Schindler's List For Sale On Ebay For $3m

An original copy of Schindler's list is up for an sale on eBay - but collectors will need to spend at least $3m (£1.9m) to get their hands on a rare piece of Second World War history.

The typewritten list - one of only four in existence - bears the names of 801 men saved from the Holocaust by Oskar Schindler.

He is thought to have saved the lives of 1,200 Jews employed in his factories during the war - a story which inspired Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winning film Schindler's List in 1993.

Mr Schindler's 14-page list, which dates back to 1945, previously belonged to the family of Itzhak Stern, his accountant and right-hand man.

The 1945 list has a starting price of some $3m (£1.9m)

It is listed on eBay with an extract from an interview he gave 10 years before his death, which reads: "I felt the Jews were being destroyed. I had to help them. There was no choice."

Gary Zimet, a Los Angeles-based auctioneer who listed the item with his business partner Eric Gazin, said: "I don't anticipate any bidders until the last day or probably the last five or 10 minutes."

He said they chose to sell the item through eBay and not a conventional auction house because of the website's global reach.

Potential buyers may be screened or asked to leave a deposit before their bids are accepted.

The successful bidder must be able to pick up the document from Israel, as it will not be sent by post.

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Costa Concordia: Five Guilty Of Manslaughter

Five people have been found guilty of manslaughter over the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster which left 32 people dead.

The court in Grosseto in Italy handed down the highest sentence to the crisis co-ordinator for the Italian cruise company Costa Crociere, Roberto Ferranini, who could serve two years and 10 months.

The ship's hotel director was sentenced to two years and six months while two bridge officers and a helmsman got sentences ranging from one year and eight months to one year and 11 months.

None are likely to go to jail though as the sentences of less than two years are suspended, and the longer sentences may be appealed or replaced with community service, judicial sources said.

On Thursday, Francesco Schettino - the captain of the Costa Concordia and the main defendant - asked the judge at his manslaughter trial to order tests on the cruise liner's wreckage to determine why electrical and other systems failed after the vessel struck a reef off the Italian island of Giglio.

Schettino talks to his lawyers in Grosseto

The outcome of his request will not be known until at least September.

His trial was adjourned until September 23 for a summer's break.

Schettino is also charged with causing the shipwreck in January 2012 and abandoning ship before all aboard had been evacuated.

His defence claims that no one died in the collision itself, but that the failure of a backup generator and supposedly water-tight compartments that were flooded created problems during the evacuation, when the deaths occurred.

If convicted, Schettino could receive up to 20 years in prison.

The cruise company Costa Crociere was given an administration fine of one million euros (£860,000) earlier this year, under a law in which companies whose employees commit crimes can be sanctioned. It has put the blame for the collision on Schettino.

Salvage experts are still attempting to work out how to right the ship, which remains stuck on a reef off Giglio, and float it away to the mainland for demolition.

The boat has become a macabre tourist attraction in the area.

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Beijing Airport Blast 'Caused By Wheelchair User'

A man has been hurt after apparently detonating a homemade bomb in an arrivals hall at Beijing International Airport.

Pictures posted on the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, Weibo, show smoke in Terminal 3 after the blast at around 6.30pm local time.

Eyewitnesses have claimed that a man was sitting in a wheelchair in the arrivals hall, shouting and waving a small bag in the air before the explosion took place.

Police appear to tend to a casualty. Pic: @mild_luna

The Sina Weibo microblog of state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said a man detonated a package of black gunpowder used to make firecrackers just outside the international arrivals exit.

Photos taken in the minutes after the explosion showed a wheelchair lying on its side, medical workers attending to someone and people running through the terminal.

A man, who local media say is Ji Zhongxing who was born in 1979 and is from Shandong Province, was injured in the blast and has been taken to hospital.

No one else was hurt in the incident and airport operations are now back to normal.

Sky's China Correspondent Mark Stone, at the airport, said the man may have travelled to the capital to petition for a particular social cause.

"This is looking like a tragic story really. There are a lot of people in China who call themselves 'petitioners'.

"Every now and again they go a little bit further and it's a very much more extreme form of petitioning and that I think, is what this appears to be."

Stone said most petitioners complain of local corruption, land grabs and beatings.

He added that a blog purporting to have been written by the man contains claims he was beaten and paralysed by Chinese police in 2005. This has not been verified.

More follows ...

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Israel Plans Palestinian Prisoner Release

Israel has said it will release some Palestinian prisoners after the two sides agreed to lay the groundwork to resume peace talks frozen for three years.

A "limited number" of "heavyweights" - who have been held in Israeli prisons for up to 30 years - will be released, Israeli Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz told public radio.

"There will definitely be a certain gesture here," he added.

His announcement came hours after US Secretary of State John Kerry revealed the breakthrough in negotiations.

John Kerry visiting the West Bank

Mr Kerry said that as a first step Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat and his Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni would meet him in Washington "to begin initial talks within the next week or so".

Foreign Secretary William Hague welcomed the announcement.

He said: "This is of course a beginning, not an end. Britain stands ready to do all we can over the coming weeks and months to support the parties and the US in their efforts to achieve a lasting peace for the Israeli and Palestinian people."

The last round of direct talks broke down in 2010 over the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The issue of continued expansion of settlements remains one of the biggest stumbling blocks between the two sides.

According to a recent assessment by Israeli rights group B'Tselem, at least 4,713 Palestinians are imprisoned in Israel.

Mr Steinitz stressed that aside from the prisoner releases, Israel would not be compromising on "diplomatic issues".

He added that there was no agreement on a settlement construction freeze or on accepting the borders that existed prior to 1967 Six-Day war as the basis for talks as demanded by the Palestinians.

He said for their part the Palestinians had committed to "negotiate seriously" for "at least nine months" during which they would refrain from action at the United Nation and other international institutions.

John Kerry meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank

Mr Kerry warned that while this was a significant step forward, the issues separating the sides were "difficult" and "complicated".

A US State Department official said Mr Kerry had wrenched a commitment from both sides "on the core elements that will allow direct talks to begin".

The Israelis and Palestinians remain far apart on final status issues including the borders of a future Palestinian state, the right of return of Palestinian refugees, and the fate of Jerusalem which both want as their capital.

Analysts cautioned against reading too much into the latest developments.

Chico Menashe, diplomatic commentator for Israeli public radio, likened the situation to "a half-baked cake Kerry removed from the stove. Kerry convinced the Israelis and Palestinians it was edible, and both sides agreed to eat it".

