'100 Dead Or Hurt' In China Quake

Around 100 people are dead or injured after an earthquake hits China's southwestern province of Sichuan, state media reports.

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Boston Bombings: Second Suspect In Custody

Boston Marathon Blasts: Timeline

Updated: 2:50am UK, Saturday 20 April 2013

Here is a timeline of events from the Boston Marathon bombings to the death of one of the suspects and another one being taken into custody.

Monday, April 15 (Times are local)

2.50pm: An explosion takes place near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Around 10 seconds later, there is another blast about 100m further back down the same road, Boylston Street, also on the marathon route.

The explosions occurred four hours into the race and two hours after the men's winner had crossed the line, but thousands of runners were still on the course.

2.57pm: The Boston Globe's Twitter feed reports a witness hearing "two loud booms" near the finish line.

4.02pm: Boston police confirm two people have died and 23 injured in the explosions via Twitter.

6.12pm: President Barack Obama addresses the nation, saying: "The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight."

8.49pm: At a news conference, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announces the FBI has taken over the investigation.

It is confirmed three people died as a result of the bombings and at least 100 others were hurt. The injury toll was later put at over 180.

Tuesday, April 16

Two victims of the blasts were identified as Martin Richard, eight, and 29-year-old Krystle Campbell.

Martin was waiting with his family to give his father a hug at the finish line when he died.

Restaurant manager Ms Campbell had gone with her best friend to take a picture of the friend's boyfriend crossing the finish when the bombs went off.

Wednesday, April 17

The third victim is identified as 23-year-old Chinese graduate student Lingzi Lu.

Boston University confirmed Ms Lu was studying mathematics and statistics there and was due to receive her degree in 2015.

It said she and two friends had been watching the marathon near the finish line. One of the friends, also a Boston University student, was injured while the other was unharmed, it added.

There are reports a suspect has been detained in connection with the explosions and is due to appear in court - but authorities said there had been no arrests.

The federal court in the city is evacuated due to a bomb scare but people are later allowed to return.

Thursday, April 18

Afternoon: Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attend an interfaith service at a Roman Catholic cathedral in Boston to remember the bombing victims. The president vows the attackers will face justice.

Evening: The FBI releases photos and video footage of two bombings suspects at the scene before the attacks.

One is pictured wearing a black baseball cap and a second had a white baseball cap on back to front.

Police say the suspects tried to rob a supermarket in Cambridge, across the river from Boston, on Thursday evening.  

10.20pm: Officers receive reports of shots fired on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus in Boston.

10.30pm: A police officer at MIT is found with gunshot wounds in his vehicle after being shot several times. He died in hospital.

The bomb suspects are suspected of carrying out the shooting.

They are then thought to have stolen a Mercedes car at gunpoint and later release its driver unharmed.

Friday, April 19

1am: Witnesses in Watertown near Boston report hearing multiple gunshots and explosions. The suspects reportedly threw explosives from the vehicle as police followed it into the area.

The suspects and police exchange gunfire, during which an officer is hurt.

Police say one of the two suspects in the MIT officer shooting, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, is dead. But his younger brother, Dzhokhar, remains at large. The pair are suspected of carrying out the bombings.

An extensive manhunt takes place in the Watertown area for Dzhokhar, who is said to be armed and dangerous.

Almost a million residents in Boston are warned to stay indoors and public transport is stopped as armed police search for Dzhokhar.

The two suspects are said to be from a Russian region near Chechnya and have lived in the US for at least one year.

6.60pm: Massachusetts Governor Patrick Deval announces the "stay indoors" order is being lifted, even though Dzhokhar remains in hiding.

Around the time the order is lifted, a flurry of gunfire breaks out in the community that is being searched. Law enforcement officials locate Dzhokhar in a boat parked behind a home.

8.45pm: Dzhokhar is taken into custody by police.

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Texas Explosion: Kindness Amid The Wreckage

Aerial footage shows a neighbourhood blasted beyond recognition - an astonishing swathe of destruction where people are still missing.

