Abu Qatada Arrested For 'Breaching Bail'

Abu Qatada has been arrested for allegedly breaching his bail conditions, days ahead of a new Government attempt to have him deported.

The radical cleric, who has been convicted of terror charges in Jordan, was arrested by UK Border Agency officials on Friday following raids by the Metropolitan Police Service Counter Terrorism unit.

Searches at two residential homes and a business in northwest and west London began on Thursday, while a search on a third property in northwest London is ongoing, Scotland Yard said.

The searches were carried out in connection with ongoing inquiries by the Counter Terrorism Command, a spokesman for Scotland Yard said.

However, no arrests have been made in connection with the police investigation, he added.

The Home Office said: "The UK Border Agency arrested a 52-year-old man from north London for alleged breaches of his bail conditions imposed by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC)."

He added that the breach will be considered by SIAC at the earliest opportunity.

Qatada was reportedly arrested by officials outside his family home in London.

The Sun newspaper showed pictures of him being escorted out of his house with his hands hidden under a jacket.

Qatada is due to appear at the Court of Appeal on Monday for Home Secretary Theresa May's attempt to overturn a judge's decision to allow him to stay in the UK.

Ms May will challenge the decision in front of three Court of Appeal judges led by Lord Dyson, the Master of the Rolls.

Once described by a Spanish judge as "Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe", Qatada has used human rights laws to fight deportation for more than a decade.

SIAC decided last November that Qatada could not lawfully be deported to Jordan, where he was convicted of terror charges in his absence in 1999.

SIAC judges ruled there was a danger that evidence from Qatada's former co-defendants Abu Hawsher and Al Hamasher, said to have been obtained by torture, could be used against him in a retrial in Jordan.

He was granted bail following the ruling by three SIAC judges and released from Long Lartin prison in November last year, returning to his home.

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Falklands: Sky Poll Reveals Nations Divided

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent, on the Falkland Islands

Only 15% of Argentinians think Falkland Islanders should have a say in their own future, and a quarter still believe that the islands will one day be governed from Buenos Aires.

Those answers, in an opinion poll conducted by YouGov for Sky News come on the eve of a referendum in which Falklanders will be asked whether they want to remain British.

It is expected to result in an overwhelming Yes vote, but the islanders' enthusiasm for Britain doesn't seem to be reciprocated in the UK.

When asked what was the most important international issue affecting their country, only 1% of British respondents said the Falklands, while the figure was 24% in Argentina - just ahead of those worried about the economy.

Ballot boxes are prepared for Sunday's referendum

There was an even bigger divergence of opinion between the two countries over the rights of the people on the islands to have a say in their future. Nearly nine out of 10 (88%) British people who were surveyed thought the islanders should have a say on who ruled them, while six out of 10 (59%) Argentinians thought they should have no say on sovereignty.

Jan Cheek, one of the eight members of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly, told Sky News: "Sadly that says a lot about Argentina and their view of democracy. It's a populist theme. We saw it used by the military junta in '82 and it's being used in the same way by Christina Fernandez de Kirchner today."

The Argentine President has tried to buttonhole David Cameron on the issue and has raised it at the United Nations.

"We've seen a lot of propaganda going out from Argentina. Some of it entirely false, some of it a distortion of the facts," said Ms Cheek. "We would like people to recognise that we have the right to self-determination and we hope that democratic countries would wish to afford us the same right."

The Union Flag bunting is going up

It'll arguably be the most significant moment in the history of the Falkland Islands since British forces liberated them 10 weeks after they were seized by an Argentinian invasion force in 1982.

The result is not in doubt, only the precise number voting yes. And those who've organised the referendum acknowledge that they need a high turnout to send a clear message.

Dick Sawle, another member of the Legislative Assembly, said: "I think if we got 100%, people would think it was rigged. I think we will get a very high percentage, in the nineties, voting for yes."

There may be a few No votes, because while nobody is thought to favour Argentinian rule, there are a few who would prefer complete independence from Britain.

"One or two people might think that No means that they could have independence immediately," said Mr Sawle. "I don't think this country is ready for independence yet, I think we have a long way to go in terms of government structure, in terms of responsibility for elected members and so on. We're too small."

Liam Felton-Short is a typical voter. "I'm British. I'm a sixth generation Falklander," he said. "We are a British people. We're very much proud to be so."

The referendum result is a foregone conclusion

Sybie Summers owns a gift shop in Stanley and is angry about the detrimental effect the Argentinian government has had on her business which relies on tourism.

It's been a slow year because some cruise ships stayed away under pressure from Buenos Aires. They were told they would not be allowed to sail in Argentinean waters if they sailed into Stanley.

"It annoys me to think what they're trying to do to our islands," said Ms Summers. "They're trying to cut us off. And hopefully the rest of the world will realise that they just can't do that."

The anti-Falklands policy has become more inventive in recent years, with adverts being placed in British newspapers, and a video secretly shot in Stanley showing one of their Olympic athletes preparing for the London games by training on what the video said was Argentinian soil.

What angered islanders most was that the video showed deserted streets as if the people didn't exist.

They hope that the referendum will give them a voice which the world can't ignore, even if Argentina continues to deny their right to self-determination.

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Port Said Riot: 21 Fans Sentenced To Death

An Egyptian court has upheld death sentences on 21 Port Said football fans for their role in a stadium riot last year.

Some 74 people were killed and around 1,000 injured at the end of a match between Cairo's Al Ahly and Al Masry, the local side, on February 1, 2012.

Spectators were crushed when panicked fans tried to get out the stadium after a pitch invasion by Port Said supporters.

In a live televised ruling, judge Sobhi Abdel-Maguid sitting at a Cairo court confirmed "the death penalty by hanging".

The city's former security chief, Major General Essam Samak, was jailed for 15 years along with another nine defendants.

A further five people were also sentenced to life imprisonment for the riot, while 28 others were acquitted.

