Written By Unknown on Rabu, 17 Desember 2014 | 22.57
Pakistani police have issued a warning that terrorists are planning to plant magnetic bombs on school buses.
Authorities in Islamabad issued a letter calling on schools to increase security and to check underneath buses and other vehicles.
It comes after seven Taliban gunmen killed more than 130 children and nine teachers during a massacre at an army-run school in Peshawar on Tuesday.
The letter warns schools to increase security and check under vehicles
Pakistan army chief General Raheel Sharif and the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) flew to Afghanistan on Wednesday to meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to discuss tackling Taliban militants in both countries.
Army spokesman Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa said: "We are hoping that we will see strong action from the Afghan side in the coming days."
Video:Pakistan Mourns Lost Children
Relations between the two countries have been tense, with both sides blaming the other for covertly supporting anti-government insurgents.
On Wednesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reinstated the death penalty in terrorism cases in the wake of the attack as three days of mourning began after the country's deadliest terror attack.
Government spokesman Mohiuddin Wan said: "It was decided that this moratorium should be lifted. The prime minister approved.
1/23
Gallery: Bloody Aftermath Of School Attack
A Taliban massacre that killed 141 teachers and children at an army-run school in Pakistan has left a scene of heart-wrenching devastation
Blood is seen still splattered on the floor and the stairs as local media are allowed inside the school a day after the attack
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Video:Britons Reveal IS Fight In Syria
By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Two Britons who went to Syria to fight IS have told of their battles on the front line - and how they vowed to kill each other rather than get captured.
Jamie Read and James Hughes told how they dodged bullets during chaotic patrols with Kurdish forces after recording a "goodbye" video for their families in case they died.
They described spending hours lying in the "pitch black" in no-man's land, in conditions they said were reminiscent of World War One.
On one occasion, it was so cold that a young Kurdish comrade collapsed with hypothermia - "body-popping" on the ground next to them.
In an exclusive Sky News interview after their return to the UK, the pair also revealed how panic alarms have been installed in their homes, amid fears they could be targets for IS supporters.
They strongly denied being mercenaries, telling how they had sold possessions to fund their flights and had returned to the UK to "mounting debts and bills".
1/8
Gallery: British Pair Joined Fight Against Islamic State
James Hughes and Jamie Read gave an exclusive interview to Sky News
James Hughes from Worcestershire is a former soldier who served three tours in Afghanistan
]]>
Jamie Read from Lanarkshire, Scotland, spent time training with the French army
]]>
He said that he had 'zero tolerance' for terrorism
]]>
The men joined Kurdish fighters in Syria battling IS
]]>
They had not been paid "a penny" for their exploits, though they had been "treated like royalty" by some of the Kurdish troops, the men said.
And the former soldiers gave a detailed account of their time in Iraq and Syria, explaining that they had travelled to fight IS militants because they had "zero tolerance for terrorism".
Describing what had prompted them to travel, Mr Read said the beheading of British aid convoy volunteer Alan Henning had been the final straw.
"Alan Henning - aid worker, British - put him on his hands and knees and cut his head off, you know what I mean," Mr Read said.
"Can you really find justification in sitting back here and doing nothing?"
Mr Read, 24, and Mr Hughes, 26, revealed that organising the trip had been quite simple with a "phone call here or there" and some communication over Skype.
They were screened by simply having their Facebook posts checked and ensuring that social media friends were not IS supporters, Mr Read said.
The pair said that after arriving in Irbil, northern Iraq, they were transported via the Kurdish HQ to the front line in Syria.
During the journey the Britons said they had no idea whether they had landed in a trap.
"I'm not going to lie, this was one of the most frightening processes you can go through, you know, the paranoia: through the roof," Mr Read said.
"You get picked up by a guy who doesn't speak English, so straight away there's a language barrier.
Video:UK Needs 'Stronger Foreign Policy'
"When we got to the safe house... it's sort of dodgy-looking, so you think 'I don't really like this'. At one point, you think 'is this the point I'm going to get handed over?'"
After getting a uniform and weapons, Mr Hughes said they eventually "rocked up" on the frontline to an old schoolhouse covered in mud.
They arrived to cheers from their Kurdish comrades, were plied with chai (tea) and cigarettes, and met three other Westerners who had joined the fight.
During their three weeks on the front line, their duties included terrifying night patrols where it was the "blackest black... like being in a cave with no lights".
"You are left staring into the pitch black, hoping no one sees you first," Mr Read said.
The Britons said they had hatched a plan to shoot each dead rather than being caught and paraded on television as hostages.
"We wouldn't get captured, bottom line, we couldn't get captured, we're not getting our heads paraded on YouTube, we made that vow before we went out.
"Everybody out there is carrying a round for themselves. Nobody wants to be captured by IS. Nobody wants to end up on YouTube getting their head cut off.
"So for us, as harsh as it sounds, it's probably the better way to go. It's the old saying, 'you keep a round for each other'."
Describing their final day, Mr Read told how the pair had been out on patrol towards a nearby village where IS militants had been holed up.
"All of a sudden we just got opened up on. Quite a lot of small arms (...) quite a lot of AKs and they were quite close.
1/12
Gallery: Peshmergas On The Front Line In The Battle Against Islamic State
Kurdish Peshmerga forces sweep the Bakirta village near the town of Makhmur, south of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan
Members of Kurdish "peshmerga" troops ride a vehicle during an intensive security deployment on the outskirts of Diyala, northeast of Baghdad
]]>
"There were rounds coming in and they were really close - they were pinging and they were bouncing, whizzing over your head - obviously it's a very distinctive noise.
"There was a lot of shouting, a lot of screaming, a lot of F-words being dropped."
