FBI Director Fears 9/11-Style Attack On US

The outgoing head of the FBI fears another 9/11-style attack on the US, saying the fallout from the Arab Spring has bred a number of "violent extremists".

Robert Mueller, who leaves his post on September 4, said that he fears terrorists will target planes, or attack America using a weapon of mass destruction.

He warned that the US does not have the capability to defend a cyberattack on the country's energy sector.

Mr Mueller said: "I always say my biggest worry is ... an attack on a plane. And secondly, it's a weapon of mass destruction in the hands of a terrorist and that includes a cyber capability that trumps the defences that we have."

The underpants bomber's plot was foiled during Mr Mueller's tenure

The FBI director said terrorism has shifted from Osama bin Laden's global brand in the aftermath of the 2001 attacks to splintering threats arising in the fallout from Middle East uprisings.

He said: "Every one of these countries now has cadres of individuals who you would put in the category of extremists, violent extremists, and that will present threats down the road."

Mr Mueller, who started as FBI head a week before 9/11, has been credited as the architect of the bureau's transformation into a terrorism-fighting agency in his 12 years at the helm.

He said: "I had in my own mind some ideas about where the bureau needed to go and then a week later we had September 11.

"I did not expect I would be spending my time preventing terrorist attacks." 

During Mr Mueller's time at the bureau US authorities have had dealt with significant terror threats and attacks, including the underpants flight bomber in 2009 and the cargo plane printer bomb threat in 2010.

Authorities capture a suspect after the Boston Marathon bombings

He has also dealt with the Boston Marathon bombing, and the 2009 shooting that killed 13 and injured more than 30 at Fort Hood, Texas.

Speaking to reporters at the FBI headquarters, Mr Mueller also defended the National Security Agency's classified surveillance programmes, exposed by whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

He said it was "tremendously important to the protection, not only from terrorist attacks, but from other threats to the United States".

Mr Mueller made the comments on the same day that a new round of revelations about the surveillance showed that the NSA scooped up as many as 56,000 emails and other communications annually over three years by Americans not connected to terrorism.

The director's last day on the job is September 4. His successor, former Justice Department official James Comey, will be on hand next week for the transition.

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Microsoft Boss To Quit Amid Strategic Shift

Microsoft Faces Fight For Relevance

Updated: 5:20pm UK, Thursday 25 October 2012

By Thomas Moore, Sky News Correspondent

It's Windows, but not as you know it.

Microsoft's radical update to the world's most widely used operating system will either secure its future in a touchscreen era - or it will consign the traditional PC to the recycle bin.

Five years ago, more than 90% of computers ran a version of Windows, according to tech analysts Forrester.

This year - with Apple and Google dominating mobile computing - it is found on just 30% of devices.

PC manufacturers like Dell and HP have seen sales slump as consumers turned to iPads and Android tablets.

So Microsoft is betting big on Windows 8. Its marketing budget is estimated to top £619m ($1bn).

It will have to convince millions of users who are familiar with the old-style screen that they can work with the revolutionary new interface.

The new look has had a mixed reception from people who have used prototype beta versions.

The iconic start button has gone, as have the short cuts. Instead, apps are tiled on a bold metro start screen.

On a tablet, Windows 8 is just as slick as operating systems designed by Apple or Google.

But Microsoft makes much of its money from business users.

And they rely on desktops and laptops, where Windows 8 feels somewhat clunky.

It will need to convince companies that it is worth upgrading their systems and retraining their staff.

Microsoft has just reported a 22% fall in profits over the last quarter. It is by no means a crisis - the company still made a net profit of £2.8bn in just three months.

But computing is changing so rapidly that Microsoft is having to fight to stay relevant.

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Lebanon: Tripoli Explosions 'Kill At Least 20'

At least 20 people are believed to have been killed and hundreds injured in two powerful explosions in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

The blasts occurred outside two mosques on the Muslim day of prayer, when the buildings are likely to have been packed.

The first explosion happened near Taqwa mosque, close to the home of outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati, although his office said he was not in the city at the time.

It was followed minutes later by a second blast outside Salam mosque, near the home of former police chief Ashraf Rifi.

Television pictures showed a column of thick, grey smoke rising over the city, with reports suggesting the blasts caused significant damage.

Speaking to local TV channel Al Jadeed, Lebanese health minister Ali Hassan Khalil said 27 people were killed and another 352 injured.

A number of children were among those killed, according to the AFP news agency.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosions, which come a week after a suicide car bombing in Beirut killed 27 people.

The bomb ripped through a stronghold of the Lebanese Shiite group Hizbollah, which is fighting in Syria alongside forces loyal to President Bashar al Assad.

In July, another car bomb exploded in the nearby Beir al Abed district, wounding more than 50 people.

Tripoli, a mostly Sunni Muslim city, has seen frequent clashes between Sunnis and Alawites, a Shiite group to which Mr Assad belongs, although explosions are relatively rare.

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Hague: Syria Massacre 'Was A Chemical Attack'

Foreign Secretary William Hague has said for the first time that the "atrocity" in Syria "was a chemical attack" carried out by Assad forces.

Mr Hague said that the chances of the attack being a conspiracy by opposition forces was "vanishingly small" and that the only "plausible explanation" for the mass deaths was an attack by the regime.

He said it was essential to get UN inspectors already in the country to the site of the attacks outside Damascus and that "time was of the essence".

If inspectors were not allowed on the site then the evidence, he said, would deteriorate.

Girls who survived the apparent attack take refuge in a mosque

Already forces loyal to President Bashar al Assad have been carrying out air strikes on the area, which could already have considerably damaged any proof of the use of nerve gas.

And Mr Hague warned the Assad regime that if they did not comply with the UN request to carry out inspections at the scene of the "atrocity" then Britain would be prepared to go back to the UN Security Council for a mandate "for the world to speak more forcefully about this".

He stressed that inspectors were just 20 minutes away from the site where 1,300, including scores of children, are said to have perished in a horrific gas attack on Tuesday.

