Syria Peace Talks: Storm Over Iran Invite

Syria's opposition has said it will not attend this week's peace talks in Switzerland unless the United Nations withdraws an invitation for Iran - a key backer of President Bashar al Assad - to attend.

UN leader Ban Ki-moon said Iran had pledged in talks to play a "positive and constructive role" in efforts to end Syria's civil war, which broke out in March 2011.

But the Syrian National Coalition threatened on Twitter to withdraw from the negotiations, which are due to start on Wednesday in Montreux, unless the invitation is retracted.

The warning came just hours after international leaders had hailed the coalition's decision to take part in negotiations.

The United States also said Mr Ban should withdraw the invitation unless Iran gives "explicit" support to the conference's aim of setting up a transitional government in Syria.

Mr Ban told a news conference on Sunday he had extended a late invitation after intense talks over two days with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

"Foreign Minister Zarif and I agree that the goal of the negotiations is to establish, by mutual consent, a transitional governing body with full executive powers," Mr Ban said.

"He assured me again and again that Iran, if they are invited, then they will play a very positive and constructive role."

The Syrian government has already committed itself to attending the talks

If Iran does go, there will be 40 countries and a group of regional bodies at the opening meeting, which will be the most intensive diplomatic effort yet to end a war that the UN says has left well over 100,000 dead.

Mr Ban said that, as host of the peace conference, he also extended last-minute invitations to Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea and the Vatican.

He said the additional countries would be "an important and useful show of solidarity in advance of the hard work that the Syrian government and opposition delegations will begin".

The US and Russia played key roles convincing the opposition and Mr Assad to send delegations to the conference, which has been pushed back several times.

They will attend alongside the other permanent members of the UN Security Council - China, Britain and France - and additional countries suffering fallout from the war, including Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon.

More than 2.3 million people have fled the country and some 6.5 million are displaced inside Syria.

At least 30 people died in violence in Syria on Sunday, including 15 killed when government planes dropped bombs on rebel zones in the northern province of Aleppo, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

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Sochi Olympics: Militants Issue Attack Threat

Islamist militants have issued a terror threat to organisers of next month's Winter Olympics, warning: "If you hold the (Games) you will receive a present from us."

A video posted online claims two men - named as Suleiman and Abdurakhman - carried out deadly suicide bombings in the southern city of Volgograd in December.

It also threatened further attacks to coincide with the Games, which start in Sochi on February 7.

Police are patrolling major transport hubs, including Sochi airport

"It will be for all the Muslim blood that is shed every day around the world - be it in Afghanistan, Somalia, Syria, all around the world," a man says in Russian on the video.

"This will be our revenge."

The attacks at Volgograd railway station and on a city tram last month killed 34 people and injured more than 100.

Security has been ramped up at train stations ahead of the Winter Olympics

The video claims the blasts were the work of militant group Vilayat Dagestan and linked to an Iraqi faction called Ansar al Sunna.

Last year, Chechen rebel Doku Umarov, the leader of the Islamist insurgency in Russia's disputed North Caucasus region, which is close to Sochi, threatened to stage attacks to stop the Games from taking place.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin insists the event will be "safe and secure".

Vladimir Putin insists athletes and visitors will be safe during the Games

An unprecedented security operation will see 40,000 police officers from across the country deployed alongside troops to protect Games venues and other potential targets.

Drones will be used to spot suspicious activity and the Federal Security Service (FSB) will monitor telephone calls and internet traffic.

Around 6,000 athletes, coaches and officials from 90 countries are expected to take part in the Games.

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Indonesia Man Is 'Best Friends' With Tiger

An Indonesian man has struck up an unlikely friendship with a 28-stone Bengal tiger.

Abdullah Sholeh has become a best friend and full-time nanny to Mulan Jamilah since the animal was gifted to his Islamic school as a three-month-old cub.

Abdullah, 33, regularly sleeps, plays and fights with the huge tiger at the school in Malang in Indonesia's East Java province.

The pair are so close that Abdullah often chooses to sleep alongside the big cat in her enclosure instead of in his own bed.

Mulan now weighs 178kg (28 stone), is three metres long, including her tail, and one metre high.

