Putin Underwear Artist Flees Russia For Paris

By Katie Stallard, Russia Correspondent

A Russian artist who fled the country after his satirical paintings of Vladimir Putin were seized by police has been left homeless and desperate in Paris, according to his wife.

Konstantin Altunin left Russia earlier this week after several of his works were removed from a gallery in St Petersburg by police investigating allegations of extremism.

One image showed the Russian president caressing prime minister Dmitry Medvedev while wearing women's underwear,

A painting by the artist

Other paintings also impounded included a depiction of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church tattooed with images of Lenin and Stalin, and two others parodying politicians behind controversial new Russian legislation banning so-called 'gay propaganda'.

Mr Altunin's wife Elena has posted an appeal on Russia's equivalent of Facebook, vkontakte, pleading for people to help her husband in Paris.

She wants to join him with their young daughter as she believes they are no longer safe in Russia.

Altunin fled Russia fearing arrest

Mrs Altunina wrote: "I am the wife of the artist Kostya Altunin. We urgently need your help.

"Kostya was only earning money with his art, his art was the only source of income in our family. All his paintings are in the Museum of Authorities and are currently under arrest.

"We have spent all our money on Kostya's departure, as there was a big threat of him being arrested on made-up charges of extremism. Moreover we had to borrow money from our friends.

"At the moment, Kostya, me and our two-and-a-half-year-old daughter are on the brink of poverty.

The gallery displaying the painting has been shut down

"I urgently need to fly to my husband to France, because it is not safe for us to stay here. We have a small child, who really misses and wants to see her dad."

Mrs Altunina said her husband had nowhere to sleep and would wait in the lobby of the Hotel du Square every day between 10am and 10pm to meet anyone who might be able to help him.

She said: "Kostya has nowhere to live. He at least needs a bed to spend a night somewhere.

The artist's wife claims the family is on the brink of poverty

"He needs legal help to get political asylum, help of the translator and simply words of support will be very much appreciated by Kostya. He is really depressed.

"We really need legal advice in order to gather all the necessary documents to leave the country and reclaim his paintings."

Russian police confirmed on Tuesday that they had taken the paintings from the Museum of Authorities gallery - based in two rooms of a flat in St Petersburg - after receiving reports they were illegal.

The police statement gave no further details but Russia does have a law against insulting authorities - an offence that carries a maximum one-year prison term.

St Petersburg deputy Vitaly Mironov, whose face was combined with the gay rights movement's rainbow flag in one of the paintings, said the images were inappropriate and "of a distinctly pornographic character".

The gallery's owner said officers had shut down his establishment and given him no explanation for the removal of paintings from the exhibition, titled 'Leaders'.

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Delhi Gang Rape: Court To Deliver Verdict

By Neville Lazarus, Sky News Producer in New Delhi

A court in New Delhi is expected to announce its verdict on a juvenile suspect accused of the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a bus last year.

The juvenile justice board in New Delhi has postponed its verdict four times in the past but is now likely to pass judgement on the teenager whose court case ended in July.

If convicted, the maximum sentence that he can receive is three years at a correction facility, which will include the time he spent in custody during the case that stirred the nation's soul.

Sky News spoke to the friend of the victim who was with the physiotherapy student on that fateful night of the attack.

He criticised what he sees as the leniency of India's juvenile justice system, which seeks to reform rather than punish criminals under 18.

He said: "As a survivor, I am angry. Where is the justice to the victim's family and friends? People blame circumstances for making a juvenile a criminal but I see a failure of the judicial and social system."

The family of the victim campaigned for the juvenile be treated as an adult, alongside five other adults who were also charged with the rape of murder of the woman.

Earlier this year, the victim's father Badri Singh told Sky News that all the accused must be given the death penalty. Only then, he said, would his daughter get justice.

A protester at the Government Secretariat and Presidential Palace in Delhi

Her parents intend to appeal to the higher courts on the matter, but lawyers say the juvenile laws will have to be amended if any change is expected in the case.

The Supreme Court is hearing a plea for a change in the juvenile age, and to consider the mental and intellectual level of a minor offender.

The juvenile, who was 17 years old when he committed the crime, pleaded not guilty during his court case.

He refuted in court the police charge sheet that he was the "most brutal" of all the six accused men. His lawyers submitted there was no medical evidence to connect him to the charges and no fingerprints could be detected within the bus to show complicity.

A native of Uttar Pradesh, the suspect came to Delhi when he was 11.

He worked at a number of road side restaurants before taking up a cleaner's job on the bus. He told the court he was a victim of the alleged ringleader of the group, Ram Singh, for whom he worked and "as not paid by for months".

The crime, which saw the woman die of internal injuries inflicted during the savage attack on a moving bus in December last year, generated a wave of protests against sex crimes against women in India.

It pressurised the government into enacting new laws and fast-track courts to try cases of crimes against women.

The five other suspects are being tried in Saket, New Delhi

In March, the Indian parliament passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2013, or anti-rape law. The law has called for stringent punishments for offences of rape, stalking, voyeurism and acid attacks.

A parliamentary committee on empowering women has recommended a reduction in the age of male juveniles from 18 to 16 years.

The committee had noted a 10.5% increase in crimes against women by juveniles in 2011, but the government decided against lowering the age.

The trial of the other accused - Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur - is taking place at a fast-track court in New Delhi.

They have been charged with gang rape, murder, criminal conspiracy, unnatural sex and robbery. The trial is expected to wrap up in the next few weeks, with the men facing a possible death sentence if convicted.

Over 800 pages of evidence were presented to the court and 82 witnesses examined.

A fifth man, Ram Singh, allegedly committed suicide in jail in March.

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Syria: Regime 'Ready To Retaliate' To Strike

Syria: US Report On Gas Attack

Updated: 8:13pm UK, Friday 30 August 2013

The US released its assessment of the Syrian government's alleged involvement in the August 21 chemical weapons attack in Damascus. Here is the text.

The United States Government assesses with high confidence that the Syrian government carried out a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs on August 21, 2013. We further assess that the regime used a nerve agent in the attack.

