CIA Director Petraeus Quits Over Affair

CIA Director David Petraeus has resigned over an extramarital affair - which officials say was uncovered by an FBI investigation.

According to his letter of resignation, General Petraeus asked President Barack Obama on Thursday to allow him to resign, and on Friday the president accepted.

The general admitted he had shown "extremely poor judgement" in having an affair.

"Such behaviour is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organisation such as ours," he wrote.

He had only been sworn in as director of the Central Intelligence Agency on September 6, last year.

Prior to that, he was a four-star general with 37 years' service in the US Army.

His last assignments in the army were as commander of Isaf, the International Security Assistance Force, and commander of US forces in Afghanistan and in Iraq.

The resignation took Washington's intelligence and political communities by surprise, coming as a sudden end to the public career of the best-known general in recent years.

Neither Gen Petraeus nor the CIA explained why he felt he had to step down over the affair, and whether his liaison presented a purely personal problem or raised security issues in his sensitive work as spy chief.

The affair came to light as the FBI was investigating whether a computer used by the general had been compromised, the New York Times and other US media reported, citing government officials.

General Petraeus with his wife Holly

In a statement released after the resignation was announced, Mr Obama hailed the "extraordinary service" of Gen Petraeus.

"David Petraeus has provided extraordinary service to the United States for decades," Mr Obama said.

"By any measure, he was one of the outstanding general officers of his generation."

The president said the CIA's Deputy Director Michael Morell would serve as acting director.

"I am completely confident that the CIA will continue to thrive and carry out its essential mission," Mr Obama said.

Gen Petraeus has been married for 37 years to Holly, who he met when he was a cadet at the US Military Academy at West Point.

Although the president made no direct mention of Gen Petraeus' reason for resigning, he offered his thoughts and prayers to the general and his wife.

He said Mrs Petraeus has "done so much to help military families through her own work. I wish them the very best at this difficult time".

The CIA has come under fire in recent weeks in the wake of the September 11 attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed US ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

Critics have questioned how much the intelligence agency knew about the likelihood and nature of the attack.

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Turkey Helicopter Crash: 17 Troops Killed

Seventeen Turkish soldiers have died after their helicopter crashed in southeastern Turkey in bad weather, an official has said.

The Sikorsky aircraft came down on Herekol mountain, in the Pervari district of Siirt province, according to Siirt Governor Ahmet Aydin.

The victims were members of gendarmerie special forces and there were no survivors on board, he said.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash which reportedly happened in thick fog.

The helicopter was transporting troops to Pervari, where the Turkish army has been involved in operations against Kurdish rebels for three days, security sources told AFP.

The military has been on Herekol mountain in an attempt to flush out militants from outlawed separatist group the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) who have hideouts there.

Since the summer, there has been an upsurge in PKK attacks in southeast Turkey, particularly in the Hakkari region.

Turkish jets and helicopters have pounded PKK positions along the border with Iraq and Iran for three days, killing 42 militants, Hakkari's governor said.

Last month, a Sikorsky crashed in southeastern Diyarbakir province after it hit power lines, killing one soldier and wounding seven.

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Syria: 'Casualties After Two Large Blasts'

Two large explosions have struck the Syrian city of Deraa, causing multiple casualties, according to the state-run news agency.

The blasts were reportedly followed by clashes between regime forces and rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad.

Activists said dozens of members of the Syrian security forces were killed when two cars loaded with explosives drove into a military camp.

In what could have been a double suicide attack, the first car was driven into the camp and exploded, followed by the second vehicle, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The blast from the second vehicle caused the casualties, it added.

Deraa, in the south of the country, was the birthplace of the Syrian uprising against Mr Assad, which erupted in March 2011.

The conflict began largely with peaceful protests against his rule but turned bloody after rebels took up arms in response to the regime's crackdown.

Activists say more than 36,000 people have died in Syria during the 19-month-long uprising.

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Syria: Assad 'Employing Cluster Bombs' In War

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, in northern Syria

Sky News has found overwhelming evidence that the Syrian regime is using cluster bombs against its own people, in contravention of international laws.

It comes despite repeated denials by Bashar al Assad's government, which has insisted the regime does not even possess the weapons.

The claims had already been made by rebel activists who are denounced by the Assad regime as terrorists and were then backed up by Human Rights Watch.

But until now the accusations could not be independently verified and have been repeatedly written off as lies and propaganda by the Syrian government.

This week, the UN political affairs chief told the Security Council that there was "credible evidence" that the regime had used cluster bombs, which release many small bomblets over a wide area.

But Sky cameraman Garwen McLuckie, producer Nick Ludlam, cameraman Jim Foster and myself travelled to northern Syria and discovered scores of unexploded Russian-made cluster bombs ourselves, providing overwhelming evidence that the regime is indeed using weapons. They are considered some of the most lethal in the world.

Holes showing evidence of cluster bombs in a field

The eyewitnesses we spoke to described the bombs raining down on them. Many still had unexploded bombs in their homes.

Two people died in the town of Tal Rafaat, near the Turkish border when the Government dropped cluster bombs from jets.

The bombs scattered the bomblets over a wide area, landing in fields, on top of scores of homes and hitting cars driving down the road.

Shortly afterwards, according to residents, the jets also attacked Maarat Al Numan. Both towns have a strong rebel presence and many residents told us they believed they had been attacked because of their anti-government stand.

One resident of Tal Rafaat, who did not want to be named for fear of government reprisals, told us: "I am very scared. I have three children and they are all sick now and I believe it was because of the cluster bombs that they are sick.

"They have been terrified since we were attacked."

Damage from fighting in Aleppo

He showed us holes in his roof, in his garden wall and in his front room where the bombs had landed.

"Assad is a criminal," he said, "I am 42-years-old and I have never heard of this, in Chechnya or Palestine or anywhere in the world where a president attacks his own people like this. He wants to kill all of us."

Aamar Alommer, who also has three children, aged six, four and seven months, showed how the bombs had punctured his water tank and diesel storage before blowing a hole in his ceiling as his family were all at home having dinner.

"This is not just against international law," he said. "This is against humanity."

Foreign Secretary William Hague has condemned the discovery. He said: "This footage is further evidence of the brutality of the Assad regime.

"The apparent use of cluster munitions shows an appalling disregard for human life. It reinforces the urgent need for all members of the UN Security Council to unite and respond to the crisis, and for all countries to step up efforts to hold the regime to account."

Ongoing conflict in Syria

Many of the residents believe the attacks amount to a war crime and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) is hoarding the intact bombs in a secret location as evidence.

Two Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters accompanied us gathering up the unexploded cluster bombs which the residents repeatedly produced as we went from house to house.