A child received treatment in a make-shift hospital

Mr Hague said: "The only possible explanation of what we have been able to see is that it was a chemical attack and clearly many, many hundreds of people have been killed, some of the estimates are well over 1,000.

"There is no other plausible explanation for casualties so intense in such a small area on this scale.

"I know some people in the world would like to say this is some kind of conspiracy brought about by the opposition in Syria - I think the chances of that are vanishingly small. So we do believe this is a chemical attack by the Assad regime on a large scale but we would like the United Nations to be able to assess that so those who don't believe that, those who doubt that, the evidence can be gathered.

"But that is certainly our opinion."

Activists inspect the bodies of the victims of the alleged gas attack

He said it "seems the Assad regime has something to hide" and questioned why it had refused to allow the UN inspectors, who are staying in a hotel in Damascus, to investigate.

Footage and images released by the opposition has showed scores of children lying dead, some seemingly gassed as they slept in their beds.

Other pictures have shown adults foaming at the mouths from the effects of the apparent gas attack and row upon row of corpses, some being loaded into vans.

A map showing the area targeted in the apparent chemical attack

The images, Mr Hague said, were "something that a humane or civilised world cannot ignore".

The apparent atrocity happened right under the noses of the UN chemical weapons inspectors, who have been in the country since Sunday on a mission to investigate sites where previous gas attacks are alleged to have been carried out.

Activists said on Friday they were smuggling body tissue samples from victims to the UN inspectors in their hotels but that it had been a struggle because they were heavily guarded by government forces.

Abu Nidal said: "The UN team spoke with us and since then we prepared samples of hair, skin and blood and smuggled them back to Damascus with trusted couriers."

The chemical weapons inspectors arrive in Damascus

In his first comments since the footage of the attacks emerged, US President Barack Obama said it was a "big event of grave concern" and that " this is something that is going to require America's attention".

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that the use of chemical weapons would constitute "a crime against humanity".

Significantly, Syria's key ally Russia has joined international calls for the inspectors to be given access to the site of the alleged massacre.

Moscow suggested the attack could be a "premeditated provocation" by opposition forces but urged Assad and the UN to agree to a visit to the site in the Damascus suburbs of Ein Tarma and Zamalka.

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GCSE Results: Record Fall In Top Grades

The proportion of GCSEs awarded at least a C grade has suffered its biggest fall in the exam's 25-year history.

For the second year in a row, the number of pupils given an A*-C grade has dropped - down 1.3% on last year to 68.1%.

The number of A* grades awarded was also lower, falling 0.5% on last year from 7.3 to 6.8%, according to official figures.

The figures show that the overall A*-G pass rate also fell slightly this year, to 98.8% compared to 99% last year.

In contrast to last week's A-level results, girls are still outperforming boys at GCSE and achieved better results at A*-C across every subject.

The national picture emerged as hundreds of thousands of teenagers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their results.

Pupils with their results at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple school in Bristol

The fall in top grades comes amid major upheaval in the exam system.

The huge rise in entries by 15-year-old as well as tougher exams were blamed for the dip in performance.

The number of 15-year-olds taking the exam has rocketed by 91,000 in just a year.

In maths, thousands of pupils also sat the exam more than once. Almost 90,000 were entered for at least three and two sat it eight times.

More children took exams in languages and humanities subjects with the overall number of GCSEs taken up 4.2% on last year.

But there was a fall in the number scoring at least a C in key subjects, including English, maths and science.

In English, 63.6% achieved a C or higher, down from 64.1% in 2012, as 61,000 more entries were recorded in the subject - more than two-fifths were from pupils aged 15.

The Joint Council of Qualifications (JCQ) said there had been "significant early and repeated entries" in maths, with more than half a million before the summer exams.

Results for 16-year-olds were "virtually unchanged" but those for 15-year-olds showed a decline. Overall, 57.6% of entries scored A*-C - down from 58.4%.

Moves by Ofqual to toughen up qualifications prompted a 7.6% fall in the number of entries achieving a top grade in science.

This is the first summer results have been given for the revamped GCSEs, which were changed after a 2009 report by the regulator found they were too easy.

There was a "dramatic" rise in entry levels for modern languages, with French up 15.5%, German up 9.4% and Spanish up 25.8%.

This could be due to the introduction of the English Baccalaureate, which is awarded to pupils with at least a C in English, maths, science, history or geography and a foreign language.

JCQ director Michael Turner said: "This year's upturn in languages will be welcomed across the education sector and beyond. Not since 2008 have there been this many entries in languages.

"However, it remains to be seen if this is the start of a trend and if more students decide to continue to study a language at A-level."

Major overhaul: Michael Gove

Education Minister Elizabeth Truss insisted the results showed that the Government's new English Baccalaureate (EBacc) has "not just arrested the decline in the study of academic subjects at GCSE, it is reversing it".

She said: "It is very pleasing to see the increase in these important subjects - the ones that will keep pupils' options open in the future.

"I am particularly delighted to see a languages revival - with an increase in the number of entries to French, German and Spanish GCSEs after years of decline."

However, experts raised concerns about the number of 15-year-olds taking the exams and over repeat entries.

Andrew Hall of the exam board AQA asked: "Why oh why do we now got a significant increase in 15-year-olds taking GCSE?"

He also warned pupils making multiple entries was "really damaging education in this country".

Mark Dawe, from another exam board OCR, added: "Early entry does not benefit the students. The results are far lower for 15-year-olds.

"These qualifications are designed for 16-year-olds. Students should be left to learn for those two years and that is what we would encourage."

Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg said: "Michael Gove needs to get a grip on the multiple entry exam practice that is distorting standards."

Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "People's confidence in the GCSE was severely knocked last year.

"That's why they've done things like trying out IGCSE, multiple entry, early entry - all of these things to try and bring more opportunities to get young people good grades.

"I'm not saying we should be doing that but I'm saying it's understandable."

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Syria: Call For 'Force' If Chemicals Proven

France is seeking a reaction with "force" if a massacre in Syria involving chemical weapons is confirmed, its foreign minister has said.

