Bangladesh Factory Collapse: Engineer Arrested

An engineer who warned a building in Bangladesh was unsafe a day before it collapsed has been arrested on suspicion of negligence.

Details of Abdur Razzak Khan's arrest came as the number of people killed in the disaster passed 500, after dozens more bodies were pulled from the rubble.

The eight-storey Rana Plaza in Dhaka housed five clothing factories, including one which made garments for Primark.

A woman cries as she searches for her missing brother

Khan was a consultant for Mohammed Sohel Rana, the building's owner, when three floors were illegally added.

He was called to inspect the building when it developed cracks on April 23 and later appeared on television, saying he had told Rana to evacuate workers because the structure was not safe.

Police ordered an evacuation but witnesses say Rana told people gathered outside the building on the morning of the tragedy that it was safe to go inside.

A Bangladeshi soldier stands in front of the collapsed building

Hours later, the complex collapsed into 600 tons of rubble with around 3,000 people inside.

Lieutenant Mir Rabbi, of the Bangladeshi army control room, said the death toll now stands at 501.

More than 100 people are still missing.

Major General Chowdhury Hassan Suhwardy, an army commander who is supervising the rescue operation, said: "We are still proceeding cautiously so that we get the bodies intact."

Rana has also been arrested and is expected to be charged with negligence, illegal construction and forcing workers to join work.

The offences are punishable by a maximum of seven years in jail.

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US Officials: Israel Launches Airstrike Into Syria

US officials say Israel has launched an airstrike into Syria, apparently targeting a suspected weapons site.

They believe the strike hit a warehouse, but it does not appear that a chemical weapons site was targeted.

CNN said the strike took place overnight on Thursday into Friday, just as Israel was flying many warplanes over Lebanon.

But the US does not believe Israeli warplanes entered Syrian airspace to conduct the strikes, the TV news station added.

Israel has targeted weapons in the past that it believes are being delivered to the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah.

Earlier this month, Israel admitted carrying out a January airstrike on a weapons convoy in Syria thought to be en route to Hezbollah.

Israeli Embassy spokesman Aaron Sagui said he could not comment on the report, but said Israel is determined to prevent the transfer of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime to terrorists.

Mr Obama, on a trip to Costa Rica, rules out US 'boots' on Syrian ground

The reports came hours after Barack Obama refused to rule out options in dealing with the crisis in Syria but said he did not foresee sending in US ground troops.

Speaking during a visit to Costa Rica, the President said: "As a general rule, I don't rule things out as commander-in-chief because circumstances change and you want to make sure that I always have the full power of the United States at our disposal to meet American national security interests.

"Having said that, I do not foresee a scenario in which boots on the ground in Syria, American boots on the ground in Syria, would not only be good for America but also would be good for Syria."

Mr Obama said there was evidence that chemical weapons had been used in Syria, but that "we don't know when, where or how they were used".

But if "strong evidence" is found of such weapons being used by the regime of President Bashar al Assad, then "that is a game changer for us" because "there is a possibility that it lands in the hands of organisations like Hezbollah", Mr Obama said.

Mr Obama said if use of chemical weapons in Syria is confirmed, the US will present that evidence to the international community, because it concerns the entire world.

But he called for caution to avoid unintended consequences, saying: It's important for us to do it right."

There have been reports of a 'large-scale massacre' in Baida

Meanwhile, warnings of a new "large-scale massacre" in Syria have emerged following reports President Assad's troops bombarded Sunni areas near the city of Bania.

The opposition National Coalition accused the regime of "war crimes and genocide", citing witness reports of civilians being stabbed to death.

"The Coalition calls on the Arab League and the United Nations to act rapidly to save the civilians of Baida, Banias and other villages across Syria," it said in a statement.

"Several sources in the village say at least 50 people were killed in summary executions and shelling in Baida village,"Rami Abdel Rahman, of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP news agency.

Syria's official Sana news agency said troops killed "terrorists" and seized arms in an operation targeting rebels.

Regular forces were supported by pro-regime "shabiha" militiamen, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of sources on the ground for its information.

The Banias region is predominantly Alawite, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam and the sect of President Assad, while the insurgents battling to topple his regime are mainly Sunni Muslims.

