Mali: US Offers Refuelling Services To France

US military aircraft will be used to refuel French warplanes fighting Islamist militants in Mali, the Pentagon has confirmed.

The offer of assistance to the French-led effort to push al Qaeda-linked fighters out of the north of country came as the 16-day offensive enjoyed its biggest success, recapturing the city of Gao.

In an overnight assault backed by French warplanes and helicopters, French special forces seized the town's airport and a key bridge over the River Niger while, killing a number of Islamist fighters without suffering any casualties, the French army said.

"The Malian army and the French control Gao today," Malian army spokesman Lieutenant Diaran Kone said.

Fighting was, however, reported to be continuing in the city, which was seized by a mixture of al Qaeda-linked fighters over nine months ago, into the night.

Sky's special correspondent Alex Crawford, travelling with French troops, said the latest offensive was the biggest push into jihadist-held territory since the operation began.

"There are at least five militant groups waiting for them in and around this desert region.

"Clearly the militants have spotted this huge convoy coming. It is not hard to spot, there are nearly 100 vehicles in the convoy and it takes up more than 1km of space in this pretty barren landscape."

French troops and fighting alongside the Malian army

Malian army officers said the Islamist insurgents were pulling back to avoid French air strikes.

"They are all hiding. They are leaving on foot and on motorcycles," Malian Army Captain Faran Keita said in Konna, about 310 miles southeast of Gao.

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta confirmed the US would offer its support to the operation "to deny terrorists a safe haven in Mali" after speaking to French Minister of Defence Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Pentagon spokesman George Little said: "Secretary Panetta informed Minister Le Drian that US Africa Command will support the French military by conducting aerial refuelling missions as operations in Mali continue."

They also discussed plans for the US to transport troops from African nations, including Chad and Togo, to support the international effort in Mali, he added.

A total of 7,700 African troops are expected to be sent to Mali under a UN mandate, according to regional army chiefs.

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Venezuela Prison Riot Kills Dozens Of Inmates

Up to 50 people have been killed and scores more injured in clashes at a prison in Venezuela, according to hospital officials and local media.

Television footage showed National Guard troops surrounding the Uribana prison as inmates in bloody clothes were taken out of the building.

Relatives of the prisoners, most of them women in tears, waited outside.

Iris Varela, the government minister responsible for Venezuela's jails and prisons, said the riot at the prison, in northwest Lara state, began after inmates objected to authorities planning to confiscate weapons.

She said that inmates fought with troops brought in to calm the situation and with each other as rival gangs battled for control of the prison.

Hospital official Ruy Medina said many of the dozens of casualties had suffered gunshot wounds.

The South American nation's 34 prisons were designed to hold just one-third of the 50,000 inmates now in them, according to local prison advocacy groups.

Many of the inmates are armed and hundreds are killed each year in riots and gang fights.

In 2011, there was a month-long siege at El Rodeo prison, just outside the capital Caracas, in which 22 people died before 5,000 soldiers were able to restore order.

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Adrian Donohoe Killing Condemned By Irish PM

The Irish leader Enda Kenny has described the fatal shooting of a Garda detective during a botched hold-up as "cold blooded violence".

Adrian Donohoe was with a colleague escorting a cash delivery to a credit union in Dundalk, County Louth, when he was killed.

Several shots were fired during the attack at the Lordship Credit Union, on the Cooley Road in the town at around 9.30pm on Friday.

Mr Kenny said: "This was an outrageous act of cold blooded violence that has left a family without a husband and father and the Garda Siochana without a brave and valued member.

"On behalf of the Government and of the people I would like to express my condolences to Adrian's wife and children and to all his extended family at this unbearably sad time."

It is believed the force is hunting four men who fled the scene in a grey Volkswagen Passat.

The shooting happened in Cooley Road, Dundalk

Sky's Ireland correspondent David Blevins said: "The Irish police set up checkpoints on the southern side of the Irish border and the Police Service of Northern Ireland have checkpoints on the northern side of the Irish border."

The officer, who was based at Dundalk Garda station, was shot in the head without warning. He had not drawn his garda-issued weapon.

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan said: "I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of my colleague Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe.

"Detective Garda Donohoe died as a result of injuries sustained in the course of his duty following a shooting incident in Dundalk.

