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IS Hostages Talks In 'State Of Deadlock'

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 31 Januari 2015 | 22.57

There is a "state of deadlock" in negotiations to release a journalist held by Islamic State (IS) militants, according to a top Japanese diplomat.

Japan's deputy foreign minister Yasuhide Nakayama made the comments in the Jordanian capital Amman, where he is leading Tokyo's team attempting to secure the freedom of veteran war reporter Kenji Goto.

Mr Goto, 47, has appeared in videos released by IS in which his fate has been linked to another hostage, Jordanian fighter pilot Lt Muath al Kasaesbeh.

Speaking late on Friday night, Yasuhide Nakayama said: "Staying vigilant, we will continue analysing and examining information as the government is making concerted efforts together."

Japan's chief cabinet secretary also described attempts to free Mr Goto as an "extremely tough situation."

Jordan and Japan have held indirect negotiations with the militants, who control around a third of Iraq and Syria, for release of the men in exchange for a jailed jihadist.

But Jordan has demanded evidence that the airman who crashed in Syria on 24 December is still alive before freeing the would-be suicide bomber, who is on death row.

IS had said it would kill Jordan's captured pilot by sunset on Thursday unless Iraqi jihadist Sajida al Rishawi was released.

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  1. Gallery: Living Under Sniper Fire In Syria

    Children play near a bus barricading a street, which serves as protection from snipers loyal to Syrian President Bashar al Assad, in Aleppo's rebel-controlled Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood

Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters peek through gaps at a concrete barrier as they watch their fellow fighters who where caught under sniper fire on the front line in Aleppo's Sheikh Saeed neighbourhood

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Ebola Evacuation For Worker After Needle Jab

A British military healthcare worker has been evacuated from Sierra Leone after being accidentally jabbed with a needle while treating Ebola patients.

The worker has returned to England for monitoring, according to Public Health England (PHE).

The woman was flown back to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Friday night and then transferred to an isolation ward at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, northwest London.

The worker's next of kin has been informed, according to PHE.

It is understood the person, whose identity has not been released, has probably been exposed to the virus but has not been diagnosed with Ebola and is not displaying symptoms.

The official announcement said the worker suffered a "needle-stick injury", which involves piercing of the skin.

The injuries typically involved needle points but may also be done by other sharp objects, and are considered an occupational health hazard by medical workers.

PHE director for health protection Professor Paul Cosford said: "Our thoughts are with this person, who has been courageous in helping those affected in West Africa, and in preventing the wider spread of Ebola.

"We have strict, well-tested protocols in place for this eventuality and we are confident that all appropriate actions have been taken to support the healthcare worker concerned and to protect the health of other people."

The medical evacuation was done as a precautionary measure after the worker was pricked by a needle at the Kerry Town clinic in the West African nation.

There are currently around 600 British military personnel working in Sierra Leone, with Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Argus stationed in the area.

The clinic was built on the outskirts of the capital Freetown to help treat patients infected by the virus, which has ravaged parts of West Africa.

It includes an 80-bed treatment centre managed by Save The Children charity and a 12-bed operated by British Army medical staff designed to treat international healthcare workers and staff working in the area.

London's Royal Free Hospital also treated British nurses Pauline Cafferkey and Will Pooley - both were diagnosed with the disease after returning from treating patients in Africa.

In a statement the hospital said: "We can confirm that a UK military healthcare worker has been admitted to the Royal Free Hospital today following a needlestick injury while treating a person with Ebola in Sierra Leone.

"The individual has been admitted to the Royal Free Hospital for assessment."

The patient will be monitored throughout the 21-day incubation period of Ebola.

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  1. Gallery: The Desperate Fight To Contain The Ebola Outbreak

    A man rests outside the clinic.

A woman is comforted after medical officials remove her husband, who is suspected of having the disease.

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IS Chemical Weapons Expert Killed, Says US

A chemical weapons expert working with Islamic State (IS) in Iraq has been killed in a coalition airstrike, the US military has said.

Abu Malik was killed near Mosul during an air raid on 24 January, US Central Command announced on Friday.

Malik had worked at a chemical weapons production plant under Saddam Hussein's regime before the dictator was toppled in 2003.

He later forged an affiliation with al Qaeda in Iraq in 2005, before joining IS, according to Central Command.

Malik's training "provided the terrorist group with expertise to pursue a chemical weapons capability", the military said in a statement.

