Women And Children Killed In DRC Massacre

At least 37 people, including 18 women and eight children, have been killed in an attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The massacre in the eastern province of South Kivu happened early on Saturday morning.

The victims, said to be ethnic Bafuliru, and including several pregnant women, had been shot, stabbed, or burned alive inside their homes, according to a witness.

The attack took place in the eastern province of South Kivu

Some bodies were seen inside a village church.

South Kivu governor Marcellin Cishambo confirmed the attack, but gave a lower estimate of 27 for the number killed.

He blamed the violence on a dispute over cattle.

"The problem is that everyone in this area carries a weapon," he said.

The Bafuliru people have been in conflict with the Barundi ethnic group for years over property and custom issues.

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Madeleine Police Identify New Search Area

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

The renewed search for clues into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is to move to a new area outside of Praia Da Luz, Sky News has learned.

Portuguese police have told Sky News a new dig will begin on land somewhere between Praia Da Luz and the town of Lagos on Wednesday.

The development comes as search teams appear to have discounted parts of the site in Praia Da Luz where digging has been taking place all week.

Several areas of scrubland have been filled in

Officers used shovels and wheelie bins to fill in some of the holes they dug on scrubland as the search entered its sixth day on Saturday.

Some of the small yellow flags that were placed on areas of interest within the site earlier this week were removed.

Sniffer dogs from South Wales Police are again on site with their handlers working in different sections of the scrubland.

The search, not far from the holiday complex where the McCanns were staying in 2007, will continue throughout the weekend.

The search resumed in Praia da Luz on Saturday

Meanwhile, the family of missing Ben Needham have told Sky News their "thoughts and prayers" are with the McCanns as the investigation steps up in Portugal.

Some of the experts involved in the renewed search were also deployed to the island of Kos in Greece in 2012 when South Yorkshire Police led a review into Ben's disappearance.

Ben vanished in 1991 when he was 21 months old, after his mother and grandparents moved there from Sheffield.

Speaking to Sky News, the Needham family said: "Our thoughts are with the McCanns in this search for Madeleine.

Ben Needham (left) and Madeleine McCann (right)

"We ourselves know that this sort of investigation will be a very difficult time for the family.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with them."

Officers have been allowed to continue their work through the weekend in Praia da Luz after the Portuguese authorities granted them extra time.

The resort of Praia da Luz in Portugal

Forensic archaeologists, anthropologists, dog search teams and various specialist police officers from several UK forces have been working on the site.

The Metropolitan Police has not revealed why it has chosen to search the area of scrubland or any details of what it has found so far.

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Comedian Tracy Morgan Critical After Car Crash

US actor and comedian Tracy Morgan has been left in a critical condition after the limousine he was travelling overturned during a multi-vehicle pileup.

Police said the limousine crashed into five other vehicles on the New Jersey Turnpike at around 1am local time.

The 45-year-old 30 Rock star is being treated at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Centre in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Sgt Gregory Williams told Sky News that one other passenger in the limousine was killed. 

CCTV footage of emergency vehicles attending the scene (Pic: NBC)

He said their next of kin had been notified.

The condition of the vehicle's five other passengers is currently unknown. 

There is no word on what caused the accident, which also involved two tractor-trailers, a SUV and two cars.

Tracy Morgan found fame on the sketch-comedy show Saturday Night Live in 1996. 

He went on to play Tracy Jordan, a caricature of himself, on the hit show 30 Rock.

It was created by his Saturday Night Live co-star Tina Fey. 

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Ukraine: Poroshenko Promises To Bring Peace

Petro Poroshenko promised the Ukrainian people he would "bring them peace" after being sworn in as the country's fifth president.

Mr Poroshenko told parliament Ukrainians would "never feel the blessing of peace and security until we resolve our relations with Russia".

He pledged an amnesty to any insurgents in the east who had "no blood on their hands" but said he would not open dialogue with "gangsters and killers".

Ukrainian officials say some 200 people have died during troubles in eastern parts of the country.

Mr Poroshenko arrives for his inauguration

And the 48-year-old tycoon - dubbed the "chocolate king" for his popular brand of sweets - stated he would not accept Russia's seizure of Crimea nor attempts to divert his pro-European course.

"Crimea will remain a part of Ukraine," said Mr Poroshenko.

"Ukraine now returns to its natural European condition that so many generations have longed for."

The inauguration was attended by US Vice President Joe Biden and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.                 

