South Africa Cops Charged Over Van Man Murder

Eight South African police officers have been charged with murder after a video showed a man being handcuffed to a moving van.

South Africa's police watchdog earlier arrested the men over the death of a Mozambican taxi driver who died in custody after being dragged by the police vehicle.

Police in Pretoria held a press conference to placate a nation outraged by the footage showing Mido Macia being dragged through the streets.

He was later found dead in a police cell with serious head and internal injuries.

National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Riah Phiyega, said the eight officers had been suspended and disarmed. They have since been charged with murder.

Taxi driver Mido Macia with his sister Melida

The station commander in Daveytown, a township east of Johannesburg, has also been removed from his post, she said.

"Any one death is one too many," Ms Phiyega said. "We believe in the principle of police being policed."

The Daily Sun, a South African newspaper, posted footage of the dragging incident, which occurred on Tuesday.

It was apparently filmed by several people on mobile phones.

Witnesses said Mr Macia, 27, drew the attention of police when he parked in a way that blocked traffic, and then got into an row with officers.

"We are going to film this," several onlookers shouted in Zulu as the police subdued Mr Macia.

One bystander can be heard shouting: "What has this guy done?"

President Jacob Zuma condemned the killing of Mr Macia.

Some commentators drew comparisons with the 1977 death of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, who also suffered head injuries in police custody.

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Delhi Rape: Seven-Year-Old 'Attacked In School'

Hundreds of protesters have clashed with police after reports that a seven-year-old girl has been raped at a government school in northwest Delhi.

The Times of India newspaper said the attack had occurred in the Mangolpuri area of the capital.

The girl's parents informed police after the injured child was taken to hospital.

Dr Sanjay Kumar, who helped treat the girl, said she had injuries consistent with rape.

Angry mobs gathered at the hospital and threw stones at a nearby bus, shattering its windows.

Protesters say Delhi police have failed to act decisively in rape cases

Protesters hurled stones at police, who had cordoned off the road and used batons to break up the demonstration.

After several hours the crowd dispersed.

"The protesters were angry over the assault on the little girl and were demanding that police act against the culprit," a police official said.

A Delhi police spokesman said police had registered a rape case and were questioning teachers and security guards at the facility, run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit called the attack "shameful".

"Rape inside a school is a shocking incident. It is shameful that it happened," she said.

A man runs across a street during the protest

India has been gripped in recent months by a national debate over the treatment of women and girls and their safety.

Last month three sisters, aged six, nine and 11 were raped and murdered before their bodies were dropped in a village well.

In December a 23-year-old medical student was gang raped and attacked on a bus in Delhi. She died 13 days later after being flown to a hospital in Singapore.

Six men, including a 17-year-old, have been charged with her murder.

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Britons In Coach Crash In Kenya

A number of Britons were travelling on a coach which crashed in Kenya, the Foreign Office has said.

Around 15 people were believed to have been in the vehicle when the accident happened in the coastal city of Mombasa.

The number of Britons involved is not yet known.

There are thought to be some injuries but they are not believed to be life-threatening.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "There has been a coach crash that we are aware of.

"We believe there are British nationals involved, and there are some injuries.

"We are sending staff there now and we'll have more details later.

"Indications are the injuries are not life-threatening but we won't know for certain until our people are on the scene."

More follows...

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Battling Somali Pirates In The Seychelles

By David Bowden, Defence Correspondent, in the Seychelles

A British-backed international effort is making the Seychelles the frontline in the battle against Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean.

There are believed to be four ships and 108 hostages currently being held by pirates in the region, who have made millions from what is effectively armed robbery and kidnapping at sea.

But the number of attacks has fallen dramatically over the past year, thanks largely to high-intensity multinational naval patrols and the presence of heavily-armed guards on cargo ships.

Now the Regional Anti-Piracy, Prosecution and Intelligence Coordination Centre (RAPPICC) hopes to boost the fight against piracy by bringing together policing skills more commonly associated with organised crime, people trafficking, drug smuggling, gun-running and money laundering.

A pirate suspect captured by a Dutch warship is loaded into a police van

The RAPPICC is funded largely by Britain and headed by a senior officer from the Serious Organised Crime Agency, and is deemed so important that Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt flew to the Seychelles to officially open it.

He pointed out that 26,000 ships a year pass through the region and a third of the world's oil is carried across the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.

He said: "People here reckon there are about a dozen people, that's all, who are controlling this trade and we're targeting them with information, particular skills to make sure evidence can be presented so that people can be prosecuted. It's very important to go after them and that's what we are doing."

