South Africa Toddlers Found Dead In Toilet

South African police are questioning three people over the deaths of two toddlers who were found in a communal toilet, sparking violent protests and looting.

Angry residents in the Diepsloot township north of Johannesburg barricaded roads, set fire to tyres and stoned vehicles after the girls, two cousins aged two and three, were discovered.

Shops belonging to foreign nationals were looted, according to reports.

The protesters accused police of failing to provide security for their community.

Gauteng police said they were investigating if the girls - identified as Yonelisa and Zandile Mali - had been sexually assaulted before they were killed. 

They also told reporters they were searching for a fourth person in connection with the investigation.

The two girls had been reported missing at the weekend and were found in the toilet cubicle in the early hours of Tuesday.

Last month, the body of a five-year-old girl was found in a skip in the same area.

Diepsloot is an impoverished area of Johannesburg. Pic: File

Diepsloot, which borders one of the country's wealthiest gated estates, Dainfern, is among the most impoverished areas in Johannesburg.

Some parts of the township have no running water and residents share pit latrines or mobile toilets.

President Jacob Zuma urged South Africans not to take the law into their own hands.

"These gruesome incidents of extreme torture and murder of our children do not belong to the society that we are continuously striving to build together," he said.

"We condemn these murders in the strongest possible terms."

In a separate case, the bodies of two other children were found in a field in Katlehong township in East Rand, Gauteng province.

The children, aged one and three, were found next to their mother, who had been critically injured, according to iAfrica.com.

Police Colonel Katlego Mogale said: "It appears as if they were dropped by the husband in an open place and then the husband drove away. They are all Mozambican nationals."

The death of a young boy whose body, bearing marks of torture, was found in a field east of Johannesburg is also being investigated by police.

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Japan: Typhoon Wipha Sweeps Through Country

At least 17 people are reported dead and 50 people missing in a typhoon that caused deadly mudslides and destroyed homes as it swept up Japan's east coast.

The area worst hit by the "once in a decade" typhoon was the Japanese island of Izu Oshima, home to about 8,200 people and lying about 75 miles south of Tokyo where more than 280 homes were destroyed.

More than 30 inches (76cm) of rain fell on the island during a 24-hour period, the most since record-keeping began in 1991.

The rainfall was particularly heavy before dawn, the kind in which "you can't see anything or hear anything," a Japanese meteorologist said.

Television footage showed roads clogged with wreckage and houses with gaping holes smashed into them.

"I heard a crackling sound and then the trees on the hillside all fell over," one woman said. 

Yutaka Sagara, a 59-year-old sushi chef on the east coast of the island, said he spent a sleepless night with colleagues at their company housing.

Residents pay their respect to the body of a victim of the typhoon

Their hillside apartment barely escaped a mudslide that veered off to the side. Later he found out the mudslide had crushed several houses as it flowed to the sea.

"People on this island are somewhat used to heavy rainstorms, but this typhoon was beyond our imagination," he said, speaking by phone.

The storm brought hurricane-force winds and drenching rain to the Tokyo metropolitan area of 30 million people at the peak of the morning rush hour and hundreds of flights were cancelled.

A woman from Tokyo died after falling into a river - her body was found six miles away in Yokohama, police said.

Two sixth-grade boys and another person are missing from Japan's main island of Honshu.

The operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant, Tokyo Electric Power Corp, cancelled all offshore work and secured machinery as the storm approached.

The typhoon, which stayed offshore in the Pacific, sustained winds of 78 mph, with gusts up to 110 mph, before it was downgraded to a tropical storm.

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New Laws Make Moving To Australia Tougher

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

New laws in Australia have made things tougher for skilled Brits wanting to work Down Under.

The Australian government has clamped down on the popular 457 visa which allows foreign workers to move to the country for up to four years.

The visa is especially popular with British managers, professionals, technicians and trades people who want a new life in Australia along with their families.

Almost half of those on the visa eventually end up settling in Australia permanently.

