John Kerry To Shore Up Support Over Syria

Misery Of Syrians Driven From Home

Updated: 7:13am UK, Saturday 07 September 2013

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent

I have passed through the border area between Turkey and Syria dozens of times in the last year or so, but I have never seen a vehicle exodus like the one taking place now.

Hundreds of cars stacked up at customs all laden with people and possessions. These are the people who have survived for two and a half years, who have used up all their savings to stay in their country but have concluded now that they have to leave.

Not one Syrian is untouched by this war anymore.

In camps along Syria's borders and inside neighbouring countries, millions are living in various levels of misery.

All the camps are miserable; some are bigger and better than others, some are like squatter camps. Refugees have given up hope and gone, the internally displaced will likely soon follow, if they can.

In the displaced peoples' camp near the Turkish city of Killis, but still just inside Syria, they are just about surviving.

There is little choice for entire families who have moved from village to village for years now, seeking sanctuary from aerial bombardments and shelling. They have tried to escape the war, but it always catches up.

Haj Nadeen is 50 and has 12 children, two wives, a sister and sister-in-law all living in a single tent in the camp.

"A barrel bomb exploded in front of my house and destroyed it," he told me over a cup of tea surrounded by the whole family.

"Assad wants to destroy us and wants to move us out of our houses. He will use gas and he will use barrel bombs. If the Americans attack there will be retaliation but they have to do it."

The continual air assaults on villages are what force most people to leave; usually after a family member is severely hurt.

In a tent, the wind whipping up a sandstorm inside, little Ali Shaobu, showed me raking scars on his leg and the patches on his bottom where Turkish doctors took flesh and skin to rebuild him.

He was buying bread when a jet struck shattering that leg. Doctors said they had never not amputated on such an extensive injury but were prepared to try to save it as he was so young.

After a series of operations it was successful. But he and his family cannot return home as the same jet destroyed their house. They have been in the tent for a year.

"We can't go home and we can't rebuild until this is over," his mother, Malar Al Hassan, told me.

"We can only trust in God."

A quarter of Syria's population is on the move. International donations are half that is needed to for the aid agencies to help them and of course the crisis is growing.

Currently the world's worst humanitarian crisis, the Syria problem has rumbled on with barely a single peace solution even remotely acceptable to the rebels or the government being tabled.

But that isn't actually the point here because this is about help for those who really need it. They aren't getting enough and they can't do anything to help themselves any more.

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Assad Loyalists Protect Damascus Mountain

By Sally Arthy, Senior News Editor, Damascus

Every night for the past week, loyal Assad supporters have bedded down in tents on Mount Qussioun overlooking Damascus.

On the top of the mountain is the main transmitter for Syrian TV.

These people are trying to protect the site from possible US attack. As such they say they are human shields.

They wear white T-shirts with the logo, "Over our dead bodies".

Government forces at a checkpoint on mount Qussioun

Their canvas tents are in two uniform rows on either side of a parking area at one of the most panoramic viewing points on the road up.

Patriotic songs blare out from a sound system set up in one of the shelters.

A huge Syrian flag has been draped down the side of the hill. And it is draped around the backs of some of the activists who have set up the camp.

One of the organisers is 21-year-old law student Hussain Othman. He says he started the sleep in "to protect Syria".

File picture of mount Qussioun

He said: "We will continue until the end. We are civilians. We are against any military strikes."

Ammar Shamia is also in the crowd of demonstrators. He says two of his sons were shot dead by opposition forces last year. 

One was 14-years-old and the other eight years old. He says they were killed because their four-year-old brother was singing a pro-Syria song.

Three friends from Damascus University have come to the camp to check it out. They hope to find a bed for the night.

One of them, Isaa Ali is angry. His voice rises when he talks about the possibility of American strikes.

He said: "I want to continue to study. I want other governments to leave us alone."

Below the camp the city of Damascus sprawls out. It is a spectacular view. But it is punctuated by plumes of smoke - a reminder of the war still raging on the ground in this country.

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Damascus In US Weighs Up Appetite For War

By Amanda Walker, US Correspondent

Damascus, Maryland, has a population of 15,000. It's 40 miles away from the Syria lobbying frenzy on Capitol Hill. The main focus here are preparations for this weekend's community fair.

The Red Rooster diner has been run by the Miller family for 35 years. Owner Pat Miller says among her fellow Damascans, there's little appetite for war.

"We've got lots on our plate right now. I'm all for helping everybody, but it scares me."

Her daughter-in-law Margo shares her scepticism: "I cant think how any person in history could even think to do such an act, but if (we) strike aren't we doing the same act - do two wrongs make a right?"

On the whole Americans are lukewarm to the idea of Syrian intervention. The latest polls say around 60% of people are against it.

As one Red Rooster customer puts it: "Who's the enemy? We don't know - are they good guys or bad guys? Which one's which? Too much unknown. No support from the UN. Absolutely not."

Polls show around 60% of Americans are against intervention

The repeated message from the politicians to the people is that this isn't just about some conflict far away - it could have direct consequences for the US.

So has the American public bought into the idea that national security is being threatened?

A customer at the local hardware store suggests the answer is yes: "I do think it's a direct threat. I mean it's a global economy it's not just one country and another country.

"If we don't stand up and say 'you can't do this' the next thing you know they're going to hit Israel or somebody else then they're going to launch nuclear weapons and we're going to be in trouble."

Shop worker Scott Zielinski thinks differently: "Are we being threatened? No. But it's a 50-50. If they get hit we should help out a little bit, but we don't know if it's a set-up to get us to fight the war. I haven't heard any facts."

Like so many towns across America, Damascus knows the pain war can bring. A plaque at the town hall honours the fallen of past conflicts. Iraq in particular weighs heavy on people's minds.

Connor Lawlor, who is steadfast about joining the Army, and his mum Amanda

Sixteen-year-old Connor Lawlor's ambition is to join the US Army, but even he's not sold on striking Syria. "Regardless of me going into the army I don't think we should be in Syria militarily," he said.

"But I'm joining the army and I'm expecting conflict because we're always in a conflict somewhere in the world so it doesn't concern - as long as we're on the right side and I can't see a right side in Syria right now."

His mum Amanda says she's glad that Congress is debating the issue: "It seems like our leaders are trying really hard to make the right decision and not get involved if its not necessary so I'm glad that they're waiting right now because it does seem like a very difficult situation."

Whether people are for or against military action, they share the belief that their opinions hold little sway. Another foreign conflict is looming and there's very little this Damascus can do about it.

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Australia Government Facing Embarrassing Defeat

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

The Australian government is set for an embarrassing defeat in this weekend's general election with opinion polls suggesting the main opposition party is heading for a landslide victory.

During the five-week campaign, the opposition leader of the Liberal National coalition, Tony Abbott, has gradually overtaken once-popular Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Jullia Gillard was ousted as prime minister by Mr Rudd in July

Internal bickering in the ruling Labor party saw Mr Rudd oust Australia's first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard a few weeks ago, something which she did to him three years earlier.

The feud, however, has not pleased voters who, according to analysts, are now wanting change.

Australian election expert Antony Green says the past few weeks have been "one of the more unusual election campaigns in Australian history".

"It is a minority government going into the election, it is a government well behind in opinion polls that has changed leader at the last minute, and therefore it has been a campaign where the government is trying to make up ground," he said.

Julia Gillard's three-year term was dogged by leadership speculation, party instability and rumours of Rudd trying to engineer a return to the prime minister's office.

The leadership change provided an immediate opinion poll boost for Labor but as the election campaign moved on Rudd's popularity has slipped.