The pair said they were forced to flee through a village which was "littered with IEDs (improvised explosive devices)" before returning to base.
"We eventually made it out but this was a real eye-opener - this is how these people were going to act - there's something more that needs to be done there."
They returned to Britain last week and were questioned by anti-terrorism officers for six hours at Heathrow airport before being released.
Asked whether they would return to Syria, Mr Read said: "I'd like to think we would have the opportunity to go back."
But he added: "I'm unsure on the political stance - I'm not sure whether our Government would appreciate us going back."
:: You can watch an extended special report on the IS-fighting Britons at 2.30pm, 4.30pm and 8.30pm, today, as well as a half-hour special programme at 9.30pm.
Watch the report on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.
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Exclusive: Death Pact Of IS-Fighting Britons
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Video:Britons Reveal IS Fight In Syria
By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Two Britons who went to Syria to fight IS have told of their battles on the front line - and how they vowed to kill each other rather than get captured.
Jamie Read and James Hughes told how they dodged bullets during chaotic patrols with Kurdish forces after recording a "goodbye" video for their families in case they died.
They described spending hours lying in the "pitch black" in no-man's land, in conditions they said were reminiscent of World War One.
On one occasion, it was so cold that a young Kurdish comrade collapsed with hypothermia - "body-popping" on the ground next to them.
In an exclusive Sky News interview after their return to the UK, the pair also revealed how panic alarms have been installed in their homes, amid fears they could be targets for IS supporters.
They strongly denied being mercenaries, telling how they had sold possessions to fund their flights and had returned to the UK to "mounting debts and bills".
1/8
Gallery: British Pair Joined Fight Against Islamic State
James Hughes and Jamie Read gave an exclusive interview to Sky News
James Hughes from Worcestershire is a former soldier who served three tours in Afghanistan
]]>
Jamie Read from Lanarkshire, Scotland, spent time training with the French army
]]>
He said that he had 'zero tolerance' for terrorism
]]>
The men joined Kurdish fighters in Syria battling IS
]]>
They had not been paid "a penny" for their exploits, though they had been "treated like royalty" by some of the Kurdish troops, the men said.
And the former soldiers gave a detailed account of their time in Iraq and Syria, explaining that they had travelled to fight IS militants because they had "zero tolerance for terrorism".
Describing what had prompted them to travel, Mr Read said the beheading of British aid convoy volunteer Alan Henning had been the final straw.
"Alan Henning - aid worker, British - put him on his hands and knees and cut his head off, you know what I mean," Mr Read said.
"Can you really find justification in sitting back here and doing nothing?"
Mr Read, 24, and Mr Hughes, 26, revealed that organising the trip had been quite simple with a "phone call here or there" and some communication over Skype.
They were screened by simply having their Facebook posts checked and ensuring that social media friends were not IS supporters, Mr Read said.
The pair said that after arriving in Irbil, northern Iraq, they were transported via the Kurdish HQ to the front line in Syria.
During the journey the Britons said they had no idea whether they had landed in a trap.
"I'm not going to lie, this was one of the most frightening processes you can go through, you know, the paranoia: through the roof," Mr Read said.
"You get picked up by a guy who doesn't speak English, so straight away there's a language barrier.
Video:UK Needs 'Stronger Foreign Policy'
"When we got to the safe house... it's sort of dodgy-looking, so you think 'I don't really like this'. At one point, you think 'is this the point I'm going to get handed over?'"
After getting a uniform and weapons, Mr Hughes said they eventually "rocked up" on the frontline to an old schoolhouse covered in mud.
They arrived to cheers from their Kurdish comrades, were plied with chai (tea) and cigarettes, and met three other Westerners who had joined the fight.
During their three weeks on the front line, their duties included terrifying night patrols where it was the "blackest black... like being in a cave with no lights".
"You are left staring into the pitch black, hoping no one sees you first," Mr Read said.
The Britons said they had hatched a plan to shoot each dead rather than being caught and paraded on television as hostages.
"We wouldn't get captured, bottom line, we couldn't get captured, we're not getting our heads paraded on YouTube, we made that vow before we went out.
"Everybody out there is carrying a round for themselves. Nobody wants to be captured by IS. Nobody wants to end up on YouTube getting their head cut off.
"So for us, as harsh as it sounds, it's probably the better way to go. It's the old saying, 'you keep a round for each other'."
Describing their final day, Mr Read told how the pair had been out on patrol towards a nearby village where IS militants had been holed up.
"All of a sudden we just got opened up on. Quite a lot of small arms (...) quite a lot of AKs and they were quite close.
1/12
Gallery: Peshmergas On The Front Line In The Battle Against Islamic State
Kurdish Peshmerga forces sweep the Bakirta village near the town of Makhmur, south of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan
Members of Kurdish "peshmerga" troops ride a vehicle during an intensive security deployment on the outskirts of Diyala, northeast of Baghdad
]]>
"There were rounds coming in and they were really close - they were pinging and they were bouncing, whizzing over your head - obviously it's a very distinctive noise.
"There was a lot of shouting, a lot of screaming, a lot of F-words being dropped."
The pair said they were forced to flee through a village which was "littered with IEDs (improvised explosive devices)" before returning to base.
"We eventually made it out but this was a real eye-opener - this is how these people were going to act - there's something more that needs to be done there."
They returned to Britain last week and were questioned by anti-terrorism officers for six hours at Heathrow airport before being released.
Asked whether they would return to Syria, Mr Read said: "I'd like to think we would have the opportunity to go back."
But he added: "I'm unsure on the political stance - I'm not sure whether our Government would appreciate us going back."
:: You can watch an extended special report on the IS-fighting Britons at 2.30pm, 4.30pm and 8.30pm, today, as well as a half-hour special programme at 9.30pm.
