and questioned on entry and exit. But he said the Police also had to step up its presence inside the town and that people should be advised not to walk freely and spread the virus.“We don’t only want the virus to not spread to neighboring towns, but also not within the city itself,” he said.For decades, there has been under-policing, negligence and discrimination by Israel Police against Arab society, Amnon Be’eri-Sulitzeanu, co-CEO of the Abraham Initiatives, told The Jerusalem Post. He said this has left the community in what some have called a state of emergency – which is becoming more apparent to the rest of the country during the coronavirus crisis.According to the most recent report by the organization, since the beginning of the year, some 85 Arab citizens have been murdered in Israel in circumstances related to violence and crime. Of those, 67 were killed using firearms – many of them illegal. The number goes up to over 100 when the murders of non-citizens are included.Already at the start of the pandemic, “there was no trust in the police and no policing for the benefit of the community,” Be’eri-Sulitzeanu said. “There was a lot of suspicion; a lot of alienation.”In the first wave, as the Home Front Command and the Police entered Arab communities to help them reduce infection, the sector at first found it refreshing and comforting. “For many of the Arabs, it was comforting,” he said. “They felt that ‘the government cares about our lives.’ But that eroded very fast.”Around 40% of new daily cases are from within the Arab sector. At 21% of the population, that means they are getting infected at nearly twice the rate of everyone else. They continue to host mass weddings and other gatherings. And when they return from red countries, many fail to isolate.The police are aware of the tension and are reluctant to confront the population – because they know that if they try to enforce against the virus, riots could erupt. The police want to stay out of trouble, Be’eri-Sulitzeanu contended.MEANWHILE, health officials are expected to raise several options for stopping the spread of the virus on Sunday. These could include forcing people to isolate in coronavirus hotels upon their return from Turkey. Until now, the ministry said, two-thirds of those returning from red states who are supposed to enter isolation don’t.


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--Coronavirus cabinet to meet on Sunday

Coronavirus cabinet to meet on Sunday


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--US expert Fauci backtracks on criticism of UK on vaccine -NBC

US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said on Friday he was reacting to gloating by a British television interviewer when he criticized the country 's quick approval of the first coronavirus vaccine .
Fauci , longtime director of a leading US government health agency and member of the White House coronavirus task force , apologized for his comments late on Thursday .
`` It was just one of those things where I sat down in front of the TV with a British TV station and the first thing they said was , 'Ah , we beat you guys .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And I kind of reacted back at him when I think I probably should not have done , '' Fauci told NBC 's `` Today '' show .
British regulators approved the Pfizer Inc vaccine against COVID-19 on Wednesday , saying it had rigorously assessed the vaccine data and had cut no corners .
`` When I got back on BBC I explained that that was taken out of context .
Now the Brits are good .
They know what they 're doing -- I mean they 're really pros , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant , '' Fauci said .
Fauci , director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases , has been asked by President-elect Joe Biden to remain in that post and also be his chief medical adviser

US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said on Friday he was reacting to gloating by a British television interviewer when he criticized the country's quick approval of the first coronavirus vaccine.
Fauci, longtime director of a leading US government health agency and member of the White House coronavirus task force, apologized for his comments late on Thursday.
"It was just one of those things where I sat down in front of the TV with a British TV station and the first thing they said was, 'Ah, we beat you guys. We beat the Americans to the punch'. And I kind of reacted back at him when I think I probably should not have done," Fauci told NBC's "Today" show.
British regulators approved the Pfizer Inc vaccine against COVID-19 on Wednesday, saying it had rigorously assessed the vaccine data and had cut no corners.
"When I got back on BBC I explained that that was taken out of context. Now the Brits are good. They know what they're doing -- I mean they're really pros, so that was just not really what I meant," Fauci said.
Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been asked by President-elect Joe Biden to remain in that post and also be his chief medical adviser


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--Gucci donates $500,000 to UNICEF to help supply COVID vaccines

Luxury brand Gucci , owned by French group Kering , will give at least $ 500,000 to UNICEF to help @ @ @ @ @ to vulnerable people around the world , it said on Friday .
In addition to @ @ @ @ @ Gucci said it would match money raised for the United Nations Children 's Fund ( @ @ @ @ @ $ 100,000 , and invited its followers to donate through the platform https : //gucci.benevity.org/community @ @ @ @ @ .
The UN agency is raising funds for COVAX , a programme , led by @ @ @ @ @ the GAVI vaccine group , to pool funds from wealthier countries and non-profit organisations to @ @ @ @ @ poorer countries .
COVAX has so far raised $ 2 billion .
Gucci 's cash @ @ @ @ @ the supply of test kits to curb community transmission , cold chain equipment to keep @ @ @ @ @ the transport of vaccines .

