Bin Laden 'Planned New US Attack'
BBC: Documents found at Osama Bin Laden's Pakistan home suggest he was planning attacks on the US including on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, US reports say.

One plan aimed to target a US rail route, the reports said, although no imminent threat was detected.

Officials are examining computers, DVDs and documents seized from the Abbottabad home where they believe Bin Laden hid for up to six years.

President Obama is due to meet some of the troops involved in the operation.

He will hold private meetings on Friday at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, with at least some of the Navy Seals who took part in the raid.

On Thursday, the president visited Ground Zero, the site of the attack of 11 September 2001 in New York, laying a wreath in memory of the nearly 3,000 victims.

He told victims' families that justice had now been done, but that America "would never forget". Read on and comment » | Friday, May 06, 2011

Liberal Democrats Have Taken 'Big Knocks', Says Nick Clegg
THE GUARDIAN: Lib Dem leader admits party taking brunt of anger at coalition amid worst local elections performance in 30 years

The Liberal Democrats appear to have suffered their worst performance at the polls in 30 years, suffering heavy losses across the north of England, Scotland and Wales.

Nick Clegg admitted his party was taking the brunt of the blame for a perception that the coalition government is dragging Britain back to the Thatcherism of the 1980s.

The Liberal Democrat leader and deupty prime minister said the party had taken "big knocks" in the local elections.

"Clearly what happened last night – especially in those parts of the country, Scotland, Wales, the great cities of the north, where there are real anxieties about the deficit reduction plans we are having to put in place ... we are clearly getting the brunt of the blame," he told reporters.

"To the many families in those parts of the country especially there are some very strong memories of what life was like under Thatcherism of the 1980s and that's what they fear they are returning to. We need to get up, dust ourselves down and move on." » | Polly Curtis, Patrick Wintour and Hélène Mulholland | Friday, May 06, 2011

China Bans Crime Shows and Soap Operas to Make Way for 'Red' TV
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Television bosses across China have been ordered to clear their schedules and broadcast improving 'Red' television as the country gears up to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Communist Party this July.

Popular low-budget crime sagas, romantic soap operas and spy thrillers that entertain millions of Chinese every night have been ordered off the airwaves by central government TV regulators to be replaced by improving, patriotic content.

The decision, which has caused widespread disgruntlement, is the latest example of a concerted attempt by China's ruling Communist Party to use so-called "Red" propaganda to bolster what it calls "social unity" and old "revolutionary values" in modern Chinese society.

The news of the three-month ban on what authorities have labeled frivolous or vulgar television has provoked a wave of discussion on China's online bulletin boards and discussion forums.

The issue had generated more than 20,000 comments on 163.com, one of China's leading internet portals, with many contributors largely taking a weary "don't care" attitude and promising to find other diversions or download American programmes from the internet.

"So the red songs and red movies are promoted national-wide from now on," said one comment, "It doesn't really matter as I only watched American TV soaps anyway since I started to have access to the internet". » | Peter Foster, Beijing | Friday, May 06, 2011

Brazil's Top Court Approves Civil Unions for Same-sex Couples
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Brazil's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday night that civil unions between same-sex couples must be allowed in this nation with more Roman Catholics than any other.

In a 10-0 vote, with one abstention, the justices said gay couples deserve the same legal rights as heterosexual pairs when it comes to alimony, retirement benefits of a partner who dies, and inheritances, among other issues.

The ruling, however, stopped short of legalising gay marriage. In Latin America, that is legal only in neighbouring Argentina and in Mexico City.

Same-sex civil unions granting some rights to homosexual couples are legal in Uruguay and in some states of Mexico outside the capital. Colombia's Constitutional Court has granted same-sex couples inheritance rights and allowed them to add their partners to health insurance plans.

Brazil's ruling sets a judicial precedent that must be honoured by all public institutions, including notary publics where civil unions must be registered.

"This is a historic moment for all Brazilians, not just homosexuals. This judgment will change everything for us in society – and for the better," said Marcelo Cerqueira with the gay rights group Grupo Gay da Bahia. "Gays, lesbians and transsexuals will be recognised as being more human. We'll be more accepted by having our rights honoured." » | Friday, May 06, 2011

Strains Showing in US-Pakistan Relationship
In the days since Osama bin Laden's killing, the Obama administration has been at pains to stress that the US Pakistan relationship is intact.

But other politicians have been much more critical.

Al Jazeera's Rosiland Jordan reports

Activist Speaks to Al Jazeera from the Outskirts of Deraa
An activist just outside Deraa, who gives his name as Mohammed Haurani, says the army is still controlling the city

Last WW1 Veteran Passes On
Claude 'Chuckles' Choules, the last known male survivor from World War One - out of more than 70 million military personnel - passed away this Thursday

97 Year-old Tried for Nazi War Crimes
A 97-year old Hungarian has gone on trial in what is likely to be one of the world's last Nazi war crimes trials

Crackdown reins in Bahrain activists
The once massive pro-democracy protests in Bahrain has been reduced to small clashes between youth and police in predominantly Shia areas.



