Pope Francis: Corrupt Should Be Tied to a Rock and Thrown into the Sea

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pope Francis gives fire-and-brimstone sermon, saying the corrupt should be tied to a rock and thrown into the sea

Pope Francis has delivered a fiery sermon against corruption, quoting a passage from the Bible in which Jesus said some sinners deserve to be tied to a rock and thrown into the sea.

In one of his strongest-worded homilies since he was elected in March, the Argentinean pontiff said Christians who lead “a double life” by giving money to the Church while stealing from the state are sinners who deserve to be punished.

Quoting from the Gospel of St Luke in the New Testament, he said “Jesus says: It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea.” » | Nick Squires, Rome | Monday, November 11, 2013

Nazi Collaborators: German Jews

Jews in Nazi Germany who collaborated and helped Hitler and his Nazi party carry out thier hellish designs.

Sunni-Shia Tensions 'Biggest Threat to World Security': Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif

Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javed Zarif

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Minister says regional powers should work together on sectarian divide and Syria conflict, but accuses Sunni Arab countries of 'fanning flames'

Tension between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims is the biggest threat to world security, Iran's foreign minister said in comments published on Monday, accusing Sunni Arab countries of "fanning the flames" of sectarian conflict.

The increasingly sectarian civil war in Syria has drawn in regional powers with Shi'ite Iran backing President Bashar al-Assad and Sunni Gulf Arab states and mainly Sunni Turkey helping the rebels. The conflict threatens to spill over into countries split between Sunnis and Shi'ites such as Lebanon and Iraq.

The sectarian tension is "the most serious security threat not only to the region but to the world at large", Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told the BBC. » | Reuters | Monday, November 11, 2013

Typhoon Haiyan: Philippines Destruction 'Absolute Bedlam'

BBC: The head of the Red Cross in the Philippines has described the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan as "absolute bedlam".

Officials estimate up to 10,000 people have died in Tacloban city and elsewhere. Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced.

Rescue efforts are being hindered by damage to roads and airports.

The storm has now made landfall in north Vietnam, near the Chinese border, but has weakened to a tropical storm.

One of the most powerful storms on record to make landfall, Haiyan - named "Yolanda" by Filipino authorities - barrelled into the eastern coastal provinces of Leyte and Samar on Friday.

It then headed west, sweeping through six central Philippine islands. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, November 11, 2013

'Truly Shocking' That the Private-school Educated and Affluent Middle Class Still Run Britain, Says Sir John Major

David Cameron with Sir John Major, the ex-Prime Minster

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Former Prime Minister criticises the dominance of private-school educated elite in “upper echelons” of British public life

The dominance of a private-school educated elite and well-heeled middle class in the “upper echelons” of public life in Britain is “truly shocking”, Sir John Major has said.

The former Conservative Prime Minister said he was appalled that “every single sphere of British influence” in society is dominated by men and women who went to private school or who are from the “affluent middle class[.]”

More than half of the Cabinet, including David Cameron, the Prime Minister, George Osborne, the Chancellor, and Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, are thought to have gone to private school and are independently very wealthy.

In the speech to Tory party grassroots activists on Friday evening, Sir John - who went to a grammar school in south London and left with three O-Levels - said: “In every single sphere of British influence, the upper echelons of power in 2013 are held overwhelmingly by the privately educated or the affluent middle class. To me from my background, I find that truly shocking.” Read on and comment » | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Sunday, November 10, 2013

My comment:

This is the most sense I have heard from a Conservative in a very long time. Bravo, Sir John! – © Mark

This comment appears here too.

Iran Impasse: French Reluctance Causes Nuclear Talks to Stall

Marathon talks on Iran's nuclear programme have failed to produce an agreement, but hope remains there'll be one in the future. While world powers tried to push ahead, France revealed itself to be the most skeptical in the Western camp, refusing to accept any short-term deal. RT's Tesa Arcilla reports on the meeting's stumbling blocks.

Red Alert: Dutch King Pelted with Tomatoes During Visit to Moscow

The Dutch King has been pelted with rotten tomatoes during a visit to Moscow by two members of the National Bolshevik party - which is banned in Russia. The incident comes at a time when diplomatic relations between the two nations are delicate at best.

