Doctor On Trial For Selling Baby She Delivered

A doctor has gone on trial in China accused of selling a newborn baby boy she had helped deliver.

Zhang Shuxia, an obstetrician at the Fuping County Maternal an Child Health Care Hospital in Shaanxi Province, has been charged with trafficking infants.

On July 16, 23-year-old Dong Shanshan gave birth to a baby boy, delivered by Dr Zhang.

According to police reports, she told the new mother that her son had congenital defects and would be better off in state care.

The baby was taken away before Mrs Dong or her husband even saw their child.

It is alleged that Dr Zhang sneaked the baby out of the hospital and sold him to traffickers for around £3,000.

His parents came to believe that he might have been abducted and reported his disappearance to police four days later.

The baby's parents were told their child had congenital defects

The child was eventually found in the neighbouring province of Henan a fortnight later at the home of a man who had three daughters, but wanted a son.

He was dramatically reunited with his grateful but emotional mother.

Dr Zhang and five other suspects involved in the case were detained on suspicion of human trafficking.

The case was widely reported in the Chinese media, leading to the parents of at least 10 other children to come forward.

All said that Dr Zhang told them their babies were already dead or seriously ill and it would be best if she took them away.

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Video Of North Dakota Train Crash Fireball

A huge explosion sparked by an oil train crash in North Dakota has been caught on camera, as hundreds of residents were urged to leave the area.

No injuries have been reported

There were fears of smoke overwhelming the town of Casselton after a number of carriages derailed, starting a series of blazes and sending an enormous fireball high into the sky.

Several explosions were reported and people said the blasts rattled the windows of properties in the area, including the town's City Hall.

Cass County sheriff's office said it was advising people in the town - which has 2,400 residents - to evacuate because of concerns about smoke being blown over their homes.

A shelter was set up in Fargo, about 25 miles (40km) away.

Investigators say they are still trying to work out what caused several of the carriages from the mile-long train to leave the tracks on Monday afternoon.

They said it appears to be the result of the train colliding with a grain carriage.

There were no reports of injuries as firefighters brought the scene under control on Monday evening.

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Schumacher Showing 'Slight Improvement'

Michael Schumacher has shown "slight improvement" after a surgical procedure but is not out of danger, doctors treating him have said.

The operation to remove the largest of a series of blood clots in the racing driver's brain took around two hours, and the coming hours are 'critical' according to medical staff in Grenoble, France.

Schumacher continues to be kept in an artificial coma after he suffered a severe head injury while skiing off-piste in the resort of Meribel on Sunday.

He was reportedly travelling at speeds of up to 60mph when the accident happened, and is thought to have been saved by his skiing helmet, which split on impact.

Rescuers were on hand within minutes and he was initially conscious after the fall before deteriorating into a critical condition.

Doctors have refused to give a prognosis for the 44-year-old Formula One champion.

Schumacher's family are being kept fully informed about his treatment.

Following the surgery, a new scan on Tuesday morning showed "a slight improvement" said the hospital's director general Jacqueline Hubert.

But Professor Emmanuel Gay, one of the specialists treating Schumacher, told a news conference: "The dangers are still there. We cannot say that we have won because there are still some highs and some lows, but it's better than yesterday.

"He is still in a very critical condition, this has not changed. And we still cannot tell how he will be, which state he will be in when he does wake up.

"We cannot speculate on the future because once again it would be too early to do so."

The seven-times F1 champion was admitted to hospital suffering from intracranial haematoma - blood clots - bruising and swelling of the brain.

Professor Gay warned: "There are still many haematomas in the brain, with little bits everywhere.

"That is what makes the situation critical and it needs to be looked at hour by hour, day by day.

"The situation can still evolve, but we won't be able to evacuate the other haematomas at the moment because they are not accessible. They are not as big as the one we removed yesterday."

Schumacher has received an outpouring of support from the racing world, with former and current stars urging him to pull through.

German chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "extremely shocked along with millions of Germans" to learn of the accident.

Schumacher retired from F1 for the final time in 2012 after a three-season comeback with Mercedes.

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Michael Schumacher: Hospital Press Conference As It Happened

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Child Killer Father Hangs Himself In Jail

A father who cut his children's throats after a custody battle with his French former wife has hanged himself in prison, according to legal officials in France.

Julian Stevenson was living in the French city of Lyon when he slit 10-year-old Matthew and five-year-old Carla's throats with a kitchen knife in May.

The 47-year-old, who had a history of violence and alcoholism, murdered his children in a fit of rage then fled the scene on rollerskates.

The flat block in Lyon where Julian Stevenson lived

He was discovered moments later walking the suburban streets covered in blood.

Stevenson had been embroiled in a bitter custody battle with his assistant accountant former wife and had been banned from having contact with his children without a third person present.

However, this order was partially reversed in the weeks before the murder, and Stevenson was believed to be having his first visit alone with his children when he killed them.

A murder notice was pinned to the door of the flat

In the hours before their deaths Stevenson, who was unemployed, was captured on CCTV in a bakery with them buying sweets – they were each carrying a balloon.

But Stevenson's former wife, Stephanie, whom he had badly beaten in 2005 and 2010, became anxious about the visit and arrived at his Lyon flat to find him in the stairwell of the four-storey block covered in blood.

Stevenson, who had been living in France for a decade, appeared briefly in court in May and was being held in prison where he was found hanged on Monday.

A source at the local public prosecutors' office told the news agency AFP: "He hanged himself  on Monday in a sports hall reserved for inmates held in solitary confinement."

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Schumacher Fighting For His Life, Say Doctors

Former motor racing world champion Michael Schumacher is in a coma following a skiing accident in France - and doctors say they "cannot predict his future".

The 44-year-old German is fighting for his life at a hospital in Grenoble and surgeons are working "hour by hour" to save him.

Michael Schumacher was skiing with his son at the time of the accident

At a press conference this morning, in Grenoble, doctors said he had suffered many lesions to his brain and his prognosis was unclear.

Surgeons operated to remove a blood clot in his brain and are now trying to reduce "dangerous swelling", meaning his condition could go either way. 

The hospital revealed that Schumacher was being kept in a state of hyperthermia by controlling his temperature to keep it at 34C-35C (93.2F-95F).

He is under general anaesthetic in an induced coma.

"He's in a critical situation - this is considered to be extremely serious," Chief Anaesthetist Jean-Francois Payen told journalists.

Michael Schumacher was staying at this exclusive chalet in Meribel

The doctor said that Schumacher's family were at his bedside and friends had flown in to the hospital to lend their support.

"We are working day and night at his bedside," Dr Payen said. "It is too early to say anything as far as prognosis is concerned," he added.

Neurosurgeon Stephan Chabardes said an emergency brain scan had revealed internal bleeding, and injuries including contusions and lesions.

