Dutch researchers have trained bees, which have an unusually keen sense of smell, to detect COVID-19 infected samples, a finding they said could cut the waiting time for test results to seconds.

Dutch researchers train bees to detect coronavirus

The Israeli army shot and killed a Palestinian teenager in the West Bank on Wednesday, the Palestinian health ministry said.

Sixteen-year-old Said Youssef Muhammad Oudeh "succumbed to his grave wounds caused by live bullets" fired by Israeli troops in the northern Odla area near Nablus, the ministry added.

The Palestine Red Crescent confirmed having recovered the body of a young man.

It said another young man was wounded by the shots and had been hospitalised.

Contacted by AFP, the Israeli army said that Molotov cocktails were thrown at soldiers "during a routine operation south of Nablus".

"The soldiers acted to stop the suspects by opening fire on them," the army said, adding that no soldiers were injured and that the incident would be investigated.

The Israeli army this week launched a massive manhunt in the northern West Bank in search of a Palestinian who on Sunday shot three Israelis, including a 19-year-old who died Wednesday of his wounds, according to Israeli news reports.&nbsp;

The shooter fled after opening fire at a bus station at the Tapuah junction south of Nablus.

Israeli security forces said a suspect identified as 44-year-old Montasser Shalabi had been arrested Wednesday in the village of Silwad near Ramallah, adding that he was not a member of any "terrorist" organisation.

Palestinian sources said Shalabi is a dual US national.

The Israeli army has occupied the West Bank, a Palestinian territory, since 1967.

About 2.8 million Palestinians live in this territory, as do some 475,000 Israelis living in settlements deemed illegal by international law. 
&nbsp;

The Israeli army shot and killed a Palestinian teenager in the West Bank on Wednesday, the Palestinian health ministry said. Sixteen-year-old Said Youssef Muhammad Oudeh "succumbed to his grave wounds caused by live bullets" fired by Israeli troops in the northern Odla area near Nablus, the ministry added.

The Israeli army shot and killed a Palestinian teenager in the West Bank on Wednesday, the Palestinian health ministry said. Sixteen-year-old Said Youssef Muhammad Oudeh "succumbed to his grave wounds caused by live bullets" fired by Israeli troops in the northern Odla area near Nablus, the ministry added. The Palestine Red Crescent confirmed having recovered the body of a young man. It said another young man was wounded by the shots and had been hospitalised. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli army said that Molotov cocktails were thrown at soldiers "during a routine operation south of Nablus". "The soldiers acted to stop the suspects by opening fire on them," the army said, adding that no soldiers were injured and that the incident would be investigated. The Israeli army this week launched a massive manhunt in the northern West Bank in search of a Palestinian who on Sunday shot three Israelis, including a 19-year-old who died Wednesday of his wounds, according to Israeli news reports. The shooter fled after opening fire at a bus station at the Tapuah junction south of Nablus. Israeli security forces said a suspect identified as 44-year-old Montasser Shalabi had been arrested Wednesday in the village of Silwad near Ramallah, adding that he was not a member of any "terrorist" organisation. Palestinian sources said Shalabi is a dual US national. The Israeli army has occupied the West Bank, a Palestinian territory, since 1967. About 2.8 million Palestinians live in this territory, as do some 475,000 Israelis living in settlements deemed illegal by international law.

Israeli army kills Palestinian teen in West Bank: Ministry

Former Israeli army sniper David Roytman has turned his hand to action painting, but with live-fire ranges as studios and guns instead of brushes to blast colours into abstract patterns.

Art attack: Israeli ex-sniper fired up as action painter

Clashes erupted in Jerusalem ahead of court case which could evict Palestinians.&nbsp;The case has been running for very long and could evict Palestinians from their homes which are claimed by settlers. The court session is set to take place on Thursday.

"Go back to Jordan," Reuters quoted settlers&nbsp;in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood as saying. The neighbourhood was captured by Israel in 1967 during the Middle East war.<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/icc-probes-alleged-war-crimes-in-palestine-territories-367958/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe>

Over the last week, police donning riot gear on horseback have been patrolling the neighbourhood. They have arrested several Palestinians and has been using water cannons to spray a foul-smelling liquid to ease the crowds.

The neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah is situated outside Jerusalem’s Old City which is near the Damascus Gate. This area is home to many Palestinian homes and apartment buildings.&nbsp; Just a few days back, the area surrounding Damascus Gate witnessed nightly clashes over access to the square.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/israel-palestine-issue-may-brew-for-long-time-says-former-white-house-middle-east-envoy-372876" hreflang="en">Israel-Palestine issue may brew for long time, says Former White House Middle East envoy</a>

According to Palestinian medics, 12 Palestinians have been injured in the clashes since Sunday. Out of these, three have required hospital treatment. The police say that Palestinian protesters hurled rocks and firebombs at authorities during the demonstrations.

The neighbourhood is largely Palestinian, but it includes a site highly revered by Jews - the tomb of an ancient high priest - Simon the Just.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/turkey-wants-to-establish-better-ties-with-israel-but-palestine-policy-is-unacceptable-erdogan-352378" hreflang="en">Turkey wants to establish better ties with Israel, but Palestine policy is 'unacceptable': Erdogan</a>

Ruling on Thursday at Israel’s Supreme Court will decide whether the ruling by the lower court to evict Palestinians will be upheld or whether these families could appeal. Many human rights campaigners believe that if the Palestinians lose the court battle, it could set a precedent for other areas nearby.

(With inputs from agencies)

Clashes erupted in Jerusalem ahead of court case which could evict Palestinians. The case has been running for very long and could evict Palestinians from their homes which are claimed by settlers.

Clashes erupted in Jerusalem ahead of court case which could evict Palestinians. The case has been running for very long and could evict Palestinians from their homes which are claimed by settlers. The court session is set to take place on Thursday. "Go back to Jordan," Reuters quoted settlers in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood as saying. The neighbourhood was captured by Israel in 1967 during the Middle East war. Over the last week, police donning riot gear on horseback have been patrolling the neighbourhood. They have arrested several Palestinians and has been using water cannons to spray a foul-smelling liquid to ease the crowds. The neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah is situated outside Jerusalem’s Old City which is near the Damascus Gate. This area is home to many Palestinian homes and apartment buildings. Just a few days back, the area surrounding Damascus Gate witnessed nightly clashes over access to the square. Also read: Israel-Palestine issue may brew for long time, says Former White House Middle East envoy According to Palestinian medics, 12 Palestinians have been injured in the clashes since Sunday. Out of these, three have required hospital treatment. The police say that Palestinian protesters hurled rocks and firebombs at authorities during the demonstrations. The neighbourhood is largely Palestinian, but it includes a site highly revered by Jews - the tomb of an ancient high priest - Simon the Just. Also read: Turkey wants to establish better ties with Israel, but Palestine policy is 'unacceptable': Erdogan Ruling on Thursday at Israel’s Supreme Court will decide whether the ruling by the lower court to evict Palestinians will be upheld or whether these families could appeal. Many human rights campaigners believe that if the Palestinians lose the court battle, it could set a precedent for other areas nearby. (With inputs from agencies)

Clashes erupt in Jerusalem ahead of key court ruling on Palestinians' eviction

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to meet a midnight deadline to put together a new governing coalition, raising the possibility that his Likud party could be pushed into the opposition for the first time in 12 years.&nbsp;

The deadline closed a four-week window granted to Netanyahu by Israel's figurehead president.&nbsp;

The matter now bounces back to President Reuven Rivlin, who announced just after midnight that he would contact on Wednesday the 13 parties with seats in parliament to discuss the continuation of the process of forming a government.&nbsp;

