Kim Dotcom To Launch New File Sharing Megasite

What Are Cyberlockers?

Updated: 12:48pm UK, Saturday 19 January 2013

Cyberlockers are also known as cloud storage or file storage services, which enable users to keep files, or back them up, on the Internet.

Users can access files from these virtual storage lockers, which operate on remote servers, from any computer with an internet connection, often more quickly than on personal computers.

Many of these sites offer limited free storage, and users can pay for more capacity through subscriptions.

:: What are they used for?

Like cloud storage services, users can use cyberlockers to store photos, documents, music and video files, which are often too large to save on personal computers.

Users can grant access to these files at their discretion, while many sites enable users to search for content.

Many cloud storage services are promoted as a business tool to enable several people to access shared files, while cyberlockers often refer to services for individual use. Both are interchangeable in their uses.

:: Why are they controversial?

The entertainment industry has been a vocal opponent of cyberlockers containing copyrighted films and music, arguing that it is illegal to distribute such material without their consent.

Site operators say they cannot be held responsible for any illegally obtained content as it is impossible for them to monitor the massive number of files stored on their servers.

They say they do not knowingly enable users to store and share illegal material.

Sites offer a "take-down" feature which enables copyright holders to order cyberlocker users? Or the locker operator?  to remove unpermissioned content. The understanding is that any delay or refusal to act may make the cyberlocker?? liable for such content.

:: What role does encryption play?

Encrypted files feature a code designed to stop the file being hacked. Some cyberlockers offer this feature to guarantee users privacy of their files.

Many in the technology and security industries see considerable merits to file encryption, as it would secure large files, including government documents, stored on offshore servers.

While protecting the privacy of files, encryption also enables users to conceal them. Mega, Kim Dotcom's cyberlocker to be launched on January 20 features a file encryption system which will enable users to encode their files before storing them on the Mega servers.

Once the file is encrypted and stored, they are accessible only using a decryption key which the fileholder alone will control.

As a result, Dotcom claims that the fileholder will be solely responsible for the content stored on Mega, and that the
site operator cannot be held liable for content as it will nothave access to any of the files stored in the cyberlocker.

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Boeing Dreamliner Deliveries Halted

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Timeline

Updated: 1:50am UK, Saturday 19 January 2013

The turbulent history of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

Jan 19, 2013: Boeing says it is stopping deliveries of the Dreamliner to airlines.

Jan 18, 2013: US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials arrive in Japan to examine a 787 and its melted battery pack after an All Nippon Air (ANA) emergency landing two days earlier

Jan 17, 2013: The European Aviation Safety Agency,  FAA and Qatar Airways ground Dreamliners under their regulatory control

Jan 16, 2013: Japan Air Lines Co Ltd (JAL) follows suit and suspends Dreamliner flights from Japan over safety concerns

Jan 16, 2013: ANA grounds all 17 of its 787s after four of its aircraft suffer problems

Jan 16, 2013: ANA 787 Dreamliner makes emergency landing in Takamatsu, Japan, after smoke appears in cabin

Jan 11, 2013: The Federal Aviation Authority announces a review of the 787 design and systems

Jan 11, 2013: ANA discovers engine oil leak after a domestic flight lands at Miyazaki

Jan 11, 2013: A separate ANA flight to Matsuyama reported a crack appearing in the pilot's window

Jan 9, 2013: ANA cancels a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight due to a brake problem

Jan 8, 2013: Japan Air Lines (JAL) grounds a jet at Boston Logan International Airport after a 787 leaks 150 litres of fuel

Jan 7, 2013: A fire erupts in a battery pack in another JAL Dreamliner at Boston

Dec 13, 2012: Qatar Airways grounds one of its Dreamliners because of a faulty generator

Dec 5, 2012: The FAA orders inspections of all 787 Dreamliners in service in the US

Dec 4, 2012: A United Airlines 787 is forced to make an emergency landing in New Orleans after a generator fails

July 23, 2012: ANA grounds five Dreamliners due to an engine component issue

Feb 22, 2012: Boeing says around 55 Dreamliners may be affected by a flaw in the fuselage

Oct 26, 2011: The Dreamliner makes its maiden flight with paying passengers on board an ANA jet

Sep 26, 2011: Boeing delivers its first 787 Dreamliner to Japan's ANA, three years late

Jun 23, 2010: Boeing postpones the first flight of the Dreamliner because of a structural flaw

Dec 15, 2009: The passenger jet 787 Dreamliner takes off on its maiden test flight

Apr 9, 2008: Boeing says there will be a revised plan for the first 787 flight and initial deliveries

Dec 11, 2008: Boeing announces further delays due to strike action by machinists Sept-Nov

Oct 19, 2007: Boeing says there will be a six-month delay to deliveries due to assembly issues

Jul 8, 2007: The first assembled 787 goes on display to media, employees and customers

Jul 18, 2006: Boeing says it is making "solid progress" on the 787 Dreamliner programme

Jan 28, 2005: Boeing gives its new commercial airplane an official model designation number - 787

Jan 29, 2003: Boeing announces the launch of a new aircraft called the 7E7

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Manti Te'o Denies Role In Dead Girlfriend Hoax

American college football star Manti Te'o has insisted he played no role in the hoax involving his 'imaginary girlfriend'.

In his first interview since the scandal erupted, the Notre Dame linebacker said he was tricked by three people who have confessed they were behind the deception and apologised.

But Te'o accepted he did lie to his father about meeting the 'girl' because he was embarrassed they had never met - and to cover that up, he lied to everyone else.

"I wasn't part of this," he told ESPN . "When they hear the facts they'll know. Two guys and a girl are responsible for the whole thing."

Te'o's virtual relationship began when a girl calling herself 'Lennay Kekua' sent him a friend request on Facebook. In the months that followed the pair had sporadic contact on the internet and over the phone.

Te'o: 'I wasn't part of this. Two guys and a girl are responsible'

But whenever he tried to speak to her on Skype, the picture was always blocked. On several occasions he arranged to meet her in person, but she would always call off the meeting or sent others in her place.

Te'o referred to Lennay as his girlfriend several times, but he denies creating 'Lennay' or her 'death' to boost his career.

After he received a message from someone who claimed 'Lennay' had died of leukaemia, Te'o admitted he misled the public about the nature of their relationship because he was too embarrassed to admit he had never met her in person.

Te'o publicly referred to Lennay as his girlfriend several times

He said: "That goes back to what I did with my dad. I knew it was crazy that I was with somebody that I didn't meet so I tailored my stories so people would think, 'yeah, he met her before she passed away'."

Te'o insisted he did not know 'Lennay' was not real until two days ago, when he claims he was contacted by a 22-year-old man who confessed he was the perpetrator, along with one other man and a woman.

He said their relationship intensified after 'Lennay' told him her father had died.

"She told me her dad passed away, and I was there. I was that shoulder to cry on, and I kind of just naturally cared for the person," he said.

But je insisted he wasn't aware she wasn't real until two days ago

He was also once told 'Lennay' had been in a car accident and was in hospital in a coma.

"I would ask to talk to her, and the only communication I had was through Noah, her brother," he said. "He would put the phone right next to her mouth and I could hear the ventilator going and she would be breathing.

"They said every time I was on the phone the nurse noticed that she must have recognised the voice because she would breath quicker and I could hear it on the phone."

When asked why he did not visit 'Lennay' in hospital, Te'o said: "It never really crossed my mind. I don't know. I was in school."

When asked what he thought should happen to the alleged perpetrator, Te'o replied: "I hope he learns, I hope he understands what he's done. I don't wish an ill thing to somebody. I think embarrassment is big enough."

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Armstrong: I Deserve To Compete Again

Lance Armstrong believes he should be given the opportunity to compete again, saying his life ban feels like a "death penalty".

The 41-year-old Texan has confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs during all seven of his Tour de France victories. He was stripped of all results from August 1, 1998 and banned from sport for life.

Armstrong was competing in triathlons, mountain bike events and marathons before he was sanctioned and believes he deserves that opportunity in the future, suggesting a life ban is not right.

In the second part of their television interview, he told Oprah Winfrey: "I can't lie to you. I'd love the opportunity to be able to compete, but that isn't the reason that I'm doing this.

"Frankly, this might not be the most popular answer, but I think I deserve it (to be able to compete again).

Armstrong competing before he was sanctioned

"I deserve to be punished. I'm not sure that I deserve a death penalty."

Eleven of Armstrong's former team-mates gave evidence against him in exchange for six-month suspensions.

He added: "If you look at the situation, if you look at that culture, you look at the sport, you see the punishments. I could go back to that time ...you're trading my story for a six-month suspension.

"That's what people got, what everybody got. I got a death penalty. I'm not saying that that's unfair, necessarily, but I'm saying it's different."

After years of denials, Armstrong confirmed that during his record run, from 1999 to 2005, he used blood-boosting agent EPO, blood doping, testosterone, cortisone and human growth hormone.

Armstrong, who was last October stripped of all results dating from August 1, 1998 and banned from sport for life, denied doping during his comeback from retirement in 2009, when he finished third in the Tour, and 2010.