A smirking pirate seems unperturbed by a lengthy jail term outside court

In a courthouse a gang arrested last year after hijacking an Iranian fishing vessel were being sentenced to 24 years each, while a teenager escaped with a 16-year term because of his age.

In his summing up, Judge Gustav Didon gave some idea of the terrifying ordeal faced by ships targeted as they pass through areas patrolled by the bandits.

Most pirates jailed in the Seychelles go to the Montaine Posse prison

He said: "The Somalis came firing guns. There were nine in a small boat and all of them had guns. He stopped the engine and surrendered.

"He was told to go to the Somali coast. The Somalis pointed their guns at them and told them if they did not go inside they would be shot."

As they are carted off to prison in cuffs the men continue to claim their innocence - though their claim to be mere fishermen differs from their defence in court, where they swore they were refugees who had paid for passage to Europe.

Prisoners claim to be innocent - with some saying they are just fishermen

This week, the crew of Dutch Warship HNLMS De Ruyter captured and handed over nine suspected Somali Pirates to the Seychelles Police after they allegedly attempted to hijack a Panamanian boat.

They will be prosecuted by one of the two British lawyers on the Island, seconded to the Seychelles justice department from the UK Crown Prosecution Service.

Most pirates jailed in the Seychelles are taken to the Montaine Posse prison, run by Will Thurbin, a former prison governor from the Isle of Wight.

Among more than 400 inmates in his jail are some 88 Somali pirates, though there have been more than a 100 locked up there in the past.

The prison's British governor speaks to Sky's David Bowden

Mr Thurbin told Sky News: "Their reputation on the high seas is well-earned with the violence they show people they take captive and taking ships, but we find that once the pirates come into the prison their behaviour settles down."

For now, Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant, operational commander of one of the three naval coalitions patrolling the region, says the pirates are on the back foot - but will return if the international community takes its eye off the ball.

He told me: "The pirate business model is fractured, but it's not broken and if we relieve the pressure now my military judgement estimates that piracy will come back quickly."

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Groupon Founder Sacked As Deal Demand Falls

By Sky News US Team, In Los Angeles

Struggling deals website Groupon has ousted its founder and CEO as the company loses money and worries grow that people are tiring of its business model.

"I've decided that I'd like to spend more time with my family. Just kidding - I was fired today," founder Andrew Mason, 32, wrote in a memo to staff.

"If you're wondering why, you haven't been paying attention."

The announcement came one day after Chicago-based Groupon reported a bigger-than-expected loss and gave a weak revenue outlook for the current quarter.

"The events of the last year and a half speak for themselves," Mr Mason wrote. "As CEO, I am accountable."

Groupon has built its business on offering discounts for everything from restaurants to Botox but it has fallen short of its financial expectations for two quarters now.

Mr Mason said its current stock price now stands near one-quarter of its November 2011 initial public offering listing price.

At the time, Groupon was the largest internet flotation since Google went public in 2004.

Shares in the publicly traded company jumped after Thursday's announcement, which had been anticipated for months.

Groupon offers food, culture and beauty deals

Executive chairman Eric Lefkofsky and vice chairman Ted Leonsis were appointed to the office of the chief executive while a replacement is found.

Mr Mason told employees they "deserve the outside world to give you a second chance. I'm getting in the way of that. A fresh CEO earns you that chance".

Concern about Groupon's business model began even before the company's IPO.

It has been easy for other companies to copy, and many users quickly tired of the frequent emails touting cheap manicures and two-for-one dinner deals.

"The question is whether this as a business model can last," Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg said.

Groupon makes money by taking a cut from the online deals it offers on a variety of goods and services.

Groupon had the advantage of being the first company of its kind but many successful copycats have syphoned off market share.

It also has faced scrutiny about high marketing expenses, a large employee base and its revenue accounting methods.

Mr Mason, a former punk band keyboard player, founded Groupon in 2008.

By 2010, Groupon was available in 25 countries and its staff ballooned to nearly 10,000 employees - many times that of other internet start-ups such as Twitter and Facebook.

Groupon's stock has lost about 77% of its value since the IPO. That includes a loss of $1.45, or 24%, on Thursday.

The stock gained nearly 4% in after-hours trading following the announcement of Mr Mason's departure.

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South Africa Suspends Cops After Van Death

Several South African police officers have been suspended and a murder investigation launched after a video showed a man being handcuffed to a moving police van.

Police in Pretoria held a press conference to placate a nation outraged by the video showing taxi driver Mido Macia being dragged through the streets.

