Ferry Carrying 870 Crashes Into Cargo Ship

A ferry with over 800 passengers and crew on board has sunk after colliding with a cargo ship near the Philippine city of Cebu.

The coastguard said the MV Thomas Aquinas listed after hitting the Sulpicio Express Seven Cargo vessel and the captain gave the order to abandon ship.

Officer Joy Villegas said the collision occurred on Friday evening close to the shore. The ferry was travelling from Cebu to Manila.

At least 24 people including children were confirmed dead, 572 were rescued and 274 were still unaccounted for, the coastguard said.

Two rescue vessels were dispatched and other boats helped to get passengers out of the water.

Danny Palmero, a former fisherman, said he was with friends who responded to the ferry's distress call and rescued seven people on their motorized outrigger canoe.

"I saw many flares being shot," he said. "As a former nautical student, I knew it was a distress signal."

Rachel Capuno, a security officer for the ferry's owners 2Go, told Cebu radio station DYSS that the vessel was sailing into port when it collided head-on with the cargo ship.

Some of the rescued passengers

"The impact was very strong," she said, adding the ferry sank within 30 minutes of the collision.

Hundreds of passengers jumped into the ocean as the ship began sinking, said survivors. Many were asleep at the time of the collision.

Jerwin Agudong said he and other passengers leapt overboard after the ferry began taking on water and the crew distributed life jackets.

He told radio station DZBB that some people were trapped and he saw bodies in the water.

"It seems some were not able to get out. I pity the children. We saw dead bodies on the side, and some being rescued," he said.

"One of the persons who jumped with us hit his head on metal. He is shaking and he is bloodied."

According to news reports, an 11-month-old baby was among those saved.

Accidents at sea are common in the Philippine archipelago because of frequent storms, badly maintained boats and weak enforcement of safety regulations.

In 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker in the Philippines, killing 4,341 people in the world's worst peacetime maritime disaster.

In 2008, the ferry MV Princess of the Stars capsized during a typhoon, killing nearly 800 people.

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Egypt: 1,000 Held After Deadly Street Battles

More than 1,000 supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood are said to have been arrested by police following a day of further deadly clashes across Egypt.

"The number of Muslim Brotherhood elements arrested reached 1,004," the interior ministry said in a statement, adding that 558 have been held in Cairo.

The arrests came after tens of thousands of Brotherhood supporters clashed with armed vigilantes and security forces in the fiercest street battles to engulf the country since the country's Arab Spring uprising.

Tear gas could be seen during flashpoints in parts of Cairo, with protesters apparently hurling bottles and rocks at security forces.

On what the Brotherhood called the "march of rage" in response to the deaths of 638 people on Wednesday when security forces raided two sit-in protests, security officials said at least 82 people, including 10 police officers, were killed.

Three floors of a towering commercial building overlooking Cairo's Ramses Square went up in flames during the mayhem. The fire appeared to be under control by this morning.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire but no injuries were reported.

A Muslim Brotherhood supporter joins the street battles

Last night, the Brotherhood called for an end to the day's rallies but said it would press on with daily protests.

In response, the Egyptian cabinet issued a defiant statement, saying it was confronting a "terrorist plot."

"The cabinet affirms that the government, the armed forces, the police and the great people of Egypt are united in confronting the malicious terrorist plot by the Muslim Brotherhood," it said.

Meanwhile, in Jordan, Morocco and the Palestinian territories, hundreds joined demonstrations in support of the Brotherhood.

US President Barack Obama said America was cancelling a joint US-Egyptian military exercise, but he stopped short of suspending Washington's annual $1.3bn in aid.

And Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro recalled his ambassador to Cairo and called for Brotherhood leader and ousted president Mohamed Morsi to be reinstated.

However, the international response has not been uniformly critical, with Saudi Arabia and Jordan saying they backed Egypt's fight against "terrorism".

