Hugo Chavez: Funeral For Venezuelan President

A state funeral has taken place for Venezuela's left-wing president Hugo Chavez at a military academy where his body has been lying in state since Wednesday.

Most Latin American leaders attended the service, including Chilean president Sebastian Pinera and Cuba's Raul Castro, as well as Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus.

Mr Ahmadinejad and Mr Lukashenko sat next to each other, reportedly wiping away tears as a band played one of Mr Chavez's favourite sentimental songs.

The Iranian leader earlier said: "It is a great pain for us because we have lost a friend. I feel like I have lost myself, but I am sure that he still lives.

"Chavez will never die. His spirit and soul live on in each of our hearts."

Venezuelan conductor and Los Angeles Philharmonic maestro Gustavo Dudamel led an orchestra's rendition of the national anthem to open the ceremony.

The red beret that became a symbol of his socialist rule

Mr Chavez's political heir, vice president Nicolas Maduro, placed a replica of the golden sword of South American independence hero Simon Bolivar on his mentor's wooden coffin as more than 30 heads of state applauded. 

Several Latin American leaders, including Mr Castro, were invited to stand around the coffin, which was closed and covered in the yellow, blue and red colours of Venezuela, in an honour guard.

Gregory Meeks, a New York Democrat congressman, and ex-congressman William Delahunt, a Democrat from Massachusetts, represented the United States, which Mr Chavez often portrayed as a great global evil even as he sent the country billions of dollars in oil each year.

Hollywood actor Sean Penn was also among those who attended the funeral.

Nicolas Maduro will be named acting president

An estimated two million people have filed past Mr Chavez's coffin to say goodbye to the man worshipped by the country's poor, who he championed.

He was dressed in olive green military fatigues, a black tie and the iconic red beret that became a symbol of his 14-year socialist rule.

People blew kisses, made the sign of the cross or gave military salutes as they walked by, with just seconds to see him. Outside the academy, the line to see the body stretched for more than a mile.

His mother, Elena Frias, was pictured weeping ahead of the funeral in the capital Caracas.

Mr Chavez, a former paratrooper who died on Tuesday aged 58 after a long battle with cancer, had not been seen in public since a fourth round of surgery in Cuba in December last year.

He will lie in state for another week to allow everybody to see him.

Mr Chavez's mother Elena Frias mourns her son

This evening Mr Maduro will be named acting president and elections are expected to be called within 30 days.

He will then be embalmed "like Ho Chi Minh, Lenin and Mao" and kept in a glass coffin "for eternity," Mr Maduro said.

His remains will be displayed at the Museum of the Revolution, close to the Presidential Palace where he ruled, so that "his people will always have him", Mr Maduro said.

Mr Chavez used the former military barracks to plot a failed coup against President Carlos Andres Perez in 1992. His arrest turned him into a hero, leading to his 1998 election victory.

Mr Maduro suggested that Mr Chavez may one day be moved elsewhere, a nod to popular pressure for him to be taken to the national pantheon to lie alongside Simon Bolivar.

In a country divided by Mr Chavez's populist style, opinions of his legacy vary, with opposition supporters in better-off areas angry at the high murder and inflation rate.

Under Mr Chavez, Venezuela's oil wealth underwrote the Castro brothers' communist rule in Cuba, and he repeatedly courted confrontation with Washington by cosying up to anti-western governments in Russia, Syria and Iran.

General Jose Ornella, who said he was with Mr Chavez in his final moments, said he had suffered a massive heart attack.

"He couldn't speak but he said it with his lips, 'I don't want to die. Please don't let me die,' because he loved his country, he sacrificed himself for his country."

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Kenya's Presidential Race 'Won By Kenyatta'

Kenya's electoral commission says voting results indicate Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has won the presidential election.

Mr Kenyatta, who faces international charges of crimes against humanity, won the poll with a slim margin of 50.03% of the vote - just enough to avoid a run-off.

He secured the victory over his main rival, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who got 43.28% of the votes cast and is now widely expected to launch a legal challenge.

The first round win, which has yet to be officially confirmed by Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, saw Mr Kenyatta breaking the 50% barrier by just 4,099 votes out of 12.3 million cast.

Mr Kenyatta faces charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged role in directing some of Kenya's 2007 post-election violence.

More than 1,000 people were killed and up to 600,000 forced from their homes as a result of the disputed poll, where members of two rival tribes both claimed victory.

Polling stations were guarded closely by Kenyan paramilitaries

Ahead of the latest election results, the US and several other European countries warned of "consequences" if Mr Kenyatta, the son of Kenya's founding father, becomes president.

Britain, which ruled Kenya up until the early 1960s, said it would have only essential contact with the Kenyan government.

Mr Kenyatta's ICC trial is set to begin in July and could take years, meaning that if he is sworn in as president he may have to rule Kenya from The Hague in the Netherlands for much of his five-year term.

