Jens Lütke opposes genetic engineering and the expansion of roads. He also protests against the construction of new power plants and volunteers once a year at an environmental action day. "I often get asked if I'm a member of the Green Party," he says. But Lütke doesn't support the environmentalist party - he backs the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD). He's the party's top candidate for state parliament in elections in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein to be held this May.

When Lütke collects trash as a volunteer on an environmental action day, it's hard to tell which party he belongs to. "We don't bring an NPD banner with us when we participate," he says. Still, he isn't alone within the party with his efforts on behalf of the environment. The party regularly coopts the issue of environmentalism in an insidious attempt to make the party more acceptable in German society. Often, it's difficult to recognize the right-wing extremist ideologies behind these efforts.

The tactic is visible in an environmental affairs magazine published by right-wing extremists entitled Umwelt & Aktiv, or "Environment & Active," which resembles a normal magazine focusing on the environment - at least at first glance. And although the publication's articles on biofuels, genetic engineering, gardening tips and children's songs may seem legitimate, further examination yields pages on Germanic myths and pagan rites. Under the heading "homeland security," readers of last year's March edition learn that the German people will perish both biologically and spiritually if they procreate with people of other ethnic origins.

The so-called environmental magazine also stirs up hatred about religion, claiming that the slaughter of animals without anesthesia is the barbaric custom of Jews and Muslims. "So that all migrants feel at home," the January 2007 issue reports, other "religion-based customs" such as genital mutilation, stoning and hand amputation from the "Orient" could also be imported into the country.

Ten to 12 tornadoes touched down during a massive storm that brought chaos from high winds, rain and hail to the nation's fourth most populous metropolitan area, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jesse Moore. Many of the 6.3 million area residents were forced to scramble for safety as the storm bore down during the early afternoon, when schools and workplaces were open.

Seven people were injured in the suburb of Arlington, police said. Most suffered only minor injuries but one person hit by a falling tree was in critical condition, said Arlington police spokeswoman Cheryl Carpenter. In one of the hardest hit areas south of Dallas, Lancaster, tornadoes damaged 300 structures. Of the 10 people injured in Lancaster, two of them were severely hurt, said Lancaster police spokesman Paul Beck. Authorities were amazed that no one was killed given the intensity of the storm, the number of tornadoes and the population density of the area.

Some 110 planes were damaged by hail and 400 flights canceled at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the eighth busiest in the world, stranding thousands of passengers. Another 40 incoming flights were diverted. During the height of the storm, witnesses at the airport said the sky turned dark and passengers were herded away from windows and into stairwells and restrooms.

The US tornado season has started early this year. Tornadoes have been blamed for 57 deaths so far in 2012 in the Midwest and South, raising concerns that this year would be a repeat of 2011, the deadliest year in nearly a century for the unpredictable storms.

Analysts estimate the weapon to be around 130 feet long and, equipped with a more powerful booster unit, capable of delivering a warhead more than 6,200 miles. Unveiling the missile will raise new fears in neighbouring countries, already alarmed by Pyongyang's insistence that it will go ahead with the launch in mid-April of a rocket to put a satellite into orbit. Washington, Seoul and Tokyo believe the launch is a covert test launch of a missile.

Analysis of the rocket, which is being prepared for launch at the new Tongchang-ri aerospace facility in the far north-west of the country, indicates that at 105 feet long it is identical in length to the Taepodong-2 missile that was fired in April 2009 and, with a range of 4,163 miles, is the most potent missile in the North Korean armoury at present.

South Korean and US officials said they believe Pyongyang wants to show the new missile off at the military parade scheduled for April 15 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birthday of the founder of the nation, Kim Il-sung, or on April 25th, which marks the founding of the North Korean army.

She said: "It is unjust that in the 21st century there are still colonial enclaves such as the one we have here. Sixteen colonial enclaves throughout the world - 10 of those belonging to the United Kingdom." Prime Minister David Cameron had again insisted at the weekend that the islanders must be allowed to choose their nationality.

However, his Argentinian counterpart was uncompromising "We also demand that they stop usurping our environment, our natural resources, our oil." Her rabble-rousing sparked riots in the capital, Buenos Aires, as protesters trying to storm the British Embassy clashed with police. Masked militants of hardline leftwing group Quebracho burned Union Jack flags and threw rocks and firebombs at armed officers protecting the building.

Pump prices have already risen as some garages cash in on the crisis, which began last week. Others are expected to follow. The average cost of petrol last night was a record high of 141.48p per litre (£6.37 a gallon) while diesel was 147.55p (£6.64 a gallon) – also a record. But many filling stations were already charging far more. A garage on the M11 was selling diesel at £1.78p a litre, while across the country prices were typically above £1.50 for petrol.