Rescuers continue to pick through the wreckage of the fertiliser plant explosion, which has ripped into this once-normal Texas farming community.

At West's Village Bakery comfort and free food is on tap.

It is at the core of this town's clear instinct to pull together.

The explosion has affected practically everyone here

Only a couple of days ago the owner, Mimi Irwin, was at a local function with volunteer firefighters - some of whom lost their lives while trying to tackle the fire that triggered the blast.

She says: "These people were attorneys, insurance agents, bankers, pharmacists, farmers who all wanted to give.

"And our volunteer fire department is really an honour. They're not paid - they simply do this because they love our town."

People are pulling together as the town counts the human cost of the blast

Steve and Joyce Brock are also doing their bit to help by offering their own home to those who have lost theirs.

Mr Brock said: "If you lose four or five blocks of homes, somebody's going to be homeless, so we watched it before we went to bed and I told Joyce we need to go over there tomorrow and see if we can find somebody who needs a place to stay."

That may include Evelyn Muehlstein, who was alone in her home when the blast struck.

Volunteers have been taking bedding to residents left with nothing

"The ceiling fell down and it was all on the floor," she said. "It was awful, terrible.

"I just don't know what I'll do. I'm 92 years-old and I don't have a house."

Acts of kindness are not difficult to find here. For the moment Ms Muehlstein is being looked after by a neighbour.

Homes were wiped out by the force of the explosion

A mile from the bakery, homes like hers lie in ruins. No one - bar investigators - is allowed past the police cordon.

Officers are also locals. One told us his fear is that the operation is no longer one of rescue but recovery.

It seems everyone has a story to tell here.

As Texas governor Rick Perry put it, the tragedy has affected practically everybody in this small town and there is still looming uncertainty over which of their own was lost trying to save it.

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Texas Plant Explosion: Search For Survivors

Rescue teams are searching the rubble of homes for survivors after a massive explosion ripped though a nearby fertiliser plant in Texas.

Up to 15 people are feared to have been killed and more than 160 others were injured in the blast in the small town of West, near Waco.

The Dallas Fire-Rescue department has confirmed one of its firefighters, 52-year-old Captain Kenny Harris, died as he helped fight the initial blaze.

Police have warned of a "very volatile situation" because of ammonium nitrate found at the plant. The chemical compound is commonly used a fertiliser but can also be used in explosives.

Hundreds of worshippers prayed for the victims at a church service on Thursday.

The explosion caused the roof of a school gym to cave in

Firefighters had been tackling a blaze at the factory for about 20 minutes when the explosion rocked the area at about on Wednesday evening.

Three to four volunteer firefighters are among the missing, said Sergeant William Patrick Swanton.

Capt Harris, who lived in West, was off-duty when the fire broke out but decided to help the town's volunteer crew. He was described as a married father of three grown sons.

The blast destroyed as many as 80 houses and reduced a complex of 50 apartments to a "skeleton standing up", according to one official.

The wreckage of an apartment building destroyed by the explosion

It also struck a nearby school and nursing home, where an evacuation saw 133 patients taken out of the building, some in wheelchairs.

The explosion at the West Fertiliser Company could be heard 45 miles away. It sent flames shooting into the night sky and rained burning embers, shrapnel and debris down on shocked and frightened residents.

Sgt Swanton said the death toll was estimated to be between five and 15, and emergency crews were moving from house to house in a search and rescue operation.

More than half of the 2,700 population of West - eight to 10 blocks - has been evacuated and people are still being pulled from damaged buildings.

The force of the explosion had a 2.1 magnitude, according to the US Geological Survey, equivalent to a minor earthquake.

A victim from the explosion is wheeled into hospital

A man filmed the initial fire, and captured the moment of the explosion on camera.

His child is heard shouting: "Dad, I can't hear, let's get out of here. I can't hear anything." The dad says simply: "Oh my god."

