Maduro Sworn In As Venezuela's President

Venezuela Says Farewell To Chavez

Updated: 6:16am UK, Saturday 09 March 2013

A state funeral has taken place for Venezuela's left-wing president Hugo Chavez at a military academy where his body has been lying in state since Wednesday.

Most Latin American leaders attended the service, including Chilean president Sebastian Pinera and Cuba's Raul Castro, as well as Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus.

Mr Ahmadinejad and Mr Lukashenko sat next to each other, reportedly wiping away tears as a band played one of Mr Chavez's favourite sentimental songs.

The Iranian leader earlier said: "It is a great pain for us because we have lost a friend. I feel like I have lost myself, but I am sure that he still lives.

"Chavez will never die. His spirit and soul live on in each of our hearts."

Venezuelan conductor and Los Angeles Philharmonic maestro Gustavo Dudamel led an orchestra's rendition of the national anthem to open the ceremony.

Mr Chavez's political heir, vice president Nicolas Maduro, placed a replica of the golden sword of South American independence hero Simon Bolivar on his mentor's wooden coffin as more than 30 heads of state applauded. 

Several Latin American leaders, including Mr Castro, were invited to stand around the coffin, which was closed and covered in the yellow, blue and red colours of Venezuela, in an honour guard.

Gregory Meeks, a New York Democrat congressman, and ex-congressman William Delahunt, a Democrat from Massachusetts, represented the United States, which Mr Chavez often portrayed as a great global evil even as he sent the country billions of dollars in oil each year.

Hollywood actor Sean Penn was also among those who attended the funeral.

An estimated two million people have filed past Mr Chavez's coffin to say goodbye to the man worshipped by the country's poor, who he championed.

He was dressed in olive green military fatigues, a black tie and the iconic red beret that became a symbol of his 14-year socialist rule.

People blew kisses, made the sign of the cross or gave military salutes as they walked by, with just seconds to see him. Outside the academy, the line to see the body stretched for more than a mile.

His mother, Elena Frias, was pictured weeping ahead of the funeral in the capital Caracas.

Mr Chavez, a former paratrooper who died on Tuesday aged 58 after a long battle with cancer, had not been seen in public since a fourth round of surgery in Cuba in December last year.

He will lie in state for another week to allow everybody to see him, and he will then be embalmed "like Ho Chi Minh, Lenin and Mao" and kept in a glass coffin "for eternity," Mr Maduro said.

His remains will be displayed at the Museum of the Revolution, close to the Presidential Palace where he ruled, so that "his people will always have him", Mr Maduro said.

Mr Chavez used the former military barracks to plot a failed coup against President Carlos Andres Perez in 1992. His arrest turned him into a hero, leading to his 1998 election victory.

Mr Maduro suggested that Mr Chavez may one day be moved elsewhere, a nod to popular pressure for him to be taken to the national pantheon to lie alongside Simon Bolivar.

In a country divided by Mr Chavez's populist style, opinions of his legacy vary, with opposition supporters in better-off areas angry at the high murder and inflation rate.

Under Mr Chavez, Venezuela's oil wealth underwrote the Castro brothers' communist rule in Cuba, and he repeatedly courted confrontation with Washington by cosying up to anti-western governments in Russia, Syria and Iran.

General Jose Ornella, who said he was with Mr Chavez in his final moments, said he had suffered a massive heart attack.

"He couldn't speak but he said it with his lips, 'I don't want to die. Please don't let me die,' because he loved his country, he sacrificed himself for his country."

Although Mr Maduro is acting president, elections are expected to be called within 30 days.

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Afghanistan Blasts: 'Eight Kids Among Dead'

Seventeen civilians, reportedly including eight children, have been killed in two separate suicide bomb attacks in Afghanistan.

The first attack took place in the eastern city of Khost, where unconfirmed reports have suggested eight children and one policeman were killed. The target of the attack was said to be Afghan and international forces.

"A suicide attacker blew up his explosives on a road beside a joint patrol of Afghan police and international forces in the city of Khost," the provincial governor of Khost said in a statement.

A policeman reportedly spotted the bomber who was on foot and 'hugged' him to himself in an attempt to take most of the blast, Khost deputy police chief Mohammad Yaqub Mandozay said.

Hagel flies over Kabul - the Defence Secretary was unhurt in the blast

However several boys aged 12 to 14 who were nearby were caught in the explosion.

The second attack was carried out in Kabul during a visit by US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel.

The bomber rode up to the defence ministry on a bicycle before detonating the blast 30 metres from the front gate.

Mr Hagel was in a briefing room some distance away and was not hurt, though he was moved to a more secure location after the explosion.

Kabul: Afghan National Army soldiers carried the injured from the scene

An Afghan soldier found at the scene covered in blood said he had helped carry five people away from the scene.

The Taliban said they carried out the Kabul attack, which they said was "a kind of message" for Mr Hagel, who is on his first trip abroad in his new role.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, said: "This was not a direct attack to target him but we want to send a message that we are always capable of hitting Kabul - even when the top US defence official is there."

The blast underscored the security challenges facing Afghanistan as US-led Nato forces prepare to leave the country by the end of 2014.

Mr Hagel is in Kabul to make an assessment of America's longest war as it enters its final stretch.

The Vietnam veteran's advice could help shape Barack Obama's decisions on Afghanistan, notably how large a remaining force to keep there after 2014 when most foreign forces will leave.

"We have a lot of big issues and challenges ahead as we prepare for a responsible transition," he told reporters on his plane before he arrived.

"That transition has to be done right; it has to be done in partnership with the Afghans (and) with our allies."

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Kenya Election: Kenyatta Clinches Narrow Win

By Sara Mojtehedzadeh in Nairobi, Kenya

Uhuru Kenyatta, who faces trial for alleged crimes against humanity, has clinched victory in a tightly fought race for Kenya's presidency, the electoral commission has confirmed.

The son of the country's founding father, Jomo Kenyatta, needed over 50% of the national vote to avoid a run-off.

He received 50.07% but the victory is being disputed by his main rival, prime minister Raila Odinga, who has now unsuccessfully sought the presidency three times.

Deputy prime minister Mr Kenyatta is a controversial figure as he is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity from his alleged role in the country's bloody 2007-2008 election.

Mr Kenyatta's ICC trial is set to begin in July and could take years, meaning he may have to rule Kenya from The Hague in the Netherlands for much of his five-year term.

Kenya would become the second African country after Sudan to have a sitting president indicted by the ICC.

By early morning, Nairobi's streets were dotted with the candidate's rejoicing supporters.

"I'm already celebrating. We have been in the streets since the morning at three. We are very happy" said Lucy Rugi, a Kenyatta backer who works in downtown Nairobi.

Franklin Bett, the chairman of Mr Odinga's party called the results "doctored" and told Sky News that the Odinga team would challenge the results in court.

"If you commit a crime, the crime has got to be caught out. Where there is smoke, there is fire" he said, as the results tilted in Mr Kenyatta's favour.

Tensions rose in the heartlands of Mr Odinga. His supporters chanted "No Raila, no peace," as security forces stood by in Kisumu, a city where violence flared in 2007.

But the Odinga camp promised to pursue any disputes in the courts not the streets.

It was Mr Odinga's contention that the previous election was unfairly stolen from him that led to violent clashes between his followers and supporters of the outgoing president Mwai Kibaki.

