Security Door Kills Girl, 3, At Ice Cream Shop

A three-year-old girl has been killed at an ice cream shop after a metal security door fell on her.

Police and witnesses said the girl was at the Rita's Water Ice store in north Philadelphia about 4.30pm (9.30pm UK time) on Saturday when the door suddenly came loose.

She was at the shop, in Girard Avenue in the city's Brewerytown neighbourhood, for a sorority and fraternity fundraiser with her mother, according to reports.

Witness Alison Brady told WPVI-TV: "It was more than a thud. It was a big bang, some people thought it was a gunshot."

Tracey Standford told the same station: "We saw the awning laying on the ground but didn't realise there was a baby under the awning until the mother started screaming."

Bystanders rushed to the girl's aid while others gave CPR.

Officials with the Department of Licences and Inspections say they are investigating how the grated door fell.

The department said there are no open violations at the store and no reported problems with the security door.

Security grates are only inspected if the department receives a complaint.

In a statement, Rita's spokeswoman Linda Duke said: "Our hearts and prayers go out to the child's family.

"Due to the current investigation we really cannot comment about the unfortunate incident."

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Newlyweds Tied Up And Killed By Bride's Family

A 17-year-old girl and her husband have been tied up and had their throats slit shortly after they married for love, according to police in Pakistan.

Muafia Bibi and her partner Sajjad Ahmed, 30, were killed in a village which is part of Daska town in Punjab province, police officer Asghar Ali said.

He added that the girl's grandfather, parents and two uncles are accused of killing them with a butcher's knife, and that all five have been apprehended.

The couple married earlier this month and Mr Ali said the family had lured them home by saying they accepted the marriage.

The family said they had been embarrassed by the marriage of their daughter to a man from a less important tribe, police were quoted as saying.

District police chief Gohar Nafees said they admitted killing the couple in the name of honour.

Cultural traditions in many areas of Pakistan mean that killing a woman whose behaviour is seen as immodest is widely accepted.

A woman marrying a man of her own choice is considered an unacceptable insult to many families.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, some 869 so-called "honour killings" were reported in the media last year.

The true figure is probably much higher since many cases are not reported.

Under Pakistani law, the woman's family are able to forgive the killer even if they are convicted.

Many families nominate a member to do the killing and then formally forgive the killer.

In May, Farzana Iqbal, who was three months pregnant, was stoned to death outside a court in the eastern city of Lahore by family members for marrying the man of her choice.

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Japan: Man Sets Himself On Fire In Central Tokyo

A man set himself on fire in busy central Tokyo in an apparent protest at plans to reform Japan's pacifist constitution.

Police officers and firefighters investigate the site

Police say the middle-aged Japanese man doused himself in what is thought to be petrol before setting himself alight outside the main train station in Shinjuku, one of the capital's busiest shopping and entertainment districts.

The man was said to have suffered serious injuries

According to witnesses, it came after the man climbed up to the metal framework above a footbridge before giving a speech through a megaphone opposing the government's moves to expand the use of Japan's military.

Footage and images on social media showed the man dressed in a dark suit and tie, with two plastic bottles beside him.

After firefighters had extinguished the flames, he was taken to hospital with serious injuries and his condition was not immediately known.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing to reinterpret Japan's strict pacifist constitution to allow its well-equipped armed forces to fight in defence of an ally, something currently prohibited.

Critics say the shift undermines the war-renouncing Article 9 of Japan's Constitution, and opposition groups have staged constant but peaceful protests outside the premier's official residence.

Japan has had very few self-immolations in the past despite a long history of suicides by ritual disembowelment, or seppuku, dating back to the feudal era.

The most high-profile suicide for political reasons in the modern era was by Yukio Mishima, a right-wing author considered to be one of Japan's greatest novelists, who killed himself in front of the headquarters of Japan's Self Defence Forces in 1970 after an unsuccessful coup attempt.

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Benghazi: Man Denies Part In Consulate Attack

A Libyan militia leader has pleaded not guilty to a terrorism charge relating to the 2012 attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, that killed four Americans.

Ahmed Abu Khatallah was transferred to the US District Court in Washington on Saturday morning from a Navy warship.

He had been held and interrogated since his June 15 capture by American special operations forces in Libya.

