Pistorius: Johannesburg Night Out Defended

The spokeswoman for Oscar Pistorius has defended the runner after he was reportedly seen downing shots and flirting with women at a Johannesburg restaurant.

Since being released on bail, Pistorius has been staying at his uncle's house in Pretoria while awaiting his murder trial over shooting Reeva Steenkamp on February 14.

The double-amputee, who claims he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder when he shot her, has remained largely out of public view amid intense international interest in his case.

His spokeswoman, Anneliese Burgess, last week said the 26-year-old athlete had been "very isolated" but had begun a process of "interacting with people".

But South African press reports said Pistorius shocked patrons when he turned up, looking "relaxed and happy", at a party at the popular Kitchen Bar restaurant last Saturday.

Reports quoted people at the restaurant as saying Pistorius, sporting a beard, was flirting with several women and "knocking back" shots, which are known as shooters in South Africa.

"He was drinking shooters and he was flirtatious," one woman told the local Sunday Times.

Pistorius was released on bail on February 22

Ms Burgess defended the Olympian, saying Pistorius "strenuously and vigorously denies any inappropriate behaviour towards any people or women present, or 'partying it up' with shooters.

"Oscar did go out last Saturday with friends," she told the Sunday Times.

"It was the first time since the tragic and horrific events of February 14 that Oscar went out with friends.

"He has been out of the house with family, but this was the first time he went out to a restaurant with people other than close family.

"It is regrettable that what was supposed to be a low-key evening reconnecting with friends is now being blown out of proportion for sensational reasons."

Ms Burgess told the paper that Pistorius left the venue when "public interest became overwhelming".

He then went to a bar across the street for a short time, but "left for the same reason", Ms Burgess said.

Last week, the Pistorius family released a statement saying the athlete had been spending time with people who were close to Ms Steenkamp.

"Over the past few weeks, Oscar has found comfort in spending time and sharing memories with many of those whom she loved, in surroundings where shared memories were created," the family said.

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead on Valentine's Day

They said he was traumatised and in mourning over his girlfriend's death.

Ms Burgess said: "There is not a moment in the day that Oscar does not mourn for his girlfriend, and Reeva's family and all those who were close to her are in his thoughts constantly."

Pistorius said he killed Ms Steenkamp, 29, by accident as he thought he was shooting an intruder when he fired through a bathroom door at his Pretoria home.

Prosecutors say he shot her after the couple had an argument.

The runner's agent, Peet van Zyl, has said Pistorius was running on his blades again and his return to regular training was imminent.

Pistorius is scheduled to be back in court on June 4. He could face a life sentence if found guilty of murder.

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North Korea Celebrates Amid Missile Threat

North Korea is celebrating the 101st anniversary of the birth of its founding father amid fears its leaders may use the occasion to demonstrate its military capability.

Tens of thousands of people have gathered in the capital Pyongyang to celebrate the unveiling of new statues of Kim Il Sung and the son who succeeded him, Kim Jong Il.

But there are concerns North Korea may launch a medium-range ballistic missile as the Communist state has a habit of linking high-profile military tests with key dates in its calendar.

North Koreans bow to statues of their former leaders

The centenary of Kim's birth last year was preceded by a long-range rocket test that ended in failure.

Earlier on Monday, Kim's grandson and current dynastic leader Kim Jong Un visited the Pyongyang mausoleum to pay "high tribute in humblest reverence" where his grandfather's body lies embalmed, the official Korean Central News Agency said. 

He also visited the embalmed body of his father, who died in December 2011.

And despite North Korea's warnings that the threat of war on the Korean Peninsula is so high it cannot guarantee the safety of foreign residents, it hosted athletes from around the world for its biggest international marathon yet ahead of the celebrations.

Soldiers at statues Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il

After racing through Pyongyang, athletes from 16 nations including hundreds of North Korean runners were cheered into Kim Il Sung Stadium by tens of thousands of spectators.

North Korea's official media said the 26th Mangyongdae Prize Marathon was larger than previous years and that enthusiasm was "high among local marathoners and their coaches as never before".

