Boeing Dreamliner Deliveries Halted

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Timeline

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

The turbulent history of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Lance Armstrong: I Deserve To Compete Again

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

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

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

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

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

Armstrong competing before he was sanctioned

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Co-operation could have meant a lesser penalty.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Algeria Hostage Crisis: UK's 'Top Priority'

At least 10 Britons remain unaccounted for as Algerian special forces continue to hunt for the remaining al Qaeda-linked militants at a BP gas plant.

Foreign Secretary William Hague has chaired a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergencies committee and said on Twitter the hostage crisis would "remain our top priority until every British national is accounted for".

Around 30 foreigners are still missing after the terrorists stormed the complex on Wednesday and seized hundreds of workers.

The British ambassador to Algeria is expected to get permission to go to the site with a small consulate team later today, Sky sources said.

A UK plane carrying a "diplomatic team" landed in Algeria around 280 miles from the hostage scene. Sky's Political Correspondent Sophy Ridge said the SAS were on standby.

The Algerian state news agency APS reported 12 foreign and Algerian workers and 18 Islamist militants have been killed in fighting after government troops carried out a raid at the In Amenas installation on Thursday.

A police checkpoint near the In Amenas gas installation

Details remain sketchy but the figures suggest around a dozen of the original group of 30 heavily-armed terrorists could still be holed up at the complex - possibly still holding hostages.

The Algerian military control the vast residential barracks, while gunmen are in the industrial plant itself with an undisclosed number of hostages, making it difficult for special forces to intervene, Reuters reported.

The army is surrounding the plant and helicopters are monitoring the area, Algerian state radio said, quoting a reporter in the city of In Amenas.

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford, reporting from neighbouring Mali, said:  "There appears to be a stand-off between Algerian security forces who have surrounded this part of the gas facilitation complex and they know - in the words of the Algerian government - a few Islamists who are holding some of the workers hostage in that area of the complex.

"It appears to be a much smaller area, much more contained than when the siege first began three days ago, when they were holding people in the living quarters and the gas plant area."

The siege took place at the gas complex in eastern Algeria

Hundreds of workers escaped on Thursday when the army launched their operation, but some hostages were reportedly killed in the assault at the facility, which is jointly run by BP, the Norwegian energy firm Statoil and the Algerian state oil company.

Despite the casualties among the hostages, an Algerian government source quoted by APS strongly defended the military operation, saying it prevented a "true disaster" which would have caused "immeasurable" human and material damage.

One Briton is known to have died earlier in the crisis.

APS reported around 100 of the 132 foreign workers at the site had been freed along with 573 locally employed staff.

Irishman Stephen McFaul, who managed to flee from the kidnappers, is expected to be reunited with his family later.

The 36-year-old father-of-two from west Belfast is understood to have been able to escape when a vehicle he was in crashed after being attacked by the Algerian army - despite having explosives placed around his neck.

People pictured outside a hospital in In Amenas

Hostage Iain Strachan, 38, from Howwood in Renfrewshire, spoke to an Algerian television channel about his ordeal.

He said was "very relieved to be out", adding: "Obviously we still don't really know what's happening back on site. So, as much as we're glad to be out, our thoughts are with colleagues who are still there at the moment."

He said the Algerian army's assistance has been "fantastic". He added: "I've never been so relieved as when they came and got us off site. We thank them very much for that."

Mr Strachan was interviewed on a bus alongside Darren Matthews, 29, from Teesside.

Mr Matthews said: "I am relieved to be going to see friends and family. I feel safe at the moment but I won't feel 100% happy until I'm back in the UK, when I am back with my family.

In Amenas in eastern Algeria is near the border with Libya

"My heart goes out to the guys that are still there and hopefully everyone comes home safe because, at the end of the day, it's only work. No-one should have to go through that just for a job."

