Egypt: Police Beat Protester Outside Palace

Bloody Scenes Expected In Port Said

Updated: 11:11pm UK, Thursday 31 January 2013

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent, in Port Said

This city has always prided itself on resistance to invaders.

The people of Port Said believe they saw off the British in the 1950s and the Israelis in the 1960s.

Now they're rolling up their sleeves to take on Egypt's president, Mohammed Morsi, promising a second round of bloodletting in as many weeks.

A beach resort city that guards the Mediterranean entrance to the Suez Canal, Port Said, was torn by violence last weekend.

Thirty people and two policemen were killed in running street battles.

Locals deny that any of them shot at the police. But there are bullet holes in the walls of the partly burned officers club on the sea front that say otherwise.

Still, there is no hiding the violence that the city met when protestors attacked the prison.

Dozens of market stalls and tiny homes were razed during the fighting – local businesses were riddled with bullets.

The prison was attacked because it housed 21 men condemned to death for their parts in the killing of 74 football fans during a riot on February 1 last year.

Some 59 others, among them nine police, are still waiting for their verdicts in the jail.

The killings last week have fuelled what was already going to be an incendiary brew on the day marking the first anniversary of the riot in which supporters of the Cairo team Al Ahly were beaten and crushed to death.

Ansaf Mousa's son Osama el Sherbiri, 23, an IT graduate was killed last week during the demonstrations.

"Morsi has blood on his hands. Osama el Sherbini exploded the whole world. His death will fuel an explosion.

"There will be a protest against Morsi like none before. This will be the nuclear explosion that blows up the whole place."

Her anger is shared by families across the city.

The bullet that killed Osama wounded his friend Mohammed.

"The youth will be on the streets (on February 1), they have to be to take revenge for Osama and all the others. This isn't going to end here."

A state of emergency was declared in Port Suez, Ismailia and Port Said last week. Curfews imposed for most of the night hours have since been cut back to a token regulation of the small hours of the morning as they were entirely ignored anyway.

General Abdel Fatteh al Sisi, the commander of the Egyptian armed forces, has warned that he fears the nation may fall apart .

He singled out the Suez City as especially troubling – promising to ensure the security of the canal as his top priority.

The region, though prosperous and benefiting from tax free zones and $5.2bn (£3.3bn) in revenues to Egypt for transit fees for shipping, is not associated with the secular middle class that had driven so much of the revolution in Cairo.

Osama's family are deeply religious. Many of the men have callused foreheads from years of prayer.

Yet they object to the Muslim Brotherhood's domination of Egypt's constitutional process and presidency.

"The Muslim Brotherhood are not Muslims – they are just after power," said Osama's mother.

That, in Port Said, seems to be the dominant view.

In a downtown coffee house clattering with domino players El Badry Farghali, a veteran MP who has opposed the military governments which were swept away two years ago and the new Muslim Brotherhood regime ever since, held court to a new generation of young protestors.

"The Muslim Brotherhood will not give up power. They will only manoeuvre. They are backward. They do not have the capacity to run the country on their own. And they will not make concessions. But the Egyptian people will force them to back down," he said.

Port Said has chosen the anniversary of the football chaos to drive home a political message. The odds are that it will be written in blood.

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Twitter Hacked: Up To 250,000 Passwords Taken

Around 250,000 Twitter users may have had their accounts compromised by computer hackers.

The social networking site said usernames, email addresses and encrypted passwords may have been taken during an "extremely sophisticated" attack on its systems.

It said one attack was shut down moments after it was detected, adding that the passwords of users who may have been affected had been reset.

In a blog posting, Bob Lord, director of information security at Twitter, said there had been "a recent uptick in large-scale security attacks aimed at US technology and media companies", with the New York Times among those targeted.

He said: "Our investigation has indicated the attackers may have had access to limited user information - usernames, email addresses, session tokens and encrypted/salted versions of passwords - for approximately 250,000 users.

"As a precautionary security measure, we have reset passwords and revoked session tokens for these accounts."

"This attack was not the work of amateurs and we do not believe it was an isolated incident," he added. "The attackers were extremely sophisticated and we believe other companies and organisations have also been recently similarly attacked."

One expert said the hackers may have gained access through an employee's home or work computer by exploiting vulnerabilities in Java, a widely-used computing language.

Ashkan Soltani, an independent privacy and security researcher, said such a move would give attackers "a toehold" in Twitter's internal network, potentially allowing them to track user information as it travelled across the company's systems or break into specific areas, such as the authentication servers that process users' passwords.

Although the hackers are unlikely to have gained any confidential information, Mr Soltani said the stolen credentials could be used to access other services for which a person has signed up using the same username and password.