A military helicopter flies over Cairo during the 'day of rage'

Earlier Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande called for an emergency meeting of European Union foreign ministers to discuss the deepening crisis.

In a telephone call, the two leaders said the EU needed to consider steps it could take to persuade both sides to end the violence and enter dialogue.

"They agreed that the EU should be clear and united in its message: the violence must end immediately and there needs to be a political dialogue, involving all sides, that leads to genuine democracy," a No 10 spokesman said.

The Prime Minister and the President said they wanted a meeting of EU foreign ministers to be called for next week.

"They should consider what measures the EU can take to make clear that the violence and repression is unacceptable and to best encourage leaders from all sides to re-engage in dialogue and to chart a peaceful way forward for their country," the spokesman said.

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Lebanon: Beirut Car Bomb Kills 14 People

A powerful car bomb has exploded in Beirut, killing at least 14 least people and injuring more than 200.

The blast ripped through a busy street in the Lebanese capital's southern Rweiss district, trapping people in burning cars and houses.

Lebanese citizens help emergency services in the aftermath of the blast

Dozens of ambulances carried away the wounded as firefighters climbed ladders to reach those unable to leave their apartments.

Rweiss is a stronghold of the militant group Hizbollah, which has fought in Syria alongside President Bashar al Assad's forces.

A number of people were trapped in their homes following the explosion

Syrian-based rebels and militant Islamist groups have threatened to target Hizbollah because of its involvement in the conflict.

Ali Ammar, a spokesman for the organisation, claimed the blast was the work of terrorists and said Hizbollah's political rivals were responsible for creating an atmosphere that encourages such attacks.

The blast destroyed several vehicles parked in the busy street

The explosion - thought to be the deadliest in south Beirut in almost 30 years - is the second in Lebanon in as many months.

In July, a car bomb exploded in the nearby Beir al Abed district, wounding more than 50 people.

Smoke rises above the city following the explosion

The latest blast was condemned by both Maura Connelly, the US ambassador to Lebanon, and Alistair Burt, the British Foreign Office Minister.

"Terrorism and extremism have no place in Lebanon," he said. "I call for the Lebanese state to investigate this urgently and bring the perpetrators to justice."

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Egypt: Call For 'March Of Anger' As UN Meets

Key Events In Egypt Since 2011

Updated: 12:32pm UK, Thursday 15 August 2013

January 25 - February 11, 2011 - Egyptians stage nationwide demonstrations against nearly 30 years of President Hosni Mubarak's rule. Hundreds of protesters are killed as Mubarak and his allies try to crush the uprising.

February 11 - Mubarak steps down and the military takes over. The military dissolves parliament and suspends the constitution, meeting two key demands of protesters.

November 28, 2011 - February 15, 2012 - Egypt holds multistage, weeks-long parliamentary elections.

In the lawmaking lower house, the Muslim Brotherhood wins nearly half the seats, and ultraconservative Salafis take another quarter.

The remainder goes to liberal, independent and secular politicians. In the largely powerless upper house, Islamists take nearly 90% of the seats.

May 23 - 24, 2012 - The first round of voting in presidential elections has a field of 13 candidates.

The Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister under Mubarak, emerge as the top two finishers, to face each other in a run-off.

June 14 - The Supreme Constitutional Court orders the dissolving of the lower house of parliament.

June 16 - 17 - Egyptians vote in the presidential run-off between Morsi and Shafiq. Morsi wins with 51.7% of the vote.

June 30 - Morsi takes his oath of office.

November 19 - Members of liberal parties and representatives of Egypt's churches withdraw from the 100-member assembly writing the constitution, protesting attempts by Islamists to impose their will.

November 22 - Morsi unilaterally decrees greater powers for himself, giving his decisions immunity from judicial review and barring the courts from dissolving the constituent assembly and the upper house of parliament. The move sparks days of protests.

November 30  - Islamists in the constituent assembly rush to complete the draft of the constitution. Morsi sets a December 15 date for a referendum.

