' Photographers have close to the action. Sometimes also in the vicinity of "-the guardian"

Rebel fighters carry a wounded comrades in Misurata, Libya on the 20 April 2011. photo: Chris Hondros / Getty Images Europe

In a world controlled closely, war is the last frontier of the raw reality PR-led media. To the photo-journalist, this is the ultimate attraction, even if it means with a view to the nature of the risks involved, usually only soldiers are exposed. This game grim claimed two more victims of this week, Tim Hetherington, and Chris Hondros when they were hit by fire from Government forces in Misurata, Libya.

The escalating civil war is drawing experienced and less experienced photographers from around the world. In a sense, it is the ideal war for photographers - colorful, anarchic standing professional army rebels. Compared to Afghanistan, the access to this conflict is simple. To cover the Afghanistan conflict in a meaningful way to photographers with the Western armies, be embedded i.e. apply to and work with ministries of defence and their press minders. In Libya you have the $ and the courage to just follow the road in Benghazi and from there on the front always move. The inexperienced learn quickly in these situations, but they also know that, like bomb disposal soldier, will close to the action. Sometimes also in the vicinity. That most worshipped all war photographers Robert Capa, it so: "If the images are not good enough, you not close are enough."

But war is becoming increasingly difficult to meet. Bombers and IEDs are battles fought at longer distances, with long-range missiles, drone of fighters who placed melting into the landscape. Photographers will document the soldiers reduced to one side or another. Many pictures of the Libyan conflict so far were of very dressed rebels some poses with oversized guns, somewhat misleading Carnival aspect of the uprising have awarded. The news of the death of Hetherington and Hondros's hosted this war on the blood, the quiet in the desert sand was shed.

Guardian picture Desk received a strong picture last week two rebel fighters posing with a gun. We had lemon colored one jumper and big hair in the wind, have been so much better suitable body armor and a helmet would be. This Glamorisation the fighter has always been a part of the documentation of the war. Roger Fenton, sometimes intended, to the first British war photographer, able to take portraits of the officers for their family home was in the Crimea in the 1850s. Soon, he realized that there was more he could do with his camera and took some pictures of the aftermath of the battles sharply. The glamour inevitably rubs on the war photographer and introduces to the stereotype hard - drinking self-obsessive in a Keffiyeh scarf. But the painful images, shot by their colleagues, the medics struggling Hetherington and Hondros save strips away the sheen and reminds us of the high prices some numbers.

Sometimes the adrenaline fix by the ultimate gamble, but the best and most successful pretty stable people will appear by the need for said that war photographers are. You acknowledge that the conflict that you want to cover is probably only current event, which could result in truly unforgettable hard news images. They also know that they need to shoot pictures that have received a request for urgent procedure from war-weary editors home, who are desperate to cheer up, back rather than their readers press published. In a BBC interview, Goran Tomasevic, a veteran of Reuters, said: "I have no problem back in my normal life;" Not at all. I just go a few steaks food and drink lots of beer. "I check out the football and I'm happy." Tomasevic's attitude is typical of the leading press photographers - he knows he's coming from risks, but taking also precautions such as all experts. CAPA again: "the war correspondent has his involvement - his life - in his own hands, and he can put it on this horse or the horse, or he can set you back in the bag at the last minute." The world (and not only its media) needs these people: we need to see and have included conflicts. The rest of us are happy that we can tap into their enthusiasm and bravery but it can be sometimes misplaced. At the end, subjects are not important, it is the unadorned truth, which is one of the image on the page or screen.

Hetherington and Hondros worked very differently. Hetherington left a successful Marines stills career after following up his Oscar nominated film documentary about the American in Afghanistan and more video was filming. Hondros was a daily stream of images of his agency, Getty Images submission. In fact the guardian received more of his photographs just hours before he was killed. War photographer will shoot more and more video - and without the back-up, which expect a TV team. But this leads to a new kind of journalism, the immediate and personal, move visual without the reporters between the viewer and the action is. It feeds from the strengths of the photographer, the need to get in close, the need to create a relationship with the fighters he apart from works. All the skills, the traditionally a war photographer. had all these skills, the Hetherington and Hondros.

