Mexico Drugs Boss Quintero Freed Over Blunder

US officials have expressed outrage after a Mexican drugs baron who ordered the killing of an American agent was released early from prison.

Caro Quintero was jailed for 40 years over the 1985 kidnapping - but he has walked free after 28 years because of a ruling that he was tried in the wrong kind of court.

The US Department of Justice said it found the decision "deeply troubling".

Mexico's relations with Washington were soured when Quintero, now in his 60s, ordered US Drugs Enforcement Agency agent Enrique Camarena kidnapped, tortured and killed.

The agent was snatched in Guadalajara, a major drug-trafficking centre at the time.

His body and that of his Mexican pilot were found a month later in shallow graves.

Quintero, who was apparently angry at Mr Camarena over a raid he sanctioned on a marijuana plantation, was eventually hunted down in Costa Rica.

High security at the Jalisco state prison where Quintero was held

His release was ordered after a decision that his trial had improperly taken place in a federal court.

He still faces charges in the US and is believed to have continued controlling the laundering of drug money from behind bars.

The Department of Justice said it continues to seek Quintero's extradition.

The Association of Former Federal Narcotics Agents in the US said it was "outraged" and it blamed corruption within Mexico's justice system for the early release.

It said: "The release of this violent butcher is but another example of how good faith efforts by the US to work with the Mexican government can be frustrated by those powerful dark forces that work in the shadows of the Mexican 'justice' system."

Quintero is considered the grandfather of Mexican drug trafficking.

He helped establish a powerful cartel based in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa that later split into some of Mexico's largest cartels, including the Sinaloa and Juarez cartels.

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Japan Floods: Five Killed In Severe Weather

At least five people have been killed in severe floods and mudslides that struck in northern Japan.

Torrential rain led to widespread flooding in the town of Yahaba, in the Iwate prefecture, with residents forced to wade through waterlogged streets.

Some 300 people were evacuated on Friday.

Buildings were damaged in storms and mudslides

In the city of Senboku, in Akita prefecture, officials said three people were found dead on Saturday after a mudslide crushed two houses.

Two people remained missing and a major search was under way.

In Hanamaki, a mudslide killed one person and another person was found dead in a river in the town of Nishiwaga.

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Chinese Human Trafficking Ring Bust In Europe

Spanish and French police have busted a human trafficking ring smuggling Chinese migrants into Europe and the US.

A total of 75 suspects, including two "main operatives" based in Barcelona, were arrested, the authorities said on Saturday.

Officers in Spain arrested 51 people and the other 24 were picked up in France, according to a police statement.

The string of arrests follows a two-year, joint investigation in the two countries.

Police said the traffickers charged 40-50,000 euros (£34-43,000) per person to provide "false identities and transport Chinese citizens to the United States and countries such as Spain, France, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Turkey".

Items including a handgun and fake passport paraphernalia were found

Spanish police seized 81 fake passports from Asian countries such as Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

They were found in two lodgings owned by the ring in Barcelona, whose airport was allegedly used as the gang's main European hub.

Some of the people trafficked ended up in the sex trade, Spain's Interior Ministry said.

The investigation into the trafficking ring, which police described as a "perfectly structured, hierarchical organisation", started in July 2011.

The "kingpin" remained in China and had independent cells working separately in different countries, according to the authorities.

A police officer holding cash discovered at the Barcelona property

The traffickers would accompany their clients to Spain, which served as a last stop or "trampoline" to the final destination - usually the UK or the US, they said.

Mainly from China and Malaysia, they were "thorough connoisseurs" of the European airports and cities along the route and had the "complete confidence" of the ringleaders.

They would return home as soon as they had completed each operation to make it harder to track them down.

Migrants were also given precise instructions on how to avoid detection at customs controls, for example by mixing in with a group of tourists.

Fake custom stamps were also taken from the safe house

The route from China was "changed constantly" according to how each trip unfolded to avoid discovery, the police statement said.

Once they arrived in Barcelona, they would be met by operatives and taken to safe houses before continuing their journeys.           

At the lodgings in the Spanish city, police found equipment for forging documents including portable computers, scanners, fake custom stamps and a magnifier.

A handgun, mobile phones and bundles of cash, both euros and yuan, were also seized in the operation.

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Volcano: Deaths As Indonesia's Rokatenda Blows

Lava spewing from a volcano killed six people sleeping in a beach village in Indonesia as hot ash and smoke shot up to 2,000m (6,560ft) in the air.

Mount Rokatenda, on Palue island, erupted early on Saturday, when more than 3,000 people were evacuated from the area.

The victims included three adults and two children who were swept away by lava, an official from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.

The age of the sixth casualty is unclear.

The children's bodies have not been recovered from Ponge beach, in Rokirole village.

Rokatenda has been rumbling since October 2012.

Indonesia sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire - the name given to a horseshoe-shaped series of fault lines that leave the region prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity.

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Sicily: Six Migrants Drown Off Tourist Beach

Six migrants, among them a teenager, have died trying to swim to shore when their boat ran aground on a sandbar off Sicily.

The Italian coast guard said 100 migrants were on board when the boat became stranded 15 metres away from a popular tourist beach in Catania on Saturday.

Authorities were trying to identify the survivors, thought to be Syrians and Egyptians, after some swam to safety and others were rescued by the coast guard.

A three-year-old child suffering from dehydration and a pregnant woman have been taken to hospital.

It is rare for the often unseaworthy vessels of smugglers to aim for shores near cities.

Rescued immigrants wait to be identified

Coast Guard Captain Roberto D'Arrico said the 18-metre-long boat apparently made a navigational error while trying to reach secluded shores undetected.

"Most of the migrants jumped into the water" when they saw the coastline, he said.

The bodies of two of the dead migrants were found on the beach while "four other bodies were recovered" by rescuers around the boat, as they apparently did not know how to swim and drowned, authorities said.

Stunned holidaymakers were shocked at the sight of six body bags on the beach.

Dario Monteforte, owner of the Lido Verde which alerted authorities, told Sky TG24 television that he "saw a crowd of youths on the beach running toward the road".

"Something has to be done. This is really an unending tragedy," he said of the plight of thousands of clandestine migrants in rickety boats who seek to reach Italy each year.

According to Mr D'Arrigo, it was "totally unusual" for migrants to land on a beach in Catania as "normally they arrive further south in the region of Syracuse", or else at the extreme southern point of Sicily or the island of Lampedusa.

Another group of about 100 migrants, mostly Syrian families, were rescued overnight on Wednesday off the coast of Calabria on the Italian mainland.

The conflict in Syria has killed more than 100,000 people since it erupted in March 2011 and millions more have been displaced or fled the country, according to the United Nations.

Improved weather and calmer waters have seen a surge in boat people arrivals in Italy in recent days.

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Malaria Jab a Step Closer After Vaccine Trial

Tests on a new malaria vaccine have raised hopes the battle is being won against the disease which kills hundreds of thousands of people every year.

The experimental drug, which is known as PfSPZ and is made from living Plasmodium falciparum parasites, has proved highly effective in early-stage clinical trials.

