Cuba Bus Crash: Two UK Tourists Among Injured

Sixteen passengers, including two Britons, have been injured after a Cuban government-operated bus ran off the road and flipped over.

State-run newspaper Cinco de Septiembre said the crash occurred in the province of Cienfuegos on the route between Trinidad and Varadero, two popular tourist destinations.

The injured were listed as two Britons, two Czechs, four Dutch, one Filipino, one Irish and six Russians.

One of the injured passengers is taken to hospital

Cinco de Septiembre said three of the tourists were thought to be in a serious condition.

Two have reportedly undergone surgery and are in intensive care.

Carlos Mendoza, a doctor attending to the injured passengers, confirmed that three people were in hospital but added that "at this time there are no life-threatening injuries".

Emergency services attending the scene

Other wounds included broken collarbones and minor lesions.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a statement: "We are aware of a bus crash involving British nationals between Trinidad and Varadero in Cuba on the evening of July 4.

"Our embassy in Havana is in close contact with local authorities. Consular officials are on their way to the area to provide assistance if needed."

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Egypt Clashes Turn Deadly As Troops Open Fire

By Dominic Waghorn, Sky News Correspondent, in Cairo

At least 30 people in Egypt have died in fierce clashes between supporters and opponents of deposed president Mohamed Morsi.

Supporters of the former leader marched to the Cairo barracks of the Republican Guard chanting "down with military rule" after a Muslim Brotherhood rally at the city's Rabea al Adaweya mosque.

Shots were fired as protesters hung pictures of Mr Morsi on a barbed wire barrier around the military complex. At least three demonstrators were shot by the military.

Downtown Cairo witnessed the same street battles played out two-and-a-half years ago, this time with Morsi supporters fighting their enemies with rocks, clubs and fireworks. One person was killed in their clashes.

A pro-Morsi crowd crossed the Sixth Of October bridge heading towards Tahrir Square, provoking a fierce confrontation.

The Egyptian army said troops were responding only with blank rounds and tear gas.

An anti-Morsi protester with evidence of gun cartridges

However, anti-Morsi youths showed Sky News what their enemies had done to them, brandishing used shotgun cartridges and pellet wounds.

"They are terrorists and we should get rid of them," they said. "They're using automatic weapons and shotguns."

The atmosphere was febrile. Changing in a second. Turning from triumphant to panicked, as the crowd scattered thinking their attackers had returned.

"The Muslim Brotherhood is coming here beating us shooting us," said one man. "We're here, we're alone and we need someone to  help us."

Egyptian elite soldiers guard a military building in Cairo

As if to answer him, military armoured personnel carriers appeared from the gloom.

But this isn't a conflict against foreign invaders, it's between Egyptians.

The anti-Morsi crowd screamed curses against the ousted president venting their fury, and relief then turned against us, the Sky News crew, mistaking us for Americans.

A hurried explanation gave us time to escape.

There are now two armies of protesters on the streets of Cairo - enraged and out for vengeance, determined to prevail.

Violence also erupted in cities of southern Egypt, along the Suez Canal and in the Nile Delta, with officials reporting more than 200 people injured. Four were killed in the northern Sinai city of el Arish, where Islamists stormed a government building.

More than 200 people have been wounded nationwide, according to officials

State TV quoted the country's health ministry saying 30 people had died nationwide, including 12 people in clashes in Alexandria. Most of the fatalities were from gunshot wounds.

It came after the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies called for protesters to take to the streets on the Muslim day of prayer for what it described as a "Friday of Rage".

The leader of the Brotherhood called for followers to remain peaceful but he vowed to restore power to Mr Morsi, who was ousted in a military coup earlier this week, a year after being elected to office.

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Snowden Offered Asylum In Two Countries

US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden has been told he could be welcomed in Nicaragua and Venezuela after applying to another six countries for asylum.

Speaking at a public event, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said his government was willing to grant political asylum to the former NSA contractor "if circumstances permit it".