Watch the report on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.
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When confronted with the atrocious truth of the Islamic State death cult's murder videos there is a natural instinct to "do something".
In the case of the British Government, the reflex has led to muddled thinking. In the case of two former British soldiers, it led to the front line.
Both are naïve. But only one of these groups is guaranteeing their own failure.
Jamie Read and James Hughes travelled to Kurdistan and took up arms against IS. They spent a little over three weeks on the front line.
They were interviewed by the police on their return but not, unlike every other group of Britons that has travelled to fight in the Syrian civil war, arrested and charged with terrorism.
Volunteers who have gone to fight against the regime of Bashar al Assad are all deemed to be dangerous terrorists.
Those who fight alongside the Kurds are seen as intelligence assets.
Jamie Read (L) and James Hughes (R) met American Jordan Matson
Of course, some of those who choose to fight in Syria do so because they subscribe to the theology of the IS and its global ambitions to enforce a Caliphate.
But other Syrian groups fighting against Assad do not have this agenda. Seen as "moderates", these rebel movements have received funding, training, and non-lethal aid from London and Washington.
Video:Ex-Soldiers 'Did Nothing Wrong'
Join them, though, and you'll be jailed.
Right now, in Jordan, there is a Military Operations Centre (MoC) staffed by, among others, British and American officers working with Syrian rebels and trying to put together a coherent ground force to exploit the effects of air strikes by the US-led coalition against Islamic State.
It's a bit of a struggle to win the trust of Syria's non-Kurd rebels.
The West has done very little to help them, has not imposed a no-fly zone on the Damascus regime but has bombed the al Nusra Front, probably the most effective rebel group fighting Assad.
Video:'You Are Treated Like Royalty'
Syrian rebel sources have told Sky News that the coalition has "about six months" before they collapse completely and may throw their lot in with Islamic State or al Qaeda affiliate the al Nusra Front.
Meanwhile, a small but steady trickle of volunteers - all of them unpaid - are making their way to the Kurds from the UK and other parts of Europe.
Their motivations are mixed.
Some, Hughes and Read admitted, have a "death wish" and nothing to live for back home. Others, like them, felt a compulsion to do their bit to stop IS, and no doubt others are war junkies, fantasists or downright nutters.
Video:Jamie Read: 'Absolutely No Regrets'
They have, though, managed to do something that their governments have shied away from. They have reached a conclusion about who in this war are the "goodies" and then joined up.
UK and US leaders have not quite figured out who they want to win in Syria.
The Kurds get backing for their plucky defence of their autonomous region.
But Syria's other rebels are a mixed bag, which in terms of UK law, are all being defined as "terrorists" - even the ones that the UK and US are funding.
1/8
Gallery: British Pair Joined Fight Against Islamic State
James Hughes and Jamie Read gave an exclusive interview to Sky News
James Hughes from Worcestershire is a former soldier who served three tours in Afghanistan
American Alan Gross has been released from Cuba after five years in prison, signalling a potential shift in US-Cuba relations.
Mr Gross is on a US government plane bound for Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, and is expected to arrive around midday.
Cuba also released a non-American "asset" with Mr Gross, US officials said.
Their release was part of a reported prisoner exchange that included three Cubans imprisoned in Florida for spying.
Supporters rally for Alan Gross near the White House in December 2013
The Vatican played a key role in helping both sides reach the agreement, said US Senator Dick Durbin, who hailed President Barack Obama for moving toward better relations with Cuba.
"I was overjoyed by this news," Sen Durbin told Reuters.
The White House said the President will make a statement on US-Cuba relations at 12pm (5pm GMT).
Cuban President Raul Castro is also scheduled to make an announcement, according to state television.
Mr Gross' imprisonment has been a major sticking point in improving ties between the two countries, which have not had formal diplomatic relations since 1961.
American officials said the US government will hold talks with Cuba to normalise full diplomatic relations, including the opening of a US embassy in Havana.
Mr Obama is expected to ease a decades-old embargo and travel restrictions that prevent most Americans from travelling to Cuba, officials said.
US Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat, criticised the decision to release Cuban spies in exchange for Mr Gross' freedom.
He said Mr Obama's "actions have vindicated the brutal behaviour of the Cuban government".
"Trading Mr Gross for three convicted criminals sets an extremely dangerous precedent," Sen Mendendez said in a news release.
Mr Gross, 65, was arrested on 3 December 2009.
The US government contractor was sentenced to 15 years in prison for importing banned technology and trying to establish clandestine internet services for Cuban Jews.
At the time of his arrest, Mr Gross was working as a subcontractor for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), a government agency that works to promote democracy on the island.
In April, Mr Gross pressed President Obama to get personally involved in negotiating his release.
He announced at the time that he was going on a hunger strike "to object to mistruths, deceptions, and inaction by both governments".
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 16 Desember 2014 | 22.57
The deputy chairman of Russia's central bank has conceded the rouble is in deep trouble but says it will take action to remedy the problem soon.
"The situation is critical. We could not imagine this in our worst nightmare a year ago," Sergei Shvetsov was quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax as saying.
He said the shock overnight hike in its key interest rate from 10.5% to 17% "will be followed by other measures to stabilise the situation".
Despite the increase the rouble continued to fall sharply throughout the day, hitting the 80 to the dollar mark and decreasing in value by 20% in a matter of hours.
"Trust me, the choice the central bank's board of directors made was one between bad and much, much worse," Mr Shvetsov added.
Video:Russian Economy In A Crisis
"In the coming days, the situation will be comparable with the toughest period of 2008. I think that the experience we accumulated over the past crises will help us find the right solution and survive this situation. I very much hope so."
