Australia Fires: Military Investigates Blaze

The Australian military is investigating whether it is responsible for starting a major bushfire, as firefighters battle blazes that have destroyed or damaged 300 homes.

The Rural Fire Service said some 85 fires were burning across New South Wales state, with about 20 of them uncontained despite Saturday's cooler weather conditions.

Among the major fires was one burning between the towns of Lithgow and Bilpin, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) northwest of Sydney.

The blaze, called the State Mine Fire, has so far burned through 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) and destroyed a number of properties.

There are around 85 fires burning across the state

The Australian Defence Force said its personnel were carrying out explosive ordnance training in the area on Wednesday, the day the fire started.

"The fire started on 16 October, the same day that Defence personnel were conducting an explosive ordnance training activity," it said in a statement.

"Defence is investigating if the two events are linked.

"Our thoughts are with those who have lost property or whose property is threatened by these devastating fires."

More than 130 firefighters are still battling the blaze.

The military said it will work with fire authorities to investigate the blaze once the fire is extinguished.

"The primary concern at this stage is for the safety of the communities in the vicinity of the fire, then the ongoing investigation which will review both the incident and Defence procedures," the statement said.

Arson investigators are examining the origins of several more fires that have threatened towns surrounding Sydney in recent days.

About 300 homes have been destroyed or damaged

The bushfires across the state could take weeks to fully overcome, particularly with more hot and gusty weather forecast for as soon as Sunday.

One man has already died while trying to protect his home on the Central Coast north of Sydney, possibly succumbing to a heart attack, but authorities are hopeful no other people are unaccounted for in the blazes.

The fires took hold in warm and windy conditions on Thursday and the worst affected areas have been in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, where some 193 properties were destroyed and 109 damaged in the towns of Springwood and Winmalee.

Yellow Rock resident Christine Senior lost her family home.

"I said to my husband, 'I remember when you carried me across the threshold'. I remember having all my babies here. All of that hard work that we put into everything for all years and it's just gone," she said.

NSW Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said Saturday's conditions were a "pause" but that the fire perimeter stretched for more than 500 kilometres.

"We're by no means out of the woods," he told national broadcaster ABC.

"It's just calmed down a little bit and obviously we're bracing ourselves for these worsening conditions."

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Mystery Blonde Girl: Greece Charity In Appeal

An international search is under way to identify the parents of a blonde girl found in the care of a couple on a Roma camp in Greece.

DNA tests have shown the four-year-old is not related to the couple - and their accounts of how she came to be living with them differ.

Police found the girl, who recognises the name Maria, during a raid on the camp, in Farsala, central Greece, on Wednesday.

She has now been taken into the care of a Greek charity called The Smile Of The Child, which has put out a Europe-wide alert.

A poster released to help find the girl's parents

A statement from the charity said: "The features of the girl and the controversial claims of the persons who claimed to be the parents of the child led the authorities to collect a DNA sample test.

"The results of DNA testing proved that these people are not the biological parents of the child.

"The Smile of the Child in co-operation with national police authorities is taking all necessary steps to inform the competent actors at national and international level."

The director of The Smile Of The Child praised an observant prosecutor who went on the camp raid along with dozens of police.

Costas Giannopoulos told Greece's Skai TV: "She saw a little blonde head poking out from under the bedclothes. It struck her as odd, and that's how it all started."

The girl recognises the name Maria

Apparently, the couple's various excuses included that the girl was found in a blanket and that she was handed to them by strangers. They later claimed she had a foreign father.

Maria is described as: born around 2009, white, with blue eyes, long blonde hair, 100cm tall and weighing 17kg.

The couple - a 39-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman - have been arrested and are now under investigation for abduction and falsifying identity and family certificates.

They claimed to have 14 children, police said, and had registered different numbers with authorities in three different parts of Greece. Including Maria, the couple only actually had four.

The woman is also said to have claimed to have given birth to six children within a space of less than 10 months.

Police say they also found drugs and unregistered firearms in other parts of the camp, which is about 170 miles (280km) north of Athens.

Officers are now working on the theory that, because of her appearance, Maria may be northern or eastern European.

The case, which some people have likened to the Madeleine McCann disappearance, has raised concerns about how easy it appeared to be for people to get official documents for children who are not their own.

A spokesman for Madeleine's family said: "This gives Kate and Gerry great hope that Madeleine could be found alive."

The Smile Of The Child director Costas Giannopoulos said Maria was being examined by doctors.

"We are shocked by how easy it is for people to register children as their own," he told the Greek TV station Skai.

"There is much more to investigate ... and I believe police will unravel a thread that doesn't just have to do with the girl."

Greece has only acquired a central system of registration for births in the last five months.

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China: Man 'Kills Pregnant Wife And Family'

A man has been arrested over fatally stabbing his pregnant wife and six of her relatives, including her parents, grandparents and two young nieces.

Ma Yongdong was captured by police in China's northwest autonomous region of Ningxia.

State media said the 24-year-old had quarrelled with his wife, Lan Xiaohong, who was six months pregnant.

Later that day he went to her parents' home in a village in Pengyang county and killed seven people including his wife and in-laws following an argument.

