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Chinese farmer develops affordable bionic arm
A Chinese farmer has developed an affordable bionic arm that acts as a cheap alternative to the expensive prosthetic arms offered by local hospitals. Sun Jifa lost both of his hands in a fishing accident when explosives prematurely went off. He could only afford a low-grade pair of prosthetic arms which were nearly useless for routine farm work.
Sun spent the next eight years designing his own steel bionic pair from scratch using only his intuition. The arms consist of a series of wires and pulleys inside the shell, allowing him to grip and hold objects.
Sun Jifa, Farmer:
"It transfers the power from the natural movement of my elbow into the finger, allowing it to grab and hold."
The results were life changing. Sun soon became a local celebrity, and it wasn’t long before other amputees began asking for pairs of their own. Farmer Li Yanzhong who lost his left hand, came to Sun for his prosthetic needs.
Li Yanzhong, Farmer:
"Mr. Sun's artificial hand feels good to me. When I go home, it will help me a lot with operating work machinery. Normal prosthetic arms only have a superficial function when operating machinery. They don't have much strength. But this artificial hand will be very useful in using machines and doing other work."
Sun’s bionic arms are able to handle complex farm labour and shop work, and they can also hold eating utensils and cigarettes. They allow him to carry on a normal life with his family.
Sun Jifa, Farmer:
"By using these hands, I can help the family with chores. I can do some farm work, I'm not useless. I really feel a weight has lifted. I feel I'm not a freeloader. I can be useful," said Sun while working in the fields.
53 year old Sun has already sold over one thousand steel limbs priced at around USD 500, which is a tenth of the price that most hospitals charge for high-quality prosthetics.
25 may 2013
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Jewish breakdancer in award-winning docu
Breakdancing culture started right here on the streets of New York, evolving along with the emerging hip hop music phenomenon. Decades later, it found its way north to the suburbs of connecticut, where a young boy found himself preparing for his bar mitzvah - and the competitive breakdancing circuit.
Eighteen year-old Eli Furman looks like a typical kid from the suburbs. He’s preparing for prom, hanging out with friends and looking at which college to attend. But his relatively recent past is the subject of an award-winning documentary making the rounds at Jewish film festivals across America.
B-Boy is the story of his experience as a competitive breakdancer at the age of 12... while simultaneously preparing for his bar mitzvah .
Eli Furman, Jewish breakdancer:
"I danced hip-hop, and the place that I was going to had an annual recital. My teacher Lou, who is a mentor and also like my brother... he approached me after one of the recitals and he was like, you're a great dancer. I want you to do breakdancing."
Furman says performing with a dancing crew from urban Connecticut broadened his horizons.
Eli Furman, Jewish breakdancer:
"It was kinda intimidating at first. Definitely intimidating. I am a small Jewish kid walking into a room full of breakdancers that were way bigger than me. They had an air of confidence that I didn’t have at the moment.
It definitely would’ve been weird to see me surrounded by my crew. The image kinda doesn’t really work. It was almost like I was one of their kids.
They were totally welcoming, totally accepting of everything I did.
That’s a whole big thing in the B-Boy community. You don’t judge people based on their race or their ethnicity or where they are from. You judge people dancing based on their dancing ability."
He traveled to several dance competitions. He was hard to miss.
The film culminates with Furman’s bar mitzvah, where his two worlds integrate seamlessly.
Eli Furman, Jewish breakdancer:
"The B-Boy community and the Jewish community are very different... but they somehow worked together for me. And that was obviously apparent at the bar mitzvah. There wasn’t a clash. You know, you might think the B-Boys would be in one corner of the room and the rest of the family…you know. It meshed really well."
Furman has moved on to learning new musical instruments and playing sports, but he says the release of the film brought him back together with the United Outcast crew - and back to breakdancing.
Quinn Bowman, JN1 , New York
25 may 2013
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Meet the kings of "Matkot"
As the beach season opened up in Tel Aviv, various athletes, both professional and amateur, make their way to the beaches daily. And many of them come to play the most popular beach sport in Israel, known as "Matkot", a type of paddle ball .
Shay Gur , " Matkot" P layer:
" Matkot is a game that was invented in Israel . It's a game that you play with each other, not against each other. It's actually a game of defense and offence and that's it. Sometimes you do the defense and sometimes you attack. You have to do your shots towards the opponent so you have to do it so he can return the ball exactly to you in the same angle, like this, all the time."
Liron Aharonson , " Matkot" P layer:
"There are a few women that really connected to this game. I've never lifted a Matka until like four or five years ago, something like that and just a friend told me 'come here and let's try' and it was just like love at first touch."