Although the "proof of concept" trial was small - involving 40 adults - it could pave the way for the first vaccine offering 100% protection.

Manufacturing the vaccine was itself an achievement for researchers.

2010: 90% of all malaria deaths occurred in the poorest parts of Africa

Scientists first exposed sterile mosquitoes to malaria-infected blood before irradiating them to weaken the malaria parasites. Then the mosquitoes had to be carefully dissected to extract the parasites to make the serum.

"This was something that everybody said was not possible; and here it is," said Navy Captain Judith Epstein, one of the researchers from research company Sanaria, in Rockville, Maryland.

"We're in the first stages now of really being able to have a completely effective vaccine," she said, adding she hoped to see licensing of the vaccine within three to five years.

Early results of the vaccine are promising though not yet a breakthrough

Malaria infected 219 million people in 2010 and killed an estimated 660,000, according to the World Health Organisation - the equivalent of one child in Africa dying every minute.

"It's an important proof of concept," said Dr Anthony Fauci, director of America's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, adding that the results were the most promising yet of any experimental vaccine, though he resisted calling the trial a breakthrough.

"There are several more steps before you can feel comfortable that you have something that might be ready for prime time," he said.

"So we're really not there yet, but it's encouraging to see these very favourable results."

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Oprah Winfrey 'Victim Of Racism' In Swiss Shop

Oprah Winfrey has said she recently became a victim of racism when a shop assistant in Switzerland refused to show her a £24,477 handbag saying it would be "too expensive" for her.

The US chat show host, who is one of the richest women in the world, was in Zurich for Tina Turner's wedding when she decided to go shopping alone.

Winfrey told Entertainment Tonight: "I was in Zurich the other day, in a store whose name I will not mention. I didn't have my eyelashes on, but I was in full Oprah Winfrey gear. I had my little Donna Karan skirt and my little sandals. But obviously The Oprah Winfrey Show is not shown in Zurich.

"I go into a store and I say to the woman, 'Excuse me, may I see the bag right above your head?' and she says to me, 'No. It's too expensive.'"

The bag was apparently in the shop window behind a security wall.

When Winfrey insisted again, the woman replied: "No, no you don't want to see that one, you want to see this one because that one will cost too much. You will not be able to afford that."

Trudie Goetz arriving at Turner's wedding. Pic:Tinaturnerblog.com

The assistant then started to show the media owner smaller bags before she asked for a third time and was refused again.

"She said, 'Oh I don't want to hurt your feelings' and I said, 'Ok thank you so much you're probably right I can't afford it.'" said the 59-year-old.

Winfrey, who is the world's only African-American billionaire, then walked out of the shop calmly.

She said: "I could've had the whole blow-up thing and thrown down the black card but why do that but that clearly is you know … it (racism) still exists, of course it does."

Blick newspaper reported that Trudie Goetz, the owner of the boutique Trois Pommes, had apologised for the incident.

Ms Goetz, who is believed to have also attended Tina Turner's wedding, said there had been a "misunderstanding" caused by the assistant's failure to recognise Winfrey.

"We don't have any facial recognition here," Blick quoted Ms Goetz as saying.

Oprah had been asked on the US TV show whether anyone had ever called her the 'N- word'.

She said no one in their right mind would call her that to her face, but that racism showed itself in other ways.

"It shows up for me this way. Sometimes I'm in a boardroom or I'm in situations where I'm the only woman, I'm the only African American person within a 100-mile radius and I can see in the energy of the people there, they don't sense that I should be holding one of those seats.

"I can sense that. But I can never tell is it racism, is it sexism, because often it's both. I mean the sexism thing is huge. The higher the ladder you climb it gets huge, because men are used to running things."

Oprah has just been awarded America's highest civilian honour - the Presidential Medal of Freedom - which she will receive from President Barack Obama at the White House later in the year.

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Vietnam: 'Jungle Men' Found Hiding From War

A father and son have been found living in the jungle more than 40 years after they fled US bombing during the Vietnam War.

Ho Van Thanh left his home village with his baby son Ho Van Lang in 1971 after a mine blast killed his wife and two of his children.

The pair apparently survived by foraging for fruit, lived in a timber treehouse and wore loin cloths made from tree bark.

The authorities were alerted after locals searching for firewood spotted the men deep in the forest in Quang Ngai province's Tay Tra district.

A team was set up to look for the pair - now aged 82 and 41 - and found them after a five hour search.

82-year-old Ho Van Thanh was too weak to walk. Pic: Sax Rohmer Ltd

When found, Ho Van Thanh was too weak to walk and had to be taken out of the jungle on a stretcher.

The father could speak a little of the region's Cor language but the son only knew a few words.

The pair have been checked by doctors and a decision must now be made on how to reintegrate them to society.

Ho Van Thanh is believed to have lived a normal life in the hamlet of Tra Kem, but fled into the jungle after the explosion that decimated his family.

The two men were checked out by doctors. Pic: Sax Rohmer Ltd

The men are thought to have grown their own food and even cultivated tobacco during their time in the wilderness.

Another son, Ho Van Tri, told Vietnamese newspaper VnExpress that he found them hiding out around two decades ago but could not convince them to return home with him.

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era conflict that claimed millions of military and civilian lives and left surviving soldiers and victims traumatised.

The US dropped millions of tonnes of bombs on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia during the war, which ended in 1975 with the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese forces.

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Tapir Attack: Toddler Mauled During Zoo Visit

A Brazilian tapir has attacked a young girl and her mother during a trip to a zoo.

The attack happened during a supervised visit within one of the enclosures at Dublin Zoo. The child's mother was injured when she went to save her child.

The zoo says the incident was "an unfortunate accident" and said an investigation was under way.

A tapir is a large usually docile mammal, which looks a bit like a cross between a long-nosed pig and a small horse.

The zoo said a first aid team went to the scene immediately. The girl was taken to Dublin's Temple Street Children's Hospital. Her mother went to the Mater Hospital.

The youngster suffered deep abdomen and arm injuries and is understood to have had surgery.

In June, staff at Dublin Zoo celebrated the birth of a baby tapir to mother Rio, which is believed to have attacked the child.

Rio's female baby is called Jenny and her father is called Marmaduke. Marmaduke is not thought to have been involved.

The tapir is normally vegetarian and many species are endangered in the wild in South East Asia and Latin America.

Related to rhinos and horses, the tapir's long, flexible snout helps collect leaves, shoots, fruit and small branches to eat.

They have strong jaws and sharp teeth which they use to defend themselves if under threat.

The tapir family at Dublin zoo: Jenny, Rio and Marmaduke

Dublin Zoo said the attack happened on Thursday during one of its regular supervised animal visits.

A spokeswoman said: "The welfare of our visitors and animals is of paramount importance and all steps are taken by our experienced staff to ensure optimum safety.

"Management at the zoo has launched an investigation into this regrettable occurrence and is reviewing all of its procedures with respect to supervised animal visits.

"Dublin Zoo would like to underline this was very much an isolated incident."

