Vienna Building Collapse After 'Explosion'

At least six people have been injured after a reported explosion caused a building collapse in Vienna.

It is thought other people could still be trapped inside the residential block in the 15th district of the Austrian capital, and sniffer dogs were being brought in to help in the search.

Witnesses said they heard a dull thud before the top two floors of the building fell in shortly after 10am, sending debris on to the street below.

Amateur footage showed a thick dust cloud enveloping the area moments after the collapse.

The cause of the possible blast is still unclear, according to the authorities.

Ted Knops, a 32-year-old resident, said: "There was a cloud of dust, and lots of people screaming and running.

"It was like a science-fiction movie when something comes bursting through the wall."

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Anastacia 'Energized' After Cancer Surgery

By Elizabeth Scott, Entertainment Producer

Pop star Anastacia has spoken frankly to Sky News Entertainment Week about her battle with cancer and how undergoing a double mastectomy made her feel "energized".

The singer was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 and had surgery last year when the cancer returned.

Speaking about having the double mastectomy, Anastacia said: "I chose to take the road less travelled but it meant the end of cancer, of breast cancer... I felt it was right for me.

"I feel absolutely wonderful. I feel completely energized. I am loving life. If it did anything it made me feel better about what's happening inside."

Her experiences with the illness helped inspire her new album, Resurrection.

Anastacia in her video for the hit Stupid Little Things

She said: "I felt compelled to talk about the things that were happening in the last five years.

"I like the fact that I take the fear out of cancer and I talk about it right away because it just turns something negative into something positive."

Also appearing on Sky News' new programme, Entertainment Week, was Hollywood star Zac Efron, who revealed he is not a fan of British soap operas, admitting he has never heard of Coronation Street.

The actor drew a blank when asked about the Manchester-based drama and got even more confused when quizzed about a terrace house, mistaking it for a "terrorist house".

The former High School Musical actor stars in new film Bad Neighbours in which he plays an obnoxious fraternity student who moves into the same road as a young couple with a newborn baby.

Appearing alongside his "comedy hero" Seth Rogen, Efron said the cast did not hold back in their bad behaviour which they "pushed to the limit".

You can watch Entertainment Week on Sky News at 8.30pm on Fridays

He revealed that one of the scenes cut from the final film included them "shooting bottle rocket fireworks from their butts".

Efron would not comment on whether this act resulted in any injuries.

He did, though, admit that if he was faced with bad neighbours himself he would not have the heart to confront them.

"I'm pretty polite, I would probably put up with it for a long time."

Also appearing on Sky News Entertainment Week was star of the upcoming 'Postman Pat: The Movie' Stephen Mangan and director David Cross.

:: You can watch Entertainment Week on Sky News at 8.30pm on Fridays and Sky Livingit at 8.25pm on Saturdays.

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James Attfield Murder: Appeal For CCTV Pair

Police investigating the murder of a man stabbed more than 100 times have said they want to speak to two people seen on CCTV.

James Attfield, 33, died in a park in Colchester, Essex, in what has been described as a "senseless and frenzied" attack.

Detectives are keen to trace a woman who was seen in an image on March 29 at 12.36am, and again with a man on another image at 2.19am.

Officers are trying to piece together Mr Attfield's movements between the evening of March 28 and when he was found the following morning just before 6am.

Mr Attfield was treated at the scene by paramedics in Castle Park, but died from his injuries.

The victim, known as Jim to his family, had 102 separate wounds on his arms, hands, back, neck and head, police revealed.

Police want to trace this woman seen on CCTV on March 29 at 12.36am

The father-of-five suffered a severe brain injury after he was hit by a car four years ago, and had not been in contact with his children since.

His mother, Julie Finch, has described her son as a "bit of a loner" who was "in the process of rebuilding his life" when he died.

Releasing the CCTV images, Detective Chief Inspector Simon Werrett, of Essex Police, said: "I would urge these two people to come forward or if anyone recognises them I would ask them to get in touch with the inquiry team."

The man is described as white, of stocky build and appears tall with long legs.