"At this time my thoughts and prayers and those of the entire force are with the family, friends and close colleagues of Adrian."

Det Donohoe had two children and his wife Caroline was also in the police service. He lived in the Lordship area, half a mile from the credit union where he was killed.

Local councillor Jim Loughran described him as a quiet, decent family man.

"I just spoke to him last week on the street in town. I can't believe this has happened," he said.

The Sinn Fein councillor, who knew the detective through their local GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) club St Patrick's, also condemned those responsible for the shooting.

"This was not just an attack on a Garda detective, it was an attack on the whole community," he said.

It is believed staff at the credit union were locking up when the shooting occurred.

Gardai have appealed for people in the Belurgan, Jenkinstown and Dundalk areas between 6pm and 9.30pm on Friday night to get in touch. They are also appealing for anyone who may have seen the car driving towards Dundalk or on to the M1.

:: Anyone with information should call police on 042-9388400.

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Gun Control March Takes Cause To The Capitol

Thousands of people, including residents of the Connecticut town where 20 children were killed last month, have gathered in front of the US Capitol to call for stricter gun control.

Marchers were led by Washington DC Mayor Vincent Gray and other officials as the crowd stretched for two blocks along the National Mall.

Participants held signs reading "Ban Assault Weapons Now" and "Gun Control Now". Other banners carried the names of victims of gun violence.

About 100 residents of Newtown, Connecticut, were expected at the march, organised in response to the Sandy Hook shooting there that killed 20 first-graders and six school employees.

Parents, pastors and survivors of gun violence were also at the march.

"With the drum roll, the consistency of the mass murders and the shock of it, it is always something that is moving and devastating to me. And then, it's as if I move on," said Molly Smith, who helped organise the march.

"And in this moment, I can't move on. I can't move on. I think it's because it was children, babies. I was horrified by it," she added.

The Newtown shooting has rekindled the US national debate on gun control, bringing renewed efforts to increase restrictions on semi-automatic weapons - as well as fierce push-back from the national gun lobby. 

Barack Obama has made Joe Biden the administration's point person on guns

The organisers of Saturday's march said they support President Barack Obama's call earlier this month for a ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

The president is also asking for universal background checks for all gun sales.

The demonstrators also want mandatory gun safety training for all gun buyers.

But the National Rifle Association has denounced such initiatives, saying that any attempts to restrict or further regulate firearms "will fail".

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Kumbh Mela: Millions Gather For Hindu Festival

By Alex Rossi, India Correspondent

The authorities in the city of Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh in India have estimated that as many as 80 million people will attend this year's Kumbh Mela religious festival during its six-week lifecycle.

The Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years and its exact timing is decided by the zodiac. Smaller melas, which is the Hindi word for fair, are held every three years.

Hindu pilgrims from across the country have been arriving at Allahabad since January 14.

Most stay in a tented city which pops up on the flood plains of the River Ganges at its confluence with the River Yamuna.

In Hindu mythology both rivers are holy and the pilgrims believe bathing in the waters cleanses them of sin by eradicating "Karmic debt".

Most pilgrims stay in a vast tent city on the flood plains

The ritual helps bring the devotee closer to the end of the cycle of reincarnation or "Moksha".

Akhilesh Singh and his wife Munju travelled from the capital city of Delhi to take part;

"Basically my wife wanted to come here to get blessings for our son studying in California. This is a worship to give him a good brain to study out there and we want peace and harmony in our family," he said.

The Kumbh Mela is by far the biggest religious festival in the world.

Its sheer scale has captured the attention of academics.

Devotees believe bathing in the rivers cleanses them of sin

Assistant Professor of Public health, Greg Greenhough, from Harvard University says the possibilities for study are endless.

"This is a group that comes from all over the world certainly all over India and they bring with them their customs and their ways of living and their own reasons for being here and in that chaotic cacophony they have an experience - that doesn't happen anywhere else in the world," he said.

It is thought the Kumbh Mela started before historical records began. In modern India the pilgrims of today are still coming for the same reasons as their forebears: spititual guidance and enlightenment.

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Mexico: Police Hunt For 20 Missing Musicians

Police are searching for 20 members of a Mexican band who have gone missing after playing a gig.

