Assad Loyalists Protect Damascus Mountain

By Sally Arthy, Senior News Editor, Damascus

Every night for the past week, loyal Assad supporters have bedded down in tents on Mount Qussioun overlooking Damascus.

On the top of the mountain is the main transmitter for Syrian TV.

These people are trying to protect the site from possible US attack. As such they say they are human shields.

They wear white T-shirts with the logo, "Over our dead bodies".

Government forces at a checkpoint on mount Qussioun

Their canvas tents are in two uniform rows on either side of a parking area at one of the most panoramic viewing points on the road up.

Patriotic songs blare out from a sound system set up in one of the shelters.

A huge Syrian flag has been draped down the side of the hill. And it is draped around the backs of some of the activists who have set up the camp.

One of the organisers is 21-year-old law student Hussain Othman. He says he started the sleep in "to protect Syria".

File picture of mount Qussioun

He said: "We will continue until the end. We are civilians. We are against any military strikes."

Ammar Shamia is also in the crowd of demonstrators. He says two of his sons were shot dead by opposition forces last year. 

One was 14-years-old, the other just eight. He says they were killed because their four-year-old brother was singing a pro-Syria song.

Three friends from Damascus University have come to the camp to check it out. They hope to find a bed for the night.

One of them, Isaa Ali, is angry. His voice rises when he talks about the possibility of American strikes.

He said: "I want to continue to study. I want other governments to leave us alone."

Below the camp the city of Damascus sprawls out. It is a spectacular view. But it is punctuated by plumes of smoke - a reminder of the war still raging on the ground in this country.

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John Kerry Makes Pitch For Syria Support

Misery Of Syrians Driven From Home

Updated: 7:13am UK, Saturday 07 September 2013

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent

I have passed through the border area between Turkey and Syria dozens of times in the last year or so, but I have never seen a vehicle exodus like the one taking place now.

Hundreds of cars stacked up at customs all laden with people and possessions. These are the people who have survived for two and a half years, who have used up all their savings to stay in their country but have concluded now that they have to leave.

Not one Syrian is untouched by this war anymore.

In camps along Syria's borders and inside neighbouring countries, millions are living in various levels of misery.

All the camps are miserable; some are bigger and better than others, some are like squatter camps. Refugees have given up hope and gone, the internally displaced will likely soon follow, if they can.

In the displaced peoples' camp near the Turkish city of Killis, but still just inside Syria, they are just about surviving.

There is little choice for entire families who have moved from village to village for years now, seeking sanctuary from aerial bombardments and shelling. They have tried to escape the war, but it always catches up.

Haj Nadeen is 50 and has 12 children, two wives, a sister and sister-in-law all living in a single tent in the camp.

"A barrel bomb exploded in front of my house and destroyed it," he told me over a cup of tea surrounded by the whole family.

"Assad wants to destroy us and wants to move us out of our houses. He will use gas and he will use barrel bombs. If the Americans attack there will be retaliation but they have to do it."

The continual air assaults on villages are what force most people to leave; usually after a family member is severely hurt.

In a tent, the wind whipping up a sandstorm inside, little Ali Shaobu, showed me raking scars on his leg and the patches on his bottom where Turkish doctors took flesh and skin to rebuild him.

He was buying bread when a jet struck shattering that leg. Doctors said they had never not amputated on such an extensive injury but were prepared to try to save it as he was so young.

After a series of operations it was successful. But he and his family cannot return home as the same jet destroyed their house. They have been in the tent for a year.

"We can't go home and we can't rebuild until this is over," his mother, Malar Al Hassan, told me.

"We can only trust in God."

A quarter of Syria's population is on the move. International donations are half that is needed to for the aid agencies to help them and of course the crisis is growing.

Currently the world's worst humanitarian crisis, the Syria problem has rumbled on with barely a single peace solution even remotely acceptable to the rebels or the government being tabled.

But that isn't actually the point here because this is about help for those who really need it. They aren't getting enough and they can't do anything to help themselves any more.

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Abbott Wins Australian Election As Rudd Concedes

Australia's state broadcaster has called a clear win for Tony Abbott over Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in the national polls.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said the British-born opposition leader's Liberal Party-led coalition had ended six years of centre-left Labor rule on Saturday.

With 54% of the vote counted, the Australian Electoral Commission had Mr Abbott's party leading in 76 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives and Labor in 55.

Abbott and Rudd on election posters in Sydney

A majority of 76 is needed to form government once all the votes have been tallied.

ABC election analyst Antony Green said: "The coalition is on a pretty secure 74 seats already. On that basis they're going to get a majority. I think we can say the government has been defeated."

Sky News Australia conducted an exit poll predicting the Liberal Party would secure 97 seats and Labour would drop to just 51.

Voters cast their ballot in Sydney

Defence Minister Stephen Smith told ABC: "The government will be defeated tonight.

"Pessimistically, I'm looking at a result which will be a 1996-type result, a heavy defeat for the government," he added, referring to the election which brought Liberal leader John Howard to power.

Health Minister Tanya Plibersek also admitted Labor had lost.

Mr Abbott casting his vote with his family beside him

She said: "The clear take-out from this definitely is that disunity is death and we are not disciplined enough. I don't think the division or the pain was justified at any stage."

Labor has been marred by relentless infighting - which saw Mr Rudd oust Australia's first female prime minister Julia Gillard in June - leaving the public frustrated and disillusioned.

Former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke said personality politics had been allowed to overtake the party's message and policies.

He told Sky: "The personal manipulations and pursuits of interest have dominated more than they should and in the process the concentration on values has slipped.

"I really believe this was an election that was lost by the government rather than one that was won by the opposition."

Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard

Early poll numbers suggested big swings against the government in the key states of New South Wales and Queensland after more than 14.7 million electors took part in the mandatory ballot across the country.

During the five-week campaign, Mr Abbott gradually overtook once-popular Mr Rudd.

The growing number of asylum seekers has been a major theme in the election. Labor promised that every bona fide refugee who attempts to reach Australia by boat would be settled on Papua New Guinea or Nauru.

The Liberals promised new policies requiring the navy to turn asylum seeker boats back to Indonesia, where they launch, and the government to buy back ageing fishing boats from Indonesian villagers to prevent them falling into the hands of people smugglers.

Mr Abbott has also vowed to scrap a controversial carbon tax and instead introduce taxpayer-funded incentives for polluters to operate cleaner.

Mr Abbot was born in London and moved with his parents to Sydney at the age of two. Later, he returned to England to study at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.

Mr Abbott has been in Parliament for almost two decades, and for a time was health minister.

He trained briefly as a priest, is a fitness fanatic famous for wearing tight swimming trunks and also volunteers for Australia's Rural Fire Service.

Deeply religious, some of his more conservative views on issues such as abortion and gay marriage have not pleased some.

Questions have also been asked about his attitude towards women with Ms Gillard famously labelling him a misogynist in a heart-felt speech in Parliament.

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Spain Train Crash Driver: New Recording

The driver of a train which crashed in northern Spain killing 79 people admitted to speeding at more than twice the limit in a phone call in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

A recording has emerged in Spanish media in which Francisco Garzon is heard telling a colleague he had been distracted and had been travelling at 190kph (118mph) instead of 80kph (50mph).

In the audio released by Spain's El Pais newspaper, Garzon also said he had complained on previous occasions of the risks posed by the 'inhuman' curve where the train derailed on July 24, near Santiago de Compostela in the north west of the country.

The train was carrying 218 passengers from Madrid when it hurtled off the tracks and slammed into a concrete wall causing some carriages to flip over and catch fire.

