Gang Rape Villagers Flee India Police Inquiry

India's Supreme Court has ordered an investigation into the alleged gang rape of a young woman on the orders of a village council.

The woman told police that the rape by people she "knew as neighbours, as uncles and brothers" carried out the attack in West Bengal as punishment for her falling in love with a man from a different ethnic group.

Thirteen suspects, including the head of the village council, have already been arrested.

Other local men were reported to have fled, fearing arrest. Women and children left behind in the village were reluctant to talk about the events.

Police near the village of Subalpur, about five hours drive from the state capital Kolkata, said locals tried to prevent the alleged victim from reporting her ordeal by surrounding her house and threatening her with further violence.

"Members of the village council threatened her with dire consequences if she lodged a complaint with the police," police officer Kazi Mohammad Hossain said.

"The villagers surrounded her house but on Wednesday afternoon she managed to escape and came to the police station to file the complaint.

"She was limping and bleeding when she came to the police station."

The woman was reportedly raped through the night

Some neighbours described the victim as a charming woman and said she planned to marry her partner, who is Muslim.

The rape has rekindled the outrage in India over the treatment of women and brought fresh scrutiny to the role of village councils, which are common in rural India.

The councils decide on social norms in the village, and in some cases they dictate the way women can dress or who they can marry.

Those who flout the councils risk being ostracised.

Relationships remain an extremely sensitive subject in rural areas, where pre-marital sex is taboo and marriages are usually arranged within the same community, caste or religious group.

Punishments outside of India's law and justice system are common with regular reports of women being forced to parade naked or being flogged publicly for "disobeying" local laws.

The gang rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in December 2012 highlighted the issue of violence against women in India.

Unprecedented protests took place in the national capital and across the nation, and the government brought in new laws to protect women.

According to India's National Crime Records Bureau, rape is the singular fastest-growing crime in India.

From 1971 to 2012 the number of reports has grown by 900%. The conviction rate is just 1%.

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Ukraine: Barricades Burn As Concessions Fail

Sporadic clashes between police and protesters have spread across Ukraine despite President Viktor Yanukovych announcing concessions to demonstrators to try to restore calm to the country.

Mr Yanukovych offered to reshuffle his government and to grant an amnesty to dozens of activists arrested during weeks of rioting that has left four protesters dead and dozens of police injured.

But within hours of his offer, the sky in Kiev was filled with black smoke as protesters set fire to barricades built with bags of ice, car tyres and furniture as opposition leader and former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko said only Mr Yanukovych's resignation would mollify the protests.

President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leader Vitali Klitschko

Protesters wearing ski masks and armed with sticks hurled firebombs, rocks and fireworks at riot police while officers retaliated with tear gas and baton charges in a repeat of violent scenes earlier in the week that subsided after Mr Yanukovych began talks aimed at a truce.

"We will force the authorities to respect us," 27-year-old protester Artur Kapelan said. "Not they, but we will dictate the conditions of a truce."

The rallies in Kiev began in November last year after Mr Yanukovych scrapped a treaty with the European Union in favour of a bailout loan from Russia, following lobbying by Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Political activists began by calling for stronger unification with Europe rather than a new alliance with Russia but the protests have since evolved to call for Mr Yanukovych's resignation and the scrapping of harsh anti-protest legislation.

The fighting stopped earlier in the week after opposition and religious leaders began talking with Mr Yanukovych to find a political solution to the unrest.

The protest map tweeted by Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt

The president had offered to meet some of their demands as thousands of protesters laid siege to government buildings in several cities in the country.

But Mr Klitschko declared the protests would continue until Mr Yanukovuch offers to resign.

Reporting from Kiev, Sky's Katie Stallard said the protesters intend to hold their ground.

"The protesters insist the police fired first, they say that means this truce is off and they're returning fire with whatever they can find.

"They're sending fireworks up to the police lines and throwing Molotov cocktails towards them. The police lines are 40 metres in front of them, (the protesters) are up on top of burnt-out buses and waving the national flag.

"All the time tyres are being taken through to put on these flames. They're trying to build up as much smoke as they can to obscure their view.

"Behind them there are hundreds more here cheering them on behind the barricades, beating on whatever they can find. They're shouting 'glory to Ukraine' and they're determined to hold their ground."

Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt suggested Mr Yanukovych was losing control over his country. He posted a map of Ukraine on Twitter showing which regions had succumbed to protests.

"If Kiev regime tries a military solution to this situation, it will be very bloody and it will fail," he tweeted.

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Gang Rape Villagers Flee India Police Inquiry

India's Supreme Court has ordered an investigation into the alleged gang rape of a young woman on the orders of a village council.