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Syria: States emergency - the guardian

Weeks demonstrations in Syria reached a turning point this week. In the third city in the country, Homs, Tahrir style was broken up by a sit-in when police in the amount raised. More than 20 pro-democracy, demonstrators were killed since Monday in the city. But the switch in many minds happen earlier. It was known that he almost half a century of the State of emergency would end up as President Bashar al-Assad was. As a bold, patronize it. It was a problem of communication, he said. There was a conspiracy (the demonstrations), there were reforms and there were "need of the citizens, not only economic ones". Was he sure that its citizens understand, but as could appreciate it, what was going on when the Government not to explain what happened?

President Assad audience understood all too well. By the regime of the Salafist intruders, Muslim Brotherhood bin Stooges, saboteurs of Lebanon Saad Hariri and Saudi Arabia's Prince Bandar Sultan or of the Israeli secret service Mossad and the CIA agents supported is accused of the protesters as Syrians demanded to be heard. Chants for reform gave way to songs for regime change. "From the street, alley, from House to House, we want to rush you, Bashar", Sung mourning at a funeral. Since them, trying to rebuild at great cost, to a Syrian Tahrir square, have a physical epicenter of the revolt in a big city.

The Assad family (there are Bashar's brother Maher al-Assad, Commander of the presidential guard and his cousin Rami Makhlouf) now available to draw less political leverage, although there are many institutions of military ones. Ministry of the Interior instructions unheard. Protests continued overnight in Zabadani, based and Aleppo. A character that is inviting to join the urban Sunni population remained closed in Homs, the shops, is launched. You will be reduced not by sacking of the Governor in Homs or the head of security in Banias. What began with a brutal but routine, local incident, when police beat and tortured a group of graffiti artists in Deraa, has become a nationwide protest.

It's tempting to see regional opportunities in Syria turmoil under. This is not only the Arab League, a summit planned for may moved, paralyzing but also promote the Assad's opposition allies believe, Iran, which Hezbollah and Hamas, would be to lose with his departure. Some can be trying to identify, that foments dissent in Syria is worth a risk. This is folly in any part of the Middle East, but especially for a country with Syria's borders. No Arab spring has yet has been fuelled by foreign intervention. It could be killed by one.

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Ivory Coast: 100 found more bodies as ethnic tensions rise - the guardian

Alassane Ouattara, said his troops secure the streets of Abidjan and to establish a perimeter Laurent Gbagbo would link. Photo: Rebecca Blackwell/AP

UN investigators found more than 100 facilities in C?te d'Ivoire, to have been victims of what ethnically motivated massacres appear in the last 24 hours. Some seem alive have been burned and others were thrown into a well, said a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for human rights.

The killings at three locations in western Ivory Coast occurred, and may have been carried out by Liberian mercenaries, according to the UN.

The discovery came as Alassane Ouattara, who said the internationally recognised President of C?te d'Ivoire, he would not try to capture Laurent Gbagbo, who has refused to leave power and is hidden in a bunker under his personal residence.

In his first televised address since the beginning said siege in Abidjan this week Ouattara he would focus on the return of the country to facilitate to normal about the fate of civilians.

The UN team discovery underlines the need for an urgent resolution on the crisis that was caused by Gbagbo's rejection of the official election results in November last year.

About 40 bodies were in Blolequin, West of Duékoué, where another last week discovered 229 bodies were found. Another 15 bodies were discovered in Duékoué, and a further 60 in the nearby town of Guiglo were found. Some of the victims were from other countries in West Africa.

Forces loyal to Ouattara were partly for the massacre in Duékoué was discovered last week made responsible. It is not yet clear that the massacre on Thursday revealed performed.

"The incidents appear at least partially ethnically motivated to have been", said Rupert Colville, UNHCHR spokesman in Geneva. "I think you have a little carefully the assignment of responsibilities be." He said, increased ethnic tensions as the conflict continues.

C?te d'Ivoire has Muslim north and Christian South and other 60 different ethnic groups. Under Gbagbo's decade-long rule, especially in the early days he tolerated and one increase in xenophobia, especially against the Ivorians, which parents came as the French from neighbouring countries. Muslims from the North - Ouattara's most important constituency - were caused much bitterness and a brief civil war also discriminated against.

