Mexico: 23 Bodies Found In Drugs 'Hot Land'

At least 23 bodies with gunshot wounds and hands bound have been found in western Mexico where drug cartels, vigilantes and and security forces have been fighting for much of the year.

The bodies were discovered on an abandoned property near the town of Buenavista Tomatlan in Michoacan state along with a sign indicating they may have been members of the Knights Templar cartel, state prosecutor's spokesman Alejandro Arellano said.

The area near the Jalisco state border has suffered a wave of violence for most of this year, as vigilante groups have risen up against the Knights Templar cartel which has controlled the area through violence and extortion.

Authorities believe some vigilante groups are supported by a rival cartel, Jalisco New Generation, which is fighting for the Knights Templar territory. The groups deny the claims.

Mr Arellano said the sign found alongside the bodies read: "For those who continue to support the Knights Templar, we are here, united."

He said the note was signed with the initials of the New Generation, as well as the initials G C, indicating another vigilante group.

Thousands of police were sent into the area in May to battle the cartels

President Enrique Pena Nieto's government sent thousands of troops and police to the area in May to try to regain control of the state.

While residents initially welcomed their arrival and some vigilante groups agreed to put down their arms, the calm was short-lived.

Although the government claims that killings across Mexico are down, it has struggled to come up with an effective strategy for Michoacan and neighboring Guerrero states - an area known as the Tierra Caliente, or Hot Land, for its climate.

The Knights Templar launched a co-ordinated attack on police last month, killing at least four officers and wounding a number of others.

They also killed one of Mexico's highest-ranking navy officers and a bodyguard last month when they ventured on to a local road in Michoacan to get around a roadblock.

Around the same time, residents in Guerrero were forced to flee their villages because of drug violence.

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San Diego Mayor Refuses To Quit Over Sex Claims

By Greg Milam, US Correspondent

The mayor of one of America's biggest cities is defying calls to resign despite allegations he sexually harassed more than a dozen women.

Bob Filner is due to return to work as the mayor of San Diego in California on Monday despite pressure to step down even from senior fellow Democrats.

The 70-year-old former congressman says he has undergone a course of therapy to address his behaviour but campaigners are pressing ahead with an effort to drive him from office.

Mr Filner could face a recall election if opponents can collect 100,000 signatures in the next month.

On Friday, the latest woman to accuse him of harassment appeared at a news conference. Great-grandmother Peggy Shannon says the mayor grabbed and kissed her and made inappropriate comments.

In a message to Mr Filner, the 67-year-old, who works part-time at City Hall, said: "I want to protect working women. It is long overdue for you to do the right thing and the right thing now is for you to go."

Earlier this week, Hooters banned Mr Filner from its restaurants

Over the past few weeks, accusations have been made by former campaign employees of Mr Filner and senior figures in military and political life in San Diego. Even victims of sexual assault in the military, who went to him for help, have alleged inappropriate behaviour.

The fast food chain Hooters, which prides itself on being "delightfully tacky", has barred the mayor from its San Diego restaurants.

Mr Filner has apologised for his behaviour in a video message posted on the city's website. But he continues to refuse to stand down.

Mr Filner says he has had therapy

He said: "I reached into my heart and soul and realised I must and will change my behaviour. As someone who has spent a lifetime fighting for equality for all people, I am embarrassed to admit that I have failed to fully respect the women who work for me and with me."

But there was little sympathy for the mayor when Sky News spoke to locals on San Diego's famed Pacific Beach. None thought he should remain in office.

Some of those who have made allegations against Mr Filner are being assisted by the high-profile lawyer Gloria Allred.

She said the victims were delivering a strong message to the mayor: "Your days of fun and games and sexual harassment of women are over. It is time for you to go."

Rachel Laing, who is part of the team behind the petition to recall the mayor, said the allegations against Mr Filner were starting to embarrass the city.

She said: "He's absolutely damaged our reputation. We're the eighth largest city in the US and we've got a mayor who is a groper that refuses to resign, that we're having all this trouble kicking out of office, it doesn't look good on us."