Waco Assistant Fire Chief Don Yeager said it was an anhydrous (without water) ammonia explosion.

Anhydrous ammonia is a nitrogen-hydrogen gas widely used as a fertiliser, but it is also a key component of many explosive devices.

Residents in West have been urged to remain indoors because of the threat of new explosions or leaks of ammonia from the plant's ruins.

US Geological Survey graphic shows blast ground waves (L) and sound waves

The town's mayor Tommy Muska, who is part of the team of local volunteer firefighters, compared the blast to a nuclear bomb going off.

In a statement, President Barack Obama offered the prayers of the nation to the people of West.

"A tight-knit community has been shaken, and good, hard-working people have lost their lives," he said.

Texas Governor Rick Perry described "a nightmare scenario for that community," as he announced he was seeking a federal disaster declaration which would make additional funds available.

Debby Marak said she noticed a lot of smoke coming from the area across town near the plant.

She said she drove over to see what was happening, and when she got out of her car two boys ran towards her screaming that officials told them to leave because the plant was going to explode.

This image shows the initial blast Pic: KWTX-TV

Moments later the blast happened.

"It was like being in a tornado," the 58-year-old said. "Stuff was flying everywhere. It blew out my windshield. It was like the whole earth shook."

The cause of the fire remains unknown and it is being treated as a crime scene, which is standard procedure, Sgt Swanton said.

But he added there was no indication the blast was anything other than an industrial accident.

The explosion came on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Waco siege - a deadly confrontation between federal authorities and heavily armed locals.

The Dallas Morning News said that the fertiliser company previously reported to the US Environmental Protection Agency and local public safety officials that there was no risk of fire or explosion at the plant.

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Boston Marathon Bombs: FBI Hunts 'Suspect'

Investigators have revealed they have an image of a potential suspect taken from security footage before the deadly Boston Marathon bombings.

The picture is believed to have come from CCTV video taken before the twin attacks, in what could be the biggest breakthrough in the case.

It apparently shows a man carrying and possibly dropping a black bag at the second bomb scene on Boylston Street, outside the Forum restaurant, and then walking away.

The surveillance video is believed to have been taken at the Lord and Taylor department store between the sites of the two blasts, which were seconds and about 100 metres apart on the same road.

A forensic officer carries evidence from a rooftop near one of the blasts

Mr Obama and First Lady Michelle will attend an interfaith service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross later today in the city.

Former Massachusetts Governor and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is also expected to attend.

It comes as police said no-one has been arrested over Monday's bombings, despite reports in the US media that a suspect was in custody.

The Associated Press earlier claimed a law enforcement official had said a person was detained and was set to be taken to the federal court in the city.

The FBI released images of parts of the bombs

Other media outlets also reported there had been an arrest. But the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US attorney's office in Boston and the police disputed that.

"Despite reports to the contrary there has not been an arrest in the Marathon attack," the Boston police department said on Twitter.

The FBI also said there had been "no arrests made," urging the media to "exercise caution".

Boston City Council president Stephen Murphy, who was 50 yards from one of the explosions, warned Sky News this investigation could be long and drawn out.

Martin Richard, eight, was killed in the explosions

He said: "There were tens of thousands of people out there on Boylston Street and so much movement and so much going on and so much to look at, and everybody's emailing, texting tips, to law enforcement.

"People are poring over that."

The explosive devices involved pressure cooker bombs hidden inside duffel bags packed with nails, shards of metal and ball bearings, placed on the ground near the finish line of the race.

Chinese graduate student Lu Lingzi was with friends when she was killed

Three people were killed and more than 170 others were injured in the twin blasts on Monday.

Those killed include eight-year-old Martin Richard, who was waiting to give his father a hug as he crossed the finish line; restaurant manager Krystle Campbell, 29, and Chinese graduate student Lu Lingzi, who was studying at Boston University.