He has also refuted suggestions he paid off cycling's world governing body, the UCI, to cover up a positive test in 2001.

In hindsight he wishes he had co-operated with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)investigation which proved his downfall.

Co-operation could have meant a lesser penalty.

Armstrong's long-time sponsors each deserted him in quick succession following the publication of the USADA report, but he said the most challenging moment was when his own Lance Armstrong Foundation, the charity known now as Livestrong, distanced itself from him.

"The foundation is like my sixth child and to make that decision, and to step aside, was big," said Armstrong, who expressed his wish the charity can thrive without being associated with him.

"I wouldn't at all say [I was] forced out, told to leave. I was aware of the pressure. It was the best thing for our organisation, but it hurt like hell. That was the lowest [moment]."

The full interview will be shown on Discovery at 8pm on Saturday

Asked if he feels disgraced, Armstrong said: "Of course, but I also feel humbled. I feel ashamed - this is ugly stuff. It's a process. And I think we're at the beginning of the process."

Armstrong confirmed he has been undergoing therapy to deal with his demons.

His competitive desire remains, though. Asked whether he believes his life ban should be overturned, he said: "Selfishly, yes. But realistically I don't think that's going to happen. And I have to live with that."

Winfrey asked Armstrong: "Did anyone know the whole truth?"

"Yeah," he replied, but there was no follow-up to ascertain who.

Armstrong was emotional when discussing his 13-year-old son Luke, with tears welling up in his eyes and hesitated in giving answers, his voice croaking.

He had discovered Luke was defending him at school and had to address the matter.

Armstrong said: "That's when I knew I had to tell him. He'd never asked me. He'd never said 'Dad, is this true?' He trusted me. He heard about it in the hallways.

"I said: 'Don't defend me anymore'. I said: 'If anyone says anything to you, do not defend me. Just say my dad said he was sorry'.

"He said: 'Look, I love you, you're my dad, this won't change that'."

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Algeria: 'Seven Hostages Have Been Killed'

Seven hostages have reportedly been killed and 16 others freed amid reports of a bloody "final assault" on an Algerian gas plant taken over by militants.

Foreign Secretary William Hague says fewer than 10 British nationals are still at risk after a four-day stand-off but described the situation as "still going on".

He warned that the country needed to prepare for more "bad news" as the Algerian state news agency APS said seven foreign hostages had been killed by the Islamist militants.

Their nationalities have not been specified.

A local source told the Reuters news agency that 16 other hostages, including two Americans, two Germans and one Portuguese person, were free.

Reuters also reported that the plant has been mined by the terrorist group and is being cleared by Algerian troops.

A police checkpoint near the In Amenas gas installation

The country's special forces are said by APS to have stormed the natural gas complex in the middle of the Sahara desert in a "final assault".

Some 11 of the militants holding out inside the plant were reportedly killed in the attack, but the agency said the rebels had already taken the lives of seven of the remaining hostages.

Algerian authorities estimate that around 30 militants took over the In Amenas site on Wednesday.

With 18 already reported dead, the latest numbers would appear to indicate that the hostage crisis might finally be over.

Mr Hague was cautious in his comments on Saturday afternoon, stressing: "This situation is still going on. It remains a very difficult and dangerous situation."

The siege took place at the gas complex in eastern Algeria

He continued: "Of course our priority remains the welfare of British nationals caught up in this incident. The large majority of British nationals originally caught up in it are now safe and accounted for.

"As of now, there are fewer than 10 British nationals at risk or unaccounted for but that of course means we must of course continue to prepare ourselves for bad news."

Addressing the wider terrorist threat, he added: "This whole incident underlines the scale and ruthlessness of the terrorist threat that we and other nations face.

"We underline our resolve to deal with that and to defeat such terrorism and murder, working with allies across the world and including in North Africa."

Mr Hague chaired an emergency Cobra meeting earlier on Saturday and a second will be held later today.

A consular team is now on the ground to help the Britons who have escaped and ambassador Martyn Roper is travelling to the area.

Sky's Political Correspondent Sophy Ridge said the SAS are also on standby.

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Algeria: Hostage 'Had Explosives Around Neck'

An Irishman who escaped from the Algerian hostage crisis had explosives tied around his neck, his brother has revealed.

Father-of-two Stephen McFaul, from west Belfast, fled after the vehicle he had been travelling in crashed after coming under attack from Algerian forces, Brian McFaul said.

The 36-year-old was able to run off and made it to safety. He later was able to contact members of his family.

Mr McFaul said: "He had explosives tied around his neck. He was being transported in a convoy of five vehicles when they came under attack. His vehicle crashed."

Stephen McFaul made contact with his wife Angela at around 3pm on Thursday to say he was safe and well.

His 13-year-old son Dylan declared he would give him a "big hug" as soon as he sees him.

The electrician supervisor, who also has a four-year-old son Jake, is being looked after by Algerian authorities while arrangements are made for his return.

His father, Christopher, told Sky News: "We feel sorry for the other hostages who are still there, we don't know what has happened to them, those who have been killed.

"The last 48 hours has been hell, that's all I can really say about it."

Donna McBride, Mr McFaul's sister, added: "I feel so sorry for the rest of the families who have lost loved ones and others who are missing."

Mr McFaul, who was last at home on Boxing Day, works as a supervising electrician at the gas field.

His wife said she expected him home on Friday.

Algeria is one of a number of African countries he has worked in during an extensive career in the industry.

Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness expressed relief at the release of Mr McFaul and hoped he can return to his family in the near future.

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Bolshoi Ballet Boss Has Acid Thrown In Face

The Bolshoi Theatre's artistic director has suffered third-degree burns and may lose his eyesight following an acid attack by a masked man in Moscow.

Sergei Filin, 43, was attacked as he got out of his car outside his home, according to Arkady Bashirov, a spokesperson for the city police.

Filin, who is currently being treated at a burns unit in Moscow, secured the highly coveted artistic director position in March 2011 after dancing at the Bolshoi for 18 years.

But in recent weeks, he has been plagued with anonymous threats, which colleagues have said may be due to jealousy from those who lost out on the position.

The theater's general director, Anatoly Iksanov told Russian TV's Channel One that Filin's mobile phone and personal email account were hacked and personal messages were published in an attempt to discredit him.

An insulting Facebook page was also created in the former dancer's name and his tyres were slashed.

Happier times: Filin with the cast of a Bolshoi's production

Katerina Novikova, the theatre's press secretary, told Russian TV's Channel One: "Sergei was constantly receiving threats after he took up this post and his predecessors were under attack before him."

Prior to the attack, Filin was offered a bodyguard by a relative, however his assistant said he turned it down assuming that the threats would not turn violent.

But Filin grew more concerned and on the day of the attack he told Iksanov: "I have a feeling that I am on the front line."

A theatre official has said that Filin is likely to be sent overseas for treatment and his recovery may take up to six months.

Since the Bolshoi Theatre's long-standing artistic director Yuri Grigorovich left in 1995 after 30 years, filling the position has proven difficult.

Filin dances during a Bolshoi production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake

Five artistic directors have been appointed in the last 15 years, of which, one has been fired, two have had their contracts not renewed and one is rumoured to have been pressurised into resigning.

Alexei Ratmansky, the Bolshoi's artistic director from 2004 until 2008, posted on his Facebook page: "The Bolshoi has many ills.

"It's a disgusting cesspool, of those developing friendships with the artists, the speculators and scalpers, the half-crazy fans, ready to bite the throats of the rivals of their favourites, the cynical hackers, the lies in the press and the scandalous interviews of staff."

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Subway Attack: Suspect Held By US Police

Police investigating a horrific attack on a woman on the Philadelphia subway have arrested a man.

Surveillance video shows the 23-year-old woman being viciously punched and then dragged across the platform.

She is then pushed onto the railway track at the station in the city's Chinatown neighbourhood.

The attack happened around 3.30pm on Tuesday, after the suspect initially approached the victim and asked for a light.

The woman miraculously suffered only cuts and bruises and managed to climb off the tracks onto the opposite platform.

Police say they arrested the man around 2.30pm on Thursday, identifying him by his distinctive, multicoloured jacket with an image of the Taj Mahal on the back. 

"It was so distinct that we tried to keep the description of that jacket in law-enforcement circles, because it was our best lead on clearing this," transport police Chief Thomas Nestel said during a news conference.

Officers said a mobile phone belonging to the woman was also recovered.

However the police decision to keep quiet about the attack was criticised by some for leaving a potentially dangerous suspect at large with no public warning.

Unlike two recent fatal subway attacks in New York, the woman was not thrown in front of an approaching train, Chief Nestel said.

However, he advised subway passengers to "always be aware of their surroundings" and avoid standing close to the edge of the platform.

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Freed British Hostages Praise Algerian Army

British hostages have spoken of their ordeal in Algeria, praising the army rescue team that saved their lives.

Speaking to state television, one unnamed man said: "I think they did a fantastic job, I was very impressed with the Algerian army.

"I feel sorry for anybody who has been hurt."

Another said: "They've done fantastic jobs, kept us all nice and safe, and fought off the bad guys."

