Obama and Romney clash in spiky debate

US President Barack Obama has hit out at Republican Mitt Romney during a feisty 90-minute encounter in the second of three pre-election debates.

 

Mr Obama - widely perceived to have lost their first encounter - came out swinging in New York on the economy, tax and foreign policy.
But the former Massachusetts governor accused Mr Obama of broken promises and a record of failure.

Candidates exchange barbs on jobs plans

The pair meet for a final pre-election debate in Florida on 22 October.
As he battles for a second term, the Democratic president has been trying to hold on to dwindling leads in the nine key swing states that are expected to decide the election on 6 November.
In the town hall-style forum at Hofstra University on Long Island, both men freely roamed the stage, circling, interrupting and at times heckling one another as they took questions from an audience of 80 undecided voters.
The moderator, CNN's Candy Crowley, often had to intervene to keep order between the rivals as each fought to make his point. 

 Bickering

Mr Obama set the tone from his first answer, when he contrasted his own bailout of the US car industry with Mr Romney's position that auto-makers should have been allowed to go bankrupt.

The president forcefully accused Mr Romney of inconsistent positions, while claiming that his challenger could only offer a "one-point plan... to make sure the folks at the top play by a different set of rules".
Mr Romney meanwhile hammered away at the president's record on the economy, blaming him for unemployment of 20 million Americans and bloated federal deficits, insisting the country could not afford another four years with Mr Obama at the helm.
In one of the most scathing exchanges, they bickered over last month's attack on the US Libya consulate that left four Americans dead.
Mr Romney suggested the Obama administration may have attempted to mislead Americans over whether it was a terrorist attack.
But the president said it was "offensive" to suggest that he had played politics on such a grave issue.
He countered that it was the Republican who had tried to turn a national tragedy to his advantage by releasing a partisan press release about the deadly assault.
As the debate progressed, both candidates made repeated and impassioned pitches to America's middle class.
Mr Obama said he had cut taxes for middle class families and small businesses over the last four years.

But he said that if America was serious about reducing the deficit, the wealthy would have to pay a little bit more.

"Governor Romney and his allies in Congress have held the 98% hostage because they want tax breaks for the 2%," said Mr Obama.
In his final answer he responded to an assertion by Mr Romney that the Republican would represent "100% of Americans" by bringing up Mr Romney's secretly recorded remarks at a fundraiser in May.
In those remarks the challenger dismissed 47% of Americans as government-dependent tax avoiders who take no responsibility for their lives.
"When he said behind closed doors that 47% of the country considers themselves victims who refuse personal responsibility - think about who he was talking about," the president said.

'Policies haven't worked'

Mr Obama said voters had heard no specifics on Mr Romney's "sketchy" tax plan apart from eliminating Sesame Street's Big Bird and cutting funding for Planned Parenthood, a family planning organisation Republicans say promotes abortion.

Barack Obama: ''I don't look at my pension, it's not as big as yours"

"Of course it adds up," Mr Romney said of his tax plan. He cited his experience balancing budgets in business, while running the 2002 Olympics and as governor of Massachusetts.
Mr Obama ticked off a list of achievements over the last four years: tax cuts for the middle class; ending the war in Iraq, killing Osama Bin Laden; helping the auto industry, as well as healthcare reform.
But Mr Romney said the last four years had not been as rosy as the president would like to portray, saying the the president had made pledges to deliver unemployment of 5.4%, an immigration plan, and to cut in half the deficit, but had met none of them.
"The president's tried, but his policies haven't worked," said Mr Romney.
One of the sharpest exchanges of the debate came when the pair clashed over former private equity chief Mr Romney's wealth.
Mr Romney was defending his investments in China through a blind trust when he asked Mr Obama if he had looked at his own pension. He said Mr Obama would find investments in China in his retirement plan, too.
Mr Obama countered that he did not check his pension that often, adding: "Because it's not as big as yours."
Another fragment of the debate prompted a flurry of social media comment.
Arguing that he supports equal opportunities for women, Mr Romney said he once had "binders full of women" candidates for cabinet jobs when he was Massachusetts governor.
The third and final presidential debate is scheduled for 22 October in Boca Raton, Florida.

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Nobel Peace Prize awarded to European Union

Thorbjoern Jagland, Norwegian Nobel Committee: "Since 1945 reconciliation has become a reality"

The European Union has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for six decades of work in advancing peace in Europe.

The committee said the EU had helped to transform Europe "from a continent of war to a continent of peace".
The award comes as the EU faces the biggest crisis of its history, with recession and social unrest rocking many of its member states.
The last organisation to be given the award outright was Medecins Sans Frontieres, which won in 1999.
Announcing the award, Nobel committee president Thorbjoern Jagland acknowledged the EU's current financial problems and social unrest.
But he said the committee wanted to concentrate on the body's work over six decades of advancing "peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights".
'Biggest peacemaker'

Mr Jagland highlighted the EU's work in sealing the reconciliation between France and Germany in the decades after World War II.

And he praised the organisation for incorporating Spain, Portugal and Greece after their authoritarian regimes collapsed in the 1970s.
The EU's reconciliation work had now moved to Balkan countries, pointing out that Croatia is on the verge of membership.
Senior EU figures were overjoyed with the award.
EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on his Twitter feed: "It is a great honour for the whole of the EU, all 500 million citizens, to be awarded the 2012 Nobel Peace prize."
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said the award was recognition for the work of "the biggest peacemaker in history".
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she regarded the Nobel as a "personal incentive" to build on six decades of peace in Europe.

"We must never forget that in order to keep this peace, democracy and freedom, we have to work hard over and over again," she said.

The BBC's Europe correspondent Matthew Price says the EU's achievements are clear, but the committee has picked a strange time to highlight them.
The eurozone crisis has made the EU look more divided and fragile than it has for decades, he says.
EU 'like Yugoslavia' Alongside the chorus of praise, several eurosceptic politicians were quick to deride the award.
Nigel Farage of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) likened the EU project to the former Yugoslavia.
"Rather than bring peace and harmony, the EU will cause insurgency and violence," he said.