Luxury brand Gucci, owned by French group Kering, will give at least $500,000 to UNICEF to help supply and distribute COVID-19 vaccines to vulnerable people around the world, it said on Friday.
In addition to the $500,000 donation, Gucci said it would match money raised for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) by up to $100,000, and invited its followers to donate through the platform https://gucci.benevity.org/community between Dec. 5 and 26.
The UN agency is raising funds for COVAX, a programme, led by the World Health Organization and the GAVI vaccine group, to pool funds from wealthier countries and non-profit organisations to buy and distribute vaccines to poorer countries. COVAX has so far raised $2 billion.
Gucci's cash will fund activities such as the supply of test kits to curb community transmission, cold chain equipment to keep doses of vaccines effective and the transport of vaccines.


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--Erdogan says he hopes France will get rid of Macron "burden" soon

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday he hoped France would soon get rid of President Emmanuel Macron , describing @ @ @ @ @ France which was enduring dangerous times .
Ties between Turkey and France have been particularly @ @ @ @ @ policy differences on Syria and the publishing of caricatures about Prophet Mohammad in France .
@ @ @ @ @ accusations about their roles in the Nagorno-Karabkah conflict .
`` Macron is a burden on @ @ @ @ @ are going through a very dangerous period actually .
My hope is that France gets @ @ @ @ @ as soon as possible , '' Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul after Friday prayers .

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday he hoped France would soon get rid of President Emmanuel Macron, describing him as a burden on France which was enduring dangerous times.
Ties between Turkey and France have been particularly tense in recent months over policy differences on Syria and the publishing of caricatures about Prophet Mohammad in France. Ankara and Paris have traded accusations about their roles in the Nagorno-Karabkah conflict.
"Macron is a burden on France. Macron and France are going through a very dangerous period actually. My hope is that France gets rid of the Macron trouble as soon as possible," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul after Friday prayers.


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--Stena Line says role in UK delivery of Pfizer vaccine going well

Ferry firm Stena Line 's role in the roll-out of Pfizer 's COVID-19 vaccine is going well , and the @ @ @ @ @ with any eventuality of Brexit trade talks , the company 's Brexit chief said on @ @ @ @ @ trust and confidence in the government to use these last few days ( of Brexit @ @ @ @ @ will be ready for any eventuality thrown at us , '' Ian Hampton told Sky @ @ @ @ @ transportation of Pfizer/BioNTech 's vaccine was `` very good . ''
`` Our ships are @ @ @ @ @ 're happy to be part of the solution to be able to make sure that @ @ @ @ @ is required so that it can start its program of vaccination on Monday according to @ @ @ @ @

Ferry firm Stena Line's role in the roll-out of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is going well, and the firm is prepared to deal with any eventuality of Brexit trade talks, the company's Brexit chief said on Friday.
"We have trust and confidence in the government to use these last few days (of Brexit talks) wisely... we will be ready for any eventuality thrown at us," Ian Hampton told Sky News, adding that the transportation of Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine was "very good."
"Our ships are operating on time. We're happy to be part of the solution to be able to make sure that UK gets the vaccines that is required so that it can start its program of vaccination on Monday according to the government process."


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--'Disturbing reports' from Eritrean refugee camps in Tigray - UN

The United Nations refugee agency said on Friday it continued to receive `` disturbing reports '' about Eritrean refugee camps @ @ @ @ @ which remain inaccessible '' We hope that the recent agreement will allow a full and @ @ @ @ @ Tigray region , '' Babar Baloch of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees told a @ @ @ @ @ were concerns that some Eritrean refugees may have already fled camps in search of safety @ @ @ @

The United Nations refugee agency said on Friday it continued to receive "disturbing reports" about Eritrean refugee camps in Ethiopia's Tigray region which remain inaccessible
"We hope that the recent agreement will allow a full and unhindered humanitarian access to the Tigray region," Babar Baloch of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees told a Geneva news briefing. There were concerns that some Eritrean refugees may have already fled camps in search of safety, he added.


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--Seven injured in S.Africa refinery explosion, fire under control

Seven people were injured in an explosion at a South African crude oil refinery in Durban earlier on Friday morning @ @ @ @ @ been reported , a spokesman for the KwaZulu-Natal province 's emergency medical services told Reuters @ @ @ @ @ in a stable condition , and the fire at the refinery is under control , @ @ @ @ @ A spokesman for Engen , which operates the refinery , said he would comment later @ @ @ @ @ to Engen 's website , the Durban plant has a crude refining capacity of 120,000 @ @ @ @ @ was not immediately clear if there was any impact on the refinery 's production .
@ @ @ @ @ has six refineries , four using crude oil and two synthetic fuel as feedstock .
@ @ @ @ @ of petroleum products .

