The European Jewish Congress (EJC) called on the EU to "immediately engage in issues of tolerance and intercultural dialogue." In a written statement, the group added, "The success of the far-right and nationalistic parties that won seats in the elections on the basis of racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic platforms POINTS TO A CLEAR EROSION OF TOLERANCE and a clarion call to European officials to immediately engage in intercultural dialogue."

The British right-wing party won two seats in the 736-member EUP, the first time it has won representation. Opponents pelted its leader Nick Griffin with eggs when he called an impromptu press conference after his victory. The party opposes immigration and also wants Britain to withdraw from the EU.

Right-wing gains were widespread. One of the big winners was pro-Israel and anti-Islam Geert Wilders. His Freedom Party came in second place in the Netherlands, only three percent behind the party that governs the country. Wilders has declared himself a friend of Israel in his fight against growing Muslim dominance and has teamed up with National Union Knesset Member Aryeh Eldad to expose violence in the Muslim religion.

The nationalistic Freedom Party in Austria and the Jobbik party in Hungary also scored impressive gains, which the European Jewish Congress said "will sadly only serve to embolden those who espouse the dangerous concepts of extreme nationalism, racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia."

Danon told Voice of Israel government radio Wednesday morning that THERE IS A LARGE GAP BETWEEN WHAT PRESIDENT OBAMA SAID IN HIS SPEECH IN CAIRO LAST WEEK AND FACTS ON THE GROUND, such as the control of Gaza by the Hamas terrorist organization. Prime Minister Netanyahu might face a rebellion by many Likud Knesset Members if he accepts President Obama's demands. So far he has made it clear that he thinks national security would be jeopardized by a premature acceptance of a PA state.

Prime Minister Netanyahu told US Middle East envoy George Mitchell Tuesday night, in what he called a friendly meeting, that Israel will not agree to the American demand for a total freeze on building for Jews in Judea and Samaria.

Mitchell tried to tone down the acrimony from conflicting positions by the US and Israel and reassured the Prime Minister that the Obama administration is a close friend of Israel. "We come here to talk not as adversaries and in disagreement, but as friends in discussion," he stated. The envoy added, "Let me be clear. THESE ARE NOT DISAGREEMENTS AMONG ADVERSARIES. THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL ARE AND WILL REMAIN CLOSE ALLIES AND FRIENDS."

He broached the idea in his meeting Wednesday morning with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, according to the BBC. The PA has not confirmed or denied the report. US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu have been at loggerheads over the issue of the Jewish areas, where the president wants a halt to all construction. Israel has maintained that it cannot stop families from growing and prevent their children from marrying and needing homes of their own.

In addition, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that the Obama government will not honour a promise in a letter to Israel by former President George W Bush that the large population centres would not be included in a future PA country.

The land swap idea originally was proposed by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party. Maaleh Adumim, Gush Etzion, Beitar Illit, Ariel and possibly the Karnei-Ginot Shomron communities would be under Israeli sovereignty if the proposal were to be accepted. In return, Israel would surrender to the proposed PA state areas with a concentration of Arabs, most probably the Triangle area between Netanya and Kfar Saba, which is part of Galilee.

Surveys have shown that Arabs living in eastern Jerusalem, which the PA wants as its capital, are opposed to losing their Israeli citizenship, which provides them with financial benefits and services that the PA so far does not provide. ARABS WITH ISRAELI CITIZENSHIP IN OTHER AREAS ENJOY KNESSET REPRESENTATION, AND IT IS ALSO NOT CERTAIN THAT THEY WILL BE ANXIOUS TO BECOME CITIZENS OF AN UNKNOWN PA STATE INSTEAD.

But researchers from Oregon State University found the bone also stops their lung collapsing, allowing the breathing capacity for flight. Every other animal that has walked on land, including humans, elephants, lizards and theropod dinosaurs - a family that includes the T Rex, had a moveable thigh bone. The find may force paleontologists to reconsider their long-held belief that modern birds are direct descendants of ancient, meat-eating dinosaurs.

'IT'S AMAZING WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND A BASIC ASPECT OF BIRD BIOLOGY,' said US researcher Professor John Ruben. A velociraptor did not just spout feathers at some point and fly off into the sunset. 'Birds probably evolved on a parallel path alongside dinosaurs, starting that process before most dinosaur species even existed.' Characteristics such as feathers, wings and a bird's unique way of moving therefore developed separately.

Mitchell, during a day of meetings that included four hours with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, was told that Israel would not bring all settlement construction to a complete halt, even though this continues to be the US's stated position. One senior official said that there appeared to be some "convergence" between the sides, and they were moving toward a definition of the issues.

Following the evening meeting with Mitchell, which included a two-hour one-on-one conversation, Netanyahu's office issued a statement that the meeting was "friendly and positive and encompassed the whole range of issues on the agenda." Netanyahu, according to the statement, said that "Israel is working to promote peace and security with our Palestinian neighbors and the wider Arab world."