The woman told police that the rape by people she "knew as neighbours, as uncles and brothers" carried out the attack in West Bengal as punishment for her falling in love with a man from a different ethnic group.

Thirteen suspects, including the head of the village council, have already been arrested.

Other local men were reported to have fled, fearing arrest. Women and children left behind in the village were reluctant to talk about the events.

Police near the village of Subalpur, about five hours drive from the state capital Kolkata, said locals tried to prevent the alleged victim from reporting her ordeal by surrounding her house and threatening her with further violence.

"Members of the village council threatened her with dire consequences if she lodged a complaint with the police," police officer Kazi Mohammad Hossain said.

"The villagers surrounded her house but on Wednesday afternoon she managed to escape and came to the police station to file the complaint.

"She was limping and bleeding when she came to the police station."

The woman was reportedly raped through the night

Some neighbours described the victim as a charming woman and said she planned to marry her partner, who is Muslim.

The rape has rekindled the outrage in India over the treatment of women and brought fresh scrutiny to the role of village councils, which are common in rural India.

The councils decide on social norms in the village, and in some cases they dictate the way women can dress or who they can marry.

Those who flout the councils risk being ostracised.

Relationships remain an extremely sensitive subject in rural areas, where pre-marital sex is taboo and marriages are usually arranged within the same community, caste or religious group.

Punishments outside of India's law and justice system are common with regular reports of women being forced to parade naked or being flogged publicly for "disobeying" local laws.

The gang rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in December 2012 highlighted the issue of violence against women in India.

Unprecedented protests took place in the national capital and across the nation, and the government brought in new laws to protect women.

According to India's National Crime Records Bureau, rape is the singular fastest-growing crime in India.

From 1971 to 2012 the number of reports has grown by 900%. The conviction rate is just 1%.

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Ukraine: Barricades Burn As Concessions Fail

Sporadic clashes between police and protesters have spread across Ukraine despite President Viktor Yanukovych announcing concessions to demonstrators to try to restore calm to the country.

Mr Yanukovych offered to reshuffle his government and to grant an amnesty to dozens of activists arrested during weeks of rioting that has left four protesters dead and dozens of police injured.

But within hours of his offer, the sky in Kiev was filled with black smoke as protesters set fire to barricades built with bags of ice, car tyres and furniture as opposition leader and former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko said only Mr Yanukovych's resignation would mollify the protests.

President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leader Vitali Klitschko

Protesters wearing ski masks and armed with sticks hurled firebombs, rocks and fireworks at riot police while officers retaliated with tear gas and baton charges in a repeat of violent scenes earlier in the week that subsided after Mr Yanukovych began talks aimed at a truce.

"We will force the authorities to respect us," 27-year-old protester Artur Kapelan said. "Not they, but we will dictate the conditions of a truce."

The rallies in Kiev began in November last year after Mr Yanukovych scrapped a treaty with the European Union in favour of a bailout loan from Russia, following lobbying by Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Political activists began by calling for stronger unification with Europe rather than a new alliance with Russia but the protests have since evolved to call for Mr Yanukovych's resignation and the scrapping of harsh anti-protest legislation.

The fighting stopped earlier in the week after opposition and religious leaders began talking with Mr Yanukovych to find a political solution to the unrest.

The protest map tweeted by Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt

The president had offered to meet some of their demands as thousands of protesters laid siege to government buildings in several cities in the country.

But Mr Klitschko declared the protests would continue until Mr Yanukovuch offers to resign.

Reporting from Kiev, Sky's Katie Stallard said the protesters intend to hold their ground.

"The protesters insist the police fired first, they say that means this truce is off and they're returning fire with whatever they can find.

"They're sending fireworks up to the police lines and throwing Molotov cocktails towards them. The police lines are 40 metres in front of them, (the protesters) are up on top of burnt-out buses and waving the national flag.

"All the time tyres are being taken through to put on these flames. They're trying to build up as much smoke as they can to obscure their view.

"Behind them there are hundreds more here cheering them on behind the barricades, beating on whatever they can find. They're shouting 'glory to Ukraine' and they're determined to hold their ground."

Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt suggested Mr Yanukovych was losing control over his country. He posted a map of Ukraine on Twitter showing which regions had succumbed to protests.

"If Kiev regime tries a military solution to this situation, it will be very bloody and it will fail," he tweeted.

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Exclusive: Dieudonne Breaks Silence On Quenelle

The French comedian who invented the controversial 'quenelle' gesture used by Nicolas Anelka has said he is "proud" of the footballer.

In his first TV interview since Anelka's actions sparked the furore, Dieudonne M'bala M'bala exclusively told Sky News' Paul Harrison that neither he nor the West Bromwich Albion striker were racist or anti-Semitic.

