Britannia Radio

Jewish author's estate accuses Rowling of plagiarism

Max Markson, left, shown with Al Gore, claims that "Everything that's in 'Willy the Wizard' is in 'The Goblet of Fire.' " (Courtesy of Max Markson)

The estate of a Jewish author who made millions before going bust and dying penniless is waging a copyright fight against J.K. Rowling, the multimillionaire author of "Harry Potter" fame. Read more »

Report: Alleged Dubai assassins entered U.S.

At least two of the alleged assassins involved in the killing of a top Hamas leader in Dubai entered the United States after the murder, The Washington Post reported. Read more »

Can Iran's democracy clock outpace its nuclear clock? Iran watchers keep two clocks: One counts down to a nuclear Iran, the other counts down to a democratic Iran. The trick is figuring out which one will expire first. Read more »

Editors' Picks The final three (28days28ideas) The 28ideas28days initiative ends with three more contributions: * "Idea #26: Oy! Changing channels to get 20-somethings from prospect to partnership," by Stefanie Pervos of OyChicago!; * "Idea #27: Spiritual Birthright," by Forward columnist Jay Michaelson; * "Idea #28: Beit Kneset? Beit Midrash? What about the Beit Cafe?" by David A.M. Wilensky, a Jewschool.com contributor. Wertheimer: Don't forget about the Jews who need help (Commentary) Writing in Commentary about the high cost of Jewish living, Jack Wertheimer of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America argues that Jewish philanthropists should focus on their own community rather than "invest even more funding and direct still more volunteers to nonsectarian causes." Ehud Barak doesn't like the question. No, really. He doesn't. (Politico) Laura Rozen at Politico captures an astonishing moment in the address last Friday by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak to the Washington Institute on Near East Policy. Wernick on the Kotel (Jerusalem Post) In a Q&A with the Jerusalem Post's Shmuel Rosner, the head of the Conservative movement's synagogue arm explains why the situation at the Western Wall is untenable for non-Orthodox Jews. Hitler wants in (YouTube) In the latest incarnation of a popular Internet Hitler parody, the defeated German leader laments his exclusion from a popular Jewish Saturday-morning pastime. Breaking News Israel and the United States have differences of perspective and judgment on Iran and the Middle East, but the overall relationship is sound, Ehud Barak said. The Palestinian Authority Cabinet held its weekly meeting in Hebron to protest Israel's decision to include the Cave of the Patriarchs on its national heritage site plan. Louis Farrakhan blamed the Jews, among others, for President Obama's difficulties. Two Jewish athletes took home medals at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. Israel's embassy in Madrid has received dozens of postcards from Spanish schoolchildren containing anti-Semitic messages. Civic and Jewish leaders condemned the defacing of a recently inaugurated Holocaust memorial in Rome. Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel was released from a German prison after serving a five-year sentence. The legislature in the Canadian province of Ontario has condemned Israel Apartheid Week. A Brown University freshman who had served in the Israeli army was killed by an allegedly drunken driver. David Bankier, whose Holocaust research studies dealt with persecutors and bystanders, has died. Jose Mindlin, a Jewish bibliophile who owned the largest private library in Latin America, has died. Venezuela's U.S. ambassador denied that Jews are being targeted by the government of President Hugo Chavez and justified Venezuela's growing friendship with Iran. British police are in Israel investigating the use of false passports in the assassination of a top Hamas official. Australia's prime minister said he was "not satisfied" with Israel's response regarding the use of three Australian passports in the assassination of a senior Hamas official in Dubai. Glass falling from the atrium roof of the Sony Building in New York interrupted a Purim party. The Jewish Agency for Israel continued the shake-up of its top professionals with the naming of a new director-general. A number of newly introduced congressional bills would expand Iran sanctions to target human rights abusers. Israel and the Palestinian Authority must investigate their actions in the Gaza war, the United Nations General Assembly voted. A letter circulating in the U.S. Congress would urge the Palestinian Authority to crack down further on televised incitement. Australia's oldest Jewish person turned 109 years old. As the spat between Hadassah: The Womens Zionist Organization of America and the doctors at its medical center in Israel heats up, three Israeli members of the hospital's board have resigned. The European Union's high court has ruled that Israeli goods produced in the West Bank cannot receive EU tariff breaks. A Jewish Democratic congressman slammed President Obama for reappointing an ambassador to Syria. A bipartisan slate of U.S. Congress members urged the Obama administration to keep the Goldstone report from advancing to the International Court of Justice. The Agudath Israel Council of Torah Sages has issued a statement condemning a New York rabbi for ordaining a woman.