Microsoft Becomes Latest Victim Of Hackers

Microsoft has become the latest victim of computer hacking following US technology giants Facebook and Apple.

In a blog posting, Microsoft said it had found no evidence that any customer data had been stolen in the cyber attack, which saw malicious software planted on a small number of its computers.

General manager Matt Thomlinson said: "As reported by Facebook and Apple, Microsoft can confirm that we also recently experienced a similar security intrusion.

"During our investigation, we found a small number of computers, including some in our Mac business unit, that were infected by malicious software using techniques similar to those documented by other organisations."

Microsoft  gave few other details about the break-in, except to say that was it similar to a hacking attack that online social networking leader Facebook disclosed last week.

Facebook said malware that infected some of its machines came from a mobile developer website that had been booby-trapped.

A "small number" of computer systems at Apple were infected but they were isolated from the main network and there was no evidence that any data left Apple, the company said.

Online messaging service Twitter also recently disclosed that hackers may have stolen information about 250,000 of its users.

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Pentagon Grounds Fleet Of F-35 Fighter Jets

The Pentagon has grounded the US military's entire fleet of F-35 fighter jets after discovering a cracked engine turbine blade in one plane.

The problem was discovered during what the Pentagon called a routine inspection of an F-35A Lightning II, the US Air Force's version of the new plane.

The US Navy and the US Marine Corps are buying other versions of the F-35, which is intended to replace older fighter jets like the Air Force's F-16 and the Navy and Marine Corps' F/A-18.

All versions - a total of 51 planes - were grounded on Friday pending an investigation.

The Pentagon said it was too early to know the full impact of the newly discovered problem.

It said: "On February 19, 2013, a routine engine inspection revealed a crack on a low pressure turbine blade of an F135 engine installed in a CTOL test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

"Engineering teams are shipping the turbine blade to Pratt & Whitney's Engine Facility in Middletown, CT, to conduct a thorough evaluation and root cause analysis.

"It is too early to know the fleet-wide impact of this finding, however as a precautionary measure, all F-35 flight operations have been suspended until the investigation is complete and the cause of the blade crack is fully understood.

"The F-35 Joint Program Office is working closely with Pratt & Whitney and Lockheed Martin at all F-35 locations to assess the integrity of the engine, and to return the fleet safely to flight as soon as possible."

The F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons programme, with a total estimated cost of nearly $400bn (£262bn).

The Pentagon has planned to buy more than 2,400 F-35s, but some members of Congress are hesitant due to the hefty price tag.

The UK has ordered 48 F-35s to fly off the Royal Navy's new Queen Elizabeth carrier once it is built in 2018. Britain has also invested in the development of the jet.

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Italy: Briton Held Over Tour Guide Murder

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

A Briton has been arrested in Italy for the murder of a tour guide and the attempted killing of another man.

Jason Peter Marshall, 24, was held by police early on Saturday after they traced him through his mobile phone signal to a late night bus.

He was arrested after a 55-year-old man was found severely beaten in the bedroom of his apartment in central Rome, following calls to police when neighbours heard screams and calls for help.

When officers arrived on the scene, the victim identified Marshall as his attacker and described how he had been threatened with a gun, badly beaten with a telescopic cosh and smothered with a pillow.

Marshall is said to have fled the apartment with €400 (£348), credit cards and the victim's iPad as he allegedly tried to erase all traces of contact between him and the victim.

Marshall, who is originally from Greenwich, southeast London, is said to have arrived in Italy last month and police in Rome have confirmed he is also the prime suspect in the murder of tour guide Vincenzo Iale.

The 68-year-old was found strangled and stabbed to death in his flat at Torvajanica, on the outskirts of Rome, four weeks ago with his bank card missing.

Police said Marshall was being held in Rome's Regina Coeli jail on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, kidnap and possessing offensive weapons.

Sources said the victims had been targeted through gay internet chat rooms.

A Rome police source said: "This could easily have been a double murder investigation and the second victim - although badly hurt - can think himself lucky he is not dead."

No one from the British Embassy in Rome was immediately available for comment and Marshall is expected to be questioned further by prosecutors ahead of appearing before an investigating judge.

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El Chapo: Mexican Drug Lord 'Shot Dead'

The world's most powerful drug lord, Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzman, has been killed in a gun battle between drug gangs, Guatemalan authorities suspect.

The 58-year-old head of the Sinaloa cartel is thought to have been among the bodies left after the shoot-out in a remote rural area of Peten, in Guatemala.

Residents who witnessed the clashes have told authorities that one of the two dead men resembled the Mexican drug baron.

Police and soldiers are to search the area in an attempt to locate the scene of the fight on the border with Mexico where drug violence has increased.

Joaquín Archivaldo Guzman Loera, also known as 'Shorty Guzman' because of his 5ft6in height, is one of America's most wanted criminals.

Police and soldiers are to search Peten to find El Chapo

He has been the most powerful drug lord since his rival was captured in 2003 and since 2009 has been named every year by Forbes as one of the world's most powerful people with an estimated fortune of $1bn.

Last week he was named Chicago's Public Enemy No 1, a name not given to any criminal since Al Capone.

JR Davis, president of the Chicago Crime Commission, said: "Not since the Chicago Crime Commission's first Public Enemy No. 1 has any criminal deserved this title more than Joaquín Guzman."

Chicago is one of the Sinaloa's most important cities, both as a place to sell drugs but also as a hub to distribute them across the US.

US drug officers say El Chapo would "eat Capone for breakfast"

The US sees him as such a threat that it has put a $5m reward for information leading to his capture.