The youngest victims were aged four and one.

Ningxia police offered cash rewards of up to 100,000 yuan (£10,145) for information leading to Ma's arrest.

They said on their official microblog he had admitted the killings following his capture.

Police posted one photo of him in handcuffs as he was being interrogated and another of him being taken back to Pengyang county.

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Kenya Mall Attack: New Video Of The Gunmen

New CCTV footage has emerged from inside the Nairobi shopping mall showing how the attackers calmly shot people before taking time out to pray.

The video shows shoppers running away from the gunmen and dropping to the floor as bullets fly through the air.

At one point an injured man, who is bleeding heavily, is seen trying to pull himself to safety before apparently being shot again and then dying.

The silent video is taken from a number of CCTV cameras around the upmarket Westgate Mall in Kenya's capital and was obtained by CNN.

It appears that the footage was taken on September 21, the first day of a four-day siege, which left at least 67 people dead.

The attackers are also shown taking in turns to pray in what appears to be a store room.

Another section shows two militants casually walking through a supermarket while firing their guns and then talking on their mobile phones.

A woman with two children and pushing another in a shopping trolley are seen walking past a line of tills before a teenage girl follows them with a gunman behind her pointing the way.

It is believed they were all eventually released.

The al Qaeda-linked group al Shabaab claimed the attack was in retaliation for Kenyan military operations in Somalia.

Five of the attackers were killed by security forces.

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Snowden Denies Taking NSA Files To Russia

Edward Snowden has said he did not take any secret National Security Agency documents with him to Russia, telling a newspaper "it wouldn't serve the public interest".

In an interview with The New York Times, the former NSA analyst said he handed over all material to journalists during his stay in Hong Kong and that he did not keep copies for himself.

China and Russia could not get access to the documents he had obtained before leaving the US, he insisted.

Snowden, who worked for a contractor as a systems administrator at an NSA facility, said he was able to protect the documents from Chinese agencies because he was familiar with Beijing's intelligence capabilities.

"There's a zero per cent chance the Russians or Chinese have received any documents," he told the paper.

The US has faced protests at home and abroad over its spying operations

Snowden's leaks of highly classified material have unveiled US surveillance activities at home and abroad, sparking debate about the privacy implications for Americans.

In the Times interview, Snowden described himself as a whistleblower who was acting in the nation's best interests by revealing information about the NSA's programmes.

"The secret continuance of these programmes represents a far greater danger than their disclosure," he said in the interview, which took place over several days and involved encrypted online communications.

Snowden said he feels he has boosted US national security by prompting a public debate about the scope of US data collection.

"So long as there's broad support amongst a people, it can be argued there's a level of legitimacy even to the most invasive and morally wrong programme, as it was an informed and willing decision," he said.

"However, programmes that are implemented in secret, out of public oversight, lack that legitimacy, and that's a problem."

Snowden, 30, has polarised opinion in the US, where some consider him a civil rights hero who wants to empower citizens, and others a traitor who stole secrets after vowing to protect them.

Snowden, who faces espionage charges in the US, is now in Russia, which granted him asylum for one year.

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Australia Fires: Man Dies As Homes Destroyed

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

Around 100 bushfires continue to burn across the state of New South Wales in Australia with the crisis claiming its first life.

A man died from a heart attack on the Central Coast north of Sydney whilst trying to protect his home from the flames.

Dozens of houses have been destroyed with the authorities suggesting the eventual number of properties burned down could be in "the hundreds".

Barry O'Farrell, New South Wales State Premier, said: "Regrettably, overnight we had what we hoped wouldn't occur which is a loss of life up there at Lake Munmorah.

"A 63-year-old man who apparently collapsed fighting a fire to defend his property, taken to Wyong Hospital and unfortunately couldn't be resuscitated. That's the worst that anyone wants to happen."

Firefighters were assisted by milder conditions on Friday after unseasonably hot temperatures and strong winds fanned flames across the parched landscape threatening areas to the North, South and West of Sydney, Rural Fire Service officials said.

Around 30 fires are still understood to be burning out of control.

Two firefighters were taken to hospital with injuries, and one had undergone surgery, Mr O'Farrell said. He did not give details of their injuries.

Hundreds of residents spent Thursday night in dozens of evacuation centres in the Blue Mountains, a popular tourist region to Sydney's west, and elsewhere in New South Wales.

One of the houses destroyed in Winmalee in Sydney's Blue Mountains

Most were unaware of the fate of their homes.

One homeowner from Springwood, west of Sydney told reporters: "You do your best and it just kind of gets to the stage where you just realise that you can't do any more and you go.

"You take what you can and go. In my case, it was the dog."

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, himself a volunteer firefighter, has been visiting Winmalee, one of the areas affected.

He said he wanted to "convey our nation's sympathy to all those who are suffering, to all those who have lost homes".

"And in particular, to acknowledge there has already been a loss of life and we fear more," he said.

"Australia is a country which is prone to natural disaster but, every time it strikes, it hurts and we grieve for all of those who are now hurting."

Temperatures west of Sydney made conditions easier for fire crews, reaching around 23C (73F) - around 10C (18F) cooler than on Thursday.

