Kentucky House Fire Kills Five Children

Five children aged between 10 months and three have been identified as being among seven victims of a house fire in Kentucky.

A pregnant mother and her fiance also died in the Saturday morning blaze that engulfed the home in Gray, a close-knit community in the Appalachian foothills near the borders of Tennessee and Virginia.

Relatives raced to the house - owned by the Disney family in an area affectionately known as "Disneyland" because so many of them live in that part of town.

Despite their frantic rescue efforts, all seven people inside died.

Shannon Disney, a sister-in-law of one of the victims, described the couple as devoted to the children and excited about the arrival of their unborn baby.

Foul play is not suspected, say investigators

Gino Cima, the uncle of the man who died, said he suspected his nephew had been trying to save the children.

He said: "When I opened the screen door, she (the mother) was laying at the door with her head to the door and I pulled her out.

"And about two feet from her laying the other way was (my nephew). I went in and got him and pulled him out. But they were done, gone. There was nothing I could do."

Relatives said the nephew's partner was the mother of three of the children who died.

The other two children were siblings on a sleepover at the house.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, although foul play is not suspected.

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India Bus Gang Rape Suspect Found Hanged

The man accused of leading the gang rape of a student on a New Delhi bus been found hanged in his prison cell.

Police say Ram Singh took his own life in the high-security Tihar jail where he had been on suicide watch in an isolated cell.

But the 33-year-old suspect's family say he was killed and an investigation into the death is under way.

Singh's father, Mangelal Singh, said his son had been raped in prison by other inmates and had been repeatedly threatened by inmates and guards.

He said his son gave no hint of any despair that could drive him to take his own life when he visited him in jail four days ago.

Days of protests followed the attack

And he insisted his son also had a badly injured hand and would have been unable to hang himself.

"Somebody has killed him," he said.

Mangelal Singh said he feared for the safety of another son who is also on trial over the rape.

Vimla Mehra, the director general of the jail, refused to comment on the circumstances surrounding the death.

"The inquiry is being conducted and it would be premature to make any statement about the details of the incident," he said.

The death has angered the victim's family, who said the authorities had been negligent and they had been denied justice.

Her father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: "We don't understand how could the police fail to protect Ram Singh?

Rallies grew violent and water cannon were turned on protesters

"They knew he was the prime accused in my daughter's case.

"How could they let him choose the way he wanted to die? The police have failed and I wonder what will happen to the case now."

Singh was accused of leading a gang of five others who subjected the 23-year-old physiotherapy student to a two-and-a-half hour sex attack in which she was gang raped.

Her internal injuries were so horrific she died two weeks later in a hospital in Singapore despite surgery to try to save her.

Singh's death comes in the middle of his trial. He and four others are accused of luring the woman and a male friend, who were on their way home from a trip to the cinema, on to the bus where they beat him before repeatedly raping her.

A senior police officer on the case said: "The case will continue. There is no reason for the case to suffer."

Lawyers for the men have previously accused police of beating confessions out of their clients.

Singh was the regular driver of the white private bus, usually used to carry school children, which is alleged to have been used in the December 16 attack.

Police say he had been out with friends and drinking heavily when they decided to take the bus out for a night-time joyride.

The men are facing charges of murder, rape, and kidnapping, and if found guilty are expected to be given the death penalty.

A sixth suspect aged 17 is being tried in a juveniles' court, where he faces a maximum three years imprisonment.

The attack caused worldwide revulsion and outrage in India. Days of protests followed in a country where a woman is raped every 20 minutes.

The woman's friend, who is still suffering from the injuries he sustained in the attack, has already given evidence at the trial. His account was said to be a crucial part of the case.

He had previously spoken of the attack in an interview in which he told how he begged the rapists to stop "the cruelty that should never be seen".

Protesters have called for all rape suspects to be hanged and want a better deal for women so the streets are safer and men who rape women are put on trial.

National crime records show that 228,650 of the total 256,329 violent crimes recorded in India last year were against women and rape cases more than doubled between 1990 and 2008.

