Arnold Schwarzenegger museum opens in Austrian hometown

Bethany Bell takes a look around the new museum in Arnold Schwarzenegger's childhood home

Arnold Schwarzenegger's childhood home in Austria has opened as a museum.

It came as the former Mr Universe, who went on to be a Hollywood star and governor of California, turned 64.
On display at the museum are his childhood bed, a motorbike from one of the Terminator films, some of his first dumb-bells, and a copy of the desk he used as governor of California.

 

The family lived in the first floor flat with no electricity or running water

Mr Schwarzenegger left the village of Thal, near the city of Graz, in 1966, but has given the project his blessing.
A plaque by the door reads "Arnold Schwarzenegger's Birth House Museum," although one of the locals later told me he was born in a nearby hospital.
He lived with his family in the modest first floor flat from his birth in 1947 until 1966 when he left to pursue his dreams of winning the Mr Universe competition.
Pit toilet It was a humble beginning. The flat had no electricity and no running water.
The museum shows the house's original pit toilet, and a 1950s kitchen, with a washstand and jugs for collecting water.
In one of the rooms, the star's childhood bed is on display. "This is where he first started to dream of success," the curator, Peter Urdl told me.
It was while he was living in Thal, that he first started pumping iron.

 

Schwarzenegger found early success as a bodybuilder

As well as trophies and photographs from his early days of bodybuilding, the museum also has some of his first dumb-bells.
And it has his original home work-out machine, a pulley with weights attached which hung in a door frame inside the flat.
The museum charts his obsessive training routine and describes how his success at bodybuilding led him eventually to Hollywood.
And it has a collection of Schwarzenegger movie memorabilia, including a Harley Davidson motorbike from one of the Terminator films and a sword from Conan the Barbarian.

Visitors to the museum can pose next to a life-size model of Arnie as the Terminator.

Controversy The museum also has a section dedicated to his time as governor of California, including a facsimile of his desk.
Although he lives half a world away, Schwarzenegger's exploits are closely followed in Austria.
A number of his policies as governor were controversial here, including his support for the death penalty.
His name was taken off a stadium in the neighbouring town of Graz in 2005, when he rejected pleas to spare the life of a California gang leader.

 

 

The museum bills itself as the world's only Schwarzenegger museum

But while Austrians are not always comfortable with his politics, many of them are nonetheless fascinated.
"He was a little farm boy and his career was so exciting and so special and I think the Austrian people are really proud," Helga Forstner, the museum co-ordinator told me.
"He always comes to visit Thal when he is in Austria," she said. "He came here on 21 June and he was really excited about the exhibits."
Thal continued to play a role in his life, years after he left home. One photograph shows the rowing boat in which he proposed to his now estranged wife, Maria Shriver, on a nearby lake.
But the exhibition does not touch on her recent filing for divorce. Mr Schwarzenegger recently admitted fathering a child with the couple's long-time housekeeper.

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Italian committee approves face veil ban bill

An Italian parliamentary committee has passed a draft law which will ban women from wearing veils which cover their faces in public.

The bill, which has the backing of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's central-right coalition, would prohibit the wearing of a burka, niqab or any headwear which covers the face.
The bill will go to a parliamentary vote after the summer recess.
Belgium and France have already banned the full-face veil in public.
'Annihilates dignity' If passed, those who defied the ban would face a fine of 150-300 euros ($213-426; £130-260) and some kind of community service, according to Ansa news agency.
For those who forced someone else to wear the covering, the penalty would be 30,000 euros and up to 12 months in jail, Ansa reports.
Lawmaker Barbara Saltamartini, from Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom party, said she welcomed the move.
"Final approval will put an end to the suffering of many women who are often forced to wear the burka or niqab, which annihilates their dignity and gets in the way of integration," Ms Saltamartini said in a statement.

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Norway attacks: Breivik makes 'unrealistic' demands

The man who has confessed to killing 77 people in Norway has made a list of "unrealistic" demands, his lawyer says.

Anders Behring Breivik wanted the government to resign and Japanese specialists to assess his mental health, Geir Lippestad told reporters.
The far-right extremist admits killing eight people with a bomb in Oslo and shooting dead 69 on Utoeya island.
Meanwhile, the leader of the right-wing Progress Party has warned that Norway still faces a serious Islamist threat.
"All the debates that we had prior to 22 July will come back. All the challenges that Norway was facing and the challenges that the world was facing are still there. Al-Qaeda is still there," Siv Jensen told the AFP news agency.
"The new thing is that we have been in a horrible way reminded of the fact that terrorism can come in many different forms, with different rhetoric behind it, with different crazy ideas behind it."
Ms Jensen also said in another interview that the anti-Muslim views of Mr Breivik, who was a member of the Progress Party between 1999 and 2006, were "perversely unique" and that it was not aware of his plans.
"It was impossible for us to foresee at the time. He obviously changed in recent years without anyone knowing," she told the Associated Press.
Mr Breivik blames the governing Labour Party for increased immigration in Norway. Its youth wing was on Utoeya for a summer camp when the attack took place, while the bomb was set-off near government buildings.
'Impossible' Mr Lippestad said Mr Breivik's list of demands was "far from the real world" and "completely impossible to fulfil" and showed "he doesn't know how society works".

 

 

The 22 July attacks have traumatised Norway

"His demands here includes the complete overthrowing of both the Norwegian and European societies," he told the Associated Press. "But it shows that he doesn't understand the situation he's in."
The 32-year-old had linked his demands to his willingness to share information about other alleged terrorist cells, Mr Lippestad said.
Norwegian police have previously cast doubt on Mr Breivik's claims that he was part of a broader network but said they would investigate them.
A court has appointed two psychiatrists to try to examine Mr Breivik's actions, with a mandate to report back by 1 November.
Mr Lippestad said Mr Breivik had asked that he also be examined by Japanese mental health specialists as he believes "the Japanese understand the idea and values of honour" and would understand him better than Europeans.
The lawyer has previously said his client is probably insane.
Mr Lippestad added that a second list from his client requested items like cigarettes and civilian clothes.
Terrorism charges Mr Breivik has been charged under the criminal law for acts of terrorism. The charges include the destabilisation of vital functions of society, including government, and causing serious fear in the population.
At a court appearance on 25 July, Mr Breivik admitted carrying out the attacks but did not plead guilty to the charges. He was remanded in custody for eight weeks, with the first four to be in solitary confinement.
The attacks on 22 July traumatised Norway, one of the most politically stable and tolerant countries in Europe.
The government plans to set up an independent "July 22 Commission" to examine the attacks, including investigating whether police reacted too slowly to the shootings at Utoeya.

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Four Ethiopian UN peacekeeping troops have been killed by a landmine in Sudan's disputed region of Abyei.