In front of the cameras, Mitchell took pains to stress THE IMPORTANCE OF THE US-ISRAELI RELATIONSHIP, AND WASHINGTON'S COMMITMENT TO ISRAEL'S SECURITY. Mitchell, after a meeting earlier in the day with President Shimon Peres, said he wanted to state again "clearly and emphatically, beyond any doubt, that the United States' commitment to the security of Israel remains unshakeable." He stressed that the current disagreements "are not disagreements among adversaries. THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL ARE AND WILL REMAIN CLOSE ALLIES AND FRIENDS."

THE FIRST SHELF-FULL OF SEMTEX WAS AIMED AT THE PRIME MINISTER. I hate talking about politics in terms of personalities, and I find the vindictive tone towards Gordon Brown – booing him at a D-Day commemoration? – unpleasant. But we can't live in a fantasy world. Labour has just taken its lowest share of the vote since 1910, before the First World War – and if it keeps on marching in the same jerky formation, it is heading for a political Somme. The attempts to take Brown down have come almost exclusively from the Blairite wing of the Labour Party.

THE SECOND BOMB CAME CRASHING IN FROM THE EXTREME RIGHT – THE BNP – which now has two MEPs, both with records of extreme bigotry. Nick Griffin has bragged about how much he learned from Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf, while as a young man Andrew Brons joined the National Socialist Movement, set up on Hitler's birthday as a tribute to him.

THE THIRD BOMB IS THE RISING REJECTION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. We have now reached a point where Britain's governing party has been beaten by an organisation whose sole purpose is to yank us out of the EU. This undercurrent is tugging at the entire political system. CAMERON'S TORIES WOULD FORM THE MOST ANTI-EUROPEAN GOVERNMENT IN LIVING MEMORY. How long can we spit at the 450-million-strong trading block on our borders, with which we do 60 percent of our business, before it has consequences?

The draft, prepared for the June 18-19 EU summit or Council in Brussels, showed the EU leaders would approve the creation of two new bodies to assess potential threats to financial instability and protect small financial firms and consumers. The banking sector remains under stress and credit flows are still constrained, so governments should be alert to any need for further measures to stem the crisis, said the draft, obtained by Reuters.

"The European Council calls for rapid progress to be made in the field of regulation of (the) financial market, notably on the regulation of alternative investment funds and on improved capital requirements for banks," said the draft conclusions.

"...The banking sector remains under stress and credit flows continue to be constrained. Governments must therefore stay alert to possible further measures which may be needed. Any further actions must be consistent with single market principles and take into account a credible exit strategy."

Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.

LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.

Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I AM PROUD TO BE THE FIRST PRESIDENT TO APPOINT OPENLY LGBT CANDIDATES TO SENATE-CONFIRMED POSITIONS in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration - in both the White House and the Federal agencies - openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.

The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.

My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include ENHANCING HATE CRIME LAWS, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ENSURING ADOPTION RIGHTS, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.

These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

"The IDF's future operations will be BROADER AND MORE DEMANDING IN TERMS OF THEIR SCOPE AND PACE, with more risks than Operation Cast Lead (in the Gaza Strip). We in the political echelon will act so that the ordeal won't come to pass but, still, you must win every trial," The Jerusalem Post quoted Ehud Barak as saying on Tuesday.

He made the remarks days after the Israeli military held its most extensive nationwide drill dubbed "Turning Point 3", preparing itself for a possible regional war by attacking Iran's nuclear facilities. During the 5-day military drill, Israeli forces and civilians prepared themselves for A SIMULTANEOUS WAR AGAINST HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH, SYRIA AND IRAN and practiced counterinsurgency tactics against Israeli Arabs.

The Israeli Defense Minister cautioned that this war would take place in a condition that the army has not so far experienced, and asked the ISRAELI SOCIETY TO BE PREPARED TO A PAY A HIGHER PRICE IN TERMS OF LOSSES. "The country will have many challenges, but what matters is the IDF's (Israel Defense Forces) durability and its ability to come out on top in every battle," he added.

"Wealth creation via our globalised economy has not come about by accident. It is the result of a collective choice for openness," he said. "Now more than ever, we have to resist. Protectionism doesn't protect. In the long run it just makes things worse." He added that British companies were the largest foreign investors in the US, supporting one million American jobs that on average pay 30 per cent above the national average.

"We have no equivalent 'Buy British' requirements for government procurement in the UK. Shutting out foreign competition sends a bad message on how open markets are valued in the United States and will often end up with taxpayer money going less far," said Sir Nigel. British and European firms have reported being excluded from or not bothering to apply for lucrative civic projects funded by President Barack Obama's £490 billion stimulus package.

State and local governments have stuck closely to Buy American sections of the legislation, even though the language of the bill encouraged open competition.

"PEACE MEANS BANKRUPTCY FOR US." Despite a UN arms embargo on Somalia, the Horn of Africa nation is awash with weaponry from all over the world that has fuelled one of Africa's longest-running conflicts. In the latest cycle of civil war, militant Islamists have been fighting the Somali government for the last two years and 18,000 civilians have been killed in the crossfire. Weapons are captured, sold and recycled constantly between both sides, experts say. Many arms have come from Ethiopian soldiers who intervened in Somalia between 2006 and early 2009.

