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Mayweather-Pacquiao Fight Confirmed For May

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 21 Februari 2015 | 22.56

Floyd Mayweather Jr will fight Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas in what's expected to become boxing's richest ever bout.

Mayweather announced the welterweight fight by posting a photograph of a signed contract online.

The 37-year-old fighter is expected to earn more than $120m (£77m) from the bout, while Pacquiao's split of the purse is likely to be around $80m (£52m).

The fight has been in the making for the past five years and follows lengthy negotiations over television rights. Rival networks reportedly thrashed out the terms for televising the fight earlier this month.

Additional stumbling blocks have been overcome in recent weeks, with both camps reaching an agreement on drug testing and both men able to wear their own gloves. No rematch clause has been included.

Pacquiao had spoken openly about his desire to reach a deal, but there had been silence from Mayweather until he announced the news via social media.

"What the world has been waiting for has arrived," said American Mayweather on the social networking website Shots.

"Mayweather vs. Pacquiao on May 2, 2015 is a done deal.

"I promised the fans we would get this done, and we did. We will make history on May 2nd. Don't miss it! This is the signed contract from both fighters.

"Giving the fans what they want to see is always my main focus. This will be the biggest event in the history of the sport. Boxing fans and sports fans around the world will witness greatness on May 2.

"I am the best ever, TBE, and this fight will be another opportunity to showcase my skills and do what I do best, which is win. Manny is going to try to do what 47 before him failed to do, but he won't be successful. He will be number 48."

The 37-year-old American, nicknamed "Money", is unbeaten in 47 fights with 26 knockouts, but Pacquiao is considered the biggest threat to his status as the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.

Pacquiao was sleeping in the Philippines when the fight was announced, but his camp issued a statement saying the fans deserve the long-awaited fight.

"Pac Man" suffered back-to-back defeats in 2012, the second a shocking loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, but he repaired his reputation with three straight victories.

"It is an honour to be part of this historic event," said Pacquiao. "I dedicate this fight to all the fans who willed this fight to happen and, as always, to bring glory to the Philippines and my fellow Filipinos around the world."

Fight experts have been divided in their predictions for this eagerly anticipated encounter, with some favouring Pacquiao's all-action fighting style, while others back Mayweather to prevail with his slick counter punching.


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Eurozone Agrees To Extend Greek Bailout

Eurozone finance ministers have agreed to extend Greece's rescue loans - although not by as long as the government wanted.

The deal, which will enable Athens to continue paying its bills, was reached at talks in Brussels which were delayed for four hours as ministers worked on a draft accord.

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the eurozone's top official and the Dutch finance minister, said Athens had asked for a six-month extension but this was rejected.

"Four months is the appropriate delay in terms of financing and future challenges," he said.

The agreement was clinched just a week before Greece's €240bn (£178bn) bailout expires, leaving just enough time for some member country parliaments to endorse it.

As part of the deal Greece must provide a list of economic and other reforms based on the current bailout programme by Monday.

This will be reviewed on Tuesday by the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission.

If the three institutions do not believe the proposals go far enough, the list will be revised with a view to it being agreed by the end of April.

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said the deal would mark a new era for Athens and its relations with the European Union.

"Today was a pivotal moment because Greece for five years now has been lonely, isolated in the Eurogroup. Today that isolation has broken," Mr Varoufakis said.

He said Greece had not used any threats or bluff to get the agreement and added it was a small step in a new direction for the country.

Markets reacted positively to the deal, with the Dow and S&P 500 surging to fresh records on Wall Street.

Mr Dijsselbloem said it was a "first step in this process of rebuilding trust" between Greece and its euro partners and allows for a strategy to get the country "back on track."

"Trust leaves quicker than it comes," he said.

Mr Dijsselbloem worked flat out on Friday to secure an agreement as Germany insisted Greece stick with the austerity commitments included in its bailout programme.

The fraught discussions focused on a new package of concessions beyond those contained in the formal request for a loan extension submitted on Thursday.

Greece has ruled out another bailout like the existing one, saying the people who swept the anti-austerity Syriza party to power last month would not tolerate it.

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  1. Gallery: Art War On The Streets Of Athens

    Athens has become a Mecca for street artists as anger grows over the impact of Greece's bailout deal with Europe

Wall paintings have sprung up all over the city reflecting the general frustration at rising unemployment and falling living standards

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Ukraine: US And UK Warn Of Further Sanctions

Ukraine: US And UK Warn Of Further Sanctions

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

Britain and the US have discussed further sanctions against Russia in the wake of the breakdown of a ceasefire in Ukraine.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Moscow is being "extraordinarily craven" in its support for Ukrainian separatists in fighting that has raged in recent days.