Limited to the rapid progress last week having Ouattara's forces through the country Gbagbo to his bunker with his influential wife Simone. UN and French peacekeeping troops have attacked its military depots to reduce his firepower. But he refuses to make, insists that he won the election and France the blame for his predicament.

Many of Gbagbo's top generals and troops have left him, but about 200 soldiers and militia with heavy weapons are equipped subdivision, guard according to the French military his home in the upmarket Cocody. You repelled an attack by Ouattara's fighters on Wednesday.

In his television speech, Ouattara said his troops were setting up connection to a security perimeter around's Gbagbo. You would only for him to run out of water and food, and at the same time securing the streets of Abidjan, where most people in their homes of this week due to the heavy fighting remained.

Ouattara said that he soon the ban on exports of cocoa, would end up, which he announced in January. He asked the EU to Ivory Coast's major ports, designed to bring Gbagbo under pressure in resign lift sanctions.

In addition requested Ouattara Central Bank of west African States its branches in the country again salaries are paid. He also promised, human rights hold a public inquiry abuses during the conflict.

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Lockerbie families split on request for the new investigation - the guardian

Moussa Koussa: In their open letter to other Lockerbie families Cumnock and Hudson's Koussa said treatment after his conversion evidence for a U.S. cover up was. Photo: Mohamed Messara/EPA

Families of the victims of the Lockerbie bombing are Libya's links on demands for a full investigation to the attack, divided, guardian has learned, how exposed that Scottish police had met the Libyan defector and former Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa.

A role in securing a controversial apology and promise of compensation by Libyan rebels for Lockerbie and Libya's link to IRA bombings played two U.S. relatives of the victims of the bombing, Paul Hudson and Victoria Cumnock.

She wrote to all the Lockerbie related on Wednesday she asked to support a "vocal and consistent" demand for a full investigation by us prosecutors in Libya's role in the attack after the withdrawal of Koussa late last week.

Koussa met voluntarily Scottish prosecutors and Dumfries and Galloway detectives at a secret location Thursday to answer their questions about his level of knowledge about the Lockerbie bombing. The Crown Office refused to disclose what was said "to preserve the integrity of the investigation".

But Cumnock and Hudson, for a new group with the name of the Gaddafi terror victims initiative, the United States and UK tried Governments to cover up, Libya's role in the attacks of faulty arrest Koussa and that him access to its overseas wealth.

Cumnock and Hudson claim treat Koussa to half-heartedly, despite warnings from intelligence sources, that it is unlikely that useful information about the Lockerbie attack on Pan Am flight 103, which killed 270 passengers, crew and people on the ground in December 1988.

"We have more than terrorism waited 20 years for Justice, accountability and the truth of the terrible facts of the Gaddafi regime," she said. "No Government should be truth, justice and accountability for the diplomatic convenience and oil revenues can suppress."

Jim Swire, a prominent Lockerbie campaigner whose Tochter flora has killed in the attack has written in Hudson and Cumnock, and his letter in other Lockerbie families, attacking their campaign as "unwise" and "deeply insecure foundations" copies.

Swire said the Gaddafi terror victims initiative was probably because it was more difficult during a war, to find out the truth.

Information or claims dissenters had to with great suspicion, because their motives difficult verify obscure and the quality of their information would. The rebels in Benghazi now say their excuse illegal and under pressure from the Government of the United Kingdom were made.

Swire's letter, which has been leaked to the guardian, said: "the words of the defector to Benghazi or Moussa Koussa, come, with the greatest care should, be considered to take account of their present situation." "War generates fog and truth is then more difficult to get."

In their open letter to other Lockerbie families Cumnock and Hudson's Koussa said treatment after his conversion clear evidence for U.S. was complicity in a cover-up to protect U.S. business interests in Libya. This complicity began 20 years ago when the United States enable Scottish prosecutors agreed to check the Lockerbie investigation, rather than the much tougher US legal system use.

"This is a scandal and a clear case of political expediency over justice." Both the United States and UK are clearly trying to obstruct justice and to legitimate law enforcement - along with all others - under the carpet sweep obligations. We can only sit in our hands as farmers and allow this to happen. We must hear our Government from us that this will we tolerate no longer leave, "she said."

