Dzhokhar Tsarnaev convicted in Boston Marathon bombing

Body of Shiloh stabber taken to Abu Kabir

The military raided the home of Muhammad Karakera, 29, from the village of Sinjil, Ynet reports.

Palestinian security officials said IDF soldiers raided Karakera’s home and interrogated his father. No arrests were made. Karakera’s body was taken to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute.

Iran’s 34th Fleet ‘sailing to Gulf of Aden’

A fleet of the Iranian Navy left for the Gulf of Aden, reports Press TV, an Iranian network.

The fleet left for the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab “in line with the country’s policy of safeguarding naval routes for vessels in the region,” the network says.

The Press TV report did not mention Yemen or Aden by name — where a Saudi offensive is cornering Iran-backed Houthi rebels — but instead characterized the mission of the fleet as ensuring cargo vessels against pirates.

Iranian survey finds almost 90% pleased with Lausanne deal

Asr Iran, an Iranian news website, published a poll asking whether the nuclear agreement reached in Lausanne was “satisfactory.”

Out of 40,569 votes, an overwhelming 86.9% were satisfied, 5.89% said they were not satisfied with the agreement, while 7.21% said they were not sure.

Sobhan Hassanvand, a reporter working for the daily Shargh, tweeted the results:

Are you satisfied w/ Lausanne nuclear agreement? YES: 86.9% NO: 5.89% DON'T KNOW: 7.21% Participants: 40569 pic.twitter.com/Ka6nMRjkH6

— Sobhan Hassanvand (@Hassanvand) April 8, 2015

Iran says it will resume enrichment ‘on day deal is signed’

Less than 24 hours after US President Obama said Iran would be able to reduce breakout time to a bomb “to almost zero” after 13 years under an agreement with the West, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Islamic Republic will start enriching uranium via IR-8 centrifuges, the most advanced type, as soon as the deal is signed.

The IR-8 is an Iranian development of the IR-1, which in itself is the Iranian version of a device designed by Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan.

If the report by the Fars News Agency is accurate, it means Tehran would make a mockery of the world powers’ much-hailed framework agreement, since such a move clearly breaches the US-published terms of the deal, and would dramatically accelerate Iran’s potential progress to the bomb.

Read the full report here.

750,000 Israelis visit national parks, forests

As the Passover holiday nears its close, the Jewish National Fund says 750,000 people visited the country’s forests and national parks during the past week — 300,000 went to sites in the north, approximately 400,000 visited the center of the country, and 50,000 visitors toured the south of Israel.

The JNF said 450 tons of garbage were collected from the country’s parks.

Olli Heinonen: Obama breakout time frame too optimistic

Olli Heinonen, who served in the past as deputy chief of the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency, says it will be difficult to attain US President Obama’s goal of limiting Iran’s breakout time to a bomb to at least a year. It was possible, Heinonen said, but very challenging.

Olli Heinonen (photo credit: Courtesy)

Heinonen was responding to Obama’s comments in an NPR interview where he claimed the deal with Iran, if signed, would ensure a breathing space of at least a year — for the duration of a decade — from the signing of the agreement.

According to Heinonen, Iran can already replace the basic centrifuges installed in Natanz with a more advanced one and right away cut down breakout time to a bomb.

Speaking to Israel Radio, Heinonen said he would take into account the bad scenarios, where Iran continues clandestine work in various facilities, activity which is hard to expose.

Rehovot man stabbed, apparently in street fight

A young man was stabbed in Rehovot, apparently in a street fight.

United Hatzalah paramedics gave him first-aid treatment before taking him, fully conscious, to Kaplan Hospital in the city.

Man dies after crushed by 200 tons of chicken feed

A factory worker at a plant near Beit Shemesh died Wednesday morning after being buried under 200 metric tons (220 tons) of chicken feed.

The accident, at the Tadmir Factory in the Har Tuv Industrial Zone, likely occurred after the ceiling in the room he was in collapsed, dumping the feed on him.

Emergency rescue teams dispatched to the scene searched for the man for several hours before locating his body.

In a separate incident Wednesday, a worker was hospitalized for minor injuries after ceiling beams collapsed on him at a Tel Aviv construction site.

German police not sure about identity of Berlin victim

Berlin police spokesman Stefan Redlich says that due to his injuries police aren’t yet able to determine whether the man found in Berlin early Wednesday morning is the bearer of the passport found next to him or if he was carrying it for other reasons.

The man was found in the early hours of Sunday with “massive injuries to his head.” Police say three people have come forward with information in the case, but declined to provide further details.

The Israeli Embassy in Berlin says consular officials are in contact with German authorities about the case.

— AP

Woman hurt in Yitzpor River, evacuated

A 50-year-old tourist was moderately injured after falling into the Yitzpor River in the Gilboa area. She was evacuated by the rescue forces of the Jordan Valley Police.