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Somali President Says Terrorists Are Defeated

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, in Mogadishu

Al Shabaab terrorists operating in Somalia have been "defeated as a fighting force" after decades of creating havoc, according to the country's president.

But President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has warned that the extremists are an international network with links to al Qaeda and they still have the ability to mount attacks both inside Somalia and abroad.

The president is travelling to England next week to jointly chair an international conference with the British Prime Minister on Somalia's future.

He will be trying to convince backers like Britain and America that, despite more than two decades of financial support, their help is not only still needed but as crucial as ever.

"Somalia is so close to coming out of the quagmire," he told Sky News in his only television interview ahead of the conference.

"I say, please bear with us and stretch your patience just a little bit and you will get the kind of Somalia you have been dreaming of for 22 years."

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has asked for patience

The president is the first elected leader in more than two decades and is heading up the first permanent government in that time.

He has only been in his job for eight months but with United Nations support there finally seems to be some progress in a country known as being the world's most fragile state.

International money along with the 18,000 African Union peacekeepers in the country has meant tentative stability in a nation more used to war.

The extremists have mostly been driven out of the capital Mogadishu and the joint Somali and African Union troops continue to take territory once held by the Islamists.

Many Somalis who once fled to safety in exile are now returning from their bolt holes around the world to set up businesses and live once again in their homeland.

There are big efforts to train the newly bolstered national army and police force, and the first permanent government is widely seen as legitimate and progressive.

But the terrorists' capacity to wreak havoc was demonstrated just a few weeks ago when al Shabaab extremists stormed the capital's court buildings, firing guns and setting off explosions.

The attack triggered a gunfight between the terrorists and the Somali security forces and at least 20 people were killed.

And over the past few days the capital has been virtually locked down due to fears of another attack.

But there is still a definite feeling of confidence among the Somali forces and the African Union peacekeepers that progress is being made bit by bit.

A new British embassy has been opened in the terror-ravaged country

Colonel Kassim Roble is one of the returning diaspora, lured back to his motherland after becoming convinced Somalia has turned the corner.

He had spent the previous eight years in Leicester before deciding to return home last year.

"Security is getting better every day, every month, every hour," he told Sky from the newly renovated Ministry of Defence in the capital. "We are in charge of 85% to 90% of the city (of Mogadishu)."

He put much of the change down to a fresh focus by the country's new president who has insisted funds be used to improve conditions for the troops with better salaries, better food and better training.

"The morale is now very good," said the colonel.

His words were echoed by peacekeepers from the African Union who are involved in helping secure areas but also mentoring and training the Somali security forces.

"Peace is coming back to Somalia," one Nigerian commander said. "The people are out on the streets, doing business again. The danger is not so much now. There's is a lot of difference even since a few months ago."

But the insecurity is never far away and there are concerns that without international community help, the fragile stability will shatter and be reversed.

"Al Shabaab is an international operation. They are operating inside Somalia but they are part of an international terror network," the president told Sky News.

"Somalia is just a small country, ill-equipped and ill-trained. Shabaab is defeated as a fighting force. Soon there will be no front line or no place they are in control of.

"But when they are defeated militarily, the way they work is they go into the society - so the suicide bombers and roadside bombings and grenade-throwing will go on for some time.

"But they will be defeated. They are about to be defeated and they are on the run."

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'Massacre By Syrian Forces Kills At Least 50'

Forces loyal to Syria's leader have stormed a village in a "massacre" that has left at least 50 people dead, reports say.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said President Bashar al Assad's troops and militias raided the coastal village of Baida, killing many with gunfire or knives.

Women and children were among the victims and some bodies were found burned, the group said.

The British-based Observatory said the final toll was expected to exceed 100 dead. It earlier reported fighting around Baida that killed at least six government troops.

The village has previously witnessed mass arrests of men after residents joined protests challenging Mr Assad's regime, according to human rights activists.

The reports emerged as the US confirmed it was taking a fresh look at whether to provide weapons to Syria's rebels, having rejected doing so in the past.

A protest against the Assad regime in Baida in 2011

Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said "Yes" when asked at a Pentagon news conference with his British counterpart Philip Hammond whether the US government was rethinking its opposition to the idea.