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Japan Remembers Quake And Tsunami Disaster

People all over Japan bowed their heads in silence as they remembered thousands of victims killed in a devastating earthquake and tsunami exactly two years ago.

They marked the moment when the 9.0 magnitude quake struck off the northeastern coast, triggering waves as high as 30 metres (100ft) that swept away residents and their homes.

The country's worst disaster since World War Two also wrecked the Fukushima nuclear power plant, sparking another emergency.

Three reactors suffered meltdowns and spewed radiation into the surrounding soil and water after the tsunami knocked out the plant's vital cooling system.

A total of 15,881 people are confirmed to have died in the triple disaster and 2,668 others remain unaccounted for.

And more than 300,000 people remain displaced, including about half of them evacuees from areas near the plant.

Police take part in a moment of silence during their search for victims

Ceremonies were held in towns and cities throughout the disaster zone, as well as in Tokyo.

In the city, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko led tributes to those who lost their lives, including over 2,300 whose deaths have been recorded as being caused by the stresses of life in evacuation centres or temporary housing.

"I am always deeply moved by seeing how so many people lead their daily lives without complaining ... and hope ... to be able to share their suffering, if only a little," he said.

In the city of Ishinomaki, where at least 70 children at a school were swept to their deaths by the rising waters of March 11, 2011, tsunami alarms were sounded, marking the exact moment the undersea quake hit.

Nearly 10,000 aftershocks have been recorded since the original quake, including 736 jolts that measured above a magnitude of 5.0.

The aftermath of the 2011 disaster

Some shook the ground at the plant which has now been brought under a stable state known as "cold shut down".

But decommissioning its damaged reactors will take decades and cost billions of pounds. Many of the 160,000 who fled the area will never be able to return.

Schoolgirl Rin Yamane recounted the horror of the day she lost her mother as they tried to escape the waves.

"Suddenly, we were in the middle of a black sea ... When I saw her in a morgue a few days later, I knew then it was a reality," she said.

Police in Miyagi prefecture have been continuing their search for those still listed as missing, with a 50-strong team scouring the coastline.

"We haven't found any bodies for a year," police officer Toshiaki Okajima told the AFP news agency.

"But there are still 1,300 missing people in Miyagi alone and the feelings of families haven't changed. That's why the police need to keep looking for remains."

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Oscar Pistorius Wants To Leave South Africa

Lawyers for Oscar Pistorius have appealed against bail restrictions imposed after he was charged with murdering his girlfriend.

His representatives argue that the double-amputee athlete is not a flight risk and should have the option of travelling outside South Africa as long as he has official permission.

It comes as a close friend said that the athlete is a "broken man".

Pistorius was released on bail on February 22, a week after he was arrested on charges of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Reeva Steenkamp was killed by Oscar Pistorius last month

He says he mistakenly shot Miss Steenkamp, thinking she was an intruder in his home.

Prosecutors believe he killed her intentionally after an argument.

His friend Mike Azzie says the star is a "broken man", and his state of mind has worsened since he had to sell his racehorses to raise money to pay his rising legal fees.

"He has no confidence in his tone of voice and he is just a man that is almost like someone that is walking around in circles and doesn't know where he is going," he told a BBC3 documentary.

"I would say that, just speaking to him, that he is a broken man and that I would go as far to say that he would be on the verge of suicide. It really worries me."

Sky's Alex Crawford said: "His family feel that the bail restrictions and conditions are extremely stringent." The application is likely to be heard in the next two weeks.

She added that he was understood to be spending his time at an uncle's house reading the bible, and said that his family deny that he is suicidal.

The appeal was filed on Friday. A copy of the papers was sent by representatives of the Pistorius family to news agencies on Monday.

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Taxi Driver Death: 'Police Danger To Public'

Nine South African police officers charged with the murder of a taxi driver should not be released on bail because they would endanger the public, a prosecutor has reportedly said.

December Mthimunye claimed the defendants would try to influence and intimidate witnesses, some of whom were their colleagues.