Rivlin is expected in the coming days to give one of Netanyahu's opponents a chance to form an alternative coalition government.&nbsp;

He also could ask the parliament to select one of its own members as prime minister. If all else fails, the country would be forced into another election this fall, the fifth in just over two years.&nbsp;

The turmoil does not mean that Netanyahu will immediately be forced out as prime minister. But he now faces a serious threat to his lengthy rule.&nbsp;

His opponents, despite deep ideological differences, already have been holding informal talks in recent weeks in hopes of forging a power-sharing agreement.&nbsp;

Netanyahu had struggled to secure a parliamentary majority since March 23, when elections ended in deadlock for the fourth consecutive time in the past two years.&nbsp;

Despite repeated meetings with many of his rivals and unprecedented outreach to the leader of a small Islamist Arab party, Netanyahu was unable to close a deal.&nbsp;

Rivlin gave Netanyahu the first chance to form a coalition after 52 members of parliament endorsed him as prime minister last month. That was short of a majority, but the highest number for any party leader.&nbsp;

Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who received the backing of 45 lawmakers, now seems to be the most likely candidate to get a chance to form a government.&nbsp;

Naftali Bennett, head of the small religious, nationalist Yamina party, is also a possibility. Bennett, a former Netanyahu ally turned rival, controls just seven seats in parliament, but he has emerged as a kingmaker of sorts and appears to carry the votes that Lapid would need to secure a parliamentary majority.&nbsp;

Lapid already has said he is ready to share the prime minister's job with Bennett, with Bennett serving first in a rotation. So far, they have not reached any firm agreements.&nbsp;

In a brief statement, Netanyahu's Likud party blamed Bennett for the prime minister's failure. &nbsp;

"Because of Bennett's refusal to commit to a right-wing government, something that would have certainly led to the formation of a government along with other members of Knesset, Prime Minister Netanyahu returned the mandate to the president,” the statement said.&nbsp;

Defence Minister Benny Gantz, leader of the centrist Blue and White party, called on Netanyahu's opponents to line up behind Lapid.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to meet a midnight deadline to put together a new governing coalition, raising the possibility that his Likud party could be pushed into the opposition for the first time in 12 years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to meet a midnight deadline to put together a new governing coalition, raising the possibility that his Likud party could be pushed into the opposition for the first time in 12 years. The deadline closed a four-week window granted to Netanyahu by Israel's figurehead president. The matter now bounces back to President Reuven Rivlin, who announced just after midnight that he would contact on Wednesday the 13 parties with seats in parliament to discuss the continuation of the process of forming a government. Rivlin is expected in the coming days to give one of Netanyahu's opponents a chance to form an alternative coalition government. He also could ask the parliament to select one of its own members as prime minister. If all else fails, the country would be forced into another election this fall, the fifth in just over two years. The turmoil does not mean that Netanyahu will immediately be forced out as prime minister. But he now faces a serious threat to his lengthy rule. His opponents, despite deep ideological differences, already have been holding informal talks in recent weeks in hopes of forging a power-sharing agreement. Netanyahu had struggled to secure a parliamentary majority since March 23, when elections ended in deadlock for the fourth consecutive time in the past two years. Despite repeated meetings with many of his rivals and unprecedented outreach to the leader of a small Islamist Arab party, Netanyahu was unable to close a deal. Rivlin gave Netanyahu the first chance to form a coalition after 52 members of parliament endorsed him as prime minister last month. That was short of a majority, but the highest number for any party leader. Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who received the backing of 45 lawmakers, now seems to be the most likely candidate to get a chance to form a government. Naftali Bennett, head of the small religious, nationalist Yamina party, is also a possibility. Bennett, a former Netanyahu ally turned rival, controls just seven seats in parliament, but he has emerged as a kingmaker of sorts and appears to carry the votes that Lapid would need to secure a parliamentary majority. Lapid already has said he is ready to share the prime minister's job with Bennett, with Bennett serving first in a rotation. So far, they have not reached any firm agreements. In a brief statement, Netanyahu's Likud party blamed Bennett for the prime minister's failure. "Because of Bennett's refusal to commit to a right-wing government, something that would have certainly led to the formation of a government along with other members of Knesset, Prime Minister Netanyahu returned the mandate to the president,” the statement said. Defence Minister Benny Gantz, leader of the centrist Blue and White party, called on Netanyahu's opponents to line up behind Lapid. (With inputs from agencies)

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu misses deadline to form govt, political future in question 

US President Joe Biden, in a phone call on Tuesday with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, underlined the strategic importance of the normalisation of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, the White House said in a statement.&nbsp;

Israel established formal relations with the UAE in September as part of a US-brokered agreement. The UAE and Israel share common concerns about Iran.&nbsp;

Biden and Prince Mohammed discussed "the nuclear and regional dimensions of the threat posed by Iran, as well as the common quest for de-escalation and peace" in the Middle East, the statement said.&nbsp;

Biden "underlined the strategic importance of the normalisation of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel," it said. Biden "expressed his full support for strengthening and expanding these arrangements."&nbsp;

Biden and the crown prince also discussed Afghanistan and the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray region, the White House said. &nbsp;

(With input from agencies)&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden, in a phone call on Tuesday with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, underlined the strategic importance of the normalisation of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, the White House said in a statement.

US President Joe Biden, in a phone call on Tuesday with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, underlined the strategic importance of the normalisation of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, the White House said in a statement. Israel established formal relations with the UAE in September as part of a US-brokered agreement. The UAE and Israel share common concerns about Iran. Biden and Prince Mohammed discussed "the nuclear and regional dimensions of the threat posed by Iran, as well as the common quest for de-escalation and peace" in the Middle East, the statement said. Biden "underlined the strategic importance of the normalisation of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel," it said. Biden "expressed his full support for strengthening and expanding these arrangements." Biden and the crown prince also discussed Afghanistan and the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray region, the White House said. (With input from agencies)

Biden stresses importance of normalisation with Israel in call with Abu Dhabi crown prince 

Israel observes day of mourning for 45 people crushed to death at Jewish religious festival

44 people have died in a stampede at the Lag Baomer festival in Israel. PM Benjamin Netanyahu has called it the worst civilian disaster in Israel's history.

Gravitas: Stampede kills 44 at Lag Baomer festival

At least 44 people have been killed in northern Israel due to massive stampede at a densely packed Jewish pilgrimage site on Friday. The disaster occurred in Meron at the site of the reputed tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, where mainly ultra-Orthodox Jews flock to mark the Lag BaOmer holiday.

At least 44 killed in stampede at Israel pilgrimage site, several injured

Palestinians gathered in celebration outside Jerusalem's Damascus Gate on Sunday night after barriers put up by Israeli police were removed. The plaze outside Damascus gate is a traditional gathering spot for Palestinians during the holy month of Ramazan.

