Plane Crashes Into Homes: Six Feared Dead

Fire and rescue personnel surround the site of the crash

Up to six people are feared dead after a small plane crashed in the US and engulfed two houses in flames.

The multi-engine, propeller-driven plane struck the homes near Tweed New Haven Airport, in the town of East Haven, Connecticut, as it went in to land.

National Transportation Safety Board investigator Robert Gretz said there were casualty reports of two or three people in the plane and two or three on the ground.

The plane may have been carrying two passengers, officials said

He said authorities were at the scene looking for victims.

Soon after the crash, officials had said at least three people were missing: the pilot and two children, aged one and 13, in one of the houses.

Governor Dannel Malloy later said the plane may also have been carrying two passengers but officials were still trying to verify whether that was true.

The plane was coming in to Tweed New Haven Airport

East Haven fire chief Douglas Jackson said: "We haven't recovered anybody at this point, and we presume there is going to be a very bad outcome."

He added: "There was an intense fire. There's heavy damage to both structures that were affected on both sides, the motor vehicle and then the aircraft involved."

A neighbour, David Esposito, said he heard a loud noise and then a thump. "No engine noise, nothing. A woman was screaming her kids were in there," he said.

The retired teacher said he ran into the upstairs of the house, where the woman believed her children were, and started frantically searching but could not find them.

Firefighters said they are predicting a "bad outcome"

He returned downstairs and kept looking but then had to drag the woman out when the flames became too strong.

Mr Gretz said: "The plane struck two houses. One of the houses was struck more severely and part of the plane is actually in the basement, and obviously some of the house is in the basement as well.

"The state police are working with the fire department to go through the house to look for victims.

"What I saw was that it (the plane) was inverted with the left wing in one house, the right wing in the other, and I would say probably about 50 to 60% of it was consumed by fire, mostly the forward portion, forward of the wings.

"I was able to identify the two wings and the tail from what I saw, and with the forward portion being more buried towards the basement of the house."

Mayor Joseph Maturo said the houses were still unstable and crews had not yet completed a full search.

The plane, a Rockwell International Turbo Commander 690B, flew out of Teterboro Airport in New Jersey and crashed at 11.25 am US time.

Tweed's airport manager, Lori Hoffman-Soares, said the pilot had been in communication with air traffic control and had not issued a distress call.

"All we know is that it missed the approach and continued on," she said.

East Haven, which has a population of 30,000, is 80 miles (130km) northeast of New York City, on Long Island Sound.

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Mexico Drugs Boss Quintero Freed Over Blunder

US officials have expressed outrage after a Mexican drugs baron who ordered the killing of an American agent was released early from prison.

Caro Quintero was jailed for 40 years over the 1985 kidnapping - but he has walked free after 28 years because of a ruling that he was tried in the wrong kind of court.

The US Department of Justice said it found the decision "deeply troubling".

Mexico's relations with Washington were soured when Quintero, now in his 60s, ordered US Drugs Enforcement Agency agent Enrique Camarena kidnapped, tortured and killed.

The agent was snatched in Guadalajara, a major drug-trafficking centre at the time.

His body and that of his Mexican pilot were found a month later in shallow graves.

Quintero, who was apparently angry at Mr Camarena over a raid he sanctioned on a marijuana plantation, was eventually hunted down in Costa Rica.

High security at the Jalisco state prison where Quintero was held

His release was ordered after a decision that his trial had improperly taken place in a federal court.

He still faces charges in the US and is believed to have continued controlling the laundering of drug money from behind bars.

The Department of Justice said it continues to seek Quintero's extradition.

The Association of Former Federal Narcotics Agents in the US said it was "outraged" and it blamed corruption within Mexico's justice system for the early release.

It said: "The release of this violent butcher is but another example of how good faith efforts by the US to work with the Mexican government can be frustrated by those powerful dark forces that work in the shadows of the Mexican 'justice' system."

Quintero is considered the grandfather of Mexican drug trafficking.

He helped establish a powerful cartel based in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa that later split into some of Mexico's largest cartels, including the Sinaloa and Juarez cartels.

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Japan Floods: Five Killed In Severe Weather

At least five people have been killed in severe floods and mudslides that struck in northern Japan.

Torrential rain led to widespread flooding in the town of Yahaba, in the Iwate prefecture, with residents forced to wade through waterlogged streets.

Some 300 people were evacuated on Friday.

Buildings were damaged in storms and mudslides

In the city of Senboku, in Akita prefecture, officials said three people were found dead on Saturday after a mudslide crushed two houses.

Two people remained missing and a major search was under way.

In Hanamaki, a mudslide killed one person and another person was found dead in a river in the town of Nishiwaga.

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Malaria Jab a Step Closer After Vaccine Trial

Tests on a new malaria vaccine have raised hopes the battle is being won against the disease which kills hundreds of thousands of people every year.

The experimental drug, which is known as PfSPZ and is made from living Plasmodium falciparum parasites, has proved highly effective in early-stage clinical trials.

Although the "proof of concept" trial was small - involving 40 adults - it could pave the way for the first vaccine offering 100% protection.

Manufacturing the vaccine was itself an achievement for researchers.

2010: 90% of all malaria deaths occurred in the poorest parts of Africa

Scientists first exposed sterile mosquitoes to malaria-infected blood before irradiating them to weaken the malaria parasites. Then the mosquitoes had to be carefully dissected to extract the parasites to make the serum.

"This was something that everybody said was not possible; and here it is," said Navy Captain Judith Epstein, one of the researchers from research company Sanaria, in Rockville, Maryland.

"We're in the first stages now of really being able to have a completely effective vaccine," she said, adding she hoped to see licensing of the vaccine within three to five years.