Sky News Australia's political correspondent Laura Jayes says the disruption within the Labor ranks has gone down badly with voters.

She said: "People don't like that at all.

"It's been chaotic inside the Labor camp for a good three years, but they are also a little concerned about Tony Abbott and what kind of man and Prime Minister he might be."

Mr Abbott has appealed to voters who want a change in Australia

Mr Green says there are three major issues for voters - the state of the economy, strategies for controlling asylum-seeker arrivals, and the recently introduced carbon tax.

"Australia's economy is doing well but Australians don't perceive it is doing well because they're not comparing it with overseas," he said.

"There's the issue of asylum seekers and refugees arriving by boat, that's deeply unpopular in the electorate, and the current government has been responsible for surging those numbers and is blamed for it.

"The third issue would be the carbon tax and climate change. There is still a lot of unpopularity about the Gillard government introducing a carbon tax."

Mr Abbott, unpopular in opinion polls for months, has seen his credibility improve in recent weeks.

He has been in Parliament for almost two decades, and for a time was health minister.

He trained briefly as a priest, is a fitness fanatic famous for wearing tight swimming trunks and also volunteers for Australia's Rural Fire Service.

Deeply religious, some of his more conservative views on issues such as abortion and gay marriage have not pleased some.

Questions have also been asked about his attitude towards women, Julia Gillard famously labelling him a misogynist in a heart-felt speech in Parliament.

While Labor and the coalition are the only parties capable of winning a majority in the House of Representatives (lower house), a number of smaller parties could win seats and control the balance of power in the Senate (upper house).

The Greens currently hold the balance of power there, while the new WikiLeaks Party is also fielding Senate candidates in three states.

Even undecided Australians must choose someone, as voting in Australia is mandatory. 

Around a million people an hour will pass through polling stations on Saturday.

In such a large country polling has already begun in some areas with ballot boxes taken to extremely rural locations, particularly remote Aboriginal communities.

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Britain Pledges Extra £52m In Syria Aid

Syria: Cameron Pushes G20 For Aid

Updated: 10:16pm UK, Thursday 05 September 2013

David Cameron has said Britain will lead the humanitarian response in Syria, despite MPs having ruled out military intervention.

Speaking at the G20 summit in Russia, at which the Syrian crisis is featuring heavily, the Prime Minister said scientists at Porton Down, Wiltshire, had found further evidence of a deadly sarin gas attack in Damascus last month.

He holds Bashar al Assad's regime responsible for the assault but said he had "absolutely no regrets" after failing to win support from MPs for a strike against the Syrian government.

Mr Cameron told Sky News he had made a "strong and principled stand against the use of chemical weapons" and would push world leaders to agree to more aid for the millions of people left homeless by the civil war.

"I believe in democracy and you have to respect the will of the House of Commons," he said.

"But that doesn't stop us leading the argument about why chemical weapons are wrong and shouldn't be used, about how we get a peace process going in Syria and about the vital issue of humanitarian aid.

"Every 15 seconds there is another Syrian refugee. Millions of people are homeless and they need our help. Britain will be leading the charge at this summit to make sure they get the help they need."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is attending the G20 summit with UN Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, urged world leaders to agree to an international peace conference to resolve the Syrian crisis.

"There is no military solution," he said. "Only a political solution can bring peace and end this bloodshed."

However, international tensions have dominated the start of the summit in St Petersburg.

US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin smiled and shook hands but relations between the two countries are strained.

Mr Obama said he had "hit a wall" with Mr Putin, who warned the use of force without UN approval would be an "aggression" and a violation of international law.

The Russian president has suggested he would "not exclude" supporting a UN resolution on the use of force in Syria, if Mr Assad is proven to have used chemical weapons against his own people.

However, Mr Cameron said there was little sign of Russia changing its position.

"I haven't seen much evidence of that but I think it is very important the world responds to this appalling attack," he said.

"The best way of doing this is of course to have a UN resolution, a condemnation of Syria and a backing for all necessary measures to be taken.

"But I'm also clear that when America and many others in the world draw a red line over chemical weapons use, if nothing follows then that will be very bad for our world."

The Prime Minister also said Mr Obama had been "very understanding" about the Commons vote and insisted the "special relationship" between Britain and America "is as strong today as it was a week ago or two weeks ago".

Meanwhile, the military presence around Syria is growing, with the US Navy's top admiral insisting four destroyers are "fully ready" for action.

The Syrian government has written to US Congress, pleading with members not to support the use of military force, which it claims could trigger a "bloody, destructive, catastrophic" conflict.

It came as a car bomb exploded in Damascus, killing four people and injuring six others, while 11 people died in fighting in Taftanaz, around 200 miles north of the capital.

Fighting between troops and rebel fighters continued in the regime-held Christian village of Maaloula for a second day.

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'Escape From Taliban' Author Shot Dead

An Indian woman whose memoir about life under Taliban rule in Afghanistan was turned into a Bollywood movie has been shot dead.

Suspected Taliban arrived at Sushmita Banerjee's home in Daygan Sorqala village in eastern Paktika province before dawn and seized her husband Jaanbaz Khan when he opened the door, a provincial police chief said.

He was blindfolded and bound before the author was dragged outside into the road and shot at least 15 times, police chief General Dawlat Khan Zadran said.

The 49-year-old from Kolkata, wrote A Kabuliwala's Bengali Wife, which later became the basis for the 2003 film "Escape From Taliban."

The book described how she met her husband in India and agreed to marry him despite her parents' disapproval and the fact that he was Muslim while she was Hindu.

She moved to Afghanistan as Jaanbaz's second wife, only to find that life became unbearable as the Taliban increased their hold over the country between their rise to power in 1994 and their overthrown in 2001.

The Taliban's harsh interpretation of Islam placed severe restrictions on women, including forcing them to wear all-encompassing burqas, banning them from working and prohibiting girls from attending schools

The Taliban began their rise to power in Afghanistan n 1994

In an online interview reposted after Ms Banerjee's killing, she described trying to flee Afghanistan many times in order to get away from the Taliban, eventually making it back to Kolkata in August of 1995.

"I still remember the day I stepped on Indian soil for the first time after I had left," the interview quotes her as saying.

"It was raining outside. People were scurrying for shelter. But I didn't run. I just stood there and let the rain wash off my pain. I felt if I could bear so much in Afghanistan, I can surely bear my motherland's rain. I don't know how long I stood there, but I won't forget that day."

The Taliban are influential in Paktika province, but a spokesman contacted by Reuters denied his fighters carried out the killing.

Zafar Khan, the father of Jaanbaz's first wife, said Banerjee was beloved in the area and that many residents were upset that a peaceful woman had been targeted.

"She was a very kind woman. She was very educated - she knew the internet," he said.

The head of Afghanistan's National Journalists' Union, Faheem Dashty, said Ms Banerjee was making a documentary about the lives of women in Paktika and her Indian publisher, Swapan Biswas, said she was also intending to write another book about Afghanistan.

"She was sad that she had nothing to offer in the book fair in Kolkata earlier this year and she told me she planned to go to Afghanistan to gather material for a new book," he said.

The killing of the author is the latest in a string of attacks on prominent women in Afghanistan, adding to fears about what will happen to women's rights in a country where many are barely allowed outside the house once US-led foreign forces fully withdraw next year.

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Rim Fire 'Maybe Started By Marijuana Growers'

A California fire that has been burning in and around Yosemite National Park may have been caused by illegal marijuana growing.

The Rim Fire is now 80% contained, prompting authorities to lift evacuation orders and advisories for several communities once threatened by it.