Security forces have allegedly launched a brutal crackdown on protesters with beatings and sweeping arrests. Nearly 1000 demonstrators have been imprisoned, among them doctors, artists and lawyers. 



The UN High Commissioner for Human rights Navi Pillay says severe torture is being used against prisoners, and he is calling on the Bahraini government to stop intimidating and harassing human rights defenders and political activists. 



May Welsh reports. [May 6, 2011]

Scottish Election: SNP Romps to Victory as Lib Dems Collapse
THE SCOTSMAN: ALEX Salmond was last night on course for a second term as First Minister as voters across Scotland turned away in large numbers from Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

Former Labour minister Andy Kerr became the first major scalp of the Holyrood election, losing to the SNP's Linda Fabiani in the East Kilbride constituency. Mr Kerr, who was Labour's finance spokesman in the last parliament, lost a notional majority, picking up 12,410 votes to Ms Fabiani's 14,359.



Labour's Tom McCabe also lost his Hamilton seat to the SNP's Christina McKelvie.



Elsewhere, there were widespread signs of a collapse in the Lib Dem vote, with Tavish Scott's party losing their deposit in the first seat of the night to be declared in Rutherglen, where the SNP vote surged by 16 per cent.



The broad picture looks set to deliver an SNP victory and a return to Bute House for Alex Salmond with an increased mandate.



If his re-election is confirmed today, Mr Salmond is expected to press ahead with his preferred plan to run a second SNP minority government for the next five years.



Early indications last night suggested clearly that he will be in a far stronger position than over the past four years, when he held a one-seat majority over Labour.



Labour sources were last night indicating they expected the SNP to beat them in several previously secure seats, and that their rivals could have a double-digit lead in seats by the time all the results came in. » | Scott Macnab and Eddie Barnes | Friday, May 06, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Scottish election results: Alex Salmond's victory is a serious threat to the Union: The fundamentalist wing of the SNP will declare that this win is a mandate for an immediate vote on Scottish independence. » | Alan Cochrane | Friday, May 06, 2011

Libya: William Hague Expels Two Libyan Diplomats
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, ordered the explusion of two Libyan diplomats from its London embassy as he travelled to Rome to demand heavier military bombardment of Col Muammar Gaddafi's regime.

Mr Hague called for the beginning of a final push to topple the beleagured regime in Tripoli, more than seven weeks after a UN Security Council resolution authorised military action to protect civilians. "The tempo of military activity should continue to be increased, as it has been increasing in recent days," Mr Hague said. "A great deal has been achieved. Probably thousands of lives have been saved. We now need to intensify that in order to push through to a successful outcome."

Rebels seeking to overthrow Col Gaddafi said that they needed an additional $3 million (£1.8 million) in loans to continue their battle.

Downing Street insisted the UK would not provide further funds, having already given generously. In a press conference, Hillary Clinton, the United States Secretary of State, said the allies would seek to create a "financial mechanism" to help the rebels.

The Foreign Office refused to comment on the behaviour which led to the expulsion of the two diplomats and their dependants, but it is understood that they are suspected of seeking to intimidate pro-opposition Libyans living in Britain.

In a statement, Mr Hague said that the expulsion was part of a move to step up the diplomatic pressure on Gaddafi, and that the diplomats and their families had until Wednesday to leave the country. » | Rosa Prince, and Nick Squires in Rome | Thursday, May 05, 2011

I might well be mistaken, but I believe Mrs. Clinton must be catching flies! – Mark

Archbishop Rowan Williams Is Dead Wrong about the Killing of Osama bin Laden. He Should Speak as a Religious Leader, Not as a Guardian Reader
TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – CRISTINA ODONE: Rowan Williams feels “uncomfortable” about the killing of Osama bin Laden. The man was unarmed, says the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the conflicting accounts that have emerged from the White House spread confusion and doubts.

Archbishop Williams is a fine man, a good man. But he is dead wrong here. Summary execution, ie killing without trial, is just desserts for some tyrants. And Osama, the hate merchant and death peddler, was a tyrant to rank with some of the worst. His fate should be no better than theirs. Think of Benito Mussolini, who was executed by Italian partisans; he too was unarmed, but only his fellow fascists shed a tear or raised a voice in protest. Adolf Hitler cheated justice by committing suicide, but his death prompted confusion, just as in the wake of Osama’s killing. The febrile atmosphere in 1945, though, did nothing to alter the fact that Hitler was a personification of evil. Continue reading and comment » | Cristina Odone | Thursday, May 05, 2011

My comment:

As hard as it is to swallow, the Archbish had to say what he did because of Christian teachings. We lesser mortals don't want to hear it because it doesn't satisfy our baser instincts. To people who are less than good, sound practising Christians, revenge is more appealing. But for people with a higher calling, his words will find resonance.