The rest of the 73 defendants involved received shorter prison sentences.

The death sentences - originally handed down in January - have provoked deadly clashes in Port Said and Cairo.

The riot - the worst case of football violence in the country and the deadliest worldwide since 1996 - erupted after the home team Al Masry beat Egypt's top club Al Ahly in the league fixture.

Subsequent protests have sparked fresh concerns about Egypt's stability.

President Mohamed Mursi's government is struggling to halt the slide in law and order, hampered by a strike by some protesting police.

At least eight people have been killed in Port Said this week, including three police officers.

More follows...

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Lion 'Escaped Cage' Before Killing Woman

A volunteer worker was mauled to death by a lion after it apparently managed to open a cage door with its paw and entered an area she was cleaning, a coroner has said.

Dianna Hanson's neck was broken almost instantly when the 550lb (250kg) lion swiped her with his paw at a big cat sanctuary in California, said Fresno County Coroner David Hadden.

"The lion had been fed, the young woman was cleaning the large enclosure, and the lion was in the small cage. The gate of the cage was partially open, which allowed the lion to lift it up with his paw," Mr Hadden said.

"He ran at the young lady."

She had been talking to a colleague on the phone just before she was killed.

The co-worker became concerned when the conversation ended abruptly.

Ms Hanson was 'very excited' to be doing her dream job, her father said

Mr Hadden said bite and claw marks found on the 26-year-old's body were inflicted by the four-year-old male named Cous Cous after she was already dead.

She was attacked inside an enclosure at Cat Haven in Dunlap by an African lion which had been raised at the park since it was a cub.

Another park worker tried unsuccessfully to lure the lion into a separate pen. The animal was later shot dead.

Ms Hanson's father Paul, a Seattle-area lawyer, said his daughter was "very excited" to be working there.

"It was just a dream job for her. She was absolutely fearless," he said.

He added that his daughter had been fascinated by big cats from a young age.

"She was disappointed because she said they wouldn't let her into the cages with the lion and tiger there."

Dianna Hanson had worked at the sanctuary since January. Pic: Facebook

Dale Anderson, who has run the sanctuary since 1993, cried as he read a short statement about the intern's death, extending his thoughts and prayers to the victim's family and friends.

Actress Tippi Hedren, who founded the Shambala Preserve in California for seized or abandoned exotic pets, expressed dismay over the killing of the lion.

"It wasn't the lion's fault. It's the human's fault always," she said.

Cat Haven, about 45 miles east of Fresno in the Sierra Nevada foothills, is a private sanctuary with two lions.

The park - which is home to about two dozen animals and has previously housed tigers, leopards and jaguars - has a good safety record.

An inspection by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in January 2011 found the sanctuary was in "good condition".

The owner of the zoo said safety protocols were in place but he would not discuss them because they are a part of the law enforcement investigation.

Dale Anderson with another lion at the sanctuary

Mr Anderson said that he is the only person allowed in the enclosure when lions are present.

"We want to assure the community that we have followed all safety protocols," he said.

"We have been incident-free since 1998 when we opened."

Last year, another sanctuary, Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida, said that at least 21 people, including five children, have been killed and 246 mauled by exotic cats in the US since 1990.

Over that period, 254 cats escaped and 143 were killed.

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North Korea Leader Ready For 'All-Out War'

Quirky Kim Unnerving For West

Updated: 8:30am UK, Friday 08 March 2013

By Mark Stone, Asia correspondent

The language emerging from the North Korean government is alarming, there's no doubt about that.

"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) will make a strike of justice at any target, anytime as it pleases without limit.

"(We) have everything - including lighter and smaller nukes.

"The US imperialists and their allies should not forget even for a moment that they are standing at the crossroads of their life and death.

"(We) will exercise our right to a pre-emptive nuclear attack to destroy the strongholds of the aggressor.

"The world will see what tragic end awaits for the US imperialists … we can leave Washington engulfed in a sea of fire."

It's chilling stuff, if you take it seriously. And the problem is, Western governments are not entirely sure how to read it.

Is it just more rhetorical bluster albeit at a slightly higher level? Or is there a genuine threat?

In Washington last night President Barack Obama's spokesman was asked how he could reassure Americans that North Korea won't drop a nuclear missile on American soil.

"I can tell you that the United States is fully capable of defending against any North Korean ballistic missile attack," Jay Carney said.

Reassuring. We hope.

The world seems to be agreed on one thing. Kim Jong-Un does not have the technological ability to create a nuclear armed ballistic missile. Yet.

His army does have hundreds of Nodong missiles that could reach American bases in Japan and South Korea. So a regional attack is entirely possible.

And here's the broader worry. The December rocket launch - under the pretext of putting a satellite into orbit - surprised the world. No one expected North Korea to manage it. It did.

The underground nuclear detonation last month was also more sophisticated than the previous two; the device used was smaller and yet more powerful.

North Korea wants to combine those two technologies - rockets and nuclear devices. If it can create a nuclear device small enough to put in the tip of a rocket then they have a missile and the world has a problem.

Just last week Mr Kim, who is only 28-years-old, was hosting, joking and laughing with US basketball star Dennis Rodman. The two were apparently "getting wasted" together.

A week on and we're talking about that same man wanting to destroy the United States.

That just about sums up the nature of this problem. Mr Kim is quirky and unpredictable. And that is extremely unnerving.

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Brisbane Mall Siege: Gunman Held By Police

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

A gunman is in police custody after being shot with rubber bullets during a stand-off with armed police at a busy Australian shopping centre.

Witnesses said the man was carried into an ambulance, covered in blood.

The siege started in Brisbane's Queen Street Mall during late morning on Friday as shoppers and officers workers filled the pedestrianised area.

Police told people to take refuge in nearby shops (Giulio Saggin/ABC News)

Streets and shops were evacuated as police cars blocked off entrance points.