The Drug Enforcement Agency believe he has surpassed the infamous drug lord of the 1980s, Pablo Escobar, in terms of both his notoriety and the scale of his operation.

He has been in hiding since escaping from a Mexican prison in a laundry cart in 2001.

Interior Minister Mauricio Lopez Bonilla said that police and soldiers would begin searching the area on foot and in the air at first light today.

However, the authorities have stressed they had only received reports of the battle from local people.

Government spokesman Francisco Cuevas told Guatevision Television that two drug gangs had clashed in Peten.

"We have to wait for all the technical information in order to determine if, in fact, one of the dead is of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzman," Cuevas said.

Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar was captured by Mexican marines in June

Interior Department spokeswoman Carla Herrera said that one of the victims physically resembled the drug lord.

She said officials had asked the Mexican government to send Guzman's fingerprints to compare them to the man found inside a vehicle and to send investigators.

Peten province is an isolated area of jungle and ranches where 27 ranch workers were massacred in 2011 by the Zetas drug gang, a top rival for Guzman's Sinaloa drug cartel.

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Oscar Pistorius: Prosecution's Closing Speech

Prosecutors have warned that Oscar Pistorius has the "money, means and motive" to flee South Africa if he is given bail.

The athlete is accused of shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead, and a judge is expected to decide whether to grant him bail today.

While trying to persuade the judge that Pistorius is a flight risk, Gerrie Nel compared the case to that of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

"His face is well-known all over the world and he's sitting in embassy in London," he said.

He also suggested that Pistorius could also consider changing his facial appearance to avoid being recognised.

In a closing statement, Mr Nel said that Pistorius' version of events was "improbable" and that the level of violence used was "horrific".

He added that the athlete - who has often cried during proceedings - was feeling sorry for himself, and feared that his career was over.

His defence said the offence he faces should be culpable homicide, adding: "He did not want to kill Reeva."

Oscar Pistorius claims the death was a tragic mistake

He also said it was difficult for Pistorius to disappear because of his disability.

Earlier, his coach Ampie Louw said that if the athlete is granted bail, he will start training again next week.

Members of Miss Steenkamp's family are also in court for the hearing.

On Thursday, police were forced to pull their lead detective off the athlete's case after it emerged he himself faces attempted murder charges for shooting at a minibus.

Defence lawyers for Pistorius say the athlete shot dead his girlfriend by a terrible mistake, and deserves bail to prepare for his case.

They say the case has been marred by a bungled police investigation.

The 'blade runner', whose lower legs were amputated in infancy, is said to have killed model Reeva Steenkamp, 29, in the early hours of St Valentine's Day at his home.

Prosecutors have told the court it was a premeditated murder, with Pistorius firing four shots through a locked toilet door at Ms Steenkamp on the other side.

She was hit in the head, arm and hip.

Witnesses said they heard gunshots and screams from the home in a gated community surrounded by three-metre-high stone walls and an electric fence.

Pistorius contends he was acting in self-defence.

He says he mistook Ms Steenkamp for an intruder and felt vulnerable because he was unable to attach his prosthetic limbs in time to confront the threat.

The 26-year-old said he grabbed a 9-mm pistol from under his bed and went into the bathroom.

Pistorius described how he fired into the locked toilet door in a blind panic in the mistaken belief that the intruder was lurking inside.

Bail hearings in South Africa allow for prosecutors and defence lawyers to lay out their basic arguments, based on preliminary evidence.

The arrest of Pistorius stunned millions who watched in awe last year as the Olympic and Paralympic sprinter reached the semi-final of the 400m in the London Olympics.

The impact has been greatest in sports-mad South Africa, where Pistorius was seen as a rare hero who commanded respect from both blacks and whites, transcending the racial divides that persist 19 years after the end of apartheid.

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Oscar Pistorius: Cop Called Over Shooting Charges

The police officer leading the Oscar Pistorius case has been summoned by the magistrate after it emerged he has been charged with seven counts of attempted murder from 2011.

Hilton Botha and two other officers reportedly opened fire on seven passengers in a taxi mini-bus in an attempt to stop it. It is alleged that the officers, who were on duty at the time, were drunk.

They were arrested after the event in October 2011 and charges were initially dropped but were reinstated by the state prosecutor in the days before the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius arrived in court for the third day of the bail hearing and hopes to find out today whether he will be remanded in custody until his murder trial.

Oscar Pistorius arrives at court for the third day of his bail hearing

The hearing was adjourned briefly after the magistrate summoned Botha to the courtroom. However, he was only asked to clarify whether he had examined the mobile phone records of Pistorius and Miss Steenkamp in the hours surrounding the shooting incident.

Prosecutors have said that it is up to police to decide whether to drop Botha from the investigation, however, police are insisting that at present he is still involved in the case.

An earlier report from Eyewitness News had quoted a National Prosecuting Authority spokesman as saying that Botha "cannot continue with this case".

Neville Malila said they had bolstered the investigation team

Botha only discovered the charges against him had been reinstated yesterday. He is set to appear in court in May but police plan to keep him on the Pistorius murder case.

The South African Police Service has confirmed the charges against the detective and launched an investigation which may see Botha suspended.

Spokesman Neville Malila said: "We were only informed yesterday that attempted murders charges against Hilton Botha have been reinstated."

He said that Botha remained on the Pistorius case and that the charges would not hamper Botha's investigation into the circumstances of the Valentine's Day shooting at Pistorius' Silver Lakes home.

Hilton Botha arrives at court to give evidence at Pistorius' bail hearing

But he added that they had bolstered the team investigating the alleged murder of Miss Steenkamp.

It is unclear why the charges against Botha were reinstated. He denies being drunk and  has told a South African news channel that he was chasing suspects.

