Obama announces US deficit deal between party leaders

He said the deal would cut $1tn of spending over 10 years, and set up a committee to report by November on a proposal to further reduce the deficit.US President Barack Obama says Republican and Democratic leaders have reached an agreement on raising the US debt limit and avoiding default.But Congress still has to approve the deal, and no votes are expected until Monday at the earliest."I want to announce that the leaders of both parties in both chambers have reached an agreement that will reduce the deficit and avoid default, a default that would have had a devastating effect on our economy," Mr Obama said.The parties face a Tuesday deadline to raise the $14.3tn (£8.7tn) debt limit.Democrats and Republicans in Washington have been deadlocked over finding a plan on how to cut spending and raise the debt limit as the Tuesday deadline approaches.The US president said it was not the deal he would have preferred, but noted that the compromise plan would make a "serious downpayment" on the US deficit.

US Republicans confident about deal on US debt limit

Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said there was "a level of seriousness with the right people at the table".Republican leaders have expressed confidence that a deal can be struck to raise the nation's debt limit before Tuesday, and avert possible default.In a sign of the level of anxiety over the issue, troops in Afghanistan asked Adm Mike Mullen if they would be paid.Senior Senate Democrat Richard Durban spoke of "a more positive feeling".The admiral, who as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is on a visit to southern Afghanistan, said he did not know whether that would be the case if the US fails to raise the $14.3tn (£8.7tn) limit by 2 August.Democrats and Republicans have so far rejected each others' proposals for cutting spending and raising the debt limit.Late on Saturday, Mr Reid said he was postponing a planned procedural vote on his bill in the Senate.President Barack Obama backs Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's proposal, which would cut $2.2tn from deficits and raise the debt ceiling by $2.7tn, meaning the issue would not have to be revisited until after the 2012 elections.

Plane from New York crashes at Guyana airport

The Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737-800 flight BW-523 from New York had 163 people aboard.A plane has crashed and broken in two on landing at Guyana's main airport in the capital, Georgetown, causing injuries but no deaths.The plane apparently overshot the runway at Cheddi Jagan International Airport during wet weather.Guyana's president said it halted near a 200-foot (61-metre) ravine that could have resulted in dozens of deaths."We are very, very grateful that more people were not injured," Bharrat Jagdeo added, quoted by AP news agency.The airport was due to re-open at 1000 local time (1400 GMT).A woman quoted by Guyana's Kaieteur News service described hearing a loud sound when it landed in Guyana, and said everyone began screaming."It was terror," she said. "I was praying to Jesus."The plane had made a stop in Trinidad en route from New York.
Rescuers struggled in the dark to free other passengers from the wreckage.One woman described how a taxi driver got to the scene before the emergency services and charged her to be driven back to the terminal.Her husband opened the emergency door and passengers began escaping, she added.There were 157 passengers and six crew on board, it said.The accident occurred at 0132 local time, according to a statement from Caribbean Airlines.They are being treated in hospital in Georgetown.Caribbean Airlines, which is majority-owned by Trinidad and Tobago with Jamaica holding a minority stake, does not have a history of serious safety problems.Health Minister Leslie Ramsammy told the French news agency AFP one person had suffered a broken leg and several others sustained minor bruises.

Libyan rebel commander Abdel Fattah Younes killed

NTC head Mustafa Abdul-Jalil said Gen Abdel Fattah Younes was killed by assailants, and the head of the group responsible had been arrested.The military commander of the Libyan rebels fighting to topple Col Muammar Gaddafi has been killed, the rebel National Transitional Council says.Reports said Gen Younes was suspected of ties to pro-Gaddafi forces.Two aides to Gen Younes, Col Muhammad Khamis and Nasir al-Madhkur, were also killed in the attack, Mr Jalil said, adding that there would be three days of mourning in their honour.He said Gen Younes was summoned for questioning about military operations, but never made it to the meeting.Gen Younes is a former Libyan interior minister who defected to the rebel side in February. He was also part of the group that helped bring Col Gaddafi to power in 1969.The exact circumstances of the killings were unclear, and Mr Jalil did not say directly that the assailants were allied with Col Gaddafi.Shortly after the announcement of Gen Younes' death, gunmen entered the grounds of the hotel in the eastern city of Benghazi where Mr Jalil was speaking, reportedly firing into the air before being convinced to leave.