December 4 - More than 100,000 protesters march on the presidential palace, demanding the cancellation of the referendum and the writing of a new constitution. The next day, Islamists attack an anti-Morsi sit-in, sparking street battles that leave at least 10 dead.

December 15, December 22 - In the two-round referendum, Egyptians approve the constitution, with 63.8% voting in favour. Turnout is low.

January 25, 2013 - Hundreds of thousands hold protests against Morsi on the two-year anniversary of the start of the revolt against Mubarak, and clashes erupt in many places.

February - March 2013 - Protests rage in Port Said and other cities for weeks, with dozens more dying in clashes.

April 7 - A Muslim mob attacks the main cathedral of the Coptic Orthodox Church as Christians hold a funeral and protest there over four Christians killed in sectarian violence the day before. Pope Tawadros II publicly blames Morsi for failing to protect the building.

June 23 - A mob beats to death four Egyptian Shi'ites in a village on the outskirts of Cairo.

June 30 - Millions of Egyptians demonstrate on Morsi's first anniversary in office, calling on him to step down. Eight people are killed in clashes outside the Muslim Brotherhood's Cairo headquarters.

July 1 - Huge demonstrations continue, and Egypt's powerful military gives the president and the opposition 48 hours to resolve their disputes, or it will impose its own solution.

July 2 - Military officials disclose main details of the army's plan if no agreement is reached: replacing Morsi with an interim administration, cancelling the Islamist-based constitution and calling elections in a year. Morsi delivers a late-night speech in which he pledges to defend his legitimacy and vows not to step down.

July 3 - Egypt's military chief announces that Morsi has been deposed, to be replaced by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court until new presidential elections. No time frame is given.

Muslim Brotherhood leaders are arrested. Tens of thousands of Morsi supporters remain camped out in two mass sit-ins in Cairo's streets.

July 4 - Supreme Constitutional Court Chief Justice Adly Mansour is sworn in as Egypt's interim president.

July 5 - Mansour dissolves the Islamist-dominated upper house of parliament as Morsi's supporters stage mass protests demanding his return. Clashes between pro and anti-Morsi groups in Cairo and Alexandria, and violence elsewhere leave at least 36 dead. A Brotherhood strongman, deputy head Khairat el-Shater, is arrested.

July 8 - Egyptian soldiers open fire on pro-Morsi demonstrators in front of a military base in Cairo, killing more than 50. Each side blames the other for starting the clash near the larger of the two sit-ins, near east Cairo's Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque.

Mansour puts forward a time line for amending the constitution and electing a new president and parliament by mid-February. The Brotherhood refuses to participate in the process.

July 9 - Mansour appoints economist Hazem el-Beblawi as prime minister and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei as vice president. A military announcement backs up the appointments.

July 26 - Millions pour onto the streets of Egypt after a call by the country's military chief for protesters to give him a mandate to stop "potential terrorism" by supporters of Morsi. Five people are killed in clashes.

Prosecutors announce Morsi is under investigation for a host of allegations including murder and conspiracy with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

July 27  - Security forces and armed men in civilian clothes clash with Morsi supporters outside the larger of the two major sit-ins in Cairo, killing at least 80 people.

July 30 - The EU's top diplomat Catherine Ashton holds a two-hour meeting with detained Morsi at an undisclosed location. She is one of a number of international envoys, including US Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, to visit Egypt to attempt to resolve the crisis.

August 7  - Egypt's presidency says that diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve the standoff between the country's military-backed interim leadership and the Muslim Brotherhood have failed.

August 11 - Egyptian security forces announce that they will besiege the two sit-ins within 24 hours to bar people from entering.

August 12 - Authorities postpone plans to take action against the camps, saying they want to avoid bloodshed after Morsi supporters reinforce the sit-ins with thousands more protesters.

August 14 - Riot police clear two sprawling encampments of supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, sparking running street battles that kill hundreds of people.