One witness named as Olivia said she was having a meal when three men - apparently police in plain clothes - confronted another man nearby.

"The guy ripped off his shirt and pulled out a gun and pointed it at them," she said.

"The other three men who looked like plain clothes police pulled out their guns and screamed at the man to get down on the ground.

"They kept screaming 'Get on the ground, get on the ground' but he ignored them and kept walking around."

Police blocked off entrance points to the mall (Giulio Saggin/ABC News)

She said people started running away and the officers told people to take refuge in nearby shops.

A short time later they began ushering people away from the scene.

Another witness, Georgia Date, said she saw a man running though the mall, but could not be sure he was carrying a gun.

"This guy was running around and the cops were all chasing him," she told the Australian Associated Press.

"The cops were yelling 'get out of the mall'. So we just bolted."

The man was taken away in an ambulance (Giulio Saggin/ABC News)

Thousands of onlookers watched the police operation, with the special emergency response team called in along with sniffer dogs.

Tactical response officers were heavily armed with rifles and shotguns. The man is said to have non-life-threatening injuries.

The state of Queensland's Premier, Campbell Newman, tweeted: "Well done to the Qld police for resolving the incident in the Queen St Mall safely for the public."

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Boy Raped And Drowned 'By Babysitter's Ex'

By Sky News US Team, in Los Angeles

An American toddler was raped and then drowned after his babysitter's ex-boyfriend threw him into the pool of a Mexican holiday home, officials have said.

Axel Charrette, two, and his seven-year-old brother were being watched by a local woman when her ex-boyfriend entered the property and attacked Axel, authorities in Mexico said.

The brother was locked up in his family's home at the time and did not witness the attack.

Prosecutors in the Mexican state of Nayarit said Eleodoro Carlos Rodriguez Sanchez had been arrested and charged with murder in the February 28 attack, details of which have just emerged.

He is said to have been high on drugs during the assault.

Sanchez and Perez have been charged over Axel's death

The babysitter, Nancy Saralee Solorio Perez, has been charged with homicide for failing to intervene.

She is also charged with lying about the attack to medical personnel.

A family spokesman said Axel's parents, Randy and Jen Charrette, had been renting the home for about two months and had hired 19-year-old Perez to watch their children.

In a statement published online by The Watch newspaper, the Charrettes said the babysitter let her boyfriend into the house, but soon realised he was "in a violent, drug-induced state".

"Out of fear, she locked herself in a bathroom, leaving Axel outside ... The boyfriend, for reasons unknown, hurt Axel then threw him in the pool, leaving him to drown," the statement says.

"There are no words to express our grief - but we wanted you to know what happened because the truth, as horrible as it may be, is important."

The prosecutor's office said Perez reported being too terrified to alert police during the crime.

The parents returned to their home in Ridgway, Colorado, earlier this week.

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Amnesty: North Korea Prison Camps 'Expanding'

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

North Korea is expanding its existing prison camps and "blurring the lines between the camps and the surrounding population", according to Amnesty International.

The organisation has collated satellite images which it says show extensive work on existing camps and the construction of perimeter fences, suggesting villages adjacent to some camps have been swallowed up within a wider zone.

"We expected to find a new prison camp," Frank Jannuzi, deputy executive director of Amnesty USA, said.

"What we found is in some ways even more worrisome. The creation of a security perimeter with controlled access points and guard towers beyond what appears to be the formal boundaries of Camp 14 blurs the line between more than 100,000 people who suffer in North Korea's Kwan-li-so system and the neighbouring civilian population."

Amnesty has released five images. The first shows an overview of the Ch'oma-Bong valley, 70km to the north-east of the capital Pyongyang.

A satellite image showing North Korea's Ch'oma-Bong valley

According to the human rights organisation, a 20km perimeter fence has been built encircling the wider valley and joining it to the existing prison camp. Amnesty has marked the fence on the satellite image with a blue line for clarity.

"Analysts found that from 2006 to February 2013, North Korea constructed 20km of perimeter around the Ch'oma-Bong valley ... and its inhabitants, new controlled access points and a number of probable guard towers," the group said.

"Analysts also found construction of new buildings that appear to house workers, likely associated with an expansion of mining activity in the region."

A second image shows the same area but at a slightly different scale. At the south-west corner of the image is Camp 14, also known as the Kaechon internment camp.

Amnesty International has highlighted, in red, what it claims are 20 newly established "probable guard posts" which are dotted along the perimeter fence.

"The activity points to a tightening in the control of movement of the local population adjacent to Camp 14, thus muddying the line between those detained in the political prison camp and the valley's inhabitants," Amnesty said.

"This raises fears for the population within the perimeter the current conditions faced by them and the North Korean government's future intentions for the valley and those that live there."

Amnesty International says these photos show an increase in housing

Two more images show 'before and after' photographs of two specific areas of a camp. They both show significant building work.

The existence of North Korean prison and hard labour camps has been well documented over several decades.

The North Korean government, led by the young and unpredictable Kim Jong-Un, denies the existence of the camps. Sky News has contacted sources within the government for comment but our emails have met with no reply.

Conditions inside the prison camps are said to be horrific and testimony from the few who have escaped from the camps is shocking.

Former detainees describe "three generations of punishment". The person who committed the political 'crime' is locked up along with his or her entire family. The subsequent two generations of children are then born and also imprisoned in the camp.

Extreme torture is said to be widely used against the prisoners, who are forced to work on the land like slaves. As many as 200,000 North Koreans are said to be held in these camps with no prospect of release.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un

Kim Jong-Un, who is just 28 years old, has publicly stated that his first three priorities of government are to strengthen the military. He is, according to observers, entirely ignoring a growing number of his people who are suffering the effects of extreme poverty.

In December, North Korea successfully launched a satellite into orbit. In February, it tested an underground nuclear device. It has made no secret of its desire to combine these two developing technologies to create a nuclear weapon.