Another option is, as president, to decide not to attend the trial. But that decision would trigger an international arrest warrant and spark even more damaging effects for Kenya's standing with the West.

Mr Kenyatta has promised to report to The Hague, even if he is sworn in.

There were fears going into the election that the violence that rocked Kenya five years ago would return.

A separatist group launched attacks on Monday that ended in the deaths of 19 people, but the vote and its aftermath has otherwise been mostly peaceful.

Security forces in riot gear took to the streets in the capital Nairobi on Friday ahead of the election results being announced.

A formal announcement on the results is expected later today.

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Gunman Held After Siege At Brisbane Mall

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

A gunman is in police custody after being shot with rubber bullets during a stand-off with armed police at a busy Australian shopping centre.

Witnesses said the man was carried into an ambulance, covered in blood.

The siege started in Brisbane's Queen Street Mall during late morning on Friday as shoppers and officers workers filled the pedestrianised area.

Streets and shops were evacuated as police cars blocked off entrance points.

One witness named as Olivia said she was having a meal when three men - apparently police in plain clothes - confronted another man nearby.

"The guy ripped off his shirt and pulled out a gun and pointed it at them," she said.

"The other three men who looked like plain clothes police pulled out their guns and screamed at the man to get down on the ground.

"They kept screaming 'Get on the ground, get on the ground' but he ignored them and kept walking around."

She said people started running away and the officers told people to take refuge in nearby shops.

A short time later they began ushering people away from the scene.

Another witness, Georgia Date, said she saw a man running though the mall, but could not be sure he was carrying a gun.

"This guy was running around and the cops were all chasing him," she told the Australian Associated Press.

"The cops were yelling 'get out of the mall'. So we just bolted."

Thousands of onlookers watched the police operation, with the special emergency response team called in along with sniffer dogs.

Tactical response officers were heavily armed with rifles and shotguns. The man is said to have non-life-threatening injuries.

The state of Queensland's Premier, Campbell Newman, tweeted: "Well done to the Qld police for resolving the incident in the Queen St Mall safely for the public."

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Hugo Chavez: World Leaders To Attend Funeral

World leaders will attend the funeral of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez later, as the country continues to mourn his death.

An estimated two million people have already filed past his glass-topped coffin at a military academy in the capital Caracas.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro - who will be formally sworn in as acting president after the funeral - has said Mr Chavez would lie in state for a week longer than expected before he is embalmed "like Lenin".

Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro addresses crowds in Caracas

His remains will be displayed at the Museum of the Revolution, close to the Presidential Palace where he ruled for 14 years, so that "his people will always have him", Mr Maduro said.

Mr Chavez used the former military barracks to plot a failed coup against President Carlos Andres Perez in 1992. His arrest turned him into hero, leading to his 1998 election victory.

Mr Madura will be appointed acting president at 7pm local time. He will be responsible for calling an election, which must take place within 30 days under the Venezuelan constitution.

Many of those who paid their respects at Mr Chavez's resting place queued through the night for a glimpse of their hero.

"He's in there, but my comandante is immortal," said Saul Mantano, who wore a hat emblazoned with Mr Chavez's name and the Venezuelan flag. "I didn't want to see him dead, but it's a reality now."

"Seeing him was very impressive," added Chanel Arroyo. "It brought back all the memories of what we have done together in 14 years, thanks to him."

Mr Chavez died on Tuesday after a two-year battle with cancer. He had not been seen in public since a fourth round of surgery in Cuba in December last year.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague has said he was "saddened" by the death of Mr Chavez, who he said left a "lasting impression on the country and more widely".

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Syrian Rebels Hold UN Peacekeepers In Golan

Around 20 United Nations peacekeepers have been detained by an armed Syrian rebel brigade in the Golan Heights.

Syrian activists said the UN Disengagement Force (UNDOF) peacekeepers were from the Philippines, although the UN did not give the troops' nationalities.

The UN Security Council has demanded their immediate release and the UN's peacekeeping chief, Herve Ladsous, said negotiations were being held with the abductors.

In a rebel video uploaded to YouTube, a young man saying he was from the 'Martyrs of Yarmouk' brigade stood surrounded by several rebel fighters with assault rifles in front of two white armoured vehicles and a truck with UN markings.

The man, identified as Abu Kaid al Faleh, a spokesman for the brigade, said the peacekeepers would not be freed until Syrian regime forces pull out from the area.

"We call on the US and the United Nations and the Security Council ... we call on them to get Assad forces out in order to release these forces," he said.

"We will not release them until after the Assad forces have withdrawn from the border village of Jamla back to their positions, and if they do not withdraw back within 24 hours, we will deal with these forces as prisoners."

The peacekeepers were detained shortly after British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced the UK would be providing military aid, including armoured vehicles, to Syrian opposition groups.

Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, who is president of the Security Council in March, said the captors had not clashed with the peacekeepers.

"My understanding is that they took over the trucks in which the UNDOF personnel was moving around," he said after a closed doors briefing.

UN deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey told reporters the UN force were stopped by approximately 30 armed fighters.

"The UN observers were on a regular supply mission and were stopped near observation post 58, which had sustained damage and was evacuated this past weekend following heavy combat in close proximity, at Al Jamlah," he said.

"The mission is dispatching a team to assess the situation and attempt a resolution."

The UN has reported a growing number of incidents in the Golan, where it has deployed peacekeepers since 1974 observing a truce accord between Syria and Israel.

Mr Churkin said the capture of the peacekeepers was "particularly unacceptable and bizarre (because) UNDOF are unarmed and they have nothing to do with the situation in Syria".

"They are there on a completely different mission so there is no reason at all under any circumstances, any kind of sick imagination to try to harm those people," he said.

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Hugo Chavez Lies In State With Open Coffin

Venezuelans have begun filing past the open casket of the late President Hugo Chavez, as he lies in state ahead of a funeral service on Friday.

A coffin carrying the controversial socialist leader took seven hours to reach the military academy in the capital Caracas, as a parade made its way through crowds of weeping loyalists.

Mr Chavez's mother Elena and his three daughters, son and grand-daughter, were the first to pay their respects.

The country's foreign minister, Elias Jose Jaua Milano, declared seven days of mourning for Mr Chavez, who died at the age of 58 after losing his battle with cancer.

Masses line the streets of Caracas to catch a glimpse of the casket

Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have filled the streets since his death, with many crying, hugging each other, or shouting slogans of support.

A sea of red, yellow and blue - the colours of the national flag - flowed past some of the capital's landmarks.

Clusters of women with tears streaming down their faces clung to each other and wept near the Miraflores presidential palace. Some wore T-shirts with slogans that read: "Go forward commander!"

Nearby, men pumped their arms in the air while shouting: "Long live Chavez! Long live Chavismo!"

Reporting for Sky News, journalist Virginia Lopez, said: "Family, friends and members of the President's Guard of Honour joined the parade.

The flag-draped coffin containing the body of Hugo Chavez

"The streets are bursting with people wearing red berets that Mr Chavez made emblematic of his rule."

Minutes before his final journey, vice president Nicolas Maduro said Mr Chavez's "spirit roams freely, filled with light protecting our people. Our people are in the streets expressing their solidarity, their feelings."

He fought back tears as he announced the death on Tuesday night in a national television broadcast.

He said Mr Chavez, who had been in power for 14 years, died at 4.25pm local time "after battling a tough illness for nearly two years".

Amid fears of unrest, Mr Maduro also said the army and police had been deployed "to accompany and protect our people and guarantee the peace".

Supporters gather high and low to watch the procession

Mr Jaua Milano said Mr Maduro would continue to run the country as interim president until fresh elections can take place in around 30 days.

Ideological allies across Latin America lined up to salute former paratrooper Mr Chavez, a standard bearer of the region's "anti-imperialist" left.

Cuba has declared three days of national mourning, with the government saying Mr Chavez had "stood by Fidel Castro like a true son".

Bolivia's socialist President Evo Morales said he was "crushed", while Argentinian Vice President Amado Boudou said "all of Latin America" was in mourning.

President Barack Obama responded by expressing hopes for improved relations with the oil-rich state, voicing American "support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government".

Emotional vice president Nicolas Maduro announces the death on national TV

He added: "As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "saddened" by the death of a leader who had left a "lasting impression on the country and more widely".

Mr Chavez had been receiving cancer treatment in Cuba on and off since June 2011 - when he was first diagnosed with the illness.

The announcement of his death came just hours after Mr Maduro announced the government had expelled two US diplomats from the country.

He had said Mr Chavez's illness had been induced by foul play by "the historical enemies of our homeland".

Some Venezuelans in the US say they are glad the 'dictatorship' has ended

The government announced late on Monday that Mr Chavez's condition was "very delicate" due to a "new, severe" respiratory infection.

Mr Chavez had not been seen in public or heard since undergoing a fourth round of surgery in Cuba on December 11.

The government said he returned home on February 18, and had been confined to Caracas' military hospital ever since.

During his time in power, the fiery populist leader declared a socialist revolution in Venezuela, crusaded against US influence, championed a leftist revival across Latin America, and over time, gradually placed all state institutions under his personal control.

The man Mr Chavez defeated in October's presidential elections, Miranda state Governor Henrique Capriles, is expected to represent the opposition in the national polls. He called for unity and offered his condolences to Mr Chavez's family.

Mr Chavez with daughters Rosa Virginia, right, and Maria

Venezuela's defence minister pledged the military would remain loyal to the constitution in the wake of Mr Chavez's death.

