Bunting, barbecues and bin-liners fly off the shelves for the spring party season The nation’s celebrations for the royal wedding and the long bank holiday weekend prompted a splurge in sales of picnic food, bunting, champagne, wine and barbecues. Waitrose reported a 23% rise in sales in the week to last Saturday, compared with the week following Easter last year. Bunting, union flags, paper plates and cups quickly sold out before Kate and William’s big day. The upmarket grocer’s royal trifle, created by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal, also sold out. Meanwhile many customers made their own and sales of trifle sponges were up 370%. Post-party clean-ups prompted soaring sales of bin liners, foil and cling film. “The weather, the royal wedding and extra bank holiday combined mean that it’s been a good weekend for food and DIY retailers,” said Sarah Cordey of the British Retail Consortium. “There was a lot of promotional activity.” The unusually hot Easter weekend also provided a big boost, “not just in terms of people eating out but also new seasonal fashion,” she added. The BRC releases its latest retail sales figures next Tuesday. On the day before the wedding, Waitrose enjoyed its strongest sales on a Thursday outside the Christmas and new year period. This follows a record pre-Easter week, when sales climbed by 10.6% compared with the week before Easter last year. “The celebratory mood that swept the nation drove another week of strong sales, with the mid-week days showing particularly impressive uplifts as people got ready for royal wedding parties and the long weekend,” said Waitrose’s managing director Mark Price. “We’ve seen a wave of entertaining across the country, which would only be rivalled by the Christmas and new year period.” Retail industry Royal wedding DIY Supermarkets Julia Kollewe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Bunting, barbecues and bin-liners fly off the shelves for the spring party season The nation’s celebrations for the royal wedding and the long bank holiday weekend prompted a splurge in sales of picnic food, bunting, champagne, wine and barbecues. Waitrose reported a 23% rise in sales in the week to last Saturday, compared with the week following Easter last year. Bunting, union flags, paper plates and cups quickly sold out before Kate and William’s big day. The upmarket grocer’s royal trifle, created by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal, also sold out. Meanwhile many customers made their own and sales of trifle sponges were up 370%. Post-party clean-ups prompted soaring sales of bin liners, foil and cling film. “The weather, the royal wedding and extra bank holiday combined mean that it’s been a good weekend for food and DIY retailers,” said Sarah Cordey of the British Retail Consortium. “There was a lot of promotional activity.” The unusually hot Easter weekend also provided a big boost, “not just in terms of people eating out but also new seasonal fashion,” she added. The BRC releases its latest retail sales figures next Tuesday. On the day before the wedding, Waitrose enjoyed its strongest sales on a Thursday outside the Christmas and new year period. This follows a record pre-Easter week, when sales climbed by 10.6% compared with the week before Easter last year. “The celebratory mood that swept the nation drove another week of strong sales, with the mid-week days showing particularly impressive uplifts as people got ready for royal wedding parties and the long weekend,” said Waitrose’s managing director Mark Price. “We’ve seen a wave of entertaining across the country, which would only be rivalled by the Christmas and new year period.” Retail industry Royal wedding DIY Supermarkets Julia Kollewe guardian.co.uk
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Bin Laden dead after shoot-out in Abbottabad compound then buried at sea as US tells al-Qaida: ‘You cannot defeat us’ America’s war with al-Qaida will not stop with the death of its leader, Osama bin Laden, Hillary Clinton has warned, telling the terrorist network: “You cannot wait us out; you cannot defeat us.” Bin Laden, the world’s most wanted man, was killed in a helicopter raid by US special forces on a fortified compound in a well-off suburb of Islamabad around 1am local time on Monday. The al-Qaida leader resisted arrest and was killed by a gunshot to the head, US officials said. A US national security official said the special forces team had orders to kill rather than capture the fugitive. He was buried at sea shortly afterwards , the US said, in part to conform to Islamic demands for burial within 24 hours, in part to avoid his grave site becoming a shrine. “There are some who doubted that this day would ever come,” said Clinton, the US secretary of state. “[But] the fight continues and we will never waiver.” She thanked the US armed forces for “tirelessly and relentlessly” working to bring Bin Laden to justice, praising a “broad, deep and very impressive effort”. Jubilant crowds chanting “USA! USA!” gathered outside the White House and at Ground Zero in New York after the announcement of Bin Laden’s death, which ended a decade-long manhunt. But the fact that the terrorist was found not in a cave in the wild tribal regions of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border but in a conspicuously fortified compound close to the Pakistani capital represents a considerable embarrassment for the Pakistani government . The compound, in the comfortable garrison town of Abbottabad, is less than a mile from the Pakistani military’s main training academy. A senior US administration official said: “When we saw the compound, we were shocked by what we saw: an extraordinarily unique compound.”