Early results of the vaccine are promising though not yet a breakthrough

Malaria infected 219 million people in 2010 and killed an estimated 660,000, according to the World Health Organisation - the equivalent of one child in Africa dying every minute.

"It's an important proof of concept," said Dr Anthony Fauci, director of America's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, adding that the results were the most promising yet of any experimental vaccine, though he resisted calling the trial a breakthrough.

"There are several more steps before you can feel comfortable that you have something that might be ready for prime time," he said.

"So we're really not there yet, but it's encouraging to see these very favourable results."

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Tapir Attack: Toddler Mauled During Zoo Visit

A Brazilian tapir has attacked a young girl and her mother during a trip to a zoo.

The attack happened during a supervised visit within one of the enclosures at Dublin Zoo. The child's mother was injured when she went to save her child.

The zoo says the incident was "an unfortunate accident" and said an investigation was under way.

A tapir is a large usually docile mammal, which looks a bit like a cross between a long-nosed pig and a small horse.

The zoo said a first aid team went to the scene immediately. The girl was taken to Dublin's Temple Street Children's Hospital. Her mother went to the Mater Hospital.

The youngster suffered deep abdomen and arm injuries and is understood to have had surgery.

In June, staff at Dublin Zoo celebrated the birth of a baby tapir to mother Rio, which is believed to have attacked the child.

Tapirs are normally shy but can defend themselves when scared. File picture

Rio's female baby is called Jenny and her father is called Marmaduke. Marmaduke is not thought to have been involved.

The tapir is normally vegetarian and many species are endangered in the wild in South East Asia and Latin America.

Related to rhinos and horses, the tapir's long, flexible snout helps collect leaves, shoots, fruit and small branches to eat.

They have strong jaws and sharp teeth which they use to defend themselves if under threat.

Dublin Zoo said the attack happened on Thursday during one of its regular supervised animal visits.

A spokeswoman said: "The welfare of our visitors and animals is of paramount importance and all steps are taken by our experienced staff to ensure optimum safety.

"Management at the zoo has launched an investigation into this regrettable occurrence and is reviewing all of its procedures with respect to supervised animal visits.

"Dublin Zoo would like to underline this was very much an isolated incident."

Attacks on humans by tapirs are not unknown. Although shy, when scared they can defend themselves.

In 1998, a keeper at a zoo in Oklahoma City was mauled and had an arm severed after opening the door to a female tapir's enclosure to push food inside.

The tapir's two-month-old baby was also inside the cage at the time.

In 2006, a Costa Rican politician became lost in the one of the country's national parks and was found by a search party with a "nasty bite" from a wild tapir.

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Vietnam: 'Jungle Men' Found Hiding From War

A father and son have been found living in the jungle more than 40 years after they fled US bombing during the Vietnam War.

Ho Van Thanh left his home village with his baby son Ho Van Lang in 1971 after a mine blast killed his wife and two of his children.

The pair apparently survived by foraging for fruit, lived in a timber treehouse and wore loin cloths made from tree bark.

The authorities were alerted after locals searching for firewood spotted the men deep in the forest in Quang Ngai province's Tay Tra district.

A team was set up to look for the pair - now aged 82 and 41 - and found them after a five hour search.

When found, Ho Van Thanh was too weak to walk and had to be taken out of the jungle on a stretcher.

Ho Van Thanh on the stretcher

The father could speak a little of the region's Cor language but the son only knew a few words.

The pair have been checked by doctors and a decision must now be made on how to reintegrate them to society.

Ho Van Thanh is believed to have lived a normal life in the hamlet of Tra Kem, but fled into the jungle after the explosion that decimated his family.

The men are thought to have grown their own food and even cultivated tobacco during their time in the wilderness.

Another son, Ho Van Tri, told Vietnamese newspaper VnExpress that he found them hiding out around two decades ago but could not convince them to return home with him.

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era conflict that claimed millions of military and civilian lives and left surviving soldiers and victims traumatised.

The US dropped millions of tonnes of bombs on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia during the war, which ended in 1975 with the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese forces.

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Zimbabwe: Mugabe Claims Victory A Blow To West

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has declared his election victory an "enemy blow" to the "British and their allies".

Mr Mugabe accused his main rival Morgan Tsvangirai, who declared the election null and void, of being a tool of the West.

The president's re-election last week marks a 33-year unbroken run in power but there have been allegations of vote-rigging and election fraud.

Mr Mugabe, Africa's oldest leader at the age of 89, said his ZANU-PF party's two-thirds majority victory had "dealt the enemy a blow".

He added: "But now they, even as the whole of Africa is sending us messages of congratulations to say 'well done', they say the elections were not free. And where are they talking? London and Washington and Ottawa."

Voters were sent to the wrong polling stations and turned away

Mr Mugabe reminded Western governments that they had pledged to consider lifting sanctions if the elections were found to be free and fair.

Mr Tsvangirai has announced that his MDC party will challenge the outcome of the July 31 election in court, alleging vote-rigging and intimidation by ZANU-PF party officials.

The African Union and the Southern African Development Community have declare the elections "free" and "credible" but refused to go so far as to say they were fair.

This, despite, monitors finding evidence of "irregularities" including people being sent to the wrong voting stations and two million more voting cards being printed than necessary.

Some two million too many voting cards were printed

Foreign Secretary William Hague has voiced "grave concerns" over activities that "call into serious question the credibility of the election".

He said there was no evidence that the roll of eligible voters was made available for all parties to scrutinise ahead of the vote.

He added: "We also have concerns over reports of large numbers of voters who were turned away, particularly in urban areas, the very high numbers of extra ballot papers that were printed and additional polling stations apparently added on election day itself."

