Fort Lauderdale, FL - American-Israeli businessman and philanthropist Guma Aguiar was cleared of embezzlement charges, brought before a Florida court by his uncle, who claims he misused funds because he believed he was the messiah. Aguiar, who recently made a name for himself by donating several million dollars to Nefesh B'Nefesh and other Jewish organizations, denies believing he is the...

Albany, NY - A New York senator angry at being lectured and ordered to stay in Albany by Gov. David Paterson called his fellow Democrat a "coke-snorting, staff-banging governor." The comment to some reporters by Sen. Kevin Parker of Brooklyn is one of the harshest criticisms of the governor by senators now in their third week of an internal power struggle that has shut down action in the...

Jerusalem - In a move that pits him against the haredi rabbinical establishment and endears him to thousands of converts to Judaism, Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar issued a written order that effectively bars a controversial haredi rabbinical judge from adjudicating in conversion cases. "Recently, conversion cases have become the focus of public scrutiny," wrote Amar in a letter to Rabbi...

Postville, IA - A federal judge in Cedar Rapids has granted a motion to sever immigration charges from financial charges against a former kosher meatpacking plant manager, ruling that a united case would prejudice the jury. U.S. District Judge Linda Reade issued her ruling today in the case against Agriprocessors Inc. and former company official Sholom Rubashkin. Attorneys for the Postville...

Los Angels, CA - Entertainer Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50 after being taken to a hospital on Thursday after suffering cardiac arrest. In the past Jackson was accused of making anti-Semitic remarks. In a series of audio tapes broadcasted in 2005 on ABC's "Good Morning America," Jackson is heard using anti-Semitic language in a voice message to one of his former advisers. "They...

Israel - A state-run company representing Holocaust survivors is suing a major Israeli bank for $75 million, saying the money belongs to Holocaust victims' heirs. The company says Jews killed in the Holocaust deposited money in hundreds of accounts at Bank Leumi. The Company for Location and Restitution of Holocaust Victims' Assets is accusing Bank Leumi of withholding money from the...

Goshen, NY - Orange County Executive Ed Diana announced today he plans to sue Kiryas Joel for the second time over the environmental review for the village’s proposed connection to the Catskill Aqueduct. Diana said he believes the village’s amendments to the review still fail to address adequately the issues the courts identified in response to the county’s 2004 lawsuit. His decision...

Brooklyn, NY - The prices were not to be believed. Researching online for a new high-end camera, Joseph Evans discovered a company selling the model he was seeking for about half the normal cost. He bought the camera after reading positive customer reviews about the company, Sonic Photo, on a consumer rating Web site. Soon, Sonic Photo employees called him, pressuring him to buy a more...

Jerusalem - European diplomatic sources said Thursday that kidnapped Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit will be transferred to Egypt in the coming hours or coming days. This information has yet to be confirmed by Israeli officials. According to the European sources, Shalit's transfer is the first stage of an agreement between the various Palestinian factions, assisted by Egyptian...

Albany, NY - The man at the center of the political turmoil in Albany said that he and his fellow senators could strike a deal that would end the 17-day upstate circus. Sen. Pedro Espada said that Democrats and Republicans have "put down their armors and their swords and are really talking to each other in a respectful way." Gov. David Paterson issued an ultimatum last night, demanding that...

New York - Stocks had their best day in weeks Thursday after solid demand for another Treasury auction and an unexpected profit from Bed, Bath & Beyond. Stocks had opened lower after weekly jobless claims came in higher than expected but quickly rebounded. The Dow gained more than 170 points, or 2.1 percent. The S&P added 1.8 percent and the Nasdaq gained 2.1 percent. Solid demand for...

Westchester County, NY - An AirTran plane that left from Westchester County Airport bound for West Palm Beach, Fla., made an unscheduled landing in Philadelphia Thursday. Sources said the flight was diverted because a passenger died in flight. The airline's Web site says Flight 664 is "Delayed."...

New York City - Straphangers looked to the MTA for reassurance yesterday, after investigators in Washington singled out the age and make of one subway car as a potential factor in Monday’s train collision that killed nine. New York currently runs subway cars that are older than D.C.’s 33-year-old Metro system. The National Transportation Safety Board had already told the Washington transit...

North Bergen, NJ - A judge has denied bail to a blogger charged with threatening to assault or murder three Chicago-based federal judges. Advertisement Hal Turner appeared in federal court today. He's charged with threatening three appeals judges who refused to overturn handgun bans. The 47-year-old Turner was arrested Wednesday at his North Jersey home. The charge carries a maximum...

New York City - Mayor Bloomberg announced today the city's $100 million acquisition of 30 acres of Queens waterfront. The site -- acquired from the Empire State Development Corporation and the Port Authority -- is located at Hunter's Point South in Long Island City. The largely vacant plot of land will accommodate 5,000 new units of housing -- 60 percent of which will be reserved for...