The nuclear test prompted international condemnation and a meeting of the United Nations Security Council which is expected to announce further sanctions on Pyongyang later today.

The influence of China remains key. Beijing is, historically, Pyongyang's only real ally. Through trade across the border the two countries share, China effectively props North Korea up.

Diplomatic sources in Beijing have told Sky News they are encouraged by the fact the latest resolution appears to have been drawn up together by the US and China, suggesting encouraging cooperation between Washington and Beijing.

The United Nations has been trying to gain access to the region for years. In November, the UN Special Rapporteur for North Korea, Marzuki Darusman, expressed his disappointment that North Korea's new leader had not allowed his team any access.

"Despite my repeated requests, I have not been granted access to the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea (DPRK)," he said.

"I regret that a fresh approach has not been forthcoming under new leadership of the DPRK.

"There is no sign of improvement of the human rights situation ... I continue to be concerned about the human rights and humanitarian situation in the country."

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Lion Kills Volunteer Keeper At Big Cat Park

A lion has killed a volunteer at a big cat sanctuary in California after the worker climbed into the animal's cage.

The 26-year-old woman was attacked inside an enclosure at Cat Haven in Dunlap by an African lion which had been raised at the park since it was a cub.

Another park worker tried unsuccessfully to lure the lion - a four-year-old male named Couscous - into a separate pen.

The animal was shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy, California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Lt Tony Spada said.

Dale Anderson, who has run the zoo since 1993, cried as he read a short statement about the intern's death, extending his thoughts and prayers to the victim's family and friends.

Investigators are now trying to find out why the woman was inside the enclosure and what might have provoked the attack.

Nicole Paquette, vice president of the Humane Society of the United States, an animal welfare charity, said: "She should have never been in the enclosure with him. These are big cats that are extremely dangerous."

The sanctuary previously had a good safety record

Cat Haven, about 45 miles east of Fresno in the Sierra Nevada foothills, is a private sanctuary with two lions.

The park - which is home to about two dozen animals and has previously housed tigers, leopards and jaguars - has a good safety record, Lt Spada said.

An inspection by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in January 2011 found the sanctuary was in "good condition".

On its website, Cat Haven says it promotes conservation and preservation of wild cats in their native habitats. It offers tours and educational outreach.

Mr Anderson has described the zoo as one of only a handful of facilities in the US that has all the big cat species in one place.

Last year, another sanctuary, Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida, said that at least 21 people, including five children, have been killed and 246 mauled by exotic cats in the US since 1990.

Over that period, 254 cats escaped and 143 were killed.

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Hugo Chavez Dies: Election In Four Weeks

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has died at the age of 58 after losing his battle with cancer.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro fought back tears as he announced the death in a national television broadcast.

He said Mr Chavez, who had been in power for 14 years, died at 4.25pm local time "after battling a tough illness for nearly two years".

Amid fears of unrest, Mr Maduro also said the army and police had been deployed "to accompany and protect our people and guarantee the peace".

Hundreds of Venezuelans poured into the streets of the capital Caracas, with many crying, hugging each other, or shouting slogans of support.

Clusters of women with tears streaming down their faces clung to each other and wept near the Miraflores presidential palace. Some wore T-shirts with slogans that read: "Go forward commander!"

Nearby, men pumped their arms in the air while shouting: "Long live Chavez! Long live Chavismo!"

Foreign Minister Elias Jaua declared seven days of national mourning and said a wake for Mr Chavez would be held until Friday, when his official funeral will take place.

He said Mr Maduro would take over the presidency until fresh elections can take place in around 30 days.

Emotional vice president Nicolas Maduro announced the death on national TV

Ideological allies across Latin America lined up to salute former paratrooper Mr Chavez, a standard bearer of the region's "anti-imperialist" left.

Cuba has declared three days of national mourning, with the government saying Mr Chavez had "stood by Fidel Castro like a true son".

Bolivia's socialist President Evo Morales said he was "crushed", while Argentinian Vice President Amado Boudou said "all of Latin America" was in mourning.

President Barack Obama responded by expressing hopes for improved relations with the oil-rich state, voicing American "support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government".

He added: "As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "saddened" by the death of a leader who had left a "lasting impression on the country and more widely".

Mr Chavez had been receiving cancer treatment in Cuba on and off since June 2011 - when he was first diagnosed with the illness.

Some Venezuelans in the US say they are glad the 'dictatorship' has ended

The announcement of his death came just hours after Mr Maduro announced the government had expelled two US diplomats from the country.

He had said Mr Chavez's illness had been induced by foul play by "the historical enemies of our homeland".

People have been gathering outside the military hospital where Mr Chavez died. Soldiers in riot gear stood shoulder to shoulder guarding the complex.

"I feel such big pain I can't even speak," said Yamilina Barrios, a 39-year-old office worker weeping at a street corner. "He was the best thing the country had ... I adore him. Let's hope the country calms down and we can continue the tasks he left us."

The government announced late on Monday that Mr Chavez's condition was "very delicate" due to a "new, severe" respiratory infection.

Mr Chavez had not been seen in public or heard since undergoing a fourth round of surgery in Cuba on December 11.

The government said he returned home on February 18, and had been confined to Caracas' military hospital ever since.

During his time in power, Mr Chavez routinely challenged the status quo at home and internationally.

Mr Chavez with daughters Rosa Virginia, right, and Maria

The fiery populist leader declared a socialist revolution in Venezuela, crusaded against US influence, championed a leftist revival across Latin America, and over time, gradually placed all state institutions under his personal control.

His death sets up a snap presidential election after his illness prevented him from taking the oath of office when he was re-elected last year.

Under the constitution, the head of Congress, Diosdado Cabello, would assume the interim presidency.

However, Mr Maduro is Mr Chavez's self-anointed successor and has been holding the reins since the president's health worsened.