These all-source assessments are based on human, signals, and geospatial intelligence as well as a significant body of open source reporting. Our classified assessments have been shared with the US Congress and key international partners. To protect sources and methods, we cannot publicly release all available intelligence - but what follows is an unclassified summary of the US Intelligence Community's analysis of what took place.

Syrian Government Use of Chemical Weapons on August 21

A large body of independent sources indicates that a chemical weapons attack took place in the Damascus suburbs on August 21.

In addition to US intelligence information, there are accounts from international and Syrian medical personnel; videos; witness accounts; thousands of social media reports from at least 12 different locations in the Damascus area; journalist accounts; and reports from highly credible nongovernmental organisations.

A preliminary US government assessment determined that 1,429 people were killed in the chemical weapons attack, including at least 426 children, though this assessment will certainly evolve as we obtain more information.

We assess with high confidence that the Syrian government carried out the chemical weapons attack against opposition elements in the Damascus suburbs on August 21. We assess that the scenario in which the opposition executed the attack on August 21 is highly unlikely.

The body of information used to make this assessment includes intelligence pertaining to the regime's preparations for this attack and its means of delivery, multiple streams of intelligence about the attack itself and its effect, our post-attack observations, and the differences between the capabilities of the regime and the opposition.

Our high confidence assessment is the strongest position that the US Intelligence Community can take short of confirmation. We will continue to seek additional information to close gaps in our understanding of what took place.

Background:

The Syrian regime maintains a stockpile of numerous chemical agents, including mustard, sarin, and VX and has thousands of munitions that can be used to deliver chemical warfare agents.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad is the ultimate decision maker for the chemical weapons program and members of the program are carefully vetted to ensure security and loyalty. The Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) - which is subordinate to the Syrian Ministry of Defence - manages Syria's chemical weapons program.

We assess with high confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale against the opposition multiple times in the last year, including in the Damascus suburbs.

This assessment is based on multiple streams of information including reporting of Syrian officials planning and executing chemical weapons attacks and laboratory analysis of physiological samples obtained from a number of individuals, which revealed exposure to sarin. We assess that the opposition has not used chemical weapons.

The Syrian regime has the types of munitions that we assess were used to carry out the attack on August 21, and has the ability to strike simultaneously in multiple locations. We have seen no indication that the opposition has carried out a large-scale, coordinated rocket and artillery attack like the one that occurred on August 21.

We assess that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons over the last year primarily to gain the upper hand or break a stalemate in areas where it has struggled to seize and hold strategically valuable territory. In this regard, we continue to judge that the Syrian regime views chemical weapons as one of many tools in its arsenal, including air power and ballistic missiles, which they indiscriminately use against the opposition.

The Syrian regime has initiated an effort to rid the Damascus suburbs of opposition forces using the area as a base to stage attacks against regime targets in the capital. The regime has failed to clear dozens of Damascus neighbourhoods of opposition elements, including neighbourhoods targeted on August 21, despite employing nearly all of its conventional weapons systems.

We assess that the regime's frustration with its inability to secure large portions of Damascus may have contributed to its decision to use chemical weapons on August 21.

Preparation:

We have intelligence that leads us to assess that Syrian chemical weapons personnel - including personnel assessed to be associated with the SSRC - were preparing chemical munitions prior to the attack. In the three days prior to the attack, we collected streams of human, signals and geospatial intelligence that reveal regime activities that we assess were associated with preparations for a chemical weapons attack.

Syrian chemical weapons personnel were operating in the Damascus suburb of 'Adra from Sunday, August 18 until early in the morning on Wednesday, August 21 near an area that the regime uses to mix chemical weapons, including sarin. On August 21, a Syrian regime element prepared for a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus area, including through the utilisation of gas masks.

Our intelligence sources in the Damascus area did not detect any indications in the days prior to the attack that opposition affiliates were planning to use chemical weapons.

The Attack:

Multiple streams of intelligence indicate that the regime executed a rocket and artillery attack against the Damascus suburbs in the early hours of August 21.

Satellite detections corroborate that attacks from a regime-controlled area struck neighbourhoods where the chemical attacks reportedly occurred - including Kafr Batna, Jawbar, 'Ayn Tarma, Darayya, and Mu'addamiyah. This includes the detection of rocket launches from regime controlled territory early in the morning, approximately 90 minutes before the first report of a chemical attack appeared in social media. The lack of flight activity or missile launches also leads us to conclude that the regime used rockets in the attack.

Local social media reports of a chemical attack in the Damascus suburbs began at 2:30 a.m. local time on August 21. Within the next four hours there were thousands of social media reports on this attack from at least 12 different locations in the Damascus area. Multiple accounts described chemical-filled rockets impacting opposition-controlled areas.

Three hospitals in the Damascus area received approximately 3,600 patients displaying symptoms consistent with nerve agent exposure in less than three hours on the morning of August 21, according to a highly credible international humanitarian organisation.

The reported symptoms, and the epidemiological pattern of events - characterised by the massive influx of patients in a short period of time, the origin of the patients, and the contamination of medical and first aid workers - were consistent with mass exposure to a nerve agent. We also received reports from international and Syrian medical personnel on the ground.

We have identified one hundred videos attributed to the attack, many of which show large numbers of bodies exhibiting physical signs consistent with, but not unique to, nerve agent exposure. The reported symptoms of victims included unconsciousness, foaming from the nose and mouth, constricted pupils, rapid heartbeat, and difficulty breathing.

Several of the videos show what appear to be numerous fatalities with no visible injuries, which is consistent with death from chemical weapons, and inconsistent with death from small-arms, high-explosive munitions or blister agents. At least 12 locations are portrayed in the publicly available videos, and a sampling of those videos confirmed that some were shot at the general times and locations described in the footage.

We assess the Syrian opposition does not have the capability to fabricate all of the videos, physical symptoms verified by medical personnel and NGOs, and other information associated with this chemical attack.

