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Twenty children have been killed in a minibus crash near the South African capital Pretoria, emergency services have said. The children died after the vehicle burst into flames following a collision with a truck just north of the capital. There were understood to be both primary and secondary school-aged children on board. Panyaza Lesufi, the official responsible for education in Gauteng province, has said it is a "dark day". The minibus collided with a truck on the single carriageway R25 in between Verena, Gauteng, and Bronkhorstpruit, which lies on the border of neighbouring Mpumalanga province. It is not yet known what the cause of the accident was, but pictures show the minibus entirely burnt out. In a statement, emergency medical service ER24 described arriving at the scene, where fire-fighters were tackling the flames. A number of children had already been pulled out by "members of the community", the statement said. "Once the flames had been extinguished, paramedics found that approximately 13 children lying trapped inside the vehicle. Unfortunately, nothing could be done for the children and they were declared dead on the scene," the statement added. ER24 and the Gauteng Education Department have since confirmed the number has risen to 20. "This is a huge loss and we're deeply pained by the tragic news," the education department tweeted. It was announced on Friday that road deaths over the long Easter weekend had jumped 50% on last year.

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MPs voted by 522 votes to 13 - with Labour and Lib Dem helping secure the two-thirds majority needed to bring forward the election from 2020. The prime minister urged voters to "give her the mandate to speak for Britain and to deliver for Britain". Jeremy Corbyn said a Labour government would stop Mrs May from using Brexit to make the UK an "offshore tax haven". Speaking in Croydon on his first campaign stop, the Labour leader said if elected, he would raise the minimum wage to £10 an hour and increase spending on the NHS, social care and council housing. The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg said sources suggested Mr Corbyn wanted to frame the election as being about the delivery of public services, and the kind of economy the UK will have after Brexit. She said she also understood that Mr Corbyn had ruled out "progressive alliances" with other parties, such as the Greens, as a way of thwarting Conservative attempts to increase their majority. The next general election had been expected in 2020, but the Fixed Term Parliaments Act allows for one to be held earlier if it has the support of two-thirds of MPs. The Commons backed holding a poll in 50 days time by a majority of 509. Defending the move, Mrs May told MPs there was a "window of opportunity" to hold a poll before Brexit negotiations began in earnest in June. The prime minister is hoping to significantly boost her current Commons majority of 17 to increase her authority, ahead of 18 months of talks which will determine the manner of the UK's exit from the EU. Mrs May, who became PM last July after the EU referendum, told MPs that it would wrong for the UK to find itself reaching the most "difficult and sensitive" phase of Brexit negotiations in late 2018 and early 2019 at a time when a general election was "looming on the horizon". During a special Commons debate, she said it was the "right and responsible" thing to do hold the election now to help the UK prepare for life outside the EU. Speaking later, on her first campaign speech in Bolton, Mrs May contrasted the "strong and stable leadership" she could provide with what she warned would be a "coalition of chaos" if Jeremy Corbyn was elected. The Lib Dems, she said, were willing to "prop up" Labour, while she warned the SNP's "tunnel vision" over Scottish independence risked destabilising the country. The SNP, whose MPs abstained in Wednesday's vote, has accused Mrs May of political opportunism and said only it stands in the way of a "hard-line" Tory government. Nine Labour MPs opposed the snap election as did three independents and the SDLP's Alasdair McDonnell. Although Parliament will not be officially dissolved until early May, campaigning is already under way - with Lib Dem leader Tim Farron addressing a rally of activists in south-west London earlier on Wednesday. Mrs May has said she will not take part in any TV leaders' debates, leading to criticism from Mr Corbyn and other party leaders that she is "running scared". As the Commons backed the General Election - which will be held just over two years after the Conservatives won a narrow victory in the May 2015 poll - senior politicians from all parties have been clarifying their intentions. Former Conservative chancellor George Osborne said he would not be standing again in Tatton in order to concentrate on his job as editor of the Evening Standard, although he hinted at a possible return to frontline politics in the future. But former Lib Dem deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has said he will stand in Sheffield Hallam, while it has been reported that Conservative grandee Ken Clarke will again contest Rushcliffe, a seat he has represented since 1970. He had previously said he intended to stand down in 2020. Meanwhile, Labour's ruling National Executive Committee has confirmed that existing MPs who wish to stand again will be automatically selected and that any unsuccessful candidates from 2015 will be asked to put themselves forward. The NEC will directly fill any vacancies in England triggered by retirements while the parties in Scotland and Wales will handle their own procedures. In a statement, it said it regretted that local parties in England would not be able to select candidates as normal but it would be "simply impossible to hold trigger ballots, selection hustings and meetings in the 631 Parliamentary constituencies" before the 11 May deadline for nominations.

