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21-year-old invents unconventional wrist watch
A New Jersey body piercer and tattoo artist has implanted four magnetic studs into his wrist to hold his iPod in place.
21 year old David Hurban points out that his is a highly original idea.
Magnetic New Jerseyite David Hurban:
"In today's world , everybody has already done everything twice. Everyone's looking for the next thing and this is something no one has ever done before. Whole world..how many people are in the world? First one."
Hurban says he was inspired to get the usual magnetic implants because he had always wanted a strapless watch and that he believed the piercings would be completely safe.
18 may 2012
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New York activists push to ban Chinese delicacy
A traditional delicacy or animal cruelty? Legislators in New York are making a push to ban the sale of shark fins, the main ingredient in Chinese shark fin soup.
Animal rights activists say that shark finning is a cruel practice because collectors often slice fins off living sharks and then dump the animals back into the water where they drown.
In a store in New York’s Chinatown , jars of dried shark fins sit on shelves with prices from USD 30 to USD 300, but they may be among the last if the city council bans their sale.
New York City Council Member Margaret S. Chin:
"Shark fin soup may be a time honoured tradition for a small group of people. But it has no place in today's society. I stand here today to say that I will not support the shark fin industry that thrives off cruelty and I call on the Asian American community in New York to stand with me."
New York is the largest market for shark fins on the East Coast , and activists pushing the ban hope that getting them off the city’s shelves could set an example for other markets.
Marine scientist Amanda Keledjian:
“There’s tons of restaurants and people that love to eat out in this city, so I think taking a stand in New York is really important for diminishing overall demand.”
According to the Humane Society of the United States , shark populations are in decline due to enormous demand for shark fins. If the ban is passed, businesses will have one year to phase out their sale.
18 may 2012
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Activists rally in St. Petersburg against homophobia
City passed law banning ‘spreading gay propaganda ’. Religious groups heckle crowd of demonstrators. Christian activists say rally violates rights of minors.
18 may 2012
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Israeli Defence Minister in Washington talks
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has hosted Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Washington. The key focus of the meeting will likely have been the ongoing situation regarding efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, something which both Israel and the United States have promised to oppose but reportedly differ in their assessments of Iran’s atomic progress.
Iran has recently returned to the negotiating regarding nuclear issues after a series of alarming United Nations reports. However thus far the Islamic Republic’s negotiators have offered no concessions and have accused the international community of wishing to bully the regime into abandoning nuclear development.
Israel appears to have toned down its rhetoric since earlier this year when it appeared a strike on Iran ’s secretive nuclear facilities seemed possibly imminent but these talks and recent comments from the US ambassador that both countries are at a high state of military preparedness suggest that both sides remain acutely concerned about Iran’s atomic ambitions .
18 may 2012
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Israeli and Jordanian birds breed after ten years
These seven barn owl chicks cuddled together in Israel’s Beit Shean valley have no idea how special they are. They are the products of the success of a decade-long project undertaken jointly by Jordanian and Israeli farmers to use the birds as biological pesticides.
Israeli Manager of Barn Owl Project Yossi Leshem:
"This is really a celebration that it works. And some people already ask me: 'Yossi, what will happen? How will be the chicks? They'll be Muslim or Jewish?'. I told them 'They don't give a damn on this. These are birds. They don't care about borders, they just live here, they have now all the facilities."
Jordanian and Israel farmers decided in 2002 to use barn owls to protect their crops against rats and mice because the birds each eat between 2,000 and 6,000 rodents a year. It has taken ten years for an Israeli male and a Jordanian female to couple and breed.
Haifa University Ornithologist Dr. Motti Charter:
"So for them, they don't know that the border is here and they probably met, you know, not like people at a bar or something like that, they met one night and decided to have -- that they fell in love and they started a nest here. The whole concept is that, you know, for them it doesn't matter if it's Jordanian or Israel, they're barn owls.”
Over 2,000 nesting boxes have been placed on the Israeli side of the border and hundreds are in use by Jordanian farmers . Organisers of the project are hopeful that it will spread further afield.