The Odinga team said they would challenge the results in court

The conflict, which pitted members of rival tribes against each other, led to over 1,100 deaths.

So far, Nairobi has remained peaceful as Mr Odinga's supporters waited for him to address them.

"What we wanted was no fighting" said Alex Onyango, an Odinga voter from a Nairobi slum that was shattered by violence in the 07-08 conflict.

"It's OK because there is peace. Uhuru won on the ground. There was no rigging. He just won peacefully."

But Mr Kenyatta's win will take the country into uncharted diplomatic territory.

Western countries, including, the United Kingdom, have an essential contact only policy with indictees of the international criminal court.

It is not yet clear how that policy will translate into practice.

Kenya is the most strategically important country in the region, and is Britain's key counter terrorism partner in the region - crucial to containing the threat of militant Islam posed by neighbouring Somalia.

The UK also does around £1bn of trade with Kenya, and sends thousands of soldiers to train at its army base there every year.

As Kenya nervously awaited the final results in an election plagued by delays in vote counting and technological failure, Mr Kenyatta's team hit out at the British High Commissioner Christian Turner, accusing him of "shadowy, suspicious" meddling in the election.

The Foreign Office denounced the claims as "entirely false and misleading".

But the widespread perception that Mr Kenyatta was unfairly targeted by the West helped build his campaign's momentum in the weeks leading up to the election.

"The (International Criminal Court) will know that the Kenyan people are right. They have decided" said one Kenyatta supporter, Joseph Mwangi, 24.

Speaking to Sky News at a campaign rally ahead of the March 4 election, Mr Kenyatta insisted he would co-operate with International Criminal Court, despite criticism that the demands of the trial would compromise his ability to govern.

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Egypt: Rival Football Fans Angry Over Verdicts

A hardcore element of Cairo's Al Ahly fan base have stormed and set fire to Egypt's football headquarters after a court aquitted seven out of nine police officials on trial for their alleged role in a deadly stadium riot.

A nearby police club in the Egyptian capital was also set ablaze - and the mob, known as the Ultras, was said to be heading towards the interior ministry as well, according to state television.

The fire rages at the football headquarters

The fires sent plumes of thick black smoke billowing out over the city skyline.

Hundreds of the club's supporters took to the streets in celebration after a court earlier on Saturday upheld death sentences on 21 Port Said football fans for their role in the stadium riot last year.

Some 74 people were killed and around 1,000 injured at the end of a match between Cairo's Al Ahly and Al Masry, the local side, on February 1, 2012.

Spectators were crushed when panicked fans tried to get out the stadium after a pitch invasion by Port Said supporters.

In a live televised ruling, judge Sobhi Abdel-Maguid confirmed "the death penalty by hanging".

Al Ahly fans had warned police they would retaliate if the defendants, including nine policemen, were exonerated.

Al Ahly fans take to the streets of Cairo after the verdicts are announced

The city's former security chief, Major General Essam Samak, was jailed for 15 years along with several others including Brigadier General Mohammed Saad, who during the riot had the keys to the stadium gates, which were locked.

A further five people were also sentenced to life imprisonment for the riot, while 28 others - including seven police officers - were acquitted.

The rest of the 73 defendants involved received shorter prison sentences.

In Port Said, crowds gathered by the Suez Canal to protest against the verdicts.

A military helicopter hovered overhead and army checkpoints were set up on main streets as protesters tried to disrupt shipping on the canal.

"Today's verdict is unfair - we are demanding a fair verdict. This judge is unjust," said Mohamed Al Sayed.

The stadium deaths occurred on February 1, 2012

The death sentences - originally handed down in January - have previously provoked deadly clashes in Port Said and Cairo.

The riot - the worst case of football violence in the country and the deadliest worldwide since 1996 - erupted after the home team Al Masry beat Egypt's top club Al Ahly in the league fixture.

Subsequent widespread violence and protests have sparked fresh concerns about Egypt's stability.

Political turmoil is sweeping across the country with demonstrators demanding concessions from Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, while others want him removed altogether, saying his Muslim Brotherhood is monopolising power.

His government is struggling to halt the slide in law and order, hampered by a strike by some protesting police.

At least eight people have been killed in Port Said this week, including three police officers.

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Knives On Planes: Backlash Grows In US

The backlash is growing against a plan to remove small knives, golf clubs and other sports equipment from the list of items banned from US aircraft.

Flight attendants, pilots, federal air marshals and even insurance companies have joined the opposition to the Transportation Security Administration's new policy.

The Flight Attendants Union Coalition, which representing nearly 90,000 flight attendants, said it is coordinating a nationwide legislative and public education campaign to reverse the policy announced by TSA Administrator John Pistole this week.

A petition posted on the White House's We The People website has already garnered more than 9,000 signatures.

"The continued ban on dangerous objects is an integral layer in aviation security and must remain in place," the coalition said.

A TSA employee beckons passengers forward to be searched

Jon Adler, who represents the interests of federal air marshals, complained that he and other "stakeholders" were not consulted by the TSA before the "countersafety policy" was announced.

His Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association plans to ask Congress to block the policy change.

Pilots also oppose allowing knives of any kind in airliner cabins.

"We believe the threat is still real and the removal of any layer of security will put crew members and the flying public unnecessarily in harm's way," said Mike Karn from the Coalition of Airline Pilot Associations.

The plan has aviation insurers concerned as well.

"We think this move is a bad idea, and isn't in the interests of the travelling public or flight crews in the aviation industry," said Joe Strickland from Allianz.

The new policy, which is due to go into effect on April 25, permits folding knives with blades that are 6cm (2.36in) or less in length and are less than 1.3cm (1/2in) wide.

The policy is aimed at allowing passengers to carry pen knives, corkscrews with small blades and other small knives.

Items like box cutters - used in the 9/11 attacks - and razor blades will still be prohibited.

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North Korea Leader Ready For 'All-Out War'

Who Is Kim Jong-Un?

Updated: 9:50am UK, Friday 08 March 2013

Kim Jong-Un is the world's youngest head of state. But very little is known about the supreme leader of North Korea, the most secretive nation on Earth.

Believed to have been born in Pyongyang around 1983, he was named North Korea's "great successor" following the death of his father, Kim Jong-Il, in December 2011.

The younger Kim is the leader of the ruling communist Workers' Party of Korea. He also holds the rank of Wonsu - the highest rank in the Korean military.

Reports in some Japanese newspapers claim he was educated in Switzerland at an English-language international school near Bern from the age of 10 to 17 where - according to a classmate - he developed a keen interest in basketball.

In 2012 he was voted the sexiest man alive in a spoof article by satirist website The Onion. China's Communist Party newspaper later ran a glowing report of the article, unaware it was a parody.

Quoting from the spoof report, The People's Daily wrote: "With his devastatingly handsome, round face, his boyish charm and his strong, sturdy frame, this Pyongyang-bred heart-throb is every woman's dream come true."

In 2012 he made several public appearances with a mystery lady, initially believed to be Hyon Song-Wol, a North Korean singer famous for the smash hit A Girl In The Saddle Of A Steed, often mis-translated as Excellent Horse-Like Lady.

But North Korean media later identified the woman as Ri Sol-Ju and claimed she was Mr Kim's wife. Unconfirmed reports have suggested the couple were married in 2009 and that she gave birth to a child in 2010.