The United States, which maintains sanctions against Mr Mugabe, has said it does not believe Mr Mugabe's re-election was credible.

Morgan Tsvangirai will challenge the legitimacy of Mr Mugabe's victory

The European Union, which has been looking at easing sanctions, has also expressed concerns over alleged serious flaws in the vote.

Mr Mugabe, indicated his critics should not expect any let-up in economic nationalism policies, such as the violent seizure of white-owned farms after 2000, that have also earned Western disapproval.

He said: "Our task is to look ahead. What we say we shall do, we will do."

The Zimbabwe stock exchange's main Industrial Index shed 1% on Wednesday, following a 1.7% fall on Tuesday and an 11% drop on Monday, the first trading day after Mr Mugabe's re-election was formerly announced.

Investors fear that ZANU-PF's boosted majority could embolden it to pursue even more radical economic nationalism.

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Texas: Gunman Kills Four In Two Shootings

A gunman has shot dead four people and wounded up to four more in two separate but related shootings in Texas.

The first attack came at about 10.30pm local time on Wednesday night at a house on Long Canyon Trail in southwest Dallas.

Two people died and two more were wounded, according to police sources.

The man was apparently looking for his ex-girlfriend, but she was not at home.

The suspect is then said to have driven seven miles to another house in the suburb of DeSoto where a further two people were killed and one or two others were injured.

According to WFAA-TV, the man threw an explosive device which detonated before he then went inside.

Some of the victims are thought to be children while several of the wounded are understood to be in a critical condition.

The authorities said a man, who initially claimed to be a victim, was arrested.

Dallas police told local media that the suspect only stopped shooting when he ran out of ammunition. 

The TV station said the man has tattoos identifying him as a former member of the military.

Officials gave no details about what led to the shooting spree, but initial indications point to a domestic dispute.

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Zanzibar: Two British Teenagers In Acid Attack

Two British teenagers have had acid thrown in their faces in a late night attack on the island of Zanzibar.

Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup, both 18, were attacked as they walked through the streets of Stone Town, the historical centre of the capital of the east African island, by two men on a motor bike.

The acid splashed their faces, chests, backs and hands.

The pair, who had been working as volunteer teachers at an orphanage, were flown to hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for treatment after the attack on Wednesday night.

Katie Gee had been volunteering as a teacher

A close friend of Katie Gee's family told Sky News that the two girls had been walking along a street when they were subjected to a "mindless and senseless attack".

They said that the girls were still in hospital waiting for a return flight to London where they would continue to be treated in hospital for their injuries.

They added that the girls had both had an amazing experience during their time in Zanzibar and that they were aware how to dress and behave appropriately in a Muslim country.

The two teenagers, from London, were with the volunteering organisation i-to-i as part of a four-week trip.

Kirstie Trup was also injured in the attack

They had been due to return home from the island, a popular destination for gap-year travellers, to the UK on Sunday.

In a statement the organisation said: "The motive for the attack is as yet not known and we will await the report from the local authorities in Zanzibar before any comment can be made.

"The female clients had been volunteer teachers on Zanzibar and were in the final week of their trip.

"The safety of our customers is of paramount importance to us and our own investigation will be launched as soon as it is possible to do so."

The street in Stone Town where the attack took place

Their parents are understood to have been informed and the teenagers are expected to fly back on Thursday.

Deputy Police Commissioner Mkadam Khamis said: "Police in Zanzibar have launched a manhunt, and we ask for public assistance in identifying the attackers."

He added: "The motive for the attack on the volunteers, aged 18 years, has not been established."

Saleh Mohammed Jidawi, a senior health ministry official, said that the women's wounds were "not life threatening".

The assault is the first against foreigners in the popular tourist destination, however, there have been a series of local attacks in the archipelago, mainly on grounds of religion.

A Muslim cleric was subjected to an acid attack in November. In February a Catholic priest was shot dead and in December another priest was shot and wounded.

But police described the attack on the British teenagers as an "isolated incident" and refused to link it to rising religious tensions between Muslims and Christians.

The Indian Ocean islands, famed for their white sand beaches and historical buildings in Stone Town, listed as a world heritage site by Unesco, are mainly Muslim, with 3% of the 1.2 million people Christian.

The attack on the island, 22 miles off the coast of Tanzania, came at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as people began to celebrate the Eid holiday.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are aware of an incident and are providing consular assistance."

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Koreas Agree To Talks: Complex May Re-Open

North And South: A Quick History

Updated: 2:23pm UK, Thursday 25 July 2013

By Mark Stone, Asia Corespondent, in Pyongyang

On the Korean Peninsula there are two versions of history. The version people learn depends on whether they are North Korean or South Korean.

Either way though, understanding both versions is key to understanding this most unusual of countries: its quirks, its people, its politics and its government's ability to survive against the odds.

There is no logical reason why the land that makes up the Korean Peninsula should be split into two countries.

The people either side of the border speak the same language and have the same ancestors.

But since 1945, it has been two countries: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea).

From 1910 until the end of World War Two, the Korean Peninsula was Japanese territory.

With Japan's defeat, America and the Soviet Union took control of the peninsula.

They decided to split it in two: America didn't want the communist administration in Moscow to control the whole thing. Moscow felt the same about total American control.

And an agreement was reached between Washington and Moscow and an arbitrary line was simply drawn across the middle.

The North became The Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It adopted the communist ideology of its Soviet masters.

A young war hero called Kim Il-Sung became its prime minister.

The South adopted American-style democracy and became the Republic of Korea.

Just five years later though in 1950, Kim Il-Sung and his new army, backed by communist China and Russia, invaded the South.

Within months North Korean forces controlled almost the entire peninsula.

An American-led United Nations force fought back and the Korean War had begun.

