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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