Peter Sharp, China correspondent
Health authorities are planning to sterilise nearly 10,000 people in southern China over the next four days as part of a population control programme.
Some of the people in Puning City will be forced to have the procedure carried out against their will.
Amnesty International says forced sterilisation "amounts to torture".
Reports in the Chinese media say that Puning Health authorities in Guangdong Province have launched a special campaign to sterilise people who already have at least one child in order to ensure local birth control quotas are met.
Chinese newspaper reports say that those who refuse to be sterilised have seen their elderly mothers or fathers taken away and detained.
Hundreds of people in Puning are said to have been locked up.
Kate Allen, Director of Amnesty International UK, said: "It is appalling that the authorities are subjecting people to such an invasive procedure against their will.
"Reports that relatives are imprisoned as a means of pressurising couples into submitting to surgery are incredibly concerning.
"The Puning City authorities must condemn this practice immediately and ensure that others are not forcibly sterilised."
More than 1,300 people in the city have been held in local government buildings where they were given "lectures" on China's family planning regulations.
Huang Ruifeng is the father of three girls.
"Several days ago, a village official called me and asked me or my wife to return for the surgery," Huang told the local paper. "Otherwise they would take away my father."
He refused.
His father was later rounded up and detained by the authorities.
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Saturday, April 24, 2010
Confirmed! Global warming is 'settled' – as a scam
Confirmed! Global warming is 'settled' – as a scam
'Climategate' author unveils evidence of 'every deception imaginable'
By Bob Unruh
© 2010 WorldNetDaily
Al Gore's insistence that global warming is "settled science" has been used to defend claims humanity is on the edge of destroying the world. Now author Brian Sussman, whose book "Climategate" is being released Thursday – Earth Day – agrees it's "settled," as a scam.
Sussman unveils in his book evidence that the move to restrict carbon-dioxide emissions, tax a multitude of energy programs and create a "Big Brother" that would limit household energy use, among other programs, is a move to give government unlimited control over people.
National Public Radio reported in 2007 how Gore took his "climate-change crusade" to Congress and said the science on the issue was "settled." Then in 2009 the Environmental Protection Agency declared carbon dioxide and other emissions are endangering the future of the world.
Be the first to see the full documentation of how your life could be changed by climate-related laws, taxes and regulations, in "Climategate"
Sussman's book, the newest title by WND Books, has been charting for several weeks already among Amazon's top 10 preordered titles. It warns that believing global warming is "settled science" is a danger itself.
He writes that the now-notorious intercepted e-mails that reveal leading global-warming supporters exchanging plans to squelch critics and falsify data are just the tip of the iceberg.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
'Climategate' author unveils evidence of 'every deception imaginable'
By Bob Unruh
© 2010 WorldNetDaily
Al Gore's insistence that global warming is "settled science" has been used to defend claims humanity is on the edge of destroying the world. Now author Brian Sussman, whose book "Climategate" is being released Thursday – Earth Day – agrees it's "settled," as a scam.
Sussman unveils in his book evidence that the move to restrict carbon-dioxide emissions, tax a multitude of energy programs and create a "Big Brother" that would limit household energy use, among other programs, is a move to give government unlimited control over people.
National Public Radio reported in 2007 how Gore took his "climate-change crusade" to Congress and said the science on the issue was "settled." Then in 2009 the Environmental Protection Agency declared carbon dioxide and other emissions are endangering the future of the world.
Be the first to see the full documentation of how your life could be changed by climate-related laws, taxes and regulations, in "Climategate"
Sussman's book, the newest title by WND Books, has been charting for several weeks already among Amazon's top 10 preordered titles. It warns that believing global warming is "settled science" is a danger itself.
He writes that the now-notorious intercepted e-mails that reveal leading global-warming supporters exchanging plans to squelch critics and falsify data are just the tip of the iceberg.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
Messianic Jews in Israel Seek Public Apology for Attack
Messianic Jews in Israel Seek Public Apology for Attack
Christians await court decision on assaults on services by ultra-orthodox Jews.