«Obama ist schlimmer als Bush»

SCHWEIZER RADIO UND FERNSEHEN: «Obama ist schlimmer als Bush» : Ehemalige Washington-Insider packen aus: Obamas Regierung agiere weitgehend geheim, sagen ein NSA-Whistleblower, eine Drohnen-Operateurin und der ehemalige Chefankläger von Guantánamo. » | Karin Bauer, New York | Mittwoch, 06. November 2013

100 Kamele sind der Preis für einen Berliner Toten

DIE WELT: In muslimisch dominierten Einwanderervierteln Deutschlands ist eine Paralleljustiz in der Tradition der Scharia entstanden. Der Staat scheint vor der Macht der arabischen Clans zu kapitulieren.

Als Taccidin Yatkin im Frühjahr 2013 zu einem Versöhnungstreffen mit der libanesischen Großfamilie Omeirat fuhr, hoffte er, dass sich beide Seiten nach arabischer Tradition die Hände reichen und Tee trinken würden. Anlass war ein Unfall, der über vier Jahre zurücklag. Im Januar 2009 hatte Yatkins Sohn Ali den 17-jährigen Mohammed Omeirat, als dieser bei Rot über die Ampel ging, mit seinem Alfa Romeo angefahren und dabei tödlich verletzt,

Als der ehemalige Präsident des Zentralrats der Türken in Deutschland die Räume eines libanesischen Vereins in Berlin-Neukölln betrat, wusste er, dass die Familie des Opfers keine Friedenspfeife rauchen wollte. Dort empfingen ihn 40 bis 50 Mitglieder der Familie Omeirat und anderer arabischer Clans. Die Botschaft dieser Drohkulisse war klar: Wer hier nicht mitspielt, legt sich mit der gesamten Großfamilie Omeirat an. Teile von ihr zählt die Polizei zur organisierten Kriminalität, die sich vor allem durch Eigentums- und Gewaltdelikte hervorgetan hat.

Die Regie bei dem Treffen führte der Imam der Neuköllner Omar-Moschee. Der Geistliche rezitierte zunächst aus dem Koran und legte fest, dass der Fall "nach der Scharia gelöst" wird. Der Sohn der Omeirats sei getötet und der Verantwortliche dafür noch nicht bestraft worden. Nach dem "Recht unserer Heimat ist er schuldig, egal, ob er fahrlässig oder vorsätzlich gehandelt hat". Yatkin protestierte. "Ich akzeptiere die Scharia nicht. Wir leben in Deutschland. Mein Sohn ist von einem ordentlichen Gericht freigesprochen worden." Das Argument beeindruckte den Imam jedoch nicht. » | Von Joachim Wagner | Sonntag, 10. November 2013

Gauck zur Pogromnacht: "Verhindern, dass Hass und Rassenwahn die Gehirne vernebeln"

Bundespräsident Gauch mit Stephan J. Kramer in Eberswalde

SPIEGEL ONLINE: 75 Jahre nach der Pogromnacht hat Bundespräsident Joachim Gauck eindringlich vor Fremdenfeindlichkeit und Rassismus gewarnt. In ganz Deutschland gedachten die Menschen der Opfer des Nationalsozialismus.

Frankfurt an der Oder - Vor 75 Jahren brannten in Deutschland Synagogen, wurden jüdische Geschäfte geplündert und Einrichtungen zerstört. Vielerorts wird am Wochenende in Deutschland der Opfer des 9. November 1938 gedacht.

"Wir müssen verhindern, dass Hass und Rassenwahn von neuem die Gehirne vernebeln und die Herzen verderben", sagte Bundespräsident Joachim Gauck anlässlich des Jahrestages in Frankfurt an der Oder.

Eindringlich warnte Gauck vor der aktuellen Gefahr an, die noch immer von rechtem Gedankengut ausgeht. "Wir müssen verhindern, dass Neonazis ihr Unwesen in unseren Städten und Dörfern treiben können", sagte er laut einem vorab verbreiteten Redetext.

Auf dem Platz der einstigen Synagoge im brandenburgischen Eberswalde wurde der Gedenkort "Wachsen mit Erinnerung" übergeben. Hier sagte Gauck, Menschen dürften nicht in wertvolle und weniger wertvolle Menschen eingeteilt werden. "Wir wollen ein Land sein, das offen ist."

