Israel approved 600 new Home

partments under construction in the Israeli settlement of Har Homa, situated in East Jerusalem, and a view of the Arab neighborhood of Umm Tuba in the background. 

 THOMAS COEX/AFP/Getty Images

Early Sunday morning, Israelapproved building permits for nearly 600 new homes in three settlements in East Jerusalem — just two days after Donald Trump took his oath of office. A few short hours later, the Israeli news outlet Haaretz reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had just informed the members of his inner security cabinet that he has decided to lift all restrictions on Israeli construction in East Jerusalem.

Back in December, the Obama administration took the unprecedented step of allowing an extremely controversial UN resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem to pass, sparking a major diplomatic fight with Israel. But though he was outraged, Netanyahu ordered the Jerusalem municipality to wait on approving new housing units in an attempt to avoid further inflaming US-Israeli relations.

That is, to wait until Trump took office.

Meir Turgeman, the chairman of the municipality's Planning and Building committee, told Israel Radio on Sunday, "I was told to wait until Trump takes office because he has no problem with building in Jerusalem," Turgeman said, adding there were hundreds more units waiting for approval.

Trump has broken with longstanding US policy on settlements

For nearly half a century, American presidents of both parties have joined the rest of the international community in condemning Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands and labelling them one of the main obstacles to peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

But Trump has completely upended that longstanding policy. He publicly slammed the Obama administration for its decision to abstain on the UN settlement vote. His pick to be the next ambassador to Israel, David Friedman is staunchly pro-settlement, as is Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.

The Times of Israel reports that Friedman has raised millions of dollars for the West Bank settlement of Beit El. They also note that “the foundation run by the family of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has also supported Beit El, and Trump himself has donated money to a Jewish seminary in the settlement through his foundation, tax records show.”

Trump has also promised to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a highly controversial and symbolic move that the US Congress supports but that every previous US president has avoided actually doing out of concern for the potential impact it could have on the future of the peace process.

Trump even invited three prominent leaders of Israel’s settler movement to his inauguration ceremony and ball — a highly symbolic gesture meant to send a clear signal that he’s serious about his stance on Israel, and that things really are going to change under his administration.

Sunday’s announcements on new settlement construction in East Jerusalem suggest that his message has come through loud and clear.

Pastor In Rape mess

Pastor Mapfumo (L)

A PASTOR who was arrested after he confessed to bedding his three female congregants on Star FM Tildah Moyo’s show, yesterday appeared in court facing fresh charges of duping another follower of cash in a botched residential stand sale.

Pastor Onbert Mapfumo, who has pending sexual offences, appeared at the Harare magistrates’ court facing two counts of fraud.

Mapfumo denied the charges when he appeared before magistrate Victoria Mashamba who remanded him out of custody to February 15 on US$50 bail.

He is standing accused of duping Happious Mahembe a total of US$1 300 in the deal.

The State had it that sometime in 2012 Mahembe joined pastor Mapfumo’s church.In February 2014, pastor Mapfumo reported approached Mahembe and told him that the Central Intelligence Organisation was offering stands in South View.

Pastor Mapfumo is said to have told Mahembe that the stand was being sold for US$800 with CBZ mandated to build a three-roomed house for the stand owner.

He also allegedly told Mahembe that US$35 was needed as joining fee.

In March of the same year, Mahembe handed pastor Mapfumo US$95 towards the purchase of the stand.

Reports are that Mahembe continued paying money to pastor Mapfumo towards purchase of the stand until it amounted to US$500.

Pastor Mapfumo is alleged to have demanded cash which he said was wanted by a surveyor.

Further allegations are that pastor Mapfumo went to Mahembe and told him that there was a land dispute in Southview and there was another piece of land where he could get a stand.

Reports are that he started collecting money from Mahembe which he said was for the piece of land.

Pastor Mapfumo is said to have failed to allocate Mahembe the piece of land which forced him to approach the police leading to his arrest.

SNL honours Obama with Musical tribute

The Hill  published"Saturday Night Live" honored former President Barack Obama’s legacy with a musical tribute during its first show after President Trump’s inauguration.

SNL cast members sang Sidney Poitier's “To Sir, With Love” with a large portrait of Obama behind them.

The SNL cast members also presented a “World’s Greatest President” mug for Obama at the end of their performance.

The move to honor Obama with a song echoes the show’s decision to have a cast member portraying Hillary Clinton sing an emotional “Hallelujah” just after the Democratic nominee’s surprise defeat to Trump in the 2016 election in November.

Trump became the country’s 45th president on Friday. The Obamas flew to Palm Springs, Calif. immediately after the inauguration.

Trump isn't going to release Tax return-hill

According to hill,Donald Trump's aide Kellyanne Conway on Sunday said President Donald Trump will not release his tax returns.

"The White House response is that he’s not going to release his tax returns," Conway, a key Trump adviser, said on ABC's "This Week."

"We litigated this all through the election. People didn’t care. They voted for him, and let me make this very clear: most Americans are — are very focused on what their tax returns will look like while President Trump is in office, not what his look like."

A White House petition calling for the president to release his tax returns has received more than 100,000 signatures, the number it needs to warrant a response from the administration.

The petition was created Friday, shortly after Trump took the Oath of Office. It pushes the White House to "immediately release Donald Trump's full tax returns, with all information needed to verify emoluments clause compliance."

Conway said during the interview Sunday that the public knows Trump and his family are complying with all the ethical rules regarding the president's business empire.

People want to know they're going to get tax relief under a Trump administration, Conway said.

"He has promised that we just hope the Democratic Senate will support his tax relief package," she said. 

"Because the Democratic Senate in 2001 did for President Bush, George, they passed tax relief for all Americans by June of that year. We hope the same happens here."