"If it is proven, France's position is that there must be a reaction, a reaction that could take the form of a reaction with force," Laurent Fabius told BFM-TV.

"There are possibilities for responding," he said without elaborating.

He added that if the UN Security Council could not make a decision, one would have to be taken "in other ways".

The Syrian government has been urged to allow UN inspectors to visit the site where it is claimed more than 1,300 people died in a chemical weapons attack.

The National Coalition claims toxic gas was used by President Bashar al Assad's forces during a bombardment of rebel-held areas outside Damascus.

It said the death toll was likely to rise after a neighbourhood with many casualties was discovered in Zamalka.

Government officials said the claims were "totally false" and the international news organisations reporting them were "implicated in the shedding of Syrian blood and support terrorism".

The attacks are alleged to have taken place in Ein Tarma and Zamalka

A spokesperson from the British Foreign Office said: "Our immediate priority is to verify the facts and ensure the UN  team is granted access to investigate these latest reports.

"We believe a political solution is the best way to end the bloodshed. However, the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have said many times we cannot rule out any option, in accordance with international law, that might save innocent lives in Syria."

But Turkey's deputy prime minister has said only the government is in possession of the type of chemical weapons the opposition claim were used in the attack.

Its foreign minister said "a red line" had been crossed.

Iran, Syria's chief regional ally, has rejected claims that the regime was responsible, saying if such an attack was proven it would be down to the rebels, IRNA news agency said.

The incident comes just days after a 20-strong team of UN weapons inspectors arrived in the capital to investigate whether chemical weapons have been used in the conflict.

A survivor rests inside a mosque near Damascus

And following an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, said: "We very much hope that we will be able to conduct the investigation.

"Dr Sellstrom and his team are in place in Damascus.  We hope that they will be given access to the area by the government  - it's a requirement of consent in situations like this.

"And that also the security situation will allow them to enter the area.

"The Secretary-General has already expressed his preparedness to conduct the investigation.

"We are in contact with the Syrian government - we hope that all other parties will co-operate so that we conduct the investigation and we hope that everybody realises the importance of ceasing hostilities."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague urged international supporters of the Syrian regime to "wake up to ... its murderous and barbaric nature" ahead of the UN meeting.

However Russia, which has supported the regime and vetoed past attempts to secure a tough UN resolution, suggested the attack could be a "premeditated provocation" by opposition forces.

Officials from Russia and China are reported to have blocked a stronger press statement supported by Britain, France, the US and others.

Earlier, Mr Hague said that if verified, the attack "would mark a shocking escalation in the use of chemical weapons in Syria".

He added: "Those who order the use of chemical weapons, and those who use them, should be in no doubt that we will work in every way we can to hold them to account."

Unverified footage of casualties, including children, in makeshift hospitals suffering convulsions and breathing difficulties was circulated on YouTube.

Syria is thought to have some of the world's largest stocks of chemical weapons, including mustard gas and the nerve agent sarin, but the government in Damascus refuses to confirm this is the case.

On Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed government forces carried out air raids and shelling in an area near where the alleged chemical attack was launched.

"Warplanes carried out several raids this morning on Khan al Sheikh and Zamalka, wounding several people" and sparking fierce clashes, the monitoring group said.

Their claims have not been independently verified.

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Jermain Defoe Cousin's Pool Death A 'Mystery'

The mother of England footballer Jermain Defoe's cousin, who was electrocuted in a hotel swimming pool in St Lucia, has begged to be told the "truth" about her daughter's death.

Hannah Defoe, 20, was killed after diving into the water while on holiday on the Caribbean island last summer - just three weeks before her 21st birthday.

Hope Defoe, 50, clutched a picture of her daughter as she told an inquest relatives had been fobbed off with '"excuses" from St Lucian authorities for more than a year.

She wept as she described how relatives had battled for more than an hour to rescue her daughter from the electrified water.

In her quest for answers Mrs Defoe emailed an official in the island's tourism department.

She wrote: "You were all so kind and gracious when we were in St Lucia, promising to help us, but we have been abandoned.

"We haven't even been told if anybody has been charged. Look your daughter in the eye and then imagine her electrocuted and lying in a pool, at the bottom, for an hour and a half while you and others are suffering electric shocks as you try to rescue her.

"Now imagine nobody tells you how or why that happened but fobs you off with polite excuses."

Jermain Defoe

Ms Defoe, an aspiring actress, was on holiday as a reward for her hard work during her first year at the Performers College in Essex when she was killed.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Defoe was on the club's pre-season tour of America when he was told about her death. He was allowed to return to the UK to be with his family.

Hannah's parents, who travelled to St Lucia the day after the tragedy, were assured by senior officials that a full and proper investigation would take place.

They were told the electricity board had previously informed the hotel owner of the existence of a fault but that it had not been fixed

But the findings from any investigation by authorities in the Caribbean have not been disclosed to the Defoe family.

The coroner adjourned proceedings until next March to await the receipt of vital documents from St Lucia.

The student's death is one of a number of losses suffered by footballer Defoe, 30.

He flew home from England's Euro 2012 camp in Poland last June following the death of his 49-year-old father Jimmy from throat cancer.

In 2009 his half-brother Jade, 26, died after falling into a coma following a street attack in east London.

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Manning Says He Wants To Live As Woman

Bradley Manning, the US soldier sentenced for leaking classified documents, has said he wants to live the rest of his life as a woman.

"As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me.

"I am Chelsea Manning. I am female," Manning said in a statement to NBC.

"Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible.

Manning will serve his sentence in a military prison

"I hope that you will support me in this transition.

"I also request that, starting today, you refer to me by my new name and use the feminine pronoun (except in official mail to the confinement facility)," the statement read.

Manning, 25, signed the letter "Chelsea E. Manning".

The confession came a day after Manning was sentenced to 35 years in a military prison for turning over classified files to WikiLeaks in the biggest breach of secret data in US history.