Recent restrictions however have meant even those already living in Australia on the 457 visa are finding life harder.

A tax incentive called the Living Away From Home Allowance has been scrapped, and some states charge visa-holders to put their children through schools, which are free for locals.

Adam Marshall moved to Sydney three years ago

Adam Marshall and his family moved to Sydney on the visa three years ago. He told Sky News: "It's not been a great financial move for us really.

"If I'd known how much it was going to cost in real terms I'm not sure whether we would have made the move. It's hard to say in retrospect, because we love living here."

The previous Labor government brought in the changes, claiming the visa was being abused by some employers looking for cheaper foreign workers.

New legislation now requires companies to spend longer looking for Australians to fill vacancies, and application fees for the visa have increased dramatically.

A hard-hitting TV campaign was recently launched by Australia's Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), featuring workers which the union claims have had their livelihoods threatened by abuses of the 457 visa system.

Union national secretary Dave Noonan said: "We've had lots of workers who are Australian citizens or residents who tell us they have been applying for work, they are skilled people and they haven't been able to get work, and they know this same employer is bringing in people on 457s."

Many employers however disagree, and hope the new conservative government led by Prime Minister Tony Abbott will relax the legislation.

IT and computing are areas which have traditionally sourced highly skilled employees from abroad using the 457 visa.

Peter Acheson, who runs Australia's biggest IT recruitment company Peoplebank, told Sky News the crackdown on the 457 visa was stifling business.

"I think it's ironic, there is all the talk about the digital economy, the future of the online world which is IT driven, yet on the other hand we are saying we are going to make it difficult for Australia to source IT people.

"I think that's highly ironic and ultimately Australia is going to be the loser out of this I think unless the legislation is changed."

A recent survey by Migration Council Australia questioned 3,800 visa-holders and 1,600 businesses. The report revealed that 457 workers have a high level of job satisfaction, demonstrating that they are integrating well into the Australian workforce.

Migration Council Australia chief executive Carla Wilshire said the findings showed the 457 visa programme is critical in keeping Australia competitive in an era when industry is global and 98% of innovation happens outside of Australia.

She said: "Four out of five multinational companies are using 457 visa holders to train and develop Australian workers.

"The survey results reinforce the message that skills transfer and knowledge from 457 visa-holders play an important role in building Australia's human capital.

"Temporary migration does not just fill skills shortages, it addresses skills deficits and plays a central part in workplace development at the enterprise level."

:: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

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Nazi War Criminal's Funeral Halted By Protests

The body of Nazi war criminal Erich Priebke is expected to be sent to Germany for burial after his funeral in Italy was stopped by violent protests.

The former SS officer, who died last week at the age of 100, was to be laid to rest in the town of Albano Laziale near Rome, but police halted the funeral after neo-Nazi sympathisers broke into the seminary as hundreds of protesters outside shouted "Assassin!".

Priebke was in charge of troops who massacred 335 civilians in the Ardeatine Caves in March 1944. He had been living under house arrest in the Italian capital since being sentenced to life imprisonment for the killings in 1998.

Neo-Nazi sympathisers salute the hearse carrying Priebke's coffin

His coffin has now been taken to a military airport outside Rome.

"We are planning to resolve the situation today. We are in contact with Germany," said local official Giuseppe Pecoraro.

"We had to cancel the funeral yesterday because there was a risk that it could have become a neo-Nazi demonstration."

The car was halted as protesters kicked and spat at it

Anti-fascist protesters had kicked and spat on the hearse as it arrived for the start of the funeral. A priest was heckled with the shout of "Shame".

At least two people were detained as clashes broke out and some people were seen fighting with bottles and chains.

A rock was later thrown at the windscreen of the van driving Priebke's coffin to the airport.

Priebke (r) in 2010 with his lawyer and friend Paolo Giachini

The Vatican had issued an unprecedented order forbidding any Roman Catholic church in Rome from holding his funeral.

But a fringe right-wing group, the Catholic Society of St Pius (SSPX), went ahead with the ceremony anyway.