In fairness to the man, one could hardly expect him to cheer on the killing of another, however despicable the acts he may have committed. It just wouldn't rhyme with the principles of his calling. Were he to have called for the killing of OBL, he would have been little better than the blood-thirsty imams we read about almost daily, the imams who call for the killing of the Jews and the Kuffaar. © Mark

A variant on this comment also appears here

Related »

Osama bin Laden: Hillary Clinton 'No Idea' What They Were Watching
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Hillary Clinton has said she has "no idea" what she and the rest of Barack Obama's national security team were watching at the precise moment a photographer snapped what has become the defining image of the Osama bin Laden operation.


Mrs Clinton said the raid was "38 of the most intense minutes" in her life, but her expression and the fact that her hand is covering her mouth might not convey any special significance.

The US secretary of state, who suffers from allergies, says she was embarrassed that her hand gesture may have only been her trying to stifle a cough or sneeze. » | Thursday, May 05, 2011

Now, Mrs. Clinton, if you expect us to believe that… – Mark

Emirati Wife Suing Husband for £7 million for Failing to Fulfil Her Needs
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: An Emirati man is being sued for £7.25 million for failing to have sex with his wife and causing her mental anguish, according to reports.

The unidentified woman told the court that her Emirati husband did not sleep with her in the first four months of their marriage in 2008 and later she discovered that he suffered from erectile dysfunction, according to Gulf News.

The newspaper quoted court records as saying that the woman alleged her husband failed to fulfil her needs. The case is pending before Dubai Courts. » | Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Woman Seeks Divorce from 'Gay' Husband in UAE
GULF NEWS: Says she noticed bizarre change in spouse's attitude and behaviour a few months after marriage

Dubai: A woman has filed for divorce after she claimed to have made a chance discovery of her husband's alleged relationship with another man.

The woman, believed to be from a Gulf country, filed her divorce claim before the Dubai Sharia Court, saying she accidentally noticed a love message that her husband received from his gay partner on his mobile phone.

The woman alleged in her claim that her husband started behaving oddly and abnormally a few months after they got married and she had seen him wearing her lingerie at nights and using her perfume, a court source told Gulf News.

The woman said she realised a bizarre change in her husband's attitude and behaviour and caught him trying on women's underwear and perfumes many times. She said she received the shock of her life when she heard her husband hiding in another room and chatting with another man on his mobile phone. » | Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter | Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Osama bin Laden Dead: Pakistan Islamists Urge Mass Anti-US Rally
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Pakistan is braced for a wave of anti-American protests today(FRI) as the leading mainstream Islamist party called for its supporters to take to the streets after Friday prayers.

Resentment towards Islamabad and its support for the US war on terror is already simmering and yesterday the Jamaat-e-Islam — until recently a member of the governing coalition — said the US had violated its sovereignty by sending special forces into Abbottabad to kill Osama bin Laden.

“Even if there was any sympathy for the Americans, that would dissipate after the way they crushed and violated our sovereignty and our independence,” said Syed Munawar Hasan, the JI president.

“We have appealed to everyone to hold peaceful demonstrations on Friday on a very large scale. Our first demand is Pakistan ... should withdraw from the war on terror.” Extremists linked to the group behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks have already offered public prayers for bin Laden. Several hundred members of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), a Pakistani charity on the US terror blacklist over its alleged connection to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group blamed for the Mumbai attack, gathered in Karachi earlier this week to declare the al Qaeda leader a martyr.

Anti-American feeling is commonplace in Pakistan, despite repeated attempts to win hearts and mind with billions of dollars in US aid. » | Thursday, May 05, 2011

Osama bin Laden Dead: Archbishop of Canterbury Criticises White House
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Archbishop of Canterbury has criticised the White House over the killing of Osama bin Laden.


Dr Rowan Williams warned that the shooting dead of the unarmed al-Qaeda leader meant justice was not "seen to be done".

The differing accounts of the American special forces' operation which have emerged from the White House since Monday "have not helped", he said.

At a press conference at Lambeth Palace, The Daily Telegraph asked Dr Williams whether he thought the US had been right to kill bin Laden.

After declining to respond initially, he later replied: “I think the killing of an unarmed man is always going to leave a very uncomfortable feeling, because it doesn’t look as if justice is seen to be done in those circumstances.

“I think it’s also true that the different versions of events that have emerged in recent days have not done a great deal to help here.

“I don’t know full details any more than anyone else does. But I do believe that in such circumstances when we are faced with someone who was manifestly a war criminal, in terms of the atrocities inflicted, it is important that justice is seen to be observed.”

A spokesman for Archbishop Vincent Nichols, the head of the Roman Catholic church in England and Wales, said the church would not be commenting on the killing of the al-Qaeda leader. » | Tim Ross, Religious Affairs Editor | Thursday, May 05, 2011

Al Jazeera English Live

Empire - Beyond bin Laden
Osama bin Laden is dead. The world's most wanted man has finally been killed after a hunt that lasted more than a decade, triggered global wars, and cost the lives of tens of thousands of people. What does it mean for US wars in the Muslim world? And will the US actions unleash a new wave of attacks around the world?

