Python Kills Security Guard At Bali Hotel

A security guard has been killed by a python outside a luxury hotel on the resort island of Bali.

Agung Bawa, assistant security manager at the Bali Hyatt hotel in the Sanur area of the Indonesian island said the man had spotted the snake crossing a road

The victim, 59-year-old Ambar Arianto Mulyo, succeeded in catching it and managed to grab hold of the snake's head and tail.

The snake struck near a luxury hotel in the Sanur area

But the python then wrapped itself around his neck, strangling him, before escaping into nearby bushes.

Friends who were with the man were too terrified to come to his aid, according to the head of the police criminal investigations unit Gusti Ngurah Yudistira.

He said: "The victim died on the spot as his neck was crushed and he could not breathe.

"We urge residents and tourists to stay on the alert."

The snake is still on the loose after a police search of the hotel and its grounds failed to track down the reptile.

Mr Mulyo was a security guard at a nearby restaurant. The Bali Hyatt hotel is currently closed for renovations until 2015.

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Spanish Newborn Baby Is Thrown From Window

A Spanish woman who secretly gave birth on Christmas Eve has been arrested for throwing her newborn out of a window.

Incredibly, the baby boy survived the fall but was found suffering from hypothermia. He was not breathing and his heart had stopped beating.

But medics managed to revive the baby who was then taken to hospital in a "serious condition", according to local police.

The 35-year-old mother was taken into custody on suspicion of attempting to kill the baby.

In a statement, police said they found the baby wrapped in a pair of jeans.

"The woman wrapped the baby in a pair of jeans and threw it out of the kitchen window into an interior courtyard," police said.

The woman lived with her parents in eastern Madrid and had kept the birth secret.

She delivered the baby in the early hours of the morning, cutting the umbilical cord herself, and throwing the baby out of the window.

However, shortly afterwards she suffered heavy bleeding and asked her parents to take her to hospital.

"Later, at about 8.30am, the grandmother of the newborn went into the kitchen and, looking out of the window, saw a baby in the patio," police said.

"She ran out to pick it up and alerted emergency services."

Two police officers wrapped the baby in blankets and tried to keep him alive until paramedics arrived to take over.

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Beirut Car Bomb Kills Political Adviser

An explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut has killed at least five people and wounded 50, according to the state news agency.

The suspected car bomb exploded in the city's business district, reportedly damaging 10 buildings, and setting cars ablaze.

A large plume of smoke billowed out of the area shortly after the blast.

Former Lebanese minister Mohammad Chatah, a prominent pro-Western politician, was reportedly among those killed in the explosion.

Civil Defence personnel extinguish car fires at the scene

Mr Chatah was an adviser to former Lebanese anti-Syria prime ministers Saad Hariri and Fuad Siniora.

The economist and former finance minister was killed along with his driver as they headed to Mr Hariri's mansion in the city centre, according to the National News Agency.

He was due to attend a meeting of the March 14 anti-Syria coalition which backs the Syrian opposition struggle to topple the Damascus regime.

Smoke rises from the site of the explosion

Sky's Middle East News Editor Tom Rayner said it was not clear why Mr Chatah was targeted, as he did not currently have a high profile role in Syrian coalition talks. 

"It suggests that this is symbolic - it's an attack on what he represents," he said, speaking from Jerusalem. 

Rayner said Mr Chatah's motorcade likely had a smaller security detail and was therefore seen as an "easy target".

Fire fighting and army personnel inspect the site of the explosion

Ambulances are currently at the scene and troops have been deployed.

No responsibility has yet been claimed for the bombing.

Lebanon has seen a wave of bombings over the last few months amid tensions over the Syrian civil war.

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Bitcoin Setback: New Central Bank Warning

India's biggest Bitcoin trading platform has suspended operations after the country's central bank warned of the risks of using virtual money.

Confirmation that BuySellBitCo.in had closed its platform came just over a week after the currency's value more than halved following a similar warning from China's central bank.

That move, on December 18, prompted China's biggest trading platform to ban Bitcoin deposits in yuan.

BuySellBitCo.in said on its website: "We are suspending buy and sell operations until we can outline a clearer framework with which to work," adding that the move was "to protect the interest of our customers".

Bitcoin, which can be stored either virtually or on a user's hard drive and offers a largely anonymous payment system, had begun gaining popularity in India.

The emergence of Bitcoin and other virtual currencies in India has come despite a traditional preference for assets backed by property and other tangible goods.