"Nicolas Anelka has all my support, that's evident," he said.

"We see him as a brother in our humanity. He's someone who is very courageous and for whom I have very much respect and admiration.

The quenelle has been described as an "inverted Nazi salute" and photographs have emerged of people performing it outside the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and at Holocaust memorials around the world.

Dieudonne said: "There's no hint of racism, racism is a bad thing.

"The quenelle was at the start an insult, a little like this, I'm not sure how you do it in England (performs 'up yours' gesture).

"In France, it's a gesture against the system."

He added that the use of the quenelle was linked to the history of slavery that affected his and Anelka's ancestors.

"Nicolas Anelka and I, we are French of African origin and this salute is a gesture of emancipation," he said.

"Anelka is a descendant of slaves and if he wants to remark on this history then he has the right to - and we are all very proud of him doing so.

Anelka used the gesture during his side's 3-3 draw with West Ham

"We are all behind him in solidarity  and we are above all proud of him because of his noble position. To us, he is a prince."

Anelka has been charged by the Football Association with making an "abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper" gesture and faces a minimum five-game ban.

On Thursday, he denied the charge and requested a personal hearing to defend his case.

But he has repeatedly insisted he used it while celebrating a goal against West Ham United to show his support for Dieudonne, who has consistently claimed it is intended to be an anti-Zionist and anti-establishment gesture.

Anelka's case initially appeared to have been backed by Roger Cukierman, head of Jewish organisation CRIF (Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions) and vice-president of the World Jewish Congress.

He told French newspaper Le Figaro the quenelle is only anti-Semitic when it is performed at a Jewish site.

"In a place that has no significance for Jews, it is merely an anti-establishment gesture which I feel does not warrant any harsh sanction," he said.

But in a statement on the CRIF website, Mr Cukierman clarified his earlier views and said he was disappointed by Anelka's actions.

"The quenelle is a Nazi salute reversed, there's no doubt in my mind because this is the will of the one who created and popularised it for purely ideological ends," he said.

"My statements in Le Figaro are no denial or renunciation on this subject, despite the interpretations that were made.

"However, I wished, perhaps too quickly, to demonstrate that it was important to show discernment, restraint, to avoid being drawn into a spiral that was difficult to control.

"It is clear the gesture of the quenelle has dangerously spread among our citizens and especially youth.

"Should we be hard on them? Definitely, as it glorifies crime against humanity, but we must also teach the youth who are manipulated by Dieudonne and his followers.

"This is why I was disappointed with the attitude of Anelka, whose behaviour is the opposite of what a top athlete must show the youth of our country."

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Ukraine: 'Very High' Chance Of Ending Violence

One of Ukraine's main opposition leaders has said there is a "very high" chance of finding a way to end the violence and political unrest in the country.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk, leader of the Fatherland party, made the comment after four hours of talks with President Viktor Yanukovych in Kiev.

Former boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, leader of the Punch party, and nationalist leader Oleg Tyagnybok were also at the discussions.

Riot police and protesters in the Ukrainian capital have been locked in a tense standoff following days of street battles which protesters say have left five people dead.

"We had the task of halting the bloodshed. The chance (of this) is very high," said Mr Yatsenyuk as he emerged with the other two leaders after the talks.

President Yanukovych has also called an emergency parliamentary session - likely to be held on Tuesday - which will discuss the protesters' demands, which include the government's resignation and the scrapping of a new anti-protest law.

Street battles have raged for days

Prime Minister Mykola Azarov earlier accused opponents of attempting to stage a coup and dismissed demands for a snap election as "unrealistic".

"A genuine attempt at a coup d'etat is being carried out," he said, while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Opposition leaders had urged "calm" ahead of Thursday evening's talks, but warned of fresh clashes if early elections were not called.

Earlier in the day, Mr Yatsenyuk told a crowd of around 40,000 people in Kiev's Independence Square that he was ready to die for the cause.

"If he does not go down that path then we will go forwards together and if it means a bullet to the head, then it is a bullet to the head," he said.

"Viktor Yanukovych, you have 24 hours. Take a decision. I have taken my decision."

Mr Klitschko added: "Early elections will change the situation without bloodshed and we will do everything to achieve that."

Opposition leaders address the protesters

Activists claim that of the protesters killed in recent days, four were shot and one died in a fall.

One of the dead was named locally as Serhiy Nihoyna.

Prime Minister Azarov has said police are not carrying live ammunition and that opposition leaders should be held responsible for the deaths.

Police and protesters have been turning an area at the heart of the city into a virtual war zone with demonstrators setting fire to barricades, hurling stones and Molotov cocktails, and police using tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets.