The spokeswoman said the zoo understands the mother and toddler who were injured are recovering well.

Attacks on humans by tapirs are not unknown. Although shy, when scared they can defend themselves.

In 1998, a keeper at a zoo in Oklahoma City was mauled and had an arm severed after opening the door to a female tapir's enclosure to push food inside.

The tapir's two-month-old baby was also inside the cage at the time.

In 2006, a Costa Rican politician became lost in the one of the country's national parks and was found by a search party with a "nasty bite" from a wild tapir.

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Man Jailed For NY Reserve Bank Bomb Plot

A man has been sentenced to 30 years in jail over a plot to bomb the New York Federal Reserve Bank.

More follows...

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Syria: 'Al Qaeda' Rebels Killed In Ambush

Dozens of rebel fighters have been killed in an ambush by forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar al Assad, it has been claimed.

It took place near the town of Adra, which is situated around 22 miles east of Damascus, and is the gateway to Eastern Ghuta, a farming region where a large number of rebels are based.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group opposed to Mr al Assad, said 62 rebel fighters had been killed. It did not give a number for any loyalist casualties.

Syrian state news agency Sana also did not specify how many rebels were killed, but it did say the fighters were part of the jihadist al Nusra Front, an opposition group linked to al Qaeda.

It said the group was attempting to infiltrate Eastern Ghuta and attack a military post.

And it reported that machine guns and rocket propelled grenades were retrieved at the scene.

President Assad vowed last week to stamp out 'terror'

Loyalist forces have been on the offensive around Damascus since a rebel surge into towns and villages on the outskirts of the capital last year.

The army has increased its efforts to secure the city and its links to the western coast, while rebel fighters have overrun much of the north and east.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, fierce clashes reportedly broke out on the edge of the northern city of Aleppo, a day after rebel fighters occupied a nearby air base at Minnigh.

An explosion was also said to have ripped through the northern city of Raqa, killing three people including two children, according to the Observatory.

Meanwhile, UN inspectors tasked with looking into claims of chemical weapons use in Syria are expected to arrive in the war-torn country next week.

The team, led by Swedish expert Ake Sellstrom, will visit three sites where chemical weapons attacks have allegedly taken place to determine only whether they have been used - not who was behind the assaults. 

Some 13 suspected chemical weapons attacks have been reported to the United Nations in total. Both sides have been accused of using banned nerve agents.

More than 100,000 people have died in Syria's civil war and millions have been displaced since the conflict started in March 2011.

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India Farmers: Plan To Sell Organs To Pay Debt

By Neville Lazarus, Sky News Producer

Farmers in India have asked the government for permission to sell their own organs to help pay off mounting debts.

The Union of Farmers contacted the Prime Minister on behalf of farmers in the northern state of Haryana, which is near New Delhi.

"More than 90% of the farmers of Haryana are in debt," said protest leader Gurnam Singh, from the Bharat Kisan Union.

"It has become increasingly difficult for us to live and the only way out is by selling our kidneys and other organs.

"The land belongs to our ancestors and is like our mother so we will never sell it.

"At least selling our organs would enable us to repay debt and live for a few more years and feed our families."

They are yet to hear from the state government or from the Prime Minister's office.

The farmers are also protesting against the way government-run banks in the region deal with loan defaults.

Photographs and details of all loan defaulters are posted at bank branches to name and shame. Mr Singh says that this has led to social stigma.

According to the National Crimes Records Bureau, 270,940 farmers have taken their lives since 1995.

This occurred at an annual average rate of 14,462 deaths between 1995 and 2000.

Critics have pointed out that the numbers may be even higher because the figures are understated by the government.

They say that several deaths are not reported as suicides and due to social prejudices, women farmer deaths are not registered as farmer suicides.

More than 60% of people in India rely on agriculture for their income, but in recent years the demand for land, fertiliser, water and seeds has increased.

At harvest time many farmers have then found themselves confronted by record low global prices.

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Ariel Castro's Dungeon Home Is Torn Down

One of Ariel Castro's kidnap victims said she hoped the demolition of the home in which she was held captive for more than a decade would act as a symbol of hope.

Michelle Knight, 32, watched as the house on Seymour Avenue in East Cleveland, in which she was held against her will and repeatedly raped by the 53-year-old, was razed to the ground.

Miss Knight, along with two other women who were kidnapped by Castro, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, endured years of cruelty and brutality behind the suburban facade.

Michelle Knight addressed the crowd of onlookers

They were kept behind locked doors and chained by their ankles.

It took about 20 minutes to tear down the property as part of a plea deal that spared Castro a possible death sentence and allowed him to be jailed for life, plus 1,000 years, instead.

Speaking at the scene, Miss Knight, who last week made a powerful and moving statement to the court sentencing Castro, said she did not want to be defined by the horrors that had gone on at the house.

She said: "Nobody was there for me when I was missing, and I want the people out there to know, including the mothers, that they can have strength, they can have hope, and their child will come back.

A crowd of onlookers cheered and clapped as the demolition began

"They will ... just have the love in God and you'll see they'll come back."

Prosecutors said Castro cried when he signed over the house deeds and mentioned his "many happy memories" there with the women.

As the house was being demolished, Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty told the crowd: "This was one evil guy."

Giving her statement in court last week, Miss Knight told Castro: "You took 11 years of my life away and I have got it back. I spent 11 years in hell. Now you're hell is just beginning. I will overcome all this has happened, but you will face hell for eternity."

The three women, who were snatched aged 20, 16 and 14, escaped from the house on May 6 when Miss Berry and her six-year-old daughter managed to break free after removing part of the front door and calling to a neighbour for help.

The demolition and clearing of the site was expected to be completed swiftly and the building materials will be shredded to prevent rubble being sold online as so-called "murderabilia", although no one was killed at the home.

Google Earth has already blurred out a satellite image of the house, before the demolition even began.

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Kenya Airport Fire: Reopened After Huge Blaze

Kenya's main international airport has reopened after a large blaze in the arrivals area.

Inbound flights were earlier re-routed to other Kenyan airports following the fire at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.

Eyewitnesses said the billowing smoke could be seen from miles away and stranded passengers were left standing on pavements outside the airport holding their luggage.

"It was huge, the smoke billowing, and it didn't seem to be stopping," said Barry Fisher, who had hoped to fly to Ethiopia but was turned away.

Stranded passengers are standing on the pavement outside the airport

A British passenger, Martyn Collbeck, said he was surprised that the airport wasn't shut down sooner so that emergency vehicles could respond.

"When I arrived there were one or two fire engines parked outside the international arrivals, it spread very fast," said Mr Collbeck, who had been scheduled to fly back to London on an early morning KLM flight.

"There were a couple of explosions which I think were a couple of gas canisters. I would have expected more fire engines to respond faster."

The country's largest newspaper, The Daily Nation, reported last month that Nairobi County doesn't have a single working fire engine, and that three fire engines were auctioned off in 2009 because the county hadn't paid a $1,000 (£650) repair bill.

