Helicopter Prison Break Foiled In Greece

A helicopter swooped down on a Greek prison courtyard as its passengers fired machine guns at guards in a dramatic escape plot.

A rope was lowered down to convicted killer Panagiotis Vlastos, but the fourth attempt to break him out of jail was foiled when he was shot and the aircraft forced to land.

It was the latest in a series of bids to escape prison involving helicopters in Greece, and the first time such plans have failed.

Authorities say the chartered aircraft - carrying two armed passengers, a pilot and a technician - first tried unsuccessfully to rip off the chicken-wire fence surrounding Trikala prison with a hook dangling from a rope.

The men on board used AK47 assault rifles to fire on the prison guards as the rope was lowered, with one guard slightly injured by shards of flying glass.

He and others returned fire, injuring Vlastos, who had managed to climb into the helicopter, and the helicopter's technician.

Vlastos fell from a height of around 10 feet into the courtyard, and the helicopter was eventually grounded in the car park.

The 43-year-old is a convicted murderer and racketeer serving a life term. He had tried and failed three times before to escape from jail.

Prison officials told TV stations Mega and NET they recovered more than 500 bullets fired from the helicopter, while the Ministry of Justice said the helicopter passengers also carried - but did not use - "improvised explosive devices".

Justice Minister Antonis Roupakiotis suggested a tip-off had led to the plot being foiled, saying: "We had information that there were some jails we needed to keep an eye on, including Trikala prison."

Authorities said Vlastos was wounded in the legs but is being treated in the prison hospital because his injuries were not deemed serious enough for a transfer elsewhere.

It was not immediately clear if the pilot and flight technician had willingly participated in the escape attempt or had been forced to fly to the prison, which is 205 miles northwest of Athens.

An unnamed Albanian prisoner is also thought to have been part of the attempted escape, although it is not known whether he knew of the scheme in advance or just happened to be in the courtyard and tried to take advantage of the situation.

Vlastos was first arrested in 1994 in the murder of two members of a rival criminal gang. He was convicted last year as the behind-bars mastermind of the kidnapping of shipping tycoon Pericles Panagopoulos.

Panagopoulos was kidnapped in January 2009 and released after eight days, when a ransom of 30m euros (£26.2m) was paid.

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South Korea's First Female President Sworn In

Park Geun-Hye has become South Korea's first female president, demanding North Korea "abandon its nuclear ambitions" immediately at her inauguration.

Taking the oath of office less than two weeks after Pyongyang carried out its third nuclear test, Ms Park -  the daughter of late military strongman Park Chung-Hee - called on the regime to rejoin the global community.

"North Korea's recent nuclear test is a challenge to the survival and future of the Korean people, and there should be no mistake that the biggest victim will be none other than North Korea itself," she said.

"I will not tolerate any action that threatens the lives of our people and the security of our nation.

"I will move forward step by step on the basis of credible deterrence."

A traditional dance troupe performs at the inauguration

The mood of the two-and-a-half hour ceremony in a chilly Seoul was lightened when pop sensation Psy starred in a musical warm-up.

He performed his global hit Gangnam Style, and children and the elderly alike joined him as he did the horse-riding dance he made famous in the song's video.

Ms Park's election in December was an important moment for women in South Korea, who on average earn nearly 40% less than men.

The 61-year-old takes office a little more than 50 years after her father, a vehement anti-communist, seized power in a military coup.

Ms Park's election was an important moment for women in South Korea

Park Chung-Hee ruled with an iron fist for the next 18 years until his assassination.

He remains a divisive figure - credited with dragging the country out of poverty but reviled for his regime's human rights abuses.

Park Chung Hee was assassinated

At 22, Ms Park cut short her studies in Paris to return to Seoul and act as the country's first lady after an assassin targeting her father instead killed her mother.

Ms Park left the presidential Blue House five years later, in 1979, after her father was shot and killed by his spy chief during a drinking party.

Becoming the leader of Asia's fourth-largest economy, Ms Park faces challenges of slowing growth and soaring welfare costs.