The F1 racer was taken to hospital by helicopter

"On his arrival we examined him clinically and we realised he was in a serious condition, in a coma, with in fact cranial pressure," Dr Chabardes said.

"The brain scan showed a number of pieces of information, some intercranial haematoma but also some cerebral contusions and oedema.

"We operated urgently to try to eliminate the haematoma. After the operation we saw that we had been able to eliminate these haematoma but also sadly the appearance of various bilateral lesions.

Doctors could not give a prognosis at a press conference in Grenoble

"So therefore he was taken to intensive care to try to help.

"I am very worried just like his family, we are very worried about his condition. The doctors won't tell you more because they can't tell you more, they are working hour by hour." 

Schumacher was wearing a helmet when he hit his head on a rock while skiing in the French Alps resort of Meribel with his 14-year-old son.

"Someone who had suffered this accident without a helmet would not have made it this far," Dr Payen said

The lane to Schumacher's private chalet

The area where Schumacher was skiing is part of a web of trails that slice down through a vast and, in parts, very steep snowfield.

Although challenging, the runs are broad and neatly tended, and the off-piste areas - where Schumacher was found - is free of trees.

The motor-racing champion was conscious when first responders arrived on the scene, although agitated and in shock, according to a resort spokesman.

He was first airlifted to a local hospital and then later brought to Grenoble for more intensive treatment, when his condition deteriorated.

The German Formula One legend skiing in Italy in 2006

The French Mountain Gendarmerie had earlier said Schumacher's life was not in danger.

Fellow drivers, politicians and friends spoke of their alarm. Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "extremely shocked along with millions of Germans". 

Schumacher's family also released a brief statement. It read: "We would like to thank the medical team who we know do everything possible to help Michael.

"We like to also thank the people from all around the world who have expressed their sympathy and sent their best wishes for Michael's recovery."

The accident occurred in the resort of Meribel in France

A leading neurosurgery specialist in London has described Schumacher's condition as "very dangerous".

Christopher Chandler, of the London Neurosurgery Partnership, warned that his injuries may take several days to "reach their peak".

He said the haematoma and bruising could cause "ferocious swelling".

Schumacher made a comeback to Formula One for Mercedes in 2010

Schumacher, a seven-time world champion, first retired from Formula One in 2006.

He has been hurt seriously once before, in a motorcycling accident in February 2009 when he suffered neck and spine injuries.

Schumacher recovered sufficiently from those injuries to make a comeback to Formula One in 2010.

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Schumacher: Drivers Wish Him A Speedy Recovery

Michael Schumacher 'In Critical Condition'

Updated: 12:25pm UK, Monday 30 December 2013

Former motor racing world champion Michael Schumacher is in a coma following a skiing accident in France - and doctors say they "cannot predict his future".

The 44-year-old German is fighting for his life at a hospital in Grenoble and surgeons are working "hour by hour" to save him.

At a press conference this morning, in Grenoble, doctors said he had suffered many lesions to his brain and his prognosis was unclear.

Surgeons operated to remove a blood clot in his brain and are now trying to reduce "dangerous swelling", meaning his condition could go either way. 

The hospital revealed that Schumacher was being kept in a state of hyperthermia by controlling his temperature to keep it at 34C-35C (93.2F-95F).

He is under general anaesthetic in an induced coma.

"He's in a critical situation - this is considered to be extremely serious," Chief Anaesthetist Jean-Francois Payen told journalists.

The doctor said that Schumacher's family were at his bedside and friends had flown in to the hospital to lend their support.

"We are working day and night at his bedside," Dr Payen said. "It is too early to say anything as far as prognosis is concerned," he added.

Neurosurgeon Stephan Chabardes said an emergency brain scan had revealed internal bleeding, and injuries including contusions and lesions.

"On his arrival we examined him clinically and we realised he was in a serious condition, in a coma, with in fact cranial pressure," Dr Chabardes said.

"The brain scan showed a number of pieces of information, some intercranial haematoma but also some cerebral contusions and oedema.

"We operated urgently to try to eliminate the haematoma. After the operation we saw that we had been able to eliminate these haematoma but also sadly the appearance of various bilateral lesions.

"So therefore he was taken to intensive care to try to help.

"I am very worried just like his family, we are very worried about his condition. The doctors won't tell you more because they can't tell you more, they are working hour by hour." 

Schumacher was wearing a helmet when he hit his head on a rock while skiing in the French Alps resort of Meribel with his 14-year-old son.

"Someone who had suffered this accident without a helmet would not have made it this far," Dr Payen said

The area where Schumacher was skiing is part of a web of trails that slice down through a vast and, in parts, very steep snowfield.

Although challenging, the runs are broad and neatly tended, and the off-piste areas - where Schumacher was found - is free of trees.

The motor-racing champion was conscious when first responders arrived on the scene, although agitated and in shock, according to a resort spokesman.

He was first airlifted to a local hospital and then later brought to Grenoble for more intensive treatment, when his condition deteriorated.

The French Mountain Gendarmerie had earlier said Schumacher's life was not in danger.

Fellow drivers, politicians and friends spoke of their alarm. Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "extremely shocked along with millions of Germans". 

Schumacher's family also released a brief statement. It read: "We would like to thank the medical team who we know do everything possible to help Michael.

"We like to also thank the people from all around the world who have expressed their sympathy and sent their best wishes for Michael's recovery."

A leading neurosurgery specialist in London has described Schumacher's condition as "very dangerous".

Christopher Chandler, of the London Neurosurgery Partnership, warned that his injuries may take several days to "reach their peak".

He said the haematoma and bruising could cause "ferocious swelling".

Schumacher, a seven-time world champion, first retired from Formula One in 2006.

He has been hurt seriously once before, in a motorcycling accident in February 2009 when he suffered neck and spine injuries.

Schumacher recovered sufficiently from those injuries to make a comeback to Formula One in 2010.

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Forty Killed As Army Storms DRC Buildings

Forty gunmen have reportedly been killed in fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo capital Kinshasa a month after a peace deal with agreed with rebels.

The buildings, along with the army headquarters, in the capital Kinshasa were attacked in an apparent attempt to seize power by supporters of religious leader Paul Joseph Mukungubila.

Government spokesman Lambert Mende said 40 of the gunmen had been killed by security forces, adding: "We have total control of the situation."

The fighting is an attempt to seize power from President Joseph Kabila

Police had earlier put a security cordon around the state television building where gunmen had taken several hostages. Witnesses also reported shooting at the Tshatshi military camp.

There were also reports of clashes between the army and supporters of Mr Mukungubila in the eastern mining city of Lubumbashi.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has struggled to emerge from decades of violence and instability. It is home to a 21,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission.