Ahmed Ousow told us the aircraft turned up just after Friday prayers on October 12.

"There were lots of people around. The residents had all just attended prayers. there were no demonstrations at that time and then suddenly the jet started bombing," he said.

He spoke of finding two big bombs with multiple smaller bombs inside - and most inside did not detonate.

A few weeks earlier, in Bdama, also near the Turkish border, we discovered a landmine planted in the middle of a residential area and left behind by the retreating Syrian army.

The civil war in Syria is becoming more and more vicious - with video surfacing on the internet of the FSA fighters executing groups of captured Syrian soldiers. The United Nations said if it could be verified, the killings would also amount to a war crime.

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New York Storm: Mayor Orders Fuel Rationing

The mayor of New York has ordered fuel rationing based on vehicle registration plates after the city was hit by its second severe storm in just over a week.

Michael Bloomberg announced at a news conference that drivers will be allowed to buy petrol on alternating days based on whether their licence plate ends in odd or even numbers.

It comes as heavy snow fell across much of the northeastern US - bringing yet more misery for hundreds of thousands of people still without power since Sandy hit on October 29.

"This is not a step that we take lightly," Mr Bloomberg said.

"Only 25% of our gas stations we estimate are open. Frustrations are only growing and it now appears there will be shortages for possibly another couple weeks."

Long queues like this one on Staten Island have been common in New York

The rationing plan, similar to one implemented in New Jersey last week, begins on Friday at 6am local time (11am GMT).

Long Island will also impose the rationing system one hour earlier.

Police will be at petrol stations to enforce the system.

Mr Bloomberg did not say when the measure, which does not include emergency vehicles, buses, taxis and certain other vehicles, would end.

People with licence plates ending in a letter are eligible to buy fuel on odd-numbered days.

Officials hoped the move would cut queues of increasingly desperate drivers at city petrol stations.

More than 110 people died across the US northeast during Sandy

The shortage has created a black market where online sellers are offering fuel at more than twice the industry rate.

New York City has been hard hit by fuel shortages since Sandy struck due to power cuts and petrol being stranded at refineries.

A second coastal storm, known as a nor'easter, struck on Wednesday bringing snow, rain and high winds and further hampering efforts to get the city's infrastructure back online.

More than 110 people died across the US northeast during Sandy, which began as a deadly Caribbean hurricane before driving into New Jersey .

In New York City, authorities reported that the number of dead there reached 41 when an elderly man was found dead in his building.

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo estimated that Sandy and its aftermath had caused $50bn (£31bn) in damage, with New York state bearing $33bn (£21bn) of that.

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Argentina: Protests Over Cristina Fernandez

Thousands of Argentines have been out in the streets of the capital, Buenos Aires, in the country's biggest anti-government protests for years.

The march against President Cristina Fernandez was in protest at rising inflation, crime and corruption and was organised on social media with people of all ages jamming the streets of the capital for nearly four hours.

Demonstrators filled the Plaza de Mayo in front of the pink presidential palace and also crowded into the square around the city's iconic obelisk chanting: "We're not afraid."

The protest was peaceful with generations of families gathering - from toddlers in pushchairs to grandparents in wheelchairs - as they marched through the centre of Buenos Aires until nearly midnight.

A pot-carrying boy holds up a poster that says Basta - enough!

People banged on pots, whistled and waved the Argentine flag. They held banners that read: "Stop the wave of Argentines killed by crime, enough with corruption and say no to the constitutional reform."

Ms Fernandez's critics are angry over the country's high inflation, violent crime and high-profile corruption, and many worry that the president will try to hold onto power by ending constitutional term limits.

"I came to protest everything that I don't like about this government and I don't like a single thing starting with (the president's) arrogance," said Marta Morosini, a 74-year-old retiree.

"They're killing policemen like dogs, and the president doesn't even open her mouth. This government is just a bunch of hooligans and corrupters."

Police officials said the crowd numbered at least 30,000, while some anti-Fernandez local media estimated hundreds of thousands turned out.

The protests hold deep symbolism for Argentines, who recall the country's economic debacle of a decade ago.

The "throw them all out" chants of that era's pot-banging marches forced presidents from office and left Argentina practically ungovernable until Ms Fernandez's late husband, Nestor Kirchner, assumed the presidency in 2003.

Argentines in Mexico City show their disapproval

Other demonstrations were held on plazas across Argentina, including in major cities like Cordoba, Mendoza and La Plata, while protesters massed outside Argentine embassies consulates, including Chile, Australia, Rome and Madrid.

"In Argentina, there's no separation of power and it cannot be considered a democracy," said Marcelo Gimenez, a 40-year-old from Buenos Aires who has been living in Spain for two years. 

"Cristina is not respecting the constitution. The presidency is not a blank check and she must govern for those who are for her and against her."

Crime is the biggest concern for many of her critics, with the media reporting increasingly bold robberies, in which armed bands tie up families until victims hand over the cash that many Argentines have kept at home since the government froze savings accounts and devalued the currency in 2002.

The vast majority of the crimes are never solved, while the death toll is rising.

Inflation also upsets many. The government's much-criticised index puts inflation at about 10% annually, but private economists say prices are rising about three times faster than that.

Property transactions have slowed to a standstill because of the difficulty in estimating future values, and unions that won 25% pay hikes only a few months ago are threatening to strike again unless the government comes up with more.

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Guatemala Earthquake: At Least 48 Dead

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake has struck off the Pacific coast of Guatemala, killing at least 48 people, injuring another 155 and destroying scores of homes.

The quake, which hit at 10.35am in the midst of the work day, caused terror over an unusually wide area, with damage reported in all but one of Guatemala's 22 states.

It also sparked a tsunami alert on the El Salvador coast and evacuations from offices, homes and schools as far north as Mexico City, 600 miles to the northwest.

President Otto Perez Molina, at a news conference, said 40 people died in the province of San Marcos and eight more were killed in the neighbouring province of Quetzaltenango.

He said: "One thing is to hear about what happened and another thing entirely is to see it. As a Guatemalan I feel sad ... to see mothers crying for their lost children."

San Marcos bore the brunt of the quake

The mountain town of San Marcos, where more than 30 homes collapsed, bore the brunt of the quake's fury.

It was some 80 miles from the epicentre.

More than 300 people, including firefighters and policemen, tried to dig through half a ton of sand at a quarry in the commercial centre of San Marcos in a desperate attempt to rescue seven people believed buried alive.

Among those under the sand was a six-year-old boy who had accompanied his grandfather to work.

Mr Perez flew to San Marcos to view the damage in the lush mountainous region of 50,000 indigenous farmers and ranchers, many belonging to the Mam ethnic group.