Some unconfirmed reports said Gen Younes and two aides had been arrested earlier on Thursday near Libya's eastern front.

Libya condemns UK for recognising rebels as sole power

Khaled Kaim, deputy foreign minister in Muammar Gaddafi's government, told reporters the decision was unprecedented and irresponsible.Tripoli has condemned the UK for recognising the rebels as Libya's "sole governmental authority" after similar moves by France and the US.Libya would seek to reverse the decision through the courts, he said.Britain has ordered the expulsion of all eight remaining Gaddafi diplomats in the UK.The rebel leadership, the National Transitional Council (NTC), has put forward Mahmud al-Naku, a writer and journalist, as the new Libyan ambassador in London.Foreign Secretary William Hague said the NTC had shown its commitment to a "more open and democratic Libya... in stark contrast to Gaddafi whose brutality against the Libyan people [had] stripped him of all legitimacy".The green flag of the Gaddafi government was still flying outside the Libyan embassy in Knightsbridge on Wednesday afternoon as protesters carrying the red, green and black flag of the rebels gathered outside.Folllowing the US decision to recognise the NTC two weeks ago, the BBC has been told the US has now received an "official request" from the rebels to reopen the Libyan embassy in Washington.He told the BBC he has been in exile for 33 years because of his opposition to the Gaddafi regime.

Norway attacks: Police publish names of terror victims

Norway's police have published the names of four of the 76 victims of Friday's mass killings in Norway carried out by Anders Behring Breivik.They include three people killed in the Oslo car bomb and a 23-year-old man who died on a nearby island where Mr Breivik went on a shooting spree.The names of the four victims - Gunnar Linaker, 23; Tove Ashill Knutsen, 56; Hanna M Orvik Endresen, 61; and Kai Hauge, 32 - and where they lived were published on the Norwegian police's website.The bomb in Oslo targeted buildings connected to Norway's Labour government, and the youth camp on Utoeya island was run by the party."I don't think we think we could have done this faster," Police Chief of Staff Johan Fredriksen told journalists in Oslo.It was an hour-and-a-half before an armed unit reached Utoeya island after the shooting began.Meanwhile, the police have defended their handling of the attacks.Gunnar Linaker's father, from Bardu in northern Norway, told the Associated Press news agency that he had been on the phone to his son when the shooting started."He said to me: 'Dad, dad, someone is shooting,' and then he hung up," Roald Linaker said.Besides the names listed by police, it is known that Crown Princess Mette-Marit's stepbrother, Trond Berntsen, an off-duty police officer, was among those killed at the youth camp.Twenty-one-year-old Tore Eikeland was also named by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg at a memorial service on Sunday as one of those who died on Utoeya island.

Police chief Sveinung Sponheim said names would continue to be released at 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT) each day until all the victims had been identified and all relatives informed.

Mass rallies for Norway victims

Police have reduced the death toll of the massacre at an island youth camp and bombing in Oslo from 93 to 76.Earlier Mr Breivik appeared in court, accepting responsibility for the attacks but denying terrorism charges.Crown Prince Haakon told 100,000 people gathered in Oslo that "tonight the streets are filled with love".Torchlit processions have been held in towns and cities across Norway to remember the victims of Friday's twin attacks by Anders Behring Breivik.Scores of thousands of Norwegians poured on to the streets of the capital in the early evening, many of them raising up flowers in memory of the eight people killed in the Oslo blast and 68 now known to have died on the island of Utoeya.Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg also addressed crowds in Oslo saying: "By taking part, you are saying a resounding 'yes' to democracy."Thousands of candles flickered, many people carried flowers, sang hymns and hugged each other.He said this was a "march for democracy, a march for tolerance, a march for unity", adding: "Evil can kill a person but never conquer a people."The streets of central Oslo had been closed to accommodate the masses.Crown Prince Haakon said: "Those who were in the government district and on Utoeya were targets for terror. But it has affected us all."A short commemorative concert was held, after which the crowd sang the anti-Nazi hymn "For Youth".One of those attending the rally, Jonas Waerstad, told Reuters: "We are a small society and I think that makes everyone feel affected, whether directly involved or not."

