Obama Warns Syria Over Weapons 'Game Changer'

Syria: Evidence Is No Smoking Gun

Updated: 2:39pm UK, Friday 26 April 2013

By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

Vital questions remain unanswered over the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Like the scale of casualties. Who fired the weapons? Who gave the orders?

To get that kind of information the Syrian government would need to allow in international inspectors and that isn't going to happen.

If chemical weapons have been deployed by government forces President Bashar al Assad won't cooperate in arranging a noose for his own neck.

If there is to be conclusive proof of the crossing of a "red line" Mr Assad would have to carry out an atrocity akin to the actions of Saddam Hussein against the Kurds in Halabja in 1988, where chemical weapons were used to kill at least 5,000.

It's estimated a further 7,000 were injured or suffered long-term illnesses. The nerve agents tabun, sarin and VX, as well as mustard gas, were believed to have been used at Halabja.

But Mr Assad is far too clever to carry out an attack like Halabja. He knows such an undeniable use of chemical weapons would leave the international community with no choice but to make good on its threats.

It would leave the Russians with no option but to finally and publicly turn their backs on him. For now having the Russians sitting on the diplomatic fence renders the United Nations Security Council impotent. Russia has the power of veto enabling it to block meaningful sanctions and actions against Syria.

The UN says it has a  fact-finding team on stand-by in Cyprus ready to go into Syria within 24 hours. They may well have a long wait.

The UN team has been given permission to investigate claims of chemical weapons use in Syria's second city of Aleppo but they say they will not go in unless they are given permission for a country-wide investigation. That's something the Syrians have refused.

The British Government is keeping up diplomatic pressure to try to get investigators and evidence-gatherers into Syria. But just like all other aspects of diplomacy in Syria right now there's a lot of "keeping up pressure" but little progress.

David Cameron knows only too well the consequences of rushing to conclusions without proof. Anyone remember the fruitless hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?

Astonishingly, the US Republican Senator John McCain said "it's pretty obvious that red line has been crossed".  Sorry Mr McCain but where is the evidence of a smoking gun?

US President Barack Obama is being much more cautious. With America now out of Iraq and heading towards the finishing line in Afghanistan he doesn't want to rush into another war in another Muslim country.

And keeping Americans safe isn't all about the Middle East. The despot who cried wolf in North Korea - otherwise known as Kim Yong Un - hasn't entirely gone away.

North Korea's new young leader has been threatening to launch a war against America. It seems like a cry for attention rather than a promise.

But just in case Mr Kim means business it wouldn't be ideal to have American troops deployed to north-east Asia and Syria just as quickly as they had got out of Iraq and Afghanistan - which leads us to the conclusion that we are no nearer military intervention in Syria than we were before this latest round of intelligence claims.

So whatever Mr McCain says this is not a game-changing moment. Expect more deaths, more refugees, more atrocities and more heart-rending stories of despair from Syria.

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Bangladesh Factory Owners Arrested

Police in Bangladesh have arrested two clothing factory owners based at the eight-storey building near the capital Dhaka that collapsed killing 304 people.

It comes after police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at thousands of clothing workers who took to the streets on the outskirts of Dhaka to protest over the deaths.

Dhaka police deputy chief Shyaml Mukherjee said: "We've arrested Bazlus Samad, the chairman of New Wave Buttons and New Wave Style factories, and Mahmudur Rahaman Tapash, a managing director of one of these plants, after midnight."

He added that police have filed a case against them for "death due to negligence", after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the owners forced the workers to return to work after cracks appeared in the building.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association had also asked the factories to shut down on Wednesday morning, hours before the building came down.

"After we got the crack reports we asked them to suspend work until further examination, but they did not pay heed," said association president Atiqul Islam.

Survivors described hearing a loud crack just before the eight-storey building collapsed, with each level pancaking on top of those below.

The building housed at least four factories producing clothes for leading Western retailers.

High street giant Primark confirmed one of its suppliers occupied the second floor of the building.

A Primark spokesman said: "The company is shocked and deeply saddened by this appalling incident at Savar, near Dhaka, and expresses its condolences to all of those involved."

Elsewhere in Bangladesh, hundreds of thousands of workers walked out of their factories in solidarity with their dead colleagues.

Some workers' leaders attacked Western firms, whom they accused of turning "a blind eye" while using Bangladeshis as "money-making machines".

With time running out to save workers still trapped in the collapsed building, rescuers have been digging through mangled metal and concrete to find more survivors.

By Friday evening, more than 80 survivors had been rescued, according to officials.

But more dead were also discovered. Shamim Islam, a volunteer who entered the collapsed building along with rescue workers, said he saw "many bodies inside".

Officials said the search will continue today.

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9/11 Plane Part Found Between NYC Buildings

A part from one of the commercial planes that was flown into the Twin Towers on 9/11 has been found between two buildings, police say.

New York Police Department Spokesman Paul Browne said the piece of landing gear, discovered on Wednesday wedged between a mosque site and another lower Manhattan building, has a clearly legible Boeing identification number.

The twisted and rusted equipment features cables, levers and giant bolts. It measures 5ft high, 3ft wide and 1.5ft deep.

"The odds of this being wedged between there is amazing. It had to have fallen just the right way to make it into that space," Browne said.

The part was found wedged in this narrow crevice

He added that other wreckage has been found nearby in the years since the terrorist attack.

The part was found by surveyors who had been hired to inspect the site of a planned Islamic community centre at 51 Park Place, about three blocks from ground zero.

The surveyors spotted the debris as they looked down between the buildings from the roof, quickly called 911, and the scene was secured and police documented the findings with photographs, Mr Browne said.

The National Transportation Safety Board and police will work to determine whether the wreckage belongs to American Airlines Flight 11, which struck the North Tower, or to United Airlines Flight 175, which crashed into the South Tower. Both planes were Boeings.

A plane can be seen before it flies into one of the Twin Towers on 9/11

Police are awaiting a determination from a medical examiner on whether to sift the soil around the building to search for human remains.

The medical examiner's office is in the middle of a 10-week sifting operation as it attempts to identify additional human remains in debris unearthed at the World Trade Center site during construction of a new skyscraper.

If the landing gear's origin is authenticated, it would mean it sat undisturbed for nearly a dozen years.