Sky's Katie Stallard, in Kiev, said: "Protesters also burned tyres, mattresses, whatever they could find to keep going, and reinforcing barricades too.

"They have made homemade shields out of planks of wood and are rehearsing their tactical formations - how they plan to stand together and how they plan to protect themselves."

Image said to show one of the dead, Serhiy Nihoyna (Pic: Serhiy Proskurnia)

The Interior Ministry said 73 protesters had been arrested and 53 of them were being investigated for "mass riots". It is a charge that was recently introduced and carries a jail sentence of up to eight years.

The US State Department has threatened to impose sanctions against the Ukraine in response to the continued use of violence against protesters.

The rioting intensified when some 200,000 took to the streets at the weekend in a show of anger over the new anti-protest laws rushed through by Mr Yanukovych.

The laws allow for jail terms of up to five years for those who blockade public buildings. They also ban protesters from wearing masks or helmets.

Discontent in Ukraine began last year when Mr Yanukovych refused to sign up to closer ties with the European Union in favour of a new accord with Russia.

Meanwhile, Russia said it would not intervene in the crisis, according to President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

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Syria's Warring Sides Agree To Direct Talks

The Syrian regime and opposition figures have agreed to finally sit down to talks on the country's three-year civil war.

After bitter opening speeches at a peace summit in the Swiss town of Montreux, Russia said the rival delegations have promised to start direct talks on Friday, which are expected to last for a week.

The day got off to a rocky start as a clash over Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's future threatened to collapse the negotiations even before they really began.

Ban Ki-moon described the move as a "small step to peace"

But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who held discussions with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al Moallem and the opposition's Ahmed Jarba, urged the talks not to be focused on leadership change in Damascus.

"As for guarantees that the talks will not collapse - it is necessary to influence both delegations so that this does not happen," he said.

"The main thing is to start the process."

UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said the Syrian delegations may be ready to discuss prisoner swaps, local ceasefires and humanitarian aid.

The talks came amid fresh clashes across Syria, including in Aleppo

"We have had some fairly clear indications that the parties are willing to discuss issues of access to needy people, the liberation of prisoners and local ceasefires," he told a news conference.

At the end of the first day of the summit, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said both sides had "taken the first small step" to making peace.

"Ending this war and making peace will be hard," he said.

"But it can be done, and it must be done. It is still not too late to end the bloodshed and find a peaceful and democratic solution.

"The moment to act courageously and decisively is now."

Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State John Kerry echoed the rebel view that there is "no way" Mr Assad can stay under the terms of a 2012 international accord urging an interim coalition.

"There is no way - no way possible in the imagination - that the man who has led the brutal response to his own people could regain the legitimacy to govern," he said.

The "Geneva II" talks are being held in Montreux on Lake Geneva

"One man and those who have supported him can no longer hold an entire nation and a region hostage."

But Mr al Moallem said terrorists and foreign meddling had ripped his country apart, and refused to give up the podium despite numerous requests from Mr Ban.

He said: "You live in New York. I live in Syria. I have the right to give the Syrian version here in this forum.

"After three years of suffering, this is my right."

He also accused the West and neighbouring countries of funnelling money, weapons and foreign fighters to the rebellion.

Syrian National Coalition officials had wavered until the last minute on whether to attend the talks. They have insisted that any discussion of Assad continuing to remain in power would effectively end the talks.

An Oxfam worker leaves roses during a protest outside the talks

At least 130,000 people have been killed since a peaceful uprising against Assad's rule began in March 2011, with around 2.3 million refugees created.

On Tuesday, a group of international lawyers published allegations of the "systematic torture and killing" of up to 11,000 people by the Syrian regime.

The "Geneva II" conference went ahead after a last-minute dispute over the UN decision to withdraw an invitation to Iran over Tehran's refusal to endorse a plan for a transitional national body in Syria.

Iran is one of Assad's closest allies.

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Brazil President Faces Fifa Showdown Over Delays

By Jason Farrell, Sky Correspondent, in Brazil

Brazil's president faces a showdown with the head of Fifa later over the country's preparations for the World Cup.

Dilma Rousseff opened a new stadium on Wednesday, but Sepp Blatter has described Brazil as more behind than any other previous host country.

It is not just stadiums but also infrastructure which is still not built with 140 days until kick-off.

The road to Recife Stadium is yet to be finished and one worker told Sky News they would meet the April deadline "in theory".

Fifa does not like theories - it wants big solid structures.

And as Fifa Secretary General Jerome Valcke completes this week's tour of Brazil, he was concerned that some stadiums are not there yet.

Ms Rousseff showed no doubts as she kicked a ball to inaugurate Natal's stadium. "Enchanted", is how she described the feeling.