Three years of fighting left well over a million people dead. Among them were soldiers from both Koreas, America, China, Russia and Britain.

But no side could claim victory. The border remained where it had been at the start - across the 38th Parallel - and to this day it is a heavily guarded and mined demilitarised zone.

In the decades that followed, the Soviet Union and China continued to prop up the North.

Inside the closed country, Kim Il-Sung's government controlled information and adopted their own version of history which states that the US-backed South Koreans invaded the North.

In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed. North Korea had lost its main communist ally and trading partner.

The 1990s were dominated by a catastrophic famine in which millions died. A once strong country began to crumble.

And yet the country remained cut off, shunning most Western offers of help.

Kim Il-Sung, at his death in 1994, was declared Eternal President.

His son Kim Jong-Il ensured continuity and - on his death in 2011 - the leadership was assumed by his son, Kim Jong-Un.

And so through extreme control and isolation spanning 65 years, the Kim dynasty has cemented its cult of personality through which the state is still run.

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Kenya Airport Fire: Inbound Flights Diverted

Kenya's main international airport was closed after a large blaze in the arrivals area.

Inbound flights have been re-routed to other Kenyan airports following the fire at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.

However flights are due to resume at some point this afternoon.

Eyewitnesses said the billowing smoke could be seen from miles away and stranded passengers were left standing on pavements outside the airport holding their luggage.

Stranded passengers are standing on the pavement outside the airport

"It was huge, the smoke billowing, and it didn't seem to be stopping," said Barry Fisher, who had hoped to fly to Ethiopia but was turned away.

A British passenger, Martyn Collbeck, said he was surprised that the airport wasn't shut down sooner so that emergency vehicles could respond.

"When I arrived there were one or two fire engines parked outside the international arrivals, it spread very fast," said Mr Collbeck, who had been scheduled to fly back to London on an early morning KLM flight.

"There were a couple of explosions which I think were a couple of gas canisters. I would have expected more fire engines to respond faster."

The fire happened at an airport in Nairobi

The country's largest newspaper, The Daily Nation, reported last month that Nairobi County doesn't have a single working fire engine, and that three fire engines were auctioned off in 2009 because the county hadn't paid a $1,000 (£650) repair bill.

The fire burned for four hours before it was contained.

Transport secretary Michael Kamau said: "The fire started at a very central part of the airport and this made access difficult. But we have closed the airport indefinitely as we try to contain the fire."

It is the busiest airport in East Africa, and its closure affected flights throughout the region.

The fire comes less than 48 hours after a fuel jet pump failure caused huge delays at the airport, forcing some flights to be re-routed to the airport in the coastal town of Mombasa, Uganda and Rwanda.

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Syria: 'Al Qaeda' Rebels Killed In Ambush

Dozens of rebel fighters have been killed in an ambush by forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar al Assad, it has been claimed.

It took place near the town of Adra, which is situated around 22 miles east of Damascus, and is the gateway to Eastern Ghuta, a farming region where a large number of rebels are based.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group opposed to Mr al Assad, said 62 rebel fighters had been killed. It did not give a number for any loyalist casualties.

Syrian state news agency Sana also did not specify how many rebels were killed, but it did say the fighters were part of the jihadist al Nusra Front, an opposition group linked to al Qaeda.

It said the group was attempting to infiltrate Eastern Ghuta and attack a military post.

And it reported that machine guns and rocket propelled grenades were retrieved at the scene.

President Assad vowed last week to stamp out 'terror'

Loyalist forces have been on the offensive around Damascus since a rebel surge into towns and villages on the outskirts of the capital last year.

The army has increased its efforts to secure the city and its links to the western coast, while rebel fighters have overrun much of the north and east.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, fierce clashes reportedly broke out on the edge of the northern city of Aleppo, a day after rebel fighters occupied a nearby air base at Minnigh.

An explosion was also said to have ripped through the northern city of Raqa, killing three people including two children, according to the Observatory.

Meanwhile, UN inspectors tasked with looking into claims of chemical weapons use in Syria are expected to arrive in the war-torn country next week.

The team, led by Swedish expert Ake Sellstrom, will visit three sites where chemical weapons attacks have allegedly taken place to determine only whether they have been used - not who was behind the assaults. 

Some 13 suspected chemical weapons attacks have been reported to the United Nations in total. Both sides have been accused of using banned nerve agents.

More than 100,000 people have died in Syria's civil war and millions have been displaced since the conflict started in March 2011.

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Python Attack: 'Snake Kills Two Sleeping Boys'

Police in eastern Canada have launched a criminal investigation after a python apparently escaped from a pet shop and killed two children by asphyxiating them in their sleep.

The two boys - named locally as Noah Barthe, five, and his brother Connor, seven - were at a sleepover at their best friend's flat in the town of Campbellton when it is believed they were attacked by the snake.

It is understood the animal had escaped from the Reptile Ocean pet shop, which specialises in exotic pets and is run by family friend Jean-Claude Savoie, located on the ground floor of the building.

The boys were sleeping in the living room of the residence on Pleasant Street when they were reportedly attacked by the snake early on Monday morning. Police were called to the scene at 6.30am local time.

Corporal Alain Tremblay from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) told Canadian news station CBC News that officers were in the first stage of a criminal investigation.

He said: "I can tell you it's a criminal investigation right now to determine if any criminal act is responsible for the death of the two boys."

Cpl Tremblay confirmed that the snake involved is an African rock python, as long as 4.5 metres and weighing about 45kg. The animals are non-venomous and would usually kill by constricting victims.

Police outside the exotic pet store in Campbellton (Pic: CBC News)

Police have suggested the python entered the upstairs apartment via the two-storey building's ventilation system.