This group of Israeli players are devoted to their game. They advocate that it is both fun and provides a great workout.
Liron Aharonson , " Matkot" P layer:
"It's really fun, it's really energetic. It's a very friendly game, it's the sea, it's the sun , it's the people, it's open air and it's the bonding where you have like a 'click' of people here that are playing and it's really nice ."
- Is this a sport?
Shay Gur , " Matkot" Player:
" Not a national sport or something but I think it's going to become one. But the thing is there are no rules, there are no points, nothing. But it's a good sport. "
Liron Aharonson , " Matkot" P layer:
" There are a few people here or girls, that started to play and you can see their body change in front of you. When you're into it, you really put a lot of effort in; you jump and you run to get the ball and you try to hit as hard as you can and everything is very very, you know, sportive, just like that. Just because it's not competitive it doesn't mean it's not a sport. "
Yair Ace was titled "king of the matkot" on the Israeli street.
Yair Ace , "Matkot" P layer and Manufacturer:
" I'm the best player in Israel, I know all the games in Matkot, I play fastly, strongly, defense, attack, I teach people to play. Matkot is a sport, but you can be like me; fat, and drink and eat and play every day also. It's a sport of Israel, like Falafel. "
A few beaches over we find Amnon Nissim playing with his friends. He is slightly older and with rich experience from way back in the 1950's.
Along with his friend Moris, Amnon decided to establish a museum dedicated solely to the purpose of exhibiting different types of "Matka" rackets from all times.
Down the main street in this Neve Tsedek neighborhood in Tel Aviv is the museum, which appears to be the only one of its kind in the world. It is located inside Amnon's house and open for visitors who wish to be exposed to this one segment of Israeli history.
Amnon Nissim , Co-Founder Of Matkot Museum:
" Matkot is first of all an Israeli thing. Nahum Gutman in 1932 painted children playing Matkot which means Matkot was played even before the establishment of the State of Israel. Israel has many beaches and in all the beaches people play Matkot. It's what you can call a national symbol, and Matkot is an Israeli sport. "
Amnon, who has been playing the Israeli sport for 60 years, lives here on his own, just him and his Matkot, most of which he received as gifts.
Amnon Nissim , Co-Founder Of Matkot Museum:
" First and foremost I am a Matka player, I play nearly 62 years already and it is my life, Matkot is my greatest love of all. This is the best Matka I own, the manufacturer of it is called Shalom, it is a Matka made of carbon and it costs around 500 shekels. (about 100 Euro) This Matka is strong and light, and I'm so accurate that if you pay attention, all the Matka is in this color and all the balls hit the center which tells you that the hit is also very accurate. I love this game, I play with my whole soul and also I fight for the hard balls the ones which other people wouldn't go for. "
The museum is free of charge, because Amnon says passion and money don't mix together. And out on these Tel-Aviv beaches , there is plenty of passion displayed.
Liron Aharonson , " Matkot" P layer:
" Well, we play like Israelis, you know, we like to get it all out, all the energy and anger and everything, just hit the ball, instead of other people, I guess. "
Sivan Raviv, JN1 , Tel Aviv
25 may 2013
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Cute baby cubs added to Fuji Safari Park
The two newest lion cub additions to Fuji Safari Park in Japan have drawn up quite the crowd as people travel from all across the country to witness the new born babies.
24 may 2013
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World’s biggest Lego model unveiled in NYC
Star Wars and Lego fans were out in force in Times Square for the unveiling of the largest Lego model in the world, a 13.1 metre X-wing Starfighter made up over 5 million bricks.
Lego unveiled the life-sized spaceship to promote a new Lego cartoon series called "The Yoda Chronicles". With Star Wars music filling the square, the massive model rolled forward, smoke rising from beneath giant toy.
Michael McNally, Lego brand relations director:
"We just unveiled the world's largest Lego model ever created right here in New York City's Times Square and we're doing it to kick off and celebrate a brand new content miniseries that will be airing on television next week and also because we want to inspire the imaginations of kids around the world with an awesome Lego Star Wars model."
According to Lego, the Star Wars line is its most popular collection of toys. Master builder Erik Varszegi, who was in charge of creating the 20,000 kilogram spaceship, described what went into making the record-breaking creation.
Erik Varszegi, Lego master builder:
"It's the biggest in the world. So it's 5 million bricks in this, over 5 million, 5.3, I believe and we've been working on this project in concept for well over two years. The actual construction started a long time ago with the design phase, the steel structure, down to the model building. We've been 17,000 hours over the course of four months to put the whole thing together."
