Vigilantes Seize Mexico Town After Murder

Authorities in Mexico have said they are close to striking a deal to provide more security for a town where angry residents seized control after the abduction and murder of a taxi driver.

The takeover of the southern town of Olinala took place after around 100 people stormed a house where four suspected kidnappers were hiding. They were killed after the building was set alight.

Town mayor Eusebio Gonzalez said nearly 700 residents had since been taking turns policing entry into the town by barricading streets and installing checkpoints.

Mr Gonzalez said the murder of the taxi driver was the latest in a series of violent attacks, and Olinala residents are demanding more protection from criminal gangs.

He said the Guerrero state governor has promised to increase help to fight drug crime.

"We're looking to establish order. The governor is aware of the situation and wants to improve the situation," Mr Gonzalez said.

"People feel like there isn't another way."

The town's vigilante unrest erupted at the taxi driver's funeral after rumours emerged that a second driver had been kidnapped.

"Things got really ugly," resident Paola Rosendo said.

Eduardo Gallo, a respected Mexican anti-crime activist, said Olinala is just the latest town where people have taken up arms to combat organised crime in frustration over the government's inability to control drug-related violence.

"People took over in order to prevent authorities' collusion with criminals," he said.

At least two towns in the western state of Michoacan have formed their own armed guard forces and thrown up roadblocks to keep out criminals. Towns in northern Mexico also have taken similar measures.

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Syrian Rebels 'Execute' Government Soldiers

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent, in Jerusalem

Syrian rebels are suspected of murdering a group of captured government soldiers undermining a strategic victory which gave them control of the main highway between Aleppo and Damascus.

An unverified video of the killings, believed to have been in Saraqib, shows a group of about 20 armed men wearing rebel head bands standing over at least eight captured soldiers.

One of the soldiers pleads with the militia insisting that he did not shoot anyway.

A rebel can be overheard saying "gather them together for me".

Young men, many of them already wounded, are flung into a pile and then riddled with bullets.

Fighting in Aleppo

The executions are a reminder of a similar atrocity in Aleppo in August when a group of rebels murdered local people they accused of being members of Assad's Shabiha (ghosts) militia.

The capture of Saraqib is a significant strategic gain for the rebels. It controls the road to Damascus, and cuts the government forces main supply route to its Aleppo line.

It also severs the regime's links to Latakia, the main coastal city in the heartland of Assad's brethren in the Alawite community.

Rebel successes in the past have come from the valuable contribution of former regime soldiers who have changed sides, bringing their tactical skills with them.

Syrian refugees near the Turkish border

But recently deserters have been reluctant to contact revolutionary fighters for fear of summary execution. Last week a group of about 20 government soldiers gave themselves up in Turkey claiming asylum and saying they would not have surrendered to rebel forces for fear of retribution.

Amnesty International's Ann Harrison, the deputy Middle East and North Africa director, said that the footage appeared to show "a potential war crime in progress".

She said that the human rights group would continue to investigate the alleged atrocity.

The government is accused of widespread war crimes including the murder of civilians who have been found with their hands tied close to the government held air force headquarters in Aleppo.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

The rebel gains, which are reported to include a 25km radius around Saraqib, have come at a time when the exiled Syrian national Council and other groups are facing international criticism for their apparent failure to unite.

Two days ahead of key talks among the opposition in Qatar, the Syrian National Council lashed out at US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's recent statement that it was not fully representative of the country's diverse dissident forces.

"Any discussions aimed at passing over the Syrian National Council or at creating new bodies to replace it are an attempt to undermine the Syrian revolution by sowing the seeds of division," the SNC said in a statement.

Clinton said the SNC was not representative of on-the-ground opposition forces and that it "can no longer be viewed as the visible leader of the opposition".

It is likely that Washington will be pushing for an overhaul of the opposition at a meeting in Qatar this weekend. But US influence will depend on Qatari support.