A UN spokesman said seven other peacekeepers were injured by the blast in Mabok, south-east of Abyei town, which was occupied by northern forces.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was "saddened" by the deaths, he added.
The deaths come less than a week after the 4,200-strong Ethiopian peacekeeping force arrived in Abyei, claimed by the governments of Sudan and South Sudan.
UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said Mr Ban had expressed his condolences to the Ethiopian government, and the family and friends of those killed.
The injured have been airlifted to Kadugli, in the Sudanese state of South Kordofan.
The village where the landmine exploded had been occupied by troops loyal to the government in Khartoum, which has signed the Ottawa Treaty banning the use of anti-personnel mines.
Buffer zone Northern forces had occupied Abyei in May, raising fears of a renewal of Sudan's 21-year, north-south conflict.
After the offensive, more than 100,000 people fled the territory, mainly to South Sudan, which gained independence on 9 July.

But in June, both north and south agreed to withdraw their troops from Abyei, leaving a 20km (12-mile) buffer zone along the border.
A week later, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to send a 4,200-strong Ethiopian peacekeeping force to Abyei to monitor the withdrawal, as well as human rights.
The resolution established a new UN peacekeeping force, the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (Unisfa).
It also ordered Unisfa to protect civilians and to "protect the Abyei area from incursions by unauthorised elements".
Sudan's permanent representative to the UN, Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman, said northern forces would withdraw as soon as the Ethiopian troops had been deployed.

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Armed forces cuts prompt defence committee concerns

Cuts to the UK's armed forces may leave them unable to fulfil required tasks after 2015, a report by MPs has warned.

The Commons defence committee rejected the prime minister's assurance of a "full spectrum" defence capability.
The committee warned that without firm commitments to improved funding in the very near future, politicians risked "failing" the country's military.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox said the idea that the military was not being funded for its role was "not true".
'Wish list' Last year's strategic defence and security review (SDSR) outlined the future shape and size of the UK's armed forces.
It said Army numbers were to be reduced by 7,000, and the Royal Navy and RAF by 5,000 each.
And it saw the cancellation of equipment including Nimrod MRA4 reconnaissance planes and the early withdrawal of HMS Ark Royal and Harrier jump-jets.
The committee said the National Security Strategy, also unveiled last autumn, was in danger of becoming no more than a "wish list" unless the necessary money was committed to deliver the future armed forces envisaged for 2020 and beyond.
Last month it was announced that spending on equipment would increase by 1% above inflation each year after 2015, to pave the way for the so-called Future Force 2020.
However, the committee said it was "not convinced that, given the current financial climate and the drawdown of capabilities arising from the SDSR, UK armed forces will be able do what is asked of them after 2015".

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Defence Secretary Liam Fox says the government plans to ''reshape and rebalance'' the armed forces

It noted "mounting concern" that the military was falling below the minimum capacity needed to fulfil current commitments, let alone tasks it may face between 2015 and 2020, when ministers acknowledge there will be "capability gaps".
And it said plans to increase funding after 2015 were merely "government aspiration, not government policy".
The committee urged the government to outline its plans to manage the gap left by the loss of certain capabilities, and lay out detailed plans for their regeneration.
Committee chairman James Arbuthnot said: "If the ambition of a real-term funding increase is not realised, we will have failed our armed forces."
He warned that failure to maintain spending on the armed forces put the UK's influence in the world at risk.
"The government appears to believe that the UK can maintain its influence while reducing spending in defence and at the Foreign Office," said Mr Arbuthnot.

He said MPs on the committee "do not agree" with this.

'Real budgets' But Mr Fox rejected the accusation that the UK risked failing its military.
The defence secretary said: "We have set out real plans with real budgets, quite different from the previous government, and that will enable us to continue to invest in the defence capabilities we require in the years ahead.
"When we have asked the military to do more, for example in Libya, excess funding is available and we are able to take that from the Treasury Reserve.
"That does not come from the core MoD budget. And so the idea that we are asking the military to do things without funding simply isn't true."
However, shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said the report was "damning".
"The rushed defence review has been much criticised, but now those who were disappointed will be dismayed and the anxious will be angry," he said.
"The capability gaps and budgetary black hole left by the rushed defence review have limited Britain's reach in the world."
'Rightly assessed' The UK's most senior military officer, Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir David Richards, said "some tough decisions" had to be taken and the UK "will remain a formidable fighting force on the world stage".

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General Sir Nick Houghton said it was ''necessary to cut one's cloth...so that we do not overstretch ourselves''

"We are continually working with our international allies to share operational requirements," he said, which are "measures we rightly assessed in the SDSR could be relied upon to mitigate capability gaps".
General Sir Nick Houghton, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, said the report was "quite well balanced and quite constructive," adding that he did not feel there had been "scathing criticisms".
He said there had simply been "quite a lot of serious constructive counsel" in the report.
And, when asked about concerns that the UK's stature would diminish as a result of the cuts, he said: "We will remain the fourth biggest defence spending country."
In May, senior military figures voiced fears of the impact the SDSR would have on the UK's standing.
The heads of the Army, Royal Navy and RAF told the Commons defence committee that the UK could no longer aspire to the "full spectrum" of military capabilities in its wake.

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Oxygen finally spotted in space

"Hidden" oxygen may be released from dust grains and ice in star-forming regions

One of astronomy's longest-running "missing persons" investigations has concluded: astronomers have found molecular oxygen in space.

While single atoms of oxygen have been found alone or incorporated into other molecules, the oxygen molecule - the one we breathe - had never been seen.
The Herschel space telescope spotted the molecules in a star-forming region in the constellation of Orion.
The find will be published in the Astrophysical Journal.
Oxygen is the third most abundant element in the cosmos, after hydrogen and helium. Its molecular form, with two atoms joined by a double bond, makes life on Earth possible - but this form had never definitively been seen in space.
A 2007 effort from the Swedish Odin telescope, published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, claimed a discovery of oxygen in a nearby star-forming region, but the discovery could not be independently confirmed.
One possible location for the missing oxygen is locked onto dust grains and incorporated into water ice.
The team chose a star-forming region in the constellation Orion, believing that oxygen would be "baked off" from the ice and dust in a warmer, more turbulent part of space.
Instruments on the Herschel telescope, sensitive to infrared light, picked up small signatures of the elusive molecular oxygen.
"This explains where some of the oxygen might be hiding," said Paul Goldsmith, principal investigator on the Herschel Oxygen Project.
"But we didn't find large amounts of it, and still don't understand what is so special about the spots where we find it. The Universe still holds many secrets."

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Data of Sun website users stolen

Thousands of people who entered competitions on The Sun website have been warned that their personal information may have been stolen.