At its tallest the model stands 3.3 metre high, and has a 13.4 metre wingspan. After thrilling crowds in Times Square the Starfighter will be moved, disassembled, and shipped off to Legoland in California where it will be on display until the end of the year.
24 may 2013
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Nigerians mourn landmark author’s passing
Thousands of Nigerians from all over the country have gathered in the south-eastern state of Anambra to celebrate the life and times of the late novelist Chinua Achebe, a writer widely seen as the grandfather of modern African literature.
Achebe died in March in the United States, where he has lived since 1972, and he has now been given a state burial in his home town that was attended by government officials, family and friends. During the funeral service, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama paid tribute to Achebe.
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama:
"Thank you, Professor Chinua Achebe, for showing us that that can be done and helping us to do it ourselves. God truly blessed us with your presence in this world. May God continue to bless your family and your loved ones even in the midst of your absence and through the depth of their grief."
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan also addressed the gathered congregation.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan :
"I was not privileged to have direct interactions with Chinua Achebe when he was alive. But I was delighted with people like him who are so involved in academics."
From the publication of his first novel, "Things Fall Apart", over 50 years ago, Achebe shaped an understanding of Africa from an African perspective more than any other author. As a novelist, poet, broadcaster and lecturer, Achebe was a yardstick against which generations of African writers have been judged. For children across Africa, his books have for decades been an eye-opening introduction to the power of literature.
Achebe's "Things Fall Apart", published in 1958, told of his Igbo ethnic group's fatal brush with British colonizers in the 1800s - the first time the story of European colonialism had been told from an African viewpoint to an international audience. The book was translated into 50 languages and has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.
24 may 2013
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Palestinian refugees caught up in Syria war
Syria’s civil war has uprooted more than half of the country’s 530,000 Palestinian refugees and their situation is becoming increasing desperate according to the head of United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
Filippo Grandi, Commissioner-General of UNRWA:
"Of course the Palestinians have been affected by this crisis like every other civilian. And perhaps with a greater degree of vulnerability because they are already refugees in Syria and they are now involved or affected rather by very terrible conflict in the country. They are living in many parts of the country. There are 12 camps, nine official, and three unofficial camps, and unfortunately, in my visit here, I have assessed that in most of the camps, not all but most of them, the situation is very difficult from the military point of view. There is fighting, armed groups and the government, are confronting each other near the camps, inside the camps, and most of the, or a large portion of the Palestinian population has had to leave those camps."
The commissioner-general of UNRWA went on to estimate some 70 to 80% of the Palestinians in Syria have been affected by the 2-year conflict .
Filippo Grandi, Commissioner-General of UNRWA:
"We also know that about 50-thousand, a bit more, 54-thousand, have gone to Lebanon, where we are providing them with assistance and a few thousands have gone to Jordan, Egypt and other countries. So there is also a phenomenon of external exodus to other places. These are refugees that become refugees a second time. It's really a very tragic situation."
UNRWA provides support for some 5 million Palestinians in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza. Those in Syria had originally maintained neutrality when the conflict broke out but the nationwide civil war has now spurred many Palestinians to pick sides.
Filippo Grandi, Commissioner-General of UNRWA:
"The most important message is the Palestinian refugees, like any refugees, are neutral, should remain neutral and the neutrality of these communities, and the neutrality of the United Nations, UNRWA, facilities that serve them, schools, clinics, other community centres should be respected by all parties, by the government and by armed opposition groups. This is a very important message. This is a message also to the Palestinians themselves: it's very dangerous that any of them gets involved in fighting one side or the other, because this will attract retaliation from the other side and complicate matters for the Palestinians themselves and for the Syrians at large."
The 2-year civil war has now claimed the lives of some 80,000 people and displaced millions more, including hundreds of thousands who have fled to neighbouring countries.
24 may 2013
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India temperatures spiking in north and west
A searing heat wave in India has caused power outages and showed no sign of abating. A meteorologist said the heat followed a pattern of rising temperatures year-on-year since 1984.
24 may 2013
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Kiev Israeli embassy hosts anti-terror drill
The anti-terrorism centre of the Security Service of Ukraine has conducted a drill at Kiev's Israeli embassy. The exercise started with agents, playing the role of terrorists, shooting out of the third-storey window of the embassy building.
Crowds of passers-by and local residents quickly gathered to watch as a helicopter dropped special units onto the building's roof, and the agents repelled down the embassy's exterior wall, blasting open a window, and storming through the building's first-floor entrance.