But less is known about her than her husband. Conflicting reports have suggested she was born between 1985 and 1989 and that some of her family are involved in North Korean politics.

Her mother reportedly works in the gynaecology unit at a local hospital and her father as a university professor.

Mr Kim's interest in basketball is understood to have led to American NBA star Dennis Rodman paying the supreme leader a surprise visit in March 2013.

"He wants Obama to do one thing: Call him," Rodman later said. "He said, 'If you can, Dennis - I don't want (to) do war. I don't want to do war.' He said that to me."

A United Nations report on human rights in North Korea has urged for an inquiry to document the accountability of Mr Kim and the North Korean government for alleged crimes against humanity.

The UN has claimed that out of the total population of 25 million in the country, "16 million people continue to suffer varying degrees of chronic food insecurity and high malnutrition".

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SA Taxi Driver Suffered Extensive Injuries

Nine South African police officers charged with the murder of a Mozambique taxi driver have appeared in court for a bail hearing.

The death of Mido Macia caused outrage around the world after video footage was published appearing to show him being handcuffed and dragged behind a police vehicle.

Mr Macia was later found dead by another officer in a police cell in Daveyton, Johannesburg.

Police have claimed they put 27-year-old Mr Macia in a police van to take him to a police station. Officers have said they cannot explain how he died, though other inmates have claimed he was beaten to death.

Video of Mr Macia dragged behind a police van was shown around the world

The court heard he suffered extensive injuries culminating in hypoxia - a lack of oxygen to the body - which caused his death.

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

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

Several dozen protesters gathered outside Benoni Magistrate's Court in Johannesburg as the nine officers - aged between 25 and 57 - sat together in court, some dressed in suits, others in casual clothes.

Mr Macia's parents arrive at the court in east Johannesburg

Eight officers were originally arrested in connection over Mr Macia's death while a ninth who was on duty that day turned himself in. All have been refused bail.

South Africa's police watchdog, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, said Mr Macia suffered head injuries and internal bleeding after officers tried to arrest him for allegedly obstructing traffic.

Police in South Africa are known for heavy handedness when dealing with the public, and the police watchdog is handling numerous cases of police brutality.

In the 12 months before March 2010, according to Amnesty International, there were 920 complaints of serious assault and 294 deaths in custody.

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Bunga Bunga Trial Halted: Berlusconi In Hospital

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter, in Rome

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been admitted to hospital - just as his Bunga Bunga sex trial enters its closing stages.

Prosecutors had been due to wrap up the case against billionaire media tycoon Berlusconi, 76, who is accused of having sex with an underage prostitute and abuse of office, today.

But instead his lawyers filed a request for an adjournment, revealing he had been admitted to hospital with conjunctivitis.

They said his doctor had advised him to stay away from "bright lights" for a week.

Prosecutor Ilda Boccassini told the court it was simply another attempt to stall the trial, which has been going on for almost two years - pointing out that a request for a delay on medical grounds had been filed initially earlier this week.

Ms Boccassini explained the first one suggested treatment at home and then it was replaced with a second which suggested hospital therapy and she added: "I'm no doctor but the serious consequences of such an illness would have been apparent straight away to a doctor.

"This escalation in medical notes is simply another attempt to slow the legal process down and have the hearing adjourned."

Karima El Mahroug is at the centre of the "Bunga Bunga" trial

She urged the three woman panel of judges at the court in Milan to reject the request, telling them his illness was "not a lawful impediment" to stay away from the hearing at which she was expected to formally request a 12-year jail term against him.

Berlusconi's lawyer Niccolo Ghedini told the court his client was admitted to Milan's San Raffaelle hospital and said: "I have spoken to Berlusconi's security team and they have confirmed he is receiving treatment and they have asked for a medical certificate.

"This certificate will explain that he has been admitted to hospital because the treatment could not be carried out at home where he was ill during the night."

Mr Ghedini explained that the eye complaint had been troubling Berlusconi for several days and it had also led to him cancelling meetings with Italian president Giorgio Napolitano and senior figures from his People of Freedom Party.

He said his personal physician had advised him to "rest completely for seven days and avoid exposure to bright lights".

Judge Giulia Turri said she would adjourn the case until she had received a fax from the hospital confirming he had been admitted.

Berlusconi in front of a portrait of his ex-wife Veronica Lario

Berlusconi is on trial for allegedly paying former belly dancer Karima El Mahroug for sex when she was just 17 years old at the Bunga Bunga parties which he threw at his villa near Milan.

The court has heard how Miss El Mahroug, who is now 19, was showered with cash and gifts by Berlusconi, along with several other show girls and starlets who were invited to the parties.

He is also accused of using his power as then prime minister in 2010 to secure Miss El Mahroug's release from custody when she was arrested for theft by wrongly telling police she was related to then Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. 

The Moroccan-born teenager, who also goes by the stage name Ruby the Heartstealer, and Berlusconi have both denied anything untoward took place and he insists the meetings were merely "convivial dinners" with "evenings of food, dance and song".

Earlier this week, Berlusconi was sentenced to one year in jail for publishing in one of his newspapers part of a classified investigation into the role of the Democratic party (PD) in the acquisition of BNL bank by Unipol – an insurance company close to the PD – in 2005.

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North Korea Threatens US With Nuclear Strike

North Korea has threatened to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the United States.

An unidentified spokesman for Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry says the North will exercise its right for "pre-emptive nuclear strikes on the headquarters of the aggressors".

The spokesman claims Washington is pushing to start a nuclear war against North Korea.

The threat comes hours ahead of a vote by UN diplomats on whether to level new sanctions against Pyongyang for its recent nuclear test.

Inflammatory rhetoric is common from North Korea, however it has become more regular in recent days.

The North has been angered by the possible sanctions and over upcoming US-South Korean military drills.

The UN Security Council is set to impose a fourth round of sanctions against Pyongyang in a fresh attempt to rein in its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, the current council president, said the council will vote on the draft sanctions resolution on Thursday morning.

The resolution was drafted by the United States and China, North Korea's closest ally.

The council's agreement to put the resolution to a vote just 48 hours later signalled that it would almost certainly have the support of all 15 council members.

Although North Korea boasts of nuclear bombs and pre-emptive strikes, the country is not thought to have mastered the ability to produce a warhead small enough to put on a missile capable of reaching the US.

It is believed to have enough nuclear fuel, however, for several crude nuclear devices.

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Aussie Doctor Jailed Over Hep C Infections

A former Australian doctor has been jailed for up to 14 years after he infected 55 women with Hepatitis C.

James Latham Peters was working as an anaesthetist at a Melbourne abortion clinic when he transferred the disease to patients.

The Australian newspaper reported that 63-year-old Peters passed on the disease by injecting himself with syringes of fentanyl before administering the drug to the patients. 

Peters had an addiction to fentanyl, which was used in procedures at the abortion clinic. 

Peters was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 1997, the same year he was suspended for drug abuse, although he was later allowed to return to work.

He was supposed to be under supervision while he worked.

Victoria's Supreme Court Justice Terry Forrest sentenced Peters to 14 years in prison.

He will serve a minimum of 10 years before becoming eligible for parole.

Justice Forrest described his behaviour as "truly reprehensible".