The bulk of Ms Park's inauguration speech focused on the economy, and included commitments to job creation and expanded welfare, as well as the promise of a miracle.

South Korea's extraordinary economic revival from the rubble of the 1950-53 Korean War - known as the "Miracle on the Han" - has faltered in recent years, with key export markets hit by the global downturn.

Ms Park promised another miracle, saying her administration would build a new "creative economy" that would move beyond the country's traditional manufacturing base.

"At the very heart of a creative economy lie science and technology and the IT industry, areas that I have earmarked as key priorities," she said.

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Oscar Pistorius: Bailed Paralympian 'Reports'

Oscar Pistorius is said to have reported to authorities in South African capital Pretoria as a condition of his bail.

A spokeswoman for the Paralympian said he had visited correctional officers - but did not specify their location in the city.

The double-amputee had been expected to make his first public appearance since he was granted bail on Friday.

He denies the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his Pretoria home on Valentine's Day.

Pistorius claims he killed the 29-year-old model accidentally, mistaking her for an intruder.

It was thought he must sign in at Pretoria's Brooklyn police station - where he had been held for more than seven days during his bail hearing - twice a week as part of his bail conditions.

The athlete has also had to hand in his two South African passports and his guns and is obliged to stay away from the estate where he lived.

Reeva Steenkamp's funeral took place last Tuesday

He is banned from contacting any witnesses and from drinking alcohol and has been staying with his uncle Arnold since he was released on bail.

Magistrate Desmond Nair set bail at one million rand (£73,000) and postponed the case until June 4.

On Sunday it emerged his older brother, Carl, who was a constant presence in court last week, is himself facing trial over the death of a woman.

Carl Pistorius is charged with culpable homicide over the death of a woman motorcyclist in a traffic accident in 2008.

The case has no relation to the charges against Oscar Pistorius.

It is the second time someone associated with the Pistorius case has been found to face a serious charge that has been dropped and then reinstated.

It was revealed that the chief police investigator in the case is facing charges of seven counts of attempted murder for shooting at a vehicle with seven passengers.

Following the revelations, Hilton Botha was removed from the Pistorius investigation and a new chief detective - Lieutenant General Vineshkumar Moonoo - was appointed on Thursday.

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Syria: Regime 'Ready' For Talks With Rebels

The Syrian government says it is ready for talks with its armed opponents, amid continuing unrest in the country.

Ahead of talks with his Russian counterpart in Moscow, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al Moualem said: "We are ready for dialogue with everyone who wants it ... even those who have weapons in their hands".

Mr Lavrov and Mr Moualem during the talks

"Even with those who carry arms. We are confident that reforms will come about not with the help of bloodshed but through dialogue," he said. 

"What's happening in Syria is a war against terrorism. We will strongly adhere to a peaceful course and continue to fight against terrorism."

Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, whose country is one of Syrian President Bashar al Assad's closest allies, said the conflict could only be resolved through political talks.

He said further fighting "risks the collapse of the state and society".

"The Syrian people should decide their fate without external intervention," he added.

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

"We will not go (into talks) unless these demands are realised," he told the Al Arabiya network.

And the leader of of Syria's main opposition coalition said the government had not been in contact.

"We have not been in contact yet, and we are waiting for communication with them," Syrian National Coalition leader Moaz Alkhatib told reporters in Cairo.

At least 53 people died in a bomb blast in Damascus last week

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

On Thursday, at least 53 people died in a car bombing near the headquarters of the ruling Baath party in the capital, Damascus.

State media said the attack was carried out by "armed terrorist groups linked to al Qaeda that receive financial and logistical help from abroad".

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that at least 105 people were killed in violent clashes across the country on Sunday.

It also updated its death toll from Friday's missile attack on the northern city of Aleppo, saying at 58 people died, including 36 children.

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Oscar Pistorius Tweet Thanking Fans Is Fake

A tweet claiming to be from Oscar Pistorius thanking his fans for praying for him was a fake, the Paralympian's family has said.