"His death is expected to temporarily degrade and disrupt the terrorist network and diminish ISIL's ability to potentially produce and use chemical weapons against innocent people."

Previously US officials had not publicly referred to Malik as a key IS figure.

There has been no evidence to suggest IS possesses a major chemical weapons arsenal, but there have been claims the jihadist organisation has employed chlorine gas, which is classified as a "choking agent".

A US defence official, speaking anonymously, said Malik had been "involved in operations to produce chemical weapons in 2005, and planned attacks in Mosul with AQI (al Qaeda in Iraq)".

"Based on his training and experience, he was judged to be capable of creating harmful and deadly chemical agents," added the official.

"We know ISIL is attempting to pursue a chemical weapons capability, but we have no definitive confirmation that ISIL currently possess chemical weapons."

The US-led coalition has carried out more than 2,000 air raids against IS in Iraq and Syria since 8 August.

Airstrikes have been pounding the Mosul area in the north over the past week, the military said.


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Thousands March Against Austerity In Spain

Tens of thousands of people have marched in Spain in the biggest show of support yet for anti-austerity party Podemos.

Crowds chanted "yes we can" and "tic tac tic tac," suggesting the clock was ticking for the country's political elite, before packing into Madrid's Puerta del Sol.

Many waved Greek and Republican flags and banners reading "the change is now" in support of the party formed just a year ago, whose surging popularity and policies have drawn comparisons with Greece's new governing party Syriza.

State broadcaster TVE said that hundreds of thousands were at the march, but no official attendance figures were provided.

The rise of Podemos has been largely attributed to the charisma of its leader Pablo Iglesias, who joined Greek PM Alexis Tsipras at a huge rally in Athens on the eve of his election victory last week.

The 36-year-old political science professor told the crowd: "We want change. I know that governing is difficult but those who have serious dreams can change things."

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  1. Gallery: Anti-Austerity Protests In Madrid

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Merkel Rules Out Debt Writedown For Greece

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has ruled out a writedown of Greece's massive debt, as EU officials threatened a funding cut-off to Greek banks.

Mrs Merkel and European Central Bank (ECB) policymakers have hardened their stance on the weekend over fears the Greek government does not agree it renew its bailout package in February.

"There has already been voluntary debt forgiveness by private creditors, banks have already slashed billions from Greece's debt," Mrs Merkel said on Saturday.

"I do not envisage fresh debt cancellation."

In a thinly veiled threat to Athens and rising anti-austerity political movements such as in Spain, she added: "Europe will continue to show solidarity for Greece, as for other countries hit particularly hard by the crisis, if these countries undertake their own reforms and savings efforts."

Greece's newly elected anti-austerity government said it will not co-operate with its international "troika" of creditors - the EU, ECB and the International Monetary Fund.

Greece's finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said that despite warnings his country would shortly run out of money, his government preferred to do without fresh funds and instead renegotiate its entire €240bn (£180bn) bailout package.

Athens has been promised another €7.2bn (£5.4bn) in funds from the troika if it completes reforms required by its lenders by 28 February, when the bailout programme runs out.

Erkki Liikanen, a member of the ECB's policymaking Governing Council, said that funding could dry up if Greece does not remain in an agreed programme.

On Friday Mr Varoufakis slammed the current system: "This government was elected on the basis of analytically questioning the very logic of the programme now being applied."

"We don't want the €7bn ... We want to sit down and rethink the whole programme."

Greece believes repayments pegged to the economic growth rate would better support the fragile economy.

Mr Varoufakis said Athens was willing to negotiate with its lenders but not with the troika, which he described as a "committee built on rotten foundations".

The troika was formed in 2010 to rescue debt-riddled Greece with the bailout on the condition Athens imposed huge spending cuts and fiscal reforms.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was elected last Sunday on a platform of ending austerity and erasing most of the country's national debt.

Mr Varoufakis meets French counterpart Michel Sapin in Paris on Sunday and British Chancellor George Osborne on Monday.

Mr Tsipras will meet Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on Tuesday and French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday, but has no plans to visit Germany - Europe's biggest economy and its effective paymaster.


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Ukraine: Daily Struggle On Conflict's Front Line

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 30 Januari 2015 | 22.57

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent, in Donetsk

As the fighting in eastern Ukraine intensifies, humanitarian conditions in the region are deteriorating.