"The physical damage caused by your conduct and the associated emotional harm cannot adequately be described by me in words," he said.

Speaking after Peters' sentencing, Detective Paul Robotham said: "The sentence handed down today should serve as a warning to all, especially those in the health industry that any abuse of community trust will be thoroughly investigated."

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Italy: Berlusconi Given 12-Month Prison Sentence

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been sentenced to a year in prison over the publication of leaked transcripts from a police wiretap in one of his newspapers.

Mr Berlusconi, who faces two more verdicts this month for tax fraud and having sex with an underage prostitute, can appeal the conviction and so doing suspend the sentence under Italian law.

Italian sentencing guidelines indicate that people aged over 75 and with sentences of less than two years do not have to actually go to prison.

Mr Berlusconi, a billionaire media tycoon, is 76.

He stood accused of violating secrecy laws after his Il Giornale daily published transcripts in 2005 that were widely seen as an attempt to discredit a senior member of the centre-left Democratic Party ahead of elections in 2006.

The leaks were about the attempted takeover of BNL bank by insurance giant Unipol.

Mr Berlusconi's brother Paolo, editor of Il Giornale, was sentenced to two years and three months.

Despite everything Mr Berlusconi is hoping to make a political comeback

Silvio Berlusconi also faces a verdict possibly as early as March 18 in a trial in which he is accused of having sex with a then 17-year-old prostitute when he was prime minister.

He is also accused of abusing the power of his office by putting pressure on police to release her from custody.

A verdict in his appeal trial against a tax fraud conviction from last year in which he was also sentenced to a year in prison is also expected around March 23.

Italian court dates are often changed at the last minute and Mr Berlusconi's lawyers have tried to slow down all the trials, invoking "legitimate impediment" because of his duties as an MP.

The verdict will not prevent Mr Berlusconi from taking office in a new government.

His centre-right coalition finished third in recent parliamentary elections that saw no clear winner. Talks on forming a new administration are expected to begin on March 20.

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Jihad Boy Wears 9/11 Bomb T-Shirt To School

A woman and her brother have appeared in a French court after a three-year-old child named Jihad was sent to school wearing a T-shirt with the words "I am a bomb" printed on it.

The principal and teachers at the school in Sorgues, southern France, notified authorities after Boucha Bagour sent her son to classes dressed in the shirt.

Le Parisien reported that the words "I am a bomb" were inscribed on the front, and the words "Jihad, born September 11" on the back.

The expression plays on the popular French saying "Je suis la bombe", which translates roughly as "I am the best".

Ms Bagour, 35, and her brother, Zeyad Bagour, 29, were summoned to appear before the court after the school and local mayor complained.

Mr Bagour gave the shirt to the boy as a gift. He told the court he "had no intention to provoke or shock".

Speaking to the court, Ms Bagour defended herself, saying: "For me, this is the name of my son and his date of birth."

She also apologised to the court, saying she thought the shirt might "make people laugh".

However, lawyer Claude Avril said: "Idiocy is often the best alibi to hide the real intentions.

"The most scandalous thing is that they've used and manipulated a three-year-old child to voluntarily convey the words of a terrorist," she added.

Ms Bagour and her brother are facing fines of €1,000 (£860) and €3,000 (£2,600) respectively if they are found guilty of any offences.

The case will be decided on April 10.

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Hugo Chavez: A Master Of The Spotlight

Venezuelan Leader Hugo Chavez Dies

Updated: 7:30am UK, Wednesday 06 March 2013

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has died at the age of 58 after losing his battle with cancer.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro fought back tears as he announced the death in a national television broadcast.

He said Mr Chavez, who had been in power for 14 years, died at 4.25pm local time "after battling a tough illness for nearly two years".

Amid fears of unrest, Mr Maduro also said the army and police had been deployed "to accompany and protect our people and guarantee the peace".

Hundreds of Venezuelans poured into the streets of the capital Caracas, with many crying, hugging each other, or shouting slogans of support.

Clusters of women with tears streaming down their faces clung to each other and wept near the Miraflores presidential palace. Some wore T-shirts with slogans that read: "Go forward commander!"

Nearby, men pumped their arms in the air while shouting: "Long live Chavez! Long live Chavismo!"

Foreign Minister Elias Jaua declared seven days of national mourning and said a wake for Mr Chavez would be held until Friday, when his official funeral will take place.

He said Mr Maduro would take over the presidency until fresh elections can take place in around 30 days.

Ideological allies across Latin America lined up to salute former paratrooper Mr Chavez, a standard bearer of the region's "anti-imperialist" left.

Cuba has declared three days of national mourning, with the government saying Mr Chavez had "stood by Fidel Castro like a true son".

Bolivia's socialist President Evo Morales said he was "crushed", while Argentinian Vice President Amado Boudou said "all of Latin America" was in mourning.

President Barack Obama responded by expressing hopes for improved relations with the oil-rich state, voicing American "support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government".

He added: "As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "saddened" by the death of a leader who had left a "lasting impression on the country and more widely".

Mr Chavez had been receiving cancer treatment in Cuba on and off since June 2011 - when he was first diagnosed with the illness.

The announcement of his death came just hours after Mr Maduro announced the government had expelled two US diplomats from the country.

He had said Mr Chavez's illness had been induced by foul play by "the historical enemies of our homeland".

People have been gathering outside the military hospital where Mr Chavez died. Soldiers in riot gear stood shoulder to shoulder guarding the complex.

"I feel such big pain I can't even speak," said Yamilina Barrios, a 39-year-old office worker weeping at a street corner. "He was the best thing the country had ... I adore him. Let's hope the country calms down and we can continue the tasks he left us."

The government announced late on Monday that Mr Chavez's condition was "very delicate" due to a "new, severe" respiratory infection.

Mr Chavez had not been seen in public or heard since undergoing a fourth round of surgery in Cuba on December 11.

The government said he returned home on February 18, and had been confined to Caracas' military hospital ever since.

During his time in power, Mr Chavez routinely challenged the status quo at home and internationally.

The fiery populist leader declared a socialist revolution in Venezuela, crusaded against US influence, championed a leftist revival across Latin America, and over time, gradually placed all state institutions under his personal control.

His death sets up a snap presidential election after his illness prevented him from taking the oath of office when he was re-elected last year.

Under the constitution, the head of Congress, Diosdado Cabello, would assume the interim presidency.

However, Mr Maduro is Mr Chavez's self-anointed successor and has been holding the reins since the president's health worsened.

The man Mr Chavez defeated in October's presidential elections, Miranda state Governor Henrique Capriles, is expected to represent the opposition in any new national polls.

He called for unity and offered his condolences to Mr Chavez's family and supporters.

Venezuela's defence minister pledged the military would remain loyal to the constitution in the wake of Mr Chavez's death.

Sky's Dominic Waghorn said Mr Chavez "used a mixture of brute force, persuasion, passion and charisma to keep himself in power".

"Such was the adoration and devotion that mainly the poor in Venezuela felt for him that he was seen as this almost sort of religious figure, and his loss now leaves a huge void in Venezuelan politics.

"A lot of people say he is irreplaceable."

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Hugo Chavez Dies: Election In Four Weeks

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has died at the age of 58 after losing his battle with cancer.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro fought back tears as he announced the death in a national television broadcast.

He said Mr Chavez, who had been in power for 14 years, died at 4.25pm local time "after battling a tough illness for nearly two years".

