links for 2011-05-03

"I’ve seen 'Thor' and Idris Elba is a dominating screen presence as the grim, glowering Heimdall, the all-seeing, ever-listening sentry of Asgard. But not everyone is thrilled to see the British-born actor from 'The Wire,' 'The Losers' and 'Luther' in the role. In a new interview with the Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine, the actor said he has heard the purists who say that a black actor shouldn’t portray a character rooted in Norse mythology but he is also hearing a chorus of complaint that sounds to his ears like racism.

“'Purist comic-book fans are one thing; out-and-out racism is another,' the 38-year-old actor told journalist Leslie Gornstein in a Q&A published Sunday. 'Of course, the more I speak on this topic, the more I fuel it. But, look, if people have a problem with me playing the character, just don’t go see the movie, you know?'”

"It is believed to be the first time Mr Odinga had made such comments. Mr Kuria told the BBC's Network Africa programme that he did not know why Mr Odinga had made the statements in a speech to his constituency in the Nairobi slum of Kibera. He said most African leaders who condemned homosexuals were trying to gain political leverage but he said Mr Odinga was already popular so his statement was 'surprising'."

"Former France soccer great Lilian Thuram feels 'hurt' that his former teammate Laurent Blanc and members of the French Football Federation may have agreed to limit the number of black and Arab players in national training programmes.

"French soccer has been plunged into turmoil after investigative website Mediapart reported that Blanc and senior figures in the federation approved proposals to limit to 30 per cent the number of players of African and North African descent in training academies once they reach 13 years of age."

"The Mayor of New York City has sparked controversy by getting involved in the national immigration debate – declaring that all immigrants should all be sent to Detroit.

"When pressed on whether Mayor Bloomberg might care to deal with problems in his own city rather than offer pointers elsewhere, Dumas said: 'Detroit is everyone's case study. Everybody has an idea or solution for Detroit but it's a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking and back-seat driving.'"

"On Monday in Portland, ME the walls of the largest mosque in town were spray-painted with "Osama today, Islam tomorow [sic]" and other phrases, sometime following morning prayers on the day after American forces killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

"The police chief is calling the incident at the Maine Muslims Community Center a hate crime."