Benghazi Consulate Attack Suspect Arrives In US

A Libyan militant charged over the 2012 attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi that left four Americans dead has arrived in the US.

A spokesman for the US attorney's office in Washington said Ahmed Abu Khattala is in federal law enforcement custody and there is increased security at the city's federal courthouse.

Khattala faces criminal charges over the deaths of the US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and three other Americans.

A newly unsealed criminal complaint accuses Khattala of killing a person during an attack on a federal facility, a crime punishable by death; providing federal support to terrorists resulting in death; and using a firearm in a crime of violence. 

Federal Marshals patrol outside the federal courthouse in Washington

He could face a judge as soon as Saturday for an initial court appearance, during which the government would outline the charges against him.

He will almost certainly remain in detention while the Justice Department seeks a federal grand jury indictment against him.

Khattala has acknowledged in an interview with the Associated Press that he was present during the storming of the US mission, but has denied involvement in the attack, claiming he was instead trying to organise a rescue of trapped people.

US special forces captured Khattala, the suspected ringleader of the deadly assault, in Libya two weeks ago.

Ambassador Chris Stevens was one of those who died in the attack

Officials have been questioning him aboard a Navy amphibious transport dock ship that brought him to the US.

Libya has condemned the arrest as an attack on the country's sovereignty and wants Khattala to return to stand trial in Libya.

The case will be a test of the Obama administration's commitment to try suspected terrorists in the American criminal justice system, as Republicans in Congress call for Khattala and others to be held at the US prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

The US believes Ansar al Shariah, an Islamic militia, was behind the attack.

Four Americans died in the raid on September 11, 2012

Washington has accused Khattala of being a member of the militia, a claim he has denied.

Gunmen fired rocket-propelled grenades and stormed the mission during the assault, with many of them waving the black banners of Ansar al Shariah.

The compound's main building was set on fire.

Ambassador Stevens suffocated to death inside and another American was shot and killed.

Later that evening, gunmen attacked and shelled a safehouse, killing two more Americans.

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US Armed Drones Take To The Skies Over Iraq

US And Iranian Drones Flying Over Iraq

Updated: 5:16am UK, Saturday 28 June 2014

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent, Washington

US officials have confirmed that armed drones are now flying in the skies above Baghdad. Previously, US drones operating there were thought to be unarmed.

All unmanned aerial missions will remain tasked with surveillance but the armed drones could be called on to protect the hundreds of US troops who've been sent to act as military advisers.

President Obama has for now ruled out offensive military action in Iraq, but this will give him the ability to respond quickly with force should US assets become threatened.

It also means that US and Iranian drones are almost certainly for the first time flying in the same theatre of war, on the same side. 

US press reports claim Iran is also operating drones from an airfield in Baghdad. 

American and Iranian objectives in Iran overlap. 

Both countries are determined to reverse the fortunes of ISIS - for different reasons. 

Iran is concerned about the threat to its ally, the Shiite-dominated government of Iraq, fellow Shia Iraqis, and Shia holy places. 

The US is concerned by the success of an Islamist movement so extreme it's been condemned by al Qaeda.

American officials have been at pains to rule out coordinating military activity in Iraq with Iran. 

But they have said they are willing to explore a dialogue to explore mutual interests in the country.

Iranian commanders are reported to be operating in Baghdad. Qassem al Suleimani, commander of the elite Iranian Quds Brigade, is said to be among them.  

He is thought to have helped organise Iranian support for Iraqi militia attacks on both US and British troops over the last decade, not least with the use of roadside bombs.

He is now thought to be advising the Iraqi military on defending Baghdad and taking on ISIS after its blitzkrieg advance through the west of the country. 

At the same time and in the same city, as many as 300 US military advisers are working with other elements of the Iraqi forces with the same purpose.

The US government has said it is concerned the Iranians' involvement could increase the risk of sectarian conflict in Iraq. 

Iran is interested in protecting Shia Iraqis in what is spiralling towards civil war.

For its part, Iran has voiced concerns America is trying to stage-manage events in Iraq with only its interests in mind and orchestrate the removal of the Shia prime minister Nouri al Maliki.

But both countries are prepared to overcome such friction in the interest of defeating a common enemy and maintaining influence in Iraq. 

The Iranians are reportedly making a bigger investment to that end, operating a round-the-clock air bridge into Baghdad funnelling tons of materiel into Iraq.

America may look on with alarm at the burgeoning Iranian presence in Iraq and what Teheran may expect in return. 

But for now the rise of ISIS remains a bigger worry and Washington has little choice but to work alongside its enemies to vanquish a bigger foe.

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Bobby Womack: Soul Legend Dies, Aged 70

Bobby Womack, the legendary American soul singer, has died aged 70, his publicist has confirmed.

