Oscar Pistorius Breaks Down In Tears In Court

Olympic star Oscar Pistorius has broken down in tears as he appeared in court charged with murdering his girlfriend.

He stood before magistrate Desmond Nair with his head bowed as the charge was read out.

Prosecutors say they intend to prove Pistorius is guilty of premeditated murder of the top South African model Reeva Steenkamp.

Local news correspondent Barry Bateman described him as "sobbing uncontrollably" as he sat in the dock.

Pistorius' father Henke leaned forward and placed his hand on his son's back during the 40-minute hearing.

Oscar Pistorius is charged with murdering Reeva Steenkamp

Prosecutors had asked to deal with the bail hearing as a section six offence, meaning the accused has to provide exceptional circumstances to be released on bail. The defence opposes this.

The case was postponed until Tuesday, and Pistorius will remain in custody until then.

A statement on behalf of his family and management said he denies the charge in the strongest terms.

The body of 29-year-old Miss Steenkamp was discovered at the athlete's property in the Silver Woods gated community in eastern Pretoria on Thursday morning.

She had been shot four times. A 9mm pistol was found at the scene.

A police officer holds a gun taken from Pistorius' home

Local media have reported that she was shot through a bathroom door.

Pistorius, 26, spent Thursday night in custody and was subject to blood-alcohol, DNA and other tests, as forensics experts continued to work at the crime scene at his home in an upmarket gated estate.

His lawyer Kenny Oldwage said his client was "very well, obviously emotional, but fine".

Police were called to Pistorius' home at around 4am on Thursday by neighbours who heard gunshots. He is the only suspect in the case.

Pistorius made history at the London Olympics last year when he became the first double-amputee track athlete to compete at any games.

He did not win a medal but did make the semi-finals of the 400 metres and the final of the 4x400 relay, propelling the world's best-known Paralympian to the level of an international track star.

Meanwhile a celebrity reality show featuring Miss Steenkamp will still be broadcast on South African television despite her death, the producers have said.

The pre-recorded show filmed in an exotic location in Jamaica features the blonde model and several local personalities competing for prize money.

Producers of Tropika Island of Treasure said they had decided not to shelve the show, which will premiere on Saturday, two days after she was shot dead.

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Fugitive Cop Died Of 'Self-Inflicted' Gunshot

Christopher Dorner who began a retribution campaign against his Los Angeles police colleagues, died of a single gunshot wound, a coroner has said.

The fugitive officer's charred remains were found in a burned-out California mountain cabin after a "war-zone style" standoff with armed police.

Dorner declared 'war' on his colleagues in an online manifesto

Coroner examiners have yet to determine who fired the fatal shot that killed Dorner, though San Bernardino County Coroner Kevin Lacy said current evidence suggests the 33-year-old committed suicide.

"We are not yet able to speak about the manner of death and tell you whether or not it was the result of a self-inflicted wound or another round," he said at a news conference.

But he added: "The information we have seems to indicate that the wound that took Christopher Dorner's life was self-inflicted."

The ex-LAPD cop went on the run last week after allegedly killing a couple and a policeman, and wounding three people.

Another police officer was killed and one wounded before the cabin in which Dorner was holed went up in flames.

Officials also said at the news conference that they had found a cache of weapons at various sites connected with Dorner.

Dorner had posted online a chilling manifesto in which he threatened to bring "warfare" to LAPD officers and their families, and blamed the LAPD for treating him unfairly in his sacking in 2008.

The six-day manhunt reached a climax on Tuesday when Dorner barricaded himself inside the cabin.

The charred remains of the mountain cabin

San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said there was a prolonged firefight with Dorner.

He said when "other means had been exhausted", SWAT officers used a tractor-type device to open up the windows and walls of the cabin, and threw in pyrotechnic tear gas canisters to try to force Dorner to surrender.

A blaze erupted, starting at one corner of the cabin.