The drills played out a hostage-taking scenario, with special forces bundling people out of the building, padding them down, and then hurrying them into waiting vehicles.
At a synagogue in a different part of the city, bomb squads went through an explosive-dismantling drill.
Petro Shatkovsky, Security Service of Ukraine’s anti-terrorism centre:
"There is no security threat to the Israeli or any other foreign diplomatic mission in Ukraine. But, as you understand, there is a lot of tension in the world, thus we have to be prepared to react to any threats or challenges."
The Israeli ambassador to Ukraine, watching the drill from across the street, said the manoeuvres gave him confidence.
Israeli ambassador to Ukraine Rueven Din El:
"Drills like this, and the effect from it, gives us a feeling of complete security for our embassy and other missions on the territory of Ukraine."
Bomb attacks are a rare occurrence in the former Soviet republic of Ukraine with the last occurring in April 2012 wounding 27 people .
24 may 2013
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Football in Frankfurt
These are proud days for German football with an all-German Champions League final - Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium in London. This is a final few people would have predicted before the first leg thrashings from the German teams to both rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid . Then everybody knew the final would be between two German teams. This German football fairytale is widely seen as a reward for doing things the right way.
Germany's top football league, the Bundesliga, whose clubs don't depend on the cash of oligarchs, sheikhs and business tycoons that own many of their European rivals, is often cited as an example of the successful, sustainable German football business model. Many German clubs are majority-owned by their fans.
Around 1880 football came to Germany from England, where it was invented; today there are about five million football players and more than 30.000 professional and amateur teams. Football has helped to shape the identity and culture of Germany.
When it comes to football many Germans will tell you that football in Germany is about passion, not money. Of Europe’s four major leagues - England, Spain, Italy and Germany – the Bundesliga is the cheapest to watch. This season’s runaway champions, Bayern Munich , charge from just 79 to 900 Euros for a season ticket while London Arsenal, who haven’t won a trophy for eight years, charge up to 2.320 Euros.
- How would you describe the German style of football?
Armin Kraaz, Eintracht Frankfurt :
"Oh, it used to be very physical and mentally tough, we were always known as a tournament team that is able to qualify for tournaments, but now meanwhile the last seven or eight years we changed, we changed our style of playing football, so I think right now it’s fun to watch the German team most of the games at least because we play very high levels of technical and tactical football."
The success of German football also has a lot to do with discovering and developing new young talents. Recently the German Football Association - DFB - officially announced that it would incorporate 300 new coaches to its talent program. This ambitious program started in 2002 and is greatly helping to improve the game of young players at basic levels of German football. It has 992 coaches, distributed in 366 development centers across the country.
Armin Kraaz, Eintracht Frankfurt:
"The DFB, the German Football Association, enforces the clubs to invest in their infrastructure, to invest in their employees, qualified employees for developing the youth programs and you have to get a license for playing first or second Bundesliga and you don’t get this license from DFB if you don’t invest the money in youth programs. It’s very important to develop young players and our national team has a lot of high talented young players playing for Germany, names like Ozil or Khedira or Reus, Gotze, players who are now known all over Europe and some of them known all over the world."
With an all-German Champions League final in 2013 , many Germans are already dreaming with the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It was 1990 when Germany won its third and last World Cup - 25 years later Germany could win it again.
Wilson Ruiz , JN 1 , Germany
24 may 2013
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Muslims condemn killing of soldier in London
Prominent Muslims and Islamic groups have declared their emphatic condemnation for the killing of a British soldier by two radical Islam converts . The two suspects in the case were said to have been British of Nigerian descent and raised as Christians before converting.
A religious cleric at the Woolwich Mosque near the site of the murder slammed the attack.
Imam Swaleh, Woolwich Mosque:
"We today condemn in the strongest terms the barbaric murder of a serving army officer and share the grief and sorrow of the nation. Our hearts go out to the family, colleagues and friends of the victim of this despicable and horrific tragedy. We are all very deeply shocked and saddened to have witnessed a terrible crime in our neighbourhood.
We do not and we will never support such evil acts and strongly suggest that both of these men should be severely punished as criminals and not as so-called Muslims, for the crime they have committed."
The Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain also denounced the murder of the soldier and called on Muslims to demonstrate the true nature of Islam.
Farooq Murad, Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain:
"We urge Muslim communities to reach out to fellow Britons and testify the true reality of our faith; we call on all our communities, Muslim and non-Muslim, to come together in solidarity to ensure the forces of hatred do not prevail."
The director of Ebrahim College, which specialises in Islamic studies, called on Muslims and non-Muslims to work together to tackle extremism.