The fire happened at an airport in Nairobi

The fire burned for four hours before it was contained.

Transport secretary Michael Kamau said: "The fire started at a very central part of the airport and this made access difficult. But we have closed the airport indefinitely as we try to contain the fire."

It is the busiest airport in East Africa, and its closure affected flights throughout the region.

The fire comes less than 48 hours after a fuel jet pump failure caused huge delays at the airport, forcing some flights to be re-routed to the airport in the coastal town of Mombasa, Uganda and Rwanda.

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Obama Cancels Putin Talks Amid Snowden Row

US President Barack Obama has cancelled plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next month amid heightened tensions.

The move appears to be retribution for Russia's decision to grant temporary asylum to US whistleblower Edward Snowden.

It also reflects growing US frustration with Russia on several other issues, including missile defence and human rights.

A top White House official said Mr Obama still plans to attend the G20 economic summit in St Petersburg, Russia, but has no plans to meet Mr Putin there one-on-one.

Instead of visiting the president in Moscow, the Mr Obama will add a stop in Sweden to his early September travel itinerary.

The Kremlin expressed its disappointment but said it remains ready to work with the United States on a variety of issues.

Mr Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters the move reflected the inability of the US to develop relations with Moscow on an "equal basis."

He said the invitation to Obama to visit Moscow next month still stands.

"This decision is clearly linked to the situation with former agent of U.S. special services (Edward) Snowden, which hasn't been created by us," Mr Ushakov said.

Snowden has been granted a year's asylum in Russia

White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said Russia's decision to defy the US and grant Snowden temporary asylum only worsened an already troubled relationship.

"We'll still work with Russia on issues where we can find common ground, but it was the unanimous view of the president and his national security team that a summit did not make sense in the current environment," Mr Rhodes said.

Mr Obama, who is travelling in California, said in an interview on Tuesday that he was "disappointed" by Russia's move to grant Snowden asylum for one year. But he said the move also reflected the "underlying challenges" the US faces in dealing with Moscow.

"There have been times where they slip back into Cold War thinking and a Cold War mentality," he told Jay Leno in an interview on NBC's The Tonight Show.

Snowden, 30, is wanted by the US on felony charges after leaking details of vast surveillance programmes.

He first fled from the US to Hong Kong, then made his way to Russia. He was stuck in the transit zone of a Moscow airport for more than a month before Russia granted him asylum.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel are still preparing for meetings in Washington on Friday with their Russian counterparts. Snowden's status is expected to be a main topic of conversation.

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Fort Hood Massacre: Court Martial Begins

The court martial of a US soldier charged with killing 13 at Fort Hood military base has begun, with the gunman facing his victims for the first time.

Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, has never denied carrying out the 2009 attack on his fellow soldiers.

He told the jury on Tuesday: "The evidence will clearly show that I am the shooter."

He is representing himself at a trial charging him with murder and attempted murder for the attack, which also wounded more than 30.

Hasan, a US-born Muslim of Palestinian descent, had wanted to argue that he carried out the shooting "in defence of others" - Muslim insurgents fighting US soldiers in Afghanistan - but the judge has refused to accept that argument.

The judge has also said the 42-year-old will not be permitted to make speeches about his beliefs.

Many of the wounded will take the witness stand, alongside others who were inside the post's Soldier Readiness Processing Centre when the shooting began.

Thirteen people died during the shooting at the Texas base in 2009

Hasan, who was shot in the back by officers responding to the attack, is now paralysed from the waist down and uses a wheelchair.

Before the trial, wounded soldier Alonzo Lunsford said: "That man strikes no fear in my heart.

"What he did to me was bad. But the biggest mistake that he made was I survived. So he will see me again."

Another soldier, mental health specialist Shawn Manning, is also expected to give evidence.

He said: "I have to keep my composure and not go after the guy.

"I'm not afraid of him, obviously. He's a paralysed guy in a wheelchair, but it's sickening that he's still living and breathing."

The government has said that Hasan sent more than a dozen emails starting in December 2008 to Anwar al Awlaki, a radical US-born Islamic cleric killed by a drone strike in Yemen in 2011.

If he is convicted and sentenced to death, it would likely take decades before he was executed. The military has not executed an active-duty soldier since 1961.

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Python Attack: 'Snake Kills Two Sleeping Boys'

Police in eastern Canada have launched a criminal investigation after a python apparently escaped from a pet shop and killed two children by asphyxiating them in their sleep.

The two boys - named locally as Noah Barthe, five, and his brother Connor, seven - were at a sleepover at their best friend's flat in the town of Campbellton when it is believed they were attacked by the snake.

It is understood the animal had escaped from the Reptile Ocean pet shop, which specialises in exotic pets and is run by family friend Jean-Claude Savoie, located on the ground floor of the building.

The boys were sleeping in the living room of the residence on Pleasant Street when they were reportedly attacked by the snake early on Monday morning. Police were called to the scene at 6.30am local time.

Corporal Alain Tremblay from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) told Canadian news station CBC News that officers were in the first stage of a criminal investigation.

He said: "I can tell you it's a criminal investigation right now to determine if any criminal act is responsible for the death of the two boys."

Cpl Tremblay confirmed that the snake involved is an African rock python, as long as 4.5 metres and weighing about 45kg. The animals are non-venomous and would usually kill by constricting victims.

Police outside the exotic pet store in Campbellton (Pic: CBC News)

Police have suggested the python entered the upstairs apartment via the two-storey building's ventilation system.

The RCMP said in a statement: "The preliminary investigation has led police to believe that a large exotic snake had escaped its enclosure at the store.

"(It) got into the ventilation system, then into the upstairs apartment. It's believed the two boys were strangled by the snake."

The boys' mother, Mandy Trecartin, lives close to the Reptile Ocean store. She is a good friend of the shop owner and regularly let her sons stay over there.

A former shop employee is reported to have called Ms Trecartin as soon as he heard about the tragedy to find out what happened.

Tim Thomas told Canada's National Post: "She told me straight up, it was her two children that died; I didn't know what to say, I was in shock."

Mr Savoie, who described the dead brothers as "like an extended family", told Global News that he found a "horrific scene" when he checked on the boys at about 6am.

An example of an African rock python (file pic)

"I thought they were sleeping and I've seen the hole in the ceiling, (and) everything has fallen. I turn the lights on and I've seen this horrific scene," Mr Savoie said.

He added: "The snake was gone but I found the snake ... it went through the ceiling and was sleeping in the living room.

"I have so many mixed emotions right now. I can't believe this is real."

The python, which he had owned for 10 years, has been recaptured.

The local community expressed shock at what had happened. One neighbour said: "We could not believe that something like this could happen, but it has happened."

But another Campbellton resident was less sympathetic. She said: "The fact that you have an apartment with animals like that below, the risk is always there."

Experts said attacks on humans by exotic snakes are extremely rare and, according to local officials, the reptile owner was fully licenced.

Connor Barthe (L) and Noah Barthe (Pic: Facebook / Mandy Trecartin)

Exotic snake seller Alexandre Tremblay suggested the snake must have been "way under-fed and badly housed".