He was later found dead in a police cell with serious head and internal injuries.

National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Riah Phiyega, said that eight officers had been suspended and disarmed.

The station commander in Daveytown, a township east of Johannesburg, had also been removed from his post, she said.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate has opened a murder investigation.

"Any one death is one too many," Ms Phiyega said. "We believe in the principal of police being policed."

The Daily Sun, a South African newspaper, posted footage of the dragging incident, which occurred on Tuesday.

It was apparently filmed by several people on mobile phones.

Witnesses said Mr Macia, 27, of Mozambique drew the attention of police when he parked in a way that blocked traffic, and then got into an row with officers.

"We are going to film this," several onlookers shouted in Zulu as the police subdued Mr Macia.

One bystander can be heard shouting: "What has this guy done?"

President Jacob Zuma condemned the killing of Mr Macia.

Some commentators drew comparisons with the 1977 death of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, who also suffered head injuries in police custody.

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Son Arrested After Mum's Body Found In Bin Bags

By Sky News US Team, in New York

Two men, including the victim's son, have been arrested after a woman's dismembered remains were found in rubbish bags in New York City.

Bahsid McLean, 23, and 26-year-old William Harris were arrested on suspicion of unlawfully dissecting a human body and hindering prosecution.

Police have not filed murder or manslaughter charges and said they were still investigating.

The remains of Tanya Byrd, 45, were found stuffed in several bags scattered along four blocks in the Bronx.

Her death came to light when a local resident's dog sniffed out one of the sacks in the early hours of Tuesday.

A heavy-duty plastic garbage bag stuffed in a duffel bag with the woman's bloodied leg inside was found in a rubbish pile in the Melrose neighbourhood.

Police then found three other bags containing the victim's head, limbs and part of her torso.

Witnesses told police a sport utility vehicle dropped the bags off sometime on Monday night or early Tuesday morning.

Family members described McLean as a troubled man who had long harboured anger toward his mother.

His father, James McLean, told the Daily News: "He did destructive things. He set fires; nobody could control him."

Ms Byrd, a health aide, was described by friends as an upbeat and generous woman.

"Anything you would have needed, she would have given it to you," Elizabeth Cruz told WCBS-TV.

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Australia: Huge Meth Bust Is Record Seizure

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

Australian police have made their biggest ever haul of methamphetamine after seizing more than half a ton of the illegal drug - worth around £300m.

A total of 585kg of the substance - known as 'ice' or 'crystal meth' - was smuggled into Sydney hidden in shipments of chemicals from China.

Almost double the previous Australian record of 306kg, police say the quantity would have sold for 438m Australian dollars (£297m).

Three men - an Australian, a Singaporean and a Hong Kong passport holder - have been charged with attempting to possess the drug. They were all refused bail at a Sydney court - and face life sentences if convicted.

Police said methamphetamine was "the sort of drug that sends people mad"

New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said: "There's over half a ton of hideous drugs that were taken off the streets with a street value approaching half a billion dollars - hundreds of millions of dollars.

"There are three people that have been arrested and will be prosecuted. There are more that will likely be arrested."

Police were alerted to the major drug smuggling operation by a telephone call from a member of the public.

"That one phone call was the one thread that allowed us to pull and unravel a syndicate that will be stopped forever," said Mr Scipione.

The police investigation began in September last year in response to the tip-off.

Law enforcement officers found 38 bags of the drug

Police and customs officers were directed to four suspicious shipping containers in a Sydney wharf, which had come from the port city of Shen Zhen in China.

Inside officers found the huge drugs haul, hidden amongst a shipment of chemical cleaner.

They substituted the drugs with a harmless substance then allowed the consignment to be delivered to their original address.

Australia is becoming an increasingly lucrative market for international drug networks because of the strength of the local currency and resilience of the national economy compared to other wealthy nations.

New South Wales police commissioner Andrew Scipione, said it was "very fortunate that somebody took the time to make that phone call".

"This is the sort of drug that sends people mad," he said.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Papacy Enters Final Hours

By Sally Arthy, Senior News Editor, Rome

Pope Benedict XVI's tenure as leader of the world's Catholics will draw to a close later today.

Benedict stands down as Pontiff after nearly eight years and at a time when the Church is mired in controversy.

This morning, more than 100 cardinals will say their farewells to the Pope at a gathering in the Apostolic Palace.

Just before 5pm local time (4pm UK time), Benedict will leave his apartments for the last time, give his thanks to the senior staff who have been by his side during his papacy, and then make his way to the Vatican helipad.

