Pit Bulls Maul Georgia Toddler To Death

A toddler in Georgia has been mauled to death by seven dogs.

Police said 21-month-old Monica Renee Laminack was attacked in the garden at her home in Bryan County on Wednesday evening.

The dogs were owned by her family.

Authorities say the girl's grandmother was asleep when she heard a commotion and saw the girl being attacked as she looked out of her window.

According to Bryan County Deputy Sheriff James Beatty, when emergency workers arrived at the Elm Road home the child was already dead.

"When we got here and spoke to EMS, they told us that when they got here, she was already cold. There was nothing they could do," he said.

Authorities say the dogs, pit bulls and pit bull mixes, were put down by Bryan County Animal Control.

It was unclear if charges would be filed.

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North Korea: US Stealth Bombers Fly Over South

US Awaits Response To Korea Flights

Updated: 10:05am UK, Thursday 28 March 2013

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

Given North Korea's angry reaction to the American use of its vast B-52 bombers last week, their response to the presence of the significantly more sophisticated B-2 stealth bombers will be interesting and perhaps alarming.

The two jets dropped a dummy bomb on a target range in South Korea after a 13,000-mile round trip from an air base in Missouri to join a training exercise.

America is walking a tightrope: on one hand keen to demonstrate its will and ability to defend its South Korean ally and protect the 28,000 US troops based in the country, but on the other hand not wanting to provoke an extremely unpredictable North Korean leader.

It is dangerously easy to combine Kim Jong -un's bluster with the increasingly comical images of him and laugh the whole thing off. Officials in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo clearly believe that would be a mistake.

Officials in Washington have made clear in recent days that they are taking Kim Jong Un's threats of war seriously. North Korea is "not a paper tiger", one US official is quoted as saying.

North Korean rhetoric peaks on a regular basis. This time it's probably higher than ever and there are key differences too.

The young Kim Jong-un is untested and inexperienced. Does his brinkmanship have a limit?

The December rocket launch and February nuclear test took the country across an important and dangerous technological threshold.

Over the border in the South, the government is showing signs that it has abandoned its traditional habit of turning the other cheek to skirmishes from the North.

The concern is that neither the Americans and the South Koreans nor the North Korean leadership are showing any sign of backing down.

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Kenya: Eight Killed In Raids By Separatists

At least eight people have been killed in attacks on a casino and police station at the Kenyan coastal resort of Malindi.

Dozens of men wielding machetes raided the casino in the early hours before later targeting the local police station.

Armed officers shot dead six of the attackers, who are suspected of being members of a banned separatist group, the Mombasa Republican Council (MRC).

Two policemen were also killed.

"A gang of 50 MRC suspects armed with machetes and other crude weapons raided a casino in Malindi and started attacking patrons before police were called," , police official Ambrose Munyasia said.

He said it was not immediately clear if any of the casino's staff or customers had been hurt.

It is thought the raiders targeted the Italian-owned casino in order to steal cash to fund their activities, Mr Munyasia added.

The latest trouble comes after a series of incidents blamed on the MRC, which are reported to have damaged prospects for growth and investment along Kenya's coast, a major tourist draw, and in Mombasa, an economically vital port city.

The MRC has apparently been exploiting long-held local grievances over land and frustration at the perceived economic marginalisation of the region by the central government.

The group's spokesman was arrested last week on suspicion of involvement in attacks hours before the presidential and legislative elections on March 4 which left 15 people dead.

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Brazil Doctor 'May Have Killed 300 Patients'

A Brazilian doctor charged with killing seven patients at a hospital could be responsible for up to 300 deaths, an investigator has said.

Virginia Helena Soares de Souza and her medical team gave muscle relaxing drugs to patients and reduced their oxygen supply, causing them to die of asphyxiation, claim prosecutors.

The doctor and her seven assistants were suspected of injecting patients with "drug cocktails" and of tampering with their respirators, a health ministry official said.