The paper's publisher, News Group, said the data was taken when the site was hacked on 19 July.
Some of the details, including applications for the Miss Scotland contest, have been posted online.
The company said it had reported the matter to the police and the Information Commissioner.
News International, News Group's parent company, issued a statement that said: "We take customer data extremely seriously and are working with the relevant authorities to resolve this matter.
"We are directly contacting any customer affected by this."
Miss Scotland The stolen information is believed to include names, addresses, dates of birth, email addresses and phone numbers.
No financial or password data was compromised, the company said.
A sampling of the stolen details was posted on the document sharing site Pastebin.
The file contained the names and mobile numbers of 14 applicants to the 2010 Miss Scotland contest.
It also included lengthy biographies written by the women, outlining why they should be selected.
One entrant, who did not want to be named, told BBC News: "I'm not happy at all. I'm kind of worried - because that's everything about me.
"[This data] should have been locked up, this was last year's, so they didn't need to keep my details."
Lulz connection The original hack on The Sun's website resulted in anyone trying to access it being redirected to a bogus news story about Rupert Murdoch's death.
Hacktivist group Lulz Security (LulzSec) claimed responsibility for the attack. At the time, it was thought to be limited to vandalism.
LulzSec has not offered any comment on the latest developments and its Twitter account has been silent since 28 July when its alleged spokesman was arrested.
However, another Twitter user called Batteye appeared to be the source of the information on the data breach.
In one message, they wrote: "I'm not really with anonymous... but then again I sort of am, aren't I?", referring to the LulzSec affiliated group Anonymous.

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Legal change for personal CD ripping

Soon it will no longer be illegal to rip CDs or DVDs for personal use.

The government is poised to announce the change as it accepts some of the recommendations of the wide-ranging Hargreaves Review of UK copyright law.
The review was intended to identify legislation that has been outdated by technological change.
As well as legalising "format shifting", it also suggested relaxing rules on parody and creating an agency to licence copyrighted content.
Business secretary Vince Cable is set to announce the official response to the Hargreaves Review at a press conference.
The government is widely expected to accept and pledge to implement many parts of the review.
'Not very good law' Millions of people regularly convert movies on DVDs and music on CDs into a format that they can move around more easily, although most do not realise that it technically illegal.
"The review pointed out that if you have a situation where 90% of your population is doing something, then it's not really a very good law," said Simon Levine, head of the intellectual property and technology group at DLA Piper.

Legalising non-commercial copying for private use would bring the UK into line with many other nations and also meet the "reasonable expectations" of consumers, said the government.

The change would not make it legal to make copies and then share them online.
The legal anomaly preventing personal "ripping" was one of many identified by Professor Ian Hargreaves in the review as stifling innovation.
One technology caught out by the law was the Brennan JB7 music player that lets owners copy their CDs onto a hard drive that can be accessed from around a home.
The Advertising Standards Authority demanded that Brennan advise customers that using the JB7 breaks the law.
Copycat Some legal experts believe that the acceptance of format shifting, combined with relaxations on manipulating works for the purpose of parody, paved the way for creative people to use content in different ways.
Susan Hall, a media specialist at law firm Cobbetts LLP, said the changes would give many artists "room to breathe" and remove the nervousness they might feel when using another work as inspiration.
One example that would be tolerated under the new regime is the Welsh rap song Newport State of Mind which was based on Jay Z and Alicia Keys's song Empire State of Mind.

 

Many Britons rip CDs and DVDs to make them easier to watch and listen to

Despite winning many fans on YouTube, the track was removed following a copyright claim by EMI. It is still available on other websites.
"There are all sorts of things that are genuine artistic works which are nevertheless based on parody, caricature and pastiche," said Ms Hall.
Updated laws on copyright could have a profound effect on the popular culture that can be created, albeit one that was hard to measure, she added.
One example is that of Doctor Who writers Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat who began their careers writing fan fiction about the time lord.
Such creative synergies could become more common in a more tolerant copyright climate, suggested Ms Hall.
"Rights holders are often very nervous about things like this but when you come down to it, it's the people that buy everything who also go to the trouble of writing and creating more," she said.

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Plastic heart gives dad Matthew Green new lease of life

A 40-year-old father who was dying from heart failure is set to leave hospital after receiving an artificial heart.

Matthew Green is ready to go home and await a transplant after surgeons at Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire replaced his heart with an implant.
His new plastic heart is powered by a portable driver in a backpack, which he said had "revolutionised" his life.
It is thought to be the first time a UK patient has been able to go home with an entirely artificial heart.
Around 900 similar operations have been carried out around the world.
Mr Green said: "It's going to revolutionise my life. Before I couldn't walk anywhere. I could hardly climb a flight of stairs and now I've been up and I've been walking out and getting back to a normal life.
"I went out for a pub lunch over the weekend and that just felt fantastic, to be with normal people again."
Consultant cardiothoracic surgeon Mr Steven Tsui said without the device Mr Green, from London, might not have survived the wait for a heart transplant operation.
"At any point in time there may be as many as 30 people waiting for a heart transplant on our waiting list at Papworth, with one third waiting over a year," he said.
'Excellent recovery'

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The BBC's David Shukman explains how the artificial heart works

"Matthew's condition was deteriorating rapidly and we discussed with him the possibility of receiving this device, because without it, he may not have survived the wait until a suitable donor heart could be found for him."
He said for the first time a patient was walking the streets of Britain without a human heart.
Mr Green, who is married and has a son, had been suffering from Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a heart muscle disease that results in arrhythmia, heart failure and occasionally sudden death.
His health had declined over recent years, meaning the only option available to him was a heart transplant.
Earlier, he thanked the Papworth staff for making "it possible for me to return home to my family".
"Two years ago I was cycling nine miles to work and nine miles back every day, but by the time I was admitted to hospital I was struggling to walk even a few yards," he said.
"I am really excited about going home and just being able to do the everyday things that I haven't been able to do for such a long time, such as playing in the garden with my son and cooking a meal for my family."
The SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart Mr Green received is used as a bridge-to-transplant for patients dying from end-stage biventricular heart failure, where both sides of the heart are failing.
The device works in the same way as a heart transplant in that it replaces both failing ventricles and the heart valves they contain, thus relieving the symptoms and effects of severe heart failure. However, it is not suitable for long-term use.
Mr Tsui, director of the transplant service at Papworth, said the operation on 9 June "went extremely well".
"Matthew has made an excellent recovery," he said.
"I expect him to go home very soon, being able to do a lot more than before the operation - with a vastly improved quality of life - until we can find a suitable donor heart for him to have a heart transplant."
Mr Green will leave Papworth with a backpack containing a 13.5lb (6kg) portable driver to power his new heart.
Papworth Hospital carries out 2,000 major heart operations a year - more than any other hospital in the UK. Its first heart transplant, in 1979, was a UK first and the hospital has been using mechanical devices to support patients with end-stage heart failure since the 1980s.
The Total Artificial Heart is a modern version of the Jarvik-7 artificial heart of the 1980s. In November, 1986, a patient received a Jarvik heart and was supported for two days before receiving a transplant.
It is understood that other patients with mechanical hearts have been sent home before, but never with both ventricles replaced.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: "The NHS has a long and proud track record of innovation that has driven major improvements in patient care in the past.
"The success of this procedure at Papworth Hospital is an excellent example of how the NHS can continue to provide the best treatment and outcomes for its patients in the future."
Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said that for some patients, with severe heart failure, transplantation is their only hope of long-term survival, but donor hearts are not always available.
He added: "Patients with mechanical hearts must remain permanently linked to a power supply via tubes that pass through the skin, which is a potential source of infection.
"With this artificial heart, the power supply is small enough to fit in a shoulder bag so patients can walk around and go home."