In a statement, the society said it agreed to perform the funeral at the family's request because "no matter what the guilt or sins" anyone who dies reconciled with God and the Church "has the right to celebrate Mass and a funeral".

A scuffle erupted outside the seminary near Rome

Priebke had wanted to be buried in Argentina, from where he was extradited to face trial, next to his wife, but the government there earlier said it would not accept the body.

Jewish groups and relatives of the people he executed said his body should be cremated and his ashes scattered to erase every trace.

Protests were held outside Priebke's flat on his 100th birthday in July

The furore comes at a particularly sensitive time in Italy on the anniversary of the round-up of the Jews from the Rome Ghetto on October 16, 1943.

More than 1,000 Jews were taken away to concentration camps and only 16 returned.

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Bully 'Boasted' Of Driving Girl To Suicide

Two girls arrested for bullying a 12-year-old who then committed suicide intimidated their victim repeatedly, calling her names and at one point telling her to "drink bleach and die", police said.

Rebecca Sedwick climbed a tower at an abandoned concrete plant in central Florida and hurled herself to her death on September 9.

Katelyn Roman, 12, and Guadalupe Shaw, 14, are accused of repeatedly and maliciously harassing Rebecca between last December and February when all three went to Crystal Lake Middle School.

Even after Rebecca's death, Shaw continued to make comments about her online, even bragging about the bullying, said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

Rebecca Sedwick took her own life last September

"'Yes, I bullied Rebecca and she killed herself but I don't give a ...' and you can add the last word yourself," the sheriff said, quoting a Facebook post by the suspect.

Police said the bullying began after Shaw began dating a boy that Rebecca had been seeing.

A statement by the sheriff's office said: "Several students corroborated stories of both girls bullying Sedwick on different occasions, through name-calling, intimidation, threats to beat her up and at least one actual physical fight."

The witnesses said Shaw had had several arguments with Rebecca, both via Facebook and at school.

"Witnesses reported that Shaw sent messages to Rebecca, calling her ugly, telling her to drink bleach and die, and telling Rebecca that she should kill herself," the statement added.

Shaw tried to start fights with Rebecca on more than one occasion. She convinced Roman to stop being friends with Rebecca, and also instigated a fight between the two, according to the police.

When questioned by detectives, Roman admitted that she "bullied" Rebecca and she was sorry for doing it, police said.

The sheriff's office statement said the harassment "was likely a contributing factor in Rebecca's decision to commit suicide".

John Borgen, the boy who had dated both Rebecca and Shaw, said: "It shocked me, it made me mad. She should have just told somebody."

Sheriff Judd said officers were still investigating the girls and were trying to decide whether the parents should be charged.

"I'm aggravated that the parents aren't doing what parents should do," he said.

"Responsible parents take disciplinary action."

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Cleveland Police Suspended After Deadly Chase

The police force in Cleveland, Ohio, has suspended 63 officers from duty and more may face criminal charges after a deadly car chase through the city.

Police fired 137 shots as they pursued the vehicle for 23 minutes in November last year.

Both people in the car - Timothy Russell, the driver, and Malissa Williams, the passenger - were killed.

Officers involved reported shots were fired from Russell's car but investigators now believe they were the sound of his 1979 Chevy backfiring.

They also said that Williams had a weapon in her hand during the chase, according to the investigation. However, no weapon was found and there was no gunshot residue on Williams' hands.

Police Chief Michael McGrath said the suspensions are the result of disciplinary hearings.

The 63 suspended officers were not actually involved in the shooting. Thirteen other officers may still face discipline and possible criminal charges for firing on the car.

The officers will serve suspensions of 178 days in total, with the longest suspension 10 days, Chief McGrath said. He added that officers were very honest and professional during the investigation.

Chief McGrath said many of the officers involved told the investigation they joined the chase because they thought Russell and Williams were shooting at police and they thought "a police officer was in trouble".