Mr Kerry said before a meeting in London with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond that the two countries would discuss new economic measures to put pressure on Russia to end such support for the rebels.

He said: "Russia has engaged in an absolutely brazen and cynical process over these last days.

"We know to a certainty what Russia has been providing to the separatists, how Russia is involved with the separatists.

"This is behaviour that is completely counter to everything that the global community has worked to achieve since World War II."

Mr Kerry accused Moscow of "land-grabbing" in Ukraine while cynically talking about peace.

He pointed specifically to the port of Mariupol, which pro-government forces say is threatened by a build-up of rebel military equipment.

If the rebels take the city, they would establish a land corridor between mainland Russia and the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula.

Mr Kerry said: "What's happening with respect to Mariupol even now is just simply unacceptable, so we are talking about additional sanctions, additional efforts."

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  1. Gallery: Thousands Mark Kiev Sniper Killings One Year On

    Thousands of people have attended a ceremony marking a year since snipers killed scores of anti-government protesters in the Ukrainian capital Kiev

Mourners lit candles to remember the 100 who died over three days of demonstrations against the then president, Moscow-leaning Viktor Yanukovich

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Beams of light shone up into the sky as a minute's silence was held in Independence Square for the 'heavenly hundred'

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Those attending the ceremony, including current president Petro Poroshenko and the young son of one of the victims, then sang the national anthem

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Mr Poroshenko has claimed an influential aide to Vladimir Putin was behind the sniper killings in February last year

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Ukraine: US And UK Warn Of Further Sanctions

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

Britain and the US have discussed further sanctions against Russia in the wake of the breakdown of a ceasefire in Ukraine.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Moscow is being "extraordinarily craven" in its support for Ukrainian separatists in fighting that has raged in recent days.

Mr Kerry said before a meeting in London with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond that the two countries would discuss new economic measures to put pressure on Russia to end such support for the rebels.

He said: "Russia has engaged in an absolutely brazen and cynical process over these last days.

"We know to a certainty what Russia has been providing to the separatists, how Russia is involved with the separatists.

"This is behaviour that is completely counter to everything that the global community has worked to achieve since World War II."

Mr Kerry accused Moscow of "land-grabbing" in Ukraine while cynically talking about peace.

He pointed specifically to the port of Mariupol, which pro-government forces say is threatened by a build-up of rebel military equipment.

If the rebels take the city, they would establish a land corridor between mainland Russia and the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula.

Mr Kerry said: "What's happening with respect to Mariupol even now is just simply unacceptable, so we are talking about additional sanctions, additional efforts."

1/8

  1. Gallery: Thousands Mark Kiev Sniper Killings One Year On

    Thousands of people have attended a ceremony marking a year since snipers killed scores of anti-government protesters in the Ukrainian capital Kiev

Mourners lit candles to remember the 100 who died over three days of demonstrations against the then president, Moscow-leaning Viktor Yanukovich

]]>

Beams of light shone up into the sky as a minute's silence was held in Independence Square for the 'heavenly hundred'

]]>

Those attending the ceremony, including current president Petro Poroshenko and the young son of one of the victims, then sang the national anthem

]]>

Mr Poroshenko has claimed an influential aide to Vladimir Putin was behind the sniper killings in February last year

]]>

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Ebola Testing Kit Gives Results In 15 Minutes

The World Health Organization has approved a rapid test for the Ebola virus which can deliver a diagnosis in just 15 minutes.

In what could be a breakthrough for bringing the epidemic in West Africa to an end, the test kits will be deployed to countries affected by Ebola within a matter of weeks.

Although less accurate than traditional tests, which can take anywhere between 12 and 24 hours, this kit does not require electricity - making it ideal for examining patients in remote areas.

During rigorous trials conducted by the WHO, the ReEBOV Antigen Rapid Test correctly identified 92% of those infected with Ebola, and 85% who were free of the virus.

The health agency has said this new testing kit should be followed up with a laboratory test wherever possible.

Meanwhile, the UN's Mission for Ebola Emergency Response has praised Liberia's progress in slowing down the spread of the virus - but warned against complacency as the number of new patients continues to fall.

Ebola has killed more than 3,800 people in Liberia since December 2013 - but now, students are returning to their schools after they were closed for six months.

In Sierra Leone, an investigation is under way into how money meant to fight Ebola was used. Out of $5.75m (£3.75m) received in funding, a third was spent without invoices and receipts being saved.