Washington contributes a pittance, and only in the form of non-lethal aid, to rebels who receive hundreds of millions of pounds in support from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, much of it donated by individuals.

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U-Turn On Amsterdam Tourist Cannabis Ban

A new law that would have banned tourists from smoking cannabis in Amsterdam's notorious coffee shops has been scrapped.

The mayor of Amsterdam has rejected the legislation, which the incoming Dutch government has ruled will be up to local authorities to adopt - or not.

Eberhard van der Laan said enforcing the law in the city would only force pot smokers onto the streets.

He told the De Volkskrant newspaper that the city's tourists will not accept restrictions on the availability of cannabis.

"They will swarm all over the city looking for drugs. This would lead to more robberies, quarrels about fake drugs and no control of the quality of drugs on the market," he said. "Everything we have worked toward would be lost to misery."

Under the new rules, due to be fully introduced by January, the government will issue "weed passes" to those who want to smoke the drugs.

Amsterdam coffee shops are to remain open to tourists

This would mean only Netherlands residents could buy cannabis openly. Foreigners, who flood to Amsterdam each year to buy and smoke drugs, would be banned from such consumption.

Some 1.5 million visitors are estimated to go to the Dutch capital, which relies heavily on tourism, every year to take advantage of its liberal approach to drugs.

The change in law has caused lengthy arguments between politicians, some of whom believe it will curb drug use in the country, and coffee shop owners, who fear it could seriously damage their business.

It was brought in by the previous conservative-led government but MPs in the new administration have decided to let individual cities make up their own minds.

There are currently around 750 coffee shops in the country, with around 220 of them in Amsterdam, mostly in the city's famous red light district where prostitution is also legal.

While cannabis trafficking is illegal in the Netherlands, people cannot be prosecuted for possession of small amounts and the drug is sold openly in designated cafes.

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US Election: Romney Die-Hards Fund Own Campaigns

By Gary Mitchell, in Ohio

Some Republicans are so desperate to get their man in the White House they are spending thousands of dollars of their own money travelling around the country to aid the campaign, Sky News has learned.

With the race now in its final sprint, Mitt Romney's army of die-hard fans are understood to be driving and jetting to the key swing states, the places that will decide the result.

They are door-knocking, visiting businesses and meeting community groups in the likes of Ohio and Virginia - targeting undecided voters as well as shoring up support in strong conservative areas.

In a sign of just how much they want multimillionaire Mr Romney in the highest office in the land, some are making multiple trips to different states, paying their own way with flights, car journeys, hotels and meals.

Self-funding volunteers have been organised into groups and have been convening at hotels to form their campaigning plan. It is not clear how much direction they are given by Republican Party officials.

One such volunteer Sky News met in Ohio, where the two candidates arrived to campaign on Friday, said: "We're going to swing states, but we're not just doing the touch-and-go counties - we're going to places where we know Mitt has a lot of support, but we don't want to be complacent.

"This race is extremely tight, so it's about energising the base as well as the swing counties.

Volunteers are hoping to build on Mr Romney's strong base of support

"I've spent $2,000 (£1,250) on this trip alone and taken two weeks' vacation, travelling up from Texas. There are a few others here from Utah and Alabama.

"But I know of others who go it alone rather than doing this in groups."

The man, in his 50s, was speaking at a hotel where his group of fewer than 10 were staying and asked to remain anonymous, saying the Republican Party advises its volunteers not to speak to the media.

Matt Reger, the chairman of Wood County Republican Party in Ohio, said he had recently met two Republican supporters who are travelling to parts of the country to back Mr Romney and bearing all of the cost.

"Last Sunday, I had lunch with a couple from Alabama who came up here for the week to do door-to-door for Romney," he said.

"They had come up at the beginning of October and then had gone to North Carolina. They had then gone back to Alabama and then had once again come back to Ohio.

"They did all of this at their own expense."

Sky News made repeated attempts to reach the Republican Party for a comment, but no one was available.