Sky News filmed families in the rebel-controlled capital of Donetsk, as it was revealed the European Union has extended its first set of sanctions against the separatists and Russia, which has been accused of aiding the rebellion.

Some of the families in Donetsk have been living in underground shelters since July, too frightened to let their children play outside or go to school.

Two hundred people, including more than 50 children, are living in the basement of an arts centre in the city's western suburb - afraid to allow the children above ground for more than a few minutes at a time.

One eight-year-old girl said she could not remember when she last played outside.

"If they go out it's only for five minutes maximum," her mother, Vika Makeeva, told us.

"To get fresh air and come back."

They said the school had been shelled and it had no basement shelter so the children had not been since December.

UNICEF has provided them with hygiene kits, and individuals have donated food and toys for the children.

"They started to shell us from the Ukrainian side," Luba, one of the mothers, said.

"I took the child when he was asleep in his blanket, put him on a bike and we went to a shelter in the children's hospital, but it was really damp, with frogs, and then we came here."

Many of the residents have homes, but they are too frightened to return.

We went with one lady to check on her flat - she told us their block was shelled four days ago, and their roof destroyed.

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  1. Gallery: Ukrainian Army's New Conscripts

    Conscripts attend a ceremony marking their enrolment in the Ukrainian army in Kiev

Relatives react as they attend the ceremony. Ukraine's parliament voted to refresh its front-line forces and resume partial conscription after a top security official warned Russian forces backing rebels had sharply increased military activity in the country's east. Continue through for more images

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Teen Who Stormed TV Studio Acted Alone: Police

A teenager who forced his way into a Dutch TV station acted alone and has no links to terror groups, police have said.

The national broadcaster NOS temporarily went off air on Thursday evening when the 19-year-old, armed with a fake pistol, allegedly threatened a security guard to get into the building in Hilversum, east of Amsterdam.

The teenager, who is accused of taking a hostage, demanded to go on live television to address the nation, apparently about a conspiracy theory.

A short time later the suspect was arrested when police stormed the TV studios.

During the ordeal, the teenager claimed he had put explosives around the Netherlands, was part of a hackers' collective and that a major cyberattack was imminent.

Police said he has since admitted those claims were untrue.

"There is no evidence of any connection with other events in the Netherlands or abroad," a police statement said.

Police spokeswoman Hilde Bakker said the teenager faces charges of kidnapping and making threats of violence.

"What brought the man to his actions is still being investigated," the police statement said.

Prosecutors and police have not revealed the suspect's identity due to Dutch privacy laws, but local media said he a first-year student at the University of Delft.

Classmates were quoting as saying the teen led a rich fantasy life.

He is appearing before an investigating judge later. Prosecutors want him to be detained further so that a "personality investigation" can be carried out.

Nobody was injured in the incident, but NOS went off air for around an hour, interrupting the 8pm (local time) news broadcast. It was the first time in 60 years that the 8pm news was off air.

After the incident, NOS broadcast footage of the teenager, dressed neatly in black suit and tie, speaking calmly and pacing around the studio armed with what appeared to be a pistol with a silencer.

The ordeal put the Netherlands on edge, coming three weeks after the attack on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris that left 12 people dead.

NOS director Jan de Jong said he would meet police and the local mayor in Hilversum to discuss whether security - already increased since the Charlie Hebdo attack - needed to be further strengthened.

Mr de Jong paid tribute to the security guard, who led the teenager into an empty TV studio and kept speaking to him throughout the ordeal.

"I was amazed at how unbelievably calm he was," Mr de Jong said.

When police burst into the studio, guns drawn, the teenager immediately dropped the fake gun and surrendered without a struggle.

NOS is one of many broadcasters to have their headquarters in Hilversum.

The area, known as the media park, has been tightly guarded since populist Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn was shot and killed in a car park there in 2002 by an animal rights activist.


22.57 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jordan And Japan In Dark On IS Hostages

Officials in Jordan say they are still awaiting proof that a pilot held by Islamic State is alive, as the country works closely with Japan to secure the release of two hostages.

IS had said it would kill Jordan's captured Lieutenant Muath al Kasaesbeh by sunset on Thursday unless Amman freed female Iraqi jihadist Sajida al Rishawi.

The militant group has also said hostage Japanese journalist Kenji Goto's freedom depends on the release of the failed suicide bomber.

Jordan has demanded evidence that the airman who crashed in Syria on 24 December is still alive before freeing al Rishawi, who is on death row.