Norway gunman faces court hearing

"He wished to attack society and the structure of society."His lawyer Geir Lippestad told Norwegian media on Sunday: "He thought it was gruesome having to commit these acts, but in his head they were necessary.Police said that while Mr Breivik admitted to the killings, he had not accepted criminal responsibility for them.He has said he will explain his actions to the court. A judge will make the final decision about whether the court hearing should be open.But thousands of people have written on social networking sites, saying that he should not be allowed to have a platform for his views.Mr Breivik will appear at the hearing an hour later. It is not clear if the session will be open or closed to the public.The country will observe a minute's silence for the victims at 1200 local time (1000 GMT).He is said to be linked to far right, anti-Islamic organisations, and to have spent years planning the operation.Anders Behring Breivik, 32, admits carrying out a massacre on an island youth camp and a bombing in the capital Oslo in which at least 93 people died.Under current law he faces a maximum of 21 years in jail. He has described the attacks as "gruesome but necessary".The man blamed for Friday's twin terror attacks in Norway is due to make his first appearance in court.

Norway suspect 'admits attacks

Anders Behring Breivik, 32, described his actions as "gruesome but necessary", and said he would explain himself at a court hearing on Monday.Police have also said another person may have been involved in Friday's attacks, which happened within hours of each other.In Oslo police said the death toll could rise further as bodies or body parts were in buildings damaged by the bomb but still too unstable to search.Four people from the island camp shooting are yet to be found; it is thought some may have drowned after swimming out into the lake to escape the hail of bullets.At least 85 people died when a gunman ran amok on Utoeya island on Friday, hours after an Oslo bomb killed seven.As Norway mourned the victims, police continued to search for the missing.The man accused of a massacre at a youth camp in Norway and a bombing in the capital, Oslo, has admitted responsibility, his lawyer says."He thought it was gruesome having to commit these acts, but in his head they were necessary," Mr Breivik's lawyer Geir Lippestad told Norwegian media.He added that the actions had been planned for some time.The suspect is reported to have had links with right-wing extremists.A 1,500-page document written in English and said to be by Mr Breivik - posted under the pseudonym of Andrew Berwick -was also put online hours before the attacks, suggesting they had been years in the planning.Still pictures of him, wearing a wetsuit and carrying an automatic weapon, appeared in a 12-minute anti-Muslim video called Knights Templar 2083, which appeared briefly on YouTube.

Mr Breivik has been charged with committing acts of terrorism, and is due to appear in court on Monday when judges will decide whether he should be detained as the investigation continues.