He added: "We are open, respectful of the right to asylum, and it is clear that if circumstances permit it, we would receive Snowden with pleasure and give him asylum here in Nicaragua.

"We have the sovereign right to help a person who felt remorse after finding out how the United States was using technology to spy on the whole world, and especially its European allies."

Mr Ortega said his government had received an asylum application at its embassy in Moscow.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made the same promise during a speech marking the anniversary of Venezuela's independence.

He said: "As head of state, the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela decided to offer humanitarian asylum to the young American Edward Snowden so that he can live (without) ... persecution from the empire.

It was not immediately clear if there were any conditions to Venezuela's offer.         

Snowden is believed to be holed up at a Moscow airport looking for a country that will give him safe haven as the US wants to extradite him to face espionage charges.

The 30-year-old has previously asked 21 countries for asylum but most said he must be on their soil for his application to be accepted.

WikiLeaks revealed he had applied to more countries.

A tweet from the anti-secrecy website said: "Edward Snowden has applied to another six countries for asylum.

"They will not be named at this time due to attempted US interference."

The message appeared to be an allusion to the drama surrounding the flight of Bolivian President Evo Morales, whose plane was recently abruptly rerouted to Austria over suspicions Snowden was aboard.

Washington has revoked the passport of Snowden, who is seeking to evade US justice for leaking details about a vast US electronic surveillance programme to collect phone and Internet data.

He also revealed evidence of the spying activities of British eavesdropping agency GCHQ - including its scanning of vast amounts of emails and other internet traffic by tapping cable networks.

A bid by Snowden for Icelandic citizenship failed when the country's parliament voted not to debate it before the summer recess.

Russia has shown signs of growing impatience over Snowden's stay in the country.

Its deputy foreign minister said on Thursday that Snowden had not sought asylum in the country and needed to choose a place to go.

Moscow has made clear that the longer he stays, the greater the risk of the diplomatic standoff over his fate causing lasting damage to relations with Washington.

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Egyptians Celebrate Revolutionary Encore

By Dominic Waghorn, in Cairo

Elated crowds thronged Tahrir Square and let loose fireworks into the night sky as they celebrated what they say is a second revolution.

One young protester told Sky News: "I feel proud, I feel happy I feel relieved that Egypt has changed a regime, a very fascist regime, to a multi-party regime, hopefully a democratic one."

In numbers rivalling those that saw off Hosni Mubarak two and a half years ago, protesters gathered all day as they have since last week, in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and other towns.

Even among those who voted for Mr Morsi, there was an impatience to see him go.

Farmer Mansour told Sky News he bitterly regrets helping to put him in power because, he said, life has only got worse.

He said: "There's no gas to make our machines work, and all the plants die, what can people do, kids have no milk, no medicine, nothing."

Protesters concede Mr Morsi was voted president in elections, but accuse him of hijacking their revolution for his own ends.

They hope their revolutionary encore gives Egypt a second chance. But there were many expressing fear about the consequences, worried the Muslim Brotherhood will now take violent revenge.

There was a profound and surreal sense of deja vu about the events in Cairo to those of us who witnessed the first revolution.

But this is different. Instead of removing a dictator, the people and the military have deposed an elected president.

Egypt remains divided and its revolution in crisis, and violence seems likely.

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Syria's Assad Gloats Over Morsi's Fall

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has hailed the fall of "political Islam" in Egypt as he fights an armed opposition movement at home.

"What is happening in Egypt is the fall of what is known as political Islam," Assad said in an interview with Syrian state newspaper Ath Thawra, excerpts of which were posted on an official Facebook page.

"Anywhere in the world, whoever uses religion for political aims, or to benefit some and not others, will fall.

"You can't fool all the people all the time, let alone the Egyptian people who have a civilisation that is thousands of years old, and who espouse clear, Arab nationalist thought.