He had been found guilty of 20 charges ranging from espionage to theft for leaking more than 700,000 documents to the whistle-blowing website while working in Iraq in 2010.

The prosecution had sought to portray him as a traitor, asking for at least a 60-year term.

But he was not convicted of the more serious crime of aiding the enemy, which could have carried a life sentence without parole.

Julian Assange has called the sentence a 'tactical victory'

Manning will be eligible for parole within nine years.

His lawyers argued during the trial that Manning suffered extreme inner turmoil over his gender identity - his feeling that he was a woman trapped in a man's body - while serving in the macho military, which at the time barred gays from serving openly.

Among the evidence was a photo of him in a blonde wig and lipstick.

The defence team also maintained he was an idealistic soldier who wanted to expose brutal truths about America's military and diplomatic corps, and generate debate over the wars and US policy.

During the sentencing phase, he apologised for the damage he caused, saying: "When I made these decisions, I believed I was going to help people, not hurt people."

Manning supporters have called for his release

His lawyer said after the sentencing that Manning plans to send a letter to Barack Obama to request a presidential pardon.

"If you deny my request for a pardon, I will serve my time knowing that sometimes you have to pay a heavy price to live in a free society," said the text of the letter.

"I will gladly pay that price if it means we could have a country that is truly conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all women and men are created equal."

Manning is to serve his sentence in Fort Leavenworth, home to the American military's most famous prison.

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Taxi Crash: 'Devastated' Father Flies To US

The father of a British woman who had part of her leg severed by a New York taxi says the family is "devastated" by what happened.

Sian Green, 23, suffered the leg injury when a yellow taxi mounted the pavement in the centre of New York and struck her.

Sian Green was with a friend when she was hit. Pic: Instagram

"We are a really close family we are all devastated by what has happened," her father Jason told the Leicester Mercury.

"We don't know what to say.

"We just want to be at our daughter's side right now," he said, adding that he is flying to New York to keep a bedside vigil.

He added: "She is in recovery now, and they have had to amputate what's left of her foot."

A street vendor helps by packing the severed foot with ice. Pic: NBC

The cab hit a cyclist and then ploughed into Ms Green in front of a fountain outside the Rockefeller Center at 49th Street, news reports say.

Ms Green was walking down the road with her friend, eating a hot dog she had just bought nearby, when she was hit, according to the New York Post, which cited witnesses.

Among those who helped the victim was also celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, who records his talk show in a nearby studio.

Dr Mehmet OZ and plumber David Justino. Pic. Facebook

Dr Oz said emergency medical crews were already treating the injured woman.

A plumber who was working in the area, David Justino, used his belt to make a life-saving tourniquet for Ms Green's leg.

Mr Justino said: "I just grabbed my belt, went over, lifted her up, put it on and held it.

"From the shin down, (her leg) was gone."

He added: "I just worried about the blood, there was too much blood."

A friend witnesses the accident. Pic: NBC

Mr Justino told the New York Daily News that she "was conscious the whole time, the poor thing. I wished she would have passed out".

A street vendor reportedly raced to put her severed foot on ice. She was then transport to the hospital.

Sergeant John Buthorn of the New York Police Department said: "The circumstances are still under investigation, whether it was some sort of rage or an accident.

Ms Green is taken to hospital on a stretcher. Pic: NBC

"It looks like her leg or part of it was severed during the accident."

Reports said Ms Green is being treated at Bellevue Hospital, where she underwent surgery to reattach her leg.

According to the New York Daily News, the cab driver was issued a summons for being an unauthorised driver, but was then set free.

Ms Green, 23, had reportedly just started her holiday. Pic: Instagram

Both the driver and the cyclist were treated for injuries, police said.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware of a traffic incident involving a British national in New York City.

"Staff at the British Consulate General in New York are providing consular assistance at this difficult time."

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Lifeguards Rescue Children At Treyarnon Beach

A group of nine people, including six children, who were trapped on a beach in Cornwall have been saved by lifeguards.

The group, who were stranded on Treyarnon beach by the incoming tide, huddled together on a small platform above a gully as water began to rush in.

A RNLI spokesman said it was "too dangerous" for crews to reach them by lifeboat as 5ft (1.5-metre) waves lashed the rocky coastline, forcing two lifeguards to abandon their inflatable and swim towards the gully.

One of the lifeguards involved in the rescue spots the stranded group

Zahli Lowe and Dan Lee, who are based at nearby Constantine, swam the youngsters, aged between seven and 12, to a safe part of the bay, where they were picked up by an inshore rescue boat.

They also helped a weaker adult swimmer to safety, while two adults made their own escape from the gully.

"It was a very difficult and long process, made even worse by the time pressures of the incoming tide and a building swell," Mr Lee said.

Two of the youngsters are taken to shore in an RNLI inshore rescue boat

"Thankfully we all know this beach and stretch of coastline very well and were able to read the waves and get them all out safely."

Treyarnon, near Padstow, is popular with families during the summer, when up to 200 swimmers and surfers can be in the water at any time.

A large cave at the end of the gully in which the group was trapped can be explored at low tide.

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Syria Conflict: 1,300 Killed In 'Gas Attack'

More than 1,300 people have been killed in a chemical weapons attack near Damascus, according to Syria's main opposition group.

The National Coalition claims toxic gas was used by President Bashar al Assad's forces during a bombardment of rebel-held areas outside the Syrian capital.

It described the attack as a "coup de grace that kills all hopes for a political solution in Syria".

The government says the claims are "totally false" and the international news organisations reporting them are "implicated in the shedding of Syrian blood and support terrorism".

Attacks are alleged to have occured in the towns of Zamalka aand Ein Tarma

"Allegations of the use of chemical arms by the Syrian Arab Army today in areas of Damascus province... are null, void and totally unfounded," the military said in a statement read out by an officer on state TV.

"The army will continue on its national mission, by facing terrorism across Syrian territory...to protect the nation from these armed terrorist groups."