Before transmission was shut down at state television, two gunmen appeared on camera to deliver a political message against President Joseph Kabila, who took office in 2001 after the assassination of his father Laurent.

The message said: "Mukungubila has come to free you from the slavery of the Rwandan."

Mr Mukungubila, who calls himself "the prophet of the Eternal", ran unsuccessfully for the president against Mr Kabila in 2006.

He has been an outspoken critic of a peace deal signed this month with the Tutsi-led M23 rebel group in eastern Congo.

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Volgograd: At Least 14 Dead In Bus Bombing

At least 14 people have reportedly died in an explosion on an electric bus in the Russian city of Volgograd in the second deadly attack in the city in as many days.

Investigators have described the blast, during the morning rush-hour on a trolleybus, as "an act of terror".

Russian investigators said the bus explosion was caused by a male suicide bomber.

A statement from the Federal Investigative Committee said: "It is now possible to preliminarily say that the explosive device was set off by a suicide bomber - a man whose body fragments have been collected and sent for genetic testing."

The death toll could rise further

It comes just a day after a female suicide bomber was blamed for killing 17 people and leaving dozens more injured at the city's main railway station.

Police identified that bomber as a Dagestan national called Oksana Aslanova - who had been married to two Islamists killed by Russian forces.

She apparently detonated a bomb in front of a metal detector inside the main entrance of the station. Russian television is suggesting there may have been two attackers.

That attack was the deadliest in Russia since January 2011, when a male suicide bomber from the North Caucasus killed 37 people in the arrivals hall of a busy Moscow airport.

Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for Russia's main investigative agency, said the latest explosion involved a bomb similar to the one used to target Volgograd railway station. The bomb contained 4kg of TNT equivalent explosive.

He said: "That confirms the investigators' version that the two terror attacks were linked. They could have been prepared in one place."

Security has been stepped up after the station blast

President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia's counter-terrorism agency to step up security in Volgograd and nationwide in the wake of the two attacks, the Kremlin announced.

The explosions have put the city on edge and highlighted the terrorist threat that Russia is facing as it prepares to host the Winter Olympics in February.

Volgograd is about 400 miles northeast of Sochi, where the Games are to be held.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for either of the attacks.

In July, Doku Umarov, leader of an ongoing insurgency in the nearby North Caucasus region, urged militants to use "maximum force" to disrupt the Winter Olympics, a project close to Mr Putin's heart.

Russian authorities have pledged to make the event the "safest ever".

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall said: "It's 39 or 40 days until the Winter Olympics open, this is the opportunity for the Islamic separatists in the Caucasus region to really put themselves on the world map.

"The more this sort of thing happens, if it is indeed them, the more that cause is going to get on the front pages around the world, spoil Putin's Olympics and, more seriously, the more lives it will take."

Known in Soviet times as Stalingrad, and previously as Tsaritsyn, Volgograd is a major industrial centre with a population of more than a million people.

The North Caucasus is the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, bordered by Georgia and Azerbaijan to the south.

It includes the predominantly Muslim Krasnodar Kai, Stavropol Krai, Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, Chechnya and Dagestan.

Insurgents have carried out attacks on Russian military and civilians following two wars against Chechnya in 1994-1996 and from 1999 to 2009.

The violence has spread into neighbouring republics and even Moscow as insurgents attempt to establish an Islamic state in the region.

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India: Trapped Passengers Killed In Train Fire

A fire has engulfed two coaches on an express train in southern India, leaving at least 23 people dead.

Many of those who died became trapped and suffocated inside the carriages after the doors failed to open, officials said.

As the fire and thick black smoke filled the two cars, panicked passengers broke the windows and jumped from the train.

A spokesman for the railways, CS Gupta, said 67 passengers were in the two cars when the fire broke out on Saturday around a mile from the town of Puttaparthi, in Andhra Pradesh state.

Doors on the two carriages failed to open, trapping people inside

He said the train was stopped and the two coaches were separated from the rest of the train to prevent the fire spreading.

Firefighters put out the blaze and retrieved at least 23 bodies, including two children.

More than a dozen people were brought to hospitals with injuries sustained when they jumped from the coaches.

Rescue teams had to force the doors open to reach those trapped inside. Many bodies were found near the jammed doors, officials said.

Two of the train's carriages caught fire after a suspected electrical fault

The train was travelling from Bangalore to Nanded in the western state of Maharashtra.

India's federal Railways minister Mallikarjun Kharge said that preliminary reports from the site indicated that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit. An investigation has begun.

More than 18.5 million passengers travel every day on India's vast railway network of about 10,000 passenger trains.

Accidents are common. Most collisions and fires are mostly blamed on poor maintenance and human error.

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Sandy Hook Shooting Documents Released

A police report into the Sandy Hook school massacre has revealed harrowing new details about the murders and the gunman's family life.

The paperwork, much of which is blacked out, includes several videos and hundreds of photographs from inside Sandy Hook Elementary and Adam Lanza's home.

It reveals how police officers were faced with terrible scenes inside the school and describes how many of the children were killed in a bathroom where they were hiding.

Lanza shot and killed his mother at their home before driving to the Newtown school, where he killed 20 children and six teachers.

A rifle magazine clip is seen on the floor in the hallway

The 20-year-old then committed suicide by shooting himself in the mouth with a handgun as police arrived at the scene.

Included in the files were photographs showing bullet holes in walls, windows and classroom furniture.

Images of spent magazine clips and empty shell casings on the floor depict the gunman's path of destruction.

The report also included many photographs of the contents of the gunman's family house - including one of a young child holding what appears to be a gun, with ammunition in his lap.

In a letter accompanying the report, Reuben Bradford, commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, praised the efforts of all those connected to the horrific shooting.

He wrote: "In the midst of the darkness of that day, we also saw remarkable heroism and glimpses of grace. We saw Sandy Hook Elementary School faculty and staff doing everything in their power to protect their charges.

A gun seen just inside one of the classrooms

"The investigation of this incident is unparalleled in the 110-year history of the Connecticut State Police."

The documents revealed that a former teacher of Lanza's was quoted as telling investigators that Lanza exhibited anti-social behaviour, rarely interacted with other students and obsessed in writings "about battles, destruction and war".

"In all my years of experience, I have known (redacted) grade boys to talk about things like this, but Adam's level of violence was disturbing," the teacher told investigators.

The teacher added: "Adam's creative writing was so graphic that it could not be shared."

The documents also filled in more details about how the shooting unfolded, teachers protected their students and the school janitor confronted the shooter.

Teachers heard janitor Rick Thorn try to get Lanza to leave the school.

One teacher, who was hiding in a closet in the maths lab, heard Mr Thorn yell: "Put the gun down!"

An aide said she heard gunfire and Mr Thorn told her to close her door.