"For a snake to be able to get out of that size it just has to be really hungry and not in good conditions. Because usually snakes are very easy-going ... it's rare that snakes get out," he told Sky News.

Lisa Janes, co-owner of Little Ray's Reptile Zoo, a zoo and education programme in Ontario, told CBC News that snakes do not usually see humans as food, pointing out that more people are killed by dogs than by snakes.

According to a report in the the Toronto Sun, snake expert Michel Leblanc is baffled over how the snake was able to kill both boys.

"It is rather odd ... because usually the snakes feed on rabbits, for example.

"Generally, it will only attack something he can swallow. It will not kill for nothing," he said.

Reptile Ocean's Facebook page was flooded with criticism when news of the deaths spread and has now been shut down, the National Post reported. An unknown administrator earlier replied to the angry comments saying it had been "a terrible accident without a meaning".

"There is nobody to blame. The snake broke out of its enclosure. The enclosure was locked. There was no negligence. This is a terrible accident," the message posted on Monday afternoon read.

An online petition calling for the shop, which reportedly has three employees, to be shut down had been started prior to the deaths. It has been open for almost 17 years.

Post-mortem examinations on the two boys' bodies are due to be carried out today.

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Russia: Oil Tycoon's Sentence Cut On Appeal

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

Jailed former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has had his 11-year prison sentence reduced by two months after an appeal to Russia's Supreme Court.

Now in his 10th year behind bars, Khodorkovsky gave evidence to the hearing via video link from the prison camp where he is being held in Russia's far north.

Dressed in a black shirt and wearing his prison number, Khodorkovsky read calmly from his notes as he argued that the charges against him were absurd and self-contradictory.

He called the verdict in his trial a "big lie" and said such court rulings were fuelling the protest movement against President Vladimir Putin.

"A growing part of society is demanding … to be able to live and not be afraid," he said.

"The entire system of law in the country is gradually falling to pieces.

"Ordinary people are talking about an absence of trust in the judiciary - and serious scholars about the breakdown of law.

A man holds up a portrait of Khodorkovsky during an opposition protest

"People are not stupid. Bewilderment at what can hardly be called particularly clever trials against opponents of the authorities is beginning to build up."

Khodorkovsky appealed to the judges to overturn what he called a "judicially illiterate verdict" against him, and said it would be a "disgrace" if it was legitimised by the Supreme Court.

However, the panel of three judges in Moscow upheld the original convictions against Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon Lebedev, agreeing only to a slight reduction in their sentences.

The ruling means that Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, is now due to be released in August 2014, and Lebedev in May 2014.

The pair's lawyers said they would appeal. Khodorkovsky's father, who was in court to hear the decision, said he was disappointed by the "unlawful" verdict.

Khodorkovsky and Lebedev were arrested in 2003 and convicted in 2005 on charges of evading taxes at the Yukos oil company, in a case that was widely seen as President Putin's revenge for Khodorkovsky's challenge to his power.

The Yukos oil company was dismantled shortly afterwards, with its most lucrative assets transferred to the state-owned Rosneft.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Halfway through their first prison term, new charges were filed against the two men, this time alleging they had stolen oil from their own company and laundered money.

Khodorkovsky argued the second verdict, which found him guilty of stealing oil, contradicted the first verdict, which found him guilty of not paying taxes on the same oil.

He said: "We are not even talking here of the execution of the law, but of a willingness to destroy law as such, and the reputation of the judicial system, and trust in this state institution - merely for the sake of extending a prison term for opponents of the authorities."

President Putin has previously said of the Khodorkovsky case, "a thief should be in jail".

Khodorkovsky' supporters fear that investigators are preparing a further set of charges to keep him in prison beyond his provisional release date next year.

Speaking after today's ruling, Khodorkovsky's lawyer, Vadim Klyuvgant, said his spirit would not be broken.

"Russian penal colonies never were, and are not, conducive to feeling better, especially after 10 years," he said.

"But considering all that, his spirit is unbreakable."

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Cannes Jewellery Heist: Reward Offered

Lloyd's of London has offered up to one million euro (£864,000) for information leading to the recovery of jewels stolen from a Cannes hotel.

An armed man pulled off a brazen daylight heist at the luxury Carlton Hotel on July 28, in one of the world's biggest ever jewellery thefts.

The jewels, which were taken from the hotel used to film To Catch a Thief  - the 1955 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock about a jewel thief, had an estimated value of £88.48m.

Carrying a semi-automatic pistol, his head covered with a cloth, the robber stole jewels that were part of an exhibition by a group owned by Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev.

Authorities say the man escaped with "all kinds of different" jewellery, including "rings, pendants, and earrings encrusted with diamonds".

The Carlton Hotel in Cannes

The exhibition was held in a wing of the hotel with direct access to the street and police said they had not been told that it was taking place.

Prosecutors say the robber entered the exhibition room through a French window that opened on to a terrace, which itself looks on to the popular Croisette avenue in Cannes.

"A reward of up to €1m pro rata is offered to the first person who provides information which leads to recovery of the goods. Offer subject to certain conditions," Lloyd's said in a statement.

Cannes has fallen prey to thieves several times recently, notably during this year's film festival, which attracts a glittering array of celebrities from the movie world.

In a pre-dawn heist at a hotel during the festival in May, thieves stole £660,000 of jewellery due to be loaned to movie stars.

That robbery took place in the hotel room of an American employee of Swiss jeweller Chopard while she was out for the evening, police said.

Anyone with information about the jewel heist should contact SW Associates at reward1millionE@gmail.com.

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Iran's Rouhani Urges Nuclear Talks With West

Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani has said he is "seriously determined" to resolve a dispute with the West over Tehran's nuclear programme.

Addressing his first news conference as leader, Mr Rouhani said was ready to enter "serious and substantive" negotiations on the issue without delay.

"We are the people of interaction and talks, with seriousness and without wasting time, if the other sides are ready," he said.

"As the president of the Islamic republic, I am announcing that there is political will to solve this issue and also take into consideration the concerns of the other sides.

"If the other party is also prepared like we are, then I am confident that the concerns of both sides will be removed through negotiations within a period which will not be very long."

Mr Rouhani said he wanted to allay Western concerns but would not surrender Iran's rights.

"Iran's peaceful nuclear programme is a national issue ... we will not give up the rights of the Iranian people," he said.

He said Iran would not abandon its nuclear programme, which it would uphold "on the basis of international law".

"We will preserve our rights based on the international regulations," he added, in reference to Iran's insistence that it has the right to peaceful use of nuclear power as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Mr Rouhani also used the speech to hit out at a call by 76 US senators for tougher sanctions from Washington.

Former leader Mr Ahmadinejad (C) at a nuclear enrichment facility in 2008

He said Friday's letter from the politicians to President Barack Obama, which was published on Monday, showed a lack of understanding of Iranian politics.

"Recent declarations from the the White House show that some US officials do not have a correct and realistic assessment of the situation here and the message that the Iranian people gave in the election," the new president said.