Sky's Dominic Waghorn said Mr Chavez "used a mixture of brute force, persuasion, passion and charisma to keep himself in power".

"Such was the adoration and devotion that mainly the poor in Venezuela felt for him that he was seen as this almost sort of religious figure, and his loss now leaves a huge void in Venezuelan politics.

"A lot of people say he is irreplaceable."

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Hugo Chavez Dies: Mourning In Venezuela

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has died at the age of 58 after losing his long battle with cancer.

The country's vice president Nicolas Maduro fought back tears as he announced the death in a national television broadcast.

He said Mr Chavez, who had been in power for 14 years, died at 4.25pm local time "after battling a tough illness for nearly two years".

Amid fears of unrest, Mr Maduro also said the army and police had been deployed "to accompany and protect our people and guarantee the peace".

Hundreds of Venezuelans poured into the streets of capital Caracas, with many crying, hugging each other, or shouting slogans of support.

Clusters of women with tears streaming down their faces clung to each other and wept near the Miraflores presidential palace. Some wore T-shirts with slogans that read "Go forward commander!"

Nearby, grime-faced men pumped their arms in the air while shouting "Long live Chavez! Long live Chavismo!"

The country's foreign minister Elias Jaua declared seven days of national mourning and said a wake for Mr Chavez will be held until Friday, when his official funeral will take place.

He said Mr Maduro would take over the presidency until fresh elections can take place in around 30 days.

Emotional vice president Nicolas Maduro announced the death on national TV

Ideological allies across Latin America lined up to salute the former paratrooper, a standard bearer of the region's "anti-imperialist" left.

Cuba has declared three days of national mourning, with the government saying Mr Chavez had "stood by Fidel Castro like a true son".

Bolivia's socialist president Evo Morales said he was "crushed", while Argentinian vice president Amado Boudou said "all of Latin America" was in mourning.

President Barack Obama responded by expressing hopes for improved relations with the oil-rich state, voicing American "support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government".

He added: "As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "saddened" by the death of a leader who had left "a lasting impression on the country and more widely".

Mr Chavez, whose condition had been said to be deteriorating in recent days, had been receiving cancer treatment in Cuba on and off since June 2011 - when he was first diagnosed with the illness.

Some Venezuelans in the US say they are glad the 'dictatorship' has ended

The announcement came just hours after Mr Maduro announced the government had expelled two US diplomats from the country.

He had said Mr Chavez's illness was induced by foul play by "the historical enemies of our homeland".

People have been gathering outside the military hospital where Mr Chavez died. Soldiers in riot gear stood shoulder to shoulder guarding the complex.

"I feel such big pain I can't even speak," said Yamilina Barrios, a 39-year-old office worker weeping at a street corner. "He was the best thing the country had ... I adore him. Let's hope the country calms down and we can continue the tasks he left us."

The government announced late on Monday that Mr Chavez's condition was "very delicate" due to a "new, severe" respiratory infection.

Mr Chavez had not been seen in public or heard since undergoing a fourth round of surgery in Cuba on December 11 in the pelvic area.

The government said he returned home on February 18, and had been confined to Caracas' military hospital ever since.

During his time in power, Mr Chavez routinely challenged the status quo at home and internationally.

Mr Chavez with daughters Rosa Virginia, right, and Maria

The fiery populist leader declared a socialist revolution in Venezuela, crusaded against US influence, championed a leftist revival across Latin America, and over time, gradually placed all state institutions under his personal control.

But Mr Chavez, who rose to fame by launching a failed 1992 coup, never groomed a successor.

His death sets up a snap presidential election after his illness prevented him from taking the oath of office when he was re-elected last year.

Under the constitution, the head of Congress, Diosdado Cabello, would assume the interim presidency.

However, Mr Maduro is Mr Chavez's self-anointed successor and has been holding the reins since the president's health worsened.

The man Mr Chavez defeated in October's presidential elections, Miranda state Governor Henrique Capriles, is expected to represent the opposition in any new national polls.

He called for unity and offered his condolences to Mr Chavez's family and supporters.

Venezuela's defence minister pledged the military would remain loyal to the constitution in the wake of Mr Chavez's death.

Sky's Dominic Waghorn said Mr Chavez "used a mixture of brute force, persuasion, passion and charisma to keep himself in power".

"Such was the adoration and devotion that mainly the poor in Venezuela felt for him that he was seen as this almost sort of religious figure, and his loss now leaves a huge void in Venezuelan politics.

"A lot of people say he is irreplaceable."

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Hugo Chavez: A Master Of The Spotlight

Venezuelan Leader Hugo Chavez Dies

Updated: 4:52am UK, Wednesday 06 March 2013

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has died at the age of 58 after losing his long battle with cancer.