The militants are believed to be under the command of the al Qaeda-linked terrorist Mokhtar Balmokhtar, a one-eyed Algerian known as The Uncatchable, who specialises in hostage taking and has strong links with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

The group behind the raid Katibat Moulathamine, or The Masked Ones, said it was retaliating for French military intervention against al Qaeda-backed rebels in Mali.

The gunmen are said to be demanding the release of two terror figures held in the US, including the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing mastermind Omar Abdel Rahman, in return for American hostages.

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Manti Te'o Denies Role In Dead Girlfriend Hoax

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Algeria: Hostage 'Had Explosives Around Neck'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

His wife said she expected him home on Friday.

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

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

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China Economy: GDP Accelerates At End Of 2012

China's economic growth has accelerated for the first time in two years, according to figures released by the country's government.

However, the 7.9% gross domestic product (GDP) rise in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2012 masks a broader slowdown.

The year-long GDP figure - an expansion of 7.8% - represents the worst performance in 13 years.

The Q4 figure, released by the National Bureau of Statistics in Beijing, does suggest an encouraging turnaround for the world's second largest economy.

Retail sales in China were up 14. 3% and industrial output was up 10%, according to the government figures.

Fixed asset investment - a key indicator on infrastructure spending - was up 20.6% in 2012. A staggering £3.63trn was spent on infrastructure projects through 2012.

For the past two years, China's economy has been showing signs of a slowdown.

The Q4 turnaround is likely to gather pace for at least the next two quarters as the investment in infrastructure is rolled out. This will benefit the incoming Chinese leadership who take office in March.

However, the longer term direction of the Chinese economy is uncertain. The infrastructure stimulus will fade and when it does, a slowdown could return.

Analysis of the figures by economists will provide further detail on the accuracy of the data, as there is often mistrust of the Chinese government and its willingness to reveal accurate economic statistics.

The broader forecast for China is uncertain. Beijing is contending with a complicated conundrum. As it develops, it needs to move away from a legacy of producing cheap, low quality products.

The desire is to become a nation producing higher end goods and top-end technology.

To an extent, they already are. Huawei and Lenovo are two of the world's largest electronics firms and Chinese cars are selling very well in emerging markets, taking 10% of 2012 Chile cars sales.

But completing that transformation will take time and the chances of a dip in the interim are significant.

Added to that is fact that foreign investors who have traditionally made all their goods in China are now turning to cheaper labour markets in South-East Asia.

As China has boomed, wages have gone up and big investors have moved south to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, and west to India.

China has become the world's second largest economy by making everything for everyone and at the lowest price.

To continue its trajectory it now needs to take advantage of its own increasingly wealthy population and persuade them to buy more.

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Bolshoi Ballet Boss Has Acid Thrown In Face

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Cameron Condemns 'Brutal And Savage' Attack

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

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

The Prime Minister put off a high-profile speech on Europe to stay in London and oversee developments.

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

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

A satellite image shows the scale of the sprawling gas complex

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

Meanwhile Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said a number of Scottish residents who had been held captive have been confirmed as "safe and well".

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

Foreign Secretary William Hague has cut short a visit to Australia to return to the UK.

Before leaving, he said: "The responsibility for the tragic events of the last two days squarely rests with terrorists who chose to attack innocent workers, murdering some and holding others hostage."

The In Amenas facility is close to the border with Libya

Foreign Office officials believe hostage takers could still be on the site.

Sky's Sophy Ridge said: "There has been perhaps an assumption … that this is a now just a search operation but certainly that's not the basis that the Foreign Office in the UK is working on."

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

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

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

"We do not yet have a definitive figure. As soon as we have it, we will make it public."

One British citizen has already been confirmed dead earlier in the hostage situation.

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

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

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

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

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Boeing Dreamliners Grounded Across The World

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Timeline

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

The turbulent history of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Dreamliners: Boeing Reputation Is On The Line

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Timeline

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

The turbulent history of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Multiple Murderer Finally Gets Execution Wish

A man who strangled two cellmates, and threatened to go on killing, has become the first to be executed in the US this year.

Robert Gleason died in Virginia's electric chair at 9:08pm on Wednesday at the Greensville Correctional Centre.