Predictably, the Islamist Hamas movement which runs the Gaza Strip rejected a return to talks, its spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri saying Abbas had no legitimate right to negotiate on behalf of the Palestinian people.

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Dreamliner Turns Back After Fuel Pump Warning

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been forced to return to an airport in the United States because of a possible fuel pump problem.

The Japan Airlines flight from Boston to Tokyo turned back as a "standard precautionary measure" around five hours after taking off, according to a company spokeswoman.

Pilots landed the plane safely after a maintenance warning indicated a possible fault.

Japan Airlines only resumed its 787 operations in June, five months after a battery caught fire on board one of the planes in its fleet.

At the time, company president Yoshiharu Ueki said he would "ensure safety, security and reliability in operations of every aircraft in the group's fleet".

The Dreamliner has been beset by glitches since its first commercial flight in October 2011.

The aircraft was grounded worldwide in January after batteries overheated on two Japanese-operated jets.

Damage caused to an Ethiopian Airlines 787 following a fire at Heathrow

It resumed commercial service in May after Boeing installed a redesigned battery system.

However in June, a 787 operated by United Airlines was forced to make an emergency landing because of an issue with its braking system.

Days later, another of the company's fleet landed safely when pilots became aware of a potential oil filter problem.

Meanwhile, a fire on an Ethiopian Airlines 787 that caused major disruption at Heathrow Airport earlier this month is believed to have started in the battery of an emergency locator transmitter.

A report from the UK's Air Accident Investigation Branch said that if a similar fault occurred mid-flight, "it could pose a significant safety concern and raise challenges for the cabin crew in tackling the resulting fire".

British Airways and TUI Travel have both taken delivery of Dreamliners this year, while Virgin Atlantic is awaiting the arrival of 16 of the planes.

More than 900 787s have been ordered worldwide since 2004.

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Alexei Navalny: Russia Blogger Freed For Appeal

Russian anti-corruption blogger and Putin opponent Alexei Navalny has been freed from custody after just 24 hours behind bars.

The release came after a surprise request by prosecutors, who said that because Navalny is a candidate in this autumn's Moscow mayoral race keeping him in custody would deny him his right to seek election.

He will remain free until any appeals against his conviction for embezzlement are completed.

After the decision, Navalny emerged from the caged-off defendants' section of the courtroom and thanked supporters who had held protest rallies on Thursday after his conviction.

Navalny talks to the media following his release

"What happened now is a completely unique phenomenon in the system of Russian justice," he said.

Navalny, a popular blogger and corruption-fighting lawyer, rose to prominence among the opposition during a series of massive protests in Moscow against President Vladimir Putin's re-election to a third presidential term in March 2012.

His conviction prompted criticism from the United States and the European Union.

Navalny, 37, has blogged about his investigations into corruption at state-owned companies where he owned shares.

Navalny wants to challenge Mr Putin for the presidency

He and his team of lawyers and activists have sifted through property registers abroad to identify top officials and politicians who own undeclared foreign assets and hold foreign citizenship.

On Thursday, 40 people were arrested during protests against his five-year sentence.

Navalny has said he wants to challenge Mr Putin for the presidency in the next election, and believes the prosecution was politically motivated.

He will not be allowed to travel outside Moscow while the appeals process is under way.

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Nazi Cafe: Indonesian Owner 'No Fan Of Hitler'

The owner of a Nazi-themed cafe in Indonesia has defended his decision to cover the walls with a flag bearing the swastika and a giant picture of Adolf Hitler, saying it has been good for business.

Staff at the Soldatenkaffee (Soldier Cafe) dress in Waffen-SS, Luftwaffe (air force) and Heer (army) uniforms, and can be seen posing in front of the building on its Facebook page.

The cafe, located in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung, one of Indonesia's tourist destination cities, has been open since April 2011.

Local officials want the cafe owner to explain his theme. Pic: Facebook

But a recent article in a local English-language newspaper provoked a backlash from both foreigners and Indonesians on social networking sites.

Authorities in Indonesia plan to ask the restaurant owner to explain his reasons for choosing a Nazi theme for the cafe.

A large flag with a swastika is on display in the cafe. Pic: Facebook

Ayi Vivananda, the deputy mayor of Bandung, said a letter was sent on Thursday summoning cafe owner Henry Mulyana to a meeting to ask whether his objective was to incite racial hatred.

"Those symbols are internationally recognised to represent violence and racism," Mr Vivananda said.

The cafe in Bandung has been open since 2011

But Mr Mulyana has insisted he did not want to breed hatred. Instead, he said he wanted to decorate his restaurant with Nazi symbols to attract customers, both local and foreigners.

He also denied being pro-Nazi or supporting Hitler.

"I'm just a businessman, not a politician," Mr Mulyana said.

"I have a right to design my restaurant with anything that attracts people to come. I'm sure that I'm not violating any laws."

Cafe owner Henry Mulyana denies his cafe is pro-Nazi. Pic: Facebook

He said the recent controversy has forced him to temporarily close his restaurant, but declined to say whether he would consider changing the Nazi theme if authorities requested him to do so.

"Let's wait and see," he said. "I don't want the workers here to lose their jobs."

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Kerry Heads To West Bank In Peace Talks Push

US Secretary of State John Kerry is flying to the West Bank in an attempt to salvage his Middle East bid.

He will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as part of an attempt to get peace talks back on track.

A Palestinian official announced the surprise move after Mr Kerry twice met Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat on Friday morning in his Amman hotel.

A senior US State Department official confirmed the report saying: "Secretary Kerry will travel to Ramallah this afternoon to meet with President Abbas."

The whirlwind diplomacy came after the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah rejected Mr Kerry's proposals for a framework to guide the relaunch of peace talks with the Israelis, which have stalled for nearly three years.

Talks have stuttered and started for decades in the elusive bid to reach a final peace deal between the Arab world and Israel.

But they collapsed completely in September 2010 when Israel refused to keep up a freeze on settlement building in Palestinian territories.

A State Department official said in a statement that serious Palestinian debate over resuming talks was "appropriate and encouraging".

Mr Kerry arrived in the Jordanian capital on Tuesday and has met twice already with Abbas. He also won endorsement from the Arab League for his proposals to resume talks.

US President Barack Obama on Thursday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume talks.

"The president encouraged Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue to work with Secretary Kerry to resume negotiations with the Palestinians as soon as possible," the White House said in a statement, after the two leaders spoke by telephone.

