Ukraine Checkpoint Attack: 13 Soldiers Killed

Pro-Russia insurgents have attacked a military checkpoint in eastern Ukraine, reportedly killing at least 13 troops and wounding more than 30.

The attack, near the town of Volnovakha, comes three days before a key presidential vote and is the deadliest so far in weeks of fighting.

A rebel group who claimed responsibility for it said one of their own was also killed.

Local residents said the attackers were hidden inside an armoured bank truck. The unsuspecting Ukrainian soldiers are said to have waved it through and were then shot at point-blank range.

Acting president Oleksandr Turchynov said the rebels fired automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades.

Debris was scattered over a wide area

According to the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, the ammunition section of one military vehicle was hit and exploded into a fireball.

The turrets were blown off three armoured infantry vehicles which were also burnt along with several trucks.

AP journalists said they saw the bodies of 11 Ukrainian soldiers in a field near the village of Blahodatne, outside Volnovakha, which lies 20 miles south of Donetsk.

Witnesses including a medical worker said more than 30 Ukrainian troops were wounded in the attack, some of them badly.

All the wounded were being treated at nearby medical facilities.

Acting Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk blamed Russia for backing the rebels in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which have declared independence from the government in Kiev. He called for an urgent session of the UN Security Council.

Pro-Russia militants at a Victory Day rally in Donetsk

The attack has cast a shadow over Ukraine's presidential vote on Sunday, which separatists in the east have pledged to derail.

Authorities in Kiev see the vote as a chance to defuse tensions and stabilise the country, although they admit it will be impossible to hold the poll in some eastern areas.

In the town of Horlivka, a masked rebel commander claimed responsibility for the raid and showed off a hoard of seized Ukrainian weapons including automatic and sniper rifles and rocket grenade launchers.

"We destroyed a checkpoint of the fascist Ukrainian army deployed on the land the Donetsk Republic," said the commander, who wore a balaclava and identified himself by his nom de guerre, "Bes," which is Russian for "demon."

He said one of his men also was killed in the attack.

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Tennessee Backs Return To Electric Chair

Utah May Bring Back Firing Squad Executions

Updated: 3:01pm UK, Saturday 17 May 2014

A Utah politician wants to bring back firing squads as a method of execution after controversy over a botched lethal injection in Oklahoma.

Republican Representative Paul Ray believes death by gun is a more humane and cheaper form of execution, and wants it to be an option for criminals sentenced to death in his state.

He plans to introduce his proposal during Utah's next legislative session in January.

Lawmakers in Wyoming and Missouri tried to pass similar legislation this year, but both efforts failed.

Mr Ray believes firing squads may seem more acceptable now, especially after drug shortages complicated lethal injections.

The default method of execution in the US also came under heightened scrutiny last month when prisoner Clayton Lockett's vein collapsed and he died of a heart attack more than 40 minutes later.

"It sounds like the Wild West, but it's probably the most humane way to kill somebody," Mr Ray said.

"The prisoner dies instantly. It sounds draconian. It sounds really bad, but the minute the bullet hits your heart, you're dead. There's no suffering."

However, critics say things can go wrong with any method of execution.

They cite a case from Utah's territorial days in 1897, when a firing squad missed Wallace Wilkerson's heart and it took him 27 minutes to die.

Utah outlawed firing squads in 2004, citing the excessive media attention it gave inmates.

But those sentenced to death before that date still have the option of choosing it.

The last execution by rifle in the state was 2010, when five police officers used .30-caliber Winchester rifles to kill Ronnie Lee Gardner, who murdered a lawyer in 1985 while trying to escape from a courthouse.

Ray's proposal would give all inmates the option to be shot.

Opponents say firing squads are not necessarily a foolproof answer.

It is possible an inmate could move or police could miss, causing the inmate a slow and painful death, said Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, which opposes capital punishment.

