ISRAEL

Iran’s Defense Ministry has unveiled a drone resembling America’s armed MQ-9 Reaper, claiming that the aircraft is capable of staying airborne for 24 hours and has the range to reach the country's archenemy Israel.

Lebanese Cabinet ministers say an offshore drilling rig has arrived at its destination in the Mediterranean Sea off Lebanon’s coast and will start its search for gas in the coming weeks.

The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed financial sanctions against four Russians on the board of Alfa Group.

Officials say a multinational force is helping Cyprus fight a stubborn wildfire that has scorched miles of mountainous terrain in the summer heat.

Israel’s Supreme Court says that a full panel of 15 justices would hear petitions in September against a contentious law that was passed last week by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and which has spurred mass protests.

President Joe Biden’s administration is hosting state legislators from 41 states to the White House on Wednesday for discussions on how legislatures can make child care more affordable for families.

The United Nations has put Russian forces on its annual blacklist of countries that violate children’s rights in conflict for killing boys and girls and attacking schools and hospitals in Ukraine.

The presidents of Germany, Poland and Israel, joined by Holocaust survivors and their descendants, are marking the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Israel’s president appealed for national unity as the country marked the beginning of Holocaust Remembrance Day after months of mass protests that have roiled the nation.

The task force is headed by Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares.

Indonesian soccer players and fans reacted with tears and outrage after the country was stripped of hosting rights for the Under-20 World Cup only eight weeks before the start of the tournament amid political turmoil over Israel’s participation, leaving Indonesian soccer at risk of further sanctions.

Indonesia has been stripped of hosting rights for the Under-20 World Cup amid political turmoil regarding Israel’s participation.

Indonesia could lose its chance to host a global youth soccer tournament, and its chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, after refusing to welcome a team from Israel.

One of the oldest surviving biblical manuscripts is up for sale — for a cool $30 million.

Eugenio Suárez and Anthony Santander had two hits each as Venezuela beat Nicaragua 4-1 and improved to 3-0 in the World Baseball Classic.

José De León and three relievers combined on a perfect pitching performance as Puerto Rico routed Israel 10-0 in a World Baseball Classic matchup called after eight innings because of the tournament’s 10-run mercy rule.

Flashy footwear is a feature of this year's World Baseball Classic.

Data Privacy Day (known in Europe as Data Protection Day) is an international event that occurs every year on 28 January.

An exhibition marking the 70th anniversary of Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial brings back to Germany a diverse set of everyday objects that Jews took with them when they fled the Nazis.

Ben & Jerry’s board of directors has rebuked the sale of products bearing any of the ice cream maker’s insignia in West Bank settlements.

Israel's fifth election since 2019 largely presents familiar faces to voters.

One of Jewish diarist Anne Frank’s best friends has died at age 93.

Two of the world’s most persistent conflicts have punctuated debate at the United Nations.

The Miss Universe Organization says New Orleans will be the site of its 71st contest, drawing nearly 90 women contestants from around the world in January.

Iran’s president is warning that any roadmap to restore Tehran’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers must see international inspectors end their probe on man-made uranium particles found at undeclared sites in the country.

Israeli archaeologists say they've unearthed a lavish 1,200-year-old estate in the country's desert south.

Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi was omitted from the 30-man list of nominees for the prestigious award.

The White House says it believes Russia is turning to Iran to provide it with “hundreds” of unmanned aerial vehicles, including weapons-capable drones, for use in its ongoing war in Ukraine.

Summer travel is underway across the globe, but a full recovery from two years of coronavirus could last as long as the pandemic itself.

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog has urged Iran to cooperate with his inspectors amid a standoff over its atomic program and a threat by Western nations to censure Tehran over its noncooperation.

Holocaust survivors across the world are uniting to deliver a message on the dangers of unchecked hate and the importance of remembrance at a time of rising global antisemitism.

Israel has lifted an indoor mask mandate in place for nearly a year as the country’s new cases of coronavirus continue to drop.

European health officials say it’s too early to consider giving a fourth dose of messenger RNA coronavirus vaccines to most people, but say an extra booster can be administered to people over age 80.

Three Russian oligarchs who said their reputations were smeared by a dossier of opposition research examining Donald Trump’s ties to Russia have agreed to dismiss their defamation lawsuit.