'Eighty dead' in Norway shooting

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but the suspect is reported by local media to have had links with right-wing extremists.The Oslo bomb attack killed at least seven people. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, whose offices were among those badly hit by the blast, described the attacks as "bloody and cowardly".Earlier, the number of dead from the island shooting spree, which is among the world's most deadly, was put at 10.The man was arrested on tiny Utoeya island outside Oslo, where police say he opened fire on teenagers.Oslo police are questioning a 32-year-old Norwegian man in connection with Friday's attacks.At least 80 people died when a gunman opened fire at an island youth camp in Norway, hours after a bomb attack on the capital, Oslo, police say.Hundreds of young people were attending the summer camp organised by the ruling Labour Party on Utoeya island.
Some of the teenagers were shot at as they tried to swim to safety; police say they discovered many more victims after searching the area around the island."It goes without saying that this gives dimensions to this incident that are exceptional," police director Oystein Maeland is quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.Eyewitnesses described how a tall, blonde man dressed as a policeman opened fire indiscriminately, prompting camp attendees to jump into the water to try and escape the hail of bullets.Police warned the death toll may rise further as rescue teams continued to scour the waters around the island."The country has no finer youth than young people who go for a summer camp doing politics, doing discussions, doing training, doing football, and then they experience this absolutely horrendous act of violence," he said.Mr Stoltenberg had been due to visit the camp on Saturday. Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store, who visited the camp on Thursday, praised those who were attending."He first shot people on the island. Afterward he started shooting people in the water," youth camp delegate Elise told the Associated Press news agency.One 15-year-old eyewitness described how she saw what she thought was a police officer open fire."He asked people to gather round and then he started shooting, so these young people fled into the bushes and woods and some even swam off the island to get to safety.""He travelled on the ferry boat from the mainland over to that little inland island posing as a police officer, saying he was there to do research in connection with the bomb blasts," NRK journalist Ole Torp told the BBC.The gunman is reported to have been armed with a handgun, an automatic weapon and a shotgun.

Eurozone agrees new 109bn euros Greek bailout

The deal, struck at an emergency summit of the Eurozone's 17 member countries, also involves support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).For the first time, private lenders, including banks, are also pledging support which will give Greece easier repayment terms.French President Nicolas Sarkozy said private lenders will contribute a total of 135bn euros over 30 years to Greece."And this in the end of course will mean not only the funding of a programme but it will also mean the lightening of the burden on the Greek people."The Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, welcomed the deal: "We now have a programme and a package of decisions which create... a sustainable debt management for Greece.Banks and other private investors will contribute 37bn euros to the package.Leaders of the Eurozone countries have agreed a new bailout package for Greece worth 109bn euros ($155bn, £96.3bn).

Phone hacking: Scotland Yard boosts probe team

The law firm had said it was being prevented from responding to "inaccurate" comments made by News International chairman James Murdoch because the company would not allow it breach its duty of client confidentiality.News International has said a May 2007 letter from the firm had made it believe that hacking was a "matter of the past" and confined to a single rogue reporter.During Wednesday's House of Commons debate on the phone-hacking scandal, MPs called on News International to publish the full exchanges about e-mails examined by the legal firm.Earlier, the Met was accused by MPs of a "catalogue of failures" in the News of the World phone-hacking inquiry.Meanwhile, News of the World owner News International said it had authorised law firm Harbottle & Lewis to answer any questions from Scotland Yard and the Commons home affairs committee about its work for the company.Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers said the move came after a "significant increase in the workload" over the past fortnight.She said there had been a "surge of inquiries and requests for assistance from the public and solicitors".

The police team investigating phone hacking has been boosted from 45 to 60 officers, Scotland Yard has said.

Florida teen Tyler Hadley 'killed parents, threw party

The accused made his first court appearance via videolink from jail on Tuesday as police continued to gather evidence from the crime scene at the family home in the city of Port St Lucie.A motive for his alleged actions remains unclear.He has been charged as an adult, but would be ineligible for the death penalty due to his age.Tyler Hadley, 17, allegedly killed Blake and Mary-Jo Hadley on Saturday before locking their bodies in a bedroom and inviting guests round.A teenager in the US state of Florida, accused of bludgeoning his parents to death with a hammer then throwing a party, has appeared in court.Neighbours told US media the accused used to play basketball with his father in their driveway, and football with other children in the neighbourhood.Tom Bakkedahl, a prosecutor who saw the parents' bodies, told the Associated Press news agency: "It's absolutely horrific. The injuries were just massive."Mr Bakkedahl said although the accused has been charged with with second-degree murder, a grand jury would probably opt for more serious charges.Prosecutors say the accused posted on Facebook at about 1315 on Saturday that he would be hosting a party at his house that night.Sometime afterwards it is alleged, Mr and Mrs Hadley were attacked in the home, their bodies were moved into a bedroom and the door was locked.Dozens of guests showed up at the house on Saturday night for the party, and police were called in the early hours after a noise complaint from a neighbour.