The presidency declares a month-long state of emergency across the nation as Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei resigns in protest over the assaults.

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Egypt: 278 People Killed In Nationwide Clashes

More than 270 people have been confirmed killed in violence across the country, after Egyptian security forces opened fire as they tried to clear two protest camps loyal to deposed president Mohamed Morsi in Cairo.

A month-long state of emergency has been declared as violence spread from the capital to other parts of the country including the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. The move has been opposed by the US.

A curfew from 7pm to 6am has been declared in Cairo, according to reports, as well as ten other provinces including Alexandria and Suez.

The health ministry put the number of dead at 278 - including 43 police officers - with hundreds more injured.

Hazem Al Beblawi, the Prime Minister, said he remained committed to the democratic process under a civilian state.

Security forces at one of the camps in Cairo

But he justified the use of force saying that Morsi loyalists had been sowing chaos around the country, "terrorising citizens, attacking public and private property".

"The state had to intervene to restore security and peace for Egyptians," he said. "No democratic country would impose an emergency state unless it is absolutely necessary."

US Secretary of State John Kerry called the events "deplorable".

"Violence will not create a roadmap for Egypt's future. Violence only impedes the transition."

He added that the promise of the 2011 revolution has not yet been fully realised.

Morsi supporters look up at a burning vehicle

Egypt's vice president, Mohamed ElBaradei, has announced also his resignation. Meanwhile two Brotherhood politicians have reportedly been arrested.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sam Kiley, reporting earlier from inside the Rabaa al Adawiya camp in the capital, said it was "under very heavy gunfire" and was a "massive military assault on largely unarmed civilians in very large numbers".

He said government forces were using machine guns, snipers, AK-47 and M16 rifles and were firing into the crowd.

Kiley added: "There are machine gun rounds, and snipers on the roof, that are preventing people from getting any closer to the field hospital (in the camp).

"I haven't seen any evidence yet of any weapons on the side of the pro-Morsi camp. The camp is very full of women and children."

Riot police fire tear gas at members of the Muslim Brotherhood

He said it was a scene of "extreme chaos and bloodshed" and "many hundreds of troops and interior ministry police and special forces are involved".

"The dead and dying are on the steps of an improvised field hospital. The scenes here are absolutely graphic.

"I have covered many wars and this is as severe a battlefield as I have witnessed, with the exception of scenes in Rwanda. There are dozens and dozens of people who have been shot in the head, neck and upper body."

Among those reported killed in the camp was Asmaa al Beltagui the 17-year-old daughter of senior Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed al Beltagui.

Meanwhile, Egyptian authorities have released video footage taken from a helicopter which it said showed gunmen in the camp firing at security forces.

Plumes of smoke rise from a damaged petrol station

The unrest spread beyond the capital, as pro-Morsi supporters clashed with police in the Nile Delta cities of Minya and Assiut, as police stations, government buildings and churches were attacked or set ablaze.

In Alexandria, tear gas canisters rained down on a pro-Morsi march in the Sharq neighbourhood, amid repeated bursts of automatic gunfire.

Residents, armed with clubs, came out of their homes and shops to help the police, detaining Morsi supporters and handing them over to officers at the Sharq police station.

Morsi supporters, carrying Egyptian flags and pictures of the deposed leader, then clashed with his opponents on a road carpeted with rocks.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "deeply concerned at the escalating violence in Egypt, and regret the loss of life on all sides".

Raids on the Rabaa al Adawiya and Nahda Square camp

He added: "I condemn the use of force in clearing protests and call on the security forces to act with restraint."

Qatar, Turkey and Iran were among the other countries criticising the deadly crackdown.

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Tributes For Sky Cameraman Killed In Cairo

The Chief Executive of BSkyB has paid tribute to Sky News cameraman Mick Deane, who was shot dead while covering unrest on the streets of Egypt.

Jeremy Darroch expressed his "deepest sympathy" to the 61-year-old's family, adding that the cameraman's death is a reminder of "the bravery and commitment that journalists often show each and every day."

