New Haven, CT - A man acquitted of molesting a girl at a Bridgeport synagogue has won the right to identify her parents in a lawsuit accusing them of making false abuse allegations against him, his attorney said. Alfredo Vargas, a 69-year-old handyman, spent about five years in prison before he was acquitted in January in a second trial. When Vargas sued the parents, they sought to have the...

Los Angeles, CA - Jewish groups have called for Mel Gibson to be ostracized from and investigated for breach of race hate laws after his drunken anti-Semitic outburst to a Los Angeles police officer. Gibson issued a lengthy statement Saturday apologizing for saying "despicable" things to sheriff's deputies when he was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol. U/D...

New York - Gov. George Pataki has been the biggest recipient of campaign contributions from power companies that are now under scrutiny for recent blackouts in New York City, a new study just released shows. Government watchdog groups say the state Public Service Commission under Pataki has taken a ``hands-off approach'' to its job of regulating electric utilities and has failed to protect the...

Brooklyn, NY - A physician, a medical clinic owner and others are accused of a multimillion dollar auto insurance scam involving staged crashes and perpetrators who sought unnecessary treatment at facilities that were part of the scheme, said state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. Twenty people were indicted throughout New York City. In the...

Chaifa, Israel - Security forces detain two Palestinians suspected of planning to stage terror attack; the high alert that was declared in Chaifa called off following arrests. A high alert was declared in the Chaifa region shortly before the two suspects - Palestinian illegal aliens - were nabbed and security forces boosted operations in The two suspects were detained by Chaifa Police...

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident involving a Motorcycle in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, NY on 45th Street and 9th Avenue, Hatzolah on the scene requesting back-up U/D: 17:45 FD Engine 282 is reporting that aided is walking around and not in serious condition...

Otisville, NY Burn Victim in Corectional Facility+ Mobile Life on the scene in the Federal Prison in Otisville at 100 2 Mile Drive with an aided that has multiple burns to his entire body< Medivac has been requested and Stat Flight Air-2 inbound with a 10 minute ETA. Fire Department to set up the landing zone just out side the prison property...

New York, NY - 1500 members of the New York community, marched across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan this past Shaboss against Israel. The protesters began with chants at 2:30 p.m. at Cadman Plaza Park, on the Brooklyn side of the bridge, and marched to City Hall in Manhattan for a rally...

Moscow, Russia - A Moscow court has rejected synagogue attacker Alexander Koptsev’s defense’s request to allow a jury to examine his case. The court in its ruling stressed that the defense first had to ask for preliminary hearings, but failed to do so. “Due to this violation the court has decided to reject the defense’s request to allow a jury to examine Koptsev’s case,” the judge...

Baghdad, Iraq - The Iraq's vice president of the U.S.-backed Iraqi government has accused Israel of carrying out "massacres" in Lebanon in the strongest criticism of Israel by a top official of the U.S-backed Iraqi government. Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi said Iraqi people, too, have suffered many attacks in their history. "What happened in Iraq is happening now in (Lebanon)," he said in a...

Brussels - Security has been increased at Brussels International Airport after a letter threatening attacks against the Israeli airline El Al was found in a toilet room. "I can confirm we found a letter in a toilet room of the Zaventem airport on Sunday," said federal police spokeswoman Evie Claes. "The letter is being analyzed. While we wait for the outcome of the analysis, we have added...

Lebanon +Israeli Air Force Strikes Again+ Israeli air force bomb suspected guerrilla targets in southern Lebanon, despite an agreement to halt air raids for 48 hours. U/D: 12:42 Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says there will be no cease-fire. U/D: 18:25 Officials say Israeli Security Cabinet has approvee widening ground offensive in Lebanon. U/D: 19:43 Israel plans to call up thousands...

Queens, NY - Arson squad detectives are investigating what police sources described as a Molotov cocktail hurled outside a Queens synagogue. An incendiary device was used to start a small rubbish fire next to the Synagogue Beis Sholom in Flushing, Queens, NY. The fire was quickly put out with little damage to the building, but a law enforcement source noted, "Some kind of flammable...

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck by a vehicle that fled the scene on Division Avenue and Berry Street, Hatzolah on the scene requesting NYPD to respond. U/D: 12:04 Hatzolah on the scene requesting Medics to respond...

New York, NY - Absolut Vodka announced products listed under its brand name have received kosher certification from the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. Absolut products manufactured at the V&S blending and bottling facility in Åhus, Sweden are being formally manufactured under the supervision of the Kashruth Division of the Orthodox Union. The OU designation will be...