Syria: Brutal Photos 'Are Evidence Of Torture'

Syria is facing fresh war crimes allegations after "clear evidence" of the "systematic torture and killing" of up to 11,000 people was published.

The claims were made by a group of top international lawyers, who were handed 55,000 images of dead prisoners.

The lawyers, who are all former war crimes prosecutors, said the photographs showed emaciated corpses with severe injuries and would support findings of crimes against humanity by Bashar al Assad's regime.

Some detainees appeared to have been beaten, strangled or electrocuted, they claimed.

Sir Desmond De Silva, one of the report's co-authors, described the photographs as "very harrowing" and said victims had suffered the "most awful" injuries.

Photos appeared to show Syrian detainees with ligature marks on their necks

"These killings were clearly methodical, daily and systematic as a consequence," he told Sky News. "They could certainly underpin a charge of crime against humanity."

He added: "This industrial killing of people in detention is clearly the work of the Syrian government."

The report draws on evidence smuggled out of Syria by an ex-military policeman, known only as Caesar.

He was described as a "truthful and credible witness" by the inquiry team, who said he was "carefully interviewed" and showed "no signs of being sensational".

Caesar told the inquiry team he was asked to take photographs of numbered corpses - a demand that is "wholly consistent with the need of the regime to ensure that orders for the killing of persons in detention facilities had been carried out", according to the report.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad denies his regime has massacred civilians

"The need to photograph those who were killed is a strong pointer to the fact that the killings were systematic, ordered and directed from above," it added.

Mr Assad, who describes opponents to his regime as "terrorists", previously rejected claims that his troops have killed civilians.

"These organisations do not have a single document to prove that the Syrian government has committed a massacre against civilians anywhere," he said.

"The army does not shell neighbourhoods. The army strikes areas where there are terrorists."

The report, which was commissioned by Qatar, one of the main supporters of the Syrian opposition, was released the day before crucial peace talks are due to get under way.

Officials from around 40 countries are due to meet in Switzerland, although Iran will not be present after its invitation was withdrawn by the UN.

Mr Hague and Mr Zarif (pictured last year) spoke on the phone on Tuesday

After strong objections from the United States and the Syrian opposition, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Monday uninvited Iran, the Damascus regime's main regional ally, less than 24 hours after it was issued.

On the eve of the talks, Foreign Secretary William Hague told Parliament that Mr Ban had been right to withdraw the invitation because of Tehran's refusal to declare its support for a transitional government in Syria.

Mr Hague said Iran's involvement in any future peace settlement would be "extremely important", saying it needed to urgently rethink its Syria policy.

He spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on the phone after making his comments, telling him that the idea of brokering a transitional government by mutual consent was the way to end the conflict in Syria and that Britain remained open to working with Iran on that basis in future.

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China Executes Man Who Murdered Sex Slaves

A Chinese man who killed two of six women held as sex slaves in his basement has been executed.

Former clerk Li Hao, 36, from the central province of Henan was put to death after being convicted of "murder, rape, illegal detention, organised prostitution and manufacturing pornography for profit", the state news agency Xinhua reported.

In 2009, Li dug a "dungeon" in his basement where he imprisoned and repeatedly raped the six women for periods ranging from between two and 21 months.

Seven metal doors had been installed to stop them escaping.

Five of the women were prostitutes whom he had tricked into his prison by soliciting their services, and one was selling birth control products, the People's Daily website reported.

The victims were aged between 16 and 23. One, who was 20 at the time of kidnap, became pregnant, the website revealed.

Li forced three of the women to kill two of the others - one was strangled and another died after being repeatedly beaten, the reports said.

One woman who participated in both murders was sentenced to three years' prison while the rest were put on probation.

In 2011 Li had his surviving captives make obscene videos online and have sex with customers.

He spent two weeks a month with the women while telling his wife he worked nights as a guard, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported in 2011.

Li was caught in September that year after one captive escaped and went to the police.

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Lebanon: 'Four Killed' in Beirut Car Bomb

At least four people have been killed in an apparent suicide bombing in a Shiite neighbourhood of Beirut, according to official state media.

The blast struck a busy commercial street in the Haret Hreik area in the south of the city. 

According to Red Cross communications director Ayad al Monzer four people died in the attack and 35 were injured.

The official National News Agency said it appeared to have been a suicide bombing.

"Body parts apparently belonging to a suicide bomber were at the scene," it reported.

Onlookers flocked to the site of Tuesday's blast, some offering assistance

It is the latest in a series of attacks in recent months targeting strongholds of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hizbollah. The attacks are thought to be in retaliation for the Iran-backed group's intervention on the side of President Bashar al Assad in neighbouring Syria.