Syrien: Assads Truppen stürmen Vorort von Damaskus
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Syriens Armee hat sich nach einer Woche Belagerung aus der Stadt Daraa zurückgezogen. Nun konzentriert sich die Truppen auf andere Hochburgen der Opposition. Soldaten stürmten am Donnerstag den Damaszener Vorort Sakba.

Die syrische Armee hat am Donnerstag den Damaszener Vorort Sakba gestürmt. Außerdem zogen sie in Erwartung neuer Proteste nach den Freitagsgebeten den Ring um Rastan und das Sunniten-Viertel in der Stadt Banias enger. In Deraa sei der Auftrag der Armee nach zehntägigem Einsatz beendet, meldete die staatliche Nachrichtenagentur Sana.

Einwohnern zufolge blieben Soldaten jedoch am Stadtrand in Bereitschaft. Hunderte Armeeangehörige stürmten nach Angaben einer Bewohnerin den Vorort Sakba. Die Soldaten seien in Häuser eingedrungen und hätten wahllos Menschen festgenommen. „Dutzende Menschen wurden eingesperrt“, sagte die Frau der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters. Die Menschenrechtsorganisation Isan sprach von mindestens 260 Festnahmen in Sakba, in Deraa seien es während des gesamten Armee-Einsatzes mehr als 800 gewesen. » | FAZ.NET mit dapd/dpa/Reuters | Donnerstag, 05. Mai 2011

Vorwürfe gegen USA - Bin Laden kaltblütig erschossen
REUTERS DEUTSCHLAND: Abbottabad/Rom - Pakistan erhebt schwere Vorwürfe gegen die USA:

Das auf Osama bin Laden angesetzte US-Kommando habe den unbewaffneten Al-Kaida-Chef und vier seiner Vertrauten kaltblütig erschossen, erklärten zwei Vertreter pakistanischer Sicherheitsbehörden am Donnerstag mit Blick auf die Erstürmung des Anwesens von bin Laden in der pakistanischen Stadt Abbottabad. "Die Bewohner des Hauses waren unbewaffnet. Es gab keinen Widerstand", sagte einer. Damit widersprach er US-Darstellungen, mehrere Bewohner der Anlage seien bewaffnet gewesen und einer habe das Feuer auf die Spezialeinheit eröffnet. US-Außenministerin Hillary Clinton erklärte in Rom, weitere Details der Kommando-Aktion würden nicht veröffentlicht.

Die zwei Vertreter pakistanischer Sicherheitskräfte, die das Geschehen in dem Anwesen in der Nacht zum Montag untersuchen, erklärten dagegen, es habe kein Feuergefecht gegeben. Die Bewohner seien kaltblütig umgebracht worden. Beide Männer wollten nicht sagen, wie sie zu diesen Erkenntnissen gekommen sind. Allerdings haben die Sicherheitskräfte die überlebenden Bewohner der Anlage festgenommen. Von Reuters erworbene Fotografien aus dem Gebäude zeigen Nahaufnahmen von drei Männern in Blutlachen. Waffen sind nicht zu erkennen. Die Aufnahmen wurden von einem Mitglied pakistanischer Sicherheitskräfte kurz nach Ende des US-Einsatzes gemacht. » | Reuters | Donnerstag, 05. Mai 2011

Un financement pour les insurgés libyens dans quelques semaines
REUTERS FRANCE: ROME - Le mécanisme de financement des insurgés libyens annoncé jeudi à Rome par le "groupe de contact" sera opérationnel dans les prochaines semaines, a déclaré le ministre français des Affaires étrangères.

Alain Juppé a souligné que Paris n'avait pas renoncé à obtenir le dégel des avoirs libyens gelés au profit des insurgés en dépit des problèmes juridiques posés par une telle démarche.

"Le mécanisme de financement temporaire est maintenant bien défini et sera opérationnel dans les prochaines semaines", a-t-il dit lors d'une conférence de presse à Rome.

Les Etats-Unis ont annoncé qu'ils apporteraient leur contribution, d'autres pays vont le faire aussi et la France "va examiner sa propre contribution", a souligné Alain Juppé. » | John Irish, Gérard Bon pour le service français, édité par Patrick Vignal | Jeudi 05 Mai 2011

Une quarantaine de migrants tunisiens interpellés à Nice
REUTERS FRANCE: NICE - Deux jours après une première opération de police au foyer Adoma (ex-Sonacotra) de Nice-Ouest au cours de laquelle 72 migrants d'origine tunisienne avaient été interpellés, les forces de l'ordre ont procédé jeudi matin à une nouvelle vague de contrôles au même endroit. » | Pierre Thébault, édité par Patrick Vignal | Jeudi 05 Mai 2011

Début d'un retrait militaire progressif de Deraa en Syrie
REUTERS FRANCE: AMMAN - Des unités de l'armée syrienne ont entamé "un retrait progressif" de la ville de Deraa, épicentre en Syrie des manifestations contre le président Bachar al Assad, après avoir accompli leur mission, rapporte l'agence de presse officielle Sana, jeudi.

