Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 24 Januari 2015 | 22.57
At least 20 people are dead and 86 have been wounded after rebels shelled homes, shops, schools and a busy market in a strategically important city in southeast Ukraine.
The Interior Ministry said homes were alight and the mobile phone network had gone down after pro-Russian separatists fired long-range rockets on the port city of Mariupol in the region of Donetsk.
Pro Russian separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko said the attack was the start of an offensive on the city.
It came the day after he said he was ripping up the September peach agreement and launching an all-out offensive aimed at seizing lands.
Mariupol is strategically important
He was quoted by a Russian news agency as saying at a memorial service for eight civilians killed at bus stop: "Today an offensive was launched on Mariupol. This will be the best possible monument to all our dead."
Mariupol mayor Yuriy Khotlubei said in a video statement: "The shelling was carried out by militants. This is very clearly Russian aggression that has caused terrible losses for the residents of the eastern part of our city."
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Gallery: At Least 20 Dead In Ukraine Rocket Attack
At least 20 people have been killed and 86 wounded in an attack on a residential area in the port city of Mariupol.
Ukraine's Interior Ministry says long-range rockets were fired on homes, buildings and a busy open air market.
Graphic photographs showing the moments that a hot air balloon caught fire and then plummeted to the ground have been released.
The four images were submitted as evidence to an inquest into the New Zealand tragedy in which 11 people died in January 2012.
A coroner has allowed them to be released to the media after it was argued that showing the pictures was in the public interest.
News organisations and most of the families of the victims had wanted the images of the flight, including one of the balloon hitting power lines, to be published.
The balloon hit power lines during the flight. Pic: Geoff Walker
But the photographer who took them, Geoff Walker, opposed their release because he owned the copyright and feared they would become public property outside his control.
Mr Walker, who took hundreds of photos of the flight which were given to police as evidence, dropped an appeal, saying the decision was likely to have ended up back with the coroner.
The pictures show the basket in flames and then the balloon itself catching fire.
Most of the victims' families wanted the photos released. Pic: Geoff Walker
The tragedy in Carterton was one of the country's worst air disasters.
Allan and Vivienne Still, parents of Alexis Still, who died in the tragedy, had earlier told One News the public needed to see the photos.
People planning to travel on balloons had the right to see the images as part of making an informed decision about safety, they said.
The cause of the disaster is under investigation by the coroner Peter Ryan.
In 2013, investigators said the pilot of the balloon, 53-year-old Lance Hopping, had probably smoked marijuana before the flight.
The balloon is pictured plummeting to the ground. Pic: Geoff Walker
The balloon took off at 6.40am in good weather, but Hopping, they concluded, had made several errors of judgement.
They included letting it get too low during the flight, applying the burners when he got near power lines in an attempt to rise above them and not descending fast enough when he was about to strike the lines.
The balloon basket became entangled in the lines and exploded into flames, their report found.
The heat then caused the balloon to break free of the wires and rapidly ascend, before crashing into the ground.
Two of the passengers who jumped out when the balloon was about about 20 metres (66ft) up died in the fall.
Hopping and the remaining passengers were killed when the balloon crashed to the ground.
The Greek prime minister has urged voters not to take the country to the "brink of catastrophe" in this weekend's general election.
Antonis Samaras told the final campaign rally of his centre-right New Democracy party that he had little choice to enforce austerity because the "ship was sinking".
Starting in 2010, Greece agreed to make drastic cuts to public spending and increase taxes in order to unlock two successive bailouts, totalling €240bn (£179bn).
As the Greek electorate enters a "day of reflection" to consider the wide array of parties on offer, the front-runner, the radical left group called Syriza, has extended its lead in the polls.
Forty-year-old leader Alexis Tsipras has said he wants to end the tough bailout conditions, which he argues have locked the country into a straitjacket of debt, unemployment and stagnation.
Video:Family Living Off Food Donations
His opponents counter by saying the policies have spurred the country to a primary budget surplus and a slow return to growth.
It's still difficult convincing many Greeks though, as youth unemployment is running at almost 60%, with general unemployment over 27%.
The election has wide-ranging implications for the rest of the Eurozone.
If Mr Tsipras is able to win a simple majority he will be able to take a much stronger stand with Greece's creditors.
Video:How Greece Affects The UK
That would be tempered if he had to govern in a coalition with more centrist, pro-European parties.
He has said he wants to stay within the Euro, but his critics warn that if he's too tough in his negotiation, the so-called troika of the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Union may withdraw their support.
That could lead to a debt default and a so-called "Grexit", or departure from the single currency.
Syriza's hand will be determined by the dynamics of the electoral system.
Video:Power Cut Kills Paraplegic Mum
The 300 seats in the Greek parliament are handed out according to proportional representation, with the most popular party securing a 50 seat bonus.
To enter the chamber, parties have to achieve a 3% share of the total vote. Polls suggest seven parties may achieve that on Sunday.
The more support that goes to the smaller parties the more Syriza's chance of an overall majority are diminished.
That's an outcome which will be watched with interest across Europe and by those with their hands on the levers of the world's economy.
Four men suspected of forming a terror cell have been arrested in Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta.
Police are investigating whether the two pairs of brothers may have been planning an attack.
