Russia's Khodorkovsky 'Glad' To Be Free

A Russian oil tycoon has denied that he had admitted guilt in his request for a presidential pardon after being released from a prison camp.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was once the richest man in the country, was freed within an hour of the Kremlin publishing a decree and boarded a flight to Berlin, where his ill mother is being treated.

In the first statement since his release, Mr Khodorkovsky said: "On November 12, I turned to the president of Russia with a request for a pardon associated with family circumstances, and am glad about the positive decision. The issue of my guilt was not addressed."

Mr Khodorkovsky has been in prison since 2003 after being convicted in two trials on charges including fraud and embezzlement.

Mr Khodorkovsky spent a decade behind bars

He previously said he would not request a presidential pardon because he would be seen to be admitting guilt.

However, the newspaper Kommersant reported that he changed his mind after a meeting with Russian security services, who raised the possibility of a third trial and warned him that his mother's health was deteriorating.

"This conversation, which was conducted without lawyers, forced Mr Khodorkovsky to turn to the president," the article said.

He also thanked former German foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, who was the top diplomat of West Germany and then Germany from 1974-1992, for aiding his release.

Mr Putin meets Mr Khodorkovsky at the Kremlin in May 2001

Berlin worked "behind the scenes" for Mr Khodorkovsky release, said German chancellor Angela Merkel.

Mr Putin surprised journalists at the end of his annual end-of-year news conference on Thursday by announcing that he was planning to pardon Mr Khodorkovsky.

"Guided by humanitarian principles, I decree that Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky ... should be pardoned and freed from any further punishment in the form of imprisonment," his decree said.

The circumstances surrounding the pardon remained unclear.

Mr Khodorkovsky has been held at a prison camp in Segezha, northwest Russia

A Russian government source said freeing his best-known and potentially most powerful critic could deflect international complaints about Vladimir Putin's human rights record as Russia prepares to host the Winter Olympics at Sochi in seven weeks.

He fell out with Mr Putin as the president clipped the wings of wealthy oligarchs who had become powerful during the chaotic years of Boris Yeltsin's rule following the collapse of Soviet communism.

Mr Khodorkovsky has given no indication of his future plans, saying only he wanted to meet his loved ones.

"I am very much looking forward to the minute when I will be able to embrace my loved ones and personally shake hands with all my friends and associates," he said.

"First of all I am going to repay my debt to my parents, my wife and my children, and I am very much looking forward to meeting them.

"I will welcome the opportunity to celebrate this upcoming holiday season with my family."

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Duck Dynasty Row: Fans Demand Boycott

Millions of fans and a few national leaders have spoken out against the suspension of Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson.

Robertson, 67, was taken off the hit A&E reality TV series for comments quoted in GQ magazine in which he called homosexuality a sin.

A&E announced on Thursday that Robertson had been placed on indefinite "hiatus", adding it was extremely disappointed to see his anti-gay remarks which it said were based on his personal beliefs.

The channel's move was lauded by the gay civil rights group GLAAD, which had quickly condemned Robertson's comments.

But more than a half-million people have shown their support for an impromptu Facebook page demanding the show be boycotted until Robertson returns.

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who had her picture taken with the TV star last month, complained that his free-speech rights were being trampled.

Bobby Jindal, governor of the state of Louisiana, where the show is filmed, complained that Miley Cyrus got "a pass for twerking on TV" while "Phil got shown the door".

"It's a show that is promoting clean living and good moral values, and that's something we need more of today," one of the programme's many fans, Rick Peter of Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, told The Associated Press.

Duck Dynasty is on "hiatus" until January 15, and a network spokesman said on Thursday that nine of next season's 10 episodes have already been filmed.

It means Robertson is not needed in front of the camera before next March, by which time the crisis may have blown over, according to veteran Hollywood crisis publicist Howard Bragman.

He believes Robertson is likely to return to the show, perhaps after making a public apology.

"There's too much money at stake," Mr Bragman said. "Although he plays kind of a hick on TV, I don't think he's dumb. I think he gets what's at stake here."

The Robertson family released a statement on the Duck Commander website in which they expressed thanks for prayers and support.

It said: "We are disappointed that Phil has been placed on hiatus for expressing his faith.

"We have had a successful working relationship with A&E but as a family, we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch at the helm. We are in discussions with A&E to see what that means for the future of Duck Dynasty."

Robertson and his extended family were turned into TV and pop culture stars by Duck Dynasty, which has set cable ratings records for a non-fiction series.

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Obama: NSA Spying Sweeps May Be Reviewed

President Barack Obama has suggested that surveillance methods used by US intelligence services may be reviewed following further spying revelations.

According to documents leaked by the whistleblower Edward Snowden, Britain and America monitored EU officials and the Israeli Prime Minister.