Jose Manuel Barroso: "It is justified recognition for a unique project"

Dutch eurosceptic Geert Wilders questioned the timing of the award.
"A Nobel prize for the EU at a time Brussels and all of Europe is collapsing in misery. What next? An Oscar for Van Rompuy," he said.
The Nobel committee has rarely shied away from controversy with its choice of winner.
US President Barack Obama won the award in 2009 despite leading a country that was fighting two separate wars.
And the choice of detained Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in 2010 enraged China, which made an official complaint to Norway.
This year's Nobel Prize for literature winner, Chinese writer Mo Yan, said on Friday he hoped Mr Liu would be freed as soon as possible.

The Inner Six create the European Coal and Steel Community, meant to tie the countries together and make war between them "materially impossible"

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Penn State blamed over Jerry Sandusky sex abuse

The leaders of US university Penn State showed a "total disregard" for the safety of victims of sex abuser Jerry Sandusky, a report says.

Former FBI chief Louis Freeh said: "The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps... to protect the children who Sandusky victimised."
Mr Freeh cited the former university president and legendary football coach Joe Paterno, who died last year.
Both were sacked during the probe into assistant coach Sandusky's abuses.
Sandusky, who worked on Paterno's nationally lauded football team, was convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse in a trial in June.
He is expected to serve a life sentence.
'Most powerful people' Louis Freeh's report, released on Wednesday, laid much blame in the hands of four of Penn State's "most powerful people": President Graham Spanier, Vice-President Gary Schultz, athletic director Tim Curley and head football coach Joe Paterno.

They "failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children for over a decade," Mr Freeh wrote.

The four men knew that Sandusky was under investigation by university police for allegations of child sex abuse on campus as early as 1998.
Sandusky retired from the university a year later, gaining emeritus status, which allowed him unfettered access to campus buildings.
Three years after the first allegations, the report found that officials did not take any action to identify a victim seen being abused by Sandusky in the Penn State showers in 2001.
In fact, Mr Curley informed Sandusky that another coach, Mike McQueary, had reported seeing the incident. That move further endangered the victim, Mr Freeh concluded.
According to emails uncovered by the report, Mr Curley, Mr Schultz and Mr Spanier had initially planned to report the incident to child welfare services, but decided against it.
Instead, offering Sandusky professional help and telling him "guests" were not permitted to use campus facilities was deemed a "more humane and upfront way to handle this", as Mr Schultz wrote in an email.
"Although concern to treat the child abuser humanely was expressly stated, no such sentiments were ever expressed by them for Sandusky's victims," Mr Freeh said in prepared remarks on Thursday.

The report also faults the university's board of trustees for failing to press Mr Spanier for details about the 2011 grand jury investigation of Sandusky.

In a statement, Paterno's family said he had made mistakes but had "never interfered with any investigation".
"The idea that any sane, responsible adult would knowingly cover up for a child predator is impossible to accept," the statement said. "The far more realistic conclusion is that many people didn't fully understand what was happening and underestimated or misinterpreted events."

University ethics officer

Mr Freeh also noted that Penn State's policy to comply with a national child abuse reporting act that was expanded in 1998, was still in draft form when Sandusky was arrested in 2011.
Travis Forney, a Penn state alumnus who played as a kicker on the football team, told the BBC he was glad the report spread blame among the many people who could have acted.
"I totally agree with coach Paterno that this was an university issue," he said. "I think everyone can agree that more could have be done, but in my opinion the ball was dropped by the four people and the 31 other people on the board of trustees."
Mr Forney said that this year - for the first time at his summer sports camp - the university has implemented a seminar for "anybody who is involved with children" focusing on reporting child abuse and protecting children.
The report includes several recommendations on what steps the university should take going forward:

• create a stronger sense of accountability and transparency among leadership
• evaluate security for campus buildings and track university programmes involving children
• require all employees to provide training for abuse awareness and reporting
• establish a university police policy to seek assistance during sensitive investigations or where there is a conflict of interest
• appoint a university ethics officer and an ethics council.

In an initial response, the board of trustees of Penn State University said it was still considering the report, and would comment further in due course.
"We expect a comprehensive analysis of our policies, procedures and controls related to identifying and reporting crimes and misconduct, including failures or gaps that may have allowed alleged misconduct to go undetected or unreported," the board said in a statement.

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 Human head found in Canada park belongs to murder victim

A human head found in a Montreal park on Sunday belongs to a Chinese student allegedly killed by the so-called Canadian psycho, according to police.

Luka Magnotta, 29, denied last month killing Jun Lin, whose body parts were posted to political offices in Ottawa and schools in Vancouver.

The 33-year-old's torso was found in Montreal, but his head was missing.

The head was discovered by police at Angrignon Park in south-west Montreal after a tip-off.

Police now believe that they have recovered all of Mr Lin's remains, spokesman Robert St-Onge told the AFP news agency.

Lin's family held a private memorial for him last week in Montreal.

Luka Magnotta was arrested in Germany last month.

He is thought to have posted a video of himself online defiling the corpse.

A preliminary hearing before his trial is expected to be held in March.

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Independence Day plans hit by US power cuts and heat

Nearly one million people went without power on Independence Day as utilities worked to restore service five days after severe storms hit the eastern US.

Residents without air-conditioning or working refrigerators faced searing heat in the storm's wake.

Some towns cancelled firework displays marking the national holiday, saying police and firefighters could not be spared as repair work continued.

Some customers were expected be without power until the weekend.

However, Washington and Maryland electricity provider Pepco brought some cheer to its stricken customers on Thursday, predicting 90% restoration by the end of the 4 July holiday - two days ahead of its initial estimate.

"We were able to get more mutual assistance crews from out of state than we expected, and we thank our employees and local contractors for their tireless work," the company said.

The damage was mostly blamed on a meteorological phenomenon known as a derecho, which saw hurricane-force winds buffeted ahead of fast-moving thunderstorms.

The derecho brought down trees and power lines, leaving three million people without electricity in the wake of the storm.

'Dangerously hot'

The extreme heat, which continued over the following days, was blamed for 24 deaths in seven states. Two additional deaths were reported on Wednesday.

The National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings for parts of Ohio, Kentucky, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

It warned that "a prolonged period of dangerously hot temperatures will occur", and advised residents to wear loose-fitting clothes, drink plenty of water and check up on friends and neighbours.

Heat indices could climb to 105F (41C) in some affected areas, the warning said.