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Thai Army Takes Power In Military Coup

Timeline Of Thai Political Crisis

Updated: 3:24pm UK, Thursday 22 May 2014

Thailand has a long history of political unrest with the army staging at least 11 coups since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932.

The latest crisis has its roots in the 2006 military overthrow of prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was embroiled in a telecoms corruption scandal.

September 2006: Thailand's armed forces oust Thaksin in a bloodless coup and impose martial law.

December 2007: The People Power Party made up of Thaksin's allies, wins elections and forms a coalition government.

May 2008: Royalist anti-Thaksin Yellow Shirts relaunch street protests that led to the 2006 coup.

September 2008: State of emergency declared after clashes between pro and anti-government groups leave one person dead and dozens wounded.

Constitutional Court strips Thaksin-allied prime minister Samak Sundaravej of his powers, ruling he illegally accepted payments for hosting TV cooking shows. Thaksin's brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat takes his place.

October 2008: Clashes between police and demonstrators leave two people dead and nearly 500 wounded.

Court sentences Thaksin in his absence to two years in jail for corruption after he flees the country.

November-December, 2008: Thousands of Yellow Shirts blockade Bangkok's airports. State of emergency imposed for nearly two weeks.

December 2008: Constitutional Court dissolves Somchai's party, forcing him from office. British-born Abhisit Vejjajiva of the Democrats becomes premier in a parliamentary vote with army backing.

January-March 2009: Red Shirts loyal to Thaksin stage mass protests in the capital against Abhisit's government.

April 2009: Red Shirts storm an Asian summit in the beach resort of Pattaya, forcing the evacuation of regional leaders. Riots and a 12-day state of emergency in Bangkok ensue, leaving two people dead.

March 2010: Tens of thousands of Red Shirts begin rolling demonstrations calling for Abhisit's government to step down, saying it is elitist and undemocratic.

April-May 2010: Street clashes between Red Shirt protesters and armed troops leave more than 90 people dead, mostly civilians, in the country's worst civil unrest in decades.

July 3 2011: Thaksin's allies sweep to power in elections on a wave of support from their Red Shirt followers.

August 2011: Parliament elects Thaksin's youngest sister Yingluck Shinawatra as Thailand's first female prime minister.

November 2012: Police fire tear gas at demonstrators as clashes erupt at the first major street protests against Ms Yingluck's government.

October 2013: Protests break out against an amnesty bill which critics say is aimed at allowing Thaksin - who went into self-imposed exile to avoid jail for a corruption conviction - to return home and escape prison.

November 2013: Opposition protesters occupy the finance and foreign ministries demanding Ms Yingluck resign.

December 2013: Police use water cannon and tear gas on protesters who storm the government and police headquarters. Opposition politicians resign en masse from parliament.

Ms Yingluck calls early elections as demonstrators return to the streets. Opposition announces a poll boycott.

February 2, 2014: Opposition demonstrators prevent 10,000 polling stations from opening for the election.

March 21, 2014: Constitutional Court declares February elections invalid.

April 30, 2014: Government announces new elections for July 20.

May 7, 2014: Constitutional Court removes Ms Yingluck and several cabinet ministers from office. New caretaker premier Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan appointed by remainder of cabinet.

May 15, 2014: The Election Commission says a general election scheduled for July 20 is "no longer possible" as polls cannot be held without the support of the protesters.

May 20, 2014: Army declares martial law, stressing the move "is not a coup".

May 22, 2014:  The country's armed forces announce a military coup.

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China Market Explosion Kills Dozens In Urumqi

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent, in Beijing

An explosion at a market in the Chinese city of Urumqi has killed 31 people and left more than 90 injured.

According to witnesses quoted in state media, two 4x4 vehicles drove into a crowd of people in the centre of the city, which is the regional capital of the far northwestern Xinjiang Province.

Explosives were thrown from the vehicles, and one of the vehicles exploded, said Xinhua news agency.

The attack was described by China's Ministry of Public Security as "a serious violent terrorist incident of a particularly vile nature".