"There is no underlying or backing of any asset for virtual currencies and as such their value seems to be a matter of speculation," the central bank said in its December 24 advisory.

The "huge volatility in the value of virtual currencies has been noticed", it added.

The central bank stopped short of issuing a ban or any curbs on Bitcoin or other virtual currencies.

However, because the currencies were not authorised by any central bank or monetary authority there was no established recourse for customers in the case of problems, it said.

The People's Bank of China last week ordered financial institutions not to provide Bitcoin-related services and products and cautioned against its potential use in money-laundering.

At the last rate posted by BuySellBitCo.in, which was conducting about 12 million rupees worth of Bitcoin transactions monthly, one Bitcoin was selling for 48,039 rupees ($776), local media said.

The dollar worth of a Bitcoin rocketed to a $1,200 peak in early December but fell back sharply when China issued its guidance.

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Antarctica: Icebreaker Nearing Trapped Ship

A ship which became trapped in ice while on a scientific mission to Antarctica is about to be reached by a rescue vessel, scientists hope.

Those on board the Academic Shokalskiy have spotted the Chinese icebreaker The Snow Dragon on the horizon.

Some 74 people are on the ship, being used by the Australian Antarctic Expedition to try to follow in the footsteps of explorer Douglas Mawson.

They have been stuck in the same spot since Christmas Eve and are hoping the Chinese vessel will be able to cut through the ice and allow them passage to open waters.

British Professor Chris Turney, who is leading the expedition, said the team had managed to achieve some important research before getting into difficulty.

A number of tourists are also on the ship, which left New Zealand in late November and is now in Antarctica's Commonwealth Bay.

Professor Turney said the ship got into difficulty after satellite data showed their route onward would be safe.

He told Sky News: "Unfortunately, although the satellite data showed the sea ice was open and the weather was quite good, conditions were changing when we got back to the ship.

The MV Academic Shokalskiy is trapped in Commonwealth Bay

"By the end of the day, the wind had picked up and the sea ice was moving around a lot and, in spite of the captain's best efforts, we realised we just couldn't get through.

"On Christmas Eve, he made the call, and issued the alert for help.

"At the moment, very excitingly, we've just seen the Chinese icebreaker Snow Dragon on the horizon.

"It's around nine nautical miles from the vessel. It's not quite here yet but at least we can see it, which is a huge improvement on our prospects."

Professor Turney said the scientists on board the Shokalskiy have been taking readings and measurements so they can be compared with those taken by Mawson and his team in 1913.

Although Mawson, who was knighted later for leading his expedition, never reached the South Pole, he carried out important research and explored previously unknown lands.

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Footballer Needs Face Surgery After Attack

An amateur footballer's face will have to be rebuilt after he was knocked unconscious and beaten during a night out.

Richie Robins is understood to have been set upon by up to half a dozen men as he apparently stepped in to protect a woman.

The 21-year-old, who is first team goalkeeper for non-league Wivenhoe Town FC and a former Colchester United youth team player, was knocked out and fell to the ground at the start of the attack.

Essex Police said the beating continued while the student was lying on the floor unconscious.

Detective Constable Seff Manesh appealed for witnesses to the attack, which happened outside a Subway shop in Queen Street, Colchester, at 3.30am on December 21, to come forward.

He said: "This young man had been out with his friends after returning home from university for the Christmas holiday.

"We are aware of a disturbance involving a large number of young men and are examining CCTV to establish what happened and who was involved.

"This student has sustained some very nasty-looking injuries which will affect him for the foreseeable future.

"We're looking to speak with those bystanders who saw what happened and what started the melee."

A spokesman for Wivenhoe FC, who play in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division, said Mr Robins suffered "severe" injuries including fractures to his eye socket and cheek bones.

He added: "Naturally, everyone at Wivenhoe Town FC sends Richie their best wishes for a speedy recovery and hope that the people responsible for attacking him are quickly brought to justice."

Mo Osman, chairman and manager at Wivenhoe Town, told the Colchester Gazette Mr Robins had gone to the aid of a woman who was being harassed. He said he had not been drinking as he had a match the next day.

After the incident, Mr Robins was taken to Colchester General Hospital by paramedics and was due to see a specialist surgeon this week.

Essex Police said there were about six attackers who were described as black and in their late teens and early 20s.

Officers have arrested a 19-year-old man from Colchester in connection with the incident. He has been released on police bail.

Witnesses have been asked to contact detectives at Colchester police station on 101.

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'Nirvana Day' Announced For Small US Town

A small town is dedicating an official day to Nirvana. Their link to the band? Kurt Cobain once lived there… briefly.