Doctors, government officials and businesspeople now must answer to the Anti-Corruption Commission, which wants an explanation of where the cash went.


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Fire Engulfs Dubai's Torch Tower Skyscraper

A huge fire engulfed part of the Torch Tower in Dubai in the early hours of this morning, forcing hundreds of people to flee the 1,100ft skyscraper.

Witnesses said the blaze appeared to have started at around 2am in the middle of the residential building, rapidly spreading across some 15 floors.

In several videos posted on social media websites, multiple floors of the high-rise were seen ablaze.

Strong winds fanned the flames and burning debris from the fire could be seen falling from building.

One witness said flames shot out from two sides of the building as glass and metal rained down from near the summit of the structure.

Another witness said it looked "like the Titanic going down", according to Gulfnews.com.

One resident, Briton Steve Short, 53, from Liverpool, praised the work of firefighters who arrived quickly.

He said fire alarms alerted people to the blaze and building management sent workers knocking on doors to ensure residents got out.

Residents of at least one neighbouring tower were told to evacuate as a precaution because of high winds, but they were later allowed back inside.

It took firefighters several hours before they extinguished the blaze, according to a witness at the scene.

The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. Officials said there were no reports of casualties.

Opened in 2011, the Torch Tower has 79 floors and is one of the world's tallest residential buildings.

It is located in the Marina district of the city which is home to dozens of towering apartment blocks and hotels, many of them built over the past decade.

The apartments are popular with Dubai's large number of expatriate professionals.

Dubai, known for its skyline of hugely varied skyscrapers, has seen fires at towers in the past.

In 2012, a huge blaze gutted the 34-Tamweel tower in the nearby Jumeirah Lake Towers district. It was later revealed to have been caused by a cigarette butt thrown into a bin.


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NATO General Warns Over Russia and Baltic

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 20 Februari 2015 | 22.56

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Britain's most senior officer in NATO has warned that Russia could invade the Baltic States using tactics on display in Ukraine.

In a speech in London, General Sir Adrian Bradshaw said there is a "danger that Russia might believe that the large scale conventional forces which she has shown she can generate at very short notice as we saw in the snap exercise that preceded the take-over of Crimea could in future be used not only for intimidation and coercion but potentially to seize NATO territory."

Such a move, were it to happen, would invoke Article 5 of the organisation's constitution. This states that all NATO nations must come to the aid of other members in an act of collective defence.

It would bring the Alliance into direct conflict with Russia.

Sir Adrian is known as DSACEUR - Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO forces.

"We are today seeing Russian conventional forces employed, albeit subject to continued brazen denials by the Kremlin, in eastern Ukraine to assist separatists to seize territory," he told an audience at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

He added: "The threat from Russia and risk it brings of miscalculation resulting in a strategic conflict, however unlikely we see it, represents an existential threat to our whole being."

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  1. Gallery: Nov 1: RAF Redirects Russia Bombers

    Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled to intercept Russian military 'Bear' bombers for the second time in a week, it has emerged (Pic: MoD)

The aircraft were were sent up from RAF Lossiemouth on Friday, 31 October, to escort the Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-95 aircraft (Pic: MoD)

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Tough Talks On Greek Debt As D-Day Looms

These could well prove the most important few days in the euro's existence.

In the corridors and meeting rooms of the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels, Greece and its euro counterparts have been charged with discussing how to keep the struggling nation in the single currency.

Their chances of success seem to be flagging.

Quite how we got here is a complicated story - it involves political and economic mistakes, financial jiggery-pokery, many decades of historical animosity and some big personality clashes.

Let's leave that aside for a moment and recall where we stand today.

Briefly: Greece is in dire need of money. The state has a series of debts to repay in March, some to the International Monetary Fund, some to the European Central Bank. 

It can't easily raise cash in the open markets (would you really want to lend to Athens right now?) so it will have to find that money elsewhere.

That means borrowing it from its eurozone colleagues. Greece is of course still receiving bailout support from the so-called Troika lenders (the European Commission, ECB and IMF), so the most straightforward thing would be to extend the existing bailout and withdraw some extra cash from it (there's about €7bn of it left, which would be very helpful right now).

However, extending the bailout would also mean extending the conditions attached to it - austerity, privatisations, labour market and pension reforms.

Syriza, the party which leads the new Greek government, adamantly set itself against that in its election campaign. It also said it would refuse to co-operate with the Troika in future.

That leaves it in a sticky place. Its finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, has spent most of the past few weeks attempting to persuade his European counterparts to lend Greece some cash, but to do it as a "bridging loan" rather than as an extension of the "current programme".