Urumqi is the capital of Xinjiang Province

Pictures posted on China's version of Twitter, Weibo, show victims lying in a street strewn with debris.

One picture shows officials carrying a man with a badly-blooded head.

The pictures were taken by witnesses moments after the explosion and show flames rising from the market which, shortly before 8am, would have been busy.

Pictures show victims lying in a street full of debris. Pic: Weibo

On Weibo, one user with the alias "Clarence-DD" described what he saw: "(It) was only 300 metres from my home, so close. I don't know if it will happen to me next time. I only hope all are safe."

Another witness, alias "Paikeluotuoci," posted: "It was before 8 this morning, (there were) several explosions took place near the Wenhuagong morning market, I was there, less than 100 metres away, I can see big smoke and people running around."

A user with the alias Suisuibusui wrote: "Two vehicles broke through police barrier, and drove into the morning market together, detonated explosives. 5 or 6 big sounds could be heard. One can smell the explosives from the north gate of the park."

Smoke is seen rising from the market. Pic: Weibo

In a statement, Chinese President Xi Jinping said his government will "swiftly solve the case, harshly punish the terrorists, promptly recover the dead and treat the injured, offer condolences to the families of the injured, and strictly prevent any ripple effects to materialise from this."

The head of the Ministry of Public Security, Guo Shengqun, is on his way to Urumqi from Shanghai where he had been attending a major summit of Asian nations.

Meng Jianzhu, an official from China's Politburo, the top government body, said all will be done to help those caught up in the attack.

The market was busy at the time of the blast. Pic: Weibo

Xinjiang Province is the traditional home to China's Uighur Muslim population.

Over the past decade or so, an influx of the country's majority Han Chinese population has caused the Uighur community to complain of an erosion of their culture, their religion and their freedoms.

With a growing and worrying frequency, this resentment has manifested itself in violent attacks against government institutions and the Han Chinese population.

Attackers killed 29 people in Kunming train station in March

Three weeks ago, on the final day of a visit to the region by President Xi Jinping, a knife-wielding group attacked passengers at a train station in Urumqi.

One person was killed and 79 injured. The two attackers were killed by Chinese security personnel.

In March, a group of attackers stabbed to death 29 people on the concourse of Kunming train station in central China. A total of 143 people were injured.

The incident, described within China as the country's 9/11, signalled to the Chinese government that Uighur extremist groups were capable of operating well outside Xinjiang province.

A vehicle crashed into a crowd in Tiananmen Square last October

In December, a vehicle drove into railings in front of the iconic Tiananmen gate at the northern end of the hugely symbolic square in Beijing.

The Chinese government said the three occupants were all Uighur Muslims. They all died along with two tourists.

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Iran Releases Happy Video Dancers On Bail

Six Iranians arrested for filming themselves dancing to Pharrell Williams' hit Happy have been released on bail, according to reports.

Tehran-based fashion photographer Reihane Taravati, who was arrested along with her friends, posted on Instagram: "Hi I'm back."

She was allegedly shown on state television repenting for the home-made video that was posted on YouTube last month and shared widely on Facebook and Instagram.

Police chief Hossein Sajedinia had called the video a "vulgar clip which hurt public chastity".

The young women appear unveiled in the video

The video was recorded on a smartphone and showed three unveiled girls dancing in a room, on rooftops and in alleys, alongside three young men.

The clip has gone viral and has been viewed more than 500,000 times.

Williams described the arrests as "beyond sad"

Ms Taravati also thanked Williams for showing support during her brief detention.

The singer had protested over the treatment of the young Iranians on Twitter, saying: "It's beyond sad these kids were arrested for trying to spread happiness."                 

The Iranian authorities are yet to confirm the dancers' release on bail.

But according to sources on social media close to the youths, the clip's director remains in custody, facing an array of charges including "deceiving" the group.

The reports of their release came amid an apparent message of support for the group by Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, who is China on an official visit.