Speaking at a news conference at the White House, Mr Obama suggested that he may be ready to make some changes to the way phone records are collected.

Among dozens of recommendations he is considering, he hinted that he may strip the National Security Agency of its ability to store data in its own facilities and instead shift that storage to private phone companies.

"There are ways we can do it potentially, that gives people greater assurance that they're checks and balances, that there is sufficient oversight, sufficient transparency," Mr Obama said.

The new documents leaked by Mr Snowden reveal heads of state and international organisations were the focus of US and British spies.

The agents targeted a senior European Union official, German government buildings, and the office of a former Israeli prime minister, according to the papers published on Friday.

Other targets from 2008 to 2011 included foreign energy companies and aid organisations, according to The Guardian and The New York Times, citing secret documents from the former NSA contractor.

Mr Snowden's leaks have exposed the reported surveillance activities of the NSA and its British counterpart GCHQ, the alleged extent of which has upset many US allies and fuelled a heated debate about the balance between privacy and security.

Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert

He is living in Russia under temporary asylum.

The newspapers reported that in January 2009, GCHQ and the NSA had targeted an email address listed as belonging to the Israeli prime minister, who at the time was Ehud Olmert.

Spies also monitored email traffic between then-Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak and his chief of staff, Yoni Koren, the newspapers said.

Other targets were said to include the United Nations Children's Fund, French aid organisation Medecins du Monde, French oil and gas firm Total, and French defence company Thales Group.

An NSA spokeswoman said the agency did not use espionage to help US businesses.

"We do not use our foreign intelligence capabilities to steal the trade secrets of foreign companies on behalf of - or give intelligence we collect to - US companies to enhance their international competitiveness or increase their bottom line," the spokeswoman said.

The European Commission said if it was true one of its senior officials had been targeted it would be "unacceptable".

"This piece of news follows a series of other revelations which, as we clearly stated in the past, if proven true, are unacceptable and deserve our strongest condemnation," a spokesman said.

The Guardian said the disclosure that GCHQ had targeted German government buildings in Berlin was embarrassing for British Prime Minister David Cameron since he had signed an EU statement condemning the NSA's spying on Chancellor Angela Merkel.

GCHQ said it was aware of the reports but did not comment on intelligence matters.

A spokesman said: "Our work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework which ensures that our activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate."

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Billionaire Feared Dead In Helicopter Crash

A Chinese billionaire and his young son are among four people feared dead after the helicopter from which they were viewing his newly-purchased French chateau crashed into a river.

Lam Kok, the 46-year-old head of the Hong Kong-based Brilliant group, had just bought Chateau de la Riviere, a major Bordeaux vineyard.

The accident happened at the end of a festive day marking Thursday's sale of one of the region's oldest wine estates reportedly worth 30m euros (£25m).

He and his 12-year-old son were on the helicopter piloted by James Gregoire, the former owner, when the accident happened on Friday. An interpreter was also a passenger.

Rescuers search the Dordogne river for the victims of the helicopter crash

Emergency workers pulled a still-unidentified body from inside the helicopter after finding the wreckage in the Dordogne river, said local officials.

A large search operation was called off just before midnight with the helicopter's other three occupants still missing. The search is due to resume.

Lam Kok's wife had pulled out of the aerial tour at the last minute, saying she was "scared of helicopters", said a photographer at the event.

After a press conference, an introduction to the staff and dinner, Mr Gregoire was taking his buyer on a short tour of the 65-hectare (160-acre) vineyards and surrounding grounds.

When they did not return after 20 minutes, employees at the vineyard contacted emergency services.

A major search operation was launched using emergency helicopters, inflatable boats, rescue divers and around 100 officers on foot.

Lam Kok and his wife pose among the vines hours before the crash

Emergency workers managed to locate the wreckage in the river after police received a call from a witness who had seen the helicopter go down.

A previous owner of the Chateau de la Riviere, Jean Leprince, was killed in a plane crash in 2002.

Mr Gregoire bought the property, the largest in Bordeaux's Fronsac wine-producing region, the following year.

Earlier on Friday, the vineyard's managing director, Xavier Buffo, said during a press conference the sale marked the largest Chinese investment in Bordeaux property to date.

Hong Kong-based Brilliant, which specialises in rare teas and luxury hotels in China, had said it wanted to turn the chateau into a high class tea and wine tasting centre with a hotel nearby.

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China's Rover Sends Back Lunar Panorama Image

China has released a panoramic picture of its Jade Rabbit rover's landing area on the moon, one week after the country's first probe landed without a hitch.

The moon buggy, nicknamed "Jade Rabbit", rolled onto the surface from an unmanned spacecraft.

