Snowden Offered Asylum In Two Countries

US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden has been told he could be welcomed in Nicaragua and Venezuela after applying to another six countries for asylum.

Speaking at a public event, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said his government was willing to grant political asylum to the former NSA contractor "if circumstances permit it".

He added: "We are open, respectful of the right to asylum, and it is clear that if circumstances permit it, we would receive Snowden with pleasure and give him asylum here in Nicaragua.

"We have the sovereign right to help a person who felt remorse after finding out how the United States was using technology to spy on the whole world, and especially its European allies."

Mr Ortega said his government had received an asylum application at its embassy in Moscow.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made the same promise during a speech marking the anniversary of Venezuela's independence.

He said: "As head of state, the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela decided to offer humanitarian asylum to the young American Edward Snowden so that he can live (without) ... persecution from the empire.

It was not immediately clear if there were any conditions to Venezuela's offer.         

Snowden is believed to be holed up at a Moscow airport looking for a country that will give him safe haven as the US wants to extradite him to face espionage charges.

The 30-year-old has previously asked 21 countries for asylum but most said he must be on their soil for his application to be accepted.

WikiLeaks revealed he had applied to more countries.

A tweet from the anti-secrecy website said: "Edward Snowden has applied to another six countries for asylum.

"They will not be named at this time due to attempted US interference."

The message appeared to be an allusion to the drama surrounding the flight of Bolivian President Evo Morales, whose plane was recently abruptly rerouted to Austria over suspicions Snowden was aboard.

Washington has revoked the passport of Snowden, who is seeking to evade US justice for leaking details about a vast US electronic surveillance programme to collect phone and Internet data.

He also revealed evidence of the spying activities of British eavesdropping agency GCHQ - including its scanning of vast amounts of emails and other internet traffic by tapping cable networks.

A bid by Snowden for Icelandic citizenship failed when the country's parliament voted not to debate it before the summer recess.

Russia has shown signs of growing impatience over Snowden's stay in the country.

Its deputy foreign minister said on Thursday that Snowden had not sought asylum in the country and needed to choose a place to go.

Moscow has made clear that the longer he stays, the greater the risk of the diplomatic standoff over his fate causing lasting damage to relations with Washington.

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Islamic Militants Kill 30 In Nigeria School Attack

Armed Islamic militants have killed 29 students and an English teacher in an attack on a boarding school in northeastern Nigeria.

Survivors being treated for burns and gunshot wounds said some students were burned alive in the attack on Saturday which has been blamed on a radical terror group.

Gunmen, believed to be from Islamist sect Boko Haram, stormed the premises of Government Secondary School in the town of Mamudo in Yobe state at around 3am, setting fire to parts of the complex.

Dozens of children from the 1,200-student school escaped into the bush and have not been seen since.

Parents rushed to the school and screamed in anguish as they tried to identify the charred and dead bodies of the victims.

Mohammed Musa, who taught English at the school, died after he was shot in the chest.

One 15-year-old who survived the attack told of how he awoke to find one of the attackers pointing a gun at him.

Speaking at Potsikum General Hospital, Musa Hassan said: "We were sleeping when we heard gunshots. When I woke up, someone was pointing a gun at me."

He put up his hands in defence and was shot in his right hand, the one he uses to write with, and lost four fingers.

The child said the gunmen came armed with jerry cans of fuel that they used to torch the school's administrative block and one of the hostels.

"They burned the children alive," he added.

Farmer Malam Abdullahi found the bodies of two of his sons, a 10-year-old shot in the back as he apparently tried to run away, and a 12-year-old shot in the chest.

He said he planned to withdraw his three remaining sons from another school nearby.

"That's it, I'm taking my other boys out of school," he said.

He complained there was no protection for students despite the deployment of thousands of troops since the government declared a state of emergency mid-May in three northeastern states.

"It's not safe," he said. "The gunmen are attacking schools and there is no protection for students despite all the soldiers," he added.

Dozens of schools have been torched and unknown scores of students killed among more than 1,600 victims slain by extremists since 2010.

Militants have increasingly targeted civilians, including health workers on vaccination campaigns, teachers and government workers, while farmers have been driven from their land.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency on May 14, and deployed thousands of troops to halt the insurgency, acknowledging that militants had taken control of some towns and villages.

More follows...

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Egypt Clashes Turn Deadly As Troops Open Fire

By Dominic Waghorn, Sky News Correspondent, in Cairo

At least 36 people in Egypt have died and over 1,000 were hurt in fierce clashes between supporters and opponents of deposed president Mohamed Morsi.

Supporters of the former leader marched to the Cairo barracks of the Republican Guard chanting "down with military rule" after a Muslim Brotherhood rally at the city's Rabea al Adaweya mosque.

Shots were fired as protesters hung pictures of Mr Morsi on a barbed wire barrier around the military complex. At least three demonstrators were shot by the military.

Downtown Cairo witnessed the same street battles played out two-and-a-half years ago, this time with Morsi supporters fighting their enemies with rocks, clubs and fireworks. One person was killed in their clashes.

Following the violence, the country's interim president Adli Mansour held talks with General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi - the army chief who is also defence minister - and interior minister Mohammed Ibrahim who is in charge of the police.

It was the first time Mr Mansour has worked from the president's main offices since he was sworn-in on Thursday, after the military overthrew Mr Morsi - the country's first democratically elected president.

An anti-Morsi protester with evidence of gun cartridges

A pro-Morsi crowd crossed the Sixth Of October bridge heading towards Tahrir Square, provoking a fierce confrontation.

The Egyptian army said troops were responding only with blank rounds and tear gas.

However, anti-Morsi youths showed Sky News what their enemies had done to them, brandishing used shotgun cartridges and pellet wounds.