An Israeli newspaper editorial pinned the blame squarely on the Palestinians for any setback in Mr Kerry's peace push.

"The Palestinians again did what they do best: they shot themselves in the foot and then cried that it hurt," Alex Fishman wrote in Yediot Aharonot.

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Arsenal's Running Man Catches The Wenger Bus

An Arsenal "superfan" has run for miles alongside the club's bus in Vietnam in an attempt to meet his heroes.

Vu has been dubbed "Running Man". Pic: Arsenal

Vu Xuan Tien, dubbed "The Running Man", saw the team bus as it travelled through the capital Hanoi as part of its tour of Southeast Asia.

The Gunners posted a video - filmed by striker Olivier Giroud - of Vu's tireless chase, which ended with the 20-year-old being invited on board and posing for photos with the team.

The players chant "sign him up, sign him up", as Vu, wearing the team's shirt, dodges traffic to keep up with the bus for about five miles.

At one stage, Vu climbs on the back of a motorbike to keep up with the Gunners.

"We were all cheering him on," said Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who narrates the video.

Once on the bus, Vu took off his Arsenal shirt so the players could all sign it.

"He had an unbelievable six-pack and we were sort of jealous," said Szczesny.

Vu meets striker Giroud, who filmed the chase. Pic: Arsenal

Long-serving coach Arsene Wenger was impressed by the Running Man, who has become an overnight sensation in Vietnam.

"I have felt very happy these last few days in Vietnam and will leave with many fond memories, especially of Running Man," Wenger said.

Arsenal described Vu as a "superfan" on Facebook, saying: "The Asia Tour has been full of amazing characters so far - but none more so than the 'Running Man' who quite literally went the extra mile to meet his heroes."

During their three-day stay in the communist country, Arsenal beat the national team 7-1 at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi.

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Nelson Mandela: 95th Birthday Marked Worldwide

Mandela's Love Affair With Winnie

Updated: 8:15am UK, Thursday 18 July 2013

By Claude Colart, Mandela family friend, in South Africa

"My love for her remains undiminished." These were the words Nelson Mandela used on April 13, 1992, when he announced to the world his separation from Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

A few years later the couple legally divorced.

But it wasn't the end of a long-lasting love story. When he saw her at a bus stop in 1957, it was love at first sight. Nelson Mandela (aka Madiba, as per his clan name) has always admitted that.

And Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has remained a presence in his life, even after his marriage to Graca Machel in 1998 - on his 80th birthday. In private, Mrs Machel sometimes refers to herself and Winnie as "Madiba's two wifes".

To many in the outside world Winnie remains labelled as the anti-apartheid fighter, who, in 1986, said: "With our boxes of matches and our necklaces we shall liberate this country." Necklacing was a brutal practice of "punishing" suspected traitors and apartheid collaborators by burning them alive using tyres and petrol.

But even more, Winnie's image remains tarnished when she was found guilty of kidnap and assault of 14-year-old Stompie Moeketsi, whom she and her supporters suspected of being an apartheid informer.

Stompie was found dead in a field in Soweto. Winnie's six-year jail sentence was reduced to a fine on appeal.

In 2003 Winnie was found guilty of fraud related to a funeral fund. Her five-year sentence was changed to a suspended one of three years and six months.

But these dark pages in Winnie's life are probably, sadly, hiding a truly deep story of love, affection and commitment. And thus the more accurate, full story of Nomzano Winnie Madikizela is much lesser known. A love story amid the darkest days of South Africa's apartheid past and into Nelson Mandela's long walk to freedom and pension.

Winnie was born on September 26, 1936, in Pondoland, in South Africa's Eastern Cape. A social worker by training, she married Nelson in 1958, three months after Nelson divorced his first wife Evelyn Mase. Nelson had to ask the apartheid government for a six-day reprieve of his banning order to attend his own wedding.

The social worker was thrown into the heart of the anti-apartheid struggle.

The love story grew even stronger as Nelson was sentenced to life and sent to Robben Island. His prison letters are the proof of how he missed his wife and family - Winnie and Nelson had two daughters.

Winnie took over the megaphone of activism and the apartheid government punished her severely for it.

She was detained in solitary confinement between May 12, 1969, and September 14, 1970. And tortured, too. In one instance, although suffering from a heart condition, she was interrogated by the apartheid security police continuously and without a break for five days and five nights.

Winnie faced banning orders, detentions, about a dozen political trials, house arrest, and was banished to a rural town where she did not speak the same language as the local population. Nelson himself, and family friend and co-Robben Island prisoner Ahmed Kathrada said on many occasions how the hardship from prison can never be compared with the brutal suffering of those on the outside. And it hurt Nelson very deeply, as expressed in his prison letters, that he wasn't there to help, protect, assist Winnie. And hold her, and comfort her. That might well be his deepest regret. How his political activism pushed his family life to the brink of the impossible.

Winnie, still respected in her Soweto community (and beyond) as the Mother of the Nation, is also a solid mother of a big family. A shoulder to cry on for daughters and grandkids. A source of guidance. A pillar of strength.

She had to be treated for shock when her grandchild Zenani (Jr) was killed in a car accident in 2010. She was present all the time when her granddaughter Zoleka went for weekly chemotherapy in 2013. She accompanied her eldest daughter Zenani to the Johannesburg international airport when she left earlier this year to become South Africa's ambassador to Argentina. And she was at that same airport last week collecting her grandson returning from the US.

That's her. The mother, grandmother, great-grandmother.

In August 2010, the family gathered at Winnie's Soweto house to remember little Zenani, who died a month earlier. The end of a traditional mourning period. It was an intimate family lunch gathering... and Nelson was there, too. It was an amazing moment that had all the signs of any family anywhere in the world coming together to think of loss but also salute the family bond.

Winnie has always attended family events and especially Madiba's birthday on July 18. Be it in his Qunu homestead, be it in his Houghton residence. Graca Machel and Winnie have a good relationship and accept each other's position in Nelson's life and in his heart.

When Nelson's health started to deteriorate in 2011 and he ended up being admitted to hospital, Winnie was there at his bedside, every day. She felt it her duty to their kids, and certainly to the man she loved and still loves so much.

Since their eyes met at that bus stop in 1957, their souls have been interconnected … until eternity.

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India School Deaths Caused By Insecticide

Post-mortems on children who died after eating a school lunch in India indicate insecticide was present - either in the food or cooking oil.

As protests continue over the tragedy and the subsequent poor hospital treatment, Bihar state education minister PK Sahi pointed to the rice served with the meal as the likely point of contamination.