Jerusalem clashes end: Palestinians cheer as Israeli barriers come down

Israel's Health Ministry said on Sunday it is examining a small number of cases of heart inflammation in people, who had received Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, though it has not yet drawn any conclusions.&nbsp;

Pfizer said it has not observed a higher rate of the condition than would normally be expected in the general population.&nbsp;

Israel's pandemic response coordinator, Nachman Ash, said that a preliminary study showed "tens of incidents" of myocarditis occurring among more than 5 million vaccinated people, primarily after the second dose. &nbsp;

Ash said it was unclear whether this was unusually high and whether it was connected to the vaccine.&nbsp;

Most of the cases were reported among people up to age 30.&nbsp;

"The Health Ministry is currently examining whether there is an excess in morbidity (disease rate) and whether it can be attributed to the vaccines," Ash said.&nbsp;

Ash, who spoke about the issue in a radio interview and during a news conference, referred to it as a "question mark", and emphasised that the Health Ministry has yet to draw any conclusions.&nbsp;

Determining a link, he said, would be difficult because myocarditis, a condition that often goes away without complications, can be caused by a variety of viruses and a similar number of cases were reported in previous years.&nbsp;

Pfizer, asked by Reuters about the review, said it is in regular contact with Israel’s Health Ministry to review data on its vaccine.&nbsp;

The company said it "is aware of the Israeli observations of myocarditis that occurred predominantly in a population of young men who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine".&nbsp;

"Adverse events are regularly and thoroughly reviewed and we have not observed a higher rate of myocarditis than what would be expected in the general population. A causal link to the vaccine has not been established," the company said.&nbsp;

"There is no evidence at this time to conclude that myocarditis is a risk associated with the use of Pfizer/BNT COVID-19 vaccine."&nbsp;

Israel has been a world leader in its vaccination rollout, with close to 60% of its 9.3 million population having received the Pfizer vaccine. Its nationwide database has already showed the vaccine to be highly effective in preventing the symptoms and severe illness associated with COVID-19.&nbsp;

Since January, shortly after the vaccine campaign began, daily infections dropped from a peak of more than 10,000 to just 129 before the weekend.&nbsp;

Nadav Davidovitch, director of the school of public health at Israel's Ben Gurion University, said that even if a correlation between the myocarditis cases and the vaccine were established, it did not appear to be serious enough to stop administering the vaccine.&nbsp;

"It's a situation that should be looked into, and we need to wait for a final report, but in an interim analysis it seems the risk of getting sick from COVID-19 is much higher than from the vaccine's adverse events, and the risk of peri/myo-carditis following the vaccine is low and temporary," he said.&nbsp;

Israel's Health Ministry said on Sunday it is examining a small number of cases of heart inflammation in people, who had received Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, though it has not yet drawn any conclusions.

Israel's Health Ministry said on Sunday it is examining a small number of cases of heart inflammation in people, who had received Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, though it has not yet drawn any conclusions. Pfizer said it has not observed a higher rate of the condition than would normally be expected in the general population. Israel's pandemic response coordinator, Nachman Ash, said that a preliminary study showed "tens of incidents" of myocarditis occurring among more than 5 million vaccinated people, primarily after the second dose. Ash said it was unclear whether this was unusually high and whether it was connected to the vaccine. Most of the cases were reported among people up to age 30. "The Health Ministry is currently examining whether there is an excess in morbidity (disease rate) and whether it can be attributed to the vaccines," Ash said. Ash, who spoke about the issue in a radio interview and during a news conference, referred to it as a "question mark", and emphasised that the Health Ministry has yet to draw any conclusions. Determining a link, he said, would be difficult because myocarditis, a condition that often goes away without complications, can be caused by a variety of viruses and a similar number of cases were reported in previous years. Pfizer, asked by Reuters about the review, said it is in regular contact with Israel’s Health Ministry to review data on its vaccine. The company said it "is aware of the Israeli observations of myocarditis that occurred predominantly in a population of young men who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine". "Adverse events are regularly and thoroughly reviewed and we have not observed a higher rate of myocarditis than what would be expected in the general population. A causal link to the vaccine has not been established," the company said. "There is no evidence at this time to conclude that myocarditis is a risk associated with the use of Pfizer/BNT COVID-19 vaccine." Israel has been a world leader in its vaccination rollout, with close to 60% of its 9.3 million population having received the Pfizer vaccine. Its nationwide database has already showed the vaccine to be highly effective in preventing the symptoms and severe illness associated with COVID-19. Since January, shortly after the vaccine campaign began, daily infections dropped from a peak of more than 10,000 to just 129 before the weekend. Nadav Davidovitch, director of the school of public health at Israel's Ben Gurion University, said that even if a correlation between the myocarditis cases and the vaccine were established, it did not appear to be serious enough to stop administering the vaccine. "It's a situation that should be looked into, and we need to wait for a final report, but in an interim analysis it seems the risk of getting sick from COVID-19 is much higher than from the vaccine's adverse events, and the risk of peri/myo-carditis following the vaccine is low and temporary," he said.

Israel examining heart inflammation cases in people, who received Pfizer COVID-19 shot 

Nighttime clashes in East Jerusalem flare Palestine-Israel tensions

Israel is gearing up for the second round of vaccinations. The focus this time is on 12 to 15-year-olds. Are these vaccines proven to be safe for children? WION brings you a report.

Israel gears up to vaccinate 12 to 15-year-olds

Over hundred Palestinians have been injured in over night clashes with Israeli police. 20 police officers have injured, 3 of them have been rushed to hospital.

Clashes broke out between Palestinians and Israeli police

Vaccines are effective in reducing caseloads and preventing death, according to evidence. There is a clear divide between those who got the jabs first, and those who did not. As a result, the global struggle to tame the virus continues.&nbsp;

The masks have come off in Israel and the people are back on the streets. The beaches are packed and friends can embrace, without fear. Most adults in Israel have got at least one jab. Now, kids could be next as Israel is gearing up for the second round of vaccinations. The focus this time is on 12 to 15 year olds.&nbsp;

Israel might have reached herd immunity but the rest of the world is still struggling to find its way out of this pandemic. New infections worldwide touched a new high last week with more than 5.2 million people testing positive, an increase of 12 per cent from a week earlier.&nbsp;

While Brazil and India are driving the global caseloads, European countries like France and Germany are experiencing large outbreaks too. France now plans to lift restrictions in May while in Germany, the government has come up with a new law to impose tougher restrictions on states. A move that triggered protests in Berlin. &nbsp;

But some other European nations are in much better shape, such as Belgium, Switzerland and Denmark, who have announced easing of restrictions as their caseloads reduce.&nbsp;

The case of Denmark stands out unlike the major European powers as it avoided a third wave. Its infection and death rates are among the lowest in Europe.&nbsp;

Now, Denmark is in a position to fully implement a vaccine passport, known as the Coronapas. The digital app shows a certificate of vaccination or a citizen's latest negative coronavirus test. &nbsp;

The European Union wants to implement such digital certificates across all 27 member states by June as it tries to allow free movement of Europeans again. Denmark could be the first to get there as the country lifts the restrictions. Citizens would now need a Coronapas to enjoy their freedoms again.&nbsp;

Those, who don't get their jabs, might struggle to move around in the future as countries mull movement restrictions for the unvaccinated. The UAE is one of them. After vaccinating 65 per cent of its eligible population, the UAE is considering strict measures to restrict the unvaccinated. This could include entry bans in some places and curbs on access to public services.&nbsp;

Israel's mass inoculation drive has given the rest of the world a glimpse into the future. Other countries are now betting on the jabs to end restrictions. With more than 925 million doses administered across 155 countries by now, it looks like the vaccines will be the only key you would need to leave the safety of your home. &nbsp;

Vaccines are effective in reducing caseloads and preventing death, according to evidence. There is a clear divide between those who got the jabs first, and those who did not.