Der Generalsekretär des Zentralrates der Juden in Deutschland, Stephan Kramer, erinnerte daran, dass Rechtspopulisten in Europa wachsenden Zulauf hätten. "Es ist kalt geworden in unserer Gesellschaft", sagte er. Kramer rief die Politiker auf, in ihrem Handeln nicht nachzulassen. "Gebraucht wird ein Asylgesetz, das seinen Namen verdient." » | ala/dpa/AFP | Samstag, 09. November 2013

Remembrance Sunday

Remembering the fallen: The soldiers who died for the freedoms we enjoy today. R.I.P.

Pogromnacht 9. November 1938

Das Video hier abspielen | Dienstag, 05. November 2013

Israelis Agonise over Plan to Teach Children as Young as Five about the Holocaust

THE OBSERVER: Educationists support 'controlled and sensitive' lessons, but parents fear 'trauma' for young pupils

A proposal to teach Israeli children about the Holocaust from the age of five has stirred anxious debate among parents and educators, with critics saying it is inappropriate to expose such young minds to the traumatic history of the Jewish people.

Supporters of the plan, details of which will soon be unveiled by Israel's education ministry, say Jewish children are aware of past events from an early age, from family accounts and the annual Holocaust remembrance day. It is preferable for these children to be introduced to the facts in a controlled and sensitive environment and have their questions answered correctly, they argue.

Israeli schools teach the history of the Holocaust as a module in year 11, around the age of 16, shortly before many pupils visit the Auschwitz death camp memorial in Poland. Shai Piron, the education minister, announced last month that he wants to introduce Holocaust teaching to first-year children. His spokesman told the Observer this could be extended to five-year-olds in state kindergartens. » | Harriet Sherwood Jerusalem | Sunday, November 10, 2013

William Hague Pledges to "Seize the Moment" at Iran Nuclear Talks - But France Warns of "Sucker's Deal"

Fabius: French Foreign Minister | Hague: British Foreign Secretary

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Progress is made, but the British Foreign Secretary cautions that difficult issues remain unresolved - and his French counterpart takes tough line

William Hague praised Iran's representatives for adopting a "completely different" approach at the negotiations in Geneva, but cautioned against expecting an imminent deal.

Speaking on Saturday as the talks continued for an unplanned third day, the Foreign Secretary pledged to "seize the moment and seize the opportunity to reach a deal that has eluded the world".

He told journalists that "good progress" had been made - but there was no deadline for signing an agreement and it may not be possible on Saturday. If necessary, the six world powers who negotiate with Iran on the nuclear issue could reconvene at a later date.

Mr Hague acknowledged that a "wide number of issues have been satisfactorily addressed" and the "atmosphere is completely different".

Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, was more cautious than his British counterpart, telling a radio station there was "no certainty" of agreement and warning against a "sucker's deal". Mr Fabius added: "There is an initial draft that we do not accept." » | David Blair, Saturday, November 09, 2013

Citizen or Stranger?

In this two-part series we meet an extended family of immigrants navigating their lives in six different countries.

Al Jazeera Speaks to Arafat's Widow

Al Jazeera speaks to Arafat's widow

WIKI: Suha Arafat, Yasser Arafat’s widow »

Die Nacht der deutschen Barbarei: 9.November 1938 - Die Reichspogromnacht in Magdeburg

In der Reichporgramnacht am 9. Noevmber 1938 wurden auch in Magdeburg die Synagoge zerstört, jüdische Geschäfte geplündert und Menschen inhaftiert.

Anhand zahlreicher historischer Fotos zeichnet der Film die Ereignisse in Magdeburg nach. Der Film enstand in einer Kooperation des Kulturhistorischen Museums Magdeburg mit dem Offenen Kanal unter Mitarbeit des Magdeburger Historikers Guido Skirlo.

Haiyan Horror: Super-typhoon Kills 1,200+ As It Ravages Philippines

The category 5 super-typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest ever registered, has caused havoc in 36 provinces of the Philippines, with gusts of wind reaching the incredible speed of 315 kilometers (195 miles) per hour. The worst affected areas are the eastern islands of Leyte and Samar, which sustained the heaviest damage Friday. The Red Cross says that more than 1,200 people are confirmed dead as Haiyan blows through the Philippines.

