Edward Snowden Charged With Espionage

Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who revealed secret government spying programmes, has been charged with espionage by US authorities.

A provisional arrest warrant has been issued and Hong Kong authorities have been asked to detain him.

US prosecutors have filed a criminal complaint, charging Mr Snowden with three offences including unauthorised communication of national defence information, which comes under the Espionage Act, and theft of government property.

He is also charged with willful communication of classified communications intelligence information to an unauthorised person.

All three crimes listed carry a maximum 10-year prison penalty.

The former CIA technician, who has worked for America's National Security Agency (NSA), leaked details of American telephone and internet surveillance programmes.

Court papers list three offences including theft of government property

He revealed the existence of a surveillance system called Prism that was set up by the NSA to track the use of the internet directly from ISP servers.

The NSA and FBI have said that the secret programme provided "critical leads" in preventing "dozens of terrorist events" - although some terror experts dispute the claims.

President Obama has also said the programmes were carried out with "systems of checks and balances" and overseen by the courts and the US Congress.

The Prism revelations sparked outcry in the UK when The Guardian reported that the GCHQ eavesdropping agency had been accessing information about British citizens through Prism.

Mr Snowden fled to Hong Kong on May 20 after copying the last set of documents he intended to disclose at the NSA's office in Hawaii.

Protests in support of Mr Snowden have taken place in Hong Kong

Sky News Asia correspondent Mark Stone said the move marks the official start of government attempts to bring him back to the US.

"We are yet to hear from the Hong Kong police and authorities on whether or not they will act on the request by the Americans to arrest Edward Snowden.

"It's my understanding that they know exactly where he is. The Americans haven't yet asked for his extradition, they have simply asked the authorities to arrest him."

There are reports a private plane is on standby to take Mr Snowden from Hong Kong to Iceland, where he hopes to get asylum.

The latest documents from Mr Snowden claim to show that British spies have secretly accessed fibre-optic cables carrying emails, Facebook messages and other communications.

The Guardian reports that GCHQ can analyse data from the network of cables that carry global phone calls and internet traffic under an operation codenamed Tempora.

It claims that communications between innocent people are being processed, as well as those from people marked out as security threats.

The NSA programme helped to prevent terror attacks, say US spy chiefs

"It's not just a US problem," Mr Snowden told The Guardian.

"The UK has a huge dog in this fight. They (GCHQ) are worse than the US."

Mr Snowden worked for the NSA as an employee of various outside contractors, including Dell and Booz Allen Hamilton.

"I can't in good conscience allow the US government to destroy privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they're secretly building," Mr Snowden previously told The Guardian.

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Brazil Protests: President Promises Reforms

Brazil's President has promised to improve public services but says any further violence will not be tolerated in a speech to the nation rocked by mass protests.

During a TV broadcast Dilma Rousseff appealed for unity and said the government knew there were many things "we can do quicker and better".

"I am the president of all Brazil. Of those who support the demonstration and those who do not."

Dilma Rousseff has condemned the violence by 'a minority'

Reaching out to those who feel the government should direct more money to public services rather than on hosting major sporting events, she insisted that "football and sport are symbols of peace and peaceful coexistence".

But she added she would not stand by if demonstrations turned violent, as has been the case in several cities hit by cases of looting and attacks on public buildings including the foreign ministry and several government offices.

"The government cannot stand by as people attack public property ... and bring chaos to our streets," she stressed.

President Rousseff supports peaceful protest

"We need to inject oxygen into our political system, and make it more transparent and resistant to the tough challenges facing a countries marked by extreme disparity between rich and poor."

But she insisted that "we cannot put up with violence".

"People have a right to criticise," added Ms Rousseff saying she would staunchly defend that right.

She added: "We need to oxygenate our political system ... and make it more transparent."

Ms Rousseff, a former Marxist rebel who fought against Brazil's 1964-85 military regime and was imprisoned for three years, pointedly referred to sacrifices her generation made to free the nation from dictatorship.

Her comments came after nearly one million demonstrators took to the streets on Friday across the country to denounce alleged corruption, poor public services and billions of dollars spent preparing for next year's World Cup soccer tournament and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

Ms Rousseff had cancelled a trip overseas because of the unrest, but stayed away from the public eye for most of the week.

Nearly a million protesters took to the streets on Friday

But critics of Ms Rousseff and her government have accused them of paying "lip service".

Carlos Cardozo, a 62-year-old financial consultant who joined Friday's protest in Rio, said he thought the unrest could cost Ms Rousseff next year's elections.

"Her paying lip service by saying she's in favour of the protests is not helping her cause," Mr Cardozo said. "People want to see real action, real decisions, and it's not this government that's capable of delivering."

At least one protester was killed in Sao Paulo on Thursday night when a motorist - apparently enraged about being unable to drive along a street - rammed his car into a crowd of demonstrators.