If prosecutors prove De Souza was responsible for 300 deaths, it could be one of the world's worst serial killings, rivalling the case of British GP Harold Shipman who killed at least 215 patients.

Prosecutors said De Souza's taped phone conversations revealed her motive was to free up beds for other patients at an intensive care unit, which she headed up.

"I want to clear the intensive care unit. It's making me itch," she allegedly said in one recording released to Brazilian media.

Deaths are being investigated at the Evangelical Hospital in Curitiba

"Unfortunately, our mission is to be go-betweens on the springboard to the next life," she reportedly added in the same phone call.

Prosecutors said De Souza felt "all powerful" running the unit, to the point where she "had the power to decree the moment when a victim would die".

In some cases, she was absent from the hospital and gave instructions to end the life of a patient by phone to members of her medical team, it was alleged.

The 56-year-old widow was arrested last month and charged with seven counts of aggravated first degree murder. She was released on bail a week ago pending the outcome of the investigation.

Three other doctors, three nurses and a physiotherapist who worked for her have also been charged with murder.

GP Harold Shipman killed at least 215 patients

More cases are expected to emerge as investigators look through 1,700 medical records of patients who died in the last seven years at the Evangelical Hospital in the southern city of Curitiba.

"We already have more than 20 cases established, and there are nearly 300 more that we are looking into," the chief investigator assigned by Brazil's health ministry, Dr Mario Lobato, told Globo TV.

He said the deaths he reviewed happened under similar circumstances: a muscle relaxant such as Pancuronium was administered, increasing the patients' dependence on artificial respiration; then the oxygen supply was reduced, causing death by asphyxiation.

Some of the patients were conscious moments before they died, he said.

De Souza's lawyer, Elias Mattar Assad, said investigators had misunderstood how an intensive care unit works and she would prove her innocence.

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Bollywood Star Sanjay Dutt To Return To Prison

Breaking down repeatedly, popular Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt said he will serve his prison sentence for a 1993 weapons conviction.

The actor has not sought pardon in the case linked to the deadliest terror attack in Indian history.

Dutt broke his silence a week after the Supreme Court sentenced him to five years in prison for illegal possession of weapons supplied by Mumbai crime bosses linked to a 1993 terror attack that killed 257 people.

"I respect the Supreme Court's verdict. I have not applied for any pardon," an emotional Dutt told reporters at a news conference held outside his home in Mumbai, home to Bollywood, India's film industry.

"There are many other people who deserve pardon," he said.

Dutt broke down repeatedly while reading out a statement and hugged his sister, Priya Dutt, who is a Congress party lawmaker from Mumbai.

Dutt said he and his family were devastated by the verdict. "Right now I am a shattered man. My family is shattered," he said.

Indian Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt and actress Shilpa Shetty

Dutt, 53, had originally been sentenced to serve six years in prison on the charge of possessing an automatic rifle and a pistol that were supplied to him by men subsequently convicted in a series of bombings in Mumbai.

The actor has maintained that he knew nothing about the bombing plot and that he asked for the guns to protect his family after receiving threats during sectarian riots in Mumbai.

His mother was Muslim and his father Hindu.

He served 18 months in jail before he was released on bail in 2007 pending the appeal, so three and a half years remain.

The actor, who mainly plays character roles, said he hopes to complete as many of his pending film projects in the four weeks that the court has allowed him before he returns to prison.

Trade analysts say Dutt's jail term will be a huge financial blow for the industry.

Two of his films are awaiting release, but a number of other projects have yet to be completed.

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Putin Orders Black Sea Warship Exercises

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia's Black Sea fleet to begin large-scale, unscheduled naval exercises involving dozens of ships and thousands of troops.

The order was reportedly presented to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in a sealed envelope at 4am Moscow time as Mr Putin flew back from an international summit in South Africa.

President Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the exercises would involve 36 warships and up to 7,000 troops, as well as an unspecified number of aircraft.