Patricia Riley, the sister of 9/11 victim Lorraine Riley, called the discovery "very strange."

"Twelve years later we are still finding remnants of the attack on our country," she said.

The ruins of the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attack

"For years to come we'll continue to find things that we didn't see before. Hopefully, they'll serve as a reminder that we have to stay vigilant."

More than 2,750 people were killed at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked the two commercial passenger planes and flew them into the upper floors of the Twin Towers, then the tallest buildings in the world.

Hijackers also took over two other planes that day, crashing one into the Pentagon in Washington DC.

The fourth plane went down in a field in rural Pennsylvania.

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Boston Marathon Bombings 'Triggered By Remote'

The Boston Marathon explosions that killed three people and wounded more than 260 were triggered by a remote-controlled detonator.

The bombs were not very sophisticated and were set off within several streets away because the detonator was a "close-controlled" device, according to two US officials who spoke to AP news agency on condition of anonymity.

It was not immediately clear what the detonation device was.

A criminal complaint outlining the charges against surviving 19-year-old bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev described him as holding a mobile phone minutes before the first explosion.

Bombing suspects Tamerlan Tsarnaev (L) and Dzokhar Tsarnaev (R)

The two sources, one reportedly briefed by the FBI and the other close to the investigation, also told AP that Dzhokhar had told interrogators that he and his brother were angry about US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

They also said a 9mm pistol, believed to have been used by suspects in a gun battle with police last Friday had been recovered. Its serial number had been scratched off.

Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis has said more than 250 shots were fired in the first shootout in Watertown during which explosives were thrown at police and 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev died.

His younger brother, who escaped, was captured some time later hiding in a boat in the same residential suburb of Boston after a gun battle with police.

He remains in hospital and is being questioned about the marathon attacks. He has been charged with using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction.

Thousands gathered to pay their respects to Sean Collier

It has also emerged the Russian government was in touch with the CIA with concerns about Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Until now, only contact with the FBI had been acknowledged by US officials.

Details of the ongoing investigation into the bombings emerged as a memorial service was held for Sean Collier - a university police officer who authorities say was killed by the Boston Marathon bombing suspects.

Up to 10,000 Massachusetts Institute of Technology students, faculty and staff as well as law enforcement officials from across the US gathered at Briggs Field to pay solemn tribute to the campus officer.

Vice President Joe Biden, as well as members of Mr Collier's family, also attended the event which was not open to the public.

Mr Biden, who grew up in the same neighbourhood as the Collier family, said the tragedy had brought him to "tears" after relatives painted "a vivid picture" of their loved one.

The casket of the slain polcie officer is carried by colleagues

He told the congregation: "Of all the things I've read, not knowing Sean, what struck home the most to me was that a student was quoted as saying, 'he loved us and we loved him'. What a remarkable son, what a remarkable brother."

Mr Biden described the Tsarnaev brothers, the only suspects in the Boston attack, as "two twisted, perverted, cowardly, knock-off jihadis".

In an emotional and passionate speech, he added: "What makes me so proud to be an American is that we have not yielded to our fears.

"The irony is, we read about these events, we experience them, but the truth is, on every frontier, terrorism as a weapon is losing. It is not gaining adherents, and what galls them the most is America does remain that shining city on the hill."

Mr Collier had only been in the job for a year when he was fatally shot in his squad car at the beginning of the dramatic manhunt for the suspects, four days after the twin blasts at the Marathon.

The 26-year-old was well-respected by his colleagues and was popular with students, and often went on hikes with the MIT student outing club.

MIT police chief John DiFava said: "What made Sean good? There are many reasons. But I believe the most important is the fact that he was the same person in uniform that he was when he wasn't wearing the uniform.

"His care and compassion was genuine ... and because of his depth of character he was able to achieve a level of trust with people of all backgrounds that was truly remarkable. I am sure his love of life and that mischievous grin added to his ability to connect with students."

He added: "Sean, we love you and we'll never forget you."

Wednesday's gathering followed a private funeral mass for Mr Collier on Tuesday.

Parents Anzor Tsarnaev and Zubeidat Tsarnaeva

Meanwhile, US diplomats have travelled to Russia's Dagestan region, a largely Muslim area on the Caspian Sea, to interview the parents of the bombing suspects.

Their father Anzor Tsarnaev and mother Zubeidat Tsarnaeva have reportedly said they will be travelling to the US on Thursday to visit their surviving son and bring his dead elder brother's body back to Russia.

They have refuted the allegation that their sons carried out the last Monday's bombings and have said their sons were framed.

Some relatives have claimed Tamerlan fell under the influence of a mystery Muslim convert - a red-bearded man known to the family only as Misha - and was steered towards an extreme form of Islam.

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Made In Britain: China Boosts Iconic Brands

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent in Shanghai

As Britain contemplates the prospect of a triple-dip recession, a growing number of iconic 'Made in Britain' brands are focussing their attention on China.

In an interview with Sky News, the chief executive of Rolls-Royce said the Chinese market was key.

"The Chinese are in love with Rolls-Royce," Torsten Muller-Otvos said as he showed off the company's latest model, the Wraith, to the Asian market at the Shanghai Motor Show this week.

"It is definitely good for Britain because 90% of our cars produced in Britain are exported and 10% roughly stay in the home market.

"That is basically very good for business and for the economy in Britain."

The new Jaguar F-Type, revealed at the Shanghai Auto Show this week

Rolls-Royce is now owned by Germany's BMW but the brand itself is still iconically British. The company produced 3,575 vehicles in 2012 from its factory in Chichester, West Sussex.

It wouldn't reveal how many of those came to China but, along with the Middle East, China is a vital market.

"When you look at the long-term forecast for so-called ultra-high-net-worth individuals, this is forecast to grow 3-5% year by year," Mr Muller-Otvos said.

These ultra-high-net-worth individuals are people like Chen Anzhi, a businessman from Shanghai. He owns three Rolls-Royces and agreed to take Sky News for a spin in one.

Sky News is given a ride in Mr Chen's Rolls Royce

"British to me means very high quality of workmanship; attention to detail. I appreciate that," Mr Chen said at the wheel of his bright green convertible Roller.