He alleged some evidence had already disappeared and was quoted as saying by iafrica.com: "This is not a straightforward case of murder. There was a lot of concealment."

The officers' alleged victim Mido Macia was found in a pool of blood in his police holding cell after being handcuffed and dragged behind a police van, a bail hearing heard.

The case two weeks ago caused outrage around the world when a video of him being pulled along by the vehicle went viral.

Onlookers filmed the Mozambican being dragged down the road in Daveyton, Johannesburg, and just over two hours later he was found dead after suffering extensive injuries.

The treatment of Mr Macia has caused outrage

The 27-year-old victim died from a lack of oxygen, Benoni magistrate's court heard.

According to a pathologist's report, Mr Macia had abrasions on his face, limbs and body, deep cuts on his forearms and wrists and "almost full thickness lacerations of the head".

He also had bruising to his ribs, back, testicles and lips and bite marks on his tongue, as well as bleeding and water on the brain.

The murder suspects said they were not guilty and claimed Mr Macia had assaulted a policeman while resisting arrest after being confronted for parking his taxi on the wrong side of the road.

Some of the defendants pictured at a hearing last week

The police van driver said he drove away to escape the angry crowd that had gathered, and did not know Mr Macia was being dragged behind.

Mr Mthimunye said the Mozambican was brutally abused before and after his arrest.

Mr Macia was already injured when he arrived at the station, contrary to police claims, he said, adding: "He was crying and bleeding and he already had some open head wounds".

He went on: "When he was booked into his cell he was not wearing any trousers."

The accused officers "flouted operational procedures" by not even calling an ambulance, Mr Mthimunye said.

"The deceased died of internal injuries that demonstrate the degree of violence inflicted," he claimed, reading a police watchdog investigator's affidavit.

None of the accused explained how the Mozambican ended up handcuffed to the van or dead in his cell.

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Man Dies As Small Plane Crashes Into House

A US man died and another was injured when a small plane crashed into a house in Washington state.

Both were travelling in the four-seater, Cessna-type aircraft when it hit the home in Woodinville, King County, on Saturday afternoon.

Sheriff's office spokeswoman Cindi West said a man was declared dead at the scene and another was airlifted to Harborview Medical Centre.

No-one was hurt on the ground, she added.

Neighbours were "shocked" by the crash (Pic: King County Sheriff's Office)

It is understood the owners of the large, detached property were not in at the time of the crash.

Witnesses said the plane engine was sputtering and then hit the garage of the house.

"We were inside the house and we heard a big thud as if there was an explosion," a neighbour said.

"It is pretty shocking. I'm glad it didn't go through the roof or anything. Good thing it only went through the garage," said one resident.

Another added: "It's just unbelievable because it is a very quiet neighbourhood."

It was not immediately clear where the plane took off from and where it was travelling to.

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Anger Over Cardinal Mahony's Conclave Role

By Greg Milam, US Correspondent

Victims of sexual abuse by priests in the largest Catholic diocese in the US have spoken of their anger that its former archbishop is taking part in the process to choose the next Pope.

Cardinal Roger Mahony was stripped of all administrative duties in January over allegations he engaged in a cover-up to protect priests accused of abuse.

He retired after 26 years as the Archbishop of Los Angeles in 2011, but the punishment handed down by his successor is regarded as unprecedented.

It followed the release of thousands of pages of files which highlighted claims against more than 100 priests dating back decades.

They also showed the attempts made to avoid getting the police involved.

Mahony, an enthusiastic blogger, has been providing a running commentary of developments in the Vatican since arriving to join the conclave.

A petition had called for him not to go.

Esther Miller, who was abused by a priest when she was a teenager, told Sky News she was angry that Mahony was there at all.

She said: "He is not contrite. As Catholic kids we learn the prayer of contrition and it talks about steps you do to repair the offences.

"He has not done steps to repair the offences, he has not done a full remorseful act. Instead he slaps us in the face and jaunts off to Rome. It is appalling."

Esther Miller was a victim of sexual abuse when she was a teenager

Ms Miller said the abuse she suffered still impacts her life.