Vaccines are effective in reducing caseloads and preventing death, according to evidence. There is a clear divide between those who got the jabs first, and those who did not. As a result, the global struggle to tame the virus continues. The masks have come off in Israel and the people are back on the streets. The beaches are packed and friends can embrace, without fear. Most adults in Israel have got at least one jab. Now, kids could be next as Israel is gearing up for the second round of vaccinations. The focus this time is on 12 to 15 year olds. Israel might have reached herd immunity but the rest of the world is still struggling to find its way out of this pandemic. New infections worldwide touched a new high last week with more than 5.2 million people testing positive, an increase of 12 per cent from a week earlier. While Brazil and India are driving the global caseloads, European countries like France and Germany are experiencing large outbreaks too. France now plans to lift restrictions in May while in Germany, the government has come up with a new law to impose tougher restrictions on states. A move that triggered protests in Berlin. But some other European nations are in much better shape, such as Belgium, Switzerland and Denmark, who have announced easing of restrictions as their caseloads reduce. The case of Denmark stands out unlike the major European powers as it avoided a third wave. Its infection and death rates are among the lowest in Europe. Now, Denmark is in a position to fully implement a vaccine passport, known as the Coronapas. The digital app shows a certificate of vaccination or a citizen's latest negative coronavirus test. The European Union wants to implement such digital certificates across all 27 member states by June as it tries to allow free movement of Europeans again. Denmark could be the first to get there as the country lifts the restrictions. Citizens would now need a Coronapas to enjoy their freedoms again. Those, who don't get their jabs, might struggle to move around in the future as countries mull movement restrictions for the unvaccinated. The UAE is one of them. After vaccinating 65 per cent of its eligible population, the UAE is considering strict measures to restrict the unvaccinated. This could include entry bans in some places and curbs on access to public services. Israel's mass inoculation drive has given the rest of the world a glimpse into the future. Other countries are now betting on the jabs to end restrictions. With more than 925 million doses administered across 155 countries by now, it looks like the vaccines will be the only key you would need to leave the safety of your home.

COVID-19: Vaccine a must for travel in future? 

Many parts of the world are now looking at vaccinating children. Israel, which has been hailed as a vaccination success story, is now asking kids aged between 12-15 to be prepared for vaccination in the next phase. In Israel, masks have come off and people are back on the streets. Most adults in Israel have got at least one shot.

Now, the country is gearing up for the second round of vaccinations. This time, the jabs will go to 12 to 15 year olds.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-are-wuhan-vaccines-safe-for-children-379133/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Are children at risk without vaccines?

Children do not face high risk from COVID-19 and make up 29 per cent of the global population.

According to data from the World Health Organization, children account for 8 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in 2020. Even fewer ended up in intensive care. Most kids managed to beat fever, cough and fatigue and those below 20 years of age, accounted for less than 0.2 per cent of the fatalities. In other words, of all the pandemic deaths in 2020, less than 0.2 percent were children and teenagers.

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They aren't a high risk group but still need vaccines. This is especially true for children with serious illnesses. In addition, children still remain potential carriers and could pass on the virus to adults.

But vaccines for kids aren’t tailor-made yet and trials are underway to determine how safe the jabs are for children.

Israel is waiting for&nbsp;the American health regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, to give the nod. Once done, Israel will start inoculating minors. They are betting on two vaccines makers - Pfizer and Moderna.

Pfizer could be the first vaccine to be rolled out for children. A study has found that the jab is 100 per cent effective in preventing illness among 12 to 15 year olds. Reports say Israel has given shots to around 600 adolescents in high risk categories and they saw no significant side effects. The other player Moderna began clinical trials on children above 12 years in December 2020.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/can-covid-research-help-solve-the-mysteries-of-other-viruses-378386" hreflang="en">Can Covid research help solve the mysteries of other viruses?</a>

In March 2021, the first group of children was given the first dose. In February this year, AstraZeneca began testing its jab on six to 17-year-olds in Britain.

And in China, Sinovac claimed that its vaccine is safe on children as young as three. The company says it has submitted preliminary data to Chinese regulators. Antony Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert is optimistic. He believes kids of of any age will be able to get a shot by 2022.

For more than a year now, children across the world have stayed away from school. With the virus still in the air, a full return to in-person learning is impossible. Vaccines may be able to give children the protective shield they need to go back to school.

Many parts of the world are now looking at vaccinating children. Israel, which has been hailed as a vaccination success story, is now asking kids aged between 12-15 to be prepared for vaccination in the next phase.

Many parts of the world are now looking at vaccinating children. Israel, which has been hailed as a vaccination success story, is now asking kids aged between 12-15 to be prepared for vaccination in the next phase. In Israel, masks have come off and people are back on the streets. Most adults in Israel have got at least one shot. Now, the country is gearing up for the second round of vaccinations. This time, the jabs will go to 12 to 15 year olds. Are children at risk without vaccines? Children do not face high risk from COVID-19 and make up 29 per cent of the global population. According to data from the World Health Organization, children account for 8 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in 2020. Even fewer ended up in intensive care. Most kids managed to beat fever, cough and fatigue and those below 20 years of age, accounted for less than 0.2 per cent of the fatalities. In other words, of all the pandemic deaths in 2020, less than 0.2 percent were children and teenagers. Also read: Scientists reveal why some people are always hungry They aren't a high risk group but still need vaccines. This is especially true for children with serious illnesses. In addition, children still remain potential carriers and could pass on the virus to adults. But vaccines for kids aren’t tailor-made yet and trials are underway to determine how safe the jabs are for children. Israel is waiting for the American health regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, to give the nod. Once done, Israel will start inoculating minors. They are betting on two vaccines makers - Pfizer and Moderna. Pfizer could be the first vaccine to be rolled out for children. A study has found that the jab is 100 per cent effective in preventing illness among 12 to 15 year olds. Reports say Israel has given shots to around 600 adolescents in high risk categories and they saw no significant side effects. The other player Moderna began clinical trials on children above 12 years in December 2020. Also read: Can Covid research help solve the mysteries of other viruses? In March 2021, the first group of children was given the first dose. In February this year, AstraZeneca began testing its jab on six to 17-year-olds in Britain. And in China, Sinovac claimed that its vaccine is safe on children as young as three. The company says it has submitted preliminary data to Chinese regulators. Antony Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert is optimistic. He believes kids of of any age will be able to get a shot by 2022. For more than a year now, children across the world have stayed away from school. With the virus still in the air, a full return to in-person learning is impossible. Vaccines may be able to give children the protective shield they need to go back to school.

Israel now wants to vaccinate kids. Is it safe?

A Syrian missile exploded in southern Israel. The incident triggered warning sirens near the secretive Dimona nuclear reactor.

Syrian missile lands near Israel's nuclear reactor

Israel wants to vaccinate 12 to 15-year-olds in the second phase of its vaccination drive. Are Wuhan virus vaccines safe for children? Do kids even need these vaccines? WION's Palki Sharma has the answers.

Gravitas: Are Wuhan vaccines safe for children?

Around 81% of Israeli citizens or residents over 16 - the age group eligible for the Pfizer vaccine in Israel - have received both doses in one of the world's fastest rollouts.

Israel: PM Netanyahu announces second round of inoculation

In less than nine months, an assassin on a motorbike fatally shot an al-Qaida commander given refuge in Tehran, Iran’s chief nuclear scientist was machine-gunned on a country road, and two separate, mysterious explosions rocked a key Iranian nuclear facility in the desert, striking the heart of the country’s efforts to enrich uranium.

The steady drumbeat of attacks, which intelligence officials said were carried out by Israel, highlighted the seeming ease with which Israeli intelligence was able to reach deep inside Iran’s borders and repeatedly strike its most heavily guarded targets, often with the help of turncoat Iranians.

The attacks, the latest wave in more than two decades of sabotage and assassinations, have exposed embarrassing security lapses and left Iran’s leaders looking over their shoulders as they pursue negotiations with the Biden administration aimed at restoring the 2015 nuclear agreement.

The recriminations have been caustic.

The head of parliament’s strategic center said Iran had turned into a “haven for spies.” The former commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard called for an overhaul of the country’s security and intelligence apparatus. Lawmakers have demanded the resignation of top security and intelligence officials.