The access road to Recife Stadium is yet to be finished

She is travelling to Switzerland to meet Mr Blatter, who has so far been critical of Brazil's progress.

Of  the 12 World Cup stadiums, six were completed for the Confederation's Cup last year, and with the Arena Das Dunas in Natal now open, that leaves five incomplete.

The worst is in Curitiba - described this week by Mr Valcke as "dangerous" and currently "meeting no Fifa standards".

Officials have been given four weeks to present a solution or face losing their World Cup fixtures.

Mr Valcke also found the Pantanal stadium in Cuiaba was behind schedule with patchy grass and only 40 of 40,000 seats in place.

As for Sao Paulo, where an accident delayed work last November, he was confident the Itaquerao stadium would be ready, but only weeks before the opening match on the June 12.

Elsewhere, the December deadline for completion had been missed in Porto Alegre and Manaus, where England are due to play their first game.

The jungle stadium is 95% complete and the British ambassador to Brazil, Alex Ellis visited it on Wednesday.

"I'm pleased to see that the stadium is almost complete. I am certain that it is going to be a fantastic game on June 14."

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Syria: Diplomatic Push To End Bloody Conflict

A diplomatic battle to end Syria's bloody civil war begins in Switzerland today as opposition delegates sit down with government representatives for the first time in three years.

International delegates have gathered in the city of Montreux, on the banks of Lake Geneva, for talks aimed at ending a conflict which has killed more than 100,000 people.

The peace talks will go ahead despite a last-minute dispute over the United Nations' decision to withdraw an invitation to Iran.

The exclusion of the Islamic Republic from the conference has highlighted tensions between the West and Russia over how to broker an agreement to end the violence.

Iran is the main ally of Syrian President Bashar al Assad. The country's exclusion came after Tehran refused to endorse a UN-backed plan for a transitional governing body in Syria.

The city of Montreux, in Switzerland, will host the Geneva 2 talks

The issue of transition of power is expected to be central to the success of the talks, which have been dubbed "Geneva 2". 

The Western-backed opposition has demanded that Mr Assad must quit and face a war crimes trial.

But the Syrian Foreign Minister, Walid al Moualem, has rejected any discussion of Mr Assad being forced to step down.

"The subject of the president and the regime is a red line for us and the Syrian people and will not be touched," he said on the eve of the talks, according to the SANA news agency.

The conference also begins in the shadow of allegations of large-scale torture and execution of prisoners by government forces.

US Secretary of State arrives in Switzerland ahead of the talks

The day before the talks, a group of international lawyers published allegations of the "systematic torture and killing" of up to 11,000 people by the Syrian regime.

Fatima Khan, the mother of British doctor Abbas Khan, who died in a Syrian prison last month, told Sky News' Joe Tidy that the reports of torture and execution were no surprise.

"I'm not surprised with the report. I knew ... all this," she said.

"I heard my son was living with 9,000 other prisoners and my son told me that every day they used to take two or three (and) torture them.

Fatima Khan said allegations of torture in Syria were "no surprise"

"Either one comes back or two comes back, or none of the three comes back. I knew this. My son was only a humanitarian aid worker. Why was he tortured?

"If that regime is so cruel (that) they have no brains and no heart to understand (the difference between) a humanitarian aid worker and a terrorist, then they should not stay in power."

Foreign Secretary William Hague urged both sides in Syria to "seize the chance" to end the civil war as he arrived in Switzerland.

"Opposition has been tested and has come. Now regime must be tested on willingness to seek a political solution," Mr Hague wrote on Twitter.

Smoke rises after a bomb blast in the Syrian city of Aleppo

Mr Hague added that it was a "great shame" that Iran - which has enjoyed a thawing of relations with the West in recent months - had failed to endorse the principles of the talks.

US President Barack Obama and Russia's Vladimir Putin had a "business-like" conversation about the Syrian conflict by phone on Tuesday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also met US Secretary of State John Kerry in Montreux ahead of today's opening of negotiations.

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Syrian Peace Talks Open Without Key Players

Representatives of 40 nations have converged on Montreux in a bid to drive home the urgency of talks in Switzerland on bringing peace to Syria.

But key players have been banned, uninvited or ignored as the international community has put principal above realpolitik.

The talking shop, which starts here and moves on to Geneva, is not entirely hopeless.

Syria's government has sent a level delegation led by Foreign Minister Walid Muallem.

His team of 15 may yet meet across a table from representatives of the rebel Syrian National Coalition, led by Ahmed Jabra.

That in itself would be a step forward. Perhaps they could, as Russia has suggested, open humanitarian corridors to relieve some of the suffering three years of civil war has visited on the civilian population.

More than nine million people are in dire need of aid.

But without the presence of all of the major belligerents and their backers, it is hard to see how Geneva II can yield anything more.