"After a whole year, reality has become clear to the Egyptian people. The Muslim Brotherhood's performance has helped them see the lies the (movement) used at the start of the popular revolution in Egypt."

Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi - who was forced from power by a military coup just a year after being elected - had recently called for a "holy war" in Syria during a rally he attended with Sunni leaders.

The two-year uprising against the rule of Assad's family - which is largely secular but from the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam - has largely pitted rebels from the country's Sunni majority against the regime.

There is long-standing animosity between Damascus and the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Mr Morsi is a leader, and membership of the group has been punishable by death in Syria since the 1980s.

Assad's late father, Hafez al Assad, used the military to crush an armed insurgency against his rule led by the Muslim Brotherhood, killing many thousands in the conservative city of Hama.

The city became a centre of the demonstrations against the younger Assad in March 2011.

The Syrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood today plays a key role in the exiled opposition National Coalition, which is recognised by more than 100 states and organisations as legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

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Egypt Military Coup Ousts President Morsi

Deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi is being detained by the country's army amid suggestions he could face charges.

Celebrations in Cairo's Tahrir Square greeted news of the elected Islamist leader's forced exit, which also prompted clashes across Egypt that left at least 14 people dead.

Speaking after the head of the military announced fresh presidential and parliamentary elections, a senior army official said: "(Mr Morsi) is being held preventively for final preparations."

General Abdul Fatah Khalil al Sisi announces the overthrow of Mohamed Morsi

Mr Morsi was being detained at the defence ministry after he and his presidential team were initially held in the Presidential Republican Guards Club, according to a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Both the head and deputy chief of the Muslim Brotherhood have also been arrested, with warrants issued for 300 members of the political party.

In a televised address to the divided nation, commander of the armed forces, General Abdul Fatah Khalil al Sisi, said Mr Morsi had "failed to meet the demands of the Egyptian people" and would be replaced.

Flanked by military officials, Muslim and Christian clerics and political figures, he unveiled details of a political transition which had been agreed with them.

As the military coup got under way with the deployment of tanks and troops including commandos across the capital Cairo, the general declared a review and temporary suspension of the Egyptian constitution.

He also announced the appointment of Adli Mansour, the head of the supreme constitutional court, as interim head of state.

The acting leader will be assisted by an interim council and a technocratic government until new presidential and parliamentary elections are held, he said. No specific details were given as to when the new polls would take place.

Anti-Morsi protesters react to the army statement

The military chief also announced a national reconciliation committee that would include youth movements - and warned the armed forces and police would deal "decisively" with any violence.

"Those in the meeting have agreed on a road map for the future that includes initial steps to achieve the building of a strong Egyptian society that is cohesive and does not exclude anyone and ends the state of tension and division," he said.

President Barack Obama voiced his concern over the military intervention and urged a speedy return to a democratically elected government.

In a statement he said: " ... we are deeply concerned by the decision of the Egyptian Armed Forces to remove President Morsi and suspend the Egyptian constitution.

"I now call on the Egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process, and to avoid any arbitrary arrests of President Morsi and his supporters."

Muslim Brotherhood members and pro-Morsi supporters react in Cairo

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton condemned the bloodshed and called for a swift return to democracy.

"I urge all sides to rapidly return to the democratic process, including the holding of free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections and the approval of a constitution," she said.

Mr Morsi's overthrow followed the end of crisis talks after an army deadline for Mr Morsi to yield to mass nationwide demonstrations expired and he refused to step down.

Fireworks and flares were set off over Tahrir Square and near the presidential palace where tens of thousands of jubilant protesters against Mr Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood erupted into cheers on hearing the news, which they hailed as a "victory for the people".

"The people and the army are one hand," they shouted, dancing and waving flags amid the roar of chanting and car horns, and coloured confetti in the air.

One uniformed police officer waved his hands above his head and said: "Great Egypt is victorious. Egypt is victorious over the Brotherhood."