Most alarming for Iran, Iranian officials and analysts said, was that the attacks revealed that Israel had an effective network of collaborators inside Iran and that Iran’s intelligence services had failed to find the moles.

“That the Israelis are effectively able to hit Iran inside in such a brazen way is hugely embarrassing and demonstrates a weakness that I think plays poorly inside Iran,” said Sanam Vakil, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House.

The attacks have also cast a cloud of paranoia over a country that now sees foreign plots in every mishap.

Over the weekend, Iranian state television flashed a photograph of a man said to be Reza Karimi, 43, and accused him of being the “perpetrator of sabotage” in an explosion at the Natanz nuclear enrichment plant last month. But it was unclear who he was, whether he had acted alone and if that was even his real name. In any case, he had fled the country before the blast, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry said.

On Monday, after Iranian state news media reported that Brig. Gen. Mohammad Hosseinzadeh Hejazi, the deputy commander of the Quds Force, the foreign arm of the Revolutionary Guard, had died of heart disease, there were immediate suspicions of foul play.

Hejazi had long been a target of Israeli espionage, and the son of another prominent Quds Force commander insisted on Twitter that Hejazi’s death was “not cardiac-related.”

A Revolutionary Guard spokesman failed to clear the air with a statement saying the general had died of the combined effects of “extremely difficult assignments,” a recent COVID-19 infection and exposure to chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq war.

The general would have been the third high-ranking Iranian military official to be assassinated in the last 15 months. The United States killed Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the leader of the Quds Force, in January 2020. Israel assassinated Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran’s chief nuclear scientist and a brigadier general in the Revolutionary Guard, in November.

Even if Hejazi died of natural causes, the cumulative loss of three top generals was a significant blow.

The attacks represent an uptick in a long-running campaign by the intelligence services of Israel and the United States to subvert what they consider to be Iran’s threatening activities.

Chief among them are a nuclear program that Iran insists is peaceful, Iran’s investment in proxy militias across the Arab world, and its development of precision-guided missiles for Hezbollah, the militant movement in Lebanon.

An Israeli military intelligence document in 2019 said that Hejazi was a leading figure in the last two, as the commander of the Lebanese corps of the Quds Force and the leader of the guided missile project. Revolutionary Guard spokesman Ramezan Sharif said that Israel wanted to assassinate Hejazi.

Israel has been working to derail Iran’s nuclear program, which it considers a mortal threat, since it began. Israel is believed to have started assassinating key figures in the program in 2007, when a nuclear scientist at a uranium plant in Isfahan died in a mysterious gas leak.

In the years since, six other scientists and military officials said to be critical to Iran’s nuclear efforts have been assassinated. A seventh was wounded.

Another top Quds Force commander, Rostam Ghasemi, said recently that he had narrowly escaped an Israeli assassination attempt during a visit to Lebanon in March.

But assassination is just one tool in a campaign that operates on multiple levels and fronts.

In 2018, Israel carried out a daring nighttime raid to steal a half-ton of secret archives of Iran’s nuclear program from a warehouse in Tehran.

Israel has also reached around the world, tracking down equipment in other countries that is bound for Iran to destroy it, conceal transponders in its packaging or install explosive devices to be detonated after the gear has been installed inside of Iran, according to a former high-ranking U.S. intelligence official.

A former Israeli intelligence operative said that to compromise such equipment, she and another officer would drive by the factory and stage a crisis, such as a car accident or a heart attack, and the woman would appeal to the guards for help. That would get her enough access to the facility to identify its security system so that another team could break in and disable it, she said, speaking on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to discuss covert operations.

In an interview on Iranian state television last week, Iran’s former nuclear chief revealed the origins of an explosion in the Natanz nuclear plant in July. The explosives had been sealed inside a heavy desk that had been placed in the plant months earlier, said Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani, the former chief of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization.

The explosion ripped through a factory producing a new generation of centrifuges, setting back Iran’s nuclear enrichment program by months, officials said.

Alireza Zakani, head of parliament’s research center, said Tuesday that in another case machinery from a nuclear site had been sent abroad for repair and was returned to Iran with 300 pounds of explosives packed inside it.

Little is known about the more recent explosion at Natanz this month except that it destroyed the plant’s independent power system, which in turn destroyed thousands of centrifuges.

It would have been difficult for Israel to carry out these operations without inside help from Iranians, and that may be what rankles Iran most.

Security officials in Iran have prosecuted several Iranian citizens over the past decade, charging them with complicity in Israeli sabotage and assassination operations. The penalty is execution.

But the infiltrations have also sullied the reputation of the intelligence wing of the Revolutionary Guard, which is responsible for guarding nuclear sites and scientists.

A former Guard commander demanded a “cleansing” of the intelligence service, and Iran’s vice president, Eshaq Jahangiri, said that the unit responsible for security at Natanz should be “be held accountable for its failures.”

The deputy head of parliament, Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, told the Iranian news media on Monday that it was no longer enough to blame Israel and the United States for such attacks. Iran needed to clean its own house.

As a publication affiliated with the Guard, Mashregh News, put it last week: “Why does the security of the nuclear facility act so irresponsibly that it gets hit twice from the same hole?”

But the Revolutionary Guard answers only to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and so far there has been no sign of a top-down reshuffling.

After each attack, Iran has struggled to respond, sometimes claiming to have identified those responsible only after they had left the country or saying that they remained at large. Iranian officials also insist that they have foiled other attacks.

Calls for retaliation grow louder after each attack. Conservatives have accused the government of President Hassan Rouhani of weakness or of subjugating the country’s security to the nuclear talks in hopes they will lead to relief from U.S. sanctions.

Indeed, Iranian officials shifted to what they called “strategic patience” in the last year of the Trump administration, calculating that Israel sought to goad them into an open conflict that would eliminate the possibility of negotiations with a new Democratic administration.

Both Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have said they would not allow the attacks to derail the negotiations because lifting sanctions was the priority.

It is also possible that Iran has tried to retaliate but failed.

Iran was blamed for a bomb that exploded near Israel’s Embassy in New Delhi in January, and 15 militants linked to Iran were arrested last month in Ethiopia for plotting to attack Israeli, American and Emirati targets.

But any overt retaliation risks an overwhelming Israeli response.

“They are not in a hurry to start a war,” said Talal Atrissi, a political science professor at the Lebanese University in Beirut. “Retaliation means war.”

Conversely, the timing of Israel’s latest attack on Natanz suggested that Israel sought if not to derail the talks, to at least weaken Iran’s bargaining power. Israel opposed the 2015 nuclear agreement and opposes its resurrection.

The United States, seeking to negotiate with Iran in Vienna, said it was not involved in the attack but has not publicly criticized it either.

And if the repeated Israeli attacks had the effect of fomenting a national paranoia, an intelligence official said, that was a side benefit for Israel. The additional steps Iran has taken to scan buildings for surveillance devices and plumb employees’ backgrounds to root out potential spies has slowed down the enrichment work, the official said.

The conventional wisdom is that neither side wants full-scale war and is counting on the other not to escalate. But at the same time, the covert, regionwide shadow war between Israel and Iran has intensified with Israeli airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias in Syria and tit for tat attacks on ships.

But as Iran faces a struggling economy, rampant COVID-19 infections and other problems of poor governance, the pressure is on to reach a new agreement soon to remove economic sanctions, said Vakil of Chatham House.