Mr Hammond said Britain had not yet provided arms, but would not rule it out.

He told Sky News: "We've never removed from the table the possibility of providing lethal support to the opposition forces.

"We haven't done so yet - we've drawn a very clear line - but we've made it clear to the Assad regime that every option remains on the table if they consider to massacre their population.

"The reports coming in of another massacre, if they turn out to be true, will turn out to be yet another shocking chapter in this regime's book."

Asked why the West was not doing more to assist the rebels, Mr Hammond said Britain was "strongly supportive" of the opposition.

He said the disjoined nature of the opposition forces and their extremist elements were "complicated factors", and an international consensus was needed.

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Boston Bombing: Three New Suspects Charged

Three college friends of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev have been charged by police investigating the attacks.

Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev are charged with conspiring to obstruct justice. A third man, Robel Phillipos, is charged with making false statements to federal investigators.

The suspects are accused of removing a backpack containing fireworks emptied of gunpowder from Tsarnaev's dorm room three days after the bombings.

In court papers, the FBI said Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev agreed to throw the backpack in the garbage after concluding from news reports that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was one of the bombers.

Law enforcement officers later found the backpack in a landfill.

Police have been investigating if suspects the Tsarnaev brothers had help

Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev, who came to the US from Kazakhstan, have been held in jail for more than a week on allegations they violated their student visas while attending college.

There is also information that Tazhayakov was allowed to re-enter the US in January from Kazakhstan despite not having a valid student visa.

The Kazakhs waived bail during an initial court appearance on Wednesday. They are scheduled to appear in court again on May 14.

Phillipos, a US citizen, is being held pending a detention and probable cause hearing scheduled for Monday.

Attorneys for Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov told reporters on Wednesday their clients did not know the items they removed from Tsarnaev's room were linked to the attacks.

Tazhayakov's attorney, Harlan Protass, said: "My client feels horrible and was shocked to hear that someone he knew was involved in the bombings."

Kadyrbayev's lawyer, Robert Stahl, said his client "absolutely denies the charges".

Police recovered these fireworks from a Boston-area landfill

Both men face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, the US Justice Department said.

Phillipos faces up to eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

All three men, aged 19, began attending the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth with Tsarnaev at the same time in 2011, according to the FBI.

The university said in a statement that Tazhayakov has been suspended "pending the outcome of the case". The school said Phillipos and Kadyrbayev are not currently enrolled.

The trio were not accused of any involvement in the bombing itself. But in a footnote in the court papers, the FBI said that about a month before the bombing, Tsarnaev told Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev that he knew how to make a bomb.

Three people were killed and more than 260 injured on April 15 when two bombs exploded near the finish line.

Flowers placed on the pavement at the site of the first blast

Suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev died after a gunfight with police several days later. His brother Dzhokhar was captured and lies in a hospital prison.

The surviving brother, 19, faces federal charges of using a weapon of mass destruction and malicious destruction of property resulting in death over the double bombing.

Authorities say the brothers also killed an MIT police officer as they tried to escape, although no charges have been filed yet over his death.

The White House and investigators have previously suggested that the Tsarnaevs could have acted alone, without ties to any foreign government or terrorist organisation.

But law enforcement authorities have kept a close watch on some of the brothers' contacts as they try to establish whether they had any help.

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North Korea Reactor 'Could Produce Plutonium'

New satellite images of North Korea suggest it is nearing completion of a reactor designed for generating electricity - but which will have the capability to produce plutonium.

US academics who visited the site at the Yongbyon nuclear complex in 2010 concluded the reactor was being built for electricity.

Kim Jong-Un shut down a reactor in 2007 during aid negotiations

But analysts say that once complete the reactor will have a residual capability to produce weapons-grade plutonium.

The pictures have been published on 38 North - the website of the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies.

The images - the most recent taken last month - show what appear to be external finishing touches made to the complex.

North Korea revealed an industrial-scale uranium enrichment facility in 2010 designed to provide fuel for the light-water reactor.

This development caused international alarm because of the potential for the centrifuges to be reconfigured to produce highly-enriched uranium - another means of creating fissile material for weapons.