The RCMP said in a statement: "The preliminary investigation has led police to believe that a large exotic snake had escaped its enclosure at the store.

"(It) got into the ventilation system, then into the upstairs apartment. It's believed the two boys were strangled by the snake."

The boys' mother, Mandy Trecartin, lives close to the Reptile Ocean store. She is a good friend of the shop owner and regularly let her sons stay over there.

A former shop employee is reported to have called Ms Trecartin as soon as he heard about the tragedy to find out what happened.

Tim Thomas told Canada's National Post: "She told me straight up, it was her two children that died; I didn't know what to say, I was in shock."

Mr Savoie, who described the dead brothers as "like an extended family", told Global News that he found a "horrific scene" when he checked on the boys at about 6am.

An example of an African rock python (file pic)

"I thought they were sleeping and I've seen the hole in the ceiling, (and) everything has fallen. I turn the lights on and I've seen this horrific scene," Mr Savoie said.

He added: "The snake was gone but I found the snake ... it went through the ceiling and was sleeping in the living room.

"I have so many mixed emotions right now. I can't believe this is real."

The python, which he had owned for 10 years, has been recaptured.

The local community expressed shock at what had happened. One neighbour said: "We could not believe that something like this could happen, but it has happened."

But another Campbellton resident was less sympathetic. She said: "The fact that you have an apartment with animals like that below, the risk is always there."

Experts said attacks on humans by exotic snakes are extremely rare and, according to local officials, the reptile owner was fully licenced.

Connor Barthe (L) and Noah Barthe (Pic: Facebook / Mandy Trecartin)

Exotic snake seller Alexandre Tremblay suggested the snake must have been "way under-fed and badly housed".

"For a snake to be able to get out of that size it just has to be really hungry and not in good conditions. Because usually snakes are very easy-going ... it's rare that snakes get out," he told Sky News.

Lisa Janes, co-owner of Little Ray's Reptile Zoo, a zoo and education programme in Ontario, told CBC News that snakes do not usually see humans as food, pointing out that more people are killed by dogs than by snakes.

According to a report in the the Toronto Sun, snake expert Michel Leblanc is baffled over how the snake was able to kill both boys.

"It is rather odd ... because usually the snakes feed on rabbits, for example.

"Generally, it will only attack something he can swallow. It will not kill for nothing," he said.

Reptile Ocean's Facebook page was flooded with criticism when news of the deaths spread and has now been shut down, the National Post reported. An unknown administrator earlier replied to the angry comments saying it had been "a terrible accident without a meaning".

"There is nobody to blame. The snake broke out of its enclosure. The enclosure was locked. There was no negligence. This is a terrible accident," the message posted on Monday afternoon read.

An online petition calling for the shop, which reportedly has three employees, to be shut down had been started prior to the deaths. It has been open for almost 17 years.

Post-mortem examinations on the two boys' bodies are due to be carried out today.

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Yemen Terror Alert: Embassy Staff Withdrawn

Britain and America have told citizens to leave Yemen "immediately" as the al Qaeda terror threat intensifies.

The UK and the US State Department have also instructed that their embassies should be evacuated and all non-emergency US government staff have been ordered to leave the country "due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks".

A statement from the UK Foreign Office said: "Due to increased security concerns, all staff in our Yemen embassy have been temporarily withdrawn, and the embassy will remain closed until staff are able to return.

The US embassy in Sana'a has been evacuated

"There is a very high threat of kidnap from armed tribes, criminals and terrorists. Be particularly vigilant during Ramadan, when tensions could be heightened."

The developments in Yemen came as it was disclosed that an intercepted telephone call between al Qaeda leaders triggered the terror alert that led to the temporary closure of 19 US diplomatic posts across the Middle East and Africa.

During the conversation, al Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahri instructed the head of the terror affiliate in Yemen, Nasser al Wuhayshi to carry out a major attack as early as last Sunday.

The plot is thought to have been one of the most serious against American and other Western interests since the September 11, 2001, attacks, according to US intelligence officials.

One American official, who had been briefed on the intelligence report, told the New York Times: "This was significant because it was the big guys talking, and talking about very specific timing for an attack or attacks."

Al Wuhayshi, head of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), is a significant player and was groomed for leadership in the terror organisation by Osama bin Laden.          

It also emerged that a five-missile drone strike had killed four alleged al Qaeda members in Yemen's central Marib province. The hit targeted a vehicle, turning it into "a ball of fire", according to Yemeni officials.

The drone strikes hit four al Qaeda suspects in Marib Province

Speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to talk to the media, they said they believed that one of the dead is Saleh Jouti and another Saleh al Tays al Waeli.

Waeli was on a list of 25 "most wanted" al Qaeda operatives included in a list released by the Yemen government on Monday.

The men are wanted in connection with an alleged plot to launch a major attack before Ramadan ends and the Eid al-Fitr feast begins, either on Thursday or Friday.

Tuesday's drone strike is the fourth of its kind since July 28. The raids have killed 17 suspects in one week.

Aqap is seen as the terror network's most capable franchise following the decimation of its core leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan in recent years.

The Yemen-based group has attempted a number of attacks on US soil, including a bid to bring down a passenger plane in 2009 by a man wearing explosives in his underwear and a failed plot to send bombs concealed in printers.

Ayman al Zawahiri, al Qaeda's leader, is unable to act out of Pakistan

The US, in turn, has launched scores of drone strikes in Yemen, where the militant groups thrive in vast, lawless areas largely outside government control.

Several US allies, including Britain, France, Germany and Norway have also announced closures of some of their missions in the region.

An attack on September 11 last year killed the US ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans in Benghazi.

US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN at the weekend that the recent actions taken to close the embassies showed President Barack Obama's administration had learned lessons from Benghazi.