In Maryland, the town of Rockville cancelled its official celebrations because of trees and wires blocking two of three entrances to the venue. In Gaithersburg the city manager said utility companies were using its fairgrounds as a staging area for repairs.

Utility regulators in Maryland and the District of Columbia said they were partly to blame for the slow restoration of service to customers, the Washington Post has reported.

Regulators should have required power companies to meet higher standards, Douglas Nazarian, chairman of Maryland Public Service Commission said.

Meanwhile, the state of West Virginia was reported to have the largest number of people stranded without power. About 317,000 people did not have electricity, the US Department of Energy said on Wednesday morning.

West Virginia officials asked residents not to set off fireworks at home because the high temperatures increased the risk of fire in many places. Fallen trees that have not yet been removed could add to the hazard, they said.

Further west, Colorado was one of several states hit by destructive wildfires rage in recent weeks that are scrapping their firework displays too, amid fears that dry grass could become tinder for wildfires.

Festivities were planned to go ahead on the National Mall in Washington DC, and at George Washington's historic home at Mount Vernon, Virginia.

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US coach Jerry Sandusky guilty of Penn State sex abuse

 

How the Jerry Sandusky scandal rocked US sport and left parents concerned for their children

Former US college football coach Jerry Sandusky has been found guilty of 45 out of 48 counts of child sex abuse.

Sandusky, 68, denied 48 counts of abusing 10 boys over 15 years. He is expected to appeal but could spend the rest of his life in prison.
The jury reached its verdict at the end of its second day of deliberations.
His arrest in November caused a scandal at Penn State University, Pennsylvania, that saw the president and legendary football coach Joe Paterno both fired.
The jury found the former coach not guilty of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with Victim 2 and indecent assault of Victims 5 and 6.
After the verdict, Sandusky's bail was revoked and he was taken into custody in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.

'Horrific acts'

After the verdict, defence lawyer Joe Amendola told reporters the family was "very disappointed" with the verdict, although it was "expected".

He suggested that Sandusky would appeal against the verdict and acknowledged that his client would be likely to face a life sentence.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly called Sandusky a "serial predator" who committed "horrific acts".
Ms Kelly said that she hoped the verdict "allows these victims to heal" and would also encourage other victims to come forward.
Meanwhile, Penn State said in a statement: "We have tremendous respect for the men who came forward to tell their stories publicly.
"No verdict can undo the pain and suffering caused by Mr Sandusky, but we do hope this judgment helps the victims and their families along their path to healing."
The BBC's Kate Dailey, who was in the courtroom in Bellefonte, said Sandusky gave a small wave to his family as he was led away.
Outside the courthouse a large crowd cheered as news of the verdict emerged, our correspondent adds.
The decision, delivered by a jury of seven women and five men, came after about 21 hours of deliberations over two days.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly said she hoped the ''search for justice'' would help other victims

'Unfolding accusations'

Sandusky, who did not testify, was accused of abusing boys he met through Second Mile, a charity he founded for at-risk youth.
He allegedly abused them at his home, in hotels and the athletic facilities of Penn State.
Eight men aged between 18 and 28 testified during the nearly two-week trial, providing graphic details of the alleged abuse.
One witness told the court how he hid and then threw away underwear after Sandusky allegedly forced him to have anal sex, making him bleed.
In cross-examination during the trial, defence lawyer Joe Amendola pressed the accusers for further details of their allegations, as well as contacts they had with Sandusky since the alleged abuse.

At least six accusers said they told incorrect or incomplete stories in early contacts with police, while three told the court that some details only came back to them in recent years.

A former graduate assistant and key prosecution witness, Mike McQueary, told the jury he saw Sandusky standing naked behind a boy in a Penn State shower, slowly moving his hips.
Meanwhile, Sandusky's wife, Dottie, also took the stand and told the court about her husband's charitable work with children. The defence called 28 witnesses, many of whom spoke about the coach's high standing in the community.
Sandusky's arrest in November led to the firing of several Penn State officials amid accusations that the university had failed to act on reports of suspected abuse.
Two Penn State administrators are awaiting trial for failing to report the suspected abuse and lying to the grand jury.
Penn State boasts one of the proudest football traditions in the country.

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Adopted son of Jerry Sandusky alleges sex abuse

The adult adopted son of a former US college football coach on trial for child sex abuse has said through his lawyer that he was also a victim.

The claims from Matt Sandusky, 33, emerged hours after jurors went out.
Jerry Sandusky, 68, denies 48 counts of abusing 10 boys over 15 years and could spend the rest of his life in jail.
Prosecutors called the coach a "predatory paedophile", but the defence said accusers of the former Penn State assistant coach have financial motives.
Matt Sandusky's lawyer said the coach's son met prosecutors earlier this week and was prepared to testify in the trial. This is the first time he has come forward with such allegations.
"During the trial, Matt Sandusky contacted us and requested our advice and assistance in arranging a meeting with prosecutors to disclose for the first time in this case that he is a victim of Jerry Sandusky's abuse," lawyers Andrew Shubin and Justine Andronici wrote.
"At Matt's request, we immediately arranged a meeting between him and the prosecutors and investigators.
"This has been an extremely painful experience for Matt and he has asked us to convey his request that the media respect his privacy. There will be no further comment," they said.
Graphic testimony THe jury will resume deliberations on Friday morning after failing to reach a verdict during a long session well into Thursday evening.
Earlier on Thursday, Senior Deputy Attorney General Joe McGettigan told the jury during closing arguments: "What you should do is come out and say to the defendant that he molested and abused, and give them back their souls."

"He knows he did it and you know he did it. Find him guilty of everything."

But Mr Sandusky's lawyer said his client was the victim of a legal system that presumed he was guilty, and accusers who hoped to be awarded money from civil lawsuits.
"They went after him, and I submit to you they were going to get him, hell or high water, even if they had to coach witnesses," Joe Amendola said.
After several hours of deliberations the jury asked to rehear testimony from a former graduate assistant, Mike McQueary, who reported that he saw Mr Sandusky abusing a boy, and from Dr Jonathan Dranov, who testified that Mr McQueary had given him a different account of what he saw.
The judge recommended that the jury listen to the testimonies on Friday morning.
Mr Sandusky, who did not testify, is accused of abusing boys he met through Second Mile, a charity he founded for at-risk youth.
He allegedly abused them at his home, in hotels and the athletic facilities of Penn State.
Eight men aged between 18 and 28 testified during the nearly two-week trial in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, providing graphic details of the alleged abuse.
One witness told the court how he hid and then threw away underwear after Mr Sandusky allegedly forced him to have anal sex, making him bleed.
University scandal In cross-examination during the trial, defence lawyer Joe Amendola pressed the accusers for further details of their allegations, as well as contacts they had with Mr Sandusky since the alleged abuse.