אישה נפגעה בראשה בנחל יצפור בגלבוע. צוות של יחידת החילוץ שומרון-בקעת הירדן פועל לחילוצה בסיוע מסוק. מצבה קל-בינוני pic.twitter.com/Xc9n4OrmSP

— משטרת ישראל (@IL_police) April 8, 2015

12-year-old child dies in Thailand boat fire

A 12-year-old Israeli child died in the south of Thailand after a cruise ship caught on fire near an island in the south of the country. The Israeli Embassy in Thailand is seeking more details about the incident.

‘EU reportedly hits Iran with fresh sanctions’

Iranian-born journalist Amir Taheri says the EU imposed fresh sanctions on Iran today, despite the framework understandings in Lausanne last week.

European Union today imposed sanctions on 32 Iranian companies and one Iranian Bank ( Bank Tejarat), ignoring Lausanne talks.

— Amir Taheri (@AmirTaheri4) April 8, 2015

Fire in Tel Aviv, fear of people trapped inside

A fire broke out in a building on Hamasger Street in Tel Aviv, Ynet reports.

There may be people trapped inside.

Budapest exhibition on Holocaust survivors defaced

Vandals in Budapest defaced an exhibition about Holocaust survivors and, in a separate incident, painted a swastika opposite a synagogue.

The incident involving the exhibition was reported on Sunday by the Hungarian Jewish community’s watchdog on anti-Semitism, the Action and Protection Foundation, or TEV.

According to the report on TEV’s Facebook page, unknown individuals on Saturday splashed red paint on 14 portraits showing Holocaust survivors with the youngest members of their families.

The Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation, or EMIH, set up the exhibition, comprising 24 portraits, near the Madach Theater in central Budapest to celebrate Hungarian Jewry’s continuity after the genocide that nearly wiped out the community.

— JTA

IS frees more than 200 Yazidis in Iraq, says Kurd officer

The Islamic State jihadist group has freed more than 200 members of Iraq’s Yazidi minority it held captive for months, a commander in the Kurdish peshmerga forces says.

“We have received 227 Yazidis, among them women and children” in the northern province of Kirkuk, Major General Westa Rasul tells AFP.

— AFP

Top Iranian official warns Saudi Arabia to back out of Yemen, ‘or else’

Iran’s Chief of the Judiciary Sadeq Amoli Larijani warns Saudi Arabia to stop its “aggression” against Yemen or wait for “dire consequences.”

In comments published by Ghatreh.com, Larijani is quoted as saying:

“Saudi Arabia’s aggression against Yemen is a very regrettable event in the Muslim world which should end as soon as possible through talks and negotiations; otherwise, this blatant aggression of a government which claims [to be leading] Islam, against the Muslim people of another country who want to decide their fate will not remain unanswered.

“When naive individual decisions are made in a country that doesn’t have the least experience of democracy, has no parliament and no elections, the result will be the aggression of a state that claims to be the leader of Islam to another Muslim nation preventing its people from exercising their right of sovereignty,” continued the chief.

Saudi Arabia’s attack against Houthi rebels in Yemen has so far killed at least 906 Yemenis, according to Ghatreh.com. Hundreds of them are women and children.

PM supports Obama narrative — zero breakout time from expiry

Netanyahu says Iran’s breakout time to a bomb will be “zero” from the moment a deal with Iran expires, Haaretz reports.

The prime minister is responding to comments by White House acting spokesperson Marie Harf who said the Iranians’ breakout time would be near zero in 13-15 years if Iran did not sign an agreement.

Her stuttered “clarification” at a press briefing on Tuesday evening was an attempt to contain the fallout from an interview with President Obama on NPR published earlier Tuesday, where he said that “one relevant fear” is that “in Year 13, 14, 15” of a deal, Iran will have the technology to enrich uranium more quickly and efficiently than during the first decade of the deal, reducing breakout time “almost to zero.”

Watch PM reply to Obama comments in NPR interview

Netanyahu’s Hebrew language response to Obama’s NPR interview from Tuesday.

The transcript appears below the clip

Israel shares the view that with the expiry of the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, Iran’s break-out time for acquiring nuclear bombs will be zero.

This will be an inevitable result of the automatic removal of limitations on the nuclear program, which will enable Iran to reach industrial-grade capability in producing nuclear bombs.

The alternative to this bad agreement is not a war, the alternative is a good agreement. This can be achieved but one must stand firm and demand the conditions necessary to safeguard the security of the State of Israel, the security of the region and the security of the world.

22 dead in rebel shelling on Aden, say medic, official

22 people died in a rebel attack on the city of Aden, in Yemen, says a medic and a local official. More details to follow.

