Venezuela Prison Riot Kills Dozens Of Inmates

Up to 50 people have been killed and scores more injured in clashes at a prison in Venezuela, according to hospital officials and local media.

Television footage showed National Guard troops surrounding the Uribana prison as inmates in bloody clothes were taken out of the building.

Relatives of the prisoners, most of them women in tears, waited outside.

Iris Varela, the government minister responsible for Venezuela's jails and prisons, said the riot at the Uribana prison in northwest Lara state began after inmates objected to prison authorities planning to confiscate weapons.

She said that inmates fought with troops brought in to calm the situation and with each other as rival gangs battled for control of the prison.

Hospital official Ruy Medina said many of the dozens of casualties had suffered gunshot wounds.

The South American nation's 34 prisons were designed to hold just one-third of the 50,000 inmates now in them, according to local prison advocacy groups.

Many of the prisoners are armed and hundreds are killed each year in riots and gang fights.

In 2011, there was a month-long siege at El Rodeo prison, just outside the capital of Caracas, in which 22 people died before 5,000 soldiers were able to restore order.

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Apple: Kutcher At Steve Jobs Film Premiere

Ashton Kutcher has revealed playing Apple's legendary co-founder Steve Jobs was an honour - but also terrifying - at the film's world premiere.

The biopic covers the 30 years from Jobs' teenage years to his time in charge of one of the most powerful and iconic technology brands across the globe.

jOBS was shown for the first time at the Sundance Festival in Utah, 15 months after the Apple boss died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 56.

At the premiere, 34-year-old Kutcher talked about his preparations to try and master Jobs' posture, hand gestures and eccentricities, saying his "painstaking research" included watching more than 100 hours of footage of the Apple innovator.

"To be playing a guy who so freshly is in people's minds, where everywhere you go you can run into people who met him or knew him or had seen a video of him... that's terrifying because everyone is an appropriate critic," Kutcher said.

"Everyone can tear you apart. Everyone can look at any detail, a piece of clothing or a speech pattern and go 'No, no, this is not what it was,' and that's really scary."

Kutcher is interviewed at the premiere of jOBS

The film received applause from the audience, but it has not gone down as well with one of the people who worked most closely with Jobs.

Hours before the screening, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said the movie appeared to misrepresent aspects of his and Jobs' personalities and their early vision for the company.

Wozniak was commenting after seeing a brief clip of an early scene that was released online on Thursday.

"Totally wrong... The ideas of computers affecting society did not come from Jobs," Wozniak, who started Apple with Jobs and Ronald Wayne in a California garage in 1976, told technology blog Gizmodo.com.

Kutcher said he hoped Wozniak would look more kindly on the movie when he had seen the whole two hours.

"I hope that when he sees the film, he feels that he was portrayed accurately, that the film accurately represents who he was and how he was, and more importantly, inspires people to go and build things," he said.

jOBS is one of two films in production about Steve Jobs.

The other, based on Walter Isaacson's official biography Steve Jobs, is being developed by screen writer Aaron Sorkin of The West Wing and The Social Network fame.

Wozniak is known to be involved with the other film, though no release date or casting has been announced.

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Anti-Doping Chief: Armstrong Lied On Oprah

The head of the US Anti-Doping Agency has claimed shamed cyclist Lance Armstrong lied during a TV interview with Oprah Winfrey.

In an interview with CBS show 60 Minutes, which will air on Sunday, Mr Tygart said Armstrong was not telling the truth when he claimed he was clean of performance enhancing drugs when he made his comeback in 2009.

He said the 41-year-old has until February 6 to "cooperate fully" with USADA if he wants to lessen a lifetime ban from sports.

A report issued by the agency last year - on which it based Armstrong's lifetime ban and the forfeiture of all his cycling results since 1998 - found the variation of his blood values after making his comeback made it a "one to a million chance that it was due to something other than doping", Mr Tygart said.

He added that Armstrong could be motivated to lie about his comeback because under the statute of limitations for criminal fraud he would still be open to prosecution.

It comes after a lawyer for the cyclist told USADA his client will co-operate with their efforts to "clean up cycling".

Armstrong admitted last week in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey that he took a variety of performance-enhancing drugs as he won seven Tour de France titles.

In letters sent this week between lawyers for Armstrong and the USADA, the agency's attorney William Bock asked that Armstrong testify under oath by February 6.

But Armstrong's attorney, Tim Herman, responded that Armstrong could make that deadline and called for the cycling union and the World Anti-Doping Agency to take up efforts to stamp out doping.

"As you have candidly confirmed, USADA has no authority to investigate, prosecute or otherwise involve itself with the other 95% of cycling competitors," he wrote.

"Thus, in order to achieve the goal of 'cleaning up cycling,' it must be WADA and the UCI who have overall authority to do so."

The letter said the disgraced cyclist was prepared to appear before a "truth and reconciliation" commission to be held by the International Cycling Union.

Armstrong told to Winfrey that he had used a banned "cocktail" of the blood-boosting agent EPO, blood transfusions and testosterone.

He had already been banned from cycling for life, stripped of his Tour titles and lost his Olympic gold medal - won in the 2000 games in Sydney - after USADA found him to be a central figure in "the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen".

It is thought Armstrong's full co-operation could lead to a reduction of his ban, perhaps to eight years.

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Adrian Donohoe Killing Condemned By Irish PM

The Irish leader Enda Kenny has described the fatal shooting of a Garda detective during a botched hold-up as "cold blooded violence".

Adrian Donohoe was with a colleague escorting a cash delivery to a credit union in Dundalk, County Louth, when he was killed.

Several shots were fired during the attack at the Lordship Credit Union, on the Cooley Road in the town at around 9.30pm.

Mr Kenny said: "This was an outrageous act of cold blooded violence that has left a family without a husband and father and the Garda Siochana without a brave and valued member.

"On behalf of the Government and of the people I would like to express my condolences to Adrian's wife and children and to all his extended family at this unbearably sad time."

It is believed the force is hunting four men who fled the scene in a grey Volkswagen Passat.

The shooting happened in Cooley Road, Dundalk

Sky's Ireland correspondent David Blevins said: "The Irish police set up checkpoints on the southern side of the Irish border and the Police Service of Northern Ireland have checkpoints on the northern side of the Irish border."

The officer, who was based at Dundalk Garda station, was shot in the head without warning. He had not drawn his garda-issued weapon.

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan said: "I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of my colleague Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe.

"Detective Garda Donohoe died as a result of injuries sustained in the course of his duty following a shooting incident in Dundalk.

"At this time my thoughts and prayers and those of the entire force are with the family, friends and close colleagues of Adrian."

Det Donohoe had two children and his wife Caroline was also in the police service. He lived in the Lordship area, half a mile from the credit union where he was killed.

Local councillor Jim Loughran described him as a quiet, decent family man.

"I just spoke to him last week on the street in town. I can't believe this has happened," he said.

The Sinn Fein councillor, who knew the detective through their local GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) club St Patrick's, also condemned those responsible for the shooting.

"This was not just an attack on a Garda detective, it was an attack on the whole community," he said.

It is believed staff at the credit union were locking up when the shooting occurred.

Gardai have appealed for people in the Belurgan, Jenkinstown and Dundalk areas between 6pm and 9.30pm on Friday night to get in touch. They are also appealing for anyone who may have seen the car driving towards Dundalk or on to the M1.

:: Anyone with information should call police on 042-9388400.

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Egypt: Death Sentences Spark Deadly Riots

Two football players are among the 27 people killed in riots in the Egypt city of Port Said following the sentencing to death of 21 fans.

Violence erupted in the city after judge sentenced the 21 people to death over a post-match riot in February last year that killed 74 fans of the Cairo-based Al Ahly team.

All of the people sentenced to death were fans of Port Said's main Al Masry team.

Jubilant: Fans of Al Ahly football club celebrate the verdict in Cairo

The director of hospitals in Port Said, Dr Abdel Raham Farah, said Mahmoud Abdel Halim al Dizawi, a football player in the city's Al Marikh club, was shot three times and died.

He says Tamer al Fahla, a player who used to play for Al Masry team, was also shot dead on his way to Al Marikh club.

Relatives of those sentenced attempted to storm the prison - which is near the Al Marikh club - where the defendants were being held, leading to the fierce clashes with police which left at least 27 people dead, including two policemen.

The military has been deployed to try and restore security.