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Kings of Leon cancel US tour amid 'problems'

Caleb Followill (centre) said he could not sing because of exhaustion and heat

Kings of Leon have cancelled their US tour amid reports of problems within the band.

The cancellation comes three days after frontman Caleb Followill left the stage during a show in Dallas, Texas.
He said he was no longer able to sing because of "heat exhaustion and dehydration".
But his brother, bassist Jared Followill, said in a tweet that the band has "internal sicknesses & problems" that go beyond dehydration.
"I can't lie," he wrote. "There are problems in our band bigger than not drinking enough Gatorade."
Drummer Nathan Followill added in a separate Twitter message: "Not so good morning 4 me today. Ashamed & embarrassed by last night's fiasco."
The cancellation of the US tour was announced in a statement by the Nashville-based band on Monday.
It said the band members were "devastated, but in order to give their fans the shows they deserve, they need to take this break".
The band are to return to the road in Vancouver, Canada, on 28 September. The cancelled shows will not be rescheduled.
"Thanks to all our true fans for understanding and helping us through this hard time," Caleb Followill said on Twitter.
Kings of Leon, who are all family members and originally from Tennessee, have had huge global success with their singles including Use Somebody and Sex on Fire.
They have released five studio albums, the fourth of which - Only by the Night - was platinum selling.
The band won two Brit awards in 2009 as well as two Grammys in the same year plus another Grammy in 2008.

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Gaddafi forces launch counter-assault near Zlitan

Forces loyal to Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi have launched a counter-offensive against rebels near the key western town of Zlitan.

At least seven rebels were killed after pro-Gaddafi forces attacked their positions on the outskirts of the city, east of Tripoli.
Meanwhile, Col Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, vowed that fighting would continue until Libya was "liberated".
Rebels have been fighting government forces with Nato's support since March.
Over recent weeks, they have been slowly advancing on Zlitan from the port city of Misrata, 70km (45 miles) east. From Zlitan, they hope to advance to the capital, Tripoli.
'Vicious fight' A rebel spokesman told AFP news agency the rebels had advanced inside Zlitan to control the city centre, before coming under attack from troops loyal to Col Gaddafi.
"Now there is a vicious fight with Gaddafi's forces," Col Ahmed Omar Bani, who is based in Benghazi, told AFP news agency.
He said "many" troops loyal to Col Gaddafi had been killed or captured, as well as rebels.
Hospital sources told Reuters news agency that seven rebels were killed and 45 wounded in fighting on Tuesday morning.

 

Saif al-Islam said fighting would continue even if Nato forces pulled out

 

It is unclear who currently has control of the city after hours of battles on Tuesday.
Col Bani also said that his side's forces had arrested dozens of miiltiamen allied to Col Gaddafi in the rebels' base of Benghazi in eastern Libya.
Officials also said they had also discovered files containing sensitive information about members of the rebel leadership, including a "hit-list" of 60 names on it.
On Monday, a Libyan TV broadcast showed Saif al-Islam, Col Gaddafi's son, speaking defiantly to families displaced from the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi.
"No-one should think that after all the sacrifices we have made, and the martyrdom of our sons, brothers and friends, we will stop fighting. Forget it," Saif al-Islam said.
"Regardless of whether Nato leaves or not, the fighting will continue until all of Libya is liberated," he added.
Saif al-Islam, the most high-profile of the Libyan leader's sons, has not been seen speaking in public for several weeks.
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began on Monday, but fighting has continued despite fasting.
"Fasting has only increased our determination and resolve to defeat the brigades of the tyrant (Col Gaddafi) to liberate Zlitan entirely, God willing, and make our way to our capital Tripoli," frontline rebel commander Husam Hussein told AFP news agency.

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Syria forces in Hama push as crackdown continues

Unverified amateur footage purportedly shows newly-dug graves in Syria

Syrian security forces have continued their siege of the central city of Hama as they maintain an offensive in which scores of people have died.

Residents told the BBC that many people were fleeing to nearby villages, fearing a full-scale assault.
The government does not control Hama, and its attack on the city is part of a nationwide crackdown on dissent that began on Sunday.
The UN Security Council has resumed discussions on the crisis.
International pressure has been mounting on the Syrian government to call off its offensive against Hama.
However, diplomats say a strong resolution is unlikely, and on Tuesday, the UN Security Council was unable to agree to a text condemning the violence.

They say Nato turned a UN mandate to protect Libyan civilians into a pretext for regime change, and fear the same could happen with any resolution on Syria.
But the mood has shifted since the "Ramadan Massacre" in Hama at the weekend. "It's less tense around the table" said one ambassador, "we're all speaking the same language."
Only to a degree though. The apparent convergence in views has yet to translate into a common resolution or statement.

Human rights groups say some 140 people have been killed by the authorities since Sunday, most of them in Hama. More than 1,600 civilians are believed to have been killed since protests began in March.

President Assad has promised reforms but says citizens and security forces are being attacked by "armed gangs" backed by unspecified foreign powers.
International journalists have been denied access to Syria and it is not possible to verify accounts by witnesses and activists.
'Guns and knives' After renewing their assault on Hama on Tuesday, Syrian tanks and troops held their positions around the city. Residents said three more people were killed by tank and sniper fire.
Residents told Reuters news agency that the violence resumed after nightly Ramadan prayers on Tuesday, with tanks shelling the eastern Rubaii and al-Hamidiya neighbourhoods, the Aleppo road in the north and the eastern Baath district.
Witnesses and activists told Reuters that tens of people had also been injured after troops opened fire in western Damascus, in the north-eastern city of Hasaka, and in the coastal city of Latakia.
Mobile phone footage purporting to show tanks firing in Hama on Monday was posted on social media websites.
But Syrian state television has been showing its own footage, apparently also shot on mobile phones, saying it was taken in Hama on Sunday.
It showed some anti-government protesters carrying shotguns, sticks, and knives, and one man wearing an ammunition vest and carrying an AK-47 rifle.

Significance of Hama

Hama - a bastion of defiance - occupies a significant place in the history of modern Syria. In 1982, then-President Hafez al-Assad, father of Bashar, sent in troops to quell an uprising by the Sunni opposition Muslim Brotherhood. Tens of thousands were killed and the town flattened.
The city, with a population of 800,000, has seen some of the biggest protests and worst violence in Syria's 2011 protests. It was slow to join in, but has now become one of the main focuses of the revolt.

Later, it reported that a group of "saboteurs" had stormed the main courthouse in Hama and set fire to much of the building.

