Austria 'plans to seize' house where Hitler born

From the BBC.

The Austrian government says it plans to seize the house where Adolf Hitler was born to stop it being a focal point for Nazi sympathisers.

Officials say the decision was taken after several years of discussion about how to prevent neo-Nazi interest.

Hitler was born in the house in the town of Braunau am Inn in April, 1889.

The property has been leased from its owner by the government since 1972, and it was used for many years as a centre for people with disabilities.

But it fell empty in 2011 following a dispute between the government and the owner, Gerlinde Pommer, who refused to grant permission for renovation.


The new plan would include an offer of compensation from the state to her, interior ministry spokesman Karl-Heinz Grundboeck told AFP news agency.

"We are currently examining the creation of a law, which would force a change of ownership and pass the property to the Republic of Austria.

Shakespeare First Folio discovered on Scottish island

From the BBC.

A copy of Shakespeare's First Folio, printed in 1623 and one of the most sought-after books in the world, has been discovered in a stately home on a Scottish island.

Oxford University academics, who authenticated the book on the Isle of Bute, say the find is extremely rare and significant.

The First Folio was the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays.

The discovery comes ahead of the 400th anniversary of the playwright's death.

Emma Smith, professor of Shakespeare studies at Oxford University, said her first reaction on being told the stately home was claiming to have an original First Folio was: "Like hell they have."


But when she inspected the three-volume book at Mount Stuart House she found it was authentic.

"We've found a First Folio that we didn't know existed," said Prof Smith.

Admiral Ackbar voice actor Erik Bauersfeld dies at 93

From the BBC.

Voice actor Erik Bauersfeld - whose brief turn as Admiral Ackbar in the Star Wars films launched a pop culture catchphrase - has died, aged 93.

His line "It's a trap," in 1983's Return of the Jedi is beloved among Star Wars fans and later became a popular internet meme.

The warning is being used as a hashtag on Twitter by fans paying tribute

National Archives: UK victims of Nazi abuse in 1960s compensation

From the BBC.

Harrowing accounts of Nazi persecution against UK victims have been revealed in 1960s files from the National Archives, which show them claiming compensation for their suffering.

The testimonies include one from an RAF officer who took part in the 1944 Great Escape and the daughter of resistance heroine, Violette Szabo.

About 4,000 people applied to the UK Foreign Office in 1964-65 for help from a £1m fund, paid for by West Germany.

A quarter of claims were successful.

Many were rejected because, though the claimants had suffered under the Nazis as prisoners of war or civilian internees, their imprisonment had not been illegal. Others were rejected because they were not British citizens.

Today is the 70th Anniversary of Alistair Cooke's Letter from America

I don't think anybody did more to cement post war Anglo American relations. This is a link to the BBC archive, lots of history there.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00f6hbp

John Cleese may sue Fawlty Towers 'rip-off'

From the BBC

Actor John Cleese says he may sue an Australian theatre company for its "shameless rip-off" of Fawlty Towers.

The actor said on Twitter that the Faulty Towers Dining Experience did not seek permission to use the show's title, themes or characters.

He said he had not received royalties from the show, which reportedly makes almost A$2m ($1.4m; £1m) a year.

But the production company behind the tribute show said Cleese had known of its existence for years.

The British actor tweeted that he was unaware of Faulty Towers' "astonishing financial success".

"Seems they thought that by not asking, and by changing the 'w' to a 'u', they'd be in the clear! Hilarious," he wrote.

The dinner-and-performance show has been staged in Sydney, London and other destinations around the world for two decades.

Production company Imagination Workshop said it had made "nothing like" the revenues reported by Fairfax newspapers in Australia.

"We are staggered by John Cleese's vitriol towards us and our tribute show," it said in a statement to the BBC.

"We are not an unauthorised rip-off show - anyone who knows the law in this area will understand that we do not require authorisation to use the concept of Fawlty Towers.

"We are not the bad guys he is painting us to be. It is a shame he has chosen to air his frustrations so publicly rather than contacting us directly about this matter."

Cleese told Fairfax he was amused by the irony of the production company publishing tough legal language on its website, warning off imposters.

"These people are shamelessly ripping off Connie Booth and myself, and they are publishing aggressive threats against anyone else who would seek to rip them off in the same way," he reportedly said.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-35888084

Brussels raids: Paris attack suspect Abdeslam 'surrounded'

Source: BBC

Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam has been surrounded and wounded in an anti-terror police raid in Brussels, local media say.

This has not been officially confirmed. Shots were earlier heard in the Molenbeek area of Belgian's capital.

Belgian PM Charles Michel had to urgently leave an EU-Turkey summit in Brussels, a BBC reporter says.

Abdeslam is a key suspect in last year's Paris attacks in which 130 people died.

His fingerprints were found in a Brussels flat raided on Tuesday.


Abdeslam, a French national born in Brussels, had lived in Molenbeek before the 13 November attacks.

He has been the subject of a massive manhunt since the attacks, claimed by militants from the so-called Islamic State group.


Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35846954

Trump presidency rated among top 10 global risks: EIU

From the BBC

Donald Trump winning the US presidency is considered one of the top 10 risks facing the world, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit.

The research firm warns he could disrupt the global economy and heighten political and security risks in the US.

However, it does not expect Mr Trump to defeat Hillary Clinton who it sees as "his most likely Democratic contender".

He is rated as riskier than Britain leaving the European Union or an armed clash in the South China Sea.

China encountering a "hard landing" or sharp economic slowdown and Russia's interventions in Ukraine and Syria preceding a new "cold war" are among the events seen as more dangerous.


"Thus far Mr Trump has given very few details of his policies - and these tend to be prone to constant revision," the EIU said in its global risk assessment, which looks at impact and probability.

The EIU ranking uses a scale of one to 25, with Mr Trump garnering a rating of 12, the same level of risk as "the rising threat of jihadi terrorism destabilising the global economy".

G4S pulls out of Israel

I got this email from the PSC today. It's nice to get a bit of good news.

We won!


Dear friend,

Great news! G4S have finally announced they'll be selling their subsidiary "G4S Israel" - their stake in the Israeli occupation.

Together with our partners and friends across the world, we've stood up to this mighty conglomerate and won! G4S are a massive company with huge profits. But by standing together and never giving up, even after years of campaigning - we've shown them that propping up occupation and profiting from apartheid is not an acceptable business model.

Thank you!

Myanmar elects Htin Kyaw as first civilian president in decades

Source: BBC

Myanmar's parliament has elected Htin Kyaw as the country's next president, the first civilian leader after more than 50 years of military rule.

Htin Kyaw is a close ally of Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy (NLD) party swept to victory in historic elections in November.

He said his appointment was "Aung San Suu Kyi's victory".

Ms Suu Kyi is barred from the post by the constitution, but has said she will lead the country anyway.


Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-35808921