Hoquiam, which neighbours Kurt Cobain's actual hometown, has declared April 10, 2014, 'Nirvana Day' in celebration of the band's ascension into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

The city has a population of less than 10,000 people - and it is four miles down the road from Aberdeen, where Cobain spent much of his childhood and later teens.

The town of Hoquiam in America's Pacific Northwest

Mayor Jack Durney told local radio station KXRO that Nirvana were their "sons" and deserved to be honoured.

"They bring great honour, I think as I say, to our entire community. And I think that it's good Kurt Cobain lived in Hoquiam for a little while," he said.

"I think it's good to honour our sons and their great accomplishments."

Musicians are only eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after their first album.

Nirvana released their debut album Bleach in 1989.

And September saw the 20th anniversary of the band's final solo album In Utero.

Meanwhile, over in Aberdeen, the house Cobain lived in with his mother was put on the market recently. She was hoping to sell it to a super-fan who might turn it into a museum.

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Walsall Christmas Fire: Woman Is Arrested

Police have arrested a woman on suspicion of murder after a man was killed in a house fire on Christmas Day.

The man, 58, died in the blaze in South Street Gardens, Caldmore, Walsall, at around 5.30pm on Wednesday.

He is yet to be formally identified and a post-mortem examination will take place in due course.

Detective Inspector Gary Plant, who is leading the inquiry, said: "We are keen to speak to anyone with information which may help our investigation.

"The man's family are being informed and are being supported by specially trained officers at this difficult time."

The unnamed woman, who is 57 years old, was arrested shortly after the fire. She is being held in custody.

Officers have been patrolling the area surrounding South Street Gardens to offer reassurance to residents following the incident.

Police have launched a murder inquiry and urge anyone with information to contact detectives from the Force Criminal Investigation Department at Bloxwich by dialling 101 or to speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Weather: Ireland And UK Battered By Storms

Thousands of homes could still be without power for the weekend as workers struggle to restore electricity while the country continues to be battered by wind and rain.

Towns and villages across the UK and Ireland are trying to clean up after hurricane-force gales brought down trees and power lines and caused flooding in two storms over the Christmas period.

The Bognor Regis rail route was closed after this landslip at Ockley

The Met Office continues to urge caution with a slew of severe weather warnings today and the rain and windy conditions are expected to last up to the New Year.

Hundreds of flights and train journeys have been cancelled and diverted and more than 20,000 homes are without power in the UK.

Police are warning people to take "extreme caution" when driving in the ferocious conditions, which look set to calm after peaking overnight and into this morning.

Power companies have been condemned for failing to restore supplies quickly enough after the storms left 50,000 homes with no electricity on Christmas Day.

On a visit to one affected area in the southeast of England, Prime Minister David Cameron was confronted by an angry flood victim in Yalding, Kent, where homes were severely damaged earlier this week.

This landslip also blocked the line on the Brighton Main Line near Redhill

Resident Erica Olivares accused her local council of failing to help flood-affected homeowners.

She told Sky News: "We had no help, especially over Christmas Day. We were totally abandoned, no hot food, no hot drink, nothing, we were up to our waists in floodwater literally the whole of Christmas Day."

Mr Cameron said: "We need to learn the lessons, we are seeing these events take place more event.

"The Government is spending more on flood defences over the next four years than over the last four years.

"There's a lot of flood defences being built, something like 80,000 houses were protected this time but we've got to do more."

The Energy Networks Association (ENA) warned it could be some time until power is restored after last night's storm battered Ireland and the west of the UK, with a top recorded wind speed of 109mph in Aberdaron, West Wales, significantly hampering repair work.

David Cameron is confronted by Erica Olivares

ENA spokesman Tony Glover said: "The problem was that not only did we have a storm followed by torrential rain, but huge amounts of flooding afterwards.

"That impacted on our ability to get to the affected areas, and to get materials that we need.

"It meant that we were not able to get cherry pickers to replace and repair damaged infrastructure. We simply cannot put a cherry picker in the middle of a lake.

"We know that it is very tough and that it has been horrendous for people - I am not going to downplay it - but we are doing our best and working around the clock to help everyone who has been affected."

More than 20,000 people across the UK are without power including 3,000 homes in Kent, Surrey and Sussex which have not had electricity restored since Christmas Day, according to ENA.

A man removes items from his home after flooding in Tonbridge

In addition, according to ESB Networks, in Ireland, some 15,000 homes and businesses are without power with engineers dealing with hundreds of individual faults.