The country's vice president Nicolas Maduro fought back tears as he announced the death in a national television broadcast.

He said Mr Chavez, who had been in power for 14 years, died at 4.25pm local time "after battling a tough illness for nearly two years".

Amid fears of unrest, Mr Maduro also said the army and police had been deployed "to accompany and protect our people and guarantee the peace".

Hundreds of Venezuelans poured into the streets of capital Caracas, with many crying, hugging each other, or shouting slogans of support.

Clusters of women with tears streaming down their faces clung to each other and wept near the Miraflores presidential palace. Some wore T-shirts with slogans that read "Go forward commander!"

Nearby, grime-faced men pumped their arms in the air while shouting "Long live Chavez! Long live Chavismo!"

The country's foreign minister Elias Jaua declared seven days of national mourning and said a wake for Mr Chavez will be held until Friday, when his official funeral will take place.

He said Mr Maduro would take over the presidency until fresh elections can take place in around 30 days.

Ideological allies across Latin America lined up to salute the former paratrooper, a standard bearer of the region's "anti-imperialist" left.

Cuba has declared three days of national mourning, with the government saying Mr Chavez had "stood by Fidel Castro like a true son".

Bolivia's socialist president Evo Morales said he was "crushed", while Argentinian vice president Amado Boudou said "all of Latin America" was in mourning.

President Barack Obama responded by expressing hopes for improved relations with the oil-rich state, voicing American "support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government".

He added: "As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "saddened" by the death of a leader who had left "a lasting impression on the country and more widely".

Mr Chavez, whose condition had been said to be deteriorating in recent days, had been receiving cancer treatment in Cuba on and off since June 2011 - when he was first diagnosed with the illness.

The announcement came just hours after Mr Maduro announced the government had expelled two US diplomats from the country.

He had said Mr Chavez's illness was induced by foul play by "the historical enemies of our homeland".

People have been gathering outside the military hospital where Mr Chavez died. Soldiers in riot gear stood shoulder to shoulder guarding the complex.

"I feel such big pain I can't even speak," said Yamilina Barrios, a 39-year-old office worker weeping at a street corner. "He was the best thing the country had ... I adore him. Let's hope the country calms down and we can continue the tasks he left us."

The government announced late on Monday that Mr Chavez's condition was "very delicate" due to a "new, severe" respiratory infection.

Mr Chavez had not been seen in public or heard since undergoing a fourth round of surgery in Cuba on December 11 in the pelvic area.

The government said he returned home on February 18, and had been confined to Caracas' military hospital ever since.

During his time in power, Mr Chavez routinely challenged the status quo at home and internationally.

The fiery populist leader declared a socialist revolution in Venezuela, crusaded against US influence, championed a leftist revival across Latin America, and over time, gradually placed all state institutions under his personal control.

But Mr Chavez, who rose to fame by launching a failed 1992 coup, never groomed a successor.

His death sets up a snap presidential election after his illness prevented him from taking the oath of office when he was re-elected last year.

Under the constitution, the head of Congress, Diosdado Cabello, would assume the interim presidency.

However, Mr Maduro is Mr Chavez's self-anointed successor and has been holding the reins since the president's health worsened.

The man Mr Chavez defeated in October's presidential elections, Miranda state Governor Henrique Capriles, is expected to represent the opposition in any new national polls.

He called for unity and offered his condolences to Mr Chavez's family and supporters.

Venezuela's defence minister pledged the military would remain loyal to the constitution in the wake of Mr Chavez's death.

Sky's Dominic Waghorn said Mr Chavez "used a mixture of brute force, persuasion, passion and charisma to keep himself in power".

"Such was the adoration and devotion that mainly the poor in Venezuela felt for him that he was seen as this almost sort of religious figure, and his loss now leaves a huge void in Venezuelan politics.

"A lot of people say he is irreplaceable."

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Syrian Soldiers In Iraq Killed In Ambush

At least 42 Syrian soldiers and a number of Iraqis have been killed after they were attacked by unidentified gunmen

The Syrians had sought refuge in northern Iraq during clashes with rebels close to the border earlier in the week.

Iraqi authorities moved them from Nineveh province to the capital Baghdad, but were transporting them back to the Syrian border through Anbar province when the attack took place.

Armed men attacked the convoy from two sides with mortar rounds, automatic weapons and mines, according to Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Khalaf al-Dulaimi of the Iraqi border protection forces.

Eight Syrians and four Iraqis were also wounded, and three vehicles in the convoy destroyed, he added.

Ali Mussawi, a spokesman for Iraqi prime minister Nuri al Maliki, said: "This confirms our fears of the attempt of some to move the conflict to Iraq, but we will face these attempts by all sides with all of our power."