From there he will fly to Castel Gandolfo - the Pope's retreat on the outskirts of Rome.

Then, at around 5.30pm, he will make his last brief appearance on a balcony in front of an expected crowd of around 7,000 before withdrawing from public life for good.

The Pope waves from his 'popemobile' at the end of his last weekly audience

At 8pm the doors of the villa will close and the Swiss Guard will stand aside marking the end of Benedict's papacy.

From then on he will be known as Emeritus Pope and devote his days to prayer and meditation.

Once renovations are complete, Benedict will move to a monastery in the grounds of the Vatican.

He will have the official title of "pope emeritus" and can still wear a white cassock normally reserved only for pontiffs, but without a doubled shoulder cape.

Spokesman Frederico Lombardi said he has chosen to swap his trademark red shoes for a brown pair given to him by artisans in Mexico during a trip last year.

Edward Pentin, from the Catholic Herald, said Benedict will live a monk's life and not interfere in the work of his successor.

The next Pope will be chosen by secret ballot during the conclave of eligible cardinals who will vote in the Sistine Chapel.

Pope Benedict XVI's departure from the Vatican sets in motion a timetable of centuries-old traditions in what is an unprecedented resignation in modern Catholic history.

After 7pm on Thursday, the Catholic Church enters a period known as "Sede Vacante" (vacant See) during which a senior cardinal takes over interim powers until a new pope is elected.

That cardinal, referred to as the camerlengo or chamberlain, will be Italy's Tarcisio Bertone.

The camerlengo has traditionally had the role of officially certifying the death of a pope - once carried out by tapping the pontiff's forehead three times with a special silver hammer and calling out his birth name.

He is also charged with destroying the Fisherman's Ring - a gold signet ring specially cast for each new pope - which symbolises the end of a papacy.

From Monday, cardinals from around the world will hold a series of meetings known as general congregations.

The meetings are aimed at identifying priorities for the Roman Catholic Church for the future, but are also a good way of vetting possible candidates for next pope.

The cardinals then meet in a secret conclave to choose the next pope under a system adapted in the 13th century.

All conclaves have been held in the Sistine Chapel and the cardinals are sworn to absolute secrecy under pain of ex-communication during voting.

Two ballots are held in the morning, and two in the afternoon, until one candidate wins two-thirds of the votes.

At the end of each session, the ballots are burned in a stove by the chapel, releasing smoke above the Apostolic Palace. The smoke is black after each unsuccessful ballot, white once the vote succeeds.

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Egypt Balloon Crash: Luxor Grounds Flights

An investigation is under way in Egypt after 19 people - including two Britons and a UK resident - died in a hot air balloon crash.

Amateur footage shows smoke billowing from the balloon before it falls 1,000 feet to the ground during a sunrise flight near the ancient city of Luxor.

Luxor Governor Ezzat Saad imposed an immediate ban on all hot air balloon flights in the province as Prime Minister Hisham Qandil ordered the investigation.

Michael Rennie survived but his wife, Yvonne, died

Four investigating teams have been established to probe the causes of the crash.

According to one of the investigation teams, the balloon company, Sky Cruise, had passed a routine inspection by the Civil Aviation Ministry earlier this month.

An initial probe has ruled out any criminal activity as a cause of the accident, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported.

British nationals Yvonne Rennie and Joe Bampton, and Mr Bampton's partner, Hungarian-born UK resident Suzanna Gyetvai, were named as being among those killed.

Mrs Rennie's husband Michael, 49, is in hospital after leaping from the balloon as it exploded and plunged to the ground in flames.

Witnesses said they heard a loud explosion before seeing plumes of smoke as the balloon caught fire. People were seen jumping out from "about the height of a seven-storey building".

Victims Joe Bampton and his girlfriend Suzanna Gyetvai

A spokeswoman at Luxor international hospital said Mr Rennie was in a stable condition.

Mr Bampton, 40, and Ms Gyetvai, 34, were from Clapham, south London.

Mr and Mrs Rennie, from Perth, Scotland, were described as "very nice people" who only spent the weekends together due to work commitments.

Neighbour Linda Kettles said: "They were very, very nice people who kept themselves to themselves.

"They've gone on holiday to enjoy themselves. They only get the weekends together and any break together is good for them.

"They were really looking forward to getting away. I'm totally devastated by the news. I really feel for their families."

The other tourists on board, including holidaymakers from France, Hong Kong and Japan, were all thought to have died in the explosion.

The only other survivor of the crash was the pilot, an Egyptian man, who is in hospital with burns to 60% of his body.

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