China Condemns Japan PM's Visit To War Shrine

Japan's nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has paid an inflammatory visit to the controversial Yasukuni war shrine.

China immediately condemned the move as glorification of Japan's past "militaristic aggression" and warned Tokyo must "bear the consequences".

Mr Abe described his visit, which comes days after he caused consternation by giving Japan's military its second consecutive annual budget increase, as a pledge against war and said it was not aimed at hurting feelings in China or South Korea.

The Yasukuni shrine is seen as the repository of around 2.5 million souls of Japan's war dead, including several high-level officials executed for war crimes after World War II who were enshrined in the 1970s.

South Korea and China see it as a symbol of Tokyo's lack of repentance for the horrors of the last century.

Mr Abe said in a statement: "Some people criticise the visit to Yasukuni as paying homage to war criminals, but the purpose of my visit today is to report before the souls of the war dead how my administration has worked for one year and to renew the pledge that Japan must never wage a war again.

"For 68 years after the war, Japan created a free and democratic country, and consistently walked the path of peace. There is no doubt whatsoever that we will continue to pursue this path.

A Shinto priest leads Shinzo Abe to the altar

"It is not my intention at all to hurt the feelings of the Chinese and Korean people. It is my wish to respect each other's character, protect freedom and democracy, and build friendship with China and Korea with respect."

The visit came exactly 12 months after he took power, a period in which he has met neither Chinese President Xi Jinping nor South Korean President Park Geun-Hye.

Ties with Beijing were bad before Mr Abe took office, with the two countries crossing diplomatic swords over the ownership of a string of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, controlled by Japan, but claimed by China.

The dispute has been ratcheted up further this year, with the involvement of military aircraft and ships, leaving some observers warning of the danger of armed conflict between the world's second and third-largest economies.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said: "The essence of Japanese leaders' visits to the Yasukuni shrine is to beautify Japan's history of militaristic aggression and colonial rule."

South Korean culture minister Yoo Jin-Ryong said: "We can't help deploring and expressing anger at the prime minister's visit to the Yasukuni shrine despite concerns and warnings by neighbouring countries."

The United States said: "Japan is a valued ally and friend. Nevertheless, the United States is disappointed that Japan's leadership has taken an action that will exacerbate tensions with Japan's neighbours."

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Greenpeace Activists Handed Russian Exit Visas

Seven of the 30 people arrested by Russia during a protest near an Arctic oil rig have been told they can leave the country after the criminal case against them was dropped.

Anthony Perrett, 32, from Newport, South Wales, was the first to be issued with an exit visa after being held in jail with the others for two months.

"He will be able to go home before the New Year!" Greenpeace tweeted.

After getting his permission to leave, Mr Perrett said in a statement: "This was the final step. I'll be leaving for home in Wales as soon as possible now, extremely proud of what I did three months ago.

"We took peaceful action to defend a part of the world that is the heartbeat of our climate.

Six Britons were held in Russia the Arctic Sunrise was seized

"The Arctic is a measure of our planet's health and I refuse to stay silent as the oil companies line up to profit from its destruction.

"Together we are saying to the oil companies that the Arctic is off-limits and that we must save this beautiful region for future generations."

The Briton who was also the first to be released from detention, spent Christmas Day in St Petersburg before being learning he was free to travel home.

Greenpeace's Faiza Oulahsen with papers signalling an end to prosecution

The remaining non-Russian activists have since been given are also expected to leave Russia over the coming days.

A spokesman added: "The 30 benefited from the amnesty without admitting any guilt. The last person to have his case dropped was Cristian D'Alessandro of Italy."

The group had been arrested while staging a protest, in international waters, near an Arctic offshore oil rig owned by the Russian company Gazprom.

The activists initially faced a charge of piracy, which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, but that was dropped and replaced by a charge of hooliganism, which carries a maximum punishment of seven years.

The Arctic Sunrise was taken to the port of Murmansk

However, earlier this week, Russia closed the cases against the Arctic Sunrise crew members after parliament agreed a Kremlin-backed amnesty.

The move was widely seen as an attempt by President Vladimir Putin to improve Russia's image before it hosts the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in February.

A spokesman for the Russian migration service said: "More than 20 people from the Arctic Sunrise crew applied for visa documents."

But he could not guarantee that all the activists would get home before the year-end.

"We're not sure how it will turn out. But we are hoping that things will be in favour of the Greenpeace activists," the spokesman said. 

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Australia: Sharks Use Twitter To Warn Swimmers

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

Sharks in Western Australia swimming close to popular beaches are using Twitter to send warning messages to surfers and swimmers.

The unique project means beach goers can make an informed decision about whether to go in the water knowing a shark is nearby.

Scientists have attached transmitters to more than 320 sharks, including great whites, which monitor their movements up and down the coast.

When a tagged shark swims within about a kilometre of a beach, it triggers an alert which is picked up by computer. That computer then instantly turns the shark's signal into a short message on Surf Life Saving Western Australia's (SLSWA) Twitter feed.

The tweet gives the size and breed of the shark, and its approximate location.

Chris Peck, from SLSWA, told Sky News the system is far quicker than traditional warnings on local radio and in newspapers.

Shark warnings are automatically sent out via Twitter to swimmers

"You might not have got some of that information until the following day in which case the hazard has long gone and the information might not be relevant.

"Now it's instant information and really people don't have an excuse to say we're not getting the information, it's about whether you are searching for it and finding it," he said.

Department of Fisheries principal research scientist, Dr Rory McAuley, said acoustic tags provided knowledge on sharks, as well as alerts.

"These detections and WA's extensive receiver network are contributing to important research to help the Government to better understand the movements of white sharks through WA waters, as well as playing a major public safety role," Dr McAuley said.

"The battery life of internal acoustic tags is up to 10 years so the scientific data that may be collected from this shark is unprecedented."

A tiger shark spotted off Trigg Beach last week

Western Australia is now the world's deadliest place for shark attacks. Surfer Chris Boyd, 35, was killed in November and was the sixth person to die in the region in just two years.

Authorities in the state have patrolled beaches using helicopters and boats for years, but the recent spate of attacks has prompted the local government to look at new ways of trying to prevent incidents.

Ministers have just agreed to a controversial scheme allowing professional fishermen to kill sharks larger than three metres found in certain zones which are used by surfers and beach goers.

And bait will be put out one kilometre off shore to attract and catch sharks during the summer.

State Premier Colin Barnett recently told reporters: "The safety of human life, the safety of beach goers using our marine environment must come first."

It is a move that has angered environmentalists.

Ross Weir, from the group Western Australians for Shark Conservation (WASC), said: "This is a simple knee-jerk reaction, based on zero science.

"It's not going to have any positive benefit for beach goers and their safety and it's certainly going to have a decimating effect on any great white sharks or other endangered shark species."

Conservationists have said they will consider direct action to disrupt any culling of sharks.

While the chances of being attacked by a shark are minuscule, every incident causes fear, and damages the local economy and tourism.

Whether it is using Twitter, or introducing a cull, Australians are now wrestling with how best to deal with a growing problem.

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'Contract Killer' Drugs Police Meal To Escape

A "desperate contract killer" linked to dozens of murders has escaped from police custody in India after apparently serving food laced with sedatives to officers guarding him.

Vikram Paras, 27, managed to flee as four armed officers were escorting him from the busy Old Delhi Railway Station in the capital early on Wednesday, a local officer said.