Shaykh Shams Ad Duha, Director, Ebrahim College:
"Extremism on all sides, whether it is extremism, the extremism of Muslims or the extremisms of the far right political groups, there are common denominators that cross the whole spectrum of different people and we have to address this together. Muslims and non-Muslims have to come together to address this single disposition that has become such a huge threat to our community."
But the deadly attack has raised doubts as to whether enough is being done to combat the rise of extremist ideals. Anjem Choudary, a controversial figure in Britain and head of the Al-Muhajiroun Islamist group, recognised and identified one of the suspects, Michael Adebolajo, and said the UK only had its own policies to blame for the attack.
Anjem Choudary, Head of Al-Muhajiroun Islamist group:
"I think we need to look at two things. Number one, the cause of what took place - which is clearly the British foreign policy . And also, the situation of the Muslims in this country. That there are so many draconian laws and oppressive legislature, where the Muslims cannot express themselves freely. They're subject to stop and search, they're constantly being harassed. And we saw with 7/7, with Mohammad Sidique Khan, that he said 'look, my words are not being heard, therefore I am expressing them in a different way'. And he was saying, I think, something very similar yesterday."
Choudary’s group has been known for staging protests at the funerals of British soldiers and burning poppy pins on Remembrance Day which are worn annually to commemorate war dead.
Anjem Choudary, Head of Al-Muhajiroun Islamist group:
"I think there's a cause and effect. The cause of what took place yesterday possibly is the foreign policy . Rather than condemning an action, we should say let's deal with the root cause. If we would withdraw troops from Muslim countries, if we stopped using all of these oppressive measures, then I don't think these things would take place."
British soldier Drummer Lee Rigby, aged 25, was hacked to death allegedly by machetes and meat cleavers. Two suspects have been taken into custody and are being treated in hospital after suffering gunshot wounds during their arrest.
24 may 2013
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Israeli PM offers condolences for UK attack
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed Israel’s solidarity with the British people following an attack in London where a British soldier was hacked to death in broad daylight by two people .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
"I want to express my solidarity and the solidarity of the people of Israel with the government and people of Britain following this horrific terrorist attack against a British serviceman in London . We wish to send our condolences to the family and to the people of Britain. We've experienced such horrors here and we sympathise deeply."
British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who is on a diplomatic tour in Israel, said the UK would never give in to terror.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague:
"Thank you, Prime Minister, for your condolences and those expressed by many of the people in Israel today on the terrible murder that happened yesterday in London. As our Prime Minister has said this morning we will never give in to terror in the United Kingdom and we know the importance of defeating terror, something that is well understood here in Israel."
Later in the trip Hague visited Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin community in the West Bank. The foreign secretary is in the Middle East in support renewed efforts to get Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table. The Israelis allege Khan al-Ahmar was built illegally and want it demolished.
But for their part the Palestinians say it’s part of Israel’s plan to pressure them to move away from the encampment, which is not far from Jerusalem. Palestinians currently seek the whole area and East Jerusalem for a future capital of a Palestinian state.
24 may 2013
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Authorities name slain British soldier
After the barbaric killing of a UK soldier shocked the nation , condolences have been pouring in for the slain man and his family. Well-wishers placed flowers at the site of the soldier’s death near Woolwich barracks in London where he was allegedly hacked to death by two Islamist assailants.
Authorities have now identified the slain soldier as Drummer Lee Rigby of the 2 nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The 25-year-old from Manchester is survived by his 2-year-old son. Drummer Rigby joined the British army in 2006 and served overseas in Afghanistan before taking up a recruitment post in London in 2011.
Security across London at the city’s military barracks has been increased as a result of the killing.
Simon Byrne, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner:
"The message is very clear about calm and normality. We have extra officers on duty right across London in places we people will gather, outside places you'd anticipate us to think about, such as places of faith, and our message is very one about normality and reassurance. You will see those extra officers on duty, in uniform for probably about the next few days until we have a clearer picture about what has happened."
But questions are already being asked about how the incident was allowed to happen when the suspects were known to authorities and why the police took so long to respond. Armed officers reportedly took 20 minutes to arrive at the scene of the crime.
Rob Crowley, Risk Advisory Group:
"In the coming days, there will certainly be some kind of inquiry or investigation into whether there was some kind of intelligence failure that led to yesterday's incident. But in reality, if these two are found unlinked to an established Jihadist terrorist organisation, it is incredibly difficult for the authorities to find and apprehend these kind of suspects before they stage their attacks."
Such a basic attack which does not require extensive planning may be difficult to protect against.