But Mr Hamawi told AP that a shell fired from a government tank had caused the fire.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 24 people were killed across Syria on Monday, including 10 in Hama.
The current crackdown appears aimed at preventing protests from growing during Ramadan, when Muslims visit mosques for prayers after breaking their dawn-to-dusk fast.
The government fears the gatherings could then turn into large protests, observers say.
'Totally unacceptable' The UN Security Council is due to resume the debate on Wednesday.
Council members including Russia, China, India and Brazil have been opposed to a draft resolution circulated by European members that would condemn Damascus.
But the latest violence has led to wider acceptance that the council must act.
At a closed-door meeting on Monday, a UN official told delegates that on top of those killed on Sunday, 3,000 people had gone missing and 12,000 been taken prisoner since the protests erupted, diplomats said.
As the council met again on Tuesday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the Syrian president.

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David Hicks memoir: Australian court freezes proceeds

An Australian court has frozen proceeds from a memoir written by former Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks.

The case is being brought by the Australian government under a law banning profits from crime.
Hicks's legal team says the law does not apply because his conviction by a US military commission at Guantanamo Bay was invalid.
Hicks spent five years at the facility before pleading guilty to providing material support for terrorism.
His book Guantanamo, My Journey, tells the story of his incarceration at the controversial detention centre in Cuba.
The Australian government wants to retrieve any profits that Hicks has made from the book, claiming he has benefited financially from a crime.
The memoir has sold about 30,000 copies.
It is not known how large an advance Mr Hicks received from the publisher, but estimates on royalty income so far hover at about A$100,000 ($107,000, £65,900).
At Wednesday's hearing New South Wales Supreme Court Justice Peter Garling froze a trust fund containing proceeds from the book.
A lawyer for the director of public prosecutions, who brought the case, requested an adjournment until 16 August so that the parties could continue "advanced" discussions on how the matter could be resolved.
Hicks' legal team were expected to argue that his conviction should not be recognised by Australian courts, the BBC's Nick Bryant reports from Sydney.
His father, Terry, has said that his 35-year-old son is being persecuted by the government.
Australia's Green Party has called the prosecution a political show trial designed to deter authors from publishing politically sensitive material.
Critics of the former detainee believe he has never adequately explained why he trained with Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, where he was captured in 2001.

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Trial of Egypt's ex-leader Hosni Mubarak trial to open

The trial of Egypt's ex-President Hosni Mubarak, who was forced from office by mass demonstrations in February, is due to start in the capital, Cairo.

He is charged with corruption and ordering the killing of protesters - a charge that carries the death penalty.
His sons Alaa and Gamal, ex-Interior Minister Habib al-Adly and six former other officials will also be in court.
Some 3,000 soldiers and police have been drafted in to maintain order at Cairo's police academy for the trial.
It was originally going to be held in a Cairo convention centre but the authorities moved the venue to a temporary courtroom set up inside the academy because of security concerns.
A cage for the defendants has been built and an estimated 600 people are expected to watch the proceedings.
Scepticism Mr Mubarak, 83, has been under arrest at a hospital in the coastal resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh since April.
He is to be flown to the police academy just before the session. Early on Wednesday, Egyptian TV reported that a plane that would transfer Mr Mubarak had landed in Sharm el-Sheikh.
The former Egyptian leader resigned on 11 February, after 18 days of protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square, in which some 850 people were killed.

 

A cage has been built for the defendants in the courtroom

Mr Mubarak's lawyer insists the former president is seriously ill.
The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says many Egyptians are sceptical about this and believe the military do not want to see the former president humiliated.
It is a very tense moment for Egypt, and if Mr Mubarak does not appear in court there could be serious confrontations on the streets, our correspondent adds.
"I don't think anyone has any illusions at the moment that the trial would actually be a real, fair trial," protester Nariman Yousseff told the BBC.
"We're all waiting to see what's going to happen, how they're going to get out of it, because it's been pretty clear and it's become even clearer in the last few days that... the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, who are in charge at the moment, do not really have any intention of fulfilling the revolution's demands."
Over the last month there have been renewed sit-in protests in Tahrir Square by people fed up with the slow pace of change in the country.
Among their demands to the military council in charge has been the call for speedier trial for former regime officials.
On Monday and Tuesday, police backed by army troops moved in to clear the last few protesters from square.
The former interior minister, who is going on trial with Mr Mubarak on Wednesday, was sentenced to 12 years in jail in May for money-laundering and profiteering.

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US avoids default as Obama signs debt bill into law

President Barack Obama has signed legislation to increase the US debt ceiling and avert a financial default, after Congress voted in favour of a bipartisan compromise deal.

The bill cleared its final hurdle in the Senate by 74 votes to 26, after negotiations went down to the wire.
It raises the debt limit by up to $2.4tn (£1.5tn) from $14.3tn, and makes savings of at least $2.1tn in 10 years.
But the bill's passage failed to lift financial markets.
On Wall Street stocks ended Tuesday down by more than 2%, amid poor consumer spending data for June.
Japan's Nikkei index followed suit, finishing Wednesday morning down by about the same amount.
Moody's rating agency reacted to the bill by placing Washington's AAA credit score under a "negative outlook". Chinese credit agency Dagong downgraded its rating of the US from A+ to A, Xinhua news agency reported.

The bill's signing came just 10 hours before the expiry of a deadline for Washington to raise its borrowing limit, after drawn-out talks between Republicans, Democrats and the White House.

Without a deal to raise the debt ceiling, the US would have been unable to meet all its bills, the treasury department had warned.
Speaking at the White House shortly after the decisive vote in the Senate, President Obama said it was "pretty likely that the uncertainty surrounding the raising of the debt ceiling for businesses and consumers has been unsettling".
"It's something we could have avoided entirely," he added.
The president said more action was needed, saying it was impossible for the US to "close the deficit with just spending cuts".
He urged Congress to now look to boost the economy through measures to create jobs and increase consumer confidence.
"We can't balance the budget on the backs of the very people who have borne the biggest brunt of this recession," President Obama said, reprising one of his key themes of recent weeks.
Lawmakers lament In Tuesday's Senate vote, the bill was opposed by six Democrats and 19 Republicans.
Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers have bitterly opposed the legislation in recent days, saying it offered too much of their opponents' agenda.

Top Democrat and ex-Republican aide discuss Obama's prospects

But the legislation still received many of their votes in the House and Senate as lawmakers heeded warnings that the US would default on its debts if Congress did nothing.
"This is a time for us to make tough choices as compared to kick the can down the road one more time," Republican Senator Jerry Moran said following the vote.
Speaking after the vote in the Senate, Democratic majority leader Harry Reid echoed the discontent of some in Congress, saying "neither side got all it wanted, each side laments what it didn't get".
"Today, we made sure that America will pay its bills, now it's time to make sure all Americans can pay theirs," Mr Reid added.
Before the bill's passage, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell praised the outcome, saying: "Together, we have a new way of doing business in Washington."
The legislation passed in the House of Representatives by a clear majority on Monday evening.