Rachel Laing wants Mr Filner kicked out office

Political analysts say it will be extremely hard for campaigners to force Mr Filner out of office. They describe him as tenacious and determined to see through an agenda that won him the job.

But Carl Luna, visiting professor of political science at the University of San Diego, said politicians were learning some hard lessons about the impact of scandals..

He said: "In a modern age of greater understanding of the problems of things like sexual harassment, behaviour that you used to be able to get away with, you simply can't anymore.

"Men and power and sex is an age old story. In an age of Twitter, it is a lot harder to keep it contained."

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Assad's Instagram: Syria Account Backfires

An online charm offensive by the Syrian president has backfired after critics left scathing comments on his Instagram account.

Bashar al Assad's office took to the social media site last month to post pictures that include the embattled leader greeting supporters and his British-Syrian wife Asma comforting children and the injured.

Some comments on the Instagram account praise Mr Assad for "fighting terrorism" and describe the First Lady as a "beautiful soul".

But others are far from complimentary, calling him as a "monster" and his wife a "devil" and "gold digger".

Many of the Instagram users employ sarcasm to condemn the couple and and blaming them for civilian deaths in Syria.

On a photo of Mrs Assad - a former banker who grew up in Acton, west London - kneeling with children, olisyah said: "I love ur designer clothes and shoes #asmaalassad, paid for by the blood of your people! Seriously, u make Marie Antoinette look like an angel compared to you!!"

On this Instagram image, user _brittmonique commented: Kissing the devil _malooka__ said: you sick person (all images from Syrian presidiency)

And on a photo of Ms Assad giving a child a doll, out4bling said: "Here kid sorry about your parents dying but I'm sure this doll will make it all better, it can be ur new mommy."

The United States has already denounced the account as "repulsive", saying it does not reflect the reality of the Syrian civil war.

"This is nothing more than a despicable PR stunt," US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters.

The United Nations says more than 100,000 people have died in a war that erupted when security forces cracked down on dissent in March 2011.

out4bling: Here kid sorry about your parents dying observer187 said: So she managed to find time to stop shopping for shoes sumiaktar93: what a touching picture...your forces bombed Aleppo university olisyah: gold medal for being the most vicious serial killer goes to assad asksmsd: She doesn't like them to shed tears. She like them to shed blood _brittmonique said: I would never eat anything her hands touch. observer187: What a load of BS this account is waaveynation: Looks like they're trying not to laugh during this fake shot eivind74: Monster!!!!!!!!! olisyah: I love ur designer clothes... paid for by the blood of your people

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Bear Mauling Victim Is Rescued 36 Hours Later

A hunter who was mauled by a brown bear in remote region in Alaska has survived 36 hours in the wilderness until he was rescued.

The man was part of a group on a hunting trip about 30 miles north of Anaktuvuk Pass, a tiny village in the Gates of the Arctic National Park.

He was identified by the Alaskan newspaper Anchorage Daily News as hunting guide James Tuttle.

Initial rescue efforts by local search teams and by the Alaska State Troopers were turned back because of dense fog, and the he Alaska Air National Guard was called in.

Crews equipped with night-vision goggles and flares staged a middle-of-the-night rescue, and managed to find him amid low clouds and difficult conditions.

Mr Tuttle had suffered severe blood loss and other injuries, but a medical professional who happened to be in a nearby hunting party reached him soon after the attack.

The Brooks Range mountains are seen in the backdrop

Officials credited the medical professional with saving the man's life.

"He was able to decrease the blood loss and maintain life until help could arrive," said Master Sergeant Armando Soria, a search and rescue controller with the coordination centre.

"He provided expert care with limited resource for several hours, ultimately stabilising, warming and re-hydrating the victim."

Mr Tuttle was brought to an Air Force base, and then taken by ambulance to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.

He was reported in a stable condition this weekend.

Parajumper Chris Bowerfind, who was part of the rescue mission, told the Anchorage Daily News that Mr Tuttle was in good spirits and cracking jokes despite looking like "he'd gone a couple rounds with a UFC fighter".