Federal Marshals patrol outside the federal courthouse in Washington

He was charged at an afternoon hearing with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists resulting in death.

The attack in Benghazi killed US Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, the Justice Department said. The department said it intended to file additional charges shortly.

Ambassador Chris Stevens was one of those who died in the attack

Khatallah was not shackled when he appeared before Magistrate Judge John Facciola and kept his hands behind him as he gave answers through an interpreter.

He wore a dark hoodie and black trousers and had long grey hair and a grey beard.

Libyan officials have said the US operation to arrest Khatallah was an attack on their country's sovereignty.

Four Americans died in the raid on September 11, 2012

Justice Minister Saleh al Marghani said the suspect should be returned to Libya to face trial.

Khattala was snatched on the outskirts of the city by American special forces working alongside the FBI.

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Brazil Fan Dies During Penalty Shootout

A Brazilian fan has died of heart failure whilst watching his country's World Cup penalty shootout victory over Chile.

The 69-year-old man was watching the round of 16 match in a bar close to the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte when he complained of feeling unwell.

The fan, who was diabetic, died shortly after being taken to hospital, according to news website G1 and the Estado de Minas newspaper.

Gonzalo Jara of Chile misses the decisive penalty

The paper added that health officials had to treat some 100 people during the match.

This included a 50-year-old woman for a heart problem during the shootout and a young man whose nose was broken in a fight.

The match against Chile finished 1-1 after extra time, with the hosts Brazil winning 3-2 in the shootout.

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India Buildings Collapse Killing 22 People

Two separate buildings have collapsed in India, killing at least 22 people and trapping around a dozen more.

The search for survivors at the collapsed 11-storey building in Chennai

An 11-storey building under construction on the outskirts of Chennai, capital of Tamil Nadu state, came down, killing and trapping construction workers, during monsoon rains.

Police said 28 workers had been pulled out so far and the search was continuing for more than a dozen others.

Four of the workers were killed instantly and another seven died of their injuries later in a hospital, said police officer George Fernandes.

Another 13 injured workers are in hospital, while six others were allowed to go home after medical attention.

Rescuers faced a tangle on scaffolding at the Chennai collapse

Police said two directors of the construction company, Prime Sristi, have been detained for questioning as authorities began investigating the cause of the collapse.

Balaguru, one of the builders, said the structure collapsed possibly due to lightning.

"Usually, once the construction gets over we install the equipment to prevent the building from a thunder strike. It was nearing completion," the Press Trust of India news agency quoted Balaguru, who uses one name, as saying.

Nearly 300 policemen and fire service workers worked overnight, looking for survivors in the debris.

More people are feared trapped in the rubble of the New Delhi block

Earlier in the day, 11 people, including five children, were killed when a four-storey building fell in New Delhi.

It is believed the collapse of the 50-year-old block may have been triggered by nearby construction work.

A local resident said he helped pull people from the debris before the emergency services arrived.

Ifikhar Ahmed said: "We ourselves pulled out seven people. Others have told us that they also rescued two to four people. To begin with, local residents rescued the victims and later the officials came."

Debris is cleared by hand from the collapsed New Delhi building

Deputy Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma told reporters an investigation into the cause of the New Delhi collapse had been launched.

Building collapses are common in India, where high demand for housing and lax regulations have encouraged some builders to cut corners, use substandard materials or add unauthorised extra floors.

In April last year, 74 people were killed when an eight-story building being constructed illegally in the Mumbai suburb of Thane caved in. It was the worst building collapse in the country in decades.

Debris is loaded onto a truck at the site of the collapse in New Delhi

A politician from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tweeted that action was needed to stop more people dying.

Vijay Goel said: "Building collapse in Delhi brings forth need to adhere to safety requirements."

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MLS Match Halted After Lightning Injures Fan

A Major League Soccer match had to be abandoned after a lightning strike resulted in a spectator having to be taken to hospital.

An off-duty firefighter suffered a heart attack while he was standing in a parking lot outside Columbus Crew's stadium at around 7.45pm on Saturday.

He was resuscitated before being taken to the Ohio State Medical Center where he was said to be in critical condition in the intensive care unit on Sunday morning. 