He said that the exercises were designed to test the battle-readiness of Black Sea units.

Mr Peskov told Russian news agencies: "These are large-scale unannounced test exercises. The main goal is to check the readiness and cohesion of the various units."

He declined to say how long the exercises would last.

Russia's military muscle-flexing is unlikely to go down well with its post-Soviet neighbours Ukraine and Georgia.

The Black Sea fleet was instrumental in Russia's five-day war with the latter in 2008, and disputes over the fleet's base in the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol have strained relations between Moscow and Kiev.

But Mr Peskov said Russia was under no obligation to provide advance warning of military exercises as long as fewer than 7,000 personnel were involved.

Mr Putin at the BRICS summit with Brazil, India, China and South Africa

Russian military expert Alexander Golts, a contributor to the Moscow Times, told Sky News: "Several weeks ago military training similar to this was carried out in Ural mountains by order of the minister of defence.

"It happened in a similar way, unexpectedly for troops, without warnings. This is the right way to carry out exercises because only when it's unexpected it gives the government the right idea about the level of battle readiness of their troops.

"The situation is a bit different though with the Black Sea fleet, as it is based in the territory of another country. According to international rules, the country needs to warn about military exercise if the number of personnel involved exceeds 7,000.

"However, the order given tonight represents a difficult situation. Experts can only guess now, whether the Kremlin was taking it in mind when thinking over these military exercises. If Russian troops are acting with no warning, it might mean there is not much respect towards the sovereignty of another country."

He added: "I don't know what reasons can be behind these actions. Maybe there is no reason. Maybe it's a permanent desire to demonstrate that Russia has stood up from its knees."

Earlier this month Russia's defence ministry announced plans to send a permanent fleet of up to six combat ships to the Mediterranean, in what some have seen as an echo, albeit on a much smaller scale, of the Soviet era Fifth Mediterranean fleet.

That fleet was permanently deployed as a counter to the US Navy's Sixth Fleet at the height of the cold war.

The fleet will be Russia's first full-time naval presence in the Mediterranean since 1992.

Russia still maintains a naval maintenance and supply base in the Syrian port of Tartus - its only military base outside the former Soviet Union - but the ongoing conflict there has threatened its long-term strategic capability.

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Newtown Gun Massacre Took Just Five Minutes

Newtown gunman Adam Lanza had access to a vast arsenal of weapons and took just five minutes to kill his 26 victims and himself, according to newly-released police documents.

Search warrants reveal several guns, a safe with shotgun shells, a bayonet and several swords were found at his home.

The Connecticut prosecutor leading the investigation said Lanza fired 154 bullets from a Bushmaster .223-calibre rifle to kill the 20 students and six adults, before shooting himself with a Glock 10mm handgun.

He added that Lanza had another loaded handgun with him inside the school as well as three, 30-round magazines for the Bushmaster.

Nancy Lanza was shot dead by her son before his killing spree

A loaded 12-gauge shotgun was also found in the passenger compartment of the car Lanza drove to the school containing 70 shotgun rounds.

The 20-year-old was found dead after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School last December wearing a bulletproof vest and military-style clothing.

Among the other items police seized in their search of the house he shared with his mother were a bolt-action rifle, another pistol and hundreds of rounds of ammunition for a variety of weapons.

Investigators also recovered articles on other shootings and a cheque made out to Adam Lanza for the purchase of a firearm, written by his mother, Nancy.

Lanza shot her in the head at the start of his deadly shooting spree, the warrants revealed.

The home also contained books about living with autism and Asperger's syndrome, as well as an NRA guide to the basics of pistol shooting.

Although detectives list Lanza's journal and other personal documents among the evidence, nothing about the contents is revealed.

Twenty school children and six adults died in the massacre

Police said they found a smashed computer hard drive and a gaming console.

Lanza, an academically-gifted but emotionally-disturbed young man, was known to be an avid gamer who played Call of Duty and other violent games and rarely left his home.