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Japan Unveils Largest Warship Since WWII

Japan has unveiled its biggest warship since World War II, a huge flat-top destroyer.

The ship is the largest surface combatant of the Japanese navy

The ship has raised eyebrows in China and elsewhere because it bears a strong resemblance to a conventional aircraft carrier.

The ship, which has a flight deck that is nearly 250 metres (820ft feet) long, is designed to carry up to 14 helicopters.

Japanese officials say it will be used in national defence - particularly in anti-submarine warfare and border-area surveillance missions - and to bolster the nation's ability to transport personnel and supplies in response to large-scale natural disasters, like the devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

The ship can carry up to 14 helicopters

Although the ship - "Izumo" - has been in the works since 2009, its unveiling comes as Japan and China are locked in a dispute over several small islands located between southern Japan and Taiwan.

For months, ships from both countries have been conducting patrols around the isles, called the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyutai in China.

The tensions over the islands, along with China's heavy spending on defence and military modernisation, have heightened calls in Japan for improved naval and air forces.

A sailor looks on with a smile at the launch of the warship

China recently began operating an aircraft carrier that it refurbished after buying it from Russia and is reportedly planning to building another one itself.

Japan, China and Taiwan all claim the islands.

Though technically a destroyer, some experts believe the new Japanese ship could potentially be used in the future to launch fighter jets or other aircraft that have the ability to take off vertically.

The warship seen before the launching ceremony in Yokohama, south of Tokyo

That would be a departure for Japan, which has one of the best equipped and best trained naval forces in the Pacific but which has not sought to build aircraft carriers of its own because of constitutional restrictions that limit its military forces to a defensive role.

Japan says it has no plans to use the ship in that manner.

The Izumo does not have catapults for launching fighters, nor does it have a "ski-jump" ramp on its flight deck for fixed-wing aircraft launches.

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Turkey: 21 Suspects Acquitted In Coup Trial

Turkey: A Lesson For Egypt

Updated: 12:04pm UK, Monday 05 August 2013

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent

When the sword of Islam clashes with the sabre of secular military ambition sparks will inevitably fly.

Egypt has been set aflame this way – but Turkey has moved decisively to blunt the armed forces political armoury.

Some 300 officers, politicians, lawyers and dozens of journalists are hearing the verdicts after a five-year trial in which they have been accused of plotting bombing campaigns, political murder and a coup against Turkey's Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Organised by a "deep state" organisation known as Ergenekon, the alleged plot has bitterly divided Turkish society.

Secular liberals have little time for the habitual interventions of the military in Turkey's politics – but, over the years, they (like their Egyptian cousins) have also looked to senior officers to preserve the secular traditions that modernised their country after the end of Ottoman rule in 1923.

So the alleged plotters are being seen as the latest victims of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's long running campaign to rid Turkey's body politic of the presence of the military by his critics.

The military staged its last coup in 1997 against the Necmettin Erbakan of the Welfare Party, an Islamist movement, by operating against him from behind the scenes.

In 1998 Erdogan, the Mayor of Istanbul and a member of the Welfare Party, was jailed for 10 months for allegedly inciting racial hatred in a move which he has always blamed on the secular military.

When he came to power he moved quickly to try to keep the military at bay.

His secret police first uncovered the "Sledgehammer", an alleged plot ten years ago, in which about 300 people, most of them in the military, were jailed for allegedly organising another coup.

Many of his critics insist that the charges in the latest trial are trumped up.

They point out that only one other country on earth has jailed more journalists – and that is China.

This year's demonstrations in Taksim Square in Istanbul and across the country have rattled Mr Erdogan – who has been in power for a decade - as tens of thousands took to the streets to protest against the steady drift of Turkey towards an Islamist state.

He has attempted to ban kissing in public, imposed restrictions on the sale of alcohol, and neutered the domestic media which has infuriated many Turks.

But they are unlikely to be able to look to the military to help – their counterparts in Cairo successfully implored the Egyptian armed forces to depose their democratically elected president.

In some ways Egypt's recently ousted President, Mohammed Morsi, currently in military custody, might have learned from his Turkish counterpart.

He could have moved against Egypt's US-backed armed forces before they moved against him, early in his presidency.

He had warnings.

General Abdel Fatah al Sisi, his defence minister, twice warned that the armed forces might intervene before they did in June this year. He warned this would be to stop a civil war.

A move against the armed forces for threatening a coup might have been legitimate.

But it could not have been carried politically.

Then president Mr Morsi had failed to focus on Egypt's economy. Mr Erdogan didn't make that mistake.

His economic reforms created a wealthy middle class and big money vested interests who were interested mainly in maintaining political stability while the economy boomed in the last decade.

Many looked aside when Mr Erdogan first cracked down on the military.

Mr Morsi pursued a cruder agenda.

He was unable to galvanise an economy which, in any case, is believed to be about 40% under military control.

Instead he focused on centralising power and promoting his fellow members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

By December last year he had put himself above the law and introduced rule by decree.

The Brotherhood is the most potent civil society movement in Egypt – but without the armour of economic success, it was always going to be run-through by the military.

Recent upheavals and demonstrations against Mr Erdogan's Islamist agenda in Turkey has fuelled support for the 300 alleged coup plotters as the verdicts come in on a long trial.

This may be the opportunity for the Turkish military to take a lesson from their Egyptian comrades and forge an alliance with the secular liberals on the streets. If they do, we can expert fireworks.

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Gibraltar Row: Spain Accused Of Sabre-Rattling

Gibraltar's chief minister has accused Spain of "sabre-rattling like North Korea" after it threatened to impose sanctions on the Rock.