After the race, competitors then filled a performance hall for a gala concert featuring ethnic Korean performers brought in from China, Russia and Japan as part of the birthday events.

"The feeling is like, I came last year already, the situation is the same," said Taiwan runner Chang Chia-che, who finished 15th.

The Korean peninsula has been in a state of heightened military tension since the North carried out its third nuclear test in February.

Athletes from 16 nations were cheered into Kim Il Sung Stadium

Incensed by fresh UN sanctions and joint South Korea-US military exercises, Pyongyang has spent weeks issuing blistering threats of missile strikes and nuclear war.

Secretary of State John Kerry, in Japan on the last leg of an Asian tour dominated by the crisis, said the US will talk with North Korea if it takes "meaningful steps" towards peace.

"The United States remains open to authentic and credible negotiations on denuclearisation, but the burden is on Pyongyang," he said.

"North Korea must take meaningful steps to show it will honour commitments it has already made."

While in Asia, Sen Kerry has talked tough on the North's "unacceptable" rhetoric, but also sought to lower the temperature by supporting dialogue with Pyongyang.

Sen Kerry tours the Zojoji Buddhist Temple in Tokyo

In Seoul, he gave Washington's blessing to peace overtures made by South Korea's new president, Park Geun-Hye, who in recent days has signalled the need to open a dialogue and "listen to what North Korea thinks".

But the North rejected the overtures as "empty talk" and a "crafty trick" to conceal Seoul's aggressive intentions.

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Venezuela: Nicolas Maduro Elected President

Venezuelan electoral officials say voters have chosen Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor Nicolas Maduro as their new president in a tightly-fought contest.

His challenger, Henrique Capriles, declared that he would not accept the results and called for a full recount.

Mr Maduro campaigned on a promise to carry on the late president's self-styled socialist revolution, while his rival claimed the late president's regime has put Venezuela on the road to ruin.

Officials say Mr Maduro beat two-time challenger Mr Capriles by just 300,000 votes. The margin was 50.8% to 49.1%.

Addressing a crowd from the presidential palace, Mr Maduro called his victory further proof that Mr Chavez "continues to be invincible, that he continues to win battles".

He said that Mr Capriles had called him before the results were announced to suggest a "pact" but he had refused.

At the opposition candidate's headquarters, people hung their heads quietly as the results were announced.

Henrique Capriles demands a recount

Mr Capriles emerged later, saying his campaign's tally of votes came up with "a result that is different from the results announced today".

"It is the government that has been defeated. The biggest loser today is you. The people don't love you," he said directly addressing Mr Maduro.

Turnout was 78%, down from just over 80% in the October election that Mr Chavez won by a margin of almost 11 points.

National Electoral Council president Tibisay Lucena told a news conference: "These are the irreversible results that the people have decided."

In a hint of discontent within Chavista ranks, National Assembly president Diosdado Cabello, who many consider Mr Maduro's main rival, expressed dismay at the tight outcome.

He tweeted: "The results oblige us to make a profound self-criticism. It's contradictory that the poor sectors of the population vote for their longtime exploiters."

Maduro supporters celebrate his victory

Mr Maduro, a foreign minister to Mr Chavez, rode a wave of grief for the late leader, who ruled Venezuela for 14 years with a socialist revolution that made him popular among the poor while alienating others critical of the weak economy.

Mr Maduro has vowed to continue the oil-funded policies that cut poverty by almost half to 29% through popular health, education and food programmes.

But he also inherits a litany of problems left behind by his mentor: South America's highest murder rate, with 16,000 people killed last year, chronic food shortages, high inflation and recurring power cuts.

Opinion polls had given Mr Maduro leads of 10 to 20 points during the campaign, but Mr Capriles energised the opposition and closed the gap.

"This is a very important victory for the future of the country. This is the legacy of our comandante, who is no longer here. But he left us Maduro and he will defend his project," said one Maduro supporter, Rafael Perez Camarero.

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Palestinian PM Salaam Fayyad Stands Down

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has quit after months of tension with President Mahmoud Abbas.

His departure leaves the Palestinian Authority in disarray just as the United States tries to revive peace talks with Israel.