If North Korea has produced enough low-enriched uranium to run the new reactor, it could commence the lengthy process of starting it up in the coming weeks, and be fully operational during the first half of 2014.

Containing the nuclear fuel and keeping the reactor cool pose major challenges - as would unforeseen events like natural disasters that caused a meltdown in Japan's Fukushima reactor in 2011, the analysis says.

"Pyongyang is probably planning to build additional power reactors to end its electricity shortage and help solve its economic problems," said Joel Wit, a former State Department official and editor of 38 North.

The latest image taken in March 2013 shows what could a water channel

"It may have some residual ability to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons, but the biggest concern about these reactors is whether they are safe or not," he added.

North Korea announced in April that it was restarting an older reactor at Yongbyon from which it is estimated to have derived enough plutonium for six bombs.

The reactor was closed in 2007 during aid-for-disarmament negotiations.

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Indian Rape Girl, 5, Dies After Long Coma

A five-year-old girl who was abducted and raped in India has died almost two weeks after the attack.

The girl suffered a cardiac arrest and died late on Monday at a hospital in Nagpur city, where she was being treated for injuries following the assault on April 18.

According to Bharat Yadav, the official collector for Seoni district in the central state of Madhya Pradesh where the rape occurred, two men have been arrested.

One allegedly lured her to a farm where the other - who was a friend of her parents - raped her, Mr Bharat said.

The parents, poor construction workers, were at work when the attack occurred, he added.

The girl was raped in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh

Ravi Manadiar, an administrator at the hospital, said the girl suffered a brain injury when the men tried to smother her cries and had been in a coma since April 20.

India has recently seen a sharp rise in the numbers of rapes and sexual crimes against women and children.

Officials have said the spike has resulted from more people reporting the crimes.

Earlier this month, another five-year-old girl was kidnapped, raped and tortured by two men who then abandoned her in a locked room in New Delhi.

She is still recovering at a hospital in the city.

Police allegedly refused to register a case when the girl's parents reported that their daughter was missing.

Protesters in Ahmedabad complaining about the recent rapes last week

Hundreds of people protested outside police headquarters in New Delhi for three days, angry over allegations of police inaction and indifference to the parents' complaints.

The attacks on the young girls come four months after the fatal gang rape of a woman on a New Delhi bus sparked outrage across India about the treatment of women in the country.

The December attack spurred the government to pass tough laws for crimes against women, including the death penalty for repeat offenders or for rape attacks that lead to the victim's death.

India has struggled to eradicate the problem, amid a long history of groups of men pestering females in a behaviour known as "Eve baiting".

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Willem-Alexander Takes Netherlands Throne

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent in Amsterdam

Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander has become Europe's youngest monarch after his mother, Queen Beatrix, abdicated the throne.

Beatrix signed the official act of abdication in Amsterdam on Tuesday, making her eldest son the first Dutch king in more than 100 years.

The Queen ended her 33-year reign as thousands of revellers dressed in orange cheered outside the Royal Palace in the Dutch capital and millions more watched on television.

With her abdication, she becomes Princess Beatrix and her son ascends the throne as King Willem-Alexander.

Queen Beatrix signs the instrument of abdication next to her son

He is the first Dutch king since Willem III died in 1890.

The 46-year-old's popular Argentinian-born wife becomes Queen Maxima and their eldest daughter, Catharina-Amalia, becomes Princess of Orange and heir to the throne.

Willem-Alexander gripped his visibly emotional mother's hand after they both signed the abdication document.

The two then appeared together on a balcony of the Royal Palace on the city's famous Dam Square and briefly addressed the crowd.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall attended the ceremony

"I take office in a period when many in the kingdom feel vulnerable or uncertain. Vulnerable in their job or in their health, uncertain about their income or their immediate environment," Willem-Alexander said.

"We can no longer take it for granted that children will be better off than their parents ... Our strength is therefore not in isolation but by cooperating."

They were then joined by the new queen and their three daughters.

The investiture was held before 2,000 guests in Amsterdam's Nieuwe Kerk, which also serves as a joint session of the two houses of the States General - the Dutch parliament.