The Bank of Russia's shock decision to up its core rate was a response to the rouble's value sinking by almost 50% over the course of the year - hit by Western sanctions imposed over the Ukraine conflict and plummeting oil prices.
It was also intended to settle nerves back home as fears grow that the extent of Russia's economic problems - largely unreported by state media - could spark panic among consumers as price rises become unmanageable.
By raising interest rates, the bank also hoped investors would find it more financially appealing to keep their money in Russia, whose economy relies heavily on oil revenues.
Central bank chairwoman Elvira Nabiullina said earlier the move should stem inflation, although she admitted it will take the rouble "some time" to find its correct value.
Russian stocks fell slightly on Tuesday morning with the MICEX benchmark 1.5% lower, reflecting the additional pressure on businesses.
Video:What's Causing Falling Oil Prices?
Falls of more than 50% in world oil prices are tipped to plunge Russia into recession next year.
On Tuesday the value of Brent crude slipped to new five-year low, falling below $60-per-barrel for the first time since July 2009.
The Bank Of Russia had raised the rate from 5.5% earlier this year to 10.5% just last Thursday.
It said then that it expected inflation to run at 10% this year and climb higher in the first quarter of 2015.
But the rouble has plunged further against the dollar this week, to 65 on Monday and then 80 on Tuesday, after dropping from 55 roubles last week.
Alexei Kudrin, Russia's finance minister from 2000-2011, said on Twitter: "The fall of the rouble is not just a reaction to low oil prices and the sanctions but also (a show of) distrust to economic policies of the government."
Video:Putin Points Finger At The West
He called on Russian president Vladimir Putin to take appropriate measures, although he did not specify what these should be.
Moscow's involvement in Ukraine has led to the US and the European Union imposing a range of sanctions which have added to Russia's economic woes.
These have included blocking Western financial markets to key Russian companies and limiting imports of some technologies.
Further sanctions are likely after the US Congress passed legislation on Monday that could see Washington providing weapons and other assistance to Ukraine.
Pakistan's prime minister Nawaz Sharif has called the Taliban's massacre at a school in Peshawar a "national tragedy".
The province has been the target of frequent militant attacks in the past.
The Pakistani Taliban said the attack on the military-run school was "revenge" for a widespread military operation in the North Waziristan tribal area earlier this year.
The group, called Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was formed in 2007, in the aftermath of the siege of the Red Mosque in Islamabad.
A radical stands in front of the Red Mosque in 2007
The group's first leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a US missile attack in August 2009.
TTP is an umbrella for militant groups, united in fighting the Pakistani military.
It aims to impose a strict interpretation of the Koran throughout the country.
Here are just some of the attacks they have been linked to in recent years:
:: Benazir Bhutto Assassination 2007
Pakistan's government accused TTP of involvement in the assassination of the former prime minister in December 2007, although the group denies it.
:: Marriott Hotel Bombing 2008
A Taliban-linked group claimed responsibility for the September 2008 truck bomb attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, which killed 53 people.
:: Times Square Plot 2010
Baitullah Mehsud was succeeded by Hakimullah Mehsud, who pledged to use suicide bombers in the US. He was behind the failed truck bomb attack in New York's Times Square in May 2010.
The US Department of State formally declared the group a terrorist organisation in September 2010, with the UK and Canada following suit in 2011.
:: Malala Yousafzai Shooting 2012
In October 2012 the Taliban shot the schoolgirl in the head outside her school in Swat Valley for daring to speak about girls' rights.
She survived, and went on the win the Nobel Peace Prize.
:: Karachi Airport Attack 2014
After peace talks with the Pakistan government in June 2014 failed, the Taliban attacked Karachi Airport, killing 26 people.
A week later the Pakistan military began a major military offensive, Operation Zarb e Azb in the Waziristan region, which has seen hundreds of militants killed.
Police in Iran say Sydney cafe gunman Man Horan Monis was wanted in his home country over a fraud committed almost 20 years ago.
Three people died as the 16-hour siege came to a dramatic end just after 2am local time when armed police stormed the building.
One was the 50-year-old "lone gunman" who Iranian police say fled to Malaysia after committing fraud while working as the manager of a travel agency in 1996.
Following legal proceedings in 2000, Iran's judiciary reportedly informed Interpol about his crime and demanded his extradition from Australia.
Australia allegedly refused to do so, saying it did not have a criminal extradition agreement with Iran.
Video:"We Must Learn Lessons From This"
Shortly after laying flowers near the scene, prime minister Tony Abbott labelled radical group Islamic State a "death cult" and said there were questions to be answered over why Monis had been freed on bail.
He confirmed that he was not on a terrorism watch list.
"This has been an absolutely appalling and ugly incident - that's the only way to describe it. Our hearts go out to the families of Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson. These were decent ordinary people who were going about their ordinary lives.
"Decent, innocent people who were caught up in the sick fantasy of a deeply disturbed individual."
He added Monis "certainly had been well-known to the Australian Federal Police... but I don't believe that he was on a terror watch list at this time."
A year before the cafe siege Monis was released on bail after being accused of involvement in his wife's murder, adding to a string of sex charges against him.
Video:Map - Sydney Siege Location
Police deputy commissioner Catherine Burn commented: "He was on bail and in terms of that matter, his movements will form part of the critical investigation.
"He has clearly made some statements. This is a man who had a serious history of offences and a history of violence. A man we do believe had some extremist views and we also believe he was unstable.
"We will clearly have a look at all the things we can find out about him so we can determine what might have triggered anything."
She refused to speculate on the actions of the cafe manager, when asked if he had acted heroically.
"I'm not going to talk about individual actions at all. This will all come out in time but can I just say every single one of the hostages, every single one of those victims was courageous," she added.
