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Mein Kampf could be released again in Germany

Historians and other academics say it is essential to publish the notorious book with editorial annotations and critique before 2015, when it enters the public domain and may be reprinted freely by neo-Nazis. "We must be prepared that neo-Nazis will print many copies of the book and use it for propaganda," Dr. Oscar Schneider, who runs the Nuremburg Documentation Center, says. "The legislators should have taken this into consideration,"

Oil painting in Afghanistan predated European art

Oil-based paint likely was used in Afghanistan up to 800 years before it first appeared in European art, a study of cave paintings has found. A study of cave murals found in Afghanistan's Bamian caves showed that oil-based paints were used hundreds of years before their first credited appearance in Europe in the 15th century, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. "This is the earliest clear example of oil paintings in the world," historian Yoko Tan

France still torn over the legacy of May 1968

Four decades on, France is still torn over the legacy of May 1968. That month saw students set up barricades to demand a say in a stifling post-war society, soon joined by downtrodden factory workers and their artist brothers-in-arms.It was a fast-forward cultural, political and sexual revolution that still fuels passionate debate, with a flood of books, films and nostalgic magazine specials to mark the 40th anniversary next month.For a majority of French -

Scholars run down more clues to a Holocaust mystery: What happened to Wallenberg? (AP Investigation)

Budapest, November 1944: Another German train has loaded its cargo of Jews bound for Auschwitz. A young Swedish diplomat pushes past the SS guard and scrambles onto the roof of a cattle car. Ignoring shots fired over his head, he reaches through the open door to outstretched hands, passing out dozens of bogus "passports" that extended Sweden's protection to the bearers. He orders everyone with a document off the train and into his caravan of vehicles. The guards look on,

Remains of WWII airmen identified

The Pentagon says the remains of 11 U.S. servicemen missing in action from World War II have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial. The airmen's remains were recovered on the Pacific island of New Guinea.

Vikings acquitted in 100-year-old murder mystery

Tests of the bones of two Viking women found in a buried longboat have dispelled 100-year-old suspicions that one was a maid sacrificed to accompany her queen into the afterlife, experts said on Friday. The bones indicated that a broken collarbone on the younger woman had been healing for several weeks -- meaning the break was not part of a ritual execution as suspected since the 22-metre (72 ft) long Oseberg ship was found in

How to Show a Dictator the Door

ZIMBABWE’S political crisis lurched on last week as President Robert Mugabe, the strongman who has ruled the California-size country in southern Africa for the past 28 years, refused to release the results of the March 29 elections. In old-fashioned autocratic style, the government’s police began to round up opposition supporters. The world is losing patience, but Mr. Mugabe is only the latest example of dictators in Africa and elsewhere — some more bloodthirsty than others — who ha

Significant or not? McCain would be the first president born in 1930s

MUCH has been made of Senator John McCain’s advancing years. He is, as everyone knows, the oldest candidate in the field, and if things go his way in November he will take office at age 72, which will make him older than any other new president in history. This fact has provoked merriment, most conspicuously on late-night television, where he is often the butt of codger jokes. Actually, he inhabits a more serious historic role, as the latest — and almost certainly the last — hope fo

Helping WW II vets get a chance to see the WW II memorial in DC

Columbia Protester, Now a Judge, Returns to Campus

Forty years ago, a young radical Columbia Law student named Gus Reichbach became the first student prominently disciplined by Columbia University for his participation in the blockades and protests in 1968. He is now Justice Gustin L. Reichbach of the State Supreme Court in Brooklyn (in the news most recently for presiding over the DeVecchio trial). He has traded in his rebel bell bottoms for dapper designer suits, and his flowing hair has started to gray. He was back a

Armenians march for genocide recognition

Thursday was a very solemn day for Armenians -- it was the 93rd anniversary of what many call the Armenian Genocide, and local streets came to a standstill as thousands of people marched in protest. A large group of people gathered Thursday afternoon on the street outside the Turkish Consulate building on Wilshire Boulevard to protest. Earlier Thursday there was a protest rally in Hollywood. "1915: Never again." That's the message sent loud and cl

