Delhi Gang Rape: Four Men Sentenced To Death

By Neville Lazarus, Sky News Producer, in Delhi

Four men have been sentenced to death for the fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old woman on a bus in Delhi.

A judge said Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh should be hanged after they were convicted of the brutal attack.

In his 230-page judgement, Yogesh Khanna said the severity of the crime meant it fell into the "rarest of rare" category, telling the men: "We cannot turn a blind eye towards such a gruesome crime. There cannot be any tolerance.

"The victim was tortured to the end. There is a zero tolerance in society for such a crime."

A police vehicle carrying the four men arrives at a court in Delhi

Thakur, 28, Sharma, 20, Gupta, 19, and Singh, 26, lured their victim and her male friend onto the bus last December before raping the woman, assaulting her with an iron bar and dumping her on the roadside with her friend.

She suffered serious internal injuries and died in hospital in Singapore 13 days after the attack, which triggered violent protests across India.

New laws were introduced and existing ones amended, while fast-track courts were set up to try men accused of sexual crimes.

Police used CCTV images to track the bus and arrested two of the accused within 24 hours of the attack.

Tight security was in place outside Delhi's Saket District Court

The court case relied on evidence from the victim given to a magistrate before her death, as well as statements from her friend, forensic evidence, fingerprints and DNA samples.

Bite marks were also matched with dental impressions of the men.

A defence lawyer in the case had asked for sentences of life imprisonment, saying Indian law calls for execution only in exceptional cases.

The counsel referred to their family background and economic status and said they had clean past records.

However, prosecutor Dayan Krishnan joined the victim's family and leading politicians in calling for the men to be given the death penalty, telling the court: "There can be nothing more diabolic than a helpless girl put through torture."

Protesters outside court had called for the men to face the death penalty

The father of the victim said he was satisfied with the verdict, telling reporters: "We are very happy. Justice has been delivered."

Besides rape and murder, Thakur, Sharma, Gupta and Singh were found guilty of three abduction offences and various other counts, including attempted murder, banditry, destruction of evidence, voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery and dishonestly receiving stolen property.

Defence lawyers said they will appeal to the High Court and, if necessary, the Supreme Court.

A fifth defendant in the case, Ram Singh, was found hanged in his cell in Delhi's Tihar prison in March.

A woman lights a candle at a vigil for the 23-year-old victim

A sixth person, who was a juvenile at the time of the attack, has already been found guilty of murder, rape and kidnapping and sentenced to three years in a correction facility.

On an average, judges in India hand down 130 death sentences a year, although in the last 17 years only three executions have taken place.

India, which voted against a draft UN resolution calling for a global moratorium on executions, currently has 477 death row prisoners.

According to the National Crimes Records Bureau, 1,121 rape cases were recorded in Delhi in the first eight months of the year - double the number in the same period in 2012.

Police say the increase is due to more cases being reported.

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Syria: Assad's 'Many Crimes Against Humanity'

Syria: How Crisis Has Developed

Updated: 2:13pm UK, Friday 13 September 2013

:: March 2011 - Protesters stage demonstrations in Damascus and security forces in Daraa shoot dead several campaigners, leading to unrest and violence.

:: May - The Syrian military deploys tanks in a bid to quash demonstrations.

:: July 19 - The UK freezes £100m of Syrian assets.

:: August 18 - US President Barack Obama calls on Bashar al Assad to step down. The US freezes all assets of the Syrian government.

:: November 16 - The Free Syrian Army attacks a military base near Damascus.

:: February 4, 2012 - A UN Security Council resolution on Syria is rejected for a second time by Russia and China.

:: March 1 - Government troops seize the Baba Amr district of Homs after an intense battle lasting for several weeks.

:: April 12 - A UN-brokered ceasefire comes into force after fierce fighting in the country.

:: May 23 - Dozens of people, many of them women and children, die in Houla, near Homs. Foreign Secretary William Hague says they were "massacred at the hands of Syrian forces". The UN later accuses the Syrian military of committing war crimes.

:: August - Barack Obama says the use of chemical weapons against civilians would represent the crossing of a "red line".

:: March 6, 2013 - Foreign Secretary William Hague says Britain will provide opposition forces with "non-lethal equipment for the protection of civilians".