Earlier, Sky sources said at least 200 people were killed in the shelling in Zamalka and Ein Tarma, but could not verify whether chemical weapons were used.

It comes three days after a 20-strong team of UN weapons inspectors arrived in Damascus to investigate whether chemical weapons have been used in the conflict.

Mohammed Saeed, an activist in the area, said hundreds of dead and injured have been taken to six make-shift hospitals in the eastern suburbs of Damascus.

Activists posted videos showing children apparently hurt in the attack

"This is a massacre by chemical weapons," he said via Skype. "The visit by the UN team is a joke...Bashar is using the weapons and telling the world that he does not care."

Opposition groups said government forces had fired "rockets with poisonous gas heads" in the attack.

Videos posted on YouTube by activists show children being treated in make-shift hospitals. Some are having convulsions and have difficulty breathing. Others are not moving.

Sky News cannot authenticate the footage.

The YouTube images cannot be authenticated by Sky News

"Regime forces after midnight stepped up military operations in the East Ghouta and West Ghouta zones of the Damascus region with aircraft and rocket launchers, causing several dozen dead and wounded," the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Local Co-ordination Committees, another Syrian pro-opposition group, said hundreds of people were killed or injured in the "brutal use of toxic gas by the criminal regime in parts of Western Ghouta".

Videos claiming to show the shelling were posted on YouTube by the Syrian Revolution General Commission, another activist group.

They showed what it called "a terrible massacre committed by regime forces with toxic gas, leaving dozens of martyrs and wounded".

Casualties are much higher than in previous allegations of chemical attacks

Both the rebels and government forces have accused each other of using chemical weapons in the conflict, which began in March 2011 and has killed more than 100,000 people.

The UN team is investigating three sites where chemical weapons have allegedly been used: the village of Khan al Assal, just west of the northern city of Aleppo, and two other locations, which are being kept secret for security reasons.

If confirmed, this alleged chemical attack would be the most serious since the incident in Khan al Assal on March 19, when at least 30 people were killed.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK would be raising the incident at the UN Security Council.

"I am deeply concerned by reports that hundreds of people, including children, have been killed in airstrikes and a chemical weapons attack on rebel-held areas near Damascus," he said.

"These reports are uncorroborated and we are urgently seeking more information. But it is clear that if they are verified, it would mark a shocking escalation in the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

"Those who order the use of chemical weapons, and those who use them, should be in no doubt that we will work in every way we can to hold them to account.

"I call on the Syrian Government to allow immediate access to the area for the UN team currently investigating previous allegations of chemical weapons use."

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Queen's Swan Found Cooked Near Windsor Castle

A swan owned by the Queen has been found barbecued on the banks of the Thames in the shadow of Windsor Castle.

The Royal bird was found on Baths Island, in the middle of a picnic area popular with children and tourists.

It had been cooked with its feathers still attached, and meat had been stripped from its carcass.

Park wardens made the gruesome discovery in Windsor, Berkshire, at 3pm on Sunday, and called Swan Lifeline, which cares for sick or injured birds along the Thames.

Wendy Hermon, treatment centre co-ordinator for Swan Lifeline, told Sky News Online: "They were in the middle of their walkabout when they phoned us to say we've found what looks like the remains of a cooked swan.

"It's absolutely disgusting doing something like that. We've heard for years that sort of thing goes on; we've never actually seen it.

The Queen has the right to own any swan in the UK she chooses

"But to barbecue a swan and leave its body in the centre of Windsor with all the tourists and children about is absolutely disgraceful."

She added: "We have shot swans from time to time, and swans attacked by dogs and foxes, but that's nature and we accept it.

"But when it's something like this it's disgusting. It was so so selfish and wrong just to leave it there in the middle of the grass.

"They'd stripped the meat off it, they'd carved the breasts off the bones. There were no remains of a fire, but they're always having barbecues up there even though they're not allowed.

"And I think that's why the park wardens had gone up there, to tell people not to barbecue."

She said the carcass was taken back to the Swan Lifeline centre to be cremated.

The first record of the swan as a Royal bird dates back to the 12th century

David Barber, The Queen's Swan Marker, said he was appalled by the incident.

"It's an absolutely shocking situation and as far as I'm concerned the police are investigating this," he told Sky News.

"All swans are considered by people to be Royal birds and it's quite a shock to people to see this in a middle of a picnic lawn in a public area."

He said all swans on the Thames belong to the Queen, apart from those owned by the Vintners and Dyers livery companies.

The suspects face a maximum six months jail sentence and £5,000 fine because wild swans are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

But Mr Barber said if the dead swan is claimed by the Crown, the suspects could also be prosecuted for damaging Crown property.

The first written record of the swan as a Royal bird dates back to the 12th century.

Cygnets were highly prized for their gourmet qualities and were often served at banquets. Anyone caught stealing the birds was severely punished.

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MasterChef Judge Gregg Wallace In Hotel Brawl

MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace knocked a diner to the floor and punched him in the face for allegedly groping his girlfriend, according to reports.

The former greengrocer and restaurateur - known for using the phrase "cooking doesn't get tougher than this" - was pictured brawling with the man after a five-hour evening of food and wine at a plush hotel.

Wallace, 48, is reported to have punched the man several times because he apparently pinched his 27-year-old girlfriend Anne-Marie Sterpini's bottom.

The fight broke out after he had hosted Dinner With Gregg Wallace at the Wood Norton Hotel in Evesham, Worcestershire.

The hotel's website described Wallace as "the bald one who likes puddings" and promised guests a champagne reception followed by a five-course dinner.

But the scene turned ugly.

A picture in The Sun showed white-shirted Wallace grappling with the man while another man tries to restrain him as other guests look on.

The BBC host was eventually led from the oak-panelled room at the Grade II-listed building and taken upstairs.

Claire Shepherd, 31, who was at the £75-a-head evening, told The Sun: "He kept doing speeches and then we had a Q and A session.

"It became quite obvious that he was very self-important, so a woman on our table tried to make a joke, saying his bakery chain Greggs was doing really well and he must be happy.