The blaze - the fourth largest recorded wildfire in California - started in a remote section of the Stanislaus National forest.

The Rim Fire began on August 17

A local official, Chief Todd McNeal of the Twain Harte Fire Department, said there was no lightning in the area.

He said the fire was caused by humans, and that he "highly suspected" that people involved in an illegal marijuana-growing operation in the forest might have sparked the blaze.

The fire has burned nearly 370 square miles, destroying 111 structures, including a dozen homes.

At one point, it threatened water and power supplies in San Francisco, and prompted officials in Nevada to issue unhealthy-air warnings.

The blaze spread quickly, due to dry conditions and strong winds

Although Yosemite has remained open, tourism businesses in the area have been hurt.

More than 4,300 firefighters are still battling the blaze. Higher humidity and lower temperatures have helped them in recent days.

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Berezovsky Estate: Daughter Applies To Court

One of the daughters of Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky has denied that her father was millions of pounds in debt when he died.

Ekaterina Berezovskaya has gone to the High Court asking to be allowed to become an executor of his estate.

Her plea comes amid questions as to whether or not there is any money in the estate to distribute.

Judge Mr Justice Morgan said reports from receivers who had analysed Mr Berezovsky's financial affairs suggested there was not, and that he had left debts that could amount to more than £300m.

"The dispute is whether the estate is solvent or insolvent," said the judge. "Information from receivers points to insolvency.

Berezovsky had earlier lost a court battle against Roman Abramovitch

"The receivers have told me a great deal about what they have uncovered."

The judge said he had seen detail of alleged debts and said the level of insolvency could be as high as £309m.

However, Ms Berezovskaya, questioned the receivers' analysis.

Anthony Trace QC, for Ms Berezovskaya, said the judge was not in a position to decide whether Mr Berezovsky's estate was insolvent.

He said there were a "number of things" receivers had not done and questioned the adequacy of their investigation.

Mr Trace said Ms Berezovskaya had been appointed executor by her father who had "died in tragic and mysterious circumstances".

The judge is being asked to decide whether Ms Berezovskaya should be made a temporary administrator of her father's estate pending further litigation.

Mr Berezovsky, 67, was found dead at his home in Ascot, Berkshire in March.

He was reportedly found on a bathroom floor with a ligature around his neck.

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G20 Summit: Syria Tensions Set To Dominate

US Draft Resolution On Syria

Updated: 10:53pm UK, Wednesday 04 September 2013

The full text of the US draft resolution on action in Syria:

JOINT RESOLUTION

To authorize the limited and tailored use of the United States Armed Forces against Syria.

Whereas Syria is in material breach of the laws of war by having employed chemical weapons against its civilian population;

Whereas the abuses of the regime of Bashar al-Assad have included the brutal repression and war upon its own civilian population, resulting in more than 100,000 people killed in the past two years, and more than 2 million internally displaced people and Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq, creating an unprecedented regional crisis and instability;

Whereas the Assad regime has the largest chemical weapons programs in the region and has demonstrated its capability and willingness to repeatedly use weapons of mass destruction against its own people, including the August 21, 2013 attack in the suburbs of Damascus in which the Assad regime murdered over 1,000 innocent people, including hundreds of children;

Whereas there is clear and compelling evidence of the direct involvement of Assad regime forces and senior officials in the planning, execution, and after-action attempts to cover-up the August 21 attack, and hide or destroy evidence of such attack;

Whereas the Arab League has declared with regards to the August 21 incident to hold the "Syrian regime responsible for this heinous crime";

Whereas the United Nations Security Council, in Resolution 1540 (2004) affirmed that the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons constitutes a threat to international peace and security;

Whereas in the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, Congress found that Syria's acquisition of weapons of mass destruction threatens the security of the Middle East and the national security interests of the United States;

Whereas the actions and conduct of the Assad regime are in direct contravention of Syria's legal obligations under the United Nations Charter, the Geneva Conventions, and the Geneva Protocol to the Hague Convention on the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, and also violates standards set forth in the Chemical Weapons Convention;

Whereas Syria's use of weapons of mass destruction and its conduct and actions constitute a grave threat to regional stability, world peace, and the national security interests of the United States and its allies and partners;

Whereas the objectives of the United States use of military force in connection with this authorization are to respond to the use, and deter and degrade the potential future use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government;

Whereas the conflict in Syria will only be resolved through a negotiated political settlement, and Congress calls on all parties to the conflict in Syria to participate urgently and constructively in the Geneva process; and

Whereas the President has authority under the Constitution to use force in order to defend the national security interests of the United States:

Now, therefore, be it,

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This joint resolution may be cited as the "Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against the Government of Syria to Respond to Use of Chemical Weapons".

SECTION 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

(a) AUTHORIZATION-The President is authorized, subject to subsection (b), to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in a limited and tailored manner against legitimate military targets in Syria, only to: (1) respond to the use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government in the conflict in Syria; (2) deter Syria's use of such weapons in order to protect the national security interests of the United States and to protect our allies and partners against the use of such weapons; and (3) degrade Syria's capacity to use such weapons in the future.

(b) REQUIREMENT FOR DETERMINATION THAT USE OF MILITARY FORCE IS

NECESSARY- Before exercising the authority granted in subsection (a), the President shall make available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that-

(1) the United States has used all appropriate diplomatic and other peaceful means to prevent the deployment and use of weapons of mass destruction by Syria;

(2) the Syrian government has conducted one or more significant chemical weapons attacks;

(3) the use of military force is necessary to respond to the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government;

(4) it is in the core national security interest of the United States to use such military force;

(5) the United States has a military plan to achieve the specific goals of responding to the use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government in the conflict in Syria, to deter Syria's use of such weapons in order to protect the national security interests of the United States and to protect our allies and partners against the use of such weapons, and to degrade Syria's capacity to use such weapons in the future; and

(6) the use of military force is consistent with and furthers the goals of the United States strategy toward Syria, including achieving a negotiated political settlement to the conflict.

(c) WAR POWERS RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS-

(1) SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION- Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, 50 U.S.C. § 1541, et seq., the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section

5(b) of the War Powers Resolution, within the limits of the authorization established under this Section.

(2) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER REQUIREMENTS- Nothing in this resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution.

SECTION 3. LIMITATION. The authority granted in section 2 does not authorize the use of the United States Armed Forces on the ground in Syria for the purpose of combat operations.

SECTION 4. TERMINATION OF THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

The authorization in section 2(a) shall terminate 60 days after the date of the enactment of this joint resolution, except that the President may extend, for a single period of 30 days, such authorization if -

(1) the President determines and certifies to Congress, not later than 5 days before the date of termination of the initial authorization, that the extension is necessary to fulfill the purposes of this resolution as defined by Section 2(a) due to extraordinary circumstances and for ongoing and impending military operations against Syria under section 2(a); and

(2) Congress does not enact into law, before the extension of authorization, a joint resolution disapproving the extension of the authorization for the additional 30 day period; provided that any such joint resolution shall be considered under the expedited procedures otherwise provided for concurrent resolutions of disapproval contained in section 7 of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1546).

SECTION 5. SYRIA STRATEGY.

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this resolution, the President shall consult with Congress and submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives an integrated United States Government strategy for achieving a negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Syria, including a comprehensive review of current and planned U.S. diplomatic, political, economic, and military policy towards Syria, including: (1) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian Supreme Military Council and other Syrian entities opposed to the government of Bashar Al-Assad that have been properly and fully vetted and share common values and interests with the United States; (2) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian political opposition, including the Syrian Opposition Coalition; (3) efforts to isolate extremist and terrorist groups in Syria to prevent their influence on the future transitional and permanent Syrian governments; (4) coordination with allies and partners; and (5) efforts to limit support from the Government of Iran and others for the Syrian regime.