He said it was believed the rice had not been washed before it was served to the children.

Local villagers, however, said the problem appeared to be with a side dish of soya and potatoes, not the rice.

Children who did not eat the side dish were fine, even though they had eaten the rice and lentils, several villagers said.

Some 25 children are still being treated in hospital

Patna Medical College hospital superintendent Amarkant Jha Amar said a detailed chemical analysis of the ingredients was still pending.

The free midday meal was served to the children on Tuesday in Gandamal village in Masrakh, 50 miles north of Patna, the state capital of Bihar.

The children, aged from five to 12, became ill soon after eating the meal. Twenty-two died and dozens more were taken to hospital.

A total of 25 children and the school cook are still being treated, but are unlikely to suffer from any serious after effects from the tainted food, Mr Amar said.

"There will be no remnant effects on them. The effects of poisoning will be washed after a certain period of time from the tissues," Mr Amar said.

Thousands of schoolchildren are now refusing the free meals.

Some were seen dumping their meals in bins or refusing to touch them, despite pleas from school officials that the tragedy would not occur again.

Sky producer Neville Lazarus, in New Delhi, said "stringent laws" are likely to be introduced following the tragedy.

He added that some of the anger stems from the poor treatment the children received, with some being forced to lie down on the floor of the hospital due to a lack of beds.

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Alexei Navalny Jailed For Embezzlement

Conviction Leaves Questions For Russia

Updated: 1:01pm UK, Thursday 18 July 2013

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

Alexei Navalny walked into court on Thursday knowing he would be convicted, but still with some hope that he might be going home.

He had packed his bag, he said goodbye to his children, transferred power of attorney to his wife, but he still had hope that his sentence might be suspended, that they would not really go through with sending him to prison.

"Hope dies last," he told a reporter last week.

In the small regional courtroom, Judge Blinov duly convicted him of embezzlement.

The case against him has been surreal at times, and tenuous in the extreme, but Judge Blinov has never returned a "not guilty" verdict and he saw no reason to start now.

Navalny had pleaded for clemency for his co-accused, who has five children and who he says has been caught up in this accidentally – but all to no avail.

The judge sentenced Navalny to five years in a prison camp. Pyotr Ofitserov, his supposed accomplice, was sentenced to four.

Alexei Navalny - the closest Russia has to a leader of the opposition - was arrested, handcuffed in court and led away.

Many people had predicted this might happen, but there was still real shock when it actually did.

Navalny hugged his wife, shook hands with his father and was taken from the room.

Several journalists reportedly burst into tears.

Navalny's final tweet, sent just after the sentence was passed, translates roughly as: "Don't miss me – and don't do nothing."

The real test will be what happens now.

We are told that Navalny's support doesn't extend beyond the urban elite and the young, iPad-wielding intelligentsia – if that is so then we will see limited protests in Moscow and a couple of other major cities over the next few weeks, then business as usual will be resumed.

But an interesting thing happened on the way to court on Wednesday night.

Navalny took the overnight train on the 500 mile journey north to Kirov, through the sort of rural towns outside the capital where we are assured he has no support.

But there were reports of cheering crowds meeting his train on the platform, holding banners and wearing T-shirts with his name – the sort of people we are told do not exist.

His supporters are calling people on to the streets of Moscow tonight, to gather in a square outside the walls of the Kremlin, to "discuss" the verdict.

From his Twitter account, Navalny's wife just tweeted a picture of an ageing Vladimir Putin – with Thursday's date and the location of the square - the words above, in Russian, read "God have mercy on you".

A respected Russian political analyst told me that this case would be a litmus test – a symbol of how the authorities intended to proceed.

Lilia Shevtsova, of the Moscow Carnegie Centre, said we were entering a new epoch, where the pretence at democracy would be abandoned, and the new rules of the game would be made clear.

With the imprisonment of Alexei Navalny, it seems the authorities have laid out their cards. The question is how the people respond.

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Pussy Riot: New Video Attack On Putin

Russian provocateurs Pussy Riot are back in action, releasing a new music video nearly a year after three of their members went to prison for a prank denouncing President Vladimir Putin.

The new video shows the band members in trademark bright-coloured ski masks and short skirts, cavorting on top of an oil rig.

Backed by hectic guitar and a drum fusillade, they liken the president to an Iranian ayatollah.

As they pour oil on a large photo of Igor Sechin, the chairman of state oil giant Rosneft, they shout: "Homophobic reptile - get out of history."

Protesters in France last year calling for the girls' freedom

One member of the collective, who gave only her stage name of Grelka, said: "The main message is that Putin has spread the country's wealth amongst his friends."

She said she hoped there would be a response to the new video, but she did not expect it to amount to much.

"In Russia maybe 1% will support us because society in general is not very interested in politics despite Bolotnaya (Bolotnaya Square where mass anti-Putin rallies took place last year) and other events," she said.

"Comparing it to the West is laughable."

Tolokonnikova remains in prison over an earlier protest

Three members of the band - Maria Alekhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevich - were convicted last year of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for an impromptu punk protest against Mr Putin in Moscow's main cathedral.

They were sentenced to two years in prison, despite widespread criticism - including from the likes of stars such as Madonna - that Russia was suppressing free speech and opposition.

Samutsevich was later released on appeal. A court in the Mordovia province earlier this year denied parole to Tolokonnikova.

Grelka said the members knew they were taking risks by making another video.

"If the response and effect from this action are big, then, well, we understand, what we are going to face," she said.

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India: 21 Children Die After Eating School Meal

Some 21 children, aged between eight and 11, have died after eating free meals at a primary school in eastern India.

At least another 35 children remain in hospital in Patna, the Bihar state capital. Ten of the youngsters are in a critical condition. 

They fell ill after eating a lunch of rice and lentils in Masrakh village in the Saran district on Tuesday.

They were rushed to hospital in the capital, some 50 miles (80km) south of the village.

A family with their son who fell ill after consuming a free school meal

Some of the other sick children were taken to hospital in nearby Chaapra.

Sky Producer Neville Lazarus, in New Delhi, said: "Masrakh is in one of the poorest of the poor states in the country and in a remote place, so there weren't proper medical facilities."

The meal was cooked in the school kitchen, and police have seized all the ingredients used.

Lazarus said the cook and her two children had also died.

A woman cries after hearing that her grandson was one of the victims

Bihar's Education Minister P K Shahi said a preliminary investigation suggested the food had traces of phosphorous, which is used to preserve rice and wheat.