The suspected Islamist militants were described by interior minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz as "highly radicalised and highly trained".
He said there were "many parallels" with the two brothers who killed 12 people in an attack on the Paris office of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo this month.
Mr Diaz did not elaborate.
Spanish riot police patrol along the fence between Morocco and Melilla
The four men are reportedly of Moroccan origin but hold Spanish nationality.
Police found combat gear and knives as they searched two houses in Ceuta, a city bordering Morocco, officials said.
The investigation started two weeks ago when one of the men posted a video on Facebook showing him providing military training and urging others to wage jihad, El Pais newspaper reported.
Spain and Morocco have arrested dozens of suspected jihadist militants and recruiters in recent years, including around Melilla and Ceuta, which are on the Mediterranean coast.
Spain is among a number of European countries struggling to deter young Muslim citizens from becoming jihadists in Syria or Iraq, fearing they might return to plot attacks on home soil.
The Spanish cabinet has said it will put forward a plan to counter radicalisation among Muslim citizens at its weekly meeting next Friday.
The Japanese government is trying to verify claims that one of the two hostages held by Islamic State has been killed.
A 72-hour deadline set by IS for the Japanese government to pay a $200m (£133m) ransom to secure the pair's release expired on Friday.
A clip has now been released online purportedly of one of the hostages, journalist Kenji Goto, claiming his fellow captive Haruna Yukawa has been killed.
But there was some confusion as a report from the Japanese Times said the captives were still alive.
Islamic State has threatened to kill the hostages
A Japanese government spokesman said the apparent murder of the private military company operator was "an outrageous and unacceptable act".
He added: "We strongly demand the prompt release of the remaining Mr Kenji Goto, without harm."
Cabinet ministers were holding an emergency meeting about the new message apparently from the jihadist group.
Earlier, the mother of Mr Goto pleaded with militants to spare her son's life.
Junko Ishido said her son is a friend of Islam who devoted his life to helping children in war zones.
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 23 Januari 2015 | 22.57
Thousands Mourn Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah
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Video:Thousands Mourn Saudi King Abdullah
Thousands of people are on the streets of Saudi Arabia mourning King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz who died overnight.
Video images showed Abdullah's body being carried at his funeral in the capital, Riyadh.
He will be buried this afternoon following the funeral at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque.
Muslim dignitaries from around the world arrived in Riyadh for the funeral, under heavy guard.
State television aired images of the prayer ahead of his burial. The footage showed Abdullah's body shrouded in a simple beige cloth in line with Islamic tradition.
Video:King Abdullah Of Saudi Arabia Dies
Abdullah, who took power in 2005 following the death of King Fahd, died in hospital at 1.00am local time. He is believed to be aged 90 or 91.
A television statement announced his death and said his half-brother Crown Prince Salman had succeeded to the throne.
"With great sadness and mourning His Royal Highness Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, and all members of the family and the nation, express condolences for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud," the statement said.
The late monarch's half-brother Moqren has been confirmed as the new Saudi Crown Prince.
The public will be invited to pledge allegiance to the new monarch and Crown Prince at the royal palace later today.
The Prince of Wales, representing Her Majesty The Queen, will also travel to Saudi Arabia to pay his condolences.
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Gallery: Pictures: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, the powerful American ally who joined the US fight against al Qaeda and sought to modernise the conservative Muslim kingdom, has died aged 90
The King maintained historically close ties with Washington, but there was friction as he sought to put those relations on Saudi Arabia's terms. He is seen here with Barack Obama last year
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The former US president George W. Bush sips tea with Abdullah in Al Janadriyah, Saudi Arabia, in 2008
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King Abdullah was born in Riyadh in 1924, one of the dozens of sons of Saudi Arabia's founder, King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud
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Abdullah assertively threw his oil-rich nation's weight behind trying to shape the Middle East
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The Department of Culture, Media and Sport announced that flags would be flown at half mast at Westminster following the death.
Abdullah had run the country as de factor leader since the mid-1990s after his predecessor suffered a debilitating stroke.
He was admitted to hospital on 31 December suffering pneumonia and the royal court announced that he was breathing with the aid of a tube.
Sky's Middle East correspondent Sherine Tadros said the death comes after weeks of speculation and rumour about the monarch's health.
"He's been ill for several weeks. He was admitted to hospital in December with a liver infection and there have been rumours over the past few weeks that he had died," she said.
His successor King Salman, 79, became Crown Prince in June 2012 after the death of Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz.
Video:Saudi King Abdullah Dies
He has represented Abdullah at recent public events due to the late king's ailing health.
In a televised speech after the death was announced he vowed to continue the policies of his predecessors.
"We will continue adhering to the correct policies which Saudi Arabia has followed since its establishment," King Salman said.
"The Arab and the Islamic nations are in dire need of solidarity and cohesion," he added.
World leaders have paid tribute to Abdullah, who encouraged reforms to the oil-rich kingdom including greater freedom for women and economic deregulation.
During his reign, Abdullah worked to counter the influence of Saudi Arabia's chief rival Iran.
On hearing of his death, Iran offered condolences and said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif would travel to Riyadh for an "official ceremony".