Womack became a key figure in R&B, and is best known for hits including Lookin' For A Love, That's The Way I Feel About 'Cha, and Woman's Gotta Have It.

Bobby Womack performs with Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones

In 2012, Womack relaunched his career with his first album in more than 10 years - The Bravest Man In The Universe.

The album - produced by Damon Albarn and XL's Richard Russell - made Rolling Stone magazine's 50 Best Albums of 2012.

With Damon Albarn of The Gorillaz

According to Womack's website he had gigs planned through July and into August. His cause of death is unknown.

Womack was diagnosed with Alzheimer's two years ago and dealt with a number of health issues, including prostate cancer.

Womack poses in Dublin last year

He performed recently at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and seemed in good health and spirits.

Womack caught the attention of the Rolling Stones in the 1960s and influenced many early rockers before fading from popular music for more than a decade.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, long after he'd lost his fortune to addiction.

Musicians paid tribute to the singer on Twitter after his death was announced.

Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood tweeted: "I'm so sad to hear about my friend Bobby Womack - the man who could make you cry when he sang has brought tears to my eyes with his passing."

A tweet from the band De La Soul said: "Had the pleasure [of] touring with this kind man for over a year...Just got news that he passed away … in tears."

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Early Bedtime Rule For Young Offenders Slammed

Young offenders will be ordered to go to bed at 10.30pm under strict new rules announced by the Government.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling revealed the new "lights out" regulation to be imposed on 15 to 17-year-olds in English institutions.

He said those who refuse to obey the new rules will be punished with the removal of privileges such as access to a television.

But prison reform campaigners labelled the plan a "petty restriction" and said it would add to problems faced in understaffed prisons.

More than 800 under-18s are serving custodial sentences in young offenders' institutions.

Mr Grayling said: "The public expects that serious offenders face prison - that is right.

"But it is also crucial that young people, most of whom have had chaotic and troubled lives finally get the discipline so badly needed to help turn their lives around.

"In some prisons young people are allowed to go to bed when they please. I don't think that is right. Stopping this inconsistency and introducing a strict 'lights out' policy is all part of our approach to addressing youth offending.

Mr Grayling said discipline was 'crucial' for young offenders

"Those who fail to comply will face tough sanctions."

The new rules will be introduced at young offenders institutions Cookham Wood in Kent, Feltham in London, Werrington in Stoke-on-Trent, Wetherby in Yorkshire, and Hindley in Wigan, from August.

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "A new lights-out policy will only exacerbate the problem of overuse of physical restraint in the youth secure estate which indicates a lack of trained, experienced staff with enough time to supervise and support the challenging children and young people in their charge.

"As most parents of teenagers know, commonsense discussion, constructive activity, setting reasonable boundaries and encouraging personal responsibility, all work better than new hard and fast rules backed by petty restrictions and harsh punishments."

And Labour MP Sadiq Khan, the shadow justice secretary, said: "Routine is crucial for those with chaotic lives, but sending young offenders to bed early and turning the lights off at 10.30pm falls far short of the reform needed to tackle the growing chaos caused by Chris Grayling's incompetence.

"Prisons are in crisis, becoming more overcrowded by the day. Jails that are violent where prisoners spend up to 23 hours a day in their cells are unlikely to do much to stop criminals reoffending and keep the public safe."

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Mountain Lion Runs Wild Through Mall

Shoppers were stunned when they spotted a mountain lion relaxing outside a doorway in a mall.

The animal, also known as a cougar, was caught on camera wandering through the Jordan Commons centre, in Sandy, Salt Lake City, in Utah, on Friday.

Leesha Francis, who works in an office in the mall, said she saw the animal outside the Ruby River steakhouse: "I was scared. He was kind of just sitting in this little cove in the stairwell of the restaurant right there."

Police fired one shot at the big cat - using what bystanders said was a shotgun - but the animal ran away.

Wildlife officers nearby later tranquilised the cougar and police say the animal was in good health and expected to be released later.

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Tiger Drags Man Off Boat In Front Of Children

By Neville Lazarus, India Producer

A tiger snatched a father from a boat and dragged him into the forest as his children looked on in India.

The Royal Bengal Tiger attacked Sushil Manjhi, 62, on his boat on a river in the Sundarbans region of eastern India.

Mr Manjhi had set off in the early morning to catch crabs in a small boat, along with his son Jyotish and daughter Molina.

The three rowed down the Datta river towards the Kholakhali forest but decided to turn back because of a peculiar smell.

A tigress is pictured swimming in a river in the Sunderbans. File image

Jyotish, 40, said they were paddling back away from the thick forest when his sister raised the alarm.

"Suddenly, my sister cried out: 'Dada, bagh (tiger)", Jyotish said.