:: April-May - Britain says there is credible evidence to suggest Syrian forces have used chemical weapons in Adra, Darayya and Saraqiq and calls for an investigation by the UN.

:: April 29 - Syrian prime minister Wael Nader al Halqi survives an assassination attempt as a car bomb explodes in Damascus.

:: May 14 - Footage of a Syrian rebel commander apparently cutting out a soldier's heart is condemned by the country's National Coalition.

:: June 6 - Syrian forces, backed by Hizbollah fighters, recapture the strategic border town of Qusair.

:: June 6 - Human Rights Watch releases footage which it claims shows Syrian troops shelling school buildings.

:: July 25 - The UN says the number of people killed in the civil war has reached 100,000.

:: August 21 - An alleged chemical attack in Damascus kills 1,300 people, according to the opposition. Doctors Without Borders says 335 people died from "neurotoxic" symptoms.

:: August 25 - Foreign Secretary William Hague says a chemical attack by the Syrian government is the only "plausible explanation" for the deaths.

:: August 26 - UN inspectors brave sniper fire to gather "valuable" evidence from one site of the alleged chemical attack, as the US Secretary of State John Kerry says the Assad regime would face action over the "moral obscenity".

:: August 27 - The UK recalls Parliament to hold a vote on August 29 on the use of chemical weapons in Syria. David Cameron and Barack Obama agree there is "no doubt" the Assad regime is responsible for the alleged attack.

:: August 28 - Britain tables a draft UN resolution condemning the alleged attack and "authorising all necessary measures".

:: August 29 - David Cameron is forced to rule out military action after narrowly losing a Commons vote on the principle of intervention.

:: August 31 - President Obama says the US "should take military action" in Syria but confirms he will seek authorisation from Congress before launching any strikes against the Assad regime. He says the US is "prepared to strike whenever we choose".

:: September 2 - a French intelligence reports claims the Assad regime was responsible for a "massive and coordinated" chemical attack in Damascus.

:: September 3 - Israel says it has carried out a joint missile test with the US in the Mediterranean.

:: September 4 - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approve a draft US resolution authorising the use of military force in Syria. Meanwhile, MPs in France debate whether to join any possible military intervention, although they do not vote on the subject.

:: September 5 - World leaders meet at the G20 summit in Russia, with the crisis in Syria high on the agenda.

:: September 6 - Britain pledges £52m in aid to Syria, as David Cameron hits back at a reported jibe from Russia that Britain is a "small island".

:: September 8 - The RAF sends up two Typhoon jets in Cyprus as warplanes, thought to have come from Syria, enter international airspace. Meanwhile John Kerry says more nations than his country can use are prepared to join military action against Syria.

:: September 9 - Russia urges Syrian President Bashar al Assad to hand over his chemical weapons to avert a US-led military strike on Damascus.

:: September 10 - President Barack Obama delays a Congress vote on air strikes as Russia gives the US its plan for putting Syria's chemical weapons under international contral.

:: September 11 - A UN report confirms at least eight massacres were carried by the Assad regime and one by rebels over the past 18 months.

:: September 12 - Syria formally applies to join the Chemical Weapons Convention. Russia and US hold two days of talks on the issue.

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Afghanistan: 'Suicide Attack' At US Consulate

Insurgents including a suicide car bomber have attacked the US consulate in western Afghanistan and a gun battle is under way.

It is unclear whether the insurgents have made it inside the consulate building in the city of Herat, near the Iranian border.

According to some media reports, at least one person has died and up to seven people have been injured.

"There was a suicide car bomb .... then gun shots inside the consulate compound," a police official in Herat told Reuters.

Nato also said an attack was "under way".

More follows...

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Dozens Missing After Blaze At Hospital

Thirty-seven people are unaccounted for after a fire swept through a psychiatric hospital in Russia, emergency officials say.

More follows...

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Geoffrey Portway: Inside Paedophile's Dungeon

Photos have been released of the makeshift dungeon where a would-be cannibal planned to rape, murder and eat children.

Portway, inset, and the child-sized coffin found in his torture chamber

US police uncovered the torture chamber after a two-year investigation into a paedophile ring led them to the home of British-born Geoffrey Portway in Worcester, Massachusetts.

