jerusalempost--2020-12-26--Missing cyclists in West Bank found by rescue services

Four cyclists who were traveling the Judean Desert situated in the West Bank and were reported missing on Friday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ Og stream in the northern Judean Desert on Saturday morning by rescue services .
The @ @ @ @ @ members , were treated on the scene after suffering different degrees of hyperthermia .
More @ @ @ @ @ Megillot rescue unit participated in the search .
The search parties included a police helicopter @ @ @ @

Four cyclists who were traveling the Judean Desert situated in the West Bank and were reported missing on Friday afternoon were found near the Wadi Og stream in the northern Judean Desert on Saturday morning by rescue services.
The four cyclists, all family members, were treated on the scene after suffering different degrees of hyperthermia.
More than 40 volunteers from the Megillot rescue unit participated in the search. The search parties included a police helicopter and IDF units.


jerusalempost--2020-12-26--Mexico records 9,679 new coronavirus cases, 665 more deaths

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Mexico's Health Ministry on Friday reported 9,679 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 665 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 1,372,243 cases and 121,837 deaths.The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Mexico reports 4,974 new coronavirus cases, 189 more deaths

Mexico 's health ministry on Saturday reported 4,974 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 189 additional fatalities , bringing @ @ @ @ @ to 1,377,217 cases and 122,026 deaths .
The government said the real number of infected @ @ @ @ @ than its reported cases .

Mexico's health ministry on Saturday reported 4,974 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 189 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 1,377,217 cases and 122,026 deaths.
The government said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than its reported cases.


jerusalempost--2020-12-26--UK to roll out Oxford COVID-19 vaccine from Jan. 4, Sunday Telegraph says

The United Kingdom will roll out Oxford University ’ s COVID-19 vaccine from Jan. 4 , according to plans being @ @ @ @ @ The Sunday Telegraph reported .
The government hopes to give the first dose of either @ @ @ @ @ has been licensed to pharmaceuticals company AstraZeneca , or the Pfizer vaccine to 2 million @ @ @ @ @ weeks , the newspaper said .
The Oxford vaccine is expected to be approved by @ @ @ @ @ the newspaper said .

The United Kingdom will roll out Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine from Jan. 4, according to plans being drawn up by ministers, The Sunday Telegraph reported.
The government hopes to give the first dose of either the Oxford vaccine, which has been licensed to pharmaceuticals company AstraZeneca, or the Pfizer vaccine to 2 million people over the next two weeks, the newspaper said.
The Oxford vaccine is expected to be approved by medical regulators in days, the newspaper said.


jerusalempost--2020-12-26--Canada's Ontario finds two cases of virus variant first seen in UK

Health officials in Ontario said on Saturday that two confirmed cases of the new coronavirus variant first detected in the @ @ @ @ @ the Canadian province .
The cases , identified in a couple in southern Ontario with @ @ @ @ @ exposure or high-risk contact , came as the province went into a lockdown on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ the need for Ontarians to stay home as much as possible and continue to follow @ @ @ @ @ including the provincewide shutdown measures beginning today , '' Dr. Barbara Yaffe , Ontario 's @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
Last week , Canada extended to Jan. 6 a ban @ @ @ @ @ Britain and expanded enhanced screening and monitoring measures to travelers arriving from South Africa , @ @ @ @ @ more infectious variant .

Health officials in Ontario said on Saturday that two confirmed cases of the new coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom have appeared in the Canadian province.
The cases, identified in a couple in southern Ontario with no known travel history, exposure or high-risk contact, came as the province went into a lockdown on Saturday.
"This further reinforces the need for Ontarians to stay home as much as possible and continue to follow all public health advice, including the provincewide shutdown measures beginning today," Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario's associate chief medical officer, said in a statement.
Last week, Canada extended to Jan. 6 a ban on passenger flights arriving from Britain and expanded enhanced screening and monitoring measures to travelers arriving from South Africa, citing the rise of the more infectious variant.


jerusalempost--2020-12-26--Sudan taking control of land on border with Ethiopia -minister

Tensions in the border region have flared since the outbreak of conflict in Ethiopia 's northern Tigray region in early November and the arrival of more than 50,000 mainly Tigrayan refugees in eastern Sudan .
Disputes have been concentrated on agricultural land in al-Fashqa , which falls within Sudan 's international boundaries but has long been settled by Ethiopian farmers .
There have been armed clashes between Sudanese and Ethiopian forces in recent weeks , with both sides accusing the other of instigating the violence .
The two countries held talks this week in Khartoum over the issue .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem , '' Sudan 's information minister , Faisal Salih , told Reuters .
`` But our army will do its duty to take back all our land .
Currently our army has taken back between 60 % and 70 % of Sudanese land . ''
Sudanese forces had acted defensively , and clashes had subsided in the past two days , Salih said .
`` Sudanese intelligence reports confirmed that the organisation , training and arming of the forces that attacked were not militias but regular forces , '' he added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ethiopia 's foreign minister , Ato Demeke Mekonnen said the Sudanese military had carried out attacks beginning on Nov. 9 .
`` Agricultural products of Ethiopian farmers are looted , their camps are vandalized , and they are also hampered from harvesting their own farms .
A number of civilians have been murdered and wounded , '' he said .
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed blamed `` parties with hidden motives to create hostility and suspicion between peoples '' for the violence , in a statement issued on Thursday .
Sudanese officials say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years of the 20th century , and that negotiations are limited to talks over placing additional markers on the land at 2km rather than 10km intervals .

Tensions in the border region have flared since the outbreak of conflict in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region in early November and the arrival of more than 50,000 mainly Tigrayan refugees in eastern Sudan.
Disputes have been concentrated on agricultural land in al-Fashqa, which falls within Sudan's international boundaries but has long been settled by Ethiopian farmers.
There have been armed clashes between Sudanese and Ethiopian forces in recent weeks, with both sides accusing the other of instigating the violence. The two countries held talks this week in Khartoum over the issue.
"We believe in dialogue to solve any problem," Sudan's information minister, Faisal Salih, told Reuters. "But our army will do its duty to take back all our land. Currently our army has taken back between 60% and 70% of Sudanese land."
Sudanese forces had acted defensively, and clashes had subsided in the past two days, Salih said.
"Sudanese intelligence reports confirmed that the organisation, training and arming of the forces that attacked were not militias but regular forces," he added.
Ahead of the talks this week, Ethiopia's foreign minister, Ato Demeke Mekonnen said the Sudanese military had carried out attacks beginning on Nov. 9.
"Agricultural products of Ethiopian farmers are looted, their camps are vandalized, and they are also hampered from harvesting their own farms. A number of civilians have been murdered and wounded," he said.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed blamed "parties with hidden motives to create hostility and suspicion between peoples" for the violence, in a statement issued on Thursday.
Sudanese officials say the border was demarcated in the first years of the 20th century, and that negotiations are limited to talks over placing additional markers on the land at 2km rather than 10km intervals.
Sudan has taken control of most of the land it accuses Ethiopians of encroaching upon near the border between the two countries, the Sudanese information minister said on Saturday.


jerusalempost--2020-12-26--Health Ministry considers vaccinating teachers next

The Health Ministry seemingly intends to vaccinate teachers in the next round of investigations as Health Minister Yuli Edelstein instructed the ministry's director-general, Prof. Chezy Levy, to check the option of vaccinating teaching staff as early as this coming week.Such a decision would be subject to the approval of the Prioritization Committee. The inquiry was in response to an urgent appeal by Education Minister Yoav Gallant on the matter.This week, those with chronic illnesses will be given the option to get vaccinated, as well.


jerusalempost--2020-12-26--Knesset coronavirus outbreak: Another employee tests positive

Knesset officer Yoav Griff announced on Saturday that an employee who works at the transportation and communications department of the Knesset has tested positive for the coronavirus.The employee is the latest in a growing list of Knesset employees already infected with the virus, after four employees tested positive on Friday alone.


jerusalempost--2020-12-26--Coronavirus in Israel: 3,994 new coronavirus cases, 4.7% positivity rate

Israel 's Health Ministry reported on Saturday that the infection rate has continued to rise , diagnosing 3,994 new coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ 86,960 tested , for a 4.7 % positivity rate .
The amount of active coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ of this reporting stands at 34,996 , with 561 patients classified as eing in serious @ @ @ @ @ are intubated .
The death toll rose by 20 on Friday , and now stands @ @ @

Israel's Health Ministry reported on Saturday that the infection rate has continued to rise, diagnosing 3,994 new coronavirus cases on Friday out of 86,960 tested, for a 4.7% positivity rate.
The amount of active coronavirus cases in the country as of this reporting stands at 34,996, with 561 patients classified as eing in serious condition, 136 of whom are intubated.
The death toll rose by 20 on Friday, and now stands at 3,203.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Yesh Atid Party aims to appoint MK Elazar Stern as state audit chairman

Yesh Atid called on Sunday to appoint MK Elazar Stern as chairman of the State Audit Committee, replacing MK Ofer Shelach, who resigned from the Knesset earlier that day.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Putin decides to receive coronavirus vaccine - Kremlin

Russia 's president Vladimir Putin will receive the Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus , Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a Russian state TV channel on Sunday .
`` He said he will be vaccinated , he made this decision and was waiting until all formalities are completed , '' the spokesman was quoted as saying to Rossiya 1 TV Channel on its website .
Russia launched a voluntary vaccination program with the Russia-made Sputnik V vaccine earlier in December , starting with the most vulnerable groups in Moscow .
People over the age of 60 may begin to apply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sergei Sobyanin said on his website on Sunday , the day after the Russian health ministry said the vaccine was approved for use by elderly people after a separate trial .
68-year-old Putin said earlier that the Russian vaccine was effective and safe and he saw no reason not to be vaccinated addeing that he was waiting until it became available .
Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in Russia , Putin has mainly worked remotely , held meetings via videolink and limited travel .
He said in August that one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinical trial of the vaccine and felt well afterwards .