Mr Lord said that although "only a very small percentage" of users were potentially affected, everyone who uses the site should ensure their password is secure.

He said passwords should be at least 10 characters long, contain upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols, and be different to passwords used for other online accounts.

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Pakistan: Deadly Attack On Army Checkpoint

Militants have attacked an army checkpoint in Pakistan's northwest, killing 31 people - including 10 members of one family.

The Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility, saying the attack on the isolated post at Lakki Marwat was in response to a US drone strike in neighbouring North Waziristan last month, which killed two commanders.

Security sources told Reuters at least 12 militants and 19 civilians and officials died during the initial assault, subsequent crossfire and a rocket attack on a house next to the camp.

"Pakistan has been co-operating with the US in its drone strikes that killed our two senior commanders, Faisal Khan and Toofani, and the attack on military camp was the revenge of their killing," a Taliban spokesman said.

Friday's mosque attack

He said four suicide bombers targeted the camp in the town of Serai Naurang in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and blew themselves up. More than a dozen soldiers were killed, he added.

The raid followed a suicide bombing at a Shiite Muslim mosque in the northwest on Friday that killed 24 people.

It was the latest in a rising number of sectarian attacks in the country.

Since 2009, the military and pro-government militias have regained territory from the Taliban, who once controlled land a few hours' drive from the capital Islamabad.

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Bogus Doctor: Australian Teen 'Prescribed Drugs'

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

An Australian teenager has been arrested after allegedly impersonating doctors over a number of months.

Police believe the 17-year-old boy from Adelaide recently assisted a 12-year-old girl in a city hospital after she fell off her scooter.

Pretending to be medically qualified to examine the girl, it's claimed the teenager then administered an unauthorised prescription drug.

The arrest comes after concerns were raised about a young "bogus clinician" roaming hospital wards dressed in scrubs, with a stethoscope around his neck.

The young man even stopped to read patients' medical notes between October and December last year.

According to the Adelaide Advertiser police urged hospital staff to inform them should they spot the intruder, nicknamed "Dr Who".

In a staff memo, management said the teen had been spotted wearing a name badge in wards at the Royal Adelaide Hospital on at least three occasions.

It also noted that he had "not to date committed substantive offences but, should he make physical contact with a patient posing as a clinician, this would constitute criminal assault".

The case is reminiscent of the professional conman pilot and doctor Frank Abagnale who inspired the film "Catch Me If You Can" starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Before the arrest Health Minister John Hill said medical officials were taking the issue seriously.

"This is not something we want in our hospitals, we would like to ensure it doesn't happen any further," Mr Hill said.

He added: "He walks around with a clipboard and just talks to people."

It has been reported that the teenager was suspended as an ambulance volunteer in November 2011, for "inappropriate behaviour".

In a statement police said: "He is not qualified to a level which would entitle him to act in the capacity of a medical professional and he did so under false pretences."

The teenager has been bailed to appear in the Adelaide Youth Court at a later date.

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Mexico: Pemex Oil Company HQ Blast Kills 25

Twenty-five people are dead and at least 100 injured after an explosion at the headquarters of Mexican oil company Pemex.

Injured workers were seen being evacuated after the blast at the state-owned firm blew out windows and damaged three floors of the tower in Mexico City's commercial centre.

There are reports that as many as 30 people could be trapped in the debris from the explosion, which occurred in the basement of an administrative building next to the iconic 52-storey skyscraper.

Ana Vargas Palacio was distraught as she searched for her missing husband, Daniel Garcia Garcia, 36, who works in the building. She last heard from him at 1pm.

"I called his phone many times, but a young man answered and told me he found the phone in the debris," she said.

The two have an 11-year-old daughter. His mother, Gloria Garcia Castaneda, collapsed on a friend's arm, crying "My son. My son."

Television images showed people being carried out of the building on office chairs and gurneys. Most of them showed injuries likely to have been caused by falling debris.

Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, said in a Tweet that several workers were injured in the blast but no one answered at its offices.

The blast happened in a busy central district of Mexico City

There was no immediate cause given for the blast, but in an earlier Tweet, the company said it had evacuated the building because of problems with the electricity.

"It was an explosion, a shock, the lights went out and suddenly there was a lot of debris," employee Cristian Obele told Milenio television, adding that he had been injured in the leg. "Co-workers helped us get out of the building."

The tower, where several thousand people work, was evacuated. The main floor and the mezzanine of the auxiliary building, where the explosion occurred, were heavily damaged, along with windows as far as three floors up.

"Right now they're conducting a tour of the building and the area adjacent to the blast site to verify if there are any still trapped so they can be rescued immediately," Interior Ministry spokesman Eduardo Sanchez told Milenio.

"We were talking and all of sudden we heard an explosion with white smoke and glass falling from the windows," said Maria Concepcion Andrade, 42, who lives on the block of Pemex building.