The message, thanking "every person that has prayed for both families" and signed by "Osca" was posted using his older brother's handle, @carlpistorius.

It was initially believed to have been the double-amputee's first direct comment since he was freed on bail over the killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day.

But his family said the Twitter account had been hacked, prompting the accounts of his siblings to be taken down.

Pistorius family spokeswoman Janine Hills said: "It is most unfortunate that during this sensitive time someone would choose to hack into Oscar Pistorius' older brother Carl Pistorius' Twitter handle.

"Carl did not tweet this afternoon, out of respect to Oscar and Reeva. We are busy cancelling all the social media sites for both Oscar's brother and his sister."

It came as Ms Hills told Sky News the athlete "wants this time to be alone" and was "feeling a lot of remorse" over the death of the law graduate.

Pistorius is accused of premeditated murder. He denies murder.

The athlete arrived at his uncle's house on Friday after paying 10% of his one million rand (£73,000) bail at Pretoria's Brooklyn police station, where he had been held for a week.

His uncle, Arnold, has reportedly told eNews Channel Africa (eNCA) that his nephew wants to contact the parents of Ms Steenkamp and said he would "never be the same" again.

Earlier, Ms Steenkamp's father said Pistorius would "suffer" if it turned out he was lying about how she died.

South Africa's Beeld newspaper quoted Barry Steenkamp as saying Pistorius would have to "live with his conscience" if his assertion that he accidentally shot the 29-year-old is false.

He said: "There are only two people who really know what happened and it's Oscar Pistorius and the Lord.

"It does not matter how much money he has and how good his legal team is, he must live with his conscience if he let his lawyers tell lies on his behalf.

"He will have to live with his conscience. But if he speaks the truth, I can perhaps someday forgive him."

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Las Vegas Crash: Suspect Named After Shooting

Police have named a prime suspect in a Las Vegas shooting that killed a rapper and led to the deaths of two other people.

Ammar Harris, 26, is being sought in connection with the attack following the discovery of a Range Rover.

The vehicle is believed to have been used in the shooting that killed aspiring rapper Kenny Clutch, 27, who was driving his Maserati down the city's main boulevard.

The attack resulted in a six-vehicle crash on the famous Strip near the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Bally's and Flamingo resorts.

The black Range Rover thought to have been used in the shooting

"His location is unknown," police Captain Chris Jones said of Harris.

Police said he had been arrested for working as a pimp and warned he should be considered armed and dangerous.

The Range Rover, with blacked out windows and distinctive black rims, was found at an apartment complex near the boulevard, and was impounded as evidence, Captain Jones said.

Taxi driver Michael Boldon died after his vehicle burst into flames

Kenny Clutch, whose real name is Kenneth Cherry Jr, died when his dark grey Maserati was peppered by gunfire from the 4x4.

Taxi driver Michael Boldon and passenger Sandra Sutton-Wasmund, of Maple Valley, Washington, died when the Maserati hit their taxi, which exploded in flames.

Mr Boldon, 62, was a family man who moved from Michigan to Las Vegas. Ms Sutton-Wasmund, 48, was a businesswoman and a mother of three children.

A passenger in the Maserati was wounded in the arm, and four people from four other vehicles were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

"My son was a good boy," Kenneth Cherry Sr told reporters in a news conference convened by Las Vegas lawyers Vicki Greco and Robert Beckett.

Mr Beckett said they wanted to respond to rumours that the 27-year-old victim - who produced a rap video using the name Kenny Clutch - was a gangster and a troublemaker.

The lawyers had previously represented the rapper, and now represent his estate and family.

"My son was a victim just like the two people in that taxi," Mr Cherry said. "Trouble found him. The people in the taxicab, trouble found them."

Court records show Kenneth Cherry Jr had no criminal cases or convictions in Las Vegas, and police said there was no record of arrests.

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Fears Of Chaos As Italy Goes To The Polls

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

Polls have opened in Italy amid concern the elections could lead to political gridlock in Europe's fourth largest economy.