SECTION 6. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING.

(a) Notification and Provision of Information. Upon his determination to use the authority set forth in section 2 of this Act, the President shall notify Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of the use of such authority and shall keep Congress fully and currently informed of the use of such authority.

(b) Reports. No fewer than 10 days after the initiation of military operations under the authority provided by Section 2, and every 20 days thereafter until the completion of military operations, the President shall submit to the Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a report on the status of such operations, including progress achieved toward the objectives specified in Section 2(a), the financial costs of operations to date, and an assessment of the impact of the operations on the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capabilities and intentions.

SECTION 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. The authority set forth in Section 2 of this resolution shall not constitute an authorization for the use of force or a declaration of war except to the extent that it authorizes military action under the conditions, for the specific purposes, and for the limited period of time set forth in this resolution.

SECTION 5. SYRIA STRATEGY.

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this resolution, the President shall consult with Congress and submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives an integrated United States Government strategy for achieving a negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Syria, including a comprehensive review of current and planned U.S. diplomatic, political, economic, and military policy towards Syria, including: (1) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian Supreme Military Council and other Syrian entities opposed to the government of Bashar Al-Assad that have been properly and fully vetted and share common values and interests with the United States; (2) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian political opposition, including the Syrian Opposition Coalition; (3) efforts to isolate extremist and terrorist groups in Syria to prevent their influence on the future transitional and permanent Syrian governments; (4) coordination with allies and partners; and (5) efforts to limit support from the Government of Iran and others for the Syrian regime.

SECTION 6. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING.

(a) Notification and Provision of Information. Upon his determination to use the authority set forth in section 2 of this Act, the President shall notify Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of the use of such authority and shall keep Congress fully and currently informed of the use of such authority.

(b) Reports. No fewer than 10 days after the initiation of military operations under the authority provided by Section 2, and every 20 days thereafter until the completion of military operations, the President shall submit to the Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a report on the status of such operations, including progress achieved toward the objectives specified in Section 2(a), the financial costs of operations to date, and an assessment of the impact of the operations on the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capabilities and intentions.

SECTION 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. The authority set forth in Section 2 of this resolution shall not constitute an authorization for the use of force or a declaration of war except to the extent that it authorizes military action under the conditions, for the specific purposes, and for the limited period of time set forth in this resolution.

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Syria Crisis: France To Debate Military Action

Syria Writes To French MPs Debating Action

Updated: 10:42pm UK, Tuesday 03 September 2013

By Jason Farrell, Sky Reporter, in Paris

The Syrian parliament has urged its French counterparts not to support military action in two letters obtained by Sky News.

The letters addressed to the President of the French Senate and the President of the National Assembly warn of the "irreversible consequences" of war and invites delegates to travel to Damascus to judge the situation for themselves.

"We write to you with great emphasis, whilst you are in the process of considering a military attack against Syria," said the letter to the National Assembly, signed by Mohammad Jihad al Lahham, the speaker of Syria's parliament.

"We write to you as parliamentary colleagues, and as representatives of our people; but most importantly we write to you as fathers, mothers and family members, in a society no different to yours: we write to you as human beings and we ask you 'if you bomb us, will we bleed'?"

"Despite our shared humanity, we are divided between our separate doubts. Similar doubts have, in the past been the spark behind terrible conflicts, especially as we approach the 100th anniversary since the start of the First World War in 1914.

"We urge you to contact us by means of civil dialogue, and not a dialogue of blood and fire."

The letter to the French Senate President urged the country's politicians not to "plunge our two secular nations into a war" which it said would destabilise not only the region but the rest of the world.

Similar letters were sent to British MPs ahead of the House of Commons vote on taking action to punish Syria over the alleged use of chemical weapons in an attack in Damascus.

There are no plans for politicians to vote after the two debates in France, but many of them are expected to call for a ballot.

Like Washington, Paris has been building a case for intervention and of all the Western leaders French President Francois Hollande has appeared the most committed to punishing President Bashar al Assad over the alleged attack, which Mr Hollande said killed more than 200 people.

However, he has promised he will not go it alone if the US Congress opposes an armed offensive.

At a news conference after a meeting with German President Joachim Gauck, Mr Hollande said: "Europe must unite on this dossier and it will, each with its own responsibility.

"France will accept its role," he added. "There will be a meeting of foreign ministers soon."

But as France's full political spectrum gathers to question whether intervention is the right course of action, it will be argued that if French MPs do not get to vote, the US congress will effectively decide for them.

Political commentator Agnes Poirier told Sky News: "Hollande is in a difficult position, Cameron set off a chain reaction when he gave parliament the vote.

"President Obama has now gone to Congress and French politicians are saying why can't we vote on this too."

White House administration officials have been working to convince Congressmen of the need for intervention with Mr Obama meeting officials and US Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel giving evidence to a Senate committee.

The French president said his determination to act was reinforced after reading an interview Mr Assad gave to French newspaper Le Figaro in which he denied that his forces had used chemical weapons and threatened "negative repercussions" against France if it intervened.

"On reading this, I became even more determined," Mr Hollande said.

"Those who had doubts about Bashar al Assad's intentions can no longer be in doubt. He speaks of 'liquidating' all those who do not agree with him."

Back in 2003 France had strongly criticised American intervention in Iraq and when it came to Libya France insisted on UN backing.

Now they are becoming a lone voice of support in Europe - even though recent polls show 64% of the population oppose involvement.

In Cafe Madeleine in central Paris there were mixed views. Two people used the same analogy to argue opposing opinions.

Waiter Sasha Kristc said: "If your next door neighbours are having a row you don't go knocking on the door, it's not your business."

But one of his clientele, Faycal El Darwiche, who runs a business between Paris and Lebanon, said: "If your next door neighbour is abusing his children, it's your responsibility to intervene."

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Ariel Castro Found Hanged In Prison Cell

Ariel Castro, the Cleveland man who held three women captive for a decade, has died after apparently hanging himself inside his prison cell.

The 53-year-old was found in his cell at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient, Ohio, at 9.20pm on Tuesday, prison officials said.

Prison medical staff performed CPR on him before he was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead 90 minutes later.

JoEllen Smith, a spokeswoman for the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, said Castro was being held in protective custody because of the notoriety of the case.

This meant he was checked every 30 minutes, but he was not on suicide watch.

Castro kept his victims chained inside his house

His three victims - Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight - disappeared between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 and 20-years-old.

Before the sentencing, Castro's lawyers had unsuccessfully tried to have a psychological examination of their client.

They argued Castro fit the profile of sociopathic disorder, and said they hoped researchers would study him for clues that could be used to stop other predators.

Castro, a former school bus driver, said during his sentencing hearing that he was a man suffering from a pornography addiction.

"I'm not a monster. I'm sick," he said.

Gina DeJesus (L), Amanda Berry (C) and Michelle Knight (R)

He was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to 937 counts including kidnap and rape.

His victims told a horrific story of starvation, beatings and sexual abuse during the years of captivity in his home in Seymour Avenue in east Cleveland.

Castro chained them by their ankles, fed them only one meal a day and provided plastic toilets in their bedrooms that were rarely emptied.

He is the father of Ms Berry's six-year-old girl, DNA tests have confirmed.

Ms Knight, who confronted him in court, said: "You took 11 years of my life away, and I have got it back."

"I spent 11 years in hell. Now your hell is just beginning."