"People started running from the building covered in dust. A lot of pieces were flying."

Police landed four rescue helicopters to remove the dead or injured. About a dozen tow trucks were furiously moving cars to make more landing room for the helicopters.

Streets surrounding the building were closed as evacuees wandered around, and rescue crews loaded the injured into ambulances.

"I profoundly lament the death of our fellow workers at Pemex. My condolences to their families," President Enrique Pena Nieto said via his Twitter account.

Shortly before the explosion, Operations Director Carlos Murrieta reported via Twitter that the company had reduced its accident rate in recent years. Most Pemex accidents have occurred at pipeline and refinery installations.

A fire at a pipeline metering centre in northeast Mexico near the Texas border killed 30 workers in September, the largest-single toll in at least a decade for the company.

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Fireworks Truck Explodes Killing Five In China

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

Five people have been killed after an explosion on a fireworks-laden lorry caused a highway bridge to collapse in central China.

According to state media, the blast occurred on the Yichang Bridge in Henan Province.

Photographs posted on social media showed at least one large truck lying on its side way below the highway. 

Another photograph showed what appears to be a remarkable escape for other drivers with at least one vehicle seen balanced on the edge of the bridge.

Earlier, it was reported that as many as 26 people were killed.

According to a spokesman from Henan Transport Bureau, five to six vehicles fell from the bridge.

Details of exactly what happened are not clear but witnesses say they saw the truck explode and "about 10" cars blown off the bridge by the blast.

The Yichang Bridge forms part of a busy multi-lane highway in central China. Local media reports claim that the south side of the bridge completely collapsed and cracks have appeared on the northern carriageway.

Witnesses say they saw the truck explode and cars blown off the bridge

If the details of the cause are confirmed to be correct, then the incident combines two tragically common themes in China: badly constructed bridges and an abundance of badly regulated fireworks.

Annually, fireworks form a central part of Chinese New Year which this year falls next weekend.

To a far greater extent than in Europe or America, revellers use fireworks to celebrate, sometimes paying little attention to safety.

A spate of accidents over many years have promoted the authorities to impose better controls on the manufacture, transport, sale and use of fireworks.

For a period, fireworks and their transport was banned in Beijing but regular appeals from the public forced officials to relent.

In 2009, the newly-built China Central Television Building in Beijing was gutted by fire. The cause was confirmed to be fireworks set off inside the building.

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Arizona Office Shooting: Gunman On The Run

Police are still searching for a gunman after three people were shot - one fatally - during a dispute at an office complex in Phoenix, Arizona.

The suspect has been named as 70-year-old Arthur D Harmon.

Police reportedly served a search warrant on Harmon's house seven miles from the office park, but found nobody inside.

The shooting victims were taken to hospital after the incident on Wednesday morning where one man, 48-year-old Steve Singer, later died.

The other two victims, a 43-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman, remain in critical condition.

Emergency crews were at the scene

Fire Captain Scott McDonald said all the victims had sustained life-threatening wounds.

Officer James Holmes said police believe there is only one suspect, but witnesses gave conflicting information about how he left the scene.

The shooting did not appear to be a random act, said Sergeant Tommy Thompson.

He said a dispute with someone at the building became heated, and the suspect pulled out a gun and started shooting. He said he did not know what type of gun had been used.

The shooting happened as the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on gun control issues, and former astronaut Mark Kelly broke news of the shooting during his testimony.

Mr Kelly is the husband of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head two years ago. Ms Giffords also testified on Wednesday, appealing to her former colleagues for stricter gun laws.

The office building, in central Phoenix, was evacuated as police searched for the suspect and any additional victims.

Vanessa Brogan, who works in an insurance office in the three-storey complex, said she heard a loud bang that she first thought had been made by someone working in or near the building.

She said other people thought they heard multiple loud noises. She said people locked themselves in offices until police evacuated the business park.

The complex houses insurance, medical and law offices.

Becky Neher, who also works in the building, said she heard two gunshots and saw two victims lying on the ground outside the back of the building.

"Someone yelled 'We have a shooter', " she said.

Ms Neher said medical workers who have offices in the complex came out to help the victims.

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Brazil Club Fire: Owner Blames Whole Country

The co-owner of a Brazilian nightclub where more than 230 people died in a fire is blaming "the whole country" for the disaster, his lawyer said.

Jader Marques said his client Elissandro Spohr "regretted having ever been born" because of his grief over the inferno, but that he blamed the tragedy on "a succession of errors made by the whole country".

Police have said a country music band performing at the Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria lit a flare that ignited flammable soundproof foam in the ceiling.