That might seem like a mere terminological distinction - and in one sense it is. But underlying the terminology are real differences.

Signing up to the "current programme" again would mean obeying those hated conditions. A "bridging loan" of some sort, on the other hand, could have some discrete conditions of its own. Though some of these might be uncomfortable, they would at least be of Greece's new government's own making.

The problem is that Greece's creditors are reluctant to let the country off all those conditions they set when lending them money.

For one thing, Greece has already been forgiven a chunk of its debts in 2012; the interest rates and maturities of its debts have been stretched out way into the future, making them cheaper to service.

For another, those conditions were not merely there as punishment - they were there to make the economy more healthy in the future.

Raising retirement ages, removing archaic protections on employees, privatising nationalised industries - those are precisely the kinds of Thatcherite reforms many other countries had to go through long ago, and are reaping the rewards of today.

Then there's the politics: German voters are becoming increasingly disenchanted with the idea of funding a poor creditor elsewhere whose own people seem to hate them.

The Spanish government is desperate that Syriza doesn't succeed, for fear of encouraging its people to vote for their own upstart leftist anti-austerity rival party, Podemos. The Irish would be furious if a country was given special treatment they were denied.

These countervailing forces mean getting an agreement, either today or this weekend or in the coming months, will be very difficult. And, as if things couldn't already be more difficult, the process has also been waylaid by some personal histrionics.

The Greek negotiators have been unpredictable in the extreme - openly leaking bundles of documents, flagrantly disregarding the long-established rules of negotiations and publicly criticising their counterparts.

"These people are crazy," said one eurocrat when the talks broke down the last time, on Monday night. "They're totally crazy."

One can only assume yet more craziness to come in the next hours and days. The latest developments, on Thursday, included a letter from the Greek authorities which seemed to offer massive compromises on its position - including an extension of the bailout in some guise, and Troika supervision.

That was then dismissed abruptly by the Germans, who derided it as a "Trojan horse" gambit.

All of which threatens to make today's negotiations particularly awkward.

Meanwhile, hanging over all of this is the question of whether Greece will have money to pay its bills next month, whether it defaults, and, ultimately, whether it can stay in the euro.


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Ebola Testing Kit Gives Results In 15 Minutes

The World Health Organization has approved a rapid test for the Ebola virus which can deliver a diagnosis in just 15 minutes.

In what could be a breakthrough for bringing the epidemic in West Africa to an end, the test kits will be deployed to countries affected by Ebola within a matter of weeks.

Although less accurate than traditional tests, which can take anywhere between 12 and 24 hours, this kit does not require electricity - making it ideal for examining patients in remote areas.

During rigorous trials conducted by the WHO, the ReEBOV Antigen Rapid Test correctly identified 92% of those infected with Ebola, and 85% who were free of the virus.

The health agency has said this new testing kit should be followed up with a laboratory test wherever possible.

Meanwhile, the UN's Mission for Ebola Emergency Response has praised Liberia's progress in slowing down the spread of the virus - but warned against complacency as the number of new patients continues to fall.

Ebola has killed more than 3,800 people in Liberia since December 2013 - but now, students are returning to their schools after they were closed for six months.

In Sierra Leone, an investigation is under way into how money meant to fight Ebola was used. Out of $5.75m (£3.75m) received in funding, a third was spent without invoices and receipts being saved.

Doctors, government officials and businesspeople now must answer to the Anti-Corruption Commission, which wants an explanation of where the cash went.


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Greece Crisis: No Sign Of Deal At Loan Talks

An emergency meeting of eurozone finance ministers to discuss the Greek bailout crisis has been delayed as frantic negotiations continue on a possible loan deal.

The country wants an extension on its funding for six months to be agreed in Brussels but has rejected strict austerity conditions, which Germany has insisted must remain.

Talks between finance ministers have been delayed by at least 90 minutes as officials scramble to make progress behind the scenes.

As he arriving for the meeting, Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said he hoped to see "white smoke" by the end of the day - an apparent reference to success on the election of a new Pope.

However, a member of the Greek team, Elena Panaritis, told Sky News it was clear creditors wanted Greece to bleed and politics had got in the way of economics.

It has been suggested there is now 80% agreement on the Greek plan - which Germany had previously dismissed as a "Trojan horse, intending to get bridge financing and in substance putting an end to the current programme".

Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras told Reuters on Friday he was "certain" his government's request would be accepted despite Berlin's objections and called for a "historic political decision" to seal a deal.

He insisted his nation had done "everything possible".

His anti-austerity government is seeking a compromise as it runs the risk of running out of cash and defaulting on its debts without agreement by the end of the month.