Scores of people died when the train crashed in northern Spain

Garzon has been charged by Magistrate Luis Alaez with "79 counts of homicide and numerous offences of bodily harm, all of them committed through professional recklessness".

He is not in jail as he is not considered to pose a risk of absconding.

in the phone call he made to activate the emergency protocol after the Alvia train crashed, Garzon is heard saying: "There must be many injured, it (train) has turned over, I can't get out of the cabin.

"It's because I got distracted and I had to be going at 80 but I was going at 190, something like that," he added, admitting he was going too fast. "I had already mentioned this to the safety people, that this (curve) was dangerous, that we would get distracted one day and that would be it."

Following the accident, Garzon admitted in court he was going too fast.

A fireman rescues an injured child after the accident in July

Garzon, in his phone call to RENFE, the train company, expressed concern for the passengers and suggested the curve at A Grandeira, where the speed limit is 80, was an accident waiting to happen.

He is heard to say: "My God, I mentioned this before to the guy in safety that this is very dangerous... we are human and this can happen to us... this is curve is inhuman... with... with a warning light... it's not right, man, that they do these things, man. The driver has to be ... but we are human. It's my conscience and those poor passengers."

Meanwhile, the black box recorder showed Garzon had been on the phone to the on-board conductor shortly before the accident, and stopped speaking just 11 seconds before the derailment.

Spain is reviewing the safety of its rail system after one of the worst train disasters in the country's history.

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Australia Government Facing Embarrassing Defeat

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

The Australian government is set for an embarrassing defeat in this weekend's general election with opinion polls suggesting the main opposition party is heading for a landslide victory.

During the five-week campaign, the opposition leader of the Liberal National coalition, Tony Abbott, has gradually overtaken once-popular Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Jullia Gillard was ousted as prime minister by Mr Rudd in July

Internal bickering in the ruling Labor party saw Mr Rudd oust Australia's first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard a few weeks ago, something which she did to him three years earlier.

The feud, however, has not pleased voters who, according to analysts, are now wanting change.

Australian election expert Antony Green says the past few weeks have been "one of the more unusual election campaigns in Australian history".

"It is a minority government going into the election, it is a government well behind in opinion polls that has changed leader at the last minute, and therefore it has been a campaign where the government is trying to make up ground," he said.

Julia Gillard's three-year term was dogged by leadership speculation, party instability and rumours of Rudd trying to engineer a return to the prime minister's office.

The leadership change provided an immediate opinion poll boost for Labor but as the election campaign moved on Rudd's popularity has slipped.

Sky News Australia's political correspondent Laura Jayes says the disruption within the Labor ranks has gone down badly with voters.

She said: "People don't like that at all.

"It's been chaotic inside the Labor camp for a good three years, but they are also a little concerned about Tony Abbott and what kind of man and Prime Minister he might be."

Mr Abbott has appealed to voters who want a change in Australia

Mr Green says there are three major issues for voters - the state of the economy, strategies for controlling asylum-seeker arrivals, and the recently introduced carbon tax.

"Australia's economy is doing well but Australians don't perceive it is doing well because they're not comparing it with overseas," he said.

"There's the issue of asylum seekers and refugees arriving by boat, that's deeply unpopular in the electorate, and the current government has been responsible for surging those numbers and is blamed for it.

"The third issue would be the carbon tax and climate change. There is still a lot of unpopularity about the Gillard government introducing a carbon tax."

Mr Abbott, unpopular in opinion polls for months, has seen his credibility improve in recent weeks.

He has been in Parliament for almost two decades, and for a time was health minister.

He trained briefly as a priest, is a fitness fanatic famous for wearing tight swimming trunks and also volunteers for Australia's Rural Fire Service.

Deeply religious, some of his more conservative views on issues such as abortion and gay marriage have not pleased some.

Questions have also been asked about his attitude towards women, Julia Gillard famously labelling him a misogynist in a heart-felt speech in Parliament.

While Labor and the coalition are the only parties capable of winning a majority in the House of Representatives (lower house), a number of smaller parties could win seats and control the balance of power in the Senate (upper house).

The Greens currently hold the balance of power there, while the new WikiLeaks Party is also fielding Senate candidates in three states.

Even undecided Australians must choose someone, as voting in Australia is mandatory. 

Around a million people an hour will pass through polling stations on Saturday.

In such a large country polling has already begun in some areas with ballot boxes taken to extremely rural locations, particularly remote Aboriginal communities.

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Syria: Britain Pledges Extra £52m In Aid

British Prime Minister David Cameron has announced an additional £52m in aid to help the estimated two million refugees who have fled the civil war in Syria.

He chaired a humanitarian meeting at the G20 summit in St Petersburg this morning and urged fellow leaders to dig deep to meet the UN's appeal for £900m for Syria and £1.9bn for neighbouring countries this year.

"This is a moral imperative. This is the big refugee crisis of our time. As the (UN) Secretary General has made clear, seven million people are in dire need and chemical weapons attacks have made this even more acute," he told them.

The G20 'family' photo in St Petersburg

"A Syrian becomes a refugee every 15 seconds while we sit here at this conference. That is 5,000 fleeing their homes and becoming homeless while we are at this G20 summit."

About third of Syria's pre-war 20.8 million population has fled abroad or have been forced from their homes during the popular uprising against President Bashar al Assad's regime which is now in its third year, UN refugee agency data showed.

"This is a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions in recent history," UN chief Ban Ki-moon said.

The extra £52m brings Britain's total aid contribution to the Syria crisis to £400m.

David Cameron has ruled out any prospect of agreement at the summit, saying that Russian president Vladimir Putin remains "miles away" from the truth of Mr Assad's use of chemical weapons on his own people.

Syrian refugees head across the border into Turkey

Syria's state news agency SANA said the head of Syria's parliament has urged the US Congress to vote against military action targeting its regime.

"We urge you not to take reckless measures as you have the power to steer the United States from the path of war to that of diplomacy," it quoted parliament chief Jihad al Lahham.

Relations among world leaders have become heated over possible US military action against President Assad's regime.

The US and Russia have been unable to agree on a way forward and President Barack Obama said he had "hit a wall" with Mr Putin, who has warned the use of force without UN approval would be "aggression" and a violation of international law.

US Ambassador Samantha Power accused Russia of holding the UN "hostage"

Mr Cameron confirmed that deep divisions were voiced at last night's four-hour official dinner and said that - despite evidence of nerve gas sarin found by US and UK scientists - Mr Putin is still far from accepting the regime's responsibility for the August 21 attack which killed hundreds of civilians in a Damascus suburb.

"This G20 was never going to reach conclusions on Syria," said the Prime Minister. "The divisions are too great."

Following a 35-minute face-to-face meeting with Mr Putin in the early hours of Friday, Mr Cameron said: "He says to me that he would like to see further evidence of regime culpability and we will go on providing evidence of regime culpability, as will the Americans and others, but I think it will take a lot to change his mind."

White House official Ben Rhodes said Russia did not have "anything to add" to the political debate and criticised the country for "refusing to take action".

Russian amphibious landing ship at Sevastopol port in the Ukraine

The Interfax news agency reported on Friday that Russia was sending another landing ship towards Syria.

Citing a source at navy headquarters, it said the ship left the Black Sea port of Sevastopol for the Eastern Mediterranean with "special cargo".

Russia, a staunch ally of Syria, also reportedly dismissed Britain as a "small island no one pays any attention to" as relations boiled over at the summit.

The alleged comments, thought to include a reference to Soviet oligarchs "buying Chelsea" and attributed to President Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov, were later denied by Russian officials.

US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power told a news conference in New York that Russia has held the UN Security Council "hostage" over Syria, and Mr Obama's administration did not expect that to end.