The attack came as opposition activists claimed the rebels had pushed government troops from most of the northern city of Raqqa, setting off celebrations in a central square where scores of cheering protesters tore down a bronze statue of President Bashar Assad's late father.

Britain is to provide greater assistance to the rebels

Photographs showed a burning guard post, men ripping down a poster of Assad and the fallen statue, while video footage posted on the internet purportedly showed an abandoned prison in the centre of the city.

Iraq's government, which is dominated by Shia Muslims like Syria's principal backer Iran, has so far not backed calls for President Assad to stand down but has called for both sides to end the violence.

Anbar province is dominated by Sunni Muslims, who also make up the majority of the rebels fighting Assad's soldiers.

However, the Syrian National Council has accused Baghdad of giving "political and intelligence support to the Syrian regime".

The United Nations estimates that more than 70,000 people have been killed and one million have fled their homes because of the conflict in Syria.

Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire has defended the decision to provide "technical assistance and non-lethal equipment" to the opposition after being summoned to the Commons to be questioned on whether greater support would aid terrorists.

"The longer the situation goes on, the greater the danger extremism takes hold, the greater the danger of destabilising neighbouring countries and the greater the extreme humanitarian distress involved," he said.

"We must do more to try and help save lives in Syria. That is why we led the way in agreeing an amendment to the EU sanctions regime to ensure that the possibility of further assistance is not closed off."

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Woman Dies After Nurse Refuses To Perform CPR

By Sky News US Team, in New York

A California retirement home has defended a nurse who refused pleas by a 911 operator to perform CPR on an elderly woman who later died.

"Is there anybody that's willing to help this lady and not let her die," dispatcher Tracey Halvorson says on a 911 tape released by the Bakersfield Fire Department.

"Not at this time," said the nurse, who did not give her full name and said facility policy prevented her from giving medical help to the woman, who has been named in reports as Lorraine Bayless, 87.

At the beginning of the call the nurse asked for paramedics to come and help Ms Bayless, who had collapsed in the home's dining room and was barely breathing.

Ms Halvorson pleads for the nurse to perform CPR, and after several refusals she starts pleading for her to find a resident, or a gardener, or anyone not employed by the home to get on the phone, take her instructions and help the woman.

Glenwood Gardens in Bakersfield, California

"Can we flag someone down in the street and get them to help this lady?" she says on the call. "Can we flag a stranger down? I bet a stranger would help her."

Ms Bayless was later declared dead at Mercy Southwest Hospital, officials said.

The executive director of Glenwood Gardens, Jeffrey Toomer, defended the nurse's actions, saying she had followed policy.

He said in a statement: "In the event of a health emergency at this independent living community our practice is to immediately call emergency medical personnel for assistance and to wait with the individual needing attention until such personnel arrives.

"That is the protocol we followed."

Mr Toomer offered condolences to the woman's family and said a "thorough internal review" of the incident would be conducted.

He told KGET-TV that residents are informed of the policy and agree to it when they move in. He said the policy does not apply at the adjacent assisted living and skilled nursing facilities.

Police in Bakersfield are investigating whether there was any criminal wrongdoing.

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China Energy Firm Bows To Pollution Pressure

China: Life In Polluted Beijing

Updated: 3:40am UK, Monday 04 March 2013

Until I moved to Beijing, I would never have believed that the same view from the same window at the same time could be so strikingly different 24 hours apart, but on Thursday and Friday this week it was.

On Thursday morning I woke up, peered out of the window of my Beijing apartment and saw almost nothing: the skyline of the city's Central Business District was entirely obscured.

It looked like morning mist. If only it was.

With a glance at an ingenious app on my iPhone called "Beijing Air", the depressing news was delivered: the air quality index was 530.

All you need to know to put that figure in context is that the safe level is 25. Take a look at the chart below to see how Beijing and plenty of other Chinese cities fare compared to New York (London is much the same).

Beijing mornings begin not with a glance at the weather app but air app.

The day's activities are largely governed by the number on the screen. If it's less than 150, that's great news despite the fact that anything above 25 is unhealthy.

If it is between 150 and 250, you know it's bad. Anything more than 300 and plans must be made to avoid all contact with the outdoors.

Sky News has provided me with an air purifier. With Swiss efficiency, it sucks in the dirty air and squirts it out, clean. It's not cheap though (in fact it is unnecessarily expensive) and most of Beijing's 20 million residents can't afford the luxury – not that breathing clean air should be a luxury.

Oddly though, from the Beijingers I have quizzed about the air, I have found just resignation mixed with a good pinch of denial.

Every morning on my 8am walk to work, I pass groups of middle-aged women who gather there for their daily exercise in the city's Ritan Park. In perfect unison and to a typically Chinese tune, they dance. It is a wonderfully Chinese sight.

One morning I stopped to chat to them. I met Madame Wong and her two friends, Luo Chunyan and Wang Shulan.