Such a scenario could force it to leave the single currency.

Greece has ruled out the prospect of any deal under the terms of its previous rescue, citing its mandate from the Greek people who swept the anti-austerity Syriza party to power last month.

The formal Greek request pledged to honour all Greek debts and not take unilateral action that would undermine agreed fiscal targets.

The government blames the conditions attached to its €240bn (£178bn) bailout of hampering the country's recovery and leading to a deterioration of living standards.

Unemployment remains at more than 25%.

On Monday, the government rejected a eurozone plan to extend its current bailout commitments, describing it as absurd.


22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Somalia: Dozens Dead In Al Shabab Attack

At least 25 people are reported to have been killed in an attack on a hotel in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.

Gunmen stormed the Central Hotel after a car and suicide bomb exploded at the fortified building near the presidential palace.

Clouds of black smoke could be seen pouring from the hotel.

Reports say the deputy major of Mogadishu and an MP were among those killed.

The deputy prime minister and minister of transport are reported to have been injured.

A presidential official said the death toll was likely to rise because some of the people hurt had bad injuries.

"The building was badly hit, the explosion was very big," said a policeman. "There were very many wounded people too, many of them seriously."

Islamist fighters from the al Qaeda-linked Al Shabab militant group said they had carried out the attack.

"Our fighters attacked the Central Hotel," spokesman Abdulaziz Abu Musab told AFP. "The aim is to kill the apostate officials."

The rebels are fighting to overthrow the government and have launched a number of attacks on targets with international connections.

These have included attacks on hotels, the international airport, the presidential palace Villa Somalia and a UN compound.

The fighters say they are attacking government officials because they are allowing the deployment of foreign African Union troops in Somalia.

The latest attack comes a month after a suicide bomber blew up a car at the SYL hotel, a day before a planned visit from Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.


22.56 | 0 komentar | Read More

Exclusive: Ukraine Firefight Caught On Video

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 19 Februari 2015 | 22.56

Exclusive: Ukraine Firefight Caught On Video

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

Sky News has obtained exclusive video of a prolonged gun battle between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government troops close to the besieged eastern town of Debaltseve.

It was shot by a television crew who were with rebel forces and interviewing a prisoner of war when the sound of heavy gunfire erupts nearby.

The rebels are then filmed using assault rifles to shoot through windows before some open fire outside.

At least one fighter attacks the pro-Kiev forces with rocket propelled grenades.

The footage emerged as hundreds of Ukrainian troops pulled out from Debaltseve following battles with pro-Russian forces.

Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has said his soldiers had left in a "planned and organised withdrawal" from the strategically important area.

A Russian TV station showed separatists hoisting their flag over a building as they seized the railway hub in defiance of a ceasefire brokered by France and Germany.

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  1. Gallery: Ukraine Troops Leave Debaltseve

    Pro-Russian separatists take position near the eastern Ukrainian city of Uglegorsk, 6 kms southwest of Debaltseve

Pro-Russian rebels stationed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Gorlivka, Donetsk region, launch missiles from Grad launch vehicles

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Pro-Russian separatists patrol a street in the eastern Ukrainian city of Makeyevka

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Ukrainian troops pulled out of the besieged flashpoint eastern town Debaltseve after it was stormed by pro-Russian rebels in what the EU said was a "clear violation" of an internationally-backed truce

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President Petro Poroshenko said 80% of units had left the town, in order to comply with the current ceasefire

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Exclusive: Ukraine Firefight Caught On Video

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

Sky News has obtained exclusive video of a prolonged gun battle between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government troops close to the besieged eastern town of Debaltseve.

It was shot by a television crew who were with rebel forces and interviewing a prisoner of war when the sound of heavy gunfire erupts nearby.

The rebels are then filmed using assault rifles to shoot through windows before some open fire outside.

At least one fighter attacks the pro-Kiev forces with rocket propelled grenades.

The footage emerged as hundreds of Ukrainian troops pulled out from Debaltseve following battles with pro-Russian forces.

Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has said his soldiers had left in a "planned and organised withdrawal" from the strategically important area.

A Russian TV station showed separatists hoisting their flag over a building as they seized the railway hub in defiance of a ceasefire brokered by France and Germany.