The only description given of the woman is that she is white.

Police say they were sitting at opposite ends of a bench and it is not certain if they know each other, although they may have been a couple who had a row earlier in the evening and were sitting apart not talking to each other.

About 10 metres away from where this couple sat, there was a man sitting on the grass who was white, aged in his 30s and wearing a dark jacket and possibly jeans.

This may, or may not, have been Mr Attfield, a police spokesman said.

Three other people who were also spotted in the area on CCTV and came forward voluntarily have been ruled out the probe by police - as have a total of six people caught on CCTV walking through the park.

A further 17 people have yet to come forward.

A man and a woman from Colchester, both aged 27, have been bailed until May 9.

Anyone with information is asked to call Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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British Teenager Dies After Tribal Drug Ritual

By Alex Watts, Online Producer

A British backpacker has died after taking a hallucinogenic drug during a tribal ritual in Colombia.

Henry Miller, 19, was in a remote rainforest area, near the town of Mocoa, with other tourists when he drank yage with a local tribe.

The psychedelic drink, also known as ayahuasca, is made from leaves and is used by native people in South America for healing and spiritual purposes.

Mr Miller took the drug on Sunday without any effects. He took it again on Tuesday and was found dead later.

Mr Miller took the drug in a rainforest outside Mocoa, southwest Colombia

Filip Goematre, owner of Casa del Rio hostel, where the teenager was staying, told Sky News: "Lots of people come to this area to take the yage drug, which is part of an indigenous ritual.

"But I am not a fan of it. I prefer people come here to enjoy the Amazon and look at the animals and nature.

"Henry came here last week and heard about the drug from other tourists and got motivated to do it.

"I'm not involved in the drug and do not promote it in anyway. But it's an indigenous ritual and involves drinking juice from a medicinal plant. One of the effects of it is to hallucinate.

"Henry stayed at the hostel for seven days. He did it (the drug) once on Sunday night, and on the Tuesday he was travelling on.

Yage brings on vivid hallucinations and supposedly spiritual experiences

"But he changed his mind at the last minute and decided to do the ritual. There is a police investigation going on and an autopsy is being carried out on his body, but it looks like the drink.

"It's an intoxicant, and hundreds of people do it and a couple of times people die. It's not considered dangerous, but it can happen."

Mr Miller, from Bristol, travelled with a group of eight people to land belonging to a local shaman, according to the Daily Mail.

After taking the drug, he reportedly started "lashing out with his hands and feet" and then "made weird animal noises, pig sounds and at one point he tried to fly".

The shaman's family told the other tourists they would look after him, but when they woke up in the morning Mr Miller was not there, the paper quoted one of the group as saying.

Police arrived and showed them a picture of Mr Miller's body, which was said to have been found by a dirt road.

The teenager had stayed at Casa del Rio hostel for seven days

A spokesman for the Foreign Office told Sky News: "We are aware of the death of a British national on April 23 in Colombia. We are providing consular assistance to the family at this very difficult time."

Henry Miller's parents Elizabeth and David, and brother Freddie issued a statement to the Bristol Post, saying: "In the last 48 hours we received the exceptionally sad news that our son Henry has died whilst travelling in Colombia.

"We are being informed of the circumstances through the Foreign Office. He was in the remote Putumayo region.

"We understand that he took part in a local tribal ritual recommended by the hostel that he was staying at.

"The ritual involves a drink made from local plant infusions. We are awaiting further information from the foreign office but it is likely that a reaction to this drink was the cause."

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'Last' Titanic Letter Fetches Record Price

The only surviving letter thought to have been written on the Titanic has been sold at auction for £119,000.

The price tag eclipses the previous record for a Titanic-related letter, which stood at £94,000. 

The letter was written by second class passenger Esther Hart on Sunday April 14, 1912, and was meant to be delivered to her mother in Essex.

It went under the hammer at Henry Aldridge and Son Auctioneers in Devizes, Wiltshire, along with other Titanic collectibles.

The letter was sold with an envelope embossed with the White Star Line flag.