Brian Madderson, chairman of RMI Petrol, said they were likely to rise by another 10p a litre by the weekend as supplies ran low and demand rose ahead of the Easter break. Sales of fuel rocketed by 172 per cent last week as panic buying gripped the country following a strike threat by tanker drivers. Whole towns were left without petrol and diesel, despite no stoppage date being set.

Experts said the crisis was set to continue, with deliveries taking weeks to get back to normal. Many independent retailers, who only receive deliveries once a fortnight, could be out of stock for more than 14 days.

The week-long drill is simulating air-to-air combat and anti-submarine warfare and is taking place off the coast of Turkey, possibly signaling it not to interfere with Israeli energy operations in the Mediterranean Sea. The “enemy” forces will be similar to those of the Turkish air force, according to the Defencenet.gr website. Joint exercises also will take place off the coast of Cyprus and at the port in Haifa, with the participation of the famed US Sixth Fleet.

The United States and Israel also are preparing for a massive “Austere Challenge” exercise this summer involving thousands of soldiers from both countries. Last week, a one-day drill included Israeli soldiers operating the Arrow, the Patriot, Hawk, Stinger, and Iron Dome batteries defense systems, according to DefenseProfessionals.com. “The ability of the formation to bring together all the defense systems is amazing”, said US Army Colonel Stephen Richmond, head of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. “I'm very impressed with the capabilities presented here,” he was quoted as saying.

Russia is keeping a wary eye on the American-Israeli exercises and is staging its own war drill in a Syrian port, according to DEBKAfile. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned this week against a pre-emptive strike, which he said would violate international law.

Until the explanation was heard nationwide, adults and children panicked as sirens sounded for up to three minutes, far longer than the 20-second early warning siren for incoming rockets. In the north, there were fears that a Third Lebanon War was underway. In the south, where residents are used to Color Red warnings of incoming rockets, children began to scatter to shelters. Police were swamped with frantic calls. At least one man was seen loading up his car with army gear for an expected call-up.

The Air Force apparently responded immediately to the sirens, causing one woman to tell Arutz Sheva Radio’s Tamar Yonah, “We have the biggest display of IAF overhead I've ever heard. There is a rumbling to the south – can't remember hearing that before; maybe just planes flying in another direction. No explosions heard.”

The woman, named Laura, continued, “This may have gone on over us to Ashdod or heaven forbid, South Tel Aviv. The kids are out for Pesach vacation – poor little kids; none of us need this. But I'm sharing this now, to try to keep the scary feelings from backing up.... Please pray for us in Ashkelon...”

“There may be a call-up. The man across the street is loading his car with army gear and leaving.”

While Israel's High Court of Justice has affirmed the right of Jews to worship on the Mount, it has also granted the Israeli police discretion to permit or forbid various forms of religious expression based on the imperative to maintain public order. Jewish pilgrims to the Mount are always accompanied by guards employed by the Wakf, the Islamic endowment that controls the site's day-to-day administration, who ensure that Muslim sensibilities are not offended.

During a visit by this correspondent to the Temple Mount, police guards searched through pilgrims' wallets, confiscating any printed materials containing Judaic content. Sackett, longtime assistant to Moshe Feiglin, the leader of the Likud's ultra-nationalist Manhigut Yehudit faction, said that he and nine others have joined in purchasing a lamb for the sacrifice, which the Bible describes as a yearly obligation on the part of all Jews.

Citing the High Court's declarations regarding the legal right of Jews to worship on the Mount, Sackett stated that he did not intend to coordinate his visit with the police or any governing body. And he did not, he then stated, wish to turn his attempt at sacrifice into a publicity stunt.

Given the holy site's importance as a symbol in the Arab-Israeli conflict, it is unlikely that the police will allow Sackett entry to the site when he shows up holding a slaughtering knife and leading a sheep. The Palestinian Authority frequently incites rioting and violence by accusing Israeli authorities of planning to raze the mount's two mosques and rebuild the Temple in their place. While Israeli leaders frequently deny this, Sackett and his faction take issue with the official position of the Israeli government and have actively campaigned for the rebuilding of the Temple.

Featured interview with Moshe Feiglin, head of the Manhigut Yehudit faction of the Likud party, Rabbi Nachman Kahana of the Young Israel of the Old City of Jerusalem, Yisrael Medad, Director of Educational Programming and Information resources at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, Yehudah Katz and his band, Hillel Richman and Frankie Snyder, senior staff members of the Temple Mount Sifting Project, Tziporra Piltz, guide and organizer of women's ascent to the Temple Mount, and Rabbi Mois Navon, from Ptil Tekhelet organization. It will be hosted by Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven of the Temple Institute.