1/25

  1. Gallery: Ukraine Troops Leave Debaltseve

    Pro-Russian separatists take position near the eastern Ukrainian city of Uglegorsk, 6 kms southwest of Debaltseve

Pro-Russian rebels stationed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Gorlivka, Donetsk region, launch missiles from Grad launch vehicles

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Pro-Russian separatists patrol a street in the eastern Ukrainian city of Makeyevka

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Ukrainian troops pulled out of the besieged flashpoint eastern town Debaltseve after it was stormed by pro-Russian rebels in what the EU said was a "clear violation" of an internationally-backed truce

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President Petro Poroshenko said 80% of units had left the town, in order to comply with the current ceasefire

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Russia A 'Real And Present Danger' To NATO States

Russia A 'Real And Present Danger' To NATO States

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

There is a "real and present danger" Russia could repeat its covert campaigns in the Crimea and Ukraine to destablise former Soviet bloc countries, the Defence Secretary has warned.

Michael Fallon said NATO must be ready for Russian aggression against alliance members including Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

He warned the action could involve using irregular troops, cyber attacks and inflaming tensions with ethnic Russian minorities.

"NATO has to be ready for any kind of aggression from Russia, whatever form it takes. NATO is getting ready," he said.

Mr Fallon added that he was worried about Russian President Vladimir Putin's "pressure on the Baltics".

Last night RAF jets intercepted two Russian Tu-95 bombers off the coast of Cornwall. The incident comes two weeks after jets were scrambled to see off a similar Russian plane which flew down the English Channel off the coast of Bournemouth.

"It is the first time since the height of the Cold War that has happened and it just shows you the need to respond each time he does something like that," said Mr Fallon.

Sky's Defence Correspondent Alistair Bunkall said: "They came down the west coast of Ireland and were met by RAF typhoons which had been scrambled from RAF Coningsby.

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  1. Gallery: Nov 1: RAF Redirects Russia Bombers

    Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled to intercept Russian military 'Bear' bombers for the second time in a week, it has emerged (Pic: MoD)

The aircraft were were sent up from RAF Lossiemouth on Friday, 31 October, to escort the Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-95 aircraft (Pic: MoD)

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On Wednesday, 29 October, RAF Typhoon fighter jets intercepted another two Russian bombers over the North Sea (Pic: MoD)

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This image taken by one of the RAF fighters during the 29 October incident shows another Typhoon tailing the Russian aircraft (Pic: MoD)

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The intercepts come amid what NATO described as an "unusual level of activity". (Pic: Norwegian army)

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Russia A 'Real And Present Danger' To NATO States

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

There is a "real and present danger" Russia could repeat its covert campaigns in the Crimea and Ukraine to destablise former Soviet bloc countries, the Defence Secretary has warned.

Michael Fallon said NATO must be ready for Russian aggression against alliance members including Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

He warned the action could involve using irregular troops, cyber attacks and inflaming tensions with ethnic Russian minorities.

"NATO has to be ready for any kind of aggression from Russia, whatever form it takes. NATO is getting ready," he said.

Mr Fallon added that he was worried about Russian President Vladimir Putin's "pressure on the Baltics".

Last night RAF jets intercepted two Russian Tu-95 bombers off the coast of Cornwall. The incident comes two weeks after jets were scrambled to see off a similar Russian plane which flew down the English Channel off the coast of Bournemouth.

"It is the first time since the height of the Cold War that has happened and it just shows you the need to respond each time he does something like that," said Mr Fallon.

Sky's Defence Correspondent Alistair Bunkall said: "They came down the west coast of Ireland and were met by RAF typhoons which had been scrambled from RAF Coningsby.

1/7

  1. Gallery: Nov 1: RAF Redirects Russia Bombers

    Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled to intercept Russian military 'Bear' bombers for the second time in a week, it has emerged (Pic: MoD)

The aircraft were were sent up from RAF Lossiemouth on Friday, 31 October, to escort the Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-95 aircraft (Pic: MoD)

]]>

On Wednesday, 29 October, RAF Typhoon fighter jets intercepted another two Russian bombers over the North Sea (Pic: MoD)

]]>

This image taken by one of the RAF fighters during the 29 October incident shows another Typhoon tailing the Russian aircraft (Pic: MoD)

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The intercepts come amid what NATO described as an "unusual level of activity". (Pic: Norwegian army)

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Islamic State Leader Used To Work As Secretary

By David Bowden, Senior News Correspondent

The man who heads the most brutal organisation in the world started his working life as a secretary, according to newly released US military files.

De-classified documents reveal details about the life led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before he became leader of Islamic State, the terrorist organisation that has sadistically murdered thousands of people in Syria, Iraq and Libya, including beheading western hostages.

Al-Baghdadi was captured by American soldiers in 2004 during the invasion of Iraq and spent almost a year in a military prison in the south of the country, according to documents seen by Business Insider.

His real name is Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Al Badry and while his date of birth was redacted from the files, he is thought to be 43.

