An Israeli parliamentary committee has approved new funding for Benjamin Netanyahu and his family, giving the prime minister a boost in personal spending at a time when he is facing mass protests over his policies and as the economy is on shaky ground.

The committee voted to approve public funds to cover expenses incurred by the Netanyahus at their private homes in Jerusalem and the exclusive seaside town of Caesarea, as well as an increase of thousands of dollars a year in clothing expenses for both Netanyahu and his wife, Sara.

For nearly two weeks, Mehmet Ismet has lived in the ruins of Antakya's most beloved historic mosque, a landmark in a now-devastated city that was famed for thousands of years as a meeting place of civilizations and revered by Christians, Muslims and Jews.

The 74-year-old took refuge in the Habib Najjar mosque after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake killed tens of thousands in Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6. He has slept and prayed under the few arches still standing, mourning the future of a city renowned for its past.

One day in the fall of 1998, Shivi Drori, a young farmer fresh out of the Israeli army, brought three trailers to a rugged hilltop deep in the occupied West Bank and began to plant raspberries.

It was an unauthorized settlement in the heart of territory claimed by the Palestinians, but Drori, now 49, said he considered himself to be "in a way, working with the government."

Israel's far-right government has granted approval for over 7,000 new homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, settlement backers and opponents said. The move defies growing international opposition to construction in the occupied territory.

The announcement came just days after the U.N. Security Council passed a statement strongly criticizing Israeli settlement construction on occupied lands claimed by the Palestinians. The United States, Israel's closest ally, blocked what would have been an even tougher legally binding resolution, with diplomats saying they had received Israeli assurances of refraining from unilateral acts for six months.

The death toll from the massive earthquake that hit parts of Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6 continues to rise as more bodies are retrieved from the rubble of demolished buildings. A magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck the already battered province of Hatay this week damaged or demolished more buildings, compounding the devastation.

Here's a look at the key developments Thursday from the aftermath of the earthquake.

One year into Russia's war against Ukraine, China is offering a 12-point proposal to end the fighting.

The proposal follows China's recent announcement that it is trying to act as mediator in the war that has re-energized Western alliances viewed by Beijing and Moscow as rivals. China's top diplomat indicated that the plan was coming at a security conference this week in Munich, Germany.

Pope Francis canceled one audience and skipped speeches he was set to deliver Thursday because of a bad cold, the Vatican said.

Francis, 86, did meet with young Orthodox priests and monks and members of the Max Planck Society, the German research organization that is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. But because of a "bad cold," Francis merely had printed copies of his remarks handed out and didn't read them aloud, the Vatican said in a note.

Rio de Janeiro couldn't resume regular life after the Carnival festivities came to a close until "the count" of scores from the parade competition was complete and a victor proclaimed.

The Carnival parade is billed as the world's biggest party, yet scarcely anyone outside Brazil realizes that the flashy floats and extravagant dancers are more than spectacle. It has complex, constantly changing regulations and dozens of judges. In recent years, the samba school league has adopted changes to limit subjectivity, but skepticism about scoring remains — not least because of its checkered past.

Though gently restrained and delicately crafted, "The Quiet Girl" has managed to make plenty of noise. Colm Bairead's modestly scaled drama, his narrative directorial debut, is the highest-grossing Irish-language film of all time. It bested "Belfast" at the Irish Film & Television Awards. And it's nominated for best international film at the Academy Awards, a first for Ireland.

It's not hard to see why. Bairead's sensitive and heartfelt film, which is debuting in many theaters Friday, is a stirring testament to what's possible on a modest scale with a few well-chosen words. Set in 1981 rural Ireland, "The Quiet Girl" — a clever tweak to the title of John Ford's Ireland-set "The Quiet Man" — comes from Claire Keegan's short story "Foster," and it preserves much of the rhythm and concision of a good short story.

Sexiness is in the air at Milan Fashion Week, where brands are encouraging people to show some skin next fall and winter.

Whether they have global warming in mind, warm outerwear or are just thinking skimpy dressing for crowded, overheated parties — because, yes, we are doing that again — the invitation to intimacy is on the table.