Beatrix signs over the throne to her son after 33 years

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were among those in the audience as the new king swore to be faithful to the constitution and faithfully discharge the duties of his office.

President Obama sent a message of support: "On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I congratulate His Majesty Willem-Alexander on the occasion of his investiture as King of the Netherlands, and we wish the very best to him and Queen Maxima as they assume their new roles."

Beatrix, 75, announced her decision to relinquish the crown in January to make way for a new generation.

On Monday night Queen Beatrix thanked the Dutch people in a televised address, where she urged them to support her son.

King Willem-Alexander enjoys high levels of public support

Beatrix said: "Now that my oldest son is to take over this fine and responsible job, it is my deep wish that the new royal couple will feel themselves supported by your loving trust.

"I am convinced that Willem-Alexander will apply himself with true devotion for everything a good king is obliged to do."

She also praised her late husband, Prince Claus, who died in 2002, for teaching their children to be in tune with changes in society.

"Prince Claus brought our House (Of Orange) closer to this time," she said.

Anti-monarchy protesters prepare banners

"Possibly history will show that the choice of this husband was my best decision."

The new king has become the youngest monarch in Europe, in a country where public support for the royal family consistently runs at over 80%.

However, the Dutch government has allowed six protests to be staged around the city by anti-monarchist groups, and those who believe such an expensive ceremony is unjustifiable when the country's economy is in recession.

The king receives a stipend of 850,000 euros (£718,000) a year, and an online petition to see that reduced has now reached over 20,000 signatures, half the number required to trigger a parliamentary debate.

Organiser Anjo Clement told Sky News: "The monarchy is not democratic. It costs a lot of money. They pay no taxes and have free housing and enormous staff. And they have a hidden political power."

Supporters argue Queen Beatrix has presided over a decline in the monarchy's influence over the day-to-day running of the country, but her son has courted controversy for living an openly privileged life.

At university, Willem-Alexander was nicknamed Prince Pils for his party antics and caused consternation when he married the daughter of an Argentinian politician who had a leading role in the military junta of Jorge Rafael Videla.

The prince tried to defend Maxima by issuing a letter proving her father had only played a minor role in the regime, which later proved to be written by Videla himself.

Maxima later apologised for her husband's actions telling reporters, in fluent Dutch, that he had been "a little bit dumb".

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'Tortured' UK Trio Face Dubai Drugs Verdict

The mother of a man on trial for drugs offences in Dubai has described the alleged electric shocks and beatings he suffered at the hands of police, after he was arrested with two other Britons.

Grant Cameron, 25, was detained along with Suneet Jeerh, 25, and Karl Williams, 26, while they were out in the nightlife area of the principality last July.

The three, who claim they were tortured while in custody, will find out on Monday the verdict in their trial for possession and intent to supply synthetic cannabis, known as spice.

The men, from London, say they were forced to sign documents in Arabic - a language none of them understands - after having guns put to their heads.

Mr Cameron's mother, Tracy, told Sky News: "When he was initially arrested, the three boys were separated, handcuffed, put into cars and driven into the desert.

"It did appear that the CID officers were using different tactics to try and disorientate the boys.

"They were beaten while handcuffed while in separate cars. Beaten around the head, guns were held to their head and they received various Taser injuries as well.

"After being in the desert for some time, they were the taken back to their hotel room where they were separated once again and I can only say that the treatment got a lot more severe."

Dubai has become a major destination for tourism

Mr Jeerh's sister, Davena, told Sky a cattle prod had been used to give him electric shocks.

"They kicked, punched him," she added. "They used a gun - the back of the gun - to hit him on the head, where they cut all of his head open on the back."

All three have denied charges of "consumption and possession with intent to distribute", and appeared at their first trial hearing in February after spending seven months in custody.

The conclusion of the trial is set to overshadow a visit to the UK on Tuesday by the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

Prime Minister David Cameron has indicated he will use the visit to raise his concerns about the case.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has called for a full, independent and impartial inquiry into the allegations of torture.

It said it has raised the allegations with "very senior officials" in the UAE and will continue to do so.

The UAE has said it has investigated the allegations of torture and found them "baseless".