Sheriff McMahon said that as the flames took hold, after a period of no firing, there was "a distinct single gunshot coming from inside the house".

The sound of it "indicated to me (that) a different kind of weapon had been fired," he added.

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Ex-LAPD Cop Manhunt: Remains Confirmed As Dorner

The burned remains found in a California mountain cabin following a "war zone-style" shootout have been confirmed to be those of fugitive Christopher Dorner.

The former LAPD cop, who launched a deadly revenge campaign against fellow officers, was identified using his dental records.

Jodi Miller, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County sheriff-coroner, confirmed that the remains were those of Dorner but did not give the cause of death.

The search for Dorner began last week after he published a manifesto warning that he would bring "warfare" to LAPD officers and their families.

The wreckage of the cabin where Dorner's remains were found

The manhunt ended at Big Bear Lake, 80 miles (129 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, where they found Dorner's burned-out pickup truck abandoned.

Dorner, 33, hid in a cabin belonging to Karen and Jim Reynolds. When they returned he bound them and put pillowcases on their heads. At one point, he explained that he had been there for days.

"He said 'I don't have a problem with you, so I'm not going to hurt you,'" Jim Reynolds said. "I didn't believe him; I thought he was going to kill us."

Karen and Jim Reynolds discovered Dorner in their cabin

Police have not commented on the Reynolds' account, but it has sparked questions about the search for a man who authorities declared was armed and extremely dangerous.

Resident Shannon Schroepfer said: "They said they went door-to-door but then he's right there under their noses. Makes you wonder if the police even knew what they were doing.

"He was probably sitting there laughing at them the whole time."

The cabin was across the street from the command post where police officers involved in the search would gather for daily briefings.

Officers in the search for on-the-run Christopher Dorner

"Chilling. That's the only word I could use for that," said Ed Tatosian, a retired SWAT commander for the Sacramento Police Department. "It's not an unfathomable oversight. We're human. It happens. It's chilling (that) it does happen."

The Reynolds said Dorner was upstairs in the cabin when they arrived to prepare it for holidaymakers. Dorner, who wanted three murders, confronted the couple with a gun, "jumped out and hollered 'stay calm,'" according to Mr Reynolds.

His wife screamed and ran downstairs but Dorner caught her, Reynolds said. The couple said they were taken to a bedroom where he ordered them to lie on a bed and then on the floor. Dorner bound their arms and legs with plastic ties, gagged them with towels and covered their heads with pillowcases.

Dorner's burnt-out pickup truck

"I really thought it could be the end," Karen Reynolds said.

The couple believes Dorner, a former Navy reservist, had been staying in the cabin at least since Feb. 8.

After he fled in their purple Nissan Rogue, Mrs Reynolds managed to call police.

Dorner finally barricaded himself inside another cabin and during a gun battle with officers killed Deputy Sheriff Jeremiah McKay, 35, and injured another.

The siege ended when the cabin went up in flames after officers threw pyrotechnic tear gas canisters into the holiday home.              

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Crippled Carnival Cruise Ship Finally Docks

Thousands of passengers stranded on a crippled cruise ship for nearly a week have finally docked in Alabama.

There were cheers as the Carnival Triumph finally docked at Mobile, Alabama, after its first attempt failed when the towline being used to manoeuvre it into position snapped.

Passengers were slowly disembarking from the ship in a process that Carnival officials said could take as long as five hours.

Many then face a long journeys home after days enduring what the company's Chief Executive admitted were "poor conditions".

What began as a four-day voyage in the Gulf of Mexico last Thursday has turned into a holiday nightmare. Passengers have described overflowing toilets and say food has been scarce and some of those on board have become unwell.

Speaking as the 14-storey ship docked, Carnival Chief Executive, Gerry Cahill, said that his priority was to go on board to apologise and to help passengers disembark as quickly as possible.

He said: "I know that the conditions on board were very poor. I know it was very difficult and I want to apologise again for subjecting our passengers to that.

