Obama Proposes $5bn Anti-Terrorism Fund

President Barack Obama has unveiled a $5bn (£3bn) fund to help countries tackle extremists, in a speech outlining his foreign policy doctrine.

Speaking at the Military Academy in West Point, New York, the President said the planned US withdrawal from Afghanistan would enable it to focus on emerging threats from the Middle East to North Africa. 

He said he would ask Congress to support the establishment of a Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund to tackle such threats.

Mr Obama's speech was widely seen as a riposte to critics who accuse him of an overly cautious approach that has given succour to adversaries in Syria, Russia and China.

Mr Obama spoke during a graduation ceremony at West Point

Standing by his decision not to intervene militarily in Syria's civil war, Mr Obama said he aimed to "ramp up" US support for moderate Syrian rebels.

He also laid out his argument that modern foreign policy should be rooted in diplomacy rather than intervention.

"Here's my bottom line," he said, "America must always lead on the world stage.

"If we don't, no one else will. The military that you have joined is, and always will be, the backbone of that leadership.

"But US military action cannot be the only - or even primary - component of our leadership in every instance.

"Just because we have the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail." 

Mr Obama defended his approach to the Ukraine crisis

He said that extremism remained the principal threat to the US at home and abroad.

"But a strategy that involves invading every country that harbours terrorist networks is naive and unsustainable," he added.

He continued to defend his use of drone strikes in countries like Yemen and Somalia, but called for increased transparency on such covert operations.

Republicans have criticised Mr Obama's plan, announced on Tuesday, for the US to keep 9,800 troops in Afghanistan after the war there formally ends later this year.

But he said on Wednesday the US had made much headway in Afghanistan against al Qaeda, and "sustaining this progress depends on the ability of Afghans to do the job". 

He also defended his approach to the Ukraine crisis, of seeking to build a multilateral consensus against Russia.

"This isn't the Cold War," he said. "Our ability to shape world opinion helped isolate Russia right away. Because of American leadership, the world immediately condemned Russian actions."

Mr Obama also said he would continue to press for the closure of Guantanamo Bay, and place new restrictions on how America gathers intelligence, amid the fallout from the NSA leaks.

"I believe in American exceptionalism with every fibre of my being," said the President.

"But what makes us exceptional is not our ability to flout international norms and the rule of law."

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Calais Migrant Camps Dismantled By Riot Cops

French police have evacuated and dismantled three makeshift migrant camps in Calais.

Some 200 riot police surrounded the camps housing migrants from Africa, the Middle East and Asia after a deadline for them to leave expired.

Some migrants had already left, others waited until the eviction itself

Sanitary conditions in the camps were poor and a scabies outbreak was beginning to spread into the town of Calais, said the Governor of the Pas-de-Calais region, Denis Robin.

While many migrants had left the camps ahead of the eviction, some were seen leaving hurriedly carrying their blankets as the police moved in.

Bulldozers were brought in to destroy the tents

Representatives of the migrants were earlier said to be in talks as to whether or not they would accept an offer from the authorities to leave and be rehoused elsewhere in exchange of a promise not to arrest them.

They were offered the chance to shower, receive medical attention and have a change of clothes, shoes and bedding.

Only one migrant is so far reported to have accepted the offer - more than 200 are said to have moved into a food distribution centre.

They are believed to want to refuse alternative accommodation outside Calais because they want to get to Britain.

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Edward Snowden: 'I Worked As A Spy Overseas'

Spying Reports Earn Pulitzers For Newspapers

Updated: 11:28pm UK, Monday 14 April 2014

The Washington Post and The Guardian have been awarded journalism's highest honour for their reporting on the US government's secret surveillance programmes.

Both newspapers won the Pulitzer Prize for public service based on their reporting into documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

Snowden called the awards vindication for "everyone who believes that the public has a role in government", according to a statement issued by the Freedom of Press Foundation.

He saluted "the brave reporters and their colleagues who kept working in the face of extraordinary intimidation, including the forced destruction of journalistic materials, the inappropriate use of terrorism laws, and so many other means of pressure to get them to stop".