Abdullah and his fellow Sunni Arab monarchs also staunchly opposed the wave of pro-democracy uprisings across the Middle East since 2011.
Saudi Arabia has been among several Gulf countries taking part in a US-led air campaign against Islamic State.
His nation also unflinchingly led Gulf countries in ignoring calls by other producers to cut oil output to curb the sliding price of crude.
He also launched projects to build new economic cities, universities and high-speed railways.
His death means the British Queen is now the oldest monarch in the world, aged 88.
Video:Saudi King Abdullah's Legacy
Elizabeth became Queen in February 1952 following the death of her father, George VI.
She is older than Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah of Malaysia and Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who are both 87.
US President Barack Obama expressed his condolences in the wake of Abdullah's death, hailing his "steadfast and passionate belief" in Saudi-American relations.
"As a leader, he was always candid and had the courage of his convictions," Mr Obama said in a statement.
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Thousands Mourn Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Thousands Mourn Saudi King Abdullah
Thousands of people are on the streets of Saudi Arabia mourning King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz who died overnight.
Video images showed Abdullah's body being carried at his funeral in the capital, Riyadh.
He will be buried this afternoon following the funeral at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque.
Muslim dignitaries from around the world arrived in Riyadh for the funeral, under heavy guard.
State television aired images of the prayer ahead of his burial. The footage showed Abdullah's body shrouded in a simple beige cloth in line with Islamic tradition.
Video:King Abdullah Of Saudi Arabia Dies
Abdullah, who took power in 2005 following the death of King Fahd, died in hospital at 1.00am local time. He is believed to be aged 90 or 91.
A television statement announced his death and said his half-brother Crown Prince Salman had succeeded to the throne.
"With great sadness and mourning His Royal Highness Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, and all members of the family and the nation, express condolences for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud," the statement said.
The late monarch's half-brother Moqren has been confirmed as the new Saudi Crown Prince.
The public will be invited to pledge allegiance to the new monarch and Crown Prince at the royal palace later today.
The Prince of Wales, representing Her Majesty The Queen, will also travel to Saudi Arabia to pay his condolences.
1/16
Gallery: Pictures: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, the powerful American ally who joined the US fight against al Qaeda and sought to modernise the conservative Muslim kingdom, has died aged 90
The King maintained historically close ties with Washington, but there was friction as he sought to put those relations on Saudi Arabia's terms. He is seen here with Barack Obama last year
]]>
The former US president George W. Bush sips tea with Abdullah in Al Janadriyah, Saudi Arabia, in 2008
]]>
King Abdullah was born in Riyadh in 1924, one of the dozens of sons of Saudi Arabia's founder, King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud
]]>
Abdullah assertively threw his oil-rich nation's weight behind trying to shape the Middle East
]]>
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport announced that flags would be flown at half mast at Westminster following the death.
Abdullah had run the country as de factor leader since the mid-1990s after his predecessor suffered a debilitating stroke.
He was admitted to hospital on 31 December suffering pneumonia and the royal court announced that he was breathing with the aid of a tube.
Sky's Middle East correspondent Sherine Tadros said the death comes after weeks of speculation and rumour about the monarch's health.
"He's been ill for several weeks. He was admitted to hospital in December with a liver infection and there have been rumours over the past few weeks that he had died," she said.
His successor King Salman, 79, became Crown Prince in June 2012 after the death of Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz.
Video:Saudi King Abdullah Dies
He has represented Abdullah at recent public events due to the late king's ailing health.
In a televised speech after the death was announced he vowed to continue the policies of his predecessors.
"We will continue adhering to the correct policies which Saudi Arabia has followed since its establishment," King Salman said.
"The Arab and the Islamic nations are in dire need of solidarity and cohesion," he added.
World leaders have paid tribute to Abdullah, who encouraged reforms to the oil-rich kingdom including greater freedom for women and economic deregulation.
During his reign, Abdullah worked to counter the influence of Saudi Arabia's chief rival Iran.
On hearing of his death, Iran offered condolences and said Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif would travel to Riyadh for an "official ceremony".
Abdullah and his fellow Sunni Arab monarchs also staunchly opposed the wave of pro-democracy uprisings across the Middle East since 2011.
Saudi Arabia has been among several Gulf countries taking part in a US-led air campaign against Islamic State.
His nation also unflinchingly led Gulf countries in ignoring calls by other producers to cut oil output to curb the sliding price of crude.
He also launched projects to build new economic cities, universities and high-speed railways.
His death means the British Queen is now the oldest monarch in the world, aged 88.
Video:Saudi King Abdullah's Legacy
Elizabeth became Queen in February 1952 following the death of her father, George VI.
She is older than Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah of Malaysia and Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who are both 87.
US President Barack Obama expressed his condolences in the wake of Abdullah's death, hailing his "steadfast and passionate belief" in Saudi-American relations.
"As a leader, he was always candid and had the courage of his convictions," Mr Obama said in a statement.
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Ms Yingluck leaving the Thai parliament shortly before her impeachment
Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is to be put on trial in connection with a rice subsidy programme that lost the country billions of dollars.
The charge against the country's first female prime minister concerns her role in a scheme that paid farmers far above market prices for rice.
It also cost Thailand its place as the world's leading exporter.