At least six accusers said they told incorrect or incomplete stories in early contacts with police, while three told the court that some details only came back to them in recent years.

But Mr McQueary told the jury he saw Mr Sandusky standing naked behind a boy in a Penn State shower, slowly moving his hips.
Meanwhile, Mr Sandusky's wife, Dottie, also took the stand and told the court about her husband's charitable work with children. The defence called 28 witnesses, many of whom spoke about Mr Sandusky's high standing in the community.
Mr Sandusky's arrest in November led to the firing of several Penn State officials, including legendary football coach Joe Paterno, amid accusations that the university had failed to act on reports of suspected abuse.
University President Graham Spanier was also sacked amid the unfolding scandal.
Two other Penn State administrators are awaiting trial for failing to report the suspected abuse and lying to the grand jury.
Penn State boasts one of the proudest football traditions in the country.

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"Baseball pitcher Hideki Irabu dies, aged 42"

Baseball pitcher Hideki Irabu, who played on two World Series championship teams and was one of the first Japanese players in US baseball, has died at 42.

Irabu's death at his home near Los Angeles was being investigated as a suicide, police said.

Beginning in 1997 he pitched six seasons in the Major Leagues, including three with the New York Yankees.

He had a career record of 34 wins and 35 losses in 80 starts, and retired from Major League baseball in 2002

Born in Hyogo, Japan, Irabu was a hard-throwing right hander for the Chiba Lotte Marines in the Japanese Pacific league, when his contract was purchased by the San Diego Padres baseball team in 1997.

He said he would only play for the New York Yankees, and the San Diego club traded him. The Yankees signed him to a four-year, $12.8m (£7.83m) deal.

After a brief stint on a Yankees minor league team, he joined the Yankee's starting pitching rotation in the 1997 team. He was a starting pitcher on the Yankees' 1998 and 1999 World Series championship teams.

In 1999, Irabu angered the famously irascible Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who disparaged him about his weight and called him a fat toad.

In 2009, Irabu said he hoped to return to Japanese baseball.

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"San Francisco circumcision ban struck from ballot"

A San Francisco judge has struck a proposed male circumcision ban from a November ballot, ruling that the city cannot regulate medical procedure and citing religious freedom protections.

The ruling was applauded by opponents of the proposed ban, who attacked it as anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim.

In May, advocates of a ban gathered enough voter signatures to put the measure on the city's ballot.

They described the sacred rite for Jews and Muslims as "genital mutilation".

The measure, which qualified in May for a spot on the ballot, would have made circumcision of a minor boy punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 (£612) fine.

The US federal government already bans female circumcision.

Jewish and Muslim groups said the proposal was an assault on their ancient religious practice and likened the proposal to circumcision bans in the Soviet Union.

On Thursday, Superior Court Judge Loretta Giorgi ruled that the proposed ban violated the US constitution's guarantee of religious freedom.

She said California law gives the state, not a city, authority to regulate medical procedures.

The leader of the anti-circumcision movement, Lloyd Schofield, said he was considering an appeal.

"We will not stop until all men are protected from this damaging and harmful surgery," Mr Schofield told the Associated Press.

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"US serviceman held amid 'plot' to attack Fort Hood"

A US soldier who was absent without leave will face federal charges after guns and bomb-making materials were found in his motel room, the FBI says.

Pfc Naser Abdo, 21, was arrested in Killeen, Texas, near the Fort Hood US army base, and had been planning to target military personnel, police said.

The Muslim infantry soldier was granted conscientious objector status last year because of his religious beliefs.

Fort Hood was the scene of a gun rampage in 2009 that claimed 13 lives.

]Gun shop's concern

Mr Abdo, who is currently being held on an unrelated child pornography charge in Killeen, refused to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan from Fort Campbell military base in Kentucky before going missing, FBI agent Eric Vasys said.


The Texas native was granted conscientious objector status in May 2011 after he said his religious beliefs would prevent him fighting in any war.

Mr Abdo told police following his arrest that he had been planning to target military personnel in a future "terror plot", Killean Police Chief Dennis Baldwin said in a news conference on Thursday.

"Right now we don't have the information that he was working with someone else," Mr Baldwin added.

A statement on the Fort Hood website said Mr Abdo's discharge was "placed on hold pending disposition of charges" related to pornography.

The statement added that though Mr Abdo is "custody of civilian authorities", he could face extra charges, including for going Awol (absent without leave), "if returned to military control".

The Army private had been absent without leave since 4 July, military officials said.

Life scrutinised

Mr Abdo was arrested after police in Killeen received a call from staff at America's Best Value Inn, where he was arrested, Killeen police spokesperson Carroll Smith told the BBC.


The owner of a gun store also phoned police about a suspicious man who purchased ammunition.

A clerk at the gun store, the same place where the 2009 Fort Hood shootings suspect bought a pistol allegedly used in that attack, told the Associated Press on Thursday that he alerted police after a man bought weapons and gunpowder there this week.

Mr Abdo allegedly also visited another store and bought a military uniform.

Mr Vasys said on Thursday that firearms and "items that could be identified as bomb-making components, including gunpowder" had been removed from the soldier's room.

He added that the FBI planned to charge Mr Abdo with possessing bomb-making components on Thursday, at which time he would be transferred into federal custody.

"I would emphasise that any threat that Abdo posed is now over," Mr Vasys told the Associated Press.

He added: "Suffice it to say, we're looking into all aspects of Mr Abdo's life to determine his motivations and intentions."

On 9 November 2009, Major Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist who was due to deploy to Afghanistan, allegedly shot dead 12 soldiers and one civilian before police bullets wounded him.

Maj Hasan was officially charged in court earlier this month. He faces the death penalty if convicted.