The 42-year-old was the first to choose to die by electrocution since 2010.

In Virginia and nine other states, inmates can choose between the chair and lethal injection.

All 42 prisoners put to death in the US in 2012 died from a lethal injection.

Unusually Gleason had fought last-minute attempts by former attorneys to stop the execution, arguing he deserved to die for what he did.

Gleason was serving life in prison for a 2007 murder when he killed his cellmate 63-year-old Harvey Watson in 2009.

He remained in the cell with the lifeless body for more than 15 hours before officers found out.

"Someone needs to stop it. The only way to stop me is put me on death row," Gleason told the AP news agency.

"The death part don't bother me. This has been a long time coming. It's called karma," he added.

When the system was not moving fast enough, Gleason strangled 26-year-old Aaron Cooper through the wire fencing that separated their individual cages on the recreation yard in 2010.

He said the body count would rise if his warnings were not heeded.

Gleason also claimed he had killed many more but refused to provide details - except that they were all alleged criminals.

"I ain't saying I'm a better person for killing criminals, but I've never killed innocent people," Gleason said.

"I killed people that's in the same lifestyle as me, and they know, hey, these things can happen."

Lawyers who tried to intervene on Gleason's behalf argued he was severely disturbed.

They said his mental competency had deteriorated over the time he was held in isolation on death row. 

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Algeria Crisis: 'Gunmen Free 25 Hostages'

Gunmen in an ongoing stand-off with Algerian forces at a gas compound have reportedly demanded safe passage, amid reports up to 25 foreign hostages are now free.

William Hague earlier condemned the killing of a Briton at the plant near the border with Libya as "cold-blooded murder".

The Briton and an Algerian were killed when around 20 attackers from an al Qaeda-backed group stormed the In Amenas facility and claimed to have taken 41 hostages.

Several British people were known to be among those taken captive. Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond has confirmed they included Scottish people.

Various unconfirmed reports of hostages escaping or being freed from the base have emerged. In the latest, an Algerian security source said 25 people had been freed and that two of them were Japanese.

Six people were wounded in Wednesday's attack, which the group claims is a retaliation for the French military intervention against al Qaeda-backed rebels in neighbouring Mali.

The raid is believed to have been planned by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, an Islamist known as Mr Marlboro and The Uncatchable.

Algerian forces are surrounding the plant, with army helicopters overhead

His group goes under various names including Khaled Abul Abbas Brigade, the Masked Ones and The Blood Battalion and is said to have links with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, a Mali-based militant group that wants to overthrow Algeria's government.

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

David Cameron earlier chaired emergency meeting on the crisis. Downing Street said it still believes the best approach is to work through the Algerian government and oil companies who share ownership of the base, such as BP.

The siege showed signs of "considerable" planning, Downing Street added.

The Prime Minister has said he will consider "any requests for assistance" from Algeria - but no such requests have been made so far, Sky's Tim Marshall said.

Algerian interior minister Dahou Ould Kablia has said his government would not negotiate with "terrorists".

An Algerian security official has said the government is in talks with the US and France over whether an international force could help.

Meanwhile, the wife of one Norwegian worker who escaped as gunmen launched their attack on a bus that was departing the site said he had been shot at.

Vigdis Sletten told Norway channel VGTV her husband, who is now being protected in a military camp, had said in a phone call: "Their guards returned the fire while they threw themselves on the floor in the bus.

"They escaped through the bus window and were taken to a military camp.

"I do not know if he is injured or not."

In its latest statement, BP said the situation remains "unresolved and fragile".

The Irish government has said a 36-year-old Irish national was among the hostages. He was believed to be unharmed.

The militant group Katibat Moulathamine - The Masked Ones - has claimed responsibility. A spokesman said the action was carried out in retaliation for Algeria allowing France to use its airspace to carry out raids on northern Mali, where France now has 1,400 troops on the ground.

Britain has provided two RAF C-17 transport aircraft to support the Mali operation as well as offering to share intelligence with Paris.