Seven people were injured in an explosion at a South African crude oil refinery in Durban earlier on Friday morning, but no deaths have been reported, a spokesman for the KwaZulu-Natal province's emergency medical services told Reuters. The injured people are in a stable condition, and the fire at the refinery is under control, spokesman Robert McKenzie said.
A spokesman for Engen, which operates the refinery, said he would comment later in a statement.
According to Engen's website, the Durban plant has a crude refining capacity of 120,000 barrels per day.
It was not immediately clear if there was any impact on the refinery's production.
Africa's most industrialised economy has six refineries, four using crude oil and two synthetic fuel as feedstock. It is a net importer of petroleum products.


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--Black Shadow hacker group releases threat as payment deadline approaches

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The Black Shadow group behind the cyberattack against the Shirbit insurance company released more documents containing the personal information of its employees and customers over the weekend, as the company refused to pay the ransom demanded by the group.
On Saturday morning, the hackers released a large collection of documents, including screenshots of WhatsApp conversations, ID cards, marriage certificates and financial documents. Black Shadow also posted a message reading "Shirbit... THE END!" on their Telegram channel without explaining what the message meant.
The newest leak came after material including pictures of employees, ID cards and medical documents was released on Friday.
“Shirbit company did not pay the money till now,” wrote Black Shadow on their Telegram channel on Friday. “It seems the customers, employees and civil servants data leak is insignificant for them.”
On Friday morning, Shirbit announced that it does not intend to meet the hacker group’s demand for payment, Israeli media reported. The company said it will “not give in” to threats.
Black Shadow warned that they still have dozens of terabytes of data to leak. The hackers also released screenshots of the conversation between them and a representative of Shirbit conducting negotiations.
The hacker group told the representative on Thursday night that they would need to pay 50 Bitcoin to stop the leaks and that Shirbit would “have to trust” that the hackers would keep their word. The hackers additionally warned that “many people,” including intelligence services were interested in the data. The negotiations did not end with a resolution and the hackers released more data on Friday.
Despite the thousands of documents leaked by Black Shadow over the past few days, Shirbit continued to insist on Saturday that only a “relatively small” number of documents were leaked and that the decision not to pay the ransom was not from "financial considerations, but rather for the good of the customers," according to Israeli media.
Shirbit additionally claimed that the attack is aimed at embarrassing both the company and the entire Israeli economy, and is not an extortion attempt.
On Wednesday night, Black Shadow demanded that Shirbit send 50 bitcoin ($961,110) to their bitcoin wallet within 24 hours or else they would leak more information. The group warned that if the money was not sent, the ransom demand would rise to 100 bitcoin. If another 24 hours pass, the demand will rise to 200 bitcoin.
“After that we will sell the data to the others,” warned the hackers, adding that they will leak some more data at the end of every 24 hours.
Although the National Cyber Directorate only announced the attack on Tuesday morning, the hacker group posted the first leaked documents on a Telegram channel on Monday evening. Since then, they have published several large collections of files containing the private information of customers and employees.
The company reportedly has many government employees among its clients, including Gilad Noitel, president of the Tel Aviv District Court.
Zohar Pinhasi, CEO of the ransomware removal and cyber security service MonsterCloud, told The Jerusalem Post that the claims that Black Shadow wants to strategically harm Israel and is not looking for money are “nonsense.”
“This claim is repeated in every sector that is attacked and in every country. The hack is almost always first and foremost a ransom attack and on a financial basis. This is also the case in the Shirbit attack,” said Pinhasi, who is also a former IT security intelligence officer in the IDF.
“It’s important to clarify this: No government or security body will be able to stop it,” claimed Pinhasi.
“The Pandora’s box has opened and now the company is trying to downplay the severity of the hack and frame it as a matter of ‘national security’ to prevent damage to their reputation and come out as alright with the regulator and customers,” he said.
“The company hopes that the public and customers will buy it, but they are wrong.”
The cybersecurity expert added that the conversations leaked by Black Shadow show that Shirbit’s representative “has zero experience in negotiating with such attackers.”
“This is another big mistake by Shirbit,” said Pinhasi. “The first rule when communicating with hackers in the field of cyber terrorism is to minimize the interaction, as they cannot be trusted. The fact that they brought the issue of “trust” to the negotiations also proves that Shirbit’s representative has no experience in negotiating in such cases.”
The CEO stressed that a cyber terrorism expert is needed in such situations, not just a security expert. “Anyone who does not have specific experience and training for such cases will do more harm than good – and we are seeing the results now.”
Shirbit stated on Saturday that it had hired “the best experts in the country in the fields of cyber and customer security,” according to Israeli media.
Pinhasi warned that “if the materials fall into the wrong hands, it will be possible to use them against the State of Israel. Now the attackers are threatening that if [Shirbit] does not pay the ransom, they will send the stolen materials to a kind of site designated for leaks, which they did.”
Despite stating that he believes a state actor is not behind the hack, the CEO added that he believes that the attackers are from Iran, but that this cannot be confirmed as of yet.
An official involved in the investigation told Channel 12 on Friday that it seems more likely that a state is behind the attack, not a private group, despite reports that at least one of the attackers may be from or in Israel.
The attack comes amid a spike in ransomware attacks against insurance companies, with dozens of insurance companies in the US reporting ransomware attacks in just the past week, according to MonsterCloud.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--Biden addresses Fakhrizadeh's assassination, Iran nuclear program