"Even in the wake of the flagrant shattering of the international norm against chemical weapons use, Russia continues to hold the council hostage and shirk its international responsibilities," she said.

An aerial view shows the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan

"What we have learned, what the Syrian people have learned, is that the Security Council the world needs to deal with this crisis is not the Security Council we have."

The summit was tasked with fostering strong, sustainable growth through encouraging long-term investment among nations, but has been overshadowed by the Syria crisis.

On Thursday, the Syrian government wrote to the US Congress urging its members not to support the use of military force.

The letter, seen by Sky News, asked Congress to "communicate with us through civilised dialogue rather than the language of fire and blood".

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G20: World Leaders Arrive Amid Syria Tensions

US Draft Resolution On Syria

Updated: 10:53pm UK, Wednesday 04 September 2013

The full text of the US draft resolution on action in Syria:

JOINT RESOLUTION

To authorize the limited and tailored use of the United States Armed Forces against Syria.

Whereas Syria is in material breach of the laws of war by having employed chemical weapons against its civilian population;

Whereas the abuses of the regime of Bashar al-Assad have included the brutal repression and war upon its own civilian population, resulting in more than 100,000 people killed in the past two years, and more than 2 million internally displaced people and Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq, creating an unprecedented regional crisis and instability;

Whereas the Assad regime has the largest chemical weapons programs in the region and has demonstrated its capability and willingness to repeatedly use weapons of mass destruction against its own people, including the August 21, 2013 attack in the suburbs of Damascus in which the Assad regime murdered over 1,000 innocent people, including hundreds of children;

Whereas there is clear and compelling evidence of the direct involvement of Assad regime forces and senior officials in the planning, execution, and after-action attempts to cover-up the August 21 attack, and hide or destroy evidence of such attack;

Whereas the Arab League has declared with regards to the August 21 incident to hold the "Syrian regime responsible for this heinous crime";

Whereas the United Nations Security Council, in Resolution 1540 (2004) affirmed that the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons constitutes a threat to international peace and security;

Whereas in the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, Congress found that Syria's acquisition of weapons of mass destruction threatens the security of the Middle East and the national security interests of the United States;

Whereas the actions and conduct of the Assad regime are in direct contravention of Syria's legal obligations under the United Nations Charter, the Geneva Conventions, and the Geneva Protocol to the Hague Convention on the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, and also violates standards set forth in the Chemical Weapons Convention;

Whereas Syria's use of weapons of mass destruction and its conduct and actions constitute a grave threat to regional stability, world peace, and the national security interests of the United States and its allies and partners;

Whereas the objectives of the United States use of military force in connection with this authorization are to respond to the use, and deter and degrade the potential future use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government;

Whereas the conflict in Syria will only be resolved through a negotiated political settlement, and Congress calls on all parties to the conflict in Syria to participate urgently and constructively in the Geneva process; and

Whereas the President has authority under the Constitution to use force in order to defend the national security interests of the United States:

Now, therefore, be it,

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This joint resolution may be cited as the "Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against the Government of Syria to Respond to Use of Chemical Weapons".

SECTION 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

(a) AUTHORIZATION-The President is authorized, subject to subsection (b), to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in a limited and tailored manner against legitimate military targets in Syria, only to: (1) respond to the use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government in the conflict in Syria; (2) deter Syria's use of such weapons in order to protect the national security interests of the United States and to protect our allies and partners against the use of such weapons; and (3) degrade Syria's capacity to use such weapons in the future.

(b) REQUIREMENT FOR DETERMINATION THAT USE OF MILITARY FORCE IS

NECESSARY- Before exercising the authority granted in subsection (a), the President shall make available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that-

(1) the United States has used all appropriate diplomatic and other peaceful means to prevent the deployment and use of weapons of mass destruction by Syria;

(2) the Syrian government has conducted one or more significant chemical weapons attacks;

(3) the use of military force is necessary to respond to the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government;

(4) it is in the core national security interest of the United States to use such military force;

(5) the United States has a military plan to achieve the specific goals of responding to the use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government in the conflict in Syria, to deter Syria's use of such weapons in order to protect the national security interests of the United States and to protect our allies and partners against the use of such weapons, and to degrade Syria's capacity to use such weapons in the future; and

(6) the use of military force is consistent with and furthers the goals of the United States strategy toward Syria, including achieving a negotiated political settlement to the conflict.

(c) WAR POWERS RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS-

(1) SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION- Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, 50 U.S.C. § 1541, et seq., the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section

5(b) of the War Powers Resolution, within the limits of the authorization established under this Section.

(2) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER REQUIREMENTS- Nothing in this resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution.

SECTION 3. LIMITATION. The authority granted in section 2 does not authorize the use of the United States Armed Forces on the ground in Syria for the purpose of combat operations.

SECTION 4. TERMINATION OF THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

The authorization in section 2(a) shall terminate 60 days after the date of the enactment of this joint resolution, except that the President may extend, for a single period of 30 days, such authorization if -

(1) the President determines and certifies to Congress, not later than 5 days before the date of termination of the initial authorization, that the extension is necessary to fulfill the purposes of this resolution as defined by Section 2(a) due to extraordinary circumstances and for ongoing and impending military operations against Syria under section 2(a); and

(2) Congress does not enact into law, before the extension of authorization, a joint resolution disapproving the extension of the authorization for the additional 30 day period; provided that any such joint resolution shall be considered under the expedited procedures otherwise provided for concurrent resolutions of disapproval contained in section 7 of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1546).

SECTION 5. SYRIA STRATEGY.

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this resolution, the President shall consult with Congress and submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives an integrated United States Government strategy for achieving a negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Syria, including a comprehensive review of current and planned U.S. diplomatic, political, economic, and military policy towards Syria, including: (1) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian Supreme Military Council and other Syrian entities opposed to the government of Bashar Al-Assad that have been properly and fully vetted and share common values and interests with the United States; (2) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian political opposition, including the Syrian Opposition Coalition; (3) efforts to isolate extremist and terrorist groups in Syria to prevent their influence on the future transitional and permanent Syrian governments; (4) coordination with allies and partners; and (5) efforts to limit support from the Government of Iran and others for the Syrian regime.

SECTION 6. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING.

(a) Notification and Provision of Information. Upon his determination to use the authority set forth in section 2 of this Act, the President shall notify Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of the use of such authority and shall keep Congress fully and currently informed of the use of such authority.

(b) Reports. No fewer than 10 days after the initiation of military operations under the authority provided by Section 2, and every 20 days thereafter until the completion of military operations, the President shall submit to the Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a report on the status of such operations, including progress achieved toward the objectives specified in Section 2(a), the financial costs of operations to date, and an assessment of the impact of the operations on the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capabilities and intentions.

SECTION 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. The authority set forth in Section 2 of this resolution shall not constitute an authorization for the use of force or a declaration of war except to the extent that it authorizes military action under the conditions, for the specific purposes, and for the limited period of time set forth in this resolution.

SECTION 5. SYRIA STRATEGY.

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this resolution, the President shall consult with Congress and submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives an integrated United States Government strategy for achieving a negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Syria, including a comprehensive review of current and planned U.S. diplomatic, political, economic, and military policy towards Syria, including: (1) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian Supreme Military Council and other Syrian entities opposed to the government of Bashar Al-Assad that have been properly and fully vetted and share common values and interests with the United States; (2) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian political opposition, including the Syrian Opposition Coalition; (3) efforts to isolate extremist and terrorist groups in Syria to prevent their influence on the future transitional and permanent Syrian governments; (4) coordination with allies and partners; and (5) efforts to limit support from the Government of Iran and others for the Syrian regime.