The documents' release marks the end of the investigation into the massacre on December 14, 2012, 

Prosecutors issued a summary of the investigation last month that portrayed Lanza as obsessed with mass murders.

Lanza kept a clipping about the 2008 Northern Illinois University shooting

But the report concluded that Lanza's motives for the massacre might never be known.

Lanza "was undoubtedly afflicted with mental health problems; yet despite a fascination with mass shootings and firearms, he displayed no aggressive or threatening tendencies," it said.

Lanza was diagnosed in 2006 with "profound autism spectrum disorder, with rigidity, isolation and a lack of comprehension of ordinary social interaction and communications".

He also displaying symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Kathleen Koenig, a nurse at the Yale Child Studies Center, told investigators that Lanza frequently washed his hands and changed his socks 20 times a day, to the point where his mother did three loads of laundry a day.

The nurse, who met with Lanza in 2006 and 2007, said Lanza's mother declined to give him prescribed antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication after she reported that he had trouble raising his arm, something she attributed to the drug.

Koenig unsuccessfully tried to convince Nancy Lanza that the medicine was not responsible, and the mother failed to schedule a follow-up visit after her son missed an appointment, police said.

In the documents, a friend told police that Nancy Lanza reported that her son had hit his head several days before the shootings.

And an ex-boyfriend told police that she cancelled a trip to London on the week of the shooting because of "a couple last-minute problems on the home front".

She told a friend two weeks before the shootings that her son was growing "increasingly despondent" and had refused to leave his room for three months.

They only communicated by email, with the mother saying he told her he wouldn't feel bad if something happened to her.

His isolation was so complete that he refused to leave his room during Superstorm Sandy, the report said.

Just before the shooting, Nancy Lanza was in New Hampshire. She told a lunch acquaintance there that the trip was an experiment in leaving her son home alone in Connecticut for a few days.

Photographs from inside the Lanza home show numerous rounds of ammunition, gun magazines, shot-up paper targets, large knives and swords.

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Antarctic Ship Rescue Blocked By Wall Of Ice

A Chinese icebreaker forced to abandon its attempt to rescue a stranded vessel off Antarctica is waiting for reinforcements.

The Snow Dragon came within seven miles of the Academic Shokalskiy - a ship carrying 74 people, including scientists and some tourists - but had to turn back after the ice became too thick.

The Russian ship has been trapped off Antarctica's Commonwealth Bay since Christmas Eve.

It is being used by the Australian Antarctic Expedition to try to follow in the footsteps of explorer Douglas Mawson.

Expedition leader Professor Chris Turney told Sky News he is still hopeful they will be rescued soon.

The MV Academic Shokalskiy is trapped in Commonwealth Bay

"It (The Snow Dragon) was making great progress ... averaging two to four knots and over the night it just couldn't keep that speed up," said Professor Turney.

"It was basically just beating itself against a wall of ice. I can still see it, it is hanging in station, just off the starboard bow about seven nautical miles away.

"But it's basically waiting now for one of the other icebreaker vessels, the Australian vessel Aurora Australis, to come and help support.

Changing weather saw the ship become surrounded by ice

"Together the two - we're hoping - will be able to break in."

The Aurora Australis - which has the highest icebreaking rating of the three vessels originally asked to respond - is expected to reach the ship on Sunday.

However, it is not certain whether it will be able to get any closer than the Chinese effort.

The Snow Dragon's rescue attempt was halted for the crew's "own safety", an Australian Maritime Safety Authority official said.

Professor Turney told Sky News that the Academic Shokalskiy had first got into difficulty after satellite data showed their route onward would be safe but that a rapid change in the weather had left them surrounded by ice.

The ship is 1,500 nautical miles from Hobart in Australia. Map: AMSA

He said: "By the end of the day, the wind had picked up and the sea ice was moving around a lot and, in spite of the captain's best efforts, we realised we just couldn't get through.

"On Christmas Eve, he made the call, and issued the alert for help."

Professor Turney said the scientists on board the Shokalskiy have been taking readings and measurements so they can be compared with those taken by Mawson and his team in 1913.

Although Mawson, who was knighted later for leading his expedition, never reached the South Pole, he carried out important research and explored previously unknown lands.

The ship - which includes Britons, Australians and New Zealanders - had planned to return to New Zealand by early January.

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Boko Haram Leader Vows To Continue Violence

An Islamic extremist leader in Nigeria has said violent insurgency will continue in the country because Allah has said Muslims must decapitate and mutilate.

In a video released on Saturday, Abubakar Shekau claimed responsibility for a December 20 attack on a tank battalion barracks.

In it, he claimed his men - members of the al Qaeda-linked Boko Haram -  would have eaten their enemies, but Allah forbids cannibalism.

Witnesses said insurgents put soldiers to flight and set the complex ablaze, before they were driven off by fighter aircraft.

Shekau warned Christians not to go to churches during December, although Christmas passed in Nigeria without any of the feared terrorist attacks.

Five churches were bombed on Christmas Day in 2011, killing dozens of people.

Shekau also ridiculed bounties placed on his head. There is a $7m (£4.25m) bounty from the US and a $312,500 (£190,000) figure from Nigeria.

Earlier this year the Nigerian military had said intelligence suggested Shekau may have been killed. But a video which emerged in September, purporting to be of him, made reference to recent events.

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Beirut Car Bomb Kills Political Adviser

An explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut has killed at least five people and wounded 50, according to the state news agency.

The suspected car bomb exploded in the city's business district, reportedly damaging 10 buildings, and setting cars ablaze.

A large plume of smoke billowed out of the area shortly after the blast.

Former Lebanese minister Mohammad Chatah, a prominent pro-Western politician, was reportedly among those killed in the explosion.

Civil Defence personnel extinguish car fires at the scene

Mr Chatah was an adviser to former Lebanese anti-Syria prime ministers Saad Hariri and Fuad Siniora.

The economist and former finance minister was killed along with his driver as they headed to Mr Hariri's mansion in the city centre, according to the National News Agency.

He was due to attend a meeting of the March 14 anti-Syria coalition which backs the Syrian opposition struggle to topple the Damascus regime.

Smoke rises from the site of the explosion

Sky's Middle East News Editor Tom Rayner said it was not clear why Mr Chatah was targeted, as he did not currently have a high profile role in Syrian coalition talks. 

"It suggests that this is symbolic - it's an attack on what he represents," he said, speaking from Jerusalem. 

Rayner said Mr Chatah's motorcade likely had a smaller security detail and was therefore seen as an "easy target".

Fire fighting and army personnel inspect the site of the explosion

Ambulances are currently at the scene and troops have been deployed.

No responsibility has yet been claimed for the bombing.

Lebanon has seen a wave of bombings over the last few months amid tensions over the Syrian civil war.