Fabian Picardo said Spanish foreign minister Jose Garcia-Margallo was being belligerent by threatening to charge workers almost £90 a day to cross the border.

Prime Minister David Cameron has also now weighed in, with Downing Street saying he is "seriously concerned" by the escalating row.

A spokesman said: "The Spanish have not raised the prospect of introducing border fees with us. We are seeking an explanation from them regarding reports that they might target Gibraltar with further measures."

Mr Garcia-Margallo had suggested a levy on workers travelling from Gibraltar could be used to help Spanish fishermen who have lost out because of damage to fishing grounds allegedly caused by Gibraltarian authorities.

But Mr Picardo told Sky News: "The 10,000 Spanish workers that come into Gibraltar every day, they would be on the hook for 100 euros - 50 in and 50 out - when they might earn less than that each day.

"I think this is quite a silly remark for the Spanish foreign minister to have made. He is sabre-rattling a la North Korea. It almost makes you feel like you are listening to the politics of Franco in the 1950s and 60s."

In a separate interview, he said that the border costs would violate European Union freedom of movement rules.

Fabian Picardo (left) and Jose Garcia-Margallo

He also warned "hell will freeze over" before the Gibraltan authorities remove an artificial reef Madrid claims is harming the interests of Spanish fishermen.

And he branded the possibility of Spain closing its airspace to flights from the Rock dangerous and the "politics of madness".

The Foreign Office has already voiced concerns over Mr Garcia-Margallo's comments and said Britain would not compromise its sovereignty over Gibraltar.

A spokesman made clear that the UK expects Madrid to live up to the commitments it made in the 2006 Cordoba Agreement.

These include deals on issues like border crossings and access for flights, as well as establishing a tripartite forum for regular dialogue between Britain, Spain and Gibraltar.

Spain's main opposition party, the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) accused Mr Garcia-Margallo of "dynamiting" dialogue on issues affecting workers, fishermen and traders.

Its spokesman for EU affairs Juan Moscoso del Prado said: "You cannot threaten 50 euro fees when there are more than 10,000 people who go there every day to work. Workers should not be taken hostage by this conflict."

The dispute over the status of Gibraltar escalated recently following a number of alleged Spanish incursions into the territory's waters.

Spain claims sovereignty over the Rock, which stands on the southernmost tip of the Iberian peninsula but has been a British Overseas Territory since the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.

However, the UK Government has made clear that it will not negotiate over sovereignty as long as Gibraltar's people want to remain British.

Foreign Secretary William Hague last month phoned Mr Garcia-Margallo to complain about Spain ramping up border checks, which forced drivers to wait for up to seven hours in searing heat.

On Sunday, the Foreign Office summoned the Spanish ambassador, to demand assurances that there would be no repeat of the excessive checks.

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Dog Attack: Toddler Killed By Family Pet

A two-year-old Australian boy has been mauled to death by a mastiff cross dog at his grandmother's house.

The attack happened on Sunday afternoon at Deniliquin in New South Wales when the boy reportedly went outside to get an ice-cream from a back fridge and the dog, a family pet, followed.

The boy has been named by local media as Deeon Higgins. The dog, called Kingston according to reports, is thought to have belonged to his 24-year-old cousin.

It is not clear what sparked the attack. The toddler's mother and grandmother both desperately tried to pull the dog off the child but to no avail, with the boy suffering severe head and face injuries.

Mastiff dogs are not considered a dangerous breed (File)

"The child's grandmother, aged 70, intervened but was unable to release the child. The child's mother arrived and fought the dog off the boy," police said in a statement.

"He and his grandmother were taken to Deniliquin Hospital ... but he died a short time later. The older woman has been treated for exhaustion, bruising and abrasions."

The dog, not usually considered a dangerous breed, was captured and put down.

Detective Inspector Darren Cloak of the Deniliquin police said the family and local residents were "shocked" and "distraught" by the death.

News of the attack is said to have shocked the small town of Deniliquin

"The community will be saddened by this, it's a tragic set of circumstances," he said.

A family spokesman told the Sydney Morning Herald that the family was devastated by what had happened.

"We have lost a gorgeous little boy who we all loved so much," the newspaper was told.

New South Wales state premier Barry O'Farrell said he would review regulations covering dangerous dogs while Prime Minister Kevin Rudd vowed any support needed.

"I'm all ears in terms of anything any level of government wants by way of support, on practical levels, to control wild dogs," said Mr Rudd, who faces national elections in five weeks.

"We await those requests. All I can say is that this is horrible, absolutely horrible."

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Interpol Global Security Alert After Jailbreaks

Interpol has issued a global security alert, urging countries to be on their guard following a series of prison breaks believed linked to al Qaeda.

The international police organisation warning comes after the US State Department put out a worldwide travel alert and decided to close 21 of its embassies and consulates across the Muslim world today.

The US measure was in response to non-specific information suggesting the terror network was planning attacks during the month of August.

The Obama Administration has warned US citizens of the potential for terrorism particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.

US joint chiefs of staff chairman General Martin Dempsey said there was a "significant threat", describing it as "more specific" than previous threats.

A section of the British embassy compound in Yemen

Meanwhile, Britain is shutting the doors of its embassy in Yemen for two days starting today due to increased security concerns. France is also closing its embassy for the same reason.

Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has withdrawn a number of staff from the capital Sana'a, and British nationals have been warned against all travel to the country.

Those still in Yemen have been advised to leave immediately, as it is "extremely unlikely" their evacuation could be arranged if the security situation deteriorates.

The FCO recommended particular vigilance during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends on August 8, when "tensions could be heightened".

Interpol urged countries around the world to show "increased vigilance", following a series of prison escapes over the past month which freed hundreds of terrorists in Iraq, Libya and Pakistan.