On the roads, the Highways Agency closed the Humber Bridge to high-sided vehicles due to the winds and a lorry was reported to have overturned near Immingham docks, north of Grimsby.

The worst of the winds hit Ireland, Wales, the North and western Scotland, while rain fell on already soaked ground in the South East bringing more flooding misery.

Southeastern trains restored services later in the day but said they could still be cancelled or delayed at short notice, while Virgin, East Coast and Southern trains also warned of travel disruption.

A man paddles his canoe past a flooded property in Yalding

There were no trains between London's Victoria station and Gatwick Airport following a landslip near Ockley in Surrey.

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Police and fire services across both the UK and Ireland have reported road closures because of uprooted trees.

A downed tree in Toys Hill, Kent

The Environment Agency (EA) is warning of more "significant disruption" across southern England.

But a spokesperson for the agency said overnight rainfall was less than expected, with around 10mm falling in the south east.

The spokesperson added: "The levels are still peaking for rivers with bigger catchment areas, such as the Stour through Canterbury and Ashford and the River Medway, which runs through Maidstone."

Around 1,200 properties have been flooded so far, according to the EA, with 39 flood warnings and 101 flood alerts in place.

The highest ever water levels were recorded downstream of the Leigh Barrier, a large storage reservoir which protects Tonbridge in Kent from flooding.

Met Eireann imposed red alert warnings in the south and eastern parts of Ireland, with Wexford, Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Waterford experiencing the worst of the stormy weather.

Waves smash against a flood wall in County Donegal. Pic: Mitchell family

AA Roadwatch described driving conditions on Ireland's country roads as "treacherous" - and advised motorists to drive with extreme care.

An elderly couple were treated in hospital after an electricity pole fell on top of their Mayobridge home during the overnight storms, causing a fire which caused widespread damage.

The pair were in their home with their son when the pole hit the roof of the property.

Two other pensioners were also treated after the incident caused smoke and water damage to their home.

Network Rail advises that routes need to be checked and tracks will need to be cleared of any fallen trees and any damage will need repaired before train services can start.

Robin Gisby, managing director of network operations at Network Rail, said earlier: "Passengers have had a tough week of travelling and unfortunately that is likely to continue for at least another day.

"Thousands of railway workers have worked tirelessly over the holiday period to try and repair the significant damage caused by Monday's storm and will be called on again over the next 24 hours.

"As ever, safety comes first, as we ensure routes are safe for passenger services leading to a delayed start-up in some regions."

ESB Networks engineers attempt to repair downed power lines in Ireland

Sky News Weather Presenter Isobel Lang said: "If you're travelling today, there will be really squally, buffeting winds everywhere, trans-Pennine routes especially, it will be really bad today."

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Greenpeace Activists Arrive Home From Russia

Five Britons detained in Russia as part of the so-called "Arctic 30" have arrived home in the UK.

The five were arrested amid claims of hooliganism following a protest about oil drilling, and held in jail for two months.

They have since been granted amnesty under a new Russian law.

Greenpeace member Anthony Perrett, 32, of Newport, South Wales, arrived in London with fellow activists Alex Harris and Phil Ball, crew member Iain Rogers and freelance videographer Kieron Bryan.

They left St Petersburg earlier today and arrived in Paris this afternoon before travelling to London's St Pancras station on Eurostar to be met by their families.

Ms Harris said being imprisoned had been "terrifying" but that she took comfort from knowing she was one of 29 other people in the same situation.

And she told Sky News she would not give up on the Arctic: "I've gone through a lot for this campaign, I'm not going to stop now."

The activists were onboard the Arctic Sunrise

Mr Perrett told reporters: "It has been a strange few months, but it is over now and it is good to be back. We're
very relieved to be home, it's good to be back and speaking English, which has been sorely missed."

Asked whether it had been worth it, he said: "Well, look at the media that's here today. We're trying to spread the word to save the Arctic and I think we have done that job fairly well."

A sixth Briton, activist Frank Hewetson, has also been released and is travelling to another country.

The Arctic 30 - 28 activists and two freelance journalists - were arrested after Russian authorities boarded their ship, the Arctic Sunrise, during an anti-drilling demonstration in September.

The group were detained for protesting against an Arctic offshore oil rig owned by the Russian company Gazprom.

They were initially charged with piracy, but the charge was later changed to hooliganism.

They had their passports returned to them after being freed on bail by courts in St Petersburg, but initially did not have visas to leave Russia.

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