'I Used to Think US Best Country for Privacy & Freedom' - Lavabit Founder

His business suffered in the wake of the NSA leaks scandal because the service he provided was used by the person now most wanted in the US - Edward Snowden. SophieCo is talking to Ladar Levison, founder and owner of encrypted email service Lavabit.com, who says all he cares for is the privacy and the trust of his clients.

Al Jazeera Correspondent: The Colony: Chile's Dark Past Uncovered

How did a secret German sect in Chile become a haven for Nazi fugitives and a torture centre for the Pinochet regime?

Guardian Editor Alan Rusbridger to Be Questioned by MPs over NSA Leaks

Alan Rusbridger, Editor of 'The Guardian'

THE GUARDIAN: Rusbridger to appear before home affairs select committee after claims that revelations were damaging national security

The editor of the Guardian is to be questioned by MPs about his newspaper's publication of intelligence files leaked by the American whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Alan Rusbridger is to appear before the House of Commons home affairs select committee next month following warnings from British security chiefs that the revelations were damaging national security.

"Alan has been invited to give evidence to the home affairs select committee and looks forward to appearing next month," a Guardian spokeswoman said.

The heads MI6, MI5 and GCHQ claim terrorist groups are changing their operations as a result of the leaks.

The exposure of surveillance methods had left al-Qaida "rubbing their hands with glee", the MI6 chief, Sir John Sawers, said when the trio made an unprecedented public appearance together before another parliamentary committee. » | Press Association | Saturday, November 09, 2013

Shameless Appeasement of Iran

YNET NEWS: Op-ed: It is morally disgraceful for US president to pressure Jews to turn their back on Israeli concerns

While the Iranians are continuing installing hundreds of new advanced centrifuges every month, the Obama administration has been pressuring US Jewish organizations to stop lobbying in support of US legislation to tighten the economic sanctions against Iran, turn their back on Israeli concerns, and side with President Obama’s wishful thinking of a possible diplomatic solution with Iran.

It is quite disturbing for the president to ask any US organization to turn against a democratic ally for the sake of appeasing and accommodating a dictatorship and longtime enemy. But it is morally disgraceful to pressure Jews to turn their back on the Jewish state when Israel will be on the front line of possible nuclear annihilation by an enemy which has publicly stated its sinister intentions.

It is quite unscrupulous to ask Jews who live with the legacy of the Holocaust to be an accomplice to the culmination of the Iranian nuclear weapon program by agreeing to give more time for negotiations with President Rohani, who has boasted of using previous negotiations with the West as a delaying tactic. But it is quite shameless to ask US Jewish leaders to repeat a dark chapter of their history and be silent again and do nothing to save their own fellow Jews as they did during World War II in order to save face with another US president. » | Shoula Romano Horing | Friday, November 08, 2013

Vatican Gives New Life to Latin with New Journal

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The language of Caesar, Cicero and Pliny has been given a boost as the Vatican launched a revamped version of a journal in Latin.

The first issue of the new magazine, Latinitas, included a preface written by Pope Francis, whose Twitter handle is in Latin - @pontifex.

As well as sending regular messages in English, Italian, French, Arabic and several other languages, the Jesuit Pope tweets in Latin under the name "Papa Franciscus”.

"The aim is to highlight the glorious tradition behind us that has to be preserved and re-launched," Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the Vatican's culture department, said.

The new magazine was not written entirely in Latin, Cardinal Ravasi said.

“There are a few articles in Italian and in French. This is not intended to be an artificial way of recuperating Latin for the modern world." » | Nick Squires, Rome | Friday, November 08, 2013

Typhoon Haiyan: More Than 100 Dead as 'World's Biggest Storm' Hits Philippines

Hundreds of thousands evacuated as winds of 170mph batter Philippines and hundreds more feared dead

Read the Daily Telegraph article here | Reuters | Saturday, November 09, 2013

New Asbo Plans Are Assault on Basic Freedom, Says Former DPP Lord Macdonald

Christian preachers could be driven off the streets

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Plans to replace Asbos with wide ranging new orders clamping down on anything likely to cause "annoyance" amount to "gross state interference" with basic freedoms, Lord Macdonald warns

Christian preachers, buskers and peaceful protesters could effectively be driven off the streets under draconian new powers designed to clamp on anyone deemed “annoying”, according to a former Director of Public Prosecutions.