. The building, about eight times the size of other nearby houses, had walls 4-6 metres (12-18ft) high, topped with barbed wire. US officials said the Pakistani government was not informed in advance of the raid, and that President Asif Ali Zardari had been informed of it in a telephone call from Obama only once the operation was over. Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan’s top opposition leader, told the Guardian: “It is very worrying that after 10 years this man could only be captured in an operation that was kept secret from the Pakistani intelligence service. Just a few weeks ago, the Pakistanis were insisting that the US military and intelligence operations should be stopped in Pakistan and their agents should leave the country.” The 40-minute raid reportedly involved elite members of the US Navy Seals Team Six, a top counter-terrorism unit. Three other men, including one of Bin Laden’s adult sons, were also killed, along with a woman who had been used as a shield by one of the terrorist leader’s associates, according to the officials. Footage purportedly taken inside the compound after the raid showed bloodstained carpets in one of its bedrooms. Eyewitnesses said a number of unidentified males were removed from the compound by helicopter, while two women and four children were arrested and driven away in an ambulance. The al-Qaida leader’s death was announced by Obama in an address to the nation late on Sunday. Bin Laden had been killed by “a small team of Americans” after a “targeted operation”, he said. “On nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al-Qaida’s terror: justice has been done.”. The raid had followed an eight-month intelligence operation, Obama said. His predecessor, George W Bush, whose presidency was defined by the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and by his failure to capture or kill Bin Laden, said: “This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: no matter how long it takes, justice will be done.” While the death of Bin Laden has immeasurable symbolic significance, questions have been raised over the extent to which his removal will affect the activities of the al-Qaida network, of which, according to experts on Islamist terrorism, he has for some years been no more than a figurehead. The director of the CIA warned that al-Qaida will “almost certainly” try to avenge his killing. “Though Bin Laden is dead, al-Qaida is not,” said Leon Panetta, who personally directed the raid. “The terrorists almost certainly will attempt to avenge him, and we must – and will – remain vigilant and resolute.” US embassies and military bases around the world have been put on high alert against possible reprisal attacks. The British foreign secretary, William Hague, said British embassies had also been advised to adopt heightened security measures “for some time to come”. “This is a very serious blow to al-Qaida but, like any organisation that has suffered a serious blow, they will want to show in some way that they are still able to operate,” he said. David Cameron hailed the death of Bin Laden as a “massive step forward” in the fight against terrorism. In a statement, the prime minister said: “The news that Osama bin Laden is dead will bring great relief to people across the world.” al-Qaida Global terrorism United States Pakistan Barack Obama Esther Addley Ewen MacAskill Jon Boone guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Bin Laden dead after shoot-out in Abbottabad compound then buried at sea as US tells al-Qaida: ‘You cannot defeat us’ America’s war with al-Qaida will not stop with the death of its leader, Osama bin Laden, Hillary Clinton has warned, telling the terrorist network: “You cannot wait us out; you cannot defeat us.” Bin Laden, the world’s most wanted man, was killed in a helicopter raid by US special forces on a fortified compound in a well-off suburb of Islamabad around 1am local time on Monday. The al-Qaida leader resisted arrest and was killed by a gunshot to the head, US officials said. A US national security official said the special forces team had orders to kill rather than capture the fugitive. He was buried at sea shortly afterwards , the US said, in part to conform to Islamic demands for burial within 24 hours, in part to avoid his grave site becoming a shrine. “There are some who doubted that this day would ever come,” said Clinton, the US secretary of state. “[But] the fight continues and we will never waiver.” She thanked the US armed forces for “tirelessly and relentlessly” working to bring Bin Laden to justice, praising a “broad, deep and very impressive effort”. Jubilant crowds chanting “USA! USA!” gathered outside the White House and at Ground Zero in New York after the announcement of Bin Laden’s death, which ended a decade-long manhunt. But the fact that the terrorist was found not in a cave in the wild tribal regions of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border but in a conspicuously fortified compound close to the Pakistani capital represents a considerable embarrassment for the Pakistani government . The compound, in the comfortable garrison town of Abbottabad, is less than a mile from the Pakistani military’s main training academy. A senior US administration official said: “When we saw the compound, we were shocked by what we saw: an extraordinarily unique compound.”. The building, about eight times the size of other nearby houses, had walls 4-6 metres (12-18ft) high, topped with barbed wire. US officials said the Pakistani government was not informed in advance of the raid, and that President Asif Ali Zardari had been informed of it in a telephone call from Obama only once the operation was over. Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan’s top opposition leader, told the Guardian: “It is very worrying that after 10 years this man could only be captured in an operation that was kept secret from the Pakistani intelligence service. Just a few weeks ago, the Pakistanis were insisting that the US military and intelligence operations should be stopped in Pakistan and their agents should leave the country.” The 40-minute raid reportedly involved elite members of the US Navy Seals Team Six, a top counter-terrorism unit. Three other men, including one of Bin Laden’s adult sons, were also killed, along with a woman who had been used as a shield by one of the terrorist leader’s associates, according to the officials. Footage purportedly taken inside the compound after the raid showed bloodstained carpets in one of its bedrooms. Eyewitnesses said a number of unidentified males were removed from the compound by helicopter, while two women and four children were arrested and driven away in an ambulance. The al-Qaida leader’s death was announced by Obama in an address to the nation late on Sunday. Bin Laden had been killed by “a small team of Americans” after a “targeted operation”, he said. “On nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al-Qaida’s terror: justice has been done.”. The raid had followed an eight-month intelligence operation, Obama said. His predecessor, George W Bush, whose presidency was defined by the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and by his failure to capture or kill Bin Laden, said: “This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: no matter how long it takes, justice will be done.” While the death of Bin Laden has immeasurable symbolic significance, questions have been raised over the extent to which his removal will affect the activities of the al-Qaida network, of which, according to experts on Islamist terrorism, he has for some years been no more than a figurehead. The director of the CIA warned that al-Qaida will “almost certainly” try to avenge his killing. “Though Bin Laden is dead, al-Qaida is not,” said Leon Panetta, who personally directed the raid. “The terrorists almost certainly will attempt to avenge him, and we must – and will – remain vigilant and resolute.” US embassies and military bases around the world have been put on high alert against possible reprisal attacks. The British foreign secretary, William Hague, said British embassies had also been advised to adopt heightened security measures “for some time to come”. “This is a very serious blow to al-Qaida but, like any organisation that has suffered a serious blow, they will want to show in some way that they are still able to operate,” he said. David Cameron hailed the death of Bin Laden as a “massive step forward” in the fight against terrorism. In a statement, the prime minister said: “The news that Osama bin Laden is dead will bring great relief to people across the world.” al-Qaida Global terrorism United States Pakistan Barack Obama Esther Addley Ewen MacAskill Jon Boone guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Bin Laden dead after shoot-out in Abbottabad compound then buried at sea as US tells al-Qaida: ‘You cannot defeat us’ America’s war with al-Qaida will not stop with the death of its leader, Osama bin Laden, Hillary Clinton has warned, telling the terrorist network: “You cannot wait us out; you cannot defeat us.” Bin Laden, the world’s most wanted man, was killed in a helicopter raid by US special forces on a fortified compound in a well-off suburb of Islamabad around 1am local time on Monday. The al-Qaida leader resisted arrest and was killed by a gunshot to the head, US officials said. A US national security official said the special forces team had orders to kill rather than capture the fugitive. He was buried at sea shortly afterwards , the US said, in part to conform to Islamic demands for burial within 24 hours, in part to avoid his grave site becoming a shrine. “There are some who doubted that this day would ever come,” said Clinton, the US secretary of state. “[But] the fight continues and we will never waiver.” She thanked the US armed forces for “tirelessly and relentlessly” working to bring Bin Laden to justice, praising a “broad, deep and very impressive effort”. Jubilant crowds chanting “USA! USA!” gathered outside the White House and at Ground Zero in New York after the announcement of Bin Laden’s death, which ended a decade-long manhunt. But the fact that the terrorist was found not in a cave in the wild tribal regions of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border but in a conspicuously fortified compound close to the Pakistani capital represents a considerable embarrassment for the Pakistani government . The compound, in the comfortable garrison town of Abbottabad, is less than a mile from the Pakistani military’s main training academy. A senior US administration official said: “When we saw the compound, we were shocked by what we saw: an extraordinarily unique compound.”. The building, about eight times the size of other nearby houses, had walls 4-6 metres (12-18ft) high, topped with barbed wire. US officials said the Pakistani government was not informed in advance of the raid, and that President Asif Ali Zardari had been informed of it in a telephone call from Obama only once the operation was over. Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan’s top opposition leader, told the Guardian: “It is very worrying that after 10 years this man could only be captured in an operation that was kept secret from the Pakistani intelligence service. Just a few weeks ago, the Pakistanis were insisting that the US military and intelligence operations should be stopped in Pakistan and their agents should leave the country.” The 40-minute raid reportedly involved elite members of the US Navy Seals Team Six, a top counter-terrorism unit. Three other men, including one of Bin Laden’s adult sons, were also killed, along with a woman who had been used as a shield by one of the terrorist leader’s associates, according to the officials. Footage purportedly taken inside the compound after the raid showed bloodstained carpets in one of its bedrooms. Eyewitnesses said a number of unidentified males were removed from the compound by helicopter, while two women and four children were arrested and driven away in an ambulance. The al-Qaida leader’s death was announced by Obama in an address to the nation late on Sunday. Bin Laden had been killed by “a small team of Americans” after a “targeted operation”, he said. “On nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al-Qaida’s terror: justice has been done.”