jerusalempost--2020-12-11--Brazil COVID-19 death toll tops 180,000

Brazil COVID-19 death toll tops 180,000

Brazil reported 53,030 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours and 646 deaths from COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ on Friday .

Brazil reported 53,030 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours and 646 deaths from COVID-19, the Health Ministry said on Friday.
The South American country has now registered 6,834,829 cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 180,411, according to ministry data. Brazil has the world's second highest death toll behind the United States and the third highest case count behind the United States and India.


jerusalempost--2020-12-11--Police investigating a possible murder of a 50-year-old woman in Rehovot

The police noted that the woman was found with stab wounds on her body .
Paramedics pronounced her death on @ @ @ @ @ 's son , who was present when she was found , was taken in for @ @

The police noted that the woman was found with stab wounds on her body. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. The initial investigation indicates that the woman was attacked by her son with a box cutter after an argument broke out between them, Ynet news reported. The police noted that the woman was found with stab wounds on her body. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.The initial investigation indicates that the woman was attacked by her son with a box cutter after an argument broke out between them, Ynet news reported.
A 50-year-old woman was found dead in an apartment in Rehovot Friday night in what Israeli police suspect is a murder, according to a police spokesperson. Police arrested the woman's 21-year-old son, who was found at the scene, and opened an investigation.Police were called to the scene by neighbors who heard shouting, according to Kan News.The neighbor one floor down, who had not heard the screams, went on to say that the son told the woman from across the hall, who had called emergency services, not to call because he and his sister had pulled a prank and played audio of a woman screaming on her phone.The neighbor called the police back to tell them it was a prank, and they did not need to come, but they told her they were already en route, according to Ynet News.A woman who lives in the building said that they had not seen the woman's son in the building in years, Ynet reported."We don't know exactly what happened and are investigating," said Rehovot police station commander Chief-Sup. Dudi Meron, according to N12.There were no prior complaints or police records that would indicate that an incident like this might happen, according to Meron. The son has no record of treatment for mental health issues that the police are aware of, but he said that they will be checking this in the coming days, according to N12.Hagit Peer, chairwoman of the women's organization Na'amat, responded to the news of the suspected murder saying that "tonight, instead of lighting a Hanukkah candle, we will light a memorial candle for another woman who, according to suspicions, fell victim to the terror of domestic violence.""Despite many promises, the plan to combat domestic violence has not been implemented and has [instead] been passed on since 2017. Many women in Israel do not have the time to keep waiting; every day that passes is life threatening for them."Peer went on to call on the public to get involved when they suspect violence, saying that it may prevent similar incidents in the future.


jerusalempost--2020-12-11--Edelstein congratulates Pfizer for passing hurdle on way to FDA approval

Earlier on Friday , a panel of external advisers to the US FDA voted in favor of allowing emergency use @ @ @ @ @ `` I am pleased to hear that Pfizer 's vaccine has passed a critical phase @ @ @ @ @ This is a great message for Israeli citizens as well , '' Edelstein said in @ @ @ @ @ instructed the health ministry to review the approval and submit its recommendations in the coming @ @ @ @ @ .

Earlier on Friday, a panel of external advisers to the US FDA voted in favor of allowing emergency use of the Pfizer vaccine.
"I am pleased to hear that Pfizer's vaccine has passed a critical phase with FDA's approval. This is a great message for Israeli citizens as well," Edelstein said in a statement. "I instructed the health ministry to review the approval and submit its recommendations in the coming days," he added.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein congratulated Pfizer on Friday evening for passing yet another hurdle on its way to receiving FDA approval for its coronavirus vaccine, Haaretz reported.


jerusalempost--2020-12-11--Iran protests to Turkey over remarks by Erdogan in Azerbaijan

Iran 's Foreign Ministry summoned Turkey 's ambassador on Friday over remarks by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a visit @ @ @ @ @ said amounted to meddling in its affairs .
Erdogan recited an Azeri-Iranian poem about the @ @ @ @ @ between Russia and Iran in the 19th century .
Tehran appeared concerned his remarks could @ @ @ @ @ 's Azeri minority .
`` The Turkish ambassador was informed that the era of territorial @ @ @ @ @ over , '' the Foreign Ministry said on its website .
`` Iran does not @ @ @ @ @ its territorial integrity . ''
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted earlier : `` President @ @ @ @ @ what he ill-recited in Baku refers to the forcible separation of areas ... from ( @ @ @ @ @ '' `` NO ONE can talk about OUR beloved Azerbaijan , '' Zarif said , @ @ @ @ @ of Iran where many of its ethnic Azeris live .

Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned Turkey's ambassador on Friday over remarks by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a visit to Azerbaijan, which Tehran said amounted to meddling in its affairs.
Erdogan recited an Azeri-Iranian poem about the division of Azerbaijan's territory between Russia and Iran in the 19th century. Tehran appeared concerned his remarks could fan separatist tendencies among Iran's Azeri minority.
"The Turkish ambassador was informed that the era of territorial claims and expansionist empires is over," the Foreign Ministry said on its website. "Iran does not allow anyone to meddle in its territorial integrity."
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted earlier: "President Erdogan was not informed that what he ill-recited in Baku refers to the forcible separation of areas...from (the) Iranian motherland." "NO ONE can talk about OUR beloved Azerbaijan," Zarif said, referring to a northwest region of Iran where many of its ethnic Azeris live.


jerusalempost--2020-12-11--Reports of killings, abductions of Eritrean refugees "overwhelming" - UN

The head of the UN refugee agency said on Friday it had received an `` overwhelming '' number of reports @ @ @ @ @ , Ethiopia being killed , abducted or forcibly returned to Eritrea over the last month @ @ @ @ @ these actions would constitute a major violation of international law , '' Filippo Grandi , @ @ @ @ @ , said in a statement .

The head of the UN refugee agency said on Friday it had received an "overwhelming" number of reports of Eritrean refugees in Tigray, Ethiopia being killed, abducted or forcibly returned to Eritrea over the last month.
"If confirmed, these actions would constitute a major violation of international law," Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said in a statement.


jerusalempost--2020-12-11--Watch: Palestinian rioters stone IDF soldier at close range

The unusual incident took place in the Al-Mughayyir village , north of Ramallah .

The unusual incident took place in the Al-Mughayyir village, north of Ramallah.
Palestinian rioters in the West Bank were filmed throwing stones and rocks at an IDF soldier at close range on Friday, Kan reported, citing Palestinian media.


jerusalempost--2020-12-11--Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 69.62 million, death toll at 1,583,966

More than 69.62 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and Infections have been @ @ @ @ @ countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019 .

More than 69.62 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and
1,583,966 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--AstraZeneca to acquire Alexion in $39 bln deal

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Astrazeneca Plc will acquire US based Alexion Pharmaceuticals in a $39 billion deal, the company said in a statement on Saturday.Alexion shareholders will receive $60 in cash and 2.1243 AstraZeneca American Depositary Shares per Alexion share, the company said.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--Six-year-old dies after being struck by car, police investigating

A six-year-old boy died in the hospital after being struck by a car in the south of Israel Saturday morning, Israeli media reported.The police have opened an investigation into the circumstances of the incident, they announced on Saturday afternoon.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--Israeli children's star Tal Mosseri tests positive for coronavirus

Israeli children's television star Tal Mosseri tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Friday, Mosseri announced on his Instagram Saturday.Mosseri said that he does not have symptoms and is entering quarantine.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--First NGO aid convoy arrives in capital of Ethiopia's Tigray region

The first non-governmental aid convoy since fighting erupted last month has arrived in the capital of Ethiopia's northern region of Tigray carrying desperately needed medicines and other items, the international Red Cross said on Saturday.The government restricted access to the region after fighting began on Nov. 4 between the government and a rebellious regional force. The conflict in Africa's second-most populous nation is believed to have killed thousands of people and displaced around 950,000.The United Nations and other agencies have not been able to deliver aid although the government says it has sent food and other supplies.The convoy of seven white trucks that arrived in the city of Mekelle was organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Ethiopian Red Cross, the ICRC said.Healthcare facilities in Mekelle have been paralyzed after supplies of drugs and other medical items like surgical gloves ran out, the ICRC said. Ayder Hospital, the region's main referral hospital, was forced to shut its intensive care unit and surgical theater because of the shortages and an inability to run the generator.“Doctors and nurses have been ... weeks without new supplies, running water, and electricity,” said Patrick Youssef, the ICRC's regional director for Africa. “This medical shipment will inject new stocks, help patients, and reduce those impossible life-or-death triage decisions.”The government says it has defeated forces loyal to the region's former ruling Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and struck a deal with the United Nations to allow aid.But some aid agencies and donors say the agreement is too restrictive and security remains a problem; one U.N. security team was shot at last weekend.Nearly 50,000 refugees have crossed into eastern Sudan since early November. Nearly 15,000 are at Um Rakuba camp, where long lines of people waited for food with plates in their hands and new arrivals constructed shelters using tree branches."We don't have enough food or shelter here, but I am too scared to go back," said Tewelo Gabrageres, 35-year-old trader.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--Russia says may retaliate after new round of UK sanctions

A new round of British sanctions against Russian individuals over alleged human rights abuses in Chechnya is "unfounded" and Moscow may retaliate, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday."Undoubtedly, this politically-charged demarche will have a negative impact on Russian-British interstate relations," the ministry said, adding Russia "reserves the right to take appropriate countermeasures."Britain said on Thursday it was imposing sanctions on 11 individuals, including security figures and officials from Russia, Venezuela, Pakistan and Gambia, in a coordinated move with the United States on human rights violations.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--Explosion near Baghdad airport, cause unclear, no casualties - sources

