Lastnight World

A group calling itself al-Qaida in Aceh claimed on Saturday to be the target of a police crackdown in the Indonesian province,where authorities have arrested and charged suspected militants with planning terrorist attacks....

Qaeda in Aceh: Jihad on despite crackdown

JAKARTA: A group calling itself al-Qaida in Aceh claimed on Saturday to be the target of a police crackdown in the Indonesian province,where authorities have arrested and charged suspected militants with planning terrorist attacks. In a statement posted on the blog hosting site WordPress.com,the group said it had survived the police crackdown and pledged to continue its jihad against Zionist Jews and Christians and apostates. Later on Saturday,WordPress blocked access to the blog for violating its terms of service. Police have arrested 16 suspected militants in a series of raids in the deeply conservative province of Aceh since February 22,the latest two on Saturday. Police suspect the group is linked to Jemaah Islamiyah,a Southeast Asian offshoot of Qaeda that has been blamed for Jakarta hotel twin bombings last year and the 2002 bombings on the island of Bali.

Iran gives Russian pilots two months to leave

TEHRAN: Iran has given Russian commercial pilots working two months to leave the country as it has no need for them,Transport Minister Hamid Behbahani was quoted as saying on Saturday. Iran has voiced frustration over Moscows failure to deliver a defense missile system. Irans semi-official Fars News Agency said the idea to order the Russian pilots to leave the country gained momentum after a Russian-made aircraft caught fire as it landed in northeastern Iran in January,injuring more than 40 people.

Malaysian magazine apologises to Christians

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian magazine apologised on Saturday for upsetting Christians after it published an article researched by two Muslims who pretended to be Roman Catholics and took communion in a church. The Al Islam magazine acknowledged in a statement on its publishers website that its article had unintentionally hurt the feelings of Christians,especially Catholics.

Pentagon shooter was gentle but withdrawn

HOLLISTER: John Patrick Bedell was a brilliant and seemingly gentle computer whiz,yet so withdrawn that people in this rural community where his parents and grandparents are civic leaders knew little about him. Family and friends now say that Bedell was a troubled man who sank deep into mental illness and anti-government rants. Bedell,36,a graduate student in electrical engineering at San Jose State University,was diagnosed as bipolar and had been in and out of treatment programmes.

Sarah Palin acts greedy at Oscars gifting suite

Los Angeles: Sarah Palin may have not been nominated for an Academy Award,but that did not stop her from invading the Oscars gifting suite and walking away with a ton of free goodies. Palin showed up at the Silver Spoons Oscar Suite in West Hollywood with a 20-strong entourage which included daughter Willow and grandson Tripp,reported E! Online. They were like locusts. She showed up with like 20 people,and they immediately swarmed the place taking everything! said one of the hostesses at the event. Some of the products Palin picked up included Bloom facial products,which she told the vendor she needed for her under-eye area.

Chavez calls Hillary blond Condoleezza

CARACAS: Venezuelas President Hugo Chavez mocked US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday and called her a blond version of her predecessor. He said a row with Spain over alleged links with rebel groups was over. To me,shes like Condoleezza Rice8230; a blond Condoleezza, said the Venezuelan,referring to former US President George W Bushs Secretary of State,with whom he exchanged frequent harsh words at long-distance. Citing comments by Clinton in Brazil,Chavez said she was proving to be equally aggressive. 8220;She comes to Brazil to provoke us,to try and divide us from our brothers.