The latter sent this message to Russia: "All neighbours ... need to respect (Ukraine's) sovereign choices, including stronger ties with the European Union and its territorial integrity."

Moscow was represented by its acting ambassador to Kiev, Mikhail Zurabov, who said the pledges "sound reassuring".

Mr Poroshenko met world leaders including Barack Obama in France this week

The Kremlin's only official response to Mr Poroshenko's comments was to call for him to act by "the principles of a democratic society" and release two Russian journalists detained in the east of the country.

Meanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin reportedly ordered his Federal Security Service to strengthen protection of the country's border with Ukraine to prevent people crossing illegally.

This came after talks with world leaders in France, where US President Barack Obama urged the Kremlin to cease support for separatists in eastern Ukraine - including stopping arms and materials crossing the border.

Insurgents in both Luhansk and Donetsk responded to Mr Poroshenko's pledge of an amnesty with scepticism.

"I don't believe it," said Valery Bolotov, the insurgent leader in the Luhansk region.                 

Insurgent leader Valery Bolotov

Mr Poroshenko is the first permanent successor to Russia-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled the country in February after months of street protests against him.

The new incumbent met Mr Putin at D-Day commemoration ceremonies in France on Friday and expressed his satisfaction that dialogue had begun.

Mr Putin added: "I can only welcome Mr Poroshenko's position that the bloodshed in eastern Ukraine must be stopped immediately."

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Flooding Threat As Thunderstorms Sweep UK

Flood alerts remain in place for many regions with further heavy thundery rain forecast in parts.

It comes after much of the UK was hit by torrential downpours and lightning strikes on Saturday with up to 3cm (1.2in) of rain falling in just one hour.

The UK monthly average rainfall for the whole of June is 7.3cm (2.9in).

The Met Office has issued yellow "be aware" warnings for heavy rain In Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England.

Water had to be pumped off the surface of the M60 near Stockport

The heavy rain will clear the country overnight, and while it will be warm and sunny for most on Sunday with temperatures hitting around 25C, showers are expected in some parts, with the chance of torrential downpours by the evening in the South East.

John Curtin, director of incident management at the Environment Agency, said: "There is a low but increased risk of flooding this weekend across the whole of England, as isolated torrential downpours are predicted.

"We are monitoring the situation closely in case things change and will have teams ready to respond 24/7."

Early arrivals at Epsom Downs Racecourse for this year's Derby on Saturday experienced heavy rain before the racing began.

And water had to be pumped off the surface of the M60 near Stockport.

A house in Devon was badly damaged in a fire after being struck by lightning.

The property in South Molton was hit by the bolt at 4.30am and several fire crews and support teams were sent to the scene.

The Devon and Somerset Fire Service said the first floor and roof were severely damaged by the blaze and the ground floor sustained water damage.

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Wedding Gifts Bought For Seattle Gunman Hero

The student who disarmed a gunman at a US university this week has had most of his wedding gifts paid for by well-wishers, it has been reported.

Jon Meis has been hailed a hero by the media for stopping the gunman at Seattle Pacific University with pepper spray as he was reloading his weapon.

The gunman had already already killed one person and wounded three others.

Police said Mr Meis's actions, and those of others who came to his aid, prevented a more serious tragedy.

Officers said the suspect had wanted to kill as many people as possible, before turning the gun on himself.

Aaran Ybarra, 26, had admitted his intentions shortly after his arrest and was denied bail during his first court hearing, Seattle Police said. 

Media in the US have reported that as people learned of Mr Meis's bravery, and his June 21 wedding, they wanted to thank him.

The gunman was known to police

So they began buying gifts on the online wedding registry set up by him and his fiancee, circulating links online.

One post to the social network Reddit read: "This is the wedding registry for the man who subdued the SPU gunman. You know what to do."

All items listed have been purchased and one campaigner has set up an online campaign to pay for the honeymoon.

Mr Meis' roommate Matt Garcia wrote on Twitter: "I'm proud of the selfless actions that my roommate, Jon Meis, showed today taking down the shooter.

Memorials have been held for victim Paul Lee

"He is a hero."

According to police Ybarra, who is not a student at the university, had 50 additional shotgun shells and a hunting knife.

The court heard that he has a long history of mental health problems for which he is being treated and medicated. 

His lawyer, public defender Ramona Brandes, said: "He is cognisant of the suffering of the victims and their families and the entire Seattle Pacific community.