NoW phone-hacking whistle-blower Sean Hoare found dead

News International said it was "aware" of what was happening but made no further comment.Visitors to the Sun website were redirected to the group's Twitter page.A group of hackers called Lulz Security, which has previously targeted games companies and US government websites, claimed responsibility via Twitter.At first it redirected readers to a hoax story which said Rupert Murdoch has been found dead in his garden.A police spokesman said the death was currently being treated as unexplained, but was not thought to be suspicious.Meanwhile, computer hackers have tampered with the website of News International-owned The Sun's website.Sean Hoare told the New York Times the practice was far more extensive than the paper acknowledged when police first investigated hacking claims.

A former News of the World journalist who made phone-hacking allegations against the paper has been found dead.

Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson quits

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson has resigned following the phone hacking scandal.Britain's most senior police officer has faced criticism for hiring former News of the World executive Neil Wallis - who was questioned by police investigating hacking - as an adviser.Earlier, she said she would address MPs on Monday about her "concerns" over the closeness of the relationship between News International and police.She said: "Sir Paul has led the force through difficult times and although current circumstances show that there are still serious issues to be addressed, I believe that the force is operationally stronger today now than it was when he took over."He also said he had no knowledge of the extent of the phone hacking.Home Secretary Theresa May said she was "sorry" he had resigned and thanked him for all the work he had done during his time in office.He said there were lessons to be learned from the affair, but he was leaving with his integrity intact.Sir Paul said his links to the journalist could hamper investigations.

Somalia drought: UN delivers aid to Islamist areas

Andrew Mitchell is touring the huge Dadaab camp in north-eastern Kenya to see the scale of the crisis caused by the drought, the Horn of Africa's worst in 60 years which is estimated to be affecting some 10 million people.But the UK's overseas aid minister told the BBC the UK would not deal with al-Shabab, which controls much of Somalia.It comes as the UK pledged £52.25m ($84m) in emergency drought aid.Unicef airlifted food and medicine to malnourished children to the central town of Baidoa, more than 200km (about 125 miles) north-west of the capital, Mogadishu.Ms Chorlton, the Unicef representative for Somalia, said al-Shabab had assured the agency it could operate without undue interference.UN children organisation's Rozanne Chorlton said al-Shabab had given UN workers unhindered access and hoped this would encourage other agencies.Al-Shabab, which rules over large swathes of south and central Somalia, had imposed a ban on foreign aid agencies in its territories two years ago, accusing them of being anti-Muslim. It lifted the ban 10 days ago as long as groups had "no hidden agenda".
Unicef paid no fees to al-Shabab, and that the success of the mission meant it would be repeated in the near future, she added."They gave assurances that our access for humanitarian purposes would be unhindered and that we would be able to reach the people who need support most," Ms Chorlton told the BBC.

News Corp's Les Hinton resigns amid phone-hack scandal

Mr Murdoch will apologise for "serious wrongdoings" by the News of the World, in full-page advertisements signed by him, in Britain's main national newspapers on Saturday.Mr Hinton led News International from 1995-2007, when the UK's News of the World was hacking phones.Rebekah Brooks - chief executive of the media group's UK newspaper arm, News International - also quit on Friday.Mr Hinton was chief executive of Dow Jones, publisher of the Wall Street Journal. Mr Murdoch said the resignation brought him "much sadness".Les Hinton, one of the top executives of Rupert Murdoch's embattled News Corporation media empire, has quit.Mr Hinton worked for News Corp for more than half a century after joining Mr Murdoch's business as a cub reporter with the Adelaide News in Australia.In a statement, Mr Hinton said: "I have watched with sorrow from New York as the News of the World story has unfolded.At the Wall Street Journal, news of Mr Hinton's sudden departure was reportedly greeted by gasps from stunned staff.Mr Murdoch shut down the 168-year-old Sunday tabloid last week in response to the phone-hacking scandal, with the loss of 200 jobs."That I was ignorant of what apparently happened is irrelevant and in the circumstances I feel it is proper for me to resign from News Corp, and apologise to those hurt by the actions of the News of the World."