Triggers in place The compromise package deeply angered both right-wing Republicans and left-wing Democrats.
Liberals have been unhappy that the bill relies on spending cuts only and does not include tax rises for the wealthy, although Mr Obama could still let Bush-era tax cuts for the top brackets expire in January 2013.
House Republicans were displeased that the bill did not include more savings.
In a key point for President Obama, the bill raises the debt ceiling into 2013 - meaning he will not face another congressional showdown on spending in the middle of his re-election campaign next year.
The deal will enact more than $900bn in cuts over the next 10 years.
It will also establish a 12-member, bipartisan House-Senate committee charged with producing up to $1.5tn of additional deficit cuts over a decade.
Analysts have said the cuts will probably come from programmes like federal retirement benefits, farm subsidies, Medicare and Medicaid.
Economists have said that failure to pass the debt deal would have shaken markets around the globe.

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China rail crash families reject compensation offer

Relatives of some of those killed in a major train crash in China are refusing to accept an offer of compensation from the government.

The 915,000 yuan ($142,000; £87,000) total is double the initial offer made to the families of the 40 victims.
There has been widespread anger at the official response to the disaster.
The crash happened when one train came to a standstill on a viaduct near the eastern city of Wenzhou, and another ploughed into it.
State media say that 10 families have accepted the compensation offer.
Lawyers warned Meanwhile local lawyers have been told to report to the authorities any relatives seeking legal advice, AFP news agency reported, citing the official Xinhua agency.
Law firms should not "unauthorisedly respond and handle the cases", because "the accident is a major sensitive issue concerning social stability", the lawyers are said to have been warned in a statement.

 

Four carriages plunged from the viaduct

The crash has provoked much anger against the government, not just for its response, but also over its conduct in pushing for rapid development of high-speed train lines.
Many web users, and even some state-media outlets, have accused officials of putting economic development above the safety of the people.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who visited the crash site on Thursday, vowed to "severely punish" those responsible.
Reports from Hong Kong say the communist party has ordered the media to tone down its coverage.
The Hong Kong Journalists' association said the party's propaganda bureau has told newspapers to focus on positive coverage and stick to comments made by officials.
Flagship project Officials believe a faulty signal may have caused the crash. Four train carriages fell about 30m (100ft) from the viaduct.
On Friday, about two dozen relatives gathered at the crash site to lay flowers and burn incense.
The accident came four years after the opening of the country's first high-speed railway line - one of the government's flagship projects.
Rail experts had warned against the rush to build the world's longest and fastest high-speed rail network in record time amid safety concerns.
Critics of the government allege that corners were cut during construction because of corruption, raising questions about infrastructure across the country.

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Organ donated 'nudge' for drivers in new DVLA process

Drivers will have to state whether they want to be an organ donor when they apply for a new or replacement licence.

The move has been put forward by the government's "nudge unit", which has been set up to encourage changes in behaviour through gentle persuasion.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency already asks if applicants want to be donors - but from Monday an online form will require that the answer is stated.
Ministers hope it will help improve organ donation rates.
Less than a third of people are signed up to be organ donors - despite research suggesting that nine in 10 would he happy to be one.
Debate The situation has prompted much debate in recent years about how best to improve rates.
Some have called for presumed consent, where it is assumed an individual wishes to be a donor unless he or she has opted out by registering their objection.

The government has so far rejected presumed consent and instead the Cabinet Office's behavioural insight team has suggested the driving licence idea as part of its "nudge" drive.

The DVLA's existing scheme is already responsible for about half of the 1m new donor registrations each year.
As well as becoming compulsory to answer the question, the section will be moved from the end to the start of the DVLA process, so when applicants from England, Wales and Scotland apply for new or replacement licences they will have to say whether they want to become an organ donor or not.
When a similar scheme was introduced in the US state of Illinois, donor registration jumped from 38% to 60%.
Public health minister Anne Milton said the move was aimed at encouraging people to discuss the issue more and make it easier for them to sign up.
"Being an organ donor is a truly selfless act and a life-saving gift to someone in need," she added.

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NHS funds moved to richer areas, Labour says

Labour is accusing the government of moving NHS spending in England away from poorer areas towards richer parts of the country.

It says this is because of changes to the funding for primary care trusts.
For years, areas which have higher incidences of poor health have been given a higher per-capita funding but this weighting is set to be reduced.
But the government said Labour would have devoted fewer overall resources to the NHS if it had been elected.
Labour says the changes mean less well-off areas such as Manchester and Tower Hamlets in east London will lose out in the allocation of health funding, while more prosperous parts of the country - such as Surrey and Hampshire - will benefit.
This was based on an assessment of funding changes made by public health bodies in Manchester.
The government said the changes were based on independent advice and Labour's figures were misleading.
It said NHS spending was going up in real terms in the coming year across England as a whole, a pledge which Labour would not match.
The Department of Health said the primary care budgets in Surrey and Tower Hamlets would, in fact, increase this year by a similar amount.
It added that a greater emphasis on the prevention of illness in future would assist those living in poorer parts of England.

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slamist militia 'shot Libya rebel Abdel Fattah Younes'

Libyan rebel commander Gen Abdel Fattah Younes was shot dead by a militia linked to his own side, a rebel minister has said.

Ali Tarhouni said Gen Younes was killed by members of the Obaida Ibn Jarrah Brigade, which is an Islamist group.
Gen Younes defected to the rebels in February after serving in the Libyan leadership since the 1969 coup which brought Col Muammar Gaddafi to power.
Meanwhile Nato says it bombed Libyan state TV transmitters overnight.
The Libyan Broadcasting Authority said three of its technicians were killed and 15 other people injured in the attack in the capital, Tripoli.
The alliance said it had disabled three satellite transmission dishes through a "precision air strike".
It said the operation was intended to stop "inflammatory broadcasts" by Col Gaddafi's government.

According to Ali Tarhouni, a minister with the National Transitional Council, members of the Obaida Ibn Jarrah Brigade, an Islamist group allied with the rebels, killed the general and two other commanders and burned their bodies.
This will feed growing doubts about the armed opposition, about its ability to govern and fight as a cohesive group and about the influence of Islamist factions.
The Libyan government in Tripoli has constantly warned that the rebels are under the influence of al-Qaeda. Although there is no evidence of this, it has called the murder of Gen Younes a "slap in the face" for Britain after it officially recognised the council in Benghazi as the government of Libya.

Nato said the strike would "reduce the regime's ability to oppress civilians" but also "preserve television broadcast infrastructure that will be needed after the conflict".

Libyan state TV was still on air following the Nato statement.
'Slap in the face' Oil minister Tarhouni told reporters in Benghazi a leader of the militia had provided information on the circumstances of Younes' death.
Mr Tarhouni said Younes and two of his aides were killed after being recalled to the rebel stronghold for questioning.
Younes' shot and burned body, and the bodies of his aides, were found on the edge of Benghazi on Friday.
"His lieutenants did it," Mr Tarhouni said, adding that the killers were still at large, Reuters news agency reported.
The minister did not provide a motive for the killing, which he said was still being investigated.
Col Gaddafi's government said the killing was proof that the rebels were not capable of ruling Libya.
Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said: "It is a nice slap [in] the face of the British that the [rebel National Transitional] council that they recognised could not protect its own commander of the army."

