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BOTH NATO and the Libyan rebels turned down yesterday a proposal of a ceasefire floated by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, al-Jazeera news channel reported. In a speech carried by the Libyan TV earlier in the day, Gaddafi proposed a ceasefire and called on all parties to resort to dialogue only if NATO halts its airstrikes. "Libya welcomes a ceasefire," Gaddafi said in his speech, adding that "a ceasefire can not be done unilaterally." However, Gaddafi made it clear that he will never leave his country and nobody can force him to leave. "I don't have any function or post. If I were a president, my fate would be like the fates of the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt," Gaddafi said. In the meantime, spokesman for Libya's Transitional National Council Abdelhafld Ghoga said that Gaddafi's regime lost its legitimacy and Libyans cannot accept any future role from such a regime in their country. "Gaddafi proposed ceasefire many times only to have a...

The death toll from the devastating tornados that swept through the southern United States this week has risen to at least 342, making it the second-deadliest tornado outbreak in American history. Photo taken on April 28, 2011 show the destroyed houses and cars in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the United States. [Xinhua] By early Saturday morning, emergency management officials tallied 254 deaths in Alabama, 34 in Tennessee, 33 in Mississippi, 15 in Georgia, 5 in Virginia and 1 in Arkansas, the CNN reported. This is the deadliest tornado outbreak since March 1932, when 332 people were killed. The death toll is also the second-largest in the country's history, only below that of a 1925 tornado outbreak which left 747 people dead, according to the National Weather Service. In the hardest-hit Alamba, the confirmed fatalities have soared to 254, according to the state Emergency Management Agency. In addition, more than 1,700 people were injured while several others still missing. U.S. Preside...

Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, youngest son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, was killed in NATO's strike against Gaddafi's house, said a spokesman of the Libyan government. The NATO attack against Gaddafi's house resulted in the deaths of Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, 29, youngest son of Gaddafi, and three of Gaddafi's grandchildren, said Mossa Ibrahim, the government spokesman. The leader himself and his wife, who were in the house, were in good health, while other people injured in the attack, said the spokesman. This is a direct operation to assassinate the leader, said the spokesman. The attacks had no legal or political foundations, he said, saying the strike was a violation of the international law. Asserting he would not leave, embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi floated on Saturday a proposal for a ceasefire and negotiations in a televised speech. He said that all parties concerned should follow the truce, and the NATO forces must stop their attacks. Gaddafi ruled out the p...

BARCELONA: Tourists in Barcelona who wander off the beach onto the streets in just their swimming costumes or even less will now face stiff fines. The city hall voted to ban "nudity or virtual nudity in public places" and limit swimming costumes to swimming pools, beaches, adjacent roads and beach walks. Nudists who stray off their designated areas of the beach will be subject to fines of 300 to 500 euros. Those who wander into the streets in bikinis, swimming trunks or swimsuits face fines of 120 to 300 euros. Authorities in the city, where the port and the beach areas are adjacent to the historic old town, earlier this year put up posters discouraging such behaviour. They showed a couple in swimming costumes with a red line across it next to another couple dressed normally but without the red line. With the new regulations, city authorities hope to "ensure coexistence between citizens in public areas," but denied that they are "telling people how the...

Saif al-Arab and three of Muammar Gaddafi's grandsons killed, according to reports but the Libyan leader was unharmed A Nato air strike in Tripoli has killed the youngest son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, a Libyan government spokesman has said. Saif al-Arab Gaddafi was killed along with three of Muammar Gaddafi's grandsons, according to reports. The Libyan leader was in the building at the time of the strike, but was unharmed. Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said: "This was a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country." "The attack resulted in the martyrdom of brother Saif al-Arab Gaddafi and three of the leader's grandchildren," he said. "The leader with his wife was there in the house with other friends and relatives. The leader himself is in good health he wasn't harmed." More details soon Libya Muammar Gaddafi Middle East guardian.co.uk Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is su...