John Gearson, King’s College London terror expert:
"Amateurish can still be very deadly and the problem is that the more professional threats which we have faced and which have been very successfully disrupted over the past five, six years, certainly since the attacks against London with no significant incidents at all, have lent themselves to sophisticated intelligence sharing and operations by various security agencies. Individuals deciding to go out and carry out attacks like this, I'm reminded of the young French man Merah who attacked a Jewish school in France if you may remember, it's extraordinary difficult to prepare for the actions of an individual or a pair of people who might be viewing and might be associating with people who may be of interest."
The attackers’ choice of target for their attack apparently corresponds to recent propaganda released by al-Qaeda .
Rob Crowley, Risk Advisory Group:
"Across multiple theatres around the world, Pakistan, Afghanistan, we're seeing daily attacks on soldiers and members of the security forces. Most jihadists regard these as symbols of state authority and it’s relatively unsurprising that the attack yesterday was against a member of the armed forces rather than a civilian in the street. In the recent jihadist propaganda released by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, it calls for sympathisers in the West to stage attacks on three main targets which are: economic, military and political."
The attack raises new questions about the issues of home grown extremism and the difficulties in preventing such attacks from taking place.
24 may 2013
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British soldier murdered London ‘Islamist’ attack
England is coming to terms with the brutal slaying of a British soldier on a London street in an attack after which one of the perpetrators addressed a video camera saying ‘an eye for an eye…you people will never be safe’ claiming the act of terror was a reprisal for British interference in the affairs of Muslim countries.
British Prime Minister David Cameron:
"This country will be absolutely resolute in its stand against violent extremism and terror. We will never give in to terror, or terrorism in any of its forms. Second, this view is shared by every community in our country. This was not just an attack on Britain and on the British way of life; it was also a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities who give so much to our country."
The attack has echoes of 2007 when four men were imprisoned over a plan to kidnap and behead a British soldier– a plot which was foiled by the security services. On this occasion it seems that the security services failed to monitor the perpetrators who were known state authorities and are believed to have been long-term British residents of Nigerian heritage.
London Mayor Boris Johnson:
"I do congratulate the police. On that point, I will make this final, obvious point which I have already made today. This is not a question now of blaming the religion of Islam. It is certainly not a question of blaming any aspect of British foreign policy, or what British troops, our troops, do in operations abroad when they risk their lives on behalf of all of us. Everybody can see that the fault for this lies exclusively, wholly, and entirely in the minds of those who were responsible for this crime. And they are going to be brought to justice."
Muslim organisations and ordinary believers across the country have expressed their outrage at the slaying which occurred in an area with a large Islamic population and lies only 10 miles from the UK parliament building.
Ahmed Jama, local resident leaving flowers at scene:
"Obviously, I don't know the lad that got killed today. However, he could be someone I've seen somewhere local. I pass this area on a regular basis, I live here. So I feel affected by it and I don't know anything else to do about it and I think this is the least that I can do."
The murder has prompted fears of a backlash against British Muslims after the far-Right English Defence League went on a rampage close to the scene of the attack in the hours following the murder and two mosques were attacked.
English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson:
"Enough's enough. Our message is - enough's enough. We have weak leaders, weak police. Our police, our leaders tiptoe around this issue. This issue is political Islam. It's political Islam that's spreading across this country ."
Local Cub Scout leader Ingrid Loyau-Kennett has been singled out as a hero by the Prime Minister and national media for confronting the suspects immediately after the attack while unarmed police officers maintained a safe distance for approximately 20 minutes while an armed response team arrived.
24 may 2013
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Former French leader visits officials, university
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy met, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the end of a two-day trip to Israel, during which he also met with other officials, and received an honourary diploma from an Israeli university.
During a meeting with President Shimon Peres, Sarkozy had kind words for Israel and said, once again, he’s out of politics.
Sarkozy came to Israel after being invited by Netanya Academic College where he was granted an Honoris Causa title.
Netanya, with its French-style riviera, has attracted a large French community. According to the coastal town's website more than 30 percent of Netanya’s residents speak French.
24 may 2013
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Two Presidential candidates wanted by Interpol
Iran’s religious leaders recently trimmed the number of people that would be permitted to run in the country’s upcoming Presidential elections down to a slate of eight candidates – but two men are suspects in the bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires .
Interpol lists Ali Akbar Velayati as a possible co-planner in the bloody 1994 attack. He is a long-service diplomat with intimately close ties to Iran’s conservative leadership.
Jamie Ingram, Middle East Analyst at IHS Global Insight:
"He is one of the oldest figures still in the running and is part of a principalist coalition containing two other figures. He is one of the frontrunners but perhaps his age may count against him, although he is seen as a safe pair of hands by the Supreme Leader."
