Kenya's Presidential Race 'Won By Kenyatta'

Kenya's electoral commission says voting results indicate Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has won the presidential election.

Mr Kenyatta, who faces international charges of crimes against humanity, won the poll with a slim margin of 50.03% of the vote - just enough to avoid a run-off.

He secured the victory over his main rival, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who got 43.28% of the votes cast.

The first round win, which has yet to be officially confirmed by Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, saw Mr Kenyatta breaking the 50% barrier by just 4,099 votes out of 12.3 million cast.

Mr Odinga will launch a legal challenge if Mr Kenyatta is officially declared president, according to an adviser.

Mr Kenyatta faces charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged role in directing some of Kenya's 2007 post-election violence.

Polling stations were guarded closely by Kenyan paramilitaries

More than 1,000 people were killed and up to 600,000 forced from their homes as a result of the disputed poll, where members of two rival tribes both claimed victory.

Ahead of the latest election results, the US and several other European countries warned of "consequences" if Mr Kenyatta, the son of Kenya's founding father, becomes president.

Britain, which ruled Kenya up until the early 1960s, said it would have only essential contact with the Kenyan government.

Mr Kenyatta's ICC trial is set to begin in July and could take years, meaning that if he is sworn in as president he may have to rule Kenya from The Hague in the Netherlands for much of his five-year term.

Another option is, as president, to decide not to attend the trial. But that decision would trigger an international arrest warrant and spark even more damaging effects for Kenya's standing with the West.

Mr Kenyatta has promised to report to The Hague, even if he is sworn in.

There were fears going into the election that the violence that rocked Kenya five years ago would return.

A separatist group launched attacks on Monday that ended in the deaths of 19 people, but the vote and its aftermath has otherwise been mostly peaceful.

Security forces in riot gear took to the streets in the capital Nairobi on Friday ahead of the election results being announced.

A formal announcement on the results is expected later today.

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Maduro Sworn In As Venezuela's President

Venezuela Says Farewell To Chavez

Updated: 6:16am UK, Saturday 09 March 2013

A state funeral has taken place for Venezuela's left-wing president Hugo Chavez at a military academy where his body has been lying in state since Wednesday.

Most Latin American leaders attended the service, including Chilean president Sebastian Pinera and Cuba's Raul Castro, as well as Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus.

Mr Ahmadinejad and Mr Lukashenko sat next to each other, reportedly wiping away tears as a band played one of Mr Chavez's favourite sentimental songs.

The Iranian leader earlier said: "It is a great pain for us because we have lost a friend. I feel like I have lost myself, but I am sure that he still lives.

"Chavez will never die. His spirit and soul live on in each of our hearts."

Venezuelan conductor and Los Angeles Philharmonic maestro Gustavo Dudamel led an orchestra's rendition of the national anthem to open the ceremony.

Mr Chavez's political heir, vice president Nicolas Maduro, placed a replica of the golden sword of South American independence hero Simon Bolivar on his mentor's wooden coffin as more than 30 heads of state applauded. 

Several Latin American leaders, including Mr Castro, were invited to stand around the coffin, which was closed and covered in the yellow, blue and red colours of Venezuela, in an honour guard.

Gregory Meeks, a New York Democrat congressman, and ex-congressman William Delahunt, a Democrat from Massachusetts, represented the United States, which Mr Chavez often portrayed as a great global evil even as he sent the country billions of dollars in oil each year.

Hollywood actor Sean Penn was also among those who attended the funeral.

An estimated two million people have filed past Mr Chavez's coffin to say goodbye to the man worshipped by the country's poor, who he championed.

He was dressed in olive green military fatigues, a black tie and the iconic red beret that became a symbol of his 14-year socialist rule.

People blew kisses, made the sign of the cross or gave military salutes as they walked by, with just seconds to see him. Outside the academy, the line to see the body stretched for more than a mile.

His mother, Elena Frias, was pictured weeping ahead of the funeral in the capital Caracas.

Mr Chavez, a former paratrooper who died on Tuesday aged 58 after a long battle with cancer, had not been seen in public since a fourth round of surgery in Cuba in December last year.