Algerian forces launched their rescue mission fearing an "immediate threat" to the hostages, David Cameron told the House of Commons on Friday.

The rescue attempt ended in a number of deaths

However, the attempt to rescue gas workers taken hostage by al Qaeda-linked militants ended in a number of deaths, including one Briton.

After chairing a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee, the Prime Minister told MPs that the situation in Algeria was "continuing" but he hoped it would be resolved shortly.

He said the attack on the complex was "large, well co-ordinated and heavily armed" and appeared to be pre-planned.

On Thursday night, fewer than 30 British citizens were believed to be "at risk" in Algeria. That number has now been "quite significantly reduced", Mr Cameron said.

A British plane carrying a "diplomatic team" has arrived in Algeria around 280 miles from the hostage scene.

A satellite image shows the scale of the sprawling gas complex

Meanwhile a US plane is beginning the process of evacuating its citizens, and other nationalities.

Reuters has quoted the Algerian News Agency saying 650 hostages have been freed, including 573 Algerians.

Algerian armed forces are said to be seeking a "peaceful" resolution with the hostage-takers.

Foreign Secretary William Hague, who cut short a visit to Australia to return to the UK, said the responsibility for the events of the last two days "squarely rests" with terrorists.

The rescue attempt was launched early on Thursday without consultation with the UK. Mr Cameron was only informed it was under way when he spoke to the Algerian prime minister.

The In Amenas facility is close to the border with Libya

Algerian communications minister Mohamed Said Belaid said the military operation succeeded in "neutralising a large number of terrorists and freeing a large number of hostages".

He added: "But unfortunately, we are sorry to say, there were some deaths and injuries."

Among those confirmed freed include Irishman Stephen McFaul and three Japanese workers.

The militant group believed to have carried out the raid on the In Amenas gas plant - Katibat Moulathamine or The Masked Ones - said it was retaliating for French military intervention against al Qaeda-backed rebels in neighbouring Mali.

The attack began on Wednesday morning when heavily-armed militants launched a dawn raid.

They claimed to have seized dozens of foreign workers, including Britons, Americans, Norwegians and Japanese.

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Mother Arrested After Son Takes Gun To School

Police in New York City have arrested the mother of a seven-year-old boy who took a gun and ammunition to school in his rucksack.

Deborah Farley was arrested on Friday on several charges including criminal possession of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child.

Police say the 53-year-old's son had taken the handgun to his Queens elementary school on Thursday.

They said it was not clear whether the boy initially knew it was in his bag.

Police said when the mother learned about the gun she rushed to school and told officials her son had a dental appointment.

The boy said he had given the weapon to a friend, at which point she alerted the principal.

The school, which has been practising for security drills since the Sandy Hook massacre, was immediately locked down.

The seven-year-old's rucksack was searched and the semi-automatic pistol, a magazine containing ten rounds and a plastic bag with bullets in it was found.

A flare gun was found in the second boy's bag, police said.

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Algeria: BP Raid Seems Like Revenge For Mali

The raid on the BP gas plant in Algeria looks as if it is linked to the foreign intervention in Mali.

Al Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM) warned they would take revenge for the intervention in Mali, saying they would bring the war to Paris.

That may yet happen, but in the short term it looks as if they are on the hunt for Westerners wherever they can find them.

A good place to look is the oil and gas industry, especially in Algeria. The five Japanese hostages taken may just be unlucky enough to be foreigners the hostage takers came across along with those they would prize more highly - Europeans and Americans.

The Islamist militant who phoned the news agency AFP claiming responsibility said the group involved was the Khaled Abu al Abbaas Brigade led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar and that the attackers had come from Mali.

BP operates the gas plant with Statoil and Algerian state firm Sonatrach

The claim is plausible. The desert stretching from northern Mali to southern Algeria is a lawless area, AQIM is known to operate there, and Belmokhtar is one of the most senior jihadists in the region.

The varied groups under the AQIM umbrella have for years taken hostages for ransom to fund their activities. It is thought over 50 hostages have been taken in the past few years earning the groups over $250m (£156m).

Belmokhtar is known in the Algerian press as 'The One Eyed' and wears an eye patch after losing an eye fighting in Afghanistan in the early 1990s.

He is thought to be in his late forties, was born in Algeria, but has roamed the Sahara region for years engaging in terrorist acts in several countries.

Intelligence experts believe he was one of the first AQIM leaders to spot the potential of Mali as a state which could not withstand an assault and that Islamist fighters could use the north of Mali, and parts of Algeria, Mauritania and Niger as a safe zone for their operations.

Europeans and Americans in several countries in the Sahel region are potentially at risk and already there are travel warnings issued by foreign ministries.

The British Foreign Office advises against all travel to Mali and says UK citizens living there should leave.

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Dreamliners: Boeing Reputation Is On The Line

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Timeline

Updated: 12:15pm UK, Thursday 17 January 2013

The turbulent history of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

Jan 17, 2013: The European Aviation Safety Agency, US Federal Aviation Administration and Qatar Airways ground their Dreamliners.

Jan 16, 2013: Japan Air Lines Co Ltd (JAL) follows suit and suspends Dreamliner flights from Japan over safety concerns

Jan 16, 2013: ANA grounds all 17 of its 787s after four of its aircraft suffer problems

Jan 16, 2013: ANA 787 Dreamliner makes emergency landing in Takamatsu, Japan, after smoke appears in cabin

Jan 11, 2013: The Federal Aviation Authority announces a review of the 787 design and systems

Jan 11, 2013: All Nippon Airways (ANA) discovers engine oil leak after a domestic flight lands at Miyazaki

Jan 11, 2013: A separate ANA flight to Matsuyama reported a crack appearing in the pilot's window

Jan 9, 2013: ANA cancels a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight due to a brake problem

Jan 8, 2013: Japan Air Lines (JAL) grounds a jet at Boston Logan International Airport after a 787 leaks 150 litres of fuel

Jan 7, 2013: A fire erupts in a battery pack in another JAL Dreamliner at Boston

Dec 13, 2012: Qatar Airways grounds one of its Dreamliners because of a faulty generator

Dec 5, 2012: The Federal Aviation Administration orders inspections of all 787 Dreamliners in service in the US

Dec 4, 2012: A United Airlines 787 is forced to make an emergency landing in New Orleans after a generator fails

July 23, 2012: ANA grounds five Dreamliners due to an engine component issue

February 22, 2012: Boeing says around 55 Dreamliners may be affected by a flaw in the fuselage

October 26, 2011: The Dreamliner makes its maiden flight with paying passengers on board an ANA jet

September 26, 2011: Boeing delivers its first 787 Dreamliner to Japan's ANA, three years late

June 23, 2010: Boeing postpones the first flight of the Dreamliner because of a structural flaw

December 15, 2009: The passenger jet 787 Dreamliner takes off on its maiden test flight

April 9, 2008: Boeing says there will be a revised plan for the first 787 flight and initial deliveries

December 11, 2008: Boeing announces further delays due to strike action by machinists Sept-Nov

October 19, 2007: Boeing says there will be a six-month delay to deliveries due to assembly issues

July 8, 2007: The first assembled 787 goes on display to media, employees and customers

July 18, 2006: Boeing says it is making "solid progress" on the 787 Dreamliner programme

January 28, 2005: Boeing gives its new commercial airplane an official model designation number - 787

January 29, 2003: Boeing announces the launch of a new aircraft called the 7E7

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Boeing Dreamliners Grounded Across The World

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Timeline

Updated: 12:15pm UK, Thursday 17 January 2013

The turbulent history of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

Jan 17, 2013: The European Aviation Safety Agency, US Federal Aviation Administration and Qatar Airways ground their Dreamliners.

Jan 16, 2013: Japan Air Lines Co Ltd (JAL) follows suit and suspends Dreamliner flights from Japan over safety concerns

Jan 16, 2013: ANA grounds all 17 of its 787s after four of its aircraft suffer problems

Jan 16, 2013: ANA 787 Dreamliner makes emergency landing in Takamatsu, Japan, after smoke appears in cabin

Jan 11, 2013: The Federal Aviation Authority announces a review of the 787 design and systems

Jan 11, 2013: All Nippon Airways (ANA) discovers engine oil leak after a domestic flight lands at Miyazaki

Jan 11, 2013: A separate ANA flight to Matsuyama reported a crack appearing in the pilot's window

Jan 9, 2013: ANA cancels a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight due to a brake problem

Jan 8, 2013: Japan Air Lines (JAL) grounds a jet at Boston Logan International Airport after a 787 leaks 150 litres of fuel

Jan 7, 2013: A fire erupts in a battery pack in another JAL Dreamliner at Boston

Dec 13, 2012: Qatar Airways grounds one of its Dreamliners because of a faulty generator

Dec 5, 2012: The Federal Aviation Administration orders inspections of all 787 Dreamliners in service in the US

Dec 4, 2012: A United Airlines 787 is forced to make an emergency landing in New Orleans after a generator fails

July 23, 2012: ANA grounds five Dreamliners due to an engine component issue

February 22, 2012: Boeing says around 55 Dreamliners may be affected by a flaw in the fuselage

October 26, 2011: The Dreamliner makes its maiden flight with paying passengers on board an ANA jet

September 26, 2011: Boeing delivers its first 787 Dreamliner to Japan's ANA, three years late

June 23, 2010: Boeing postpones the first flight of the Dreamliner because of a structural flaw

December 15, 2009: The passenger jet 787 Dreamliner takes off on its maiden test flight

April 9, 2008: Boeing says there will be a revised plan for the first 787 flight and initial deliveries

December 11, 2008: Boeing announces further delays due to strike action by machinists Sept-Nov

October 19, 2007: Boeing says there will be a six-month delay to deliveries due to assembly issues

July 8, 2007: The first assembled 787 goes on display to media, employees and customers

July 18, 2006: Boeing says it is making "solid progress" on the 787 Dreamliner programme

January 28, 2005: Boeing gives its new commercial airplane an official model designation number - 787

January 29, 2003: Boeing announces the launch of a new aircraft called the 7E7

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Armstrong Loses Olympic Medal Ahead Of Oprah

Lance Armstrong has been stripped of his Olympic medal, ahead of the airing of a confessional TV interview that critics say was less than candid.

