News bytes

– US Jewish groups are campaigning for action in Darfur. “Darfur hit a heartstring in the Jewish community,” said Steve Gutow, executive director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. “It shows that when we say ‘never again,’ we mean it…It is one of those moments when everybody seems to be saying the same thing and we see an extraordinary force coming about.”

– Prime Minister John Howard gives invaluable advice to Hamas. Perhaps he would like to travel to Ramallah and offer his insights personally.

– Germany plunges into a baby crisis:

“Germany was plunged into an anguished debate yesterday about how to encourage reluctant couples to breed after new figures showed Germany with the world’s highest proportion of childless women.

“Thirty per cent of German women have not had children, according to European Union statistics from 2005, with the figure rising among female graduates to 40%. Germany’s new family minister, Ursula von der Leyen, said that unless the birth rate picked up the country would have to ‘turn the light out’.”

– Medialens challenges the accuracy of Iraq Body Count.