Supporters of the deposed president, who had gathered near Cairo University, were stunned into initial silence at the news.

A military helicopter above Tahrir Square

Elsewhere, four loyalists were killed in clashes with opponents in the northern city of Marsa Matrouh and police were forced to call for security reinforcements in Alexandria, where there was one fatality and 50 others wounded during violence.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sam Kiley, reporting from within a military cordon around Cairo University, said: "This is a miserable scene from the perspective of the Muslim Brotherhood's supporters.

"They cannot understand why it is possible to overthrow an elected president of the country simply by taking to the streets and holding loud demonstrations. They are also afraid that this could herald a crackdown against them."

The Muslim Brotherhood's TV station was taken off air and its managers arrested hours after Mr Morsi was overthrown.

The Egypt25 channel had been broadcasting live coverage of rallies by tens of thousands of pro-Morsi demonstrators in Cairo and around the country, with speeches by leading Brotherhood politicians denouncing the military intervention to oust the elected president.

Around 50 people have been killed in clashes between Mr Morsi supporters and opponents since Sunday.

The offices of Al Jazeera's Egyptian television channel were also reportedly raided by security forces and prevented from broadcasting from a pro-Morsi rally. Several members of staff were also reportedly detained.

Mr Morsi was told he was no longer in charge of the country at around 7pm (6pm UK time).

A soldier cheers with anti-Morsi protesters

In a statement on his official Facebook page, he condemned the army's announcement as a "full military coup".

He had spent the day working at a Republican Guard barracks where barbed wire and barriers were erected by soldiers.

Egyptian security forces earlier revealed orders banning Mr Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood chief Mohammed Badie and his deputy Khairat al Shater from travelling abroad had been issued to airport officials.

Troops had also taken up positions in the presidential palace as well as state TV buildings in Cairo, blocking any presidential statements from going out.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK did not support military intervention and called for restraint in Egypt.

"The situation is clearly dangerous and we call on all sides to show restraint and avoid violence," he said.

"We continue to advise British citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Egypt apart from the Red Sea resorts, and to monitor travel advice from the Foreign Office.

"The United Kingdom does not support military intervention as a way to resolve disputes in a democratic system."

Mr Morsi was democratically elected to office just over a year ago after the toppling of autocrat Hosni Mubarak as Arab Spring uprisings took hold in early 2011.

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Indonesia: Earthquake Kills 22 And Hurts 200

An earthquake has killed at least 22 people and injured more than 200 in Indonesia.

Some of those who died were caught in a landslide or collapsing buildings

The 6.1 magnitude quake damaged more than 1,500 houses and buildings in Aceh province.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said 12 people were killed and 70 others were injured by a landslide or collapsing buildings in the worst-hit area of Bener Meriah.

More than 1,500 buildings have been damaged in the quake

He said 10 more people were killed and 140 injured in the neighbouring Central Aceh district, where around 1,500 houses and buildings were damaged.

Bener Meriah deputy district chief Rusli Saleh said rescuers were continuing to look for people trapped in the debris.

Rescuers have been scouring the rubble for survivors

"We are now concentrating on searching for people who may be trapped under the rubble," he said.

Bensu Elianita, a 22-year-old resident of Bukit Sama village in Central Aceh district, said: "I see many houses were damaged and their roofs fell on to some people.

People were see running from their homes in panic

"Many people were injured, but it is difficult to evacuate them due to traffic jams."

She said people in the village ran out of their homes in panic and screamed for help. At least two houses were totally flattened, she said, and the village suffered a power cut.

Traffic jams reportedly delayed the evacuation of residents

The quake also caused concern among officials attending a meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Medan, the capital of neighbouring North Sumatra province. They were escorted from the second-floor meeting room by security officers.

Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Ocean.

In 2004, a magnitude-9.1 earthquake off Aceh triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 14 countries.

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Zimmerman Injuries 'Insignificant', Court Hears

George Zimmerman need not have feared for his life before he shot and killed unnarmed teenager Trayvon Martin as his injuries were "insignificant", a medical examiner has said.