They are being disciplined because of excessive speed, insubordination and failure to request permission to join the pursuit, he said.

The officers involved in the shooting will be dealt with after prosecutors finish reviewing what happened.

Police have already announced punishments for 12 supervisors stemming from the chase. One sergeant lost his job. A captain and a lieutenant were demoted, and nine sergeants were suspended.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson said although the investigation had taken 11 months, "justice was not delayed for the victims" and that his office was "not throwing officers under the bus for political reasons and we're not covering anything up".

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Papua New Guinea Hit By Strong Earthquake

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake has hit the coast of Papua New Guinea, the US Geological Survey has said.

The quake's epicentre was reported to be 47 miles west-southwest of Bougainville and 36.2 miles deep.

It hit at 8.31pm local time (10.31 GMT).

There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami was unlikely.

Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea as it lies on the 'Ring of Fire' - an arc of earthquake and volcanic activity that stretches around the rim of the Pacific.

More than 150 people are believed to have died after another earthquake struck the Philippines on Tuesday.

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Alexei Navalny Freed After Sentence Suspended

By Katie Stallard, Russia Correspondent

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has walked free from court after it overturned his five-year prison term on appeal.

The anti-corruption activist was convicted of embezzlement in July, in a case he claimed was politically-motivated and orchestrated on the orders of President Vladimir Putin to silence him.

He was found guilty of stealing 16 million roubles (£312,000) from state timber firm Kirovles while working as an adviser to the regional governor of Kirov, a remote city around 621 miles from Moscow, in 2009.

He was tried alongside Pyotr Ofitserov, a business associate and father-of-five, who refused to turn against Navalny, even at the expense of his own liberty.

Both men were initially jailed, but then released 24 hours later after thousands took to the streets in protest, pending this appeal.

Navalny and his co-defendant Ofitserov were delighted at the verdict

Some analysts suggested the release was a tactical ploy by the Kremlin to allow Navalny to participate in last month's mayoral race, legitimising the contest and likely suffering a humiliating defeat.

Instead, he polled an unexpectedly strong 27 per cent, almost forcing the Kremlin-backed incumbent into a run-off. 

Ofitserov's wife burst into tears in court as the panel of judges ruled to suspend the sentences, but both men's convictions were upheld, meaning Navalny may now be unable to run for political office until after the next presidential election in 2018.

The 37-year-old has previously said that he would like to run for president and is widely seen as the most credible threat to emerge to Mr Putin's rule.

After hugging his wife and thanking his supporters, he vowed to fight on.

"It's clear for me that the authorities are trying by all means to hound me out of politics, coming up with some restrictions and fabricated cases," he said.

"One thing is for sure, they will not succeed in pushing me and my allies out of political life."

Mr Putin's spokesman denied that he had any influence over the case, telling reporters after the verdict: "It's not a question for the President."

Navalny, a blogger and anti-corruption campaigner, rose to prominence from the mass street protests that preceded Mr Putin's return to power last year.

Denied access to state media, he harnessed the power of social media instead to reach a new generation of young, politically-minded supporters.

In a blog post reacting to the court's decision, he wrote: "It's weird to call this a victory.

"We are so used to the lack of justice that when an innocent man is put in prison we become sad, and when the frightened government gives an innocent man a five year suspended sentence, we are happy and congratulate each other.

"I will not lie - the prospect of writing this blog post and going for lunch, being able to use cutlery, not an aluminium bowl, makes me much happier than the prospect of ending up in the steel coffin of a police van, having my tea and sweets checked, and later preparing to fight a war with mosquitoes in a cell.

"If someone somewhere thinks that from now on I will be scared to participate in any demo or activity that will turn my suspended sentence into a real one, they are mistaken.

"I have always done what I thought was the right thing and I will keep doing it."

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Dozens Die As Plane Crashes Into Mekong River

An aircraft has crashed into the Mekong river in Laos, killing all 44 people on board.

The Lao Airlines plane was on an internal flight from the capital Vientiane when it crashed in the late afternoon.