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Acid Attacks: India Victims Demand Action

By Neville Lazarus, Sky News producer, Delhi

Sapna, 20, considers herself lucky to have escaped with just a few burns on her face and upper body. She's one of the latest victims of an acid attack in India.

A spurned relative threw industrial acid when she rejected his advances.

There are no exact figures because these attacks are not recorded separately - but campaigners fear they are increasing.

In a landmark judgement the Supreme Court has ordered the government to regulate the sale of acid, compensate the victims and impose stiffer sentences.

For example, the government now has to pay for the medical treatment of the victims.

But Sapna is yet to receive any money for her treatment.

Preeti Rathi, framed, died from an acid attack in Bombay

She said: "The government does not care for us victims. They may arrest the man and keep him in jail for a few years but our lives have been ruined.

"The men should be punished so badly that no one will ever think of attempting to ruin a girl's life."

The Rathi family grieve for their 24-year-old daughter who died after an acid attack six months ago.

She had got a coveted job with the Indian navy. Her father says she was looking forward to her new life in Mumbai.

But when she arrived at the train station in Mumbai, a masked man threw acid on her.

Preeti was blinded and the liquid she swallowed burned her insides. She died in hospital a month later.

Her father says: "I want the culprit to go through the suffering that my daughter went through.

Laxmi was attacked six years ago and still has problems with her sight

"Hanging will give him instant death but he will not experience the hell he inflicted on her. I want an eye for an eye."

The culprit is yet to be traced - the grainy CCTV images cannot identify him.

Preeti's parents have been petitioning authorities for an investigation by the central government.

They even door-stepped the home minister of India in charge of the police.

The minister, Sunil Kumar Shinde, told them he's directed the relevant state department of Maharashtra to look into the case.

Preeti's mother is unconvinced with his reply and told Sky News such ministers just make statements but can't give justice.

"My daughter fought for her life for a month - we want a proper investigation and that they can't give us," she said. 

Campaigners are pressing for harsher sentences for attacks on women

India's deputy home minister RP Singh told Sky News the government has made laws and taken action against acid attacks.

"We have made it a different category in our bill which we amended and the government has made it more difficult for its sale," he said.

But many, like Laxmi, believe the government is still doing very little.

She survived an acid attack six years ago when a man threw the liquid when she spurned his advances.

It burned her face and upper body - her eyes were seriously damaged. She is now an active campaigner for the rights of victims.

It was her petition to the Supreme Court that initiated the changes in law.

But she's dismayed the government is doing nothing to help rehabilitate victims - one of her key demands.

She says she will challenge the government for not doing enough.

"We are not to blame for what happened to us. We are just not survivors. Only we know what we go through when walking down the streets," she said.

"Relatives and friends stop meeting us, our careers are destroyed. Society, the laws and the government don't care if we are living or dead."

India is considered one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman.

The horrific gang rape of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student in Delhi in December 2012 has stirred the nation's soul.

Unprecedented protests took place in the national capital and across the country.

The brutality of the crime pressurised the government and the judiciary to frame new laws and make changes in the older ones to protect women. 

Fast-track courts were established to deal with such cases and stricter punishment enforced.

But until the regulation in the sale of acid is strictly enforced, and these crimes are severely and swiftly punished, such attacks will continue.

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Andrew Wyatt: Body Found In New Zealand

Rescue crews in New Zealand searching for a British hiker who went missing two weeks ago have found a body under a cliff.

They said the body had not been formally identified as that of Andrew Wyatt but it was discovered at the foot of a 100-metre (330ft) precipice that was on the 41-year-old's intended route.

Mr Wyatt, from Cornwall, was last seen on December 15 in the Nelson Lakes National Park embarking on what was supposed to be a one-day hike to pick up supplies.

Poor weather stopped searchers from reaching the remote area until Friday, when an air force helicopter dropped in four specialised alpine rescue crews who made the grim find.

Nelson Lakes national park

Nelson Search and Rescue (NSAR) said the section between where Mr Wyatt was last seen and where he was heading was "one of the more remote and difficult parts" of the trail.

NSAR coordinator Sherp Tucker said: "It's rugged, it's remote and the weather can change so much.

"It's a frequent place for the rescue helicopter to go to beacon activations for people who are hurt."

Mr Wyatt arrived in New Zealand in November and was walking the 3,000-kilometre (1,900-mile) Te Araroa Trail, which runs along the entire length of the country, when he went missing. 

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Antarctica: Icebreaker Nearing Trapped Ship

A ship which became trapped in ice while on a scientific mission to Antarctica is about to be reached by a rescue vessel, scientists hope.

Those on board the Academic Shokalskiy have spotted the Chinese icebreaker The Snow Dragon on the horizon.

Some 74 people are on the ship, being used by the Australian Antarctic Expedition to try to follow in the footsteps of explorer Douglas Mawson.

They have been stuck in the same spot since Christmas Eve and are hoping the Chinese vessel will be able to cut through the ice and allow them passage to open waters.

British Professor Chris Turney, who is leading the expedition, said the team had managed to achieve some important research before getting into difficulty.

A number of tourists are also on the ship, which left New Zealand in late November and is now in Antarctica's Commonwealth Bay.

Professor Turney said the ship got into difficulty after satellite data showed their route onward would be safe.

He told Sky News: "Unfortunately, although the satellite data showed the sea ice was open and the weather was quite good, conditions were changing when we got back to the ship.

The MV Academic Shokalskiy is trapped in Commonwealth Bay

"By the end of the day, the wind had picked up and the sea ice was moving around a lot and, in spite of the captain's best efforts, we realised we just couldn't get through.

"On Christmas Eve, he made the call, and issued the alert for help.

"At the moment, very excitingly, we've just seen the Chinese icebreaker Snow Dragon on the horizon.

"It's around nine nautical miles from the vessel. It's not quite here yet but at least we can see it, which is a huge improvement on our prospects."

Professor Turney said the scientists on board the Shokalskiy have been taking readings and measurements so they can be compared with those taken by Mawson and his team in 1913.

Although Mawson, who was knighted later for leading his expedition, never reached the South Pole, he carried out important research and explored previously unknown lands.

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Thailand: Policeman Killed In Election Protest

A Thai police officer has been killed in clashes as anti-government protesters in Bangkok attempt to halt preparations for upcoming elections.

Police said the officer died after being airlifted to a hospital with gunshot wounds.

"He was shot in his chest and brought to hospital by helicopter," said Jongjet Aoajenpong, director of the Police General Hospital.

"A team of doctors tried to resuscitate him for more than half an hour."

Police carry away a wounded comrade

Protesters clashed with police outside a sports stadium where election candidates were drawing lots for their positions on the ballot ahead of general elections scheduled for February 2.

Security authorities fired rubber bullets and tear gas toward protesters during the clashes, while protesters threw rocks and glass bottles at riot police guarding the stadium and the nearby Ministry of Labour building.