For security reasons, metal bars have been installed to separate the pair when they are together in the enclosure.

Mulan is fed 6kg (13lbs) of chicken or goat meat twice a day. 

Tigers are believed to have killed more humans than any of the other big cats.

The most comprehensive study carried out so far estimated that 373,000 people had been killed by tigers between 1800 and 2009.

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American Jailed In North Korea Appeals To US

An American jailed in North Korea for more than a year has appealed to the US government to secure his release.

Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American Christian missionary, appeared before reporters in what he called a press conference held at his own request.

Kenneth Bae is the longest-serving US detainee in the country in years

Mr Bae was arrested in November 2012 while leading a group of tourists in the northeastern region of Rason in North Korea.

He was accused of crimes against the state and sentenced to 15 years of hard labour. 

During his brief appearance, Mr Bae, wearing a prisoner's uniform with the number 103 on his chest, spoke in Korean and remained under guard.

"I believe that my problem can be solved by close cooperation and agreement between the American government and the government of this country," he said.

He expressed hope that the American government would do its best to secure his release, and said he has not been treated badly in confinement.

Mr Bae was moved from a prison camp to a hospital last summer because he was in poor health and had lost more than 23kg (50 pounds). 

His mother visited him in hospital in October.

Mr Bae's mother, Myunghee Bae, said she was worried about her son

Mr Bae, who had been living in China for several years before his arrest, is the longest-serving American detainee in North Korea in recent years.

It is not unusual for prisoners in North Korea to say after their release that they spoke in similar situations under duress.

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Child Marriage 'Legitimises Lifetime Of Abuse'

By Niall Paterson, Sky News Correspondent

Child marriage often leads to a lifetime of abuse for girls, according to a new report.

Campaign group Equality Now says such underage unions, often when the children involved are too young to understand even the concept of marriage, are part of a "continuum of abuse" often linked to genital mutilation, rape, violence and sex trafficking.

It says ending child marriage should be a priority internationally - and suggests that it should be tackled not as a single incident of abuse, but in relation to other example of discrimination and violence against women and girls.

Jacqui Hunt, the London director of Equality Now, said "Child marriage directly affects approximately 14 million girls a year. It legitimises human rights violations and the abuse of girls under the guise of culture, honour, tradition, and religion.

"It is part of a sequence of discrimination that begins at a girl's birth and continues throughout her entire life.

"Furthermore, when a child bride gives birth, the vicious cycle of poverty, poor health, curtailed education, violence, instability, disregard for rule of law and legal and other discrimination often continues into the next generation, especially for any daughters she may have."

Child marriage affects about 14 million girls a year

Drawing together evidence from both the developed and developing world, the report concludes that without a comprehensive, joined up approach to tackling child marriage, linking together healthcare, education, a properly enforced legal framework and community and political leaders, girls will "remain vulnerable, not only to being married off at a young age, but to a lifetime of abuse".

Unicef estimates that between 2011 and 2021, 100 million girls will have become child brides - which equates to 25,000 a day.

Sky News spoke with one child bride who now campaigns against underage marriage.

Alematsahye Gebrekidan, the founder of the Former Child Wives Foundation, was married aged 10 in Ethiopia, to a boy himself only 16 years old.

"I was married when I was a little girl. The decision was taken by the parents, we [she and her husband] did not know. I was playing outside and they called me in and told me I was going to be married.

"I was scared, and ashamed, and embarrassed."

Alem Gebrekidan's was forced into marriage when she was just 10

Alem's wedding day was, for her, no happy occasion.

"I was crying, I was very upset and angry because I was scared. I didn't know what was happening to me.

"It is the culture [there]. If you are 15 years old they say you are old, too old, so you should be married.

"It's tradition."

She gave birth to a child at age 13. One month later, her husband was killed in the war. Forced to grow up at such a young age, she deeply regrets the loss of her childhood.

"I feel shamed. I feel empty inside, empty.

"When I see a child playing with a doll ... I miss those things."

And she has a simple message for others who have similar experiences: "Don't be ashamed, come out and get support.

"It's not your fault. It's not your choice."