Unconfirmed news reports also said a 54-year-old cleaning woman had died on Friday after inhaling tear gas.

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Mandela Stranded By Ambulance Breakdown

An ambulance carrying seriously ill Nelson Mandela to hospital broke down in freezing temperatures, it has emerged.

The military vehicle broke down at the side of the highway, leaving the iconic ex-president - known as Madiba - stranded for 40 minutes, according to CBS News.

Government spokesman Mac Maharaj confirmed the breakdown on June 8, the night the 94-year-old was taken to hospital in Pretoria, but said his convoy was well staffed with intensive care medical staff.

In a statement he said: "We confirm the media reports that the military ambulance transporting Madiba had an engine problem on the 8th and that the doctors are satisfied that the former president suffered no harm during this period.

"The fully-equipped military ICU ambulance had a full complement of specialist medical staff including intensive care specialists and ICU nurses.

President Jacob Zuma has said Mr Mandela's health is improving

"The convoy also included two quick response vehicles.

"When the ambulance experienced engine problems it was decided that it would be best to transfer to another military ambulance which itself was accompanied for the rest of the journey by a civilian ambulance.

"All care was taken to ensure that the former president Mandela's medical condition was not compromised by the unforeseen incident."

Speaking to eNews Channel Africa, he said: "It happens in life, no-one can predict (that a) fully functional vehicle would have a breakdown."

Children have been sending "get well soon" messages to the ex-president

Mr Maharaj slammed reports that Mr Mandela was unresponsive and hadn't opened his eyes in days, branding them "highly reckless".

He said he had no information on when the former leader would be discharged as that was a decision for his doctors.

The African National Congress defended the governments handling of public updates on Mr Mandela's condition and thanked medical staff caring for him.

In a statement the party said: "The ANC has no doubt that the reports they (the government) provide are indeed sufficient to ensure that, while respecting the privacy of the former president and his family, we are all kept up to date and knowledgeable about his condition within the confines of medical ethics and doctor-patient confidentiality.

"The ANC, on behalf of the people of South Africa, extends our gratitude to the medical personnel attending to him from the time he left home to be admitted into hospital on the 8th June and since then."

Mr Mandela has been in intensive care since he was admitted to hospital for the third time this year.

President Jacob Zuma has said his health continues to improve but he remains in a serious condition.

The anti-apartheid leader became South Africa's first black president in 1994 and made his last public appearance at the World Cup closing ceremony in Johannesburg in 2010.

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Tour De France Winner Ullrich Admits Doping

Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich has for the first time admitted to doping, with help from a Spanish sports doctor at the centre of a major drugs scandal.

Ullrich - the only German to win the world's toughest cycling race - was found guilty of doping in 2012 and banned for two years.

He later admitted to having had contact with Dr Eufemiano Fuentes, but he consistently denied being illegally assisted by him.

However, the 1997 Tour champion has now revealed he "received treatment" from him, as he admitted undergoing blood doping procedures.

Ullrich won the 1997 Tour de France

The remarks come a few months after a similar public announcement by his greatest rival and nemesis Lance Armstrong.

In January, the seven-time Tour de France winner admitted to doping throughout his career and was subsequently stripped of his Tour titles.

Ullrich, 39, told Focus magazine: "Yes I did undergo Fuentes treatments. Almost everybody back then took performance-enhancing substances.

"I didn't take anything which the others were not taking. For me, betrayal only begins when I gain an advantage, but that was not the case."

He said he was motivated by the desire to be competing on a level playing field with his main rivals.

"In my view you can only call it cheating on my part when it is clear that I have gained an unfair advantage," he argued.

"That was not the case. All I wanted was everyone to have the same chances of winning.

"I'm not better than Lance Armstrong but no worse. The great heroes of the past are today people with flaws with which we must cope."

Ullrich, who also won gold and silver medals at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, added he used his own blood for the treatment.

Lance Armstrong has also admitted to doping

He was barred from the Tour de France in 2006 amid speculation he had used illegal substances. He retired from cycling in February 2007, denying he had ever cheated.

In February 2012, he was found guilty of a doping offence by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and retroactively banned for two years from August 22, 2011.

In addition to the ban, all results after May 2005 were removed from his list of achievements.

Dr Fuentes, at the centre of a much-publicised trial in Spain earlier this year, had told a court that as well as cyclists, his clients included football players, athletes, tennis players and boxers.

The Operation Puerto scandal broke in 2006, when Spanish police launched raids that uncovered more than 200 code-named blood bags, some of which were linked to cyclists.

:: Current Tour de France champion Sir Bradley Wiggins has hinted he may never ride the race again.

Sir Bradley, who withdrew from this year's event because of a knee injury, told Sky he did not know if he was willing to train for another Tour.

He said he has got "other things I'm concerned with in my life, which I give more time to and there are other things within cycling I want to do".