As the airline industry struggles, Israel's state-owned aerospace company is flying high.

The NFL is helping wave the flag for flag football to become part of the Olympics.

Israel's health ministry says the government's ban on travel from certain coronavirus-ravaged countries should be a thing of the past.

A jury has held Teva Pharmaceuticals responsible for contributing to the opioid crisis.

The World Health Organization has urged countries not to impose flight bans on southern African nations due to concerns over the new omicron variant.

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog has warned that his inspectors are close to being unable to “guarantee” they know what's going on at all of Iran's nuclear sites.

The head of the United Nations’ atomic watchdog is meeting with Iranian officials to press for greater access in the Islamic Republic.

An 86-year-old woman who survived mass roundups and massacres of Jews as a child in Romania has been crowned Israel’s “Miss Holocaust Survivor.”.

The U.S. Air Force has flown a B-1B strategic bomber over key maritime chokepoints in the Mideast with allies including Israel.

Dr. Anthony Fauci says he’s worried that people resisting COVID-19 vaccine shots based on religious grounds may be confusing that with a philosophical objection.

The resurgence of COVID-19 this summer and the national debate over vaccine requirements have created a fraught situation for the nation’s first responders, who are dying in larger numbers but pushing back against mandates.

Israel’s government watchdog has released a report criticizing the former government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.

U.S. health officials plan to offer COVID-19 booster shots to vaccinated Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and evidence that the vaccines’ effectiveness is declining.

U.S. health experts are expected to recommend COVID-19 vaccine boosters for all Americans, regardless of age, eight months after they received their second dose of the shot.

Warning of tough days ahead with surging COVID-19 infections, the director of the National Institutes of Health says the U.S. could decide in the next couple weeks whether to offer coronavirus booster shots to more Americans this fall.

The 22-year-old Linoy Ashram pulled off a stunning upset in a drama-filled final on Saturday.

Imagine Olympic swimming without the world’s top 100.

South Korea locked up a spot in the Olympic baseball semifinal round with a win against Israel.

The carts carrying Olympic relief pitchers to the mound on a big leather glove may be popular with TV viewers, but a few of the baseball players aren't sure how they feel about riding in them.

Tyler Austin drove in three runs and Olympic short-track speedskating medalist Eddy Alvarez drove in two as the U.S. baseball team opened its Olympic campaign with an 8-1 win over Israel.

Israel’s pitcher Jeremy Bleich hit two consecutive batsman, the second with the bases loaded, to drive home the winning run, giving South Korea a 6-5 win in 10 innings.

Find out where to watch every inning of the Tokyo Olympics baseball tournament.

South Korea has reported 1,212 new cases, a steep rise in coronavirus infections unseen since the winter outbreak as it slips into another surge while most of its people are still unvaccinated.

Officials say prosecutors in Florida will pursue a grand jury investigation into the deadly collapse of an oceanfront condominium building.

Thousands of Palestinians have taken to the streets in recent days to protest against President Mahmoud Abbas and his Palestinian Authority.

A state government minister has been infected with COVID-19 and another minister is in isolation as a cluster in the Australian city of Sydney worsens.

Naftali Bennett, Israel’s new prime minister, embodies many of the contradictions that define the 73-year-old nation.

The outgoing chief of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service has offered the closest acknowledgment yet his country was behind recent attacks targeting Iran’s nuclear program and a military scientist.

The Biden administration is laying the groundwork for a renewed push to encourage more Arab countries to sign accords with Israel, and working to strengthen existing deals.

The Biden administration is laying the groundwork for a renewed push to encourage more Arab countries to sign accords with Israel, and working to strengthen existing deals.

A number of Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip say they are being blocked from accessing WhatsApp messenger.

A cease-fire has taken effect after 11 days of heavy fighting between Israel and Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers that was ignited by protests and clashes in Jerusalem.

President Joe Biden spoke with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu six times over nine days as the U.S. pressed a flurry of diplomatic efforts to try to quell the furious fighting between Israel and Hamas.

President Joe Biden will be giving remarks on the Middle East on Thursday evening.

Israel and the Hamas militant group already face allegations of possible war crimes in Gaza, more than a week into their fourth war.