Paras, allegedly involved in dozens of cases of murder, extortion and robbery, was being brought back to Delhi by train after a court appearance at Bhatinda in neighbouring Punjab state.

Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said: "He is a desperate contract killer. We have launched an investigation based on the information that we have as of now. We are hopeful of nabbing him soon."

Mr Bhagat said police were still trying to establish exactly what happened, after three of his guards were found unconscious at the railway station while the fourth was found dazed in a nearby street.

Railway police officer Surender Singh said: "They were mostly incoherent when a police team reached them."

Paras offered food to the four officers at the station, which his accomplices had contaminated with drugs, before stealing their guns and fleeing, according to the Times of India.

The newspaper wrote: "Four of his accomplices were probably trailing him, possibly in police uniform, and were ready at the station with an SUV.

"They would have supplied the sedated food as well."

The newspaper said this was not the first time that Mr Paras, who had been in custody since his arrest in March, has escaped his police guards.

In 2012, Paras, who gained notoriety as the right-hand man of a now slain criminal gang lord, fled after "luring his escorts into a store on the promise of buying them branded apparel", the newspaper said.

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Egypt Names Muslim Brotherhood A Terror Group

Egypt's military-backed government has declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group, criminalising all of its activities.

The interim government also banned any financing of the Muslim Brotherhood and membership to it.

The announcement is a dramatic escalation of the fight between the government and the group, from which the ousted president hails.

The Brotherhood has waged near-daily protests since the military coup that toppled President Mohamed Morsi on July 3.

A man surveys the damage caused by Tuesday's bomb attack

Hossam Eissa, the Minister of Higher Education, read out the Cabinet statement after a long meeting.

He said: "The Cabinet has declared the Muslim Brotherhood group and its organisation as a terrorist organisation."

He said that the decision was in response to Tuesday's bombing of police headquarters in a Nile Delta city which killed 16 people and wounded more than 100.

"Egypt was horrified from north to south by the hideous crime committed by the Muslim Brotherhood group," Mr Eissa said.

"This was in context of dangerous escalation to violence against Egypt and Egyptians (and) a clear declaration by the Muslim Brotherhood group that it still knows nothing but violence.

Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi was ousted in July

"It's not possible for Egypt the state, nor Egypt the people, to submit to the Muslim Brotherhood terrorism," he added.

Mr Eissa offered no evidence in his speech linking the Brotherhood to Tuesday's attack.

The Brotherhood, founded in 1928, denounced violence in the late 1970s.

Ibrahim Elsayed, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood's political group, the Freedom and Justice Party, said the government announcement will have no impact on the work or the beliefs of the group.

"This decision is as if it never happened. It has no value for us and is only worth the paper it is written on," he said.

"It won't impact us from near and far. Ideas won't be impacted by false accusations. We uphold this call only for the sake of God."

Ahmed el-Borai, the Minister of Social Solidarity, told reporters in a news conference that the decision means "all activities of the Muslim Brotherhood group are banned including the demonstrations."

The declaration gives the armed forces and the police the right to enter universities and prevent protests, as "protection to the students," Mr el-Borai said.

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Global Rough Diamond Trade Thrives In Antwerp

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

In four unprepossessing streets in the centre of Antwerp, a secretive, centuries-old business is conducted behind bulletproof glass where a handshake and the Yiddish word "mazel" seals the deal.

The international diamond trade has been centred in the city since the 15th century. It is estimated that 85% of the global trade in rough diamonds passes through Antwerp, worth €43bn (£36bn) every year, equivalent to the GDP of Slovenia.

You would imagine that the crippling single currency crisis which continues to hold Europe in its grip would have had an icing effect on expensive ice, but business is booming, even as a quarter of Antwerp's young people struggle to find work.

£36m worth of stones bought or sold in Antwerp each year

We went to find out why, gaining access to one of the most secure buildings in the country guided by the entrepreneur Vashi Dominguez, who runs a successful UK-based diamond business from mine to retail.

It was fairly clear from the outset that news cameras aren't welcome in the diamond quarter. A police officer was dispatched to check our credentials after a CCTV camera filmed us on the pavement, while private security guards watched us warily from doorways.

After surrendering our passports, and with a prior appointment, we were allowed inside one 10-storey concrete building, in which trades valued at €1bn (£837,000) take place every month.

In a simple room with a series of substantial tables - and an even larger safe built into the wall - Vashi showed us three cut diamonds with a combined value of £2m as well as a scattering of smaller rough stones.

The four Cs still determine the price of a finished stone: cut, colour, clarity and carat (the weight, with a carat equivalent to one fifth of a gram), but the value of unusual, or "fancy" diamonds has been increasing dramatically at auction since the financial crisis began.

Vashi Dominguez: 'Prices are rising because demand is increasing'

Vashi explains that as government bonds and currencies have become less attractive to investors since the start of the crisis in 2008, they have turned to valuable commodities like gold and gems.

"Prices are rising because demand is increasing. That's due to the slowdown and more interest from buyers in the east like China and India as well as other developing countries such as Brazil," he explains.

"There's another factor too: there has been a lack of major discoveries of new mines and some mines that have been discovered can't be built into viable businesses because the extraction process is so costly."

A massive new mine is being prepared in Canada, and De Beers continues to chip new diamonds out of Jwaneng mine in Botswana, but prospectors are working hard globally to establish new deposits.

The location of the current mines and trade patterns shifting eastwards could threaten Antwerp's pre-eminence as a diamond hub. More business could switch to Dubai, which is closer to southern Africa.

That's reflected in a change in the religion and ethnicity of the traders: the diamond quarter has been conspicuously Jewish, but more Indians are moving into the business, and into the area.

At the moment, Antwerp is still keeping its nose ahead of those rival cities looking to snatch its diamond tiara. It's an irony that the booming gem trade is based in a continent where economies have lost their lustre.

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US Storm: Power Outages To Continue Into Friday

Many residents of areas of the US and Canada hit by a severe winter storm will have to wait another day to have their power restored after fallen trees slowed progress.

Utility companies have also warned of new outages as cold temperatures continue in Maine and Michigan.

The storm swept across the US and parts of Canada over the weekend with ice piling up on power lines causing widespread outages.

The ice covered shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago

Tornadoes and powerful winds, as well as ice and flooding, came as millions of people were preparing to head home for Christmas.

Tens of thousands of homes were still without power on Wednesday in Michigan. More than 500,000 were affected at the peak of the storm.

Joggers run along the ice covered shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago

Eight-year-old Shyann Decator spent the holiday with her family in a shelter after their Michigan home lost power in the storm.

She hoped Santa could still find her at the shelter. 

"I'm thinking my mum just went to our house and put a note under the tree, so when he came there he took a few presents that he put down and came over here," she told CBS. 

Ice enrusted pine cones are seen in Earl Bales Park in Toronto

In Maine, 60,000 people were still without power - down from more than 100,000 - with crews working around the clock to restore power.

"I'd much rather be at home with my family and my kids," said electric line repairman Erik Collins.

A fallen branch hangs on a powerline in Toronto

Many trees are still coated with ice and officials have warned that strong gales could bring down even more branches - further hampering repairs.

In Canada, utility officials said some residents would be without power until Saturday.

A man walks past ice encrusted trees in Toronto's Earl Bales Park

The storm is being blamed for at least 27 deaths.