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"Tea Party challenge looms over US debt showdown"

John Boehner, a man prone to easy tears, has a reason to cry.

For the moment at least he can't get enough votes for his own plan to deal with America's budget crisis.

It is not that it was ever the answer. But his humiliation, even if only temporary, shows how hard it will be to reach any solution.

As the Dow Jones industrial average slipped for the fifth day running, as America watches with horrified fascination, the politicians have failed even to complete the first part of this ritual.

The Republican leadership scrambled all day to persuade their own hardline conservatives to back the party's plan, and failed, at first delaying a vote and then calling it off for the night.

As I write it is not clear if there will be a vote, and when it might be.

Some newly elected Republicans don't like particular details of the Boehner plan, but others are opposed in principle to America borrowing any more money.

They dismiss suggestions that if the debt ceiling isn't raised it will trigger an economic crisis.

It's not that the Republican plan to cut spending and raise the debt ceiling stands much chance - it would almost certainly be killed off in the Senate, where the Democrats have a majority.

When that happens they would start talking about a compromise.

But when it is this hard for the Republican leaders to get Republican members to vote for a Republican plan, it underscores the power, determination and strength of the Tea Party movement.

And it starkly illustrates the huge difficultly any compromise, inevitably more flawed in the eyes of the Tea Party, will face.

Most observers expect a deal to be done at the last minute. But they may be making predictions based on past behaviour.

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"US debt: House vote on Republican spending cuts delayed"

A vote on a Republican bill to raise the US debt ceiling, cut spending and avert default has been delayed in the face of conservative resistance.

House Speaker John Boehner and Republican leaders were struggling on Thursday to convince rank and file lawmakers to vote for his bill.

The plan, however, is almost certain to fail in the Democratic-led Senate, and the White House has warned of a veto.

Congress must raise the US debt limit by a deadline of next Tuesday.

The US Treasury has warned the government will run out of money to pay all its bills unless a $14.3tn (£8.7tn) borrowing limit is increased by next Tuesday.
 
'Untenable situation'

A vote on Mr Boehner's bill was postponed for a few hours late on Thursday, as Mr Boehner and his lieutenants endeavoured to win support among rank and file conservative Republicans.

But eventually Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy announced that there would be no vote on Thursday evening.

Some Republicans - including Tea Party supporters who won House seats in 2010 are opposed raising the debt limit under any circumstance - feel the bill did not cut enough from the US budget.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid predicted that even if the bill passes in the House, it fail to pass the Senate, where Democrats and independents voting together hold 53 of 100 votes.

Republicans hold 240 of the 433 votes to be cast in the House, and need 216 of their members - plus Speaker Boehner in the event of a tie - to back the bill to pass it.

Meanwhile, International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde warned that if the debt ceiling was not increased there could be an impact on the US dollar.

"One of the consequences could be a decline of the dollar as a reserve currency and a dent in people's confidence in the dollar," she said.

Mr Boehner's plan would trim $917bn from the US budget deficit over 10 years and raise the debt limit by up to $900bn.

President Barack Obama supports another plan by top Senate Democrat Harry Reid, which would cut $2.2tn from deficits, and raise the debt ceiling by $2.7tn.

But that is thought unlikely in its current form to pass the Republican-controlled House.

The Boehner and Reid plans overlap in key ways - trimming spending over 10 years, shunning President Obama's call for tax increases on the wealthy and creating special lawmaker committees to craft future cuts.

But Mr Boehner's approach would force another debt-limit showdown during next year's presidential campaign, something Mr Obama has fiercely opposed.

Senate Majority Leader Reid's plan would see the ceiling lifted until after the November 2012 elections.

"No Democrat will vote for a short-term Band-Aid that would put our economy at risk and put the nation back in this untenable situation a few short months from now," Mr Reid said on Thursday.
 
Endgame?

Senior Republicans goaded Democrats, saying they would have to accept responsibility for the economic consequences of default if they did not pass the Republican plan.

"It's inconceivable to me that the president would actually follow through on this [veto] threat," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said on Thursday. He accused Democrats of "playing with fire".

Analysts say success in the House for the Boehner plan would lend it legitimacy, but it would not be able to pass in the Senate.

The most probable scenario is thought to be a last-minute scramble for a compromise and razor-edge votes in both chambers, with the high-stakes game of legislative brinkmanship expected to continue all weekend.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus predicted an endgame that would see lawmakers modify Mr Reid's bill to make it more appealing to Republicans.

Speaking on Thursday, White House spokesman Jay Carney said a possible compromise would involve "significant deficit reduction, a mechanism by which Congress would take on the tough issues of tax reform and entitlement reform, and a lifting of the debt ceiling beyond - into 2013, so that we do not have the cloud of uncertainty that is hanging over our economy right now".

Washington hit its debt ceiling in May, but has used accounting adjustments, as well as higher-than-expected tax receipts, to continue operating.

In recent decades, the US Congress has increased the government's borrowing authority dozens of times as a matter of routine, but this year newly elected conservative Republicans have demanded steep cuts to the budget deficit as the price of an increase.

SanDisk Cruzer 16 GB Cruzer USB 2.0 Flash Drive SDCZ36-016G-A11

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US debt: Boehner tells Republicans to 'fall in line'

Speaker John Boehner is urging Republicans in the House of Representatives to back his plan to cut the US budget and raise the debt limit.

Mr Boehner's appeal to conservative House Republicans came despite a White House veto threat and rejection from Democratic leaders in the Senate.

Wall Street suffered its worst day in two months, as fears mounted the US would fail to authorise more borrowing.

The US risks default if the debt limit is not raised by 2 August.

The federal government runs a budget deficit that topped $1.5tn (£920bn) earlier this year, and has amassed a national debt of $14.3tn.

Mr Boehner's plan would trim $917bn from the US budget deficit over 10 years and would raise the debt limit by up to $900bn.
'Get in line'

Lawmakers have been locked in weeks of bitter negotiations over raising the US borrowing limit by the deadline of 2 August.

The US treasury department has said it will no longer be able to borrow money on that date, and analysts say soon after that it will be unable to pay all of its bills.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the day down 1.59%. The broader S&P 500 index lost 2.03%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq closed down 2.65%.