Medupe Simasiku, the spokesman for National Prosecution Agency, said: "The (Pistorius) prosecutors were not aware of those charges (against Botha)."

Oscar Pistorius is due to find out whether he will be granted bail

Under cross-examination during Pistorius' bail hearing, Botha was accused of contaminating the crime scene in the paralympic star's home and backtracked on key details, including the distance of witnesses from the house.

In his often confused testimony, Botha, who was described as a 24-year police veteran with 16 years as a detective, conceded that police had left a 9 mm slug from the shots that killed Miss Steenkamp inside a toilet at the scene.

Police also lost track of illegal ammunition found inside the house, Botha said, and the detective himself walked through the crime scene without wearing protective shoe covers, potentially contaminating the area.

He also claimed in court that police found boxes of testosterone and needles in multiple Paralympic champion Pistorius' bedroom following the Valentine's Day shooting last week, but then said later he wasn't sure what the exact name of the substance was.

The lead defence counsel Barry Roux accused the police of oversights and mistakes on their initial investigation.

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Oscar Pistorius Sobs As Bail Verdict Due

Oscar Pistorius' lawyers said that there was no evidence to support a premeditated murder charge against the athlete as the bail hearing moved into its third day.

Barry Roux stressed that the police evidence against Pistorius was poor, as he argued that the Olympic and Paralympic sprinter should be granted bail.

As the court hearing got under way, Nike confirmed that it had suspended its endorsement contract with Pistorius.

A spokesman said: "We believe Oscar Pistorius should be afforded due process and we will continue to monitor the situation closely."

The developments come as it emerged overnight that the police officer leading the investigation was himself facing seven charges of attempted murder for shooting at a minibus while on duty in 2011.

Oscar Pistorius clutches at a tissue

It is alleged he, and two other officers, were drunk at the time. The charges had been dropped but were reinstated by the state prosecutor yesterday.

Botha denies being drunk and says he was chasing suspects as part of an investigation.

It follows a day in which the lead detective investigating the alleged murder admitted to a series of mistakes and inconsistencies.

On Wednesday, the court in Pretoria was told that a witness heard "non-stop shouting" coming from Pistorius' home before he shot his girlfriend dead.

The witness overheard a "row" said to have come from the property at the exclusive Silver Lakes Golf Estate between 2am and 3am on Valentine's Day, the prosecution said.

Pistorius arrives in court for day three of his hearing

Lead detective Hilton Botha later said under cross examination that the person who overheard the argument was in a house 600m away.

But after he was questioned again by prosecutor Gerrie Nel he stated the distance was much closer.

Miss Steenkamp, 29, was hit by three bullets - one in the head, the hip and arm, Pretoria Magistrates Court heard.

Pistorius has admitted shooting the model with a 9mm pistol pulled from under his bed, but claims he did so thinking she was a burglar who was in the bathroom.

After realising his mistake, he said he broke down the door with a cricket bat and carried her downstairs.

Hilton Botha was called back to court to give evidence on phone records

The runner said he shot through the door while on his stumps.

But the court heard that the bullets' trajectory was through the top of the door and Mr Botha claimed the bullets were fired down, suggesting Pistorius was wearing his prosthetic legs when the shots were discharged.

He said: "I believe he knew she was in the bathroom and he shot four shots through the door."

The court also heard that two boxes of testosterone and needles were found in Pistorius's bedroom.

Mr Roux countered prosecution claims that testosterone was found, saying it was actually a herbal remedy, called Testocompasutium co-enzyme.

*The family of the athlete have devoted his official website to updates about the bail hearing and messages of support.

"We will issue at least two statements a day, in order to provide the media with the freshest news, taking into account the time differences," said Janine Hills, the chief executive of Vuma corporate reputation management.

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Syria: 'Dozens Killed' In Car Bomb Attack

At least 31 people have been killed in a car bombing near the headquarters of the ruling Baath party in Syria's capital, opposition activists said.

The UK-based group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said most of the dead were civilians, but members of the Syrian security services were also killed in the Damascus attack.

Witnesses and opposition activists said the explosion targeted a security checkpoint in the central Mazraa neighbourhood.

State media also reported the blast, claiming a "large number" of civilians were killed and hurt in what it said was a suicide bombing.

It claimed the attack was carried out by "terrorists" battling President Bashar al Assad in a two-year uprising.

Syrian television broadcast footage of several bodies along a main street and firefighters dousing dozens of burning vehicles.

It reported that casualties included children at a nearby school.

Debris was spread over a wide area and black smoke billowed into the sky.

Eyewitnesses said a car had exploded at a security checkpoint between the Russian embassy and the HQ of Mr Assad's party.

President Assad's forces are battling Syrian rebels

The windows of the embassy were blown out by the blast but none of its staff were hurt, Russian news agencies reported.

And a police official at the scene told the AFP news agency: "It was a car bomb at the 16 November Square, near the Al Iman mosque."

One local resident said: "It was huge, everything in the shop turned upside down."

Damascus has so far mostly avoided the large-scale violence that has destroyed other Syrian cities.

But rebels who control districts to the south and east of the capital have been attacking Mr Assad's power base for nearly a month, and have carried out devastating bombings several times in the last year.

The United Nations has said around 70,000 people have died in the uprising since it began in March 2011.

Meanwhile, the opposition umbrella organisation, the Syrian National Coalition, is willing to negotiate a peace deal to end the war but Mr Assad cannot be a party to any settlement, a communique drafted for a major opposition meeting has said.

The communique, seen by Reuters, left out a direct demand for the president's removal, in a softening of tone from past positions that insisted he must go before there could be any talks.