Russia's president Vladimir Putin will receive the Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a Russian state TV channel on Sunday.
"He said he will be vaccinated, he made this decision and was waiting until all formalities are completed," the spokesman was quoted as saying to Rossiya 1 TV Channel on its website.
Russia launched a voluntary vaccination program with the Russia-made Sputnik V vaccine earlier in December, starting with the most vulnerable groups in Moscow.
People over the age of 60 may begin to apply for shots on Monday, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his website on Sunday, the day after the Russian health ministry said the vaccine was approved for use by elderly people after a separate trial.
68-year-old Putin said earlier that the Russian vaccine was effective and safe and he saw no reason not to be vaccinated addeing that he was waiting until it became available.
Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in Russia, Putin has mainly worked remotely, held meetings via videolink and limited travel.
He said in August that one of his daughters had taken part in the clinical trial of the vaccine and felt well afterwards.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Turkey says it killed 15 Kurdish militants in northeast Syria

Turkey said on Sunday its military killed 15 militants from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia , which it said was preparing to carry out an attack in a region of northeast Syria controlled by Turkey and its Syrian rebel allies .
In an offensive last year dubbed the Peace Spring Operation , Turkey seized a 120-km ( 75-mile ) stretch of border territory in northeast Syria from the YPG , which it considers a terrorist organization linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party ( PKK ) militia .
`` Our heroic commandos dealt another heavy blow to the PKK/YPG terrorist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infiltrate the Peace Spring region from the south to carry out an attack were neutralized with the successful intervention of our commandos , '' Turkey 's Defence Ministry said on Twitter .
Turkey halted its offensive , which was widely condemned by Ankara 's Western allies as the YPG was a key U.S. ally in the fight against Islamic State , after striking deals with Russia and the United States .
Moscow has said the YPG withdrew to at least 30 km ( 18 miles ) from Turkey 's border , but Ankara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibility of new attacks if militants remain .
U.S. support for the YPG has been among the main issues between Ankara and Washington , NATO allies .
Turkey backs rebels looking to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad , while Russia and Iran support Assad 's forces .
Since 2016 , Turkey has seized swathes of northern Syria in four cross-border offensives to drive back Islamic State and the YPG , and prevent a fresh influx of migrants from Syria .

Turkey said on Sunday its military killed 15 militants from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which it said was preparing to carry out an attack in a region of northeast Syria controlled by Turkey and its Syrian rebel allies.
In an offensive last year dubbed the Peace Spring Operation, Turkey seized a 120-km (75-mile) stretch of border territory in northeast Syria from the YPG, which it considers a terrorist organization linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militia.
"Our heroic commandos dealt another heavy blow to the PKK/YPG terrorist organization. Fifteen PKK/YPG terrorists trying to infiltrate the Peace Spring region from the south to carry out an attack were neutralized with the successful intervention of our commandos," Turkey's Defence Ministry said on Twitter.
Turkey halted its offensive, which was widely condemned by Ankara's Western allies as the YPG was a key U.S. ally in the fight against Islamic State, after striking deals with Russia and the United States.
Moscow has said the YPG withdrew to at least 30 km (18 miles) from Turkey's border, but Ankara has been skeptical and held out the possibility of new attacks if militants remain. U.S. support for the YPG has been among the main issues between Ankara and Washington, NATO allies.
Turkey backs rebels looking to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Russia and Iran support Assad's forces. Since 2016, Turkey has seized swathes of northern Syria in four cross-border offensives to drive back Islamic State and the YPG, and prevent a fresh influx of migrants from Syria.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Building collapses in Abu Ghosh, rescue services searching for survivors

A two-story building in the Arab-Israeli town of Abu Ghosh near Jerusalem collapsed on Sunday, Yisrael Hayom reported.Rescue services are currently on the scene, searching for any individuals who may be trapped underneath the rubble.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--MK Ofer Shelah resigns from Knesset

MK Ofer Shelah resigns from Knesset

MK Ofer Shelah (Yesh Atid) on Sunday afternoon handed in his resignation to Knesset Speaker Yarin Levin."This is the right thing to do when starting a new path," Shelah said. "I've had eight wonderful eight years and I expect to come back with greater energy for leading and creating change."Shelah is expected to be replaced by the next candidate on the combined Blue and White-Yesh Atid list, Blue and White director-general Yael Ron Ben-Moshe.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Cyprus begins rollout of COVID-19 vaccine

Cyprus on Sunday started vaccinating its population against COVID-19 as part of a concerted drive across the European Union to curb the pandemic, which has claimed the lives of more than 1.7 million people worldwide.Pensioners at homes in the capital Nicosia and the towns of Larnaca and Limassol were the first to receive a shot of the two-dose vaccine, which arrived by air on Saturday.Cyprus has reported 19,391 cases of the novel coronavirus, and 111 deaths.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Magnitude 5.3 earthquake strikes eastern Turkey - EMSC

An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 struck eastern Turkey on Sunday, the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said, while the interior minister said there were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage.The earthquake occurred at a depth of 15.95 km (9.91 miles), AFAD said, adding that the epicenter of the quake was the Elazig province, which had been struck by a 6.8 quake in January, which killed 39 people."There is nothing negative so far. All our teams continue their examinations on the ground," Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Twitter.Turkish media said the earthquake was also felt in Malatya, Diyarbakir and Sanliurfa provinces.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Israel vaccinates 280,000 people during first week of vaccinations

Medical experts remained divided as Israel prepared to enter its third lockdown on Sunday regarding its necessity and effectiveness.Coronavirus commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash and Health Ministry director-general Chezy Levy both started the day by giving radio interviews and explaining why imposing a lockdown now is important.Past experience had proved that a lockdown goes a long way in combating the spread of the virus, Levy told Army Radio.“I really think that we exited the previous lockdown too soon; the reality completely turned on us,” he said Sunday morning, adding that exiting the lockdown led to a direct surge of “morbidity rates, reproduction rates and the number of patients in serious condition.”Addressing an interview given by coronavirus committee chairwoman MK Yifat Shasha-Biton to N12 on Saturday, when she said the “lockdown is clearly political” and that she “couldn’t find any explanation why we’re entering another lockdown,” Ash told 103 FM Radio he did not know why the MK would say that, stressing that “the lockdown is not political. We don’t have a choice.”On the other hand, a group of doctors and medical experts who have convened to establish the National Public Emergency Committee for the Coronavirus Pandemic, some of whom held senior positions in the Health Ministry, have strongly opposed the lockdown concept and questioned its benefits.“Members of the government were presented with problematic facts that have led to an unnecessary lockdown,” the group said Sunday in a letter to the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, which must approve the lockdown directives. It demanded that the decision be revoked.The letter mentions various clauses in the document that the committee must approve before the government can implement the lockdown and questions their reliability by providing alternate facts and explanations that appear to contradict the need for a lockdown.The letter cites a clause that states: “While the vaccination campaign is underway, it will take several months for vaccines to influence the scope of morbidity rates.”Data published by the FDA shows that the process will not take too long, experts said, adding that “most of the at-risk population will be vaccinated in less than a month.”Another point refers to hospitals and their ability to cope with the rising morbidity rates. The letter questions a clause that states: “Some hospitals are already under a lot of pressure,” adding that “the burden during the month of December is not only low; it’s exceptionally low.”The experts stressed the grave economic implications a lockdown will cause, saying that the “price will be equivalent to the establishment of more than 10 big hospitals.”“There is a significant gap between the reality and the situation described in the document calling for a lockdown,” they said in the letter and called on the committee not to approve “this devastating and needless lockdown.”Health Minister Yuli Edelstein chose to focus on other aspects when addressing the national campaign to vaccinate as much of the population as possible, which completed its first week on Sunday.“We’re completing the first week of coronavirus vaccinations with an unbelievable number of 280,000 vaccinated people,” he tweeted, adding that 71,000 were vaccinated during the weekend alone. “We’ll continue to keep Israel safe,” he said.
אנחנו ממשיכים לעלות. מסיימים שבוע ראשון לחיסונים על מספר לא ייאמן של 280,000 מתחסנים, 71,000 מתוכם בסופ"ש האחרון. ממשיכים לחסן בשבילכם, ממשיכים לשמור על ישראל. pic.twitter.com/afEX30DNGa — Yuli Edelstein יולי אדלשטיין (@YuliEdelstein) December 27, 2020
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry on Sunday told Magen David Adom, the national emergency medical service, not to send coronavirus patients to Jerusalem hospitals to help alleviate the pressure they are under.Patients from the Jerusalem area were sent to hospitals in central Israel starting Sunday, including Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, the Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus Hospital in Petah Tikva and the Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Israel exited the previous lockdown too soon, Health Min. D-G says


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Coronavirus in Israel: 2,630 new coronavirus cases on Saturday


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Coronavirus commissioner: Lockdown is not political, we have no choice


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Coronavirus patients from Jerusalem to be sent to hospitals in Gush Dan


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--South Korea reports first variant of coronavirus found in the UK

South Korea reported the first variant of coronavirus linked to the rapid rise in infections in Britain in three people who had entered South Korea from London on Dec. 22, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Monday.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Brazil vice president tests positive for COVID-19; 344 new deaths recorded

Hamilton Mourão , Brazil 's vice president , has tested positive for the coronavirus , his office said on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ 344 new COVID-19 deaths .
Mourão , President Jair Bolsonaro 's deputy , is the @ @ @ @ @ of senior Brazilian officials to contract the virus .
Bolsonaro , a prominent coronavirus skeptic @ @ @ @ @ , and recovered .
In a statement , Mourão 's office said he tested positive @ @ @ @ @ that he will isolate in Jaburu , his official residence .
Separately , Brazil 's @ @ @ @ @ that Brazil registered 344 new COVID-19 deaths , and 18,479 fresh coronavirus cases .
Brazil @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases , and a total of 191,139 deaths from the virus since the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ health ministry figures .