Those trying to flee were further hampered by a catastrophic lack of fire alarms and sprinkler systems. The club also had only one working door and a faulty fire extinguisher.

Mr Marques said: "My client's responsibility is having trusted too much in the inspectors and in those responsible for the construction."

A woman urges changes to the law so the tragedy can not be repeated

He also claimed public officials had signed off on the club's layout.

Brazil's Health Minister Alexandre Padilha has urged survivors to be on alert for symptoms of "chemical pneumonia" after the number of people injured rose to 143 following 22 new hospital admissions for the condition.

The blaze has also claimed another life - a 21-year-old man with burns covering 70% of his body whose brother was also killed in the club.

The G1 internet portal quoted their mother Eliane Goncalves as saying: "When they went out at night, I blessed them.

"I asked myself how I would be able to sleep with both my boys out. But what could I do, follow them? God bless them."

Police have detained Spohr, the club's other co-owner and two musicians who were playing in the club when the fire broke out, and are holding them for five days as part of the investigation.

Spohr is recovering from a respiratory infection and is said to be suffering from depression in police custody at a hospital in a nearby town.

Large crowds have gathered near the nightclub's charred exterior

Mr Marques denied reports that overcrowding helped cause Sunday's tragedy, insisting there were only 600 to 700 people in the club at any one time. 

Capacity for the 615 square metre nightspot stood at less than 700, though the band's guitarist told media that the space was packed with an estimated 1,200 to 1,300 people. Police have given similar estimates.

Authorities have said that of the 143 people still in hospital, more than 70 are still in life-threateningly critical states.

The governor of Sao Paulo has responded to calls for tighter regulation by ordering more thorough inspections of venues including nightclubs, cinemas and theatres.

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Two Passenger Trains Collide In South Africa

Two passenger trains have collided in South Africa near Pretoria during the peak morning commute.

Around 20 people are believed to have been injured and the driver is said to still be trapped in his cabin.

Lillian Mofokeng, spokeswoman for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, told AFP: "There are two trains that have collided this morning,"

"At this stage, we do not have any loss of life," she added

The trains were on the same line toward the capital Pretoria when one train rear-ended the other one from behind.

"It is not a head-on collision," she told the television station.

The trains were operated by Metrorail, the country's rail system in cities.

In 2011, 857 commuters were injured in Johannesburg's Soweto township when a passenger train smashed into a stationary train during the peak rush hour period.

More follows...

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Mali: French Troops Advance In Timbuktu

French troops are inside the historic city of Timbuktu in Mali after advancing north into an area held by Islamist militants.

As they fled, the insurgents apparently set fire to a library that is home to thousands of ancient manuscripts, an act described by the city's mayor as a "devastating blow" to world heritage.

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford was the first journalist to enter Timbuktu as the French were heading into the city.

Empty boxes which once contained valuable manuscripts

She said: "In the centre of the town they are celebrating, they're going absolutely bonkers with flags, cheering and waving and saying thank you to the French."

But amid the apparent relief among local people, she reported the anger of those who said they were helpless to stop the Islamists burning ancient documents at the city's main library, the Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Islamic Studies and Research.

Inside the building, which had reportedly been used as a sleeping quarters by the Islamists, Crawford said the empty boxes strewn around her had contained thousands of historic manuscripts.

The tombs of three Sufi saints have been destroyed

"Some of the documents date back to the 13th century," she said. "This was all the documentation they'd built up over centuries of life in Timbuktu - all either burned by the Jihadists or they have disappeared."

The city's mayor, Ousmane Halle, said: "They torched all the important ancient manuscripts. The ancient books of geography and science. It is the history of Timbuktu, of its people. It's truly alarming that this has happened."

During their rule, the militants systematically destroyed UNESCO World Heritage sites in Timbuktu, long a hub of Islamic learning.

Crawford, who is embedded with the French forces, visited the tombs of three local Sufi saints, which were centuries old. Her report showed they had been reduced to piles of rubble.

French troops received an enthusiastic show of support from locals

UNESCO says that one of those destroyed was the tomb of Sidi Mahmoudou, a saint who died in 955.

A spokesman for the al Qaeda-linked militants has said the tombs were destroyed because they contravened Islam, encouraging Muslims to venerate saints instead of God.

Ground forces backed by French paratroopers and helicopters had taken control of Timbuktu's airport and the roads leading to the town in an overnight operation.

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford is embedded with French troops

It is part of the French-led mission to oust the radical Islamists from the northern half of Mali, which they seized more than nine months ago in the wake of a military coup in the distant capital of Bamako.

The French and Malian forces so far have met little resistance.

Timbuktu lies on an ancient caravan route and has entranced travellers for centuries. It is situated some 1,000km (620 miles) northeast of Bamako.