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Thailand Explosions: Dozens Hurt In Bangkok

Dozens of people have been hurt after two grenade attacks at the site of an anti-government demonstration in Bangkok.

It is the latest violence in a political crisis dividing Thailand as the army urges both sides to settle their differences.

According to witnesses, the explosions in the capital happened two minutes apart, with the first about 100-200 metres from a stage set up by protesters.

The blast left a small crater beside a market stall, while the second was near a row of stalls selling anti-government T-shirts.

At least 28 people were injured, including seven seriously, in the explosions near Victory Monument in the north of the city, medics claimed.

Police said the blasts were caused by fragmentation grenades similar to one that killed a man and wounded dozens of other people on Friday in a similar explosion in Bangkok targeting protesters.

It is the latest in a series of attacks

Then on Saturday night, a gunman opened fire on anti-government protesters in the city's Lad Prao district, where demonstrators have taken over a key road junction.

A 54-year-old volunteer guard was shot in the back and seriously wounded in the attack about 300 metres from a protest stage.

It is still unclear who is behind the violence.

It is the latest episode in an eight-year-old crisis that broadly pits Bangkok's middle class and royalist establishment against poorer, mainly rural supporters of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her self-exiled brother Thaksin.

Hundreds of anti-government protesters at a rally in Bangkok

The demonstrators, who control several small areas of the city, are trying to overthrow her government and derail the upcoming February 2 elections.

​Ms Yingluck's opponents - a minority that can no longer win at the polls - argue the Shinawatras are using their electoral majority to impose their will and stifle democracy.

They accuse former Mr Shinawatra of corruption and nepotism. He has lived abroad since 2008 to avoid a prison sentence after being convicted of corruption.

The crisis boiled over again late last year after the ruling party attempted to push through an amnesty bill that would have allowed him to return from exile.

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Syria's Assad 'Not Ready To Give Up Power'

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has reportedly said he is not ready to give up power and the issue is not up for discussion.

According to Russia's Interfax news agency, Mr Assad said: "If we wanted to surrender, we would have surrendered from the start (of the nation's civil war)."

He reportedly added: "We are on guard for our country. This issue is not up for discussion."

The president apparently made the comments to Russian MPs ahead of an internationally backed peace conference on Syria.

The main opposition group has voted in favour of attending the talks next week aimed at ending the conflict.

The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) confirmed it will participate in the discussions after 58 of its 73 delegates voted in favour of attending.

Western and Arab sponsors of the opposition group have pressured the SNC to attend the talks, which are due to begin on Wednesday in the Swiss city of Montreux.

Mr Assad's language continues to be defiant

The Syrian government had already committed to attending the talks, which are backed by the United Nations.

The conference will be the first face-to-face meeting between representatives of Mr Assad's government and the opposition since war broke out in March 2011.

More than 100,000 people have been killed since the conflict began and millions have been displaced.

The US and Russia have been trying to hold the peace conference since last year, and it has been repeatedly delayed.

Both sides finally agreed to sit together at the negotiation table after dropping some of their conditions.

The aim of the conference, which has been dubbed Geneva 2, is to agree on a roadmap for Syria's future based on one adopted by the US, Russia and other major powers in June 2012.

The plan includes the creation of a transitional government and eventual elections.

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Norway Fire: Laerdal Inferno Engulfs Village

At least 90 people have been taken to hospital as a huge fire rips through a Norwegian village famous for its unique wooden buildings.

The blaze has destroyed at least 23 buildings in Laerdalsoyri

Scores of people have been evacuated from their homes in Laerdalsoyri and dozens taken to hospital with "light injuries", the municipality of Laerdal said in a statement.

Farmers have been helping as firefighters tackle the fire

The blaze has destroyed at least 30 buildings, including 16 homes, industrial buildings and community centres.

It also destroyed at least three buildings in the protected area of the village of Laerdalsoyri.

Parts of the village are on the Unesco World Heritage list

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, which started on Saturday night and quickly spread, fanned by strong winds.

Local firefighters, helped by farmers, have been struggling to contain the inferno.

The scale of the fire is clear from some distance away

Villagers are hoping a firefighting helicopter due to arrive on Sunday will help to contain the flames.

