Hague: Syria Massacre 'Was A Chemical Attack'

Foreign Secretary William Hague has said for the first time that the "atrocity" in Syria "was a chemical attack" carried out by Assad forces.

Mr Hague said that the chances of the attack being a conspiracy by opposition forces was "vanishingly small" and that the only "plausible explanation" for the mass deaths was an attack by the regime.

He said it was essential to get UN inspectors already in the country to the site outside Damascus and that "time was of the essence".

If inspectors were not allowed in, the evidence, he said, would deteriorate.

Girls who survived the apparent attack take refuge in a mosque

Syria's opposition said it was "critical that the UN inspectors [get to the site] within 48 hours".

Forces loyal to President Bashar al Assad have been carrying out air strikes on the area, which could already have considerably damaged any proof of the use of nerve gas.

And Mr Hague warned the Assad regime that if they did not comply with the UN request to carry out inspections at the scene of the attack then Britain would be prepared to go back to the UN Security Council for a mandate "for the world to speak more forcefully about this".

A child receives treatment in a make-shift hospital

He stressed that inspectors were just 20 minutes away from the site where 1,300, including scores of children, are said to have perished on Tuesday.

Mr Hague said: "The only possible explanation of what we have been able to see is that it was a chemical attack and clearly many, many hundreds of people have been killed, some of the estimates are well over 1,000.

"There is no other plausible explanation for casualties so intense in such a small area on this scale.

"I know some people in the world would like to say this is some kind of conspiracy brought about by the opposition in Syria - I think the chances of that are vanishingly small.

"So we do believe this is a chemical attack by the Assad regime on a large scale but we would like the United Nations to be able to assess that so those who don't believe that, those who doubt that, the evidence can be gathered.

Activists inspect the bodies of the victims of the alleged gas attack

"But that is certainly our opinion."

He said it "seems the Assad regime has something to hide" and questioned why it had refused to allow the UN inspectors, who are staying in a hotel in Damascus, to investigate.

Footage and images released by the opposition has showed scores of children lying dead, some seemingly gassed as they slept in their beds.

Other pictures appear to show adults foaming at the mouths from the effects of gas and row upon row of corpses, some being loaded into vans.

A map showing the area targeted in the apparent chemical attack

The images, Mr Hague said, were "something that a humane or civilised world cannot ignore".

UN chemical weapons inspectors have been in the country since Sunday on a mission to investigate sites where previous gas attacks are alleged to have been carried out.

Activists said on Friday they were smuggling body tissue samples from victims to the UN inspectors in their hotel but that it had been a struggle because they were heavily guarded by government forces.

One activist, Abu Nidal, said: "The UN team spoke with us and since then we prepared samples of hair, skin and blood and smuggled them back to Damascus with trusted couriers."

In his first comments since the footage of the attacks emerged, US President Barack Obama said it was a "big event of grave concern" and that " this is something that is going to require America's attention".

The chemical weapons inspectors arrive in Damascus

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that the use of chemical weapons would constitute "a crime against humanity".

Significantly, Syria's key ally Russia has joined international calls for the inspectors to be given access to the site of the alleged massacre.

Moscow suggested the attack could be a "premeditated provocation" by opposition forces but urged Mr Assad and the UN to agree to a visit to the site in the Damascus suburbs of Ein Tarma and Zamalka.

But Russia dismissed calls for use of force against its ally.

"Against the background of another anti-Syrian wave of propaganda, we believe calls from some European countries to apply pressure on the UN Security Council and already now take a decision on the use of force are unacceptable," its foreign ministry said.

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Death Toll In Lebanon Explosions Rises To 42

At least 42 people are believed to have been killed and hundreds injured in two powerful explosions in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

The blasts occurred outside two mosques on the Muslim day of prayer, when the buildings are likely to have been packed.

The first explosion happened near Taqwa mosque, close to the home of outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati, although his office said he was not in the city at the time.

It was followed minutes later by a second blast outside Salam mosque, near the home of former police chief Ashraf Rifi.

Television pictures showed a column of thick, grey smoke rising over the city, with reports suggesting the blasts caused significant damage.

Speaking to local TV channel al Jadeed, Lebanese health minister Ali Hassan Khalil said 42 people were killed and another 352 injured.

A number of children were among those killed, according to the AFP news agency.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosions, which come a week after a suicide car bombing in Beirut killed 27 people.