Mr Ibrahim also said Younes was killed by al-Qaeda, repeating a claim that the group is the strongest force within the rebel movement.

"By this act, al-Qaeda wanted to mark out its presence and its influence in this region," he said.
"The other members of the National Transitional Council knew about it but could not react because they are terrified of al-Qaeda," he added.
Middle East analyst Shashank Joshi said the concern that emerges most sharply from the incident is not so much that the National Transitional Council will splinter before Tripoli falls, but that it might do so afterwards.
The general - Col Gaddafi's former interior minister - joined the rebels at the beginning of the Libyan uprising in February.
The BBC's Ian Pannell in the rebel-held city of Misrata says the death will feed international suspicions that the rebels cannot be trusted.

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Nigeria plans talks with Islamist group Boko Haram

Nigeria's government says it wants to start negotiating with Islamist group Boko Haram, which has been blamed for a series of recent attacks.

The government said a panel would open talks with the group and report back by 16 August.
There was no immediate reaction to the statement from Boko Haram.
The group, whose name roughly translates as "Western education is forbidden", is fighting to topple the government and create an Islamic state.
It led an uprising across a number of states in northern Nigeria in 2009, during which hundreds were killed.
In recent weeks it has been blamed for a series of bombings and shootings in Nigeria's north-east.
The government statement said President Goodluck Jonathan had appointed seven people, including the ministers of defence and labour, to a negotiation committee.
It said the panel's role would be to act "as a liaison between the federal government ... and Boko Haram and to initiate negotiations with the sect".
It would also work with Nigeria's national security adviser to ensure that security forces acted with "professionalism", the statement added.
The governor of the Nigerian state of Borno has admitted that the army has been guilty of excesses during operations to counter Boko Haram.
Most of Boko Haram's recent attacks have been carried out in the Borno city of Maiduguri.
It also claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing of the police headquarters in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, last month.

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Gamer Chris Staniforth's death blamed on DVT

A man whose son died after playing video games for long periods is campaigning for greater awareness of the risk posed by their excessive use.

Chris Staniforth, 20, who would play his console for up to 12 hours, died in May from deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
His father David believes the condition may have been triggered by long gaming sessions.
DVT can form during long periods of immobility and can kill if the clots travel to the lungs.
Computer records showed his son would sometimes play online on his Xbox for periods up to 12 hours.
The coroner said a clot formed in Chris' left calf before moving to his lungs.
Once there, it caused a fatal blockage, known as a pulmonary embolism.
Mr Staniforth said: "After my research I saw there was no difference to Chris sitting at a desk on his Xbox and someone on a long-haul flight.
"Sitting still is literally the danger zone. Chris loved to play and would stay up all night.
"Millions of people worldwide are playing these games for hours, and there is a risk."
While Mr Staniforth has no problem with games consoles, he wants to highlight the heightened risk of DVT associated with being immobile, and is in the process of setting up a website.
In a statement, Microsoft, who manufacture the Xbox console, said: 'We have always encouraged responsible game play through our education campaigns such as Play Smart, Play Safe.
"We recommend that gamers take periodic breaks to exercise as well as make time for other pursuits."

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David Staniforth calls for greater awareness of DVT after the death of his son, Chris

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Egypt changes Mubarak trial venue

Egyptian authorities say the trial of deposed President Hosni Mubarak's trial will be moved from a Cairo convention centre, for security reasons.

The trial, due to open on Wednesday, will now be held at a police academy further from the city centre.
Mr Mubarak, 83, has been under arrest at a hospital in the coastal resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh since April.
He is charged with corruption and ordering the killing of protesters before he was toppled in February.
Appeals court president Abdel Aziz Omar said Mr Mubarak's trial was being moved "because it is difficult to guarantee the protection of the other place".
The police academy auditorium where the trial will now be held can hold 600 people, Assistant Justice Minister Mohammed Munie told Egypt's Mena news agency.
A cage for the defendants has already been prepared, he said.
Protesters still demonstrating in Egypt have made swift prosecution of officials from the former regime a key demand.
Family trial Doctors have said Mr Mubarak's condition is poor, that he has lost weight from refusing food and is suffering from depression. But the government has said he is well enough to be moved to Cairo for trial.
Mr Mubarak is expected to be tried alongside his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, and former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly, as well as six senior police officials.
Adly has already been sentenced to 12 years in jail for corruption.
The justice minister has said Mr Mubarak could face the death penalty if found guilty of murder.
Mr Mubarak was deposed on 11 February, after 18 days of mass demonstrations in which some 850 people were killed.

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Plane from New York crashes at Guyana airport

Zulficar Mohamed of Guyana's Civil Aviation Authority describes the accident

A plane has crashed and broken in two on landing at Guyana's main airport in the capital, Georgetown, causing injuries but no deaths.

The Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737-800 flight BW-523 from New York had 163 people aboard.
The plane apparently overshot the runway at Cheddi Jagan International Airport during wet weather.
"It's an absolute miracle that took place today," said Caribbean Airlines chairman George Nicholas.
A few passengers sustained bruises, with one suffering a broken leg.
The plane halted near a 200-ft (61-m) ravine that could have resulted in dozens of deaths, Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo said.

 

Local resident Ava Hammond sent the BBC pictures of the wrecked plane

"We are very, very grateful that more people were not injured," Mr Jagdeo added, quoted by AP news agency.
There were 157 passengers and six crew aboard the plane when the accident occurred at 0132 local time, according to a statement from Caribbean Airlines.
The plane had made a stop in Trinidad en route from New York.
Rescuers struggled in the dark to free passengers from the wreckage.
A woman quoted by Guyana's Kaieteur News service described hearing a loud sound when it landed in Guyana, and said everyone began screaming.
"It was terror," she said. "I was praying to Jesus."
Her husband opened the emergency door and passengers began escaping, she added.
Another passenger, 42-year-old Adis Cambridge, said: "I realised that everything was on top of me, people and bags. I was the second to last person to get off that plane in the dark.

 

President Bharrat Jagdeo (left) spoke to reporters at the airport

"I hit my head on the roof. It was so scary."
She and other passengers described jumping first onto the wing and then down onto a track below to escape.
Geeta Ramsingh, 41, of Philadelphia, quoted by AP, said passengers applauded as the plane landed, but applause quickly "turned to screams".
"The plane sped up as if attempting to take off again. It is then that I smelled gas in the cabin and people started to shout and holler," she said.
"I am in pain, but very thankful to be alive."
Ms Ramsingh said a taxi driver reached the crash site before rescuers and asked for $20 to drive her back to the terminal.
"I had to pay, but in times of emergencies, you don't charge people for a ride," she said.
'Airport chaos'

Kristopher Kimlin, who was not on the crashed plane but was trying to fly out of the airport, told BBC News there was "chaos" after the crash.
"The airport is simply not set up to deal with this kind of situation - they were overwhelmed," he said.
"There were queues of people around the entire terminal building and out of the door. There were maybe 1,000 people.
Caribbean Airlines, which is majority-owned by Trinidad and Tobago with Jamaica holding a minority stake, does not have a history of serious safety problems.