A total of 1,500 passengers and crew died when the New York-bound liner sank, including Mrs Hart's husband Benjamin.

Mrs Hart, who was travelling with her daughter and well-known survivor Eva Hart, writes about being ill on board.

A total of 1,500 passengers and crew died when the Titanic sank

"My Dear ones all. As you see it is Sunday afternoon and we are resting in the library after luncheon," she writes.

"I was very bad all day yesterday could not eat or drink and sick all the while, but today I have got over it."

Mrs Hart describes how she had been to a church service with Eva and goes on to talk about the trip so far.

"Tho they say this Ship does not roll on account of its size. Any how it rolls enough for me, I shall never forget it. It is very nice weather but awfully windy and cold.

"They say we may get into New York Tuesday night but we are really due early Wednesday morning, shall write as soon as we get there", she writes.

Mrs Hart and Eva were rescued by HMS Carpathia.

Andrew Aldridge, from Henry Aldridge and Son Auctioneers, said: "The importance of this legendary item cannot be overstated, being the only known surviving example of its type to have been written on that fateful day, surviving the sinking, and having belonged to such a well-known survivor."

A second class breakfast menu was also sold at the auction for £87,000, beating the previous record of £74,000 for a Titanic menu.

An extremely rare VIP ticket for the launch of Titanic in Belfast on May 31st 1911 also sold for £40,000.

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Five Die As UK Helicopter Crashes in Afghanistan

Five people have died after a British helicopter crashed in Afghanistan, with all those on board thought to be members of UK armed forces.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the victims of the suspected accident in the south of the country were military service personnel.

An investigation has been launched into the circumstances of the incident but the MoD said it could not confirm the nationality of the troops who died.

A spokesman for the ministry said: "We can confirm that a UK helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan today.

"The incident is under investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further until families have been notified."

Kandahar provincial police spokesman Zia Durrani said the helicopter went down in the Takhta Pul district, around 30 miles from the Pakistan border.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known but it was not believed to have involved any enemy action.

If the victims are confirmed to be British, it would be the worst UK air crash in Afghanistan since September 2006, when a Nimrod surveillance aircraft exploded in mid-air while supporting Nato ground operations near Kandahar.

All 14 servicemen on board that aircraft were killed.

Saturday's incident was the bloodiest day for international troops in Afghanistan this year.

It brings the number of foreign troops killed in the war-hit country in April to seven. A total of 23 have died in 2014.

Nato is preparing to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan at the end of this year, 13 years after the US-led invasion to topple the Taliban for sheltering al Qaeda leaders.

Concerned family members of military service personnel can contact the MoD on 08457 800 900.

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Al Qaeda Chief Calls For Kidnap Of Westerners

The leader of al Qaeda has reportedly called on Muslims to kidnap Westerners, particularly Americans, so they can be exchanged for militants being held in jails.

Ayman al Zawahiri, who was previously the extremist movement's number two until the death of Osama bin Laden, said he hoped it would enable the freeing of an Egyptian convicted of attacking New York landmarks.

"I ask Allah the Glorious to help us set free Dr Omar Abdel-Rahman and the rest of the captive Muslims," Zawahiri said, according to the SITE website monitoring service.

"And I ask Allah to help us capture from among the Americans and the Westerners to enable us to exchange them for our captives." 

Abdel-Rahman, known as The Blind Sheikh, is serving a life term in the US after being convicted in 1995 of conspiring to attack several New York City landmarks, including the United Nations.

Among the offences he was convicted of was seditious conspiracy in the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center.

Zawahiri's interview was posted online. Reuters said it could not verify the authenticity of the Zawahiri tape, but that the voice resembled that of the al Qaeda leader.

Egyptian-born Zawahiri went on to express solidarity with the Muslim Brotherhood which is facing a violent crackdown by the army-backed government in his home country.

Al Zawahiri took over from Osama bin Laden as al Qaeda leader

Asked about the crackdown, Zawahiri answered: "The duty on every Muslims is to deter the aggressor by any means, and especially the oppressed Muslims."