He will lie in state for another week to allow everybody to see him, and he will then be embalmed "like Ho Chi Minh, Lenin and Mao" and kept in a glass coffin "for eternity," Mr Maduro said.

His remains will be displayed at the Museum of the Revolution, close to the Presidential Palace where he ruled, so that "his people will always have him", Mr Maduro said.

Mr Chavez used the former military barracks to plot a failed coup against President Carlos Andres Perez in 1992. His arrest turned him into a hero, leading to his 1998 election victory.

Mr Maduro suggested that Mr Chavez may one day be moved elsewhere, a nod to popular pressure for him to be taken to the national pantheon to lie alongside Simon Bolivar.

In a country divided by Mr Chavez's populist style, opinions of his legacy vary, with opposition supporters in better-off areas angry at the high murder and inflation rate.

Under Mr Chavez, Venezuela's oil wealth underwrote the Castro brothers' communist rule in Cuba, and he repeatedly courted confrontation with Washington by cosying up to anti-western governments in Russia, Syria and Iran.

General Jose Ornella, who said he was with Mr Chavez in his final moments, said he had suffered a massive heart attack.

"He couldn't speak but he said it with his lips, 'I don't want to die. Please don't let me die,' because he loved his country, he sacrificed himself for his country."

Although Mr Maduro is acting president, elections are expected to be called within 30 days.

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Falklands: Sky Poll Reveals Nations Divided

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent, on the Falkland Islands

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

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

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

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

Ballot boxes are prepared for Sunday's referendum

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

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

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

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

The Union Flag bunting is going up

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

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

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

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

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

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

The referendum result is a foregone conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Bin Laden Spokesman Abu Ghaith Due In Court

By Sky News US Team, in New York

Osama bin Laden's former spokesman and son-in-law has been captured and charged with conspiring to kill Americans and is hours away from appearing at a court in New York.

Sulaiman Abu Ghaith was captured in Jordan in the past few days and flown to the US by intelligence officials.

He is expected to appear for an initial hearing at a federal court later.

The case marks a legal victory for the Obama administration, which has long sought to charge senior al Qaeda suspects in American federal courts rather than military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Earlier on Thursday US Congressman Peter King credited the CIA and FBI with catching Ghaith within the past week.

Ghaith was handed over to US law enforcement officials under an extradition treaty.

Mr King, a Republican, said Ghaith took part in the September 11, 2001, plot against the World Trade Centre and Pentagon.

He said: "Definitely, one by one, we are getting the top echelons of al Qaeda. I give the (Obama) administration credit for this: it's steady and it's unrelenting and it's very successful."

Ghaith became an international name in late 2001 when he appeared on pan-Arab satellite television urging Muslims everywhere to fight the US and warning of more major attacks.

In one video, he was sitting with Bin Laden in Afghanistan. A teacher and mosque preacher in Kuwait, he was stripped of his Kuwaiti citizenship after 9/11.

Ghaith's trial will mark one of the first prosecutions of senior al Qaeda leaders on US soil.

Charging foreign terror suspects in American federal courts was a top pledge by President Barack Obama shortly after he took office in 2009 - aimed, in part, to close the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay.

Since September 11, 67 foreign terror suspects have been convicted in US federal courts, according to watchdog group Human Rights First, which obtained the data from the Justice Department through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Republicans in Congress have staunchly opposed bringing terror suspects to the US and fought the White House to keep Guantanamo open.

The Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported that Ghaith was passing through Jordan, on his way to Kuwait, shortly after leaving Turkey.

The newspaper said that Ghaith was taken into custody more than a month ago at a luxury hotel in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

But Turkish officials decided he had not committed any crime in Turkey and released him, the newspaper reported.

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Hugo Chavez: World Leaders To Attend Funeral

World leaders will attend the funeral of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez later, as the country continues to mourn his death.

An estimated two million people have already filed past his glass-topped coffin at a military academy in the capital Caracas.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro - who will be formally sworn in as acting president after the funeral - has said Mr Chavez would lie in state for a week longer than expected before he is embalmed "like Lenin".

Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro addresses crowds in Caracas

His remains will be displayed at the Museum of the Revolution, close to the Presidential Palace where he ruled for 14 years, so that "his people will always have him", Mr Maduro said.

Mr Chavez used the former military barracks to plot a failed coup against President Carlos Andres Perez in 1992. His arrest turned him into hero, leading to his 1998 election victory.

Mr Madura will be appointed acting president at 7pm local time. He will be responsible for calling an election, which must take place within 30 days under the Venezuelan constitution.

Many of those who paid their respects at Mr Chavez's resting place queued through the night for a glimpse of their hero.

"He's in there, but my comandante is immortal," said Saul Mantano, who wore a hat emblazoned with Mr Chavez's name and the Venezuelan flag. "I didn't want to see him dead, but it's a reality now."

"Seeing him was very impressive," added Chanel Arroyo. "It brought back all the memories of what we have done together in 14 years, thanks to him."

Mr Chavez died on Tuesday after a two-year battle with cancer. He had not been seen in public since a fourth round of surgery in Cuba in December last year.

General Jose Ornella, who said he was with Mr Chavez in his final moments, said he had suffered a massive heart attack.

"He couldn't speak but he said it with his lips, 'I don't want to die. Please don't let me die,' because he loved his country, he sacrificed himself for his country."

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

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North Korea Leader Ready For 'All-Out War'

Quirky Kim Unnerving For West

Updated: 7:20am UK, Friday 08 March 2013

By Mark Stone, Asia correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reassuring. We hope.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Syrian Rebels Hold UN Peacekeepers In Golan

Around 20 United Nations peacekeepers have been detained by an armed Syrian rebel brigade in the Golan Heights.

Syrian activists said the UN Disengagement Force (UNDOF) peacekeepers were from the Philippines, although the UN did not give the troops' nationalities.

The UN Security Council has demanded their immediate release and the UN's peacekeeping chief, Herve Ladsous, said negotiations were being held with the abductors.

In a rebel video uploaded to YouTube, a young man saying he was from the 'Martyrs of Yarmouk' brigade stood surrounded by several rebel fighters with assault rifles in front of two white armoured vehicles and a truck with UN markings.

The man, identified as Abu Kaid al Faleh, a spokesman for the brigade, said the peacekeepers would not be freed until Syrian regime forces pull out from the area.

"We call on the US and the United Nations and the Security Council ... we call on them to get Assad forces out in order to release these forces," he said.

"We will not release them until after the Assad forces have withdrawn from the border village of Jamla back to their positions, and if they do not withdraw back within 24 hours, we will deal with these forces as prisoners."

The peacekeepers were detained shortly after British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced the UK would be providing military aid, including armoured vehicles, to Syrian opposition groups.

Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, who is president of the Security Council in March, said the captors had not clashed with the peacekeepers.

"My understanding is that they took over the trucks in which the UNDOF personnel was moving around," he said after a closed doors briefing.

UN deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey told reporters the UN force were stopped by approximately 30 armed fighters.

"The UN observers were on a regular supply mission and were stopped near observation post 58, which had sustained damage and was evacuated this past weekend following heavy combat in close proximity, at Al Jamlah," he said.

"The mission is dispatching a team to assess the situation and attempt a resolution."

The UN has reported a growing number of incidents in the Golan, where it has deployed peacekeepers since 1974 observing a truce accord between Syria and Israel.

Mr Churkin said the capture of the peacekeepers was "particularly unacceptable and bizarre (because) UNDOF are unarmed and they have nothing to do with the situation in Syria".

"They are there on a completely different mission so there is no reason at all under any circumstances, any kind of sick imagination to try to harm those people," he said.

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Amnesty: North Korea Prison Camps 'Expanding'

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amnesty International says these photos show an increase in housing

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

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

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

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

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

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

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Bolshoi Dancer 'Paid £1,000 For Acid Attack'

Police say a leading dancer accused of masterminding an acid attack on the Bolshoi ballet chief paid about 50,000 rubles (£1,062) to two men to carry it out.

