Jerusalem – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won the backing of a majority of parliament members on Tuesday to form a new government, after the April 9 election. Netanyahu is heading towards a record fifth term in office confident of being able to put together a bloc of religious-rightist parties. It would be a slim [...]

London – When Samsung said this year it would launch a smartphone with a folding screen, the big question was whether the innovation was something people actually wanted or needed. Is the Galaxy Fold a gimmick to help sell more smartphones in a slowing market or a true breakthrough that will change how we use [...]

30 Children & Adults Taken To Galil Medical Center After Strange RashThirty children and teenagers from the Jerusalem area, aged 7-14, who developed a rash, swelling and itching in their eyes and skin, were brought to the Galil Medical Center after sleeping at night in one of the forests in the Western Galil, as part of an annual trip.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been awarded a $69 million contract for a mission that will include flying a spacecraft into an asteroid. With the mission, NASA will look to “demonstrate a kinetic impact” by deliberately flying a spacecraft into a small asteroid, according to a description of the project on NASA’s website.
NASA last week awarded the contract to SpaceX, selecting the company to provide services for NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission, NASA said in a statement.
The current target date for the mission is June 2021, and NASA plans to use one of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets, the agency said.
 

As donations flood in from around the world, France's restorers disagree on whether work will take years or decades; Russia, Italy, Germany offer to send help

A proposal introduced in Quebec last month to ban yarmulkes and other religious clothing has come under fire with one Jewish mayor of a town in the Canadian province equating it to “ethnic cleansing.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also opposed the measure.
“It’s unthinkable to me that in a free society we would legitimize discrimination against citizens based on their religion,” he said.
Hampstead Mayor William Steinberg has refused to heed calls from Trudeau and other politicians to apologize for labeling Bill 21, which was introduced in response to the issue of Muslim women wearing hijabs in Quebec, as “ethnic cleansing.”

New York – Somewhere in the shadows of federal bureaucracy, there was an issue about the drinking habits of Augusto Pinochet. The National Security Archive, an advocate for open government, had for years tried to gain access to intelligence files about the Chilean dictator, his human rights abuses and his ties to the United States. [...]

Matzav.com has confirmed that United Healthcare Community Plan of New Jersey, which had terminated Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) as of July 1, has officially rescinded their termination. This will allow all patients who are part of United Healthcare Community Plan of New Jersey to receive coverage for services at the renowned medical center on Civic Center Blvd in Philadelphia.
This development was independently confirmed by Matzav.com with upper management of the hospital and those in the know.

URWP falls to third, behind UTJ in vote, and New Right does only slightly better than Blue and White; Israeli voter turnout in West Bank 10% higher than national average

 To My Sorrow, The Chareidim Have Grown In Elections And This Is A ThreatYisrael Beitenu party chairman, MK Avigdor Lieberman, held a press conference on Monday evening during his pre-Pesach holiday “toast” for faction members.
During the event he stated his representative will recommend to President Reuven Rivlin to give the presidential mandate to form the next coalition government to Binyamin Netanyahu, which was done on Tuesday, when his delegation met with the president.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday afternoon called Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to congratulate him on his election victory.
Merkel invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to a meeting in Berlin after the new government is formed. Netanyahu thanked the Chancellor for the warm greetings and welcomed the relations between the two countries.
In addition to the congratulations, Netanyahu also heard Merkel’s position on the need to renew contacts with the Palestinian Arabs. The Chancellor stressed that she and the entire European Union are committed to resolving the conflict between the two sides through the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Read more at Arutz Sheva.
{Matzav.com}

Paris – Monuments are the emotional backbone of France. That accounts for the despair over a blaze that killed no one, yet seared the collective soul. It is the power Notre Dame had — still has, despite the charred scars on its Gothic walls. It is not only the unique beauty of the Eiffel Tower [...]

Following consultations with newly elected parties, president left with little choice but to nominate incumbent for PM Wednesday; 21st Knesset to be sworn in on April 30

Talks between PM and his former defense minister, who walked away from previous government, held in 'good atmosphere'

Met Council Expands America’s Largest Free Pesach Distribution To 129 Sites [PHOTOS]“We offer the best deal in New York,” explained David G. Greenfield, CEO of Met Council. “You give us access to the needy people and we will give you all the kosher food they need for Pesach.” That’s how Met Council was able to expand America’s largest free Pesach food distribution from 120 locations last year to 129 locations across New York this year.

Officials Consider New Penalty For Visa OverstaysTop administration officials have been discussing ways to increase pressure on countries with high numbers of citizens who overstay short-term visas, as part of President Donald Trump’s growing focus on immigration heading into his re-election campaign.
Read more on Yeshiva World News

The gambler who placed an $85,000 wager on Tiger Woods winning the Masters — ultimately winning $1.2 million — says he was tens of thousands of dollars in debt as recently as four months ago.
James Adducci, 39, made the bet with William Hill at 14-1 odds last Tuesday, the company said. When Woods won the golf tournament on Sunday, the betting business said it turned into a $1,275,000 payout — the largest golf-related payout in the company’s history.
Adducci told Golf Digest after the big win that he flew from Wisconsin to Las Vegas last week to place the bet, which he claimed was the first he’d ever made on sports in his life.
Read more at Fox News.
{Matzav.com}

 We Want the Education & Justice PortfoliosChairman of Bayit Yehudi Rabbi Rafi Peretz told the dati leumi Srugim website that the party expects the education and justice portfolio in coalition negotiations. He explained that the United Right-Wing received six seats and therefore, it is entitled to the two portfolios.
Read more on Yeshiva World News

Jerusalem Light Rail Prepared For PesachThe light rail in Jerusalem is preparing for the mass of visitors expected to arrive in the capital during Pesach. As part of the preparations, CityPass, the light rail operator, adjusted the frequency of trains during Chol Hamoed Pesach, and trains will be strengthened in the evening so that the waiting time will be shortened, and the frequency will increase.

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