Scores of victims remain in hospitals, many seriously injured. Seventeen people, one as young as give, remain in critical condition.

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Texas: Fatalities In Fertiliser Plant Blast

A number of people have been killed and hundreds injured after an explosion at a fertiliser plant in Texas, according to reports.

A plume of smoke rises up after the explosion Pic: KWTX-TV

The blast, in West, near Waco, was so powerful several nearby buildings were destroyed and a nursing home was badly damaged.

Local reports have suggested a number of people are trapped in the nursing home and a block of flats.

The explosion happened shortly before 8pm local time on Wednesday and could be heard as far away as 45 miles.

A plume of smoke rises up after the explosion Pic: KWTX-TV

Tommy Muska, West's mayor, said a number of firefighters are unaccounted for.

Texas Governor Rick Perry said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of West, and the first responders on the scene."

Debby Marak told The Associated Press she noticed a lot of smoke coming from the area across town near the plant, which is near a nursing home.

This image shows the initial blast Pic: KWTX-TV

She said she drove over to see what was happening, and when she got out of her car two boys ran towards her screaming that officials told them to leave because the plant was going to explode.

Moments later the blast happened.

"It was like being in a tornado," the 58-year-old said. "Stuff was flying everywhere. It blew out my windshield.

"It was like the whole earth shook."

The injured are treated at a nearby sports field

Police officers have reportedly been transporting the injured to local hospitals in their patrol cars.

As many as a dozen helicopters have been sent to the West High School stadium where ambulances are waiting to transport victims to hospitals.

Local media reports claim firefighters had been trying to put out a fire at the plant when the explosion happened.

A number are believed to have been injured.

The explosion in the town of West comes on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Waco siege - a deadly confrontation between federal authorities and heavily armed locals.

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Boston Bombs: First Pictures Of Devices Released

US authorities have released the first pictures of the explosive devices used in the twin blasts which hit the Boston Marathon on Monday.

The images show twisted pieces of a metal container, wires, a battery and a small circuit board which exploded close to the finish line at the race.

In another, a piece of charred wire can be seen attached to a small box and a twisted metal lid with bolts.

The FBI said on Tuesday that a pressure cooker may have been used to build the bombs, with nails, ball bearings and other metal packed around the explosive.

The damage caused by one of the blasts in Boston

The device may also have been hidden inside rucksacks placed on the ground near the finish line.

Special Agent Richard DesLauriers said experts would reconstruct the devices at the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.

Three people were killed and more than 170 others injured after the two explosions around four hours into the famous marathon.

It is not yet known what was used to set off the devices.

Doctors have revealed the extent of the injuries suffered by those caught in the blasts, including details of a nine-year-old girl who lost her leg and a 10-year-old boy who suffered deep shrapnel wounds.

Several people have had to have limbs amputated and others are at risk of losing legs following the blasts. Seventeen remain in a critical condition.

No one has come forward to claim responsibility for the attack and the FBI has yet to find a motive.

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Boston Bombs: Victim's Mother 'Heartbroken'

The mother of one of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings has paid an emotional tribute to her daughter.

Krystle Campbell, 29, was the second of the three people killed in the blasts on Monday to be identified.

She had gone with her best friend to take a picture of the friend's boyfriend crossing the finish line on Monday afternoon when the bombs went off.

An image of one of the mangled pressure cooker bombs

Mother Patty Campbell said: "She was a wonderful person and everyone who knew her loved her.

"She was always smiling and was such a hard-worker in everything she did. This just doesn't make any sense."

Boston University said the third victim was a graduate student who was watching the race with friends at the finish line, close to the university.

The Chinese consulate said the victim was an exchange student, but has not identified them.

The first victim to be identified, eight-year-old Martin Richard, was waiting with his family to give his father a hug at the finish line when he was killed.

Krystle Campbell was with a friend at the race

His sister Jane lost a leg and his mother Denise, 43, is understood to have undergone surgery for a serious head injury after they were also caught in the blast.