"We pride ourselves on providing our guests with a great vacation experience but clearly we failed in this particulary case."

A relative waiting at Mobile talks to a passenger on the ship

The ship left Galveston, Texas, for a four-day cruise last Thursday. It was about 150 miles (240 km) off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula when an engine room fire knocked out its primary power source, crippling its water and plumbing systems and leaving it adrift on only backup power.

Frustrations with the cruise line were simmering on and off the ship, as passengers and their relatives questioned why it has taken so long to get back to dry land.

Renee Shanar, of Houston, said from her mobile phone: "There's poop and urine all along the floor. The floor is flooded with sewer water ... and we had to poop in bags."

Ms Shanar, who is on the ship with her husband, said the couple had a cabin with no windows, so they have been sleeping outside for days. She said food has been distributed on the ninth floor, and some of the elderly have needed younger people to bring it to them.

They were initially only given cold cuts, like turkey and vegetable sandwiches. Then another cruise line dropped off hamburgers and chicken sandwiches, but the line for that fare was nearly four hours long.

"And then people started getting sick from the food," she said.

 The company has disputed the accounts of passengers who describe the ship as filthy, saying employees are doing everything to ensure people were comfortable.

Carnival said that passengers would receive a full refund, discounts on future cruises and a compensation sum of $500 (£322).

Carnival Corp Chairman and CEO Micky Arison faced criticism in January 2012 for failing to travel to Italy and take personal charge of the Costa Concordia crisis after the luxury cruise shop operated by Carnival's Costa Cruises brand grounded on rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio. The tragedy unleashed numerous lawsuits against his company.

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LA Manhunt: Police Believe Body Is Dorner

Police officers who tracked Christopher Dorner to the remote cabin where he is believed to have staged his violent last stand faced a "warzone", US authorities have said.

Charred human remains discovered inside the property in California's Big Bear Lake area have not yet been "absolutely" identified but San Bernardino County's sheriff said he considered the six-day manhunt for the fugitive ex-cop to be over.

Sheriff John McMahon also confirmed that the fire that engulfed the mountain cabin had started after police used highly flammable tear gas canisters in an attempt to drive out the suspected murderer.

Sheriff McMahon paid tribute to wounded officer Deputy Sheriff Alex Collins and his colleague, Detective Jeremiah MacKay, who was killed in the gun battle.

He said: "The deputy sheriffs who responded to this active shooting situation are true heroes, the rounds being fired, it was absolutely incredible.

"It was like a warzone and our deputies continued to go in and tried to neutralise and stop the threat. The rounds kept coming but the deputy sheriffs didn't give up."

The sheriff said the results of forensic tests were due soon but that the description of the man pursued by police and the behaviour of the suspect at the cabin matched Dorner.

Suggestions that police intended to start the blaze that brought the stand-off were untrue, Sheriff McMahon said.

He said officers had tried to order the suspect out of the cabin and then fired "cold" tear gas canisters before switching to hotter "pyrotechnic" tear gas - commonly referred to as "burners".

He said: "We did not intentionally burn the cabin ...we introduced those canisters and a fire erupted."

Deputy Alex Collins is said to be recovering well in hospital after he was injured in the shootout in the forest.

Sheriff McMahon said Detective Jeremiah MacKay, who died from injuries sustained in the battle, had been with the department for 15 years and had a daughter, seven, and son aged four months.

The noise of the gun battle was broadcast by KCAL-TV, whose reporter suddenly found himself near the scene.

A law enforcement official said a single shot was heard as police moved in on the cabin.

The suspect did not come out of the property as it was engulfed in flames.

In one audio clip purporting to be a police scanner conversation, a male voice can be heard saying: "All right, Steve, we're gonna go, er, we're gonna go forward with the plan, with, er, with the burn. We want it, er, like we talked about.

"Seven burners deployed and we have a fire."

Authorities focused their hunt for Dorner, 33, in the mountains after he apparently launched a campaign to exact revenge against the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for sacking him.