The document, to be debated at a meeting of the opposition alliance's leadership, said Mr Assad and his chiefs must be held accountable for bloodshed and that any peace deal must be arranged by the United States and Russia.

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North Korea Video Shows Obama In Flames

A new North Korean video shows President Barack Obama and American troops in flames and blames US hostility for its recent nuclear test.

The footage was uploaded on YouTube - two weeks after a separate video that showed New York City burning after an apparent missile attack.

Both videos were uploaded by the North's official website, Uriminzokkiri, which distributes news and propaganda from the state media.

The latest video came with a series of Korean-language captions, arguing that North Korea had been forced into conducting its latest nuclear test on February 12 because of US hostility.

"The North's high-level nuclear test aimed at US invaders, is the nuclear deterrent to safeguard our sovereignty," one caption read.

"The US practically guided the North towards conducting the nuclear test," it added.

The video showed images of Mr Obama waving and preparing to deliver his State of the Union address - all superimposed against a background of rising flames.

It ended with an animated sequence of a nuclear bomb being detonated in an underground bunker and the message: "The whole world is now watching. The US must answer now".

The North's latest test was its biggest yet in terms of explosive yield and, according to Pyongyang, marked a breakthrough in its efforts to develop a "miniaturised" warhead that could fit on a ballistic missile.

The earlier video posted by Uriminzokkiri had to be withdrawn, after it emerged that the footage of a burning New York was taken from the Call of Duty video game.

The makers of the game, California-based Activision, filed a copyright complaint.

The US is negotiating in the Security Council for stronger UN sanctions against Pyongyang following its nuclear test in the far northeast, the country's third since 2006.

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Oscar Pistorius: Prosecution Outlines Case

Prosecutors have directly challenged two of Oscar Pistorius' key claims about the night he shot and killed his girlfriend.

Investigating officer Hilton Botha says a witness saw lights on after the shooting - despite the Paralympian earlier claiming he was too frightened to switch on the light fearing intruders were inside his home.

A statement on behalf of the 26-year-old athlete - read out in court on Tuesday - also said he was not wearing his prosthetic legs at the time and felt vulnerable.

But Mr Botha said that the trajectory of the shots was downward, suggesting that he was firing from a standing position.

The court also heard that "non-stop shouting" was heard coming from Pistorius' home before Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead.

A diagram of Oscar Pistorius' bathroom was shown to the court

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said the prosecution team has a witness who heard the shouting between 2am and 3am.

The details were revealed as the second day of the 26-year-old athlete's bail hearing began at Pretoria Magistrates' Court.

In an affidavit, Pistorius has denied murdering the model Miss Steenkamp, 29, at his home in the early hours of Thursday.

He has said the couple were in love and he fired through a closed toilet door within the bathroom, hitting the victim, thinking a burglar or burglars were inside.

Mr Botha described the moment he arrived at the athlete's house in the early hours of the morning and found Miss Steenkamp's body lying on the ground floor at the bottom of the stairs.

Miss Steenkamp's funeral was held in Port Elizabeth

He said she was dressed in white shorts and a black top, and covered in towels.

The officer told the court that he saw a firearm on the shower mat, and one bullet cartridge in the passageway and three in the bathroom.

He said unlicensed .38 calibre ammunition was found at his home, and he wanted the Olympian charged with unlawful possession.

Needles and testosterone were also found in his bedroom, the court heard.

Earlier the Paralympian arrived at the court in the back of a police car with a blue blanket covering his head. He entered the courtroom wearing a dark suit and tie just after 8am UK time.

The chances of Pistorius being given bail lessened at the first bail hearing on Tuesday after Magistrate Desmond Nair ruled the case a schedule six offence - meaning premeditated murder.

It means his lawyers now have to prove "exceptional circumstances" for him to be granted bail until he goes to trial.

Mr Botha told the court that Pistorius is a "flight risk" and could flee if given bail.

He said the athlete has offshore accounts and a house in Italy, and stresses that South Africa does not have extradition agreements with all countries.

Pistorius has said he had been a victim of crime and received death threats, but the court heard there were no records of this.

His father Henke and brother Carl - who have supported him in the two previous hearings - looked on from the public gallery.

The proceedings were delayed as more than 100 journalists squeezed into court to report the hearing.

There were chaotic scenes as one reporter fainted, an overflow room was set up to provide more space and courtroom screens had technical problems.

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Elephant Campaign Targets China Consumers

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

The power of the internet is being used to transcend language and cultural barriers in an effort to halt a massive spike in the slaughter of elephants in east Africa.

A leading elephant welfare charity has launched a campaign with the help of New York artist Asher Jay aimed at targeting Chinese consumers who are thought to be fuelling the illegal and bloody trade in ivory.

"Last year's unofficial figure was 149 dead of which 139 were illegally killed, and there are many more uncounted." Dr Joyce Poole, the co-founder of ElephantVoices told Sky News in an email from her field research in the Maasai Mara game reserve in Kenya.

"In the last few days I have had word of five dead from one area of the Mara. This could all be stopped if we can get the word out in Asia. Surely people need to understand that tusks have to be hacked out with an axe."

The charity is basing its campaign on two works of art commissioned from artist Asher Jay. The two posters display slogans written in Chinese.

The slogans read 'Every Tusk Costs A Life; Don't Buy Ivory' and 'Every Tusk Costs A Life; Stop The Trade' and the Chinese characters are designed to resemble elephants.

"ElephantVoices is doing something unique by making the graphic art available online in several versions, so they can be shared on social networks and be used for T-shirts, bumper-stickers, posters and banners", executive director Petter Granli said.

