Judge orders Gawker.com to take down leaked pages of Sarah Palin's book ... - New York Daily News

Pages from Sarah Palin's upcoming tome, 'America by Heart,' which were featured on Gawker.com ordered pulled by judge.

Sarah Palin's "America by Heart" is nothing to gawk at. For now, anyway.

A judge has ordered Gawker.com to pull down pages it featured from the former Alaskan governor's upcoming book.

According to the injunction, the website must immediately cease "continuing to distribute, publish or otherwise transmit pages from the book" pending a hearing on Nov. 30.

Gawker has apparently complied, and did so in a very un-Gawker-like fashion, without a witty retort.

The tongue-in-cheek site, which mixes news and gossip and was one of several sites to post images of the book’s pages, was initially defiant when Palin complained about the leak last week. It refused to pull the pages even after receiving a letter demanding it do so, Palin's lawsuit said.

The Fox News commentator wrote via Twitter on Thursday, "the publishing world is LEAKING out-of-context excerpts of my book w/out my permission? Isn't that illegal?"

Gawker responded in a post of its own, with a title, "Sarah Palin is Mad at Us for Leaking Pages From Her Book." In the post it added, "or skip the totally boring reading and call one of your lawyers. They'll walk you through it."

HarperCollins filed a legal complaint Friday in federal court asking that the site be banned from what it termed "further copyright infringement."

According to the leaked pages, Palin attacks President Obama and "American Idol," and defends the Tea Party movement against claims of racism.

With News Wire Services

msheridan@nydailynews.com; or follow him at Twitter.com/NYDNSheridan

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Yemen Judge Orders Arrest of Qaeda-Linked Cleric - New York Times

BEIRUT, Lebanon — A Yemeni judge on Saturday ordered the “forcible arrest” of Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born cleric who is believed to play an important role in the regional branch of Al Qaeda.

Anwar al-Awlaki

Mr. Awlaki, who is thought to be hiding among fellow tribesmen in Yemen’s remote Shabwa Province, failed to appear Tuesday at a trial where he was accused of killing a foreigner. It is rare for a Yemeni judge to order the arrest of a defendant so soon after his failure to appear.

Yemen has been under increased American pressure to act decisively against Al Qaeda since powerful explosives were discovered Oct. 29 in two separate packages being sent by air cargo to the United States. On Friday, Al Qaeda’s regional branch, known as Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, claimed responsibility for the plot in an Internet posting, confirming what American officials had suspected since the plot was discovered.

The United States took the unusual step this year of authorizing the killing of Mr. Awlaki, an American citizen. Mr. Awlaki, whose eloquent sermons on Islam have long been available on tapes and on the Internet, has been the subject of intense American scrutiny since he was linked to Maj. Nidal Malik Hassan, the Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people in Fort Hood, Tex., last year, and to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian charged with trying to blow up a Detroit-bound jetliner last Dec. 25.

Mr. Awlaki has called for violent jihad against the West. He is thought to play primarily an inspirational role in Al Qaeda, and it is not yet clear whether he had anything to do with the air freight plot.

On Tuesday, Mr. Awlaki was charged in absentia as a co-defendant at the trial of another man, Hisham Assem, who is accused of killing a Frenchman at an oil compound in September. Mr. Assem has denied those charges. Prosecutors have said Mr. Assem was in contact with Mr. Awlaki.

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Judge orders military to stop enforcing 'don't ask, don't tell' - CNN

Judge: Stop enforcing 'don't ask'NEW: The Defense and Justice departments are studying the rulingA researcher says he expects the Obama administration to appeal the orderLog Cabin Republicans hail the federal judge's ruling but advise cautionThe judge had previously ruled that the policy violated service members' rights

(CNN) -- A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the U.S. military to stop enforcing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, effectively ending the ban on openly gay troops.

U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips' permanent worldwide injunction -- praised by gay rights organizations -- orders the military "immediately to suspend and discontinue any investigation, or discharge, separation, or other proceeding, that may have been commenced" under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

The judge, a Clinton appointee based in the Central District of California, previously ruled that the policy regarding gays serving in the military violated service members' Fifth Amendment rights to due process and freedom of speech, but had delayed issuing the injunction.