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Clashes In Brazil As One Million March

The Brazilian government will hold an emergency meeting later amid spiralling protests over alleged corruption and high prices which have seen one million people take to the streets.

The demonstrations, which have spread to more than 80 cities across the country, look set to continue into a second week, prompting President Dilma Rousseff to assemble her top cabinet members and forcing her to cancel an overseas trip.

In Sao Paulo state, a protester was killed when a driver - apparently enraged about being unable to drive along a street - rammed his car into a crowd of demonstrators.

Riot police in Rio were faced with the largest demonstrations

In Rio de Janeiro, 300,000 people staged a demonstration near City Hall, while in the capital Brasilia, hundreds of protesters tried to storm the foreign ministry building, leaving authorities "frightened", according to local newspaper O Estado de Sao Paulo.

Clashes have also taken place in the Amazon jungle city of Belem, in Porto Alegre in the south, in the university town of Campinas north of Sao Paulo and in the northeastern city of Salvador.

Sky correspondent Jason Farrell, in Rio de Janeiro, said protests there began with a "carnival atmosphere", as demonstrators arrived "draped in flags or with stripes of Brazil's national green, yellow and blue painted onto their faces".

More than 300,000 people joined protests in Rio de Janeiro

However, peaceful protesters were caught up in clashes between rioters and police, who fired tear gas and pepper spray into the crowds.

Law student Wallace Tarenta told Sky News: "I have come here because we need more money for hospitals and teachers and security - not more stadiums for the World Cup."

Protester Jorge Vieira added: "Brazil is a strong country, we have good natural resources and a strong government - but nothing goes to the people."

Riot police in Belem were confronted by stone-throwing demonstrators

The protests in Brazil were sparked by public anger about the rising cost of public transport.

Several city leaders have already revoked planned increases to bus and subway fares.

However, Sky's Jason Farrell said anger has now turned to a perceived lack of investment in public services, as well as the $15 billion cost of hosting next year's football World Cup.

Celebrations in Sao Paulo, where planned fare hikes have been dropped

"On the face of it, Brazil has it all: a growing economy, a World Cup and the 2016 Olympics to look forward to," he said.

"But protesters say a corrupt government is damaging the lives of working people while squandering money on showcase stadiums.

"With riots breaking out in cities across the country, the world is now watching Brazil and wondering how it will cope with the pressures of hosting two of the world's biggest sporting events."

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Amanda Knox's Ex Sollecito Appeals For Cash

By Nick Pisa, Sky Reporter

Amanda Knox's former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito has launched a desperate £323,000 ($500,000) online appeal for donations to fund his retrial.

Computer studies graduate Sollecito, 29, said he was hard up and needed the cash for ''legal expenses'', but added anything raised above the target he would ''donate to a research foundation''.

His request came just hours after it emerged his request to settle in Switzerland had been revoked and that his fresh trial for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher would begin in the autumn.

Sollecito was initially convicted in 2009 along with Knox of the killing and sexual assault of Meredith, who was found dead in the bedroom of the house she shared in the Italian hilltop town of Perugia with his American then-girlfriend.

Sollecito at his appeal hearing in 2011

He was given a 25-year jail term while Knox was given 26 years, but in 2011 the verdicts were overturned and they were released on appeal.

But three months ago, Italy's highest court dramatically ruled that there should be a fresh trial for both of them.

Italy's Court of Cassation ordered the retrial

This is expected to start in October in Florence and will involve witnesses being recalled and more forensic tests carried out after the Supreme Court ruled that the previous trial had ignored certain elements of evidence.

In an appeal posted on his Facebook page, Sollecito wrote: ''Well Guys, the problem for me now is pretty tough. I'm deeply concerned not just for the issue I'm facing and most of you already know about, but also because I don't have resources any more to fight this injustice.

''I badly need to be able to hire experts, when needed, or pay my attorney fees, documents fees, and so on when the new appeal will start. I hope not to bother you, but I need your collaboration to face this ordeal. Otherwise I don't want to forced to give up just for financial reason.

Sollecito in 2011 with his lawyer after hearing he was to be freed

''I hope you will understand. I'm just asking if you, buddies, know how to build up a non-profit raising funds foundation. Big Hugs, Raffaele Sollecito''

Sollecito is thought to have been paid $1m for American TV news interviews and an advance on his book Honour Bound: My Journey To Hell And Back With Amanda Knox, which was published last year.

However a sizeable proportion of that was swallowed up in legal fees to his team of lawyers including Italy's high-flying Giulia Bongiorno, who is said to have the highest fees in the country.

On his Facebook page, Sollecito invites potential donors to help him out via a page called Gofundme.com, and on it he adds: "This new trial will take another six or seven years with witnesses, transfers, documents, experts and everything being discussed all over again.

Knox reactes as she hears she is to be freed

"I'll use and certify all the expenses paid with this funds. If in the future, I will not need this funds anymore for legal expenses, I'll donate the rest of the funds to a research foundation. Please help."