Court Sets Deadline for White House Answers on Missing E-mail

Responding to the National Security Archive's motion in the pending White House e-mail lawsuit, Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola of the U.S. District Court today ordered the White House to provide "precise information" about the users of the e-mail system from 2003 to 2005 and how many of their hard drives still survive today. Citing the "lack of precision" in White House statements and its changing story about which backup tapes have been preserved, Magistrate

Russia: More Babies, Less Oil

Russia is reversing its population decline, which began before the Cold War ended, and accelerated after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Births were up 14 percent last year (to 1.6 million), over 2006. At its worst, a few years ago, the Russian population was declining 750,000 a year. A growing economy, more health consciousness and more pro-family laws have all contributed to this. Still, it will be another decade or two before the decline will halt. By then, the Russian population wi

Breakthrough in the painstaking efforts to restore 'Cutty Sark'

When flames engulfed the Cutty Sark last May, it looked initially like a fatal blow had been dealt to the £25m restoration of the historic clipper. But yesterday workers reached a "major milestone" in restoring the vessel. The ship's counter, a major but fragile part of the stern, was lifted by crane from the wreckage to cheers from construction workers. It will now be subjected to electrolysis treatment and repaired before being reattached to the ship. "

McCain's family lineage traces back to Mississippi

While presidential nominee John McCain may be a senator from Arizona, his roots are grounded deeply in Mississippi. Marvin King, assistant professor of political science, said McCain's heritage will certainly help him win votes in Mississippi. "Having roots in a state is usually seen as a plus by campaign teams," he said. Unlike King, John Winburn, assistant professor of political science, said he does not think McCain's Mississippi heritage will

State Supreme Court coming to town to celebrate Lincoln statue dedication (IL)

MT. VERNON — As part of a ribbon-cutting celebration commemorating a new sculpture of Abraham Lincoln during his young attorney days, the Illinois Supreme Court will not only be in attendance for the event at the Appellate Courthouse here in September, but it will also hear at least one case prior to the ceremony. And the judges will meet in the only active courtroom where Lincoln practiced and appeared, according to Mark Hassakis, Mt. Vernon Lincoln Bicentennial Committee Chairman.

Grave site found for American humorist George Washington Harris (GA)

Members of writer George Harris’ family including his great, great great-grandson, great great-grandson, and great-grandson, as well as researchers and others were on hand Sunday afternoon for the unveiling of a monument marking his final resting place. Until recently, it was not known where his gravesite was located. The previously unknown resting place of an influential American writer has been found in Dade County. This past Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. a large group o

Nazi items trashed at Holocaust exhibit (NY)

Vandals pilfered and damaged Nazi related materials at a Suffolk County Community College exhibit about the Holocaust, police said Thursday. Photographs of a propaganda poster and Adolf Hitler's autobiographical book "Mein Kampf" were damaged, police said. The exhibit included anti-Semitic propaganda from the Third Reich, including caricatures of Jews, newspaper pages and other materials, political science Prof. Steven Schrier said. Schrier runs t

Dinwiddie County battlefield gets a new visitor station (VA)

One hundred and forty three years after the Battle of Five Forks, visitors to the battlefield could soon have a more comprehensive understanding of the conflict. A new visitor station at Five Forks Battlefield will help tourists gain a better understanding to one of the climatic battles of the Civil War. The $3 million visitor center complex will nearly double the amount of exhibit space — from 388 square feet in the former gas station currently used to 730 square feet

Justice Scalia defends Bush v. Gore ruling

Justice Antonin Scalia, in an interview to be shown on Sunday, defended the U.S. Supreme Court ruling's that gave George W. Bush the presidency and said he was not trying to impose his personal views on abortion. Scalia was interviewed for the CBS News show "60 Minutes," an appearance timed to coincide with the publication on Monday of the book he coauthored, "Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges." It marked the latest in a series of broadc