The disgraced cyclist has said viewers will soon be able judge the Oprah Winfrey interview for themselves.

"I left it all on the table with her and when it airs the people can decide," he said in a text message to the AP news agency.

Winfrey had said she was "satisfied" with Monday's recording, during which the 41-year-old appears to have acknowledged using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).

However even she concluded: "I would rather people make their own decisions about whether he was contrite or not.

"I would say he did not come clean in the manner that I expected."

The IOC is not waiting to see the interview before removing Armstrong's bronze, won in the time trial in Sydney in 2000. 

Officials said a letter was sent to Armstrong on Wednesday night asking him to return the Olympic medal.

Armstrong was stripped of all seven Tour de France titles

Armstrong had already been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles last year and banned for life after a scathing US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) report.

Chief executive Travis Tygart labelled the doping regime, allegedly carried out by the US Postal Service team that Armstrong once led, as "the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen".

The airing of the interview at 9pm ET on Thursday (2am GMT on Friday), with the second part to follow 24 hours later, will in no way be the end of the saga.

He is named as a defendant in at least two pending lawsuits involving SCA Promotions and The Sunday Times, and possibly a third.

The US Justice Department is expected also to reveal on Thursday that it is joining a whistle-blower lawsuit filed by former teammate Floyd Landis, who was stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title for doping.

That suit alleges Armstrong defrauded the US government by repeatedly denying he used PEDs.

He could be required to return substantial sponsorship fees from the US Postal Service and pay a hefty fine.

The interview will air first on Oprah Winfrey's television network

Armstrong may have been motivated to give the interview to Winfrey to help his bid to compete in elite international triathlon events.

But even that could prove to be a long road back.

World Anti-Doping Agency general director David Howman has said nothing short of a confession under oath could prompt a reconsideration of his lifetime ban.

Armstrong - who always demanded fierce loyalty from his racing teams - would be under pressure also to start naming those who aided or helped cover up the long-term abuse of PEDs.

:: The interview will also be broadcast on Discovery Channel UK at 2am and 8pm (GMT) on Friday December 18.  

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'Many Dead' In Strike On Algeria Gas Plant

A number of foreign hostages at a besieged Algerian gas plant have reportedly been freed in the wake of a military strike which news agencies say has killed several people.

Mauritania's ANI news agency reported the deaths citing one of the kidnappers who had earlier taken 41 people captive at the compound near the border with Libya.

A large explosion has been heard away from the accommodation block at the complex, Sky sources said.

The official Algerian APS news agency said that a number of foreign hostages were free. The Irish foreign ministry says 36-year-old Stephen McFaul, who was among them, is understood to be safe.

News wire Reuters spoke to a local resident who said many people were killed in the military operation, which the Algerian government confirmed it was carrying out.

There have been conflicting reports as to the number of casualties, with Reuters citing a local source as saying six foreign hostages and eight rebels were killed.

The source said some hostages were still being held.

ANI said the attackers' spokesman had claimed that Algerian forces opened fire as the militants tried to leave the energy complex with hostages.

On Wednesday a Briton and an Algerian were killed when around 20 gunmen from an al Qaeda-backed group stormed the In Amenas facility.

Among the UK nationals taken hostage by the group were Scottish nationals, Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond confirmed earlier.

Al Qaeda-linked militant group Katibat Moulathamine - The Masked Ones - claimed responsibility for the attack.

The group said it was retaliating for French military intervention against al Qaeda-backed rebels in neighbouring Mali, where France now has 1,400 troops on the ground.

Foreign Secretary William Hague earlier said he was sceptical the attack was a retaliation over the offensive against Islamist fighters in Mali because it would take longer to plan.

More follows...

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Boeing Dreamliners Grounded By Japan Airlines

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Timeline

Updated: 4:05am UK, Wednesday 16 January 2013

The turbulent history of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

Jan 16, 2013: Japan Air Lines Co Ltd (JAL) follows suit and suspends Dreamliner flights from Japan over safety concerns

Jan 16, 2013: ANA grounds all 17 of its 787s after four of its aircraft suffer problems

Jan 16, 2013: ANA 787 Dreamliner makes emergency landing in Takamatsu, Japan, after smoke appears in cabin

Jan 11, 2013: The Federal Aviation Authority announces a review of the 787 design and systems

Jan 11, 2013: All Nippon Airways (ANA) discovers engine oil leak after a domestic flight lands at Miyazaki

Jan 11, 2013: A separate ANA flight to Matsuyama reported a crack appearing in the pilot's window

Jan 9, 2013: ANA cancels a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight due to a brake problem

Jan 8, 2013: Japan Air Lines (JAL) grounds a jet at Boston Logan International Airport after a 787 leaks 150 litres of fuel

Jan 7, 2013: A fire erupts in a battery pack in another JAL Dreamliner at Boston

Dec 13, 2012: Qatar Airways grounds one of its Dreamliners because of a faulty generator

Dec 5, 2012: The Federal Aviation Administration orders inspections of all 787 Dreamliners in service in the US

Dec 4, 2012: A United Airlines 787 is forced to make an emergency landing in New Orleans after a generator fails

July 23, 2012: ANA grounds five Dreamliners due to an engine component issue

February 22, 2012: Boeing says around 55 Dreamliners may be affected by a flaw in the fuselage

October 26, 2011: The Dreamliner makes its maiden flight with paying passengers on board an ANA jet

September 26, 2011: Boeing delivers its first 787 Dreamliner to Japan's ANA, three years late

June 23, 2010: Boeing postpones the first flight of the Dreamliner because of a structural flaw

December 15, 2009: The passenger jet 787 Dreamliner takes off on its maiden test flight

April 9, 2008: Boeing says there will be a revised plan for the first 787 flight and initial deliveries

December 11, 2008: Boeing announces further delays due to strike action by machinists Sept-Nov

October 19, 2007: Boeing says there will be a six-month delay to deliveries due to assembly issues

July 8, 2007: The first assembled 787 goes on display to media, employees and customers

July 18, 2006: Boeing says it is making "solid progress" on the 787 Dreamliner programme

January 28, 2005: Boeing gives its new commercial airplane an official model designation number - 787

January 29, 2003: Boeing announces the launch of a new aircraft called the 7E7

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French President: Mali Operation Going Well

France's military intervention in Mali is progressing well, French President Francois Hollande has told Sky News.

The French military plans to more than double its current force in the West African state.

Speakling in Abu Dhabi, Mr Hollande said: "We have obtained results. We have a goal, it's very simple; to obtain the withdrawal of terrorists and to push them abroad.

"We want the African (countries') armies to come as soon as possible to take their place. I know that the British government is behind us."

French Mirage 2000 D jets on their way to Africa

Earlier he said French forces had carried out further air strikes overnight in Mali "which hit their targets".

"For now, we have 750 men and the number will increase so that as soon as possible we can leave the place to the African forces," he said.

Foreign Office minister Mark Simmonds said the situation in Mali is a "grave concern" to the UK amid fears the rebel-held north could become a "springboard for extremism".

But he stressed David Cameron had offered only limited military support to Mr Hollande.

Troops from other West African countries will join the action

"The Prime Minister has made categorically clear that the initial supporting deployment will be for a period of one week," he told the Commons.

"He has also made clear that there will be no combat troops from the UK involved and we have no plans to provide more military assistance."

The UK has offered two C-17 Globemaster transport planes to help out. One carrying French military personnel and supplies flew into the capital Bamako on Tuesday.

The US is also providing intelligence-gathering assistance to the French and the UN has now backed the military action.

The first of the C-17 Globemaster planes to arrive in Mali

It says more than 30,000 people have fled the fighting and accused the Islamists of stopping thousands of them from travelling south to government-held zones.

The Mali government appealed for France's help last week when the rebels, who have links to al Qaeda, began moving south.

Hundreds of French troops were deployed after they overran the strategically important town of Konna - about halfway between Mali's northern and southern borders - last Thursday.