ISTANBUL, April 23 (CDN) — After a final court hearing in Israel last week, a church of Messianic Jews awaits a judge’s decision that could force an ultra-orthodox Jewish organization to publicly apologize to them for starting a riot and ransacking a baptismal service.
A ruling in favor of the Christian group would mark the first time an organization opposing Messianic Jews in Israel has had to apologize to its victims for religious persecution.
In 2006 Howard Bass, pastor of Yeshua’s Inheritance church, filed suit against Yehuda Deri, chief Sephardic rabbi in the city of Beer Sheva, and Yad L’Achim, an organization that fights against Messianic Jews, for allegedly inciting a riot at a December 2005 service that Bass was leading.
Bass has demanded either a public apology for the attack or 1.5 million shekels (US$401,040) from the rabbi and Yad L’Achim.
The case, Bass said, was ultimately about “defending the name of Yeshua [Jesus]” and making sure that Deri, the leadership of Yad L’Achim and those that support them know they have to obey the law and respect the right of people to worship.
“They are trying to get away from having any responsibility,” Bass said.
On Dec. 24, 2005, during a baptismal service in Beer Sheva, a group of about 200 men pushed their way into a small, covered structure being used to baptize two believers and tried to stop the service. Police were called to the scene but could not control the crowd.
Once inside the building, the assailants tossed patio chairs, damaged audiovisual equipment, threw a grill and other items into a baptismal pool, and then pushed Bass into the pool and broke his glasses.
“Their actions were violent actions without regard [for injury],” Bass said.
In the days before the riot, Yad L’Achim had issued notices to people about a “mass baptism” scheduled to take place at the facility in the sprawling city of 531,000 people 51 miles (83 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem. In the days after the riot, Deri bragged about the incident on a radio talk show, including a boast that Bass had been “baptized” at the gathering.
The 2005 incident wasn’t the first time the church had to deal with a riotous attack after Yad L’Achim disseminated false information about their activities. On Nov. 28, 1998, a crowd of roughly 1,000 protestors broke up a Yeshua’s Inheritance service after the anti-Christian group spread a rumor that three busloads of kidnapped Jewish minors were being brought in for baptism. The assailants threw rocks, spit on parishioners and attempted to seize some of their children, Bass said.
In response to the 1998 attack and to what Bass described as a public, cavalier attitude about the 2005 attack, Bass and others in the Messianic community agreed that he needed to take legal action.
“What is happening here has happened to Jews throughout the centuries,” Bass said about persecution of Messianic Jews in Israel, adding that many in movements opposed to Messianic Jews in Israel are “arrogant.” He compared their attitudes to the attitudes that those in Hamas, a Palestinian group dedicated to the destruction of the State of Israel, have toward Israelis in general.
“They say, ‘Recognize us, but we will never recognize you,’” Bass said.
Long Battle
Bass has fought against the leadership of Yad L’Achim and Deri for four years through his attorneys, Marvin Kramer and Kevork Nalbandian. But throughout the process, Kramer said, the two defendants have refused to offer a genuine apology for the misinformation that led to the 2005 riot or for the riot itself.
Kramer said Bass’s legal team would offer language for an acceptable public apology, and attorneys for the defendants in turn would offer language that amounted to no real apology at all.
“We made several attempts to make a compromise, but we couldn’t do it,” Kramer said. “What we were really looking for was a public apology, and they weren’t ready to give a public apology. If we would have gotten the public apology, we would have dropped the lawsuit at any point.”
Despite several attempts to reach Yad L’Achim officials at both their U.S. and Israeli offices, no one would comment.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
Christians await court decision on assaults on services by ultra-orthodox Jews.
ISTANBUL, April 23 (CDN) — After a final court hearing in Israel last week, a church of Messianic Jews awaits a judge’s decision that could force an ultra-orthodox Jewish organization to publicly apologize to them for starting a riot and ransacking a baptismal service.