"I was stunned, and my body froze. All I saw was a flash of yellow. It took me a moment to register the gruesome sight before me.

"My father was completely buried under the beast. I could only see his legs thrashing about. I shook off my numbness and grabbed a stick.

Fishermen and honey collectors use small wooden boats in the Sunderbans

"Molina, too, took out a long cutter we use to clear foliage in the jungle. Together, we poked and battered the tiger, but it refused to give up."

The tiger jumped off the boat with Mr Manjhi in its jaws. Within seconds, it had dragged the body into the jungle.

Jyotish and Molina called other fishermen for help but no one dared to chase the tiger.

It is unlikely that the body will be recovered. This is the fourth recent incident of a fisherman being killed by a tiger in the Sundarbans.

Sundarbans Tiger Reserve field director Soumitra Dasgupta said fishing was prohibited in the forests where the attack took place.

The Sundarbans is one of the largest tidal mangrove forests in the world, with 60% falling in Bangladesh and the rest in Indian territory.

It is also one of the largest reserves for the Royal Bengal Tiger, of which there are only about 1900 left in India.

Their numbers have been steadily decreasing due to poaching and the existence of a very lucrative illegal trade of Tiger skins and body parts.

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'Euro Leaders Are Cowards' Over Juncker Vote

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has labelled Europe's leaders "cowards" for electing arch-federalist Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission.

Prime Minister David Cameron's only ally was Hungary as he attempted to block Mr Juncker, who he claims is not the right man to force through EU reform.

The Tories have promised a referendum on EU membership should they win the next election - and Mr Hunt believes "cowardice" from Europe's leaders can only make a vote to quit more likely.

"As a result of cowardice yesterday from other European leaders who weren't prepared to say in public what they said in private, they're going to have to work a lot harder to persuade the British people that Europe has a reform agenda," he said.

Mr Hunt claimed the British people would be "proud" of the Prime Minister - and that his position would ultimately help the UK renegotiate its relationship with Europe.

Former Luxembourg premier Mr Juncker was backed by Germany's Angela Merkel

"You're getting European leaders queuing up to say how much they want Britain to stay in the EU, how they'll make compromises," he said.

"We want to be a country in control of our own destiny, we want to stop abuses of the welfare system and NHS.

"We're not going to take part in some grubby face-saving deal where we pretend we've got a deal - a feature of the last government. We want substantive reform in Europe."

Sky's Senior Political Correspondent Jason Farrell said Mr Hunt was not alone with his contentions.

"It might not seem like the most diplomatic language but he's not the only one saying it," he said. "Der Spiegel magazine in Germany has said Angela Merkel voted for a Commission president she didn't want - others have said European leaders have gone for the compromise."

The Prime Minister said his fellow EU leaders had made a "serious mistake" but vowed to keep fighting for reform in Europe.

The PM argued Mr Juncker was not the "right person" for the post

"This is going to be a long, tough fight and frankly sometimes you have to be prepared to lose a battle in order to win a war," he added. "It has only stiffened my resolve to fight for reform in the EU, because it is crying out for it."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was an advocate of Mr Juncker, but amid the vote she urged EU colleagues to "compromise" with Britain.

"I think we can find compromises here and make a step towards Great Britain," she said.

Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "The last 48 hours doesn't show Europe is unreformable, it shows David Cameron is not the man to reform it because he has become toxic.

"Because people doubt his motivations, because people doubt the way he operates, it's made people say 'We're not going to ally with Britain'."

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: "I think what's clear is that any cards that Mr Cameron may have had to play have been spent, and have been lost over a futile battle that he was bound to lose from the beginning.

"(Any) renegotiation now doesn't look very likely. He has been humiliated today but worse than that, he actually looks very isolated."

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Suarez Defence Over Chiellini Bite Revealed

Luis Suarez has said he did not deliberately bite Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup, claiming he "lost balance" and fell.

The Uruguay striker, who has been banned for nine international matches and from all football for four months over the attack, made the claims to Fifa's disciplinary panel.

"In no way it happened how you have described, as a bite or intent to bite," he wrote in Spanish, in a letter dated June 25.

"After the impact ... I lost my balance, making my body unstable and falling on top of my opponent.

"At that moment I hit my face against the player, leaving a small bruise on my cheek and a strong pain in my teeth."

Suarez made the submission to the panel, which met the day after Uruguay beat Italy 1-0 in a decisive group-stage match on Tuesday.

Suarez received a hero's welcome on his return to Uruguay

It will now form the basis of his appeal against the ban, which will force the Liverpool player to miss the first two months of the Premier League.

FIFA confirmed on Saturday that formal proceedings had been started to challenge the longest ban for a World Cup player in 20 years.

Despite that, the claims attracted ridicule on social media, with many questioning the 27-year-old's version of events.