Haifa University Ornithologist Dr. Motti Charter:
"Ultimately, we hope the barn own project will spread, but it may be that the Jordanians will go to other countries like Lebanon or Syria that we can not go, and start it, indirectly from what happens here. So I think for a nature conservation and agriculture this is a great project. But politically, I think I leave the politics out because politics are much more complicated than barn owls and nature."
The organisers wish may be coming true. The Palestinian Authority has recently launched its own barn owl program to encourage farmers to reduce the use of chemical pesticides and whilst this may not solve the region’s political problems, there no question it is having a positive impact on the environment.
18 may 2012
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American David Zabriskie claims race lead
American David Zabriskie claimed the Tour of California lead on Thursday with victory in the stage five individual time trial.
Zabriskie completed the 30-kilometre flat course in just under 36 minutes and will now be hoping to surpass his previous achievement of placing second in the overall race , something which he has done on 3 previous occasions.
The Tour of California is more than 1,000km in length and attracts the world’s top cyclists . This year’s race began north of San Francisco and will conclude on Sunday in Los Angeles .
18 may 2012
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Magazine devotes cover to Israeli PM Netanyahu
Time Magazine has devoted its lead story to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under the heading "King Bibi."
The internationally renowned publication points to Netanyahu’s strong approval ratings among the Israeli public, which stand at over 50% and the likelihood that he will soon become the Jewish state’s longest serving leader .
The article goes on to discuss what it calls “Bibi’s choice:” to be remembered as an efficient manager or a historic figure. The magazine identifies the peace process with the Palestinians and possible military action to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons as key issues which will define what remains of Netanyahu’s time in office and may determine his legacy.
In the article Netanyahu is quoted as downplaying both rumours that he does not enjoy a close personal relationship with US President Barack Obama and that he is a close personal friend of US Presidential contender Mitt Romney after the two worked together in management consultancy in the US in the 1970s.
Time Magazine earlier this year named the 62 year old Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
18 may 2012
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Greece passes Olympic flame on to London
88 schoolchildren sing “Gold Save the Queen” at event. London Mayor Boris Johnson is on hand for ceremony. British soccer star David Beckham also attended event.
18 may 2012
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Sci-fi film sees Nazis back for world domination
Following the success of his sci-fi comedy Star Wreck, Timo Vuorensola has come up with another spoof – this time he’s sending a group of Nazis to the moon.
Director of Iron Sky Timo Vuorensola:
"I think and I hope and I think that I'm right about that is that there is so much pathos, so much pathos made, pathos made out of the Nazis , that it becomes sort of a buzz in your ears like ..bzzzzz…..you don't really, it's, the actual things to worry about, the things that are really scary, they get so flatlined. So coming with a comedy angle to it, I hope it kind of brings people back thinking."
Iron Sky begins in 1945. A group of Nazis have escaped to the moon where they build a fleet of UFOs which they plan to use to take over the world.
The Finnish filmmaker says he hopes the audience will not be fooled by the comedy approach, as the film contains a serious message.
Director of Iron Sky Timo Vuorensola:
"Those same words, those same lines are used in the politics nowadays, almost word from word, and it's, that's the scary thing. It's like why don't we learn anything? Why these same words have been said by the Nazis in the '30s, and now they are being uttered by some morons somewhere in, in high place in politics in either in Europe or in U.S. or somewhere?"
Already shown at a number of festivals , the film has received positive reviews for its mixture of concept art and graphic design. It will be hoping for more praise as it goes on general release later this month in the UK and a handful of other countries in the coming months.
18 may 2012
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Donna Summer has lost her battle with cancer
US queen of Disco Donna Summer has passed away at the age of 63. The singer, famous for 70s and 80s hits such as Hot Stuff and Last Dance, was reportedly suffering from breast cancer .
The American diva began her career in Germany performing in stage musicals such as Hair, before releasing her breakthrough song Love to Love You Baby in 1975.
The singer was also a big supporter of charity work in Darfur and even dedicated a song to the cause:
Recording Artist Donna Summer:
"I've been very influenced by some of the work that George Clooney has done and by some of the people who have gone into Africa themselves, physically gone there and have taken up the part of these people that are there. And I wanted to do something that could assist them in some way, musically .”