Nearly 100 people, including 25 police officers, were injured in the clashes.

Despite the violence, the protesters failed to halt the proceedings inside the stadium, where representatives from 27 parties gathered.

An anti-government protester covers his face in a teargas attack

It was the first violent incident in nearly two weeks of daily protests on the streets of Bangkok.

Thailand's election commission has now urged the government to postpone the elections.

"We cannot organise free and fair elections under the constitution in the current circumstances," said commission member Prawit Rattanapien, who along with other vote officials had to be evacuated from the stadium by helicopter.

Shortly afterwards, the government said the polls would go ahead as scheduled on February 2. 

A riot policeman fires teargas towards the protesters

The protesters have been demanding that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra step down since mid-October.

The unrest began after her government tried to introduce an amnesty law that would have allowed Ms Yingluck's brother and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in a military coup in 2006, to return to the country as a free man.

The protesters believe the prime minister is being controlled by her exiled brother.

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Global Rough Diamond Trade Thrives In Antwerp

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

In four unprepossessing streets in the centre of Antwerp, a secretive, centuries-old business is conducted behind bulletproof glass where a handshake and the Yiddish word "mazel" seals the deal.

The international diamond trade has been centred in the city since the 15th century. It is estimated that 85% of the global trade in rough diamonds passes through Antwerp, worth €43bn (£36bn) every year, equivalent to the GDP of Slovenia.

You would imagine that the crippling single currency crisis which continues to hold Europe in its grip would have had an icing effect on expensive ice, but business is booming, even as a quarter of Antwerp's young people struggle to find work.

£36m worth of stones bought or sold in Antwerp each year

We went to find out why, gaining access to one of the most secure buildings in the country guided by the entrepreneur Vashi Dominguez, who runs a successful UK-based diamond business from mine to retail.

It was fairly clear from the outset that news cameras aren't welcome in the diamond quarter. A police officer was dispatched to check our credentials after a CCTV camera filmed us on the pavement, while private security guards watched us warily from doorways.

After surrendering our passports, and with a prior appointment, we were allowed inside one 10-storey concrete building, in which trades valued at €1bn (£837,000) take place every month.

In a simple room with a series of substantial tables - and an even larger safe built into the wall - Vashi showed us three cut diamonds with a combined value of £2m as well as a scattering of smaller rough stones.

The four Cs still determine the price of a finished stone: cut, colour, clarity and carat (the weight, with a carat equivalent to one fifth of a gram), but the value of unusual, or "fancy" diamonds has been increasing dramatically at auction since the financial crisis began.

Vashi Dominguez: 'Prices are rising because demand is increasing'

Vashi explains that as government bonds and currencies have become less attractive to investors since the start of the crisis in 2008, they have turned to valuable commodities like gold and gems.

"Prices are rising because demand is increasing. That's due to the slowdown and more interest from buyers in the east like China and India as well as other developing countries such as Brazil," he explains.

"There's another factor too: there has been a lack of major discoveries of new mines and some mines that have been discovered can't be built into viable businesses because the extraction process is so costly."

A massive new mine is being prepared in Canada, and De Beers continues to chip new diamonds out of Jwaneng mine in Botswana, but prospectors are working hard globally to establish new deposits.

The location of the current mines and trade patterns shifting eastwards could threaten Antwerp's pre-eminence as a diamond hub. More business could switch to Dubai, which is closer to southern Africa.

That's reflected in a change in the religion and ethnicity of the traders: the diamond quarter has been conspicuously Jewish, but more Indians are moving into the business, and into the area.

At the moment, Antwerp is still keeping its nose ahead of those rival cities looking to snatch its diamond tiara. It's an irony that the booming gem trade is based in a continent where economies have lost their lustre.

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'Contract Killer' Drugs Police Meal To Escape

A "desperate contract killer" linked to dozens of murders has escaped from police custody in India after apparently serving food laced with sedatives to officers guarding him.

Vikram Paras, 27, managed to flee as four armed officers were escorting him from the busy Old Delhi Railway Station in the capital early on Wednesday, a local officer said.

Paras, allegedly involved in dozens of cases of murder, extortion and robbery, was being brought back to Delhi by train after a court appearance at Bhatinda in neighbouring Punjab state.

Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said: "He is a desperate contract killer. We have launched an investigation based on the information that we have as of now. We are hopeful of nabbing him soon."

Mr Bhagat said police were still trying to establish exactly what happened, after three of his guards were found unconscious at the railway station while the fourth was found dazed in a nearby street.

Railway police officer Surender Singh said: "They were mostly incoherent when a police team reached them."

Paras offered food to the four officers at the station, which his accomplices had contaminated with drugs, before stealing their guns and fleeing, according to the Times of India.

The newspaper wrote: "Four of his accomplices were probably trailing him, possibly in police uniform, and were ready at the station with an SUV.

"They would have supplied the sedated food as well."

The newspaper said this was not the first time that Mr Paras, who had been in custody since his arrest in March, has escaped his police guards.

In 2012, Paras, who gained notoriety as the right-hand man of a now slain criminal gang lord, fled after "luring his escorts into a store on the promise of buying them branded apparel", the newspaper said.

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China Condemns Japan PM's Visit To War Shrine

Japan's nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has paid an inflammatory visit to the controversial Yasukuni war shrine.

China immediately condemned the move as glorification of Japan's past "militaristic aggression" and warned Tokyo must "bear the consequences".

Mr Abe described his visit, which comes days after he caused consternation by giving Japan's military its second consecutive annual budget increase, as a pledge against war and said it was not aimed at hurting feelings in China or South Korea.

The Yasukuni shrine is seen as the repository of around 2.5 million souls of Japan's war dead, including several high-level officials executed for war crimes after World War II who were enshrined in the 1970s.

South Korea and China see it as a symbol of Tokyo's lack of repentance for the horrors of the last century.

Mr Abe said in a statement: "Some people criticise the visit to Yasukuni as paying homage to war criminals, but the purpose of my visit today is to report before the souls of the war dead how my administration has worked for one year and to renew the pledge that Japan must never wage a war again.

"For 68 years after the war, Japan created a free and democratic country, and consistently walked the path of peace. There is no doubt whatsoever that we will continue to pursue this path.

A Shinto priest leads Shinzo Abe to the altar

"It is not my intention at all to hurt the feelings of the Chinese and Korean people. It is my wish to respect each other's character, protect freedom and democracy, and build friendship with China and Korea with respect."

The visit came exactly 12 months after he took power, a period in which he has met neither Chinese President Xi Jinping nor South Korean President Park Geun-Hye.

Ties with Beijing were bad before Mr Abe took office, with the two countries crossing diplomatic swords over the ownership of a string of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, controlled by Japan, but claimed by China.

