The State Department has security regulations for the U.S. Embassy’s employees and their families because of the ongoing violence in the region. In Tel Aviv, discos and clubs are off limits, and caution is advised in patronizing restaurants, cafes, malls, and theaters, especially during peak business hours. Employees are prohibited from using public buses and are advised to stay away from bus stops and areas around them. Travel to the West Bank and Gaza is prohibited, and Route 443 (Modi’in Road) remains off limits. In Jerusalem, employees are urged to avoid the downtown commercial district of West Jerusalem and the Ben Yehuda Pedestrian Mall and the Mahane Yehuda markets. Travel in the commercial district of East Jerusalem requires extreme caution because of the rise in violent crime there. The Old City is off-limits on Fridays and after dark, and requires extreme caution during daylight hours from Saturday through Thursday. Several settler bypass roads are off limits after dark, and the outlying villages around East Jerusalem should be avoided.
AUSTRALIA
The worst jellyfish season in years has raised fears that a tiny jellyfish not previously considered lethal may have caused the death of a British tourist near Hamilton Island off the coast of Queensland. Some 79 people have been admitted to Cairns Base Hospital since December suffering from stings of the Irukandji. Many beaches have been closed.