The reports exposed the NSA's secret practises of collecting data from millions of American's phone records and emails, among other spying programmes.

The revelations sparked widespread debate over privacy concerns and prompted President Barack Obama to impose limits on government surveillance. 

The stories were written by The Post's Barton Gellman and The Guardian US' Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and Ewan MacAskill.

Ms Poitras said the award was "a testament to Snowden's courage, a vindication of his courage and his desire to let the public know what the government is doing".

Snowden, who has been granted temporary asylum in Russia, is wanted in the US on espionage charges that could carry 30 years in prison if convicted.

The Pulitzers are awarded each year by Columbia University on the recommendation of a board of distinguished journalists and others.

The Boston Globe won the Pulitzer for breaking news for its coverage of last year's Boston Marathon bombing and subsequent manhunt.

Globe staff members marked the announcement - coming a day before the attack's anniversary - with a moment of silence in the newsroom.

Other awards went to The New York Times, which won two Pulitzers in photography.

The Times' Tyler Hicks was honoured in the breaking news category for documenting the Westgate mall terrorist attack in Kenya, and Josh Haner was cited for his essay on a Boston Marathon blast victim who lost his legs.

The two winners of the public service award receive gold medals, while the other awards carry a $10,000 prize.

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Alzheimer's Patient Arrested As 21 Die In Fire

A patient suffering from Alzheimer's has been arrested after 21 people died in a fire at a hospital in South Korea.

Seven people were injured in the blaze, which broke out at the hospice in Jangseong county about 190 miles (300km) south of Seoul.

Most of the patients who died at Hyosarang Hospital were in their seventies and eighties.

Seven people were injured in the blaze

A police official said an 81-year-old man had been taken into custody after CCTV footage appeared to show him setting the fire in a storage room on the upper floor of the two-storey building.

Although the blaze was brought under control within 30 minutes, many on the upper floor were unable to escape.

One nurse was on duty at the time and was among the dead.

The fire was brought under control within half an hour

Lee Hyung-Seok, chief administrator of the Jangseong hospice, said: "I'm sorry. I apologise for this terrible thing."

It was South Korea's second deadly blaze in two days. Seven people were killed and 41 injured in a fire at a bus terminal near Seoul on Monday.

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German World Cup Players In Car Accident

Two German footballers set to play in the World Cup were involved in a crash in northern Italy which left two people in hospital.

The scene of a crash involving two German footballers

Julian Draxler and Benedikt Hoewedes were passengers in separate cars during a Mercedes event at the team's pre-tournament training camp. 

One of the vehicles was being driven by Formula One racer Nico Rosberg, but it was the other, with touring car driver Pascal Wehrlein behind the wheel, that struck two men near the team hotel.

Julian Draxler (L) and Benedikt Hoewedes

One, a 63-year-old German tourist, was seriously hurt according to local media reports. The other victim is thought to be a circuit marshal.

The footballers were uninjured and have resumed training in the South Tyrol area of Italy.

Two people were taken to hospital following the crash

Rosberg, currently leading the F1 championship, tweeted: "My thoughts are with the two people who were injured and I wish them a fast recovery."

The road had been closed to the public for the promotional event.

Formula One star Nico Rosberg was also driving at the scene

Mercedes-Benz Motorsport said in a statement: "An accident occurred during a visit to the training camp of the German National Football Team: while driving on a closed circuit, DTM driver Pascal Wehrlein injured two people whom he unexpectedly encountered walking on the closed course.

"We cannot offer any statement concerning the severity of injuries, as both injured parties are currently undergoing medical treatment. Pascal Wehrlein was uninjured in the accident.

Neither of the footballers was hurt

"We deeply regret this accident and send wishes of quick recovery to the injured. We will work in full cooperation with the authorities in determining the exact circumstances of the accident."

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Massive Explosion In Earth's Nearest Galaxy

A massive explosion in our nearest galaxy may have been caused by two stars colliding.