The dispute has been ratcheted up further this year, with the involvement of military aircraft and ships, leaving some observers warning of the danger of armed conflict between the world's second and third-largest economies.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said: "The essence of Japanese leaders' visits to the Yasukuni shrine is to beautify Japan's history of militaristic aggression and colonial rule."

South Korean culture minister Yoo Jin-Ryong said: "We can't help deploring and expressing anger at the prime minister's visit to the Yasukuni shrine despite concerns and warnings by neighbouring countries."

The United States said: "Japan is a valued ally and friend. Nevertheless, the United States is disappointed that Japan's leadership has taken an action that will exacerbate tensions with Japan's neighbours."

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Iraq: Christmas Bombers Target Christians

At least 22 people have been killed in Christmas Day bomb attacks targeting Christians in Iraq.

A car bomb went off near a church during Christmas Mass in Baghdad's southern Dora district, killing at least 15 people and wounding more than 30, a police officer said.

Earlier, a bomb ripped through an outdoor market in the nearby Christian section of Athorien, killing seven people and wounding 16, the officer added.

Both attacks took place in Baghdad's Dora district

A medical official confirmed the casualty figures. 

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but Iraq's dwindling Christian community, which is estimated at 400,000 to 600,000 people, has often been targeted by al Qaeda and other insurgents.

The latest bombings came amid a massive military operation in Iraq's western desert as authorities try to hunt down insurgents who have stepped up attacks across Iraq, sending violence to levels not seen since 2008.

Christians attending mass in Baghdad's St Joseph Chaldean church

Along with Christians, other targets for extremists include civilians in restaurants, cafes or crowded public areas, as well as Shi'ites and members of the Iraqi security forces, who are targeted in an attempt to undermine confidence in the Shi'ite-led government and stir up sectarian tensions.

The Christmas Day attacks brought the total number of people killed so far this month in Iraq to 426.

According to UN estimates, more than 8,000 people have been killed since the start of the year.

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South Sudan: 'Thousands Dead' In Ethnic Clashes

Mass graves have been uncovered in South Sudan amid evidence ethnic clashes have left thousands dead.

Dozens of bodies were discovered at a burial site in the country's oil-rich Unity State and there were reports of two other mass graves elsewhere.

Violence has flared in a power struggle between President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and his ex-deputy Riek Machar, an ethnic Nuer.

The bodies in the grave are thought to be among 75 Dinkas who have gone missing.

A displaced woman lies on her belongings

Meanwhile, a journalist in the capital, Juba, quoted witnesses as saying more than 200 people, mostly Nuers, had been shot by security forces.

UN humanitarian chief Toby Lanzer said there was "absolutely no doubt"  that thousands of people had been killed.

His comments are the first clear indication of the scale of conflict engulfing the young nation.

Journalist Hannah McNeish, who is in South Sudan, said: "The UN has said there are over 50,000 people who are sheltering at their bases.

South Sudan is the world's newest nation

"I just visited one in Juba which has 10,000 people in, and the conditions are horrendous and squalid.

"There are aid agencies already warning of an outbreak of cholera, there's open defecation everywhere, and these people are also scared – they don't feel safe."

They say there are men trying to come in to kill them, even shooting through the fence, and there are more on the way."

UN soldiers on guard to protect the displaced people

Britain has sent a senior diplomat to South Sudan to assist efforts to restore peace, as the UN voted to boost the size of its force from 7,000 to 12,500.

Reports suggest that British nationals are among an estimated 3,000 foreigners trapped in the city of Bor, which was seized by rebels last week.

President Kiir said that government troops had now retaken control of the city.

UN spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said the victims discovered in the grave were reportedly members of the Sudan People's Liberation Army.

She said there were unconfirmed reports of least two more mass graves in Jebel-Kujur and Newside, near Juba.

Hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have fled to the countryside, leading to warnings of an imminent humanitarian disaster.

Tens of thousands more civilians have sought protection at badly overstretched UN bases.

At least 20,000 are sheltering at two bases in Juba, and another 17,000 in Bor, capital of the precarious eastern Jonglei state.

"The estimated number of people displaced in the current crisis in South Sudan has risen to 81,000," a UN report said.

"Given the limited access to civilians outside population centres, the number is likely to be significantly higher."                 

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned warring factions that reports of crimes against humanity will be investigated.

Fighting started more than a week ago when President Kiir accused his former deputy of attempting a coup.

Mr Machar has denied the claim and has in turn accused Mr Kiir of carrying out a vicious purge of his rivals.

The country has been blighted by ethnic divisions, corruption and poverty since it won independence in 2011.

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Egypt: 14 Dead In Police Headquarters Explosion

At least 13 people have been killed in an explosion at a police headquarters in the Egyptian city of Mansoura.

The blast injured around 100 others, state media reported.

Investigators are trying to find out whether the blast, which happened at around 1am, was caused by a car bomb of from explosives planted around the five-storey regional security headquarters in the Nile Delta province of Daqahliya.

The blast damaged surrounding buildings and wrecked nearby cars

Most of those killed are understood to have been police officers who were inside the building at the time of the blast. 

The explosion reportedly damaged surrounding buildings and wrecked dozens of vehicles.

Security forces cordoned off the area, closed major entrances and exits to the city and set up checkpoints.

State TV called on residents to rush to hospitals to donate blood.

Egypt's interim government accused the Muslim Brotherhood of orchestrating the attack, branding it a "terrorist organisation".

The movement itself strongly condemned the attack.

The bombing comes just weeks ahead of a referendum on a new constitution billed as the first major step towards democracy after Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi was forced from power in July.

Interim Prime Minister Hazem el Beblawi expressed condolences to the families of the victims and vowed the perpetrators would "not escape justice".

The attack comes a day after an al Qaeda-inspired group called on police and army personnel to desert or face death at the hands of its fighters.

It is the first major attack in the Nile Delta, spreading the carnage to a new area and bringing it closer to Cairo.

Previous violence that has killed scores of people has taken place in Sinai or in Suez Canal-area cities such as Islamilia.

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Pope Francis Warns Of 'Anti-Christian' Violence

Pope Francis has delivered his first Christmas Eve mass and called on Catholics to open their hearts and struggle against the "spirit of darkness".

As thousands flocked to the site of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, the leader of the world's Roman Catholics also highlighted the role played by humble shepherds in the Nativity, saying they were "among the last, the outcast".

At the service in St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, Pope Francis said: "If our heart is closed, if we are dominated by pride, deceit, self-seeking, then darkness falls within us."

Pope Francis holds a statue of Jesus at Christmas night mass at the Vatican

The Pope has repeatedly warned about rising rates of anti-Christian violence, and he spoke at a time when Christians from ancient communities in Syria are fleeing its bloody civil war.