The three women escaped on May 6, when Ms Berry broke open a door and alerted neighbours.

Castro's house has been torn down

"Help me," she said in a call to the police emergency dispatcher.

"I've been kidnapped, and I've been missing for 10 years and I'm, I'm here, I'm free now."

Castro was arrested that evening.

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Syria: Russia Warns US Over Military Action

US Draft Resolution On Syria

Updated: 8:35am UK, Wednesday 04 September 2013

The full text of the US draft resolution on action in Syria:

JOINT RESOLUTION

To authorize the limited and tailored use of the United States Armed Forces against Syria.

Whereas Syria is in material breach of the laws of war by having employed chemical weapons against its civilian population;

Whereas the abuses of the regime of Bashar al-Assad have included the brutal repression and war upon its own civilian population, resulting in more than 100,000 people killed in the past two years, and more than 2 million internally displaced people and Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq, creating an unprecedented regional crisis and instability;

Whereas the Assad regime has the largest chemical weapons programs in the region and has demonstrated its capability and willingness to repeatedly use weapons of mass destruction against its own people, including the August 21, 2013 attack in the suburbs of Damascus in which the Assad regime murdered over 1,000 innocent people, including hundreds of children;

Whereas there is clear and compelling evidence of the direct involvement of Assad regime forces and senior officials in the planning, execution, and after-action attempts to cover-up the August

21 attack, and hide or destroy evidence of such attack;

Whereas the Arab League has declared with regards to the August 21 incident to hold the "Syrian regime responsible for this heinous crime";

Whereas the United Nations Security Council, in Resolution 1540 (2004) affirmed that the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons constitutes a threat to international peace and security;

Whereas in the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, Congress found that Syria's acquisition of weapons of mass destruction threatens the security of the Middle East and the national security interests of the United States;

Whereas the actions and conduct of the Assad regime are in direct contravention of Syria's legal obligations under the United Nations Charter, the Geneva Conventions, and the Geneva Protocol to the Hague Convention on the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, and also violates standards set forth in the Chemical Weapons Convention;

Whereas Syria's use of weapons of mass destruction and its conduct and actions constitute a grave threat to regional stability, world peace, and the national security interests of the United States and its allies and partners;

Whereas the objectives of the United States use of military force in connection with this authorization are to respond to the use, and deter and degrade the potential future use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government;

Whereas the conflict in Syria will only be resolved through a negotiated political settlement, and Congress calls on all parties to the conflict in Syria to participate urgently and constructively in the Geneva process; and

Whereas the President has authority under the Constitution to use force in order to defend the national security interests of the United States:

Now, therefore, be it,

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This joint resolution may be cited as the "Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against the Government of Syria to Respond to Use of Chemical Weapons".

SECTION 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

(a) AUTHORIZATION-The President is authorized, subject to subsection (b), to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in a limited and tailored manner against legitimate military targets in Syria, only to: (1) respond to the use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government in the conflict in Syria; (2) deter Syria's use of such weapons in order to protect the national security interests of the United States and to protect our allies and partners against the use of such weapons; and (3) degrade Syria's capacity to use such weapons in the future.

(b) REQUIREMENT FOR DETERMINATION THAT USE OF MILITARY FORCE IS

NECESSARY- Before exercising the authority granted in subsection (a), the President shall make available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that-

(1) the United States has used all appropriate diplomatic and other peaceful means to prevent the deployment and use of weapons of mass destruction by Syria;

(2) the Syrian government has conducted one or more significant chemical weapons attacks;

(3) the use of military force is necessary to respond to the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government;

(4) it is in the core national security interest of the United States to use such military force;

(5) the United States has a military plan to achieve the specific goals of responding to the use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government in the conflict in Syria, to deter Syria's use of such weapons in order to protect the national security interests of the United States and to protect our allies and partners against the use of such weapons, and to degrade Syria's capacity to use such weapons in the future; and

(6) the use of military force is consistent with and furthers the goals of the United States strategy toward Syria, including achieving a negotiated political settlement to the conflict.

(c) WAR POWERS RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS-

(1) SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION- Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, 50 U.S.C. § 1541, et seq., the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section

5(b) of the War Powers Resolution, within the limits of the authorization established under this Section.

(2) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER REQUIREMENTS- Nothing in this resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution.

SECTION 3. LIMITATION. The authority granted in section 2 does not authorize the use of the United States Armed Forces on the ground in Syria for the purpose of combat operations.

SECTION 4. TERMINATION OF THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

The authorization in section 2(a) shall terminate 60 days after the date of the enactment of this joint resolution, except that the President may extend, for a single period of 30 days, such authorization if -

(1) the President determines and certifies to Congress, not later than 5 days before the date of termination of the initial authorization, that the extension is necessary to fulfill the purposes of this resolution as defined by Section 2(a) due to extraordinary circumstances and for ongoing and impending military operations against Syria under section 2(a); and

(2) Congress does not enact into law, before the extension of authorization, a joint resolution disapproving the extension of the authorization for the additional 30 day period; provided that any such joint resolution shall be considered under the expedited procedures otherwise provided for concurrent resolutions of disapproval contained in section 7 of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1546).

SECTION 5. SYRIA STRATEGY.

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this resolution, the President shall consult with Congress and submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives an integrated United States Government strategy for achieving a negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Syria, including a comprehensive review of current and planned U.S. diplomatic, political, economic, and military policy towards Syria, including: (1) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian Supreme Military Council and other Syrian entities opposed to the government of Bashar Al-Assad that have been properly and fully vetted and share common values and interests with the United States; (2) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian political opposition, including the Syrian Opposition Coalition; (3) efforts to isolate extremist and terrorist groups in Syria to prevent their influence on the future transitional and permanent Syrian governments; (4) coordination with allies and partners; and (5) efforts to limit support from the Government of Iran and others for the Syrian regime.

SECTION 6. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING.

(a) Notification and Provision of Information. Upon his determination to use the authority set forth in section 2 of this Act, the President shall notify Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of the use of such authority and shall keep Congress fully and currently informed of the use of such authority.

(b) Reports. No fewer than 10 days after the initiation of military operations under the authority provided by Section 2, and every 20 days thereafter until the completion of military operations, the President shall submit to the Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a report on the status of such operations, including progress achieved toward the objectives specified in Section 2(a), the financial costs of operations to date, and an assessment of the impact of the operations on the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capabilities and intentions.

SECTION 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. The authority set forth in Section 2 of this resolution shall not constitute an authorization for the use of force or a declaration of war except to the extent that it authorizes military action under the conditions, for the specific purposes, and for the limited period of time set forth in this resolution.

SECTION 5. SYRIA STRATEGY.

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this resolution, the President shall consult with Congress and submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives an integrated United States Government strategy for achieving a negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Syria, including a comprehensive review of current and planned U.S. diplomatic, political, economic, and military policy towards Syria, including: (1) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian Supreme Military Council and other Syrian entities opposed to the government of Bashar Al-Assad that have been properly and fully vetted and share common values and interests with the United States; (2) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian political opposition, including the Syrian Opposition Coalition; (3) efforts to isolate extremist and terrorist groups in Syria to prevent their influence on the future transitional and permanent Syrian governments; (4) coordination with allies and partners; and (5) efforts to limit support from the Government of Iran and others for the Syrian regime.

SECTION 6. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING.

(a) Notification and Provision of Information. Upon his determination to use the authority set forth in section 2 of this Act, the President shall notify Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of the use of such authority and shall keep Congress fully and currently informed of the use of such authority.

