● LA LIBRE

Un viol, deux strangulations et un suspect

L'autopsie des corps de Stacy Lemmens (7 ans) et Nathalie Mahy (10 ans), disparues dans la nuit du 9 au 10 juin, a livré ses premiers résultats jeudi. Des constatations médico-légales, «il ressort que Stacy a été maintenue aux deux bras de façon manuelle; qu'elle ne présente aucune lésion évocatrice d'un viol; qu'elle présente des lésions de la région du cou évocatrices d'une strangulation», a fait savoir Mme Bourguignont. La cause probable du décès «est un étouffement avec strangulation». En ce qui concerne Nathalie, sa dépouille -trouvée avec le pantalon baissé- présente «des traces de maintien en région gauche de la nuque et du cou; des lésions de la région du cou évocatrices d'une strangulation; des lésions qui témoignent d'un viol», a dit le procureur, citant la même cause probable de décès et signalant que les traces ne montrent pas si les fillettes ont été traînées ou non.

● SUNDAY HERALD

«Abuse of women is never justified under any circumstances»

Sir Sean Connery last night broke his silence on allegations he condoned violence against women by insisting that abuse could never be justified. The actor told friends yesterday: «I don?t believe that any level of abuse of women is ever justified under any circumstances.» His clarification was made days after he pulled out of an event at the parliament because of Presiding Officer George Reid?s claim he would be grilled about his views towards women.

● BAGHDAD NEWS

The Iraq debate : to stay or to go ?

The disastrous Iraq war has become a grave political embarrassment for US President George W. Bush and his British ally, Prime Minister Tony Blair. It is now the most fundamental issue determining their political fortunes. In Britain, Iraq has ruined Blair's reputation. In the United States, the war is so unpopular that Bush's Republican Party faces the unwelcome prospect of substantial Democratic gains at the mid-term elections on November 7. Bush and Blair would dearly like to escape from the Iraq quagmire but only if they can claim victory. So, what to do? The answer would seem to be a phased «stealthy» withdrawal just enough to silence critics of the war, but not so much as to risk losing control of a strategically-important oil-rich country.

● KASHMIR TIMES

In an inescapable vortex

Once bitten twice shy, India, since the disgraceful return of the IPKF in 1989, has always been reluctant to get involved in the bloody goings-on in the Emereld (now turned red) Island of the East. But, it cannot afford to go against the dictates of both geography and demography. Sri Lanka is so close and so similar to India in so many ways that no government in India can afford to ignore for long the developments there. Having suffered the consequences of partition India is opposed to the creation of a separate Tamil elam in that small island, demanded by the LTTE. It feels that this may trigger similar separatist movements in south India. At the same time, New Delhi cannot remain idle on-lookers to the persecution of the Tamils there, who constitute around 18 % of that island's population.

● SOMALIA NEWS

Gaddafi drives across Sahara for AU summit

Libya?s eccentric «Brother Leader» Muammar Gaddafi was reported to be driving across the Sahara in a convoy on Thursday to arrive in Gambia for the African Union (AU) summit which will start in the capital, Banjul, on Saturday. Four years ago Gaddafi arrived at the first AU summit in Durban after driving almost the entire length of the continent. He has apparently been inspired to do another roadshow by the fact that the summit will be discussing a tighter integration of the sub-regional organisations of the continent to form something like the «United States of Africa», which he has always demanded.