Thousands March Against US Police Brutality

Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of cities across the US, including Washington and New York, to protest at the killings of unarmed black men by police and call on politicians to act.

Organisers expect the rallies to be among the largest seen over the lethal actions of officers in New York, Cleveland and Ferguson, Missouri.

The lack of criminal charges brought by grand juries in the New York and Ferguson cases have fuelled protests around the US.

Civil rights leader the Rev Al Sharpton, whose National Action Alliance is heading the Washington protest, said in a statement: "We need more than just talk - we need legislative action that will shift things both on the books and in the streets."

He called for legislation that would allow federal prosecutors to take over cases involving police.

Video: Thousands To March In US Protests

Local prosecutors who work with police regularly and then must investigate officers faced a conflict of interest, he argued.

The Washington protest will include the families of Eric Garner and Akai Gurley, who were killed by police in New York; Trayvon Martin, shot dead by a Florida neighbourhood watchman in 2012; and Michael Brown, killed by an officer in Ferguson.

Protesters are expected to arrive by bus from as far away as Florida, Connecticut and Pittsburgh.

Video: Dec 4: Chokehold Decision

The rally is set to block Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the US Capitol.

The march in New York, a city which has seen a series of protests after a grand jury failed to indict the officer who killed Mr Garner using a chokehold, is expected to draw 44,000 people.

New York march co-organiser Umaara Elliott said in a statement: "It's open season on black people now.

Video: 'Who's Going To Play Santa Claus?'

"So we demand that action be taken at every level of government to ensure that these racist killings by the police cease."

Video: Riots And Racial Tension: A History

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1. Gallery: Unarmed Michael Brown Was Shot By A White Officer

   Michael Brown, 18, was shot dead on 9 August by officer Darren Wilson. Family described Mr Brown, known as Big Mike, as a gentle giant. He was unarmed

CCTV footage appeared to show Mr Brown conducting a strong-arm robbery at a convenience store minutes before his encounter with Officer Wilson

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Putin's Tiger Filmed Eating Domestic Dog

A rare Siberian tiger released into the wild by Russian President Vladimir Putin has been caught on infrared camera eating a domestic dog in China.

Kuzya, seen wearing a GPS tracking device around his neck, was filmed for two hours devouring the dog on Heixiazi island linking China and Russia.

After eating his fill, the animal disappeared from the camera's view at dawn on Wednesday, according to China Central Television.

Mr Putin tagging a Siberian tiger in 2010

He is now believed to have crossed back into his homeland.

Kuzya has also been blamed for killing goats and other livestock during night-time raids on farms in China.

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1. Gallery: Putin Meets Big Wigs And Big Cats (February 2014)

   Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Sochi ahead of the Winter Games, kicking off his presence on the Olympic stage by taking top officials to a leopard sanctuary.

Russia is working to reintroduce the Persian leopard to the nearby mountains as part of measures aimed at showing that the Olympic Games will benefit and not hurt the environment.

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Hundreds Of British Troops To Be Sent To Iraq

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Hundreds of British soldiers are to be sent to Iraq to help the fight against Islamic State, Sky News understands.

They will make up a training mission to assist the Iraqi Army and Kurdish Peshmerga.

The soldiers - expected to number a few hundred - will go to the region "within weeks" senior military sources have said.

The National Security Council is expected to rubber-stamp the mission when it meets on Tuesday.

Although small groups of British troops have conducted similar missions over the past few months, this will be much greater in size and on a more permanent basis.

Video: Troops Return To Iraq For IS Fight

A team of military advisors recently went to the country to scope out options.

It's believed the mission will be largely split between the capital Baghdad and Irbil in the Kurdish controlled north.

It hasn't been confirmed which regiments the troops will be drawn from.

The UK government has repeatedly insisted that any such training mission would not constitute 'boots-on-the-ground' although British Special Forces are operating in the region.

In October a dozen soldiers from The Yorkshire Regiment were dispatched to Irbil to train the Kurds to use heavy machine guns.

Video: October - Reaper Drones Footage

An advisory team has also been embedded in the Iraqi military HQ, working alongside the Americans.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman wouldn't confirm the specifics of the latest mission but did say: "The Defence Secretary announced the intention to provide further training to the Iraqi military in early November.

"No decisions on troop numbers, units or locations have been made, so this is purely speculation at this stage."

The British contribution will fit into a wider mission involving a number of nations.

