Obama May Meet Iran's President Rouhani At UN

President Barack Obama and Iran's new president may meet briefly next week for the first time.

It would mark a symbolic but significant step toward easing their countries' tense relationship.

An exchange of letters between the leaders already has raised expectations for a revival of stalled nuclear talks.

But Iran is still likely to seek an easing of international sanctions in exchange for significant progress.

In small steps and encouraging statements, Iran's leaders appear to be opening a door more widely to detente in their nuclear dispute with the US.

Mr Obama says he is open to discussions with Iran

Cautiously optimistic, Washington is weighing whether Iranian President Hasan Rouhani's recent overtures actually represent new policies or just new packaging.

"Negotiations with the Iranians is always difficult," Mr Obama said in a recent interview with ABC News.

"I think this new president is not going to suddenly make it easy. But, you know, my view is that if you have both a credible threat of force, combined with a rigorous diplomatic effort, that, in fact, you can strike a deal."

Both Mr Obama and Mr Rouhani will be in New York next week for the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly.

The White House has not ruled out the possibility of a direct exchange, though spokesman Jay Carney said no meeting is scheduled.

Mr Obama has long said he would be open to discussions with his Iranian counterparts if Tehran shows it is serious about curbing its nuclear programme.

"There have been a lot of interesting things said out of Tehran and the new government - and encouraging things," Mr Carney said on Thursday. "But actions speak louder than words."

Iran has repeatedly said it wants sanctions eased as a first step to make any significant progress in nuclear negotiations.

Sanctions levied by the US and Europe have contributed to a rapid rise in inflation and unemployment in Iran.

Tehran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful and that it is enriching uranium to levels needed for medical isotopes and reactor fuel. 

But Western powers, including the US, fear Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb.

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Mexico Landslide: Search Continues For Victims

Mexican soldiers are digging through tons of mud and dirt in their continuing search for landslide victims.

Authorities are also looking for a police helicopter that went missing while carrying out relief operations on the flood-stricken Pacific coast.

The helicopter had three crew members on board and was returning from the remote mountain village of La Pintada, where the mudslide occurred, when it went missing on Thursday.

A house wrecked by the landslide

Federal security spokesman Eduardo Sanchez said: "We still don't know anything. (The helicopter) was in La Pintada and then we didn't hear anything more from it."

Search efforts continued in the town north of Acapulco, where 68 people were reported missing following Monday's slide.

Mexican soldiers work on the site of the landslide

Two bodies have been recovered, but it was unclear if they were among those on the list of missing.

Police have been helping move emergency supplies and aid victims of massive flooding caused by Tropical Storm Manuel, which washed out bridges and collapsed highways throughout the area, cutting Acapulco off by land and stranding thousands of tourists.

A damaged road near La Pintada

The country's Transportation Department said Friday that a patchwork connection of roads leading to Mexico City had been partially reopened around midday on Friday.

Thousands of cars, trucks and buses lined up at the edge of Acapulco, waiting to get out of the flood stricken city.

An aerial view of the landslide

Survivors of the La Pintada landslide staying at a shelter in Acapulco recounted how a tidal wave of dirt, rocks and trees exploded off the hill, sweeping through the centre of town.

It buried families in their homes and swept wooden houses into the bed of the swollen river that winds past the village on its way to the Pacific.

Residents walk along a road leaving La Pintada

Resident Marta Alvarez said: "Everyone who could ran into the coffee fields. It smothered the homes and sent them into the river.

"Half the homes in town were smothered and buried."

A stray dog rummages for food among debris

La Pintada was the scene of the single greatest tragedy in the twin paths of destruction wreaked by Manuel and Hurricane Ingrid, which simultaneously pounded both of Mexico's coasts over the weekend, spawning huge floods and landslides across hundreds of miles of coastal and inland areas.

More than 100 people have now been killed as a result of the flooding and landslides in Mexico.

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German Election: Angela Merkel's Lead Tightens

Will There Be Victory For 'Mutti'?