More than 30 homes collapsed in San Marcos

The president said the government would pay for the funerals of all victims in the poor region.

Hundreds of people crammed into the hallways of the small town hospital waiting for medical staff to help injured family members, some complaining they were not getting care quickly enough.

Mr Perez said more than 2,000 soldiers were deployed from a base in San Marcos to help with the disaster.

The quake, which was 20 miles deep, was centred 15 miles off the coastal town of Champerico and 100 miles southwest of Guatemala City.

It was the strongest earthquake to hit Guatemala since a 1976 trembler that killed 23,000.

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Hu Jintao Hails China's 'Golden Decade'

Xi, China And The Communist Party

Updated: 4:19am UK, Thursday 08 November 2012

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

It would not be an embarrassment to admit to not having ever heard of Xi Jinping.

Indeed, the vast majority of people in China know little about the man who is almost certain to be their leader for the next 10 years. Why?

China operates what can be called a black-box system of government. It is closed to its subjects. It is extremely hard to see how it operates and who is pulling the leavers. 

The Communist Party runs or contributes to almost every facet of life in China.

Its 80 million or so members make it the largest political party in the world.  But China is so large, they represent just 6% of the country's population.

It is that 6% who have some say over who in their village, town, city or province rises up each of the thousands of different party organisations.

With a pyramid effect fewer and fewer people endorse those who will sit above them.

Over the next week, just a handful of men will announce their endorsement of the new top man: Mr Xi.

And that is why very few people know who Mr Xi is, what he is like, what he stands for and in what direction he will take the world's most populous nation.

Despite that though, Xi Jinping, 59, has been touted as a possible heir-apparent for over a decade.

The Communist Party is almost unique in its desire and ability to control the ascent of its leaders.

Potential candidates are groomed for the top jobs for years.

This week's leadership transition is not a single event but the result of years of careful planning and power-jockeying.

Look at articles and books written more than 10 years ago and you will see Mr Xi's name mentioned as a possible contender for the 2012 top job.

China's New Rulers, for example, written before the last leadership change in 2002, has a whole chapter on Mr Xi and the man expected to be his deputy, Li Keqiang.

In the 10 years since that book was written, the Communist Party has been moulding those men and controlling everything they can to ensure that it is they who take over as leaders today. It has worked.

So who is Mr Xi?

With a bit of research it is relatively easy to find out quite a bit about the man, but together it all amounts to little more than a series of facts rather than any degree of substance about his views.

Mr Xi is a "princeling": the son of one of the founding members of the Communist Party, Xi Zhongxun.

He was a Communist guerrilla commander who went on to form the Communist Party alongside Chairman Mao.

Mr Xi's father and Mao fell out and he was tortured and placed in jail for several years. 

During the Cultural Revolution, when millions of Chinese died under Mao's leadership, the Xi family were sent to live in communes as peasants along with so many others.

In recent and rare interviews Xi Jingping talks about this difficult time in his life which he refers to as a "struggle" which helped develop him into a stronger man.

Mr Xi and those around him now represent the first generation of leaders to experience, first-hand, the difficulties of being a child through the Cultural Revolution.

Many speculate that his could mould his leadership especially in terms of how he deals with the widening gap between rich and poor in China.

After the chaos of the Cultural Revolution, Mr Xi moved back to Beijing to continue his education.

He was educated into Communist Party and quickly rose through the ranks, first in Hebei Province and then in Fujian Province.

In 2000 he was made governor of Fujian Province followed by acting governor of Zhejiang in 2002.

He built economies in those two provinces which have become larger than both Hong Kong and Taiwan.

He has a daughter who studies at Harvard and a wife who is more famous than he is.

Peng Liyuan is a famous folk singer, fluent in English and a major-general in the People's Liberation Army.

She is, by all accounts, a beautiful woman. Her name even means "beautius beauty".

Peng will be far more of an American-style first lady when compared with her elderly and recluse predecessor, Hu Jintao's wife.

"Reform" is the buzzword for China's next 10 years. Many had believed that following the country's economic reforms in the 1990s, political and social reform would come under Mr Hu and his deputy Wen Jiabao. It did not happen. 

China is now at a crossroads. Mr Hu and Mr Wen lifted the country economically beyond all expectations; it is now the world's second largest economy.

But its economic explosion coupled with a downturn in exports to the West has produced a long list of explosive problems.

The wealth gap is wider than ever. Corruption is rife. The cities are the most polluted in the world. Factory production is slowing.

Now mix all that in with an increasingly restive population which is more technologically connected and geographically mobile than ever: this is the China Mr Xi must lead.

He has never revealed whether he is a reformer or a hardliner. The direction he chooses will determine China's fate.

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Assad Vows To 'Live And Die' In Syria

Syria: Cameron Vows More Help

Updated: 11:55am UK, Wednesday 07 November 2012

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent, Zatari refugee camp

David Cameron is planning a wholesale re-evaluation of Britain's policy on Syria including whether to arms rebels or call for military intervention after being "deeply moved" by the plight of refugees in Jordan.

The Prime Minister was expecting to use his first conversation with Barack Obama to tell the newly re-elected US president that the international response to the civil war in Syria "simply isn't working".

He said: "Right here in Jordan I'm hearing appalling stories of what is happening inside Syria and one of the first things I want to talk to Barack about is how we must do more to try and solve this crisis."

The PM, who visited the Zatari refugee camp, said: "I wanted to hear for myself the stories of people who have been bombed and shot and blasted out of their homes in Syria by a deeply-illegitimate and unpleasant regime that is raining down death and destruction on its own people.

"It is truly horrendous to hear those stories and just redoubles my determination that now, with a newly-elected American president, we have got to do more to help this part of the world, to help Syria achieve transition."

Mr Cameron has called a session of the National Security Council next week which will focus entirely on Syria.

The PM's officials travelling with the him to Zatari, which houses about 20,000 of the estimated 200,000 refugees who have fled Syria into Jordan, said he was convinced of the need to "totally re-examine" all of the assumptions behind existing policies.

These will include whether it continues to make sense to have a European Union arms embargo which prevents the supply of weapons to Syria's rebels.

It would also include re-considering whether the UK should call for air strikes against targets which maintain the military structures of President Bashar al Assad.

So far, tough action against Syria has been blocked at the United Nations Security Council by Russia and China - the former is a major arms supplier to Mr Assad's forces.

"We will be doing a full re-examination of the policy and thinking hard about what to do about Russia and China," a Number 10 official said.

Washington and London have so far ruled out military action in Syria and have supplied only non-lethal aid. The US contribution is around $27m (£17m). The UK less, £5m.

