Six In he Morning

Shattered residents regroup after Syrian offensive in Idlib

They describe a government onslaught marked by bouts of terror, wanton destruction behind closed doors and strange moments of kindness by soldiers.

By Los Angeles Times Staff March 24, 2012
Reporting from Idlib, Syria— In a playground of slides and swings, children dug in the sand next to a string of simple dirt mounds that covered the bodies of at least 40 people. The makeshift graves, which extended nearly from one end of the park to the other, held those killed in the last two weeks of government attacks on this capital of the northern Syrian province of Idlib. "This park used to be for recreation and play. Now it has been turned into a cemetery," a grandmother said, wiping her eyes as she walked along the park's fence. Four members of her family are buried here.

Police accused of failures over Toulouse terror deaths
Islamist killer who died in shootout with officers could have been captured earlier, and taken alive, say critics

John Lichfield Author Biography Paris Saturday 24 March 2012
Mohamed Merah may be dead but the political crossfire over his 12-day reign of terror in south-west France rages on. Awkward questions were raised yesterday by opposition politicians, a retired police chief and President Nicolas Sarkozy's Defence Minister over the failure of the security services and police to identify the gunman earlier and capture him alive.

Havana Gets a Taste of the Free Market
Inhabitants of the communist bastion of Cuba have been getting a taste of the free market lately with the introduction of market reforms by President Raúl Castro. The Catholic Church is supporting his endeavor, and Pope Benedict's visit could boost efforts to open up the country.

By Jens Glüsing in Havana
The vehicle Juan Perez calls his Audi is a blue two-seater with seats made of imitation leather. The passenger has to do without an airbag and a seatbelt. Indeed, about the only thing it really shares in common with the German car brand are the four rings on the handlebar meant to look like the Audi logo. "Do you like my Audi?" Perez asks, throwing his weight into the pedals of his bicycle-powered rickshaw. He dreams of owning an A4 with air-conditioning and alloy rims.

Bloggers use Teletubbies to evade Chinese censors


Tania Branigan March 24, 2012
TV's Teletubbies, tomatoes and instant noodles might not sound like the stuff of high political intrigue, but this motley grouping has allowed microbloggers in China to evade censorship and speculate on trouble at the top of government. With facts in short supply since leadership contender Bo Xilai was dismissed as party chief of Chongqing, in south-west central China, last week, the online rumour mill has been in overdrive - fuelled by the opaque nature of Chinese politics and the knowledge that a power transition is fast approaching. Internet users disguise their references by using nicknames for the leaders they cannot mention.

Liberia's Sirleaf throws hat into anti-gay controversy
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace Laureate, on Friday defended her country's stand on gay rights after controversy following an interview she gave to a British newspaper.

MONROVIA, LIBERIA
Sirleaf came under fire after the Guardian published a video interview in which she is asked about decriminalising homosexuality and replies: "We like ourselves the way we are." Looking uncomfortable at the line of questioning, Sirleaf goes on to say she would not sign any law whatsoever relating to homosexuality. "We've got certain traditional values in our society that we would like to preserve," she says.

Occupy Wall Street plans return to spotlight – but in what form?
Demonstrators torn over whether to concentrate on economic inequality or to move towards protesting police brutality

Ryan Devereaux guardian.co.uk, Saturday 24 March 2012 01.38 GMT
Occupy Wall Street returned to the public spotlight this week following the largest mass arrest of its supporters since the movement was evicted from its home base in November. Last weekend's events, including a female protester apparently having a seizure while handcuffed – combined with numerous accounts of excessive police force – have been described by many protesters as some of the most violent in Occupy history. A New York Daily News reporter on the scene said the New York City police was "out of control". This weekend, occupiers plan to push back.