“These low-level, gray zone attacks reveal that the Islamic Republic urgently needs to get the JCPOA back into a box” to free up resources to address its other problems, she said, referring to the nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

In less than nine months, an assassin on a motorbike fatally shot an al-Qaida commander given refuge in Tehran, Iran’s chief nuclear scientist was machine-gunned on a country road, and two separate, mysterious explosions rocked a key Iranian nuclear facility in the desert, striking the heart of the country’s efforts to enrich uranium.

In less than nine months, an assassin on a motorbike fatally shot an al-Qaida commander given refuge in Tehran, Iran’s chief nuclear scientist was machine-gunned on a country road, and two separate, mysterious explosions rocked a key Iranian nuclear facility in the desert, striking the heart of the country’s efforts to enrich uranium. The steady drumbeat of attacks, which intelligence officials said were carried out by Israel, highlighted the seeming ease with which Israeli intelligence was able to reach deep inside Iran’s borders and repeatedly strike its most heavily guarded targets, often with the help of turncoat Iranians. The attacks, the latest wave in more than two decades of sabotage and assassinations, have exposed embarrassing security lapses and left Iran’s leaders looking over their shoulders as they pursue negotiations with the Biden administration aimed at restoring the 2015 nuclear agreement. The recriminations have been caustic. The head of parliament’s strategic center said Iran had turned into a “haven for spies.” The former commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard called for an overhaul of the country’s security and intelligence apparatus. Lawmakers have demanded the resignation of top security and intelligence officials. Most alarming for Iran, Iranian officials and analysts said, was that the attacks revealed that Israel had an effective network of collaborators inside Iran and that Iran’s intelligence services had failed to find the moles. “That the Israelis are effectively able to hit Iran inside in such a brazen way is hugely embarrassing and demonstrates a weakness that I think plays poorly inside Iran,” said Sanam Vakil, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House. The attacks have also cast a cloud of paranoia over a country that now sees foreign plots in every mishap. Over the weekend, Iranian state television flashed a photograph of a man said to be Reza Karimi, 43, and accused him of being the “perpetrator of sabotage” in an explosion at the Natanz nuclear enrichment plant last month. But it was unclear who he was, whether he had acted alone and if that was even his real name. In any case, he had fled the country before the blast, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry said. On Monday, after Iranian state news media reported that Brig. Gen. Mohammad Hosseinzadeh Hejazi, the deputy commander of the Quds Force, the foreign arm of the Revolutionary Guard, had died of heart disease, there were immediate suspicions of foul play. Hejazi had long been a target of Israeli espionage, and the son of another prominent Quds Force commander insisted on Twitter that Hejazi’s death was “not cardiac-related.” A Revolutionary Guard spokesman failed to clear the air with a statement saying the general had died of the combined effects of “extremely difficult assignments,” a recent COVID-19 infection and exposure to chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq war. The general would have been the third high-ranking Iranian military official to be assassinated in the last 15 months. The United States killed Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the leader of the Quds Force, in January 2020. Israel assassinated Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran’s chief nuclear scientist and a brigadier general in the Revolutionary Guard, in November. Even if Hejazi died of natural causes, the cumulative loss of three top generals was a significant blow. The attacks represent an uptick in a long-running campaign by the intelligence services of Israel and the United States to subvert what they consider to be Iran’s threatening activities. Chief among them are a nuclear program that Iran insists is peaceful, Iran’s investment in proxy militias across the Arab world, and its development of precision-guided missiles for Hezbollah, the militant movement in Lebanon. An Israeli military intelligence document in 2019 said that Hejazi was a leading figure in the last two, as the commander of the Lebanese corps of the Quds Force and the leader of the guided missile project. Revolutionary Guard spokesman Ramezan Sharif said that Israel wanted to assassinate Hejazi. Israel has been working to derail Iran’s nuclear program, which it considers a mortal threat, since it began. Israel is believed to have started assassinating key figures in the program in 2007, when a nuclear scientist at a uranium plant in Isfahan died in a mysterious gas leak. In the years since, six other scientists and military officials said to be critical to Iran’s nuclear efforts have been assassinated. A seventh was wounded. Another top Quds Force commander, Rostam Ghasemi, said recently that he had narrowly escaped an Israeli assassination attempt during a visit to Lebanon in March. But assassination is just one tool in a campaign that operates on multiple levels and fronts. In 2018, Israel carried out a daring nighttime raid to steal a half-ton of secret archives of Iran’s nuclear program from a warehouse in Tehran. Israel has also reached around the world, tracking down equipment in other countries that is bound for Iran to destroy it, conceal transponders in its packaging or install explosive devices to be detonated after the gear has been installed inside of Iran, according to a former high-ranking U.S. intelligence official. A former Israeli intelligence operative said that to compromise such equipment, she and another officer would drive by the factory and stage a crisis, such as a car accident or a heart attack, and the woman would appeal to the guards for help. That would get her enough access to the facility to identify its security system so that another team could break in and disable it, she said, speaking on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to discuss covert operations. In an interview on Iranian state television last week, Iran’s former nuclear chief revealed the origins of an explosion in the Natanz nuclear plant in July. The explosives had been sealed inside a heavy desk that had been placed in the plant months earlier, said Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani, the former chief of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization. The explosion ripped through a factory producing a new generation of centrifuges, setting back Iran’s nuclear enrichment program by months, officials said. Alireza Zakani, head of parliament’s research center, said Tuesday that in another case machinery from a nuclear site had been sent abroad for repair and was returned to Iran with 300 pounds of explosives packed inside it. Little is known about the more recent explosion at Natanz this month except that it destroyed the plant’s independent power system, which in turn destroyed thousands of centrifuges. It would have been difficult for Israel to carry out these operations without inside help from Iranians, and that may be what rankles Iran most. Security officials in Iran have prosecuted several Iranian citizens over the past decade, charging them with complicity in Israeli sabotage and assassination operations. The penalty is execution. But the infiltrations have also sullied the reputation of the intelligence wing of the Revolutionary Guard, which is responsible for guarding nuclear sites and scientists. A former Guard commander demanded a “cleansing” of the intelligence service, and Iran’s vice president, Eshaq Jahangiri, said that the unit responsible for security at Natanz should be “be held accountable for its failures.” The deputy head of parliament, Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, told the Iranian news media on Monday that it was no longer enough to blame Israel and the United States for such attacks. Iran needed to clean its own house. As a publication affiliated with the Guard, Mashregh News, put it last week: “Why does the security of the nuclear facility act so irresponsibly that it gets hit twice from the same hole?” But the Revolutionary Guard answers only to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and so far there has been no sign of a top-down reshuffling. After each attack, Iran has struggled to respond, sometimes claiming to have identified those responsible only after they had left the country or saying that they remained at large. Iranian officials also insist that they have foiled other attacks. Calls for retaliation grow louder after each attack. Conservatives have accused the government of President Hassan Rouhani of weakness or of subjugating the country’s security to the nuclear talks in hopes they will lead to relief from U.S. sanctions. Indeed, Iranian officials shifted to what they called “strategic patience” in the last year of the Trump administration, calculating that Israel sought to goad them into an open conflict that would eliminate the possibility of negotiations with a new Democratic administration. Both Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have said they would not allow the attacks to derail the negotiations because lifting sanctions was the priority. It is also possible that Iran has tried to retaliate but failed. Iran was blamed for a bomb that exploded near Israel’s Embassy in New Delhi in January, and 15 militants linked to Iran were arrested last month in Ethiopia for plotting to attack Israeli, American and Emirati targets. But any overt retaliation risks an overwhelming Israeli response. “They are not in a hurry to start a war,” said Talal Atrissi, a political science professor at the Lebanese University in Beirut. “Retaliation means war.” Conversely, the timing of Israel’s latest attack on Natanz suggested that Israel sought if not to derail the talks, to at least weaken Iran’s bargaining power. Israel opposed the 2015 nuclear agreement and opposes its resurrection. The United States, seeking to negotiate with Iran in Vienna, said it was not involved in the attack but has not publicly criticized it either. And if the repeated Israeli attacks had the effect of fomenting a national paranoia, an intelligence official said, that was a side benefit for Israel. The additional steps Iran has taken to scan buildings for surveillance devices and plumb employees’ backgrounds to root out potential spies has slowed down the enrichment work, the official said. The conventional wisdom is that neither side wants full-scale war and is counting on the other not to escalate. But at the same time, the covert, regionwide shadow war between Israel and Iran has intensified with Israeli airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias in Syria and tit for tat attacks on ships. But as Iran faces a struggling economy, rampant COVID-19 infections and other problems of poor governance, the pressure is on to reach a new agreement soon to remove economic sanctions, said Vakil of Chatham House. “These low-level, gray zone attacks reveal that the Islamic Republic urgently needs to get the JCPOA back into a box” to free up resources to address its other problems, she said, referring to the nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Iran rattled as Israel repeatedly strikes key targets