On Tuesday afternoon hundreds of Malian and French troops headed for the western town of Diabaly, which Islamists seized the day before, prompting overnight airstrikes from French fighter jets.

The rebels want to turn Mali into an Islamist state

"Several hundred Malian and French soldiers left Niono (south of Diabaly) to take" back the town, said a local government official in Niono.

It will be the first time French ground troops have fought with the Islamists. So far only fighter jets have been used to target their bases.

"Our French brothers are currently with us in Niono on their way to Diabaly. Tomorrow we will take back Diabaly with the French," a Malian security source said on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, a convoy of some 30 French tanks left Bamako on Tuesday afternoon, heading in a northerly direction, an AFP journalist said.

They were seen leaving the city's airport, where they had been stationed, but their destination could not be confirmed.

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Honduras: British Tourist 'Shot Dead By Robbers'

A British tourist has been shot dead in an apparent mugging in Honduras.

The man was taking photos in San Pedro Sula, the Central American nation's second city, when he was attacked by two armed men, police said.

Deputy Police Chief Leonel Sauceda said: "It looks like he put up a fight when they stole his camera, so they shot him."

Witnesses told police he was shot dead as he ran away, El Heraldo newspaper said.

The city is a significant commercial and industrial hub, but drug-related violence has risen as Mexican and Colombian drug cartels have expanded their operations into Honduras.

The country has the world's highest murder rate with 87 killings per 100,000 people, according to the United Nations.

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Algeria: BP Raid Seems Like Revenge For Mali

The raid on the BP gas plant in Algeria looks as if it is linked to the foreign intervention in Mali.

Al Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM) warned they would take revenge for the intervention in Mali, saying they would bring the war to Paris.

That may yet happen, but in the short term it looks as if they are on the hunt for Westerners wherever they can find them.

A good place to look is the oil and gas industry, especially in Algeria. The five Japanese hostages taken may just be unlucky enough to be foreigners the hostage takers came across along with those they would prize more highly - Europeans and Americans.

The Islamist militant who phoned the news agency AFP claiming responsibility said the group involved was the Khaled Abu al Abbaas Brigade led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar and that the attackers had come from Mali.

BP operates the gas plant with Statoil and Algerian state firm Sonatrach

The claim is plausible. The desert stretching from northern Mali to southern Algeria is a lawless area, AQIM is known to operate there, and Belmokhtar is one of the most senior jihadists in the region.

The varied groups under the AQIM umbrella have for years taken hostages for ransom to fund their activities. It is thought over 50 hostages have been taken in the past few years earning the groups over $250m (£156m).

Belmokhtar is known in the Algerian press as 'The One Eyed' and wears an eye patch after losing an eye fighting in Afghanistan in the early 1990s.

He is thought to be in his late forties, was born in Algeria, but has roamed the Sahara region for years engaging in terrorist acts in several countries.

Intelligence experts believe he was one of the first AQIM leaders to spot the potential of Mali as a state which could not withstand an assault and that Islamist fighters could use the north of Mali, and parts of Algeria, Mauritania and Niger as a safe zone for their operations.

Europeans and Americans in several countries in the Sahel region are potentially at risk and already there are travel warnings issued by foreign ministries.

The British Foreign Office advises against all travel to Mali and says UK citizens living there should leave.

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BP Gas Site: Brits Caught Up In Hostage Drama

British nationals are caught up in a terrorist attack at a gas field in Algeria where several workers were taken hostage.

At least eight people, including an Irishman, have been kidnapped from the gas facility part-operated by BP, Sonatrach (the Algerian national oil company), and Statoil in Algeria.

Two people have reportedly been killed in the attack on the plant situated in the east of the country near the Libyan border.

Prime Minister David Cameron is chairing a meeting of the Government's crisis committee Cobra on the attack, attended by ministers from the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence, as well as officials from other agencies.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that British nationals are caught up in a terrorist incident ongoing near the town of In Amenas at an oil installation near the Algerian border with Libya.

The In Amenas field (courtesy BP.com)

"The British embassy in Algiers is liaising with local authorities."

The Foreign Office said it is working with BP to support the families of those involved.

BP is yet to confirm a link to reports that Islamist militants, said to be connected to al Qaeda, had seized a number of people in an attack that had a possible revenge motive for French military action in Mali.

It said in a statement: "We can confirm that there is an ongoing security incident at the In Amenas gas field in the eastern central region of Algeria.

"The site was attacked and occupied by a group of unidentified armed people at about 5am UK time.

"Contact with the site is extremely difficult, but we understand that armed individuals are still occupying the In Amenas site.

"Our absolute priority is the safety and security of our staff.

"We do not yet have confirmed information on the status of personnel at the site, but believe some are being held by the occupiers."

The company said it was seeking information as to whether any staff or contractors had been injured - and the identities and intentions of the people occupying the site.

It added it was contacting relatives of workers on the site.

A French citizen was killed, according to the AP news agency, which quoted an Algerian security official.

He suggested the attack on the base, about 60 miles from the Libyan border, came at 2am and the militants involved came from Mali.

The official claimed that the Algerian army had since surrounded the militants and their hostages and negotiations had started.

In its statement BP said: "We can confirm that there has been a security incident this morning at the In Amenas gas field in the eastern central region of Algeria.

"The In Amenas field is operated by a joint venture of which BP is a member. Algerian authorities are engaged with the incident; UK authorities have also been advised.

"BP has activated its emergency response system and is setting up a helpline for relatives."

The company did not say whether foreigners were taken away from the facility.

Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs (DPA) confirmed a 36-year-old married man from Northern Ireland, travelling on an Irish passport, was among those taken.

It is understood that Japanese, Norwegian and French nationals were also part of the group.

Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore called for the Irishman's immediate release.

He said: "The Government stands ready to use all the resources available to us to ensure that our citizen is released as soon as possible.

"I would ask that the family be allowed privacy at this difficult time."

The country's Department of Foreign Affairs added it was providing consular assistance to the family and was in close contact with its international partners and a wide range of other contacts in order to establish the facts of the situation.

A spokesman said: "At this stage, the identity and motives of the kidnappers is unknown."

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Pakistan: Top Court Orders PM Ashraf's Arrest

Pakistan's supreme court has ordered the arrest of prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf over corruption claims.

The surprise move plunges the country into fresh political turmoil and came as populist cleric Tahirul Qadri demanded the resignation of the government in protests attended by thousands in capital Islamabad.

Mr Ashraf is currently fighting allegations he received payments in return for his role, while energy minister, in overseeing the introduction of "rental power" projects that are said to have produced very little power.

Nicknamed 'Raja Rental' by the press, he is also accused of buying property in London from money earned through corruption in a series of scams.

Lawyer Aamir Abbas said: "The chief justice ordered that all concerned, regardless of their rank, who have been booked in the case be arrested and if someone leaves the country, then chairman of NAB (anti-corruption watchdog) will be held responsible along with his investigating team.

"The 16 include Raja Ashraf."

Mr Qadri, who is believed to be backed by the military, mentioned the supreme court's decision during his speech to protesters, who responded with chants of "long live supreme court".

The prime minister's adviser, Fawad Chaudhry, condemned the court's order, calling it unconstitutional.

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Pakistan: Clashes At Protests Called By Qadri

By Alex Rossi, Asia Correspondent

Security forces in Pakistan have fired live rounds in the air and used tear gas to try to control anti-government protests.

Television pictures also showed demonstrators throwing stones at a rally in Islamabad organised by the Sufi cleric Tahirul Qadri.

His supporters said the crowds prevented the cleric from being arrested by government forces.

Mr Qadri claimed the size of the crowd gathered on the main avenue leading to the government quarters was four million, but that figure is hugely exaggerated.

Mr Qadri spearheaded the unrest

City officials have put the number of protesters at roughly 30,000, which is in line with pictures streaming on Pakistani news networks.

Mr Qadri is a new - and possibly powerful player - in the opaque world of Pakistani politics.

He has just arrived in the country after spending many years in Canada and has set himself up as a champion of the people, pushing an anti-corruption agenda.

His call for widespread reforms has presented the ruling Pakistan People's Party with a massive headache.

It is blamed across the country for being corrupt, failing to deal with a growing Taliban insurgency, huge power shortages and an economy in freefall.

But many Pakistanis are sceptical about Mr Qadri's motives.

It is widely rumoured that he has the backing of the country's powerful military and is being used as a pawn in the run-up to the country's elections - which are expected to be held in May.

Mr Qadri is calling for the poll to be suspended indefinitely until Pakistan's endemic corruption is cleared up - something that would play into the army's hands as it could assume the role then of a caretaker government indefinitely.

Some analysts suggest this has the all the hallmarks of a soft coup in the making.

The military denies backing him, and it is far from clear where his campaign's finances come from.

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Mali: First RAF Aircraft Lands With Supplies

An RAF transport aircraft loaded with French armoured vehicles has touched down in conflict-stricken Mali to help the fight against Islamist rebels.

French forces have been carrying out air attacks on the al Qaeda-backed rebels in the West African state in recent days.