The inferno ripped through some of the village's famous wooden buildings

The Laerdal district is a popular tourist destination, known for its stave church and well-preserved 18th- and 19th-century wooden houses.

Parts of the western Norway village, which has a population of around 1,150, have made it on to the Unesco World Heritage list. 

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India: Eighteen Dead In Mumbai Stampede

A stampede in India has left 18 people dead and nearly 50 injured.

The tragedy happened as a large crowd gathered in the city of Mumbai to pay their respects to Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, a Muslim spiritual leader who died of a heart attack on Friday.

When the gates to the 102-year-old's home in the wealthy Malabar Hill area were closed at the end of his funeral procession, chaos broke out.

The crowds surged forward and many people were crushed near the gates with no means of escaping.

Police chief Satyapal Singh said: "Organisers had closed the gates. The crowd was so huge that people started suffocating, some fainted and then people began running and falling on each other in a panic."

He said there was a lapse in crowd control due to police and organisers failing to anticipate the high turnout for the leader of the Dawoodi Bohra, a sect of Shiite Islam.

Thousands crowd around the vehicle carrying Syedna Mohammed Burhannudin

One man wearing traditional Bohra Muslim clothing told Reuters: "There were a lot of people pouring in, and there was not much attention given by the government and the police, who should have been here and who should have managed things."

TV footage showed thousands wearing white scarves and skullcaps on the streets of India's financial capital on Saturday for the procession.

Several of those who were injured were released from hospital after treatment, said a city official quoted by Reuters.

Such disasters are common in India, where hundreds have been killed in the last decade as a result of stampedes at religious festivals and public events.

They are rarer in large cities such as Mumbai, where there are greater numbers of police to monitor the crowds.

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Spying: Obama Announces NSA Reforms

Obama Contrite Over US Secrecy And Spying

Updated: 11:38pm UK, Friday 17 January 2014

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

This was a very different president to the one we saw in the immediate aftermath of Edward Snowden's first revelations.

Then, Barack Obama was dismissive and defensive. The balance between information and privacy he said was about right. "Trust us", was his message, "we're your government".

Seven months of bruising relentless revelations and he has changed his tone.

"Given the unique power of the state, it is not enough for leaders to say: 'trust us, we won't abuse the data we collect.' For history has too many examples when that trust has been breached."

This is Mr Obama the constitutional law professor, more than Mr Obama the president.

He dealt with broad principles but did not dwell on the policy detail. Far from it.

The most concrete proposals concern America's secret foreign intelligence surveillance courts.

The president wants new checks and balances. A panel of public defenders, lawyers who will champion ordinary Americans' rights. Until now intelligence agencies have been able to make their surveillance applications to judges, uncontested.

The president has issued a new directive outlining the parameters within which agencies can snoop on foreigners abroad, after the furore over spying on German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Pope and commercial businesses. It is not clear how that directive will be enforced.

And there is little detail on resolving the biggest controversy to have been ignited by Edward Snowden, the collection of all American phone records.

"I am therefore ordering a transition that will end the Section 215 bulk meta-data programme as it currently exists, and establish a mechanism that preserves the capabilities we need without the government holding this bulk meta-data."

The president does not have any suggestions for what that mechanism should be. He is going to leave it to Congress and his intelligence agencies to work that out.

There were also some omissions.

The president said little about the NSA and internet snooping programmes, like Prism. The NSA's breach of cloud computing networks operated by Google and Yahoo were not mentioned, although that revelation has infuriated internet giants.

As has the NSA's manipulation of encryption technology which some have warned could cost the US tech industry billions.

The president did not mention content. He and his spies have repeatedly denied they've been reading emails, listening to phone calls. And yet it is known NSA agents have been accessing the correspondence of lovers and love rivals in well publicised abuses.

The president seems content to leave much of the detail to Congress and his intelligence agencies. But he knows ultimately he has the most to lose from the outcome of this process. The Snowden revelations have plagued his administration for seven months and there may well be plenty more to come.

The president was keen to deal with this issue before he gives his State of the Union address, but he knows one speech will not make it go away. It is the beginning of a long process of reform.

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