However, high temperatures and strong winds are forecast to return on Sunday and Monday.

Wildfires are common throughout Australia in the warmer months.

In February 2009, wildfires killed 173 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes in Victoria state.

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Stocks Soar Over US Debt Deal But Trouble Looms

Stocks soared on Wall Street as the markets got wind of a deal in Washington.

By the end of the day, the Dow Jones had climbed over 200 points, or 1.4%, the S&P 500 had gained 1.4%, pushing it close to a record high, and the Nasdaq gained 1.2%.

The volatility index, or VIX, which is considered one of the best measures of fear in the markets, experienced its biggest daily drop since August 2011.

Portfolio manager at Evercore Wealth Management Judy Moses described it as a "relief rally", and a welcome "reprieve" from the uncertainty surrounding the debt ceiling row.

But the market's expectation was always that the United States, the issuer of the world's reserve currency, would not default on its debt.

That would be too catastrophic to contemplate.

It would have pushed America into unchartered territory.

Even the most experienced analysts and bankers struggled to predict what might have happened had US government debt, considered one of the word's safest investments, suddenly become risky.

Billionaire businessman Warren Buffet said in a television interview with financial news channel CNBC that a default was "unthinkable", and that the debt ceiling row was a "political weapon of mass destruction".

To a certain extent then, the markets displayed a degree of immunity to the chaos on Capitol Hill.

Senior portfolio manager at US bank Eric Wiegand said: "Investors have become, unfortunately, accustomed to some of the dysfunction.

"It's become more the norm than the exception."

In 2011, when legislators wrangled over the debt limit, markets plunged and ratings agency Standard & Poor's cut America's credit rating.

This time, although volatility was up, Fitch put the US credit rating on negative watch, and treasury debt became less popular, the widely predicted market mayhem failed to materialise, and there was no panic or large-scale sell off.

Some suggest it is good that Wall Street doesn't appear to be so tied to the ups and downs of a bitterly divided political system, but others warn of a lasting negative effect.

Chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial David Joy said: "To me the market has yet to reflect the economic damage and the psychological damage this has done."

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Shutdown: Congress Passes Bill To Stop Default

Stocks Soar After US Debt Deal

Updated: 3:12am UK, Thursday 17 October 2013

By Hannah Thomas-Peter, US Correspondent

Stocks soared on Wall Street as the markets got wind of a deal in Washington.

By the end of the day, the Dow Jones had climbed over 200 points, or 1.4%, the S&P 500 had gained 1.4%, pushing it close to a record high, and the Nasdaq gained 1.2%.

The volatility index, or VIX, which is considered one of the best measures of fear in the markets, experienced its biggest daily drop since August 2011.

Portfolio manager at Evercore Wealth Management Judy Moses described it as a "relief rally", and a welcome "reprieve" from the uncertainty surrounding the debt ceiling row.

But the market's expectation was always that the United States, the issuer of the world's reserve currency, would not default on its debt.

That would be too catastrophic to contemplate.

It would have pushed America into unchartered territory.

Even the most experienced analysts and bankers struggled to predict what might have happened had US government debt, considered one of the word's safest investments, suddenly become risky.

Billionaire businessman Warren Buffet said in a television interview with financial news channel CNBC that a default was "unthinkable", and that the debt ceiling row was a "political weapon of mass destruction".

To a certain extent then, the markets displayed a degree of immunity to the chaos on Capitol Hill.

Senior portfolio manager at US bank Eric Wiegand said: "Investors have become, unfortunately, accustomed to some of the dysfunction.

"It's become more the norm than the exception."

In 2011, when legislators wrangled over the debt limit, markets plunged and ratings agency Standard & Poor's cut America's credit rating.

This time, although volatility was up, Fitch put the US credit rating on negative watch, and treasury debt became less popular, the widely predicted market mayhem failed to materialise, and there was no panic or large-scale sell off.

Some suggest it is good that Wall Street doesn't appear to be so tied to the ups and downs of a bitterly divided political system, but others warn of a lasting negative effect.

Chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial David Joy said: "To me the market has yet to reflect the economic damage and the psychological damage this has done."

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US Government Open For Business After Deal

The US government has reopened its doors after Congress passed a last-minute deal to end the shutdown and pull the world's biggest economy back from the brink of default.

Barack Obama signed the bill after the Senate and the House approved the measure with bipartisan support following weeks of political brinkmanship.

"There's a lot of work ahead of us. We need to earn back the trust of the American people that's been lost over the past few weeks," the president said.

The White House directed all agencies to reopen promptly and in an orderly fashion. Furloughed federal employees across the country are returning to work.

The impasse had shuttered national parks and monuments, and mostly closed down Nasa, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department. It had forced some 800,000 federal workers to take unpaid leave.

The closure and potential default weighed on the economy and spooked the financial markets.

"We fought the good fight, we just didn't win," said John Boehner

Standard & Poor's estimated the shutdown has taken $24bn out of the economy, and the Fitch credit rating agency warned Tuesday that it was reviewing its AAA rating on US government debt for a possible downgrade.

There were signs early Thursday that the federal government was slowly coming back to life.