"Happiness is our people's right. We shouldn't be too hard on behaviours caused by joy," a Twitter account believed to be run by his close aides, @HassanRouhani, quoted the president from a speech in June 2013 shortly after his election.

The group said they just wanted to make everyone smile

Mr Rouhani, a self-declared moderate, has long claimed to be for more social freedoms in Iran. But his push has been opposed by traditionalists and ultra conservatives that hold sway in the establishment.

The report of their arrest on Tuesday sparked a media frenzy and a storm on social media, with many Iranians expressing shock and some observers questioning whether it was a "crime to be happy in Iran".

In the video, the girls are seen not properly observing the hijab, a series of rules that oblige women in Iran to cover their hair and much of their body when outside.

Dancing is prohibited in the Islamic republic, while mingling with the opposite sex is strictly frowned upon.

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'Abducted' Girl Is Found After 10 Years

A woman from California who disappeared as a teenager 10 years ago has contacted police saying she was held captive by her mother's boyfriend.

The victim says she was kidnapped in 2004 at the age of 15 by Isidro Garcia, according to Santa Ana police.

Garcia, 41, has been arrested on suspicion of abduction, rape, lewd acts with a minor and false imprisonment.

Investigators say Garcia moved home several times to avoid detection, gave the girl multiple fake identities and obtained night-shift cleaning jobs for himself and the victim so he could keep watch over her.

The victim, who has not been identified, lived with Garcia under what investigators described as "sustained physical and mental abuse".

She is believed to have been sexually abused and bore a child to her captor in 2012, five years after she was forced to marry him.

Police say Garcia lived with the girl's mother in this apartment

Investigators say Garcia had been in a relationship with the girl's mother, who suspected he was sexually abusing her daughter. 

In June 2004, he allegedly attacked the mother before drugging the girl and driving her to a house in Compton where he locked her in a garage.

According to police, the accused imprisoned her in a garage and told her that her family had stopped looking for her and they would be deported if she went to police.

Garcia with his victim

"You're talking about a 15-year-old girl that's in a new country," police Corporal Anthony Bertagna said of the victim, who had entered the US illegally from Mexico and spoke no English.

"She's got nowhere to go."

But after being locked up at first, she eventually began to lead what appeared from the outside to be a normal life.

"Even with the opportunity to escape, after years of physical and mental abuse, the victim saw no way out of her situation," police said in a statement.

Neighbours said they were stunned at the news and described the two as a normal couple who went to church, hosted parties for their friends and appeared to love their child. 

"He treats her like a queen, he does his best to do whatever she wants," neighbour Maria Sanchez said.

Reports suggested the woman may not have tried to escape earlier due to a case of Stockholm syndrome, in which victims of kidnappings sympathise with their abductors.

After years of physical and emotional abuse, the victim, now 25, approached police after finding her sister on Facebook, say investigators.

She initially reported a case of domestic violence, but then the full story started to emerge.

The case has similarities to the Cleveland kidnapping where three women were subjected to rape and beatings by their abductor Ariel Castro during about a decade in captivity.

Castro committed suicide in prison last summer.

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UK Firefighters Join Floods Rescue In Balkans

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent in Bijeljina, Bosnia

British firefighters are providing a "lifeline" for flood survivors in the Balkans' worst natural disaster in living memory.

A team of 33 men and women from all over the UK have been working around the clock near the devastated communities close to the Bosnian city of Bijeljina.

The crews have been helping in small rural villages and have pulled 142 people to safety since they arrived.

Three men waiting to be rescued at a block of flats

Team leader Nick Searle from Merseyside Fire and Rescue told Sky News: "It is a huge job but we have an enormous amount of experience between us.

"This is the first time we have been deployed to an overseas flooding disaster and we have brought four inflatable boats and have set up a command and control base."

Inside one of the villages, one resident said the British crews were the first outsiders they had seen.

It will be a long time before the flood water recedes

Cheshire firefighter Paul Bickerton told Sky News: "The area that is underwater is staggering - as is the isolation.