He was captured, according to Business Insider, by US military intelligence in Fallujah, west of Baghdad, on 4 February 2004 and held until 8 December the same year.

Al-Baghdadi's status was listed as "civilian detainee" and he was therefore not officially thought to be an insurgent.

His occupation was written as "ADMINISTRATIVE WORK (SECRETARY)".

It is thought he was detained in a raid aimed at arresting his friend.

He was listed as married, with an uncle being his next of kin, although all relatives' names have been redacted from the de-classified documents.

There is also a prison photo of him wearing glasses.

What a difference a decade makes. The former secretary from Fallujah is now the most reviled terrorist on the planet, heading a band of murdering thugs, bent on the establishment of an Islamist caliphate carved across the Middle East.

US officials must be ruing the fact that the man they now have top of their most wanted list was in their custody for almost a year.

How would the modern fight against terror look if Al Baghdadi, the one time secretary, was still in an American jail?


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NATO Fighter Jets Intercept Russian Bomber

Video has emerged showing NATO fighter jets 'buzzing' a Russian Tu-95 bomber.

The footage shows three RAF Typhoons and at least one French Mirage fighter flying within yards of the Russian plane and broadcast on Russian television channel TV Zvedza, which is owned by the Russian Defence Ministry.

The time and location of the incident has not been disclosed.

However, based upon the squadron insignia seen on the aircraft, it is believed the video was shot during a close encounter on 28 January when two Russian military planes flew close to UK airspace.

Sky's Defence Correspondent Alistair Bunkall said: "Events of this kind have tripled in recent months but what it shows is one of these events happening from the other side.

"Once we work out when the last time the French and British worked together on one of these we might be able to date exactly when this happened.

"If the Russian bombers were flying from British air space into French air space, or the other way around, they would hand over to each other.

"It is quite fascinating seeing this from the other angle. You can see how close they get to each other and what the British and French would essentially be doing is trying to speak to the Russians and make sure they do not stray into sovereign airspace."

The Ministry of Defence have confirmed the video shows RAF Typhoons from 1 Squadron, 6 Squadron and 11 Squadron.

The increase in close encounters between Russian military planes and RAF fighters comes amid increased tension between Russia and the West over the war in Ukraine.

The video was released as it was revealed RAF jets intercepted a Russian Tu-95 bomber off the coast of Cornwall on Wednesday evening, and two weeks after British jets were scrambled to see off a similar Russian plane which flew down the English Channel.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "It is the first time since the height of the Cold War that has happened and it just shows you the need to respond each time he does something like that."

Speaking earlier about the crisis in Ukraine, Mr Fallon said there was a "real and present danger" Russia could repeat its covert campaigns in the Crimea and Ukraine to destabilise former Soviet bloc countries.

He added NATO must be ready for Russian aggression against alliance members including Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

David Cameron said: "When this happens, what we do, we launch our Typhoon aircraft escorting these planes out of the area of UK interest. At no time did the Russian military aircraft cross into UK military airspace.

"This illustrates we have the fast jets, the pilots and the systems in place to protect the United Kingdom.

"The Russians are trying to make a point and we should not dignify it with a response."


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Greece Loan Plan: EU Told Take It Or Leave It

Greece says the European Union has "just two choices" when it comes to Athens' request for a six-month extension to its loan programme - accept it or reject it.

Eurozone finance ministers in the Eurogroup will discuss the Greek plan on Friday.

But Germany has already rejected it, saying it was "no substantial proposal for a solution" and "does not meet the criteria" laid out by the ministers.

The office of the German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble issued the terse response, just hours after Greece formally lodged its bid for a half-year deal to effectively replace its bailout, due to expire at the end of the month.

German finance ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger added that it amounted to a request "for bridge financing without fulfilling the demands of the (bailout) programme".

But after the snub, a Greek government source said: "The Eurogroup has just two choices. To accept or reject the Greek request. We will now discover who wants to find a solution, and who does not."

The country's new anti-austerity government is seeking a compromise to break the deadlock with European creditors, especially Germany, as it runs the risk of running out of cash and defaulting on its debts without agreement.

It has ruled out the prospect of any deal under the terms of its previous rescue because of its mandate from the Greek people who swept the anti-austerity Syriza party to power last month.

The details of the Greek request were not made public but the Reuters news agency said it had seen a document which suggested Greece had watered down its previous demands.

The letter, purportedly written by Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, pledged  to honour all Greek debts and not take unilateral action that would undermine agreed fiscal targets.

The government of Alexis Tsipras blames the conditions attached to its bailout of hampering the country's recovery and leading to a deterioration of living standards.