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Honduras: British Tourist 'Shot Dead By Robbers'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Boeing Dreamliners Grounded By Japan Airlines

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Timeline

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

The turbulent history of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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French President: Mali Operation Going Well

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

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

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

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

French Mirage 2000 D jets on their way to Africa

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

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

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

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

Troops from other West African countries will join the action

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The rebels want to turn Mali into an Islamist state

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

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

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

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

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

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Egyptian President In Anti-Semitic Rant

Before he became President of the Arab world's most populous nation, Mohamed Morsi called Jews "bloodsuckers ... warmongers ... descendants of apes and pigs".

These comments cannot be dismissed as the ranting of a callow anti-Semitic youth; they were made during a television interview in 2010 when he was a senior official in the Muslim Brotherhood.

They surfaced on the internet a couple of weeks ago but few people paid any attention. Only now have they attracted a small amount of interest because a group of influential US politicians, including former US presidential hopeful John McCain, is in Cairo meeting senior government figures.

Mr Morsi has also said that Jews "have been fanning the flames of civil strife wherever they were" adding that they were "hostile by nature".

So far so redolent of the Nazis in the 1930s, but he went on to say that no Arabs should have any dealings with Zionists and claimed the Palestinian Authority was created by Zionists and Americans in order to oppose the will of the Palestinian people. 

Away from the cameras Mr Morsi was busy advising the public that they should nurse their children and grandchildren on hatred for Jews.

That was then, this is now, and now Mr Morsi is President Morsi.

John McCain is currently in the Egyptian capital

So, when dealing with him, should politicians such as the British prime minister, the American president, the Palestinian president, and the Israeli prime minister, assume that as he is now a world leader he no longer holds these dangerous views?

After all Palestine's President Mahmoud Abbas might hope that Mr Morsi views him as a partner with whom to negotiate. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would prefer to be viewed as a human being rather an ape or a pig.

Or, should they look at the tape of him late last year when as president he was filmed praying in a mosque and fervently saying "amen" as the preacher urges Allah to "destroy the Jews and their supporters", and make a judgement on who they are dealing with?

Describing Jews as sons of pigs and monkeys is commonplace throughout the Middle East, it is routinely repeated on the street, in mosques, in TV debates, in cartoons, and in newspaper articles. The belief is based on three different verses in the Koran - 7:166, 2:65, and 5:60.

Some open-minded Muslims argue that the verses should be seen in historical context and that they refer to the problems between Jews and the new religion of Muhammad at the time of writing. Many others view them as literal and applicable for all time.

For the Egyptian President to use the phrase in a live TV interview in the 21st century suggests he takes the latter view. Core beliefs such as those he has espoused for decades are not normally reversed by a year in power although this cannot be definitively ruled out.

In Europe, when Europeans say things such as expressed above, we recognise them as 'Fascistic'. When expressed by people in some other parts of the globe we appear frightened to call things what they are.

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Pakistan: Clashes At Protests Called By Qadri

By Alex Rossi, Asia Correspondent

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

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

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

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

Mr Qadri spearheaded the unrest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Lance Armstrong 'Confesses Drug Use To Oprah'

Fallen sports star Lance Armstrong has admitted using performance-enhancing drugs, according to reports.

In an interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey, the cyclist ended a decade of denial, according to the AP news agency.

It cited a source who spoke on condition of anonymity, because the interview is to be broadcast on Winfrey's network on Thursday.

Winfrey tweeted after the interview: "Just wrapped with @lancearmstrong. More than 2 1/2 hours. He came READY!"

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

She is scheduled to appear on CBS This Morning later to discuss the interview.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Cleaner Steals Train And Hits House In Sweden

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

Police officers at the scene of the crash

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

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

The woman driving the train was seriously injured

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

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

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

The building hit by the train was evacuated following the crash

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Pakistan: Top Court Orders PM Ashraf's Arrest

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

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

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

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

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

"The 16 include Raja Ashraf."