In recent decades, the US Congress has increased the government's borrowing authority dozens of times as a matter of routine, but this year conservative Republicans have demanded steep cuts to the budget deficit as the price of an increase.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are holding back on a vote to pass their own plan - more than twice the size of Mr Boehner's.

But the 51 Senate Democrats and two independents who vote alongside them released a letter on Wednesday promising to vote against the Boehner plan. The White House has also said President Barack Obama's senior advisers would recommend he veto it.

Top among Democrats' objections is the fact the Boehner plan would only increase the debt limit for about six months, leaving the prospect of another all-consuming debt fight in the 2012 election year.

On Wednesday, Mr Boehner and his lieutenants met restive members of the House rank and file - including some who oppose lifting the debt limit under any circumstances - to persuade them to back his plan.

"Get your ass in line," Mr Boehner was quoted as saying.

He has promised to hold a vote on his plan on Thursday.

The Democrats' plan would cut $2.2tn from deficits over the next decade, about $500bn less than had been claimed.

It would raise the debt ceiling by $2.7tn.
No 'off-ramps'

Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has not said when his bill may reach the Senate for a vote.

At the White House on Wednesday, spokesman Jay Carney warned time was quickly running out to reach a compromise on the US debt limit.

"That deadline is hard and fast," Mr Carney said of next Tuesday's expiry date on the debt ceiling.

"People keep looking for off-ramps. They don't exist," he added.

Mr Carney criticised Mr Boehner for scheduling a vote on his plan despite the White House's express rejection.

"Why are we voting on measures that have no chance of becoming law?" he asked during a news conference.
Budget demand 'bizarro'

Mr Reid said the Boehner plan was "a big wet kiss for the right wing", and Mr Obama has said he will not sign a short-term deal.

Also, in a new twist that analysts say illustrates the discord among the Republican party, Republican Senator John McCain, the party's 2008 presidential nominee, took to the Senate floor to criticise House Republicans who continue to push for a balanced budget amendment to the US constitution as the price of raising the debt ceiling.

A balanced budget amendment - which would require the US government to hold down spending to a certain percentage of gross domestic product and run in the black - was already rejected by the Senate and by Mr Obama.

Mr McCain called the demands "foolish" and "bizarro" and said they were "deceiving many of our constituents" and blamed them on newly elected House members' inexperience.

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"'Tonne of ivory' smuggled to US"

Philadelphia art dealer 'smuggled tonne of ivory'

An art dealer has been arrested and accused of smuggling a tonne of African ivory into the US for sale at his Philadelphia store.

Victor Gordon, 68, paid a conspirator to fly to Africa, purchase raw ivory and have it carved to his specifications, prosecutors said.

The conspirator dyed the carvings in order to make them appear old before smuggling them into the US, they said.

Traffic in ivory is tightly restricted under US and international law.

"It's safe to say dozens of elephants sit before you," Edward Grace, deputy chief of law enforcement for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, told reporters in Philadelphia.

There, officials displayed for reporters intricately carved whole tusks and smaller sculptures and figurines that agents had seized from Mr Gordon's shop and from his customers.

Elephants are protected under the 1975 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Ivory more than 100 years old can be sold can be legally imported into the US.

"The amount of the elephant ivory allegedly plundered in this case is staggering and highlights the seriousness of the charged crimes," United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Loretta Lynch said.

"We all have a responsibility to protect endangered species, both for their sake and for the sake of our own future generations."

Ms Lynch's office described the seizure of the ivory in the case as one of the largest in US history.

According to an indictment filed in federal court in New York, Mr Gordon paid an unidentified co-conspirator $32,000 (£19,500) to undertake several trips to purchase "raw" ivory in central and west Africa between May 2006 and April 2009.

The co-conspirator had the ivory carved and stained to disguise its newness, then smuggled it into the US through JFK International Airport in New York.

It was then delivered to Mr Gordon's retail store in Philadelphia, according to the indictment.

In April 2009, federal fish and wildlife officers seized hundreds of ivory tusks and carvings from Mr Gordon's shop in Philadelphia.

As the investigation progressed over the next year-and-a-half, agents seized more pieces from his customers in the states of New York, Kansas, California and Missouri.

Mr Gordon was arrested on Tuesday and charged with 10 counts of violating US anti-ivory smuggling laws, including statutes aimed at protecting endangered species and enforcing the CITES.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

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'No proof of UK link to Breivik'

Norway attacks: 'No proof of UK link to Breivik'

Norway's domestic intelligence chief has told the BBC no proof has yet been found to link Anders Behring Breivik to right-wing extremists in the UK.

Mr Breivik, who admits Friday's bomb and gun attacks which killed at least 76 people, has written of meeting such groups nine years ago.

But intelligence chief Janne Kristiansen said she believed he had acted completely on his own.

Norwegian police have begun releasing names of victims.

They published four names, with more expected to follow later on Wednesday; others have been identified in Norwegian media.

The bomb in the capital Oslo targeted buildings connected to Norway's Labour government, while the mass shooting occurred at an annual Labour youth camp on a small island, Utoeya.

Mr Breivik has said he had wanted to inflict maximum damage on the party, which he accuses of failing the country on immigration, according to his lawyer.

The massacre prompted up to a quarter of a million people to take to the streets of Oslo on Monday to commemorate the victims.

A Norwegian cabinet minister, Administration and Church Affairs Minister Rigmor Aasrud, will make a symbolic return on Wednesday to her bomb-damaged office, Reuters news agency reports.

'Calculating and evil'

"I can tell you, at this moment in time, we don't have evidence or we don't have indications that he has been part of a broader movement or that he has been in connection with other cells or that there are other cells," said Ms Kristiansen, who heads the Norwegian Police Security Service.

She said she did not think Mr Breivik was insane, as his lawyer has suggested.

Instead, she described him as calculating and evil, and someone who sought the limelight.

The lawyer, Geir Lippestad, said it was too early to say if his client would plead insanity at his trial, even though "this whole case indicated that he is insane".

"He believes that he's in a war and he believes that when you're in a war you can do things like that without pleading guilty," Mr Lippestad told reporters.

Norwegian police have defended the fact that it took armed units an hour and a half to reach Utoeya after the shooting began.

"I don't think we think we could have done this faster," Police Chief of Staff Johan Fredriksen said in Oslo.