Earlier, police commissioner Andrew Scipione told reporters that 17 hostages had been accounted for in total, including five who escaped early in the attack.
Video:Sydney Siege: Special Report
He added that the Lindt cafe had been secured and no explosive devices found.
Mr Scipione said the incident was "isolated" and urged people not to "speculate" about what had happened, adding police believed more lives could have been lost had they not taken action.
"Events that were unfolding inside the premises led them to the belief that now was the time to actually deploy, and they did," he said.
"I understand there were a number of gunshots that were heard, which caused officers to move towards an emergency action plan."
Jeb Bush has announced he will "actively explore" a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.
The son of former President George HW Bush and brother of former President George W Bush has long been rumoured to be mulling a bid for the White House.
"I am excited to announce I will actively explore the possibility of running for President of the United States," Mr Bush posted on Twitter.
The former Florida governor is the first potential Republican candidate to formally move toward a presidential bid.
A spokeswoman for Mr Bush said a "final decision" on whether to run will come in 2015 after he gauges support for a potential campaign.
Launching an exploratory committee allows Mr Bush to begin setting up the complex apparatus required to run a presidential bid.
In a message on Facebook, Mr Bush told followers he plans to set up a political action committee (PAC) to "facilitate conversations with citizens across America to discuss the most critical challenges facing our exceptional nation".
The PAC also gives the former governor a much-needed tool to raise money.
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Video:Children Killed In Pakistan Attack
Taliban gunmen have killed 130 people, including at least 100 children, in a school attack in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Nine men stormed the army-run school while around 500 children and teachers were believed to be inside, with many students taking exams at the time.
At least 122 people are thought to have been injured in the siege, most in the first few hours of the attack as the gunman fired bullets indiscriminately at pupils and teachers.
A local hospital said the dead and injured were aged from 10 to 20 years old.
"One of my teachers was crying, she was shot in the hand and she was crying in pain," Shahrukh Khan, 15, who was shot in both legs, said.
1/22
Gallery: Taliban In Deadly School Raid
Pakistani men help an injured student to a hospital following an attack by Taliban gunmen on a school in Peshawar
Rescue workers and family members carry the coffin of a student, who was killed during the attack
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Ambulances, carrying schoolchildren, make their way from the school
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Students have told of their terror as the school was stormed
]]>
"One terrorist then walked up to her and started shooting her until she stopped making any sound. All around me my friends were lying injured and dead."
Teachers and pupils were held hostage by the Tehreek-e-Taliban gunmen before the army stormed the building in a bid to end a battle which raged for almost nine hours.
As darkness fell, a military source said "the operation is complete," adding that all nine militants were dead.
Local media reported that the men managed to slip past the school's tight security because they were wearing Pakistani military uniforms.
The Taliban said the militants were equipped with suicide vests and there were fears of more casualties when three explosions were heard inside the school.
Video:Teacher Describes Taliban Siege
"We selected the army's school for the attack because the government is targeting our families and females," said Taliban spokesman Muhammad Umar Khorasani.
"We want them to feel our pain."
Police struggled to hold back distraught parents trying to break past a cordon and get to the school as the loud explosions went off inside.
"My son was in uniform in the morning. He is in a casket now," wailed one parent, Tahir Ali, as he came to the hospital to collect the body of his 14-year-old son Abdullah. "My son was my dream. My dream has been killed."
Video and photos showed other young children in their green uniforms being led away from the school by soldiers and an army helicopter flying overhead.
Video:Students' Terror In Taliban Raid
A school bus driver said: "We were standing outside the school and firing suddenly started and there was chaos everywhere and the screams of children and teachers."
The school is located on the edge of a military cantonment in Peshawar, but the majority of the students are civilian.
One of the wounded students, Abdullah Jamal, said that he was with a group of 8th, 9th and 10th graders who were getting first-aid instructions and training with a team of Pakistani army medics when the violence began for real.
When the shooting started, Abdullah, who was shot in the leg, said nobody knew what was going on in the first few seconds.
"Then I saw children falling down who were crying and screaming. I also fell down. I learned later that I have got a bullet," he said, speaking from his hospital bed.
Video:Schoolchildren Rushed To Hospital
"All the children had bullet wounds. All the children were bleeding," Abdullah added.
Pakistan's prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who has arrived in the area, called the massacre a "national tragedy".
Education campaigner and Nobel peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai, who left Pakistan after being shot by the Taliban, said: "I am heartbroken by this senseless and cold-blooded act of terror in Peshawar that is unfolding before us."
The 17-year-old said she and millions of others "mourn these children, my brothers and sisters but we will never be defeated".
British Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the attack and called it "deeply shocking".
Video:Why Did Taliban Target Children?
"It's horrifying that children are being killed simply for going to school," he said.
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Video:Children Killed In Pakistan Attack
Taliban gunmen have killed 130 people, including at least 100 children, in a school attack in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Nine men stormed the army-run school while around 500 children and teachers were believed to be inside, with many students taking exams at the time.
At least 122 people are thought to have been injured in the siege, most in the first few hours of the attack as the gunman fired bullets indiscriminately at pupils and teachers.
A local hospital said the dead and injured were aged from 10 to 20 years old.
"One of my teachers was crying, she was shot in the hand and she was crying in pain," Shahrukh Khan, 15, who was shot in both legs, said.
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Gallery: Taliban In Deadly School Raid
Pakistani men help an injured student to a hospital following an attack by Taliban gunmen on a school in Peshawar
Rescue workers and family members carry the coffin of a student, who was killed during the attack
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Ambulances, carrying schoolchildren, make their way from the school
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Students have told of their terror as the school was stormed
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"One terrorist then walked up to her and started shooting her until she stopped making any sound. All around me my friends were lying injured and dead."