On Thursday, his urologist father Francesco said: "This is an initiative of Raffaele's but it has my full support. I'm no longer in a position to fund a trial which could last another two years.

"Witnesses will have to be reheard and there is a good chance that new forensic tests will have to be carried out and as such experts and consultants will have to be paid.

"We are both very grateful for the high attention that has been paid to this case by his lawyers Giulia Buongiorno and Luca Maori."

As of Friday morning, 31 people had donated, with the largest amount being $1,000 from an anonymous donor and the total standing at more than $5,000 - at that pace he will have made his target by the time the trial starts.

The site was also subject to fierce criticism with several people posting comments expressing their outrage one woman Silvia Pavan wrote in Italian: "Why don't you ask Amanda Knox for money? Or better still why don't you kill yourself ???."

Knox is said to have been paid $4m for her book, Waiting To Be Heard: A Memoir.

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Western Canada Hit By Devastating Flooding

Flooding in western Canada has seen thousands of people evacuated from their homes and washed out roads and bridges.

Mudslides forced the closure of the Trans-Canada Highway, isolating the mountain resort towns of Banff and Canmore.

With the flood due to peak, as many as 100,000 of the Calgary area's million plus residents could be evacuated, city officials said.

Torrential rains and widespread flooding throughout southern Alberta have left at least one person missing.

A woman who had been stranded on top of a trailer was missing after it was swept away, STARS air ambulance spokesman Cam Heke said.

Officials said further evacuations would take place in stages as the waters peak. The province of Alberta reported that 12 communities were under states of emergency.

Province premier Alison Redford cut short a visit to New York to visit the flood-hit areas and supervise the emergency response.

Communities such as High River, south of Calgary, were hit hard, with many neighbourhoods ordered to evacuate.

Water levels were expected to reach their maximum around noon local time on Friday.

Motorists who were trapped overnight on Wednesday by water spilling over Canada's main western highway had to be rescued by helicopter, Town of Canmore spokeswoman Sally Caudill said.

"I woke up at about three o'clock in morning to the sound of this kind of rumbling, and it was the creek," said Wade Graham, a resident of Canmore.

"At first it was just intense, pretty powerful, amazing thing to watch. As daylight came, it just got bigger and bigger and wider and wider, and it's still getting bigger and bigger and wider and wider."

He added, "I watched a refrigerator go by, I watched a shed go by, I watched couches go by. It's insane."

Bruce Burrell, director of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency, said water levels on the Bow River are not expected to subside until Saturday afternoon.

The Bow River Basin already seen up to 10cm (3.9ins) of rain.

"Depending on the extent of flooding we experience ... there may be areas of the city where people are not going to be able to get into until the weekend," he told a news conference.

In High River, Mounties asked people with motorboats to help rescue at least a dozen stranded homeowners.

"We have people on their rooftops who were unable to evacuate fast enough," said Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Sargeant Patricia Neely.

Environment Canada issued a rainfall warning for the affected areas, estimating as much as 10cm more rain could fall in the next two days.

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Girl, 12, Pregnant After Father's Rape In Jail

A 12-year-old girl is two months' pregnant after being raped for years by her father and others in prison - in a case which has sparked outrage in Bolivia.

There has been criticism over the practice of letting youngsters live behind bars, where they are often with convicted relatives because they have no other family, or both parents are already in jail.

About 1,500 young children and adolescents live in Bolivian prisons with their relatives, according to government figures.

This is a situation that critics say is ripe for the kind of abuse suffered by the young girl, who has been offered psychological counselling.

The child told authorities she was repeatedly raped by her father, uncle and godfather since she was eight years old, prisons director Ramiro Llanos said.

University professor and political analyst Carlos Cordero said the girl's situation was in part the result of the "miserable conditions and neglect of the inmates".

The San Pedro prison in La Paz, where 500 children live with their parents and where the incident took place, is infamous because several years ago, visitors could easily buy cocaine as police turned a blind eye.

The prison in the Bolivian capital is infamous

Youngsters share living space with violent criminals, including murderers, rapists, gang members and drug dealers.

They witness the rampant use of alcohol and drugs, as well as the bloody fights that frequently erupt.

"It is traumatic to live in a place like this," said Stefano Toricini, a volunteer for an Italian non-governmental organisation who has provided counselling to children at San Pedro for the past decade.

"The kids live in a state of constant psychological pressure, and the culture of violence that pervades prisons is not for children."

Llanos spent part of his childhood living in a jail with his father, a political prisoner of the country's military dictatorship in the 1960s.

He called on police to "stop being so corrupt and stop allowing children in prisons," in comments to the Pagina Siete newspaper.

For Yolanda Herrera, president of the independent Human Rights Assembly, "the problem is not that children are inside prisons - the problem is that there are no state policies for the protection of children."