Mr Abbas, who has been unhappy with Mr Fayyad's handling of the cash-strapped government, accepted the resignation.

He asked Mr Fayyad to stay on as caretaker until a new government is formed, according to official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Palestinian law requires the president to appoint a new prime minister within two weeks.

Mr Fayyad, a Texas-educated former World Bank official, is credited with helping create institutions in the occupied West Bank which would be needed if the Palestinians are to gain independence from Israeli occupation.

Relations between Mr Fayyad and Mr Abbas soured further last month

He was appointed prime minister in 2007 and had offered to stand down before. But Mr Abbas has previously rejected his requests after pressure from Western donors.

Washington had been lobbying hard for the 61-year-old to stay on as prime minister. During a visit to the region last month, US President Barack Obama praised Mr Fayyad.

And in a gesture of support, US Secretary of State John Kerry held private talks with the beleaguered prime minister earlier this week.

Following his resignation, Washington hailed Mr Fayyad as a "strong partner".

Admired abroad, including in Israel, Mr Fayyad has failed to build a strong political base within the Palestinian territories, leaving him vulnerable to attacks from Mr Abbas's Fatah party and the Islamist group Hamas, which governs in Gaza.

Washington hailed Mr Fayyad, with Senator Kerry, as a "strong partner"

Mr Fayyad's problems grew last year when foreign aid started to slow.

The situation worsened at the end of the year when Washington froze funding to punish the Palestinians for gaining de-facto statehood recognition at the United Nations.

Israel also withheld tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinians in November and December in response to the unilateral UN move, making it impossible for Mr Fayyad to keep up with already delayed public sector salary payments.

Last week, Fatah, for the first time, openly criticised the the Fayyad government's economic policies.

Sources close to Mr Fayyad accuse Fatah of stirring discontent, in a bid for more control over Palestinian coffers.

Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague with Mr Fayyad

The sources complain Mr Abbas did not give his prime minister enough support.

Relations between the two men soured further last month when finance minister Nabil Qassis quit, saying the government had failed to address a gaping budget deficit.

Mr Fayyad accepted the resignation, against the wishes of Mr Abbas.

Hamas has welcomed Mr Fayyad's departure. It has accused him of helping Israel maintain its partial blockade on the Gaza Strip.

"Fayyad leaves the government after he drowned our people in debts," Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, said.

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Guantanamo: Guards Fire Rounds To Quell Unrest

Guantanamo Bay prison guards have fired several rubber shots to quell prisoner unrest as they moved inmates into individual cells, US military officials said.

The violence erupted during an early morning raid carried out because, according to military officials, prisoners had covered up security cameras and windows as part of a protest and hunger strike over their indefinite confinement and conditions at the US base in Cuba.

Prisoners fought guards with makeshift weapons that included broomsticks and mop handles when troops arrived to move them, said Robert Durand, a military spokesman.

Guards responded by firing four "less-than-lethal rounds" in the section of the prison known as Camp Six, he said.

Mr Durand said there were "no serious injuries to guards or detainees" during the operation aiming "to reestablish proper observation" at the facility.

The rounds included a modified shotgun shell that fires small rubber pellets as well as a type of bean-bag projectile, said Army Colonel Greg Julian.

The violence broke out at so-called Camp Six (file image)

Mr Durand said inmates were being isolated "to ensure the health and security" for prisoners at the facility, where dozens of detainees are in the third month of a hunger strike.

"This action was taken in response to efforts by detainees to limit the guard force's ability to observe the detainees by covering surveillance cameras, windows, and glass partitions," the statement added.

"Round-the-clock monitoring is necessary to ensure security, order and safety, as detainees continued a prolonged hunger strike by refusing regular camp-provided meals."

The prison houses scores of detainees swept up more than a decade ago during in America's so-called war on terror.

The hunger strike began when the men claim prison officials searched their Korans for contraband. Officials have denied any mishandling of Islam's holy book.

An attorney representing some of the inmates slammed their treatment.

"It's just another example of force being used in GTMO (Guantanamo), instead of a sense of human rights," said military lawyer Lieutenant Colonel Barry Wingard.