Hamilton Mourão, Brazil's vice president, has tested positive for the coronavirus, his office said on Sunday, when the country registered 344 new COVID-19 deaths.
Mourão, President Jair Bolsonaro's deputy, is the latest in a long line of senior Brazilian officials to contract the virus. Bolsonaro, a prominent coronavirus skeptic, was infected in July, and recovered.
In a statement, Mourão's office said he tested positive on Sunday afternoon, and that he will isolate in Jaburu, his official residence.
Separately, Brazil's health ministry on Sunday reported that Brazil registered 344 new COVID-19 deaths, and 18,479 fresh coronavirus cases.
Brazil now has nearly 7.5 million confirmed cases, and a total of 191,139 deaths from the virus since the outbreak began, according to the health ministry figures.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Saudi Arabia extends entry ban on coronavirus variant fears

Saudi Arabia interior ministry on Monday extended a ban on entry to the kingdom by air , land and sea @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus variant fears , the state news agency reported .
The ministry said it is @ @ @ @ @ allowing non-citizens to leave the kingdom and allowing entry for exceptional cases .

Saudi Arabia interior ministry on Monday extended a ban on entry to the kingdom by air, land and sea for another week amid new coronavirus variant fears, the state news agency reported.
The ministry said it is evaluating the current situation while allowing non-citizens to leave the kingdom and allowing entry for exceptional cases.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes off coast of Los Lagos, Chile

An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck off the coast of south-central Chile on Sunday , the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre @ @ @ @ @ but Chilean officials immediately discarded the risk of a tsunami .
There were no initial @ @ @ @ @ the quake .
The strong tremor took place at a depth of 10 km ( @ @ @ @ @ said , and about 163 km ( 100 miles ) west-northwest of Valdivia in the @ @ @

An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck off the coast of south-central Chile on Sunday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said, but Chilean officials immediately discarded the risk of a tsunami.
There were no initial reports of damage immediately following the quake.
The strong tremor took place at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), EMSC said, and about 163 km (100 miles) west-northwest of Valdivia in the Pacific Ocean.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Baseball-Braves great Niekro dead at age 81

Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro , who was famous for confounding batters with his mystifying knuckleball , died in his sleep at age 81 , the Atlanta Braves said on Sunday .
Known by the nickname `` Knucksie , '' Niekro pitched 21 of his 24 seasons with the Braves , winning 318 games and striking out 3,342 batters , which places him eighth on the all-time list .
The Blaine , Ohio native was also an outstanding fielder , winning five gold gloves in his lengthy career .
He threw a no-hitter on August 5 , 1973 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fame in 1997 .
`` Phil Niekro was one of the most distinctive and memorable pitchers of his generation , '' MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said .
In the last century , no pitcher threw more than Phil 's 5,404 innings , Manfred said .
His knuckleball led him to five All-Star selections , three 20-win seasons for the Atlanta Braves , the 300-win club , and ultimately , to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown , New York .
`` But even more than his signature pitch and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as one of our game 's most genial people , '' said Manfred .
`` On behalf of Major League Baseball , I extend my condolences to Phil 's family , friends and the many fans he earned throughout his life in our National Pastime , '' said Manfred .
Hall of Famer Willie Stargell summed up the experience of trying to hit Niekro 's slow moving but highly unpredictable pitches .
`` Phil Niekro 's knuckleball is like a butterfly with hiccups , '' he said .
Niekro and his late brother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record for the most victories by a brother combination with 539 .
Phil Niekro 's tenure in the big leagues also included stints with the Yankees , Indians and Blue Jays .
Niekro finished with a record of 318-274 and a 3.35 ERA .

Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, who was famous for confounding batters with his mystifying knuckleball, died in his sleep at age 81, the Atlanta Braves said on Sunday.
Known by the nickname "Knucksie," Niekro pitched 21 of his 24 seasons with the Braves, winning 318 games and striking out 3,342 batters, which places him eighth on the all-time list.
The Blaine, Ohio native was also an outstanding fielder, winning five gold gloves in his lengthy career. He threw a no-hitter on August 5, 1973 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.
"Phil Niekro was one of the most distinctive and memorable pitchers of his generation," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said.
In the last century, no pitcher threw more than Phil's 5,404 innings, Manfred said. His knuckleball led him to five All-Star selections, three 20-win seasons for the Atlanta Braves, the 300-win club, and ultimately, to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.
"But even more than his signature pitch and trademark durability, Phil will be remembered as one of our game's most genial people," said Manfred.
"On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my condolences to Phil's family, friends and the many fans he earned throughout his life in our National Pastime," said Manfred.
Hall of Famer Willie Stargell summed up the experience of trying to hit Niekro's slow moving but highly unpredictable pitches.
"Phil Niekro's knuckleball is like a butterfly with hiccups," he said.
Niekro and his late brother Joe, another knuckleballer, hold the record for the most victories by a brother combination with 539.
Phil Niekro's tenure in the big leagues also included stints with the Yankees, Indians and Blue Jays. Niekro finished with a record of 318-274 and a 3.35 ERA.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--US CDC reports 330,901 total deaths from coronavirus

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) on Sunday reported 18,909,910 cases of new coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ from its previous count , and said deaths had risen by 1,309 to 330,901 .
@ @ @ @ @ of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19 as of 4 p.m .
ET @ @ @ @ @ report a day earlier .
The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by @ @ @

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported 18,909,910 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 179,104 cases from its previous count, and said deaths had risen by 1,309 to 330,901.
The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19 as of 4 p.m. ET on Saturday versus its previous report a day earlier.
The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--UK and Turkey to sign free trade deal this week - FT

Britain and Turkey are set to sign a free trade deal on Tuesday , the first since Prime Minister Boris @ @ @ @ @ agreement with the European Union , the Financial Times reported on Sunday .
The two @ @ @ @ @ of a `` continuity agreement '' that replicates the existing trading terms between Ankara and @ @ @ @ @ .

Britain and Turkey are set to sign a free trade deal on Tuesday, the first since Prime Minister Boris Johnson secured a new trade agreement with the European Union, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
The two nations have finalized the text of a "continuity agreement" that replicates the existing trading terms between Ankara and London, the report said.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--'Wonder Woman' box office hits a pandemic high in cinema, streaming

Of that total , an estimated $ 16.7 million came from US and Canadian theaters , the AT & T @ @ @ @ @ ranked as the highest domestic box office opening since the novel coronavirus shuttered theaters in @ @ @ @ @ were a fraction of those typical for a big-budget action flick .
Millions of people @ @ @ @ @ at home in the United States , where the movie was made available to stream @ @ @ @ @ , the company said in a statement .
Total viewing hours on HBO Max tripled @ @ @ @ @ typical day in the previous month , according to the statement .
Warner Bros. said @ @ @ @ @ a third `` Wonder Woman '' movie also written and directed by Patty Jenkins and @ @ @ @ @ lasso-wielding warrior .

Wonder Woman 1984 " pulled in roughly $36.1 million at theaters worldwide over the Christmas holiday weekend, distributor Warner Bros. said on Sunday as it confirmed plans for a third film in the superhero franchise.
Of that total, an estimated $16.7 million came from US and Canadian theaters, the AT&T Inc-owned studio said. That ranked as the highest domestic box office opening since the novel coronavirus shuttered theaters in March, though the numbers were a fraction of those typical for a big-budget action flick.
Millions of people also watched "WW84" at home in the United States, where the movie was made available to stream via WarnerMedia's HBO Max, the company said in a statement.
Total viewing hours on HBO Max tripled on Friday compared with a typical day in the previous month, according to the statement.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Health Minister Edelstein: 'Exit lockdown, revive economy'

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and Modi'in-Macabim- Reut Mayor Haim Bibas held a briefing with more than a hundred heads of authorities about the vaccine campaign."My goal is to exit the lockdown with the at-risk population vaccinated and the ability to revive the economy," said Edelstein. "We're all suffering right now so that our future will look brighter, which is why I insist on 10,000 people getting vaccinated a day. This is why I opened the hospitals and why we're vaccinating 24/7.""People are willing to endure the lockdown if it's the last one," said Bibas. "A mass of vaccines must be produced so that we can bring back culture and commerce."


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Maccabi Health Services: 21,009 people vaccinated for COVID-19 on Sunday

Maccabi Health Services vaccinated 21,009 people for the novel coronavirus on Sunday, bringing up the altogether vaccination count of the health fund to 82,077.Almost half a million patients registered with Maccabi have been called in to vaccinate since the initiative began one week prior.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Israel elections: MK Haimovich will not be on Blue and White roster

`` I met with Benny Gantz today , and we agreed on the end of our common political path , @ @ @ @ @ run with the Blue and White Party in the upcoming Knesset .
This is a @ @ @ @ @ '' Haimovich announced .
`` I am proud of the way I voted in order @ @ @ @ @ more time in his position .
My vote comes after half a year in which @ @ @ @ @ to only his own personal and political interests . ''
Earlier , MK Assaf Zamir @ @ @ @ @ not remain in the party .

"I met with Benny Gantz today, and we agreed on the end of our common political path, and that I will not run with the Blue and White Party in the upcoming Knesset. This is a decision I agree with," Haimovich announced. "I am proud of the way I voted in order to prevent Netanyahu from gaining more time in his position. My vote comes after half a year in which he managed the country according to only his own personal and political interests."
Earlier, MK Assaf Zamir also announced that he would not remain in the party.
MK Miki Haimovich will not be on the Blue and White roster in the upcoming elections.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--UK reports 30,501 new COVID cases on Sunday

The United Kingdom on Sunday reported 30,501 new COVID-19 cases , government statistics showed , with a further 316 deaths @ @ @ @ @ positive coronavirus test .
The government 's coronavirus portal said the figures reflected data from @ @ @ @ @ there was no new data from Northern Ireland and no new deaths data from Scotland @ @ @ @ @ .