Mr Cameron announced an extra £14m in humanitarian aid for refugees while he was in Jordan.

But these figures are negligible in comparison to the hundreds of millions being spent on supporting the rebels with arms by Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

One way the West could re-gain influence over a civil war which has collapsed into sectarian conflict and is sucking in militia from neighbouring Lebanon and Iraq, may be to offer military aid - even without a UN resolution backing it.

"People have been blasted from their homes and fleeing for their lives - 30,000 have been killed. We have to do more to put an end to this," the PM said.

Britain would now begin direct talks with armed groups fighting the Syria government, officials said.

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Obama's Home City Enjoys His Victory

By Gary Mitchell, in Chicago

In a small bar in the north of Barack Obama's adopted home city of Chicago, roar after roar was deafening.

His rival's fate seemed certain as a series of key states were called in the president's favour.

When a TV anchor finally confirmed that Mr Obama was projected to stay in the White House, the regulars at St Andrew's Inn punched the air, screamed with delight and clapped for a good 30 seconds. At least two were seen with tears in their eyes.

It was scene that must have been repeated in countless bars, homes and other places around the city and the country.

Everyone knew it was incomparable to the elation that greeted the election of the first black president in 2008, but that did not matter.

Mr Obama's supporters felt a sense of joy at the victory, as well as relief that a gruelling fight that had dragged on for many months, and in many states, was finally at an end.

Bar owner Julius Lamar had the champagne flowing

A clearly emotional St Andrew's bar owner Julius Lamar, who cracked open a case of champagne and handed out glasses on the house, said he wanted to be alone so he could cry.

"I was crying four years ago, but for a different reason," he said.

"Then, it was because we had the first African-American president. Now, it's not just because I'm black and he's black - it's because I know I've still got a guy in the White House who is looking out for people like me.

Liz Andrew: 'alienated' by Romney

"If it had been Romney, I wouldn't have had a guy in power speaking on my behalf. He was just about making rich people feel better."

Darrell and Tiffany Dixon, 28 and 30, are expecting their first child together. Mr Dixon said: "I feel better about bringing a child into the world with Obama in power."

Mr Dixon is traditionally a Republican, but chose to vote for Mr Obama in this election because he felt Mitt Romney was a "shady character" and he trusted Mr Obama with the economy. He bought a round of shots to celebrate.

He said: "It's no holds barred now - Obama isn't going to be fighting for election in his second term so he can achieve a lot more."

Mrs Dixon is a seasoned Democrat - describing herself as Darrell's "tree-hugging wife" - and said Mr Obama's victory gave her hope.

"The economy is going to be turned around, in time, under Obama - people are going to get jobs again.

"I feel a lot better. I feel relieved."

Drake Burrell: 'amazing' victory

Ray and Jacque Ames, 65 and 59, entered the pub moments after the election was called for Mr Obama.

"We were watching at home and we just felt like it was time to be with other people," Ray said as he took a seat at the bar.

Regina Wiethrop, 37, said: "This means more change for the better can happen in the next four years."

Kareem Dixon, 33, said: "I feel incredibly relieved and I feel a sense of hope that Americans were able to choose the right person."

Drake Burrell, 30, said: "I feel amazing. Romney would have pulled us back years.

"He's going to stop more people going through what I did as a young boy, growing up in poverty."

Greg Kokes, Regina Wiethop and Kareem Dixon

Mitt Romney is thought to have suffered badly among women voters because of his views on abortion rights among other issues. Among those he alienated was Liz Andrew, 27, who said: "I grew up in a house full of women. Romney cannot relate to us."

Bob Oehehmen, 56, who wore an Obama-Biden T-shirt and an anti-Republican badge, said he was "satisfied". "It's the right result."

But Angel Garcia, president of Chicago Young Republicans, was swallowing defeat along with hundreds of fellow Romney supporters at another venue in the city.

Taking a phone call from Sky News from St Andrew's Inn, he said: "We're disappointed now, of course. It's not what we wanted.

"We felt a lot of energy during the campaign, but we knew it would be close. But we take comfort in that we had a strong vote, we can still proudly say we are a serious party with serious support."

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Americans Vote For Gay Marriage And Marijuana

Voters in four American states made history on Tuesday by approving same-sex marriage and recreational marijuana use.

Maine and Maryland became the first to allow same-sex couples to marry by a popular vote rather than legislation or court order, as is the case in six other states and Washington DC.

"For the first time, voters in Maine and Maryland voted to allow loving couples to make lifelong commitments through marriage, forever taking away the right-wing talking point that marriage equality couldn't win on the ballot," said Chad Griffin of the Human Rights Campaign.

Washington and Minnesota are also awaiting the results of votes on the issue.

Brian Brown from the National Organisation for Marriage, insisted the Maryland and Maine results did not mark a watershed moment.

"Just because two extreme blue states vote for gay marriage doesn't mean the Supreme Court will create a constitutional right for it out of thin air," he said.

Smokers in Colorado will be allowed to grow their own marijuana

Colorado and Washington's votes to legalise recreational marijuana use have set up a showdown with the federal government, which outlaws the drug.

Smokers over 21 years old in Colorado will be allowed an ounce of the drug and six plants for private use.

Washington's measure establishes a system of state-licenced suppliers, potentially bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue.

"Marijuana policy reform remains an issue where the people lead and the politicians follow," said Ethan Nadelmann of the Drug Policy Alliance, which opposes the so-called "war on drugs".

''But Washington state shows that many politicians are beginning to catch up."

In Massachusetts, voters approved a measure to allow marijuana use for medical reasons, joining 17 other states.

Arkansas is awaiting the result of a vote on a similar measure that would make it the first southern state in that group.

Campaigners protest against capital punishment

In California, with 75% of the ballot counted, voters looked to have rejected a proposal to ban the death penalty.

Had the measure prevailed, over 720 inmates on death row would have had their sentences converted to life in prison without parole.

While 17 states have ended capital punishment, most did so through legislative action.

Only in Oregon, in 1964, did voters choose to repeal the death penalty, although they later chose to reinstate it.

Los Angeles County voters are also choosing whether porn actors should be required to wear condoms on set.

The Grand Canyon will stay under federal control

If the measure is passed, producers will be required to apply for a permit, which would pay for random inspections.

In Arizona, a side ballot to decide whether the Grand Canyon should be brought back under state control was defeated by two votes to one.

The proposal would have amended the Arizona Constitution to dodge federal environmental laws and open up 25 million acres to more agriculture and industry.

Opponents successfully argued that the state could not afford to maintain the land it already owns.

