California Wildfire Threatens Yosemite Park

A giant wildfire has spread into Yosemite National Park as authorities urged more evacuations in communities where thousands fled during the week.

The fire, which started a week ago, closed hiking in the park but is not currently threatening the popular Yosemite Valley region.

It grew from 99 square miles to more than 165 square miles overnight and was only 2% contained.

Smoke billowing across the Sierra Nevada forced officials in several counties to cancel outdoor school activities and issue health warnings for people with respiratory problems.

Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said: "Most of the fire activity is pushing to the east right into Yosemite."

The fire is threatening around 4,500 homes, according to the US Forest Service.

Officials issued voluntary evacuation advisories for two new towns on Friday.

A mandatory evacuation order remained in effect for part of Pine Mountain Lake.

Already, the blaze has destroyed four homes and 12 outbuildings in several different areas, according to US Forest Service spokesman Jerry Snyder.

One firefighter has been injured tackling the blaze.

The Hetch Hetchy reservoir supplies San Francisco with 85% of its water, but the city's Public Utilities Commission said in a statement that water quality has not been affected by the fire.

Two of three hydroelectric power plants in the area have been shut down because of the fire and a four-mile section of State Route 120 has been closed.

The spectacular Yosemite Valley offers visitors iconic sights including the Half Dome and El Capitan rock formations, as well as Bridalveil and Yosemite falls.

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Hosni Mubarak To Be Placed Under House Arrest

An Egyptian court has ordered the release of ousted former president Hosni Mubarak, according to security sources.

The 85-year-old is being retried on charges of ordering the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising that led to his downfall.

However, he has already served the maximum amount of pretrial detention permitted in that case.

Egypt's prime minister said the former leader would be placed under house arrest when he is released from prison following more than two years in detention.

Hazem el-Beblawi said in a statement on Wednesday that he had ordered the move as part of the emergency measures put in place this month.

Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison last year for failing to prevent the killing of demonstrators. But a court accepted his appeal earlier this year and ordered a retrial.

A lawyer told Reuters he could be freed on Thursday.

Leaving the Cairo prison where the court convened, Fareed El-Deeb said: "The court decided to release him." Asked when, he said: "Maybe tomorrow."

Egypt's prosecutor will not appeal against the court ruling.

"The decision to release Mubarak issued today ... is final and the prosecution cannot appeal against it," Judge Ahmed el-Bahrawi said.

The ailing former president probably has no political future. But many Egyptians would see his release as the rehabilitation of an old order that endured through six decades of military-backed rule - and even a reversal of the pro-democracy revolt that toppled him.

At least 900 people, including 100 soldiers and police, have been killed in a crackdown on Mohamed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood in the past week, making it Egypt's bloodiest civil episode in decades.

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Bo Xilai Corruption Trial Begins In China

Disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai has gone on trial accused of abuse of power and netting more than (£2.5m) in bribery and embezzlement.

Once the powerful party boss in the megacity of Chongqing, the charismatic Bo became the most senior leader to fall from power in years after revelations emerged last year that his wife had killed a British businessman.

Bo entered the courthouse in the eastern city of Jinan under police escort with nearby roads sealed off with red and yellow barriers.

Some of his supporters gathered outside the perimeter shouting "He served the people!" and "He was a good cadre!"

Police at the courthouse in Jinan

The Weibo account of Jinan Intermediate People's Court released the first pictures of him in front of the judge flanked by two police officers.

It also quoted Bo, who said: "I hope the judge will try this case fairly and reasonably, and try this problem according to our country's lawful process."

Weibo is the Chinese version of Twitter and has over 500 million users in the country.

Supporters behind the barriers at the courthouse

This measure, unseen in previous high level court cases in China, was understood to be an attempt by the authorities to make proceedings more transparent.

The scandal was triggered last year when Bo's police chief, a top aide, fled to a US consulate in a neighbouring city, an event that embarrassed the party's leadership ahead of a key political transition.

It would later emerge that the police chief had evidence of the Briton's murder, making the Bo family an international diplomatic liability for the leadership.

Prosecutors accused Bo of accepting bribes amounting to more than 20 million yuan (£2.1m) when he was posted to the eastern city of Dalian from 1999 to 2012.

Gu Kailai and Neil Heywood

He also was accused of embezzling five million yuan (£526,000) from a public construction project in a transaction that also involved his wife.

