An unidentified Russian billionaire has forked out several million euros (or dollars, pounds, etc, they’re all the same) for one of Adolf Hitler’s motor cars. Owing to its 18mm armour plated bodywork the beast, a Mercedes 770K, weighs in at some 5 tonnes. Other features, which I imagine didn’t come as standard, include 4cm thick windows and a special slide out tray hidden under the passenger seat for Hitler to stand on.
Ordered in 1935, the open topped automobile, painted midnight blue and sporting the number plate “1A 148 461,” spent the post war period in Austria before going on show at a Las Vegas museum. A Bavarian beer magnate then purchased it, upon whose death it was sold to another private collector in Bielefeld – somewhere in Germany.
According to the Express Daily, the Russian billionaire’s “people” enlisted vintage car dealer Michael Froehlich to track the vehicle down, which he did. Handsome car, shame about its history, etc. And don’t tell me squillions isn’t a proper word . . . .
According, that is, to an anonymous French spy, who in 1924 wrote a confidential dossier about the man in question. Said file, reports Le Monde, has recently come to light in the bowels of the French National Archives. Stored away for decades in an iron safe, the now yellowing secret documents, handwritten and including a photo, outline the future Führer’s political agenda.
Described as a “German Mussolini” who’s “not an idiot . . .but a very cunning demagogue,” his occupation is listed as “journalist,” owing to his involvement with the party newspaper, Völkischer Beobachter. Both the place and date of his birth are incorrectly detailed as is his name, with a vanity-scaring nine years added onto his age and his identity given as “Adolphe Jacob” – this, it has been suggested, may be down to rumours claiming he had Jewish ancestry . . . .
In celebration of Hamid Karzai’s recent presidential election success (we won’t go into fraud, corruption, vote rigging, etc) and to honour his inauguration, a three day game of Buzkashi is currently underway in the country’s capital, Kabul.
Apparently going back to the days of Alexander the Great, Afghanistan’s national sport consists of two opposing teams of horse riders fighting over a headless goat. The goal being to drop it into a scoring circle after lugging it, preferably via the longest route possible so as to please the crowds, from a line of flags at the edge of the field. All this whilst running the gauntlet of opponents, who, using any and all means, attempt to snatch the corpse into their possession.
Despite Buzkashi translating as “goat dragging” a decapitated calf is often used instead. Tougher and heavier than a goat’s carcass the calf’s also has a stronger hide, particularly when soaked in water the night before a game. Useful to know, especially for those considering taking up the “sport” . . . .
According to BERNAMA, Malaysia’s governmental press agency, the country’s Communications and Multimedia Commission is investigating over seventy cases of “disseminating false and lewed [sic] contents and contents that insult Islam” via the internet. Eight individuals have so far been charged with defamation for ridiculing Islam. Of those, one received a MYR 10,000 (£1,800, $3,000, €2,000) fine, another fled, and the remaining six are awaiting trial.
Action has, apparently, also been taken against a number of blogs and websites, including:
The last on the list for an English language article dated January 16th 2008 entitled “Malays, The Enemy Of Islam” which has subsequently been taken down. Thank heavens for the Google cache, eh? I’ve even converted it into a pdf for you . . . .