Mr Muallem (left) and Mr Jabra arrive for the conference

Iran, invited on Sunday, uninvited on Monday at the insistence of the Syrian opposition, is critical.

Tehran controls Hizbollah, the Lebanese Shia militia which joined the fight on the side of Bashar al Assad.

Advisers and experts from Iran's al Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards have stemmed a tide of rebellion that had gone against Mr Assad until six months ago.

Tehran is engaged in its own diplomatic offensive. It has agreed to wind down its nuclear weapons programme in turn for an easing of economic sanctions.

It is conceivable it might want to further enhance its relation by putting pressure on Mr Assad to reign in at least his worst excesses.

It is certain that without the permission and the support of Iran, Mr Assad could not deviate from the course that he is currently set upon - an attempt at military victory.

On the rebel side the powerful Islamic Front has been left off the guest list. It is estimated to be able to muster 60,000 troops.

The al Nusra Front is also not invited.

The rebel's Western backers have labelled it an al Qaeda affiliate and therefore a terrorist organisation.

The Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham is an outright part if al Qaeda and is also banned.

Peace talks and the agreements they are supposed to produce can only be conducted between groups who are at war.

Rebel fighters and civilians inspect a bomb crater in Aleppo

So leaving the extremists out of the process makes very little sense.

But then there is the question recently raised by several intelligence agencies: if the al Qaeda groups were to attend talks, which side of the table would they sit on?

The spooks hint that al Qaeda has done deals with the Assad regime.

They suggest that the radical Sunni international terrorist movement, which is dedicated to establishing an Islamic caliphate across the Middle East, has been serving Mr Assad, a member if an apostate Shia sect.

Far fetched? Perhaps. But they have split the rebel ranks. The al Qaeda groups' persecution and murder of senior rebel leaders, and refusal to integrate, meant they were attacked two weeks ago, and remain locked in battle with other rebel groups.

Only Mr Assad has gained from this.

America's John Kerry, Ban Ki-Moon and Russia's Sergey Lavrov in Montreux

At least one major al Qaeda operative once based in Tehran, where the Shia government keeps close tabs on Osama bin Laden's ideological heirs, has found his way into Syria.

Intelligence officers monitoring him ask how he managed to get into Syria without the permission of the Iranians?

Yes. It is complicated. Syria is a mess in which allies prove to be enemies, enemies can make temporary friends. It is a nightmare.

Perhaps the only way to make some sense of it all is to gather the belligerents and their backers in one place, to call their bluff. But that's not happening in Geneva.

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Syria Talks 'Should Focus On Foreign Terrorists'

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has criticised this week's peace conference aimed at ending his country's civil war - saying the main agenda should be on tackling "foreign terrorists".

The UN talks in Geneva hope to create a transitional government in the war-torn country, drawn from the Assad regime and opposition leaders.

But in an interview with AFP, Mr Assad said he wants to stand again as president if the Syrian people want him to.

He also said any talk of a rebel leader becoming prime minister in a transitional government was nothing more than a "good joke".

He said: "The most basic element, which we continuously refer to, is that the Geneva conference should produce clear results with regard to the fight against terrorism in Syria.

Syrian forces launch air strikes on the northern Syrian city of Aleppo

"In particular, it needs to put pressure on countries that are exporting terrorism, by sending money and weapons to terrorist organisations, especially Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and, of course, the Western countries that provide political cover for these terrorist organisations.

"This is the most important decision or result that the Geneva conference could produce. Any political solution that is reached without fighting terrorism has no value."   

In reference to remaining president, he said: "This depends on two things: it depends on personal aspirations or a personal decision, on the one hand, and on public opinion in Syria, on the other.   

"As far as I am concerned, I see no reason why I shouldn't stand. As for Syrian public opinion, there is still around four months before the election date is announced.   

"If, in that time, there is public desire and a public opinion in favour of my candidacy, I will not hesitate for a second to run for election. In short, we can say that the chances for my candidacy are significant."

He warned that the Syrian conflict - which has left more than 120,000 people dead since it began in March 2011 - could spread throughout the Middle East if the bloodshed is not stopped.

Damaged buildings in Homs

"In any battle, there is always the possibility of winning and losing," he said. "But when you're defending your country, it's obvious that the only choice is to win.   

"Should Syria lose this battle that would mean the spread of chaos throughout the Middle East.   

"This battle is not confined to Syria and is not, as Western propaganda portrays, a popular uprising against a regime suppressing its people and a revolution calling for democracy and freedom.   

"These lies have now become clear to people. A popular revolution doesn't last for three years only to fail; moreover, a national revolution cannot have a foreign agenda."