A Democratic Party spokesman said they had many volunteers, but were not aware of any who spend their own money travelling around the country campaigning for Barack Obama.

He said: "If we have volunteers in California, they might put phone calls into people in Virginia. But to my knowledge, we don't have people flying around anywhere unless they really have something in particular to offer."

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Seven Panda Cubs Make Their Debut In China

Eyes tightly shut, these seven panda cubs are the main attraction of a competition in China to win the chance to look after the rare animals for a year.

The tiny cubs made their debut at the Chengdu Panda Base, in southwest Sichuan Province.

The animals are a major draw for the "panda ambassador" competition, which has 16 finalists competing for the top prize later this month.

Of the seven pandas, the biggest is Aoliao weighing 13lbs.

Twin brothers, Chengshuang and Chengdui - "pairs" in Mandarin - are the only twin pandas born this year.

The 16 competition finalists have joined up with the Chengdu Panda Base to train giant pandas for release into the wild.

Three winners of the "Pambassador" programme will be announced on November 16.

According to organisers, the contest aims to raise awareness of protecting an endangered species.

Only 1,600 pandas are estimated to remain in the wild.

During their one-year "ambassadorship", the selected winners will be given the opportunity to witness a panda delivering babies and spend time with the cubs.

They are also expected to visit pandas living in different countries and to promote conservation.

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Charles And Camilla Head To Papua New Guinea

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are beginning a two-week tour of Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The first stage of the 14-day day tour sees the royal couple greeted in the Pacific island's capital, Port Moresby, by the country's prime minister as well as young Papua New Guineans performing traditional songs and dances.

A 21-gun salute will sound as the Prince inspects the guard of honour of the Papua New Guinea defence force shortly before kicking off the tour with a private meeting with the island realm's Governor General Sir Michael Ogio.

All 15 realms where the Queen is head of state will have been visited by members of the Royal Family by the conclusion of this Jubilee tour.

At 86, and with the 91-year-old Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen asked younger members of her family to conduct lengthy overseas tours on her behalf during this, her 60th year as monarch.

This is the fourth time Prince Charles has visited Papua New Guinea. His first was in 1966 as part of a field trip while studying at a grammar school in Australia.

Maori dancers also performed at last month's reception for the royal pair

But it is the first time the Duchess of Cornwall has visited all three countries. Camilla was reported to have taken a short break at a retreat in India in advance of joining her husband in Papua New Guinea.

During the first leg of the tour Charles and Camilla will visit Boera village where they'll see locals restoring coastal mangroves.

From Papua New Guinea the couple visits Australia taking in the cities of Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, Sydney and the country's capital, Canberra. They will also visit the outback town of Longreach.

The long-distance trip follows other Jubilee tours including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's tour of Asia and the South Pacific, and Prince Harry's tour of the Caribbean.

The Southern Hemisphere tour comes to a conclusion in New Zealand where on November 14 the Prince of Wales will celebrate his 64th birthday.

Auckland and Wellington are on the itinerary as are traditional Maori welcomes which involve the pressing of noses.

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Beckham 'Thick', Says New Zealand PM

Former England and Manchester United footballer David Beckham has been mocked as "thick as bat****" by New Zealand's prime minister.

John Key told pupils at a school in Dunedin that his own son met the footballing superstar when the Los Angeles Galaxy team played an exhibition match in Auckland and was less than impressed with his intellect, according to Radio New Zealand.

The prime minister did, however, acknowledge that the world's richest footballer was handsome and kind to have spent 45 minutes with his son.

Beckham travelled to New Zealand for the game against an Oceania All Stars Team - an event which cost Auckland about £900,000 to stage.

The prime minister's office has refused to comment further on Mr Key's comments, according to local media.

Beckham is not exactly famed for his wisdom and has previously been lampooned for his remarks.

He once told an interviewer: "My parents have been there for me, ever since I was about seven."