(b) Reports. No fewer than 10 days after the initiation of military operations under the authority provided by Section 2, and every 20 days thereafter until the completion of military operations, the President shall submit to the Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a report on the status of such operations, including progress achieved toward the objectives specified in Section 2(a), the financial costs of operations to date, and an assessment of the impact of the operations on the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capabilities and intentions.

SECTION 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. The authority set forth in Section 2 of this resolution shall not constitute an authorization for the use of force or a declaration of war except to the extent that it authorizes military action under the conditions, for the specific purposes, and for the limited period of time set forth in this resolution.

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Syria Crisis: Two Million Refugees Flee War

The number of refugees fleeing Syria's civil war has topped two million - a nine-fold increase in 12 months, according to the United Nations.

"Syria has become the great tragedy of this century - a disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history," said UNHCR head António Guterres.

The UNHCR - the UN's refugee agency - wants a massive increase in aid to stop Syria's neighbours buckling under the strain.

A year ago, the number of Syrians registered as refugees or awaiting registration stood at 230,671 people.

The massive rise comes as France bolstered calls for military action in Syria by saying it had evidence the regime was behind a "massive and co-ordinated" chemical attack in Damascus.

The Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan is home to 115,000 Syrians

The US government has also said evidence points to deadly sarin gas being used to kill 1,429 people on August 21.

More than half of the refugees created by the war - some 52% - are under 17, said the UNHCR, and over one million children have now left their homeland to try to escape the bloodshed.

The situation is said to have reached a "critical stage", with more than 5,000 Syrians spilling over borders each day into neighbouring countries.

Lebanon has taken the most people, with 716,000. Some 515,000 have gone to Jordan, 460,000 are in Turkey, while Egypt has 110,000 and Iraq 168,000.

The UNHCR said the countries were struggling to provide food and shelter at refugee camps.

Syrian refugees at a camp in Iraq, which has taken in some 168,000 people

It wants the international community to act quickly to stop the system collapsing.

A further 4.25 million people are displaced inside Syria, according to UN data - meaning six million people have been forced to leave their homes during the two and a half year civil war.

Actress Angelina Jolie, a UNHCR Special Envoy, said the international community had a "responsibility to do more" to help Syrian refugees.

"If the situation continues to deteriorate at this rate, the number of refugees will only grow," said Jolie. "Some neighbouring countries could be brought to the point of collapse."

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama has been meeting political figures such as Senator John McCain as he tries to galvanise support for military strikes ahead of a debate in Congress.

But in Britain, another Parliamentary vote on the issue seems unlikely.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has warned France against military action

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he could not foresee any circumstances in which the Government would take the vote back to Parliament.

France's intelligence report, which includes satellite imagery, claims chemical attacks were launched from government-controlled areas, a French government source told Reuters news agency.

It claims they killed "at least 281" people.

French MPs will debate the issue on Wednesday, but President Francois Hollande does not need parliamentary approval for military action lasting less than four months.

Syria's government called the allegations "illogical" and warned it would retaliate if France took military action.

The crisis is set to be top of the agenda among world leaders at the two-day G20 summit, which begins in St Petersburg on Thursday.

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Gary Tweddle: Body Recovered In Oz Bushland

Police believe a body that has been recovered from Australian bushland may be that of a British man who went missing seven weeks ago.

Gary Tweddle, 23, has not been seen since he disappeared after a work dinner during a conference in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

Police said a body thought to be Mr Tweddle was spotted by an ambulance rescue helicopter during a training exercise near Leura on Monday.

Police abseiled about 25m down a cliff face to the site on Tuesday, and the body was winched to the top of the cliff about 4pm local time (7am BST).

Superintendent Darryl Jobson said that the man was similar in appearance to Mr Tweddle, but it could take a number of days to formally identify the body.

"What we need to do is go through our formal identification processes to make sure we identify the right male and making sure that we're notifying the right next of kin," he said.

Mr Tweddle is originally from Reading

"At an appropriate time we'll be able to convey to you to the identity of the male."

He said police will examine the area where the body was found will help determine the cause of death.

"It would appear to be misadventure but we're not ruling anything out," he said.

Joanne Elliott, a spokeswoman for Blue Mountains Local Area Command, said the "extremely rough terrain" meant police rescue officers were not able to retrieve the body on Monday.

"The location couldn't be accessed on foot and the crew lost all light in the mountains so we're unable to get down to the ground," she said.

Mr Tweddle, who had emigrated to Australia, was last heard from when he rang colleagues also staying at the Fairmont Resort in Leura in the early hours of July 17 to say he was lost in the bushland.

Mr Tweddle was at a work conference in the Blue Mountains area

As the recovery operation started, Mr Tweddle's girlfriend told friends and family that "the sun is beginning to rise on a day that we have all been hoping would never come".

Anika Haigh wrote on her Facebook page: "A body has been found in the area of Gary's disappearance and today it will be retrieved and identified.

"Please know that nothing has been confirmed at this stage but I hope in a few hours we will have an answer either way.

"One thing I know for certain is that Gary will... come home one day - his fight, determination & 'never give up' attitude that we all loved so much about him will guide him."

She added that it was time for him "to come home where you belong".

The disappearance of Mr Tweddle, a computer salesman originally from Reading, sparked the biggest search ever conducted in the Blue Mountains.

His father David flew out to Australia from his home in Berkshire to help with the search effort before he returned to the UK last month.

Mr Tweddle became lost in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney

Mr Tweddle's mother Carol Streatfield, who also lives in Australia, had also flown to the Blue Mountains to join the search for her son.

She said the phone call from Ms Haigh telling her that her son was missing was the first step in the most "heart-breaking journey" of her life.

In a statement issued by the Foreign Office last month, she said: "On the mountain my days were filled with sirens, noise, searching, tireless walking and door knocking. I repeatedly followed the track I believed he had taken in the hopes of finding a clue.

"Every pole and tree were covered with his beautiful face, however it was on a piece of A4 paper with a 'missing' heading.

"At one point I was so exhausted I found a bench to sit on in the middle of a bush track, and as I sat down and there to left of me was Gary's photo.

"It was a small comfort as I stroked his face, kissed him and told him how much I loved him and that I will never give up trying to find him, ever."

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North Korea: Rodman On Return Trip To See Kim

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman is on his way back to North Korea for a second visit to see leader Kim Jong-Un.

However, the flamboyant basketball player insists he is not taking on a diplomatic role.

The trip comes days after Pyongyang rejected an application for a visit from a US envoy who had hoped to bring home American missionary Kenneth Bae who is currently in jail.

Speaking to reporters at Beijing airport before leaving for Pyongyang, Rodman did not say whether he would seek Mr Bae's release. "I'm not going to talk about that," he said.

"I just want to meet my friend Kim, the marshal, and start a basketball league over there or something like that," said Rodman.

The North Korean leader is a keen fan of basketball

"I have not been promised anything. I am just going there as a friendly gesture."

Mr Bae was arrested in November and sentenced to 15 years of hard labour for what Pyongyang described as hostile acts against the state.

Rodman once asked on his Twitter account for Kim to "do me a solid" and release Bae - Kim has the power to grant special pardons under the North's constitution.

The tweet Rodman posted on US missionary Kenneth Bae

"I'm not there to be a diplomat. I'm there to go there and just have a good time, sit with (Kim) and his family, and that's pretty much it," Rodman said, adding that he planned to see Kim "pretty soon".

When asked if he was bringing any of his own brand of vodka to North Korea, Rodman chuckled and said no.

"They love whiskey. They love tequila. They love vodka, stuff like this, so, hopefully we'll go to have a nice dinner, sit there and talk," said Rodman.