A ruling in favor of the Christian group would mark the first time an organization opposing Messianic Jews in Israel has had to apologize to its victims for religious persecution.
In 2006 Howard Bass, pastor of Yeshua’s Inheritance church, filed suit against Yehuda Deri, chief Sephardic rabbi in the city of Beer Sheva, and Yad L’Achim, an organization that fights against Messianic Jews, for allegedly inciting a riot at a December 2005 service that Bass was leading.
Bass has demanded either a public apology for the attack or 1.5 million shekels (US$401,040) from the rabbi and Yad L’Achim.
The case, Bass said, was ultimately about “defending the name of Yeshua [Jesus]” and making sure that Deri, the leadership of Yad L’Achim and those that support them know they have to obey the law and respect the right of people to worship.
“They are trying to get away from having any responsibility,” Bass said.
On Dec. 24, 2005, during a baptismal service in Beer Sheva, a group of about 200 men pushed their way into a small, covered structure being used to baptize two believers and tried to stop the service. Police were called to the scene but could not control the crowd.
Once inside the building, the assailants tossed patio chairs, damaged audiovisual equipment, threw a grill and other items into a baptismal pool, and then pushed Bass into the pool and broke his glasses.
“Their actions were violent actions without regard [for injury],” Bass said.
In the days before the riot, Yad L’Achim had issued notices to people about a “mass baptism” scheduled to take place at the facility in the sprawling city of 531,000 people 51 miles (83 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem. In the days after the riot, Deri bragged about the incident on a radio talk show, including a boast that Bass had been “baptized” at the gathering.
The 2005 incident wasn’t the first time the church had to deal with a riotous attack after Yad L’Achim disseminated false information about their activities. On Nov. 28, 1998, a crowd of roughly 1,000 protestors broke up a Yeshua’s Inheritance service after the anti-Christian group spread a rumor that three busloads of kidnapped Jewish minors were being brought in for baptism. The assailants threw rocks, spit on parishioners and attempted to seize some of their children, Bass said.
In response to the 1998 attack and to what Bass described as a public, cavalier attitude about the 2005 attack, Bass and others in the Messianic community agreed that he needed to take legal action.
“What is happening here has happened to Jews throughout the centuries,” Bass said about persecution of Messianic Jews in Israel, adding that many in movements opposed to Messianic Jews in Israel are “arrogant.” He compared their attitudes to the attitudes that those in Hamas, a Palestinian group dedicated to the destruction of the State of Israel, have toward Israelis in general.
“They say, ‘Recognize us, but we will never recognize you,’” Bass said.
Long Battle
Bass has fought against the leadership of Yad L’Achim and Deri for four years through his attorneys, Marvin Kramer and Kevork Nalbandian. But throughout the process, Kramer said, the two defendants have refused to offer a genuine apology for the misinformation that led to the 2005 riot or for the riot itself.
Kramer said Bass’s legal team would offer language for an acceptable public apology, and attorneys for the defendants in turn would offer language that amounted to no real apology at all.
“We made several attempts to make a compromise, but we couldn’t do it,” Kramer said. “What we were really looking for was a public apology, and they weren’t ready to give a public apology. If we would have gotten the public apology, we would have dropped the lawsuit at any point.”
Despite several attempts to reach Yad L’Achim officials at both their U.S. and Israeli offices, no one would comment.
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New acquittals for people who attacked Christians in India
New acquittals for people who attacked Christians in India
Fr Edward Sequeira saw anti-Christian violence firsthand and was almost burnt to death during the 2008 pogrom. He alleges that a big organisation is working against Christians.
By Asia News.
