Sex Discrimination Case Grips Silicon Valley

By Sky News US Team

A technology chief executive has been grilled by jurors in a $16m sex discrimination lawsuit which is enthralling Silicon Valley.

Ellen Pao is suing her former employer, venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, which was an early investor in the likes of Amazon and Google.

The hearings at San Francisco Superior Court, which is tweeting updates on the trial, have frequently been standing room only.

The 45-year-old plaintiff faced tough questions on Friday about, among other things, her affair with a fellow partner at the company.

Ms Pao, now interim chief executive of social news website Reddit, has testified that she and other women were passed over for advancement and endured harassment in a male-dominated culture at Kleiner.

Ms Pao alleged harassment by male colleague Ajit Nazre (C)

The plaintiff, who has a law degree and MBA from Harvard, says male senior partners took the credit for her work on successful investments.

But Kleiner says Ms Pao was fired from her $560,000-a-year job in October 2012 because she lacked leadership and interpersonal skills.

On Friday, Ms Pao's fifth day on the witness stand, the six men and six women of the jury had the opportunity to quiz her. Some US states allow jurors to pose their own questions in civil cases.

She alleges the discrimination began after she complained about harassment from married male colleague Ajit Nazre, with whom she says she was pressured into having an affair in 2006.

One juror asked if Ms Pao considered it "appropriate professional behaviour to enter into an affair with a married man?"

She said: "Going back I would not have done it again, but I didn't think it was inappropriate at the time."

She said Mr Nazre had told her his wife had left him.

Ms Pao, who joined Kleiner in 2005, has testified that she and other women were barred from work trips on private jets and ski resorts.

She also said she was not invited to an important Kleiner dinner with former US Vice President Al Gore.

Kleiner has been trying to portray Ms Pao's lawsuit as financially motivated.

The firm wanted to introduce evidence about Ms Pao and her husband's money troubles, including tax liens and bankruptcy.

But Judge Harold Kahn denied the motion.

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Kurds Claim Islamic State Used Chlorine Gas

Kurdish authorities claim to have evidence which shows Islamic State used weaponised chlorine gas against Peshmerga fighters in January.

The Security Council of the Kurdish region said soil and clothing samples showed traces of chlorine after an IS car bombing attempt.

Analysis of the samples showed they "contained levels of chlorine that suggested the substance was used in weaponised form".

The allegation has not been independently verified.

Peter Sawczak, spokesman for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said: "We have not had a request from Iraq to investigate claims of use of chemical weapons in Iraq, and the OPCW cannot immediately verify the claims."

The use of chlorine as a chemical weapon dates back to World War One.

The substance was banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997.

Smoke rises from a vehicle which the Kurds say was carrying chlorine gas

Chlorine has been used "systematically" in the civil war in neighbouring Syria, an OPCW fact-finding mission found last year.

The Kurdish authority said in a statement that the car bombing attempt happened on 23 January on a highway between Mosul and the Syrian border.

Peshmerga fighters fired a rocket at the car, killing the driver.

About a dozen Peshmerga fighters later experienced symptoms of nausea, vomiting, dizziness or weakness.

Video footage and photographs of the incident were sent to the Reuters news agency.

In some of the photographs, several canisters are seen lying on the ground.

The White House said in a statement it could not confirm the allegations but found them "deeply disturbing" and was monitoring the situation "very closely".

A US defence official said the use of chlorine as a weapon was a possible sign of "growing desperation due to the pressure being applied by coalition air power and Iraqi ground forces".

Iraqi Kurds were the victims of the deadliest chemical attack of modern times when Saddam Hussein's air force bombed the town of Halabja in 1988, gassing at least 5,000 people to death.

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Collins Chabane Killed In Crash With Truck

The man who took the lead role in planning the funeral of South African president Nelson Mandela has been killed in a car crash.

Collins Chabane, 54, was killed alongside his bodyguards Sergeant Lesiba Sekele and Sergeant Lawrence Lentsoane.