"He is sorry."

Police in the suspect's hometown, the Seattle suburb of Mountlake Terrace, say officers had encountered him behaving strangely on two separate occasions in 2010 and 2012. 

Memorial services have been held for 19-year-old victim Paul Lee, while a 20-year-old woman remains in a critical condition.

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Hero's Welcome For 'Great Escape' D-Day Veteran

A D-Day veteran who went "AWOL" from his care home to see Friday's commemorations in France has returned to a hero's welcome.

Bernard Jordan, 90, was cheered and hugged by staff waving Union Flags at The Pines nursing home in Hove, Sussex.

"I had a great time. I'm really pleased I did it," he said after the Brittany Ferries ship Normandie arrived in Portsmouth.

Quizzed on whether he would go back next year, he replied: "Yes, I expect so. If I am still here, definitely!"

The former Royal Navy officer said his wife had known about his trip.

Mr Jordan gets a hug from staff at his nursing home

And in a statement issued after his return to The Pines, Mr Jordan said he didn't realise what a "stir" he would cause.

"I want to thank everyone for their kind words and best wishes following my trip to Normandy - I never imagined my visit would cause such a stir!

"I'm delighted to be back at home with my wife and the wonderful staff here at The Pines. I was never banned from going to the commemorations, I just decided to make my own way there."

Brittany Ferries said Mr Jordan enjoyed a breakfast of bacon, two fried eggs, sausage, orange juice and coffee during the seven-hour crossing.

A statement released by Mr Jordan

The pensioner would be given free crossings to the D-Day commemorations for the rest of his life, the company confirmed.

Police were called on Thursday night when staff realised the veteran had gone out at 10.30am and had not been seen since.

Mr Jordan was wearing his medals when he left but covered them up with a grey jacket and secretly boarded a coach to France.

At 10.30pm on Thursday - 12 hours after he was last seen - a younger veteran called to say he had met the pensioner on a coach on the journey to the commemorations.

The 90-year-old waves as his ferry home arrives in Portsmouth

He said the pair were sitting in a hotel in Ouistreham, Normandy, where world leaders have been mingling with veterans to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Mr Jordan, a former mayor of Hove, was pictured with "Candy Girl" ferry staff on the way back to England.

Staff member Sonia Pittam told Sky News the 90-year-old was "a game old boy".

She said: "He certainly has his wits about him, he didn't say much about the landings, just how pleased he was to be on board and couldn't believe how everyone was looking after them and all the people waving on the route to the harbour entrance."

Mr Jordan pictured on board the ferry home (Pic: Stephen Tuckwell)

His niece Susan Knowles said she was "very proud" of her uncle.

She told Sky News: "The last time I saw him would be at a family funeral that he made his way down to again, and we were all quite amazed that he'd made his way to Bournemouth to this family funeral, on the train, on his own.

"He sort of just came walking up and we were quite surprised to see him there, because of his age and that, we didn't expect him to be there.

"If he's determined to do something he will."

Mr Jordan has been named as the 'AWOL veteran' (Pic: Gracewell Healthcare)

Care home boss Peter Curtis said staff at the home had tried to get Mr Jordan onto an accredited tour with the Royal British Legion but the request ended up being too last-minute.

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Protests Grip Sao Paulo Ahead Of World Cup

Football officials are meeting in Brazil amid violent clashes between police and protesters less than a week before the start of the World Cup.

Fifa's executive committee are meeting in Sao Paulo to discuss the unrest, the prospect of several unfinished stadiums and renewed allegations of corruption surrounding Qatar's successful bid for the 2022 tournament.

Police in Brazil have used tear gas and batons to break up protests in the city that will host the first game of the World Cup in less than a week.

Picketing strikers inside one of the subway stations

A strike by subway workers in Sao Paulo affected millions of commuters and caused massive traffic jams on the night of the national team's final warm-up match before their opening game against Croatia on Thursday.

Across town there was a separate anti-government demonstration in which protesters blocked the street in front of the Central Bank in a protest against the economic policies of President Dilma Rousseff.

Police pushed back picketing strikers inside a central station after commuters tried to enter.

Three of the city's five lines were disrupted, causing bumper-to-bumper traffic to stretch as far as 155 miles (251km) as commuters turned to cars or buses.

The subway strike is set to run for a third day on Saturday

The strike is set to continue today after the workers' union and their employers failed to reach an agreement on a pay rise.