Twitter user @unitedrant wrote: "There's crass stupidity, there's boundless ignorance, and then there's people who believe Luis Suarez' excuses."

Another user, @PhantomGoal, posted: "Suarez's defence is laughably bad. If you're actually offended or upset about it, cheer up. It's downright hilarious."

The seven-man Fifa panel which met on Wednesday evening to rule on the matter dismissed Suarez's argument.

The bite was "deliberate, intentional and without provocation," their ruling stated.

The ruling confirmed that referee Marco Rodriguez of Mexico acknowledged in his match report that he missed Suarez's bite, as did his two assistants and the fourth official.

"I haven't seen the incident because the ball was in another sector of the pitch," Rodriguez said.

Despite his apparent anger immediately after being bitten, Chiellini has issued a statement saying Suarez's punishment is "excessive".

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Armed Forces Day: PM And Salmond Attend

Prime Minister David Cameron and First Minister Alex Salmond have been joining crowds marking the sixth annual Armed Forces Day in Scotland.

Thousands enjoyed piping, parades and a Red Arrow display in Stirling to honour servicemen and women past and present.

The Princess Royal and Labour leader Ed Miliband also attended as Stirling Castle provided the backdrop to parachute, helicopter and jet displays.

The annual celebration was held close to where Stirling has also been marking the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn.

Mr Salmond and Mr Cameron meet at the event

The two-day event features re-enactments of the legendary clash which saw Robert the Bruce defeat the army of King Edward II in 1314.

Scotland's tourism minister yesterday had to dismiss the possibility that the two events occurring at the same time could be used for political purposes, with Scotland's independence referendum just months away.

Speaking in Stirling, Mr Cameron said: "Stirling has put on an absolutely brilliant show ... but there is a bigger message I think, perhaps, this year, because we can consider what Scotland brings to the UK armed forces and what being part of a bigger entity brings for Scotland as well.

"Scotland has a very proud history. All our nations in the UK have proud histories. But what we decided to do was to come together as a family of nations, and I think we all benefit from being part of that family.

England footballers Wayne Rooney and Joe Hart show their support

"So yes, of course, we should commemorate and celebrate Bannockburn, but we should also commemorate and celebrate every year what our armed forces do."

Mr Salmond said: "It's a fantastic occasion, and great for Stirling with Armed Forces Day and Bannockburn Live in the same weekend. The city of Stirling is the epicentre of events.

"Bannockburn was there first, and it's the 700th anniversary but I don't think that mattered.

"We were happy to support both events. I don't see a conflict at all, and if anyone tried to produce one I think they have been sorely disappointed."

Battle of Bannockburn re-enactments in Stirling

Meanwhile, Saracens rugby stars made a surprise visit to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, to mark Armed Forces Day.

They were shown how the camp and surrounding air routes are defended and in return put on a coaching session.

Flanker Will Fraser said: "I have total respect for the service personnel here who have done this for real with their wounded colleagues on a stretcher."

The Queen honoured First World War veterans on the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, which is widely thought to have sparked the conflict.

The monarch was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London for a Drumhead Service of Remembrance led by the Bishop of London.

Ahead of the Stirling event, a pilot from the Red Arrows posted a remarkable 'selfie' picture on his @RAFRed8 Twitter account.

The image appears to show him flying one of the jets, with another plane visible behind him.

Armed Forces Day was established in 2009 to celebrate the service of Army, Navy and RAF members and their families.

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Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad's UK Asylum Bid

The family of Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad is applying for his asylum in the UK after claiming he had been tortured in Lebanon.

The radical cleric left the UK in 2005 and was told he would not be allowed to return.

The family claims the radical preacher has suffered systematic torture while in custody at a maximum security prison. 

Mohammad left the UK in 2005 and was barred from returning

They say his health has severely deteriorated and he's no longer able to walk.

Sky's Mark White said the claims have not been independently verified.

"The families of Omar Bakri Mohammad say that he has been transferred to a maximum security prison ... in Lebanon," he said.

"They also say that he has been systematically tortured during his time in that maximum security prison.

"We have no independent verification of this, but the family insists that he is in very poor health.

"They claim that he is actually close to death and they're seeking an urgent appeal now to the UK authorities to have him returned to the UK under asylum."

Mohammad holds Syrian and Lebanese citizenship and lived in Britain for 20 years, where he headed the now-disbanded radical Islamist group al Muhajiroun.

The cleric caused outrage in the wake of the 2005 London bombings after saying he would not inform the police if he knew Muslims were planning attacks.

Mohammad was among 54 people sentenced in Lebanon in November 2010 in trials of militants who fought deadly clashes with the Lebanese army in 2007.

He was convicted of belonging to an armed group that aimed to carry out terrorist acts and plots to kill Lebanese soldiers.

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