The UK has offered two C-17 Globemaster transport planes to help out, but the Foreign Office has said there are no plans to deploy British ground forces.

The National Security Council will meet in London later but ministers insist the UK is only providing "limited logistical support".

French soldiers are tackling Islamist rebels in Mali

One aircraft has already landed and a second C-17 is due to leave shortly after suffering a "minor technical fault" in Paris.

Speaking in Abu Dhabi, French President Francois Hollande told Sky News: "We have obtained results. We have a goal, it's very simple; to obtain the withdrawal of terrorists and to push them abroad.

"We want the African (countries') armies to come as soon as possible to take their place. I know that the British government is behind us."

He had earlier said French forces carried out further air strikes overnight in Mali "which hit their targets".

"For now, we have 750 men and the number will increase so that as soon as possible we can leave the place to the African forces," he said.

Foreign Office minister Mark Simmonds said the situation in Mali is a "grave concern" to the UK due to fears the rebel-held north could become a "springboard for extremism".

But he stressed that David Cameron had offered only limited back-up support to Mr Hollande.

Troops from other West African countries are on their way to Mali

"The Prime Minister has made categorically clear that the initial supporting deployment will be for a period of one week," he told the Commons.

"He has also made clear that there will be no combat troops from the UK involved and we have no plans to provide more military assistance."

The US is also providing intelligence-gathering assistance to the French and the UN has now backed the military action.

The Security Council expressed unanimous "understanding and support" for military intervention, according to France's UN ambassador Gerard Araud.

The UN says more than 30,000 people have fled the fighting and accused the Islamists of stopping thousands of them from travelling south to government-held zones.

The Mali government appealed for France's help last week when the rebels began moving south.

Hundreds of French troops were deployed after the rebels overran the strategically important town of Konna - about halfway between Mali's northern and southern borders - on Thursday.

Thousands of African troops are also expected in Mali, to support local and French forces in their fight against the rebels.

On Sunday, French forces forced back Islamists from the strategic town of Konna.

But there was a setback when government forces lost the garrison village of Diabaly in central Mali, taking the rebels within 250 miles of Bamako.

Up to 60 Islamists are reported to have been killed in air assaults on Sunday, which were centred around Gao and Kidal.

Former foreign office minister Peter Hain has expressed scepticism at predictions by the French that their troops would be out of the country "in a matter of weeks".

"That seems to me pretty unlikely," he said. "This could become an incredibly long, drawn-out and difficult morass."

EU foreign ministers are to hold an extraordinary meeting this week, probably on Thursday, to discuss the situation.

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Cleaner Steals Train And Hits House In Sweden

A cleaner has been arrested after stealing a train before it crashed at high speed into a house, Swedish officials say.

Police officers at the scene of the crash

The woman was seriously injured when the train derailed at Saltsjobaden station, southeast of Stockholm, and collided with the building, police spokesman Lars Bystrom confirmed.

She was flown to hospital in the capital city and has been arrested on suspicion of endangering the public.

The woman driving the train was seriously injured

The cleaner stole the four-carriage train at a depot then drove it around a mile (1.6km) before it crashed, a spokesman for train operator Arriva said.

Witnesses said the train did not slow down when it reached the station before smashing through the stop barriers at the end of the track.

No-one in the house, which sits around 50 metres from the stop barriers, was injured and there were no passengers on board the train at the time.

The building hit by the train was evacuated following the crash

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Lance Armstrong Interview: Oprah 'Surprised'

Oprah Winfrey has said Lance Armstrong "did not come clean in the manner I expected" during a two-and-a-half hour interview with the disgraced cyclist.

The shamed sportsman reportedly admitted using performance-enhancing drugs to the US talk show host, ending a decade of denial.

And speaking to CBS after the interview, Winfrey said she was "satisfied" with the confessional.

"I would say he did not come clean in the manner that I expected," she said.

The interview will be aired on Oprah Winfrey's television network

"It was surprising to me. I would say for myself, my team ... we were mesmerised and riveted by some of his answers.

"I feel he answered the questions in a way that (suggested) he was ready. I can only say I was satisfied with the answers."

Asked if Armstrong was contrite during the interview, Winfrey said: "I choose not to characterise.

"I would rather people make their own decisions about whether he was contrite or not. I felt that he was thoughtful, I thought that he was serious, I thought that he certainly had prepared himself for this moment. I would say that he met the moment.

"At the end of it... we were both pretty exhausted."

She also dismissed fears expressed before the interview that she may give Armstrong an "easy ride" adding that the confessional would be screened over two shows, to avoid cutting it down too much.

Winfrey said she had not planned to comment on the interview before it was screened, but decided to do so after it was widely reported he had admitted drug use.

Meanwhile, cycling's governing body, the International Cycling Union (UCI) urged Armstrong to testify before its independent commission on doping.

"If these reports are true, we would strongly urge Lance Armstrong to testify to the Independent Commission established to investigate the allegations made against the UCI in the recent USADA reasoned decision on Lance Armstrong and the United States Postal Service (USPS) team," the federation said in a statement.

Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles last year after a US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) report said he was a ruthless competitor, willing to go to any lengths to win the prestigious race.

USADA chief executive Travis Tygart labelled the doping regime allegedly carried out by the US Postal Service team that Armstrong once led "the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen".

The interview with Winfrey is Armstrong's first public response to the report.

He is not expected to have provided a detailed account about his involvement, or addressed in depth many of the specific allegations made in the more than 1,000-page report.

A government source has told ABC News that Armstrong had also met authorities to discuss paying back some of his former team's sponsorship money from the US Postal Service.

The source also suggests Armstrong may give the names of others involved in illegal doping - leading to a possible reduction of his lifetime ban.

The American has apologised to staff at his Livestrong Foundation, saying he was sorry for the distress he had caused. He vowed he would repair the foundation's reputation.

Armstrong is said to be worth around $100m (£62m). However, most sponsors dropped him after USADA's scathing report - at the cost of tens of millions of dollars - and soon after, he left the board of Livestrong.

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Beijing Pollution 'Hazardous' For Fourth Day

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent, in Beijing

Sunrise in Beijing on Monday revealed a marginally clearer skyline, but pollution remains at levels considered 'hazardous' for a fourth consecutive day.

According to an air quality monitor on the roof of the American Embassy in the Chinese capital, the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 8am was 406. Anything above 300 is considered 'hazardous'.

One father standing with other concerned parents at the gates of Yong'anli Primary School in central Beijing told Sky News: "I'm very worried.

"The air is so dirty that we must wear face masks, otherwise all these particles go into our nose and lungs - that's very bad for our children's health."

Another said: "I'm worried. There are too many cars,on the roads every day. The car fumes pollute the air we breathe."

One grandmother, who was dropping off her grandson, she said she could not remember pollution levels so high in her many years living in Beijing.

She said: "The air pollution has never been this bad, look at the roads now, so many cars, so much pollution, and so many people."

According to the World Health Organisation, levels of the smallest pollution particles, called PM2.5, should not be more than 25 micrograms (mcg). At levels of 100mcg, the air is considered unhealthy.

But according to the Beijing Municipal Environment Monitoring Centre, on Saturday the figure rose to above 900mcg in several parts of the city. PM2.5 particles are small enough to enter the lungs and the blood stream and are considered particularly dangerous.

The pollution is shrouding Beijing

The Chinese government only started to publish its own air quality figures in early 2012 but many believe there is still a level of denial at an official level about the scale of the problem. The official Chinese air quality reading is frequently lower than the US Embassy figure.

However, levels over the weekend made it hard for the state-run media to ignore the problem.

"The foreign media is laughing at us. I agree with their laughter," said Hu Xijin, the editor of the state-run Global Times newspaper on Weibo, China's version of Twitter.

"This is a warning to the Government and Beijing's citizens. We have to think about what kind of modernisation we want and how to manage it."

Discussion of the problem and criticism of the government was widespread on internet forums, including Weibo.

"I call for the cancellation of all cars except for family use and special use. We should all use public transport, and the officials should do so to set examples to ordinary people," one user wrote.

"It must be heavy pollution here in Beijing. I heard 50% of cancer patients in Beijing are lung cancers, the dirty air must be largely responsibility," another wrote.

"I suddenly got a fever last night. It must be because of the air pollution. Now my throat really hurts, and I can't even breath outside. How could I carry on living??!!" said another.

Throughout the weekend on Beijing's streets it was hard to see more than around 150m. The skyscrapers which dominate parts of the city were barely visible.

The Chinese authorities have urged people to use public transport

Yu Jianhua, from the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, said the current weather conditions have been preventing the smog from dispersing.

"Beijing has got warmer and wetter. We are facing large quantities of polluting emissions and they are not diffusing very quickly. The air is severely polluted," he said.

The slightly improved visibility on Monday might partly be due to an order to shut certain factories around the city. Wind levels have increased and the temperature has dropped, which will also help disperse the blanket.

According to the state news agency, Xinhua, 28 construction sites have stopped work, the Beijing Hyundai Motor Company has stopped work and Beijing Cement Plant Company has shut down one production line.