"The sad thing is that it doesn't appear to matter which political party is in power in Washington. The officials in GTMO always resort to force over common sense."

Activists at an April 11 rally campaign for the closure of Guantanamo Bay

He said the prisoners had asked prison officials to take their Korans instead of "disrespecting" them.

"The officials refused to take the Korans, and continued to search the books in plain view of the prisoners," Col Wingard added.

"Of course, the bigger issue is the 11.5 years without charges and hopelessness of never being released."

Attorneys representing inmates at the prison have said that most of the estimated 130 detainees at Guantanamo's Camp Six wing, which houses "low-value" prisoners, are on hunger strike.

US authorities, however, put the number of hunger strikers at about three dozen.

US President Barack Obama ordered the closing of the Guantanamo detention centre when he took office in 2009, but that was blocked by a Republican-led bill that cut off funding to move the detainees to the US.

The politicians cited security concerns, saying the presence of the detainees would encourage terror attacks in the states or cities where they were being held.

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Bali Crash: Data Recorder Retrieved From Jet

Indonesian air crash investigators have started working to determine what caused a new passenger jet to miss a runway while landing in Bali and crash into the sea.

A data recorder remains in the submerged tail section

The Boeing 737-800 overshot the runway on the resort island and plunged into shallow water near the airport boundary.

All 101 passengers and seven crew members safely escaped from the Lion Air plane, although up to 45 people suffered injuries.

Some were forced to swim to safety while others waiting atop the wings of the twin-engine jet to be rescued by boat.

The rear broke free after being hit by tide and swell

Transportation Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said the National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) is examining the wreckage.

He said aviation authorities have removed the flight data recorder from the aircraft operated by West Java-based budget air carrier.

Local fisherman and eyewitness Fendi Yono said: "I saw two planes approaching the runway.

Investigators retrieved items from the sea near the Denpasar airport

"The first one landed smoothly while the second plane went very slowly (before it crashed into the sea), probably because the weather was foggy at the time."

The fuselage of the recently purchased plane was fractured during the crash.

Waves hitting the plane completely severed the rear of the aircraft from the main body, causing it to partially submerge.

Possessions spilled from the plane after the accident

Survivor  Santi Widiastuti said: "I don't know how this accident happened. I just heard a notification that the aircraft would be landing soon.

"Not long after that notice, I heard a loud noise like a plane crashing into something. Suddenly, from under the deck, water began to enter the plane. All happened so fast."

Salvage crews are now hoping to tow the aircraft and retrieve its cockpit voice recorder, which is located in the tail.

The plane overshot the runway on the resort island in Indonesia

Last month Lion Air signed a £18bn deal with Airbus for 234 passenger jets and two years ago it signed a contract with Boeing for 230 planes.

However, the rapidly-expanding carrier is reportedly banned from US and European airspace due to safety concerns.

Between 2004 and 2006, Lion Air suffered a series of six accidents, which all involved planes overshooting or missing the runway, although no one died in those incidents.

The plane's back was fractured by waves but later severed it completely

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Mubarak To Face Retrial Over Protester Deaths

By Tom Rayner, Middle East News Editor in Cairo

Egypt's deposed former dictator Hosni Mubarak is due to appear in court in Cairo to face retrial on charges related to the deaths of more than 800 protesters during the uprising against his regime in 2011.

Last year, Mubarak was sentenced to life imprisonment on the same charges, which include indictments related to corruption, but after a successful appeal against his conviction in January the ruling was overturned due to failings in the prosecution case.

He will now face those charges again, alongside his former interior minister Habib El Adly and four aides, but the emerging conclusions of an independent fact-finding report, leaked to the Guardian newspaper, may bolster some of the evidence against the former president.

The report was commissioned by President Mohammed Morsi shortly after he came to power, but has yet to be officially published.

The leaked sections of the report indicate evidence that Mubarak and other senior officials may have had knowledge, or been complicit in, the widespread use of torture and killings by the regime's forces during the height of the revolution.

One member of the inquiry panel who compiled the report, Ali Hassan whose son was killed in the uprising, told Reuters that he hoped it would help the new trial, saying: "The minimum punishment for them should be death."