Al Ahly fans were considered by many to be the victims of the riot

As the sentence was read out in the Cairo court and broadcast live on Egyptian television, families of those who died during the match wailed in relief and shouted "God is great!" from the public gallery.

But residents in Port Said, where the match was played, were also angry that people from their city were held responsible for the deadly riots.

On hearing the verdict many rampaged through the streets and some attempted to storm a police station.

Shops were closed and armoured personnel vehicles deployed as fighting raged in some streets around the prison.

Joy: Families of fans killed shouted 'God is great' after the verdict

In Cairo, there were explosions of jubilation at the verdict. One man who lost his son in the Port Said clashes wept outside court and said he was satisfied with the judges decision.

Another, Hassan Mustafa, had pinned a picture of his dead friend to his chest and said he was pleased with the outcome, adding that he wanted "justice served for those who planned the killing".

Die-hard football fans from both teams hold the police at least partially responsible for the February deaths and criticised Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi for doing little to reform the force.

Doctors treating the victims of the football rioting said some had been stabbed to death. One player caught up in the rioting described it as "a war".

Some of the defendants accused of involvement in the violence

Witnesses said most of the deaths involved people who had been trampled in the crush of panicked crowds, or who fell from terraces.

The riot was the world's deadliest football violence in 15 years.

The judge said in his statement read live on state TV that he would announce the verdict for the remaining 52 defendants on March 9.

Among those on trial are nine security officials.

As is customary in Egypt, the death sentences will be sent to religious authority, the Grand Mufti, for approval.

Executions in Egypt are usually carried out by hanging.

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Murder Confession: Teen Copies Halloween Film

A Texas teenager has confessed to police that he shot his mother and sister after repeatedly watching a horror film about a boy who kills without remorse.

Newly released evidence in the case includes a four-page document handwritten by Jake Evans.

In it he calmly explained how he planned to kill several members of his family last October - inspired by the 2007 remake of the horror classic Halloween.

The film is about a young boy who knifes to death his sister and others, and escapes a mental hospital years later to continue killing as an adult.

Jake Evans repeatedly watched the 2007 remake of Halloween

"While watching it, I was amazed at how at ease the boy was during the murders and how little remorse he had," the 17-year-old wrote, just hours after the event.

"Afterward, I was thinking to myself it would be the same for me when I kill someone."

He said in the confession that he initially planned on using a knife to murder his mother Jami and 15-year-old sister Mallory at their home in Aledo.

"I went back upstairs and kept pacing back and forth imagining killing Mallory," he wrote.

"Thoughts of causing her pain kept entering my mind and were really bothering me. But then I'd think about the times she hurt my feelings."

Evans described how earlier that day, he and his sister had argued after he accused her of making a racist comment.

He said he sat on the sofa having a pillow fight with his sister with a knife in his pocket.

But then he changed his mind.

"After a while, I thought to myself that if I were to kill my mom and Mallory, I wouldn't want them to feel anything, so I decided to kill them both with the .22 revolver I stole from my grandpa," he wrote.

"I then spent probably over an hour walking nervously around the house thinking how life will never be the same and how I would never see them again."

Evans described knocking on his sister's bedroom door at about 11.15pm and shooting her in the back and head.

The teenager's police statement was released on the orders of the judge

He then went downstairs and shot his mother.

"As I emptied the shells on my bed, I heard noises and realised that Mallory was still alive," he wrote.

"While I loaded the gun back up, I was shouting that I was sorry and then ran as fast as I could to kill her. I made sure my mom was dead and shot her again in the head."

Evans called 911 and told the dispatcher what he had done.

"I know now though that I'm done with killing," he said at the end of his statement. "What happened last night will haunt me forever."

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Samsung Q4 Profits Surge 76% Over Smartphones

Samsung has seen its quarterly profits soar by 76%, boosted by the popularity of its Galaxy smartphones, which have outsold the iPhone for a fourth straight quarter.

Net profit for the final quarter of 2012 totaled 7.04 trn South Korean won (£4.1bn), up from 4.01trn a year earlier. 

Sales for the final quarter of 2012 rose 19% over the previous year, and operating income jumped 89%.

Samsung, which overtook Apple as the top smartphone maker last year, said increased sales of the phones were the key source of its profit growth.

Its operating profit from the division that makes and sells smartphones and tablets more than doubled to 5.44trn won in Q4, up from 2.56trn a year earlier.

Most analysts believe Samsung shipped more than 60 million smartphones, including the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II, during the three months ending in December, which would put the year's smartphone sales at more than 200 million.

On Wednesday, Apple said it sold 47.8 million iPhones in the quarter.

Hong Kong-based research firm Counterpoint Research said Samsung took 33% market share in the fourth quarter, compared with Apple's 21%.

But Samsung said that it now expects earnings to decline during the current quarter, because of seasonally low demand for consumer electronics, post-Christmas.

The company said the growing strength of the South Korean won may harm profits, with margins reduced as a result.

Unlike Samsung, Apple is keeping its iPhone price high

However, analysts believe that Samsung could be little affected by market demand thanks to its variety of products that range from affordable to expensive devices.

Samsung, which makes dozens of handset models a year and customises them for mobile operators, also sells cheaper smartphones.

Apple, on the other hand, which keeps its iPhone price high, might see iPhone sales plateau in coming years as more consumers snap up cheaper Android phones.

Still, Apple's business has been more profitable because of the high price of the iPhone, which generates a larger profit per sales.

Samsung is expected to introduce a new flagship smartphone in its Galaxy S series as early as April, which analysts say will shore up its bottom line.

The company said consumers seeking to replace its current handset and get a faster wireless connection will drive the demand for new models, easing concerns that sales would slow because of smartphone saturation in developed markets.  

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Strauss-Kahn Innocent, Pimp Tells Sex Trial

A pimp accused with Dominique Strauss-Kahn of supplying prostitutes for sex parties has claimed he believes the former IMF boss is innocent.

Belgian national Dominique Alderweireld, who has previous convictions for pimping, told Canal Plus television that it was likely Mr Strauss-Kahn was too busy to have arranged the parties.

"I think that with his work at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) he had other things to do than organise orgies," he said.

Alderweireld was speaking as Strauss-Kahn came face-to-face with a prostitute in a courtroom in Lille during his trial for "aggravated pimping as part of an organised gang".

The Socialist politician has admitted attending sex parties in France and the US but he has always claimed he did not know the women had been paid for their services.

Strauss Kahn's lawyers have argued that he could not have known as the female participants were naked during the events.

"He could easily not have known, because as you can imagine, at these kind of parties you're not always dressed.

"I challenge you to distinguish a naked prostitute from any other naked woman," Henri Leclerc told Radio Europe 1 in December.

Strauss-Kahn recently reached a financial settlement with a New York hotel maid whose 2011 allegation of sexual assault forced him to resign from his IMF job and ruined his chances of becoming French president.

He admitted a sexual encounter took place but insisted it was consensual. A criminal investigation into the incident collapsed after the maid changed her version of events.

French prosecutors, however, are convinced they have a case against Strauss-Kahn, in what has become known as the 'Carlton affair'.

It centres on allegations that business leaders and police officials in Lille supplied women for sex parties, some of which are said to have taken place at the city's Carlton Hotel.

Alderweireld is the 10th person to be charged with aggravated pimping in the case.

His nickname is Dodo la Saumure, a reference to the curing liquid used for mackerel, which is French slang for 'pimp'.

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Egypt: Tear Gas Fired At Protesters In Cairo

Tear gas has been fired at protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square on the second anniversary of the revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak.

Despite President Mohamed Morsi calling for calm, protesters have been making their way to the city's main square to demonstrate, with some throwing missiles.

Some have already spent the night there after police clashed on Thursday with protesters who tried to dismantle a wall of concrete blocks closing a street leading to the square.

The secular-leaning opposition has called for mass protests against Mr Morsi and his party, the Muslim Brotherhood, using the same slogan that brought Egypt to its feet in 2011: "Bread, freedom, social justice."

Opposition leader and former head of the UN's atomic agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, wrote on his Twitter account: "Go out into the squares to finally achieve the objectives of the revolution."

An anti-Morsi protester tries to escape from a tent sent on fire by police

Tahrir Square is the iconic birthplace of the 2011 revolution, and demonstrators gathered in front of the presidential palace, where anti-Morsi rallies last December erupted into deadly clashes with Islamist supporters.

Rallies were also staged elsewhere, notably in Egypt's second city Alexandria, where police fired tear gas into crowds.