The military was sued by Log Cabin Republicans, a gay rights group.

Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler would say only that the department is "reviewing the ruling." The department has 60 days to appeal, but is not required to do so.

The Defense Department is reviewing the ruling to determine whether it has immediate impact and is consulting with the Justice Department, Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said.

Air Force lawyers in a recent case argued the military -- not the courts -- is in the best position to evaluate and enforce the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

President Barack Obama is pushing for a repeal of the controversial policy. A bill currently before Congress would overturn the measure after a Pentagon review is completed in December.

More than 12,500 people have been booted from the military since "don't ask, don't tell" went into effect. Along with barring known gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals from serving, the policy prevents the military from asking them about it.

Log Cabin Republicans praised the ruling but urged "caution by servicemembers considering coming out at this time, as the Obama administration still has the option to appeal."

The group said the ruling is a victory for strong national defense.

"No longer will our military be compelled to discharge servicemembers with valuable skills and experience because of an archaic policy mandating irrational discrimination," it said in a statement following the ruling.

Servicemembers United, which describes itself as the nation's largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans, also hailed the judge's ruling but urged gays who serve to be careful about coming out now.

"This order from Judge Phillips is another historic and courageous step in the right direction, a step that Congress has been noticeably slow in taking," said executive director Alexander Nicholson.

Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center, a research institute of the University of California-Santa Barbara, said he expects the Obama adminsitration to appeal Tuesday's order.

"The case could be done next week if the administration decides not to appeal, or it could take five years if there is an appeal, or Congress could move faster than the Justice Department, which would render this case moot," said Belkin, whose institute researches sexual minorities in the military and advocates an end to the ban.

CNN's Carol Cratty and Jennifer Rizzo contributed to this report.

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Indian Court Orders Holy Site Divided Between Hindus, Muslims - Voice of America

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Photo: AFPIndian security personnel stand guard as an elderly man walks past on September 29, 2010 in Ayodhya, on the eve of a court ruling that divided a long-contested holy site in the city between Hindus and Muslims (AFP).

Share ThisDiggFacebookStumbleUponYahoo! Buzzdel.icio.usRelated ArticlesIndia Braces For Verdict In Charged Religious Property Dispute

Indian judges have ruled Hindus and Muslims will divide the site at the heart of a religious property dispute.  Their verdict has been awaited for decades and is seen as a symbolic watershed in India's broader history of Hindu-Muslim tension.

Indian leaders are calling for peace and unity after a high court in the state of Uttar Pradesh issued what some are calling a victory for both Hindus and Muslims.

The court ruled a long-disputed holy site in the city of Ayodhya is to be divided between the two faith groups, with two thirds of the property to be administered by Hindus, and one third to be in the possession of Muslims.

Hindu groups successfully convinced judges about the importance of the site to members of their faith, who believe the area is the birthplace of the Hindu god Lord Rama, one of their most revered deities.  An Islamic mosque stood on the spot for hundreds of years before a Hindu mob destroyed it in 1992.  That sparked violence around the country that killed more than 2,000 people, mainly Muslims.

A lawyer representing Muslim plaintiffs in the case, Zafaryab Jilanni, says the verdict is a step towards unity.  He said the judgment indicates that Muslims and Hindus must coexist in India.

A lawyer for Hindu litigants, Ravi Shankar Prasad, called for Muslims and Hindus to view the verdict positively. "I would appeal to them in all humility, please accept this verdict ... it will lead to new amity, new brotherhood and a resurgent India," he said.

Hindu-Muslim resentment historically has been one of the greatest strains on India's social fabric.  As the verdict approached, the government dispatched nearly 200,000 security personnel to prevent renewed violence.  Major Indian media outlets agreed to a range of mandatory and voluntary restraints on coverage to avoid inciting emotion.  The mass distribution of mobile text messages also was curtailed.

Several parties on both sides of the dispute have said they will appeal the decision to the Indian Supreme Court.  That is expected to further delay the Ayodhya case, which has been in the court system for 60 years.

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