The second candidate linked with Argentina bombing is Mohsen Rezaei. He was a top commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and a senior general in the country’s war against Iraq in the 1980. He now specialises in economic issues, and is under an international arrest warrant.
Jamie Ingram, Middle East Analyst at IHS Global Insight:
"Mohsen Rezaei is the only candidate who featured strongly in the previous 2009 presidential elections. He did initially challenge the results there, but after coming under some pressure from the Supreme Leader acceded to President Ahmadinejad's eventual victory. He is the former commander of the Revolutionary Guards and again is a strong establishment figure. However his chances are perhaps not as strong as Jalili's or Velayati's."
Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili is considered another front-runner. Iran’s leadership earlier this week banned two candidates from running – one of them former president and relative liberal Akbar Rafsanjani. The current President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , has said he will challenge the ban.
The Buenos Aires bombing killed 85 and injured 300, and was Argentina’s worst-ever terrorist attack. Hezbollah operatives are thought to have placed the bombs. Interpol has named six other Iranians as possible co-conspirators in the bombing, including defence minister General Ahmed Vahidi .
24 may 2013
Israel losing support: British Foreign Minister William Hague tells media that the Jewish state has lost support in Britain and other European countries due to settlement construction activities
Hand puppet insult: a Holocaust joke by Chilean comedian Elias Escobedo through hand puppet Murdock the Lizard saying 'Jews burn better than wood' leaves Chilean Jews contemplating legal action
Non-intervention in Syria: Israel's Jerusalem Post reports that several leading Israeli experts and ex-government officials say that any direct intervention in Syria's civil war by Israel is highly unlikely
Cemetery vandalism: Polish police have yet to identify who smashed Blonie cemetery's remaining tombstones - the final vestiges of a once 1,200-strong community that was taken by the Nazis to the Warsaw Ghetto in 1941
Hand puppet insult: a Holocaust joke by Chilean comedian Elias Escobedo through hand puppet Murdock the Lizard saying 'Jews burn better than wood' leaves Chilean Jews contemplating legal action
Non-intervention in Syria: Israel's Jerusalem Post reports that several leading Israeli experts and ex-government officials say that any direct intervention in Syria's civil war by Israel is highly unlikely
Cemetery vandalism: Polish police have yet to identify who smashed Blonie cemetery's remaining tombstones - the final vestiges of a once 1,200-strong community that was taken by the Nazis to the Warsaw Ghetto in 1941
Breaking news
- Israeli PM offers condolences for UK attack
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Gefiltefest Food Festival
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Chinese kosher food
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US Senate approves Israel strikes on Iran
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Radical urges Islamists to retake Spain
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Former Argentine dictator Videla dies
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Gefiltefest Food Festival
Here in North London JN1 was invited to attend the fourth annual Gefiltefest , and what fun it was, aside from the delicious food available, attendees were treated to live music and cookery demonstrations.
The food festival turned charity began by accident four years ago when Michael Leventhal won a competition. He decided to share the prize, a cookery class with his friends.
Michael Leventhal, Gefiltefest Founder:
"This year year for the first time we've got Silvia Nacamulli talking about the Jewish flavours of Tripoli from the Italian Jews that went to Tripoli. We've got an Ashkenazi versus Sephardi cook-off for the first time. We've got some of the favourite people back, some of the best speakers, but we try and give a platform to new speakers who aren't as well known, but some of the, you know, the most treasured speakers from the community as well".
The name of the festival is a play on gefilte fish, an popular Ashkenazi dish. For the past three years Gefiltefest has worked in partnership with the London Jewish Cultural Centre.
Louise Jacobs, Chief Executive Officer, London Jewish Cultural Centre:
"We're absolutely thrilled to be hosting it once again, we sold over three hundred tickets in advance, we expect many more people to be here on the day, over forty-five events both for adults and for children, and I think that the facilities, and the house and the garden here work very well for the event."
And for those daring enough, there was the opportunity to learn more about locusts. The edible insects have proved to be a popular snack for some people in several countries including Israel .
Rabbi Harvey Belovski, Golders Green Synagogue:
"One of the things that's wonderful about Gefiltefest is its an opportunity to explore and learn about unusual foods, and, locusts are something which most people in the West find to be a bit disgusting, but actually the Torah, the Jewish Bible permits at least some varieties and in some circumstances . You can fry them, or you can bake them. Through Yemenite tradition was to bake them very slowly and then to take the heads off, and serve them with sauce. What does it feel like to hold a locust?"