Biden reaffirmed his desire to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal if Tehran complies , but noted that he has no @ @ @ @ @ reach nuclear capability .
`` The last goddamn thing we need in that part of @ @ @ @ @ of nuclear capability , ” Biden said .

Biden reaffirmed his desire to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal if Tehran complies, but noted that he has no intention of allowing Iran to reach nuclear capability.
"The last goddamn thing we need in that part of the world is a buildup of nuclear capability,” Biden said.
President-elect Joe Biden addressed for the first time last week’s killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, known as Iran's chief nuclear scientist, in an interview given to CNN.


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 23,449 - RKI

BERLIN - The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 23,449 to 1,130,238 , data from the Robert @ @ @ @ @ for infectious diseases showed on Friday .
The reported death toll rose by 432 to @ @ @ @ @ .

BERLIN - The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 23,449 to 1,130,238, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Friday.
The reported death toll rose by 432 to 18,034, the tally showed.


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--Vessel off the coast of Yemen attacked - UK Maritime Trade Operations

CAIRO - The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on its website early on Saturday that it is aware of an attack on a vessel off the coast of Yemen.


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--Man in his 20s shot, critically injured in brawl in southern Israel

Two men were shot to death within the space of a few hours on Friday evening in Arab towns in Israel, bringing the total amount of homicides committed in Israel's Arabic sector to 101 since the beginning of 2020.
Ahmad Muhammad Jamal Akhri, 29, was shot to death on Friday evening during a brawl between two large families in the Arab town of Kabul, in the western Galilee.
According to police, Akhri was the only one injured in the brawl, before they arrived and cleared the area. An MDA team determined his death at the scene.
Only hours later, Israel police reported another large brawl between two families, this time in the predominantly Bedouin southern city of Rahat, in which 25-year-old Yousef Mahrus Abu Sata was shot and critically injured
He was evacuated to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, where doctors determined his death shortly after he arrived unconscious, not breathing and without a pulse.
According to Israel Police, both cases are currently being investigated as homicides.
At the beginning of the year, hundreds of thousands of Arab citizens took to the streets in protest against the disproportionate amount of violence they were experiencing in their cities and towns.
While that brought the issue to the forefront of public and political discourse, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic struck Israel and removed it from the forefront of the national agenda.
In early November, the Prime Minister's Office introduced a 5-year plan to tackle the recent spike in violence in the Arab sector, which Arab MKs criticized as not tackling the root causes of the increase in violence, namely, education gaps and rising unemployment.
The “2018 Personal Security Index: Violence, Crime and Policing in Arab Towns” report, by the Abraham Initiatives, the Samuel Neaman Institute for National Policy Research and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, found that 61% of all murder and manslaughter victims in Israel in 2018 were Arab citizens, despite Arabs constituting only 20% of the Israeli population.
Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman contributed to this article.


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--29-year-old shot dead during brawl in northern Israel

Ahmad Muhammad Jamal Akri , 29 , was shot to death on Friday evening during a brawl between two large @ @ @ @ @ Kabul , in the western Galilee .
According to police , Akri was the only @ @ @ @ @ , before they arrived and cleared the area .
His murder marked the one-hundredth homicide @ @ @ @ @ since the beginning of the year .
Police are investigating the scene and interviewing suspects @ @ @ @ @ been involved in the shooting .