The man Mr Chavez defeated in October's presidential elections, Miranda state Governor Henrique Capriles, is expected to represent the opposition in any new national polls.

He called for unity and offered his condolences to Mr Chavez's family and supporters.

Venezuela's defence minister pledged the military would remain loyal to the constitution in the wake of Mr Chavez's death.

Sky's Dominic Waghorn said Mr Chavez "used a mixture of brute force, persuasion, passion and charisma to keep himself in power".

"Such was the adoration and devotion that mainly the poor in Venezuela felt for him that he was seen as this almost sort of religious figure, and his loss now leaves a huge void in Venezuelan politics.

"A lot of people say he is irreplaceable."

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hugo Chavez: A Master Of The Spotlight

Venezuelan Leader Hugo Chavez Dies

Updated: 7:30am UK, Wednesday 06 March 2013

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has died at the age of 58 after losing his battle with cancer.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro fought back tears as he announced the death in a national television broadcast.

He said Mr Chavez, who had been in power for 14 years, died at 4.25pm local time "after battling a tough illness for nearly two years".

Amid fears of unrest, Mr Maduro also said the army and police had been deployed "to accompany and protect our people and guarantee the peace".

Hundreds of Venezuelans poured into the streets of the capital Caracas, with many crying, hugging each other, or shouting slogans of support.

Clusters of women with tears streaming down their faces clung to each other and wept near the Miraflores presidential palace. Some wore T-shirts with slogans that read: "Go forward commander!"

Nearby, men pumped their arms in the air while shouting: "Long live Chavez! Long live Chavismo!"

Foreign Minister Elias Jaua declared seven days of national mourning and said a wake for Mr Chavez would be held until Friday, when his official funeral will take place.

He said Mr Maduro would take over the presidency until fresh elections can take place in around 30 days.

Ideological allies across Latin America lined up to salute former paratrooper Mr Chavez, a standard bearer of the region's "anti-imperialist" left.

Cuba has declared three days of national mourning, with the government saying Mr Chavez had "stood by Fidel Castro like a true son".

Bolivia's socialist President Evo Morales said he was "crushed", while Argentinian Vice President Amado Boudou said "all of Latin America" was in mourning.

President Barack Obama responded by expressing hopes for improved relations with the oil-rich state, voicing American "support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government".

He added: "As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "saddened" by the death of a leader who had left a "lasting impression on the country and more widely".

Mr Chavez had been receiving cancer treatment in Cuba on and off since June 2011 - when he was first diagnosed with the illness.

The announcement of his death came just hours after Mr Maduro announced the government had expelled two US diplomats from the country.

He had said Mr Chavez's illness had been induced by foul play by "the historical enemies of our homeland".

People have been gathering outside the military hospital where Mr Chavez died. Soldiers in riot gear stood shoulder to shoulder guarding the complex.

"I feel such big pain I can't even speak," said Yamilina Barrios, a 39-year-old office worker weeping at a street corner. "He was the best thing the country had ... I adore him. Let's hope the country calms down and we can continue the tasks he left us."

The government announced late on Monday that Mr Chavez's condition was "very delicate" due to a "new, severe" respiratory infection.

Mr Chavez had not been seen in public or heard since undergoing a fourth round of surgery in Cuba on December 11.

The government said he returned home on February 18, and had been confined to Caracas' military hospital ever since.

During his time in power, Mr Chavez routinely challenged the status quo at home and internationally.

The fiery populist leader declared a socialist revolution in Venezuela, crusaded against US influence, championed a leftist revival across Latin America, and over time, gradually placed all state institutions under his personal control.

His death sets up a snap presidential election after his illness prevented him from taking the oath of office when he was re-elected last year.

Under the constitution, the head of Congress, Diosdado Cabello, would assume the interim presidency.

However, Mr Maduro is Mr Chavez's self-anointed successor and has been holding the reins since the president's health worsened.

The man Mr Chavez defeated in October's presidential elections, Miranda state Governor Henrique Capriles, is expected to represent the opposition in any new national polls.

He called for unity and offered his condolences to Mr Chavez's family and supporters.

Venezuela's defence minister pledged the military would remain loyal to the constitution in the wake of Mr Chavez's death.

Sky's Dominic Waghorn said Mr Chavez "used a mixture of brute force, persuasion, passion and charisma to keep himself in power".

"Such was the adoration and devotion that mainly the poor in Venezuela felt for him that he was seen as this almost sort of religious figure, and his loss now leaves a huge void in Venezuelan politics.

"A lot of people say he is irreplaceable."

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Fan Claims Kate 'Reveals' Sex Of Royal Baby

The Duchess of Cambridge has sparked speculation that she is expecting a baby girl after an apparent slip of the tongue during a trip to Grimsby.

One member of the 2,000-strong crowd has made headlines after saying Kate may have accidentally hinted that she and Prince William are having a daughter.

The exchange happened during Kate's walk-about in the foggy fishing port, when she was handed a teddy bear by 41-year-old Diana Burton.

Sandra Cook, 67, who was standing next to Ms Burton, reportedly heard Kate say: "Thank you, I will take that for my d..." before cutting herself off.

Sandra told reporters: "I leant over and said to her: 'You were going to say daughter weren't you?'.

"She said, 'No, we don't know!'. I said, 'Oh I think you do,' to which she replied: 'We're not telling'."

If correct, the exchange means Britain will have another Queen, as changes to the laws of succession mean even if William and Kate one day have a son, he would not be able to claim the throne ahead of his big sister.

Otherwise Kate was careful not to give any clues, referring to her unborn child as "it" in one exchange.

When asked by a woman: "Can you feel the baby kicking?", the Duchess replied: "Yes. I can feel it kicking."

The Duchess began her visit at the northeast Lincolnshire town's National Fishing Heritage Centre before visting Grimsby's Peaks Lane Fire Station, where she was greeted with more loud cheers from the estimated 200 people who were waiting for her.