Unemployment remains at more than 25%.

On Monday, the government rejected a plan to extend its current €240bn (£178bn) bailout deal, describing it as absurd.

Eurozone finance ministers had given Greece until Friday to request an extension of its current austerity and reform programme.

Germany has been particularly vocal in insisting the country sticks to the terms of its commitments.

The formal Greek request was made in a letter to Jeroen Dijsselbloem, head of the eurogroup of finance ministers.

The document was submitted after the European Central Bank (ECB) agreed to increase its emergency funding to Greek banks amid a capital flight from the country.

Depositors are fearful the lack of a deal will force Greece from the single currency and back to the drachma, representing a significant devaluation.

A source told the AFP news agency the ceiling for emergency liquidity assistance - or ELA - to the banks was raised by the ECB from €65bn to €68.3bn (£50.3bn).

According to the source, the Greek central bank had requested an extension of roughly €10bn.

Minutes of the last ECB governing council meeting, released on Thursday, also confirmed that a Greek exit from its bailout commitments would prevent the ECB buying the country's bonds under its €1.1tn quantitative easing scheme.

The eurozone economic stimulus, due to begin next month, was not backed by each member of the council - widely believed to be its two German members.

The minutes said: "In the view of some members there appeared to be no urgent need for monetary policy action."


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Ukraine Rebels Claim To Have Captured Key Town

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 17 Februari 2015 | 22.56

Ukraine Rebels Claim To Have Captured Key Town

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Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine claim they have taken the key transportation hub of Debaltseve and the epicentre of recent fighting.

Separatist leaders said in remarks carried by the rebel-supporting Donetsk News Agency that their forces pushed the Ukrainian army out of the town.

The claim comes as five Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 14 wounded in clashes between the rebels and government forces.

The rebels have declared they will begin withdrawing heavy weaponry from those areas of the frontline where the cease-fire holds, but this does not appear to include Debaltseve,  

The fighting is the latest apparent breach of a fragile ceasefire under which both sides were supposed to pull heavy artillery back from the front line today.

Fighting erupted on the streets inside the town, which until now had been the scene of artillery exchanges between government troops inside and heavily-armed rebels encircling it.

But government and rebel leaders indicated they would withdraw only after the other side does so.

1/22

  1. Gallery: The Town At The Centre Of The Ukraine Conflict

    Ukrainian armed forces take up positions near the eastern town of Debaltseve.

A ceasefire came into effect on Sunday, but fighting has continued in Debaltseve, where pro-Russian rebels claim to have surrounded thousands of Ukrainian fighters.

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A convoy of Ukrainian forces drives in the direction of the embattled town, which is a major rail and road junction northeast of the city of Donetsk.

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Pro-Russian rebels stationed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Gorlivka launch missiles towards Ukrainian forces in Debaltseve last week.

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Fighters of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic walk past a destroyed Ukrainian army vehicle in the town of Vuhlehirsk, about six miles to the west of Debaltseve.

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Ukraine Rebels Claim To Have Captured Key Town

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

Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine claim they have taken the key transportation hub of Debaltseve and the epicentre of recent fighting.

Separatist leaders said in remarks carried by the rebel-supporting Donetsk News Agency that their forces pushed the Ukrainian army out of the town.

The claim comes as five Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 14 wounded in clashes between the rebels and government forces.

The rebels have declared they will begin withdrawing heavy weaponry from those areas of the frontline where the cease-fire holds, but this does not appear to include Debaltseve,  

The fighting is the latest apparent breach of a fragile ceasefire under which both sides were supposed to pull heavy artillery back from the front line today.

Fighting erupted on the streets inside the town, which until now had been the scene of artillery exchanges between government troops inside and heavily-armed rebels encircling it.

But government and rebel leaders indicated they would withdraw only after the other side does so.

1/22

  1. Gallery: The Town At The Centre Of The Ukraine Conflict

    Ukrainian armed forces take up positions near the eastern town of Debaltseve.

A ceasefire came into effect on Sunday, but fighting has continued in Debaltseve, where pro-Russian rebels claim to have surrounded thousands of Ukrainian fighters.

]]>

A convoy of Ukrainian forces drives in the direction of the embattled town, which is a major rail and road junction northeast of the city of Donetsk.

]]>

Pro-Russian rebels stationed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Gorlivka launch missiles towards Ukrainian forces in Debaltseve last week.

]]>

Fighters of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic walk past a destroyed Ukrainian army vehicle in the town of Vuhlehirsk, about six miles to the west of Debaltseve.

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