Putin Underwear Artist Flees Russia For Paris

By Katie Stallard, Russia Correspondent

A Russian artist who fled the country after his satirical paintings of Vladimir Putin were seized by police has been left homeless and desperate in Paris, according to his wife.

Konstantin Altunin left Russia earlier this week after several of his works were removed from a gallery in St Petersburg by police investigating allegations of extremism.

One image showed the Russian president caressing prime minister Dmitry Medvedev while wearing women's underwear,

A painting by the artist

Other paintings also impounded included a depiction of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church tattooed with images of Lenin and Stalin, and two others parodying politicians behind controversial new Russian legislation banning so-called 'gay propaganda'.

Mr Altunin's wife Elena has posted an appeal on Russia's equivalent of Facebook, vkontakte, pleading for people to help her husband in Paris.

She wants to join him with their young daughter as she believes they are no longer safe in Russia.

Altunin fled Russia fearing arrest

Mrs Altunina wrote: "I am the wife of the artist Kostya Altunin. We urgently need your help.

"Kostya was only earning money with his art, his art was the only source of income in our family. All his paintings are in the Museum of Authorities and are currently under arrest.

"We have spent all our money on Kostya's departure, as there was a big threat of him being arrested on made-up charges of extremism. Moreover we had to borrow money from our friends.

"At the moment, Kostya, me and our two-and-a-half-year-old daughter are on the brink of poverty.

The gallery displaying the painting has been shut down

"I urgently need to fly to my husband to France, because it is not safe for us to stay here. We have a small child, who really misses and wants to see her dad."

Mrs Altunina said her husband had nowhere to sleep and would wait in the lobby of the Hotel du Square every day between 10am and 10pm to meet anyone who might be able to help him.

She said: "Kostya has nowhere to live. He at least needs a bed to spend a night somewhere.

The artist's wife claims the family is on the brink of poverty

"He needs legal help to get political asylum, help of the translator and simply words of support will be very much appreciated by Kostya. He is really depressed.

"We really need legal advice in order to gather all the necessary documents to leave the country and reclaim his paintings."

Russian police confirmed on Tuesday that they had taken the paintings from the Museum of Authorities gallery - based in two rooms of a flat in St Petersburg - after receiving reports they were illegal.

The police statement gave no further details but Russia does have a law against insulting authorities - an offence that carries a maximum one-year prison term.

St Petersburg deputy Vitaly Mironov, whose face was combined with the gay rights movement's rainbow flag in one of the paintings, said the images were inappropriate and "of a distinctly pornographic character".

The gallery's owner said officers had shut down his establishment and given him no explanation for the removal of paintings from the exhibition, titled 'Leaders'.

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'Piranha' Gangs Hack Women's Hair In Venezuela

Venezuelans are being warned to be on the lookout for street gangs who pounce on unsuspecting women and chop off their hair.

Nicknamed the Piranhas, after the flesh-eating fish, the scissor-wielding gangs of men and women hang around shopping centres to select their victims.

The gangs sell the stolen hair to beauty salons which fashion it into expensive braids for beauty-obsessed clients.

The locks were donated to children with cancer

Hair-extension braids can sell for as much as $1,000 (£645) depending on how long, thick and healthy the hair is.

To pre-empt being attacked, some women have had their hair chopped-off and have donated it to children who lost theirs after being treated for cancer.

Vanessa Castillo cried as her pretty, long jet black hair was snipped for charity. "It is better to give it to kids with cancer than have the Piranhas steal it," she said, sobbing.

She spoke at a donate-your-hair-to-kids day at a beauty salon in Maracaibo, Venezuela's second largest city.

A woman cuts off her hair for national Hair Donation Day

"Is this what we have come to? For there to be people who steal your hair is a form of chaos," said Ms Castillo, a 26-year-old dental student.

"A lot of women have come to donate their hair out of fear of being roughed up in the street, as they are in danger," said hairdresser Contreras, as he snipped-away Ms Castillo's locks.

"It is a new way of abusing women," he added. "We ask the authorities to punish this."

Men and children with long hair also came forward to donate to the charity

"I have tried to avoid putting myself in danger," said Ivon Galindo, a 27-year-old computer technician with long brown hair.

"Having your hair stolen is as if they were mutilating your body," she added.

Venezuelans have been so upset at the attacks that the government has become involved, after harrowing media reports of women in Maracaibo being beaten and robbed of their locks.

President Nicolas Maduro has declared 'war' on the gangs

President Nicolas Maduro has declared war on the Pirahnas by ordering an investigation into "mafias that cut off young women's hair".

"What kind of way is that to mistreat young women? Young women are sacred," he said.

The conspiracy-minded leader blamed the hair thefts on a "psychological war in the whole country" orchestrated by Colombian and Venezuelan opposition figures based in Miami.

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Syria: Regime 'Ready To Retaliate' To Strike

Syria: US Report On Gas Attack

Updated: 8:13pm UK, Friday 30 August 2013

The US released its assessment of the Syrian government's alleged involvement in the August 21 chemical weapons attack in Damascus. Here is the text.

The United States Government assesses with high confidence that the Syrian government carried out a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs on August 21, 2013. We further assess that the regime used a nerve agent in the attack.

These all-source assessments are based on human, signals, and geospatial intelligence as well as a significant body of open source reporting. Our classified assessments have been shared with the US Congress and key international partners. To protect sources and methods, we cannot publicly release all available intelligence - but what follows is an unclassified summary of the US Intelligence Community's analysis of what took place.

Syrian Government Use of Chemical Weapons on August 21

A large body of independent sources indicates that a chemical weapons attack took place in the Damascus suburbs on August 21.

In addition to US intelligence information, there are accounts from international and Syrian medical personnel; videos; witness accounts; thousands of social media reports from at least 12 different locations in the Damascus area; journalist accounts; and reports from highly credible nongovernmental organisations.

A preliminary US government assessment determined that 1,429 people were killed in the chemical weapons attack, including at least 426 children, though this assessment will certainly evolve as we obtain more information.

We assess with high confidence that the Syrian government carried out the chemical weapons attack against opposition elements in the Damascus suburbs on August 21. We assess that the scenario in which the opposition executed the attack on August 21 is highly unlikely.

The body of information used to make this assessment includes intelligence pertaining to the regime's preparations for this attack and its means of delivery, multiple streams of intelligence about the attack itself and its effect, our post-attack observations, and the differences between the capabilities of the regime and the opposition.

Our high confidence assessment is the strongest position that the US Intelligence Community can take short of confirmation. We will continue to seek additional information to close gaps in our understanding of what took place.

Background:

The Syrian regime maintains a stockpile of numerous chemical agents, including mustard, sarin, and VX and has thousands of munitions that can be used to deliver chemical warfare agents.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad is the ultimate decision maker for the chemical weapons program and members of the program are carefully vetted to ensure security and loyalty. The Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) - which is subordinate to the Syrian Ministry of Defence - manages Syria's chemical weapons program.

We assess with high confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale against the opposition multiple times in the last year, including in the Damascus suburbs.

This assessment is based on multiple streams of information including reporting of Syrian officials planning and executing chemical weapons attacks and laboratory analysis of physiological samples obtained from a number of individuals, which revealed exposure to sarin. We assess that the opposition has not used chemical weapons.

The Syrian regime has the types of munitions that we assess were used to carry out the attack on August 21, and has the ability to strike simultaneously in multiple locations. We have seen no indication that the opposition has carried out a large-scale, coordinated rocket and artillery attack like the one that occurred on August 21.

We assess that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons over the last year primarily to gain the upper hand or break a stalemate in areas where it has struggled to seize and hold strategically valuable territory. In this regard, we continue to judge that the Syrian regime views chemical weapons as one of many tools in its arsenal, including air power and ballistic missiles, which they indiscriminately use against the opposition.

The Syrian regime has initiated an effort to rid the Damascus suburbs of opposition forces using the area as a base to stage attacks against regime targets in the capital. The regime has failed to clear dozens of Damascus neighbourhoods of opposition elements, including neighbourhoods targeted on August 21, despite employing nearly all of its conventional weapons systems.