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Obama Tells US: 'The Best Is Yet To Come'

Barack Obama has promised that the "best is yet to come" for the US after winning another four years at the White House.

Following a bitter and costly election campaign, the president easily overcame his Republican challenger Mitt Romney - taking seven of the nine key battleground states.

Mr Romney won in North Carolina but Democrat Mr Obama swept to victory in Ohio, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, Wisconsin, Virginia and Colorado.

With Florida the last swing state left to call, he has 303 electoral college votes to Mr Romney's 206 and is well over the crucial threshold of 270.

Obama confirmed his win on Twitter - it's now the most-retweeted tweet ever

The president was also ahead in the national popular vote, with the country-wide exit poll putting him on 50% - two points ahead of his Republican challenger.

This is despite his popularity plunging since he was swept into the White House on a wave of hope in 2008 and unemployment currently standing at 7.9%.

:: READ MORE - Live Election Updates

Jubilation grew through the night in Chicago as it became clear Mr Obama was going to be re-elected.

Once Mr Romney had conceded by phone, the president appeared on stage to rapturous cheers as Stevie Wonder's hit Signed, Sealed, Delivered played.

"In this election, you the American people reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back," he said.

President Obama walks on stage with his family before his Chicago speech

"We know in our hearts that for the United States of America the best is yet to come."

The first US black president declared that he was returning to the White House "more determined and more inspired than ever ... about the future."

He also said he wanted to meet Mr Romney to discuss how they could work together.

Before appearing in person, the Democrat had told his supporters via Twitter: "This happened because of you. Thank you," and: "We're all in this together. That's how we campaigned and that's who we are. Thank you".

The Obamas and Bidens after their victory was called

In a third post, he said simply: "Four more years," and posted a picture of himself hugging his wife Michelle. This was retweeted more than half a million times - a Twitter record.

He also wrote an email, promising to "spend the rest of my presidency honouring your support, and doing what I can to finish what we started".

"Today is the clearest proof yet that, against the odds, ordinary Americans can overcome powerful interests," he said, adding: "There's a lot more work to do."

In Washington, thousands of well-wishers danced and waved flags outside the White House after the result became clear - chanting "four more years" and "USA, USA".

Crowds whooped and cried out "Obama, Obama" and gave high-fives to strangers as election fever swept across the city.

The contest had been billed as one of the tightest races for the White House in decades but ultimately, Mr Obama won comfortably.

His victory appeared to be a vindication for a campaign team that had predicted a close but winnable election - despite the pain of the deepest economic crisis since the 1930s Great Depression.

Romney supporters absorbing the result

Romney campaign staff in Boston were shocked as Democrat victories piled up and Republican supporters looked increasingly devastated as they realised their dream was over.

The candidate, who was watching the result in the city, rang Mr Obama to concede once he lost Ohio and then briefly addressed the crowds.

"This is a time of great challenges for America and I pray that the president is successful in guiding our nation," he said.

The Republican thanked his running mate Paul Ryan and his family, calling wife Ann "the love of my life" and saying "she would have been a wonderful first lady".

He added: "Paul and I have left everything on the field. We have given everything to this campaign. I so wish that I had been able to fulfil your hopes to lead the country in a different direction, but the nation chose another leader."

Mitt Romney spoke to supporters after conceding defeat

Mr Romney had earlier revealed he had written a 1,118-word victory speech and claimed he had not prepared anything in case he lost.

Until last month, the Republican was considered to have little chance of ousting Mr Obama after his campaign was damaged by a string of gaffes.

However, a lacklustre performance by the president in the first television debate turned the race on its head and Mr Romney surged back in the polls.

The incumbent was much stronger in the second and third debates, but it was not enough to derail the Romney campaign.

Better than expected employment figures last week helped bolster the Democrat and then fate also played a hand when Hurricane Sandy roared in.

The Empire State Building turns blue after Barack Obama's victory

The superstorm forced Mr Romney into the shade as campaigning was suspended and Mr Obama returned to presidential duties, but the pair was still neck-and-neck going into the final day.

Once the euphoria of another victory fades, the president will face a tough task enacting his second-term agenda, after Republicans - who thwarted him repeatedly in his first term - retained control of the House of Representatives.

Democrats kept the Senate but fell short of the 60-vote super majority needed to pass major legislation over Republican blocking tactics.

Two Republican Senate candidates, Richard Mourdock in Indiana and Todd Akin in Missouri, both lost their seats after making controversial remarks about rape during the campaign.

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Greece: General Strike Before Austerity Vote

A two-day general strike is under way in Greece as the country's parliament prepares to vote on a new round of austerity measures.

Thousands have joined a march in Athens in protest against the 13.5bn euros (£10.8bn) of proposed cuts and tax increases, which include a rise in the retirement age to 67 as well as pensions being slashed by up to 15% for workers whose pots are worth more than 1,000 euros (£800) per month.

The effects of the strike - the third general strike in six weeks organised by the country's two main unions - are being felt in both the public and private sectors.

Scores of flights have been cancelled because air traffic controllers joined the walkout.

The General Strike has largely shut down the Greek public transport system

Public bus workers in the capital and taxi drivers as well as metro, tram and train workers also walked out, paralysing traffic in the capital.

Ferry lines were also crippled, as ships linking to Greece's islands remained docked.

The government argues that the strikes only make the country's dire economic situation more perilous.

It needs the austerity bill to pass through parliament to secure crucial international aid totalling 31.5bn euros (£25bn) and prevent the debt-laden nation from potentially defaulting later this month.

Defeat for the Greek government could force a return to the drachma

According to EU economic and monetary affairs commissioner Olli Rehn, the international lenders and Greece are on track to reach a deal to unfreeze the next tranche of loans at a meeting of eurozone finance ministers on November 12.

The EU, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund demanded more savings in return for further financial support.

The austerity package, which was put to the Greek parliament late on Monday, would also include salary cuts for academics, hospital doctors, judges, diplomats and members of the armed forces.

Greek MPs are due to hold an emergency vote on Wednesday with opposition critics saying the measures will only deepen the country's five-year recession.

It is understood unions are lobbying sceptics of the plan in a bid to force a defeat on the government - a nightmare scenario for the pro-euro camp which could force the country back to the drachma.

But there is support among the public for the austerity plan as many admit there may not be a better solution.

Yannis Levas, who works in a recruitment company aimed at finding jobs for Greeks abroad, called the measures "a double-edged sword".

"On the one side they must not go through, on the other they must. There is always that dilemma if we will return or not to the drachma," he said.

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Nelson Mandela Notes Issued In South Africa

In a tribute to the first black president of South Africa, bank notes featuring a picture of Nelson Mandela have gone into circulation.