"We're back from the #shutdown!" the Smithsonian Institution crowed on Twitter, announcing that museums would reopen today and the National Zoo in Washington on Friday.

Yosemite National Park, one of the most popular national attractions, reopened to visitors immediately after the deal on Wednesday night.

The agreement was brokered by the Senate's top Democrat, Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, and its Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. They stepped in after the House was unable to coalesce around a Republican-only approach on Tuesday.

The down-to-the-wire deal, however, offers only a temporary fix and does not resolve the fundamental issues of spending and deficits that divide Republicans and Democrats.

The shutdown began on October 1

It funds the government until January 15 and raises the debt ceiling until February 7, so Americans face the possibility of another bitter budget fight and another government shutdown early next year.

Democrats and Republicans must sit down to agree a long-term budget blueprint by December 13 under the agreement.

"Hopefully next time it won't be in the 11th hour. We've got to get out of the habit of governing by crisis," said the president, seen by most observers as outmanoeuvring Republican who had tried to de-fund his health care law.

GOP House speaker John Boehner said: "We fought the good fight, we just didn't win."

The agreement sent the stock market soaring on Wednesday, pushing the Standard & Poor's 500 index close to a record high.

Most traders had expected some sort of deal, given that a failure to reach a deal could have pushed the US into another recession.

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Al Libi Denies Terrorism Charges In NY Court

By Sky News US Team, in New York

A Libyan charged in the 1998 al Qaeda bombings of US embassies in Africa has pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges in New York.

Abu Anas al Libi entered the plea in a federal court in Manhattan.

Al Libi, who has a thick grey beard, kept his hands folded on his lap as the judge read the charges.

The 49-year-old was captured during an October 5 special forces raid in Libya.

Al Libi allegedly helped plan the 1998 embassy bombing in Kenya

Al Libi, whose full name is Nazih Abdul-Hamed al Ruqai, was handcuffed and led out of court after the judge ordered him to be detained because he is a flight risk.

The suspected al Qaeda leader is accused of helping plan and conduct surveillance for the bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 224 people, including a dozen Americans.

A prosecutor said it is not a death penalty-eligible case.

Al Libi was put on the FBI's most wanted list following the 9/11 attacks

Al Libi's family and former associates have denied he was ever a member of al Qaeda and said he has lived an ordinary life after living in Afghanistan and Pakistan and coming home in 2011.

His capture angered the Libyan government, which labelled the secret US forces raid a "kidnapping".

Al Libi was interrogated aboard a US Navy warship for a week before being brought to New York on Saturday.

His prosecution in the United States continues a policy of bringing suspected al Qaeda sympathisers and operatives to civilian courts rather than military tribunals.

Al Libi had been on the FBI's most wanted terrorists list since it was introduced shortly after the September 11 attacks.

A reward of $5m (£3.1m) was offered for his capture.

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New Laws Make Moving To Australia Tougher

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

New laws in Australia have made things tougher for skilled Brits wanting to work Down Under.

The Australian government has clamped down on the popular 457 visa which allows foreign workers to move to the country for up to four years.

The visa is especially popular with British managers, professionals, technicians and trades people who want a new life in Australia along with their families.

Almost half of those on the visa eventually end up settling in Australia permanently.

Recent restrictions however have meant even those already living in Australia on the 457 visa are finding life harder.

A tax incentive called the Living Away From Home Allowance has been scrapped, and some states charge visa-holders to put their children through schools, which are free for locals.

Adam Marshall moved to Sydney three years ago

Adam Marshall and his family moved to Sydney on the visa three years ago. He told Sky News: "It's not been a great financial move for us really.

"If I'd known how much it was going to cost in real terms I'm not sure whether we would have made the move. It's hard to say in retrospect, because we love living here."

The previous Labor government brought in the changes, claiming the visa was being abused by some employers looking for cheaper foreign workers.

New legislation now requires companies to spend longer looking for Australians to fill vacancies, and application fees for the visa have increased dramatically.

A hard-hitting TV campaign was recently launched by Australia's Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), featuring workers which the union claims have had their livelihoods threatened by abuses of the 457 visa system.

Union national secretary Dave Noonan said: "We've had lots of workers who are Australian citizens or residents who tell us they have been applying for work, they are skilled people and they haven't been able to get work, and they know this same employer is bringing in people on 457s."

Many employers however disagree, and hope the new conservative government led by Prime Minister Tony Abbott will relax the legislation.

IT and computing are areas which have traditionally sourced highly skilled employees from abroad using the 457 visa.

Peter Acheson, who runs Australia's biggest IT recruitment company Peoplebank, told Sky News the crackdown on the 457 visa was stifling business.

"I think it's ironic, there is all the talk about the digital economy, the future of the online world which is IT driven, yet on the other hand we are saying we are going to make it difficult for Australia to source IT people.

"I think that's highly ironic and ultimately Australia is going to be the loser out of this I think unless the legislation is changed."

A recent survey by Migration Council Australia questioned 3,800 visa-holders and 1,600 businesses. The report revealed that 457 workers have a high level of job satisfaction, demonstrating that they are integrating well into the Australian workforce.

