Train Crash Driver Not Answering Questions

The driver held by police after a train derailed in northwestern Spain has refused to answer questions, authorities have confirmed.

A spokesman for the National Police said the driver "has refused to answer police authorities" and added the case will now "proceed to a judicial process as soon as possible".

Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, 52, was arrested in the hospital where he is recovering after the crash which killed 78 passengers and injured another 130.

Galicia region police chief, Jaime Iglesias, earlier said Garzon would be questioned "as a suspect for a crime linked to the cause of the accident" and said he had been arrested for "recklessness".

Francisco Jose Garzon Amo pictured after the crash

He is being guarded by police in hospital, although his condition is understood not to be serious.

Pictures and video footage have emerged of him being led away from the crash scene with his head covered in blood.

The train's black box recorder has been retrieved from the wreckage near Santiago de Compostela.

Early indications suggested the train may have been travelling at more than twice the speed limit at the time of the crash on Wednesday night.

The eight-carriage train came off the tracks on a bend, hit a wall and caught fire just outside the city - a pilgrimage destination for Roman Catholics.

The train entered the bend at 190km per hour (120mph), according to local media reports. The speed limit on the curve was 80km per hour (50mph).

Mr Garzon boasted about speeding on his Facebook page

Spanish media revealed that immediately after the derailment Garzon allegedly said to officials at the railway station 3km from the crash: "I ****** up, I want to die. So many people dead, so many people dead."

El Pais newspaper quoted him as telling rail officials: "I was going at 190! I hope no one died because it will weigh on my conscience."

He is also thought to have boasted on his Facebook page about how fast he was driving a train in March last year.

The driver posted a picture of a train speedometer at 200km per hour (124mph) on the social networking site. His Facebook page has since been blocked.

There was a second driver on the train, but it is believed Garzon was the only driver at the time.

He is understood to have taken control of the train from a second driver about 65 miles (104km) south of Santiago de Compostela.

Two investigations are being carried out into the catastrophe - one to look into possible failings by the driver and the other to examine the train's in-built speed regulation systems and see if it was a technical malfunction that meant the driver was not warned of the reduced speed limit around the bend.

A truck hauls one of the damaged carriages from the scene of the crash

Many questions remain unanswered about what went wrong, with some experts claiming that high speed alone would not explain the crash and speculation that the train's braking systems might have failed.

State train company Renfe said Garzon had been at the firm for 30 years and he had been driving trains for more than a decade.

He became an assistant driver in 2000 and a fully qualified driver in 2003.

Garzon is understood to have been on the Madrid to Ferrol service, on which the crash happened, for a year, after undergoing training specific to that line.

Medical experts are attempting to identify six of the 78 dead. DNA tests are expected to be carried out on those with catastrophic injuries.

Victims of the crash included a US citizen and a Mexican. At least one British citizen and four children were among the 130 people injured.

Some 31 of those in hospital are still critically ill.

Spanish newspaper El Pais has revealed details of a dramatic WhatsApp conversation between one of the survivors trapped in the train wreck and her husband.

At 8.45pm local time, the woman sent messages saying she had been in an accident and was "crushed".

Hospital staff hold a minute's silence

After what her husband described as "the longest five minutes of my life", she sent another message saying "I'm safe".

The 46-year-old woman escaped with minor injuries to her legs and has already been discharged from hospital. 

Video footage from a security camera showed the train, which had 247 people on board, hurtling into a concrete wall at the side of the track.

The impact was so huge one carriage flew several metres into the air and landed on the other side of a concrete barrier.

The Alvia 730 series train was travelling from Madrid to the port city of Ferrol when it crashed about 8.40pm local time - 7.40pm UK time - on Wednesday.

Gonzalo Ferre, president of the rail infrastructure company Adif, said the driver should have started slowing the train 2.5 miles before reaching a dangerous bend.

People applaud after a minute's silence in Santiago de Compostela

The crash occurred on the eve of a major Christian religious festival honouring St James, the disciple of Jesus whose remains are said to rest in a shrine.

Many of the dead or injured were believed to be Catholic pilgrims converging on the city.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who was born in Santiago de Compostela, visited the scene of the crash on Thursday and declared three days of official mourning across the country.

King Juan Carlos also visited one of the hospitals where many passengers are being treated.

The train crash is the worst Spain has experienced since a three-train accident in a tunnel in the northern Leon province in 1944.