One of the women who had been waiting up to three hours to meet her, Claire Moss-Smith, 86, said she had said to the Duchess: "I'm waiting for you to be Queen."

She said Kate laughed and replied: "You might be waiting a long time."

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Baby Death Hit-And-Run Suspect Named

A baby delivered by doctors after his parents were killed in a hit-and-run car crash in New York has died, a community spokesman has confirmed.

Nachman and Raizy Glauber, both 21, died in the crash in Brooklyn but their baby initially survived after doctors performed an emergency caesarean section on the mother.

However, Isaac Abraham, a spokesman for the family's Orthodox Jewish community, said the child died on Monday morning.

Julio Acevedo (New York Police Department)

Police are searching for the suspected driver, 44-year-old Julio Acevedo. The authorities claim he was travelling in a BMW at 60mph (97 kph) when he collided with a car hired to take the couple to hospital.

"This guy's a coward and he should pay his price," said Mr Abraham, adding that the community wants a murder prosecution.

The registered owner of the BMW, who was not in the car at the time of the crash, has been charged with insurance fraud.

Many of the Glaubers' fellow Orthodox Jews attended the couple's funeral, which was held hours after their deaths. Jewish law calls for the burial of the dead as soon as possible.

Mr Glauber was described as "the sweetest, most charming human being, always with a smile on his face".

His cousin, Sara Glauber, said of the couple: "If one had to go, the other had to go too because they really were one soul."

The accident occurred in Brooklyn

The hit-and-run happened in the Williamsburg neighbourhood of Brooklyn, as the couple made their way to a local hospital in a cab.

Mrs Glauber, who was seven months pregnant, was sitting in the back of the car. Her body was thrown from the vehicle and landed under a parked lorry, according to witnesses.

Her husband was trapped in the vehicle and emergency workers had to cut the roof off to free him from the wreckage.

The cab driver was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and released.

Hundreds attended the couple's funerals on Sunday

The Glaubers were married about a year ago and had started a life together in Williamsburg, relatives said. He was studying at a rabbinical college nearby.

At their funeral, men in black hats gathered around the coffins in the middle of the street, while women in bright headscarves stood on the pavement, in accordance with the Orthodox Jewish tradition of separating the sexes at religious services.

A man could be heard sobbing as he spoke through a loudspeaker, while Yitzchok Silberstein, Mrs Glauber's father, said: "I will never forget you, my daughter."

Brooklyn is home to the largest community of ultra-Orthodox Jews outside Israel. More than 250,000 live in the New York borough.

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Death Rate: Britain Lagging On Life Expectancy

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

Britons are more likely to die early than people in most wealthy nations, research suggests - and experts are warning the gap is widening.

A study has found the UK is now 14th out of 19 Western countries for life expectancy.

In 1990, Britain ranked tenth in a league table - with Alzheimer's disease, cirrhosis of the liver and drug use disorders being blamed for our falling position.

The research was published as Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt prepares to address a "shocking underperformance" that is costing 30,000 lives every year.

Co-authored by Public Health England, the Global Burden of Disease Study, published in the Lancet journal, looks at the state of health in the 15 original members of the EU along with Canada, Australia, Norway and the US.

The report compares death rates, disease and health risks in 1990 and in 2010.

In these 20 years, life expectancy has increased in the UK - by an average of 4.2 years to 79.9 years - but it has failed to keep pace with other nations.

While we are living longer, we are experiencing longer periods of ill health and disability.

Obesity another major concern for health professionals

The UK is now below average compared with 18 other countries on many important indicators.

The biggest risk to health in the UK is tobacco, which accounts for 12% of the disease burden, followed very closely by high blood pressure and high body mass and then physical inactivity, alcohol and poor diet.

As a result, early death rates have not reduced among 20 to 54-year-olds for 20 years.

There have been improvements in many cancer treatments and in road safety, but there has been an increase in alcohol-related and drug-use deaths.

Among all age groups, drug disorders have risen nearly six-fold.

Co-author Professor Kevin Fenton said the report was a "wake-up call and an opportunity".

He said: "While it's encouraging that overall the health of the UK has improved substantially since the last report the pace of improvement is not enough."

Across all ages, the top eight diseases causing the most years of life lost in the UK remain largely the same as those reported in 1990.

In order, these are heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lower respiratory infections, colorectal cancer, breast cancer and self-harm.

Prof Fenton said there needed to be more focus on prevention as well as "high quality and accountable" clinical care.

The Health Secretary has previously pledged to cut the number of avoidable deaths from cancer, heart disease, strokes, respiratory and liver disease.

He now wants more people to be trained to use defibrillators and conduct CPR, while relatives of people who have died from cardiac conditions will get tests to see whether they too are at risk.

Mr Hunt said: "Despite real progress in cutting deaths we remain a poor relative to our global cousins on many measures of health, something I want to change.

"For too long we have been lagging behind and I want the reformed health system to take up this challenge and turn this shocking under-performance around."

Co-author Professor John Newton, chief knowledge officer at Public Health England, said: "We should be proud that life expectancy in the UK has increased as much as it has since 1990, but we need to make sure that these extra years are healthy ones."

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Woman Dies After Nurse Refuses To Perform CPR

A retirement home in California has defended a nurse who refused pleas by an emergency call operator to perform CPR on an elderly woman who later died.

At the beginning of the call, the nurse - who did not give her full name - asked for paramedics to come and help the woman, who had collapsed in the home's dining room and was barely breathing.

In a tape of the conversation, dispatcher Tracey Halvorson is heard pleading for the nurse to perform CPR, and after several refusals asks her to find a resident, a gardener or anyone not employed by the home to get on the phone, take her instructions and help the woman.

"Is there anybody that's willing to help this lady and not let her die," Ms Halvorson says on the 911 recording released by the Bakersfield Fire Department.