"When they are thanking you for saving their lives it is brilliant to see."

Lincolnshire firefighter Chris Lowe has worked in the recent flooding in Somerset and the Thames Valley, but said: "This is on a different level. Some locals have decided to stay in their homes.

Men feed pigs stranded on the roof of a house

"In one village a family have decided to stay in their flooded bakery with three young children. They are stranded but it is their livelihood so they are adamant they want to stay."

The British team dropped off water, milk and some sweets for the young children.

"We are their only link to the outside world," Mr Lowe added.

The fire crews expect to be working in the villages for another week but the recovery in the disaster zones will take far longer.

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Nigerian Twin Bombings Claim 118 Lives

The number of people killed in a twin bombing in the Nigerian city of Jos has risen to at least 118.

Police in the state of Plateau said dozens more were injured in the explosions at a bus terminal and market.

There are fears more bodies will be recovered from the wreckage of burning buildings.

One witness described hearing a "loud bang that shook my whole house" before seeing rising smoke. The blasts happened within 15 minutes of each other in the afternoon.

The explosions happened in Jos. Pic: Easymac22

They ignited fires which were still burning eight hours later, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.

Mohammed Abdulsalam, zonal coordinator for the agency, told the Associated Press news agency: "Firemen are still trying to put them out. We believe we will find more bodies."

The country's president, Goodluck Jonathan, said those behind the explosions were "cruel and evil".

He said: "The government remains fully committed to winning the war against terror, and this administration will not be cowed by the atrocities of enemies of human progress and civilisation."

The wreckage from a bombing in Kano on May 18

The Islamist sect Boko Haram is believed to be a prime suspect, although there was no immediate claim of responsibility. The group's insurgency has seen a series of bomb attacks in the north and centre of the country.

It has been widely condemned for the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls from a village in the northeast of the country, which has prompted countries including the UK and the US to offer assistance in rescuing them.

The group previously said it was behind a church bombing in Jos, and two other sites, on December 25, 2011.

Jos is in an area known as the "Middle Belt", where the largely Christian south and mostly Muslim north meet.

Five people were killed when a suicide bomber struck in the northern city of Kano on Sunday.

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Missouri Execution Halted 'To Spare Suffering'

A court has suspended the execution of a US killer hours before it was due to happen because of concerns that he could suffer unduly.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito did not explain why he halted the execution of Russell Bucklew but lawyers had earlier argued that a rare medical condition could cause complications during the lethal injection process.

The 46-year-old was scheduled to die at 12.01am on Wednesday in what would have been the first execution in the US since the botched death of Clayton Lockett on April 29.

Officials said Lockett eventually died of a heart attack after 43 minutes

Lockett had appeared to be in significant pain during his execution, which took 43 minutes to complete and renewed the debate over the use of lethal injection.

Bucklew's lawyers had claimed a congenital condition that causes weakened blood vessels could lead to a similar outcome in their client's execution.

Pharmaceutical companies in Europe have stopped selling drugs for use in the death penalty - leading some states to turn to untested drug mixes.

The Supreme Court ruling came shortly after the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a stay of execution that had been granted just hours earlier by a panel concerned about undue suffering.

Though he did not outline his reasons, Justice Samuel Alito said he or the high court would have more to say on the matter.

Bucklew's lawyers have asked to tape his execution to record any evidence of suffering.

They also cited concerns about Missouri's secretive process of purchasing the execution drug pentobarbital.

Lockett lost a similar bid in the Oklahoma courts prior to his execution.

Lethal injection drugs have been increasingly difficult to obtain in the US

Six inmates have been executed in Missouri since the state switched to pentobarbital in 2013, with none showing outward signs of pain or suffering.

A Utah politician announced last week he would introduce legislation to bring back firing squads, giving death row inmates another option.

Bucklew was convicted of killing a man who was dating his ex-girlfriend as four children looked on. He also kidnapped and raped his ex.