Amid fears of unrest, Mr Maduro also said the army and police had been deployed "to accompany and protect our people and guarantee the peace".

Hundreds of Venezuelans poured into the streets of the capital Caracas, with many crying, hugging each other, or shouting slogans of support.

Clusters of women with tears streaming down their faces clung to each other and wept near the Miraflores presidential palace. Some wore T-shirts with slogans that read: "Go forward commander!"

Nearby, men pumped their arms in the air while shouting: "Long live Chavez! Long live Chavismo!"

Foreign Minister Elias Jaua declared seven days of national mourning and said a wake for Mr Chavez would be held until Friday, when his official funeral will take place.

He said Mr Maduro would take over the presidency until fresh elections can take place in around 30 days.

Emotional vice president Nicolas Maduro announced the death on national TV

Ideological allies across Latin America lined up to salute former paratrooper Mr Chavez, a standard bearer of the region's "anti-imperialist" left.

Cuba has declared three days of national mourning, with the government saying Mr Chavez had "stood by Fidel Castro like a true son".

Bolivia's socialist President Evo Morales said he was "crushed", while Argentinian Vice President Amado Boudou said "all of Latin America" was in mourning.

President Barack Obama responded by expressing hopes for improved relations with the oil-rich state, voicing American "support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government".

He added: "As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "saddened" by the death of a leader who had left a "lasting impression on the country and more widely".

Mr Chavez had been receiving cancer treatment in Cuba on and off since June 2011 - when he was first diagnosed with the illness.

Some Venezuelans in the US say they are glad the 'dictatorship' has ended

The announcement of his death came just hours after Mr Maduro announced the government had expelled two US diplomats from the country.

He had said Mr Chavez's illness had been induced by foul play by "the historical enemies of our homeland".

People have been gathering outside the military hospital where Mr Chavez died. Soldiers in riot gear stood shoulder to shoulder guarding the complex.

"I feel such big pain I can't even speak," said Yamilina Barrios, a 39-year-old office worker weeping at a street corner. "He was the best thing the country had ... I adore him. Let's hope the country calms down and we can continue the tasks he left us."

The government announced late on Monday that Mr Chavez's condition was "very delicate" due to a "new, severe" respiratory infection.

Mr Chavez had not been seen in public or heard since undergoing a fourth round of surgery in Cuba on December 11.

The government said he returned home on February 18, and had been confined to Caracas' military hospital ever since.

During his time in power, Mr Chavez routinely challenged the status quo at home and internationally.

Mr Chavez with daughters Rosa Virginia, right, and Maria

The fiery populist leader declared a socialist revolution in Venezuela, crusaded against US influence, championed a leftist revival across Latin America, and over time, gradually placed all state institutions under his personal control.

His death sets up a snap presidential election after his illness prevented him from taking the oath of office when he was re-elected last year.

Under the constitution, the head of Congress, Diosdado Cabello, would assume the interim presidency.

However, Mr Maduro is Mr Chavez's self-anointed successor and has been holding the reins since the president's health worsened.

The man Mr Chavez defeated in October's presidential elections, Miranda state Governor Henrique Capriles, is expected to represent the opposition in any new national polls.

He called for unity and offered his condolences to Mr Chavez's family and supporters.

Venezuela's defence minister pledged the military would remain loyal to the constitution in the wake of Mr Chavez's death.

Sky's Dominic Waghorn said Mr Chavez "used a mixture of brute force, persuasion, passion and charisma to keep himself in power".

"Such was the adoration and devotion that mainly the poor in Venezuela felt for him that he was seen as this almost sort of religious figure, and his loss now leaves a huge void in Venezuelan politics.

"A lot of people say he is irreplaceable."

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Car Thief Strangles Baby Left In Vehicle

A Chinese car thief strangled a two-month-old baby after stealing a vehicle with the infant inside, according to police.

In a crime that has sparked revulsion across the country, officers said the baby was killed and then buried in the snow.

The baby's parents had left the child alone for 10 minutes with the car doors unlocked and the engine running, according to state-run media.

Reports suggested the father had run into the shop where he worked to turn up the heat because he wanted to keep the baby warm.

Zhou Xijun, 48, stole the car in the north eastern Jilin province, triggering a major hunt involving thousands of police officers and taxi drivers.

He handed himself in a day later and confessed, according to reports.

Jilin police said in a statement that Zhou had "discovered a baby in the back seat of the stolen car, stopped at the side of a road before strangling the baby to death and burying it in the snow".

No information was given about whether the body has been recovered.

The South China Morning Post reported that the child's mother had a heart attack when told of the killing and was being treated in hospital.

The case caused a storm in China, generating far more attention than the annual meeting of China's parliament which opened on Tuesday.               

Changchun citizens mourn the death of the two-month-old baby

Internet users expressed their disgust at the crime and many called for Zhou to be put to death.

"Killing him once would not be enough," one user of Sina Weibo, a website similar to Twitter, wrote.

Another added: "I would never have imagined that what people most feared would actually happen ... The killer should be severely punished."

However others entered into debates about negligent parents, calling for harsher punishments for those who fail to protect their children.

A candlelit vigil for the baby was held in Changchun on Tuesday evening. Lights were dimmed at 10.10pm and a moment of silence was observed.

The latest UN figures on the murder rate in China puts it at one per 100,000 people, among the lowest in the world.

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Syria Crisis: Refugee Figure Tops Million Mark

Syria Crisis: Inside A Refugee Camp

Updated: 11:28am UK, Wednesday 06 March 2013

By Sam Kiley, in Zaatari Camp, Jordan

They crossed in silence. A stream of humanity stumbling over pebbles in slippers and sandals. Artillery crunched into the earth in the homeland they had left.

"No lights, no lights," a Jordanian officer implored. "The regime forces (he meant the Syrian army) will see them and shoot at them."

Around 2,000 had crossed on foot before midnight that night into the desert kingdom just north of Ramtha.

They joined 300,000 other registered refugees here. People fleeing Syria into Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and on to North Africa and Europe now total, officially, a million. The truth is that the figure topped that some time back.

At least 400,000 refugees now live in Jordan, some 150,000 in the Zatari refugee Camp - the rest have been absorbed into Jordanian society.

"This puts, massive strains on us. We are short of water in this country. We are shoot of food and ave many who are already living below the poverty lone and now we have increased our population by about eight per cent.

"That means we are risking political instability - tension will rise. Competition for scarce resources can only lead in one direction," said a senior officer in Jordan's security forces.

"Contagion" is an ugly word to use in relation to human beings. But the effects of Syria's civil war are spreading into the region like a virus.

The disease is instability. It can be carried by refugees, unwilling hosts carrying the turmoil that cased them to flee their homes into neighbouring countries.

In Zatari the leader of an aid organisation said: "It's hard not to feel resentment when the Syrian problem is draining our own social funds. Our poor are worse off than the refugees."

Jordan estimates that it has spent in the region of $400m (£264m) already on humanitarian efforts. But the end of this year it expects to be hosting 600,000 people - and will need another $400 million or more.

Jordan, so far, has been spared the open conflict which has spilled from Syria into the Lebanon, which has been riven with sectarian strife.

Alawites, many of whom support President Assad, and Sunnis, often rebel supporters, have clashed in the north. Sunni and Shi'a in the south.

