Hoboken Mayor Arrested

AP from BBC News
Two mayors, rabbis and politicians are among some 30 people arrested in a major corruption and money-laundering investigation, say US authorities.

Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano, Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, and Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt are among those said to have been arrested in New Jersey.

Federal prosecutors said several rabbis were also detained in the states of New York and New Jersey.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker said it had been "an unbelievable morning so far".

Cars were said to be backed up four deep with suspects outside the FBI's office in Newark, New Jersey's largest city.

Jersey City deputy mayor Leona Beldini and former Jersey City council president L Harvey Smith were also reported to be among those arrested.

The nature of the charges they may face is unclear.

A news conference is scheduled for Thursday.

Synagogue raid



The news agency Associated Press spoke to a congregation member of a synagogue in Deal, a seaside borough in New Jersey, which was reportedly raided by agents from the FBI, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and local prosecutors' office.

"Everyone was looking at each other, like, 'What's going on here?'" Mike Winnick said.

Mr Winnick said four FBI agents escorted a rabbi from the synagogue into his office and blocked the doorway.

Agents also removed several boxes from the nearby yeshiva, a school that educates the children of Sephardic Jews, AP reported.

Poll: US image abroad surges under Obama (They love us! Well, our fearless leader anyway.)

AP on YAHOO
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's popularity has boosted America's image abroad even though deep suspicions about the U.S. persist in the Muslim world, according to a poll released Thursday.

The survey of two dozen nations conducted this spring by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found that positive public attitudes toward the United States have surged in many parts of the world since Obama's election.

Positive opinions about the United States have returned to higher levels not seen since before President George W. Bush took office in 2001. The Bush presidency marked a steep decline in U.S. popularity overseas, notably after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, because of a perception that the post-9/11 war on terrorism was targeted at Muslims.

"The image of the United States has improved markedly in most parts of the world, reflecting global confidence in Barack Obama," the center said in its annual Pew Global Attitudes Report.

The only exception was Israel, where attitudes toward the U.S. have dipped since Bush left office.