We assess that the regime's frustration with its inability to secure large portions of Damascus may have contributed to its decision to use chemical weapons on August 21.

Preparation:

We have intelligence that leads us to assess that Syrian chemical weapons personnel - including personnel assessed to be associated with the SSRC - were preparing chemical munitions prior to the attack. In the three days prior to the attack, we collected streams of human, signals and geospatial intelligence that reveal regime activities that we assess were associated with preparations for a chemical weapons attack.

Syrian chemical weapons personnel were operating in the Damascus suburb of 'Adra from Sunday, August 18 until early in the morning on Wednesday, August 21 near an area that the regime uses to mix chemical weapons, including sarin. On August 21, a Syrian regime element prepared for a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus area, including through the utilisation of gas masks.

Our intelligence sources in the Damascus area did not detect any indications in the days prior to the attack that opposition affiliates were planning to use chemical weapons.

The Attack:

Multiple streams of intelligence indicate that the regime executed a rocket and artillery attack against the Damascus suburbs in the early hours of August 21.

Satellite detections corroborate that attacks from a regime-controlled area struck neighbourhoods where the chemical attacks reportedly occurred - including Kafr Batna, Jawbar, 'Ayn Tarma, Darayya, and Mu'addamiyah. This includes the detection of rocket launches from regime controlled territory early in the morning, approximately 90 minutes before the first report of a chemical attack appeared in social media. The lack of flight activity or missile launches also leads us to conclude that the regime used rockets in the attack.

Local social media reports of a chemical attack in the Damascus suburbs began at 2:30 a.m. local time on August 21. Within the next four hours there were thousands of social media reports on this attack from at least 12 different locations in the Damascus area. Multiple accounts described chemical-filled rockets impacting opposition-controlled areas.

Three hospitals in the Damascus area received approximately 3,600 patients displaying symptoms consistent with nerve agent exposure in less than three hours on the morning of August 21, according to a highly credible international humanitarian organisation.

The reported symptoms, and the epidemiological pattern of events - characterised by the massive influx of patients in a short period of time, the origin of the patients, and the contamination of medical and first aid workers - were consistent with mass exposure to a nerve agent. We also received reports from international and Syrian medical personnel on the ground.

We have identified one hundred videos attributed to the attack, many of which show large numbers of bodies exhibiting physical signs consistent with, but not unique to, nerve agent exposure. The reported symptoms of victims included unconsciousness, foaming from the nose and mouth, constricted pupils, rapid heartbeat, and difficulty breathing.

Several of the videos show what appear to be numerous fatalities with no visible injuries, which is consistent with death from chemical weapons, and inconsistent with death from small-arms, high-explosive munitions or blister agents. At least 12 locations are portrayed in the publicly available videos, and a sampling of those videos confirmed that some were shot at the general times and locations described in the footage.

We assess the Syrian opposition does not have the capability to fabricate all of the videos, physical symptoms verified by medical personnel and NGOs, and other information associated with this chemical attack.

We have a body of information, including past Syrian practice, that leads us to conclude that regime officials were witting of and directed the attack on August 21. We intercepted communications involving a senior official intimately familiar with the offensive who confirmed that chemical weapons were used by the regime on August 21 and was concerned with the UN inspectors obtaining evidence.

On the afternoon of August 21, we have intelligence that Syrian chemical weapons personnel were directed to cease operations. At the same time, the regime intensified the artillery barrage targeting many of the neighbourhoods where chemical attacks occurred. In the 24 hour period after the attack, we detected indications of artillery and rocket fire at a rate approximately four times higher than the ten preceding days.

We continued to see indications of sustained shelling in the neighbourhoods up until the morning of August 26.

To conclude, there is a substantial body of information that implicates the Syrian government's responsibility in the chemical weapons attack that took place on August 21. As indicated, there is additional intelligence that remains classified because of sources and methods concerns that is being provided to Congress and international partners.

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Delhi Gang Rape: Teenager Found Guilty

A teenager has been found guilty of the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi last year.

The verdict is the first handed down in a case which shocked the world in its brutality and led to widespread protests over sex crimes against women in India.

Police outside the juvenile court

The physiotherapy student died of internal injuries after being raped and assaulted with an iron bar.

It is alleged that six men took part in the attack on the night of December 16, 2012. Her male companion was also beaten up before both were thrown from the bus.

The 18-year-old has been sentenced to three years in a correction facility - the maximum penalty he could be given. The sentence will include the time he has already served custody.

The court case ended in July but the juvenile court had postponed the verdict for the youngest defendant, 17 at the time, four times.

"He has been held guilty for rape and murder and sentenced to three years subject to review," Anil Sharma, the chief investigating officer in the case, told reporters outside the court in the capital.

The woman's mother emerged from the court in tears and said: "He got just three years ... from December onwards he has been given three years."

Her family had earlier called for the teenager to be given the death penalty, saying the juvenile justice system, which seeks to reform rather than punish, was too lenient.

During the trial the court heard that the teenager refuted the police charge sheet that he was the "most brutal" of all the six accused men.

His lawyers submitted there was no medical evidence to connect him to the charges and no fingerprints could be detected within the bus to show complicity.

A native of Uttar Pradesh, the suspect came to Delhi when he was 11.

He worked at a number of road side restaurants before taking up a cleaner's job on the bus. He told the court he was a victim of the alleged ringleader of the group, Ram Singh, for whom he worked and "was not paid by for months".

Singh, 34, killed himself in jail in March.

The trial of the four other suspects is taking place at a fast-track court in New Delhi.

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Syria: Napalm-Like Burns After School Attack

People suffering from Napalm-like burns have been speaking of an attack in which a plane apparently dropped an incendiary bomb on students in Syria.

Video said to be from the town of Urum al Kubra, close to Aleppo, shows a man reported to be a school teacher, who says the students were attacked as they tried to escape from an attack nearby.

"The plane hit a residential area in Urum al Kubra," he explains.

"We tried to get out quickly so we don't get hurt, but it seems someone's fate caught up with them today.

"A gathering of students formed, which is normal as the students needed to leave under these circumstances, and the plane hit us."

The injuries were like those caused by Napalm, according to doctors

The video, posted on the internet, is said to have come from an account associated with a rebel group in Aleppo.

In another video filmed in the aftermath of the attack, a doctor reports seven deaths and 50 injuries - and says the burns resembled Napalm injuries.

However, the use of the substance has not been confirmed.

A BBC television crew who witnessed the bombing reported no shrapnel injuries and said the victims resembled "the walking dead".

Napalm is not classified as an outlawed chemical weapon although it can cause devastating burn injuries.

UN chemical weapons inspectors will end their Syria mission by the weekend

Infamously used in the Vietnam War - as well as the Second World War - the jelly-like substance sticks to skin and burns at very high temperatures.

A United Nations convention prohibits using incendiary weapons against civilians, or against military targets located near civilian populations.

The pictures of the school attack emerged after MPs voted against military action over alleged chemical weapons gas attacks by the Syrian regime.

Some have described the outcome as a "humiliation" for the government and means the US may have to go ahead alone with any military strikes.

Speaking to Sky News, former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown said the vote had left him "ashamed" and said it was vital to act to stop attacks on innocent civilians.

The UK is "shrugging its shoulders" at the attack, says Paddy Ashdown

"In more than 50 years of trying to serve my country in one form or another, I don't think I have ever felt more depressed this morning or more ashamed.

"I now am condemned to watch those children burn in that schoolhouse yesterday and be a country that shrugs its shoulders and says 'nothing to do with me'."

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Seamus Heaney: Nobel Prize-Winning Poet Dies

Seamus Heaney, the Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet and playwright, has died.

Born in April 1939, the eldest of nine children, in Co Derry, Northern Ireland, Heaney won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995.

The 74-year-old former teacher moved to Dublin in his later years and is survived by his wife Marie, and children Christopher, Michael and Catherine Ann.

He had been in hospital after suffering a short illness, his family said.

Seamus Heaney has been described as a "humble, modest man"

"The death has taken place of Seamus Heaney. The poet and Nobel Laureate died in hospital in Dublin this morning after a short illness," a statement on behalf of the family said.