If found guilty, she could face up to 10 years in prison. Her successful impeachment by parliament has already seen her banned from politics for five years.
A planned press conference by Yingluck was cancelled
The former PM was removed from office last May days before a military coup, amid allegations of abuse of power.
She later issued a statement on Facebook saying: "Democracy has died in Thailand today, along with the rule of law. That move to destroy me is still ongoing and I face it now."
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Gallery: Hunger Games Salute Is Thai Protest
People in Bangkok protesting against military rule hold their three middle fingers in the air during a brief demonstration at a shopping centre. The military has warned it will arrest anyone who uses the gesture, which is borrowed from the Hunger Games as a form of protest against the country's recent coup.
Thailand's military government sent thousands of troops and police into central Bangkok to prevent demonstrations against its seizure of power.
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The raised arm gesture has become a symbol of opposition to the military takeover on May 22 and a response to bans on political gatherings of more than five people. Click through for more pictures...
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The commission in July recommended criminal charges be filed against Ms Yingluck for the subsidy programme, which paid the farmers double the market price for rice.
The programme was a flagship electioneering policy, with Ms Yingluck saying the scheme would directly benefit Thai farmers and reduce the income equality gap in the country.
She won a landslide electoral victory in 2011 backed by the rural poor who benefited from the rice scheme.
Her supporters say the courts and ruling National Legislative Assembly (NLA) are biased and aligned with an establishment intent on blocking her powerful family from politics.
The decision to prosecute may renew tensions in the divided country, with Ms Yingluck's Red Shirt supporters seeing the move as part of an effort to deal a final blow to her party's political power after last year's coup.
The capital's streets were quiet on Friday, as residents obeyed the military junta's ban on public gatherings.
The government of coup leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has urged Ms Yingluck's supporters to stay out of Bangkok this week, although a repeat of the protests that have dogged the country in recent years is unlikely.
The impeachment is the latest chapter in 10 years of turbulent politics that have pitted Ms Yingluck and her brother Thaksin, himself a former prime minister, against the royalist-military establishment which sees the Shinawatras as a threat.
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Ms Yingluck leaving the Thai parliament shortly before her impeachment
Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is to be put on trial in connection with a rice subsidy programme that lost the country billions of dollars.
The charge against the country's first female prime minister concerns her role in a scheme that paid farmers far above market prices for rice.
It also cost Thailand its place as the world's leading exporter.
If found guilty, she could face up to 10 years in prison. Her successful impeachment by parliament has already seen her banned from politics for five years.
A planned press conference by Yingluck was cancelled
The former PM was removed from office last May days before a military coup, amid allegations of abuse of power.
She later issued a statement on Facebook saying: "Democracy has died in Thailand today, along with the rule of law. That move to destroy me is still ongoing and I face it now."
1/10
Gallery: Hunger Games Salute Is Thai Protest
People in Bangkok protesting against military rule hold their three middle fingers in the air during a brief demonstration at a shopping centre. The military has warned it will arrest anyone who uses the gesture, which is borrowed from the Hunger Games as a form of protest against the country's recent coup.
Thailand's military government sent thousands of troops and police into central Bangkok to prevent demonstrations against its seizure of power.
]]>
The raised arm gesture has become a symbol of opposition to the military takeover on May 22 and a response to bans on political gatherings of more than five people. Click through for more pictures...
]]>
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The commission in July recommended criminal charges be filed against Ms Yingluck for the subsidy programme, which paid the farmers double the market price for rice.
The programme was a flagship electioneering policy, with Ms Yingluck saying the scheme would directly benefit Thai farmers and reduce the income equality gap in the country.
She won a landslide electoral victory in 2011 backed by the rural poor who benefited from the rice scheme.
Her supporters say the courts and ruling National Legislative Assembly (NLA) are biased and aligned with an establishment intent on blocking her powerful family from politics.
The decision to prosecute may renew tensions in the divided country, with Ms Yingluck's Red Shirt supporters seeing the move as part of an effort to deal a final blow to her party's political power after last year's coup.
The capital's streets were quiet on Friday, as residents obeyed the military junta's ban on public gatherings.
The government of coup leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has urged Ms Yingluck's supporters to stay out of Bangkok this week, although a repeat of the protests that have dogged the country in recent years is unlikely.
The impeachment is the latest chapter in 10 years of turbulent politics that have pitted Ms Yingluck and her brother Thaksin, himself a former prime minister, against the royalist-military establishment which sees the Shinawatras as a threat.
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Many Japanese have responded to the Islamic State's demand for a $200m ransom for two hostages with a meme mocking the Islamist group.
A hashtag, which translates as "ISIS crappy collage grand prix" or "photoshop grand prix", was created and users have been using it to post parodies of the hostage video.
The video released by the group on Tuesday shows a militant, dressed in black and brandishing a knife as he stands between Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa, who are both clad in orange jumpsuits.
Twitter posts show the IS militant posed as a movie villain
This image has been photoshopped to make the British-accented jihadi a ninja and Dr Evil, while in others the two hostages appear as Japanese anime characters.
In another mocked-up image the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is seen laughing and pointing as the video plays on a screen.
The meme plays on the fact that the image of the two kneeled figures and their captor appears to have been photoshopped onto the desert background.
