It is unclear what caused the explosion on the INS Sindhurakshak.

According to India media reports many sailors jumped to safety and some of the injured were taken to hospital. Firefighters and rescue workers are at the scene.

Smoke from the blaze could be seen in many parts of the city, reports said.

"There are some people who are trapped on board, we are in the process of trying to rescue them, we suspect it to be in the range of 18," Navy spokesman PVS Satish was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying.

"We will not give up until we get to them," he added.

The 16-year-old Russian-made vessel had recently returned from Russia after undergoing an upgrade, the AP news agency reports.

Buses carrying the inmates drove them from a prison in central Israel to the Beitunia checkpoint in the West Bank and the Erez crossing with Gaza.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas greeted the 11 sent to the West Bank, while crowds met the other 15 in Gaza.

Israeli and Palestinian representatives will begin direct talks in Jerusalem after a three-year hiatus.

The BBC's Yolande Knell says there was a festive atmosphere in the West Bank village of Beitunia when the freed prisoners passed through the nearby checkpoint on Tuesday evening.

The men were then driven to the Muqataa presidential compound in Ramallah, where they were kissed and embraced by President Abbas.

They then prayed at the tomb of the late Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, before joining the president on a podium to cheers from hundreds of people waiting to see them.

In a speech, Mr Abbas said he would not rest "until we free all the prisoners from Israeli jails".

"We congratulate ourselves and our families for our brothers who left the darkness of the prisons for the light of the sun of freedom. We say to them and to you that the remainder are on their way, these are just the first," he added.

Israel has agreed to free a further 78 long-serving prisoners as part of a deal to revive the peace process. The releases will take place in four tranches over a period of nine months, depending on progress in the talks.

Later, the former prisoners were mobbed by relatives, friends and well-wishers. Several of them were hoisted onto shoulders and paraded through the crowd.

In the northern Gaza Strip, hundreds of people gathered at the Palestinian side of the Erez crossing to greet the prisoners. Fireworks lit the night sky, as supporters of the rival Hamas and Fatah factions, including several masked gunmen, made victory signs and waved flags.

Earlier in the evening, two buses carrying the 26 Palestinians, many of whom were convicted of grisly killings, left Ayalon prison near Tel Aviv. Relatives of their victims, many with their hands painted red, jeered and briefly tried to block the road.

One bus headed off to the Erez crossing, while the other went to Ofer prison, near Ramallah, where they were handed over to Palestinian officials before being taken to Ramallah.

The released prisoners were named by the Israeli Prison Service shortly after midnight on Sunday, giving Israelis 48 hours to submit legal challenges to the Supreme Court. The court rejected an appeal by a victims' rights group that objected to all the releases on Tuesday.

The prisoners are seen as heroes of the Palestinian cause, but on the Israeli side they are simply seen as terrorists, our correspondent says.

"I want to see this 'hero' coming back home, saying that he killed a 34-year-old pregnant woman and a five-year old kid," said Avi Moses, who lost his wife and son in a bomb attack in 1987. "They should be ashamed of themselves. They are cowards."

Settlement move 'expected'

Despite the positive Palestinian reaction to the prisoner releases, many fear Wednesday's talks will be overshadowed by the Israeli housing ministry's decision on Sunday to issue tenders for the building of 793 housing units in East Jerusalem and 394 elsewhere in the West Bank.

Palestinian representatives accused Israel of trying to sabotage the negotiations.

About 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

On Monday, US Secretary of State John Kerry urged the Palestinians "not to react adversely".

He said the announcement was "to some degree expected", but that he did not expect it would derail the negotiations.

Mr Kerry stated that the US "views all of the settlements as illegitimate" and had "communicated that policy very clearly to Israel".

"I think that what this underscores, actually, is the importance of getting to the table and getting to the table quickly," he added.

On Tuesday, it emerged that the municipality of Jerusalem had approved a further 900 homes close to the Jewish settlement of Gilo in East Jerusalem. A city councillor said construction would not begin for years.

Our correspondent says that when Israeli and Palestinian negotiators return to the negotiating table on Wednesday it will be in a charged atmosphere of renewed mistrust.

Mr Icahn says Apple shares are "extremely undervalued" and wants Apple to carry out a bigger share buyback.

In April, Apple said it would return $100bn (£65bn) to shareholders by the end of 2015, by raising its dividend and buying back shares.

Mr Icahn said he had a "nice" conversation with Apple's chief executive Tim Cook and plans to speak to him again shortly.

In response Apple said in a statement: "We appreciate the interest and investment of all our shareholders.

"Tim had a very positive conversation with Mr Icahn today."

A US media report said that Mr Icahn's stake is worth well over $1bn, making it one of his biggest shareholdings.

Since hitting a record of $702 in September 2012, Apple shares have fallen 30%.

The announcement helped to boost those shares, and they closed up 4.75% at $489.57.

In an interview with Reuters Mr Icahn said the shares could reach $700 again, if Apple carries out a $150bn share buyback.

Activist investor

Mr Icahn is known for his aggressive investment style, which involves taking large stakes in firms and pushing managers to change direction.