"They are terrorists and we should get rid of them," they said. "They're using automatic weapons and shotguns."

Egyptian elite soldiers guard a military building in Cairo

The atmosphere was febrile. Changing in a second. Turning from triumphant to panicked, as the crowd scattered thinking their attackers had returned.

"The Muslim Brotherhood is coming here beating us shooting us," said one man. "We're here, we're alone and we need someone to  help us."

As if to answer him, military armoured personnel carriers appeared from the gloom.

But this isn't a conflict against foreign invaders, it's between Egyptians.

The anti-Morsi crowd screamed curses against the ousted president venting their fury, and relief then turned against us, the Sky News crew, mistaking us for Americans.

A hurried explanation gave us time to escape.

More than 200 people have been wounded nationwide, according to officials

There are now two armies of protesters on the streets of Cairo - enraged and out for vengeance, determined to prevail.

Violence also erupted in cities of southern Egypt, along the Suez Canal and in the Nile Delta, with officials reporting more than 200 people injured. Four were killed in the northern Sinai city of el Arish, where Islamists stormed a government building.

Egypt's ambulance authority said 36 people had died nationwide, including 12 people in clashes in Alexandria. Most of the fatalities were from gunshot wounds.

It came after the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies called for protesters to take to the streets on the Muslim day of prayer for what it described as a "Friday of Rage".

The leader of the Brotherhood called for followers to remain peaceful but he vowed to restore power to Mr Morsi, who was ousted in a military coup earlier this week, a year after being elected to office.

Meanwhile, lawyers for ex-president Hosni Mubarak entered a not guilty plea as his retrial for alleged complicity in the killings of protesters in 2011 resumed.

The 85-year-old former leader appeared in the dock behind bars, wearing dark sunglasses and a white prison uniform.

During the televised hearing, Cairo's criminal court heard submissions by the defence before proceedings were adjourned  until August 17.

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Egypt Braced For Violence Amid Coup Protests

Muslim Brotherhood's Future

Updated: 2:29pm UK, Thursday 04 July 2013

Some 300 leaders rounded up, gone into hiding or facing travel bans; its Supreme Guide and his deputy labelled as wanted men - Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood is reeling and leaderless.

Why, then, would Adli Mansour, the new Egyptian president, reach out to it, saying that it is "invited to take part in political life - they should not be excluded"?

Oddly enough, there is nothing inconsistent about such inconsistencies.

The Supreme Council for the Armed Forces, headed by the man who led the coup against former president Mohamed Morsi, is made up of officers who have spent their careers being indoctrinated with the view that the Brotherhood is a dangerous threat to the Egyptian state.

So rounding up its members, just like they did under Hosni Mubarak and his predecessors as far back as 1954 when the Brotherhood was banned, comes easily.

But the caretaker president knows that the movement is the most effective and widely spread political group in Egypt.

The Brotherhood, even driven underground, will remain a potent if not the most potent force in Egyptian politics.

It has renounced violence. So, although there were bloodcurdling references as the coup unfolded to members being prepared to die to protect the presidency, they chose instead to wait and see what would happen.

So far, what they have seen has frightened them.

"We have gone back to the days of Mubarak. People have gone underground, they are afraid that they will lose their jobs or face persecution, be jailed without charge - just like in the old days," said a Brotherhood activist who said he was in hiding and asked to remain anonymous.

"We don't know what to do next. Our leaders have been silenced and our communities don't know whether they should take to the streets, try to win the next election, or start fighting," he added.

More extreme groups from the Islamic firmament - such as the Dawa movement of Salafists who are dedicated to establishing strict Sharia law - have abandoned the Brotherhood.

Dawa may see an opportunity in the Brotherhood's dark hours to pick up followers. Its members have been ordered to stay away from demonstrations and return to their homes so they can be distinguished from Mr Morsi's supporters.

Such a calculation is unlikely to prove sound - Dawa is more likely to be seen as a sell-out.

The Brotherhood leaders have been in jail before but the movement has survived.

Come the elections promised by the new incumbent in the presidential palace, the movement can expect a strong showing - that is if it's really going to be invited back to Egypt's political party.

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Pope Clears John Paul II For Sainthood

Pope Francis has cleared John Paul II for sainthood, approving a miracle attributed to his intercession, the Vatican says.

John Paul died in 2005. He had been made a Pontiff in 1978.

The canonisation ceremony is expected to take place before the end of the year, possibly in December.

More follows...

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Freak Meeting Reunites Twins After 41 Years

By Victoria Wei and Sabrina Zeng, in Beijing

Twin brothers, separated as babies, have been reunited after more than 40 years following a chance encounter in China's Sichuan province.

In late June, a friend of Chengdu resident Zeng Yong, 41, said he had met a man in the city of Neijiang, 200km away, whom he claimed was identical to Mr Zeng.

Mr Zeng, a hotelier, travelled to Neijiang, home to close to four million people, to see the man for himself.

Amazingly, on meeting Liu Yonggang, a junior manager at the city's bus company, he realised he was his long-lost twin brother.

Due to their parents' poverty, the pair had been put up for adoption in 1972 when only a few months old. They were taken by different families.

Since being reunited, the brothers have tracked down their estranged 74-year-old mother.

After being reunited, the twins tracked down their mother.

She was living in Jianning, having remarried after the death of the boys' father a decade earlier.

The twins' story has proved popular on China's Sina Weibo social media website.

One user commented: "People nowadays can't understand the helplessness of parents in that era of poverty.

"Keeping children at home meant leaving them to die of starvation … I hope they are both happy."

Another said: "Brothers reunited. Words can't express it. 41 years apart, how sad. I wish them all the happiness."

Mr Liu's colleagues at the bus company have organised a party to celebrate the reunion and welcome the new family members to Neijiang.