"Like everyone at Sky I was extremely saddened to hear that our colleague Mick Deane had been killed covering the unrest in Cairo," Mr Darroch said.

"Our deepest sympathy and thoughts go to Mick's family in obviously what is a very, very difficult time. We'll be doing whatever we can to help them and Mick's colleagues in the Sky News team.

"Sky News and other news organisations throughout the world play a vital role in bringing information and insight to us all, and in showing the truth in events that occur throughout the world.

"But the tragic events and Mick's death I think also remind us that this is often dangerous work, and of the bravery and commitment that journalists show often each and every day in their search for the truth."

Mick Dean has been described as an inspiring mentor

The married father of two was part of a Sky News team covering the ongoing violence in Cairo. The rest of the news team was unhurt.

Mr Deane had worked for Sky for 15 years, based in Washington and then Jerusalem.

The Head of Sky News, John Ryley, described Mr Deane as the very best of cameramen, a brilliant journalist and an inspiring mentor to many.

"Mick Deane was a really lovely, lovely guy. He was great fun to work with; he was an astonishingly good cameraman who took some brilliant pictures.

"But he also had a first class editorial brain. He had brilliant ideas. He was also good fun after the job was done. He was laid back, and I'm really going to miss him, like lots of people here."

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall called Mr Deane "a friend, brave as a lion but what a heart… what a human being".

He added: "Micky was humorous in a dry way, he was wise and when you're on the road with small teams, people like that are diamonds to be with.

"Our hearts go out to his family. He died doing what he'd done so brilliantly for decades."

 Prime Minister David Cameron said: "I want to say how sorry I am about the death of Mick Deane.

"It is an incredibly brave and important job he was doing. It is essential that cameramen are in places like Egypt because otherwise none of us would know what is happening.

"But obviously our thoughts should be with his family and friends at this very, very difficult time for them."

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Egypt's Police To Clear Pro-Morsi Camps

Egyptian police are expected to clear protest camps supporting the country's ousted president in Cairo within 24 hours.

In a move which could trigger more violence and bloodshed, security and government sources said action against the sit-ins could start by daybreak on Monday.

The camps are the main flashpoints in the confrontation between the army, which toppled Mohamed Morsi last month, and supporters who demand his reinstatement.

Western and Arab mediators and some members of the Egyptian government have been trying to persuade the army to avoid using force to disperse the protesters, who at times can number as many as tens of thousands.

But Army chief General Abdel Fattah al Sisi, who toppled Mr Morsi, has come under pressure from hardline military officers to move against the protesters, security sources say.

Almost 300 people have been killed in political violence since the overthrow, including dozens of supporters shot dead by security forces in two incidents.

Thousands of people want Mr Morsi reinstated

Any further violence would almost certainly deepen Egypt's political crisis and keep the government from dealing with vital issues such as the fragile economy.

"State security troops will be deployed around the sit-ins by dawn as a start of procedures that will eventually lead to a dispersal," said a senior security source, adding that the first step will be to surround the camps.

Another security source said the decision to take action, just after celebrations following the holy month of Ramadan, came after a meeting between the interior minister and his aides.

Mr Morsi's supporters, mainly from his Muslim Brotherhood, have turned the camps into something resembling fortresses.

Sandbags and piles of big rocks have been set up all over.

Guards with sticks wear motorcycle helmets in anticipation of a raid that would require security forces to crack down in a heavily congested area that includes children.

Egyptian authorities have warned the protesters to leave the camps or face the consequences.

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Peace Talks: Israel To Free Palestinian Inmates

Israeli Swap Soldier Shalit Returns Home

Updated: 10:48pm UK, Tuesday 18 October 2011

Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit has returned home after being freed as part of a prisoner swap deal with Palestine.

Sergeant Shalit, 25, was met by huge crowds lining the streets in the village of Mitzpe Hila in northern Israel.