The bomb ripped through a stronghold of the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hizbollah, which is fighting in Syria alongside forces loyal to President Bashar al Assad.

In July, another car bomb exploded in the nearby Beir al Abed district, wounding more than 50 people.

Tripoli, a mostly Sunni Muslim city, has seen frequent clashes between Sunnis and Alawites, a Shi'ite group to which Mr Assad belongs, although explosions are relatively rare.

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Egypt: Hosni Mubarak Released From Prison

Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has been released from prison and flown by helicopter to a military hospital.

Television pictures showed him leaving Tora prison on the southern outskirts of Cairo and landing minutes later in the nearby suburb of Maadi.

It comes after a court ordered his release in relation to charges of receiving gifts from a state-owned newspaper.

He is expected to be placed under house arrest at the hospital on the orders of Egyptian prime minister Hazem el Beblawi - a decision made under a month-long state of emergency declared when police stormed protest camps in Cairo.

Mubarak could not be seen as his stretcher was taken from the helicopter and loaded into an ambulance, which was heavily guarded as it made the short journey to the military hospital.

Mubarak's supporters celebrate his release from Cairo's Tora prison

His supporters, many of whom gathered outside the prison where he was detained, celebrated the release of their former leader.

"We love Mubarak," said Mohamed Hussein.

His sister Fatheya added: "Isn't it enough that for 30 years he did not drag us into a war and let us live in dignity?"

However, some Egyptians expressed their disappointment at his release.

"He should stay in prison," said Hoda Saleh, whose brother is an inmate at Tora.

"The country is facing obstacles so people are turning back to Mubarak. They don't know what they are doing."

Mubarak, 85, is believed to be suffering from a heart condition, although the severity of his health problems is disputed by critics who claim he is trying to gain public sympathy and court leniency.

He was sentenced to life in prison last year for failing to prevent the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising that led to his downfall.

However, a court accepted his appeal earlier this year and ordered a retrial, which is expected to resume next week.

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Ban Ki-Moon Warns Of 'Consequences' For Syria

Time Ticking To Prove Gas Attack

Updated: 12:24pm UK, Thursday 22 August 2013

By Alex Rossi, Sky Correspondent

The video evidence is compelling.

The pictures are horrific.

Hours of footage has now emerged on YouTube of children and adults suffering from what appear to be the after-effects of a chemical attack.

Many of the images are too distressing to show.

They would also be phenomenally difficult to stage.

Directing children to appear to be choking to death in such detail would take the budget and expertise of a Hollywood director - most experts say that this is clearly not the case.

There is now a weight of agreement that the pictures show - incontrovertibly - the aftermath of a deadly chemical assault.

The numbers of dead also suggest that that analysis is the correct one - the death toll just keeps on rising.

On Wednesday there were many questions as to why medical staff and first aiders had not been affected by secondary contamination?

Twenty four hours on and that question has been answered - they are; it just took time.

Many of the people who treated the victims are suffering the deadly consequences of exposure to a lethal nerve agent.

Experts say the timescale is similar to what was seen in the Tokyo subway attack in 1995 when sarin gas was used.

The former head of the British Army's chemical weapons unit, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, said while video can never be 100% conclusive the evidence it presents is overwhelming.

"It very much looks like a chemical agent has been used, perhaps a nerve agent - the fact that staff have now died as well is revealing. It is disturbingly similar to what was seen in Halabja in Saddam Hussein's Iraq."

But nonetheless without investigation on the ground there are too many questions as to what really happened and who is responsible.

The Russians for instance claim what we are witnessing is an attempt to discredit the Assad regime.

YouTube after all has been used extensively by both sides to spread propaganda throughout the conflict.

The opposition, for example, knows that the widespread use of chemical weapons would be a 'Red Line' issue for the White House and the international community and could trigger Western intervention.

President Assad certainly has the capability to carry out such an assault - it is believed the regime has one of the biggest stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons in the world -  but the only way to know for certain is to get a an expert UN inspection team out on the ground.  

That though is easier said than done.

Although the attacks have taken place just 20 minutes outside central Damascus the area is unsafe.

The UN is unlikely to allow the inspectors, who are already in place, to go there without a guaranteed cessation in the violence.

President Assad is also unlikely to give them permission to travel to the district of eastern Ghouta.