Columbus Fire Department Battalion Chief Tracy Smith said it was not known if the off-duty lieutenant was struck directly.

She added it would take two or three days to determine if the strike would have lasting effects.

The storm hit the ground about 15 minutes before Columbus Crew and FC Dallas has been due to kick off.

As rain lashed the stands and flashes of lightning burst above, fans were told to evacuate the stands and head towards shelter in the double-decked stadium.

The Crew did not immediately confirm details of the incident, but released a statement saying the match had been postponed due to the "extenuating circumstances" of an individual being injured "during the inclement weather".

Witness Don Lewis told the Columbus Dispatch newspaper: "All of a sudden it was just a bomb that went off."

He said he was taking shelter from the storm in a portable toilet when he felt the strike.

"I knew it was close. The electricity ran through me," he said.

Mr Lewis said he heard a bystander make a telephone call to emergency services stating that someone had been struck by lightning.

He then saw a man lying on the ground outside the toilet.

"He was purple and had his shirt ripped off," he added.

Crew owner Anthony Precourt later apologised on Twitter for the postponement, but said fans' safety was "of the utmost importance."

He added that he was praying for the injured firefighter.

The game was rescheduled for 2pm local time on Sunday. The firefighter's identity has not been released.

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Iraqi Troops Strike Back In Tikrit Offensive

Thousands of Iraqi troops backed by tanks, warplanes and helicopter gunships have launched their biggest counteroffensive yet against ISIS militants in Tikrit.

There have been conflicting reports as to just how much headway the Iraqi military has made in its advance on Tikrit - the home town of Saddam Hussein which fell to the insurgents on June 11.

Following two weeks of demoralising defeats, the military has claimed to have regained control of the northern city, but the rebels have insisted they are still in charge.

An Iraqi army soldier moves on Tikrit

A provincial official told the AP news agency that the insurgents retained control of most of the city, and fighting is concentrated in the northern neighbourhood of Qadissiyah.

As the "large military operation" started, Staff Lieutenant General Sabah Fatlawi warned the insurgents they had two choices: "Flee or be killed".

Witnesses reported heavy clashes as troops moved in from the west.

Troops in helicopters landed at a strategically located university campus, with sporadic clashes reported throughout the day.

Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki's security spokesman said warplanes were targeting insurgents there.

Lieutenant General Qassem Atta said security forces were also now in full control of a key road from Baghdad to Samarra, between the capital and Tikrit.

He said there was coordination with the US, which has deployed special operations forces to Iraq, over "studying important targets", without elaborating.

Iraqi forces advance on Tikrit from the direction of Samarra in the south

Also on Sunday, fighters backed by the Kurdish Peshmerga force were advancing on the village of Basheer, south of Kirkuk, which was taken over by militants during their offensive.

Sky's Senior Correspondent Michelle Clifford, who is in Baghdad, said if the recapture of Tikrit is true, "it would not only be a strategic but a symbolically significant victory".

"The government is desperate to portray this as a victory because of the humiliating capitulation by the Iraqi forces in the early days of the insurgency," she added.

Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary William Hague has called on Iraq's political leaders to form a "more inclusive government", as the new parliament prepares to convene on Tuesday.

"It isn't for us and it wouldn't help anybody for us to pronounce on who should be the Prime Minister of Iraq," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr show.

Special operations forces hunting down ISIS militants

"But there has been a failure in recent years to bring together Iraqi leaders and people out of their sectarian divisions.

"No one has succeeded in doing that in Iraq in the last eight years or so."

World leaders have insisted on a political settlement among Iraq's Shia Arab, Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities.

Top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani has also called for unity in Iraq.

Tikrit fell to the insurgents on June 11

Mr al Maliki, who has publicly focused on a military response to the crisis, has acknowledged that political measures are also necessary.

On Saturday, Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said in Damascus: "Russia will not remain passive to the attempts by some groups to spread terrorism in the region.

"The situation is very dangerous in Iraq and the foundations of the Iraqi state are under threat."

Baghdad has agreed to buy more than a dozen Sukhoi warplanes from Russia and Belarus in a deal that could be worth up to $500m (£295m).

Iraqi state TV quoted Lt Gen Atta as saying Sukhoi jets had arrived, without specifying how many.