Due to heavy censorship at the time, the exact death toll for the Torre del Bierzo disaster has never been established. The official figure was given as 78 dead, but it is thought that as many as 250 could have been killed.

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Egypt: Five Die During Alexandria Clashes

At least five people have been killed in clashes between supporters and opponents of Egypt's ousted President Mohamed Morsi, according to the country's official news agency.

The deaths took place in Egypt's second biggest city of Alexandria, with reports also saying more than 70 were injured.

One of those killed is believed to be a 14-year-old boy, said Sky News' Tom Rayner, who is in Egypt.

"More information from the health ministry is suggesting these injuries were a mixture of shotgun pellets, bird shot, and of bladed weapons," added Rayner.

There were also a handful of injuries in Cairo - where tens of thousands gathered in Tahrir Square - but the majority of Friday's rallies passed off peacefully.

A deeply polarised Egypt was braced for violence ahead of the opposing demonstrations, called by the army and the Islamists who back Mr Morsi.

Army chief General Abdel Fattah al Sisi summoned Egyptians to the streets in an intended turning point in its confrontation with followers of Mr Morsi, the elected leader the military removed on July 3.

Pro-Army supporters massed in Cairo's Tahrir Square

Mr Sisi said he wanted Egyptians to give the military a "mandate" to take the necessary measures against "violence and terrorism".

The demonstrations come as Mr Morsi was formally detained over accusations he conspired with the Palestinian group Hamas in attacks that killed policeman during the country's 2011 revolution, as well as claims he helped organise prison breaks.

The claims were dismissed as "ridiculous" by his Muslim Brotherhood party, which has been camped out at street vigils calling for his reinstatement.

An army official said the military had given the party a Saturday deadline to end its resistance and join a military-set roadmap to fresh elections.

Supporters of Mr Morsi also took to the streets in numbers

But the Brotherhood says it wants nothing to do with the army's transition plan and called its own crowds out for counter-demonstrations in a "day to remove the coup".

Mr Morsi has been in military detention at an undisclosed location since he was overthrown.

UN leader Ban Ki-moon has called on the military to free Mr Morsi and other Islamic Brotherhood leaders, said deputy UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey.

Both the army and the Muslim Brotherhood dramatically escalated rhetoric in the lead-up to the rallies, following a month of clashes in which about 200 people, mainly supporters of Mr Morsi, have died.

The army threatened to "turn its guns" on those who used violence.

In a Facebook post, the army said it would not "turn its guns against its people, but it will turn them against black violence and terrorism which has no religion or nation".

The main anti-Morsi youth protest group, which has backed the army, said it would go to the streets to "cleanse Egypt".

Mr Sisi delivered his call to action in full military uniform

The Muslim Brotherhood has accused the army of pushing the nation towards civil war and committing a crime worse than destroying Islam's holiest site.

The Brotherhood also claims the authorities have been stirring up the violence to justify their crackdown.

The head of the army, Mr Sisi, was appointed by Mr Morsi in a bid by the president to rein in Egypt's all-powerful military.

But Mr Sisi turned against him after a year in which the Egyptian economy floundered and support for Mr Morsi slumped.

Posters of the general have since appeared in shops and stalls across Cairo.

The US - which has close ties with Egypt's military - said it was "very concerned" by Mr Sisi's call for mass rallies.

After Mr Sisi's comments, the US announced it would suspend a delivery of F-16 warplanes.

The country remains deeply split over Mr Morsi's ousting.

The Brotherhood accuses the army of ejecting a democratically elected leader in a long-planned coup, while its opponents say the army responded to the will of the people.

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Halliburton To Plead Guilty Over Gulf Oil Spill

Halliburton has agreed to plead guilty to destroying evidence in connection with the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The US company has agreed to pay the maximum fine and will be on probation for three years and continue to cooperate with the government's criminal investigation.

It has also made a $55m (£35.7m) voluntary contribution to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Halliburton was BP's cement contractor on the drilling rig whose blowout triggered an explosion that killed 11 workers and spilled millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

The company said in a statement that it had agreed to plead guilty "to one misdemeanor violation associated with the deletion of records created after the Macondo well incident"

The Justice Department has agreed it will not pursue further criminal prosecution of the company or its subsidiaries for any conduct arising from the 2010 spill," Halliburton's statement said.

The plea agreement is subject to court approval, the company said.