But Bolshoi soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko said in court that he did not intend for the troupe's artistic director Sergei Filin to be splashed with acid.

Dmitrichenko said he agreed when his alleged accomplice suggested hitting Mr Filin in the head, but did not tell him to throw acid in Mr Filin's face.

Dmitrichenko, who was arrested on Tuesday, was shown in a police video confessing to planning the attack but "not on the scale" that it turned out.

Mr Filin suffered severe burns to his eyes and face when sulphuric acid was thrown in his face on January 17 as he returned home late at night.

Dmitrichenko as Ivan the Terrible

Dmitrichenko and his two co-defendants, Yuri Zarutsky and  Andrei Lipatov, are appearing in a Moscow court, where a judge is to decide whether they should remain in custody pending trial.

Police said in a statement that Dmitrichenko had paid Zarutsky, the perpetrator, 50,000 rubles to attack Mr Filin.

Lipatov insists he just drove to where he was told and had no idea of what Zarutsky was planning.

Police have said the crime was motivated by Dmitrichenko's hostile personal relationship with Mr Filin.

Russian press reports have suggested the attack was caused by the Bolshoi chief's refusal to give his ballerina girlfriend Anzhelina Vorontsova top roles.

"The main motive was enmity towards Filin, who according to the suspect, had a negative attitude towards his partner," a police source told the Izvestia newspaper.

Mr Filin after leaving hospital, right, and before the acid attack

"Dmitrichenko said that Filin was thwarting Vorontsova's artistic career and did not give her the main roles."

Dmitrichenko is reported to have been particularly riled that Vorontsova was not allowed to dance the main Odette-Odile role in Swan Lake, the dream of any ballerina.

Mr Filin, 42, was left battling to save his eyesight and prevent permanent facial disfigurement from the attack.

He is now undergoing a long rehabilitation in Germany.

Mr Filin's wife Maria told the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily that her husband had suspicions about Dmitrichenko but believed that a "much wider" circle of people were involved.

"Not just the three who they arrested. We hope the security forces unearth those who are implicated in this," she said.

Some staff at the Bolshoi Theatre have suggested that Dmitrichenko's actions are impossible to comprehend given his own career was on the up after he took the title role in the ballet Ivan the Terrible.

More follows...

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Hugo Chavez Dies: Election In Four Weeks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Emotional vice president Nicolas Maduro announced the death on national TV

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mr Chavez with daughters Rosa Virginia, right, and Maria

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"A lot of people say he is irreplaceable."

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Hugo Chavez: A Master Of The Spotlight

Venezuelan Leader Hugo Chavez Dies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"A lot of people say he is irreplaceable."

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Bolshoi Acid Attack: Mastermind's Confession

A ballet star at the Bolshoi Theatre has confessed to being the mastermind of an attack on the theatre's ballet chief, according to police.

Moscow police said Pavel Dmitrichenko, who has been suspected of planning the attack, had now admitted being behind it.

Sergei Filin, the artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet, suffered severe burns to his eyes and face on January 17 when an attacker threw sulphuric acid in his face as Mr Filin returned home late at night.

Mr Filin after leaving hospital, right, and before the acid attack

The 42-year-old former dancer is undergoing treatment in Germany.

Along with Dmitrichenko, police have also detained another man who confessed to perpetrating the attack.

Dmitrichenko has danced several major parts in recent years, including Ivan the Terrible in the ballet of the same name.

On Tuesday, Russia's interior ministry confirmed that they had arrested Dmitrichenko and two other men, named as driver Andrei Lipatov and 35-year-old Yury Zarutsky.

Mr Filin was attacked outside his Moscow apartment

Last month, the ballet postponed its production of Stravinsky's The Rite Of Spring and in January, leading ballerina Svetlana Lunkina fled to Canada after receiving unconnected threats.

The case has focused attention on the bitter rivalries within the ballet world.

The Bolshoi has been plagued by intrigue and infighting that has led to the departure of several artistic directors over the past few years.