The trio's case is being backed by the overseas justice charity Reprieve, which is calling for a full review of their treatment.

In a draft witness statement provided to Reprieve lawyer Marc Calcutt, Mr Williams described having a towel put on his face by police and having electric shocks on his testicles.

The torture took place in the desert, it was claimed, where the men were initially taken after their arrest, and subsequently in a hotel room.

The statements they signed were not full confessions, but have been used in the trial as evidence.

In a letter to Reprieve, David Cameron wrote: "The UK Government takes all allegations of mistreatment very seriously.

"We continue to press for evidence for a full, impartial and independent investigation into the allegations. The absence of an independent medical examination remains a concern."

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Bangladesh Factory Collapse: Fire Breaks Out

A fire has broken out at the scene of a building collapse in Bangladesh, forcing rescuers to halt their search for survivors.

The blaze started because of sparks generated as rescuers tried to cut through a steel rod to reach a trapped woman, officials said. The AFP news agency reported the woman died.

The country's fire chief Ahmed Ali told AFP she was the last known survivor in the building and that rescuers had tried to reach her for more than 10 hours on Sunday.

At least three people were injured in the blaze.

The fire started within hours of the owner of the eight-storey factory complex, which toppled killing at least 377 people, being arrested along the country's border with India.

Mohammed Sohel Rana was brought back to the capital Dhaka by helicopter and now faces charges over the disaster.

An announcement was also made by loudspeaker at the site of the building, where people cheered and clapped.

Food is passed down to trapped workers through a hole

Mr Rana's wife had already been detained - but he had not been seen since the building toppled to the ground on Wednesday.

He reportedly had the approval to construct five floors but added three more illegally.

Hundreds of relatives of missing workers have been gathering at the site in the hope of finding their loved ones.

A further nine survivors were found on Sunday - in addition to the 29 rescued alive on Saturday.

However, hopes of finding more people trapped under the mound of broken concrete and metal are fading, with hundreds still missing.

"The chances of finding people alive are dimming, so we have to step up our rescue operation to save any valuable life we can," said Major General Chowdhury Hassan Sohrawardi, co-ordinator of the operation.

Rescuers at the scene of the disaster

It is the deadliest tragedy to hit Bangladesh's clothing industry, which is worth $20bn (£13bn) a year.

On Saturday, police arrested three factory bosses as well as two engineers involved in approving the design of the Rana Plaza building in the Dhaka suburb of Savar.

It housed five clothing factories, employing a total of 3,122 staff.

It is not known how many workers were inside the structure when it collapsed. Some 2,500 survivors have been accounted for.

The three factory bosses arrested included Bazlus Samad, managing director of New Wave Apparels, Mahmudur Rahman Tapash, the company chairman, and Aminul Islam, chairman of Phantom Apparels.

Wednesday's tragedy has sparked protests about the poor working conditions of workers who toil for as little as £25 a month to produce clothing for top international brands.

High street giant Primark - and Spain's Mango - have confirmed their products were made in the block.

Protesters held a demonstration outside Primark's flagship store in central London on Saturday to demand compensation for the workers who were killed.

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Italy: New Government Ends Political Deadlock

Weeks of political deadlock ended in Italy as Enrico Letta of the centre-left became the new PM and formed a government.

Mr Letta, a 46-year-year-old leftist moderate, leads a broad-coalition government backed by his own Democratic Party and the conservatives of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The government will be sworn in on Sunday and then faces votes of confidence in both houses of parliament, possibly as early as Monday.

A general election in February proved inconclusive, with the electorate split among three main blocs and no party winning enough of the vote to muster majorities in parliament.

Following that a political stalemate had paralysed Italy, unnerving markets at a time of deep economic crisis.

Silvio Berlusconi is backing the new government

Mr Letta is a pro-European, reform-oriented politician who has served as a minister in previous centre-left governments. Viewed as a bridge-builder, he is a nephew of Mr Berlusconi's long-time right-hand man, Gianni Letta.

He has said he wants to move quickly to tackle the economic problems plaguing Italy, the eurozone's third-largest economy.

The country is mired in its worst recession in decades and austerity measures pushed by the previous technocratic government led by Mario Monti have stirred anger across the nation.