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Egypt: Army And Morsi Camp Showdown Looms

A deeply polarised Egypt is braced for bloodshed ahead of rival mass rallies called by the army and Islamists who back the ousted president Mohamed Morsi.

Army chief General Abdel Fattah al Sisi summoned Egyptians to the streets today in an intended turning point in its confrontation with followers of Mr Morsi, the elected leader the military removed on July 3.

Mr Sisi said he wanted Egyptians to give the military a "mandate" to take the necessary measures against "violence and terrorism".

The general's call was widely interpreted as signalling a crackdown on Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, who have been camped out at street vigils calling for his reinstatement.

Mr Sisi delivered his call in full military uniform and dark sunglasses

An army official said the military has given the Muslim Brotherhood a Saturday deadline to end its resistance and join a military-set roadmap to fresh elections.

But the Brotherhood says it wants nothing to do with the army's transition plan and has called its own crowds out for counter-demonstrations in a "day to remove the coup".

Mr Morsi has been in military detention at an undisclosed location since he was overthrown.

UN leader Ban Ki-moon has called on the military to free Mr Morsi and other Islamic Brotherhood leaders, said deputy UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey.

Mr Ban also says he "urges all sides to act with maximum restraint" during today's demonstrations.

Both the army and the Muslim Brotherhood dramatically escalated rhetoric in the lead-up to the rallies, following a month of clashes in which about 200 people, mainly supporters of Mr Morsi, have died.

A Morsi supporter (C) is chased by those backing the army earlier this week

The army has threatened to "turn its guns" on those who use violence.

In a Facebook post, the army said it will not "turn its guns against its people, but it will turn them against black violence and terrorism which has no religion or nation".

An army official told Reuters: "We will not initiate any move, but will definitely react harshly against any calls for violence or black terrorism from Brotherhood leaders or their supporters."

The main anti-Morsi youth protest group, which has backed the army, said it would go to the streets to "cleanse Egypt".

The Muslim Brotherhood accused the army of pushing the nation towards civil war and committing a crime worse than destroying Islam's holiest site.

Thousands have been holding vigils calling for Mr Morsi's reinstatement

The Brotherhood also claims the authorities have been stirring up the violence to justify their crackdown.

The rallies are expected to peak after the evening prayer marking the end of the day's Ramadan fast.

Police said they were planning large-scale reinforcements and the Interior Ministry said it would undertake "unprecedented measures to protect citizens and their property".

The head of the army, Mr Sisi, was appointed by Mr Morsi in a bid by the president to rein in Egypt's all-powerful military.

But Mr Sisi turned against him after a year in which the Egyptian economy floundered and support for Mr Morsi slumped.

Anti-Morsi protesters with a poster of Mr Sisi

Posters of the general have since appeared in shops and stalls across Cairo.

The US - which has close ties with Egypt's military - said it was "very concerned" by Mr Sisi's call for mass rallies.

After Mr Sisi's comments, the US announced it would suspend a delivery of F-16 warplanes.

The country remains deeply split over Mr Morsi's ousting.

The Brotherhood accuses the army of ejecting a democratically elected leader in a long-planned coup, while its opponents say the army responded to the will of the people.

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Iraq Jailbreak 'Poses World Security Threat'

Interpol has issued an international alert over hundreds of fugitives who escaped from two Iraqi prisons, saying the jailbreaks were a "major threat" to global security.

In attacks claimed by al Qaeda, more than 500 inmates fled the jails on Monday following simultaneous raids.

"Many of the escaped prisoners were senior-level al Qaeda members, some of whom had been sentenced to death," Interpol said in its statement.

The international police organisation said it had alerted countries in the region at the request of Iraq.

Authorities there were gathering photographs and fingerprints of the fugitives so an alert could be issued worldwide to help track them down, said Interpol.

Inmates of Taji prison north of Baghdad were freed in the al Qaeda raids

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant said it had deployed suicide attackers, rockets, and 12 car bombs, killing 120 Iraqi guards and SWAT forces in the attacks at Abu Ghraib and in Taji, north of Baghdad.

Iraq's Interior Ministry and medical sources said 29 police and soldiers were killed, and 36 wounded in the attacks.

Abu Ghraib was the prison made notorious a decade ago by photographs showing abuse of prisoners by US soldiers.

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Spain Train Crash: Dozens Killed And Injured

The number of people dead after a train derailed in one of Spain's worst rail disasters has reportedly risen as high as 69.