A professor of government and international relations at Virginia Tech explains the latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A former South Florida sheriff who was removed from office by the governor because of his agency’s response to the Parkland school shooting that left 17 people dead has found a new job reviewing the footage of red light cameras.

Experts say it could be 2023 or later before COVID-19 vaccines are widely available in some countries.

One company is continuing to give back to those working to keep everyone healthy.

Greece has vowed to expand military cooperation with traditional NATO allies as well as Middle Eastern powers in a race to modernize its armed forces and face its militarily assertive neighbor Turkey.

For the first time in a year, Mexican school children have returned to classrooms — at least in the southern state of Campeche.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging all schools in the state to reopen, saying there are no health barriers to getting children back into classrooms and ending distance learning.

An Iranian nuclear negotiator says Tehran will begin enriching uranium up to 60% purity after an attack on its Natanz nuclear facility.

Israel’s president has handed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the difficult task of trying to form a new government.

FILE - In this Saturday, May 18, 2019 file photo, Duncan Laurence of the Netherlands celebrates after winning the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest grand final in Tel Aviv, Israel. Organizers of the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest have welcomed the news that up to 3,500 fans may be allowed to attend the popular music competition when it is staged in the Netherlands in May 2021. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)THE HAGUE – Organizers of the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest welcomed the news Thursday that up to 3,500 fans may be allowed to attend the popular music competition when it is staged in the Netherlands next month. The Netherlands was set to host the contest last year, but the event was canceled due to the pandemic. “We welcome this decision by the Dutch government and the possibility that we can invite fans to join us as we bring the Eurovision Song Contest back in May,” Executive Supervisor Martin Osterdahl said in a statement on the event's website.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker shows Alaska leading states in the percentage of its population to have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Larry Hogan said Tuesday, citing improving COVID-19 health metrics and increasing vaccinations. It was unclear what authority state officials might be able to exert on federal facilities. — County health officials in Wyoming have detected the coronavirus variant that originated in South Africa. Another 16 million doses are expected to be shipped by the end of the month.

New Zealand has opened its first large vaccination clinic as it scales up efforts to protect people from the coronavirus. (New Zealand Ministry of Health via AP)WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand has opened its first large vaccination clinic as it scales up efforts to protect people from the coronavirus. Gordon cites Wyoming’s declining number of COVID-19 cases and its success in distributing vaccines as reasons to lift the restrictions. AdThe nation of 1.3 million has seen a rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 cases n the past few weeks. Italy’s total virus cases surpassed 3 million last week, with a new surge powered by the highly contagious variant that was first identified in Britain.

(Brookings Institution and Tsinghua University via AP)TAIPEI – Health experts in China say their country is lagging in its coronavirus vaccination rollout because it has the disease largely under control, but plans to inoculate 40% of its population by June. The target is the first China has offered publicly since it began its mass immunization campaign for key groups in mid-December. China has been slow to vaccinate its people relative to other countries, administering 3.56 doses per 100 people so far, according to Zhong, in a population of 1.4 billion. Even at the rate of vaccinating 10 million people a day, it would take roughly seven months to vaccinate 70% of its population, Zhang noted. Gao, along with Zhong and other Chinese health experts, urged more U.S.-China cooperation.

(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)A real-world test of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in more than half a million people confirms that it’s very effective at preventing serious illness or death, even after one dose. The vaccine was 92% effective at preventing severe disease after two shots and 62% after one. AdNeither doctor had a role in the Israel study but both are involved in other coronavirus vaccine work. The vaccine, made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, is given as two shots, three weeks apart, in most countries. Earlier this week, two U.K. studies suggested benefits even after one dose of the Pfizer vaccine or a different one from AstraZeneca.

FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2020, file photo President-elect Joe Biden listens as his Secretary of State nominee Tony Blinken speaks at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)GENEVA – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday the United States will vie for a seat at the U.N.'s human rights body, which would cement a U.S. return to a Geneva-based body that was shunned by the Trump administration. The top U.S. diplomat said his country will seek a three-year term starting next year at the Human Rights Council, and acknowledged it needs reform, particularly to end its “disproportionate” focus on Israel — the only country whose rights record comes up for scrutiny at every one of its thrice-yearly meetings. The Trump administration also took issue with the body’s membership, which currently includes China, Cuba, Eritrea, Russia and Venezuela, all of which have been accused of human rights abuses. Other top speakers including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who focused in large part on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on human rights — and took aim at Western countries.