The United Kingdom on Sunday reported 30,501 new COVID-19 cases, government statistics showed, with a further 316 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test.
The government's coronavirus portal said the figures reflected data from England and Wales but said there was no new data from Northern Ireland and no new deaths data from Scotland owing to the Christmas holidays.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Vaccine center to be established in Rabin Square in January

The Tel Aviv Municipality and the Ichilov Medical Center will open a vaccination center in Rabin Square , expected to open on January 4th.The center will include an immunization tent with 20 immunization stands which will be operated by the hospital 's nursing staff .
Initially , the center will be open to residents of the city aged 60 and over , and later to all Israeli citizens .
`` Since the outbreak of the coronavirus , the municipality has been mobilized to protect the health of the residents and to maintain a sense of routine alongside the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We have set up an epidemiological research center with over 100 researchers , testing centers in the neighborhoods and now , a huge vaccination center in collaboration with Ichilov .
We will continue to be at the forefront of the struggle for the benefit of the city 's residents and all the citizens of the country.
`` `` As we enter the third closure , it is clear to all of us that our main goal right now is to vaccinate as many civilians as possible , '' added Ichilov Medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Through Mayor Ron Huldai , who immediately signed on with the Rabin Square vaccine center , we will continue to vaccinate thousands of people a day in the huge compound we are setting up with the municipality , all for one purpose - to finally get rid of coronavirus . ''
The system for scheduling appointments for the new complex is still in the works , and will be published later .
When it opens , it will operate on Sundays-Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Fridays from 8 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccinate about 5,000 people a day in the first phase , and later , the number of people getting vaccinated will increase .
The vaccines will be given according to the guidelines set by the Health Ministry .

The Tel Aviv Municipality and the Ichilov Medical Center will open a vaccination center in Rabin Square, expected to open on January 4th.The center will include an immunization tent with 20 immunization stands which will be operated by the hospital's nursing staff. Initially, the center will be open to residents of the city aged 60 and over, and later to all Israeli citizens.
"Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the municipality has been mobilized to protect the health of the residents and to maintain a sense of routine alongside the virus," said Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai.
"We have set up an epidemiological research center with over 100 researchers, testing centers in the neighborhoods and now, a huge vaccination center in collaboration with Ichilov. We will continue to be at the forefront of the struggle for the benefit of the city's residents and all the citizens of the country. "
"As we enter the third closure, it is clear to all of us that our main goal right now is to vaccinate as many civilians as possible," added Ichilov Medical Center director Prof. Ronni Gamzu.
"Through Mayor Ron Huldai, who immediately signed on with the Rabin Square vaccine center, we will continue to vaccinate thousands of people a day in the huge compound we are setting up with the municipality, all for one purpose - to finally get rid of coronavirus."
The system for scheduling appointments for the new complex is still in the works, and will be published later.
When it opens, it will operate on Sundays-Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.The center is expected to vaccinate about 5,000 people a day in the first phase, and later, the number of people getting vaccinated will increase. The vaccines will be given according to the guidelines set by the Health Ministry.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Top Egypt officials visit Libya capital for first time in years

Senior Egyptian security officials visited the Libyan capital Tripoli for the first time in years on Sunday and held talks @ @ @ @ @ recognized Government of National Accord ( GNA ) , the Libyan interior ministry said .
@ @ @ @ @ for senior Egyptian officials to Tripoli since 2014 when the country entered a civil war @ @ @ @ @ in the capital , and the eastern-based Libyan National Army ( LNA ) , led @ @ @ @ @ 's government is backed by Turkey while LNA is backed by Russia , the United @ @ @ @ @ Libya descended into chaos after the NATO-backed overthrow of leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 , @ @ @ @ @ instability in its neighbor and Turkey ’ s support for Tripoli forces .
GNA Interior @ @ @ @ @ of the Intelligence Service Emad Trabelsi discussed `` ways to support the ceasefire agreement and @ @ @ @ @ 5+5 committee '' with the Egyptian delegation , the Libyan interior ministry said in a @ @

Senior Egyptian security officials visited the Libyan capital Tripoli for the first time in years on Sunday and held talks with officials from the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), the Libyan interior ministry said.
The visit was the first for senior Egyptian officials to Tripoli since 2014 when the country entered a civil war between the GNA, based in the capital, and the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Khalia Haftar.
Tripoli's government is backed by Turkey while LNA is backed by Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
Libya descended into chaos after the NATO-backed overthrow of leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, and Egypt is concerned about instability in its neighbor and Turkey’s support for Tripoli forces.
GNA Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha and Head of the Intelligence Service Emad Trabelsi discussed "ways to support the ceasefire agreement and discuss the outputs of the 5+5 committee" with the Egyptian delegation, the Libyan interior ministry said in a statement.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Italy reports 298 coronavirus deaths on Sunday - health ministry

Italy reported 298 coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday up from 261 the day before , the health ministry said .
The @ @ @ @ @ was 8,913 down from 10,407 the day before , taking the total number of cases @ @ @ @ @ to 2,047,696 .
Italy on Thursday became the eighth country in the world to exceed @ @ @ @ @ .
The number of swab tests carried out in the past day was 59,879 , @ @ @ @ @ day , the health ministry said .
Italy has reported 71,925 deaths since its outbreak @ @ @ @ @ 21 , the highest toll in Europe and the fifth highest in the world .
@ @ @ @ @ stood at 23,571 , up 259 from the day before .
The number of intensive @ @ @ @ @ 2,580 .
When Italy 's second wave of the epidemic was accelerating fast in the @ @ @ @ @ hospital admissions were rising by about 1,000 per day , while intensive care occupancy was @ @ @ @ @ day .

Italy reported 298 coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday up from 261 the day before, the health ministry said.
The daily tally of new infections was 8,913 down from 10,407 the day before, taking the total number of cases since Italy's epidemic began to 2,047,696.
Italy on Thursday became the eighth country in the world to exceed 2 million officially recorded cases.
The number of swab tests carried out in the past day was 59,879, down from 81,285 the previous day, the health ministry said.
Italy has reported 71,925 deaths since its outbreak came to light on Feb. 21, the highest toll in Europe and the fifth highest in the world.
Patients in hospital with COVID-19 stood at 23,571, up 259 from the day before. The number of intensive care patients was stable at 2,580.
When Italy's second wave of the epidemic was accelerating fast in the first half of November, hospital admissions were rising by about 1,000 per day, while intensive care occupancy was increasing by about 100 per day.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Turkey's coronavirus death toll rises by 254 - ministry

Turkey 's coronavirus death toll rose by 254 in the last 24 hours , Health Ministry data showed on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ 19,878 .
The number of new cases fell for a third consecutive day to 14,205 @ @ @ @ @ the beginning of the pandemic to 2,147,578 .
Ankara has imposed full weekend lockdowns and @ @ @ @ @ .
Turks will also be on lockdown from 9 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 5 @ @ @ @ @ part of the measures .

Turkey's coronavirus death toll rose by 254 in the last 24 hours, Health Ministry data showed on Sunday, bringing total deaths to 19,878.
The number of new cases fell for a third consecutive day to 14,205, bringing total cases since the beginning of the pandemic to 2,147,578.
Ankara has imposed full weekend lockdowns and weekday curfews to curb infections. Turks will also be on lockdown from 9 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 5 a.m. on Jan. 4 as part of the measures.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--521 people serving in the IDF have been diagnosed with coronavirus

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The IDF will start vaccinating its soldiers and officers on Monday. In the first week of the operation, some 6,000 soldiers and officers are set to receive the vaccine.IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Hidai Zilberman said on Sunday that according to the military’s prioritizing system, the two first groups to receive the vaccines will be IDF health and medical officials, and soldiers with preexisting health problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.This week, the IDF will open up six health centers where soldiers can come and receive the vaccines: Palmahim base for the IAF, Betzet base for the Navy, Gliliot base for the intelligence units and three regional Medical Corps bases in the North, Center and South.Zilberman said that the IDF has received some 50,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine from the Health Ministry, which is enough to vaccinate some 25,000 military personnel.He added that next week, the military is planning to set up another 11 vaccination centers and to raise the weekly number of vaccinations to 12,000-17,000.After these groups, the IDF will carry out vaccinations among senior high command officers, then special combat units, and then the rest of the army.Zilberman said that the rationale behind this plan is to maintain the continuity of the IDF’s operational ability and to keep the soldiers safe and healthy.The division that is spearheading this operation is the IDF’s Technological and Logistics Directorate, which is overseen by Deputy Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.Zilberman stressed that the army will store, transport and use the vaccines according to Health Ministry regulations.Regarding getting soldiers to take the vaccine, Zilberman said that starting today, the IDF is launching a campaign to encourage them to do so.“Our goal in this campaign,” he said, “is to make sure they understand that this vaccine saves lives and it is safe. We will do so in multiple platforms to deliver this information, so we will get a high vaccination rate.”Zilberman added that so far, according to estimations coming from commanders in the field, there is a high rate of those who wish to get the vaccine among the IDF ranks.He also added that the military has no requirement to force soldiers who refuse to get vaccinated.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Rambam Hospital opens vaccinations to general public over 60

On Monday morning , Rambam Hospital in Haifa will join the ranks of medical institutions and services that are mobilized to vaccinate the general population against coronavirus .
At 7:30 a.m. , Rambam 's vaccination system will open to the general population – only over the age of 60 at this stage .
Every citizen who meets the eligibility definitions in terms of age ( insured by all HMOs free of charge ) is invited to sign up for a vaccination appointment here Those who arrive without an appointment set up in the online system will not be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 5,000 people have been vaccinated at Rambam .
The vaccine is given in two doses .
Those who are vaccinated at Rambam are to return to the hospital 21 days after receiving the first vaccine in order to receive the second dose .
The vaccine has a 95 % success rate .
Rambam also offers those who come to get vaccinated a photo at the end of the vaccination in order to later issue a card with a photo confirming that the cardholder is vaccinated as required .
The IDF will also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , with some 6,000 soldiers and officers set to receive the vaccine .
Meanwhile , the Teachers Union declared a labor dispute on Sunday afternoon and demanded that all teaching staff be vaccinated immediately .
The IDF will also be initiating vaccinations among its ranks on Monday , with some 6,000 soldiers and officers set to receive the vaccine.Meanwhile , the Teachers Union declared a labor dispute on Sunday afternoon and demanded that all teaching staff be vaccinated immediately .

