Washington, DC - A key House panel plans to scale back a bill that would allow Holocaust survivors to sue European insurers for unpaid claims and force the companies to publish the names of all policyholders during the Nazi era. The measure, known as the Holocaust Insurance Accountability Act, has divided some in the Jewish community, pitting survivors who believe the companies haven't paid...

Williamsburg, NY - The Domino Sugar sign that announced the mill on the East River in Brooklyn for generations will be displayed atop new apartments being built at the site under a plan approved todat by the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission. In February and March, the developers approached the commission with a proposal for a glass addition planned for the roof of the former...

Ithaca, NY - Faced with rising fuel prices, residents in this upstate New York city can rent a gas-efficient car by the hour through a new car sharing program designed as a model for other communities.  Even before the program's official debut, 60 people had joined Ithaca Carshare, said Jennifer Dotson, the program's executive director. "People are starting to feel the pinch ... This can...

Arapahoe County, CO - The Arapahoe County Sherriff's Office said it has arrested one of two juvenile suspects in a case of ethnic intimidation against a Jewish family. Deputies were called to the area of South Macon Way and East Maplewood Avenue on a report of criminal mischief. A homeowner told the deputies that she saw two white male juveniles, dressed in dark clothing, digging in her front...

New York City - Agudath Israel of America has launched a campaign to urge rabbis, teachers, principals and other leaders in the New York haredi community to encourage their members to register to vote. Such campaigns happen every few years, but this year, the community may have more at stake, with several Orthodox politicians running in a slew of local elections. A meeting organized by Agudath...

Israel - The Knesset approved Tuesday evening a new law that allows homeowners to shoot burglars without facing criminal charges. The new legislation, known as the "Dromi Law," was introduced following the case of southern farmer Shai Dromi who shot and killed a Bedouin who broke into his farm. A total of 44 Knesset members voted in favor of the new law while only seven MKs voted against...

New York - The Nestlé company has issued a recall on the one gallon Nestlé Pure Life Drinking Water. This announces a product recall for the one-gallon Nestle Pure Life Purified Drinking Water sold ONLY in Shop-Rite stores in the five Northeast states of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. This affects ONLY the one-gallon size. Fewer than 150 one-gallon bottles...

Gaza City - U.S. volunteers with military backgrounds have been recruited to help train the new Hamas army in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources said one of the Americans was former U.S. Army captain Fares Al Ashi. "This information is important for the youth," Al Ashi said during a briefing to visiting journalists in Gaza City. The sources said Al Ashi, a specialist in explosives and...

Detroit, MI - A judge rejected a Lebanese-born defendant's request that he remove himself from a case involving terrorism because the judge is Jewish. Fawzi Mustapha Assi, 48, has pleaded guilty to providing support for a terrorist group. He addressed the court against the advice of his attorney, saying he heard rumors that U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen is a Zionist and might have...

Dushanbe, Tajikistan - An international group of Bukhara Jews may fund a replacement for Tajikistan's last synagogue, which was demolished to make room for a new presidential palace, as was reported here on VIN News. Lev Levayev, head of the world congress of Bukhara Jews, spoke today after holding talks with Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon. He says a final decision on financing will come in...

Albany, NY - Authorities are looking for the motorist who they say caused a state police vehicle to crash and overturn on the Adirondack Northway. A trooper escaped serious injury Sunday evening when a routine traffic stop turned dangerous. As heavy downpour soaked the area around 8 p.m., Trooper Gregory Brack was patrolling the northbound lanes of Interstate 87 and spotted a dark-colored...

New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Kris Kolluri today launched the State's new and improved 511 travel information telephone system. This service will help motorists save fuel, navigate New Jersey's roadways, reduce commuting times and minimize the impact of traffic incidents. Governor Jon S. Corzine encourages motorists to dial 511 for voice-activated telephone...

New York City - The New York businessman known in the hip-hop world as "Jacob the Jeweler" was sentenced Tuesday to 2 1/2 years in federal prison for lying to investigators looking into a multistate drug ring. Jacob Arabov, 43, pleaded guilty in October to falsifying records and giving false statements as part of a deal with federal prosecutors, who asked U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn to...

London - A hasidic man has been banned from driving after being caught in Jan. 2008 with 13 people in his Volvo in Wales. The driver Mr. Avraham G. 30, had ten passengers in the back of his Volvo S70, two women with babies on their laps and six children under the age of 10 half-seated or standing up. In the front passenger seat of the car, which was built to carry just five people, was a...

Williamsburg, NY - An NYPD lieutenant's gun has been stolen from the same Brooklyn precinct where two other service weapons disappeared under mysterious circumstances last year. The 9-mm pistol, as well as 46 rounds of ammunition and a shield, were discovered missing, when the lieutenant returned to the 90th Precinct from vacation, police sources said. He had secured the weapon inside a...