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--Trump campaign says it has filed election lawsuit in Georgia state court

WASHINGTON - The campaign of President Donald Trump says it has filed a lawsuit in Georgia state court seeking to @ @ @ @ @ there - the latest in a series of legal challenges intended to reverse his loss @ @ @ @ @ In a statement , the Trump administration has said that the lawsuit would include sworn @ @ @ @ @ fraud .
The Trump camp has filed a slew of 30+ lawsuits across the United @ @ @ @ @ to turn his defeat in the Nov. 3 election into a victory .
Almost all @ @ @ @ @ by the courts or withdrawn by the campaign .

Donald Trump's campaign said it filed a lawsuit in Georgia state court on Friday seeking to invalidate the presidential election results there, the latest in a series of legal challenges aimed at reversing his loss that have so far gone nowhere.
The Trump campaign said in a statement its new lawsuit would include sworn statements from Georgia residents alleging fraud.
Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, like Trump, and other state officials have said repeatedly they have found no evidence of widespread fraud in the Nov. 3 election won by Democrat Joe Biden.
Trump's team and various individuals backing him have suffered a string of legal defeats around the country, including in cases filed in Nevada and Wisconsin that sought court orders to reverse those states' election results.
President-elect Biden won the election with 306 Electoral College votes - against the 270 required - to Trump's 232.
A district judge in Nevada on Friday dismissed a case brought by would-be Republican presidential electors and said they must pay defendants' legal costs after failing "to meet their burden to provide credible and relevant evidence to substantiate" any of the lawsuit's claims.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision declined to act on a case that sought to have the court nullify the presidential election in the state and pave the way for the state legislature to choose Wisconsin's 10 presidential electors.
"Such a move would appear to be unprecedented in American history," Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Brian Hagedorn wrote in his concurring opinion of four justices issued on Friday.
Trump's campaign has spent nearly $9 million on its unsuccessful bid to overturn the results of the election, including nearly $2.3 million to lawyers and consultants.
The campaign and the Republican National Committee have raised at least $207.5 million since Election Day, much of it from solicitations asking for donations to an "Official Election Defense Fund."
The fine print made clear most of the money would go to other priorities through Trump's new political action committee, which could fuel his future political endeavors.


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--Worldwide coronavirus death toll tops 1.5 million

More than 65.17 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,511,260 have died @ @ @ @ @ tally .
Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the @ @ @ @ @ China in December 2019 .
The US continues to lead the world in both cases @ @ @ @ @ ( 276,343 ) .
When adjusting the death toll for population size , Belgium continues @ @ @ @ @ 14.9 deaths per 10,000 citizens .

More than 65.17 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,511,260 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.The US continues to lead the world in both cases (14,129,187) and deaths (276,343). When adjusting the death toll for population size, Belgium continues to lead the world with 14.9 deaths per 10,000 citizens.


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--Chinese professor pleads guilty to lying to FBI in Huawei-related case

A Chinese professor accused by US prosecutors of helping steal American technology to benefit China 's Huawei Technologies on Friday @ @ @ @ @ the FBI , but is expected to be allowed to return home after prosecutors decided @ @ @ @ @ serious charge .
The professor , Bo Mao , had been charged with conspiring to @ @ @ @ @ Labs and faced up to 20 years behind bars .
He was a visiting professor @ @ @ @ @ when he was arrested in August 2019 .
Mao , 37 , pleaded guilty to @ @ @ @ @ a false statement in a video appearance before US District Judge Pamela Chen in Brooklyn @ @ @ @ @ be sentenced to time served and leave the United States on Dec. 16 .
He @ @ @ @ @ days after his arrest .

A Chinese professor accused by US prosecutors of helping steal American technology to benefit China's Huawei Technologies on Friday pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, but is expected to be allowed to return home after prosecutors decided not to pursue a more serious charge.
The professor, Bo Mao, had been charged with conspiring to defraud Silicon Valley's CNEX Labs and faced up to 20 years behind bars. He was a visiting professor at the University of Texas when he was arrested in August 2019.
Mao, 37, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of making a false statement in a video appearance before US District Judge Pamela Chen in Brooklyn. He is expected to be sentenced to time served and leave the United States on Dec. 16. He was in custody for six days after his arrest.


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--Kuwait's emir happy with efforts to solve the Gulf dispute - state media

CAIRO - Kuwait 's Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah is happy with the achievement reached and the continuous efforts to solve @ @ @ @ @ state news agency said on Friday .
The Emir added that the agreement reflects the @ @ @ @ @ achieve the supreme interests of their people .
He thanked the US president for his @ @

CAIRO - Kuwait's Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah is happy with the achievement reached and the continuous efforts to solve the Gulf dispute, the state news agency said on Friday.
The Emir added that the agreement reflects the aspiration of the parties to achieve the supreme interests of their people. He thanked the US president for his support.