SECTION 6. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING.

(a) Notification and Provision of Information. Upon his determination to use the authority set forth in section 2 of this Act, the President shall notify Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of the use of such authority and shall keep Congress fully and currently informed of the use of such authority.

(b) Reports. No fewer than 10 days after the initiation of military operations under the authority provided by Section 2, and every 20 days thereafter until the completion of military operations, the President shall submit to the Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a report on the status of such operations, including progress achieved toward the objectives specified in Section 2(a), the financial costs of operations to date, and an assessment of the impact of the operations on the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capabilities and intentions.

SECTION 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. The authority set forth in Section 2 of this resolution shall not constitute an authorization for the use of force or a declaration of war except to the extent that it authorizes military action under the conditions, for the specific purposes, and for the limited period of time set forth in this resolution.

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Egypt's Interior Minister Survives Bomb Blast

Egypt's interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim has survived an assassination attempt.

The minister was travelling in a convoy in Cairo's eastern Nasr City district when an explosion took place, security officials and state television said.

Egyptian state TV said an explosive device was tossed from the rooftop of a high-rise apartment building near the residence of Mr Ibrahim - who is in charge of the country's police force - and the device detonated near the convoy of the minister shortly after it left the residence.

Mr Ibrahim later condemned the attack as a "cowardly assassination" attempt.

He said "many guards" were wounded in the blast from "a bomb that exploded at a distance".

Mr Ibrahim is part of the government that deposed President Morsi

Nasr City is a stronghold of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group from which ousted President Mohamed Morsi hails.

It was also the site of a sit-in protest by his supporters that was stormed by police in mid August and which led to hundreds of deaths.

The former president was toppled in a military coup in July, following days of protests by millions of Egyptians who demanded his departure after a year in office.

During the six-week-long protest in Nasr City, many of Mr Morsi's supporters threatened to wage a campaign of violence against the military-backed government if he was not reinstated.

The pro-Morsi protests ended in violence, with hundreds of deaths

While there has been unrest and violence across Egypt since the coup, Thursday's attack marked the first time a senior government official has been targeted.

The former president has been held in an undisclosed location since being deposed.

Hundreds of Brotherhood leaders and supporters have been detained since the coup, including the group's supreme leader, Mohammed Badie, and his powerful deputy, Khairat el-Shater.

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Syria: Al Qaeda-Linked Rebels Target Christians

Residents of a Christian village in western Syria have taken shelter in a convent as it was bombarded by al Qaeda-linked rebels.

The rebel fighters stormed a hotel atop a mountain overlooking Maaloula to carry out the attack, said a nun, speaking on condition of anonymity from a convent in the village.

"It's a war. It has been going from 6am in the morning," she said.

Some 80 people took refuge in the convent, which houses 13 nuns and 27 orphans.

A protest in Damascus against potential US stikes

The dawn assault was carried out by rebels from the al Qaeda-linked Jabhat al Nusra group, according to a government official and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based opposition monitoring group.

It said the assault began with rebels seizing a government checkpoint after an al Nusra fighter blew himself up at the entrance.

They disabled two tanks and an armoured personnel carrier and killed eight regime soldiers in fighting, it said.

The Syrian military responded by sending warplanes to bomb the area, local sources told Sky News.

Situated some 40 miles northeast of Damascus, the mountain village is home to around 2,000 residents, some of whom still speak a version of Aramaic, the ancient language of biblical times believed to have been spoken by Jesus.

Life goes on as normal in a regime-stronghold part of the capital

The four-decade iron rule of the Assad clan over Syria has long rested on support from the country's ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians, Shia Muslims and Kurds.

The Assad family and key regime figures are Alawites, followers of an offshoot of Shia Islam.

Most rebels and their supporters are Sunni Muslims - the two main camps being the Western-backed Free Syrian Army, which portrays itself as the largest fighting group, and jihadist fighters, including thousands from outside Syria.

There were also fresh clashes in and around Damascus.

A mortar shell fired by rebels hit a sports hall in the capital, killing a member of the national taekwondo team.

Mohammed Ali Neimeh, 27, had been training for an upcoming Islamic Solidarity Tournament in Indonesia this week, the state news agency SANA said.

Father Amir Kaasar, a priest injured in an attack on a Christian quarter

 With the world focused on possible foreign military action in Syria, security in Damascus has been raised with government forces convinced that rebels will use any US strike as cover to launch an offensive.

Father Amir Kassar, a Catholic priest who was severely injured when a Christian quarter was hit by rebel rockets, said he fears that if outside forces join the fight, the sectarian divisions pitching Syrians against each other, will get worse.

"We don't care who is the ruler of this country. We are against the formation of an Islamic state. We want a Syrian secular state for all Syrians," he told Sky News from his hospital bed.

Speaking from Damascus, Sky's Alex Rossi said: "There is a real nervousness in the city with military action hanging over every day life. It really is on edge."

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Syria: Russia Warns US Over Military Action

US Draft Resolution On Syria

Updated: 8:35am UK, Wednesday 04 September 2013

The full text of the US draft resolution on action in Syria:

JOINT RESOLUTION

To authorize the limited and tailored use of the United States Armed Forces against Syria.

Whereas Syria is in material breach of the laws of war by having employed chemical weapons against its civilian population;

Whereas the abuses of the regime of Bashar al-Assad have included the brutal repression and war upon its own civilian population, resulting in more than 100,000 people killed in the past two years, and more than 2 million internally displaced people and Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq, creating an unprecedented regional crisis and instability;

Whereas the Assad regime has the largest chemical weapons programs in the region and has demonstrated its capability and willingness to repeatedly use weapons of mass destruction against its own people, including the August 21, 2013 attack in the suburbs of Damascus in which the Assad regime murdered over 1,000 innocent people, including hundreds of children;

Whereas there is clear and compelling evidence of the direct involvement of Assad regime forces and senior officials in the planning, execution, and after-action attempts to cover-up the August

21 attack, and hide or destroy evidence of such attack;

Whereas the Arab League has declared with regards to the August 21 incident to hold the "Syrian regime responsible for this heinous crime";

Whereas the United Nations Security Council, in Resolution 1540 (2004) affirmed that the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons constitutes a threat to international peace and security;

Whereas in the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, Congress found that Syria's acquisition of weapons of mass destruction threatens the security of the Middle East and the national security interests of the United States;

Whereas the actions and conduct of the Assad regime are in direct contravention of Syria's legal obligations under the United Nations Charter, the Geneva Conventions, and the Geneva Protocol to the Hague Convention on the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, and also violates standards set forth in the Chemical Weapons Convention;

Whereas Syria's use of weapons of mass destruction and its conduct and actions constitute a grave threat to regional stability, world peace, and the national security interests of the United States and its allies and partners;

Whereas the objectives of the United States use of military force in connection with this authorization are to respond to the use, and deter and degrade the potential future use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government;

Whereas the conflict in Syria will only be resolved through a negotiated political settlement, and Congress calls on all parties to the conflict in Syria to participate urgently and constructively in the Geneva process; and

Whereas the President has authority under the Constitution to use force in order to defend the national security interests of the United States:

Now, therefore, be it,

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This joint resolution may be cited as the "Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against the Government of Syria to Respond to Use of Chemical Weapons".

SECTION 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

(a) AUTHORIZATION-The President is authorized, subject to subsection (b), to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in a limited and tailored manner against legitimate military targets in Syria, only to: (1) respond to the use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government in the conflict in Syria; (2) deter Syria's use of such weapons in order to protect the national security interests of the United States and to protect our allies and partners against the use of such weapons; and (3) degrade Syria's capacity to use such weapons in the future.