The plane, carrying 39 passengers and five crew, went down around five miles (8km) from the airport in Champassak province, according to Thai foreign ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee.

The dead included at least seven French nationals, five Thais and three South Koreans.

Pakse airport in Champassak province, Laos. Pic: Jialiang Gao

In a statement, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he had learned of the deaths with "deep shock and great sadness".

France was sending embassy officials to the site of the crash.

Pictures on Thai television showed a plane, partly submerged in the river, with what appeared to be bodies lying on the banks.

The Bangkok Post reported that the ART twin-turbo plane, flight number QV301, crashed into the river in bad weather.

Lao Airlines operates throughout Indochina. Pic: Jpatokal

The plane left Wattay airport in Vientiane at 2.45pm local time and crashed in Pakse at 4pm, the report said.

Airline and government officials in Laos were not immediately available for comment.

State-owned Lao Airlines has been in existence since 1976.

It previously operated as Lao Aviation, becoming Lao Airlines in March this year.

Its aircraft carried 658,000 passengers last year and it has a fleet of just 14 planes, mostly propeller-driven.

It operates on seven domestic routes and has international flights to China, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore. 

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Senate Leaders 'Reach Deal' To Avert Default

Senate leaders have reached a last-minute agreement to avert a threatened US default and reopen the government, according to a Republican senator.

Senator Kelly Ayotte said congressional leaders would push for passage as soon as possible.

"I understand they've come to an agreement but I'm going to let the leader announce that," Sen Ayotte said as she walked into a meeting of Senate Republicans called to review details of the emerging deal.

The deal was struck by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and GOP Leader Mitch McConnell.

Sen Ayotte said she understood the legislation would first receive a vote in the Republican-controlled House, an arrangement that would speed its way through Congress to President Barack Obama's desk.

Speaker John Boehner and the House Republican leadership met in a different part of the Capitol to plan their next move.

House Speaker John Boehner has failed to rally Republicans behind a deal

A spokesman, Michael Steel, said afterward that no decision had been made "about how or when a potential Senate agreement could be voted on in the House".

A top Democratic aide told Reuters that aides to Speaker Boehner called senior Senate staff earlier in the day to say the House would vote first on the measure.

The aide added that the deal appears certain to be approved with mostly Democratic votes.

The New York Stock Exchange soared on the news that the threat of default was easing in, rising roughly 200 points by late morning.

Officials said the proposal called for the Treasury to have authority to continue borrowing through February 7, and the government would reopen through January 15.

The president's health care law is at the heart of the dispute

With borrowing authority set to run out on Thursday, leaders worked through the night to craft an agreement that could win bipartisan support in the deeply polarised Congress.

President Barack Obama has warned of the consequences of a default and leading economists have said it could hurt the global economy.

Warren Buffett, one of the the world's most influential investors, said the threat not to raise the debt limit is a "political weapon of mass destruction" comparable to poison gas.

Mr Buffett, who leads the Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate, told CNBC that he does not think the federal government will fail to pay its bills.

"If it does happen, it's a pure act of idiocy," he added.

Uncertainty over Washington's ability to avert a default led Fitch Ratings to warn it could cut the sovereign credit rating of the United States from AAA, citing the political brinkmanship on Capitol Hill.

The renewed push in the Senate came after a day of chaotic developments in the House that saw two separate GOP plans buried when it became apparent they failed to rally enough support among Republican rank-and-file.

Politically, neither party is faring well, but polls indicate Republicans are bearing the brunt of public unhappiness as survey after survey shows their approval ratings plunging.

A Washington Post/ABC News poll released on Monday found that 74% of Americans disapprove of the way congressional Republicans have handled the standoff, compared with a 53% disapproval rating for Obama.

The shutdown has already furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal workers and forced national parks and monuments to close down in high season.

Some tourist attractions such as the Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty have now reopened, as states agreed to fund their running.

However, many communities have lamented the economic damage they have had to incur.

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