We have a body of information, including past Syrian practice, that leads us to conclude that regime officials were witting of and directed the attack on August 21. We intercepted communications involving a senior official intimately familiar with the offensive who confirmed that chemical weapons were used by the regime on August 21 and was concerned with the UN inspectors obtaining evidence.

On the afternoon of August 21, we have intelligence that Syrian chemical weapons personnel were directed to cease operations. At the same time, the regime intensified the artillery barrage targeting many of the neighbourhoods where chemical attacks occurred. In the 24 hour period after the attack, we detected indications of artillery and rocket fire at a rate approximately four times higher than the ten preceding days.

We continued to see indications of sustained shelling in the neighbourhoods up until the morning of August 26.

To conclude, there is a substantial body of information that implicates the Syrian government's responsibility in the chemical weapons attack that took place on August 21. As indicated, there is additional intelligence that remains classified because of sources and methods concerns that is being provided to Congress and international partners.

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Syria Gas Attack: 'My Eyes Were On Fire'

Survivors have described the horrific aftermath of the "gas attack" in Syria in a series of chilling interviews from Damascus.

Victims told how a gas with "a faint green colour" stung their eyes "like needles", causing their legs to buckle and making their bodies convulse in pain.

One told how he regained consciousness after succumbing to the gas, seeing wild hallucinations "like Alice in Wonderland" with his "eyes on fire".

Others described how they saw hundreds of suffocating, twitching victims in the streets and in hospitals following a barrage of "whistling" rockets.

Girls who survived rest in a mosque in Damascus

In several interviews, released by the Associated Press news agency, witnesses told how the rockets made a "strange noise", never heard before.

The rocket assaults came around the same time on two suburbs on opposite sides of the capital: Moadamiyeh to the west and several districts to the east.

Ammar, a resident who said he miraculously survived the barrage on Moadamiyeh, where 80 people were killed, said he was awakened by shelling around 5am. 

He said he heard a screeching sound, followed by the sound of people screaming on Rawda street below his apartment - and saw the green gas.

A boy who survived and took cover in a Damascus mosque

"I ran out to see what was going on and saw people in various stages of suffocation and convulsions. I tried to help, but then my legs buckled and I fell to the ground," he said.

Ammar woke up at a makeshift hospital, where he said he spent five days getting oxygen and injections of atropine, which counteracts the effects of nerve gases.

A week later, Ammar said he has not fully recovered. He suffers bouts of cold sweats, exhaustion, hallucinations and a runny nose.

Worst of all, he said, were the nightmares.

"I can't sleep anymore. I keep seeing the people who died, the scenes from the hospital of people twitching and foaming. I can never forget that," said Ammar, 30.

A child victim of the attack

His father, who identified himself by his nickname, Abu Ammar, was at the nearby al-Rawda mosque waiting for dawn prayers when the first rockets hit.

He said some people ran outside and then came back in immediately, shouting: "Chemicals! Chemicals!"

He put water on a tissue and covered his mouth and nose, and then went out.

"I saw at least seven people lying on their backs, completely still," he said.

Qusai Zakarya said the rockets crashed with a strange whistle "like a siren".

Friends took him to the hospital, where he saw dozens of people crowding the rooms and corridors, many of them in their underwear.

Nurses and doctors doused them with water. That was when he fainted. When he came to, doctors were injecting him with atropine and he started vomiting.

"Strange colours came out of my stomach," the man said. He fainted again and later woke up in the street outside in his underwear, apparently moved out to make room for others.

Later, he felt well enough to go home and said he slept for 13 hours.

Many children fell ill after the assault

"When I woke up I felt like Alice in Wonderland," he said.

"Everything looked distorted and I couldn't remember anything.

"My eyes felt as if they were on fire, and every time I tried to smell something I felt terrible pain. My chest also ached," he said, his speech interrupted by a hacking cough.

To the east of Damascus, some 600 patients poured into a makeshift hospital in the district of Arbeen. Of those, 125 died, including 35 children.

Abu Akram said he was told by several medics that some people were found in their homes, with wet towels on their faces or hiding with their children in bathrooms.

"People didn't die in their sleep; they tried to save themselves," he said.

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Syria Crisis: US May Act Without Allied Support

President Barack Obama may proceed with military action against Syria even without allied support, US officials have said.

But they stressed no final decision has been made on America's response to the Syrian government's alleged chemical weapons attack, which is said to have killed 1,300 people.

Veto-holding members of the United Nations are at odds over a draft Security Council resolution that would authorise "all necessary force" in response to the alleged gas attack.

The UK's traditional role as America's most reliable military ally was called into question when David Cameron became the first British prime minister in history to be blocked by MPs over the prospect of military action.

A chastened-looking PM, struggling to make himself heard over calls of "resign" from the opposition benches, told them "I get it" as he abandoned hopes of joining any US strike on Syria.

Mr Obama is under pressure to provide a legal rationale for military action

Speaking after the historic defeat, the White House said Mr Obama would decide on a response to chemical weapons use in Syria based on US interests, but that Washington would continue to consult with Britain.

British chancellor George Osborne acknowledged that the inability to commit British forces to any American-led operation against Assad  would damage the special relationship between Westminster and Washington.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think there will be a national soul-searching about our role in the world and whether Britain wants to play a big part in upholding the international system, be that big, open and trading nation that I like us to be, or whether we turn our back on that."

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, speaking on a trip to the Philippines, said: "It is the goal of President Obama and our government ... whatever decision is taken, that it be an international collaboration and effort."

David Cameron was blocked by MPs over the prospect of military action

America is mulling whether to strike Syria without UN backing despite some of the more hawkish figures in the US cautioning against military action.

Former Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who helped spearhead US invasions in Iraq and Afghanistan, said: "There really hasn't been any indication from the administration as to what our national interest is with respect to this particular situation."

He said, if anything, the US should be more concerned with Iran.

Earlier, top US officials spoke to key Democrat and Republican politicians for more than 90 minutes in a conference call to explain why they believe the Syrian regime was responsible for the suspected chemical attack.

They have been pressing Mr Obama to provide a legal rationale for military action, and to lay out a firm case linking President Bashar al Assad's forces to the attack.