Migration Council Australia chief executive Carla Wilshire said the findings showed the 457 visa programme is critical in keeping Australia competitive in an era when industry is global and 98% of innovation happens outside of Australia.

She said: "Four out of five multinational companies are using 457 visa holders to train and develop Australian workers.

"The survey results reinforce the message that skills transfer and knowledge from 457 visa-holders play an important role in building Australia's human capital.

"Temporary migration does not just fill skills shortages, it addresses skills deficits and plays a central part in workplace development at the enterprise level."

:: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

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US Default Threat Prompts Downgrade Warning

The credit rating agency Fitch has warned it is reviewing the US government's AAA credit rating for a possible downgrade, citing the impasse in Washington that has raised the threat of a default on the nation's debt.

Fitch placed the US credit rating on negative watch as House and Senate leaders face a Thursday deadline to raise the nation's $16.7trn (£10.4trn) borrowing limit.

The agency said that while it expects the debt limit to be raised soon, "the political brinkmanship and reduced financing flexibility could increase the risk of a US default".

A Treasury Department spokesman said Fitch's announcement, which was made after US financial markets closed on Tuesday, "reflects the urgency with which Congress should act to remove the threat of default hanging over the economy".

Politicians spent most of Tuesday trying to reach an agreement to lift the government's borrowing limit and avoid a potential default.

The partial government shutdown has entered its third week

However, experts said that even without a deal, it was possible that US government contingency planning could mean bills continued to be paid after Thursday through tax revenues or the printing of money.

If leaders are able to forge a deal, it would potentially extend US borrowing authority until February 7 and fund government agencies until January 15, ending the partial shutdown of government operations which has lasted more than two weeks.

The renewed push in the Senate followed chaotic developments in the House that saw two separate GOP plans buried after it became apparent they failed to gain enough support among Republican rank-and-file.

Senator Barbara Mikulski, a Democrat, stood on the Senate floor at mid-afternoon and declared: "We are 33 hours away from becoming a deadbeat nation (that does not pay) its bills to its own people and other creditors."

Polls indicate that Republicans are bearing the brunt of public anger over the deadlock.

Many Americans are unhappy with the way budget talks have been handled

A Washington Post/ABC News poll released on Monday found that 74% of Americans disapprove of the way congressional Republicans have handled the standoff, compared with a 53% disapproval rating for Obama.

Even if a deal is done to avert a default, ratings agencies will maintain their pressure on the world's biggest economy.

A credit rating, provided by an agency, is an assessment of how able a country or company is to repay the money it has borrowed.

An AAA rating lets companies and governments borrow at super-low rates because the investments in the resulting bonds are seen as of little risk.

Standard & Poors downgraded US long-term debt to AA+ in August 2011 because of the mountain of borrowing undertaken by the country and its failure to tackle it.

So far, most investors have remained confident in US debt, though rates have risen on short-term Treasury bills.

Further evidence of nerves emerged when the Dow Jones closed sharply down on Tuesday, while a cautious approach was taken in Europe in early trading on Wednesday.

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Al Libi In New York To Face Terrorism Charges

By Sky News US Team, in New York

A suspected al Qaeda leader captured in Libya has arrived in New York following a week-long interrogation aboard a US warship.

Nazih Abdul-Hamed al Ruqai, better known by his alias Abu Anas al Libi, has been under federal indictment in New York for more than a decade on terrorism charges.

Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara confirmed that al Libi was transferred to law enforcement custody over the weekend.

The alleged senior al Qaeda figure was expected to be arraigned on Tuesday, Mr Bharara said.

Al Libi allegedly helped plan the embassy bombing in Nairobi, Kenya

Al Libi is accused of planning and conducting surveillance for the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Africa.

He was detained during a US special forces raid in Libya on October 5.

His capture heightened tensions with Tripoli, with the Libyan government upset that it had not been informed about the raid, labelling it a "kidnapping".

Al Libi is accused of involvement in the bombings of the US Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, which killed more than 220 people.

Intelligence officials interrogated him for a week aboard the USS San Antonio in the Mediterranean.

Court documents say al Libi's ties to al Qaeda date back to its early years, making him a potentially valuable source of information about the group's history.

The computer specialist is believed to have spent time in Sudan, where Osama bin Laden was based in the early 1990s.

Al Libi has long-standing health issues and will get medical testing while in custody to determine whether he needs treatment, US officials said.

Where exactly al Libi is being held and where that testing would take place is unclear.

President Barack Obama's administration took criticism years ago when it decided to prosecute admitted 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York, rather than at the naval prison at Guantanamo Bay.

After reversing course, however, the government has successfully prosecuted several terrorism cases in civilian courts.

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Afghan Governor Killed by Microphone Bomb

An Afghan provincial governor and close ally of President Hamid Karzai has been killed while making a speech at a mosque after Eid prayers in Logar, close to the capital Kabul.

Logar provincial governor spokesman Din Mohammad Darwish said Arsala Jamal was killed by a bomb planted in the microphone he had been using.

He said: "The governor wanted to speak and congratulate everyone on the occasion of Eid. At least 18 other people have been wounded, including civilians and government employees."