Updated: 11:19pm UK, Friday 20 September 2013

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent, in Berlin

The elections in Germany this weekend could produce a Pizza, a Jamaican or a Lebanon, but "Mutti" is still likely to be in charge.

With a system of proportional representation, two ballots per person and little difference between the main parties, political analysts have been focusing on the possibility of a new coalition.

Although the CDU/CSU alliance, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel is likely to take the largest share of the vote, the collapse in support for its liberal coalition partner FDP means the existing government may not survive.

That has thrown up a number of possible coalition permutations, which have been given bizarre names mostly based on the combination of the party colours.

So a combination of the CDU, the Free Democrats and the Greens has become known as the "Jamaica coalition", echoing the various hues on the national flag.

A "traffic light" would be a link up between the main opposition Social Democrats, the FDP and the Greens, and so on.

It just hints at the complexity of the German electoral system which allows each voter to make two choices: one for a local representative and another for their choice of party.

The second vote has become known as the vote for chancellor, but it increases the scope for tactical voting, especially as the FDP has been fading at the polls.

For a party to be represented in the Bundestag, it must achieve at least 5% of the overall vote.

At a recent local election in Bavaria - admittedly a conservative heartland - the FDP saw its vote disintegrate, leading some to predict it could come perilously close to being kicked out of the national parliament.

Meanwhile another new party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), has been stealing support from disaffected CDU voters, who have tired of the euro crisis and want to see a return to the Deutsche Mark.

If it gains a foothold in the national parliament, it could make it nearly impossible for the CDU to govern without a Grand Coalition between Ms Merkel's CDU and the opposition SPD.

That was the outcome after the election in 2005 when Ms Merkel first became chancellor, but her relationship with the SPD leader Peer Steinbrueck has soured since he was her first finance minister.

That red/black combination is the one most favoured by German voters, but not by the parties' top brass.

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Apple iPhone: Fights As Homeless Hired To Queue

'Shortage' Of Apple's New iPhone 5S

Updated: 2:15am UK, Saturday 21 September 2013

The new iPhone models have gone on sale, with eager shoppers - many of whom had camped out - flooding into Apple's flagship stores.

But hundreds of people took to Twitter to say that many stores had ran out of the new devices, while Apple's online store pushed back its dispatch date for new phones to October, without giving any specific dates.

Technology fans in Japan were among the first to get the top-of-the-range iPhone 5S, as well as the new 'budget' version, the 5C.

Apple stores in the UK also opened early, at 8am, with estimates of 1,500 people outside one London store.

Staff at many of the shops had worked through the night to prepare for launch.

Devotees of the technology company started queuing at London's Regent Street branch on Monday, with Westminster Council forcing some to take down temporary shelters.

Gad Harari, 17, from north London, told Sky News he had been offered hundreds of pounds for his place at the head of the queue.

Some Apple fans outside a Tokyo store took things even further - reportedly beginning their wait a full 10 days before today's launch.

"I am super happy," said the first customer to buy a 5S at the Tokyo store.

"The first thing I want to do is to try out the finger print recognition function, that is what I looked for the most."

The premium 5S device, said to be twice as fast as its predecessor, sets itself apart from competitors with its Touch ID feature, which allows users to unlock their phone with the touch of a finger.

However, UK phone networks reportedly have very low stock levels of the new handsets, particularly the 5S.

On Twitter, @RealSandyPitt wrote: "iPhone 5S gold-coloured version sold out during the morning at Regent Street in London."

Meanwhile @Gromlus wrote: "Oh wow the iPhone 5S got sold out in two hours here at Arndale in Manchester."

Technology analysts also have reservations about the brightly-coloured plastic 5C model.

Seen as an attempt to gain a bigger foothold in markets such as China, it has been criticised as "nowhere near" cheap enough to gain significant market share in the country.

In the UK, 5S prices start at £549, while the cheaper 5C phone costs from £469. A 64 gigabyte model comes in at a hefty £709.

In comparison, the flagship model from rival HTC costs £484 and Samsung's top-of-the-line Galaxy S4 is around £420.

Apple will be hoping the updated devices give it new momentum in the worldwide smartphone market, which is increasingly dominated by cheaper handsets running the Android operating system - particularly those by market leader Samsung.