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US 'Postpones' Taliban Talks Amid Karzai Fury

Taliban Insurgency: A Timeline

Updated: 4:44pm UK, Tuesday 18 June 2013

As Afghan forces take control of national security, marking a major milestone for the withdrawal of US-led combat troops, here is a timeline of the 12 years of Taliban insurgency in the country.

:: September 11, 2001 - al Qaeda hijackers fly passenger planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 people. Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is known to live in Afghanistan, which is ruled by the Taliban.

:: October 7, 2001 - A US-led military campaign begins with air strikes against Afghanistan, followed by troops, to hunt down bin Laden and topple the Taliban.

:: December 2001 - The Taliban are forced from power, but bin Laden is not found. Plans are laid for an interim government and a multinational force. Hamid Karzai is appointed to lead the government and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) begins to deploy.

:: October 9, 2004 - Afghanistan's first presidential election takes place. Mr Karzai is proclaimed the winner. He is declared to have won another term in November 2009, amid accusations of massive electoral fraud.

:: February 2007 - Taliban insurgents attack at US base as vice president Dick Cheney visits, killing 24 people.

:: November 2008 - Barack Obama is elected US president, and vows to end the war in Iraq and focus on Afghanistan.

:: December 1, 2009 - Mr Obama orders a "surge" of 30,000 troops into Afghanistan but says withdrawals will begin in July 2011. The number of NATO-led forces reaches a peak of 150,000 in the summer of 2010.

:: May 2, 2011 - Osama bin Laden is killed by US special forces in the Pakistan town of Abbottabad.

:: June 22, 2011 - Mr Obama announces the withdrawal of 33,000 US troops by the middle of 2012.

:: July 2011 - Western troops and officials begin handing authority to Afghan forces in some areas.

:: August 6, 2011 - 30 US troops, mostly special forces, and eight Afghans die when the Taliban shoots down their helicopter in the biggest single loss for foreign troops in the war.

:: September 20, 2011 - Burhanuddin Rabbani, a former president and Mr Karzai's peace envoy, becomes the most senior politician to be killed since the start of the conflict in an assassination blamed by Afghan officials on the Taliban.

:: November 27, 2011 - US air strikes kill 24 Pakistani soldiers, prompting Pakistan to suspend overland NATO supply routes into Afghanistan for several months.

:: December 6, 2011 - At least 84 people die in suicide blasts at shrines on the Shiite holday day of Ashura. The biggest attack takes place in Kabul, killing 80.

:: February 2012 - Deadly protests kill 40 people and force Mr Obama to apologise after US troops burn copies of the Koran on an Afghan military base.

:: March 11, 2012 - A rogue US soldier walks off his base in Kandahar and kills 16 Afghans, most of them women and children.

:: February 2013 - Mr Obama announces 34,000 US troops will return from Afghanistan by mid-February 2014. There are currently 98,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan.

At least 3,336 foreign troops have died since the start of operations in 2001.

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Sopranos Star James Gandolfini Dies Aged 51

James Gandolfini has died at the age of 51 after suffering a cardiac arrest while on holiday in Italy.

The star was best known for his Emmy-winning portrayal of New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano in television series The Sopranos.

He died on Wednesday in Rome, and had been due to appear at a film festival in Sicily at the weekend.

Galdofini was rushed to the city's Policlinic Umberto I hospital but pronounced dead after resuscitation attempts failed.

Sopranos creator David Chase said the actor was one of the greatest of all time.

A photograph of Gandolfini is displayed in a restaurant window in New York

"He was a genius. Anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his performances knows that.

"He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time. A great deal of genius resided in those sad eyes."

Gandolfini married former model Deborah Lin in 2008, and their daughter was born last year. He also has a son from a previous relationship.

Many fans have flocked to the diner featured in the final scene of The Sopranos to pay their respects.

TV network HBO, which was behind the hit series, described him as a "special man" and a "great talent".

Gandolfini with co-stars Steven Van Zandt (L) and Tony Sirico (R). Pic: HBO

"We're all in shock and feeling immeasurable sadness at the loss of a beloved member of our family," a statement said.

"He was a special man, a great talent, but more importantly a gentle and loving person who treated everyone - no matter their title or position - with equal respect."

Since The Sopranos ended in 2007, Gandolfini has appeared in a number of big-screen roles, including thriller Zero Dark Thirty and the comedy The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.

Gandolfini also shared a Broadway stage in 2009 with Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis and Marcia Gay Harden in a celebrated production of God Of Carnage, where he earned a Tony Award nomination for best actor. He also was in On The Waterfront with David Morse.

The Sopranos cast accept an Emmy at the 2007 awards

At the time of his death, he had been working on a new HBO series titled Criminal Justice.

"It is with immense sorrow that we report our client James Gandolfini passed away today while on holiday in Rome, Italy," his managers said in a statement.

"Our hearts are shattered and we will miss him deeply. He and his family were part of our family for many years and we are all grieving."