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Syria's Assad Gloats Over Morsi's Fall

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has hailed the fall of "political Islam" in Egypt as he fights an armed opposition movement at home.

"What is happening in Egypt is the fall of what is known as political Islam," Assad said in an interview with Syrian state newspaper Ath Thawra, excerpts of which were posted on an official Facebook page.

"Anywhere in the world, whoever uses religion for political aims, or to benefit some and not others, will fall.

"You can't fool all the people all the time, let alone the Egyptian people who have a civilisation that is thousands of years old, and who espouse clear, Arab nationalist thought.

"After a whole year, reality has become clear to the Egyptian people. The Muslim Brotherhood's performance has helped them see the lies the (movement) used at the start of the popular revolution in Egypt."

Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi - who was forced from power by a military coup just a year after being elected - had recently called for a "holy war" in Syria during a rally he attended with Sunni leaders.

The two-year uprising against the rule of Assad's family - which is largely secular but from the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam - has largely pitted rebels from the country's Sunni majority against the regime.

There is long-standing animosity between Damascus and the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Mr Morsi is a leader, and membership of the group has been punishable by death in Syria since the 1980s.

Assad's late father, Hafez al Assad, used the military to crush an armed insurgency against his rule led by the Muslim Brotherhood, killing many thousands in the conservative city of Hama.

The city became a centre of the demonstrations against the younger Assad in March 2011.

The Syrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood today plays a key role in the exiled opposition National Coalition, which is recognised by more than 100 states and organisations as legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

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Egyptians Celebrate Revolutionary Encore

By Dominic Waghorn, in Cairo

Elated crowds thronged Tahrir Square and let loose fireworks into the night sky as they celebrated what they say is a second revolution.

One young protester told Sky News: "I feel proud, I feel happy I feel relieved that Egypt has changed a regime, a very fascist regime, to a multi-party regime, hopefully a democratic one."

In numbers rivalling those that saw off Hosni Mubarak two and a half years ago, protesters gathered all day as they have since last week, in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and other towns.

Even among those who voted for Mr Morsi, there was an impatience to see him go.

Farmer Mansour told Sky News he bitterly regrets helping to put him in power because, he said, life has only got worse.

He said: "There's no gas to make our machines work, and all the plants die, what can people do, kids have no milk, no medicine, nothing."

Protesters concede Mr Morsi was voted president in elections, but accuse him of hijacking their revolution for his own ends.

They hope their revolutionary encore gives Egypt a second chance. But there were many expressing fear about the consequences, worried the Muslim Brotherhood will now take violent revenge.

There was a profound and surreal sense of deja vu about the events in Cairo to those of us who witnessed the first revolution.

But this is different. Instead of removing a dictator, the people and the military have deposed an elected president.

Egypt remains divided and its revolution in crisis, and violence seems likely.

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Egypt Coup: Interim President Is Sworn In

The head of the constitutional court has been sworn in as Egypt's interim president, a day after the overthrow of the country's first democratically elected leader, Mohamed Morsi.

Adli Mansour took his oath of office under an army transition plan in a ceremony that was broadcast live on state television.

As the ceremony got underway, the skies above Cairo filled with military jets in a series of fly-pasts.

Above Tahrir Square, for days the centre of anti-government protests, Air Force planes painted the sky in the colours of the national flag.

"I swear to preserve the system of the republic, and respect the constitution and law, and guard the people's interests," Mr Mansour said.

He also praised the mass protests demanding the ouster of Mr Morsi, saying they united Egyptians.

The ousted president is in custody

The ceremony came after the army removed Mr Morsi, replacing him with Mr Mansour, suspended the Islamist-drafted constitution, and called for new elections.

Mr Morsi, who was elected a year ago, and his Muslim Brotherhood allies have blasted the army's intervention as a "full coup" by the generals.

The "second revolution" - after Arab Spring uprisings that led to the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in 2011 - leaves Egypt's 84 million people deeply divided.

In the streets of Cairo, millions celebrated the news of Mr Morsi's removal, as fireworks lit up the sky over Tahrir Square. At a square near Cairo University, his supporters were stunned into initial silence at the news.

Anti-Morsi protesters react to the army statement

Mr Morsi's removal prompted clashes across Egypt that left at least 14 people dead and hundreds wounded.

Fearing a violent reaction by Mr Morsi's Islamist supporters, troops and armoured vehicles deployed in the streets of Cairo and elsewhere, surrounding rallies.

David Cameron called for a return to the democratic process.

"We never support in countries the intervention by the military but what now needs to happen … is for democracy to flourish and for a genuine democratic transition to take place," the Prime Minister said.

"All parties need to be involved in that, and that's what Britain and our allies will be saying very clearly to the Egyptians."

General Abdul Fatah Khalil al Sisi announces the overthrow of Mohamed Morsi

Mr Morsi was being detained by the armed forces at an undisclosed facility, and prosecutors ordered the arrest of the Muslim Brotherhood's top leader, Mohamed Badie, and his deputy, Khairat el-Shater.

Arrest warrants have been issued for scores of other members of the political party.

In a televised address, the commander of the armed forces, General Abdul Fatah Khalil al Sisi, said Mr Morsi had "failed to meet the demands of the Egyptian people".

Flanked by military officials, Muslim and Christian clerics and political figures, he unveiled details of a political transition which he said had been agreed with them.

As acting leader, Mr Mansour will be assisted by an interim council and a technocratic government until new presidential and parliamentary elections are held.

No details were given as to when the new polls would take place.

The military chief also announced a national reconciliation committee that would include youth movements, and said the armed forces and police would deal "decisively" with any violence.

"Those in the meeting have agreed on a road map for the future that includes initial steps to achieve the building of a strong Egyptian society that is cohesive and does not exclude anyone and ends the state of tension and division," he said.

