Hitler protected Jewish WWI vet

A Jewish World War I veteran was allegedly spared - for a while, at least - from Nazi persecution thanks to a letter that claimed Adolf Hitler wanted him protected, a German Jewish newspaper reported.

The Nazi leader ordered the genocide of all Europe's Jews but apparently wanted Ernst Hess, a judge, to be left alone because they had served in the same WWI unit and Hess had briefly been his commanding officer, said historian Susanne Mauss, who discovered the letter. It was signed by a senior member of the SS paramilitary organization and dated Aug 19, 1940.

Other members of Hess' family didn't survive the Holocaust. His sister Berta was murdered in the Auschwitz concentration camp, one of 6 million Jews killed under Hitler's rule.

Actor Sheen pledges $1 million to USO

His rants under control and his life seemingly on the mend, Anger Management actor Charlie Sheen has pledged $1 million to the USO, a US military support organization, and the donation could go higher if his new TV show becomes a hit. The money, at least 1 percent of the profits he makes on the new FX comedy show, will go to the USO's Operation Enduring Care, a program that is raising money to help wounded and sick soldiers and their families, a USO spokeswoman said.

Weather grounds 'lawn chair' aviators

Two men sitting in lawn chairs tied to 350 helium-filled balloons failed in their bid last week to set a world record for the longest two-man cluster balloon flight when bad weather forced them down well short of their destination. A crowd estimated at more than 1,000 people watched as American Kent Couch and Fareed Lafta of Iraq lifted off from a parking lot in the Oregon town of Bend.

Russian rockers offer new 'White Album'

Back in the USSR, Russian musicians have recorded their own White Album to show solidarity with opponents of President Vladimir Putin, a former KGB spy who has been president or prime minister of the country for the last 12 years. Four decades after British rock group the Beatles released the record popularly called the "White Album", with tracks such as Back in the USSR and While My Guitar Gently Weeps, 200 singers and groups from across Russia have launched an online collection of more than 350 tracks under the same title.

Prosecutors are weighing whether to charge a paparazzo with driving recklessly on a Los Angeles freeway to photograph pop star Justin Bieber in what could be the first use of a new anti-paparazzi law, an official said on Tuesday. The case stems from a July 6 incident that saw police cite Bieber for speeding in his flashy Fisker Karma sports car.

Television actors treated Comic-Con audiences to glimpses of their upcoming shows, including HBO's Game of Thrones, which highlighted its new season premiere last week at a packed showcase inside the giant pop-culture event.

Thrones fans, many dressed as their favorite characters, lined up hours in advance to hear cast members speak in a panel discussion that introduced new actors for season 3, including Diana Rigg (above) as Lady Olenna Tyrell, also known as the Queen of Thorns.

Reuters

(China Daily 07/22/2012 page4)