Today's launch may also provide a distraction from criticisms of new operating system iOS 7.

Many users reported problems downloading the update when it launched earlier this week and several security flaws have also been exposed.

One flaw allows someone to access photos and videos, even when a iPhone or iPad has been locked. The media can then be deleted or shared.

Another glitch in iOS 7 allows a potential thief to bypass the Find my iPhone feature by putting the device in airplane mode to stop it communicating its location.

Apple is expected to fix the issues in a future update.

The new iPhones go on sale today in the US, Australia, China, Canada, France, Germany, Singapore and UK. Other countries will follow.

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Super Typhoon Usagi: Winds Could Reach 180mph

Communities in southeast Asia have been warned a super typhoon bearing down on the region could potentially be "very destructive".

Usagi, the most powerful cyclone of 2013 so far, could unleash gusts of 180mph, as well as torrential rain and tidal surges, on the Philippines and Taiwan.

A boy clings to rocks in Manila Bay in rough seas brought by Usagi

Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes and ferry services cancelled, while the Red Cross has begun stockpiling first aid kits and food packs.

In Taiwan, more than 1,600 soldiers have been deployed to areas most at risk of flooding and a further 24,000 remain on standby.

Dark clouds loom over Navotas City in the Philippines as Usagi passes by

A spokesman for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration warned damage could be "very heavy".

"The situation is potentially very destructive to communities," he said. "All travel and outdoor activities should be cancelled."

A man uses a makeshift raft to paddle through waves in Manila Bay

Usagi, which is more than 1,000km (620 miles) in diameter, was upgraded to a super typhoon as it roared towards the Luzon Strait dividing the Philippines and Taiwan.

The cyclone's northeast quadrant, which usually packs the strongest winds, is expected to clip Taiwan's southern tip as it moves westwards.

Super typhoon Usagi is moving westwards towards the Vietnamese coast

In China, 23,000 fishing boats have already taken shelter in Fujian province, after the country's meteorological authority upgraded its typhoon warning to orange, the second highest level.

The storm is expected to weaken as it moves towards Hong Kong, although officials  warned the weather would "deteriorate significantly, with strengthening winds and rough seas".

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North Korea Halts Family Reunions With South

North Korea has indefinitely postponed a series of reunions for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.

Six days of meetings between relatives still separated six decades after the conflict had been due to start on Wednesday in Mount Kumgang resort, situated just north of the militarised border.

The last time families were allowed to see each other was at a similar series of gatherings three years ago.

Two relatives dance and sing during the last temporary reunion

North Korea said this year's meetings would not go ahead as planned, accusing the South of a "reckless and vicious confrontation racket" against Pyongyang.

It also vowed to "take strong and decisive counteractions against the South Korean puppet regime's ever-escalating war provocations".

This year's reunions were set to take place again at Mount Kumgang resort

The postponement was announced by a spokesman for the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, in a statement broadcast by the KCNA news agency.

"The reunions of separated families and relatives between the North and the South will be postponed until there can be a normal atmosphere where dialogue and negotiations can be held," he said.

A North Korean man feeds his South Korean father during the last gathering

South Korea's Ministry of Unification, which is responsible for ties with the North, denounced the decision to postpone the reunions for political reasons as "inhumane" and unacceptable.

A delegation responsible for the reunions is currently in the North, the ministry said. It was not immediately clear when it would return.

The setback comes amid a period of improving relations between the two neighbours, with Pyongyang tempering its threats and pursuing talks with Seoul to restart various inter-Korean co-operation projects.

A South Korean woman cries on a bus as she bids farewell to loves ones

The Korean War separated millions of families, with vast numbers of refugees moving both north and south.

Past reunions have been the scenes of intense emotion, bringing together weeping family members desperate for details and news.

Many South Koreans have had little or no word about their loved ones for decades.

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Taliban's Mullah Baradar Released From Custody

By Neville Lazarus, Sky News Asia Producer

The most senior leader of the Taliban in Afghanistan has been released from custody in Pakistan to help the struggling Afghan peace process.