"I lament the years that were stolen from me," she said. "It is difficult."

She was a party to a multimillion dollar settlement between the church and victims in 2007.

It included an order to release the files but legal wrangling prevented their full release until January.

Victoria Kim, a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times which campaigned for the full release, said: "What was surprising to us was the explicitness in the church leaders' own words.

"They very much understood that what these priests had done could be prosecuted under criminal law. Their reaction was to try and avoid that at all costs."

The Los Angeles Police Department has said it will review the files to see if there is the prospect of a criminal prosecution for either abuse or the failure to report it.

In a statement, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles told Sky News: "The Catholic Church's Canon Law requires Cardinal Mahony to participate in the election of the next Pope.

"The cardinal made mistakes, apologised for them, but also learned from them, implementing rigorous policies and procedures to deal promptly with allegations, and to provide abuse prevention training to adults and children."

They pointed out that the Italian newspaper La Stampa reported this week that Mahony's address to the General Congregation of cardinals focused on clergy sexual abuse and how it needs to be dealt with decisively.

He has already spent three hours answering questions from lawyers representing victims of abuse while he was in office in Los Angeles.

Victims groups say they hope the successor to Pope Benedict XVI will take a stronger line in supporting them and providing transparency within the church.

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Falkland Islanders Voting In Referendum

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent, Falkland Islands

Falkland Islanders have started voting in a two-day referendum to decide whether they want to stay British.

The question they have to answer is whether they want to remain an Overseas Territory of Britain, and there is likely to be a huge majority voting yes.

Dr Barry Elsby, one of the members of the Falklands Legislative Assembly, told Sky News "We're looking for a very high turnout.

"People realise the importance of a high turnout because that is what is important. It is showing the world that the majority of the people here want to remain as we are. We don't want to become a colony of Argentina.

"We would like to send a message out to the world to say, look, we are a people. We do have our own views and those views should be listened to.

"And we hope at the end of this referendum process countries will stand up and say 'yes, we must listen to this democratic view of the people'."

But even those who plan to vote yes doubt that Argentina's government will take any notice.

Outside observers are being brought in to monitor the referendum

Owen Betts, who works in the fishing industry, said: "I don't think Argentina will (take notice), especially the government.

"Maybe some of the Argentinian people may think differently, but I think the Argentinian government are pretty hard headed and it's going to take a while to sink in."

The geography of the islands creates real challenges for making sure everyone who is eligible can vote.

The Falklands are slightly bigger than Yorkshire, but most roads are unpaved so sometimes it can take hours to drive relatively short distances.

Some communities consist of little more than a few houses. So many people are unable to get to one of the few polling stations. So the polling stations will come to the people.

A fleet of 4x4 vehicles will criss-cross the island visiting communities for around half an hour to allow people to put their votes in a ballot box.

And for even more remote locations which cannot be reached by road, a plane will island-hop with a ballot box on board.

Islanders are expected to back remaining an Overseas Territory of Britain

The reason two days of voting has been scheduled is in case the weather prevents the light aircraft taking off and landing.

An international group of election monitors, including some from South America, will observe the referendum to make sure rules are followed.

Brad Smith, from the Referendum International Observation Mission, is aware of the importance of the vote.

"Because the spotlight is here internationally, this is a issue that plays way beyond the islands. We have to make sure that even in these very remote places, everybody has an opportunity to vote."

And to try to ensure the ballot is beyond criticism the Falkland Islands government withdrew official observer status from a visiting British academic because they did not believe he was independent.

Professor Peter Willets, from City University, had given a speech in Stanley arguing that the islands could not remain an Overseas Territory, but needed to move to full self-government.

Some islanders agree that independence is the way forward and may vote no in the referendum to signal their wishes.

But even some of the few Argentinian-born residents of the Falklands, who spoke to Sky News on condition of anonymity, favoured retaining the links with the UK.

One man, who did want to be identified in case of anger from his homeland, said he felt the islands should remain British because of the wishes of the people who live there.

But for most people in Stanley today will be a celebration. A parade will be held in the afternoon, with cars festooned with Union Jacks and Falklands flags driving in convoy through the streets.