An explosion took place near Baghdad international airport on Saturday in an area housing Iraqi military compounds, but caused no damage or casualties, security sources said.The sources said the blast was caused by an unidentified object, and that it was not clear whether it was a projectile or a planted device.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--Rocket attacks in Kabul kill at least one

At least one person was killed and two were injured on Saturday in Afghanistan's capital Kabul as ten rockets hit various parts of the city, officials said.A Taliban spokesman said that his group was not behind the attack as they continued talks with the Afghan government's representatives to end nearly two decades of war.Security officials said it was not clear if militants of Afghan affiliate of Islamic State, known as Islamic State Khorasan, were involved in the attack.Last month, a barrage of rockets hit residential areas in Kabul, killing at least eight people and wounding more than 30.The regional Islamic State group had claimed responsibility for the November attack.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 28,438 - RKI

BERLIN - The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 28,438 to 1,300,516, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Saturday. The reported death toll rose by 496 to 21,466, the tally showed.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--Trump: first shot of Pfizer vaccine in US will be given in 24 hours

`` I am pleased that Pfizer 's vaccine has undergone a critical phase with FDA approval , ” said Health Minister Yuli Edelstein on Friday , just after the country learned that Pfizer had advanced through the first stage of approval , a greenlight from the FDA advisory board .
“ This is a huge message for Israeli citizens as well.
” He said that he instructed my ministry staff to review the approval and submit their recommendations in the coming days so that vaccination could start before the end of the month .
The Health Ministry , the health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with representatives of Israel ’ s senior living centers and likely the Home Front Command , are all preparing for mass vaccination of the Israeli population .
The first hundreds of thousands of doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in Israel this week and more are expected to come before the end of December .
Israel ordered a total of eight million doses of the Pfizer vaccine , enough to dose four million Israelis .
Last week , the ombudsman for medical professions at the Health Ministry , Dr. Boaz Lev , revealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those with pre-existing medical conditions that put them at risk for a serious case of COVID-19 would be the first inoculated .
However , he said during a Thursday briefing that the Health Ministry is considering opening the vaccination at the beginning to more extensive groups of people to encourage more people to agree to be jabbed .
Vaccination is supposed to begin no later than December 27 .
The US Food and Drug Administration granted an emergency use authorization for the vaccine , developed with German partner BioNTech , which was shown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease in a late-stage trial .
The FDA said the vaccine can be given to people aged 16 and older .
Healthcare workers and elderly people in long-term care facilities are expected to be the main recipients of a first round of 2.9 million doses .
`` The first vaccine will be administered in less than 24 hours , '' US President Donald Trump said in a video posted on Twitter .
`` I am proud to say we have made sure this vaccine will be free for all Americans . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin distributing the vaccine around the country immediately after FDA authorization and that the first inoculations would happen early next week .
Millions of Americans could begin getting vaccinated this month , especially if a second vaccine from Moderna Inc is quickly approved .
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was first approved in Britain earlier this month , and UK residents began receiving the shots on Tuesday .
Canada also authorized the vaccine and expects to start inoculations next week .
Mexico and Bahrain have also approved the vaccine .
The FDA authorization , known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time when infections , hospitalizations and deaths are soaring to record levels in the United States , which has failed to mount a coordinated effort to slow the spread of the virus .
Earlier this week , the one-day COVID-19 death total topped 3,000 , while hospital intensive care units across the country are nearing capacity , threatening to overwhelm healthcare systems .
`` The EUA was anticipated and it is one step in a sequence of steps that will bring this pandemic to an end , '' said Amesh Adalja , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Health Security .
`` I ’ m not going to feel that there is an EUA tomorrow when I ’ m taking care of COVID-19 patients .
A lot of people will be infected , a lot will be hospitalized and a lot will die before the vaccine is able to have a meaningful impact on spread , '' he added .
At the same time , infection is rising in Israel , with just under 2,000 new cases per day most of last week - around 2.5 % of people screened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll in Israel is nearing 3,000 .
Others with vaccines in advanced development include Moderna , which could win emergency US authorization as soon as next week , AstraZeneca Plc with Oxford University , and Johnson & Johnson .
Israel has contracts with both Moderna and AstraZeneca .
Speaking last week during a visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Edelstein to the Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. unit Teva Israel-SLE , which signed an exclusive agreement with the state to distribute Covid-19 vaccinations in Israel and is preparing to store millions of vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representative of the company said that 4 million Pfizer and 3 million Moderna vaccine doses were expected to arrive at the center by January 1 .
BioNTech began developing the vaccine in January , using a technology called synthetic messenger RNA ( mRNA ) that had yet to produce an approved product .
The technology uses a chemical messenger to instruct cells to make proteins that mimic part of the new coronavirus , which the immune system learns to recognize as an invader .
BioNTech struck a development deal with Pfizer in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges as it must be shipped and stored at -70 Celsius ( -94 F ) , requiring specialized ultra-cold freezers or supplies of dry ice .
Moderna 's vaccine employs the same technology but does not need to be stored at sub-Arctic temperatures .
The Health Funds are establishing hundreds of vaccination complexes and plan to contact those eligible for vaccination via text message , similar to how they reached out to people this year for their flu vaccine .
Both Pfizer and Moderna ’ s vaccine require two doses each to maximize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the two doses of the Pfizer vaccine and it is still unclear how the health funds will ensure that people come back for their second dose .
The prime minister is expected to visit a Maccabi Health Fund drive-in vaccination complex in Tel Aviv on Sunday and to speak more about the process .

Israelis could begin getting vaccinated as early as this week, after the US Food and Drug Administration said it authorized the use of Pfizer Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, marking a turning point in the United States’ and Israel’s war against the pandemic, where it has killed almost 300,000 people.“I am pleased that Pfizer’s vaccine has undergone a critical phase with FDA approval ,” said Health Minister Yuli Edelstein on Friday, just after the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted in support of the agency granting Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), which paved the way for the vaccine’s approval. “This is a huge message for Israeli citizens as well.”He said that he instructed his ministry’s staff to review the approval and submit their recommendations in the coming days so that vaccinations could start before the end of the month.The Health Ministry, the health funds and Magen David Adom, along with representatives of Israel’s senior living centers and likely the Home Front Command, are all preparing for mass vaccination of the Israeli population.Inoculation was expected to begin in two weeks on December 27, but the Health Ministry said it is considering moving it up as early as this week.Cyrille Cohen, who sits on the Advisory Committee for Clinical Trials of Coronavirus Vaccines through the Health Ministry, told The Jerusalem Post that “the FDA awarding an EUA is definitely a step in the right direction as far as the approval in Israel is concerned.” But he cautioned that Israel’s Health Ministry is the only one that can grant an approval of the same type for the vaccine to be used in the country.Last week, Health Ministry director-general Chezy Levy said that the ministry was working to “reduce bureaucracy, but we will not compromise on the safety of the vaccine.”Dr. Boaz Lev, the ombudsman for medical professions at the Health Ministry, revealed that the first to be inoculated would be medical personnel, senior citizens and those with pre-existing medical conditions that put them at risk for a serious case of COVID-19.However, he said during a Thursday briefing that the ministry is considering opening the vaccination at the beginning to more groups to encourage more people to agree to receive the shots.More than 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in Israel last week and more are expected to come before the end of December. Israel ordered a total of eight million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, enough to vaccinate four million Israelis.“It is very important to vaccinate against coronavirus,” Coronavirus commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash said over the weekend during visits to Arab towns and neighborhoods. “This is our chance to get out of this pandemic. Everyone: Go out to get vaccinated.”Ash noted that he had reviewed the data published about the vaccine’s efficacy and safety, as was published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine. “The data is very good,” he said. “The vaccine is effective.”He also noted that after tracking side-effects for four months, no serious incidents had arisen.“I am personally positively considering getting vaccinated against COVID-19,” Cohen told the Post.Ran Balicer, chairman of the COVID-19 national experts team, also said he would get vaccinated.“My fear of the disease is greater than that of the vaccine,” he said Saturday night in an interview with Channel 12.And FDA head Stephen Hahn said he was ready for a vaccination as soon as it is available.Hahn, speaking during a press conference, defended the fastest-ever vaccine process, saying the agency did not sacrifice safety in return for speed. He also described as inaccurate press reports that said President Donald Trump’s administration had threatened to fire him if the FDA did not approve the authorization by a certain date.The FDA granted an EUA for the vaccine, developed with German partner BioNTech, which was shown to be 95% effective in preventing the disease in a late-stage trial.The FDA said the vaccine can be given to people aged 16 and older.“The first vaccine will be administered in less than 24 hours,” US President Donald Trump said in a video posted on Twitter. “I am proud to say we have made sure this vaccine will be free for all Americans.”The US government has said it will begin distributing the vaccine around the country immediately after FDA authorization and that the first inoculations would happen early next week.Millions of Americans could begin getting vaccinated this month, especially if a second vaccine from Moderna Inc. is quickly approved.The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was first approved in Britain earlier this month, and UK residents began receiving the shots on Tuesday. Canada also authorized the vaccine and expects to start inoculations this week. Mexico and Bahrain have also approved the vaccine.The EUA comes at a time when infections, hospitalizations and deaths are soaring to record levels in the United States, which has so far failed in its coordinated effort to slow the spread of the virus.The one-day COVID-19 death total topped 3,000 this past week, while hospital intensive care units across the country are nearing capacity, threatening to overwhelm healthcare systems.“The EUA was anticipated and it is one step in a sequence of steps that will bring this pandemic to an end,” said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.“I’m not going to feel that there is an EUA tomorrow when I’m taking care of COVID-19 patients,” he said. “A lot of people will be infected, a lot will be hospitalized and a lot will die before the vaccine is able to have a meaningful impact on spread.”At the same time, infection is rising in Israel.There were 1,818 people diagnosed with coronavirus on Friday, the Health Ministry reported Saturday evening, with 2.4% of those screened testing positive. Some 331 people were in serious condition, including 123 who were intubated. The death toll stood at 2,979.Others with vaccines in advanced development include Moderna, which could win emergency US authorization as soon as this week; AstraZeneca Plc. with Oxford University; and Johnson & Johnson.Israel has contracts with both Moderna and AstraZeneca.SPEAKING LAST week during a visit by Edelstein and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. unit Teva Israel-SLE – which signed an exclusive agreement with the state to distribute COVID-19 vaccinations in Israel and is preparing to store millions of vaccine doses in special cooling conditions – a representative of the company said that four million Pfizer and three million Moderna vaccine doses were expected to arrive at the center by January 1.BioNTech began developing the vaccine in January, using a technology called synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA) that had yet to produce an approved product. The technology uses a chemical messenger to instruct cells to make proteins that mimic part of the new coronavirus, which the immune system learns to recognize as an invader. BioNTech struck a development deal with Pfizer in March.The vaccine comes with complex distribution challenges as it must be shipped and stored at -70°C, requiring specialized ultra-cold freezers or supplies of dry ice.Moderna’s vaccine employs the same technology but does not need to be stored at sub-Arctic temperatures.The health funds are establishing hundreds of vaccination complexes and plan to contact those eligible for vaccination via text message, similar to how they reached out to people this year for their flu vaccine.Both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccine require two doses each to maximize efficacy. There is a 21-day window between the two doses of the Pfizer vaccine; it is still unclear how the health funds will ensure that people come back for their second dose.The prime minister is expected to visit a Maccabi health fund drive-in vaccination complex in Tel Aviv today and to speak more about the process.