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Cyber-Spying Charges Against China Officials

The US has charged five Chinese military officials in Beijing with economic espionage and trade secret theft - allegations that China says are "deliberately fabricated" with "ulterior motives".

The indictment accuses the five hackers of targeting US nuclear power, metals and solar products industries.

Six American companies, including Alcoa and Westinghouse, and one labour union were cited as victims of the hacking attacks.

US Attorney General Eric Holder said the case "represents the first ever charges against a state actor for this type of hacking".

"The range of trade secrets and other sensitive business information stolen in this case is significant and demands an aggressive response," he told a news conference.

Barack Obama and Xi Jinping have discussed cyber-security issues

China's foreign ministry hit back at the claims in a very strongly-worded statement and claimed it had been a victim of "large scale" American spying activities.

Foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said: "This US move, which is based on deliberately fabricated facts, grossly violates the basic norms governing international relations and jeopardizes China-US cooperation and mutual trust.

"The position of the Chinese government on cyber security is consistent and clear-cut. China is steadfast in upholding cyber security... The US accusation against Chinese personnel is purely ungrounded with ulterior motives."

"The US government and relevant US institutions have long been involved in large-scale and organized cyber theft," claimed the spokesman.

The US Attorney General however, called the indictment a "ground-breaking" step in addressing the threat of cyber-security.

FBI Director James Comey said: "For too long, the Chinese government has blatantly sought to use cyber espionage to obtain economic advantage for its state-owned industries."

The US believes China stole emails and other communications that could have helped Chinese firms learn the inner workings of American companies.

However, at least one of the US firms named in the matter appeared to downplay the impact of the alleged hacking.

Monica Orbe, the director of corporate affairs for metals giant Alcoa, said: "To our knowledge, no material information was compromised during this incident, which occurred several years ago."

Last September, President Barack Obama raised concerns over cyber-security with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping while the two were at a summit in St Petersburg, Russia.

When asked by the press about the accusations, Mr Xi said: "China not only does not support hacking but also opposes it.

"Let's not point fingers at each other without evidence but do more to safeguard cyber security."

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Thailand Army Declares Martial Law After Unrest

Timeline Of Thailand's Political Crisis

Updated: 8:30am UK, Tuesday 20 May 2014

Thailand has a long history of political unrest with the army staging at least 11 coups since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932.

The latest crisis has its roots in the 2006 military overthrow of prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was embroiled in a telecoms corruption scandal.

September, 2006: Thailand's armed forces oust Thaksin in a bloodless coup and impose martial law.

December, 2007: The People Power Party made up of Thaksin's allies, wins elections and forms a coalition government.

May, 2008: Royalist anti-Thaksin Yellow Shirts relaunch street protests that led to the 2006 coup.

September, 2008: State of emergency declared after clashes between pro and anti-government groups leave one person dead and dozens wounded.

Constitutional Court strips Thaksin-allied prime minister Samak Sundaravej of his powers, ruling he illegally accepted payments for hosting TV cooking shows. Thaksin's brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat takes his place.

October, 2008: Clashes between police and demonstrators leave two people dead and nearly 500 wounded.

Court sentences Thaksin in his absence to two years in jail for corruption after he flees the country.

November-December, 2008: Thousands of Yellow Shirts blockade Bangkok's airports. State of emergency imposed for nearly two weeks.

December, 2008: Constitutional Court dissolves Somchai's party, forcing him from office. British-born Abhisit Vejjajiva of the Democrats becomes premier in a parliamentary vote with army backing.

January-March, 2009: Red Shirts loyal to Thaksin stage mass protests in the capital against Abhisit's government.

April, 2009: Red Shirts storm an Asian summit in the beach resort of Pattaya, forcing the evacuation of regional leaders. Riots and a 12-day state of emergency in Bangkok ensue, leaving two people dead.

March, 2010: Tens of thousands of Red Shirts begin rolling demonstrations calling for Abhisit's government to step down, saying it is elitist and undemocratic.

