The Maldives has announced a ban on Israeli passport holders entering the country, amid rising public anger over the ongoing war in Gaza. The Foreign Ministry has recommended Israeli citizens, including those with dual citizenship, to avoid traveling to the Maldives and consider leaving the archipelago if they are already there, as assistance may be difficult in case of distress. The Maldives government’s decision comes after increased anti-Israel sentiment, with public comments from officials contributing to a heightened atmosphere. Nearly 11,000 Israelis visited the Maldives last year, accounting for 0.6% of total tourist arrivals. Israel had previously issued a travel warning in December, citing the tense atmosphere.

Recently the Biden administration has been a adopting a tougher tone while speaking about the southern border. However, the NY Post has reported that behind the scenes, the administration is operating a program of a “mass amnesty” for migrants.
Since 2022, more than 350,000 asylum cases filed by migrants have been closed by the US government if the applicants don’t have a criminal record or are otherwise not deemed a threat to the country.
After having their case terminated, the migrants are removed from the legal system and are no longer required to even check in with authorities. Migrants can then legally roam around America, indefinitely, without fear of deportation.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Qatar and Saudi Arabia on Sunday condemned an Israeli parliamentary bill that seeks to label UNRWA, the main provider of aid for Palestinians in Gaza, a terrorist group, joining a growing number of nations opposed to the proposal. The bill, which passed a preliminary vote in parliament last week, is […]

For retirees Tom and Beverly McAdam, the good news is the value of their two-bedroom home in suburban Denver has risen 45% since they purchased it more than six years ago. That’s also the bad news, costing them thousands more in real estate taxes and leaving less for discretionary spending. “To pay the higher property taxes, it just means we’ve got to take more money out of our investments when it comes time to hit those big bills,” Beverly McAdam said. She backs a Colorado ballot proposal that could cap the growth of property tax revenue. It’s one of several measures in states this year to limit, cut or offset escalating property taxes in response to complaints. Over the past five years, single-family home prices have risen about 54% nationally, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.

The President of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, announced on Sunday that Israelis would be banned from entering the country.
Muizzu also announced that his country would appoint a special envoy to aid Palestinians.
Additionally, the Maldives Homeland Security Minister is expected to hold a rally titled: “The Maldives in Solidarity with Palestine.”
Last December, the Israeli Foreign Ministry urged Israelis not to visit the country, after several anti-Israel remarks.
At the time, the Foreign Ministry wrote that “the atmosphere in the Maldives against Israel is intensifying and therefore Israeli citizens are advised to avoid traveling to the Maldives at this time.”
{Matzav.com}

An uncrewed Chinese spacecraft touched down on the far side of the moon Sunday, China’s space agency said, marking its second mission to a lunar region that no other country has landed on amid a growing international rivalry over space exploration. If successful, it will be the first mission in history to retrieve samples from the far side of the moon.
The China National Space Administration sent the Chang’e 6 lunar probe to collect rock and other material near and around an impact crater called the Apollo basin, which is part of the larger South Pole-Aitken basin of the moon, according to the country’s official Xinhua News Agency.

A raging forest fire that forced the evacuation of the Israel Museum in Yerushalyim’s Givat Ram neighborhood on Sunday was brought under control, the museum stated.
The blaze caused damage to the roof of the youth wing building but did not threaten the art and archaeological institution’s collection, according to the statement.
There were no injuries during the incident.
Fire and rescue teams earlier battled the blaze in an open space near the complex, in the Valley of the Cross. The Israel Museum and the Knesset overlook the valley, which is named after the Monastery of the Cross located in the valley.
There were no reports that the Knesset was threatened, or the monastery.
Four firefighting planes participated in the containment efforts.

Ahead of Yom Yerushalayim Tuesday evening and Wednesday, which this year celebrates 57 years since the city was reunified in the Six-Day War, the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research has published its 38th annual report on the city, which provides an in-depth statistical look at the capital.
With a population of 1,005,900 in 2022, Yerushalayim’s population is double that of Tel Aviv’s, according to the latest census figures.
Construction in Jerusalem hit a new high in 2023, with work beginning on 5,800 housing units—the largest number to date. In 2023, the labor force participation rate among Arab women in the city continued rising as well, reaching 29%.