In the north-eastern city of Ismailia, offices used by the Muslim Brotherhood's political party were set ablaze.

The Muslim Brotherhood has not officially called for its own rallies, instead marking the anniversary by launching a charitable and social initiative called: "Together we will build Egypt."

A man in Cairo works on graffiti representing the Muslim Brotherhood

Mr Morsi urged Egyptians to spend the anniversary in a "peaceful and civilised way" in a speech on Thursday to mark the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed.

But the threat of violence remained, ahead of a court verdict due on Saturday in the trial of dozens of defendants over the worst football disaster in Egyptian history.

More than 70 people were killed in Port Said in February last year during clashes in the Suez Canal city between fans of home side Al Masry and diehard supporters Cairo's Al Ahly, known as Ultras.

Al Ahly supporters warned of violent protests and a "new revolution" if Saturday's verdict goes against them.

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Algeria Siege: Norwegians Confirmed Dead

Two Norwegian oil workers have been confirmed dead after the al Qaeda hostage crisis in Algeria last week.

Norwegian oil firm Statoil confirmed the deaths following the siege at the In Amenas gas plant.

The company said three others were still listed as missing, although the Foreign Ministry said these employees were also presumed dead.

The Algerian government has said it believes 37 foreign hostages of eight nationalities and one Algerian worker were killed during the crisis at the desert gas plant.

Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal said 29 of the militants who overran the facility had been killed and three captured alive.

Three Britons are known to have died and three more are believed to be dead. A UK resident from Colombia is also thought to have died.

The British oil company BP jointly ran the plant together with the Algerian state oil company Sonatrach and Norway's Statoil.

David Cameron has insisted responsibility for the deaths "lies squarely with the terrorists".

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North Korea Plans Nuclear Test 'Aimed At US'

North Korea plans a nuclear test and more long-range rocket launches, aimed at what it calls its "arch-enemy", the United States.

A declaration by the National Defence Commission, said: "We do not hide that the various satellites and long-range rockets we will continue to launch, as well as the high-level nuclear test we will proceed with, are aimed at our arch-enemy the United States."

The commission, which is commanded by the country's leader Kim Jong-Un, added: "Settling accounts with the US needs to be done with force, not with words, as it regards jungle law as the rule of its survival."

The Unha-3 rocket launched by North Korea in December

The threat is seen as a direct response to the UN Security Council's decision two days ago to increase sanctions against Pyongyang in response to its long-range rocket launch last month.

It marks an escalation in North Korea's hostility towards the West.

Sky's Asia Correspondent Mark Stone said: "We know that North Korea is always defiant on this issue but what's different here is that all along North Korea claimed that these rocket launches and these nuclear tests have been peaceful.

"Now, today, in a remarkable turn, they are saying from now on their rocket launches and their nuclear tests will be aimed at the United States."

The commission statement, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, did not mention when the test might be carried out, nor did it give explanation of the meaning of "high level".

The test would mark the country's third detonation of a nuclear device, the previous two were held in 2006 and 2009.

Kim Jong-Un in the rocket-launch command centre

North Korea's foreign ministry had denounced the move on Wednesday, when it also gave the first hint that Pyongyang would react with a nuclear test, saying the country would take "physical actions" to boost its nuclear deterrent.

China, North Korea's sole major ally, was quick to urge restraint following the announcement from Pyongyang.

Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei hoped that North Korea would "stay calm, be discreet in words and deeds and look at the long term interest and push for the resumption of the six-party talks".

The six-party negotiations over the North's nuclear programme have long since stalled, however, China's incoming leader Xi Jingping has indicated he is keen to see them resume.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing a South Korean intelligence source, reported that Pyongyang had finished technical preparations and could conduct an atomic test within days of a decision by Kim Jong-Un.

The declaration signed by Kim Jong-Un authorising last month's launch

Last month, a US think-tank reached a similar conclusion based on satellite photos, suggesting the North had repaired rain damage at its nuclear test site and could conduct a detonation at two weeks' notice.

However, experts doubt North Korea has rockets capable of reaching the west coast of the US, despite reports from South Korea saying the rocket launched in December could have hit San Fransisco.            

The United States has condemned the threat.

"North Korea's statement is needlessly provocative," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

He added that a nuclear test would be a significant violation of UN sanctions and would further isolate Pyongyang.

Earlier Glyn Davies, the US envoy to North Korea, said: "It is important that they heed the voice of the international community."

He said that if North Korea begins "to take concrete steps to indicate their interest in returning to diplomacy, they may find in their negotiating partners willing partners in that process."

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Lebedev 'Braced For Prison' Over TV Punch-Up

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

Newspaper tycoon Alexander Lebedev has told Sky News he is bracing himself for the possibility of being sent to prison, after a televised punch-up with another oligarch on TV which has seen him charged with politically-motivated hooliganism.

Speaking outside Moscow's Ostankinsky court, Mr Lebedev said he would fight the charges, but that he was also preparing himself for the worst.

"I have to brace myself for it, because of the mere fact that we don't have a lot of acquittals in Russian courts unfortunately on hooliganism (charges), but we are definitely looking at winning the case," he said.

The former KGB spy does not deny that he punched property magnate Sergei Polonsky, knocking him off his stool, during a recorded studio debate on NTV, a Kremlin-controlled TV channel, in 2011.

But he claims it was in self-defence, and that the case against him has more to do with his stake in Novaya Gazeta, one of the only independent newspapers in Russia, and a prominent critic of the Putin administration.

Mr Lebedev is being prosecuted under a section of the same law used to convict feminist punk band Pussy Riot last year so as well as straightforward assault charges, he is also accused of "hooliganism motivated by political hatred".

The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years.

Mr Lebedev is a former KGB spy

He said the case was clearly absurd: "The accusation is not based on law at all, you can never prove that I had any political hatred which emerged during the programme because I haven't even talked to him (Polonsky), he doesn't have any political views, at least not that I am aware of.

"I don't have any political views, we haven't had a discussion - so how can you prove that I have any political hatred?"

Mr Lebedev likened his trial to a McCarthyite witch hunt, but offered an olive branch to the administration, pointedly refusing to lay the blame at President Putin's door. 

"When Senator McCarthy was doing the witch hunt in America, there were two presidents - one was Truman, the other one Eisenhower - nobody blamed on them what McCarthy was doing, so probably we have some McCarthys here in the country - what on earth they are doing? We don't put the blame on the political authority."

The billionaire tycoon's interests include a Russian bank and a significant stake in the national airline, Aeroflot, as well as the London Evening Standard, which he bought in 2009, famously telling reporters he had read it daily as a young Russian spy posted to London in his earlier career.

He went on to buy The Independent, but says both titles are now owned by his London-based son, Evgeny Lebedev, and that they will be protected should he be sent to prison.

The case has been adjourned until February 7, but they may have trouble summoning the main prosecution witness - Sergei Polonsky.

Mr Polonsky is currently under arrest in Cambodia, where he is accused of kidnapping local sailors aboard a boat he hired during what appears to have been a particularly lively holiday.

The controversial tycoon is well known in Russia for his unusual antics, which have included eating part of his tie after losing a bet, naming both his son and his dog after his company - Mirax - and sacking 90% of his company over the course of one year after being told to make cutbacks.

Mr Lebedev said that he had offered to pay Mr Polansky's bail, but that the oligarch had refused to accept the money.

He said court documents showed that Mr Polansky did not wish to pursue the case, but a source close to Mr Lebedev explained that, even if Mr Polansky refused to press charges, the state could still pursue him on the more serious charge of hooliganism.

Mr Lebedev has many powerful enemies in Russia, not least among the ranks of the criminal and the corrupt, whose dealings his newspaper investigates.

He has said he fears for his safety if he is sent to prison.

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Israel Reviews Military After West Bank Deaths

By Tom Rayner, Middle East News Editor

Israel's military has called for an immediate review of its terms of engagement after a spate of fatal shootings provoked violent clashes in the West Bank.

The funerals of a female student and teenage boy on Wednesday night were followed by hundreds of Palestinian youths attacking an Israeli check point in Bethlehem.

Tear gas and plastic-coated steel bullets were fired at the angry crowd and at least three people were seriously injured and remain in hospital.

Earlier in the afternoon 22-year-old Lubna Hanash had been shot in the face by an Israeli soldier.

A checkpoint in Bethlehem was attacked on Wednesday night after the funeral

The shooting occurred outside the al Aroub refugee camp near Hebron, with the Israeli military claiming the civilian car in which the soldier was travelling in was attacked with fire bombs.