"They are still sending contradictory messages," he said, adding: "We care about the US response in deeds, not in words."

On Sunday, the White House said Iran will find the United States a "willing partner" if Mr Rouhani is prepared to engage substantively and seriously on its nuclear programme.

Mr Rouhani headed Iran's nuclear negotiating team in the early 2000s and Western leaders have expressed hope of a more constructive approach in the protracted talks.

The hard line policies of Mr Rouhani's predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, prompted crippling EU and US sanctions against Iran's oil and banking sectors that he has vowed to seek to relax.

Iran's critics say that it has used previous nuclear talks as a delaying tactic while continuing to develop nuclear weapons-related technology - something Tehran denies.

Western powers believe the Iranian nuclear programme is being used to develop an atomic bomb but Tehran insists it is for peaceful purposes.

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Gibraltar Row: Spain Accused Of Sabre-Rattling

Gibraltar's chief minister has accused Spain of "sabre-rattling like North Korea" after it threatened to impose sanctions on the Rock.

Fabian Picardo said Spanish foreign minister Jose Garcia-Margallo was being belligerent by threatening to charge workers almost £90 a day to cross the border.

Prime Minister David Cameron has also now weighed in, with Downing Street saying he is "seriously concerned" by the escalating row.

A spokesman said: "The Spanish have not raised the prospect of introducing border fees with us. We are seeking an explanation from them regarding reports that they might target Gibraltar with further measures."

Mr Garcia-Margallo had suggested a levy on workers travelling from Gibraltar could be used to help Spanish fishermen who have lost out because of damage to fishing grounds allegedly caused by Gibraltarian authorities.

But Mr Picardo told Sky News: "The 10,000 Spanish workers that come into Gibraltar every day, they would be on the hook for 100 euros - 50 in and 50 out - when they might earn less than that each day.

"I think this is quite a silly remark for the Spanish foreign minister to have made. He is sabre-rattling a la North Korea. It almost makes you feel like you are listening to the politics of Franco in the 1950s and 60s."

In a separate interview, he said that the border costs would violate European Union freedom of movement rules.

Fabian Picardo (left) and Jose Garcia-Margallo

He also warned "hell will freeze over" before the Gibraltarian authorities remove an artificial reef Madrid claims is harming the interests of Spanish fishermen.

And he branded the possibility of Spain closing its airspace to flights from the Rock dangerous and the "politics of madness".

The Foreign Office has already voiced concerns over Mr Garcia-Margallo's comments and said Britain would not compromise its sovereignty over Gibraltar.

A spokesman made clear that the UK expects Madrid to live up to the commitments it made in the 2006 Cordoba Agreement.

These include deals on issues like border crossings and access for flights, as well as establishing a tripartite forum for regular dialogue between Britain, Spain and Gibraltar.

Spain's main opposition party, the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) accused Mr Garcia-Margallo of "dynamiting" dialogue on issues affecting workers, fishermen and traders.

Its spokesman for EU affairs Juan Moscoso del Prado said: "You cannot threaten 50 euro fees when there are more than 10,000 people who go there every day to work. Workers should not be taken hostage by this conflict."

The dispute over the status of Gibraltar escalated recently following a number of alleged Spanish incursions into the territory's waters.

Spain claims sovereignty over the Rock, which stands on the southernmost tip of the Iberian peninsula, but has been a British Overseas Territory since the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.

However, the UK Government has made clear that it will not negotiate over sovereignty as long as Gibraltar's people want to remain British.

Foreign Secretary William Hague last month phoned Mr Garcia-Margallo to complain about Spain ramping up border checks, which forced drivers to wait for up to seven hours in searing heat.

On Sunday, the Foreign Office summoned the Spanish ambassador, to demand assurances that there would be no repeat of the excessive checks.

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Cuban Dissident Car Crash 'Was Assassination'

A Cuban dissident who apparently died in a car crash last year was actually assassinated by Cuban secret services, according to the Spanish politician driving the car.

Oswaldo Paya, the leader of the Christian Liberation Movement, which campaigned for civil liberties and the release of political prisoners, died when the car he was travelling left a country road and crashed into a tree on July 22 last year.

The driver of the hired car, Angel Carromero, a leader of the youth wing of Spain's ruling Popular Party, survived the crash in southeast Cuba.

Pfelia Acevedo, Mr Paya's widow, and children at a news conference

An official inquiry found that Mr Carromero was driving too fast at the time of the accident and he was convicted of vehicular homicide. He returned to Spain to serve a four-year sentence.

However, he has now claimed that Mr Paya's death was not the result of an accident but that the official account was "a perfect alibi to hide the death of the only dissident who could lead the transition in Cuba."

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Mr Carromero said: "I am convinced that he survived the accident. The nurses and a priest told me that all four of us were admitted to the hospital.

"Cuban secret services assassinated Oswaldo Paya."

Mr Carromero (centre) at the hearing into the crash

He claimed that Cuban prosecutors had "fabricated" evidence.

Mr Paya, who was 60, died along with another Cuban dissident, Harold Cepero but Mr Carromero and a Swedish activist, Jens Aron Modig, who were also travelling in the car, survived.

The family of Mr Paya has always suspected foul play and accused the Cuban authorities of involvement in his death. The family has been seeking an international investigation and his son, also called Oswaldo, has claimed that the car was driven off the road, according to accounts of the others travelling in the vehicle.

Mr Paya's funeral at which activists were arrested

Before his death he had claimed that authorities had placed wire taps in his Havana home.

In an interview with the Washington Post in March, Mr Carromero said that the car was struck from behind by another vehicle just before the crash.

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Turkey Coup Trial: Ex-Military Commander Jailed

Turkey: A Lesson For Egypt

Updated: 12:04pm UK, Monday 05 August 2013

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent

When the sword of Islam clashes with the sabre of secular military ambition sparks will inevitably fly.

Egypt has been set aflame this way – but Turkey has moved decisively to blunt the armed forces political armoury.

Some 300 officers, politicians, lawyers and dozens of journalists are hearing the verdicts after a five-year trial in which they have been accused of plotting bombing campaigns, political murder and a coup against Turkey's Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Organised by a "deep state" organisation known as Ergenekon, the alleged plot has bitterly divided Turkish society.

Secular liberals have little time for the habitual interventions of the military in Turkey's politics – but, over the years, they (like their Egyptian cousins) have also looked to senior officers to preserve the secular traditions that modernised their country after the end of Ottoman rule in 1923.

So the alleged plotters are being seen as the latest victims of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's long running campaign to rid Turkey's body politic of the presence of the military by his critics.

The military staged its last coup in 1997 against the Necmettin Erbakan of the Welfare Party, an Islamist movement, by operating against him from behind the scenes.

In 1998 Erdogan, the Mayor of Istanbul and a member of the Welfare Party, was jailed for 10 months for allegedly inciting racial hatred in a move which he has always blamed on the secular military.

When he came to power he moved quickly to try to keep the military at bay.

His secret police first uncovered the "Sledgehammer", an alleged plot ten years ago, in which about 300 people, most of them in the military, were jailed for allegedly organising another coup.