And there lies the problem - if a nerve agent like sarin has been used it would be a race against the clock as the evidence at the crime scene will evaporate in the coming days and weeks.

Without the on the ground analysis then, there cannot be a 100% certainty of what really happened, or who carried out the attack. 

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Hosni Mubarak To Be Placed Under House Arrest

An Egyptian court has ordered the release of ousted former president Hosni Mubarak, according to security sources.

The 85-year-old is being retried on charges of ordering the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising that led to his downfall.

However, he has already served the maximum amount of pretrial detention permitted in that case.

Egypt's prime minister said the former leader would be placed under house arrest when he is released from prison following more than two years in detention.

Hazem el-Beblawi said in a statement on Wednesday that he had ordered the move as part of the emergency measures put in place this month.

Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison last year for failing to prevent the killing of demonstrators. But a court accepted his appeal earlier this year and ordered a retrial.

A lawyer told Reuters he could be freed on Thursday.

Leaving the Cairo prison where the court convened, Fareed El-Deeb said: "The court decided to release him." Asked when, he said: "Maybe tomorrow."

Egypt's prosecutor will not appeal against the court ruling.

"The decision to release Mubarak issued today ... is final and the prosecution cannot appeal against it," Judge Ahmed el-Bahrawi said.

The ailing former president probably has no political future. But many Egyptians would see his release as the rehabilitation of an old order that endured through six decades of military-backed rule - and even a reversal of the pro-democracy revolt that toppled him.

At least 900 people, including 100 soldiers and police, have been killed in a crackdown on Mohamed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood in the past week, making it Egypt's bloodiest civil episode in decades.

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Shark Attack Victim Dies After Arm Bitten Off

A German woman who lost her arm in a Maui shark attack has died a week after the incident.

Jana Lutteropp, 20, had her right arm bitten off while she was snorkeling off Makena. Her arm was not recovered.

The statement from her mother and sister said: "Jana fought hard to stay alive but lost her fight today."

The beach where the attack happened

A teacher visiting from southern California came to Ms Lutteropp's aid and swam her to shore. She was on life support earlier this week.

It is unknown what type of shark bit her.

"Jana was a very beautiful, strong, young woman who was always laughing, and we will forever remember her that way," said the statement from her mother Jutta Lutteropp, and sister Julia Broeske.

"We appreciate all the support from the Maui community, as well as the prayers and thoughts from around the world and in Germany.

"We especially want to thank the wonderful caregivers and everyone at Maui Memorial Medical Centre."

More follows...

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Germany: Gunman Kills Two In Restaurant

Two people have been killed and five others wounded after a man opened fire in a restaurant in southern Germany, police say.

The gunman took his own life following the rampage at the Dossenheim Tennis Club restaurant, according to police in nearby Heidelberg.

A police statement said a meeting of property owners had been taking place at the site, and that a man had stormed out of the talks after heated words were exchanged.

The incident occurred in Heidelberg, southern Germany

He returned later with a pistol and opened fire, killing two men and wounding five others before fatally shooting himself, the statement said.

A police spokesman told the DPA news agency: "The exact context, the motives and the sequence of events are for the moment still unclear."

Police were alerted at 6pm UK time and there were about 20 people in the restaurant at the time of the shooting. Some of those injured were in a serious condition.

German newspaper Bild reported that the area was cordoned off while forensics officers collected evidence.

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Egypt: EU Ministers To Debate Aid Package

European Union foreign ministers will today debate economic measures aimed at forcing Egypt's army-backed rulers to end a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood.

The emergency meeting in Brussels will be closely monitored by all sides in Egypt, as the EU has emerged as a key mediator in the conflict.

But there may be little they can do to inflict hardship on Cairo by cutting back on aid, as much of their cash goes to civil society groups - not to the government - and Saudi Arabia has pledged to plug any shortfall.

The bloc's 28 governments are likely to tread carefully, mixing expressions of concern over bloodshed with limited changes in the €5bn (£4.28bn) aid package Europe promised to Egypt last year.

"It is about finding a formula for Europe to help Egypt get from where it is now to where a vast majority of the people say they want to be," said EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

"That's going to be done by a political process and Egypt will need help to get there. And we are ready to help if they so wish."