More than 800 died during the uprising against Mubarak

Mubarak's appearances in the initial trial were dramatic - giving testimony from a hospital stretcher wheeled into the dock, while thousands gathered outside in angry demonstrations calling for him to be held accountable for the deadly violence meted out to protesters by the authorities.

But there are signs that the retrial will not be met with similar levels of public emotion.

Egypt under the Muslim Brotherhood government of Mr Morsi has become increasingly unstable, with economic collapse compounding mounting sectarian tensions.

Attention may also be drawn away from the trial as a result of accusations in the leaked fact-finding report claiming Egypt's military in, who took control of the country after Mubarak's departure, were also responsible for mass violence against protesters.

The fact the report has yet to be published, despite apparently being submitted to Mr Morsi in January, has led some to be sceptical about the likelihood of those criticised facing justice.

Anti-Mubarak protesters in Tahrir Square

Mohammed Abdel Ayem from the International Centre for Transitional Justice said this lack of openness, along with the fact that many cases brought against other Mubarak-era officials have failed to yield convictions, has left many dismayed at the effectiveness of Egypt's stumbling justice system.

"If we look at the various pillars of transitional justice, very little has been done on any of them. The things have been done have been sporadic, haphazard," he said.

There is also likely to be much focus on Mubarak's health.

In January, he was admitted to a Cairo military hospital suffering fractured ribs and fluid on the lung after a fall in prison.

While there have been reports that his general health is improving, the frailty of the 84-year-old is likely to be apparent if he appears as expected in the courtroom, which will be broadcast live by Egyptian state television.

Mubarak's sons Gamal and Alaa will also be facing trial, charged with allegations of corruption.

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Miss Russia Reveals Shock Over Racist Vitriol

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

The newly-crowned Miss Russia has told Sky News she is still proud to represent her country, even after racial slurs accusing her of not being Russian enough.

Elmira Abdrazakova's father is Tatar, one of Russia's oldest ethnic minorities, and she was born in Kazakhstan, but she was brought up in Russia and considers herself thoroughly Russian, as do the authorities.

The 18-year-old has been targeted by critics online and received so many vitriolic messages after winning the competition she was forced to temporarily close her social networking sites.

One fairly typical message, still posted on a Russian news site, describes her as an "ordinary Azeri parsley seller" and says the user would not even glance in her direction.

Another says she is "an ordinary market stall worker" and would be considered "a real beauty among sheep".

The new Miss Russia told Sky News she had been shocked to read the messages.

Elmira Abdrazakova has rose to fame but not without a price

"The nationality question - I don't really understand it, I don't understand why men would write to a young girl offensive things about her nationality.

"It humiliates first of all not me, but those people who write it.

"It was bizarre for me when men were writing things like that to me, I was surprised we have people of that sort here."

Ms Abdrazakova comes from a small coal-mining town in Siberia and there is an almost fairy tale quality to her rise to fame.

She says she only entered the competition to get the chance to try new experiences and visit the capital, Moscow, and that she never dreamed she had a chance of winning.

She now hopes to inspire other young girls and to prove that you can achieve success in Russia without a wealthy background.

She explained: "For many teenage girls Miss Russia will become a role model, a measure of beauty.

The beauty queen says she will try to represent Russia as best as possible

"Maybe some girls will look at me and get inspired by my experience to grow, to develop, to work hard. I hope they can see that in life you can reach something without big money."

"I wasn't expecting to win, to get this crown. The host announced that Elmira Abdrazokova won and I remember standing there and thinking, what a lucky girl who won it. Then it dawned on me - that's me.

"All that evening I couldn't believe it, only when I got back home I sat down and realised - I'm Miss Russia!"

Miss Russia 2013 might not conform to the Slavic ideal still expected by some here, but she will now go on to compete for Russia at the Miss World contest.

Ms Abdrazakova told us it was a great honour, and that she would try to represent her country as well as she could, even if not everyone in that country believes she truly represents them.

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North Korea Missile Alert After Japan Blunder

A Japanese official mistakenly announced the launch of a North Korean missile instead of sending an alert about a strong earthquake.