HERE IS A PRICE LIST FOR SOME POPULAR WEAPONS:

Anti-tank weapons cost $5,000, while a rocket-propelled grenade launcher is quoted at $200, plus $150 per grenade.
A new pistol from Yemen is $650, a second-hand one from Russia is $400 and a new American pistol is $700.
A new Belgian pistol is $500 and a new Russian one is $1,000. Rounds cost between $1.50 and $3 each.
An Indian-made AK-47 costs $140. Better quality versions from North Korea cost $600 and the Russian original costs $400.
Hand-grenades go for $25 each, landmines $100.

"BUREAUCRATS MANAGING COMPANIES DOES NOT WORK, POLITICIANS DOMINATING THE ECONOMY DOES NOT WORK," Gingrich told about 2,000 Republicans who attended a fundraising dinner at the Washington Convention Center last night. Gingrich was preceded by a series of speakers who also took aim at Democrats and the government bailout of Detroit-based GM, New York-based American International Group Inc and other companies, as well as the $787 billion economic stimulus legislation passed by the Democrat-controlled Congress in February.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Obama has a "radical agenda." Republicans have "watched them take over banks, insurance companies, auto companies," he said, "and now they want to take over your health care."

Actor Jon Voight, the master of ceremonies, opened the evening with a series of sharp attacks on Obama, something many Republican leaders have been hesitant to do in light of the president's high approval ratings. "WE ARE BECOMING A WEAK NATION," said Voight, calling Obama a "FALSE PROPHET." Republicans need to find their way back to power to free the nation from "this Obama oppression," he said.

THE ESTABLISHMENT LEFT HAD BEEN CRUSHED ACROSS MOST OF EUROPE, JUST AS IT WAS IN THE EARLY 1930S. It is not clear why a chunk of the blue-collar working base has swung almost overnight from Left to Right, but clearly we are seeing the delayed detonation of two political time-bombs: rising unemployment and the growth of immigrant enclaves that resist assimilation.

Note that Right-wing incumbents in France and Italy, survived the European elections unscathed. Left-wing incumbents in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Poland, Denmark, and of course Britain were either slaughtered, or badly mauled. In Germany and Austria, the Social Democrats suffered their worst defeats since World War Two. It was the peeling away of Socialist support during the Bruning deflation of the Depression years - so like today's Weber-Trichet deflation - that led to the catastrophic election of July 1932, when the Nazis and Communists took half the Reichstag seats.

But as readers know, I still fear that this depression is quietly deepening. So, we may lose three or four governments in Europe in coming days or weeks - or even worse, they may survive. The drama is unfolding as I feared. Half way through the depression, WE ARE FACING EXACTLY THE SORT OF POLITICAL DISINTEGRATION THAT OCCURS IN TIMES OF PROFOUND ECONOMIC RUPTURE.

Remember, the dangerous phase in the Great Depression was Stage II, after the collapse of Austria's Credit-Anstalt in mid-1931 set off a disastrous chain-reaction that Autumn. DON'T COUNT ON THE POLITICAL FABRIC OF EUROPE HOLDING TOGETHER if our green shoots shrivel and die in the credit drought of the long hot rainless summer that lies ahead.

It argues that "religious literacy" is a "vital skill" in a globalised and multicultural society. The project is running in schools in Asia, North America and Europe. The Faith Foundation, created by Mr Blair after stepping down as prime minister, has the aim of fostering better relations and understanding between world religions.

The launch of the education arm was marked by an international video link-up between pupils from Bolton, Delhi and Bethlehem. Pupils in the Middle East will be among those taking part - in an area where Mr Blair is now a peace envoy. "If you look round the different parts of the world and you look at conflicts, I would say a very large percentage of them have a religious dimension or a faith dimension to them," said Mr Blair at the launch in London. "So to get young people at an early age to be comfortable with people of a different faith is extremely important."

In Pakistan's Sindh Province, the City's School in Bhit Shah is participating. The school has Muslim, Hindu and Sikh students but its head teacher says the "real problem is not fanaticism", but the need for communities to get to know each other. Schools are also taking part in India, Singapore, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Thailand, Indonesia, the United States and Canada. The project, which has its own syllabus, has been accredited for an International GCSE.

Banks have been eager to pay back the money TO ESCAPE POTENTIALLY ONEROUS GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS, SUCH AS CAPS ON EXECUTIVE PAY. However, some observers fear premature repayment could stop the banks lending and thus undermine the chances of an economic recovery. The Treasury did not name the banks who got the approval to repay.

MANY BANKS HAVE CHAFED AT THE RESTRICTIONS ON EXECUTIVE PAY that accompanied the capital injections. Eight of them were pressed by the US Treasury to take government funds in late October at the height of the crisis. Permitting some banks to repay money to the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, effectively initiates a process of separating stronger banks from weaker ones as the financial sector begins to regain its balance.

Some banks remain on government life support, which makes them subject to the pay restrictions. Others complained they did not need the help and were being put at a competitive disadvantage because they couldn't set their own pay levels.