Free Republic

A man accused of plotting to detonate bombs in Britain acknowledged talking about blowing up the Houses of Parliament, but said the suggestion was meant as a joke. Omar Khyam, 24, who is standing trial along with six others, denies conspiring to cause an explosion. He told jurors at London's Central Criminal Court that, while watching Prime Minister Tony Blair take questions in the House of Commons in "we just made a comment 'Can you imagine if you dropped a bomb right there and then? You would take out all the MPs (members of Parliament)." Khyam confirmed it was he...

EVERY other Sunday afternoon since April 2003, advocates of animal rights have gathered with bullhorns across from 279 Central Park West, near 88th Street. They are there to protest Huntingdon Life Sciences, a product-development company that does scientific tests on animals, and its chief executive, Andrew Baker, who lives in the building. Or does he? Months ago, residents heard that he had moved out. And so, they wonder, why don't the protesters stop? "Someone would first of all have to provide really good proof that he's not in the building," said Camille Hankins, who organizes the events for the group,...

'If I wasn't so scared, I'd throw a party' By Jack Fairweather in Baghdad (Filed: 29/06/2004) A smile broke over the face of Fatima Khadil, a civil servant, as she learned about her new government yesterday morning. "If I wasn't so scared of the violence, I'd throw a party," she said as she queued to collect her wages at the Baghdad Citizenship office. "Does this mean America will give me a visa now?" she asked with a smile. Unlike the volleys of gunfire that heralded Saddam Hussein's capture in December, Iraqis quietly discussed the departure of the American administration and...