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Israeli PM Wants Syria-Type Deal Over Iran

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter

Israel's Prime Minister has called on world powers to base a deal with Iran over its nuclear programme on the agreement that saw Syria's chemical weapons removed.

Benjamin Netanyahu told Sky News preventing Iran acquiring a nuclear bomb has taken on greater importance due to the turmoil in Iraq.

His comments precede the resumption of so-called P5+1 talks with Iran in Vienna later this week.

Negotiators from Britain, France, Germany, China, Russia and the US are seeking a deal to reduce the scope of the country's nuclear programme, in return for sanctions relief, by July 20.

Israel's leader said he believed the recent removal of the Syrian regime's chemical weapons stockpile was the minimum model negotiators should accept.

"A good deal is the one that was done in Syria", he said.

Shiite militia group in Najaf, Iraq

"The chemicals and the means to make the weapons were dismantled and removed. What Iran is seeking is to keep the materials and the means to make nuclear weapons, and just allow inspections.

"Keep and inspect, rather than dismantle and remove - that's the bad deal."

Mr Netanyahu also claimed the role played by Shi'ite militias backed by Iran in the growing unrest in Iraq and the conflict in Syria meant preventing the nuclear programme was more important than ever.

"I think we have to be clear that it would cross of line of history that would transcend anything else that we're seeing in the Middle East," he said.

David Cameron says UK is engaging with Iran with 'very clear eye'

"If one of these warring tribes … in this case the militant Shi'ites backed by Iran, get their hands on nuclear weapons, the world will be forever changed."

Last week, David Cameron said the UK was engaging with Iran "with a very clear eye and a very hard heart".

However, diplomatic sources have told Sky News that their Israeli counterparts regularly make clear they believe the West is being "duped" by Iran.

Mr Netanyahu warned negotiators not to be deceived by what appears to be a more responsive and more cooperative approach being taken by the country's new president, Hassan Rouhani, who claims reaching a deal with the P5+1 by July 20 is possible.

"Iran is run by an unforgiving sect - it puts forward front men and smiling people like Rouhani, but it's governed with an iron hand and an iron heart by this man (Ayatollah) Ali Khameini", he added.

Iran's new president Hassan Rouhani

Ahead of the interview, Mr Netanyahu's office said he would not discuss tensions in the West Bank and Gaza following the apparent kidnapping of three young Israelis, which he blames on Hamas.

Hundreds of Palestinians have been arrested and five killed in the West Bank during the search operation, prompting the UK and others to urge Israel show "restraint" and avoid further escalation.

But asked whether recent airstrikes in Gaza were the start of increased military action against Hamas, Netanyahu said Israel was "trying to contain our efforts to the search" - but warned he was prepared  to "increase efforts accordingly" if further rockets were fired at Israel.

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Facebook Study 'Manipulated Users' Emotions'

A study carried out by Facebook and two universities has angered users who have accused the social network of manipulating their emotions.

The US technology firm secretly altered the news feeds of 700,000 users as part of the study, which explored "emotional contagion".

The social network tampered with the algorithm which controls users' feeds in order to find out how the changes affect their moods.

Researchers wanted to see if positive or negative words in messages led to positive or negative content in users' status updates.

The study took place over one week in 2012, and was conducted in conjunction with Cornell University and the University of California.

The findings were published in the June 17 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Facebook said the company "carefully considers" its research

The researchers found that once users had been exposed to positive or negative words in their feeds, their updates changed accordingly.

"Emotional states can be transferred to others via emotional contagion, leading people to experience the same emotions without their awareness," the study authors wrote.

"These results indicate that emotions expressed by others on Facebook influence our own emotions, constituting experimental evidence for massive-scale contagion via social networks."

The findings became known more widely on social media after the online magazine Slate and The Atlantic website wrote about it.

Facebook users have taken to Twitter to express their anger at the study.

"#Facebook MANIPULATED USER FEEDS FOR MASSIVE PSYCH EXPERIMENT... Yeah, time to close FB acct!" one Twitter post read.

Other users referred to the study as "super disturbing", "creepy" and "evil".

Facebook told The Atlantic that they "carefully consider" their research, and have "a strong internal review process".

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