On Monday morning, Rambam Hospital in Haifa will join the ranks of medical institutions and services that are mobilized to vaccinate the general population against coronavirus.
At 7:30 a.m., Rambam's vaccination system will open to the general population – only over the age of 60 at this stage. Every citizen who meets the eligibility definitions in terms of age (insured by all HMOs free of charge) is invited to sign up for a vaccination appointment here
Those who arrive without an appointment set up in the online system will not be able to get vaccinated.
So far, more than 5,000 people have been vaccinated at Rambam. The vaccine is given in two doses. Those who are vaccinated at Rambam are to return to the hospital 21 days after receiving the first vaccine in order to receive the second dose. The vaccine has a 95% success rate.
Rambam also offers those who come to get vaccinated a photo at the end of the vaccination in order to later issue a card with a photo confirming that the cardholder is vaccinated as required.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Israel first place in the world in vaccine distribution

Israel is once more first place around the world in vaccine distribution, according to the tracker by Our World in Data.Health Minister Yuli Edelstein (Likud) celebrated the accomplishment in a statement targeting unity government partner Blue and White, saying, "While Blue and White practices populism and irresponsibility at the expense of public health, we're working hard and have led Israel to the first place in the world in the world regarding vaccine distribution and concern for public health."


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Hundreds of Syrians flee Lebanon camp as tents torched

Hundreds of Syrian refugees fled their makeshift camp in north Lebanon after their tents were torched when fighting broke out @ @ @ @ @ residents , aid officials said on Sunday .
At least three were injured in the @ @ @ @ @ Miniyeh region near the coastal city of Tripoli , which was followed by angry youths @ @ @ @ @ , Lebanon 's state-owned National News Agency said .
Lebanon has over one million Syrian @ @ @ @ @ beginning of the conflict in 2011 and but many Syrians have long been migrant workers @ @ @ @ @ cheap labour for the construction and agriculture sectors .
Khaled Kabarra , a U.N. refugee @ @ @ @ @ , said the nearly four hundred residents who fled went to other enclosed encampments or @ @ @ @ @ schools and hotels .
The country has seen a rise in tensions between refugees and @ @ @ @ @ that humanitarian workers and politicians says are fueled by both racism and anger by Lebanese @ @ @ @ @ who blame refugees for taking their jobs .

Hundreds of Syrian refugees fled their makeshift camp in north Lebanon after their tents were torched when fighting broke out between local youths and camp residents, aid officials said on Sunday.
At least three were injured in the incident on Dec.26 in the Miniyeh region near the coastal city of Tripoli, which was followed by angry youths setting the campsite on fire, Lebanon's state-owned National News Agency said.
Lebanon has over one million Syrian refugees who fled since the beginning of the conflict in 2011 and but many Syrians have long been migrant workers and a main source of cheap labour for the construction and agriculture sectors.
Khaled Kabarra, a U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) spokesman, said the nearly four hundred residents who fled went to other enclosed encampments or found temporary shelter in vacant schools and hotels.
The country has seen a rise in tensions between refugees and residents in the last years that humanitarian workers and politicians says are fueled by both racism and anger by Lebanese hit by a financial crisis who blame refugees for taking their jobs.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Coronavirus in the IDF: 521 soldiers diagnosed with the virus

521 positive cases of the COVID were reported in the IDF on Sunday.The 521 are in mild condition. These cases include current draftees, permanent workers, and IDF staff. There are 5,636 IDF members in quarantine, by Sunday’s count.The Home Front Command reported on Sunday that it is currently operating 20 corona hotels - 17 for isolations and 3 for patients with the virus.In these hotels, there are 797 patients, and 2,855 people in quarantine.


jerusalempost--2020-12-27--Yesh Atid Party calls to appoint MK Elazar Stern as state audit chair

Yesh Atid called on Sunday to appoint MK Elazar Stern as chairman of the State Audit Committee, replacing MK Ofer Shelach, who resigned from the Knesset earlier that day.


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Israel’s 2021 budget tied to population growth, increased by NIS 4.5b.

The Finance Ministry and the Knesset Finance Committee agreed that the 2021 budget , seeing as one has yet to @ @ @ @ @ based on the previous one with NIS 4.5b .
added to match population growth .
@ @ @ @ @ , will be NIS 419b .
with NIS 72 b. will be earmarked to face @ @ @ @ @ Head MK Moshe Gafni argued that “ people are losing their jobs and are hungry @ @ @ @ @ we are headed to further elections without a budget as if we were a third @ @ @ @ @ Israel Katz lauded what he called “ coming together to serve the Israeli interest .
@

The Finance Ministry and the Knesset Finance Committee agreed that the 2021 budget, seeing as one has yet to be approved, will be based on the previous one with NIS 4.5b. added to match population growth.
The budget, when passed, will be NIS 419b. with NIS 72 b. will be earmarked to face the COVID-19 pandemic.
Committee Head MK Moshe Gafni argued that “people are losing their jobs and are hungry for bread [while] we are headed to further elections without a budget as if we were a third world country.”
Finance Minister Israel Katz lauded what he called “coming together to serve the Israeli interest.”


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Yisrael Beytenu in new karate, yoga themed election video

Yisrael Beytenu released an election video presenting the party 's values and history in one minute on Monday .
The brief presentation is filled with visual gags such as presenting the audience with a karate kick when the party claims to “ fight ” and yoga when it confesses to be “ unbending.
” Party leader Avigdor Liberman is famous for objecting to the current policy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow humanitarian funds to be delivered to the Gaza Strip from Qatar - a policy Liberman regards as appeasing Hamas , which continues to fire rockets at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a suitcase full of US dollars can be seen when the party claims to “ not be so much into making Hamas happy.
” Party leader Avigdor Liberman is famous for objecting to the current policy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow humanitarian funds to be delivered to the Gaza Strip from Qatar - a policy Liberman regards as appeasing Hamas , which continues to fire rockets at the south of the country .
Israel is expected to hold elections in March .
Perhaps as a nod to dog lovers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the party promises “ not to change course ” and stick to its values.Israel is expected to hold elections in March .

Yisrael Beytenu released an election video presenting the party's values and history in one minute on Monday.
The brief presentation is filled with visual gags such as presenting the audience with a karate kick when the party claims to “fight” and yoga when it confesses to be “unbending.”
A visual of a suitcase full of US dollars can be seen when the party claims to “not be so much into making Hamas happy.”
Party leader Avigdor Liberman is famous for objecting to the current policy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow humanitarian funds to be delivered to the Gaza Strip from Qatar - a policy Liberman regards as appeasing Hamas, which continues to fire rockets at the south of the country.
Perhaps as a nod to dog lovers, a dog is presented running around poles as the party promises “not to change course” and stick to its values.
Israel is expected to hold elections in March.


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Coronavirus lockdown restrictions approved by one vote in Knesset

It was decided that restaurants could sell takeaway food in a week if the rate of morbidity falls .

It was decided that restaurants could sell takeaway food in a week if the rate of morbidity falls.
The Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee approved the restrictions of the lockdown that began Sunday, by a majority of eight to seven. The Yamina party, which voted against the approval of the regulations, said: "This government is opaque, we had to vote against the closure regulations. Throughout the morning we did everything to reach understandings and allow closure with sensitivity to restaurateurs and teaching staff.”


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--First case of community spread of UK coronavirus mutation found in Israel

The mutation is up to 70 % more infectious than the older strain of the coronavirus , according to health @ @

The mutation is up to 70% more infectious than the older strain of the coronavirus, according to health officials.
The first case of community spread of the coronavirus mutation reported in the United Kingdom was found in Israel, according to Channel 13. So far, six cases of the mutation have been reported in Israel.


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--IDF starts a reserve recruiting drill

IDF starts a reserve recruiting drill

The IDF launched early Monday morning a reserve recruiting drill via telephone.An IDF spokesperson unit statement said that the purpose of the drill is to examine and improve the method of the army’s recruiting apparatus.It added that the drill that will end Monday evening was planned in advance and it is part of the IDF’s 2020 drills program.


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Body of crew member of capsized Iranian vessel found in Gulf

The agency quoted a local maritime official as saying that the search was continuing for the remaining six crew members @ @ @ @ @ Friday near the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf .

The body of one of seven missing crew members of a capsized Iranian transport vessel was found in the Gulf waters on Monday, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.
The agency quoted a local maritime official as saying that the search was continuing for the remaining six crew members, whose vessel capsized on Friday near the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf.
The crew members included six Iranians and one Indian.


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Azerbaijan says one serviceman killed in attack in Karabakh

Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry said on Monday that one serviceman had been killed in an attack in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.Asked about media reports on Sunday of a possible clash between ethnic Armenian and Azeri forces in the region, Armenian authorities said no such incidents had taken place.


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Ashdod deputy mayor joins Gideon Sa'ar's New Hope Party

Ashdod deputy mayor Gabi Knafo announced on Monday that he would be joining prime ministerial candidate Gideon Sa'ar's New Hope party, shortly after Eilat Mayor Meir Yitzhak HaLevi announced that he would do the same.


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Ramon Prison closed after coronavirus outbreak - report

The Ramon Prison was closed due to an outbreak of the novel coronavirus , the Palestinian Prisoner Society announced on @ @ @ @ @ media .
The Society warned of a possible large outbreak among prisoners .
Earlier this @ @ @ @ @ claimed that 81 prisoners were infected in the Gilboa Prison alone .
Hamas called the @ @ @ @ @ `` deliberate medical negligence '' in November .
Public Security Minister Amir Ohana has instructed @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 vaccines without his permission , before all Israel Prison Service ( IPS ) staff @ @ @ @ @ to a letter he wrote last week .

The Ramon Prison was closed due to an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the Palestinian Prisoner Society announced on Sunday, according to Palestinian media.
The Society warned of a possible large outbreak among prisoners. Earlier this year, the prisoner society claimed that 81 prisoners were infected in the Gilboa Prison alone. Hamas called the outbreak at the Gilboa Prison "deliberate medical negligence" in November.
Public Security Minister Amir Ohana has instructed that prisoners should not receive COVID-19 vaccines without his permission, before all Israel Prison Service (IPS) staff have been inoculated, according to a letter he wrote last week.
Khaled Abu Toameh contributed to this report.