Many more are said to be critically injured and Spanish media reported emergency services were attempting to rescue several people still trapped inside carriages.

Lines of bodies covered with blankets were seen at the side of the tracks.

Casualties were pulled from the carriages

The crash happened as the train carrying 218 passengers plus crew approached Santiago de Compostela, a popular pilgrimage city in the northwestern region of Galicia.

Several of the 13 carriages rolled over, with one carriage torn open and flames and smoke seen rising from the scene.

Survivors said the train flipped over 'several times'

Official casualty figures have not been released, but the head of the Galicia region, Alberto Nunez, said the death toll had reached up to 45 after he initially put the figure at 35.

Mr Nunez added that 143 people had been injured, with 20 of them seriously hurt.

He said it was too soon to say what had caused the derailment. It has been described as an accident, but it will stir memories of the 2004 Madrid train bombing, which killed nearly 200 people.

It is Spain's deadliest train accident since 1972

One passenger, Ricardo Montesco, told Cadena Ser radio station: "It was going so quickly ... It seems that on a curve the train started to twist and the wagons piled up one on top of the other.

"A lot of people were squashed on the bottom.

Officials said they believed the crash was an accident

"We tried to squeeze out of the bottom of the wagons to get out and we realised the train was burning ... I was in the second wagon and there was fire ... I saw corpses."

A witness told the station they heard an explosion before seeing the derailed train. Another witness told the Radio Galega station: "There are many people dead here, my God."

The train belonging to the state-owned Renfe company was travelling from Madrid to the port city of Ferrol.

The train was travelling from Madrid to the port city of Ferrol

It derailed on high-speed tracks at about 8.40pm local time - 7.40pm UK time - on a bend a short distance from a scheduled stop in the city.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who is due to visit the scene later, called an emergency meeting with ministers and said: "I want to express my affection and solitarity with the victims of the terrible train accident in Santiago."

The crash happened the day before the city's main festival paying tribute to the St James, one of Jesus' 12 disciples. His shrine is the destination of the El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, which has been followed by Christians since the Middle Ages.

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Pope In Brazil: Thousands Mob Pontiff's Car

Thousands of Brazilians mobbed the Pope's car after his driver went the wrong way down a street in Rio de Janeiro.

Rio transportation secretary Carlos Osorio said the Fiat that Francis was riding in from the airport to the city centre turned into the wrong side of the 12-lane Avenida Presidente Vargas.

Instead of taking the left lanes that were free of traffic, the car turned into the right lanes cluttered with buses and taxis, forcing the pontiff's car to stop, he said.

Thousands who had lined the streets then rushed the car, reaching into the Pope's open window, many taking photos of him.

His secretary was not happy during the incident

Vatican spokesman the Reverend Federico Lombardi acknowledged that the Pope's motorcade took a wrong turn, but said the pontiff was never concerned for his safety, even if his secretary, who was sitting with him in the car, was.

"His secretary was afraid, but the Pope was happy, with his hand out the window waving," Rev Lombardi said.

"There are no concerns for security. The concerns are that the enthusiasm is so great that it's difficult to respond to so much enthusiasm for the Pope. But there is no fear and no concern."

The Pope later toured round the main streets In Rio

Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, who is on a seven-day trip to his home continent, then switched to an open-air Popemobile as he toured the main streets in central Rio.

At the official welcoming ceremony, Pope Francis said he had come "to meet young people from all over the world" attracted by the messages of Jesus.

During his stay, the 76-year-old will meet young Catholics gathering for the Church's World Youth Festival in Rio.

Police fire rubber bullets at protesters

More than one million people are expected to pack the white sands of Copacabana for ceremonies presided over by Pope Francis. He will also visit a tiny chapel in a slum and make a side trip to venerate Brazil's patron saint, Our Lady of Aparecida.

The Pope will be hoping his visit will galvanise support for the Roman Catholic Church in Brazil.

In 1970 some 90% of Brazilians identified themselves as Catholic, but a poll at the weekend suggested that number was now down to 57%, with an increasing number of people joining evangelical groups.

Pope Francis meeting Brazil president Dilma Rousseff

Police and anti-government protesters earlier clashed outside the palace hosting the Pope's welcoming ceremony.

About an hour after the Pope concluded his short speech, police began cracking down on the protests, firing rubber bullets in an effort to disperse the crowd.

The protests, the latest in a series of demonstations in Brazil over the past few weeks, focused on government corruption and the cost of Pope Francis' visit, said to be in the region of £33m.

