Rio de Janeiro - Brazilian politician Jodenir Soares is delightedly participating in a high-level Jerusalem conference this week, well aware that he and his wife owe their lives to his insistent preference for Israel's national airline, El Al, and to the budgetary constraints of the legislative assembly of Rio de Janeiro. Soares was booked to leave Rio for Tel Aviv via Paris on May 31, taking...

Paris, France - An epidemiological study involving French farm worker exposure to pesticides found an association with Parkinson's disease, researchers found. Dr. Alexis Elbaz of the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research and University Pierre et Marie Curie said the study involved people with the French health insurance organization for agricultural workers who were...

Albany, NY - Gov. David Paterson finally broke his silence about today's Senate coup, holding a Red Room press conference at 8:15 p.m. this evening to denounce the GOP and their Democratic accomplices and declare his support for Malcolm Smith. "The actions taken on the senate floor today need to be exposed for what they are, an unnecessary distraction to government, dressed up in the cloak...

Jersey City, NJ - A New Jersey blogger and former radio talk show host has agreed to surrender to Connecticut authorities to face charges of inciting violence against two lawmakers there. Harold "Hal" Turner of North Bergen waived extradition Monday and posted $25,000 bail. He had been in custody since being arrested Thursday by North Bergen police at the request of the Connecticut State...

Newark, NJ - The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today accusing Essex County officials of illegally firing a Muslim corrections officer for refusing to remove her head scarf. The suit, filed in federal court in Newark on behalf of Yvette Beshier, asks for a court order forcing the county to accommodate religious observances as part of its uniform code for corrections officers. "Employees...

New York - Even after Flight 1549 glided to a near-perfect forced landing on the Hudson River in January, the plane and its 155 passengers and crew came within inches of catastrophe when someone cracked open a rear door, sending water gushing into the cabin. Who opened the door is one of the questions the National Transportation Safety Board hopes to answer during three days of hearings on the...

Jerusalem - A robot snake with a camera and microphone in its head is the Israeli military's latest battlefield weapon, according to an Israeli TV report broadcast Monday. Channel 2 showed video of the snake twisting into caves, tunnels, cracks and buildings, broadcasting pictures and sound back to a soldier controlling it with a laptop computer. You can watch here the report from Channel 2...

Brooklyn, NY - The 39th Council District, which encompasses a large portion of the Orthodox Jewish Borough Park community, is the focus of national political figures, including former Presidential candidate and Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Former Governor Dr. Howard Dean. VIN News has learned that Dr. Dean will be endorsing 40 year old Josh Skaller for the seat currently...

Kiryas Joel - Young men shouted and pelted trooper cars with eggs and plastic water bottles Monday during a melee that erupted hours before an outdoor wedding that was expected to draw thousands of spectators. Troopers say roughly 200 young men staged a rowdy protest as workers from Orange & Rockland Utilities removed decorative lights that had been strung from poles without permission. The...

Brazil - A large tail section of a jetliner bearing Air France's trademark red and blue stripes was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean Monday, helping narrow the hunt for "black boxes" that could explain what brought down Flight 447. And some high-tech help is on the way _ two U.S. Navy devices capable of picking up the flight recorders' emergency beacons far below on the ocean floor. What...

Manhattan, NY - Next to the many centuries-old Jewish relics up for auction at the Radisson Martinique Hotel in Manhattan on Monday night, one looks almost like a piece of costume jewelry in a Tiffany & Company showcase. The silver menorah branches out from its stem at hard right angles, and the plastic rubies set onto the base add more kitsch than glitz. But the auctioneer Jonathan...

Albany, NY - In a dramatic late afternoon overthrow of the Senate leadership, Senate Republicans joined by two dissident Democrats took control of the upper chamber and installed Sen. Pedro Espada as president. The Bronx lawmaker, who returned to Albany in January after a hiatus, said he is a voice for reform Democrats and that more reformers will be joining his lead. He and Sen. Hiram...

Washington - Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has temporarily delayed Chrysler's sale to Fiat. Ginsburg says in an order Monday that the sale is "stayed pending further order." The action indicates that the delay may only be temporary. Chrysler has said a delay could scuttle the deal. A federal appeals court in New York had earlier approved the sale, but gave opponents some...

Washington - The Transportation Security Administration is getting ready to take over responsibility from the airlines for checking passengers’ names against terrorist watch lists, and is advising travelers to start booking airline tickets using their full name as it appears on their driver’s license or passport. Later this summer, the agency will also begin requiring airlines to ask...

Albany, NY - Governor Paterson has begun attacking for mer Gov. Mario Cuomo in private because of an "obsessive fear" of a primary challenge by his son, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. "The governor is badmouthing Mario to a lot of people, claiming that he was responsible for many of the state's problems that he's stuck dealing with now," said a well-placed source. "He's saying Mario never...