In a December 2012 interview, Gandolfini said he gravitated to acting as a release to get rid of anger.

"I don't know what exactly I was angry about," he said. "I try to avoid certain things and certain kinds of violence at this point.

"I'm getting older, too. I don't want to be beating people up as much. I don't want to be beating women up and those kinds of things that much any more."

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James Gandolfini Dies: Actors Lead Tributes

The cast of hit television series The Sopranos have led tributes to James Gandolfini, describing him as a "giant" and "the most humble and gifted actor".

The star, who was 51, died after suffering a cardiac arrest while on holiday in Italy.

Lorraine Bracco, who played his character Tony's psychiatrist Dr Melfi in the popular show, said: "We lost a giant today. I am utterly heartbroken."

Joe Gannascoli, who played Vito Spatafore, said his death came "way too young".

"James is one guy who never turned his back on me," he told TMZ. "He was the most humble and gifted actor and person I have ever worked with ... and I will forever be indebted to him."

Gandolfini worked alongside some of the biggest names in showbiz during a career spanning more than 25 years.

He co-starred with Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts in 2001 comedy The Mexican and teamed up with Denzel Washington and John Travolta for 2009 thriller The Taking of Pelham 123.

He worked with Sean Penn, Jude Law and Kate Winslet in 2006 political drama All the King's Men, as well as Nicholas Cage in 1999's 8MM.

Among the Hollywood actors to pay tribute to him were Samuel L Jackson, who tweeted: "Massive blow to the acting community today ... the passing of James Gandolfini. So talented. My heart goes out to his family!"

"Shocked and saddened by James Gandolfini's passing," wrote Michael J Fox. "My deepest sympathies to his family and friends."

Robin Williams described him as an "extraordinary actor", while Russell Crowe added: "Sad to hear about James Gandolfini. First met Jimmy back in '94. He was roommates in NY with Lenny Loftin. Lovely man. RIP Jimmy."

The Sopranos ran for six seasons from 1999-2007.

Gandolfini starred in 86 episodes currently being re-run on Sky Atlantic, which will show four of the best on Friday evening.

Elaine Pyke, the channel's director, said: "James Gandolfini was a great actor, taken tragically too soon. His legacy, in the lead of one of the greatest television series ever made, will forever stand testament to his remarkable talent."

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Joe Torre's Daughter Catches Falling Baby

The daughter of baseball legend Joe Torre made a perfect catch when she grabbed a baby boy falling from a building in New York City, reports said.

Cristina Torre was reported to be "in shock" after she caught the one-year-old before he fell to the ground.

Ms Torre, 44, had been walking in Brooklyn on Wednesday morning when she spotted the boy hanging from the awning of the building, the New York Daily News reported.

The boy fell, but landed in Ms Torre's outstretched arms.

"The baby was dangling," she recalled.

"I just put out my arms when I saw him coming down, and luckily he literally landed straight in my arms on his back."

A witness, Kristen Bramsen, told the New York Daily News: "The baby was shaken. Everyone was going up to the woman and hugging her. I hugged her."

Joe Torre said he was 'proud' of his daughter's actions

"She just smiled and said she was in shock," Ms Bramsen added.

The boy is thought to have crawled through a piece of cardboard placed next to an air conditioning unit in the window of his family's second-floor home and fell onto the awning.

The baby was taken to Lutheran Medical Centre where he was being treated for lacerations to the face, reports said.

Both parents have been taken into custody and charged with reckless endangerment and acting in a manner injurious to a child under 17.

Joe Torre, a former all-star catcher, was New York Yankees' manager from 1996 to 2007, leading the team to four World Series championship titles.

"I am very proud of my daughter Cristina's actions today during an incident in Brooklyn involving a small child," he said in a statement.

"Fortunately for that child she was in the right place at the right time to lend a hand."

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Brazil Protests: Clashes Over World Cup Costs

Major protests have been held in cities across Brazil over rising bus fares and the cost of staging the 2014 football World Cup - with Brazilian media putting the number of demonstrators as high as 230,000.

An estimated 50,000 people took to the streets of Sao Paolo, while reports said there were 100,000 on the streets near Rio de Janeiro's Legislative Assembly.

There were clashes outside the building as police used tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets to disperse small groups of masked youths.

In the southern city of Porto Alegre, a group of protesters set a bus on fire and threw rocks at empty commuter trains amid calls for transparency and fighting corruption.

Students protest outside the National Congress building in Brasilia

Elsewhere, there were peaceful protests through the capital Brasilia where more than 200 youths briefly occupied the roof of the National Congress and some 5,000 later formed a human chain around the building.

Protests also were reported in Curitiba, Belem, Salvador and Belo Horizonte.

"This is a communal cry saying, 'We're not satisfied'," said Maria Claudia Cardoso, in Sao Paolo.

