Syria war enters tenth year with no hope in sight
As it enters its tenth year, the war in Syria is anything but abating, as foreign powers scrap over a ravaged country where human suffering keeps reaching new levels.
Israel
Powerful storm set to batter Israel with 100-kph winds, massive flooding
Already buffeted by political gridlock and facing a shuttering of key industries over the coronavirus threat, Israelis were informed on Thursday they should brace themselves for yet another storm — a literal one this time.
‘Zionist’ Christian in Iran receives extension on prison sentence
‘Evangelical Zionist Christianity’ is the charge laid against a Christian convert in Iran whose prison sentence the government recently extended.
Coronavirus turns Israeli politics towards unity
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will task Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White rival Benny Gantz with forming the next government Sunday, as lawmakers across the political spectrum are calling for an emergency government to deal with the novel coronavirus.
Israeli-made oral vaccine for coronavirus on track, but testing will take months
An effective Israeli-developed vaccine for coronavirus is on track to be ready for testing within “a few weeks,” though it won’t be available for months because of the lengthy and sometimes bureaucratic testing and approval process, a member of the development team said Tuesday.
Israel responds to UN blacklist of companies in Judea and Samaria
The Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy responded in February to a UN ‘blacklist’ of Israeli companies highlighted for supposed human rights abuses with an expose detailing the terror-links of the groups that lobbied for the list’s creation.
Israel requires foreign citizens flying into the country to quarantine themselves for fourteen days
Israel has imposed quarantine conditions on all incoming flights in a move that the Finance Ministry predicts will cost the country $1.4 billion.
US Army scraps $1b. Iron Dome project, after Israel refuses to provide key codes
The US Army said it was curbing its plans to adopt the Iron Dome missile defense system due to concerns about its compatibility with existing US technologies, scrapping its plans to buy two more batteries and explore long-term integration of the Israel-developed system.
Netanyahu calls virus ‘pandemic’ as Israel plans restrictions on some US flights
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that the coronavirus was a pandemic more severe than any disease outbreak in the past century, as a senior official said Israel was likely hours away from placing restrictions on flights arriving from some parts of the United States.
Coronavirus outbreak already at pandemic levels, Israeli health official warns
The novel coronavirus spreading across the world is already at a ‘pandemic’ stage, a top Israeli health official said Thursday, though world health authorities have held off from declaring a global outbreak.
Pompeo Says Iran Must Be Held Accountable on Nuclear Commitments
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday called on all nations to hold Iran accountable for its nuclear commitments and said Tehran’s failure to report nuclear material was a clear violation of safeguard agreements.
Final results show Likud with 36 seats, Netanyahu bloc short of majority with 58
A full 68 hours after the polling stations closed and exit polls predicted a surge for Likud and its right-wing bloc, the Central Elections Committee on Thursday confirmed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party as the largest after Monday’s general election, with final results giving it 36 seats to rival Blue and White’s 33.
With 99% of votes counted, right-wing bloc slips to 58 seats, 3 shy of majority
As votes cast in so-called double envelopes in the Knesset elections were being tallied, the Central Election Committee updated the count Wednesday morning, giving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and the centrist rival Blue and White led by Benny Gantz an extra seat apiece, leaving the premier’s bloc of right-wing supporters at 58 seats.
IDF halts major air defense drill with US as coronavirus restrictions intensify
The Israel Defense Forces called off a major air defense exercise with the United States on Wednesday night, a day after it launched, following stricter safety restrictions issued by the Health Ministry aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
Damascus says Israeli airstrikes target bases near Homs, southern Syria
Damascus said early Thursday that Israel was carrying out airstrikes in central and southern Syria and that its air defenses had engaged the missiles.
Netanyahu within one or two seats of forming ruling majority, left-wing MKs expected to defect
With 92% of the vote counted Tuesday from unprecedented third elections in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing bloc were slated to beat rival Benny Gantz and the Blue and White party with 59 seats in the 120-member Knesset.
Rivlin likely to task Netanyahu with forming government on first day of trial
President Reuven Rivlin is set to task a candidate with forming a government on or before March 17, the same day Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal trial begins.
Iranian supreme leader orders armed forces to combat new virus
Iran’s supreme leader on Tuesday ordered the Islamic Republic’s armed forces to assist its Health Ministry in combating the spread of the new coronavirus.
Iran refusing to give answers on 3 undeclared nuclear sites, UN watchdog says
Iran has nearly tripled its stockpile of enriched uranium over the last three months in violation of its deal with world powers and is refusing to answer questions about three possible undeclared nuclear sites, the UN nuclear watchdog agency said Tuesday.
Turnout highest since 1999 as voters defy predictions of apathy, virus fears
Smashing worries about voter fatigue and virus fears, authorities said Monday that Israelis were streaming to the polls in higher numbers than have been seen in years.