Laura Seabrook's Ramblings

As from The Guardian:

The actor Caroline John, who has died aged 71, was best known for defending Earth from alien invasion alongside Jon Pertwee's Doctor in the first colour series of Doctor Who, broadcast in 1970. As Dr Elizabeth Shaw, she provided brains, cool-headed intelligence and maturity where once the Doctor's female companions had screamed and asked questions.
(more on link)

Not that widely remembered as as Liz Sladen or Katy Manning as a Doctor's companion, but I always liked her character.
 

AS everyone already knows, one of the Beastie Boys died from cancer. This group was one of the few Hip Hop bands I liked:

What's worse is that if I don't press ESC I get this - which must have been burnt to the BIOS by Kevin sometime (it's a picture of Michelle and her sister) before installing the board.

US president Barack Obama has confirmed the United States has conducted an operation in which Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed.

Mr Obama made the statement during an address broadcast around the world earlier this afternoon.

"The United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda - a terrorist who is responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women and children," he said.

• Al Qaeda leader killed in firefight
• US has custody of bin Laden's body
• Americans erupt in joyous celebration
• Obituary: Osama bin Laden
• Full coverage on ABC News 24

The confirmation follows widespread media reports that bin Laden was killed in a mansion outside Pakistan's capital Islamabad last week. Mr Obama said he was briefed last August on a lead that bin Laden was hiding inside "a compound deep inside Pakistan".

"Last week [it was] determined we had enough information to attack the compound," he said. "Today at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad in Pakistan. "A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body."

No Americans or civilians were injured during in the mission, Mr Obama said. US officials said the operation that killed bin Laden lasted less than 40 minutes and also left three other men and a woman dead, including a son of the Al Qaeda chief. Two of the men worked as couriers for bin Laden and the third was believed to be an adult son of bin Laden, the official said.

"One woman was killed when she was used as a shield by a male combatant. Two other women were injured," the official added.

US forces lost a helicopter in the operation due to "mechanical failure" and the chopper was destroyed by the Americans, the official said. Other US officials said they were stunned when intelligence reports first revealed the elaborate security at the compound where bin Laden was hiding, with 12-18 foot high walls topped with barbed wire. Early reports said bin Laden had been killed along with 20 other people.

"The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our effort to defeat Al Qaeda," Mr Obama said. "Tonight is a testament to the greatness of our country... we are reminded that America can do whatever we set our minds to."

The 54-year-old Saudi had been the most wanted man in the world since 2001 when he helped orchestrate the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. "It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by an attack on the American people," Mr Obama said.

"Nearly 3,000 citizens were taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts. "We reaffirmed our ties to each other, our love of community and country."We were united as one American family. "We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation... we went to war against Al Qaeda. "The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens."

Mr Obama reaffirmed the US was not at war with Islam. "Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he killed scores of Muslims." Mr Obama said he had a message for the families of the victims of the September 11 attacks. "We have never forgotten your loss nor wavered in our commitment to do whatever it takes to prevent further attacks on our shores," he said.

Officials say the US is ensuring bin Laden's body is being handled in accordance with Islamic practice and tradition. The killing of bin Laden is a major accomplishment for Mr Obama and his national security team, fulfilling the goal once voiced by Mr Obama's predecessor, George W Bush, to bring bin Laden to justice. Mr Bush, who was in office at the time of the September 11 attacks and famously said he wanted bin Laden dead or alive, said his death was a "momentous achievement".

"The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done," Mr Bush said in a statement. US soldiers and Afghan militia forces launched a large-scale assault on the Tora Bora mountains after the attacks in pursuit of bin Laden. The trail quickly went cold after he disappeared and many intelligence officials believed he had been hiding in Pakistan. While in hiding, bin Laden had taunted the West and advocated his militant Islamist views in videotapes spirited from his hideaway. Besides September 11, the US has also linked bin Laden to a string of attacks, including the 1998 bombings of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the 2000 bombing of the warship USS Cole in Yemen.

The death of bin Laden will raise huge questions about the future shape of Al Qaeda and also have steep implications for US security and foreign policy 10 years into a global anti-terror campaign. It will also raise fears that the United States and its allies will face retaliation from supporters of bin Laden  and other Islamic extremist groups. Chants of "USA, USA" rang out from tourists outside the White House as reports of bin Laden's death sent an electric charge through Washington. A large group of people gathered outside the fence of the presidential mansion sung the US national anthem and started shouting and cheering.

Despite the decade that has elapsed since the September 11 attacks, the event, one of the most traumatic in US history, still stirs raw emotions, and bin Laden's demise will be celebrated across the United States.