"I'm just going over there to have a good time and try to bridge the gap with Americans and North Koreans. Just let's let people see in America that it's not a bad thing to go to North Korea and have a good time and meet new people."

Rodman first met Kim - a die-hard basketball fan - during a visit in February to promote the sport and make a film. US officials were against the trip on the grounds that it gave North Korea's young leader a propaganda boost.

Rodman has suggested "basketball diplomacy" could warm relations and said that Kim wanted President Barack Obama to pick up the phone and call him. He has called Kim an "awesome guy".

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Egypt's Morsi 'To Stand Trial Over Deaths'

Egypt's ousted president Mohamed Morsi will reportedly stand trial on charges of committing and inciting deadly violence.

The country's state news agency said public prosecutor Hesham Barakat had referred Mr Morsi and 14 other members of his Muslim Brotherhood to a Cairo criminal court.

He will stand trial accused "of committing acts of violence and inciting the killing and thuggery", the agency reported.

It follows deadly street clashes outside the presidential palace in December 2012, involving his supporters and those who opposed his rule.

Mr Morsi, who became Egypt's first democratically elected president, was removed from office in July.

Since then, the military-backed government of General Abdel Fatah al Sisi has cracked down on members of the Brotherhood.

Hundreds of Mr Morsi's supporters were allegedly killed as protest camps were cleared, while the government says around 100 members of the security forces also died.

Mr Morsi, who has been held at a secret location since being removed from power, is already being investigated over his escape from jail during the 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak.

He is accused of conspiring with the Palestinian group Hamas during the prison break, although no formal charges have been brought.

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Syria: Assad 'Planned Gas Attack Last Summer'

By Nick Martin, Sky Correspondent

A former high-ranking Syrian diplomat who defected saying his conscience could not allow him to continue representing the regime has emerged from hiding to give his first interview to Sky News.

Khaled al Ayoubi was President Bashar al Assad's most senior figure in Britain and was at the heart of discussions between Britain and Syria over its use of chemical weapons. 

After resigning as the charge d'affaire at the Syrian embassy in July 2012, Mr al Ayoubi said he had been granted protection by the UK's Foreign Office.

Since then he said he received death threats from members of Mr Assad's secret intelligence service and had been forced to live at a secret location.

Mr al-Ayoubi believes Assad was planning a chemical attack last summer

Speaking exclusively to Sky News he said: "When I decided to step down from my post I received messages from people within the Syrian government. They said if I was seen walking down the street in London I would be killed."

The Foreign Office provided him and his wife and two children with a safe house outside London, he said.

Mr al Ayoubi, an ethnic Kurd who joined the Syrian diplomatic service in 2001, now intends to apply for political asylum in the UK on the grounds he could face persecution if he was to return to his home country.

Mr al Ayoubi revealed how the Foreign Office knew last year of the existence of chemical weapons in Syria and that the regime assured authorities they would not be used against civilians.

He said he believed President Assad was planning a chemical attack last summer but a crucial intervention by the British government may have prevented it.

The attack in Zamalka was estimated to have killed hundreds of people

"During the last two weeks of July 2012 there was information delivered to the British government about the preparation done by the regime to start using chemical weapons against the militants and the opposition surrounding Damascus.

"They called me and they asked me to deliver a message to Syria saying that they had information that they have the intention and the will to use chemical weapons against the people and that this was not acceptable.

"I delivered this message to Syria and they sent me an answer saying these chemical weapons are secured, stored and monitored by Syrian army and for use only in the case of aggression from outside the country.

"I think because there was condemnation by many countries at the time the Syrian government stopped their intention and didn't launch any chemical attack against the opposition.

Hundreds of children were injured in the strike

"Syria has never used chemical weapons on any country even when it has been threatened. Syria has chemical weapons for one use only - to target and kill its own civilians."

A source in the Foreign Office did not dispute Mr al Ayoubi's claims but added that if Syria had chemical weapons locked away there was "pretty solid" evidence that they had been used since on civilians since.

He said he and other Syrian activists had been left furious by the refusal by some MPs to vote in favour of British involvement in possible military action on Syria.

"Ed Miliband says there should be a diplomatic solution to the problem. You cannot be diplomatic with Assad. He is worse than Adolf Hitler.

UN inspectors are now in the Netherlands analysing their findings

"Hitler didn't use chemical weapons against his own people, he did not bomb his own towns and cities. Hitler is junior compared to Assad.

"But both of them are dictators, both of them are killers. Both of them bring agony and suffering to the people around them.

"The Labour party in particular will find themselves on the wrong side of history. How can they sit back and allow thousands of innocent Syrians to die.

"If there is no punishment, if you don't stop him now, if he doesn't see that there are serious consequences for killing people by chemical weapons he will use them again and again, over and over again.

"I believe that in the future the Syrian people will look at the people who fought in the British parliament and say you left us to be killed'".

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Syria: Pressure For New Vote On UK Strikes

There are growing calls for David Cameron to consider a second parliamentary vote on military action in Syria if further evidence emerges that civilians were targeted by chemical weapons.

Washington has announced that hair and blood samples prove the regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad has used sarin gas to attack civilians.

Secretary of State John Kerry has used interviews with several US news channels to suggest the case for military strikes is growing, adding that he is confident Congress will back military action when it is put to a vote next week.

In Britain, pressure is mounting for a second vote on whether to support a strike against the Assad regime.

Boris Johnson has become the latest senior politician to suggest a new bid for parliamentary support could be made.

Writing in the Telegraph, the Mayor of London said the use of chemical weapons for mass murder in Syria could not go unpunished.

"If there is new and better evidence that inculpates Assad, I see no reason why the Government should not lay a new motion before Parliament, inviting British participation - and then it is Ed Miliband, not David Cameron, who will face embarrassment," Mr Johnson wrote.

UN weapons inspectors have gathered evidence in Damascus

Mr Cameron ruled out the use of British force in Syria following a defeat in the Commons.

But the prospect of Parliament revisiting the issue has been raised since Mr Obama's announcement that he is seeking congressional support for a strike.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he could not foresee any circumstances in which the Government would return to Parliament on the same issue.

"We're not going to keep asking the same question of Parliament again and again. We live in a democracy, the executive cannot act in a way which clearly is not welcome to Parliament or the British people, so we're not proposing to do so."

He added: "I can't foresee any circumstances that we would go back to Parliament on the same question, on the same issue."

The rhetoric between Washington and the Syrian regime has grown increasingly hostile in recent days.

Mr Assad told state TV his country is capable of confronting any attack.

"The American threats of launching an attack against Syria will not discourage Syria away from its principles ... or its fight against terrorism supported by some regional and Western countries, first and foremost the United States of America," he said.

Mr Obama is seeking congressional support for a strike on Syria

Mr Obama has launched an intense lobbying effort in an attempt to sway sceptical US politicians to support a military strike.

Arab League foreign ministers have urged the United Nations and the international community to take "deterrent" action, while blaming the regime for the alleged chemical weapons assault.

According to US estimates, up to 1,429 people, including at least 426 children, were killed in the alleged chemical attack in Damascus last month.

France says it will hand over evidence to lawmakers proving President Assad's regime was behind the August 21 chemical weapons attack in Syria.

As the diplomatic wrangling continues, British MPs have called for answers from the Government over a chemicals trade deal with Syria signed months after the bloodshed started.

The Department for Business issued licences for the export of sodium fluoride and potassium fluoride to the war-torn country in January last year before revoking them several months later.

The chemicals are capable of being used to make nerve gas such as sarin as well as having a variety of industrial uses.