Earlier this week, the most senior US Commander Lt Gen James Terry revealed that the coalition training mission would involve around 1,500 soldiers.

Video: British Troops Back In Iraq

US special operations troops have already set up a training base at the Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar Province.

Germany recently pledged around 100 soldiers to help train the Peshmerga in northern Iraq. That mission, if approved, will begin early next year.

NATO has also said it would explore options if the Iraqi government came forward with an official request.

The Alliance said that any training mission wouldn't necessarily be based in Iraq. Neighbouring Jordan has been used for similar projects.

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Man Clinging To Lorry Dies On M25

A man thought to have travelled to the UK clinging to the bottom of a lorry has died after falling beneath the vehicle's wheels on the M25.

The man, from Sudan, is believed to have climbed underneath the lorry in the French port of Calais.

Police are seeking witnesses to the incident, described as a 'fatal fail-to-stop traffic collision', that took place at 7pm on Friday between junctions 24 and 25 of the M25 in Hertfordshire.

Scotland Yard said two men from Sudan are believed to have got underneath a foreign HGV in Calais at around 11am and wedged themselves into place.

The vehicle they were concealed beneath entered the Eurotunnel and arrived in England about 40 minutes later and began travelling towards London.

At approximately 7pm, police said, the two men, still clinging to the underside of the HGV, decided to leave the lorry after becoming extremely cold.

Border Force staff check under lorries arriving from across the channel

While the HGV was stationary in lane one of the motorway, one of the men worked himself free and clambered down the nearby grass verge.

Police said the second man attempted to do the same, but the lorry began to move off and he is believed to have fallen beneath its rear wheels suffering fatal injuries.

Another driver stopped his vehicle and pulled the injured man to the edge of the carriageway. He then drove off.

A second member of the public stopped his vehicle and offered assistance.

London's Air Ambulance attended and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police later traced the lorry driver, who they believe was unaware of the incident and so did not stop at the scene.

A spokeswoman for the Met Police said: "No arrests have been made and he is helping officers with their inquiries."

Traffic on the M25 and surrounding routes suffered major delays while the road was closed to deal with the incident.

Officers are appealing to anyone who saw what happened to come forward.

Anyone with information should contact the Roads and Transport Policing Command witness line on 0208 991 9555 or dial 101 and ask for Alperton Traffic Garage.

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Scores Missing In Indonesia Landslide

A remote village in Indonesia has been destroyed in a landslide which has left 18 people dead and scores more missing.

Rescuers searched through mud with their bare hands to try and find the lost villagers until light faded.

Around 105 houses in Jemblung village were swept away late on Friday when a flood of orange colour mud and water cascaded down a wooded mountainside, according to Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from around the village in the Banjarnegara regency of central Java, about 280 miles (450 km) from the capital, Jakarta.

Large swathes of forest land, power lines and houses were buried in the disaster which struck on Friday night.

"There was a roaring sound like thunder," Imam, who lives in a neighbouring village, told television crews.

Rescuers work to remove bodies from the scene of the landslide

"Then I saw trees were flying and then the landslides. People here also panicked and fled."

Wahono, a resident who survived along with his four family members, said: "It was like a nightmare ... We suddenly heard a terrible roar and we were immediately fleeing from the rain of red soil. 

"Many failed and they were buried in the ground," added Wahono, who uses one name like many Indonesians.

A second resident said there had been no warnings of the likelihood of a landslide.

Mr Nugroho said 18 people had been killed, 15 rescued, 91 were missing and 423 people from the surrounding areas had been taken to temporary shelters.

A trapped cow is rescued from the mud.

Eleven of the 15 rescued were receiving hospital treatment, he said.

"Jemblung village was the most affected," Mr Nugroho said.

"The challenge is that the evacuation route is also damaged by the landslide."

A government agency official added the rescue effort had been suspended as light faded and would resume on Sunday.

Local reports said five of the dead were found in one car.

Rescuers were pictured using bamboo stretchers to carry bodies away.

A rescue team of about 400 people, which included police, military and local volunteers, used their bare hands and makeshift tools to search for people and clear the area.

Tractors and bulldozers were later brought in to help.

A lack of a telephone signal and heavy-lifting equipment has hampered the rescue effort along with crowds of onlookers, Mr Nugroho added.

Jemblung had a history of similar disasters, he added.

Mudslides are common in Indonesia during the monsoon season, which usually runs from October until April. 

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Silent Nemo Underwater Spy Drone Unveiled By US

The US Navy has completed testing a robotic fish capable of carrying out covert underwater surveillance missions.