The notes, rolled out by the South African Reserve Bank, display the 94-year-old anti-apartheid icon's smiling face.

Using the notes for the first time, Governor Gill Marcus described Mr Mandela as "a South African extraordinary human being".

"We felt it was time to reflect a new image that builds us. Everyone is excited about the new notes," she added.

Governor Gill Marcus said: "Everyone is excited about the new notes."

The images of one of the five big animals featured on the old bank notes - lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant - will be retained on the reverse of the note.

Mr Mandela, who is currently living out his retirement in his childhood rural village of Qunu, is happy with the notes according to Governor Marcus.

The former president was the first to be elected in a fully representative democratic election in South Africa.

He is the first black face to appear on South African money.

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Obama: Key States May Swing It For President

By Greg Milam, US Correspondent

Barack Obama looks on course to secure a second term in the White House as Americans begin casting their votes today following the most expensive and negative election campaign in history.

The president appears to have the narrowest of leads over rival Mitt Romney in a number of critical swing states.

The Republican candidate will continue campaigning on election day, as he visits Cleveland in Ohio, and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.

Mr Obama will spend the day in his home-town of Chicago. He has recorded a number of television and radio interviews which will air today.

Mr Obama and Mr Romney picked up five votes each in Dixville Notch

In a possible sign of a tight race ahead, the first voting on election day saw both candidates receive five votes each in the tiny town of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire.

The president wrapped up his campaign with a rally in Iowa, the state where his 2008 campaign sparked into life, and he called on Americans to give him a second chance.

"I came back to ask you to help us finish what we started because this is where our movement for change began, right here," he said.

"After all we've fought through together, we cannot give up on change now. We know what real change looks like."

:: Watch full coverage on Sky News as the results come in from 2230

The two candidates have criss-crossed a handful of swing states in recent days as they try to energise supporters and secure every last vote. Both have sounded weary and hoarse at times.

The latest 'poll of polls' by RealClearPolitics puts Mr Obama on 48.8% and Mr Romney on 48.1%.

In swing states, Mr Obama has a three-percentage point lead in Ohio and was ahead by slimmer margins in Virginia and Colorado. Mr Romney led in Florida.

The other states to watch include Iowa, Wisconsin, Nevada and Pennsylvania, where Mr Romney has poured money into a late run.

Barack Obama's final rally in Iowa

The electoral college system and the way the state polls are going suggests that Mr Obama could be headed toward re-election partly due to his lead in Ohio, according to Ipsos pollster Julia Clark.

A victory in US presidential elections relies not on a popular vote count but reaching 270 electoral college votes. They are allocated to each state based on population size.

Ms Clark said: "Obama only needs a couple of these swing states and the data suggests that he'll win one or two of them."

Mr Romney's advisers dismiss those polls and believe they have the momentum.

He said: "The same course we're on isn't going to lead to a better destination. The same course we're on is going to lead to $20bn in debt. Unless we change course, we also may be looking at another recession."

Mr Romney called on New Hampshire voters to back him

And speaking at a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, he said: "Tomorrow is a moment to look into the future and imagine what we can do, to put that past four years behind us and build a new future.

"Walk with me. Tomorrow, we begin a new tomorrow."

The economy has been the key issue in the campaign and both candidates have been driving grassroots efforts to mobilise support.

Mr Romney told them:  "We have one job left, and that's to make sure that on election day, we make certain that everybody that's qualified to vote gets out to vote."

In the last few days, Mr Obama has been accompanied by stars including Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z and with appearances from former president Bill Clinton.

Both campaigns have victory rallies lined up, in Chicago and at Romney HQ in Boston, and the candidates will address the nation once the results are known.

There have already been some allegations of irregularities at polling stations and if the numbers are close, recounts and absentee ballots could mean it is days before the result is known.

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Call To End 'Gang Warfare' In Obama's Chicago

By Gary Mitchell, in Chicago

Matt DeMateo clearly remembers the day he had to tell his five-year-old daughter that her schoolmate had been shot dead on a porch.

The girl, Aliyah Shell, aged six, was an innocent victim in one of the hundreds of shootings that have blighted some of Chicago's poorest communities this year.

Her death in March refocused attention on gun violence in America and led to the Windy City's mayor, Rahm Emanuel, publicly challenging the unknown killer, telling a news conference: "How dare you?"

In some of Chicago's most deprived areas, where Barack Obama prepared for his political career as a community activist, people such as Mr DeMateo are hoping whoever is elected president will act to end the bloodshed.

Guns are easily bought in his neighbourhood of Little Village, in the west of the city.

A youth in Matt DeMateo's mentoring scheme was shot dead earlier this year

The 30-year-old pointed to scenes of shootings on virtually every block as he gave Sky News a tour of the area.

They are easy to spot because they are often marked with shrines made of beer bottles left by fellow gang members. Gang graffiti tags are everywhere.

He told how Aliyah's murder just a short drive from the house he shares with his wife and three children left his daughter fearing that they too would be shot.

"When you see and hear those kind of things growing up in a neighbourhood, it has a deep effect on people," he said. "It's traumatic."

Mr DeMateo runs a mentoring scheme for teenagers who have been put on probation for firearms offences.

Gangs use graffiti to taunt rivals in Little Village

He said his employer, Christian organisation New Life Centres, has had huge success turning young people's lives around and he insisted the area is mostly a vibrant and friendly community, not the "Godforsaken place" he said it is often portrayed as.

Sporting events run by the centre along with the YMCA tend to coincide with a drop in violence reported to police, he said, because teenagers who would otherwise be causing trouble are off the streets.

But he said they face an uphill battle as rival gang factions, whose members include boys as young as 13, engage in a turf war in which innocent victims such as Aliyah Shell are caught in the crossfire. The shooting in which she died was a retaliation for the killing of a 19-year-old man who had been helped by New Life Centres.

"We try to show young people that there's more to life than violence, but it's hard," he said. "There's no magic bullet. It's not easy to keep hearing moms wailing at funerals. I don't want to hear that sound any more."

Mr DeMateo questions whether his organisation's funding could be hit if Mr Obama were to lose to Mitt Romney, although the president is currently predicted by polls to be in line for a second term in the White House.

Emmy Lozano's grandson, 16, is a member of a gang

"A lot of the things we've got in the neighbourhood could be cut back," he said. "It could be harmful."

Emmy Lozano, 56, has lived in Little Village for 30 years. Each night as she goes to bed, she wonders if she will see her 16-year-old grandson alive again.

The boy, Manuel, has been sucked into a gang and not long ago he needed surgery after rivals set upon him, smashing his elbow with a plank of wood. She found him bleeding in the street.

