Sunday Mercury

Us Trial for Man Behind 9/11 ; Al Qaeda 'Masterminds' Facing Court Over 2001 Terror Outrage

THE trial of self-confessed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other men accused of plotting the devastating attacks on the Twin Towers got off to a chaotic start yesterday before a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay. The defendants engaged in what appeared to be a concerted silent protest against the proceedings.

Another Tawdry Kiss and Tell Story

FIRST there was JFK, then Bill Clinton. The US presidents were sassy, bright and provided the gossips a forest full of fodder when it came to their private lives.

A True Misfit ...

TALK about life imitating art. Bafta-winning Midland actress Lauren Socha found herself in the dock this week for a drunken assault on an Asian taxi driver.

Stick with That 'Desperate' Look

WHILE Brummie babes have long favoured a more natural look, it appears our Liverpudlian cousins are rethinking their devotion to fake tan and the now infamous "Scouse brow". Beloved by the stars of reality show Desperate Scousewives, the heavily-tanned, heavily-browed look has fallen foul of the organisers of Liverpool Fashion Week, who have outlawed big hair and big brows on the runway.

Do Not Be Blackmailed by His Lover ; Ask Anna the Answer to Your Problems

Q My husband is having an affair. He says he loves me but that the other woman is unstable and has threatened suicide if he leaves her.

Drunk Stabbed Schoolboy

A DRUNK who stabbed a schoolboy in the neck with a carving knife in a shop has been found guilty of attempted murder. Phillip O'Sullivan, 33, from Radford, Warwickshire, attacked the 14-year-old Coventry lad with a stolen blade. Moments earlier, he had accused the schoolboy and his girlfriend of staring at him at a corner shop.

Dismay! ; Cold and Rain Puts Paid to Bank Holiday Festivities

TORRENTIAL rain forced organisers to cancel two Bank Holiday weekend events as overnight temperatures were due to drop below zero today. The May Day festival in Lightwoods Park, Smethwick, West Midlands, and the The Classic Car and Transport Show, near Lichfield in Staffordshire were pulled.

Keeping Up Appearances

WORLD record smasher Dan Magness headed into Birmingham yesterday - while juggling a football in the air. The soccer trickster is on a 10-day record breaking challenge to walk 190 miles between London and Manchester, doing 'keepy-uppys' all the way, to raise money for UNICEF. On Saturday he set off on a 26 mile trek from Coventry to Birmingham's Moor Street Station, keeping the ball in the air the whole time.

Mutilation: 2 Men Quizzed ; Cops Investigate Suspected Genital Cutting

TWO men have been bailed after being arrested in Birmingham over suspected female genital mutilation offences. The pair, aged 55 and 61, were detained by officers from West Midlands Police's public protection unit.

Foster Back in the Frame Now Roy's the Boy

THE one person who Roy Hodgson's appointment could benefit the most is Ben Foster and I think he is in with a real shout of coming back into the England fold - and why not? I think the goalkeeping position is, apart from Joe Hart as No.1, pretty much up for grabs in terms of who is Hart's understudy. I don't think Roy will discount anyone, even those who have said they don't want to play for England again - a new manager means new decisions for players like Foster and Paul Robinson.

Hodgson a Fantastic Choice by Fa to Lead England

IDON'T understand why the national press seem to be against the appointment of Roy Hodgson as England manager - but what's for certain is they are. Roy may not have the support from most of Britain's media but I do know he will have the players' 100 per cent backing and is a very popular choice.

March of the Penguins ; Birds Move in to Pounds 40,000 Enclosure

PENGUINS at a Midland zoo have got those happy feet now they've moved into their newlook enclosure. Veteran animal adopter Muriel Thatcher cut the ribbon to officially open the new pounds 40,000 Penguin Bay on Dudley Zoo's 75th anniversary.

Us Trial for Man Behind 9/11 ; Al Qaeda 'Masterminds' Facing Court Over 2001 Terror Outrage

SELF-CONFESSED 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other men accused of plotting the devastating attacks on the Twin Towers were charged by a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay last night. More than 10 years after Al Qaeda killed almost 3,000 people in the co-ordinated terror assault on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon, the trials of five of the most dangerous men held at Guantanamo began.

Top Job for Car Racing Boss with Drugs Past ; Ex-Con: I'm an Example of the Prison System Working Exclusive

A RACING boss who spent two spells in prison after being caught smuggling drugs worth more than pounds 7 MILLION has come under attack after landing a plum job straight after his release from jail. Vic Lee, 58, who has been a big name in British motorsport since the 1980s, has been caught smuggling cocaine into Britain on two occasions.

Murder Quiz Over Blaze

COPS quizzed a man on suspicion of murder yesterday after a body was found following a house fire in Erdington. A dozen firefighters tackled the blaze at a semi-detached property and a man in his thirties was confirmed dead at the scene. A 32-year-old man walked into a nearby police station with burns on his hands and face, and was arrested on suspicion of murder. He was being treated in hospital last night for his injuries.

Gun Robber Bag Snatch

A TERRIFIED woman was robbed by a thug with a gun in a quiet Midland town. The 28-year-old was walking through Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, at 11pm on Thursday when the mugger struck. She was approached by the man who appeared to have a black handgun.

Crazy World

Mafia Judo Man Jailed

A JUDO black belt who laundered cash for the Russian mob has been jailed for two years. Andrei Vrabii, 26, from Coventry, told police he had withdrawn more than pounds 300,0 from various bank accounts over four years. But the Moldova-born crook became increasingly terrified by his involvement with the mafia and handed himself in to police.

Find Justice for Brum's Pub Victims ; Guildford Four's Gerry Conlon:

A SECOND miscarriage of justice victim is backing a petition calling for the investigation into the 1974 Birmingham Pub Bombings to be re-opened. Gerry Conlon was one of the Guildford Four, who were wrongly jailed for IRA pub bombings which took place in Surrey in the 1970s.

Crazy World