Bo denies a charge of accepting a bribe of 1.1 million yuan (£115,000) from Tang Xiaolin, General Manager of Dalian International Development Corporation - a company directly associated with Dalian government when Bo was the mayor and Party Secretary of the city.

He is additionally charged with abuse of power related to his alleged attempts in Chongqing to block an investigation into Mr Heywood's murder in late 2011, the court said.

A verdict of guilt is all but assured, because the outcome of such trials involving high-profile politicians in China are usually decided by backroom negotiations by politicians and handed down by the court.

Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, confessed to killing Neil Heywood and was handed a suspended death sentence last year that will likely be commuted to life imprisonment.

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Syria Attacks: UN Wants Inspectors To Visit Site

The Syrian government has been urged to allow UN inspectors to visit the site where it is claimed more than 1,300 people died in a chemical weapons attack.

The National Coalition claims toxic gas was used by President Bashar al Assad's forces during a bombardment of rebel-held areas outside Damascus.

Government officials said the claims were "totally false" and the international news organisations reporting them were "implicated in the shedding of Syrian blood and support terrorism".

Iran, the country's chief regional ally, has also rejected claims that the regime was responsible, saying if such an attack was proven it would be down to the rebels, IRNA news agency said.

The attacks are alleged to have taken place in Ein Tarma and Zamalka

The French foreign minister said if the chemical attack was confirmed "force" would be needed in response.

Laurent Fabius told BFM-TV: "If it is proven, France's position is that there must be a reaction" but said sending in ground troops would be "impossible".

The incident comes just days after a 20-strong team of UN weapons inspectors arrived in the capital to investigate whether chemical weapons have been used in the conflict.

And following an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, said: "We very much hope that we will be able to conduct the investigation.

"Dr Sellstrom and his team are in place in Damascus.  We hope that they will be given access to the area by the government  - it's a requirement of consent in situations like this.

"And that also the security situation will allow them to enter the area.

"The Secretary-General has already expressed his preparedness to conduct the investigation.

"We are in contact with the Syrian government - we hope that all other parties will co-operate so that we conduct the investigation and we hope that everybody realises the importance of ceasing hostilities."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague urged international supporters of the Syrian regime to "wake up to ... its murderous and barbaric nature" ahead of the UN meeting.

However Russia, which has supported the regime and vetoed past attempts to secure a tough UN resolution, suggested the attack could be a "premeditated provocation" by opposition forces.

Officials from Russia and China are reported to have blocked a stronger press statement supported by Britain, France, the US and others.

Earlier, Mr Hague said that if verified, the attack "would mark a shocking escalation in the use of chemical weapons in Syria".

He added: "Those who order the use of chemical weapons, and those who use them, should be in no doubt that we will work in every way we can to hold them to account."

Unverified footage of casualties, including children, in makeshift hospitals suffering convulsions and breathing difficulties was circulated on YouTube.

Syria is thought to have some of the world's largest stocks of chemical weapons, including mustard gas and the nerve agent sarin, but the government in Damascus refuses to confirm this is the case.

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Boko Haram Head Abubakar Shekau 'May Be Dead'

The leader of Islamist terror group Boko Haram may have died following a gunshot wound, according to the Nigerian army.

A statement said intelligence reports "available to the (military) revealed that Abubakar Shekau, the most dreaded and wanted Boko Haram terrorists leader, may have died".

The army said that Shekau, declared a "global terrorist" by the US government, was shot on June 30 during a clash with troops at a camp in the Sambisa forest in northeastern Nigeria.

Shekau has been considered the leader of Boko Haram - a group believed to be made up of different factions - which wants to establish an Islamic state in the north of Nigeria.

The US had offered $7m (£4.5m) for information leading to his capture.

The group's insurgency has left at least 3,600 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces.

Boko Haram's main targets are security forces or government officials.

It has also carried out several attacks on Christian and Muslim worshippers, as well as schools and markets.

The army statement said it "greatly believed" that Shekau died between July 25 and August 3, 2013. It claimed he had been smuggled over the border into Cameroon for treatment.

However, the reports of Shekau's death have not yet been independently verified.

Eleven people were killed last week in a Boko Haram attack in northeast Nigeria, a military source and officials said.

Around 50 gunmen in cars and motorbikes stormed Damboa town shooting at soldiers, burning shops and killing civilians.