Valerie Rao said she reviewed Zimmerman's medical records and the pictures of his injuries taken at a police station after the confrontation in a gated community in Sanford, Florida.

"They were not life-threatening. They were very insignificant," she told the jury.

Zimmerman, 29, claimed he shot Trayvon in self-defence after the 17-year-old punched him in the face and repeatedly slammed his head into the pavement.

Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda questions detective Serino

Ms Rao said Zimmerman's injuries were consistent with one blow to the face and one impact with the concrete.

Earlier, judge Debra Nelson told the jury to ignore comments by detective Chris Serino after he said he found Zimmerman's account of how he got into a fight with Trayvon credible.

Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda argued the statement was improper because one witness is not allowed to give an opinion on the credibility of another.

Defence attorney Mark O'Mara had argued it was Detective Serino's job to decide whether Zimmerman was telling the truth.

But the judge agreed with Mr de la Rionda.

The prosecutor went on to question the police officer about his opinion that Zimmerman did not display any ill will or spite to Trayvon.

Prosecutors must prove there was ill will, spite or a depraved mind by the defendant to get a second-degree murder conviction.

Mr de la Rionda then played back Zimmerman's call to police to report the teen walking through his gated community in which the neighbourhood watch volunteer uses an expletive and refers to "punks".

George Zimmerman stands with his defence team

The detective conceded that Zimmerman's choice of words could be interpreted as being spiteful.

The prosecutor also challenged Mr Serino's contention that Zimmerman's story did not have any major inconsistencies.

Zimmerman claimed he spread out the teen's arms after he shot him. But a photo taken immediately after the shooting shows Trayvon's arms under his body.

"Is that inconsistent with the defendant's statement he spread the arms out?" Mr de la Rionda asked.

"That position, yes it is," Mr Serino said, though he later noted that Zimmerman's description was consistent with the medical examiner's report.

Also on Tuesday, the prosecution called Mark Osterman, a federal air marshal who described Zimmerman as "the best friend I've ever had".

He testified that he spoke with Zimmerman both the night of and the day after the shooting.

Mr Osterman later wrote a book about his recollections of what Zimmerman told him.

Under questioning by Mr de la Rionda, Mr Osterman said that Zimmerman told him Trayvon had grabbed his gun during their struggle, but that Zimmerman was able to pull it away.

That account is different from what Zimmerman told investigators in multiple interviews when he only said it appeared Trayvon was reaching for his gun prior to the shooting. He never told police the teen grabbed it.

"I thought he had said he grabbed the gun," Mr Osterman said. "I believe he said he grabbed the gun."

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Egyptian President 'Will Resign Or Be Sacked'

Egypt Since Morsi Came To Power

Updated: 10:24am UK, Tuesday 02 July 2013

Key developments over the year since Mohamed Morsi became Egypt's first democratically elected president.

:: 2012

June 30: Mr Morsi, elected with 51.7% of the vote, is sworn and becomes Egypt's first civilian and Islamist president.

August 12: The new president scraps a constitutional document that gave sweeping powers to the military and sacks Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi who ruled after Hosni Mubarak's ousting in February, 2011.

November 22: Mr Morsi decrees sweeping new powers for himself.

November 30: Islamist-dominated constituent assembly adopts a draft constitution despite boycott by liberals, Christians.

December 8: The president annuls the decree giving himself increased powers.

December 15 and 22: 64% of voters in a two-round referendum back the new constitution. Egypt plunges into political crisis, with demonstrations by Morsi supporters and opponents sometimes turning deadly.

:: 2013

January 24: There is violence between demonstrators and police on the eve of the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Mubarak. Nearly 60 people die in a week.

April 5: Four Christians and a Muslims are killed in sectarian violence.

May 7: President Morsi's cabinet reshuffle falls short of opposition demands.