Social media users have been criticised for not taking the threat seriously
According to the social media analytics site, Topsy, the hashtag has been used more than 70,000 times since Tuesday as many use it to express their defiance.
djvjgrrl wrote on Twitter: "Tomorrow will be sad but it will pass and #ISIS will still be a big joke. You can't break our spirit."
But some people have criticised the posts for not taking the IS threat seriously.
JB~kun wrote: "So here I was checking this hashtag and apparently some of the Japanese tweets are making fun of the whole thing. Japan pls."
A clock counting down to the killing of Japanese hostages by Islamic State has reached zero - but the militant group has yet to break its silence on the pair's plight.
Posted alongside gruesome images of other murdered hostages on a website linked to the jihadist organisation, the clock counted down to the now-elapsed deadline previously given by IS.
They had given Japan 72 hours to pay a $200m ransom for the release of Kenji Goto, a journalist, and Haruna Yukawa, a private military company operator - if the ransom is not paid.
In the video, a black-clad militant addressed the camera in English
Earlier, the mother of one of the men pleaded with militants to spare her son's life.
Junko Ishido said her son, Mr Goto, is a friend of Islam who devoted his life to helping children in war zones.
Video:The Growth Of Islamic State
"I say to you people of the Islamic State, Kenji is not your enemy. Please release him," she said.
In the video, a black-clad militant brandishing a knife addresses the camera in English as he stands between two hostages wearing orange jumpsuits.
"You now have 72 hours to pressure your government into making a wise decision by paying the $200m to save the lives of your citizens," he says.
The footage, identified as being made by the group's al Furqan media arm and posted on militant websites, also sees the militant criticising the Japanese government's support for US-led airstrikes against IS.
Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the government is making every effort to secure the hostages' release.
"We have received offers of cooperation from various countries. We are continuing to analyse information," he said.
Asked whether Japan would pay the ransom, Mr Kishida said: "We will not give in to terrorism. We will fight against terrorism in cooperation with other countries."
IS has seized swathes of territory across Iraq and Syria in an attempt to form an Islamic Caliphate.
Videos featuring a British-accented jihadi were published showing the murders of US hostages James Foley and Steven Sotloff and British hostages David Haines and Alan Henning.
Mobs have looted more than 80 foreign-owned shops amid major disorder in South Africa, prompting 153 arrests.
President Jacob Zuma has called for order to be restored following days of violence in Johannesburg's Soweto township.
"The president has instructed the security cluster in cabinet as well as the provincial and local government ... to work together to bring the situation under control and work towards restoring normalcy," Mr Zuma's office said in a statement.
One foreign shopkeeper was shot dead by a teenager who allegedly tried to rob him on Monday night in the township.
A woman carrying her baby runs from a shop with a bag full of items
And police spokesman Kay Makhubela said at least 80 shops, most of them owned by Somalis, have been looted over the past few days.
"Young boys wanted to rob a shop and the owner opened fire and killed one of them," Mr Makhubela told the AFP news agency.
"That made the community angry, and that's what started all this."
Bystanders look on as two women walk off with looted products
The boy who was killed was 14 years old and the shopkeeper who shot him is a foreign national.
The violence has evoked memories of the spate of xenophobia-related incidents around Johannesburg's townships in 2008 that left 62 people dead.
Dozens of people now face charges of public violence - including a police officer reportedly caught on film participating in the looting.
The disorder has been blamed on poverty and unemployment
Lieutenant-General Lesetja Mothiba, police commissioner of South Africa's economic hub Gauteng, said officers had confiscated fridges and groceries valued at thousands of rands.
He blamed "youth who are addicted to drugs" for "taking advantage of this situation".
"They are targeting specific items from the shops, cigarettes, airtime and cash," he said.
Observers say widespread frustration caused by poverty and unemployment often descends into anti-immigrant violence in Johannesburg.
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 18 Januari 2015 | 22.57
The former head of MI5 has warned that Britain's anti-terror laws are "not fit for purpose".
Lord Evans' comments about the powers of intelligence and security agencies were reported as the Prime Minister said Britain is facing a "very severe threat" from Islamist extremists, including so-called "lone-wolf" terrorists.
Lord Evans told the Sunday Telegraph: "The ability of the police and security agencies to do this important work of protecting our society and its vulnerable people is under threat from changing technology.
"They can only do this if they have the tools to do so - and the tools at their disposal are no longer fit for purpose."
David Cameron is currently pushing for tougher requirements for internet firms to alert authorities to suspicious online exchanges, ban encrypted communications and store data.
Video:Lord Ashdown On Terror Threat
Former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown hit out at the push for increased powers, telling Sky's Murnaghan programme: "The whole nation is made a suspect under these proposals."
He added that while he believed Mr Cameron's demand for increased powers was "sincere", it was "connected to the general election", and said the PM was "cavalier" about the protection of civil liberties.
When asked if the message from the US to allies would be to keep up with the changes to anti-terror laws implemented by Washington, the US ambassador to the UK, Matthew Barzun, told the same programme: "Sure, and we work very closely with the UK and other partners around the world to try to achieve that balance."
Mr Cameron earlier spoke to US TV network CBS about measures to tackle extremism at home.