President Obama will visit Boston on Thursday and will attend an interfaith service in memory of those killed.

On Tuesday, he branded the bombings an act of terrorism, but said investigators did not know whether they were carried out by a solo bomber or a group.

The FBI also vowed to "go to the ends of the Earth" to find out who carried out the attacks.

More than 24 hours since the twin blasts, the FBI has few breakthroughs to report and no apparent motive.

Eight-year-old Martin Richard was killed in one of the blasts

Special agent Rick DesLauriers said that specialists in Virginia will "reconstruct the device".

Doctors have revealed the extent of the injuries suffered by those caught in the blasts, including details of a nine-year-old girl who had lost her leg and a 10-year-old boy who suffered deep shrapnel wounds.

Several people have had to have limbs amputated and others are at risk of losing legs following the blasts that ripped through crowds during the city's marathon.

Forensic investigators work at the scene of one of the bomb blasts

The explosive devices involved pressure cooker bombs hidden inside duffel bags packed with nails, shards of metal and ball bearings, placed on the ground around 100m apart along the finishing stretch of the Boston Marathon route.

Seventeen people remain in a critical condition after the blasts.

Security has been stepped up in Washington and New York, and Boston remains on high alert, although there have been no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack.

People attend a candlelight vigil for the victims of the attacks

Police are said to have questioned a 20-year-old Saudi Arabian man who is being treated for injuries at a hospital in Boston.

Officers have searched his apartment in Revere, according to his flatmate.

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Boston Marathon Explosions: Live Updates

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1:14am UK, Tuesday 16 April 2013

The moment the blast happened

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Boston Marathon Explosions Leave Three Dead

At least three people have been killed and more than 130 others hurt after two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, police have said.

The blasts ripped through the crowd, with one explosion on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the photo bridge that marks the finish.

Another happened a few seconds later, about 50-100 metres away. They took place about two hours after the men's winner had crossed the line.

Cheering spectators lined the street and some runners were finishing the race as the drama unfolded.

The blasts happened at the end of the marathon

By that point, more than 17,000 competitors had completed the marathon, but thousands of others were further back along the course.

TV helicopter footage showed blood on the pavement in the popular shopping and tourist area known as the Back Bay.

There were reports of a third blast at the JFK library a few miles away but that was later confirmed as a fire that was believed to be unrelated to the blasts.

Participants in the marathon were seen lying on the ground as the explosions tore through the finish line, sending smoke and debris soaring into the air.

A senior US intelligence official said two other explosive devices found near the end of 26-mile course were being dismantled. 

Boston Police asked people to stay indoors or go back to their hotel rooms and avoid crowds as bomb squads checked parcels and bags left along the race route.

More than 130 people were injured

Speaking at the White House, President Barack Obama said the tragedy was a "senseless loss".

He said Americans would say a prayer for the Boston people and he and wife Michelle "send our deepest thoughts and prayers" to the families of the victims.

He said the US did not know "who did this or why" but vowed that whoever was responsible "will feel the full weight of justice".

The President went on: "We will find out who did this and we will hold them accountable."

A senior administration official told Fox News the White House believed it was a terror attack.

Police said no suspect was in custody, and Fox reported ball bearings were found on the street.

A bomb squad officer at the scene of one of the blasts

Sky's Mark White said: "The ball bearings are likely to be shrapnel, leading to a growing suspicion the blasts were deliberate."

Some runners who had not finished the race were diverted down another road and into a family meeting area.

According to the Boston Marathon website, there were more than 25,000 registered entrants in the race, 374 of whom are British and there were also 108 Irish athletes.

The Federal Aviation Administration has warned pilots it had created a no-fly zone over the site.

Runners and race volunteers were crying as they fled the chaos. Smoke rose through international flags lining the route of the world's oldest and most prestigious marathon.

British police are now reviewing security plans for this Sunday's London Marathon after the US blasts.