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Coronavirus in Israel: 3,498 new infections, almost 5% of tests positive

Of those infected , 590 were in serious condition , with 144 patients on ventilators .
The death toll stood @ @ @

Of those infected, 590 were in serious condition, with 144 patients on ventilators. The death toll stood at 3,226.
Some 3,498 new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in Israel on Sunday, with 4.9% of tests returning positive, according to a Monday morning update by the Health Ministry.


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Chinese citizen journalist jailed for four years for Wuhan virus reports

She was found guilty of `` picking quarrels and provoking trouble '' for her reporting.The 37-year-old former lawyer was detained @ @ @ @ @ been on hunger strike for several months .
Her lawyers say she is in poor @ @ @ @ @ is a developing story .

She was found guilty of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" for her reporting.The 37-year-old former lawyer was detained in May, and has been on hunger strike for several months. Her lawyers say she is in poor health, the BBC reported.This is a developing story.


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Suspected murder in Lod: Man shot dead in car

A man was shot dead in a car in the city of Lod in a suspected murder, according to the police spokesperson.Police at the scene are investigating the circumstances of the incident.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Schools to continue to operate in green and yellow areas

The report comes as debates continue on schools remaining open during the ongoing third coronavirus lockdown that started on Sunday @

The report comes as debates continue on schools remaining open during the ongoing third coronavirus lockdown that started on Sunday.
Israeli schools will continue to operate in green and yellow areas according to the government's "traffic light plan," according to a joint press release from the Prime Minister's Office and Health Ministry.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--US House votes to override Trump veto of key defense bill

The US House of Representatives voted on Monday to override President Donald Trump 's veto of a $ 740 billion @ @ @ @ @ a rebuke to the president that underscored deep divisions in the Republican Party during his @ @ @ @ @ The House vote leaves the measure 's fate to the Republican-led Senate , where a @ @ @ @ @ week .
If the Senate seconds the House action , it would be the first @ @ @ @ @ presidency .

The US House of Representatives voted on Monday to override President Donald Trump's veto of a $740 billion defense policy bill, in a rebuke to the president that underscored deep divisions in the Republican Party during his final weeks in office.
The House vote leaves the measure's fate to the Republican-led Senate, where a final vote is expected this week. If the Senate seconds the House action, it would be the first veto override of Trump's presidency.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Rocket sirens heard near Gaza border communities

Rocket sirens were heard on Monday night near the Gaza border kibbutz of Kerem Shalom. No one has been injured.The IDF announced that a rocket had been launched towards Israel from Gaza but fell within the Strip.This is a developing story.


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Knesset approves Basic Law State Economy at third reading

The Knesset approved Basic Law State Economy on Monday evening , which allows the state to have an extension of @ @ @ @ @ to match population growth .
The budget is modeled after the last approved state budget @ @ @ @ @ of the current government to pass a budget is the reason the country is facing @ @ @ @ @ law approved the continuation of offering social benefits to those harmed by the COVId-19 financial @ @ @ @ @ Katz thanked the assembled MKs for showing “ unity in the service of the interest @ @ @ @ @ .
”

The Knesset approved Basic Law State Economy on Monday evening, which allows the state to have an extension of the budget for 2021 upped to match population growth.
The budget is modeled after the last approved state budget in 2019, the failure of the current government to pass a budget is the reason the country is facing elections in March.
The law approved the continuation of offering social benefits to those harmed by the COVId-19 financial crisis.
Finance Minister Israel Katz thanked the assembled MKs for showing “unity in the service of the interest of Israel’s citizens.”


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Teachers invited to Sheba Medical Center for COVID-19 vaccinations

Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan now offers teachers and educators who are 60-years-old , or older , to get @ @ @ @ @ wing , a Monday press release on behalf of the center reports .
Teachers will @ @ @ @ @ coordination with local councils as part of the national effort to make the vaccine available @ @ @ @

Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan now offers teachers and educators who are 60-years-old, or older, to get COVID-19 vaccinations at a special wing, a Monday press release on behalf of the center reports.
Teachers will be contacted by Sheba in coordination with local councils as part of the national effort to make the vaccine available to the public.


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Gantz: Cancel corona hotel quarantine with negative airport test

Gantz claims his ministry is able to oversee public health by ensuring returning Israelis are checked for COVID-19 when they arrive at Ben-Gurion Airport and are then sent to their homes for the quarantine period .
Alternate Prime Minster and Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Monday he doesn ’ t support the current corona hotel policy and that it should be changed.Gantz claims his ministry is able to oversee public health by ensuring returning Israelis are checked for COVID-19 when they arrive at Ben-Gurion Airport and are then sent to their homes for the quarantine period .
The ministry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called ‘ Kanfai Hail ’ ( Wings of Strength ) .
Those arriving from overseas will have a ministry representative able to answer their questions in the part of the country they live in.The ministry already has such an outlay in place called ‘ Kanfai Hail ’ ( Wings of Strength ) .
The policy has caused havoc as many Israelis refused to leave the airport , escaped the hotels , and complained on social media about being “ prisoners held in jail without reasons.
” The corona hotel policy means all returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hotel for a 14-days period.The policy has caused havoc as many Israelis refused to leave the airport , escaped the hotels , and complained on social media about being “ prisoners held in jail without reasons .
”

Gantz claims his ministry is able to oversee public health by ensuring returning Israelis are checked for COVID-19 when they arrive at Ben-Gurion Airport and are then sent to their homes for the quarantine period. Alternate Prime Minster and Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Monday he doesn’t support the current corona hotel policy and that it should be changed.Gantz claims his ministry is able to oversee public health by ensuring returning Israelis are checked for COVID-19 when they arrive at Ben-Gurion Airport and are then sent to their homes for the quarantine period.
The ministry already has such an outlay in place called ‘Kanfai Hail’ (Wings of Strength). Those arriving from overseas will have a ministry representative able to answer their questions in the part of the country they live in.The ministry already has such an outlay in place called ‘Kanfai Hail’ (Wings of Strength).


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Over 100,000 Israelis vaccinated against COVID-19 – Maccabi reports

Roughly 25,000 Israelis are expected to get the COVID-19 vaccination thanks to the Maccabi Health Fund by the end of @ @ @ @ @ service reported on Monday .

Roughly 25,000 Israelis are expected to get the COVID-19 vaccination thanks to the Maccabi Health Fund by the end of the day, the health service reported on Monday.
This brings the number of Israelis vaccinated against the novel coronavirus so far to 100,000.
More than 240,000 Maccabi clients have already made arrangements to be vaccinated.


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Coronavirus hotels policy to be reexamined, Health Ministry officials say

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The director-general of the Health Ministry, Prof. Chezy Levy, said Monday that there was no more room to run quarantine hotels for people returning from abroad. Coronavirus commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash echoed this sentiment, saying this policy would be reexamined.Deputy Health Minister MK Yoav Kisch said on Monday that in light of the fact that the vaccine is effective when there is a fear of infection from the mutation it would be correct to move to home isolation and stop the quarantine in hotels. Ynet reported that in practice, only 46% of those returning from abroad actually enter the hotels, the rest have been asking for and were granted exceptions from the policy.


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Odeh: Thousands of IDF weapons ‘leak’ to civilian hands, IDF could end it

Joint List leader Ayman Odeh said on Monday he ’ ll appeal to the High Court of Justice against Defense @ @ @ @ @ Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi over “ the way in which thousands of IDF guns @ @ @ @ @ Odeh claimed the figure is 400,000 and that “ these guns kill.
” “ If @ @ @ @ @ stop this ongoing crime it can do everything , ” he claimed , suggesting a @ @ @ @ @ action is taken .

Joint List leader Ayman Odeh said on Monday he’ll appeal to the High Court of Justice against Defense Minister Benny Gantz and IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi over “the way in which thousands of IDF guns leak into civilian hands.”
Odeh claimed the figure is 400,000 and that “these guns kill.”
“If the army really wanted to stop this ongoing crime it can do everything,” he claimed, suggesting a committee is created and immediate action is taken.


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--Netanyahu: Israel Number 1 in COVID-19 vaccines, ‘first to exit corona’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his pride on Monday and shared a graph depicting Israel as being the number one @ @ @ @ @ offering citizens COVID-19 vaccines .
“ Together we will be the first to exit corona @ @ @ @ @ open our economy , ” Netanyahu said .
Users slammed the long-serving Israeli leader by @ @ @ @ @ one million unemployed ” people in the country .
One user cynically wrote , “ @ @ @ @ @ s lead the world in sending migrant workers home .
”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his pride on Monday and shared a graph depicting Israel as being the number one nation in the world in offering citizens COVID-19 vaccines.
“Together we will be the first to exit corona, return to life and open our economy,” Netanyahu said.
Users slammed the long-serving Israeli leader by pointing out there are “one million unemployed” people in the country. One user cynically wrote, “fantastic, now let’s lead the world in sending migrant workers home.”


jerusalempost--2020-12-28--IDF Coronavirus: 486 soldiers are currently diagnosed with the virus

Some 486 positive cases of the COVID were reported in the IDF on Monday.The 486 are in mild condition. These cases include current draftees, permanent workers, and IDF staff. There are 6,343 IDF members in quarantine, by Monday’s count.The Home Front Command reported on Monday that it is currently operating 20 corona hotels - 17 for quarantine purposes and 3 for patients with the virus.In these hotels, there are 489 patients, and 3,932 people in quarantine.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Edelstein orders Health Ministry to abolish coronavirus hotels

Israelis returning from abroad should no longer need to quarantine in coronavirus hotels, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said Tuesday, instructing senior Health Ministry officials to close them as soon as possible."Every returnee from abroad who is allowed to enter the country should do an immediate check-up and go out for home isolation for two weeks or ten days if he does another check-up on the ninth day," Edelstein said.This is a developing story.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Germany's GNA Biosolutions offers new quick coronavirus test

GNA Biosolutions said its test is based on a new class of the polymerase chain reaction ( PCR ) technology @ @ @ @ @ global standard of reliable testing .
Its so-called pulse controlled amplification ( PCA ) technology @ @ @ @ @ % accurate results .
The new test has already had test runs at Munich Airport @ @ @ @ @ was checking the test results in a pilot study which should be completed in February @ @ @ @ @ said at a news conference .
Unlike the widely-used PCR tests , which have to @ @ @ @ @ usually take about a day before results are delivered , GNA Biosolutions ' test comes @ @ @ @ @ provides results for up to eight tests within 45 minutes , the company said .
@ @ @ @ @ unique , simple , and effective way to enable rapid molecular testing in decentralized laboratories @ @ @ @ @ He aims for an EU-wide approval of the test by March .
The company said @ @ @ @ @ and enough supplies to be able to produce more than 500,000 tests .