Baroness Ashton says the EU is "ready to help" the people of Egypt

In July, Baroness Ashton became the first foreign official to meet deposed President Mohamed Morsi after he was ousted by the army, taken into detention and placed under investigation on charges including murder.

The EU's subsequent mediation efforts, conducted jointly with the United States, collapsed earlier in August.

Underlining unease in the West over how to respond to the crisis in Egypt, the White House said on Tuesday that media reports stating it had cut off aid to Egypt were inaccurate.

However, the White House confirmed that the US policy on aid to Egypt was under review.

The US government gives $1.5bn (£965m) each year to Egypt, with $1.3bn (£836m) of that going to the military.

On Tuesday the White House held a cabinet-level meeting to discuss cutting some aid to Egypt, according to officials.

David Carle, who works for Senator Patrick Leahy, said the Senate Appropriations panel for foreign relations has been informed the "transfer of military aid was stopped".

But Pentagon spokesman George Little appeared to play down the remarks, saying: "There has been no decision to halt or to suspend assistance to Egypt."

The Obama administration has said it was reviewing US aid to its long-time ally in the Middle East in light of the overthrow of Mr Morsi and the ongoing crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood supporters.

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Boko Haram Head Abubakar Shekau 'May Be Dead'

The leader of Islamist terror group Boko Haram may have died following a gunshot wound, according to the Nigerian army.

A statement said intelligence reports "available to the (military) revealed that Abubakar Shekau, the most dreaded and wanted Boko Haram terrorists leader, may have died".

The army said that Shekau, declared a "global terrorist" by the US government, was shot on June 30 during a clash with troops at a camp in the Sambisa forest in northeastern Nigeria.

Shekau has been considered the leader of Boko Haram - a group believed to be made up of different factions - which wants to establish an Islamic state in the north of Nigeria.

The US had offered $7m (£4.5m) for information leading to his capture.

The group's insurgency has left at least 3,600 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces.

Boko Haram's main targets are security forces or government officials.

It has also carried out several attacks on Christian and Muslim worshippers, as well as schools and markets.

The army statement said it "greatly believed" that Shekau died between July 25 and August 3, 2013. It claimed he had been smuggled over the border into Cameroon for treatment.

However, the reports of Shekau's death have not yet been independently verified.

Eleven people were killed last week in a Boko Haram attack in northeast Nigeria, a military source and officials said.

Around 50 gunmen in cars and motorbikes stormed Damboa town shooting at soldiers, burning shops and killing civilians.

Nigeria's military began an offensive in the country's northeast in May aiming to end the insurgency.

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Egypt: Brotherhood's Supreme Leader Arrested

The supreme leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has been arrested on charges of "inciting the murder of protesters".

The development comes as authorities continue a crackdown on the Brotherhood, the party of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, which has sparked deadly protests and international condemnation.

Mohammed Badie was arrested in an apartment near Rabaa al Adawiya square, where hundreds of Morsi supporters were killed last Wednesday as police cleared their protest camp.

Senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood organisation, including Mr Badie, are wanted for questioning, accused of inciting the deaths of protesters.

The arrest comes days after his son was killed.

The arrest could spark further violence

Egypt's interior ministry has said it has arrested more than 1,000 Muslim Brotherhood "elements" during the unrest.

Mr Morsi was deposed by the military on July 3 in what his supporters call a coup.

His opponents say the military had no choice but to intervene after the start of another popular uprising like the one that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Mubarak's lawyer said on Monday that he expects the deposed dictator to be freed from jail after being cleared of corruption charges.

According to his Fareed El Deeb, judicial authorities have ordered that 85-year-old Mubarak should be released on one of the remaining corruption charges against him.

The development came after Egyptian authorities disclosed that suspected militants had attacked two police minibuses with rocket-propelled grenades, killing 24 officers in Sinai.

Sinai has been witnessing near daily attacks by suspected militants since July 3.

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China's Bo Xilai Goes On Trial On Thursday

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

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

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

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

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

Gu has been jailed for Mr Heywood's murder

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

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

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

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

Mr Heywood was found dead in his hotel room in 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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China's Bo Xilai Goes On Trial On Thursday

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

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

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

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

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

Gu has been jailed for Mr Heywood's murder

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

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

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

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

Mr Heywood was found dead in his hotel room in 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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Oscar Pistorius To Face Court In Pretoria

Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius is due to front court in South Africa today to face charges of killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

Police in Pretoria have told Sky News they now have "everything they need" to present the case against him in court.