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--Mexico reports 12,057 new coronavirus cases, 685 more deaths

Mexico 's health ministry on Saturday reported 12,057 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 685 additional fatalities , bringing @ @ @ @ @ to 1,241,436 cases and 113,704 deaths .
The government says the real number of infected @ @ @ @ @ than the confirmed cases .

Mexico's health ministry on Saturday reported 12,057 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 685 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 1,241,436 cases and 113,704 deaths.
The government says the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--Two Greek men arrested for allegedly supplying naval information to Turkey

Two men from Rhodes were arrested Saturday night, accused of being Turkish spies, as reported by Ynet and AFP.According to local reports, one of the men worked on a ferry that travels between Rhodes and Kastellorizo, another Greek island 40 km, away.Kastellorizo is also about two kilometers away from the Turkish mainland and is considered disputed territory. Turkey has been conducting naval operations in that part of the Mediterranean as far back as July, with the goal of establishing Turkish control over those waters.As The Jerusalem Post previously reported , "Turkey says it is merely doing a seismic survey. But Ankara has been increasingly claiming a huge swath of the Mediterranean – and claiming it is a 'blue motherland' for Turkey."Why? Natural resources in the Mediterranean, particularly gas. In July, Turkey conducted a seismic survey of the waters close to Cyprus, teasing Greece.One of the men arrested is suspected of transferring intelligence on sea operations to the second man, who worked at the Turkish consulate in Rhodes.After reportedly ceasing naval operations, Turkey officially and publicly resumed them in November.


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--20-year-old motorcyclist and 14-year-old biker crash near Tiberias

A 20-year-old motorcyclist reportedly crashed into a 14-year-old boy riding an electric bike near Tiberias.The two were evacuated to the Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, near Tiberias, and to the Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa.The motorcyclist is in moderate to critical condition, the biker in moderate condition.Israel Police have initiated an investigation.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--A-G Mandelblit urges Netanyahu, Gantz to make key appointments

Israel Police acting Insp.-Gen. Moti Cohen replaced the previous police chief Roni Alsheich in December 2018 but was never elevated @ @ @ @ @ Security Minister Amir Ohana ( Likud ) has made it clear that he would not @ @ @ @ @ wants to replace him .
Since the current government was established in May , Cohen @ @ @ @ @ because of Netanyahu 's desire to influence the appointment of the next state attorney .
@ @ @ @ @ that he will not personally be involved in choosing a new police chief and state @ @ @ @ @ lieutenants can still keep the positions frozen based on the coalition agreement that requires consensus @ @ @ @ @ White .
Mandelblit ’ s argument , accepted by the High Court , was that @ @ @ @ @ permanent insp.-gen. overrides any political deadlock or coalition agreement that is holding it up .

In a sign that elections will soon be initiated, the weekly cabinet meeting that had been set for Monday will only take place on Wednesday. It was postponed due to a fight between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz over the meeting’s agenda.Gantz wrote Netanyahu in a letter on Sunday that the appointment of a state attorney, a Justice Ministry director-general and key ambassadors must be presented at Monday’s cabinet meeting.Due to the conflict of interest of his criminal trial , Netanyahu is not permitted to deal with legal appointments, he wrote.Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit urged Netanyahu and Gantz over the weekend to make key appointments, including a new state attorney and Israel Police inspector-general.Acting Insp.-Gen. Moti Cohen replaced Roni Alsheich in December 2018 but was never elevated to permanent status. Public Security Minister Amir Ohana (Likud) has made it clear that he would not grant Cohen permanent status and wants to replace him.Since the current government was established in May, Cohen’s replacement has been delayed because of Netanyahu’s desire to influence the appointment of the next state attorney.Technically, Netanyahu has agreed that he will not personally be involved in choosing a new police chief and state attorney. But his Likud lieutenants can still keep the positions frozen based on the coalition agreement that requires consensus between Likud and Blue and White.Mandelblit’s argument, accepted by the High Court of Justice, was that the requirement to appoint a permanent insp.-gen. overrides any political deadlock or coalition agreement that is holding it up.Last Thursday, the High Court ordered the government to approve the appointment of Shimon Baron as Justice Ministry director-general after the position was not permanently filled for months.Baron was appointed in late August by Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn. However, due to the coalition agreement, no high-level appointments could be made for the first 100 days after its establishment. Since then, his appointment has since been stalled due to coalition disagreements.The Attorney-General’s Office asked for the court to demand that the appointment be made by the end of the month.Celia Jean contributed to this report.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--Emergency room nurse notified mid-shift she's positive for coronavirus

A nurse was interrupted during an emergency room shift by ZAKA volunteers who arrived especially to notify her that she had tested positive for the coronavirus.The nurse told investigators that she had presenting with no symptoms and had only taken the test in order to travel on vacation to Eilat.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--Int'l flights check-in process to resume to terminal 3 at Ben-Gurion

Flights to Eilat however , will continue to take place at terminal 1 for the next few days , the @ @ @

Flights to Eilat however, will continue to take place at terminal 1 for the next few days, the message noted.
Starting midnight on Saturday, the check-in process for international flights at Ben-Gurion Airport will resume taking place at terminal 3 of the airport, Ben-Gurion Airport spokesperson announced on Saturday evening.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--UN tell worlds leader to declare state of climate emergency

World leaders should declare states of "climate emergency" to spur faster cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Saturday at a summit marking the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate accord.Dozens of world leaders addressed the one-day virtual gathering, aimed at building momentum for more ambitious national commitments ahead of a pivotal round of climate talks due to take place in Glasgow in late 2021."Can anybody still deny that we are facing a dramatic emergency?" Guterres said via video. "That is why today, I call on all leaders worldwide to declare a State of Climate Emergency in their countries until carbon neutrality is reached."Guterres said economic recovery packages launched in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic should represent an opportunity to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future - but said this was not happening fast enough."So far, the members of the G20 are spending 50% more in their stimulus and rescue packages on sectors linked to fossil fuel production and consumption, than on low-carbon energy," Guterres said."This is unacceptable. The trillions of dollars needed for COVID recovery is money that we are borrowing from future generations," he said.On the eve of the summit on Friday, co-host Britain had announced it would end direct government support for overseas fossil fuel projects, aiming to spur similar moves by other countries to accelerate a shift to cleaner energy.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the summit that countries could work together to radically cut dependence on fossil fuels, change agricultural practices, and reverse the process by which for centuries humanity has been quilting the planet in "a toxic teacosy" of greenhouse gases."And at the same time, we can create hundreds of thousands of jobs, millions of jobs, across the planet as we collectively recover from coronavirus," Johnson said.China, which in September gave the Paris process a boost with a surprise announcement that it would target net zero carbon emissions by 2060, said it was raising its ambitions for shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy.President Xi Jinping announced that China would aim to have more than 1,200 Gigawatts of installed wind and solar capacity by 2030 -- more than double the country's existing capacity.China's National Development and Reform Commission, the state planning body, is aiming to have 240 GW of wind and the same amount of solar capacity installed by the end of this year."We will take solid steps to implement the targets just announced and contribute even more to tackling the global climate challenge," Xi said via a video message.With the impacts of climate change increasingly visible in disasters from wildfires in the U.S. West to melting ice caps, more intense hurricanes, and fast-rising sea levels, campaigners urged leaders to heed calls for emergency action."It is the melting of permafrost; forest fires that hit closer to the home of the climate crisis deniers; droughts that ransack living beings of their resources; floods that reminded many of us that we have no escape," said Selina Neirok Leem, a campaigner from the Marshall Islands.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--Woman in her 20s dies in car crash in central Israel

The car accident involved a collision between two private vehicles on road 412 .
MDA paramedics who were rushed to @ @ @ @ @ victims , individuals in their 20s , to the Shamir and Sheba medical centers in @ @ @ @ @ investigating the conditions that led to the tragic accident .