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Thailand: Policeman Killed In Election Protest

A Thai police officer has been killed in clashes as anti-government protesters in Bangkok attempt to halt preparations for upcoming elections.

Police said the officer died after being airlifted to a hospital with gunshot wounds.

"He was shot in his chest and brought to hospital by helicopter," said Jongjet Aoajenpong, director of the Police General Hospital.

"A team of doctors tried to resuscitate him for more than half an hour."

Police carry away a wounded comrade

Protesters clashed with police outside a sports stadium where election candidates were drawing lots for their positions on the ballot ahead of general elections scheduled for February 2.

Security authorities fired rubber bullets and tear gas toward protesters during the clashes, while protesters threw rocks and glass bottles at riot police guarding the stadium and the nearby Ministry of Labour building.

Nearly 100 people, including 25 police officers, were injured in the clashes.

Despite the violence, the protesters failed to halt the proceedings inside the stadium, where representatives from 27 parties gathered.

An anti-government protester covers his face in a teargas attack

It was the first violent incident in nearly two weeks of daily protests on the streets of Bangkok.

Thailand's election commission has now urged the government to postpone the elections.

"We cannot organise free and fair elections under the constitution in the current circumstances," said commission member Prawit Rattanapien, who along with other vote officials had to be evacuated from the stadium by helicopter.

Shortly afterwards, the government said the polls would go ahead as scheduled on February 2. 

A riot policeman fires teargas towards the protesters

The protesters have been demanding that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra step down since mid-October.

The unrest began after her government tried to introduce an amnesty law that would have allowed Ms Yingluck's brother and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in a military coup in 2006, to return to the country as a free man.

The protesters believe the prime minister is being controlled by her exiled brother.

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Piranha Attack: Dozens Hurt In Argentina

Dozens of people have been injured in a frenzied attack by a school of piranhas on an Argentinian beach.

The attack occurred at a local beach on the banks of the Parana River, in the city of Rosario, central Argentina.

More than 60 people were hurt in the Christmas Day attack, including seven children.

Among the wounded was a seven-year-old girl who suffered severe bites to her left hand, according to local newspaper La Capital.

The girl was taken to hospital where she had part of a finger amputated, the newspaper reported.

Most of the victims were bitten on the arms, feet and legs.

Paramedic Gustavo Centurion described the piranhas as "very aggressive".

Authorities say the attack may have been provoked by unusually high temperatures in Argentina in recent days.

The beach has since been closed to bathers.

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Elysee Palace Rammed By Theatre Director

A theatre director has been arrested for ramming a car into a gate at the French presidential palace in protest over arts funding cuts.

The 67-year-old Italian was held as he attempted to force his way through the late 19th century Grille du Coq (Rooster Gate), which leads into the gardens of the Elysee palace near the Champs-Elysees in Paris, officials said.

He was protesting against cuts in subsidies to his small Parisian theatre, the Italian Comedy, a police source said, adding that the man was slightly injured in the collision and was being held in custody at a Parisian hospital.

The source said the man had already been arrested on Christmas Day near the palace after pulling a model Harlequin - a comic theatre character - from his car and setting it on fire.

"He then threw around some leaflets denouncing the cuts in subsidies for his theatre," the source said.

Police had arrested him but let him go shortly afterwards.

Socialist President Francois Hollande has cut into France's traditionally generous culture budget as part of his efforts to reduce the budget deficit.

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Putin To Pardon Jailed Tycoon Khodorkovsky

Russian president Vladimir Putin has said he will pardon jailed oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

The former head of Yukos Oil was arrested in 2003 and imprisoned for nine years after being convicted of fraud.

In 2010 he was put on trial again, while still serving his original sentence, and found guilty of money laundering and embezzlement. He and his business partner, Platon Lebedev, were jailed for another seven years.

Both trials have been criticised and Khodorkovsky has often been described by human rights groups as a prisoner of conscience.

Mr Putin's opponents have accused him of having the tycoon jailed to prevent him going into politics.

The president said the ex-tycoon had been through 'serious punishment'

At his annual end-of-year news conference, Mr Putin said Khodorkovsky had asked him for a pardon.

He said: "He has been in jail already more than 10 years, this is a serious punishment.

"He cites humanitarian reasons. His mother is ill. I decided that with these circumstances in mind, it is necessary to take a decision, and in the near future a decree pardoning him will be signed."

However, Khodorkovsky's main lawyer, Vadim Klyuvgant, denied that his client had requested a pardon.

Khodorkovsky, 50, grew rich during the 1990s in the economic chaos following the fall of the Soviet Union and rose to political prominence as one of the so-called "oligarchs" who surrounded president Boris Yeltsin.

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NSA Spying Sweeps 'Have Gone Too Far', Report

A panel has recommended curbing the secretive powers of the National Security Agency, warning its mass spying sweeps in the war on terror had gone too far.

The report, commissioned by President Barack Obama, said the NSA should halt the mass storage of domestic phone records, and called for new scrutiny on snooping on world leaders.

It also called for privacy safeguards for foreigners and fresh transparency over US eavesdropping.

The 300-page report unveiled 46 recommendations to reshape US surveillance policy following explosive revelations by fugitive intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.

There is no guarantee the president will accept the non-binding recommendations but he will consider his next move ahead of a public statement in January.

The panel urged reforms of a secret national security court that oversees clandestine surveillance operations.

It also called for the NSA to be stripped of its ability to store telephone records - instead handing that duty to phone companies or a third party.

The report said the intelligence and security infrastructure launched after the September 11 attacks had perhaps gone too far.

"It is now time to step back and take stock," it said.

Fugitive intelligence contractor Edward Snowden

"We conclude that some of the authorities that were expanded or created in the aftermath of September 11 unduly sacrifice fundamental interests in individual liberty, personal privacy, and democratic governance."

Review board member Richard Clarke, a former White House counterterrorism aide, called for mechanisms that were more transparent and have more independent oversight to give the public a new "sense of trust".

Throughout, the report argued that a new equilibrium needed to be found between national security, and privacy and individual Constitutional rights.

It steered away from calling for outright curbs on gathering intelligence on foreign leaders, following embarrassing revelations that US spies had snooped on German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cellphone.

But it said US spy chiefs should be forced to justify surveillance on world leaders to the president and his aides.

The release of the report comes amid deepening political pressure on the White House for significant reforms in the massive NSA telephone and internet data mining operations across the world.

A federal judge in Washington this week ruled that NSA programmes, which have scooped up millions of details on telephone calls and Internet traffic on Americans and foreigners, were probably unconstitutional.

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Paul Walker Porsche Crash Down To 'Speed Alone'

The Porsche Carrera GT that crashed killing Fast & Furious actor Paul Walker and the driver had no mechanical problems, according to investigators.

A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the car lost control due to "speed, and speed alone".

The investigation also ruled out debris in the road as causing the car in which Walker was a passenger to smash into a street light and a tree.

The actor and the driver, his friend and financial adviser Roger Rodas, were both killed in the accident on November 30.

Scene of the crash in Santa Clarita, California

Investigators have refused to set a firm speed at which they think the car was travelling until Porsche engineers come to California next month to extract information from on-board data collectors.

According to reports in the US, three black boxes have been recovered from the vehicle.

One will be able to tell the last speed recorded and whether the airbags were deployed, while the other two will give information on the throttle and engine readings.

Tributes are left at an unofficial memorial for the star

As a result of 40-year-old Walker's death, Universal Pictures has announced it is putting the filming of Fast & Furious 7 on hold indefinitely.