Kandhamal (AsiaNews) – A court in Orissa acquitted five Hindu extremists charged with attacking Christians in Orissa and ordered the release of 17 more for lack of evidence. Speaking to AsiaNews, Verbite priest Edward Sequeira said, “Kandhamal is still simmering with communal tension and hostilities. Many of our people have not gone back as they are afraid that they will inevitably be forced to go back to Hinduism.” However, the clergyman, who experienced firsthand the violent pogrom when he was almost burnt alive (see Nirmala Carvalho, “Fr Edward, survivor of arson in Orissa: the Hindu radicals are terrorists,” in AsiaNews, 4 September 2009), said that he was “going back to his lepers” because “they need the love of the Church.” Currently, the priest lives in a parish on the outer edge of the district.
“Thousands of people are still displaced, living in shanties outside the district,” he said. “Many people have had to go to other states. Getting back to normal appears difficult. Housing is a priority but construction is rather slow. Churches or other facilities are not being rebuilt, and security remains a big issue for Christians.”
At present, health reasons have kept Fr Sequeira away from his community. “I am here under medical advice as my lungs are not improving and my breathing problem still persists,” he said. However, “I am also living here in secret” because of “threats to my life.”
Still, “I make unannounced visits to the leper colony in Padampur,” he added, because “I am willing to risk everything for the lepers; they are the people who most need our services. They are the poorest of the poor and are ostracised by mainstream society. Therefore, I often visit in order to provide them with whatever services I can offer. With love and dignity, the Church has always helped them, all of whom are Hindu.”
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Fr Edward Sequeira saw anti-Christian violence firsthand and was almost burnt to death during the 2008 pogrom. He alleges that a big organisation is working against Christians.
By Asia News.
Kandhamal (AsiaNews) – A court in Orissa acquitted five Hindu extremists charged with attacking Christians in Orissa and ordered the release of 17 more for lack of evidence. Speaking to AsiaNews, Verbite priest Edward Sequeira said, “Kandhamal is still simmering with communal tension and hostilities. Many of our people have not gone back as they are afraid that they will inevitably be forced to go back to Hinduism.” However, the clergyman, who experienced firsthand the violent pogrom when he was almost burnt alive (see Nirmala Carvalho, “Fr Edward, survivor of arson in Orissa: the Hindu radicals are terrorists,” in AsiaNews, 4 September 2009), said that he was “going back to his lepers” because “they need the love of the Church.” Currently, the priest lives in a parish on the outer edge of the district.
“Thousands of people are still displaced, living in shanties outside the district,” he said. “Many people have had to go to other states. Getting back to normal appears difficult. Housing is a priority but construction is rather slow. Churches or other facilities are not being rebuilt, and security remains a big issue for Christians.”
At present, health reasons have kept Fr Sequeira away from his community. “I am here under medical advice as my lungs are not improving and my breathing problem still persists,” he said. However, “I am also living here in secret” because of “threats to my life.”
Still, “I make unannounced visits to the leper colony in Padampur,” he added, because “I am willing to risk everything for the lepers; they are the people who most need our services. They are the poorest of the poor and are ostracised by mainstream society. Therefore, I often visit in order to provide them with whatever services I can offer. With love and dignity, the Church has always helped them, all of whom are Hindu.”
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Army withdraws Franklin Graham Pentagon prayer day invitation
Army withdraws Franklin Graham Pentagon prayer day invitation
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Online Edition, Thursday, April 22, 2010
Related story from April 16, 2003: Pentagon says it won't withdraw Franklin Graham's invitation to speak
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Army has disinvited Franklin Graham to speak at the Pentagon on National Prayer Day after a military advocacy group objected because Graham has reportedly described Islam as “evil” and “wicked.”
“I regret that the Army felt it was necessary to rescind their invitation to the National Day of Prayer Task Force to participate in the Pentagon’s special prayer service,” Graham said in a statement on Thursday.
I want to express my strong support for the United States military and all our troops. I will continue to pray that God will give them guidance, wisdom and protection as they serve this great country.”
Graham was expected to speak at the Pentagon on May 6, drawing the ire of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a watchdog group focused on religious favoritism in the military.