The car accident involved a collision between two private vehicles on road 412.
MDA paramedics who were rushed to the scene evacuated two other victims, individuals in their 20s, to the Shamir and Sheba medical centers in critical condition.
Police are investigating the conditions that led to the tragic accident.
A 25-year-old woman died and two other individuals were critically injured in a car crash near Beit Dagan in central Israel on Saturday evening, Israeli media reported.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--Health Ministry reports 1,818 new coronavirus patients


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--Teenager falls from cliff in Galilee, suffers multi-system injury

A 14-year-old girl was evacuated to the Rambam Medical Center in critical condition after falling from a cliff during a @ @ @ @ @ and suffering from a multi-system injury , N12 reported .
MDA paramedics and IDF rescue @ @ @ @ @ scene and administered CPR , before a rescue chopper arrived and evacuated the unconscious girl @ @ @ @

A 14-year-old girl was evacuated to the Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa in critical condition after falling from a cliff during a trip to the western Galilee, suffering from a multi-system injury, N12 reported.About 30 minutes later, MDA paramedics, followed by IDF rescue teams, arrived at the scene and administered CPR, before an IDF Search and Rescue chopper arrived and evacuated the unconscious girl to the Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa . In total, the evacuation took three hours.She was walking near the Keshet Cave and missed a sharp turn. "If you miss [it]," said attending EMT Moshe Raveh, "you can fall over the edge of the cliff."Raveh, a police officer, and a bystander walked down to the ravine and found the girl unresponsive and unconscious. "We were worried about the steep drop on one side of us and not falling over the edge, and also worried about the gathered crowd on the cliff above us knocking rocks down on top of us. At the same time, we had to treat the girl for her injuries," recounted Raveh.Raveh has been an EMT for a long time. "However," he said, "it was certainly challenging and difficult to reach the girl on the edge of a cliff and treat her there without being able to get her any other help until the helicopter arrived to transport her."Still, he said, "I am very happy that I was able to go and that I had the training and equipment necessary to help save her life and stabilize her while we waited for transport."Tobias Siegal contributed to this report.


jerusalempost--2020-12-12--With COVID-19 vaccine approval, FDA's Hahn ready for his shot

With shots of Pfizer Inc.'s and BioNTech SE's COVID-19 vaccine ready to be distributed after the United States authorized it on Friday, Food and Drug Administration head Stephen Hahn said he was ready for a vaccination as soon as available.Hahn, speaking during a press conference, defended the fastest-ever vaccine process, saying the agency did not sacrifice safety in return for speed.He also described as inaccurate press reports that said President Donald Trump's administration had threatened to fire him if the FDA did not approve the authorization by a certain date.


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--Coronavirus in Israel: 1,288 new cases, 2.9% of tests positive

The country is expecting to begin vaccinating next Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Health Ministry Yuli Edelstein have confirmed.There was hope that vaccination could start even earlier, such as sometime this week, if the Pfizer vaccines were able to receive Health Ministry approval and could be transferred to the hospital and health funds. However, The Jerusalem Post has confirmed that head of the Medical Management division of the Health Ministry, Dr. Vered Ezra, informed hospital directors in a meeting with them that this was unlikely.“We are beginning the end of the pandemic ,” the prime minister said Sunday morning.
שבוע טוב וחדשות טובות: אנחנו בדרך להקדמת החיסונים! pic.twitter.com/KXuPWGNpjl — Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) December 13, 2020
During a tour of a Maccabi health fund coronavirus vaccination complex in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu and Edelstein confirmed that the health funds are ready to begin vaccination. The prime minister said that he feels confident in them to vaccinate the masses and that “we will probably be able to advance the vaccination to the Israeli public in the best way possible – in my opinion, the best in the world.”Maccabi alone is expected to vaccinate around 25,000 people per day, its CEO Ran Saar said during the tour. A spokesperson for Meuhedet told the Post that the health fund could administer around 15,000 vaccines per day.Last week, Netanyahu said that Israel hoped to inoculate as many as 60,000 people per day.Medical professionals are expected to be vaccinated first, followed by senior citizens and people with pre-existing conditions. However, if enough vaccines arrive and not enough senior citizens sign up to get the jab, it is likely that vaccination will open up rather quickly to all who want it.“If there are enough doses, we can vaccinate a number of groups at the same time,” Health Ministry director-general Chezy Levy said Sunday night in an interview with Channel 12.So far, around 150,000 vaccine doses have arrived in Israel and Levy said many more are anticipated to arrive this week.Already there are reports that the prime minister and the health minister, and possibly President Reuven Rivlin, will be the first to be inoculated.Edelstein cautioned that there has been a lot of fake news swarming media and social networks in recent days, “so I want to start fighting it now. We have seen publications that things are missing. These are only rumors; nothing is missing,” he said.“In the coming days, we will announce that Israel is one of the first countries in the world to start vaccination,” he said.In response to Netanyahu’s comments, MK Ofer Shelah (Yesh Atid) said that “it is great that the vaccines are coming soon, but the coronavirus is with us for at least another six months. Instead of giving us the feeling that coronavirus is coming to an end, the government should do what is right: protect the nursing homes, introduce serological tests and allow us to live alongside coronavirus instead of telling us it is ending.”Shelah’s comments came on the backdrop of a report published Sunday by the Coronavirus National Information and Knowledge Center, which warned: “It should be remembered that the vaccines are not expected to have any significant impact on the course of the virus in Israel until after winter.”There were 1,291 new coronavirus cases in Israel on Saturday, the Health Ministry reported on Sunday evening, and another 917 diagnosed between midnight and press time on Sunday. There were 349 people in serious condition on Sunday morning, including more than 100 who were intubated. The death toll hit 2,996.However, Prof. Eran Segal of the Weizmann Institute of Science said that the vaccines would have an impact, in that they should prevent another lockdown.“If we were now without the vaccines on the horizon,” he told the Hebrew website Ynet, “we would point to a clear upward trend that requires restrictions.” But he said he believes this recent outbreak will be able to be contained by the vaccine.“Vaccination of the entire population over the age of 65 to 70 will dramatically reduce morbidity and the reproduction rate,” Segal continued. “If the effectiveness of vaccines is indeed high, within three or four weeks there will be a significant reduction in morbidity in the country.”One of the things that could hinder the ability to vaccinate the masses, however, is fear over the safety of the vaccines, which were developed and approved in record time.“If there is no response” from enough people willing to vaccinate, then “we are in trouble,” Segal told Ynet. “It is a big challenge, but I think it is possible.”Prof. Nadav Davidovich, a member of the Magen Israel professional cabinet, did his part on Sunday to convince the public that it is OK to be jabbed.In an article for the Hebrew website Walla, he wrote that “I will definitely get vaccinated – and that is what I will recommend for my family and friends.”He explained that “the advantages of the vaccine far outweigh its disadvantages. No vaccine, or any medical technology, is free of the possibility of side effects.”He said that it is starting to become apparent that coronavirus patients, even those who are asymptomatic, can and often do suffer from long-term negative health impacts from the disease.“Without a doubt, the pendulum is swinging toward the vaccine now,” he concluded.THERE ARE those Israelis who are eagerly waiting to be vaccinated, such as the members of Lema’anchem (for your sake), an organization that offers guidance and support to patients during their medical journeys.The founder and director of the organization, Rabbi Yossi Erblich, appealed to Edelstein and other Health Ministry officials on Sunday, asking that they prioritize his staff and volunteers to be among the first to be inoculated.He said that the members of the organization have worked alongside Magen Israel in general and its ultra-Orthodox desk in particular throughout the crisis.“We were very excited, together with many other Israeli citizens, to see the light at the end of the tunnel with the arrival of vaccines in Israel,” the rabbi wrote. He said that Lema’anchem wants to be “the first organization in Israel to be vaccinated out of a desire and aspiration to set an example.”He added that “responding to our request will allow the organization to continue, without any concern, to carry out its critical activities during these times.”Those who have volunteered to be a part of the Israeli Institute of Biological Research coronavirus clinical trials were informed on Sunday that if they received a placebo vaccination, they would still be eligible to be inoculated by a Pfizer vaccine.“Taking part in the trial will not impair any patient’s opportunity or ability to receive Pfizer’s vaccine if and when interested,” said Dr. Erez Barenboim, director of Samson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital.He said that if there is such a request then the file could be opened, and the volunteer could find out if he or she received a placebo shot. If so, the volunteer could still be vaccinated with a Pfizer vaccine.“If it turns out that the patient received the vaccine instead of the placebo, I believe that in a very short period of time, antibodies will appear in his blood, which will eliminate the need to receive Pfizer’s vaccine,” Barenboim said.Those who are vaccinated are expected to receive a “green passport,” which the Health Ministry’s Levy said would serve as proof that people are vaccinated and provide them with certain privileges.In an interview with Channel 12 Sunday night, he said those privileges could include not having to enter isolation when in contact with a verified patient and being able to enter restaurants and cultural activities.The director-general added that the ministry is in contact with colleagues abroad about potentially making the card international and making certain advantages available outside of Israel.


