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Pope John Paul II beatified Britons feel Kate good for the Royals
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Gaddafi survives NATO air strikes, son killed Tripoli, May 1 The house was attacked last night with “full power”, he said.
Gaddafi and his wife were there in the house with other friends and relatives, Inrahim said. “The leader himself is in good health, he wasn’t harmed.” The spokesman said Gaddaf’'s wife was also unharmed but other people in the house were injured. “This was a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country. This is not permitted by international law. It is not permitted by any moral code or principle. What we have now is the law of the jungle,” Ibrahim told reporters. “We think now it is clear to everyone that what is happening in Libya has nothing to do with the protection of civilians.” Ibrahim claimed that the attack resulted in “the martyrdom of brother Saif al-Arab Muammar Gaddafi, 29 years old, and three of the leader’s grandchildren.” He did not give the names of children but said they were nieces and nephews of Saif al-Arab and were younger than 12. He said their names are not being released to protect the privacy of the family. On the attack, the spokesman said: “It seems there was intelligence that was leaked. They knew about something. They expected him (Gaddafi) for some reason. But the target was very clear, very, very clear. And the neighbourhood, yes of course, because the leader family has a place there, you could expect of course it would be guarded, but it is a normal neighbourhood. Normal Libyans live there.” Acknowledging that it had carried out the air strike, the NATO, however, did not deny or confirm the reported deaths. A NATO spokesman said the strike had hit a known command and control building in the Bab al-Azizya neighbourhood”. “All NATO targets are military in nature and have been clearly linked to the... regime’s systematic attacks on the Libyan population and populated areas. We do not target individuals,” Lt Gen Charles Bouchard, commander of NATO's Operation Unified Protector, said Bouchard said he was aware of reports that some of Gaddafi's family members had been killed in the strike. “We regret all loss of life, especially the innocent civilians being harmed as a result of the ongoing conflict,” he said. British Prime Minister David Cameron said NATO targeting policy was “in line with the UN resolution”. In a video broadcast by the satellite channel, Libyan officials showed reporters what they said was the destroyed house, a large crater, crumbled concrete and twisted metal. In their reaction, rebels in Benghazi said they could not trust Gaddafi. Al-Jazeera said there were "an awful lot" of suggestions in Libya's rebel-held eastern region that the news of the deaths could be fabricated. One of the main spokesmen for the opposition Transitional National Council, Abdul Hafez Goga, said : “It could all be fabrication, that it may well be Gaddafi is trying to garner some sympathy.” In 1986, Gaddafi had claimed that a US air strike on his residence had killed his adopted daughter.— PTI
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Pope John Paul II beatified Vatican City, May 1
A giant banner bearing a youthful portrait of the Polish pontiff was unveiled over the facade of Saint Peter’s Basilica after Benedict pronounced the formula of beatification just six years after John Paul's death. Eighty-six official delegations were also in attendance and pilgrims waved flags from around the world in the sun-drenched square, reprising the chant of “Santo Subito!” (Sainthood Now!) that they had shouted at his funeral. The pope declared October 22 as a day for the veneration of John Paul II. Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, the 50-year-old French nun who attributes her recovery from Parkison's disease to the miraculous intercession of the late Pope, could be seen smiling and applauding at the emotional ceremony. Simon-Pierre's recovery has been acknowledged as the miracle required to justify John Paul II's beatification after years of research by the Vatican. A second proven miracle is now required for John Paul to be declared saint, and the Vatican is already sifting through hundreds of reported miracles. Experts said the beatification could help the Vatican burnish an image badly tarnished by multiple paedophile priest scandals, but others have been critical of the speeding-up of a procedure that usually takes decades if not centuries. John Paul's pontificate helped inspire youth groups and lay religious movements, but his critics have accused him of turning a blind eye to the child abuse scandals that first erupted in the US in 2000. Many agree, however, that it was a remarkable papacy in which John Paul survived an assassination attempt in 1981, built ties with Judaism and Islam and even apologised for the mistakes and sins of the Catholic Church. John Paul was elected Pope in 1978, becoming the first non-Italian pontiff in more than four centuries. He became known for his frequent trips and succeeded in giving new strength to the Church before illness sapped his energies. He died on April 2, 2005. — AFP
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Britons feel Kate good for the Royals London, May 1 Some 73 per cent of Britons think Kate is good for the royal family, 77 per cent believe she will be able to cope with the pressures of being a royal and 78 per cent think William and Kate will overshadow Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, according to a Sunday Times poll. Their wedding has confirmed Kate as a star set to transform and revive the monarchy. Meanwhile, Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton plan to settle down at Kensington Palace, where Princess Diana lived. Although Queen Elizabeth II has offered Buckingham Palace to the couple, it has been reported that Prince William prefers to live at the same palace where he grew up. — PTI
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Vatican City, May 1