Biotech firm GNA Biosolutions said on Tuesday it has received emergency use approval from German's health authority for its quick COVID-19 test that it says is as reliable as widely-used PCR tests but delivers results almost as quickly as an antigen one.
GNA Biosolutions said its test is based on a new class of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, which has become the global standard of reliable testing. Its so-called pulse controlled amplification(PCA) technology had proved to deliver 96.7% accurate results.
The new test has already had test runs at Munich Airport. The German health authority was checking the test results in a pilot study which should be completed in February, Chief Executive Federico Buersgens said at a news conference.
Unlike the widely-used PCR tests, which have to be analyzed in laboratories and usually take about a day before results are delivered, GNA Biosolutions' test comes with a portable analyzer and provides results for up to eight tests within 45 minutes, the company said.
"Our technology provides a unique, simple, and effective way to enable rapid molecular testing in decentralized laboratories," said Buersgens. He aims for an EU-wide approval of the test by March.
The company said it has secured manufacturing partners and enough supplies to be able to produce more than 500,000 tests.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Pierre Cardin, father of fashion branding, dies at 98

French couturier Pierre Cardin, who made his name by selling designer clothes to the masses, and his fortune by being the first to exploit that name as a brand for selling everything from cars to perfume, died on Tuesday aged 98.In a career spanning more than 60 years, Cardin drew scorn and admiration from fellow fashion designers for his brash business sense. He maintained that he built his business empire without ever asking a bank for a loan.Cardin was the first designer to sell clothes collections in department stores in the late 1950s, and the first to enter the licensing business for perfumes, accessories and even food - now a major profit driver for many fashion houses."It's all the same to me whether I am doing sleeves for dresses or table legs," a telling quote on his website once read.Hard as it may be to imagine decades later, Armani chocolates, Bulgari hotels and Gucci sunglasses are all based on Cardin's realization that a fashion brand's glamour had endless merchandising potential.Over the years his name has been stamped on razor blades, household goods, and tacky accessories - even cheap boxer shorts.He once said it would not bother him to have his initials, PC, etched into rolls of toilet paper, and he was also the inspiration for a phallus-like perfume flask.His detractors accused him of destroying the value of his brand and the notion of luxury in general. But he seemed largely unaffected by criticism."I had a sense for marketing my name," Cardin told Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper in 2007. "Does money spoil one's ideas? I don't dream of money after all, but while I'm dreaming, I'm making money. It's never been about the money."Born near Venice on July 2, 1922, to French parents of Italian descent, Cardin was educated in the not-so-glamorous French city of Saint Etienne.He went to work for a tailor in nearby Vichy at age 17 and dreamt for a time of becoming an actor, doing some work on the stage as well as modeling and dancing professionally.THEATRICAL MASKSWhen he came to Paris in 1945, he made theatrical masks and costumes for Jean Cocteau's film, "Beauty and the Beast," and a year later joined the then-unknown Christian Dior.His first big commercial venture, when he teamed up with the Printemps department store in the late 1950s, led to him being briefly expelled from the rarified guild of French fashion designers, the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture.Couturiers in that club were forbidden at that time to show outside their Paris salons, let alone in department stores.He also blazed a trail outside France long before other fashion multinationals in search of new markets.He presented a collection in Communist China in 1979 when it was still largely closed to the outside world. And just two years after the Berlin Wall came down, in 1991, a Cardin fashion show on Moscow's Red Square attracted a crowd of 200,000.Cardin also expanded into new businesses, buying fabled Paris restaurant Maxim's in the 1980s and opening replica outlets around the world. He leveraged the investment further by launching Minim's, a chain of fancy fast-food joints that reproduced the Belle Epoque decor of the original exclusive Paris eatery.His empire embraces perfumes, foods, industrial design, real estate, entertainment and even fresh flowers.True to his taste for futuristic designs, Cardin also owns the Palais des Bulles, or Bubble Palace, a residence-cum-events-venue woven into the cliffs on one of the most exclusive strips of the French riviera.Not too far away, there is also a chateau in the village of Lacoste that once belonged to the Marquis de Sade.For his latest venture in February this year he teamed up with a designer seven decades his junior.Pierre Courtial, 27, unveiled a collection at Cardin's studio on Paris's chic Rue Saint-Honore, with pieces that echoed some of the veteran designer's geometrical esthetics.Cardin said he still rated originality above anything else."I've always tried to be different, to be myself," Cardin told Reuters. "Whether people like it or not, that's not what matters."


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Coronavirus commissioner: Lockdown could be shortened

`` It could be that the vaccines will affect things so that there will be more infected people , but @ @ @ @ @ , '' said Ash .

"It could be that the vaccines will affect things so that there will be more infected people, but less patients in serious condition," said Ash.
The coronavirus lockdown may be shortened depending on the effects of the vaccination campaign, coronavirus commissioner Nahman Ash told KAN Reshet Bet radio on Tuesday.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Michal Cotler-Wunsh announces she won't be running with Blue and White

`` I will not run with Blue and White in the upcoming elections , '' wrote Cotler-Wunsh .
`` Alongside @ @ @ @ @ and responsibility that must be realized .
We must challenge and change paradigms . ''

Blue and White MK Michal Cotler-Wunsh announced in a tweet on Tuesday that she would not be running with the party in the upcoming elections in March.
I will not run with Blue & White in the upcoming elections.Alongside the financial-health-societal challenges are opportunities & responsibility that must be realized. We must challenge & change paradigms. pic.twitter.com/U3Cm5uftEj — מיכל קוטלר-וונש | Michal Cotler-Wunsh (@CotlerWunsh) December 29, 2020
"I will not run with Blue and White in the upcoming elections," wrote Cotler-Wunsh. "Alongside the financial-health-societal challenges are opportunities and responsibility that must be realized. We must challenge and change paradigms."


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Unmanned IDF aircraft crashes in northern Israel

An unmanned aircraft crashed due to a technical issue in an open field near Nahalal in northern Israel on Tuesday, according to the IDF Spokespersons Unit. The aircraft was collected by IDF soldiers.There is no concern of information having leaked and no damage was caused to the aircraft. No injuries were reported in the incident.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Education Minister: Teachers will receive COVID vaccines next week

Despite opposition from some Health Ministry officials, Education Minister Yoav Galant announced on Twitter on Tuesday that teaching staff would receive the coronavirus vaccine starting next week.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Shipment of 800,000 coronavirus vaccines arrives in Israel

A shipment of 800,000 coronavirus vaccines arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport on Tuesday morning, according to Channel 12. More shipments are expected throughout the week.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Driver who killed 8-year-old on Yom Kippur sentenced to 9 years in prison

Amir Abu Laban , a 21-year-old resident of Ramla , was indicted in January for second-degree murder , obstruction of @ @ @ @ @ a crime , drug trafficking and drug possession .
According to the indictment , Amir @ @ @ @ @ resident of Ramla , drove to the Tel Aviv area to sell drugs to several @ @ @ @ @ Itay Margie as he was riding his bicycle , a popular Yom Kippur activity among @ @ @

Amir Abu Laban, a 21-year-old resident of Ramla, was indicted in January for second-degree murder, obstruction of justice, conspiracy to commit a crime, drug trafficking and drug possession.
According to the indictment, Amir Abu Laban, a 21-year-old resident of Ramla, drove to the Tel Aviv area to sell drugs to several clients. He ran over Itay Margie as he was riding his bicycle, a popular Yom Kippur activity among secular Israelis.
A man who ran over and killed an eight-year-old child in Tel Aviv on Yom Kippur in 2019 was sentenced to nine years in prison on Tuesday.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--El Al puts dozens of pilots and attendants on unpaid leave

The company announced last week that it had decided to extend the unpaid leave of 4,780 employees until January 31 @ @ @ @ @ Services .

The company announced last week that it had decided to extend the unpaid leave of 4,780 employees until January 31, according to International Air Services.
El Al notified dozens of pilots and flight attendants that they would return to unpaid leave on Tuesday, a week after Israel announced strict quarantine regulations and closed the country to foreigners amid concerns from the new strain of the coronavirus reported in the UK, according to Israeli media.


jerusalempost--2020-12-30--North Korea: Congress will convene for the first time since 2016

The North Korean congress is expected to convene in January for the first time since 2016, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported."North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un will lead the meeting, which will deal with economic and political goals," KCNA reported.The eighth congressional session in total comes against the backdrop of the transfer of the presidency in the US, which Pyongyang has not yet addressed, Ynet reported. At the last meeting about five years ago, Kim announced that he would not use nuclear weapons unless state sovereignty was violated by others, according to Ynet.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--First known US case of infectious coronavirus variant found in Colorado

Colorado has discovered a case of a highly infectious coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom, Colorado Governor Jared Polis said on Tuesday, the first known case in the United States."Today we discovered Colorado’s first case of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, the same variant discovered in the UK," Polis said on Twitter.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--GPS glitches overwhelm phones in Tehran

GPS glitches overwhelm phones in Tehran

Iran confirmed that there have been GPS glitches recently in Tehran. Social media users have reported that the location displayed on their phone is significantly far from where they are actually located.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--88-year-old with preexisting conditions dies after coronavirus vaccine

An 88-year-old man died on Tuesday night after being vaccinated against the coronavirus Tuesday afternoon, Channel 12 reported. The man suffered from extensive and complex preexisting conditions.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Israel offers immediate assistance to Croatia after quake caused great damage