"But he didn't laugh. He just said: 'End of questions, enjoy your meal.' It was a tumbleweed moment."

A source told the Daily Mail: "The vast majority of those present were very drunk. I'm pretty sure Gregg had enjoyed a few drinks too.

"In fact, his girlfriend was one of the only people there who seemed sober. Gregg took exception to this man who was supposed to have been touching his girlfriend up.

"A table was knocked over as they grappled."

The newspaper reported that three-times married Wallace and the man later calmed down, apologised to each other and shared a whisky.

Wallace's spokeswoman told Sky News Online: "I can confirm Gregg was involved in a disagreement at an event last night. The situation was swiftly resolved."

She confirmed that police had not been called to the event.

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Prince William: George Is A Bit Of A Rascal

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

Prince William has revealed his son Prince George is "a little fighter" who "wriggles around quite a lot and he doesn't want to go to sleep that much".

In his first interview since becoming a father, the Duke of Cambridge talks about his "emotional experience" of the past few weeks, adding that his son is "a little bit of a rascal".

In the interview, which took place at Kensington Palace on August 2, William said: "Well yeah, he's a little bit of a rascal, put it that way.

"So he either reminds me of my brother or me when I was younger.

"He's doing very well at the moment. He does like to keep having his nappy changed."

Asked if he had changed the first nappy, the Prince replied: "I did the first nappy, yes. I had every midwife staring at me ... 'You do it, you do it'.

Prince William has given his first full interview since the birth

"He's growing quite quickly actually, but he is a little fighter.

"He kind of … wriggles around quite a lot, and he doesn't want to go to sleep that much, which is a little bit of a problem."

The Duchess of Cambridge did not take part in the interview.

Conservation efforts by the Prince's Charity Tusk Trust was the focus of the half-hour interview.

Asked how new mum Kate was coping with motherhood, Prince William said she was doing the lion's share of the night-time shifts, adding: "She's doing a fantastic job."

Reflecting on how he and Kate felt as they emerged from the Lindo Wing on July 23, the day after Prince George was born, William said: "I think more shock and dauntedness was the feeling I felt.

"I think I was on such a high anyway, and so was Catherine about George, and we were happy to show him off to whomever wanted to see him.

William and Kate left hospital cradling the new prince

"I'm just glad he wasn't screaming his head off the whole way through.

"As any new parent knows, you're only too happy to show off your new child and, you know, proclaim that he is the best looking or the best everything."

The search and rescue pilot was also asked about the pressure he might have felt handling a car baby seat for the first time in public.

He said: "Believe me, it wasn't my first time. And I know there's been speculation about that - I had to practise, I really did.

"I was terrified it was going to fall off or it wasn't going to close properly. So, I had actually practised with that seat, but only once before."

The Duke of Cambridge is known for doing things his way, and spoke about choosing to drive the vehicle from the hospital to Kensington Palace.

Prince William said that driving his young son home was important

"Where I can be, I am as independent as I want to be, the same as Catherine and Harry," he said.

"We've all grown up differently to other generations (of royals), and I very much feel if I can do it myself, I want to do it myself.

"I think driving your son and your wife away from hospital was really important to me, and I don't like fuss, so it's much easier to just do it yourself."

The Duke also talked about his hopes for his son George, saying he plans to bring him up as if he is growing up "in the bush".

"I'll have toy elephants and rhinos around the room. We'll cover it in sort of, you know, lots of bushes and things like that, make him grow up as if he's in the bush."

But it seems sleep is the priority for the royal couple for the moment: "At the moment, the only legacy I want to pass on to him is to sleep more and maybe not have to change his nappy so many times."

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Anti-Fracking Protesters Cleared By Police

Police are forcibly clearing protesters from a road outside a potential site for fracking in Balcombe, West Sussex.

Activists are currently taking part in a six-day Reclaim The Power action camp after Cuadrilla began carrying out exploratory drilling at the site.

Hundreds of campaigners staged noisy protests in the face of a heavy police presence.

Sussex Police have served a notice under section 14 of the Public Order Act because they believe the crowd of people might cause public disorder, serious damage to property or serious disruption to the life of the community.

Shouts of "shame on you" and "no violence" erupted from the crowd as police tried to move the protesters back to the main gate of the site.

Demonstrators chanted: "We are peaceful, what are you?"

A protester is removed from the Cuadrilla HQ in Lichfield

Vanessa Vine, founder of Frack Free Sussex and Britain and Ireland Frack Free, said the police presence was disproportionately heavy and added that Reclaim The Power were "not nasty, violent people" but "altruistic people who are challenging what the Government is doing".

Earlier, Sussex Police said on Twitter: "We would like to reiterate that protesters aren't being kettled and are free to leave the site as they wish."

Cuadrilla has condemned the "illegal direct actions" against its staff and operations.

Campaigners opposing the controversial process of extracting shale gas blockaded the firm's headquarters while others superglued themselves to a PR form used by the energy company.

The action at Cuadrilla in Lichfield, Staffordshire, and at PR firm Bell Pottinger in central London comes on the first of two days of "mass civil disobedience" which campaigners have pledged to carry out.

In a statement, Cuadrilla said: "Protesters broke into our Lichfield office, harassed our staff and chained themselves to filing cabinets.

Protesters' tents outside the office in Lichfield

"The police are on site dealing with this. We condemn all illegal direct actions against our people and operations."

The firm insisted that the morale of its staff at various sites is "fine", and they and the teams supporting the company are "doing a magnificent job".

"They know that what we are doing is legal, approved and safe, and that shale gas is essential to improve our energy security, heat our homes, and create jobs and growth.

"Cuadrilla is rightly held accountable for complying with multiple planning and environmental permits and conditions, which we have met and will continue to meet.

"Clearly we are held to one set of legally enforceable standards while some protesters believe that they can set out and follow their own."

Campaign group No Dash For Gas said six protesters superglued themselves to the glass door of Bell Pottinger at 8am and deployed reinforced arm tubes to stop anyone else getting inside.