Mr Tuttle told Mr Bowerfind he was walking to the caribou carcass when the bear attacked him on Alaska's remote Brooks Range.

"The only thing he remembers is hearing a grunt and a grumble from the brush, and as he turned he said she was right on top of him," Mr Bowerfind recounted.

The bear batted at Mr Tuttle, then walked away only to charge again in a second attack that appeared to inflict most of the injuries, Mr Bowerfind said.

Nonetheless, Mr Bowerfind said he was surprised at how well Mr Tuttle seemed to be faring.

"He was a great patient, all things considered. Just in a lot of pain."

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China's Bo Xilai Goes On Trial On Thursday

Disgraced senior Chinese politician Bo Xilai will stand trial later this week for bribery, corruption and abuse of power, it has been announced.

Bo, once one of the country's most powerful leaders, will face the charges on Thursday at Jinan Intermediate People's Court in the eastern province of Shandong, Xinhua news agency said.

"The open trial will start at 8:30 am (0030 GMT) on August 22 at its 5th courtroom," Xinhua said.

Bo's wife Gu Kailai has been jailed for the 2011 murder of British businessman Neil Heywood in Chongqing, where Bo was Communist Party chief.

The scandal emerged last year, ahead of a once-a-decade leadership transition in which Bo had been considered a candidate for the Politburo Standing Committee, China's most powerful body.

Gu has been jailed for Mr Heywood's murder

But his glittering career came crashing down amid the allegations his wife - later convicted of murder - was involved in Mr Heywood's death and Bo had sought to block the police investigation.

The case has also seen Bo's police chief Wang Lijun jailed for 15 years.

Bo, who has been in custody since his dramatic downfall, was indicted on the charges last month.

It is almost certain 64-year-old Bo, a "princeling" son of a late vice premier, will be convicted as China's prosecutors and judges are controlled by the ruling Communist Party.

Mr Heywood was found dead in his hotel room in 2011

President Xi Jinping came to power in March vowing rid the country of corrupt officials - from the high-ranking "tigers" to low-level "flies".

How Bo's case is handled will be a test of Mr Xi's battle against corruption and also show his authority over the party.

During Gu's trial, she admitted to poisoning Mr Heywood, claiming that she had acted after he threatened her son, Bo Guagua, when a business deal turned sour.

Before he was found dead in a Chongqing hotel room in November 2011, Mr Heywood had been a long-time friend of Bo and Gu and helped their son settle into Britain.

Last week, Mr Heywood's Chinese wife and British mother announced they were seeking compensation for his death.

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Russia: Anti-Gay Row 'Invented' By Western Media

Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko says the controversy over his country's anti-gay propaganda law is "an invented problem" by Western media.

The new legislation, which makes it illegal to give under-18s information about homosexuality, has led to calls for a boycott of next year's Winter Olympics in Russia.

Debate over the law, which was introduced in June, has intensified during the World Athletics Championships in Moscow.

But Mr Mutko, who is chairman of the Moscow 2013 Organising Committee, told a press conference today the issue has been blown out of all proportion.

"I think this is kind of an invented problem," he said. "We don't have a law banning non-traditional sexual relations, we have a different law.

"It is the informational protection of the young generation. We want to prevent the young generation, whose psyche has not been formulated.

"We want to protect them against drunkenness, drugs and non-traditional sexual relations. We want them to grow up and when they become adults they have to define what they want."

The news came as two female Russian athletes kissed on the winner's podium at the World Athletics Championships yesterday - sparking a huge debate on Twitter and other media about whether it was in protest at the government's anti-gay law.

But sources in the Russian camp claimed Kseniya Ryzhova and Tatyana Firova - who had just won gold in the 4x400 metres relay - were just exchanging a congratulatory kiss and there was no political message involved.

Critics say Isinbayeva should be axed as a Youth Olympics ambassador

On Friday, Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva claimed she was "misunderstood" when she apparently spoke out in support of her country's controversial new laws on homosexuality.