April-May, 2010: Street clashes between Red Shirt protesters and armed troops leave more than 90 people dead, mostly civilians, in the country's worst civil unrest in decades.

July 3, 2011: Thaksin's allies sweep to power in elections on a wave of support from their Red Shirt followers.

August, 2011: Parliament elects Thaksin's youngest sister Yingluck Shinawatra as Thailand's first female prime minister.

November, 2012: Police fire tear gas at demonstrators as clashes erupt at the first major street protests against Ms Yingluck's government.

October, 2013: Protests break out against an amnesty bill which critics say is aimed at allowing Thaksin - who went into self-imposed exile to avoid jail for a corruption conviction - to return home and escape prison.

November, 2013: Opposition protesters occupy the finance and foreign ministries demanding Ms Yingluck resign.

December, 2013: Police use water cannon and tear gas on protesters who storm the government and police headquarters. Opposition politicians resign en masse from parliament.

Ms Yingluck calls early elections as demonstrators return to the streets. Opposition announces a poll boycott.

February 2, 2014: Opposition demonstrators prevent 10,000 polling stations from opening for the election.

March 21, 2014: Constitutional Court declares February elections invalid.

April 30: Government announces new elections for July 20.

May 7: Constitutional Court removes Ms Yingluck and several cabinet ministers from office. New caretaker premier Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan appointed by remainder of cabinet.

May 15: The Election Commission says a general election scheduled for July 20 is "no longer possible" as polls cannot be held without the support of the protesters.

May 20: Army declares martial law, stressing the move "is not a coup".

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Pistorius Ordered To Go To Psychiatric Hospital

Oscar Pistorius has been ordered to attend a hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

Judge Thokozile Masipa ruled last week that Pistorius' state of mind when he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp should be assessed, possibly delaying court proceedings for up to two months.

A psychiatrist giving evidence in the athlete's defence had earlier told the court he generalised anxiety disorder and that this may have influenced his judgement when he shot Ms Steenkamp through a toilet door at his home on February 14 last year.

The tests were requested by the chief prosecutor and opposed by Pistorius' lawyer.

More follows...

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Colombia Bus Fire Leaves 31 Children Dead

More than 30 children have died in Colombia after a fire tore through a bus that had broken down returning from a church event.

While 18 people managed to escape the blaze, 31 youngsters and one adult died in the tragedy in the town of Fundacion.

The charred bodies of the victims had to be identified using dental records, said Mayor Eduardo Velez, coordinator of Magdalena province's emergency response corps.

He said: "There was a canister of gasoline inside the vehicle. The fire spread very fast."

Local officials said the bus was overcrowded - it was rated to carry only 38 passengers, but was carrying around 50.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, thought to have been started when the driver tried to get the bus going by pouring fuel into the engine which he accessed through the floor of the cabin.

The driver escaped unharmed and was being questioned by police.

The bodies of the victims had to be identified using dental records

One witness described the scene as "hell".

Jose Angel Fuentes said: "There was a young man who was rescuing several girls. A girl reached her arms out to him, but the blaze that was coming out of the bus didn't allow the man to remove the girl, and he had to back up.

"And there were some boys who were hitting the windows, hitting with their heads, and everyone running to the back. It was tremendous, it was huge. It was practically hell that we experienced here."

President Juan Manuel Santos was travelling to Fundacion to console relatives of the victims.

He said: "There was a bus accident in the Magdalena department, in Fundacion, a bus that was filled with parishioners of the Pentecostal Church.

"I would like for you all to join me for a minute of silence for them in a show of our solidarity that we have with these types of unfortunate events."

The vehicle, owned by a private transport company, was usually used during the week as a school bus.

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Nigerian Troops 'Cannot Take On Terrorists'

By Alex Crawford, Sky Special Correspondent, in Nigeria

A host of African countries with Western backing may have "declared war" on Boko Haram - but one Nigerian soldier has told Sky News how they have little equipment to take on the terrorists and what weapons they do have are old, worn down and ineffective.