L'agence, qui cite une source militaire, précise que les forces de sécurité ont "chassé les éléments des groupes terroristes et ont rétabli la sécurité, la paix et la tranquillité" dans la ville.

L'armée était intervenue il y a 10 jours à Deraa, berceau de la contestation syrienne en faveur de la démocratie qui dure depuis six semaines.

Deux témoins ont dit à Reuters avoir vu une trentaine de blindés sur des camions quitter la ville et se diriger vers le Nord. Plusieurs voies d'accès à Deraa demeurent gardées par des unités de l'armée appuyées par des blindés, ont-ils précisé.

Des opposants et des habitants disent que les soldats ont bombardé le vieux quartier de Deraa et ont fait usage d'armes automatiques, procédant à de nombreuses arrestations. » | Khaled Yacoub Oweis, Pierre Sérisier pour le service français, édité par Gilles Trequesser | Jeudi 05 Mai 2011

'Bin Laden Scenario Prelude to New War'
PRESS TV: Former officials with Pakistan's military and intelligence service say the US wrongfully claims it has killed bin Laden in Pakistan to invade the country for harboring the terror leader.

United States President Barack Obama announced late Sunday that the al-Qaeda leader had been killed in a US military attack on a residence in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad north of the capital, Islamabad.

US reports claim that bin Laden had been living in a house near a Pakistani military base since 2005.

Speaking to the international Urdu daily Ausaf, the former officials said the terror mastermind had been killed elsewhere, questioning the reason for which the media had not broadcast the whereabouts and the manner of his death.

Citing the interviewees, who included General Mirza Aslam Beig, a former chief of Army staff, the newspaper said, “It is a fact that Osama bin Laden has been killed, but he has not been killed in Pakistan and this is evident in interviews with the locals and eyewitnesses.” » | HN/PKH/MGH | Wednesday, May 04, 2011

'Imperialism behind Bahrain Crackdown'
PRESS TV: Bahrain intensifies its crackdown on popular protests against the rule of Al Khalifa royal family in the Persian Gulf country, drawing criticism from the international community.

Amnesty International appealed to Manama to stop the arrests of opposition members. EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton has also expressed deep concern over the imminent executions of four anti-government protesters in Bahrain. (+ video) » | MN/MRS | Thursday, May 05, 2011

L'ONU exige la "divulgation complète des faits précis" du raid contre Ben Laden
LE POINT: La haut commissaire de l'ONU aux droits de l'homme estime que "le monde a le droit de savoir exactement ce qui s'est passé".

La haut commissaire de l'ONU aux droits de l'homme Navi Pillay a demandé jeudi la "divulgation complète des faits précis" sur les circonstances dans lesquelles le chef d'al-Qaida, Oussama Ben Laden, a été tué. » | Source AFP | Jeudi 05 Mai 2011

Inside Story: The Next Osama
Osama bin Laden became the face of militant Islam following the September 11 attacks in New York, and it was these attacks that propelled his organisation to the world's attention. So without bin Laden, what happens to al-Qaeda?

Inside Story, with presenter Darren Jordon, discusses with Imtiaz Gul, a political analyst and author of several books on al-Qaeda including The most dangerous palce; Paul Rogers, a professor of peace studies at the University of Bradford; and Mahan Abedin, director of research at the center for the study of terrorism.

This episode of Inside Story aired from [sic] Wednesday, May 4, 2011.

The Ethics and Realpolitik of Assassination
THE ECONOMIST: THE Jerusalem Post reports:

[Israel's] Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman MK Shaul Mofaz (Kadima) on Tuesday said that the killing of Osama bin Laden bears witness to the fact that the US has adopted the Israeli strategy of targeting terrorist leaders. In an interview with Israel Radio, Mofaz said that the strategy was originally employed by Israel following the murder of nine Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Mofaz called on the government to increase targeted killings of Palestinian terrorist leaders. The former defense minister said that targeted killings have been successful in curtailing terrorist activities.

Evidently the killing—some would say assassination or "targeted killing"—of Osama bin Laden is seen as legitimatising other countries' pro-assassination policies.

Moreover, celebrity legal eagle Alan Dershowitz argues that the non-response to Mr bin Laden's assassination from governments with a record of condemning the practice reveals the shady substance of these objections. Noting that "a US national security official has confirmed to Reuters that 'this was a kill operation' and there was no desire to capture Bin Laden alive", Mr Dershowitz correctly infers that "those who have opposed the very concept of targeted killings should be railing against the killing of Osama Bin Laden". But they aren't. » | IOWA CITY | Wednesday, May 04, 2011

The Secrets of Osama bin Laden's Medicine Cabinet
TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – ANDREW M BROWN: Did Osama bin Laden suffer from a dry skin condition? Hives, eczema, even psoriasis (which is aggravated by stress, interestingly)? Psoriasis really would be a wretched affliction for someone who’s cooped up 24 hours a day, a prisoner in effect, behind walls 15 feet high. Dennis Potter’s Singing Detective was a victim of it.