Al Nusra Front in Lebanon has said it carried out Tuesday's bombing. The group is believed to be a franchise of the prominent al Qaeda-linked Al Nusra Front in Syria.

In a statement published on Twitter, the group said: "With the help of God almighty we have responded to the massacres carried out by the party of Iran (Hizbollah)... with a martyrdom operation in their backyard in the southern (Beirut) suburbs."

The blast is the third to hit Hizbollah strongholds in January alone.

On Thursday a car bomb struck the northeastern town of Hermel, killing three people and wounding more than 20. That attack was also claimed by the group.

On January 2 a car bomb struck metres away from Tuesday's attack, killing five. 

Attacks have also targeted Lebanon's Sunni community as sectarian tensions, stoked by Syria's civil war, run high.

In December, prominent Sunni politician Mohammed Chatah was killed in a car bomb in Beirut.

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Ossie Ardiles: Ex-Spurs Footballer In Car Crash

Former Argentina and Tottenham Hotspur footballer Ossie Ardiles has been injured in a car crash on the Falkland Islands.

The 61-year-old was on the island making a television documentary about the Falklands War with ex-teammate and compatriot Ricky Villa, also 61, looking at how it affected their careers.

Ardiles played for Argentina, 1975-1982

They arrived on Saturday and were driving with their five-strong crew along the road from Darwin to Stanley when the vehicle they were travelling in overturned.

Ardiles was driving the hire car and saw a sheep on the road and swerved to avoid it, according to a witness.

He suffered serious head injuries and a member of the ESPN TV crew was also badly hurt . The pair were airlifted to the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Stanley.

Villa was not believed to have been injured in the accident on Monday night.

"Some of his crew were less seriously injured, but he suffered a head injury which was serious enough for an RAF search and rescue helicopter to come and pick him up and take him to the local hospital in Stanley," said Sky's Ian Woods.

"I've driven that road several times. The quality of the road is not that great.

Ardiles lifts the FA Cup in 1981 with teammate Steve Perryman (L)

"We have spoken to a nurse in the hospital who says that he is fine, but they are clearly monitoring his condition.

"Ossie Ardiles is a real cult hero at Spurs. He went on of course to become their manager - also managed West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United as well - and is currently working in Japan."

A message on the Tottenham Hotspur website said the club had "been in touch with Ossie's friends and relatives and have been informed that both Ricky and he were fine".

"Ossie suffered a cut to the head that required stitches, but he remained conscious throughout. Ossie remains in hospital," it added.

The road from Darwin to Stanley Ardiles was driving along when he crashed

It reportedly his son Pablo as thanking fans for their messages of support on Twitter and Facebook.

"Thank you very much to everyone supporting us. It's excellent to see people's reaction in a sense to what's happened, but thankfully everyone's fine," he said.

Ardiles made 311 appearances in all competitions for the club between 1978 and 1988 and later managed the team.

Villa represented the club on 179 occasions between 1978 and 1983.

Ardiles was in the Falklands making a TV documentary

Both Ardiles and Villa's careers at Spurs were curtailed by the Falklands conflict because of anti-Argentinian feelings in the UK.

Ardiles was sent to Paris St Germain on loan in June 1982.

Both he and Villa were also part of the Argentine squad which won the 1978 World Cup.

It was following this achievement on the world stage that the pair headed to London to join Spurs - at a time when foreign exports in the English top flight were somewhat of an unknown quantity - and were part of the team that won the FA Cup in 1981.

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Sochi: US To Deploy Warships During Olympics

The US is preparing plans to have two warships on standby in the Black Sea during the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

The warships would be used to evacuate Americans in case of a terror attack or other emergencies, according to government officials quoted in US media.

The US is also looking to have helicopters and other transport aircraft ready in nearby bases, such as Germany, which is about two hours away.

American officials stressed  that under the plan, first reported by CNN, the ships or aircraft would be used only in coordination with Russian officials.

Thousands of police will be deployed under Russia's massive security plan

"Air and naval assets, to include two Navy ships in the Black Sea, will be available if requested for all manner of contingencies in support of - and in consultation with - the Russian government," said Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby.

Concerns over security have heightened after Islamist militants threatened attacks during the Games, which start in Sochi on February 7.

A video posted online claimed responsibility for deadly suicide bombings in the southern city of Volgograd in December and threatened further attacks.

The attacks at Volgograd railway station and on a city tram last month killed 34 people and injured more than 100.

Russian President Vladimir Putin insists the event will be safe. His government has prepared a huge security plan, including 40,000 police officers, to protect Olympic venues and other potential targets.

The State Department has warned Americans planning to attend the Games to be vigilant about their security because of potential terrorist threats.

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Ukraine Protests 'Out of Control', Russia Says

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said violent protests in Ukraine are getting out of control after two days of street battles in Kiev.