Chinese officials said the rover, officially named Chang'e 3, has started its scientific operation in search of natural resources.

The chief designer of the Chang'e 3 probing system, Liu Enhai, speaking on China's state television CCTV, said: "The entire picture was pieced together with 60 photos taken three times from three angles: zero degrees, 15 degrees down from horizon and 30 degrees.

"The purpose of shooting from three angles is to (capture) from one side to the other in order to see farther."

The probe landed earlier this month

It is the first "soft landing" of a probe on the moon for 37 years following the US and former Soviet Union.

A soft landing does not damage the craft and the equipment it takes.

China said last week that it aims to launch the next generation of unmanned moon probe in 2017 with the key aim of collecting and bringing back lunar samples.

Advancing China's space programme has been a priority for the leadership, with President Xi Jinping calling for China to establish itself as a space power.

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Morsi Faces Trial Over Egypt Prison Break

Egypt's ex-president Mohamed Morsi will stand trial for a prison break during the 2011 uprising against dictator Hosni Mubarak.

The deposed former leader and 132 others, including members of the Palestinian group Hamas and Lebanon's Hizbollah, face charges including killing policemen.

The case relates to a mass prison break during the protests against ex-president Hosni Mubarak.

Several Hamas and Hizbollah members were in jail and escaped during the unrest.

Almost 70 of the defendants are members of the Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups, who will be tried in absentia.

Protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square in July 2011

It marks the third set of charges brought against Mr Morsi since he was ousted by the army in July following major demonstrations against his rule.

He also faces trial along with 35 other Muslim Brotherhood leaders over allegations he conspired with foreigners to carry out terrorism in his country.

The investigating judge did not name any members of Hizbollah or Hamas in the latest charges.

Mr Morsi is already standing trial for inciting violence during protests outside the presidential palace a year ago when he was still in office.

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Syria: British Doctor's Body Released To Family

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

The body of the British doctor who died in custody in Syria has been returned to his family.

Dr Abbas Khan's family received the body at the British Embassy in neighbouring Lebanon.

It comes a day after the 32-year-old father of two was due to be released from prison and allowed home for Christmas.

Mr Khan was an orthopaedic surgeon from south London who entered Syria to help civilians caught up in the civil war.

Mr Khan was a father of two

He was arrested 13 months ago and died last week in what the Syrian authorities say was suicide.

His family and the Foreign Office have questioned this as Dr Khan was days from being released and was said to be looking forward to coming home.

His brother, Dr Shahnawaz Khan, said: "We are pleased the Syrian authorities have stopped dragging their feet and are handing my brother's body over. We want to get him back to Britain as soon as possible to bury him in the right way.

"My brother is out in Beirut with my mother and the next step is to arrange a flight back home but the horrible thing for us as a family is that another post-mortem is likely to be carried out, further disturbing my brother's body.

Mr Khan worked in Stanmore, northwest London

"Yes we want to know what happened to him as we don't believe for a second that he committed suicide whilst in custody, but our priority is to give him a proper funeral."

The family has criticised the lack of support given to them by the Foreign Office during Dr Khan's incarceration. They believe he was abused while in custody.

Dr Khan added: "First we need to get my brother buried, then we want to get some answers."

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South Sudan: Gunfire Hits US Military Aircraft

At least one US military aircraft has been fired at during an evacuation mission in South Sudan, leaving four personnel injured.

One individual is said to be in a critical condition.

The US military confirmed four people had been wounded when the aircraft was hit by gunfire. Earlier reports said two aircraft had come under fire.

South Sudan has blamed the attack on renegade troops.

Officials said the aircraft was heading to an evacuation site in Bor, the capital of the state of Jonglei and the scene of some of the country's worst violence in the past week.

After being fired at it reportedly turned around and headed to Kampala in Uganda. From there the wounded service personnel were flown to Nairobi, Kenya for medical treatment.

Men displaced by the fighting in South Sudan

Fighting broke out in the South Sudanese capital Juba between rival army factions last Sunday and has since spread to other regions, claiming at least 500 lives.

Kenya said on Saturday it was sending troops to South Sudan to evacuate some 1,600 citizens. Many are trapped in Bor, which has been taken by rebels.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has "ordered the KDF (Kenya Defence Force) to commence immediate evacuation of the 1,600 Kenyans stranded in South Sudan", a spokesman said in a statement.

"Despite the relative calm in Juba, a number of other South Sudan towns have come under fire," he added, saying that Kenyans "are mainly in the town of Bor".

People being evacuated to Uganda in a RAF C17 plane

Others, in the towns of Rumbek, Ayod, and Panyabol "will also be airlifted to safety."

"The president has also ordered the immediate delivery of food, water and medicine to South Sudan (to help) tackle the emergency," the spokesman added.