On another occasion, after being asked whether he was a volatile player, he replied: "Well, I can play in the centre, on the right and occasionally on the left side" 

And when speaking about the birth of his first child, he said: "I remember so clearly us going into hospital so Victoria could have Brooklyn. I was eating a Lion bar at the time."

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New York City: Power Being Switched Back On

Energy companies have been working day and night to restore power to parts of New York devastated by the powerful Sandy storm.

In the last 24 hours, engineers in Manhattan have managed to repair 11 power grids damaged by the high winds and storm surge.

Around 5,800 homes were still without electricity in Manhattan as of Saturday morning.

The worst-hit area of New York remains Queens - with 81,000 people still without power. Brooklyn and Staten Island both have 31,000 and the Bronx has 25,000 without electricity.

Runners make their way through Queens during the 2011 race

A statement from energy firm Con Edison said it had now restored power to 70% of customers - around 645,000 homes.

It said: "The hurricane is the worst natural disaster to strike Con Edison's customers in the company's history.

"Crews are facing thousands of downed wires in New York City and Westchester County.

"Some cannot be re-energised since they are in flood zones with damage that bars the safe re-introduction of electricity."

A man shovels away sand swept in by the storm surge generated by Sandy

Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, has also said that 80% of the city's subway system has now been restored.

He also urged local people not to panic about a fuel shortage, and said petrol supplies were on the way.

"Do not panic. I know there is anxiety about fuel," he said. "The situation has been remedied. Gas stations will be getting fuel."

A lot of repair and clean-up work remains on the US East Coast, with parts of New Jersey also badly hit by the storm on Monday night and facing being cut off from electricity until the middle of November.

A woman looks through the wreckage of her home in Staten Island

Motorists in 12 New Jersey counties will only be allowed to buy petrol every other day under order of governor Chris Christie.

Petrol stations have seen long queues and angry scenes as people attempt to fill up after the storm.

President Barack Obama said: "We still have a long way to go to make sure the people of New Jersey, Connecticut, New York and some of the other surrounding areas get their basic needs taken care of and we start moving back to normalcy.

"It is critical for us to get power back on as quickly as possible. It is a painstaking process but we are making progress.

A fallen tree on top of a parked car in the borough of Queens in New York

"As we start seeing the weather get a little bit colder people can't be without power for long periods of time."

In his weekly radio address he added: "We're Americans, when times are tough, we're tougher. We put others first. We go that extra mile.

"We open our hearts and our homes to one another, as one American family. We recover, we rebuild, we come back stronger -- and together we will do that once more."

The official death toll for those in the US now stands at 109 people, on top of at least 69 people killed when Sandy tore through the Caribbean.

Estimates put the total damage up to $50bn (£30bn), according to forecasting firm Eqecat - making it the second costliest after Hurricane Katrina.

It comes after mayor Michael Bloomberg finally agreed to cancel the New York Marathon after outrage from residents left homeless or beset by power cuts.

The U-turn came just three hours after he defended the decision to hold it.

Concerns were raised that the city's already stretched police force would be redeployed to patrol the race from carrying out relief work and storm victims could be evicted from hotels to make room for people taking part.

There had been growing anger too at the thought of big generators being brought in to power equipment at the finish-line tents in Central Park, while vast swathes of the city's population were still struggling without electricity.

Mr Bloomberg said: "It is clear that it has become the source of controversy and division.

"The marathon has always brought our city together and inspired us with stories of courage and determination.

"We would not want a cloud to hang over the race or its participants, and so we have decided to cancel it.

"We cannot allow a controversy over an athletic event - even one as meaningful as this - to distract attention away from all the critically important work that is being done to recover from the storm and get our city back on track."

An estimated 40,000 runners from around the world had been expected to take part in the 26.2-mile event.

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Crackdown Sees 14 Nigerian Kidnappers Killed

Security forces in Nigeria have stormed the hideout where a Turkish national had been held for ransom.

Fourteen members of a gang thought to responsible for the kidnap died during the operation in the Niger Delta after opening fire on the security agents.

