Latest News Briefs

France's National Assembly on Sunday night approved a controversial new immigration law.

The law doubles the maximum time migrants can be held in detention to 90 days. The bill also reduces the time that asylum-claimers have to lodge their application from 120 to 90 days and gives them two weeks to appeal if unsuccessful.

U.S. President Donald Trump last year bluntly asked Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu if he actually cares about peace or not, Axios reported Sunday, citing three sources familiar with the call.

According to the officials, Trump was pressing Netanyahu on the importance of striking a "deal" for peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). He had reportedly read news reports about Netanyahu planning to build additional settlements communities in Judea and Samaria. Thinking Netanyahu was unnecessarily angering the Palestinians, he bluntly asked Netanyahu whether or not he genuinely wants peace, according to the website.

Watch: Former Director Peace Now Dir. and Yisrael Hayom journalist speak about actress Natalie Portman's statement and Diaspora Jewry.

A candidate running against Hezbollah in Lebanon's parliamentary elections was in hospital on Sunday after being assaulted by a group of men in his southern hometown, he told AFP.

The candidate, journalist Ali al-Amin, is a vocal critic of the Tehran-backed Hezbollah, and is challenging the party in the upcoming May 6 legislative election.

Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism) reiterated over the weekend that if the draft law does not pass in three readings by the end of the Knesset summer session, he will work to dismantle the government.

Litzman’s comments were made in a speech at a conference in Davos, Switzerland, attended by hundreds of Gur hasidim.

The leftist organization Peace Now has launched a virtual campaign to express support for Israeli-American actress Natalie Portman, who refused to come to Israel to receive the Genesis Prize from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

In a Facebook post entitled “I'm with her”, the organization wrote, "An ugly and nationalistic attack by the members of the coalition. We are proudly standing alongside Natalie Portman and millions of Jews in the U.S. who love Israel and express courageous criticism against government policy, out of commitment and true love for Israel.”

British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has postponed a scheduled roundtable on relations between the Jewish community and his party, the UK-based Jewish News reported on Sunday.

The Labour leader invited numerous community groups for a “Respect and Engagement” event on April 25, just 24 hours after talks are scheduled between Corbyn, the Board and the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC).

An example of the rising anti-Semitism in Germany was captured on tape in a “kippah experiment” that quickly erupted into violence.

The Libyan navy said on Sunday it recovered the bodies of 11 migrants and rescued 263 others in two separate operations off Libya's western coast.

The migrants were from various sub-Saharan African countries.

U.S. President Donald Trump will urge North Korea to act quickly to dismantle its nuclear arsenal when he meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next month and isn’t willing to grant Pyongyang substantial sanctions relief in return for a freeze of its nuclear and missile tests, administration officials told The Wall Street Journal on Sunday.

The pace of Pyongyang’s nuclear dismantlement and the timetable for sanctions relief stand to be the major issues of the summit between the two.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said on Sunday a planned overhaul of the welfare system would be canceled following days of deadly protests.

The unrest over the reforms has killed at least seven people in recent days.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said there is no “plan B” for the Iran nuclear deal and urged U.S. President Donald Trump to stay in the agreement as long as there is no better option, Reuters reported.

Trump, who has blasted the 2015 nuclear deal as “the worst deal ever negotiated”, in January decided to extend a waiver on nuclear sanctions that were imposed on Iran.

Screenshop CTO & Co-Founder presents the Israeli app that is powered by massive product database and brand partnerships.

Mario Abdo Benitez, the leader of Paraguay’s ruling conservative party, won the country’s presidential election on Sunday.

Abdo Benitez won 48.29% of the vote. His main challenger, Efrain Alegre, won 41.7% of votes.

A Hamas terrorist was killed on Sunday when a tunnel collapsed on him in central Gaza.

According to the International Middle East Media Center, the incident took place near Deir al-Balah.

Armenian police on Sunday detained the opposition leader and nearly 200 other protesters who have been demonstrating against the former president Serzh Sarksyan’s appointment as prime minister.

The protesters are accusing Sarksyan of clinging to power after the constitution was revised in such a way that most state powers have shifted to the prime minister.

After 10 investigations by the Lahav 433 anti-corruption police unit, it appears that the police will recommend that Interior Minister Aryeh Deri be indicted for tax offenses.

According to the Kikar Hashabbat news site, the police are currently completing their work in the investigation file against Deri, who was last questioned last month.

In honor of Israel’s 70th, Intel CEO, along with 300 of his shooting star drones, put together a little present to commemorate the event.

An identifiably Jewish man was beaten and choked while walking home from Shabbat services in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, JTA reported Sunday.