With incendiary comments on Iraq, Libya and Obama's birth, the property tycoon has livened up the Republicans' search for a 2012 candidate The bright lights of the Las Vegas strip were an apt setting for the Donald Trump carnival roadshow to end up in last week. Amid the garish neon of the gigantic Treasure Island Casino, the business mogul-turned-reality TV star-turned-potential Republican presidential candidate made his latest stop. Speaking at an event called The Reagan Revolution: From Ronald to Donald, Trump made his pitch to an audience of Nevada Republican bigwigs and curious onlookers in one of the key early-voting states in the nomination process. In the casino's ballroom, which featured an ice statue of himself, Trump gave a virtuoso performance that was full of braggadocio and littered with expletives. "Our leaders are stupid, they are stupid people," he said, before referring to the Chinese government as "motherfuckers" against whom he'd ...

Mosque in Deraa comes under fire as groups opposing President Assad call for army to lead transition to democracy The Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad sent fresh troops on Saturday to pound the besieged southern city of Deraa, as a new opposition group appealed to the army to help the transition to democracy. Tanks and armoured personnel carriers entered the city and troops stormed the Omari mosque, a hub for protesters, killing four people as Syria's government continued to crush dissent in the city, which has been at the centre of the six-week uprising. Activists said that houses in the Karak district of the city were damaged by shelling which started at 5am local time on Saturday, the sixth day of a sustained siege on the city. "They are trying to break the will of the protesters and residents while also arresting any leaders," said Rami Nakhle, a Syrian cyber-activist based in Beirut. The assault on the Omari mosque lasted 90 minutes, during which troops fired tank s...

Chris Huhne urges 'progressive majority' to vote yes for AV Energy secretary says 'Unite to avoid Thatcher excesses' Tensions inside the coalition government are at new heights after a Liberal Democrat cabinet minister called on voters to form an anti-Tory alliance in Thursday's referendum on electoral reform in order to deprive the Conservatives of power. In an extraordinary intervention, Chris Huhne, the energy secretary, has shattered any remaining semblance of cabinet unity by insisting that the referendum is an opportunity for the country's "progressive majority" to back change and avoid a repeat of the "worst excesses of the Thatcher government". In a joint article in the Observer , signed by Labour's shadow business secretary, John Denham, and the leader of the Green party, Caroline Lucas, Huhne and the others argue that the Conservatives were able to monopolise power for much of the 20th century because of an "unfair...

Mosque in Deraa comes under fire as groups opposing President Assad call for army to lead transition to democracy The Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad sent fresh troopson Saturday to pound the besieged southern city of Deraa, as a new opposition group appealed to the army to help the transition to democracy. Tanks and armoured personnel carriers entered the city and troops opened fire in streets close to the Omari mosque as Syria's government continued to crush dissent in the city, which has been at the centre of the six-week uprising. Activists said that houses in the Karak district of the city were damaged by shelling which started at 5am local time on Saturday, the sixth day of a sustained siege on the city. "They are trying to break the will of the protesters and residents while also arresting any leaders," said Rami Nakhle, a Beirut-based Syrian cyber-activist. Funerals were also taking place after human rights organisations said more than 70 people were confirmed d...

SYRIAN army troops backed by tanks and three helicopters yesterday took a prominent mosque that had been controlled by residents in a besieged southern city killing four people, a witness said. The operation in the town of Daraa came a day after President Bashar Assad unleashed deadly force to crush a six-week-old revolt, killing at least 65 people, mostly in the border town. Daraa resident Abdullah Abazeid said the assault on the mosque lasted 90 minutes during which troops used tank shells and heavy machine guns. Three helicopters took part in the operation dropping paratroopers onto the mosque itself, he said. The Omari mosque, in Daraa's Roman-era old town, had been under the control of the residents. Daraa is the heart of a six-week-old uprising against the government and has been under siege since Monday when the government first sent in tanks to crush the daily demonstrations. Abazeid said that among the dead was Osama Ahmad, the son of the mosque's imam, Sheik Ahmad Say...