A UN weapons expert at the site of an alleged chemical attack in Syria

Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, a senior Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said after the briefing that "strong evidence of the Assad regime's continued use of chemical warfare" merited a military response.

It remained to be seen whether any sceptics were swayed by the call, given the expectation that officials would hold back classified information to protect intelligence sources.

"The main thing was that they have no doubt that Assad's forces used chemical weapons," New York Rep Eliot Engel, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said after the briefing.

But he said officials did not provide much new evidence of that.

"They said they have (intercepted) some discussions and some indications from a high-level official," he said, and that they possess intelligence showing material being moved in advance of the attack.

France announced that its armed forces "have been put in position to respond" if President Francois Hollande decides on military action.

He does not need French parliamentary approval to launch military action that lasts less than four months.

Moscow and Beijing have both vetoed previous Western efforts to impose UN penalties on Syria.

China has also been keen to show it is not taking sides and has urged the Syrian government to talk to the opposition and meet demands for political change.

Mr Assad, who has denied using chemical weapons, vowed his country "will defend itself against any aggression".

Mr Obama has ruled out putting American forces on the ground in Syria or setting up a no-fly zone over the country.

He said any US response would be limited in scope and aimed solely at punishing Mr Assad for deploying deadly gases, not at regime change.

The most likely military option would be Tomahawk cruise missile strikes from four Navy destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

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Mexican Drug 'Chief' Linked To 350 Murders

Police in Mexico have arrested a suspected lieutenant of the country's most wanted drugs lord on suspicion of murdering more than 350 people.

Mario Nunez, a former police officer, is thought to be the operations chief of Joaquin 'Shorty' Guzman in Chihuahua, a state bordering the US which has been dominated by drug-related violence over the past few years.

"This person (Nunez) is related to, and believed to be responsible for, the murder of more than 350 people recovered from 23 hidden mass graves," said government national security spokesman Eduardo Sanchez.

Guzman heads the Sinaloa Cartel, which is widely regarded as the country's most powerful drug-running organisation.

In February it was reported that he had been shot dead but this was never confirmed.

US court documents say Guzman hired Nunez and gave him the job of snatching the smuggling corridors into the US from the local Juarez Cartel, through ordering gangs of hitmen to carry out killings that included mutilations and decapitations.

The Juarez Cartel lost ground to the Sinaloa organisation in a three-year battle that wound down in 2011.

But Nunez's criminal career continued, authorities say.

The Mexican government claims Nunez's power struggle with another drug lord in 2011 resulted in the killings of the 350 people unearthed in the mass graves in the northern state of Durango.

"Much of the violence seen in the states of Chihuahua and Durango is partially because of the actions carried out by this man," Mr Sanchez said.

Nunez, 39, is wanted in the US on drug-trafficking charges in a federal court in Texas.

The Mexican government said he could face up to 40 years in prison in Mexico.

It was not immediately clear whether there was a US extradition request for him.

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Martin Luther King's 'Dream' Speech Celebrated

An address by President Barack Obama has capped celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech.

Mr Obama spoke on the steps of Washington's Lincoln Memorial, the site of Dr King's iconic address on August 28, 1963.

"We rightly and best remember Dr King's soaring oratory that day - how he gave mighty voice to the quiet hopes of millions," Mr Obama said.

"His words belong to the ages, possessing a power and prophecy unmatched in our time.

It was a moment rich with history and symbolism, with the first black president standing where Dr King first sketched his dream.

Obama watches Martin Luther King's family ring a bell during the ceremony

But Mr Obama also pointed to the nation's lingering economic disparities as evidence that the civil rights leader's hopes remain unfulfilled.

"In too many communities across this country, in cities and suburbs and rural hamlets, the shadow of poverty casts a pall over our youth," the president said.

"And so as we mark this anniversary, we must remind ourselves that the measure of progress for those who marched 50 years ago was not merely how many blacks could join the ranks of millionaires.

"It was whether this country would admit all people who are willing to work hard regardless of race into the ranks of a middle-class life," he said.

Prior to Mr Obama stepping to the podium, the same bell was rung that once hung in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, before the church was bombed in 1963.

Former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter both spoke ahead of Obama

Two former presidents, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, spoke movingly of Dr King's legacy, and of problems still to overcome.

"This march, and that speech, changed America," Mr Clinton declared, remembering the impact on the world and himself as a young man.

"They opened minds, they melted hearts and they moved millions - including a 17-year-old boy watching alone in his home in Arkansas."

Mr Carter said Dr King's efforts had helped not just black Americans, but "In truth, he helped to free all people".

Oprah Winfrey led a contingency of celebrities who addressed the crowd

Still, Mr Carter listed a string of current events that he said would have spurred Dr King to action in this day, including the proliferation of guns and stand-your-ground laws, a Supreme Court ruling striking down parts of the Voting Rights Act, and high rates of joblessness among blacks.

Oprah Winfrey, leading the celebrity contingent, recalled watching the march as a nine-year-old girl and wishing she could be there to see a young man who "was able to force an entire country to wake up, to look at itself and to eventually change".

"It's an opportunity today to recall where we once were in this nation," she said.

Tens of thousands assembled in soggy weather at the Lincoln Memorial, where Dr King, with rhythmic oratory and a steely countenance, had pleaded with Americans to come together to stomp out racism and create a land of opportunity for all.

Kevin Keefe, a Navy lawyer who is white, said he still tears up when he hears Dr King's speech.

Tens of thousands braved rainy weather to attend the ceremony

"What happened 50 years ago was huge," he said, adding that there is still progress to be made on economic inequality and other problems.

Dr King's eldest son, Martin Luther King III, just five when his father spoke at the Mall, spoke of a dream "not yet realised" in full.

"We've got a lot of work to do but none of us should be any ways tired," he said. "Why? Because we've come much too far from where we started."

Organisers of the rally broadened the focus well beyond racial issues, bringing speakers forward to address the environment, gay rights, the challenges facing the disabled and more.