"Not at this time," said the nurse, who added that the home's rules prevented her from giving medical help to the woman, who has been named in reports as Lorraine Bayless, 87.

Glenwood Gardens in Bakersfield, California

"Can we flag someone down in the street and get them to help this lady?" Ms Halvorson went on.

"Can we flag a stranger down? I bet a stranger would help her."

Ms Bayless was later declared dead at Mercy Southwest Hospital, officials said.

The executive director of Glenwood Gardens, Jeffrey Toomer, defended the nurse's actions, saying she had followed policy.

He said in a statement: "In the event of a health emergency at this independent living community our practice is to immediately call emergency medical personnel for assistance and to wait with the individual needing attention until such personnel arrives.

"That is the protocol we followed."

Mr Toomer offered condolences to the woman's family and said a "thorough internal review" of the incident would be conducted.

He told KGET-TV that residents are informed of the policy and agree to it when they move in.

He said the policy does not apply at the adjacent assisted living and skilled nursing facilities.

Police in Bakersfield are investigating whether there was any criminal wrongdoing.

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a first-aid technique involving chest compressions and sometimes rescue breaths that can be used if a person is not breathing properly or if their heart has stopped.

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HSBC Sees Pre-Tax Profit Drop 6% To £13.7bn

HSBC has announced a pre-tax profit of £13.7bn for 2012, down 6% on the previous year.

The figure was below City forecasts of around £15.6bn.

The banking group makes an estimated 90% of its money outside Britain and has benefited from its exposure to emerging markets in Asia.

HSBC said only 26% of its revenue comes from European operations.

Chief executive Stuart Gulliver was revealed to have been awarded a bonus of £1.95m.

On Saturday Sky News City Editor Mark Kleinman reported Mr Gulliver was expected to receive a bonus of just under £2m.

His total pay and benefits package is worth £7.4m.

The overall figure, which compares with £8m a year earlier, includes his base salary of £1.25m, around £1.2m of benefits including pension entitlement, plus long-term share incentive awards worth £3m.

Mr Gulliver's bonus payment will be deferred and subject to possible clawback, while he will not be able to cash it in until he retires from or leaves HSBC.

Last December the bank confirmed it would pay $1.92bn (£1.2bn) to settle a money-laundering probe by US authorities - the largest penalty of its kind ever paid by a bank - over deals with Iran.

It was also discovered to be involved in suspected laundering of Mexican drug cartel funds several years ago, and physically transported $7bn in cash over a two-year period across the border into the US.

The bank is listed on stock exchanges in both Hong Kong and London, and is Britain's biggest lender by market capitalisation,

In early London trading HSBC shares were down more than 2.3%.

More follows...

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HIV Baby: Doctors Say Infected Girl 'Cured'

A baby girl born with HIV has been cured after very early treatment with standard drug therapy, researchers say.

The child, from Mississippi in the US, is now two-and-a-half years old and has been off HIV drugs for about a year with no signs of infection.

More testing needs to be done to see if the treatment would have the same effect on other children.

But the case could change the way high-risk babies are treated and possibly lead to a cure for children with HIV, which causes Aids.

"This is a proof of concept that HIV can be potentially curable in infants," said Dr Deborah Persaud, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

She presented the findings at the conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Atlanta.

If the baby stays healthy, it would be only the second reported case of a person who has recovered from HIV after that of Timothy Ray Brown, known as "Berlin patient", in 2007.

Timothy Ray Brown became the first person to have recovered from HIV

His HIV infection was completely eradicated through an elaborate treatment for leukaemia that involved the destruction of his immune system and a stem cell transplant from a donor with a rare genetic mutation that resists HIV infection.

The treatment used for the baby girl was, however, very different as it involved the use of a cocktail of widely available drugs already used to treat HIV infection in infants.

The girl was born in a rural hospital to a woman who had just tested positive for HIV infection.

Because her mother had not received any prenatal HIV treatment, doctors knew the child was born at high risk of being infected.

So they transferred the baby to the University of Mississippi Medical Centre in Jackson, where she was put on a cocktail of three standard HIV-fighting drugs when she was just 30 hours old - even before lab tests came back confirming her infection.

After starting on treatment under the care of Dr Hannah Gay, a paediatric HIV specialist, the baby's immune system responded and tests showed levels of the virus were diminishing until it was undetectable 29 days after birth.

The latest case offers promising clues in HIV research, scientists say

The baby received regular treatment for 18 months, but then stopped coming to appointments for a period of about 10 months, when her mother said she was not given any treatment.

When the child came back under the care of Dr Gay, she ordered standard blood tests to see how the child was faring before resuming antiviral therapy.

The first blood test did not turn up any detectable levels of HIV. Neither did the second.

And tests for HIV-specific antibodies - the standard clinical indicator of HIV infection - also remained negative.

"At that point, I knew I was dealing with a very unusual case," Dr Gay said.

Further, more sophisticated blood tests followed, and there was no detectable virus in the child's blood.

The doctors advised that she not be given antiretroviral therapy. Instead, she will be monitored.

Dr Rowena Johnston, vice president and director of research for the Foundation for Aids Research, which helped fund the study, said it is "imperative that we learn more about a newborn's immune system, how it differs from an adult's and what factors made it possible for the child to be cured".

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Mortars Found In Van In Londonderry

At least three mortars have been found in the back of a van which had its roof removed in preparation for an attack, Sky sources say.

Army bomb disposal experts were called to the Letterkenny Road area of Londonderry after the devices were discovered last night and around 100 homes were evacuated.

Sky's Ireland correspondent David Blevins said: "It would appear that police have managed to thwart yet another attempted attack by dissident republicans.

"A huge security operation has been under way for several hours after Sky sources confirmed that police intercepted at least three mortars."

A bomb disposal robot pictured at the scene

Three men have been arrested, including two 37-year-olds and a 35-year-old.