The Jewish man was walking home from prayer services at about 1:30 on Saturday afternoon. He told CrownHeights.info that he said “good afternoon” to a man who was smoking a cigar on a street corner.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday thanked mayors from cities around the world who illuminated buildings in blue and white in honor of Israel's 70th Independence Day.

It will be clear to partly cloudy overnight. Monday will be fair and slightly warmer. Tuesday will be partly cloudy with a significant rise in temperature. Strong northerly winds are expected in the afternoon along the Mediterranean coast. Variable cloudiness and haze are forecast for Wednesday with isolated showers and thunderstorms in most regions. There's a slight risk of flash floods in southern and eastern wadis and a drop in temperatures to slightly below average. Mostly cloudy on Thursday with haze, occasional showers and isolated thunderstorms, accompanied by risk of flash floods in southern and eastern wadis. There's also a chance of hail. No significant change in temperature.

Monday highs:
Jerusalem: 21Celsius/69Fahrenheit;
Kinneret/Sea of Galilee: 28C/82F; Golan Heights: 24/75;
Haifa, Tel Aviv: 22/71; Be'er Sheva: 25/77; Dead Sea, Eilat: 30/86

German Chancellor, who maintained open-door immigration policy for Syrian refugees, condemns 'new anti-Semitism' from Arab migrants.

A government source said on Sunday that there was no intention to extend the term of Police Commissioner Ronnie Alsheikh.

The official told Channel 20 Television that "in the past two decades, they have only extended the term of two police commissioners."

Native American Chief Joseph RiverWind and his wife Laralyn tour Samaria, say return of Jews to their homeland gives Native Americans hope.

The Rambam Medical Center in Haifa is in danger of economic collapse, according News 2.

The hospital's financial situation is so severe that its director-general, Professor Rafi Beyar, is considering resigning.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to lead massive US delegation at opening ceremony for US embassy in J'lem, joined by dozens of lawmakers.

French President Emanuel Macron said on Sunday "The U.S. today has a very strong role to play for peace in different regions of the world and especially the Middle East.”

Interviewed on Fox News Sunday, he said, “We will have to build a new Syria after war. And that’s why I think the U.S. role is very important to play.”

Conversion committee set up by PM, Shas leader reportedly to submit bill recognizing conversions of'established Jewish communities.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett blasts Supreme Court for judicial activism, says court now dominates executive branch.

Comedian and leftist Assaf Harel is considering running for mayor of Tel Aviv against current mayor Ron Huldai in the upcoming elections this October.

Member of Knesset Stav Shafir (Zionist Union) is also considering entering the race, according to Channel 10 Television.

Minister of Culture and Sports Miri Regev was greeted by derogatory whistles at the opening of tonight's basketball game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem, held at the Menorah Mivtachim arena in Tel Aviv, according to Channel 10 Television.

A Hamas terrorist was killed when a tunnel collapsed near the Gaza city of Deir al-Balah.

'Videos of beheadings are commonplace at German schools, and that female pupils are being threatened with murder.'

The head of the Israel Defense Forces' Central Command has signed an order forbidding the possession of mini drones in Judea and Samaria without a permit, according to Israeli public television.

This is a tightening of a previous order forbidding the flying of the drones.

Beitar Jerusalem fans have bought all 12,000 tickets in the team's allotment for its game against Hapoel Haifa for the State Cup, which will take place on May 9 at its home ground of Teddy Stadium in the capital.

It will be Beitar's first home final. Many fans went on to the ticket office website at 14:30. The sale to the general public opened at 19:00 and quarter of an hour later, the tickets were gone, despite a limit of two per customer. Tomorrow evening, tickets from the Hapoel Haifa are scheduled to go on sale, and Jerusalem fans who did not manage to get a ticket to their stands are expected to purchase from Haifa.

Smoke filled the sky in the Sorotzkin neighborhood of Jerusalem last month, as the Vital family’s home was swiftly destroyed by flames.

An Egged bus traveling from Jerusalem to Beit El was hit by rocks as it passed Hizme, just outside northern Jerusalem.

There were no injuries but the windshield suffered extensive damage. It stopped at Adam, where police inspected the bus. The passengers were transferred to a bus to carry them to Shaar Binyamin.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will head the United States delegation to next month's ceremony to mark the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem, according to Channel 10 Television.

Also in the party will be Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump and 40 senators.

The 15-year-old Jewish boy who was arrested on Sunday in the Samarian Jewish community of Yitzhar by police detectives who disguised themselves as "settlers" was questioned on suspicion of obstructing a policeman.

He was released and expelled from Judea and Samaria for five months.

Merchants and products from Jerusalem shuk arrive in British capital in support of Ezer Mitzion bone marrow registry.