Member of the bomb sqaud investigates suspicious bag

Video footage has emerged which showed the moment one of the explosions happened.

Police made their way through competitors as they ran towards the scene, and injured spectators were being carried to the medical tent that had been set up to care for tired runners.

Roupen Bastajian, a 35-year-old state trooper, had just finished the race when he heard the first explosion.

"I started running toward the blast. And there were people all over the floor," he said.

"We started grabbing tourniquets and started tying legs. A lot of people amputated. ... At least 25 to 30 people have at least one leg missing, or an ankle missing, or two legs missing."

A map shows the crimescene perimeter set up by police

A police officer was taken from the course with a leg injury that was bleeding.

"There are people who are really, really bloody," said Laura McLean, a runner from Toronto, who was in the medical tent being treated for dehydration when she was pulled out to make room for victims of the explosions.

New York police have stepped up security around key landmarks in the city after the double blasts.

Prime Minister David Cameron wrote on Twitter: "The scenes from Boston are shocking and horrific - my thoughts are with all those who have been affected."

Boston Police said there is a helpline in the US for concerned relatives: 617 635 4500, and anybody with information about the blasts should call 1 800 494 tips.

The UK consulate in Boston said British Nationals in need of emergency consular assistance should call the Global Response Centre on 1 877 854 6872.

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Nicolas Maduro Elected Venezuela President

Venezuelan electoral officials say voters have narrowly elected Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor as president in a close battle.

Winner Nicolas Maduro campaigned on a promise to carry on Mr Chavez's self-styled socialist revolution, and defeated a two-time challenger who claimed the late president's regime has put Venezuela on the road to ruin.

Officials say Mr Maduro, former acting president, defeated Henrique Capriles by just 300,000 votes. The margin was 50.8% to 49.1%.

Speaking from Caracas, Venezuelan journalist Virginia Lopez told Sky News: "I think this has caught the whole country by a surprise.

"We got used to Chavez winning by handsome margins so to have an election won on a matter of 300,000 votes is quite incredible."

Addressing a crowd from the presidential palace, Mr Maduro called his victory further proof that Mr Chavez "continues to be invincible, that he continues to win battles".

He said that Mr Capriles had called him before the results were announced to suggest a "pact" and that Mr Maduro refused.

There was no immediate word from Capriles.

Turnout was 78%, down from just over 80% in the October election that Mr Chavez won by a nearly 11-point margin.

National Electoral Council president Tibisay Lucena told a news conference: "These are the irreversible results that the people have decided."

Hugo Chavez had named Mr Maduro as his political heir

Mr Maduro, a longtime foreign minister to Mr Chavez, rode a wave of grief for the late leader, who ruled Venezuela for 14 years with a socialist revolution that made him popular among the poor while disenchanting others fed up with the weak economy.

Mr Maduro has vowed to continue the oil-funded policies that cut poverty by almost half to 29% through popular health, education and food programmes.

But he also inherits a litany of problems left behind by his mentor: South America's highest murder rate, with 16,000 people killed last year, chronic food shortages, high inflation and recurring power outages.

Opinion polls had given Mr Maduro leads of 10 to 20 points during the campaign, but Mr Capriles - who lost to Mr Chavez by 11 points in October polls - energised the opposition in his second shot at the presidency.

Hundreds of people began to celebrate in front of the Miraflores presidential palace well before the results were announced, launching fireworks, dancing and holding pictures of Mr Maduro and Mr Chavez.

"This is a very important victory for the future of the country. This is the legacy of our comandante, who is no longer here. But he left us Maduro and he will defend his project," said voter Rafael Perez Camarero.

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North Korea Celebrates Amid Missile Threat

North Korea is celebrating the 101st anniversary of the birth of its founding father amid fears its leaders may use the occasion to demonstrate its military capability.

Tens of thousands of people have gathered in the capital Pyongyang to celebrate the unveiling of new statues of Kim Il Sung and the son who succeeded him, Kim Jong Il.