They found a staircase leading to a hidden, sound-proofed room containing a child-sized coffin, a steel cage, handcuffs, castration tools and a collection of knives.

Officers found stairs leading to the sound-proofed basement room

Portway had even drawn lines on a photograph of a young boy showing "the different cuts of meat", according to court documents obtained by the Boston Herald.

He has pleaded guilty to plotting to kidnap a child and to distributing and possessing child pornography and will be sentenced on Tuesday.

Sets of handcuffs were discovered in the chamber

Prosecutors hope he serves at least 27 years behind bars before he is deported back to the UK.

Federal officials wrote in the sentencing papers: "Portway has pled guilty to some of the most vile and heinous crimes known to our society, namely participating in the sexual exploitation of young children through the possession and distribution of child pornography and soliciting the kidnapping of a child for the purpose of killing and consuming that child."

Police also found a child's jumpsuit in the room

Portway used the pseudonym 'Longpig' - the cannibal name for human flesh - as he chatted online with other paedophiles about their desire to abduct, kill and eat children, the court papers revealed.

He was among dozens arrested in the investigation that began with the detention of another man in Massachusetts who has been jailed for 18 years.

Portway's house (Pic: Google)

More than 50 suspects were eventually detained and over 160 children were rescued in the US, Canada and Europe.

Michael Arnett, above, plotted the abduction with Portway

Portway solicited several people to help him abduct a child, including a man named Michael Arnett from Kansas.

Arnett has pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child for the purposes of producing child pornography.

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Syria: Putin Warns Obama Against 'Brute Force'

Vladimir Putin's Letter To America

Updated: 3:58am UK, Thursday 12 September 2013

By Vladimir Putin, Russian President, For New York Times

Recent events surrounding Syria have prompted me to speak directly to the American people and their political leaders. It is important to do so at a time of insufficient communication between our societies.

Relations between us have passed through different stages. We stood against each other during the cold war. But we were also allies once, and defeated the Nazis together. The universal international organization - the United Nations - was then established to prevent such devastation from ever happening again.

The United Nations' founders understood that decisions affecting war and peace should happen only by consensus, and with America's consent the veto by Security Council permanent members was enshrined in the United Nations Charter. The profound wisdom of this has underpinned the stability of international relations for decades.

No one wants the United Nations to suffer the fate of the League of Nations, which collapsed because it lacked real leverage. This is possible if influential countries bypass the United Nations and take military action without Security Council authorization.

The potential strike by the United States against Syria, despite strong opposition from many countries and major political and religious leaders, including the pope, will result in more innocent victims and escalation, potentially spreading the conflict far beyond Syria's borders. A strike would increase violence and unleash a new wave of terrorism. It could undermine multilateral efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear problem and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and further destabilize the Middle East and North Africa. It could throw the entire system of international law and order out of balance.

Syria is not witnessing a battle for democracy, but an armed conflict between government and opposition in a multireligious country. There are few champions of democracy in Syria. But there are more than enough Qaeda fighters and extremists of all stripes battling the government. The United States State Department has designated Al Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, fighting with the opposition, as terrorist organizations. This internal conflict, fueled by foreign weapons supplied to the opposition, is one of the bloodiest in the world.

Mercenaries from Arab countries fighting there, and hundreds of militants from Western countries and even Russia, are an issue of our deep concern. Might they not return to our countries with experience acquired in Syria? After all, after fighting in Libya, extremists moved on to Mali. This threatens us all.

From the outset, Russia has advocated peaceful dialogue enabling Syrians to develop a compromise plan for their own future. We are not protecting the Syrian government, but international law. We need to use the United Nations Security Council and believe that preserving law and order in today's complex and turbulent world is one of the few ways to keep international relations from sliding into chaos. The law is still the law, and we must follow it whether we like it or not. Under current international law, force is permitted only in self-defense or by the decision of the Security Council. Anything else is unacceptable under the United Nations Charter and would constitute an act of aggression.

No one doubts that poison gas was used in Syria. But there is every reason to believe it was used not by the Syrian Army, but by opposition forces, to provoke intervention by their powerful foreign patrons, who would be siding with the fundamentalists. Reports that militants are preparing another attack - this time against Israel - cannot be ignored.