"It is sad but true that 20 children died after eating their midday meal, which appears to be poisonous," the minister said.

Authorities have suspended a food inspector and registered a case of criminal negligence against the head teacher.

The father of an ill child, Raja Yadav, told reporters that his son was vomiting after returning from school.

Free lunches are used as a way of increasing school attendance

"As soon as my boy returned from school, we rushed to the hospital with him. His condition was not good," he said.

Bihar state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has also ordered an inquiry, announced that families of the dead children will be offered financial compensation of 200,000 rupees (£2,200).

Twenty of the children who died were buried near the school on Wednesday morning as angry residents armed with poles and sticks took to the streets in the city of Chhapra to protest against the state government over the children's deaths.

"Hundreds of angry people staged a protest in Saran since late Tuesday night, demanding stern action against government officials responsible for this shocking incident," district government official S K Mall said.

Angry parents take to the streets in protest at the tragedy

Lazarus described the situation as "tense", with locals saying there was a delay in getting medical help to the children, contributing to the high death toll.

Free meals are offered to impoverished students in state-run schools as part of government welfare measures in many of India's 29 states

The lunches are hugely popular with poor families and educators see the meals as a way of increasing school attendance and stemming malnourishment.

But children often suffer from food poisoning due to poor hygiene in school kitchens and the sometimes poor quality food.

More than 130 students were taken to hospital in the western city of Pune last year after eating lunch at school, the Times of India reported.

A probe revealed that the food served to them was contaminated with E. coli bacteria, strains of which can cause food poisoning.

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Costa Concordia Captain In Plea Bargain Bid

The captain of a cruise ship that ran aground off the Italian coast, claiming the lives of 32 people, has asked for a plea bargain deal at his trial over the disaster.

Lawyers for Francesco Schettino, who was in charge of the Costa Concordia liner when it crashed into rocks off the island of Giglio last year, said their client was ready to plead guilty in exchange for a prison sentence of three years and five months.

But the defence also said it held out little hope that the judge would allow such a deal as the trial resumed in Grosseto, the town closest to where the shipwreck happened, after a week long suspension because of a lawyers' strike.

The captain, the only defendant, risks up to 20 years if found guilty in a full trial on charges of manslaughter, abandoning ship and causing the shipwreck that claimed 32 lives.

The request was made after an earlier plea bargain bid was thrown out by the judge in charge of preliminary investigations into what happened.

Domnica Cemortan said she was with Schettino at the time of the crash

Schettino, 52, is accused of abandoning ship before all crew and passengers had been rescued.

His lawyers argue that he prevented an even worse disaster by steering the 290 metre (950 foot) vessel into shallow waters
after the impact and that he was thrown overboard due to the angle of the leaning ship.

The trial began on July 9 but was immediately suspended because lawyers involved were taking part in a nationwide strike against measures to streamline civil trials. The hearing is expected to last for more than a year.

Lawyers for survivors and relatives of the victims attended the trial as it resumed on Wednesday.  

Ahead of the start Francesco Di Ciollo, who represents two Italian families, said: "We're here today to get justice.

"Survivors have to live with anxiety for the rest of their lives. There was darkness, panic, they were stranded inside without a way out."

The cruise ship captain speaks with his lawyers before the trial begins

The Costa Concordia crashed off Giglio on the night of January 13, 2012 with 4,229 people from 70 countries on board, killing 32 people.

Schettino was nicknamed "Captain Coward" for leaving while terrified people were trapped aboard the cruise lliner and then sobbing in the arms of the ship's chaplain.

The 52-year-old has been depicted as a blackguard who was showing off for a blonde female guest when he performed a risky manoeuvre to "salute" the island.

But some lawyers have been saying he should not be the sole defendant and Costa Crociere, Europe's biggest cruise operator, should share the blame.

Massimiliano Gabrielli, a lawyer for some of the survivors who is part of a group called 'Justice for the Concordia', accused Costa of "choosing to save the ship instead of saving people" - a reference to the delay of over an hour between the crash and the order to abandon ship.

Schettino's lawyers, Domenico and Francesco Pepe, have called for 100 witnesses and pledged to show that "no single person was responsible".

Grosseto's theatre is serving as a makeshift court to make room for people

They plan to probe Costa Crociere management, materials used to build the ship, and the apparent malfunction of emergency doors and back-up generators.

"He did not abandon ship," said Donato Laino, another lawyer for Schettino.

"If he had stayed another 10 minutes he would have fallen in the water and not been able to manage the evacuation."

Five other people have been charged over the disaster, including the ship's Indonesian helmsman and the head of Costa Crociere's crisis unit.

The five have negotiated plea bargains which are due to be ruled on at a separate hearing on July 20.

The prosecution says it wants 347 witnesses including Domnica Cemortan, a young Moldovan who was in Schettino's company at the time of impact.

Schettino's lawyer Francesco Pepe speaks to the media outside the theatre

The blonde, who has applied to be a plaintiff in the case, was in court in a white blouse and blue skirt.

The trial is being held in an improvised courtroom in a theatre in Grosseto, with the panel of judges seated on the stage.

The Concordia crashed as many of the passengers were sitting down to dinner, and a delayed and chaotic evacuation saw some desperately throw themselves overboard into the dark sea as lifeboats ran out.

The 290-metre (951-foot) ship still lies beached on its side, its rusting frame dwarfed by blue cranes and a floating hotel for divers and salvage workers.

The vessel is due to be re-floated but technical difficulties have repeatedly hampered the salvage and there have been warnings that its submerged side may be more damaged than previously thought.

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Panama: Cuba 'Owns' North Korean Ship Arms

Cuba has claimed it owns the arms that were found on board a North Korean ship that Panama has impounded.

Panama has called for United Nations investigators to inspect the shipment of missile parts found on the Chong Chon Gang as it tried to enter the Panama Canal last week.

The contraband munitions were hidden under thousands of bags labelled "Cuban Raw Sugar", Panama said.

Cuba claimed ownership in a statement on state television, saying the Soviet-era missile system parts were to be repaired and returned - without mentioning where they were being sent.

The weapons were hiding under thousands of bags labelled Cuban Raw Sugar

Cuba said the shipment contained "obsolete" weaponry "manufactured in the mid-20th century", including anti-aircraft missile arrays, nine disassembled missiles, two MiG-21 Bis jets and 15 engines.

"The agreements Cuba has signed in these areas are based on our need to maintain our defensive capacity to protect national sovereignty," the statement said.