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Missing Mexican Band: Survivor Tells Of Attack

The survivor of a deadly attack on a 16-member Colombian-style music group has told authorities how at least 10 gunmen entered a private party and kidnapped the band and four crew members.

A member of the Kombo Kolombia band told police that the 20 hostages were blindfolded before being driven away in a number of vehicles.

The band member then heard gunshots and a conversation about where the assailants would dump the bodies, according to Nuevo Leon state security spokesman Jorge Domene.

Mr Domene said the survivor, who is being protected by soldiers, was able to reach a nearby ranch and get help.

The bar in Hidalgo town, where the band members went missing

The man later led authorities to a well where searchers found several bodies, Mr Domene said.

"Until yesterday, four bodies had been pulled (from the well) and all indicates that they belonged to this group," Mr Domene told Radio Formula.

Mr Domene said three of the four bodies first pulled from the well were wearing T-shirts with the name of the band, but that authorities were still waiting to officially identify them.

By Monday afternoon, searchers had pulled 10 bodies from the well along a dirt road in the town of Mina, about 140 miles from Laredo, Texas.

Soldiers and police seen during the operation to locate the band members

The bodies recovered showed signs of torture, an official said.

It was hard to determine how many more bodies were submersed in the water, he said.

Sixteen members of the band Kombo Kolombia and four crew members were reported missing early on Friday after playing at a private party held at a ranch called La Carreta, or The Wagon, in the town of Hidalgo north of Monterrey.

People living near the ranch in Hidalgo reported hearing gunshots at about 4am on Friday, followed by the sound of vehicles speeding away.

Kombo Kolombia has played a Colombian style of music known as vallenato, which is popular in working class neighbourhoods in the city of Monterrey and other parts of Nuevo Leon state.

Most of the group's musicians were from the area, though the singer is a Colombian citizen with Mexican residency.

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Brazil Nightclub Fire: March To Demand Justice

Thousands of people have taken part in a march to demand justice after a nightclub fire killed more than 200 people in Brazil.

Many of the mourners dressed in white and carried photographs of those who lost their lives. Others struggled to hold back their tears.

"I believe that it's not just me but everyone in this world who has a heart has been affected (by the fire), anyone who has family, who has a friend," said Jose Luiz Fagundes, a resident of Santa Maria, the southern city where the blaze happened.

Local resident Marcia Ferreira lost 25 friends in the fire and said she attended the Kiss nightclub regularly.

"I don't have words to describe this, they were 25 of my friends," she said.

A woman places flowers outside the Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria

Mourners also released white balloons into the night sky during the vigil and held a moment of silence for the 231 victims.

Some demanded answers about the safety measures at the nightclub, where hundreds were trapped after the ceiling became engulfed in flames.

They chanted "Justice" as they marched in the procession.

Police have arrested the owners of the club and two members of the band Gurizada Fandangueira. Authorities say the group's pyrotechnics show triggered the blaze.

No charges were filed against the four men, but prosecutors said they could be held for up to five days as police press them for clues as to how the fire caused so many deaths.

Most of those who died were suffocated by toxic fumes that rapidly filled the Kiss nightclub after the band set off a flare at about 2:30am on Sunday, authorities said.

Relatives hold photographs of Pamella Lopes, who died in the club fire

The club's operating licence was under review for renewal after expiring last year.

Witnesses said bouncers initially blocked the only functioning exit because they believed fleeing customers were trying to avoid paying their bar tabs.

Survivor Kelly Rebello de Silva said a black toxic smoke filled the nightclub and panicked partygoers began trampling each other.

The 21-year-old said the scene inside the club was reminiscent of a "horror movie".

"Everyone was pushing and shoving," another survivor, Taynne Vendruscolo, told reporters.

"The fire started out small, but within seconds it exploded. Those who were close to the stage could not get out."

The number of dead was revised down to 231 from 233 as officials said some names had been counted twice.

Men tried to break down walls of the club to help those trapped inside

By Monday night, 129 people were still in hospital - 76 of them in serious condition, according to state health services.

Elaine Marques Goncalves lost her son Deivis in the fire. Another son who was at the nightclub, Gustavo, was barely alive after suffering two cardiac arrests caused by smoke inhalation.

She learned of the blaze after the mother of her sons' friends called her.

"My boys were not home and I had no news. I turned on the TV - the tragedy was all over the television," she said at the makeshift morgue.

"All I knew was they had gone to a club, I didn't know which one. I kept saying: 'Where do I start? Where do I go?'"

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Berlusconi 'Defends' Dictator Mussolini

Italy's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has triggered outrage from the country's political left with comments defending fascist wartime leader Benito Mussolini at a ceremony commemorating victims of the Nazi Holocaust.