But there are concerns North Korea may launch a medium-range ballistic missile as the Communist state has a habit of linking high-profile military tests with key dates in its calendar.

North Koreans bow to statues of their former leaders

The centenary of Kim's birth last year was preceded by a long-range rocket test that ended in failure.

Earlier on Monday, Kim's grandson and current dynastic leader Kim Jong Un visited the Pyongyang mausoleum to pay "high tribute in humblest reverence" where his grandfather's body lies embalmed, the official Korean Central News Agency said. 

He also visited the embalmed body of his father, who died in December 2011.

And despite North Korea's warnings that the threat of war on the Korean Peninsula is so high it cannot guarantee the safety of foreign residents, it hosted athletes from around the world for its biggest international marathon yet ahead of the celebrations.

Soldiers at statues Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il

After racing through Pyongyang, athletes from 16 nations including hundreds of North Korean runners were cheered into Kim Il Sung Stadium by tens of thousands of spectators.

North Korea's official media said the 26th Mangyongdae Prize Marathon was larger than previous years and that enthusiasm was "high among local marathoners and their coaches as never before".

After the race, competitors then filled a performance hall for a gala concert featuring ethnic Korean performers brought in from China, Russia and Japan as part of the birthday events.

"The feeling is like, I came last year already, the situation is the same," said Taiwan runner Chang Chia-che, who finished 15th.

The Korean peninsula has been in a state of heightened military tension since the North carried out its third nuclear test in February.

Athletes from 16 nations were cheered into Kim Il Sung Stadium

Incensed by fresh UN sanctions and joint South Korea-US military exercises, Pyongyang has spent weeks issuing blistering threats of missile strikes and nuclear war.

Secretary of State John Kerry, in Japan on the last leg of an Asian tour dominated by the crisis, said the US will talk with North Korea if it takes "meaningful steps" towards peace.

"The United States remains open to authentic and credible negotiations on denuclearisation, but the burden is on Pyongyang," he said.

"North Korea must take meaningful steps to show it will honour commitments it has already made."

While in Asia, Sen Kerry has talked tough on the North's "unacceptable" rhetoric, but also sought to lower the temperature by supporting dialogue with Pyongyang.

Sen Kerry tours the Zojoji Buddhist Temple in Tokyo

In Seoul, he gave Washington's blessing to peace overtures made by South Korea's new president, Park Geun-Hye, who in recent days has signalled the need to open a dialogue and "listen to what North Korea thinks".

But the North rejected the overtures as "empty talk" and a "crafty trick" to conceal Seoul's aggressive intentions.

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Palestinian PM Salaam Fayyad Stands Down

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has quit after months of tension with President Mahmoud Abbas.

His departure leaves the Palestinian Authority in disarray just as the United States tries to revive peace talks with Israel.

Mr Abbas, who has been unhappy with Mr Fayyad's handling of the cash-strapped government, accepted the resignation.

He asked Mr Fayyad to stay on as caretaker until a new government is formed, according to official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Palestinian law requires the president to appoint a new prime minister within two weeks.

Mr Fayyad, a Texas-educated former World Bank official, is credited with helping create institutions in the occupied West Bank which would be needed if the Palestinians are to gain independence from Israeli occupation.

Relations between Mr Fayyad and Mr Abbas soured further last month

He was appointed prime minister in 2007 and had offered to stand down before. But Mr Abbas has previously rejected his requests after pressure from Western donors.

Washington had been lobbying hard for the 61-year-old to stay on as prime minister. During a visit to the region last month, US President Barack Obama praised Mr Fayyad.

And in a gesture of support, US Secretary of State John Kerry held private talks with the beleaguered prime minister earlier this week.

Following his resignation, Washington hailed Mr Fayyad as a "strong partner".

Admired abroad, including in Israel, Mr Fayyad has failed to build a strong political base within the Palestinian territories, leaving him vulnerable to attacks from Mr Abbas's Fatah party and the Islamist group Hamas, which governs in Gaza.