The 26-year-old double-amputee is accused of killing Ms Steenkamp in a shooting incident at Pistorius' home in February.

Prosecutors say Pistorius will be indicted on a main charge of premeditated murder at Pretoria Magistrate's Court today.

Pistorius denies he committed murder and says he shot Ms Steenkamp by mistake, thinking she was an intruder.

His trial is expected to start early next year, but the exact date will likely be set during today's court appearance.

The indictment papers served on Pistorius by the state mean the case will be sent to the High Court in Pretoria.

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead at Pistorius' home in February

A judge will preside over the trial and ultimately pronounce the world-famous athlete innocent or guilty. South Africa does not have trial by jury.

The mandatory sentence for someone convicted of premeditated murder in South Africa is life with a minimum of 25 years in prison.

Prosecutors have told The Associated Press that it is "possible" that additional charges could be added to the indictment.

But they declined to comment on South African media reports that Pistorius would face two other charges relating to recklessly discharging a firearm in a public place in two separate incidents.

The incidents - reportedly when Pistorius shot a gun out of the sunroof of a moving car and let one off accidentally in a restaurant - would seemingly show the prosecution's attempt to paint Pistorius as trigger-happy at his trial.

Neither Pistorius' defence lawyers nor his family would comment in detail on any of the charges, but a spokeswoman said they would see a copy of the indictment papers before Monday so they could prepare.

"The Pistorius family does not wish to comment on any aspects of this court case before the next court appearance," Anneliese Burgess said.

"In our view, the correct place for any information relating to charges or witnesses or any other aspects pertaining to this or any other legal case, is in a court of law."

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Oscar Pistorius To Face Court In Pretoria

Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius is due to front court in South Africa today to face charges of killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

Police in Pretoria have told Sky News they now have "everything they need" to present the case against him in court.

The 26-year-old double-amputee is accused of killing Ms Steenkamp in a shooting incident at Pistorius' home in February.

Prosecutors say Pistorius will be indicted on a main charge of premeditated murder at Pretoria Magistrate's Court today.

Pistorius denies he committed murder and says he shot Ms Steenkamp by mistake, thinking she was an intruder.

His trial is expected to start early next year, but the exact date will likely be set during today's court appearance.

The indictment papers served on Pistorius by the state mean the case will be sent to the High Court in Pretoria.

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead at Pistorius' home in February

A judge will preside over the trial and ultimately pronounce the world-famous athlete innocent or guilty. South Africa does not have trial by jury.

The mandatory sentence for someone convicted of premeditated murder in South Africa is life with a minimum of 25 years in prison.

Prosecutors have told The Associated Press that it is "possible" that additional charges could be added to the indictment.

But they declined to comment on South African media reports that Pistorius would face two other charges relating to recklessly discharging a firearm in a public place in two separate incidents.

The incidents - reportedly when Pistorius shot a gun out of the sunroof of a moving car and let one off accidentally in a restaurant - would seemingly show the prosecution's attempt to paint Pistorius as trigger-happy at his trial.

Neither Pistorius' defence lawyers nor his family would comment in detail on any of the charges, but a spokeswoman said they would see a copy of the indictment papers before Monday so they could prepare.

"The Pistorius family does not wish to comment on any aspects of this court case before the next court appearance," Anneliese Burgess said.

"In our view, the correct place for any information relating to charges or witnesses or any other aspects pertaining to this or any other legal case, is in a court of law."

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Egypt: Gunfire Exchanged At Besieged Mosque

A gun battle has erupted between soldiers and Muslim Brotherhood protesters holed up in a mosque in central Cairo.

Egyptian TV footage showed gunmen firing from inside the minaret of the al Fath mosque in Ramses Square - moments after images emerged of tear gas canisters being thrown at protesters inside the building.

Witnesses said tear gas was fired into the mosque prayer room to flush out protesters, who refused to leave the premises.

Pictures also showed soldiers dragging the supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi out of the building as they dismantled a makeshift barricade and stormed the building to clear it.

Soldiers fired back after gunfire appeared to come from the minaret

Egypt's state MENA news agency later announced that prosecutors had placed 250 Muslim Brotherhood supporters under investigation for murder, attempted murder and terrorism.