He spoke to us on condition of anonymity: "If my superiors know I have spoken to you, I will be jailed and tortured."

But he described an army which is haemorrhaging morale and which lacks the will or the means to take on the terrorists.

He said his views reflected the feelings felt throughout the army about the war on terror in Nigeria's northeast.

"They give us just AK47s to go into the bush to fight Boko Haram," he told us.

"Our equipment doesn't work and they give us just two magazines (60 bullets) to go into the bush."

He went on to say many soldiers were complaining about not receiving their allowances and being made to wait weeks, sometimes months, for salaries to be paid.

People attend a protest in Abuja calling for the release of the schoolgirls

"It's not right," he said.

"We feel so bad because we ... are trying, the soldiers are trying our best but the civilians don't realise what the Nigerian army is issued with, what they are given to go and fight the Boko Haram.

"They don't know the calibre of the weapons that the Nigerian army is giving them.

"The calibre of the Boko Haram weapons is past (better) than the Nigerian army weapon."

The lack of progress in tracking down more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok has angered the girls' parents who don't believe the Nigerian authorities responded quickly enough - and then only did so because of the huge international outcry following a social media campaign.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan sparked further discontent when he hurriedly cancelled a trip to Chibok more than a month after the kidnappings, due to reported security concerns.

Sky cameraman Garwen McLuckie and I were in Chibok with the girls' parents and the elders of the town when the word came through that the president would no longer be coming.

Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau

There was a welcoming committee waiting for him as well as increased security.

We listened as one community elder broke the news to them and then spoke to the furious parents afterwards.

Many of them were screaming with indignation and pain.

"Please, please help us," one crying mother appealed to us. "All we want is for our daughters to be freed."

Another father told us angrily: "If this place is not safe for the President of Nigeria to come to, how does he think the people of Chibok feel?"

The president's office later contacted Sky News to angrily deny any trip had been planned and he certainly had not cancelled it.

The president later went on to tell the summit in Paris that everything was being done to try to track down the girls.

But the parents of Chibok do not feel that is the case.

And the anonymous soldier who spoke to us said the troops charged with the task don't have good enough equipment, the kit or the weapons to carry through the job.

And more than a month on, there's still no sign of the girls.

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Balkans Flooding Triggers 3,000 Landslides

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

International rescue teams are battling against thousands of landslides as they try to reach victims of the unprecedented flooding in the Balkans.

At least 44 people are known to have lost their lives in the disaster across Bosnia and Serbia, with the death tolls expected to rise further.

Around 3,000 landslides have been reported across the region blocking roads and damaging even more homes.

In the submerged Serbian town of Obrenovac thousands of people have fled.

An aerial image of Obrenovac

One of the evacuees, 40-year-old father Dragan Todorovic, said: "I carried my kids out on my back, then waited 12 hours to be rescued myself.

"The house was new, built two years ago for 100,000 euros. What now?"

Teams are battling to save key power stations including the giant site at Kostolac near the capital Belgrade.

Alma Muslibegovic, a spokeswoman for the country's EPS power firm, said: "The army, police, volunteers and Kostolac employees are using all mechanisation and are piling up sandbags to slow the river flow and prevent it from entering the power generation system."

Evacuees from Obrenovac lie on beds in a shelter hall in Belgrade

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said a fire and flooding of surface mines at the 1,300 megawatt (MW) Kolubara coal-fired power plant southwest of Belgrade had caused damage of "at least 100 million euros (£81m)".

Authorities say the economic impact of the floods will be huge, devastating the agricultural sector vital to both the Serbian and Bosnian economies.

"The danger today is less than it was yesterday, but we have to control the Sava as much as we can," Mr Vucic told a televised Cabinet session.

"These are the kind of waters not seen in 1,000 years, let alone 100."

Floodwaters have also disturbed landmines leftover from the region's 1990s war, along with warning signs that marked the unexploded weapons.

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