May 16: Gunmen kidnap three policemen and four soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula. They are freed on May 22.

June 2: Egypt's highest court invalidates the Islamist-dominated Senate, which assumed a legislative role when parliament was dissolved, and a panel that drafted the constitution.

June 15: Morsi announces "definitive" severing of ties with Syria.

June 21: Tens of thousands of Islamists gather ahead of planned opposition protests.

June 23: Defence Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warns the army will intervene if violence erupts.

June 28: The US says non-essential embassy staff can leave after an American is killed during protests.

June 29: The Tamarod ('rebellion') campaign which called rallies for June 30 says more than 22 million have signed a petition demanding Mr Morsi's resignation and a snap election.

June 30: Tens of thousands of Egyptians take to the streets nationwide determined to oust the president on the anniversary of his turbulent first year in power. At least 16 people die in protests across the country.

July 1: The opposition gives President Morsi a day to quit or face civil disobedience. The Tamarod calls on "the army, the police and the judiciary to clearly side with the popular will as represented by the crowds".

Egypt's armed forces warn that it will intervene if the people's demands are not met within 48 hours.

July 2: The presidency rejects the army's ultimatum, saying it will pursue his own plans for national reconciliation.

Foreign minister Kamel Amr becomes the sixth member of Mr Morsi's cabinet to resign.

US President Barack Obama calls on Mr Morsi to respond to the protests and resolve the crisis through "political process".

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Egypt: Seven Killed As Protests Turn Violent

At least seven people have been killed in Egypt and more than 600 wounded in clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Morsi.

Five of the dead were shot in towns south of Cairo, one each in Beni Suef and Fayoum and three others in Assiut.

Two more people were killed by gunfire during an attack on the national headquarters of Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.

The attack came amid mass protests across Egypt calling for the Islamist president to resign.

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets as part of the demonstrations.

The protests are being held exactly a year since Mr Morsi came to power.

Some 500,000 people descended on Cairo's Tahrir Square, the heart of the 2011 uprising against Mr Morsi's predecessor Hosni Mubarak.

Other demonstrations have been held outside the presidential palace several miles away, which was under heavy guard.

Police and troops have deployed to protect key buildings around the country, security officials said. The health ministry said hospitals have been placed on high alert.

On Friday an American student, 21-year-old Andrew Pochter, was killed during clashes in the city of Alexandria.

A senior security official said the Suez Canal, the vital waterway that connects the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, has been placed under "maximum security".

Liberal leaders say nearly half the voting population - 22 million people - have signed a petition calling for change. Mr Morsi's opponents have promised a "second revolution".

But the president's Muslim Brotherhood and militant allies pledge to defend what they say is the legitimate order.

Mr Morsi has called his opponents bad losers backed by "thugs" from the rule of deposed Mr Mubarak.

He is banking on the "Tamarud - Rebel!" coalition fizzling out, as other challenges in the streets have done since he took power.

US President Barack Obama has called on Egyptians to focus on dialogue. His ambassador to Egypt has angered the opposition by suggesting protests are not helping the economy.

Liberal leaders, fractious and defeated in a series of ballots last year, hope that by putting millions on the streets they can force Mr Morsi to relent.

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Brazil Protests: Violence Mars Cup Final

Molotov cocktails were hurled at police as violence broke out before the Confederations Cup final match in Brazil.

Police responded by firing tear gas and shock grenades at the crowd as the protests turned violent.

One protester who did not give her name described the police response as an "embarrassment" to Brazil.

Protesters at a security line near the entry to Maracana Stadium

"You can't do anything. You can't protest. You know why? Because our government has no shame," the protester said.

More than 5,000 demonstrators marched near the Maracana stadium, where Brazil defeated Spain 3-0 in the Confederations Cup final.

They vented their anger about the billions of dollars the Brazilian government is spending on major sporting events, rather than on public services.