Dorner, a former naval reservist, is suspected of killing a couple on February 3 and then ambushing two policemen early last Thursday, killing one of them.

He made threats against the LAPD in an angry rant on Facebook, after which officers were assigned to protect members of staff and their families.

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Israel Admits 'Prisoner X' Secret Jailing

Israel has admitted for the first time that it secretly jailed a foreigner who later killed himself while in a high-security prison.

The confirmation came as Australia said it had known that one of its citizens - who came to be known as "Prisoner X" - was being held while he was still alive.

Prisoner X has widely been reported to be Ben Zygier, 34, a national of both Israel and Australia who worked for Israel's intelligence agency Mossad and was arrested in Israel in 2010 on serious but unspecified charges.

Israel's justice ministry broke its silence after an Australian Broadcasting Corporation report on the case sparked an outcry over media gagging orders.

"For security reasons the man was held under a false identity although his family was immediately informed of his arrest," a statement said.

The man was found dead in his cell in 2010 and a judicial inquiry ruled he took his own life, the ministry added in a statement, although it did not reveal his identity or the charges against him.

"Following an extensive investigation it was ruled six weeks ago that it was suicide," said the ministry. "The prisoner was held in jail under a warrant issued by a court."

But other details of the case remained under a gag order, leaving local media obliged to quote foreign reports.

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr initially said he only became aware of the man's incarceration after his death, but he has now admitted the government knew of his detention at the time.

He told a parliamentary committee the information was gathered through intelligence channels.

"They provided the name of the citizen, in relation to serious offences under Israeli national security legislation," he said, adding that Canberra sought assurances that he was not being mistreated.

He said at no stage did the government receive any request for consular support, adding that he would determine Canberra's next step after receiving a full report from his department into the case.

"With the benefit of that full report, I'll determine what representations to the government of Israel are most useful," he said.

The story first emerged in June 2010 when Israel's Ynet news website briefly ran a report about a prisoner being held in top secret conditions whose identity and alleged crime were not even known to his jailers.

The story was quickly taken offline and a complete media blackout imposed, but it resurfaced on Tuesday through Australia's public broadcaster.

Israeli media did report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had Tuesday called an urgent meeting with top editors to ask them to withhold "publication of information pertaining to an incident that is very embarrassing to a certain government agency," Haaretz newspaper said, in a clear allusion to Mossad.

Shortly afterwards, three MPs raised questions over the issue in parliament, effectively sidestepping the censor in a move that forced a slight easing of the reporting restrictions.

While Israel has not revealed the charges, The Australian newspaper suggested he was detained for treason.

It cited Israeli Army Radio as saying: "Why was he interned? The suspicion is because of treason against Israel."

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Zygier was being investigated by Australia's overseas espionage agency ASIS, which suspected him of using his Australian passport to spy for Israel.

The Herald said he was one of at least three dual Australian-Israeli citizens who emigrated to Israel in the past decade whose cases were probed.

It said that in each case the men used the passports to travel to Iran, Syria and Lebanon -- countries that do not allow Israelis to enter.

When the newspaper confronted Zygier in early 2010, he angrily denied he worked for Mossad.

"I have never been to any of those countries that you say I have been to," he said at the time.

"I am not involved in any kind of spying."

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North Korea Nuclear Test 'Strongly Condemned'

The UN Security Council has criticised North Korea's third nuclear test, describing it as a "clear threat" to world peace.

Speaking after an emergency meeting, South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, whose country is president of the council this month, said its 15 members "strongly condemned" the test, which he described as a "grave violation of Security Council resolutions".

He said the council, which last month warned North Korea that it faced "significant action" in the event of a new nuclear test or missile launch, would now consider "appropriate measures".

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama described the test as a "highly provocative act" that would leave North Korea "increasingly isolated".

He said: "The danger posed by North Korea's threatening activities warrants further swift and credible action by the international community."