Teachers and pupils were held hostage by the Tehreek-e-Taliban gunmen before the army stormed the building in a bid to end a battle which raged for almost nine hours.
As darkness fell, a military source said "the operation is complete," adding that all nine militants were dead.
Local media reported that the men managed to slip past the school's tight security because they were wearing Pakistani military uniforms.
The Taliban said the militants were equipped with suicide vests and there were fears of more casualties when three explosions were heard inside the school.
Video:Teacher Describes Taliban Siege
"We selected the army's school for the attack because the government is targeting our families and females," said Taliban spokesman Muhammad Umar Khorasani.
"We want them to feel our pain."
Police struggled to hold back distraught parents trying to break past a cordon and get to the school as the loud explosions went off inside.
"My son was in uniform in the morning. He is in a casket now," wailed one parent, Tahir Ali, as he came to the hospital to collect the body of his 14-year-old son Abdullah. "My son was my dream. My dream has been killed."
Video and photos showed other young children in their green uniforms being led away from the school by soldiers and an army helicopter flying overhead.
Video:Students' Terror In Taliban Raid
A school bus driver said: "We were standing outside the school and firing suddenly started and there was chaos everywhere and the screams of children and teachers."
The school is located on the edge of a military cantonment in Peshawar, but the majority of the students are civilian.
One of the wounded students, Abdullah Jamal, said that he was with a group of 8th, 9th and 10th graders who were getting first-aid instructions and training with a team of Pakistani army medics when the violence began for real.
When the shooting started, Abdullah, who was shot in the leg, said nobody knew what was going on in the first few seconds.
"Then I saw children falling down who were crying and screaming. I also fell down. I learned later that I have got a bullet," he said, speaking from his hospital bed.
Video:Schoolchildren Rushed To Hospital
"All the children had bullet wounds. All the children were bleeding," Abdullah added.
Pakistan's prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who has arrived in the area, called the massacre a "national tragedy".
Education campaigner and Nobel peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai, who left Pakistan after being shot by the Taliban, said: "I am heartbroken by this senseless and cold-blooded act of terror in Peshawar that is unfolding before us."
The 17-year-old said she and millions of others "mourn these children, my brothers and sisters but we will never be defeated".
British Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the attack and called it "deeply shocking".
Video:Why Did Taliban Target Children?
"It's horrifying that children are being killed simply for going to school," he said.
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Written By Unknown on Senin, 15 Desember 2014 | 22.57
The gunman who held up to 20 people hostage in a Sydney cafe has been named as Sheikh Man Haron Monis, aged 49.
He was holed up in a cafe in the heart of the city's financial and shopping area for several hours, raising a black Islamist flag and using human shields in the window.
A number of the hostages have managed to escape as the siege ended with a series of loud blasts.
An image of Monis protesting in 2009
Sydney police say Monis - who claimed he'd planted two bombs inside the cafe and two more nearby - is well-known to them.
Channel Nine reporter Airlie Walsh told Sky News that the existing charges against him include accessory to murder and sexual assault.
Video:Map - Sydney Siege Location
She said: "The list of charges against the Sheikh are extremely long and extremely worrying.
"He's a very secretive man on a personal level, but he is notorious for his acts of violence."
She added that he moved to Australia in 1996 from Iran.
He is notorious in Australia for sending abusive letters to family members of soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
Sky's Sam Kiley said Monis may have a "fetish for self-publicity" which could have proved "useful to the hostage negotiators".
Video:'They Put ISIS Sign On The Window'
He added that Monis is currently on bail for 47 sexual assaults and is a "fantasist" with a "really very chaotic background".
His former lawyer Manny Conditsis said: "This is a one-off random individual. It's not a concerted terrorism event or act. It's a damaged goods individual who's done something outrageous.
"His ideology is just so strong and so powerful that it clouds his vision for common sense and objectiveness."
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Video:Ex-Hostage Reacts To Sydney Siege
A former hostage described the terror he felt while being held captive and urged those caught up in an armed siege in the Sydney cafe to remain calm.
The siege was brought to end after more than 16 hours when armed police stormed the building.
Gunfire and explosions were heard and several people have been injured.
Mark Henderson was taken hostage in 2003 by left-wing rebels while trekking in the Colombian jungle.
Some of the hostages managed to flee to safety
"You are completely powerless, everything you took for granted is gone, you have no freedom," he told Sky News.
Speaking about the siege in the Lindt cafe, he said: "The one thing I would say is to stay calm, to try to understand what is going on around you.
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Gallery: Latest Images From Australia
A bomb disposal robot moves towards Sydney's Lindt Cafe after armed police moved in to end the seige in a barrage of gunfire.
A woman is carried out of the cafe after armed police stormed the building where a gunman was holding up to 20 hostages
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Several people were taken away from the scene on stretchers in the aftermath of the assault on the cafe
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Armed officers were apparently forced to go into the building after a group of five hostages made thier escape
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"Also to stay positive. I stayed positive through my ordeal, because if I kept in my mind that I could get out one day, it would happen."
Asked how the hostages in Australia might be feeling, he said: "Confused, I imagine quite scared, curious about what is going on and what is going on in the outside world.
"In those first few hours we just went along with what they (the kidnappers) said.
"For the first few days I did not believe it was happening to me, this is something that happens on the news or to someone else."
Mr Henderson was held for 101 days, during which time he was made to walk more than 700 miles in remote mountainous jungle.
He described how the situation changed over time and that there was "a slow acceptance" of what was happening.
"It was like an out-of-the-body experience. It took quite a while for it to sink in," he said.