- I thought I'd be more afraid, but it's actually ok, it's, its not wriggling or trying to get out of my hand.
Rabbi Harvey Belovski, Golders Green Synagogue:
"I think if you prod it a little bit it might wriggle".
- Oh there we go.
Rabbi Harvey Belovski, Golders Green Synagogue:
"Yeah it's wriggling a little bit. It has a hard ex, it has a hard exoskeleton, so that's why it's a bit crunchy on the outside, but I think unless you press it very hard you won't hurt it".
And sessions like Jewish flavours of Tripoli and Indian kosher cookery explored how Jewish people have held on to their traditions, whilst experimenting with distinctive flavours.
Silvia Nacamulli, Italian-Jewish cooking expert:
"Jewish flavours of Tripoli is very much North African cooking with, keeping the Kosher rules, so making sure no mixture of meat and milk, no pork, no seafood, and a with a bit of an Italian addition to it. I made tershi which is a pumpkin dip, with homemade harissa; so I showed how to make a homemade harissa which is a very spicy chilli sauce".
Nikita Gulhane, Founder of the Spice Monkey:
"This particular recipe which comes from a Jewish hotel, or a house, which is owned by a Jewish man, is now called Koder House, this is a recipe from their restaurant kitchen there. It uses onions, basically they make a paste of onion and then they add cashew paste, and then you season it up, and then you add a lovely bit of kingfish, something like that. So the Jewish aspect is the use of onion".
And the fun-filled events also attracted VIP's including David Miliband.
David Miliband, Former UK Foreign Secretary:
"We were standing outside waiting for one of our kids to catch up, and the organisers saw us out there and invited us to come in and find out about it, so we did. The highlight is meeting Claudia Roden who is a great star of the cooking world, and who my mother tried to cook from, and did cook from her recipe books, so its nice to be able to meet her".
For more information on Gefiltefest and for future events go to www.gefiltefest.org.
Well today's certainly been a success, with a great turn out, and fantastic weather.
Celestina Olulode, JN1 , London
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Thousands attend wedding of Belz Rebbe family
The heir to one of the most important Jewish ultra-orthodox families, the Hasidic Belz Rebbe family, has married his bride in one of the largest weddings Jerusalem has seen.
The groom, 18-year-old Shalom Rokeach is the grandson of the Belz Rabbi, and he is expected to become leader of the community in the future, as he is the only male heir to one of the largest Jewish sects in the world. The bride is 19-year-old Hannah Batya Penet, who is also a member of the Belz Rebbe family, which is an ancient aristocratic family whose roots date back to 14 th Century Poland.
Police closed roads for the ceremony that attracted 25,000 guests from all over the world. Some stood so far away that they needed binoculars to see the ceremony.
The bride wore a traditional white dress, and was veiled throughout the entire ceremony. The male and female guests were kept separated.
The community gets its name from the town of Belz in Poland, which was home to 3,600 Jewish people before the Germans occupation in World War II. Belz Hassidism was almost eliminated during the Holocaust . Today there are thought to be more than 7,000 Belz Rebbe families.
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Israel prepares for massive military drill
Israel’s Home Front Command has said it is preparing to hold a massive nationwide military drill next week to focus on dealing with chemical weapons attacks which include the civilian population as well as military and emergency services.
The simulation will begin on 26 May when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces a week of national emergency preparedness. The drill will be the first time an entire network of early warning systems will be tested, including sirens, and alerts to civilians by text message , social networks, and television broadcasts. During the drill civilians will be asked to proceed to protected bomb shelters or remain inside for 10 minutes.
The simulated rocket attacks come at a time when tensions are rising over the civil war in neighbouring Syria after the Israeli Air Force (IAF) reportedly carried out airstrikes twice to eliminate advanced weaponry bound for Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The attacks, which were never officially claimed by Israel, prompted Syria to train advanced missiles on the Jewish State and vow retaliation if another strike occurred.
The commander of the IAF has said that Israel must be ready for a surprise war that could break out anytime, cautioning that the Bashar al-Assad regime could fall at any time, with many unfriendly elements looking to get their hands on Syria’s large chemical weapons stockpile.
Israel’s Home Front Defense Minister seems to agree with the general’s assessment warning that rockets raining down on densely populated areas in Israel “are only a matter of time” saying the question is not if but when.
Israel regularly distributes gas masks to its citizens as a precautionary measure and some 5 million people of the country’s 8 million strong population are said to have the protective head gear. After Israel was taken by surprise in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, it seems the nation is determined not to let such an attack happen again.