Blevins said: "We are being told by local people in the Letterkenny Road area that police stopped the van and there is some suggestion they stopped a motorbike at the same time before they made the arrests.

"The police realised very quickly that they had intercepted the mortars primed for an attack in the vehicle which has a Southern Irish registration number plate."

A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesman said: "Police are currently dealing with a security alert in the Letterkenny Road area of Londonderry, following the discovery of a suspicious object in a vehicle.

The discovery was made on the outskirts of Londonderry

"Approximately 100 homes have been evacuated and army technical officers are at the scene.

"Detectives from PSNI serious crime branch are dealing with the incident and are linking it with dissident republican activity."

Blevins said: "The timing of any attack would be significant given that we are just four days away from a Westminster by-election in Northern Ireland in the mid-Ulster constituency - the seat which was formerly held by Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness.

"That indeed may have been why a possible attack was being planned by those opposed to the peace settlement."

The four contenders for Thursday's by-election are Sinn Fein Assembly Member Francie Molloy, independent Nigel Lutton, the Social Democratic and Labour Party's Patsy McGlone and Eric Bullick of the cross-community Alliance Party.

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Mokhtar Belmokhtar: Gas Terror Chief 'Killed'

Belmokhtar: Profile Of Mr Marlboro

Updated: 12:54am UK, Sunday 03 March 2013

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent

He was known as Mr Marlboro because of his cigarette smuggling. The French intelligence service called him "The Uncatchable".

Born in central Algeria in 1972, Mokhtar Belmokhtar grew obsessed with Jihadi ideology in his teens. At 19 he volunteered to fight alongside the mujahedeen in Afghanistan.

He missed most of the fighting there as the Soviets withdrew as he arrived but he did encounter senior members of what was to become al Qaeda - receiving training in a Jalalabad base.

In the early 1990s he returned to Algeria to join Islamic militant groups. He served them as a quartermaster - rapidly rose to dominate operations in the south of the country during the Algerian civil war.

Described by the then head of France's Territorial Surveillance Directorate (Direction de la surveillance du territoire – DST) as Algeria's link to al Qaeda, Belmokhtar maintained strong links to the movement's core in Pakistan.

But he was a vital element in the expansion of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). A franchise of the Jihadi movement AQIM was seen as the poorly performing franchise during the last decade. 

But Belmokhtar forged links with Tuareg rebels in the south Sahara from Mali to Niger and into Mauritania.

He rapidly expanded a criminal empire to fund his political and military operations from smuggling cigarettes, diamonds, drugs and people into Europe.

He further stuffed his war chest with funds from hostage taking operations. In 2003 he was implicated in the kidnapping of 32 Europeans in the Sahara.

In 2008, he took control of negotiations for the release of two Austrian hostages. And in 2009 took control of two Canadians kidnapped in Mali and released by him for allegedly £3m and freedom for several of his associates from Malian jails.

Robert Fowler was a UN special envoy in Mali when he was kidnapped and then handed on to Belmokhtar.

He described the man who has now projected himself on to the world stage from the relative obscurity of the Saharan wastes.

"He is very cold. Very business-like. I was afraid for my life all the time. I was afraid for my life when I woke up in the morning and when I went to sleep at night. He is a very serious player," Mr Fowler told ABC News in the US.

Belmokhtar's movement got a huge boost from the collapse of the Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi.

The Tuareg fighters he had employed from Niger, Mali and Chad, fled his service carrying with them vast stockpiles of heavy weapons and bringing many years of combat experience.

This influx of new weapons and fighters allowed for al Qaeda-related groups to capture much of northern Mali and establish closer links between groups from Mauritania to Somalia and into the Arabian Peninsula.

Some intelligence agencies believe that Belmokhtar fell out with the AQIM leader in the north of Africa, Abdulmalek Droukel.

But al Qaeda is a franchise. Its strength lies in fragmentation. A devolved series of groups are harder to infiltrate or destroy than one large organisation.

Al Qaeda expert Aaron Zelin describes this as "controlled fragmentation".

French intelligence services had been trying to kill or capture Belmokhtar for more than a decade. They believed that he had the capacity to mobilise French citizens with their roots in North Africa for terror operations inside Europe.

After France launched its war against Islamists in Mali, many of whom are connected to Belmokhtar, his organisation which calls itself "The Masked Ones", vowed to continue attacks against western targets in Africa and beyond.

Belmokhtar's attack in Algeria meant his name was heard more widely as his movement posed a strategic threat to Europe's energy supplies.

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Assad Hits Out At UK Government In Interview

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has heavily criticised the British government, calling it "shallow and immature".

In an interview with The Sunday Times, he dismissed any suggestion that Britain could help to resolve the conflict saying: "We do not expect an arsonist to be a firefighter."

He said Britain was not trusted by many in the Middle East, saying its has been viewed as "unconstructive" in the region for centuries.

"There's no contact between Syria and Britain for a long time.

"You cannot separate the role from the credibility, and you cannot separate the credibility from the history of that country.

"To be frank, Britain has played famously in our region (an) unconstructive role in different issues, for decades, some say for centuries."

He added: "How can we expect to ask Britain to play a role while it's determined to militarise the problem?

"How can you ask them to play a role in making the situation better, more stable, how can we expect them to make the violence less when they want to send the military supply to the terrorist?

"I think they are working against us, and they are working against the interests of the UK itself.

"This Government is acting in a naïve, confused, and unrealistic manner. If they want to play a role they have to change this, they have to act in a more reasonable and responsible way."

Earlier this week the Syrian Government said it is ready for talks with its armed opponents.

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.

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

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Devizes: Man And Woman Found Shot Dead

The bodies of a man and woman have been found shot dead at a house in Devizes, Wiltshire police say.

The discovery was made at a house on Moonrakers Estate, shortly before 11am on Saturday.

It is being described as an "isolated incident" and no-one else is at risk.

The families have been informed but formal identification has not yet taken place.

More follows...

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