And military spokesman Mamdoh al Ameri said: "Jordan has so far received no information that proves the pilot Muath al Kasaesbeh is safe and sound."

Jordan has offered to free al Rishawi, who was convicted for her part in triple-hotel bombings in the Jordanian capital in 2005 that killed 60 people, if IS releases the pilot.

While IS threatened Mr al Kassasbeh's life, it was not clear from its latest message if the jihadist group was ready to free him as part of an exchange.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said every effort was being made to secure the release of Mr Goto.

"We are gathering and analysing information while asking for cooperation from Jordan and other countries, making every effort to free Kenji Goto," he told a parliamentary panel.

Japanese chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said Tokyo was doing everything it could, but would not answer whether negotiations had stalled and if there was any progress.

"We are doing the things we have to, one after the other, steadily," he told a news conference.


22.57 | 0 komentar | Read More

At Least 49 Killed In Pakistan Mosque Blast

A total of 49 people have been killed after a bomb tore through a mosque in Pakistan, according to officials.

Fifty others were wounded in the explosion, which struck a Shia mosque in the southern city of Shikarpur, as worshippers were gathering for Friday prayers.

Dr Shaukat Ali Memon - who is in charge of the city's hospital, where large numbers of the dead and wounded were brought - said many of the injuries were severe.

He appealed to residents to donate blood for the wounded.

Pakistani television has been showing footage of both locals and worshippers rushing the dead and injured to hospital.

So far, no group has has said it was responsible for the explosion, but Shia religious sites have been targeted by Sunni Muslim extremists in the past.

Shikarpur is in Sindh province, roughly 300 miles north of the port city of Karachi.


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Deadly Shell Strike As Ukrainians Queue For Aid

At least six people have been killed after shells hit a cultural centre and a trolleybus in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk.

People had been queuing for aid outside the building in the centre of the city when two artillery shells struck, witnesses said.

Sky's Katie Stallard, reporting from the scene in Donetsk, said: "We have seen five bodies at this location.

"We saw the bodies of two middle-aged women and two men on the ground. Another man was killed in a car a very short distance away.

"We are told he was trying to manoeuvre the car away as the shell came in, but he was killed as he sat in the driver's seat."

Pictures from outside the cultural centre showed vehicles punctured by shrapnel and with their windows blown out. The tops of nearby trees had been blown off by the force of the blast.

The victims appeared to be dressed in civilian clothing.

The sixth victim was seen by a Reuters cameraman near the damaged trolleybus elsewhere in the city.

It was not immediately clear if the shells were fired by government troops or pro-Russian separatists.

A battle was also taking place around Debaltseve, a key government-held town of 25,000 people that straddles a railway connecting the two rebel centres of Luhansk and Donetsk.

The separatists claimed to have almost encircled the town, telling Ukrainian troops through Russian state TV: "Surrender and you will live".

The past week has seen some of the heaviest fighting in eastern Ukraine since a ceasefire was agreed five months ago.

Conditions in Donetsk have been deteriorating as the violence has ramped up, with hundreds of people taking shelter in an arts centre too afraid to let their children play outside or go to school.

More than 5,000 have died since the pro-Russian separatists declared their own "People's Republics" in the region last April.

The rebels said peace talks due to take place in the Belarussian capital, Minsk, on Friday, had been called off after Kiev failed to send any representatives.

Meanwhile, NATO has announced it will deploy small units in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania to help co-ordinate military exercises and set up command and control in response to Russia's action in Ukraine.

The forward units are expected to comprise only a few dozen troops, with Norway, Germany and the Netherlands expected to contribute.

Moscow has accused the European Union of adopting a "one-side reading" of the conflict and warned against further sanctions.

And Russia's military chief said on Friday that the country's strong nuclear arsenal would continue to ensure its military superiority over the West.

Armed forces chief General Valery Gerasimov said the military would receive more than 50 new intercontinental ballistic missiles this year.


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MH370 Loss An 'Accident' - All On Board 'Dead'

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 29 Januari 2015 | 22.57

MH370 Loss An 'Accident' - All On Board 'Dead'

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Malaysia has officially declared the loss of flight MH370 was an accident and all on board are dead.

The announcement was in accordance with civil aviation rules, said Malaysia's aviation director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, adding that the announcement ends the search for the aircraft and would help families of those on board to apply for compensation.

