Al-Qaida Confirms Death Of Bin Laden

As of today, al-Qaida has officially confirmed that Osama Bin Laden has been killed, vowing to make Americans' 'happiness turn to sadness' in retaliation for the death of the terrorist leader.  According to US sources, this paves the way for the group to name a new leader, which it is likely to do very soon.  In the same statement confirming Bin Laden's death, al-Qaida also called on Pakistanis to rise up and take control of their government from those currently in power, and that an audio message Bin Laden recorded approximately a week before his death would be released soon.

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In other news, while the US government, and President Obama in particular, has decided firmly not to release the death photos of Bin Laden, Reuters has gone forward and released other photos taken from the compound showing the death photos of at least two of the other men slain in the firefight with Bin Laden.  The photos are quite graphic, but Reuters stands by their decision to release them, stating "As this is a story of global importance, Reuters chose to share these photographs with its media clients and allow them to make editorial decisions on how they were used."  The White House has yet to comment on Reuters decision.

Sony is hoping to entice users back to it's PS3 console platform by offering a free 30-day membership to its Playstation Plus service and complimentary entertainment downloads.  This is in response to having hackers gain access to over 100 million subscribers' personal and financial information in April.

Syria's 'Day of Defiance' has begun with anti-government protesters turning out in numbers, with reportedly 6 dead already.

An international series of what is being deemed 'slut walks' is occurring in response to a Toronto police officer's comment that women should avoid dressing like sluts in order to ensure the lesser chance of being raped or victimized.

Japan has ordered the closing of three nuclear reactors in the centre of the country in order to assuage safety concerns in the event of possible major earthquakes.

It is rumoured that Gadhafi forces may have committed war crimes in the city of Misrata, killing civilians in indiscriminate attacks.  Also, France has ordered 14 Libyan diplomats expelled from the country.

More news as it happens...