The State Department warned US citizens of the potential for terrorism

An elaborate raid earlier this week freed 252 inmates from a prison in Dera Ismail Khan in Pakistan.

Rocket-propelled grenades and bombs were used in the assault, with the Taliban claiming that two dozen newly-liberated militants had been smuggled into its tribal heartland.

Interpol said it was "asking its member countries to closely follow and swiftly process any information linked to these events and the escaped prisoners".

It added: "They are also requested to alert the relevant member country and Interpol general secretariat headquarters if any escaped terrorist is located or intelligence developed which could help prevent another terrorist attack."

Four Americans were killed in the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi

Yemen has become a stronghold of al Qaeda over recent years, with local offshoot al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula believed to have several hundred members.

This was despite efforts by the country's authorities to suppress the group and US drones killing leaders including Anwar al Awlaki.

Yemen was the source of an attempt to bomb a US-bound airliner in 2009.

There has been unrest recently after the mutiny of troops in the Republican Guard, with fighting around the presidential palace on Friday.

The latest alert by the US warned that al Qaeda or its allies may target American government or private US interests.

It cited dangers involved with public transportation systems and other prime sites for tourists, noting that previous terrorist attacks have centred on subway and rail networks as well as aircraft and boats.

The US State Department issued a major warning last year informing American diplomatic facilities across the Muslim world about potential violence connected to the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

In Benghazi, Libya, four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, were killed in an attack on the US consulate.

The deadly assault has prompted several calls for investigations from House Republicans who have accused the Obama administration of misleading Americans about the attack.

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Australia: Kevin Rudd Names Election Date

The Australian prime minister has called a national election as his Labor Party looks to close the gap with the conservative opposition.

Kevin Rudd was first elected prime minister in 2007, but was defeated in 2010 by his then deputy Julia Gillard in an internal leadership contest within his centre-left Labour Party.

He won back the leadership in a similar challenge on June 26 as the government faced the prospect of a record loss under Ms Gillard.

Since then, Mr Rudd has changed several key policy positions and opinion polls suggest Labor is closing the lead of the conservative opposition.

The party has been in power since 2007 and helped Australia's economy avoid recession following the 2008 global financial crisis, aided by a prolonged mining boom.

But a budget update on Friday showed Australia's economic growth is slowing as the mining investment boom ends, with rising unemployment particularly in the manufacturing sector.

In an email to supporters, Mr Rudd said: "It's on. We've got one hell of a fight on our hands.

"Australians now face a choice. And the choice couldn't be starker. I have a positive vision about the country we can be."

The election date would mean Mr Rudd missing the G20 summit in St Petersburg, even though Australia will take over as chair of the G20 for the coming year.

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China Blocks NZ Milk Powder Over Botulism

Some brands of baby milk formula from New Zealand contain whey powder which could cause the food poisoning botulism, authorities have warned.

Up to 1,000 tons of dairy products - including milk powders used for sports as well as babies' formula - have been recalled from shelves in seven countries.

The move comes after the New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra announced tests had turned up a type of bacteria that can cause the illness.

China, one of the countries where the products are exported to, has responded by blocking all imports of milk powder from New Zealand, an NZ minister said Sunday.

China is New Zealand's biggest market for exported milk powder.

Demand for imported milk products has risen sharply after a series of scandals over tainted baby formula in China, leading to limits on sales of formula in other countries, including the UK.

It is not known, at this stage, whether China's import ban on New Zealand milk will have a knock-on effect on baby milk availability in the UK.

New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser said the ban was "entirely appropriate", as consuming the whey products could lead to the potentially fatal illness.

China has not officially announced a ban. It said on Saturday it had contacted New Zealand's embassy and asked it "to take measures to prevent the products in question from influencing the health of Chinese consumers".

Mr Groser said the situation with Fonterra was "very serious". As well as China, the whey protein concentrate had also been exported to Australia, China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam.

"The authorities in China, in my opinion absolutely appropriately, have stopped all imports of New Zealand milk powders from Australia and New Zealand," Mr Groser said on Television New Zealand's Q&A programme.

"It's entirely appropriate they should have done that. It's better to do blanket protection for your people then wind it back when we, our authorities, are in a position to give them the confidence and advice that they need."

In China, several domestic brands of baby milk have been hit by scandals

The symptoms of botulism include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, followed by paralysis, and it can be fatal if not treated.

There have been no reports of any illness linked to consumption of the affected whey protein.

The problem is believed to have been caused by unsterilised pipes at a factory in Waikato .

Fonterra's milk products managing director Gary Romano said three affected batches of whey protein weighing about 42 tons were made in May 2012, adding that Fonterra has since cleaned the pipes.

The affected batches were found to contain the toxic bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism, but it was only discovered on July 31 this year.

New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries says the tainted product was mixed with other ingredients to form about 1,000 tons of consumer products which were then distributed worldwide.

Some of the affected product ended up being used by New Zealand company Nutricia which makes the Karicare line of formula for infants aged over six months.

Nutricia has locked down all five batches of infant formula it believed contained the tainted product but New Zealand advised parents to buy different Nutricia products or alternative brands until all tainted Nutricia products had been recalled.

Russia's Ria Novosti news agency reported that Moscow was "recalling Fonterra's products, including infant formula and advised Russian consumers not to buy the company's other products".

Dairy exports are one of New Zealand's major earners. According to government data the dairy industry contributes 2.8% to New Zealand's GDP and about 25% of its exports. It is worth NZ$10.4bn (£5.2bn) annually.

In 2008, six babies in China died and another 300,000 were sickened by infant formula that was tainted with melamine, an industrial chemical added to watered-down milk to fool tests for protein levels.

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