Dubbed Silent Nemo, the submersible drone is modelled on a bluefin tuna.

The Navy hopes it could be used to inspect the hulls of ships, check for underwater threats such as mines, and undertake secret reconnaissance missions.

Silent Nemo could check for underwater threats, such as mines. Pic: US Navy

Researchers from the Chief of Naval Operations Rapid Innovation Cell (CRIC) and Boston Engineering tested the prototype at the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek in Virginia.

Over the past several weeks, Boston Engineering's device, also known as GhostSwimmer, has been gathering data on tides, varied currents, wakes, and weather conditions for the development of future tasks.

The unmanned vehicle was developed to resemble the shape and mimic the swimming style of a large fish.

Measuring approximately five feet and weighing nearly 100 pounds, the drone can operate in water depths ranging from 10 inches to 300 feet.

Michael Rufo, director of Boston Engineering's Advanced Systems Group, said: "GhostSwimmer will allow the Navy to have success during more types of missions while keeping divers and sailors safe."

He added: "It swims just like a fish does by oscillating its tail fin back and forth.

The robot can operate on its own or via a tether to a laptop. Pic: US Navy

"The unit is a combination of unmanned systems engineering and unique propulsion and control capabilities."

The robot is capable of operating on its own for extended periods of time due to its long-lasting battery, but it can also be controlled via laptop with a 500-foot tether.

The tether is long enough to transmit information while inspecting a ship's hull, for example, but if operating on its own the drone will have to periodically be brought to the surface to download its data.

"This project and others that we are working on at the CRIC are important because we are harnessing the brainpower and talents of junior sailors," said Captain Jim Loper, department head for Concepts and Innovation, Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC).

"Our mantra is 'you have permission to be creative'. We want our people to go out there and dream big dreams and put them into action.

"We want to see projects like this replicated throughout the fleet."

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Murphy Named Scottish Labour Party Leader

Jim Murphy MP is the new leader of the Scottish Labour Party, comfortably beating Holyrood health spokesman Neil Findlay and former Scottish Executive minister Sarah Boyack.

The East Renfrewshire MP and former Secretary Of State for Scotland had been favourite to win the race triggered by the resignation of previous leader Johann Lamont.

After the announcement, Mr Murphy, who received 55.77% of the vote, said: "Today is the fulfilment of a dream for me."

Speaking to Labour party members at the Glasgow Emirates Arena, he joked that he had always dreamed of being appointed captain of a team in the east end of Glasgow.

He said becoming leader was a "remarkable honour".

Video: Jim Murphy After Being Elected

"Scotland is changing and so too must Scottish Labour. I'm ambitious for our party because I'm ambitious for our country."

Mr Murphy told Sky News' Anna Jones: "This is fresh start for the Scottish Labour Party. We are going to do things differently. It's a new beginning. We are going to identify new policies and a new approach.

"I want us to use our passion and ingenuity to change our country. I know we can do it if we work together."

He said he would be the one making the decisions for Scottish Labour, not Westminster.

"I am big enough and ugly enough not to be pushed around by anyone. I'll make the decisions, we'll call the shots here in Scotland.

"The Scottish Labour Party is back in business."

Polls indicate that Labour could be routed in Scotland at May's General Election, as support for the SNP rises, but Mr Murphy said he was determined to change that.

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1. Gallery: Jim Murphy: Scottish Labour Leader's Career

   Jim Murphy was born in 1967 in Glasgow. His family emigrated to South Africa when he was a boy but Murphy returned to Scotland in the 1980s.

As a student he became president of NUS Scotland in 1992 and NUS UK from 1994 to 1996.

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David Miliband Hints At A Return To Politics

David Miliband has hinted he is intending to return to front line politics after a hiatus which followed his brother winning the Labour leadership.

The former foreign secretary has said he "passionately" wants Labour to win the general election and said his brother Ed would make a good prime minister.

He said the current Labour leader has "the clarity, the vision, the determination".

When the Financial Times asked him about his own ambitions, he suggested the experience he has gained in his current job as head of NGO International Rescue Committee in New York could be useful for any future political career.

He told the FT: "Tony Blair and John Major have said they wish they'd done their post premiership jobs before they became prime minister."

Video: 2013: Miliband Explains NY Move

But when he was asked whether his job in particular was one that was good to have before taking up the premiership he said: "That's not the way I conceived it."