Local witnesses say two other people were also shot, but were not seriously injured.

Fifteen-year-old Salih al Amarin from Bethlehem also died on Wednesday, after being shot on Friday.

Israel's commander of operations in the West Bank, Brigadier Hagai Mordechai, has ordered an immediate review of the rules of engagement used by soldiers.

Traditionally Israeli military are expected to shoot below the knee when using live rounds, but at least six Palestinians have been shot dead this month alone.

A military police investigation has also begun into the shooting of Lubna Hanash.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad called for an "immediate intervention to compel Israel to desist from these serious attacks on our people".

UN Middle East Peace Process Envoy Robert Serry also expressed concern at the increased use of live fire by Israeli forces in the West Bank.

A spokesman for the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said: "We are very concerned about six Palestinians killed by the Israeli Defence Force in different incidents in the past couple of weeks, including the two who died yesterday.

"We have raised these cases with the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs and the relevant Israeli authority for the OPTs (COGAT).

"The UK has repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the IDF polices non-violent protests and the border areas, including use of live ammunition."

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World Trade Centre Workers Scrawl Graffiti

Workers building New York's tallest tower at the World Trade Centre site have been encouraged to leave messages of remembrance on the concrete and steel.

The graffiti appears on beams, walls and stairwells of the skyscraper that is being built to replace the towers.

The messages range from tributes to 9/11 victims to sketches and poetry.

The words "change is from within" have been scrawled on an iron beam in the 104-storey high-rise that soars above the site.

Graffiti on a steel column on the 104th floor of One World Trade Centre

One of the last beams for One World Trade Centre hoisted up last year has a special handwritten message: "We remember. We rebuild. We come back stronger!"

The message is signed "Barack Obama".

Ironworker Kevin Murphy says the graffiti is a way for workers to express their feelings about 9/11.

One World Trade Centre under construction in December

"This is not just any construction site, this is a special place for these guys," he said.

"Everyone here wants to be here, they want to put this building up. They're part of the redemption."

Some beams are covered in a spaghetti-like jumble of graffiti hearts, flowers and messages.

Families of victims invited to go up have left names and comments too, as have firefighters and police officers who were among the first to respond to the attack.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff wrote: "With you in spirit - those who perished, those who fought, those who build."

People on the ground below will never see the spontaneous private thoughts high in the Manhattan sky.

The graffiti will disappear as the raw basic structure is covered with drywall, ceiling panels and paint for tenants moving into the three million square feet of office space by 2014.

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Taiwan And Japan In Water Cannon Sea Skirmish

Japanese and Taiwanese coastguards duelled with water cannon in the latest skirmish over disputed Japanese-controlled islands.

The two vessels squared up in the East China Sea

The two sides clashed after Japanese coastguards fired water at a fishing boat carrying Taiwanese activists which had planned to land on the islands, forcing them to turn back.

The Taiwanese coastguards stepped in to defend them.

The disputed islands, in an area where the seabed is believed to harbour valuable mineral reserves, are known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. Both China and Taiwan claim them.

A Japanese coastguard vessel sprays water cannon

Adding to tensions, as the stand-off unfolded, three Chinese surveillance vessels were spotted close by, a Taiwanese coastguard said.

The coastguard added that it was the first time ships from China had been spotted near a Taiwanese-Japanese incident, and that it had sent a radio message to the three boats to keep their distance in order not to complicate matters.

The incident came at a time of growing regional concern because of intensified friction over the islands between China and Japan, with both Beijing and Tokyo recently scrambling fighter jets to assert their claims to the area.

The patrol boat turns its spray on the fishing boats

The Japanese coastguard confirmed that it took action after encountering the Taiwanese vessel.

"Our patrol boat carried out restrictions on the vessel such as blocking its path and discharging water," it said in a statement.

Taiwan's coastguard said four of its vessels on routine patrols in the area had protected the activists' boat.

The Taiwanese boat was forced to turn back

"The coastguard will protect our people's voluntary actions to defend the Diaoyu islands. Coastguard vessels will go wherever the fishing boat is ... to defend our sovereignty and protect our fishing rights."                

A Japanese foreign ministry spokesman said: "We have repeatedly called on the Taiwan side to take proper action in order to prevent an unfavourable situation from arising in the favourable Japan-Taiwan relations."

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Netanyahu Claims Win In Israel Election

By Tom Rayner, Middle East News Editor

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory in the country's parliamentary elections, but suffered losses to new parties on the left and right.

Mr Netanyahu told his supporters he feels a great sense of responsibility to build "the broadest possible coalition" when forming a new government.

His Likud Beitenu party won the largest number of seats in the election, meaning he can retain the position of prime minister if he can persuade enough other parties to join an alliance.

Mr Netanyahu was welcomed to a victory rally in Tel Aviv with cheers and the beating of drums by the few hundred supporters who had waited for his midnight appearance.

But the Likud Beitenu party's popularity has been significantly eroded by the rise of new parties on both the left and the right.

As he took to the stage, Mr Netanyahu outlined his priorities for the next term as preventing Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, lowering the cost of living, bringing about equality in Israeli military service and striving for peace.

"There are many possible partners for this mission," he said, confirming he had already begun the process of speaking to potential coalition partners.

Exit polls broadcast by several Israeli media outlets have predicted the Likud Beitenu party will win 31 seats, well below expectations.

In a big surprise, Yair Lapid's party came in second, exit polls show

Voter turnout was particularly high throughout the day, which is likely to have benefited the centrist and leftist parties that have performed better than expected.

The centre-left Yesh Atid party, led by former TV presenter Yair Lapid, looks to have won the second largest number of seats, with exit polls estimating a haul of 19.

On the right, the hard-line Jewish Home party, led by millionaire former commando Naftali Bennett, is also likely to pick up enough seats to push for a role in a new government.

Jewish Home look set to take 12 seats, lower than the 16 that had been predicted in some opinion polls last week, but well above the position they were in just six months ago, when most counts put them at just two seats.

Naftali Bennett's party has surged in the vote

The surprise success of Yesh Atid and the strong showing by Jewish Home mean horse-trading over their prospective roles in any future coalition government will be critical to Mr Netanyahu's hopes of building an alliance of parties to give him an overall majority.

One senior Likud adviser told Reuters: "We anticipated we would lose some votes to Lapid, but not to this extent. This was a Yesh Atid sweep."

If Mr Netanyahu fails to pull Yesh Atid into a coalition then the 17 seats expected to be won by Labour, combined with seven seats likely to go to the party of former foreign minister Tzipi Livni, could form the basis of a left-wing bloc to challenge Mr Netanyahu's right to lead a government.

The negotiating process could continue for several days, and will ultimately be approved by Israel's President Shimon Peres.

Turnout among the country's 5.6 million eligible voters stood at almost 67 per cent, the highest in a decade.

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Irish Nanny Charged Over Baby Death In US

An Irish nanny living illegally in America has been charged with violently assaulting a baby who later died.

Aisling McCarthy Brady, 34, from Quincy, Massachusetts, is alleged to have been the sole carer for the girl on January 14 - her first birthday - when she suffered injuries "consistent with abusive head trauma".

The baby, Rehma Sabir, died two days later in hospital after suffering brain damage.

She was also found to have multiple healing bone fractures.

Brady is currently being held on $500,000 (£316,000) bail after pleading not guilty to assault and battery on a child causing substantial bodily injury.

However, further charges are anticipated following the conclusion of the final report by the Chief Medical Examiner, the district attorney's office said on its website.

Brady could face further charges

Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone said: "This is an extremely troubling case where we allege the defendant violently assaulted a one-year-old child, causing a devastating head injury and broken bones.

"Children are our most vulnerable victims and where, as here, the offender has been entrusted with the care of a child who depends on them, the allegations are all the more egregious."

A statement on the District Attorney's website said: "It is alleged that on January 14, the child was in the care of the defendant, her nanny.

"Through their investigation, including interviews with witnesses, police determined that the defendant had sole custody of and contact with the child during the time that she sustained injuries consistent with abusive head trauma."

The hospital where Rehma was treated and later died

Rehma's injuries could have happened at any time, Brady's lawyer told the Associated Press.

Immigration authorities said Brady arrived from Ireland in 2002 with a permit to stay for 90 days.

A spokeswoman for Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said: "We are aware of the case and have been in contact with the family.