According to a Sky News source, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who is second to Taliban chief Mullah Omar, will have to remain in the country, although he is free to move around any city.

He will be provided with high security, although the source claimed this is a way for authorities to keep him under watch.

Before his release, preparations had been made for Baradar to be taken to Qatar or Saudi Arabia where he could actively work on the peace process.

But the source said Pakistan objected to such a move because it wants to remain pivotal and influential in any future peace talks between Hamid Karzai's Afghan government, the Taliban and western powers.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has pushed for Mr Baradar's release

Sartaj Aziz, advisor on foreign affairs and national security to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said: "Handing over the key Taliban commander to Afghanistan will sabotage the purpose behind the decision of releasing him."

Pakistan authorities have resisted immense pressure for his release since his arrest in Karachi in February 2010.

Many believe the arrest was made to stop him negotiating with the Afghan government and cutting Pakistan out of the talks.

His arrest infuriated Mr Karzai, who last month reiterated demands for his release when he travelled to Pakistan for talks with Mr Sharif.

Baradar, 55, was born in the southern province of Uruzgan and fought the Soviet forces in the late 1980s.

He co-founded the Taliban and became a trusted friend of Omar, rising to become his top military strategist.

After the fall of the Taliban, he fled to Pakistan and became the most senior leader in the organisation's Quetta Shura branch after Omar.

He is credited with bringing together all factions of the Taliban under one umbrella and commands great respect and influence in the movement both in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Even before his detention, he had reached out to the Karzai government and steps to begin peace talks had been taken.

Baradar is the first Taliban prisoner released under the mechanism agreed by the two sides at the Chequers summit in the UK earlier this year.

Pakistan has released at least 33 Taliban inmates over the last year at the request of the Afghan government.

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Syria Completes Chemical Weapon List Handover

Syria has completed the handover of its chemical arsenal inventory, the world's chemical weapons watchdog says.

Confirmation of the handover came ahead of the Saturday deadline issued to Syrian president Bashar al Assad's regime in a US-Russian disarmament plan.

The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said in an email: "OPCW has confirmed that it has received the expected disclosure from the Syrian government regarding its chemical weapons programme.

"The Technical Secretariat is currently reviewing the information received."

It came as the chief of staff for Russian President Vladimir Putin said the country could abandon support for the Assad regime if it learnt Syria was not committed to handing over its chemical weapons.

Sergei Ivanov reiterated Russia's longstanding opposition to Western military intervention in Syria, saying such action would only aid militants linked to al Qaeda.

Around 1,400 people were killed in the chemical attack on August 21

"In the event of external military interference the opposition ... would entirely lose interest in negotiations, considering that the US would bomb the regime to its foundations as in Libya, giving them an easy path to victory," he said.

Mr Ivanov made the comments reported by Russian media to a Stockholm conference organised by the British-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.

He said Russia expected to know the whereabouts of all the Assad regime's chemical weapons within a week, although it would take two to three months to decide how long would be required to destroy them.

"I'm talking theoretically and hypothetically, but if we became sure that Assad is cheating, we could change our position," he said.

United Nations inspectors released a report this week saying there was "clear and convincing evidence" that chemical weapons were used in an attack in Damascus on August 21. It said 1,400 people were killed in the attack.

The attack prompted an international diplomatic crisis over Syria, with US airstrikes appearing likely before a plan to prevent military action was put forward by Russia.

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BlackBerry Slashes Jobs In Face Of $1bn Loss

BlackBerry has confirmed it will cut 40% its global workforce as it said it expects to report that it has lost almost $1bn in its second quarter.

The smartphone company said it will lay off 4,500 employees as it tries to slash costs by 50% and shift its focus back to competing mainly for the business customers most loyal to its brand.

The Canadian-based firm had been scheduled to release its net earnings for the quarter next week but warned on Friday that it expects to post a staggering loss of between $950m and $995m.

Shares in the company plunged as low as $8.01 when the stock reopened for trading on Friday, before closing down 17% at $8.72.