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Syrian Soldiers In Iraq Killed In Ambush

At least 42 Syrian soldiers and a number of Iraqis have been killed after they were attacked by unidentified gunmen

The Syrians had sought refuge in northern Iraq during clashes with rebels close to the border earlier in the week.

Iraqi authorities moved them from Nineveh province to the capital Baghdad, but were transporting them back to the Syrian border through Anbar province when the attack took place.

Armed men attacked the convoy from two sides with mortar rounds, automatic weapons and mines, according to Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Khalaf al-Dulaimi of the Iraqi border protection forces.

Eight Syrians and four Iraqis were also wounded, and three vehicles in the convoy destroyed, he added.

Ali Mussawi, a spokesman for Iraqi prime minister Nuri al Maliki, said: "This confirms our fears of the attempt of some to move the conflict to Iraq, but we will face these attempts by all sides with all of our power."

The attack came as opposition activists claimed the rebels had pushed government troops from most of the northern city of Raqqa, setting off celebrations in a central square where scores of cheering protesters tore down a bronze statue of President Bashar Assad's late father.

Britain is to provide greater assistance to the rebels

Photographs showed a burning guard post, men ripping down a poster of Assad and the fallen statue, while video footage posted on the internet purportedly showed an abandoned prison in the centre of the city.

Iraq's government, which is dominated by Shia Muslims like Syria's principal backer Iran, has so far not backed calls for President Assad to stand down but has called for both sides to end the violence.

Anbar province is dominated by Sunni Muslims, who also make up the majority of the rebels fighting Assad's soldiers.

However, the Syrian National Council has accused Baghdad of giving "political and intelligence support to the Syrian regime".

The United Nations estimates that more than 70,000 people have been killed and one million have fled their homes because of the conflict in Syria.

Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire has defended the decision to provide "technical assistance and non-lethal equipment" to the opposition after being summoned to the Commons to be questioned on whether greater support would aid terrorists.

"The longer the situation goes on, the greater the danger extremism takes hold, the greater the danger of destabilising neighbouring countries and the greater the extreme humanitarian distress involved," he said.

"We must do more to try and help save lives in Syria. That is why we led the way in agreeing an amendment to the EU sanctions regime to ensure that the possibility of further assistance is not closed off."

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Baby Death Hit-And-Run Suspect Named

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

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

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

Julio Acevedo (New York Police Department)

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

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

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

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

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

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

The accident occurred in Brooklyn

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

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

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

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

Hundreds attended the couple's funerals on Sunday

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

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

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

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

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Woman Dies After Nurse Refuses To Perform CPR

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

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

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

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

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

Glenwood Gardens in Bakersfield, California

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

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

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

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

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

"That is the protocol we followed."

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

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

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

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

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

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HIV: Doctors Say Infected Baby Girl 'Cured'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Kenya: Four Police Killed As Key Vote Starts

By Sara Mojtehedzadeh, in Nairobi

Violence has broken out in Kenya's coastal and northern regions as polls open in an election billed as the country's most important in 50 years.

At least four police officers were killed in a pre-dawn attack in Mombasa, local media reports said.

The ambush appears to have been launched by the Mombasa Revolutionary Council, a separatist group that previously threatened to boycott the polls and stands accused of orchestrating sporadic attacks against police officers in the past.

In another incident in the northern town of Garissa, close to the Somali border, one government official was reported dead after he was shot by gunmen. Another person was said to be seriously injured in the attack.

Both regions are considered hotspots for election-related violence.

A car belonging to a former MP was also torched this morning over claims of vote-buying in western Kenya, according to Citizen TV.

Voting in Nairobi, the nation's capital, has so far been peaceful.

Uhuru Kenyatta, wanted by the ICC, is a controversial candidate

Thousands of voters arrived as early as 2am to claim their place in line this morning, with some queues extending for half a kilometre. 

But police cautioned yesterday that attacks were being planned in Nairobi and in the western city of Kisumu.

In a news conference on Sunday, police spokesman Charles Owino said gangs were planning to impersonate police officers in order to intimidate voters in Nairobi's informal settlements.

