Snip from CNN:

British police confirmed Saturday that they had raided a series of Internet cafes in their investigation into an alleged plot to blow up as many as 10 trans-Atlantic aircraft.

There was no confirmation of any arrests in the raids in London, Birmingham and the Thames Valley region, west of the capital. The raids came as links to suspected terror operatives in Pakistan -- possibly connected to al Qaeda -- were emerging Saturday as key elements of the investigation.

Suspects in the UK received a coded message from Pakistan to "attack now" as authorities there closed in on them, security sources have told CNN.

Link to CNN story. The local paper in the town where one of these cafes is located reports:

Officers swooped on Asian Spice in Wokingham Road, taking away hard drives and the café’s main server at around 3.30pm. The raid lasted around two to three hours. Saleem Cheema, aged 52, manager of Asian Spice, which also serves food, said: “We were out the back when they [the police] just came barging in.

“They showed their badges. Three of them were in uniform, the other three were in suits. They said, ‘We are from the Flying Squad and we are here under the Terrorism Act, we have got a warrant to search the place’, which they did.

“They have taken six hard drives and my main server. I was scared. I’m laughing now but at the time you get panicky. Somebody must have done something here on the net.”

Link

Speaking of CNN, a reader email there indicates that if you're gellin', you're no longer flyin'.

I was not allowed to board a plane from Fresno to [San Francisco] yesterday (August 10) because my shoe insole was supposedly made of "gel".

Ragui Michael
San Francisco

Nick sez, "The ban on carry-on hand luggage has now hit Russian musicians from the Bolshoi Theatre, heading back to Russia from a season in London. Priceless violins now have to be stored in the hold or not taken at all, so the Bolshoi is having to take the train back to Russia. The violinists are contractually bound not to part from their instruments." Link (Thanks, Nick!)

Today on the Wondermark webcomic: trenchant commentary on the prohibition on liquids on airplanes. Link (Thanks, Fipi Lele!)

Here's a great reason that the (on-again/off-again, oft-bandied) NYC ban on subway photography sucks -- breathtaking and comic photos like this one from Flickr user gothamistllc of the waterfall at Penn Station last night. Link (Thanks, Fipi Lele!)

This is a wonderful 404 screen inspired by Senator Stevens' infamous "Internet of Tubes" gaffe. Link (via Digg)

The RIAA brought a file-sharing lawsuit against a guy who died; they offered the departed's family a 60-day grieving period before they began to depose his children for the suit against his estate.

3. Plaintiffs do not believe it appropriate to discuss a resolution of the case with the family so close to Mr. Scantlebury’s passing. Plaintiffs therefore request a stay of 60 days to allow the family additional time to grieve.

4. In the event the parties do not reach a resolution with Mr. Scantlebury’s estate or the other family members involved, Plaintiffs anticipate amending the complaint following depositions of members of Mr. Scantlebury’s family.

Link (Thanks, Glyn!)