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--Quarantine reduced to 10 days with 2 negative COVID-19 tests


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--Azerbaijan says 4 servicemen killed in clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh

Separately , authorities in Armenia said six of their servicemen had been wounded in what they described as an Azeri @ @ @ @ @ say when .
The Baku government said the clashes , which also left two Azeri @ @ @ @ @ place in an area which fell under its control when the fighting ended on Nov. @ @ @ @ @ in Nagorno-Karabakh previously controlled by ethnic Armenians were handed over to Azerbaijan Meanwhile , Yerevan @ @ @ @ @ repelled attempted intrusions into territories supposed to remain under the control of the rebel province @ @ @ @ @ Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd villages .
`` The provocations of Azerbaijan continued today in the @ @ @ @ @ Mets Shen and Hin Shen in the Hadrut region , '' Armenia 's foreign ministry @ @ @ @ @

Four Azeri servicemen have been killed in recent weeks in clashes in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Azerbaijan's defense ministry said on Sunday, in the first report of casualties since a Russian-brokered ceasefire accord.
Separately, authorities in Armenia said six of their servicemen had been wounded in what they described as an Azeri military offensive but did not say when.
The Baku government said the clashes, which also left two Azeri servicemen wounded, had taken place in an area which fell under its control when the fighting ended on Nov. 10 and swathes of territory in Nagorno-Karabakh previously controlled by ethnic Armenians were handed over to Azerbaijan
Meanwhile, Yerevan insisted that Armenian forces had repelled attempted intrusions into territories supposed to remain under the control of the rebel province's government, namely the Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd villages.
"The provocations of Azerbaijan continued today in the direction of the villages of Mets Shen and Hin Shen in the Hadrut region," Armenia's foreign ministry said in a statement.
Russian peacekeepers deployed in the conflict area have reported no major clashes but said at the weekend there had been one incident of a ceasefire violation.


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--IDF fires warning shots after suspects approach Lebanon border

IDF soldiers fired warning shots after four suspects approached the fence from Lebanon along the Lebanon-Israel border near Manara, according to the IDF Spokespersons Unit. The suspects moved away from the fence after the shots were fired."The IDF will not allow any attempt to violate the sovereignty of the State of Israel," tweeted the IDF Spokespersons Unit.


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--Iran summons German ambassador over EU criticism of journalist execution

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also plans on Sunday to summon the French envoy to Tehran , the semi-official Fars news agency said .
France also strongly criticized the execution on Saturday of dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam , who had been based in Paris before he was captured and taken to Iran .
Zam was convicted of fomenting violence during anti-government protests in 2017 .
His Amadnews feed had more than 1 million followers .
The EU said in a statement after his execution : `` The European Union condemns this act in the strongest terms and recalls once again its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ punishment under any circumstances . ''
The French Foreign Ministry called the execution a `` barbaric and unacceptable act , '' saying in a statement : `` France condemns in the strongest possible terms this serious breach of free expression and press freedom in Iran . ''
Amnesty International and press advocacy group Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) also condemned the execution .
Iranian officials have accused the United States , as well as Tehran 's regional rival Saudi Arabia and government opponents living in exile , of stoking the unrest that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over economic hardship spread nationwide .

Iran has summoned the ambassador of Germany, current holder of the European Union's rotating presidency, over EU criticism of the execution of an Iranian journalist, Iranian media reported on Sunday.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry also plans on Sunday to summon the French envoy to Tehran, the semi-official Fars news agency said. France also strongly criticized the execution on Saturday of dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam, who had been based in Paris before he was captured and taken to Iran.
Zam was convicted of fomenting violence during anti-government protests in 2017. His Amadnews feed had more than 1 million followers.
The EU said in a statement after his execution: "The European Union condemns this act in the strongest terms and recalls once again its irrevocable opposition to the use of capital punishment under any circumstances."
The French Foreign Ministry called the execution a "barbaric and unacceptable act," saying in a statement: "France condemns in the strongest possible terms this serious breach of free expression and press freedom in Iran."
Amnesty International and press advocacy group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also condemned the execution.
Iranian officials have accused the United States, as well as Tehran's regional rival Saudi Arabia and government opponents living in exile, of stoking the unrest that began in late 2017 as regional protests over economic hardship spread nationwide.
Officials said 21 people were killed during the unrest and thousands were arrested. The unrest was among the worst Iran has seen in decades, and was followed by even deadlier protests last year against fuel price rises.


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--Russia reports 28,080 new coronavirus cases, 488 deaths

Russia confirmed 28,080 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours on Sunday, including 6,425 in Moscow, pushing the national tally to 2,653,928 since the pandemic began.Authorities said 488 people had died overnight, taking the official death toll to 46,941.


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 20,200

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 20,200 to 1,320,716, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday.The reported death toll rose by 321 to 21,787, the tally showed.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Avdija scores 15 points in first unofficial game in Washington Wizards

Avdija scored 15 points during the game , marking a near-perfect first game in his new team .

Deni Avdija got his first real taste of NBA action on Sunday night, and the early returns were quite sweet.The 19-year-old Israeli featured in the Washington Wizards’ starting line-up in the team’s first preseason contest against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center in New York. The 9th overall draft pack looked right at home, finishing with 15 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting performance from the field – including 3-for-3 from three-point range – as the Nets edged the visiting Wizards 119-114.“The dream is starting to come true,” said Avdija after the game. “I was tense at first, I thought to myself ‘wow, I’m at Barclays Center playing against players I grew up watching.’ But after a few minutes I started feeling comfortable and focused.”Fellow rookie Rui Hachimura also shined, finishing with a team-high 18 points as he and Avdija helped Washington come back from a 26-point deficit to tie the game in the third quarter and even take a narrow lead in the fourth.The Nets had Kevin Durant in the lineup, marking the superstar’s first action with the team after signing as a free agent last summer and recovering from a ruptured Achilles. Like Avdija, Durant played 24 minutes and scored 15 points, while fellow All-Star Kyrie Irving added 18 points in the Nets’ conquest.“I was anxious, nervous,” Durant said afterward. “I visualized this moment for so long – nine, 10 months of thinking about how it would be, this next phase of my career. I felt like I was chomping at the bit, especially once COVID hit because I didn't see a future – when the season was going to start in the future…So to go through this felt solid.”The Nets’ bench also included former Hapoel Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel Aviv player Amar’e Stoudemire, who made his debut as an assistant coach on Brooklyn’s staff led by rookie head coach Steve Nash."Amar’e was a big part of me, a big part of my game," said Avdija before his reunion with the 38-year-old after the two were teammates with Maccabi last season. "He was a professional. He always came first to the gym. We were always talking about things. I was always asking about the NBA and he always answered me, no matter what the time or no matter how tired he was or angry he was, he always sat with me and answered my questions.""It will be a little bit weird [to face him as an opposing coach] but Amar’e is Amar’e and I will always love to see him."In the relatively meaningless game, the stellar debuts of Avdija and Hachimura were an extremely bright sign for the Wizards, who were playing without veterans Bradley Beal, Russell Westbrook, David Bertans and Ish Smith. Avdija also added four rebounds and two assists and was a +6 in his 24 minutes on the floor.“[I liked] that he competed, that he took the challenge,” Washington coach Scott Brooks said of Avdija postgame. “He was playing against some high-level players, players that have a lot of success in this league that have experience. From day one, I knew Deni had it. He scored well and he's just getting better with time.”The Nets began the game red-hot and scored 38 points in the first quarter, led by 23 combined from Durant and Irving, and held an 18-point lead at the half. However, Avdija and Hachimura helped keep things close enough for Washington to climb back and take a 111-110 advantage with under five minutes left, before Brooklyn rallied for the five-point win.Still, for Avdija the experience was all positive.“I went on a long journey to get here,” noted Avdija . “Four years ago, I played with the senior team in Israel and scored one point. Since then, I kept working every day while my friends went out and had fun, now it's starting to pay off. I have already played at the professional level with Maccabi Tel Aviv and I know what is required of me. I learned what it means to fit into a rotation and how to read a game. I always keep my head up when I play. I always see the friends around me, I know how to play the game.”Indeed, the Israeli teen sensation displayed a great handle, deft court vision, strong defensive presence and a silky shooting touch in his first encounter against real NBA competition.“It was a dream come true,” Avdija said of the experience. “I have no fear. I'm not afraid of anything and always put up shots with confidence, but don't expect me to be 100 percent from the field in every game," he joked.Wizards point guard Raul Neto was extremely impressed with his new teammate."Deni is very talented,” said Neto. “Everyone sitting on the bench was impressed with his confidence and skills. He is a very good player. We talked before the game and he seemed a bit tense, but that's normal. I'm sure he will gain more and more confidence over time and will turn into a big contributor for us."NBC Washington was also full of praise for Avdija after his opening outing.“Washington has found its small forward,” wrote the media platform. “Avdija should clearly be developed by the team into its 3, and that could be seen after one preseason game. He is tough, has good size and offensive diversity. He is only 19 years old, but his start is very impressive.”