Video:Terror Laws: 'World Has Changed'
He said: "In Britain's history, we've had some very intense times of terrorist threats.
"Certainly we face a very severe threat.
"That's what we're calling it: severe, because we believe an attack is highly likely.
"But frankly, we've been in this struggle against extremist, Islamist terrorism now for well over a decade and a half, so we know what it takes to win, but it's going to take a lot of perseverance."
Video:Nick Clegg On New Terror Laws
He said the terror threat "keeps morphing" over time, "but it's still based on the fundamental problem of a poisonous death cult narrative which is the perversion of one of the world's major religions".
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and his US counterpart John Kerry are set to host talks in London with ministers from around 20 countries, including Arab states, to discuss ways of tackling Islamic State.
Members of the coalition fighting IS extremists in Syria and Iraq will meet for the summit on Thursday.
On Friday Mr Cameron vowed to tackle what he called the "poisonous narrative of Islamist extremism that is turning too many young minds".
Video:Cameron And Obama On Terror Threat
He was speaking following two days of talks with US President Barack Obama in Washington where they said a new group would be set up to exchange information and expertise to tackle the terror threat.
There are fears about the spread of terrorism after the Paris attacks that left 17 people dead and the arrest of more than two dozen people in anti-terror raids in Belgium, Germany and France.
On Saturday, an 18-year-old woman who was arrested at Stansted airport in Essex on suspicion of terrorist offences was released on bail.
Anti-terror officers arrested the teenager when she arrived on a flight at around 4pm on Friday.
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Video:Video Shows Donetsk Airport Damage
Ukrainian troops have launched an attack on Donetsk airport, retaking territory from rebel separatists, according to a military spokesman.
Houses were destroyed and electricity was cut for many homes and businesses as explosions ripped through parts of the Donetsk region.
The Ukraine defence ministry has claimed a child and a teenager have been killed by shelling in east Ukraine.
With rebels at one point claiming to control the airport, about 10 Ukrainian tanks rumbled across the snow toward the front lines on Saturday to reinforce soldiers desperately trying to defend it, local television showed.
Polish citizens evacuated from the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk
"The decision was taken for a mass operation," said military spokesman Andriy Lysenko during a televised briefing.
"We succeeded in almost completely cleaning the territory of the airport, which belongs to the territory of Ukrainian forces as marked by military separation lines."
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Gallery: Ukraine Army Volunteers Head For Front Line
Relatives of new volunteers for the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's Azov battalion watch before the troops depart to the frontlines in eastern Ukraine.
The Azov battalion was formed in May 2014 and is an all-volunteer paramilitary detachment which reports to the Ukraine Ministry of Internal Affairs. Click through for more pictures...
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Mr Lysenko said the operation had returned the battle lines near the blacked and wrecked site to where they were before, suggesting the Ukrainian army had not violated the Minsk 12-point peace plan agreed with Russia and separatist leaders last September.
Streets around Donetsk are reportedly deserted amid sounds of constant shelling and rocket fire from the vicinity of the airport overnight.
Intense clashes continued throughout Saturday night and into Sunday, and residents of the northwestern area of the city said neighbourhoods had also been hit by shelling.
"Ukrainian troops received the order and massively opened fire against known separatist positions," Yuri Biryukov, an adviser to Ukraine's president located near the front line, wrote on his Facebook page.
Rebel officials have reported at least two civilians killed, bringing the number of dead since Thursday to at least 23, including 13 Ukrainian soldiers.
Reports of the offensive come as Ukraine's president Petro Poroshenko promised to reassert control over the region and would not "give up an inch" of land to the rebels.
Russia's President Putin's spokesmen says Russia is concerned over the escalation of the violence in east Ukraine.
Aerial footage shot by a drone and uploaded to YouTube on Friday shows terminal buildings and other structures at the airport in a state of complete destruction after months of conflict.
Its cratered runways mean it has not functioned for months as an airport. But it has symbolic value for both sides and has become a flashpoint in the fighting.
The 12-point pact signed in Minsk in September 2014 was the first to win the backing of both Kiev and Moscow after five months of warfare that set off the deepest crisis in East-West relations for a generation.
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Donetsk Airport 'Retaken From Separatists'
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Video:Video Shows Donetsk Airport Damage
Ukrainian troops have launched an attack on Donetsk airport, retaking territory from rebel separatists, according to a military spokesman.
Houses were destroyed and electricity was cut for many homes and businesses as explosions ripped through parts of the Donetsk region.
The Ukraine defence ministry has claimed a child and a teenager have been killed by shelling in east Ukraine.
With rebels at one point claiming to control the airport, about 10 Ukrainian tanks rumbled across the snow toward the front lines on Saturday to reinforce soldiers desperately trying to defend it, local television showed.
Polish citizens evacuated from the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk
"The decision was taken for a mass operation," said military spokesman Andriy Lysenko during a televised briefing.
"We succeeded in almost completely cleaning the territory of the airport, which belongs to the territory of Ukrainian forces as marked by military separation lines."
1/6
Gallery: Ukraine Army Volunteers Head For Front Line
Relatives of new volunteers for the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's Azov battalion watch before the troops depart to the frontlines in eastern Ukraine.