He had earlier been flown to Tel Nof air base by helicopter where he was met by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family.

The soldier was freed after more than five years in captivity in the Gaza Strip in an exchange which will see 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in total also released.

Hundreds of those being freed under the deal with Hamas were serving life sentences for killing Israelis.

Sgt Shalit was greeted by a national outpouring of emotion in his home country, echoed by jubilant scenes in Gaza and the West Bank as their nationals returned.

As Palestine released the young soldier and he was flown home, Israel simultaneously released 477 Palestinian prisoners.

A military statement said the solder was in good health but witnesses said he felt nauseous and weak and had needed oxygen when he landed.

Mr Netanyahu told the soldier's parents as he waited with them: "I brought your boy home."

He insisted he felt the paid of relatives of Israelis killed by Palestinians and admitted the price of Sgt Shalit's release had been high. "It is a difficult day," he said.

:: Read the updates from the Sky News team as they happened

The freed soldier, appearing on Egyptian television, said he hoped his release would lead to peace between Israel and Palestine.

"You can't imagine how I felt when I heard I was going home," he said. "I received this news a week ago and I felt then that this would be my last chance to be free.

"They were long years. But I always thought the day would come when I finally get out of captivity. Of course I miss my family very much. I also miss my friends.

"I hope this deal will lead to peace between Palestinians and Israelis and that it will support cooperation between both sides."

However, there was little sign from either side that the deal could be the starting point of a new dialogue.

Tens of thousands of people at a rally in Gaza for freed prisoners urged fighters to capture more soldiers to help free other Palestinians still being held.

Crowds awaiting them at a West Bank checkpoint hurled rocks at Israeli soldiers, who responded with tear gas.

Mr Netanyahu warned the former prisoners they would be "taking their life into their own hands" if they "returned to terror".

Sgt Shalit was only 19 when he was captured by three Gaza-based militant groups in a deadly cross-border raid on June 25, 2006.

Three days after he was snatched, Israel launched a huge military operation against Gaza to try to secure his release. It lasted five months and left more than 400 Palestinians dead.

But the operation was unsuccessful and in June 2007 Hamas seized power in Gaza, holding the young soldier at a secret location until now.

Egypt helped broker the deal between Israel and Hamas that allowed him to finally be freed.

Israeli officials have acknowledged it will be painful for the bereaved relatives but said it was the best agreement that could be reached.

Under its terms, 450 male and 27 female prisoners have been released, with a second batch, whose names have yet to be decided, to follow in the coming two months.

Among the freed Palestinians are Walid Anjas, who received 36 life sentences over a 2002 attack on a Jerusalem bar that killed 11 Israelis, and Nasr Yateyma, who was convicted of planning the 2002 Passover bombing which killed 29.

Others were involved in kidnapping and killing Israeli soldiers.

Sgt Shalit's father Noam described the last five years as a "long, hard struggle" after the family returned home with the solder.

"Today we can say that we have gone through a rebirth of our son," he said.

But he admitted that even for his own family, the deal struck with Hamas for his release "is not easy".

He said his son was "feeling well" but had some minor injuries and would not come out to speak himself.

On the other side of the divide in Gaza, a national holiday was declared and flag-waving young men drove through the streets.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh embraced the freed prisoners as they piled out of buses.

Other former prisoners also received a heroes' welcome in Ramallah, the headquarters of Abbas's West Bank-based Palestinian Authority.

"This is the greatest joy for the Palestinian people," said Azzia al-Qawasmeh, who was waiting for her son Amer, who she said had been in prison for 24 years.

Meanwhile, international efforts to revive peace talks have failed to bring both sides together for a meeting due in Jerusalem on October 26.

Envoys from the Quartet of mediators - the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations - will instead hold separate meetings with each party.

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Syria Airstrikes Leave More Than 30 Dead

More than 30 people have reportedly been killed in Syrian government air strikes in Latakia province and the northern city of Raqa.

