"Is he a conservative disguised as a socialist, the servant of the Americans and the enemy of peace?" asks the blurb of the book, "or the courageous leader of the European left, who has succeeded in forcefully implementing progressive ideals in a long period of government?"Of the striking comparison of Mr Blair and Bin Laden in the review, the book's author said: "I think the comparison is quite grounded. Ireland and Poland were keeping their options open on whether to hold referendums on the European constitution yesterday, anxious not to kill off the treaty before an EU summit next week. But both men are shallow, she says, and in need of bolstering by theoreticians.. Speaking to The Independent yesterday, she added: "Both men refused to be co-opted by their traditions, both were very attractive to the young, both are obsessed with the media, have great personal charm and are great tacticians. For both dealing with their father figures was central in their adolescence. Both are shallow, smooth, fascinating, immoral and the product of elites."The new biography, entitled The Boy - Tony Blair and the Destiny of the Left by Andrea Romano, is to be launched in Rome next week, and is "generally a positive interpretation", according to the author.Mr Blair has been a tantalising figure to the Italian left ever since his first election victory in 1997. A new biography of Tony Blair published this month in Italy has led to the Prime Minister being compared to Osama bin Laden.

The first, for crofters only, returned a 65 per cent majority while the second for all residents, saw 71 per cent in favour.Now that supporters for the buyout have received a mandate from the population of the islands it is up to the Scottish Executive to consider their application and for a fair price to be agreed.. After hundreds of years of living under the estate system, the islanders of South Uist, Eriskay and a large part of Benbecula have voted in favour of trying what could become Scotland's biggest community buyout. In relation to the specific charges, we need to sit down and work out whether there are offences in relation to his action."He doesn't deny that he did infiltrate their computer system.". "Sometimes surprising things happen in your life, so you have to take it just as it comes," says Magdalena Kozena. All four men denied knowing or suspecting that some of the money they handled came from crime.The question of whether Shahid Bhatti should face a retrial has yet to be decided..

A British man was granted bail today over allegations that he hacked into the US military computer system causing damage worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. The judges also ordered that, in the event of the Crown losing any appeal to the law lords, at least three of the men should face retrial on conspiracy charges.Conditions were set for the defendants' release on bail. The money was alleged to have been laundered through Watan Travel, a legitimate travel agency and money transfer business with shops in Bradford and Birmingham.Ali and Hussain were each jailed for 12 years Khan received eight years. Martin Bethel QC, counsel for the Crown, told the judges their decision would have a "wide knock-on effect" on other conspiracy cases, including handling stolen property. It might also result in a large number of appeals by people convicted in the past on the basis of reasonable suspicion.The judges said the case was of such public importance that they would grant permission for the Crown to seek leave to appeal to the House of Lords.