"It is with the heaviest heart and deepest sorrow that we officially declare Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 an accident," said Mr Azharuddin in a broadcast on Malaysian television.

"We officially declare Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 an accident and that all 239 of the passengers and crew onboard are presumed to have lost their lives," he added.

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  1. Gallery: MH370: Timeline Of False Hopes

    March 8: At 9am, an hour after flight MH370 is reported missing, rumours spread online that it has landed safely in China

March 8: Search planes spot two oil slicks in the South China Sea but tests show the fuel is not from an aircraft

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March 9: Vietnam search plane spots mystery objects in the South China Sea but they turn out to be unrelated to MH370

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March 10: A moss-covered piece of floating sea debris is mistaken for a yellow life raft

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March 11: Two MH370 passengers travelling with stolen passports are identified as illegal immigrants from Iran and are no longer suspected of terrorist activity

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MH370 Loss An 'Accident' - All On Board 'Dead'

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Malaysia has officially declared the loss of flight MH370 was an accident and all on board are dead.

The announcement was in accordance with civil aviation rules, said Malaysia's aviation director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, adding that the announcement ends the search for the aircraft and would help families of those on board to apply for compensation.

"It is with the heaviest heart and deepest sorrow that we officially declare Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 an accident," said Mr Azharuddin in a broadcast on Malaysian television.

"We officially declare Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 an accident and that all 239 of the passengers and crew onboard are presumed to have lost their lives," he added.

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  1. Gallery: MH370: Timeline Of False Hopes

    March 8: At 9am, an hour after flight MH370 is reported missing, rumours spread online that it has landed safely in China

March 8: Search planes spot two oil slicks in the South China Sea but tests show the fuel is not from an aircraft

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March 9: Vietnam search plane spots mystery objects in the South China Sea but they turn out to be unrelated to MH370

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March 10: A moss-covered piece of floating sea debris is mistaken for a yellow life raft

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March 11: Two MH370 passengers travelling with stolen passports are identified as illegal immigrants from Iran and are no longer suspected of terrorist activity

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Gorbachev: 'Cold War' Could Turn Violent

Mikhael Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, has accused the US of drawing Russia into a new Cold War.

Such a move might even lead to armed conflict unless tensions are eased, Mr Gorbachev warned.

The US "has already drawn us into a new Cold War, trying openly to achieve its main idea of triumphalism," the revered elder statesman said in an interview with Russia's Interfax news agency.

"Where will that lead all of us? A Cold War is already being waged openly. What's next?

"Unfortunately I cannot say for sure that a Cold War won't lead to a 'hot' one. I fear they (the US) could take the risk."

He criticised the West for imposing sanctions on Russia.

"All you hear is about sanctions towards Russia from America and the European Union. Have they totally lost their heads?"

The 83-year-old former Soviet president is much admired internationally because of the way he improved relations with the West during his time in office.

But he is vilified in Russia for much the same reason, and for allowing the break-up of the Soviet Union.

Last year he warned that the world was "on the brink of a new Cold War" and urged the US and the EU to "defrost relations" with Russia.

Mr Gorbachev has been harshly critical of President Vladimir Putin in the past for an "imitation" of democracy.

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  1. Gallery: Profile Of Mikhail Gorbachev

    Mikhail Gorbachev was widely tipped as the next leader of the Soviet Union, when he held talks with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at Chequers in 1984

Mr Gorbachev was appointed General Secretary of the Soviet Union, at the age of 54, in 1985 - effectively the leader of the USSR

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South Africa Gunmen In Shopping Mall Shoot-Out

Seven people have been injured in a South African shopping centre after gunmen attempted to storm a bank.

Police would not say how many suspects were involved but the Bedford Centre in Bedfordview, near Johannesburg, was targeted by at least two robbers around 11am.

They were confronted by security guards as they tried to enter the shopping centre's Standard Bank and a shoot-out ensued.

Witnesses said the robbers made it to a nearby grocery store before trying to escape, shooting as they moved around the shopping centre.

Staff and shoppers were reported to have been guided out of the building through a back entrance.

Bedfordview police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Katlego Mogale said seven people were injured - two suspects, two security guards and three shoppers.

A 9mm handgun and an AK47 were found at the scene.

The two guards were shot in the leg and are in a stable condition while the others - a woman and four men - were described as being in a serious to critical condition in hospital.

One man told Eyewitness News: "As I came out of the toilet I just saw people firing guns. A lady came past me and she was shot in the crossfire. Three people were shot. I think it was a robbery."