The group had been prepared to seek a temporary restraining order against National Prayer Day if it were “polluted by someone as hideously Islamophobic as Franklin Graham,” said Mikey Weinstein, head of the group.
In a 2001 op-ed piece, Graham wrote that he does not believe Muslims are evil, but he objects to the treatment of women in Muslim countries and Islam’s historic “persecution or elimination” of other religions.
On Thursday, Graham told Fox News that while he loves Muslims, “I speak out for people that live under Islam, that are enslaved by Islam and I want them to know they can be free through faith in Jesus Christ and Christ alone.”Council on American Islamic Relations spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said it is “completely inappropriate” for Graham to speak in front of a military audience.
“These are individuals who are potentially going to be stationed in Muslim majority nations, and they don’t need to hear from someone spreading hatred of Islam and Muslims,” Hooper said.
“What does that say to those who are going to be asked to serve in these regions and how is that going to affect their interaction with the local population?” Graham is honorary chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, a group that organizes Christian events that was invited to participate in National Day of Prayer by the Pentagon chaplain’s office.
An Army spokesman told the Associated Press the Pentagon’s relationship with the Christian group does not violate Defense Department rules.
We are an all-inclusive military,” said Col. Tim Collins. “We hold observances throughout the year. This one happens to be a Christian-themed event.”
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By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Online Edition, Thursday, April 22, 2010
Related story from April 16, 2003: Pentagon says it won't withdraw Franklin Graham's invitation to speak
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Army has disinvited Franklin Graham to speak at the Pentagon on National Prayer Day after a military advocacy group objected because Graham has reportedly described Islam as “evil” and “wicked.”
“I regret that the Army felt it was necessary to rescind their invitation to the National Day of Prayer Task Force to participate in the Pentagon’s special prayer service,” Graham said in a statement on Thursday.
I want to express my strong support for the United States military and all our troops. I will continue to pray that God will give them guidance, wisdom and protection as they serve this great country.”
Graham was expected to speak at the Pentagon on May 6, drawing the ire of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a watchdog group focused on religious favoritism in the military.
The group had been prepared to seek a temporary restraining order against National Prayer Day if it were “polluted by someone as hideously Islamophobic as Franklin Graham,” said Mikey Weinstein, head of the group.
In a 2001 op-ed piece, Graham wrote that he does not believe Muslims are evil, but he objects to the treatment of women in Muslim countries and Islam’s historic “persecution or elimination” of other religions.
On Thursday, Graham told Fox News that while he loves Muslims, “I speak out for people that live under Islam, that are enslaved by Islam and I want them to know they can be free through faith in Jesus Christ and Christ alone.”Council on American Islamic Relations spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said it is “completely inappropriate” for Graham to speak in front of a military audience.
“These are individuals who are potentially going to be stationed in Muslim majority nations, and they don’t need to hear from someone spreading hatred of Islam and Muslims,” Hooper said.
“What does that say to those who are going to be asked to serve in these regions and how is that going to affect their interaction with the local population?” Graham is honorary chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, a group that organizes Christian events that was invited to participate in National Day of Prayer by the Pentagon chaplain’s office.
An Army spokesman told the Associated Press the Pentagon’s relationship with the Christian group does not violate Defense Department rules.
We are an all-inclusive military,” said Col. Tim Collins. “We hold observances throughout the year. This one happens to be a Christian-themed event.”
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Evangelical group challenges uninspiring sermons
Evangelical Alliance challenges uninspiring sermons
The Evangelical Alliance has released new resources to help pastors deliver inspiring sermons after recent research found that most churchgoers did not find sermons life-changing.
The organisation said the research released by CODEC and the College of Preachers earlier in the year had raised “significant questions” that needed to be discussed by the church.
In particular, the research found that although 96 per cent of churchgoers looked forward to Sunday’s sermon, less than 17 per cent found that it led to a change in their life.