"Cuba reiterates its firm and unwavering commitment with peace, disarmament - including nuclear disarmament - and respect for international law."

Portraits of Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung on board the Chong Chon Gang

Cuba is the only one-party Communist regime in the Americas, and is a rare ally of similarly isolated Pyongyang.

North Korea's army chief of staff General Kyok Sik Kim visited Cuba last month and said the two countries were "in the same trench".

The shipment could constitute a violation of the strict UN arms sanctions imposed on North Korea over its nuclear programme and further sour relations between the US and Cuba.

Panama's security minister Jose Raul Mulino said authorities believe the ship was returning from Havana on its way to North Korea.

He said the affair was now a matter for UN investigators.

President Martinelli inspecting the ship

"The Security Council will have to send experts," he said.

The US said it strongly supports Panama's actions over the Chong Chon Gang.

"We stand ready to cooperate with Panama should they request our assistance," said US State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell.

The IHS global information company identified the equipment as an RSN-75 Fan Song fire control radar, also known as the SNR-75 Fan Song, for the SA-2 group of surface-to-air (SAM) missiles.

Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli tweeted a photo of the weaponry with the message: "The world needs to sit up and take note: you cannot go around shipping undeclared weapons of war through the Panama Canal."

Panamanian authorities boarded the ship suspecting it was carrying drugs

He said the North Korean captain attempted to kill himself and violence broke out among the 35-strong crew as the ship was raided.

It had been stopped because it was suspected of transporting drugs.

A Panamanian government spokesman said an examination of the ship by weapons specialists may take as long as a week.

Pyongyang has yet to comment on the case.

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Panama: North Korea Ship 'Smuggling Missiles'

Panama has stopped a North Korean ship which it claims was trying to illegally sneak sophisticated missiles through the Panama Canal.

Panamanian authorities boarded the ship suspecting it was carrying drugs.

However, when they searched it they discovered "undeclared weapons of war" among a shipment of brown sugar, according to Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli.

The North Korean captain attempted to kill himself and violence broke out among the 35-strong crew as the ship was raided, according to Mr Martinelli.

The president posted a photograph of the cargo on his Twitter account and said: "The world needs to sit up and take note: you cannot go around shipping undeclared weapons of war through the Panama Canal."

He told Radio Panama: "We had suspected this ship, which was coming from Cuba and headed to North Korea, might have drugs aboard so it was brought into port for search and inspection.

Leader Kim Jong-Un has threatened to use missiles to attack the US

"When we started to unload the shipment of sugar we located containers that we believe to be sophisticated missile equipment, and that is not allowed."

The ship, called the Chong Chon Gang, is currently being held by the Panamanian authorities.

Hugh Griffiths, an arms trafficking expert at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, said the seized ship is called Chong Chon Gang and has been on the institute's suspect list for some time.

He said the ship had been caught before for trafficking narcotics and small arms ammunition. It was stopped in 2010 in the Ukraine and was attacked by pirates 400 miles off the coast of Somalia in 2009.

Mr Griffiths' institute has also been interested in the ship because of a stop it made in 2009 in Tartus - a Syrian port city hosting a Russian naval base.

North Korea has yet to respond to the incident, however, previously the government in Pyongyang has branded such seizures as a 'double standard'.

North Korea believes it has the right to ship weapons in the same way that most other countries do on a regular basis.

A source familiar with North Korea's defence capability told Sky News he believed the photo showed an anti-ship missile.

The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacfic

North Korea and Cuba are ideologically allied as communist nations and both are seen as politically isolated from the rest of the world. However, arms shipments between the two countries are rare.

"Cuba is often cited alongside the DPRK as the two last hard-line communist holdouts, yet this is misleading in  several ways." Korean analyst Aidan Foster-Carter told Sky News.

"On the external economic front, it is the US - and only the US - that  applies closure to Cuba more than vice versa. Internally, Cuba is finally grasping the nettle of market reforms with a will, rigour, and honesty still wholly missing in North Korea."

North Korea is banned, under several United Nations resolutions, from importing and exporting all weapons, with the exception of small arms.

The UN has said the ban will remain in place until Pyongyang shuts down its nuclear weapons programme.

However, there is no suggestion that the weapons seized in Panama have any nuclear capability.

North Korea defiantly carried out its third nuclear weapons test in February and threatened to attack the United States in the most aggressive act yet by the leader Kim Jong-Un.

It led to banking sanctions being imposed by Washington on Pyongyang.

UN resolution 1718, ratified in 2006 bans North Korea from importing and exporting all weapons with the exception of small arms. The resolution was reaffirmed by the Security Council in March 2013 following North Korea's latest nuclear test and rocket launch. 

Following the 2006 resolution, the North Korean ambassador to the UN branded the ban a "double standard".

Pak Gil Yon told the Security Council: "It [is] 'gangster-like' for the Security Council to adopt such a coercive resolution against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, while neglecting the nuclear threat posed by the United States against his country.  It was a clear testament that the Council had completely lost its impartiality and was persisting in applying double standards to its work."

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British 'Cocaine Smuggler' Arrested In Spain

Spanish police say they have arrested a notorious suspected British drug dealer, Brian Charrington.

The 57-year-old is alleged to have run an international trafficking ring involving cocaine from Venezuela.

Charrington was detained at his luxury home on the Costa Blanca in a joint operation by UK and Spanish officers.

His girlfriend and son were also arrested along with 10 other people in Spain and Venezuela.

A police statement said Charrington was "one of the 10 criminals most investigated by European police and leader of an international drug-trafficking organisation".

The statement said officers seized 220kg (485lb) of cocaine hidden in an apartment in L'Albir near the tourist resort of Benidorm.

They also impounded property and bank accounts worth more than five million euros (£4.33m).

It is claimed Charrington, from Middlesbrough, and others smuggled tons of cocaine into Europe via an armada of yachts.

Charrington is said to have started as a car and drugs dealer in the 1980s and allegedly went on to build an international criminal empire.

He is the third suspected British drugs baron to be arrested in recent weeks.

On July 10, Kevin Hanley, who was wanted in connection with a multimillion-pound drug seizure, was caught in a sting operation in Athens.

Two days before, convicted drug trafficker Mark Lilley was caught hiding naked in a panic room in his luxury villa in Malaga.

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Fugitive Edward Snowden Asks Russia For Asylum

The US intelligence whistleblower, Edward Snowden, has applied for temporary asylum in Russia, according to his lawyer.

The former National Security Agency worker has been holed up at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport since June 23 after leaking details of US surveillance programmes.

Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said he had met Snowden on Tuesday and "the application has been filed with the Russian authorities".

Wikileaks, the whistleblowing website, has been supporting Snowden and confirmed in a post on Twitter: "Edward Snowden today has filed for a temporary protection visa with Russia's ministry of immigration."

Snowden speaks to human rights activists last week

Washington has urged Moscow to return the 30-year-old to the US, where he is wanted on espionage charges after revealing details of secret surveillance programmes.

Speaking to human rights activists last week, after three weeks of silence Snowden said he planned to apply for temporary asylum in Russia until he had won "safe passage" to Latin America, where three countries have offered him political asylum.

Snowden has been able to remain at the airport transit lounge for so long after fleeing Hong Kong, because technically it is not Russian territory.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made clear that Snowden can only stay in Russia if he "stops damaging our US partners".

Sky's Moscow Correspondent Katie Stallard said that Snowden's application for asylum was a "PR coup for Russia".

She said: "It makes Russia look like the only country strong enough to stand up to the US and protect this young man but also that he (Putin) is doing the US a favour.

There have been protests across the world in support of Snowden

"Yes he might be going to take this man in but he will do so by shutting him up by stopping him from passing on any more of America's secrets so it's a bit of a win: win for the Russian President."

On Monday Mr Putin accused the US of "trapping" Snowden in Russia, saying no other country wanted to take him because of pressure exerted by America.

Snowden has consistently made it clear that he does not intent to stay in Russia but eventually wants to move to a Latin American country.

However, the prospects of him successfully travelling there appear doubtful.

More follows...

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Egypt: Mosri Supporters Killed In Clashes

At least seven people have died in overnight clashes between supporters of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, opponents and security forces, officials said.

Mohamed Sultan, the head of Egypt's emergency services, said more than 260 people were injured in the latest eruption of violence since the military unseated Mr Morsi, just a year after he was elected.

More than 400 people were arrested, according to the state news agency.

Two people were killed at a bridge in in the Ramses area near Tahrir Square in Cairo, where security forces reportedly fired tear gas to drive the protesters back.

The protesters responded by hurling rocks at the security forces, triggering fresh volleys of tear gas, with clashes continuing in adjacent Ramses Square and elsewhere late into the night.

Five more people died in the capital's Giza district, Mr Sultan said.

A supporter holding a picture of former President Morsi

Security officials said four of the deaths came as Morsi supporters staging a sit-in near the main Cairo university campus clashed with residents of the area.

Thousands of supporters of the former president were calling for him to be reinstated.

Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood said the police used birdshot and live ammunition against the protesters.

Many protesters were treatment at a makeshift ward set up to deal with casualties.

The deputy president of the Muslim Brothehood's political party, Essam el Erian, had stressed the protests and sit-ins must remain peaceful.

"The fact that our protests are peaceful is what makes them powerful," he said.

"We will remain peaceful in our path to continue the January 25 revolution and we will not use violence to respond to the violence that targets us."

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Egypt's interim president said the authorities expect Islamist movements, including the Muslim Brotherhood, to join in plans for a national reconciliation government.

A senior official in the movement said they had not been offered any posts in the transitional government by interim Prime Minister Hazem el Beblawi and would not accept if he did.

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Tornado Tourism: Thrill-Seeking Trend On Rise

By Amanda Walker, US Correspondent

A summer of deadly twisters has not discouraged British tourists from signing up for storm-chasing holidays in America's Tornado Alley.

Roger and Caryn Hill, who run Silver Lining Tours out of Denver, Colorado, say around 30% of their thrill-seeking clients are from the UK.

Roger, one of the most renowned and respected chasers in the business, says: "I've seen 660 tornadoes in my life and every one I've seen is like the first one I ever saw."

The husband and wife team run six-day weather stalking tours, often covering thousands of miles across several states in a convoy of vans, each marked with impressive hailstone dents.

Roger Hill uses a weather tracking system to chase the storms

This could be a rough ride. Roger sits up front, plugged into his advanced weather tracking system as we and 17 eager storm tourists head out onto the Montana plains.

As we motor through Big Sky Country, Roger says the charts look hopeful, not for the blue sky and sunshine you would normally wish for on holiday - but for powerful dramatic tempests.

There's a feeling of anticipation and confidence among the tourists: if a storm is brewing, Roger will find it.

In 25 years of weather hunting, Roger has seen and captured hundreds of tornadoes on camera. A twister has yet to surface on this latest mission, but Roger's appetite for any form of dramatic weather is insatiable and infectious.

A powerful twister tore through Oklahoma City last month

Brit Gayle Dawes says: "When Roger comes on the radio and says we're at code red which means there are storms and they are looking really, really good.

"I think it's the moment when you get out of the van, just before a storm you can feel that tension in the air."

UK tourists spend around £2,000 to join Silver Lining Tours for some high impact, adrenaline pumping storm chasing.

It sounds and looks fun, but these situations can quickly turn deadly - even for the most experienced chasers.

Roger's close friend and established meteorologist Tim Samaras was among the dozens killed by the series of lethal tornadoes that crashed through the Midwest this summer.

Roger's friend Tim Samaras died while chasing the Oklahoma storm

Roger says: "It hit real close to home. He always said 'If I get killed by one of these damned things, it had better be an EF5'. And, lo and behold, he was killed by an EF5 and it was the most violent kind of tornado there is."

The group gather under heavy, rumbling clouds to capture images of a looming "wall cloud" before Roger calls everyone back into the vehicles for a moment the thrill-seeking group have been craving: "core punching" - the industry term for racing through the heart of the storm.

The rain lashing the windscreen is punctuated by huge thumps from what Roger says is golfball-sized hail. The atmosphere fizzes as Roger warns his group to hold on - experiencing a storm from the relative safety of the van is a tour highlight.

Londoner Selvin Reid says his family and friends had reservations about his unusual holiday choice.

Tornado tourists say it's an experience of a lifetime

"The obvious reaction is 'be careful what you're doing, it's going to be dangerous'. Because quite obviously, they've been influenced by the headlines where people have been killed," he said.

Steve Famiglietti, who is partially sighted, has been on eight storm-chasing tours. For him it's about feeling and sensing the magnitude of the weather around him.

"It's so exciting. Roger gets so excited. He's so good at showing us what we're looking at ... to be able to come out here and see that is just something that you don't get everywhere on Earth," he explained.