Video:'They Put ISIS Sign On The Window'
He tried to develop relationships with some of his captors and understand their motives.
"At some point you have to control your terror and anger otherwise it gets worse and worse," he said.
In the Sydney siege several customers and members of staff managed to escape before police stormed the building.
Mr Henderson said some of the other foreign tourists he was with managed to escape six or seven hours into the kidnapping.
But others who tried to escape further into their ordeal were later captured and treated cruelly.
"It takes a certain kind of person who could do that (escape) and the situation has to be right....you are putting your life in danger," he said.
Mr Henderson was released along with four other hostages in December 2003 when the rebels handed them over to mediators.
Video:Gunman Takes Hostages In Sydney
He described the impact of coming out alive from a hostage situation.
"I think every person is different. Every one of us has come out differently at the end and dealt with it differently.
"A lot is to do with the person you are going into it and the support you have on the way out and the support you have outside. There is no set way you should feel or react. There's no set of instructions I can give.
"Time is a very good healer."
Six years after his release Mr Henderson returned to meet one of his captors and made a documentary about his experiences.
:: Follow live updates of the Sydney siege
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Former Hostage Describes Terror Of Captivity
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Ex-Hostage Reacts To Sydney Siege
A former hostage described the terror he felt while being held captive and urged those caught up in an armed siege in the Sydney cafe to remain calm.
The siege was brought to end after more than 16 hours when armed police stormed the building.
Gunfire and explosions were heard and several people have been injured.
Mark Henderson was taken hostage in 2003 by left-wing rebels while trekking in the Colombian jungle.
Some of the hostages managed to flee to safety
"You are completely powerless, everything you took for granted is gone, you have no freedom," he told Sky News.
Speaking about the siege in the Lindt cafe, he said: "The one thing I would say is to stay calm, to try to understand what is going on around you.
1/48
Gallery: Latest Images From Australia
A bomb disposal robot moves towards Sydney's Lindt Cafe after armed police moved in to end the seige in a barrage of gunfire.
A woman is carried out of the cafe after armed police stormed the building where a gunman was holding up to 20 hostages
]]>
Several people were taken away from the scene on stretchers in the aftermath of the assault on the cafe
]]>
]]>
Armed officers were apparently forced to go into the building after a group of five hostages made thier escape
]]>
"Also to stay positive. I stayed positive through my ordeal, because if I kept in my mind that I could get out one day, it would happen."
Asked how the hostages in Australia might be feeling, he said: "Confused, I imagine quite scared, curious about what is going on and what is going on in the outside world.
"In those first few hours we just went along with what they (the kidnappers) said.
"For the first few days I did not believe it was happening to me, this is something that happens on the news or to someone else."
Mr Henderson was held for 101 days, during which time he was made to walk more than 700 miles in remote mountainous jungle.
He described how the situation changed over time and that there was "a slow acceptance" of what was happening.
"It was like an out-of-the-body experience. It took quite a while for it to sink in," he said.
Video:'They Put ISIS Sign On The Window'
He tried to develop relationships with some of his captors and understand their motives.
"At some point you have to control your terror and anger otherwise it gets worse and worse," he said.
In the Sydney siege several customers and members of staff managed to escape before police stormed the building.
Mr Henderson said some of the other foreign tourists he was with managed to escape six or seven hours into the kidnapping.
But others who tried to escape further into their ordeal were later captured and treated cruelly.
"It takes a certain kind of person who could do that (escape) and the situation has to be right....you are putting your life in danger," he said.
Mr Henderson was released along with four other hostages in December 2003 when the rebels handed them over to mediators.
Video:Gunman Takes Hostages In Sydney
He described the impact of coming out alive from a hostage situation.
"I think every person is different. Every one of us has come out differently at the end and dealt with it differently.
"A lot is to do with the person you are going into it and the support you have on the way out and the support you have outside. There is no set way you should feel or react. There's no set of instructions I can give.
"Time is a very good healer."
Six years after his release Mr Henderson returned to meet one of his captors and made a documentary about his experiences.
:: Follow live updates of the Sydney siege
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Breaking News: Gunfire And Blasts As Sydney Cafe Stormed
Breaking News: Gunman 'Notorious For Violence'
Breaking News: Live Updates: Hostage Situation in Lindt Cafe
A man has told how he came face-to-face with the gunman who is holding hostages at a cafe in Australia.
The unnamed man said he noticed a woman trying to get into the locked cafe several times, and investigated further.
He said: "I was looking in there wondering why she didn't go somewhere else for her coffee after being told 'no, you're not going inside'.
"Then the gunman opened a bag up and revealed a gun to her to get rid of her.
"She went running down the stairs saying 'gun gun gun, gun in the blue bag.
Video:'They Put ISIS Sign On The Window'
"I saw the gunman, he was quite tall, maybe late 40s, long white-sleeved shirt on with a black vest. He was calm, he was pacing.
"I could still see customers sat down at their tables, they were locked in and they were aware they were locked in."
Journalist Chris Kerry who was in the cafe moments before the hostage situation began said things unfolded very quickly.
He said: "I was in the cafe to get a takeaway coffee, then I sat outside to chat on the phone.
Video:Gunman Takes Hostages In Sydney
"In the few minutes I was on the phone, this unfolded. I don't know whether the gunman was in there while I was in the cafe, or went in a minute or two afterwards.
"Either way, this unfolded very quickly, and inside that cafe there was no hint - people were sitting over coffee going about their normal business."
Another man told reporters that people initially thought it was an armed robbery: "I walked up to the door, everyone was sitting down and the door was locked which is pretty weird because it's never locked.
"There was one guy in a hat and a beard walking around, and another guy told me it was armed robbery and that's when the police showed up and cordoned off the whole area, and then that's when everyone inside put their arms against the window."