Relatives said Kombo Kolombia's 12 musicians and eight crew were scheduled to play in Hidalgo in the northeast Mexican state of Nuevo Leon on Thursday night.

But the group, who play Colombian vallenato music, seem to have vanished.

"They were not answering their mobile phones, but we just thought it was because they were in a remote place," said family member Jose Ruiz.

"We started to look for them, and we found their cars open and empty, and neither they nor their instruments were at the farm where they were scheduled to play."

Nuevo Leon security spokesman Jorge Domene confirmed the disappearance, saying that the group had not been heard from since Thursday.

Nuevo Leon, like many Mexican states, has suffered a growing wave of violence as criminal gangs engaged in kidnapping, extortion and drug trafficking battle with members of opposing cartels and with police.

President Enrique Pena Nieto is trying to tackle organised crime in Mexico

According to official figures, more than 70,000 people died in Mexico from drug-related violence under former president Felipe Calderon, whose six-year term ended in 2012.

Drug gangs have killed a number of Mexican musicians in recent years.

In 2007 Sergio Gomez, singer of the band K-Paz de la Sierra, was kidnapped and later found strangled after a concert in the western state of Michoacan.

And Sergio Vega, known as El Shaka, was shot dead in 2010 by gunmen who attacked as he was driving his Cadillac in Sinaloa state, also in western Mexico.

Most victims have played narcocorridos - songs celebrating the lives of drug barons - while Kombo Kolombia specialise in Colombian pop music.

President Enrique Pena Nieto, who took office in December 2012, has announced the creation of a new police task force to tackle Mexico's drug gang violence.

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Egypt: More Clashes After Deadly Unrest

Protesters and police have clashed in Egypt for a fourth day - as shots were fired during funerals for those killed in the worst violence in the city of Port Said.

Thousands took part in the funeral procession after noon prayers when loud gunfire sent mourners running in several directions amid chaotic scenes.

There was no police presence at the funerals in the coastal city, where shops and businesses remained closed for a second day, state television reported.

In Cairo, officers fired tear gas at dozens of anti-President Mohamed Morsi activists throwing stones near Tahrir Square - the symbolic heart of the revolt that ousted President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

At least 32 people, including two footballers, were killed on Saturday during clashes in Port Said after a Cairo court handed down death sentences to 21 supporters of Al Masry football club.

The punishments were meted out after 74 people were killed during a stadium riot at a home match against Cairo side Al Ahly last February.

In Saturday's unrest, officers opened fire as protesters went on a rampage and burned tyres, angry that fans from their area were blamed for the football deaths.

Egyptians react in Port Said to the death sentences

Armoured vehicles and military police fanned through the streets as demonstrators attacked police stations and tried to storm the Port Said jail holding the defendants.

Some attackers used automatic weapons against officers who responded with tear gas, witnesses told the AFP news agency.

There were also scuffles with officers elsewhere, including in the capital Cairo, Alexandria and Suez.

Many Egyptians reportedly believe last year's deadly stadium riot was orchestrated either by the police or Mubarak supporters, and any verdict was likely to trigger a highly charged response.

Cairo fans, known as Ultras, had threatened violence if the court had not handed out the death penalty. They cheered outside their Al Ahly club when the verdicts were announced.

But in Port Said, residents were furious that people from their city were held responsible.

Rioters tried to overrun the Port Said prison

Hotels have asked guests to leave, fearing more violence. Residents said army troops backed by tanks and armoured vehicles have taken control of the city.

The unrest came after a day of deadly protests against Islamist President Morsi, highlighting deep political divisions in the country and long-standing tensions between police and demonstrators.

Nine people were killed on Friday, mainly in the port city of Suez, and hundreds more were injured across the nation.

In Suez on Saturday, police fired tear gas when protesters angry at the earlier deaths threw petrol bombs and stormed a police post and other governmental buildings.

Around 18 prisoners in Suez police stations managed to escape during the violence, a security source told Reuters, and 30 police weapons were stolen.

Egypt's national defence council, which is headed by President Morsi, appealed for calm and called for dialogue with "independent national figures" to agree on a plan for upcoming parliamentary elections.

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton expressed "great concern" over the violence, urging the authorities "to restore calm and order" and appealing for restraint.