"The delivery of these emergency supplies started this morning. Kenyan military aircraft are delivering consignments to South Sudan."

Kenya, which hosted the peace talks that ended the 1983-2005 civil war in Sudan, and which paved the way for South Sudan's independence two years ago, is also supporting efforts to end the latest crisis.

On Friday Uganda deployed troops to South Sudan to boost security and help its people escape safely.

A number of other nations including Britain have sent in emergency flights to evacuate their citizens.

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Lockerbie 25th Anniversary: Victims Remembered

Relatives of those killed in the Lockerbie bombing have gathered in the Scottish town for a special memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of the atrocity.

Pan Am flight 103 was on its way from London to New York when it exploded above Lockerbie, in southern Scotland, on the evening of December 21 1988, killing 270 people - everyone on board and 11 on the ground.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and Lord Wallace, Advocate General for Scotland, are attending a service at Dryfesdale Cemetery, to be followed by a 30-minute wreath-laying ceremony.

Families and friends attend a memorial service at Dryfesdale Cemetery

Mr Salmond said: "As the community of Lockerbie marks the milestone, memorial events will be held in Westminster Abbey, Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and at Syracuse University which lost 35 students in the bombing.

"But, inevitably, a focus of the day will be on the memorial in Lockerbie and it is there that I will pay my respects and condolences on behalf of the people of Scotland."

Later, simultaneous remembrance services in Lockerbie and Arlington National Cemetery in the US - where most of the victims were from - will get under way from 6.30pm (1.30pm EST in the US).

Relatives will read the names of the victims and hold a minute's silence at 7.03pm (2.03pm EST in the US) marking exactly a quarter of a century since the tragedy.

Westminster Abbey in London will also hold a service for the victims, from 21 countries, which will begin at 6.45pm and will include readings and a moment of silence.

British Prime Minister David Cameron described the bombing as "one of the worst aviation disasters in history and the deadliest act of terrorism" ever committed in the UK.

Eleven people were killed on the ground in Lockerbie

He said: "Though 25 years have passed, memories of the 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 Lockerbie residents who lost their lives on that terrible night have not dimmed.

"Over the last quarter of a century much attention has been focused on the perpetrators of the atrocity. Today our thoughts turn to its victims and to those whose lives have been touched and changed by what happened at Lockerbie that night.

"To families, friends, neighbours, loved ones, and all those caught up in the painful process of recovery, let us say to them: our admiration for you is unconditional. For the fortitude and resilience you have shown. For your determination never to give up. You have shown that terrorist acts cannot crush the human spirit. That is why terrorism will never prevail.

"And even in the darkest moments of grief, it is possible to glimpse the flickering flame of hope."

Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the disaster, told Sky News: "Anniversaries aren't in a sense that big a deal for the families of victims because we have to live with the lovely memories of those that we lost all that time ago, every day of every year. Bereavement in itself is sometimes a life sentence."

Graham Herbert, former rector at Lockerbie Academy which lost three students in the atrocity, said the market town "has always tried to move forward".

Abdelbaset al Megrahi was the only person to be convicted of the bombing

He told Sky News: "I know today there will be a lot of closed doors. A lot of people will not go out of their houses. The memories are just too bitter, there are still open wounds there.

"There are quite a lot of American families in the town today. Each year it just comes back to them, they are not allowed to heal. They want to commemorate, they want to be here where their loved ones fell, but it's hard, it's tough."

Libyan Abdelbaset al Megrahi was found guilty of the bombing in January 2001 and given a life sentence.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008, leading to a decision to free him under compassionate release rules.

Scotland's Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill took that decision on August 20 the following year, sparking a row among politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.

Megrahi died in Tripoli, Libya in May last year. His family is considering lodging a fresh appeal to clear his name.

British relatives of victims who believe he was wrongfully convicted of the bombing are also planning another appeal against the conviction when they meet with lawyers in the new year.

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Australia: Pair Clinging To Ice Box Rescued

Two fishermen who clung to an ice box in the ocean for 15 hours after their boat sank have been saved - in a rescue caught on video.

The "exhausted" men were winched to safety one by one into a helicopter and then taken to hospital for treatment.

The pair, aged 25 and 34, issued a mayday call on Friday afternoon before abandoning their cabin cruiser off Ballina in New South Wales, Australia.

A search was then launched and the following morning the upturned 18ft boat was spotted in the Pacific Ocean by a helicopter crew eight miles off Yamba.

A diver helps one of the fishermen to safety

The fishermen were found a short distance away, wearing lifejackets and clinging to the large white box.

One of their rescuers, Jethro Lampe, said: "They were pretty exhausted.

"I didn't get too much of a hand getting them into their seats, which is to be expected. They've been out all night."

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