"The family has requested privacy at this time."

Heaney was educated at St Columb's College in Derry, a Catholic boarding school, and later at Queen's University Belfast, before making his home in Dublin, with periods of teaching in the US.

He was an honorary fellow at Trinity College Dublin and last year was bestowed with the Seamus Heaney Professorship in Irish Writing at the university, which he described as a great honour.

His world-renowned poetry first came to public attention in the mid-1960s with his first major collection, Death Of A Naturalist, published in 1966.

As the troubles took hold later that decade, his experiences were seen through the darkened mood of his work.

His upbringing also played out in the poetry he wrote in later years.

He donated his personal literary notes to the National Library of Ireland in December 2011, joining the ranks of Irish literary master James Joyce and fellow Nobel winner WB Yeats.

During his literary career he held prestigious posts at Oxford University and at Harvard in the US.

He once praised the lyrics of US rapper Eminem, saying that the American singer had "sent a voltage around a generation" with his shocking lyrics about gun crime, gangs, rape and homosexuality.

Ireland's Arts Minister, Jimmy Deenihan, praised Heaney for his work as a literary great but also for promoting Ireland.

"He was just a very humble, modest man. He was very accessible," he said.

"Anywhere I have ever travelled in the world and you mention poetry and literature and the name of Seamus Heaney comes up immediately."

Mr Deenihan recently joined Heaney at an event at the Irish Embassy in Paris where the poet gave readings to an audience of 1,000 invited guests.

"He was a huge figure internationally, a great ambassador for literature obviously, but also for Ireland," the minister said.

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Papua New Guinea: 'Black Jesus' Tari Killed

An infamous cult leader known as 'Black Jesus', who was suspected of cannibalism, has reportedly been chopped to death in a Papua New Guinea village.

Steven Tari, a convicted rapist, had been on the run since escaping from a prison in the Pacific nation during a mass break-out in March.

Police chief Sylvester Kalaut said that Tari and one of his followers were killed at a village about 12 miles outside Madang on Thursday as they were attacking a young woman.

"He is now dead and this could be the fate of the others who are also on the run from authorities and I am warning and strongly urging those escapees to surrender themselves to authorities," Mr Kalaut told the country's Post-Courier newspaper.

Tari, a failed Lutheran pastor, was found guilty in 2010 of raping girls who belonged to his Christian-based sect and sentenced to up to 10 years.

At the time, he had thousands of village followers, including a core of armed warriors to protect him.

He preached that young girls were to be "married" to him as it was God's prophecy.

Police said the woman Tari was in the process of attacking was "a flower girl tricked into joining the cult", adding that angry villagers had surrounded him and his companion and killed them.

His death follows that of a young high school girl about a week ago - a murder alleged to have been carried out by Tari.

Papua New Guinea, located north of Australia in the south Pacific, is one of the world's least explored countries.

Black magic and cannibalism are sometimes reported.

Last year, police arrested dozens of people linked to an alleged cannibal cult accused of killing at least seven people, eating their brains raw and making soup from their body parts.

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Syria Crisis: US May Act Without Allied Support

President Barack Obama may proceed with military action against Syria even without allied support, US officials have said.

But they stressed no final decision has been made on America's response to the Syrian government's alleged chemical weapons attack, which is said to have killed 1,300 people.

Veto-holding members of the United Nations are at odds over a draft Security Council resolution that would authorise "all necessary force" in response to the alleged gas attack.

The UK's traditional role as America's most reliable military ally was called into question when David Cameron became the first British prime minister in history to be blocked by MPs over the prospect of military action.

A chastened-looking PM, struggling to make himself heard over calls of "resign" from the opposition benches, told them "I get it" as he abandoned hopes of joining any US strike on Syria.

Mr Obama is under pressure to provide a legal rationale for military action

Speaking after the historic defeat, the White House said Mr Obama would decide on a response to chemical weapons use in Syria based on US interests, but that Washington would continue to consult with Britain.

British chancellor George Osborne acknowledged that the inability to commit British forces to any American-led operation against Assad would damage the special relationship between Westminster and Washington.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think there will be a national soul-searching about our role in the world and whether Britain wants to play a big part in upholding the international system, be that big, open and trading nation that I like us to be, or whether we turn our back on that."

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall said the relationship between Britain and the US was "bruised but not broken". "I don't think there's a divorce on the cards, a bit of bickering perhaps," he added.

David Cameron was blocked by MPs over the prospect of military action

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, speaking on a trip to the Philippines, said: "It is the goal of President Obama and our government ... whatever decision is taken, that it be an international collaboration and effort."

America is mulling whether to strike Syria without UN backing despite some of the more hawkish figures in the US cautioning against military action.

Former president, George W Bush, told Fox News Mr Obama had a "tough choice to make" but would not be drawn on what he should do.

He added: "I was not a fan of Mr Assad. He's an ally of Iran and has made mischief."

Former Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who helped spearhead US invasions in Iraq and Afghanistan, said: "There really hasn't been any indication from the administration as to what our national interest is with respect to this particular situation."

A UN weapons expert at the site of an alleged chemical attack in Syria

He said, if anything, the US should be more concerned with Iran.

Earlier, top US officials spoke to key Democrat and Republican politicians for more than 90 minutes in a conference call to explain why they believe the Syrian regime was responsible for the suspected chemical attack.

They have been pressing Mr Obama to provide a legal rationale for military action, and to lay out a firm case linking President Bashar al Assad's forces to the attack.

Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, a senior Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said after the briefing that "strong evidence of the Assad regime's continued use of chemical warfare" merited a military response.

It remained to be seen whether any sceptics were swayed by the call, given the expectation that officials would hold back classified information to protect intelligence sources.

"The main thing was that they have no doubt that Assad's forces used chemical weapons," New York Rep Eliot Engel, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said after the briefing.

But he said officials did not provide much new evidence of that.

"They said they have (intercepted) some discussions and some indications from a high-level official," he said, and that they possess intelligence showing material being moved in advance of the attack.

France announced that its armed forces "have been put in position to respond" if President Francois Hollande decides on military action.

He does not need French parliamentary approval to launch military action that lasts less than four months.

Moscow and Beijing have both vetoed previous Western efforts to impose UN penalties on Syria.

China has also been keen to show it is not taking sides and has urged the Syrian government to talk to the opposition and meet demands for political change.

Mr Assad, who has denied using chemical weapons, vowed his country "will defend itself against any aggression".

Mr Obama has ruled out putting American forces on the ground in Syria or setting up a no-fly zone over the country.

He said any US response would be limited in scope and aimed solely at punishing Mr Assad for deploying deadly gases, not at regime change.

The most likely military option would be Tomahawk cruise missile strikes from four Navy destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

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Panama Skull Identified As California Woman

Skeletal remains found this month in Panama have been identified as those of an American woman who disappeared there in 2011.

DNA testing confirmed that the remains - a skull and some bones - found on the island province of Bocas del Toro came from Yvonne Lee Baldelli, Panamanian officials said.

Ms Baldelli went to Panama with boyfriend Brian Brimager in September 2011.

The 42-year-old from Laguna Nigel, California, was last seen in November that year. Her family reported her missing the following January.

Ms Baldelli was last seen in November 2011

"The whole family has been very sad and desperate," her sister, Michelle Faust, told the AP News Agency. "We didn't know where Yvonne was.

"The good thing about today is that once the evidence (from the remains) is studied we will be able to bring her home."

Forensic experts analysed blood samples and dental records to identify the remains, but the cause of death remains unclear and further testing will be carried out.

Her boyfriend, Brian Brimager, is being held

The skull and bones were found on August 20 in a bag by a man who was cutting bushes, prosecutors said.

"I saw the bag bit I thought it was robbed from the tourist beach," said Rigoberto Jole.

"I cut it with a machete and then I opened it - and there was a human head."

The family of Ms Baldelli, a clothing designer, said she was frequently out of touch so they did not immediately suspect anything was wrong.

Panama police say Mr Brimager left for Costa Rica and the US about 10 days after last being seen with Ms Baldelli.

Ms Faust said Mr Brimager is being held in California on obstruction of justice charges related to her disappearance.