"Look at my suit!" he said, taking both hands off the steering wheel of his vastly expensive car.

"I think I am wearing Dunhill today. Dunhill's also British I think?

"I bought three of these Rolls-Royces. Presently I have two: a white one, this green one and I had a burgundy one but I gave it away."

Mr Chen represents one of a growing number of people in China with an eye-watering amount of money and a love affair for luxury and all things British.

"I love British cars, British furniture, I love to go to London," he said.

"I enjoy the very luxury lifestyle, yes. Chinese and British - good friends!"

The Aston Martin stand at the Shanghai Auto Show

We pass Shanghai's flagship stores, including British ones like Burberry. The reflection of our more than ostentatious car is visible in the windows of the shiny shop windows.

"Fourteen years ago you rarely see BMW and Mercedes," Mr Chen said.

"Now you see Rolls-Royce and you think 'wow'! What happened here to the economy? It's booming."

Jaguar Land Rover is another 'Made in Britain' brand - albeit now Indian owned - which is increasingly popular in China.

The Chinese market is now the company's largest globally, allowing it to invest in new jobs in the UK and set up a new joint-venture project in China.

At this week's Auto Show in Shanghai, the new Jaguar F-Type and the new Range Rover Sport were both unveiled to the Asian market.

Range Rovers, often in garish colours with added body-kits, are a regular sight on the streets of Beijing and Shanghai.

Back in Mr Chen's bright green Rolls Royce, I ask him the awkward question. How much did it cost him?

"I knew that question was coming," he laughs!

"It's close to $1.8m dollars. The price is crazy, I know, but after you drive this car, the enjoyment and pleasure, you just forget about the price."

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Bangladesh: Cracks In Building Were Ignored

The death toll following the collapse of a building in Bangladesh has risen to 175, as it emerged a Primark supplier was based there.

Survivors say they were made to carry on working in the eight-storey block despite apparent concerns about its safety.

The building, in Savar on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka, housed at least four factories producing clothes for leading Western retailers.

The high street giant Primark has confirmed that one of its suppliers occupied the second floor of the building.

Bosses at the retailer say they were "shocked and saddened" by the collapse.

In a statement released on the company's website, a Primark spokesman said: "The company is shocked and deeply saddened by this appalling incident at Savar, near Dhaka, and expresses its condolences to all of those involved.

Thousands gathered on the streets where the building collapsed

"Primark has been engaged for several years with NGOs and other retailers to review the Bangladeshi industry's approach to factory standards. Primark will push for this review to also include building integrity.

"Meanwhile Primark's ethical trade team is at this moment working to collect information, assess which communities the workers come from, and to provide support where possible."

Army Brigadier General Mohammed Siddiqul Alam Shikder said late on Thursday that many people were still trapped in the building.

The disaster came less than five months after a factory fire killed 112 people and underscored the unsafe conditions faced by Bangladesh's garment workers.

Workers said they had hesitated to enter the building on Wednesday morning because it had developed such large cracks a day earlier that it even drew the attention of local news channels.

Hundreds of factory workers were trapped inside the building

Just hours later the building came tumbling down.

Tens of thousands of people have gathered at the site, weeping and searching for family members.

Searchers worked through the night to get through the jumbled mess of concrete with drills or their bare hands, passing water and flashlights to those pinned inside the building.

"I gave them whistles, water, torchlights. I heard them cry. We can't leave them behind this way," said fire official Abul Khayer.

Abdur Rahim, who worked on the fifth floor, said a factory manager gave assurances that the cracks in the building were no cause for concern, so employees went inside.

"After about an hour or so, the building collapsed suddenly," Mr Rahim said.

The next thing he remembers is regaining consciousness outside.

On a visit to the site, Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir told reporters the building had violated construction codes and that "the culprits would be punished."

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Alexei Navalny Expects Prison Term In Russia

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

The trial of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has resumed today in the provincial town of Kirov, 1,000 km northeast of Moscow.

The 36-year-old blogger claims the case has been personally ordered by Vladimir Putin to discredit his anti-corruption work and disqualify him from running for public office.

Navalny recently announced he wants to run for the presidency and change the way Russia is ruled, but a guilty verdict in Kirov would bar him from standing and could see him sent to prison for up a decade.

He is accused of embezzling 16m rubles (£330,000) from a state-owned timber company in Kirov, when he worked as an adviser to the regional governor here in 2009.

The blogger believes Vladimir Putin is behind the case

Navalny has published his accounts from the time on his blog, which he says clearly prove his innocence, nevertheless he fully expects to be convicted and is preparing himself for jail.

The judge presiding over his trial has yet to return a 'not guilty' verdict, putting him slightly above the national judicial average of a 99% conviction rate.

Speaking ahead of his first hearing last week, Navalny told reporters: "I'm absolutely sure it will end in a guilty verdict.

"They've already decided everything, including the sentence.

"They're interested in some kind of public relations, to say on television that the man who for years has been accusing us of corruption is corrupt himself. By them, I mean Putin."

President Putin's spokesman has declined to comment on the case.

Navalny has been campaigning against corruption by state officials and companies since 2007, but it was his role in mass street protests following disputed election results in 2011 that brought him to prominence, and to the attention of the Kremlin.

A trained lawyer with an ear for a soundbite, Navalny coined the slogan "party of crooks and thieves" for Vladimir Putin's United Russia and labelled the president himself "Chief Thief", firing up a new generation of young, internet-savvy protesters and earning himself a rock star following among the opposition.

His anti-corruption investigations have since claimed the scalps of several of Vladimir Putin's allies, including the head of his parliamentary Ethics Committee, who resigned after claims published on the Navalny's blog.

The father-of-two has said he does not want to go to prison, but is not afraid to do so, and has already planned what he will take with him; from velcro trainers (the laces would be confiscated) and slippers, to photos of his family to tape to the wall.

He said: "If you get into opposition politics, they can put you in jail. If you take on corruption, the easiest thing for these people is to put you in jail.

"Putin and his inner circle have realised that they have no levers left at their disposal to keep control of the political system except repression.

"They see the decline in (Putin's) ratings and the growing discontent, and the protests continue... They will crush anyone who objects to Putin being president for life."