He is currently involved in a high profile battle to prevent Michael Dell buying back the company he founded.

Mr Icahn claims his plan offers better value for Dell shareholders.

Not all of Mr Icahn's investments become confrontational.

He owns a 10% stake in the internet video service, Netflix and has been happy with the company's performance.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned BP last November blaming the firm's "lack of business integrity" after the Deepwater Horizon explosion.

The blast in 2010 killed 11 workers and released an estimated four million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

BP says the ban unfairly includes 21 of its subsidiaries that were not connected to the spill.

"We believe that the EPA's action here is inappropriate and unjustified as a matter of law and policy, and we are pursuing our right to seek relief in federal court," said Geoff Morrell, BP's head of US communications.

"At the same time, we remain open to a reasonable settlement with the EPA."

BP is one of the biggest suppliers of fuel to the US government.

The ban has not affected existing contracts but has prevented BP from taking new leases in the Gulf where it drills for oil.

BP is also in a battle over its compensation scheme for businesses affected by the 2010 oil spill.

It says there is a risk that hundreds of millions of dollars in claims payments could be fraudulent.

But last month a US judge rejected BP's request to suspend all payments related to the Gulf Coast oil spill.

The $11bn (£7bn) deal, which would form the world's largest airline, was backed by a federal judge in March and has been approved by the European Union.

The complaint says customers would see a price rise as the merger would "substantially lessen competition" in the domestic market.

US Airways boss Doug Parker said the company would fight the injunction.

"We are extremely disappointed in this action and believe the DOJ [Department of Justice] is wrong in its assessment," Mr Parker said in a letter to employees.

The District of Columbia and six US states and have joined the legal action: Texas, where American Airlines is headquartered, Arizona, where US Airways is based, Florida, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.

American Airlines and US Airways said that in light of the justice department's action they no longer expected the merger to close by the end of 2013, but that they remained "hopeful" litigation would be over by year's end.

Shares in both companies fell, along with the stock prices of other airlines, as news of the anti-trust case hit the markets on Tuesday.

"By challenging this merger, the Department of Justice is saying that the American people deserve better," US Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement.

"This transaction would result in consumers paying the price - in higher air fares, higher fees and fewer choices."

The lawsuit also cites direct competition between the airlines on nonstop routes worth about $2bn in annual revenues.

In one example, the complaint says the newly merged company would take up 69% percent of flights out of Washington's Reagan National Airport and 63% of nonstop routes out of the airport.

The airlines had previously conceded take-off and landing slots at airports in Philadelphia and London in order to win EU approval last week.

When the deal was announced in February, US Senate Commerce Committee chairman Jay Rockefeller also expressed concern that consumers would lose.

American Airlines has been in bankruptcy protection since November 2011, but US Airways has been profitable in recent years.

'Stake in the heart'

The two combined airlines would have 6,700 daily flights and annual revenue of roughly $40bn.

The justice department complaint argues the two companies do not need to merge to continue to be competitive, and that American Airlines is likely to exit bankruptcy as a "vigorous competitor".

The department also cited American Airlines' purchase two years ago of 460 new planes, said to be the largest such order in industry history.

If the merger continues, there will be only three major US airlines, which the justice department alleges "increasingly prefer tacit coordination over full-throated competition".

Some industry analysts suggest that American Airlines and US Airways' ability to compete without a merger is not as strong as the department argues.

"I'm not sure if long term either of these airlines can be a viable competitor by itself," Ray Neidl, an airline analyst at Nexa Capital, told the BBC.

"It probably will cause prices to go down in the short term as they compete, but I think long term US Airways and American are going to have a hard time competing."

But one opponent of the two firms' consolidation, Charlie Leocha, director of the Consumer Travel Alliance, told Reuters news agency: "This is a stake in the heart of the merger. I don't see this moving forward."

Police said Fariba Ahmadi Kakar was abducted by armed men while travelling in the central province of Ghazni with her three daughters.

It is the first time a female MP has been snatched by insurgents.

Police said the kidnappers had demanded the release of four Taliban prisoners in exchange for Mrs Kakar.

Ms Kakar's children were later released in an operation involving Nato forces and Afghan intelligence - but she is said to be being held in a separate location.

The abduction marks a sinister milestone in violent attacks against prominent women in Afghanistan, says the BBC's Karen Allen in Kabul.

As Nato troops prepare to leave the country at the end of next year, there are very real concerns that limited freedoms won for Afghan women are starting to unravel, our correspondent adds.

Just last month, the most senior policewoman in southern Helmand province was shot dead on her way to work.

And last week, Afghan senator Rooh Gul and her husband survived an attack in Ghazni in which their daughter was killed.

Mr Rebelo said the pace of construction must be accelerated if the venues are to be ready by this December.

Brazil has seen two months of protests against corruption and overspending in the preparation for the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

Only one of the six stadiums under construction is on schedule.

The opening match venue in Sao Paulo is 84% built and is expected to be ready by the end of the year, as demanded by the World Cup organisers, Fifa.