A fire near Rio's state legislative assembly

"We're massacred by the government's taxes, yet when we leave home in the morning to go to work, we don't know if we'll make it home alive because of the violence.

"We don't have good schools for our kids. Our hospitals are in awful shape. Corruption is rife. These protests will make history and wake our politicians up to the fact that we're not taking it anymore."

Sandra Amalfe added: "We need better education, hospitals and security - not billions spent on the World Cup."

A protester against Brazil's hosting of the World Cup

The protests follow the opening games of the Confederations Cup over the weekend, just one month before a papal visit, a year before the World Cup and three years ahead of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

President Dilma Rousseff acknowledged the protests in a brief statement saying: "Peaceful demonstrations are legitimate and part of democracy. It is natural for young people to demonstrate."

She faces re-election next year and her popularity rating recently dipped for the first time in her presidency.

The unrest, which began last week after the announcement of increased bus fares, has rapidly spread with demonstrators focusing their anger not just on the transport fares but also on the £9.5bn the government is allocating for the Confederations Cup and the World Cup.

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Afghanistan: Armed Forces Take Back Control

Afghan armed forces are taking back responsibility for control of the country for the first time in nearly 12 years.

The handover from the US-led Nato coalition was announced at a ceremony in Kabul.

"This is a historic moment for our country and from tomorrow all of the security operations will be in the hands of the Afghan security forces," Afghan President Hamid Karzai said at the ceremony, held at the new National Defence University built to train Afghanistan's future military officers.

President Karzai in Qatar earlier this month

It marks a turning point for US and Nato military forces, which will now move entirely into a supporting role.

It also opens the way for their full withdrawal in 18 months.

Britain's Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said the handover was a "hard-fought milestone".

Speaking after visiting Afghanistan last week, he said: "Afghanistan will continue to face challenges as it builds towards becoming a secure and stable state.

"The Afghanistan our combat forces leave at the end of 2014 will not be perfect, but will be able to stand independently and will never again provide a haven for terrorists to attack the West.

"That is why we remain firmly committed to supporting Afghanistan beyond 2014 and into the future."

Alliance training since 2009 has dramatically increased the size of the Afghan National Security Forces, bringing them up from 40,000 men and women six years ago to about 352,000 today.

After the transition, coalition troops will provide training and mentoring, and in emergency situations providing the Afghans backup in combat, mainly in the form of air strikes and medical evacuation.

Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said: "Ten years ago there were no Afghan national security forces. Five years ago, Afghan forces were a fraction of what they are today.

"Now you have 350,000 Afghan troops and police. A formidable force. And time and again we have seen them dealing quickly and competently with complex attacks. Defeating the enemies of Afghanistan and defending and protecting the Afghan people," he said.

Foreign forces will continue to support Afghans on the battlefield when they require it, but the Afghan army and police will be responsible for planning and leading military operations against the insurgency.

The handover paves the way for coalition forces - currently numbering about 100,000 troops from 48 countries - to leave.

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Hungary: Alleged Nazi War Criminal Charged

An alleged Nazi war criminal has been charged with his role in organising the deportation of more than 12,000 Jews to death camps.

Laszlo Csatary, aged 98, had been the number one name on the most-wanted list issued by Nazi-hunters the Simon Wiesenthal Centre.

He was confronted last year by The Sun after a tip-off the British newspaper said came from the centre.

Csatary, who has denied the charges, was first detained by Hungarian authorities in July 2012.

He was kept under house arrest for nearly a year while the authorities decided what to do with him.

Charges implicating him in the deportation of 300 Jews were at first dropped due to lack of evidence, but other charges have now been filed after a witness reportedly came forward.

Tuesday's indictment by the Budapest Investigative Prosecutors' Office says Csatary was the chief of an internment camp for Jews in 1944.

The indictment says that, as a local police commander, he had a role in organising the deportation of Jews to Nazi death camps.

The internment camp was run by local police acting on the orders of the Nazi regime.

Prosecutors said he was "actively involved in and assisted the deportations" of Jews from a ghetto in then-Hungarian Kassa, now known as Kosice in Slovakia.

The Jewish population of Kassa and the surrounding area were rounded up and crammed into a ghetto in the town by local police following the occupation of Hungary by German troops in March 1944.

A memorial to the hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews who died

The Jews were then crammed into cargo trains and sent to Nazi concentration camps, mostly Auschwitz.

Csatary "intentionally assisted the unlawful executions and tortures committed against Jewish people who were deported from Kassa", according to the indictment.

He is also accused of beating them with his bare hands and a dog whip.

After Nazi-occupied Hungary's defeat by the Allies, Csatary was said to have fled and ended up in Canada.

He was sentenced to death in his absence in 1948 by a court in what was then Czechoslovakia.

In Canada, he lived and worked as an art dealer but was stripped of his citizenship there in the 1990s after the Canadians were given information about his past.

He ended up in Budapest where he lived freely until prosecutors began investigating his case in September 2011 on the basis of information provided by the Wiesenthal Centre.