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--Bahrain approves Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

DUBAI - Bahrain said on Friday it has granted emergency use authorization for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the second country after Britain to approve it.The Gulf Arab state had also approved Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine in November for use by frontline workers."The approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will add a further important layer to the Kingdom's national COVID-19 response," Dr. Mariam Al Jalahma, CEO of Bahrain's National Health Regulatory Authority said in a statement.


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--Pompeo: Iran 'desperately' keen to return to talks for sanctions relief

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday said Iran was 'desperately' signaling its willingness to return to the negotiating table to get sanctions relief, although he did not elaborate how Washington would respond.Speaking at the IISS Manama Dialogue, Pompeo did not provide proof as to how Tehran was more keen for talks. Tensions between Washington and Tehran have risen since 2018, when Trump abandoned Obama's 2015 nuclear deal, and restored harsh economic sanctions to pressure Tehran to negotiate stricter curbs on its nuclear program, ballistic missile development and support for regional proxy forces.


jerusalempost--2020-12-04--Ethiopia says war ending, with most Tigray leaders dead or caught

ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopia said it had captured or killed most commanders of a rebellious northern force, while Tigray's fugitive local leader countered on Friday that civilians were protesting against looting by occupying soldiers.Neither side gave proof for their assertions about the month-long war in the mountainous region bordering Eritrea where phone communications have been down and access severely restricted.


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--Turkish magnitude 5.5 earthquake felt in Israel

An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 struck off the coast of Turkey 's Mediterranean coastal province of Antalya on Saturday, the Kandilli Observatory said.The earthquake was felt in Israel, sending a tremor through buildings in multiple places across the country including Jerusalem and the north of the country.The Geological Survey of Israel announced that the earthquake was 436 kilometers northwest of the city of Nahariya, according to Ynet News.Israel's Home Front Command alerted Israelis to the quake and sent Israelis reminders about earthquake safety precautions. They reminded those able to leave structures during a quake to go outside, and those unable to leave to take shelter and leave windows and doors open.The Home Front Command advised that Israelis who are outside during an earthquake remain outside and move away from structures, bridges and electrical poles. The command also advised that anyone who finds themselves at a beach during an earthquake should leave the beach as there is risk of a tsunami occurring in the quake's aftermath.The earthquake occurred at a depth of 93.3 km (58 miles), the Kandilli Observatory said, after revising the magnitude up from 5.4.Turkish media said the earthquake was felt in Antalya and neighboring provinces. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to buildings.


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--Bahrain clarifies it will not import goods from West Bank settlements

The statement , released by the official news agency of Bahrain on Friday , stated that a previous comment made @ @ @ @ @ and Tourism Minister Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani , according to which no distinction would @ @ @ @ @ Israel and the West Bank , `` was misunderstood . ''

The statement, released by the official news agency of Bahrain on Friday, stated that a previous comment made by Bahraini Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, according to which no distinction would be given to products from Israel and the West Bank, "was misunderstood."
Bahrain clarified on Saturday that it will not allow the import of Israeli goods produced in settlements in the West Bank, Israeli media reported.


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--S.Korea diplomat says hard to believe N.Korea has no COVID-19 cases

South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha cast doubt on Saturday over North Korea's claim that it has no coronavirus cases, while offering the South's help in combating the pandemic.In an unusually clear official statement, Kang told the annual IISS Manama Dialogue security conference that Pyongyang has not been very responsive to Seoul's offer to help. "They still say they don’t have any cases, which is hard to believe," Kang said. "All signs are that the regime is very intensely focused on controlling the disease that they say they don’t have, so it's a bit of an odd situation."In its most recent weekly report to the World Health Organization, North Korea said it had no confirmed cases of coronavirus, although it cited 8,594 "suspected cases."The pandemic has further isolated North Korea, which has turned toward more top-down decision making where little is discussed on the country's measures to tackle COVID-19, Kang said. North Korea's state news agency KCNA said this week the country has imposed “top-class emergency measures” to prevent the coronavirus that cause COVID-19 from making inroads in the country, making stringent anti-virus efforts.South Korea's National Intelligence Service has said an outbreak in the North cannot be ruled out as the country had trade and people-to-people exchanges with China - where the disease emerged a year ago - before shutting the border in late January.Analysts said an outbreak could be devastating for the economically and politically isolated country.