The country is in its worst recession in two decades, unemployment is above 11% and rising, while the public debt mountain as a proportion of GDP is second only to Greece in the eurozone.

The current administration, led by the unelected economist Mario Monti, has prescribed a tough medicine of economic reform, budget cuts and tax increases.

While the austerity programme was welcomed by those trying to stabilise the single currency, it has been deeply unpopular among Italian voters.

Support for his small coalition of centrist parties has foundered, while those who have taken an EU-critical, anti-austerity position have seen their popularity increase.

Voter intention surveys are banned in the days leading up to elections in Italy, but pollsters use elaborate ruses to disguise their findings. The most common features the political parties as competitors in fictional horse races.

Beppe Grillo at a rally in the run-up to the election

They suggest the unconventional anti-corruption Five Star Movement, led by the comedian Beppe Grillo, could take up to 20% of the vote, which political analysts believe could throw parliament into chaos.

Franco Pavoncello, the president of Rome's John Cabot University, told Sky News: "Mr Grillo will not even be a member of parliament (because of a conviction for vehicular manslaughter in 1981).

"So the question is what's going to happen when you have 70 young and inexperienced people as MPs without the leader who got them elected?

"I think we might be in for some very interesting phenomena after the election."

Italy's European neighbours, including Britain, don't want interesting phenomena. They want calm in the crisis-wracked eurozone.

Because of the quirks of the Italian electoral system, it seems unlikely the two-day poll will deliver a clear working majority for any single party.

Can Berlusconi make a comeback? His career had largely been written off

While the centre-left's Pier Luigi Bersani, leader of the Democratic Party, is likely to emerge as Prime Minister – thanks to a bonus of 55 seats awarded to the biggest vote-getter in the lower Chamber of Deputies - he may find it hard to win over the Senate.

A law brought in by former leader Silvio Berlusconi apportions extra seats in the upper house to the most populous regions. That favours the media magnate's centre-right PdL party, which is polling well in areas such as Sicily and Lombardy.

Mr Berlusconi, who was considered a spent force after his resignation in November 2011, may find he holds the balance of power as any law needs the approval of both houses.

Giovanni Ragusa, an economist from LUISS University, says a political stalemate could be disastrous for Italy and for Europe.

"When Italian voters realise there's not going to be a strong government able to pass new laws and that the tax increases they have been subjected to for the past few years are not going to be temporary, then the discontent is going to spill over onto the streets," he warned.

Any political problems in Italy could effect the ability of the EU to bring about reforms which would ensure the stability of the Euro, which the British Government insists is necessary to help the struggling UK economy.

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Pistorius Brother To Stand Trial Over Death

The brother of Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is facing charges over the death of a woman in a road crash in 2008.

Carl Pistorius, who was a constant presence in court over the past week to support his younger sibling Oscar, is charged with culpable homicide over the alleged accidental death of a female motorcyclist.

Lawyer Kenny Oldwage said in a statement from the family that "there is no doubt that Carl is innocent and the charge will be challenged in court."

"Blood tests conducted by the police at the time proved that he had not been under the influence of alcohol, confirming that it was a tragic road accident after the deceased collided with Carl's car," the statement said.

Carl Pistorius arrving at his uncle's house in Pretoria on Sunday

The family statement also said that the charges had at one stage been withdrawn but then reinstated.

Carl Pistorius was already in court last Thursday, as his brother Oscar was facing a bail hearing, and will appear again at the end of next month.

On Sunday morning, Carl Pistorius arrived at his uncle's house in an affluent suburb of the South African capital Pretoria. He declined to speak to the media outside the property.

Oscar Pistorius, 26, is staying at the luxury three-storey villa after a judge released him on bail on Friday.

Oscar Pistorius was released on Friday

He has been charged with premeditated murder in the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine's Day.

But the athlete denies murder, saying he killed the 29-year-old model accidentally. He says he opened fire after mistaking Miss Steenkamp for an intruder in his home.

Both brothers are being represented by the same lawyer, Kenny Oldwage.

The Oscar Pistorius case took a dramatic turn last week when it was revealed the lead investigator, Hilton Botha, was facing charges of attempted murder himself.