Muslim Brotherhood members and pro-Morsi supporters react in Cairo

President Barack Obama voiced his concern over the military intervention and urged a speedy return to a democratically elected government.

In a statement he said: "We are deeply concerned by the decision of the Egyptian Armed Forces to remove President Morsi and suspend the Egyptian constitution.

"I now call on the Egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process, and to avoid any arbitrary arrests of President Morsi and his supporters."

However, the US and other world powers have not branded Mr Morsi's removal as a military coup - which might trigger sanctions.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he had talked with his Egyptian counterpart and had been reassured that "there will be early presidential elections".

A military helicopter above Tahrir Square

He said: "It is the problem with a military intervention that it is a precedent for the future, that if this is going to happen to a democratically elected president it can happen to another in the future, and that's why it's so important to entrench democratic institutions."

The Foreign Office has advised British citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Egypt apart from the Red Sea resorts, and to monitor travel advice from the Foreign Office.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton condemned the bloodshed and also called for a swift return to democracy.

Mr Morsi's overthrow came after days of demonstrations against the government. He rejected calls to step down and defied an army deadline.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sam Kiley, reporting from within a military cordon around Cairo University, said: "This is a miserable scene from the perspective of the Muslim Brotherhood's supporters.

A soldier cheers with anti-Morsi protesters

"They cannot understand why it is possible to overthrow an elected president of the country simply by taking to the streets and holding loud demonstrations. They are also afraid that this could herald a crackdown against them."

The Muslim Brotherhood's TV station was taken off air and its managers arrested hours after Mr Morsi was overthrown.

The Egypt25 channel had been broadcasting live coverage of rallies by tens of thousands of pro-Morsi demonstrators in Cairo and around the country, with speeches by leading Brotherhood politicians denouncing the military intervention to oust the elected president.

The offices of Al Jazeera's Egyptian television channel were also reportedly raided by security forces and prevented from broadcasting from a pro-Morsi rally. Several members of staff were also reportedly detained.

:: Follow live updates here

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Indonesia: Earthquake Kills 22 And Hurts 200

An earthquake has killed at least 22 people and injured more than 200 in Indonesia.

Some of those who died were caught in a landslide or collapsing buildings

The 6.1 magnitude quake damaged more than 1,500 houses and buildings in Aceh province.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said 12 people were killed and 70 others were injured by a landslide or collapsing buildings in the worst-hit area of Bener Meriah.

More than 1,500 buildings have been damaged in the quake

He said 10 more people were killed and 140 injured in the neighbouring Central Aceh district, where around 1,500 houses and buildings were damaged.

Bener Meriah deputy district chief Rusli Saleh said rescuers were continuing to look for people trapped in the debris.

Rescuers have been scouring the rubble for survivors

"We are now concentrating on searching for people who may be trapped under the rubble," he said.

Bensu Elianita, a 22-year-old resident of Bukit Sama village in Central Aceh district, said: "I see many houses were damaged and their roofs fell on to some people.

People were see running from their homes in panic

"Many people were injured, but it is difficult to evacuate them due to traffic jams."

She said people in the village ran out of their homes in panic and screamed for help. At least two houses were totally flattened, she said, and the village suffered a power cut.

Traffic jams reportedly delayed the evacuation of residents

The quake also caused concern among officials attending a meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Medan, the capital of neighbouring North Sumatra province. They were escorted from the second-floor meeting room by security officers.

Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Ocean.

In 2004, a magnitude-9.1 earthquake off Aceh triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 14 countries.

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Portugal: Markets Fall As Crisis Deepens

Portugal's financial crisis has reignited, triggering a stock market plunge and once again raising the spectre that its borrowing costs could soon become unsustainable.

Share prices plummeted 6% in early trading on Wednesday and other major stock markets, including the FTSE 100, also fell sharply.

Investors were reacting to growing political turmoil after Foreign Minister Paulo Portas resigned on Tuesday night, a day after the shock departure of Finance Minister Vitor Gaspar amid growing unrest against austerity.

Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho has defied calls to follow suit but the resignations at the top of the centre-right government have left deep concerns over not only the coalition's future but Portugal's ability to pursue the steep savings, demanded by creditors, in return for continued bailout support.

There has been a fierce public backlash against the austerity drive, in what is one of the poorest countries that uses the euro.

Values correct at 09:24 BST

But unease among investors about whether that tough savings programme will continue has forced up the country's borrowing costs too on bond markets.

The yield - the percentage Portugal pays to service its debts - on the country's benchmark 10-year bond spiked just below 8% on Wednesday.

A 10-year borrowing rate of about 8% is widely considered unsustainable.

Spanish and Italian yields jumped too while nervousness over the state of Greece's next tranche of bailout money also caused jitters on stock markets as well.

"With disorder and uncertainty over the political situation in Egypt threatening stability in the Middle East, and a Greek deadline looming to prove it can action its bailout conditions before receiving the next tranche of aid, volatility is likely to be high," Mark Ward, head of trading at Sanlam Securities, said.

Jose Manuel Barroso is monitoring developments with "concern"

The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso admitted the situation in Portugal was a worry.

He said: "The initial reaction of the markets shows the obvious risk that the financial credibility recently built up by Portugal could be jeopardised by the current political instability.

"If this happens it would be especially damaging for the Portuguese people, particularly as there were already preliminary signs of economic recovery.

This delicate situation requires a great sense of responsibility from all political forces and leaders. The situation should be clarified as soon as possible."

He concluded: "We trust that Portuguese democracy will deliver a solution ensuring that the sacrifices the Portuguese people have made until now will not have been in vain."

The falls in European stocks took place after Asian markets dropped overnight after official figures showed that growth in China's services sector sagged to its weakest pace in nine months in June, adding to signs of a slowdown in the world's second-largest economy.