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--US raised prospect of blacklisting Yemen's Houthis

Oman's foreign minister said on Saturday the top US diplomat for the Middle East had discussed with his country the possibility of Washington designating Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement as a terrorist group."Yes that was raised," Sayyed Badr Al Busaidi told a Bahrain summit in response to a question on whether the designation had been raised by David Schenker during a visit to Muscat."I don't think there is a solution based on classifying or blockading one key player in that conflict and not bringing them to the negotiating table," the Omani minister added.


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--Lebanon might seek int'l arbitration on maritime border with Israel

Lebanese President Michel Aoun threatened on Saturday to seek international arbitration if understandings aren't reached between Israel and Lebanon about the maritime border soon, N12 reported.


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--Snow covers the Hermon, temperatures drop to 0 degrees Celsius

Employees at the site recorded a 3cm thick layer of snow on the upper section of the site , 2,040 @ @ @ @ @ dropped to 0 degrees Celsius .

Employees at the site recorded a 3cm thick layer of snow on the upper section of the site, 2,040 meters high, as temperatures dropped to 0 degrees Celsius.
The Hermon was painted white during the night between Friday and Saturday, as the first flakes of snow for this year's winter covered it's slopes, Ynet reported.


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--US suspends exchange programs with China, calling them 'propaganda'

The US State Department said on Friday it has ended five cultural exchange programs with China, calling them "soft power propaganda tools."The Department said on its website it had "terminated" the Policymakers Educational China Trip Program, the U.S.-China Friendship Program, the US-China Leadership Exchange Program, the U.S.-China Transpacific Exchange Program and the Hong Kong Educational and Cultural Program.It said that the programs had been set up under the auspices of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act - a 1961 law signed by President John F. Kennedy and aimed at boosting academic and cultural exchanges with foreign countries."While other programs funded under the auspices of the MECEA are mutually beneficial, the five programs in question are fully funded and operated by the (Chinese) government as soft power propaganda tools," the statement said.The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the move. Attempts to reach representatives for the programs singled out by the State Department were not immediately successful.


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--Federal student loan payments suspended until end of January

US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on Friday said the suspension of federal student loans payments and accruing interest set @ @ @ @ @ will be extended another month as the pandemic presents financial challenges to borrowers .
`` @ @ @ @ @ will help those who have been impacted , '' DeVos said in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ allows Congress to do its job and determine what measures it believes are necessary and @ @ @ @ @ , the Trump administration suspended interest and payments on federal student loans for 60 days @ @ @ @ @ moratorium was extended until Dec. 31 and on Friday it was extended until Jan. 31 @ @ @ @ @ employers to halt wage garnishment for borrowers with defaulted federal student loans .
DeVos ' @ @ @ @ @ report earlier in the day showed the labor market slowing in November as talks aimed @ @ @ @ @ of coronavirus relief to American families and businesses gathered momentum in the US Congress .

US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on Friday said the suspension of federal student loans payments and accruing interest set to end on Dec. 31 will be extended another month as the pandemic presents financial challenges to borrowers.
"This temporary pause in payments will help those who have been impacted," DeVos said in a statement. "The added time also allows Congress to do its job and determine what measures it believes are necessary and appropriate."
In March, the Trump administration suspended interest and payments on federal student loans for 60 days. In August, the moratorium was extended until Dec. 31 and on Friday it was extended until Jan. 31. DeVos has also instructed employers to halt wage garnishment for borrowers with defaulted federal student loans.
DeVos' announcement came after a government report earlier in the day showed the labor market slowing in November as talks aimed at delivering a fresh infusion of coronavirus relief to American families and businesses gathered momentum in the US Congress.


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--Trump campaign files Georgia election lawsuit, suffers more legal defeats

Donald Trump 's campaign said it filed a lawsuit in Georgia state court on Friday seeking to invalidate the presidential election results there , the latest in a series of legal challenges aimed at reversing his loss that have so far gone nowhere .
The Trump campaign said in a statement its new lawsuit would include sworn statements from Georgia residents alleging fraud .
Georgia 's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger , a Republican , like Trump , and other state officials have said repeatedly they have found no evidence of widespread fraud in the Nov. 3 election won by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and various individuals backing him have suffered a string of legal defeats around the country , including in cases filed in Nevada and Wisconsin that sought court orders to reverse those states ' election results .
President-elect Biden won the election with 306 Electoral College votes - against the 270 required - to Trump 's 232 .
A district judge in Nevada on Friday dismissed a case brought by would-be Republican presidential electors and said they must pay defendants ' legal costs after failing `` to meet their burden to provide credible and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lawsuit 's claims .
The Wisconsin Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision declined to act on a case that sought to have the court nullify the presidential election in the state and pave the way for the state legislature to choose Wisconsin 's 10 presidential electors .
`` Such a move would appear to be unprecedented in American history , '' Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Brian Hagedorn wrote in his concurring opinion of four justices issued on Friday .
Trump 's campaign has spent nearly $ 9 million on its unsuccessful bid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including nearly $ 2.3 million to lawyers and consultants .
The campaign and the Republican National Committee have raised at least $ 207.5 million since Election Day , much of it from solicitations asking for donations to an `` Official Election Defense Fund . ''
The fine print made clear most of the money would go to other priorities through Trump 's new political action committee , which could fuel his future political endeavors .