— AFP

PA says it received $100 million from Qatar

The Palestinian Authority says it has received a $100 million loan from Qatar to help pay civil servants’ salaries and alleviate an economic crisis triggered by a row with Israel over taxes, Reuters reports.

According to the report, President Mahmoud Abbas, who is on a tour of the Gulf state, issues a statement thanking Qatar for the loan. There is no immediate confirmation or comment from Qatari officials.

Early this week Abbas refused a transfer of tax funds withheld by Israel unless the money was paid in full. Israel wanted to deduct the PA’s debts to utility and service companies before transferring the money.

US State Dept approves $1b. military sale to Pakistan

The US State Department approves the sale of almost a billion dollars’ worth of advanced helicopters and missiles to Pakistan to help its counter-terror operations.

The sale, which requires approval by Congress, would see Pakistan acquire 15 Viper Attack Helicopters and 1,000 Hellfire II Missiles, along with associated hardware and training, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement released on Monday.

Identifying Pakistan as a country “vital to US foreign policy and national security goals in South Asia”, the agency added the proposed sale, valued at $952 million, would not adversely affect the regional balance of power.

Pakistan’s principal rival in South Asia is India, a fellow nuclear power with which it has fought three wars. Washington has sought to boost its ties with New Delhi since the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.

— AFP

Search for girl in Thailand ceases due to darkness

Searches in Thailand for a missing Israeli girl presumed to have been killed in a ferry fire have been stopped due to nightfall, says Nati Hadad, from “Koh Samui Rescue,” an Israeli team helping Israeli tourists on the island.

Hadad tells Channel 2 searches for the girl will resume on Thursday morning.

Likud threatens Kulanu, Jewish Home in coalition talks

Likud officials say that they will not “wait forever for [Jewish Home leader Naftali] Bennett and [Kulanu leader Moshe] Kahlon,” and if the two do not show flexibilty in their coalition demands, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will turn to Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog and offer him a unity government.

According to Channel 2, Jewish Home officials say they did not receive any concrete proposal from Likud and therefore have nothing over which to show flexibility.

Netanyahu met in recent days with Shas leader Aryeh Deri privately for a long time, the TV station reported. The subject of the one-on-one talk was not disclosed, but according to reports Wednesday Likud is drawing closer to signing a coalition deal with the ultra-Orthodox party, including Shas.

The Netanyahus and their camels

Prime Minister Netanyahu and his family go on a trip to the Negev, during which they ride camels.

In a statement posted to his Facebook page, Netanyahu says:

“My family and I toured the beautiful landscapes of our country today, like many families in Israel.

“We visited Mamshit, an ancient city in the Negev, where we saw it in all its ancient glory, as well as its promising future, when we were later warmly received in Beersheba and Dimona.

“Near Tel Sheva, where Abraham our forefather lived almost 4,000 years ago, we are building the cyber city these days, grabbing our future in our hands.

“I wish all the tourists in Israel a happy holiday, take care of yourselves and drive safely so the holiday remains a happy one.

“In the name of all of us I wish to thank IDF soldiers, Border Police officers, security personnel and police, who keep us safe every day – on this day too. I wish a speedy recovery to our wounded soldiers who acted with determination and courage to foil the terror attack.”

Jury reaches verdict in Boston Marathon death penalty trial

Jurors have reached a verdict in the federal death penalty trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

During the trial, Tsarnaev’s lawyers admitted he participated in the bombings, but said his now-dead older brother was the driving force behind the 2013 deadly attack.

The verdict is expected to be announced shortly in a US District Court. Lawyers and survivors of the bombing are gathering in court.

The verdict was reached Wednesday afternoon after a little over 12 hours of deliberations over two days. The jury was asked to decide 30 charges against Tsarnaev, including using a weapon of mass destruction.

If the jury convicts Tsarnaev, it will move on to a second phase of the trial to decide whether he should receive the death penalty or spend the rest of his life in prison.

Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured when twin pressure-cooker bombs exploded near the marathon finish line on April 15, 2013.

— AP

US judge upholds verdict against Arab Bank

A US judge has refused to throw out a jury verdict finding a large Jordon-based bank responsible for terrorist attacks in Israel that killed Americans.

The ruling Wednesday by Judge Brian Cogan clears the way for a trial later this year to determine damages.

Jurors in Brooklyn had found Arab Bank liable in 24 attacks. Cogan upheld the decision for 22 of the attacks but agreed with the bank that the evidence fell short for two of them.

The American plaintiffs sued in 2004 under a law allowing victims of overseas terrorist attacks to seek compensation. They accused the bank of knowingly doing business with Hamas during a wave of suicide bombings in the early 2000s.

— AP

Israeli killed in Peru traffic accident

An Israeli tourist was killed in a traffic accident in Peru, Channel 2 reports.

The man was en route to the iconic Inca site Machu Picchu.