Some details have been redacted, including the name of a witness, telephone numbers, serial numbers on items found and a few paragraphs of an affidavit.

Authorities have said it will take until June or later for the investigation to be completed.

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Nelson Mandela Responding Well In Hospital

Nelson Mandela is said to be "responding positively" to treatment after being taken back to hospital suffering from a lung infection.

The 94-year-old former president of South Africa remains under observation, the office of President Jacob Zuma said.

Earlier, Mr Zuma confirmed that Mr Mandela was readmitted just before midnight on Wednesday and said: "We appeal to the people of South Africa and the world to pray for our beloved Madiba and his family and to keep them in their thoughts.

"We have full confidence in the medical team and know that they will do everything possible to ensure recovery."

Mr Mandela's spokesman Mac Maharaj told Sky News that the former president was "conscious".

He said: "At the moment doctors are saying it is a recurrence of an old lung infection. It is a matter of concern ... 

"They are doing everything they can to keep him comfortable and happy."

The most recent picture of Mr Mandela, taken on February 2

He said that last time he had seen Mr Mandela he had been frail but in a "good frame of mind".

Mr Mandela spent 18 days in hospital in December, where he was treated for a lung infection and gallstones.

He was discharged on December 26, however, doctors warned he was "not yet fully recovered" and he continued to receive medical treatment at his Johannesburg home, including being given extra oxygen.

Mr Mandela has had recurring lung problems since contracting tuberculosis in 1988, during his 27 years in prison under the apartheid regime.

The Nobel Peace Laureate spent a night in hospital on March 9 for what was described as a scheduled medical check-up.

Mr Mandela at his home (Picture: Being Mandela/Cozi TV)

However, Sky News' Special Correspondent Alex Crawford said that it was now understood that the visit was required for further treatment of the lung infection and that on that occasion he is believed to have had his lungs drained.

She said that there were now significant concerns over his health and added: "The time of his hospitalisation certainly suggests they were alarmed at his deterioration."

In February, Mr Mandela's granddaughters showed the first picture of him to be seen in more than seven months as they promoted a reality television series in which they star.

He was seen with his great grandson, Zen, sitting on his lap at his Johannesburg home.

Earlier this month, George Bizos, the human rights lawyer who represented Mr Mandela at his treason trial, said that he was suffering memory lapses and sometimes forgot his fellow anti-apartheid activists were dead.

Mr Mandela contracted tuberculosis during his time in prison

In an interview he told Eyewitness News: "Unfortunately he sometimes forgets that one or two of them had passed on and has a blank face when you tell him that Walter Sisulu and some others are no longer with us."

In February 2012 Mr Mandela, who is known by his tribal name of Madiba in South Africa, spent the night in hospital after a minor exploratory procedure to investigate persistent abdominal pain.

In 2001 he had radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer.

Mr Mandela, who was released from prison in 1990, suffered damage to his tear glands because of being forced to smash limestone rocks in the quarry on Robben Island due to the alkalinity of the stone. He had cataract surgery at the age of 75, in 1994, a few months after being sworn in as president.

Mr Mandela stepped down after one term as president. He has not appeared in public since South Africa's World Cup final in 2010, six years after retiring.

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Cyprus Banks Finally Reopen But Anger Lingers

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent in Cyprus

Cyprus' banks have opened their doors after the longest enforced bank holiday in Europe's history.

Queues grew outside branches across the country, with no signs of panic as employees limited the number of customers allowed in at any one time.

But many residents expressed anger at the country's controversial bailout - which requires Cyprus to raise 5.8bn euros (£4.9bn).

After a rush when the doors first opened, customers queued calmly

"They have stolen our money," Milton Loucas told Sky News.

"I have been working for 60 years. I am 80 years old. I cannot work again for my living - they have cut the lot.

"Our money, our social insurance - they have cut them. How are we going to live?"