Speaking at the event in Milan, Mr Berlusconi said Mussolini had been wrong to follow Nazi Germany's lead in passing anti-Jewish laws but that he had in other respects been a good leader.

"It's difficult now to put yourself in the shoes of people who were making decisions at that time," said Mr Berlusconi, who is campaigning for next month's election at the head of a coalition that includes far-right politicians whose roots go back to Italy's old fascist party.

"Obviously the government of that time, out of fear that German power might lead to complete victory, preferred to ally itself with Hitler's Germany rather than opposing it," he said.

"As part of this alliance, there were impositions, including combating and exterminating Jews," he told reporters.

"The racial laws were the worst fault of Mussolini as a leader, who in so many other ways did well," he said, referring to laws passed by Mussolini's fascist government in 1938.

Although Mussolini is known outside Italy mostly for the alliance with Nazi Germany, his government also paid for major infrastructure projects as well as welfare for supporters.

Mr Berlusconi's comments overshadowed Sunday's commemoration of thousands of Jews and others deported from Italy to the Nazi death camps of eastern Europe.

They were condemned as "disgusting" by the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), which is leading in the polls ahead of the February 24-25 election.

"Our republic is based on the struggle against Nazi fascism and these are intolerable remarks which are incompatible with leadership of democratic political forces," said Marco Meloni, the PD's spokesman for institutional affairs.

Antonio Ingroia, a former anti-mafia magistrate campaigning at the head of a separate left-wing coalition, said Mr Berlusconi was "a disgrace to Italy".

Faced by the onslaught of criticism, Mr Berlusconi later issued a statement saying he had always condemned dictatorships and regretted not having spelled that out in his earlier remarks.

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Nightclub Blaze: Brazil Mourns The Dead

Brazil is in mourning after more than 230 people died when a fire broke out in a packed nightclub, leading to a stampede.

Witnesses said a flare or firework lit by members of a band onstage started the blaze in Santa Maria, a university city of about 260,000 people.

Officials say 233 people died, and around 117 others were injured.

Survivors and the police inspector Marcelo Arigony said security guards briefly tried to block people from exiting the club.

Brazilian bars routinely make patrons pay their entire tab at the end of the night before they are allowed to leave.

Relatives at a wake in Santa Maria

But Mr Arigony said the guards did not appear to block fleeing patrons for long.

"It was chaotic and it doesn't seem to have been done in bad faith because several security guards also died," he said.

The blaze broke out while the band, called Gurizada Fandangueira, was performing at the Kiss club in Santa Maria.

Some of those who escaped the building tried to smash a hole in the wall to allow other trapped people out.

Fire chief Guido de Melo said there was panic after the fire started and many revellers were trampled. He said the main cause of death was asphyxiation.

Men try to break through a wall to help the victims

Mr Melo said that firefighters had a hard time getting inside the club because "there was a barrier of bodies blocking the entrance".

Officials at a news conference said the cause was still under investigation.

However, police inspector Sandro Meinerz told the Agencia Estado news agency the band was to blame for a pyrotechnics show and that manslaughter charges could be filed.

Television images showed black smoke billowing out of the Kiss nightclub as shirtless young men who had attended a university party joined firefighters using axes and sledgehammers to pound at windows and pink exterior walls to free those trapped inside.

Bodies of the dead and injured were strewn in the street and panicked screams filled the air as medics tried to help.

There was little to be done; officials said most of those who died were suffocated by smoke within minutes.

The packed club had only one exit

Within hours a community gym was a horror scene, with body after body lined up on the floor, partially covered with black plastic as family members identified relatives.

Many of the victims were under 20 years old, including some children.

"There was so much smoke and fire, it was complete panic, and it took a long time for people to get out, there were so many dead," survivor Luana Santos Silva told the Globo TV network.

Another survivor, Michele Pereira, told the Folha de S Paulo newspaper that she was near the stage when members of the band lit flares that started the fire.

"The band that was onstage began to use flares and, suddenly, they stopped the show and pointed them upward," she said. "At that point, the ceiling caught fire. It was really weak, but in a matter of seconds it spread."

Guitarist Rodrigo Martins told Radio Gaucha that the band started playing at 2:15am.

The fire took place in Santa Maria

"We had played around five songs when I looked up and noticed the roof was burning," he said.

"It might have happened because of the Sputnik, the machine we use to create a luminous effect with sparks. It's harmless, we never had any trouble with it.

"When the fire started, a guard passed us a fire extinguisher, the singer tried to use it but it wasn't working."

He confirmed that accordion player Danilo Jacques, 28, died, while the five other members made it out safely.

Brazil President Dilma Rousseff arrived to visit the injured after cutting short her trip to a Latin American-European summit in Chile.

"It is a tragedy for all of us," Ms Rousseff said.