More than half the movie has reportedly been made and it was slated for release on July 11, 2014.

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Ellen Show Winner Dies On Oz Skydiving Trip

A US Marine has died on a skydiving accident in Australia after he and his wife had won the trip thanks to The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Gunnery Sergeant Brandon McGraw, 33, was a veteran who served three tours in Afghanistan.

The couple reportedly won the trip on Ellen DeGeneres' show last January

Sergeant McGraw and his wife Cherilyn went skydiving in the same plane with members of Euroa Skydive, an Australian skydiving school based in Euroa, about 100km (60 miles) north of Melbourne.

Ms McGraw chose a tandem jump and went first, with no problems.

Sergeant McGraw, who was an experienced skydiver according to news reports, went solo.

Ian Matthews, who works at Euroa Skydive, told the Jacksonville, North Carolina-based Daily News: "McGraw watched his wife do a tandem jump before exiting the plane.

"He floated for three or four minutes with a good canopy.

"A short time before landing, he suddenly began turning his parachute dramatically to the left and right and eventually crashed into the ground."

Sergeant McGraw died at the scene last Saturday.

Ms Cherilyn posted photos on Facebook that showed moments before the jump.

In a posting she thanked everybody who expressed their sympathy, saying the social network had been her "saving grace this week".

"I'm beyond honoured and words will never be able to express my gratitude for all the love, support and prayers," she wrote.

Ms McGraw said she was working on bringing her husband's body back to the US and that she "cannot wait to be home".

There was no immediate comment from TV talk-show hosted by DeGeneres. Ms McGraw had reportedly won the trip for herself and her husband in January.

The Euroa Skydive website said the school has been open since 1983. News reports said this was the first fatality in its history.

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China Cartoon Blamed As Brothers Set On Fire

A Chinese boy was copying a scene from a cartoon when he tied his friends to a tree and set them on fire, according to a court in the country.

The popular cartoon Xi Yangyan & Hui Tailang, which translates as Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, is at the centre of the incident because the 10-year-old friend confessed he was copying a scene from the show.

Two brothers aged seven and four from eastern Jiangsu province, were badly injured.

The seven-year-old suffered 80% burns to his body and his brother 40%.

Adults as well as children reportedly watch the cartoon and it features a wolf who tries to catch the goat and prevent it from escaping, to no avail.

The young boy was said to be copying the wolf character.

Scenes include the goat being plunged into boiling water and undergoing electrocution.

Donghai county people's court ruled that the guardians of the accused boy and the producer, Guangzhou-based Creative Power Entertaining Co Ltd, are jointly responsible for the brothers' injuries,

Chinese state media said the boy's guardians will have to pay 60%,157,000 yuan (£16,000), of the injured brothers' compensation and the show's production company will pay 15% - 39,000 yuan.

According to Chinese newspaper Global Times, Wu Dun, PR manager for Creative Power, said they would spend at least 10 million yuan (£977,000) modifying the problematic episodes earlier in October.

This came after China Central Television highlighted Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf and another cartoon Bonnie Bear for their violent plots and vulgar dialogue.

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Gaia: Huge Billion-Star Telescope Launched

The world's most powerful satellite camera has been launched into space aboard a rocket.

Gaia blasts into space on the Soyuz rocket

The £620m observatory lifted off from the Sinnamary launch complex in French Guiana on time at 9.12am (UK time).

The huge telescope is going to map the precise positions and distances to more than a billion stars.

It is hoped that Gaia will give astronomers the first realistic picture of how the Milky Way galaxy is made up.

The observatory's exceptional sensitivity may also detect many thousands of previously unseen celestial objects, including new planets and asteroids.

As many as 50,000 planets outside our solar system could be spotted during the satellite's five-year life.

It will also keep a watch for exploding stars - supernovae - which are rarely observed in real time.

Gaia was aboard the Soyuz rocket which blasted off on time

The European Space Agency (Esa) satellite was sent up on a Soyuz rocket and Gaia was being released from the rocket 40 minutes later.

Gaia has been in development for more than 20 years.

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The World's Newest Country May Not Last

The world's newest country may not last the decade if the violence seen in South Sudan this week escalates.

Up to 500 people have died in days of fighting in the capital Juba and thousands, including foreign oil workers, are sheltering in or outside UN compounds. 

Amid talk of a possible coup attempt 10 senior politicians, including former cabinet ministers have been arrested and a night-time curfew imposed.

The authorities deny that the violence is on tribal lines, but the evidence suggests otherwise.

South Sudan, an oil-rich country, became independent from Sudan in 2011 following a long guerrilla war but has yet to knit itself into a unified nation.

During the war years the main ethnic groups in southern Sudan, the Dinka and the Nuer, each formed militias to fight the Sudanese army. Now the South Sudanese army is made up of units which are still divided on tribal lines.

President Salva Kiir Mayardit is a Dinka. In July he dismissed the vice president, Riek Machar, who is  Nuer, after Mr Machar announced he would compete for the presidency in the 2015 elections.

The fighting appears to have started after a Dinka unit was deployed at the presidential guard barracks which is dominated by soldiers who are Nuer. The Dinka came out on top, tensions rose throughout the capital, and the fighting spread. 

Although the city is reported to be calmer today there have been incidents of inter-ethnic violence outside of the capital.

The UK has sent an aircraft to Juba to evacuate some of the estimated 500 Britons in the country and has temporarily withdrawn some staff and dependants from its embassy.

Other countries are taking similar measures but the airport is still open and some commercial flights are operating.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Brits Evacuated From South Sudan Amid Fighting

World's Newest Country May Not Last

Updated: 12:55pm UK, Thursday 19 December 2013

By Tim Marshall, Foreign Affairs Editor

The world's newest country may not last the decade if the violence seen in South Sudan this week escalates.

Up to 500 people have died in days of fighting in the capital Juba and thousands, including foreign oil workers, are sheltering in or outside UN compounds. 

Amid talk of a possible coup attempt 10 senior politicians, including former cabinet ministers have been arrested and a night-time curfew imposed.

The authorities deny that the violence is on tribal lines, but the evidence suggests otherwise.

South Sudan, an oil-rich country, became independent from Sudan in 2011 following a long guerrilla war but has yet to knit itself into a unified nation.

During the war years the main ethnic groups in southern Sudan, the Dinka and the Nuer, each formed militias to fight the Sudanese army. Now the South Sudanese army is made up of units which are still divided on tribal lines.

President Salva Kiir Mayardit is a Dinka. In July he dismissed the vice president, Riek Machar, who is  Nuer, after Mr Machar announced he would compete for the presidency in the 2015 elections.

The fighting appears to have started after a Dinka unit was deployed at the presidential guard barracks which is dominated by soldiers who are Nuer. The Dinka came out on top, tensions rose throughout the capital, and the fighting spread. 

Although the city is reported to be calmer today there have been incidents of inter-ethnic violence outside of the capital.

The UK has sent an aircraft to Juba to evacuate some of the estimated 500 Britons in the country and has temporarily withdrawn some staff and dependants from its embassy.

Other countries are taking similar measures but the airport is still open and some commercial flights are operating.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Seattle Gunman Wrestled By Bus Passengers

Footage has emerged of a dramatic confrontation aboard a bus between a gun-wielding robber and the passengers who overpowered him.