The performers, too, were an eclectic crowd, ranging from Maori haka dancers to LeAnn Rimes singing Amazing Grace.

Also joining the day's events were Lynda Bird Johnson Robb, daughter of Lyndon Johnson, the president who signed the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John F Kennedy.

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Syria Gas Attack: 'My Eyes Were On Fire'

Survivors have described the horrific aftermath of the "gas attack" in Syria in a series of chilling interviews from Damascus.

Victims told how a gas with "a faint green colour" stung their eyes "like needles", causing their legs to buckle and making their bodies convulse in pain.

One told how he regained consciousness after succumbing to the gas, seeing wild hallucinations "like Alice in Wonderland" with his "eyes on fire".

Others described how they saw hundreds of suffocating, twitching victims in the streets and in hospitals following a barrage of "whistling" rockets.

Girls who survived rest in a mosque in Damascus

In several interviews, released by the Associated Press news agency, witnesses told how the rockets made a "strange noise", never heard before.

The rocket assaults came around the same time on two suburbs on opposite sides of the capital: Moadamiyeh to the west and several districts to the east.

Ammar, a resident who said he miraculously survived the barrage on Moadamiyeh, where 80 people were killed, said he was awakened by shelling around 5am. 

He said he heard a screeching sound, followed by the sound of people screaming on Rawda street below his apartment - and saw the green gas.

A boy who survived and took cover in a Damascus mosque

"I ran out to see what was going on and saw people in various stages of suffocation and convulsions. I tried to help, but then my legs buckled and I fell to the ground," he said.

Ammar woke up at a makeshift hospital, where he said he spent five days getting oxygen and injections of atropine, which counteracts the effects of nerve gases.

A week later, Ammar said he has not fully recovered. He suffers bouts of cold sweats, exhaustion, hallucinations and a runny nose.

Worst of all, he said, were the nightmares.

"I can't sleep anymore. I keep seeing the people who died, the scenes from the hospital of people twitching and foaming. I can never forget that," said Ammar, 30.

A child victim of the attack

His father, who identified himself by his nickname, Abu Ammar, was at the nearby al-Rawda mosque waiting for dawn prayers when the first rockets hit.

He said some people ran outside and then came back in immediately, shouting: "Chemicals! Chemicals!"

He put water on a tissue and covered his mouth and nose, and then went out.

"I saw at least seven people lying on their backs, completely still," he said.

Qusai Zakarya said the rockets crashed with a strange whistle "like a siren".

Friends took him to the hospital, where he saw dozens of people crowding the rooms and corridors, many of them in their underwear.

Nurses and doctors doused them with water. That was when he fainted. When he came to, doctors were injecting him with atropine and he started vomiting.

"Strange colours came out of my stomach," the man said. He fainted again and later woke up in the street outside in his underwear, apparently moved out to make room for others.

Later, he felt well enough to go home and said he slept for 13 hours.

Many children fell ill after the assault

"When I woke up I felt like Alice in Wonderland," he said.

"Everything looked distorted and I couldn't remember anything.

"My eyes felt as if they were on fire, and every time I tried to smell something I felt terrible pain. My chest also ached," he said, his speech interrupted by a hacking cough.

To the east of Damascus, some 600 patients poured into a makeshift hospital in the district of Arbeen. Of those, 125 died, including 35 children.

Abu Akram said he was told by several medics that some people were found in their homes, with wet towels on their faces or hiding with their children in bathrooms.

"People didn't die in their sleep; they tried to save themselves," he said.

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Syria: Russia Ships 'Bound For Mediterranean'

Russia is to send an anti-submarine ship and a missile cruiser to the Mediterranean, according to Russian news agency Interfax.

An armed forces source reportedly said the planned deployment was in response to the "well-known situation" - a clear reference to the conflict in Syria.

The navy has denied the deployment is linked to events in Syria, saying it is part of a planned rotation of its ships in the Mediterranean.

Russia is strongly against any military intervention in Syria, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov believing it would seriously destabilise the region.

The country has started to pull its citizens out of Syria as the likelihood of military action increases.

The reports come after US President Barack Obama said any strike would be to "send a shot across the bow" to deter future chemical weapons attacks.

UN inspectors continue their investigations but will leave on Friday

He said the US had concluded that the Syrian government carried out the large-scale chemical weapons attack against civilians last week.

President Obama said the US had examined evidence and did not believe the rebels possessed chemical weapons or the means to deliver them.

But he added that the US had not yet made a firm decision about how to respond.

United Nations weapons inspectors set out on Thursday morning for the Damascus suburbs in a third day of investigations.

Last week's alleged chemical attack is claimed to have killed 1,300 pepole.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has pleaded for all sides to hold off on any military strikes.

He said his inspection team would soon finish its investigation, leaving Syria on Friday and report their findings to him the following day.

Britain's draft resolution on authorising military force failed to win the approval of the UN Security Council yesterday as Russia reiterated its objections.

Russia, along with China, has blocked past attempts to sanction the Assad government.

However, the Obama administration has said it would take action even without the backing of allies or the United Nations.

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Syria: Cameron In Talks With Obama Over Action

Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken about Syria with Barack Obama by telephone as Britain and the US consider military action.

The two leaders agreed to stay in "close consultation" in the coming days as Mr Cameron prepared for a meeting of the National Security Council meeting today.

The Prime Minister has said any action in Syria would be to deter the future use of chemical weapons as he blamed a suspected poison gas attack on the Assad regime.

Mr Cameron said the scenes of death and suffering in Damascus were "appalling" and "we cannot let that stand".

Britain's Armed Forces are drawing up plans for a potential military intervention in response to the alleged chemical attack in the Syrian capital, which is believed to have killed hundreds of civilians.

David Cameron says the Syrian attack was "appalling"

Mr Cameron said any intervention had to be legal and proportionate and would not be about the Syrian conflict itself but preventing the use of chemical weapons by any regime.

And he stressed no decisions about UK involvement have been made.