Britain's Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire said: "I am deeply saddened by the news of the tragic accident in Santa Maria.

"My thoughts and sincere condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives, and I wish a swift recovery to the hundreds who are now being treated in hospital."

The blaze was the deadliest in Brazil since at least 1961, when a fire that swept through a circus killed 503 people in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro.

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Barack Obama 'Will Miss' Hillary Clinton

Barack Obama has stoked speculation about the 2016 presidential race in a joint interview with Hillary Clinton, during which he heaped praise on the outgoing Secretary of State.

In the interview, aired on Sunday on CBS' 60 Minutes programme, Mr Obama called Mrs Clinton one of his closest advisers and said they share a vision for America's role in the world.

The president called her a friend and an extraordinary talent, and praised "her discipline, her stamina, her thoughtfulness, her ability to project".

The former political rivals laughed as they described their partnership, leaving room for speculation that the president may prefer Mrs Clinton to succeed him in the White House.

There was no mention of a potential run by Vice President Joe Biden.

Both Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton deflected questions about future aspirations, but the interview - the first the president has done with anyone other than First Lady Michelle Obama - is likely to increase the fascination with Mrs Clinton's future.

"You guys in the press are incorrigible," Mr Obama said when pressed on another Clinton presidency.

"I was literally inaugurated four days ago. And you're talking about elections four years from now."

Mrs Clinton has had to answer for security failings in Benghazi, Libya

Mrs Clinton added: "The president and I care deeply about what's going to happen for our country in the future.

"And I don't think, you know, either he or I can make predictions about what's going to happen tomorrow or the next year."

Mrs Clinton is set to leave her post soon but has given no hints as to her next move, aside from a well-deserved break.

The pair's close working relationship has been a stark turnaround from the bitter political rivalry that developed during their hard-fought Democratic primary battle in 2008.

But they ultimately reconciled, with Mrs Clinton agreeing to be Mr Obama's top diplomat abroad while he dealt with the shattered domestic economy.

She has gone on to become the most travelled Secretary of State in US history.

And despite some blemishes on her record - notably the State Department's handling of security in Benghazi, Libya - she has become an immensely popular figure in the US.

"It has been a great collaboration over the last four years. I'm going to miss her. Wish she was sticking around. But she has logged in so many miles, I can't begrudge her wanting to take it easy for a little bit," Mr Obama said.

The president has nominated Massachusetts Senator John Kerry to succeed Mrs Clinton.

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Adrian Donohoe Killing Condemned By Irish PM

The Irish leader Enda Kenny has described the fatal shooting of a Garda detective during a botched hold-up as "cold blooded violence".

Adrian Donohoe was with a colleague escorting a cash delivery to a credit union in Dundalk, County Louth, when he was killed.

Several shots were fired during the attack at the Lordship Credit Union, on the Cooley Road in the town at around 9.30pm on Friday.

Mr Kenny said: "This was an outrageous act of cold blooded violence that has left a family without a husband and father and the Garda Siochana without a brave and valued member.

"On behalf of the Government and of the people I would like to express my condolences to Adrian's wife and children and to all his extended family at this unbearably sad time."

It is believed the force is hunting four men who fled the scene in a grey Volkswagen Passat.

The shooting happened in Cooley Road, Dundalk

Sky's Ireland correspondent David Blevins said: "The Irish police set up checkpoints on the southern side of the Irish border and the Police Service of Northern Ireland have checkpoints on the northern side of the Irish border."

The officer, who was based at Dundalk Garda station, was shot in the head without warning. He had not drawn his garda-issued weapon.

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan said: "I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of my colleague Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe.

"Detective Garda Donohoe died as a result of injuries sustained in the course of his duty following a shooting incident in Dundalk.

"At this time my thoughts and prayers and those of the entire force are with the family, friends and close colleagues of Adrian."

Det Donohoe had two children and his wife Caroline was also in the police service. He lived in the Lordship area, half a mile from the credit union where he was killed.

Local councillor Jim Loughran described him as a quiet, decent family man.

"I just spoke to him last week on the street in town. I can't believe this has happened," he said.

The Sinn Fein councillor, who knew the detective through their local GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) club St Patrick's, also condemned those responsible for the shooting.

"This was not just an attack on a Garda detective, it was an attack on the whole community," he said.

It is believed staff at the credit union were locking up when the shooting occurred.

Gardai have appealed for people in the Belurgan, Jenkinstown and Dundalk areas between 6pm and 9.30pm on Friday night to get in touch. They are also appealing for anyone who may have seen the car driving towards Dundalk or on to the M1.

:: Anyone with information should call police on 042-9388400.

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Egypt: Death Sentences Spark Deadly Riots

Two football players are among 30 people killed in riots in the Egyptian city of Port Said following the sentencing to death of 21 fans.