An official at the western Osaka aviation bureau emailed 87 airport offices to say a North Korean missile had been launched, Japan's transport ministry said.

The official was trying to send a message to check on possible airport damage immediately after the 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck near the southwestern city of Kobe, injuring dozens of people and destroying several homes.

But instead the official dispatched a pre-prepared alert ready to go in the event of a North Korean missile launch.

The incorrect message was retracted six minutes later but at least one domestic flight was delayed due to the mistake.

Japan is on full alert ahead of an expected mid-range missile launch by North Korea, with Patriot missiles stationed in its capital to protect the 30 million people who live there.

In addition to PAC-3 batteries, Aegis destroyers equipped with sea-based interceptor missiles have been deployed in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

On Wednesday officials in the Japanese city of Yokohama were left red-faced after mistakenly announcing the launch of a North Korean missile to 40,000 followers on Twitter.

Saturday night's earthquake was in the area where a magnitude 7.2 quake killed more than 6,400 people in 1995.

The Meteorological Agency warned there may be aftershocks for about a week.

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Thousands Of Mali Refugees 'Stranded In Desert'

By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

A leading charity has warned of a growing humanitarian crisis in west Africa, with around 70,000 refugees stranded in the Mauritanian desert with no hope of returning to their home country of Mali.

A woman and child next to their makeshift shlter the Mbera refugee camp

Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) is calling for an urgent aid operation to help them.

Their report, Stranded In The Desert, is based on testimonies collected from more than 100 refugees in Mbera refugee camp in Mauritania.

It tells of their isolation in the middle of the desert and their total dependence on outside assistance and humanitarian aid.

Tents set up by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Henry Gray, emergency co-ordinator for MSF, said: "More than 100,000 people from northern Mali are currently displaced within their country or have escaped abroad as refugees.

"Most of the refugees are from the Tuareg and Arab Communities. They fled pre-emptively often for fear of violence due to their presumed links with Islamist or separatist groups.

"Their home in northern Mali is still in the grip of fear and mistrust."

More than 100,000 people from northern Mali are currently displaced

In November 2012, MSF conducted a retrospective nutritional mortality survey that revealed a critical nutrition situation with mortality rates above the emergency threshold for children under two years old.

But since the crisis in Mali which saw French military intervention to push back Islamist militants in early 2013, MSF said the medical situation has got worse.

It said the military intervention triggered an influx of 15,000 new refugees.

The number of children with severe malnutrition has more than doubled

Consultations in MSF's clinics in the Mbera camp have increased from 1,500 to 2,500 per week.

The number of children admitted per week for severe malnutrition has more than doubled from 42 to 106 despite the nutritional status of the new refugees being generally good when assessed on arrival at the camp.

MSF said 85% of the children being treated arrived at the camp in January and February.

Malian refugee children attend a school in the Mbera refugee camp

Mr Gray said: "These statistics show that the refugees have grown weaker whilst in the camp, the very place where they should have been receiving assistance.

"There has clearly been a lack of preparation for this new influx of refugees. The situation has improved in recent weeks but it is still extremely precarious and aid organisations need to maintain their humanitarian response for as long as necessary.

"Shelter, clean water, latrines, hygiene and food must all reach those in need and be sustained at the minimum humanitarian standards."

A refugee and his family in front of their shelter

France intervened in Mali in January to help the weak Malian army recapture the vast northern desert region from Islamist militants.

The Islamist groups had formed an alliance with Tuareg separatists early in 2012 to capture territory from the government in the wake of the coup.

The alliance quickly collapsed and the Islamists drove out the Tuareg separatist group - the MNLA - from the main cities and towns in the north.

French military intervention against Islamist groups in Mali

France has meanwhile begun to withdraw troops it sent to Mali. Around 100 of the 4,000 sent to the west African nation in January have been withdrawn to Cyprus.

It told Europe it had to act to stop the Islamists gaining strength in north Africa and on Europe's doorstep. It intervened when the Islamist fighters threatened to march on the capital Bamako.

A regional African force has now arrived in Mali to boost its security.

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