Mr Lavrov said calls from opposition leaders for an end to violence have failed, indicating they no longer hold sway over the demonstrators.

"I personally believe that those calls for prudence that the opposition leaders - Vitali Klitschko in particular - are making, they show that the situation is getting out of control," he said.

Opposition politicians, including former world boxing champion Vitali Klitschko and Arseniy Yatsenyuk, have repeatedly appealed for calm since protests turned violent on Sunday.

Riot police remain locked in a tense standoff with protesters in Ukraine's capital Kiev, after failing to break up a protest camp in the early hours of the morning.

Boxing champion Vitali Klitschko has tried to calm the protesters

Security forces attempted to dismantle barricades outside government officers, but were pushed back by demonstrators throwing fire bombs and stones.

Police responded with stun grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets.

Hours earlier, fireworks and stun grenades lit up the night sky as demonstrators set fire to vehicles and threw missiles at police.

One protester accidentally set himself alight while throwing a projectile and had to be treated by medical staff.

Lavrov said opposition leaders have lost control

The violence, now in its third day, marks a significant shift in the protest against the government, which had been largely peaceful over the last two months.

On Sunday a rally of some 200,000 people took to the streets in a show of anger over harsh new anti-protest laws signed by President Viktor Yanukovych last week.

Hundreds of protesters broke off from the main peaceful rally on Independence Square and marched toward the parliament building.

More than 100 police and roughly 100 protesters were injured, according to the authorities.

Health officials say three people have lost eyes and one person had his hand amputated.

The protest laws, which come into force today, allow for jail terms of up to five years for those who blockade public buildings. They also ban protesters from wearing masks or helmets.

The online dissemination of what the government deems to be "slander" has also been made illegal.

The legislation was introduced despite criticism from the opposition and several Western countries.

Demonstrations turned violent after new anti-protest laws were signed

Protests first erupted in November after President Yanukovych opted to shelve a long-discussed economic and political treaty with the European Union.

Instead he chose to focus on improving ties with Russia and received a bailout loan from the Kremlin to aid the troubled Ukrainian economy.

The president agreed to negotiate with the opposition following a meeting with Mr Klitschko over the weekend, however no such talks have yet been held.

In a televised address on Monday, Mr Yanukovych said: "I'm addressing residents of the city of Kiev, as well as other participants of mass rallies.

"I'm asking you not to follow those who are calling for violence, who wants to provoke a rift between the state and the society and wants to throw the Ukrainian people into the fire of mass unrest.

"I'm convinced that you will hear me and will support me in my attempts to stop confrontation that was provoked by those who want to fight for power using human blood."

The opposition have insisted Mr Yanukovych personally attend talks.

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Nippon Airways Pulls 'Racist' Big Nose Advert

A Japanese airline has pulled the plug on an advertising campaign which saw an actor apparently dressed as a white European with a fake pointy nose and blonde wig.

The All Nippon Airways (ANA) campaign - supposed to showcase international routes from Tokyo's Haneda Airport - features two Japanese pilots discussing their trips to new destinations and pledging to change foreign impressions of Japanese people.

In one advert, one of the pilots turn to his companion mid-conversation to find he is now wearing the blonde wig and a pointy fake nose - a frequent stereotype of Westerners in Japan.

The first man also attempts to hug the other but is rebuffed, alluding to the Japanese disinclination to display affection in public.

ANA, the country's largest carrier, initially apologised for causing offence, but refused to recall the English-language commercial.

However, it seemed to have underestimated the scale of the furore as some customers threatened to cancel loyalty cards and took to social media to lambast the advert.

All Nippon Airways ran the ad to promote new international routes

"It's ironic that the #ANA ad is about changing Japan, when in fact it's the epitome of old school Japanese racism. LOL," tweeted one critic, JKen.

Others, however, were more generous.

The Times' Asia Editor, Richard Lloyd Parry, tweeted: "#ANA's new ad: clumsy racism, or an innovative work of surrealism on a par with Bunuel, Dada and Warhol?"

The airline itself acknowledged that many customers had not interpreted the ad in the way it was intended.

"Our intention was to show Japanese becoming more active and essential in the world," an ANA spokeswoman said, adding the airline had received complaints that it was in fact discriminatory.

"There were people who took it that way, so we are paying attention to this and cancelling the ad."

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George Stinney Execution: Call For New Trial

A judge is set to hear an appeal for a new trial in the case of a black 14-year-old who was executed in South Carolina in 1944 for killing two white girls.

Lawyers for George Stinney's family say new witnesses will prove the boy's innocence and fresh evidence will warrant a new trial.

They hope his conviction for the killings will be thrown out.

"This is a horrific case," defence lawyer Steven McKenzie said.

"Whether justice is 70 years old or one year old or one month old, we think justice needs to be done."