(b) REQUIREMENT FOR DETERMINATION THAT USE OF MILITARY FORCE IS

NECESSARY- Before exercising the authority granted in subsection (a), the President shall make available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that-

(1) the United States has used all appropriate diplomatic and other peaceful means to prevent the deployment and use of weapons of mass destruction by Syria;

(2) the Syrian government has conducted one or more significant chemical weapons attacks;

(3) the use of military force is necessary to respond to the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government;

(4) it is in the core national security interest of the United States to use such military force;

(5) the United States has a military plan to achieve the specific goals of responding to the use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government in the conflict in Syria, to deter Syria's use of such weapons in order to protect the national security interests of the United States and to protect our allies and partners against the use of such weapons, and to degrade Syria's capacity to use such weapons in the future; and

(6) the use of military force is consistent with and furthers the goals of the United States strategy toward Syria, including achieving a negotiated political settlement to the conflict.

(c) WAR POWERS RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS-

(1) SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION- Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, 50 U.S.C. § 1541, et seq., the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section

5(b) of the War Powers Resolution, within the limits of the authorization established under this Section.

(2) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER REQUIREMENTS- Nothing in this resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution.

SECTION 3. LIMITATION. The authority granted in section 2 does not authorize the use of the United States Armed Forces on the ground in Syria for the purpose of combat operations.

SECTION 4. TERMINATION OF THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

The authorization in section 2(a) shall terminate 60 days after the date of the enactment of this joint resolution, except that the President may extend, for a single period of 30 days, such authorization if -

(1) the President determines and certifies to Congress, not later than 5 days before the date of termination of the initial authorization, that the extension is necessary to fulfill the purposes of this resolution as defined by Section 2(a) due to extraordinary circumstances and for ongoing and impending military operations against Syria under section 2(a); and

(2) Congress does not enact into law, before the extension of authorization, a joint resolution disapproving the extension of the authorization for the additional 30 day period; provided that any such joint resolution shall be considered under the expedited procedures otherwise provided for concurrent resolutions of disapproval contained in section 7 of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1546).

SECTION 5. SYRIA STRATEGY.

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this resolution, the President shall consult with Congress and submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives an integrated United States Government strategy for achieving a negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Syria, including a comprehensive review of current and planned U.S. diplomatic, political, economic, and military policy towards Syria, including: (1) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian Supreme Military Council and other Syrian entities opposed to the government of Bashar Al-Assad that have been properly and fully vetted and share common values and interests with the United States; (2) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian political opposition, including the Syrian Opposition Coalition; (3) efforts to isolate extremist and terrorist groups in Syria to prevent their influence on the future transitional and permanent Syrian governments; (4) coordination with allies and partners; and (5) efforts to limit support from the Government of Iran and others for the Syrian regime.

SECTION 6. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING.

(a) Notification and Provision of Information. Upon his determination to use the authority set forth in section 2 of this Act, the President shall notify Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of the use of such authority and shall keep Congress fully and currently informed of the use of such authority.

(b) Reports. No fewer than 10 days after the initiation of military operations under the authority provided by Section 2, and every 20 days thereafter until the completion of military operations, the President shall submit to the Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a report on the status of such operations, including progress achieved toward the objectives specified in Section 2(a), the financial costs of operations to date, and an assessment of the impact of the operations on the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capabilities and intentions.

SECTION 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. The authority set forth in Section 2 of this resolution shall not constitute an authorization for the use of force or a declaration of war except to the extent that it authorizes military action under the conditions, for the specific purposes, and for the limited period of time set forth in this resolution.

SECTION 5. SYRIA STRATEGY.

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this resolution, the President shall consult with Congress and submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives an integrated United States Government strategy for achieving a negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Syria, including a comprehensive review of current and planned U.S. diplomatic, political, economic, and military policy towards Syria, including: (1) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian Supreme Military Council and other Syrian entities opposed to the government of Bashar Al-Assad that have been properly and fully vetted and share common values and interests with the United States; (2) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian political opposition, including the Syrian Opposition Coalition; (3) efforts to isolate extremist and terrorist groups in Syria to prevent their influence on the future transitional and permanent Syrian governments; (4) coordination with allies and partners; and (5) efforts to limit support from the Government of Iran and others for the Syrian regime.

SECTION 6. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING.

(a) Notification and Provision of Information. Upon his determination to use the authority set forth in section 2 of this Act, the President shall notify Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of the use of such authority and shall keep Congress fully and currently informed of the use of such authority.

(b) Reports. No fewer than 10 days after the initiation of military operations under the authority provided by Section 2, and every 20 days thereafter until the completion of military operations, the President shall submit to the Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a report on the status of such operations, including progress achieved toward the objectives specified in Section 2(a), the financial costs of operations to date, and an assessment of the impact of the operations on the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capabilities and intentions.

SECTION 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. The authority set forth in Section 2 of this resolution shall not constitute an authorization for the use of force or a declaration of war except to the extent that it authorizes military action under the conditions, for the specific purposes, and for the limited period of time set forth in this resolution.

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John McCain Plays Poker At Syria Hearing

US Senator John McCain has been caught playing poker on his iPhone during a key hearing about the possible use of military force in Syria.

He played a few hands under the table during Tuesday's Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting, which was hearing from the likes of Secretary of State John Kerry and Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel.

Despite being snapped by an eagle-eyed Washington Post photographer, the influential senator - who ran for President in 2008 - laughed off the matter.

He tweeted: "Scandal! Caught playing iPhone game at 3+ hour Senate hearing - worst of all I lost!"

The image of Senator McCain's phone has been shared dozens of times by users on Twitter.

During the public hearing, Mr Kerry said the US must "stand up and act" in the face of "undeniable" evidence that the Syrian government gassed its own people.

Senator McCain is a strong supporter of taking military action against Syria. 

He has given President Barack Obama his conditional support ahead of the upcoming vote in Congress, but said any strikes must be "more robust" than previously thought.

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Syria Crisis: France To Debate Military Action

Syria Writes To French MPs Debating Action

Updated: 10:42pm UK, Tuesday 03 September 2013

By Jason Farrell, Sky Reporter, in Paris

The Syrian parliament has urged its French counterparts not to support military action in two letters obtained by Sky News.

The letters addressed to the President of the French Senate and the President of the National Assembly warn of the "irreversible consequences" of war and invites delegates to travel to Damascus to judge the situation for themselves.

"We write to you with great emphasis, whilst you are in the process of considering a military attack against Syria," said the letter to the National Assembly, signed by Mohammad Jihad al Lahham, the speaker of Syria's parliament.

"We write to you as parliamentary colleagues, and as representatives of our people; but most importantly we write to you as fathers, mothers and family members, in a society no different to yours: we write to you as human beings and we ask you 'if you bomb us, will we bleed'?"

"Despite our shared humanity, we are divided between our separate doubts. Similar doubts have, in the past been the spark behind terrible conflicts, especially as we approach the 100th anniversary since the start of the First World War in 1914.

"We urge you to contact us by means of civil dialogue, and not a dialogue of blood and fire."

The letter to the French Senate President urged the country's politicians not to "plunge our two secular nations into a war" which it said would destabilise not only the region but the rest of the world.

Similar letters were sent to British MPs ahead of the House of Commons vote on taking action to punish Syria over the alleged use of chemical weapons in an attack in Damascus.

There are no plans for politicians to vote after the two debates in France, but many of them are expected to call for a ballot.

