Washington, September 10
On a day of dramatic twists and turns, a US pastor today announced that he has no plans to go ahead with his earlier decision to burn the Koran and said he still expects the planned mosque near Ground Zero to be moved as part of a “deal” with a Florida imam.

Pastor Terry Jones made the announcement that he has decided not to burn Koran during a television programme today, hours after he said he was “rethinking” his earlier plans to call off the proposed act.

“Right now we have plans not to do it (burning of the Koran),” Pastor Jones of Florida, told ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “We believe that the imam will keep his word. We believe that proposal is still good,” he said, referring to a “deal” he has clinched with a Florida imam.

He said the deal was cancelling the burning of Koran in exchange for abandoning plans to put an Islamic community center two blocks from the site of the 9/11 attacks.

However, Imam Muhammad Musri, president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, said the “deal” exists only in Jones’ mind. But, Jones insisted: “He (the imam) gave us the proposal that they would move the mosque from the Ground Zero location.”

“The Muslims do not want us to burn the Koran. Americans do not want the mosque near the Ground Zero place. And we made the proposal on the radio, which he heard, that if they were willing to move the mosque from the Ground Zero location, we would be willing to cancel our event. He came back to me with that proposal,” he said.

The imam said he does not have any control over the mosque in New York. He said Jones had “stretched and exaggerated my statements.” “I told him, I’m willing to make contact, as an imam, to the imam in New York ... and ask on his behalf to schedule a meeting. And I told him, I will invite you with me.” — PTI

London, September 10
An opera singer, who spied on the Germans for Britain, fooled Nazi secret police Gestapo by hiding secret documents in her underwear as she sang for Adolf Hitler at Berlin’s Opera House, it has emerged.

In fact, this incredible story of Brit Margery Booth’s daring double-life has been revealed for the first time after a picture of her was put up for auction, The Sun reported.

Margery, who was married to German doctor Egon Strohm, stayed in Berlin when the World War II broke out and regularly performed for Hitler and the Nazi top brass at Berlin’s famous Opera House.

But she was also secretly meeting with British spy John Brown in Berlin gathering information on British traitors working for the Nazis. He passed on incriminating documents to Margery, who was the perfect agent because her popularity with Hitler and his henchmen put her above suspicion.

Richard Westwood-Brookes, from auctioneer Mullock’s, said: “On one occasion he passed her some documents just prior to a performance she gave to Hitler, and the papers were hidden in her underwear.

“It was an incredibly brave thing to do. Towards the end of the war, John Brown’s secret activities became known to the Nazis and Margery Booth was arrested and tortured by the Gestapo.

“But she remained silent and without being able to prove anything the Gestapo finally let her go. She managed to escape Berlin during an air raid. It is quite astonishing her heroic activities are not widely known.” The photo of Margery, who was born in Wigan, was taken at Freigegeben Stalag IIID PoW camp, where the Nazis hoped to recruit captured Brits. She had performed there and wrote on it: “With kindest remembrances. Good luck, Margery Booth.” Margery died from cancer in 1952 aged 47. — PTI