Here are the latest news headlines from this morning that reached our news desk. The times given are Jerusalem time (GMT +3)

8:30 AM - The Bank of Israel Monetary Committee lowered the national interest rate to 3.50% from 3.75%, the bank announced
The decision was made in response to the shekel's strength and a decline in inflation, though economic actors, notably exporters, were pressing for a sharper reduction.
 

 
8:45 AM - Israel's aid delegation to Venezuela, sent in the aftermath of the powerful earthquakes, is assisting the South American country with engineering assessments of damaged buildings rather than search-and-rescue operations, the head of the team says.
"Unlike past missions, we were asked to help rehabilitate the country. At the request of the Venezuelan government, of course," Home Front Command Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Elad Edri tells reporters.
The military's delegation is made up of around 30 experts, mostly Home Front Command engineers who specialize in structural assessment. 
"This is a specific engineering discipline that enables an engineer to evaluate a building and determine whether it is suitable for rehabilitation or fit for use, or whether it needs to be demolished, which is extremely critical for the rehabilitation phase," Edri says.