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Egypt: 'Crisis Meeting Held' As Deadline Looms

Military chiefs in Egypt have reportedly met for crisis talks, as an army deadline to resolve the country's political crisis draws near.

Senior commanders attended the meeting of the Armed Forces General Command, military sources claimed.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian liberal opposition leader Mohamed El Baradei is believed to have met army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Tens of thousands of Egyptians have staged protests across the country

"El Baradei will urge the armed forces to intervene to stop the bloodshed," a political source told the Reuters news agency.

The Egyptian army has threatened to intervene unless President Mohamed Morsi agrees to a resolution. It could dissolve parliament and take control of the country, sparking fears of a military coup.

Earlier, a state-run newspaper claimed Mr Morsi will either step down or be removed from office when a political road map for the future of the country is drawn up.

Thousands joined a protest in Tahrir Square in Cairo

The Al-Ahram newspaper said the plan would establish a three-member presidential council to be chaired by the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court.

However an Egyptian military source denied the reports and said he expected political, social and economic figures to be called to talks.

Mr Morsi previously refused to step down and said he would protect democratic "legitimacy" with his life.

Mr Morsi said he would protect democratic "legitimacy" with his life

Addressing the nation in a 45-minute televised speech, he said he had been voted for in a free and fair election and it was his job to "safeguard the revolution" that put him in office.

Mr Morsi called for calm and said Egyptians should not attack the army, police or each other. He was, he said, attempting to get the army to return to its normal duties and withdraw its ultimatum.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sam Kiley, in the Egyptian capital Cairo, said: "What matters is what does the military do now it's nailed its colours so firmly to the deadline that comes on Wednesday evening, and what will be the reaction, not only of Mr Morsi, but of his supporters?

A protester sits in front of anti-Morsi artwork on a Cairo building

"The President has very substantial support from, broadly speaking, Islamists across the country and they are not likely to take a sudden change in a presidency that has a three-year mandate lying down.

"They've put out numerous statements on social media saying they will fight and lay down their lives for the cause."

The armed forces, which took control of the country after the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in 2011, have intensified their presence in Egypt's cities ahead of the deadline.

Thousands of people gathered in Tahrir Square, the birthplace of the revolution, while a giant crowd protested outside the Qasr el-Qobba presidential palace where Mr Morsi has been working in recent days.

Meanwhile, Muslim Brotherhood supporters who witnessed clashes near Cairo University told Sky News demonstrators were attacked with automatic gunfire.

They claimed many protesters were killed and said they expect similar attacks after the deadline passes.

The Foreign Office has warned against all but essential travel to most of Egypt and said any Britons in the country should consider "whether they have a pressing need to remain".

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Afghanistan: Taliban Attack On Nato Compound

Insurgents including a suicide bomber in a truck have killed six people in an attack on a Nato compound.

The early morning assault began when the truck packed with explosives detonated itself in a vehicle bay, leaving a hole six metres deep and about 15 metres wide.

Three other suicide attackers wearing explosive vests then began a gunfight with guards. All the attackers were killed after about an hour.

Police chief General Ayoub Salangi said two truck drivers waiting to enter the compound and four Nepalese guards died in the attack.

The bomb left a crater the "size of a pool" according to police

Three other employees were wounded, he said.

The Nato compound, based in the north of Kabul, is used by a number of foreign companies supplying Nato forces in Afghanistan.

Atiqullah, a 54-year-old truck driver, said some of his colleagues had been wounded in the attack.

"I woke up to go for morning prayer and suddenly there was a very heavy explosion followed by gunfire," he said.

"We escaped from the compound and went to another company nearby. Security forces came in 30 minutes and rescued us."

Six people died and others were wounded in the blast

A spokesman for the Taliban said it carried out the attack and said its fighters had entered what it described as "an important foreign base and logistics warehouse".

In June, the Nato coalition formally handed over all security operations across the country to Afghan forces.

But casualties among local forces are mounting as insurgents step up attacks.

Nearly 300 Afghan local and national police have been killed in the last month, according to the Afghan interior ministry.

In the eastern city of Jalalabad this week a bomb disposal expert risked his life to defuse a suicide vest

Nato-led combat troops are preparing to pull out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

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Egypt: President Morsi Rejects Army Ultimatum

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has rejected an ultimatum issued by the country's army threatening to intervene if he does not meet the demands of the people.

It came as US President Barack Obama spoke to the Egyptian leader, urging him to take steps to show he is responding to concerns of protesters - millions of whom took to the streets on Sunday demanding Mr Morsi step down.

At the same time it was confirmed the country's foreign minister, Mohammed Kamel Amr, had resigned.

He is the most senior politician to quit Mr Morsi's government after a series of cabinet ministers stood down on Monday.

The ministerial resignations deal a further blow to the president, who has been warned by the armed forces that he has 48 hours to solve the country's political crisis or face intervention.

Protesters, demanding Mr Morsi quit, camp out overnight in Tahrir Square

But Mr Morsi rejected the ultimatum, insisting he would continue on his path towards national reconciliation. He said the directive "could cause confusion in the complex national environment".

The army statement, read out on television on Monday, said: "If the demands of the people are not met in this period ... (the armed forces) will announce a future roadmap and measures to oversee its implementation."

The statement received a rapturous welcome from Mr Morsi's opponents, still camped out in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Tamarod, the grassroots campaign behind Sunday's massive protests against the president, also hailed the statement by the armed forces which it said had "sided with the people".

It "will mean early presidential elections", Tamarod's spokesman Mahmud Badr said.

Egypt's army issued an ultimatum to Mr Morsi and his opponents

Responding to the army's ultimatum, the presidency also denounced any declaration that would "deepen division" and "threaten the social peace".