Summer, a winner of five Grammy Awards , leaves behind her a unique musical legacy.
18 may 2012
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Introducing the Jewish News One App!
The world’s first Jewish TV news network is now available as an App which combines JN1 ’s unique news content with the convenience of smartphone technology.
The new App allows viewers to enjoy live JN1 broadcasts 24 hours a day on smartphones and tablets . You can also use the App to browse through the channel’s extensive news video archive.
The Jewish News One App is free of charge and available at iPhone and Android online stores. Download the App today and connect to a whole world of Jewish news!
18 may 2012
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Officials show prison in attempt to discredit HRW
The Iraqi government has taken journalists on a tour of a prison in Baghdad where Human Rights Watch, or HRW , says beatings and electrocutions of prisoners have taken place.
A spokesman for the military says the accusations lack credibility. The HRW report suggests that Iraq is still running the prison , but officials point to its shabby condition as evidence of the fact that it has not been used since it was closed down in early 2011.
The detention facility is located in an area known as Camp Honor, a former US military base of more than 15 buildings that was handed over to Iraqi forces in 2006.
HRW has accused the Iraqi administration of pushing the country back towards authoritarianism by cracking down on protests, harassing opponents and torturing detainees. The rights group alleges that the government has carried out several waves of detentions, surrounding neighbourhoods and going door-to-door with lists of people marked for imprisonment .
18 may 2012
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Hollande’s cabinet meets and takes 30% pay cut
France ’s new left-wing cabinet have convened for the first time and have all agreed to take a 30 percent pay cut. Newly elected President Francois Hollande will be no exception, meaning his new salary stands at under 15,000 euros a month. The gross pay of cabinet members will drop to 9,940 euros a month, in a move which seems to have been taken primarily to show the Socialists won’t renege on promises to help solve the Eurozone’s debt crisis .
Meanwhile, there have been fears amongst France’s Israeli population that Hollande’s cabinet may be more pro-Palestinian than its predecessors. Analysts predict that the government may now show “less negative emotion towards Turkey and less positive emotion towards Israel ”.
But Hollande ’s new government contains three Jewish members. One of them is the new Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici , who says there is nothing to fear from Hollande’s Israeli policy and that all the Socialist Party wants is to bring about a peaceful solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
It may be that French Israeli’s, 90 percent of whom voted for Sarkozy , have less to fear than they think.
18 may 2012
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NYC actress performs role for 25 years with no break
New York actress Catherine Russell has made it into record books because she has appeared on stage eight times a week for the past 25 years in the Off- Broadway play "Perfect Crime".
So far the actress has performed her role as Margaret Thorne Brent in the production more than 10,000 times without a holiday or a day off sick.
Actress Catherine Russell :
"I have a theory that if you love the work that you do, you tend to stay healthier and I really love what I do. I go on stage in "Perfect Crime", but I also built the theater, I run the theater and I general manage the show, so I run the business and I also teach.”
Russell admitted however that at the very beginning of her record-breaking stint, she missed four performances to attend family weddings . But she says that her own nuptials will have to work around her theatre schedule:
Actress Catherine Russell:
"My idea of a perfect wedding would be to go to City Hall, bing, bang, boom, get married and come back to work. Maybe have a honeymoon lunch. How's that?"
The only person who seems to be bored by Russell’s dedication is her understudy, who has had to take parts in other shows .
18 may 2012
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Candidates label Israel the “enemy” in presidential race
With less than a week to go until the start of Egypt’s presidential elections , it looks to be a two-horse race. Polls indicate that Islamist candidate Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh and the more liberal-minded former Arab League chief Amr Moussa , are neck-in-neck.
Like many other candidates, both have capitalised on anti-Israeli sentiment among the Egyptian electorate. Whilst neither has said that they want to tear up the peace treaty signed between Israel and Egypt in 1979 , they have, like all the presidential hopefuls, made calls for it to be reviewed.
Abol Fotouh has described the Jewish state as an enemy, whilst Moussa has used the term “adversary”. Such emotional words may prove effective in the race to take Egypt’s highest office.