The Evangelical Alliance’s new eBook, ‘Refreshing Preaching’, has been published as part of the Biblefresh initiative launched this year to restore confidence in the Bible.
Stephen Gaukroger, Director of Clarion Trust International and Biblefresh member, said: “We need to question how well we are engaging effectively with our listeners, as we seek to raise a generation of preachers who handle God’s Word faithfully and deliver sermons that change lives.”
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The Evangelical Alliance has released new resources to help pastors deliver inspiring sermons after recent research found that most churchgoers did not find sermons life-changing.
The organisation said the research released by CODEC and the College of Preachers earlier in the year had raised “significant questions” that needed to be discussed by the church.
In particular, the research found that although 96 per cent of churchgoers looked forward to Sunday’s sermon, less than 17 per cent found that it led to a change in their life.
The Evangelical Alliance’s new eBook, ‘Refreshing Preaching’, has been published as part of the Biblefresh initiative launched this year to restore confidence in the Bible.
Stephen Gaukroger, Director of Clarion Trust International and Biblefresh member, said: “We need to question how well we are engaging effectively with our listeners, as we seek to raise a generation of preachers who handle God’s Word faithfully and deliver sermons that change lives.”
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
Irish 'visionary': Volcano linked to 2nd coming of Christ
Volcano linked to second coming of Christ, claims Irish 'visionary' Joe Coleman
By
PATRICK COOPER,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Irish spiritual healer Joe Coleman says the Virgin Mary has been back in touch with him and revealed that the volcanic ash cloud currently covering Europe will get worse and is directly related to the second coming of Christ.
Coleman claims that the ash cloud is part of a series of events that will occur before Mary’s next scheduled visit to Knock on May 11 at 2 p.m. local time.
Among the other things due to happen are ‘crosses in the sky’ that will be visible to thousands and “new moons that have never been seen before with the naked eye will be seen.”
“I realize that by going public like this I am opening myself up to public ridicule and scorn. Personally I have been shocked by the messages and how strong they have become lately and it pains me to have to make these revelations. However, people will accept the truth of the messages I receive because they will see the proof with their own eyes very shortly," said Coleman.
“Our Lady, the Blessed Mother of God, uses me simply as a channel. My job is not to convert. My job is to publish the messages. They are being given to the world (through me and, possibly, other visionaries) to prepare the world for the Second Coming of Christ on Earth. The period for preparation will be very short . The messages are not being given to frighten us but to give up ample warning us of the necessity to turn back to our faith in God. People have been given free will and it is up to them whether or not they want to believe in the messages or not.
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By
PATRICK COOPER,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Irish spiritual healer Joe Coleman says the Virgin Mary has been back in touch with him and revealed that the volcanic ash cloud currently covering Europe will get worse and is directly related to the second coming of Christ.
Coleman claims that the ash cloud is part of a series of events that will occur before Mary’s next scheduled visit to Knock on May 11 at 2 p.m. local time.
Among the other things due to happen are ‘crosses in the sky’ that will be visible to thousands and “new moons that have never been seen before with the naked eye will be seen.”
“I realize that by going public like this I am opening myself up to public ridicule and scorn. Personally I have been shocked by the messages and how strong they have become lately and it pains me to have to make these revelations. However, people will accept the truth of the messages I receive because they will see the proof with their own eyes very shortly," said Coleman.
“Our Lady, the Blessed Mother of God, uses me simply as a channel. My job is not to convert. My job is to publish the messages. They are being given to the world (through me and, possibly, other visionaries) to prepare the world for the Second Coming of Christ on Earth. The period for preparation will be very short . The messages are not being given to frighten us but to give up ample warning us of the necessity to turn back to our faith in God. People have been given free will and it is up to them whether or not they want to believe in the messages or not.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
Archie Comics unveils 1st 'gay' character
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 23, 2010
"Betty or Veronica . . . or Kevin?"