He said: "Let me stress to people, this is not about getting involved in a Middle Eastern war or changing our stance in Syria, or going further into that conflict. It's about chemical weapons. Their use is wrong and the world should not stand idly by."

Parliament is being recalled and Mr Cameron, who is back in London after cutting short his family holiday, said a clear motion on the crisis would be put before MPs on Thursday.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said Britain will not engage in an "open-ended military" conflict and "we're not considering regime change".

One of Britain's bases, RAF Akrotiri, is in southern Cyprus

Foreign Secretary William Hague has declined to rule out action, such as targeted air strikes, being launched within days, and the PM is under pressure to be able to legally justify any intervention.

He spoke to US President Barack Obama on Tuesday night but a Downing Street spokeswoman said there would be no decision on what action to take ahead of a National Security Council meeting Mr Cameron will hold on Wednesday.

A build-up of military aircraft at Britain's base on Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, suggested that planning had reached a developed stage.

But a YouGov poll for the Sun newspaper claimed 50% of people questioned said they opposed a military strike against Syria, with only 25% in favour.

It comes as the US defence secretary Chuck Hagel said his country was "ready to go" if Mr Obama orders action.

Chuck Hagel says the US is "ready to go"

Mr Hagel said the president asked the Pentagon to give him "all options for all contingencies".

"We are prepared. We have moved assets in place to be able to fulfil and comply with whatever option the president wishes to take," he told the BBC.

US Vice-President Joe Biden said there was no question that Syria's President Bashar Assad was responsible for the attack - the highest-ranking US official to say so.

And the White House dismissed as "fanciful" the notion that anyone other than Mr Assad could be to blame.

"Suggestions that there's any doubt about who's responsible for this are as preposterous as a suggestion that the attack did not occur," spokesman Jay Carney said.

He also said the options the White House was considering were not about regime change.

Walid Muallem has vowed the regime will defend itself

Rebels in Syria have handed Western powers a list of suggested targets for a strike, according to a Reuters source.

France's President Francois Hollande said his country was prepared to "punish" those who gassed innocent people last Wednesday and it seemed certain that forces loyal to Mr Assad were behind the attack.

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall said any potential action "would be a punch on the nose for the Assad regime. I don't think the US is ready for Assad to go because they are frightened of who would take his place."

But Syria insists it will not submit quietly to an attack.

"We have two options: either to surrender, or to defend ourselves with the means at our disposal. The second choice is the best: we will defend ourselves," said Syrian foreign minister Walid Muallem.

He also claimed Tuesday's UN inspections of alleged chemical attack sites had to be scrapped because of disputes between rebels.

Snipers shot at UN inspectors on Monday

Snipers shot at the UN team on Monday, but the inspectors still managed to collect some "valuable" samples. The UN inspections will take place on Wednesday instead, Mr Muallem said.

Syria denies using the chemical weapons and Russia - which supplies arms to Syria and is the regime's most powerful ally - has backed claims that video footage of victims could be opposition propaganda.

"I challenge those who accuse our forces of using these weapons to come forward with the evidence," Mr Muallem said.

The Arab League has accused the Syrian regime of carrying out the suspected gas attack and Saudi Arabia has called for "firm and serious" action against the state.

But Moscow has warned that any use of force against Syria would have "catastrophic consequences".

"We call on our American colleagues and all members of the international community to show prudence, strict observance of international law, and above all, the fundamental principles of the UN Charter," the Russian foreign ministry said.

And deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin claimed western countries were behaving in the Islamic world like a "monkey with a grenade".

It is unclear whether Mr Obama would seek authority from the UN or Congress before using force. But it is likely Russia and China would block US efforts to authorise action through the UN Security Council.

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Hackers: Pro-Assad Group Targets US Websites

Pro-Assad regime hackers claim to have targeted leading US media websites, shutting down the New York Times for 30 minutes.

The Syrian Electronic Army said it had hacked sites belonging to Twitter and the Huffington Post, making them unstable, as well as closing down the NYT.

The NYT attributed the meltdown to a "malicious external attack".

When users attempted to visit www.nytimes.com, the only message that appeared was "Hacked by the SEA".

Meanwhile, Twitter confirmed the hack saying "viewing of images and photos was sporadically impacted", but added that "no user information was affected".

The SEA boasted in a tweet: "Hi @Twitter, look at your domain, its owned by #SEA :)"  

The boasting tweet from the SEA hacking group

While the Twitter site continued to function as normal, the SEA claimed to have changed domain details, redirecting social media traffic to its own server.

The shadowy hacker collective has also claimed to have changed domain details belonging to the Huffington Post news site.

The latest attacks come weeks after the Twitter feed of the Associated Press news agency was targeted.

The feed falsely reported that Barack Obama was injured in an attack on the White House.

The Washington Post website was also hacked this month in an attack blamed on the same group.

The SEA infiltrates organisations it perceives to be aligned against the Assad government.

The string of cyber attacks comes as US leaders have publicly discussed the possibility of launching an attack against the Assad government.

The potential for military action comes amid claims Mr Assad deployed chemical weapons on the Syrian people, two years into the nation's civil war.

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Baghdad Bombings: 'At Least 51 People Dead'

Iraqi officials say a coordinated wave of bombings have mainly struck Shiite neighbourhoods in and around Baghdad.

The attacks are the latest in a relentless wave of killing that has left thousands dead since April, marking the country's worst spate of bloodshed since 2008.

Police say insurgents set off bombs in at least 10 different neighbourhoods in the capital early on Wednesday. Another 150 are reported wounded.

Insurgents deployed explosives-laden cars and suicide bombers targeted car parks, outdoor markets and restaurants according to officials. A military convoy was also hit south of the capital.

Baghdad: the blasts ripped through Shiite neighbours during rush hour

The northern neighborhood of Kazimiyah, home to a prominent, gold-domed Shiite shrine, was the worst hit. Two bombs went off in a car park followed by a suicide car bomber who struck onlookers who had gathered at the scene.

Police say a total of 10 people were killed and 27 wounded in that attack.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blasts, but they bore the hallmarks of the Iraqi branch of al-Qaida.