Security forces in Egypt have killed hundreds of Brotherhood supporters and arrested thousands, after the government that replaced them designated the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation last year.

Zawahiri also urged "jihad and overthrowing the criminal al Assad regime" in Syria.

In doing so, he renewed his call to end the growing amount of infighting among jihadists in that country.

As the rebellion against President Bashar al Assad has fragmented, the al Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) had been fighting against rival rebels, as well as against the government.

He added: "The Ummah (Muslim world) must support this jihad with all that it can, and the mujahideen (Islamist militants) must unite around the word of Tawhid (unity).

"So everyone should prioritise the interest of Islam and the Ummah over his organisational or partisan interests, even if he gives up for his brothers what he sees as right."

The recording was said to be the second instalment of an the interview, the first part of which was posted a week ago. In that excerpt, Zawahiri insisted al Qaeda was holding strong and was "expanding".

Al Qaeda, which became world famous after 9/11, has been struggling to rebuild after the death of bin Laden who was killed in a US operation in Pakistan where he had been hiding out.

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'Israel Talks Possible' Despite Hamas Deal

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said a unity government between Fatah and Hamas will follow his orders and be prepared to resume peace negotiations with Israel.

Addressing the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in Ramallah, Mr Abbas said the reconciliation deal between the rival factions represented a "return to unity" for the Palestinian people, "both in terms of geography and hope".

He outlined plans for an independent "technocratic" government to be created within five weeks, and reaffirmed plans to hold elections by the end of the year.

The unity government, he said, would administer internal issues in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, but would not involve itself in any negotiations if they were to be resumed, as such talks would be undertaken solely by the PLO.

"The upcoming government will obey my policy," said Mr Abbas.

"I recognise Israel and reject violence and terrorism, and recognise international commitments."

Palestinians in Gaza City celebrate the deal between Hamas and Fatah

He added that he was prepared for talks to resume if Israel released a fourth group of Palestinian prisoners and halted construction on Palestinian land.

The latest round of negotiations, marshalled by US Secretary of State John Kerry, was suspended on Thursday following a unanimous decision by the Israeli cabinet.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would never negotiate with a Palestinian government involving Hamas and accused Mr Abbas of choosing a pact with Hamas over peace.

Hamas is deemed to be a terrorist organisation by much of the international community and has refused to recognise Israel or renounce violence.

However, attendees at the PLO meeting said reconciliation was an internal Palestinian issue and was central to the viability of a Palestinian state.

"We have to revitalise and re-legitimise our democracy as an inclusive system that is tolerant and pluralistic," said Hana Ashrawi, a senior member of the PLO executive.

Mr Netanyahu says Israel will not negotiate with Hamas

"It is not our responsibility to deliver to Israel everything that it wants."

During his speech, Mr Abbas also shunned the accusation that the reconciliation deal had scuppered the talks, saying Israel had consistently acted in ways that contravened the terms of the negotiations.

He cited the continued construction of settlements on the West Bank and in East Jerusalem, and Mr Netanyahu's insistence that the Palestinians recognise Israel as a specifically "Jewish state" as evidence that the Israeli leader was bent on running talks into the ground.

Mr Abbas said the PLO had recognised Israel since 1993, and that it was unacceptable for Mr Netanyahu to insist he also accept it as a state with a single religious identity.

Hamas has responded to Mr Abbas' speech by welcoming it as "positive", without being drawn on whether it could accept recognition of Israel.

Bassem Naim, an advisor to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, told the AFP news agency: "The speech had mostly positive points, and we cannot but support it on topics such as Jerusalem, reconciliation and not recognising (Israel as) the Jewish state, in addition to the failure of negotiations."

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Paedophile Teacher 'One Of The Worst Predators'

Child Predator: Husband And 'Popular Teacher'

Updated: 11:44am UK, Thursday 24 April 2014

The serial child predator at the centre of an FBI investigation had a wife and two adult children and was a popular teacher among his students, officials have said.