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The US and China are working on a "range of options" on North Korea, the US top security adviser has said, as tensions mount over the country's nuclear and missile programmes. Lt Gen HR McMaster told ABC News there was consensus with China that this was a situation that "could not continue". The comments come after a failed missile test launch by North Korea and a massive military parade. President Trump had earlier said China was "working with us" on the issue. Beijing, Pyongyang's biggest ally, has come under pressure from Washington to exert more pressure on its neighbour. Sunday's comments appear to be the first confirmation that both countries are working together on how to deal with the North Korean issue. Gen McMaster, who was in the Afghan capital, Kabul, said the latest launch "fits a pattern of provocative and destabilising and threatening behaviour". "The president has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons," he said. Image copyright Reuters Image caption North Korea displayed its military capabilities during a huge parade in Pyongyang "I think there's an international consensus now, including the Chinese and the Chinese leadership, that this is a situation that just can't continue." President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed North Korea during a meeting last week. Mr Xi offered co-operation on "communication and co-ordination", the BBC's Robin Brant in Shanghai reports. Earlier on Sunday, South Korean and US military officials said a North Korean missile had detonated soon after launch. The US Pacific Command said it believed it to be a ballistic missile. Investigations were continuing, but one unnamed US official said it was unlikely to have been an intercontinental (ICBM) missile. Ballistic missiles follow high trajectories and are initially powered and guided, but fall to their target under gravity. ICBMs follow a sub-orbital trajectory, others stay within the atmosphere. North Korea's aim is to be able to put a nuclear warhead on an ICBM that can reach targets around the world. Pyongyang has claimed to have miniaturised nuclear warheads for use on missiles, though experts have cast doubt on that given the lack of evidence. The state has already conducted five nuclear tests and a series of missile launches in contravention of UN resolutions. It has suffered test failures in the past but they have not deterred its development programme. Meanwhile, US Vice-President Mike Pence is on a 10-day tour of Asia intended to reassure allies of US commitment to their security. In the South Korean capital, Seoul, Mr Pence called the failed launch a "provocation". He is set to discuss North Korea with acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson meanwhile issued another warning to North Korea after its failed missile launch. "They must stop these belligerent acts and comply with UN resolutions," he said. On Friday, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned that the situation in the region was escalating, and that "conflict could break out at any moment". Adding to the tension in the Korean peninsula

Doctors can withdraw life support from a sick baby with a rare genetic condition against his parents' wishes, a High Court judge has ruled. Specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital said eight-month-old Charlie Gard has irreversible brain damage and should be moved to palliative care. His parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard, from London, had wanted to take him to the US for a treatment trial. They said they were "devastated" by the decision but intended to appeal. Their solicitor, Laura Hobey-Hamsher, said they could not understand why Mr Justice Francis had not "at least given Charlie the chance of treatment". She said the couple would take further advice on challenging the ruling once their legal team had studied it. They have three weeks to lodge an appeal. Hospital bosses said they would continue to provide life-support treatment until a decision about an appeal had been made. 