. The raid had followed an eight-month intelligence operation, Obama said. His predecessor, George W Bush, whose presidency was defined by the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and by his failure to capture or kill Bin Laden, said: “This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: no matter how long it takes, justice will be done.” While the death of Bin Laden has immeasurable symbolic significance, questions have been raised over the extent to which his removal will affect the activities of the al-Qaida network, of which, according to experts on Islamist terrorism, he has for some years been no more than a figurehead. The director of the CIA warned that al-Qaida will “almost certainly” try to avenge his killing. “Though Bin Laden is dead, al-Qaida is not,” said Leon Panetta, who personally directed the raid. “The terrorists almost certainly will attempt to avenge him, and we must – and will – remain vigilant and resolute.” US embassies and military bases around the world have been put on high alert against possible reprisal attacks. The British foreign secretary, William Hague, said British embassies had also been advised to adopt heightened security measures “for some time to come”. “This is a very serious blow to al-Qaida but, like any organisation that has suffered a serious blow, they will want to show in some way that they are still able to operate,” he said. David Cameron hailed the death of Bin Laden as a “massive step forward” in the fight against terrorism. In a statement, the prime minister said: “The news that Osama bin Laden is dead will bring great relief to people across the world.” al-Qaida Global terrorism United States Pakistan Barack Obama Esther Addley Ewen MacAskill Jon Boone guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Bin Laden dead after shoot-out in Abbottabad compound then buried at sea as US tells al-Qaida: ‘You cannot defeat us’ America’s war with al-Qaida will not stop with the death of its leader, Osama bin Laden, Hillary Clinton has warned, telling the terrorist network: “You cannot wait us out; you cannot defeat us.” Bin Laden, the world’s most wanted man, was killed in a helicopter raid by US special forces on a fortified compound in a well-off suburb of Islamabad around 1am local time on Monday. The al-Qaida leader resisted arrest and was killed by a gunshot to the head, US officials said. A US national security official said the special forces team had orders to kill rather than capture the fugitive. He was buried at sea shortly afterwards , the US said, in part to conform to Islamic demands for burial within 24 hours, in part to avoid his grave site becoming a shrine. “There are some who doubted that this day would ever come,” said Clinton, the US secretary of state. “[But] the fight continues and we will never waiver.” She thanked the US armed forces for “tirelessly and relentlessly” working to bring Bin Laden to justice, praising a “broad, deep and very impressive effort”. Jubilant crowds chanting “USA! USA!” gathered outside the White House and at Ground Zero in New York after the announcement of Bin Laden’s death, which ended a decade-long manhunt. But the fact that the terrorist was found not in a cave in the wild tribal regions of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border but in a conspicuously fortified compound close to the Pakistani capital represents a considerable embarrassment for the Pakistani government . The compound, in the comfortable garrison town of Abbottabad, is less than a mile from the Pakistani military’s main training academy. A senior US administration official said: “When we saw the compound, we were shocked by what we saw: an extraordinarily unique compound.”. The building, about eight times the size of other nearby houses, had walls 4-6 metres (12-18ft) high, topped with barbed wire. US officials said the Pakistani government was not informed in advance of the raid, and that President Asif Ali Zardari had been informed of it in a telephone call from Obama only once the operation was over. Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan’s top opposition leader, told the Guardian: “It is very worrying that after 10 years this man could only be captured in an operation that was kept secret from the Pakistani intelligence service. Just a few weeks ago, the Pakistanis were insisting that the US military and intelligence operations should be stopped in Pakistan and their agents should leave the country.” The 40-minute raid reportedly involved elite members of the US Navy Seals Team Six, a top counter-terrorism unit. Three other men, including one of Bin Laden’s adult sons, were also killed, along with a woman who had been used as a shield by one of the terrorist leader’s associates, according to the officials. Footage purportedly taken inside the compound after the raid showed bloodstained carpets in one of its bedrooms. Eyewitnesses said a number of unidentified males were removed from the compound by helicopter, while two women and four children were arrested and driven away in an ambulance. The al-Qaida leader’s death was announced by Obama in an address to the nation late on Sunday. Bin Laden had been killed by “a small team of Americans” after a “targeted operation”, he said. “On nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al-Qaida’s terror: justice has been done.”