Daily name release

The names and addresses of four victims were published on Tuesday on the Norwegian police's website.


They were listed as Gunnar Linaker, 23; Tove Ashill Knutsen, 56; Hanna M Orvik Endresen, 61; and Kai Hauge, 32.

It is also known that Crown Princess Mette-Marit's stepbrother, Trond Berntsen, an off-duty police officer, was among those killed at the youth camp, as was Tore Eikeland, 21, who was named by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg at a memorial service on Sunday.

Police chief Sveinung Sponheim said names would continue to be released at 1800 local time (1600 GMT) each day until all the victims had been identified and all relatives informed.

Mr Breivik, an anti-Muslim extremist, is facing terrorism charges and police are considering also charging him with crimes against humanity, which carry a possible 30-year sentence, a prosecutor has said.

He appeared in court on Monday to face charges of destabilising vital functions of society, including government, and causing serious fear in the population.

He accepted responsibility for the attacks but denied the terrorism charges, and was remanded in custody for eight weeks, the first four in full isolation and on suicide watch.

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"Boehner debt plan falters as Obama considers veto"

The White House has warned that President Obama could veto a debt limit plan proposed by top House Republicans.

Meanwhile, Speaker John Boehner's plan to trim public spending and raise the limit met with resistance from rank-and-file members of his own party.

A House of Representatives vote on the plan was delayed from Wednesday after doubts arose over the cuts it proposed.

Washington remains deadlocked as a deadline to increase the government's borrowing authority looms on 2 August.

The US runs a budget deficit that topped $1.5tn (£920bn) this year, and has amassed a national debt of $14.3tn.

The government's authority to borrow more money has expired, and the US risks a first-ever default on its debt obligations if congressional and White House negotiators are unable to agree on a plan to increase the debt limit by 2 August.

The debt limit has been raised dozens of times in recent decades, mostly without partisan debate.

This year, though, conservative Republicans refused to allow an increase unaccompanied by dramatic cuts to the US budget deficit.
 
House of scorecards

The latest round of bargaining began on Monday when Mr Boehner and Senate Democrats offered competing plans to raise the debt limit and cut spending.

 The plans differed in size and scope, and neither would raise new tax revenue - in recognition of Republicans' intransigence on that point.

Mr Boehner's plan would also require another debt limit agreement in about six months, something Mr Obama has publicly declared he will not accept.

On Tuesday, the White House budget office said in a statement that the Obama administration "strongly opposes" Mr Boehner's plan, adding that if it is presented to Mr Obama "the president's senior advisors would recommend that he veto this bill".

Mr Boehner was forced to rewrite his plan after the Congressional Budget Office, the official non-partisan score-keeper in fiscal legislation, said it would generate less than the $1.2tn (£730bn) in budget savings he had initially announced.

It was also slow to win support from rank-and-file Republicans in the House of Representatives, who have been pushing for steeper cuts.

Reports on Tuesday night said the legislation, scheduled for debate in the House on Wednesday, would now not make it to the floor until Thursday.

In prime-time back-to-back TV addresses on Monday evening, Mr Obama and Mr Boehner accused each other of intransigence on the debt issue.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Boehner said: "I think I made it pretty clear last night: the president's looking for a blank cheque."

"It's reasonable," Mr Boehner said of his plan. "It's responsible. It can pass the House, and it can pass the Senate."

He called on members of both parties to consider supporting what he called his "common sense plan... to put America's fiscal house back in order" when it arrived on the floor of the House on Wednesday.

The Republican majority leader in the House of Representatives, Eric Cantor, said of Mr Obama's speech on Monday night: "There was no evidence that he has a plan. He doesn't like our plan, but he has not put a plan forward yet.

"The president spent a lot of time talking about millionaires, billionaires, corporate jet owners, things that have nothing to do with the debate right now."
 
'Playing chicken'

In the Senate on Tuesday, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid challenged Republicans to back his own plan - a no-taxes, government-cuts proposal to trim $2.7tn over a decade.

 It would protect social programmes for the poor and elderly and a public pension programme - all popular among Democrats, while not raising new tax revenue.

The 10-year plan includes $1.2tn in cuts to defence and other discretionary spending and $1tn in savings from winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Later on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney accused the Republicans of trying "to play chicken with our economy". He said Mr Reid's plan was a much better option because it "represents compromise".

"The United States hit its debt limit in May, and since May the treasury secretary... has exercised all the wiggle room available to him and that runs out on 2 August," Mr Carney said.

He added: "It's whistling past the graveyard to suggest that it's some sort of game and the risks aren't enormous, because they are."

If the debt ceiling is not raised, the US Treasury could run out of money to pay all of its bills - which could lead to interest rate rises, threaten the US economy and in turn the global recovery.

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"Canada's Jack Layton takes leave to fight cancer"

Canada's opposition leader Jack Layton is stepping down temporarily to focus on his battle against cancer.

The 61-year-old politician was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009 but announced on Monday that he had another cancer elsewhere.

Mr Layton said that he was determined to return to the political front line.

Analysts say his leadership of Canada's left-leaning New Democratic Party over the past eight years has made it a truly national force.

The party won official opposition status for the first time in its 50-year history earlier this year.

"On the advice of my doctors, I am going to focus on treatment and recovery. I will therefore be taking a temporary leave of absence as leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada," said Mr Layton.

Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement wishing Mr Layton a speedy and successful recovery.

Analysts say Mr Layton is a resilient and effective politician who has continually challenged Stephen Harper's Conservative government, blaming it for shortfalls in the Canadian economy.

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"Debt limit: Obama blames House Republicans for impasse"

US President Barack Obama has blamed conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives for the lack of a deal to avoid a US national default.

At the White House, Mr Obama said the steep budget cuts Republicans insisted on as the price of an increase in the debt limit would do economic harm.

He called for an approach that would raise taxes on wealthy Americans.

The US risks default on its $14.3tn (£8.7tn) debt without a deal to raise the borrowing limit by 2 August.

"Republican House members have essentially said that the only way they'll vote to prevent America's first-ever default is if the rest of us agree to their deep, spending cuts-only approach," Mr Obama said in a nationally-televised address.