The decades-old question that has driven more Archie Comics plot turns than a white-walled jalopy just got a new twist.
Archie Comics announced Thursday that Riverdale High will enroll its first openly gay character in September.
The character, a blond newbie named Kevin Keller, will debut in No. 202 of Veronica Comics. In the initial story line, titled "Isn't It Bromantic?," Veronica is stymied when her womanly wiles hold no sway with Kevin, who has more in common with fellow foodie Jughead.
"Everyone seems to know where Kevin is coming from except Veronica," says Victor Gorelick, editor in chief of Archie Comics. "They don't tell Veronica -- they let her stew in it for a while. But he hangs out with Jughead -- they seem to have a connection as far as food goes."
Judging by Gorelick and Archie artist-writer Dan Parent, there's nothing more to be read into that last statement. Sometimes a malted is just a malted.
Kevin's debut is part of Archie Comics' larger efforts to contemporize the characters' world.
"The introduction of Kevin is just about keeping the world of Archie Comics current and inclusive. Archie's hometown of Riverdale has always been a safe world for everyone. It just makes sense to have an openly gay character in Archie comic books," Archie Comics co-CEO Jon Goldwater said in announcing the news.
This is just the latest step toward Riverdale showing more diversity. In the new story line of Archie Comics, the redheaded star is dating neither Veronica or Betty -- but Valerie from Josie and the Pussycats.
With some comics, these collective changes would qualify as non-news. But in the less-diverse world of Riverdale -- where everything but the sundaes has often been vanilla -- this registers as a major shift.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 23, 2010
"Betty or Veronica . . . or Kevin?"
The decades-old question that has driven more Archie Comics plot turns than a white-walled jalopy just got a new twist.
Archie Comics announced Thursday that Riverdale High will enroll its first openly gay character in September.
The character, a blond newbie named Kevin Keller, will debut in No. 202 of Veronica Comics. In the initial story line, titled "Isn't It Bromantic?," Veronica is stymied when her womanly wiles hold no sway with Kevin, who has more in common with fellow foodie Jughead.
"Everyone seems to know where Kevin is coming from except Veronica," says Victor Gorelick, editor in chief of Archie Comics. "They don't tell Veronica -- they let her stew in it for a while. But he hangs out with Jughead -- they seem to have a connection as far as food goes."
Judging by Gorelick and Archie artist-writer Dan Parent, there's nothing more to be read into that last statement. Sometimes a malted is just a malted.
Kevin's debut is part of Archie Comics' larger efforts to contemporize the characters' world.
"The introduction of Kevin is just about keeping the world of Archie Comics current and inclusive. Archie's hometown of Riverdale has always been a safe world for everyone. It just makes sense to have an openly gay character in Archie comic books," Archie Comics co-CEO Jon Goldwater said in announcing the news.
This is just the latest step toward Riverdale showing more diversity. In the new story line of Archie Comics, the redheaded star is dating neither Veronica or Betty -- but Valerie from Josie and the Pussycats.
With some comics, these collective changes would qualify as non-news. But in the less-diverse world of Riverdale -- where everything but the sundaes has often been vanilla -- this registers as a major shift.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
Massive anti-Obama rally set for tomorrow in New York
Massive Anti-Obama Rally Set for Sunday in New York
Posted April 24 2010.
by Hana Levi Julian
Follow Israel news on Twitter and Facebook.
Thousands of Americans are preparing to protest in New York this Sunday against the Obama administration's increasing hostility towards Israel. The event is scheduled to take place outside the Israel Consulate on Sunday, April 25 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. A partial list of organizations who endorsed the demonstration is below.
Beth Gilinsky, head of the Jewish Action Alliance that is sponsoring the event, said, "We are outraged that President [Barack] Obama is scapegoating Israel and wants to expel Jews from their homes in Jerusalem. President Obama and Secretary Hillary Clinton show more anger about a Jewish family building a home in Jerusalem than Iran building a nuclear bomb," she added.