They were all clearly aware of the bad-air issue; they couldn't really ignore it as it hung all around us.

And yet they seemed resigned to it all.

"We live in this world, and although the air is important, we can't stay indoors all the time, can we?" Lou Chunyan told me. "I think it's fine."

Wang Shulan accepted that it was a worry but wondered what she could do about it.

"We are all used to it," she said. "Our club was formed 6 years ago and we come every day unless it's snowing. Of course we are worried but I feel better when I come out and do exercise. If I stay at home I will feel really uncomfortable."

Madame Wang blamed the number of cars on Beijing's roads.

"I remember 20 years ago when I was working, there were foggy days too. I used to cycle 40 minutes to get to work, but it was never this bad," she recalled.

"Then it was fog, not smog. Nowadays when you say fog, you actually mean smog.

The government has to deal with it ... and the control of cars is the most important thing. As you can see, the heavily polluting factories are now outside the city. It is just the car fumes which are to blame."

The government has introduced measures to stem the problem. Among them, a law that uses car registration plates to determine the days when drivers are allowed onto the city's roads and stricter emissions regulations aimed at taking older cars off the roads.

However, their broad approach seems to be more one of awareness than anything else.

Pollution figures, including the most dangerous PM2.5 (the tiny particles which can be absorbed deep into the lungs), are now published for all to see and the state-run media is reporting the dangers on a regular basis.

That will encourage people to make more of an effort, but it will also draw attention to the problem and could turn pressure back on the unelected Communist rulers.

Last month, we were granted access to the government department responsible for monitoring the air.

The vice-manager of the department is Li Yunting. She knows just how bad the air is: the record-breaking figures flash up on her bank of screens on an hourly basis.

Unusually for a government employee commenting on a sensitive subject, she offered me a personal view of the problem.

"My child is very young. He is three-years-old and I told his grandparents not to take him outside because the air isn't good," she said.

"These days I am thinking of changing my own mask to a more protective one to protect myself against the pollution. I know my friends and lots of citizens are buying the masks to wear outside."

There is now a clear effort by the Chinese government to tackle the issue. They know it is an international embarrassment that could genuinely affect international business in the Chinese capital.

But they are walking a tightrope: by allowing transparency over the issue (state media once referred to it as "fog"; now they admit it's "smog"), they risk a backlash for not doing enough to tackle it.

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HIV: Doctors Say Infected Baby Girl 'Cured'

A US baby girl born with HIV has been cured after very early treatment with standard drug therapy, researchers say.

The Mississippi child is now two-and-a-half years old and has been off HIV drugs for about a year with no signs of infection.

More testing needs to be done to see if the treatment would have the same effect on other children.

But the case could change the way high-risk babies are treated and possibly lead to a cure for children with HIV, which causes Aids.

"This is a proof of concept that HIV can be potentially curable in infants," said Dr Deborah Persaud, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

She presented the findings at the conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Atlanta.

If the baby stays healthy, it would be only the second reported case of a person who has recovered from HIV after that of Timothy Ray Brown, known as "Berlin patient", in 2007.

Timothy Ray Brown became the first person to have recovered from HIV

His HIV infection was completely eradicated through an elaborate treatment for leukaemia that involved the destruction of his immune system and a stem cell transplant from a donor with a rare genetic mutation that resists HIV infection.

The treatment used for the baby girl was, however, very different as it involved the use of a cocktail of widely available drugs already used to treat HIV infection in infants.

The girl was born in a rural hospital to a woman who had just tested positive for HIV infection.

Because her mother had not received any prenatal HIV treatment, doctors knew the child was born at high risk of being infected.

So they transferred the baby to the University of Mississippi Medical Centre in Jackson, where she was put on a cocktail of three standard HIV-fighting drugs when she was just 30 hours old - even before lab tests came back confirming her infection.

After starting on treatment under the care of Dr Hannah Gay, a pediatric HIV specialist, the baby's immune system responded and tests showed levels of the virus were diminishing until it was undetectable 29 days after birth.

The latest case offers promising clues in HIV research, scientists say

The baby received regular treatment for 18 months, but then stopped coming to appointments for a period of about 10 months, when her mother said she was not given any treatment.

When the child came back under the care of Dr Gay, she ordered standard blood tests to see how the child was faring before resuming antiviral therapy.

The first blood test did not turn up any detectible levels of HIV. Neither did the second.

And tests for HIV-specific antibodies - the standard clinical indicator of HIV infection - also remained negative.

"At that point, I knew I was dealing with a very unusual case," Dr Gay said.

Further, more sophisticated blood tests followed, and there was no detectible virus in the child's blood.

The doctors advised that she not be given antiretroviral therapy. Instead, she will be monitored.

Dr Rowena Johnston, vice president and director of research for the Foundation for Aids Research, which helped fund the study, said it is "imperative that we learn more about a newborn's immune system, how it differs from an adult's and what factors made it possible for the child to be cured".