I ask about the skin condition because if you look at some of the video of the interior of the al-Qaeda leader’s compound you can clearly see a shelf, and on the shelf there’s a neat row of medicine bottles. In the foreground is a family-size jar of Vaseline lying on its side, or so it appears. Giving further credence to the possibility of a skin condition, there’s a big white jar just behind the Vaseline. It has an odd-shaped lid. It could be an inhaler – asthma, maybe, which goes with eczema sometimes? Perhaps, but it could also be a pump-action dispenser, and the contents of the jar something like aqueous cream, something you might want to slather onto an itchy or eczematous rash that was flaring up because you were bored and anxious, as I expect bin Laden was. Continue reading and comment » | Andrew M Brown | Thursday, May 04, 2011

Osama bin Laden Dead: Attack by Terrorists Is Highly Likely, Says Met Chief
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The death of Osama bin Laden does not mark the end of the terrorism threat to Britain and an attack could happen at any time, the head of the Metropolitan Police has warned.


Sir Paul Stephenson said the threat of a terrorist attack remains “severe” and added: “To be blunt it means that an attack is highly likely and could occur without warning at any time.”

“As Government, the police and the security service assess the impact and consequences of the death of Osama bin Laden, it is clear that there can be no let up in our vigilance,” the Scotland Yard Commissioner said in a speech at the Policy Exchange think-tank in central London.

He said that al-Qaeda was responsible for the injury and death of thousands of people worldwide and was committed to the use of terror and murder to achieve their aims.

“One man's death does not mark the end of an ideology and we must remain alert to the continuing threat from al-Qaeda, its affiliates and those acting alone,” he added, drawing attention to the additional threats from “lone wolf” operators and al-Qaeda franchises outside Pakistan.

“The police and security services will continue to work locally, nationally and with our international partners to do everything possible to counter the terrorist threat but we cannot do this alone, we need the help of the public to protect the country from the threat of terrorism,” Sir Paul told the audience. » | Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | Thursday, May 05, 2011

Obama Rejects Releasing bin Laden Death Photo
US president decides against releasing images of al-Qaeda leader's body, saying it may be used as a "propaganda tool"

Related video »

Royal Wedding Mesmerised US: Obama
THE GUARDIAN: The glittering royal wedding of Prince William and new wife Kate left America mesmerised, President Barack Obama has told the Prince of Wales.

The US leader said many Americans watched the nuptials, which attracted an estimated worldwide television audience of two billion last week.

The comments came when the heir to the throne sat down for informal discussions in the famous Oval Office of the White House with Mr Obama.

The president described how he was impressed by William and Kate's handling of the pressure of the big day, and joked with Charles how he could not have coped with such a situation himself - he had just 300 guests at his wedding to Michelle.

Mr Obama and his wife were not present at the Westminster Abbey ceremony but his comments suggested he watched some of the event. » | Press Association | Thursday, May 05, 2011

Prince Charles Tells America to Cut Down on Steaks ... for the Sake of the World
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: America's appetite for beef is jeopardising the world's water supply, the Prince of Wales said during a visit to the US.

In a speech in Washington, the Prince said that the need for vast amounts of irrigation in industrialised food production was threatening to deplete reserves of the "magical substance we have taken for granted for so long".

"For every pound of beef produced in the industrial system, it takes two thousand gallons of water," he told the Future of Food conference at Georgetown University.

"That is a lot of water and there is plenty of evidence that the Earth cannot keep up with the demand." » | Jon Swaine, in Washington | Thursday, May 05, 2011

Osama bin Laden's Daughter Witnessed His Death, Says Pakistani Official
THE GUARDIAN: A 12-year-old girl found at the scene of the raid is being held by Pakistan's intelligence services along with other survivors

Osama bin Laden's 12-year-old daughter watched as her father was shot dead by American special forces, a senior Pakistani intelligence official has told the Guardian.

The girl, who was found at the scene of the raid by Pakistani security services, is being cared for at a military hospital having been wounded in the attack. She has been questioned about the sequence of events during the raid on Sunday night.

The official said Pakistani intelligence services, who are holding 11 other survivors of the deadly raid on Bin Laden's Pakistani hiding place, would not allow their interrogation by US officials.

"That would occur only if there was written assent from their country of origin. We are yet to receive any request to my knowledge, but given the [critical] statements coming out of Washington and the fact that [the raid] was not an operation we were involved in, we would not accept," he said. » | Jason Burke | Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Florida Mosque Bombing Suspect Fatally Shot in Oklahoma
CBS NEWS: ORIENTA, Okla. — A man wanted in the bombing of a Florida mosque was shot and killed Wednesday when he brandished a weapon as agents tried to serve an arrest warrant in northwest Oklahoma, FBI officials said.