North Korea confirmed it had carried out a third nuclear test after monitoring agencies reported an "unusual seismic event".

The test, just north of a site where Pyongyang carried out experiments in 2006 and 2009, triggered an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9.

"The nuclear test was conducted as part of measures to protect our national security and sovereignty against the reckless hostility of the United States," the state-run Korean Central News agency said.

The South Korean defence ministry, which raised its military alert level after the quake, said the blast had an explosive yield of between six and seven kilotons (kt) and was of "enormous destructive power".

In comparison, the nuclear weapons detonated above Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 carried estimated yields of 15kt and 22kt respectively.

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LA Manhunt: Dorner Shootout Ends In Cabin Fire

A gun battle between murder suspect Christopher Dorner and police has ended after fire ripped through the remote cabin where the murder suspect was thought to be hiding.

TV footage showed flames rising from the property in California's Big Bear Lake area which also had thick black smoke billowing from it.

However, police stressed that no body had been found and that the wreckage was still to hot to be searched.

A law enforcement official said a gun shot was heard before the fire broke out and that the suspect did not come out of the cabin as it was engulfed in flames.

Police had urged the fugitive to turn himself in as authorities surrounded the cabin where he was reportedly holed up with an arsenal of weapons.

Earlier Dorner exchanged gunfire with federal authorities and San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon told a news conference that a sheriff's deputy had died of wounds he suffered during the shootout. Another deputy was also injured in the exchange.

Authorities have focused their hunt for Dorner in the mountainous area since they said he launched a campaign to exact revenge against the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for his firing.

Earlier LAPD Commander Andrew Smith urged Dorner to surrender, telling him: "Enough is enough."

It is believed the 33-year-old - who is suspected of three murders - may have held a couple hostage in a holiday home before police tracked him down.

Cmdr Smith said: "It's time for you to turn yourself in. It's time to end the bloodshed."

Another police officer told the Associated Press that Dorner robbed the cabin and tied up the holidaymakers, but one was able to get away and make a phone call.

Dorner reportedly fled in a stolen white Dodge pickup truck and a California Fish and Game ranger fired on the vehicle.

He then abandoned the truck and ran into the forest.

The noise of the gun battle was broadcast by KCAL-TV, whose reporter suddenly found himself near the shooting. Someone could be heard yelling at the reporter to get out of the area.

The manhunt has centred on the San Bernardino mountains since Dorner's pickup truck was found in the area last Thursday.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller said a stolen vehicle report from a residence was received at 12.20pm on Tuesday and the owners of the car described the suspect as looking similar to Dorner.

Police had been following up hundreds of new leads prompted by a $1m reward for information.

Dorner went on the run on February 6 after the murder of a former police captain's daughter and her fiance were linked by police to an angry Facebook rant he posted.

Threats against the LAPD led officials to assign officers to protect officers and their families.

Within hours of the release of photos of Dorner, described as armed and "extremely dangerous," the suspect then ambushed police in Riverside County, shooting three and killing one police officer.

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North Korea 'Quake' Is Suspected Nuclear Test

North Korea may have carried out a threatened nuclear test as monitoring agencies report an "unusual seismic event".

An earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale was detected just north of a site where Pyongyang conducted nuclear tests in 2009.

The South Korean Defence Ministry, which raised its military alert level after the quake, said the suspected test had an explosive yield of between six and seven kilotonnes.

Spokesman Kim Min Seok said it had "enormous destructive power".

A UN nuclear test monitoring organisation detected what it called an "unusual seismic event" in North Korea.

Tibor Toth, executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), said the event's location was "roughly congruent with" nuclear tests carried out by North Korea in 2006 and 2009.

"If confirmed as a nuclear test, this act would constitute a clear threat to international peace and security, and challenge efforts made to strengthen global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, in particular by ending nuclear testing," he added.

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Pope Resigns: Frontrunners Emerge For Role

The Pope: What Happens Next?