As emergency services tried to end the siege, a woman told how she hid from the gunmen under a flight of stairs.

She said: "They have shot people. There's a huge gang. I don't know what they robbed but there's one still inside here. There are still gunshots going off. It's chaos."

The Bedford Centre said on its Twitter account: "Bedford are investigating this horrific incident, no stores were involved."

The incident is the latest in a number of attempted robberies at shopping centres in Gauteng province - including three in August and five in September.


22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jordan Demands Guarantee Before Prisoner Swap

Jordan has said it needs guarantees the pilot held by Islamic State militants is still alive before it can go ahead with a prisoner swap.

The jihadist group has demanded the release of failed suicide bomber Sajida al Rishawi in return for Jordanian pilot Lieutenant Muath al Kasaesbeh's freedom.

But a government spokesman in Amman said IS must provide proof that Mr al Kasaesbeh is not dead if it is to proceed with the deal.

It comes after an audio recording purportedly from a man also being held by IS suggested the pilot had just hours to live unless Iraqi prisoner al Rishawi was released.

The message, which is unverified, is believed to have been read out by Kenji Goto - a Japanese journalist taken by Islamic State militants last year.

In it the voice demands the release of Sajida al Rishawi, who was sentenced to death in Jordan for her involvement in a 2005 terrorist attack that killed 60 people.

The man states that a fellow hostage - Jordanian pilot Lieutenant Muath al Kasaesbeh - would be killed if the prisoner was not ready to be exchanged at the Turkish border with Syria by "sunset".

That would make the deadline around mid-afternoon UK time.

The brief message did not make it clear what the fate of either hostage would be even if the group's demands were met.

Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said: "We are still in the process of verification but with all of the information gathered we think that there is a high probability that the voice was indeed that of Mr Goto."

Although the Jordanian government is willing to hand over the would-be suicide bomber, nations around the world - including the US - believe the deal with IS should not go ahead.

Such an exchange could set a dangerous precedent, encouraging terrorists to take more people hostage.

However, if both hostages were to survive, it could provide crucial intelligence about their captors, as the whereabouts of a man dubbed "Jihadi John" remains unknown.

The family of Lt al Kaseasbeh have met Jordan's King Abdullah, where they were assured that "things were still positive".

Despite this, the country's foreign minister has not received any evidence that the pilot is alive and well.

The Japanese government is investigating the latest footage, which was originally uploaded to YouTube.

The mother of Kenji Goto has made a tearful appeal to Japan's Prime Minister to help save her son.

Junko Ishido said she had begged Shinzo Abe to "please save Kenji" and to work with the Jordanian government to secure his release.


22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Deaths After Mexico Maternity Wing Blast

At least two people have died and dozens more injured after a fuel truck blast next to a maternity hospital in Mexico City.

The body of a woman was found inside the hospital, mayor Miguel Angel Mancera told local TV.

At least 32 adults and 22 children were injured in the blast outside the maternity and children's hospital in Cuajimalpa region, with many of them hit by flying glass.

None of the injuries were serious, the mayor said as he went on to say patients were being moved to other hospitals for their own safety.

"We have to conduct an evacuation for safety because a lot of the people are babies in the crib area," he said.

A column of smoke billowed over the area in the west of the city as firefighters tried to extinguish the flames.

Much of the building was left in ruins with the heaviest damage was near the hospital's loading dock, according to the mayor.

Mexico has been hit by other gas explosion tragedies in recent years.

Twenty-five people died in May 2013 when a gas tanker's container came loose on a motorway north of Mexico City, setting nearby homes and cars on fire.

Three people died last year in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas when a gas leak caused an explosion in a shopping centre.


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US Gives $2bn To Ukraine As Fighting Continues

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 28 Januari 2015 | 22.57

US Gives $2bn To Ukraine As Fighting Continues

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By Sky News US Team

The US is providing Ukraine with $2bn (£1.3bn) to help with "near-term social spending" in the war-torn country.

The deal came as America and the European Union said they were considering further sanctions on Russia to stop its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

After signing the loan guarantees agreement with Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalia Yaresko, US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew criticised "Russian aggression" in the region.

"We remain prepared to do more (on sanctions) if necessary. To that end, we will continue to work with our allies to increase the pressure on Russia," he told reporters at the signing ceremony.