Federal police in riot gear stand guard outside the stadium

"We are here protesting for a greater investment in health and education, for people to have their citizen's rights and not only football, beer and samba," said Juliana Silva, one of the protesters.

Though smaller in size, the march was the latest in a wave of protests that has spread across the country in recent weeks.

Many are calling the protest movement the biggest seen in Brazil in decades, with more than one million people having taken to the streets nationwide on the night of June 20.

The protests triggered a fall in President Dilma Rousseff's approval rating

The demonstrations have dwindled in size and frequency in recent days as officials from all levels of government have scrambled to calm public anger with poor public services and a heavy tax burden.

The first national poll conducted after the protests ignited showed a steep drop in President Dilma Rousseff's approval rating and throws in doubt what had seemed an easy re-election next year.

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Nineteen Firefighters Die In Arizona Wildfire

A team of 19 elite firefighters have been killed while battling a fast-moving wildfire in Arizona.

The firefighters, 18 of whom are believed to have been from the specially-trained Granite Mountain Hotshots, were caught by the blaze near the central town of Yarnell.

They were hailed as "heroes" by US President Barack Obama, who said they "selflessly put themselves in harm's way to protect the lives and property of fellow citizens they would never meet".

The firefighters were confronted by a fast-moving blaze

The wildlife is the deadliest involving fatalities to fire crews since a blaze at Griffith Park, Los Angeles, nearly 70 years ago, according to figures from the National Fire Protection Association.

"We're devastated," Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo said. "We've just lost 19 of the finest people you'll ever meet."

Hotshot crews often hike long distances and carry chainsaws and backpacks filled with heavy gear to build lines of protection between people and fires.

They were forced to deploy their emergency shelters when confronted by the blaze.

"One of the last fail safe methods that a firefighter can do under those conditions is literally to dig as much as they can down and cover themselves with a protective … fire-resistant material," Mr Frajo said.

"The hope at least is that the fire will burn over the top of them and they can survive it. Under certain conditions there's ... a 50% chance they survive.

"It's an extreme measure that's taken under the absolute worst conditions."

Messages of condolence for the families of those who died have been left on a Facebook page set up in their memory.

Strong winds and low humidity allowed the blaze to spread quickly

"This awful tragedy really reminds us how dangerous a job firefighters have," wrote Lakyn Spivey. "They go to work every day to save lives, not knowing if they themselves will be coming home that day."

Natalie Minafore added: "My son is a firefighter and I cannot imagine the heartache these families must feel. These men are heroes."

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer said the state had endured "as dark a day" as she could remember.

"It may be days or longer before an investigation reveals how this tragedy occurred, but the essence we already know in our hearts is that fighting fires is dangerous work," she said.

Hundreds of homes have been destroyed by the fire

According to local newspaper The Republic, around 250 homes - roughly half the town of Yarnell - were destroyed by the wildlife.

Federal government is assisting and President Obama pledged to provide state and local officials with all the support they need.

The blaze, which broke out on Friday, is thought to have been triggered by a lightning strike.

Hot, gusty winds blew the fire out of control over the weekend, as flames ripped through 2,000 acres of dry land.

More follows...

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Militant With $5m Bounty Killed By Own Group

Two top Islamist militants in Somalia, including one with a $5m (£3.2m) US bounty on his head, have been killed by members of their own extremist group.

The pair - Ibrahim Haji Jama Mead, better known as Al Afghani, and Abul Hamid Hashi Olhayi - were both co-founders of al Shabaab which is linked to al Qaeda.

Afghani, who was wanted by the US and got his nickname due to his training and fighting with militants in Afghanistan, opposed the command of top al Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane.

Godane, who America has offered a $7m (£4.6m) bounty for, ordered Afghani and at least a dozen other leaders to be arrested earlier this month, reported the AFP news agency, citing security sources.

Al Shabaab gunmen also killed Olhayi, named as another senior commander.

"We have informed their widows of their deaths, as they must now wear the clothes of mourning," the group's spokesman Abdulaziz Abu Musab told AFP.