"We are ready to provide any consular assistance if it is needed."

Rehma's father reportedly comes from London and her mother from Karachi, Pakistan.

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Russia Crash: Baby Thrown Into Path Of Lorry

A one-year-old girl has had an amazing escape after being involved in a road smash that saw her flung in front of oncoming traffic.

The Mitsubishi car that the child was travelling in with her parents spun out of control while trying to overtake on an icy road in Russia.

The vehicle skidded backwards and crashed into traffic on the opposite side of the road, sending the little girl flying out of the window into the middle of the carriageway.

The baby, circled in red, was lying in the path of oncoming traffic

A lorry driver coming the other way spotted the child - crawling in the middle of the road - and swerved, missing her by just a few inches.

Her parents then ran from their wrecked car and picked up their baby daughter from the road - just as another lorry was coming the other way.

The child suffered cuts and bruises to her head and was taken to a nearby hospital.

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Algeria: BP 'Fears The Worst' Over Employees

BP says it fears the worst for four employees from the Algerian hostage siege crisis who are still unaccounted for.

"The gas complex is so big that we are still in the process of looking for bodies, especially those of missing foreigners," said a BP official at the sprawling plant, 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) southeast of Algiers.

BP chief executive Bob Dudley warned that there could be little hope for the four missing employees.

"We have been gravely concerned for these colleagues and feared one or more fatalities among their number," he said.

"It is with great sadness that I now have to say that we fear the worst for them all."

A fourth British victim of the siege has been named as Sebastian John.

"Sebastian was the most amazing person. He was a fantastic husband, father, son and brother.There won't be a moment that goes by where we won't think of him," his wife, Nicola, said in a statement.

Sebastian John is among those known to have died

"We are so proud of Sebastian for all he achieved in his life. He was taken away from us too early and in the most tragic circumstances."

Another Briton reported to died in the siege is Carson Bilsland, from Perthshire.

He had reportedly worked in Algeria for around two years as a testing technician and was a former member of the British speed ski team.

Algerian authorities are still searching for five missing foreigners, and trying to identify seven charred bodies.

The British oil giant, one of three companies running the desert gas plant at In Amenas, is holding a minute's silence at offices around the world for the victims of the four-day standoff with Islamist terrorists.

The Algerian government has said 37 foreigners of eight different nationalities and an Algerian were killed by the hostage-takers in the siege. The terrorists were demanding the release of Islamist prisoners and an end to France's intervention in Mali.

The plant, a vital part of Algeria's money-spinning natural-gas industry, is being brought back on stream but questions remain about the Algerian government's handling of the crisis and the shockingly high body count.

First pictures emerged of the hostage crisis after the weekend

Canada's government hauled in the Algerian ambassador to demand proof of official claims in Algiers that two Canadians were among the 29 militants killed by security forces, who brought the standoff to a bloody end on Saturday.

The governments of Japan and Malaysia both expressed frustration at a lack of information about the fate of their nationals and pressed for more clarity from Algiers, as the repatriation of victims' bodies and survivors continued.

The Japanese public have been traumatised at the loss of at least seven nationals in the attack, the country's biggest loss of life at the hands of militants since 9/11, and the government is unable to account for three others.

The Algeria tragedy touched many countries. Six Filipino hostages are known to have died, along with three Americans, three Britons and at least seven Japanese. It was also Japan's biggest loss of life through terrorism since 9/11.

The government has said special forces had managed to free 685 Algerian and 107 foreign hostages, most of them on Thursday, during the first rescue operation.

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Manti Te'o Admits Lying Briefly About Hoax

Manti Te'o has admitted he briefly lied after discovering his online girlfriend did not exist and was part of an elaborate hoax.

In an interview with ABC News, the Notre Dame linebacker insisted he had told the truth up until December when he realised he had been duped into believing the woman, Lennay Kekua, had died of cancer.

"I, my whole world told me that she died on September 12. Everybody knew that. This girl, who I committed myself to, died on September 12," Te'o said.

"Now I get a phone call on December 6, saying that she's alive and then I'm going on national TV two days later. And asked about the same question. You know, what would you do?" he asked.

The linebacker maintains he had no part in creating the hoax

Te'o said he had been tricked by three people - who have now admitted they were behind the deception and have apologised.

However he has previously acknowledged he misled his family and the public about the exact nature of his supposed relationship with Ms Kekua - simply to hide his own embarrassment.

He talked about his doomed love in a web interview on December 8 and again in a newspaper interview published on December 10.

The death had been part of a dramatic series of events as Manti Te'o led his Notre Dame team to the national championship game.

Before a game last year, word spread that Te'o had lost his grandmother and girlfriend within hours of each other. His inspired play afterwards became a stirring storyline.

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

Te'o's father defended his son in the ABC interview against allegations that the star used the situation for personal gain.

"People can speculate about what they think he is. I've known him 21 years of his life. And he's not a liar. He's a kid," Brian Te'o said with tears in his eyes.

On Tuesday, the woman whose photo was used as the face of the Twitter account of the supposed girlfriend said the man allegedly behind the hoax confessed to her.

Diane O'Meara told NBC that Ronaiah Tuiasosopo used pictures of her without her knowledge in creating the fake identity.

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Israel's Extremist Right Set For Cabinet Posts

By Tom Rayner, Middle East News Editor, Jerusalem

Israelis go to the polls today in an election that could have a devastating impact on hopes for a future peace deal with the Palestinians.

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is predicted to win the most seats, opinion polls have suggested support for his Likud Beitenu party has been steadily eroded by a surge in the popularity of smaller right wing parties.

Analysts have observed that a weak performance by his party at the ballot box could leave Mr Netanyahu having to accept demands from more extremist groups in order to form a coalition government.

Last Friday the publication of the final opinion polls before the vote showed the overall bloc of Israel's right-wing and religious parties winning a slim parliamentary majority of 63 out of 120 seats.

In the course of the campaign, the man who has generated more headlines than any other is Naftali Bennett - leader of the hard-line Jewish Home party.

Naftali Bennett heads the Jewish Home party

The party has surged in the polls. Six months ago they were predicted to win just two seats. Now they are expected to win as many as 15.

Running on a platform of outright refusal to countenance land deals with the Palestinians or the creation of a Palestinian state, the growing strength of Jewish Home is indicative of a general shift to the right among the Israeli electorate.

If the polls are right Mr Bennett is likely to end up being given a senior role in Mr Netanyahu's next cabinet.

Mr Bennett, who once served as Chief of Staff to Mr Netanyahu, is a multi-millionaire businessman and a former major in the Israeli army.

He also led the main organisation representing Jewish settlers in the built-up West Bank outposts, which have been deemed illegal under international law.

Speaking to Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sam Kiley in Jerusalem, Mr Bennett explained why he would rather opt for continuation of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories than discuss a peace deal.

He said, "Establishing a Palestinian State within the land of Israel would spell eternal war, bloodshed and sorrow between us and our neighbours.

"We've had it in Gaza and look what happened - we handed over 100% of the land to the Arabs and days after they started shooting thousands of rockets at us."

In recent years these kinds of arguments were the preserve of the hard-line minority, but the fact Mr Bennett has emerged as a potential king-maker in the election suggests such views are becoming increasingly mainstream.

Such negative attitudes towards the potential for a renewal of peace talks between the two parties have a become a major concern for many western diplomats, including those from Britain, as well as more left wing candidates in Israel.

Yaakov Peri, a former head of Israel's internal intelligence agency the Shin Bet, is standing as a candidate for the Yesh Atid - a centre-left party led by a well-known former television journalist.

He told Sky News the shift to the right, and the absence of any unity among the left wing and centrist bloc spelt trouble for the future stability of the region.

"I think it's a disaster. It's a disaster from all aspects you can imagine," he said.

Officials in the Palestinian Authority will also be watching the results carefully.

In anonymous briefings there have already been suggestions that the election of a right-wing government will prompt an attempt by the Palestinians to use their new UN non-observer status to push claims of Israeli war crimes at the International Criminal Court.

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Bali: Death Penalty For British Drug Smuggler

British woman Lindsay Sandiford has been sentenced to death for drug smuggling on the Indonesian island of Bali.

The 56-year-old grandmother, originally from Redcar, Teesside, had been found guilty of violating the country's strict drug laws.

Sandiford was arrested in May 2012 at Bali airport when customs officers found 3.8kg of cocaine worth £1.6m in her luggage. She claimed she had been forced to smuggle the drugs into Bali from Thailand by a criminal gang.

