BOWING to pressure from two key allies in the US-declared war on terrorism, the Pentagon said it would not seek the death penalty in any military trials held for two British subjects or an Australian national held at Guantanamo Bay.

The Australian government warned today that a “credible” terrorism threat linked to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network had been made against the country.

A SHOOTING rampage

The Australian government today said it may use force to end a tense standoff with about 300 armed asylum seekers who rioted and torched a building at a remote detention camp over the weekend.

More than 300 detainees armed with knives and sharpened broomsticks were in a stand-off against security guards tonight at an illegal-immigrant detention centre in Australia’s remote northwest, officials said.

The largest international conference on illegal immigration was drawing to a close in Bali today, with promises of tougher laws and closer police co-operation to combat people smuggling.

The Australian Government said today the jailing of a British man for smuggling the drug Ecstasy would send a powerful message that Australia was not an easy target for drug traffickers.

A court today ordered the extradition to Latvia of an 87-year-old man accused of committing war crimes as a member of a Nazi death squad the first such action by an Australian court.