Lord Macdonald QC said Theresa May, the Home Secretary’s plans for a new civil injunctions to replace Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) amount to “gross state interference” with people’s private lives and basic freedoms.

In a formal legal opinion being circulated to peers, he savages the proposals as opening the way for the outright “suppression” of anything deemed “potentially annoying” with only “vague” justification.

The proposed safeguards to prevent abuse of the new system are “shockingly” weak, he writes.

Under proposals currently before Parliament, Asbos are to be scrapped and replaced with wide-ranging new orders known as Ipnas (Injunctions to Prevent Nuisance and Annoyance). » | John Bingham, Social Affairs Editor | Friday, November 08, 2013

David Cameron 'Must Embrace Churchill's Vision of United States of Europe'

José Manuel Barroso

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The current generation of EU leaders, including David Cameron, must revive Winston Churchill's vision of a United States of Europe says José Manuel Barroso

David Cameron and other European Union leaders need to show the same political courage and vision of Winston Churchill's call for "a kind of United States of Europe", José Manuel Barroso has said.

The European Commission president has urged the EU of today to emulate the wartime British Conservative leader's call, made in a 1948 speech, for deeper integration in Europe.

"He was a man of foresight with an acute sense of history, often ahead of prevailing opinion, never shying away from saying what some might choose to ignore," he said.

"In today's fast-changing world, we certainly need the same geopolitical intelligence and strategic vision. We need the same courage to think beyond the immediacy of the next news cycle."

In comments that will be seen as an implicit criticism of the contemporary British Conservative Prime Minister, David Cameron, Mr Barroso called on the current generation of European leaders to show the same Churchillian vision and courage.

"Churchill rightly said in 1948: 'We must aim at nothing less than the Union of Europe as a whole, and we look forward with confidence to the day when the Union will be achieved'," he said.

"We need to resist vested interests and short-termism. We need to have the courage to think ahead and be able to project and shape change - that's what leadership is about." » | Bruno Waterfield, Brussels | Friday, November 08, 2013



My comment:

I would like to say what Sir Winston Churchill said at the end of his speech at the University of Zürich: "Let Europe arise!" I should also like to add: Let us go forward together, with a common purpose. – © Mark

This comment appears here too.

My second comment is here

Der gelbe Stern: Die Judenverfolgung im Dritten Reich

Survivors Remember Kristallnacht: Hedi (Politzer) Pope

In this interview with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Holocaust survivor Hedi (Politzer) Pope shares her memories of Kristallnacht, the November 1938 pogroms.

Survivors Remember Kristallnacht: Johanna (Gerechter) Neumann

In this interview with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Holocaust survivor Johanna (Gerechter) Neumann shares her memories of Kristallnacht, the November 1938 pogroms.

'Web of Financial Secrecy': UK Wins Title of Biggest Tax Haven for Rich

Great Britain has won the none-too-flattering title of King - of the world's tax havens. A new report says the UK's overseas territories make up much of the world's secret, offshore banking industry. And aside from making promises, London hasn't done much about it.

Reichskristallnacht - Novemberpogrom 1938: Doku

Günter Lamprecht führt durch eine Dokumentation über die Pogromnacht am 9. November 1938, als Synagogen angezündet, jüdische Geschäfte geplündert und Menschen verhaftet, misshandelt oder ermordet wurden

Berlin Stores Mark Pogrom With 'Smashed Glass'

Kristallnacht 75th Anniversary: Merkel Warns of Anti-Semitism as Nazi Pogrom Anniversary Approaches

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has alerted Germany's citizens on the dangers of anti-Semitism a week before the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht, which was a series of organised massacres carried out against German Jews in 1938. In her weekly podcast, Merkel described the events of Kristallnacht as "one of the darkest moments in German history", and requested all Germans not to tolerate any form of anti-Semitism towards the 200,000 Jews currently residing in Germany today.

Antisemitism On The Rise, Says European Survey

Wreckage of shops in Berlin after Kristallnacht

THE GUARDIAN: Poll of 6,000 Jewish people in eight EU member states finds three-quarters say problem has escalated in last five years

A survey of discrimination and hate crimes against Jewish people in Europe, released to mark the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht, suggests that antisemitism is on the rise, with three-quarters of those polled reporting an increase over the last five years and growing fears over online abuse and hate speech.