jerusalempost--2020-12-05--Trump signs anti-doping act into law

Trump signs anti-doping act into law

The Rodchenkov Act , named after the whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov who helped expose Russia 's state-sponsored doping , empowers prosecutors to seek fines of up to $ 1 million and jail terms of up to 10 years , as well restitution to victims .
`` ( The law gives ) the Department of Justice a powerful and unique set of tools to eradicate doping fraud and related criminal activities from international competitions , '' said Rodchenkov 's lawyer Jim Walden , according to Inside the Games .
It was now up to the justice department to develop a robust program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and international law enforcement , to bring the guilty to justice and create zero tolerance for doping in sports , he added .
`` Dopings should be on clear notice : This is a new sheriff in town , so cheat at your own peril . ''
The bill , passed unopposed by the U.S. Senate last month , was opposed by the International Olympic Committee , who have questioned why American professional and college athletes are exempt .
The United States Anti-Doping Agency ( USADA ) said there was no need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legislation as existing law allows their prosecution .
The World Anti-Doping Agency has also expressed concerns over the bill , saying it will destabilize the global anti-doping effort by extending U.S. jurisdiction beyond its own borders .
`` No nation has ever before asserted criminal jurisdiction over doping offenses that occurred outside its national borders - and for good reason , '' the agency said last month when the bill passed the Senate .

U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law on Friday a bill that lets U.S. justice officials pursue criminal penalties against those involved in doping conspiracies at international events involving American athletes, sponsors or broadcasters.
The Rodchenkov Act, named after the whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov who helped expose Russia's state-sponsored doping, empowers prosecutors to seek fines of up to $1 million and jail terms of up to 10 years, as well restitution to victims.
"(The law gives) the Department of Justice a powerful and unique set of tools to eradicate doping fraud and related criminal activities from international competitions," said Rodchenkov's lawyer Jim Walden, according to Inside the Games.
It was now up to the justice department to develop a robust program, cooperating with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and international law enforcement, to bring the guilty to justice and create zero tolerance for doping in sports, he added.
"Dopings should be on clear notice: This is a new sheriff in town, so cheat at your own peril."
The bill, passed unopposed by the U.S. Senate last month, was opposed by the International Olympic Committee, who have questioned why American professional and college athletes are exempt.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said there was no need to include U.S. professional and college sports in the legislation as existing law allows their prosecution.
The World Anti-Doping Agency has also expressed concerns over the bill, saying it will destabilize the global anti-doping effort by extending U.S. jurisdiction beyond its own borders.
"No nation has ever before asserted criminal jurisdiction over doping offenses that occurred outside its national borders - and for good reason," the agency said last month when the bill passed the Senate.
"WADA remains concerned that by unilaterally exerting U.S. criminal jurisdiction over all global doping activity, the Act will likely undermine clean sport by jeopardizing critical partnerships and cooperation between nations."


jerusalempost--2020-12-06--Mexico registers 11,625 new coronavirus cases, 593 more deaths

Mexico 's Health Ministry on Saturday reported 11,625 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and an additional 593 fatalities , @ @ @ @ @ country to 1,168,395 cases and 109,456 deaths .
The government says the real number of @ @ @ @ @ higher than the confirmed cases .

Mexico's Health Ministry on Saturday reported 11,625 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and an additional 593 fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 1,168,395 cases and 109,456 deaths.
The government says the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.


jerusalempost--2020-12-06--Baka al-Gharbiya banquet hall owner arrested for holding 2 weddings

Police arrested a 67-year-old banquet hall owner in Baka al-Gharbiya in northern Israel on Saturday for violating coronavirus restrictions after two weddings were hosted there, Walla reported.The suspect was already arrested after hosting a wedding on Thursday, but was released on bail at the request of his attorney. But while awaiting a hearing set for Sunday, he hosted a second wedding on Friday.