Border villages have been turned into bases for Sunni rebels in the north crossing into Syria. A little to the south near the Bekaa valley they are jumping off points for Hezbollah fighters joining Mr Assad's fight against the rebels.

On the Golan Heights, in Israeli occupied Syrian territory, the army of the Jewish State has boosted its defences and watches the daily skirmishes inside Syria from a few hundred yards away.

To the west, on the border with the Lebanon, Israel has installed batteries of Iron Dome and Patriot anti-missile missiles to defend against attacks from Hezbollah.

Israeli forces have already risked provoking Hezbollah with at least two sorties against Hezbollah targets, or Syrian weapon convoys supplying Hezbollah with anti-aircraft missiles.

The south Lebanese Shia movement is backed by Iran and President Assad. It knows it needs a strategic weapon to ensure its military longevity if its source of re-supply in Syria is cut off.

It has been trying to get hold of modern anti-aircraft missiles which could threaten Israeli air supremacy.

It might also like to get its hands on Syria's deadly stockpiles of VX and Sarin nerve agents which it has 'weaponised' and is capable of fitting to missiles and artillery shells.

Israel has made it clear that an attempt to give Hezbollah chemical weapons would be met with force. It would go to war to prevent its enemy getting hold of such a dangerous weapon.

Syria has indeed become contagious. The international focus is now on how to contain such a virulent outbreak of chaos, violence and grief.

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India: Irom Sharmila Explains Hunger Strike

By Alex Rossi, India Correspondent

An Indian woman who has been on hunger strike for more than 12 years has told Sky News she will continue her protest despite being charged with attempting to commit suicide.

Irom Sharmila started her fast after she witnessed the killing of a group of civilians by Indian paramilitary forces in Manipur in November 2000.

The 40-year-old says she will never end her hunger strike unless the Indian government repeals a controversial piece of legislation called the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

She told Sky News: "I am a democratic citizen. I am a simple non-violent woman who wants a simple normal life."

"I am so determined to my cause. My struggle is very needed - whether it is difficult or easy does not matter."

The AFSPA gives Indian soldiers immunity from prosecution in areas where there is conflict.

In Manipur, a state in India's northeast, there has been an insurgency for the last five decades.

Ms Irom arrived at court flanked by tight security

A number of militant groups are demanding independence from India. 

Indian human rights groups claim the AFSPA is used by soldiers as legal cover to carry out torture and extrajudicial killings.

Ms Irom – who is known as the Iron Lady of Manipur by her supporters - has not eaten a solid meal for more than 12 years.

She is currently being held in judicial custody and is kept alive by being force fed twice a day through a tube in her nose.

Her diet consists of liquid carbohydrate, protein and a smattering of vitamins.

She was arrested three days after her hunger strike began but under Indian law has to be released every year to see if she will start eating again.

Protesters outside court backed Ms Irom's call for a change to the law

In 2006, while on release, she took her protest to the capital city Delhi but was arrested and charged with attempting to commit suicide under section 309 of the Indian penal code.

The case is only just coming to court now – the wheels of Indian justice turn very slowly.

Ms Irom told Sky News she does not want to commit suicide and that her protest is about "justice and peace".

She says it is no different to what Mahatma Gandhi did to end British rule in India.

The Iron Lady's struggle has been compared to that of Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi.

She has been awarded a number of human rights awards over the years and in South Asia is seen as a symbol of female power.      

She has pleaded not guilty and may get another chance to give voice to her views when her trial begins on May 22.

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Khalil Edney Wonder Shot Dedicated To Late Mum

A high school basketball player who pulled off an incredible match-winning shot just ahead of the buzzer, has dedicated his feat to his mother who died of cancer.

Khalil Edney's feet have barely touched the ground since he grabbed a loose ball for the miracle 55-footer to give New Rochelle a 61-60 victory over rival Mount Vernon in a New York sectional final.

The 17-year-old has had a ride in a limousine and a night in a Manhattan hotel, given numerous TV interviews and held a makeshift news conference since Sunday night.

Video of what has already become known as "The Shot" has become a sensation online, with high praise from the professionals.

Duke guard Seth Curry tweeted "Wow!" to go along with a YouTube link for Edney's heave, and New Rochelle alumni Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens also offered his congratulations online.

Edney knew who to thank at the news conference.

The teen - whose mother died from cervical cancer in 2006 when he was just 11 - showed off his tattoos including "momma's boy", the date of her birth and the day she died.

Edney's father, Lewis said: "I thought his mother took it out of his hands and scored."

The winning sequence started when a New Rochelle pass was broken up and a Mount Vernon player tried to run out the clock by flipping the ball in the air.

But Edney brought it in and let fly for the win. The shot was initially waved off, but the referees eventually reversed the call.

The win sends New Rochelle to the state regional semifinals on Tuesday.

Their star player is still nursing a sprained ankle from before Sunday's game, but he is determined the buzz surrounding The Shot will not go to his head.

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Bolshoi Acid Attack: Star's Home Searched

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

Russian police are searching the home of a star of the Bolshoi Ballet in connection with the acid attack on the company's artistic director.

Sergei Filin is currently being treated in Germany, where surgeons are attempting to save as much of his sight as possible after the attack in January almost blinded him.

Officers were in the apartment of soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko, known for his roles as tsar Ivan the Terrible and Evil Villain in Swan Lake, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry announced separately on Tuesday that it had detained a suspect in the attack and was searching his home.

The LifeNews website, which has close links to the city's police, quoted a source as saying that the suspect had been seized during an early morning operation in Moscow's suburbs, and that searches were under way at several addresses in the Stupino area.

It said the suspect was arrested in connection with the sulphuric acid attack on Mr Filin and that investigations were ongoing to find out who had ordered it.

Mr Filin had sulphuric acid thrown in his face outside his Moscow apartment

The source said the suspect had been traced through mobile phone records after a search of mobile activity close to Mr Filin's address around the time of the assault.

The 42-year-old artistic director was attacked on January 17 outside his Moscow apartment.

Speaking from his hospital bed shortly afterwards, he said he was sure the incident was linked to his work at the Bolshoi - one of the world's oldest ballet companies.

Last month, the ballet postponed its production of Stravinsky's The Rite Of Spring and in January, leading ballerina Svetlana Lunkina fled to Canada after receiving unconnected threats.

The case has focused attention on the bitter rivalries within the ballet world.

Colleagues have said the attack could be in retaliation for Mr Filin's selection of certain dancers over others for prized roles.

The Bolshoi has been plagued by intrigue and infighting that has led to the departure of several artistic directors over the past few years.

Katerina Novikova, a spokeswoman for the Bolshoi Theatre, said the management was not aware of a conflict between Mr Dmitrichenko and Mr Filin and had no information about the purpose of the search.

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Deadly Florida Sinkhole Is Finally Revealed

The deadly sinkhole that swallowed a man at his home in Florida has been uncovered by demolition teams.

The remaining walls of the house were knocked down on Monday and debris was dragged towards the street to reveal the crater in Seffner, about 15 miles east of Tampa.

The authorities estimate that it now measures 30 feet (9m) across and between 30 and 100ft (30m) deep.

It has become the final resting place of Jeff Bush, whose body was never recovered after the sinkhole opened up under his bedroom on Thursday night.