"Any person harassing you is not a policeman, he is a criminal," Mr Owino warned voters.

He insisted that Kenya Police Service had "provided an enabling environment" for peaceful elections. Some 99,000 police officers have been dispatched across the nation to ensure security at the polls.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chair, Isaac Hassan, also said yesterday that he expected polling to go smoothly.

Controversy surrounding the candidacy of Uhuru Kenyatta - wanted by the international criminal court for crimes against humanity stemming from his alleged role in country's bloody poll in 2007 and 2008 - has at times overshadowed this election campaign.

But in their final political rallies on Saturday, Mr Kenyatta and his main rival for the presidency, Raila Odinga, both called for peace and said they would accept the results of Monday's election.

Kenya has implemented a number of reforms since the last vote, including a new progressive constitution. A peaceful election could cement Kenya's position as a growing regional economic and political powerhouse.

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Japan: Family Killed As Car Is Buried In Snow

A family has been killed after their car was buried in a snowstorm in the main northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Four other deaths linked to the weekend's snowfall have been reported.

Kazuyo Miyashita and her three children died at a hospital on Saturday night of carbon-monoxide poisoning after their vehicle got buried in the snow.

Her daughters were 17 and 14, and her son was 11.

The snowstorm hit during the weekend, burying vehicles

Separately, a 23-year-old woman froze to death after leaving her car, which was stuck in the snow.

The Kyodo news service said a 53-year-old man had died after getting buried in the snow, although his nine-year-old daughter found with him was recovering.

Two other men collapsed in the snow in another part of Hokkaido and were confirmed dead.

Several vehicles were stranded and buried under snow in the island in northern Japan.

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Mokhtar Belmokhtar: Gas Terror Chief 'Killed'

Belmokhtar: Profile Of Mr Marlboro

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

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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UK Explorer: Green Campaigning Has Failed

By Tom Rayner in Ushuaia, Argentina

One of Britain's leading polar explorers has told Sky News that decades of campaign efforts to get people engaged with climate change have failed.

Robert Swan, who was the first man to walk to both the North and South poles, was speaking in Argentina on the eve of the launch of his latest expedition to Antarctica - one which he hopes will help turn the tide of public apathy towards green issues.

He said: "People are really sick and tired of seeing pictures of another glacier melting, another forest dying.

"This whole approach of the doomsday scenario is not working because people switch off and they think - 'well we can't do anything'.

"It's not working, this whole showing endless pictures saying there is a problem, I think anyone in the real world knows there's a problem, what we've got to do now is say, how can we inspire people?"

Mr Swan will be leading a group of 80 young people from 28 countries across the world to the Antarctic Peninsula.

His mission is to impress upon them the importance of maintaining the current international legal frameworks that protect the frozen continent from mining and drilling for energy resources.

Mr Swan hopes the expedition members will take plans of action back to their own countries after seeing Antarctica for themselves.

"We've got 80 people coming together to get a really good story that they can take back with them. They can go to Antarctica, come back, and then inspire people with ideas about change and solutions, not doomsday scenarios."

Made up of high-flyers from industry, business, banking, politics, NGOs and education, the expedition is comprised of young people from across the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa and America.

Some have had travel paid for by their companies or organisations, others have personally raised money through private sponsorship to pay for a place on the expedition.

The group, described as 'decision-makers of the future', will travel from the most southerly city in the world, the Argentinian port of Ushuaia, across the notoriously stormy sea channel known as Drake's passage, and then finally onwards to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Mr Swan's campaign is known as 2041 - a reference to the year when the international community could begin to re-evaluate the international treaty and environmental protocols which currently ban all exploitation of Antarctica's natural resources.

The continent, which is governed by an international treaty and not owned by any one state, is known to have significant reserves of minerals such as iron ore and coal, and scientists believe there are likely to be oil and natural gas reserves too, although they have not yet been identified.

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Assad Hits Out At UK Government In Interview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

However, Syrian rebel leader Selim Idris said there could be no negotiations unless Mr Assad stepped down and leaders of the army and security forces were put on the trial.

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

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