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Biden weighs former EPA chief McCarthy for domestic climate czar-sources

President-elect Joe Biden is considering appointing Gina McCarthy, who headed the US Environmental Protection Agency under former President Barack Obama, as domestic "climate czar" in charge of coordinating climate policies across federal agencies, according to two people familiar with the plan.Biden is also now considering Michael Regan, an African American who runs North Carolina's environmental agency, to run the US Environmental Protection Agency, the two sources said.If appointed, Regan would be a surprise choice over one-time front runner Mary Nichols, who is retiring from the California Air Resources Board, as environmental justice activists and civil rights leaders push for more diversity at the incoming administration.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--14 migrants found dead off of Venezuela's eastern coast

Fourteen people believed to have traveled from Venezuela to Trinidad and Tobago were found dead in waters near the South American nation's coast, Venezuelan authorities said on Sunday, hours after Trinidad and Tobago confirmed the first bodies being found.At least 40,000 Venezuelans live in Trinidad and Tobago, the majority fleeing their country's economic crisis, unemployment and lack of basic public services, often traveling in small rickety boats above their capacity, with limited supplies of fuel and food.Last year, at least two ships that set off from Venezuela en route to the archipelago disappeared at sea.The bodies were found on Saturday, 7 nautical miles off the Venezuelan coastal town of Guiria, the Venezuela government statement said.It added that the first 11 bodies appeared late on Saturday afternoon, while the bodies of two men and one woman appeared on Sunday. No one has come forward to formally report the disappearances, it said.Venezuelan authorities are investigating, the statement added, and they have not ruled out the possible involvement of criminal groups in the Guiria area.Trinidad and Tobago's statement said preliminary information suggested the lives lost could be related to a boat that left Guiria, in the northeast of Sucre state, on Dec. 6 with more than 20 people on board who have not been seen or heard from since.Omalirves, who did not provide her last name, said she had warned her friend Noebis Aspudillo, 27, who had been a passenger on the boat, about the precarious journey. Aspudillo had gotten increasingly desperate during the pandemic, Omalirves said, after she was laid off from the bread shop where she worked and her mother's heart condition got increasingly severe.Venezuela's prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Trinidad and Tobago's coast guard said it had not intercepted any vessels in the past week leaving from Guiria and that authorities were working with Venezuela in a joint search effort.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--ESwatini's prime minister, who tested positive for COVID-19, dies

ESwatini Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini, who tested positive for COVID-19 four weeks ago, has died at age 52 after being hospitalized in neighboring South Africa, the tiny absolute monarchy's government said late on Sunday."Their Majesties have commanded that I inform the Nation of the sad and untimely passing away of His Excellency the Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini. His Excellency passed on this afternoon while under medical care in a hospital in South Africa", Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku said in a statement.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--PM's Office employee diagnosed with coronavirus - report

It is currently being checked whether or not Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be required to enter quarantine .
`` @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister 's Office tested positive for coronavirus .
Those who came in contact with @ @ @ @ @ Initial inquiries show that the Prime Minister Netanyahu will not need to enter quarantine as @ @ @ @ @ room and had no contact with her .
Staff members will act according to the @ @ @ @ @ '' a statement from the Prime Minister 's Office stated .

It is currently being checked whether or not Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be required to enter quarantine."A secretary working at the Prime Minister's Office tested positive for coronavirus. Those who came in contact with her will be tested. Initial inquiries show that the Prime Minister Netanyahu will not need to enter quarantine as he stayed in a different room and had no contact with her. Staff members will act according to the Health Ministry's guidelines," a statement from the Prime Minister's Office stated.


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--Ministerial committee extends movement restrictions on three towns

The Ministerial Committee for Restricted Areas extended the restrictions of two areas on Sunday evening.Kafr Kanna, near Nazareth, and Sakhnin, near Acre, will remain restricted for the next five days, until Friday at 7 p.m.Daliyat al-Karmel, a Druze town near Haifa, will remain under restriction for the next four days, until Thursday at 7 p.m.


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--Jerusalem court demands documents on former Walla CEO in PM case

The Jerusalem District Court has ordered additional documents be revealed relating to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial in Case 4000, specifically detailing former Walla CEO Ilan Yeshua's involvement.


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--24% of Israel's population received flu vaccine, breaking records

Breaking an 11-year record, 24% of Israelis received the flu shot this winter season, Ynet reported.Broken down by the different health service providers, Clalit Health Services vaccinated 1.13 million customers, Maccabi Healthcare Services vaccinated 654 million people, the Meuhedet Health Maintenance Organization vaccinated 275 thousand and Leumit Health Care Services vaccinated 122 thousand.Back in November, Ichilov Hospital obtained 100,000 flu vaccines from the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to combat an expected shortage.


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--IDF arrests three Gazans after they cross Israeli border

The IDF arrested three individuals from Gaza after they successfully infiltrated through to the Israeli side.
לוחמי צה"ל עצרו לפני זמן קצר שלושה חשודים שחצו את גדר המערכת בדרום רצועת עזה לשטח ישראל. על החשודים לא נתפס נשק והם מתוחקרים בנקודה — צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) December 13, 2020
They did not carry any weapons and are currently being investigated.


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--Health Ministry Deputy D-G estimates first vaccinations on Dec. 20-27

Deputy Director-General of the Health Ministry Itamar Grotto told N12 on Sunday evening that he estimates that "the first vaccines will be distributed in the week of December 20-27."Inoculation was expected to begin in two weeks on December 27, but the Health Ministry said it is considering moving it up as early as this week.


jerusalempost--2020-12-13--US FDA chief defends process for approving COVID-19 vaccine

US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn defended the FDA's process for approving Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday and denied claims by President Donald Trump that the vaccine could have been available a week sooner."We do not feel that this could have been out a week earlier," Hahn said on ABC's "This Week," noting that the FDA went through its process appropriately and that he felt "very confident" in the decisions the agency made.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Rouhani: Iran's missile program is non-negotiable

DUBAI - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that Tehran's missile programs, seen by Washington as a threat to regional stability, was non-negotiable and that US President-Elect Joe Biden is "well aware of it". Biden 's victory has raised the possibility that Washington could rejoin a deal Iran reached with world powers in 2015, and he appears to see a return as a prelude to wider talks on Iran's nuclear work, its ballistic missiles and regional activities.But Tehran has ruled out halting its missile programs or changing its regional policy, and instead has demanded a change in US policy, including the lifting of sanctions and compensation for the economic damage caused during the US withdrawal from the nuclear accord."The Americans were trying for months to add the missile issue (to the nuclear talks) and this was rejected. (President Donald) Trump was uninformed and did not know about the matter, but Mr. Biden is well aware of the details of the deal," Rouhani told a televised news conference in Tehran."I have not heard Biden say that we have to reach another agreement in order to return to the nuclear deal, that is what Trump says," Rouhani said.Iran has one of the biggest missile programs in the Middle East, regarding such weapons as an important deterrent and retaliatory force against US and other adversaries - primarily Gulf Arabs - in the region in the event of war.For its part, the West sees Iran's missiles both as a conventional military threat to regional stability and a possible delivery mechanism for nuclear weapons should Tehran develop them.Tensions between Washington and Tehran have risen since 2018, when President Donald Trump abandoned the nuclear deal, and restored harsh economic sanctions to pressure Tehran into negotiating stricter curbs on its nuclear program, ballistic missile development and support for regional proxy forces.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Knesset approves bill requiring 30-day refunds for cancelled flights

The Knesset on Monday approved on second and third reading the Aviation Services Bill , which stipulates that starting on @ @ @ @ @ a refund to customers no later than thirty days after a canceled flight .
MK @ @ @ @ @ said that `` if the State of Israel respects itself , it should be more @ @ @ @ @ do not respect Knesset decisions . ''
MK Soba said firmly .
`` If a @ @ @ @ @ to and from Tel Aviv , it must respect Israeli law . ''

The Knesset on Monday approved on second and third reading the Aviation Services Bill, which stipulates that starting on Tueday, airlines must provide a refund to customers no later than thirty days after a canceled flight.
MK Yevgeny Soba of Yisrael Beyteinu said that "if the State of Israel respects itself, it should be more aggressive with foreign airlines that do not respect Knesset decisions." MK Soba said firmly. "If a company wants to continue flying to and from Tel Aviv, it must respect Israeli law."


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--YouTube, Gmail, Google Drive services face outage

Google 's own website that logs outages showed that all of the company 's services were suffering from outages since @ @ @ @ @ `` We are aware that many of you are having issues accessing YouTube right now @ @ @ @ @ and looking into it , '' company 's video platform said in a tweet .
@ @ @ @ @ here as soon as we have more news . ''

Google services, including YouTube, Gmail and Google Drive, were restored for most users on Monday, following a global outage that affected thousands.Google's website that logs outages said the services that were affected for nearly an hour should be restored for most users.The company has some of the most widely used services in the world. YouTube records over 2 billion logged-in users each month, with people watching over a billion hours of video on its platform."We're back up and running!," the video platform said in a tweet. It had earlier tweeted that many users were having issues accessing YouTube.According to outage monitoring website DownDetector, more than 12,000 YouTube users were affected in various parts of the world, including the United States, Britain and India.Outages on select Google apps are not uncommon, but Monday's outage affected all its popular services, including Google Hangouts, Google Chats and Google Meet, products that people have used extensively during the COVID-19 pandemic


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Pompeo: Sudan removal from terrorism list step for greater collaboration

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday said Washington has now officially removed Sudan from a list of state sponsors of terrorism, adding that the move represented a fundamental change for the two countries' bilateral ties towards greater cooperation."This achievement was made possible by the efforts of Sudan's civilian-led transitional government to chart a bold new course away from the legacy of the Bashir regime and, in particular, to meet the statutory and policy criteria for rescission," Pompeo said in a statement.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Constitution Committee approves outline for opening malls, museums

The Constitution , Law and Justice Committee has approved the outline for opening malls , markets and museums .
The @ @ @ @ @ MK Yakov Asher of the United Torah Judaism Party , demanded that the Health Ministry @ @ @ @ @ regulating `` green passports '' and also bring an agreed wording to the barcode at @ @ @ @ @ that will allow a wide and careful opening of the economy .
Head of Public @ @ @ @ @ Alroy-Preis , warned against the move , saying `` At the moment , the morbidity @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
This is not a stable situation that allows us to open up .
@

The Constitution, Law and Justice Committee has approved the outline for opening malls, markets and museums.
The chairman of the committee, MK Yakov Asher of the United Torah Judaism Party, demanded that the Health Ministry speed up the process of regulating "green passports" and also bring an agreed wording to the barcode at the entrance to commercial places that will allow a wide and careful opening of the economy.
Head of Public Health Services, Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, warned against the move, saying "At the moment, the morbidity indices are doubling every two weeks. This is not a stable situation that allows us to open up."