Last year, FBI agents and Panamanian forensic specialists found traces of blood on the walls and floor of the El Sapo hostel in the Bocas del Toro archipelago, a popular tourist spot where Ms Baldelli was last seen.

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Syria Gas Attack: 'My Eyes Were On Fire'

Survivors have described the horrific aftermath of the "gas attack" in Syria in a series of chilling interviews from Damascus.

Victims told how a gas with "a faint green colour" stung their eyes "like needles", causing their legs to buckle and making their bodies convulse in pain.

One told how he regained consciousness after succumbing to the gas, seeing wild hallucinations "like Alice in Wonderland" with his "eyes on fire".

Others described how they saw hundreds of suffocating, twitching victims in the streets and in hospitals following a barrage of "whistling" rockets.

Girls who survived rest in a mosque in Damascus

In several interviews, released by the Associated Press news agency, witnesses told how the rockets made a "strange noise", never heard before.

The rocket assaults came around the same time on two suburbs on opposite sides of the capital: Moadamiyeh to the west and several districts to the east.

Ammar, a resident who said he miraculously survived the barrage on Moadamiyeh, where 80 people were killed, said he was awakened by shelling around 5am. 

He said he heard a screeching sound, followed by the sound of people screaming on Rawda street below his apartment - and saw the green gas.

A boy who survived and took cover in a Damascus mosque

"I ran out to see what was going on and saw people in various stages of suffocation and convulsions. I tried to help, but then my legs buckled and I fell to the ground," he said.

Ammar woke up at a makeshift hospital, where he said he spent five days getting oxygen and injections of atropine, which counteracts the effects of nerve gases.

A week later, Ammar said he has not fully recovered. He suffers bouts of cold sweats, exhaustion, hallucinations and a runny nose.

Worst of all, he said, were the nightmares.

"I can't sleep anymore. I keep seeing the people who died, the scenes from the hospital of people twitching and foaming. I can never forget that," said Ammar, 30.

A child victim of the attack

His father, who identified himself by his nickname, Abu Ammar, was at the nearby al-Rawda mosque waiting for dawn prayers when the first rockets hit.

He said some people ran outside and then came back in immediately, shouting: "Chemicals! Chemicals!"

He put water on a tissue and covered his mouth and nose, and then went out.

"I saw at least seven people lying on their backs, completely still," he said.

Qusai Zakarya said the rockets crashed with a strange whistle "like a siren".

Friends took him to the hospital, where he saw dozens of people crowding the rooms and corridors, many of them in their underwear.

Nurses and doctors doused them with water. That was when he fainted. When he came to, doctors were injecting him with atropine and he started vomiting.

"Strange colours came out of my stomach," the man said. He fainted again and later woke up in the street outside in his underwear, apparently moved out to make room for others.

Later, he felt well enough to go home and said he slept for 13 hours.

Many children fell ill after the assault

"When I woke up I felt like Alice in Wonderland," he said.

"Everything looked distorted and I couldn't remember anything.

"My eyes felt as if they were on fire, and every time I tried to smell something I felt terrible pain. My chest also ached," he said, his speech interrupted by a hacking cough.

To the east of Damascus, some 600 patients poured into a makeshift hospital in the district of Arbeen. Of those, 125 died, including 35 children.

Abu Akram said he was told by several medics that some people were found in their homes, with wet towels on their faces or hiding with their children in bathrooms.

"People didn't die in their sleep; they tried to save themselves," he said.

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Lindsay Sandiford: Death Row Appeal Rejected

Indonesia's top court has rejected an appeal by a British grandmother sentenced to death for trafficking drugs into Bali.

Lindsay Sandiford was sentenced to death by firing squad in January.

A panel of three judges at the Supreme Court in Jakarta unanimously rejected her appeal.

The 57-year-old was arrested in May 2012 at Bali airport when customs officers found the drugs in her luggage.

Prosecutors say Sandiford was at the centre of a drugs ring involving three other Britons.

Sandiford after her arrest in May 2012

She says she was forced to transport the drugs under duress as her children's safety was threatened.

The death sentence came as a shock after prosecutors recommended 15 years imprisonment.

This is her second appeal against the ruling. A previous bid in April also failed

Sandiford can now seek a judicial review of the decision from the same court.

After that, only the president can grant her a reprieve, although experts have said this seldom happens in such cases.

This month Sky News was granted rare access behind the walls of Kerobokan jail, where she is being held.

The notorious facility is nicknamed Hotel K by its inmates.

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Syria: Russia 'Sending Warships To The Med'

Syria: How The World Is Reacting

Updated: 12:53pm UK, Thursday 29 August 2013

There has been international condemnation of the alleged chemical attack in Syria, which apparently killed more than 1,300 people. This is how some countries are responding:

:: United Kingdom

Prime Minister David Cameron has recalled Parliament for an urgent vote on a possible military response, while the Government says armed forces are drawing up contingency plans for a potential attack.

Britain has drafted a UN resolution condemning the attack and "authorising all necessary measures", although Foreign Secretary William Hague has said the West could act even without full UN Security Council backing. 

:: United States

President Barack Obama said the US has concluded the Syrian government is behind the attack, saying a strike would teach the Assad regime "that it better not do it again".

The US has signalled it would act even without backing from its allies or the UN.

Last year, Mr Obama warned Syria it risked crossing a "red line" by using chemical weapons against civilians.

:: Russia

Syria's staunchest ally opposes any military intervention and has called on both sides to co-operate with UN inspectors. It said there is no proof that Assad's forces carried out the attack and could be a "premeditated provocation" by opposition forces.

Moscow has warned Washington of the "extremely dangerous consequences" of military action against the Damascus regime.

The recent crisis has driven a new wedge between Russia and the West over Syria, with Moscow and Western capitals offering vastly different interpretations of the incident.

:: China

China supports what it called the UN's "objective, impartial and professional investigation" and has said the Syrian government must "ensure the smooth progress" of inspectors' work.

China is sceptical of Western use of force, with Beijing's official news agency running a commentary recalling the 2003 Iraq invasion on the grounds that it possessed banned weapons - which were never found.

China joined Moscow in vetoing measures against Assad in the UN Security Council.

:: France

A defence official said the French military will commit forces to an operation in Syria if President Francois Hollande decides to do so.

The president remains non-committal on intervention. Foreign minister Laurent Fabius has said a "reaction with force" could be necessary if allegations of chemical weapons use in Syria are proved.

:: Iran

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country will press efforts to ward off military intervention by the US and its allies, calling potential action an "open violation" of international laws.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told the country's ISNA news agency that US military intervention in Syria would be "a disaster" for the Middle East. He added: "The region is like a gunpowder store and the future cannot be predicted."

:: Germany

The German government has suggested it would support an international military response against Syria if it is confirmed the Assad regime attacked civilians with chemical weapons.

:: Turkey

Foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu has claimed the use of chemical weapons is "evident" from video footage.

A vehement opponent of the Assad regime, Turkey has said it would join an international coalition against Syria even if the UN Security Council fails to reach consensus on the issue.

:: Italy

Italy has ruled out taking part in any type of military intervention without UN Security Council approval, saying there was no alternative to "a negotiated political solution".

:: Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has called for "firm and serious" action against the Assad regime for the alleged gas attack.

:: Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has looked to alleviate fears of a retaliatory strike from Syria if American forces strike.

He told Israelis there was "no reason to change their routines", but thousands have been standing in long lines to get government-issue gas masks.

Israel has also called up reservists and deployed missile defence batteries.

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North Korea Sees 'Bright Future' In Tourism

North And South: A Quick History

Updated: 2:23pm UK, Thursday 25 July 2013

By Mark Stone, Asia Corespondent, in Pyongyang

On the Korean Peninsula there are two versions of history. The version people learn depends on whether they are North Korean or South Korean.

Either way though, understanding both versions is key to understanding this most unusual of countries: its quirks, its people, its politics and its government's ability to survive against the odds.

There is no logical reason why the land that makes up the Korean Peninsula should be split into two countries.

The people either side of the border speak the same language and have the same ancestors.

But since 1945, it has been two countries: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea).