The new witnesses include a cell mate of Stinney, who said the teenager told him he had been forced to confess, as well as a pathologist who recently reviewed the case and found problems with the conclusions of the autopsy.

Stinney was found guilty by a jury of white men after only 10 minutes of deliberations.

George Stinney is the youngest person to be executed in 100 years

He was executed by electrocution just 84 days after the two white girls were killed in South Carolina. No official records of the trial exist.

But lawyers say they have determined he was convicted solely on the testimony of police who said the teen confessed to killing Betty June Binnicker, 11, and Mary Emma Thames, seven.

The two girls disappeared on March 23, 1944, after leaving home on their bicycles to look for wildflowers.

They were found the next morning in a ditch, their skulls crushed and their bicycles on top of them.

After Stinney told of how he had seen the girls along the railroad tracks, he was picked up by police and held for five days before being arrested, according to one of the family's lawyers, Matthew Burgess.

Stinney's sister, Amie Ruffner, now in her 70s and living in New Jersey, will testify that her brother was with her the entire day of the murders and could not have killed the girls.

Relatives of one of the girls killed, Betty June Binnicker, have said they do not want the case revisited without good reason.

Stinney is the youngest person to be executed in the US in the past 100 years.

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Nicolas Anelka Charged By FA Over 'Quenelle'

Anelka Leads FA Into Minefield Of Racial Politics

Updated: 2:22pm UK, Tuesday 21 January 2014

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent

When the Football Association wrote new rules to tackle discrimination, it's a safe bet they did not envisage them being tested by a black French Muslim player accused of anti-Semitism for using a gesture only recognised by a minority in France.

Thanks to Nicolas Anelka, the "quenelle" now has a much wider international audience.

The FA, meanwhile, finds itself trying to navigate a minefield of French racial politics and trying to send a signal as to what is permissible now the Premier League has become a global platform for any player with a cause.

The spur for the rule changes was the racism cases brought against John Terry and Luis Suarez, who received bans of four and eight matches respectively for abusing an opponent.

With the Terry case taking more than a year to conclude, the aim of the new rules was to speed up the process and standardise the punishment, starting with a minimum five-match ban.

By comparison with the Anelka case, they look straightforward.

Many people in France and beyond, including the interior minister and the federal courts, say the quenelle is anti-Semitic.

Look at pictures posted by fans of its inventor - French comedian Dieudonne, who is also Anelka's friend - and there seems little doubt.

It has been performed at Auschwitz, at Holocaust memorials across Europe and even the Tolouse synagogue where three children were shot dead by a gunman.

So at the very least there is a case to answer. The outcome, however, may come down to interpretation.

Anelka has denied racist intention from the outset. He says he was simply showing solidarity with Dieudonne, who has multiple convictions for inciting racial hatred and finds himself banned by the French state.

Dieudonne's lawyers claim he is simply attacking "taboos", though few would describe the Holocaust in such terms.

There is no question that he has support in France.

French-born to Cameroonian parents, his background and provocative stand has made him a lightning rod for a seam of disaffected French youth, many of them drawn from north African and other Muslim immigrant communities, who admire his willingness to take on the establishment.

With the French economy ailing and unemployment rising, it is a rich seam - and Dieudonne's populist instincts, together with his support for the Palestinian cause, have brought him support.

When we visited one of his banned shows in Nantes earlier this month, the regard for Dieudonne among thousands of fans was undeniable.

Asked if he was anti-Semitic, several people told us he was in fact anti-Zionist, not racist.

It is a distinction an FA panel may soon be asked to draw.

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Internet's Worst Password List Revealed

The number sequence "123456" is the internet's worst password, according to a software company.

The six-digit pass phrase was hacked more times than any other in 2013, leapfrogging the previous year's winner, "password".

Other common passwords were "abc123", "admin", "iloveyou", "1111111" and "photoshop".

New to the list this year are easy-to-guess passwords like "1234" and "000000".

Morgan Slain, CEO of SplashData, the company which compiled the list, said: "Seeing passwords like 'adobe123' and 'photoshop' on this list offers a good reminder not to base your password on the name of the website or application you are accessing.

"Another interesting aspect of this year's list is that more short numerical passwords showed up even though websites are starting to enforce stronger password policies."

SplashData, which makes password management applications, compiles its list every year, saying it hopes to encourage users to come up with more original and stronger passwords.

The list is made from files containing millions of stolen passwords posted online during the previous year.

The company also offered advice on how to make passwords harder to hack.

It recommends long words - at least eight characters long - with mixed types of characters, though it suggests avoiding common substitutions such as "dr4mat1c".

Passwords with spaces or characters separating them are good because they are long but easy to remember, it said.

The company also recommends avoiding using the same password on multiple sites.

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