The far right Yisrael Beiteinu party accomplished one of their key post-election goals today, passing the controversial new Citizenship Act through the Israeli Knesset in a vote that sparked angry condemnation from Arab MPs, many of whom may lose their citizenship if the act is interpreted broadly. Though the bill was sold primarily as allowing the government to revoke citizenship from “terrorists” it also allowed revocation for acts of espionage or “acts harming Israel’s sovereignty,” a catchall phrase which has many concerned. This is because the act was being touted by Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman as part of a “no citizenship without loyalty” agenda.

"When the tsunami hit and Hideaki Akaiwa realized his wife was in grave danger, he defied all odds by finding scuba gear, swimming under the waves to their home, and saving her. He then went for his mother, saving her too, and has been out almost every day looking for survivors."

They could be the earliest Christian writing in existence, surviving almost 2,000 years in a Jordanian cave. They could, just possibly, change our understanding of how Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and how Christianity was born.

A group of 70 or so "books", each with between five and 15 lead leaves bound by lead rings, was apparently discovered in a remote arid valley in northern Jordan somewhere between 2005 and 2007. A flash flood had exposed two niches inside the cave, one of them marked with a menorah or candlestick, the ancient Jewish religious symbol.

A Jordanian Bedouin opened these plugs, and what he found inside might constitute extremely rare relics of early Christianity. That is certainly the view of the Jordanian government, which claims they were smuggled into Israel by another Bedouin. The Israeli Bedouin who currently holds the books has denied smuggling them out of Jordan, and claims they have been in his family for 100 years. Jordan says it will "exert all efforts at every level" to get the relics repatriated.

In the latest outrage of the global "vegan police" striking out against those who follow a healthy diet, a couple in France is now facing up to 30 years in prison because they refused to feed their baby junk infant formula and instead breastfed her. The baby died at 11 months of age, and when ambulance workers arrived and found the baby dead, instead of consoling the parents, they called the police. Why? Because the parents were vegans.

And because the parents were vegans, an autopsy was performed that found the baby was deficient in vitamin A and vitamin B12, which the deputy prosecutor claimed could have been related to the vegan diet of the parents. The couple has now been charged with "food deprivation followed by death" and faces up to 30 years in prison.

British government finally apologises for a soldier who shot a 12-year-old girl in the back as she walked to church. Soldier not jailed. The brother of Majella O’Hare says his family does not want to meet the soldier who shot his sister in the back as she walked to church. Michael O’Hare was speaking as he left a meeting with Secretary of State Owen Paterson yesterday, following a letter to the family from Defence Secretary Liam Fox offering "profound apologies" for the 12-year-old's death. The Government’s apology followed a report by the Historical Enquiries Team. Despite the letter of contrition, the O’Hare family said after yesterday’s meeting at Hillsborough that they don’t want to meet the soldier who fired the fatal shot. Michael Williams was acquitted of Majella's manslaughter in 1977. Now believed to be in his 50s, the former soldier is understood to live in England. Michael says his family no longer wants to meet the soldier.

Syrian President Bashar Assad accepted the resignation of the government on Tuesday, Syrian state television said. "President Assad accepts the government's resignation," an announcement on state television said. Assad was expected to address the nation later on Tuesday or Wednesday in a speech which may include a decision to abolish emergency laws, after two weeks of democracy protests gripped the country.

The Telegraph: Syrian Cabinet resigns amid mounting unrest
The Star: Syria at crossroads as casualties mount

Israel threatens unilateral steps if UN recognizes Palestinian state. Foreign Ministry instructs envoys in 30 countries to send 'diplomatic protest' to host nations over plan for September vote in General Assembly. Israel informed the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council last week, as well as several other prominent European Union countries, that if the Palestinian Authority persists in its efforts to gain recognition in September as a state within the 1967 borders, Israel would respond with a series of unilateral steps of its own. Senior Foreign Ministry officials said the ministry's director general, Rafael Barak, sent a classified cable last week to more than 30 Israeli embassies, directing them to lodge a diplomatic protest at the highest possible level in response to the Palestinian efforts to gain international recognition for statehood at the UN General Assembly session in September.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has said his government is in a state of maximum alert over the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. Plutonium has been detected in soil at the facility and highly radioactive water has leaked from a reactor building. Officials say the priority remains injecting water to cool the fuel rods. Mr Kan told parliament the situation at the quake-hit plant "continues to be unpredictable". The government "will tackle the problem while in a state of maximum alert", he said, adding that he was seeking advice on whether to extend the evacuation zone around the plant. Meanwhile National Strategy Minister Koichiro Gemba said the government could consider temporarily nationalising Tepco, the company running the plant. On Monday shares in the company dropped to their lowest level in three decades.

The Telegraph: Japan on "maximum alert" as plutonium found in soil near nuclear plant
WSWS: Contaminated water leaking from Japanese nuclear plant
You Tube: Mounting evidence that Japan is hiding reality of radiation & nuclear problems - Video
Stephen Lendman: Japan's Leaking Water Radiation 100,000 Times Above Normal

Berechnete Vertikalbewegung des Meeresbodens beim Sendai-Beben

[Another “American” Hero gone + Bageant Moves On] After a vibrant life, Joe Bageant died yesterday {March 26} following a four-month struggle with cancer. He was 64. Joe is survived by his wife, Barbara, his three children, Timothy, Patrick and Elizabeth, and thousands of friends and admirers. He is also survived by his work and ideas.

I considered Joe to be the best 'southern' writer of his generation. Even if you didn't agree with all of his viewpoints, he always put a smile on your face. He was one of those guys who in his healthy times would answer his emails and was as down to earth in his communications as he was in his writings.

His essays and books remain required reading. Maybe one day we'll see some of his work on the silver screen. Joe, you will be missed .....

Joe Bageant:
Bass Boats and Queer Marriage
Understanding America's Class System
When did America become a goddamn homeland?
Round Midnight: Tortillas and the Corporate State

She has spent hours on her hair and make up, bought a new outfit and done her nails. So perhaps it is only fair that her date should pay for dinner. Pretty women are less likely than plain Janes to offer to contribute towards the bill on a first date, research shows. But they are not worried about the expense - it is likely to be because they believe their date should pay for the pleasure of being with them, according to researchers at St Andrews University. The intriguing finding comes from a study of 416 men and women who were asked to rate themselves for attractiveness, ahead of going on a series of hypothetical dates.