Meanwhile, Syria's opposition has said it will not attend the peace talks unless the United Nations withdraws an invitation for Iran - a key backer of President Assad - to attend.

The Syrian National Coalition threatened on Twitter to withdraw from the negotiations, which are due to start on Wednesday in Montreux, unless the invitation is retracted.

:: Watch the latest updates live on Sky News on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Syria Peace Talks: UN Cancels Iran Invitation

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has withdrawn his invitation to Iran to join this week's peace conference on Syria.

Ban Ki-Moon was forced to act after the exiled Syrian opposition threatened to withdraw from the talks if Iran - a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - takes part in the conference.

The United States also demanded the surprise invitation be withdrawn if Iran did not support a Syria declaration adopted by major world powers in Geneva in 2012.

The Geneva declaration had called for a transitional government to guide the country out of the three-year war which the UN says has killed more than 100,000 people.

The UN leader said Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif had repeatedly assured him that he "understood and supported" the aim of the peace conference to set up an interim government.

But Iran's UN ambassador declared his country would not join the peace talks, due to open in Switzerland on Wednesday, if it was required to accept the Geneva roadmap.

More than 100,000 people have been killed in the Syrian war

During a news conference in New York, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said that "in a series of meetings and telephone conversations, senior Iranian officials assured the Secretary-General that Iran understood and supported the basis and goal of the conference, including the Geneva Communique".

"The Secretary-General is deeply disappointed by Iranian public statements today that are not at all consistent with that stated commitment," Mr Nesirky said.

The Syrian National Coalition has said it will join the talks now that Iran's invitation has been retracted.

"We appreciate the United Nations and Ban Ki-Moon's understanding of our position. We think they have taken the right decision," said Monzer Akbik, a spokesman for the coalition.

High-ranking delegations from the United States, Russia and close to 40 other countries are attending the talks.

Face-to-face negotiations between the Syrian government and its opponents - the first since the conflict began three years ago - are to start on Friday in Geneva.

:: Watch the latest updates live on Sky News on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Syria's Assad 'Not Ready To Give Up Power'

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has reportedly said he is not ready to give up power and the issue is not up for discussion.

According to Russia's Interfax news agency, Mr Assad said: "If we wanted to surrender, we would have surrendered from the start (of the nation's civil war)."

He reportedly added: "We are on guard for our country. This issue is not up for discussion."

The president apparently made the comments to Russian MPs ahead of an internationally backed peace conference on Syria.

The main opposition group has voted in favour of attending the talks next week aimed at ending the conflict.

The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) confirmed it will participate in the discussions after 58 of its 73 delegates voted in favour of attending.

Western and Arab sponsors of the opposition group have pressured the SNC to attend the talks, which are due to begin on Wednesday in the Swiss city of Montreux.

Mr Assad's language continues to be defiant

The Syrian government had already committed to attending the talks, which are backed by the United Nations.

Sky correspondent Robert Nisbet in Damascus says security has been increased in the capital ahead of the conference.

He said: "There are roadblocks everywhere around the city. Our local producer says he has never seen security as tight as it is today.

"It would suggest the Assad government is nervous that perhaps an armed opposition group may want to stage some kind of event in the capital to show that the president hasn't regained control of the biggest city in Syria."

The conference will be the first face-to-face meeting between representatives of Mr Assad's government and the opposition since war broke out in March 2011.

More than 100,000 people have been killed since the conflict began and millions have been displaced.

The US and Russia have been trying to hold the peace conference since last year, and it has been repeatedly delayed.

Both sides finally agreed to sit together at the negotiation table after dropping some of their conditions.

The aim of the conference, which has been dubbed Geneva 2, is to agree on a roadmap for Syria's future based on one adopted by the US, Russia and other major powers in June 2012.

The plan includes the creation of a transitional government and eventual elections.

:: Watch the latest updates live on Sky News on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Ukraine: Stun Grenades Used In Kiev Clashes

Protests in the Ukrainian capital Kiev have escalated into street battles with riot police.

Opposition leader and former boxing champion Vitaly Klitschko has announced he will meet with President Viktor Yanukovich to try to resolve the continuing political crisis and ease the unrest.

It came after protesters attacked riot police with stun grenades, sticks and fire extinguishers. Vehicles were also set on fire.

The interior ministry said 30 officers had been injured, with more than 10 taken to hospital. Four are reported to be in a serious condition.

Protesters have been involved in running street battles with police

The violence flared as up to 100,000 people massed in defiance of new powers aimed at cracking down on anti-government demonstrations.

Mr Klitschko tried to stop hardcore activists, many wearing hard hats and gas masks, from attacking police, but was then targeted himself and sprayed down with a powder fire extinguisher.