And Neville Hayward will be showing off his new made-to-measure suit, delivered from London specially for the occasion. Jacket, trousers, waistcoat, bow-tie and shoes, all with the Union flag design.

He said: "We want to show the rest of the world that we want to remain British. Because we are British, it's our way of life. It's the only it's the only thing we know."

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Nigeria: British Worker 'Likely' Among Dead

A British construction worker is likely to be among seven hostages killed after they were kidnapped by a Nigerian Islamist group, Foreign Secretary William Hague has confirmed.

"It is with deep sadness that I must confirm that a British construction worker, held hostage in Nigeria since 16 February, is likely to have been killed at the hands of his captors, along with six other foreign nationals who we believe were also tragically murdered," Mr Hague said in a statement.

"This was an act of cold-blooded murder, which I condemn in the strongest terms," he added.

Earlier, Italy's foreign ministry confirmed that the hostages had died.

The ministry said in a statement that: "Our checks conducted in coordination with the other countries concerned lead us to believe that the news of the killing of the hostages seized last month is true."

Greek authorities have also announced that their own investigation led them to believe the Greek hostage was dead.

"The information we have shows that the Greek citizen is dead," the foreign ministry said.

"The ministry has informed his family," the statement added.

Mr Hague said responsibility for the deaths rested "squarely with the terrorists".

"I am grateful to the Nigerian Government for their unstinting help and cooperation. We are utterly determined to work with them to hold the perpetrators of this heinous act to account, and to combat the terrorism which so blights the lives of people in Northern Nigeria and in the wider region," he added.

On Saturday, a Nigerian Islamist group said it had killed the seven hostages abducted from the compound of Setraco, a Lebanese construction company, in the town of Jama'are in Bauchi state on February 7.

The al Qaeda-linked Ansaru group, believed to be an offshoot of the larger Boko Haram, is said to be behind the abductions.

It claimed that the hostages had been killed in retaliation for a rescue attempt by the British and Nigerian governments.

British planes flew to Abuja in Nigeria to ferry troops and equipment to Bamako in Mali - which may be why there were claims the British military was involved in a rescue attempt.

The Ministry of Defence said: "There are a number of deployments as parts of various engagements in Africa which will include the movement of assets."

The Greek foreign ministry also denied there had been a rescue attempt.

"Based on the information we have, there was no rescue operation," it said.

Italy too rejected the claim, saying: "It's an atrocious act of terrorism, against which the Italian government expresses its firmest condemnation, and which has no explanation, if not that of barbarous and blind violence."

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Germany Fire: Seven Siblings Killed In Flat

At least eight members of the same family, including seven children, have been killed after a fire swept through an apartment building in Germany.

The cause of the blaze early in the morning was not known but police said they were investigating an oven in a flat on the first floor of the former leather factory.

Other reports said the fire may have broken out in a second floor flat, and said the police investigation was focusing on a heater in the apartment.

The victims were a woman and seven children, aged between six months and 16 years old, all of Turkish origin.

The German-Turkish cultural association has an office on the building's ground floor but police said there was no suggestion the fire might have been started deliberately or have been a racist attack.

"There are no indications of arson or a xenophobic motive," officers said.

Hundreds of firefighters tackled the blaze in the town of Backnang near Stuttgart.

Television pictures showed flames shooting out of windows and clouds of thick smoke billowing into the night sky.

Hundreds of firefighters tackled the blaze

The firefighters were able to rescue three people from a balcony, reported to be an 11-year old girl, the family's grandmother and an uncle.

They were taken to hospital and their injuries were not thought to be life-threatening, according to a police spokesman.

There were believed to be 10 members of the family, and the father was reportedly not at home when the fire broke out.

The Turkish ambassador to Germany planned to travel to the scene, while in Turkey, deputy prime minister Bekir Bozdag said it was "a very sad incident".

He said: "We want the incident to be investigated thoroughly without leaving any room for doubt.

"We hope that the fire is not the result of an arson attack."

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