Sandlin Matthews Smith, 46, of St. Johns County, Fla., pulled out a firearm as federal and state law enforcement officers approached him in a field at Glass Mountain State Park near Orienta and asked him to surrender, said FBI Special Agent Jeff Westcott of Jacksonville, Fla.

Westcott said agents learned late Tuesday that Smith was staying in a tent in the park, located in the rugged foothills of the Glass Mountains in northwest Oklahoma. An Oklahoma City FBI SWAT team and other law enforcement officers blocked off the area overnight, Westcott said.

Agent Clayton Simmonds at the FBI's Oklahoma City office said Smith was taken to a hospital in Fairview, where he was pronounced dead. » | AP | Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Obama: We Won't Release Bin Laden Photos
President Barack Obama explains why his administration won't release the death photos of Osama bin Laden. Steve Kroft interviews the president for "60 Minutes" this Sunday, May 8 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Wife Stood between bin Laden and Seals
STUFF.co.nz: One of Osama bin Laden's wives stood between him and US Navy Seals as the world's most-wanted terrorist was gunned down in an airborne assault on the al Qaeda leader's safehouse deep in Pakistan.

He was holed up less than 1.6 kilometres from the country's military academy and not far from the capital of Islamabad.

Details emerged yesterday of the life and dramatic death of bin Laden, the day after President Barack Obama made the stunning announcement the al Qaeda leader had been killed.

Obama, while assured bin Laden probably was in the compound, did not know with certainty the 10-year hunt for the notorious son of a Saudi Arabian construction magnate was at an end. The realisation came when bin Laden's body was carried to one of four US Special Operations helicopters that had ferried in the American force deep inside Pakistan. One of the craft was damaged on landing and blown up before the return journey to Afghanistan. » | Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Osama bin Laden Dead: Dutch Men Attempt to Report Barack Obama
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Two Dutch men have attempted to report Barack Obama for the "murder" of Osama bin Laden at their local police station.

Ruud Snoeren and Terry Flohr accused the American President of "perpetrating" a crime by ordering the special forces raid that led to bin Laden's death on Sunday.

Police in the Dutch city of Tilburg refused to accept the case and referred the men to an international war crimes court based in The Hague.

"We are very angry," said, Mr Snoeren, 30, a lawyer.

"There is a murderer who has admitted the deed on television and who dumped the evidence at sea. And the whole world is celebrating.' » | Bruno Waterfield | Wednesday, April 04, 2011

Osama bin Laden Dead: Barack Obama Says US Will Not Release Picture of Corpse
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama will not release “trophy” pictures of Osama bin Laden’s body, he said last night, insisting: “You will not see bin Laden walking on this Earth again.”

The “graphic” photographs would be used as a “propaganda tool” by terrorist organisations if they were published, he said.

But the president risked a row with the head of the CIA, who had promised the pictures would be released to silence doubters, and with families of 9/11 victims who want them to provide “closure”.

In an interview on US television, Mr Obama said: “Given the graphic nature of these photos, it would create a national security risk. We don’t want this floating around as incitement to additional violence or a propaganda tool. That is not who we are. We don’t trot out this stuff as trophies.”

He told CBS: “There is no doubt we have killed Osama bin Laden. The fact of the matter is you will not see bin Laden walking on this Earth again.”

However, a photograph of the al-Qaeda leader with a gaping bullet wound in his face has already circulated among United States congressmen, leading to speculation that it could be leaked in days to come. » | Gordon Rayner, Steven Swinford and Toby Harnden | Wednesday, April 04, 2011

Obama Will Not Release Gruesome Osama Pics
Watch SkyNews video here

"Ein Skandal": Strache hält am 8. Mai Totenrede
DIE PRESSE: Der FPÖ-Chef kommt am 66. Jahrestag der Kapitulation Hitlers auf den Heldenplatz zum "Totengedenken". Grüne: "Er betrauert das Ende der Nazi-Herrschaft." Auch SP-Geschäftsführerin Rudas ist empört.

Am Sonntag, dem 8. Mai, feiert Österreich den 66. Jahrestag der Kapitulation Hitler-Deutschlands. Ganz Österreich? Am Heldenplatz wird zeitgleich getrauert. Nur worüber, ist die Frage. "Um alle Opfer", sagt die FPÖ, "um das Ende der Nazi-Herrschaft", behaupten die Grünen. Auf der berüchtigten Neonazi-Website "alpen-donau.info" wird jedenfalls bereits heftig für das alljährliche Totengedenken des Wiener Korporationsrings (WKR) geworben - und das auch unter Verweis auf den prominenten Hauptredner: FPÖ-Parteichef Heinz Christian Strache. Von den Urhebern der Website übrigens als "FPÖ-Führer" bezeichnet. » | Red. | Mittwoch, 04. Mai 2011

Pannen in Obamas Bin-Laden-Show
DIE PRESSE: Der Versuch, die Tötung des Terrorpaten auszuschlachten, wird von Ungereimtheiten und Widersprüchen begleitet. Die Tatsache, dass Osama bin Laden unbewaffnet war, stürzt die US-Regierung in Verlegenheit.