The Azov battalion was formed in May 2014 and is an all-volunteer paramilitary detachment which reports to the Ukraine Ministry of Internal Affairs. Click through for more pictures...
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Mr Lysenko said the operation had returned the battle lines near the blacked and wrecked site to where they were before, suggesting the Ukrainian army had not violated the Minsk 12-point peace plan agreed with Russia and separatist leaders last September.
Streets around Donetsk are reportedly deserted amid sounds of constant shelling and rocket fire from the vicinity of the airport overnight.
Intense clashes continued throughout Saturday night and into Sunday, and residents of the northwestern area of the city said neighbourhoods had also been hit by shelling.
"Ukrainian troops received the order and massively opened fire against known separatist positions," Yuri Biryukov, an adviser to Ukraine's president located near the front line, wrote on his Facebook page.
Rebel officials have reported at least two civilians killed, bringing the number of dead since Thursday to at least 23, including 13 Ukrainian soldiers.
Reports of the offensive come as Ukraine's president Petro Poroshenko promised to reassert control over the region and would not "give up an inch" of land to the rebels.
Russia's President Putin's spokesmen says Russia is concerned over the escalation of the violence in east Ukraine.
Aerial footage shot by a drone and uploaded to YouTube on Friday shows terminal buildings and other structures at the airport in a state of complete destruction after months of conflict.
Its cratered runways mean it has not functioned for months as an airport. But it has symbolic value for both sides and has become a flashpoint in the fighting.
The 12-point pact signed in Minsk in September 2014 was the first to win the backing of both Kiev and Moscow after five months of warfare that set off the deepest crisis in East-West relations for a generation.
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Complaints about the treatment of migrant workers in Qatar are "a dirty game" to discredit the country, a senior government minister has told Sky News.
Human rights groups and trade unions have raised concerns over the treatment of migrant labourers driving the construction boom in Qatar, with the government admitting that almost 1,000 workers from Nepal, India and Bangladesh died in 2012 and 2013.
There are concerns that without reform, many more could die as construction on 2022 World Cup facilities accelerates in the coming months and years.
Abdullah bin Hamad al Attiyah
In an interview with Sky's economics editor Ed Conway, however, Abdullah bin Hamad al Attiyah, a former advisor to the Emir of Qatar and now president of the Administrative Control & Transparency Authority, said critics had "a heightened agenda".
"I think this is a big trick. People start talking about human rights, they just have a heightened agenda and they just try and use it against Qatar. This is what I call the dirty game," he said.
Video:'There Is An Agenda Against Qatar'
"Just to come only to talk about human rights. What of the human rights in Israel? What of the human rights in Europe? What about human rights in America? Why are you just talking about a small country trying to create a scapegoat and try to blame it just as human rights?
"I believe we have a lot of nationalities who work in Qatar who save their family and their own home. We create millions of jobs for people who come. And they can buy their choice. No one forced them."
The minister's comments are in contrast to the official government line, and the position of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, which says it has committed to a series of measures to improve worker safety.
Migrant workers make up around 75% of Qatar's 1.9 million population, with many of them employed under the kafala system, under which labourers cannot change job or leave the country without permission from their sponsor.
Video:Top MP Slams World Cup Bid Process
Qatar 2022 has introduced a code of conduct for companies wishing to secure World Cup contracts worth an estimated £100m.
These include agreeing to audits of workers' conditions and guarantees on pay.
The standards set by Qatar 2022 do not apply to wider infrastructure projects, and Amnesty International believe that Abdullah bin Hamad al Attiyah's comments suggest that the government is only paying lip-service to reform.
"It is very surprising to hear claims like this from a senior member of the Qatari government when we have been told in public several times that the Qatari government does accept there is a problem," said James Lynch of Amnesty.
Video:Video: Qatar 2022 promotional film
"This would seem to indicate there is division in the government or there is a difference between the public line and what people really think.
"Time is running out for this World Cup to be built free of exploitation. If you still have senior government ministers refusing to accept that there is a problem that does not bode well at all."
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Video:Yazidis Freed By Islamic Miltants
Islamic State militants have released hundreds of Yazidis including several young children who were taken prisoner in Iraq five months ago.
Kurdish military officials said most were elderly and in poor health and bore signs of abuse and neglect.
The militants transported the captives from the northern town of Tal Afar, where they were being held following IS raids last summer.
One of the young children in the group
They were dropped off at the Khazer Bridge, near the Kurdish regional capital of Irbil, from where Peshmerga forces took them to a health centre for treatment.
A Yazidi rights activist, who was at the centre, told AFP: "Some are wounded, some have disabilities and many are suffering from mental and psychological problems."
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Gallery: A Profile Of The Kurdish Group
The Yazidis have long been persecuted as "devil worshippers" by many governments and communities - yet they have managed to survive 72 genocides through the centuries
Islamic State (IS) militants forced them from their homes in Sinjar, northern Iraq, and into the surrounding mountains
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The Yazidis are not an offshoot of Christianity or Islam, although some of their beliefs are derived from Christianity
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Instead they believe in a supreme being, Yasdan, who created the world then put it in the care of seven angels. They worship a fallen angel, the Peacock Angel, who was forgiven by God
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Some extremists align the fallen angel with Satan - its other name is Shaytan, which is Arabic for devil - and hence accuse the group of being devil worshippers
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It is not clear why the group were freed, although their age and condition may have played a part.
