BALI, a tropical island in the Indonesian archipelago, is so picturesque and immaculate it could almost be a painted backdrop.

It has rice paddies tripping down hillsides like giant steps, volcanoes soaring up through the clouds, dense tropical jungle, long sandy beaches, warm blue water, crashing surf and friendly people who don't just have a culture but actually live it. In Bali, spirits come out to play in the moonlight, every night is a festival and even a funeral is an opportunity to have a good time...'

So begins the official tourism website for Bali - Bali-Paradise.com. Today, paradise has been catastrophically torn apart in the name of terrorism and funerals lay ahead for the families of 187 victims.

Immediately, two dreaded words have been applied to the atrocity - al Qaida. Whether Osama bin Laden ordered the bombing remains unknown, but he is widely credited with being the inspiration for another unspeakable act of inhumanity.

September 11 came and went, and fears that the terrorists might use the anniversary for repeat attacks proved unfounded.

But, although weakened by the removal of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, the bombing of Bali - where the people are proud to have preserved their unique Hindu culture against the advance of Islam - shows that the terrorists retain their global reach and ability to attack any corner of the world.

It is a reminder that there can be no let-up in the war against terrorism - and that it is a truly global war, with all countries bearing a responsibility to play a part in building meaningful intelligence on the al Qaida threat.

Racing ahead

FOR a while, she was the nearly woman - but not any more. Paula Radcliffe's place in the list of Britain's greatest athletes is assured.

In shattering the world record marathon time in Chicago yesterday, she sealed a wonderful year in which she her unique head-bobbing style has brought her the World Cross Country title, the Commonwealth 5000m and 10,000m gold medals, and the London Marathon.

The race to be BBC Sports Personality of the Year is surely over too.