The paper asked him who he thought was going to win the 2015 general election. He said: "I passionately want Labour to win - and Ed to win."

Questioned if his brother would make a good prime minister, he told the paper: "Of course. I would know that better than most."

Video: Nov: Miliband: 'Belief Drives Me'

Asked about his brother's qualities, Mr Miliband said: "What I would say is that the clarity, the vision, the determination, those are all important qualities."

There has been an intense period of scrutiny of Ed Miliband recently, with deep unrest among the ranks of backbench MPs about his performance as leader.

Last month, Tony Blair said he thought Mr Miliband was "robust enough" to deal with the doubts over his leadership, and offered his "full support".

Video: Nov: Miliband Rejects Crisis Talk

Meanwhile, Mr Miliband insisted Ed had the "resilience" to cope with the criticism he has faced and insisted that people's belief in Labour's values will see them win the general election.

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Two US Soldiers Killed In Taliban Attack

Two US soldiers were killed by Taliban forces in Afghanistan on Friday, an American military official said.

They died during a bomb attack on a Nato convoy near America's Bagram Airfield base in the east of the country.

Meanwhile, at least six Afghan troops were killed after a suicide bomber destroyed a bus in the capital Kabul on Saturday.

A senior court official was also assassinated and 12 Afghan workers were gunned down in the south.

Taliban fighters claimed responsibility for all the attacks and vowed more bloodshed ahead of the official end of Nato's combat mission on December 31.

The scene of the bus bombing in Kabul

It has wrecked claims the insurgency is weakening and highlighted fears Afghanistan could descend into a spiral of violence as the US-led military presence declines.

Nato's force will change at the end of the month from a combat mission to a support role, with troop numbers cut to about 12,500 - down from a peak of 130,000 in 2010.

Earlier on Saturday, Taliban gunmen shot dead a senior Supreme Court official as he left his home in the capital.

Taliban fighters also killed 12 workers clearing mines in southern Helmand province.

Soldiers at the site of the suicide bomb attack

Afghan troops fought with the attackers, killing two insurgents and capturing four others.

In his weekly presidential address, Barack Obama thanked American forces for their work in Afghanistan.

"Since our nation was attacked on 9/11, these men and women, like so many others in uniform, have met every mission we've asked of them," he said.

"In more than a decade of war, this 9/11 Generation has worked with the Afghan people to help them reclaim their communities and prevent terrorist attacks against our own country."

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Plane Chaos Was 'Unprecedented Systems Failure'

The computer meltdown that hit UK airports yesterday was sparked by an unprecedented systems failure, it has been disclosed.

Air traffic control company Nats has offered its first detailed explanation of the problem at its national centre in Swanwick, Hampshire.

More than 300 flights were cancelled or delayed after the computer failure.

A statement from Nats said: "Swanwick controller workstations provide a number of tools and services to the controller to enable them to safely control a high volume of air traffic.

"In normal operations the number of workstations in use versus in standby fluctuates with the demands of the traffic being controlled.

Video: Flights Delayed In London Airspace

"In this instance a transition between the two states caused a failure in the system which has not been seen before.

"The failure meant that the controllers were unable to access all of the data regarding individual flight plans which significantly increases their workload.

"Our priority is to maintain a safe operation for the flying public; consequently when the failure occurred we immediately took steps to reduce the traffic into and out of the UK network.

"The controllers had a full radar picture and full communications with all aircraft at all times during the incident and at no time was safety compromised in any way."

Video: November: How Busy Is UK Airspace?

Nats said it understood the problem was connected to a number of workstations "in a certain state" combined with the number of "air space sectors" open.

Officials restricted air space in response to the issue, leaving flights at some airports grounded yesterday.

Nats declared that its systems were back to full operational capacity last night but a knock-on effect has been seen at airports.

By Saturday morning, timetables were returning to normal, although Heathrow said 38 flights had been cancelled before 9.30am and Gatwick Airport was cancelling a handful of flights.

Video: Air Traffic Problem Delays Flights

Friday's problems came just over a year after hundreds of flights were affected when problems arose with a telephone system at Nats in early December 2013.

There were reports passengers on some flights were unable to collect their luggage and were told that it would be sent on to them by courier.

Other airports where travellers suffered delays on Friday included Manchester, Birmingham, Stansted and Luton, but airports as far north as Aberdeen and Edinburgh were affected.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the disruption was unacceptable. He has been summoned before the Commons' Transport Select Committee on Monday to answer questions about the failure.

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