Updated: 3:13pm UK, Monday 11 February 2013

Whenever a pope dies or abdicates, their successor is drawn from the cardinals - the senior Roman Catholic bishops who normally assist the Pope in the Vatican or head up the various dioceses around the world.

He is chosen by a group of cardinals called the Cardinal Electors, who are all the cardinals under the age of 80.

Normally, between 15 and 20 days after the death of a pope, the Cardinal Electors must meet and start to decide who takes over.

The election process always takes place in secret in the Sistine Chapel, in the Vatican, in a meeting called a conclave.

In 1970 Pope Paul VI determined that the college of cardinals was to be limited to 120. He also ordered measures to prevent bugging of the proceedings.

In the period between when a pope dies or resigns and a new pope is chosen, the temporary head of the Roman Catholic Church is the Cardinal Camerlengo, the chief administrator of the church's property and wealth.

The cardinals must take an oath of secrecy when they enter the conclave. The penalty for breaking the oath is automatic excommunication.

In order to prevent a deadlock, which happened in the 13th century, the cardinals are traditionally locked up and given only bread and water as a means of inducing them to draw the proceedings to a close. They are only given a doctor and a cook to assist them.

Ballot papers are distributed and each of the Cardinal Electors writes the name of the cardinal he would like to become the Pope, and in the process pledges he is voting for "the one under God" he thinks "ought to be elected".

The ballot papers are then folded and placed on a plate, on top of a chalice, that has been placed on an altar.

The plate is used to prevent a cardinal attempting to put two or more ballot papers in without those supervising being able to see.

When a vote has been checked to make sure it is correct, it is allowed to fall into the chalice.

Before they are unfolded, the ballot papers are counted to make sure they add up to the number of Cardinal Electors. If the number is different, all the ballot papers are burnt and the process is repeated.

If the number of ballot papers is correct, each vote is read aloud and is pierced with a needle and  threaded on to a string.

Four ballots are held each day, two in the morning and two in the evening. The process is repeated until one cardinal emerges with a majority of two thirds.

Every time a vote takes place, the ballots are burned and smoke appears out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, telling the world a vote has been held.

If the vote has been unsuccessful, a black dye is put in with the ballot papers so black smoke emerges, informing the world a decision has not been made.

When a new pope is finally successfully elected, the ballot papers are burned without the dye so white smoke emerges, confirming the decision.

When Pope Benedict XVI was chosen, church bells were also rung to signal a new pope had been elected.

Before 1978, within a couple of days of the Pope's election, a Papal Coronation would have been held with a huge procession leading from the Vatican. The coronations have not taken place since Pope John Paul II was elected.

The vast majority of popes have been Italian and until the election of Pope John Paul II, who had previously been Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the last non-Italian pope had been Pope Adrian VI from the Netherlands who was elected in 1522.

There have been previous resignations of popes but the last one was in 1415 when Pope Gregory XII resigned in order to end a schism in the Roman Catholic Church.

Before resigning, he formally convened an official church council and authorised it to elect his successor.

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Falling Lifeboat Kills Five In Canary Islands

Five people have been killed after a lifeboat fell from a cruiseliner and capsized in the sea, trapping its victims in the Canary Islands.

It happened during a safety drill on board the Thomson Majesty cruise ship while the vessel was docked at the pier of the port of Santa Cruz in La Palma.

Those killed during the exercise were all reported to be crew, including three Indonesians, a Filipino and a man from Ghana.

A further three suffered injuries -  two Greek nationals and a Filipino - and received treatment at a hospital on the holiday island, west of Tenerife.

About 1,400 passengers were on board, but none were involved.

Thomson Cruises issued a statement, saying "there was an incident involving the ship's crew during a safety drill".

A picture taken from the deck of the ship

"We can also confirm that there have sadly been five crew fatalities and three crew members injured.

"One person has been discharged from hospital and we expect the other two people to be released from hospital imminently.