Washington. 56 Millionen Amerikaner sahen zu, als Präsident Barack Obama zu mitternächtlicher Stunde am Sonntag mit der Entschlossenheit des Oberbefehlshabers und im Duktus des Politikprofessors den größten Erfolg seiner Amtszeit verkündete. 24 Stunden später schnellten seine Umfragewerte bereits in die Höhe, von mageren 47 auf 56 Prozent. Fotos aus dem Situation Room des Weißen Hauses zeigten den Präsidenten und sein Team, wie sie mit der Kommandoaktion der Navy Seals im pakistanischen Abbottabad mitbangten. Bei dem Einsatz stand auch die Reputation der Regierung auf dem Spiel.

Jeder Präsident hätte den Triumph über die Tötung Osama bin Ladens, des Staatsfeindes Nummer eins, gebührend ausgeschlachtet. Ein Auftritt Barack Obamas im Beisein der Angehörigen von 9/11-Opfern auf dem „Ground Zero“, dem Krater des World Trade Center in New York, soll heute den glanzvollen Höhepunkt der PR-Strategie des Weißen Hauses markieren. Und was wäre staatsmännischer, als sich Schulter an Schulter mit George W. Bush über die innenpolitischen Gräben zu erheben und an die Einheit und die Größe der Nation zu appellieren? » | Vom Korrespondenten Thomas Vieregge | Mittwoch, 04. Mai 2011

Obama refuse de publier les photos du corps de Ben Laden
LE FIGARO: Le président américain a décidé de ne pas diffuser les images, décrites comme «atroces», de la dépouille du chef d'al-Qaida tué dimanche. Les clichés pourraient selon lui servir «d'outil de propagande».

La photo de la dépouille de Ben Laden ne sera pas diffusée

Barack Obama a tranché. Les États-Unis ne diffuseront pas les images de la dépouille du chef d'al-Qaida, tué dimanche lors d'une opération américaine au Pakistan, a affirmé mercredi la chaîne de télévision CBS, à laquelle le président a accordé un entretien qui doit être diffusée dimanche. «Laisser des preuves photographiques dans la nature» pourrait servir «d'outil d'incitation (à la violence) ou de propagande. Ce n'est pas dans notre genre. Nous n'arborons pas ce genre de choses comme des trophées», a déclaré Barack Obama, cité par son porte-parole Jay Carney. » | Par lefigaro.fr | Mercredi 04 Mai 2011

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Obama will Leichenfotos nicht veröffentlichen: Die amerikanische Regierung will die Fotos von Usama Bin Ladins Leiche nicht veröffentlichen. Das habe Präsident Barack Obama entschieden. Skeptiker hatten zu bedenken gegeben, dass die Bilder „zu grauenhaft“ seien. » | dpa | Mittwoch, 04. Mai 2011

Un ex-évêque canadien plaide coupable de pornographie infantile
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: ÉGLISE | Un ex-évêque catholique canadien de 70 ans poursuivi pour importation et possession de pornographie infantile a plaidé coupable mercredi à Ottawa, a rapporté la chaîne de télévision publique Radio-Canada.

Raymond Lahey, à l’époque évêque du diocèse d’Antigonish en Nouvelle-Ecosse, avait été trahi en septembre 2009, lors d’un contrôle à l’aéroport d’Ottawa, par ses voyages à l’étranger, dans des pays où l’on trouve de la pornographie infantile, et une hésitation concernant son ordinateur.

Un contrôle détaillé a permis de découvrir dans la mémoire de l’ordinateur et sur d’autres unités de stockage de nombreuses images de garçons, dont certains âgés entre huit et dix ans, selon les estimations de la police. » | AFP | Mercredi 04 Mai 2011

Empire - The Long Search for Osama bin Laden

Libyan Leaders Face Arrest On War Crimes Charges
THE GUARDIAN: Gaddafi regime systematically opened fire on peaceful protests, says International Criminal Court prosecutor

The Gaddafi regime committed war crimes against Libyan pro-democracy demonstrations, opening fire "systematically" on peaceful protesters, according to a report issued by the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC), who will seek arrest warrants against Muammar Gaddafi and two other senior members of his regime later this month.

Addressing the UN security council in New York, the prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said he will ask judges at the court in The Hague for three warrants. He has not named his suspects but in his report to the UN security council on Wednesdayhe said they were the people who gave the orders for the alleged atrocities. The Guardian has learned from well-informed sources that Gaddafi will top the list, and that his brother-in-law and intelligence chief, Abdullah Senussi, is also likely to be included.

Other names in the frame include the leader's second oldest son Saif al-Islam and Mahmoud Al-Baghdadi, in effect, the nation's prime minister.

"It is indeed a characteristic of the situation in Libya that massive crimes are reportedly committed upon instruction of a few persons who control the organisations that execute the orders," Moreno-Ocampo said. He added that the arrests were a manner of urgency. » | Julian Borger, diplomatic editor | Wednesday, May 04, 2011