Thorsten Heins, president and CEO of BlackBerry, said in a statement: "We are implementing the difficult, but necessary operational changes announced today to address our position in a maturing and more competitive industry, and to drive the company toward profitability.

"Going forward, we plan to refocus our offering on our end-to-end solution of hardware, software and services for enterprises and the productive, professional end user."

BlackBerry boss Thorsten Heins says the changes are hard but 'necessary'

BlackBerry said last month that it would consider selling itself and reiterated on Friday that a special committee of its board of directors continues to "evaluate all options".

The BlackBerry, pioneered in 1999, was the dominant smartphone for on-the-go business people and other customers before Apple debuted the iPhone in 2007. Since then, BlackBerry has been hammered by competition from the iPhone as well as Android-based rivals like Samsung.

In January, the company unveiled new phones running a revamped operating system called BlackBerry 10. The Z10 and Q10 were designed to better compete for customers and rejuvenate the brand, but BlackBerry's market share continues to lag behind its rivals.

BlackBerry, formerly known as RIM, was once Canada's most valuable company with a market value of $83bn in June 2008.

Canada's industry minister James Moore said in a statement: "Our thoughts are with those who have lost their jobs at BlackBerry, it is always a cause for concern for our Government."

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Nairobi Shopping Mall: Gunmen Kill 'At Least 22'

At least 22 people have reportedly been killed in a suspected terrorist attack on a shopping mall in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

Gunmen opened fire and detonated grenades inside the Westgate centre, a mall popular with expatriates.

Police chief Benson Kibue described the incident as a terrorist attack, telling the AP news agency up to 10 men exchanged gunfire with police.

A spokesman for Kenya's Ministry of Interior added: "It is a possibility that it is an attack by terrorists, so we are treating the matter very seriously."

An injured woman is carried to an ambulance inside a shopping trolley

At least 22 people were killed in attack, according to a Kenyan Red Cross official who spoke to AP.

Police sources said they had wounded and detained one of the suspects and hoped that the situation "would soon be under control". 

Earlier, Abbas Guled, a spokesman for the charity, said: "The casualties are many and that's only what we have on the outside. Inside there are even more casualties and shooting is still going on."

Cars and shopping trolleys were left abandoned outside the mall

Staff at a supermarket and a jewellery store were among a number of people taken hostage by the attackers, according to Nairobi-based journalist Abdi Osman Adan.

He told Sky News witnesses reported seeing the attackers "firing at any police officers who tried to approach the building".

Security forces were still trying to rescue those trapped inside the mall hours after the start of the siege, going from shop to shop to evacuate shoppers and staff.

An ambulance arrives as a woman flees from the shopping centre

Graphic photographs taken at the scene showed people with serious injuries being treated at a makeshift hospital inside a food court.

Other images showed injured people being carried out of the mall in shopping trolleys, as well as upturned tables and chairs from where people had fled the shooting.

Elijah Kamua, who witnessed the attack, said the gunmen asked Muslims to stand up and leave and that non-Muslims would be targeted.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, although the Somali militant group al Shabaab had previously threatened to attack the mall.

Shoppers leave the mall, which is situated in an affluent area of Nairobi

Satpal Singh, who was in a cafe when the attackers struck, said he ran downstairs and was shot near the main exit of the mall.

"A Somali guy shot at me," he said. "He was carrying a rifle, an AK-47."

Another witness, who gave only his first name, Jay, added: "They were not speaking Swahili. They spoke something that seemed like Arabic or Somali."

In a message posted on Twitter, Kenya Police urged the public "to remain calm" and not to speculate about the attack.

The shooting happened in Kenya's capital city Nairobi

"We urge you to stay away (from the mall)," they added.

Westgate is situated in western Nairobi and is popular with both foreigners and rich Kenyans.

According to the centre's website, it is the city's "premier shopping mall" and offers a "serene and safe enviornment away from the city centre hubbub".

It has more than 80 stores and features a waterfall with tropical gardens.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are looking into whether any British nationals have been caught up in the incident and are ready to provide consular assistance.

"We are advising British nationals to avoid the area."

More follows...

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