It is alarming that military intervention in internal conflicts in foreign countries has become commonplace for the United States. Is it in America's long-term interest? I doubt it. Millions around the world increasingly see America not as a model of democracy but as relying solely on brute force, cobbling coalitions together under the slogan "you're either with us or against us."

But force has proved ineffective and pointless. Afghanistan is reeling, and no one can say what will happen after international forces withdraw. Libya is divided into tribes and clans. In Iraq the civil war continues, with dozens killed each day. In the United States, many draw an analogy between Iraq and Syria, and ask why their government would want to repeat recent mistakes.

No matter how targeted the strikes or how sophisticated the weapons, civilian casualties are inevitable, including the elderly and children, whom the strikes are meant to protect.

The world reacts by asking: if you cannot count on international law, then you must find other ways to ensure your security. Thus a growing number of countries seek to acquire weapons of mass destruction. This is logical: if you have the bomb, no one will touch you. We are left with talk of the need to strengthen nonproliferation, when in reality this is being eroded.

We must stop using the language of force and return to the path of civilized diplomatic and political settlement.

A new opportunity to avoid military action has emerged in the past few days. The United States, Russia and all members of the international community must take advantage of the Syrian government's willingness to place its chemical arsenal under international control for subsequent destruction. Judging by the statements of President Obama, the United States sees this as an alternative to military action.

I welcome the president's interest in continuing the dialogue with Russia on Syria. We must work together to keep this hope alive, as we agreed to at the Group of 8 meeting in Lough Erne in Northern Ireland in June, and steer the discussion back toward negotiations.

If we can avoid force against Syria, this will improve the atmosphere in international affairs and strengthen mutual trust. It will be our shared success and open the door to cooperation on other critical issues.

My working and personal relationship with President Obama is marked by growing trust. I appreciate this. I carefully studied his address to the nation on Tuesday. And I would rather disagree with a case he made on American exceptionalism, stating that the United States' policy is "what makes America different. It's what makes us exceptional." It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too. We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord's blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.

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Syria: Obama Sells Attack To US In TV Blitz

Barack Obama has appeared on American television to build support for military action against Syria over chemical weapons.

He took to the airwaves in a bid to persuade the US public - and Congress - to back strikes against President Bashar al Assad's regime.

The US government says it has amassed evidence that Mr Assad's forces carried out a poisonous gas attack on August 21 near Damascus which Washington says killed 1,400 people.

Mr Obama told Fox News' Chris Wallace: "Mr Assad's capabilities are significant compared to a bunch of opposition leaders, many of whom are not professional fighters.

"Even Assad's allies recognise that he crossed the line in using chemical weapons."

Barack Obama addresses the American people on Fox News

Asked if he would delay action to see if Syria agreed to a Russian proposal, urging Mr Assad to place the arsenal under international control, Mr Obama replied: "I think it's fair to say that we would not be at this point without a credible threat of a military strike, but I welcome the possibility of the development.

"I think we should explore and exhaust all avenues of diplomatic resolution of this, but I think it's important for us to keep the pressure on."

"It's not enough just to trust," he said, quoting former US president Ronald Reagan, adding: "I think we are going to have to verify."

Mr Obama conceded the American people "were not persuaded" on an attack and that he thought the debate currently taking place in Congress would take same time, and possibly run into weeks.

"I fervently hope that this can be resolved in a non-military way, but I think it is important for us not to to take the pedal off the metal when it comes to making sure they understand we mean what we say."

He said US military leaders had assured him that "when I make a decision to launch a strike they can do it and still be effective whether it's today, tomorrow or a month from now."

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Syria: Rebels Give US Targets To Defeat Regime

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent, on the Syria-Turkey border

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the United States intelligence services are working together on targets that will bring about regime change in the country, according to FSA commanders.

Senior FSA members in Aleppo have confirmed they have provided five specific targets that will degrade the Syrian army, will not impact on the civilian population and will give them the upper hand in the coming months.

It is widely acknowledged in northern Syria that this type of information is being passed to US "handlers" across the battlefield that is now Syria.

It means that rebel groups are passing on a picture of Bashar al Assad's force position throughout the country to the CIA.

It is an open secret that the US is training, and heavily linked to, the FSA and rebel groups in Turkey and Jordan.

British advisors are assisting rebel groups on a variety of levels but the Government continues to insist that it is "non-military".