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--London likely to move into toughest tier of COVID-19 restrictions

London is likely to be placed into the toughest tier of COVID-19 restrictions following a sharp rise in coronavirus rates, the BBC reported on Monday.The British capital is currently in the second highest tier of restrictions, with a review currently scheduled to take place on Dec. 16.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Israeli singer Eyal Golan tests positive for COVID-19

Golan is asymptomatic , and he should be released from isolation in a week .

Golan is asymptomatic, and he should be released from isolation in a week.
Israeli singer Eyal Golan , who was diagnosed on Friday as borderline-positive for the novel coronavirus after returning from Dubai, received the results of a second test which confirmed that he was infected with the virus, Ynet reported on Monday.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Indonesian police arrest top Jemaah Islamiah terrorist

Zulkarnaen , one of the commanders of the Bali attack , was arrested on Thursday by anti-terrorism police , spokesman @ @ @ @ @ statement on Saturday .
He said the officers met no resistance .
Reuters was unable @ @ @ @ @ out whether he had any legal representation .
According to a U.N. Security Council report @ @ @ @ @ the name Aris Sumarsono .
Zulkarnaen is believed to have been involved in making the @ @ @ @ @ the Bali attacks and in the 2003 bombing of the J.W .
Marriott hotel in @ @ @ @ @ .
Jemaah Islamiah 's former leader Para Wijayanto was arrested in 2019 .

Indonesian police said they have arrested one of the seniormost members of the Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah who is said to be behind the 2002 bombings on the resort island of Bali that killed over 200 people.
Jemaah Islamiah's stated aim is to build an Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia.
Zulkarnaen, one of the commanders of the Bali attack, was arrested on Thursday by anti-terrorism police, spokesman Ahmad Ramadhan said in a statement on Saturday.
He said the officers met no resistance.
Reuters was unable to reach Zulkarnaen or find out whether he had any legal representation. According to a U.N. Security Council report, he also goes by the name Aris Sumarsono.
Zulkarnaen is believed to have been involved in making the bombs that were used in the Bali attacks and in the 2003 bombing of the J.W. Marriott hotel in Jakarta that killed 12 people.
Jemaah Islamiah's former leader Para Wijayanto was arrested in 2019.
Stanislaus Riyanta, a security analyst, said that Zulkarnaen's arrest could either weaken Jemaah Islamiah's operations or "spur them into action to prove their existence or seek revenge."


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Five additional Arab-majority localities classified as 'red zones'

Israel 's Health Ministry on Monday morning reported that five additional Arab-majority localities will be defined as restricted ( red @ @ @ @ @ in morbidity rates .
The localities are Kalansuwa , Baka al-Gharbiya , Usafiya , Kasra-Samia @ @ @ @ @ , the ministry also announced that the cities of Kfar Saba , Raanana , Ramle @ @ @ @ @ a-Zarqa were now defined as orange .
Maalot-Tarshiha turned from red to orange and Carmiel @ @ @ @ @ , the ministry reported .

Israel's Health Ministry on Monday morning reported that five additional Arab-majority localities will be defined as restricted (red) zones due to increases in morbidity rates. The localities are Kalansuwa, Baka al-Gharbiya, Usafiya, Kasra-Samia and Fassuta.
In addition, the ministry also announced that the cities of Kfar Saba, Raanana, Ramle and the locality of Jisr a-Zarqa were now defined as orange.
Maalot-Tarshiha turned from red to orange and Carmiel turned from orange to yellow, the ministry reported.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Chain accident between 3 trucks and a bus injures 5 on near Beit Yanai

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Five people were injured early on Monday morning in a chain traffic accident involving 3 trucks and a bus on Israel's coastal road, between the Olga interchange and Beit Yanai.Two men in their 30s were seriously injured, another man in his 20s was moderately injured, and two other people were lightly injured.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Coronavirus in Israel: 1,707 new cases Sunday, death toll nears 3000

With the help of vaccines , Israel will be able to return to a relatively normal routine by around April , Israel 's coronavirus commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash said Monday morning .
On Thursday , the government decided on the following scenario : Over Hanukkah , Israel will maintain its current level of restrictions .
If at any point Israel exceeds 2,500 new coronavirus cases a day or reaches a reproduction rate ( R ) of 1.32 – three sick people infecting four more – a period of “ tightened restraint ” will be applied .
This tightening will last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that period the reproduction rate falls to one or lower , the current restrictions will be reimposed .
If the R rate has risen or remains at its current level , the country will head into a lockdown .
Israel 's Health Ministry on Monday morning reported that 1,707 cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in the country on Sunday , with a positive result rate of 3.4 % .
Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman contributed to this article .
Some 353 patients are in serious condition , of whom 122 are intubated .
Since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been diagnosed in Israel , while the death toll has now reached 3,000.Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman contributed to this article .
`` I estimate that within a few months - in March , April - we will already have vaccinated a significant mass of Israeli residents , so that we can open up the economy , return to being active – and more or less return to a normal life , '' Ash said in two radio interviews with Army Radio and Kan Bet .
`` I hope we can celebrate this Passover without the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families .
`` Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also sounded optimistic , telling the public on Sunday that `` we are beginning the end of the pandemic , '' and announcing that the first Pfizer vaccine in the country will be administered this coming Sunday.However , before that can happen , Israel still has to go through a very tough December , as rising numbers of infections and deaths are leading many to believe that the country is heading toward a third lockdown .
The IDF Intelligence Directorate 's National Information and Knowledge Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , `` given the current value of the infection coefficient , the number of verified cases is expected to rise to about 2,500 per day on a weekly average by the end of the month . ''

The Also, the health funds have said that they will begin vaccinations on December 23.The IIBR trial is set to begin within the coming days at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, and then will be expanded to other medical centers across the country.
“The scientists of the IIBR are Israel’s ‘elite unit,’ and have taken on an extremely important task – saving human lives,” said Defense Minister Benny Gantz Monday evening in a statement. “I see great importance in the development of an Israeli vaccine that will continue to serve Israeli society for years to come.”
A spokesperson for Sheba told The Jerusalem Post that it will imminently start intensive screening for the Phase II trial. “We are working in tandem with IIBR on researching the potential of this game-changing vaccine,” he said. A spokesperson for Sheba told The Jerusalem Post that it will imminently start intensive screening for the Phase II trial. “We are working in tandem with IIBR on researching the potential of this game-changing vaccine,” he said.
The Phase II trial will be done with 1,000 healthy volunteers aged 18 and over, including senior citizens. The aim of this phase is to complete vaccine safety precautions, determine effective dosages and further determine the vaccine’s effectiveness, a release explained.
The trial is being launched after a successful Phase I trial, from which data was examined by both internal and external committees. No significant side effects were identified. If the Phase II trial is also successful, it will enable the launch of a large-scale trial to test the effectiveness of the vaccine with the participation of up to 30,000 volunteers in Israel and abroad. Phase III is the final phase required to achieve approval for vaccination.
Earlier, the institute said it hopes to have vaccines available by summer. According to IIBR head Dr. Shmuel Shapira, “over-regulation” has slowed the progress of the Brilife vaccine.
“We should have been in Phase III, and now we will only reach it by April,” he said last month in the Knesset. “I think we have come a long and difficult way. When a [representative of a] prestigious regulatory institute saw what we went through, he said that what we
experienced was ‘too complex a path.’”
The institute has the ability to produce 15 million doses of the vaccine candidate, if approved. Israel has already ordered eight million doses of the Pfizer vaccine – more than 300,000 of which have arrived in Israel – as well as six million doses of Moderna’s vaccine candidate and 10 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine candidate. The institute has the ability to produce 15 million doses of the vaccine candidate, if approved. Israel has already ordered eight million doses of the Pfizer vaccine – more than 300,000 of which have arrived in Israel – as well as six million doses of Moderna’s vaccine candidate and 10 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine candidate.
The vaccine takes the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and genetically engineers it so that it will express the spike protein of the novel coronavirus on its envelope. Once injected, it does not cause a disease by itself; VSV does not infect humans. Instead, the body recognizes the spike protein that is expressed on the envelope and begins to develop an immunological response. WITH THE various vaccines on the horizon, Israelis are still trying to figure out which regulations can be lifted and which should stay in place. The Constitution, Law and Justice Committee approved the outline on Monday for opening malls, markets and museums. WITH THE various vaccines on the horizon, Israelis are still trying to figure out which regulations can be lifted and which should stay in place. The Constitution, Law and Justice Committee approved the outline on Monday for opening malls, markets and museums. The chairman of the committee, MK Yakov Asher of the United Torah Judaism Party, demanded that the Health Ministry speed up the process of regulating “green passports” and also bring an agreed wording to the barcode at the entrance to commercial places that will allow a wide and careful opening of the economy. Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of Public Health Services, warned against the move, saying that, “at the moment, the morbidity indices are doubling every two weeks. This is not a stable situation that allows us to open up.” Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of Public Health Services, warned against the move, saying that, “at the moment, the morbidity indices are doubling every two weeks. This is not a stable situation that allows us to open up.”She also cautioned that 55% of the country is now living in red or orange areas and that it would be a mistake to open up the country further. She warned that Israelis returning from Dubai, where there have been reports in recent days of huge parties with no virus precautions – as well as the fact that Ben-Gurion Airport has been crowded – could raise the infection rate. But others in the health establishment were more optimistic. With the help of vaccines, Israel would be able to return to a relatively normal routine around April, Israel’s coronavirus commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash said on Monday morning. “I estimate that within a few months – in March, April – we will already have vaccinated a significant portion of Israeli residents, so that we can open up the economy, return to being active and more or less return to a normal life,” Ash said in radio interviews with Army Radio and Kan Bet. “I hope we can celebrate this Passover without the restrictions on gatherings, surrounded by our families.” “I estimate that within a few months – in March, April – we will already have vaccinated a significant portion of Israeli residents, so that we can open up the economy, return to being active and more or less return to a normal life,” Ash said in radio interviews with Army Radio and Kan Bet. “I hope we can celebrate this Passover without the restrictions on gatherings, surrounded by our families.” The Health Ministry on Monday morning reported that 1,707 cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in the country on Sunday, with a positive result rate of 3.4%. On Monday as of 3 p.m., there were 656 positive cases diagnosed and 383 serious cases, of which 99 were on ventilators. The death toll stood at 3,003. Idan Zonshine, Lahav Harkov and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report. Idan Zonshine, Lahav Harkov and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report. The Moderna vaccine candidate is expected to be reviewed by an advisory committee of the US Food and Drug Administration for Emergency Use Authorization on December 17. Unlike Moderna’s and Pfizer’s vaccines, which are based on messenger RNA, Brilife is vector-based.The vaccine takes the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and genetically engineers it so that it will express the spike protein of the novel coronavirus on its envelope. Once injected, it does not cause a disease by itself; VSV does not infect humans. Instead, the body recognizes the spike protein that is expressed on the envelope and begins to develop an immunological response.
As the death toll from the coronavirus in Israel passed more than 3,000, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would be vaccinated on Saturday night and the Health Ministry announced it has approved the launch of Phase II clinical trial for the Israel Institute of Biological Research’s coronavirus vaccine candidate, known as Brilife.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Biden's adviser Sullivan promises to stand up to Iran's abuses