Sanctions could be eased if Moscow abides by the Minsk agreement signed last September, which called for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian fighters and military equipment from Ukraine, he said.

Moscow denies Western and Ukrainian claims it has sent forces into the country.

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  1. Gallery: At Least 30 Dead In Ukraine Rocket Attack

    At least 30 people have been killed and 83 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.

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The attack came after rebels promised to escalate their campaign of violence.

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Separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko has confirmed they launched the attack on Mariupol on Saturday morning.

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Mariupol, in the Donetsk region, is strategically important because it lies between the Russian mainland and Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in March.

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US Gives $2bn To Ukraine As Fighting Continues

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

By Sky News US Team

The US is providing Ukraine with $2bn (£1.3bn) to help with "near-term social spending" in the war-torn country.

The deal came as America and the European Union said they were considering further sanctions on Russia to stop its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

After signing the loan guarantees agreement with Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalia Yaresko, US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew criticised "Russian aggression" in the region.

"We remain prepared to do more (on sanctions) if necessary. To that end, we will continue to work with our allies to increase the pressure on Russia," he told reporters at the signing ceremony.

Sanctions could be eased if Moscow abides by the Minsk agreement signed last September, which called for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian fighters and military equipment from Ukraine, he said.

Moscow denies Western and Ukrainian claims it has sent forces into the country.

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  1. Gallery: At Least 30 Dead In Ukraine Rocket Attack

    At least 30 people have been killed and 83 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.

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The attack came after rebels promised to escalate their campaign of violence.

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Separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko has confirmed they launched the attack on Mariupol on Saturday morning.

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Mariupol, in the Donetsk region, is strategically important because it lies between the Russian mainland and Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in March.

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Risk V Reward In Islamic State Hostage Deal

Time is running out and pressure is mounting for the Jordanian and Japanese authorities.

The demand from Islamic State militants is the release, within 24 hours, of an Iraqi would-be suicide bomber in exchange for the lives of a Japanese journalist and a Jordanian fighter pilot.

Bluntly, the Jordanian authorities will now be weighing up the risks of releasing Sajida al Rishawi into the hands of a terrorist group against the reward for doing so.

:: The risks

1. Releasing a self-confessed terrorist into the hands of a terror group. Sajida al Rishawi confessed to trying to blow up the Radisson SAS hotel in Amman in 2005.

In her televised confession (which she later retracted) she said she hoped to kill as many men, women and children as possible.

Her husband's suicide belt went off. He died along with 36 other victims. Al Rishawi's belt did not go off and she was later arrested.

If she is handed over to IS militants, could she go on to carry out a successful suicide mission?

2. Bowing to terrorists' demands: No government wants to be seen to be bowing to the demands of the Islamic State.

Deals with terrorists embolden them and encourage them to take more people hostage.

The covert payment of ransoms by some governments has only added to Islamic State's wealth, which is already huge thanks to their control of oil assets in Syria and Iraq.

The Jordanian government will be under huge pressure by the Americans and others not to do any deal with Islamic State.

:: The rewards

1. The hostages survive: If Al Rishawi is released and Islamic State militants stick to the deal (there is no guarantee that they will) then clearly the lives of Kenji Goto and Lt Mu'ath al Kaseasbeh will be saved.

Emotionally, this is an overriding objective.

2. Intelligence: Agencies around the world would be extremely keen to "debrief" the two hostages and learn as much as possible about their captors.

It is thought that they were being held by a man dubbed 'Jihadi John', a Briton who was behind the beheading of a number of other hostages, including Britons David Haines and Allan Henning and Americans Steven Sotloff, James Foley and Peter Kassig.

Despite sustained efforts, he has not been located. Intelligence agencies could glean vital information from the two men.

:: Other options

There are other plausible scenarios which could secure the release of the two men.

Through backchannels in Jordan, a deal could perhaps be struck which would see the release of a number of other alleged Islamist militants who are in Jordanian jails, prisoners who are seen as less of a security risk.

If any deal is done though, the Jordanian and Japanese authorities will need a "proof of life", showing that Mr Goto and Lt al Kaseasbeh are still alive.

In Tuesday's demand, both men were seen only in photographs. Some in Jordan believe that Lt al Kaseasbeh is already dead. 


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Jordan 'Ready' To Exchange Militant For Pilot

Jordan's information minister has said his country is willing to hand over an Iraqi would-be-suicide bomber if a Jordanian pilot captured by Islamic State is released.