From 1910 until the end of World War Two, the Korean Peninsula was Japanese territory.

With Japan's defeat, America and the Soviet Union took control of the peninsula.

They decided to split it in two: America didn't want the communist administration in Moscow to control the whole thing. Moscow felt the same about total American control.

And an agreement was reached between Washington and Moscow and an arbitrary line was simply drawn across the middle.

The North became The Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It adopted the communist ideology of its Soviet masters.

A young war hero called Kim Il-Sung became its prime minister.

The South adopted American-style democracy and became the Republic of Korea.

Just five years later though in 1950, Kim Il-Sung and his new army, backed by communist China and Russia, invaded the South.

Within months North Korean forces controlled almost the entire peninsula.

An American-led United Nations force fought back and the Korean War had begun.

Three years of fighting left well over a million people dead. Among them were soldiers from both Koreas, America, China, Russia and Britain.

But no side could claim victory. The border remained where it had been at the start - across the 38th Parallel - and to this day it is a heavily guarded and mined demilitarised zone.

In the decades that followed, the Soviet Union and China continued to prop up the North.

Inside the closed country, Kim Il-Sung's government controlled information and adopted their own version of history which states that the US-backed South Koreans invaded the North.

In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed. North Korea had lost its main communist ally and trading partner.

The 1990s were dominated by a catastrophic famine in which millions died. A once strong country began to crumble.

And yet the country remained cut off, shunning most Western offers of help.

Kim Il-Sung, at his death in 1994, was declared Eternal President.

His son Kim Jong-Il ensured continuity and - on his death in 2011 - the leadership was assumed by his son, Kim Jong-Un.

And so through extreme control and isolation spanning 65 years, the Kim dynasty has cemented its cult of personality through which the state is still run.

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Baghdad Bombings: At Least 51 People Killed

At least 51 people have been killed and dozens wounded in a series of bombings and attacks in and around Baghdad.

More than a dozen explosions - most of them car bombs, but also at least two suicide attacks - went off in mostly Shiite areas of the Iraqi capital, as well as two mixed towns just to its south.

The attacks - during rush hour on Wednesday - also injured more than 140 people, officials said.

In one of the worst incidents, a car bomb killed seven people and wounded 23 in Jisr al Diyala in southeastern Baghdad, police and medics said.

The attacks happened during rush hour

In Kadhimiya, a district in northwestern Baghdad, two roadside bombs and one car bomb killed five people and wounded nearly 30, the sources said.

"We are poor people, and all of our things have been burned, and our home has fallen to the ground," said Marwa, an 18-year-old resident of Shaab, a north Baghdad neighbourhood where four people were killed.

"The politicians are fighting over positions and not looking after us," 

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, but Sunni militants linked to al Qaeda frequently carry out such coordinated attacks targeting Shiite Muslims, whom they regard as apostates.

Security has been stepped up in the capital in recent months

More than 1,000 Iraqis were killed in July, the highest monthly death toll since 2008.

The latest blasts come amid widely publicised security operations targeting militants in Baghdad and to the north and west.

But the government has faced criticism it is not dealing with the root causes of Iraq's worst violence since 2008.cording to the United Nations.

The rise in unrest since the beginning of the year, with more than 3,700 people killed in 2013, has sparked concerns the country is teetering on the edge of a return to the brutal all-out sectarian war that plagued it in 2006 and 2007.

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Syria: Father Reunited With His 'Dead' Son

A Syrian father's nightmare is over after he learned the son he thought had been killed in a chemical weapons attack is alive.

Video has emerged of the moment the pair are reunited in a suburb of Zamalka, surround by friends and relatives.

The heart-warming film uploaded to YouTube shows the boy first being handed over to someone who appears to be a relative before his relieved father is given the news his son is alive.

Safe: the little boy is reunited with his father

As they are about to be reunited he is so overcome with joy and shock that his legs buckle and he bursts into tears.

Those around him shout "Allahu akbar" (God is great).

The man is so distraught and emotional his son has to be momentarily taken away from him while he composes himself.

Later in the video the boy is seen in his father's arms as he is kissed and hugged.

Some 1,300 Syrians are reported to have been killed in the attack in Damascus, with a further 3,600 treated for neurotoxic symptoms.

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Syria: 'Britain Helped Rebels Use Chemicals'

Britain, the US and France helped "terrorists" use chemical weapons in Syria, says the country's deputy foreign minister.

The claims comes as David Cameron finished holding 'war talks' at Downing Street where military commanders were helping draw up plans for missile strikes against Syria.

The Prime Minister was chairing a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) after insisting the West must not "stand idly by" in the wake of Syria's suspected chemical attack.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged all sides to prioritise a diplomatic solution and asked for more time for his team in Syria to establish the full facts.

He said inspectors would need until Sunday to carry out their investigation.

However, David Cameron and US President Barack Obama have agreed that "all the information available confirmed a chemical weapons attack had taken place", a Downing Street spokesperson said on Wednesday morning.

"They both agreed they were in no doubt that the Assad regime was responsible," said Number 10.

Britain has also drafted a United Nations resolution condemning the attack and "authorising all necessary measures".

It will be put forward when the five permanent members of the UN Security Council meet in New York later.

More follows...

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Gaddafi's Son Seeks UK Help Over 'Show Trial'

By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

The lawyer representing Colonel Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, is urging the British Government to do all it can to prevent him facing trial in Libya and deliver him to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

John Jones QC told Sky News he fears his client, who faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, will be subjected to a 'show trial' and sentenced to death.

He said: "Executing Saif Gaddafi would be a complete violation of the ICC orders so it's logical and right, and a moral and legal obligation on the UK, to intervene."

It follows a Libyan court's decision to sentence to death Colonel Gaddafi's former education minister Ahmed Ibrahim.

The ICC has also raised concerns about the ability of the Libyan authorities to hold the trial and the charges they plan to present against Saif al-Islam.

Saif al-Islam pictured after his capture

Fadi El-Abdallah, a spokesman for the court, told Sky News: "There is no legal representation for him on a national level and the operation of gathering the evidence and protecting the witnesses is not secured."

But the process of transferring Saif al-Islam from Libya to The Hague is proving to be a complex one.

He was captured by rebel fighters from the Libyan city of Zintan in November 2011 and has been held there, in solitary confinement, ever since.

The Libyan Government is struggling to exert its influence over large parts of the country and can't transfer him without the permission of Zintan's militia leaders.

John Jones, QC, says it's further evidence that Mr Gaddafi must be handed over to the ICC.

He was once tipped to lead Libya towards democracy

He said: "Libya's central authorities don't have control of his custody. That proves the point that if there's no control of is custody, if there's no rule of law in Libya, he should be tried in The Hague".

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was once tipped by western governments to lead Libya towards democracy.

Educated at the London School of Economics and considered by many to be the country's de-facto prime minister, he refused to abandon his father when protests sprung in several Libyan cities in early 2011.

He was found by fighters from the Zintan brigade trying to cross into Niger just a month after his father Colonel Gaddafi was captured and killed.

His last public appearance was in May when he briefly appeared in court to answer separate charges of endangering national security after he was accused of providing an ICC lawyer with 'sensitive' documents.

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Brit Held In China For 'Selling Private Data'

A British corporate investigator has been arrested in Shanghai on suspicion of illegally buying and selling personal information about Chinese citizens.

Former journalist Peter Humphrey and his American wife Yingzeng Yu are accused of obtaining people's addresses, as well as information about their families, homes and cars, and selling the details to lawyers, manufacturers and financial companies.

Police in Shanghai claimed the pair had "seriously violated the legitimate rights of citizens" and said they were formally arrested earlier this month.

Humphrey, speaking in Mandarin as he appeared on state television with his face blurred, said: "To obtain this information, I sometimes used illegal means. I want to apologise to the Chinese government."

A spokesman fron the British Embassy said: "We are aware of reports in the Chinese media relating to Peter Humphrey.

"We were concerned to see that Peter Humphrey was interviewed about the details of a case which is currently under investigation and has yet to come to trial.

"We are continuing to provide consular assistance to Mr Humphrey and his family."

Humphrey and Yu run a company called ChinaWhys, which offers services including the screening of potential employees or business partners.