Yet it has gone almost completely unnoticed that in recent weeks, Jewish rights and freedoms in the Land of Israel, of all places, have once again come under attack. A statement issued by the religious authorities called for Jews to refrain from visiting their holiest site – the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Shockingly, these were not the orders of the Islamic imams, nor were they the politically driven legislation of some official at the United Nations. These instructions emanated from the chief rabbis of Israel, and several other rabbinical figures.

It is a sad reality that the laws of the Holy Temple and their practical study remain greatly misunderstood, neglected, and practically taboo, even within the study halls of many religious Jewish communities. Over a third of the Torah’s commandments, and one and a half of the Five Books of Moses, deal exclusively with the Holy Temple and its daily service, yet this crucial artery in the heart of Torah learning is sidelined by those who, for whatever reason, see these laws as irrelevant or not for our time.

The Temple Institute, established over 25 years ago, has long stood at the forefront of Temple research and scholarship. The institute is dedicated to rekindling the flame of the knowledge and awareness of the centrality and importance of the both the Temple Mount and the Holy Temple, in the life of the Jewish people as well as for all humanity.

The institute has recreated more than sixty genuine sacred vessels, kosher according to Jewish law, for use in the Holy Temple. These include the half-ton gold menorah and the garments of the high priest according to precise halachic requirements. All of this has been undertaken because it is a religious requirement, just like eating matzah on Passover.

After two thousand years of longing to return to the holy site, surely it is time to embrace it.

The blueprints for the new drones, which have been developed by Sandia National Laboratories – the US government's principal nuclear research and development agency – and defence contractor Northrop Grumman, were designed to increase flying time "from days to months" while making more power available for operating equipment, according to a project summary published by Sandia.

"It's pretty terrifying prospect," said Chris Coles of Drone Wars UK, which campaigns against the increasing use of drones for both military and civilian purposes. "Drones are much less safe than other aircraft and tend to crash a lot. There is a major push by this industry to increase the use of drones and both the public and government are struggling to keep up with the implications."

Coles believes the increasing sophistication of drones poses many threats: "As they become low-cost, low-risk alternatives to conventional warfare, the threshold for their use will inevitably drop. The consequences are not being thought through."

Three interceptor ships near Japan and the Philippines, as well as US-based interceptors, are ready to shoot down the North Korean missile if space, land, and sea based sensors determine its flight path is targeted at the United States or US allies, said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Obama administration will regard any launch by North Korea as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions regardless of whether the North Koreans claim the rocket test is for space launch purposes, the officials said. The technology and rocketry used for a space launch is nearly identical to that used with ballistic missiles that carry a warhead, they said.

Also, because the payload or warhead of the test launch cannot be determined prior to launch, the Obama administration decided to activate the missile defense system.

No one has publicly asserted responsibility for disabling the sites, but the breadth and the duration of the outages have prompted some experts to conclude that the forums have been taken down in a cyberattack — launched perhaps by a government, a government-backed organization or a hackers’ group.

The first website, Shumukh al-Islam, a primary source for al-Qaeda videos and messages, went down March 22, and since then four others have gone dark. Shumukh reappeared briefly Monday before going down again. A message claiming to be from the site’s administrators said that it would be back up “as soon as possible.”

Officials in the United States and elsewhere have long been concerned about sites associated with al-Qaeda. Those sites have been used to call for violence against Western targets and to try to recruit Islamist extremists to carry out attacks.

The chilling graphic, which looks like a poster for an upcoming movie, includes the English-language taunt, "Al Qaeda Coming Soon Again in New York." New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said the image appeared in the "artwork and design" section of a murky site used as a forum for terror talk.

The surprise absolution of human beings from the crime of triggering severe weather phenomena was handed down by none other than the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), leader of the campaign to sell the world on anthropogenic climate change. The IPCC’s Special Report on Extremes, released March 28, reads, “There is medium evidence and high agreement that long-term trends in normalized [property] losses have not been attributed to natural or anthropogenic climate change.” The breathtaking admission is a sign that objective science is reclaiming a leading role in the discussion.

This is not to say that localized weather extremes are not occurring. In recent years, Americans living in the Midwest have faced outbreaks of deadly tornadoes unusually early in the twister season. About three dozen people were killed last month, and more than 300 perished in April 2011. News reports often recite conventional wisdom that such catastrophes are becoming more frequent and severe because of industry-emitted carbon dioxide - the same gas that makes all animal and plant life possible. The same substance is vilified as a “greenhouse gas” that purportedly traps heat, warms the planet and provokes killer tempests.

However, climatologists who stick to facts say otherwise. Roger A Pielke Jr, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Colorado, notes that globally, hurricane wind speed - an indicator for the amount of energy in the atmosphere - has remained steady for the past 15 years. Accordingly, there is no evidence that weather extremes are on the rise globally, much less that they’re increasing because of human activity.