The Vatican unveiled a traditional Nativity scene in St Peter's Square by Naples artisan Antonio Cantone, who named it after Francis and the mediaeval Italian saint who has inspired him, St Francis of Assisi.

Mr Cantone said the scene was intended to highlight the role of ordinary people in witnessing Jesus' birth - homage to the "simplicity" shown by Pope Francis.

In the West Bank town of Bethlehem, the Archbishop of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal, celebrated a midnight mass attended by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Thousands gathered at Manger Square near the Church of the Nativity

Thousands of pilgrims and tourists made their way past Israel's controversial separation wall to reach the Palestinian hilltop town, where snow remains on the ground from a rare winter blizzard this month.

In his homily, Archbishop Twal called for a "just and equitable solution" to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

For Christians "the answer lies neither in emigration nor in closing in on ourselves. It consists in staying here", said the 73-year-old patriarch.

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Tiger Kills Mate In Botched Bid To Breed

A female Malayan tiger at the San Diego Zoo has been fatally mauled by her intended mate during an attempt to breed.

The female tiger, named Tiga Tahun, died of neck injuries and breathing difficulties, the zoo said.

The encounter "began with positive interaction between the two big cats",  the zoo said in a statement.

"Unfortunately this changed quickly and zoo-keepers were unable to separate the two animals."

Saturday's attempt was the first breeding encounter for either animal, the only Malayan tigers at the facility.

No visitors saw the attack.

The tigers had rotated between being on exhibit and in their bedrooms, making them familiar with the other's scent, a zoo spokeswoman said.

They had seen each other often and even touched noses, separated by a barrier – leading zoo-keepers to believe the timing was right.

Tiga Tahun was born in 2009 at the Bronx Zoo, while her intended mate, Connor, was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2011.

Fewer than 500 Malayan tigers are believed to be living in the wild worldwide, and another 60 live in captivity in North American zoos.

Fatal attacks are rare, but behaviour can be unpredictable during breeding, experts say.

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Archbishop To Condemn Israel At Midnight Mass

By Tom Rayner, Middle East editor

One of the most influential Catholic Bishops in the Middle East is expected to criticise Israel during the Christmas Eve midnight mass in Bethlehem.

It is thought the Latin Patriach of Jerusalem, Archbishop Fouad Twal, will label Israel's continued construction of illegal settlements in the Palestinian Territories an obstacle to regional stability.

Thousands of pilgrims across the world will gather to hear the mass, delivered at the Church of the Nativity, built on the site where Jesus is believed to have been born in a stable more than 2,000 years ago.

The Archbishop will also call for an immediate end to conflict in Syria and to the persecution of Christians in the region.

But with negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority now resumed after years of stagnation, he is expected to take the opportunity to address the talks directly.

An Israeli Jewish settlement on disputed land near Jerusalem

At a news conference last week, Archbishop Twal said the efforts of US Secretary of State John Kerry to find a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict were being "hampered by the continuous building of Israeli settlements".

Archbishiop Twal added: "As long as this problem is not resolved, the people of our region will suffer.

"While the attention has shifted from the situation in the Holy Land to the tragedy in Syria, it must be stated that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains crucial to the region and is a major obstacle in the development of our society and stability in the middle east."

Israel's approval of new settlement housing units since August, when the latest round of talks began, has been criticised by many western diplomats, including John Kerry.

Father Jamal Khader, Director of the Catholic Seminary in Bethlehem, who is close to the Patriach, told Sky News he expects the message to be reiterated later today.

"What we need is freedom," he said. "What we need is independence and what we need is an end to the occupation. I think the Patriarch will call for an end to the occupation."

Bethlehem, which lies around 10km (six miles) south of Jerusalem, is governed by the Palestinian Authority but is surrounded by Israel's separation wall, check-points and numerous West Bank settlements, which are deemed illegal under international law.

US Secretary of State John Kerry

Construction of the separation wall began in 2002 as a security measure in response to waves of suicide bombings in Israel during the Second Intifada. But critics say it is also being used as a means of extending Israel's borders and confiscating Palestinian land.

While more than a million tourists have visited the town in 2013, the movement restrictions faced by those resident in the Palestinian Territories can make it difficult for Palestinian Christians to visit the Church in normal circumstances.

Over the Christmas period these restrictions have been eased, with Israel putting in place measures to allow Christians from elsewhere in the West Bank and Gaza to join the celebrations.

This will include permits for 500 residents of Gaza, aged under 16 or over 35, who will be authorised to travel to Bethlehem until the end of January.

Lt Col Eyal Zeevi, Head of the Israel Defence Forces' Bethlehem District Coordination Office, said: "Israel is making a significant effort to safeguard freedom of religion in the area, facilitate participation in religious ceremonies and ensure that Christians in the region enjoy the holiday spirit."

Similar measures are also likely to be implemented in May 2014 when Pope Francis is due make a brief visit to both Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

The visit is being seen as an attempt by the Catholic Church to draw attention to the growing persecution of Christians in countries across the region.

But for Bethlehem's tourism-dependent economy, it also promises to be a blessing, with the likelihood of thousands more pilgrims heading to the town, where the Pope will hold the only public mass of his visit.

In his Christmas message, President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, said he welcomed the visit and hoped the Pope would "spread the message of justice and peace for the Palestinians".

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Egypt: 14 Dead In Police Headquarters Explosion

At least 13 people have been killed in an explosion at a police headquarters in the Egyptian city of Mansoura.

The blast injured around 100 others, state media reported.

Investigators are trying to find out whether the blast, which happened at around 1am, was caused by a car bomb of from explosives planted around the five-storey regional security headquarters in the Nile Delta province of Daqahliya.

The blast damaged surrounding buildings and wrecked nearby cars

Most of those killed are understood to have been police officers who were inside the building at the time of the blast. 

The explosion reportedly damaged surrounding buildings and wrecked dozens of vehicles.

Security forces cordoned off the area, closed major entrances and exits to the city and set up checkpoints.

State TV called on residents to rush to hospitals to donate blood.

Egypt's interim government accused the Muslim Brotherhood of orchestrating the attack, branding it a "terrorist organisation".

The movement itself strongly condemned the attack.

The bombing comes just weeks ahead of a referendum on a new constitution billed as the first major step towards democracy after Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi was forced from power in July.

Interim Prime Minister Hazem el Beblawi expressed condolences to the families of the victims and vowed the perpetrators would "not escape justice".

The attack comes a day after an al Qaeda-inspired group called on police and army personnel to desert or face death at the hands of its fighters.

It is the first major attack in the Nile Delta, spreading the carnage to a new area and bringing it closer to Cairo.

Previous violence that has killed scores of people has taken place in Sinai or in Suez Canal-area cities such as Islamilia.

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