A sudden burst of gamma-rays in the Andromeda Galaxy was detected by a Nasa satellite on Wednesday morning.

There are various different types of gamma-ray emissions, and it is unclear whether it was specifically a gamma ray burst (GRB).

If it was, it may have been caused by the collision of two neutron stars.

It would be significant given that Andromeda is 2.5 million light years away – the previous nearest GRB took place 2.6 billion light years away.

By observing how the light fades over the next 24-48 hours, astronomers should be able to tell what type of gamma-ray emission it was.

Nasa's Swift Burst Alert telescope watches the skies for gamma-ray bursts and sends their locations back to stations on the ground.

It observes around 90 gamma ray events every year, but usually from much further away.

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Chinese 'Committing Suicide Due To Coffin Bans'

Six elderly people in China are reported to have killed themselves ahead of new rules banning burials in coffins.

China has a tradition, which dates back thousands of years, of ancestor worship, usually requiring families to bury their relatives and construct a tomb.

Now, local governments are urging people to be cremated after death to save what they see as limited land resources.

In one city, Anqing in the eastern province of Anhui, all locals who die after June 1 must be cremated according to government regulations, the Beijing News Daily reported.

It was there that the six people committed suicide "to avoid the new regulations on funerals", the newspaper said, quoting family members.

The newspaper added the reasons for the suicides were "complex", despite the family claims.

One person said they wanted a coffin to keep them dry while they slept

Officials began confiscating coffins from locals in May.

One 91-year-old woman named Wu Zhengde killed herself on May 5 after learning of the change, it was reported, while another woman, Zheng Shifang, 83, committed suicide after officials sawed her coffin in two in front of her.

A local government department denied the suicides were connected to the burial ban, saying people had given up their coffins voluntarily.

"China is big, death and sickness amongst the elderly is normal," the report quoted a local official as saying.

Anqing locals, who can spend up to a decade preparing their coffins, were only informed of the upcoming burial ban in April.

The paper quoted a local surnamed Shi as saying: "I've had a hard life, and when I'm dead I'd like to sleep somewhere protected from the rain - inside a coffin."

The paper also quoted a Beijing-based lawyer as saying the seizures were illegal because coffins were the property of their owners.

Elsewhere in China, local officials have launched wide-reaching campaigns to "flatten graves" to create land for farming and development.

Officials in the central province of Henan demolished 400,000 graves in 2012, local media reported. The case provoked a nationwide outcry.

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Pakistan Pregnant Woman Stoned To Death

A Pakistani man whose pregnant wife was stoned to death by relatives claims police watched on as she was beaten with bricks.

Farzana Iqbal, who was three months pregnant, was attacked for marrying against her family's wishes.

A mob of around 30 people that included her brother, father and spurned husband attacked her outside Lahore High Court, police told AFP.

The 25-year-old, who was also called Farzana Parveen, was attending court to defend her new husband, Mohammad Iqbal.

Mr Iqbal was a widower with five children when he began seeing the woman

He was accused by the family of kidnapping and forcing marriage upon her.

Speaking to AFP from his home village of Jaranwala, where he had gone to bury his wife, Mr Iqbal said: "The most painful thing is that nobody came forward to save my wife, the police were there and hundreds of lawyers were there along with ordinary men, but they all just watched like spectators."

Police in Pakistan have told Sky News they are investigating the allegation.

Mrs Iqbal's father, Mohammad Azeem, has been charged with murder and the others are being sought, according to AP.

"The brother first opened fire with a gun but missed. She tried to run away but fell down," senior investigator Rana Akhtar told AFP.

Mr Iqbal said the couple had survived a previous attack when the case began

"The relatives caught her and then beat her to death with bricks."

Mr Iqbal was a widower with five children when he began seeing the victim.

"We were in love," he said.

"We demand justice. We were being threatened since we got married."

Lahore High Court

Mr Iqbal said they had survived a previous attack during the first hearing of the case on May 12.

"On Tuesday as we were going to court from our lawyer's office almost 30 people attacked us, including her father, brothers and cousins," he said.