Chinese companies use such firms to protect themselves against fraud, embezzlement or misconduct by employees or business partners.

Humphrey, who worked as a foreign correspondent for 20 years, studied at Durham University and founded ChinaWhys in 2003.

Humphrey is led down a corridor by police officers in Shanghai

He was detained as police investigated bribery allegations against drugs company GlaxoSmithKline, one of the companies he worked for, Reuters said.

Chinese police have detained four GSK executives claiming they organised a scheme to funnel bribes to doctors in return for buying its products.

It is not clear whether Humphrey's arrest is linked to the probe.

A report last week claimed that western firms were warned about illegal practises at a meeting in a Beijing hotel in July.

China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) held a closed-door meeting with representatives from around 30 foreign firms, including Siemens and General Electric.

At the meeting, the firms were reportedly warned about corruption and violating Chinese law.

One source claimed the Chinese official had said half of the companies in the room were either being investigated or had been probed by the NDRC.

Sky's China Correspondent Mark Stone, in Beijing, said: "Over the past few months, the Chinese operations of a number of foreign companies have been subjected to probes by Chinese investigators, ostensibly as part of a country-wide crackdown on corruption.

"The focus on foreign firms is seen as being increasingly aggressive and could threaten foreign investment in China.

"Given how important the Chinese market is to foreign companies, none will want China to become too risky a market in which to operate."

According to a profile on his company's website, Humphrey's achievements include eliminating fraud in the buying operation of a well-known chain of stores, uncovering fraudulent deals for a global appliances manufacturer and helping recover a kidnapped child in China.

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Syrian Crisis: Morality Of War And Jungle Law

Morality and law are closely related, but is there a link between morality, law, and war?

The morality of dropping large quantities of high explosives on cities is debateable, but if there were no "laws of war" then, leaving morality to one side, legally there would be no difference between shooting people and gassing them.

As we know, there are "laws of war" - the Geneva Conventions, the treaties on chemical weapons, and others.

Gassing people clearly breaks those laws. Does it therefore follow that action can then be taken by outside actors under international law?

Here it gets complicated.

Firstly you have to prove which side broke the law.

In the Syrian example, the US, the UK, and France say they are certain the Assad regime is responsible.

So far the hard evidence has not been produced, and those three countries are using the "common sense" argument - that it is obvious President Bashar Assad's forces used chemical weapons.

Smoke over Baghdad after US-led air raids in 2003

For various reasons Russia, and others, fail to see the "common sense" view and will therefore block any country which tries to get a legally binding UN Security Council resolution authorising action against Syria. 

This leaves taking action without the UN.

The Russians and others will argue that this would be illegal and tantamount to the law of the jungle in which any state can attack another on a pretext without proof or international agreement.

Moscow is already citing the Iraq fiasco to bolster this view.

If it comes to action, albeit limited, the British, French and Americans are likely to fall back on a number of arguments to legitimise the use of force. 

Among them are the breaking of the Geneva Conventions, various treaties reacting to chemical weapons which date all the way back to 1925, and a concept known as R2P - Responsibility to Protect.

In 1999 US President Bill Clinton justified the bombing of Serbia on the ground of the moral responsibility protect large numbers of civilians.

He assembled the Nato countries to give "international cover" on what was a US-led operation.

In 2005, the UN adopted R2P as an "international norm" but there is fierce debate about whether it can be invoked without a UN Security Council resolution.

Bill Clinton sanctioned the bombing of Serbia in the 90s on moral grounds

This brings us to the credibility issue.

If the Western countries really believe in R2P, and more importantly wish to be able to really influence events, then if a red line has been crossed, it could be argued they have to intervene in Syria whether or not they get legal cover. 

Failure to do so, it will be argued, will embolden dictators and strong men around the world.

They will act in the most heinous manner with impunity having seen the US's pronouncements as those of a paper tiger.

Iran, North Korea, and China are all watching with keen interest.

At this point, the lines of legality, and to a lesser extent morality, begin to blur and we are into theory.

For example, it would be argued that failure to act now will mean pain later, that future foreign policy will be negatively affected, that international coalitions would begin to fray, and that the real law of the jungle would be ushered in. 

It would also be stated that the standing of the commander-in-chief of the world's most powerful armed forces would be diminished.

None of this is provable today as they are predictions of the future - but the argument is real.

In the White House this week they are debating law, morality, war, and an equally powerful concept in international relations - credibility.

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Syria: US Says Military Is Ready For Action

Syria: Credibility And The Jungle

Updated: 11:38am UK, Tuesday 27 August 2013

By Tim Marshall, Foreign Affairs Editor

Morality and law are closely related, but is there a link between morality, law, and war?

The morality of dropping large quantities of high explosives on cities is debateable, but if there were no "laws of war" then, leaving morality to one side, legally there would be no difference between shooting people and gassing them.

As we know, there are "laws of war" - the Geneva Conventions, the treaties on chemical weapons, and others.

Gassing people clearly breaks those laws. Does it therefore follow that action can then be taken by outside actors under international law?

Here it gets complicated.

Firstly you have to prove which side broke the law.

In the Syrian example, the US, the UK, and France say they are certain the Assad regime is responsible.

So far the hard evidence has not been produced, and those three countries are using the "common sense" argument - that it is obvious President Bashar Assad's forces used chemical weapons.

For various reasons Russia, and others, fail to see the "common sense" view and will therefore block any country which tries to get a legally binding UN Security Council resolution authorising action against Syria. 

This leaves taking action without the UN.

The Russians and others will argue that this would be illegal and tantamount to the law of the jungle in which any state can attack another on a pretext without proof or international agreement.

Moscow is already citing the Iraq fiasco to bolster this view.

If it comes to action, albeit limited, the British, French and Americans are likely to fall back on a number of arguments to legitimise the use of force. 

Among them are the breaking of the Geneva Conventions, various treaties reacting to chemical weapons which date all the way back to 1925, and a concept known as R2P - Responsibility to Protect.

In 1999 US President Bill Clinton justified the bombing of Serbia on the ground of the moral responsibility protect large numbers of civilians.

He assembled the Nato countries to give "international cover" on what was a US-led operation.

In 2005, the UN adopted R2P as an "international norm" but there is fierce debate about whether it can be invoked without a UN Security Council resolution.

This brings us to the credibility issue.

If the Western countries really believe in R2P, and more importantly wish to be able to really influence events, then if a red line has been crossed, it could be argued they have to intervene in Syria whether or not they get legal cover. 

Failure to do so, it will be argued, will embolden dictators and strong men around the world.

They will act in the most heinous manner with impunity having seen the US's pronouncements as those of a paper tiger.

Iran, North Korea, and China are all watching with keen interest.

At this point, the lines of legality, and to a lesser extent morality, begin to blur and we are into theory.

For example, it would be argued that failure to act now will mean pain later, that future foreign policy will be negatively affected, that international coalitions would begin to fray, and that the real law of the jungle would be ushered in. 

It would also be stated that the standing of the commander-in-chief of the world's most powerful armed forces would be diminished.

None of this is provable today as they are predictions of the future - but the argument is real.

In the White House this week they are debating law, morality, war, and an equally powerful concept in international relations - credibility.

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Crocodile Victim Sean Cole's Body Recovered

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

The body of a man who was snatched by a large crocodile in the north of Australia has now been recovered.

IT worker Sean Cole, 26, was taken on Saturday in front of at least 15 onlookers as he swam with a friend across a muddy river that has one of the highest densities of saltwater crocodiles in the world.

He had been celebrating his friend's 30th birthday at the Mary River Wilderness Retreat when the pair decided to take a swim in the croc-infested water, about 68 miles (110km) from the city of Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory.

Northern Territory Police senior constable Wade Rodgers said his body was found early on Monday in the area where he was last seen.

Police believe they have shot the crocodile responsible for the attack

"Our thoughts are with the family during this very difficult time," he said.

Mr Cole's friend survived.

Witnesses had recounted seeing the animal, believed to be nearly five metres (16 feet) long, swimming upriver with his body in its jaws.