The passenger managed to knock down the suspect and he was held down until police arrived and arrested him.

The suspect, 19-year-old Trevonnte Brown, has been charged with robbery offences.

The CCTV footage from the bus, dated November 25, has just been released.

The suspect was held down until police arrived

It shows Brown, a black hood over his head, approaching a passenger.

But as the man sees the gun, he reacts quickly, grabbing the weapon from the suspect's hand and punching him, as other passengers join in.

The man was hailed a hero by fellow passengers.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Woolwich Murder: Muslim Leader Warns Of 'War'

Killers Were 'No Immediate Threat'

Updated: 2:22pm UK, Thursday 19 December 2013

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale were "known" to MI5 before they killed Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich but were considered to be of no immediate threat to anyone.

In the language of the intelligence agencies, that means the Security Service was aware of their Islamic extremist views and their association with others but had no evidence they were planning any attack.

Was that the right judgement, or should MI5 have kept a closer eye on them and, if it had, could it have prevented Fusilier Rigby's death?

Whitehall sources said both men had come to MI5's attention in various investigations over several years, two among several thousand known Islamic extremists.

One source said: "It is not surprising that someone who does something like this should have come to our notice before, given the range of our investigations."

The source suggested the agency does not believe it should have given the two killers a greater priority, based on what it knew about them at the time, nor does it argue it would have done more with greater resources.

In another favourite spook phrase, the pair were "on the radar, but not under the microscope".

MI5 accepts there will be lessons to learn from the way it dealt with them.

It is known that in Kenya in 2010, Adebolajo was arrested, appeared in court and deported over his plan to travel to neighbouring Somalia and join the terror group al Shabaab.

One British newspaper report said Adebolajo was able to return to Kenya last year, despite its government warning the UK he was a "dangerous radical". It was reported he may have used a false passport.

He is thought to have joined the UK-based extremist group al Muhajiroun in 2003, several years before it was banned and its leader thrown out of Britain.

Adebolajo appeared at the group's demonstrations and was arrested during scuffles outside the Old Bailey in 2006.

According to a close friend, MI5 was doing more than just monitoring Adebolajo. It asked him to work for the agency six months before the Woolwich killing.

Abu Nusaybah told BBC's Newsnight that Adebolajo was stopped and questioned on his return from a trip to Kenya, and later followed and approached at home by MI5.

Mr Nusaybah said: "He was basically being harassed. His wording was, 'they are bugging me, they won't leave me alone'.

"Initially, they wanted to ask him if he knew certain individuals. But after him saying that he didn't know these individuals, what he said was they asked him if he would be interested in working for them.

"He was explicit in that he refused to work for them, but he did confirm he didn't know the individuals."

Straight after the interview, Mr Nusaybah was arrested by counter-terror police as he left the TV studios. He is to stand trial next year on terrorism charges unrelated to Woolwich.

Adebolajo's brother Jeremiah has claimed the foreign intelligence agency MI6 tried to recruit him and urged him to help "turn" Michael to work for MI5.

It will be up to parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee to assess whether MI5's judgement of Adebolajo and Adebolawe was correct.

The committee of MPs is investigating the role of various agencies before the Woolwich attack and is expected to report early next year.

Its chairman Sir Malcolm Rifkind said soon after Drummer Rigby's death: "I don't think MI5 is in the dock. I think that would be very unfair."

MI5 has had a huge budget increase in the past decade, with the number of staff almost doubled, the opening of regional bases and the concentration of 90% of its resources on fighting international terrorism.

It was mildly criticised for poor record-keeping and police liaison by the ISC after the 7/7 London bombings of 2005, but escaped any censure.

The committee concluded that although the 7/7 ringleader Mohammad Sidique Khan was on its radar, the agency couldn't have been expected to identify him as a bomb plotter. 

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Saturn's 'Hexagon' Mega Storm Seen By Cassini

A six-sided storm on Saturn that contains a huge hurricane has been pictured in the highest resolution yet by a Nasa spacecraft.

Saturn's unique 'hexagon' storm. Pic: Nasa/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Hampton

The hexagonal jet stream, which centres around the north pole and is thought to be unique in the solar system, is at least 30,000km (18,640 miles) wide - more than twice the width of the Earth.

The weather system was photographed by Cassini, which was launched in 2004 to begin a close-up study of Saturn and its moons.

A hurricane swirls around the centre. Pic: Nasa/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Hampton

It trained its cameras on the polar region for 10 hours, allowing scientists to analyse, in false colour, the movement of the planet's cloud structures.

At the centre of the hexagon is a rotating hurricane more than 50 times bigger than those typically seen on Earth.

The storm packs winds of about 200mph. Pic: Nasa/JPL-Caltech/SSI

Experts believe it could have been battering the planet for hundreds of years.

Countless smaller vortices are swept along with the jet stream, propelled by winds of about 200mph (322kph) "as if on a racetrack", a Nasa spokesman said.

Cassini zoomed in on the hurricane in April. Pic: Nasa/JPL-Caltech/SSI

Andrew Ingersoll, a member of the Cassini imaging team at the California Institute of Technology, said: "The hexagon is just a current of air, and weather features out there that share similarities to this are notoriously turbulent and unstable.

"A hurricane on Earth typically lasts a week, but this has been here for decades and, who knows, maybe centuries."

Earth appears as a tiny dot in an earlier photo. Pic: Nasa/JPL-Caltech/SSI

Unlike on Earth, where weather patterns are interrupted by mountains and ice caps, Saturn's hexagon has remained relatively intact.

It is thought this longevity is caused by a lack of solid landforms on the planet, which is essentially a giant ball of gas.

The images are the latest in a series of spectacular photographs taken by Cassini.

In October, the spacecraft zoomed in on the lakes of Titan, one of Saturn's 53 confirmed moons, while in April, it pictured meteors streaking across Saturn's rings.

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American Teacher Killed In Benghazi

Gunmen have killed a US chemistry teacher working at an international school in the Libyan city of Benghazi, news reports say.

The attackers shot the victim, a man from Texas, as he was jogging in the morning.

No one claimed responsibility for the shooting.

"He was doing his morning exercise when gunmen just shot him," Adel al Mansouri, director at the city's International School, told the Reuters news agency.

"I don't know why. He was so sweet with everyone."

The attack underscores persistent security threats in Benghazi, an eastern Libyan city where the US ambassador was killed last year.

Security sources said three soldiers were also killed today in separate attacks in the city, which is home to numerous armed groups resisting the central government's authority.

US Ambassador Chris Stevens was killed in Benghazi last year

Two years after a Nato-backed uprising ousted veteran leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya's heavily armed militias have proliferated, controlling parts of the vast nation. 

Libyan security forces clashed in Benghazi last month with Ansar al Shariah, a hard-line Islamist militia blamed for the September 11, 2012 attack on the US consulate that killed the ambassador and three other Americans.

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Rob Ford May Have Tried To Buy 'Crack Video'

Toronto mayor Rob Ford may have offered $5,000 (£2,900) and a car to buy a video allegedly showing him using crack cocaine, according to notes from police wiretaps.

Details of the alleged offer were included in a 450-page police document released by an Ontario Superior Court judge.

According to police notes of a recorded phone conversation involving two suspected gang members, Mr Ford was aware of the video's existence in March, and offered to buy it.

One alleged gang member is heard telling another that he rejected the offer for the tape and planned to meet the mayor and ask for "150", meaning $150,000.