The remaining walls of the Bush family home are torn down

Five other family members who were in the house escaped unharmed.

During a brief ceremony on Monday afternoon, the 37-year-old's family placed a teddy bear, a photo, notes and flowers into the bucket of a digger which dropped them into the makeshift grave.

Then the first load of gravel to stabilise the hole was poured on top.

Jeremy Bush, 35, who tried to save his brother thanked rescuers and salvage teams, but also suggested they could have "tried harder".

Jeremy Bush said more could have been done for his brother

"I tried my hardest to get you out, brother," he said through his tears at a news conference.

"I think I'm the only one that really tried to get you out. They said the ground was too unstable to do anything, but they got all this heavy equipment on there, pulling stuff out and everyone's cheering for everything that's coming out of the house. I've had enough of the cheering."

Rescue teams had halted all recovery efforts on Saturday when the site became too unstable.

Two neighbouring houses have been evacuated and could also be condemned.

Florida is highly prone to sinkholes because there are caverns below ground of limestone, a porous rock that easily dissolves in water.

A new smaller sinkhole opens up in Seffner. Pic: WTSP-TV

A second hole was reported about three miles away from the Bush family's home on Monday but aside from a piece of fence, there was no serious damage and nobody was hurt.

It is the loss of life that makes the Seffner case so highly unusual and tragic.

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Japan: Family Killed As Car Is Buried In Snow

Four members of a family have been killed after their car was buried in a snowstorm in the main northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Four other deaths linked to the weekend's snowfall have been reported.

Kazuyo Miyashita and her three children died at a hospital on Saturday night of carbon-monoxide poisoning after their vehicle got buried in the snow.

Her daughters were 17 and 14, and her son was 11.

The snowstorm hit during the weekend, burying vehicles

Separately, a 23-year-old woman froze to death after leaving her car, which was stuck in the snow.

The Kyodo news service said a 53-year-old man had died after getting buried in the snow, although his nine-year-old daughter found with him was recovering.

Two other men collapsed in the snow in another part of Hokkaido and were confirmed dead.

Several vehicles were stranded and buried under snow in the island in northern Japan.

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India: Twelve Children Die In School Bus Crash

At least 12 children have been killed after their school bus collided with a truck carrying bricks in northern India.

The crash, which also killed the driver, happened on the outskirts of Jalandhar, a city nearly 250 miles (400km) north of the capital Delhi.

Police officer Harmeet Singh said seven children died at the scene and another five died from their injuries in hospital.

It has been reported the impact of the accident was so bad the roof of the minibus was torn off and the vehicle was virtually reduced to a heap of metal.

The truck was also very badly damaged

Police are looking for the truck driver, who fled after the accident.

India has the world's deadliest roads, with more than 110,000 people killed every year. Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and ageing vehicles.

The children's bags and shoes near the scene

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Brooklyn Crash: Parents Buried, Baby Survives

More than 1,000 mourners have gathered at the funeral of a young couple killed on the way to hospital for the birth of their first child.

Nachman and Raizy Glauber, both 21, were killed in the crash in Brooklyn but their baby boy survived after doctors performed a caesarean section on the mother.

Police are searching for the driver and passenger of a BMW who fled the scene on foot.

Many of the Glaubers' fellow Orthodox Jews attended the couple's funeral, which was held hours after their deaths. Jewish law calls for the burial of the dead as soon as possible.

A man walks past the scene of the crash in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Mr Glauber was described as "the sweetest, most charming human being, always with a smile on his face".

His cousin, Sara Glauber, added of the couple: "If one had to go, the other had to go too because they really were one soul."

The hit-and-run happened in the Williamsburg neighbourhood of Brooklyn, as the couple made their way to a local hospital in a cab.

Mrs Glauber, who was seven months pregnant, was sitting in the back of the car. Her body was thrown from the vehicle and landed under a parked lorry, according to witnesses.

Raizy Glauber was thrown from the car carrying her

Her husband was trapped in the vehicle and emergency workers had to cut the roof off to free him from the wreckage.

The Glaubers were married about a year ago and had started a life together in Williamsburg, relatives said. He was studying at a rabbinical college nearby.

At their funeral, men in black hats gathered around the coffins in the middle of the street, while women in bright headscarves stood on the pavement, in accordance with the Orthodox Jewish tradition of separating the sexes at religious services.

A man could be heard sobbing as he spoke through a loudspeaker, while Yitzchok Silberstein, Mrs Glauber's father, said: "I will never forget you, my daughter."

Brooklyn is home to the largest community of ultra-Orthodox Jews outside Israel, with more than 250,000 living in the New York borough.

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Pope Photo Burnt: Church Launches Probe

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

Church chiefs have launched an investigation after an Italian priest set fire to a photograph of former Pope Benedict XVI in front of dozens of stunned worshippers.

Father Andrea Maggi, 67, ignited the picture during a sermon, saying that Benedict had "abandoned" the Catholic Church.

He then went on to compare him to Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino, who has been accused of fleeing his post and leaving passengers on the stranded cruise ship.

Father Andrea, a priest for more than 40 years, told the packed service at Santo Stefano church in Castelvittorio near Imperia: "I'm doing this because he has not been a Pope, he has abandoned us. A shepherd never leaves his flock."

Parishioners including children, looked on amazed as the picture of Benedict, who resigned last week after eight years as Pontiff was enveloped in flames before the priest let it drop to the ground and burn itself out.

Father Andrea is unrepentant, and said: "I'd said that I would burn his picture the day he left and that's what I did. I'm glad what I did has caused such an outcry - I don't have maize in my head. We are not in a communist state.

"I'm not interested in his reasons for leaving. The job of Pope is for life. He should not have left. He's behaved just like (Francesco) Schettino. Where is the proof of his faith?

"The Pope said this was the year of faith and he then leaves his post as head of the church."

Bishop Alberto Maria Careggio, of the diocese, said: "This was an abominable action. I'm mortified by the actions of Father Andrea who in the past has always been a very generous and sensible priest. I'm arranging a meeting with him as soon as possible."

Benedict said he made the shock decision - the first time a Pope has resigned in 600 years - because he "felt tired".

However by stepping down he has angered many Catholics and some senior Church chiefs as the job is for life.

The priest compared Pope Benedict to Captain Francesco Schettino

Locals in his parish, which nestles in a picturesque medieval hilltop village, have described him as "very strict and ultra orthodox".

Before the incident Father Maggi, who has been a priest there for five years, had been complaining bitterly about Benedict's decision.

Gianstefano Orengo, mayor of Castel Vittorio, who witnessed the incident, said: "Certainly everyone knew Father Andrea was upset and angry at Benedict's announcement.

"It was a shocking thing to see. I know it may be a difficult time for him but it was still a serious thing to do."

He pulled out a picture of the Pope and then used a nearby candle to ignite it as he started his sermon.

"It lasted a minute or so and he then said Benedict had acted in a similar fashion to (Francesco) Schettino who left his post when the Costa Concordia struck rocks and with passengers still needed to be saved.

"People were shocked and started complaining and several including myself left the service.  There was no justification at all for it even if there are mitigating circumstances."

Meanwhile cardinals in Rome have begun their discussions ahead of setting a date for the start of the conclave which will elect the next Pope, with the selection process expected to begin in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel next week.