Video:Sydney Gunman Known To Police
A Lindt store staff member said: "I was on the way to work this morning when I was trying to get inside and customers were waiting outside, no-one knew what was going on.
"There were closed signs all around the place and basically a woman just shouted out 'he has a gun' and everyone just started running away like crazy."
Abby Hempfling, who works in a nearby office, said: "It was too close for comfort. It's been an anxiety-filled day.
"I'm glad to be home safely now but feel for the people inside that building.
Video:Sydney Siege - What We Know
"We were in a Monday morning meeting when someone ran in in a bit of a panic, saying 'ISIS has a hostage across the road, no-one go out'."
A colleague of two of the hostages - Kathryn Chee - said: "The male that was standing there he's such a funny guy, constantly cracking jokes and laughing with the customers when they accidentally drop their food on the floor or anything like that.
"Just to see him standing still – he just didn't move, he was just standing there still as a statue. I've never seen him that still for any amount of time.
"My other colleague – she's such a quiet girl but she's so lovely – she was standing there with her arms up and she was crying and wiping away tears. She looked like she was shaking and it was hard to hold her arms up."
The hostage situation in Sydney sparked an outpouring of solidarity on social media with the hashtag #illridewithyou trending worldwide.
Two Arabic flags, similar to those used by Islamic State, were seen inside the Lindt cafe.
The Australian government and Muslim leaders have condemned the attack and called for unity.
Amid uncertainty about the hostage-taker's motives and fears of reprisals an Australian woman reportedly started the #illridewithyou hashtag to reassure Muslims who might feel threatened on public transport in the coming days.
@SirTessa wrote: "If you reg take the #373 bus b/w Coogee/MartinPl, wear religious attire, & don't feel safe alone: I'll ride with you. @ me for schedule."
Twitter users responded to this in their thousands with many offering to accompany people in Sydney and other Australian cities.
Video:'They Put ISIS Sign On The Window'
@Eddieperfect wrote: "My family and I are heading in and out of the city by tram in melbs tomorrow. We'll stand by anybody #illridewithyou."
@karennaree tweeted: "#illridewithyou anytime, anyplace, anywhere. We won't be beaten by evil. Praying the hostages will be safe."
The hashtag has been tweeted over 90,000 times.
Elsewhere on social media a number of people have been criticised for tweeting selfies standing by the cordon around the Lindt cafe.
Passers-by and shoppers uploaded the images of themselves to Twitter with hashtags including #hostagesituationselfie.
Their actions have been condemned on the micro-blogging site.
@stillgray wrote: "People taking selfies at the area around the Sydney hostage situation. We have reached peak selfie and it is terrible."
Police have stormed a Sydney cafe where hostages have been held for the past 17 hours, running into the building amid a barrage of heavy gunfire.
Moments earlier at least five more panicked hostages escaped from the Lindt cafe in the city's central business district.
Seven people were also taken from the Martin Place cafe on stretchers. Five of those hostages are being treated at the scene.
An elderly lady has also been helped from the cafe by heavily-armed police officers.
There was a series of loud explosions and flashes as two police officers rushed towards the building's entrance.
Video:Injured Hostages Taken From Scene
Glass shattered across the pavement as a man dressed in bomb-disposal kit stood poised to enter the premises.
Alarms rang in the street as more police officers and ambulance crews were sent into the cafe, where a gunmen has at least 15 hostages in a tense stand-off.
After the hostages escaped and police entered the cafe, a bomb-disposal robot approached the doorway.
Former SAS member Pete Winner told Sky News it appeared Australian police believed the hostages were in immediate danger.
Video:Sydney Siege: Police Storm Cafe
"It looks like they've done a full assault with explosive entry," he said.
"It appears the gunfire was probably the taking down of the gunman."
Police have confirmed that the siege has now ended.
The gunman has been named as Sheikh Man Haron Monis, who is notorious in Australia for sending abusive letters to family members of soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
Video:More Hostages Flee Sydney Siege
The siege began at 10am local time when Monis - who was previously known to both Sydney police and media - entered the cafe in Martin Place carrying a pump-action shotgun.
Hostages were seen holding a black flag with white Arabic text similar to those displayed by the Islamic State group.
Footage showed Monis apparently using one hostage as a human shield.
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 14 Desember 2014 | 22.57
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been re-elected with a two-thirds majority in a snap ballot, exit polls suggest.
The vote had been portrayed by Mr Abe as a referendum on his plans to revive the world's third-biggest economy.
The Japanese leader may use his victory to push ahead with tough economic reforms, but with turnout on course for a record low this could weaken his claim of a mandate.
Exit polls shortly after voting finished showed Mr Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner had secured between 328 and 333 of the 475 seats in the lower house.
The result is enough to maintain its "super-majority", and smooth the way for its policies through parliament.
Speaking on the eve of the election, Mr Abe said: "I have been pushing for Abenomics, the policies designed to create jobs and raise salaries.
"Japan can be much richer."
But many voters, doubtful over Mr Abe's plans to generate growth and the opposition's ability to come up with an alternative, stayed at home.
Hopes for the PM's strategy suffered a setback after the economy slipped into recession following a sales tax rise in April.
In response, Mr Abe delayed a second tax hike to 10% until 2017, raising concerns about how Japan will curb its huge public debt.
Doubts also remain over Mr Abe's ability to tackle more politically-sensitive areas of reform, including deregulation of the labour market, and the highly protected farm sector.
Experts say Mr Abe may also use his fresh four-year term to focus on changing Japan's pacifist constitution to ease limits on the military.
This is likely to cause concern in China and South Korea, where bitter memories of Japan's past militarism remain raw.