Press F5 or auto-refresh for the latest news Email rob.smyth@guardian.co.uk with your thoughts Check out today's latest scores (and results) here And all the latest tables from around the world are here 18 min "Re Min 11: Pavlyuchenko is that rare breed of top level footballer that doesn't know how to play the game," says Alex Amponsah. "Have you seen a player at that level make so many bad decisions?" Obviously you're not a golfer . 16 min Malouda zips infield from the left and then drags a right-footed shot towards the near post that Gomes gets down to hold. It was pretty similar to Bale's goal against Chelsea at White Hart Lane a year ago, except he slammed his in the corner whereas Malouda's was too close to Gomes. 13 min Drogba smashes a storming free-kick off the bar. He was at least 35 yards out, to the left of centre, and he cut across the ball so that it wobbled violently in the air. Gomes leapt to his left and, I think, got the ...

Email rob.smyth@guardian.co.uk with your thoughts Check out all the latest scores here And all the latest live league tables are here Pre order Rob's book if you so desire 3.42pm Anyone out there? 3.38pm "Your comment about Everton is exactly what I've been saying for years," says Sean Moore. "Even my wife agrees with you, and she's currently basking in the glow of the 'King Kenny' Liverpool renaissance, and excitedly awaiting the pre-season spending spree, whilst Moyes (if he decides to put himself through for yet another season) has only the prospect of rummaging around in the lower league bargain basement, whilst trying to protect his star players from the evil clutches of Ferguson, Wenger, Mancini etc to look forward to." I wouldn't be surprised if Moyes takes a job that is ostensibly a step down from Everton. His job is almost a football equivalent of working 65 hours a week merely to earn enough money to survive. I don't kno...

Helicopter carrying royal newlyweds leaves Buckingham Palace for an undisclosed destination after black-tie celebration Married life dawned for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as a helicopter carrying the newlyweds left Buckingham Palace for an undisclosed destination. After spending Friday evening celebrating at the palace with close family and friends, William and Kate are expected to travel abroad for their honeymoon in the next two weeks. St James's Palace said the newlyweds had decided not to depart for their honeymoon immediately and would spend the weekend privately at an undisclosed location in the UK. The prince will return to his job as a search and rescue helicopter pilot next week before the couple finally take their honeymoon. The destination has been shrouded in secrecy the duke reportedly has not even told his bride where they are going but speculation is rife over possible choices. The duke, who has taken a fortnight's leave from his job as an RAF search an...

M11 collision between a coach and lorry forces closure in both directions around junction for Stansted airport Two people have been killed in a crash that closed the M11 in both directions in Essex and Cambridgeshire. Fifty people were on board a coach that was in collision with a lorry on the southbound carriageway in the early hours of the morning. The driver of the lorry and a passenger on the coach died and six people sustained serious injuries, the emergency services said. Others with minor injuries were treated at hospitals in Cambridge, Harlow and Chelmsford. Essex police said: "Three coach passengers have been admitted to hospital and are being treated for back injuries, the severity of which is being established. "Other passengers were taken to hospital as a precaution and have been released. A company coach has taken passengers to their homes or other destinations." The motorway was closed in both directions between junction 8, the turnoff for Stansted airport,...

Muammar Gaddafi says he wants to negotiate with Nato powers, as air strikes hit government complex in Libyan capital Muammar Gaddafi called for a mutual ceasefire and negotiations with Nato powers in a live speech on state TV early on Saturday, while Nato bombs struck a government complex in the Libyan capital. The targeted compound included the state television building, which was not damaged. Gaddafi spoke from an undisclosed location. In his rambling pre-dawn speech, the Libyan leader appeared subdued but defiant, repeatedly pausing as he flipped through handwritten notes. "The door to peace is open," Gaddafi said, sitting behind a desk. "You are the aggressors. We will negotiate with you. Come France, Italy, UK, America, come, we will negotiate with you. Why are you attacking us?" He said Libyans had the right to choose their own political system, but not under the threat of Nato bombings. "Why are you killing our children? Why are you destroying our infras...

The monarchy sidesteps the awkwardness of patriotism and allows us to feel a rare British pride What memory will live on? For those who lined the Mall, painting their faces red, white and blue, or who just stayed home watching on television what will they remember? The kiss on the balcony will be the image replayed in perpetuity, just as it was when William's mother and father married 30 years ago the difference being that this time they looked like a couple genuinely in love. Others will talk about the pageantry, a show no one lays on quite like the British. It's a fair bet that almost no one will remember the words. Even the eyes of the wedding couple wandered during the spoken bits. Yet when the Dean of Westminster invoked a "mystical union", he surely got close to the essence both of the royal wedding and of something much larger. The literal reference was to the bond between Christ and the church, but he could just as easily have been describing the "mysti...