`` Iran ’ s execution of Ruhollah Zam , a journalist who was denied due process and sentenced for exercising @ @ @ @ @ another horrifying human rights violation by the Iranian regime , '' Sullivan wrote on Twitter @ @ @ @ @ our partners in calling out and standing up to Iran ’ s abuses , '' @ @ @

"Iran’s execution of Ruhollah Zam, a journalist who was denied due process and sentenced for exercising his universal rights, is another horrifying human rights violation by the Iranian regime," Sullivan wrote on Twitter.
"We will join our partners in calling out and standing up to Iran’s abuses," he added.
Jake Sullivan, the National Security Adviser-designate for President-elect Joe Biden's administration, promised late Sunday to stand up to Iran and its "horrifying human rights violation" following the execution of Iranian journalist Ruhollah Zam.


jerusalempost--2020-12-15--Mexico reports 5,930 new coronavirus cases, 345 more deaths

Mexico 's health ministry on Monday reported 5,930 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 345 additional fatalities , bringing @ @ @ @ @ to 1,255,974 cases and 114,298 deaths .
The government says the real number of infected @ @ @ @ @ than the confirmed cases .

Mexico's health ministry on Monday reported 5,930 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 345 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 1,255,974 cases and 114,298 deaths.
The government says the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Brazil reports 433 new coronavirus deaths in 24 hours

Brazil has registered 433 additional COVID-19 deaths and 25,193 new confirmed cases over the last 24 hours , the Health @ @ @ @ @ The South American country has now registered a total of 181,835 COVID-19 deaths and 6,927,145 @ @ @ @ @ new coronavirus .

Brazil has registered 433 additional COVID-19 deaths and 25,193 new confirmed cases over the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Monday.
The South American country has now registered a total of 181,835 COVID-19 deaths and 6,927,145 total confirmed cases of the new coronavirus.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--IDF: Tank accidentally fires toward Gaza, hits abandoned building

Damage was done to the abandoned building , and no casualties were reported .

Damage was done to the abandoned building, and no casualties were reported.
An IDF tank accidentally shot toward the Gaza Strip on Monday during a military operation, hitting an abadoned structure, according to Walla! news.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Maccabi marks one million COVID-19 tests

The Maccabi Healthcare Services conducted their one millionth corona test on Monday .
“ This one millionth COVID-19 test marks @ @ @ @ @ fight that we are conducting against the coronavirus , a fight that ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ already , ” CEO

The Maccabi Healthcare Services conducted their one millionth corona test on Monday.
“This one millionth COVID-19 test marks another milestone in the great fight that we are conducting against the coronavirus, a fight that’s been going on for 10 months already,” Maccabi Healthcare Services CEO Ran Saar said. Medical staff at Maccabi Healthcare Services, December 24, 2020.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Venezuela says at least 20 dead in shipwreck, one person detained

CARACAS - At least 20 people died when a boat sank off the eastern Venezuelan coast over the weekend and the vessel's owner has been arrested, the country's chief prosecutor said on Monday.The government of President Nicolas Maduro initially said it had found 14 bodies floating off shore from Guiria in the state of Sucre, a frequent departure point for migrants fleeing their Venezuela's economic crisis to the neighboring island nation of Trinidad and Tobago.Prosecutor Tarek Saab wrote on Twitter that 56-year-old Luis Martinez had been arrested and that the case had been assigned to prosecutors specializing in human trafficking.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Institute for Biological Research can start second trial phase for vaccine


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--US imposes Iran-related sanctions on two individuals -Treasury website

WASHINGTON - The United States on Monday imposed Iran-related sanctions on two individuals, according to the Treasury Department's website, increasing pressure on Tehran as US President Donald Trump's term nears a close.Washington blacklisted Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, both linked to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, according to the website.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--Pompeo says US condemns 'unjust, barbaric' execution of Iranian journalist

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday the United States strongly condemned Iran's 'unjust, barbaric" execution of Iranian dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam, who was convicted of fomenting violence during anti-government protests in 2017.Iran said last week that its Supreme Court had upheld the death sentence against Zam, who was captured in 2019 in circumstances that have not been officially disclosed, after years of living in exile in France.


jerusalempost--2020-12-14--23-year-old investigated for plotting to marry 14-year-old girl

The Jerusalem District Police arrested the ultra-Orthodox parents of a 14-year-old girl after they attempted to marry her off to a 23-year-old man from Jerusalem last week, N12 reported on Wednesday.A week before the planned wedding, police received an alert of the event, and intervened, Maariv, the sister publication of The Jerusalem Post, reported at the time. The girl was not yet 15."She is mature for her age — that's what's important," the girl's mother told N12. "She's not like other 14-year-old girls." She denied knowing, at the time, of the illegality of marrying her daughter off at such a young age.Following police intervention, the daughter was then investigated, and transferred to Jerusalem's welfare and social services.The parents of the girl, in addition to other players, were subject to a police investigation in connection with the incident, culminating with the parents' arrest. The wedding was cancelled."I want them to return my daughter," the mother said. "I don't want children to be taken from their parents' homes in such a gross manner." The parents' lawyer insisted that they now understand the severity of the just-missed wedding ceremony.


jerusalempost--2020-12-15--Man shoots patient at Shamir Medical Center, commits suicide

A man entered Shamir Medical Center , shot a patient , and committed suicide , according to Maariv .
More @ @ @

An oncology ward patient reportedly fatally shot his 74-year-old terminally ill wife in Shamir medical hospital on Tuesday afternoon, according to Maariv, sister newspaper to The Jerusalem Post. Maariv reported that he committed suicide immediately afterwards in front of the other patients. Police arrived at the scene and are currently investigating the incident.


jerusalempost--2020-12-15--Turkey says US sanctions have 'shaken' values of alliance

On Monday , Washington imposed the sanctions targeting Turkey 's Presidency of Defence Industry ( SSB ) , its chairman @ @ @ @ @ `` This sanctions decision has shaken all values in our countries ' alliance , '' @ @ @ @ @ to cooperation and solidarity with the United States ... will provide an important contribution to @ @ @ @ @ security . ''

Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said on Tuesday U.S. sanctions over Ankara's purchase of Russian defenses had shaken all values in their alliance and he called for renewed cooperation between the NATO allies.
On Monday, Washington imposed the sanctions targeting Turkey's Presidency of Defence Industry (SSB), its chairman and three other employees.
"This sanctions decision has shaken all values in our countries' alliance," Akar said. "Returning to cooperation and solidarity with the United States ... will provide an important contribution to regional and global peace and security."


jerusalempost--2020-12-15--19-year-old babysitter indicted for molesting 9-year-old boy in Jerusalem

An indictment was filed on Wednesday in the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court against a 19-year-old resident of Tzur Hadassah for performing an indecent act on a 9-year-old boy while he was babysitting him at his home.