Isinbayeva, 31, made her comments after other athletes made statements and gestures - including painting their nails in rainbow colours - opposing the Russian law.

"It's disrespectful to our country, disrespectful to our citizens because we are Russians," Isinbayeva told a news conference - in English - after Swedish athlete high jumper Emma Green-Tregaro criticised the law.

"Maybe we are different than European people and people from different lands."

However, a day later, Isinbayeva suggested she was misunderstood because English is not her first language.

"What I wanted to say was that people should respect the laws of other countries particularly when they are guests," she said in a statement.

"But let me make it clear I respect the views of my fellow athletes, and let me state in the strongest terms that I am opposed to any discrimination against gay people on the grounds of their sexuality (which is against the Olympic charter)."

Opponents of the law have called on the International Olympic Committee to remove Isinbayeva from her role as an ambassador for the Youth Olympics.

Ryzhova and Firova won gold in the 4x400 metres relay

The double Olympic gold medallist is also due to be the mayor of the main athletes' village at the Sochi Games.

US runner Nick Symmonds became the first international athlete to stand against the laws, dedicating his world 800m silver medal to his gay and lesbian friends.

The Russian authorities have said all athletes will be free and safe to compete at Sochi regardless of their sexual orientation, but must obey Russian law.

Foreigners found guilty of violating the law can be fined up to 5,000 rubles (around £100) and face administrative arrest of up to 15 days and eventual deportation.

Broadcaster Stephen Fry has led growing calls for a boycott of the event, comparing President Vladimir Putin's treatment of gay people to Adolf Hitler's treatment of Jews.

He said allowing the Games to go ahead in Russia would be comparable to the decision to hold the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany.

:: In Italy, a local politician has been forced to resign for saying Yelena Isinbayeva "should be taken and raped in a square" after she appeared to back Russia's anti-gay legislation.

Gianluigi Piras, who served in a small municipality in Sardinia, apologised for his Facebook comments, saying he only meant them as a "paradox".

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Syria: Fears Over Refugee 'Major Exodus'

Thousands of Syrian refugees have been streaming over the border into Iraqi Kurdistan, the UN refugee agency has said.

Up to 10,000 people - mainly women, children and the elderly - crossed on Saturday, days after 7,000 fled a deteriorating security situation in north eastern parts of Syria.

The latest refugees have been taking advantage of a new pontoon bridge over the River Tigris - with Save the Children claiming the aid effort has been "overwhelmed" by the sheer numbers.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says the movement is one of the single biggest waves of refugees it has faced since the uprising against President Bashar al Assad started in March 2011.

The line of refugees stretches across the barren area Pic: UNHCR/G GUbaeva

The agency's Iraq representative Claire Bourgeois said: "UNHCR is witnessing a major exodus from Syria over the past few days unlike anything we have witnessed entering Iraq previously."

Abdulkarim Brendar, who trekked to the border with his five children, told AFP: "There was war and looting and problems. We did not find a morsel (of food), so with our children we came here."

Save the Children said around 7,000 refugees have been taken to an emergency camp, but thousands are still waiting to be registered at the border in temperatures of up to 40C.

Most are families of women, children and the elderly Pic: UNHCR/G Gubaeva

The charity has launched an emergency response to deal with the stranded families and expects to distribute more than 40 litres of water in the coming days.

Save the Children's emergency team leader Alan Paul said: "This is an unprecedented influx of refugees, and the main concern is that so many of them are stuck out in the open at the border or in emergency reception areas with limited, if any, access to basic services.

"The refugee response in Iraq is already thinly stretched, and close to half of the refugees are children who have experienced things no child should. We urgently need to cover their basic needs- food, water and shelter."

The refugees are more exposed at night pic: UNHCR/G Gubaeva

The flood of refugees came as UN chemical weapons inspectors arrived in Damascus to start a mission that has been delayed several times.

Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad vowed that Syria will "fully cooperate" with the team led by Swedish expert Ake Sellstrom, who were flanked by a 20-strong security team as they arrived at their five star hotel.