Protesters continued to hurl fireworks and other missiles at officers, who were forced to protect themselves with shields.

As trouble continued into the night, police used water cannon against demonstrators.

The violence marks a sharp escalation in what had been largely peaceful protests, triggered after Mr Yanukovych ditched a deal for closer links with the European Union in favour of stronger ties with Russia.

But anger has mounted since the president then gave the go-ahead to a number of laws curbing Ukrainians' rights to protest and free speech.

Critics say the legislation rushed through parliament was unconstitutional and will lead to a police state.

The laws - denounced by the United States and other Western governments as anti-democratic - would ban any unauthorised stages or use of loud-speakers in public places.

They also bar, under the threat of heavy jail sentences, the taking part in "mass disorder" and the wearing of face masks or hard hats.

In a gesture of disobedience to the helmet ban, protesters on Sunday wore saucepans and colanders on their heads,

Mr Klitschko, the strongest potential presidential challenger, said: "Yanukovich and his henchmen want to steal our country.

"Ukraine is united as never before in its struggle against those in power today, in its determination not to allow a dictatorship."

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Syria's Opposition 'Will Attend Swiss Talks'

Syria's main opposition group has voted in favour of attending peace talks next week aimed at ending the country's civil war.

The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) confirmed it will participate in the talks after 58 of its 73 delegates voted in favour of attending.

Western and Arab sponsors of the opposition group have pressured the SNC to attend the talks, which are due to begin on Wednesday in the Swiss city of Montreux.

The Syrian government had already committed to attending the talks, which are backed by the United Nations.

The conference will be the first face-to-face meeting between representatives of President Bashar al Assad's government and the opposition since war broke out in March 2011.

More than 100,000 people have been killed since the conflict began and millions have been displaced.

The US and Russia have been trying to hold the peace conference since last year, and it has been repeatedly delayed.

Both sides finally agreed to sit together at the negotiation table after dropping some of their conditions.

The aim of the conference, which has been dubbed Geneva 2, is to agree on a roadmap for Syria's future based on one adopted by the US, Russia and other major powers in June 2012.

The plan includes the creation of a transitional government and eventual elections.

:: Watch the latest updates live on Sky News on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Child Marriage 'Legitimises Lifetime Of Abuse'

By Niall Paterson, Sky News Correspondent

Child marriage often leads to a lifetime of abuse for girls, according to a new report.

Campaign group Equality Now says such underage unions, often when the children involved are too young to understand even the concept of marriage, are part of a "continuum of abuse" often linked to genital mutilation, rape, violence and sex trafficking.

It says ending child marriage should be a priority internationally - and suggests that it should be tackled not as a single incident of abuse, but in relation to other example of discrimination and violence against women and girls.

Jacqui Hunt, the London director of Equality Now, said "Child marriage directly affects approximately 14 million girls a year. It legitimises human rights violations and the abuse of girls under the guise of culture, honour, tradition, and religion.

"It is part of a sequence of discrimination that begins at a girl's birth and continues throughout her entire life.

"Furthermore, when a child bride gives birth, the vicious cycle of poverty, poor health, curtailed education, violence, instability, disregard for rule of law and legal and other discrimination often continues into the next generation, especially for any daughters she may have."

Child marriage affects about 14 million girls a year

Drawing together evidence from both the developed and developing world, the report concludes that without a comprehensive, joined up approach to tackling child marriage, linking together healthcare, education, a properly enforced legal framework and community and political leaders, girls will "remain vulnerable, not only to being married off at a young age, but to a lifetime of abuse".

Unicef estimates that between 2011 and 2021, 100 million girls will have become child brides - which equates to 25,000 a day.

Sky News spoke with one child bride who now campaigns against underage marriage.

Alematsahye Gebrekidan, the founder of the Former Child Wives Foundation, was married aged 10 in Ethiopia, to a boy himself only 16 years old.

"I was married when I was a little girl. The decision was taken by the parents, we [she and her husband] did not know. I was playing outside and they called me in and told me I was going to be married.

"I was scared, and ashamed, and embarrassed."

Alem Gebrekidan's was forced into marriage when she was just 10

Alem's wedding day was, for her, no happy occasion.

"I was crying, I was very upset and angry because I was scared. I didn't know what was happening to me.

"It is the culture [there]. If you are 15 years old they say you are old, too old, so you should be married.

"It's tradition."

She gave birth to a child at age 13. One month later, her husband was killed in the war. Forced to grow up at such a young age, she deeply regrets the loss of her childhood.

"I feel shamed. I feel empty inside, empty.

"When I see a child playing with a doll ... I miss those things."

And she has a simple message for others who have similar experiences: "Don't be ashamed, come out and get support.

"It's not your fault. It's not your choice."

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