'Brave and dignified' In his judgement, Mr Justice Francis said he made the decision with the "heaviest of hearts" but with "complete conviction" that it was in the best interests of the child. He paid tribute to Charlie's parents for "their brave and dignified campaign on his behalf" and "their absolute dedication to their wonderful boy, from the day that he was born". The judge, who had visited Charlie in hospital, added: "I know this is the darkest day for Charlie's parents...my heart goes out to them. "I only hope in time they will come to accept it is in Charlie's best interests to let him slip away peacefully, and not put him through more pain and suffering." Charlie, who was born on 4 August, has a disorder called mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a rare disease which affects the genetic building blocks that give energy to cells. It causes progressive muscle weakness and brain damage. His parents, of Bedfont, west London, had told the Family Division of the High Court they wanted to give their baby "one chance of life". In their bid to fund the treatment abroad they set up a crowdfunding campaign which has raised in excess of £1.25m from more than 80,000 donors. A GoFundMe spokesman said it will "be speaking privately to the family" about what would happen to the money raised. Mr Gard was "shaking and visibly very upset" as he waited for the judgment, BBC News correspondent Helena Lee, who was in court, said. When the judge ruled the treatment could be withdrawn, he shouted out "no". Both he and Ms Yates broke down in tears and buried their heads in their hands. They left the court building without listening to the judge's full reasoning behind his judgement. During five days of evidence, Mr Justice Francis heard competing arguments over what should happen to Charlie. Debra Powell QC, representing hospital bosses, had told the court a number of "world-renowned" experts agreed the child should not be given long-term life support as his "quality of life" is "so poor". Barrister Victoria Butler-Cole, who was appointed to represent the eight month old, said proposed treatment in the US was "purely experimental" and continuing his life support would only "prolong the process of dying". But the parents' barrister, Sophia Roper, argued Charlie would not suffer significant harm if he was taken to the United States and should be given a chance to improve. She also claimed his parents' wishes should carry "great weight".

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Walmart has issued a recall on a packaged salad after Florida customers found a decomposing bat inside the box. The two customers ate some of the Organic Marketside Spring Mix salad before the bat was found, officials said. They have been tested for rabies. The company said customers who may have already purchased the pre-packaged greens, which are sold mainly in southern states, should discard it. Walmart also said customers can request a full refund for the product. The two people began eating the salad before they discovered the bat, which was found in a "deteriorated condition", according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The bat was sent to a CDC lab and tested for rabies. "Both people report being in good health and neither has any signs of rabies," the CDC said in a statement. The agency also advised anyone who may have already eaten one of the affected salads and found "animal material" to contact their local health department immediately. But people "who have eaten the recalled salad and did not find animal material are not at risk and do not need to contact their health department", the CDC added. The salads, which bear the production code G089B19, are exclusively sold at Walmart stores throughout the southeastern US. The company said it worked quickly with officials to remove the entire batch of salads from store shelves, and only one line of its products had been affected. "Fresh Express takes matters of food safety very seriously and rigorously complies with all food safety regulations including the proscribed Good Agricultural Practices," a company statement said.

