From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Alberto Nisman was a ‘scoundrel,’ Argentinian Cabinet chief tells reporters
BUENOS AIRES (JTA) — Argentinian Cabinet Chief Aníbal Fernandez called the late AMIA special prosecutor Alberto Nisman a “scoundrel” and a “wretch.”
Nisman “embezzled public funds” using money meant to fund the AMIA special unit in order “to go out with women” and “to pay workers who did not work,” Fernandez told journalists Wednesday before entering the Government House.
Fernandez on Thursday clarified through the state news agency Telam that in his statements the previous day he was not referring to the late Alberto Nisman’s private life, but talking about his actions that have “penal significance,” such as the misuse of public funds or withholding half the salary of an employee.
Diego Lagomarsino, who has been charged in Nisman’s death for lending Nisman the handgun that was used to kill him, has through an attorney accused the prosecutor of withholding half of his wages.
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From Russia Today
Lavrov: Washington is pushing Kiev to military solution of Donbass conflict
The US is inciting Kiev to end the crisis in eastern Ukraine by force, said the Russian foreign minister citing US support of the recent Ukrainian law on the special self-governing status of Donbass, which Moscow says undermines the Minsk-2 deal.
“If Washington welcomes the action, which undermines the Minsk agreements, then we can only conclude that Washington is inciting Kiev to resolve the issue by military means,” said Lavrov at a media conference in Moscow on Thursday.
His comments were a reference to the telephone conversation between US Vice-President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday, during which Biden welcomed the decision by the Ukrainian parliament to give special status to Donbass.
On March 17, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament), passed a law granting the self-proclaimed Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk special self-rule status, but Moscow said the law violated the peace agreement.
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From Russia Today
Over 50% of Ukrainians fed up with President Poroshenko’s policies – poll
A recent poll by a Ukrainian research group shows how unhappy the country is with their politicians. Only eight percent say the country is going in the right direction, while almost two-thirds assert they don’t approve of the president’s actions.
The figures should make for worrying viewing for President Petro Poroshenko and his government as Ukraine is currently mired in economic turmoil and political instability. A poll carried out by the Kiev-based Research & Branding Group from March 6-16, shows just how fed-up Ukrainians are with the way their country is being run.
Poroshenko may have been in power for just over nine months, but it would appear his ‘honeymoon’ period has well and truly ended. Just a third of those asked believe he is doing a good job, while almost 60 percent say they aren’t happy with the way the billionaire is running the country. If elections were carried out today, just under 20 percent of Ukrainians would back Poroshenko, while 30 percent would either vote against every candidate or not bother going to the polls.
However, Poroshenko seems to be getting off lightly. Ukraine’s nationalist Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk is even less popular with less than a quarter of those surveyed believing he is doing a good job in helping to run the country.
From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
What Israel’s next government might look like
On Tuesday, Israeli voters gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a clear mandate to form the next government. To do that, he’ll need the support of at least 61 of the Knesset’s 120 lawmakers. Here are a few of his options, and for background, here’s an overview of the parties and what they stand for.
The right-religious “natural partners” coalition (67 members)
Parties: Likud (30), Kulanu (10), Jewish Home (8), Shas (7), United Torah Judaism (6), Yisrael Beiteinu (6)
The most likely scenario based on the results, this coalition is the one analysts are expecting to take shape. It’s basically a reversion to Netanyahu’s relatively stable 2009-2013 coalition of right-wing and religious parties, called Likud’s “natural partners.” The center-right Kulanu, headed by former Likud minister Moshe Kahlon, would also join this coalition in return for a prominent post like finance minister.
From The Independent
White indigenous English people share about 40 per cent of their DNA with the French
From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
White House chief of staff to headline J Street conference
J Street announced McDonough as its speaker Thursday, three days before the start of the conference, which is expected to attract a record 3,000 activists, including 1,000 students.
McDonough’s appearance at the conference for the group, which is strongly critical of the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, comes at a low point in ties between the Obama and Netanyahu governments.
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From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Sarah Palin: Netanyahu good for ‘heartland’ Americans
Sarah Palin has not one but two posts on her Facebook page congratulating Benjamin Netanyahu on his reelection. Maybe two makes up for none from President Barack Obama.
In each post Palin says Americans in the heartland “will sleep better knowing Bibi remains the voice of reason and strength in the beautiful nation of Israel.”
Bibi elicits a lot of reactions in Israel and abroad. Sleep, though, has to be a new one.
From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Did the Obama administration drop Iran and Hezbollah from its threat assessment?
The Times of Israel this week reported that the DNI’s annual threat assessment “removed Iran and Hezbollah from its list of terrorism threats.” Newsweek picked up the story, and the American Jewish Committee tweeted its reaction, which it said was “beyond shocking.”
Both publications quote experts suggesting there is a quid quo pro with Iran as nuclear talks appear to be progressing and as it shares an enemy with the United States in ISIS, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Except calling what Clapper has done a “removal” of Iran and Hezbollah isn’t quite accurate. Compare this year’s threat assessment to last year‘s and you’ll see that all threats have been “removed”; the terrorism section in the assessment no longer appears as a list. So not only have Iran and Hezbollah disappeared, so have Al Qaeda and homegrown threats.
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From The Times of Israel
Obama’s absent congratulations bad omen for bilateral ties
True, it often takes the president several days to call newly elected leaders, but this time, disdain for Netanyahu is in the air
Let’s get the good news out of the way first: There is no set protocol as to when American presidents congratulate leaders of allied countries on their election victories. The number of days it takes Barack Obama to call Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thus is not necessarily a measure of how much the two men dislike each other.
After the 2013 election, it took the president six days to call Netanyahu. At time of writing, we’re only on day three.
Some world leaders with whom Obama has no public disputes have had to wait quite a while longer: It took the president almost two weeks to call Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven last year. On the other hand, sometimes he’s much quicker to deliver congratulations. Japan’s Shinzo Abe, for example, received them twice on the very day of his election wins (in 2012 and 2014).
Some reports have claimed that Obama called Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on the day he was elected two years ago, but this is misleading. The White House press secretary did, on June 15, 2013, release a statement saying the administration “respect[s] the vote of the Iranian people and congratulate[s] them for their participation in the political process.” Obama himself, however, only phoned Rouhani more than three months later, on September 27, to congratulate him on winning the election.
Sooner or later, Obama will congratulate Israel’s old-new prime minister, reiterating his commitment to Israel’s security and expressing hope for continued cooperation, and so on.
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