Sky News has decided to make a Chinese translation of this article available online in an attempt to broaden awareness of the campaign. The article will be posted on the Chinese version of Twitter - Weibo.

Elephant tusks are used in the ivory trade

With an ever increasing foothold and influence in Africa, China is widely believed to be behind a concerning increase in ivory poaching which is illegal worldwide. The ivory is smuggled by ship and also in commercial flights from east Africa to China and other Asian countries.

There it is manufactured into high-end decorative goods which are increasingly popular with China's growing middle class. ElephantVoices and other charities are concerned that those who buy the ivory have no idea of the impact it is having.

"Tusks are not shed like antlers, they do not drop out and they just cannot be removed from living elephants. To obtain them you must hack them out with an axe." ElephantVoices explained in their campaign.

"The tusks of male elephants are much larger than those of females. Poachers target elephants with the largest tusks, killing the mature, breeding males first. When they are dead and gone, poachers set their sights on younger males."

But it is the legendary intelligence of the elephant which focuses attention on their plight that much more. Experts explain that in many cases, when an elephant is slaughtered, it cries out.

Other elephants then hear that crying and in keeping with their social nature, they follow the noise. They too are then drawn into the poachers trap.

"We are asking people to help us reach out to potential buyers of ivory who don't realise that elephants are dying in record-high numbers for trinkets and decorations. The only way to stop this wanton slaughter of elephants is to choke demand for ivory and stop the trade," Dr Poole said.

An elephant that was killed by poachers

ElephantVoices describes elephant societies at the moment as resembling human communities after a prolonged war: most of the adult males - with their big tusks - have been killed.

"There are no role models for the elephant sons. As the number of adult males available to kill declines, poachers turn to the older females - the leaders of elephant society." ElephantVoices explained.

"They kill the family elders first, taking out the matriarchs, one by one. As the price of ivory increases with rising demand, the poachers slaughter the elephant mothers and daughters, causing the disintegration of entire families.

"An elephant's child, like a human child, cannot survive without the loving care of its mother. Africa's elephant orphans are succumbing in droves to starvation, grief and death."

ElephantVoices says it believes the Chinese government and the people of China have a special responsibility to end the killings. They claim that 90% of the ivory available in China is from slaughtered elephants.

"Chinese buyers deserve to know that tens of thousands of elephants are being killed to supply them with ivory. Every tusk costs a life. China has the ability to raise public awareness and to enforce their strict laws to quickly strangle the trading, buying and poaching," Ms Poole said.

"China can stop her countrymen causing the destruction of Africa's heritage and biodiversity, while concurrently protecting her enormous investments on the African continent. We urge China to take action now to end any trade in ivory - we cannot afford to lose Africa's keystone species." she said.

A Chinese translation of this Sky News article is available and will be posted on the Chinese version of Twitter - Weibo - in an effort to broaden the awareness of the issue.

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Reeva Steenkamp Funeral: Family Pay Tribute

The family of shot Reeva Steenkamp have paid an emotional tribute following her funeral, as one mourner said her killer must "stay in jail".

They attended a private service in Port Elizabeth as her boyfriend, the athlete Oscar Pistorius, appeared in court charged with premeditated murder.

Ms Steenkamp died from gun wounds

Mike Steenkamp, her uncle, said they would remain positive about her life: "We have to keep Reeva in our hearts forever." 

He also thanked well-wishers in South Africa and around the world for their "tremendous" compassion.

Ms Steenkamp's brother, Adam, said: "There's a space missing inside all the people that she knew that can't be filled again. We'll miss her."

Mourners including her father Barry and mother June earlier comforted each other outside a crematorium in the city, in southern South Africa, before the 29-year-old's casket was carried inside.

Gavin Venter, who used to work for Barry Steenkamp, said: "Without a doubt (Pistorius) is a danger to the public ... He must stay in jail. He's already shown how dangerous he can be for what he did to Reeva."

The model and law graduate died from gunshot wounds on Thursday.

Hundreds of miles away from the funeral, prosecutors have been laying out details of the case against Pistorius, 26, at a bail hearing in Pretoria.

They say Paralympian and Olympian Pistorius, who denies murder, put on his prosthetic legs and walked seven metres before firing four times through a bathroom door at his luxury home in Pretoria, killing her.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the packed court that an unarmed Ms Steenkamp locked herself inside the cramped bathroom because she was scared after a row.

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Diamond Heist: Raid At International Airport

Armed robbers have pulled off an audacious heist at Brussels airport, making off with diamonds worth around $50m (£32.2m).

The robbery was "one of the biggest" ever, a spokeswoman for the Antwerp World Diamond Centre said, adding that the diamonds were "rough stones" being transported from Antwerp to Zurich.

Earlier reports had put the value of the shipment at about £300m.

The gang of eight  thieves hit a Brinks transport truck on the airport tarmac as its contents were being loaded onto a Swiss aircraft bound for Zurich, according to Belgian state TV.

An airport spokesman said the robbers cut a whole in a perimeter fence but was unable to explain why it had been so easy for them to avoid security.

"We abide by the most stringent rules," Jan Van Der Crujsse said.

Brussels prosecutor's spokeswoman Anja Bijnens said the masked men drove two vehicles up to the plane.

Reports said no shots were fired and no-one was injured as the heist was completed in a matter of minutes.

Police found a burnt-out van close to the airport on Monday night but are looking for further clues.

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Oscar Pistorius 'Put On Legs To Kill Partner'

Prosecutors claim Oscar Pistorius got up from bed, put on his prosthetic legs and walked seven metres before firing through a bathroom door and killing his girlfriend.