Many of his critics insist that the charges in the latest trial are trumped up.

They point out that only one other country on earth has jailed more journalists – and that is China.

This year's demonstrations in Taksim Square in Istanbul and across the country have rattled Mr Erdogan – who has been in power for a decade - as tens of thousands took to the streets to protest against the steady drift of Turkey towards an Islamist state.

He has attempted to ban kissing in public, imposed restrictions on the sale of alcohol, and neutered the domestic media which has infuriated many Turks.

But they are unlikely to be able to look to the military to help – their counterparts in Cairo successfully implored the Egyptian armed forces to depose their democratically elected president.

In some ways Egypt's recently ousted President, Mohammed Morsi, currently in military custody, might have learned from his Turkish counterpart.

He could have moved against Egypt's US-backed armed forces before they moved against him, early in his presidency.

He had warnings.

General Abdel Fatah al Sisi, his defence minister, twice warned that the armed forces might intervene before they did in June this year. He warned this would be to stop a civil war.

A move against the armed forces for threatening a coup might have been legitimate.

But it could not have been carried politically.

Then president Mr Morsi had failed to focus on Egypt's economy. Mr Erdogan didn't make that mistake.

His economic reforms created a wealthy middle class and big money vested interests who were interested mainly in maintaining political stability while the economy boomed in the last decade.

Many looked aside when Mr Erdogan first cracked down on the military.

Mr Morsi pursued a cruder agenda.

He was unable to galvanise an economy which, in any case, is believed to be about 40% under military control.

Instead he focused on centralising power and promoting his fellow members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

By December last year he had put himself above the law and introduced rule by decree.

The Brotherhood is the most potent civil society movement in Egypt – but without the armour of economic success, it was always going to be run-through by the military.

Recent upheavals and demonstrations against Mr Erdogan's Islamist agenda in Turkey has fuelled support for the 300 alleged coup plotters as the verdicts come in on a long trial.

This may be the opportunity for the Turkish military to take a lesson from their Egyptian comrades and forge an alliance with the secular liberals on the streets. If they do, we can expert fireworks.

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Dominican Republic: British Woman 'Drowns'

The Foreign Office is investigating reports that a British holidaymaker has drowned off a beach at a popular Dominican Republic resort.

Media reports from the Caribbean nation say the woman, who has been named locally but whose identity has not been confirmed, was knocked off her feet by a wave and swept away.

The 36-year-old was swimming at Playa Sosua at 4am with her boyfriend, believed to be a local, after a night out.

She became separated from him and her body was found on another part of the beach later by local civil defence volunteers.

The victim had been staying in an apartment at Calle Libre for a week prior to the accident and was due to fly home on Sunday.

Her body was taken to the Cabarete medical centre and will be transferred to the National Institute of Forensic Science as part of the investigation.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are aware of reports of the death of a British national in the Dominican Republic and are looking into it."

The website sosua.com says the north coast of the Dominican Republic has been a top tourist destination for Europeans for nearly three decades and has a very large expat community.

It adds: "Sosua Bay attracts many water sports enthusiast, including snorkelers and divers because of its sheltered, calm waters, diverse species of fish and intricate reef structures."

Sosua Beach, which is a crescent-shaped bay protected by coral formations and clear waters, "is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Dominican Republic and among the top tourist destinations of the Caribbean".

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France: Father Of Missing Family Found Hanged

A man whose wife and daughter are missing has been found hanged after leaving a suicide note protesting his innocence.

Francisco Benitez was found dead at his workplace in Perpignan, southern France, on Monday morning.

His daughter Allison, 19, and wife Marie-Josee Benitez, 53, have not been seen since July 14, when the two of them left home after an argument with Mr Benitez - which he told police about.

Allison and Marie Benitez have been missing since mid-July. Pic: Facebook

Officers found a letter next to Mr Benitez 's body at the barracks of the French Foreign Legion where he worked as a recruitment officer in Perpignan, proclaiming his innocence.

According to local media reports, he was wearing his military uniform. He also left information on who to contact and said that he wanted to be cremated in the note.

Mr Benitez's suicide came just a day after he gave an emotional interview to Paris Match, saying his daughter was "his life" and she would "never leave like that without giving news, it is impossible".

Police search the barracks where Mr Benitez was found hanging

Sobbing throughout he told the magazine, they were "a family like any other, with ups and downs".

He also responded to "violent attacks" on the internet connecting him to the disappearances. "The hardest thing is to read what people comment without knowing our private lives," he said.

Mr Benitez and his wife were in the process of separating when she and her daughter disappeared in mid-July, but it had been agreed that the two women would move in together and the father would pay the rent.

A police officer outside the French Foreign Legion building in Perpignan

Mother and daughter have not been in touch with any relatives nor used their credit cards or bank accounts since going missing. Their mobile phones cut off on trying to contact them and they have not posted anything on their social media accounts.

All this has prompted concern from investigators and a criminal case has been opened.

Allison had reportedly been preparing for months for the local 'Miss Roussillon' beauty contest, to be held on 11 August, but did not attend a meeting about it on July 15, French media network Europe 1 reported.

Police are continuing to search for the pair and a family computer has apparently been seized as part of the investigation.

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Australia: Kevin Rudd Names Election Date

The Australian prime minister has called a national election as his Labor Party looks to close the gap with the conservative opposition.

Kevin Rudd was first elected prime minister in 2007, but was defeated in 2010 by his then deputy Julia Gillard in an internal leadership contest within his centre-left Labour Party.

He won back the leadership in a similar challenge on June 26 as the government faced the prospect of a record loss under Ms Gillard.

Since then, Mr Rudd has changed several key policy positions and opinion polls suggest Labor is closing the lead of the conservative opposition.

The party has been in power since 2007 and helped Australia's economy avoid recession following the 2008 global financial crisis, aided by a prolonged mining boom.

But a budget update on Friday showed Australia's economic growth is slowing as the mining investment boom ends, with rising unemployment particularly in the manufacturing sector.

In an email to supporters, Mr Rudd said: "It's on. We've got one hell of a fight on our hands.

"Australians now face a choice. And the choice couldn't be starker. I have a positive vision about the country we can be."

The election date would mean Mr Rudd missing the G20 summit in St Petersburg, even though Australia will take over as chair of the G20 for the coming year.

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Lucky Escape After Car Door Opens On Cyclist

A woman has escaped serious injury after she was knocked off her bike when a passenger opened a car door in front of her.

The victim, whose family name is Shi, was riding home on her electric bicycle in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, when the accident took place.

A rear door of a sport utility vehicle (SUV) stopped by the roadside opened suddenly in front of her, sending her tumbling from her bike into the rear wheel of a passing truck.

The woman is thrown into the back tyre of a passing truck

She said: "There was a white thing that flashed, knocked me off my bicycle, and then I fainted."

The woman was taken to hospital, where she is reportedly in a stable condition.

Police located the SUV, which fled the accident, using CCTV footage.