The UN team's mission will be limited to investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons in three areas, in particular the March 19 attack in the Aleppo suburb of Khan al Assal, which Mr Assad blames on rebels.

Mr Assad's government and the rebels each say the other side has used chemical weapons during the 28 month conflict.

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Gibraltar: Spanish Boats In Royal Navy Stand-Off

Spanish fishermen have been involved in a stand-off with Royal Navy boats after making an illegal incursion into British waters around Gibraltar.

A flotilla of more than 30 fishing boats was "corralled" by UK military and police vessels after protesting near the spot where Gibraltar's government placed 70 concrete blocks in disputed waters next to the British territory.

The demonstration comes as the Royal Navy warship HMS Westminster is due to arrive in Gibraltar in a visit described by the Ministry of Defence as "long-planned".

Gibraltar says it has created the concrete artificial reef there to protect local fish stocks from trawling, but Madrid says it restricts their right to fish.

The move has led to further tensions between the UK, Gibraltar and Spain - which has imposed tougher border checks in retaliation.

British patrol boat blocks a Spanish fishing vessel

Chief Inspector Castle Yates, of the Royal Gibraltar Police, said the Spanish boats crossed into Gibraltan waters before being "pushed" out again.

"We had our own police cordon along with Royal Navy and other assets and we corralled them in the area of the south mole," he said.

"They tried to breach the cordon several times but they were not successful."

More than 30 fishing vessels set out from the "Campo de Gibraltar" in southern Spain to form a floating protest - a smaller number than expected.

Sky's David Bowden, at the scene, said hundreds of Gibraltarians turned out in force to rebuff the protest.

"They lined the bay as a flotilla of small fishing boats sailed across from Spain at the other side of the Bay," he said.

The border checks have led to massive queues in recent weeks

"The flotilla, only a dozen or so boats strong, was escorted by a handful of sleek Spanish Guardia Civile speedboats.

"They were met by an equally strong show of force from the Gibraltar marine police in patrol vessels and highly manouvreable ribs making sure the Spanish invaders did not stray off the imaginary line in the sea that marks Spain from British Gibraltar."

The Spanish government has accused Gibraltar of laying the blocks "without the necessary authorisation" in "waters that are not theirs".

It responded by introducing additional checks at the fenced border, and suggesting a 50 euro (£43.30) fee could be imposed on every vehicle entering or leaving Gibraltar.

On Friday, Prime Minister David Cameron raised the matter with European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.

He said the checks - which have seen huge delays at the border in recent weeks - were "politically motivated and disproportionate" and therefore contrary to the EU right of free movement.

HMS Illustrious docks at Rota naval base on Gibraltar

UKIP MEP William Dartmouth, member for the South West of England and Gibraltar, has suggested that a member of the Royal family should visit Gibraltar to mark 300 years of British sovereignty.

"Nothing could demonstrate more to the citizens of Gibraltar how strongly Britain stands behind them in wishing to stay part of the United Kingdom than a visit by a member of the royal family," he said.

The row has set relations between Spain and the territory back 40 years, according to Edward Macquisten, chief executive of the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce.

He said it was also having an impact on Gibraltar's high season tourist trade, which usually sees hordes of British visitors from Spanish resorts.

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Egypt Crisis: Irish Siblings 'In Cairo Jail'

Four Irish siblings caught up in the violence in Cairo are being held by Egyptian authorities, their family has said.

Omaima Halawa, 20, her two sisters Fatima, 22, Somaia, 27, and their younger brother Ibrihim, 17, were among hundreds of people cleared out of the al Fath mosque when security forces stormed the building on Saturday.

They were forced to seek sanctuary in the mosque on Friday after violent clashes between supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi and the security forces killed more than 80 people.

Hundreds of Morsi supporters also fled to the building in the Ramses area of Cairo, shoving furniture against the doors to stop police from breaking their way in.

Speaking from the family home in Firhouse, south Dublin, another sister Nasaybi Halawa said her four siblings were being held at one of Cairo's jails.

