Boy Scout Prepared For Attack

In Sri Lanka the president of the Maldives was saved from assassination when a 15-year-old boy scout grabbed the knife of an attacker who had jumped out of the crowd.

President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom only had his shirt ripped when the attacker tried to stab him before the boy and security guards intervened during a visit on the small island of Horafushi.

Mohamed Jaisham Ibrahim, had been lined up to welcome the president. The boy's hand was injured by the knife but was soon treated.

Boy scouts in the Maldives are similar to their U.S. counterparts, receiving training in first aid, unarmed combat, rat neutering and participating in activities such as camping it up and rubbing their sticks together .

Like in the U.S., their motto is "Be prepared." The boy had already earned his "close quarter combat" badge and is now working towards his "avoiding being killed by annoyed Islamic extremists " badge.

The attacker had wrapped the knife in a Maldives national flag as he stood among the crowd. His name was Mohamed Murshid aged 20. No motive was given but police suspect he was a fan of the Taliban as he had all their records and posters up in his bedroom.

Pakistan's president Musharraf has denied all knowledge of the attack and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said: "It was probably America who is to blame for the attack" while former US presidential failure Al Gore said it was Global warming and the issue had to be addressed immediately by purchasing his DVD "An Inconvenient Spoof."