FSA sources tell Sky News that is true, but only in the "broadest sense" of non-military assistance.

Proposed US attacks on Syria have divided the population

The key question for rebel fighters is how significant the US attacks, if they come, will be.

In an Aleppo Christian church they have taken over a 3D model of the entire city. It is now covered in marker pins identifying rebel and government positions.

This is part of their planning meetings and indicates a new level of sophistication in their thought processes. They have been hopeless at times.

"We have targets and we have passed them onto our American contacts and we hope they will follow our advice," the number two commander for the FSA's Ahrar Souria Brigade, Abu Nabhan, told me.

Rebel fighters say they would join up with Jihadi groups to fight Mr Assad

"I wont tell you the targets but they are specific and they will help us," he said.

The FSA say 13 of its brigades will join as one in the aftermath of "substantial" US attacks and will co-operate with Jihadi groups in a push on Damascus and to the west towards the Alawite strongholds in Latakia on the Mediterranean seaboard.

Inside northern Syrian though, daily life gets grimmer by the day.

Whole villages, repopulated in recent months, are deserted once again.

Government jets and helicopters are destroying whole streets at a time with enormous bombs.

Sky News spent the last few days driving through towns and villages that are almost completely empty and finding groups of internally displaced camping by the border with Turkey, undecided if they should become refugees or return home and see if there is anything left of their former lives.

On the border Nato's second largest army is mobilising. Turkish hardware is being deployed everywhere.

This is a region preparing for a major escalation in fighting.

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RAF Scrambles Typhoons Amid Syria Tensions

Two RAF Typhoon jets were scrambled from their base in Cyprus to investigate unidentified aircraft in international airspace amid mounting tensions over Syria, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

Reports suggest the rogue aircraft, which were spotted on radar by the British and Turkish air forces on Monday, came from Syria.

An MoD spokesman said: "Typhoon Air Defence Aircraft operated from RAF Akrotiri on Monday, 2nd September 2013, to investigate unidentified aircraft to the east of Cyprus; the aircraft were flying legally in international airspace and no intercept was required."

The Sunday Mirror quoted a military source as saying: "This is a clear sign of the tension boiling over because of Syria. Everyone is on edge.

"It is a pretty serious move to send up Typhoons - one of their roles is to intercept any possible enemy strike."

A week ago, six RAF Typhoon jets were sent to Cyprus in what the MoD called a "prudent and precautionary measure".

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry said the number of countries ready to take military action against Syria was now in the "double digits" after holding talks in Lithuania with EU foreign ministers.

Mr Kerry met French foreign minister Laurent Fabius on Saturday

Following the meeting on Saturday, the EU ministers issued a call for action against Syrian President Bashar al Assad's regime.

The EU did not explicitly back military action, but Mr Kerry said he was encouraged by the "very powerful statement" made by the bloc.

"There were a number of countries, in the double digits, who are prepared to take military action," he said.

"We have more countries prepared to take military action than we actually could use in the kind of military action being contemplated."

The US accuses the Assad regime of gassing to death 1,429 people, including 426 children, in an August 21 attack outside Damascus.

In his weekly address, US President Barack Obama warned of the dangers of "turning a blind eye" to chemical attacks.

"I call on members of Congress, from both parties, to come together and stand up for the kind of world we want to live in," he said on his return from a deadlocked G20 summit in St Petersburg.

My Kerry says support for airstrikes is mounting

Mr Obama has asked for Congress to authorise strikes on Syria. Congress reconvenes on Monday and the president is set to address the nation on Tuesday about the US response.

Mr Kerry said Mr Obama had made no decision about whether to wait for the release of a UN investigation into the alleged August attack before taking action.

Prime Minister David Cameron has ruled out bringing the issue of intervention back to the Commons and he has the support of the public, according to a new poll.

The ICM survey found voters opposed MPs voting again on British involvement - even if the UN inspectors concluded chemical weapons were used, by 46% to 36%.

But almost a quarter (24%) accepted that the decision to stay out would encourage other dictators to use chemical weapons, the poll for The Sunday Telegraph showed.

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Syria: Kerry Arrives In UK For Talks With Hague

US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in the UK, as he continues a European tour aimed at increasing support for military action in Syria.