They died instantly after hitting a truck that was allegedly doing a U-turn in front of them in Polokwane, 220 miles north of Johannesburg.

Local media reported that the truck driver has been arrested.

The 54-year-old was South Africa's minister of public service, a member of the ruling African National Congress and took charge of planning former president Nelson Mandela's memorial service in December 2013.

South African president Jacob Zuma said: "We are deeply shocked and saddened by this untimely death of an outstanding cadre of our liberation struggle and a competent, accomplished and dependable member of my cabinet."

The ANC said Chabane's death had left a "huge void" in the party and the government, adding that he was a "true servant of the people, who joined the struggle for liberation at a very young age and went on to carry on the fight in exile".

According to South African History Online, Mr Chabane joined the ANC underground as a 17-year-old, going into exile three years later.

He was arrested by the security police in 1984 and was jailed for six years on terrorism charges, imprisoned at the same time as a number of other political campaigners.

While in jail, he studied aviation, obtained an engineering degree and learned music theory and how to play the harmonica.

After his release he was elected to parliament in 1994 and was granted amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission five years later.

Mr Chabane had also been a talented musician, heading a marimba band called Movement and releasing two CDs.

He was remembered by music producer Sipho Sithole, who signed him as a recording and performing artist in 2004.

In a tribute on his Facebook page, Mr Sithole said: "He released two albums at the same time - a great musician and a humble soul indeed.

"Never demanded anything or attention and never complained."

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Dozens Die After Bus Plunges 1,300ft Off Cliff

A bus carrying evangelical Christians has plunged 1,300ft into a wooded ravine in Brazil after the driver reportedly lost control on a bend, killing 54 people.

The death toll had initially been put at about 30 but the number rose as rescuers continued to find bodies at the crash site in a mountainous area of Santa Catarina state.

The bus was on its way to a religious event in Parana state when it crashed six miles from the city of Joinville.

Witnesses told local media that the driver appeared to lose control, and police said early indications were that the brakes had failed.

Weather and road conditions had been good at the time of the crash. 

An injured victim is rescued from the crash scene

There are at least six survivors, including two children, who are being treated in hospital.

"There are people out there, on the hill, in the bus, trapped in the wreckage. But the chances of finding someone alive are pretty slim," state police Colonel Nelson Coelho said in a statement.

Several drivers stopped on the roadside to try to help victims as they waited for emergency services to arrive.

President Dilma Rousseff has expressed her sympathy for the family and friends of the victims.

Some 43,000 Brazilians are killed in road accidents annually, and from 2002-2012, the accident rate surged by over 24%.

With the economy growing and the population topping 200 million, an estimated 10,000 new cars are added to Brazil's roads every day.

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India Nun Gang-Rape Suspects Caught On CCTV

Police have released CCTV footage of a group of men wanted over the gang-rape of a 71-year-old nun in India.

The elderly woman needed surgery after she tried to stop bandits robbing a Christian missionary school in Ranaghat town, some 50 miles from Kolkata (Calcutta), on Saturday.

The robbers tied up the school's security guards and entered the nuns' room. They took their victim to another room when she tried to block their way and raped her.

A security camera in the staff room captured the faces of four of the six suspects, and police have offered a reward of 100,000 rupees (around £1,000) for information.

Police are offering £1,000 for information leading to the men's capture

The attack is the latest in a string of high-profile gang-rapes in India and comes after a spate of attacks on churches.

Superintendent Arnab Ghosh said five people are being held in connection with the crime, which appears to have been carefully planned.

Video: India Rape Sparks Protests

"CCTV footage showed that six men, aged between 20 and 30, scaled the boundary wall around 11.40pm and entered the school and disconnected the telephone lines.

"At least two of them were armed and the rest were carrying burglary tools. In the chapel, a holy scripture was found torn and ... a bust of Jesus was broken."

Prayers for the nun, who is being treated in a hospital near Ranaghat, were held in churches across West Bengal on Sunday.