Two-thirds of those polled for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) felt antisemitism was a problem, 76% thought the situation was getting worse and that antisemitism had increased over the last five years, and 46% said they worried about being verbally assaulted or harassed in public because they were Jewish.

A third were worried about being physically attacked, and 57% said they had heard or seen someone claim over the last year that the Holocaust was a myth or had been exaggerated.

Almost 6,000 Jewish people in eight EU member states – Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Sweden and the UK – took part in the survey. The eight nations are home to 90% of the EU's Jewish population. » | Sam Jones and Rajeev Syal | Friday, November 08, 2013

Britain Is the Major Problem for the EU, Says Gerhard Schröder

Gerhard Schröder

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Gerhard Schröder says Britain is a problem and is standing in way of crucial EU reform

Britain is the major problem facing the future of the European Union and the measures it needs to take in order to survive as a bloc, a former German Chancellor has warned.

Gerhard Schröder, Germany’s Social Democrat Chancellor before being beaten by Angela Merkel in 2005, blamed Britain for the financial crisis that engulfed the eurozone and for blocking the EU measures needed to put things right.

“The problem has a name, and that's Britain. As long as the British block these moves, nothing will happen,” he said.

“We can assume that Britain is no longer willing to join the euro area. Countries that are not in the euro area cannot prevent greater integration. It’s tough but you cannot say ‘I will not be there but I want a say’.” Read on and comment » | Bruno Waterfield, Brussels | Friday, November 08, 2013

Iran Nuclear Talks: Benjamin Netanyahu Lashes Out Against Deal

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, warns that US and West are handing Iran the 'deal of the century'


Read the Daily Telegraph article here | Robert Tait, Peter Foster and David Blair | Friday, November 08, 2013

Former Belgian King Told 'Not a Cent More' on Top of His £770,000 Allowance

Former King Albert II of Belgium

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Fury as Belgium's former King Albert II demands extra money to help pay the heating bills for his castle and to meet the cost of fuel for his yacht

Belgium's King Albert II has been told that he will not get a cent more after he asked for extra cash on top of his £770,000 annual allowance to help pay his bills.

There has been an angry response from the Belgian government and MPs to demands from the former monarch, who abdicated in July, for more money from the public purse to help pay for the heating in his castle and the costs of running his yacht.

Following a scandal over the royal family's tax arrangements, the federal government earlier this year reformed the Belgian civil list to cut the number and size of allowances to the country's former and reigning kings and queens, princes and princesses.

During a parliamentary debate today, Elio Di Rupo, Belgium's prime minister, told MPs that Albert II would not get any extra money at a time when the government is making painful cuts to public services. » | Bruno Waterfield, Brussels | Thursday, November 07, 2013

George W. Bush to Raise Money for Group That Converts Jews to Christianity

YNET NEWS: Former president to host fundraiser for Messianic Jewish Bible Institute, which trains people to 'provoke Jewish people, save them,' in order to bring about second coming of Jesus

Next week, former President George W. Bush is scheduled to keynote a fundraiser in Irving, Texas, for the Messianic Jewish Bible Institute, a group that trains people in the United States, Israel, and around the world to convince Jews to accept Jesus as the Messiah, the American magazine Mother Jones reported.

The organization's goal: to "restore" Israel and the Jews and bring about about the second coming of Christ. Based in Dallas, the Institute claims that it acts like the Apostle Paul in helping to "educate Christians in their role to provoke the Jewish people to jealousy and thus save some of them (Romans 11:11-14)."

According to the article, written by Sarah Posner, Messianic Jews have long been controversial for Jews of all major denominations, who object to their proselytizing efforts and their message that salvation by Jesus is consistent with Jewish theology. » | Ynet News | Thursday, November 07, 2013

US Offers Short-term Nuclear Deal Allowing Iran to Continue Enriching Uranium

Catherine Ashton and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: American negotiators want a six month freeze to Iran's nuclear programme to create time for a final agreement, but the terms risk a backlash from both Israel and Congress

America has proposed a short-term nuclear agreement with Iran at a meeting in Geneva which would allow Tehran to continue enriching uranium at low levels, according to an aide briefed on the talks.