There are bigger concerns over the pace of work at the arenas being built in Manaus, Curitiba, Cuiaba, Porto Alegre and Natal, which are from 71% to 79% ready.

"This must be seen as a warning. We cannot keep on the same rhythm, or we will not deliver them on time," said Mr Rebelo.

"It is possible to intensify. We are able to meet the deadlines, but it should be noted that it will require us to speed up the construction."

He warned that no extra government funds would be given to construction companies to have the work finished on time.

"There will be no budget increase, because, for example, instead of paying 10 workers during two months, you can pay 20 to work for 30 days," Mr Rebelo explained.

The World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums across the country.

The opening match is due to take place at a brand-new venue being built in the outskirts of Sao Paulo on 12 June.

The final is scheduled for the 13 July in country's most famous football stadium, the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro.

Six of the World Cup venues were put to test in June during the Confederations Cup, won by Brazil with a 3-0 victory over world champions Spain in the final.

Fifa has previously said that the World Cup will go ahead in Brazil as planned.

"The first game will happen in Sao Paulo, the final will be in Rio. There is no plan B," said Fifa general-secretary Jeremy Valcke during the Confederations Cup.

The incident happened on 23 April in a town in Kashgar prefecture. Fifteen officials or security personnel were among those killed.

China said it was a planned attack by a "violent terrorist group".

But other accounts dispute this, attributing the confrontation to ethnic tensions in the restive region.

Xinjiang is home to the Muslim Uighur minority, who make up about 45% of the region's population but say an influx of Han Chinese residents has marginalised their traditional culture.

The authorities often blame violent incidents in Xinjiang on Uighur extremists seeking autonomy for the region.

Uighur activists, meanwhile, accuse Beijing of over-exaggerating the threat to justify heavy-handed rule.

Verifying reports from Xinjiang is difficult.

While foreign journalists are allowed to travel to the region, they frequently face intimidation and harassment when attempting to verify news of ethnic rioting or organised violence against government authorities.

The BBC team that visited the site of the incident to try to clarify details were taken by police to a government compound and subsequently ordered to leave.

'Religious extremism'

The two men sentenced to death by Kashgar's Intermediate People's Court on murder and terrorism charges were named in state media as Musa Hesen, the co-founder of the "terrorist group", and Rehman Hupur.

Three other men were jailed for terms ranging from nine years to life.

The group had been "carrying out illegal religious activities (and) promoting religious extremism", Xinhua news agency reported, citing a court statement. They had also "made 10 explosive devices and carried out explosive tests", it said.

The violence was sparked when three officials saw suspicious behaviour at a house, Chinese reports say.

Residents seized the officials and several more police who came to the scene, many of whom burned to death when the house was set on fire. Security personnel shot six suspects, Chinese reports say.

But a group of local people in Selibuya town, where the clashes happened, told the BBC that the violence involved a local family who had a long-standing dispute with officials who wanted the men to shave their beards and the women to stop wearing full veils.

A spokesperson for the World Uighur Congress, an umbrella organisation of Uighur groups, also disputed the government's version, saying the clashes were a result of a government clean-up campaign.

The incident comes amid rumbling ethnic tensions between the Muslim Uighur and Han Chinese communities.

In 2009 almost 200 people - mostly Han Chinese - were killed in deadly rioting in Xinjiang's capital, Urumqi.

There have been sporadic eruptions of violence since then - in June 2013, 35 people were killed in rioting in the township of Lukqun, about 200km (120 miles) south-east of Urumqi.

Residents of Kesennuma in Miyagi prefecture voted to scrap the Kyotoku Maru No 18 - swept inland by a giant wave triggered by a strong earthquake.

There had been plans to preserve the boat as a monument.

The tsunami and earthquake on 11 March 2011 left more than 18,000 people dead or missing in Japan.

The magnitude 9.0 quake, Japan's most powerful since records began, also triggered a nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The earthquake struck about 400km (250 miles) north-east of Tokyo. The tsunami it triggered hit the north-eastern coast of the main island of Honshu, sweeping away cars, ships and buildings, and crushing coastal communities.

Kesennuma, with an estimated population of 70,000, was one of the hardest hit by the tsunami.

After the disaster, people started visiting the marooned 60-metre (200-foot) boat to pray, take photographs and leave flowers.

But last week, it was announced that the majority of the city residents had voted to have the ship broken up for scrap.

"Our city has decided to demolish the vessel since nearly 70% of residents did not want to preserve it," a local official was quoted by Agence-France Presse news agency as saying.

"It's just a constant reminder of the terrible disaster," resident Yoshimi Abe told the Associated Press news agency. "When I walk by it every morning, my heart aches."

City Mayor Shigeru Sugawara expressed disappointment that the boat, which he said was a "visible symbol of what happened here", would be destroyed, but he said the decision had been made.

The vessel may be taken apart in a few weeks, reports say.

Kyodo news agency reports that a non-profit ship recycler has been contacted to dismantle the vessel, which is owned by fishing company Gisuke Gyogo in Fukushima prefecture.