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon's special envoy to Libya has traveled to Benghazi, an opposition stronghold in the east of the country, to meet with representatives of the Libyan opposition, a UN spokesperson saidon Friday, without giving any further details. "On Thursday, the special envoy (Abdul Ilah Al-Khatib) met in Ankara with the Turkish foreign minister and in Rome with the Italian foreign minister to discuss the ongoing crisis in Libya in the framework of the implementation of Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973," Martin Nesirky, the UN spokesperson, said at a daily press briefing. UN Security Council Resolution 1970 imposed an arms embargo against Libya and slapped sanctions on members of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's inner circle. Resolution 1973 authorized a no- fly zone over Libya. Next week, Al-Khatib will brief the Security Council about his activities in support of a peaceful solution for the Libyan conflict, Nesirky said. Meanwhile, the UN Re...

BRUSSELS, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A NATO official said on Friday that the alliance would take a new plan to step up strikes against pro-Gaddafi forces in Libya to protect civilians."Our campaign will now shift targets to hit more pro-Gaddafi troops pressuring civilian centres. You will understand that we cannot and will not disclose the plan; however you will see results in the next few days," Brigadier Rob Weighill, director of operations in Libya, said via video conference from Naples, Italy.Weighill said that NATO had "halted the advance of pro-Gaddafi troops" and "seriously degraded command and control and logistics capabilities."It has been one month since NATO assumed full command of the military campaign in Libya for the United States. However, there is still no end in sight as Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has shown no sign of giving in.In his speech, Weighill also urged patience for NATO's operations, saying "it is important to remembe...

TRIPOLI: Libya's Gaddafi regime offered rebels controlling the port of Misrata an amnesty if they stop fighting, the government spokesman said. A justice ministry statement, cited by spokesman Mussa Ibrahim at a news conference Friday, called on "all armed groups in Misrata to lay down their weapons in exchange for an amnesty". The offer was good until Tuesday, he said, adding the government would allow the fighters to leave Libya's third largest city if they surrender. NATO warships earlier Friday stopped Gaddafi forces from laying anti-ship mines in Misrata's harbour, the alliance said, accusing the regime of trying to disrupt the flow of aid to the city which has been besieged for two months. "The sea-mines were being laid two to three kilometres offshore and in the approaches to Misrata by deliberately sinking the inflatable boats on which they were being carried," NATO said in a statement. Three mines were found early Friday and were being d...

Twenty years after her assault at a college party, Liz Seccuro received a letter of apology from her attacker. The correspondence that followed led her to pursue justice at last It was late summer 2005 and we were about to set out on an extended vacation with our two-year-old daughter, Ava. "Hey, you got a letter," said my husband Mike, tossing it to me like a Frisbee. It smelled faintly of vanilla, nice paper. I ripped it open and began to read the very precise, almost feminine cursive script. Dear Elizabeth: In October 1984 I harmed you. I can scarcely begin to understand the degree to which, in your eyes, my behaviour has affected you in its wake. Still, I stand prepared to hear from you about just how, and in what ways you've been affected; and to begin to set right the wrong I've done, in any way you see fit. Most sincerely yours, Will Beebe In 1984, I arrived, like any other student, at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. An only child, I was the firs...

Forget republicanism the closest Britain got to a revolution is people pushing down barricades and rushing to the palace Whether it was history repeating itself as history, or farce repeating itself as farce, depends entirely on your point of view. The marriage of His Royal Highness Prince William to Catherine Middleton was washed down by that cocktail of fevered excitement and irate lack of interest that constitutes public opinion these days so consider it a day when the country split into two, with each side accusing the other of madness. Much like a standard marital row, in fact. But along with binge-drinking and misplaced self-regard, royal occasions are something at which Britain is undeniably world class, and anyone still poised for a republic is advised to put down their knitting needles. As the cameras trained on the Queen's rather shabby net curtains, awaiting the couple's balcony kiss, one costumed wellwisher told the BBC the crowds had initially been held back. ...