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

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

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Venezuela's Hugo Chavez 'Fighting For Life'

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is "fighting for his life", according to his former deputy.

The cancer-stricken leader has not been seen in public for more than a month, fuelling growing political uncertainty in the oil-rich country.

"The situation is complex and delicate, but it is true that Hugo Chavez has fought and is fighting for his life," said Elias Jaua, who was in office from January 2010 until October.

However communications minister Ernesto Villegas insisted Mr Chavez was doing better.

Elias Jaua's claim has been denied by a government official

"Despite his delicate health state since his complex surgery on December 11, his general health has improved in recent days," Mr Villegas said in a statement read on radio and television.

He said the president's previously disclosed severe pulmonary infection was "under control" but that he still required treatment for "respiratory failure".

Mr Chavez, whose Opec-member nation controls the world's largest proven oil reserves, has been out of sight since leaving for Cuba for the latest round of treatment in the 18 months since his condition was made public.

He was admitted to hospital following his fourth cancer operation last month.

The latest updates followed a denial from Mr Chavez's brother Adan on Saturday that the 58-year-old was in a coma.

Instead, he said the Venezuelan leader was responding "well" to treatment and making progress on a daily basis.

Mr Chavez's anointed heir, Vice President Nicolas Maduro, met with his ailing boss late on Saturday.

On Thursday, the government was forced to postpone the president's scheduled inauguration, as it became clear that Mr Chavez could not attend.

Authorities insist the Venezuelan constitution allows him to take the oath of office at a later time.

But the opposition has objected, calling for a medical board to review the absent leader's health.

However the demand was rejected by the Supreme Court, which said the delayed swearing-in was constitutional.

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Beijing Pollution 'Hazardous' For Fourth Day

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent, in Beijing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The pollution is shrouding Beijing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Chinese authorities have urged people to use public transport

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Imani Green: Eight Held Over Brit Girl's Death

Eight people have reportedly been arrested over the fatal shooting of British schoolgirl Imani Green in Jamaica.

The eight-year-old, from Balham, south London, was on holiday visiting relatives when she was killed in the rural village of Duncans,  , , , xcv in Trelawny, on Friday night.

She is reported to have been shot twice, first in the head and then the shoulder, in what is believed to have been a revenge attack that left three others injured.

She was taken to hospital but later died.

Deputy Supt Steve Brown, from Jamaica's police force, said: "We have taken people into custody as we search for a motive for the attack.

"We've heard about gang warfare but we find it a bit difficult to believe because where the incident took place it is a sleepy community, nothing happens there, it's an isolated incident.

Police say Duncans is normally a quiet town

"But it could be linked to a number of things and we are looking at all possibilities and following all the leads that we are getting."

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he added: "We are confident we will make a breakthrough very, very soon."

Imani, who attended Fircroft Primary School in Tooting, suffered from blood condition sickle cell anaemia and had been allowed to take an extended New Year holiday by headteacher Anne Wilson.

Her grandmother Sandra Fisher said she found Imani lying in a "pool of blood" after she asked to visit the grocery shop in the quiet Red Dirt district of Duncans.

Janella Parmer, Imani's sister, spoke of the moment the shooting took place.

"We heard gunshots. We ran outside and shouted 'Imani, Imani, Imani'," she said.

"I picked her up off the ground and realised she was still breathing. I flagged down a car and they drove us to hospital. The rest is history."

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Syrian Regime 'Using Banned Cluster Bombs'

By Tom Rayner, Middle East News Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Idlib is among the country's worst-hit areas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Israel Evicts Palestinians From Protest Camp

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

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

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

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

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said no arrests had been made.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Egypt Court Orders Hosni Mubarak Retrial

An Egyptian court has granted ousted former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak an appeal over his life sentence.

The 84-year-old was convicted and jailed for life in June last year for failing to prevent the killing of some 900 protestors during the 2011 uprising that ended his 29-year rule.