In one recording on April 20, an alleged gang member is heard saying "Rob Ford was smoking his rocks today" and that he would post a picture on Instagram.

On Wednesday, Mr Ford laughed off the claims and ignored questions as he left his office.

Mr Ford acknowledged last month that he smoked crack in a "drunken stupor" about a year ago.

He previously denied the existence of the video.

Mr Ford has refused to resign as mayor of Canada's largest city and financial capital, despite mounting pressure after a string of incidents that have embarrassed Canadians.

They include public drunkenness as well as appearing in another video that showed him threatening "murder" in an incoherent rant.

Toronto City Council has stripped him of most of his powers.

Mr Ford has said he has given up drinking and adopted a healthier lifestyle.

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Bashir Resigns From MSNBC Over Palin Remarks

Martin Bashir has resigned from MSNBC after suggesting on his show that former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin eats faeces.

The British-born TV host made the controversial remarks last month after Mrs Palin, a former Alaska governor, compared the US indebtedness to China with slavery.  

Mr Bashir has since apologised for the comments, but has failed to quell the uproar.

"After making an on-air apology, I asked for permission to take some additional time out around the Thanksgiving holiday," he said in a statement.

"Upon further reflection, and after meeting with the president of MSNBC, I have tendered my resignation.

"It is my sincere hope that all of my colleagues, at this special network, will be allowed to focus on the issues that matter without the distraction of myself or my ill-judged comments."

Martin Bashir gained prominence for a 1995 interview with Princess Diana

Mr Bashir added: "I deeply regret what was said."

His resignation, effective immediately, was accepted by MSNBC president Phil Griffin, who in a statement thanked him "for three great years" with the network.

"Martin is a good man and respected colleague - we wish him only the best," Mr Griffin said.

There was no immediate reaction from Mrs Palin, who had previously accused MSNBC of condoning Mr Bashir's comments.

Mr Bashir criticised Mrs Palin and her "long-diseased mind" after playing a video of her speech about China.

He told the story of Thomas Thistlewood, a former overseer at a plantation who described in diaries how he dealt with wayward slaves by, in one case, having another slave defecate in the mouth of the miscreant.

In another case, someone urinated in the face of a slave being punished.

"When Mrs Palin invokes slavery," Mr Bashir said, "she doesn't just prove her rank ignorance, she confirms (that) if anyone truly qualifies for a dose of discipline from Thomas Thistlewood, then she would be the outstanding candidate."

Mr Bashir made headlines with an exclusive interview with Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1995, where she famously said her marriage to Prince Charles was "a bit crowded".

"There were three of us in this marriage" she said, in a reference to  Camilla Parker-Bowles.

In his controversial documentary Living With Michael Jackson, Mr Bashir gained unprecedented access to the late pop star's estate and family.

The documentary, which aired on ABC in 2003 to a huge audience, caused a stir as Jackson said he still let children sleep at his home despite a settlement over abuse allegations years before.

Mr Bashir joined ABC in 2004 and moved to MSNBC in 2010.

Mr Bashir's exit from MSNBC took place shortly after Alec Baldwin was suspended from his weekly talk show after just two weeks for using an anti-gay slur in a New York City street encounter.

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Paul Walker: Fast & Furious Tribute Video

The Fast & Furious team has released a two-minute tribute video in memory of Paul Walker, who was killed in a car crash near Hollywood at the weekend.

The YouTube video features scenes from the film franchise to the music of Coming Home by P Diddy.

It ends with a clip of co-star Vin Diesel making a toast, and an image of Walker leaning against a car with a message reading "in loving memory".

A message accompanying the video asks mourners to make donations to Walker's charity Reach Out World Wide instead of sending flowers or other tributes.

Paul Walker starred in all but one of the Fast & Furious movies

Walker, 40, had attended a benefit by the organisation when he and his friend Roger Rodas, 38, got into a Porsche Carrera GT and, shortly afterward, slammed into a lamp post in a high-speed crash.

The car burst into flames and the two were killed at the scene.

An autopsy has shown that Walker died from the "combined effects of traumatic and thermal injuries", while Mr Rodas, who was at the wheel, died of multiple traumatic injuries, the coroner said.

The coroner ruled that both deaths were accidents and said the injuries occurred when the car struck a fixed object.

The families of both men gave authorities dental records to provide formal identification of the bodies.

The mangled wreckage of the Porsche after the smash

As a result of Walker's death, Universal Pictures has announced it is putting the filming of Fast & Furious 7 on hold indefinitely.

The studio said: "At this time we feel it is our responsibility to shut down production on Fast & Furious 7 for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise."

More than half the movie has reportedly been made and it was slated for release on July 11, 2014.

Universal Pictures has also reportedly decided to donate part of the proceeds from the DVD sakes of the sixth instalment of the franchise to Reach Out World Wide.

The LA coroner released the autopsy findings for Walker and Mr Rodas

Accident investigators are trying to work out what happened in the moments leading up to Saturday's tragedy in Santa Clarita, about 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

But their enquiries have been hindered by the crowds of fans that have continued to flock to the crash site.

Investigators do not believe Mr Rodas and Walker had been racing another car, but said they had been speeding on a street with a 45mph limit, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's department.

A video taken from a nearby building shows smoke from the initial crash and then later a large explosion that lights up the sky.

Tributes to the actor at the scene of the crash

While the neighbourhood where the tragedy happened is known to attract street racers, police said they had no indication of a second car being involved in the smash.

Police have warned fans not to perform stunts on the stretch of road the crash took place.

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Yemen: 20 Dead Following Militant Suicide Attack

A brazen attack on the Yemeni Ministry of Defence in the capital Sana'a has left at least 20 people dead, say security officials.

A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into the building which made way for gunmen in another car to storm the premises and occupy part of the complex, before it was retaken by security forces.

Unconfirmed reports suggested the gunmen took advantage of construction work that was taking place to carry out the attack.

"At least 20 people have been killed in the attack," the defence ministry said in a brief statement.

"A car bomb driven by a suicide bomber forced its way into the western entrance of the ministry complex which was followed by another car whose occupants opened fire," it said.

Gunfire could still be heard on the streets after the attack

Columns of smoke could be seen billowing across the ministry complex as gunfire was heard.

"I heard a series of explosions, and then an exchange of fire," a wounded soldier told local journalists. State television has broadcast appeals for blood donations at hospitals treating the wounded.

Attacks in the capital and in the country's south have been blamed by the US on Islamist militants as Yemen prepares for presidential elections in February.

The country has been going through a difficult political transition since veteran president Ali Abdullah Salah was ousted in 2012 after a year of protests against his 33-year rule.

Militants in the country have launched repeated attacks on security forces despite suffering setbacks in a major army offensive last year and repeated US drone strikes which have targeted their commanders.

There has also been on-off fighting in the far north between Shiite rebels and hardline Sunnis.

Yemeni authorities recently imposed a temporary ban on motorbikes in the capital to prevent hit-and-run shootings that have killed dozens of officials.

Two gunmen on a bike last week killed a Belarussian defence contractor and wounded another as they left a Sanaa hotel.

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Woman Live-Tweets Husband's Car Crash Death

A Canadian woman has inadvertently live-tweeted her husband's death after writing about a car crash on Twitter.

Caran Johnson's string of posts started within minutes of the accident on Interstate 205 near Vancouver, British Colombia.