Israel started vaccinating its population against the coronavirus on Dec 20 and the country has seen one of the most rapid vaccine rollouts of anywhere in the world.

Outdoor mask-wearing no longer required in Israel?

Israelis will no longer have to wear masks outdoors starting from Sunday as the number of virus infections plummets, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said.

"The rate of infection in Israel is very low thanks to the successful vaccine campaign in Israel, and therefore it is possible to ease (restrictions)," Edelstein said in a statement Thursday.

He said however that masks will still be required indoors.

With close to five million people -- more than half the population of 9.3 million -- vaccinated, Israel continues its world-beating campaign that sent coronavirus infection rates down.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu obtained millions of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines in part by agreeing to share with Pfizer medical data on the product's impact.

The vaccines have transformed life in Israel. In mid-January, the country had a peak of some 10,000 new infections a day but the rate is now about 200 cases a day.

The rate of new infections has remained low even after in-person learning resumed and restrictions were loosened on bars, restaurants and indoor gatherings.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was a guest of honour at a government ceremony Wednesday evening marking Israel's 73rd year of independence.

"Together we are demonstrating that through mass vaccinations we can defeat the Covid-19 pandemic and save lives," Bourla said in a video address.

Throughout the festivities marking independence day, thousands of people held barbecues, lounged on beaches and celebrated at parties, often without masks.

On Wednesday, Israel announced a plan to allow vaccinated foreign tourists to return in groups beginning May 23, more than a year after closing its borders to most tourists to prevent the spread of the virus.

Israel's easing of restrictions stands in contrast to the occupied West Bank and the blockaded Gaza Strip, where infection rates remain high and vaccinations are low.

Rights groups say Israel must supply vaccines to the 4.8 million Palestinians living there, but Israel says Palestinians must obtain their shots.

Israelis will no longer have to wear masks outdoors starting from Sunday as the number of virus infections plummets, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said. "The rate of infection in Israel is very low thanks to the successful vaccine campaign in Israel, and therefore it is possible to ease (restrictions)," Edelstein said in a statement Thursday.

Israelis will no longer have to wear masks outdoors starting from Sunday as the number of virus infections plummets, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said. "The rate of infection in Israel is very low thanks to the successful vaccine campaign in Israel, and therefore it is possible to ease (restrictions)," Edelstein said in a statement Thursday. He said however that masks will still be required indoors. With close to five million people -- more than half the population of 9.3 million -- vaccinated, Israel continues its world-beating campaign that sent coronavirus infection rates down. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu obtained millions of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines in part by agreeing to share with Pfizer medical data on the product's impact. The vaccines have transformed life in Israel. In mid-January, the country had a peak of some 10,000 new infections a day but the rate is now about 200 cases a day. The rate of new infections has remained low even after in-person learning resumed and restrictions were loosened on bars, restaurants and indoor gatherings. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was a guest of honour at a government ceremony Wednesday evening marking Israel's 73rd year of independence. "Together we are demonstrating that through mass vaccinations we can defeat the Covid-19 pandemic and save lives," Bourla said in a video address. Throughout the festivities marking independence day, thousands of people held barbecues, lounged on beaches and celebrated at parties, often without masks. On Wednesday, Israel announced a plan to allow vaccinated foreign tourists to return in groups beginning May 23, more than a year after closing its borders to most tourists to prevent the spread of the virus. Israel's easing of restrictions stands in contrast to the occupied West Bank and the blockaded Gaza Strip, where infection rates remain high and vaccinations are low. Rights groups say Israel must supply vaccines to the 4.8 million Palestinians living there, but Israel says Palestinians must obtain their shots.

Israel to scrap outdoor mask mandate from Sunday

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has said that Tehran's decision to boost uranium enrichment to 60% was a response to Israel's "nuclear terrorism," three days after an attack on its Natanz nuclear facility.

Iran says 60% Uranium enrichment answer to 'nuclear terrorism'

A senior cabinet minister said on Monday he had signed a document expanding Lebanon's claims in a row with Israel over their maritime border that has held up hydrocarbon exploration in the potentially gas-rich area. &nbsp;

The amendment would add around 1,400 square kilometres&nbsp;to the exclusive economic zone claimed by Lebanon in its original submission to the United Nations. &nbsp;

Negotiations between old foes, Lebanon and Israel, were launched in October to try to resolve the dispute. The talks, a culmination of three years of diplomacy by the United States, have since stalled. &nbsp;

The document signed by the caretaker public works and transport minister now needs to be signed off by the caretaker prime minister, minister of defence and president ahead of a request to the United Nations for a formal claim to register the new coordinates for the maritime zone. &nbsp;

"I expect it will be signed as everyone, the minister of defence and the prime minister and the president are concerned about this," minister Michel Najjar told a news conference. &nbsp;

Israel already pumps gas from huge offshore fields but Lebanon has yet to find commercial gas reserves in its own waters. &nbsp;

Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said Lebanon's latest move would derail the talks rather than help work towards a common solution.&nbsp;

"Unilateral Lebanese measures will, of course, be answered with parallel measures by Israel," he said in a statement. &nbsp;

Lebanon, in the throes of a deep financial meltdown that is threatening its stability, is desperate for cash as it faces the worst economic crisis since its 1975-1990 civil war.&nbsp;

"We will not give up any inch of our homeland or a drop of its waters or an inch of its dignity," Najjar said. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A senior cabinet minister said on Monday he had signed a document expanding Lebanon's claims in a row with Israel over their maritime border that has held up hydrocarbon exploration in the potentially gas-rich area.

A senior cabinet minister said on Monday he had signed a document expanding Lebanon's claims in a row with Israel over their maritime border that has held up hydrocarbon exploration in the potentially gas-rich area. The amendment would add around 1,400 square kilometres to the exclusive economic zone claimed by Lebanon in its original submission to the United Nations. Negotiations between old foes, Lebanon and Israel, were launched in October to try to resolve the dispute. The talks, a culmination of three years of diplomacy by the United States, have since stalled. The document signed by the caretaker public works and transport minister now needs to be signed off by the caretaker prime minister, minister of defence and president ahead of a request to the United Nations for a formal claim to register the new coordinates for the maritime zone. "I expect it will be signed as everyone, the minister of defence and the prime minister and the president are concerned about this," minister Michel Najjar told a news conference. Israel already pumps gas from huge offshore fields but Lebanon has yet to find commercial gas reserves in its own waters. Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said Lebanon's latest move would derail the talks rather than help work towards a common solution. "Unilateral Lebanese measures will, of course, be answered with parallel measures by Israel," he said in a statement. Lebanon, in the throes of a deep financial meltdown that is threatening its stability, is desperate for cash as it faces the worst economic crisis since its 1975-1990 civil war. "We will not give up any inch of our homeland or a drop of its waters or an inch of its dignity," Najjar said. (With inputs from agencies)

Lebanese minister expands claim in maritime area dispute with Israel 

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is on the two-day visit to Israel. This is the first official visit by a US official since President Biden took office in January.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to meet PM Benjamin Netanyahu

In the ongoing shadow conflict between Iran and Israel, the two arch enemies have been engaged in direct and indirect hostilities for decades. Now the landscapes of intense hostility between the West Asian countries are changing. Iran's nuclear program with its potential to develop nuclear weapons has been the undercurrent of this current conflict.