Union leader Paulo Pereira da Silva said: "Our problem is not with the national team.

"We will cheer for them. But on October 5 (the date of a presidential election), we will send Dilma Rousseff to hell."

There have been numerous protests recently to demand better pay

Bus drivers, teachers and police have staged walkouts in other cities recently to demand better pay.

The subway strike caused problems for fans going to Brazil's game against Serbia at the city's Morumbi stadium, which finished 1-0 to the hosts.

Parts of the crowd jeered the team as they laboured to victory on the eve of a tournament they are expected to win.

The first game will be played at the city's new Corinthians Arena, which is awaiting safety clearance. 

The subway will be the main link to the stadium for fans, meaning officials are hard-pressed to resolve the strike.

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Tribute To Gareth Huntley Who Died In Malaysia

A body found on Malaysia's Tioman Island is that of missing British backpacker Gareth Huntley, police have confirmed.

The 34-year-old, from Hackney, east London, disappeared on May 27 after going on a jungle trek.

His body was found less than 100m from the sea turtle conservation camp where he worked as a volunteer.

Mr Huntley's family said "no words can describe the void he will leave".

Mr Huntley with his mother Janet Southwell

And they thanked "everyone who came together in the last week to do everything in their power to help find Gareth".

Search personnel reportedly discovered the body in a pond close to a kayak storage unit at around 12pm local time on Wednesday.

Zakaria Ahmad, head of crime investigation in the eastern state of Pahang, said DNA tests confirmed the body was that of the Briton.

His girlfriend Kit Natariga also helped with the search

The cause of death has not yet been established.

Mr Huntley disappeared after trying to find a waterfall nearly four miles away from the camp in the jungles of the paradise island.

The backpacker had been volunteering in a turtle sanctuary on the island

He told friends at the turtle project he would be back by 2pm but failed to return.

His mother, Janet Southwell, and girlfriend, Kit Natariga, had travelled to the island off Malaysia's east coast to help with the search effort.

The family statement added: "There are no words that can capture the devastation we feel right now.

"No words that can capture the kindness, warmth and spirit that Gareth exuded; no words that can describe the void he will leave in all of the lives he touched.

"Gareth lived every minute of his life as fully as he could; never without a smile and always with others in his heart. You will never leave our hearts Gareth."

Search teams were backed by paramilitary commandos, multiple helicopters, speedboats and sniffer dogs in the latter days of the hunt following initial criticism of the Malaysian authorities' response.

Prime Minister David Cameron reportedly spoke to Malaysia's prime minister Najib Razak after receiving an open letter from Mrs Southwell in which she urged him to seek more resources for the search.

Mr Huntley, who was originally from West Yorkshire, was on a sabbatical from his job in the City.

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School Extremism: Special Adviser Resigns

Education Secretary Michael Gove has been forced to apologise, while Theresa May's special adviser has quit in the public feud over the handling of alleged extremism in Birmingham schools.

Mrs May's aide Fiona Cunningham resigned following the investigation ordered by David Cameron into the dispute between two of his most senior ministers.

And Mr Gove wrote to apologise to Mr Farr and the Prime Minister "in acknowledgement of his role" in the row, which saw the Education Secretary's camp and Mrs May's side embroiled in a public row over the way Islamist extremism was tackled.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister has been deeply concerned by the allegations made about extremism and a number of Birmingham schools.

"The Government, through the Department for Education and Ofsted, has taken swift action to investigate these allegations since they emerged in late 2013.

"The Prime Minister is taking a specific interest in ensuring this serious matter is being dealt with effectively.

"The detailed findings of thgovee investigations will be set out in Parliament on Monday by the Secretary of State for Education.

"The Prime Minister has made clear that he expects a robust response from all relevant organisations to any findings that confirm that the safety and learning of children in our schools have been put at risk.

"The Prime Minister has prioritised fighting all forms of extremism, including through setting up his Extremism Taskforce in the wake of the horrific killing of Lee Rigby.

"In relation to unauthorised comments to the media about the Government's approach to tackling extremism and the improper release of correspondence between Ministers, the Prime Minister has received the Cabinet Secretary's review establishing the facts behind these events.

"In acknowledgement of his role, today, the Secretary of State for Education has written separately to Charles Farr and the Prime Minister apologising for the original comments made to the Times newspaper.

"In addition, in relation to further comments to the Times, Fiona Cunningham has today resigned."

More follows...

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