It frequently targets Shiites, which it considers heretics, in an attempt to incite sectarian strife.

Security has been stepped up in the capital in recent months

One car bomb in the Baghdad Jadidah area left four dead and badly damaged nearby cars and shopfronts. All that was left of the car was mangled metal.

Onlookers were angry with the authorities for failing to ensure their security.

"We are poor people, and all of our things have been burned, and our home has fallen to the ground," said Marwa, an 18-year-old resident of Shaab, a north Baghdad neighbourhood where four people were killed.

"The politicians are fighting over positions and not looking after us," she continued. "The people are homeless because of these explosions. Who is going to compensate us? Who is going to compensate the youth?"

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Mubarak Back In Court After Prison Release

Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak has appeared in court to answer charges in connection with the killing of protesters in 2011.

It was the 85-year-old's first court appearance since he was released from prison last week and transferred to a military hospital.

Mubarak appeared at a heavily fortified courtroom in eastern Cairo in a wheelchair, wearing sunglasses and dressed in white.

He sat next to his two sons, Gamal and Alaa, and his former security chief Habib al Adly, who are being tried in a separate corruption-related case.

Around a dozen of the ousted leader's supporters gathered outside the court holding placards and chanting: "Hosni Mubarak is the most honourable Arab, Hosni Mubarak is close to our hearts".

Supporters of Mubarak outside court

Mubarak has been in detention since April 2011.

He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison last year for failing to stop the killing of around 900 protesters in the 18-day uprising, but his sentence was overturned on appeal.

In April, his retrial opened along with those of his security chief and six top police commanders.

His next hearing has been scheduled for September 14.

Defence lawyer Magdy Hafez said: "The court is moving in its natural course, the court does not have to go into reasons for its primary decisions.

"The court adjourned to September 14th to listen to the rest of the demands of the defence team regardless of whether they have looked at the documents or not."

A judge announces the adjournment of the Muslim Brotherhood trial

In another courtroom across the city, three leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood faced a separate trial on similar charges of involvement in the killing of protesters.

With Egypt now under an army-installed government after last month's overthrow of president Mohamed Morsi, local media seized on the symbolism of scheduling both sessions on the same day.

The al Shorouk daily newspaper ran with the headline: "Trial of two regimes".

Mohamed Badie, the Brotherhood's supreme leader, and his deputies did not appear at the opening of their trial for security reasons, a judicial source said. 

The court postponed proceedings until October 29.

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Syria: Decision On Use Of Force 'Within Days'

The Foreign Secretary has said it would be possible to respond to an alleged chemical attack in Syria without the unanimous backing of the UN.

Speaking as weapons inspectors set off for the site of the suspected attack, where hundreds of people are reported to have been killed, William Hague said a response would not require the "complete unity" of the UN Security Council.

"Otherwise it might be impossible to respond to such outrages, such crimes," he told the BBC.

Mr Hague's comments came as David Cameron faced calls to recall Parliament to discuss the crisis.

Politicians in France are preparing to meet "in the coming days" to decide whether to respond with force, according to the country's foreign minister Laurent Fabius.

UN weapons inspectors leave their hotel in Damascus

"If, in reality, the Prime Minister is now considering military options involving UK personnel then of course I would expect him to seek a recall of Parliament and to come to the House of Commons and make his case in advance of a decision being made," shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said.

A Downing Street spokesman said summoning MPs from their summer break had not been ruled out, but stressed Mr Cameron "reserved the ability to take action very swiftly if needed".

No decisions had been taken on military action and there was no clear timetable, he insisted.

However, there is mounting speculation that the US, Britain and France could back limited airstrikes to demonstrate that deployment of chemical weapons will not be tolerated.

Mr Assad has said any attack by the US would "fail", and Russia has warned of "extremely dangerous consequences" if military strikes are launched.

A boy recovers after the alleged toxic gas attack last week

At least two mortar bombs landed close to the inspectors' hotel as they left for the suburbs of Zamalka and Ein Tarma, where chemical weapons were apparently used last week.

Mr Assad's regime, which blamed the bombings on rebel fighters, said the visit would prove that claims by the opposition that chemical weapons were used against civilians, including children, were "lies".

The opposition claimed 1,300 people were killed, while Doctors Without Borders said 355 people died in hospital from "neurotoxic" symptoms.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said the people of Syria deserved to know the truth, adding: "We cannot allow impunity in what appears to be a grave crime against humanity."

Doctors Without Borders said 355 people died in the attack

Meanwhile, an intense round of diplomacy continues, with Mr Cameron and French President Francois Hollande warning that the "crime must not be swept under the carpet".

A Number 10 spokesman said the Prime Minister had agreed with German chancellor Angela Merkel that there was "little doubt" Assad's forces were behind the incident.

Over the weekend Mr Cameron and Barack Obama spent 40 minutes discussing the situation, ordering officials to examine "all options".

Mr Obama previously suggested that the use of chemical weapons in Syria would be a "game changer", but he has stopped short of committing to military intervention - a step that would risk a confrontation with Russia.

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China's Bo Xilai Admits 'Some Responsibility'

The disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai has admitted "some responsibility" for 5m yuan (£514,000) of embezzled public funds.

Bo denies embezzling the money, intended for a local government construction project, but said: "I feel I should take some responsibility" for the money ending up in his wife Gu Kailai's bank account and for failing to investigate.

"I feel ashamed. I was too careless, because these are state funds," he said, according to transcripts that the Intermediate People's Court in Jinan, in eastern China, is providing on its account on Sina Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter.

The courtroom scenes come after a lurid scandal triggered by the death of British businessman Neil Heywood - for which Bo's wife Gu was convicted of murder - that rocked the ruling Communist Party.

The trial has gripped millions.

Until the admission Bo's performance had been defiant, denying charges of bribe-taking and embezzlement totalling 26.8m yuan (£2.8m).

He also faces accusations of abuse of power in connection with the investigation into Mr Heywood's death, and Wang Lijun, his police chief and right-hand man in Chongqing, appeared in court to testify against him.