Hudson and Cumnock's initiative is now closely linked to another initiative to compensate for the British relatives of victims of IRA atrocities with Libyan Semtex, which is headed by a British lawyer Jason McCue, meeting rebel leaders in Benghazi was carried out.

A document signed the Libyan rebels in the town of Libya's role in the IRA attacks and Lockerbie apologize and promised 10 million each $ ($ 6) compensation of IRA victims families, after a meeting with McCue.

The rebels later claimed they were from the British Government to sign the document converted and misunderstood, which contain it. Essam Gheriani, a spokesman for the revolutionary Governing Council, said that the Chairman of Mustafa Abdul Jalil, he felt comply with international recognition to win and you gain access to Libyan money it had abroad.

"The whole world knows that the Libyan people responsible for Gaddafi's actions over 40 years." "An apology is not justified, for the simple reason that the Libyan people of these actions was not involved in", said Gheriani.

Swire warned that that made extremely difficult Libyan civil war and the collapse of the regime of Gaddafi's unconfirmed information support, which came from dissidents or dissenters. He said, the only man sentenced the considerable doubts about the guilt the attack, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, and allegations that us and UK intelligence fake prove agencies against him, made it very difficult to find out the truth about Lockerbie.

"War, generated as Libya now, fog not clarity;" now to try do not have time to add an additional layer of security the existing structure, in the hope to explain what happened, its foundations are reducing anyway soon, click, ", he said the other related."

"The accusations of those in Bengazi, or of the same by Moussa Koussa are particularly difficult to assess laced at this time, as she will be with strong, but partially hidden motivations."

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Congo plane crash kills 32 - the guardian

Follow link to this video of the plane crash in Kinshasa

Only one person among the 33 passengers and crew crashed survived after a UN plane attempting, land in bad weather conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday.

The accident, in Kinshasa, is one of the worst include a UN aircraft. Most of the passengers were United Nations staff and peacekeepers, although five were NGO workers on board.

The sole survivor, which is in the hospital in the Congolese capital had no immediate details of Alain Le Roy, who said the head of UN peacekeeping operations of.

The plane which was en route from the eastern city of Goma, the start and runway in N'djili airport in Kinshasa, may had missed because of strong winds, Le Roy said. The Jet Bombardier CRJ-100 broke away on impact and caught fire. TV footage showed that the aircraft was almost destroyed. A formal investigation is under way of the crash.

While the nationalities of the victims were not confirmed, said the South African Government, three of its citizens died in the accident. The International Rescue Committee, an American aid agency, said its senior reproductive health consultants in Congo, Dr Boubacar Toure, a Guinean, was also among the dead.

The aircraft was operated and occupied with Airzena Georgian Airways. The company, which was flying for the UN in Congo for three years, said his four crew members, all Georgians, died and expressed shock over the accident had.

UN Security Council has sent his "deepest regret" to the families of the victims.

The UN peacekeeping force in Congo is the world's largest with 19,000 troops and is dependent on air transport, as the road network is insufficient.

Congo has one of the world's worst aviation safety records, in particular because of the fleet of old and often poorly maintained aircraft used the civilian population.

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Gaddafi forces using civilians as human shields, says France - the guardian

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe: 'Risk of collateral damage on the civilian population of Misurata obviously hampered operations.' Photo: Ian Langsdon/EPA

Muammar Gaddafi's forces use civilians as human shields, to NATO air attacks slide, said France after rebels the Western-led coalition accused their attacking of Misratah continue to stand by government troops.

The French Foreign Minister, Alain Juppe, conceded, that the position of the rebel held town - under shelling and sniper fire from the army was daily - unbearable but said it was a little more that could be done immediately.

"We have formally requested, there will be no collateral damage for the civilian population," he told Radio France info. "This makes more difficult operations course."

The head of the French armed forces gave a similar response to complaints by rebels, that the pace of air strikes has waned since the NATO for the control of Libyan operations from the United States, France and the United Kingdom on 31 March.

"I would like to purchase from Kagi, things accelerated, but as you know, protection means not somewhere fire from civilians in the vicinity of them," said Admiral Edouard Guillaud radio Europe 1. "This is exactly the problem."

He said, NATO was operations at Misratah, concentration in the rebel of port area, keep and at the same time try to prevent the transit of new weapons on Gaddafi's power base in Tripoli.