The Northern Territory News said a survey three weeks ago recorded four crocodiles over four metres in the area and 10 to 12 measuring more than three metres.

Parks and Wildlife Ranger Tom Nichols said four crocodiles had been shot, including the one believed to be responsible for the attack.

Police had been searching the Mary River for the Mr Cole

"Any animals that were in that range which we believed to be a possible target in the area where the accident took place, we usually take them out for simple reasons," he said.

"We do autopsies on those and it's also closure for the families if there's anything there."

The pair had gone swimming despite notices and verbal warnings from staff at the retreat about the dangers of crocodiles in the area.

Friend Glen Spearing, from the University Rats Football Club, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation it was out of character for Mr Cole to go swimming in a river known for crocodiles.

"I think myself along with everyone else, when we found out we honestly didn't believe that it would have been Sean, we would have expected it to be almost anyone else in the club but Sean," he said.

"[It] just seemed extremely out of character for him."

Frida Pettersson, who was camping close to where the attack happened, also told the ABC that the frightening incident will hopefully put off others from venturing into the water locally.

A recent survey in the area recorded about 15 large crocodiles

"It was my first time there - obviously I'm never going to forget it, and for my children," she said.

"It's just another wake-up call about water safety and to be aware of the water."

Saltwater crocodiles, which can grow up to seven metres long and weigh more than a tonne, are a common feature of Australia's tropical north.

They have been protected since the 1970s and their numbers have increased steadily since, along with the number of human encounters.

Last December, a nine-year-old boy was taken by a four-metre crocodile while swimming in the Northern Territory.

Adults tried to save the boy but the crocodile dragged the youngster out to deeper water.

In November 2012 a girl, 7, was taken by a saltwater crocodile at Gumarrirngbang outstation, near Maningrida.

Three other people, including two children, have been killed by crocodiles since 2009.

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Mubarak Back In Court After Prison Release

Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak has appeared in court to answer charges in connection with the killing of protesters in 2011.

It was the 85-year-old's first court appearance since he was released from prison last week and transferred to a military hospital.

Mubarak appeared at a heavily fortified courtroom in eastern Cairo in a wheelchair, wearing sunglasses and dressed in white.

He sat next to his two sons, Gamal and Alaa, and his former security chief Habib al Adly, who are being tried in a separate corruption-related case.

Around a dozen of the ousted leader's supporters gathered outside the court holding placards and chanting: "Hosni Mubarak is the most honourable Arab, Hosni Mubarak is close to our hearts".

Supporters of Mubarak outside court

Mubarak has been in detention since April 2011.

He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison last year for failing to stop the killing of around 900 protesters in the 18-day uprising, but his sentence was overturned on appeal.

In April, his retrial opened along with those of his security chief and six top police commanders.

His next hearing has been scheduled for September 14.

Defence lawyer Magdy Hafez said: "The court is moving in its natural course, the court does not have to go into reasons for its primary decisions.

"The court adjourned to September 14th to listen to the rest of the demands of the defence team regardless of whether they have looked at the documents or not."

A judge announces the adjournment of the Muslim Brotherhood trial

In another courtroom across the city, three leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood faced a separate trial on similar charges of involvement in the killing of protesters.

With Egypt now under an army-installed government after last month's overthrow of president Mohamed Morsi, local media seized on the symbolism of scheduling both sessions on the same day.

The al Shorouk daily newspaper ran with the headline: "Trial of two regimes".

Mohamed Badie, the Brotherhood's supreme leader, and his deputies did not appear at the opening of their trial for security reasons, a judicial source said. 

The court postponed proceedings until October 29.

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Rim Fire: San Francisco Power Under Threat

Water and electricity supplies to San Francisco are under threat as hundreds of firefighters battle one of California's worst ever wildfires.

California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in San Francisco as the blaze, known as the Rim Fire, threatens power lines to the city and a key reservoir which supplies 85% of its water.

The Hetch Hetchy reservoir is under serious threat with the fire just four miles away. It provides water to 2.6 million people.

The 2,800 firefighters battling the blaze have gained little ground in slowing the now 225-square-mile fire. Officials estimate it is just 7% contained.

Hundreds of those firefighters have been deployed to protect mountain communities in the path of the Rim Fire, north of Yosemite National Park, as fierce winds causes flames to jump through tree tops.

Bulldozers are being used to clear lines on the north side of the fire to protect the towns of Twain Hart., Tuolumne City and Ponderosa Hills.

Twelve helicopters and six planes are dropping water and retardant from the air.

Some 2,800 firefighters have been battling the blaze

Daniel Berlant, of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said: "A crown fire is much more difficult to fight.

"Our firefighters are on the ground having to spray up.

"Unfortunately, we are expecting strong winds out of the south. It's going to allow the fire to advance to the northeast.

"This fire has continued to pose every challenge that there can be on a fire: inaccessible terrain, strong winds, dry conditions. It's a very difficult fire fight."

Investigators are trying to determine how the fire started on August 17, days before lightning storms swept through the region and sparked other blazes.

The Rim Fire has threatened two groves of giant sequoias, which are unique to the region.

The towering trees, which grow only on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada and are among the largest and oldest living things on earth, can resist fire.

But dry conditions and heavy brush are forcing park officials to take extra precautions in the Tuolumne and Merced groves.

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Syria: UN Inspectors 'Shot At By Snipers'

Weapons inspectors investigating an alleged chemical attack in Damascus have been shot at by snipers, a spokesman for the UN has said.

The team's lead vehicle was "deliberately shot at multiple times" as they left a government checkpoint during a visit to part of the city where hundreds of people were allegedly killed, Martin Nesirky told Sky News.

None of the inspectors, who were dressed in body armour, are believed to have been injured in the attack, which came after two mortar bombs landed close to their hotel.

The UN's Angela Kane leaves the inspectors' hotel in Damascus

"The inspectors are determined to carry out the mission they are mandated to carry out," Mr Nesirky said.

"But it's obvious that all sides need to extend their co-operation so they can conduct this work safely."

Mr Nesirky said it was not clear who was responsible for the sniper attack, although Bashar al Assad's regime blamed the bombings on rebel fighters.

After the shooting, the UN inspectors were able to change vehicles and are now meeting victims of the alleged chemical attack.

The Assad regime said the inspections in Zamalka and Ein Tarma districts will prove allegations that chemical weapons were used against civilians, including children, were "lies".

The opposition claimed 1,300 people were killed, while Doctors Without Borders said 355 people died in hospital from "neurotoxic" symptoms.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said the people of Syria deserved to know the truth, adding: "We cannot allow impunity in what appears to be a grave crime against humanity."

Doctors Without Borders said 355 people died in the alleged attack

However, defence expert Chris Bellamy told Sky News that while the UN inspection may reveal whether chemical weapons were used, it may not identify who they were used by.

"If that's the case, we would need another investigation to identify who fired the shells," he said.

The international community continues to consider its response to the crisis, with the Foreign Secretary warning military action may be the only remaining option.

William Hague said Britain and other countries could respond to the alleged attack without the unanimous backing of the UN, telling the BBC: "Otherwise it might be impossible to respond to such outrages, such crimes."

Bashar al Assad denied his regime had used chemical weapons

His comments came as David Cameron announced he was cutting short his holiday to chair a meeting of the UK's National Security Committee.

Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander urged the Prime Minister to recall Parliament to "make his case in advance of a decision being made".

A Downing Street spokesman insisted no decisions had been taken on military action and said there was no clear timetable.

Meanwhile, French politicians are preparing to meet "in the coming days" to decide whether to respond with force, according to the country's foreign minister Laurent Fabius.

There is mounting speculation that France, together with Britain and the US, could back limited airstrikes to demonstrate that deployment of chemical weapons will not be tolerated.

However, Mr Assad said military intervention by the US would fail.

"Failure awaits the United States as in all previous wars it has unleashed," the Syrian president said in an interview with Russian newspaper Izvestia.

Describing the chemical weapons accusations as "nonsense", Mr Assad added: "Would any state use chemical or any other weapons of mass destruction in a place where its own forces are concentrated? That would go against elementary logic.

"Accusations of this kind are entirely political and the reason for them is the government forces' series of victories over the terrorists."