Mr Morsi was consulting "with all national forces to secure the path of democratic change and the protection of the popular will".

Referring to the 2011 uprising that toppled dictator Hosni Mubarak, the presidency added: "The civil democratic Egyptian state is one of the most important achievements of the January 25 revolution.

"Egypt will absolutely not permit any step backward whatever the circumstances."

The White House meanwhile said Mr Obama had called Mr Morsi by telephone from Tanzania, during the final stop of his African tour, on Tuesday to express concerns over the escalating political crisis.

Mr Morsi says the army's directive to restore order is 'confusing'

Mr Obama told him Washington, a major military aid donor to Egypt, was committed to "the democratic process in Egypt and does not support any single party or group". 

He added that the "current crisis can only be resolved through a political process".

Sixteen people died in protests on Sunday, including eight in clashes between supporters and opponents of the president outside the Cairo headquarters of Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.

Early on Monday, protesters set the Brotherhood's headquarters ablaze before looting it.

Mr Morsi's opponents accuse him of having betrayed the 2011 revolution that forced Hosni Mubarak from power by concentrating power in Islamist hands, and of sending the economy into freefall.

His supporters say he inherited many problems from a corrupt regime, and that he should be allowed to complete his term, which ends in 2016.

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Snowden Changes His Mind On Asylum In Russia

Fugitive Edward Snowden has withdrawn his request for political asylum in Russia after Moscow told him he would have to stop leaking US intelligence reports.

The news comes after it emerged that the 30-year-old, who faces espionage charges in America, has asked for asylum in 21 countries, including 13 in Europe.

They include Poland, which has turned him down, while officials in Germany, Norway, Austria and Switzerland said he cannot apply for asylum from abroad.

Among the other countries approached are Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Finland, Ireland the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and India, which has also said 'no'.

Mr Snowden's about-turn on Russia apparently followed comments by President Vladimir Putin that he was welcome to stay in the country as long he stopped "harming our American partners".

Cuba's Raul Castro and Bolivia's Evo Morales are both being asked for help

The former intelligence analyst, who is holed up the transit area at Moscow airport, has received a more encouraging response from Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.

He said on Tuesday that Caracas had not yet received an asylum request from him and would make a decision only when it did.

But he voiced sympathy with Mr Snowden's actions and described him as a champion of human rights.

"He deserves the world's protection. He has not asked us for it yet. When he does we will give our answer," Mr Maduro said during a visit to Moscow.

President Obama: Fierce criticism

"We think this young person has done something very important for humanity, has done a favour to humanity, has spoken great truths to deconstruct a world that … is controlled by an imperialist American elite."

In contrast, Ecuador has said it is not considering Mr Snowden's asylum request and never intended to facilitate his flight from Hong Kong, to Moscow on June 23.

President Rafael Correa told The Guardian newspaper the whistle blower was Russia's responsibility and would have to reach Ecuadorean territory before the country would consider granting him asylum.

Mr Correa, speaking at the presidential palace in Quito, insisted his government had not intended to give Mr Snowden a temporary travel pass. "It was a mistake on our part," he said.

His comments came after the American wrote him a letter, praising Ecuador's "bravery" in considering his request for political asylum.

Mr Snowden has, meanwhile, accused US Presdent Barack Obama of denying him the right to asylum and of putting political pressure on countries he has approached.

In a statement published on the WikiLeaks website, he said Mr Obama was practising the "old, bad tools of political aggression".

"On Thursday, President Obama declared before the world that he would not permit any diplomatic "wheeling and dealing" over my case.

"Yet now it is being reported that after promising not to do so, the President ordered his Vice President to pressure the leaders of nations from which I have requested protection to deny my asylum petitions.

"This kind of deception from a world leader is not justice, and neither is the extralegal penalty of exile. These are the old, bad tools of political aggression. Their purpose is to frighten, not me, but those who would come after me."

Mr Snowden said the White House was "using citizenship as a weapon" and had denied him the right to seek asylum by revoking his passport, "leaving me a stateless person" and stopping him from "exercising a basic human right... the right to seek asylum".

He added: "In the end the Obama administration is not afraid of whistleblowers like me, Bradley Manning or Thomas Drake.

"We are stateless, imprisoned, or powerless. No, the Obama administration is afraid of you. It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be."

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Brazil Violence Mars Confederations Cup Final

Molotov cocktails were hurled at police as violence broke out before the Confederations Cup final match in Brazil.

Police responded by firing tear gas and shock grenades at the crowd as the protests turned violent.

One protester, who did not give her name, described the police response as an "embarrassment" to Brazil.

Protesters at a security line near the entry to Maracana Stadium

"You can't do anything. You can't protest. You know why? Because our government has no shame," the protester said.

More than 5,000 demonstrators marched near the Maracana stadium, where Brazil defeated Spain 3-0 in the Confederations Cup final.

They vented their anger about the billions of dollars the Brazilian government is spending on major sporting events, rather than on public services.

Federal police in riot gear stand guard outside the stadium

"We are here protesting for a greater investment in health and education, for people to have their citizen's rights and not only football, beer and samba," said Juliana Silva, one of the protesters.

Though smaller in size, the march was the latest in a wave of protests that has spread across the country in recent weeks.

Many are calling the protest movement the biggest seen in Brazil in decades, with more than one million people having taken to the streets nationwide on the night of June 20.

The protests triggered a fall in President Dilma Rousseff's approval rating

The demonstrations have dwindled in size and frequency in recent days as officials from all levels of government have scrambled to calm public anger with poor public services and a heavy tax burden.

The first national poll conducted after the protests ignited showed a steep drop in President Dilma Rousseff's approval rating and throws in doubt what had seemed an easy re-election next year.