Prosecutors announced in December that they would be recommending a 15-year prison sentence, after she agreed to co-operate in a sting operation in which police swooped on four other suspects alleged to be her accomplices, including Britons Rachel Dougall, Julian Pounder and Paul Beales. 

Sandiford is consoled by her sister Hilary Parsons after being sentenced

Pounder is accused of receiving the drugs in Bali, where cocaine and ecstasy are often bought and sold between foreign nationals. A verdict is expected in his trial on Wednesday.

Delivering Sandiford's verdict, a judge panel headed by Mr Amser Simanjuntak said that Sandiford had damaged the image of Bali as a tourism destination and weakened the government's programme of drug annihilation.

Composed: Sandiford rose to her feet during her sentencing

"We find Lindsay Sandiford convincingly and legally guilty of importing narcotics. We found no reason to lighten her sentence," said Mr Simanjuntak.

In her witness statement, Sandiford said: "I would like to begin by apologising to the Republic of Indonesia and the Indonesian people for my involvement.

"I would never have become involved in something like this but the lives of my children were in danger and I felt I had to protect them."

Local journalist Amelia Rose was in court when Sandiford was sentenced.

"She was in shock, but she managed to hold her composure and stand up while the judge read out her sentence," she said.

"Her eyes turned red from tears for a second but she managed to hold her composure again.

"There is still a long way to go before an execution can take place. She can appeal to the High Court then the Supreme Court in Jakarta. If she can present new evidence she can have a judicial review.

Tears: the grandmother looked shocked as the verdict was read out

"Then there is also the chance of clemency with the President."

Sandiford's defence lawyer, Esra Karo-Karo, said: "She was very shocked. This is unpredicted, she never thought of receiving the death penalty.

"The judge did not even consider our reason for leniency as we proposed in our defence. We will appeal."

A spokeswoman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We can confirm that a British national is facing the death penalty in Indonesia.

Caught: Sandiford was paraded in front of journalists after she was charged

"We remain in close contact with that national and continue to provide consular assistance and the UK remains strongly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances.

"We will intervene at whatever stage and level is judged appropriate and will use high-level political lobbying when necessary".

Dougall, whose young daughter is reportedly being cared for by their maid and gardener on the island, has claimed she was the victim of a "fit-up".

Reprieve, a charity which seeks to enforce human rights for prisoners, said Sandiford was targeted by drug traffickers.

Happier times: Sandiford in her forties

Spokeswoman Harriet McCulloch said: "Lindsay was targeted by drug traffickers who exploited her vulnerability and made threats against her children.

"Following her arrest, she was interrogated by the Indonesian police without a translator, legal representation or the assistance of the British Embassy for 10 days.

A statement by Dr Jennifer Fleetwood, an expert on the coercion of women in the international drug trade, was also read out, which suggested that Sandiford's "vulnerability" would have made her an ideal target for drugs traffickers. 

"There is evidence to suggest that a trafficker would seek someone who was vulnerable. Having reviewed extracts from Lindsay's medical records I know that Lindsay has a history of mental health issues.

"This may have unfortunately made her an attractive target for threats, manipulation and coercion by one or more parties over a period of time, which led to her being stopped at Ngurah Rai International Airport".      

Co-accused: Paul Beales (L), Rachell Dougall and Julian Ponder

At the end of 2011 there were 13 British nationals sentenced to death and awaiting execution, and approximately 40 British prisoners facing charges that may attract the death penalty.

Indonesia has 114 prisoners on death row, according to a March 2012 study by Australia's Lowy Institute for International Policy. Five foreigners have been executed since 1998, all for drug crimes, according to the institute.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has granted clemency to four drug offenders on death row since he took office in 2004.     

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HIV: Scientists Hopeful Over Resistant Cells

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Scientists have genetically engineered key cells in the immune system to resist infection by HIV.

US researchers used molecular scissors to cut and paste HIV-resistance genes into T cells, the specialised immune cells that are targeted by the Aids virus.

The genetic editing prevented HIV from entering the cells and then going on to destroy the immune system, according to the study published in the journal Molecular Therapy.

Sara Sawyer, an assistant professor at the University of Texas-Austin said: "Providing an infected person with resistant T cells would not cure their viral infection.

"However, it would provide them with a protected set of T cells that would ward off the immune collapse that typically gives rise to Aids."

The work was done in a laboratory and clinical trials would be needed to confirm that gene therapy was safe and effective in patients.

But the researchers warn that they don't yet have enough control over the molecular scissors to guarantee they cut the genetic material in the same place every time.

If they caused a break elsewhere, the technique could result in cancer.

Nevertheless, the scientists hope to start clinical trials within three to five years.

If the technique is successful, it could save patients from life-long dependence on antiretroviral drugs, which can have side effects.

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Russian Citizens Flee Conflict In Syria

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

Russia has insisted it is not evacuating its citizens from Syria, even as two planes left Moscow to begin an airlift of around 100 people from the country.

The aircraft will land in Beirut in neighbouring Lebanon - to where those who wish to leave are believed to be travelling the 70 miles by road.

Syria's international airport in Damascus has come under attack in recent weeks causing several airlines to halt flights.

But officials in Moscow have insisted this is not the start of a mass evacuation of Russian citizens from Syria.

A Russian diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the AFP news agency: "There are thousands of Russian citizens in Syria. The issue is that the Russian airline is no longer flying to Damascus, so we are helping some 100, maximum 150 people to leave Syria via Beirut, which is very close.

"We are simply helping people who have gone to the Russian consulate in Damascus requesting assistance."

Russia suspended consular operations in Syria's largest city Aleppo last week after a bombing at its university killed 80 people, but its consulate in the capital Damascus remains open.

A rally supporting the Syrian regime in front of the US Embassy in Moscow

The diplomat was adamant: "This is not an evacuation. There is no pressure at all on Russians in Syria to leave the country because there are many areas in Damascus which are completely safe and free from violence and clashes."

He conceded, however, that this airlift would not be the last to help Russians leave the country.

"It will be an ongoing operation. Whenever enough people request assistance at the consulate in Damascus, we will organise for new planes."

The number set to leave in this operation is a small proportion of the estimated 5,300 Russian citizens registered with authorities in Syria, with the total number thought to be much higher.

Russia's foreign ministry has previously said that contingency plans were being made for a large-scale evacuation, should it become necessary, which would likely include its naval maintenance and supply facility at the Syrian port of Tartous.

A group of five ships including two assault ships, a tanker and an escort vessel have been dispatched from their Baltic Sea port to the Mediterranean, putting them within reach of Syria.

Moscow has also begun high profile naval exercises in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, including off Syria's coast, in what have been described as the largest naval exercises since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Some analysts believe the exercises are a cover for the preparation of a mass evacuation from Syria.

A woman walks past a destroyed home in Azaz city

Sergei Markov, a political analyst and former politician with President Vladimir Putin's party, told Sky News: "I think that the naval exercises are not so much preparation to defend Bashar Assad's regime, but in preparation for creating security for Russian citizens who are in Syria."

At least eight warships from Russia's Northern, Baltic and Black Sea fleets are taking part in the manoeuvres, according to Russian news agencies.

Mr Markov, who is now vice-president of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, explained: "Russia doesn't want to send a signal to everyone that the Russian government believes Bashar Assad won't stay in power, but at the same time the Russian government has to pay attention to the security of all citizens so this is a compromise.

"For Moscow it looks like if Bashar Assad will lose power it will not lead to stability, on the contrary it will lead to civil war - everybody against everybody, almost like what is happening in Libya right now and happened in Lebanon 30 years ago, so Russia would need to evacuate its citizens."

Russia's deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov was quoted last month as having said that "a victory of the Syrian opposition cannot be ruled out". However, the ministry later insisted that Mr Bogdanov was speaking in a personal capacity and Russia had not changed its position on Syria.

Moscow remains opposed to any form of military intervention from the international community, which it fears could be used as cover for regime change.

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Canadian Man Kills Two In Philippine Court

A Canadian man has shot dead two men and injured another while appearing in a Philippine courtroom charged with illegal possession of firearms, according to police.

John Pope, 66, pulled out a gun and fired at the complainant and prosecuting lawyer in his case minutes before the hearing began in Cebu city.

Pope quickly fled the court and was shot in the arm by police after ignoring orders to surrender, said regional police director Marcelo Garbo.