A group of 10 or so people accompanying the couple were overwhelmed by the attack and fled, Mr Iqbal added.

Some 869 women died in so-called "honour killings" last year, according to the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

"Such crimes persisted because of the impunity enjoyed by the killers," the commission said in a report, which noted that Pakistan's blood-money laws allow kin to forgive perpetrators.

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Canada Facebook Plea Helps Find Newborn Girl

A newborn baby girl has been recovered after she was abducted from a hospital in Canada, thanks to an appeal on Facebook.

Melissa McMahon gave birth to baby Victoria in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, on Monday.

But, barely a day old, the newborn was snatched from hospital by a woman posing as a nurse who said she needed to weigh the baby.

An Amber Alert was issued within minutes of the baby's disappearance and local and social media was used to let people know what had happened.

The alert included a security camera photo of the suspect and a description of her car.

The Facebook appeal was spotted by Melizanne Bergeron who showed it to her friend, Charlene Plante, who realised the woman everyone was looking for was her neighbour.

Ms Bergeron said they spotted the vehicle described in the alert parked outside the building, saw signs that someone was inside and called police.

Together with two other friends, they guided police to the woman's home where, three hours after the abduction, officers broke down the door and found the baby safe and unharmed.

"Thirty seconds after, the baby was in the hands of the police," said Ms Bergeron, who touched Victoria as the officer cradling the infant walked past.

"It was the best moment in my life," she said. "We were crying."

A woman in her early 20s was arrested.

The baby's mother later posted: "Every click, every share made the difference.

"Four marvellous people, whom we had the chance to meet, identified this woman thanks to Facebook... We felt a huge amount of support from the public. This victory is for you, too!!!"

The four friends were asked to go to hospital to meet Victoria and her parents.

"The mother was crying and she was very happy," said Ms Plante. "I don't realise it (yet), I'm just a person like (anybody else) and I saved a life."

Ms McMahon, who also thanked hospital staff, police, the media and the public for helping find Victoria, called those hours without her baby the worst of her life.

"The powerlessness we felt in this situation was difficult to accept," she wrote, explaining how she had run after the woman toward the hospital exit after sensing something was wrong.

"The worst-possible scenarios were looping in our heads... To no longer have her in my arms after barely 16 hours of life was unreal."

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Civil Rights Activist Maya Angelou Dies

American author, poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou has died at age 86.

She died in her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina today, her son said.

Ms Angelou became one of the first black women to write a best-seller, her autobiography I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, published in 1970.

But she thrived in virtually every artistic medium, having performed as an actress, singer and dancer in the 1950s and 1960s.

Her story fascinated millions of Americans. She started off as a single mother who worked at strip clubs to earn a living to become an acclaimed performer around the world and celebrated poet.

Ms Angelou was the author of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

I'm not modest," she told The AP news agency last year.

"Modesty is a learned behaviour. But I do pray for humility, because humility comes from the inside out."

Her death was mourned across America, and beyond.

"Dr Angelou was a national treasure whose life and teachings inspired millions around the world, including countless students, faculty, and staff at Wake Forest," Wake Forest University, where she was a professor of American Studies, said in a statement.

Over the course of her career, she provided eloquent commentary on race and gender.

With South African Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu in 2008

Ms Angelou rose from a childhood of poverty to become a force on stage and in the printed page, befriending Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela and the Rev Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Mr Mandela watched the film version of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings in prison in 1986, the Nelson Mandela Foundation said in a statement mourning her loss.

Ms Angelou was the poet chosen to read at former President Bill Clinton's first inauguration in 1993, where she recited On The Pulse Of The Morning.  

Tall and regal, Ms Angelou had a deep and majestic voice

Her performance openly delighted Mr Clinton and made the poem a best-seller.

For former President George W Bush, she read another poem, Amazing Peace, at the 2005 Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the White House.

In 1998, she directed the film Down In The Delta about a drug-wrecked woman who returns to the home of her ancestors in the Mississippi Delta.

More follows...

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