Budget 2018-19

  The United States said it opposes a proposed UN Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire in the conflict between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers The United States said Wednesday it opposes a proposed UN Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire in the conflict between  Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers , reiterating that it could interfere with the Biden administration’s efforts to end the hostilities. France drafted the resolution after the US blocked at least four attempts to have the council issue a press statement calling for an end to the violence, giving the same reason. Diplomats said all other council members supported the statement. A press statement requires agreement by all 15 council members, but a resolution requires only at least nine “yes” votes and no veto by the United States or any of the four other permanent members. A French government spokesman had said “very intense discussions” were taking place with the United States on Wednesday ab...

  Israeli prosecutors released an amended indictment spelling out detailed charges against PM Netanyahu in a corruption case in which he is accused of trading favours with a powerful media mogul Israeli prosecutors on Sunday released an amended indictment spelling out detailed charges against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a corruption case in which he is accused of trading favors with a powerful media mogul. Netanyahu has been charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three corruption cases. One of them alleges that Netanyahu promoted regulations worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the owner of the Bezeq telecom company in exchange for positive coverage on its popular Walla news site. In response to a request from Netanyahu’s lawyers for more details, Israeli prosecutors released a letter Sunday alleging there had been 315 incidents of Walla being requested to make its coverage more favorable for Netanyahu and his family. They said there were indicatio...

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to be the first person in Israel to be vaccinated against Covid-19 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to be the first person in Israel to be vaccinated against COVID-19. In a video address from quarantine, where he has been since Monday after coming in contact with a person who later tested positive for COVID-19, Netanyahu said he asked to be the first to receive the vaccine so as to demonstrate its effectiveness. “On Friday, I will leave quarantine and on Saturday evening I will go get vaccinated. I have asked to be the first person to get vaccinated in order to serve as an example and to persuade you that you can and should be vaccinated,” Netanyahu said, according to a translation posted on the Israeli government website. The Prime Minister added that millions of doses will be available to Israelis by the end of January and called on citizens not to avoid getting inoculated.  Netanyahu  explained that aft...

  Among the historic deals signed in Bahrain’s capital Manama was a Joint Communique on Establishment of Diplomatic, Peaceful and Friendly Relations between the two countries, BNA said Bahrain and Israel signed a series of key agreements covering bilateral relations, agriculture, trade, civil aviation, telecommunications and financial services, state Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported. Among the historic deals signed in Bahrain’s capital Manama was a Joint Communique on Establishment of Diplomatic, Peaceful and Friendly Relations between the two countries, BNA said on Sunday. An agreement on visa exemption for nationals of both countries was also included, it added. Present at the signing ceremony were Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben Shabbat and its Foreign Ministry Director-General Alon Ushpiz, Xinhua news agency reported. The US and Israeli delegations arrived in Manama earlier in the...