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Apple: Sales Slump Sees Profits Fall By $2bn

Apple's profits have fallen by almost $2bn (£1.3bn) year-on-year as sales of iPads and Macs tailed-off.

The US technology firm sold 14.6 million iPads during the quarter, compared with 17 million in the same period last year.

It sold 3.8 million Macs, down from four million between April and June last year.

However it sold 31.2 million iPhones in the last financial quarter, a record for the three month period to June.

That beats 26 million sold in the same period last year but down on the 37.4 million sold between January and March this year.

Sales of the iPad and Mac range have fallen

Overall, the company's quarterly profit of £4.49bn ($6.9bn) was down from £5.73bn ($8.8bn) in the same three months last year.

Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, said: "We are especially proud of our record June quarter iPhone sales of over 31 million and the strong growth in revenue from iTunes, Software and Services.

"We are really excited about the upcoming releases of iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks operating systems, and we are laser-focused and working hard on some amazing new products that we will introduce in the fall and across 2014."

The company is facing strong competition from Samsung, which is growing on the back of the popularity of its Galaxy S4 handset.

In April the Korean manufacturer posted a 41% leap in earnings in the first quarter of this year - in the same week Apple reported its first annual slide in a decade.

Samsung made a net profit of 7.15tn Korean won (around £4.2bn) for the period, up from 5.05tn won (around £2.9bn) a year ago, attributed largely to a surge in sales of its smartphones.

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Pope In Brazil: Thousands Mob Pontiff's Car

Thousands of Brazilians mobbed the Pope's car after his driver went the wrong way down a street in Rio de Janeiro.

The mob did not scare Pope Francis

Rio Transportation Secretary Carlos Osorio said the Fiat that Francis was riding in from the airport to the city centre turned into the wrong side of a 12-lane road, known as Avenida Presidente Vargas.

Instead of taking the left lanes that were free of traffic, the car turned into the right lanes cluttered with buses and taxis, forcing the Pontiff's car to stop, he said.

Thousands who had lined the streets then rushed the car, reaching into the Pope's open window, many taking photos of him.

However his secretary was not happy during the incident

Vatican spokesman, the Reverend Federico Lombardi, acknowledged that the Pope's motorcade took a wrong turn but said the pontiff was never concerned for his safety, even if his secretary who was sitting with him in the car was.

"His secretary was afraid, but the Pope was happy, with his hand out the window waving," Rev Lombardi said.

"There are no concerns for security. The concerns are that the enthusiasm is so great that it's difficult to respond to so much enthusiasm for the Pope. But there is no fear and no concern."

The Pope later toured round the main streets In Rio

Pope Francis, who is on a seven-day trip to his home continent, then switched to an open-air Popemobile as he toured around the main streets in downtown Rio.

At the official welcoming ceremony later, Pope Francis said he had come "to meet young people from all over the world" attracted by the messages of Jesus.

During his stay, the 76-year-old will meet with young Catholics converging for the church's World Youth Festival in Rio.

Police fire rubber bullets at protesters

More than one million people are expected to pack the white sands of Copacabana for ceremonies presided over by Pope Francis. He will also visit a tiny chapel in a slum and make a side trip to venerate Brazil's patron saint, Our Lady of Aparecida.

Police and anti-government protesters earlier clashed outside the palace hosting the Pope's welcoming ceremony.

About an hour after the pope concluded his short speech, police began cracking down on the protests, firing rubber bullets in an effort to disperse the crowd.

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LaGuardia Plane Crash: Eight People Injured

Eight people have been injured after a plane's landing gear collapsed as it touched down at a New York airport.

The accident left the Boeing 737 – operated by Southwest Airlines – with its nose resting against the runway at LaGuardia.

The accident forced the temporary closure of the airport, which mostly handles flights to and from other US cities.

Some 150 people were on board at the time.

Investigators are examining the potential cause of the crash

The airline confirmed that emergency services had helped with the evacuation of the passengers and crew of flight 345 from Nashville.

"Eyewitness reports indicate the aircraft's nose gear collapsed upon landing," it said in a statement.

"Initial reports indicate local responders are caring for five customers and three flight attendants who have reported injuries at this time.

"Southwest is cooperating with local authorities, and the (US aviation safety body) NTSB has been notified."

Television images showed the plane with its nose angled down to the ground and its evacuation slides out. The fuselage was surrounded by emergency vehicles.