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Arizona Wildfire: 19 Firefighters Killed

A team of 19 elite firefighters have been killed while battling a fast-moving wildfire in Arizona.

The firefighters, 18 of whom are believed to have been from the specially-trained Granite Mountain Hotshots, were caught by the blaze near the central town of Yarnell.

They were hailed as "heroes" by US President Barack Obama, who said they "selflessly put themselves in harm's way to protect the lives and property of fellow citizens they would never meet".

The wildfire is the deadliest involving fatalities to fire crews since a blaze at Griffith Park, Los Angeles, nearly 70 years ago, according to figures from the National Fire Protection Association.

"We're devastated," Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo said. "We've just lost 19 of the finest people you'll ever meet."

Hotshot crews often hike long distances and carry chainsaws and backpacks filled with heavy gear to build lines of protection between people and fires.

They were forced to deploy their emergency shelters when confronted by the blaze.

Strong winds and low humidity allowed the blaze to spread quickly

"One of the last fail safe methods that a firefighter can do under those conditions is literally to dig as much as they can down and cover themselves with a protective … fire-resistant material," Mr Frajo said.

"The hope at least is that the fire will burn over the top of them and they can survive it. Under certain conditions there's ... a 50% chance they survive.

"It's an extreme measure that's taken under the absolute worst conditions."

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, who said the state had endured "as dark a day" as she could remember, said the firefighters may have been caught in a flash fire that "turned around and overcame them all".

Art Morrison, a state forestry official, added: "In normal circumstances, when you're digging fire lines, you make sure you have a good escape route and you have a safety zone set up.

"Evidently, their safety zone wasn't big enough and the fire just overtook them."

Messages of condolence for the families of those who died have been left on a Facebook page set up in their memory.

Hundreds of homes have been destroyed by the fire

"This awful tragedy really reminds us how dangerous a job firefighters have," wrote Lakyn Spivey. "They go to work every day to save lives, not knowing if they themselves will be coming home that day."

Natalie Minafore added: "My son is a firefighter and I cannot imagine the heartache these families must feel. These men are heroes."

According to local newspaper The Republic, around 250 homes - roughly half the town of Yarnell - were destroyed by the wildfire.

Federal government is assisting and President Obama pledged to provide state and local officials with all the support they need.

The blaze, which broke out on Friday, is thought to have been triggered by a lightning strike.

Hot, gusty winds blew the fire out of control over the weekend, as flames ripped through 2,000 acres of dry land.

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Egypt: Seven Killed As Protests Turn Violent

The Cairo headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood have reportedly been stormed and ransacked by protesters as fierce demonstrations in Egypt continue to rage.

They entered the six-storey building on Monday morning, leaving the heavily fortified villa with furniture and files.

Footage on local TV networks showed smashed windows and smoke billowing out of the building. One protester was seen removing the Muslim Brotherhood sign from the building's front wall.

The storming of the Brotherhood's headquarters followed overnight clashes between armed supporters of President Mohamed Morsi barricaded inside the building and young protesters pelting it with firebombs and rocks.

At least seven people have reportedly been killed and more than 600 wounded in clashes between supporters and opponents of the president.

Mass protests are taking place across Egypt calling for the Islamist president to resign.

The protests are being held exactly a year since Mr Morsi came to power.

Some 500,000 people descended on Cairo's Tahrir Square, the heart of the 2011 uprising against Mr Morsi's predecessor Hosni Mubarak.

Other demonstrations have been held outside the presidential palace several miles away, which was under heavy guard.

Organisers of the protests have given the president until 5pm on Tuesday to step down, and called on the police and the military to clearly state their support for what the protest movement called the popular will.

Police and troops have deployed to protect key buildings around the country, and the health ministry said hospitals have been placed on high alert.

On Friday an American student, 21-year-old Andrew Pochter, was killed during clashes in the city of Alexandria.

A senior security official said the Suez Canal, the vital waterway that connects the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, has been placed under "maximum security".

Liberal leaders say nearly half the voting population - 22 million people - have signed a petition calling for change. Mr Morsi's opponents have promised a "second revolution".

But the president's Muslim Brotherhood and militant allies pledge to defend what they say is the legitimate order.

Mr Morsi has called his opponents bad losers backed by "thugs" from the rule of deposed Mr Mubarak.

He is banking on the "Tamarud - Rebel!" coalition fizzling out, as other challenges in the streets have done since he took power.

US President Barack Obama has called on Egyptians to focus on dialogue. His ambassador to Egypt has angered the opposition by suggesting protests are not helping the economy.

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Obama To Visit Mandela's Robben Island Cell

Barack Obama and his family are due to visit the stark cell where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison during the apartheid regime.

The US President arrived in Cape Town ahead of his visit to the jail on Robben Island, now preserved as a tribute to the anti-apartheid icon, who is critically ill in hospital.

Mr Obama has been to the prison before, when he was a senator in 2006, but wanted to return with his wife Michelle and daughters.

"For me to be able to bring my daughters there and teach them the history of that place and this country ... that's a great privilege and a great honour," said Mr Obama during his stop in South Africa as part of a three-nation tour.

South Africa's first black president will be the focus of Mr Obama's keynote speech at the University of Cape Town where Robert F Kennedy gave a speech in 1966 linking the struggles against apartheid and the US civil rights movement.

Barack Obama visiting a prison cell as senator in 2006

Mr Obama will use the platform to cite Mr Mandela's unifying legacy as a blueprint for a new generation in emerging Africa.

Pointing to Africa's crippling lack of electrical power, Mr Obama is also expected to announce a $7bn initiative over five years to double access to power in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr Mandela's illness placed Mr Obama in a tricky political spot, forcing him to balance his desire to push for a new economic relationship with Africa, with the need to properly honour his hero and "personal inspiration".