He will hold talks with Foreign Secretary William Hague in the wake of the vote by MPs against the action.

Mr Kerry, speaking in Paris, told a press conference before he left for London that 12 countries were now prepared to take military action against Syria. Those states would make their own announcements within 24 hours, he said.

He did not rule out returning to the UN Security Council to secure a Syria resolution once UN inspectors complete their report on the chemical weapons attack in Damascus that Washington says killed some 1,400 on August 21.

The French president, François Hollande, who is increasingly under pressure to seek a UN mandate before any military intervention in Syria, suggested that he could seek a resolution at the security council despite previous Russian and Chinese vetos.

Mr Kerry said: "On President Hollande's comments with respect to the UN, the president (Barack Obama), and all of us, are listening carefully to all of our friends. No decision has been made by the president."

London is in John Kerry's sights as he seeks support for Syria strikes

It comes as Syrian President Bashar al Assad denied he was behind the chemical attack in a rare interview to US television network CBS.

CBS correspondent Charlie Rose, who interviewed Mr Assad in Damascus, said: "The most important thing, as he says, is that 'there's no evidence that I used chemical weapons against my own people'."

Meanwhile, Mohammad Jihad al Laham, the speaker of Syria's parliament, told Sky News that a US attack would result in the country retaliating with "all available force".

It comes as President Barack Obama prepared for a final push to try to convince US politicians to agree to take military action.

He will address his nation on Tuesday as he battles to secure the backing of Congress for strikes.

After meeting Arab leaders this morning, Mr Kerry said both the US and the Arab League were agreed that there was no military solution to the crisis in Syria but the Assad regime had crossed a "global red line".

He said: "What the United States is seeking to enforce is the standard with respect to the use of chemical weapons."

France has made no secret of its desire to play Washington's supporting partner after the US accused Syria of gassing its own people with sarin.

"We have more countries prepared to take military action than we actually could use in the kind of military action being contemplated," Mr Kerry said earlier.

US President Barack Obama aims to win Congressional support for strikes

Meanwhile, speaking on Sky News' Murnaghan programme former Defence Secretary Liam Fox said there was a case for another Commons vote "in the light of the wider evidence that is now available".

He said the debate had been about the consequences of intervention "but there wasn't enough debate, I don't feel, about the consequences of non-intervention."

"If we believe the regime in Syria still has chemical weapons and if, as many of us think, the opposition may also have access to chemical weapons and we send the signal that they can use them with impunity what does that mean for the safety ... of the ordinary people of Syria?"

Mr Kerry held talks with 28 EU foreign ministers in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Saturday before travelling to Paris. He is due to meet Arab leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said there was agreement that all indications point to the Assad regime being responsible for a gas attack in Damascus that may have killed more than 1,400 people.

But in a joint statement member states stopped short of endorsing any US-led strike, stressing "the need to move forward with addressing the Syrian crisis through the UN process".

Later, Mr Kerry held further talks with Mr Fabius in Paris and spoke in French and English as he outlined the case for military action.

He said the world should not be "spectators to slaughter", but said President Obama had not yet decided whether to wait for the UN inspection report before taking action.

EU High Representative Catherine Ashton called for "a clear and strong response" to the attack but officials said the European Union has agreed that any potential strike against Syria should wait until after UN inspectors publish their report.

It is reported that the experts could submit their initial findings by the end of next week.

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Abbott Wins: Australia 'Under New Management'

Tony Abbott has declared victory in Australia's general election after defeating prime minister Kevin Rudd.

Mr Abbott, the British-born leader of the Liberal Party-led coalition opposition has ended six years of Labor rule.

In his victory speech Mr Abbott said: "I can inform you that the government of Australia has changed. For just the seventh time in 60 years the government of Australia has changed.

"I declare that Australia is under new management and is once again open for business.

Abbott and Rudd on election posters in Sydney

"I now look forward to forming a government that is competent, that is trustworthy, and which purposely and steadfastly and methodically set about delivering on our commitments."

Earlier, in Brisbane, Mr Rudd conceded defeat. "A short time again I telephoned Tony Abbott to concede defeat at this national election," he said. "As prime minister of Australia, I wish him well in the high office of prime minister of this country."

With 80% of the votes counted, the Australian Electoral Commission showed Mr Abbott's party was leading in 88 seats in the House of Representatives, to Labor's 56.