Washington hailed Mr Fayyad, with Senator Kerry, as a "strong partner"

Mr Fayyad's problems grew last year when foreign aid started to slow.

The situation worsened at the end of the year when Washington froze funding to punish the Palestinians for gaining de-facto statehood recognition at the United Nations.

Israel also withheld tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinians in November and December in response to the unilateral UN move, making it impossible for Mr Fayyad to keep up with already delayed public sector salary payments.

Last week, Fatah for the first time openly criticised the the Fayyad government's economic policies.

Sources close to Mr Fayyad accuse Fatah of stirring discontent, in a bid for more control over Palestinian coffers.

Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague with Mr Fayyad

The sources complain Mr Abbas did not give his prime minister enough support.

Relations between the two men soured further last month when finance minister Nabil Qassis quit, saying the government had failed to address a gaping budget deficit.

Mr Fayyad accepted the resignation, against the wishes of Mr Abbas.

Hamas has welcomed Mr Fayyad's departure. It has accused him of helping Israel maintain its partial blockade on the Gaza Strip.

"Fayyad leaves the government after he drowned our people in debts," Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, said.

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Guantanamo: Guards Fire Rounds To Quell Unrest

Guantanamo Bay prison guards have fired several rubber shots to quell prisoner unrest as they moved inmates into individual cells, US military officials said.

The violence erupted during an early morning raid carried out because, according to military officials, prisoners had covered up security cameras and windows as part of a protest and hunger strike over their indefinite confinement and conditions at the US base in Cuba.

Prisoners fought guards with makeshift weapons that included broomsticks and mop handles when troops arrived to move them, said Robert Durand, a military spokesman.

Guards responded by firing four "less-than-lethal rounds" in the section of the prison known as Camp VI, he said.

Mr Durand said there were "no serious injuries to guards or detainees" during the operation aiming "to reestablish proper observation" at the facility.

The rounds included a modified shotgun shell that fires small rubber pellets as well as a type of bean-bag projectile, said Army Colonel Greg Julian.

The violence broke out at so-called Camp VI (file image)

Mr Durand said inmates were being isolated "to ensure the health and security" for prisoners at the facility, where dozens of detainees are in the third month of a hunger strike.

"This action was taken in response to efforts by detainees to limit the guard force's ability to observe the detainees by covering surveillance cameras, windows, and glass partitions," the statement added.

"Round-the-clock monitoring is necessary to ensure security, order and safety, as detainees continued a prolonged hunger strike by refusing regular camp-provided meals."

The prison houses scores of detainees swept up more than a decade ago during in America's so-called war on terror.

The hunger strike began when the men claim prison officials searched their Korans for contraband. Officials have denied any mishandling of Islam's holy book.

An attorney representing some of the inmates slammed their treatment.

"It's just another example of force being used in GTMO (Guantanamo), instead of a sense of human rights," said military lawyer Lieutenant Colonel Barry Wingard.

"The sad thing is that it doesn't appear to matter which political party is in power in Washington. The officials in GTMO always resort to force over common sense."

Activists at an April 11 rally campaign for the closure of Guantanamo Bay

He said the prisoners had asked prison officials to take their Korans instead of "disrespecting" them.

"The officials refused to take the Korans, and continued to search the books in plain view of the prisoners," Col Wingard added.

"Of course, the bigger issue is the 11.5 years without charges and hopelessness of never being released."

Attorneys representing inmates at the prison have said that most of the estimated 130 detainees at Guantanamo's Camp Six wing, which houses "low-value" prisoners, are on hunger strike.

US authorities, however, put the number of hunger strikers at about three dozen.

US President Barack Obama ordered the closing of the Guantanamo detention centre when he took office in 2009, but that was blocked by a Republican-led bill that cut off funding to move the detainees to the US.

The politicians cited security concerns, saying the presence of the detainees would encourage terror attacks in the states or cities where they were being held.

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