On Saturday, Mr Obama called Mr Mandela's wife Graca Machel and privately visited several of his daughters and grandchildren to offer support and prayers.

But he did not push for a visit to the Pretoria hospital where the 94-year-old is being treated, worried that he would disturb his peace.

Nelson Mandela visiting his old prison cell in 1995

"I expressed my hope that Madiba draws peace and comfort from the time that he is spending with loved ones," Mr Obama told Mrs Machel according to a statement.

Mrs Machel said she drew "strength from the support" from the Obama family.

After bilateral talks with Mr Obama, South Africa President Jacob Zuma said Mr Mandela remained in a "critical but stable" condition with a recurring lung infection.

Mr Obama has been faulted for lacking a grand programme to benefit Africa like the HIV/Aids initiative launched by George W Bush or the broad reductions of trade barriers achieved by Bill Clinton.

Many Africans have been disappointed at what they see as Mr Obama's hands-off approach to the continent, noting that his first extended trip the continent has not come until his second term in office despite his African ancestry.

Mr Obama's father was a native of Kenya.

The president's aides say he has been held back by the need to wind down two wars and to right the US economy after the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

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Croatia PM Dismisses Fears About Joining EU

Croatia's prime minister has told Sky News his people have a "reasonable amount of scepticism" about entering the European Union, with just hours until the country becomes a member.

Zoran Milanovic sought to dispel doubts about becoming the bloc's 28th addition as fireworks are prepared and foreign leaders arrive for celebrations at midnight on Sunday.

The ex-Yugoslav country is the first to join since Bulgaria and Romania came on board in 2007 and the government is hoping the move will attract badly needed foreign investment and boost the economy.

Mr Milanovic told Sky's Murnaghan show there was a "plethora" of good reasons for being part of the EU, despite the bloc's economic woes of recent years which have undermined the public's support.

Seven years of EU-guided reforms - including the sale of deeply indebted shipyards - in exchange for membership are seen to have dampened the enthusiasm of many Croatians.

Croatia PM: 'Economic failure not likely'

Support for membership is now at just about 50% down from the 66% recorded during a referendum last year.

Referring to the low turnout for recent elections of Croatian MEPs, which Mr Milanovic said was below 21% of the electorate, he told Sky News: "When you say people are not enthusiastic, I think people are sober because this succession has been long overdue.

"Croatian citizens always retain a pinch of scepticism, so in relation to the EU you would hardly ever get in Croatia 100% support for any grand idea.

"It's a rational and reasonable amount of scepticism that's always present in Croatian society."

Concerns have been raised in other member states, such as Germany, that another new member with its own economic difficulties could prove to be a drain on the bloc, which itself is struggling with recession in nine member states and with the eurozone debt crisis.

Figures from the EU's statistics office show that Croatia, which has a population of 4.2 million, would be among the poorest members.

Mr Milanovic said: "We've been so closely scrutinised in the past that such failure is not likely to repeat.

"Our banking sector is doing well - it's kind of robust, but also inert in that people don't lend and people don't borrow, but that's a problem we see throughout Europe, don't we?"

Croatia is joining two decades after declaring independence from federal Yugoslavia, which triggered four years of war in which some 20,000 people died.

It will not yet join the 17-nation single currency zone, nor the visa-free Schengen zone.

The transition will be marked at midnight with the "Customs" sign being removed at a border crossing with Slovenia, the only other ex-Yugoslav republic to have joined the EU since the break-up of the ex-communist federation.

At the same time the EU sign will be put up on the border with Serbia.

Both events will be broadcast live at the main square of the Croatian capital, Zagreb.

Heads of state from all six former Yugoslav republics will attend the celebrations, but leaders of EU members including Britain, France and Germany will not be present.

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Egypt: Crowds Gather For Anti-Morsi Protests

Thousands of protesters gathered in Cairo ahead of mass demonstrations across Egypt today - a year since President Mohamed Morsi came to power.

Scores of people gathered at Tahrir Square, the seat of the uprising of 2011. Others gathered outside the presidential palace several miles away, which was under heavy guard.

Police and troops have deployed to protect key buildings around the country, security officials said. The health ministry said hospitals have been placed on high alert.

A senior security official said the Suez Canal, the vital waterway that connects the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, has been placed under "maximum security".

Liberal leaders say nearly half the voting population - 22 million people - have signed a petition calling for change. Mr Morsi's opponents have promised a "second revolution".

But the president's Muslim Brotherhood and militant allies pledge to defend what they say is the legitimate order.

Andrew Pochter was killed in Alexandria

Several people have been killed and hundreds wounded in days of street fighting across the country.

Yesterday, an American student who was killed during violent clashes in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, was identified as Andrew Pochter, 21, from Maryland.

Mr Morsi calls opponents bad losers backed by "thugs" from the rule of Hosni Mubarak.

He is banking on the "Tamarud - Rebel!" coalition fizzling out, as other challenges in the streets have done since he took power a year ago.

Recent days have seen intense street fighting

An economic crisis deepened by unrest and political deadlock may spur many less partisan Egyptians to join the rallies, due to start in the afternoon in Cairo.

But many, too, are weary of turmoil and are sceptical that the opposition's demand to reset the rules of the new democracy is better than soldiering on.

US President Barack Obama called on Egyptians to focus on dialogue. His ambassador to Egypt has angered the opposition by suggesting protests are not helping the economy.

Liberal leaders, fractious and defeated in a series of ballots last year, hope that by putting millions on the streets they can force Mr Morsi to relent.

Religious authorities have warned of "civil war".

The army has said it will step in if violence gets out of control but insists it will respect the "will of the people".

Mr Morsi, who on Saturday met the head of the military he appointed last year, interprets that to mean army support for election results.

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