Psychology Professor of American University in Cairo Mona Amer:
“What we know is that often times; people select the candidate because they feel. They feel. There's something emotional, like they feel more connected to the candidate , they feel like, this is who I want as a president, I really like this guy and things like that. So one of the challenges that we have right now is that a lot of people really care about who's going to be the next president.”
But apart from relations with neighbouring states, more pressing for the new leader may be to tackle the problems of poverty and Egypt’s failing economy . In some shanty towns of capital Cairo , men and women working as drinks and ice cream sellers earn under USD 10 per day.
Egypt’s military rulers have pledged to hand over power to the new president by July 1. They say they are not taking sides and have promised voting will be free and fair.
18 may 2012
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Greeks withdrawn hundreds of millions of euros
Greece may have sworn in an interim Prime Minister at the Presidential Palace in Athens, but it seems to be doing little to calm the fears of the Greek people .
The failure of talks to form a coalition government following parliament elections has left many Greeks worried about both the political and economic future of their country. The rise of left-wing parties who reject the country’s EU-IMF bailout plan means a Greek exit from the eurozone could be imminent. In response, people across the country have withdrawn hundreds of millions of euros from banks in the last several days.
Panos Tsakloglou, Social Economics Professor:
"It is true that there were outflows of savings from Greek banks after the recent elections, however we must take into account that there were quite substantial outflows since the beginning of the crisis . There was no substantial acceleration. However, this is a very dangerous phenomenon because already the level of the savings has declined quite a lot."
Polls show that as many as 80% of Greeks support staying in the euro. The Syriza party , who have made great popularity gains of late, argues that Greece can stay in the euro but also reject the terms of the EU bailout.
The world’s markets remain worried and will be following closely when new Greek elections are held next month.
18 may 2012
Border disorder: Palestinian terrorists open fire at IDF soldiers operating within Israeli territory near the security fence with north Gaza. No injuries are being reported
Equal rights: Israel’s High Court rules that the onus is on employers to explain why they pay women lower salaries than men
Listening in: Justice Ministry proposes a bill that would expand the state’s power to tap phones and almost double the number of state agencies allowed to access the data while conducting investigations
Earphone law: Lawmakers are mulling new legislation that would forbid bicycle riders to listen to music with earphones while on the road
Anti-US assistance: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh says US military assistance to Israel, including the recent decision to grant Israel an additional USD 70 million for the Iron Dome missile defense system, is encouraging the Jewish state to commit war crimes
Emergency landing: a London-bound El-Al jet makes an emergency landing at Ben-Gurion International Airport shortly after takeoff on Friday after the jet’s flaps malfunctioned and the plane dumped its fuel the sea
Equal rights: Israel’s High Court rules that the onus is on employers to explain why they pay women lower salaries than men
Listening in: Justice Ministry proposes a bill that would expand the state’s power to tap phones and almost double the number of state agencies allowed to access the data while conducting investigations
Earphone law: Lawmakers are mulling new legislation that would forbid bicycle riders to listen to music with earphones while on the road
Anti-US assistance: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh says US military assistance to Israel, including the recent decision to grant Israel an additional USD 70 million for the Iron Dome missile defense system, is encouraging the Jewish state to commit war crimes
Emergency landing: a London-bound El-Al jet makes an emergency landing at Ben-Gurion International Airport shortly after takeoff on Friday after the jet’s flaps malfunctioned and the plane dumped its fuel the sea
Breaking news
- Hollande’s cabinet meets and takes 30% pay cut
- Candidates label Israel the “enemy” in presidential...