Earlier, Bo launched a scathing attack on a key witness, saying even the most stupid official knew not to discuss bribery where they could be overheard.

Wang Zhenggang, a former planning official in Dalian, where Bo was the mayor in the 1990s, told the court the politician had telephoned Gu in front of him in connection with the 5m yuan.

The claim did not make sense, Bo argued.

"It is not even what the most stupid corruption offender would do. Corrupt offenders with even the lowest IQ would ask who else in Dalian was aware of the money," he said.

He added: "All those who know me know that I ask them to switch off their mobile phones before I speak. I am quite cautious."

The court is posting regular but delayed transcripts of the hearings, and no live audio or video is available, nor are any foreign media or independent observers present in the room.

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US Marking 50 Years Since 'Dream' Speech

The United States has marked a turning point in its history with a rally held ahead of the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's March on Washington DC.

Tens of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall to re-enact the moving civil rights rally where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech from the Lincoln Memorial.

On Wednesday, the anniversary of the speech, church bells will ring out across the US while President Barack Obama will speak from the same steps.

Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of the murdered civil rights leader, said at Saturday's event: "This is not the time for nostalgic commemoration.

"Nor is this the time for self-congratulatory celebration. The task is not done. The journey is not complete. We can and we must do more."

Kathleen Johnson at the Martin Luther King March on Washington in 1963

Among those in the crowd to hear Dr King's speech 50 years ago were Kathleen Johnson and Jean McRae. Both women returned to the site on Saturday.

Speaking about the address on August 28 1963, Ms Johnson told Sky News: "It was a beautiful day. It was white and black together. It was a united day."

The image of her stumble into Washington DC's Reflecting Pool made magazines and newspapers across the country. Since then she has spent decades mobilising her community.

She said: "Back then there was so much wrong that we needed to stand against. I had to be there I had to be apart of it and I still feel that way."

Dr King delivered his speech on August 28, 1963

Greg Ward and his 12-year-old son, Benjamin, kept cool by fanning themselves with their "Voting Rights" banners, brought from their home state of Florida.

The two stood among the thousands lining the Reflecting Pool under a brilliant blue sky, listening to a host of speakers with varying plights.

Florida is the state in which George Zimmerman was found innocent in the killing of black teenager Trayvon Martin, whose name and face adorns countless banners and T-shirts at Saturday's event.

Sky's US correspondent Amanda Walker said they want a repeal of the stand your ground law that they say allowed Zimmerman to walk free.

She added: "It's the most tangible sign of the census of the crowd: Martin Luther King's dream, shared on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, has yet to be fulfilled."

Tens of thousands take part in the reenactment of the historic march

Mr Ward echoes the words of America's first black president - 'Trayvon could have been my son'.

He said: "It was important for us to be here. What happened in Florida broke my heart - it took us back. It could have been Benjamin. We need to move forward and this march can help that."

Patricia Major sat in the fold up chair she brought on the train from Connecticut.

She carried a Trayvon Martin banner and said: "That verdict was important but it's not the only issue.

Reverend Al Sharpton joins hands with Congressman John Lews in the march

"Immigration reform, voting rights, poverty - we are not there yet. Sure we have a black president but that doesn't make US society postracial."

Many other events are planned around the country over the coming days, giving Americans a chance to reflect on race relations.

An estimated 250,000 people of all races descended on the Mall on August 28, 1963, chanting "Equality now!" and singing "We Shall Overcome," in what was officially billed as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Millions more watched on television, among them President John F. Kennedy, who until then had been dragging his feet on legislation to end racial segregation in conservative Southern states.

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Syria: Iran Warns US Not To Cross 'Red Line'

Iran has warned the US not to cross the "red line" on Syria, saying it would have "severe consequences", according to the Fars news agency.

The warning comes after Prime Minister David Cameron and President Barack Obama said they are "gravely concerned" about signs that an alleged chemical weapons attack took place in Syria.

The two leaders spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper by telephone last night as calls increased for UN investigators - who are already in the country - to be allowed access to the site of the alleged attack.

The war of words has intensified in recent days, as Iran shows its support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

Medecins Sans Frontieres has said 355 people died in the attack

"America knows the limitation of the red line of the Syrian front and any crossing of Syria's red line will have severe consequences for the White House," said Masoud Jazayeri, the deputy chief of staff of Iran's armed forces.

Mr Jazayeri was reacting to statements made by Western officials regarding the possibility of military intervention in Syria, according to Fars.

Earlier, Iranian Press TV reported that Damascus had told Tehran it would allow inspectors to visit the site of the alleged chemical attack.

A Downing Street spokesperson stressed that any significant use of chemical weapons would merit a "serious response".

The attacks took place in the Damascus suburbs of Zamalka and Ein Tarma

The spokesperson added: "The fact that President Assad has failed to cooperate with the UN suggests that the regime has something to hide.

"They reiterated that significant use of chemical weapons would merit a serious response from the international community and both have tasked officials to examine all the options.

"They agreed that it is vital that the world upholds the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons and deters further outrages."

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said the American military is ready to exercise "options" on Syria should force be called for, but he declined to say what that action might be.

He is under mounting pressure to act over the alleged use of chemical weapons, which humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders said had killed 355 people due to "neurotoxic" symptoms.

A boy recovers after the alleged toxic gas attack on Wednesday

The group says it has treated more than 3,500 people showing symptoms of exposure to a "neurotoxic" agent.

Christopher Stokes from the charity told Sky News: ""The situation (on the ground in Syria) is quite confusing.

"We've spent the last three to four days in contact with Syrian doctors that we've been working with for six months in and around Damascus to try and piece together what happened last Wednesday.

"Basically what they've reported to us are consistent signs of the same symptoms across a large number of patients that would indicate a large scale exposure to a neurotoxic agent."

The group said victims flooded three Syrian hospitals after a "chemical massacre" on Wednesday.

Rebel groups have claimed the attack was carried out by Assad's forces and that more than 1,000 people had died. The Syrian regime has denied the allegations.

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