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Bo Xilai Attacks 'Vile' Police Chief At Trial

By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, in Beijing

Disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai condemned his former police chief Wang Lijun as a "vile character" and a "liar" on the fourth day of a trial which is captivating China.

Bo, the former Communist Party Chief of the megacity of Chongqing, has robustly defended himself against allegations of bribery, corruption and abuse of power.

The latest evidence surrounded the allegation of abuse of power - and his alleged "cover-up" following the death of the British businessman Neil Heywood, who was found dead in his hotel room in November 2011.

Many see a guilty verdict as a foregone conclusion

Wang alleged he fled to the American consulate in Chengdu after Bo's furious response to his claim that Bo's wife had killed Mr Heywood.

Gu Kailai has already been given a suspended death sentence after admitting during a trial a year ago that she poisoned Mr Heywood.

Bo insists that Wang's version of events is not true. He told the trial in the Chinese city of Jinan that Wang was "continuing to lie", was "full of deception" and was "mouthing off".

He said Mr Wang was a "vile character".

In response to claims that he punched his former right-hand man, Bo said he just slapped him and that he had "never learned to box".

Mr Wang carried out Bo's high-profile crackdown on crime and gangs in Chongqing.

The trial was adjourned at lunchtime on Sunday and will continue into a fifth day on Monday - far longer than the two days the proceedings were expected to last for.

The trial was adjourned until Monday

The duration of the trial so far and the fact that Bo has not appeared as a humble and contrite man accepting the allegations against him has surprised watchers.

The Chinese authorities, it seems, want to be seen to be allowing him a "fair trial".

But it is still expected the verdict has been decided in advance of the case by the Communist Party, and it appears likely he will be found guilty and given a lengthy jail sentence.

Bo has denied the allegations though has said he "shamed his country". He called the testimony of his wife "the ravings of a mad woman" after a pre-recorded video statement was played to the court last week.

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Mumbai Gang Rape: Fifth Suspect Arrested

By Neville Lazarus, Sky News Producer in Mumbai

A fifth person accused of the gang rape of a 22-year-old photojournalist in Mumbai has been arrested by police.

Salim Ansari was detained in Delhi, three days after the alleged attack.

Police claimed they arrested the first accused within 18 hours of the incident, but it has taken them three days to detail the other four people accused of carrying out the attack.

The family of one of the accused said the boy is a juvenile and – if he faces charges – will be tried under the Juvenile Act.

If proven, the boy will face a maximum sentence of three years at a juvenile home.

The case will be one of the first major tests for new anti-rape laws that kicked in after a brutal gang rape on a bus in Delhi after which the 23-year-old victim died of her injuries.

Police released this sketch of the accused attackers

Under the new laws, those found guilty of gang rape would receive a 20-year prison term, which could be extended to life.

The guilty will also have to pay for the medical expenses and rehabilitation of the victim.

Two of the accused have faced court already and been remanded in police custody until August 30.

The other three are due to face court on Monday.

Police have collected samples from all the accused for chemical analysis.

There is on-going concern about the safety and security women in India.

A report published under the Right to Information Act showed the abysmal ratio of the number of police compared to people in India. 

The report says there is only one policeman for every 761 people in India.

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Drones Map Peru's Ancient Archaeological Sites

Peru has turned to drones to survey its vast wealth of archaeology sites and ancient ruins, thousands of which have yet to be mapped and excavated.

The unmanned aircraft typically smaller from the ones employed in military actions or anti-terror strikes.

Archaeologists say these small drones can help set boundaries to protect sites from squatters or miners.

They can also help produce three-dimensional models of Peruvian sites instead of flat maps, and dramatically speed-up the collection of images.

"We can convert the images that the drones provide into topographical and photogrammetry data to build three-dimensional models," archaeologist Luis Jaine Castillo said.

"By using the pictures taken by drones we can see walls, patios, the fabric of the city," added Mr Castillo, who is using drones to map the 1,300 year-old Moche civilisation around San Idelfonso and San Jose del Moro, two sites north of Lima.

The Inca city of Machu Picchu is among the world's most popular sites

Mapping sites is a crucial but often slow first step before major excavation work can begin.

In the past, researchers have rented crop dusters and strapped cameras to kites and helium-filled balloons, but those methods can be expensive and clumsy.

Now they can build drones small enough to hold with two hands for as little as $1,000 (£640).

"We see them as a vital tool for conservation," Ana Maria Hoyle, an archaeologist with the Culture Ministry, said.

Drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, have flown over at least six different archaeological sites in Peru in the past year.

The Latin American country is home to more than 13,000 sites, such as the spectacular Inca city of Machu Picchu, but only around 2,500 of them have been properly marked off, according to the Culture Ministry.

A US military drone launches from an aircraft carrier

In the US, the use of drones for military and surveillance operations has raised privacy and safety concerns.

But in Peru, archaeologists say it is only a matter of time before drones replace decades-old tools still used in their field, and stress the technology can be used for less destructive uses.

"So much of the technology we use every day comes from warfare," said Ms Hoyle.

"It is natural this is happening."

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Syria 'To Allow' UN Visit To Chemical Site

Syria has agreed to allow United Nations weapons inspectors to visit the site of an alleged chemical attack in Damascus, according to state TV.

The agreement comes after Syria warned the US against taking military action against the regime, saying it would "create a ball of fire that will inflame the Middle East".

Prime Minister David Cameron and President Barack Obama say they are "gravely concerned" about signs that an alleged chemical weapons attack took place in Syria.

The two leaders spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper by telephone last night as calls increased for UN investigators - who are already in the country - to be allowed access to the site of the alleged attack.

The US President and his top advisers are continuing to explore options for responding to the attack, with the White House saying there is "very little doubt" the regime has used chemical weapons against its citizens.

But in remarks released by Syria's official SANA news agency, Syrian Information Minister Omran Zoabi said that any US-led military action would be "no picnic".

Doctors Without Borders has said 355 people died in the attack

"US military intervention will create a very serious fallout and a ball of fire that will inflame the Middle East," Mr Zoabi said.

Iran has also warned the US not to cross the "red line" on Syria, saying it would have "severe consequences", according to the Fars news agency.

Meanwhile, the al Qaeda-linked Syrian jihadist group Al Nusra Front has also vowed to carry out strikes against villages from Assad's community as revenge for the chemical attacks.

"The Alawite villages will pay the price for each chemical rocket that struck our people in Damascus," Al Nusra front chief Abu Mohammed al Jawlani said in an audio message posted on his Twitter account.

Mr Jazayeri was reacting to statements made by Western officials regarding the possibility of military intervention in Syria, according to Fars.

The attacks took place in the Damascus suburbs of Zamalka and Ein Tarma

Earlier, Iranian Press TV reported that Damascus had told Tehran it would allow inspectors to visit the site of the alleged chemical attack.

A Downing Street spokesperson stressed that any significant use of chemical weapons would merit a "serious response".

The spokesperson added: "The fact that President Assad has failed to co-operate with the UN suggests that the regime has something to hide.

"They reiterated that significant use of chemical weapons would merit a serious response from the international community and both have tasked officials to examine all the options.

"They agreed that it is vital that the world upholds the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons and deters further outrages."

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said the American military is ready to exercise "options" on Syria should force be called for, but he declined to say what that action might be.

A boy recovers after the alleged toxic gas attack on Wednesday

He is under mounting pressure to act over the alleged use of chemical weapons, which humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders said had killed 355 people due to "neurotoxic" symptoms.

The group says it has treated more than 3,500 people showing symptoms of exposure to a "neurotoxic" agent.

Christopher Stokes from the charity told Sky News: "The situation (on the ground in Syria) is quite confusing.

"We've spent the last three to four days in contact with Syrian doctors that we've been working with for six months in and around Damascus to try and piece together what happened last Wednesday.

"Basically what they've reported to us are consistent signs of the same symptoms across a large number of patients that would indicate a large scale exposure to a neurotoxic agent."

Rebel groups have claimed the attack was carried out by Assad's forces and that more than 1,000 people had died. The Syrian regime has denied the allegations.

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