"It's the only possible government at a time when Italy couldn't afford to wait any longer," said President Giorgio Napolitano, who earlier this week asked Mr Letta to form a government.

The new administration includes some of Mr Berlusconi's closest allies, including the secretary of his party Angelino Alfano, who will serve as deputy premier and interior minister.

Bank of Italy director general Fabrizio Saccomanni will take the powerful economy ministry and former European Commissioner Emma Bonino will be foreign minister.

Mr Letta (R) shakes hands with President Giorgio Napolitano

The third-largest force to emerge from the Italian election, the anti-establishment Five Star Movement led by comic Beppe Grillo, has demanded change and ruled out any alliance with the traditional political parties.

It will remain outside of the government.

Mr Grillo has said the coalition government "is an orgy worthy of the best bunga bunga" - a reference to Mr Berlusconi's infamous parties.

The government was formed after days of tricky negotiations with all political forces - most notably with members of Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom party.

Mr Letta faced some dissent within his own party from critics who did not want a deal with the scandal-tainted billionaire.

Some analysts say the new government will be short-lived and will be brought down by irreconcilable differences that can only be resolved through another general election.

Mr Letta vows to promote reforms to kick-start the economy and rejuvenate a political class tainted by scandal and despised by many in Italy for its privileges and perceived impunity.

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Bangladesh Building Collapse: Five In Custody

Police in Bangladesh have arrested two clothing factory bosses based at the eight-storey building near the capital Dhaka that collapsed killing 348 people.

Two engineers - Imtemam Hossain and Alam Ali - involved in approving the design of the structure have also been detained for questioning.

Junior home minister Shamsul Haque Tuku said police had arrested Bazlus Samad, managing director of New Wave Apparels Ltd, and Mahmudur Rahaman Tapash, the company chairman. It is the largest of the five factories in the complex.

Police have filed a case against them for "death due to negligence", after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the owners forced the workers to return to work after cracks appeared in the building.

The wife of Mohammed Sohel Rana - the owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza building who has not been seen since the tragedy - has also been detained.

A survivor is carried to an ambulance on a stretcher

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association had asked the factories based in the structure to shut down on Wednesday morning, hours before the building came down.

"After we got the crack reports we asked them to suspend work until further examination, but they did not pay heed," said association president Atiqul Islam.

The arrests came after police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at thousands of clothing workers who took to the streets on the outskirts of Dhaka to protest over the deaths as clashes also erupted in the southeastern city of Chittagong.

There was no sign of the rescue operation being called off. Authorities pledged to continue the search after 29 people were pulled out alive on Saturday - more than three days after the building came down.

The rescue mission is continuing

With time running out to save workers still trapped in the collapsed building, rescuers have been digging through mangled metal and concrete to find more survivors.

They finally reached the ground floor from the top of the mountainous rubble through 25 narrow holes they had drilled.

Brigadier General Ali Ahmed Khan, head of the fire service, said: "We are still getting a response from survivors, though they are becoming weaker slowly.

"The building is very vulnerable. Any time the floors could collapse. We are performing an impossible task, but we are glad that we are able to rescue so many survivors."

Protesters set fire to furniture from a police control room on Saturday

The rescued have described hearing a loud crack just before the eight-storey building collapsed, with each level pancaking on top of those below.

The building housed at least four factories producing clothes for leading Western retailers.

High street giant Primark confirmed one of its suppliers occupied the second floor of the building.

Protesters held a demonstration outside the chain's flagship store in central London on Saturday to demand compensation for the workers who were killed.

The Primark protest in central London

Speaking outside Primark's Oxford Street store, Murray Worthy of the War on Want group said: "We're here to send a clear message to Primark that the 300 deaths in the Bangladesh building collapse were not an accident - they were entirely preventable deaths."

A Primark spokesman said: "The company is shocked and deeply saddened by this appalling incident at Savar, near Dhaka, and expresses its condolences to all of those involved."

Elsewhere in Bangladesh, hundreds of thousands of workers walked out of their factories in solidarity with their dead colleagues.

Some workers' leaders attacked Western firms, whom they accused of turning "a blind eye" while using Bangladeshis as "money-making machines".

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