The goal is to freeze Iran’s nuclear programme for perhaps six months in order to create a breathing space for a comprehensive agreement to be negotiated.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, warned on Thursday that any deal which failed to stop Iran from enriching uranium would be a “mistake of historic proportions”.

Western diplomats and US officials have refused to disclose any details of a “first step agreement”. But a Senate aide, citing briefings from the White House, the State Department and sources in Geneva, said he understood that it would include four key points. » | Peter Foster in Washington, and David Blair | Thursday, November 07, 2013

Terrorists Are 'Rubbing Their Hands with Glee' after Edward Snowden Leaks

Sir John Sawers, head of MI6, warns that terrorists are 'rubbing their hands with glee' after Edward Snowden leaks

Read the Daily Telegraph article here | Tom Whitehead, Gordon Rayner and Steven Swinford | Thursday, November 07, 2013

Inside Story: Should Saudi Arabia End Its Kafala System?

As an amnesty for illegal migrant workers expires, we ask if it is time for the country to overhaul its labour laws.

WIKI: Kafala system »

Nostradamus - Prophet des Untergangs: Doku

Michel de Nostredame (1503-1566) aus dem südfranzösischen Salon-de-Provence, später Nostradamus genannt, war einer der berühmtesten Männer des alten Europas. Im 16. Jahrhundert, in dem er lebte, wurden das herrschende Weltbild radikal umgewertet und die Grundlagen des modernen Weltverständnisses gelegt. Neben ersten wissenschaftlichen Entwicklungen, der Erweiterung des Weltbildes durch Entdeckungen in Übersee und der Reformation, gab es aber auch Hexenverfolgung, und Inquisition. Die Dokumentation stellt den großen Astrologen und Wissenschaftler vor.

EU Rules That Gay Africans Are Entitled to Asylum

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A gay refugee from an African country where people are jailed for being a homosexual does qualify for asylum, the EU rules

The fear of imprisonment for homosexuality in African countries is grounds for asylum in the European Union, Europe's highest court has ruled.

According to the European Court of Justice, a gay refugee from a country where people are jailed for being homosexual does qualify as a persecuted group eligible for asylum.

The court's ruling concerned three homosexual men from Sierra Leone, Uganda and Senegal who had sought asylum in Holland, but is binding for all EU countries, including Britain.

"Homosexual acts are a criminal offence in those three countries and may lead to serious punishment, from heavy fines to life imprisonment in certain cases," the ECJ ruled.

"A term of imprisonment which accompanies a legislative provision which punishes homosexual acts may constitute an act of persecution per se, provided that it is actually applied."

The EU judges also ruled that asylum seekers should not be expected to conceal their homosexuality to avoid persecution in their home country. » | Bruno Waterfield, Brussels | Thursday, November 07, 2013

Auf der Flucht: ZDF Doku

November 1938: In ganz Deutschland brennen Synagogen. Die systematische Verfolgung und Ermordung jüdischer Menschen beginnt. ZDF-History über Menschen, die den NS-Schergen entkamen.

Survivors Remember Kristallnacht: Robert Behr

In this interview with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Holocaust survivor Robert (Bob) Behr shares his memories of Kristallnacht, the November 1938 pogroms.

Survivors Remember Kristallnacht: Susan (Hilsenrath) Warsinger

n this interview with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Holocaust survivor Susan (Hilsenrath) Warsinger shares her memories of Kristallnacht, the November 1938 pogroms.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum »

Kuwaiti Woman Arrested in Saudi Arabia for Driving Her Diabetic Father to Hospital

THE INDEPENDENT: Arrest comes a week after Saudi women staged a protest against the country’s female driving ban

A Kuwaiti woman was arrested in Saudi Arabia for driving her diabetic father to hospital, a local newspaper reported on Sunday.

The arrest came a week after a number of Saudi women protested against the country's ban on female drivers by taking to the wheel and posting pictures and videos of themselves in the act online.

The woman was driving in an area just over the border from Kuwait with her father in the passenger seat, when she was stopped by police, the English language Kuwait Times said.

Kuwaitis and Saudi locals regularly cross between the countries and communities living along the border are often a mix of both nationalities.

Citing police, the paper reported that the woman, who said her diabetic father could not drive and needed to be taken to hospital for treatment, is being held in custody pending an investigation. » | Tomas Jivanda | Monday, October 04, 2013