The Foreign Ministry , in coordination with the home front command , has offered immediate assistance to Croatia ( 2/2 @

Director-General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Alon Ushpiz tweeted on Tuesday evening that Israel has offered immediate assistance to Croatia that was shaken by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake earlier in the day, killing seven and injuring many others, and shook several neighboring countries, officials and residents said.
The Foreign Ministry, in coordination with the home front command, has offered immediate assistance to Croatia (2/2) — Alon Ushpiz (@AlonUshpiz) December 29, 2020
Rescuers pulled people from the rubble of collapsed buildings in the town of Petrinja and army troops were sent to the area to help.Tremors were also felt in Croatia's capital Zagreb and as far away as Austria's capital Vienna. Slovenia shut its only nuclear power plant as a precaution.It was the second quake to strike the area in two days.The GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences said it hit at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), with the epicenter in Petrinja, 50 km south of Zagreb.The mayor of the nearby town of Glina said four people had been killed there, Croatian state TV reported. In Petrinja, a 12-year-old child was killed, N1 news channel quoted a town official as saying.Tomislav Fabijanic, head of emergency medical services in Sisak, said many people had been injured in Petrinja and in Sisak."There are fractures, there are concussions and some had to be operated on," he said.Prime Minister Adrej Plenkovic, who rushed to Petrinja, said: "We have information that one girl was killed."The army is here to help. We will have to move some people from Petrinja because it is unsafe to be here," Plenkovic said.The head of the hospital in Sisak said later it was treating 20 people, two with severe injuries.N1 showed footage of rescuers in Petrinja pulling a man and a child from the debris. Both were alive.Other footage showed a house with its roof caved in. The reporter said she did not know if anyone was inside.N1 also said a kindergarten was destroyed in the quake but there had been no children in it. The situation was "difficult" in retirement homes in the Petrinja area, it added.Piles of stone, bricks and tiles littered Petrinja's streets in the aftermath of the quake, and cars parked in the road were also smashed by falling debris.A worker who had been fixing a roof in a village outside Petrinja told N1 that the quake threw him to the ground. Nine of the 10 houses in the village were destroyed, he said.Croatia international soccer player Dejan Lovren made his hotel in the Adriatic town of Novalja available for the 16 most affected families from Petrinja, he said on Instagram.WRAPPED IN BLANKETSThe quake was also felt in Zagreb, where people rushed onto the streets, some of which were strewn with broken roof tiles and other debris.Patients and medical staff were evacuated from Zagreb's Sveti Duh Hospital, many left sitting in chairs in the street wrapped in blankets.In Austria's second city Graz, about 200 km (130 miles) north of Petrinja, tall buildings wobbled for about two minutes, according to broadcaster ORF. In Carinthia province, about 300 km to the northwest of Petriinja, the earth trembled for several minutes and people described how their furniture, Christmas trees and lamps wobbled.In Slovenia, the STA news agency said the country's sole nuclear power plant, which is 100 km (60 miles) from the epicenter, was shut down as a precaution.Croatia's state news agency Hina said in total the quake was felt in 12 countries.Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said Croatia was expecting help from the European Union as it had activated its mergency situation mechanism.On Monday a magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit central Croatia, also near Petrinja. In March, an earthquake of magnitude 5.3 hit Zagreb causing one death and injuring 27 people.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Russia opens new criminal case against Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny

Russian state investigators said on Tuesday they had opened a new criminal case against Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, accusing him of fraudulently spending public donations to organizations he controls on his personal needs.The move is likely to be seen as the latest sign that the Kremlin does not want Navalny, who is convalescing in Germany, to return to Russia after what Berlin and other Western nations say was an attempt in August to murder him with a nerve agent.Navalny is one of President Vladimir Putin's leading critics and the Kremlin has said he is free to return home just like any other Russian citizen, something he has said he plans to do.It has said it has seen no evidence he was poisoned however and has denied any involvement in the August incident which saw him collapse on a plane before being airlifted to Germany.Russia's Investigative Committee, which looks into serious crimes, late on Tuesday accused Navalny and unnamed individuals of large-scale fraud, saying he and others had spent 356 million roubles ($4.81 million) donated to organizations he controls on their personal needs.That, it said in a statement, included purchasing goods and services and covering personal expenses such as overseas trips.Navalny responded to the case on Twitter, saying it was fabricated and looked like a hysterical action ordered by Putin.He said he had predicted that the authorities would seek to jail him after failing to kill him.The Kremlin earlier on Tuesday declined to comment on other potential legal action against Navalny.Putin has said that media reports that Russian state security agents poisoned Navalny were part of a U.S.-backed plot to try to discredit him. He said Navalny was not important enough to be a target.Russia’s prison service on Monday gave Navalny another potential legal headache in the form of a last minute ultimatum: Fly back from Germany at once and report early on Tuesday morning, or be jailed if you return after that deadline.Navalny was unable to return in time.The prison service said a suspended sentence in an earlier and separate theft case Navalny says was politically-motivated could be changed to a real jail term.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--US Senate to address Trump's request on stimulus checks - McConnell

US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday said senators this week will address President Donald Trump's request that $2,000 stimulus checks be sent to Americans struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.McConnell, the top Republican in the US Senate, said senators will also address Trump's requests regarding social media company protections and the president's allegations of widespread election fraud, which have so far been unsubstantiated.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Sheffi Paz, 2 others indicted for breaking into asylum seeker kindergarten

Sheffi Paz and two other were indicted after allegedly breaking into a kindergarten in south Tel Aviv and destroying property @ @ @ @ @ , earlier in December .
Paz is a member of the `` South Tel Aviv @ @ @ @ @ for its objection to illegal immigration from Africa to Israel and to the concentration of @ @ @ @ @ Aviv neighborhoods .

Sheffi Paz and two other were indicted after allegedly breaking into a kindergarten in south Tel Aviv and destroying property while the children were present, earlier in December.
Paz is a member of the "South Tel Aviv Liberation Front," known for its objection to illegal immigration from Africa to Israel and to the concentration of those migrants in south Tel Aviv neighborhoods.
An indictment was issued against three activists against asylum seekers for criminal trespassing and other charges, Walla News reported Tuesday.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--American Airlines restarts US commercial Boeing 737 MAX flights

Boeing's 737 MAX resumed passenger flights in the United States for the first time on Tuesday after a 20-month safety ban was lifted last month.American Airlines Flight 718 departed Miami around 10:40 a.m., bound for New York's LaGuardia and is scheduled to land soon after 1 p.m.American and planemaker Boeing have sought to reassure the public over the plane's safety after it was cleared by US regulators in November to resume flights.The flight was observed by two media helicopters to the airport's north. It headed north into broken clouds.A Reuters/IPSOS poll shows that more than half of passengers are wary of taking the jet when reminded of two fatal crashes that led to the grounding."This aircraft is ready to go," American President Robert Isom said at a media briefing in Miami before the flight. The airline is confident in the safety of the 737 MAX, he added.The MAX was grounded in March 2019 for 20 months after two fatal crashes in five months killed 346 people. The grounding was lifted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last month after Boeing agreed to software upgrades and new safeguards on a key flight control system linked to both fatal crashes.American's first flight between Miami and LaGuardia follows flight control updates, maintenance work, fresh pilot training and town hall meetings with flight crews to walk them through Boeing's changes and address concerns.American is the third carrier globally to resume flights following Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes and Grupo Aeromexico earlier this month. Between those two airlines, the updated 737 MAX has flown about 250 commercial flights, according to Cirium, the aviation data firm.American Airlines currently has 31 737 MAX aircraft after taking delivery of seven more jets since the FAA lifted its safety ban, including one on Monday and plans to gradually reintroduces the plane to its fleet.A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released Monday found that Americans are less familiar with the two fatal 737 MAX crashes, but if made aware of those disasters, more than half say they would probably avoid the aircraft.The MAX's return comes at a time when COVID-19 has thrust the industry into its worst crisis, with airlines parking hundreds of jets as demand hovers around 30% of 2019 levels.When the 737 MAX was grounded, US airlines canceled flights because they lacked aircraft to meet demand, adding to Boeing's financial liability.Now airlines are deferring jet deliveries and do not expect a robust rebound until COVID-19 vaccines are widely available.Relatives of 737 MAX crash victims oppose its return."I call on anyone looking to book a flight in the future to understand when they buy their ticket what type of airplane will be used so they can make an informed decision for themselves and their loved ones," said Yalena Lopez-Lewis, whose husband Antoine Lewis died on the Ethiopian Airlines crash.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--Iran to resume gas flows to Iraq after agreement reached on unpaid bills

Iran will resume normal gas flows to Iraq from Wednesday after reaching an agreement with Iraq over unpaid bills, a spokesman for Iraq's electricity ministry said.Iran’s state gas company said on Monday it had slashed supplies to neighbouring Iraq over arrears of more than $6 billion. Iraq's electricity ministry said the cuts placed Baghdad and other cities at risk of serious power shortages.An agreement was reached on Tuesday during a meeting between Iran’s Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian, who is visiting Baghdad, and Iraqi counterpart Majid Mahdi to resume normal gas flow rates as of Wednesday evening, spokesman Ahmed Moussa told Reuters.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--UAE reports 'limited number' of cases of new coronavirus variant

The official also said that those affected had traveled from abroad , without specifying from where or the number of @ @ @

The United Arab Emirates has discovered a "limited number" of cases of people infected with the new coronavirus variant in the country, a government official said at a press conference on Tuesday.
The official also said that those affected had traveled from abroad, without specifying from where or the number of the cases.
UAE on Tuesday reported 1,506 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the overall tally of those infected with the virus in the country to 204,369.


jerusalempost--2020-12-29--MK Yael Ron Ben-Moshe swears in taking Shelah's place

MK Yael Ron Ben-Moshe was sworn in to the Knesset Tuesday night, taking the place of MK Ofer Shelah who handed in his resignation to Knesset Speaker Yarin Levin Sunday.Ron Ben-Moshe was the Blue and White director-general and will serve as a Blue and White MK.