Navalny's case has been compared to that of Mikhail Khodorkovsky - once one of the richest men in Russia, the former oligarch was jailed in 2005 on charges of embezzlement and is still behind bars in a Siberian prison camp.

Khodorkovksy's lawyers maintain the case against him was fabricated after he strayed from the realm of business into politics.

But the former tycoon has continued to campaign from his prison cell, and jailing Navalny runs a similar risk of uniting opposition protesters behind him and turning him into a popular martyr.

An independent poll last month found only 37% of Russians knew who Alexei Navalny was, but that is a substantial increase on 6% two years ago.

It's a significant proportion for a man without access to the mechanism of state-controlled media in Russia.

The gamble for the authorities is that the trial, and presumably conviction, of Alexei Navalny, will only boost his popularity and give him a new platform from which to campaign.

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Boston: Suspects' Parents Face Questioning

US diplomats have travelled to Russia's Dagestan region to interview the parents of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects.

A delegation from the American embassy in Moscow has made the journey to the North Caucasus area to interview the pair, Anzor and Zubeidat Tsarnaev.

An embassy official said the trip was in line with the co-operation between the FBI and Russian authorities over the investigation into the deadly bombings allegedly carried out by brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Dzhokhar has been charged

It comes as the family claimed Tamerlan fell under the influence of a Muslim convert and was steered towards a strict strain of Islam in the years before the attacks.

After befriending the man, known to the Tsarnaev family only as Misha, Tamerlan gave up boxing and stopped studying music, his family said.

He became vocal about his opposition to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and read websites claiming that the CIA was behind the 9/11 terror attacks and Jews controlled the world.

"Somehow, he just took his brain," said Tamerlan's uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, who recalled conversations with Tamerlan's father about Misha's influence.

It was not immediately clear whether the FBI has spoken to Misha or was attempting to, but efforts by the media to identify and interview the mystery man have been unsuccessful.

Throughout his religious makeover, Tamerlan maintained a strong influence over his siblings, including Dzhokhar, who investigators say carried out the deadly attack by his older brother's side, killing three people.

This image appears to show the brothers crouched by a Mercedes

The family's claims came as new photos were released that apparently show the police stand-off that killed Tamerlan on Friday.

The images seem to have been taken from inside a house overlooking the scene of the gunfight, and show the brothers crouching near a Mercedes SUV they had carjacked.   

One of the brothers appears to be holding a gun with both hands in front of his body.

Dzhokhar survived the shoot-out and was caught by police later in the day.

He was charged on Monday with using a weapon of mass destruction to kill. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

Tamerlan's father Anzor was said to be worried about the mystery radical

Based on preliminary written interviews with Dzhokar in his hospital bed, US officials believe the brothers were motivated by their religious views.

Two US officials say the brothers had no tie to terrorist groups, but Tamerlan's relationship with Misha could be a clue in understanding the motives behind his religious transformation and, ultimately, the attack itself.

Elmirza Khozhugov, 26, the ex-husband of Tamerlan's sister, Ailina, said Tamerlan was idolised by his siblings.

"You could always hear his younger brother and sisters say, 'Tamerlan said this,' and 'Tamerlan said that.' Dzhokhar loved him. He would do whatever Tamerlan would say," he said.

Tamerlan (L) boxes at the 2009 Golden Gloves

Mr Khozhugov, who now lives in Almaty, Kazakhstan, said he was close to Tamerlan when he was married and they kept in touch for a while but drifted apart in recent years.

"Of course I was shocked and surprised that he was Suspect No 1," Mr Khozhugov said, recalling the days after the bombing when the FBI identified Tamerlan as a suspect.

"But after a few hours of thinking about it, I thought it could be possible that he did it."

The Tsarnaev brothers, who were ethnic Chechens, were raised in a home that followed Sunni Islam, the religion's largest sect.

They were not regulars at the mosque and rarely discussed religion, Mr Khozhugov said.

Tamerlan is seen here with little brother Dzhokhar and their sisters

Then, in 2008 or 2009, Tamerlan met Misha, who the family described as slightly older, heavyset and bald with a long reddish beard.

"Misha was important," Mr Khozhugov said. "Tamerlan was searching for something. He was searching for something out there."

Mr Khozhugov did not know where they had met but believed they attended a Boston-area mosque together.

Misha was an Armenian native and a convert to Islam and quickly began influencing his new friend, family members said.

Mr Tsarni made a public appeal to his nephew when he was on the run

Once, Mr Khozhugov said, Misha came to the family home outside Boston and sat in the kitchen, chatting with Tamerlan for hours.

"Misha was telling him what is Islam, what is good in Islam, what is bad in Islam," said Mr Khozhugov, who said he was present for the conversation.

"This is the best religion and that's it. Mohammed said this and Mohammed said that."

The conversation continued until Tamerlan's father, Anzor, came home from work around midnight.

"His father comes in and says, 'Why is Misha here so late and still in our house?' He asked it politely. Tamerlan was so much into the conversation he didn't listen."

Mr Khozhugov said Tamerlan's mother, Zubeidat, told him not to worry.

"'They're talking about religion and good things. Misha is teaching him to be good and nice," Mr Khozhugov recalled the mother saying.

Dzhokhar remains in Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre

As time went on, Anzor became so concerned about his son that he called his brother, worried about Misha's effects.

"I heard about nobody else but this convert. The seed for changing his views was planted right there in Cambridge," Mr Tsarni said.

Last week, Mr Tsarni made a public appeal for Dzhokhar to turn himself in when he was still at large following his brother's death.

Since the attacks, Anzor has insisted his sons are innocent and the attacks were orchestrated to frame them. Other members of the extended family have made similar claims.

"It's a set-up, a political order, a Hollywood show," Anzor said.

But two US officials have confirmed that Tamerlan, who was married with a young daughter, became an ardent reader of jihadist websites and extremist propaganda.

Lawyers for Katherine Tsarnaeva, Tamerlan's widow, say she is doing everything she can to assist authorities.

In a statement her legal team said Tsarnaeva, a Muslim convert, and her family were in shock when they learned of allegations against her husband and brother-in-law.

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Chinese Hacking Suspects 'Back In Business'

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

A group of Chinese hackers suspected of being behind a cyber-attack on the New York Times earlier this year may be restarting their campaign.