FBI to open 9/11 victims 'phone-hacking' investigation

The criminal probe follows calls from a growing number of senators and a senior Republican for an investigation.In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mr Murdoch defended the company's handling of the crisis.Meanwhile, Mr Murdoch and his son James have agreed to answer UK MPs' questions on the hacking scandal next week.The Commons media committee issued summonses after the pair initially declined to appear.The FBI is investigating reports that Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation sought to hack the phones of victims of the 9/11 attacks.Also in London on Thursday, a former News of the World executive editor, Neil Wallis, became the ninth person involved with the newspaper to be detained by police probing phone hacking.The Murdoch-owned Sunday tabloid was shut down last week amid the mounting scandal over the alleged hacking of phones belonging to crime victims, politicians and celebrities.FBI sources told US media on Thursday it was looking into claims that phones belonging to victims of the September 11 attacks could have been hacked by News of the World journalists.News Corporation, based in New York, is the parent company of News International, the UK firm at the centre of the scandal over phone hacking and payments to police officers.
US senators this week asked the authorities to investigate allegations that 9/11 victims' phones were hacked. News International has not commented on the claims.The fallout prompted News Corporation on Wednesday to withdraw from a huge takeover bid for the UK's largest pay-TV operator, BSkyB.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has set up a judge-led inquiry into the allegations.

Explosions shake India's financial hub

The attacks are the deadliest in Mumbai since November 2008 when 10 gunmen launched a three-day co-ordinated raid in which 166 people were killed.Police sources were reported as saying the explosions were caused by home-made bombs.One explosion was reported in the Zaveri Bazaar, another in the Opera House business district and a third in Dadar district in the city centre.He called the explosions, during Mumbai's busy evening rush-hour, "a co-ordinated attack by terrorists".Twenty-one people were killed and 113 injured, said Maharashtra state's Chief Minister, Prithviraj Chavan.Three near-simultaneous explosions have shaken India's commercial capital Mumbai (Bombay), police say.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh denounced the bombings and appealed to Mumbai residents "to remain calm and show a united face".US President Barack Obama strongly condemned the "outrageous" attacks, and offered "support to India's efforts to bring the perpetrators of these terrible crimes to justice."

Three blasts in Mumbai, two dead, 100 injured

In a seemingly coordinated attack, three explosions took place in Mumbai on Wednesday between 6.30 and 7 in the evening - two in South Mumbai at Opera House and in Zaveri Bazar and one at Dadar West, in central Mumbai. The Home Ministry has confirmed a terrorist attack and Mumbai is on high alert.
Union Home Secretary R K Singh said atleast two people have been killed and about 100 injured in the three explosions.
Mumbai Police sources say the Indian Mujahideen (IM) is suspected to be behind the attack. In Delhi, Home Ministry sources too say that the hand of the IM working closely with the Lashkar-e-Taiba is suspected.
Two members of the IM were arrested in Maharashtra yesterday by the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad.  However, sources confirm there was no intelligence alert or input that warned of today's terror attack. (Read)

The largest number of injured are at Zaveri Bazaar, where the blast took place in the crowded Kahu Gali, a street of eateries. (Watch: Eyewitness accounts of the blast in Zaveri Bazaar)
All blasts took place during rush hour and in crowded places. The Dadar West explosion took place in a car . A police officer said the Zaveri Bazaar blast may have been triggered in a meter box. The Opera House blast took place at Prasad Chamber.
Dadar, a middle class area also houses the Shiv Sena Bhawan and the famous Shivaji Park. The Home Ministry has said that Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were used.(Read: Find out who is behind the blasts, Shiv Sena tells Govt)
There are also unconfirmed reports of an unexploded bomb being found in Dadar.