The deaths show the splits in the long-running insurgency to topple the internationally-backed government.

But the killings also signalled Godane's efforts to sweep away opposition to his command and cement his more radical leadership.

Family members - including Afghani's sister - said the pair were arrested and then executed, but al Shabaab said they were killed during a gun battle.

"We deny reports that the men were killed after capture," Musab told AFP.

"The two men were killed in a shoot-out when they were resisting arrest on court orders."

Al Shabaab is fractured into multiple rival factions, some based along clan lines and others ideological.

Some are more attracted by a nationalist agenda to oust foreign forces from Somalia, while others - including Godane - have more international jihadi ambitions.

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Egypt Anniversary: Mass Demonstrations Expected

Mass demonstrations are expected across Egypt today - a year to the day since Mohamed Morsi came to power.

In Cairo, thousands of people gathered on Tahrir Square, the seat of the uprising of 2011. Others gathered outside the presidential palace several miles away, which was under heavy guard.

Liberal leaders say nearly half the voting population - 22 million people - have signed a petition calling for change.

But Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and militant allies pledge to defend what they say is the legitimate order.

Several people have been killed and hundreds wounded in days of street fighting across the country.

Yesterday, an American student who was killed during violent clashes in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, was identified as Andrew Pochter, 21, from Maryland.

Andrew Pochter was killed in Alexandria

Mr Morsi calls opponents bad losers backed by "thugs" from the rule of Hosni Mubarak.

He is banking on the "Tamarud - Rebel!" coalition fizzling out, as other challenges in the streets have done since he took power a year ago today.

An economic crisis deepened by unrest and political deadlock may spur many less partisan Egyptians to join the rallies, due to start in the afternoon in Cairo.

But many, too, are weary of turmoil and are sceptical that the opposition's demand to reset the rules of the new democracy is better than soldiering on.

Recent days have seen intense street fighting

US President Barack Obama called on Egyptians to focus on dialogue. His ambassador to Egypt has angered the opposition by suggesting protests are not helping the economy.

Liberal leaders, fractious and defeated in a series of ballots last year, hope that by putting millions on the streets they can force Mr Morsi to relent.

Religious authorities have warned of "civil war".

The army has said it will step in if violence gets out of control but insists it will respect the "will of the people".

Mr Morsi, who on Saturday met the head of the military he appointed last year, interprets that to mean army support for election results.

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Cameron In Pakistan To Meet Newly-Elected PM

David Cameron will become the first world leader to meet Pakistan's newly-elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif later.

The meeting with Mr Sharif follows talks with the country's President Asif Ali Zardari.

Mr Sharif was elected for an unprecedented third time last month in a surprise landslide victory for his party.

Speaking in Afghanistan before flying to Pakistan, Mr Cameron his success at the polls gave him "credibility" and a "certain power of influence" to encourage the Taliban on the path to peace in the region.

"I think that he is in a strong position because Pakistan has had this democratic transition which is a huge bonus for Pakistan and will raise its profile in a good way in the eyes of the world," he said.

Mr Cameron spoke to soldiers at Camp Bastion during his trip to Afghanistan

Mr Cameron said he wanted to see a stronger relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan, adding it was in the country's "short, medium and long-term interests to have a secure, stable and prosperous" neighbour.

Although the talks will cover Afghanistan, issues of "prosperity, security and trade" are also on the agenda.

Mr Cameron's visit is being seen as an attempt to "relaunch" the UK's relationship with the country and open doors for British businesses.

"The emphasis for us is relaunching the Pakistan relationship, getting in there early, helping work with them to shape the right reforms on security and development and also open up potential for British business given the growth in the Pakistan economy and potential there," a Number 10 source said.

Meanwhile, Mr Cameron visited Pakistan's national monument where he met people taking part in the British Council's Active Citizens programme, which aims to empower young people to bring about change in their communities.

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