Foreign Secretary William Hague has spoken to the Egyptian foreign minister, condemning the violence and stressing that attacks on mosques and churches are "unacceptable".

The fresh violence flared after hours of negotiations between the two sides - and news that Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem el Beblawi had proposed disbanding the Muslim Brotherhood and that the idea was being considered by the government.

It also emerged that Mohamed al Zawahri - brother of al Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahri - had been arrested in Egypt for supporting Mr Morsi.

Protesters don masks as tear gas canister are thrown into the building

An Egyptian presidential spokesman said the country was facing "war by the forces of extremism" and vowed to "confront terrorism through security measures".

Hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood supporters had barricaded themselves inside the mosque overnight, which was turned into a makeshift field hospital for the wounded and a morgue for some of those killed in the protests.

Four Irish citizens - children of Hussein Halawa, the Imam of Ireland's biggest mosque in Dublin - on a family holiday to Egypt with their mother, were among those in the building.

Omaima Halawa, 21, who was with her two sisters Somaia, 27, and Fatima, 23, and brother Ibrihim, 17, earlier described the scene as frightening, and said a group of women had been escorted out of the building.

Tensions remained high as a pro-military crowd - and supporters of the deposed Mr Morsi - assembled in front of the building.

A woman being escorted out of the mosque

The Muslim Brotherhood's London-based spokeswoman Mona al Qazzaz claimed on Sky News that the security forces were responsible for the minaret gunfire - using it as a cover to storm the mosque and remove protesters.

With the Brotherhood vowing to press on with daily protests, more widespread violence is expected across Egypt.

Speaking to Sky News from Cairo, journalist Jared Malsin, said: "Most people are bracing for another wave of demonstrations, as soon as later today.

"The willingness of the security forces to use deadly force over the last several days, and the willingness of the Muslim Brotherhood to continue mobilising in the face of that deadly force show I think that we are going to see more of the same in the coming days and weeks."

State TV ran an English 'Egypt fights terrorism' caption as the PM spoke

He said he believed the country was "more deeply polarised than ever" and that he had witnessed "citizen-organised, vigilante squads" cropping up in individual neighbourhoods in Cairo.

"In some neighbourhoods they are pro-military, like the one that I ran into yesterday. These are people who are arming themselves with sticks and knives to keep out Muslim Brotherhood people. That in a sense is a worrying development."

Mahmoud Badr, the youth leader whose petition campaign helped oust Mr Morsi, said the bloodshed was a price worth paying to rid Egypt of Muslim Brother hood rule.

"What Egypt is passing through now is the price, a high price, of getting rid of the Brotherhood's fascist group before it takes over everything and ousts us all," Badr, 28, told Reuters in a telephone interview.

In London, demonstrators held a protest against the violence outside the Egyptian embassy.

A pro-government crowd tried to attack the Muslim Brotherhood supporters

An explosion damaged the front of the Egyptian consulate in Benghazi, Libya, but no injuries were reported.

More than 1,000 protesters were arrested by police across the country during a "day of rage" on Friday, of which 558 were held in Cairo.

The arrests came after tens of thousands of Brotherhood supporters clashed with armed vigilantes and security forces in the fiercest street battles to engulf the country since the country's Arab Spring uprising.

Tear gas could be seen during flashpoints in parts of Cairo, with protesters apparently hurling bottles and rocks at security forces.

On what the Brotherhood called the "march of rage" in response to the deaths of 638 people on Wednesday when security forces raided two sit-in protests, officials said at least 173 people, including 10 police officers, were killed.

Ammar Badie, one of the sons of the Muslim Brotherhood's spiritual leader Mohamed Badie, was among those killed, the group's Freedom and Justice Party said on its Facebook page.

The 38-year-old died of a gunshot wound while taking part in protests in Ramses Square.

The whereabouts of his father, who has been charged with inciting violence, are unknown.

It is the worst violence the country has seen since the 2011 uprising and ousting of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, under whose rule the Muslim Brotherhood was outlawed as a political organisation.

His trial on charges of complicity in the deaths of protesters has been adjourned until August 25.

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Diana's Death: Police Passed New Information

New information that alleges Princess Diana was murdered has been passed to Scotland Yard through military sources, according to the Metropolitan Police.

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

It was passed to the police by the former parents-in-law of a former soldier, according to Sky sources.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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