The comments followed a scathing rebuke for the Alliance of General Abdel Fatah Younis, leader of the ailing rebel forces. He said: "NATO blesses us every now and then with here and as a bombing, and that's that let people of Misratah die every day." "NATO has disappointed us."

Younis, formerly Gaddafi's Interior Minister, had said a significant slowdown of operations since NATO took over: "The NATO response is very slow." An official gets another and then by the official on the head of NATO and by the head of NATO in the field commander. "It takes eight hours."

He denied the NATO argument to limit the bombing of Misurata: "Nato says Gaddafi's forces are hiding among the civilian population." But we tell them that there are no civilians in the areas where the Gaddafi forces, left positioned. We call on them civil property is to destroy the snipers and armed gangs. "

After a first rapid to and fro that quickly provided for the rebels pushed back further, the battle for control of the country in a near stalemate between Tripoli and the rebels based in the eastern city of Benghazi has stuck werdeneine of NATO a no-fly zone and attacks on Gaddafi's forces managed implementation.

Resupplied Government saw the recent fighting, according to rebels, forces push to the East of the oil port of Brega.

Pick-up trucks loaded with machine guns and rocket launchers while several families fled the fighting in cars loaded with their belongings they passed in the opposite direction West of Ajdabiyah headed.

Hossam Ahmed, a defector from Gaddafi's army, said the front line was 25-37 (40-60 miles) West of Ajdabiyah, say that retreat "was not full withdrawal", it is back and forth.

Ajdabiyah, gateway to Benghazi, is about 80 km east of Brega.

How other rebels at the western gate of Ajdabiyah Ahmed expressed frustration about the lack of NATO actions. "There were no air strikes." "We hear the sound but it not a bomb", he told Reuters.

Another rebel, Khaled al Obeidi said: "what did NATO, which bombed the NATO?"

So far, almost one-third of the Gaddafi's said air strikes military capacity away have, Brigadier General Mark van uhm, senior NATO staff officer, in Brussels. He also said that remaining government troops were often hidden in areas populated: "when the people are used as shields we not to participate."

In the midst of the blockade it has increasing focus on diplomatic efforts, such as for example promoting key Gaddafi loyalists to unsubscribe.

Gaddafi apparently tried to play the same game. Libya's official Jana news agency said that he had sent a message to Obama "colonial after the withdrawal of America of the Crusader Alliance against Libya". The United States played a key role in early air strikes before NATO took over.

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Afghan woman killed in NATO convoy crash - the guardian

A British soldier patrolling the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. The crash triggered violent protests NATO convoy in the capital. Photo: Ahmad Masood/Reuters

Kabul police have said a British military convoy for crashing a group of women on a busy street in Kabul on Wednesday, one person killed and injured were two was responsible.

The incident, the spectators on the vehicles throwing stones you will be asked comes at a time of increased tension between Afghans and foreigners after days of unrest raised through U.S. Pastor burn a Quran in an incident, the last week to the death of seven led UN employees.

A traffic accident with us troops provoked in the year 2006 in Kabul the most serious acts of violence which has seen the capital, with the offices of aid agencies aLicht set.

Hashmatullah Stanekzai, a police spokesman Kabul, said the troops involved were British, though, that was not confirmed by the NATO.

Three business people working on the main road in the western Kabul said had black armored all-wheel drive vehicles was moving with speed, when ploughed the lead vehicle in the women, of which 4 m (13) on the road was raised. You have been shopping and try to cross the street when the first vehicle on his breaks struck, and crashed the car behind into.

"The soldiers came out of the car and began treating the women, but not someone they come and help, not made", said Saboor, a grocer, a shop in the vicinity of the collision has website. "But when the soldiers tried to leave, sorting out, the crowd was completely very angry without the problem and throw rocks at the cars began." You attacked also the guard of the nearby Ministry of water and electricity.

In contrast to the Afghan police, nor the soldiers fire on the demonstrators, but open Saboor said that an officer the extent threatened with a pistol.

A statement by the NATO international security assistance force said the vehicles on, after the wounded to a hospital had been taken.

Police had earlier wrongly reported that three people had died, including a person who was shot had.

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