He, and his former security chief Habib al Adli, who is also serving a life sentence on the same charges, will be retried.

"The court has ruled to accept the appeal filed by the defendants ... and orders a retrial," Judge Ahmed Ali Abdel Rahman said.

The decision was met with cheers from Murbarak supporters packed inside the courtroom and gatherd outside the building.

Murbarak's two sons, Gamal and Alaa, are in prison while on trial for alleged insider trading and using their influence to buy state land at a fraction of its market price.

The pair were acquitted of corruption charges in the same case as their father - but will be retried after Judge Abdel Rahman accepted an appeal by prosecutors against the not guilty verdicts.

Mubarak, who appeared in the dock on a stretcher during his trial, was moved to a Cairo hospital last month after slipping inside a prison bathroom and injuring himself.

Since he was handed his life sentence his health has deteriorated. The state news agency even reported him clinically dead at one point as he slipped into a coma after suffering a stroke.

He recovered, but was reportedly deeply depressed by the election of the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi as president.

Mohamed Abdel Razek, one of his lawyers, said: "The retrial will be based on the same evidence used in the previous trial. No new evidence will be added to the case."

He added that the new panel of judges could consider Murbarak's health when issuing a verdict.

No dates have been set for any of the retrials.

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Beijing Pollution 'Hazardous' For Third Day

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent, Beijing

Severe pollution is affecting large areas of northern China for a third consecutive day.

In the capital Beijing, a layer of smog blanketing the city remains at a level considered hazardous.

On Saturday, the pollution was literally off the scale at a figure well beyond that considered dangerous to human health.

According to an unofficial air quality monitor on the roof of the American Embassy in Beijing, the Air Quality Index on Saturday afternoon hit 886. Any figure above 300 is considered "hazardous".

By Sunday morning, the level had dropped to 391 which is still well into the hazardous bracket.

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

At levels of 100mcg, the air is considered unhealthy. The official Chinese government reading by Sunday afternoon was 446, less than Saturday's 886 but still very high.

The Beijing skyline without pollution

On Beijing's streets, it is hard to see more than about 150 metres. The skyscrapers which dominate parts of the city are barely visible.

The pollution is so bad that it is possible to smell the air and even taste it. Residents are being urged to remain indoors but few appear to be listening to the advice.

Beijingers are used to severe pollution but not usually on quite such a level.

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

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

Air quality levels today based on US Embassy figures Pic: China Air Quality

Mr Yu urged people to use public transport rather than their own vehicles to reduce emissions.

Even Beijing's underground network is affected. The smog was visible hanging in the air at a number of station platforms on Saturday.

Fumes from the ever-increasing number of vehicles on the city's streets contribute, but the factories surrounding the city also cause significant pollution.

Beijing is flanked on two sides by mountains. The air is dry, cold and hangs over the city. If there is no wind, all the factors combine to create the smog.

Experts also believe that the different pollutants can combine to create an even more toxic mix.

Vance Wagner is an American engineer who works on clean transportation for China. His blog Live In Beijing provides a detailed analysis of the issue.

"The atmosphere is quite the chemical soup. While direct emissions matter, a lot of air pollution is secondary, meaning that it is caused by directly emitted pollutants interacting with each other in the atmosphere, giving rise to new forms of 'secondary' pollution," he writes.

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

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

The Chinese authorities publish their own figures for the same air.

At the same time as the US monitor was recording a figure of 736, the official Chinese figure was 500 - still well beyond the hazardous level.

There is an important political dimension to the issue too, with anti-government protests around the country often connected to environmental concerns.

China's international image as a world leader is also severely dented by problems like this in its capital city.

Despite claims by the Communist Party's incoming leadership that it is trying to tackle the issue, there is still a level of denial.

The official government-controlled news agency Xinhua was describing the bad air as "fog" on Saturday.

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Mali: British Military Plane 'Leaving Today'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Islamist rebels seized a swathe of northern Mali last spring

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

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

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

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

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

French Mirage 2000 D aircraft en route to the Mali operation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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