Jim Thurman counts himself among the converts who recognize the importance of taking a COVID-19 vaccine. AdHealth authorities say first-generation COVID-19 vaccines still protect against variants of the virus that are emerging in different parts of the world. AdIn a separate announcement, Moderna also said it plans to manufacture 700 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine globally this year, up from 600 million. Bosnia, a country of 3.3 million, expects 1.2 million vaccines through COVAX. On Wednesday, Ghana has become the first country to receive COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX.

___WASHINGTON — Coronavirus vaccine makers tell Congress to expect a big increase in the delivery of doses over the coming month. AdLooking ahead to summer, Pfizer and Moderna expect to complete delivery of 300 million doses each, and J&J aims to provide an additional 100 million doses. ___MADRID — Spain has registered 7,461 new coronavirus cases and 443 more deaths. AdThe country has reached a total of 3.1 million cases and 68,000 confirmed deaths. Ad___GENEVA — The head of the World Health Organization is criticizing the lack of access to coronavirus vaccines for the world’s poor.

___AdLOS ANGELES -- California’s death toll during the coronavirus pandemic has topped 49,000, even as the rates of new infections and hospitalizations continue to plummet across the state. ___WASHINGTON — The White House says about a third of the coronavirus vaccine doses delayed by this week’s winter weather have been delivered this weekend. The Balkan nation of 7 million has administered more than 1 million doses so far, which is among the top results in Europe. AdA nation of some 620,000 people, Montenegro has reported more than 70,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 939 known deaths. ___PHOENIX -- Enrollment at U.S. community colleges dropped 10% from fall 2019 to fall 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

There were an additional 227 COVID-19 deaths, more than 4,900 new cases and 7,535 hospitalizations, a decline of 222 people hospitalized, the department reported. But he said other services would be allowed only for those who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. A nation of some 620,000 people, Montenegro has reported more than 70,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 939 known deaths. ___PHOENIX -- Enrollment at U.S. community colleges dropped 0% from fall 2019 to fall 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Arizona on Saturday reported 2,047 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases and 59 deaths, increasing the state’s pandemic totals to 806,163 cases and 15,480 deaths.

FILE - In this Tuesday, May 26, 2020 photo released by Nucleus Network/ABC, clinical trial participants are monitored during Novavax COVID-19 vaccine testing in Melbourne, Australia. (Patrick Rocca/Nucleus Network/ABC via AP)MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia’s second-largest city will begin its third lockdown due to a rapidly spreading COVID-19 cluster centered on hotel quarantine. The first of Australia’s 20 million doses of German manufactured Pfizer vaccine is to be administered in late February. Ad___WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand’s first coronavirus vaccine doses are due to arrive in the country next week, with border workers getting inoculated from Feb. 20, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Friday. The state's Health Department said Thursday that wastewater testing in Burlington found the presence of two virus mutations associated with the variant.

(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has reported 504 new coronavirus cases for the latest 24-hour period. Although coronavirus cases stayed relatively low in Japan last year compared to the United States and Europe, infections have been climbing recently. Kate Brown says outdoor contact sports, including high school football, can resume this week amid a decline in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. On Wednesday, Germany’s Robert Koch Institute reported 8,072 new virus cases and 813 deaths in 24 hours. ___MADRID — Spain’s official 14-day rate of coronavirus cases has fallen to 584, from a peak of 900 two weeks ago.

FILE - In this Jan. 29, 2021, file photo, Sri Lankan nursing staff administer COVID-19 vaccines to front-line health workers in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Reynolds issued the earlier restrictions in November when hospitals were struggling to care for a surge of coronavirus patients. Officials say it could help up to four COVID-19 patients. ___LISBON, Portugal — Portugal has set a new daily record for COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care with 904 patients on Friday. AdThe Austrian government offered to take in five COVID-19 patients and five non-COVID patients to relieve Portuguese hospitals.

(AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)TIBERIAS – Archaeologists in Israel say they have discovered the remnants of an early mosque — believed to date to the earliest decades of Islam — during an excavation in the northern city of Tiberias. Under Muslim rule, Tiberias became a provincial capital in the early Islamic empire and grew in prominence. But until recently, little was known about the city’s early Muslim past. “In the archaeological finds, it was very rare to find early mosques,” he said. Hebrew University and its partners, the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology, plan to restart the dig in February.

Plastic surgeon Daniel Suver receives the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine from Andrea Castelblanco during a vaccine clinic on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska. Anchorage is averaging about 60 new COVID-19 cases a day, said Dr. Janet Johnston, the epidemiologist for the Anchorage Health Department. More than 90 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will be produced in Japan. Ad___SACRAMENTO -- California reported its second-highest number of COVID-19 deaths — while the rates of new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations continue to drop. ___ALBANY, N.Y. — New York may have undercounted COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents by thousands.

The 27-nation EU is coming under criticism for the slow rollout of its vaccination campaign. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)APELDOORN – Jos Bieleveldt had a spring in his step when the 91-year-old Dutchman got a coronavirus vaccine this week. Helping the Balkan countries with their vaccine rollout seemed an area where Europe, with its medical prowess and a willingness to prioritize such cooperation, would have an edge. But after Pfizer announced the temporary supply reduction, Italy slowed from administering about 80,000 doses a day to fewer than 30,000. The EU rollout was also slowed because the European Medicines Agency took more time than the U.S. or U.K. regulators to authorize its first vaccine.

(Peter Meecham/New Zealand Herald via AP)WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Travelers returning to New Zealand will face stricter rules at quarantine hotels as health authorities investigate how up to three people got infected with the coronavirus while isolating at Auckland’s Pullman Hotel. The record increase of 65 deaths is three more than the previous one-day record reported on Jan. 6, according to health department records. The university and county health department are asking students to limit leaving their residence to going to classes, getting food, work and other necessary in-person activities. The health department said in the news release that if the case counts continues to rise, stricter measures will have to be applied. The previous one-day record of 62 was reported Jan. 6, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

A Chinese province grappling with a spike in coronavirus cases is reinstating tight restrictions on weddings, funerals and other family gatherings, threatening violators with criminal charges. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)BEIJING — China is now dealing with coronavirus outbreaks across its frigid northeast, prompting additional lockdowns and travel bans. ___WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming White House press secretary says his administration does not intend to lift coronavirus travel restrictions for Europe, the U.K., Ireland and Brazil. ___MADRID — Spain’s Health Ministry has confirmed 84,287 new known coronavirus cases since Friday amid a post-Christmas virus surge. He said 21 people had died from the virus in the past three days, bringing the colony's total virus deaths to 45 since the start of the pandemic.

Biden has set a goal of injecting 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccine in his first 100 days in office, a goal Klain said they were on pace to meet. At his inauguration Wednesday, Biden will also deliver an appeal to national unity, expected to be a central theme of his speech, Klain told CNN’s “State of the Union" on Sunday. — In West Virginia, small businesses are being hailed for helping the state to emerge as an early success story in the nation’s otherwise chaotic vaccine rollout. Now more shots have gone into people’s arms per capita across West Virginia than in any other state. ___Find AP’s full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

State health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey urged residents to continue wearing masks, practicing social distancing and washing their hands frequently. Health care officials are currently vaccinating health care workers, first responders and those living in long-term care facilities —all people in the highest-priority groups for getting doses. In the first phase, priority was given to health care workers and residents and staff at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Cuomo says hospitals need to do a better job of vaccinating the health care workers who are eligible now. Only health care workers and nursing home residents and staff members are currently being vaccinated in New York.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, intensive care units in several parts of Texas were full or nearly full. India and Brazil trail behind the U.S. in coronavirus cases at over 10 million and 7 million, respectively. ___MILAN, Italy — Italy added another 462 virus deaths on Friday for a known pandemic death toll of 74,621, the highest in Europe. ___BANGKOK — The Thai capital is shutting down venues including schools and entertainment parks as coronavirus cases continue to spread. China on Friday reported a total of 19 new virus cases, including 10 that were brought from outside the country.