US First Lady Betty Ford's funeral held

Mrs Ford, known for her work on drug and alcohol treatment and considered one of the most visible first ladies in US history, died on Friday at age 93.She was married to late President Gerald Ford, who succeeded Richard Nixon in 1974.The public funeral is being held at a desert church in southern California.Former occupants of the White House and other US dignitaries have gathered at a California church to honour late US First Lady Betty Ford.Also in attendance was Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was first lady from 1993 to 2000.Mrs Ford met and married her first husband, William Warren, in 1942 but divorced after five years.After studying dance at Bennington College in Vermont, she moved to New York City at the age of 21 to work as a dancer and model before heading back to the mid-western US two years later.Mrs Ford was born Elizabeth Anne Bloomer in Chicago in the state of Illinois in 1918 and grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as one of three children.She was also outspoken on women's rights issues.She was best known for her work on substance and alcohol abuse, including founding the Betty Ford Center for drug and alcohol rehabilitation in Rancho Mirage, California, a facility where tens of thousands of addicts have been treated.Mrs Ford's family is to hold a second funeral for her in Michigan on Thursday.

Among the mourners on Tuesday were First Lady Michelle Obama, former President George Bush, former first ladies Nancy Reagan and Rosalynn Carter and former California First Lady Maria Shriver.

Syria: Assad no longer legitimate, says Clinton

Pro-government demonstrators have been taking part in protests outside both embassies for the past two days.The embassy attacks came after the US and French envoys visited the troubled city of Hama last week, drawing sharp criticism from Syrian media.France blamed the regime after its embassy was similarly targeted.Speaking after a crowd attacked the US embassy in Damascus, Hillary Clinton said Mr Bashar was "not indispensable".The US Secretary of State has said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has "lost legitimacy", amid diplomatic tension between the two countries.On Monday, an embassy official told the BBC that the compound had been assaulted by a "mob", but that no-one had been hurt.The residence of the ambassador, Robert Ford, was later briefly attacked, the state department said.State department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said a Syrian diplomat would be summoned over attack on the embassy, and compensation for the damage would be demanded.Our correspondent adds that the US had been wary of a repeat of the Libya scenario, where after calling for Col Muammar Gaddafi to leave power, it has struggled to make that happen."Our goal is to see that the will of the Syrian people for a democratic transformation occurs."The BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington said her statement was cleverly worded - it might convince more Syrians to give up on Mr Assad, while not requiring any action by Washington which can continue to say it is up to the Syrian people to chose their leadersShe added: "President Assad is not indispensable and we have absolutely nothing invested in him remaining in power.In Washington, Mrs Clinton demanded that the Syrians "meet their international responsibilities immediately to protect all diplomats and the property of all countries."

More Than 30 Dead in India Train Derailment

Rescuers searched through the wreckage of a packed express train for people trapped inside after it derailed in northern India on Sunday, killing at least 31 people and injuring 100 others, officials said.

The Kalka Mail train was on its way to Kalka, in the foothills of the Himalayas, from Howrah, a station near Kolkata in eastern India, when 12 coaches and the engine jumped the tracks at Malwan station, near the town of Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh state, senior railway official A.K. Jain said.The cause of the derailment was not immediately clear but it appeared that the driver applied the emergency brakes, Jain said.

At least 31 people were killed and rescue workers pulled at least 100 injured passengers out of the wreckage, said Brij Lal, a state police official.Late Sunday night, a second train derailed in the northeastern state of Assam, injuring at least 100 people, said S.K. Roy, a local magistrate.Local police suspect that a remote control-triggered bomb caused four coaches of the Gauhati-Puri Express to be thrown off the tracks in the town of Rangiya, about 30 miles west of the state's capital, Gauhati, Roy said.S. Hajong, a local railways spokesman, said two of the four coaches plunged into a pond and casualties are feared.Roy did not blame any rebel group and no one has taken responsibility for the attack so far. More than 30 groups in northeastern India have been fighting for decades for independence or wide autonomy in the region, about 1,000 miles east of New Delhi.