Mr Jamal was appointed by the president and only took up the Logar job in April after serving as governor of Khost, on the border with Pakistan.

Volatile Logar, which lies to the south of the Afghan capital, is seen as a key strategic region, often described as a "gateway to Kabul" for Taliban militants based in strongholds across the south and east.

No group has said it was responsible for the blast, although Taliban militants often target provincial government officials as well as Afghan soldiers and police.

Security in Logar has deteriorated in recent years with the Taliban holding sway in some areas despite sustained Afghan and US military pressure.

Village-based Afghan Local Police (ALP) forces have also been trying to wrestle back control of Taliban-held territory.

The Taliban have vowed to step up attacks as Afghanistan prepares for presidential elections in April and the withdrawal of 87,000 Nato troops by the end of next year.

Taliban supremo Mullah Omar on Sunday said he "rejected" the elections, which he alleged were being manipulated by foreign powers, and called on Afghans not to participate.

The hardline Islamist Taliban regime was driven from power by a US-led coalition in 2001 for sheltering the al Qaeda leaders behind the 9/11 attacks.

Eid ul Adha is a major public holiday across the Muslim world, with mosques packed with devotees marking the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him.

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Philippines Earthquake: At Least 20 Dead

At least 32 people have died after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit the Philippines.

Fifteen of the fatalities were in Cebu, the political and economic hub of the central Philippines, civil defence office spokesman Reynaldo Balido told reporters.

Sixteen other fatalities were reported on neighbouring Bohol island.

The quake struck at 8.12am local time near Balilihan, a town of about 18,000 people on Bohol, at a depth of 12 miles (20km), the United States Geological Survey reported.

The town lies across a strait about 37 miles (60km) from Cebu island.

The earthquake ripped up roads

Janet Maribao, a receptionist on Cebu, said: "I was fast asleep when suddenly I woke up because my bed was shaking. I was so shocked, I could do nothing but hide under the bed."

Residents and tourists reported extensive damage to old churches and modern buildings, including a university, while major roads had also been torn apart.

Neil Sanchez, the head of Cebu's disaster management office, said: "Communication lines are quite difficult here.

"Even the disaster risk reduction management office has been damaged. We had to move elsewhere."

Cebu hosts the country's busiest port and largest airport outside of the capital Manila. It also has a major ship building industry.

The earthquake was followed by at least four aftershocks measuring more than 5.0 in magnitude.

However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre did not issue a Pacific-wide tsunami threat.

The Philippines lies on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a chain of islands that are prone to quakes and volcanic eruptions.

The deadliest recorded natural disaster in the Philippines occurred in 1976, when a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake devastated the Moro Gulf on the southern island of Mindanao.

Between 5,000 and 8,000 people were killed, according to official estimates.

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Seven Red Cross Workers Kidnapped In Syria

Seven International Committee of the Red Cross workers have been kidnapped after gunmen attacked their convoy in northern Syria.

Spokesman Saleh Dabbakeh said gunmen abducted the team after stopping their convoy near the town of Saraqeb in Idlib province on Sunday morning.

He said six of the people are ICRC workers and one is a volunteer from the Syrian Red Crescent.

It was unclear what nationalities the workers were.

Syria's state news agency said the gunmen opened fire on the ICRC team's four vehicles before seizing the Red Cross workers. It blamed "terrorists", a term the government uses to refer to opponents of President Bashar al Assad.

The team had been in the field since October 10 to assess the medical situation in the area, described as a "difficult area to go in".

Magne Barth, head of the ICRC delegation in Syria, said: "We call for the immediate and unconditional release of the seven colleagues abducted this morning.

"Both the ICRC and SARC work tirelessly to provide impartial humanitarian assistance for those most in need across Syria on both sides of the front lines, and incidents such as these potentially undermine our capacity to assist those who need us most."

Much of the countryside in Idlib has fallen into the hands of rebels over the last year, and kidnappings have become rife.

It comes after Syrian rebels claimed they had shot a government warplane on Sunday near the southern city of Deraa.

Fighters used anti-aircraft machine guns to hit the plane, but it was able to make an emergency landing at nearby Thala military airport.

Syrian state media has not confirmed the incident.

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Illegal Immigration In US Now Hard To Ignore

By Greg Milam, US Correspondent

The United States is locked in a fierce debate over immigration, with an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants.

But frustration is growing at the lack of political action to answer the big immigration questions.

Earlier this month, thousands of people rallied in 150 cities in 40 of the 50 states to put pressure on Washington to deliver an overhaul to the country's immigration rules.

They fear the momentum for change is fading after almost unprecedented co-operation between Republicans and Democrats towards reaching agreement earlier this year.

The results of last year's presidential election demonstrated, particularly to Republicans, that the fast-growing immigrant population in states like Colorado meant the issue could not be ignored.

But a plan that would have offered a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants already living in the US appears to be in jeopardy with renewed wrangling between the parties.

Some believe the US border is way too porous

Immigration has often fallen behind other issues like guns, the economy and international concerns like Syria.

Reshma Shamasunder, executive director of California Immigrant Policy Centre, said: "People are fed up with inaction, they're fed up with Congress every year promising they're going to do something and then not doing it.