The US government runs an annual budget deficit that topped $1.5tr (£920bn) this year, and has amassed a national debt of $14.3tn.
'Balanced approach'

Votes to raise the US debt limit have historically been a matter of routine in the US Congress, but this year, Republicans - buoyed by a newly elected crop of fiscal conservatives - have refused to agree to a debt increase without significant reductions in the budget deficit.

In the negotiations, the chief sticking points are Republican resistence to raising new tax revenue and Democrats' desire to protect social programmes for the poor and elderly and a public pension scheme.

On Monday night, Mr Obama said he and Republican House Speaker John Boehner, who made a rebuttal address shortly after Mr Obama, had worked in recent weeks to craft an agreement.

That deal would have trimmed $4tn (£2.5tn) from the deficit over ten years, in a mixture of spending cuts and tax increases on the wealthy and on corporations, Mr Obama's.

But he was sharply critical of Republican members of the House of Representatives, many of whom are strongly resisting any package that includes tax rises.

"The only reason this balanced approach isn't on its way to becoming law right now is because a significant number of Republicans in Congress are insisting on a cuts-only approach," Mr Obama said.

That approach, he added "doesn't ask the wealthiest Americans or biggest corporations to contribute anything at all."

He said: "Most Americans, regardless of political party, don't understand how we can ask a senior citizen to pay more for her Medicare before we ask corporate jet owners and oil companies to give up tax breaks that other companies don't get."
Concern over jobs

Responding to the president immediately after his speech, Mr Boehner said Mr Obama had requested a "blank cheque", and insisted the US government's "spending binge" was over.

"The president has often said we need a 'balanced' approach - which in Washington means: we spend more... you pay more. Having run a small business, I know those tax increases will destroy jobs."

Mr Boehner agreed the US "cannot default on its debt obligations", but showed no indication he or his Republican caucus were willing to compromise on tax increases.

And he called on Democrats to approve House Republican proposals.

The president and Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate have been negotiating for weeks over legislation to raise the debt ceiling and cut the nation's budget deficit.

The talks have broken down several times. In order to become law, any plan would require agreement from disparate factions within both parties and to pass both chambers of Congress.

In Monday's latest round of bargaining, Senate Democrats introduced a plan that would trim $2.7tn (£1.66tn) over a decade.

The plan would protect social programmes for the poor and elderly and a public pension programme - all popular among Democrats. It would not raise new tax revenue.

House Republicans, meanwhile, unveiled their own plan that included $1.2tn (£736tn) in cuts, caps on future spending, and offered a $1tn debt ceiling increase - not enough to last through the 2012 election.

In his White House address later, Mr Obama firmly rejected the Republican plan, in part because it would require another round of debt limit wrangling in six months.

"We know what we have to do to reduce our deficits," he said. "There's no point in putting the economy at risk by kicking the can further down the road."

He endorsed the Senate Democrats' plan as "a much better path", though one that would fall short of his goals to reform the tax system and social programmes.

If the debt ceiling is not raised, the US Treasury could run out of money to pay all of its bills - which could lead to interest rate rises, threaten the US economy and in turn the global recovery.

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"Clashes at Egypt demonstrations for political change"

Egyptian security forces have fired tear gas to disperse pro-reform protesters who clashed with groups loyal to the ruling military council.

Demonstrators were marching to Cairo's defence ministry on Saturday when, witnesses say, they were pelted with rocks, stones and bottles by loyalists.

It was the second time in two days that crowds had attempted to march on the headquarters of the military council.

The protests came despite a pledge by the council's chief to build democracy.

In a rare public address, Egypt's military leader Field Marshall Tantawi had tried to defuse the situation.

He praised the youth who led February's uprising against then-President Hosni Mubarak, and pledged to build a democratic state which promoted freedom and the rights of citizens.

Field Marshall Tantawi said he would "pave the way for the pillars of a democratic state, which promotes freedom, the rights of citizens through free and fair parliamentary elections, a new constitution and the election of a president chosen by the people".

But the ruling military council, in a statement on its Facebook page, also accused protesters of trying to drive a wedge between the army and the people.

The army then blockaded the road with barbed wire and armoured personnel carriers and fired shots into the air.

Demonstrators said the march was a protest against the violent response of the military to another demonstration in Alexandria on Friday calling for political reform.

On Thursday Egypt's new cabinet was sworn in, the second reshuffle since February's convulsions that overthrew President Mubarak.

But protesters camped out in Cairo's Tahrir Square have kept up the pressure, and the military council is a target of the protesters' ire.

They accuse the council of failing to take radical enough action against Mr Mubarak and members of his deposed regime, and are demanding faster political and economic reforms.

The confrontation has been brewing for weeks, even perhaps since Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February, says the BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo.

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"China: Dozens die as bullet trains collide in Zhejiang"

At least 35 people have died and more than 200 are hurt after two high-speed trains crashed into each other in eastern China, state media reports.

Two train coaches fell off a bridge after derailing close to Wenzhou in Zhejiang province.

Chinese media report that one of the trains came to a halt after being struck by lightning and was then hit by the second train.

Rescue workers are at the scene, near Shuangyu town in Wenzhou.

It is not known how many people were on the trains at the time, but Xinhua news agency says each carriage can carry 100 people.

Initial reports suggested one bullet train had derailed at about 2030 (1230 GMT) - the D3115 travelling from the provincial capital Hangzhou.

But local television later said the first train had been forced to stop after losing power due to a lightning strike, and was then rear-ended by another train, the D301, causing two of its carriages to fall off an elevated section of track.


TV pictures showed one carriage lying on its side under the bridge, and the other standing on its end leaning up against the bridge. There were reports that four carriages from the other train had also derailed, but it is not known if that led to further casualties.

"D" trains are the first generation of bullet trains in China, with an average speed of just short of 100mph (160km/h).

"The train suddenly shook violently, casting luggage all around," one survivor, Liu Hongtao, was quoted by Xinhua as saying. "Passengers cried for help but no crew responded."

China is spending billions on constructing a high-speed rail network.

Last month China inaugurated its Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail link. The 300 km/h (190mph) train halves the journey time to under five hours.

But the project has come under fire for its high cost - the Beijing-Shanghai line cost 215bn yuan ($33bn; £21bn). It has also been blighted by power outages and other problems.

China is planning to roll out high-speed lines across the country.

The BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing says there are also fears corruption has compromised safety in the network's construction.

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