Violence erupted after a judge sentenced the 21 people to death over a post-match riot in February last year that killed 74 fans of the Cairo-based Al Ahly team.

All of the people sentenced to death were fans of Port Said's main team, Al Masry.

Minutes after the Cairo court handed down the sentences, protesters rampaged through Port Said, attacking police stations and setting tyres alight.

Fans of Al Ahly football club celebrate the verdict in Cairo

Relatives tried to storm the prison in Port Said where those convicted were being held, leading to fierce clashes with security forces that killed two policemen.

The two players were shot to death as they were apparently on their way to practice near the prison.

The director of hospitals, Dr Abdel Raham Farah, said Mahmoud Abdel Halim al Dizawi, a football player in the city's Al Marikh club, had been shot three times and died.

He said Tamer al Fahla, who used to play for the Al Masry team, had also been shot dead on his way to the Al Marikh club.

Shops in Port Said were closed and armoured personnel vehicles deployed as fighting raged in streets around the prison.

Al Ahly fans were considered by many to be the victims of the riot

Unidentified assailants used automatic weapons against police, who responded with tear gas, witnesses said.

Both inside and outside the Cairo court, there were explosions of joy at the verdict, which was broadcast live on Egyptian TV.

Relatives of those killed hugged each other and shouted "God is greatest".

A man who lost his son in the February clashes wept outside the court and said he was satisfied with the sentences.

Football fans from both teams hold the police at least partially responsible for the deaths and criticised Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi for doing little to reform the force.

Doctors treating the victims of the February riots said some had been stabbed to death. One player caught up in the rioting described it as "a war".

Joy: Families of fans killed shouted 'God is great' after the verdict

Witnesses said most of the deaths involved people who had been trampled in the crush of panicked crowds, or who fell from terraces.

The post-match riot - the world's deadliest football violence in 15 years - also sparked days of protests in the capital, in which another 16 people were killed.

The judge said in his statement that he would announce the verdict for the remaining 52 defendants on March 9. Among those on trial are nine security officials.

As is customary in Egypt, the death sentences will be sent to religious authority, the Grand Mufti, for approval.

Executions in Egypt are usually carried out by hanging.

The latest violence came a day after nine people were killed in protests against the president on the second anniversary of Egypt's uprising against the former president, Hosni Mubarak.

Some of the defendants accused of involvement in the violence

Violence also broke out in Suez on Saturday night after hundreds of masked militants stormed a police station and set fire to the building. All prisoners being held at the station were also freed.

There have been hours of clashes in Suez, with police firing tear gas to try to hold back the demonstrators.

Britain's Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said such violence "can have no place in a truly democratic Egypt".

"We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to ensure that all protests remain peaceful. I offer the condolences of the UK to the families of all the victims," he said.

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Mali: US Offers Refuelling Services To France

US military aircraft will be used to refuel French warplanes fighting Islamist militants in Mali, the Pentagon has confirmed.

The offer of assistance to the French-led effort to push al Qaeda-linked fighters out of the north of country came as the 16-day offensive enjoyed its biggest success, recapturing the city of Gao.

In an overnight assault backed by French warplanes and helicopters, French special forces seized the town's airport and a key bridge over the River Niger while, killing a number of Islamist fighters without suffering any casualties, the French army said.

"The Malian army and the French control Gao today," Malian army spokesman Lieutenant Diaran Kone said.

Fighting was, however, reported to be continuing in the city, which was seized by a mixture of al Qaeda-linked fighters over nine months ago, into the night.

Sky's special correspondent Alex Crawford, travelling with French troops, said the latest offensive was the biggest push into jihadist-held territory since the operation began.

"There are at least five militant groups waiting for them in and around this desert region.

"Clearly the militants have spotted this huge convoy coming. It is not hard to spot, there are nearly 100 vehicles in the convoy and it takes up more than 1km of space in this pretty barren landscape."

French troops and fighting alongside the Malian army

Malian army officers said the Islamist insurgents were pulling back to avoid French air strikes.

"They are all hiding. They are leaving on foot and on motorcycles," Malian Army Captain Faran Keita said in Konna, about 310 miles southeast of Gao.

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta confirmed the US would offer its support to the operation "to deny terrorists a safe haven in Mali" after speaking to French Minister of Defence Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Pentagon spokesman George Little said: "Secretary Panetta informed Minister Le Drian that US Africa Command will support the French military by conducting aerial refuelling missions as operations in Mali continue."

They also discussed plans for the US to transport troops from African nations, including Chad and Togo, to support the international effort in Mali, he added.

A total of 7,700 African troops are expected to be sent to Mali under a UN mandate, according to regional army chiefs.

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