"Our thoughts are with the families of those involved.

"We are working closely with the ship owners and managers, Louis Cruises, to determine exactly what has happened and provide assistance to those affected by the incident. We are also working closely with all relevant authorities and will be co-operating fully with their investigations."

An investigation has begun to determine what caused the lifeboat to plunge into the water.

Ship was docked at La Palma

Spanish national broadcaster RTVE said the lifeboat fell while staff were conducting an evacuation drill on the cruise ship.

Television images showed a small, white two-hulled lifeboat capsized beside the ship.

One passenger, who did not wish to be named, told Sky News that passengers were being asked to stay off the deck.

He said the lifeboat was still in the sea, and that he had seen two bodies pulled from the water.

The 40,000-tonne cruise ship was due to sail to Funchal, the capital of Madeira but is now being held in the dock.

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Dozens Killed In Stampede At Indian Festival

At least 36 people, mostly women, have been killed in a deadly stampede at a railway station near India's Kumbh Mela festival.

Amit Malviya, a spokesman for the northern and central railway, confirmed that 20 bodies had been identified, with authorities waiting for relatives to come forward to claim 16 others.

Of those identified, 14 are female and six are men, with the youngest victim being an eight-year-old girl. The oldest victim is a 75-year-old man.

"Twenty persons have been identified ... (and) we are trying to ascertain the identities of the remaining persons," he said.

Dozens more were injured in the stampede.

The stampede occurred at Allahabad station when pilgrims were heading home from the most auspicious day of the Kumbh Mela, which drew 30 million people to the banks of the river Ganges.

Hindus believe a swim in the sacred waters of the river cleanses them of their sins.

Local officials said the railings on a bridge at the station had given way under the pressure of the mass of people, while witnesses said that police had baton-charged the crowd, triggering panic.

Injured people were taken away in ambulances from Allahabad station, but relatives said emergency services took hours to reach the scene.

"My sister is lying here unattended to for the last two hours. Why is no-one coming?" a woman from the state of Bihar told the NDTV channel from the platform.

After the stampede, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh issued a statement saying that he was "deeply shocked to learn of the unfortunate incident", while Railways Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal headed to Allahabad to investigate.

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China Ushers In Year Of The Snake

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

Across Asia and beyond, well over one billion people have welcomed in the Lunar New Year, this year represented by the snake.

In China, the traditional heart of what is also known as Chinese New Year, one fifth of the world's population marked the close of the Year of the Dragon and the dawn of a new year with all the traditional fanfare.

In the capital Beijing, fireworks have been echoing in the skies for hours. Traditionally set off to ward off evil spirits, they are sold and lit on almost every main street corner.

Beijing's Temple of the Earth Park has been transformed into a sea of red lanterns. Crowds are gathered around traditional dance performances.

Police officers march as part of a re-enactment of an ancient ceremony

Hundreds of stalls sell food, drinks, toys, souvenirs and snake-themed items of an apparently infinite variety.

Food and family are the two dominant themes for Chinese New Year.

In the park we met An Ying and her parents. She lives in Beijing but is originally from Inner Mongolia.

Her parents have travelled to Beijing to be with her; a break with tradition which usually dictates that younger generations travel back to their family home.

"I will celebrate with my family here in Beijing and we will gather to watch the gala on television," she told me.

A woman and a child pose for photo next to a snake sculpture

The New Year gala is a long-standing institution in China. Broadcast on state television it is a celebration of the year with performances from comedians, singers and musicians.

This year Celine Dion became the first non-Chinese person to perform at the gala singing her Titanic hit "My Heart Will Go On".

Through the day families have been absorbing the atmosphere, the colour and the sounds in the frozen temperatures.

Some carry inflatable or stuffed toy snakes and the more superstitious will be wondering what the coming year will bring. There is significantly less affection for the snake than there was for last year's rather more auspicious dragon.