Like Washington, Paris has been building a case for intervention and of all the Western leaders French President Francois Hollande has appeared the most committed to punishing President Bashar al Assad over the alleged attack, which Mr Hollande said killed more than 200 people.

However, he has promised he will not go it alone if the US Congress opposes an armed offensive.

At a news conference after a meeting with German President Joachim Gauck, Mr Hollande said: "Europe must unite on this dossier and it will, each with its own responsibility.

"France will accept its role," he added. "There will be a meeting of foreign ministers soon."

But as France's full political spectrum gathers to question whether intervention is the right course of action, it will be argued that if French MPs do not get to vote, the US congress will effectively decide for them.

Political commentator Agnes Poirier told Sky News: "Hollande is in a difficult position, Cameron set off a chain reaction when he gave parliament the vote.

"President Obama has now gone to Congress and French politicians are saying why can't we vote on this too."

White House administration officials have been working to convince Congressmen of the need for intervention with Mr Obama meeting officials and US Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel giving evidence to a Senate committee.

The French president said his determination to act was reinforced after reading an interview Mr Assad gave to French newspaper Le Figaro in which he denied that his forces had used chemical weapons and threatened "negative repercussions" against France if it intervened.

"On reading this, I became even more determined," Mr Hollande said.

"Those who had doubts about Bashar al Assad's intentions can no longer be in doubt. He speaks of 'liquidating' all those who do not agree with him."

Back in 2003 France had strongly criticised American intervention in Iraq and when it came to Libya France insisted on UN backing.

Now they are becoming a lone voice of support in Europe - even though recent polls show 64% of the population oppose involvement.

In Cafe Madeleine in central Paris there were mixed views. Two people used the same analogy to argue opposing opinions.

Waiter Sasha Kristc said: "If your next door neighbours are having a row you don't go knocking on the door, it's not your business."

But one of his clientele, Faycal El Darwiche, who runs a business between Paris and Lebanon, said: "If your next door neighbour is abusing his children, it's your responsibility to intervene."

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Syria Crisis: Two Million Refugees Flee War

The number of refugees fleeing Syria's civil war has topped two million - a nine-fold increase in 12 months, according to the United Nations.

"Syria has become the great tragedy of this century - a disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history," said UNHCR head António Guterres.

The UNHCR - the UN's refugee agency - wants a massive increase in aid to stop Syria's neighbours buckling under the strain.

A year ago, the number of Syrians registered as refugees or awaiting registration stood at 230,671 people.

The massive rise comes as France bolstered calls for military action in Syria by saying it had evidence the regime was behind a "massive and co-ordinated" chemical attack in Damascus.

The Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan is home to 115,000 Syrians

The US government has also said evidence points to deadly sarin gas being used to kill 1,429 people on August 21.

More than half of the refugees created by the war - some 52% - are under 17, said the UNHCR, and over one million children have now left their homeland to try to escape the bloodshed.

The situation is said to have reached a "critical stage", with more than 5,000 Syrians spilling over borders each day into neighbouring countries.

Lebanon has taken the most people, with 716,000. Some 515,000 have gone to Jordan, 460,000 are in Turkey, while Egypt has 110,000 and Iraq 168,000.

The UNHCR said the countries were struggling to provide food and shelter at refugee camps.

Syrian refugees at a camp in Iraq, which has taken in some 168,000 people

It wants the international community to act quickly to stop the system collapsing.

A further 4.25 million people are displaced inside Syria, according to UN data - meaning six million people have been forced to leave their homes during the two and a half year civil war.

Actress Angelina Jolie, a UNHCR Special Envoy, said the international community had a "responsibility to do more" to help Syrian refugees.

"If the situation continues to deteriorate at this rate, the number of refugees will only grow," said Jolie. "Some neighbouring countries could be brought to the point of collapse."

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama has been meeting political figures such as Senator John McCain as he tries to galvanise support for military strikes ahead of a debate in Congress.

But in Britain, another Parliamentary vote on the issue seems unlikely.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has warned France against military action

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he could not foresee any circumstances in which the Government would take the vote back to Parliament.

France's intelligence report, which includes satellite imagery, claims chemical attacks were launched from government-controlled areas, a French government source told Reuters news agency.

It claims they killed "at least 281" people.

French MPs will debate the issue on Wednesday, but President Francois Hollande does not need parliamentary approval for military action lasting less than four months.

Syria's government called the allegations "illogical" and warned it would retaliate if France took military action.

The crisis is set to be top of the agenda among world leaders at the two-day G20 summit, which begins in St Petersburg on Thursday.

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Gary Tweddle: Body Recovered In Oz Bushland

Police believe a body that has been recovered from Australian bushland may be that of a British man who went missing seven weeks ago.

Gary Tweddle, 23, has not been seen since he disappeared after a work dinner during a conference in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

Police said a body thought to be Mr Tweddle was spotted by an ambulance rescue helicopter during a training exercise near Leura on Monday.

Police abseiled about 25m down a cliff face to the site on Tuesday, and the body was winched to the top of the cliff about 4pm local time (7am BST).

Superintendent Darryl Jobson said that the man was similar in appearance to Mr Tweddle, but it could take a number of days to formally identify the body.

"What we need to do is go through our formal identification processes to make sure we identify the right male and making sure that we're notifying the right next of kin," he said.

Mr Tweddle is originally from Reading

"At an appropriate time we'll be able to convey to you to the identity of the male."

He said police will examine the area where the body was found, which will help determine the cause of death.

"It would appear to be misadventure but we're not ruling anything out," he said.

Joanne Elliott, a spokeswoman for Blue Mountains Local Area Command, said the "extremely rough terrain" meant police rescue officers were not able to retrieve the body on Monday.

"The location couldn't be accessed on foot and the crew lost all light in the mountains so we're unable to get down to the ground," she said.

Mr Tweddle, who had emigrated to Australia, was last heard from when he rang colleagues also staying at the Fairmont Resort in Leura in the early hours of July 17 to say he was lost in the bushland.

Mr Tweddle was at a work conference in the Blue Mountains area

As the recovery operation started, Mr Tweddle's girlfriend told friends and family that "the sun is beginning to rise on a day that we have all been hoping would never come".

Anika Haigh wrote on her Facebook page: "A body has been found in the area of Gary's disappearance and today it will be retrieved and identified.

"Please know that nothing has been confirmed at this stage but I hope in a few hours we will have an answer either way.

"One thing I know for certain is that Gary will... come home one day - his fight, determination & 'never give up' attitude that we all loved so much about him will guide him."

She added that it was time for him "to come home where you belong".

The disappearance of Mr Tweddle, a computer salesman originally from Reading, sparked the biggest search ever conducted in the Blue Mountains.

His father David flew out to Australia from his home in Berkshire to help with the search effort before he returned to the UK last month.

Mr Tweddle became lost in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney

Mr Tweddle's mother Carol Streatfield, who also lives in Australia, had also flown to the Blue Mountains to join the search for her son.

She said the phone call from Ms Haigh telling her that her son was missing was the first step in the most "heart-breaking journey" of her life.

In a statement issued by the Foreign Office last month, she said: "On the mountain my days were filled with sirens, noise, searching, tireless walking and door knocking. I repeatedly followed the track I believed he had taken in the hopes of finding a clue.

"Every pole and tree were covered with his beautiful face, however it was on a piece of A4 paper with a 'missing' heading.

"At one point I was so exhausted I found a bench to sit on in the middle of a bush track, and as I sat down and there to the left of me was Gary's photo.

"It was a small comfort as I stroked his face, kissed him and told him how much I loved him and that I will never give up trying to find him, ever."