During the hearing, prosecutor Gerrie Nel argued the Paralympian fired four shots at unarmed Reeva Steenkamp through a closed door, showing it was a premeditated murder. He added there was "a motive to kill".

Magistrate Desmond Nair ruled that, for the purpose of the bail hearing, the case was a schedule six offence or premeditated murder, which means it will be difficult for the 26-year-old to get bail. 

Earlier, Mr Nel said Ms Steenkamp fled to the small, cramped bathroom and locked herself in because she was scared after they'd had a row on Valentine's Day.

Oscar Pistorius is charged with murdering Reeva Steenkamp

The 29-year-old model died from "three shots" last Thursday at Pistorius' home in South Africa. The family attended her funeral in Port Elizabeth this morning.

Mr Nel said the defence had a number of questions to answer, including:

:: Why did Pistorius carry Ms Steenkamp's body down a staircase after she was shot?

:: Why didn't Pistorius look for his girlfriend if he suspected there was a burglar in the house?

:: Why did Ms Steenkamp lock herself in the toilet - was she afraid of being shot or killed?

:: Why did he put on his prosthetic limbs and walk seven metres to the bathroom?

Mr Nel said: "If I arm myself, walk a distance and murder a person, that is premeditated. The door is closed. There is no doubt. I walk seven metres and I kill. The motive is 'I want to kill'. That's it."

He added: "It wouldn't be correct for me to venture into the motive now. We can say that there was a motive to kill."

Meanwhile the athlete's defence lawyer Barry Roux said there was no evidence of premeditation, insisting he had mistaken Ms Steenkamp for a burglar.

Arguing the law graduate's death was accidental, he said: "We submit it is not even murder. There is no concession this is a murder."

"All we really know is she locked herself behind the toilet door and she was shot," he added.

"Was it to kill her, or was it to get her out?" Mr Roux asked the court, referring to the broken-down door.

Pistorius, who won two gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, broke down in tears during the hearing which will determine whether he should get bail.

Sky's special correspondent Alex Crawford, who is inside the court in Pretoria, said the double amputee's "face was creased in pain" and he was "weeping" as he was formally charged with murder.

The prosecutor said Pistorius, nicknamed the Bladerunner, "killed an innocent woman".

For the first time, Pistorius is expected to explain how his girlfriend died during the hearing.

Crawford said his defence team will detail why he should be given bail, arguing that he is not a danger to society or himself and is not going to abscond.

At the start of proceedings, Pistorius, in a grey suit and tie, nodded after the chief magistrate asked if he was well. And he nodded his appreciation when his brother, Carl, pressed his shoulder in support.

Journalists jammed into the courtroom, which was full with almost 100 people, including Pistorius' father, Henke, and sister Aimee.

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British Cycling Couple Die In Thailand Crash

A British couple who were more than 18 months into a round-the-world cycling trip have been killed in a crash in Thailand.

Mary Thompson and Peter Root, from Guernsey, had ridden across 23 countries including Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and China since starting out on July 12, 2011.

The pair, both in their mid-thirties, had been documenting their travels across Europe and Central Asia through film and on a blog at www.twoonfourwheels.com.

Police said they were travelling along the hard shoulder of a main road in eastern Chachoengsao province when a pick-up truck veered out of its lane and hit them.

"They were tourists who had travelled through several countries before reaching Thailand," said local police lieutenant Chaiyong Butrwan.

He said the 25-year-old Thai driver, who was arrested at the scene on Wednesday, had reached down to pick up his hat from the floor of the truck causing the vehicle to swerve into the couple.

The couple's blog starts: "We are Mary Thompson and Peter Root. At 17.00 on the 12th July 2011 we took a ferry from Guernsey to France with loads of stuff, two bikes and the intention to cycle east around the World."

They marked their 18th month away with a post from Vietnam, which read: "Bathing: mud and sun stylie The 12th of January marks our 18th month away. It started early, our neighbour the cockrel started his cock-a-do-dul-do karaoke at around 3.30, as his had done every 'morning' since we arrived in the relaxed beach town on Mui Ne."

One of their last posts described their experience of eating a spider in Cambodia's Phnom Penh.

The British Embassy in Bangkok said it was aware of the deaths and that the families had been informed.

"Consular assistance is being provided," a spokeswoman said.

The Thai driver was released on bail. Police said he faces charges of causing death by negligence, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, or a 20,000 baht (£433) fine or both.

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British Worker Kidnapped In Nigeria

Armed men in northern Nigeria have kidnapped a group of foreign workers including one Briton, Sky sources have confirmed.

A picture purportedly showing the hostages kneeling on the ground in front of several masked men holding rifles was released to Nigerian media.

The armed men abducted the seven foreigners after attacking a construction company camp and killing a guard, police said.

"From the report we have received, the hostages are seven in all. They include four Lebanese, an Italian, a Briton and a Greek," Bauchi state police spokesman Hassan Auyo said.

This would make it the biggest kidnapping yet in a region that is under attack from Islamic extremists.

Greece, Lebanon and Italy have all said their citizens are involved. However, Britain's Foreign Office has not confirmed if a Briton is among them.

The kidnapping on Saturday night happened in Jama'are, a town in a rural portion of Bauchi state.

The gunmen attacked a local prison first, burning two police trucks, another Bauchi state police spokesman, Hassan Muhammed told the Associated Press.

Then they targeted a workers' camp for a construction company called Setraco, which is in the area building a road, Mr Muhammed said.

The gunmen shot dead a guard at the camp before kidnapping the foreign workers, he added.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office in Britain said: "We are aware of the reports and are making inquiries with local authorities."

Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north has been under attack by the radical Islamic sect known as Boko Haram in the last year and a half.