"The hoodlums were shot dead during a gun battle with the security agents in their camp in Kaani community in Ogoni land," said state police spokesman Ben Ugwuegbulam.

"The security operatives returned with a superior firepower and in the process shot dead six of the kidnappers instantly," he added.

Mr Ugwuegbulam said eight wounded gang members died on the way to hospital.

The gang was thought to be behind a wave of robberies and attacks on security agents in recent months.

Two other suspects had assisted the police with their investigations.

Six AK-47 rifles, 444 rounds of ammunition, 17 magazines and around $620 in Nigerian currency were found by police.

The Turkish construction worker the men had abducted last month was released unhurt by his captors after they collected the ransom money.

He was one of scores of people who have been kidnapped for ransom in the Niger Delta, which has in recent months seen increasing unrest.

Despite having large oil and gas reserves the region remains impoverished and badly polluted.

A report by the International Maritime Bureau recently warned that the area was emerging as a new hub for pirate activity.

In an unrelated development, five African aid workers kidnapped last month in central Niger have been released after being held captive in the deserts of Islamist-controlled northern Mali.

A sixth aid worker - who was also kidnapped - was shot during the abduction and later died of his wounds.

A government official said the five had arrived in the western Nigerian village of Yassan, near the Mali border, during Friday night.

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Obama And Romney In Final Weekend Frenzy

President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney have launched a frenzied final weekend of campaigning, with both seeking an edge in a handful of battleground states.

Opinion polls showed a race for the popular vote so close that only a statistically insignificant point or two separated the two rivals.

Soundings in the nine remaining battleground states tightened after Mr Obama's poor performance in the first presidential debate on October 3, and have stayed that way.

However Republicans quietly acknowledged that Mr Romney had so far been unable to achieve the breakthroughs needed such pivotal states as Ohio and Wisconsin.

That leaves Mr Romney with the tougher path to reach the required 270 electoral votes.

He must win more of the nine most-contested swing states that are not reliably Republican or Democratic – the linchpin of Ohio, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Nevada, Wisconsin, Iowa and New Hampshire.

President Obama disembarks from Air Force One

After holding mostly small and mid-size rallies for much of the campaign, Mr Obama's team is planning a series of larger events this weekend aimed at drawing big crowds in battleground states.

Still, the campaign is not expecting to draw the massive audiences Mr Obama had in the closing days of the 2008 race, when his rallies drew more than 50,000.

Mr Obama's closing weekend also includes two joint events with former president Bill Clinton - a rally Saturday night in Virginia and an event Sunday in New Hampshire.

The two Democrats had planned to campaign together across three states earlier this week, but that trip was called off because of superstorm Sandy.

Mr Romney hosted a massive rally on Friday night in West Chester, Ohio, drawing more than 10,000 people to the Cincinnati area for an event that featured rock stars, sports celebrities and dozens of Republican officials.

It was a high-energy event on a cold night designed to kick off his own sprint to the finish.

Mr Romney arrived in New Hampshire close to midnight on Friday after an 18-hour day on the campaign trail that took him from Virginia to Wisconsin and on to Ohio.

Mr Romney and his wife in West Chester, Ohio

He was attending a Saturday morning rally on the New Hampshire coast before making an afternoon appearance in Iowa, and two more in Colorado.

He shifted an original plan to campaign in Nevada on Sunday in favour of a schedule likely to bring him back to Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Aides stress that his schedule is fluid and may change with little notice as they evaluate where his time is best spent.

On Saturday, Obama's first stop was in Mentor, Ohio, then he was campaigning in Milwaukee and Dubuque, Iowa, and ending the day in Bristow, Virginia.

On Sunday, he was taking his campaign to New Hampshire, Florida, Colorado and back to Ohio.

About 25 million people have already voted in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Mr Obama holds an apparent lead over Mr Romney in key states.

But Mr Obama's advantage is not as big as the one he held over John McCain in the 2008 race, giving Mr Romney hope that he could make up that gap in Tuesday's election.

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