The assassination of Benazir Bhutto threatens to plunge a nuclear armed Pakistan into civil war, opposition groups warned today.

The former prime minister was killed by a suicide bomber as she left a public rally in the city of Rawalpindi today.

Commentators said the killing would make the postponement of the upcoming elections almost certain and could spark further unrest.

"Forgive me, my daughter, as I burden your little back with milestones as heavy as rocks and sadness and woes as large and wide as the mountains and land? If only you could understand that the homeland is more precious than your beautiful eyes "Forgive me, Noor, for you have no place in your mother's lap. They killed your mother and crushed my dreams and hers? and you were the victim! "Forgive me, my daughter, that I was never someone you could be proud of. I was not a doctor or an engineer. I was not even highly educated, but I loved and worshipped you just as I adore and breathe the soil of our homeland. I only hope that one day when you are older and wiser you will be proud of me. This is my wish for you my daughter so listen carefully and understand?You will take on the responsibility of jihad after me. I want to meet you in heaven, God willing, as a mother of men who liberated Baghdad. "There must be a price? there must be a price? and you my little one will pay that price..!

From the page:

-- A senior Sri Lankan army general was assassinated on Monday by a suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber just east of the capital, police and military said. --

-- A German woman who converted to Islam has been placed under surveillance after police thwarted an attempt by her to travel to Iraq as a suicide bomber, media reports said.

The 40-year-old, identified only as Sonja B., is one of three German women said to have used the internet to disclose their intention to carry out missions against US soldiers.

Police reportedly prevented them leaving Germany in April.

Sonja B., who lives in Berlin, was admitted to a psychiatric clinic after police were unable to obtain an arrest warrant because of lack of evidence against her, the reports said.

She was released after two weeks, but authorities took her two-year-old son Abdullah into care, fearing that she might use the child to carry out her plan. --