BAE Systems, the defence contractor, says it has unearthed evidence that indicates the group is active for the first time since February, when the hackers were accused of being linked to a Chinese military unit in Shanghai.

Although the connection has not been proven, the hacking group went immediately quiet on the day the allegation was made. Now analysts believe the hackers are ready to strike again.

David Garfield, managing director of cyber security at Detica, a BAE Systems subsidiary, told Sky News: "The activity we have detected indicates that the espionage group was lying low until the attention around their activities died down, before getting back to 'business-as-usual'.

"Detica researchers have obtained a copy of malware that has all the hallmarks of being crafted by this espionage group.

"This malware was created in the last week and contains a PDF which contains the agenda of an upcoming US defence conference which is consistent with the mode of operation of these particular attackers.

"The conference, taking place at the end of this month, fits with the style of event which is commonly used as a 'lure' for this group, and others of its kind."

Informal hacking groups operate differently to state-sponsored cyber units

For four months, towards the end of 2012 and into early 2013, hackers repeatedly infiltrated the New York Times, obtaining staff passwords among other things.

Security consultants found that some of the attacks were being routed through US universities to divert the blame away from the source, a method commonly associated with Chinese hackers.

The newspaper said the attacks were probably motivated by work reporters had been carrying out concerning senior figures in the Chinese government.

In February the American computer security company Mandiant published several years of research which it claimed pinpointed the hacking to one building in the Pudong district of Shanghai.

The building was reportedly the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army Unit 61398.

Mandiant represents the cyber-security interests of several major multinational companies, all of whom believe they are the victims of Chinese hackers.

The HQ said by Mandiant to be the source of much hacking (Pic: City8.com)

On Monday, the Chinese army's chief of the general staff, General Fang Fenghui, was asked about cyber security at a rare news conference with the visiting US chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Martin Dempsey.

General Fang issued an alarming warning on the dangers of hacking.

"Cybersecurity, if it is uncontrolled, the effects can be, and I don't exaggerate, at times no less than a nuclear bomb," General Fang said.

General Fang also reiterated a longstanding Chinese government assertion that China is also a victim of cyber attacks and that it is "strongly against any kind of cyber attacks".

China is not the only country connected with cyber attacks - the US, Russia, Israel and Iran are all suspected of developing cyber weapons. Most Western countries are believed to be doing the same.

Both BAE Systems Detica and Mandiant have commercial interests in highlighting the dangers of cyber crime.

The Chinese government has not responded to the latest allegations.

:: The Syrian Electronic Army has made an uncorroborated claim that it hacked the Twitter feed of the Associated Press news organisation. On Tuesday, the AP feed falsely stated that an attack on the White House had left the US president injured.

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Boston Bombings: Emotional Silent Tribute

Boston has held a minute's silence to remember the victims of the marathon bombings, after hundreds of people packed a church for the funeral of Krystle Campbell.

Later in the day, a memorial service was held at Boston University for another victim, Lu Lingzi, a graduate student from China.

Ms Campbell, 29, died with Ms Lu, 23, and Martin Richard, eight, last Monday when the devices exploded near the finish line of the race in the heart of the city.

Ms Campbell, a restaurant manager, died in Monday's blasts

People across the city had been asked to take part in the silent tribute at 7.50pm local time - exactly a week after the first of the deadly blasts went off.

At one spot near the scene of the attacks, hundreds lowered their heads and many prayed.

Hundreds of Ms Campbell's friends and family paid their respects earlier at St Joseph's Church, in her home town of Medford, north of Boston.

Dozens had to be turned away from the church and stood outside because the venue was full.

One mourner, Marishi Charles, said Ms Campbell's parents were too distraught to talk, so pastor Chip Hines spoke for them during the service, saying: "Krystle was always there for people."

Hundreds of people lined the streets to honour Ms Campbell

At a wake on Sunday, well-wishers waited in a line lasting up to an hour to view photographs from throughout the young restaurant manager's life.

In the confused aftermath of the attacks, Ms Campbell's parents had been mistakenly told that their daughter - who had gone to watch a friend finish the race - was one of those being treated by medics. They later learned she was in fact among the dead.

Her mother, Patty, paid an emotional tribute last week, saying: "She was a wonderful person and everyone who knew her loved her.

"She was always smiling and was such a hard-worker in everything she did. This just doesn't make any sense."

Later in the day, Ms Lu's memorial service was held at Boston University where she was described as a sweet-hearted woman who was passionate about piano, her studies and loving life.

Ms Lu was remembered for her love of life

Hundreds of people including Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick attended the service hosted by the university on Monday.

Ms Lu, from Shenyang in northeast China, studied statistics at the university. Friends and faculty say she was an exceptional student with a bubbly personality.

Boston University has launched a scholarship fund in Ms Lu's name.

More than 180 others were hurt in the attacks, at least 14 of whom lost all or part of a limb. Doctors have said all of those injured now appear likely to survive.

There are 51 people in hospital, with three in a critical condition - including a police officer who nearly bled to death in a shoot-out with the suspects.

Sky's Mike McCarthy, close to the scene of the blasts in Boston, reports messages of support and floral tributes have been left by visitors from all over the world.

Martin Richard was the youngest to die in the bombing

Law enforcement officials say two brothers, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev - ethnic Chechens from Russia - planted the devices among spectators at the race before they were tracked down later in the week.

After Tamerlan, 26, was killed in the gunfight in the early hours of Friday, 19-year-old Dzhokhar escaped, triggering a manhunt that brought Boston grinding to a halt.

It ended with the teenager's capture in a boat parked next to a house. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the neck.

The motive for the bombings remains unclear but Tsarnaev, who is unable to talk because of the throat injury, has been able to write responses to questions from his hospital bed and has now been charged over the attacks.

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Boston Bomb Suspect Charged In Hospital Bed

The surviving Boston marathon bomb suspect has been charged with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction - as he and his brother are accused of bragging about the attacks to a car-jacking victim.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his dead brother Tamerlan said to the motorist they abducted while on the run: "Did you hear about the Boston explosion" and "I did that", court papers revealed.

The allegations emerged after Dzhokhar, 19, was charged over the deadly attacks while in his hospital bed.

He remains in a serious condition after being detained on Friday.