Mr Rudd said Labor had "fought the good fight".

Voters cast their ballot in Sydney

He added: "Tonight is the time to unite as the great Australian nation.

"Because whatever our politics may be we are all first and foremost Australian and the things that unite us are more powerful than the things that divide us, which is why the world marvels at Australia."

He added: "I will not be recontesting the leadership of the parliamentary Labor Party. The Australian people I believe deserve a fresh start with our leadership." 

Defence minister Stephen Smith told the ABC broadcaster: "Pessimistically, I'm looking at a result which will be a 1996-type result, a heavy defeat for the government," he added, referring to the election which brought Liberal leader John Howard to power.

Mr Abbott casting his vote with his family beside him

Labor has been marred by relentless infighting - which saw Mr Rudd oust Australia's first female prime minister Julia Gillard in June - leaving the public frustrated and disillusioned.

Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said: "The clear take-out from this definitely is that disunity is death and we are not disciplined enough. I don't think the division or the pain was justified at any stage."

Former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke said personality politics had been allowed to overtake the party's message and policies.

"The personal manipulations and pursuits of interest have dominated more than they should and in the process the concentration on values has slipped.

"I really believe this was an election that was lost by the government rather than one that was won by the opposition."

Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard

Early poll numbers suggested big swings against the government in the key states of New South Wales and Queensland after more than 14.7 million electors took part in the mandatory ballot across the country.

During the five-week campaign, Mr Abbott gradually overtook once-popular Mr Rudd.

The growing number of asylum seekers has been a major theme in the election. Labor promised that every bona fide refugee who attempts to reach Australia by boat would be settled on Papua New Guinea or Nauru.

The Liberals promised new policies requiring the navy to turn asylum seeker boats back to Indonesia, where they launch, and the government to buy back ageing fishing boats from Indonesian villagers to prevent them falling into the hands of people smugglers.

Mr Abbott has also vowed to scrap a controversial carbon tax and instead introduce taxpayer-funded incentives for polluters to operate cleaner.

Mr Abbott was born in London and moved with his parents to Sydney at the age of two. Later, he returned to England to study at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.

Mr Abbott has been in Parliament for almost two decades, and for a time was health minister.

He trained briefly as a priest, is a fitness fanatic famous for wearing tight swimming trunks and also volunteers for Australia's Rural Fire Service.

Deeply religious, some of his more conservative views on issues such as abortion and gay marriage have not pleased some.

Questions have also been asked about his attitude towards women with Ms Gillard famously labelling him a misogynist in a heart-felt speech in Parliament.

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Olympics 2020: Tokyo Wins Bid To Host Games

By Enda Brady, Sky News Reporter

Tokyo is celebrating a stunning victory in the race to host the Olympic and Paralympic games in 2020.

The Japanese capital saw off strong competition from Madrid and Istanbul on a night of high drama at the International Olympic Committee vote in Buenos Aires.

Madrid was eliminated in round one after initially finishing level on votes with Istanbul. A vote-off between the two cities saw the Turkish bid go through and the Spanish crash out. But the night predictably belonged to Tokyo.

Japan's strong track record of successfully hosting major sporting occasions - one summer Games, two Winter games and a football World Cup in 2002 - undoubtedly helped push votes their way.

The IOC's Evaluation Commission visited each city in March of this year and left Japan hugely satisfied with what it had seen.

Japan has pledged to spend a fraction of the cost of the London games

Anti-government riots and protests across Turkey this year did not help Istanbul's bid, while economic uncertainty hung over Madrid's efforts from the outset.

Tokyo also had the emotional pull of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, showing that triumph can emerge from tragedy.

Their bid team were frequently asked questions about the Fukushima nuclear reactor and recent concerns about contaminated water leaking from it, but they dealt with them. The reactor is 155 miles away from the host city and their prime minister was on hand in Argentina to reassure the IOC in person.

None of the bids had a 'wow factor' delegate like London 2012 had when it landed the Games in July 2005 with David Beckham in attendance, but Tokyo can be rightly proud of what it has achieved.

For Madrid (four unsuccessful bids) and Istanbul (five defeats) this will have been a particularly bitter blow.

For Tokyo the party may be in full swing, but the hard work starts tomorrow.

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