- President says he wants to attend Olympics 2012
- New assembly includes 21 Golden Dawn members
- Negotiator seeks “cooperation” from world powers
- Romney hints at possible Israel visit before election
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news archive
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Sephardic Jewish Cuisine Celebrated in Germany
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Iran sentences four men to death for sodomy
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European Jewish Parliament Convenes for Second Day
In the command center of pan-European politics, the European Jewish Parliament convened for a second day… At the European Parliament, panel discussions were held on the economic crisis in Europe and its impact on extremism, populism and anti-Semitism … Dr. Antonyia Parvanova, a member of the European Parliament from Bulgaria, moderated… Parvanova says she and her colleagues are aware that baseless hatred for Jews is rearing its ugly head again in violent acts, in anti-Israeli sentiment and in politics…
Igor Kolomoiskiy , the President of the European Jewish Union, was the guiding light behind the first-ever Parliament for Jews and forging ties with other European leaders is one of its priorities. The European Jewish Parliament was modeled in some ways after the European Parliament. Its members are elected osein contrast to how other Jewish leaders in Europe are chosen which is usually by those inside existing organizations. The European Jewish Parliament hopes its system can attract young, unaffiliated Jews with fresh ideas.
A Jewish woman from Washington joined the EJP’s meetings…but she’s not an American working for President Obama or Republican candidate Mitt Romney …Her boss is King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain… Hoodah Nunu is the Bahraini Ambassador to the US, a Jewish woman who represents her Muslim country. EJP members also expressed hope that they can help build bridges between Jews and Muslims wherever they clash. Nunu’s colleague – the Bahraini Ambassador to the EU – attended the panel discussions. Tomorrow these new Jewish reps of Europe will head back to their home countries after two days of sharing ideas, solutions and meeting like-minded politicians.
Jordana Miller, JN1 , Brussels
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Sephardic Jewish Cuisine Celebrated in Germany
The gruene sosse or green sauce festival marks the beginning of spring, and celebrates Frankfurt’s most popular dish which in turn is a symbol of Frankfurt ’s Jewish heritage. For more than six centuries Frankfurters have indulged in green vegetables and herbs – a custom that also ties in with the arrival of Sephardic Jews in the Frankfurt region.
About 30,000 Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 came to Germany. The Sephardic kitchen was characterized by the absence of garlic and a very generous use of herbs. The seven herbs found in the Frankfurt green sauce certainly do justice to the old Sephardic cuisine. Nowadays, there are of course countless varieties of the original Jewish green sauce recipe .
Jews not only provided the original recipe for green sauce, for centuries they also made the herbs available to the public. Many became peddlers, buying the products directly from the farmers and selling them in the streets of Frankfurt . At the beginning of the 20th. century in Frankfurt the Jewish peddler were members of the Jewish community living in the East End of the city, the home of about four thousand Jews who immigrated from Russia and Poland.
The East End had the largest synagogue in Frankfurt, boasting 1600 seats. It was destroyed on November 9, 1938, when the Nazis unleashed a wave of pogroms against Germany's Jews . Today in Frankfurt's East End on the site of the destroyed synagogue, the Place of Remembrance documents a facet of National Socialist viciousness: In 1942 a civil defense bunker was erected by French prisoners of war on the foundation of the destroyed Synagogue. The bunker now contains a permanent exhibition on Jewish life in Frankfurt ’s East End in the pre- Nazi period. It’s a place of learning and reflection about the site and it’s past.
Seventy years after Festival the Holocaust Jewish heritage and culture is once again thriving in Frankfurt … and Frankfurters of all ethnic backgrounds are discovering the centuries old Jewish recipe for green sauce.
Wilson Ruiz, JN1 , Frankfurt
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EJP Holds General Assembly in Brussels
The newly elected European Jewish Parliament held its first general session in Brussels… The 120 members were elected last fall in an online vote that drew over 400,000 Jews across western, central and eastern Europe. Now the representatives of 47 countries are meeting to set their agenda…it’s a diverse group of men and women, religious and secular, old and young…
The alarming political gains of far right-wing nationalist parties is one of the newest and most pressing issues. EJP Co-Presidents Vadim Rabinovich and Joel Rubinfeld say the Parliament will build ties with the European Parliament , the EU and others to defend the needs of the Jewish community.
The European Jewish Parliament , for the first time is bringing Jews from the East and West together under one umbrella organization. The hope is that some of the more established communities – like in France and England – can help some of the smaller struggling communities in the east with the challenges they face… After the opening remarks, the Parliamentarians broke into committee groups on topics ranging from foreign affairs to education to culture.
Jordana Miller, JN1 , Brussels