Video: May: Officers Sacked After Rape

"In our Sunday Mass, we prayed for the sister to recover quickly from trauma, fear and her physical injuries. We will pray for her again this evening," said Thomas D'Souza, the Archbishop of Kolkata.

"They not only committed a heinous crime, but they also vandalised the chapel ... This is the first time such an attack has happened in India."

Last week, India banned a documentary about the gang-rape of a student in 2012 that sparked international outrage.

Video: June: Protest Against Rapes

Authorities said screening India's Daughter could have caused public disorder, but critics accused the government of being more concerned with the country's reputation.

The killing of the 23-year-old student on a bus in Delhi led to a major reform of India's rape laws, although many campaigners say it has made little difference to women's safety.

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Kerry: US Has To Negotiate With Syria's Assad

By Sky News US Team

US Secretary of State John Kerry has said he would be willing to talk with Bashar al Assad to stop Syria's four-year civil war.

In an interview with CBS News, America's top diplomat said: "We have to negotiate in the end."

Mr Kerry said the US is trying to persuade the Syrian president to discuss a transition strategy that might help end the conflict.

Past attempts have failed to convince Mr Assad's Iran-backed government to engage on a concrete plan, he said.

But Mr Kerry believes additional pressure may be required to try "to get him to come and do that".

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1. Gallery: Syria Crisis: Devastation In Damascus

   Damascus resident Israa holds her sister Boutol as they make their way through the rubble of damaged buildings in the Douma neighborhood of the Syrian capital

Boys play with a BB gun in the Douma neighborhood

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Cyclone Pam: Vanuatu Devastation 'Apocalyptic'

The president of a Pacific island nation devastated by a tropical cyclone says he "fears the worst" as the first aid teams reached the disaster zone.

Up to 50 people are reported to have been killed by Cyclone Pam, which brought winds of more than 185mph when it struck Vanuatu, levelling homes, smashing up boats, destroying roads and bridges, and bringing down power and phone lines.

But aid agencies say the real number is expected likely to be much higher as rescuers reach the outlying islands.

Thousands have been left homeless on the archipelago.

A Red Cross spokesman described the situation as "apocalyptic" and Vanuatu's government has declared a state of emergency.

Video: Scenes of Devastation in Vanuatu

President Baldwin Lonsdale, who happened to be at a disaster risk conference in Japan, compared the storm to a monster.

He said most houses in the capital Port Vila had been damaged or destroyed.

President Lonsdale said the impact would be "the very, very, very worst" in isolated outer islands but he held out hope the number of casualties would be "minor".

He had earlier made a tearful appeal for international assistance.

Video: Cyclone: On Board C-130 Aid Plane

Aid workers were particularly concerned about the southern island of Tanna, about 125 miles south of the capital, Port Vila.

An official with the Australian Red Cross said an aircraft had managed to land there and confirmed "widespread destruction".

"Virtually every building that is not concrete has been flattened," the official said.

Witnesses in Port Vila described sea surges of up to 26ft (8m) and widespread flooding.

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1. Gallery: Fears Dozens Killed By Powerful Cyclone Pam

   At least 10 people have been killed by Cyclone Pam, after winds of more than 185mph struck the South Pacific's Vanuatu archipelago

The streets of Porta Vila are littered with debris and uprooted trees

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British Teenage Terror Suspects Back In UK

Three British teenagers are back in the UK after being detained for allegedly trying to travel to Syria to join terror group Islamic State.

The group, a 19-year-old male and two boys aged 17, are being held at a central London police station after being arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, said Scotland Yard.

They were apprehended at Sabiha Gokcen airport in Istanbul.

It is believed they first travelled from England to Spain before flying on to Turkey.

The detainees have not been named but Sky sources in Turkey say the initials of the men are GH, MNG, and MA.

Video: UK Teenagers Held Over IS Claims

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said counter-terrorism officers were alerted on Friday that two 17-year-olds from northwest London had gone missing and were believed to be travelling to Syria.

Enquiries revealed they had gone with a third male, aged 19.