Nigeria's military began an offensive in the country's northeast in May aiming to end the insurgency.

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Egypt: Brotherhood's Supreme Leader Arrested

The supreme leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has been arrested on charges of "inciting the murder of protesters".

The development comes as authorities continue a crackdown on the Brotherhood, the party of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, which has sparked deadly protests and international condemnation.

Mohammed Badie was arrested in an apartment near Rabaa al Adawiya square, where hundreds of Morsi supporters were killed last Wednesday as police cleared their protest camp.

Senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood organisation, including Mr Badie, are wanted for questioning, accused of inciting the deaths of protesters.

The arrest comes days after his son was killed.

The arrest could spark further violence

Egypt's interior ministry has said it has arrested more than 1,000 Muslim Brotherhood "elements" during the unrest.

Mr Morsi was deposed by the military on July 3 in what his supporters call a coup.

His opponents say the military had no choice but to intervene after the start of another popular uprising like the one that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Mubarak's lawyer said on Monday that he expects the deposed dictator to be freed from jail after being cleared of corruption charges.

According to his Fareed El Deeb, judicial authorities have ordered that 85-year-old Mubarak should be released on one of the remaining corruption charges against him.

The development came after Egyptian authorities disclosed that suspected militants had attacked two police minibuses with rocket-propelled grenades, killing 24 officers in Sinai.

Sinai has been witnessing near daily attacks by suspected militants since July 3.

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Pakistan's Musharraf Charged In Bhutto Death

Pakistan's ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf has been charged over the 2007 murder of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.

"He was charged with murder, criminal conspiracy for murder and facilitation for murder," said public prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar.

Musharraf appeared briefly at the anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, where he denied the charges.

He has been under house arrest near Islamabad since April 19, but appeared before the court in person.

"The charges were read out to him in the court. He denied the charges," said Mr Azhar.

Musharraf's legal team has dismissed the indictment.

"These charges are baseless. We are not afraid of the proceedings. We will follow legal procedures in the court," his lawyer Syeda Afshan Adil said.

Scores of security forces guarded the area around the court in Rawalpindi, the city where Bhutto was killed on December 27, 2007, and roads were sealed off for Musharraf's appearance.

The indictment follows lingering speculation about the possibility of a behind-the-scenes deal that could allow Musharraf to leave Pakistan without facing the courts and embarrassing the military.

Bhutto, twice elected prime minister of Pakistan, was assassinated in a gun and bomb attack after campaigning for elections that were won by her Pakistan People's Party in February 2008.

There was no public claim of responsibility for her murder.

Musharraf's government blamed the assassination on Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, who denied any involvement. He was killed in a US drone attack in 2009.

The Bhutto case is one in a series of court battles that Musharraf has faced over allegations dating back to his 1999-2008 rule, since he returned in March from four years of self-imposed exile.

The new government headed by Nawaz Sharif, whom Musharraf deposed in 1999, has said he should stand trial for treason for subverting the constitution and has appointed a committee to investigate him.

The offence carries the death penalty or life imprisonment.

The case has been adjourned until August 27.

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India: Express Train Kills Dozens Of Pilgrims

A speeding train ploughed through a red signal and hit a group of pilgrims crossing the tracks, killing at least 35, Indian authorities have said.

The Hindu pilgrims had been returning from morning prayers on Monday at the end of a month of prayer ceremonies at the Katyaynani temple near Dhamara Ghat, a popular Hindu pilgrimage site.

The deaths sparked riots and crowds around the accident in the Saharsa district in the state of Bihar were so angry they pulled the driver from the stricken train and badly beat him.

They then helped the remaining passengers from the carriages before setting some of them on fire and ransacking Dharhara station, according to the local chief Arun Malik.

Mr Malik said: "Six carriages have been set on fire and the station has been ransacked by the mob. Our staff have fled the station fearing attacks."

Railways spokesman Amitabh Prabhakar said that the pilgrims were killed "by an express train while they were crossing the tracks despite the red signal".

PN Raid, a Bihar Railway official said that 35 people had been killed in the accident.

The accident happened in the Saharsa district of northeastern India

However, the chairman of the national railway board, Arunendra Kumar, who is based in New Delhi, said that the Rajya Rani Express had been given permission to pass.

He said: "The accident occurred because some people left the platform of the station and came on the tracks." 

India has the largest railway network in the world but has a poor safety record.