"The president needs to do more for us," said Ms Lozano. "We need more money here. We have so many empty plots of land that aren't being used - why can't they create green spaces where these kids have something to do?

"It's scary here. I want to leave. I hear gunshots every week. We've lost a lot of young kids and too many mothers have suffered."

Support for Mr Obama remains strong - these posters are in the South Side

One ex-gang member helped by Mr DeMateo's team, a 17-year-old who cannot be named, told Sky News how he was arrested when he was 14 for carrying a gun. "I was on my way to kill a guy from another gang. I don't know why, I just had it in my head to do it."

He had joined a gang a year earlier when he started using marijuana and cocaine. "It was dumb. Being in a gang seemed like a good life. It was all b*******."

Chicago's murder rates have fallen in the past 10 years, but so far this year more than 440 people have been killed - greater than the death toll for all of last year. The murder rate here is higher than in New York or Los Angeles.

The city has attempted to deploy extra police to the worst-hit areas, but Mr DeMateo shrugs when he is asked about the police. "Police alone aren't the answer," he said. "There are many parts to the puzzle. We need to get to the cause of the problem."

A few miles away from Little Village, in Chicago's South Side, Father Michael Pfleger spent Sunday morning urging his congregation to vote and offering them free lifts to polling stations.

The unconventional Catholic priest at Saint Sabina's church is one of the city's most outspoken critics of guns and says he wants "whoever the next president may be" to ban assault weapons. Outside his church is a glass display containing pictures of local people who have been gunned down.

Fr Pfleger is quite a presence as he preaches in a style hard not to compare to an evangelist. On Sunday he danced to gospel music against the backdrop of a huge painting of a black Jesus and in front of a predominantly African-American audience before telling them: "You must vote. It is your obligation."

There is clear support for Mr Obama here - one parishioner was wearing a jacket bearing a large print of a smiling president, while others wore T-shirts branded with the Obama campaign logo.

Fr Pfleger hinted at his own liberal political leanings when he said things such as: "You can't be pro-life and not be against strong gun control in the community where these guns are killing our children."

Parts of the South Side show signs of neglect and lack green spaces

After the Mass he told Sky News the local neighbourhood of Auburn Gresham had recently seen a drop in shootings after several gangs agreed to stop fighting. He hopes gang members stick to the truce, but says that cannot happen unless jobs or education opportunities are found for them.

"Communities have post-traumatic stress from this violence that's rampaged... where teddy bears and police tape have become the new landmarks," he said.

"It's an undeclared war in urban America, but America has pretty much turned its back because the primary victim of this war is black and brown, and so they've ignored it.

"Whoever becomes the next president on Tuesday, we've got to put the pressure on them to deal with the guns, violence, education and poverty."

Asked if he felt it was Mr Obama's direct responsibility to tackle the issue, he said: "I don't think anybody in America or in the last generation of presidents has done enough to deal with violence. Part of that is our fault - we haven't forced them."

Koron Nash thinks the media exaggerates violence in his neighbourhood

Koron Nash, 32, who works for a scheme that finds jobs for young people in Auburn Gresham, said it was "unfair" to expect Mr Obama to do everything and said the media made too much of violence in the city.

"The majority of people here are good people," he said. "There is violence, there is anger, but I don't have a problem with that anger - it's just directed at the wrong people.

"We've got brothers shooting brothers, instead of directing that frustration at getting out of the mess that they're in."

His friend Tina Wallace, 35, a stay-at-home mother, said: "Things aren't as bad as they used to be."

Teacher Delores Wedgeworth, who lives near the church, said people were "realistic" that Mr Obama cannot tackle violence on his own.

"We know it's not going to happen overnight, that unemployment is just going to go away. But it's human nature to be impatient."

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New Zealand Mine Firm Ignored 21 Gas Warnings

A coal mining company ignored 21 warnings that methane gas had accumulated to explosive levels before a blast that killed 29 workers in New Zealand in 2010, an investigation has found.

The official report released today after 11 weeks of hearings on the disaster found broad safety problems and said Pike River Coal company exposed miners to unacceptable risks to meet financial targets.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said: "The company completely and utterly failed to protect its workers."

Twenty-nine workers were around 5,000ft from the mine entrance when the explosion took place. Further blasts occurred and the men were presumed to have been killed.

Labour minister Kate Wilkinson resigned from her post after the report was released, saying she felt it was the honourable thing to do.

Some of the 29 mine workers killed in the series of explosions

The Royal Commission report said New Zealand has a poor workplace safety record and regulators failed to provide adequate oversight before the explosion.

At the time of the disaster, there were only two mine inspectors who were unable to keep up with their workload, it said.

Pike River Coal was able to obtain a permit with no scrutiny of its health and safety plans.

The commission's report recommended a new agency should be set up to focus on workplace health and safety problems.

In the seven weeks before the explosion, Pike River Coal received 21 warnings from mine workers that methane gas had built up to explosive levels below ground and another 27 warnings of dangerous levels.

Prime Minister John Key said the company "failed to protect its workers"

Some workers even rigged their equipment to bypass the methane sensors after they kept automatically shutting down - which they were designed to do when methane levels got too high.

The report found the company made a "major error" by putting a ventilation fan underground instead of on the surface. It was also using water jets to cut the coal face - a technique which can release large amounts of methane.

It is not clear what sparked the explosion, although the report said a pump was switched on immediately before the blast.

The now-bankrupt Pike River Coal company is not defending itself against charges it committed nine labour violations.

Former chief executive Peter Whittall has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges.

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Afghan Civilian Massacre: US Soldier In Court

A US soldier charged with the premeditated murder of 16 civilians in Afghanistan is due to appear in a military court on Monday.

Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales is accused of walking off a US military base before dawn on March 11 and opening fire on families in their homes, killing nine Afghan children and seven adults and burning some of the bodies.

Six others were wounded, including one victim who died while under coalition care, meaning another murder charge could be added.

The Article 32 hearing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington will decide if the 39-year-old's case should proceed to a full court martial.

It is the worst case of civilian murders allegedly committed by an American in Afghanistan and severely strained US ties with the country.

Bales, a father-of-two from Lake Tapps in Washington, was quickly transferred back to America following the attack, a move which further angered the Afghan authorities.

His wife, Karilyn, who plans to attend the hearing, has repeatedly argued he could not have committed the atrocity.

Afghan villagers will give evidence via video-link after they refused to leave their homes to take part in the two-week hearing.

The graves of some of the victims of the massacre

Bales' mental state is likely to be central to the defence case.

He was on his fourth tour of duty, after three stints in Iraq, where he suffered head and foot injuries.