General Shirko Fatih, commander of Kurdish forces in the northern city of Kirkuk, said it was because they had become a burden.
"It probably became too expensive to feed them and care for them," he said.
Video:Aug 2014: IS Forced Conversions
Tens of thousands of Yazidis fled when IS captured the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar, near the Syrian border, last August.
But hundreds were taken prisoner, many of them women and girls who have reportedly been forced to marry or sold into slavery.
About 50,000 Yazidis - half of them children, according to the UN - fled to the mountains outside Sinjar during the onslaught. Some still remain there.
Video:Yazidis Receive Military Training
Yazidi beliefs combine elements of several ancient Middle Eastern religions and the militants, who are Sunni Muslims, regard them as heretics.
ISIS currently holds large parts of northern Iraq and Syria. It is being targeted by US-led airstrikes as part of efforts to weaken its grip on the region.
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Hundreds Of Yazidis Freed By IS Militants
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Yazidis Freed By Islamic Miltants
Islamic State militants have released hundreds of Yazidis including several young children who were taken prisoner in Iraq five months ago.
Kurdish military officials said most were elderly and in poor health and bore signs of abuse and neglect.
The militants transported the captives from the northern town of Tal Afar, where they were being held following IS raids last summer.
One of the young children in the group
They were dropped off at the Khazer Bridge, near the Kurdish regional capital of Irbil, from where Peshmerga forces took them to a health centre for treatment.
A Yazidi rights activist, who was at the centre, told AFP: "Some are wounded, some have disabilities and many are suffering from mental and psychological problems."
1/8
Gallery: A Profile Of The Kurdish Group
The Yazidis have long been persecuted as "devil worshippers" by many governments and communities - yet they have managed to survive 72 genocides through the centuries
Islamic State (IS) militants forced them from their homes in Sinjar, northern Iraq, and into the surrounding mountains
]]>
The Yazidis are not an offshoot of Christianity or Islam, although some of their beliefs are derived from Christianity
]]>
Instead they believe in a supreme being, Yasdan, who created the world then put it in the care of seven angels. They worship a fallen angel, the Peacock Angel, who was forgiven by God
]]>
Some extremists align the fallen angel with Satan - its other name is Shaytan, which is Arabic for devil - and hence accuse the group of being devil worshippers
]]>
It is not clear why the group were freed, although their age and condition may have played a part.
General Shirko Fatih, commander of Kurdish forces in the northern city of Kirkuk, said it was because they had become a burden.
"It probably became too expensive to feed them and care for them," he said.
Video:Aug 2014: IS Forced Conversions
Tens of thousands of Yazidis fled when IS captured the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar, near the Syrian border, last August.
But hundreds were taken prisoner, many of them women and girls who have reportedly been forced to marry or sold into slavery.
About 50,000 Yazidis - half of them children, according to the UN - fled to the mountains outside Sinjar during the onslaught. Some still remain there.
Video:Yazidis Receive Military Training
Yazidi beliefs combine elements of several ancient Middle Eastern religions and the militants, who are Sunni Muslims, regard them as heretics.
ISIS currently holds large parts of northern Iraq and Syria. It is being targeted by US-led airstrikes as part of efforts to weaken its grip on the region.
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Breaking News: Jihadist Cell Mastermind 'Still At Large'
The suspected mastermind of the jihadist cell dismantled in Belgium is still at large, a Belgian minister has said.
The comments from Justice Minister Koen Geens come amid reports the suspect is in Greece.
When asked if the ringleader remained on the run after four people were arrested in Athens on Saturday, Mr Geens told VRT television: "That is indeed the case."
On Friday it was revealed the two suspected Islamists killed in the anti-terror raid in eastern Belgium were planning to murder police officers in the street.
Police uniforms, AK-47s, explosives, knives and fake ID were found in their apartment in the town of Verviers.
Video:Another Paris 'Is Possible'
A third suspect was arrested during the raid, one of 10 across the country.
The details emerged after hundreds of police across Europe raided properties as part of a crackdown on terrorism.
More than 25 people were held in Germany, France and Belgium amid fears of more attacks following the Paris atrocities in which 17 people were killed.
French police have released three women arrested on Friday but say they will continue to question nine others who were detained in connection with the Charlie Hebdo massacre.
Video:Terror Raids Across Europe
President Francois Hollande has said France is "waging war" on terrorism, which is why 122,000 police and troops have been deployed in Paris and other parts of the country.
Two of the three terrorists responsible for the attacks in France were buried over the weekend.
Said Kouachi was buried in Reims in eastern France, while his younger brother Cherif was buried in a suburb of Paris
Both were given anonymous graves to prevent their tombs from being turned into shrines for radicals.
Video:Police Kill 'Terrorists' In Belgium
There has been no word on burial plans for Amedy Coulibaly, the third Paris gunman who murdered five people before he was shot dead by police.
Meanwhile, Italy's interior minister has said nine suspected jihadis have been expelled from the country since December, and vowed more expulsions as it steps up the fight against terrorism.