He was not arrested until after The Sun tracked him down.

Soon afterwards, Csatary appeared in court at a closed-door hearing and denied all the accusations against him.

At the time, the state prosecutor said he was in good mental and physical health despite his advanced years.

In January, Hungarian radio reported that Slovak police had found a witness able to corroborate charges against him.

One of the obstacles to an investigation into his alleged crimes is thought to have been that he had previously been sentenced to death.

In March, a Slovak court is understood to have changed the 1948 sentence to one of life in jail.

Prosecution spokeswoman Bettina Bagoly said on Tuesday that Csatary's trial is expected to start within three months.

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G8 Summit: Syria Dominates Lough Erne Talks

A joint statement on the conflict in Syria is set to be agreed by leaders at the G8 summit - but will not call for the removal of Bashar al Assad's regime.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has become increasingly isolated over his continued support of Syria's leader, with the other seven members of the G8 keen to push through a communique on the issue by the end of the two-day summit.

While it is understood a compromise is likely to be reached, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Sky News his country would not sign up to any statement that demanded Mr Assad relinquish power.

Differences persist between the US and Russia over Syria

"We do think that it's completely the decision of the Syrian parties themselves to decide on both the composition of the transitional body with full authority and also on the future of any person including President Assad," he said.

Officials from one western nation told AFP news agency that the statement was likely to focus on less contentious issues such as the need to push for a peace conference in Geneva and on humanitarian aid.

David Cameron and Barack Obama were among those leaders who failed to hide their differences with Mr Putin following a late-night showdown over the Syrian issue, which threatens to overshadow the gathering of leaders in Northern Ireland.

Downing Street welcomed a "very positive" response from Mr Putin at the summit dinner, reviving hopes for a peace conference to pave the way for a political transition in the war-torn Middle Eastern state.

While British officials also said the other seven G8 nations could go as far as issuing their own end-of-conference statement on Syria without Russia, there were signals that Mr Putin was ready to sign up.

The Russian president and his US counterpart met for an hour of talks at Enniskillen's Lough Erne golf resort and in a grim-faced news conference afterwards said they had agreed to push all the parties in the conflict to attend the Geneva conference.

"Of course our opinions do not converge, but all of us have the intention to stop the violence in Syria and stop the growth in the number of victims," said Mr Putin, who has been dismissive of White House plans to begin arming selected rebel groups in Syria.

He said he and the US president agreed that the vicious civil war must end "peacefully" and through peace talks.

"We agreed to push the parties to the negotiating table."

Mr Obama simply acknowledged that they had "different perspectives" on Syria.

Poles apart? David Cameron meets Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G8

Sources had suggested Mr Putin was ready to sign up to five key principles discussed at last night's dinner.

The five points include support for a transitional authority that will command the support of all Syria's communities - effectively ruling out a place for Mr Assad.

Mr Cameron, who Downing Street confirmed went for a lone swim in Lough Erne this morning, described last night's discussions on Syria as "encouraging".

But British Chancellor George Osborne told Sky News that divisions remained between Russia and other nations.

"There was the discussion on Syria and no-one's going to pretend that everyone saw eye-to-eye," he said.

"Everyone knows that Russia's got a different position. The Prime Minister told me that at the end of the dinner there was a clear commitment around the table to push for a political solution to this humanitarian tragedy."

Free Syrian Army fighters fire a rocket at Assad forces in Aleppo

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall said: "All they are really saying is 'We are discussing it and it looks like we are actually doing something, it looks as if we're making progress'.

"But, in fact, they're not making any progress at all. We are no further forward on Syria than we were before the G8 started and no further forward than we were two months ago when the idea of a peace conference was first mooted."

The annual gathering of world leaders comes days after Mr Obama suggested the US may send weapons to opposition forces.

Mr Putin has warned that weapons could end up in the hands of extremists opposed to European values, who "eat the organs" of their enemies. He has also said he is ready to supply Mr Assad with anti-aircraft missiles.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sam Kiley said it was important for Mr Assad's forces that, while maintaining pressure on Aleppo, the government cut off the supply lines between the Syrian city and Turkey.

"Because, in all likelihood, any plan to send weapons to the rebels, wherever they are, will use that north-south axis," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Cameron's official spokesman said a "very strong" declaration was expected at the G8 summit on ending ransom payments to terrorists.

"It will be around the G8 governments not paying ransoms to terrorist organisations and a commitment to work with businesses and other groups in each country, with the objective of suffocating terrorist sources of financing," said the spokesman.

Mr Cameron hopes to secure consensus today on an international initiative to tackle tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance by sharing information between tax authorities.

But campaigners raised concerns that any agreement on tax information-sharing may be confined only to the rich world, leaving out the developing countries which miss out on billions in tax revenues because of individuals and companies secreting their wealth in offshore bolt-holes.

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