Botha, who denies the charges, was questioned at the athlete's bail hearing, where he gave an often confused testimony.

But the day after he was questioned in court, a judge dropped him from the case because of the charges.

Prosecutors admitted that the timing of the attempted murder charges had been "totally weird".

Carl Pistorius and his sister Aimee have been in court to support Oscar

On Saturday, the Pistorius family distanced themselves from a tweet on Carl's account thanking people for the support offered to both families.

A spokeswoman for the family said the account had been hacked. They said Pistorius' siblings would cancel their social media accounts.

It came as Miss Steenkamp's father spoke about the case, saying Oscar Pistorius will "suffer" alone if he is lying about how his daughter died.

"It doesn't matter how much money he has and how good his legal team is, he will have to live with his conscience if he allows his legal team to tell lies on his behalf," Barry Steenkamp told Beeld, an Afrikaans newspaper.

Miss Steenkamp was killed on Valentine's Day

"But if he is telling the truth then maybe I can forgive him one day. If it didn't happen the way he said it did, he must suffer, and he will suffer... only he knows."

Her mother June said that the Pistorius family had sent a card and flowers offering condolences for the death of her daughter but she added it meant little because: "They are not to blame."

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Teen Dies After Being Sucked Into Drainpipe

A teenage boy has reportedly died after being sucked down a drainpipe while he was collecting golf balls in floodwaters.

The body of Luke O'Neill, 17, was found by his friend while he was scouring reeds near the exit of the drain at the Kew Country Club in New South Wales, Australia, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Police said Luke was in waist-deep water scooping golf balls with some friends when he was suddenly dragged into the large drainpipe by the force of the water.

The area has been hit by heavy rain

A 16-year-old, who has not been named, was also pulled into the pipe as he tried to find Luke at the drainpipe entrance.

He travelled under water for the length of the 100m pipe but ended up in a dam at the other end where he was able to escape.

Inspector Kim Fehon, from the Mid North Coast local area command, said: "They were just looking for the golf balls, it was a regular thing they did."

Luke, who was a member of the Camden Haven Bombers AFL club, was described by a member as a very gifted and "wonderful boy".

Committee member Chris Wright said: "He was the type of kid who could turn his hand to anything."

Torrential rain and gales have battered the Mid North Coast region for the second time in a month.

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Pentagon Grounds Fleet Of F-35 Fighter Jets

The Pentagon has grounded the US military's entire fleet of F-35 fighter jets after discovering a cracked engine turbine blade in one plane.

The problem was discovered during what the Pentagon called a routine inspection of an F-35A Lightning II, the US Air Force's version of the new plane.

The US Navy and the US Marine Corps are buying other versions of the F-35, which is intended to replace older fighter jets like the Air Force's F-16 and the Navy and Marine Corps' F/A-18.

All versions - a total of 51 planes - were grounded on Friday pending an investigation.

The Pentagon said it was too early to know the full impact of the newly discovered problem.

It said: "On February 19, 2013, a routine engine inspection revealed a crack on a low pressure turbine blade of an F135 engine installed in a CTOL test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

"Engineering teams are shipping the turbine blade to Pratt & Whitney's Engine Facility in Middletown, CT, to conduct a thorough evaluation and root cause analysis.

"It is too early to know the fleet-wide impact of this finding, however as a precautionary measure, all F-35 flight operations have been suspended until the investigation is complete and the cause of the blade crack is fully understood.

"The F-35 Joint Program Office is working closely with Pratt & Whitney and Lockheed Martin at all F-35 locations to assess the integrity of the engine, and to return the fleet safely to flight as soon as possible."

The F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons programme, with a total estimated cost of nearly $400bn (£262bn).

The Pentagon has planned to buy more than 2,400 F-35s, but some members of Congress are hesitant due to the hefty price tag.

The UK has ordered 48 F-35s to fly off the Royal Navy's new Queen Elizabeth carrier once it is built in 2018. Britain has also invested in the development of the jet.

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