The Government said no chemicals were exported before the licence was revoked in June 2012 following EU sanctions but MPs said they intend to raise the issue at Westminster.

The SNP's Angus Robertson said: "This is utter hypocrisy from the UK Government - deploring chemical weapons in public whilst approving the sale of items needed to make them.

"I will be raising this at Westminster as soon as possible to find out what examination the UK Government made of where these chemicals were going, and what they were to be used for.

"Approving the sale of chemicals which can be converted into lethal weapons during a civil war is a very serious issue."

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Syria: Obama Says US 'Should Take Action'

Positions Of World Leaders On Syria

Updated: 11:01pm UK, Saturday 31 August 2013

The latest positions of key countries towards Syria after a suspected chemical attack in Damascus shocked the world.

:: United Kingdom

David Cameron has been forced to rule out British involvement in any military action after losing a Commons vote.

He has instead vowed to keep pushing for a "robust response" via international organisations like the UN.

:: United States

President Barack Obama has decided the US should take military action against Syria but will ask Congress first.

He has the authority to act on his own, but believes it is important for the country to have a debate. He plans to hold a debate and a vote after Congress returns on September 9.

Five US Navy destroyers are in the eastern Mediterranean Sea waiting for the order to attack. They are armed with dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles, with a range of  more than 1,150 miles (1,852km).

:: Russia

President Vladimir Putin urged Mr Obama to consider whether strikes would help end the violence in Syria and be worth the likely civilian casualties.

He said Mr Obama should reflect on the results of US military intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq before deciding whether to launch air strikes against Assad's regime.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that military strikes would lead to long-term destabilisation of Syria and the region.

He has spoken against any use of force without UN Security Council approval, which he said would be a "crude violation of international law".

Russia has remained a strong ally of Syria throughout the civil war.

:: China

China supports what it called the UN's "objective, impartial and professional investigation" of the alleged chemical attack.

China is sceptical of Western use of force, with Beijing's official news agency running a commentary recalling the 2003 Iraq invasion on the grounds that it possessed banned weapons - which were never found.

China joined Moscow in vetoing measures against Assad in the UN Security Council.

:: France

A defence official said the French military will commit forces to an operation in Syria if President Francois Hollande decides to do so.

Mr Hollande has stressed all options are on the table and that the attack in Damascus cannot go unpunished.

He does not need parliamentary approval for military action that lasts less than four months.

French military officials confirmed the frigate Chevalier Paul, which specialises in anti-missile capabilities, and the transport ship Dixmude are in the eastern Mediterranean.

:: Japan

Japan said it will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons "under any circumstances".

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the British vote had had no impact on his government's thinking.

"Cabinet members agreed that we don't tolerate the use of chemical weapons under any circumstances and consider that responsibility lies with the Assad government,"  Mr Suga told reporters.

"We continue to closely co-ordinate with international community," he said, adding: "We will of course provide humanitarian aid to those in a vulnerable position such as refugees."

:: Iran

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of the Iranian parliament's Committee on National Security, visited Damascus to show support for the Syrian regime.

He said a strike against Syria will "not be confined to its borders but will have repercussions in the entire region."

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country will press efforts to ward off military intervention by the US and its allies, calling potential action an "open violation" of international laws.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told the country's ISNA news agency that US military intervention in Syria would be "a disaster" for the Middle East. He added: "The region is like a gunpowder store and the future cannot be predicted."

:: Germany

The German government said it isn't considering joining military action against Syria and hasn't been asked by others to do so.

:: Turkey

Foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu has claimed the use of chemical weapons is "evident" from video footage.

A vehement opponent of the Assad regime, Turkey has said it would join an international coalition against Syria even if the UN Security Council fails to reach consensus on the issue.

:: Italy

Italian Premier Enrico Letta said his country understands why the US and France are considering military action against Syria's regime, but said Italy cannot join in without UN backing.

:: The Netherlands

UN chemical weapons inspectors arrived in the Netherlands with samples collected from the site of the alleged gas attack in Syria..

They are to be sent to European laboratories to be checked for traces of poison gas.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, based in The Hague, will test blood and urine samples taken from victims as well as soil samples from affected areas.

:: United Nations

UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said any notion that the departure of the chemical weapons inspection team from Syria opened a window for a US attack is "grotesque."

He said about 1,000 international and UN staff remain in Syria, and the UN is just as concerned about their welfare as it was about the inspectors.

:: Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has called for "firm and serious" action against the Assad regime for the alleged gas attack.

:: Israel

The Israeli military said it has deployed an "Iron Dome" missile defence battery in the Tel Aviv area.

If the US attacks Syria, Israel fears Damascus may respond by firing missiles at Israel, a close American ally.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israelis there was "no reason to change their routines", but thousands have been standing in long queues to get government-issue gas masks.

:: Jordan

Demonstrators opposed to military intervention in Syria burned US and Israeli flags and chanted outside the American embassy in the Jordanian capital Amman.

Other protests against a Syria strike took place in Britain, France, Germany and Turkey.

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Fukushima Radiation Readings 18 Times Higher

An operator at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan has said radiation readings are 18 times higher than previously measured.

The staff member said they had found highly radioactive water dripping from a pipe used to connect two coolant tanks and that it had been patched up using tape.

The discovery of the pipe came a day after Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) said it found new radiation hotspots at four sites around coolant tanks, with one reading at 1,800 millisieverts per hour - a dose that would kill a human left exposed to it in four hours.

Water tanks at the plant

Last week the plant operator admitted 300 tonnes of toxic water had seeped out of one of the vast containers - one of around 1,000 on the site - before anyone had noticed.

The spill sparked fears the toxic water may have seeped into the nearby ocean and was categorised as a Level 3 event, the most serious category since the meltdown itself.

The plant was severely damaged in March 2011 following an earthquake and tsunami which killed thousands of people and displaced many more.

In response to growing domestic and international criticism over Tepco's handling of the crisis, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promised the world his government would play a greater role in stopping leaks of highly radioactive water.

"The accident in Fukushima cannot be left entirely to Tokyo Electric Power. There is a need for the government to play a role with a sense of urgency, including taking measures to deal with the waste water," he said.

Mr Abe's pledge came as the world's nuclear watchdog urged Japan to explain more clearly what is happening at Fukushima and avoid sending "confusing messages" about the disaster.

Sky's foreign affairs correspondent Lisa Holland visited Fukushima on August 23 and was given access to government efforts to restore confidence in the crippled plant.

She said there was little sign of life in the residential areas around the facility and spoke to people who said they will not go back to their homes until they have been told the truth about the dangers by ministers.

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Nelson Mandela Discharged From Hospital

Former South African president Nelson Mandela has been discharged from hospital in Pretoria where he has been treated for months.

"Madiba's condition remains critical and is at times unstable," the presidency said, referring to the 95-year-old by his clan name.

Mr Mandela was admitted on June 8 with a recurring lung infection and had previously been in a critical but stable condition, according to the office of President Jacob Zuma.

The government statement added: "His home has been reconfigured to allow him to receive intensive care there.

"The health care personnel providing care at his home are the very same who provided care to him in hospital.

"If there are health conditions that warrant another admission to hospital in future, this will be done."

Sky correspondent Emma Hurd, in Johannesburg, said Mr Mandela "effectively has a hospital ward" in his house where doctors will be able to monitor him around the clock.

The confirmation of Mr Mandela's release follows false reports that he had been discharged on Saturday.

The ailing hero spent nearly three decades in prison before being released and being elected South Africa's first black president in multi-racial elections in 1994 that ended apartheid rule.

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