Gilinsky was referring to the brouhaha that ensued following a mis-timed announcement that the fourth stage of a seven-year plan for a housing project in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood of Jerusalem had been approved by Israel's Interior Ministry.
The announcement, made during a visit to the region by Vice President Joe Biden, led to weeks of recriminations and condemnations by U.S. officials, beginning with an immediate, harsh condemnation from Biden himself. Less than 24 hours after he left the country, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to scold him for having embarrassed the vice president and the Obama administration, and delivered a list of concessions and demands Israel was expected to fulfill in response. Other Obama officials followed with statements of criticism of their own.
Not one U.S. official at the time made mention of the formal government ceremony held by the Palestinian Authority during Biden's visit -- the naming of a public square in Ramallah to honor Dalah Mughrabi, the terrorist who led an attack that came to be known as the Coastal Road Massacre. In 1978, Mughrabi and her band of terrorists hijacked a tour bus on the coastal highway, murdering 37 innocent civilians and wounding 71 others, including more than a dozen children.
On the night that PA officials gathered to honor Mughrabi, Biden was delivering a speech at Tel Aviv University in which he repeated his condemnation of Israel for proceeding with the three-year-old housing project in a part of the nation's capital restored to Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War, and thus not recognized by the U.S. government. American officials followed up a day later, when Biden had left the country, with more harsh criticism of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his government.
“Vast segments of the Jewish community will not tolerate the president's continuing attacks on Israel. Grassroots Jewry will not be silent,” Gilinsky vowed. A long list of Jewish organizations as well as a number of Christian and other non-Jewish groups have signed on to the event as well.
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Posted April 24 2010.
by Hana Levi Julian
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Thousands of Americans are preparing to protest in New York this Sunday against the Obama administration's increasing hostility towards Israel. The event is scheduled to take place outside the Israel Consulate on Sunday, April 25 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. A partial list of organizations who endorsed the demonstration is below.
Beth Gilinsky, head of the Jewish Action Alliance that is sponsoring the event, said, "We are outraged that President [Barack] Obama is scapegoating Israel and wants to expel Jews from their homes in Jerusalem. President Obama and Secretary Hillary Clinton show more anger about a Jewish family building a home in Jerusalem than Iran building a nuclear bomb," she added.
Gilinsky was referring to the brouhaha that ensued following a mis-timed announcement that the fourth stage of a seven-year plan for a housing project in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood of Jerusalem had been approved by Israel's Interior Ministry.
The announcement, made during a visit to the region by Vice President Joe Biden, led to weeks of recriminations and condemnations by U.S. officials, beginning with an immediate, harsh condemnation from Biden himself. Less than 24 hours after he left the country, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to scold him for having embarrassed the vice president and the Obama administration, and delivered a list of concessions and demands Israel was expected to fulfill in response. Other Obama officials followed with statements of criticism of their own.
Not one U.S. official at the time made mention of the formal government ceremony held by the Palestinian Authority during Biden's visit -- the naming of a public square in Ramallah to honor Dalah Mughrabi, the terrorist who led an attack that came to be known as the Coastal Road Massacre. In 1978, Mughrabi and her band of terrorists hijacked a tour bus on the coastal highway, murdering 37 innocent civilians and wounding 71 others, including more than a dozen children.
On the night that PA officials gathered to honor Mughrabi, Biden was delivering a speech at Tel Aviv University in which he repeated his condemnation of Israel for proceeding with the three-year-old housing project in a part of the nation's capital restored to Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War, and thus not recognized by the U.S. government. American officials followed up a day later, when Biden had left the country, with more harsh criticism of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his government.
“Vast segments of the Jewish community will not tolerate the president's continuing attacks on Israel. Grassroots Jewry will not be silent,” Gilinsky vowed. A long list of Jewish organizations as well as a number of Christian and other non-Jewish groups have signed on to the event as well.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
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