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Argo Tipped For Oscar Success After Award Win

Ben Affleck's Argo is leading the way among the Oscar nominations for best picture - after being named the best film of 2012 at the Producers Guild Awards in Beverly Hills.

He picked up the accolade, which is often a harbinger for the much-coveted Academy Award, with co-producers George Clooney and Grant Heslov.

Argo has already won best dramatic film at the Golden Globes where Affleck was named best director.

The actor also stars in the film, which tells the true story of the daring rescue of six US diplomats from Tehran, under the guise they were working on a fake sci-fi film called Argo.

The joint CIA and Canadian government operation, which began in 1979 and ended early in 1980 during the Iranian Hostage Crisis, became known as the Canadian Caper.

In the past five years, the winner of best film at the Producers Guild Awards has gone on to pick up the Best Picture Oscar.

Those completing the double include The Artist last year, The King's Speech in 2011 and Slumdog Millionaire in 2009.

But Argo will face tough competition from Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, Les Miserables and Zero Dark Thirty at the 85th Academy Awards on February 24, where it is nominated for a total of seven Oscars.

On Sunday night, stars of Lincoln, Les Miserables and Silver Linings Playbook are among nominees for the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles.

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Randy Quaid Loses Canada 'Refugee' Move

US actor Randy Quaid's request for permanent resident status in Canada has been refused by immigration officials.

The star had requested refugee status under the country's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in October 2010 after leaving America over claims that he and his wife illegally occupied and caused $5,000 (£3,160) of damage to a guest house.

A Canadian government official confirmed the decision, which Quaid can appeal against.

The US Department of Justice has refused to seek the extradition of the couple from Canada to face felony vandalism charges in Santa Barbara, California.

But authorities in the coastal town say they will still have the couple arrested if they return to the US.

Quaid had sought to stay in Canada, claiming he was being hunted by "Hollywood star whackers" who had killed his friends Heath Ledger and David Carradine.

Randy Quaid is best-known for his roles in films such as National Lampoon's Vacation and Independence Day. He is also the older brother of actor Dennis Quaid who was once married to Meg Ryan.

He won a Golden Globe award for his depiction of President Lyndon B. Johnson in a TV movie in the late 1980s.

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Brazil Nightclub Fire: More Than 230 Dead

Police say at least 231 people have died in a fire that swept through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil.

Around 117 others were injured after the blaze broke out while a band was performing at the Kiss club in the southern city of Santa Maria at about 2am (local time).

It is thought pyrotechnics being used for the concert may have caused the blaze.

Authorities told reporters that fireworks erupted during the show and one hit the roof.

Fire chief Guido de Melo said there was panic after the fire started and many revellers were trampled.

He said the main cause of death was asphyxiation.

Partygoers joined firefighters in wielding axes and sledgehammers, pounding at windows and walls to break through to those trapped inside.

Men try to break through a wall to help the victims

Teenagers sprinted from the scene desperately trying to find help - others carried injured and burned friends away in their arms.

Michele Schneid, a 22-year-old cashier, told local media that people began to shout "Fire!", setting off the stampede.

"Many people ran for the bathrooms and wound up dying suffocated," he said.

The fire took place in Santa Maria

A security guard reportedly said the venue was at its maximum capacity of between 1,000 and 2,000.

It is believed the building's soundproofing apparently caught fire and smoke from this then asphyxiated victims.

The blaze spread quickly and produced a thick black smoke.

It is thought the venue only had one emergency exit and firefighters made a hole in the wall to help people escape.

Members of the Red Cross pictured at the site

The victims' bodies had been taken to a gymnasium in the city for identification, according to police spokesman Major Cleberson Braida.

Brazilian President Dilma Roussef has cancelled a series of meetings at a summit of Latin American and European leaders in Chile's capital Santiago, and headed to Santa Maria.

"It is a tragedy for all of us. I am not going to continue in the meeting (in Chile) for very clear reasons," she said.

Britain's Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire said: "I am deeply saddened by the news of the tragic accident in Santa Maria.

"My thoughts and sincere condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives, and I wish a swift recovery to the hundreds who are now being treated in hospital."

Santa Maria is a major university city with a population of around a quarter of a million.

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