Another Cypriot, Stelios, came out of the bank empty handed.

"I tried to get my February wages and they gave me a piece of paper only," he said.

"I have two children in the army and they asked for money - I don't have money to give them.

"The Government didn't pay anybody. My old parents didn't get their pension."

Banks are giving customers information about the capital restrictions

The country's President - who has cut his own salary by 25% - tweeted his thanks to Cypriots for showing "maturity" as the banks reopened.

"I would like to thank the Cypriot people for their maturity and collectedness shown in their interactions with the Cypriot Banks," Nicos Anastasiades said on his official Twitter account.

Cash withdrawals and other transactions are subject to tough restrictions, introduced by the country's Finance Ministry in an effort to avoid a run on the banks.

The country's crippled banking system was effectively closed down on March 16 while the terms of the 10bn euro (£8.5bn) bailout were agreed and implemented.

Large depositors face losses of as much as 40% of their savings as part of the deal, leading to fears that customers would attempt to withdraw large amounts of money when the banks reopened.

Demonstrations against austerity measures continued in Cyprus on Wednesday

As a result, strict capital controls include a withdrawal limit of 300 euros (£253) a day and a ban on cashing cheques.

Travellers leaving the country can only take up to 1,000 euros (£845), or the equivalent in foreign currency, with them in cash - significantly less than expected.

Police and security staff were deployed to maintain order at branches, and G4S guards called in to work alongside police officers and other security firms across the country.

The giant global firm was the contractor that failed to meet their promises over security at the London Olympics prompting the British military to step in.

G4S's managing director in Cyprus, John Arghyrou, told Sky News: "I feel we have the resources, I feel extremely confident as a security company that we can undertake and meet the requirements of our customers."

With just 860,000 people, Cyprus has around 68bn euros (£57bn) in its banks.

This outsized financial system attracted deposits from foreigners but has struggled since investments in neighbouring Greece went sour.

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Pistorius Could Compete In World Championships

Paralympian Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with murdering his girlfriend, could compete in the forthcoming World Athletics Championships.

The 26-year-old earlier won an appeal over his bail restrictions - permitting him to leave South Africa to compete in international competition, with conditions.

His agent Peet van Zyl did not rule out the possibility of Pistorius taking part in August's World Athletics Championships in Moscow.

"If he decides to run and goes there and if he qualifies - it is all ifs, ifs, ifs," he said.

"He hasn't trained for more than eight weeks. He is a world-class athlete and he has to be prepared and he will not be under pressure to run," he added.

Oscar Pistorius denies murdering Reeva Steenkamp

His lawyers told the North Guateng High Court this morning that while the Olympic and Paralympic athlete had no immediate plans to compete, he might in time need to run at track meets again to continue earning a living.

Judge Bert Bam agreed to relax Pistorius' bail restrictions, but said he must provide authorities with his travel plans at least a week before he leaves the country.

He must also return his passport to the court within 24 hours of returning to South Africa.

"I find no reason why the appellant should he forbidden to leave the country if invited to compete," the judge told the hearing.

Pistorius was released on bail on February 22, a week after he was arrested on charges of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

He says he shot her after mistaking her for an intruder at his home in the Silver Woods gated community in eastern Pretoria on Valentine's Day.

Reeva Steenkamp was killed by Oscar Pistorius last month

The 30-year-old top South African model died at the scene.

Prosecutors claim Pistorius - who is awaiting trial - killed her intentionally after an argument.

He has been charged with premeditated murder, and is next due in court on June 4, with his trial likely to take place before the end of the year.

The Johannesburg-born athlete, known as the Blade Runner because of the carbon fibre blades he uses on the track, made history in 2012 when he became the first amputee to compete in the Olympics.

In the Paralympics, he won two golds - in the 400m and 4x400m relay.

Both of his legs were amputated below the knee just before his first birthday because of a congenital condition.

Last year Time Magazine named him as one of the world's 100 most influential people.

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