He will also face a charge of malicious destruction of property resulting in death, the Justice Department said. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

Dzhokhar leaves the boat he was hiding in

Court papers also revealed Dzhokhar had apparent gunshot wounds to his head, neck, legs and hand when he was arrested at the end of a major manhunt, hours after escaping police in a shoot-out that left his 26-year-old brother dead.

Dzhokhar is being treated at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, where some of those wounded in the blasts are also being treated.

Earlier reports said he was unable to speak because of an injury to his throat, but that he was able to respond to questions from investigators by writing down the answers.

Three people died and more than 180 others were injured in the twin blasts at the marathon, the worst bombing to take place in the US since 9/11.

Family photos have emerged showing Tamerlan here with his parents and uncle Tamerlan is seen here with little brother Dzhokhar and their sisters

After Tamerlan was killed early on Friday, Dzhokhar escaped, triggering an hours-long manhunt that shut down Boston.

It ended with the teenager's capture in a boat parked in a back yard late on Friday night.

It has also emerged police chiefs believe the Tsarnaev brothers were planning further attacks.

Commissioner Ed Davis said officers found a large stockpile of weapons and more than 250 rounds of ammunition at the scene of the earlier gun battle.

"They had IEDs," he said, referring to improvised explosives devices. "They had homemade hand grenades that they were throwing at the officers.

A forensics team examines the boat on Monday

"The scene was loaded with unexploded improvised explosive devices that actually we had to point out to the arriving officers and clear the area."

He said one IED was found in the car-jacked Mercedes the brothers had abandoned. Court papers also revealed a "large pyrotechnic" and white cap matching surveillance footage near the scene of the attacks were found in Dzhokhar's dormitory room.

Meanwhile, a lawyer for Tamerlan's wife, Katherine Russell Tsarnaev, has said US authorities have also asked to speak with his client.

Amato DeLuca said Mrs Russell Tsarnaev did not suspect her husband of anything, and nothing seemed amiss after the explosions.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a gunfight - his wife apparently knew nothing

The Tsarnaevs were ethnic Chechens who had been living in the US for a decade.

Dzhokhar became a US citizen in 2012, while his older brother's application was reportedly held up.

Tamerlan began posting militant videos on social media sites in recent years, and travelled to Dagestan, which borders Chechnya, in 2012. Both Russian regions host separatist rebel groups.

The brothers' social media pages appeared to express sympathy with the struggle in Chechnya, which has been ravaged by two wars since 1994 between Russia and increasingly Islamist-leaning separatist rebels.

Three people were killed in the twin bombings

The White House has said that as a naturalised US citizen, Tsarnaev will not be treated as an "enemy combatant", which would have involved a military tribunal. Instead he will be prosecuted through the criminal court system and is expected to appear in court on May 30.

Many in Boston have observed a moment of silence exactly a week after the first of two bombs went off near the marathon finish line.

A private funeral has been held for Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old restaurant worker who was among the dead, on Monday.

Later in the day, a memorial service was held at Boston University for another victim, Lu Lingzi, 23, a graduate student from China.

The youngest person to die was eight-year-old Martin Richard, while police officer Sean Collier was killed during a confrontation with the suspects in the early hours of Friday.

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Injuries As French Embassy Attacked In Libya

The French embassy in Libya has been damaged after a car bomb attack in the capital of Tripoli.

Officials have confirmed that two security guards were injured in the attack.

"There was an attack on the embassy. We think it was a booby-trapped car," a Libyan official said.

"There was a lot of damage and there are two guards wounded."

The blast destroyed a security wall and severely damaged the building when the blast occurred at about 7am local time.

Damaged cars and buildings opposite the French embassy

The French mission is located in a two-storey villa in the uptown Gargaresh area of Tripoli.

Journalist William Crisp, at the scene, told Sky News: "The engine block of the car landed quite a way from the embassy so it was quite a strong blast.

"The attack was in a sleepy, wealthy part of town. It was a middle-class neighbourhood."

The motive for the attack, the first assault launched on an embassy in the Libyan capital, was not immediately clear.

Smoke lingered in the area after the car bombing

A French source confirmed an attack against the embassy and said one guard was seriously wounded and another lightly hurt.

Buildings opposite the embassy were also damaged in the attack and two cars parked near the embassy were destroyed.

Libyan foreign minister Mohammed Abdel Aziz condemned the attack on the embassy, calling it a "terrorist act".

"We strongly condemn this act, which we regard as a terrorist act against a brother nation that supported Libya during the revolution" of 2011 that ousted the regime of Moamer Kadhafi, Abdel Aziz told AFP at the scene of the blast.

Sky News Foreign Editor Tim Marshall said: "It is another indication of how things are not doing well in Libya.

"The French would be a target, along with Britain, as they spearheaded regime change from the Gaddafi-era."

Two years after the country's civil war, Libya has struggled to maintain security, build a unified army and reign in its militias.

On the anniversary of the September 11 US attacks last year, armed men launched an assault on the US consulate in Benghazi, killing four US citizens including the ambassador to Libya.

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Boston Bombs Suspect 'Awake And Responding'

The surviving Boston marathon bomb suspect is beginning to respond to questions from investigators, reports say.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev remains in a critical but stable condition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, where some of the 180 people wounded in the blasts are also being treated.

The 19-year-old is said to have a wound to his throat - reportedly caused by a gunshot through his mouth that exited the back of his neck - which prevents him from speaking.

Tamerlan died in a gunfight

But major US news networks say he is responding to questions in writing.

He is under armed guard in hospital and federal prosecutors are preparing to file criminal charges against him.

Dzhokhar is also reported to have been shot in the leg during a shootout with law enforcement the night before his arrest.

His older brother and fellow suspect Tamerlan, 26, died in that gunfight.

A lawyer for Tamerlan's wife, Katherine Russell Tsarnaev, said US authorities have also asked to speak with his client.

Amato DeLuca said Mrs Russell Tsarnaev did not suspect her husband of anything, and nothing seemed amiss after the bombings.

He said she had been working 70 to 80 hours a week as a home health care aide while her husband cared for their daughter.

Mr DeLuca said on the day he died, Tamerlan was home when his wife left for work.

She found out he was a suspect when she heard about it on TV, he added.

