Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s National Public Transportation Authority reported that public transportation in Israel continues to break records. In 2025, 912 million trips were recorded on Buses, light rail, and Israel Railways, compared to 904 million trips in 2024, and a new annual travel record ever.

The data, said the Authority, reflects a trend of recovery and continued growth after the Corona years, and later also against the backdrop of the challenges of the “Iron Swords” war, during which transportation activity was reduced in large areas of the country, lines were shut down, and drivers and vehicles were mobilized for the national effort. Despite this, the public transportation system maintained functional continuity and quickly returned to increasing levels of activity.

The increase in the number of passengers is the result of a clear policy led by the Ministry of Transportation and Road Safety: expanding the line network, increasing frequencies, opening and extending light rail lines, improving service on Israel Railways, and unprecedented investment in service additions. As part of the 2025 budget, hundreds of millions of shekels were allocated specifically for expanding public transportation service.

“The peak figure for 2025 indicates growing public trust and a gradual transition from private vehicles to high-quality, available and accessible public transportation as a basis for dealing with the problem of road congestion and improving the quality of life,” said the Authority.

Today (Thursday), a conference was held in Beit Shemesh to mark a decade since the establishment of the National Police College, the central body for training police officers, commanders, and officers in all roles within the Israel Police. The conference was held in the presence of the Minister of national security, MK Itamar Ben-Gvir; the Commissioner of Police, Commissioner-General Daniel Levi; Head of the Training Division, Superintendent Hadas Shapira Damoni; Commander of the College, Superintendent General Tzvi Taub; the National Senior Staff of the Israel Police, past commanders of the College, the training staff, and trainees.

Prior to the official opening of the conference, a festive ceremony was held during which the College’s Decade Pin was unveiled and awarded for the first time to the training staff – a symbol of appreciation for a decade of professional, ethical, and operational excellence in training the police officers and commanders of the Israel Police.

Since its establishment in 2015, the National Police College has been a central pillar in building police command and leadership, integrating operational, command, and ethical training with the aim of shaping police officers and commanders who lead the organization in accordance with the values of the rule of law, public service, and the pursuit of excellence.

Minister of National Security, MK Itamar Ben-Gvir: “The police are an integral force in maintaining our national security. We are not ashamed to be proud of our nation, our country, and that the police know how to distinguish between an enemy and a friend.

“Whoever challenges the existence and identity of the state and tries to harm governance and impose fear and terror, will receive an iron fist from the Israel Police. We saw this in Tarabin, and we will see it, with God’s help and with your help – it is growing stronger.

“Everyone knows how much I have fallen in love with this place. The Commissioner and I are investing in budgets, technologies, resources, but first and foremost in people. If you knew how much effort and energy we invest even in a station commander in a small town, you would be surprised, but one who insists that his officers speak of governance and sovereignty cannot make concessions and checks them carefully, to see that they are fit to go out to battle and war for the existence of our state.”

Commissioner of Police, Commissioner-General Daniel Levi: “As Commissioner, I believe that the best must come to training – outstanding commanders, instructors, and professionals in their fields, with rich experience and a true mission to impart knowledge, tools, and values. Investing in the College and its people is, in my opinion, a direct investment in the professionalism of the Israel Police.

“The goal we are aiming for is to shape an organizational culture where learning is an integral part of the daily work of commanders and police officers, and to ensure that training in the Israel Police is not only up-to-date but also groundbreaking.

“We will continue to pray for the return of our captive, hero of Israel, Rani Guili – the police officer who went out first and must return.”

Head of the Training Division, Superintendent Hadas Shapira Damoni: “We are marking a decade for the home, a home designed to unite all the training worlds of the Israel Police under one roof. We have built a space where knowledge meets values, experience meets learning, and authority meets responsibility.

“The walls are just the shell, but the spirit is what counts. And the walls here have long ceased to be silent; they speak in terms of integrity, courage, and protecting the great home of us all – the State of Israel.”

Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics reported that in December 2025 the consumer confidence index stood at -18%.

There was no significant change in the four balance sheets that make up the index.

The relative consumer confidence index stands at 82.

The consumer confidence index ranges from minus 100 to plus 100. The closer the index value is to the upper limit, the greater optimism among individuals, and the closer the index value is to the lower limit, the greater pessimism.

Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Regina, 102 years old, arrived on Wednesday at the Population Administration Bureau in Krayot, near Haifa, and registered as a new immigrant from France. She arrived with her two granddaughters.

Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s National Planning and Building Council approved the national outline plan for agro-voltaic facilities.

The plan, which was prepared under the leadership of the Planning Administration and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, for the first time comprehensively regulates the construction of facilities that combine electricity production from solar energy with active agricultural cultivation, and constitutes a significant step in promoting renewable energies alongside preserving the agricultural areas and open landscape of the State of Israel.

It establishes a uniform and clear design standard that will provide certainty to the market, enable the promotion of agro-voltaic installations on a significant scale, and help the State of Israel meet its national energy goals – while maintaining active agriculture and food security.

The plan also established strict mechanisms to ensure the continued existence of optimal agricultural cultivation throughout the entire life of the facility, as a condition for its operation, including the establishment of clear sanctions in cases of cessation of agricultural cultivation.

Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz signed a proclamation today (Thursday) defining Iranian State Bank Melli as a terrorist organization. He did so at the request of security agencies and on the recommendation of the Headquarters for Combating Economic Terrorism at the Ministry of Defense, and in accordance with its authority under Section 11 of the Counter-Terrorism Law.

Bank Mali is a key factor in the Iranian regime’s transfer of funds to terrorist organizations, and serves as the regime’s central financial arm in financing terrorist activity throughout the Middle East and beyond, said Katz’s office.

This is a government bank in the service of the regime that operates one of the regime’s most extensive cover networks, for the purpose of circumventing international sanctions and laundering money. Among other things, the bank provides extensive financial services to Iran’s security forces, including providing bank accounts and transferring funds to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the Quds Force, which are directly involved in financing, directing, and operating terrorist organizations.

“Declaring Bank Mali a terrorist organization will help thwart one of the main funding routes for Iran’s terrorist proxies,” said Katz’s office noting that it was declared a terrorist organization by the United States in 2018.

Israel’s Defense Ministry added that this move, alongside the previous similar decisions regarding the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), Bank Mellat, and Bank Shahr, constitutes “another layer in the ongoing effort by the security establishment to damage the economic infrastructure of Iranian terrorism and prevent the financing of the activities of terrorist organizations operating against the State of Israel and its citizens.”

Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Three minors from the Bedouin village Tarabin, located in the Negev, were arrested on suspicion of throwing stones at buses in the area. Their arrests, said the police, came in recent weeks.

An investigation revealed that the three were involved in two incidents of throwing stones, in June and October 2025, at buses traveling on Route 310, near the Tarabin settlement, with the intention of causing harm.

Indictments against the three were filed today, Thursday.

Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli fusion company nT-Tao has reached a major milestone, firing its C3 prototype’s first plasma pulses just over two months after assembly. The project moves Israel closer to practical, on-site fusion energy for industry and remote locations.

C3 follows the earlier C2-A system and aims for higher temperatures and longer plasma stability.

“The speed from design to first plasma shows our team’s ability to work quickly and test new ideas,” said Dr. Yoav Shoshani, nT-Tao’s Director of Experiments & Diagnostics.

Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — President Isaac Herzog’s office said it opened 1,683 pardon requests in 2025, continuing a slight decline from 2024 but maintaining higher averages than the past five years. The President granted 456 positive decisions, primarily shortening criminal record periods, reducing fines, or easing sentences.

A notable focus was on special relief schemes for soldiers, reservists, and civilian war victims. Nearly half of all positive decisions were granted under these special frameworks.

Requests from sex offenders, domestic violence perpetrators, and serious traffic offenders continued to be systematically denied.