The country's weak central government has been unable to stop the group's bloody guerrilla campaign of shootings and bombings.

The sect is blamed for killing at least 729 people in 2012 alone, according to an AP count.

Foreigners have been frequently abducted by militant groups and criminal gangs for ransom in Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta and have become increasingly targeted in Nigeria's north as the violence has grown.

Sky News Special Correspondent Alex Crawford said: "Nigeria, particularly the north of Nigeria, has got a big problem. It's the scourge of the country and has been for many years now.

"Local Islamist groups called Boko Haram have been largely responsible for carrying out the kidnappings.

"This is one of the militant groups who have operating inside Mali. They are one of five extremist groups who are believed to have been running operations inside Mali and around the Sahel."

Gunmen who authorities say have links to Boko Haram also kidnapped an Italian and a British man last year in northern Kebbi State.

They were later killed during a rescue operation by Nigerian soldiers backed up by British special forces. The sect later denied taking part in that abduction.

Chinese construction workers have also been killed by gunmen around Maiduguri, the northeastern city in Nigeria where Boko Haram first began.

Setraco Nigeria, a construction and civil engineering company, is a subsidiary of Setraco International Holding group.

The Nigerian company, which was established in 1977, is currently working on expanding a major road in the north of the country.

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Oscar Pistorius Cancels All Future Races

Double amputee athlete Oscar Pistorius has been forced to cancel all future races and says his "key focus" is now defending himself against the charge he murdered his girlfriend, his agent says.

Peet Van Zyl said he had "no option" but to cancel Pistorius' track dates for the foreseeable future "to allow Oscar to concentrate on the upcoming legal proceedings".

Pistorius was arrested and charged on Valentine's Day with the premeditated murder of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in Pretoria, South Africa.

Police allege that he shot 29-year-old Miss Steenkamp four times.

His family has issued a statement saying he denies the charges against him in the "strongest possible terms".

Pistorius, nicknamed the Blade Runner, is due to appear in court on Tuesday to face a bail hearing at which he will be told if he has to stay in jail.

Meanwhile, the athlete is being held at a police station in Pretoria, where his agent Mr Van Zyl and members of his family visited him on Sunday night.

Pistorius is accused of killing his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The agent spoke to reporters after leaving the police station and revealed the double-amputee Olympian's track career was now on hold.

One of the race meets he has been pulled from is the Manchester City Games on May 25.

However, Mr Van Zyl said Pistorius' sponsorship deals, including those with big-name brands Nike and Oakley, were safe for now.

"I can confirm that at this point in time all parties are supportive and their contractual commitments are maintained," he said.

"They have said they are happy to let the legal process take its course before making any change in their position."

It has been reported that Pistorius has contracts and deals worth £1.3m with Nike, as well as others with BT and Thierry Mugler.

Last week, BT and Nike signalled their intention to wait for further developments before making a decision on their relationship with him.

BT said in a statement: "Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy.  Given the ongoing legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further."

Nike said: "We're not making any comment at this stage other than to say that the incident is a police matter and we will continue to monitor the situation closely."

Despite its decision to stand by him for now, Nike last week pulled an advert featuring Pistorius with the strapline: "I am the bullet in the chamber."

On the track, Pistorius had agreed to take part in five races in the first half of 2013: two in Australia, two exhibition runs against fellow Paralympians Alan Oliveira, from Brazil, and Briton Jonnie Peacock, and an appearance in the US.

Prosecutors have said they will pursue a more serious charge of premeditated murder, but his lawyers are expected to argue the charge should be reduced to murder without premeditation. This would mean he could be allowed free on bail.

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Pistorius Told Friend: 'I've Killed My Baba'

The best friend of Oscar Pistorius has told how the athlete rang him the night his girlfriend was shot and said: "I've killed my Baba. God take me away."

Justin Divaris, who introduced Reeva Steenkamp to the South African gold medallist, said Pistorius was crying down the phone and admitted he had shot the 29-year-old model.

Mr Divaris, 27, said: "Oscar called me at 3.55am saying that Reeva had been shot. I said to him, 'What are you talking about? I don't understand you'.

"He then repeated himself - 'There has been a terrible accident. I shot Reeva'."

Mr Divaris told the Sunday People that he then spoke to a neighbour who was also in the house, who warned: "She's not OK. You need to get here."

By the time he arrived at Pistorius' house on a gated estate in Pretoria, the double amputee was already being held by police.

He could see Miss Steenkamp's body inside the house at the bottom of the stairs, covered in blankets and towels.

Pistorius - nicknamed the Blade Runner due to his high-tech artificial limbs - was being detained in the garage, and was crying and repeating himself incoherently.

Reeva Steenkamp in Tropika Island of Treasure

The 26-year-old appeared in court on Friday accused of premeditated murder over the shooting on Valentine's Day.

He is being held in custody and his family has said he denies murder in the strongest possible terms.

Miss Steenkamp's father Barry has also now spoken publicly for the first time and said he does not hate Pistorius for what happened.

He told The Mail on Sunday he was struggling "to find some reason why this happened to our lovely daughter".

Talking about Pistorius, he said: "He must be going through things that we don't know about. There is no hatred in our hearts."

He said he and his wife June were "at a complete loss," adding: "June is inconsolable. We just need to find some answers.

"Reeva was the most beautiful, kind girl in the world. She had love for everyone and was loved by everyone who knew her."

Mr Steenkamp said he had never met Pistorius but his wife had occasionally spoken to him on the phone.

Henke Pistorius trying to comfort his son as he leaves court

The athlete's own father Henke has also spoken out, saying his son must have acted "on instinct".