Seven children were among at least 13 civilians who died in an air raid on Raqa, the only provincial capital in rebel hands, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

It said the raid was apparently aimed at positions of the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) which largely controls the city.

ISIS has been the dominant force in the city since its capture by rebels in March.

Residents have held several protests against the policies of ISIS which follows an extremist line of Islam, according to the Observatory.

Government forces attack Raqa, the only provincial capital in rebel hands

An Italian Jesuit priest and activist, Paolo Dall'Oglio, who hoped to negotiate with ISIS in Raqa, went missing in the city at the start of August.

In the coastal Latakia province of northwest Syria, at least 20 people were killed in several air strikes on the Sunni rebel town of Salma, the Observatory said.

At least six of those killed were Syrian rebel fighters while four were foreign volunteers, said Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Observatory.

Latakia province is a stronghold of the Alawite minority of Syrian President Bashar al Assad, apart from rebel-held pockets.

Islamist rebel forces have captured about 10 Alawite villages in Jabal al-Akrad, a mountainous area of the province.

The army has hit back, sparking fierce fighting that has left dozens dead on both sides.

Smoke rises in the town of Salma

Rebels have kidnapped a leading Alawite cleric, Sheikh Badreddine Ghazal, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of activists on the ground and medics for its information.

In Damascus, a car bomb ripped through the Shaghur district of the capital late on Saturday, wounding several people, three of them children.

In Aleppo province, further east, government troops stormed a village overnight, killing 12 people, the Observatory said.

Al-Nusra Front jihadists and other rebel fighters in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor seized control of the offices of Syria's ruling Baath party in the Howeika district, sparking regime bombardment, the Observatory said.

More than 100,000 people have been killed in the past 29 months of conflict.

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Idaho: Teenager Rescued After Suspect Killed

US Abductor 'May Have Explosives'

Updated: 5:28pm UK, Saturday 10 August 2013

The car of a man suspected of killing a woman and her son, and then abducting her 16-year-old daughter, has been found in Idaho.

San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said horseback riders reported seeing two people matching the description of the suspect and girl in the Cascade area 70 miles northeast of Boise on Wednesday.

Investigators have said an "unusual infatuation" with the teenager might have driven suspect James Lee DiMaggio, 40, to flee with Hannah Anderson from his burned-out home on the California-Mexico border.

"That is kind of a working theory, that it may be something of a motivator," San Diego County Sheriff's Captain Duncan Fraser said. "It's definitely something that we're looking at."

Evidence found in the rubble of the home lead police to believe DiMaggio may have explosives and might abandon his blue Nissan Versa after rigging it to explode.

"In the event that someone comes across the car, they need to use caution," Captain Fraser warned.

On Sunday night, authorities found the body of 44-year-old Christina Anderson when they extinguished flames at DiMaggio's rural home. A child's body was also discovered as they sifted through rubble in Boulevard, a tiny town 65 miles east of San Diego.

The body was identified several days later as eight-year-old Ethan Anderson.

DiMaggio allegedly told Hannah a couple of months ago he had a crush on her and would date her if they were the same age. 

A 15-year-old friend, Marissa Chavez, witnessed the remarks when DiMaggio was driving them home from a gymnastics competition.

"She was a little creeped out by it. She didn't want to be alone with him," she said.

DiMaggio is wanted on suspicion of murder and arson in a search that began in California and quickly spread to Oregon, Washington, Nevada, British Columbia and Mexico's Baja California state.

A possible sighting was reported in northeast California near Alturas on Wednesday afternoon, followed by another about 50 miles along the same road near Lakeview, in south-central Oregon.

Captain Fraser, whose office has had hundreds of leads on DiMaggio's whereabouts, said the Oregon tip appeared "very credible". "We're taking it very seriously," he said.

DiMaggio, a telecommunications technician, was said to have been like an uncle to Hannah and Ethan Anderson and had been close to both of their parents for years.

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