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Syria: Israel Fires Missiles In Mediterranean

Israel has said it carried out a missile test in the Mediterranean, amid continued tensions in the region over the crisis in Syria.

Israel's defence ministry said it had tested a single 'Ankor' target missile, which it said formed part of a US-funded anti-missile system.

Two ballistic "objects" were fired towards the eastern Mediterranean from the central part of the sea, Russia's defence ministry had reportedly said.

Interfax news agency quoted a ministry spokesman as saying the launch was detected at 10.16 am Moscow time (7.16am UK time) by an early warning radar station at Armavir, near the Black Sea, which is designed to detect missiles from Europe and Iran.

Sky News' Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall said: "This is Israel saying 'we can defend ourselves'. They do these tests frequently but they would have chosen today as a reminder (to Israel's enemies)."

Despite reports that Israel had claimed the launch was a joint test with America, a US Navy spokesman said no missiles had been fired from any of its ships in the Mediterranean.

The Russian Embassy in Syria said there were no signs of a missile attack or explosions in the capital, Damascus. 

The US Navy denied involvement in the test

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had informed President Vladimir Putin of the launch, according to Interfax.

Russia opposes any outside military intervention in the Syrian civil war and a ministry official had earlier criticised the United States for deploying warships in the Mediterranean close to Syria.

An Israeli military spokeswoman had previously said she was not aware of any missile launch in the eastern Mediterranean.

Washington is currently assessing whether to order sea-launched strikes against Syria, with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden attempting to convince Congress of the need to intervene.

Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham, who are both campaigning for action, met the President to discuss operations.

Mr Graham said: "It is all in the details, but I left the meeting feeling better than I felt before about what happens the day after and that the purpose of the attack is going to be a little more robust than I thought."

And Mr McCain said in an interview that Mr Obama did not reveal what weapons might be provided to the opposition in Syria or discuss in what targets might be attacked.

"There was no concrete agreement, 'OK, we got a deal,'" Mr McCain said.

"Like a lot of things, the devil is in the details."

It came as Foreign Secretary William Hague answered questions on the Syria crisis in Parliament.

France previously released satellite imagery it said showed strikes came from government-controlled areas to the east and west of the Syrian capital and targeting rebel-held zones, just before civilians began dying from gas poisoning.

President Bashar al Assad warned Syria would retaliate if France takes part in foreign strikes on his forces.

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Baby In Stroller Shot Dead On Brooklyn Street

A one-year-old boy has died after being shot in the head on a Brooklyn street.

Antiq Hennis was being pushed in a stroller by his mother and father while crossing a street in the Brownsville section of the New York City borough on Sunday evening when shots were fired.

The boy was struck on the left side of his face. He was rushed to Brookdale University Hospital but was pronounced dead there.

Police are investigating reports that the intended target of the gunshots was the boy's father. No arrests have been made.

The area around the site of the shooting was cordoned off

A witness, Gina Gamboa, told the New York Post: "I heard three to four shots.

"I saw a man with a stroller screaming, 'My baby got shot! My baby got shot'.

"He was going crazy."

The streets around the site of the shooting were cordoned off, and residents returning to the block were initially not allowed to enter their homes.

Bishop Willie Billops of the Church of Faith, Hope and Charity, who knows the boy's father, said: "I'm outraged at the murder of a one-year-old baby.

"I grew up in this neighbourhood and I've seen a lot, but this is the worst."

Reports say the bullets may have been aimed at the boy's father

It is the second shooting of a toddler in eight days in Brooklyn.

Three-year-old Tharell Edward was shot in the head and wounded on August 24 as he slept in his family's apartment where an acquaintance was watching him.

Akeem Bernard, a friend of the baby sitter, has been charged in the shooting.

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Syria: Russia Warns US Against Military Strike

Russia has warned that a peace conference to end the conflict in Syria could be put off "forever" if the US goes ahead with military action against the regime.

Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov warned that the planned discussions in Geneva would be disrupted by a US strike.

"If the action announced by the US President - to the great regret of all of us - does in fact take place ... it will put off the chances of (holding) this conference for a long time, if not forever."

As tension mounts between Moscow and Washington over the situation, Russia has sent a spy ship to the eastern Mediterranean.

According to Russian news agency Interfax, the ship left a naval base in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Sevastopol late on Sunday on a mission "to gather current information in the area of the escalating conflict".

Any military action hinges on whether President Bashar al Assad's regime was responsible for a chemical weapons attack in Syria last month in which 1,429 people - including at least 426 children - died.

President Obama is asking Congress to back military action

France says it has new evidence that the Government was responsible, and will hand it over to lawmakers later.

Washington has already announced that hair and blood samples prove the regime has used sarin gas to attack civilians.

Secretary of State John Kerry has used interviews with several US news channels to suggest the case for military strikes is growing, adding that he is confident Congress will back military action when it is put to a vote next week.

In Britain there have been calls for David Cameron to consider a second parliamentary vote on military action in Syria.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has become the latest senior politician to suggest a new bid for parliamentary support could be made.

Mr Johnson said the use of chemical weapons for mass murder in Syria could not go unpunished.

The Arab League has called for "deterrent action"

"If there is new and better evidence that inculpates Assad, I see no reason why the Government should not lay a new motion before Parliament, inviting British participation - and then it is Ed Miliband, not David Cameron, who will face embarrassment," Mr Johnson wrote in The Telegraph.

Mr Cameron ruled out the use of British force in Syria following a defeat in the Commons.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has also said he could not foresee any circumstances in which the Government would return to Parliament on the same issue.

"We're not going to keep asking the same question of Parliament again and again. We live in a democracy, the executive cannot act in a way which clearly is not welcome to Parliament or the British people, so we're not proposing to do so."

Arab League ministers have urged the United Nations and the international community to take "deterrent" action, while blaming the regime for the alleged chemical weapons assault.

The alleged gas attack took place in Damascus

However a defiant Mr Assad told state TV his country is capable of confronting any attack.

"The American threats of launching an attack against Syria will not discourage Syria away from its principles ... or its fight against terrorism supported by some regional and Western countries, first and foremost the United States of America," he said.

As the diplomatic wrangling continues, British MPs have called for answers from the Government over a chemicals trade deal with Syria signed months after the bloodshed started.

The Department for Business issued licences for the export of sodium fluoride and potassium fluoride to the war-torn country in January last year before revoking them several months later.

The chemicals are capable of being used to make nerve gas such as sarin as well as having a variety of industrial uses.

The Government said no chemicals were exported before the licence was revoked in June 2012 following EU sanctions but MPs said they intend to raise the issue at Westminster.

The UN has announced that some seven million people have been displaced by the ongoing civil war.

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Gareth Bale Presented To Real Madrid Fans

Gareth Bale has been presented to thousands of fans at the Bernabeu stadium following his record £85m transfer.

The 24-year-old posed next to the club's president Florentino Perez with his new white number 11 shirt while fans in the stadium cheered, clapped and took photos.

The Wales international successfully passed his medical before signing a six-year contract with the Spanish giants, where he will link up with Cristiano Ronaldo, who in 2009 became the most expensive player in the world when Real signed him from Manchester United for £80m.

Bale gave a thumbs up as he had his medical

After putting pen to paper on his Madrid contract, Bale spoke to his new supporters, including a message in Spanish where he said: "Hello, it's a dream for me to play for Real Madrid. Thank you for the great welcome. Go Madrid!"

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Nelson Mandela Discharged From Hospital

Former South African president Nelson Mandela has been discharged from hospital in Pretoria where he has been treated for nearly three months.

"Madiba's condition remains critical and is at times unstable," the presidency said, referring to the 95-year-old by his clan name.