Fearful that the Year of the Snake might bring with it all that the slithering reptile represents, there has been a rush of weddings and attempts at carefully planned births to ensure they fell within the last year and not the coming one.

In an attempt to overcome people's suspicions, the toy snakes produced for the new year all seem to sport unusually happy or smiley faces.

The less superstitious insist that the snake does have its value. Some refer to the snake as the little dragon. It is said that children born in the year of the snake will be rational, organised and intelligent.

The lunar calendar follows a 12-year cycle with 12 animals representing each year.

As dusk falls on Chinese New Years Eve, the tradition is to gather at the family home and watch the gala before eating a meal together at midnight.

For a country that has changed beyond recognition over the past three decades, the desire to stick to tradition is still remarkably strong though there are increasing signs of strains every year.

As the Chinese middle class grows with more money to spend, many are opting to travel abroad for the break rather than to spend it with families.

But for the traditionalists who have stayed at home and travelled to see families, the festivities will draw to a close at the end of the week with the traditional Lantern Festival.

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Tunisia: Protests As PM Threatens To Resign

The Tunisian Prime Minister has threatened to resign if he fails to form a new government within next few days sparking protests from ruling party supporters.

Hamadi Jebali has offered to form a new nonpolitical government in the wake of the assassination of the opposition leader Chokri Belaid.

It would be a key concession to the opposition who have been protesting against the Islamist government since the murder of Mr Belaid outside his home in broad daylight on Wednesday.

However, some in the ruling Ennahda party are fiercely opposed to the proposal and pro-government supporters who have rallied in the capital are protesting against his proposals.

Mr Jebali said: "I will present the team no later than the middle of next week.

"If it is accepted … I will continue to carry out my duties as head of the government. Otherwise, I will ask the president of the republic to find another candidate to form a new government."

Thousands gathered for pro-government demonstrations

He said that key ministries held by fellow Islamists would be assigned to independents in his planned new government and said: "All the ministries will be independent, including the interior, justice and foreign affairs ministries."

Several thousand supporters of the moderate Ennahda party rallied in the capital in support of the government and against the Prime Minister's plan.

The supporters also hurled insults at France accusing the country's former colonial ruler of interfering in North African politics after the French Interior minister branded the assassination of Mr Belaid as an attack on "the values of Tunisia's Jasmine revolution".

Hamadi Jebali has threatened to go unless he can form a new government

Demonstrators gathered in front of the National Theatre in Tunis, waving flags of the Ennahda party and shouting "Get out, France."

Mr Valls had said on Europe 1 radio on Thursday that Mr Belaid was "one of the democrats and we must support these democrats so that the values of the Jasmine Revolution are not betrayed. There is an Islamic facism rising everywhere, but this obscurantism must, of course, be condemned because it denies the democracy for which the Libyan, Tunisian and Egyptian people have fought."

Mr Valls was clearly pointing the finger at Salafists, with their strict interpretation of Islam, who have come to the fore, and smeared Ennahda's moderate image. 

Demonstrators were seen with black Salafist flags

At least one black Salafi flag was spotted in the sea of white Ennahda flags at the demonstration, which took place several hundred metres from the French Embassy.

The rally came the day after 50,000 gathered on Friday in the capital of Tunis for the funeral of Mr Belaid following days of increasingly violent protests in the country following his killing.

Chokri Belaid had been a staunch critic of the Tunisian government

A general strike in protests was also called by the biggest labour union, which saw Tunis shutdown and flights in and out of the country halted.

It has been the worst violence since the overthrow of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011, which was the trigger for the Arab Spring.

Mr Jebali said he was confident he could get Ennahda's support for his proposals for a new government, however it has exposed its own divisions between moderates and hardliners.

But the coalition's failure to stem the country's economic crisis and stop the often-violent rise of hardline Salafi Muslims have drawn fierce criticism, especially from staunch secularists such as Mr Belaid.

He had also accused Ennahda of backing some of the political violence through its own goon squads.

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