Mr Pistorius said he has "zero doubt" that it was a tragic accident and said he believes she was mistaken for an intruder.

His family is behind him "heart and soul" and will do "whatever needs to be done" to help him clear his name, he told The Sunday Telegraph.

Their comments came after a reality show featuring Miss Steenkamp was broadcast despite controversy over its airing.

Tropika Island of Treasures showed the model laughing and joking with her fellow contestants and swimming with dolphins.

In an interview, the model - who was also the face of cosmetics giant Avon in South Africa - spoke about the importance of leaving a positive mark in life.

She said: "I think the way that you go out, not just your journey in life, but the way that you go out and the way you make your exit is so important.

"You either made an impact in a positive or a negative way, but just maintain integrity and maintain class and just remain true to yourself."

Pistorius became an international icon after becoming the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics last year. He also won a gold medal in the Paralympics.

He had both of his legs amputated below the knee when he was less than a year old and had campaigned for years to be allowed to compete on an equal level.

The athlete will be back in court on Tuesday when his lawyers are expected to attempt to get his charge downgrade and argue for his release on bail.

His girlfriend's funeral is scheduled for the same day.

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Syria: The Growing Power Of Jihadist Groups

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent

The number of Jihadist groups flooding into Syria two years after the start of the uprising is threatening to eclipse the power of mainstream opposition groups as well as the authority of the Free Syrian Army.

One of the increasingly influential groups, Jabah al Haq (The Front for Justice), told Sky News that Jihad is spreading across North Africa and the Middle East and will not stop at Syria but will include Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and even Israel.

The frontline in the Battle for Aleppo is constantly changing. You know when you are there; the people disappear.

In these parts of the city only fighters are on the streets, in battered buildings and destroyed alleyways.

There is nothing left anymore. It is a frightening kill-zone. The sounds of rockets crunching into buildings, the whistle of high velocity rounds passing a few feet above your head, the scream of men shot by snipers never stops, or if it does, it is not for long.

The fighters on the rebel side are made up of a mish-mash of defected soldiers, the Free Syrian Army and a growing number of Jihadists; some are from Syria many are from abroad.

Jabah al Haq men took us to their front weaving their truck passed blown up cars, and homes; passed streets with huge tarpaulin sheets strung across to give protection from government snipers.

Jabah al Haq jihadist fighters insist Jihad will not stop at Syria

They were worried about us filming their positions and arguments caused by our presence rumbled on for the whole time we were there.

Abu Obaeda, a former soldier with a sniper rifle hung over his back, described the front as 'cold' with little real fighting. But even as he spoke machine gun fire drowned him out. A man was hit and his comrades were organising a truck to speed him away while attacking the government forces.

When I asked how far away they were he laughed.

"In which direction?" he said. "They are 25 metres in front and 20 metres on either side. We can only go back; but we wont," he added.

They wouldn't say how many men they had but said they were fighting 200 government soldiers supported by as many government militia, the Shabiha.

The chaos of the front lines is now reflected in the make up of the groups doing the fighting.

Sheik al Homan: 'The West should learn their lesson and not fight Muslims'

Jabah al Haq is led by a charismatic young cleric called Sheik Abu al Homan.

I was taken to a secret location where a school was being used as a court to adjudicate on the many problems caused by the war raging across the city.

It is a strict Sharia court and he is advised by clerics and lawyers. That said, his word is law.

He was quiet and pleasant and his organisation is doing what every Jihad organisation from the Taliban to Hamas and al Qaeda has done: they are providing law and order and they are feeding and providing medicine for the people.

It works every time.

Locals tell us that the Free Syrian Army, who largely live amongst the populace, are becoming a problem. They lack discipline, they take things and of course they attract government fire.

Jihad groups live together. They are religious and they fight hard against the government not the people.

There is a takeover happening as every commander I have met in covering all of this revolution from the start has always predicted.

Abu Obaeda and his men refuse to retreat from the front line

If the Syrian revolution were not ended quickly then it would become a Jihadist nightmare for the whole region. It has.

Sheik Homan is not just fighting for Aleppo, or Syria but predicts a greater Jihad is underway from North Africa to the Middle East.

"I am very surprised at France's reaction in Mali. They have seen what happened to the US in Afghanistan and Iraq," he told me.

"The West should learn their lesson and not fight Muslims. The war in Afghanistan and Iraq has led to an increase in resistance to the west.

"So you see all the Jihadists waiting to come here because of its value to Muslims," he said.

Indeed the foreigners are coming. I have seen a steady increase from Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Algeria. Even the Free Syrian Army accepts that like it or not the Jihadists will play a future role in the make up of post-Assad Syria.

"The Jihadists arrived after we were let down by the UN Security Council," Hajji Marea, the FSA's leader in Aleppo, told me in an underground bunker.

He shrugs his shoulders.

"The UN let the government kill innocent people. It is a disgrace. The Jihadists saw what was happening and came and now they are here."

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British Citizens Kidnapped In Nigeria

Police in northern Nigeria say gunmen have kidnapped seven foreign workers - with British citizens among them.

The attack happened at a construction company in Bauchi state overnight Saturday.

Local government chairman Adamu Aliyu said that those kidnapped were from Britain, Italy, Greece and Lebanon.

Police spokesman Hassan Muhammed told The Associated Press that the attack first targeted a prison in the area.

Muhammed said the attackers then went to the construction company Septraco, where they killed a guard and kidnapped the foreign workers.

Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north has been under attack by the radical Islamic sect known as Boko Haram in the last year and a half.

The country's weak central government has been unable to stop the group's bloody guerrilla campaign of shootings and bombings.

More follows...

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