Mr Mandela was admitted on June 8 with a recurring lung infection and had previously been in a critical but stable condition, according to the office of President Jacob Zuma.

The government statement added: "His home has been reconfigured to allow him to receive intensive care there.

A convoy of medical vehicles arrive at Mandela's home

"The health care personnel providing care at his home are the very same who provided care to him in hospital.

"If there are health conditions that warrant another admission to hospital in future, this will be done."

Mr Zuma's office said the elderly statesman has been treated by "a large medical team from the military, academia, private sector and other public health spheres".

Sky's Alex Crawford said: "He's a few days short of being in intensive care in that hospital in Pretoria for three months… I think many of his close family and friends wanted him home if it was at all possible."

The presidency requested that Mr Mandela and his family be given "the necessary private space so that his continuing care can proceed with dignity and without unnecessary intrusion".

The confirmation of Mr Mandela's release to his home in Johannesburg's Houghton suburb follows reports that he had been discharged on Saturday.

Mr Mandela spent nearly three decades in prison before being released and being elected South Africa's first black president in multi-racial elections in 1994 that ended apartheid rule.

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Syria: Obama Says US 'Should Take Action'

Positions Of World Leaders On Syria

Updated: 11:01pm UK, Saturday 31 August 2013

The latest positions of key countries towards Syria after a suspected chemical attack in Damascus shocked the world.

:: United Kingdom

David Cameron has been forced to rule out British involvement in any military action after losing a Commons vote.

He has instead vowed to keep pushing for a "robust response" via international organisations like the UN.

:: United States

President Barack Obama has decided the US should take military action against Syria but will ask Congress first.

He has the authority to act on his own, but believes it is important for the country to have a debate. He plans to hold a debate and a vote after Congress returns on September 9.

Five US Navy destroyers are in the eastern Mediterranean Sea waiting for the order to attack. They are armed with dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles, with a range of  more than 1,150 miles (1,852km).

:: Russia

President Vladimir Putin urged Mr Obama to consider whether strikes would help end the violence in Syria and be worth the likely civilian casualties.

He said Mr Obama should reflect on the results of US military intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq before deciding whether to launch air strikes against Assad's regime.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that military strikes would lead to long-term destabilisation of Syria and the region.

He has spoken against any use of force without UN Security Council approval, which he said would be a "crude violation of international law".

Russia has remained a strong ally of Syria throughout the civil war.

:: China

China supports what it called the UN's "objective, impartial and professional investigation" of the alleged chemical attack.

China is sceptical of Western use of force, with Beijing's official news agency running a commentary recalling the 2003 Iraq invasion on the grounds that it possessed banned weapons - which were never found.

China joined Moscow in vetoing measures against Assad in the UN Security Council.

:: France

A defence official said the French military will commit forces to an operation in Syria if President Francois Hollande decides to do so.

Mr Hollande has stressed all options are on the table and that the attack in Damascus cannot go unpunished.

He does not need parliamentary approval for military action that lasts less than four months.

French military officials confirmed the frigate Chevalier Paul, which specialises in anti-missile capabilities, and the transport ship Dixmude are in the eastern Mediterranean.

:: Japan

Japan said it will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons "under any circumstances".

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the British vote had had no impact on his government's thinking.

"Cabinet members agreed that we don't tolerate the use of chemical weapons under any circumstances and consider that responsibility lies with the Assad government,"  Mr Suga told reporters.

"We continue to closely co-ordinate with international community," he said, adding: "We will of course provide humanitarian aid to those in a vulnerable position such as refugees."

:: Iran

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of the Iranian parliament's Committee on National Security, visited Damascus to show support for the Syrian regime.

He said a strike against Syria will "not be confined to its borders but will have repercussions in the entire region."

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country will press efforts to ward off military intervention by the US and its allies, calling potential action an "open violation" of international laws.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told the country's ISNA news agency that US military intervention in Syria would be "a disaster" for the Middle East. He added: "The region is like a gunpowder store and the future cannot be predicted."

:: Germany

The German government said it isn't considering joining military action against Syria and hasn't been asked by others to do so.

:: Turkey

Foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu has claimed the use of chemical weapons is "evident" from video footage.

A vehement opponent of the Assad regime, Turkey has said it would join an international coalition against Syria even if the UN Security Council fails to reach consensus on the issue.

:: Italy

Italian Premier Enrico Letta said his country understands why the US and France are considering military action against Syria's regime, but said Italy cannot join in without UN backing.

:: The Netherlands

UN chemical weapons inspectors arrived in the Netherlands with samples collected from the site of the alleged gas attack in Syria..

They are to be sent to European laboratories to be checked for traces of poison gas.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, based in The Hague, will test blood and urine samples taken from victims as well as soil samples from affected areas.

:: United Nations

UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said any notion that the departure of the chemical weapons inspection team from Syria opened a window for a US attack is "grotesque."

He said about 1,000 international and UN staff remain in Syria, and the UN is just as concerned about their welfare as it was about the inspectors.

:: Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has called for "firm and serious" action against the Assad regime for the alleged gas attack.

:: Israel

The Israeli military said it has deployed an "Iron Dome" missile defence battery in the Tel Aviv area.

If the US attacks Syria, Israel fears Damascus may respond by firing missiles at Israel, a close American ally.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israelis there was "no reason to change their routines", but thousands have been standing in long queues to get government-issue gas masks.

:: Jordan

Demonstrators opposed to military intervention in Syria burned US and Israeli flags and chanted outside the American embassy in the Jordanian capital Amman.

Other protests against a Syria strike took place in Britain, France, Germany and Turkey.

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Spiritual Guru Asaram Bapu Held Over Teen Rape

Police have arrested a controversial spiritual guru for an alleged sexual assault on a 16-year-old schoolgirl at a religious retreat in India, according to officials.

Asaram Bapu, one of many self-styled Hindu "godmen" who attract large numbers of followers, was arrested on Sunday in the central town of Indore.

The 72-year-old was flown to the western city of Jodhpur where the alleged assault on the girl took place.

A supporter of India's Congress party hits a picture of Asaram in Ahmedabad

The girl's parents were members of his congregation, local police official Ajay Pal Lamba said.

Asaram had earlier failed to report to a police station voluntarily, despite being given a deadline that ended last Friday.

"An opportunity was given to Asaram Bapu for presenting his version regarding the allegation levelled against him by the 16-year-old girl," said a police spokesman.

Protesters burn an effigy of Asaram in Ahmedabad

The guru reportedly claimed not to be physically fit and wanted more time to appear before Jodhpur police," according to Lamba.

Asaram has dismissed the claims against him as a "political conspiracy".

The alleged attack took place in August as Asaram was holding a retreat for followers, including the victim and her parents, police said.

Asaram Bapu has hundreds of thousands of followers in India

It is claimed he told the parents he needed to meet their daughter alone as he was concerned she was  possessed by evil spirits. It was then the alleged assault took place.

Asaram sparked a backlash in January this year when he said a 23-year-old student could have averted a fatal gang-rape on a moving bus in New Delhi last December by begging for mercy from her attackers.

He told his devotees that blame for the assault should not just rest with her attackers, one of whom was sentenced to three years in a juvenile centre Saturday, in the first verdict to be handed down in the case so far.

The spiritual leader failed to report to a police station voluntarily

His remarks drew a chorus of condemnation from public figures.

Asaram has some 350 ashrams or religious retreats in India and overseas, where he teaches yoga, meditation and offers lessons on leading a spiritual and peaceful existence, according to his website.

For many Indians, "godmen" play an integral role in daily life, offering a pathway to enlightenment in return for spiritual devotion and donations to their ashrams, temples and charity projects.

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