Figures released by the railways minister in 2011 show that between January 2007 and September 2011 some 2,000 died in 738 accident.

Deaths at the country's 50,000 crossings were significantly greater with 2012 government figures showing 15,000 people were killed every year.

There have been continued promises from the government to improve the safety records of India's overcrowded and often unsafe trains.

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Gibraltar: HMS Westminster Arrives At Rock

HMS Westminster has arrived in Gibraltar a day after Spanish fishermen were involved in a stand-off with UK military and police boats.

The Royal Navy warship sailed in as tensions flared with Spain over the British territory.

The type 23 frigate is due to spend three days on the Rock before joining several other vessels taking part in a pre-planned international training exercise in the Mediterranean and Gulf.

Its visit to the Rock was described by the Ministry of Defence as "long-planned".

But Sky's David Bowden, in Gibraltar, said the warship's presence will be seen as a "strong symbol" of Britain's desire to defend its territory.

Yesterday, a flotilla of more than 30 fishing boats was "corralled" by Royal Navy vessels after protesting near the spot where Gibraltar's government placed 70 concrete blocks in disputed waters next to the Rock.

Gibraltar says it has created the concrete artificial reef there to protect local fish stocks from trawling, but Madrid says it restricts their right to fish.

The Spanish government has accused Gibraltar of laying the blocks "without the necessary authorisation" in "waters that are not theirs".

It responded by introducing additional checks at the fenced border, and suggesting a 50 euro (£43.30) fee could be imposed on every vehicle entering or leaving Gibraltar.

On Friday, Prime Minister David Cameron raised the matter with European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.

He said the checks - which have seen huge delays at the border in recent weeks - were "politically motivated and disproportionate" and therefore contrary to the EU right of free movement.

UKIP MEP William Dartmouth, member for the South West of England and Gibraltar, has suggested that a member of the Royal family should visit Gibraltar to mark 300 years of British sovereignty.

"Nothing could demonstrate more to the citizens of Gibraltar how strongly Britain stands behind them in wishing to stay part of the United Kingdom than a visit by a member of the royal family," he said.

The row has set relations between Spain and the territory back 40 years, according to Edward Macquisten, chief executive of the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce.

He said it was also having an impact on Gibraltar's high season tourist trade, which usually sees hordes of British visitors from Spanish resorts.

More follows...

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Oscar Pistorius Back In Court Over Killing

Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius is standing in court with his head bowed and surrounded by photographers as he is set to be formally charged with killing his girlfriend.

Sky's Alex Crawford said that Pistorius appeared to be praying with his brother and sister before the proceedings started.

The three siblings held hands in a small circle, and at one point Pistorius wiped his face with a tissue.

She added that there was a tension in the room with relatives and friends of Pistorius and Ms Steenkamp sitting alongside each other.

Police in Pretoria have told Sky News they now have "everything they need" to present the case against him in court.

The 26-year-old double amputee is accused of killing Ms Steenkamp, who would have turned 30 today, in a shooting incident at Pistorius' home in February.

Prosecutors say Pistorius will be indicted on a main charge of premeditated murder.

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead at Pistorius' home in February

Pistorius denies he committed murder and says he shot Ms Steenkamp by mistake, thinking she was an intruder.

His trial will start on March 3 next year, and continue through to March 20.

The indictment papers served on Pistorius by the state mean the case will be sent to the High Court in Pretoria.

A judge will preside over the trial and ultimately pronounce the world-famous athlete innocent or guilty. South Africa does not have trial by jury.

The mandatory sentence for someone convicted of premeditated murder in South Africa is life with a minimum of 25 years in prison.

Prosecutors have told The Associated Press that it is "possible" that additional charges could be added to the indictment.

But they declined to comment on South African media reports that Pistorius would face two other charges relating to recklessly discharging a firearm in a public place in two separate incidents.

The incidents - reportedly when Pistorius shot a gun out of the sunroof of a moving car and let one off accidentally in a restaurant - would seemingly show the prosecution's attempt to paint Pistorius as trigger-happy.

Meanwhile, Ms Steenkamp's uncle has said he has already forgiven Pistorius for killing her.

Mike Steenkamp said the family have coped with her death by concentrating on her life rather than how she died.

In an interview on ITV's Daybreak, Mr Steenkamp said: "I think from the beginning and onset that we decided that we could never be sidetracked from Reeva's life, and I think that's helped us tremendously."

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