According to the National Bureau of Investigation, Pope also shot himself in the head after falling to the floor and later died in hospital.

Another lawyer, who was shot by Pope while fleeing the court, is reported to be in critical condition in hospital.

It is currently unclear how Pope was able to get a gun into the court building; however, Prosecutor General Claro Arellano said that there had been a "serious lapse in security" in the court premises and has asked the Philippine Supreme Court to investigate.

It is believed that the complainant who was shot in the court was a doctor who had accused Pope, his neighbour, of threatening him and other residents in their apartment complex with a gun in 2011.

At that time, Pope was quoted as saying that he was carrying the gun for self-defence.

Pope was also facing charges of "malicious mischief and grave threats".

The shooting follows recent calls for tighter gun control in the Philippines after a man shot and killed eight people, including a pregnant woman and two children, near Manila two weeks ago.

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Message In A Bottle Reunited With Family

A message in a bottle found 76 years after it was thrown into the sea has been reunited with the family of the man who wrote it.

The bottle was found on a beach in New Zealand by Geoff Flood in November 2012, but had been set adrift in 1936.

Inside was a note, dated March 17, which said: "At sea. Would the finder of this bottle kindly forward this note, where found, date, to undermentioned address."

Underneath the note was written the name: "H E Hillbrick, 72, Richmond Street, Leederville, Western Australia".

The message had been written on headed paper bearing the mark of the shipping company P&O and the ship's name SS Strathnaver.

Mr Flood had been out for a walk on Ninety Mile Beach at the top end of New Zealand's North Island when he made the discovery.

He told local media he was astonished and quickly decided to find out how the bottle had got there.

He said: "As I picked it up and started looking, I could see it was an old envelope with P&O on it and I thought this might be something special.

"There was a bit of mad panic to carefully extract it. I carefully cut a couple of bits of wire and quietly wound it up with the bits of wire so we didn't damage it.

"[I thought] Who knows where it's been. How many times around the world, you just wouldn't know, would you?"

It took him a couple of months to find the sender, who turned out to be a man called Herbert Ernest Hillbrick.

Sadly, Mr Hillbrick had died in the 1940s, but further investigation led Mr Flood to Herbert's grandson Peter Hillbrick, who was living in Perth, Western Australia.

Peter Hillbrick, who was also amazed by the discovery, said: "For this one to be floating around in the ocean for 76 years and just all of a sudden pop up in New Zealand. Where has it been? What story is it going to tell?"

His only theory was that his grandfather had dropped it into the sea during a P&O cruise. His family still have photos that Herbert and his wife Ethel took on board the ship.

The SS Strathnaver was a British Royal Mail Ship that carried people between England and Australia, but which also travelled between ports Down Under at the time.

He said that because his grandfather had died so many years ago, he had never got to know him so was delighted another link had turned up.

"The only connection I have with Grandfather is now that bottle. That's about all. So, it's a fascinating story," he said.

Mr Hillbrick has decided to donate the bottle to a maritime museum in New Zealand.

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Commuter Trains Collide In Austria

Two commuter trains have collided head-on during the rush-hour in the Austrian capital Vienna.

Dozens of people were injured, five of them seriously.

"Two of the seriously injured are in a life-threatening condition, one of whom is one of the train drivers," said emergency services spokesman Ronald Packert. "In total 41 people were hurt."

"One good thing was that the crash happened right next to an emergency services station, meaning that our people were there in seconds."

One of those seriously injured had to be cut out of the twisted wreckage.

The trains crashed in the Penzing district of western Vienna

Austrian Railways spokeswoman Sarah Nettel said the crash happened at 8:45am local time in the Penzing district of western Vienna.

A large rescue operation was put in place involving around 25 fire engines as well as air ambulances.

It took almost two hours to evacuate both trains, which had been travelling along the same track when the collision occurred.

Many of the injured had to be removed from the wreckage with special cranes.

Austrian Railways said the cause of the crash appeared to have been a technical fault that caused both trains to be travelling towards each other along the same track.

"There was a technical problem," Ms Nettel said. "One of the trains received a signal to proceed that it shouldn't have."

Last September a train derailed in the same area, without causing any injuries.

An inquiry blamed human error for the incident after a rail worker switched a point the wrong way.

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Mali Conflict: France Recaptures Diabaly

French troops have wrested back control of the key Malian town of Diabaly from Islamist fighters.

After a week of heavy fighting, French and Malian troops were uncertain whether the militants had fled.

However they met no resistance when they entered the town on Monday.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement that it was now under the control of French and Malian troops, and that the central town of Douentza had also been retaken.

A Malian soldier searches through a building destroyed by air strikes

French warplanes have pounded suspected Islamist positions around both towns since France swept to the aid of the crippled Malian army on January 11, a day after the Islamists made a push towards the capital Bamako.

Diabaly, which lies 250 miles north of Bamako, was seized by the Islamists a week ago in an attack that surprised observers, as the town lies deep within supposedly government-held territory.

Sky's special correspondent Alex Crawford, in Diabaly, said: "The Malian army is going round telling everyone that it has been, in their words, liberated.

"There's evidence of an enormous number of air strikes and very pinpoint precision."

She added that it had taken troops a lot longer than originally expected to retake the town.

Douentza is located in what was Islamist territory east and north of the town of Konna, whose capture earlier this month by extremists sparked the French intervention.

Konna was recaptured by the Malian army last week.

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Obama To Take Second Public Oath Of Office

Barack Obama is due to take a public oath of office and make his second inaugural address on the steps of the US Capitol in Washington in front of a crowd of hundreds of thousands.

Millions more across the world will tune in to see the star-studded ceremony, followed by a traditional parade and formal balls where the presidential couple will dance for the cameras.

On Sunday the US President was quietly sworn in at a small ceremony at the White House to mark the start of his second term.

Mr Obama took the oath on a family bible held by first lady Michelle Obama in the Blue Room, surrounded by portraits of former presidents.

"I did it", Mr Obama tells one of his daughters after the ceremony

At the end of the brief ceremony officiated by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Mr Obama hugged his family, telling one of his daughters: "I did it".

There was no repeat of 2009, when he stumbled over the oath, prompting the White House to request a redo the following day.

The mood on the streets of the capital is less festive than it was in January 2009, when the swearing-in of the country's first black president drew a record 1.8 million people.

High unemployment, a bruising election campaign and partisan fights over fiscal policies have taken a toll.

Still, between 500,000 and 700,000 people are expected to flock to Washington for the event. The inauguration includes acts by Beyonce and Katy Perry.

Thousands of workers and volunteers have been making final preparations for the ceremonies. Hotels and government buildings along the parade route were adorned with red, white and blue bunting.

The President and his family began inauguration day by attending services at St John's Episcopal Church near the White House.

A quirk in the calendar this year pushed the public swearing-in onto the national holiday honouring the slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

In his inaugural address, Mr Obama is expected to talk about the need for political compromise where possible, as well as detailing the priorities and goals of his second term.

The president's legacy will be tested by foreign crises, including the war in Syria and Iran's nuclear programme, as well as domestic issues, such as immigration and a weak economy.

Mr Obama is also seeking new restrictions on guns and ammunition.

Michelle Obama sports her new fringe

He will face strong opposition by the Republican Party, as the country remains highly polarised.

Away from the politics, the President has given his opinion on what he jokingly called the most significant event of the inaugural weekend: his wife's new haircut.

"I love her bangs," Mr Obama said. "She looks good. She always looks good."

First lady Michelle Obama unveiled the new fringe last week to coincide with her 49th birthday.

And it has been the talk of the town and social media ever since.

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Algeria Crisis: Some Hostages Were 'Executed'

Algeria's prime minister says 37 foreign hostages were killed during the four day gas plant crisis - with several executed with a bullet to the head.

Abdelmalek Sellal said at least one Canadian was among the gang of kidnappers also from Egypt, Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Tunisia and that the kidnappers crossed the border from northern Mali before swooping on the desert installation.

He said that 29 of the militants were killed and three arrested as the siege was brought to an end by an Algerian military assault at the weekend.

Mr Sellal said one Algerian hostage was also killed - bringing the total hostage death toll to 38 - and that at least five foreigners are still missing.

The hostage-takers' leader Mohamed el-Amine Bencheneb, an Algerian militant known to the country's security services, was killed during the army assault, Mr Sellal said.

Paul Morgan

David Cameron is due to update MPs on the aftermath of the siege in the House of Commons this afternoon.