"The latest we know is that they are in one of the jails in Cairo. But we do not know if they are all together or whether they have been separated - boys and girls," she said.

Hundreds of Morsi supporters fled to the mosque

They are concerned that teenage Ibrihim, who has just completed his Leaving Certificate, may have been separated from his sisters.

"It is very hard. We just know that they are being held," Ms Halawa said.

"We don't know if they have food supplies or water, whether they have slept or whether or not they will be released.

"We are worried - are they safe, were they beaten or injured while leaving the mosque? We just don't know."

The siblings, whose father is the imam of Dublin's largest mosque, have not been able to contact their family directly and it is understood their mobile phones have been seized.

Ms Halawa said her mother, who is staying with relatives in Egypt, had been contacted by a woman who had seen Omaima in one of the detention centres.

The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed they are working closely with counterparts in Egypt in a bid to secure the safe release of the family.

The Halawas had travelled to Egypt earlier this summer for a holiday and were joined by their mother a fortnight ago.

Ms Halawa said: "They thought the mosque is a holy place and that they would be safe there.

An Islamist man is carried out of the mosque as forces clear the building

"They phoned my father and told him they were in the mosque and that they were going to pray and afterwards would leave. But, by the time prayer time had finished they were surrounded."

Speaking from inside the mosque on Saturday Omaima Halawa, a student, said she did not feel safe enough to leave the building without a diplomatic escort.

She also told Irish national broadcaster RTE that "thugs" outside the mosque had threatened to kill her if she left the building and said others who had tried to flee were "taken".

The interior ministry said 385 people inside the mosque had been arrested.

Following the chaos, Egypt's army chief General Abdel Fattah al Sisi vowed to stand firm in the face of violence.

"Whoever imagines violence will make the state and Egyptians kneel must reconsider; we will never be silent in the face of the destruction of the country," he said on Sunday.

Morsi supporters called off rallies they planned to stage in Cairo on Sunday, citing concerns about security.

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Diana's Death: Police Handed New Information

New information that alleges Princess Diana was murdered has been passed to Scotland Yard through military sources, it has emerged.

The information, thought to include the allegation that the Princess of Wales, Dodi al Fayed and their driver were killed by a member of the British military, will be assessed by officers from the Specialist Crime and Operations Command.

According to Sky sources it was given to the police by the former parents-in-law of a former soldier.

The deaths of Princess Diana and Mr al Fayed in Paris in 1997 were investigated and examined during a 90-day inquest led by Lord Justice Scott Baker at the Royal Court of Justice in 2007.

On April 7, 2008, the jury concluded their verdict as "unlawful killing, grossly negligent driving of the following vehicles and of the Mercedes".

Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed leaving the Ritz Hotel on August 31, 1997

The Metropolitan Police said its assessment was not a re-investigation and does not come under Operation Paget, the inquiry led by Lord Stevens into conspiracy theories surrounding Princess Diana and Mr al Fayed's deaths.

A royal spokeswoman said there will be no comment on the matter from Prince William or Prince Harry, or from Clarence House.

After the inquest, the Metropolitan Police said it had spent £8m on services arising from it and the Operation Paget investigation from 2004 to 2006.

Former Met Police commissioner Lord Stevens published his report in December 2006, rejecting claims that Princess Diana and Mr al Fayed had been murdered.

The wreckage of the Mercedes the pair were travelling in when it crashed

Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "We understand this information includes an allegation that Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed and the driver of their car were killed by a member of the British military.

"The information we're told was passed to Scotland Yard quite recently. It also includes, we understand, references to something known as Diana's diary.

"These are very early days, the information has just come in, and Scotland Yard is adamant in saying that this is not a reopening of its investigation from 2004 when it spent three years looking into the circumstances of the Princess' death.

"But it is taking the information seriously and it is considering and it is possible that a new investigation may open."

Princess Diana, Mr al Fayed and their driver Henri Paul died after the Mercedes crashed in a Paris tunnel on August 31, 1997.

Diana was 36 at the time of her death and Mr al Fayed, the son of former Harrods owner Mohamed al Fayed, 42.

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