In an announcement on state television, Mohammad al Momani said: "Jordan is ready to release prisoner Sajida al Rishawi if the Jordanian pilot Lieutenant Muath al Kasaesbeh was released and his life spared." 

The pilot's father, Safi al Kaseasbeh, had earlier implored the Jordanian government "to meet the demands" of Islamic State.

"All people must know, from the head of the regime to everybody else, that the safety of Muath means the stability of Jordan, and the death of Muath means chaos in Jordan," he said.

Bassam al Manasseer, chairman of Jordan's foreign affairs committee, announced earlier that negotiations with Islamic State were taking place through religious and tribal leaders in Iraq.

The news comes as the mother of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto also being held by Islamic State made a tearful appeal to Japan's Prime Minister to help save her son.

Junko Ishido said she had begged Shinzo Abe to "Please save Kenji" and to work with the Jordanian government to secure his release.

IS warned in a video that journalist Mr Goto and Mr al Kaseasbeh would be killed within 24 hours if its demands were not met.

The video shows Mr Goto in an orange jumpsuit holding a picture of Mr al Kaseasbeh, along with an audio message of him pleading for his life.

The group said the hostages' lives would be spared if Jordan releases Sajida al Rishawi, an Iraqi woman sentenced to death for her involvement in a 2005 terrorist attack that killed 60 people.

It comes after IS apparently murdered another Japanese prisoner, Haruna Yukawa - an act condemned by Japan's government.

Mr Goto was captured in Syria in October, apparently while trying to rescue Yukawa, 42, who was taken hostage last summer.

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  1. Gallery: The Hostages Released After Deals Were Made With Terrorists

    March 2007: Italian-Swiss journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo was released by the Taliban in exchange for the release of five prisoners

April 2008: A ransom of $1.2m was allegedly paid to Somali pirates by the Spanish government to secure the release of 26 trawlermen

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Two Israeli Soldiers Killed In Convoy Attack

Two Israeli soldiers have been killed and seven wounded in an attack on a military convoy along the border with Lebanon.

Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack - which prompted Benjamin Netanyahu to warn opponents "look what happened in Gaza".

An Israeli army statement said: "Earlier today an anti-tank missile hit a (military) vehicle ... killing two soldiers and wounding an additional seven."

Israeli tanks reportedly shelled areas of southeastern Lebanon in response to the attack in the border area, as Israeli Prime Minister Mr Netanyahu issued his warning.

"My recommendation to those who challenge us in the north is to take a look at what happened in Gaza," he said.

"The (Israel Defence Forces) is responding now to the incident in the north. The IDF stands ready to act forcefully on all fronts."

The attack on the convoy in the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms area was in response to an Israeli rocket attack in Syria, a source familiar with details of the operation told AFP.

And a statement broadcast on Hezbollah's Al-Manar television channel said: "At 11.25 (9.25am UK time) this morning, the Quneitra martyrs of the Islamic Resistance (Hezbollah) targeted an Israeli military convoy in the Shebaa Farms composed of several vehicles, which was transporting several Zionist soldiers and officers.

"There were several casualties in the enemy's ranks."

One security source told AFP that more than 15 shells had since been fired on Lebanese border villages and Israeli warplanes were flying over the area.

Another security source said the Israeli army was firing a new shell into the area about every two minutes, and was also firing artillery.

The Lebanese army has been deployed to all five villages that were shelled, but it was unclear whether Hezbollah had a presence there.

Israel's military operation in Gaza last summer saw around 2,200 Palestinians killed, most of them civilians, while 66 IDF soldiers and five Israeli civilians were killed.


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Kim Jong-Un Agrees To First Foreign Trip

Kim Jong-Un has accepted an invitation from Russia to make his first foreign trip since coming to power in 2011.

The North Korean dictator has agreed to attend ceremonies in May marking the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany.

Mr Kim is among several foreign leaders who have confirmed their attendance.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said: "The participation of the North Korean leader has been confirmed, we are preparing for his arrival."

In September last year, Kim failed to make any public appearances, leading to speculation about his health.

It is thought the Swiss-educated leader last left his country when he reportedly accompanied his father Kim Jong-Il on a visit to China in 2010.

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  1. Gallery: Kim Jong-Un Inspecting Things

    North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un makes regular public appearances across the country

Kim Jong Un provides field guidance to the Ryuwon Shoes Factory

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