"I hate that section of I205 S. Too many on ramps, speeders and too few lanes," she wrote, using the Twitter handle @scancouver.

Moments later, she added: "This accident sounds horrible."

After emergency workers confirmed someone had died in the crash, Mrs Johnson began worrying about her husband Craig when he failed to return home from work.

"I'm trying not to panic but my husband left work early and he drives 205 to get home. He's not answering his phone," she said.

"He uses his Bluetooth, so he would answer his phone. He also wasn't feeling good so his work was concerned when he left," she wrote in a later post.

She then tweeted a Washington State Patrol officer, asking for descriptions of the vehicles involved.

After waiting to call the police, she sent another message, saying: "I just called 911 and they transferred me after I gave them his license number and told me that they will call me back."

Within an hour, she tweeted: "It's him. He died."

Later that evening, after her children had fallen asleep, Mrs Johnson wrote: "I feel like a block of cement fell on me."

"Tomorrow I'll have family over," she added. "Tomorrow will be hard. I'll hear from the medical examiner."

Mrs Johnson continued to tweet after her husband's death, at one point writing: "I know it's petty, but I went from 567 followers to over 1,300. #inshock."

She had more than 3,000 followers by the next morning, as fellow internet users set up a fundraising page to raise $10,000 for her and her family.

Local television station KPTV quoted police as saying Mr Johnson's vehicle crossed the central reservation and hit a pick-up truck heading in the opposite direction.

Officers are yet to confirm what caused the crash, it reported.

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Richard Branson Enters Formula E Championship

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

Sir Richard Branson has announced his entry back into motor racing as part of the new Formula E electric car championship.

The entrepreneur is putting a team together to take part in the inaugural 10-race championship starting in Beijing next September and ending in London in June 2015.

Formula E is described as a fully digital sport that aims to improve the image of electric cars and spark innovation in the industry.

A computer game will allow people to take part in each race in real-time and fans will be able to give their favourite driver a speed boost by voting through a smart phone app during the race.  

Formula E cars have a top speed of around 150mph, generate half the engine noise of petrol-engine cars and produce zero emissions on track.

The Virgin Formula E livery

Sir Richard said: "The launch of the Formula E Championship is exciting news for racing fans but also for those that believe in developing the great electric cars of the future. 

"The need to create fast, dependable and durable race cars will help to accelerate the sector and showcase electric cars to a large global audience.

"With races around many famous city centres, I am expecting a lot of spectators, plenty of fun and some sparks flying as the competition hots up."

Sir Richard last competed in top-flight racing in the 2010 (Virgin Racing) and 2011 (Marussia Virgin Racing) Formula 1 seasons, though the team failed to score any points.

Virgin became the ninth team to sign up to Formula E, which was once dubbed the "milk float challenge" by sceptics.

Now championship organisers say they have their tenth and final team in place, funded by a mystery Hollywood A-lister yet to be announced.

Another team will be fronted by four-time F1 champion Alain Prost.

Formula E chief Alejandro Agag told Sky News: "It's gaining huge momentum. Of course there are critics and there are also people who may feel threatened, with no reason.

"But we think we will convince those critics ... there is definitely a space for this kind of racing."

Electric car manufacturers are hopeful the championship will spark interest in electric cars.

Sales are at an all-time high in the UK and Nissan is one of the main dealers.

However, the company has downgraded its sales targets citing a lack of charging points as being a turn-off for potential buyers.

The Government says it has installed 10,000 charge points but Nissan, Tesla and other manufacturers have announced plans to build their own to get things moving faster.

:: To find out more about Formula E watch Sky News' technology show Swipe on Friday at 7.45pm and online soon after. 

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Fast-Food Workers Stage Strikes Across US

Workers at fast-food restaurants across the US are walking off the job to press for higher wages and better working conditions.

Strikes are planned in 100 cities, but it is not clear if the action will shut down restaurants or even disrupt operations.

Organisers have also planned rallies in many cities.

The actions are intended to build on a campaign that began about a year ago to call attention to the difficulties of living on the federal minimum wage of $7.25 (£4.70) an hour.

That is about $15,000 (£9,200) a year for a full-time employee.

Protesters seek $15 an hour, more than double the current minimum wage

But the campaign so far has failed to have a significant impact on an industry that competes aggressively on low prices.

Workers also staged a strike in the summer, but results were mixed, with some restaurants unable to serve customers and others seemingly unaffected.

Protesters are calling for $15 (£10) an hour, although many see the figure as a rallying point rather than a near-term possibility.

President Barack Obama has said he would back a minimum wage to $10.10 (£6) an hour, and on Wednesday he addressed income inequality in a speech.

The National Restaurant Association, an industry lobbying group, called the demonstrations a "campaign engineered by national labour groups".

It said the vast majority of participants were union protesters rather than workers.

This week, some Democrats in Congress sent letters to fast-food giants including McDonald's, Burger King and Domino's Pizza to urge them to raise wages for store workers.

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Central African Republic: UN Approves Action

The UN Security Council has approved the deployment of thousands of French and African soldiers to try to halt the country's descent into chaos.

The French deployment to the land-locked Central African Republic - one of the poorest nations in the world - is expected to total around 1,200, with 600 troops already in place.

The UN resolution would also allow French forces "to take all necessary measures" for a temporary period to support the African Union-led force known as Misca, whose troop numbers are expected to rise from about 2,500 to 3,500.

The country has plunged into chaos after the mostly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted President Francois Bozize in a coup in March and installing their leader, Michel Djotodia, as president.                

A French soldier on patrol in Bangui

Muslim and Christian groups fighting each other and tens of thousands of terrified people taking refuge in churches and mosques, fearing sectarian attacks.

Christian militias, known as anti-balaka, have recently launched retaliatory attacks, forcing thousands of civilians to take refuge in churches and mosques.

Reports have described a litany of horrors, with security forces and militia gangs razing villages, carrying out public execution-style killings and perpetrating widespread rapes.

In a media broadcast, President Djotodia told scared residents to "keep calm" and extended a curfew in the capital by four hours.

Central African Republic President Michel Djotodia

The death toll has been impossible to estimate in the lawless and poverty stricken country where many roads have not been repaved since independence from France in 1960.

French foreign minister Laurent Fabius earlier warned the country was on "the verge of genocide - we have to end this humanitarian catastrophe and restore security".

In the capital, Bangui, more than 100 bodies have been found lying in a mosque after overnight fighting and, inside a hospital, dozens of people with gunshot wounds lay on the floor or on wooden benches as they waited to see a doctor.

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Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball Spoof A Smash Hit

A spoof of Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball video has become a YouTube sensation.

Over 26 million people have watched YouTube user Steve Kardynal's Chatroulette parody.

The video attracted more than seven million views in just 24 hours.

That is apparently more than watched the official videos of Cyrus' performances at the VMA and AMA awards combined.

Cyrus at the MTV Video Music Awards

But the singer's own video has been viewed over 360 million times on YouTube.

Kardynal, wearing a white vest and underpants, is first seen lying on a couch.

He then sits up and begins to pose and writhe before licking a sledgehammer and riding on his own wrecking ball.

Fellow YouTube users are seen looking at the video, their reactions varying from horror to disbelief and sheer delight.

The original video has been criticised for being overly sexual and has led to Cyrus being ridiculed by some.

It comes after she stole the show at the MTV awards with her 'twerking' routine.