Meanwhile, it said 20 protesters shut down the Cuadrilla site in Lichfield by blockading it with their bodies. It said two people inside the building had also hung banners from it saying: "Reclaim the power" and "Power to the people".

A group of around 20 protesters also demonstrated outside the constituency office of Balcombe MP and Cabinet Office minister Francis.

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Oscar Pistorius: 100 Witnesses Due At Trial

Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius will go on trial in March over the killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a judge has decided.

Pistorius returned to Pretoria Magistrates' Court this morning for the short hearing, in which a judge set his trial date for March 3 next year.

The judge asked him if he was well, to which he replied: "Under the circumstances, your honour."

He was formally charged and told that his bail conditions remained the same.

Court documents show that more than 100 witnesses will be called to give evidence at the trial, including one of Pistorius' ex-girlfriends.

Sky's Alex Crawford said that Pistorius was "very emotional", and appeared to be praying with his brother and sister before the proceedings started.

The three siblings held hands in a small circle, and at one point Pistorius wiped his face with a tissue.

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead at Pistorius' home in February

His brother Carl later tweeted a photograph of Pistorius and Ms Steenkamp, adding: "Remembered like yesterday. My life was impacted by u @reevasteenkamp & the lady u were! Always close to our hearts."

The 26-year-old double amputee is accused of killing Ms Steenkamp, who would have turned 30 today, in a shooting incident at Pistorius' home in February.

Pistorius denies he committed murder and says he shot Ms Steenkamp by mistake, thinking she was an intruder.

The case was sent to the High Court in Pretoria.

A judge will preside over the trial and ultimately pronounce the world-famous athlete innocent or guilty. South Africa does not have trial by jury.

The mandatory sentence for someone convicted of premeditated murder in South Africa is life with a minimum of 25 years in prison.

Meanwhile, Ms Steenkamp's uncle has said he has already forgiven Pistorius for killing her.

Mike Steenkamp said the family have coped with her death by concentrating on her life rather than how she died.

In an interview on ITV's Daybreak, Mr Steenkamp said: "I think from the beginning and onset that we decided that we could never be sidetracked from Reeva's life, and I think that's helped us tremendously."

The family have gathered in Port Elizabeth for a family event to mark Ms Steenkamp's birthday.

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Diana's Death: Police Handed New Information

New information that alleges Princess Diana was murdered has been passed to Scotland Yard through military sources, it has emerged.

The information, thought to include the allegation that the Princess of Wales, Dodi al Fayed and their driver were killed by a member of the British military, will be assessed by officers from the Specialist Crime and Operations Command.

According to Sky sources it was given to the police by the former parents-in-law of a former soldier.

The deaths of Princess Diana and Mr al Fayed in Paris in 1997 were investigated and examined during a 90-day inquest led by Lord Justice Scott Baker at the Royal Court of Justice in 2007.

On April 7, 2008, the jury concluded their verdict as "unlawful killing, grossly negligent driving of the following vehicles and of the Mercedes".

Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed leaving the Ritz Hotel on August 31, 1997

The Metropolitan Police said its assessment was not a re-investigation and does not come under Operation Paget, the inquiry led by Lord Stevens into conspiracy theories surrounding Princess Diana and Mr al Fayed's deaths.

A royal spokeswoman said there will be no comment on the matter from Prince William or Prince Harry, or from Clarence House.

After the inquest, the Metropolitan Police said it had spent £8m on services arising from it and the Operation Paget investigation from 2004 to 2006.

Former Met Police commissioner Lord Stevens published his report in December 2006, rejecting claims that Princess Diana and Mr al Fayed had been murdered.

The wreckage of the Mercedes the pair were travelling in when it crashed

Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "We understand this information includes an allegation that Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed and the driver of their car were killed by a member of the British military.

"The information we're told was passed to Scotland Yard quite recently. It also includes, we understand, references to something known as Diana's diary.

"These are very early days, the information has just come in, and Scotland Yard is adamant in saying that this is not a reopening of its investigation from 2004 when it spent three years looking into the circumstances of the Princess' death.

"But it is taking the information seriously and it is considering and it is possible that a new investigation may open."

Princess Diana, Mr al Fayed and their driver Henri Paul died after the Mercedes crashed in a Paris tunnel on August 31, 1997.

Diana was 36 at the time of her death and Mr al Fayed, the son of former Harrods owner Mohamed al Fayed, 42.

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Egypt: EU To Review Relations Amid Violence

The European Union has said it will "urgently" review its relations with Egypt in the coming days as the violence shows no sign of ending.

In a statement, the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso called on all sides to show restraint and prevent further escalation of the violence.

"To this effect, together with its member states, the EU will urgently review in the coming days its relations with Egypt and adopt measures aimed at pursuing these goals," the statement said.

The EU statement comes after security forces stormed the al Fath mosque in Cairo, where hundreds of supporters of Mohamed Morsi fled following violent clashes that killed 173 people.

At one point, troops exchanged gunfire with men shooting from a minaret of the mosque on Ramses Square.

Brotherhood supporters had barricaded themselves inside

The interior ministry said 385 people inside the mosque had been arrested.

Four Irish citizens, the children of the imam of Dublin's largest mosque, were besieged in the mosque but have since been released.

It is understood the Irish ambassador to Egypt has now requested a meeting with the siblings.

Muslim Brotherhood supporters have also been blamed for attacks on Coptic Christian churches.

And authorities have raided the homes of Brotherhood members in an apparent attempt to disrupt the group ahead of the planned rallies later on Sunday.

A statement by the Anti-Coup Alliance said several marches would take place in the capital, continuing the daily campaign of protests in defiance of an intensifying crackdown.

Earlier, British Foreign Secretary William Hague told his Egyptian counterpart, Nabil Fahmy, that the "disproportionate use of force" by security forces over recent days must stop.

State TV ran an English 'Egypt fights terrorism' caption as the PM spoke

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "The foreign secretary emphasised UK condemnation of all acts of violence, whether disproportionate use of force by the security forces or violent actions by some demonstrators.