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Mokhtar Belmokhtar: Gas Terror Chief 'Killed'

Belmokhtar: Profile Of Mr Marlboro

Updated: 12:54am UK, Sunday 03 March 2013

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent

He was known as Mr Marlboro because of his cigarette smuggling. The French intelligence service called him "The Uncatchable".

Born in central Algeria in 1972, Mokhtar Belmokhtar grew obsessed with Jihadi ideology in his teens. At 19 he volunteered to fight alongside the mujahedeen in Afghanistan.

He missed most of the fighting there as the Soviets withdrew as he arrived but he did encounter senior members of what was to become al Qaeda - receiving training in a Jalalabad base.

In the early 1990s he returned to Algeria to join Islamic militant groups. He served them as a quartermaster - rapidly rose to dominate operations in the south of the country during the Algerian civil war.

Described by the then head of France's Territorial Surveillance Directorate (Direction de la surveillance du territoire – DST) as Algeria's link to al Qaeda, Belmokhtar maintained strong links to the movement's core in Pakistan.

But he was a vital element in the expansion of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). A franchise of the Jihadi movement AQIM was seen as the poorly performing franchise during the last decade. 

But Belmokhtar forged links with Tuareg rebels in the south Sahara from Mali to Niger and into Mauritania.

He rapidly expanded a criminal empire to fund his political and military operations from smuggling cigarettes, diamonds, drugs and people into Europe.

He further stuffed his war chest with funds from hostage taking operations. In 2003 he was implicated in the kidnapping of 32 Europeans in the Sahara.

In 2008, he took control of negotiations for the release of two Austrian hostages. And in 2009 took control of two Canadians kidnapped in Mali and released by him for allegedly £3m and freedom for several of his associates from Malian jails.

Robert Fowler was a UN special envoy in Mali when he was kidnapped and then handed on to Belmokhtar.

He described the man who has now projected himself on to the world stage from the relative obscurity of the Saharan wastes.

"He is very cold. Very business-like. I was afraid for my life all the time. I was afraid for my life when I woke up in the morning and when I went to sleep at night. He is a very serious player," Mr Fowler told ABC News in the US.

Belmokhtar's movement got a huge boost from the collapse of the Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi.

The Tuareg fighters he had employed from Niger, Mali and Chad, fled his service carrying with them vast stockpiles of heavy weapons and bringing many years of combat experience.

This influx of new weapons and fighters allowed for al Qaeda-related groups to capture much of northern Mali and establish closer links between groups from Mauritania to Somalia and into the Arabian Peninsula.

Some intelligence agencies believe that Belmokhtar fell out with the AQIM leader in the north of Africa, Abdulmalek Droukel.

But al Qaeda is a franchise. Its strength lies in fragmentation. A devolved series of groups are harder to infiltrate or destroy than one large organisation.

Al Qaeda expert Aaron Zelin describes this as "controlled fragmentation".

French intelligence services had been trying to kill or capture Belmokhtar for more than a decade. They believed that he had the capacity to mobilise French citizens with their roots in North Africa for terror operations inside Europe.

After France launched its war against Islamists in Mali, many of whom are connected to Belmokhtar, his organisation which calls itself "The Masked Ones", vowed to continue attacks against western targets in Africa and beyond.

Belmokhtar's attack in Algeria meant his name was heard more widely as his movement posed a strategic threat to Europe's energy supplies.

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Hosni Mubarak Retrial Date Set For April

A retrial of Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak – who was jailed for life for his role in the deaths of protesters in 2011 - is to open on April 13.

Mubarak, former interior minister Habib al Adly and six top security chiefs will be retried on orders of the Court of Cassation, the country's top appeals court, over the hundreds of killings during the 2011 uprising which ousted him from power.

The court agreed in January on a retrial for the 84-year-old, who appealed against his life sentence for involvement in the deaths.

In January, an ailing Mubarak who has been treated for fractured ribs and fluid in the lungs at a Cairo military hospital, was also interrogated over fresh charges of corruption.

He is accused of accepting gifts worth seven million Egyptian pounds $1m (£670,000) from the country's flagship state newspaper Al Ahram.

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World Cup 2022 Could Be Moved To Winter, Fifa

A senior Fifa official has admitted for the first time that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar could be moved to winter.

The finals were awarded by the world governing body in 2010 and are due to be held in the summer months when the temperature can reach more than 40 degrees Celsius.

European football boss Michel Platini has repeatedly said the competition needs to be held in winter, when the average is a far less intense 17 degrees.

Now Fifa's general secretary Jerome Valcke has become the first senior official to say the event could be moved if strong medical advice is received to support it.

Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke said the finals could be moved

Speaking at the meeting of the International Football Association Board - which governs the laws of football - he said: "Maybe the Fifa Exco (executive committee) will say based on medical reports or whatever: 'We really have to look at playing the World Cup not in summer but in winter'."

Qatar's winning bid caused a major stir in world football with critics arguing it would be impossible to freeze football leagues for a World Cup in December or January.

However, Mr Valcke believes that the timeframe for any decision could be extended to 2015.

"I am not saying that the case is closed but what I'm saying is as long as we have not fixed the international calendar all alternatives are open," he said.

"I can tell you there is no working group within Fifa thinking and working on what it means to move the World Cup from summer to winter for the time being.

"The international calendar has been agreed for 2015 to 2018, meaning that we kept open all potential for the period 2019 to 2022. We have time."

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Assad Hits Out At UK Government In Interview

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has heavily criticised the British government, calling it "shallow and immature".

In an interview with The Sunday Times, he dismissed any suggestion that Britain could help to resolve the conflict saying: "We do not expect an arsonist to be a firefighter."

He said Britain was not trusted by many in the Middle East, saying its has been viewed as "unconstructive" in the region for centuries.

"There's no contact between Syria and Britain for a long time.

"You cannot separate the role from the credibility, and you cannot separate the credibility from the history of that country.

"To be frank, Britain has played famously in our region (an) unconstructive role in different issues, for decades, some say for centuries."

He added: "How can we expect to ask Britain to play a role while it's determined to militarise the problem?

"How can you ask them to play a role in making the situation better, more stable, how can we expect them to make the violence less when they want to send the military supply to the terrorist?

"I think they are working against us, and they are working against the interests of the UK itself.

"This Government is acting in a naïve, confused, and unrealistic manner. If they want to play a role they have to change this, they have to act in a more reasonable and responsible way."

But Foreign Secretary William Hague said the interview was "one of the most delusional" by a modern leader.

"This is a man presiding over this slaughter, and the message to him is that we, Britain, are the people sending food and shelter and blankets to the people driven from their homes and families in his name.

"We are the people sending medical supplies to try to look after people injured and abused by the soldiers working for this man, President Assad.

"And Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN envoy, who's a soft-spoken diplomat, said this week that Assad thinks and is told by his inner circle, that all this is an international conspiracy, not the actual rebellion and revolt of his own people.

"So I think this will go down as one of the most delusional interviews that any national leader has given in modern times."

He also confirmed more direct assistance would be given to the Syrian opposition.

Earlier this week the Syrian Government said it is ready for talks with its armed opponents.

However, Syrian rebel leader Selim Idris said there could be no negotiations unless Mr Assad stepped down and leaders of the army and security forces were put on the trial.

The UN estimates that around 70,000 people have been killed since fighting began in Syria almost two years ago.

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