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Tucson 'Captives Tortured With Loud Music'

Three sisters allegedly held captive by their mother and stepfather at their home in Tucson were monitored by video cameras in soundproof rooms, police said.

Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villasenor said the couple used "technological and psychological" means to imprison the three girls, aged 12, 13 and 17.

The couple, Sophia and Fernando Richter, were arrested on charges of emotional and physical abuse and three counts of kidnapping.

As police investigating the case were poring over a journal kept by the 17-year-old, details of the alleged captivity emerged.

Music blared loudly and constantly from the girls' bedrooms. Duct work was sealed and towels were forced against doors to prevent the sound from being heard outside.

Mr Villasenor said: "What the kids are telling us, it was 24-7 either loud music or static." 

There were motion sensors on the doors to the girls' bedrooms and video cameras trained on their bed.

Locks on the girls' bedroom doors kept them from escaping, Mr Villasenor said, adding another method was also used but declined to say what it was.

Two girls escaped on Tuesday, the third was found by police. Pic: KOLD TV

If the girls needed to use the bathroom, there was an unspecified signal for them to let the parents know they needed a bathroom break.

The two younger girls escaped through the window of their bedroom on Tuesday after the stepfather, brandishing a knife, tried to break down the room's door. They ran to a neighbour's home.

When police arrived at the suburban home, they found the 17-year-old, who was being held separately from her sisters in another room.

The three girls were malnourished and dirty and told officers they had not taken a bath in months.

Investigators hope the diary will help them build a criminal case against the 32-year-old mother and 34-year-old stepfather.

Mr Villasenor declined to reveal the diary's contents but said the teen kept one of her most prized possessions - a photo of singer Enrique Iglesias - in the journal, which was kept inside a satchel.

"It did contain a lot of information that I feel will be useful in helping us to determine the method and length of the imprisonment," Mr Villasenor said.

Investigators are also trying to determine the last time the girls attended a school.

No schools in the area had a record of them, Mr Villasenor said, and police have not been able to verify the mother's claims that the children were home-schooled.

The girls are now together at a group home in the custody of a state child welfare agency.

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Comet Ison's Survival In Balance As It Brushes Sun

Stargazers are waiting anxiously to see if an icy comet survives a close encounter with the Sun and fulfils its billing of being "one of the brightest of the century".

Comet Ison is to pass the star at a distance of just 727,000 miles, where it will meet temperatures of around 2,700C (4,892F), leading to predictions it will break apart before it can be seen blazing in the night sky.

It is expected to get closest to the Sun at 6.37pm UK time.

Scientists will be watching to see if the comet , which left the outer edge of the solar system more than 5.5 million years ago, disintegrates under the intense heat and gravitational forces of the Sun.

Comets are frozen balls of space dust left over from the formation of stars and planets billions of years ago.

When one comes close to a hot star, like the Sun, the icy core can melt.

"Many of us think it could break up into pieces, and some people think it won't survive at all," said comet expert Carey Lisse of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in the US.

Ison is seen in a five-minute exposure from Marshall Space Flight Center

But he accepted others thought it could survive the Sun's heat, although smaller in size.

"I think it has a maybe 30% chance to make it," Mr Lisse said.

If Ison does survive, astronomers say it should be easily visible in the Northern Hemisphere early next month, just before sunrise and after sunset.

Scientists say the comet comes from the very origin of the solar system, 4.5 billion years ago.

Mr Lisse said: "Comet Ison is a relic. It's a dinosaur bone of solar system formation."

If the comet has already broken up, it should disintegrate completely as it makes its slingshot around the Sun.

However, this would provide an opportunity for scientists to see the insides of the comet, and better understand its composition, including clues about what material was present during the solar system's formation.

The comet was discovered last year by two amateur astronomers using Russia's International Scientific Optical Network, or Ison.

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Ireland: Teen Held After Woman Killed At Home

A 19-year-old man has been arrested over the suspicious death of an English mother-of-one who was reportedly attacked with a hatchet at a remote cottage in Ireland.

The body of Susan Dunne, aged in her 50s, was discovered with serious head injuries in the house in Ballinageragh, just outside the small village of Lixnaw, near Listowel, in Co Kerry.

The Irish Independent reported that she had been bludgeoned to death after being attacked with the hatchet.

Neighbours raised the alarm after Ms Dunne's car was seen being driven by another person.

The front door of the cottage was then found open and the local gardai were contacted, arriving at the property at around 11.15am on Wednesday morning.

Irish police later arrested the 19-year-old in the Listowel area.

Police, who have not released any details about the man's identity, described the circumstances surrounding the woman's death as suspicious.

The man can be detained for 24 hours before being charged or released.

Ms Dunne, who was known as Susan Sheehy, was also known  was originally from England and was understood to have moved to the isolated house with her son within the last few years.

She was reportedly well known as a campaigner with Autism Ireland and the chairperson of the Kerry branch of the group.

On its Facebook page, Kerry Autism Action said: "Tonight we are very sad to announce the death of Kerry Autism Action's Sue Sheehy.

"Sue was an amazing lady that will never be forgotten by many familys for all her help to them.

"We would like to express our Sincere Condolonces to Sue's family and friends at this tragic time, and we hope that everyone will respect the privacy and wishes of the family."

Robert Beasley, a local councillor, said neighbours were "very saddened".

"There's a gloom over the area," he said.

:: Anyone with information or who may have seen any unusual activity around Ballinageragh, Lixnaw, Co Kerry, is asked to contact the Gardai in Listowel on 068 50820, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

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World Cup Stadium Delay After Crane Deaths

Brazil is holding three days of national mourning for the two construction workers killed at a World Cup stadium that will now be completed up to two months late.

The pair died when a crane at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo collapsed as it was hoisting a 500-tonne structure.

It damaged the outer walls of the 70,000-seater venue - popularly known as the Itaquerao - and a giant LED screen.

Work on the stadium, which is due to stage the opening World Cup fixture, was due to be finished by December 31.

The competition's organisers Fifa say they expect a delay of between 45 and 60 days.

The stadium was said to be very close to completion

Fifa, football's world governing body, had originally set December 31 as the deadline for the completion of all the stadiums for next summer's tournament.

The latest delay will increase worries over whether Brazil will be fully prepared for the June 12 kick-off.

Six venues have already been declared ready but there are concerns about three others in Cuiaba, Manaus and Curitiba.

Bosses at the Corinthians Arena said the "structure of the grandstand was not compromised" by the crane accident and that work will resume on Monday.

Two died when the crane "derailed" and dropped a 500-tonne structure

Andres Sanchez, operations director, said the two construction workers were crushed to death.

They have been named as Ronaldo Oliveira dos Santos, 44, a fitter, and driver Fabio Luiz Pereira, 42, who was inside his truck when it was hit by the falling structure.

Most of the 1,700 workers at the site were on lunch break when the crane toppled over.

In a statement, Corinthians said it was the 38th time the crane had performed the procedure and that a similar structure had been successfully installed a week ago.

Fifa had set a December 31 deadline for all stadium building work

The crane, which has a reach of 114 metres, can lift up to 1,500 tonnes.

Investigators are looking into the reason for the collapse.

Fifa said the safety of workers was a "top priority", while the organisation's president, Sepp Blatter, said he was "deeply saddened by the tragic death of workers".

The incident is by no means the first to hit Brazil's World Cup preparations. One worker died last year during construction of a stadium in the capital, Brasilia, and another was killed at the Manaus stadium last March.

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