Prosecutors allege Bales repeatedly abused steroids and was drinking alcohol the night before the killings. 

The hearing will also feature the first public airing of a surveillance blimp video that is said to show Bales returning to camp and surrendering.

Legal experts suggest Bales is unlikely to be executed even if he is found guilty of premeditated murder. He is more likely to be given a life sentence.

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Chicago: First US Gun Tax 'Will Stem Carnage'

By Gary Mitchell, in Chicago

A leading anti-gun campaigner has told Sky News a new tax on guns will help end "carnage" on the streets of Chicago - where firearms now change hands for as little as $20.

There have been more than 440 murders in Barack Obama's adopted home city so far this year, surpassing last year's total of 435.

Most involved gang shootings in the south and west of the city. It has been dubbed America's "murder capital" with a higher rate of killings than New York or Los Angeles.

Cook County, which takes in Chicago, is believed to be the first city in the US to introduce a firearms tax. It was approved by county officials on Friday.

Father Michael Pfleger, pastor of St Sabina Church in the city's South Side, said the $25 levy is a start.

"Guns are causing carnage on our streets," he said.

"Anything that makes them harder to get hold of, no matter how small, is to be welcomed.

Father Michael Pfleger has lobbied hard over gun laws

"We tax things like alcohol and cigarettes, but we haven't been taxing firearms.

"But I'd prefer if the tax was a lot higher, and if every single bullet was taxed."

A proposed tax of five cents per bullet was abandoned by Cook County because the tax would, in some cases, have exceeded the price of ammunition.

Officials said nearly a third of guns used in Chicago crimes were purchased legally in Cook County.

However, despite the surge in fatal shootings, gun control is not one of the big issues in the current presidential race - it was discussed only briefly in the second election debate.

Mr Obama, who has been attempting to win over conservative voters in battleground states, has refrained from stricter restrictions.

Father Pfleger, whose church is in the troubled Englewood area, has for years been lobbying for stronger gun laws, which are opposed by the National Rifle Association.

No fewer than 12 people have been shot dead in the three-square-mile Englewood district since the start of this year, according to RedEye, which tracks the latest figures from Chicago police and hospitals.

It lies a short drive away from the Kenwood family home of Mr Obama, who was a community activist in the South Side before entering politics. A man was shot a block away from his mansion in August.

Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel

In the summer, Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel was in Englewood to announce a move to secure or demolish vacant buildings to stop gangs using them as gathering places.

He has also attempted to increase policing in the worst-hit areas, but the death toll continues to rise and the police force has been hit with budget cuts.

Hermene Hartman, publisher of N'Digo, a Chicago magazine focused on African-Americans, said the South Side was like a "war zone". Whoever ends up in the White House for the next four years needs to do more to focus on urban crime, she said.

"Nobody is talking about urban America, the fear that people suffer," she told Sky News.

"Here in Chicago, people have been dying in greater numbers than in Afghanistan.

"People are afraid of letting their kids go to school, play outside. They fear doing everyday things because people are being killed.

"How do we figure out what's making these kids so violent? We've got to focus on these crime areas."

Cook County's gun tax is expected to raise $600,000 (£375,000) next year, which will be contributed to healthcare for survivors of shootings.

The tax has been criticised by the Illinois State Rifle Association, which said people will simply travel elsewhere to buy guns.

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Syrian Tanks 'Cross Into Israeli-Held Territory'

Israel says three Syrian tanks have entered the demilitarised zone in the Golan Heights for the first time in 40 years.

Israel restricted its response to complaining to the UN peacekeepers who monitor the de facto truce in the area, which was captured from Syria in 1967.

But the entry highlights the threat of the ever-worsening conflict spreading beyond its borders.

It was not immediately clear why the tanks had crossed the frontier, but Israeli media said the tanks had been in combat in the Syrian village of Beer Ajam where rebels have been trying to overthrow President Bashar al Assad.

Stray ordnance has previously exploded on the Israeli side as Syrian forces have conducted operations nearby.

Rebels also launched a major assault on the Taftanaz airbase in the northern province of Idlib, which is used to deploy regime air power.

Video posted on the internet is said to show rebel fighters firing rockets at the airbase, and being fired on as they try to secure a strategic north-south corridor.

Israel seized the Golan Heights in 1967

The attack on the Taftanaz base, from where helicopter gunships raid opposition positions and rebel-held areas, comes after troops launched an unprecedented wave of air strikes to try to reverse the rebels' gains.

The video said eight battalions were taking part in the attack, including the radical Islamist Al-Nusra Front.

It showed a missile launcher mounted on the back of a pick-up truck firing on regime positions.

The development came as video emerged from Syria which purportedly shows rebels filming as an attack jet targeted them.

The Syrian Revolution General Commission, a network of activists on the ground, said an operation had begun "to liberate the Taftanaz airbase".

Analysts said rebel forces clearly have the momentum in the battle for Syria's northwest.

"The rebels' gains in the north seem irreversible," said Thomas Pierret, a Syria expert at the University of Edinburgh's Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies department.

He said regime forces appeared to be concentrating their efforts in the region on defending the embattled commercial hub of Aleppo, which has been cut off from Damascus and the Mediterranean coast due to rebel advances in the past month.

"The problem with this strategy is that the Aleppo garrisons are now largely isolated. It is likely they will fall in the months to come," he said.

The fresh clashes came as the opposition prepared for key talks starting in Qatar on Sunday, where the United States is expected to push for a new umbrella organisation to unite the country's fractured regime opponents.

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British Soldier Stabbed To Death In Cyprus

A British soldier has been stabbed to death during a fight with UK tourists in a Cyprus nightclub, police have said.

Cypriot police said four off-duty soldiers stationed on the island got involved in an altercation with three tourists in the early hours of Sunday morning.

One of the tourists then allegedly drew a switch blade knife and stabbed the teenage soldier, according to police spokesman Georgios Economou.

He said: "Today at around 3.30am while a group of British soldiers from Dhekelia garrison were enjoying themselves at a club in Ayia Napa they had a confrontation with three of their compatriots.

"During the confrontation one of the three drew what is believed to be a knife injuring the soldier in the chest."

He was pronounced dead on arrival at Famagusta General Hospital in nearby Paralimni.

Connie Pierce, a British military spokeswoman, said the incident took place in a part of Ayia Napa that is off limits to British soldiers because of past trouble there.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed a British soldier was killed following a fight on the island. The dead soldier has not been identified.

Britain retains two military bases on the island after the former colony gained independence in 1960, with around 9,000 troops stationed there.

Ayia Napa is a popular resort destination for young holidaymakers, especially British tourists attracted by the nightlife.

More follows...

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