Officers alerted Turkish authorities who intercepted all three and prevented them crossing into Syria.

A Met police spokesman said: "On Saturday, 14 March the three males returned to the UK and at approximately 11.10am were arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts contrary to section five of the Terrorism Act 2006.

Video: Girls 'Pictured On Way To Syria'

"All three have been taken to a central London police station, where they remain in custody."

The detention of the males points to a new level of cooperation between the UK and Turkish police forces, which has faced criticism after three British schoolgirls travelled to Syria to join IS.

Kadiza Sultana, 16, Shamima Begum, 15, and Amira Abase, 15,  flew from Gatwick to Istanbul on 17 February and are feared to have continued to Syria to become so-called "jihadi brides".

The girls, who all attended Bethnal Green Academy in East London, are believed to be staying in a house in the IS militants' stronghold Raqqa.

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1. Gallery: Three Schoolgirls From East London Missing

   These pictures were taken from Kadiza Sultana (l) and Shamima Begum's (r) Twitter accounts

Kadiza and Shamima are feared to be on their way to Syria with a third girl, 15-year-old Amira Abase

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Pakistan: 14 Killed As Two Churches Bombed

At least 14 people have been killed and 80 injured after two bombs exploded outside churches in the Pakistani city of Lahore.

A Taliban faction called Jamaat ul Ahrar claimed responsibility for the blasts, which targeted two churches, one Catholic and one Protestant, during Sunday services.

An angry crowd lynched two men suspected of being involved in the attack.

They were set on fire and their charred bodies were dumped near the scene, said local journalist Riaz Ahmed.

Protesters also began smashing up shops and attacking vehicles. Police and several politicians were chased from the area.

Crowds gather outside a Catholic church targeted in the twin blasts

Pope Francis told crowds at St Peter's Square in the Vatican he was praying for peace in Pakistan, which has seen a number of attacks against Christian groups over the past decade.

"These are Christian churches. Christians are persecuted, our brothers spill their blood simply because they are Christians," he said.

Witnesses said a security guard's quick actions prevented many more deaths.

"I was sitting at a shop near the church when a blast jolted the area. I rushed towards the spot and saw the security guard scuffle with a man who was trying to enter the church," said witness Amir Masih.

"After failing, he blew himself up. I saw his body parts flying through the air."

The guard died as well, he said.

It was not clear if the first blast was also triggered by a suicide bomber.

Many Christians, who make up less than 2% of Pakistan's 180 million people, accuse the government of doing little to protect them.

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Notorious Tycoon Robert Durst Under Arrest

By Sky News US Team

Infamous real-estate heir Robert Durst has been arrested in New Orleans for an out-of-state warrant, officials said.

Durst's attorney told an ABC News affiliate that the charges are for murder.

The 71-year-old was detained on Saturday night on a warrant issued by Los Angeles County.

Durst is the subject of HBO series The Jinx, about his suspected role in three murders, the final episode of which airs on Sunday night.

He was famously acquitted in 2003 in the murder two years earlier of his neighbour.

Durst was also accused last year of trespassing on his family's property

Durst admitted killing Morris Black, dismembering his body and throwing the remains into a bay in Galveston, Texas, but a jury accepted his claim of self-defence.

Before the trial he skipped bail and was arrested in Pennsylvania two weeks later while shoplifting a sandwich, even though he had hundreds of dollars in his pocket.

Durst is also considered a suspect in the 1982 disappearance of his first wife, Kathleen Durst, and the 2000 execution-style murder of confidante Susan Berman in California.

He was questioned in both cases but not charged.

Prosecutors said Durst fled to Texas in 2000 and began dressing as a woman to avoid the authorities.

Last year he was arrested for urinating on a confectionary display in a store near his home in Houston, Texas.

Durst was the inspiration for the 2010 film All Good Things, a crime thriller starring Ryan Gosling.

His family controls $4.4bn (£3bn) of real-estate in Manhattan, including a 10% stake in One World Trade Center.

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