She then falls to the ground after narrowly escaping going under the truck

Officer Zhou Zhengbin said: "The driver didn't control the passengers after he stopped the car. A passenger pushed the car door open just as an electric bicycle rode past.

"There is an obvious mark on the car door."

The SUV driver was taken into custody pending a further investigation.

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China Blocks NZ Milk Powder Over Botulism

Some brands of baby milk formula from New Zealand contain whey powder which could cause the food poisoning botulism, authorities have warned.

Up to 1,000 tons of dairy products - including milk powders used for sports as well as babies' formula - have been recalled from shelves in seven countries.

The move comes after the New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra announced tests had turned up a type of bacteria that can cause the illness.

China, one of the countries where the products are exported to, has responded by blocking all imports of milk powder from New Zealand, an NZ minister said Sunday.

China is New Zealand's biggest market for exported milk powder.

Demand for imported milk products has risen sharply after a series of scandals over tainted baby formula in China, leading to limits on sales of formula in other countries, including the UK.

It is not known, at this stage, whether China's import ban on New Zealand milk will have a knock-on effect on baby milk availability in the UK.

New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser said the ban was "entirely appropriate", as consuming the whey products could lead to the potentially fatal illness.

China has not officially announced a ban. It said on Saturday it had contacted New Zealand's embassy and asked it "to take measures to prevent the products in question from influencing the health of Chinese consumers".

Mr Groser said the situation with Fonterra was "very serious". As well as China, the whey protein concentrate had also been exported to Australia, China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam.

"The authorities in China, in my opinion absolutely appropriately, have stopped all imports of New Zealand milk powders from Australia and New Zealand," Mr Groser said on Television New Zealand's Q&A programme.

"It's entirely appropriate they should have done that. It's better to do blanket protection for your people then wind it back when we, our authorities, are in a position to give them the confidence and advice that they need."

In China, several domestic brands of baby milk have been hit by scandals

The symptoms of botulism include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, followed by paralysis, and it can be fatal if not treated.

There have been no reports of any illness linked to consumption of the affected whey protein.

The problem is believed to have been caused by unsterilised pipes at a factory in Waikato .

Fonterra's milk products managing director Gary Romano said three affected batches of whey protein weighing about 42 tons were made in May 2012, adding that Fonterra has since cleaned the pipes.

The affected batches were found to contain the toxic bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism, but it was only discovered on July 31 this year.

New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries says the tainted product was mixed with other ingredients to form about 1,000 tons of consumer products which were then distributed worldwide.

Some of the affected product ended up being used by New Zealand company Nutricia which makes the Karicare line of formula for infants aged over six months.

Nutricia has locked down all five batches of infant formula it believed contained the tainted product but New Zealand advised parents to buy different Nutricia products or alternative brands until all tainted Nutricia products had been recalled.

Russia's Ria Novosti news agency reported that Moscow was "recalling Fonterra's products, including infant formula and advised Russian consumers not to buy the company's other products".

Dairy exports are one of New Zealand's major earners. According to government data the dairy industry contributes 2.8% to New Zealand's GDP and about 25% of its exports. It is worth NZ$10.4bn (£5.2bn) annually.

In 2008, six babies in China died and another 300,000 were sickened by infant formula that was tainted with melamine, an industrial chemical added to watered-down milk to fool tests for protein levels.

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Switzerland: Couple Die In Cable Car Collapse

A couple died and their baby was seriously injured after an Alpine cable car they were using collapsed and fell nearly 100ft, Swiss police have said.

The family had been using a ropeway - a form of small cable car meant only for the transport of goods - downhill from the top station at Alp Baerlaui.

The wooden car came off its cable about 900 metres into its journey and dropped nearly 100ft into the forested mountainside.

Police said the 38-year-old father and 31-year-old mother were killed instantly.

Their one-year-old baby, which was being carried in a rucksack, was protected from the worst of the impact by branches and bushes which reduced the speed of the fall.

Ropeways make it easier to move supplies to and from mountain chalets and pastures, and it is illegal for them to carry people.

An investigation has been launched by police.

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Iran's New President Takes Office Amid Hope

The new Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has taken an oath of office, calling for an end to sanctions placed on the country over its nuclear stance.

Mr Rouhani was sworn in before parliament in Tehran and began naming a cabinet he said would be chosen from figures across the political spectrum.

He formally took office on Saturday at a ceremony in which he received the endorsement of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who retains the final say on all strategic issues.

During his speech to parliament he said the only way to interact with Iran was through dialogue and not sanctions, alluding to the stand-off with world powers over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Mohammad Nahavandian has been appointed as the president's chief of staff

"The only path to interact with Iran is through negotiations on equal grounds, reciprocal trust-building, mutual respect and reducing hostilities," the new president said.

His first appointment was a US-educated businessman as his chief of staff, in a move that it likely to be seen as good for relations with America and other Western powers.

The state IRNA news agency said Mr Rouhani had named Mohammad Nahavandian, a 58-year-old businessman with a doctorate in economics from George Washington University in Washington as his new right hand man.

Other appointments to his cabinet were Iran's former ambassador to the United Nations Mohammad Javad Zarif as foreign minister and Bijan Zanganeh to the post of oil minister.

Mr Rouhani was elected with a wide margin over conservative rivals in June, in a win that has been interpreted as a rejection by the electorate of the Iranian regime's hardline approach.

He has pledged to pursue less confrontational policies abroad in order to ease international sanctions on Iran's economy over its disputed nuclear programme.

The Iranian economy has been suffering its worst crisis in a generation as economic sanctions placed on it by the west have cut its access to oil revenues in the midst of a worldwide slump.

Hassan Rouhani succeeds Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

He also has to try to balance the demands of hardliners who dominate parliament and the officially sidelined reformists whose support helped him win the election.

For all his rhetoric on cooperation, the new president is very much an insider in the Islamic Republic, having served in senior military and security roles since shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Mr Rouhani succeeds Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose turbulent two-term presidency was marked by frequent outbursts against Israel in particular, as well as other countries.

Mr Rouhani suggested on Friday he was not deviating from his predecessor's position when he took a swipe at the Jewish state during a rally marking the annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei casting his ballot

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out in response, saying: "The president of Iran said ... that Israel is a wound on the body of Islam. The president of Iran may have been changed but the aims of the regime there have not.

"Iran's intention is to develop a nuclear capability and nuclear weapons, with the aim of destroying the state of Israel."

Western governments suspect that Iran's nuclear programme is a cover for a drive for weapons capability. Iran insists it is for power generation and medical purposes only.

Both the United States and Israel - which has the Middle East's sole, if undeclared, nuclear arsenal - have refused to rule out a resort to military action to prevent Iran developing a weapons capability.

Saudi Arabia denied permission for a plane carrying Sudanese President Omar al Bashir to travel through its airspace on Sunday for the swearing-in of the new Iranian president. The aircraft had to turn back.

The Sudanese leader, an alleged war criminal, was travelling to attend President Hassan Rouhani's swearing-in. The prime minister of Syria and North Korea's ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong-Nam, were also invited.

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