Authorities have been urging people to use public transport rather than their own vehicles to reduce emissions but even Beijing's underground network is affected. The smog was visible hanging in the air at a number of station platforms on Saturday.

Last year, the Chinese government asked the American Embassy not to publish the figures from its monitor. The Americans refused, insisting that the information was for the benefit of its personnel.

US spokesman Nolan Barkhouse told Sky News: "By recording pollution and publishing the results we are providing members of the mission community and the broader American community in China with information so that they can make better daily decisions about their outdoor activities."

The health implications from the pollution may be obvious, but there is an important political dimension to the issue too. China's Communist Government is unelected. Of the thousands of daily protests around the country, a significant proportion are linked to environmental concerns.

If the public perception is that the local and central government is not tackling the issues, it could present one of a number of challenges for the Communist Party.

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Silvio Berlusconi Fails To Get Trial Delayed

The belly dancer who Silvio Berlusconi is accused of paying for sex when she was underage has been told she no longer has to attend his trial.

Lawyers for the former Italian prime minister made a late submission asking that Karima el-Mahroug, also known as Ruby The Heart Stealer, be dismissed.

The 20-year-old Moroccan had shown up at the courtroom in Milan having previously failed to turn up twice.

Berlusconi is accused of paying for sex with Ms El Mahroug when she was underage and then trying to cover it up. She was said to be 17 at the time. Both deny sexual contact.

Ms El Mahroug had been due to appear as a witness for the defence, but Berlusconi's lawyer announced they no longer needed to hear her evidence.

Berlusconi is in the middle of an election campaign.

Judges hearing the trial agreed, but decided the 76-year-old's trial would have to go ahead, despite his lawyers asking for it to be postponed.

They deliberated for four hours before delivering their decision.

The former Italian premier's lawyer, Niccolo Ghedini, had filed a motion to suspend the proceedings shortly after they started, saying it was impossible for his client to defend himself properly while he was involved in an election campaign.

Italy is in the middle of a campaign to choose a new government. Berlusconi is leading the centre-right wing People of Freedom party (PDL) and would become prime minister again if the party won.

Mr Ghedini said he wanted "to avoid the possibility of the trial influencing the campaign", as any development would have repercussions in the media.

Because Ms El-Mahroug had failed to attend court previously, there were fears she would not turn up for her latest appearance.

But just before the hearing got under way in at Milan's Central Court, she arrived with her lawyer wearing a dark coat with fur trim and carrying a Louis Vuitton handbag.

She had to fight her way through a jostling scrum of photographers in order to get into the court.

Ms El-Mahroug was due to be the last witness due to testify. Because she now doesn't have to testify, a verdict could come before the two polling days on February 24 and 25.

She had previously told her lawyer she could not attend because she was on holiday in Mexico. The prosecution alleged her earlier absence was a "stalling tactic" aimed at delaying the verdict.

Berlusconi faces up to 15 years in jail if he is found guilty. However, he is entitled to two appeals which could take several months or even years. Those over 70 are also less likely to face prison.

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Syrian Regime 'Using Banned Cluster Bombs'

By Tom Rayner, Middle East News Editor

The Syrian regime has used rocket launchers to fire banned cluster bombs on least two occasions in the last two months, according to a new report.

An investigation published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) claims to have evidence of Syrian forces using BM-21 Grad multi-barrel rocket launchers to fire the Egyptian-made munitions near the city of Idlib in December and at Latamneh, a town just northwest of Hama, earlier this month.

The report claims the 122mm rockets filled with cluster sub-munitions were made by the Egyptian state-owned Arab Organisation for Industrialisation and are designed as both anti-personnel and anti-vehicle devices.

Human Rights Watch investigators believe this is first recorded use of such weapons in the Syrian conflict.

Steve Goose, director of the arms division at HRW, said: "Syria is escalating and expanding its use of cluster munitions, despite international condemnation of its embrace of this banned weapon.

"It is now resorting to a notoriously indiscriminate type of cluster munition that gravely threatens civilian populations."

Last November, a Sky News team led by Special Correspondent Alex Crawford also discovered scores of unexploded Russian-made cluster bombs in the town of Tal Rafaat, near the Turkish border.

Idlib is among the country's worst-hit areas

A total of 111 countries have signed the international treaty banning the use of cluster munitions.

It comes as rebel coordination committees have reported barrels loaded with explosives being dropped from warplanes above Dar'aa - the city where the uprisings against President Bashar al Assad began in March 2011.

The so-called 'barrel bombs' are effectively home-made devices packed with shrapnel, leading some munitions experts to speculate that regime stocks may be running low.

The use of such indiscriminate weapons will only contribute to the ongoing problem of civilians being forced to flee their homes in Syria.

Another report published on Monday by the International Rescue Committee claims the situation in the country is "steadily worsening" and says international aid is currently "drastically insufficient" to deal with the crisis.

In its recommendations, the IRC says the international community must prepare for the major issues connected to the displacement of civilians to "last well beyond the end of the Assad government and persist regardless of the political outcome".

Recent winter storms that have brought snow, high winds and freezing conditions have led to deteriorating conditions in refugee camps in Turkey and Jordan.

Latest figures from the UN Refugee Agency show 597,240 people have registered or are awaiting registration with the agency.

Some countries have higher estimates, noting many have found accommodation without registering.

Around 60,000 have people are believed to have been killed since the uprising began.

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Kumbh Mela Festival On Ganges Starts In India

Several million Hindus jumped into the freezing waters of the River Ganges at 5am this morning as the world's biggest religious festival got under way.

Millions more are expected to arrive for the Kumbh Mela in the northern Indian town of Allahabad throughout the course of the day.

Devotees, who plunged into the water fully or partially clothed, believe that a dip in the sacred river will cleanse their sins.

The event began with bearded, naked and dreadlocked holy men, known as "sadhus", running en masse into the water, while carrying swords and sticks and wearing little more than yellow garlands.

This was followed by a procession of naked ash-smeared men wading into the meeting point of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.

Organisers estimate that around 100 million people will attend the festival over the next month-and-a-half.

The Kumbh Mela takes place every 12 years in Allahabad with smaller but similar events every three years in other locations around India.

Devesh Chaturvedi, an Allahabad administrator, said: "The biggest challenge for us is to ensure that we are able to provide an opportunity for each and every person to bathe on the auspicious days without any stampede."

A risk of stampede remains a concern for organisers after 45 attendees were crushed to death when the festival was held in the western Indian town of Nasik in 2003.

This year's organisers have put 12,000 police officers at designated check-points and have set up 14 medical centres, 150km (93 miles) of temporary roads, 18 bridges and a closed circuit camera system to ensure the event goes smoothly.

Organisers, who are also worried about potential environmental damage, have banned pilgrims from bringing plastic bags to the festival site and from using soap while bathing.

The danger of bathing in the heavily polluted Ganges is an additional concern for organisers who have opened upstream fresh water reservoirs in an attempt to dilute the dirty river water.

Kumbh Mela twas last hosted by Allahabad in 2001, when around 110 million pilgrims passed through without incident.

The festival takes its name from a Hindu belief that gods and demons fought over a pitcher, or "kumbh", of nectar that would give them immortality.

The myth says one of the gods ran off with the pot, spilling four drops of nectar: one on each of the festival's host sites.

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Italy's Would-Be Leader Bersani Warns Cameron

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

The front runner in the race to be Italy's next leader says Britain must not "paralyse" the EU if it seeks to repatriate powers from Brussels.

In his first British TV interview, Pier Luigi Bersani, who heads the left-wing Democratic Party, says no one should try to hold the eurozone to ransom as it attempts further political and fiscal integration to save the Euro.

The British Government has indicated that it may veto attempts to alter EU treaties, unless it can claw back jurisdiction in certain areas, which could be put to British voters in a referendum.

David Cameron is expected to outline his thoughts in a speech to be delivered in The Hague on January 22.

Mr Bersani told Sky News: "The British must choose their path and I hope that their choice is pro-Europe.

"But regardless of that, the eurozone must act responsibly as they have a common currency, so will have to further integrate their policies.

"This is the fundamental dynamic before Britain when it comes to making a decision.

"The future might allow European relationships at multiple speeds and multiple tiers. As the eurozone cannot keep pulling the handbrake, this is inevitable. I hope that solutions can be found to keep Britain as close as possible to the eurozone.

"I believe Europe should have an open and constructive mindset toward Britain's needs, but not to the point of paralysing it, because that would be a damaging for everyone."

The Democratic Party (PD) led by the 61-year-old cigar-smoking former communist is promising to maintain the fiscal discipline of the Monti administration, while pursuing a pro-growth agenda.

Silvio Berlusconi is fighting a series of allegations

The PD heads an alliance of left-leaning parties which is is currently polling at 39% ahead of the elections that will be held on the February 24 and 25.

Current Prime Minister Mario Monti leads a centre coalition with 15% support, while a union of Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom group and the Northern League, garners over 25%.

It is likely Mr Bersani will win a majority in the lower house but may be forced to establish a grand coalition with Mr Monti in the senate.

He told Sky News: "Even with a clear majority in both houses we would be open to talking or working together with those who are pro-Europe moderates like Monti.