Three Britons are now known to have died in a four-day siege at the BP gas plant and three more are believed to be dead. A UK resident from Colombia is also thought to have died.

Veteran terrorist Mokhtar Belmokhtar's Mulathameen Brigade has threatened to carry out more attacks unless Western powers cease operations in neighbouring Mali, according to a Mauritanian news agency.

In a statement the al Qaeda linked group, whose name means "The Masked Ones", reportedly said the hostage-takers offered negotiations on freeing the gas plant captives but that Algerian authorities responded with a military assault.

Another image shown on Algerian TV

A Downing Street spokesman has ruled out the possibility of Britain sending troops into combat to support France's intervention against Islamist rebels in neighbouring Mali.

The first two British victims to be officially named are Paul Morgan, 46 and Garry Barlow, 49, both from Liverpool.

Mr Morgan was reported to be a former Foreign Legion soldier and Gulf War veteran who was in charge of security at the In Amenas plant.

His mother Marianne, 65, and partner Emma Steele, 36, described him in a statement as a "true gentleman".

They said: "Paul was a true gentleman, a family man, he very much loved his partner Emma, his mum, brothers and sister, of whom he was very proud.

"He loved life and lived it to the full. He was a professional man proud to do the job he did and died doing the job he loved.

"We are so proud of him and so proud of what he achieved in his life. We are devastated by Paul's death and he will be truly missed."

Married father-of-two Mr Barlow was a system supervisor for BP at the In Amenas plant.

In a statement released through the Foreign Office, his widow Lorraine said: "Garry was a loving, devoted family man. He loved life and lived it to the full.

"He was very much loved by myself, his sons, mother and sister and the rest of his family and friends and will be greatly missed.

"He was very proud of his family, as they were of him. We are totally devastated by the news of his death."

The siege ended on Saturday and Algerian authorities warned the figure of 23 hostages killed at the remote facility would rise sharply.

Bomb squads searching for booby-trap devices left by the Islamist militants discovered 25 bodies, some so badly disfigured they could not be identified.

A Filipino survivor of the siege has told how foreign hostages were used as human shields to prevent Algerian troops firing on them from helicopters.

Father-of-four Joseph Balmaceda said: "Whenever government troops tried to use a helicopter to shoot at the enemy, we were used as human shields.

"We were told to raise our hands. The government forces could not shoot at them as long as we were held hostage."

Mokhtar Belmokhtar sent a video to a Mauritanian-based news website in which he claimed one of his cells, known as "Those Who Sign In Blood", was responsible for the attack.

Foreign Secretary William Hague branded the militants "cold-blooded murderers" and said reports they had "executed" seven of their hostages before the final battle could well be true.

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Hostage Crisis: Three Britons Confirmed Dead

Three Britons have been killed and another three are believed to have died in the Algerian hostage crisis, David Cameron has announced.

The Prime Minister said a British resident is also thought to have been killed in the four day stand-off in the desert which dramatically ended on Saturday.

Mr Cameron called the attack on the In Amenas gas plant "appalling" and warned there are "decades" of terrorist struggle ahead.

The death toll includes the Briton already known to have died on Wednesday in the initial raid staged by a band of Islamist militants.

Survivor Alan Wright, who is now back in the UK, told Sky News how he hid in an office and then managed to escape through a hole in a perimeter fence.

Freed British hostages Peter (left) and Alan (right). No surnames available

Mr Cameron said: "We now know that three British nationals have been killed, and a further three are believed to be dead. A further British resident is also believed to be dead.

"I know the whole country will want to join me in sending our sympathies and condolences to the families who have undergone an absolutely dreadful ordeal, and now face life without these very precious loved ones."

He described the attack as a "stark reminder" of the continuing terrorist threat and vowed to use Britain's chairmanship of the G8 to ensure that it was at the top of the international agenda.

"This is a global threat and it will require a global response. It will require a response that is about years, even decades, rather than months," he said.

"It requires a response that is patient and painstaking, that is tough but also intelligent, but above all has an absolutely iron resolve and that is what we will deliver over these coming years."

Algerian police escort freed Norwegian hostage Oddvar Birkedal

So far, in total, 23 hostages and 32 terrorists are known to have died with 107 foreign workers and 685 local employees released.

Algeria's chief government spokesman said on Sunday that he "strongly feared" the final hostage death toll would be higher.

According to Reuters, Algerian media are reporting that the bodies of 25 hostages have so far been found inside the plant.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said two Scots, or people with immediate family connections in Scotland, are believed to have been killed.

Carlos Estrada, a Colombian man who lived in London with his family and worked for BP, has been confirmed dead by President Juan Manuel Santos.

At least one American died before Saturday's assault, and Japanese engineering firm JGC Corp said 10 of its Japanese and seven of its foreign workers are still unaccounted for.

Despite the major loss of life, Mr Cameron refused to criticise Algeria's handling of the crisis.

"The responsibility for these deaths lies squarely with the terrorists who launched these vicious and cowardly attacks," he said.

"When you are dealing with a terrorist incident on this scale with up to 30 terrorists it is extremely difficult to respond and get this right in every respect."

An Algerian army truck in a street of In Amenas, near the gas plant

He added: "What we face is an extremist, Islamist, al Qaeda-linked terrorist group. Just as we had to deal with that in Pakistan and in Afghanistan so the world needs to come together to deal with this threat in north Africa.

"It is linked to al Qaeda, it wants to destroy our way of life, it believes in killing as many people as it can.

"We need to work with others to defeat the terrorists and to close down the ungoverned spaces where they thrive with all the means that we have."

Foreign Secretary William Hague said 22 British nationals had survived the crisis and were already back in the UK.

Britain's ambassador is currently in Algiers and will travel to the south of the country today to help any other Britons trying to leave.

He told Sky's Murnaghan show: "These are cold-blooded murderers and we must remember that. There is no political excuse that justifies behaving in this way."

He also defended Algeria's response, revealing that he had been told the terrorists had been planning to blow up the whole installation - causing even more deaths.

The drama started on Wednesday when a group of around 30 heavily-armed militants mounted a dawn raid on the plant which is close to the Libyan border.

They seized hostages from among the 700 Algerian and foreign workers at the site. Two members of staff, including one Briton, died in the initial assault.

Algerian special forces mounted an operation to take back the plant 24 hours later, without informing any other governments in advance.

The Algerians insisted later that they had to act due to fears that the militants were about to flee into the desert, taking hostages with them.

Algerian police guard the entrance of a hospital located near the gas plant

Fears for the hostages' safety grew amid reports of fierce fighting and multiple deaths.

By Friday, it was being claimed that around 100 foreigners - from a total of 132 - and 573 Algerians had been freed.

Provisional figures put the death toll at 12 hostages and 18 militants but it was clear one group of terrorists was still holding out.

On Saturday, Algerian troops launched a final assault on the site and brought the stand-off to a bloody conclusion.

The state news agency, APS, reported that the terrorists had executed seven of the remaining hostages before they themselves were killed.

Algerian security forces escort a bus carrying freed hostages

Troops later found an arsenal of six machine guns, 21 rifles, two shotguns, two 60mm mortars with shells, six 60mm missiles with launchers, two rocket-propelled grenades with eight rockets and 10 grenades in explosive belts.

The terrorists also booby-trapped the sprawling plant with explosives before the last shoot-out.

Algeria's interior ministry has strongly defended the rescue operation.

"To avoid a bloody turn of events in response to the extreme danger of the situation, the army's special forces launched an intervention with efficiency and professionalism to neutralise the terrorist groups that were first trying to flee with the hostages and then blow up the gas facilities," it said in a statement.

The kidnappers are part of the Masked Brigade - a terrorist splinter group led by the veteran jihadist, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, which broke away from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

They initially claimed the attack was in retaliation for the French military intervention in neighbouring Mali.

The gas plant is in the desert in In Amenas

It was subsequently reported that they were demanding the release of two terrorists held in the US, including 1993 World Trade Centre bombing mastermind Omar Abdel Rahman, in return for the release of two US captives.

Belmokhtar has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack and called on France to halt air strikes in Mali.

Mauritanian news website Sahara Media said Belmokhtar declared in a video: "We in al Qaeda announce this blessed operation."

The video was not shown and it is not immediately possible to verify the information.

Algeria has fought its own Islamist rebellion since the 1990s, elements of which later declared allegiance to al Qaeda and then set up new groups in the poorly patrolled wastes of the Sahara, where they flourished.

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