These people's backgrounds are as varied as the weather they hunt. What binds them is a fascination with the elements - as long as there's a storm, their desire to chase will be irrepressible.

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Halle Berry 'Marries' Olivier Martinez

American actress Halle Berry has married French film star Olivier Martinez, according to reports.

Berry, 46, and Martinez, 47, are believed to have tied the knot on Saturday at a chateau in Vallery, Burgundy.

America's People magazine and French website Pure People said the pair were married at the small Chateau des Conde.

They were reportedly wed in a civil service at 4pm followed by a religious ceremony in the village chapel 90 minutes later.

Monster's Ball star Berry, who is pregnant, was seen arriving in a vintage Citroen DS car that had been decorated with lace.

Onlookers were kept away from the venue by police officers, and security staff held up white sheets in an attempt to thwart photographers.

Halle Berry, who is expecting a child, with Olivier Martinez

Some 60 guests were invited to the ceremony, including the actress' five-year-old daughter Nahla.

Dinner was reportedly served under a canopy and the festivities included a firework display.

The Oscar-winning actress first met Martinez in 2010 during filming of the movie Dark Tide.

Martinez was previously in a relationship with Kylie Minogue.

In January 2012 the Australian singer wished the film stars well and tweeted: "Congrats to Olivier Martinez and Halle Berry!! #wedding."

Berry has been married twice before - to baseball player David Justice and R&B singer-songwriter Eric Benét.

The father of her daughter Nahla is former boyfriend Gabriel Aubry. The couple separated in 2010.

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Cory Monteith: Glee Star Found Dead In Hotel

Glee star Cory Monteith has been found dead in a hotel room in Canada, Vancouver Police have confirmed.

The 31-year-old's body was discovered at Vancouver's Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel just after noon on Saturday after he failed to check out.

Police believe he was alone when he died, and have ruled out foul play.

Doug LePard, the acting chief of Vancouver Police, said: "As was the case in countless homes, I watched Glee regularly with my daughters, and I know there will be shock and sadness in many households with the news of his tragic death.

Monteith had reportedly been dating Glee co-star Lea Michele

"Mr Monteith checked into the hotel on July 6 and was due to check out of the room (on Saturday).

"There were others with Mr Monteith in his room earlier ... but video and fob key entries show him returning to his room by himself in the early morning hours and we believe he was alone when he died."

Monteith had voluntarily entered rehab for substance abuse problems in April.

It was not Monteith's first time in rehab. He received treatment when he was 19 and had previously talked about his addiction struggles, saying he had a serious problem and took just "anything and everything".

Popular musical comedy Glee first aired in 2009

He told Parade magazine in 2011 that he was "lucky to be alive".

He was best known for playing Finn Hudson in the popular musical comedy series Glee, which follows a group of American secondary school misfits.

A post-mortem will take place on Monday, and the coroner will decide on the next steps to establish the cause of death.

A statement on behalf of Glee's executive producers and 20th Century Fox Television said: "We are deeply saddened by this tragic news.

"Cory was an exceptional talent and an even more exceptional person. He was a true joy to work with and we will all miss him tremendously. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones."

Stars have spoken of their shock at the news.

Dot-Marie Jones, who plays Coach Bieste in Glee, wrote on Twitter: "I have no words! My heart is broken, Cory was not only a hell of a friend, he was one amazing man that I will hold close to my heart forever."

Singer Taylor Swift wrote: "Speechless. And for the worst reason."

Actress Jaimie Alexander added: "Sweet man... Gone far too soon. Peace be with you friend."

Singer Lance Bass said: "Devastated about the news of Cory Monteith - such an incredible guy - my thoughts are with his family and friends."

And Zooey Deschanel wrote: "What an absolutely tragic loss of a very talented young man."

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Trayvon Martin: George Zimmerman Acquitted

George Zimmerman has been acquitted of all charges over the fatal shooting of black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida.

Mr Zimmerman was freed after the jury deliberated for more than 15 hours over two days in the second-degree murder trial.

The jurors notified the judge on Saturday night, shortly before 10pm local time, that they had reached a decision.

Minutes later the verdict was announced. Mr Zimmerman stood impassively as the verdict was read out.

The parents of the teenager were not in court for the verdict.

The verdict met with angry reaction from protesters outside the court

But outside the court supporters of Trayvon reacted with disappointment and anger.

Some chanted and held up a large banner saying "End racial oppression", while others yelled "No" in disbelief at the acquittal.

The six-member, all-woman jury began deliberating at 2.30pm on Friday after spending part of the day listening to the defence team's closing arguments and a rebuttal from the prosecution.

The jurors considered nearly three weeks of often wildly conflicting testimony over who was the aggressor on the rainy night the 17-year-old was shot while walking through the gated townhouse community where he was staying.

George Zimmerman is congratualted by his defence team

Mr Zimmerman's lawyers said the case was classic self-defence, claiming Trayvon knocked Mr Zimmerman down and was slamming the older man's head against the concrete footpath when Mr Zimmerman fired his pistol.

"We're ecstatic with the results," defence lawyer Mark O'Mara said after the verdict.

"George Zimmerman was never guilty of anything except protecting himself in self-defence."

Another member of his defence team, Don West, said: "I'm glad this jury kept this tragedy from becoming a travesty."

Prosecutors called Mr Zimmerman a liar and portrayed him as a wannabe police officer and vigilante who had grown frustrated by break-ins in his neighbourhood committed primarily by young black men.

The teen's death drew protests in cities across America

They said Mr Zimmerman assumed the teen was up to no good and took the law into his own hands.

The case divided public opinion in the United States, with even President Barack Obama commenting on the shooting. Congressman Bobby Rush wore a "hoodie" in the House of Representatives in support of Trayvon.

Further criticism came from the 44-day delay before Mr Zimmerman was arrested.

After hearing the verdict, judge Debra Nelson told the defendant he was free to go and the GPS tracking tag unit would be removed.

"You have no further business with this court," she said.

Trayvon's father was not in court for the verdict

Mr Zimmerman later hugged his family, and his wife Shellie smiled and cried.

Fearing further social unrest over the controversial shooting, the police chief in Sanford, where Trayvon Martin was shot and where the trial was held, urged peace.

State Attorney Angela Corey said she believed second-degree murder was the appropriate charge because Mr Zimmerman's mindset "fitted the bill of second-degree murder."

"We charged what we believed we could prove," Ms Corey said.

Second-degree murder is classed as a death that does not include specific intent to kill, and the trial centred on the state's controversial self-defence rule of "Stand Your Ground".

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