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Assad Hits Out At UK Government In Interview

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has heavily criticised the British government, calling it "shallow and immature".

In an interview with The Sunday Times, he dismissed any suggestion that Britain could help to resolve the conflict saying: "We do not expect an arsonist to be a firefighter."

He said Britain was not trusted by many in the Middle East, saying its has been viewed as "unconstructive" in the region for centuries.

"There's no contact between Syria and Britain for a long time.

"You cannot separate the role form the credibility, and you cannot separate the credibility from the history of that country.

"To be frank, Britain has played famously in our region (an) unconstructive role in different issues, for decades, some say for centuries."

He added: "How can we expect to ask Britain to play a role while it's determined to militarise the problem?

"How can you ask them to play a role in making the situation better, more stable, how can we expect them to make the violence less when they want to send the military supply to the terrorist?

"I think they are working against us, and they are working against the interests of the UK itself.

"This Government is acting in a naïve, confused, and unrealistic manner. If they want to play a role they have to change this, they have to act in a more reasonable and responsible way."

Earlier this week the Syrian Government said it is ready for talks with its armed opponents.

However, Syrian rebel leader Selim Idris said there could be no negotiations unless Mr Assad stepped down and leaders of the army and security forces were put on the trial.

The UN estimates that around 70,000 people have been killed since fighting began in Syria almost two years ago.

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Mokhtar Belmokhtar: Gas Terror Chief 'Killed'

Belmokhtar: Profile Of Mr Marlboro

Updated: 12:54am UK, Sunday 03 March 2013

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent

He was known as Mr Marlboro because of his cigarette smuggling. The French intelligence service called him "The Uncatchable".

Born in central Algeria in 1972, Mokhtar Belmokhtar grew obsessed with Jihadi ideology in his teens. At 19 he volunteered to fight alongside the mujahedeen in Afghanistan.

He missed most of the fighting there as the Soviets withdrew as he arrived but he did encounter senior members of what was to become al Qaeda - receiving training in a Jalalabad base.

In the early 1990s he returned to Algeria to join Islamic militant groups. He served them as a quartermaster - rapidly rose to dominate operations in the south of the country during the Algerian civil war.

Described by the then head of France's Territorial Surveillance Directorate (Direction de la surveillance du territoire – DST) as Algeria's link to al Qaeda, Belmokhtar maintained strong links to the movement's core in Pakistan.

But he was a vital element in the expansion of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). A franchise of the Jihadi movement AQIM was seen as the poorly performing franchise during the last decade. 

But Belmokhtar forged links with Tuareg rebels in the south Sahara from Mali to Niger and into Mauritania.

He rapidly expanded a criminal empire to fund his political and military operations from smuggling cigarettes, diamonds, drugs and people into Europe.

He further stuffed his war chest with funds from hostage taking operations. In 2003 he was implicated in the kidnapping of 32 Europeans in the Sahara.

In 2008, he took control of negotiations for the release of two Austrian hostages. And in 2009 took control of two Canadians kidnapped in Mali and released by him for allegedly £3m and freedom for several of his associates from Malian jails.

Robert Fowler was a UN special envoy in Mali when he was kidnapped and then handed on to Belmokhtar.

He described the man who has now projected himself on to the world stage from the relative obscurity of the Saharan wastes.

"He is very cold. Very business-like. I was afraid for my life all the time. I was afraid for my life when I woke up in the morning and when I went to sleep at night. He is a very serious player," Mr Fowler told ABC News in the US.

Belmokhtar's movement got a huge boost from the collapse of the Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi.

The Tuareg fighters he had employed from Niger, Mali and Chad, fled his service carrying with them vast stockpiles of heavy weapons and bringing many years of combat experience.

This influx of new weapons and fighters allowed for al Qaeda-related groups to capture much of northern Mali and establish closer links between groups from Mauritania to Somalia and into the Arabian Peninsula.

Some intelligence agencies believe that Belmokhtar fell out with the AQIM leader in the north of Africa, Abdulmalek Droukel.

But al Qaeda is a franchise. Its strength lies in fragmentation. A devolved series of groups are harder to infiltrate or destroy than one large organisation.

Al Qaeda expert Aaron Zelin describes this as "controlled fragmentation".

French intelligence services had been trying to kill or capture Belmokhtar for more than a decade. They believed that he had the capacity to mobilise French citizens with their roots in North Africa for terror operations inside Europe.

After France launched its war against Islamists in Mali, many of whom are connected to Belmokhtar, his organisation which calls itself "The Masked Ones", vowed to continue attacks against western targets in Africa and beyond.

Belmokhtar's attack in Algeria meant his name was heard more widely as his movement posed a strategic threat to Europe's energy supplies.

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