"I don't think it's hard to find a middle ground. After all, we just had a year in which we worked in a grand coalition with Berlusconi, yet we managed to save Italy from the precipice.

"I believe these are not real problems, our issues are about the real economy, not political alliances."

As for the colourful Mr Berlusconi, who is fighting fraud and allegations he consorted with an underage prostitute, Mr Bersani refused to make any direct criticism.

"My party will likely be the only one without my name in the logo on the ballot," he said.

"I have been at odds for years with the way Italian politics has been personalised. The Democratic Party wants to be an antidote to this disease; we are the only collective political force which has a shelf-life that goes beyond the leader."

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Israel Evicts Palestinians From Protest Camp

Palestinian protesters have been forced out of a camp they set up in an area earmarked for a Jewish housing project.

Israeli police backed by bulldozers evicted the group from the West Bank hilltop in the early hours of Sunday, two days after 200 Palestinian activists pitched tents in an area known as E1.

The protesters had ignored Israeli orders to leave until police moved in.

One Palestinian legislator, Mustafa Barghouti, said: "Hundreds of Israeli police came from all directions, surrounding all those who were in the tents and arresting them one by one."

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said no arrests had been made.

"They were told they were trespassing and carefully escorted from the site one by one," he said. "Nobody was hurt on either side."

About 500 police took part in the operation, he added. He said the tents were not dismantled and that a decision on that would be made later.

Protest organisers said six people were hurt as they were carried away by police and vowed that the protest would not be the last of its kind.

In documents released to the media, Israeli state lawyers argued that if the protest were allowed to continue there was a danger that right-wing Israeli settlers, "some of them extremists", would head for the site to stage counter-demonstrations which could result in "breaches of the peace against Palestinians and security forces".

Israel announced it was moving forward with the E1 settlement after the UN recognised a de facto state of Palestine in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in November.

Palestinians say E1 would be a major blow to their statehood aspirations because it blocks east Jerusalem from its West Bank hinterland.

The construction plans drew unusually sharp criticism from some of Israel's staunchest allies including the US, which is strongly opposed to the E1 project.

Israeli officials have said construction may be years away if it ever happens, and some doubt whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu really intends to develop E1 or is pandering to hard-liners ahead of Israel's January 22 election.

The camp is pictured here after it was set up on Friday

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Costa Concordia Shipwreck Anniversary Service

By Robert Nisbet, in Porto Santo Stefano

Survivors of the Costa Concordia shipwreck - and relatives of the 32 people who died when the cruise liner ran aground - have marked a year since the disaster with a series of events near the rusting wreckage.

The unveiling of memorials to the victims, a minute's silence and a mass in their honour at the church on the island of Giglio, where many of the survivors were treated after they were forced to abandon the listing ship, were held to recall the tragedy.

The first event of Sunday's day-long commemoration was the return to the sea of part of the massive rock that tore into the hull of the 112,000-ton ocean liner on January 13, 2012, and remained embedded as the vessel capsized.

A crane on a tug lowered the boulder onto the reef off Giglio. Affixed to it was a memorial plaque. Survivors and relatives of the dead embraced as they watched the ceremony from another boat.

The commemoration will also include a symbolic launch of lanterns into the sea at the moment the ship hit the rock which gouged a 230ft gash in the hull.

The 952ft-long cruise liner, which is twice the weight of the Titanic, hit Le Scole reef after the captain sailed within a few hundred yards of the island.

Captain Francesco Schettino is under investigation for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning the vessel before all the passengers were evacuated.

He remains under house arrest, but has not been formally charged.

The Concordia shortly after it struck rocks

The ship had 4,252 passengers and crew and was on a six-port cruise when the captain decided to stage a "sail-past" to honour a retired seaman who lives on Giglio, off the coast of Tuscany.

Captain Schettino insists the cruise company had permitted the route on several other occasions, and that his actions in steering the stricken ship onto an underwater ledge spared the lives of many others.

Some survivors, who were offered 11,000 euros  (£9,100) compensation by Costa Cruises, were asked not to attend Sunday's event because the small island is already crowded with victims' relatives and media.

Many are now seeking civil claims against the American parent company Carnival.

The operation to right the ship is now running over budget and behind schedule because of the enormous technical challenges faced by the salvage team.

Over 400 engineers are planning to attach giant metal floats to either side of the ship - some 11 storeys high - before using a series of pullies to slowly stand the vessel.

She will then be towed to a port, possibly in Sicily, where it could take two years to dismantle the ship and sell remnants for scrap.

The salvage cost, to be mostly covered by insurance payouts, has now risen from 300m euros (£248m) to 400m euros (£331m), and is described as the biggest operation of its kind ever attempted.

The delay has been caused by environmental fears, the hard nature of the bedrock, and the position of the ship which must now be slowly shifted on its axis.

It should be refloated by the end of September at the latest.

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Mali: British Military Plane 'Leaving Today'

The first British military plane destined to assist the French operation in Mali will leave this afternoon, Sky sources say.

The RAF C17 will stop off in Paris to load before a 10-hour flight to the West African country and will not arrive before tomorrow, the sources added.

It comes after Downing Street confirmed the Prime Minister had agreed to provide "logistical military assistance" to the French.

David Cameron spoke to Francois Hollande on Saturday evening as France attempted to contain al Qaeda-linked rebels in the north of the West African country.

French fighter jets and attack helicopters launched fresh strikes on Islamist strongholds in northern Mali on Sunday.

Prominent Islamist leader Abdel Krim  - nicknamed "Kojak" - is reported to have been killed in the strikes.

French troops prepare to board a flight to Mali from a base in Chad

A 600-strong multi-national West African force, authorised by the UN Security Council to help the Mali government reclaim control of the north of the country, is also on its way to the capital Bamako. It will be commanded by General Shehu Abdulkadir of Nigeria.

In addition, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal and Togo have all pledged around 500 troops this weekend, while Benin has said it will send 300 soldiers.

French military strikes on the country have already claimed the lives of at least 100 rebels in a fight over the strategic town of Konna.

Eleven Malian soldiers are reported to have been killed and a further 60 wounded in the recent fighting.

Mr Hollande has raised his country's terror threat level amid fears of retaliatory attacks in France.

He said France "has to take all necessary precautions" in the face of a terrorist threat, including "surveillance of our public buildings and our transport network".

The UN's Sahel envoy Romano Prodi, left, and President Dioncounda Traore

A Downing Street spokesman said last night: "The Prime Minister spoke to President Hollande this evening to discuss the deteriorating situation in Mali and how the UK can support French military assistance provided to the Malian government to contain rebel and extremist groups in the north of the country.

"The Prime Minister has agreed that the UK will provide logistical military assistance to help transport foreign troops and equipment quickly to Mali.

"We will not be deploying any British personnel in a combat role.

"Both leaders agreed that the situation in Mali poses a real threat to international security given terrorist activity there.

"They discussed the need to work with the Malian government, regional neighbours and international partners to prevent a new terrorist haven developing on Europe's doorstep and to reinvigorate the UN led political process once the rebel advance has been halted.

"The National Security Council, which was already due to meet on Tuesday, will now consider the situation in Mali and discuss what needs to be done to secure a lasting political settlement in Mali."

Islamist rebels seized a swathe of northern Mali last spring

One French pilot has died in the military action after hundreds of French soldiers were deployed in the country.

Mr Hollande took action in Mali at the request of interim President Dioncounda Traore, who has declared a state of emergency.

Western governments expressed alarm on Thursday after an al Qaeda-linked rebel alliance captured Konna, a gateway towards the capital Bamako 600km (375 miles) south.

The Malian army has said it was attacking the "last pockets of resistance" by insurgents in Konna after they recaptured it with the help of the French.

Mr Hollande said the "terrorist groups, drug traffickers and extremists" in northern Mali "show a brutality that threatens us all." He vowed that the operation would last "as long as necessary".

The West African regional bloc ECOWAS has now authorised the immediate deployment of troops to Mali.

The bloc's commission president, Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, said it made the decision "in light of the urgency of the situation".

French Mirage 2000 D aircraft en route to the Mali operation

For the past nine months, the Islamic militants have controlled a large swathe of northern Mali, a lawless desert region where kidnapping has flourished.

Mr Hollande said the operation was aimed in part at protecting 6,000 French citizens in Mali, including seven who are being held captive.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Senegal and Nigeria also responded to an appeal from Mali's president for help to counter the militants.

Late last year, the 15 nations in West Africa, including Mali, agreed on a proposal for the military to take back the north, and sought backing from the UN.

The Security Council authorised the intervention but imposed certain conditions, including the training of Mali's military, which has been accused of serious human rights abuses since a military coup last year sent the nation into disarray.

Al Qaeda's affiliate in Africa has been a shadowy presence for years in the forests and deserts of poverty-stricken Mali.

Most Malians adhere to a moderate form of Islam, but in recent months the terrorist group and its allies have taken advantage of political instability, taking territory they use to stock weapons and train forces.

The Islamists have insisted they want to impose Sharia only in northern Mali, though there long have been fears they could push further south.

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