After Tamerlan was killed early on Friday, Dzhokhar escaped, triggering an hours-long manhunt that shut down Boston.

Dzhokhar leaves the boat he was hiding in

It ended with the teenager's capture in a boat parked in a backyard late on Friday night.

It has also emerged police chiefs believe the Tsarnaev brothers were planning further attacks.

Commissioner Ed Davis said officers found a large stockpile of weapons and more than 250 rounds of ammunition at the scene of the earlier gun battle.

"They had IEDS," he said, referring to improvised explosives devices. "They had homemade hand grenades that they were throwing at the officers.

"The scene was loaded with unexploded improvised explosive devices that actually we had to point out to the arriving officers and clear the area."

There was a big manhunt for Dzhokhar who escaped after the first gun battle

He said one IED was found in a Mercedes the brothers had abandoned. "This was as dangerous as it gets in urban policing," Commissioner Davis said.

The city's residents have been asked to observe a moment of silence at 2:50pm today, exactly a week after the first of two bombs went off within seconds of each other near the marathon finish line.

Mr Davis said federal authorities were trying to track down how and where the two suspects obtained the firearms and explosive devices.

Three people were killed in the twin bombings

The two were ethnic Chechens who had been living in the United States for a decade.

Dzhokhar became a US citizen in 2012, while his older brother's application was reportedly held up.

Tamerlan began posting militant videos on social media sites in recent years, and travelled to Dagestan, which borders Chechnya, in 2012. Both Russian regions host separatist rebel groups.

The brothers' social media pages appeared to express sympathy with the struggle in Chechnya, which has been ravaged by two wars since 1994 between Russia and increasingly Islamist-leaning separatist rebels.

Three people died and more than 180 others were injured in the twin blasts at the marathon, the worst bombing to take place in the US since 9/11.

The Boston Red Sox, Major League Baseball and several affiliated organisations have contributed more than £400,000 to One Fund Boston, established to help people most affected by the blasts last Monday.

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Dutch Schools Closed After Shooting Threat

Schools in the Dutch university city of Leiden have been closed after police said they had received a "serious threat" of a shooting.

In a statement, police said they did not know who had made the threat, which was posted on a website, or which school had been targeted.

The statement added: "Police have received mention about a possible school shooting (being planned) in Leiden.

"In light of this serious threat, it has been decided not to take any risk and therefore all middle schools will remain closed on Monday."

Pupils and their parents have been warned to stay at home and an investigation is underway, police said.

Middle schools in the Netherlands cover the 12 to 16 age group and in Leiden there are at least 22 - some of them international.

The city, which is home to the country's oldest university, lies just northeast of The Hague.

In April 2011, a man armed with a semi-automatic rifle killed six people and injured at least 10 others when he opened fire on shoppers in a shopping centre in the nearby town of Alphen aan de Rijn.

The gunman, 24-year-old  Tristan van der Vlis, then killed himself.

In 1999, four students and a teacher were injured when a student fired 10 shots in a computer room at a school in the southern town of Veghel.

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Five Killed In Washington State Shooting

Five people have been killed in a shooting at an apartment complex south of Seattle, including a suspect who was shot by officers.

Police say officers responded to a 9:30pm emergency call at an apartment complex in Federal Way of shots being fired.

In addition to the possible suspect, the victims also include three other men and one woman.

There was no immediate word what set off the gunfire.

More follows...

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China: Sichuan Earthquake Kills At Least 179

By Mark Stone, China correspondent

At least 179 people are believed to have been killed and more than 6,700 injured after an earthquake struck China's province of Sichuan.

Chinese news agency Xinhua said the quake, measured at varying magnitudes between 6.6 and 7.0, struck at 8.02am local time close to the city of Ya'an in Lushan county and the epicentre had a depth of a little less than eight miles (13km).

It started landslides, destroyed buildings, and triggered a major rescue operation involving emergency services and more than 2,000 troops.

Residents take shelter in a public square in Chengdu

The rescue effort is understood to have been hampered by aftershocks and landslides. Some of the tremors which followed the main quake have been almost as strong.

According to local media reports, a vehicle carrying 17 soldiers fell off a cliff and into a river as it travelled to the epicentre. One soldier was killed and seven more injured, three seriously.

But extraordinary stories of survival are already emerging. According to one local media report, a mother managed to lift concrete weighing 50kg to rescue her son from the rubble.

Another report described how a woman gave birth at a bike shelter just a few hours after the quake hit. 

According to the People's Daily newspaper, fire-fighters dug out a mother holding her baby in her arms from the rubble. She survived, but her baby sadly died.

Tremors have been felt in neighbouring provinces and in the provincial capital city of Chengdu. Users of Weibo, China's microblogging service, have posted images of damaged buildings and described scenes of panic as residents rushed outside.

Lushan was hit just after 8am local time

A resident in Chengdu said he was on the 13th floor of a building when he felt the quake. The building shook for about 20 seconds and he saw tiles fall from nearby buildings.

Local seismologists registered the quake at magnitude 7.0 while the US Geological Survey (USGS) put it at 6.6.

The USGS said "significant" casualties were likely and "extensive damage is probable and disaster is likely widespread".

"Past events with this alert level have required a national or international-level response," it added.

Collapsed houses on a road leading from Ya'an city to Luzhou county

A Chinese General, flying over one area in a helicopter, told local media that as many as 50 percent of buildings in one area had collapsed.

China's new Premiere Li Keqiang is flying to the region to survey the damage. The quake is the first big test for the new Chinese leadership. Their ability to respond to it is likely to be scrutinised on an ever growing social media forum.

The epicentre is close to the location of the 2008 earthquake which killed 68,000 people. That quake had a greater magnitude of 7.9 but its epicentre was further underground.

Rescuers try to remove rocks blocking a road in Lushan county

The 2008 disaster destroyed large swathes of the province along with areas of neighbouring Shaanxi and Gansu. The government faced significant criticism for allowing badly constructed buildings to be erected and for covering up their failings.

International offers of assistance have already been received.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague sent the condolences of the nation.

An aerial view of damaged houses Lushan county

Mr Hague said: "Today's events will no doubt bring back terrible memories of the catastrophic earthquake in the same province in 2008.