Passengers on board the plane saw sparks flying as the nose scraped along the runway, according to accounts given to waiting relatives and friends.

Planes scheduled to fly to LaGuardia were held at their origin airports, while those already en route were diverted to New York's other hubs, Newark and John F Kennedy, contributing to long delays.

All take-offs were suspended for more than two hours after the accident.

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Woman's Disbelief At Jail Term After 'Rape'

A Norwegian woman has expressed her disbelief at a 16-month jail sentence handed down to her in Dubai after she reported she had been raped.

Marte Dalelv, 24, told police she was attacked by her male colleague, but was herself charged with extra-marital sex, drinking alcohol and filing a false statement.

The Norwegian government has condemned the verdict and talks have taken place between Norway's foreign minister Espen Barth Eide and his counterpart in the United Arab Emirates, Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The alleged incident occurred on March 6 when Ms Dalelv, who works for an interior design firm in Qatar, was on a work trip with a group of colleagues in Dubai.

On the last day of the business trip she joined them for drinks, and later asked one of her male colleagues to escort her up to her hotel room.

Speaking to Reuters she described what she alleges happened next.

"(He was) trying to convince me to come in to his room and again I said 'no' and that's when he start pulling my bag trying to drag me to his room," she said.

Dubai is known as a tourist hotspot, but the city has strict laws

"So I just thought I need to calm the situation down, so I walked in with him and I sat down and wanted to drink my bottle of water; I thought I would finish this water and find my room by myself. That's the last thing I remember.

"And the following morning I woke up on my stomach, my clothes were off and I was being raped."

Following the alleged incident, Ms Dalelv immediately went down to the hotel reception and asked them to call the police.

A group of policemen arrived and took a statement from Ms Dalelv and the alleged rapist, before they were both taken to the Bur Dubai police station.

She was then held for four days in a Dubai prison until contact was made with the Norwegian consulate and her bail was arranged. However her passport is still being held by authorities.

"If I did not call the police he (her alleged attacker) will be still free but then I also wouldn't be in this situation," said Ms Dalelv who has been staying at the Norwegian Seaman's Centre in Dubai.

She now faces three charges; sex outside of marriage, illegal consumption alcohol and giving a false statement to the police. She is appealing against the sentence.

Her alleged attacker has also received a sentence of a year in prison. However Ms Dalelv did not know if he has appealed.

Ms Dalelv says she is disappointed with the way the judicial system in Dubai deal with rape cases.

"I am very surprised. We have DNA report, we have a medical report and we have a witness. It is also being clarified and it has been proved that he has been lying the whole time in court in front of the judge and still they did not believe me, that was very shocking," she said.

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At Least 16 Dead After China Earthquake

A strong earthquake has hit near the city of Dingxi in China, reportedly killing at least 16 people.

The Gansu province is largely desert and pasture land with a population of 26 million, making it one of China's more lightly populated provinces.

The government's earthquake monitoring centre said the magnitude was 6.6, which can cause severe damage.

More quakes were detected during the morning, including a magnitude-5.6.

More follows...

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Trayvon: Jay Z And Beyonce At Protest Rally

The parents of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager shot dead in Florida, have joined protesters during a day of demonstrations across the United States.

The 17-year-old's mother, Sybrina Fulton, addressed the crowd in New York, backed by music stars Jay Z and Beyonce, who joined campaigners in a moment of prayer.

Protests were held in more than 100 US cities, sparked by the acquittal of Neighbourhood Watch volunteer George Zimmerman.

He was found not guilty of killing Trayvon during an altercation in a gated community in February 2012, after successfully arguing he was protecting himself when he shot the youngster.

Trayvon's death has become a flashpoint in national debates over self-defence laws, guns, and race relations.

Thousands of people have joined protests across the United States

Mrs Fulton told protesters: "Trayvon may not have been perfect, but he was mine. We loved him, we supported him, we cared for him, just like you do your kids.

"Of course we're hurting, of course we're shocked and disappointed. But that just means that we have to roll up our sleeves and continue to fight."

Meanwhile, Trayvon's father, Tracy Martin, spoke at a vigil in Miami.

He vowed to "fight for Trayvon until the day I die", adding: "This could be any one of our children. Our mission now is to make sure that this doesn't happen to your child."

The rallies came after President Barack Obama spoke publicly about Trayvon's death and the deep frustrations felt among African Americans over the not guilty verdict.