. The raid had followed an eight-month intelligence operation, Obama said. His predecessor, George W Bush, whose presidency was defined by the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and by his failure to capture or kill Bin Laden, said: “This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: no matter how long it takes, justice will be done.” While the death of Bin Laden has immeasurable symbolic significance, questions have been raised over the extent to which his removal will affect the activities of the al-Qaida network, of which, according to experts on Islamist terrorism, he has for some years been no more than a figurehead. The director of the CIA warned that al-Qaida will “almost certainly” try to avenge his killing. “Though Bin Laden is dead, al-Qaida is not,” said Leon Panetta, who personally directed the raid. “The terrorists almost certainly will attempt to avenge him, and we must – and will – remain vigilant and resolute.” US embassies and military bases around the world have been put on high alert against possible reprisal attacks. The British foreign secretary, William Hague, said British embassies had also been advised to adopt heightened security measures “for some time to come”. “This is a very serious blow to al-Qaida but, like any organisation that has suffered a serious blow, they will want to show in some way that they are still able to operate,” he said. David Cameron hailed the death of Bin Laden as a “massive step forward” in the fight against terrorism. In a statement, the prime minister said: “The news that Osama bin Laden is dead will bring great relief to people across the world.” al-Qaida Global terrorism United States Pakistan Barack Obama Esther Addley Ewen MacAskill Jon Boone guardian.co.uk
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There was perhaps no place more fitting to go than the place where it all began. As President Obama wrapped up his remarks, confirming the death of public enemy No.1, Osama bin Laden, a few people started to gather at New York’s Ground Zero. They kept coming. By the time a man shimmied up a
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enlarge Jon Huntsman is the only potential Republican candidate who isn’t too extreme to win in the general election. But how can he get past the fringe-dominated primaries? My guess is that the big-money GOP party bosses like Karl Rove will push out the less desirable Republican nominees and throw their weight behind a Huntsman candidacy: WASHINGTON — U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman is returning to the United States this weekend amid speculation that he could be mounting a Republican campaign for the White House. Huntsman, a former Utah governor who joined President Barack Obama’s administration in 2009, officially completes his work as the nation’s top diplomat in China this week. Huntsman will be meeting with advisers on Monday to discuss his future , according to a person familiar with his schedule. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about Huntsman’s presidential plans. Federal laws have barred Huntsman from taking any steps toward a campaign until his diplomatic duties are complete. But supporters have created a campaign in waiting should he decide to pursue the presidency. Next month, Huntsman plans to deliver commencement addresses at universities in South Carolina and New Hampshire, two key primary states. Conservatives play a large role in early primaries and Huntsman could face criticism among the GOP faithful for joining the Obama administration. If he decides to run, Huntsman will need to address two main questions: Why did he decide to work for the Obama administration, and why is he now seeking to unseat his former boss? “May is going to be the Huntsman month, where he really comes on the scene,” said Scott Reed, a Republican strategist who managed Sen. Bob Dole’s presidential campaign in 1996. “He needs to square the issue about how he served in the Obama administration. He needs to get it right and he needs to get it right quickly and then he needs to move on why he’s running for president. ”
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enlarge Credit: Twitter The above tweet is what Patrick Ruffini thought of after the news broke of OBL’s demise. Republicans will be scrambling all this week to proclaim that George Bush was the real hero in all of this. Too bad. Ruffini happens to be the webmaster for the Bush and Cheney campaign in 2004 . I think most Republicans threw away their Bush paraphernalia a long time ago. But we didn’t forget this one. enlarge Credit: AP Mission Accomplished Maybe the next Obama conspiracy theory will be about how they planned this to happen on the eighth anniversary of Bush’s flight-suit-codpiece gig. Heck, Drudge already thinks this was a plot to upstage Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice” show.
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enlarge Credit: Twitter The above tweet is what Patrick Ruffini thought of after the news broke of OBL’s demise. Republicans will be scrambling all this week to proclaim that George Bush was the real hero in all of this. Too bad. Ruffini happens to be the webmaster for the Bush and Cheney campaign in 2004 . I think most Republicans threw away their Bush paraphernalia a long time ago. But we didn’t forget this one. enlarge Credit: AP Mission Accomplished Maybe the next Obama conspiracy theory will be about how they planned this to happen on the eighth anniversary of Bush’s flight-suit-codpiece gig. Heck, Drudge already thinks this was a plot to upstage Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice” show.
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