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US parties hopeful for deal on US debt limit

Democrats and Republicans have expressed cautious optimism about the chances of raising the US debt limit by Tuesday and averting possible default.

Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said there was "a level of seriousness with the right people at the table" as talks continued.
Senior Senate Democrat Richard Durban spoke of "a more positive feeling".
In a sign of the level of anxiety over the issue, troops in Afghanistan asked Adm Mike Mullen if they would be paid.
The admiral, who as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is on a visit to southern Afghanistan, said he did not know whether that would be the case if the US fails to raise the $14.3tn (£8.7tn) limit by 2 August.
Democrats and Republicans have so far rejected each others' proposals for cutting spending and raising the debt limit.
President Barack Obama backs Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's proposal, which would cut $2.2tn from deficits and raise the debt ceiling by $2.7tn, meaning the issue would not have to be revisited until after the 2012 elections.
Late on Saturday, Mr Reid said he was postponing a planned procedural vote on his bill in the Senate - the latest stage in a series of Congressional stand-offs between the two parties.
"There are negotiations going on at the White House to avert a catastrophic default on the nation's debt. There are many elements to be finalised and there is still a distance to go," he said.
The vote, which had been expected at 0100 (0500 GMT) on Sunday, will now be held at 1300 (1700 GMT), he added.
Mr Reid's deputy, Richard Durban, said: "We're a long way from any kind of a negotiated agreement, but there is certainly a more positive feeling about reaching an agreement this evening than I've felt in a long time."
'Reasonable people' The House of Representatives, where Republicans have a majority, already rejected the bill 246-173 on Saturday afternoon, even before the Senate had voted on it.

Senate Democrats had hoped to pass the bill by Sunday morning so that it could go to the House by Monday.

Following Saturday's House vote, President Barack Obama summoned Mr Reid and Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi for talks.
Republicans said they were confident a deal could be reached.
Referring to the Senate bill, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called on Democrats to "end this charade" so that negotiations could be pursued with the president.
"We are now fully engaged with the one person in America out of 307 million people who can sign this bill into law," he said.
The BBC's Paul Adams in Washington says the Treasury is already drawing up emergency plans in case a deal is not reached.
The US Treasury estimates that the government will no longer be able to borrow money to pay all its bills unless its borrowing limit is increased by Tuesday.
Experts say the government has enough cash to keep functioning for another week or so after that.
Republican plan Politicians have had a little breathing space over the weekend to negotiate before Asian financial markets open on Monday morning, which will be Sunday afternoon in the US capital.

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Mitch McConnell: ''My view is we ought to end the charade and get serious''

The House of Representatives passed its own plan on Friday evening by 218-210, with 22 Republicans and every Democrat voting against.
The plan, drawn up by House speaker John Boehner, includes some $900bn of spending cuts and would raise the debt ceiling by a similar amount.
However, it would require another vote during mid-2012 - in the midst of next year's presidential campaign - and includes language in support of a so-called "balanced budget amendment" to the US constitution. Both are rejected by the White House and the Senate leadership.
Shortly after the House passed its bill, the Democratic-led Senate voted to reject the Boehner plan.
In a weekly radio address, Mr Obama reiterated that any solution on a default had to be bipartisan.
"There are multiple ways to resolve this problem," he said.
"Congress must find common ground on a plan that can get support from both parties in the House and in the Senate. And it has to be a plan that I can sign by Tuesday."
Analysts predict a last-minute scramble for a compromise and razor-edge votes in both chambers, with the high-stakes game of legislative brinkmanship expected to continue all weekend.
The Boehner and Reid plans overlap in key ways, such as trimming spending over 10 years and shunning President Obama's call for tax increases on the wealthy and corporations.

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Knife pair kill six in China's Xinjiang region

Two knife-wielding men have killed at least six people in an attack in China's western Xinjiang region, official media say.

The assailants reportedly stabbed a truck driver before attacking a crowd late on Saturday in Kashgar city.
Media said there were also two blasts and that 28 people had been injured.
This is the second attack in a month in Xinjiang, which is home to a Muslim Uighur minority and has seen periods of ethnic tension.
A local official was quoted as saying that both attackers were Uighurs.
"The case is still under investigation so I don't have more information," Hou Hanmin told AFP news agency.
Ethnic unrest According to tianshannet.com, a Xinjiang government-run website, the assailants hijacked a truck waiting at traffic lights, stabbing the driver to death before ploughing the vehicle into bystanders.
They then got out of the vehicle and started attacking people at random, the report said.
It said the crowd then turned on the men, killing one of them. The second man was captured.
State-run news agency Xinhua said the attack had been preceded by two explosions.
Twenty-eight people were reported to have been taken to hospital.
On 18 July, several police officials and a number of civilians were killed in an attack on a police station in the city of Hotan.
Chinese officials blamed the attack on "terrorists" from the Uighur minority.
Uighur activists said the security forces had provoked clashes by opening fire on a peaceful demonstration.
The majority of Xinjiang's population is ethnically Uighur - who are Muslims with strong cultural ties to Central Asia.
The BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing says many Uighurs are unhappy about what they say is the repressive rule of Beijing and are angered by the migration of the majority Han Chinese to the region.
In 2009, riots erupted in Xinjiang in which nearly 200 people died after tensions flared between the Uighurs and the Han.

Are you in Xinjiang? Did you witness the attack? Send us your stories using the form below.

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"Syria: Army tanks move into Hama"

The Syrian army has begun an operation in the city of Hama, one of the main centres of anti-government protests.

Troops started moving into the city from several directions at dawn and residents told the BBC there was intense gunfire.
At least three tanks were seen near a mosque and there were reports of some residents putting up street barricades.
Syria has seen several months of protests against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.
Centre of protests A doctor in Hama told Reuters news agency that tanks were overrunning barricades put up by locals.
"[Tanks] are firing their heavy machineguns randomly and overrunning makeshift road blocks erected by the inhabitants," he said by phone, with machinegun fire in the background.
Hama was the scene of the suppression of an uprising against President Assad's father in 1982. The city has seen some of the biggest demonstrations of the recent unrest.
Activists say more than 1,500 civilians and 350 security personnel have been killed across Syria since protests began in mid-March. More than 12,600 have been arrested and 3,000 others are missing.
The protests show no sign of letting up despite a government crackdown that has brought international condemnation and sanctions.
On Saturday, troops shot dead three people who threw stones at a military convoy sent to quash unrest in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Spokesman Rami Abdel Rahman said about 60 military vehicles, including tanks, personnel carriers and trucks crammed with soldiers deployed in the key oil hub, which has seen near daily protests.
A total of 20 people were killed and 35 wounded on Friday as hundreds of thousands of protested in cities across Syria, rights groups said.
More than 500 people were arrested in a single operation in the Qadam neighbourhood of the capital Damascus, they added.

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