Trayvon Martin (L) was shot by George Zimmerman

"Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago," he told reporters.

Praising the "incredible grace and dignity" shown by Trayvon's parents, the president said "some soul-searching" on race was in order.

Although he did not comment directly on the Florida verdict, he called for a review of controversial "stand your ground" laws, which allow citizens to use lethal force - rather than retreat - if they sense their lives are at risk.

"I just ask people to consider if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk?" Mr Obama asked.

"And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr Zimmerman who had followed him in a car because he felt threatened?"

President Obama said Trayvon could have been him 35 years ago

Trayvon's parents said they were "deeply honoured and moved" by Mr Obama's comments.

"President Obama sees himself in Trayvon and identifies with him," they said in a statement. "This is a beautiful tribute to our boy."

As well as appealing for a review of the self-defence law, campaigners are pushing the US Justice Department to investigate filing federal civil rights charges against Mr Zimmerman.

Such a case would require evidence that he harboured racial animosity against Trayvon.

Mr Zimmerman's lawyers say the shooting was not driven by race but by a desire to protect his neighbourhood after a spate of burglaries.

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Australia: Fears Over New 'Stolen Generation'

Campaigners are asking for the law to be changed to help rescue thousands of Aboriginal children in Australia from extreme neglect.

Alcohol abuse is rife amongst indigenous communities and children are being abandoned while their parents drink.

In some rural areas it is common to see toddlers in nappies wandering around unsupervised, even begging for food or warm clothing.

Many non-indigenous families are so concerned that they have been taking children off the streets and into their homes without formal permission.

They want the law changed to make it easier for white Australians to foster or adopt Aboriginal children.

Eight-year-old Cebby, who was born to an alcoholic mother, has been surrounded by alcohol abuse and violence throughout his young life.

He told Sky News about the few simple things he thinks adults should provide.

"I want them to make me feel safe. Make me feel alright, not scared. Make me feel normal."

The community of Tennant Creek is seeing hundreds of abandoned children

Becky Healy, who runs a motel in Tennant Creek - a town in the heart of Australia's outback, is distraught at the huge numbers of Aboriginal children wandering the streets unwashed, unfed and unschooled.

Her motel has inadvertently become a refuge for neglected children.

"It's a crisis. We are now at a point of do or die and we have to do something for these kids.

"If it means taking them into our complex and feeding them and training them when we have nothing to do with the social sector, then so be it."

Children surrounded by substance abuse are even becoming addicted themselves.

Recently three girls, barely in their teens, were caught on CCTV in Tennant Creek breaking into a workshop and sniffing petrol fumes from a tractor engine.

Politicians are now considering putting neglected Aboriginal children up for adoption, until now there has been an unwillingness to act because of fears of a new "stolen generation".

The legacy of the 'stolen generation' has prevented adoptions

That was a misguided policy which only ended in the early 1970s where Aboriginal children were taken from their families and placed under foster care with white families or institutions.

The law has since stated that Aboriginal children in need must always be placed within their community, wherever possible.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles, Australia's first indigenous state or territory leader, says it is time to revisit the legislation.

"Whatever we do has to be about making parents take responsibility for their kids," he said.

"(However) we have to give those kids the best opportunity in life and where we deem it necessary we won't be afraid to make those decisions about the child's future."
                 
It is a change Yvonne Mudford and her husband Leigh Swift say can't come soon enough. Their aboriginal neighbours asked them to take their child Mikala for a few hours, then weeks and now permanently.

She still sees her natural parents but is thriving in a home free from alcohol abuse and violence.

Martina is one of thousands of children who need help

"It's just a basic right that every child is entitled to. Safety, a good home life, food, clothing and to be looked after and loved … why should these kids miss out on that?"

Critics though, whilst acknowledging something needs to be done, are concerned about removing children.

Northern Territory Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation spokeswomen Vicki Lee Knowles recently told the ABC: "Within an Aboriginal family ... the loss of culture, land and language has a long-term impact on the social and emotional wellbeing of those children who are removed."

Aborigines are the most disadvantaged Australians, with indigenous children twice as likely to die before their fifth birthday as other children.

While accurate data on child abuse and family violence in Aboriginal areas is scarce, the Australian government has said many children grow up in communities where violence has become "a normal and ordinary part of life".

Aborigines are believed to have numbered around one million at the time of British settlement in 1788, but there are now just 470,000 out of a total population of 23 million in Australia.

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