"They also discussed the recent attacks on places of worship and the foreign secretary stressed that attacks on mosques and churches were unacceptable and that places of worship must be protected."

Meanwhile, the interim army-backed government announced it had begun deliberations on whether to ban the Muslim Brotherhood, a long-outlawed organisation that swept to power in Egypt's first democratic elections a year ago.

Egyptian presidential adviser Mostafa Hegazy said: "When you talk about a difference or a divide that's happening in Egyptian society, I think it's either wrongful thinking or wishful thinking.

"Egyptians today are more united than ever before. We are not only united towards a common dream, but we're united against a common enemy."

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Pair Held Over 'Swiss Suicide Clinic Plan'

A 65-year-old woman and 25-year-old man have been arrested after police were warned they could be planning to take a "vulnerable" pensioner to end his life in Switzerland.

The pair were held by officers in West Sussex who are now investigating the mental capacity of the 71-year-old to determine how able he is to make decisions for himself.

The woman and man, reported to be mother and son, were questioned on suspicion of encouraging or assisting a suicide.

Their names have not been released by police but they are believed to be from Chichester.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "Both have been released on bail without charge until 8 October while officers carry out further inquiries."

Keir Starmer released guidelines for prosecutors on assisted dying

The charity Dignity in Dying told Sky News they were not aware of the family and had not been in contact with them.

However a spokesperson said: "Sad cases like these highlight why a robust assisted dying law with upfront safeguards would far better protect everyone than the current situation does."

It is an offence to encourage or assist suicide under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and officers are investigating whether any crime has been committed or is likely to be committed if they do not take action.

In February 2010 the director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer QC released guidance to prosecutors in relation to cases of encouraging or assisting suicide.

It was indicated that anyone acting with compassion to help end the life of someone who has decided they cannot go on would be unlikely to face criminal charges.

Assisted suicide remains a criminal offence in England and Wales, punishable by up to 14 years in prison, but individual decisions on prosecution are now made on the circumstances in each case.

Mr Starmer said at the time: "The policy is now more focused on the motivation of the suspect rather than the characteristics of the victim. The policy does not change the law on assisted suicide. It does not open the door for euthanasia. It does not override the will of Parliament. What it does is to provide a clear framework for prosecutors to decide which cases should proceed to court and which should not.

Sir Edward and Lady Joan Downes

"Assessing whether a case should go to court is not simply a question of adding up the public interest factors for and against prosecution and seeing which has the greater number. It is not a tick box exercise. Each case has to be considered on its own facts and merits.

"As a result of the consultation exercise there have been changes to the policy. But that does not mean prosecutions are more or less likely. The policy has not been relaxed or tightened but there has been a change of focus."

There have been a number of high profile cases of Britons going to Switzerland to end their lives.

The parents of paralysed rugby player Daniel James, 23, did not face charges after attending the Dignitas clinic with their son in 2008.

In 2009 conductor Sir Edward Downes and his wife Lady Joan chose to die together at the clinic rather than struggle on with health problems.

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 08457 90 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org.

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Gibraltar: Spanish Boats In Royal Navy Stand-Off

Spanish fishermen have been involved in a stand-off with Royal Navy boats after making an illegal incursion into British waters around Gibraltar.

A flotilla of more than 30 fishing boats was "corralled" by UK military and police vessels after protesting near the spot where Gibraltar's government placed 70 concrete blocks in disputed waters next to the British territory.

The demonstration comesas the Royal Navy warship HMS Westminster is due to arrive in Gibraltar in a visit described by the Ministry of Defence as "long-planned".

Gibraltar says it has created the concrete artificial reef there to protect local fish stocks from trawling, but Madrid says it restricts their right to fish.

The move has led to further tensions between the UK, Gibraltar and Spain - which has imposed tougher border checks in retaliation.

Chief Inspector Castle Yates, of the Royal Gibraltar Police, said the Spanish boats crossed into Gibraltan waters before being "pushed" out again.

"We had our own police cordon along with Royal Navy and other assets and we corralled them in the area of the south mole," he said.

"They tried to breach the cordon several times but they were not successful."

HMS Illustrious docks at Rota naval base on Gibraltar

More than 30 fishing vessels set out from the "Campo de Gibraltar" in southern Spain to form a floating protest - a smaller number than expected.

Sky's David Bowden, at the scene, said hundreds of Gibraltarians turned out in force to rebuff the protest.

"They lined the bay as a flotilla of small fishing boats sailed across from Spain at the other side of the Bay," he said.

"The flotilla, only a dozen or so boats strong, was escorted by a handful of sleek Spanish Guardia Civile speedboats.

"They were met by an equally strong show of force from the Gibraltar marine police in patrol vessels and highly manouvreable ribs making sure the Spanish invaders did not stray off the imaginary line in the sea that marks Spain from British Gibraltar."

The Spanish government has accused Gibraltar of laying the blocks "without the necessary authorisation" in "waters that are not theirs".

The border checks have led to massive queues in recent weeks

It responded by introducing additional checks at the fenced border, and suggesting a 50 euro (£43.30) fee could be imposed on every vehicle entering or leaving Gibraltar.

On Friday, Prime Minister David Cameron raised the matter with European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.

He said the checks - which have seen huge delays at the border in recent weeks - were "politically motivated and disproportionate" and therefore contrary to the EU right of free movement.

UKIP MEP William Dartmouth, member for the South West of England and Gibraltar, has suggested that a member of the Royal family should visit Gibraltar to mark 300 years of British sovereignty.

"Nothing could demonstrate more to the citizens of Gibraltar how strongly Britain stands behind them in wishing to stay part of the United Kingdom than a visit by a member of the royal family," he said.

The row has set relations between Spain and the territory back 40 years, according to Edward Macquisten, chief executive of the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce.

He said it was also having an impact on Gibraltar's high season tourist trade, which usually sees hordes of British visitors from Spanish resorts.

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