William James Vahey travelled the world for four decades before his suicide in a Minnesota motel last March.

While teaching, he also served as coach on various school sports teams.

The FBI said he was a "popular and highly respected teacher".

"He had access to children because of his position of trust," said FBI special agent Patrick Fransen.

"He created a system that gave him the opportunity and the means to molest children."

The FBI says he may have carried out child molestation on an unprecedented scale, often drugging his victims.

Vahey told investigators he suffered molestation as a child and went on to prey on boys.

The New York native graduated from California State University, Long Beach, with a Bachelor of Arts in political science, according to a resume cited by the FBI.

He received a master's degree in curriculum development from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont.

At the time of his death, he was 64, approximately 6ft (182cm) tall, and weighed about 190 pounds (86kg).

He was teaching ninth-grade world history and geography at the American Nicaraguan School in Managua.

Vahey maintained two residences, one in London, where he had taught at an elite school, and another on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, the FBI said.

In 1969, Vahey was arrested in California on six counts of child molestation.

He pled guilty to one count of child molestation and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, followed by five years' probation.

The conviction required Vahey to register with California's sex offender registry for the rest of his life.

However, Vahey eluded that requirement.

Officials said he had not renewed his registration as a sex offender since 1970. He went on to pursue his teaching career in Nicaragua, the UK, Venezuela, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Iran, Spain, and Lebanon.

His victims are believed to be multinational as many of those schools were attended by the children of American diplomats or military personnel stationed overseas.

Vahey coached boys on middle school, varsity boys' basketball, softball, flag football, and soccer, among other things.

He also served as activities director, student council adviser, cooking club adviser and forensics adviser. 

He often accompanied students on cultural studies or sports trips, the FBI said.

Vahey killed himself two days after agents in Houston sought a warrant to search a computer thumb drive belonging to him.

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Ukraine: 'Observers To Be Used As Human Shield'

It Is No Longer A Game For Separatist Militia

Updated: 12:32am UK, Saturday 26 April 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor in Slavyansk

Their rifles were cocked. The safety catches off. Triggers were fingered. The car lurched to a stop.

Shrill nervous orders were barked in Russian. Men in an assortment of camouflage uniforms lay spread eagled on the roadside glaring down their sights.

A quick search followed. Then a man with a new AK74, probably nicked from the local police station, squinted, his face covered with a balaclava, perhaps attempting a faceless smile.

"Sorry for any inconvenience," he said and waved the car through.

The mixed messages of their behaviour, both aggression and politeness, both bravado and fear, point to a wider conundrum - do they really understand what they're getting in to?

One of their comrades had been shot dead that morning about a mile away on the road out of Slavyansk by an Ukrainian army patrol - probably probing the outer defences of these pro-Russian separatist militants.

Four more, the government said, had been killed in other clashes around the town.

They stand accused of kidnapping the city's elected mayor.

They have taken over city hall and are sandbagging it against an attack and yet they often appear to be no more than young or old boys playing at soldiers.

Occasionally one comes across a trained soldier. Fit and quiet they slink in the background of the occupied buildings.

They may be Russian agents, or former Ukrainian police from the disbanded Berkut who were responsible for sniper attacks on revolutionaries in Kiev.

But the ordinary militants, who are led by local politicians and allegedly funded either by Moscow or allied oligarchs, are clearly being used.

They are the teaspoons the Kremlin is using to keep the east of Ukraine swirling with dark rumours of anti-Russian ethnic cleansing.

Allegations of persecution of pro-Russian groups are entirely false.

But while the militants swagger about the streets, take over government buildings and harass their political opponents, they face a crack down from Kiev.

The nervous men at the road block feared an Ukrainian government attack on the bases in Slavyansk.

They were also facing the reality that what may have felt like a nationalistic camping trip with the added spice of gun play, may no longer be a game.

They may fold under a professional attack by Ukrainian troops.

But if they do not, there will be blood.

And if it flows from Putin's local pawns then so may Russian troops pour in from the east.

He may win, but they will not be around to see his victory.

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