Why Iran-Israel tensions on the rise again?

The cyber attack took place a day after Tehran unveiled new advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges at the Natanz facility

Israel carried out cyber attack on Iran N-Facility?

A new Coronavirus strain has been identified in Israel and a bid to secure more Pfizer vaccines has hit a snag this week over political infighting.

New COVID-19 strain detected in Israel, Pfizer vaccine purchase delayed

Sudan's cabinet has approved the bill that abolishes a decades-old law on boycotting Israel. The country's cabinet voted to repeal the 1958 law that forbade diplomatic and business relations with Israel.

Sudan cabinet votes to abolish Israel boycott law

The March 23 election revolved around whether Netanyahu is fit to continue serving. His Likud party won the most seats, but no party won a governing majority of 61 seats in the Knesset.

Israeli president nominates Netanyahu to try and form government

Israel's legal and political dramas converged Monday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced court in his corruption trial while his bid to form a government after another inconclusive election reached a critical phase. Taiwan’s Defence Ministry on Monday reported a new incursion by China’s air force into the island’s air defence identification zone, made up of eight fighter jets and two other aircraft, one of which flew through the strategic Bashi Channel. Taiwan’s Defence Ministry on Monday reported a new incursion by China’s air force into the island’s air defence identification zone, made up of eight fighter jets and two other aircraft, one of which flew through the strategic Bashi Channel. Read this and more in our Top 10 World News brief.

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The 71-year-old veteran premier -- who last month contested his fourth election in less than two years -- arrived at the Jerusalem courthouse where he was met by supporters but also opponents who called him Israel's "crime minister".

 
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Chinese-claimed Taiwan has complained over the last few months of repeated missions by China’s air force near the island, concentrated in the southwestern part its air defence zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands

 
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The officers walked through the arcade of hair and nail salons, restaurants serving Vietnamese cuisine, and herbal medicine shops on Saturday, talking to business owners and patrons

 
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State telecommunications watchdog Roskomnadzor imposed slowdowns on Twitter's services in mid-March, accusing it of failing to remove banned content

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-shuts-secret-guantanamo-prison-unit-moves-prisoners-to-another-nearby-camp-375521">US shuts secret Guantanamo prison unit, moves prisoners to another nearby camp</a>

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Biden's Democratic predecessor Obama had pitched for closing the camps but could not reach a deal with Congress when Biden was his vice-president.

 
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Travel destinations will be categorised as red, amber or green based on the virus risk.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/former-chief-of-chinese-defence-giant-norinco-being-probed-for-corruption-375495">Former chief of Chinese defence giant Norinco being probed for corruption</a>

<img alt="CHina" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cd0e4e40-1661-497e-9ba5-fe396cb9b869" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Top%2010%20-%20Final%20-%208.jpg" />

Yin was at the helm of the company’s leadership between 2013-2018, and is among many being probed from the defence industry

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jordans-prince-hamzah-refuses-to-obey-restrictions-on-movements-amid-coup-allegations-375489">Jordan's Prince Hamzah refuses to obey restrictions on movements amid 'coup' allegations</a>

<img alt="Jordan" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7e5cd50e-3389-450d-8585-ace6994ad582" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Top%2010%20-%20Final%20-%209.jpg" />

The government has accused Hamzah of involvement in a seditious conspiracy to "destabilise the kingdom's security", placed him under house arrest and detained at least 16 more people.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-extends-easter-wishes-especially-to-radical-left-crazies-375487">Donald Trump extends Easter wishes, especially to 'Radical Left CRAZIES'</a>

<img alt="Trump" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b3452439-13f0-42e8-b5f3-fa8258c6de87" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Top%2010%20-%20Final%20-%2010.jpg" />

After being banned from Twitter and Facebook in the aftermath of the Capitol riot, Trump has been assessing other ways to get his word out

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/over-100-nabbed-10-officers-injured-in-londons-kill-the-bill-protests-375484">Over 100 nabbed, 10 officers injured in London's 'Kill the Bill' protests</a>

<img alt="London" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8a3b6158-8c03-4d0e-b460-f172648632e2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Top%2010%20-%20Final%20-%2011.jpg" />

Earlier on Sunday, London police said that 10 officers were left with minor injuries after police and protesters clashed in central London on Saturday

Israel's legal and political dramas converged Monday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced court in his corruption trial while his bid to form a government after another inconclusive election reached a critical phase.

Israel's legal and political dramas converged Monday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced court in his corruption trial while his bid to form a government after another inconclusive election reached a critical phase. Taiwan’s Defence Ministry on Monday reported a new incursion by China’s air force into the island’s air defence identification zone, made up of eight fighter jets and two other aircraft, one of which flew through the strategic Bashi Channel. Taiwan’s Defence Ministry on Monday reported a new incursion by China’s air force into the island’s air defence identification zone, made up of eight fighter jets and two other aircraft, one of which flew through the strategic Bashi Channel. Read this and more in our Top 10 World News brief. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces court in corruption trial The 71-year-old veteran premier -- who last month contested his fourth election in less than two years -- arrived at the Jerusalem courthouse where he was met by supporters but also opponents who called him Israel's "crime minister". Taiwan reports new incursion by China’s Air Force into defence zone Chinese-claimed Taiwan has complained over the last few months of repeated missions by China’s air force near the island, concentrated in the southwestern part its air defence zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands Police, communities across US fight back against anti-Asian hate crimes The officers walked through the arcade of hair and nail salons, restaurants serving Vietnamese cuisine, and herbal medicine shops on Saturday, talking to business owners and patrons Russia extends deadline for Twitter to remove 'banned' content State telecommunications watchdog Roskomnadzor imposed slowdowns on Twitter's services in mid-March, accusing it of failing to remove banned content US shuts secret Guantanamo prison unit, moves prisoners to another nearby camp Biden's Democratic predecessor Obama had pitched for closing the camps but could not reach a deal with Congress when Biden was his vice-president. UK to announce new rules to restart international travel Travel destinations will be categorised as red, amber or green based on the virus risk. Former chief of Chinese defence giant Norinco being probed for corruption Yin was at the helm of the company’s leadership between 2013-2018, and is among many being probed from the defence industry Jordan's Prince Hamzah refuses to obey restrictions on movements amid 'coup' allegations The government has accused Hamzah of involvement in a seditious conspiracy to "destabilise the kingdom's security", placed him under house arrest and detained at least 16 more people. Donald Trump extends Easter wishes, especially to 'Radical Left CRAZIES' After being banned from Twitter and Facebook in the aftermath of the Capitol riot, Trump has been assessing other ways to get his word out Over 100 nabbed, 10 officers injured in London's 'Kill the Bill' protests Earlier on Sunday, London police said that 10 officers were left with minor injuries after police and protesters clashed in central London on Saturday

Top 10 World News: Netanyahu faces court, Taiwan reports incursion, and more

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