"My thoughts are also with the Chinese authorities and the emergency services as they continue their rescue efforts. We are in contact with local authorities through our Consulate-General in Chongqing and will continue to follow the situation closely." 

The Russian President Vladimir Putin sent China's President Xi Jinping a telegram expressing his condolences and offering help.

Twin tremors in neighbouring Yunnan province last September triggered landslides that left at least 80 people dead.

A 5.5 magnitude quake in Yunnan last June killed four people and injured more than 100.

Another 5.4 tremor the year before near the border with Burma left 25 people dead and injured 250.

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Boston Bombing: Suspect Still Unable To Speak

Boston Marathon Blasts: Timeline

Updated: 11:14am UK, Saturday 20 April 2013

Here is a timeline of events from the Boston Marathon bombings to the death of one of the suspects and another one being taken into custody.

Monday, April 15 (Times are local)

2.50pm: An explosion takes place near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Around 10 seconds later, there is another blast about 100m further back down the same road, Boylston Street, also on the marathon route.

The explosions occurred four hours into the race and two hours after the men's winner had crossed the line, but thousands of runners were still on the course.

2.57pm: The Boston Globe's Twitter feed reports a witness hearing "two loud booms" near the finish line.

4.02pm: Two people have died and 23 injured in the explosions, Boston Police confirms via Twitter.

6.12pm: President Barack Obama addresses the nation, saying: "The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight."

8.49pm: At a news conference, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announces the FBI has taken over the investigation.

It is confirmed three people died as a result of the bombings and at least 100 others were hurt. The injury toll was later put at over 180.

Tuesday, April 16

Two victims of the blasts were identified as Martin Richard, eight, and 29-year-old Krystle Campbell.

Martin was waiting with his family to give his father a hug at the finish line when he died.

Restaurant manager Ms Campbell had gone with her best friend to take a picture of the friend's boyfriend crossing the finish when the bombs went off.

Wednesday, April 17

The third victim is identified as 23-year-old Chinese graduate student Lingzi Lu.

Boston University confirmed Ms Lu was studying mathematics and statistics there and was due to receive her degree in 2015.

It said she and two friends had been watching the marathon near the finish line. One of the friends, also a Boston University student, was injured while the other was unharmed, it added.

There are reports a suspect has been detained in connection with the explosions and is due to appear in court - but authorities said there had been no arrests.

The federal court in the city is evacuated due to a bomb scare but people are later allowed to return.

Thursday, April 18

Afternoon: Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attend an interfaith service at a Roman Catholic cathedral in Boston to remember the bombing victims. The president vows the attackers will face justice.

Evening: The FBI releases photos and video footage of two bombings suspects at the scene before the attacks.

One is pictured wearing a black baseball cap and a second had a white baseball cap on back to front.

Police say the suspects tried to rob a supermarket in Cambridge, across the river from Boston, on Thursday evening.  

10.20pm: Officers receive reports of shots fired on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus in Cambridge.

10.30pm: A police officer at MIT is found with gunshot wounds in his vehicle after being shot several times. He died in hospital.

The bomb suspects are suspected of carrying out the shooting.

They are then thought to have stolen a Mercedes car at gunpoint and later release its driver unharmed.

Friday, April 19

1am: Witnesses in Watertown near Boston report hearing multiple gunshots and explosions. The suspects reportedly threw explosives from the vehicle as police followed it into the area.

The suspects and police exchange gunfire, during which an officer is hurt.

Police say one of the two suspects in the MIT officer shooting, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, is dead. But his younger brother, Dzhokhar, remains at large. The pair are suspected of carrying out the bombings.

An extensive manhunt takes place in the Watertown area for Dzhokhar, who is said to be armed and dangerous.

Almost a million residents in Boston are warned to stay indoors and public transport is stopped as armed police search for Dzhokhar.

The two suspects are said to be from a Russian region near Chechnya and have lived in the US for at least one year.

6.60pm: Massachusetts Governor Patrick Deval announces the "stay indoors" order is being lifted, even though Dzhokhar remains in hiding.

Around the time the order is lifted, a flurry of gunfire breaks out in the community that is being searched. Law enforcement officials locate Dzhokhar in a boat parked behind a home.

8.45pm: Dzhokhar is taken into custody by police.

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Syria: US Offers Rebels $123m Non-Lethal Aid

The United States is providing Syrian rebels with $123m (£80m) in new non-lethal aid that may include body armour and other supplies.

The money will double the amount of non-lethal assistance to the Syrian opposition, as well as increase humanitarian aid.

The aid could include armoured vehicles, night vision goggles and advanced communications equipment.

Foreign ministers from the main supporters of the rebels trying to topple the Syrian government have been meeting in Istanbul to increase pressure on Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

The United Nations estimates the fighting in Syria has killed more than 70,000 people.

"The stakes in Syria couldn't be more clear," said US Secretary of State John Kerry.

"Chemical weapons, the slaughter of people by ballistic missiles and other weapons of huge destruction, the potential of a whole country ... being torn apart into enclaves, the potential of sectarian violence.

John Kerry meets Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul

"This bloodshed needs to stop and that's what brought us here tonight on Saturday and a very early Sunday morning to talk about the possibilities for peace and transition."

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers said they welcomed the Syrian National Coalition's "firm rejection of extremism and its commitment not to use chemical weapons".

They cited those commitments in agreeing to enhance and expand support for all coalition institutions.

The foreign ministers said they recognised the "need to change the balance of power on the ground" and welcomed the additional pledges and commitments to further increase the support to the Supreme Military Council.

The head of the council provided a military briefing during the meeting.

Syrian opposition leader Moaz al Khatib said: "Our revolution is for the entire Syrian people."

US President Barack Obama has said he has no plans to send weapons or give lethal aid to the rebels, despite pressure from Congress, some administration advisers and appeals from the Syrian opposition leadership.

Since February, the US has shipped food and medical supplies directly to the Free Syrian Army, but Mr Obama recently expanded the aid to include defensive military equipment.

Mr Kerry's announcement on Saturday was the first under that new authorisation.

So far, the US has provided an estimated $117m in non-lethal aid to the Syrian opposition.

Today, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel heads to Israel in a week-long trip to the Middle East that will be dominated by the Syrian conflict as well as the Iran's nuclear programme.

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