"We haven't had an immigration overhaul in this country for decades and our immigration laws are so outmoded and outdated that not only are they not serving immigrants well, they're not serving the American people well.

"So I think there is a huge appetite among Americans to do something."

Without an overhaul, she says, the problem is going to get worse.

Sky News spoke to a man, originally from Central America and now living legally in the US, who had sent $2,000 (£1,255) to a nephew waiting just across the border in Mexico. He will pay a so-called "coyote" to smuggle him into America.

Critics of immigration reform point to cases like that and say the government needs to urgently address border crossings that are way too porous.

California recently reached the landmark moment when whites were no longer the majority. By the middle of next year, Latinos will make up a greater proportion of the population.

The state's governor, Jerry Brown, recently signed into law a raft of new bills that increase protections for immigrants and campaigners say the rest of the US needs to follow suit.

But it remains an emotive issue and one it is increasingly hard to ignore.

:: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

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Temple Stampede Kills At Least 109 Worshippers

At least 109 people have been killed in a stampede at a Hindu temple in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

Some reports said the stampede occurred when police used batons to control a huge crowd that had gathered at the Ratangarh Temple near the village of Chand Pur, in Datia District.

As the devotees attempted to flee, hundreds of people ran towards a bridge across the river Sindh and an unknown number are believed to have fallen in.

At least 130 people were injured in the incident on Sunday.

A map showing the location of Datia

Others claimed the stampede happened when a rumour swept through a crowd of 20,000 crossing the bridge that it was about to collapse.

Many of those who drowned did so while trying to save the lives of others, India's The News Tribe website reported.

The true cause of the stampede, which happened about 200 miles southeast of the capital Delhi, has yet to emerge.

The incident happened at a spot on the river Sindh where more than half a million pilgrims had gathered to take part in rituals.

The body of one of those who died in the stampede

Deputy Police Inspector General DK Arya denied a baton charge had taken place.

He said: "More than 100 others have been injured. There was no baton charge."

Rescue teams have been combing the water to pull out bodies and find any survivors.

The worshippers were gathering at the temple as part of the celebrations for the Navratri festival.

The 10-day festival includes an event marking the victory of the Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon in Hindu mythology.

The death toll has risen to over 100

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan announced he had ordered a judicial probe into the incident.

Madhya Pradesh's government said it was offering Rs150,000 (£1,540) to the families of those who were killed and Rs50,000 (£513) to those who were seriously injured.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tweeted: ''On this day of festivities, our hearts and prayers are with the victims and their families.''

In 2006, at least 35 devotees died at the same spot after they were washed away when a dam in a neighbouring province opened its sluice gates, causing a deluge.

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Cyclone Phailin Slams Into India's East Coast

A powerful cyclone has ripped through India's east coast, killing at least five people and forcing more than half a million into shelters.

Cyclone Phailin, with winds up to 130mph, made landfall on Saturday night near the town of Golpalpur in Orissa state and is moving inland.

The storm, covering an area larger than France, lost some of its strength before hitting the coast, but it remains India's strongest since a typhoon killed 10,000 people in the same region 14 years ago.

Four people were killed by falling trees, while another died when the walls of her home collapsed.

Officials said the storm has already caused cause large-scale power and communications outages and shut down road and rail links.

A satellite image of the cyclone

The evacuation of around 450,000 people in Orissa and 100,000 in Andhra Pradesh state is one of the biggest exercises in the country's history.

Many people have fled low-lying villages for shelters, but others have refused to leave their homes.

"My son had to stay back with his wife because of the cattle and belongings ... I don't know if they are safe," said 70-year-old Kaushalya Jena, who has taken refuge in a makeshift shelter.

In Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Orissa, government workers and volunteers have been putting together hundreds of thousands of food packages for relief camps.

Floods have already ripped down power lines

The state's top official, chief minister Naveen Patnaik, said: "I request everyone to not panic. Please assist the government. Everyone from the village to the state headquarters have been put on alert."

The army's National Disaster Response Force said 1,700 of its troops have been sent to both states.

"As soon as the fury of the cyclone abates our boys will start their work," said the force's director general Krishna Chaudhary.

"The teams have medical first responders (for first aid), heavy cutting equipment, life-saving equipment that responds to breathing and even to warmth. In the case of cyclones there is a likelihood of collapsed buildings."

People walk among debris from a broken wall brought down by a wave

While the full extent of the damage cannot yet be measured, India's meteorological department said the cyclone posed a danger to a 95-miles stretch of coastline.

Forecasters have likened its size and intensity to Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the US Gulf coast and New Orleans in 2005.

Dr Liz Bentley from the Royal Meteorological Society told Sky News: "This particular part of the coastline is very low-lying so it (Phailin) will penetrate quite well in land.

"It is like a mini-tsunami hitting that - not caused in the same way as a tsunami but it's the same effect."

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US-Afghan 'Progress' In Security Talks

By Alistair Bunkall, Sky's Defence Correspondent

Significant progress has been made in negotiations for a Bilateral Security Agreement between the US and Afghanistan.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghan President Hamid Karzai held 28 hours of talks over two days in Kabul.