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Crackdown 3 is an upcoming open world action-adventure video game for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One with development being headed by British developer Reagent Games, a studio led by former Realtime Worlds head and series creator David Jones, and published by Microsoft Studios. Continuing the series seven years after the release of 2010's Xbox 360 video game Crackdown 2, the third title focuses on Microsoft Azure-powered mass scale destruction that enables everything in the game to be destroyed. Gameplay See also: Gameplay in the Crackdown series Largely retaining the sandbox elements from the past games, Crackdown 3 will feature destructible environments which can be triggered by players.[3] Development The game was announced at Microsoft's press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014 in June 2014, as an Xbox One exclusive. While the game was still at an early stage at the time of its reveal, Microsoft's Phil Spencer said that the title came about from talks with Dave Jones who, after leaving Realtime Worlds, joined Cloudgine, a software company that is developing technology allowing game developers to take advantage of cloud computing features. Cloudgine had been previously rumored to be a core part of the Xbox One software, with their software used in a technology demonstration at a Microsoft developer's conference in April 2014, demonstrating the use of cloud computer to speed up the physics modeling and rendering in a fully destructible city environment.[4][5] Spencer revealed that the demo world was the start of this newest Crackdown title, with ability to destroy any part of the city expected to be carried over to the final game.[6] According to Spencer, Cloudgine will help to develop the core engine, while Reagent Games, a studio located in close proximity to Cloudgine, will develop the gameplay and art assets for the game.[6] Microsoft Studios' creative director Ken Lobb asserted that the game will only be called Crackdown instead of Crackdown 3, stating that the game is set in the future of the first game but represents an alternate timeline from what Crackdown 2 provided.[7] The game was officially revealed as Crackdown 3 during Microsoft's Gamescom 2015 press conference on August 4, 2015. The focus on cloud-powered real time destruction was first demonstrated there, and Jones stated that Microsoft's cloud computing technology provides 20x more power than playing the game on a single Xbox One console.[8] Because of the game's reliance to Microsoft Azure for destruction engine, the full scale destruction will only be available in the game's online multiplayer modes, while campaign mode, regardless of number of players, will only have access to limited degree of destruction.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has said "terrorists are celebrating" US strikes on a Syrian airbase. His comments echo the response from Russia, which like Iran is allied to Syria, and from Syria itself. At least six people are reported to have been killed in the missile strikes in the early hours of Friday. The strikes followed Wednesday's suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun, in which 89 people are reported to have died. The Syrian military denied using any chemical agents, while its ally Russia said - without providing evidence - that an air strike hit a storage facility where rebels were keeping chemical weapons. The UK's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called off a visit to Moscow, saying the situation had changed "fundamentally" and he would work with the US in pursuit of a ceasefire. On Saturday in the Syrian capital Damascus and around the world, people protested against the air strikes, insisting there should be no US war against Syria. What did Iran's president say? In a speech broadcast on state television, Mr Rouhani said: "The man who is now in office in America claimed that he wanted to fight terrorism. But today, all the terrorists in Syria are celebrating this US attack. "Why did you help terrorist groups and support them in your first move?" Iran has used the term "terrorist groups" to refer to rebels, many backed by the US, who are fighting against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. But Mr Rouhani backed calls for an independent inquiry into the suspected chemical weapons attack. The US provides arms, training and military assistance to what it calls "moderate" Syrian rebel groups. It has led a coalition carrying out air strikes against jihadist groups in Syria since 2014 but this is the first time it has targeted government forces. A brief guide to who's fighting whom in Syria On Saturday, Russia called on the US to provide evidence for its claim that there were chemical weapons at the site. Defence ministry spokesman Maj Gen Igor Konashenkov said: "None of those at the airfield wear gas masks and they all feel perfectly normal. "The question thus arises: who once again slipped something in to yet another US president as 'evidence' of the existence of 'chemical weapons' in a country Washington objects to, and what exactly was it? "The only way to obtain any objective evidence of the alleged presence of poisonous substances at Shayrat and present it to the entire world community is to send a mission of professional experts there." Who was behind the suspected chemical attack? The US, the UK and the Western military alliance Nato have said Khan Sheikhoun was the victim of a chemical attack by Syrian forces; the Syrian government denies this, while Russia says the gas came from a rebel stockpile that was hit in a Syrian airstrike. British and French representatives to the UN have dismissed Russia's claim. The UK envoy said there was no evidence that non-state actors in Syria had access to chemical weapons producing the symptoms seen on Tuesday, while France's envoy said there was no fire after the air strike, even though a strike on an ammunition depot "would have caused a fire". Like Iran, Russia accused the US of encouraging "terrorists" with its air strike. Russia's deputy ambassador to the UN, Vladimir Safronkov, was quoted as saying: "It's not difficult to imagine how much the spirits of these terrorists been raised." US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Russia's response indicated "continued support for a regime that carries out these type of horrendous attacks on their own people". North Korea, meanwhile, called Friday's strike "an unforgivable act of aggression" which showed its own decision to develop nuclear weapons was "the right choice a million times over".

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