The BSA, if agreed, will allow a contingent of American troops to remain in the country post-2014.

Negotiations have been ongoing for a number of months.

Last week, it appeared they had reached an impasse over various conditions set down by Mr Karzai, including a request that Washington hand over intelligence documents concerning Afghanistan.

Mr Karzai had also wanted America to commit to military support if Pakistan attacked Afghanistan - a Nato-style solidarity pact.

But speaking at a news conference after the latest discussions, Mr Kerry told reporters that there had been movement but no deal yet.

"One issue that is outstanding is the issue of jurisdiction (immunity)," he said.

"We need to say that if the issue of jurisdiction cannot be resolved, unfortunately there cannot be a bilateral security agreement."

America has agreed not to carry out security operations unilaterally after 2014, one condition demanded by Mr Karzai, but insists troops must be immune from local prosecution.

Although Mr Kerry promised the US military would deal with disciplinary issues in a robust way, Washington does not want any of its soldiers facing trial in Afghanistan for acts they might have committed in their duty as a deployed soldier.

"The BSA has a lot of items. One is about immunity for foreign and US soldiers - we didn't have a united opinion on this issue," said Mr Karzai.

Washington wants the agreement to be made before the end of the month to avoid the issue becoming a part of political campaigning by candidates running for the presidency in Afghan elections next spring.

As such there has been much political brinkmanship from both sides, although few doubted a deal would be done in the end.

Although exact numbers have not been announced, it is thought between 5,000 and 10,000 US troops would remain in Afghanistan.

The deal is important for Afghanistan's future because foreign troops will stay to give mentoring and training to Afghan soldiers in the hope the security situation improves.

Without an agreement Afghanistan could see international funding withdrawn, and that accounts for around 80% of the country's expenditure.

The lack of such an agreement led to an early withdrawal from Iraq by US troops.

Once agreed, the BSA should pave the way for a European equivalent known as a "Statement of Force Agreement" or SOFA.

The UK government is then expected to formalise and announce how many British troops will stay in Afghanistan after the end of next year.

That figure will probably be in the low hundreds.

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Madeleine McCann Timeline Of Events 'Wrong'

British detectives working on the Madeleine McCann investigation have revealed that key details in the timeline of her disappearance were wrong.

The revised details will be documented in a new Crimewatch appeal on the case to be broadcast on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the BBC programme, senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "The timeline we have now established has given new significance to sightings and movements of people in and around Praia da Luz at the time of Madeleine's disappearance.

"Our work to date has significantly changed the timeline and the accepted version of events that has been in the public domain to date.

"It has allowed us to work with Crimewatch to build the most detailed reconstruction as yet, and highlight very specific appeal points.

"I hope that when the public see our investigative strands drawn together within the overall context of that appeal, it will bring in new information that moves our investigation forward."

The timeline of Madeleine's disappearance has 'significantly changed'

The full reconstruction of the events six years ago when Madeleine went missing starts with a scene of Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry playing tennis.

Madeleine, dressed in pink shorts, T-shirt and hat, then runs across the court, holding a batch of tennis balls.

In another clip, the McCanns are asked how often they think of their daughter, who went missing when she was three years old on May 3, 2007 from a holiday apartment as her parents dined at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.

Mr McCann says: "When it's a special occasion, when you should be your happiest and Madeleine's not there, that's when it really hits home. Obviously, Madeleine's birthday goes without saying."

Mrs McCann adds: "It's when you have big family occasions really. That's it isn't it? 'Family occasion' and you haven't got your complete family."

During the programme, DCI Redwood discusses how the police have approached the inquiry.

Gerry and Kate McCann tell Crimewatch their anguish is undiminished

He says: "Primarily what we sought to do from the beginning is try and draw everything back to zero if you like. Try and take everything back to the beginning and re-analyse and reassess everything, accepting nothing.

"The careful and critical analysis of the timeline has been absolutely key.

"Primarily, we're focused on the area between 8.30pm and 10pm. We know at 8.30pm that was the time Mr and Mrs McCann went down to the tapas area for their dinner and we know that around at 10pm that was when Mrs McCann found that Madeleine was missing."

A number of e-fits are also to be shown in the appeal in a bid to "identify the men and eliminate innocent sightings".

Scotland Yard detectives, who have interviewed 442 people as part of their review-turned-investigation, hope to track down as many people present in the Portuguese town at the time.

Since launching its own investigation, 41 people of interest have been identified by the Met Police, including 15 UK nationals.

Madeleine seen on the day before she went missing in May 2007

Detectives have issued 31 international letters of request to mostly European countries in relation to some of the persons of interest as well as accessing phone records.

A large but "manageable" list of phone numbers identified as being in Praia da Luz - though not necessarily used to make phone calls - has been drawn up by detectives with a "significant" number unattributed to any named person.

British detectives launched a fresh investigation in July this year - two years into a review of the case.

The Met Police now has a team of six Portuguese detectives based in Faro who are carrying out inquiries on its behalf.

The Portuguese investigation is officially closed but authorities there are backing the Scotland Yard inquiry and officers from both countries are working together in pursuing new leads.

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